Gentlemen Prefer the Slender Chapter 5 – The Day Before Christmas

“What’s wrong? You look spaced out.”It was my boyfriend speaking—the one I’d been dating since university.We were on our usual Monday date, relaxing at Starbucks.

“Huh? No, I’m fine! Not spaced out at all.”

Yeah… fine.It’s just dinner. Nothing to feel guilty about.There’s nothing wrong with that, right?I’m twenty-six now—an adult.Adults can have dinner with someone.

Still, surrounded by couples filling the shopping mall right before Christmas,I felt a strange unease I couldn’t quite name.

Then, on the train ride to work, my phone buzzed.A message—from him.

“For our dinner on 12/26, which do you prefer: a luxurious classic style, or something more modern?”

(They both sound wonderful… but if I had to choose...)“Classic, I think,” I replied.

“Then I’ll be waiting in a private room at the Imperial Hotel at 6:00 p.m.I’ve asked the executive chef to prepare an ultra-special dinner.”

No way...

What even is this world?

I couldn’t help laughing to myself.Something extraordinary was clearly happening.

What should I wear…?Maybe I’ll wear something from the brand I work for—a dark gray wool pencil skirt with buttons down the center,and a beige cashmere crewneck sweater.That should be elegant enough for the Imperial Hotel, right?

Still… who is he, really?I only know his last name.

And yet, just thinking of him feels strangely nostalgic—like remembering a dream I once had long ago.

I can’t wait for December 26.

To be continued...