“Jin-ho!
What are you planning to do after getting discharged?” someone asked.
A group of men in uniform walked toward the exit together, chatting as they finally left the military base behind.
“I…
I honestly don’t know yet…” Jin-ho replied, scratching the back of his head.
He still had no plans after completing his mandatory service.
From the corner of his eye, Jin-ho glanced at something only he could see.
[All Rounder Player]
That was its name.
He had checked some of its features before, but not too deeply.
Back then, he still couldn’t believe it was real.
“Is that so…” His friend said with a sigh.
“Well, I hope you figure things out soon.
Don’t stay lost for too long.
Because before you know it, you’ll get comfortable doing nothing and end up wasting your goals.”
He was one of Jin-ho’s friends from the military.
The two had met during their service and gradually became close.
As they continued talking, they eventually reached the exit.
Outside, a crowd had already gathered.
Most were families and friends waiting to welcome the recently discharged soldiers home.
As the group walked toward the exit, they gradually started saying their goodbyes.
One by one, including Jin-ho, they exchanged farewells and wished each other well, hoping they would meet again someday.
Eventually, Jin-ho was the only one left standing.
He watched as the others reunited with their families and friends.
Some laughed, some hugged, and a few even had tearful reunions after being apart for so long.
Overall, the atmosphere around the place felt warm and lively.
Seeing those moments, Jin-ho could not help but smile.
He then started looking around for his parents.
He had already talked with them beforehand, and they told him they would come pick him up and celebrate his discharge together.
As he searched through the crowd, someone else was searching for him too.
The person wore a mask, sunglasses, and a hat to hide her face.
She had on an oversized black hoodie that covered her figure, paired with loose jeans and plain white sneakers.
Nothing about the outfit stood out at first glance.
Simple, and low key.
Still, even dressed down like that, there was something different about her.
Maybe it was the way she carried herself, or maybe it was because she looked like someone who belonged on a stage rather than standing outside a military base.
“Where is he…?” she muttered under her breath, nervously glancing around.
“Hopefully I find him quickly.
I’m seriously taking a risk coming here…
If people recognize me, I’m dead.”
She continued walking through the crowd, turning her head from side to side as she searched for Jin-ho.
Meanwhile, Jin-ho stood nearby with his phone in hand.
Did they get stuck in traffic?
He sent another message to his parents, wondering where they were.
He still believed they would show up.
As he was looking at his phone, someone suddenly bumped into him.
The impact pushed him slightly, but he did not step back.
The person who bumped into him, however, flinched in surprise.
She had been in such a hurry that she had not paid attention to her surroundings.
A moment later, she looked up at the person she had hit.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attent—”
She stopped abruptly.
She immediately recognized who was standing in front of her.
His physique looked different from what she remembered, but the face was unmistakable.
Jin-ho, on the other hand, tilted his head slightly.
He could not see her face clearly because of the mask, sunglasses, and hat.
Still, something about her felt strangely familiar.
“Uh… are you okay?” Jin-ho asked when she suddenly stopped speaking.
For some reason, she did not answer right away.
“Jin-ho… do you recognize me?” she asked quietly, glancing around first.
That only made Jin-ho think harder.
He tried to figure out who she was, but it did not take long before it clicked.
Just from her voice alone, he already had the answer.
Instead of answering her question, he said something else.
“Why are you here?
If people find out you’re here, you’ll end up in the news.
Let’s move somewhere quieter.
There are too many people here.”
His tone turned serious as he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her along.
Even with her disguise, he could not take the risk.
Someone in the crowd might recognize her voice.
After all, she was from a famous idol group.
Younger fans, especially, could recognize her instantly.
The girl in his grip was slightly taken aback by his sudden action, but she did not resist.
He was right.
After walking a short distance, they reached a less crowded area.
Jin-ho glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before turning back to her.
“Again, why are you here?
Aren’t you supposed to be busy right now?” he asked, this time without the stern tone.
It sounded more curious than anything else.
“Your parents asked me to pick you up since they couldn’t make it.
I didn’t have a schedule today, so I agreed.”
“…What?” Jin-ho blinked in confusion before sighing.
“I see…”
He had expected something else, so it was a bit disappointing, but he quickly accepted it.
Then he smiled.
“I’m honored to be personally picked up by you.
Especially someone from a famous group.
I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”
He said it dramatically, even adding exaggerated hand gestures.
She let out a small “tch,” clearly amused and slightly annoyed at the same time.
“You really haven’t changed at all, have you?” she muttered, more to herself than to him.
Jin-ho chuckled.
“I have changed.
Just not that much.”
He glanced at his own body for a moment, more muscular now compared to before his enlistment.
Then he looked back at her.
“You’ve changed a lot though.
I see you on commercials and variety shows now.
You must be rich, right?”
She let out a soft laugh.
“Not that rich.
But… I can buy a lot of things pretty easily now.”
Then she slowly removed her sunglasses and pulled down her mask, revealing her face completely.
Jin-ho froze for a moment.
She was wearing light makeup, but even then, she was undeniably beautiful.
More than he remembered.
It caught him off guard for a second.
A small smirk appeared on her face, as if she had expected that reaction.
Jin-ho quickly cleared his throat and looked around again to make sure no one was watching them.
“If people find out Karina from aespa is here, things would get crazy,” he said, then looked back at her.
“Right, Ji-min?”
Standing in front of him was his childhood friend, now a popular idol under SM Entertainment.
Yu Ji-min, known to the world as Karina of aespa.
“I know,” Ji-min replied with a small smile, as if it was obvious.
“So what now?” Ji-min questioned as she put her mask back on, covering her face again.
Jin-ho thought about it for a moment before replying.
“Let’s go back to my place.” He paused briefly.
“If it’s still there.”
Ji-min listened, then responded.
“Your apartment is still there.
Your parents have been maintaining it after you left,” she said.
Then after a short pause, she added, “And… your parents bought the building.
So technically, they own it now.”
That made Jin-ho freeze in surprise.
“Really?
Wow…”
He was at a loss for words.
He knew his parents were doing well, but not to that extent.
Ji-min was also surprised, though she had known about it for a while.
Still, she could not help but feel slightly envious.
“I guess I’ll become a building owner in a few years too,” Ji-min thought to herself as a way to comfort herself.
It would take time, but as long as her group continued to succeed, she would eventually reap the rewards.
“Then let’s get going.
I’m curious how much my place has changed,” Jin-ho said.
Noticing a few people glancing in their direction, he gently placed Ji-min’s sunglasses back on her face.
“People are starting to look over here.”
Without waiting, Jin-ho started walking, and Ji-min followed behind him.
She did not look back, knowing it would only draw more attention.
“How did you get here anyway?” Jin-ho asked as they walked.
“Did someone come with you, or are you alone?”
“I came alone,” Ji-min replied.
“I took a taxi.”
“You still don’t have your own car?” he asked.
“I don’t know how to drive yet, so it would be useless anyway,” she answered, glancing at him.
“Let’s just take a taxi back then,” Jin-ho said as they waited by the roadside.
After a moment, he glanced at her again, curious.
“How busy are you these days?
Don’t you have a comeback right now?”
At that, Ji-min let out a tired sigh.
“You have no idea how hard it is,” she said, recalling her schedule.
“Music shows, interviews, variety shows… and a bunch of other things I’ve already lost track of, all just to promote our mini album.” She looked exhausted even talking about it.
“I also do livestreams and film commercials.”
She opened her phone and showed him her packed schedule.
Jin-ho stared at it, completely stunned, before feeling a wave of sympathy for her.
“Don’t worry.
It’ll pay off in the end,” he said.
It was all he could really offer.
Ji-min relaxed a little at his words.
He was right.
Before they could continue talking, Jin-ho’s phone rang.
Ji-min immediately recognized the ringtone.
It was IVE – Love Dive, a song from a girl group.
Her expression subtly changed.
Jin-ho noticed it, but decided to deal with it later.
He checked the caller ID.
“It’s my mom.”
He looked at Ji-min before answering.
“Hello?
Yes, yes, I just got out.
Um… Ji-min is with me right now,” Jin-ho said to his mother as he answered her question.
On the side, Ji-min returned to normal, though a hint of disappointment remained on her face.
It was subtle enough that only someone who knew her well would notice and Jin-ho did, just by looking at her.
Ji-min wanted to give him privacy and did not want to eavesdrop on his conversation, so she stepped back slightly to distance herself.
She glanced at him while he was still on the phone and thought back to his ringtone.
She assumed he might like IVE more than her own group, aespa.
Both IVE and aespa have completely different concepts, so maybe aespa’s style did not appeal to him.
She sighed softly and let the thought pass.
What he liked was his own choice; hopefully, in the future, her group would have a song that would become someone’s phone ringtone.
Jin-ho put his phone back into his pocket, having just finished speaking with his mother.
At the same time, a taxi arrived, so he flagged it down so they could leave.
The taxi driver noticed Jin-ho, drove over, and stopped.
Jin-ho opened the car door and looked at Jimin.
“You go first,” he said.
Ji-min complied, stepping inside and quietly saying, “Thanks,” without looking at him.
He then got in after her and closed the door.
Inside the taxi, Jin-ho gave the driver the destination, and the car started moving.
The two did not talk as the taxi drove on.
Jin-ho watched the changing surroundings outside, while Ji-min glanced at him and smiled faintly as he looked outside so intently.
“You look like you just came from the countryside,” Ji-min commented, turning her gaze toward the window as well.
“It’s not like you didn’t live here before.”
Jin-ho looked at her but did not reply.
He only gave a faint smile before turning his attention back outside.
The city passed by beyond the taxi window.
Busy streets, crowds of people, and countless buildings filled his view.
But after a while, his thoughts slowly drifted elsewhere.
His friends words resurfaced in his mind.
“Don’t stay lost for too long.
Before you know it, you’ll get comfortable doing nothing and end up wasting your goals.”
“What am I supposed to do now?
Go to university?” Jin-ho thought to himself.
“I just finished my mandatory military service.
I seriously don’t want to go back to studying…”
As he complained internally, he suddenly remembered something he had almost forgotten.
The system.
With a thought, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
[All Rounder Player]
Jin-ho took a deep breath before opening the [Main Quest] section.
The moment he entered, a list appeared before him.
Street Fighter V
Tekken 7
League of Legends
Dota 2
CS:GO
Farming Simulator 2022
And many more.
Below the list was a single line:
[Choose wisely.
This will be your first step toward becoming the best of all.]
Jin-ho fell into deep thought.
Beside from him, Ji-min glanced at him from the side.
Earlier he had only been staring outside absentmindedly, but now his expression had become strangely serious.
Curious, she reached out and poked his arm with her finger.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Jin-ho was snapped out of his thoughts.
He stayed silent for a moment before replying with a blank expression.
“…Nothing.”
Ji-min narrowed her eyes slightly.
She was sure something was on his mind, but seeing that he clearly did not want to talk about it, she chose not to ask further.
As time passed, the atmosphere inside the taxi gradually became more relaxed.
The two slowly started catching up with each other, though they kept their voices down with the driver nearby.
They talked about simple things.
Games they played, webtoons they had been reading, and random topics from their daily lives.
Without realizing it, both of them had smiles on their faces as the conversation continued.
Then Ji-min glanced outside the window.
“We can talk later,” she said.
“We’re almost there.”
A few moments later, the taxi came to a stop.
They had arrived.
Ji-min paid the fare before Jin-ho could react.
Although he wanted to pay himself, seeing how determined she looked, he simply let her handle it.
Coming out of the taxi, Jin-ho looked around.
The surroundings had changed since the last time he had been here.
Yet some familiar sights still remained from before his mandatory military service.
After the taxi left, Ji-min walked a few steps ahead, then turned back toward him.
“What are you standing there for?” she asked, pausing briefly before continuing.”You’ll get used to your surroundings after a while.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked ahead.
Jin-ho simply followed her inside.
They headed toward the elevator.
Since his unit was a few floors up, taking the elevator was more practical than using the stairs.
Ji-min pressed the button for their floor, and the elevator began to rise.
When they arrived, the doors opened.
The two stepped out, with Ji-min leading the way.
After a few steps, she stopped and looked back at him.
“Do you still remember your passcode?”
She asked, watching his reaction carefully.
Jin-ho thought for a moment before remembering.
He reached out and entered the numbers.
Beep… beep… beep…
The door unlocked.
Jin-ho smiled slightly.
“I still remember it.
That’s a surprise.”
He stepped inside, with Ji-min following behind him.
As the door closed, Jin-ho looked around.
The place was still neat and well-maintained.
He silently thanked his parents for taking care of it while he was gone.
“Your parents really took care of this place.
Thank them when you see them, okay?” Ji-min said as she removed her hat, mask, and sunglasses, placing them aside.
Jin-ho glanced at her.
Without her disguise, her presence felt even more striking than before.
He quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught staring.
He walked further inside, checking the living room and kitchen
The sofa had been replaced with a newer model.
The kitchen utensils had also been updated.
When he opened the fridge, he paused.
Inside were assorted alcoholic drinks, neatly stored kimchi containers, and leftover food.
“It looks like someone stayed here for a while,” he thought.
The most likely candidates were his parents or Ji-min, but he leaned toward the latter.
“Ji-min, are all these things in the fridge yours?” he asked, pointing at the contents.
Still lying on the sofa, she replied while scrolling through her phone.
“Yes and no.
The kimchi is from your mother.
The rest is mine.”
She answered casually, as if she had simply forgotten to take them out.
Jin-ho walked back to the living room and saw her comfortably lying on his sofa.
“It feels more like your place than mine,” he commented.
Without looking up from her phone, she responded,”Your mother gave me the passcode a long time ago.
I sometimes come here when I want to bring things or just rest.”
Jin-ho listened quietly but did not respond immediately.
He kept looking at her instead.
Ji-min noticed his gaze and finally looked back at him.
“…Really?
Is that all?” he asked.
That made her expression falter slightly.
“…Well,” she said after a pause, lowering her phone, “I come here when I want to be alone.
Somewhere quiet.”
She leaned back slightly.
Being an idol was not easy.
The more popular you became, the more scrutiny and pressure followed.
The comments she had seen often lingered in her mind.
So this place became her refuge.
In this space, she was not Karina from aespa.
She was just Yu Ji-min.
“You can come here whenever you want.
I don’t mind.
No need to ask,” Jin-ho said.
Ji-min paused, then gave a sincere smile.
“Thanks, Jin-ho… thank you.”
Jin-ho simply nodded before heading toward his room.
He opened the door and looked inside.
Nothing had changed.
Everything was still clean and well-kept.
He walked over to the bed and let himself fall face-first onto it.
“Ahh… so comfortable…” he muttered.
After a few breaths, he noticed a faint scent lingering on the bed.
A subtle fragrance.
He paused.
A woman’s fragrance.
“…She slept here too?” he thought.
“Feels like I’m the guest instead.”
He let out a small chuckle, then sat up and went toward the bathroom.
Inside, he noticed a toothbrush and toothpaste already placed there.
It did not take much deduction to realize she had been coming here more often than he expected.
Then, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye.
The laundry basket.
More specifically, its contents.
Inside were clothes, including undergarments that clearly belonged to Ji-min.
The design… well, it was like a critical strike to men like him.
He quickly averted his gaze.
“…Dangerous,” he thought, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, he froze.
Ji-min was standing right at the door.
Silence filled the room.
Neither of them spoke.
Her face was completely red, clearly embarrassed.
Jin-ho cleared his throat, breaking the tension.
“Don’t worry.
I won’t tell anyone,” he said calmly.
But the tips of his ears betrayed him, turning noticeably red.
Hopefully someone will read this.
Don’t expect much from this, just writing this on a whim, obviously with help.
I have the ideas on how this story will go, but writing it is very hard for me.
I lack the brain power to put it in words.
I don’t have the writing ability to make this great.
But who knows, this might be only chapter I’ll write for this or not.