About an hour later...The sun had completely disappeared behind Vancouver's skyline.
The city transformed.
Office windows glowed like tiny lanterns.
Streetlights reflected across the harbor.
The mountains became dark silhouettes against the deep blue evening sky.
The hotel itself felt even more elegant at night.
Soft piano music floated through the lobby.
Guests wandered in and out wearing coats and scarves, chatting quietly in different languages.
A message arrived in everyone's group chat.
Ha-Joon:Dinner. Hotel restaurant. Ten minutes.
Yoo-Na immediately replied.
Yoo-Na:Free?
Ha-Joon:Yes.
Yoo-Na:I'll be there in five.
Ji-Ah laughed as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. "...She has priorities."
Ten minutes later...
The hotel's restaurant overlooked the waterfront through enormous glass windows.
The lights from the harbor shimmered across the water like scattered stars.
Warm lighting.
Dark wood tables.
Fresh flowers.
Everything somehow looked expensive.
Ji-Ah slowed near the entrance.
"...Do I walk differently in places like this?"
Yoo-Na linked arms with her.
"No. We pretend we belong."
"I don't belong."
"Neither do I."
"Good."
"Confidence."
They both straightened their backs dramatically before walking inside.
Min-Hyuk and Seo-Yeon were already seated.
Min-Hyuk had somehow convinced the waiter to bring him hot chocolate before everyone else.
Seo-Yeon looked at the mug.
"You ordered dessert before dinner."
"It keeps morale high."
"You've been in Canada for three hours."
"I'm adapting culturally."
Hea-In sat quietly at the other end of the table.
Yoo-Na noticed immediately.
"...She's here."
Hea-In sighed.
"...Hello to you too."
"I wasn't greeting you."
"I know."
Ji-Ah pinched Yoo-Na's sleeve.
"Behave."
"I am behaving."
"No."
"I'm behaving professionally."
"You don't even work here."
"Exactly."
A moment later...
Ha-Joon arrived.
Alone.
Everyone looked up almost at the same time.
Min-Hyuk blinked.
"...Where's Min-Ji?"
Even Yoo-Na looked around theatrically.
"Did we lose her in immigration?"
Ha-Joon calmly pulled out a chair.
"No."
He sat down.
"She said she isn't feeling well."
Seo-Yeon frowned slightly.
"Is she alright?"
"So she says."
"She wanted to stay in her room."
Ji-Ah nodded sympathetically.
"The flight was long."
"It happens."
Yoo-Na took a sip of water.
"...Or..."
Everyone slowly looked at her.
"...She's plotting."
Ji-Ah sighed.
"Yoo-Na."
"What?"
"I'm just saying."
She leaned forward conspiratorially.
"Every time that woman disappears..."
She pointed both index fingers dramatically into the air.
"...something terrible happens."
Min-Hyuk nodded thoughtfully.
"...Statistically..."
"...she isn't wrong."
Hea-In frowned.
"My sister isn't that bad."
Yoo-Na turned slowly.
"..."
"...Did you just defend Min-Ji?"
"...She's still my sister."
Yoo-Na opened her mouth.
Ji-Ah immediately pushed a bread roll toward her.
"Eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat anyway."
"...Fine."
She dramatically bit into the bread.
Hea-In quietly thanked Ji-Ah with her eyes.
Ji-Ah smiled back.
Soon...
Dinner arrived.
Warm bowls of soup.
Fresh bread.
Grilled salmon.
Steak.
Roasted vegetables.
Creamy pasta.
Several Canadian dishes the chef had recommended.
Ji-Ah looked at the table.
"...This is dinner?"
Min-Hyuk looked equally emotional.
"...This is art."
Seo-Yeon laughed.
"Eat before it gets cold."
"I was appreciating it."
Ha-Joon naturally reached for the serving spoon nearest him.
Without thinking...
He served Ji-Ah first.
A piece of salmon.
Some vegetables.
A little rice.
Then he quietly served himself.
Nobody said anything.
Not immediately.
Ji-Ah blinked.
"..."
"...Thank you."
"Mhm."
Then...
Yoo-Na slowly looked from Ha-Joon...
To Ji-Ah...
Back to Ha-Joon...
She hid a smile behind her glass.
Seo-Yeon noticed too.
Min-Hyuk definitely noticed.
Neither said a word.
Ji-Ah, however...
Was completely unaware.
She was busy trying to pronounce something on the menu.
"...Bou..."
She frowned.
"...Bouill..."
Another attempt.
"...Bou...yee..."
Yoo-Na leaned over.
"Stop."
"I want to say it."
"The waiter already left."
"I'll practice."
Ha-Joon quietly took the menu.
"It says bouillabaisse."
Ji-Ah blinked.
"...That's cheating."
"You asked."
"I didn't."
"You looked at me."
"I did."
"That usually means you're asking."
"...You know me too well."
"I've had practice."
Dinner continued with easy conversation.
For the first time in a long while...
Nobody talked about contracts.
Or scandals.
Or reporters.
Or family problems.
Just...
Travel.
Min-Hyuk wanted to visit every café.
Seo-Yeon wanted museums.
Yoo-Na wanted to buy maple syrup "for research."
Ji-Ah wanted...
"...Everything."
Ha-Joon smiled.
"I expected that."
She nodded enthusiastically.
"I've made a list."
"You made a list?"
She proudly pulled a folded paper from her pocket.
"I started before we left Korea."
Min-Hyuk leaned over.
"...It's color-coded."
Seo-Yeon covered a laugh.
Yoo-Na whispered,
"...She scares me."
Ha-Joon accepted the paper.
He unfolded it carefully.
There were little stars.
Arrows.
Tiny drawings.
A section titled:
Things Ji-Ah Absolutely Must Do Before Going Home.
He read quietly.
"...Stanley Park."
She nodded rapidly.
"Yes."
"...Granville Island."
"Mhm."
"...Capilano Suspension Bridge."
"Yes!"
"...Eat poutine."
She looked embarrassed.
"I was curious."
He folded the paper again.
"You did your homework."
"I was excited."
"I can see that."
He set the paper beside his plate.
"Tomorrow..."
Everyone looked toward him.
"We'll spend the day exploring."
Yoo-Na raised one hand.
"No work?"
"No."
Min-Hyuk looked ready to cry.
"I love Canada."
Ha-Joon ignored him.
"We'll leave after breakfast."
He glanced around the table.
"I'll show you the city."
Ji-Ah practically bounced in her chair.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"Mhm."
"You'll be our guide?"
"I know the city."
She grinned so brightly that even the waiter walking past smiled.
"This is going to be amazing."
Ha-Joon looked at her excitement.
He found himself smiling again.
It happened so naturally now...
He didn't even notice it.
Ji-Ah did.
Of course she did.
She looked up.
He looked back.
For just a second...
Everything around them faded into background noise.
The restaurant.
The conversations.
The clinking glasses.
None of it seemed particularly loud anymore.
Only those familiar dark eyes.
Steady.
Calm.
Looking directly at her.
Ji-Ah's smile softened without her realizing it.
...There it is again.
That look.
Why does he keep looking at me like that lately?
He's smiling again too...
He's definitely smiling more.
Across the table, Ha-Joon found himself thinking something equally unexpected.
She gets excited over the smallest things.
A city tour...
Anyone else would've thanked me politely.
She's already imagining the whole day.
...It's nice.
Ji-Ah blinked.
Realizing she'd been staring.
She quickly reached for her water.
Unfortunately...
She grabbed the wrong glass.
It was Ha-Joon's.
She took one sip.
Paused.
Looked at the glass.
Looked at him.
"..."
"..."
"...This..."
She slowly lowered it.
"...isn't mine."
Ha-Joon glanced at his own empty place setting.
"No."
"It isn't."
She closed her eyes.
"I've embarrassed myself internationally."
Min-Hyuk burst into laughter.
Yoo-Na nearly choked on her drink.
Seo-Yeon hid her face behind her napkin.
Even Hea-In smiled.
Ji-Ah groaned.
"I'll move to another country."
Ha-Joon calmly slid her own glass toward her.
"Canada is another country."
She pointed at him.
"...Don't help the joke."
"I couldn't resist."
"You made a joke."
"I did."
"You admitted it."
"I did."
"You smiled."
"I know."
"And you're not denying it."
"No."
"...Why?"
He looked at her for a brief, quiet moment.
The smile stayed exactly where it was.
Because denying it felt unnecessary now.
"I don't really have a reason to."
Ji-Ah's heartbeat skipped for reasons she refused to examine.
She looked down at her plate.
"..."
"...That's dangerous."
"What is?"
"You."
"I wasn't aware."
"You smile now."
"I do."
"You make jokes."
"Occasionally."
"You say nice things."
"When they're true."
She sighed dramatically.
"This trip has changed you already."
Ha-Joon rested one elbow lightly on the table, still looking at her with that same calm expression.
"No."
He shook his head once.
"I think..."
His voice was quieter than before.
"...I've just stopped pretending not to enjoy your company."
Ji-Ah looked back up.
Their eyes met again.
No rushing.
No awkwardness.
Just a quiet understanding that had taken more than a hundred and seventy chapters to build.
Around them, everyone else had resumed talking.
Min-Hyuk was arguing with Yoo-Na about whether maple cookies counted as a proper dinner.
Seo-Yeon was trying to stop both of them.
Hea-In quietly listened, smiling despite herself.
The restaurant buzzed with life.
Yet somehow...
For one lingering moment...
It felt like there were only two people sitting at that table.