Noon woke up early in the morning—completely out of character for him.
Even he was surprised. It still took him a solid thirty minutes to actually get out of bed, despite setting five alarms. But hey, at least it worked.
Right after waking up, he headed straight to the bathroom and stood under a cold shower. It numbed his senses and jolted his tired muscles awake, but strangely enough… it made him feel good.
Today, he took his time with the shampoo, making sure to treat his hair with extra care.
As the water poured over him, he whispered to himself:
"It's an important day, after all… I'm going to meet Sin."
He stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his head and only his underwear on, then stood in front of the mirror.
There wasn't anything particularly special about his body. No athletic build, no striking thinness—just average. Flat. Ordinary.
But in the midst of that neutral stare, a thought crossed his mind:
"What if I started working out?"
He opened YouTube and began browsing home workout videos.
He eventually settled on a simple routine, put on some upbeat music, and started moving enthusiastically.
His motivation was high, but for a body that hadn't exercised since high school… the movements were borderline torture.
Minutes later, he collapsed with a groan, aching all over—but somehow, he felt satisfied.
He got dressed and made a decision:
"No novels or anime today. I just want to feel normal."
He picked out clothes he hadn't worn in a long time—ones that had been gathering dust in a dark corner of his closet:
A plain white shirt and a pair of light blue pants.
He headed downstairs.
And no matter how early he thought he was, his family had beaten him to it as always.
They were already gathered at the breakfast table: his mom, his older sister, and his little brother.
He sat down and started eating: fried eggs, some fruit, and a delicious cup of coffee.
His sister was absorbed in her phone. His brother was lost in a handheld game.
His mom watched TV with half-hearted attention.
Noon focused on his breakfast too. But every now and then, the memories of yesterday came flooding back—and he couldn't help but smile.
He was genuinely happy.
It could honestly be called the first "date" of his life.
Suddenly, a notification buzzed on his phone.
At first, he ignored it. But after a few seconds, curiosity got the best of him.
He picked up the phone—and just as he hoped, it was from Sin.
"Good morning, Noon."
His lips curled into a beaming smile, and his deep blue eyes sparkled.
He typed:
"Good morning, Sin. I hope you're doing well. We're still meeting today, right?"
He sent the message and waited…
But no reply came.
He looked up and found his family staring at him, all wearing puzzled expressions.
He asked seriously, "What's wrong?"
They all replied in unison:
"You're awake at this hour?!"
He frowned in annoyance. His mother looked at him with concern and asked,
"Are you feeling alright, sweetie? Are you in pain or something?"
"I'm perfectly fine," he replied calmly. "I just decided to wake up early today."
His little brother squinted at him suspiciously.
"You're up on a weekend? And you even showered… Are you really Noon? Or did someone replace you?"
Noon gave him a helpless look.
"I am Noon. There's no rule against waking up early on a weekend."
His sister shot him a long glance before flashing a mischievous grin.
"I bet it's because of a girl… and by the way, you came home late last night."
Their mom lit up with excitement. "It's Sin, isn't it?"
His little brother chimed in with innocent mischief:
"Who else could it be? It's not like my big bro has girls lined up or anything."
Noon tried to keep his composure.
"No, it's not because of a girl or anything like that. I just… want to be a better version of myself. I mean, it's the middle of my youth, after all."
But the way his mom and brother looked at him said they weren't convinced. They stayed silent.
Then his sister quickly typed out a few messages and placed her phone on the table with a playful smirk.
"Oh, you're not bad at all, bro. Mika just told me you were with Sin yesterday on a date. Not too shabby!"
She burst out laughing.
Noon froze, completely speechless.
His little brother stared at him like he couldn't believe it.
And his mom dropped her face into her palm in playful shock.
He scrambled to explain:
"It wasn't a date—we just walked around for a bit, that's all. Also, Saya—you and Mika—could you stop stalking your younger siblings like it's some sort of drama series? Seriously."
Saya chuckled. "We're not stalking anyone. Mika didn't do anything.
Sin told us herself.
Looks like she's really comfortable around you, huh?"
Noon's face turned red. His heart raced.
He felt both ecstatic and embarrassed to the point he couldn't even form words.
His little brother suddenly stepped closer and patted his shoulder with a serious tone:
"It's okay, bro. I support you. Whether you succeed or fail… you'll still be my brother.
Even though she's clearly out of your league."
Noon side-eyed him, barely holding back a grin.
"Quit quoting manhwa, you idiot."
The younger one laughed and ran upstairs, still giggling.
Their mom stayed at the table, stuck between pride and shock.
Then Saya said, "Oh, Mom—looks like the Yuki family is inviting us over. What do you think?"
Their mom smiled warmly, a bit nostalgic.
"I'd love to go… It's been ages since I've talked to Mrs. Yuki.
But I've got plans with your dad today. You and Noon go instead.
If you can convince your little brother to come along, even better.
Apologize for me, alright?"
"No problem," Saya said. "And when you come back, bring Dad with you. I've got something important to tell him…"
She turned toward Noon with a sly smile.
"Well, big brother. This is it. Either you fail… or you succeed.
Everything depends on the first impression."
Noon's emotions shifted from shy excitement to straight-up anxiety.
Saya grabbed his hand and pulled him upstairs with her.
Their mother stayed seated at the table, resting her face in her palm.
She muttered softly, staring into space:
"He really does take after his father…"
---
For the first time in a long while, Noon walked down the street dressed in normal clothes—not in his usual all-black attire. He wore a simple yet elegant pair of white trousers, a crisp white shirt, and a light blue blazer over it. Even his hairstyle had changed slightly. His bangs no longer hung over his eyes like they used to. Clearly, his sister had gotten involved.
At that moment, he looked unusually handsome—more than usual.
His sister was no less stunning. By nature, she was captivating, with glowing orange hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a sky-blue dress that gently hugged her fair skin. She was enchanting—so much so that people couldn't take their eyes off her, which made Noon simmer with irritation. He instinctively tried to shield her by stepping in front of her.
Their younger brother had his own charm, too. Orange hair like Saya's, mysterious black eyes that sparkled, and a mid-length haircut that gave him a distinctive flair. He wore a soft blue shirt and neat gray pants—together, they looked like a family straight out of a picture book.
As they neared Sin's house, Noon grew more anxious. He couldn't help but think:
"I know it's normal for families to meet each other like this… and we're not strangers or anything. But inside that house… is Sin. The homebody girl. What will she look like? What will she be wearing? How does she talk to her siblings?"
His curiosity about her only grew—and now extended to her family as well. He glanced at his sister and something crossed his mind. He turned to her and asked:
"Hey… Sis, since Mika's been your childhood friend and you used to spend a lot of time at their place, could you tell me more about their family?"
Saya smiled and said:
"Well… there's not that much to say, but… First of all, unlike Mika, her family's very lively. And their parents? Super in love. They have seven kids, including Mika and Sin. Their mom is kind, but incredibly hardworking. The odd thing is… she's constantly attacking and arguing with their dad—like, all the time. But hey, everyone has their own love language, right?"
"As for their dad, I don't blame her. He's a good guy, sure, but kind of weird. He eavesdrops on conversations and slacks off a lot, even though he's doing well at work. They have an older brother—pretty quiet most of the time. Mika… well, you already know her. There's also Reem, who's really pretty, but it's better if you stay away from her. She's scary smart. Like, scary enough to trick me sometimes. As for the younger siblings, they're usually out playing, so I don't know them that well. And of course, the youngest one… that spoiled little brat—my advice? Don't get too close to her."
She finished with a smile.
"That's about it. So? What do you think?"
After a brief silence, she repeated the question with a sideways glance:
"Well? What do you think?"
Noon looked at her, clearly overwhelmed by the flood of information.
"Uhh… thanks. They just sound… kind of unusual."
The excitement he'd felt about meeting them seemed to shift into cautious concern—worried he might unintentionally cause trouble.
His younger brother noticed the look on his face and chuckled.
"Bro, your face is giving everything away!"
Snapping out of it, Noon quickly straightened his expression. Today, he was doing something totally out of character. But that was okay. That's the whole point of wanting something.
Right now, he wanted—and he was willing to do anything for that want.
He had decided to stop being lazy. He didn't want to hate himself anymore. He wanted to become someone better—someone worthy of falling in love with Sin.
That was his decision now.
At last, they stood in front of Sin's house. It was a tidy two-story home with a large store attached. They stood before the door, ready.
Noon knocked several times. After a few seconds of waiting, the door opened.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath—then stepped inside without hesitation.
This… was the moment he finally left his shell.