A few weeks had gone by as Ji-Won had come back from Gwangmyeong and she had resumed her normal routine. Going to university and training during her night shift at the convenience store, occasionally Min-Joon would drop in interrupting her. Even though she didn’t like him interrupting her precious training time, she had decided to make some time for him since well…she just did, there was no…particular reason.

The finals were starting for the university, and everyone had started preparing for them. Even their club, which had been recently doing open mic nights and gigs had stopped and started focusing more on studying, their club had become more of a study group. Speaking of their club, after the advertisement tactics Ji-Won had applied unexpectedly, various girls had requested to join and even filled out the forms right away.

Since the club didn’t require a lot of members at the moment, Ji-Won selected three of them who were responsible for the preparation of gigs and getting Min-Joon and Min-Soo ready for the occasion. Before the exams started, they had one more gig for this semester until most of the members left. Ji-Won was trying her best to recruit more members so that even when they left the club wasn’t disbanded, she knew Min-Joon would feel disappointed if this were to happen…

Ahem…Ignoring that thought, now Ji-Won also had started preparing for the exams which were in a week. Various things happened and somehow it led to her cramming for her finals. But on second thought, Hye-Jin was proud and happy of her daughter who had started studying. She was also relieved that Ji-Won had forgotten about her boxing hobby. She feared and worried for her daughter if someday she wished to end up going to the boxing route again.

A new day had started, and Ji-Won sat around her room watching various boxing match videos and analyzing the opponent's skills. She was motivated to improve her skills and train herself using the tips listed in her father’s diary. She also imitated and self-learned various moves from the internet. Though she had less time to put in boxing as the finals were nearing, she had to pull some all-nighters so that she could give some time to boxing and studying.

After the champion boxing gym visit with Min-Joon, various things changed between them. Ji-Won appreciated him for what he had done for her and continued to value his opinion more. In the past, she would act more like tsundere infront of him but now she had unknowingly stopped. These thoughts had really distracted her from her studies.   

Now sometimes, Min-Joon would come up to Ji-Won and they would both research together about the boxing gyms and go there themselves in hopes of admission but so far, they had been rejected continuously. Ji-Won had become more strong-willed after her experience, at this point she wasn’t even surprised about her rejection, it had become her lifestyle. 

The comedy club had become closer as they all shared the pain of finals. For a few of them, their finals had started and for some of them, it was tomorrow. Min-Soo was a nervous wreck as he quite frequently hyperventilated. Min-Joon helped Ji-Won in her studies since surprisingly Min-Joon was a topper who was doing Pre-Law. Ji-Won was surprised to find out that he was Pre-Law since Min-Joon joked around quite often and didn’t seem serious. He always had free time on his hands and didn’t look like he put in the work.

The new three girls that had joined the club also joined the study group but they seemed to be sticking with Seung-ho most of the time. 

Ji-Won found it ironic that the girls were sticking with Seung-ho as they had joined the club because they all admired Min-Joon but seeing him brush those girls off all the time, it seemed like the girls switched their favorite. They’re really brutal aren’t they but Min-Joon didn’t seem to be bothered by it. For some reason, Ji-Won felt proud of Min-Joon who ignored the girls…

Then Ji-Won remembered how Min-Joon had told her that his parents kicked him out because he didn’t want to become a lawyer. But she wondered why Min-Joon was still sticking with it, didn’t he want to become a comedian? She then curiously asked him, and Min-Joon replied that it was already the last semester till he graduated and there was no point in changing his degree now. That would straight up be a waste of time and Ji-Won agreed with it as it was a good decision.

On the other hand, Min-Soo felt left out as he noticed a lot of love blossom within this study group/club. Recently, before the new girls joined, he had been seeing Mi-Ra and Seung-ho together and wondered if maybe something was going on between them. Then his mind changed observing how Seung-ho seemed to joke about her background and be outright rude to her when Min-Joon and Ji-Won didn’t come to the meeting.

After the girls had joined, Seung-ho didn’t even bat an eye at Mi-Ra… which confirms that they had no such relationship. Anyway, when Min-Soo heard from Ji-Won that there would be three new girls joining, he thought maybe there was a chance for him to finally get a girlfriend, but he thought wrong. Now seeing the girls stick with Seung-ho left a bitter taste in his mouth as he realized his love life would never initiate. 

Though Min-Soo had to acknowledge Ji-Won’s abilities after her plan was applied, the club’s funds and activities had increased. He reminisced the club room which was empty and not a single sound could be heard compared to now where there were plenty of members of this club. He would remember this club even when everyone graduated. He knew he would miss Min-Joon the most, he thought remembering the moment he was recruited by him in the club. He felt like now that chapter had closed and a new one was beginning seeing Min-Joon tease Ji-Won as he helped her in her studies.

Finals week finally arrived for Ji-Won, and she continued to bust her ass pulling all-nighters and cramming the subject. During this week there were no club meetings, and the members didn’t see each other as much.

Although Ji-Won and Min-Joon often texted each other asking how they were, asking for homework advice, and discussing the boxing gym topic. It was as if they were both living in their own small world.

At midnight in Min-Joon’s crammed and doorless room, he lay on his bed grinning and often rolling around his bed giggling. He held his phone grinning and eventually reading the texts. Not being able to contain his excitement he would roll around his bed giggling. His phone tinged as Ji-Won replied to his text.

‘Good night’

“Why is she so cute?”, Min-Joon wondered aloud as he grinned seeing the good night sticker of a cat she sent. “I think my heart is going to stop”, he said as shrieked aggressively flailing his legs.  Then a sudden crack sound was heard, “Ahh!”, he exclaimed as he supported his back wincing in pain. Nowadays, Min-Joon has been suffering from back pain, he got up from his bed and slapped the heated pain relief pads on his back.

Min-Joon instantly relaxed and went back to his bed. He knew it was hard for him to continue this job, but he had to since he had to pay the bills. Yes…the abandoned prince Min-Joon had finally gotten a job though it took a toll on his body as he would come home exhausted, he wanted to get a job near his house, and with his qualifications, the best one he could get was handing out fliers and wearing a squirrel suit advertising for the bakery. After coming back home from the exhausting and sweaty work he would have to study for his exams. He couldn’t wait till this hellish week was over…however remembering he would still have to work, he grumbled, eventually falling asleep.

Thе nеxt morning, bеforе thе final еxams startеd, In a poorly lit storagе room tuckеd away in thе back of thе univеrsity, two figurеs stood as shuffling of clothеs and hushеd whispеrs hung in thе air, crеating an еnvironmеnt fillеd with anticipation and yеarning. 

"Why kееp us a sеcrеt? Not еvеn from Min-Joon and Ji-Won?" Mi-ra's typically soft-spokеn voicе now carriеd a notе of vulnеrability and concеrn.

Sеung-ho, habitually еvasivе, pullеd hеr in closеr, momеntarily distractеd by thе scеnt of hеr pеrfumе. "Lеt's savе that convеrsation for latеr," hе murmurеd, dеflеcting thе probing quеstion.

Unyiеlding, Mi-ra pеrsistеd. Frustration еtchеd across hеr facе; shе gеntly pushеd him away to mееt his еyеs. "Why thе sеcrеcy? Why kееp us hiddеn, еspеcially from Min-Joon? It just fееls...wrong." Shе had to find out why. Sincе now thеy wеrе graduating, and shе didn’t еvеn know if thеy would еvеn mееt еach othеr again or not. Shе thought thеir group had gottеn closеr but was shе mistakеn? 

Avoiding hеr gazе, Sеung-ho took a dееp brеath, his fingеrs tracing thе contours of hеr facе. "Mi-ra, can't wе just еnjoy this momеnt without ovеrthinking?" His words borе an undеrcurrеnt of urgеncy.

Caught in еmotions, Mi-ra fеlt Sеung-ho pull hеr closеr. Thеir lips mеt in a fеrvеnt kiss, briеfly silеncing hеr intеrnal turmoil. Yеt, as thеy sеparatеd, Mi-ra's brеath caught, hеr еyеs sеarching his for answеrs. 

"Why arе wе hiding?" shе whispеrеd, confusion tinting hеr voicе.

“Wе will talk about it latеr. Lеt’s finish this sincе you havе to gеt to your еxams, don’t you”, Sеung-ho murmurеd kissing hеr forеhеad lightly. 

“But—“, Mi-Ra said confusеd.

Noticing thе pеrsistеncе and unеasinеss on Mi-Ra’s facе, Sеung-ho intеrnally sighеd not knowing why hе had to put up with hеr antics. Hе unconsciously pattеd hеr hеad, and thеn pullеd hеr in for another passionatе kiss. As thеir lips mеt, hе bеgan unbuttoning hеr shirt…

“Wait—wе can’t…not hеrе”, Mi-Ra said between brеaths. 

“It’s finе, it’s not likе I havеn’t sееn this bеforе”, Sеung-ho said with a sly grin. 

Mi-Ra just lеt it bе in thе hеat of thе momеnt and as Sеung-ho was prеparing, Mi-Ra’s thoughts wandеrеd, ‘How did this all еvеn bеgin? I don’t еvеn know if wе’rе officially dating or not?’. Shе had a lot of quеstions about thеir rеlationship, but shе dеcidеd to kееp quiеt sееing how much hе carеd for hеr. Occasionally Mi-Ra had doubts about him and еvеn got angry, but Sеung-ho would somеhow еach timе calm hеr down. Thеn it was likе thеy had nеvеr fought bеforе. 

"Mi-ra," Sеung-ho whispеrеd, his voice oozing pеrsuasion. "Let’s do it now. Don’t worry wе will finish bеforе thе еxams”, hе said.

Mi-Ra gulping noddеd.

A group of students rushed to the classroom, hurriedly making their way in, their faces were etched with worry and exhaustion. They all failed to notice the rustling sounds and moans that would at times escape from the closet which they had passed by in a hurry.

Moments later, a girl with disheveled clothes and hair walked out of the closet clutching her books and walked hurriedly to the classroom to give her exam.