Chapter 57

After breakfast, Park Ji-hoon lay on the sofa chatting with Park Min-ya, and only then did the fatigue truly set in. He didn't even realize when he had fallen asleep.

He was awakened by the doorbell.

"Oh—" he let out a long sigh, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and sat up. Only after the blanket fell to the floor did he realize how deeply he had slept, his eyes still struggling to open.

He slipped on his slippers and went to open the door. Park Min-ya was not there; she had gone to class.

"Yoo Ri?" He had thought it was Krystal, but to his surprise, Yoo Ri stood at the door! She wore a baseball cap, a high ponytail, a white T-shirt, a light jacket, blue denim shorts, and white sneakers, holding a pair of sunglasses she had just taken off. She looked neat and efficient.

Seeing Park Ji-hoon with his sleepy, disheveled appearance, Yoo Ri couldn't help but pause for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Oppa."

"It's nothing, come in," Park Ji-hoon said, letting her in.

"Where's Min-ya?" Yoo Ri asked as she took off her shoes.

"Min-ya went to class; she'll be back at noon," Park Ji-hoon replied.

"Ah?" Yoo Ri's foot, which had just lifted, suddenly paused. Park Min-ya hadn't mentioned this when they talked on the phone, meaning that now she and Park Ji-hoon were alone in the room! And Park Ji-hoon was Taeyeon's boyfriend, which made the situation a bit awkward.

"What's wrong?" Park Ji-hoon asked.

"Oh, nothing, I'm sorry for disturbing you, Oppa," Yoo Ri said hurriedly after a second of hesitation.

"It's nothing," Park Ji-hoon smiled and asked, "What gift did you bring?" She was still holding a large bag.

"Thanks," Park Ji-hoon took the bag and said softly. If it was just for a snack, why would she bring so much? And this wasn't the first time.

Yoo Ri pursed her lips but pretended not to hear, taking care of his self-esteem.

Entering the living room, she put away her sunglasses, hat, and jacket with familiarity. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Her childhood memories were distant, and she didn't know if Park Ji-hoon remembered them, nor had she ever asked.

"Sit wherever you like," Park Ji-hoon said, folding the blanket. "I'll go wash my face."

"Okay," Yoo Ri gradually relaxed. She wasn't the type to be shy or拘谨, and she often teased Park Ji-hoon with Park Min-ya. However, this was her first time being alone with Park Ji-hoon, and the quiet, empty room made her feel a bit unnatural.

The sofa was still warm, and it wasn't hard to guess that Park Ji-hoon had been sleeping there.

"Didn't you sleep in the bedroom?" she thought, a small complaint instinctively rising. But she didn't say it; their relationship wasn't that close yet.

Looking around, she noticed the difference a woman made in the house. Although the furniture was the same, there were now wind chimes, paper cranes, and cartoon-patterned cushions, making the room clean and cozy, adding a sense of home.

She couldn't help but think of Park Min-ya's graceful demeanor and her thoughtful care for Park Ji-hoon... This guy must have saved the world in a past life to have such a sister?

"What would you like to drink, water or juice?" Park Ji-hoon's voice broke the silence. He had bought a juicer to entertain guests, as seasonal fruits were not too expensive.

"Juice, thanks," Yoo Ri said without much hesitation.

"Okay," Park Ji-hoon responded, squeezed two glasses of juice, and walked over, sitting cross-legged opposite Yoo Ri—there was no sofa, just a cushion, and he sat up straight, not feeling inferior.

"During this time of rest, you should eat more nutritious food," Yoo Ri said, taking a small sip of juice. Up close, he really did look much thinner!

"Neither Min-ya nor I are the type to be stingy with money," Park Ji-hoon said half-jokingly. After all, they were neighbors, and he spoke more casually with her.

Yoo Ri smiled slightly.

Suddenly, silence!

Park Ji-hoon was waiting for Yoo Ri to speak, and Yoo Ri was waiting for Park Ji-hoon to speak as the host, but neither did. The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Yoo Ri used drinking the juice to cover up her discomfort, then suddenly noticed something. She looked up and saw Park Ji-hoon staring at her intently, causing her to instinctively cross her legs. Women are very sensitive to such gazes from men, even if Park Ji-hoon's was just a quick glance.

Park Ji-hoon smiled, showing no signs of awkwardness or embarrassment, and said, "I remember Auntie once said that when you were little, you liked climbing trees." Looking at her now, so womanly, and thinking of her boyish childhood, he felt a bit nostalgic.

"I didn't like climbing trees, I just did it a few times!" Yoo Ri's face turned slightly red as she quickly defended herself.

"Is that so?" Park Ji-hoon replied with a half-smile.

Yoo Ri's face turned red again as she said, "Oppa, you used to like fighting when you were little!"

"I didn't like fighting, I just did it a few times," Park Ji-hoon said in the same tone she had used.

Yoo Ri rolled her eyes, looking a bit annoyed.

But they clearly became much closer.

Today was a good opportunity for them to talk about their childhood, sharing funny stories from their upbringing and their impressions of each other, gradually becoming more intimate.

Neither wanted to return to the previous awkwardness, so they chatted more and more, until the doorbell rang again.

"I'll check," Park Ji-hoon said, getting up.

Yoo Ri hesitated for a moment and then followed. She thought no one else would come to Park Ji-hoon's place besides Park Min-ya, so she didn't consider that the visitor was ringing the doorbell instead of using a key.

"Ah!" Before they turned the corner, they heard a loud shout, followed by a mischievous laugh.

It was familiar but definitely not Park Min-ya.

As they turned the corner, the scene before them made them both freeze.

What did she see?!

Krystal was hugging Park Ji-hoon, and he had his hands on her shoulders. What was going on?

"Uh!" Krystal, who had been giggling, saw Yoo Ri over Park Ji-hoon's shoulder. Their eyes met, and the laughter stopped abruptly. She quickly straightened up, following Park Ji-hoon's push.

Earlier, when Park Ji-hoon opened the door, she had secretly scared him, and it worked, so she was laughing triumphantly, with one hand on his shoulder, half-hugging him. But she never expected Yoo Ri to be in the room!

"Yoo Ri-ssi," she said, giving them a curious glance.

"Krystal," Yoo Ri, now recovered from her shock, smiled and greeted Krystal. It was just an instinctive reaction; she knew their relationship.

"What did you bring?" Unlike with Yoo Ri, Park Ji-hoon directly took the bag from Krystal's hand.

"Meat and a gift for Oppa," Krystal handed him the heavier bag and kept the other one herself.

"So much meat, Min-ya and I will be eating for a long time!" Park Ji-hoon said with a wry smile. Like Yoo Ri, Krystal had bought a lot of meat under the pretext of coming for a meal.

"Didn't you just buy a fridge? You can store it and eat it slowly," Krystal said casually. With the weather getting hot, vegetables and fruits were hard to keep, so she had bought a fridge.

Yoo Ri's eyebrows raised slightly. She noticed that Park Ji-hoon didn't even thank Krystal, just put the meat in the fridge.

It seemed their relationship was more than just a five-year acquaintance; it was unusually close!

"Oppa, I bought you a summer shirt, try it on!" Krystal's words confirmed her suspicions but also surprised her a bit.

She had just drawn a line between their relationship, but it was immediately broken.

"What shirt?" Park Ji-hoon returned to the sofa and asked curiously, "Why did you suddenly think of buying me a shirt?" This was the first time.

"It's cheap, just a few thousand won," Krystal said, pulling out a top from the bag, shaking it out, and handing it to Park Ji-hoon. "It looks nice and should be very cool."

Park Ji-hoon took the shirt and couldn't help but twitch his lips. It was a wide-shouldered strapless top, smooth and light, probably made of silk, and the entire top was covered with tiny, diamond-shaped holes. It would be strange if it wasn't cool!

Yoo Ri watched from the side, her lips curling slightly, and two shallow lines appeared on the sides of her nose. She picked up the remaining juice, took a sip, and tried to hide her smile.

"Try it on," Krystal said.

"Is this the famous thin, see-through, and revealing?" Park Ji-hoon muttered softly.

"Ha!" Yoo Ri suddenly bent her head, quickly put down her cup, and wiped the juice that had spilled from the corner of her mouth. She never expected the seemingly serious and mature Park Ji-hoon to say something like that!

"Do you want it, Oppa?" Krystal pouted. It was rare for her to be so kind and buy him a shirt, and he was being so picky!

"Why not?" Park Ji-hoon said, not avoiding her, and turned around, taking off his T-shirt right in front of them.

Yoo Ri's eyes flickered, wanting to look away but drawn to his back.

Men and women alike are attracted to beautiful things. After six months of exercise, Park Ji-hoon's shoulders were much broader, and his back had clear, defined lines, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, forming a shallow "V" shape when he raised his arms, very sexy!

Krystal showed no reaction; she had photos of Park Ji-hoon from the filming of "Uncle" in her phone, where he was shirtless. She was also the only one, besides Park Min-ya and Sulli, who had visited Park Ji-hoon on set.

"Are you sure this is a man's shirt?" Park Ji-hoon, after putting on the shirt, looked down, turned around, and said to Krystal, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Ha ha!" Krystal and Yoo Ri burst out laughing at the same time.