When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 30

Tae Sung, unfazed, simply shrugged. “I’m not married, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Ohh,” Yeo Jin teased. “So, you’re available?”

Tae Sung just chuckled, shaking his head. “I didn’t say that.”

Joon Ho narrowed his eyes. “Wait. Do you have someone? A girlfriend? A fiancé? A secret wife?”

Min Ah gasped. “A long-lost lover?”

Tae Sung leaned back in his chair, smiling at their dramatics. “No.”

“No to which part?” Sun Woo pressed.

“No girlfriend,” Tae Sung clarified. “No wife, no secret family.”

Min Ah clicked her tongue. “Boring.”

Joon Ho sighed dramatically. “So, what, you just never fell for anyone?”

At that, Tae Sung’s expression shifted slightly. He took a slow sip of his drink, then set it down. “I did.”

The teasing immediately stopped.

Yeo Jin raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Seok Kyung and Ha Ya, who had been sitting quietly, exchanged a quick glance, their lips pressing together like they were holding back knowing smiles.

I didn’t react, too focused on my drink to care.

Min Ah leaned forward. “Spill. Who was she?”

Tae Sung chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s not important.”

Sun Woo rolled his eyes. “Come on. This is a reunion! This is the perfect place to reveal long-lost crushes.”

Joon Ho nodded. “Yeah! Maybe she’s right here.”

I sighed. “You guys are too invested in this.”

“No, no, let him talk!” Min Ah waved me off. “Tae Sung, tell us.”

Tae Sung leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting slightly, as if he were looking at something far away—something none of us could see. The playful energy at the table dimmed slightly, curiosity settling in its place.

Joon Ho, ever the impatient one, leaned forward. “You can’t just drop a line like that and not explain. Give us details, man.”

Tae Sung let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “It’s not that interesting.”

“Liar,” Min Ah accused. “You literally sound like the protagonist of a tragic love story.”

“Yeah,” Sun Woo agreed. “Spill. We have time.”

Tae Sung exhaled, rolling his drink between his fingers. “Alright,” he finally said. “I first saw her at the basketball court.”

“Classic,” Yeo Jin muttered.

“I was playing with the guys,” Tae Sung continued, his voice a little softer now, the memory pulling him in. “We’d been going at it for a while, and I was exhausted. Then, during a bad pass, the ball flew out of bounds—right toward her.”

Joon Ho whistled. “Love at first sight?”

Tae Sung huffed a small laugh. “Not exactly. She picked up the ball before I could get to it. And when I ran over, she just handed it to me, completely unfazed.”

“And?” Min Ah prompted.

“And then,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips, “she held out a drink and said, ‘You look tired. Drink this.’”