Chapter 14: You’re Surprisingly Strong

Page 1/3

Park Se-min downed his third Negroni of the evening, glancing gloomily at the group of young women seated in the booth. Though their delicate makeup made them quite pretty, these schoolgirls somehow lacked a certain spark. Normally, at this hour, Park Se-min would already be buzzing with excitement. Yet tonight, even after three cocktails, he felt no thrill.

“Min, you seem to be in a bad mood tonight,” said a young man standing nearby, noticeably taller and leaner than Park Se-min. He ordered a fourth drink for him, then shot a glance at the burly-looking fellow opposite, who appeared somewhat simple-minded, signaling him to step outside and handle something.

“Jae-wook, do you think I look worse than that guy?” Park Se-min asked, pointing at Yoon Sung-bin, who was chatting with the nightclub staff. That guy looked utterly ordinary, even with smaller eyes than himself... How on earth did he get to date an idol like Park Ji-hyo?

Lee Jae-wook looked back and forth between them in silence, then struggled to answer with his limited vocabulary: “Min, why compare yourself to Sung-bin? He’s just a big rough guy...”

“A big rough guy dating a top girl group member?” Park Se-min recalled his cousin’s serious demeanor from earlier that afternoon, which had seemed so genuine that envy crept in.

Finally understanding what was bothering Park Se-min, Lee Jae-wook smiled lightly and patted him on the shoulder: “Min, that big rough guy just got lucky with Park Ji-hyo. He won’t have much income, probably will have to rely on his girlfriend to support him.”

“Someone like you, why bother chasing idols? There are plenty of girls for you.”

Having always been overshadowed by Summer Star since childhood, Park Se-min’s only confidence was his charm with women. When he learned today that Lee Jae-wook was seeing Xue Yun from NMIXX, even his last shred of pride began to waver.

Living life with clarity, Park Se-min knew deep down that he only wanted to win over his younger brother in some way. Although he used to be indifferent to idols, things had changed now.

He sighed softly, “You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

Lee Jae-wook responded with a playful “Eh?” and leaned in with a suggestion: “Min, if you want to get into the entertainment circle, just ask Sung-bin to introduce some people. I have some connections too.”

“I already asked the boss to change the crowd,” Yoon Sung-bin said as he returned with a few girls, flashing a self-satisfied smile at Park Se-min, unaware he had become the center of attention.

Seeing Park Se-min remain silent, Lee Jae-wook realized his friend expected him to speak up.

Page 2/3

He waved his hand and said to Yoon Sung-bin, “Let them all go. Tonight, just the three of us drinking—no outsiders to disturb us.”

-----------------

“What a coincidence, what are you doing here?”

Unexpectedly running into someone familiar at the supermarket, Summer Star turned around and looked at the girl, a few beads of sweat still on her temple. He pulled a pack of tissues from his trench coat pocket and naturally tore it open for her.

“Here, wipe it off.”

Taking the tissues, Shin Yuna wiped the sweat from her forehead while explaining, “I just wanted to run, so I ran all the way here.”

Sometimes... telling so many lies becomes second nature.

Shin Yuna observed the boy’s casual attire, all the while using the excuse of just finishing exercise to take deep breaths, trying to cool the flush on her cheeks.

“Then let me buy you something to drink, as a fair exchange,” Summer Star said abruptly, recalling the time she bought him coffee at the night market—a callback moment with a touch of humor.

This added to the impression she had of him: straightforward words but unexpectedly amusing.

“Then I won’t refuse.”

Summer Star grabbed two bottles of sports drink from the freezer, handing one to Shin Yuna.

The girl deliberately opened her palm wide to grasp the bottle steadily. Though they avoided their fingertips touching directly, his fingers accidentally brushed her palm.

Mimicking their clink of coffee cups last time, Summer Star tapped his bottle against hers.

Pretending to examine the supermarket shelves, Shin Yuna turned her head slightly and took a small sip, knowing she would pay at checkout as usual.

Though it was the damp chill of early winter, Shin Yuna felt like a little furnace after her run, and just standing next to Summer Star, he could feel the steady warmth radiating from her.

“You still haven’t told me,” he said.

Shin Yuna put the bottle back in the cart after drinking about a sixth, the chilled drink finally calming her down.

“Tell you what?”

“Why you came to this supermarket.”

Summer Star was somewhat amused. Though he indeed had a special purpose—preparing for Xue Yun’s visit next week by buying some cookware—he was still a local resident. Did he really need an excuse?

Page 3/3

Still not wanting to spoil the mood, he politely answered her question.

“Because I live nearby, and I wanted to pick up some pots and pans.”

Oh—he could actually cook? Shin Yuna was surprised at first, then realized that since he was only now buying cookware, he was probably a beginner.

“Don’t forget oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Cooking requires balancing all flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty.”

Hearing Shin Yuna’s knowledgeable tone, Summer Star grew interested. He rarely cooked unless Xue Yun was visiting. Usually, the professional housekeeper prepared meals and delivered them to his apartment; the only thing he did in the kitchen was sit alone at the table eating.

“Are you good at cooking?”

“Uh...” Shin Yuna hesitated, “Good might be an overstatement. I can cook.”

“Be able to cook,” she suddenly said in English, causing Summer Star’s mind to pause briefly as he searched for a similar Korean phrase.

Then he caught on and stifled a laugh, “Your English accent is pretty authentic.”

As for which accent exactly, he didn’t point that out.

“Hey, are you making fun of me?”

The girl instinctively gave Summer Star’s arm a light punch, and their two pairs of bewildered eyes met.

“No mockery, but you’re definitely strong—I can tell you work out.”

Shin Yuna had represented her region in soft hockey and later trained intensively in dance, so her fitness was naturally excellent.

After that little interruption, the atmosphere relaxed, followed by a surprisingly comfortable silence between them.

Suddenly unsure what to say next, they spoke simultaneously:

“In a few days, you might have to come to Peninsula Foods.”

“I just saw Xue Yun at the park.”