Page 27 of From Paris to Seoul

A light punch landed on my arm.

“Don’t do that. And when we’re back in Seoul, I officially revoke your right to imagine my body, naked or not. You know, privacy policy, image copyright, all that.”

I scoffed again, a hundred percent sure I wouldn’t be able to forget her body even if I tried. And closing my eyes like this, listening to the soft rustle of fabric as she dressed—buttoning up one by one—was damn near torture.

How I’d love to undo all those buttons again… to touch her bare skin…

But it could wait. I’m not an animal.

“All done,” she announced, moving toward the kitchen sink to freshen up.

I glanced at the clock, and an idea popped into my head. “How about brunch? And do you still have places in Paris you want to see?”

Please don’t say shopping, I silently prayed.

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. “Brunch? Of course!” she lit up, practically buzzing with excitement. “And then… maybe another museum? There’s the Rodin Museum for sculptures… Pompidou for modern art… Invalides for warhistory… or the Picasso Museum. I haven’t been to any of those, so…”

Her excitement was infectious, making me smile as I pulled out my phone to search for a good brunch spot. I showed her a few options, and after some playful debate, we finally settled on one.

Before long, we were back on the streets, strolling toward the café by the canal, our hands entwined like any other couple hopelessly in love.

Except we’re not.

After a fifteen-minute walk, we arrived at a brunch spot that offered an all-you-can-eat menu. We wasted no time stuffing our empty stomachs with as many croissants as possible, even turning it into a competition—keeping score and betting on who could eat more croissants and pain au chocolat.

“Ah, it’s so good to eat without thinking about calories and all that nonsense,” she sighed dramatically, taking a hearty bite of her pancakes. “It’s unfair, isn’t it? Especially for women in the entertainment industry—we’re robbed of one of life’s simplest pleasures.”

I could relate. As a man in the industry, I faced less scrutiny, but there was no denying that physical appearance was nearly everything—especially in Korea, where people judged every inch of your body with ruthless precision.

I am lucky—my metabolism keeps me from gaining weight too easily, which is a relief because I love eating. But even then, staying toned means keeping up with regular workouts. And beyond that, we have to be extra cautious about skincare, following strict routines to keep our faces camera-ready at all times.

“So… about what you said a few days ago—about what I want to do outside of acting and modeling…” Seo-yeon started, uncertainty laced in her voice. “I honestly have no idea.”She let out a dry scoff, somewhere between amusement and exasperation. “Do you think it’s ridiculous to take a career and personality assessment at my age? My mother would kill me. Or worse—she’d force me to work for the family company.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Let’s start simple—what do you enjoy doing the most?”

She poked at her pancakes, lost in thought. “Hmm… I love playing the piano. But… I don’t think I could make a career out of it. Especially not if I’m starting this late.”

Oh. So we had even more in common than I’d initially thought.

I’d always loved music and even performed live once a week at a local jazz café. Originally, I bought my sister a keyboard for her 17th birthday, but I ended up playing it more than she did. It wasn’t exactly a piano, but close enough.

“Interesting. Well, you could start from there.” I took a sip of my orange juice, resisting the urge to throw out generic clichés or to mention my own love for music. This was about her and what she wanted.

When I didn’t say anything more, she continued. “I once thought about applying to music school. But when I did, I got rejected from the top program in Seoul. I got into the second-best school, but that wasn’t good enough for my family. My mother said that if I wasn’t accepted into the best university, I should enroll in business school instead—to prepare for the family business.” She let out a dry laugh. “But… even if I don’t know exactly what Idowant, I know what Idon’twant. And that’s working for my family. So, I chose drama school instead—thankfully, I got into one of the best—and became an actress.”

Wow. Her mother really didn’t make things easy for her.

Seo-yeon tilted her head, studying me. “And what about you?” she asked. “If you weren’t busy being a responsible adult, what would you want to do?”

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “Something with music too, I think,” I admitted after a pause. The words felt foreign—like a secret I hadn’t even let myself fully acknowledge before. “I perform every Saturday at a jazz café in Gangnam. You know, the one with all the blue décor? It was pretty popular on social media a few years ago.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! I know that place!”

I hesitated before adding, “But that’s not really an option. It’s too risky for my family.”

Seo-yeon rested her chin on her hand, considering my words. “Isn’t that kind of similar to my situation? You’re putting aside what you want because of expectations.”

I shook my head. “It’s different. My mom and my sister depend on me. I can’t just drop everything and risk my sister’s college tuition or my mom’s restaurant rent.”

---