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“Is this really necessary?” Taehyung whines, pushing the door open with one hand while the other clutches the phone held to his ear. “I think I can handle being single for a little longer.”
“Taehyung,” Jimin says, tone firm, unwavering. “You never know. You might meet your future man.”
“I don’t think my future man would be desperate or pathetic enough to attend a speed dating night.”
Jimin chuckles. “Like how you are, you mean?”
Taehyung comes to a stop by the front desk, the bar stifled with chatter between strangers. When Jimin suggested he sign up for a speed dating night, Taehyung turned his nose up, scoffed, and proceeded to steer the conversation elsewhere—in that exact order. There was little he could do, though. His attempts at leaving the topic behind were fruitless as Jimin held up a flyer in his face.
Itaewon Speed Dating @ Why not?
Don’t miss out on the chance to meet your potential soulmate with this fun and unforgettable experience in Itaewon this September. It is no surprise why more and more people are choosing the old fashioned route when looking for a partner—Itaewon Speed Dating has a higher success rate than all of the popular dating sites used today.
Fridays @ 19:30
Under 30s
Saturdays @ 19:30
Under 40s
Sundays @ 19:30
Over 50s
Tickets: Purchase tickets online for ₩25,000
Location: 137-4 Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Dress code: Dress to impress! There is no strict or formal attire, but do make an effort to dress well for any potential matches.
Free cocktails and food platters are served throughout the night. A live music band will set the tone for this romantic experience. Limited spaces are available so do not hesitate to purchase your ticket today!
Will it be love at first sight? Come along to find out!
It’s a Saturday night. Although Taehyung’s 30th birthday isn’t for a few more months, Jimin purchased him a ticket for the under 40s night, claiming Taehyung had such little luck in love because the men he was choosing were often a couple of years younger than him.
A woman in a black pencil skirt approaches the desk, her smile accommodating. Taehyung mirrors it, wordlessly handing over his ticket. His eyes scan the dimly lit room, taking in the sight of men deep in conversation with their dates. Some look off into the distance, while others seem to eat up every word they’re fed.
“Can I take your name?” the woman asks.
Taehyung rips his eyes away from the scene, mouth slightly agape. “Huh? My name?”
The woman holds up a sheet of name tag stickers. “We take a note of names in case of an evacuation,” she explains, Taehyung nodding along in understanding. “And name tags just makes it easier during the speed dating so you and your partners aren’t wasting any time with long introductions.”
“Ah, makes sense,” Taehyung hums. “It’s Taehyung. Kim Taehyung.”
She makes a note of his name, neatly writing it on the sticker before carefully reaching out to stick it to Taehyung’s red shirt.
“That’s you all done. If you head over to table three, a waiter will be over with a cocktail in a few minutes. Once the bell rings again, the current speed dates will end and your first date will be with you. Each round lasts five minutes, and once the bell rings, the men will rotate around the tables. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call on me or the lady over by the stage.”
Taehyung glances over to the stage then, the live band tucked away at the back of the bar, a smooth jazz number soft in the background. The woman mentioned, who Taehyung assumes is the coordinator for the speed dating event, has a small microphone attached to her blouse. She chats animatedly with one of the waiters serving cocktails to the speed daters already at tables.
Once seated, a nervous knot starts to build in the pit of Taehyung’s stomach. It gnaws and meddles as he tries to remember why he agreed to this in the first place. By no means is he a stranger to dating. After his years at university came to an end, his time to date was whittled down to the weekends. As he settled into a routine with work, those weekends turned into downtime with friends, or with himself in the comfort of his own company. Always too burnt out from the week to give mind to anything but the occasional hook up.
Now, though, after realising accounting isn’t for him, his days are less packed. He managed to land a job at a luxury designer store as a floor manager and merchandiser. It’s a far cry from his previous career, but the pay is good for the hours he works, and he’s working in an environment he thrives in.
As Jimin pointed out a few months ago, there is now space in his life for dating, for a potential relationship. It was easy to keep it on the back burner when he worked long hours that barely left enough time to catch up with friends and family, but now the excuses have worn thin.
The bell sounds, ringing through the bar. Like clockwork, bodies start to shuffle around the room, and eventually, a man is taking the seat opposite Taehyung.
Taehyung offers a smile, glancing down to the man’s name tag before he really gets a good look at his face. Bogum. When he looks back up, he’s met with a large smile and a confident arm stretching out across the table.
“Good to meet you, Taehyung,” Bogum says, his tone light. “First time?”
His face is small and unassuming. Handsome, but not in a way that makes Taehyung want to rip his clothes off. He shakes that thought away, remembering his first impressions can’t be so shallow considering this isn’t a case of simply hooking up with someone. Appearances matter, but so does whatever this guy has to offer beneath it all.
“At speed dating?” Taehyung asks, eyebrows shooting up. Bogum nods. He huffs out a laugh, strangely relieved to know that he doesn’t come across as a regular at these events. “Yeah, totally.”
“I’m a frequent speed dater,” he laughs.
Already a red flag, he thinks, as he remembers Jimin mentioning something about avoiding the ones who do this often. He didn’t offer a reason beyond his warning, but Taehyung makes note of it, anyway.
Conversation flows relatively well but an initial spark is missing from the get-go. His second hiccup appears when the subject of religion approaches toward the end of the five minutes. He typically keeps a pretty open mind, but religion being brought up in the space of a few minutes feels like an indicator of how much this guy centres his life around it. Which would be fine if Taehyung was on the same page as him, but—
“I attend church every Sunday with my parents. I think it’s important to maintain a relationship between myself and God,” he says. Taehyung nods, understanding. “I like for my partner to take their faith seriously, you know?”
Taehyung just about chokes on his drink. “I don’t follow any religion. I’d consider myself to be pretty atheist in my beliefs.”
Bogum’s face falls at the revelation. “Ah, well that’s a pity.”
And then the bell rings. Taehyung lets out a sigh of relief, mouthing a bye to Bogum as he makes his way to the next table. He has already forgotten the small features of his face by the time the next man sits down.
Being saved by the bell becomes a running theme after the second and third speed dates. His nerves have eased up, but his disinterest in the evening builds with each man who sits across from him.
By the time he’s finishing his fifth speed date, the free cocktails provided aren’t strong enough to keep him interested. As the bell rings, he calls on the waiter to bring him over something a little stronger.
A man with tattoos sits opposite him. A snake tattoo climbs up his neck, a lip piercing catching Taehyung’s attention.
“Hi,” he says, squinting to peer at the guy’s name tag. “Jiho.”
“I’ve had my eye on you all night,” Jiho says, cutting straight to the heavy flirting.
Taehyung quirks a brow. “Oh, have you? I don’t know how I managed to miss you with all of those tattoos.”
Jiho tuts, shaking his head. A small smirk plays out on his face. “If this speed date goes well, you might get to add your name to the list of tattoos I have on my body,” he laughs, eyes dragging down Taehyung’s neck, and then down to his shirt. “Taehyung.”
Maybe too eager.
His name comes out of the guy’s mouth suggestively. Almost as if he’s practicing how it tastes and sounds on his tongue rather than saying it as an acknowledgement of Taehyung’s name.
Taehyung can’t help but copy him, dragging his eyes down the guy’s chest, the small expanse he can see covered in black ink. If they were to meet in a badly lit bar smelling like alcohol and sweat, he would probably go home with Jiho. His dark hair falls across his eyes, and there’s something completely menacing about how he tugs at the lip ring while he checks Taehyung out.
And really, even though he’s looking for something more, he would probably still happily go there with this guy for a casual hook up after the night ends. At least, that’s what he tells himself until he’s almost five minutes into the speed date.
“You do what?” Taehyung asks, sounding incredulous as his eyes shoot open.
“I brush my teeth with just my finger and water. It’s the only way to avoid infection with this piercing.”
Taehyung narrows his eyes, not hiding his own disgust and skepticism. “Sure, if that’s the story you’re sticking to.”
Too tired to entertain him with a proper response or a rebuttal.
The bell rings just on time. “So, should we exchange numbers after this?”
Taehyung forces a smile, shaking his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
When Jiho gets up to leave, bitterly cursing under his breath, Taehyung busies himself with necking his much stronger martini. Even though he’s been at this for less than an hour, the night seems to drag out with each date.
He curses Jimin in his head for setting up this whole thing.
So far, all he’s learned is that five minutes is enough time for any interest to burn out. It’s enough for an attractive man to peel back enough layers to uncover something ugly in Taehyung’s eyes.
His seventh date speaks before he gets a chance to sit down. “Fucking hell. Thank god for that bell ringing when it does, huh?”
Taehyung looks up and is immediately met with a thick mop of waves obscuring this guy’s face as he takes a seat. He has a patterned black dress shirt on, a few buttons undone to reveal more than a slither of skin. It lightly glistens with sweat.
It’s then that he gets a proper look at him, his hair no longer obstructing Taehyung’s view of his face. A strong nose, a delicate, plush mouth to offset the sharpness of his jawline, the boldness of his eyebrows. His eyes catch on to the name badge. Jeongguk. When he looks up, he’s instantly pulled in by eyes rounder and darker than a deep, empty barrel. There’s a twinkle in them, one seemingly undeterred by what could be a string of poor dates so far.
He searches for confirmation, snickering as he asks, “Bad date?” He tucks a few strands of hair behind his ear. Nervous habit. Something he hasn’t felt the need to do with any of the other men so far.
Jeongguk’s mouth turns up at that, lopsided and lazy. Taehyung has to keep his heart in check as it continues to stretch, the charming crookedness to the smile wreaking havoc on his insides.
“Dates,” the man clarifies. “You too? You were necking that drink pretty intensely.”
“Yep. The guy before you just said he’s been brushing his teeth with just his finger and some water for the past six months.”
The laughter Taehyung is met with brightens the entire room, Jeongguk’s forearms resting on the table as he leans into the conversation. He’ll commend the guy; so far, his personable skills put the previous men to shame with their self-interest and bravado.
“Yeah? Well, mine just told me he wants to adopt six children. Six.”
Taehyung’s eyes widen. “I hope your job pays well then.”
“Well but not well enough for a seven-bedroom place in Seoul,” Jeongguk laughs, swiftly saying, “you come to these things often?”
“My first time,” Taehyung admits, unable to break the eye contact. “And probably my last.”
“Oh, I’m flattered that you don’t want to speed date again after meeting me,” Jeongguk jokes, gently kicking Taehyung’s foot under the table. “Or should I be offended?”
“I’ll let you know in…” Taehyung starts, looking down at his watch to gauge what time they have left. “Three minutes and forty-nine seconds.”
“I better make some quick moves then. What brings someone as gorgeous as you to a speed dating night for lonely singles like myself?”
“Wait, was that a question?” Taehyung says, feigning surprise. Jeongguk smirks, clearly understanding Taehyung’s sarcasm. “I swear most of these men don’t know what it means to show interest in the person they’re sat across from. And funnily enough, I kind of got roped into this by my friend. If not for him, I’d probably be sat at home right now with my dog and some takeout food.”
“Touché,” Jeongguk says. “Believe it or not, I don’t do this sort of thing either. Are all of your friends loved up, too? God, mine are all settled down and keep insisting on doing couples activities. I think it’s all just a massive ploy to keep their partners away from me.”
Despite it being a joke, Taehyung wouldn’t be too surprised to find some truth to what Jeongguk says.
“That irresistible to everyone who meets you, huh?”
“Obviously,” Jeongguk smirks, fingers tapping against the wooden table. “Why else would I be thirty-seven and single? Clearly too charming for anyone to handle.”
A brow arches in interest then. Without realising, Taehyung has already mimicked Jeongguk; one of his forearms rests on the table while his face is cupped by his other hand, elbow resting on the table.
He’s completely immersed in the brown-black of this guy’s eyes, in the permanent smirk on his face that doesn’t read at all as arrogant. There’s an air to him that knocks points off every other guy he’s sat down with so far tonight. Completely unmatched.
“Wanna know a secret?” Taehyung whispers.
Jeongguk leans in more. Neither of them addresses their feet under the table, a playful shoe rubbing against Jeongguk’s calf. “I’m all ears.”
“So you know how this speed dating night is for people between thirty and forty?” Taehyung says, Jeongguk following along with a nod. He smiles, voice turning lower as he whispers across the table, “Well, I don’t even turn thirty until December.”
A small gasp escapes Jeongguk’s mouth. “Scandalous. I don’t know if I can handle a twenty-nine-year-old. So much energy. Like a little dog.”
Taehyung laughs, eyes wandering to Jeongguk’s arms, to the material of his shirt. Muscles bulging, the shirt tight around his biceps. When he meets Jeongguk’s eyes again, it’s a miracle he manages to keep his composure. “From what I can gather, you probably have just enough energy to keep up.”
A tongue darts out, Jeongguk instinctively wetting his lips. “I guess we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
“Something can be arranged, I’m sure.”
When the bell rings a few moments later, it no longer singsongs like relief in Taehyung’s ears. It’s a deafening shrill, a dampener to his evening. The past few dates were five minutes of painstakingly slow torture, and now five minutes feels like barely enough time for him to process the man in front of him.
Jeongguk looks just as reluctant to leave as Taehyung is to let him leave.
“What do you think their policy is on ten-minute dates?”
An answer to Jeongguk’s question comes in the form of the coordinator’s voice filling the room.
Keep things moving, guys. The next speed dating round begins in one minute. If you like someone enough, they’ll still be here at the end of the night.
“See you when all of this ends?” Taehyung asks, feeling hopeful.
Jeongguk finally stands, his movements hesitant as he rounds the table. He looks down at Taehyung and winks, “I’ll come find you.”
For the rest of the evening, Taehyung’s attention strays more than he would care to admit. During his eighth and ninth dates, he barely registers the mens’ names, can barely recall anything about them or what they look like seconds after they’ve left.
When he catches sight of Jeongguk during his tenth date, their eyes meet from across the room and everything seems to slow down for a moment. Jeongguk’s date busies himself with ordering a drink from the waiter, and so Taehyung can’t help but laugh a little louder than he should when Jeongguk exaggerates a yawn while checking out his watch.
It’s a relief to know Taehyung isn’t the only one itching for the night to end.
When it does end, another hour or so later, the final bell has Taehyung near-jumping out of his seat. He stays put, though; instead, bidding his last date a farewell as he finishes the last few gulps of his drink.
True to his word, Jeongguk appears back at his table a couple of minutes later, wearing a long black coat and a sloppy smile. He pulls Taehyung’s chair out, earning himself extra points when he helps him with his coat.
Once outside, Taehyung becomes acutely aware of just how much he’s had to drink.
“Whoa,” Jeongguk laughs, steadying Taehyung with his hand on his lower back. “Was that last hour so bad that you had to drink to enjoy it?”
“I wouldn’t have had as many if someone didn’t sneakily have two of those expensive cocktails sent over to my table.”
“You’re welcome, by the way,” Jeongguk snickers. “If only you had seen your face each time you realised your glass was empty.”
“Okay, listen—let me set the record straight,” Taehyung starts, letting Jeongguk lead him down the street with his hand still firmly across Taehyung’s lower back. “If I had to listen to that guy talk about the dodgy stomach he had earlier in the day for one more second—”
Jeongguk jumps in. “No way, that’s what he was talking about? I’d at least keep talk like that for the third or fourth date with someone.”
“Only the third or fourth? Wow, you’re forthcoming with bodily fluid.”
Jeongguk lightly shoves Taehyung’s shoulder, scrunching up his nose. “Well, when you put it like that it sounds awful.”
The sound of Taehyung’s laughter fills the street. He feels himself sober up as they walk through Itaewon, the chill in the air enough to knock the alcohol out of his system.
He learns that Jeongguk lives in the other direction from where they’re walking, but that doesn’t seem to bother him as he insists on walking Taehyung home. Luckily for him, Taehyung moved to the Itaewon district a few months ago to make his commute to work painless, free of any public transport.
“I work in that shop just there,” Taehyung points out, after explaining that he lives in the area. “I used to be an accountant but it burned me out pretty quickly.”
“You work in the Gucci store? Fancy,” Jeongguk says, genuinely sounding impressed. It settles Taehyung’s heart a little. In recent months, he’s had a few acquaintances turn their nose up at him for leaving behind a career. It’s made sharing this detail of his life difficult. “I think this shirt I have on is Gucci.”
“I know,” Taehyung smiles. “I could tell from the small pattern in the silk. So if you make enough money for Gucci but not enough for six adopted children, what is it you do?”
“I’m an architect. I work mostly in the Gangnam area.”
“Oh, so you’re the reason Gangnam looks how it does now?”
“I can’t take all the blame,” Jeongguk huffs out a laugh. “I focus more on the design elements that make it look appealing and welcoming to the general public, not just the hot shots working around there.”
Taehyung lets Jeongguk tell him more about his job as they walk the streets. The closer they come to Taehyung’s apartment, the slower their footsteps become. He gets lost somewhere between the neon lights and the thumping of music as they pass bars, enjoying the gentle hum of Jeongguk’s voice. It’s the first time all night he’s enjoyed listening to someone drone on about themselves. Maybe even the first time in a long while. For a few minutes, he prefers to listen than to actively take part in conversation.
By the time they make it to Taehyung’s street, he’s learned that Jeongguk originally went to medical school for a couple of years before having a change of heart. He’s a high achiever, he had said, but didn’t have the kind of patience required for it. That piece of information became even more apparent when Jeongguk had casually mentioned how he’s currently trying to get his pilot license.
(“Sounds like you’re more of an overachiever than a high one.”
“My friends like to say it’s because I don’t have a special someone in my life. So I fill my time with new passions and interests, instead, while they’re all off having families and going off on couples vacations.”
“And do you agree with them? Are you just temporarily filling a gap in your life that only a relationship can properly take up?”
“I’d say it’s not far from the truth. Fucking hell, I’m nearing forty. It’s the only thing I’m missing in my life. Everything else I want I already have or am working towards.”
“I thought I was the loser for being single at twenty-nine. Turns out I just needed to meet you to feel a bit better about myself.”)
They’re standing under the street light outside of Taehyung’s apartment building when he begins to count the eyelashes that fan out and cast shadows across Jeongguk’s cheeks.
“I had an… interesting time tonight,” Taehyung confesses, a smile falling lopsided on his face. “I think this part of the night has been my favourite, though.”
Jeongguk glances down, gently knocking his foot against Taehyung’s. Hidden in the shadow of the light, Taehyung can spot a small smile creeping onto his face. “What part’s that? The entire walk back or the standing outside your building relieved it’s about to end?”
“The part where we left the bar and you walked me home even though it’s in the complete opposite direction from where you live.”
“No way. That was my favourite part, too,” Jeongguk gasps, indulging Taehyung. He takes a tentative step closer, his voice lowering as he says, “So does that mean I’m in for a chance of seeing you again?
Taehyung hums, eyes flickering to the side to avoid the intensity of Jeongguk’s. They hold his gaze too well, an odd concoction of daring and earnest, like even his bold flirtations are impassioned and backed up.
“Depends. You gonna buy me drinks all evening like you did tonight?”
Jeongguk shakes his head, reaching his hand out to tuck Taehyung’s hair behind his ear. He does it so nonchalantly, as if the touch doesn’t turn Taehyung’s heart into a tight fist, ricocheting against his ribcage. “Nah,” he says, Taehyung’s brow knitting. “I’d like to think I don’t need to get you tipsy for you to tolerate my company for an evening.”
The crinkle between Taehyung’s brows relaxes. “I’ll settle for a nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc with our meal, Mr. Architect.”
“Is that a date then?”
“It’s a date.”
Taehyung takes a step back, his hands clasped together, eyes still clearly on Jeongguk. It feels like an invitation, though; and Taehyung knows this, can’t help but bite down on his bottom lip to suppress an amused smile. And so when Jeongguk takes a step forward, it feels like a game.
His back hits the wall after a couple of more steps, Jeongguk closely following. Even though they’re about the same height, it feels like Jeongguk hovers over him, the street light behind him making him appear bigger with the glow of his outline. He can feel Jeongguk’s breath fanning across his face, a small relief from the bite of the early autumn. It only adds as a reminder of how close they are in proximity now.
“What’s your policy on a good night kiss?” Jeongguk drawls, his voice as teasing as the cold fingertips that find a patch of skin on Taehyung’s hip. His hand had to snake inside Taehyung’s coat to get there, daring and sure of itself as it slid under his shirt ever so slightly.
Taehyung swallows down. “I tend to reserve them for the end of a first date.”
Jeongguk’s breath becomes hot around the side of Taehyung’s neck and ear. “Are speed dates included in that policy?”
“They are tonight,” he says, in one fell swoop bringing a hand up to gently cup the side of Jeongguk’s face, bringing him in for a kiss.
Fingers nip at the warm skin of Taehyung’s hip, Jeongguk’s other hand finding his waist. He lets himself be pulled into Jeongguk’s body, lets himself be swept up into the kiss he started but Jeongguk will surely finish. Their lips are cold, a little chapped from being outside, but it doesn’t seem to bother Jeongguk as he chases the taste of Taehyung.
Seconds drag out, Taehyung tugging on Jeongguk’s bottom lip a little greedily. It’s less tame than first kisses he’s known in the past. Jeongguk’s hands are steady on him, though. Less greedy than the hands of men he would hook up with in quiet streets at three in the morning. In part, it comes as a relief to know he’s in no rush to feel him out. There will be other times, more time.
Only the sound of someone wolf-whistling at them in passing is enough to pull them apart. Taehyung lowers his head against Jeongguk’s shoulder, laughing in chorus with him, like two kids caught doing something they shouldn’t. Jeongguk’s thumb brushes against the nape of his exposed neck while he does that, the gentle touch sending a small shiver down his spine.
When their eyes meet again, neither of them can hold back a smile. The creases in Jeongguk’s eyes seem reserved for this moment, his smile widening more than it has all night. Only when his face warms around his smile now does Taehyung see the years in him, in the faint creases around his eyes. He looks beautiful, though. Handsome and worn out from the evening, but bright and full of the kind of hope neither of them has felt in years.
Taehyung reaches in his front pocket for his keys. “Thank you for walking me home.”
“Thank you for reminding me that kissing can be exciting, even when you’re nearing forty.”
Taehyung snorts, lightly shoving Jeongguk by the chest. “Keep me around and I promise to make that thirty-seven-year-old heart work for it.”
“Oh, it’s already putting in the extra hours thanks to you,” Jeongguk jokes. He digs into his pocket for something. “Before I let you go, here’s my number.”
Taehyung looks at the crumpled up piece of paper Jeongguk hands over to him. “Giving me your number on some paper? Old school. I’m used to Instagram usernames being exchanged.”
Jeongguk huffs out a laugh. “You’ll get none of that with me. I’ve had that piece of paper in my coat pocket all night waiting and hoping for the right person to give it to.”
“I’ll be sure to text you then.”
“I’m partial to a late-night phone call every now and then.”
“Already missing the sound of my voice, are you?” Taehyung teases. “At least wait until I’ve gone inside.”
Jeongguk’s hands bury themselves in his pockets, his eyes unreserved as he says, “Terribly.”
As he starts to take a few steps back, Taehyung opens the door to his apartment building. A tightness forms in his chest, the feeling an unfamiliar one he can’t seem to shake as the night comes to an end.
“Good night, my lucky seven,” Jeongguk says, the street light acting as a spotlight to remind Taehyung of everything he’s saying farewell to right now.
“Good night, handsome.”
Taehyung has never been one to count on a number for good luck. He finds safety in being the bearer of the good and bad in his life. To some degree, he can put it down to his years spent in accounting, where numbers were only ever used to calculate someone’s reality. He’s never been one to put fate in the hands of a number.
Except for now, perhaps, as he looks down at the number Jeongguk gave him. It ends in seven, just like how his journey in finding someone ends in seven.