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Third point of view.

The moment you and Jinwoo stepped inside the restaurant, the staff immediately sprang into action. They offered a polite bow before leading you both through the warmly lit interior, past neatly arranged tables and toward the VIP section tucked away from the main floor.

Jinwoo followed behind you, quiet as always, his eyes scanning the place with mild curiosity. It wasn't the kind of restaurant he'd usually find himself in, luxurious but comfortable, the kind of place that made it clear it catered to the elite.

The moment you both sat down, the staff swiftly placed down menus and water before retreating, giving you space to settle in.

Jinwoo sat stiffly across from you, fingers lightly tapping against the menu in his hands. He hadn't exactly planned for this when he left his home today. A rank re-evaluation, maybe a couple of guild recruiters trying to sink their claws into him, yeah, that was expected.

But sitting here, across from you, in a fancy restaurant? That was definitely not on his list.

He was on a.. date. With you.

And if that's not crazy enough, his dating history was, to put it mildly, questionable. Not because he had a bad track record, just that he had no track record. Between struggling as an E-rank, supporting his family, and now.. whatever this new reality was, romance had never even crossed his mind.

You watched him for a moment, amused by how out of place he looked. "You don't have to think through it that much." You finally said, breaking the silence. "Order anything. It's on the house anyway."

He blinked, glancing up from the menu. "Huh?"

"This place belongs to my sister." You explained, tilting your head slightly. "So, don't hold back."

He let out a small, almost awkward chuckle before lowering the menu slightly. "Right. Got it."

Still, as he glanced at the neatly printed list of dishes, a thought lingered in his mind,

I should've worn something nicer.

As soon as you settled on your choice, you raised a hand, effortlessly catching the attention of a nearby waiter. The staff member approached with practiced professionalism, notebook in hand, as you smoothly gave your order.

Jinwoo, snapping out of his thoughts, followed suit, quickly picking something off the menu without much thought. Once the waiter bowed and retreated, silence settled between the two of you.

"So, how'd your re-evaluation go?"

He exhaled through his nose. "I have to go back in three days. The usual detector couldn't measure my mana, so they need me to take a more precise test."

You nodded, not surprised in the slightest. "I see. You climbed the ranks pretty fast." you mused, tilting your head as if studying him. "So technically, you're an S-rank now, if I'm not wrong."

Not wrong at all.

His mana practically screamed it.

You smiled, resting your chin against your palm as you studied him. "So, how was your trip last week?"

He parted his lips to answer, but he hesitated, his gaze snapping to you in an instant. His eyes sharpened slightly, suspicion flickering across his face.

"How.. do you know about that?”

You merely shrugged, completely unbothered. "Since you weren't showing up at the park, I had to check in." You said casually. "Who knows? Maybe you were in some kind of trouble."  You tapped your fingers against the table before adding with a small smirk. "But turns out, you were just out on a trip."