Genuine

CHAPTER 1

1st PERSON POV

One year. I have been working in South Korea as a Civil Engineer in Prolife: Housing and Real Estate for a year now. My job is stable that I can sustain myself, send my sister to medical school and she's graduating in months already. I can even send extra allowance for my Family in the Philippines, yet I haven't been genuinely happy in life. My friends told me it's because I lack of love, I'm poor in love life, and that I need to find a partner. But the thing is, I don't need one. I'm not really into relationships, heck I haven't been in one, believe it or not. Yeah I've had some flings back in school but I only communicated through texts, they were all nothing.

During my time here in Korea, I have earned Korean friends of course, lots of them. But shockingly, most of them were guys. As an engineer you see, I have been thrown in a workplace where men dominate, and I am just one of the few women who didn't care about it because the world today already accepts equality. These guys treated me just like one of them, like a little brother, but they're aware that I am still a girl in nature so they respect that and have been protective of me.

The only thing I'm annoyed about them is, they've been setting me up with other guys may it be an acquaintance or their friend. They just wanted me to 'not be lonely growing old' they'd reason out. And here I am right now, waiting at a café, for another setup date. While sipping my favorite hot Macchiato I ordered, I scrolled through our group chat to reread their description of my supposed date.

BUILDING BUILDERS (online)
Me: how does he look like?
Hyung1: don't worry he's taller than you
JenUnnie: is he handsome for our Y/N?
Hyung2: he's got a normal body structure...
Hyung3: and a newly cut hair
Me: we meant his face
Hyung4: well he's got manly eyebrows, you like those right?
Me: curses...
Me: I meant how will I recognize it's him?
Hyung4: oh, I told him what table you're in, just wait our precious loner.
BossHyung: can't believe you guys. Just make sure this guy isn't a creep
Hyung1: yes boss
Hyung4: YAAAAAS \m/
Hyung2: ofcourse, he's a friend. And he works at an entertainment company.
Hyung3: 👍🏼

I placed my phone down the table, seeing how useless their information was. I took another sip from my coffee, as a guy went into my direction. I avoided eye contact because I would be awkward to assume falsely. But my assumptions turned out right when he stopped right in front of my table.
"Excuse me, are you Y/n-ssi?" the guys asked as I looked up to see him. He doesn't look bad, and he got those manly eyebrows indeed. He was wearing pants and sweaters, what a choice for a date. But he just doesn't seem to be my type.
"Yes. Shin Haneul-ssi?" I asked and he nodded. "Take a sit. I hope you don't mind I ordered first." I said and gestured for him to sit down and called for a waiter.
"Ah, thank you. It's okay, what do you want to eat? My treat." He said as the waiter gave us the menu.

The reason why my other dates don't contact me ever again because I purposely order lots of food, but just not too much that I can't finish them. I am a big eater so I shamelessly order what I want especially if they'd say it's their treat. It's not like I hate them, it's also sort of like a test. Because how can I stay happy in a relationship if my partner can't accept me for whom I am, right?

The food came and went fast like a lightning. Not to mention we've been talking throughout the process. We had some talks about our job, how I can speak English, Tagalog, and Korean, how his company was great and he just got a car, and how we've been doing in life. Our talks became deep and it came to a point it became quite serious.
"Why would you be unhappy if you're that successful?" he questioned like I'm some silly kid. But the question made me think, 'why?' It took me long enough to find the right answer for the right question.
I smiled, "I was asking myself the same question for a long time, and I haven't found the answer... until now. Maybe no one had just asked me about it, that's why I haven't answered."
"My pleasure." He smiled, "would you mind telling me the answer?"
"I have been doing the same thing for a year now, maybe that's why. Being an engineer wasn't really my real dream. I wanted to be something else. But here I am now, so there's no turning back. Maybe I just have to have a little bit sense of adventure that's all." I replied.
"Hm. very well said" he hummed. "I rarely meet people who know themselves too well. I guess I found one. You're a wise person. Keep it up." He said as he looked at his watch, "I think it's late, do you mind if I drive you home? Don't worry, I asked your brother already."
"Brother?" I was confused for a moment, but I remembered my workmates who's responsible for all this shit, "Ah! That hyung! He's really not my brother. Just a workmate, but we treat each as siblings." I proudly said. His mouth formed an 'O' and nodded repeatedly and we made our way to his car.