A chilling sensation crept up the back of Hayul's neck as she was tying her hair up due to the heat.
Startled, she turned around to see Sehwa holding two coffees, playfully saying "Hello" with a grin as he handed her one.
Hayul, caught off guard, accepted the coffee and looked at the sly fox pretending to be a bear.
Of course, it wasn't intentional, but she couldn't help but notice. His ripped jeans revealed tantalizing glimpses of pale skin, and his white t-shirt, slightly damp with sweat, clung to his body, faintly showing pink… buds underneath.
"Noona."
The tattoos peeking out on his body, combined with that provocative outfit, gave off a seductive vibe…
"Noona!"
"Huh?"
Hayul snapped out of her thoughts and looked directly at Sehwa.
"I kept calling you, but where was your mind wandering?"
Hayul wiped a bit of drool that had unconsciously slipped out and tried to speak as maturely as possible.
"Ahem. Um, Sehwa."
"Yes?"
"Uh… don't take this the wrong way, but your shirt… it's see-through."
(Phew, I finally said it. Guys need to be careful about these things.)
Sehwa glanced down at his chest, then flapped his white shirt.
The motion caused the shirt to ride up, revealing toned abs that stole Hayul's attention.
"Sorry. Must be the sweat. I'm letting it dry."
"Oh, no, it's fine. Don't you use, like, a cover or something?"
"Why would I need that?"
"Oh… never mind."
Hayul started to warn Sehwa about his carefree attitude but stopped herself.
(Right… guys can do whatever they want these days. If I say something, it might come off as date harassment or whatever. Besides, we're not even dating.)
She felt it would be nice to be close enough to say such things, but that seemed unlikely.
…Why did her emotions keep stirring despite knowing this?
(I don't want to make things harder for someone who's already been through so much.)
"Shall we go then? To get your uniform. Oh, and… thanks for the coffee."
Honestly, Hayul wanted to sit and drink together at the café, but she decided to be grateful for the coffee Sehwa bought.
"No problem. You said you wanted coffee last time, didn't you?"
"Yeah. So, shall we…"
"Wait a sec, Noona. Hold still."
Sehwa, noticing something, stopped Hayul and took a few steps back.
He took in her carefully chosen outfit. A tight white short-sleeved top accentuated her chest, cutting off at her slim waist, leading to hips that flared out below. Her plump, fair thighs contrasted with her slender calves, stretching long. Finally, her small face, framed by a swaying ponytail, looked even cuter.
At first, he distinguished gender by superficial things like voice or long hair, but as his heart settled, he started noticing these details.
(She put in a lot of effort. She could totally be a celebrity.)
After admiring her, Sehwa spoke with a voice full of awe.
"You look really pretty today."
"It's okay. You don't have to say that. I know I'm not…"
Hayul genuinely believed it was just flattery. The confidence she had in her appearance earlier faded the more she looked at Sehwa. She felt like she should be the one grateful for him being her friend, not the other way around.
Sehwa, hearing her deflated tone, sensed her usual self-deprecating personality kicking in.
(This can't go on.)
"Noona, listen to me carefully."
"Huh?"
"Being kind is great. It's one of your strengths. But there's one thing I wish you'd have self-confidence. I like people who are confident."
Sehwa's firm words made Hayul's face shadow with the realization that her insecurities were exposed.
Worried she might crumble, Sehwa playfully punched her shoulder.
"Anyway, I'm telling the truth you're pretty, so don't sulk. It's not very ladylike to be so down."
Thankfully, it worked. Hayul let out a laugh, her expression brightening.
"Thanks. By the way, what did you get? It's really sweet. I thought you'd like something like an Americano, not this."
"I couldn't drink stuff like this when I was training. But now that I've quit, I like it."
Sehwa sipped his coffee through the straw.
Hayul thought the cold-looking Sehwa, childishly sucking on the straw, was adorable.
(Wait, he said he trained?)
"What kind of training did you do, Sehwa?"
"Martial arts."
"Oh…?"
(A guy doing martial arts? Well… maybe as a hobby.)
"Really? Like a hobby or something? How long did you do it?"
To satisfy Hayul's curiosity, Sehwa thought back to when he started.
(How long has it been… since high school, so… roughly…)
"Five years."
"Oh… okay."
Hayul nodded, thinking, (No wonder he gives off a strong vibe. Maybe because he lived abroad?)
But Sehwa, misinterpreting her nod as disbelief, wanted to prove himself. Nearby, some girls were taking turns kicking a punching machine with a hanging target.
(That'll do.)
"You don't believe me, do you? I'll show you. Let's go over there."
"No, really, I believe you! Don't push yourself!"
Despite Hayul's protests, Sehwa strode over and waited for the girls to finish.
As he approached, the girls, perhaps wanting to show off, started posing dramatically.
(Ugh, they're taking forever. If they kick like that… ugh.)
One girl seemed to have hurt her ankle from a bad kick, though she tried to play it off in front of a guy.
Unable to wait any longer, Sehwa politely asked to use the machine and inserted a coin.
As the target descended with a whirring sound, he loosened up his legs.
"Sehwa, really, it's fine! I believe you…"
"I know. I just want to loosen up a bit."
The unusual sight of a guy using the punching machine drew the attention of passersby.
(Spectators are welcome. It's more fun with an audience. Legs are ready…)
After checking no one was too close, he took his stance.
He twisted his upper body to the left, planting his right foot firmly. Feeling his perspective shift, he whipped his left leg out like lightning, delivering a spinning kick to the target.
A well-practiced roundhouse kick.
*BOOM!*
*Clunk, clunk!*
The sound of the target being struck echoed, but the scoreboard showed a score slightly below the highest.
It was a good hit, but the strength difference was undeniable.
Adjusting his posture, he said to Hayul,
"Ah, too bad. Not as good as before."
"How good were you before?"
Hayul, still in shock, couldn't even close her gaping mouth.
Realizing, (Oh, right, I'm a guy) he glanced around at the disbelieving stares.
(Fair enough. I wouldn't believe it either.)
"Back then… hmm. You see that target?"
Sehwa looked at the still-swaying target and said nonchalantly, "It broke."
Hayul felt a slight chill, thinking Sehwa was a bit… intimidating.
(I don't know if it's true, but he's definitely impressive…)
"Did you learn that in Russia?"
"…Yeah, sure."
We continued chatting as we headed to the school uniform shop.
I answered vaguely, mixing truth and fiction, until we finally reached the store.
"Well, come on in!"
Inside, there were no customers, and the shopkeeper, an older man sitting in the corner, jumped up.
"Hello. We're here to get a uniform for Yeonjeong High."
"Oh, for both of you, pretty lady included?"
"No, just for me."
The shopkeeper gave Hayul a sly glance, then started measuring me, exclaiming all the while.
"Your body's so nice, anything would look good on you. Look at those broad shoulders!"
"Thank you."
After taking my measurements, he brought out a uniform from the storage and had me try it on.
"It looks good, but… I won't charge for alterations, so wait a bit. I'll make it fit perfectly."
"You don't have to…"
"No, no. These days, baggy uniforms make you look like a nerd, and kids get bullied for it. Not that you'd have that problem, but… no offense!"
He glanced at my left arm and quickly backtracked.
(Free alterations? Works for me.)
"Please, go ahead."
"Alright, sit over there, and I'll have it done in no time."
He was a bit nosy but seemed kind.
Hayul and I were about to sit when we noticed the clothes packed tightly in the shop and decided to browse.
It was mostly Hayul's idea, but I didn't mind, so I looked around casually, though nothing caught my eye.
"Sehwa, how about this?"
"Doesn't really suit me, does it?"
"What about this?"
"That's… not quite right either."
As I kept rejecting her picks, Hayul pouted and brought over a jacket.
"This is the last one."
"Noona, you really want to dress me up, huh?"
"This is really the last one. I saw it and thought it was totally you."
I touched the jacket she handed me. The fabric was silky, and golden dragons were embroidered on both sides of the chest.
"A sukajan?"
"Oh, you know it? Most guys wouldn't."
"I know a bit. But it's a bit thick, might be hot."
"Then… wear it at night. It's cooler then…"
Her pleading look was too pitiful to refuse, so I tried it on.
It was quite oversized. If I wasn't careful, it slid off my shoulders or down to my waist.
Still…
"It's nice."
"Right? I'll buy it for you."
"No, I'll get it. You can't keep spending like that."
Feeling embarrassed for always receiving, I couldn't help but scold her.
Seeing Hayul's crestfallen expression, I sighed softly.
"I just feel bad. Thanks for picking it out. I'll wear it well."
Her droopy eyes instantly lit up.
"Hey, sorry for the wait!"
While we were bickering, the shopkeeper returned with my altered uniform.
"No problem. I'll pay for this too."
I took off the sukajan and placed it on the counter.
As Hayul reached for her wallet, I stopped her, paid, and we left the shop.
…
By the time the sun was setting, we parted ways near a convenience store.
"Noona, get home safe."
"You too, Sehwa. Today was really fun. And the new clothes… they suit you."
"The 'clothes' you picked out?"
I teased her by emphasizing "clothes," finding her pride in her choice adorable. Hayul, flustered, blushed and quickly disappeared from sight.
After seeing her off, I twirled the shopping bag in my hand and headed to a nearby mart to buy arm sleeves and tape to cover my tattoos.
Once home, I spread them out on the table.
Everything's ready now.
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Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
/ Reversalnovel.web.id