Eun-soo felt a brief, sharp sting of disappointment as Jin-woo's gaze snapped away from her almost as soon as their eyes met.
"What am I even thinking?" she scolded herself silently, smoothing her skirt. "Mr. Jin-woo is just the guardian of one of my students. Why am I expecting a warmer greeting?"
She turned her attention back to Kang Min-ho, who politely pulled out a chair for her near the large, floor-to-ceiling window.
"Thank you," she murmured as she sat down, the glittering lights of the city providing a beautiful but distracting backdrop.
Min-ho took his seat across from her and handed her the heavy, gold-embossed menu. "Miss Eun-soo, please, order whatever you like. I've heard the North Indian cuisine here is exceptional."
Eun-soo nodded, taking the menu, but her eyes kept drifting toward the large, noisy table in the center of the room where Jin-woo sat.
Meanwhile, Hajun was busy being pampered by his grandmother, Young-sook, who was feeding him small bites of rice and creamy Malai Kofta.
His eyes scanned the room as he chewed, and suddenly, they lit up with pure joy as he spotted a familiar face by the window.
Without a word to his uncle or grandfather, Jin-ho, the boy slid down from his chair and began trotting toward Eun-soo's table.
Jin-woo was deep in a technical conversation with his father about the new H200 cluster and didn't notice the empty chair for a several seconds.
By the time he looked up, Hajun was already standing in front of Eun-soo, his small hands reaching out to hug her leg.
"Teacher Eun-soo! Why are you here?" the boy chirped, his voice echoing slightly in the elegant dining room.
Eun-soo jumped slightly, the menu slipping an inch in her hands as she looked down to find Hajun looking up at her in his tiny black suit.
Her heart melted instantly at the sight of him. "Hajun! What are you doing here, sweetie?"
She reached down and scooped him up, settling him comfortably onto her lap while ignoring the confused look on Min-ho's face.
"I don't know," Hajun chatted away, leaning against her. "Grandma made me wear this suit, and then Uncle Jin-woo came and said we were having a big party to eat food!"
He looked at the menu in her hand and pointed a small finger at a picture. "Teacher, you have to try the Malai Kofta. It's the best! You eat it with the white rice."
Eun-soo couldn't help but laugh, her earlier disappointment vanishing. "Is that so? Well, if you recommend it, I definitely have to try it."
Kang Min-ho cleared his throat, leaning forward with a curious expression. "Miss Eun-soo? Who is this little gentleman?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Eun-soo replied, adjusting Hajun on her lap. "This is Hajun, he's one of my brightest students at the kindergarten."
She looked at the boy and nudged him gently. "Hajun, can you say hello to the nice uncle?"
Hajun tilted his head, studying Min-ho's white suit for a long moment before giving a polite bow. "Hello, Uncle."
Min-ho seemed genuinely impressed by the boy's poise. "Hello, Hajun. You have very good taste in food. Would you like me to order a special dessert just for you?"
Hajun shook his head seriously. "No thank you, Uncle. My Uncle Jin-woo already ordered everything I like. But you can come eat with us if you want!"
Min-ho chuckled, looking at Eun-soo. "He's remarkably well-spoken. It's rare to see a child so polite to strangers."
Back at the large table, Jin-woo finally realized the seat next to him was empty. "Mom? Where did Hajun go?"
Young-sook pointed toward the window with a knowing smile. "He saw his teacher. I let him go since he was so excited."
Jin-woo's heart hammered against his ribs as he saw Eun-soo and Min-ho laughing together with Hajun between them.
"Mom, she's clearly on a date," Jin-woo muttered, standing up. "We shouldn't be disturbing them. I'll go get him."
As he approached their table, he overheard Hajun turning down Min-ho's offer of food, and a sense of pride washed over him.
"Hello, Miss Eun-soo," Jin-woo said as he reached them, his voice deep and formal.
Eun-soo stiffened slightly, her grip on Hajun tightening as her heartbeat accelerated for no reason she wanted to admit.
"Hello, Mr. Jin-woo," she replied, her face flushing a light pink. "We were just talking about the menu."
She turned to her date, her voice regaining its composure. "Min-ho, this is Mr. Jin-woo. He is the founder of A2."
Jin-woo felt a jolt of recognition at the name Kang Min-ho. "The heir to the Kang Group? The ones handling the new metro and hotel projects?"
"That's me," Min-ho said, standing up to shake Jin-woo's hand. "And I've heard quite a bit about A2. Your AI systems are becoming the talk of the industry."
"You flatter us," Jin-woo replied, his business mask firmly in place. "We are still quite new to the field compared to a giant like the Kang Group."
He then looked down at Hajun, his expression softening but his tone remaining firm. "Hajun, your teacher is busy with her guest. You shouldn't be a bother."
Hajun looked at Eun-soo, then at the man in the white suit, and finally back to Jin-woo. "Okay, Uncle."
He reached his arms out, and Jin-woo stepped in to lift the boy from Eun-soo's lap, their fingers brushing for a fraction of a second.
Min-ho watched the exchange, a thoughtful frown touching his lips. "They look so natural together," he thought to himself. "Almost like a family."
"Enjoy your dinner," Jin-woo said politely, though his eyes lingered on Eun-soo for a second too long before he turned to carry Hajun back to his parents.
Min-ho sat back down, watching Jin-woo's retreating back. "A very interesting student you have there, Eun-soo. Shall we order that Kofta now?"