Chapter 78

"Hey, Nuna, you’re ready so quickly." The call was from Kim Tae-hee, and Lee Jung-min had just saved her number. He walked away from the table to the hallway before answering the call, adhering to basic table manners.

Kim Tae-hee sounded very happy and even teased Lee Jung-min, who was known as "Mysterious Lee": "Of course, how many people would envy me for being able to go shopping with our most mysterious Lee Jung-min?"

"Nuna, stop teasing me. If people find out I’m shopping with the top beauty, it won’t just be envy; some might be jealous enough to want to kill me." Lee Jung-min could tell that Kim Tae-hee was in a good mood.

"Right, then you have to be extra careful this afternoon." Kim Tae-hee was used to being pursued and had developed a sort of immunity to it. "But, little brother, where are we going?"

"Nuna, just meet me at West Gate." Lee Jung-min thought for a moment before saying.

"Hey, are you asking me to go back to Korea to shop with you?" Kim Tae-hee thought Lee Jung-min was joking.

"Nuna, you graduated from Seoul University, how can you not know this?" Lee Jung-min said with a laugh. "Not only does Seoul have a West Gate, but Los Angeles does too. The West Gate at Bayside in Sunset Boulevard, do you know it?"

"Tch, I know you’re a Harvard genius, bye." Kim Tae-hee hung up the phone directly.

Lee Jung-min shook his head. It turned out that the usually graceful and dignified Kim Tae-hee also had a hasty side. A small joke, and she was already throwing a tantrum. Returning to the table, Lee Jung-min ate even more enthusiastically, knowing that going shopping with a woman would definitely be a physical task.

Lee Jung-min’s apartment was close to Bayside West Gate. He left after lunch and arrived earlier than Kim Tae-hee, considering the time women spend on makeup and the traffic congestion in Los Angeles on weekends. When he saw Kim Tae-hee again, he was still slightly amazed. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and straight pencil pants, perfectly showcasing her elegant demeanor.

"Nuna, this outfit won’t do." Lee Jung-min started by pointing out a flaw.

Kim Tae-hee was confused. She had spent an hour getting ready before leaving, and she felt great when she looked in the mirror. Her simple outfit with light makeup had garnered a lot of attention in the hotel lobby before she left. Why wasn’t it good enough for Lee Jung-min? She asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong? Why not?"

"Going out without a handbag, won’t I, your younger brother and junior, have to treat you, your older sister and senior? Your image will be ruined if people find out." Lee Jung-min noticed that Kim Tae-hee wasn’t carrying a bag, and her shirt had no pockets, and her tight pants didn’t look like they could hold any money.

Kim Tae-hee had a bitter smile on her face. "You, a wealthy prince, need money from a commoner like me? Besides, do you know how many men in all of South Korea would fight to go shopping with me? Don’t be ungrateful."

"I know, I know, the line would stretch from the Han River Bridge to the 6.25 Building." Lee Jung-min said impatiently.

"Hey, what’s your reaction?" Kim Tae-hee was happily out shopping and didn’t expect Lee Jung-min to be so "unromantic."

"Alright, I apologize." Lee Jung-min checked the time; it was still early, just a few minutes past one, and the event Kim Tae-hee was attending didn’t start until eight.

"What’s the plan for today? Are we just going to wander aimlessly?" Kim Tae-hee was a bit of a homebody, and her upbringing was strict. Now that she had a chance to go out, she was very happy.

"Of course, there’s a plan." Lee Jung-min pointed behind him. "The plan for today is to walk from one end of Sunset Boulevard to the other."

"Huh?" Kim Tae-hee was speechless. She didn’t know exactly how long Sunset Boulevard was, but she knew it was very long, longer than "What Is Marriage?"

"That’s impossible." Lee Jung-min wasn’t crazy; Sunset Boulevard was about 27 kilometers long, equivalent to half a marathon. At a leisurely pace, it would take more than a day to walk from one end to the other.

"Then where are we going?" Kim Tae-hee had a new understanding of Lee Jung-min’s childish nature. He was playing a childish game.

"Doesn’t Nuna have a place she wants to go? I’ve been here for so long, I’ve been everywhere. It’s up to Nuna now." Lee Jung-min said considerately, as he dreaded hearing the word "random."

"Yay! There’s a place I’ve always wanted to go." Kim Tae-hee happily raised her fist. Although she didn’t say "random," she mentioned a place that left Lee Jung-min speechless: "I want to go to Disneyland."

"Hey, Nuna, does that sound like something a person about to turn thirty would say?" Lee Jung-min grinned. "To make up for the lost joys of childhood?"

"Hey, you little brat." Kim Tae-hee chased after Lee Jung-min to pull his ear. "Trying to run away?"

Kim Tae-hee wasn’t wearing high heels but a pair of shiny patent leather lace-up shoes that didn’t make it easy to run. After chasing for a while without catching him, she put her hands on her hips and panted, "Phew, I can’t do it. Come over and let Nuna hit you, and I’ll forgive you."

Age is a sensitive topic for women, and Lee Jung-min dared to use it to tease Kim Tae-hee. When she first entered the industry, her age was a significant advantage compared to other established actresses. But now, she was "old," with a new generation of actresses. Kim Tae-hee was born in 1980 and was indeed approaching her thirties, but her appearance was so stunning that people rarely mentioned her age. Moreover, women in their late twenties are at their prime, and Kim Tae-hee was in her best years.

This kind of playful banter is the best way to build a friendship. Lee Jung-min, with his strong acting skills, played the role of a mischievous and adorable younger brother, a character that could evoke women’s protective instincts without making them feel bored, a perfect balance.

The two didn’t take public transportation but used the Land Rover left by Baek Gyeom. If Lee Jung-min had driven the Maybach Landaulet to Disneyland, it would have been more than just showing off; it would have been blatant flaunting. When it wasn’t necessary to make a grand entrance, Lee Jung-min tried to be low-key. He drove the Maybach to LKM in the morning to boost the employees’ morale, but now, in private, he preferred comfort.

When they arrived at Disneyland, Kim Tae-hee was instantly stunned. The scene before her was anything but scientific. What was the point of saying the U.S. had vast land and low population density? The reality was far from what she had read in books. The scene was filled with flags, ribbons, drums, and cymbals, with a sea of people, shoulder to shoulder.

It was a weekend, a summer weekend, and a summer weekend in the largest city on the West Coast. So, Lee Jung-min and Kim Tae-hee had to navigate through a sea of people at Disneyland. Children who had been at home for almost a week had almost dismantled everything they could, and their parents had to take them out to wreak havoc, hoping to tire them out so they could rest at home. Although Lee Jung-min loved children, there were too many, and he felt a bit claustrophobic, with laughter, crying, and shouting filling his ears.

Kim Tae-hee, who was used to staying at home, was a bit intimidated. This was not the Disneyland she had imagined; it was more like Disneyland Hell. She had watched videos online in the morning, and there weren’t nearly as many people. The videos were obviously edited to make the place look good, and Kim Tae-hee had been misled.

"Let’s go in, don’t stand at the entrance." Kim Tae-hee pulled Lee Jung-min toward the ticket booth. There was no choice but to push through. Since she had requested to come, she couldn’t just look around and leave, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Two tickets, do student IDs get a discount?" Lee Jung-min pulled out his student ID, and the Harvard crest inside almost blinded the ticket seller. Harvard has long been the top university in the U.S. and the world, representing high education and high tuition. Each Ivy League school is private, and private school tuition is extremely high. Even though there are countless places in the U.S. where student IDs get discounts, people who can afford Harvard usually don’t ask for discounts. But Lee Jung-min did, and he did it confidently.

Lee Jung-min had just finished his master’s thesis defense and was sure he had passed, but his student ID was still valid, allowing him to enjoy discounts. A one-day pass ticket was $80, and the discount saved a lot of money.

Holding hands with Lee Jung-min to avoid getting separated in the crowd, Kim Tae-hee teased, "So, that’s how you accumulate so much wealth. I’ll have to introduce this to my dad; he’s always thinking of ways to make money."

Holding hands was to prevent them from getting separated in the crowd. Kim Tae-hee wasn’t carrying anything, including her phone. They were just good friends, and holding hands was nothing.

"Your father needs a permanent student ID. But learning is a lifelong process, isn’t it?" Lee Jung-min’s joke had a bit of truth to it, making it seem quite reasonable.

As the world’s largest comprehensive amusement park, Los Angeles Disneyland had many attractions. Not just the parade with actors in costumes, but many interactive activities. Kim Tae-hee was eager to explore these interactive areas. Walking down Main Street, Lee Jung-min admired the vintage shops and tea houses on both sides, with old-fashioned carriages passing by, making him wish there weren’t so many people.

"I have a place I want to go, let’s go." Kim Tae-hee, who had been studying the map, suddenly turned to Lee Jung-min. Although it was a question, she didn’t wait for an answer and pulled him into the crowd.

"Huh, we’re not there yet? Is this not the place?" Fifteen minutes later, after pushing through the crowd, Kim Tae-hee looked at the map, puzzled.

Lee Jung-min sighed. This Nuna, holding a map, was still getting lost...