Episode 31: Choi Si-joon Wants to Go Exercise
Episode 31: Choi Si-joon Wants to Go Exercise
31Choi Sijun Wants to Go Exercise
"So yeah, that's what happened."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
When I got home from work and told the two noonas about what happened with Park Haru, they absolutely lost it.
"Ha ha— *cough, cough! Hack! Hack!*"
They laughed so hard they started choking on it.
"Oh, my stomach hurts..."
"I'm tearing up over here, uhee~"
Sieun was literally crying.
"Was it really that funny?"
"Absolutely. You were adorable, and so was Park Haru."
Sieun's voice had gone a little hoarse from laughing too much.
Eunhwi, who was the first to get herself under control, brought water from the kitchen and handed it to Sieun.
Sieun gulped it down and opened her mouth again.
"Even so, did you really have to go all-out like that? You're not twenty anymore."
"I don't even know why I said it myself..."
I honestly have no idea. It's not like I've never thought about saying that kind of thing—I do use some pretty strong words when I'm in bed with the noonas.
But in everyday life? Never. Not once.
"Haru-seonsaeng must have really pushed him hard. Sieun, think back to the very beginning."
"The beginning?"
"Remember that first time? After we slept together, he had absolutely no idea how to handle us..."
"Ah, back then..."
The two noonas got swept up in a sudden trip down memory lane and kept right on talking.
"Ha, we really made a man out of you. You ought to be grateful."
"I know... That's why I'm doing a good job now, right?"
If the two noonas hadn't pushed me, I'd still be a virgin to this day.
Even now, outside of them, I'm still not much different from a boy on his first crush. They're the ones who keep stimulating me, and that's the only reason I'm functioning like a normal person.
"Still, just look at you. Our Sijunie's quite the man these days, huh? Saying stuff like that?"
Sieun came over and sat beside me, stroking my thigh as she talked.
"Want to get scolded by that man?"
"Mmm... I would, but I can't."
"Why not?"
"I have to go out with Eunhwi soon."
"Where to? At this hour?"
It wasn't super late, but it was still an awkward time to head out anywhere. Unless it was for dinner, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"The hair salon."
"Ah, that's today?"
"Want to come too?"
Eunhwi sat on my lap and looked up at me, her eyes sparkling.
"Sure, let's go."
"What? Last time you said you didn't want to."
Eunhwi's eyes, which had been full of anticipation, instantly switched to a skeptical look. I've seen it plenty of times now, but it still fascinates me—how much she can say with just her eyes.
"I made plans for a date tomorrow."
"What?"
Eunhwi was so shocked she nearly toppled backward; I barely managed to catch her in time.
"Whaaat?"
Sieun, who'd been about to head into the bathroom, whirled around and flew to my side like she'd used Flash Step.
"Why are you both so surprised?"
It's not like I've never gone on dates with the noonas. Well... not since we became adults. But when I was in high school, I did go on dates with my mom occasionally.
"Ah..."
Now that I think about it, aside from family, or Eunhwi who is practically family, I haven't gone on a single date with anyone else. The realization hit me all at once.
"You just realized it too, didn't you?"
"Alright! Noona is going to put in some serious effort for Sijunie's first date!"
"Why... do you need to..."
"Shh. Quiet."
Eunhwi, her expression bright with excitement, placed a finger on my lips and shook her head.
"I want to go exercise."
I never expected those words to come out of my mouth. That I would actually volunteer to go work out, of all things.
"No, you don't have to go exercise today."
"No, I just meant, wearing something casual..."
"Shh!"
Under pressure from the two noonas, I decided to simply be a mannequin for the rest of the day.
I don't know much about soccer, but this must be what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a high press—Gegenpressing that starts from the strikers.
I followed the noonas obediently. Until we got into the car, one of them was always next to me while the other changed; when one finished getting ready, the other would take over, completely sealing off my avenues of escape.
"But..."
"What is it?"
Sieun was driving, and in the back seat, Eunhwi, still clinging to my arm, answered me.
"Aren't we just going to the hair salon?"
"Right?"
"Then why are you two so dressed up..."
"When you go to the dentist, do you not brush your teeth?"
"I do."
"Same thing."
That explained absolutely nothing, but seeing Sieun nod, I figured the logic must have been perfectly sound.
"All that reading really paid off, Eunhwi."
"Of course!"
"Don't feel a sense of accomplishment about something like that..."
"Hello!"
"Oh my, it's been so long, Sieun-ssi! Have you just come back to Korea?"
"Oh, just for a short visit."
I left behind the kind of women's small talk that drains your energy just by listening, and quietly followed the stylist wherever she led me.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Hm?"
"You looked a little tired."
"Ah... ha..."
When I trailed off, the stylist didn't press the issue.
"Same as last time, just tidying it up a bit. Is that fine?"
"Yes."
"No."
From my mouth came affirmation; from behind me came the denial.
"I think letting the front show just a little this time would look nice."
"Hmm... just a moment."
The stylist and Eunhwi turned my head this way and that, lightly folding a few strands of hair, and then, apparently satisfied, smiled and reached a conclusion.
"I'll be in your care."
"Ah, but Eunhwi-ssi—"
Just as Eunhwi was about to bow to the stylist and head back to her seat, the stylist called her again.
"Yes?"
"Um... you'll need to manage this hairstyle a little..."
"Ah, I'll let Sieun know about that. And, well... Sijun will manage it himself, I'm sure."
"Ah, yes."
Eunhwi returned to her seat and the stylist brought over a tablet to explain.
"You've always worn your bangs down, covering almost everything, right?"
"Yes."
"But this time, I'll part it a little, like this~"
"Ah... but isn't that hard to manage?"
"Once it sets, it's easy. But for the first week or two before it does, you'll need to pay a bit of attention."
"Ah... will I be able to do it?"
"Of course you will. Even high school kids do it these days."
"Ah... then please do it that way."
"Sure."
The mention of having to manage it worried me, but if even high school students can do it, there's no reason I can't. And if it doesn't work out, I can always ask Sieun-e-mong or Eunhwi-e-mong for help.
---
"See you later~ mwah!"
"Okay."
Sieun had morning plans and left early, so I didn't get a sendoff from her; only Eunhwi saw me off as I headed to work.
"Wow..."
Looking at my reflection in the elevator mirror, I let out an involuntary sigh of admiration.
It was just a short-sleeve shirt over a thin tee and black slacks—hardly different from what I normally wear. But it was different.
It could be because they were expensive clothes. Or maybe it was the new haircut I got yesterday.
"So this is why people hire stylists..."
I spent a long time admiring myself in the elevator. When the arrival chime sounded, I snapped out of it and hurried out into the parking lot.
"Hellooo~"
Park Haru came in, very carefully opening the office door.
"Oh..."
She's always pretty, but it looked like she'd put in a little extra effort today since it was a date.
- If she's pretty, tell her she's pretty, honestly! Got it?
Eunhwi's rote-memorization-style education from yesterday surfaced in my mind, so I spoke honestly.
"You look especially pretty today, Haru-ssi."
"Hieek... Ah! I... you too, Manager! You look cool."
"Thank you."
Then, not knowing what else to say, I led Park Haru—who was just standing there frozen—to the sofa and sat her down.
After a suffocating period of exploration, my patience ran out and I spoke up.
"What do you want to do today?"
"Um..."
I'd roughed out a plan. I was just asking because I didn't know what she liked.
"If you're done with work... would you come somewhere with me..."
"Sure."
It hadn't even been two hours since I started work, and lunchtime was nowhere near, but I didn't have anything urgent. I took Park Haru's carefully extended hand and followed her.
"This place is..."
The place she brought me was the Acting Department's practice room.
"And since today is a date and all!"
She must have been extremely nervous, because her voice cracked so badly I couldn't help but laugh.
"Ahem! Ahem! Ah, I'm sorry."
"Th-that's mean, Manager."
Her face and ears instantly flushed bright red at my laughter, and Park Haru turned around and fanned herself.
The problem was, since we were in a practice room, the wall she turned to face was a mirror. But I held back from pointing that out because she looked like she'd bolt.
"Ahem! Ahem!"
She seemed to have calmed down a little; after a few more fake coughs, she suddenly stepped close and wrapped her arms lightly around my waist.
"Today, instead of a first date... I want us to do a date like a couple that's already been together for a while."
"...Why?"
A first date is tremendously exciting. I pretended to be nonchalant too, but I was honestly incredibly excited. Even though I was half-dragged into it, I voluntarily went to the hair salon with the noonas, got ready, and looked forward to it a lot.
But she wants to throw away that experience and do a familiar, comfortable couple's date? I couldn't understand.
At my questioning tone, Park Haru stepped back and began explaining while looking at my face.
"It is our first date, but... if I fixate on that, I won't be able to look at your face at all today, Manager..."
And she said she also wanted to feel the excitement and freshness within familiarity—that kind of thing. As expected of an acting major, she was trying to do acting practice even at a time like this.
Completely dumbfounded, I hooked my index finger around my thumb and lightly flicked Park Haru on the forehead.
"Ahk?"
It barely made a sound, so it was clearly a cry of surprise rather than pain. She took another step back.
"I can do acting practice with you later, so for now..."
"Okay... sorry..."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. How about just making today a date between Choi Sijun and Park Haru? These are feelings you can only experience today."
"Ah? Ah!"
"Do you not like that?"
To be honest, I'm nervous too. A date with someone other than the noonas is something that has never happened in my life. Even casually hanging out with people I'm not used to was rare for me.
I could go along with Park Haru's idea and act like that, but then it wouldn't feel like the me who's with Park Haru—it would be the version of me that comes out when I'm with the two noonas.
I gently took the hand of the still-dazed Park Haru and headed for the office.
"Let's go get your things and head out."
"Okay..."