CHAPTER 23

It was a hot six-pack that seemed to sizzle when you put your finger on it. There was a clear valley in the center of the upper body, and the ridged abdominal muscles formed a perfect decalcomania around the valley.

The last time he’d shown her his upper body, she was embarrassed to see the scar across his chest, so she couldn’t take a closer look at his gorgeous abs. But this time was different.

This time, Minhee had a reason to ogle to her heart’s content, as a student learning from him. Taejun repeated the muscle names in a dry tone, pointing his finger at his six-pack and flanks.

[Rectus abdominis or… six-pack. External obliques.]

Without further explanation, he showed a few ab exercises after pulling down his shirt. Minhee watched mesmerized as he worked out until Taejun stepped away from the trainer and motioned for her to come in.

[Now, let’s—]

[Thighs!]

[…?]

[Um… Can thigh exercises be done with this trainer?]

At Minhee’s question, Taejun’s expression was subtly distorted.

He silently fixed his gaze on Minhee’s thighs covered by leggings. While his gaze momentarily wandered away and then returned to her thighs, Minhee suppressed the urge to twist her body and regretted taking off her jacket.

Because of her profession, she didn’t usually wear revealing clothing, so she felt like she was standing n*ked in front of him.

‘It’s weird to have him look at me like that! I’m so embarrassed…….’

[It might be better not to do thigh exercises.]

[…Why? I mean, I want to do them, not just see it.]

[I’d prefer if you didn’t.]

‘Why? Is it an exercise that’s too challenging for someone like me who hasn’t been exercising?’

Minhee looked at Taejun with a puzzled expression.

[Is it dangerous?]

‘I can’t answer that, and say it’s because I like the feeling of her soft and smooth thighs, just like her as$ I accidentally grabbed on Rose’s bed.’

Standing up from the trainer’s bench, Taejun carefully chose his words.

‘I can’t answer that it might feel good seeing her body like it did in the dream.’

He didn’t want to think too deeply about what kind of reaction his lower body might have when Minhee’s gaze focused on his thighs.

[Rather than that, Miss Minnie, it doesn’t seem like you need to do any hard muscle-building exercises. How about doing some cardio and toning?]

[Ah, cardio and toning…]

He left the trainer and stood in front of the punching bag again, leaving Minhee tilting her head while copying what Taejun said.

As he showed her how to do the exercises, he could feel a slight static electricity everywhere Minhee’s curious gaze landed. The tingling, erotic sensation made his muscles throb hotly as he overworked them

Despite the odd sensation, Taejun didn’t mind the fact that Minhee was paying such close attention. In fact, it was almost pleasurable.

The problem was his recently malfunctioning p*nis.

In an effort to avoid accidentally getting hard and er*ect like an animal in front of Minhee while she watched, he mentally flipped through HydroCell’s IPO meeting documents he received that afternoon. However, as soon as Minhee asked to see thigh exercises, he had to abandon that plan and retreat to the punching bag.

Seriously, this was an unfamiliar feeling.

He kicked the punching bag as hard as he could while doing sidekick steps, and after a dozen repetitions, he felt the partial arousal gradually subsiding.

Taejun cast a sidelong glance at Minhee. Inside the large all-in-one trainer, she looked like a small bird in a large cage.

Watching Minhee explore and tug at pull handles, he paused the sandbag by grabbing it with his hand.

Meanwhile, Minhee was getting quite flustered with the exercise equipment in front of her.

‘I’m just trying to imitate one or two of the easiest exercises and get away with it, but why doesn’t it listen to me, does it only listen to its master?

Letting out a small sigh, Minhee grabbed the handle on the pulley and pulled it down like Taejun had shown her earlier. She tugged with all her might, but it only made an iron clanking sound.

Taejun walked over and pulled a pin out of the trainer’s pole and stuck it on top. Instantly, the handle that she had been pulling with her entire body’s weight came down.

[Thanks.]

Taejun shrugged his shoulders, stood for a moment, looked the trainer up and down, and then began to pull out the dangling barbells. Minhee tried to lift something that was tailored to Taejun’s fitness level, so there was no way it could move.

[Miss Minnie, you don’t have to go this far. I’m just going to do this and then I’ll go-]

Quickly arranging the barbell, Taejun glanced at Minhee from top to bottom as if assessing her before removing the last remaining two weights. Then, he put them away. Minhee, feeling irritated for a moment, couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

[I can lift that much too!]

Taejun chuckled and put the small weights back on the barbell. Even that small smile made Minhee’s spirits suddenly lift.

[Give it a try, then.]

[This is why I was the log lifting champion at Summer Camp]

She boasted while puffing up her chest.

‘Although it did help a little that my partner was Noah Brown, the undying first love of my life, the American football quarterback. Anyway…’

The truth was, she’d always wanted to bench press, but she’d never actually done it. Minhee lay down on the bench and gripped the barbell tightly.

When she lifted the barbell and stretched her arms out, it felt heavy, but not as heavy as she thought. But it was harder to lower it slowly than to lift it, and even harder to lift it again once it was down.

After doing it three or four times, the muscles in her outstretched arm began to tremble. At that moment, Taejun’s hand suddenly appeared above her head and lightly supported the barbell.

[It looked dangerous].

[Oh, thank you].

Having planned to stop and get up, Minhee found herself thinking that she might have to do a few more reps. She bit her lips tightly.

[Are you planning to go home this Sunday?]

As she lowered the barbell, which had gotten a little lighter with the extra hand, to her shoulders and then pushed it back up, Taejun suddenly asked. The extra money was nice, but now that Taejun had hired a weekend nanny, she was thinking of going home to see Miho.

[Yes. Rose is settling in nicely now, and I need to get some spring clothes, and I need to check out my roommate-]

[Is your roommate your boyfriend?]

[Uh…?]

Surprised, Minhee’s arm bent, causing the barbell to tilt. Taejun quickly removed the barbell from her hands and hooked it onto the trainer.

Minhee lay back on the bench and looked up into his face as he stared down at her.

‘Is he asking if my roommate is my boyfriend? What kind of question is that?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Minhee answered.

[……No.]

[Hmm.]

[Why are you asking?]

[Just curious.]

[Oh.]

Minhee slowly pulled herself up and tilted her head back slightly, her eyes slanted, her breathing labored, the side of her face flushed red like ripe fruit. She had been wanting to say something to Taejun for days. On impulse, Minhee blurted out her name.

Minhee, now sitting up on the bench, turned her gaze away from Taejun. Her eyes were cast downward at an angle, her flushed face swallowing her uneven breaths. She had something she wanted to say to Taejun for a few days now. Impulsively, she blurted out her name.

“Minhee.”

[…?]

[My name is Minhee. Miss Minnie is what the kindergarten kids call me].

Minhee added calmly and turned her head. On the day they first met, she said it was okay to call her that, but every time Taejun called her ‘Miss Minnie’, she felt uncomfortable.

“Minhee….”

Taejun grinned without realizing it and rolled her name in his mouth.

Minhee jumped up from the bench, turned her back to Taejun, and busily looked at the other exercise equipment attached to the all-in-one trainer. Suddenly, she lifted her head and stretched her arms upward, and Taejun couldn’t take his eyes off her.

‘What is she going to do…?’

The pull-up handles on the all-in-one trainer, which were customized to his height, were out of Minhee’s reach, even if she stood on her tiptoes. Minhee jumped up with her arms outstretched, but then she stepped on a protruding floor support and wobbled. Before she had a chance to react, Taejun flew into action.

[Ouch!]

He caught Minhee’s waist from behind as she tumbled forward. Minhee was nestled against his arm like laundry hung on a clothesline, and she stretched her arms out. Using his arms to slowly lift her to her feet, Taejun didn’t let go of her waist even after she straightened up.

He stepped in front of her, facing her, his hands embracing her slender waist. The distance between them was almost touching, and his fingers tingled against her bare skin.

[Thank you.]

The sound of her voice, barely a whisper, made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Having entertained the thought of spending the entire day having s*x with Minhee, Taejun looked down at her, hoping that by now she’d picked up on the subtle signals he was sending her.

When he lifted his wandering gaze from her lips a little, he saw clear, clean eyes with not even a hint of s*xual nuance in them, looking up at him. Taejun felt his breath catch in his throat.

‘This kid is worse than a beast.’

Trying to remove his hand from her waist, she suddenly spoke up.

[Can you help me?]

[…?]

Minhee looked up and shyly raised a finger to point at the pull-up handles.

[Could you lift me up a bit?]

With thoughts of wanting to suck her finger pointing at the handle and melt it away inside his mouth, Taejun firmly grabbed Minhee’s waist with both hands. Without warning, he swiftly lifted her up.