"How's class?" Seok-Woo asked Sunhwi as he munched on the potato chips she had bought. His eyes shifted toward her, unconsciously scanning her body.
"It's nothing noteworthy. I don't bother to listen because it's so boring," Sunhwi said, reaching into the plastic bag for a drink. As she moved, her bra's outline became visible to Seok-Woo.
Whether it was intentional or not, Seok-Woo simply glanced away. It was nothing to get riled up about. He returned his attention to the television, where a romantic drama was playing. Sunhwi made occasional offhand comments as she watched, her legs crossed and her focus entirely on the screen.
Seok-Woo, on the other hand, was starting to get hooked. The story followed the generic trope of a CEO falling in love with an ordinary girl. Even though it had been done many times, it never failed to make a viewer's heart flutter.
As time passed, the story approached its climax. Both Seok-Woo and Sunhwi fell silent, as if by mutual agreement. The male lead had just saved the female lead from danger, and their feelings for one another were finally coming to the surface.
"Oh... ohh... ohhh..." Sunhwi exclaimed, her eyes wide as she watched the leads lean in for a kiss. Seok-Woo was equally locked in, forgetting the potato chip still held in his hand.
The characters' lips were only inches apart, the camera zooming in on their faces—then, suddenly, the screen turned black and white. The ending theme music began to play.
"Ah! What the hell!?" Sunhwi cried out, throwing the pillow from her lap aside in sheer disappointment.
"Are you serious!? Do I have to wait until next week to know if they kissed or not?" she fumed, grabbing her phone from the table. She quickly opened her messaging app.
There were already several notifications waiting. Sunhwi opened the chat to find both Ja-In and Eun-Ah venting about the episode, mirroring her own frustration.
Seok-Woo scratched his head, displeased but not quite on Sunhwi's level. He was somewhat amused by the production's tactics.
"Well, it keeps people hooked. Fair game, I guess" he thought to himself.
Sunhwi was typing rapidly on her phone, visibly not yet calmed down. Seok-Woo took a peek at her, then continued eating what was left of the potato chips.
It didn't take long for Sunhwi to finish typing. Afterward, she put her phone back on the table. Her face was still displeased, but not the same as at the start.
"Calmed down already?" Seok-Woo asked as he grabbed another snack from the plastic bag. It was the last one.
Sunhwi didn't answer him. Instead, she leaned forward and snatched the snack from Seok-Woo's hand. She then proceeded to tear it open and grabbed a handful to eat.
Seok-Woo didn't mind her actions, as it wasn't his business. He just smirked at her and pulled his phone out from his pants pocket.
As he turned it on, there were already a few notifications on the messaging app. He opened it; a few people had messaged him: Chae-Yoon, Sung-Hee, and Gyeong-Eun.
He tapped to open Chae-Yoon's chat and saw the message. "Are you going to eat out, Seok-Woo?" she asked, confirming whether he'd be eating at home or not.
"Yes, I'll be eating out," Seok-Woo replied promptly and sent it. He then moved to Sung-Hee. She was suggesting places to go, such as the cinema, an amusement park, and other areas to visit. Seok-Woo lightly smiled as he replied, "You choose." He knew that this message would irritate her because of how nonchalant it was.
After that, he moved to Gyeong-Eun, slightly surprised that she had messaged him. "I don't remember giving her my number... I guess I did but forgot when, or maybe my mother gave my contact to her" he thought to himself as he pondered.
He opened the chat and saw what she had sent: "Are you available next Saturday? I want you to accompany me somewhere." Seok-Woo tilted his head slightly, taken aback by her request.
"I really have nothing to do that day, so I guess I'll tag along with her" Seok-Woo thought, after which he replied saying that he was available. He typed the message and sent it to her.
Sunhwi, who had finally calmed down, looked at Seok-Woo while he was on his phone but didn't go near or ask anything, as it was his personal matter. When he turned off his phone and put it on the table.
She stood up and pointed, "Wanna play a game?" She was gesturing toward a console sitting under the television. Seok-Woo looked at where she was pointing and considered it. There's a bit of time left; it won't hurt to go a little later, he thought to himself before replying.
"Sure, but what are we playing?" Seok-Woo asked.
"Let's play this," Sunhwi said as she walked over to grab a case. After picking it up, she showed it to Seok-Woo .
It was a fighting game—one Seok-Woo was very familiar with. He had played it a lot before leaving for his mandatory military service. After a moment, Sunhwi finished setting up the console and handed the second controller to Seok-Woo .
Seok-Woo took it from her as she sat back down, controller in hand. "Don't complain when you lose to me," she said smugly. Seok-Woo just smiled faintly and didn't reply.
The two of them selected their characters and the match began. At first, Seok-Woo lost as he struggled to remember the controls. However, after a few rounds, he started to recall the inputs required for the more powerful moves. Soon, Seok-Woo began to win—and he won consecutively, much to Sunhwi's dismay.
"Ah... that's so annoying!" Sunhwi complained as she lost yet again. She looked at Seok-Woo health bar; it had barely moved because he hadn't given her any room to breathe.
This is more fun than I remembered, Seok-Woo thought, glancing at Sunhwi's annoyed expression. She looks really cute when she's like that, he mused with a light smile.
"Let's play something else," Sunhwi said, standing up to change the game. This time, she chose a co-op game so there would be less chance of her getting angry.
Both of them became engrossed in the game, communicating well as they played. "Wait, Seok-Woo! You need this to unlock the door," Sunhwi said.
"This isn't the correct key. Get me the other one," Seok-Woo replied when the door wouldn't budge, prompting her to search for a different one.
As they were playing, the apartment door opened. The person who entered could hear both Seok-Woo and Sunhwi from the hallway. It was Sunhwi's sister. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, as if she had just finished a long day of work.
"Oh my, they're getting along quite well" she thought to herself as she peeked in at them.
Sensing someone's presence, Sunhwi looked back and was surprised to see her sister. "U-Unnie! When did you get here?" she asked, sounding flustered. She hadn't expected her sister to come home so early.
"Just now... it seems I've disturbed your session. Don't mind me," Sunhwi's sister said. She took a long, intense look at Seok-Woo before walking toward her room. Seok-Woo watched her go, unsure why she had been staring at him so hard.
Both Seok-Woo and Sunhwi stopped playing after that, sensing it was time to wrap things up. "It's getting late; I should head out," Seok-Woo said. He put down the controller, grabbed his phone from the table, and stood up.
Sunhwi was reluctant to let the moment end because she had been having so much fun, but the mood had shifted once her sister arrived. "I was expecting more than just playing games" she thought to herself, though she kept the sentiment private.
"Sure. Thanks for hanging out with me," Sunhwi said, offering him a smile. She stood up and walked toward him, surprising him with a quick peck on the lips. Seok-Woo hadn't expected the gesture, but he liked it.
"Next time, we should find somewhere more private than this," Sunhwi said suggestively. Seok-Woo gave her a light smile and replied, "Sure. See you around."
They said their goodbyes, and a few moments later, Seok-Woo left. As Sunhwi sat back down, her sister emerged from her room. She had changed out of her clothes and was now lounging in just her underwear.
"What's with the long face?" her sister asked with a smirk. Sunhwi simply turned her head and glared at her.
"That's none of your business," Sunhwi snapped, clearly displeased. She grabbed her phone and stormed toward her bedroom.
After the door slammed shut with a loud bang, Sunhwi's sister giggled at the reaction. She walked over to the sofa and sat down, picking up the controller to play. "At least clean up before you run off," she muttered to the empty living room.
Meanwhile, at Gyeong-Eun's place, she was dressed in a sheer, transparent nightgown. Underneath the thin fabric, she wore nothing at all, her body completely exposed as she worked.
She was focused on the files on her laptop, tapping away as she replied to emails and drafted lesson plans for her classes. A cup of coffee sat steaming beside her. After a while, she glanced at the time and sighed. "There's still so much left to finish..." she murmured, pausing her work to take a short break.
She picked up her phone and checked her notifications. The only one that caught her eye was from Seok-Woo. She opened the chat and read his reply; seeing that he was available, she slowly turned her gaze toward her bed.
Resting there was a burgundy envelope. It was an eye-catching piece of stationery, sealed with the print of a masquerade mask. Gyeong-Eun stared at it, lost in thought.