Three days after my trip to Seoul Grand Park, the usual deluge of classes and assignments kicked off again this week.

Especially since tomorrow marks the period for checking the midterm exam papers, it’s busier than usual.

Ding!

Got a notification and checked my phone.

-Students enrolled in course XXX please come to Science Building 2, Room XXX by XX on XX day.

-Students enrolled in course 000 please come to Science Building 1, Room 000 by 00:00 on 00 day.

As expected, it was a message from the class group chat about checking the exam papers.

Scrolling up to check old messages, I realized it was almost time to check another subject’s exam paper.

I got dressed thinking I’d make it just in time and as I stepped out, so did my neighbor; perfect timing.

The person who came out was dressed in long black track pants and a hoodie, carrying a crossbody bag I’d seen at the gym before, it was obvious where they were heading.

We made eye contact briefly, and she was the first to smile and greet me.

"Hey! Long time no see."

"Ah, yes, hello. Heading to the gym?"

"Hehe, you can tell from the outfit, right? What about you, Woo-jin? Off to class?"

"I’m just heading to the school to check on the midterm grading. Gotta make sure everything's scored right."

"Right, that's important. Oh! By the way, have you signed up for the gym yet? Haven't seen you there..."

"Well, it's been a hectic week; planning to register today. Just for three months to start."

"Oh! The gym manager is actually around now. How about swinging by after you’re done checking the papers? I can talk to him for you."

"That'd be great, thanks! I’ll drop by if I finish up early."

"Hope to see you soon then! Catch you later."

We said our casual goodbyes as the elevator reached the lobby.

It had only been a few days since I last saw her, but something about her seemed different.

Can’t quite put my finger on it... brighter? More energetic? That kind of vibe.

Well, that’s a good change, I guess.

Better hurry to get in line for the paper check.

"Mmm... looks good. Thank you."

"Yeah, I’ll finalize these scores then."

After checking the papers, I exchanged a few words with the TA and left for the gym.

Passed through the neat corridor to the entrance, and there was the receptionist I’d seen before.

"Hey, hello. Hye-yoon said you’d be coming soon to register?"

"Yeah, looks like she mentioned it. Just the three months, please."

After paying, the receptionist handed me a key with a number.

"This is your locker key, and while basic training gear is provided, you’re welcome to bring your own if you prefer. Let us know if the sizes don’t fit."

"Thanks."

I opened the locker to find a gray gym uniform with the gym's logo.

Might as well get some exercise, so I changed in the locker room and headed towards the equipment area.

But since I usually only do basic exercises like running or push-ups, I was clueless about what to do next.

'Maybe I should ask Hye-yoon for advice? She’s been working out for a year and a half.'

I started making my way around the gym to find her.

Even though it was a weekday afternoon, the place was pretty crowded.

From a muscular guy doing deadlifts, a lady casually running on a treadmill, to a college student lifting dumbbells, it was quite a mix.

And of course, the woman in leggings right in front of me.

What was it called? Hip thrusts, right?

Resting her shoulders on a bench, knees at a 90-degree angle to the floor, lifting her hips up.

From the side, the curve of her hips and waist caught your eye, and from an angle, her firm abs and the slight bulge of her pussy were hard to ignore.

Lowering and then raising her hips, it was hard to tell if it was an exercise or showing off sex appeal.

My gaze inadvertently wandered up to her decently large, pretty breasts and collarbones, finally landing on her face...

"Ugh...hah...ughh..! Hah..."

There was Hye-yoon, the one I was looking for, making noises as if moaning while working out.

I froze, just blatantly staring.

After all, not every day you see a woman with such a good figure.

Was about to say something but remembered reading somewhere it's risky to distract someone during a workout, so decided to wait until she was done.

Shortly after.

Noticing my lingering presence seemed to bother her, she put down the barbell and stood up.

"Hey, why keep... oh!? Woo-jin? You came quicker than I thought."

"Yeah, the line for the paper check was short. But, could you maybe show me what to do? It's my first time, and I'm kinda lost."

"Sure, let's see how fit you are first. Why don't you try the treadmill over there?"

She pointed, and we walked over together.

"Set the speed to this... If it gets too tough, just tell me. Okay, let's start!"

The treadmill whirred to life.

It started off at a brisk walking pace, which I managed easily.

But the belt sped up quickly, and soon it felt like I was sprinting.

"Ha...ha...isn't this too fast?"

"I thought you were handling it pretty well, so I pushed it a bit. Sorry about that."

I was panting too hard to reply right away, but she spoke again.

"You say it's your first time, but you seem quite fit. I didn't expect that."

"Ha...lately...I've been...running a bit...maybe that's why."

She looked at me sweat-drenched like I had just come out of the rain, slightly apologetic, then disappeared for a moment.

A minute later, she came back with a thermos, flipped the lid, and poured me a drink.

"Here, I brought some electrolyte drink with ice. It should cool you down and help with the sweat."

It looked slightly cloudy, probably something like Pocari Sweat.

I took it in one gulp and rested for a bit before she led me to the dumbbells.

"Let's start with 4 kg, and we can slowly increase. Just let your arms hang down and lift up to shoulder height."

After doing three sets of ten reps, we tried moving up to 6 kg, but my arms trembled, and I had to stop.

"I guess this is my limit. My arms are sore."

"No worries. That’s pretty good for a beginner. Now that I have a sense of your stamina... What’s your goal with building your body?"

"Uh, I don’t really have a specific goal... just want to increase my stamina. Not really interested in bulking up."

Yoon Hye-yoon looked serious, contemplating.

We were interrupted by a loud laugh as someone approached us.

Looking closer, it was the muscular guy who had been doing deadlifts earlier.

"Hey!! Who is this? Hye-yoon brought a boyfriend to the gym?"

"Ah, no, he’s not my boyfriend. He just wanted to learn about working out."

The guy was wearing shorts and a tight T-shirt, with a friendly, rugged face but a massive build.

I looked up slightly to greet him.

"Hello, I'm just here trying to improve my fitness."

"Ah, hello there! Hye-yoon has snagged another male member, huh?"

"What? Another?"

"Well, to be precise, you’re not the first guy to sign up after seeing Hye-yoon here. Ha ha!"

The guy laughed heartily, and she blushed.

Well, I can understand. Honestly, if it weren't for Hye-yoon, I might not have signed up either.

"Since you know Hye-yoon, I’ll teach you some workouts for free. That’s a good deal, right?"

"Would I start tomorrow?"

"I’m here every day, so come by anytime. And if you run away, Hye-yoon will drag you back. Ha ha!"

As he walked away, suggesting I get used to the gym, I let out a sigh of relief.

She then spoke quietly.

"I didn’t really lure you here on purpose... Just got excited seeing someone I know starting to work out..."

"There’s no one around who works out, really. The girls I know just walk, and there aren't many guys I hang out with..."

It seemed the phrase 'snagged a guy' from the gym owner had bothered her.

I waved it off.

"No worries. I was planning to sign up here anyway because the facilities are good, and it’s nice to have someone familiar teach me the ropes."

She seemed pleased by my response, her eyes softening and lips curling slightly.

"Ah, and I should get going. Got a pile of homework waiting at home, just stopped by to sign up today."

"Sorry if I took too much of your time. I’ll stick around a bit longer and finish my workout."

"Sure. Take care."

With that, we went our separate ways.

I stuffed my gym clothes into a laundry bag and took a refreshing shower, washing off the sweat.

After drying off and changing back into my regular clothes, I headed home.

An hour later, while I was tackling my backlog of assignments, I heard the neighbor’s door open and close.

Focused back on my work, I was interrupted again by a notification on my phone.

-Ding!

"What now?"

-Notice for course XXX.

Hello, this is TA xxx for course XXX.

Professor has assigned a group project that needs to be completed and presented before the final exams. The grading will significantly impact your overall score.

Below is an Excel file with the randomly assigned group members.

Please meet up with your group members and complete the project before the final exams.

I opened the attached Excel file and it seemed like groups were formed with four members each.

I scrolled down, checking the names of my group members:

Group 6: Park Woo-jin,

Group 6: Seo A-rin,

Group 6: Jang Min-hyuk,

Group 6: Shin Ah-young.