There are Many Flowers in Seoul

Chapter Thirty-Four

Si-woo had promised to pick Rose up at nine in the morning outside her building for their date. There was no reason for her to wake up early when it was more a reconnaissance mission than a romantic stroll, but she was too nervous to sleep. After her last boyfriend had ended up being a scumbag only interested in using her to further his career – a career which would never get off the ground once her father told everyone he knew in the industry what sort of a man he was – she was nervous about getting close to anyone. It helped that Si-woo already had a job and wouldn't rely on her financially, not least because he had no idea that her family owned the company he was presently employed by or were obscenely wealthy, so it was unlikely he thought of her as a pay-day rather than just a girl he'd met at work.

As she stood outside and waited in a pair of sneakers, a red tartan mini-skirt and white blouse with short puffed sleeves, Rose had to wonder if she'd put too much effort into her appearance. Si-woo had seen her primped and preened by professionals, and nothing Rose could do to herself could match their level of skill, but she wanted to try to look pretty and cute for him and for herself; at least she could mask her nervousness behind a nice outfit. The sky overhead was blue and fluffy white clouds drifted idly by on the refreshing, light breeze. Rose had ignored Yuta's advice to bring a jacket – it was too hot to wear and too annoying to have to carry it all day – and supposed if the weather turned they'd find somewhere to shelter from the rain like a café or mall. She tapped her toes impatiently inside her shoes and peered down the street which was pointless given she had no idea what Si-woo's car looked like, and hummed softly to herself, knowing she'd look like a crazy stood-up ex-girlfriend to anyone passing by. While she waited, her mind drifted to Tae-won. Rose had briefly considered trying to meet with both men on the same day – Tae-won hadn't wanted to meet until the afternoon and it wouldn't have been impossible to find time for him – but she couldn't fathom having to tell Si-woo that she wanted to cut their date short because she had another guy on the side who'd demanded her company.

'Rose!' a silver car had pulled up to the curb and the driver's window lowered. Si-woo leaned out and waved her over. 'Get in!'

The manner of his arrival surprised her. Yes, she'd expected the car, but Si-woo seemed the type to get out and open the door for her like an old-fashioned gentleman. Rose had grown up watching her father's drama shows and her mother's English movies and in both the men were always the knights in shining armour. They were probably to blame for her skewed ideas of how a man should behave. Swallowing down her criticisms of this casual greeting and reminding herself that the day was more about work than making a love connection, Rose smiled and hurried to get into the passenger side of the car. As soon as her seat-belt was fastened, Si-woo took off without a second glance. Rose wondered if he'd even noticed that she'd made an effort. It was a thought he answered when he said, 'You look nice.'

'Thanks.'

Nice?

Not beautiful? Gorgeous? Like I want to get down on one knee and propose?

Perhaps the last one was a little much, but nice? That was weak by anyone's standards.

Si-woo smiled. 'More than nice. Very pretty. And you wore sensible shoes.'

'You said we'd be doing a lot of walking.'

'Yes, I did.'

'So,' Rose said, relaxing in the seat and reminding herself that it wasn't the worst thing in the world if she had some unguarded fun for once, 'where are we headed?'

Bukchon Hanok village wasn't the first place one would consider for a date, but the rustic houses and narrow streets made for a beautiful backdrop and Rose understood why Si-woo might choose it as a location. Although she reached out for his hand, Si-woo didn't take it; he needed both to operate his camera. It soon became apparent to Rose that he placed a higher priority on his work than on getting to know her when he directed her to stand in doorways, against walls, and to crouch and pet the neighbourhood cats who approached them seeking affection. It wasn't the worst start in the world – he hadn't called her Japan or demanded that she buy him sugary snacks – but it also wasn't what Rose had in mind when she consented to join him.

Far more interesting than the street was North Seoul Tower. The site was one Rose recognised at once from a number of romantic drama shows where lovers would come together to stare wistfully out across the Seoul skyline or to write their names on padlocks and secure them to the walls, believing that their love would last forever with the simple offering.

If only that were true.

'Did you bring a padlock?' Rose teased as she ran her fingers over the sun-warmed metal, reading the faded names which had suffered the effects of the wind and rain. 'We could write our names.'

Si-woo looked up from his camera, a surprised expression upon his face. Clearly, the thought hadn't crossed his mind. Sensing the worry radiating off Si-woo at the idea of such commitment as scribbling his name on an inanimate object alongside the name of a girl he barely knew, Rose added, 'As a prop. For the shoot. I thought you might want to get some lighting for it.'

'Oh,' he said, a smile reappearing on his face now he was reassured that he wasn't about to bind himself to Rose forever. 'We'll bring one for the real shoot. The shot won't be close enough for real names, so you and Tae-won can leave it blank.'

Tae-won.

Despite adamantly telling him that she wouldn't head off to meet him in the park even if he waited for her, Rose couldn't help but think that if he'd been in charge of the date she might be having more fun. If, indeed, arguing with the man could be considered fun. It would be more stimulating than standing alone while Si-woo watched her through a lens, only taking photographs of her when he demanded that she pose for him rather than capturing her in the precious unguarded moments during which she would express real emotions – the emotions that really mattered when two people were alone together. Those were the sorts of photographs her mother always preferred when she sat in their living room surrounded by pictures, casting her eyes over each in search of the one snapshot which perfectly caught the vulnerability of her the subject.

After all, what was love if not vulnerable?

'Are you hungry?' Rose asked. 'I'm hungry.'

'It's a little early for lunch, and we have to get to another location this morning.'

Rose's heart sank. As much as she continued to remind herself that this date was a working excursion, she didn't want to be rushed. Flying through the tourist spots of Seoul wasn't how she'd hoped to see the country. She was there for three months, and wanted to spend that time immersed in the culture, pausing to taste the air on her tongue and listening to the chatter of passing locals and the whistling birdsong.

Rose wanted time to stop, and to find some peace in this new country.

'Where else do we need to go?' she asked, doing all she could to keep any hint of boredom from her tone and to keep her smile from wilting with disappointment. 'Is it far?'

'Gyeongbokgung Palace.'