Paradise || Jeong Gu Won ✓

ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

𝚃𝚑𝚎  𝙱𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚍  𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎  𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖  𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕

Ji Hu drove herself to the hotel restaurant. She didn't know what to expect from Do Hee's blind date – and she knew that the moment Madam Ju found out that they switched places, she was going to be angry, but also thrilled to find out that Ji Hu went on a date. The mixed signals that woman gave when it came to Ji Hu's love life. She didn't understand why Ji Hu never like any of the men that Madam Ju sent her way.

Ji Hu was wrong the day she told Madam Ju that she preferred older men.

She should have specified.

Ji Hu was totally going to rat Do Hee out the moment she saw Madam Ju.

Ji Hu looked at the text message from Ms. Shin about the details that Ji Hu had to obey. Ms. Shin told her she had to sit for at least thirty minutes – at least Ji Hu would be eating. There was one date she went on for Do Hee where the bastard had the audacity to order for her, and he ordered her the lightest meal on the menu. That was when the drinks being thrown at people started.

For once, Madam Ju was apologetic about that bastard. It was the one and only time she apologized for trying to set up both Do Hee and Ji Hu, but then the next month, Do Hee was set up on another blind date. The only reason Ji Hu went along with the blind dates was because she knew Madam Ju cared, she wanted her to get married, have children. It just was coming out of a place of men that Madam Ju found interesting instead of what Ji Hu or even Do Hee thought were interesting.

All three women had different tastes in men.

But every single date seemed to be what Madam Ju liked to men and pushed Do Hee and Ji Hu to like what she liked. Bad all around.

Ji Hu was humoring Madam Ju this time around. She'd play the innocent Noh and hope for the best out of date. But she was totally throwing Do Hee under the bus.

What Ji Hu found curious was when she arrived, the entire restaurant was booked out. Yet, the only one who sat was the blind date. Ji Hu wasn't going to lie, she wanted to know who had the money (besides herself) to book the entire place for a blind date. Even when the waiter told her, Ji Hu was taken back.

"I might murder someone tonight," she said under her breath. "Male customer, I suspect?" The waiter nodded. "Yes, I'm his guest." Ji Hu stated.

"Then let me show you to your table." The waiter sounded apologetic for almost sending Ji Hu away. Ji Hu didn't mind; he was just doing his job and she'd respect that. But at the same time, did Madam Ju tell this guy that it was Do Hee's birthday today and he was shelling out? Or did he just do this for every first date? Either way, Ji Hu wasn't going to pretend she was Do Hee for the afternoon like she had in the past.

The waiter walked with Ji Hu for a moment before pointing down to the man sitting at one of the tables. Ji Hu could see he was reading the morning paper, which seemed so uncommon these days with the news at a person's fingertips.

Ji Hu walked away from the waiter, hands behind her back. "Madam Ju must think he's Do Hee's soulmate, or mine. She's gotta know by now that I'm taking Do Hee's place," Ji Hu spoke to herself a lot. It was a habit she developed at a young age after her mother's disappearance, so it didn't seem so lonely. Yet in such an empty restaurant, her voice carried. "She could always remarry. What, it would be husband number..." Ji Hu paused as she continued to walk. "Whatever." She shook her head.

Whatever Madam Ju's reasoning was for this guy to meet Do Hee, Ji Hu was going to find out and squish it. Maybe this would be the last time Madam Ju sent either of them on blind dates.