Joo-Hee wiped the sweat from her brow and cheeks as she basked in her "hard-earned" victory. Kang Ho approached with a congratulatory nod before turning to Min Jae to give a quick lesson about avoiding getting distracted during a fight.
Joo-Hee couldn't help but smile as she thought, 'I'm sorry, Min Jae… but thanks for letting me win.' The fatigue from the sparring match seemed to melt away, replaced by a sense of joy and pride that carried her spirits higher than usual.
As they stepped off the stage together, another pair of hunters took their place. Joo-Hee watched their match attentively, eager to pick up new tricks, all while discreetly healing herself.
Not forgetting her manners, she also offered to heal Min Jae. They chatted briefly, and she made sure to clear the air, hoping he wouldn't hold a grudge for the little trick she pulled earlier. Thankfully, Min Jae just laughed it off, shaking his head in mock frustration.
Almost an hour passed before the day's session finally wrapped up. As soon as they were dismissed, Joo-Hee hurried back to her room, heart quietly fluttering with anticipation. She had made up her mind to visit Jin-Woo's room, hoping to spend just a bit more time with him.
Back in his hospital room, she quickly showered, the cold water refreshing her aching muscles. After changing into casual clothes, she was ready. She glanced at the mirror, fixing her hair briefly before stepping out into the corridor.
Almost an hour passed before the day's session finally wrapped up. As soon as they were dismissed, Joo-Hee hurried back to her room, heart quietly fluttering with anticipation. She had made up her mind to visit Jin-Woo's room, hoping to spend just a bit more time with him.
Her heart felt lighter today, the progress in her training giving her confidence, and the thought of seeing Jin-Woo again strangely lifting her spirits. As she neared Jin-Woo's room, Joo-Hee took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped inside.
What she saw when she entered the room caught her completely off guard. Jin-Woo was in the middle of an intense exercise routine, his upper body glistening with sweat. He was wearing nothing but a pair of snug, blue boxers with white trim, which clung to his body and accentuated the results of his rigorous training. The sight stopped Joo-Hee in her tracks.
Her gaze was immediately drawn to Jin-Woo's well-defined pectoral muscles, each ripple a testament to countless hours of dedication. The sheer strength that Jin-Woo's physique radiated left her stunned for a moment, admiration flickering in the back of her mind.
'He's always been natty and muscular in the story, but seeing it up close like this...' she couldn't help but marvel at his muscles. But then, her eyes unintentionally traveled downward, lingering on the way Jin-Woo's boxers clung tightly to his body, drenched in sweat and leaving little to the imagination. Her heart skipped a beat.
Before she could stop herself, a surge of heat rushed to her face as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Her thoughts raced, 'S-Shoot..! What was I thinking just barging in like this and not knocking?!'
The sight of Jin-Woo's sweat-slicked physique, both enviable and undeniably striking, mixed uncomfortably with the lingering instincts of Lee Joo-Hee's body. A strange combination of emotions stirred inside Jake—part admiration, part awkwardness, and something else he didn't want to examine too closely. He gulped, unable to tear his eyes away, feeling a tugging confusion that left him momentarily frozen. This body, Lee Joo-Hee's instincts... they're messing with me, Jake thought with a pang of frustration. I shouldn't be reacting like this.
Suddenly realizing she had been staring too long, her thoughts jolted back to the present. The sudden intrusion had startled Jin-Woo, who froze mid-curl-up, his face flushing red with embarrassment.
For a second, neither of them moved, caught in an awkward silence. Jin-Woo, clearly surprised, quickly grabbed a towel from the nearby chair and wrapped it around his waist, his eyes wide with shock and an almost sheepish look on his face.
"J-Joo-Hee!" Jin-Woo stammered, a mix of embarrassment and surprise flooding his voice. "W-What are you doing here...?!"
Joo-Hee replied as the heat spread to her cheeks, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to barge in like this. I was just coming to check on you!" Jin-Woo scrambled to pull on a shirt, his movements hurried and awkward, almost comical in their urgency. "NO! No! It's fine. Really. I just didn't expect anyone..."
As Jin-Woo adjusted his clothes, Jake settled awkwardly into a seat in the corner, trying to hide his nervousness. The whole situation was incredibly awkward yet oddly endearing. Watching Jin-Woo fumble to regain his composure, Jake couldn't help but find the moment funny and a bit wrong. I didn't get flustered when my friends and I changed after playing soccer, he thought, clenching his hands in frustration at this ridiculous predicament.
Once Jin-Woo finally got his shirt on, he sat on the hospital bed, his cheeks still flushed but now wearing a small, embarrassed smile.
"J-Joo-Hee, you can come in now. I'm finished changing," he called out, scratching his neck nervously. "Sorry for yelling earlier... and for, uh, the scene. I didn't mean for it to be weird."
Still flustered herself, Joo-Hee stepped in, shaking her head quickly. "No, no. Don't apologize. It's nothing worth stressing over," she said, laughing awkwardly as she tried her best to avoid looking at his clothes—or his eyes.
She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "B-But you really have changed a lot, Jin-Woo. You're completely different from just a few days ago."
Her words were meant to test him, to gauge if he really did have a system now, as the timeline suggested.
Jin-Woo froze for a split second, surprised by her comment.
He quickly laughed it off. "Ah, it's nothing special. Just some extra workouts here and there. Maybe a late growth spurt?" he offered with a nervous chuckle.
That was enough for Joo-Hee after trying so hard for a couple of days already, as she mused, 'He's still trying to hide it. Well, that confirms it, he has the system. What a relief~!'
Satisfied, she let it go and smiled gently. "Maybe you're right. So… how's your day been, Jin?"
They sat quietly for a few moments, chatting as the atmosphere settled into a calm lull. But perhaps because they were alone, or maybe due to the lingering tension from earlier.
Each pause between their words felt heavier than usual. There was something unsaid, a warmth budding between them, fragile and unspoken.
Then, after a brief silence, Jin-Woo glanced her way with a shy expression. His voice came out soft.
"Joo-Hee... can I ask you a favor?"
When Jin-Woo said it, his eyes meeting hers with such calm sincerity, Joo-Hee's heart skipped a beat.
'A favor?' she thought, panic rising. 'All of a sudden? And does he have to look at me like that?!'
Her thoughts spiraled as a warmth rose in her chest. 'Damn it, this cursed body of mine…! Calm down! Don't let this get to your head! I'm not some flustered teenager, I'm—!'
She clenched her toes inside her slippers, willing herself to relax and suppress the wild thumping of her body's heart.
Then she forced a smile, trying to respond with composure. "S-Sure! What is it? As long as I'm read—"
She stopped herself, her eyes widening in horror. "I-I mean… capable! As long as I'm capable of doing it!" she blurted out, followed by a strained laugh.
'You stupid tongue, why the hell did you almost say ready?!'
Her mind screamed. 'Get it together! You may have transmigrated, but that doesn't mean your soul has to be eaten alive by this hormonal body! I'm still Jake inside—no, I'm Joo-Hee now…'
'Damn it, I'm both!'
Jin-Woo, meanwhile, chuckled at her flustered reaction, his expression softening with amusement. "Relax," he said. "I was just going to ask… if you could heal me. My back's been a little sore since this morning."
Joo-Hee froze. 'That's it?' she thought. 'Thank heavens, it's just healing. Not… anything else.'
"Ah, I-I see. Healing. Of course!" she said quickly, trying to keep her voice even. "Just turn around, and I'll—uh—heal you properly."
'Why did I emphasize "properly"?' she scolded herself, cheeks turning red.
Jin-Woo, ever so casually and simple-minded, turned around and sat down on his bed. Then, without warning, he gently reached behind and took her hand, guiding it toward the center of his upper back, right near the shoulder blade.
"Here, this spot. Thank you in advance, Joo-Hee," he said with a relaxed smile, completely unaware of the silent internal war she was having.
The moment her hand made contact with his skin, a spark ran through her.
'Nope. Nope. This is getting out of hand,' she thought, face heating up as though she'd stuck it into a furnace.
It wasn't even the contact—it was the gentleness of it all. The calm intimacy.
She activated her healing skill, [Healing Touch], on instinct, trying to focus on the warm, soothing flow of mana instead of the rising tide of chaos in her chest.
'No more of this!' she thought in panic. 'I swear on the heavens above, if this kind of thing keeps happening… it's going to be the death of me!'
And yet, even as she healed him, something inside her curled, betraying the truth she didn't want to admit: a part of her… didn't entirely mind.