Chapter 46

Hyeyeon rushed back to the kitchen, her flushed state catching the attention of those around her. When asked about her condition, she simply replied that she was fine.

Finding a secluded spot, she attempted to calm herself, but her racing heart refused to cooperate. The sound of her own heartbeat only heightened her anxiety, reminding her of the unsettling moment.

Taking deep breaths, she tried to regain her composure, but thoughts of the encounter with Seok-Woo lingered. "It's now awkward between us, especially after how I reacted," she reflected, hoping he wouldn't hold it against her and that their relationship could return to normal.

Meanwhile, at the table, the group had begun to eat. While the other girls chatted, Gyeong-Eun and Seok-Woo remained silent, listening intently to the conversation.

Soo-Yeon looked at Seok-Woo as he focused himself in eating, she thought that his mind was about that unfortunate moment with Hyeyeon.

So she gave a piece of her food to Seok-Woo. "Don't think about it too much, After a few days that unpleasant moment would dissipate from your mind." She said to him as she handed the food to his plate.

Seok-Woo nodded in response to Soo-Yeon's reassurance, though he wasn't entirely sure what she was referring to. "Is she talking about what happened with Hyeyeon earlier today? If so, it's not a big deal to me. It won't affect me significantly," he mused to himself as he continued eating.

After Soo-Yeon's gesture, she turned her attention back to Yerin. "So, how's work treating you, Yerin?" she inquired as she took a bite of her food.

Yerin sighed, expressing her frustration with the hectic nature of her first week. Seol Hee nodded in agreement beside her.

"It's overwhelming. Between managing my classes, overseeing the club, and university responsibilities, there's barely any time to breathe," Yerin explained, ticking off each responsibility on her fingers. "You all know the struggles with the classes," she added, receiving knowing nods from the group.

"And as for the club, I'll admit, I may have been too impulsive in taking on the role of adviser," Yerin confessed, placing her hand on her forehead. "The members need more guidance, and we're still lacking proper funding for equipment. Luckily, we've had someone with deep pockets step in to help out," she continued, thinking about the financial strain the club had been under.

"Thankfully, Nari joined and generously donated to the club. Although most of it goes towards food and drinks," Yerin reflected, grateful for Nari's contribution and how it had alleviated their financial woes.

"As for the university, they just asked me to represent on something. It's bothersome when you have to go out of the country sometimes. Gyeong-Eun knows this all too well," Yerin remarked, glancing at Gyeong-Eun for acknowledgment, but Gyeong-Eun simply looked back without responding.

Yerin rolled her eyes at Gyeong-Eun's lack of reaction before continuing, "I've been too stressed lately. The only way I used to vent is by..." She paused abruptly, realizing the inappropriate nature of the next word.

Realizing it wouldn't be suitable to mention in front of a male, Yerin stopped herself from completing the sentence. What she meant to say was that she used a dildo to release her frustration, finding solace in pleasuring herself as a temporary escape from her responsibilities.

One thing Yerin didn't mention was that due to her demanding job, she hadn't had time to meet someone, which is why she turned to using a dildo as a form of companionship.

The girls except Seol Hee seemed to understand what Yerin was about to say, as they had been in similar situations before. However, for Gyeong-Eun, it was a different story, as she had her own methods of coping with stress.

Shifting the conversation away from such personal matters, the group began discussing staying in shape and imagining themselves in bikinis. Seok-Woo listened to their conversation, his mind wandering to thoughts of Sung-Hee and Sunhwi in bikinis.

Just the thought of it caused a stir in Seok-Woo, but he managed to suppress any physical reaction by closing his eyes and regaining control.

Soo-Yeon noticed Seok-Woo's subtle change and teased him playfully, "Imagining how we would look in bikinis, huh?"

Seok-Woo looked at her and responded calmly, "Not at all, I'm just thinking about other things," he replied, deflecting her playful insinuation, which only made her smile even more.

But instead of continuing, which would only irritate him, she posed a difficult question.

"Then... Out of all of us here, who do you find the most beautiful?" Soo-Yeon asked Seok-Woo, causing him to pause all movement as he processed her question.

This question triggered a domino effect, causing the other girls to halt what they were doing and direct their attention to Seok-Woo, eagerly awaiting his response.

Seok-Woo gave Soo-Yeon a sidelong glance, noticing her amusement at his predicament.

Every woman at the table became competitive, eager to hear Seok-Woo's answer, including Gyeong-Eun.

Seok-Woo sighed internally, finding himself once again in this awkward position. "How many times have I found myself in this situation today?" he wondered.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Seok-Woo found the best solution for the moment.

"My answer is..." Seok-Woo began, the women at the table hanging on his every word, each hoping to be chosen. However, their hopes were dashed by his response.

"... that you're all equally beautiful," Seok-Woo said, causing a collective sigh of acceptance from the women at the table, though they weren't entirely satisfied with his answer.

Seok-Woo breathed a sigh of relief that no one reacted violently or demanded he choose only one person. However, his relief was short-lived when Hae-Jung posed another question.

"If so, then who's your preferred type of woman?" Hae-Jung asked Seok-Woo, prompting Yerin to interject, "You're just making him uncomfortable; he's just a student, you know?"

Yerin then turned to Seok-Woo, reassuring him, "You don't need to answer that. Don't worry if they complain," while shooting a pointed look at Soo-Yeon.

Seok-Woo was grateful that someone intervened to stop the awkwardness, but he considered Hae-Jung's question nonetheless. He simply used his eyes to convey his choice.

He gazed at everyone around the table before his eyes settled on someone. Unbeknownst to the girls, Seok-Woo had silently made his preference. 

Following that moment, the atmosphere at the table grew tranquil as they neared the end of their meal. Hyeyeon emerged from the kitchen, observing the group's progress.

Seok-Woo had already finished eating and found himself locking eyes with Hyeyeon. They held each other's gaze briefly before Hyeyeon averted her eyes, her grip on the menu tightening as she tried to distract herself. Seok-Woo turned his attention forward, letting the moment pass without further acknowledgment.

In a few minutes, the group completed their meal. Taking a short break, they prepared to leave. 

Hyeyeon approached, gathering the empty plates and utensils to return them to the kitchen for cleaning. She made a conscious effort to avoid eye contact with Seok-Woo.

Though Seok-Woo noticed her behavior, he chose not to address it, hoping that things would return to normal in a few days, as Soo-Yeon had suggested.

As the group prepared to leave, Hyeyeon finished clearing the table and returned the empty dishes to the kitchen before coming back to bid them goodbye.

As the group began to exit, Hyeyeon waved goodbye and thanked them for dining there. Each girl returned the gesture, even Gyeong-Eun bid her farewell.

Seok-Woo lingered behind as the last to leave. He and Hyeyeon shared a brief moment of eye contact before she looked away. Seok-Woo took the opportunity to address her.

"Hyeyeon, see you next time," he said softly.

Hyeyeon paused, gathering her courage to speak up. "Seok-Woo, wait," she called out, causing him to stop.

Turning to face her, Seok-Woo awaited her words. Hyeyeon nervously fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke.

"Um... Sorry about what happened earlier. I didn't mean to do that. And I'm also sorry about how I reacted when you offered your hand to help me," she apologized, stealing glances at him.

Seok-Woo was relieved that she brought it up, grateful for the chance to clear the air.

"No need to apologize. Let's just forget about it and move on. I don't want that moment to make things awkward between us," he reassured her.

Hyeyeon nodded in agreement, sharing his sentiment. With a smile, Seok-Woo felt the tension dissipate.

"Well, that didn't take long," he thought to himself as they resumed chatting peacefully.

Noticing the girls waiting outside, Seok-Woo realized it was time to end the conversation.

"Hyeyeon, I need to go. They're waiting for me outside," he explained quickly.

Hyeyeon waved him goodbye as he left, closing the door behind him. Outside, he saw the girls, with Gyeong-Eun casting him a curious glance as she crossed her arms.

"So, how did it go between the two of you?" Soo-Yeon inquired, noticing the light smile on Seok-Woo's face and wondering about the outcome.

"We cleared the air, thankfully," Seok-Woo replied, but Gyeong-Eun interjected as soon as he finished speaking.

"Then you just left us waiting here?" Gyeong-Eun's tone was sharp, her eyes piercing him. However, someone defused the sudden tension.

"Gyeong-Eun, don't be like that. We didn't wait long, after all," Hae-Jung intervened, stepping in to shield Seok-Woo from Gyeong-Eun's glare.

Gyeong-Eun shifted her gaze to Hae-Jung and exhaled heavily. "Sorry for making you all wait for me. I'll be more mindful next time," Seok-Woo apologized, feeling somewhat sorry for the inconvenience.

"Now, now. He's already apologized, so let's get going. I don't want to stay out in the heat any longer," Soo-Yeon urged them, starting to walk, with the rest of the girls and Seok-Woo following suit.

However, Yerin had other plans. "Wait," she called out, prompting everyone to stop.

"What now?" Gyeong-Eun's frown deepened, indicating her impatience to leave.

"I have something to say to him, so you all can go first. We'll find our own way back," Yerin announced, causing eyebrows to raise in curiosity among the group, all eyes turning to Seok-Woo to see his reaction.

Yerin then turned to Seol Hee. "Seol Hee, I'll meet you in the office. You don't need to wait for me," she instructed, and Seol Hee nodded in understanding, following her guidance.

Gyeong-Eun, in particular, was really trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them, though she realized that it was none of her business. Yet, she found herself somewhat bothered by it, unable to pinpoint exactly why.

As soon as Yerin spoke, the girls began to leave. Soo-Yeon waved at Yerin, expressing her hope that they would be together next time.

Once they were out of sight, Seok-Woo and Yerin locked eyes. Seok-Woo wondered what she would say to him, as he couldn't recall any recent conversation with her, unless she was referring to their interaction on the first day of class.