Chapter 28

The night passed slowly as the sun began to rise, but Seok-Woo was there to witness it. He woke up early to do some workouts, maintaining his body diligently even after being discharged from the military. He felt that if he didn't do it, something would be missing from his day.

Disciplined and dedicated to maintaining this routine, he did it almost every day. Seok-Woo descended the stairs wearing a tracksuit and noticed his father still sleeping on the couch, snoring softly.

Seok-Woo glanced at his father before proceeding to go outside. As soon as he got out, he closed the door and began jogging. He jogged for a while, passing through the streets where people were opening their stores to start the day.

He stopped at a park where he could do some pull-ups and other exercises. There were some people in the area, working out or walking towards their destinations.

He experimented with various exercises, leveraging his flexibility, speed, and strength. He began with regular push-ups before transitioning effortlessly to one-handed push-ups, exuding confidence as he effortlessly balanced himself. Holding a perfect handstand for a few seconds, he seamlessly transitioned into handstand push-ups.

Onlookers were captivated by his display of strength and skill. After completing a few repetitions, he gracefully disengaged and took a moment to rest. Then, with precision and power, he launched into a series of punches, each strike executed with remarkable force.

Not stopping there, he shifted his focus to his lower body, executing a variety of kicks with fluidity and control. Drawing on mental imagery, he sought to replicate specific movements, benefiting from his enhanced flexibility, which allowed for improved range of motion and precision in his kicks.

Seok-Woo didn't work out for long; as soon as he finished, he jogged back home. On his way back, he stopped by a convenience store to buy some hangover cures for Chae-Yoon. He knew that she would have a bad day due to her hangover.

At the nearby convenience store, he entered and immediately went to find some hangover cures for Chae-Yoon. After selecting a variety of items, he proceeded to the counter to check out.

As he walked, he looked at the counter where a woman in uniform was on her phone, her fingers busy as she typed.

The woman at the counter was Eun-Ah. She sat on the stool, texting someone.

"How was your date? Did it go well?" Eun-Ah texted, to which her friend replied.

"The date I had just wanted to get in my pants, so I left," Eun-Ah's friend replied.

Eun-Ah sighed as she read the text; this had happened a few times to her friend. Men just wanted to satisfy their lust, nothing more. While she thought about this, she realized that no one was interested in her, as no one had asked her out on dates, unlike her popular friend.

But then, she snapped back to reality as Seok-Woo knocked on the table to get her attention. He had arrived at the counter not long ago, only to find her engrossed in texting. At first, he let her be for a few seconds, but when it dragged on, he knocked on the table.

Eun-Ah stood up and bowed in apology, realizing she had been too preoccupied with texting her friend. "I'm sorry, I was too preoccupied with something," she said to Seok-Woo.

"It's okay. Could you process my payment?" Seok-Woo asked Eun-Ah, prompting her to look up and meet his gaze. She paused for a moment, catching his eye. Seok-Woo raised his brow in response.

Eun-Ah quickly realized her stare might have made him uncomfortable, though Seok-Woo didn't seem to notice. She began to grab Seok-Woo's items and scanned them, each item making a sound in the otherwise silent store.

Once all the items were scanned, Seok-Woo saw the total amount he needed to pay. He reached for his wallet, pulled out the necessary cash, and handed it to Eun-Ah, who received it with both hands.

She then packed the items into a plastic bag and handed it to Seok-Woo. "Thank you for coming," she said, offering a smile. Seok-Woo nodded and proceeded to leave.

As he exited, Eun-Ah's eyes never left him until he was out of sight. Then, she glanced around the convenience store to see if anyone else was inside. Seeing that it was empty, she returned her attention to her phone, checking the messages her friend had sent.

"Sunhwi, I just saw a handsome man, and he's also fit," Eun-Ah reported, mentioning Seok-Woo.

Sunhwi was taken aback by Eun-Ah's text and quickly tapped on her phone to reply. "Then why don't you ask for his name or number?"

Eun-Ah replied, "I'm not the type to approach someone like that."

Sunhwi responded, "That's probably why you're not dating anyone. You're too passive."

Eun-Ah pondered Sunhwi's words, realizing that there might be some truth to them. Before she could dwell further on her thoughts, another message from Sunhwi popped up.

"Both you and Ja-In are hopeless, especially Ja-In. She's too intimidating for men to approach." Sunhwi's words struck a chord with Eun-Ah, though she wasn't entirely surprised. This wasn't the first time Sunhwi had been brutally honest with her.

To change the subject, Eun-Ah swiftly shifted gears. "Sunhwi, are you still hoping to run into the guy who saved you that time?"

Sunhwi paused as she read the message, sinking back onto her bed and thinking about the mysterious stranger. She sighed, lamenting the fact that she never learned his name.

Raising her phone again, Sunhwi replied to Eun-Ah, "Let's not go there. You're just reminding me of him again." She hit send and then redirected the conversation.

"Are you all set for college now?" Sunhwi inquired.

"I'm officially enrolled and ready to dive into freshman year," Eun-Ah confirmed before asking, "Are you looking forward to college?"

"Except for the classes, I'm expecting college life to be a blast," Sunhwi replied with a hint of excitement, prompting a smile from Eun-Ah as they continued chatting.

Returning to Seok-Woo, he jogged home with a plastic bag in hand. It didn't take long for him to reach the house, and upon entering, he found it still quiet.

Considering that Chae-Yoon was likely still asleep due to her drunken state, Seok-Woo took charge of starting the day. He placed the items he had brought on the dining table and began to prepare breakfast.

With a rhythmic motion, he started chopping ingredients, the sound echoing through the kitchen and rousing his father from his slumber. Seok-Woo's father sat up to watch him, surprised by his son's culinary skills.

"When did you learn to cook, Seok-Woo?" his father asked, intrigued by his abilities.

"I picked up a few things during my time in the army," Seok-Woo replied casually, although he chose not to mention his Cooking Skills[+2].

His father nodded in acknowledgment and settled back onto the couch for a short nap, instructing Seok-Woo to let him know when breakfast was ready.

Undeterred, Seok-Woo continued his culinary efforts, preparing a simple breakfast spread reminiscent of the dishes Chae-Yoon usually made for them in the morning.

In no time, he had cooked everything and arranged the dishes on the dining table, the enticing aroma of the food rousing his father once more. With a growling stomach, his father wasted no time in joining Seok-Woo at the table, relishing the meal.

Satisfied with his father's reaction, Seok-Woo grabbed the plastic bag from the table and made his way upstairs.

"I'll check on Mother. Try not to finish everything before I get back," Seok-Woo said with a hint of amusement as he noticed his father's increasingly rapid eating pace.

He then walked upstairs to where Chae-Yoon was. He opened the door to try to wake her up. Walking towards the bed, he found Chae-Yoon covered by bedsheets. Seok-Woo walked up to the curtains and opened them, illuminating the room. Chae-Yoon frowned as the sun rays hit her face, then slowly moved to cover her face with her hand.

She then slowly opened her eyes and touched her head, feeling the effects of a hangover. Slowly standing up to face whoever had opened the curtains, her blurry vision gradually clarified. It was Seok-Woo, she said, but his gaze was not on her face but below her.

Seok-Woo noticed Chae-Yoon standing up to sit on the edge of the bed. As she did, he saw something. Chae-Yoon wasn't wearing her bra, so he saw her bare chest fully in his sight. After a few seconds, he turned away out of respect.

Chae-Yoon was confused about why he turned away, but she understood when he spoke to her. "Mother, could you cover yourself up?" Processing his words, she looked down and then opened her eyes wide, realizing her topless state. She immediately covered herself with the bedsheet, feeling embarrassed. Seok-Woo interrupted her thoughts for a moment as he spoke again.

"I'll put the hangover cure on the nightstand. Take your time. I've already made breakfast." With that, Seok-Woo turned back to look at her covering herself, then walked towards the nightstand before exiting the room and closing the door.

As he stepped outside, Seok-Woo pondered to himself, "How did she manage to take off her clothes?" However, thoughts of Chae-Yoon's figure, etched in his mind, soon occupied his thoughts as he descended the stairs, considering what a wonderful day it might be.

Meanwhile, Chae-Yoon covered her face, reflecting on the moment. "He definitely saw me, didn't he?" she mused, anticipating potential awkwardness between them.

"Why am I even topless?" Chae-Yoon tried to piece together the events of the previous night, but her memories were fragmented. She recalled taking numerous shots of alcohol and then blacking out, unable to recall much else.

"Maybe I undressed while sleeping," she reasoned, glancing at the plastic bag on the nightstand. Approaching it, she retrieved the hangover cures Seok-Woo had brought for her, appreciating his thoughtfulness.

Selecting an item from the bag, she consumed it, emptying the contents. Then, she rose from the bed, lifting the bedsheets to find her clothes beneath. Retrieving her bra and slipping it on, she completed her attire by donning her shirt.

Settling back on the edge of the bed, she waited for her hangover to subside, taking a few minutes to try and recollect the events of the previous night.

As she tried to piece together the memories for a few moments, she finally solved the puzzle, causing her to cover her face, now red from the shameful memories.

"Why did you kiss Seok-Woo last night? You crazy girl!" She shouted at herself in her thoughts, then laid down and forcefully hugged the pillow as she rolled back and forth.

She tried to focus on different things, but what kept coming to her mind first was Seok-Woo's lips on hers.

Her face blushed as she covered it. "This will just make things uncomfortable interacting with him from now on. I hope... I'll move on from this," Chae-Yoon thought to herself as she tried to erase that part of her memory from her mind.

Chae-Yoon took a few deep breaths, composing herself as she prepared to go downstairs to the dining table. Feeling that her hangover was bearable, she stepped outside the room and proceeded downstairs.

As she descended, she found Seok-Woo cooking while her husband continued eating, albeit more slowly now. Seok-Woo cooked again since his father had eaten a lot, leaving only enough food for one person.

The aroma of Seok-Woo's cooking reached Chae-Yoon, and saliva began to pool in her mouth as if beckoning her. Finding a seat where Seok-Woo had just finished cooking, he plated the dish and handed it to Chae-Yoon while still hot.

"Here, let it cool down a bit first," Seok-Woo advised as Chae-Yoon picked up her utensil to eat.

She nodded in agreement, blowing on the food to cool it down before taking a few bites. Chae-Yoon was pleasantly surprised by Seok-Woo's cooking skills.

"It's delicious, you're a better cook than me," she complimented him, to which he smiled and nodded before finding a seat to join them.

As they began to eat, the three of them remained silent. Seok-Woo's father noticed the quiet atmosphere and decided to break it.

"I heard that both of you drank quite a bit last night. How did it go?" he inquired, causing Chae-Yoon to widen her eyes in surprise and start coughing, taken aback by his words.

Seok-Woo and his father looked at her in confusion as she grabbed a glass of water and drank it. Seok-Woo's father then turned to him, waiting for an explanation.

"She drank too much last night and blacked out, so I carried her to the room," Seok-Woo explained, choosing not to mention the details of Chae-Yoon kissing him or acting flirtatiously.

"Is that so? Well, thank you for taking care of her," his father nodded in approval, acknowledging Seok-Woo's actions.

Chae-Yoon glanced at Seok-Woo, her face slightly reddening as memories of last night flooded back. Seok-Woo sighed inwardly, realizing that things had become awkward between them.