Sowon stood at the entrance of the luxury hotel, her heartbeat absolutely normal and not at all panicked.

This was fine.

Yes, the place was so fancy it felt illegal to breathe in it, but she had prepared for this moment.

Step 1: Look expensive.

Step 2: Act expensive. 

Step 3: Don’t embarrass yourself.

She lifted her chin slightly, walked in like she belonged, and immediately almost tripped on the marble floor.

Flawless.

Before she could even recover, a warm hand gently caught her elbow.

“Sowon.”

She turned, pretending she totally didn’t just almost die, and met Taekhyun’s amused gaze.

Great. He had seen.

But instead of commenting on it, he simply smiled. “You look beautiful.”

Sowon, despite herself, felt her brain short-circuit slightly.

“Thanks.” She cleared her throat. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Understatement. He looked obscenely attractive, dressed in a tailored suit that probably cost more than her entire yearly salary.

He chuckled, then offered his arm like they were in some classic romance movie.

She hesitated for half a second before resting her hand lightly on his sleeve.

Fine. Maybe this wouldn’t be a disaster.

...

The restaurant inside the hotel was even worse than she expected.

Expensive. Dimly lit. Tables spaced so far apart that whispering felt too loud.

The worst part? The menu didn’t have prices.

That was never a good sign.

Taekhyun, of course, looked completely at ease, casually ordering something in fluent French.

Sowon nodded, pretending she understood, and did the only logical thing, she picked a random item and hoped for the best.

“I’ll have this,” she said confidently.

The waiter blinked. “The foie gras?”

“Yes.”

Whatever that was.

Surprisingly, the conversation flowed easily.

Taekhyun was charming, funny in an effortless way, and seemed genuinely interested in her life.

Not once did he check his phone. Not once did he talk about himself too much.

He listened. Properly.

When she mentioned a minor detail about work, he followed up with thoughtful questions. When she teased him about his “businessman aura,” he laughed, leaning in slightly as if she was the most interesting person in the room.

It was almost unsettling how perfect he was.

Sowon had never met a guy like this before.

Maybe Taekhyun was exactly what she needed.

The Smoothest Save Ever

At one point, she nearly knocked over her wine glass reaching for her fork.

Barely a second later, Taekhyun caught it mid-air before it could spill.

Sowon blinked. “Okay, that was impressive.”

Taekhyun smirked. “I have fast reflexes.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you secretly in an action movie?”

“No,” he said smoothly, “but if I were, you’d be the love interest.”

''…'' Sowon needed a minute.

Was this man real?

By the time dinner ended, Sowon had to admit, this was the best date she had ever been on.

She had expected awkwardness, a weird ego, or at least some kind of flaw.

But Taekhyun had been perfect.

And for the first time in a long time, she thought, maybe, just maybe, she had actually picked a good one this time.