Chapter Text
Ahn Jeongwon had survived med school, surgical residency, and several years of training abroad to become a professor. But nothing terrified him more than one thing: a blind date arranged by his mother.
He didn’t mind being back in Seoul. He spent his college years here. It was a familiar city. Always comfortable and great to be here. The air, the skyline, the sweet scent of roasted sweet potatoes were nostalgic. All of that made sense. What didn’t make sense was how he’d found himself seated at a trendy Gangnam restaurant on a Friday night in a blazer he’d been guilted into wearing, waiting for a woman, on a date he’d planned to not see ever again.
This was his mum’s latest mission before his return to Korea. To find her youngest son an elegant, proper, young woman who could charm him into finally setting down. He was her last hope to ever get grandchildren in her lifetime afterall. With her other children dedicating their lives to being priests and nuns, Jeongwon really was her last hope. And Jeongwon had learnt through past experiences that resisting his mother’s matchmaking efforts only made them more frequent. So reluctantly, he agreed to meet this ‘perfect candidate’ the weekend before starting as a Pediatric Professor at Yulje Hospital.
He’d barely returned from the States, jetlagged and unpacking boxes when he was unfortunately ambushed with the date. He’d accepted to avoid anymore incessant nagging from her.
He had arrived on time, seated at a quiet corner table of a fancy restaurant his mother had picked out. He wore his usual soft smile and a polite air of resignation, expecting his next 2 hours to be filled with polite conversation and to end with a mutual understanding to part ways and never meet again peacefully.
He reached early, at 6:55 pm. And thirty minutes after the agreed upon time of the date, she walked in.
She was stubbing. With sharp eyes, straight posture, and a sleek black coat. She walked with a kind of stride that made it really clear that she did not have time for nonsense. She sat down without even greeting him or introducing herself and launched straight in.
“So, let’s get this over and done with.”
Jeongwon blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Just setting expectations.” She flipped open the menu, looking at the options she had.
“I hate commitment. If my dog doesn’t like you, I won’t either. I also aim to have five dogs. No children for me. I plan to retire by 40 rich.”
Jeongwon blinked. “Noted.”
She continued, rapid fire, studying him quietly.
“Marriage is a trap. I spend all my time watching true crime documentaries and conspiracy theorists. I sleep like a loud chainsaw. I have terrible credit, five accounts in overdraft. I once ended up in the ER after my failed attempt at rainbow hair. Weddings are the worst. And if the food here isn’t good, I’m flipping the table. Your turn now.”
He took a sip of water, watching with quiet amusement.
“You’re… certainly honest.”
“I find that it’s the best policy.”
She replied coolly, swirling the wine she’d ordered. An expensive vintage she had selected without so much as glancing at the price.
Jengwon almost laughed. It was pretty obvious what she was doing. He had been on enough of these ‘forced meetings’ to recognise a sabotage attempt when he saw one. And to be honest, she was doing a spectacular job.
He wasn’t even offended.
Instead, he was intrigued. Impressed even.
“You don’t seem to be shocked?”
“I’m a doctor. Trust me, I’ve seen way worse.”
“Why are you still here then? If you hate being here so much.” He questioned.
She smirked. “Because the wine list here is impressive. And I happen to be an alcoholic.”
He could only laugh in response.
She proceeded to order the most obnoxiously expensive dishes on the menu, asking for wine pairings for each dish.
There was something weirdly magnetic about her. Sharp, sarcastic, and a little chaotic. And yet, it all felt too well rehearsed. Just like she was playing a role. One that she’d practiced many times before.
It was in short, a performance. A wild, obvious, yet slightly hilarious one.
She was trying hard to be awful. He wasn’t buying it.
The date wrapped up with stiff nods and an unspoken agreement that this would never happen again.
“It was nice meeting you. I was actually hoping to see you again. But I understand.”
Jeongwon said anyway, offering a small smile.
Her eyes flickered. Just for a second. She looked mildly suprised and nodded.
“I’m not what you’re looking for but it was nice meeting you. The food was great.”
She left without giving him a second glance.
And as she walked away, fully convinced she had scared him off, Jeongwon felt a strange twinge of disappointment.
Or perhaps, it was curiosity.
Either way, he hadn’t seen the last of her.
Not even close.
The next evening, Jeongwon found himself at his usual hangout spot with the 99s, Seokhyung’s house. The area was surrounded by takeout boxes of fried chicken and tteoboki, and soju and beer bottles. The main topic of the night?
“Spill it,” Ikjun demanded, tossing a chicken bone aside. “How did our dear priest end up on a date?”
“I’m not a priest,” Jeongwon muttered.
“Not officially,” Songhwa added, raising her eyebrows.
“Did you bring a chaperone?”
“Did you wear a suit?” Seokhyung asked quietly, clearly amused.
“My mum arraigned it of course, and I just wore my usual clothes,” Jeongwon muttered.
Junwan grinned. “So… Was she boring? Beautiful? Elegant? Interested in being a nun and serving the community just like you?”
Jeongwon hesitated. Just long enough for the others to notice.
Junwan leaned forward, clearly intrigued by the direction this conversation was going. “Wait…was she like interesting?”
Jeongwon shrugged, trying to sound and appear casual.
“She did say that she hated children and marriage.”
Seokhyung chuckled. “So… exactly your type then.”
“She was clearly pretending,” Jeongwon finally said, a quiet smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Obviously, she was trying to scare me off.”
“Did it work?” Ikjun asked.
He looked down at his drink. “Not really.”
There was a pause in the room.
“I actually… hoped that I’d see her again. She was kind of great… even under that acting.” He didn’t deny it.
The room went quiet for a beat.
“You like her.” Songhwa stated, narrowing her eyes.
“I do… in a weird kinda way. But she’s made it clear that she wasn’t looking for anything,” Jeongwon added. “So, no point in harping and thinking about it. It’s just an encounter.”
“Yet, you’re still hoping you’ll meet her again somehow.”
Jeongwon have a small, guilty smile. “Yeah.”