Another Day, Another Shot

Midnight Run

hello off to the gym 🏃🏻‍♀️ to meet my own handsome man ✨with dimples✨ "Is he sponsored by the brand or what?"

PROMPT: Dark

Yoon Se-ri met a handsome man at the gym.

MIDNIGHT RUN

It was already the middle of the night. It was dark outside and the only lights illuminating the city were from the buildings and headlights of cars dashing through the deserted roads.

Yoon Se-ri was at the 24/7 gym, running on a treadmill facing a huge open window overlooking Seoul's skyline. She's at the gym at this hour because it's the only time she's free given her hectic schedule making it impossible to insert any free time within the day. But she liked it because she got to focus more and it really gave her time to be alone with her thoughts.

It was just Se-ri and the treadmill. Just heavy breathing, heavy steps, and the thumping of her heartbeat. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right

Se-ri wore a blue long-sleeved and leggings gym set, which hugged her slim figure. She wore her hair in a high ponytail to keep them away from her face as she worked out. Lastly, she wore a comfortable pair of white rubber shoes to support her weight as she ran.

Se-ri was the owner of Seri's Choice — a fashion retail company. Of course she had to be fashionable even when at the gym. Even if there weren't many people around at that time, dressing up helped her be more confident in her physical abilities. She didn't dress up for others, she dressed up for herself.

Sweat dripped down her face and a few hair strands stuck to the side of her face. She slowed down the speed of the treadmill until she was just walking to calm her heart rate. She drank lots of water to replenish what she lost from sweating so much. Getting dehydrated was the last thing she wanted.

Se-ri had her earphones on to keep the noisy world away from her and leave her alone to her thoughts. Immersed in the upbeat tune that was playing, she didn't hear a man come in.

The man also went to the treadmill a few meters away from where Se-ri was running. After her water break, she started running again. It was the last few minutes of her work out and she was finally done for the day.

However, aside from being distracted, Se-ri also pushed herself a little more than usual that night. Maybe it was the additional stress from her upcoming new product line's launch. Or maybe it's her emotions messing with her again. But she didn't notice her legs were already weak and wobbly, so she tripped on her own two feet.

"ARGH!" Se-ri's cry of pain echoed throughout the whole room.

The man immediately hopped off his treadmill and went over to where Se-ri sat down, holding her ankle. "Where does it hurt?" He asked as he lifted her ankle and placed it on his lap to inspect the unfortunate injury. She looked at the man and she almost forgot the pain the moment he touched her swollen ankle.

The man had strong facial features and a buff body. He was handsome.

'Stop it, Se-ri. You're being creepy. He's just helping you,' Se-ri thought to herself trying to keep her mind from wandering away toward some not so innocent thoughts.

The man looked at Se-ri again and she blushed even more. The redness on her cheeks was probably from getting caught staring at him rather than from the actual workout she didn't even get to finish.

"Come on, let me help you get settled," he offered. He led Se-ri to sit down on one of the workout benches at the corner of the gym. She was almost skipping or even dragging her feet. So she slipped her arm around his waist for support. She leaned majority of her feather-light weight on his firm build.

Se-ri sat down and let out a sigh from tiredness and from a bit of pain on her ankle. After she got settled, he went out. "I'll just go grab some things for your ankle."

The moment he came back, he already had an ice pack and a bandage in his hands. "We should ice it," he said. After a few minutes and her swollen ankle felt somewhat numb already, he wrapped a bandage over it.

"How will you go home?" He asked Se-ri. "I'll just ask my driver," she answered his question. "Okay. Let me ask the staff to help you to the locker room so you can get your things."

~

Se-ri was already at the reception desk and was about to pay for that night's fee. "No worries, Ms. Yoon. Tonight's free of charge," the receptionist told her with a bright smile on her face.

Se-ri was dumbfounded. "Why? If it's about my sprained ankle, it's not your liability because it was an accident I caused myself." She tried to get the woman to swipe her card once again but she refused and gave it back to her. "It's all done, Ms. Yoon. Mr. Ri told us it's free."

"Mr. Ri...?" Se-ri asked even more confused than she was earlier. "He's the owner of this gym." She had enough surprises for the night. She didn't know that the man who helped her was the owner of the gym himself!

Mr. Ri...

Se-ri looked around, trying to get a glimpse of the man from earlier so she could thank him in person for all his help. First, he took care of her swollen ankle. Next, he didn't charge her for that night's gym use. He was really a nice gentleman.

Se-ri sat at the bench outside the entrance while waiting for her driver to pick her up. And when she looked up from her phone, she saw him.

He went out wearing a white jacket over a blue fleece sweater. He had on black shorts over a pair of black tights. Lastly, he wore some white rubber shoes and had a big black gym bag slung to his left shoulder. Take note, he was wearing Under Armour from top to bottom. Se-ri wanted to laugh. 'What? Is he sponsored by the brand or something?'

He felt someone staring at him, the same energy he felt with Se-ri earlier. He turned to his side and he was right. She was indeed staring at him. Again.

He went over to Se-ri. She tried to stand up and greet him but he didn't let her move even an inch from where she sat down. "I wasn't able to thank you properly. So I'm thanking you now. Thank you for helping me with my swollen ankle and even going the extra mile of not letting me pay for the gym fees tonight."

Se-ri looked down and said, "I didn't know you own the place. It's so embarrassing."

He just laughed at her. It showed his dimples. 'HE'S SO CUTE. OH MY GOD.' Se-ri felt like she could stare at his face and listen to his laugh the whole day and not get bored.

"No worries. You're a loyal customer of ours. It's the least I could do after you sprained your ankle at my gym," he reassured Se-ri.

He gestured toward the empty space beside Se-ri. "Do you mind?" Se-ri looked at the spot and told him he could sit there. "No. Go ahead. It's your gym after all," she laughed, showing her eye smile that got people falling more and more for her charms slowly but surely. And he was one of them.

He sat down and they continued in comfortable silence.

Se-ri's driver, Mr. Hong, finally arrived. He got her things while Mr. Ri helped and guided her to her car.

Once Se-ri was comfortably inside her car he bid her goodbye. "Good night!" She smiled at him.

But before he could close the door, Se-ri stopped him. "I didn't get your full name and we've been with each other for a few hours." He gave her his dashing dimpled smile, "Ri Jeong-hyeok."

With that, Jeong-hyeok closed the door. "Good night, Yoon Se-ri."

Now, Se-ri was looking forward to going back to the gym to see that handsome man again. Ri Jeong-hyeok. Little did she know, he actually had his eyes on her for a while now.

This was going to be exciting.