“Like what?”

“It’s not hierarchical. Remember the sunbae lesson? That’s how it is in most companies. Age and when you entered the company are strictly observed, but at IF Group, we treat everyone the same.” I can tell he’s very proud of this. “We have an anonymous suggestion box and everyone puts their ideas on how to improve the company in it. Every Friday we meet to discuss the suggestions.”

“If it’s anonymous, don’t you get a lot of people leaving bad comments about their coworkers?”

Yujun’s eyes flare in surprise. “No. Do you have a lot of bad coworkers?”

“Some. I mean, you can’t get along with everyone.”

“That’s true,” he acknowledges, “but even if you have complaints, those should be discussed because the workplace is one where you spend many hours. If there is something I am doing that creates conflict, I would want to know so that I can adjust my behavior.”

I wonder if there’s such a thing as being too good a human being. “We’re a lot more selfish in the West.”

“Independent,” he clarifies. “You’re more independent.”

Of course he spins it into something positive. “Did you have any suggestions today?”

“Someone thought we should paint the walls a color other than white.”

“Was that someone you?”

He bursts out laughing. “Me? Why me?”

“You don’t seem like someone who likes white.”

“I love white. My apartment is white.”

“All white?” I don’t believe him.

“There might be some yellow pillows, but that’s because Eomma forced them on me,” he proclaims.

“You’re wearing yellow right now.”

“It’s more of an off-white,” he says, plucking at the front of his pale lemon button-down with its rolled-up sleeves.

“Only if you’re color-blind,” I tease.

He stops in front of a row of bicycles and waves his wallet in front of a sensor. “Are you saying that yellow isn’t my color?”

“I don’t think there’s a color in the Pantone catalog that would look bad on you,” I reply as he rolls a bike out of the rack.

Slightly pink in the cheek, he holds it out for me. “Is that right?”

I smile at his mild embarrassment over my compliment. Yes, I decide, Yujun is too good and too pure and I hope he’s always like this forever because the world needs people like him.

“Are you going to tell me about the river?” I say as we pedal along the wide boulevard. There are joggers on the path along with quite a few people walking their dogs, and then there are people strolling along. The sun is going down and the air is cooling. It’s a beautiful night and not just because I’m with my new favorite person.

“What would you like to know?”

Everything because I know nothing. “Where’s the island you talked about?”

“The opposite direction. The river is . . . eighty kilometers long? Something like that. Well, not the river but the bike path. Obviously the river is much longer. It goes all the way up to North Korea. From the city, it empties into the Yellow Sea. When Korea rebuilt after the war, Westerners called it the Miracle on the Hangang. They say Korea advances so quickly that the Seoul you see today is not the one you will see tomorrow.”