At his place, Jin-ho received a message on his phone.
It was from his mother.
She had sent him money again, along with a short text.
“Eat properly.
Don’t just spend all your time playing games.”
That was all she said.
A few weeks had already passed.
During that time, Jin-ho’s routine had become more structured.
He had already signed up for a gym membership.
His daily life followed a strict cycle:
Wake up.
Go to the gym.
Eat.
Play Tekken, online or offline.
And in between, study different characters in detail.
He spent time learning characters like Zafina, Noctis, Negan, and Kunimitsu, not to main them, but to understand their tools, key moves, and overall gameplan.
But he never stayed on them for too long.
His main focus remained his core characters.
Bryan had already reached Tekken God Omega.
Kazuya and Heihachi were both at Tekken God rank.
Yet despite all that progress, one thing still eluded him.
He still could not consistently perform perfect electrics in real matches.
For the past few weeks, Tekken had become almost his entire life.
He was pushing himself harder than ever, trying to improve as quickly as possible before the tournament.
But gradually, something started to build up.
Fatigue.
Burnout.
So, for the first time in a while, he intentionally stepped away from the game.
Instead of training or grinding matches, he stayed at home.
Sleeping more than usual.
Watching television without much thought.
Eating ice cream between quiet moments.
Just letting himself rest for a while.
At home, Jin-ho glanced at his phone.
The date on the screen read August 2.
Five days remained until the tournament.
He leaned back on the sofa, scrolling aimlessly through his phone without really focusing on anything.
Then a notification appeared.
A call from Ji-min.
Earlier that day, Ji-min was at the dorm.
With promotions gradually slowing down, the members of aespa had more free time than before.
Ji-min was alone in the living room.
The dorm felt unusually quiet.
She stretched out on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
“So boring,” she muttered.
Dressed casually in shorts and a white crop top, she let her legs swing slightly off the couch.
After a while, a thought crossed her mind.
“Should I go somewhere?”
She paused.
“But who would I go with?”
She stared at the ceiling again, thinking.
Only one name came to mind.
Jin-ho.
“…Him again?”
She said it softly, almost to herself.
But she didn’t reject the idea.
Instead, she reached for her phone.
“I’ll call him if he’s free today.”
The phone rang for a moment.
Not long after, Jin-ho picked up.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Are you free today?” Ji-min replied.
“Yeah.
Why?” Jin-ho said.
“Let’s go somewhere,” she said.
Jin-ho glanced around his place for a moment, thinking.
He had nothing planned for the day, and staying in wasn’t doing much for him either.
“Sure.
Where do we meet?” he asked.
Ji-min told him the location and stood up immediately, already heading to pick out something to wear.
“See you then,” Jin-ho said.
Then the call ended.
Ji-min began choosing an outfit for the day.
Meanwhile, Jin-ho headed straight to the bathroom to shower and get ready.
After some time, he changed into something simple but well-fitted, a smart casual outfit that wasn’t overdressed but still looked intentional.
The clothes suited him naturally, highlighting his tall frame and balanced proportions without appearing forced.
Ji-min finished picking her outfit after a short pause in front of her wardrobe.
She chose something simple, low-key, and comfortable enough to avoid drawing attention.
A plain fitted top, paired with a skirt that fell neatly above the knee.
The colors were muted, nothing flashy or stage-like.
It was the kind of outfit that blended in easily in public, more casual than performance-ready, but still neatly put together.
She added a light outer layer before checking herself once in the mirror.
Satisfied, she grabbed her phone and headed out.
Both of them left their places shortly after getting ready.
Jin-ho made his way out first, wearing a face mask to avoid drawing attention in public.
His hands stayed relaxed in his pockets as he walked at an easy pace toward the meeting point.
At the same time, Ji-min also headed out.
She wore a mask and added a hat to cover herself more, keeping her appearance low-profile.
Her steps were steady as she moved through the streets, careful not to stand out.
Neither of them made a big scene about going out.
They simply made their way toward the agreed meeting place, arriving separately under quiet, ordinary conditions.
Jin-ho arrived at the meeting place first and waited. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He stood casually, scanning the surroundings while waiting for Ji-min to show up.
After a short while, she finally arrived.
Ji-min spotted him first, looking around as if checking whether she was already there.
Without saying anything, she walked up quietly and gently poked his arm.
Jin-ho felt it and turned toward her.
He saw her wearing a mask, and after a brief look, confirmed it was her.
“What’s the plan?” he asked.
Ji-min tilted her head slightly.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
Jin-ho stared at her for a moment, silent.
Then he let out a small sigh.
“Let’s go then.
We’ll just find something interesting.”
Without waiting for a response, he started walking.
Ji-min watched him for a second, a faint smile forming under her mask, before following him.
Jin-ho didn’t aim for crowded hotspots.
Instead, he led them toward quieter, low-key places that were still well-known but not heavily packed with people.
They went through smaller streets with modest cafés, simple food spots, and lesser-known attractions that locals still recognized but tourists rarely filled.
The atmosphere was calmer, with only a few people around at a time.
Occasionally, he would pause to check a small restaurant or a hidden café tucked between buildings, then continue walking if it didn’t feel right.
It wasn’t a planned route, just a relaxed search through quiet, familiar places.
Ji-min stayed beside him the whole time, simply following his lead without interrupting.
“…This is actually nice.”
She paused, then added a bit more casually,
“We should do this again sometime.”
Her tone was light, but there was sincerity underneath it.
Jin-ho didn’t answer right away.
He simply kept walking for a moment, letting the words settle between them as they continued down the quiet street together.
Jin-ho eventually came across an arcade.
He glanced at Ji-min.
But she had already walked ahead of him and stepped inside first.
Jin-ho let out a small smile and followed her in.
Ji-min immediately headed toward the crane machines, scanning the prizes with interest.
Meanwhile, Jin-ho went to exchange money for tokens.
After getting them, he walked back toward her.
“Hey, here,” he said, handing her a few tokens.
Ji-min took them without looking away from the machines.
“I’ll check if there’s a fighting game cabinet here,” Jin-ho added.
Ji-min simply waved him off without a word, still focused on the claw machines.
Jin-ho sighed lightly and turned away.
He walked through the arcade, scanning the area.
Racing simulators.
Shooting games.
Chance-based machines.
Most of the cabinets were not what he was looking for.
Eventually, he found one fighting game cabinet.
Ultra Street Fighter IV.
It wasn’t Tekken, but it was enough.
He decided to play anyway.
Jin-ho inserted the tokens and selected a character.
He wasn’t deeply experienced in this game, only familiar with the basics.
He understood some move notations and general spacing, but nothing advanced.
He picked Ryu.
A character he recognized from Street Fighter fundamentals.
As the round started, he immediately played cautiously.
He held back and created distance.
Then he repeatedly used Hadoken to control space.
Whenever the CPU tried to close in, he backed away or jumped out and threw another projectile.
Slowly, he chipped away at the opponent’s health.
Simple.
Repetitive.
But effective enough to keep control of the match.
Slowly, Jin-ho made his way through the stages using the same strategy.
Back away.
Throw Hadoken.
Create space.
Repeat.
It worked…
for a while.
But even he could tell this was not exactly the proper way to play the game.
There was more to it than throwing projectiles and keeping distance.
Footsies felt different.
Movement felt different.
Everything felt unfamiliar compared to Tekken.
Eventually, a CPU beat him.
Jin-ho looked at the screen for a second, then casually inserted another token.
He played again.
A while later…
He lost again.
He stared at the screen in silence.
Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
“I kinda want to learn Street Fighter…
not gonna lie.”
Still, he pushed the idea aside.
Not now.
He was already focused enough on Tekken.
Besides, he was only playing for fun.
No pressure.
No grinding.
No trying too hard.
Just playing. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Eventually, after losing enough times, he decided to stop.
He stood up and wandered around the arcade again before heading toward one of the racing simulators.
Without thinking much, he sat down and started playing.
Meanwhile, someone slowly walked up behind him.
Ji-min.
In her arms were several plushies she had won from the crane machines.
She stood beside him quietly, holding them while waiting for him to finish.
Thankfully, there were not many people in the arcade.
Which made it easier for them to stay unnoticed.
Jin-ho eventually finished his race and stepped away from the machine.
The moment he turned around, he saw Ji-min standing nearby.
And in her arms…
A pile of plushies.
He stared at them for a second.
“That’s…
a lot,” Jin-ho said, looking at the mountain of stuffed toys she was carrying.
Ji-min looked down at them and answered casually.
“I’m planning to give them to my teammates.”
Jin-ho glanced at the plushies again.
Then at her.
Then back at the plushies.
“…You’re carrying all of that?”
Without waiting for her answer, he spoke again.
“I’ll ask the clerk for a bag.
Carrying them like that looks annoying.”
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the counter.
Ji-min quietly watched him leave.
Her eyes followed his back as he talked to the clerk.
Then, without realizing it, a small smile formed beneath her mask.
It felt…
nice.
Being taken care of like this.
Not because it was anything big.
Just small things.
Natural things.
Things he did without making a big deal out of them.
A few moments later, Jin-ho returned carrying a large bag.
He crouched slightly and started placing the plushies inside one by one.
There were enough that the bag ended up nearly full.
Then, naturally, he picked it up himself.
Ji-min looked at him.
If not for the mask covering her face, the smile there would have been obvious.
Without saying much, the two quietly walked out of the arcade together.
As they continued down the street, Ji-min glanced toward him before speaking.
“Do you have any plans for the next few weeks?” Ji-min asked as they continued walking.
Jin-ho adjusted the bag on his shoulder before answering.
“I’ve got a tournament coming up.”
He paused briefly.
“Five days from now.”
Ji-min blinked and turned toward him.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“A tournament?” she repeated, clearly not expecting that answer.
Jin-ho nodded.
“Yeah.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“It’s my first one as a…
pro esports player, I guess.”
He scratched the side of his cheek lightly.
“Though I don’t really think I’m a pro yet.”
His tone stayed casual, almost dismissive.
To him, being a professional player meant more than simply entering a tournament or being strong at the game.
When he thought of pros, he thought of people with years of experience.
Players who traveled.
Players who competed constantly.
Players who had already proven themselves.
Compared to them, he still felt far away from that level.
Ji-min quietly looked at him for a moment.
Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
Jin-ho glanced at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking something.”
Her fingers moved across the screen as she opened her schedule.
She scrolled down.
Then paused.
Her eyes stopped moving.
A free day.
And the following day was open too.
Ji-min looked at the screen for another second.
Then slowly looked up at Jin-ho.
A thought suddenly appeared in her mind.
She wanted to go.
Not because of games.
Not because she understood Tekken.
She just wanted to see him compete.
To see what he looked like while doing something he genuinely cared about.
So after a brief pause, she spoke.
“…Can I come watch?”
Jin-ho looked at her.
Ji-min looked back calmly, pretending the question was casual.
But inside, she was already a little curious about what his answer would be.