NOTAKING
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Chapter 52
🕑 Added 2025-03-07 20:07:15 +0000 UTCThe two jogged at a steady pace, their footsteps falling into a synchronized rhythm. Travis could have easily overtaken her, but he didn’t want to discourage her—so instead, he matched her speed, even aligning his breathing with hers to stay perfectly in sync. The morning air was crisp, filling his lungs with each deep inhale, while the faint sound of birds waking up in the trees accompanied their quiet footfalls.
After ten full laps, they made their way to the public gym in the park. It was still early, so only a few other people were around, mostly older men doing light exercises. Na-Yeon led the way, starting with push-ups, then moving on to pull-ups, squats, and various other bodyweight exercises. She was pushing herself today, maybe harder than usual—probably because of the increased pace during the run. She could already feel the burn settling into her muscles, and she knew she was going to be sore for the rest of the day.
But that excited her.
Travis, on the other hand, felt... nothing. The workout barely affected him. Each exercise felt like a warm-up, his body barely registering the effort. It was strange—he liked working out, but this was just too easy. Still, he went through the motions, finishing each set as Na-Yeon huffed and pushed herself to keep going.
Once they wrapped up at the gym, they ran back to the villa, but before heading inside, they sprinted up the stairs for one last challenge. By the time they reached the top, Na-Yeon was completely out of breath, her hands on her knees as she tried to recover.
"That was hectic, wasn’t it?" she panted, wiping sweat from her brow.
Travis, who was barely winded, gave a small nod. "Yeah, it was. How many times a week do you do this?"
"Once," she admitted between deep breaths. "Other times, I just do home workouts and hit the gym. You should join me sometime if you’re free."
He considered it for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, let’s do that. I should probably get your number now that we’re friends."
Na-Yeon blinked, caught off guard. "Oh… yeah, sure! Here, let me give you mine, and you give me yours," she said, quickly unlocking her phone.
They swapped phones, exchanging numbers before handing them back. There was a brief pause as they both looked at their screens before glancing up at each other, sharing a small smile.
"See you later then," Travis said, sliding his phone into his pocket.
"Yeah, see you later too," she replied, her voice softer than before. She quickly turned around, pretending to stretch as she hid the faint blush creeping up her face.
As she walked back inside, her mind raced.
'Why did that feel so good? Just talking to him, exchanging numbers… I mean, we’re just friends. It must be the exhaustion messing with me,' she thought, shaking her head.
Meanwhile, Travis stepped into his apartment, checking his watch with a smirk. He glanced at the hidden meter that displayed Na-Yeon’s current emotional stats.
Love: 24
Interest: 57
Lust: 5
'Everything is moving faster than I expected,' he mused before shutting the door behind him.
[A/N: Lust grows and decreases based on how she feels. Pretty much like irl. ]
Travis stepped into his apartment and immediately noticed Ha-Seong still sprawled out on the floor, snoring lightly. Annoyed, he nudged him with his foot.
"Hey, wake up," Travis said, but Ha-Seong barely stirred.
With an exasperated sigh, Travis resorted to a firmer approach—delivering a light but effective kick to his side. Ha-Seong jolted awake, groaning.
"Ugh, what time is it?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Time for you to get the hell out," Travis said, already pulling him up by his arm. "I let you crash here, but you’re not about to make it a habit."
Still half-asleep, Ha-Seong stumbled toward the door. "Yeah, yeah, I’m going…" he muttered before finally stepping out.
With his apartment now cleared, Travis headed straight for the shower, letting the ice-cold water shock him awake before switching it to a soothing hot stream. The contrast felt perfect, helping his muscles relax after the workout. He let the water run down his body, the steam filling the small space, before finally finishing up and stepping out.
Once dressed in casual but well-fitted clothes, he checked himself in the mirror, adjusting his collar. A satisfied smirk played on his lips.
He knew he was going to have some fun today—with none other than the lovely Professor So-Yeon.
And he couldn’t wait.
Time passed, and soon he was at college, stepping into the classroom. He took his usual seat between Na-Yeon and Ha-Seong, who was too busy chatting with his friends to notice the way Travis was effortlessly pulling Na-Yeon’s attention.
He leaned in slightly, engaging her in conversation about anything and everything, smoothly keeping her focus locked on him. The little shifts in her posture, the way she played with her pen while listening to him, and the occasional lingering glances told him everything he needed to know.
Ha-Seong, completely unaware, continued laughing with his friends.
'I'm successfully replacing bro. Time to kick him out completely. How, you ask? Well… let me cook,' Travis thought, momentarily breaking the fourth wall with a knowing smirk.
Midway through class, Travis pulled out his phone under the desk and sent a quick text to So-Yeon.
Travis: Meet me at [Location] after class?
So-Yeon: 👍
Perfect.
As time passed and class neared its end, Travis casually stretched and packed up his things. Just as he stood up, Na-Yeon moved to follow him, but he stopped her with a small smile.
"Bathroom," he said simply, making it clear he’d be right back.
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Oh, okay. Don’t take too long," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Travis chuckled as he turned away, heading toward his actual destination.
A few minutes later, Travis spotted So-Yeon standing exactly where he had told her to meet him. The moment she saw him, she hurried over, practically throwing herself into his arms before pressing her lips against his.
Her kiss was urgent, her soft lips molding perfectly against his as she gripped his shirt, pulling him in. Luckily, there weren’t any students around—just the quiet hum of the campus in the distance.
When she pulled back, he noticed something immediately.
"No glasses today?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
So-Yeon smirked. "Contacts," she said, poking her temple. "Why? Do you prefer me with glasses?"
Travis let out a playful sigh. "Kinda. You looked hot in them."
[A/N: GIRLS WITH GLASSES FOR LIFE ]
She chuckled, brushing her fingers through his hair before biting her lip. "Noted," she said teasingly. Then, she leaned in, whispering near his ear, "So… do you wanna go to my car and do something fun?"
Travis smirked but shook his head. "Nah, let’s do something else fun," he said, glancing toward the nearby bathroom.
He expected hesitation, maybe even a playful refusal. But instead, he saw a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Damn, she really was a keeper.
Without another word, they walked toward the bathroom, making sure the coast was clear before slipping inside together.
TO BE CONTINUED 
