The two men spent the next three hours discussing what touristic packages could be created for such a place like 'Ma's family land' or how they could personalize their offers more efficiently in order to reach a larger clientele.
In the end, they came up with a draft proposal and decided to go together to present it to the Ma couple.
Ji-Won glanced at the watch and groaned. It was already past 10 PM.
Following Ji-Won's example, Seo-Jun also looked at the time. The moment he saw the hour, he let out a gasp.
"Wow, it's already so late. Aren't you hungry?"
"Mn, I am, so I will head ho…"
"Perfect!" Seo-Jun cut Ji-Won's words with a resounding clap. "Now that we have finished work for today, how about we go grab something to eat? Maybe even drink a glass or two as well?"
Ji-Won stared at Seo-Jun blankly. He was indeed hungry but, most of all, he was tired. All he wanted to do at that moment was get to his apartment as soon as possible.
But it appeared that his friend was injected with chicken blood.
Instead of being tired, Seo-Jun seemed to radiate energy, causing his friend to be half awed, half frustrated.
'What is this person made of? Is he even human? How come he is not tired at all after working for an entire day?' Ji-Won grumbled to himself.
To make matters worse, Seo-Jun didn't seem willing to allow Ji-Won the chance to refuse. He half dragged, half pushed Ji-Won out the door and towards the elevator.
All the way to the car, Seo-Jun didn't stop chirping about what food they should eat. Since Ji-Won didn't open his mouth to give an input, Seo-Jun was forced to pick on his own.
In the end, he chose a barbeque restaurant close to Ji-Won's apartment. That way, the man could park the car near the restaurant and pick it up tomorrow morning.
"Look how considerate I am, finding such a place so you could drink." Seo-Jun bragged as he pulled Ji-Won towards the restaurant.
"Thanks, that's so kind of you." Ji-Won mocked with a grimace, then shook his head. "But I don't want to drink."
"But I want you to drink." Seo-Jun emphasized on the 'I'.
Without giving Ji-Won a chance to retort, Seo-Jun chose a table next to the window and quickly ordered meat and vegetables, as well as two bottles of soju.
Similar to the place they went for their team dinner the other day, this barbeque restaurant also had grills on each table.
Once the meat was brought and the grill was steaming hot, Seo-Jun began cutting the pieces of meat in small chunks, throwing them on the grill's surface one by one. Each time a piece touched the grill, a sizzling sound would erupt.
Soon, the delicious aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air, causing both Ji-Won and Seo-Jun's nostrils to twitch. Their mouths watered in anticipation and, for a short while, they both forgot about everything else, as they ate to their hearts' content.
When the food was finished, Seo-Jun leaned back against the chair and patted his stomach in satisfaction.
"That was delicious." he praised, smacking his lips.
"Mn, it sure was." Ji-Won had to agree.
The meat was tender and juicy and the vegetables fresh. Everything blended so well that he couldn't stop eating until everything was gone.
"Now, let's move on to the second course." Seo-Jun grinned impishly.
Ji-Won arched an eyebrow, watching his friend pushing his back against the backrest and grabbing one of the soju bottles. Then, he nimbly poured two glasses, one for him and one for Ji-Won.
"So this is the second course?" Ji-Won inquired, picking up the glass closest to him.
There was a helpless smile dancing on his lips, as his eyes fell onto the colorless liquid.
Sometimes, he was amused by his own opposition towards Seo-Jun's hyper self. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but indulge his friend. The man seemed to have a keen sense, knowing what Ji-Won needed, rather than what he wanted. And, no matter the time or place, he was always there, ready to give his support.
Just like tonight. If left to his own devices, Ji-Won would have just gone home by himself, probably skipping dinner altogether and getting a few hours of sleep.
Although that prospect didn't look too bad in his eyes, Ji-Won had to admit that he needed both the food and the distraction.
"Thank you, Seo-Jun, for bringing me out tonight."
After saying that, Ji-Won brought the glass to his lips. Tilting his head back, he downed the entire content into his mouth.
As soon as he felt the burning sensation at the back of his throat, Ji-Won let out a series of coughs.
"Ugh…"
"Now that's what I call drinking." Seo-Jun laughed, looking rather impressed with his friend's drinking prowess.
A moment later, he followed suit and also gulped the liquid in one go. He grimaced, groaning in satisfaction at the stinging sensation.
After finishing one drink, Seo-Jun moved to refill both their glasses. As he did so, he glanced up at Ji-Won, who was currently staring down at his empty glass.
"What's gotten into you?" Seo-Jun asked, placing the bottle on the table.
The object made a dull clang as it touched the wooden surface. For a while, that was the only sound that could be heard between the two men. From time to time, laughter and sounds of chatter drifted from the nearby tables, whereas Ji-Won and Seo-Jun continued to remain silent.
In the end, it was Seo-Jun who spoke first.
"I've been meaning to ask you about what happened that time at the hospital."
"What is there to ask? I just misunderstood their relationship and Min-Jun had to clear it up for everyone. Simple as that."
"Is it?" Seo-Jun slowly arched an eyebrow.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means…"
Seo-Jun let his words die out. He held his glass between the thumb and index finger, twirling it slowly. His eyes were fixed on Ji-Won's face attentively, watching the other man's every minute expression.
After a short pause, Seo-Jun finally opened his mouth to finish the previous sentence.