Chapter 28: First Date?
Soohyun just stepped out his shower and smiling as he looks at his reflection in the foggy mirror. He was chuckling softly to himself as he genuinely voiced out his heart to JiU a few days ago. Even though he didn't confess the real feelings he had growing for her, it was still too much exposure for one day to expose, especially after coming out of a comma. That day had become one of his favorites because, for the first time, he's made JiU speechless. But the most beautiful sight to see was her eyes; he could stare at them all day and immediately forget the meaning of boring. It would have lasted longer if the nurse hadn't chased after him and practically dragged him back to bed, under his father's orders. It was crazy how he had made it to the roof a casted foot and bandaged head. If it weren't for the painkiller he had taken, he wouldn't have probably made it upstairs.
The last two weeks went by a little too slow when he had to stay home to recover. He's allowed to come back to his apartment but with two nurses to stay with him until he completely regains his mobility. For the first two days, he enjoys staying at home and doing nothing at all, but eventually, boredom caught up to him—the restrictions on things he can't do make things worse. He cannot drink any alcohol, not allowed to go out of the apartment without one of the nurses to accompany him. He is not allowed to keep his room's door locked for the sake of potential emergencies that might occur due to his condition. Now, all he can think about is recovering faster and going back to his office. Still, surprisingly, he finds a way to entertain himself with one of the nurses taking care of him. She is younger and roughly the same age as Soohyun or younger by a year. Despite the nurse insisting that she is engaged, Soohyun still kept his persistence. And today is just one of those days.
"So, what does one do to get your number?" Soohyun had followed her to the kitchen while the other nurse takes care of his things in the bedroom, medical-related things.
"Nothing, Soohyun-ssi, I've told you before," Seohyun hurries to the other side of the kitchen, to avoid the oncoming man, "I am happily engaged."
"Come on, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, besides it's only a phone number," Soohyun tries, yet again, to coax the young nurse.
"What will Miss JiU say when she finds out that you've been doing this behind her back?" that statement from the girl puts an invisible muzzle on Soohyun's mouth as he is unable to reply. "And it's inappropriate for a nurse to be talking in such manner to a helpless patient, they might think I'm the one who forced you," that was the icing on the cake as the nurse uttered such a savage comment on his condition.
Soohyun was too speechless at her comment that he didn't notice the front door opening. Just as he was about to give a piece of his mind to the nurse, JiU walked into the kitchen with two grocery bags. And whatever he wanted to say to the nurse, went out the window as he looks at the casually dressed woman in front of him, a simple black T-shirt, green-colored sweat pants and a messy bun on her hair. But what caught Soohyun's attention the most is her simple makeup because she still looks gorgeous.
"Oh! Hello, Soohyun-ssi," JiU spoke so casually before placing her things on the kitchen counter.
"Umm... Hi.." Soohyun is still slightly dazed and attempting to assess the situation as it unfolds before him, "What... What are you doing here?"
"We are going to cook lunch," JiU strolled around the kitchen and washing both her hands like she owned the place, "You do know how to cook right, Soohyun-ssi?"
Shit, I don't, Soohyun had a brief internal battle with himself whether he should lie or tell the truth. "Uh.." Just as he was about to answer, JiU chimed in.
"You don't, don't you?" All Soohyun could do was shake his head, which wasn't that much of a surprise to JiU.
"Alright, then, why don't you just go wash your hands, and we'll both get started?" JiU suggests with a smile on her face that made Soohyun tilt his head in curiosity since she never smiled like that before. Yet, somehow it gave him excitement as to what this cooking would do to their Unique relationship.
Soohyun washes his hand by the sink while JiU moved back and forth in the kitchen while shaking her head. "You don't have that much equipment for cooking, don't you?" JiU pointed out rather disappointingly.
"Well, in my defense, I don't need it since I don't even cook?" Soohyun replied with a chuckle while drying his hands.
Instead of a reply from the girl, all Soohyun got was JiU walking away from the kitchen. She took her phone and went to the middle of the room to call someone. While she takes her call, Soohyun took the time to explore the bag of groceries to find quite the exciting variety of ingredients she brought. He whistled at how much she had bought and proceeded to take them out one by one. He placed the ones needed to stay cold in the fridge while the remaining ingredients, he stacked in an orderly fashion on top of the counter.
JiU returned a second later to see the ingredients stacked up. "So while waiting for the rest of your much-needed kitchen utensils, let's get chopping."
All Soohyun could do was comply as she once again made her way around the kitchen like hers. Soohyun did not comment since he enjoys it that she takes charge, plus the fact the knows her way around the kitchen more than he does. For the first five minutes, all he could do was watch her move back and forth, preparing the things needed until she finishes.
"Now, you can stop staring at me, and let's get to work, hmm?" JiU's tone ever so confident and somewhat demanding, but Soohyun has not a single problem with it as he complies.
Then it begins, Soohyun in the kitchen, preparing his lunch with his bare hands. However, it started with Soohyun, not knowing how to mince vegetables properly. In the end, JiU had to step in and show him how it is done. Even the job with mincing turned out to be a little too much for the young CEO of Kim Corp. But, he enjoyed the fact that he got to see JiU up close without looking like a complete stalker.
"So, where did the young Miss JiU, learn how to cook?" Soohyun begins with a light question as he starts to mince properly.
"Well, this young Miss learned how to cook from her mother and Chef Gordon Ramsay," her first answer was understandable until her next one surprised Soohyun.
"Wait, wait, The Gordon Ramsay?" Soohyun drops his knife, literally surprised out his mind, "Like he is right there with you as you cook?"
"Oh yes, of course," the way she nods convincingly left Soohyun in awe, "Inside my TV screen."
"Yah..." Soohyun says in disbelief that he almost believed her for a second until she mentioned that it was all a joke in the end, "You... Liar..." he picked up a few vegetables he had minced correctly and thrown it at her.
JiU flinched slightly and playfully at his retaliation, "Yah... I answered you, and technically I didn't lie," she throws her minced ones at him.
"How is that not lying? I asked was he right there with you, but you said he was on the TV instead," another round of vegetables flew straight towards her.
"Hah! Exactly! You asked me if he was right there, he was but not in person since you never stated that in your question," JiU retaliates with her round at him.
"Well..." He tries to come up with a reply to her comeback but finds none to say back when she made a good point. But he threw them anyway, much to JiU's surprise since she thought she had him.
"Yah.. what was that for?" JiU asks with a soft chuckle of disbelief in her tone.
"Oh? My hand just decided to do that on its own," Soohyun made a show of slapping his hand and wagging his finger at it, "Naughty hand, you mustn't be rude to the pretty lady."
A soft giggle escapes JiU's lips accidentally after such childish antics from Soohyun. An accident she's quick to diminish, but it was too late. Soohyun had noticed, "Hold on, what was that?" he stopped yet again on his mincing after noticing something very rare. He just made her giggle.
"Uh.. what was what?" JiU acted oblivious to what she did earlier and divert her attention back to her own task of preparing the vegetebales and other necessities for the lunch.
"You, just giggled," Soohyun squinted his eyes, to observe the young lady.
"Nope, you're imagining things," JiU shifts her position to the sink to rince what she minced.
"But..." much to JiU's relieve, the door bell rings and interrupted whatever it was Soohyun was about to say.
JiU opened the door to one of her maids bringing a big red bag that consists some of the things needed for Soohyun's kitchen. She had called earlier for the maid to stop by her apartment and get the things she want the maid to list down whilst they talk on the phone. JiU thanked the maid before going back into the apartment, and the maid going back to her father's mansion.
JiU closed the door with a smile on her as the scene from the kitchen earlier, brought a little amusement for her. Ever since their brief conversation weeks ago at the hospital's roof, she decided to at least give a little chance for Soohyun. Though, at the back of her mind she still has doubts about the man, she wants to see how far this chance will take her.
"Here we go," JiU unloaded the contents of the red bag onto the counter. Pots, pans, knives and other needs for a proper kitchen, bringing yet another surprise for Soohyun.
"You know you didn't have to right?" Soohyun asked her after looking at the items before him, "I could buy them."
"Hmm.. I know, but it would take too long," JiU shrugged and leaned against the counter to look at him, "Besides, this way, at least you can see the proper things needed for a kitchen this big."
Soohyun chuckled softly and nodded, "Alright, I got it, Oui Chef!" he saluted JiU, "What do we do next?" He wanted to press the question once more about her giggle a few moments ago, but decided it's best for another time.
The next two hours, JiU and Soohyun became quite the pair in the kitchen. Altering duties with each other. Though Soohyun's inability to cook became one of the reasons why the took that long for a simple meal, JiU managed to help him enough to make it work. It was a quiet workspace for them both, but the two young CEOs enjoyed their exchange. Soohyun also had the chance to see a side of JiU he never thought he'd see behind closed doors, and to say that he is glad would be an understatement. To him, she keeps being a surprise and keeps impressing him without even meaning to.
"You know?" Soohyun uttered as they set the table with the help of both the nurses. Soohyun almost forgot they were present the whole time they were cooking.
"What is it?" JiU answered as she sets the plates.
"What's the occasion for all this?" Soohyun had just realized the moment right after they finished cooking.
"Ah... well," JiU stopped her work and looks at Soohyun, "I never really got the chance to thank you for saving my life, this is the least I could do. And I know I can't possibly take you to eat out so here we are. Thank you, Soohyun-ssi," JiU finally conveys her thanks with a gentle and genuine smile, the first she had ever given for Soohyun since the first time they met.
"You're welcome," Soohyun returned her smile in kind, but his was a little wider since this might be their first date, but he might be wrong.
The two continued to just stare at each other smiling until the older nurse cleared her throat. "Uh... Umm... I'll get the food from... Umm the kitchen," Soohyun was a little flustered after realizing their little moment.
"Ah... Y..Yes... Careful, they're still hot," JiU replied just as flustered. She turned her eyes to both nurses and received an 'OK' sign from them after Soohyun disappeared into the kitchen. All she could do was just smile while continuing her task.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone