“You look really good, Mr. Kim,” Julia said.
“Thank you, Julia. I feel really good too. The best I’ve felt in years. I’m just so thankful that our Tae was able to come home and help with everything. I can’t imagine what would happen without him.” Tae’s dad walked over and patted him on the back. He was twenty-five years old and hadn’t realized how much he needed the comfort and approval from his father until that very moment. Tae tried to swallow the emotion.
“Tae is everyone’s savior, apparently,” Julia said, smiling up at him. “I’m sure you’ve heard he’s helping me not make a total fool of myself on these dates. Even though I’m a lost cause.”
“Nonsense, Julia. All of us know you are a diamond. You are the gongju of Irvine, California. And not just any man can win the love of a princess. It takes a special man who will appreciate and love her just as she is. One who will not be intimidated by her beauty or brain, who will not want to steal from her wealth. But someone to make her laugh, be there for her when she cries, and always remind her of her worth. That’s the man for you, Julia.”
Tae stood staring at his father in awe. He, in one moment, told Julia all that Tae had wanted to. That she was a treasure and all the guys she’d tried dating were the trash.
“Mr. Kim...” Julia tried to speak, but the words seemed stuck in her throat.
Tae’s father walked over and wrapped his arms around Julia. “All this fuss over dating, when we all know our Julia’s prince will come. He just has to prove himself worthy of her. And not in the ways the world sees worth. But in the ways that love does.” He patted her head and looked over at Tae.
His dad stepped back. “Now, you two have fun. Enjoy the concert. Julia, I especially like the songs ‘Spring Day’ and ‘Idol.’ I hope BTS performs those tonight for you.” His dad winked at her.
Tae couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Julia said.
As Tae’s dad left them alone, Julia turned to Tae, a softness on her face that took Tae’s breath away.
Her hand gently brushed against his, and he reached his finger out to keep the contact between them just a tiny bit longer.
“Tae, thank you for this,” she said as she waved her hand across the yard. “No one’s ever done something like this for me before. Thanks for sharing a part of yourself with me too.”
Tae couldn’t quite figure out the sound in her voice, but he was too afraid to step forward. He wasn’t sure he was ready for where this felt like it was going.
“Well, wait till you see the video. The concert is amazing.” Tae walked away from Julia toward the projector, changing the subject.
He pressed Play and sat down on the blanket. He patted the space next to him, and Julia joined him. He poured her a glass of wine and passed her an ARMY bomb.
There they were, just two friends enjoying a BTS concert.
No big deal.
16
Mr. Trot
Julia
Julia had only ever been to the Pantages Theatre once to see the Broadway rendition ofThe Phantom of the Operaperformed. She couldn’t really imagine a K-pop concert here within its ornate walls and intricately adorned ceiling.
She looked back down at her phone to check the text from Young Kim. The address and date and time were all correct. She looked at the marquee to seeKorean Music Festival—featuring Young Kimin lights. She was definitely at the right place.
But Tae never mentioned K-pop stans donning formal attire to concerts. And there was a whole lot of sequins going on here. The crowd was not what Julia had expected. There wasn’t the wide range of concertgoers... from teens to adults. It skewed more to middle-aged women in their fifties. All with the short-cut permed hair and colorful sparkly dresses with bold lipsticks. The chatter was loud, and the excitement high.
Young and Julia had made plans for Julia to attend his concert and then the two would meet backstage before going out for drinks. But she was way underdressed if the other concert attendees were anything to go by.
Julia found the way to her seat and plopped down into the surprisingly comfortable theater chair. At least this would be an upgrade from what she was expecting.
The fatigue from the day made Julia’s shoulders feel heavy. After a late night at Tae’s, Julia spent the majority of Sunday at the office working before heading over for her date. She didn’t want to be ungrateful, but the recent boom in business wasn’t something her current business model and staff were able to accommodate. Stores and online sites were out of stock on products, and customers were frustrated that they couldn’t get their hands on the now-trendy skincare for holiday gifts.
She would focus on the immediate problem of distribution and restocking in time for the holiday orders. The bigger, more long-term problem of how to grow the company would have to come later. Julia was curious what Andrew Lim and Hansuk Holdings would bring to the table and if, with a partnership, they could move quickly to accommodate the boom in business.
This was why Julia had wanted to deprioritize her personal life in the first place. Yes, she was tired of bad dates. But truthfully, she was just tired. Period. She didn’t have the time or the energy to be at the Pantages Theatre watching a concert on a Sunday night.
Though, oddly, Julia didn’t feel this exhausted when she was doing her practice dates with Tae. Everything felt different with Tae. Easy. Fun. Safe.
