Flower Fiancé Chapter 14

After the first date with Choi Moohyuk ended, just two days later, the two made plans for a second dinner. On the day they had watched the movie first and then eaten dinner, the meal was so late that Ji Yeonwoo hadn’t been able to eat properly. Perhaps that had weighed on his mind, because Choi Moohyuk said he would reserve dinner at a place other than the hotel lounge.

He had never once intended to simply go along with his wishes, but strangely, whenever they talked, the atmosphere would flow positively before he knew it. Perhaps it was because the more walls he built, the more Choi Moohyuk approached him, breaking down those high walls with affectionate words and actions.

This time, the restaurant Choi Moohyuk had reserved was an upscale Korean fine dining establishment. As he stepped into the traditional Korean restaurant, equipped with a luxurious artificial landscape that was intimidating from the entrance, and said Choi Moohyuk’s name, the manager guided him somewhere.

Walking along a deep, narrow, winding path, the manager stopped in front of a sliding door located at the very innermost part. Knock, knock— the manager knocked politely, and as the traditional paper door slid open, Choi Moohyuk, who had arrived first and was seated, turned to look this way.

“I have brought him, Managing Director.”

The manager was impeccably polite. Choi Moohyuk, who had acknowledged him with a light bow of his head, took a tip out of his wallet.

“Thank you. Prepare the food as we usually have it.”

The manager’s eyes lit up as he accepted the 100,000 won check that Choi Moohyuk handed him with both hands. It was because he knew better than anyone the meaning of a tip given even before the food was served.

“Yes. I will prepare it right away.”

After the manager left, Ji Yeonwoo came inside, took off his coat and hung it on the rack, and sat down across from Choi Moohyuk.

Even if he had been treated like a scarecrow, the household where Ji Yeonwoo had lived his married life was a wealthy family, and the members of that family loved to show off more than anyone. Before Ji Yeonwoo developed pheromone deficiency, as a dominant Omega—as rare as a dominant Alpha—he had been another source of pride for them.

Forcibly shaking off the old memories that had brushed past him, Ji Yeonwoo turned his gaze outside the glass window. The room Choi Moohyuk had reserved was a prime spot with a full view of the restaurant’s artificial landscape. The artificial landscape, which perfectly replicated the scene of an artificial waterfall covered in white snow, was luxurious. He imagined that when summer came, the scene would change to a waterfall flowing down after all the white snow had melted.

“Wasn’t it difficult to find your way here?”

Ji Yeonwoo’s gaze, which had been admiring the scenery beyond the glass window, shifted to Choi Moohyuk.

“I was worried whether you’d be able to find it since it’s not located right on the street.”

“You gave me very clear directions, so I found it easily.”

“That’s a relief.”

Choi Moohyuk nodded with a soft expression. Watching him as if mesmerized, Ji Yeonwoo felt his mind grow more troubled for some reason.

As it was, he was someone who thought a lot, and after going through pain, the only thing that had increased was his caution. If he were an ordinary Omega, he could have just enjoyed this situation and moved on. But Ji Yeonwoo, who had once accepted kindness at face value and gotten badly burned, couldn’t do that.

It was the same on the first date, and it was the same this time too. Ji Yeonwoo kept attaching question marks to the kindness Choi Moohyuk showed him. Why is he being so good to me? Why? He wanted to know what this person was thinking in approaching him. Even though he had tipped a hundred thousand won just like that and put in the effort, the truth was, the moment he found out Ji Yeonwoo was an Omega with no pheromones and even a divorce, he might cut off the relationship with a single stroke.

Ji Yeonwoo, who thought that being hurt by people was enough once in a lifetime, suddenly became curious about the end of this ambiguous relationship.

“Managing Director….”

Ji Yeonwoo, who was about to speak, paused and turned his gaze toward the door. Outside the door, the sound of a cart being pulled could be heard along with a knock. And through the quietly opened gap in the door, a cart carrying food was pushed in. Watching the food being laid out on the table along with the appetizers, Ji Yeonwoo lifted his head.

Meeting Choi Moohyuk’s eyes, Ji Yeonwoo flinched slightly. Choi Moohyuk, sitting upright, was looking at Ji Yeonwoo with an unwavering gaze. He felt a strong desire in those eyes. He couldn’t understand why someone who had even gone on blind dates was spending time here like this.

Once the server left and the door closed with a small sound, Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke first.

“Did your blind date go well?”

Choi Moohyuk, who had taken a sip of water, paused with the ceramic cup still in his hand. Ji Yeonwoo, realizing that his sharpened gaze had fixed on his face again, lowered his eyes to the porridge from which white steam was rising.

“It’s not that I deliberately eavesdropped on what you were saying.”

Afraid he might seem like a strange person for no reason, Ji Yeonwoo gave an excuse that he didn’t even need to give.

“These days, call quality is so good that I can hear everything said beside me.”

Having finished rambling, Ji Yeonwoo stole a glance at Choi Moohyuk’s reaction. There was a sense of wonder in Choi Moohyuk’s eyes as he looked at Ji Yeonwoo. It was as if he was asking if he truly didn’t know. Meeting that gaze, Ji Yeonwoo couldn’t help but feel flustered.

Choi Moohyuk, who had been staring without even blinking, set down the cup he was holding and opened his mouth.

“Come to think of it, I’m probably the only person who would give a flower that symbolizes farewell to someone they’re meeting on a blind date.”

At the unexpected answer, it was Ji Yeonwoo who was taken aback.

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you say so on the day I bought the French marigolds? That they’re given to hurt someone.”

“…!”

Ji Yeonwoo blinked his wide-opened eyes rapidly. He thought back through their past conversations. The first thing that came to mind was Choi Moohyuk’s indifferent attitude on the day he had bought the French marigolds. Not knowing what color he liked, what scent he liked, not knowing his taste and just picking flowers carelessly—Choi Moohyuk had been quite striking, so a fair amount of that memory had stayed with him.

“Ah, then….”

As soon as he recalled the image of Choi Moohyuk changing his mind the moment he learned the meaning of the French marigold and asking for that flower instead, a low exclamation escaped Ji Yeonwoo’s lips. It was only then that Ji Yeonwoo realized the order of events he had been guessing at had been wrong.

So it wasn’t that he had gone to a distant place and then gone on a blind date—in reality, had he been forced to go far away because of the incident where he handed French marigolds to the person he was meeting for a blind date?

He had never imagined that Choi Moohyuk would have bought French marigolds for a blind date.

“It wasn’t a blind date I wanted.”

“Ah….”

“You can think of my trip to a distant place as an extension of that incident.”

“I never even considered that.”

“Is your curiosity all satisfied now?”

“…Yes.”

Somehow embarrassed, Ji Yeonwoo nodded with his face flushed. Seeing that, a rare smile spread across Choi Moohyuk’s lips.

“First, let’s eat and then talk. The food will all get cold.”

“Okay.”

Just as they were finishing the appetizers, the server preparing the next course entered. Clearing away the empty plates and setting down one by one the plates holding neatly arranged dishes in order, the wide table was filled without a gap.

The food was clean and the taste was just as good. Normally, he would have dug in heartily, but perhaps due to nerves, the food wouldn’t go down easily. As he picked at his rice as if counting the grains with his chopsticks, Choi Moohyuk deboned a piece of dried yellow croaker and placed it on top of his rice bowl.

“The food isn’t to your taste?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

“Then why aren’t you eating well? Is the seat uncomfortable? Shall we move somewhere else?”

“No. There’s no need for that.”

Reluctantly, Ji Yeonwoo scooped up the dried yellow croaker and rice that Choi Moohyuk had given him and put it in his mouth. Choi Moohyuk watched Ji Yeonwoo intently. When he was looked at with those eyes, he somehow felt as if his innermost thoughts would all be found out.

Truthfully, there was a mountain of things he wanted to ask.

‘Managing Director, why are you so good to me? What are your feelings toward me? Even if by any chance those feelings are affection, could you embrace even all of my flaws?’

But the words that only circled inside his mouth didn’t come out readily. As Ji Yeonwoo hesitated, unable to speak, Choi Moohyuk, who had emptied his glass once more, spoke first.

“If it’s difficult for you to speak, shall I go first?”

Sitting in the quiet, Ji Yeonwoo met Choi Moohyuk’s eyes. Choi Moohyuk relaxed his body and leaned back against his chair.

“There’s been something I’ve been continuously curious about.”

“What….”

“I’ve felt it from the very first time I saw you—things that should be there in Mr. Ji Yeonwoo are not visible.”