Just as Su-Jin had suggested, the two of them went to see the other guesthouse they had on their list.
While walking, they talked about their surroundings, the weather, how old was the village, all except for the earlier events.
Su-Jin didn't bring it up, and neither did Ji-Won. It was as though the two of them had tacitly agreed not to mention what happened earlier in the car.
The guesthouse was not far from the village center. A tall, sturdy tree was planted outside, right next to the front gate. Just like an imposing sentinel, visible from afar, it caught everyone's attention as soon as they glanced in that direction.
A brick wall surrounded the complex, enveloping a number of rustic looking buildings and annexes inside its perimeter.
One of the most obvious traditional architectural elements of the place was the L shaped main building. It had the upturned eaves and hip-and-gable roof top that one always sees in hanok houses.
This part of the small complex only had one story. The available rooms were located on the longest side of the house, while the restaurant occupied the other side.
A long, wooden terrace went around the building. This construction allowed easy access to the back area of the house. It was meant both to those who rented rooms in the guesthouse, as well as those who only came to eat at the restaurant.
The entire backside of the main building overlooked a medium sized courtyard. The ground was entirely covered by gravel, with just a few patches of grass here and there. An old pine tree, with a curved trunk stood erect in the middle of the courtyard, casting cooling shadows on the ground.
Along the wall, there were areas with small flower bushes. The colorful and scented flowers could be admired and enjoyed all throughout the summer season.
When they finally reached this place, both Su-Jin and Ji-Won were indeed famished. And considering their morning adventure it wasn't even that surprising.
As such, they quickly found a table inside the restaurant and ordered some dishes.
The view of the courtyard gave the meal a rather carefree atmosphere, helping the two young people to slowly relax.
The food was good and the staff was very nice so, in the end, Ji-Won declared himself pleased with their pick. In an attempt to secure an agreement sooner, he even approached the owner for a quick conversation.
After only ten minutes, the middle-aged man and his wife appeared to be delighted with the prospect of working with such a big company. Ji-Won promised the couple that someone from his team would arrive Monday around lunch. Along with the paperwork, that person would also give them a more detailed presentation.
It's not that Ji-Won couldn't do it himself, especially since he had the documents on him, but rather he trusted more in Seo-Jun's ability to win people's hearts.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. It was also due to his mind being currently unable to focus on business.
After all the new information he had acquired earlier that day, how could he think of contracts and whatnot? Even though he managed to unwind some, with the help of a good meal and pleasant company, he was still unprepared to consider anything too serious.
This was truly so unlike him. Had Seo-Jun knew about this, he might suspect his best friend of being possessed.
In Ji-Won's defense, though, what happened in the car didn't help with his focus either. On the contrary, during the meal, Ji-Won often found his mind drifting off, while the scene of him hugging Su-Jin would unexpectedly flash before his eyes.
Whenever this happened, a series of unusual things would occur. Ji-Won's breath would hitch, his brain would blank out for a split second, before finally resuming its processes. All this at a very slow pace.
At one of those moments, when Ji-Won's thought sequence was jammed, Su-Jin finished eating and placed her chopsticks down. Next, she leaned forward, stretching an arm over the table.
Before Ji-Won's frazzled mind could catch up with what was happening, Su-Jin had already placed her palm over his forehead.
The sudden touch caught Ji-Won entirely by surprise. He instinctively pulled back, creating some distance between his forehead and Su-Jin's fingertips. He was so flustered that, in his hurry to move away, he hit the table with his knee. A loud bang reverberated inside the restaurant, followed by the rattle of plates.
This succession of noises successfully attracted everyone's attention. Several heads turned towards their table, eying Su-Jin and Ji-Won with different feelings. Some were showing a mild interest, probably more out of curiosity than anything. Meanwhile, the rest of the people glanced at them with reproach mixed with disinterest.
Feeling extremely embarrassed, Ji-Won directed a small head bow towards the other people.
"Uhh… I apologize." he said in a small voice.
After seeing everyone slowly returning to their own business, he finally shifted his gaze towards the person in front of him. Thus, his eyes met Su-Jin and he was forced to suck in a deep breath.
During this entire time, Su-Jin's hand had remained dangling in the air, hovering above the table. She had been so taken aback by Ji-Won's reaction, that she didn't dare to move a muscle.
A short moment later, she eventually lowered her hand, awkwardly placing it on the table.
"I guess my actions must have startled you just now. I'm really sorry, Director Kang." Su-Jin offered with a small smile.
"Miss Park, I… I'm sorry. You just startled me a little, that's all." Ji-Won said quietly.
Su-Jin, though, didn't believe him. She inwardly scoffed at his words as though they were a bad joke.
'A little?! You call that reaction just 'a little startled'?! Who are you kidding, Director Kang?! I never knew you were this kind of unfair person. So, you can hug me all you want, lean on my shoulder to sleep and even hold my hand… Uhm, I guess that last one was done by me… But still! You did all that and I can't even touch your forehead to see if you are running a fever or not? Who's fault is it that you keep having a red face?!'
Seeing her expression gradually turn into a scowl, Ji-Won became flustered again.
The next instant, his body moved on its own. He stretched out an arm with the clear intention of grabbing Su-Jin's hand.
But, in his haste, Ji-Won ended up knocking over something.
Looking down, Ji-Won caught the sight of Su-Jin's bag sliding off the table.. Then, a flash of blue, as a small box was sent flying on the ground.