Blind date that never happened

The city lights glowed outside Lee Group’s headquarters. Inside the top floor office, Madam Lee Na-ra stood in front of the wide glass window, her arms folded across her chest. At thirty years old, she had built a reputation as a strict and intelligent leader. Employees admired her, feared her, and followed her every word.

But tonight, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Behind her, her loyal secretary, Choi, cleared his throat. “Madam Lee… your parents have asked you to attend tonight’s blind date. The reservation is already prepared.”

Na-ra turned, her eyes sharp. “Blind date? I told them before—I’m not interested.”

Choi hesitated. He had worked with her long enough to know she rarely changed her mind once decided. “Still, Madam, it’s President Kim of JK Group. Your parents believe this match would strengthen both families.”

Na-ra sat at her desk, flipping through documents. Her lips curved into a cold smile. “Kim Dong-hyun… the man who rejected every woman he met? What a wonderful choice.”

Choi opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when Na-ra suddenly pressed her hand to her stomach. Her face tightened for a moment as if fighting a sharp pain.

“Madam, are you alright?” he asked, stepping closer.

Na-ra straightened immediately, hiding her weakness. “It’s nothing. Cancel the meeting.”

“But Madam—”

“I said cancel it,” she repeated firmly, her tone final.

Choi bowed slightly. “Yes, Madam Lee.”

---

Across the city, Kim Dong-hyun sat alone in a quiet, luxurious restaurant. The lights were dim, the table elegantly set for two. Women at other tables stole glances at him, whispering about the tall, handsome man in a black suit.

But his eyes remained fixed on the empty chair across from him.

One hour passed.

He leaned back in his chair, his patience gone. “She isn’t coming,” he muttered under his breath. His secretary quickly stood, but Dong-hyun had already risen.

“Enough,” he said coldly. “Let’s leave.”

Instead of returning home, he went straight to a bar. Glass after glass of whiskey disappeared in his hand. He was a man used to control, but tonight, he allowed himself to lose it. By the time he stumbled out into the night air, the world spun around him.

He wandered until his legs gave up, finally sitting down on the cold pavement outside a small supermarket.

---

Inside the supermarket, Kang Ji-woo pushed a cart filled with goods toward the shelves. She was twenty-nine, hardworking, and gentle in nature. Life had been cruel to her: her father lay on his deathbed, and her greedy relatives were already circling to steal what little she had left.

Still, she kept going, her soft smile never leaving her face, even in her exhaustion.

When she stepped outside to collect the empty baskets, her eyes fell on a man leaning against the wall. His head was lowered, his suit wrinkled, but even in his drunken state, he looked like someone important.

“Sir?” Ji-woo asked carefully. “Are you alright?”

The man lifted his head slightly, and for the first time, Ji-woo saw his eyes—dark, tired, but strangely deep.

He didn’t answer. His body swayed, so Ji-woo quickly rushed to support him.

“Come inside,” she said gently. “You can’t stay out here.”

She helped him into the store, guiding him to a chair near the counter. She poured him some water and placed a bowl of warm food in front of him.

For a moment, Kim Dong-hyun looked at her—this simple supermarket worker who treated him with such kindness. He didn’t speak, but the way his gaze lingered on her face carried something unfamiliar.

“Eat this. It will help.”

Dong-hyun stared at the noodles blankly, then at her. His pride usually stopped him from accepting help, but something in Ji-woo’s calm voice made him lift the chopsticks.

He took a bite. The noodles were fiery red, soaked in spicy broth. His eyes widened instantly, and he coughed. “Too spicy…”

Ji-woo smiled, amused. “Really? This is nothing. I love spicy food.” She took a big bite herself, her eyes lighting up as she chewed. “See? It’s perfect.”

He watched her in disbelief. Her face was bright, her smile genuine, and her laughter warm.

For the first time in a long while, Kim Dong-hyun felt… human.

When he set the chopsticks down, Ji-woo poured him a glass of water. “You look like someone who carries too much weight,” she said gently. “I don’t know who you are, but… don’t keep everything inside. Life is already heavy. Sometimes, you have to let yourself rest.”

Dong-hyun stared at her quietly. People usually flattered him, feared him, or tried to impress him. No one had ever spoken to him so simply… so honestly.

He lowered his gaze. “Rest… huh.”

Ji-woo nodded. “Yes. Even the strongest people need someone to care for them.”

Her words lingered in the silence. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel like a president or a businessman. He just felt like a man—tired, wounded, but strangely comforted by a stranger’s kindness.

When his secretary finally arrived, Ji-woo helped Dong-hyun stand. She walked him to the car, steady and gentle.

“Thank you,” he said quietly before getting in. His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, as if he didn’t want to leave.

Ji-woo waved faintly. As the car disappeared down the road, she stood at the doorway of her shop, the night air brushing her face.

“He seems like a good guy,” she whispered to herself. A complicated man, but not a bad one.

With a small smile, she returned to her shop, unaware that this one encounter would change both of their lives forever.

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