Snowqueen-01 - SnowSnow

CONGRATULATIONS SEVENTEEN ON THE GRAND ARTIST DAESANG! (231010)

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Mind Date | H.Js

Pairing: Joshua x Reader

Genre: suggestive, fluff

Words Count: 900

Summary: Joshua has the power of mind control, enabling him to get anything he wants by influencing people's minds. Suddenly, he meets you, someone he can't control at all.

Joshua stepped into the entrance with confidence. The restaurant waitress welcomed him and immediately guided him to his table. They informed him that the other person hadn't arrived yet, to which Joshua responded with a hum and a nod. As Joshua sat at the table, he stared at the waitress, sending her a signal to leave him alone.

"Please let me know if you're ready to order," said the waitress before leaving Joshua alone. Joshua looked at his watch; 7 minutes had passed since the meeting was scheduled, which said a lot about the woman he was about to meet.

Joshua was no stranger to blind dates. Honestly speaking, his beloved mother had arranged hundreds of blind dates for him. No, it was liberating. Joshua might have attended ten dates by this year, and it hadn't even hit July yet. The women's backgrounds were also varied, and he didn't understand how his mother had met or found them. Joshua still remembered the last woman he met, a lovely woman who worked as a model. Nothing was wrong with her; it's just that Joshua never found any of them interesting enough, and he wasn't ready to be in a relationship. So it was part of his strategy to send a signal for them to reject him. It was his strategy for everyone he met through blind dates.

"Stop using your power on the girls, you're so mean, Josh," his mother once said when she realized it was odd for all of them to reject her son. Her son was a vice director of Hong Group, for heaven's sake; he's handsome, and she definitely raised him to be a gentleman.

Joshua chuckled, "then you should stop manipulating them," fully aware that his power came from her.

"Mr. Hong?" A woman approached him. He smiled and stood. It must be you, Park Y/n, the only daughter of Park Gicheol, a national politician. Joshua extended a handshake and let you sit across from him.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Park. I've only seen you in internet articles. Congratulations on your exhibition," Joshua mentioned, presenting a little research he always did before his blind dates. You looked at him in the eyes before letting out a chuckle. Your eyes shifted to your watch.

"It's nice to know you did a little research. However, my work is just to sell them. All the masterpieces were made by the creators," you explained and gave him a smile and a nod.

Joshua tilted his head, "okay.." He paused and nodded, "you're welcome?" he said with an inquiring tone. Your brows raised, "thank you."

Joshua chuckled as he raised his hand to order. He smiled at the waitress, mentioning his order, then looked at you. 'Let's have you order a salad, and we can talk about that,' Joshua thought before he heard you say, "Make that two. What is your best wine?" You asked the waitress with grace. Joshua stared at you before the waitress finally left.

"At least I'll have a proper dinner tonight," you mumbled to him, giving him another smile that Joshua couldn't quite read the meaning of.

He cleared his throat, steering the conversation in a new direction, "So, how did you come to know my mother? She's eager to introduce us," he queried.

You nodded, "Ms. Hong is a regular in our gallery. She's a VIP, in fact," you divulged.

Joshua offered a nod of acknowledgment. He ventured further, "So, did you come here to formally fulfill a VIP's request?" He was convinced this would catch you off guard.

To his surprise, you responded with a soft chuckle, "You're not?" This unexpected rejoinder momentarily caught Joshua off guard.

Joshua let out a jittery laugh before slowly nodding his head, "have to do whatever people want me to do, right?"

You shrugged, "I don't know about you. But yes, some are like that." Before Joshua could respond to your words, the food arrived.

You began to savour the food and continue the talk. Joshua's mind began to wander. He contemplated trying a playful tactic, hoping to gently steer the conversation in a direction that might provide an easy way out for both of them. He decided to say something lighthearted that he could later use as an excuse when talking to his mother.

"So, tell me," Joshua said with a sly smile, "if you could have any superpower, what would it be?" He watched your reaction carefully, wondering if this playful question would lead the conversation to a different path.

However, to his surprise, you seemed unfazed by his attempt at redirection. Instead, you met his gaze with a knowing look in your eyes. It was clear you had caught on to his strategy. You responded with a playful tone of your own, "Well, Mr. Hong, I suppose I'd choose the power to see through clever tactics and witty excuses." You smirked, giving Joshua a sly grin.

Joshua couldn't help but chuckle at your response. He admired your perceptiveness and appreciated the fact that you didn't let his attempt at manipulation slide. It was refreshing to meet someone who could hold their own in a conversation.

Joshua found himself genuinely intrigued by your honesty and how deeply you involved yourself in the conversation. He listened intently as you described your work as an art curator, your passion for supporting artists, and the challenges you faced in the industry.

In turn, he shared insights about his position as the vice director of a major company, the responsibilities he held, and the innovative projects he was involved in. He was surprised at how easily the conversation flowed, finding common ground in their dedication to their respective professions.

As the evening progressed, the two of you continued to chat, your banter becoming more playful and genuine. It was evident that there was a mutual respect forming between you, based on your shared interests and the ability to navigate conversations with wit and honesty. As the evening came to a close, Joshua couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue and curiosity about the woman sitting across from him. It was a blind date unlike any he had experienced before, and he found himself looking forward to the possibility of seeing you again.

"If you want to see me again, then let me pay for the dinner. You can pay the one later," you said as you sipped the wine in your glass.

Joshua laughed, "Alright, you read my mind," he jokingly stated. But you looked at him seriously, as if to convey that you were being zero jest.

Joshua's laughter faded as he met your serious gaze. He blinked, processing your words, and then a hint of realization dawned on him. The atmosphere shifted as he finally understood the whole situation.

"Maybe I do," you mumbled, confirming his suspicion.

"No way," Joshua responded, a mix of surprise and intrigue in his voice.

"I do, Joshua. And you need to stop trying to use that mind control power, on me." you stated firmly.

His eyes widened in genuine surprise. It was rare for someone to call him out so directly. He took a moment to absorb your words before offering a sincere nod. "Alright, fair enough. No more mind games, I promise."

*

"I'm going to be a grandma?!" Joshua's mother exclaimed, her joy palpable at the news that emerged after two years of your relationship. She eagerly began listing all the things she envisioned doing with you—pregnancy yoga, shopping for adorable baby clothes, engaging in deep parenting discussions. Joshua, however, couldn't help but roll his eyes, growing weary of his mother's dramatica agenda.

"Wait!" She suddenly halted, a spark of realization crossing her face. "Does that mean your children might inherit your power?" Her curiosity was piqued, having once experienced this with Joshua.

Joshua couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah. Just picture it, Mom—controlling and reading minds. My kids might turn out to be super villains in the future."

You simply shrugged, sharing a knowing glance with Joshua, before giving him a playful fist bump. "Yeah. Cool."