Chapter 42: Once in a Lifetime Opportunity (4)
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Here
Join the discord! Here
Song Soo-yeon arrived at the store early morning.
It was 6 am, and the sun hadn't risen yet.
Despite spending more time than usual in front of the mirror, she felt in a rush to get there.
Maybe it was because of the memories from the day before.
She wanted to see Jung-gyeom quickly.
After hovering around the store for a bit, she made up her mind.
.....Just seeing his sleeping face would be enough to make her happy.
She unlocked the door lock of the still-closed store.
-Ding-ling!
As she opened the door, she whispered.
"...Mister, I'm here..."
'Uhh.'
Song Soo-yeon froze at the sight that greeted her as she entered the store.
Jung-gyeom wasn't asleep.
He was exercising, shirtless.
In the middle of a handstand push-up, he stood on his feet after noticing her.
His body glistened with sweat droplets.
She found herself captivated by the sight, frozen in place.
She had never expected the man she always teased for being bland and nerdy to have such a sculpted body.
She hadn't known he could be so manly.
That was part of the shock.
Soon, Jung-gyeom stood up and turned his back.
Watching his wet back, Song Soo-yeon unwittingly swallowed.
He said.
"Uh....sorry. This must be uncomfortable to see."
"............"
"...Soo-yeon? Could you wait outside for a bit?"
Only then did Song Soo-yeon snap back to reality.
Without a word, she roughly closed the door and left.
-Ding-a-ling! Ding-a-ling...! Ding-a-ling...!
The doorbell kept ringing.
Ignoring the swinging door, she leaned against the wall of the store and slid down.
Then she grabbed her flushing face.
"Haah...! Haah....!"
Finally letting out the breath she had been holding, Song Soo-yeon calmed her racing heart.
This was the first time she had seen a man's bare body in reality.
Until now, she had only seen such images passing by on her smartphone... and they never evoked any thought.
Even when numerous women cheered in the comments, it was the same.
She had sometimes wondered why she didn't feel the obvious emotions.
But just now, upon seeing Jung-gyeom's body, her heart raced as if it would burst.
It was the first time she thought a man's body was beautiful.
.....And she wanted to keep looking.
".....Am I a pervert...?"
Song Soo-yeon muttered to herself.
At that moment, an image flashed through her mind.
She remembered seeing herself in the mirror with lustful eyes.
Probably, she still had that expression now.
"Huff...Huff..."
Song Soo-yeon took deep breaths.
She couldn't show such an expression to Jung-gyeom.
Absolutely not.
He would surely find such a sight of her repulsive.
So she had to suppress her emotions before he came out.
But it didn't take long for him to put on a shirt.
"....Soo-yeon."
Jung-gyeom, who had already opened the store door and peeked out, was calling her.
Eek..!
Song Soo-yeon jerked in surprise, turning her head away from the direction of the voice.
She had to hide her expression.
Jung-gyeom's voice came from behind her.
Why did you come so early?
......Well...that...no...
She wasnt coherent enough to answer.
She was too focused on hiding her repulsive expression.
Why are you sitting down again?
........Because....
Jung-gyeom was speaking calmly, but Song Soo-yeon knew he was just as unsettled.
He too was struggling to find the right words in this awkward moment.
Uh....sorry.
Finally, he apologized.
......What?
.....Especially for you, it must have been shocking.
Jung-gyeom knew how much she feared and loathed men.
She understood that his apology was based on that fact.
But he had no reason to apologize.
After all, she was the one who had barged into the store.
....Moreover, to her surprise, she hadnt disliked the sight, so there was no need for his apology.
....No, its my fault for entering..."
Still, I shocked you.
....I wasnt...shocked.
Even if you say that, that position....
............
She couldn't argue against that.
Any more excuses might lead to revealing her face.
Not now.
Her face was still burning, buzzing with embarrassment.
Her lips were probably still glistening.
Give me...some time. And it's not your fault, mister...
Jung-gyeom paused as if thinking, then spoke quietly.
Sorry. And thank you for saying that. I'll...wait inside. Come in when you feel calm.
Then he turned back into the store.
But even after he had gone, it took her a long time to erase the image of his body from her mind.
---
---
Song Soo-yeon quietly slid into the store and took her seat.
....Are you calm now?
I asked.
Song Soo-yeon nodded silently.
....I hadnt done anything wrong, but I felt sorry for shocking her.
To her, who still detested men, it must have been a repulsive sight.
She had told me about the relentless sexual harassment she faced.
Having shown my bare body to someone with such a painful past...
I could only guess the shock she must have felt.
I needed to be more careful.
....Do you usually exercise at this time, Mister?
Despite her own shock, she asked naturally, not avoiding the topic.
Yes. Its a habit.
I replied nonchalantly for her sake.
Making a fuss about it here would only make things weirder.
....So? Why did you come so early?
Just because. I woke up early...
......
But the awkwardness couldnt be shaken off.
It felt like she should leave this place.
After all, it wasnt as if she had nothing to do.
....Soo-yeon, I havent showered yet...
Oh...! Yes...!
I was going to go to the bathhouse, but since youre here, I think Ill just go home and shower. Ill be back quickly, okay...?
Soo-yeon seemed to need time just like I did.
She kept nodding at my words.
Do that, then.
Okay, then Ill be back. Keep the lights on.
With that, I left the store, turning on all the lights, hurrying away.
She would be able to calm herself down as well.
---
---
.....Ha....
Song Soo-yeon sighed.
It was entirely her fault, yet she made Jung-gyeom feel sorry.
His voice was filled with so much consideration for her.
She was the one who saw his body, and he was apologizing.
If he accidentally saw her bare body... even if she loved him, she'd probably scream in panic.
It seemed impossible to change her personality, no matter how hard she tried.
She wanted to honestly apologize to him, admit it was her fault for showing up so early, or even compliment his impressive physique, saying it didnt disgust her.
But her defensive nature, which had been her shield for so long, made it impossible to convey any sincere feelings.
She was partly afraid.
Having never expressed such positive emotions, she feared how he would react.
She didn't know how to express these feelings.
Better not to try than to fail.
And partly... it was her personal judgment.
Just like her expression in the mirror, he might find it disgusting.
He might be burdened or repulsed by her feelings.
Saying she thought his body was pretty was tantamount to harassment from her perspective.
With these thoughts, Song Soo-yeon rested her head on the table.
Her mind was too cluttered.
-Ding.
At that moment, the door opened, and the bell rang.
Soo-yeon jumped up in surprise and looked at the door.
Youre back early......
Song Soo-yeons breath caught.
The fluttering feelings she had just moments ago subsided.
Her emotions sank deep, turning into something sticky.
Soo-yeon...?
It wasnt Jung-gyeom who had entered the store.
It was Solace, dressed in her hero costume, covering her nose and mouth.
Song Soo-yeon frowned involuntarily and asked.
.....Why are you here?
Oh, I saw the store sign was on.... And I have something to tell Gyeom oppa. Is he here?
Right from the start, she didn't like her.
That term 'Gyeom oppa' kept grating on her nerves.
It felt like an unspoken claim.
As if boasting she was much closer to him than Song Soo-yeon, who called him 'Mister'.
Why was she acting so familiar even though they hadn't known each other for long?
There were more than a few things that annoyed Song Soo-yeon.
What?
Song Soo-yeon asked defensively.
What do you want to say?
Solace scratched her head, smiling.
In reality, only her eyes curved into half-moons, as her mouth was covered.
Ahaha... I wanted to thank oppa... something came up.
Song Soo-yeon hid her sinking heart.
She easily recalled the incident between Solace and Jung-gyeom the day before.
She knew Solace's gratitude was related to that.
....Mister stepped out for a bit.
Oh, really? Do you know when hell be back?
It was just a shower, so it shouldnt take long.
But she didnt want to say that.
I don't know? But it might take a while?
....I see.
Uncharacteristically, Solaces mood dipped slightly.
Even without reading her mind, it was obvious she was disappointed.
And Song Soo-yeon didnt like that.
I'll tell mister you came to express your gratitude. Seems like you should be heading to work... go on quickly.
She wanted Solace to leave before Jung-gyeom returned.
Solace hesitated.
It seemed like she had something else to say.
With every passing second Solace was there, Song Soo-yeons irritation grew.
....Why?
Song Soo-yeons voice carried a trace of annoyance.
Just thinking about their hug from the day before made her skin prickle with irritation.
She didn't lash out only because she had no reason, but her anger and hostility towards Solace had already peaked.
Solace hesitantly spoke.
....Um....I wanted to give it to him myself... but cant it be helped?
Song Soo-yeon clenched her teeth.
Every action of Solace was displeasing.
Who was she to insist on delivering something with her own hands?
.....What were you planning to give Mister? Just leave it. I'll pass it on.
Will you...?
After a moment of hesitation, Solace nodded.
She took something out of the tight pocket of her hero suit.
Ta-da!
With a bright expression, Solace showed off some kind of ticket.
This is a baseball game ticket I got... please give it to oppa.
Solace approached and placed the ticket in Song Soo-yeons hand.
.........
Song Soo-yeon looked at Solaces gift.
The baseball tickets were two in number.
Why there were exactly two was not hard for Song Soo-yeon to deduce.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com