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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Temptation of Shampoo Leads to a Kiss
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Jun-woo stood in front of A-jin's house.
The lobby door was open, so he could go right up to her front door.
He hesitated about whether to ring the doorbell.
"Should I just go?"
He turned toward the elevator, then pivoted back toward the stairs.
He went down a couple of steps, then climbed back up.
"Should I... call first?"
Jun-woo looked at the cake box in his hand.
"No. Just throw this out and buy a new one."
He went down a couple more steps on the stairs.
At that moment, there was a click as her front door opened.
Jun-woo spun around in surprise.
A-jin was looking at him.
"Huh? When did you get here?"
"Huh? Uh... just now."
"But where are you going?"
"Oh."
Jun-woo climbed back up the stairs.
His tension was obvious.
"Where are you headed?"
"I'm out of sugar."
"I'll get it for you."
"No need. There's a convenience store right up front. But what's that?"
A-jin looked at his cake box.
Jun-woo quickly hid the box behind his back.
He even worried for a split second if it had gotten jostled.
"It's nothing."
His overly tense demeanor was so unlike his usual self that A-jin eyed him curiously.
The night before, Jun-woo had set an alarm for 4 a.m.
And this morning, the obnoxiously loud alarm jolted his eyes wide open.
He pulled something out from hiding in his closet.
Baking ingredients.
He had most of the basics and tools from Heejin's stash, so he just needed to buy the missing ones.
He'd spied around like in a spy movie to figure out what was short.
He headed down to the kitchen with the gathered ingredients.
He figured it'd be smooth since he'd mapped out the workflow of her baking tools.
He was wrong.
Crash, clatter, roll.
"Ugh, no!"
He dropped the cookie cutters while pulling out a round pan.
The noise made him cringe, terrified his parents might wake up.
Not only would it be embarrassing to be caught cooking in the kitchen, but Mom would grill him about who it was for.
Flour scattered everywhere, ingredients strewn in chaos.
He couldn't tell one from another.
Solving math problems all day would've been way easier.
Jong-min had told him to give A-jin something she liked.
Or do something that showed effort.
Something money couldn't buy.
That's what he'd prepared.
"Should've just gone to Yeouido and bought one."
He could've easily gotten something tastier and fancier there.
'Show her your effort.'
He was an idiot for listening to Choi Jong-min in the first place.
Just then, the living room light flicked on.
Jun-woo instinctively crouched and hid under the dining table.
"What's all this?"
Soon, Heejin's voice came.
And her face appeared right in front of him.
"Son, what are you doing there?"
He felt mortified for hiding when he couldn't even breathe properly.
Jun-woo gave an awkward smile as he stood up.
"You're up?"
"What are you making?"
"Yeah. I'm hungry."
The excuse was lame.
Heejin let out an exasperated breath, clearly knowing it wasn't true.
"You're not seriously expecting me to believe that, are you?"
"Why'd you come out?"
"There was all this noise."
"Sorry. I'll be quiet."
"Whipped cream? You're making a cake?"
"No."
"Come on, it's obviously a cake. Who for?"
"Who would it be for? Go back to bed."
"A-jin likes chocolate cake, though."
At the mention of A-jin, Jun-woo's eyes widened.
He panicked like a thief caught red-handed.
"So what? It's not for Kang A-jin or anything. Go on, get back inside."
"Alright, got it. Let me know if you need help."
Heejin was utterly relaxed.
Like she knew everything.
And in the end, Jun-woo called Heejin back from her room.
His genoise sponge had collapsed on one side from being underbaked and burned on the other, and he didn't trust himself to salvage it, so he asked for her help.
Heejin had been thrilled like a little girl and made him a fluffy genoise.
Jun-woo went to buy sugar for A-jin instead.
A-jin washed her hair in the meantime.
"What day is it?"
The sudden cake gift made her wonder if it was some anniversary.
"Oh, gotta dry it quick."
She glanced at the time and grabbed her hairdryer in a rush.
Truth be told, she hadn't even showered yet, so his arrival had thrown her off quite a bit.
A-jin dried her hair near the intercom.
Worried she'd miss his call.
After drying about two-thirds, the intercom buzzed.
This much should air-dry fine naturally.
She put away the dryer and opened the door.
"Thanks. I should've gone myself."
She took the sugar he handed over.
"Did you shower?"
It seemed like he was asking because her hair was wet.
"Huh? Yeah. There was some flour in my hair."
It felt too embarrassing to admit she'd washed up to look nice for him.
"Wanna watch TV? I'll just finish up what I was doing."
"Sure."
He nodded and sat on the sofa.
"What do you want to drink? There's juice or coffee."
"Just water for me. Cold."
His face looked a bit flushed.
He kept his eyes fixed on the TV, avoiding her gaze.
"Have some of this."
A-jin bent over the table in front of Jun-woo and set down a plate of cookies and fruit.
He wrinkled his brow and leaned his head back.
She'd washed her hair but hadn't showered.
Maybe her body smelled sweaty?
A-jin pretended to wipe sweat from her nose bridge while sniffing her arm.
'No smell at all.'
Maybe his nose was stuffy? But suddenly, he stood up.
"I'll just head out. You're busy, and I..."
Did it really smell?
Hurt that he was leaving, A-jin grabbed him.
"Do I smell or something? Wait a sec, then. I'll shower real quick."
He waved his hands frantically, flustered by her words.
"No, not at all. No need. I just thought you were busy."
Not that? What a relief.
A-jin smiled in relief.
"I thought so. I'm not busy at all. Almost done. You're just bored, huh?"
"Not exactly..."
He sat back down.
"I just need to add topping and pop it in the oven. Ten minutes—no, five. Or wanna help?"
He furrowed his brow again at her question.
* * *
"Honey, you know what?"
Heejin spoke to Seonghun, who was reading in bed.
"What?"
"Jun-woo has a girlfriend."
"Really? I thought he wasn't interested in girls."
"I thought so too. Turns out he is."
"Surprising. But would a girl like such a gruff kid?"
"That's why dads don't get it! How can you not know your own son?"
Seonghun looked puzzled.
"Jun-woo's so romantic. He even baked a cake himself today to give to his girlfriend."
"Park Jun-woo? Hard to picture. Though if he takes after me, it makes sense."
"Takes after you?"
"I'm gruff with my parents but sweet to her."
Seonghun was smug.
But Heejin pouted primly, like she had no idea what he meant.
"Is that so? I wouldn't know."
"You don't?"
Seonghun playfully bristled and closed his book.
He approached her at the vanity.
"Yeah, no clue. Romantic? He was too busy to even look at my face much."
"Oh yeah?"
Seonghun narrowed his eyes slyly at Heejin and slipped his arm under her thighs, scooping her up.
"Oh my!"
"Guess I'll have to let you gaze at my face to your heart's content tonight."
They tumbled onto the bed together right away.
* * *
A-jin handed Jun-woo the toppings.
He stepped back a foot and took them with just his hand outstretched.
"Hang on."
The table made the space tight, so her shoulder bumped his chest.
He leaned forward sharply, giving her plenty of room to pass.
Only after A-jin put the cupcakes in the oven was everything done.
The oven just needed to do its thing now, so A-jin only had to clear the table.
"Sit tight. I'll clean up quick."
Jun-woo circled around and sat as far from her as possible.
A-jin couldn't shake the feeling that Jun-woo was avoiding her.
'Do I really smell like sweat?'
A-jin tilted her head to sniff her T-shirt.
Just flour and sugar scents.
She cleared the table spotless and took the cake he'd brought from the fridge.
"Just leave that there, okay?"
He grimaced.
"Why? You brought it, so we should at least taste it."
"Brought it?"
A-jin had assumed the cake he'd brought was store-bought.
She hadn't dreamed he'd made it.
He looked flustered for a moment, but she didn't notice.
Before he could stop her, A-jin took the cake out of the box.
"Huh."
Something was off.
It didn't look quite like something sold in stores—kinda shabby?
"Where'd you get it?"
Unable to say it looked pretty, A-jin searched the box for a brand name.
He looked embarrassed, but she missed that too.
"Wait..."
She eyed it like, 'No way.'
Jun-woo scratched his forehead awkwardly and looked away.
"Is it from some amazing hidden spot?"
He looked baffled at her question.
"Some places make them look plain on purpose. So you don't build up expectations."
He looked subtly disappointed, but she didn't catch that either.
"Yeah. Exactly."
"I'll cut it."
A-jin sliced a piece and handed it to him first.
She cut another for herself.
"But why cake out of nowhere?"
"......"
He hesitated at her question.
"Did you get it to cheer me up?"
She knew without him saying.
That he wanted to make her happy.
He smiled bashfully.
That smile was so lovable.
"You made it to cheer me up!"
She'd never seen such a homely-looking cake.
No way they'd sell this to customers. She could tell right away he'd made it.
Heejin probably did the genoise, and he handled the decor.
A-jin beamed.
"It just kinda happened."
Jun-woo was embarrassed.
Her knowing smile was starting to annoy him.
No way she'd think it was store-bought with that sloppy decor.
He'd almost thought it lucky if she bought the ruse.
But he laughed at his own absurdity.
"Thanks."
A-jin meant it.
Silence fell briefly, the cake between them.
Then the sound of a chair scraping as A-jin approached Jun-woo.
A-jin softly pressed her lips to his.
After the brief kiss, she sat back down, blushing.
"Wow."
Jun-woo let out an involuntary exclamation.
He'd been barely holding back, but the grapefruit scent of her shampoo wafting every time she brushed by had tormented him—and now it peaked.
"Guess I can't hold out."
Maybe he wasn't the patient type after all.
He stood and approached her.
He lifted her chin from where she'd bowed her head shyly.
She looked up at him with eyes asking why, even knowing what he'd do.
He wrapped his arm around her waist.
And claimed the lips he'd desperately ignored—transparent and alluring.
No, he devoured them.
He didn't miss the gap between her surprised, parted lips.
Startled by the deep kiss, her legs wobbled.
He steadied her, pulling her waist tighter into his embrace.
Their lips met even more intensely.
She'd been flustered at first but soon settled.
They were both clumsy, for sure.
Their meshed lips fumbled uncertainly, strength surging with uncontainable emotion.
But it felt good.
All of it—ecstatic and beautiful.
