THANK YOU // DEX ✔️

4.

Namgil dropped off the singer at the gym she had been visiting for a good five years, then said his goodbyes as he hurried home to his wife and children. Siyoung walked with a smile to the locker room, where she changed into shorts and a sports bra. She used to wear long sweatpants and an oldbig hoodie, but she didn't see any progress through them, so she started wearing just the sports bra – occasionally feeling the gazes of guys, definitely much older, who she thought were perverts, but most of the time no one paid attention to her.

The gym was empty. The only person inside was Donghyun, who was training kickboxing and boxing with Siyoung. He stood by the punching bag, practicing his strikes. He had very big strength, as the hits he delivered to the bag could be heard all the way at the entrance, with the punching bags located on the far side of the gym.

With a smile on her face, Siyoung approached him. He smiled too when he noticed the younger one.

"You haven't been here for a while, Siyoung," Donghyun said and hugged Siyoung tightly – Donghyun was one of the few guys whose touch didn't bother Siyoung, because they had been training together for quite a while and quickly became friends. Siyoung trusted him, knew he wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable. And it was him who had helped the singer countless times, seeing how her ex treated her horribly. She owed him a lot, and that's why she trained with him so much, trying to make up for it.

"I had a comeback, and then I got a week and a half off. It's only been five days, but unfortunately, work is calling again," she told him. She was annoyed with her team. Yes, she was glad to be in Nolto, but she also wanted a bit more time off because she didn't get it very often. "In two days, I have to be on a show filling in for another singer, so my break is probably ending, and I'll have to go back to work, but don't worry, I'll try to come here often."

"I know you had a comeback," Donghyun smiled, "I watched the live broadcast, and the boss here played your album quite a bit," he chuckled.

"Did you receive the album I sent you?" she asked. Donghyun nodded. She didn't have time to come here in person, so she had Namgil deliver the album to him – she was glad he got it and that it was in good condition.

"The songs were amazing," he told her, "but now, less talking and more hitting," he entered the ring and waved for Siyoung to follow him. She put on the gloves and entered the ring behind him. Donghyun waited until Siyoung had her gloves on before he didn't hold back anymore. He didn't care that the person opposite him was a girl and a singer at that – he didn't hold back on strength and gave it his all. That's how Siyoung wanted it; only by training against a guy who put all his strength into it could she learn to defend against such strength. And she was succeeding. In the beginning, she took hits and left with bruises, but now she was receiving far fewer blows, mostly just minor bruises, and she could also deliver a punch – a punch that often surprised Donghyun.

"I see I'm catching you at your best," a voice interrupted them when they were rolling on the ground, trying to get on top, as that was the way to gain the upper hand. But Siyoung couldn't overpower Donghyun's weight, so she was the one ending up beneath him – if anyone didn't know what the pair was doing, they might think something sexual was happening. Luckily, this gym was frequented only by true gym enthusiasts, and there was no chance of encountering fans here; otherwise, some strange rumors might have started circulating.

The pair looked to see to whom the voice belonged. Siyoung was surprised when she saw that the person behind the voice was Dex. And he also seemed surprised when he spotted the girl who had intrigued him in the café. Suddenly, it was as if she had gained the strength of all the bodybuilders; she pushed Donghyun off her, almost leaped over the ropes, circled around Dex, and quickly started removing her gloves.

"I didn't hear your name at the café," Dex was positioned so he could see Siyoung. He remembered how nervous she had looked at the café, so he decided to keep a bit of distance today. "You left pretty quickly."

"That's because I didn't want to tell you my name and I didn't want to give you my phone number either, which you surely want as well," with these words, she walked away, her bag in tow. She had wanted to work out today, but if Dex was at the gym, she would rather leave and go to another one. Unfortunately, she would have to tough it out somewhere else today.

She felt her breathing quicken. She had a feeling her heart might jump out of her chest any moment. She didn't know if her sweaty palms were due to the workout or her nervousness about Dex. Siyoung wasn't afraid of him, but she also didn't feel comfortable around him. She still had a sense that he might do to her what Seojun had done. But at the same time, she realized he could be the complete opposite – after all, he was standing quite far from her today... or was that just her imagination?

---

"Donghyun, you know we've been friends for a long time," Jinyoung turned to his friend, whom he had met years ago in the military – their paths diverged when Jinyoung signed up for the UDT while Donghyun stayed where he was, with the plan to finish after a year and a half.

"She wouldn't want me to tell you her name," he replied, "and it's still weird that you don't know her."

"Is she somehow famous?" he asked, looking at the girl who was quickly leaving the gym. She was really attractive, and Jinyoung was immediately taken by her as soon as she entered the café. And that smile she had when the café owner appeared only confirmed to Jinyoung that he really liked her. He was determined to get the girl's number, even if it meant coming to this gym every day, all day, just to catch her.

"Somehow famous? Dude, she has 30 million followers on Instagram, and her songs average around 50 million views," he told him, and only then did he realize what he had done. He shouldn't have mentioned she's a singer; now she'll be easy to find.

"She sings? 50 million views? You know you've just helped me find her, right?" Jinyoung laughed and took out his phone. He searched for not even two minutes before he found the mysterious girl. "Kang Siyoung? Nice name."