Chapter 63

A pair of white casual shoes, clearly belonging to a girl.

In Park Ji-hoon's mind, the image of the petite girl he had seen at Dongguk University last time surfaced. He had not known about this visit beforehand; it seemed she was looking for Park Min-ah.

After changing into slippers, he returned to the living room, his steps suddenly pausing, his brows involuntarily furrowing, and the greeting he had intended to say was swallowed back.

The two girls had already heard the door opening and stood up.

"Brother!" One was Park Min-ah, dressed in a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, looking cool and casual.

"OPPA... you're back." The other was Tae-yeon! Dressed in a white T-shirt and capri pants, she looked casual but somewhat haggard, her gaze fixed on him.

"Uh-huh." After about 0.5 seconds, Park Ji-hoon finally reacted, pursing his lips and saying, "I'll go change clothes first."

A gaze followed his movements until he entered the bedroom, then reluctantly withdrew.

Park Min-ah noticed that Tae-yeon had suddenly become quiet.

Park Ji-hoon changed into a comfortable, casual outfit, washed his face, and then returned to the living room.

"I came to see Min-ah." Seeing him come out, Tae-yeon stood up again and explained softly, looking cautious. After losing him, she realized how precious he was. For the past six months, she had missed his kindness. If they had broken up normally, it would have been fine, but everything was due to her misunderstanding, which led to a growing sense of guilt. In front of him, she always became cautious without realizing it.

"Uh-huh, Tae-yeon-ssi invited me to her dorm before, but Brother was too busy, so I didn't go." Park Min-ah glanced at Tae-yeon, sighed lightly, and explained the situation to Park Ji-hoon.

"Sit down." Park Ji-hoon said, sitting down next to Park Min-ah.

"Brother, use my chopsticks; I'll get another pair." Park Min-ah handed him her chopsticks and got up to say.

On the coffee table, there was a plate of golden-brown korokke, a dish of dipping sauce, and two empty small plates. There was nothing else to offer, so Park Min-ah had specially fried a plate of potato cakes.

After taking the chopsticks, Park Ji-hoon picked up Park Min-ah's plate, took a piece of korokke, dipped it in the sauce, and took a bite.

The crispy exterior and soft, fragrant interior, still warm, were delicious.

This was the first time he and Tae-yeon had met since the "moving party," and his feelings were complex.

"How have you been?" Tae-yeon bit her lip lightly and asked. Her eyes were fixed on him; he had really lost weight since the last time they met! His features were still as clear and refined as before, but he gave a completely different impression, exuding a mature and steady aura.

All these changes were directly caused by her! Just thinking about it made her feel a sour taste in her heart.

"Pretty good." After finishing the korokke in his mouth, Park Ji-hoon said, "How about you?"

"I'm pretty good too." Tae-yeon lowered her eyelids slightly, looking at the half-eaten korokke on the plate, and said softly.

The conversation was as awkward as their last call. She wanted to break this awkwardness, but as soon as she saw or heard Park Ji-hoon, she became cautious.

She was afraid that even this awkwardness couldn't be maintained! She had tested it before; he didn't even know about her musical performance. She didn't know how much she still mattered to him.

"Min-ah's cooking is pretty good, right?" Park Ji-hoon said proactively.

"Uh-huh, it's really delicious!" Tae-yeon's spirits lifted slightly, and she smiled, praising. There was no deliberate flattery; for girls used to various snacks, Park Min-ah's korokke was a completely different kind of enjoyment. No wonder Jessica said her sister was completely "conquered" by Park Min-ah's cooking!

"Thank you for the compliment, Tae-yeon-ssi." Park Min-ah, who had just returned, heard Tae-yeon's praise and smiled.

"It's not a compliment, it's really delicious!" Tae-yeon corrected.

Park Min-ah had always refused her invitations through Yoo Ri, which made her worry that Park Min-ah might dislike her. After much hesitation, she finally mustered the courage to call Park Min-ah today and come over.

She was easy to get along with, not as unpleasant as she had imagined, which made her feel relieved. However, Park Min-ah's excellence made her feel a faint sense of inferiority. Height, appearance, talent... even her cooking skills were so impressive; how could she compare?

The only consolation was that they were siblings.

Park Min-ah squinted her eyes in a happy manner, making Tae-yeon, who had praised her, feel cheerful as well.

"Brother!" Suddenly, Park Min-ah's scolding voice rang out, "Don't treat korokke like a meal!"

Tae-yeon turned her head and saw that Park Ji-hoon had already eaten two korokke in just a short time! He was reaching for the third one with his chopsticks but was knocked away by Park Min-ah's chopsticks.

When he came back, there were four korokke on the plate; now there were only two left.

"Tae-yeon-ssi hasn't even finished one!" Park Min-ah pouted slightly. No matter what, Tae-yeon was a guest; how could a host eat the guest's food like that?

"Oh." Park Ji-hoon smiled awkwardly.

"It's okay, give it to OPPA." Tae-yeon said, "I'll just have one." Seeing Park Ji-hoon being scolded, she couldn't help but want to laugh, but for some reason, her heart felt sour, and she couldn't laugh.

"No, you eat it." Park Ji-hoon smiled lightly and said, "I'll save room for dinner."

It was like a note falling into her heart, stirring up ripples of joy. How long had it been since she had heard such casual words from him?

"Uh-huh!" Tae-yeon responded, lowering her head to take a bite of the korokke.

It was really delicious!

Suddenly, she felt a gaze on her, and her heart stirred. She suddenly looked up.

Just in time to meet Park Ji-hoon's eyes!

Was it an illusion? She seemed to see a hint of gentleness.

"Ah!" Distracted, she forgot she was holding a korokke dipped in sauce, and a drop of sauce fell onto her shirt.

Park Ji-hoon and Park Min-ah stood up at the same time, reaching for the tissues on the coffee table.

Halfway there, Park Min-ah's hand retreated.

"Clean it up." Park Ji-hoon took out two tissues and handed them to Tae-yeon.

"Thank you, OPPA." Strangely, even though the stain remained after cleaning, Tae-yeon felt very happy.

"Go change into one of Min-ah's clothes." Park Ji-hoon said after she had cleaned up.

Tae-yeon hesitated and looked at Park Min-ah.

"Come to my room, Tae-yeon-ssi." Park Min-ah stood up and said.

"Thank you." Tae-yeon said softly.

It felt like a gentle breeze had blown through her heart. She suddenly felt that the distance between her and this brother and sister had narrowed, and her steps became much lighter.

Calling Park Min-ah today was a decision she had made after mustering her courage, somewhat abruptly, but it seemed to have a good effect.

"What kind of clothes do you like, Tae-yeon-ssi?" In the bedroom, Park Min-ah asked.

"Any T-shirt will do." Tae-yeon said hurriedly. She was looking around Park Min-ah's room, which was neat and clean, more girlish than their dorm.

"How about this one?" Park Min-ah found a white T-shirt and asked.

"Great, thank you." Tae-yeon thanked her and took the T-shirt.

It was very cheap! She could tell by touching it. Park Min-ah's lack of concern impressed her. Girls usually have a bit of vanity, and being able to offer such a simple T-shirt with grace requires a good attitude.

She tried it on; it was a bit big, but it was okay.

"I'll keep Tae-yeon-ssi's clothes here and wash them for you." Park Min-ah folded Tae-yeon's T-shirt and said.

"No, I'll take them back and wash them myself!" Tae-yeon politely declined. They had just met, and she didn't want to trouble her with washing clothes.

Park Min-ah nodded and didn't insist.

The two returned to the living room.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Park Ji-hoon looked at Tae-yeon and asked.

"No!" Tae-yeon's eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head quickly.

"Then let's have dinner together." Park Ji-hoon said.

"Thank you, OPPA, I'll trouble Min-ah!" Tae-yeon didn't hesitate, afraid of missing this rare opportunity.

"It's okay." Park Min-ah smiled lightly. She would like anything Park Ji-hoon liked.

Tae-yeon took a deep breath to hide her excitement. In the past six months, she hadn't made as much progress as she did this afternoon. This abrupt visit seemed to be the right move!

Although there was no entertainment, just chatting, it was the happiest afternoon she had had in the past six months.

After dinner, she left with the korokke that Park Min-ah had specially prepared, still feeling unsatisfied.

She had wanted to refuse, not because she didn't like it, but because for their nine members, this amount of korokke was too little! She was afraid it would cause a "war." Don't underestimate girls; in terms of food expenses, they were even higher than the original thirteen members of Super Junior!

On the way back to the dorm, Tae-yeon kept thinking, should she eat one first? There were only ten korokke, clearly not enough if more than three members were in the dorm!

With her mind full of thoughts, she returned to the dorm.

As soon as she opened the door, she heard a lively noise. According to Seohyun, they were too cheerful!

Recognizing two voices, her face stiffened.

How were these two here? Was it the "food gods" guiding them?

"Tae-yeon-ssi!" In the living room, Yoon-a saw Tae-yeon return and called out affectionately, coming over—seeing the two bags in Tae-yeon's hand.

"Huh? Whose clothes is Tae-yeon wearing?" Sooyoung suddenly noticed that Tae-yeon was not wearing the same clothes she had left in.

"Wow!" Before Tae-yeon could answer, Yoon-a suddenly exclaimed excitedly, "What's this?" and opened the bag Tae-yeon had handed her.

"What?" Hyoyeon and Jessica looked over at the same time, and Sooyoung also dropped her question and ran over.

"Wow—so fragrant!" The korokke was still warm, and Sooyoung and Yoon-a exclaimed in unison when the packaging was opened.

"Korokke made by Min-ah." Tae-yeon finally had a chance to speak, her voice tinged with pride. These two were the "food gods" she had thought of earlier, and also within Girls' Generation.

"Made by Min-ah?" Hyoyeon and Jessica heard the name and stood up to gather around.