28 — Do Not Fall in Love With People Like Me

That same morning, I had my first haircut in this new 'reality'. I've never been fond of Dae Ho's hairstyle. Not to mention, my fringes were growing a little too long for my tastes. The tips started touching my eyes, and I had to constantly move them away.

I opted for a simple hairstyle. An undercut with a fade. The hair on top was trimmed and then softened with hair oil. A few curls fell over my forehead, but it'd take a while before they grew back to their original length.

Eun Ha and Mia's reactions to it were a sight to behold. Eun Ha did her best not to stare, while Mia openly stared with a suggestive smirk. Perhaps they never thought that 'Dae Ho' could dress up so well, or that 'he' would look so different with a new hairstyle.

Well, that was partly due to my workout as well.

The results were incredible. My chest, arms, legs, and abs. All the targeted areas had grown stronger and more sculpted. And along with them, my face underwent a glow-up too.

"Where are you going?" Eun Ha asked, gloved hands busy tending to the plants. A faint blush tinted her cheeks in a lovely pink. I was wearing a slim, black shirt that flattered my toned body.

Her eyes did their best not to fall any lower than my neckline.

A futile struggle.

I smiled and pointed at the ball in my arms. "Gonna record a new video for my channel."

"Channel?" She blinked, tilting her head in puzzlement. "A NewTube channel?"

"Yes." I shrugged. "It's something Mia and I started. It's doing quite well."

A beautiful smile blossomed on her face. "That's amazing, Dae Ho!" Her full interest was in 'me' rather than my body. "What is it about? And what is it called?"

"It's about football." From the bewildered look on her face, I could infer that she had never expected that to be the main theme. I chuckled and continued. "And our channel is called DaemiaTV. We have only one video out at the moment, but the views are steadily rising, which is why we need to pump more out, to strike while the iron is hot."

A fire burned in her eyes. "I see." She clenched a hand into a fist, pumping it up in determination. "I'll make sure to support you!"

'Well, the channel is just a means to an end.'

"Haha, thank, thank you." I dipped my head with an overdramatic wave of my arm. "Since I have your blessings, it would be a crime not to give my all and make sure you're properly entertained on those lonely nights when Uncle Yeong Gu is not at home."

The blush on her cheeks intensified a little, her luscious lips puckering into a pout. "Don't say that…"

I apologized. "Alright, my bad. Though you can't always be cleaning and working." I said with a warm smile, making my over to her crouched form. I nuzzled her chin with a finger, cocking it up. Then I leaned my head down and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. She froze, stunned. "If I had any say about what goes on in this house, you'd be pampered, loved, and taken care of without having to ever lift a finger. Your worth isn't measured in gold or beauty. It's the accumulation of the time and love you gave me, and everyone else."

"D-Dae Ho…"

She leaned into my touch, eyes turning a little watery. The heat on her cheeks spread down to her neck. Her breathing accelerated as she stared at me with an almost predatory haze in her purple eyes. Though, weirdly enough, that look was instantly gone the moment she averted her gaze.

"... thank you…" She muttered.

I was left speechless. "I speak nothing but the truth… sometimes."

She laughed.

"Alright. I gotta go. Don't want to distract you. Though seriously, make sure to rest a bit. There's nothing wrong in being a couch potato… like Mia."

I tapped her nose, and the way she blinked and stared at me was so cute and sweet that it was like a full-on injection of sugar straight into my heart. I coughed, schooled my expression, and made my way out.

…

I tugged at the collar of my shirt. Wearing a black one was not a good idea. The sun's glares were intense, and the color absorbed almost all of it. I stared at the ball spinning on my finger.

Mia was resting, and I didn't need her for this particular video.

It was something I had seen many do in my past life, and there were many that did it in this reality as well. Tutorials.

I've never taught anyone how to play football, it was instinctive to me. Not something you could simply teach someone who was not talented. Regardless, I would do my best to be clear and concise when explaining what to do, how to do it, and why to do it.

I would start with shooting. Different kinds of shots and the proper positioning for taking them.

Then I'd branch out into skills. Flashy skills. The kind you wouldn't be able to perform in a pro match, but still pleasing to watch. The list went on and on. For a while, I had enough content to last me a couple of months, depending on how frequently I released them.

As I was walking, lost in thoughts, I barely noticed a bike rounding up the corner and nearly slamming into me. Luckily, I had enough reflexes and spatial awareness to avoid the incoming impact by quickly stepping to the side.

The woman on the bike promptly halted before she lost her balance. "Dae Ho?" The surprise in her voice threw me off for a bit before its familiarity dawned on me.

Yu Hee Han.

She was panting, pearls of sweat glistening while tracing down her pale yet slightly flushed skin. Her white sundress fluttered. Her hair, tucked under a straw hat, was also teased by the sweeping breeze.

"Oh, hey there." I greeted her pleasantly. "Sorry about that, I was distracted."

Yu Hee blinked, then her eyes — just like Eun Ha's — roved over my bulging chest, before they slowly trailed up, drinking in high cheekbones and perfectly-styled hair. "I-It's fine…" She smiled awkwardly. "I was distracted too…"

And as she said so, she couldn't help but keep staring at the way the black fabric of my shirt clung to my body, outlining my pectorals and my flat, toned belly. I had to admit that buying that shirt was definitely a wise purchase.

Both Eun Ha and Mia shared Yu Hee's 'enthusiasm' in undressing me with their eyes. Though Eun Ha was very subtle about it, for a good reason too. Mia, as per usual, didn't have any inhibitions when it came to showing her appreciation for my body.

Yu Hee, on the other hand, didn't know what to make of it. She tried to be subtle, then failed, and when she realized that, she hastily averted her gaze. However, her eyes continued stealing glances, bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"It's hot, right?"

"Uhhh?"

Yu Hee's eyes went wide as she squawked out incoherent noises.

I smirked, which prompted the blush on her face to glow even brighter. "The weather." I said, laughing a bit. "It's very hot, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes… haha…" She scratched her cheek.

"Well, I won't hold you off anymore. I'm sure you have places to be. Send my greetings to Go Bong, and tell him that I'm still waiting for his response." With that being said, I gave her one last smile before I walked past her.

However…

"D-Dae Ho, wait!" Yu Hee turned around sharply. "I don't have anything to do right now… in fact, I'm going back home."

I raised one eyebrow at her. 'She's dropping some sort of hint here…'

She stared at the ball in my hand. "Are you going to play football?"

"Yes, there's a pitch nearby. That's where I usually hang out for some quick plays."

"Umh…"

"You want to come with me?"

"Can I?" Yu Hee huffed out a sigh of relief. "I'd really like to see you play."

"Of course. Though I won't be 'only' playing." I shrugged.

… which reminded me, I had to contact Tifa after the video was done. We did agree to bounce ideas off of each other, after all. A part of me was really curious as to what she looked like. Women in this world were, on average, prettier than those in my world.

"What else are you going to do?" Yu Hee asked as she turned her bike around and paddled forward, until she was right next to me.

I continued walking, with Yu Hee paddling at a slow pace.

"I'll explain it to you once we get there. Hm. I might even need your help, in fact." Well, actually, not really. I could do everything on my own, though having another set of hands would definitely speed up the process.

"Oh, how mysterious." Yu Hee smiled, bringing one hand up to stop her long tresses from dancing to the breeze's tune.

"I know, right?" I turned to her, a playful glint in my eyes. "You're warned though, if you keep hanging out with me, you'll eventually fall in love with me."

She tilted her head, smile widening in a secret and earnest way. "And what if I do?"

I bore my eyes into hers, deep and penetrating. "Do not fall in love with people like me." I repeated, a little more serious right now. "I will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave, you'll finally understand, why storms are named after people."

"..."