I Think I've Poked a Sleeping Bear
Chapter 18
……What on earth was happening?
All she wanted was to go on a breakup date.
All she wanted was to see him a few times and wrap up this relationship smoothly.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—
The deafening noise pounded not only against Dan-a's ears, but straight through her skull.
Why on earth was she riding in a helicopter first thing in the morning?
Dan-a sat in the helicopter with a dazed expression, staring blankly out at the azure sky.
Just a few minutes ago, she had clearly been riding in a Por*che.
She hadn't even processed the Por*che or the May*ach yet, and now a helicopter?
How did things turn out like this?
A conversation they had in the car earlier suddenly flashed through her mind.
‘Lee Dan-a-ssi, do you happen to have your passport with you?’
‘Pardon? A passport? W-Was that a mandatory item?’
Flustered by the President's question, she had rummaged through her bag, but on second thought, who brings a passport on a date?
‘I don't have my passport.’
‘Then we go with Plan B.’
Plan B?
She had heard his low murmur, but having no idea what it meant, she had just brushed it off.
Yet before she knew it, here she was riding in a helicopter.
“Shall we get off now?”
“Ah. Yes!”
Dan-a quickly rose from her seat. Dizzily following the safety crew's instructions as she disembarked, she looked around.
The glittering sunlight dancing across the ocean's surface filled her vision.
Wh-What? We're in the middle of the ocean?
Why are they telling me to get off here?
‘Gasp, no way.’
Did the President figure out that my confession was fake?
Is he trying to push me into the ocean?
‘I broke off my engagement for you, but your confession was fake? Unforgivable! Take this!’
How would he know that? Then could it be...
‘I proposed marriage, but you dare try to gloss it over with casual dating and dump me? I won't let you get away with this. Heave-ho!’
She trembled violently.
“Are you all right?”
“No!”
“Don't worry. You'll get used to it soon.”
Who gets used to falling into the ocean?
“Because you'll be experiencing this often.”
“Pardon? What does that...!”
Huh? Wait a second.
Why am I on a yacht this time?
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—
With a roaring din and a tremendous gust of wind, the helicopter departed before her eyes.
All that remained were a superyacht, myself, and the President.
And the boundless, open sea.
“Where on earth are we?”
“Jeju Island.”
“Whaaat? No, just a moment ago we were in Seoul...”
Her head spun. She couldn't collect her wits.
“Let's go sit down. I have some champagne my younger brother gifted me.”
“Ah, yes...”
Turning her head toward where he was headed, she saw an upscale bar with impeccably dressed waiters standing in a neat line.
I... don't want to go... over there...
“Lee Dan-a-ssi?”
“Ah, yes. President. Coming!”
She rushed over and pulled out the chair for Iheon. He looked at her with surprised eyes.
Ah, this isn't right.
“I'll do it today. Give me the chance.”
“Ah, yes.”
Dan-a sat down in the chair he pulled out for her.
“How is it here? Do you like it?”
“Ah... Yes.”
A clear sky, a vast ocean.
A luxury car, a helicopter, and a yacht.
It was an extraordinary date.
How thrilled and happy would I be if I truly liked the President?
Even now, I'm almost feeling that way.
However, I had a conscience too.
For now, it was simply so overwhelming that it felt unmanageable.
While she was giving forced answers through gritted teeth, a waiter approached, explained something, and poured the champagne.
Unable to register a single word he said and feeling nothing but suffocated, Dan-a downed the entire glass of champagne in one shot.
“Just like with the iced Americano before, it seems you like drinking everything in one go.”
“Pardon?”
Oh dear lord.
She had gulped it down before the President's glass was even filled.
“I-I was thirsty. I apologize for drinking first.”
“Not at all. I wasn't planning on drinking anyway. I want to drive you home myself when we return.”
Really? We're actually going home?
I won't find myself on an airplane if I blink, or in a submarine if I lose focus, right?
He was so sweet that she wanted to be touched, but this was no time for that.
They say you can survive even if a tiger bites you as long as you keep your wits about you. A lion shouldn't be any different.
There was a snag in the plan, but let's just chalk it up to this being our first date.
All I need to do is steel my resolve to break up once again.
And alter the date itinerary a bit.
“I reserved a suite at the Hyena Hotel for lunch.”
“Ah. Yes. ...Pardon? A suite? Why there? No, you said we were going home... I-Isn't this too fast?”
“...I wanted to show you the view. Hallasan Mountain looks truly beautiful from there.”
Tch. I'm the only trash here.
“The room service is delicious too. Let's have lunch there.”
“Ah... Yes.”
She answered reluctantly, but the Hyena Hotel?
That place is outrageously expensive. And a suite on top of that?
Riding a helicopter and disembarking onto a yacht wasn't enough, so now a hotel suite?
Is he deliberately trying to intimidate someone?
Of course, she wasn't one to be easily intimidated.
Still, since they were going to break up, she couldn't let him spend his money so recklessly.
I don't want to hear people calling me a leech who scammed the eldest son of Saja Group later on.
Was that all?
Humans are creatures of habit.
If I get used to this kind of luxury and we break up later, my head will be full of unrealistic fantasies.
One day, worn down by work,
Eating cup ramen and gimbap at a convenience store, it might suddenly hit me:
Right about now, President Ra is probably ordering room service while admiring the view from a hotel suite, or flying around in a helicopter paid for with the money we worked to earn.
And just like that, I could turn into a bitter, twisted person.
Most important of all.
Isn't the Hyena Hotel an affiliate of our company?
The President of Saja Group visiting an affiliate hotel's suite with a woman?
How long has it been since we defended against the broken engagement rumors?
Just imagining having to work overtime again was the most dizzying part of everything she had experienced today.
“President...”
“Yes, Lee Dan-a-ssi.”
“A car, please...”
“Tea? Would you prefer tea over champagne? What kind of tea would you like?”
“A car... No, the helicopter. Call the helicopter!”
***
After many twists and turns, the two stood back where they had first met.
“Was it not to your liking? We still had fishing on deck and watching a movie together with the beam projector left on the schedule.”
You really can do everything on that yacht, can't you.
How fortunate that there wasn't a scuba diving course included.
“Not to my liking? Of course not. Th-That's not it at all. It's just that I get a bit of seasickness.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't think of that.”
Please don't apologize.
Because you're so excessively nice, President, everything I do makes me feel guilty, you know?
“I-It's not severe. It's just, well, th-that... this is our first date, isn't it?”
“Yes, which is why I put extra effort into preparing it.”
“I-I see. No wonder it was so amazing...”
Wait, not this.
“Still, you know, we're still, uh, how should I put it? There's a difference in social status, you could say. Haha. It sounds ridiculous to use an expression like that in the twenty-first century, but that's reality, isn't it? After all, you're the President and I'm just an employee, so jumping straight into dating... well, I thought it might be better to go on dates where we can become closer first.”
“Dates where we can become closer?”
“Well, whether it's helicopters or yachts, those might be familiar to you, President, but I'm too busy trying to adjust to focus on the date, and how should I put it... when it comes to dates, above all, activities that build a sense of intimacy...”
“Activities that build a sense of intimacy?”
“Ah, yes, President.”
The briefing began.
“The purpose of dating is to grow closer while feeling that flutter of excitement. A process of getting to know one another, you could say? Flashy and pretty external things are nice too, but what truly matters are the two of us, body and mind, isn't it? As lovers, we ought to share our hearts, hold hands, feel each other's warmth, naturally, right? To do that, I believe it's best to start with an ordinary date.”
“...”
“Take the suite room, for instance. How could we possibly grow closer in such a vast, empty wilderness? In the old days, everyone used to live together in a single room. How wonderful it was, bustling closely together. When family members each have their own room, they're too busy shutting their doors and staying inside, aren't they? It's the same for couples. Familiar and down-to-earth. It's best to start like that. That's how we'll grow even closer, so to speak. In short, let's build solid substance! That is what I am saying, President.”
A soft chuckle escaped Iheon's lips.
What on earth did I just blabber on about...?
And why on earth was the President listening to all this so earnestly?
At any rate, seeing him laugh means this presentation wasn't a total failure, right?
“Lee Dan-a-ssi has everything planned out, I see. What shall we do first, then? Shall we decide together?”
“Uh, no. I will lead the way. Please follow me.”
Bowing obsequiously as she stepped ahead, she suddenly halted in her tracks.
Then, she slowly looked down at her hand.
Before she had even realized it, Iheon was holding her hand.
“An activity that builds intimacy.”
He smiled. Her heart dropped with a heavy thud.
“This is correct, right?”
“Ah... Yes.”
His hand... is warm, the President's.
Just like his face.
“We already held hands earlier, though. Don't you remember me holding your hand because you were scared in the helicopter?”
He was saying something or other, but perhaps due to the sudden physical contact...
Thump, thump, thump.
The sound of her racing heartbeat rang louder in her ears.
