Chapter 55

After the filming of moving into the new house ended in March, Park Ji-hoon truly became extremely busy, day and night, with no time for anything other than work and home. There was no possibility of any distractions.

The footage shot previously was enough to edit into a considerable amount of broadcast content.

Throughout April, not only did they not meet, but the number of text messages between Park Ji-hoon and Seohyun was also very few, and each time it was Seohyun who initiated the contact. The same applied to Taeyeon; since he had made up his mind, he would not be distracted by anything else. As for friends, he had none.

Similarly, Taeyeon, Seohyun, and others were also very busy in April. They had to promote the new album "RunDevilRun," prepare for the Asian tour, and participate in various activities, leaving them with very little free time.

Both sides thus spent a quiet April.

Krystal did have time and came to see Park Ji-hoon twice. However, each time she came under the pretext of visiting him, she actually came to freeload on meals, and it was always on weekends when Park Min-ah was at home—she clearly calculated the timing!

Over the month, these two young ones became much closer. Krystal would directly ask Park Min-ah for help with her homework after each meal, and her academic performance was also excellent.

In May, the "We Got Married" production team urged Park Ji-hoon to start filming. However, "Uncle" was also wrapping up in this month, and he was busy day and night, also serving as an assistant director, so he could only squeeze out the already scarce rest time.

There was no choice but for the production team to arrange for Seohyun to visit the set and learn to drive.

This way, Park Ji-hoon only needed to appear for a very short time.

As "We Got Married" aired, the popularity of the "Sweet Potato Couple" continued to rise, becoming another major focus after the "Adam Couple."

Previously, Park Ji-hoon's appearance on "Family Outing" caused no waves and did not spark any discussion. After "Family Outing," "We Got Married" received praise from many viewers for his eloquence and quick responses. However, it was just a small ripple that was quickly drowned out in the dazzling entertainment industry.

The same applied to other small programs.

The only program that truly had an impact on him was the regular show "We Got Married." Therefore, no matter how tired he was, he had to find the time!

However, once, while watching Seohyun study, he actually fell asleep with his head on her shoulder! This was a situation that should not have occurred on the show.

Seeing him in this state, Seohyun's complaints about his lack of contact with her diminished. Although it was just a program, they were "husband and wife," and not contacting each other for over a month was not acceptable.

However, another source of discomfort did not diminish at all.

Although they did not contact each other much, all the members of Girls' Generation could see that the relationship between Taeyeon and Park Ji-hoon seemed to be gradually improving. Initially, she did not understand and thought it was just a program, but now she gradually felt that something was not right.

During the housewarming party, when she heard Park Ji-hoon's phone ring with Taeyeon's "If," she suddenly had this feeling. Slowly, it turned into a source of discomfort in her heart.

Actually, it was also Park Ji-hoon's fault for gradually guiding her to understand the difference between a "husband" and a regular friend. No matter how innocent, she was still a girl.

Park Ji-hoon did not realize her change; he only felt that she had a bit more of a girl's temper and was no longer as oblivious as before. Occasionally, he had to comfort her.

May passed without much event, until the end of the month, on the 30th, when the filming of "Uncle" was completed.

"Finally, we are free!" This was the common sentiment of everyone in the production team. The shooting pressure was so intense that it was almost unbearable! In the last two months, to meet the schedule, everyone had forgotten the time, sometimes even unable to distinguish between day and night! They only knew that after a brief nap, they had to get back to work.

The last few days were even more like a long, drawn-out ordeal! Everyone was in a daze, like puppets without thoughts, doing whatever the director arranged.

However, only ordinary staff could be like this; as the lead actor, Park Ji-hoon and some of the main responsible persons had to remain alert and diligent.

Park Ji-hoon almost always had dark circles under his eyes. In the later stages of filming, he had to be carefully made up— he had lost a full 10 kilograms!

Many staff members commented that he was "literally risking his life"! Even if they could not see his efforts, they could see the time he invested.

On the way home, Park Ji-hoon fell asleep on the bus. If the driver did not recognize him, he might have slept past his stop! Due to the extreme fatigue, even the wrap party was scheduled for the next evening.

After thanking the driver, he yawned and got off the bus.

It was not yet late, and the sky was just getting dark. Looking at the crowds and the lights around him, he suddenly felt a sense of rebirth, as if he had returned from hell.

He really made it through!

"Ah—" After a long sigh, he perked up and went upstairs to go home. The sleep on the bus was the most restful he had had in months.

Today was Sunday, and Park Min-ah was at home.

"Brother! It's over?" Hearing the door open, she immediately came out, eager to ask. She had seen how hard Park Ji-hoon had been working, so when she heard that the filming was over today, she was even more anxious, staying at home all day to take care of him as soon as possible.

"Yep." Park Ji-hoon looked at her expectant and joyful eyes, smiled, and then suddenly hugged her, spinning her around before saying, "It's over!"

"Ah—" Park Min-ah was startled by his enthusiastic expression, let out a light cry, and then joined in the celebration, "That's great!" She had never said anything else, just spent her days carefully preparing nutritious and energy-boosting meals for him, afraid that he might not be able to hold out. Fortunately, fortunately...

"Ha ha..." Park Ji-hoon couldn't help but laugh at her relaxed mood and said, "We can rest for two days."

"Only two days?" Park Min-ah's expression changed, and she asked in surprise.

"Don't worry, it won't be as busy as before." Park Ji-hoon said while changing into slippers.

The end of filming did not mean the end of his work. Director Lee Jin-man intended to mentor him and involved him in the post-production editing. Of course, it would not be as busy as during filming. If there was something to do, he could skip it. After all, he was mainly there to observe and learn, and it was unlikely that he would have any significant input—his status was not high enough to speak.

"Oh—" Park Min-ah finally understood. This was a good thing!

"You're running around barefoot again!" Park Ji-hoon glanced at her and lightly scolded. However, it was more like a sign of affection. For the past two months, he had almost slept as soon as he got home, and they had little interaction.

"This way, I'm free!" Park Min-ah stuck out her tongue and made a small face, not taking it seriously.

By the end of May, the weather had already started to get hot. At home, she wore very light clothing: a white short-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of denim shorts, and bare feet.

Although she was not fat, she was very sensitive to heat and often wore sandals in late spring and early autumn. At home, she went barefoot, feeling cool and free—she had always carried a lot of pressure growing up.

Park Ji-hoon gently pinched her nose.

"Brother, I'll go take a shower first, and I'll make dinner." Park Min-ah said as they returned to the living room.

"Okay." Park Ji-hoon nodded. Although he had already showered at the set, he still felt sticky and uncomfortable.

A different mindset made him feel different.

After a shower, he felt completely refreshed. He put on shorts and a T-shirt and came out just as the smell of noodles wafted through the air. He sniffed and said, "It smells great!" It was his favorite dish.

"The timing is perfect!" Park Min-ah grinned and made a V sign.

Park Ji-hoon couldn't wait to sit down at the table and pick up his chopsticks.

She had specially made Italian pasta, topped with cheese powder and chopped mint leaves, and a layer of rich meat sauce. It looked great, and after stirring, he eagerly took a bite. The meat sauce was perfectly balanced, not greasy at all, and the noodles were firm and elastic, his favorite texture.

"Delicious!" Park Ji-hoon praised without reservation.

Park Min-ah had been cooking since the fifth grade, and her cooking skills were not learned but honed through practice!

"Brother, your hair is still wet!" Park Min-ah scolded while using the edge of her palm to wipe the water from his temples to prevent it from dripping onto the plate.

"Oh." Park Ji-hoon finally realized, took two napkins, gave one to her to wipe her hands, and used the other to wipe the water.

Park Min-ah sat down next to him.

However, before he had eaten even half, he asked, "Is there more?" Surprised, she turned to see that the plate, which was half the size of hers, was already empty.

Stunned, she said, "Brother! Why are you eating so fast? I'll give you mine."

"What about you?" Park Ji-hoon asked.

"I'm almost done, and it was prepared for you anyway." Park Min-ah pushed her plate to him.

"Oh." Park Ji-hoon didn't hesitate. Today, he was inexplicably hungry after the shower, and it was his favorite dish, so he almost wanted to eat the plate too!

Park Min-ah put down her chopsticks, propped her chin on her hand, and watched him. Her feet dangled under the table, as if she were watching a favorite TV drama.

"How is university life? Are you adapting well?" Park Ji-hoon asked while eating. After being half full, he was no longer as eager as before.

"Not good!" Park Min-ah pouted slightly and said.

"What's wrong?" Park Ji-hoon paused, turned to look at her.