Jihoon had spent his free afternoon reading through forums, enjoying all the criticisms being thrown at Park Minho. It was a glorious day! Even though Minho’s misfortune was hardly more than a minor blemish on his reputation, Jihoon was still finding some satisfaction in it. It was also gratifying to see people finally pointing out Minho's terrible flaws, including comments from assistants and stylists who had worked with him and revealed how irritating and arrogant his temperament could be at times.

He was almost tempted to join the fray and post a few sharp comments anonymously, but he thought that would truly be crossing a line he wasn’t ready to cross. His resentment toward Minho had to remain a personal matter; there was no need to act like an internet troll and let it spill out.

In any case, it was undeniable that the whole situation was bringing a huge smile to his face. He left in particularly high spirits, and the ride into the city center seemed unusually short and pleasant, despite the usual chaos of traffic and pedestrians crossing the street without regard for traffic lights or right of way.

When Jihoon's shift at the restaurant began, the news of Minho and Seoyoung's relationship was already public knowledge. However, Jihoon hadn't seen it yet, as he had been immediately swept up in the whirlwind of tasks preparing for the Saturday night, the busiest evening of the week at the Prestige.

They were so swamped that even in the staff room, there was no time for their usual chitchat. Each quickly donned their uniform, exchanged brief good luck wishes, and then hustled into the kitchen. They set up tables, arranged menus, filled water for the flowers that adorned the centerpieces, and took care of all the little details that would make the guests' experience at the Prestige truly special.

When the first guests arrived at the Prestige, Jihoon was already feeling tired and particularly stressed. Nevertheless, he continued to welcome the guests with the brightest of smiles, courteously showing them to their tables, explaining the menu items, and recommending wines when asked. The guests started arriving, and after about forty minutes, half of the tables were already occupied.

The restaurant had transformed into a well-oiled machine, each part working seamlessly to make the whole operation run smoothly. Jihoon was busy serving customers at the far end of the room when Hyewon went to greet the new arrivals.

For a moment, she felt like she might faint. Was exhaustion playing tricks on her? Had she gone completely mad, or was the person standing before her really Park Minho himself? Accompanied, no less, by the idol Seoyoung!

Social media had been buzzing about them all day, and now here they were in the flesh, looking as radiant as ever, without even a hat or sunglasses to disguise them. It was clear they wanted to be seen, a fact made even more apparent by the presence of two paparazzi, likely hired by their agencies.

“Welcome to the Prestige. I hope you have a fantastic evening with us. Reservation number?” Hyewon asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Minho answered. Hyewon could see that, in person, he was perhaps even more handsome and captivating than on screen. And his voice! So deep, so serious… Her knees wobbled with excitement at being in his presence.

“The reservation number is 4985,” Minho said, draping his arm around Seoyoung’s shoulders and kissing her on the temple.

Hyewon wanted to tear her hair out with joy at witnessing such scenes.

With a beaming smile, she led them to their table, discovering they had booked the most romantic spot in the entire restaurant, with the most breathtaking view of the city.

“Now my colleague will come to present your menus. He will be your waiter for the evening. In the meantime, please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the atmosphere.”

Hyewon walked across the room calmly, even though she desperately wanted to run and skip to Jihoon. When she finally reached him, Jihoon frowned and asked, “Why are you smiling like you found 10,000 won on the ground?”

At that moment, Hyewon thought that telling him he would be serving Park Minho and Seoyoung would be as entertaining as watching his reaction when he realized who the guests at his table were.

She flashed a sly smile and handed him two sheets of paper. “Is there really a need for a reason to be happy?” she asked. “Table 77 is assigned to you.”

“You’re acting all weird,” Jihoon huffed. “I’ll go right away — oh, and then check out what that woman at table 51 is wearing. I just don’t get what goes through people’s minds…” said Jihoon with a mocking smile. 

Without wasting any more time, he headed towards table number 77. As he got closer, he noticed a guy with broad shoulders and wheat-blonde hair. Sitting across from him was a stunning girl, and as he approached to hand over the menus, he realized that the girl was none other than Seoyoung. His eyes then shifted to her companion, and it was Park Minho. For a moment, he was simply dumbfounded, holding the menus with a blank stare and slightly widened eyes. Startled by the waiter's silence, Minho looked up to see what was wrong, and the same look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Lee Jihoon?!" Minho asked, surprised. "You work here?!"

Jihoon clenched his right fist as he felt a hollow sensation in his chest. What cruel fate was this? Hadn't he already faced enough bad luck? Did he really have to endure the humiliation of being seen in a waiter's uniform by his old rival?

"You know each other?" Seoyoung asked in surprise at that point. "Are you friends?"

With a force of will he could barely muster, Jihoon managed to place the menus on the table without slamming them down. Drawing on all his old acting skills, he forced a polite smile and said, addressing no one in particular, "I'll be your waiter for the evening. You can count on me to help you choose your dishes and wines. If you prefer, there's also a tasting menu available. You'll find it on the last page.”

Minho looked surprised and confused by Jihoon's reaction. They had never been close friends, and especially during their teenage years, there were times when their intense rivalry nearly brought them to blows. Still, Minho couldn't recall any reason why Jihoon would harbor resentment towards him even now.

Both Minho and Seoyoung exchanged a confused look, as if they didn't quite understand what was happening.

"Jihoon was an old friend of mine," Minho said to Seoyoung, reaching across the table to touch her hand, though his eyes were locked onto Jihoon's cold gaze. "We were trainees at the same agency."

"Yeah, good times, right?" Jihoon muttered through gritted teeth. "Then dreams got crushed by someone who couldn't accept their own defeat."

"Huh?" Minho raised an eyebrow, confused. Sensing the tension between the two, Seoyoung squeezed Minho's hand with her own.

"Isn't it nice to reunite with old colleagues? I think Minho and I need a few minutes to decide what to order."

"Of course," Jihoon said, honestly eager to be dismissed. "I'll give you all the time you need to make your choices."

With that, he darted away. He was supposed to continue his rounds, taking orders and checking if anything new was ready in the kitchen, but at that moment, he couldn't bear interacting with anyone. So, he headed straight to the bathrooms and locked himself inside.

He placed both hands on his face and took a deep breath. He would have to serve Park Minho for the entire evening. Honestly, he couldn't think of anything worse.

His heart pounded in his chest, but the agitation stemmed from a deep sadness that felt like a painful grip tightening around his stomach. He didn't quite understand why he suddenly felt this way; perhaps it was the profound sense of injustice and the need to clarify what had happened. At the same time, he wanted to forget it all and leave that story behind for good.

With his back against the door, Jihoon slid down until he was sitting on the floor. He closed his eyes, ran a hand through his hair, and then focused on his breathing. He counted three slow, deep breaths, trying to clear his mind and let those negative emotions untangle one by one. When the darkness within him finally lifted a little, he stood up, opened the bathroom door, and returned to the dining area as if nothing had happened.

He would finish his shift with his head held high. This time, he wouldn't let Minho bring him down.