After the tension subsided, Jin-woo and Eun-soo returned to their routines, though the atmosphere between them felt a little different now.
Jin-woo stepped closer and asked in a low, concerned voice, "Are you feeling okay? That was a stressful situation."
Eun-soo looked up at him, her breathing still a bit fast from the confrontation, and offered a small, grateful smile.
"Thank you so much for your help," she said sincerely. "I'm feeling much better now that he's gone."
They shared a brief, quiet moment of understanding before Eun-soo headed back to the treadmill and Jin-woo returned to his weights.
Once his workout was finished, Jin-woo wiped his brow and headed toward the kids' zone to fetch Hajun.
As he reached the gate, he saw Eun-soo walking toward him, looking refreshed after her run.
She hesitated for a second before speaking. "Mr. Jin-woo, would you and Hajun like to grab breakfast together? I'd really like to thank you properly for earlier."
Jin-woo looked down at Hajun, who was already nodding his head eagerly at the mention of food and his favorite teacher.
"Sure," Jin-woo replied with a slight nod. "Why not? That sounds like a good plan."
Eun-soo's face brightened. "Great! Let's meet on the ground floor in half an hour. Maybe we can find a nice place outdoors since the weather is so good today."
"That works for us," Jin-woo agreed.
The three of them entered the elevator together, the silence this time feeling much more comfortable than before.
When the lift reached the 35th floor, the doors chimed, and Jin-woo and Hajun stepped out toward their apartment.
"See you in thirty minutes," Eun-soo said with a wave as the doors closed to take her up to the 80th floor.
After returning to her apartment, Eun-soo took a quick, refreshing bath to wash away the gym's lingering heat.
Stepping into her dressing room, she spent a long time scanning her wardrobe before finally choosing a dress that looked like it was plucked from a springtime dream.
The voluminous puff sleeves gave her a delicate, doll-like silhouette, while the A-line skirt swayed with a gentle rhythm against her knees.
It was a modest yet deeply romantic look, cinched perfectly at the waist to catch the soft morning light.
She looked at her reflection and felt a sudden wave of satisfaction, but then a confusing thought crossed her mind.
"Why am I so happy?" she whispered to herself. "This isn't a date... is it?"
Her cheeks instantly turned a soft shade of pink, and she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts.
"No, no, I'm just thanking Mr. Jin-woo for his help and treating Hajun to something delicious," she told her reflection firmly. "That's the only reason."
Once she was ready, she grabbed her purse and her car keys, heading down to the ground floor where the boys were waiting.
Jin-woo and Hajun had been standing in the lobby for twenty minutes, both looking sharp and ready for the day.
"What do you think, Hajun? Where is your teacher?" Jin-woo asked, checking his watch with a small, patient smile.
Hajun simply shook his head, his eyes fixed on the elevator doors until they finally slid open.
Eun-soo stepped out and hurried toward them, looking radiant in the morning sun. "I'm so sorry for the delay! Let's go."
She held up her car keys, motioning toward the basement, but Jin-woo gently stepped in front of her.
"There's no need to take two cars," he said smoothly. "Let's just take mine."
Eun-soo hesitated for a second but then realized it made much more sense for them to travel together.
They walked down to the underground parking lot, where the sleek Mercedes was waiting to take them to their weekend lunch.
As the car pulled out of the Gleam Tower gates, the weekend finally felt like it had truly begun.