The two turned their heads curiously, watching the pair chat in Chinese. Seeing the smiles on their faces, they knew the atmosphere was good.
"Actually, I grew up in China since I was a child. I even feel like I'm half Chinese."
Any way of getting close is still getting close, and besides, what he said wasn't entirely false.
Having lived in China for nearly ten years, could he still be considered a completely Korean person? Certainly not. His speech, demeanor, way of thinking, and perspectives were all different.
"You can't let outsiders hear that, or you'll get scolded."
Kwon Hyuk said this, then feigned a slip of the tongue, making a gesture of zipping his mouth.
Tzuyu smiled, feeling a sense of familiarity welling up, no longer feeling so estranged.
This feeling of finding common ground is very effective in bridging distances.
"What are you talking about?"
Park Ji-hyo interjected between the two, asking.
"Didn't I say during our last meal that if I had the chance to meet Tzuyu, I'd speak a few words of Chinese with her? Well, here's the perfect opportunity."
Kwon Hyuk reacted naturally, switching back to Korean, and chatted and laughed familiarly with the two.
His special treatment of Tzuyu ended there. Kwon Hyuk knew the principle of 'too much is as bad as too little', and besides, Tzuyu wasn't a very outgoing person.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been mostly the three of them talking. Tzuyu's frequency of speaking up was very low; she mostly listened from the side, laughing along when something was funny, and listening with a serious expression when things were serious.
"We're all following it, it's really good. So many people around us are watching it."
Park Ji-hyo praised the drama they acted in, her face animated and expressive as she spoke, a stark contrast to the quiet Tzuyu beside her.
Mainly, they weren't familiar, so she couldn't relax.
From Kwon Hyuk's perspective, her pure and dignified demeanor was unique, which was why it attracted him more.
"By the way, do you have a kissing scene with Danwu?"
The drama had only aired about halfway, but the plot was becoming increasingly captivating, and following it online had become a trend among female drama watchers.
Park Ji-hyo and her friends' daily entertainment naturally included watching dramas, so it wasn't surprising for her to ask such a question.
"Kissing scene?"
Kwon Hyuk looked at Park Ji-hyo, then his gaze shifted to Tzuyu, beginning to play coy.
"Probably not."
"What do you mean, 'probably'?"
Park Ji-hyo pressed.
"I'm just a small actor. The rest of the plot hasn't been written yet, how would I know?"
Kwon Hyuk raised an eyebrow, looking noncommittal.
"How boring."
Park Ji-hyo sighed, shook her head, and simply raised her glass to clink with his.
Glasses clinked. Kim Ro-woon remembered his role as a wingman today, so he kept Park Ji-hyo engaged, actively creating opportunities for the other two.
"You've been here for so long, you must know a lot of good Chinese restaurants, right? I just came back and haven't gotten familiar with Seoul yet."
Kwon Hyuk proactively created a topic.
Seoul isn't that big; any popular restaurant or good leisure spot can spread quickly. From its size and appearance alone, it doesn't look like a major international city, and it's as familiar as knowing which restaurant has opened where in one's own city.
"There are many: Cheongdam-dong, Seogyo-dong, Insa-dong..."
Tzuyu rested her chin on her hand, her bright, clear eyes thoughtful, her features delicate and soft.
Her pure, or rather, innocent demeanor was fully observed by Kwon Hyuk.
"That's too many, I can't remember them all."
Kwon Hyuk asked, then, without waiting for her to speak, continued.
"How about you send them to me?"
Tzuyu was slightly taken aback but quickly reacted, nodding a little slowly, "Okay."
Normally, one would just pick one or two and tell him, and that would be the end of it, but Kwon Hyuk didn't give her a chance to speak and took the initiative.
Logically, shouldn't he ask for her contact information next?
But Kwon Hyuk surprisingly didn't do that. He quickly continued the conversation along the same topic.
This, in turn, prevented Tzuyu from uttering any words of refusal. She was very experienced in declining.
There were rumors that the male idols who slipped notes to Tzuyu backstage at the Idol Star Athletics Championships could fill an entire large wastebasket.
Without discussing the extent of exaggeration, no one doubted this rumor when it was exposed, because Tzuyu's beauty truly deserved to be pursued by many, which gave the rumor credibility.
"Can you cook?"
"No."
"Oh, really... you don't really look like someone who can cook."
Saying this directly did come across as somewhat impolite. Tzuyu, being good-tempered, merely offered a slightly embarrassed smile, then began to explain.
"Because my schedule is very busy, I usually don't have the chance to cook, and my mother often mails me some..."
As Tzuyu spoke, seeing Kwon Hyuk's somewhat inattentive expression, she trailed off.
Why wasn't he listening properly?
She assumed Kwon Hyuk wasn't interested in her explanation, so she stopped herself from continuing to speak dryly, pouting her lips.
The atmosphere seemed to be on the verge of becoming awkward.
"What I mean is, I can't cook either."
At that moment, Kwon Hyuk burst out laughing. He found her expression very amusing and felt it was quite fun to tease her.
"Do I look like someone who can cook?"
He pointed to himself, then conveyed the question to Tzuyu with his eyes, a hearty laugh spreading across his face.
"Did you think I was talking about you? How could I be so presumptuous on our first meeting? Actually, I was talking about myself."
Kwon Hyuk waved his hand, a carefree smile on his face.
Are you sure you're not just trying to cover up?
Tzuyu, seeing that it didn't seem like an act, shrugged her shoulders and immediately felt relieved, a smile of release on her face.
Most importantly, it made her relax a lot, and the conversation with Kwon Hyuk instantly became much more relaxed and comfortable.
The sight of them chatting and laughing naturally fell into Park Ji-hyo's eyes. Seeing him chat with Tzuyu so easily and comfortably, the atmosphere pleasant, and laughter non-stop, she immediately looked at Kwon Hyuk in a new light.
Just two years ago, it was truly a sea of people; all kinds of people pursued Tzuyu, making her jealous.
Now, their popularity has stabilized, not to mention Park Ji-hyo herself was the first to reveal her relationship, indicating that dating among them is now a very common thing.
When you see one bug in a room, it means there are many more hidden in the dark.
If it were before, even last year, she wouldn't have brought Tzuyu out to meet boys. Nicely put, it's a dinner gathering; less nicely, it's a social mixer.
But now things are slowly different. Anyway, she's already exposed, so there's no problem if her teammates date, right?
Park Ji-hyo felt her decision to bring Tzuyu to meet Kwon Hyuk was quite right.