Itaewon Class

"Only one date"

Chapter II: Only one date

"You've got to be kidding!" exclaimed Ma Hyeon-Yi, laughing out loud as she ran on the treadmill. Yi-Seo, beside her, was pleading for her discretion in the 26th-floor gym center of a Hannam-dong building, but was also laughing. She was recounting the surreal conversation she had with Ro-Yi two days before. Hyeon-Yi was having a blast, drawing looks from interested people.

"I was so shocked. How could he think of something like that?" asked Yi-Seo out of breath, focused on the treadmill screen displaying the stock market exchange. Hyeon-Hi looked at her with rounded eyes. She scoffed, amused.

"Gosh, what did I do to be surrounded by this bunch of clueless people?"

"What is that supposed to mean? I'm not clueless..."

"You really don't see where this is coming from? Lunch, cafeteria, 'opppaaaaaaaaaaaaa'...?" Yi-Seo frowned; she was genuinely trying to figure it out before bursting into laughter herself.

"But that was for work!"

"Well, he doesn't know that..."

"But you do! Omg, you didn't say anything on purpose..." Yi-seo was now looking at Hyeon Hi, avoiding her gaze. - "eonni!"

"I mean, you should've seen his face, it was priceless!" She said, bursting into another laugh.

"You're so evil..."

"Please, it's not like I know everything either; the only thing you told me is that it was regarding brand endorsement."

"You know I'm superstitious with my deals."

"I know. But I couldn't resist..."

"Well, It's no point to overthink about it right now; the record will be set straight this afternoon."

"What do you mean?"

"The 'Oppa' will be coming this afternoon for a meeting with the communication team; Daepyo-nim will also attend so he'll see for himself that I'm not 'seeing anyone'..." Hyeon-Yi looked suddenly focused.

"What time?"

"3:30, why?"

Hyeon-Yi ignored the question and asked her connected watch to call her assistant. As soon as the latter replied, she asked:

"Do I have something at 3:30? (...) Please cancel it. I'll reschedule it later."

"What are you doing?" asked Yi-Seo. She knew the importance of Hyeon-Yi's schedule at 3:30. - "Wasn't that an important meeting?"

"Trust me, nothing is more critical than Ro-Yi finally meeting your mysterious Oppa."

Meanwhile, Park Sae Ro-Yi was having a tough time trying to focus on the brand ambassador presentation project he realized Yi-Seo had been secretly working on. The mysterious Oppa was a thirty-something ex-model turned entrepreneur who founded his entertainment agency six years ago. His agency currently handled an A-list celebrity, including DTZ, the most successful Kpop group ever known in the history. They also were the ambassadors of Janga's chicken restaurants. Yi-Seo knew their contract with the company was due in six months and that Janga had already submitted an attractive renewal proposal; anyone would hardly refuse, yet she was pitching for IC to come in. Signing DTZ right after their contract with Janga ends would be the biggest strike ever aimed at Sae Ro Yi's all-time enemy. They might not be the number one yet in numbers, but in terms of soft power, an operation like that said it all. They would be able to communicate to the entire food industry that they were surely becoming the leaders. Again, Yi-Seo alone was behind it. She had planned it all, sourced the information, approached the target, set up the best strategy for him to choose, and from what he was half-listening to the very qualitative arguments she had, the young president would select IC, he would want her. He had every reason to be happy, excited, thrilled, yet he somehow couldn't. Why? For the first time in his life for a very long time, being number one didn't bring the amount of joy fulfillment it used to bring him. He felt uneasy, disturbed. And, as much as he hated to admit it, the whole source of it was that man. Choi Woo Sik. He was quite attractive, a sort of Seoul dandy boy, who wore ideally a three-pieces-suit. He looked young, but there was something mischievous about him. He couldn't help but notice the intense glances he would shoot her when she would say something amid the presentation, the smirks. The winks when he saluted her, the laugh, the private jokes, the flirt...He sighed. Unfortunately, out loud. Drawing the attention of Yi-Seo at his right, Chic entertainment's president at his left.