Chapter 68.1

Chapter 68.1

“La…fa…?”

Miran stuttered over the name, and Seunghyuk slowly repeated it for her.

“La-fay-ette. There are a lot of places in New York named after historical figures. Like Washington Square, John F. Kennedy Airport, and Roosevelt Island. Lafayette is probably one of those important people.”

“I see. If a street is named after him, he must’ve been someone great.”

Miran mumbled as she looked at the Lafayette Street sign.

She had expected Seunghyuk to take her somewhere impressive, but he suddenly stopped in front of a shabby-looking store.

Peering through the dull storefront window, she noticed there wasn’t even a proper sign. One side of the wall was lined with flashy, decorative skateboards. Next to them, a clothing rack held a small selection of T-shirts and hoodies, while a shelf above displayed a few hats.

She read the red sticker stuck to the entrance.

“…Supreme?”

“Yeah. It’s a clothing store that just opened not too long ago, but it’s already become a sacred spot for skaters in New York. The employees here are called the ‘Supreme Team,’ and rumor has it they were chosen based on their skateboarding skills. Oh, look over there! That guy’s part of the Supreme Team—he’s insanely good.”

A skater who had been holding onto the back handle of a truck suddenly let go. Launching himself into the air, he seamlessly slid along the top of a guardrail installed on the sidewalk. The moment he landed, he leaped again, effortlessly clearing a red fire hydrant.

The crowd that had gathered burst into cheers and applause.

“Whoa!”

Miran gasped at the almost circus-like stunt, and Seunghyuk chuckled at her reaction before opening the store’s door and ushering her inside.

Two employees, wearing their pants sagging so low that their Calvin Klein underwear was half-visible, barely acknowledged their arrival. Instead, they leaned against the window, chatting amongst themselves.

Seunghyuk, noticing Miran’s puzzled expression, smirked.

“They don’t talk to anyone except their own crew. That’s just the vibe of this place.”

“…That’s so strange.”

In Korea, such behavior would be unimaginable.

She tilted her head, wondering what they could possibly buy here, but Seunghyuk casually picked out a T-shirt from the rack and placed it on the counter. One of the employees lazily rang up the purchase before returning to his spot by the window without another word.

Outside the window, another skater tried to jump over a trash can but crashed, rolling across the pavement. Miran shook her head, half in disbelief, when Seunghyuk suddenly held out a T-shirt.

“Here, a souvenir.”

Without thinking, she took it from him. It was white, with a small red logo identical to the sticker on the store window.

“Oh, no! You should keep it.”

“Take it. I already have the same one.”

“Really? Then maybe you should give this one to Hyunjung—”

Seunghyuk chuckled, as if she had just said something funny.

“She wouldn’t wear this.”

Miran couldn’t help but laugh too. Hyunjung’s style was more like the main character from Clueless.

“Alright then, I’ll wear it well. Thank you!”

She stopped resisting and bowed politely in gratitude.

The two of them walked through SoHo and up toward NYU, where Seunghyuk was studying. They stopped at a famous hot dog cart, where the sausages were so long they stuck out past the bun. Topped with tangy sauerkraut, then smothered in ketchup and mustard, the hot dogs were filling enough with just one.

Afterward, they stopped by a newly opened coffee shop called Starbucks and ordered Americanos to-go.

“I kept wondering why everyone was walking around with those white cups, and turns out it was coffee.”

Sitting side by side on a bench in Washington Square Park, Miran took a sip of her Americano and murmured. In Korea, this kind of brewed coffee was nothing special, but calling it Americano somehow made it taste a little more sophisticated—like a sip of New York itself.

The sunlight was so bright that Miran had to squint and shade her eyes with her hand. Enjoying a rare moment of leisure in the midst of a fast-paced city felt like pure bliss.

“This really makes me feel like a real New Yorker!”

Seunghyuk played along.

“Yeah, you’re already a New Yorker now.”

Then, he fell silent. Wondering why, Miran turned to look at him, only to find him staring at her intently, as if seeing her for the first time. Feeling awkward, she shifted her legs and let out a small, uneasy laugh.

“Are your legs sore?” he asked.

“Not at all! I’m really strong!”

She playfully patted her thighs to show off her toughness, making Seunghyuk chuckle.

“Yeah? Well, we’ve got about two hours until dinner. Is there anywhere special you’d like to go?”

Miran’s ears perked up. This was the moment she had been waiting for all day. She reached into her bag, hesitated for a second, then shyly pulled out a slip of paper with an address written on it.

“Actually… I was hoping to go here.”