shaxyz

The flashing red text on the digital scanner after you swiped your ID card made your eyebrow twitch violently.

As someone who practically worshipped speed, despised delays, and refused to waste a single second of her life—this exact scenario was profoundly, deeply irritating.

Before you could get yourself court-martialed for destroying government property (an offense you’d committed more times than you’d care to admit) or for assaulting a security guard (a crime you hadn't tried yet, but were highly considering), the expensive smartphone crammed into your back pocket vibrated, violently interrupting your incoming villain arc.

Incoming Call: 'Jungwon (HWK)'

"What" you snapped into the receiver.

The person on the other end immediately picked up on your murderous tone. And that, in turn, was also annoying.

"Whoa, easy there, tiger," Jungwon’s voice crackled through the line, sounding entirely too cheerful for your current mood. "Your badge got flagged because of the transfer order."

"Are you messing with me? Am I supposed to parkour up the balcony or something?"

"I’m just stating facts, chief. Please don't smash any state property just yet. Come up to the 15th floor... I’ve got something shiny to show you."

You let out an irritated sigh, bluntly hanging up on your 'best friend' since academy days without a shred of remorse. Still, your thumb aggressively punched the button for the 15th floor anyway.

You could feel the burning stares of the uniformed officers around you, but frankly, it was just a regular Tuesday for you. It wasn't every day people got to look at a Captain who broke the record as the youngest officer to reach the rank in police history. A literal top-of-the-class prodigy from the Police University, scoring straight A's in both theory and field tactics, a sharpshooter with deadly precision, and a hand-to-hand combat expert who made certified instructors cry for mercy.

Ah... well, just exclude the police ethics department from your resume. Come on, everyone has flaws. You can't expect a person to be a perfect saint, can you?

The elevator dinged and slid open on the 15th floor of the National Police Headquarters. This was the restricted zone of the Intelligence Division, colloquially known as Hawkeye. The atmosphere here was deathly quiet, as if it existed in a completely different dimension. You strutted down the hallway, your heels clicking sharply against the floor as you headed toward the deepest, most familiar office.

Yang Jungwon—your dear best friend—was casually spinning in his ergonomic chair in front of a gargantuan control panel, the blue glow of the servers reflecting off his glasses.

Ugh. Absolutely insufferable.

"Take a seat, Director," Jungwon said, rolling a chair toward you. "How was your one-week suspension? Word on the street is that Commissioner General Shim had to practically fist-fight the board of directors just to keep you from getting fired."

"Don't call it a suspension. Call it what it is: administrative archiving."

You threw yourself into the chair, crossing your legs with an irritated huff.

"The old man is just terrified of staining our prestigious, multi-generational police bloodline. Charges like 'excessive use of force' and 'destruction of government property' don't exactly look great on his favorite granddaughter’s record."

"Hey, but in exchange for bringing back a Black Box-level piece of evidence? I’d say it was worth it." Jungwon chuckled softly, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Your little stunt at the Incheon port last week forced the higher-ups to finally greenlight the D.A.R.T. unit... Even if, realistically, they only built it to serve as a living graveyard for all the HR nightmares they can't legally fire."

The massive screen in the center of the room flickered to life, transitioning from pitch black to a stark, ominous red. The data displayed on it, however, was so laughably empty it was almost depressing.

"Cut to the chase, Jungwon," you muttered. "Is this seriously all we have on these bastards?"

The screen was literally just a sea of question marks (⁠?⁠).

Right beside them was the crest that the entire police force utterly loathed, yet the public worshiped like they were some kind of modern Robin Hoods.

⁠THE HOUSE OF CARDS (H.O.C.)⁠

You raised an eyebrow at the screen, surveying the total lack of identifying information. "Name? Age? Nationality? Number of operatives?"

"Zero. NADA," Jungwon sighed, spinning his chair back to face you. "We know absolutely nothing about them. For the past two years, we haven't even figured out how many members H.O.C. actually has. Five? Ten? Or maybe it's just one incredibly cracked hacker doing everything by himself. Who knows."

Wonderful.

A briefing where we officially learned absolutely nothing.

"Okay, then what's the deal with these cards?" You pointed at the graphic of six playing cards lined up on the monitor.

"Ah, that is the single thing they deliberately leave behind for us to admire," Jungwon explained, zooming in on the cards. "Every time they pull off a heist, they leave exactly one card at the crime scene. The Behavioral Analysis Unit has formulated a 'hypothesis' that each card represents a specific member with a distinct role. Mind you, this is strictly a theory. Emphasizing on theory."

Jungwon clicked a remote, and the screen displayed the categories the police had basically guessed.

"The Joker."

The monitor shifted to show a bank's mainframe completely corrupted by a laughing clown virus.

"Any case where the system gets breached or data mysteriously vanishes into thin air, we find this card. We’ve never seen a face. Could be a solo hacker, could be a whole team of elite programmers. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Or maybe our cyber crimes division is just incompetent."

"Watch your mouth."

You shrugged, gesturing for him to move to the next slide. Jungwon took a deep breath, swallowing his annoyance before continuing.

"Next, the Jack of Clubs."

A blurry CCTV footage played, showing nothing but a fleeting, lightning-fast shadow.

"The Jack. Appears in high-casualty, brute-force breaches. No one has ever seen their actual face. Cameras only catch a blur, or a figure clad in pitch-black gear that defies all tactical profiling. Some say it's a ninja, others swear it's Spider-Man."

"Please, that is so cringe. It’s literally just some kid who's good at parkour jumping across roofs."

The faint hum of the projector fan filled the silent room after your remark.

"You have zero appreciation for the arts," Jungwon muttered. "Moving on, the King of Hearts."

You averted your gaze from the screen, tapping your fingers impatiently against the desk.

"The King of Hearts... left behind in high-profile corporate espionage and witness manipulation cases. The suspect always utilizes a different, perfectly forged identity. Oh, and it's always left with a fresh red rose. The street cops playfully call him 'Lupin'—hey, focus please."

You snapped your attention back at your friend’s sharp reprimand. The screen was now displaying a beautifully vibrant rose and the King of Hearts card, cutting between static-filled CCTV clips that glitched out every single time a specific man walked past.

"Is that static the Joker's doing too?"

"Highly probable, but unconfirmed."

You jutted out your lower lip, nodding slowly.

"The Ace of Spades and the King of Diamonds," Jungwon paused for a fraction of a second before pushing through. "The Ace is found in sophisticated extortion letters outlining intricate blueprints, while the King of Diamonds is always left next to massive stacks of cash left behind at the scene. So, our working theory is that they are the Brains and the Financier. And... yep, that's it. That's the grand total of our intel."

"So, to summarize... we are fighting ghosts with fancy code names?" You let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "No wonder the cases haven't moved an inch."

"There is exactly one exception..." Jungwon’s tone dropped, becoming deadly serious as he hit the final button. "There is one member we are 100% sure exists. Because he is the only one arrogant enough to actually show his face on camera."

The screen flashed, displaying the single high-definition photograph in the entire database.

It was a tall, lean young man clad in an exquisite, pearl-white tuxedo embroidered with intricate gold threading. His collar was adorned with layered, luxurious fabric, topped off with a white top hat and a matching cape that billowed dramatically in the wind.

His face was obscured by an elegant, ornate Venetian masquerade half-mask.

He was standing on the precipice of a skyscraper, bathed in the silver moonlight, one hand resting on a sleek cane while the other effortlessly twirled a playing card between his fingers.

"The King of Spades."

"The big boss... or as the media loves to call him, 'The White Prince of Spades'."

Jungwon stared at the image with a mixture of awe and sheer frustration.

"This guy acts like he walked straight out of a comic book. A phantom thief who literally performs magic tricks in front of the police. He steals priceless artifacts right under the noses of hundreds of guards without breaking a sweat. At the diamond auction last year, he materialized on stage out of nowhere. The lights went out for exactly eight seconds, and when they came back on, both he and the diamond were gone."

"That show-off piece of garbage..." You hissed through gritted teeth.

"Exactly. The only idiot who willingly sticks his head out to flex, wearing a blinding white outfit like he’s terrified people won't notice him," Jungwon added, making a disgusted face. "And he is the sole reason you got slapped with an 'assaulting a fellow officer' charge, because you literally elbowed the desk sergeant in the face just to steal the car keys and chase him down."

"Well, it's his fault for blocking my way!" You retorted instantly. "He was rambling on and on about protocol and paperwork while the thief was actively making his getaway!"

"So you stole a department vehicle? Drove out alone? No warrant? No backup? ...You are completely insane. If I hadn't bypassed the city cameras to map out your route, or if Wonyoung hadn't distracted the coast guard, you would’ve drowned in that harbor and died a week ago." Jungwon aggressively ran a hand through his hair.

"Watch your mouth, Jungwon."

Jungwon shrugged, deliberately looking away from you. "Sure, sure, Miss Elite Prodigy. Punching your co-workers just to chase a criminal. No wonder you got demoted." He shook his head.

"Do you even know what actually happened that night?!"

"Of course I do! I was the one watching your bodycam feed!"

11:00 PM (A little over an hour before the police's estimated timeline), Last Week.

The faint, metallic clinking of chains echoed softly through the night.

You slipped stealthily between the towering shipping containers, moving like a shadow. No backup. Just you, your service pistol, and a raw instinct telling you—they are here.

And you were right... well, half right.

Perched on top of a cargo container was the man in the white suit, casually swinging his legs and humming a cheerful tune to himself, looking like he was waiting for a cozy picnic rather than finalizing an illegal smuggling transaction.

He looked entirely relaxed... right up until you aimed your barrel directly at his chest.

"Freeze! Police!"

The King of Spades flinched so hard his entire body jolted, nearly dropping the hard drive in his hand. He whipped his head around to look at you, then frantically raised his wrist to check his watch in a clumsy, panicked motion that was entirely 'un-cool'.

"...Officer?" His voice, filtered through a vocal modulator, sounded utterly bewildered. "Wait a minute... It's only eleven? Ace calculated the police arrival time at midnight! Why on earth are you here so early?!"

"I don't drive a damn turtle like the rest of them." You advanced forward, keeping your weapon locked steady on him. "Hand over the evidence and climb down with your hands up."

"Oh, crap... I haven't even styled my hair properly. I didn't get to practice my introductory pose yet!" he muttered frantically to himself, taking a panicked step backward. "If Ace finds out the plan failed because of my poor time management, he's going to lecture me until my ears bleed..."

"You can complain all you want in a holding cell!"

You didn't waste another second listening to his rambling. You charged.

The brawl that followed was brief but fierce. He was smarter and quicker than you’d anticipated, fluidly dodging and parrying your strikes like a trained dancer. But he refused to strike back, focusing entirely on deflecting your blows and looking for an exit—until your sweeping kick sent the hard drive flying over the edge, plummeting to the ground below.

"Okay, okay! I yield, milady!"

He scrambled back to the edge of the container, shoving his hand inside his suit jacket.

You braced yourself, expecting a smoke grenade or a weapon, but instead, he pulled out a thick pencil(?) and a playing card. His elegant fingers scribbled frantically on the card, looking so rushed and clumsy the pencil almost slipped from his grip.

"Consider tonight your win! Take this consolation prize for now, and I’ll make sure to send a proper invitation later!"

BOOM!

A flashbang smoke bomb detonated at your feet.

Coughing through the thick smoke, you lunged forward to grab him, but your fingers only caught a single playing card that he flicked directly onto your forehead before vanishing into the night…

You reached into your jacket pocket, pulling out a clear Ziploc bag with a distinct red evidence seal.

Inside the bag was a heavily creased King of Spades card. On the back, a message was scribbled in messy, panicked handwriting:

⁠Next: case 26 – the void⁠

You slapped the evidence bag onto the desk with a loud thud.

"Look at this trainwreck," you scoffed. "He wrote it so fast the letters is literally smeared. This is the 'Mastermind' of a national crime syndicate? Please. He looks more like a middle schooler trying to scribble down his homework before the bell rings."

Jungwon reached out to pick up the bag, but you sharply slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch it. I haven't sent it to the forensics lab yet, you'll ruin the fingerprints."

"Wait a second..." Jungwon pulled his hand back, narrowing his eyes at you. "You haven't submitted this piece of evidence to central command yet? Y/N, that is a massive protocol violation. If Internal Affairs finds out, they're going to tack on a 'withholding evidence' charge to your record."

"Withholding what?" You shrugged, a predatory, mischievous smirk spreading across your face. "The evidence for Case 25 was the hard drive, which I have fully returned. As for this card..."

You tapped your fingernail against the plastic bag.

"The idiot wrote 'Case 26' on it himself... So, technically speaking, this is a 'lead' for a future case that hasn't officially occurred yet. And as the newly appointed Director of the D.A.R.T. unit handling this specific investigation, I have full operational discretion to retain it for investigative purposes... Right?"

Jungwon’s jaw dropped. He stared at you for a long moment before shaking his head with a breathless laugh.

"Wow. The mental gymnastics are unreal... Unbelievable. You literally memorized the entire legal penal code just to exploit it for your own chaotic convenience."

"It's called operational discretion, darling."

You snatched the bag back, sliding it safely into your pocket like a prized possession.

"Next time, I'm not just kicking his evidence away. Get a holding cell ready, Jungwon. Because I am going to drag that ridiculous white-suited prince by his collar and personally lock him behind bars."

A/N

The villa’s communal garden at 4 AM was as dead silent as you expected. The dim lights from the pavilion were still on. Reading in the dark was bad for your eyes, sure, but trying to read with no focus—or giving up entirely—was bad for your grades.

You slumped down under the eaves, letting your legs dangle. It was a blind spot, perfectly hidden by the bushes next to it. Honestly, it was a bit sketchy, but come on... it’s 4 AM. 4 Fucking A.M. Who in their right mind would be taking a moody midnight stroll in this tiny garden?

You kept your head down, muttering formulas and trying to shove as much knowledge into your brain as possible.

"...Criminal Law... Section 257. Whoever physically assaults another person, causing bodily harm, shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than seven years... or a fine of not more than ten million won... Ugh, I’ve recited this a hundred times..."

While you were grumbling to yourself, you suddenly picked up on a murmuring voice not too far away. A voice infinitely less boring than your law textbook.

You tried to ignore it—

"What the fuck is his problem? Hasn't he swallowed enough of my boots to learn his lesson?"

You froze. Not because you wanted to eavesdrop, but because the silence made it too clear.

Whatever, just keep ignoring it...

"I already lured him out. If he doesn't drop this bullshit, I'm taking down his whole crew. I'll make sure they never show their pathetic faces around us again."

The voice dropped an octave. You bit your lip.

Uh... this definitely wasn't an acoustic solo by Jaehyun.

You... tried...

"Drag him out this Friday. Tell him if he doesn't stop fucking around, I’m actually going to try this time."

…You tried to peek over the bushes to see who was spewing such barbaric, vulgar words and ruining your study session.

A dark silhouette shifted behind the leaves—a tall, lean figure, shoulder tilted slightly like he was holding a phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A loser's weak punch can only give me a busted lip. He’s the one who’s probably on his way to the ER right now."

The figure stepped out slightly from the tree line. The slanted light from the pavilion hit him, revealing—

Fingertips stained with blood.

…Then bruised, busted knuckles.

…Then a tightly clenched jaw.

You swallowed hard.

And when he tilted his head up slightly, the light caught his split lip—the dark crimson blood hadn't even dried yet.

The thoroughly pissed-off guy stood there in absolute shambles, spitting blood onto the ground, aggressively running a hand through his messy hair, and barking a string of profanities into his phone out of pure irritation. He was standing right there, just on the other side of the bush.

You should have kept your head down.

You knew you should have—

…But it was too late.

Your heart dropped to your stomach. You didn't know if it was because of the situation... or the person standing in front of you.

And when he finally looked up, his eyes locking directly with yours as you sat frozen in the dark corner—

The curse word about to leave his mouth was swallowed whole. The feral, murderous glare from a second ago melted into an eerie, deadpan calm. He hastily wiped the blood off his lip with the back of his hand before a soft, dreamy voice—the exact one he used with the neighborhood aunties—broke the silence.

"Y/N-ssi?"

For a bit of context, let me introduce you to Lee Sanghyuk, better known as ‘Riwoo.’

The youngest son from Unit 303, legendary for his 'ideal husband' visuals. He was 100% polite, well-mannered, and had this sweet disposition that made every elder in the vicinity adore him. He had an easygoing humor that clicked with the older folks, earning him the title of the 'Dream Son-in-Law' among every mom, dad, aunt, and relative in the villa. (Basically the same vibe as Jaehyun, but Riwoo actually seemed to have a functioning brain and was way more reliable. Or so you assumed.)

Every afternoon or evening, you’d see this Dream Son-in-Law walking his two fluffy white Pomeranians, showing off their cuteness with that gentle, affectionate smile of his.

As for his relationship with you? — Nonexistent.

Except for the fact that your housemate was the daughter of Riwoo's mom's best friend. Or the occasional head-nod when you were forced to walk your shared house’s corgi-mix, ‘Nyang-Nyang’ (a name that constantly made you question the landlord's sanity). Other than that... literally nothing.

"Y/N-ssi?"

Huh?

Wait... how did he even know your name?

Why?

"Y/N-ssi?"

"Oh... yes?"

Fuck.

You immediately realized how incredibly stupid you sounded, but your brain had completely flatlined the second you made eye contact with him.

If it weren't for the blood and the bruises, the impulsive, unhinged part of your brain might have thought, ‘Oh, I’m in love.’ — But obviously, your heart was hammering against your ribs right now not because he looked dangerously hot, but because you were terrified those bloody knuckles were going to be planted on your face next.

You didn't even process what he said next. After nodding along mindlessly (maybe the 'Confusion' debuff from the law book lasted this long?), he stepped a little further away, dropping his voice several octaves, but continued his phone call.

Uh... he was probably apologizing for being loud and telling the person on the phone he'd keep it down, right? Or maybe he was growling at his underlings to use your law textbook to smash the caller's head instead of Jaehyun's?

You should go back to reading. (Duh.)

You should go back to memorizing Section 257. You should act like nothing happened.

But you couldn't. Because even though he walked further away, his voice lingered.

"...I told him, I'm not letting it slide this time."

Quieter—but not far enough to fade.

You stared at the neat rows of text in your book. They were perfectly legible, but you couldn't comprehend a single word.

"...Yeah, I know."

The sound of his black shoes crunching against the gravel was slow, unhurried—completely unlike a guy who looked ready to commit murder just three minutes ago.

You swallowed hard again.

Okay...

That's enough.

You should get up and go back to your room. Honestly, you shouldn't have sat in this blind spot in the first place! If Riwoo or his gang decided to silence you right here, they'd never find your body!

You placed your hands on the pavement, bracing yourself to stand—

"Not asleep yet?"

Huh...

The voice was closer than it had any right to be. You froze for a split second before snapping your head up.

He was standing less than two steps away. Way closer than where he was just a minute ago. The phone was still pressed to his ear, but his eyes weren't focused on the conversation anymore.

...They were glued to you.

"...I'm studying."

What a stupid answer.

You knew it. He definitely knew it.

Riwoo just gave a slight nod, a small smile revealing his little fangs right next to his busted lip—the contrast was jarring as hell.

"It's 4 AM."

"I... know."

Silence.

The rustling of the leaves above suddenly sounded obnoxiously loud because everything else was far too quiet.

You tried your best not to look at him directly, but avoiding his gaze felt impossible.

Too close.

Close enough that you could see fresh blood slightly welling up from the split in his lip.

"Does it hurt?"

The words slipped out before you could stop them. The second you realized what you said, you wanted to bash your head against the concrete. Why the hell are you being nosy, you loudmouth?!

He raised an eyebrow.

"...What?"

"The cut..."

Stupid x2.

You really should have shut up after the first syllable!

He went quiet, not answering immediately. His eyes slowly scanned your face—like he was calculating something. (Probably calculating how dumb your question was, honestly.)

"Not really."

He replied in a flat, nonchalant tone, acting like it was no big deal despite looking like he just walked out of Fight Club.

You bit your lip.

Okay—stop meddling, you idiot. You can barely survive your own life and tomorrow's exam. Why do you care about a wound he doesn't even feel?!

You bent down, grabbing your book, fully committed to leaving this time.

"But you might get hurt more."

huh?

Your hands halted mid-air. Was that my inner voice? No, it wasn't?

"...Excuse me?"

"If you keep sitting here."

He said it like it was the most casual thing in the world... but his eyes told a completely different story.

He took a half-step closer. So close that his shadow completely eclipsed the light from the pavilion, enveloping you. The faint scent of sweat mixed with the metallic tang of blood hit your nose.

"Blind spots like this..." He tilted his head slightly, and that fanged smile suddenly looked ten times more lethal. "...are dangerous, you know."

You didn't know what to say. Because the person telling you it was dangerous, towering over you right now, was undeniably the most dangerous thing in a ten-mile radius!

He stared at you for another long second before breaking eye contact and bringing the phone back to his mouth.

"Yeah, I'll call you back..."

And then he actually turned and walked away. (Hopefully.)

His footsteps gradually faded, along with his voice returning to that harsh, icy tone.

"...Don't make me repeat myself."

Meanwhile, you were still sitting there, hand frozen on your textbook.

Your brain should be returning to Section 257 regarding physical assault, but the only thought spiraling in your head was—

Exactly how long did he know I was sitting there?

Whatever. You shot up, hugged the thick textbook to your chest a little tighter than usual, and speed-walked back to your house without ever looking back.

The exam went surprisingly well. (Or at least you thought so, for now.)

The bags under your eyes were so dark that even your housemate pointed them out when you bumped into each other that evening. Obviously—besides pulling an all-nighter, the main reason you looked like a corpse was the lingering paranoia that Riwoo might show up to silence you or chuck a Molotov cocktail at your share-house.

"Y/N-ah—take out the trash for me, will you?"

The landlord's daughter called out from the kitchen, accompanied by the clatter of pots and pans. You groaned in response, dragging your feet to grab the garbage bags she left by the door.

"Woonhak is coming over for dinner tonight. Want anything special? Since you're done with exams and all."

"Nope. Make whatever you want, Unnie. That kid's going to eat us out of house and home anyway."

The house angel laughed, diving back into the fridge. As someone who couldn't tell salt from sugar, you gladly banished yourself to garbage duty outside.

Usually, taking out the trash at this hour meant exchanging pleasantries with Mrs. Kim from across the street while she watered her plants.

You fully expected to see the sweet, gray-haired lady giving you a warm smile. But the first thing your eyes landed on was... Riwoo.

Riwoo... dressed in crisp, casual clothes, chatting brightly with Mrs. Kim in the most wholesome atmosphere imaginable. He had the leashes of his two Pomeranians in hand.

And on the corner of his mouth was a ridiculously cute, brown teddy bear band-aid. A stark, hilarious contrast to his 4 AM aesthetic!

"Oh, Y/N dear!" Mrs. Kim’s kind voice called out, making the younger man turn around. His eyes locked with yours.

He flashed that signature, Dream Son-in-Law smile and greeted you with the most normal, pleasant tone ever. "Hello, Y/N-ssi. You were up late studying last night, weren't you? Take care of your health."

Mrs. Kim beamed at him. Meanwhile, you just gripped the garbage bags tighter, immensely irritated by his Oscar-worthy acting skills—and equally irritated at yourself for the slight shiver that went down your spine at his smile.

As soon as Mrs. Kim turned her back and walked into her house, looking utterly charmed by the Perfect Boy, the warm aura surrounding Riwoo vanished into thin air like it was never there.

The leashes in his hand pulled taut as the two fluffballs started sniffing around your Crocs. Riwoo didn’t even look down at them. He just stood there, arms crossed, head tilted slightly, staring at you with those same deadpan eyes from last night.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" His voice was still soft... but the affectionate warmth he used with the elders was completely stripped away. "Or is the band-aid not cute enough?"

You raised an eyebrow, thoroughly annoyed that this guy was acting like nothing happened. That cut on his lip... it was blatantly a result of a Section 257 violation.

"No. I just think it suits you," you replied flatly, trying not to show your wariness. "How exactly did you hit the edge of the cabinet to get a gash that wide?"

You threw his own stupid excuse back at him—the one he just fed Mrs. Kim about being 'clumsy.' (And you were the only one who knew exactly where it came from.)

Riwoo let out a small scoff, smirking on the un-bandaged side of his mouth. He took a step closer, causing the two tiny dogs to let out soft whines at your feet.

"Well... the same way you saw at 4 AM," he murmured, his voice dropping low enough for only you to hear. "What do you think? Did the penalty for that Criminal Law section scare me enough to not hit the cabinet a second time?"

His deadpan threat made your heart skip a beat. But your inherent irritability and short temper outweighed the fear. You crossed your arms and glared right back at him, refusing to back down.

"If a ten million won fine isn't scary enough, maybe next time, instead of hitting a cabinet, you can try walking into a courtroom? I'd be happy to be your pro bono defense attorney!"

Riwoo froze for a split second. A flicker of genuine surprise flashed in his dark eyes... before he let out a low, breathy chuckle. It was the same rough laugh from last night, completely devoid of his 'Perfect Son-in-Law' persona.

"Hah... You’ve got quite the mouth on you, Law Student." Riwoo glanced down at the dogs and pulled the leash, stepping back slightly. "Let's make a deal. My little 'cabinet' secret... in exchange for me not interrupting your 4 AM study sessions anymore. Deal?"

"I didn't ask for that. And honestly, neither of those things should be happening anyway!" You fired back instantly, spinning on your heel to march back into your yard.

"Oh, Y/N-ssi." Riwoo's voice trailed behind you, forcing you to stop.

"What now?"

"Even if you aren't scared of anything, the pavilion behind the neighborhood at 4 AM..." He raised a hand, slowly tapping the teddy bear band-aid on his lip. He looked completely relaxed, but his eyes were dangerously sharp. "...You should still be careful. Next time you decide to sit there... You need to put an earphone. Shut out everything around you."

He took a half-step closer, a faint, fanged smile returning.

"...Otherwise, if you accidentally hear something you shouldn't again... you might just be the one wearing these bandages next."

You took a deep breath, fully prepared to rip into his audacity, but before you could even move, the sound of lazy, dragging footsteps echoed from behind you. Someone stopped right next to you.

"Why are you blocking the gate?"

A flat, apathetic voice laced with pure RBF energy—it was your black-cat housemate. The same one who pointed out your dark circles. She blinked, looking between you and Riwoo with utter confusion.

And that was the exact second you witnessed Riwoo’s Full HD Oscar-winning performance again. The dangerous aura evaporated instantly. He switched back to 'Sweet Older Brother' mode in a millisecond.

"Oh, you just got back?" Riwoo greeted her warmly. Right... your deadpan housemate happened to be his mom’s best friend’s daughter. Of course he had to keep up the charade.

She didn’t smile back. She just stared at him, her blank eyes landing on the corner of his mouth. "Cute band-aid... Did you walk into a cabinet again?"

You almost facepalmed at the sheer density hidden behind her intimidating face. She actually bought his cabinet excuse hook, line, and sinker! (And honestly... you genuinely wondered how she managed to survive living next to a guy like Jaehyun while being this clueless!)

"Yeah. I haven't been sleeping much lately, so I was a bit out of it," Riwoo laughed softly, flashing a gentle smile that made you roll your eyes.

Your housemate gave a slow, wooden nod. "Are you not coming inside? Or were you guys talking?"

"Nope. Nothing to talk about!" You replied quickly, snatching the opportunity to bolt. You grabbed your housemate's arm and dragged her inside. But right before slamming the gate, you couldn't help but shoot one last glare at the tall guy standing outside.

Riwoo was standing with his hands in his pockets. He was still giving your housemate a soft smile, but the gaze he shifted over to lock with yours... carried the exact same underlying threat as his 'You need to put an earphone' comment.

You ripped your eyes away and slammed the gate shut.

This guy... is an actual menace! Why does my share-house have to be surrounded by these weirdos?! You fumed internally, stomping back into the house with your perpetually unbothered housemate trailing beside you.

You’d think criminal law couldn't make your life any more miserable. But alas—Civil Law, the bane of your existence, was scheduled right in between waiting for your Criminal Law results. And heaven apparently despised law students like you.

The scene waiting for you at the bottom of the stairs, heavy textbook in hand, made you want to pull a 180 and march right back to bed.

"Oh, hey Y/N!"

A cheerful voice rang out from the living room sofa. It was none other than Myung Jaehyun, grinning like an idiot and shamelessly squishing himself right next to your black-cat housemate.

"Didn't realize I had a new roommate," you snapped sarcastically.

"Well, if you ever have an opening, the room next your door seems like a great place to live."

"Huh?"

Your housemate, who had been zoning out the entire time, suddenly snapped her head toward him, finally registering that she was part of the conversation.

"In your dreams! One dog in this house is more than enough!" You bared your teeth at Jaehyun.

"Woof!"

Jaehyun tilted his head at Nyang-Nyang, who barked in absolute agreement, as if the dog actually understood human sarcasm. He then flashed you an unbothered, cheeky grin that made you want to pinch him until he bruised.

Whatever.

For the sake of your sanity and emotional regulation, you packed up your iPad, your books, and your fried brain, and evacuated to your usual sanctuary: the cafe at the front of the neighborhood.

The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans and the blast of cold AC should have been healing... if not for the massive Civil Law textbook splayed open on your table, alongside the chaotic lecture notes from your balding, perpetually menopausal professor.

You sighed for the millionth time, massaging your throbbing temples. Your eyes darted between the iPad and the dense legal jargon. Your sleep-deprived brain was violently trying to shove contracts and juristic acts into your head. Just thinking about the professor's face made your urge to drop out skyrocket!

Ding-a-ling...

The cafe bell chimed, signaling a new customer. You didn’t even bother looking up; you had zero interest in the outside world. That is, until the scraping of a wooden chair echoed from the table diagonally across from you.

Annoyed by the distraction, you glanced up to shoot a glare at whoever chose the most obnoxious seat possible... only for your brain to instantly short-circuit.

Lee Sanghyuk... or 'Riwoo.'

Dressed in a crisp white button-down with the sleeves casually rolled up, looking like he just stepped out of a fabric softener commercial. He was sitting there, legs crossed. That ridiculously noticeable teddy bear band-aid was still on his lip (though he swapped it for a bear with an even dumber expression). He held an iced Americano in one hand.

He didn't greet you. Didn't even utter a single word as he casually scrolled through his phone. He looked like the picture-perfect, wholesome guy-next-door that anyone would swoon over.

But it would have been a lot more 'normal'... if those deadpan eyes didn't flick up to lock directly onto yours every single time you looked up from your book!

It wasn't a dreamy, romantic gaze. It was a cold, calculating 'I’m watching you' stare. A silent psychological warfare that was rapidly shredding your remaining focus (at least in your thoughts)

You ducked your head, mentally reciting the codes, but the little red Anger in your brain was growing ten times its size. Civil Law was already a nightmare, and now you had to deal with this band-aid-wearing thug playing a silent staring contest with you?! Every fucking time you shifted in your seat or flipped a page, he’d subtly adjust his cup or shift his posture—a quiet reminder through those dark eyes: 'I've got my eyes on you.'

Half an hour later, your naturally thin patience snapped. Excuse me, was it my fault I saw you brawling at 4 AM?!

SLAM!

You slammed the heavy Civil Law textbook shut so hard the barista jumped. You shot out of your chair, grabbed your iPad, and marched straight over to his table, slamming your hand down on the wood.

You lowered your voice, glaring daggers at him. "What do you want?"

Riwoo didn't even flinch. He slowly lowered his phone. A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes before melting into a faint, fanged smirk that was equally soft and infuriatingly smug. He took a slow sip of his iced Americano, tilted his head, and replied in a voice so smooth it made your hands itch to slap him.

"Just drinking coffee... Or what did you think I was doing?"

The sheer audacity of his deadpan, upper-hand response made the vein in your temple throb faster than when you were cramming civil codes!

"If you're just drinking coffee, then why do you keep staring at me? Are you a stalker?!"

Because you were 100% sure you weren't famous enough to have a sasaeng fan. Ergo, this guy was just a psycho.

Riwoo let out a low, breathy laugh. A real laugh—completely devoid of his 'Perfect Boy' act.

"I guess I just can't control my eyes... What can I say? I think I like you... so I keep accidentally staring."

He gave you that fanged smile he usually reserved for everyone else... but the words tumbling out of his mouth made your heart skip a treacherous beat. And it wasn't just you who heard it! You caught the muffled squeals of high school girls at the next table, and suddenly, you could feel the judging eyes of the barista and half the cafe. (Okay, maybe partly because you yelled first, but still!)

"You're turning red..." The band-aid guy teased smoothly, tilting his head with a smirk.

"You're so annoying!"

You hissed, aggressively snatching up all your belongings and storming out of the cafe—absolutely refusing to look back at whatever smug expression he was wearing!

And of course, things somehow got worse. Your Criminal Law grades were out.

The bags under your eyes were so dark that your neighbor pointed them out again. Aside from cramming for the next exam, the other main reason was your crippling paranoia that a gang of thugs would ambush you in the alleys. (Okay, maybe you had an overactive imagination, but who wouldn't be paranoid?!)

"Y/N... Are you seriously not going with us?"

You ignored the whining voice in the background and refreshed the university portal for the thousandth time today.

Today was another chaotic day in the neighborhood. Woonhak and his giant man-child babysitters—Taesan, Leehan, and your arch-nemesis, Jaehyun—were doing some loud activity at Woonhak's house (right next door) and had inevitably spilled over to annoy your share-house.

"Come onnn, Riwoo takes his dogs for a walk at the park around this time too, you know."

Let's be clear—you weren't close to Jaehyun this much at all. But watching him whine and cling to your perpetually annoyed, housemate (who looked like she was carrying the weight of the world) made you want to punt him into the sun.

"And why would I go? What does that guy have to do with me?"

"Well, Riwoo hyung is hitting on you..."

Leehan, who had been completely silent until now, chimed in. Honestly, if that’s what you were going to say, you should’ve stayed quiet.

"Let's just go, hyungs. Y/N noona needs to check her grades..."

Thank God Woonhak had some sense. He physically shoved his older brothers toward the door, dragging Nyang-Nyang the pom out with them. Finally, peace and quiet.

The cursor on the screen kept spinning until you were ready to write a furious email to IT. But before you could, the page loaded, and your grade popped up...

B+

…

B+??

Your fingers aggressively typed out an email to your advisor. You frowned... it wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't what you aimed for, and it certainly wasn't worth the sleep deprivation.

An email notification chimed shortly after. You zeroed in on the professor's comments: 'Analyzed Section 257 far deeper than the prompt required. It seemed as though you were applying an external, real-life scenario to the case, leading to a loss of focus on the core issue.'

You flashed back to the exam. The essay question was a hypothetical case study on 'Physical Assault and Self-Defense.' And instead of answering strictly based on legal theory, your oxygen-deprived brain had superimposed the image of Riwoo’s 'split lip' and 'bloody knuckles' right onto the exam paper!

The result? You completely over-analyzed it, dragging in concepts like 'Mutual Combat' and 'Proportionality of Defense' until you missed the main point entirely! — All because of Riwoo! Because of his sheer audacity!

Your rage hit a boiling point. You needed to cool down... right now!

To lower your core temperature from a nuclear meltdown, your body operated on autopilot: slam the laptop shut (Smack), shove your wallet into your pocket, and stomp out of the house straight to the convenience store!

Ice cream! You needed a freezing cold quart of Mint Chocolate Chip to aggressively shove into your mouth immediately!

But God really must hate angry people like you. Because the moment you angrily bit into the ice cream bar you bought as an appetizer, marching past the quiet zone near the communal pavilion—the exact spot of the 4 AM incident—your eyes met an unfamiliar group blocking the path.

Three thuggish-looking guys were glancing around like they were searching for something. The biggest one, a towering brute, stood right in your way. He looked down at you with a hostile expression that told you asking him to move politely would be entirely useless.

The lingering rage from the B+ mixed with your naturally short, sarcastic temper. You didn't even think about turning around. Instead, you marched right up to him. Sure, you were smaller, but when you stood toe-to-toe with the guy, you aggressively tilted your chin up to assert dominance!

"Do we have a problem here?" you snapped, chewing on the popsicle stick while crossing your arms.

The guy’s dark eyes scanned your scowling face. His scarred eyebrow twitched. He looked intimidating, but not nearly as scary as you thought he’d be.

"You look familiar..." His voice was a raspy growl, meant to be threatening.

He took a step closer. His bruised smirk didn't piss you off nearly as much as Riwoo’s teddy bear band-aid. The other two lackeys noticed and slowly boxed you in.

"...You're the little princess that puppy keeps protecting, aren't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" you fired back without missing a beat. "Do I even know you? Is blocking people's paths considered good manners where you're from? And who’s protecting who?! Stop spouting nonsense and move!"

Instead of backing off, the guys let out a collective, creepy laugh. The raspy chuckles and their complete lack of concern made you want to stab them in the eye with your popsicle stick! "What's so funny, huh?!"

"What's funny?" The scarred guy sneered, stepping so close you instinctively took a step back. The cheap stench of his cigarettes made you grimace. "I'm laughing at how painfully clueless you are, sweetheart. Do you have any idea how many times that bastard Sanghyuk has beaten us half to death every time we tried to get to you for revenge?"

You froze. The popsicle stick nearly fell out of your mouth. "...What?"

"Trailing behind you, guarding you like a dog with a bone. That busted lip he got the other day? That was from taking a hit meant for you!" Another lackey chimed in, cracking his knuckles. "We got lucky today that he wasn't glued to your side like usual. We were just gonna use you as bait to lure him out, but look who walked right into our hands!"

Your brain was working on overdrive... That guy? Protecting me? The busted lip that night?

Wait... so when he was staring you down at the cafe a few days ago, he wasn't just trying to annoy you (well, maybe he was), but he was actually... guarding you?!

Before you could even open your mouth to yell or process your own feelings, the scarred guy’s rough hand lunged out to grab your arm. Survival instinct kicked in. You squeezed your eyes shut, bracing to dodge, but then—

The sound of something heavy slamming into a body echoed loudly, followed by a groan of pain. The massive scarred guy was sent flying, crashing into his lackeys behind him from a brutal kick straight to his chest!

Your eyes flew open. You whipped your head around.

Lee Sanghyuk... Dressed in a black tee and sweatpants, looking like he just sprinted a 100-meter dash. Those dark eyes that usually looked at you with teasing amusement were now ice-cold, feral, and blazing with a terrifying rage you had never seen before.

There was no teddy bear band-aid. No fluffy Pomeranians. Because the second he got a text from his juniors saying, ‘The rival gang is sniffing around the back of the neighborhood,’ he shoved the leashes into Jaehyun and Woonhak’s hands and sprinted here like a madman!

"I thought I warned you guys..."

Riwoo's voice was deathly low, sending chills down your spine. He glared daggers at the thugs scrambling to their feet. His hands were casually shoved into his pockets, but the sheer murderous intent radiating off him made even you shudder.

He stepped smoothly in front of you, completely shielding you from view. His broad back looked unshakeable—a complete 180 from the soft Boy-Next-Door aesthetic.

"If you ever crossed the line and touched 'my person'..." Riwoo tilted his head, a chilling smirk spreading across his face. "I won't just stop at busting your lips this time."

The temperature around the pavilion plummeted. The suffocating bloodlust radiating from Riwoo’s back made the three thugs gulp nervously. But driven by bruised egos and outnumbering him three to one, the scarred leader spat on the ground and signaled his boys.

"Motherfucker... Talk big all you want! You don't have your little lapdogs with you this time! You think you can take us down alone like last time?! Get him!"

With a roar, one lackey charged forward with a wooden bat. You gasped, about to scream a warning, but everything happened way too fast for your brain to process!

Riwoo didn't even flinch. He waited for the swing, dodged smoothly like he could read the future, and snatched the guy's wrist. With a sharp twist, a sickening CRACK echoed through the air. The guy shrieked, dropping the bat. Without giving him a second to breathe, Riwoo drove his knee brutally into the guy's gut, dropping him to the ground, coughing up air.

BAM! CRASH!

The other two rushed him simultaneously. Riwoo slipped past the scarred leader's first punch, smoothly shifted his stance, and delivered a devastating right hook straight to the other lackey's jaw. The guy's head snapped back, and he hit the pavement, completely knocked out. The raw, calculated brutality of how he dismantled them left you standing frozen like a statue...

This... is Mrs. Kim's Dream Son-in-Law?! This guy is a literal gang boss!

Only the scarred leader was left. Seeing his crew decimated in seconds, and seeing the absolute lack of mercy in Riwoo’s eyes as he cracked his bloody knuckles again, completely shattered his nerve. Survival instinct told him that if he stayed, he'd be eating through a straw for the rest of the year!

"Y-You'll regret this, Sanghyuk! Next time, you're dead!"

He yelled shakily before grabbing his two unconscious buddies by the collars, dragging them away into the darkness as fast as his legs could carry him.

"You said that last time too... Weird," Riwoo called out lazily, fake-yawning just to rub salt in the wound.

Dead silence returned to the pavilion. A cool breeze swept through, washing away the boiling tension. Riwoo let out a long sigh, standing up straight and casually adjusting his black shirt. He shook out his bruised hand before slowly turning around to face you.

The grim reaper aura vanished instantly. All that was left were those same deadpan eyes that suddenly sparked with amusement when he saw you... The usually explosive Law Student, now standing completely frozen, eyes wide, blankly chewing on an empty popsicle stick.

You immediately snapped your mouth shut and crossed your arms tight, trying desperately to hide your shaking legs and the heat rushing up to your cheeks.

"What... what the hell were you saying just now?!" You shrieked, voice trembling, desperately trying to use anger to mask your fluster. "Who... who is 'your person'?! And who's a weak spot?! Stop spouting nonsense!"

Riwoo raised an eyebrow. That tiny, fanged smile crept onto his handsome, slightly ruffled face. He took a slow step toward you, bringing back the exact same tension from that 4 AM night.

"Well... if I didn't say that, do you think they would have backed off?" he asked innocently, his maddeningly soft voice returning. "Or... did the Law Student overthink things again?"

"I did not overthink anything!" you snapped back, your face burning red all the way to your ears.

"But I meant it, though..."

You shot him a look, frantically fanning your burning ears with your hand.

"...I do like—"

"RIWOO!!!! Y/N!!!!"

Before he could finish that sentence, a chaotic, screeching yell echoed from the park entrance, followed by the frantic slapping of flip-flops. The neighborhood man-children had arrived.

Myung Jaehyun sprinted ahead of everyone. In one hand, he held the tangled leashes of Riwoo's two Pomeranians, who were running in zig-zags. In the other hand, he was wielding Woonhak's bright yellow plastic baseball bat, looking ready for war but looking absolutely ridiculous instead. Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak trailed closely behind, looking panicked.

"Are you guys okay?! Riwoo! Did we make it in time?! Your dogs almost dragged me face-first into the concrete..." Jaehyun yelled, panting heavily before skidding to a halt. He took in the scene: faint blood on the ground, and Riwoo standing face-to-face with you.

All four of them (plus the two Pomeranians barking happily at their owner) looked back and forth between you two with highly suspicious eyes!

"Wow... Guess we're late. Riwoo hyung looks like he just got out of a dogfight," Taesan muttered, slowly lowering the coconut-leaf broom in his hand (an equally pathetic weapon!).

Leehan squinted at your flushed face before a teasing grin spread across his lips. "See... I told you Riwoo hyung was hitting on Y/N. Look at him, ditching his dogs to run to the rescue. So manly!"

"Leehan! Shut your mouth!" You instantly shrieked, baring your teeth at the impromptu, highly annoying fanclub!

As for Riwoo... he immediately snapped back into his 'Perfect Sweet Brother' persona. He smiled warmly at the boys, gently taking the leashes back from Jaehyun. But the hand hidden behind his back... was still clenched tight, subtly rubbing the fresh bruises.

He looked down at you, still scowling and blushing furiously.

"Let's go home... I'll walk you back," Riwoo said softly. "Consider it compensation for making you lose your temper... smart cookie."

What the hell!

His eyes, these butterfly-inducing words!

And what the hell are these guys staring at us like that for?!!

A/N

"What's wrong, Hyung?"

"Nothing!" Jaehyun replied instantly, almost like an automatic reflex, forcing his stiff lips to loosen up. "Is that the new tenant next door to you?" he asked, his eyes filled with a hopeful gleam that completely went over Woonhak's head.

"Y/N Noona? She's been living there for a while now. I guess she's just been going out more often lately?"

"Her name is Y/N..."

"What did you say, Hyung?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Jaehyun brushed it off immediately, waving his hands as if it were no big deal. Yet, that light, comfortable scent—which definitely didn't smell like artificial perfume—was still messing with his heart rate, even though the petite figure with the perpetually unbothered face had walked past them minutes ago.

And that was the very first time Jaehyun felt it... his level-ten confidence, built up over a lifetime, was being violently shaken by a girl who looked like a grumpy cat and didn't even spare him a single glance.

Damn it... just her walking past him was enough to send a wave of nervousness squeezing him from head to toe, straight to the core of his heart.

She's been living here for a while?

The real question was... how on earth did a highly observant, universally friendly guy like Myung Jaehyun just notice her now?!

From that day onward, Operation 'Find Excuses to Loiter Around the Share-House' was quietly launched in the mind of the boy from House 102.

He tried riding his bike past houses 404-405 more frequently (even though he was technically just biking in circles in front of Woonhak’s house, number 406, located at the very end of a dead-end alley—hey, he's a guy who appreciates effort). Coupled with the fact that he didn't own a car and hadn't gotten his driver's license yet, his trusty bicycle was the best vehicle he had to look cool in the neighborhood.

And of course, he was Myung Jaehyun. His skills in approaching new people were indisputable!

Today was another day where the afternoon sun beat down brightly against the white picket fence.

Jaehyun took a deep breath and crafted the most mathematically perfect smile—the kind of heart-stopping grin that used to make girls all over campus turn their heads. One hand gripped the handlebar of his trusty bike, while the other held a kraft paper bag containing 'authentic French butter croissants from a famous bakery' (which he had stood in line for half an hour specifically to orchestrate this exact scenario).

His target was standing right there—in front of house 405.

A petite figure in an oversized t-shirt and loose sweatpants, standing there hosing down the front yard plants with an empty gaze, as if she had attained nirvana and given up on the worldly desires of life, just like every other day.

Review Step 1 of being a Nice Guy: Be a gentleman, approach naturally, radiate good intentions, and don't look threatening.

Jaehyun slowly pedaled closer, braking smoothly, and leaned against the handlebars in what he thought was his most casual, effortlessly handsome pose (well, as handsome as one can look on a pastel blue basket-bike borrowed from his mom).

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Jaehyun greeted with a deep, smooth voice (if Taesan heard him right now, he'd be mocked into the next century). "I just bought some croissants from that new bakery at the front of the neighborhood. I bought way too many and can't finish them. I figured I'd share them with my neighbors... would you like some?"

The girl stopped watering the plants. She slowly turned her head to look at him... Her deadpan eyes, resembling a cat entirely fed up with its owner's antics, scanned Jaehyun from head to toe before focusing on the mini paper bag in his hand.

"You bought too many... and have leftovers? Again?" she echoed, her tone so flat it was impossible to read her mood.

"Yeah, went a bit overboard," Jaehyun beamed, his eyes sparkling, hoping his handsome-damage stats would melt her icy demeanor.

"What about Woonhak? Did you give him some already?"

"Uh... yeah, I did." You idiot! You should have said you bought them only for her! — Jaehyun was mentally punching the air, but there was no taking it back now. You have to act like there's no next time to give it your all!

"You gave them to him, and you still have leftovers for me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, speaking like someone who fully understood just how much of a black hole the giant puppy neighbor boy's stomach was.

Her slender eyebrows twitched up slightly. The look in her eyes held absolutely zero shyness or admiration. On the contrary... it looked like she was staring at a scammer pitching a fraudulent promotional offer.

"That's very kind of you," she said evenly, rolling up the garden hose without a hint of attachment. "Thank you for the thought." Yet, she still accepted the familiar branded paper bag with a polite nod. (So cute).

"But next time, if you only have one piece left... just save it for your breakfast tomorrow. Save yourself the trouble of biking around passing them out."

With that, she gave him a dismissive nod of farewell, turned on her heel, and walked back into the house, leaving the idealized charming young man standing with his jaw dropped in front of her gate.

Nyang-Nyang's greeting bark echoed from the other side of the fence.

Jaehyun pointed an accusing, threatening finger at the short-legged dog before reluctantly turning his bike around and pedaling home, his spirit completely crushed.

Meanwhile... behind the gates of house 405.

The girl with the resting bitch face (whom everyone quickly judged as arrogant) was walking back inside with the kraft paper bag. She placed it on the kitchen dining table and carefully peeled off the bakery’s logo sticker. The perfectly baked, golden-yellow French butter croissant released a mouthwatering, buttery aroma into the air.

She picked it up and took a big bite. The flaky pastry and rich taste of real butter flooded her mouth.

"It's really good..." she muttered to herself, her mind flashing back to the handsome face plastered with a blinding smile belonging to her neighbor moments ago.

‘Jaehyun is... really friendly, huh. Is he the neighborhood association president or something?’

She thought to herself with complete, unadulterated innocence. Not even a fraction of the thought 'This guy is trying to hit on me' had entered her brain. To her, Myung Jaehyun was just Woonhak's overly energetic older brother next door—a super nice guy who loved biking around, greeting everyone, and handing out snacks. He was definitely building up his Golden Boy image to run for village headman in the future. What a dedicated young man, giving back to the community!

You nodded to yourself, fully buying into your own logic, before walking over to grab the coffee-flavored milk from the fridge that one of your housemates had left a sticky note on saying they bought it for you. Another meal covered by the generosity of kind people. Today is a great day...

But of course, the young man who had just been forcefully categorized into the 'Nice Neighbor' folder wasn't going to give up that easily.

On a late Saturday afternoon, with the sun cooling down, Jaehyun was dressed in casual, comfortable clothes—thick-rimmed glasses to cover his bare face, a plain white t-shirt, ripped jeans, and his hair unstyled, far from its usual perfection. He was carrying a large laundry basket full of freshly washed, slightly damp clothes, marching out of the neighborhood laundromat.

Just as he was looking down, using his foot to kick the glass door open, that familiar, comfortable scent wafted into his nose.

Jaehyun froze and lifted his gaze.

And there she was... the unbothered cat of house 405, standing less than two steps away from him!

She was wearing a baggy gray hoodie and thin-rimmed glasses that made her look a bit nerdy. In her hands was a small laundry basket holding a couple of t-shirts and a beat-up, worn-out shark plushie. She raised an eyebrow at him through her lenses, a look that clearly said: 'If you're going out, then get out. Why are you blocking the door?'

Alright, Myung Jaehyun! This is it! No bike, no puppy-dog sidekick! This is a top-tier coincidence, and you have to seize it! Step 2 of the Nice Guy course! Don't lose your confidence!

His brain commanded him to turn on the charm immediately.

"Oh, what a coincidence!" Jaehyun flashed a wide grin, tilting his head to look at the person in front of him with what he believed was his warmest gaze. "Are you here to do laundry too?"

You absolute idiot! What kind of stupid question is that?! He was literally holding a laundry basket in front of a laundromat. Did he think she was here to buy tteokbokki?! Jaehyun cursed himself internally while the smile remained frozen on his face.

The girl glanced down at her own laundry basket, then back up at Jaehyun's face, before replying with a voice as flat as a still pond.

"Yes. The washing machine at home has been acting up. The repairman is coming today."

That was it... That was literally it! No follow-up conversation, no small talk about how his day was going, and absolutely zero signs of excitement at running into the neighborhood's resident handsome guy (self-proclaimed). She simply shifted her body to the side to let him pass so she could walk inside.

But was Myung Jaehyun the type of guy to let a golden opportunity slip away? Absolutely not!

"Uh... there's a new cafe that just opened at the corner!" Jaehyun blurted out, a little louder than usual, surprising even himself. "While you wait for your laundry... want to go grab a cold drink? It's on me, consider it a welcome treat for a new neighbor."

The petite figure paused mid-step. She turned back to look at him. The eyes behind her glasses remained completely indifferent. Her ice-wall defenses were working flawlessly.

Jaehyun held his breath... The hand gripping the handle of the laundry basket squeezed so tight his knuckles turned white.

Say yes... Just say yes, you stubborn cat!

"I'm sorry, I don't drink coffee. Also... you should probably hurry up and go hang your clothes to dry."

Did anyone hear the sound of a face shattering?

God, Jaehyun hated fate! (Because obviously, he could never hate her).

While the golden-retriever-faced human stomped away, mentally punching himself all the way home to hang his laundry like he was told... you, standing in the corner of the laundromat, threw a curious glance at his broad back.

He's really so friendly...

You thought simply, before turning your attention back to your laundry basket, completely oblivious to the fact that the 'friendliness' you were witnessing... was actually the desperate flirting attempt of a master whose soul had just departed his body.

A few afternoons later, in front of share-house 405. The landlady’s daughter had dumped a crucial responsibility on you—one you had no intention of touching—before rushing out of the house early this morning.

Walking 'Nyang-Nyang', the house's resident short-legged puppy.

You didn't have any plans, you didn't have a mountain of exams to study for like your other housemate, and you didn't have errands at the bank like the landlady's daughter. Therefore, you became the most logical choice in this equation.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Woof!

One human and one dog looked up, shouting at the housemate who was shuffling down from the second floor with messy hair.

"Just go. I have to study for my quiz."

"Text me if you want anything."

"Okay. Oh, grab me a green tea from the shop at the front of the neighborhood, will you? Is that too far of a walk for you?"

"I can walk. It's fine."

You answered that way even though your original plan didn't involve walking past the neighborhood park. But seeing the pathetic, exhausted state of the law student, you agreed out of sheer pity.

The gray leash gave a slight tug from the force of the fluffy creature, who seemed way more excited about the outside world than usual.

Nyang-Nyang trotted two steps ahead, stopped—turned back to look at you as if checking if you were keeping up, and then resumed walking with little, energetic steps that you often teased him for.

The afternoon breeze blew gently, carrying the scent of fresh grass and warm sunlight. The paved path through the neighborhood park was quiet, filled only with the sound of your footsteps and the soft panting of the dog beside you.

You looked down at him slightly.

"Are you really that happy?"

Woof!

He seemed to answer proudly, his bushy tail wagging so hard it could be used as a portable fan.

You let out a small, unintentional smile.

—And right as you looked back up, you almost crashed into someone.

"Ouch—!"

The exclamations happened almost simultaneously.

You took a step back while the other person quickly checked to make sure you were okay.

We meet again, huh?

"Oh, Y/N... walking Nyang-Nyang?"

The fluffy white Pomeranian—whose name ironically sounded like a cat's meow—perked its ears up and wagged its tail vigorously, familiar with the person in front of you. At the same time, the dog practically looked like a physical manifestation of Jaehyun's internal feelings.

You might be imagining things, but when this nice neighbor realized it was you, it looked like his invisible ears perked up and his tail started vibrating?

"Yes. The landlady went out early to run errands."

"It's past noon, do you want to go grab some food—"

Before his textbook-friendly sentence could finish, your already-hyper short-legged dog got even more hyped up seeing his friends (you assumed) approaching from the other side of the park. Two white dogs of the exact same breed, accompanied by a handsome owner who looked equally surprised to see his own dogs acting up.

"Oh, Nyang-Nyang! Y/N too!"

You nodded, acknowledging the greeting from the familiar neighborhood face (could you call him a close friend, maybe?).

"Don't you usually walk the puppies in the evening?" you asked.

"We're taking them out to dinner tonight, so my mom told me to walk them now."

Riwoo smiled warmly—just like the good, polite, ideal son-in-law he was, who also happened to hold the title of your mom's best friend's son.

"You two know each other?"

The guy who had almost been pushed out of the conversation entirely interjected, his tone completely unreadable to you.

"Yeah, our moms are friends," Riwoo replied, keeping a firm grip on the leash of Daebak, a puppy with shorter fur but equally short legs (no offense, just saying), preventing him from going off-road. You didn't understand the smile Riwoo was giving Jaehyun, and you definitely didn't understand Jaehyun's suddenly weird demeanor—though you couldn't pinpoint exactly what was weird about it.

"You know Y/N too? This girl normally never leaves the house."

You almost threw a punch at your mom's friend's son's sarcastic comment, if it weren't for the words coming out of the other man's mouth that made you pause.

"Y/N is Woonhak's neighbor, so I know her... Besides..."

Jaehyun looked at you, hesitating on his next words.

Right, he wanted to be 'friends' with you. - Actually, you were somewhat self-aware of how unapproachable you looked. You figured you should let him know his efforts weren't totally in vain, you thought before answering.

"We're already friends."

A heavy silence fell over the area...

Why?

Riwoo burst out laughing, while Jaehyun looked like he suddenly had a dark raincloud hovering over his head. What is wrong with everyone? KOZ Village is full of weirdos!

"Finally made a new 'friend', huh, Y/N?" Riwoo laughed, wiping away a tear from laughing too hard.

"I'm not antisocial, Riwoo," you stated flatly, though it did nothing to stop Riwoo's amusement. In fact, he found it even funnier when he glanced at Jaehyun, who was now following behind the two of you and the three dogs, pouting heavily.

"Oh right, we haven't exchanged contacts yet, Jaehyun. We're friends now, after all."

You didn't even know what was so hilarious about that sentence, but Riwoo just kept smiling that teasing smile.

At least your chat list, which usually only consisted of a handful of people, successfully gained one more entry—saved under the name **M🐶**.

Meanwhile, the owner of the name M🐶 was throwing a massive internal tantrum, screaming in his head - NO!! I DON'T WANT TO BE FRIENDS!! NOOO!!

The green tea delivery was successfully completed after a chaotic walk involving three people and three dogs, where you walked squarely in the middle between an unusually quiet Jaehyun and an unusually energetic Riwoo—a stark contrast to the calm, collected guy everyone was used to.

The Owner-nim returned shortly after you did, and today was just another peaceful day, going exactly as normal.

"You're staying in the living room, right? Make sure you turn off the porch light when you go up."

The law student housemate raised a hand in acknowledgment, her eyes never leaving her massive criminal law textbook, with her iPad left open next to it. The green tea you bought was sitting nearby. It truly was a pitiful sight.

You collapsed onto your soft bed, letting out a long sigh, allowing your exhaustion to melt away in the cool AC.

Thinking back to the events of the afternoon, you still didn't quite get it. Why was Riwoo laughing like a maniac when you said you were friends with Jaehyun? And why did the neighborhood president (a title you had permanently assigned him in your head) look exactly like a golden retriever who just got his treat snatched out of his mouth?

People are so hard to understand... you thought, giving up. You grabbed your blanket, pulled it over yourself, and let the drowsiness take over in the silence of the share-house, broken only by the sound of pages turning downstairs.

Time slipped by until the middle of the night.

The vibration of the smartphone on your nightstand made you frown. Your slender hand blindly searched for it in the dark. You squinted against the blinding glare of the screen.

The digital clock read 03:30 AM

You furrowed your brows. Who the hell was texting at 3:30 AM? Did the law student downstairs finally snap and want you to boil ramen for her? Or did the landlady forget her keys?

But the name on the notification didn't belong to anyone in the share-house.

[M🐶]: Do you think that croissant was delicious enough to trade for me standing in front of your house and serenading you? Because I don't think I can stand this 'friendly neighbor' act anymore.

You blinked, staring at the screen with an empty expression.

You read the sentence twice to make sure you weren't dreaming or hallucinating from sleep deprivation.

...Serenading you?

...Can't stand the friendly neighbor act?

Your freshly awakened brain processed the information slowly, before the one and only logical conclusion (in your perspective) popped into your head.

Is he... sleepwalking? Or did he lose a game and get a penalty to text random people?

That had to be it. It was definitely a drinking game penalty, or he sent it to the wrong chat. What kind of crazy person would hit on someone they literally just agreed to be 'friends' with that afternoon... and send something so cheesy at 3:30 in the morning?! The neighborhood president really had too much free time!

You scoffed through your nose. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard, about to type back: 'Did you send this to the wrong chat?' But before your fingertips could even touch the letters, the long paragraph vanished right before your eyes! Replaced by a notification that the sender had unsent a message.

You raised an eyebrow, tossed the phone back onto the table, and pulled the blanket over your head without a second thought.

"The neighborhood president... really lives his life to the fullest. Playing penalty games at 3:30 AM." You mumbled sleepily, easily drifting back into dreamland, completely ignoring the late-night nonsense.

Leaving the other side of the chat...

Myung Jaehyun of house 102 sitting on his bed, tearing his hair out, screaming silently as if his entire world had just collapsed. When he saw that the '1' disappeared... it meant that incredibly cringe message had been 'Read' a split second before he hit unsend!

It's over... Master Myung! The image is completely destroyed!

Screw it! Since things had already gone this far, if he chickened out now, he'd definitely lose her and regret it for the rest of his life.

No more next chance for real!

Jaehyun scrambled to grab his older brother's guitar case sitting in the living room, not forgetting to snatch his phone with his other hand.

Destination: Share-house 405. He held the phone to his ear with his left hand, his heart pounding as he waited for her to pick up.

"What else is there?" a sleepy voice answered, and Jaehyun couldn't help but smile.

"Open your window for a sec."

"Huh?"

Despite her sleepy voice, she complied. The pitch-black room on the second floor lit up before the cream curtains were pulled back, revealing the owner of the room looking incredibly groggy in long-sleeved, long-pants Shin-chan pajamas. (Awesome, so cute. Jaehyun fell in love for the millionth time).

"You're gonna play the guitar? Right now?"

Jaehyun nodded vigorously, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes, and asked softly, "Can I? Will you listen? Please let me sing you a song."

If she rejected him, he'd definitely be heartbroken—but you figured if you rejected him, he'd probably just obediently go home.

"Mm, fine. I'll listen."

Jaehyun beamed, his invisible ears and tail wagging furiously with joy.

You allowed it because you didn't think it would be a big deal. Jaehyun wasn't crazy enough to actually—

The sound of terribly out-of-tune guitar chords sliced through the peaceful night, instantly shattering your optimistic thoughts, followed by a very loud singing voice.

"I love you baby, baby, baby 외쳐대느라 내 진심을 동네방네 다 알아!"

(I shouted it out so loud, now the whole neighborhood knows my true feelings!)

Followed by a live ad-lib that unmistakably belonged to a main rapper—okay, Jaehyun might have forgotten that he only learned to play guitar from his brother for one week (and quit because his brother got too annoyed to teach him)—but whatever, he was confident that the lyrics he wrote came straight from the heart, backed by his literature degree and first-class honors!

"니가 좋아! (I LIKE YOU!)" The volume was cranked up to an eleven, making you flinch.

Well... if you ignore how embarrassing this is, he's actually pretty good at writing songs.

"Oo-eh oo-eh oo-eh oh First serenade, and last serenade—"

But before Jaehyun could hit the next chorus, and before Y/N could fully process that the crazy guy downstairs was actually serenading her and it wasn't a penalty or drunken mistake...

"JAEHYUN!! SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!!"

A scream laced with absolute, utter annoyance blasted from the first floor of the house—where Jaehyun had completely ignored the lights being on the whole time. Soon after, your petite figure came rushing downstairs to him, looking panicked.

"You can sing, but why do you have to yell?!"

"I was scared you wouldn't hear me," Jaehyun answered, looking like a kicked puppy. But wait... what did you just say? "What were you complaining about again?"

"You're being too loud! My housemate has an exam!" you whisper-yelled, even though no one else was outside.

"But... you're not mad that I'm singing to you?"

"Focus on the main issue! Besides, your singing isn't terrible. Friends can sing to each other, it's fi—"

"No! I don't want to be friends!"

Jaehyun whined, his face scrunching up in a pout.

You couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Mm, I get it, I get it."

"What does 'I get it' mean? Can I be your boyfriend? No, is that too fast? Then... can I flirt with you?" Jaehyun asked, so excited he looked frantic.

"Can I hit on you?" he repeated.

You didn't answer immediately. You just stood there looking at him, tilting your head and blinking.

Looking at the same guy... you used to think was just "friendly."

The guy who biked in circles.

Bought croissants.

Invited you for coffee.

Texted you at 3 AM.

And stood singing off-key under your window.

...

That wasn't "friendly."

That was "trying."

You let out a soft laugh.

"Ah... so that's how it is."

Jaehyun looked confused. "How is it?"

You shook your head. Before answering simply:

"Mm. If you want to flirt, then flirt."

"...Really?"

"But if you quit halfway, I'm not going to chase you."

He burst out laughing.

"Not a chance."

You nodded, hesitating before turning to walk back inside. But this time—you looked back at him one more time.

"Jaehyun."

"Yes, Madam?"

"...I'm free this Friday."

He froze. Before breaking into the widest smile he had ever smiled.

"Let's go on a date! Let's just date right now! I'm great with older people! I can get along with your dad for sure!"

Jaehyun yelled, so happy he practically jumped. You were about to turn around and shush him, but you were too late as that familiar voice echoed out once again.

"If you don't stop yelling right now, I'm going to convince Y/N to date Riwoo!!" — "In your dreams!! ...But I'll be quiet now..."

Mm... whatever works.

A/N

As the eldest son of house 406 next door, all Woonhak could do was stare at the white Pomeranian that coincidentally always wandered around when he came out to water his mom’s plants. (It also remained a mystery how Nyang-Nyang—a dog named 'Meow'—managed to sneak over the fence to see him and return home without ever raising suspicion).

Back to Woonhak’s massive wall: the girl next door, who, as far as he could remember, used to be his childhood playmate.

The only definition Woonhak, in his mature adult years (a college freshman...), could give her was 'Angel'.

Beautiful - Check.

Smart - Check.

Kind - Check.

Sweet smile - Check.

Out of reach - Check.

(Never even glances his way - Check).

Well, maybe saying that wasn't entirely fair, since the real reason was that his angel had moved out to live in a dorm closer to her university. Taesan, the eldest brother from house 605 who helped guide him into his current major, often teased him, saying Woonhak was exactly like Nyang-Nyang—always stretching his neck, waiting for the owner (of his heart) next door every single day.

Zero respect for his adulthood, seriously.

But then, one Saturday morning, everything changed. The house next door, which normally only had two familiar tenants, was suddenly bustling with noise. Nyang-Nyang barked so loudly that Woonhak almost regretted secretly sharing his snacks with the dog the day before. Curiosity got the better of him, and he peeked through his bedroom curtains facing the house next door.

And he almost ascended to heaven. He could die with no regrets right then and there. He had finally seen his angel... (Don't tell anyone, Taesan hyung would definitely mock him).

Because the person standing in front of the house, the absolute center of attention, was Y/N.

The angel of little boy Woonhak (who is now fully grown) laughed and crouched down to catch Nyang-Nyang, who was barking happily and jumping into her arms. The late morning sun reflected off her hair, making her smile shine even brighter.

Woonhak practically slammed the curtains shut.

He almost died.

His heart was beating way too fast to keep standing there watching.

One afternoon that same week, his younger sister baked her first cake and invited friends from the neighborhood over—Taesan hyung, who happened to be the older brother of one of his sister’s friends, was among them.

Taesan, noticing Woonhak acting suspiciously out of character (thanks for caring, but please don't next time), pointed an accusing finger at him after leaving the kids to chat in the backyard while they played PS5 in the living room.

Woonhak brushed it off (obviously), but he couldn't outsmart his favorite older brother's sidekick—Leehan hyung from house 201.

"Oh right, Y/N is back. Yesterday my mom made me go help her move her stuff."

Woonhak flinched. Taesan burst into laughter. Leehan looked completely confused by the extreme reactions of the two guys next to him.

"Hyung, can you stop laughing? You're going to choke on the cake and die in my house," Woonhak muttered, though deep down, he kind of wished that exact scenario would happen.

Taesan, still wiping away tears of laughter until Leehan started to piece together what Woonhak desperately wanted to keep hidden, finally calmed down.

"So why did Y/N come back, Leehan hyung?" Woonhak asked.

"I think she's here to look after the share-house. She's on a long break, and her aunt is going on a trip, something like that."

Woonhak nodded, trying hard to ignore Leehan’s knowing gaze. As long as Leehan hyung didn't say anything else, he wouldn't hold it against him.

Just as he was about to take his frustration out on the PS5 controller, a shout calling his name came from the backyard. He didn't have to guess; his sister walked in from the kitchen carrying a few small, cute cake boxes, issuing a command that looked more like a plea in an older brother's eyes.

"Oppa, can you take these cakes to the older kids next door for me? This white box is for Y/N unnie. Please share the rest with the others in the house."

"Why don't you go yourself?"

"Because Taesan oppa— I mean, I haven't finished washing the dishes yet! Just do it for me, please!"

Woonhak didn't object (his heart was practically doing flips of joy), but looking at the kid's eyes, he knew she had conspired something with Taesan, who was still smirking. Before he could say another word, his sister dashed back into the kitchen amidst the giggles of the younger girls.

And that was why he was standing here... in front of the familiar house, with the familiar Pomeranian staring at him through the fence, its tail wagging furiously.

He had already pressed the doorbell, and a sweet voice had already answered. While waiting, Woonhak suddenly felt like everything about himself was in the way—his towering 185 cm height felt awkward, his long, lanky arms and legs didn't seem to know where to go (not to mention the figures of Taesan and Leehan spying on him from the fence, which were definitely an eyesore).

Footsteps rustled before she appeared—familiar hair, a slightly changed silhouette from his memories, and that exact same smile coming into clear view.

"Oh, it's Woonhak! Long time no see. Have you been well, 'little boy'?"

He couldn't even remember how he smiled back, what he said, or what expression he made.

That very first sentence in years kept echoing in his head until he returned home to face Taesan’s exasperating, mocking smile.

"So, how'd it go?" Taesan asked, even though he literally knew everything because he eavesdropped. Cold-blooded.

"I'm just a little brother..."

His mood was the one going cold now.

"I'm a grown man now, why is it like this?"

He kept mumbling to himself until Taesan had to shoot a look asking for backup...

His pathetic state must have been truly unbearable. Jaehyun hyung from house 102, who happened to be walking by (because his sister had called him over to grab some cake), got reeled in by Taesan and ended up having to help.

And that was how the 'How to be a nice guy' masterclass was born.

Step 1 - Be a gentleman

"I'm already polite, though."

The ultimate filial eldest son, well-mannered, and mature—who else could it be but Woonhak?

Taesan snorted too loud at that statement that Jaehyun and Leehan had to quickly hold Woonhak back before he grabbed something to whack his older brother.

"I mean, if you don't want Y/N to see you as a kid—then don't act like a kid."

"Easy for you to say, hyung" Woonhak scoffed.

When did he ever act like that? Woonhak believed he had outgrown his 'cute kid' phase since he was 9, or at least since he got a younger sister. He was acting like a proper, grown-up older brother. What were they even looking at?

"That's called being pretentious."

And controlling his temper to not smash the TV remote over his Taesan hyung's head was another sign of Woonhak's growth. I guess?

"Calm down, little bro. Think about it slowly," Jaehyun started. "Have you ever seen Y/N show interest in someone who acts like a little kid? (Of course not, because she hasn't been home in ages). Plus, fundamentally, women like guys who are 'gentlemen'."

Woonhak paused to think. Even though the person giving advice had zero credible achievements in this field... looking at the other two guys in the room, he realized he didn't have many options.

Taesan? - Scrap that.

Leehan? - He wouldn't dare compare himself to a guy who could just stand still and have the whole neighborhood fall for him.

Jaehyun? - Yeah, not very reliable... but what choice did he have? (None)

"Oh, right. I made plans to walk the dogs with Y/N this evening. Do you want to come along?"

Leehan suddenly became a much better option when he brought that up. Woonhak’s eyes sparkled as if he had found the light at the end of a very dark tunnel—

"But what is Woonhak going to do? He doesn't even have a dog. Is he going to help you walk Koni?" Taesan chimed in, mentioning Leehan's small Shih Tzu, instantly wiping the smile off Woonhak's face.

"Hey, there's always a way."

Because of Leehan’s words, backed by Jaehyun’s instigation, Woonhak was now standing here.

Awkwardly walking behind the beautiful older girl next door who was holding Nyang-Nyang’s leash, while his hands gripped the white eco-tote bag he had snatched from her when he ambushed her in front of her house.

Obviously, the basics of being a gentleman—carrying the bag.

Even though the tote bag he was holding was light as a feather, and the expression on her beautiful face was nothing but confusion—Woonhak was quite impressed with his execution of this step.

Smooth, flawless, and handsome.

She definitely had to feel a flutter in her heart.

Leehan carried his little princess Koni in another direction, seemingly giving him a chance to make a move. Nyang-Nyang, acting like a perfect wingman who remembered the guy who secretly fed him snacks, chose to run slightly ahead. Man, everything was falling perfectly into place.

A gentle breeze, the afternoon sun softening, the cool shade of the trees—paired with the newly rebranded 'Gentleman Woonhak'. Come on, who could resist this?

Y/N turned back to look at him when the boy next door didn't catch up, but she paused when a light breeze blew a stray leaf into her hair—as if right on cue. Instinctively, he reached out to gently brush it away for her.

If he wasn't flattering himself too much, her heart had to have skipped a beat...

...If it weren't for the sound of dogs barking right behind Woonhak, instantly diverting the girl’s attention toward the source of the noise. Along with the young man who casually strolled into the scene with terrible timing.

'Riwoo', the owner of two Pomeranians just like Nyang-Nyang, named Daebak and Jjang. He half-ran after his four-legged friends who eagerly greeted Y/N. Woonhak vaguely remembered that Riwoo hyung, the son from house 303, was close friends with Y/N. He just didn't expect them to be so close that they could chat so naturally after not seeing each other for so long.

Woonhak unconsciously stepped back. Once again, that sweet smile wasn't meant for him, yet it looked just as beautiful as ever.

"Do you think Riwoo is a gentleman?" Jaehyun, standing as an 'outside observer', asked out loud, completely forgetting how much those words would crush the giant puppy listening.

"He is a gentleman. He's probably the ideal son-in-law for all the moms around here," Leehan replied while holding Cony, looking worriedly at his beloved younger brother.

Jaehyun finally seemed to catch on and quickly added, "This won't do. Emergency Step 2, Woonhak! Don't lose your confidence. You get what I mean?"

Leehan scratched his head. Probably too late for that. Right now, Woonhak looks as sad as the five dogs in this park combined, hyung...

Step 2 - Don't lose your confidence

"Stick your chest out, Woonhak!" Jaehyun hissed through his teeth from behind the bushes, making pushing motions with his hands as if trying to physically boost the giant kid's morale. "Remember, rule number two is confidence! Walk right in there, act like you're having an adult conversation. Show her you're on the same level as Riwoo!"

With no other choice (and refusing to have his spotlight stolen any further), Woonhak took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, put on his most mature, serious face, and marched right back to the young woman and older guy who were deeply engaged in conversation.

"What are you guys talking about?" Woonhak interjected, forcing his voice to drop an octave lower, standing right in the middle of them.

"Oh, Woonhak." Riwoo smiled warmly—the kind of smile that made mothers all over South Korea want to sign over their property deeds to him. "Y/N and I were just talking about the new cafe in front of the neighborhood... Do you drink coffee, Woonhak?"

Coffee? The adult vocabulary hit Woonhak right in the face. He normally only drank banana milk, but to maintain his 'manly' facade, he nodded confidently.

"I like drinking light roast Americanos. The fruity acidity really wakes me up," Woonhak lied with a straight face (while internally cringing at the bitter thought of it).

Y/N raised an eyebrow, looking at the giant kid with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Wow, you've really grown up."

"I told you I'm a grown man, Noona." Woonhak smirked, thinking to himself, I look so cool right now. Girls are definitely screaming.

Riwoo chuckled softly, finding him endearing. "That's great... Oh, right! Woonhak, could you hold Daebak and Jjang's leashes for a second? I need to tie my shoelaces."

"No problem. Piece of cake." Woonhak confidently reached out and took the leashes of the two Pomeranians. Left arm holding the eco-bag, right arm holding the dogs. He struck a pose like a pet magazine model.

Everything was going perfectly... if it wasn't for Nyang-Nyang, who was playing far away, suddenly spotting his best buddies Daebak and Jjang.

"Woof!"

Nyang-Nyang launched himself forward at top speed. Daebak and Jjang, seeing their friend, instantly bounced up in response.

"Hey, hey! Wait! Sit, guys, sit!" Woonhak's eyes widened in panic as three hyperactive furballs began doing laps around him.

The leashes started wrapping around Woonhak's long legs with lightning speed, almost like they were programmed to do so. He tried to step out of the trap, but his 185 cm frame combined with the tangled mess of ropes caused him to lose his balance completely.

"Whoaaa!"

…

The confident young man fell straight back, landing ungracefully on the grass. The eco-bag flew up and landed squarely on his forehead, while the gang of three Pomeranians rushed in to lick his face like they had just won a war.

"Woonhak!" Y/N cried out in panic, quickly crouching down to check on him, a mix of shock and suppressed laughter on her face.

"I'm... I'm fine, Noona..." Woonhak mumbled, lying spread-eagle on the grass, his confidence shattered into a million pieces.

Before Y/N could help pull the giant kid up, a smooth, deep voice interrupted.

"Jaehyun? Leehan? What are you guys doing in those bushes?"

Riwoo, who had just finished tying his shoes, wasn't looking at Woonhak, but was squinting at the low bushes behind them, where two large men were desperately trying to shrink themselves out of existence.

Jaehyun flinched, offering a dry smile and a wave. Leehan, who was holding Koni (and covering his little princess's eyes so she wouldn't see the pathetic scene), widened his eyes as if waking up from a trance.

"Ah... right!" Leehan exclaimed loudly. "I was supposed to be walking with Y/N today!"

"You goldfish!" Jaehyun smacked his own forehead loudly. "You came with her, but you stood hiding with me?!"

The absolute bust of the advisory squad made Y/N burst out laughing. Riwoo slowly shook his head at his friends' chaotic energy before turning back to pull Woonhak to his feet, helping brush the grass off his shirt.

"I think... you should throw Jaehyun's 'How to be a nice guy' course in the trash," Riwoo said deadpan, though his eyes were full of fondness.

"Y-you knew about that, Riwoo hyung...?" Woonhak went pale, feeling like the biggest idiot in the neighborhood.

"Step 3, Woonhak... Just be yourself. Trying to be someone else is exhausting."

Riwoo's words flicked a switch in Woonhak's brain, but the person who truly left him stunned was the young woman standing next to him, laughing until her eyes crinkled.

"Finally, someone said it!" Y/N beamed, showing zero surprise. "I saw you trying to keep a straight face and force your voice down since we left the house, Woonhak. It was making me feel uncomfortable."

The 19-year-old's eyes went wide. "N-Noona, you knew...? That I..."

"Of course I did!" She reached out and pinched his tall nose affectionately. "Ever since that first day I came back and we bumped into each other at the fence. You looked like a deer in headlights, stood completely frozen, and babbled nonsense for ages... I easily guessed, right?"

The mirror of his secrets shattered completely... Everything was ruined! All that practicing, all those consultations with his older brothers... The person he trusted the least turned out to be the most dangerous one! (Thank God he didn't trust Taesan too much. Those emo villains are never to be trusted anyway).

"And besides, Taesan can't keep a secret to save his life," Y/N added, holding back a laugh.

"Come on... Y/N Noona!"

Woonhak whined loudly, all traces of his formal, polite tone vanishing into thin air. He reverted completely to the slightly spoiled, overly affectionate voice of a teenage boy. His thick eyebrows furrowed, his lips jutting out in a pout without realizing it. "You knew, and you just let me act like a crazy person this whole time! You're so mean!"

The sight of the giant 'puppy' throwing a tantrum because he got caught made Y/N laugh brighter than she had all day. She reached up and ruffled his perfectly styled hair until it was a messy, natural bird's nest.

"I just wanted to see how long you could keep the act up." She gave him a sweet, gentle smile that made the onlooker's heart skip a beat. "But you know... I think the normal Woonhak is..."

"..."

"A whole lot cuter."

It felt like the whole world stopped spinning. The cool breeze blowing through the park did absolutely nothing to cool down the heat rushing to Woonhak's face. He pressed his lips together, desperately trying to hide a massive smile, but his ears, which were burning bright red all the way to his neck, betrayed him entirely.

Back in the bushes...

Jaehyun, who was still squatting, rolled his eyes, so annoyed he wanted to throw leaves. "Wow... now she's complimenting the giant puppy. When it's me, all I get is yelled at.”

Leehan nodded slowly in agreement. "True... the only person who sees that girl as an angel is an absolute fool."

Woonhak’s bedroom window was in a prime location—as mentioned before.

It caught the perfect amount of morning sunlight, and it aligned perfectly with Y/N’s bedroom window.

He walked out, ruffling his damp hair from a shower (obviously, after rolling in the dirt like that), only to find the young woman sitting on her balcony, resting her chin on her hand and absentmindedly petting Nyang-Nyang.

That beautiful smile could bring the dead back to life.

And Woonhak was resurrected once again.

A smile sweeter than the sugar in his sister’s cake, a smile that shined brighter than the moon tonight—directed entirely at him. (Check - give this one about ten checks. Bonus points).

"When are you going to say it?" Woonhak called out.

The owner of the sweet smile tilted her head, looking amused, pretending she didn't know why the kid was greeting her with that sentence.

"Don't play dumb—tell me what's on your mind."

The distance between the two houses meant he couldn't whisper it like he wanted to, but the fact that his loud voice reaching her carried a hint of a whiny, spoiled tone didn't bother him at all.

"Adults don't whine, Woonhak," she replied with a teasing smile.

"I'm still a kid. I'm allowed to whine. You said so yourself."

"When did I ever say that?" She laughed, letting Nyang-Nyang hop back into her bedroom without stopping him.

"Don't you make me wait—say what's on your mind—just say that you love me already, Noona"

"Do I?"

Just as Woonhak was about to pout and throw another tantrum, that sweet voice replied right on cue.

"Yes, I do."

Woonhak was so overjoyed he almost made the terrible decision to jump across the balconies to reach his angel (though if he missed, he'd definitely be meeting real angels in heaven). But he was suddenly stopped in his tracks by the sound of a guitar strumming and a very familiar singing voice coming from not too far away.

"I love you baby, baby, baby 외쳐대느라 내 진심을 동네방네 다 알아! (I shouted it out so loud, now the whole neighborhood knows my true feelings)"

Followed by an ad-libbed shout that was unmistakably the main rapper: "니가 좋아! (I LIKE YOU!)" It was so loud it made both of them flinch.

While Y/N tried to lean out to find the source of the noise, Woonhak, from his angle, had a crystal-clear view of exactly who was standing in front of the share-house where the person across from him lived...

"JAEHYUN!! SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!!"

And that was the exasperated response to the serenade, courtesy of one of the tenants of house number 405...

A/N

You’ve been stuck in this absurd, secret relationship for about 3 or 4 months now. And for the entirety of it, you haven't breathed a single word to anyone.

No one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to keep it a secret. It’s entirely because... well, you're a coward.

‘I’m back. Wanna meet up tonight?’

Your phone screen lights up with a text from an 'Unsaved Number'. The notification instantly draws the collective glare of all your girlfriends around the table.

"What are you guys looking at? Keep talking! Did Jaehyun officially ask you out?!" you quickly deflect, throwing a conversational grenade to change the subject. Luckily, your friend’s love life is top-tier gossip.

"He just asked me out for dinner tonight!" the 'Angel' of the group defends herself in panic.

"Oh, please. He’s been calling you 'His Angel' since day one! What does he see you as, a deity?!" another friend rolls her eyes.

"I don't know, I still don't dare to go alone. You guys have to come with me," the Angel pouts.

"Shamelessly marching into an idol's dorm? No way. Y/N, you literally taught us that fans need to keep a respectful distance!"

You gulp, nodding reluctantly under your friends' strict, interrogating stares. God, am I usually this good at keeping secrets? ---

In the end, to respect those 'boundaries', you all wound up at a private K-BBQ restaurant in Hannam-dong instead.

Even though your group hangs out with the band enough to be considered close, your friends are dead serious about 'the boundary between fans and artists' (even if those artists are literally dating within the friend group). The boys, thankfully, didn't mind the change of venue.

But the atmosphere inside this private square room right now is... a little hard to explain.

Unlike what you expected—just Jaehyun (obviously, he invited you) and Leehan (he literally cannot be separated from his girlfriend), or at most, Woonhak, the giant maknae who loves tagging along to be fed by your friends like an adopted son—there is an unexpected addition.

Sitting directly across from you is a certain red-haired menace.

"I was just hungry. Sungho-hyung was already showering and brushing his teeth, and Riwoo-hyung missed his eating window. I didn't want to eat ramyun alone," was Taesan's deadpan excuse when he casually strolled in.

The seating arrangement makes you sweat a little. Your friend shoved you into the innermost seat against the wall, sat next to you, leaving the outermost seats for the couple, Leehan and his girlfriend. On the opposite side, Jaehyun took the aisle seat so he could easily get up and serve his 'Angel'. Next to him is your loud friend, currently busy grilling meat for Woonhak like a mother bird feeding its chick.

And sitting exactly opposite you... is Taesan, quietly shoving side dishes into his mouth like he truly was starving, just as he claimed.

Bzzzt...

The phone on your lap vibrates with a text from the 'Unsaved Number' again. This time, the friend squished next to you turns and narrows her eyes suspiciously.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Are you really not going to reply?

"Seriously, who keeps texting you so much?"

Your eyes go wide. You frantically swipe the notification away and flip the phone face-down on your lap. At that exact moment, the 'guy across the table' casually lifts his glass to take a sip.

"Just those scam loan messages. It's nothing."

"Then block them! They're texting so often, I thought it was a boyfriend... wait, are you secretly hiding a boyfriend from us?!"

"Delusional! I literally spend every waking moment with you. When would I have the time?" you snap back defensively, while your hands furiously blind-type under the table in pure frustration.

"Then why are you replying to a scammer?! Don't click any links or talk to them, they'll drain your bank account!" Your other friend, currently feeding Woonhak, leans over with eagle eyes to scold you. Suddenly, the whole table is looking at you.

"I'm typing to curse them out! They're annoying!" you fake-complain, playing dumb for your life.

"How do you even have a scammer's number memorized? Your thumbs look awfully familiar with those digits."

"I just hit reply! Who memorizes an eleven-digit number?" You keep your poker face locked in.

The friend next to you blinks, opening her mouth to argue, 'But you just deleted the chat to avoid them...' But thankfully, heaven is on your side!

"Oh yeah, Y/N has a freakishly good memory," Jaehyun chimes in, grabbing the tongs to grill the meat.

"Do you really memorize everyone's numbers?! Do you have mine?!" Woonhak leans in, eyes shining like a giant puppy, only to droop when you shake your head.

"Just remembering the five of your numbers is hard enough," you reply sluggishly, taking a sip of water. "Who has the energy?"

"Wait... why only five?" Leehan, who usually sits as quietly as wallpaper (which is perfectly fine!), suddenly speaks up, making you nearly choke on your water. "You didn't save any of our numbers? Why? ...Don't tell me it's Jaehyun-hyung's and mine."

"Y/N probably just didn't save my number."

The entire private room falls dead silent. The guy who had been quietly eating suddenly interjects, shooting you a sharp glare through the grill smoke.

Smack! Your best friend hits your arm.

"Are you crazy?! Why didn't you save Taesan's number?!"

Before you can formulate an excuse, your phone vibrates again. Bzzzt...

01X-XXX-XXXX: See? I told you to save my name as 'Baby' from the start so we wouldn't get caught like this.

You swallow the thick lump in your throat. Who would have thought not saving his name would come back to stab you in the back right now?!

As things settle, you lean back into the chair. But suddenly...

A ticklish, squirmy sensation against your foot makes you shoot up straight.

You slowly lower your glass, glancing under the table for a split second before snapping your eyes back to the guy across from you.

Taesan is still sitting there, expression completely deadpan. His right hand is holding chopsticks, chewing on meat. He isn't even looking at you! But under the table, his foot is relentlessly brushing against your shin, dragging up and down like a needy kitten begging for attention.

You try to retract your leg, shifting uncomfortably until your friend turns away from the group conversation to look at you. You quickly pretend to dig for a tissue on your lap to cover it up.

With no other option, you pull your legs up to sit cross-legged on the chair to escape the under-table assault—an action that squishes your friend, making her look at you again. But since you're known for being clingy and needing skinship, she easily brushes it off and returns to the chat.

But for you, things are getting worse.

Okay, you knew he was tall, but you never realized his legs were this long. If he's going to use those long legs to harass yours like this, the peaceful diplomatic route is officially closed.

You slip one hand under the table, shooting a glare at the prankster. Your fingertips meet his ankle, and he finally looks back at you with a challenging smirk.

That smirk quickly turns into a glare when you pinch his leg hard, forcing him to yank it back. (Pro-tip: Pinching with your knuckles hurts way more than just using your fingertips).

You smile sweetly, turning to nod at a question Woonhak asks, acting completely innocent as if a covert war hadn't just broken out.

But the peace is short-lived. The stubborn black cat refuses to yield, wrapping his leg around yours under the table once again, refusing to let go.

"Y/N doesn't seem to have much of an appetite. Are you okay... or is something 'bothering' you?" he asks, his handsome face playing perfectly innocent, even as his leg tightens its grip around yours, trapping you completely.

"N-No... I'm perfectly fine!" you stutter, trying to pull your leg back, gritting your teeth behind a fake, customer-service smile.

But this giant feline is too strong, and he shoots you a shameless, challenging look

"Yeah, actually, I've noticed you fidgeting for a while now. Are you okay?" Your observant best friend frowns. "Don't tell me you're getting period cramps again? Your face is super red and flushed. Want me to ask the staff for some painkillers?"

"No, no, no! I'm perfectly fine! The grill is just a bit hot, haha!" You wave your hands frantically, almost knocking your glass over in your panic.

"If you're hot, why don't you switch seats and sit on the outside? The AC hits perfectly right here," Jaehyun offers kindly from the aisle seat.

"I'm fine, Jaehyun! Right here is perfect!" you reject instantly. If you stand up to switch seats right now, the tangled legs under the table will be exposed to the entire group

Taesan hides a tiny smirk. He sips his water, his eyes fixed on you over the rim of the glass, practically sparkling with amusement at your misery under the watchful eyes of your strict friends.

His large hand sets his chopsticks down, then quickly types something on the phone sitting next to his plate...

And of course... your phone vibrates immediately. Bzzzt...

You look down, hiding your burning face, and check the message from the 'scam loan' guy.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Don't pinch me.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Or I'll do a lot more than just this

Damn you, Taesan!

You curse him in your head for the hundredth time today. Your face is so hot your ears are burning. You want to dive under the table and disappear, or maybe grab the grill tongs and smack him over the head

'Do a lot more,' huh? Alright... you wanna play?!

With your annoyance breaking the thermometer, you decide to stop retreating. You tense your ankle, gather every ounce of strength you possess, lock onto the coordinates of his large sneaker, and...

You slam your heel down onto the top of Taesan's foot with all your might! And just to be petty, you grind your toe into it for extra damage!

"Cough...!"

The guy trying to play it cool abruptly chokes! His broad shoulders jerk up, nearly spitting water everywhere. Luckily, he slaps a hand over his mouth in time, but his thick eyebrows are tied into a painful knot.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Take it easy, no one's stealing your food," Jaehyun pauses, looking at his younger member in confusion.

"Yeah, Taesan-hyung, your face is completely red. Are you hot?" Woonhak asks innocently.

"N... No," Taesan clears his throat, taking a deep breath to force his handsome face back to neutral, even as his eyes shoot daggers at you. "I just... 'accidentally bit my tongue'."

He emphasizes the words heavily, finally unspooling his leg from yours.

You let out a quiet sigh of victory, adjusting your expression to look angelic and pure, completely disconnected from the under-table violence. You take a sip of your own water, sending a faint smile to the glaring guy across the table.

"Be careful... that sounds painful," you say in a concerned tone that makes your best friend nod approvingly at what a respectful, boundary-keeping fan you are.

Bzzzt...

You glance at your phone with a smug sense of victory.

01X-XXX-XXXX: You started it

You internally roll your eyes. Who's scared of you, you arrogant black cat!

But before you can celebrate... the ticklish sensation returns. Only this time, it's not a playful tap. It's slow, deliberate, and sliding higher.

You snap your head up. Taesan is still deadpan, chewing on meat and nodding at whatever Jaehyun is saying, looking like the most attentive listener in the world.

The soft touch trails up... from your ankle, to your calf, stopping right at your knee.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Don't move away.

You bite your lower lip, ignoring the threat, and try to push his long leg away. But the more you fight, the more he follows... until you realize that if you struggle any more, you'll be the one looking suspicious to your friend.

The second you freeze in defeat... Taesan changes his posture.

He puts his chopsticks down, rests his elbow on the table, props his chin on the back of his hand, and shifts his gaze from the conversation... directly to you.

The moment your eyes meet, his foot slides higher... grazing just a fraction of an inch against your inner thigh. The heat radiating through the fabric makes your breath hitch, your heart hammering so loud you fear your friend will hear it.

Worse, he wraps his leg around yours and pulls gently, forcing your lower half to slide closer to his side until your knees are practically touching

"Y/N-sshi..."

Taesan suddenly calls your name out of nowhere, his deep voice slicing through the chatter.

You flinch, freezing like a deer in headlights, gripping your glass tightly. "Y... Yes?"

His sharp eyes sparkle. He drops his gaze to your lips for a second before meeting your eyes directly.

"That piece of meat... can I have it?" He nods toward a perfectly cooked piece of pork resting in your plate... but his husky voice, combined with his toe stroking the back of your knee under the table, is sending your stomach into a chaotic frenzy. "I've been looking at it for a while... I just want to know if it's as 'tasty' as mine."

You let out a slow breath, trying to look natural. You pick up the meat with your chopsticks and drop it onto his plate with a little more force than necessary, flashing him a sickly-sweet, venom-laced smile.

"Enjoy your meal... so you don't get so hungry you have to go 'stealing' from other people."

Taesan raises an eyebrow at the sarcasm. He pops the meat into his mouth, looking entirely too pleased with himself. That infuriating smirk snaps your last thread of patience.

You want to play under the table? Fine!

You decide to turn the tables. The moment he's distracted, your foot slowly drags along his shin, pressing down slightly, trailing up toward his muscular thigh.

Taesan's chopsticks freeze for a split second. His dark eyes snap to you immediately

You raise an eyebrow in a challenge, smirking back as your toe lightly teases the back of his knee... Let's see who breaks character first!

But you completely forgot... just how difficult this black cat is to deal with.

Instead of panicking or pulling away like you expected, Taesan slowly places his chopsticks on his plate. His right hand stays propped under his chin... but his left hand, which had been holding his water glass, disappears under the table

Your eyes widen as the intense heat is no longer coming from his foot... but from a large hand that clamps securely around your ankle

You gasp, trying to jerk your leg back, but his grip is ironclad. Long fingers slowly slide into the heel of your sneaker... and effortlessly slip the shoe right off your foot.

Your heart threatens to beat out of your chest as Taesan's hot palm wraps around your foot, now covered only by a thin sock. His thumb presses gently against your ankle bone, slowly and possessively tracing your Achilles tendon.

The heat from his hand seeps into your skin, sending a tingling numbness through you. Butterflies swarm aggressively in your stomach. You automatically press your knees together, your breathing hitching and turning shallow. You bite your lip hard to prevent any weird sounds from escaping.

"Woonhak, grill some for me too... I'm a bit 'busy' right now."

Taesan tells the maknae in a perfectly flat voice, showing zero signs of abnormality. He continues to rest his chin on his hand, staring at you with sparkling eyes, while his left hand strokes your foot under the table as if he's petting his favorite cat.

"First you steal from Y/N, now you're making the maknae work," Jaehyun laughs, watching Woonhak diligently place meat on his hyung's plate, completely unaware that the guy claiming to be 'busy' is currently tormenting you beneath the surface

Your phone screen lights up again amidst the suffocatingly sensual tension.

01X-XXX-XXXX: So soft...

01X-XXX-XXXX: If you dare to move again, I'm taking your sock off too.

You want to scream into the screen. Damn it! You tried to go on the offensive and ended up completely cornered

And it seems his threat isn't empty. The rough fingertips stroking your foot shift targets. They slowly hook onto the edge of your ankle sock and start pulling it down... slowly... until the bare skin of your heel and ankle meets the freezing AC air, contrasting violently with the scorching heat of his bare hand

You swallow hard, your breath catching as his thumb presses firmly into the sensitive spot behind your ankle. The electric sensation shoots up your leg, making you dig your nails into your own thigh. Your body shivers involuntarily.

You look up, sending him a pleading, desperate glare, begging him to stop this madness before you lose it and do something suspicious in front of your friends.

But Taesan just raises an eyebrow. His dark eyes narrow with the arrogance of someone holding all the winning cards. And then, he shifts his fingers... sliding them deep against the sole of your foot

A soft gasp escapes your lips, your leg jerking reflexively and lightly kicking the table leg.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Y/N?" Your best friend, chewing happily, turns to you immediately. "You sounded like someone stepped on your foot. Are you okay? Your face is completely red!"

"N-No! Nothing! I just bit the inside of my cheek, haha..." You force out awkward laughter, a bead of sweat rolling down your hairline despite the cold AC.

While your life hangs by a thread and your sanity is fraying thanks to the wicked hand under the table...

"Whoaaa!!"

"Ahhh! Hyung! I'm sorry!!"

The sound of a glass slamming into the table echoes, followed by splashing water and everyone yelling

Woonhak accidentally knocks over his jumbo-sized water glass. Ice and freezing water flood the table

"Hey, watch out! It's dripping!" Jaehyun yells, frantically grabbing napkins.

With his survival instincts kicking in to avoid getting soaked, Taesan recoils, instantly yanking his hand back from under the table to dodge the water dripping over the edge.

You don't hesitate. Using the chaos of everyone helping Woonhak wipe the table, you quickly pull your foot back under your chair. Your heart is pounding wildly. You use your other foot to blindly search for your missing sneaker, desperate to put it back on before anyone notices.

"Ughhh, Woonhak! My shirt is wet!" your friend jokes, brushing droplets off herself.

"I didn't mean toooo, I'm sorryyy," the giant baby pouts, bowing apologetically while helping Jaehyun mop up the flood with a roll of paper towels.

Amidst the level-ten chaos, you let out a massive sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from your forehead. Narrow escape

But... your relief only lasts a few seconds.

Because when you look under the table... your left sneaker isn't on your side.

It flew across and is currently sitting right next to Taesan's foot

And right now... the dark eyes of the guy who just finished brushing water off his pants are looking down at your mini sneaker near his feet, then looking up to meet your eyes... with a smirk a hundred times more dangerous than before

Your eyes widen at the villainous smile on the black cat's face. This is bad! If you leave it there until the bill comes, you'll have to hop out of the restaurant missing a shoe, and your friends will mock you until the end of time.

Your brain reboots quickly. You need an excuse to go under the table and get it back

Your eyes land on the metal chopsticks resting on the edge of your plate... Alright, gotta be smooth about this

You pretend to accidentally knock your plate, sending the chopsticks clattering to the floor as the table chaos dies down.

"Ah! My chopsticks dropped..." you fake an apologetic face.

"Just leave them, we'll ask the staff for new ones. You don't need to pick them up, the floor is wet from Woonhak," your friend says, tossing a soggy napkin into the bin.

"N-No worries! I'll get them!"

Without waiting for protests, you instantly dive under the table

Underneath, you scan the dim light for your white sneaker. You crawl closer, reaching out... but suddenly, his large shoe shifts, ready to step heavily on yours to trap you

Not today, black cat!

With lightning reflexes fueled by pure panic, your fingers pinch his ankle hard

"Tch—" Taesan flinches, pulling his leg back for a fraction of a second.

That’s all the opening you need. You snatch your sneaker, grab the chopsticks, jam your foot in, and scramble frantically back up to your chair

"F-Found them!" you pop up, panting, breathing heavily, your face burning a violent shade of crimson all the way down to your neck. You try your absolute hardest to look natural and keep your voice steady.

"Right, just put them on the edge over there. Your face is red as a tomato, all the blood rushed to your head," your friend mutters, taking the chopsticks and placing them far away.

A second later, the tall figure of the guy whose kiss you just 'stole' sits back up in his chair across from you.

Taesan doesn't say a word. He takes a casual sip of water like absolutely nothing happened... but the wider-than-usual smirk, the meaningful gaze locking onto you, and his ears, which are burning bright red against his hair... it's glaringly obvious how thoroughly pleased he is with successfully cornering you!

Your phone vibrates again. Bzzzt...

You look down at the text with a heart that still refuses to calm down.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Can you drop the chopsticks again?

You almost throw your phone into the grill. That crazy bastard! He still has the nerve to challenge you to drop them again?

But before you can type out a string of curses to the psycho scammer, the best friend next to you suddenly elbows you in the ribs. Oof!

"Ow! What is your problem..." you whisper-yell.

"Shhhh! Be quiet for a sec, look... Jaehyun is acting weird! I think this is it!"

Your friend whispers, her voice trembling with excitement, her eyes sparkling like she's watching the climax of a K-drama.

You quickly tear your eyes away from your phone and assess the table.

And she's right... the atmosphere has completely shifted. Woonhak, who never stops talking, has zipped his lips shut. Leehan and his girlfriend are sharing secret smiles. Jaehyun, sitting in the aisle seat... is blushing all the way to his ears, awkwardly flipping the meat with the tongs even though it's basically burnt.

And his 'Angel' (the friend sitting diagonally from you) is staring down at her rice bowl, playing with it nervously, completely unable to make eye contact.

"Um... so..."

Jaehyun finally puts the tongs down. He clears his throat, calling everyone's attention (even though you're all pretending not to look, every ear is wide open). His usually playful, handsome face looks incredibly serious and nervous.

Your friend squeezes your hand so hard your bones might shatter. Everyone holds their breath waiting for the next sentence...

"The smoke inside is getting a bit thick... and we're pretty much done eating." Jaehyun looks across at his Angel, offering her a warm, respectful smile. "When we walked in, I saw a really pretty flower garden with lights out back... Want to go for a quick walk to digest?"

Phew...

You and your friend let out a collective sigh of relief (and internal applause). Jaehyun is a true gentleman! He didn't want to corner her with a public confession in front of everyone; he was finding a way to get her somewhere private

"S-Sure," the Angel nods softly, her cheeks dusted pink. She clearly understands his intention.

"You guys go! Don't worry about us, I'll handle the bill and order dessert!" your loud friend instantly shifts into wingman mode, waving them off.

Jaehyun stands up, giving the table a small, appreciative bow, before leading his Angel toward the back of the restaurant. The rest of you watch them go with knowing, teasing smiles.

Once the tension breaks (since you were all holding your breath), you lift your glass to take a sip. But then...

Bzzzt...

Your phone vibrates again.

You glance down suspiciously, finding a message from the 'black cat' across the table.

You snap your head up. Taesan is resting his chin on his hand, watching his hyung walk away with a fond, brotherly smile... but the text he sent completely contradicts that innocent face

01X-XXX-XXXX: Jaehyun-hyung is so romantic. He even knows to take her somewhere private to ask her out.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Seeing that reminds me of us... when I ambushed you outside the women's restroom and threatened to tell the whole studio we kissed if you didn't agree to date me :)

01X-XXX-XXXX: Thinking about it... makes me want to do it again.

You choke violently. Taesan stands up to his full height.

"I suddenly feel the need to use the 'restroom,'" he says smoothly, strolling away.

You glare daggers at his broad back as he casually strolls toward the restroom area, whistling a happy tune, hands in his pockets...

Does he think I'm just going to obediently follow him like a lost puppy so he can bully me some more? In his dreams!

You cross your arms, lifting your chin defiantly as you stay planted in your seat. You play deaf, happily picking up the last piece of pork and chewing it. Let's test this out. Let's see what he does if I simply don't show up

Almost three minutes pass... Your phone vibrates furiously. Bzzzt... Bzzzt.. twice in a row, making your friend look over.

You pick it up, heart pounding.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Playing hard to get, huh?

01X-XXX-XXXX: I'll give you 1 more minute. If I don't see your face... I'll walk right back there and kiss you in front of the whole table.

"Cough, cough, cough!!"

This time you actually choke on the pork. Your eyes bug out at the screen. He's insane, When Taesan makes a threat, he follows through

While you're panicking, your best friend turns to you.

"Whoa, slow down, you've choked twice already... Wait, Y/N, shouldn't you go to the bathroom?"

"H-Huh? Why?" you jolt.

"Your face is super oily and you have sauce on the corner of your mouth! Go wash your face and touch up your makeup. When Jaehyun and Angel get back, we're taking group photos, and you look like you just mugged a BBQ stand."

Without waiting, she literally shoves you out of your chair.

Fate is a cruel comedian! You reluctantly grab your small purse and power-walk toward the back of the restaurant before the fatal 60 seconds expire

The hallway to the restrooms is quiet and dim since most customers are seated at the front. You crane your neck left and right... no sign of the giant guy anywhere. The men's room entrance is empty.

Maybe he went back to the table... you let out a sigh of relief.

But... the exact moment you reach out to push the women's restroom door open—

A hot, heavy hand shoots out from the dark corner, clamping onto your wrist. With one sharp tug, your entire body is yanked into the narrow corridor leading to the fire exit

Your back hits the cold wall lightly. Before you can even open your mouth to scream, the tall figure who ambushed you steps in close, slamming both arms against the wall, perfectly trapping you inside his embrace!

The dim light from the emergency exit sign illuminates Taesan's sharp eyes staring down at you from point-blank range... so close you can hear each other's breathing.

"Fifteen seconds late..." his husky voice whispers against your lips, a dangerous smirk forming that sends your stomach into free-fall. "I guess... I'll have to charge 'interest'."

Without missing a beat, one of the arms caging you drops down, wrapping around your waist. He pulls you flush against his broad chest, leaving zero space for air between you. The heat from his body seeps through your clothes, paralyzing you.

"T-Taesan, let go, someone will see..." you whisper shakily, trying to push against his chest with both hands. But beneath your palms, you can feel his heart racing just as fast as yours.

"Who's going to see? It's a blind spot... and if someone does walk by, just hug me tight and hide your face in my chest. No one will know it's us."

He answers effortlessly, intentionally leaning even closer. His dark eyes drop to your lips, which are pressed tightly together in nervousness. His long fingers reach up to adjust your collar, which got messed up during the ambush, but his fingertips deliberately graze the sensitive skin of your neck, making you gasp.

"Your friend was right, though..." Taesan suddenly changes the subject, his voice dropping an octave. "How do you eat and get sauce all over your mouth... are you a three-year-old?"

"I didn't ge—"

The argument dies in your throat as his thumb gently brushes the corner of your mouth to wipe the sauce away... But a second later, instead of using a tissue, Taesan tilts his head and presses his lips to the corner of your mouth, softly kissing the stain away... before kissing you again, firmer and far more demanding

Your eyes widen, your mind going completely blank. His warm breath and signature scent completely shatter your reasoning. Your legs turn to jelly, forcing you to tightly grip the front of his jacket just to stay standing.

"Mmm... sweeter than my piece, just like I thought," he whispers against your lips, a mischievous spark lighting up his eyes before he leans in, clearly intending to steal a proper, full kiss.

But the second his lips are about to crash down on yours... your survival instincts kick into overdrive

Are you really going to let this kid bully you all night?

Fueled by the annoyance built up from the under-table torture and your skyrocketing embarrassment, you grip his jacket tightly, gather every ounce of your strength... and yank him, spinning you both around

This time, it's Taesan whose eyes go wide in shock as his broad back slams against the cold wall

And before he can recover or say a word... you go on your tiptoes, pull him down by the collar, and smash your lips against his in a fierce, demanding kiss

The surprise attack makes Taesan freeze for a millisecond... but once he registers that his usually elusive, stubborn girlfriend is the one initiating the kiss, his wide eyes shift into a spark of pure, unadulterated delight.

A low chuckle vibrates in his throat against your lips. Taesan doesn't let you hold the upper hand for long. The hands resting at his sides shoot up—one cradling the back of your neck to prevent you from pulling away, the other wrapping tightly around your waist to pull you impossibly close. He effortlessly flips the script, taking control of the kiss, turning it deep, passionate, and hot enough to melt you right against the wall.

You let out a soft sound of protest as all your energy is drained. Your hands loosen their grip on his jacket, moving to rest weakly on his broad shoulders.

It takes a long time before Taesan finally, reluctantly, pulls away. He rests his forehead against yours, panting softly, his dark eyes gazing at you with an intensely sweet, melting look.

"Playing like this... are you trying to kill me right here, Y/N?" he whispers, pulling away slightly.

But just then... "Y/N! Are you in the bathroom?!"

Your best friend's voice echoes from the hallway

You jolt, instantly pushing Taesan away. "I-I need to go out first!"

But he catches your wrist. His playful smirk is gone, replaced by raw sincerity.

"Jaehyun... gets to hold the hand of the person he likes out in the open." He looks at you with sad kitty-fluffy eyes. "What about us...? When will I get to introduce myself as your 'boyfriend'?"

His words freeze you in your tracks.

Taesan tugs your wrist gently, forcing you to look at him. His thumb slowly reaches up to wipe away the faint smudge of lipstick you left on the corner of his own mouth. The sharp eyes that were challenging you earlier now look pleading and slightly hurt, making your heart ache.

You sigh, cupping his handsome face. "Give me time to prepare an inhaler for her first... If I tell her now, she's going to drop dead."

Taesan chuckles softly.

You press a quick peck to his chin. "Stop being jealous of Jaehyun! Go wash your face, you bully!"

You sprint out of the fire exit, leaving him smiling widely in the dim light.

You drag your friend back to the table. Jaehyun and your friend are sitting next to each other. The atmosphere around them is so pink you can practically see the romance filters floating in the air. Their shy smiles and sweet eye contact are the clearest confirmation that Jaehyun's mission was a total success.

You drop into your seat as Leehan and his girlfriend slide inside instead, desperately trying to regulate your breathing and expression. The loud friend beside you immediately starts squealing and firing a barrage of questions at the new couple.

While Jaehyun turns to answer her rapid-fire interrogation, your friend—who is smiling softly on the opposite side—reaches for her water glass. But as she leans across the table, she uses the distraction to slide a brand new 'wet wipe' right next to your hand.

You raise an eyebrow, looking from the wet wipe to your friend's sweet face in confusion.

Angel doesn't say anything out loud. She just offers you her signature, gentle 'group mom' smile, before leaning in and whispering so softly that only you can hear over the noise of the table.

"Wipe your chin a little more, Y/N... there's a smudge," she whispers softly.

You flinch. Did I leave a kiss mark?

But her next sentence stops your heart entirely.

"And... next time you guys decide to play 'under the table'..." she winks mischievously, "Tell your 'boyfriend' to watch out for Woonhak's water glass."

Your eyes widen so far they might pop out of your skull. You are stunned for ten solid seconds

Oh my god! She knows?!! She knew since the under-table incident?!

Before you can even open your mouth to defend yourself or freak out, the tall figure of the guy in question casually walks back to the table, hands in his pockets. Taesan pulls out the chair across from you, sitting down to congratulate his hyung with a perfectly natural, calm expression. As if five minutes ago he hadn't cornered you in a fire exit

She turns her attention back to Jaehyun like nothing happened, leaving you sitting there sweating, going pale then red, mouth hanging open.

You tried so hard to hide it from your loud best friend, only to get instantly busted by the quiet mom of the group

The table continues its chaotic, joyful celebration... until your phone screen lights up one last time.

01X-XXX-XXXX: I'll be waiting.

01X-XXX-XXXX: Hurry up and get that inhaler ready for your friend... before I lose my patience and announce it myself. :)

You look up at the sender, who is currently taking a sip of water. But those wicked, cunning eyes are staring directly at you over the rim of the glass with intense meaning... before flicking over to your friend, who is currently hiding a knowing smile beside Jaehyun.

Good lord...

Just dealing with this evil black cat was exhausting enough. Now you have to worry about the all-seeing eyes of your friend…

Why does it have to be this chaotic?!

A/N

When you try your best to write smth spicy but you are spicy intolerable… theses are the best i can do guys…. ૮ ྀི ◞ꙍ◟ ა

On a rare holiday, your friend group decided to visit Everland, a massive theme park filled with echoing laughter and piercing screams from rides in almost every direction.

You let out a surprised yelp as a sudden force crashed into your back, followed by a black-haired guy wearing a loose cream winter jacket over a dark shirt. On his head was a fluffy white Fubao panda beanie with long strings dangling down both sides, ending in round pom-poms that bounced with his erratic movements. His hands were stuffed inside brown gloves shaped like ridiculously cute little red pandas. He slid down, bending his knees to hide perfectly behind your back, panting heavily. One of his red panda-gloved hands was desperately clamping down on a mic attached to his chest, looking exactly like a panicked golden retriever terrified of firecrackers.

"Myung Jaehyun! Get back here right now! You were all smiles when you forced me onto that roller coaster!" A familiar-sounding deep voice yelled from a distance.

The guy behind you flinched violently. He quickly grabbed the hem of your jacket, tugging it frantically.

"Shhh... Frog-nim! Please help! Please be my bunker! They're trying to sacrifice me to the Horror Maze!" he whispered, his voice trembling like someone whose fear of ghosts had completely taken over.

Horror Maze? The most terrifying haunted house in Everland? The instinct of the group's "Mom," who was used to dealing with troublesome friends, kicked in automatically. You didn't yell or chase him away. Instead, you fully unfolded the giant theme park map, raising it to eye level. It created a small paper fortress that completely hid both your face and his... right as a group of staff members and a black-haired guy in a thick cream puffer jacket ran past where you were standing.

"Phew... I survived..." Jaehyun let out a long sigh, unconsciously resting his head against your back before realizing what he was doing and quickly springing back. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to cross the line, I was just a little startled..."

He looked up, intending to properly thank his 'human bunker'.

Under the shade of the giant map, the distance between the two of you was reduced to mere inches. The afternoon sun filtered through the paper, casting a soft glow on your face. Jaehyun blinked rapidly. His gaze shifted from the aggressively bright, funny green frog hat... down to meet your eyes.

Jaehyun was stunned for a solid three seconds.

The wide, panicked eyes from a moment ago slowly morphed into a sparkling gaze. He froze, completely forgetting his fear of zombies for a second. Your calm, kind-looking facial features were such a stark contrast to the goofy hat on your head.

"Wearing a frog hat..." Jaehyun murmured softly, almost to himself, his eyes never leaving your face. "...but you look like an angel... Cheonsa-nim? (Angel?)"

Your heart skipped a beat at the sudden, point-blank compliment. But, used to keeping a straight face, you maintained your deadpan expression and raised an index finger to lightly push his smooth forehead away.

"What do you mean, angel?" you scolded him quietly. "Keep quiet. Your friends are going to circle back and find you."

Jaehyun broke into a wide, eye-crinkling smile. His grin was bright enough to rival the theme park sun. He didn't look discouraged by your scolding at all. On the contrary, he thought this strict-but-kind girl was incredibly cute!

Once you were sure the coast was clear, you lowered the map, folding it up haphazardly, and handed him one of the freezing cold water bottles you were holding.

"Here, drink this. You're completely pale," you muttered, sounding exactly like a mother nagging her child. "You look like a lost puppy on a field trip. Hurry up and go back to your staff. If you keep everyone waiting, you're going to be in trouble."

Jaehyun took the water bottle. He looked between the bottle and your frog hat, his eyes still shimmering with that playful spark. But before he could say anything...

"Jaehyun-hyung! There he is! Catch him!" Taesan's shout echoed again, this time accompanied by the staff ready to charge.

Jaehyun's face fell. He looked left and right—his escape time was up! He put on a pitiful pout, accepting his fate of facing the undead. But before he was dragged away to the Horror Maze, he turned back to look at you one last time, taking a step backward while holding up the water bottle you gave him.

"I have to go! Thank you for the bunker and the water, Cheonsa-nim!"

That mischievous, playful smile lit up his face once more. Jaehyun gave you a quick wink.

"If I survive the haunted house... I'll come find you, Angel! Don't go home yet! Wait for me!"

With that, the human-sized golden retriever bolted toward the cameras, shouting loudly all the way, leaving you standing there blinking in confusion... with the muscle in your left chest beating at an annoyingly fast and erratic pace.

Good grief... Is today 'Gathering of Strangers Day' or something? You shook your head slightly, secretly reaching up to touch your warming cheeks. ...And why would I wait for him anyway? What a weird guy.

Spoiler alert: That doe-eyed puppy actually managed to get your number later through your friend and a certain idol named Leehan... Not too bad of an ending, I guess?

A/N