Naima reflexively squinted. "Huh? You wanna be my guide too?"
Jiwoo raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Also?"
Naima smacked her own forehead. "Ah—sorry, sorry! You're the third guy who's offered to be my guide!"
Jiwoo chuckled softly. "Oh really? So I've got competitors?"
"Uh-huh." Naima raised three fingers, counting one by one. "First, the barista—Minjae! From that café near Ewha. Then, the chef, Hyunbin. And now…" she looked him up and down, "…the vet."
Jiwoo pretended to think seriously. "Hmm. A barista, a chef, and a vet. Sounds like a drama lineup."
Naima burst out laughing. "Exactly! All we're missing is the chaebol heir."
"Who knows," Jiwoo replied, pointing at Snowy sitting obediently by their feet, "maybe she's the chaebol here. I just work for her."
Naima laughed harder. "Okay, that's cute. So… where will you guide me, Doctor Jiwoo?"
Jiwoo pretended to consider it. "Dog park first. Then maybe a walk by the river. You'll get to see the sunset—it's the prettiest view in Yeouido."
Naima nodded with a big smile. "Deal. But don't blame me if Snowy ends up liking me more."
Jiwoo's gaze softened. "That'd be my loss… but her win."
Naima turned toward the river, the evening breeze playing with her hair. Three guys, three styles, three offers.
Naima was strolling along the riverside with Jiwoo and Snowy when her KTalk notification pinged.
Johann:I'll take you to dinner tonight. Pick you up at 8.
Naima froze mid-step. "Huh?" she murmured. "Johann? Who the heck is Johann?"
Jiwoo glanced at her. "You okay?"
"Oh—yeah, yeah. Just… a message," she said quickly, tucking her hair behind her ear. But as soon as Jiwoo started walking again, Naima hurriedly opened her phone.
She tapped the sender's name. The profile photo appeared: a tall foreign guy with a warm smile, light brown hair, wearing a white linen shirt.
"Wait…" Naima narrowed her eyes. "Isn't this… the guy who made me corn soup this morning, then…"
She gasped. "…kissed me?"
Blood rushed to her head. "Oh my God. Was that a dream or real?"
Her hands trembled as she opened her own profile. When the photo loaded, she nearly screamed.
"I'm… wearing a dodotan?!" she whispered, staring at the screen in shock.
In the photo, she stood beside Johann, dressed in traditional Javanese wedding attire—brown batik cloth, bare shoulders, her hair in a bun, a golden necklace around her neck. Johann beside her, wearing a black beskap and blangkon, smiled gently as he held her hand.
Naima slapped her own cheek. "I… got married? For real?!"
Snowy barked softly, as if just as surprised.
Jiwoo turned. "Everything alright?"
Naima quickly hid her phone behind her back. "Ah—nothing! Just… uh, spam!"
Jiwoo eyed her suspiciously but smiled. "Spam that makes you blush?"
"Eh? No! It's just, uh… long story," she said nervously, turning toward the river to hide her flushed face.
But in her head, one thought kept spinning:
Johann… who are you? And why do we look like we just got married in Java?!
Naima walked briskly along the sidewalks of Myeongdong, eyes sparkling at the glowing rows of skincare stores. Jiwoo walked beside her, calm but watchful.
"Okay… this is every Indonesian girl's dream—shopping skincare in Myeongdong!" Naima whispered to herself, eyes wide at the rows of serums, essences, and face masks.
They entered the first shop. The shopkeeper greeted them with samples. Naima smiled gratefully, but by the time they left, her bag was already heavier.
The same thing happened in the next store—tiny jars and packets of masks and creams filled her tote. Naima giggled. Her bag was about to explode from all the freebies.
A clerk at the third shop tilted her head. "You… beauty vlogger?" she asked in broken English.
Naima raised her hand awkwardly and smiled. "No… just… lost," she said, gesturing around as if confused.
Jiwoo tried not to laugh. "Lost, huh?"
Naima nodded solemnly, adjusting her bag. "Yeah… totally lost… in the skincare world. But seriously, Jiwoo, this is amazing. Every shop feels like its own universe!"
Jiwoo smiled faintly. "Good. I'm glad you enjoy it."
Naima's eyes sparkled again as she looked at another display of serums—but deep down, she couldn't stop thinking:
When will I have time to figure out who Johann is before he picks me up tonight?
Naima and Jiwoo stopped in front of a small building, filled with the sounds of barking and meowing. "This is my clinic. I mean… where I work," Jiwoo said.
Naima stepped in, inhaling the mix of antiseptic and cat fur. A teenage girl appeared, holding a kitten.
"Annyeonghaseyo, seonsaengnim! Catherine yebangjeopsong hago sipeoyo."
Jiwoo chuckled, patting the kitten's head.
"Oh, I'm off today. But Dr. Shin Hae In's inside—she can help."
Naima glanced at her phone. 4:38 p.m. Still time before dinner…
She looked at Jiwoo, hesitant. "From here to New Cherry Blossom Apartments… what bus can I take?"
Jiwoo leaned closer, smiling. "You live there?"
"Yeah…" Naima nodded slowly.
Jiwoo grinned. "I can give you a ride."
Naima laughed nervously. "Okay, is this guy seriously the third one to offer me a ride—or is this peak Oppa-safe-move level?"
Jiwoo opened the car door, and Snowy jumped in immediately.
Naima smiled awkwardly. "Okay, if Snowy's in… guess I have to be in too."
"Of course," Jiwoo said easily, patting the passenger seat. "Seats ready for both of you."
Naima looked around the car interior—comfortable leather seats, sleek system, classy but still very local Korean. She grinned.
Jiwoo glanced at her while driving. "Who do you live with? I thought you were a tourist—staying at a hotel."
Naima froze. Oh no… what do I say now?
"Uh… just… alone," she finally replied, forcing a smile.
Jiwoo raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes on the road. "Alone? Hmm. Okay. Good to know."
Snowy snorted softly, as if agreeing with her thoughts.
Naima chuckled. "Good girl, Snowy. I need a sidekick like you to deal with these ridiculous guys."
Jiwoo glanced back. "Sidekick?"
Naima smiled quickly. "Eh… just joking."
He drove calmly. "Actually… I'm at 1808," he said casually.
Naima blinked. "Huh? 18 too? We're neighbors! Wait, what's my unit again?" she muttered in Indonesian.
Jiwoo turned briefly, frowning. "Pardon? What language was that?"
"Indonesian," Naima said with a sheepish smile.
"Oh, Bali?"
"Not Balinese. Indonesian," she corrected quickly.
"No, I mean—Bali's in Indonesia, right?"
"Yes, but I'm from Jakarta," Naima said, trying not to laugh. I can't believe I'm explaining my own country to a Korean guy with a straight face.
Jiwoo smiled faintly, still focused on the road. "Jakarta… interesting. I've never been there."
Naima looked out the window, imagining the chaotic traffic of her city. "Yeah… probably way crazier than Seoul," she thought.
Snowy barked softly in her lap, as if agreeing.
Naima laughed. "Right? Jakarta is chaos level 100."