Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 61

He launches into a detailed conversation with the waiter, discussing the dishes as if he were planning a gourmet meal. Every now and then, he turns to me, asking for my preferences. After a few minutes, the waiter nods and heads off.

When the food arrives, Arc excitedly explains each dish—how it's made, what makes it special, and why I have to try it. The kimchi fried rice is, as promised, incredible, but even with the rich flavors, the spice level is a little overwhelming for my American taste buds.

Arc notices me reaching for water more often and smirks. "Too spicy?"

"Maybe just a little," I admit, fanning my mouth.

"Come on," he says, standing up. "We need to fix this."

He leads me out of the restaurant and into a nearby convenience store. The bright fluorescent lights contrast with the cozy warmth of the restaurant, and Arc confidently makes his way to the freezer section.

"Pick an ice cream," he says, already grabbing one for himself.

I take my time browsing the selection before finally choosing one. After paying, we leave the store and wander toward a small park nearby. The streets have quieted down, and a gentle evening breeze makes the walk even more pleasant.

As we stroll, we talk about his trainee days, and I share stories from high school. The more he speaks, the more I realize just how different our lives were at the same age. When my biggest worries were school and assignments, he and his group were managing school, training, performances, and recordings. While I was just figuring out what I wanted to do with my life, they were already working toward their dream.

We continue walking, the conversation flowing naturally, until eventually, we make our way back to his car. As we drive toward the hotel, a sudden realization hits me.

I glance at the time and then turn to Arc. "Wait... weren't we supposed to stop somewhere to exchange currency? Will it even be open this late?"

Arc just says, "Yep," and continues driving.

As we approach the street before the hotel, he slows the car and turns to me. "How much would you need?"

I think for a moment before answering, "I think around $300—that's about ₩500,000."

"Okay," he says simply and steps out of the car.

Confused, I quickly unbuckle and follow him, only to realize he's heading toward an ATM. Understanding what he's about to do, I stop a few steps away, deciding to wait outside. The night air is cool, and the street is quieter compared to the bustling city areas we had driven through earlier.

A few minutes later, Arc walks out of the ATM, tucking his wallet back into his pocket. "Let's go," he says casually, as if nothing just happened.

Once we're back in the car, I expect him to drive off to wherever we were supposed to exchange the currency. Instead, he pulls out his wallet, counts a few bills, and hands them to me.

I take them without thinking, but as I count, my eyes widen. ₩3,000,000.

I immediately place the money on the dashboard, cross my arms, and look at him. "First of all, I didn't ask you to give me money. If I needed to borrow some, I would have taken it from Jihoon and told him to deduct it from my salary this month. Secondly, this is way too much money."

Arc leans back in his seat, crosses his arms to mirror my posture, and looks at me with a mix of amusement and stubbornness. "Firstly, I needed to withdraw money anyway, so I just took out extra. Secondly, Jihoon wouldn't have had that much cash on hand to give you. Thirdly, if you don't use it all, you can return whatever's left, and you won't have to pay extra to convert it back to dollars." He pauses for a moment before adding, his tone softening but turning firm, "And lastly, you should remember that you're dating me, not Jihoon. If you have a problem or need anything, I should be the one helping you—not someone else."