Ch.7474. Teacher

It was the day Juyeon first set foot in the gym.

Though she had often passed by it, this was her first time actually entering the place.

Dressed in a tracksuit, she glanced around, taking in the atmosphere and the people occupying the space.

Women with great figures were working out everywhere, wearing skin-tight leggings.

Juyeon didn’t own such clothes, and the thought of having to wear something like that to exercise made her feel like she’d die of embarrassment.

“Oh? Juyeon unnie! Hello!”

“Uh…? Ah. Hi.”

Where was Suhyeok who had invited her, and why was Sohye here alone?

Sohye was wearing exactly the kind of skin-tight leggings that Juyeon was wary of.

“Unnie! I heard you’re starting to work out with us today!”

Though she seemed welcoming, Sohye was having all sorts of thoughts inside.

This place, which was supposed to be her cozy space with Choi Gang, was increasingly being filled with other seniors.

She had finally given up on being with Suhyeok, but…

A new student.

And a cute unnie at that.

“Ooh! Park Juyeon!”

Choi Gang’s large hand landed firmly on Juyeon’s shoulder.

“Eek?”

Her reaction was like a frog hit by a casually thrown stone.

“You finally came!”

“Su-Suhyeok, where is he?”

Unlike his warm welcome, Juyeon was searching for him like a child looking for their guardian.

“Juyeon, hi.”

Suhyeok walked out from the men’s locker room.

A welcoming smile played on his lips.

“…Hi.”

“Great! Then shall we do a group stretching session for the first time in a while?”

As the four of them crowded into the stretching zone, it looked like some kind of group lesson was about to begin.

“Um… oppa. I think it’s better if Suhyeok oppa and I do it separately…”

No matter how much she liked Choi Gang, Sohye was sick of his hellish training stretches.

During her first month of working out.

How terribly she had suffered.

He had just recently granted her independence, and now she was being dragged back in…

“Ah… It’s okay. You don’t have to join because of me.”

Juyeon, realizing this wasn’t their usual routine, tried to free them.

“…Ji Sohye.”

Choi Gang’s eyes flashed fiercely.

Just like when he had looked ready to devour Suhyeok on his first day, his eyes held a charisma that made people freeze in place.

“Yes…?”

Sohye’s body stiffened.

“Are you saying you want to stick so close to Lee Suhyeok?!”

Choi Gang’s hands wrapped around Sohye’s shoulders.

A scene that would make other gym members cringe.

Meanwhile, Sohye was in a daze from the physical contact she hadn’t experienced in a while.

…So this is what it takes for you to notice me!

She took back her disappointment about Juyeon’s arrival.

Juyeon unnie!

You are most welcome!

Watching this scene, Suhyeok sighed.

“Aish…”

“Suhyeok, you can go too. I can just learn from Gang.”

Juyeon whispered quietly.

Without Seo Eun here,

Suhyeok was burning with a sense of duty to protect Juyeon.

He had brought her thinking it would be fun to work out together, but Choi Gang’s insane training had the destructive power to make someone ask for a refund on their membership within 30 minutes.

This wasn’t an exaggeration.

He knew because he had experienced it.

In fact, Suhyeok was amazed that Sohye had endured it all and still continued to work out.

Usually, most people would give up after going through that…

Watching her work so hard despite not having any excess fat made Suhyeok reflect on himself.

“It’s better to stretch together.”

“Oh! Lee Suhyeok! You’ve gained enlightenment!”

Unaware of their inner thoughts, Choi Gang placed his hands on his hips and let out a hearty laugh.

“Well then… shall we begin…?”

Sohye’s face fell.

“HIEEEEEEK!”

A scream erupted from Juyeon’s mouth.

A sound that was hard to believe came from a human.

From the throat of this woman with a beautiful voice came an unearthly wail like that of a nymph.

“G-Gang. Juyeon says she can’t go on.”

Suhyeok tried his best to cover for Juyeon.

Like a parent begging to spare their child, he stood in front of the kneeling Juyeon.

But Choi Gang was firm.

“If she can’t do even this, she should be struggling to breathe normally. Lee Suhyeok.”

Suhyeok couldn’t deny it.

He would have scolded Choi Gang if he was being too harsh, but Juyeon truly…

She couldn’t complete 10 burpee tests.

She couldn’t hold a plank for even 20 seconds.

She had always been thin, but this was an inhuman level.

It was as if she barely had any muscles at all!

“Juyeon unnie, are you okay?”

Sohye wrapped her arm around Juyeon’s shoulders with a look of pity.

“Ju-just kill me.”

It wasn’t something to follow along with just because it looked fun.

It wasn’t something to challenge with a faint desire to hang out with Suhyeok.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry for presumptously coming to a place like a gym.

I’ll go back to my room.

I was wrong.

Looking like she might burst into tears at the slightest touch, the stretching session finally ended.

Suhyeok took over, saying he would teach her a more moderate version.

“…Sorry.”

Juyeon apologized.

She was making Suhyeok work hard, and Gang seemed a bit angry.

Juyeon experienced the strange phenomenon of paying money and then apologizing.

“No, no. But I think I was only a little better than you when I started.”

If it weren’t for the title of “fitness for performance,” Suhyeok would have fled to his car on the first day.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll guide you, but I’m still learning a lot myself, so I don’t know all the details.”

“That’s fine.”

Juyeon smiled brightly.

“Teach me, Suhyeok.”

To be able to smile like that after enduring such torture.

Impressed by her determination, Suhyeok taught her stretches focusing on movements he found easy.

“One. Two. Three. Four.”

Suhyeok watched as Juyeon did squats, counting the numbers.

People who work as trainers must watch scenes like this every day, right?

He was somehow experiencing a job that he would never have otherwise.

“Juyeon, I think you need to lower your pelvis more.”

“…Like this?”

Her awkward posture seemed completely off-balance.

“No, not like that… Um… don’t push your butt back.”

Trying to explain verbally wasn’t working well.

Suhyeok moved behind Juyeon.

“Is it okay if I hold your pelvis area for a moment?”

Suhyeok asked cautiously.

“…Yeah.”

Juyeon’s face turned red.

Though it wasn’t his intention, the thought of Suhyeok touching her made her feel strange.

-Swoosh

Suhyeok’s outstretched hand landed between Juyeon’s waist and hips.

Just as he was about to start explaining, trying not to be too conscious of the contact…

“…What are you doing, Lee Suhyeok.”

A familiar voice.

But one he was hearing for the first time in this place.

Hana, wearing a hairband, was looking at the two of them with disbelief.

“Uh…?”

The two of them stared blankly at Hana, frozen in that position.

“Juyeon, I thought you said you don’t exercise? Why are you here?”

Her tone was somewhat accusatory.

But Hana couldn’t suppress the irritation rising within her.

The guy she liked was exercising with another girl.

And with physical contact, no less.

Hana had already experienced being rejected by Suhyeok when she offered to work out together.

He had said he would continue learning from Choi Gang instead.

She could accept that.

But the scene unfolding before her eyes was different.

The current posture looked like pure, unwholesome desire.

“I… just started today, and Suhyeok is teaching me.”

Juyeon awkwardly smiled as she explained the situation.

“Lee Suhyeok hasn’t been working out for that long either.”

“Gang was supposed to help me, but I couldn’t keep up, so Suhyeok offered to teach me instead…”

After answering, Juyeon felt dejected.

Explaining one’s inadequacies to others was never a pleasant experience.

“I see. Then I’ll teach you. Let go, Lee Suhyeok. How long are you going to keep touching Juyeon?”

Suhyeok’s hand was still in the same place.

Not having been conscious of it, he was startled and quickly hid both hands behind his back.

“Juyeon, I’ve been working out longer than him. Let’s do it together.”

It sounded like a teacher from another academy trying to poach a student.

Juyeon looked up at Suhyeok as if asking if it was okay.

Suhyeok signaled with his eyes that it was fine.

“Okay. Then I’ll leave it to you, Hana.”

Juyeon’s teacher had changed three times in one day.

Changing three times in an hour must be a rare case.

“Okay. Should we do it now? Or next time?”

Having already depleted much of her energy today, Juyeon made an appointment with Hana on the spot.

“Then let’s meet on Monday, Juyeon.”

Hana finished making a note on her phone.

Standing awkwardly between the two women, Suhyeok thought to himself.

That the hairband really suited Hana.

That sporty Hana with her forehead exposed looked incredibly attractive!

After setting the time, Suhyeok and Juyeon left the gym together.

Suhyeok smiled sheepishly.

“It worked out well. Hana will be better at teaching you than me or Gang, since she’s a woman too.”

“I guess so.”

Juyeon hid her true feelings with a vague response.

…I registered because I wanted to come here with you, Suhyeok.