Joon-won quickly reached home after running errands at the store. Dropping the bag on the couch, he went straight to the kitchen for a glass of water. He hadn't had anything to drink since eating the noodles and rice balls, and his thirst was catching up with him.
Settling back on the couch, he whipped out his phone, remembering he needed to inform Jung-hwa about his new job. He felt a bit bad since tomorrow was their only chance to practice individually before the full drama rehearsal began.
Opening his texting app, he saw Jung-hwa was online. He greeted her, and she promptly responded, asking what was up.
Joon-won: {Jung-hwa, I might not come to the university tomorrow morning to help with your practice. I might be there by 1 PM at the latest.}
Jung-hwa: {Oh! What happened, Joon-won?}
Jung-hwa: {It's ok if you don't want to tell.}
He couldn't help but chuckle at how cautious she had become since he showed her his acting prowess. He appreciated her carefree personality more.
Joon-won: {Why are you so cautious all of a sudden? Where did the girl who slapped my back for no reason go? Don't be too cautious. Nothing really changed, and it just weirds me out.}
Jung-hwa stiffened slightly at the message. She had subconsciously started treating him with more respect after seeing his talent. Awkwardly laughing, she quickly responded.
Jung-hwa: {Hahaha, I just wanted to show more respect after seeing how good your acting is. Don't be too weirded out about it. I'll be back to normal tomorrow now that you told me. You need to share your secret of good acting.}
Joon-won: {There's no need to be so respectful just because I can act a bit better. We all start from the same point. The only difference is the amount of hard work we put in. Have a goal and work hard to reach it. You'll get better, I'm sure.}
This advice came from his heart. He knew he didn't have any natural talent; it was his persistent attitude and hard work that had improved his skills and allowed him to perform before the royal family in his old life.
Jung-hwa: {Hahaha, Joon-won. You sound just like my grandfather. But what you said is true. I'll work harder. I hope you'll provide pointers tomorrow so I can improve.}
'I am probably way older than your grandfather too, young girl,' Joon-won smiled but reminded himself to think more like his current age.
Joon-won: {Oh, by the way, the reason I called is that I might not come to the university until 1 PM tomorrow. So you might have to practice on your own until then.}
Jung-hwa: {Huh? You're not coming to the university at all? Don't tell me you're going to parties with that idiot friend of yours tonight. Don't waste your time, even though you're good at acting, those kinds of places aren't good for us.}
'This girl's imagination always looks at the worst possible scenario. How can someone think so dark?' he thought, shaking his head.
Joon-won: {What nonsense are you thinking? No, I'm not going to any parties. I'm at my apartment. I got a job and start tomorrow. My shift ends at 1, so I'll be there after that. Until then, practice what we did yesterday.}
Jung-hwa: {What nonsense? You're always going to parties. So guessing that isn't completely wrong. And a job? Are you low on cash? Where are you starting work?}
Joon-won: {Yes, I'm a bit low on cash. I can't keep asking my dad for money. I'll be working at a supermarket near my home.}
Jung-hwa: {Oh, a supermarket. That's nice. I'll drop by if I have time to see you in uniform. Tell me where it is.}
Joon-won shared the location of the supermarket and said goodbye. Talking with such energetic people could be exhausting for him, preferring calm conversations. But he was used to it, having had an energetic daughter and wife.
He stood up and walked into the bedroom, changed clothes, and got into bed. His shift started at 8 AM, so he needed to wake up by 7 or 7:30.
Looking at the ceiling, he murmured, "After many decades, it looks like I'm back where I started, working for money wherever I can. But this doesn't seem bad." With a smile, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.