Chapter 3 : Realty check

Chapter 3: Reality Check

The soft morning sunlight slipped through the curtains and filled the room.

Ha-Yoon slowly opened her eyes.

Her head felt heavy.

Everything that had happened last night had completely shaken her.

For a few moments, she stared at the ceiling.

Then she slowly closed her eyes again.

"It was all a dream..."

she mumbled softly.

"Yeah... it had to be."

After all, there was no way a character from a novel could actually appear in someone's room.

Thinking that, she let out a sigh of relief.

But then...

Her eyes moved toward the balcony.

Her breathing stopped.

Tae-Hyun was still there.

Standing in the exact same place.

Just as he had been last night.

As if he hadn't moved even an inch.

Ha-Yoon quickly sat up.

"No..."

Tae-Hyun slowly turned to look at her.

His cold eyes met hers.

For a few moments, Ha-Yoon simply stared at him.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Then...

Tae-Hyun frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ha-Yoon's mouth fell open.

"What?!"

"You've been staring at me for the last two minutes."

Ha-Yoon looked even more shocked.

"How do you know that?"

Tae-Hyun answered without hesitation.

"Because I'm not blind."

Ha-Yoon grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

"You're so annoying."

Tae-Hyun caught it with ease.

A small teasing smile appeared on his face.

Ha-Yoon was about to say something when a loud voice came from downstairs.

"HA-YOON!"

Both of them froze.

"Breakfast is ready!"

Soo-Min's voice echoed through the apartment.

Ha-Yoon's face turned pale.

"Oh no."

"What happened?" Tae-Hyun asked.

"I have to go downstairs."

"Then go."

Ha-Yoon looked at him.

"What about you?"

"I'll stay in your room."

Ha-Yoon let out a deep sigh.

"Please don't touch anything."

Tae-Hyun raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not a child."

"I know."

"It doesn't sound like you do."

Ha-Yoon rolled her eyes.

Then she quickly walked out of the room.

Downstairs, breakfast was already on the dining table.

Soo-Min was sitting there with a mug of coffee.

"Finally."

Ha-Yoon sat across from her.

"What happened?"

Soo-Min asked immediately.

"Huh?"

"Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Ha-Yoon's heart skipped a beat.

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Soo-Min looked at her suspiciously.

Then she simply shrugged.

"Alright."

Both of them ate breakfast quietly for a while.

Then Soo-Min asked,

"So... is your grumpy boss still giving you a hard time?"

Ha-Yoon rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Kim?"

"Yeah, him."

"He's not bothering me..."

Soo-Min raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

Ha-Yoon broke a piece of toast.

"He just gave me the work of three people yesterday."

"What?!"

"And he still expects me to finish everything by the same deadline."

Soo-Min held her forehead.

"One day, I'm going to that office and give him a piece of my mind."

Ha-Yoon laughed.

"You say that every month."

"One day, I'll actually do it."

Both of them laughed softly.

Then Ha-Yoon asked,

"How's everything at the bank?"

"Is everything going well now?"

Soo-Min let out a sigh of relief.

"The audit from last month is finally over."

"Thank God."

"Seriously."

Soo-Min took a sip of her coffee.

"I honestly thought I wasn't going to survive it."

Ha-Yoon smiled and nodded.

But her mind was still upstairs.

Then suddenly...

A thought crossed her mind.

Her eyes widened.

"Tae-Hyun!"

He must be hungry.

He hadn't eaten anything since last night.

He hadn't even had a glass of water.

A wave of guilt washed over Ha-Yoon.

"Are you okay?" Soo-Min asked.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine!"

She answered so quickly that Soo-Min became even more suspicious.

Ha-Yoon quickly picked up a few slices of bread.

Then a boiled egg.

And a mug of coffee.

"I'll be right back."

"Wait."

Ha-Yoon froze.

Soo-Min frowned.

"Where are you taking that coffee?"

Ha-Yoon quickly came up with an excuse.

"I need some inspiration for my novel."

Soo-Min stared at her for a few seconds.

Then she held her forehead.

"You're seriously weird."

Ha-Yoon smiled, picked up the tray,

and hurried upstairs.

Ha-Yoon quickly closed the bedroom door.

"Tae-Hyun?"

Her eyes turned toward the balcony.

Tae-Hyun was still standing there.

As if he hadn't moved even an inch since last night.

Ha-Yoon placed the tray on the table.

"You haven't eaten anything."

Tae-Hyun looked at the tray.

Then at Ha-Yoon.

"What is this?"

Ha-Yoon blinked in surprise.

"Bread."

Tae-Hyun remained silent.

"And this is a boiled egg."

Still no reaction.

Ha-Yoon frowned.

"What do people eat in your world?"

"Whatever they can find."

Ha-Yoon let out a quiet sigh.

"Fine."

"Starting today, your first lesson in the modern world begins."

Tae-Hyun raised an eyebrow.

"Food."

She handed the bread to him.

Tae-Hyun took it and looked at it for a few moments.

As if he had never seen anything like it before.

Then he took a small bite.

"Hmm."

Ha-Yoon folded her arms.

"That's it? Just 'hmm'?"

"Were you expecting a different reaction?"

Ha-Yoon rolled her eyes.

"Forget it."

She handed him the boiled egg.

Without saying a word, Tae-Hyun ate it too.

Then his eyes fell on the mug.

"What is this?"

A smile appeared on Ha-Yoon's face.

"Coffee."

"Coffee?"

"Yeah. Half the people in this world survive because of it."

Tae-Hyun looked at the mug suspiciously.

Then he took a sip.

The very next second, his expression changed slightly.

Ha-Yoon's eyes lit up.

"You don't like it!"

Tae-Hyun quickly returned to his usual expression.

"I didn't say that."

"But your face did."

"It's bitter."

Ha-Yoon burst into laughter.

For the first time...

Since last night.

And Tae-Hyun simply stood there, watching her.

Her laughter filled the room.

For a brief moment...

Everything felt strangely normal.

But neither of them knew...

Their real troubles had only just begun.

End of Chapter 3✨📖....

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