Chapter 31

The group cruised along the road, passing by bustling buildings and pedestrians on the sidewalk. Though there was some traffic, it wasn't as hectic as during rush hour.

Seok-Woo remained focused on driving but occasionally tuned into the conversation happening inside the car, primarily between himself and Sunhwi. The atmosphere was light, making the journey comfortable for everyone.

Sunhwi engaged Seok-Woo in conversation, mostly admiring his physique. "How long did it take to get this body?" she inquired, running her hand over his muscular arms. Seok-Woo casually replied, "It took nearly two years of hard work. I developed it during my time in the military," impressing both Sunhwi and the girls in the back seat.

Glancing at Sunhwi's hand on his arm, Seok-Woo didn't mind the contact but felt compelled to offer her some advice. "Sunhwi, while I appreciate your curiosity, be mindful of touching someone who might get easily distracted. It could lead to an accident," he cautioned her.

Sunhwi released her hold, apologizing, "Sorry, I was just curious." Her friends, Eun-Ah and Ja-In, couldn't help but smirk at her playful antics.

Despite Seok-Woo's warning, Sunhwi found herself more intrigued by him. "He didn't react much to my touch. He's much different from other guys I've met," she mused, already plotting her next move.

As they neared their destination, Seok-Woo parked the car, and the girls disembarked, waiting for him to join them. After locking the car, they set off on foot since the destination wasn't accessible by car.

As they walked, the trio chatted amiably while Seok-Woo trailed behind, hands in his pockets. Although he didn't mind the silence, Ja-In, noticing his quiet demeanor, attempted to draw him into the conversation with a question.

"Seok-Woo, the three of us wanted to know what major you enrolled in. We're all in the Physical Science Department," Ja-In asked Seok-Woo, indicating her and her two friends.

Seok-Woo listened to Ja-In's question and didn't take long to reply. "My major is Business Administration," he responded, prompting the girls to raise their eyebrows in surprise.

Sunhwi then connected the dots regarding why he chose that specific major and voiced her question to him. "Does your family have a business?" she asked, turning to face Seok-Woo directly. She arrived at this conclusion due to the expensive and high-quality car he drove.

"Yes, it's my father's business. I'll be taking over when the time comes, so I chose this major to learn and hopefully improve my skills and gain experience," Seok-Woo answered confidently.

The three listened to his response and were impressed by his reasoning for choosing his major. Now aware that Seok-Woo was born into wealth, though uncertain of the exact amount, they assumed it was substantial.

The conversation transitioned from mundane topics to discussions about their daily routines. While Seok-Woo didn't share much about himself, he gleaned a lot of information about the three in this situation.

Eventually, the group arrived at their destination to eat and entered the establishment. Inside, they found people of similar age ranges, with only a few from different generations.

The group found an empty table with four seats and settled in. Eun-Ah grabbed the menu from the waiter, skimmed through it first, and then passed it to the others.

Each person ordered their own food, and Seok-Woo didn't offer to pay for their meals since it was the first time he had met them. As usual, he ordered the most food.

The group then informed the waiter of their orders, which only took a few seconds. Now, they just needed to wait for their meals to arrive at the table. As they waited, the conversation continued.

With her head resting on her hand, Sunhwi asked Seok-Woo, "Do you have a girlfriend?" She wanted to know if he was in a relationship and about the girl, Sung-Hee, whom she had seen with him before.

Glancing at her, Seok-Woo replied, "Why do you want to know?" His voice carried a hint of curiosity. Sunhwi was slightly taken aback by his question but quickly composed herself and replied casually as if she weren't really interested in the answer.

"Just wondering," Sunhwi asked nonchalantly, though her friends secretly rolled their eyes at her obviousness. "She's too obvious," Eun-Ah and Ja-In thought to themselves.

Despite Sunhwi's casual demeanor, both she and Ja-In were curious about Seok-Woo's response. It didn't take long for him to answer Sunhwi's question. With a hint of uncertainty, he replied, "I don't have a girlfriend right now. Looking for one? I don't know for sure." Seok-Woo's response was honest, expressing his desire for a relationship but acknowledging the uncertainty of committing to one.

Sunhwi's face brightened at his answer, but as he continued, her expression calmed. She decided not to dwell on the topic any longer and swiftly changed it.

The group engaged in casual conversation, with Seok-Woo being the least talkative among them. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the food.

After a few minutes of chatting, their meals finally arrived. The waitress carefully placed the piping hot dishes on the table, along with the side dishes. The girls had ordered modest portions to watch their weight, while Seok-Woo, on the other hand, had a larger serving, including more dumplings and a plate of bossam. He paid no mind to the girls' reactions to his portion size, as he believed a man's gotta eat.

Seok-Woo waited for the others to start eating before diving in himself. He ate at a much faster pace compared to the girls, who maintained a more refined eating manner.

The girls were fascinated by his rapid consumption of food and engaged in occasional conversation as they ate.

Despite Seok-Woo's minimal involvement in the conversation, his presence alone contributed to the harmonious atmosphere. Sometimes, the girls would offer him a piece of dumpling, which he gratefully accepted.

Occasionally, other customers glanced at their table and whispered among themselves. One person remarked, "He's a full-blown playboy. Just look at the girls sitting with him. Lucky bastard." Fortunately, Seok-Woo didn't hear these comments.

Ja-In, seated beside Seok-Woo, glanced at his nearly empty plate. Despite their smaller portions, Seok-Woo had almost finished eating before them.

As Ja-In moved her arm, she accidentally knocked over a glass of water, spilling it on Seok-Woo. Although he managed to catch the glass, his pants weren't spared from getting wet.

Ja-In quickly realized what she had done and apologetically said, "I'm so sorry. I hit it with my elbow. Let me wipe it off for you." She hurriedly grabbed some tissues and proceeded to wipe Seok-Woo's jeans.

But she didn't anticipate that this action would awaken the beast inside Seok-Woo's pants. She was so panicked and preoccupied with accidentally wetting his pants.

As she extended her hand towards Seok-Woo's crotch, he firmly stopped her with a grip on her hands.

"It's fine, but let me do it myself," Seok-Woo said, looking her straight in the face as she looked up slightly to meet his gaze. He then took the tissues from her hands and proceeded to wipe himself.

Although wiping didn't dry his pants and underwear, they were soaked with water. He sighed, realizing he needed to get a fresh pair of jeans and underwear. 

Despite losing his appetite due to the incident, he finished his meal, not wanting to waste food. The girls were worried that he would be angry with Ja-In, but he assured them that it was nothing and smiled them off.

"Let's not make a fuss about this," Seok-Woo thought to himself as he looked at his soaked pants. The group eventually finished eating, and Seok-Woo started to stand up, only to notice a visible wet spot on his jeans.

"Do I need to walk outside like this? It would attract a lot of attention," he sighed again, deciding to temporarily cover the spot and then find a clothing store to replace the wet clothes.

He didn't need to look far, as someone offered a jacket to cover it. Ja-In saw the wet spot and immediately offered her jacket. "Here, Seok-Woo, use my jacket," she said as she took off her jacket, revealing her bare shoulders in a white spaghetti strap top.

Seok-Woo glanced at her shoulder and unconsciously looked down at her cleavage, but thankfully he glanced away before being noticed by Ja-In. However, both Sunhwi and Eun-Ah caught him in the act, though they didn't call him out on it.

He quickly wrapped the jacket around himself to cover the wet spot, tying it neatly. Seok-Woo then looked at the girls and said. "I'll be going to the department store to find some clothes. I don't want to go to class feeling like this." 

Sunhwi then replied, "We'll go with you. There's still plenty of time before our next class." After she glanced back at the two, who agreed to follow.

"If that's the case, then let's go. Let's not waste any more time here," Seok-Woo said, leading the girls outside this time. They walked for a few minutes before reaching their destination.

With no time to spare, he entered the store. As he walked in, his eyes scanned the area, searching for the clothing sections. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.

Seok-Woo then headed towards the men's clothing section, looking for the same brand of pants as the ones he was currently wearing. After a few minutes of searching, he had the clothes he needed to replace.

The girls went their separate ways to the women's section, browsing through clothes such as skirts, shirts, and dresses. Sunhwi was particularly interested in the lingerie section. "Hey, Eun-Ah, Ja-In, do you think this suits me?" she asked, holding up a skimpy piece of underwear.

"Well, it suits you perfectly," Eun-Ah replied. Sunhwi smiled at her and suggested, "Why don't both of you try wearing this in the dressing room? Let me see how it looks on you."

Ja-In, however, vehemently refused, saying, "Seok-Woo might be finished by the time we're done dressing up. Let's do it next time." She stoically reasoned, thinking Seok-Woo would be waiting for them.

Sunhwi reluctantly tilted her head and sighed, agreeing that Ja-In was right. She then slowly put back the item of clothing she was holding, and the group headed back to where Seok-Woo was, glancing around as they walked.

As they returned, Seok-Woo was now clad in his fresh attire, though his appearance remained unchanged. In one hand, he held a plastic bag containing his wet clothes, while Ja-In's jacket, slightly damp from its use, hung from his other hand.

"Thank you for lending me the jacket, Ja-In. Without it, I'd be walking around with a stain on my pants," Seok-Woo expressed his gratitude to her, prompting Ja-In to reach out for the jacket, intending to retrieve it.

"But the jacket is slightly damp. Are you sure it's okay for you?" Seok-Woo inquired, glancing at the hand resting on the jacket he held before meeting Ja-In's gaze.

"It's fine. It'll dry off soon. I still feel bad for getting you wet," Ja-In replied, taking the jacket from Seok-Woo and continuing to apologize for her actions.

"Like I said, it's no big deal. Let's just move on from this," Seok-Woo reassured Ja-In, showing that he wasn't bothered by his wet clothes caused by her.

Sunhwi observed the two interacting with each other, feeling something bothering her as she watched them. Eun-Ah simply listened to their conversation without dwelling on it too much.

The group then began to walk back outside the department store, taking their time as Seok-Woo and the girls still had ample time before their next class.

Once outside, Seok-Woo turned to the girls and asked, "So, are you planning to go back to the university or explore more?" He looked at them expectantly for an answer.

Sunhwi tucked her hair behind her ear and replied, "By the way, Seok-Woo, what time is your next class? Ours doesn't start for another two hours."

Seok-Woo responded, "It's in about an hour and a half, so we have some time to spare." Sunhwi suggested, "Let's explore for a bit and head back to the university in 30 minutes."

She then turned to Eun-Ah and Ja-In and asked, "Do you have anything else planned?"

Ja-In crossed her arms and said, "Sunhwi, let's just go back to the university. There might be traffic or delays on the way."

"You're overthinking it, Ja-In," Sunhwi replied before turning to Eun-Ah. "What about you, Eun-Ah? Do you want to explore or go back to the university?"

After considering her options, Eun-Ah replied, "Let's just go back to the university."

Sunhwi sighed, accepting Eun-Ah's decision. She then turned to Seok-Woo and asked, "Can you please drive us back?" Seok-Woo agreed, and as he began to turn back towards the parking area, Eun-Ah suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide open, "Seok-Woo, watch out!" But it was too late; fate or coincidence, he was once again soaked.

Like déjà vu, Seok-Woo found himself drenched once more, this time with coffee, fortunately not hot enough to burn his skin. Nonetheless, he would have preferred to avoid getting soaked altogether.

"Today really isn't my day, is it?" Seok-Woo mused to himself as he looked at his wet clothes again.

(Hello, I'm here to inform that the Auxiliary Volume has been updated, So check it out for the new characters)