[Kartikey – 7:43 PM | Thursday Night, His Apartment]
Kartikey sat cross-legged on his bed, a bowl of microwaved tteokbokki in one hand, his phone in the other, staring at the message like it was a riddle from the universe.
"Next time, you're trying the espresso. Deal?"
From her.
Nancy.
He reread it five times.
Not because he didn't understand what it saidBut because he couldn't believe it had been said.
He smiled. That slow, surprised kind of smile you wear when life does something unexpectedly kind for once.
"So she does want a next time."
He placed the bowl aside, wiped his fingers on his pajama pants, and typed:
"Only if you promise not to judge me when I make a face."
Sent.
Immediate regret. He reread it twice.
"Too casual? Too boring?"
He shook his head and flopped back against his pillow.
His heart wasn't racing, it was pacing. Thoughtful. Curious.
Something was happening. Something quiet, slow, but strangely… significant.
He didn't know what Nancy was, but he knew what she wasn't—she wasn't someone you met twice and forgot.
[Nancy – 8:10 PM | Her Apartment, Yongsan District]
Nancy poured herself a glass of red wine and kicked off her heels, letting the silence of her penthouse wrap around her like silk.
Her home was immaculate stone-gray walls, soft amber lighting, clean lines, and curated taste. A library with leather-bound volumes. A kitchen that looked more like an exhibit than a space anyone cooked in.
But in the living room, by the window, was a strange contrast: a tiny potted cactus and a framed photo of a smiling girl in school uniform herself, age nine, gap-toothed and sunburnt, hugging a golden retriever.
She walked barefoot across the heated floors and curled up on the couch, phone in hand.
"Only if you promise not to judge me when I make a face."
Kartikey had replied.
Her lips curved.
"That's what I like about him," she thought. "He doesn't filter his words for power or performance."
She was so used to emails that read like resumes, messages full of coded networking.But this man just… responded. Like a person.
She stared at the screen for a moment longer before typing:
"No promises. But I'll bring something sweet to chase the bitterness."
Sent.
[Friday Night – 7:00 PM | Date Two – Han River Walkway]
They didn't go to a fancy place this time.
They didn't need to.
They met under the golden hue of sunset along the Han River, where joggers passed with headphones in and children chased bubbles near food trucks.
Nancy arrived first. Dressed simply. Jeans. Long coat. Hair tied in a ponytail. No makeup beyond lip balm.
Kartikey almost didn't recognize her.
"You look…" he started, then paused.
She raised a brow. "Don't ruin it."
"...less terrifying," he finished.
She laughed. "I'll take it."
They walked side by side for a while, no destination, just matching steps.
Nancy handed him a small paper bag.
"What's this?"
"Macarons. Bribe for the espresso face."
Kartikey grinned. "You're a dangerous woman."
"You have no idea."
They found a bench near the water and sat.
He asked about her favorite books. She asked about the weirdest Korean phrase he'd misused.He told her he once said "I am spicy" instead of "I like spicy food."
She nearly dropped her macaron.
"This… this is nice," he thought. "No trying. No proving. Just being."
[Nancy – Later That Night | Her Apartment]
Nancy sat by her window, legs folded under her, coffee in hand instead of wine this time.
She replayed the walk in her head. The way Kartikey looked at the sky when he talked. The way he didn't flinch when she teased him. The way he said her name softly, like it was a note he didn't want to smudge.
There was still so much he didn't know. About who she was. About what her name meant in headlines.
But for once, she didn't feel the need to correct his assumptions.She didn't feel smaller for hiding the truth. She felt… normal.
A strange word.
But beautiful.
[Kartikey – At Home, Again]
He looked at the bag of macarons on his desk.
Then at his phone.
"Do you always bribe first dates with dessert?"
He typed it.
Paused.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
"So... did I pass Espresso Level 1?"
Sent.