Peninsula: A Max-Level Forward's Leisurely Life

Tree-lined street in Sinsa-dong, Seoul.

The morning sun was just right, and the ginkgo trees lining the streets cast dappled shadows in the breeze.

Lee Ji-hoon stood under a parasol outside a coffee shop.

He was dressed casually today, wearing a loose black short-sleeved shirt and dark gray casual pants, holding an iced Americano in one hand, his gaze sweeping across the slightly noisy street.

A few minutes later, that familiar figure came into view.

Sulli clearly went all out and dressed up carefully today.

She wore a baseball cap and a black face mask, with a fitted French-style long dress and retro leather shoes that accentuated her figure.

This is clearly a blind date setup.

Li Chixun's gaze fell on her, and he chuckled softly.

The young girl gripped the chain of her handbag tightly with both hands, taking a deep breath every few steps; she seemed even more nervous than on stage.

He was biting on a straw, his brows and eyes relaxed.

This girl kept telling me in the chat box not to overthink it.

Now he looks like a guilty thief, his steps are so stiff he's almost moving in unison.

They hadn't seen each other for a few days at most, so it was impossible for them to be so estranged.

Li Chixun did not intend to expose him.

He tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash can, put his hands in his pockets, and went to meet him.

He wanted to see what kind of show this troublemaker, full of bad ideas, was going to put on for him today.

The attack plan that Choi Sulli came up with after staying up all night was just a clumsy prank in Lee Ji-hoon's eyes.

As Choi Sulli was looking down to check the wrinkles on her skirt, her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of that tall, black figure.

She was startled, and her heart skipped a beat.

To prevent Li Jixun from looking her over, she took the initiative.

Without saying hello, she grabbed Li Chixun's wrist and dragged him into the men's clothing boutique next door.

Feeling a cool touch on his wrist, Li Chixun slowed his pace and stopped on the steps outside the shop.

He looked up and squinted at the sky.

"The sun is shining brightly today."

Choi Sulli paused for a moment, then her tense nerves relaxed.

Upon hearing this greeting, she subconsciously waited for Li Chixun to compliment her appearance.

Her ears, hidden beneath her long hair, perked up secretly, and she prepared a set of words to feign modesty.

Lee Chi-hoon lowered his head and looked at her dress.

"Your outfit makes it look like you're trying to scam me out of money."

Sulli's pink bubble burst instantly.

Does this guy even know what romance is?!

She was so angry she wanted to scream, but she didn't dare to do it on the main street.

She could only bite her pink lower lip hard, and tighten her grip on his wrist even more.

"Hurry up and go inside to take care of some important business!"

The two pushed open the glass door and entered the store.

Choi Sulli, like a headless fly without a destination, began wandering around the shelves.

They picked up one thing to look at, then picked up another to touch, all the while muttering to themselves asking for opinions.

At first, Lee Chi-hoon thought she was choosing a gift for her elders and earnestly helped her with the materials.

After much deliberation, this decision deviated from the normal scope of gift-giving.

She picked up only simple, dark-colored items: black and gray cufflinks, cool-toned sportswear, and solid-color scarves.

Each piece perfectly reflects his everyday fashion preferences.

This little girl isn't picking out a gift at all; she's just copying the answers to her homework.

Lee Chi-hoon could no longer hide the smile in his eyes.

He leaned against the black walnut display case next to him, looking relaxed.

"Have you fallen for another guy?"

He paused for a moment, staring intently into Choi Sulli's eyes: "Describe your features so I can help you choose."

As soon as that provocative remark was uttered, Choi Sulli's eyes widened instantly behind her mask, and half of her face turned black.

How can this person be so self-righteous about being jealous of themselves?

In her mind, she had already beaten Li Chixun to a pulp countless times.

But she started this scene herself, so she had to keep acting even if it was tough.

"He's very tall, usually wears black, white, and gray, and has a terrible personality."

She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

At first, she tried to make up a few characteristics to get by, but she couldn't stop talking and ended up completely imitating the man in front of her.

Lee Chi-hoon couldn't help but laugh more as he listened.

He raised his hand and touched his chin, his tone mocking.

"Are you giving this away as a gift, or are you just writing a character description based on my instructions?"

Choi Sulli was embarrassed on the spot.

Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she stood there, caught in a dilemma.

That's so obvious! Having your thoughts exposed to your face is even more humiliating than being publicly executed.

She abruptly changed the subject.

"Stop being so narcissistic. There are plenty of men like you on the street, you're not the only one!"

Lee Ji-hoon saw through her act but didn't say anything, deciding to mercifully play along and see it through to the end.

However, in order to prank this girl whose only weakness was her stubbornness, he changed his strategy.

He stopped looking at the cool-toned items and started picking through a bunch of flashy accessories.

I picked up a fluorescent green tie and then took a fancy to a pair of extravagant metal diamond-encrusted brooches.

Choi Sulli followed behind, and when she caught a glimpse of the object in his hand, her expression grew even more unpleasant.

What kind of straight male aesthetic is this?!

"Can't you be serious for once?!"

She finally couldn't hold back any longer and reminded him through gritted teeth.

Lee Chi-hoon turned around, holding the fluorescent green tie, his expression serious.

"Aren't you buying a gift for someone important?"

He hung the tie back on the rack, his tone full of considerate concern for her: "I'm just clearing out potential pitfalls for you, so you don't scare people away with your poor taste."

Choi Sulli muttered disdainfully, telling him to shut up.

But she was secretly overjoyed—although this man had a terribly sharp tongue, he was actually considering the details for her and, unusually, had given such a long explanation.

After browsing around for a while, the two of them ended up buying nothing and walked out of the store empty-handed.

A gentle afternoon breeze swept through the streets of Seoul, carrying the coolness of early autumn.

Seeing that he had done enough, Li Chixun prepared to unleash a powerful move to end this tedious test.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on the girl beside him who was walking on her shadow with her head down.

"The person you gave this to, it's not someone you like, is it?"

This question is direct and comes without any preamble.

Sulli was so embarrassed by the question that she became completely ashamed.

Admitting it at this point would be like tearing down the facade right there in the middle of the street!

She turned her face away and looked at the road sign not far away.

"He's just a...not bad person."

Li Jixun continued to feign evil, pressing closer and closer.

"If he accepted the gift, wouldn't he be responsible for it?"

Sulli was speechless.

How does this guy's brain work?!

She almost blurted out the truth in her heart, but reason prevailed over her impulse.

No, I can't let him lead me by the nose forever. Why should I always be the one at a disadvantage?

She stopped and turned around, her peach blossom eyes meeting Li Chixun's gaze, deciding to turn the tables on him.

"And what about you?"

She put her hands behind her back and leaned slightly forward.

If a girl gives you a personal item, would you overthink it?

The smile on Li Chixun's face faded slightly.

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on the girl in front of him who was trying to take the initiative.

After a few seconds, he gave a serious answer.

"It depends on the person."

Sulli was completely stunned.

What kind of ambiguous answer is that!

She took half a step forward, her eagerness written all over her face.

What does it mean to "judge a person"?

Seeing her eagerness for a definite answer, Li Chixun added a comment.

"I'll keep it if it's given to me by someone I don't dislike."

These words shattered the peace, and Choi Sulli's heart raced.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, and the out-of-control rhythm made me dizzy.

People I don't dislike.

Does he actually hate himself?

Based on our interactions over the past few days, he not only doesn't dislike me, but he also indulges many of my unreasonable little tantrums. Does that mean that as long as I give him the gift, he will accept it without hesitation?

Sulli tried her best to appear calm, hiding her trembling fingers in her pocket.

"Oh, I see."

The two continued strolling along the tree-lined path, neither of them speaking again.

The bustling street scene around them lost its focus, and an ambiguous atmosphere enveloped them in the air.

Sulli's right hand kept rubbing the small black gift box she had prepared in her coat pocket.

The sweat on my palms had dampened the sharp edges of the gift box.

The atmosphere was perfect; it was time to reveal the secret I'd been keeping all morning.