#being loved

I had learned that very quickly.

The dining pavilion sat open to the morning air, sunlight spilling across the long table in pale gold strips. The ocean moved somewhere beyond the palms, close enough to hear but far enough to pretend it was not judging us.

Breakfast was already arranged by the time I arrived. Fruit. Rice. Eggs. Soup. Toast. Coffee. Tea. Enough food to feed two idol groups, one emotionally complicated manager, one billionaire menace, and whatever category Ben legally occupied when he was not threatening to purchase consequences.

I slowed at the entrance. Everyone was already there. That was the first bad sign. TWICE sat together, but not in their usual chaos formation. Normally breakfast with them was a social hazard. Nayeon stealing from plates. Sana narrating everyone’s faces. Dahyun pretending to be innocent with the timing of a criminal. Momo making a personal emotional connection with food. Jihyo managing everyone without admitting it. Mina quietly watching, which was always more dangerous than speaking. Chaeyoung half-present, half-somewhere more poetic than the rest of us. Tzuyu looking like she had already understood the ending before the story started.

Today, they were all too calm. Even ITZY seemed quieter.

Yeji sat near Ben, close enough for his hand to rest near hers without quite taking it. Lia held her tea with both hands. Ryujin wore sunglasses indoors, which would have been dramatic if she did not somehow make it look necessary. Yuna had her notebook, but it was closed. Chaeryeong looked like she had been ordered to rest and had only obeyed because her body had betrayed her first.

I stood there for one second longer than normal. Jihyo noticed. Of course she did “Sit down,” she said.

I blinked. “Good morning to you too.” “Sit first. Good morning after.” “That sounds legally reversed.” Mina looked up from her tea. “It is efficient.”

I looked at her. She did not blink. That was the second bad sign. I walked to my seat carefully, like the floor might be wired. Nayeon was already there, seated with her chin resting on her hand, watching me in a way that made every nerve in my body prepare for impact. Not danger. Worse. Nayeon. She smiled. It was bright. Pretty. Familiar. Too familiar.

“There he is,” she said. I sat down slowly. “Why did that sound like an announcement?” “Because today is important.”

My stomach tightened. I already knew what she meant, but the way everyone subtly looked at me made my brain reject knowing it. Nayeon leaned closer, eyes sparkling “Today is mine.”

The table reacted. Not loudly. That was the problem. No explosion of teasing. No dramatic groan from Jeongyeon. No Sana squeal. No Dahyun commentary. No Chaeyoung clicking her tongue like she had been waiting for a line to paint over. No Momo asking if this affected lunch.

Just a strange ripple of awareness. Jihyo’s eyes moved to me. Mina’s eyes moved to me. Jeongyeon stopped cutting her food. Dahyun became so silent it qualified as a security threat. Sana smiled, but carefully. Tzuyu watched the entire table like she was reviewing witness statements. I looked around. Then back at Nayeon.

“That is… good,” I said. Nayeon’s smile thinned “Good?” “Yes.” “You said that like I announced a dental appointment.” “I did not.” “You absolutely did.” “I am happy.” “You look scared.” “I am respectfully alert.”

Ryujin made a small sound from the ITZY side of the table “Respectfully alert is what people say before running.” “I wasn’t going to run.” Mina lifted her cup “No running.” I turned to her “Why did you say that so fast?” “Because it applies.”

Jihyo set her chopsticks down with the gentle authority of a leader who had decided the room was too close to stupidity.

“Everyone eat.” “Thank you,” I said. “Especially you.”

I stopped reaching for water “Me?”

“Yes.”

Nayeon looked from Jihyo to Mina, then back at me. Her expression shifted by one delicate degree. There it was. She saw it. The way they were watching. The way the table had softened around me like I had become something breakable overnight. The way my girlfriends were all pretending not to guard me while guarding me with the subtlety of airport security.

Nayeon leaned back “You are all acting like I’m about to break him.” I choked on absolutely nothing “Nayeon.” “What?” she said, eyes still on the others. “Am I wrong?”

No one answered fast enough. That was the third bad sign. Jeongyeon scratched lightly at her eyebrow. “No one said that.”

“You didn’t have to.” Nayeon pointed at Dahyun. “She has not spoken in four minutes.” Dahyun looked offended. “I am practicing low-volume emotional support.” “That is not a thing.” “It is today.”

Sana gave Dahyun a small thumbs-up. Dahyun returned it solemnly. Nayeon stared at them. Then at Jihyo. Then Mina. Then me. I tried to smile. It must not have worked. Her face changed again. Not dramatically. Nayeon did not give the room that much permission. But her eyes lost a little of the shine, the playful edge thinning into something quieter.

She turned fully toward me “Oppa.”

That was dangerous. Nayeon only used that tone when she wanted to disarm me before doing something impossible.

“Yes?” “What did you think was going to happen today?” “I didn’t think anything.” “Liar.” “That was immediate.” “You have a guilty face.” “I have a resting manager face.” “You have a guilty manager face.” Jihyo muttered, “He does.” I looked at her. “You are supposed to be on my side.” “I am on your survival’s side.” “That feels separate from me.” “It has become separate from you,” Mina said calmly. I slowly turned to her “Mina.” She took a sip of tea “Recovery compliance.” Nayeon’s gaze sharpened “Recovery compliance?” Mina did not even look embarrassed “Yes.”

John Park, official secret boyfriend of TWICE, unofficial emotional furniture of the nation’s girl group, apparently now subject to maintenance policy. Great. I placed both hands on the table.

“I would like to object to being discussed like defective equipment.” “You may object after breakfast,” Jihyo said. “That is not how objections work.” “It is today.”

Ben, who had been quiet until then, looked at me from across the table with the face of a man enjoying my suffering too much.

“You look managed.” “I hate you.” “You look very managed.” Yeji elbowed him lightly “Stop helping.” “I was not helping.” “That is why I said stop.”

Nayeon looked at Ben, then at Yeji, then back at me. Something thoughtful passed over her face. It did not stay long. Nayeon never liked letting people see her think too clearly. She preferred to weaponize the finished product after everyone had forgotten she was calculating.

But I saw enough. She was recalculating. Breakfast continued, but the table never fully returned to normal. Momo tried to discuss whether low-volume day affected snack volume. Chaeryeong insisted she could help with lunch and was immediately overruled by Momo, Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, Yeji, and Jihyo in the same breath. Yuna opened her notebook once, felt Lia’s eyes on her, and closed it again like the notebook had personally betrayed her.

Dahyun remained suspiciously quiet. Which, frankly, made everything worse. Nayeon ate beside me without stealing from my plate. That was the fourth bad sign. When I reached for the fruit bowl, her hand moved first. She picked up a piece, placed it on my plate, then acted like nothing happened. I looked at her. She looked back.

“What?” “You didn’t make a joke.” “I can be mature.”

The entire table reacted. Not loudly. Just enough. Nayeon’s eyes narrowed “I can.” Sana pressed her lips together. Dahyun stared intensely at her water. Tzuyu said, “Theoretically.”

Nayeon pointed at her. “You are getting too brave.” Tzuyu smiled faintly and kept eating. I should have felt relieved by the banter. Instead, all I felt was the strange pressure in my chest that came whenever everyone was trying very hard to make me okay. It made me want to become okay faster. That was probably the problem.

When breakfast finally started thinning out, I stood automatically “So,” I said, turning to Nayeon, “what do you want to do first?”

There. The sentence came out before I could stop it. A normal sentence. A boyfriend sentence. A manager sentence wearing a boyfriend’s clothes. Nayeon heard it. So did Jihyo. So did Mina and so did Ben.

I hated how many people had developed the ability to hear my damage in full sentences. Nayeon did not answer immediately. She looked at me, then at the plate I had barely finished, then at the way my shoulders had already straightened like I was preparing for instructions. Her smile disappeared just enough to scare me.

“Rest,” she said. I blinked “What?” “Rest first.”

I looked around the table. No one looked surprised. That was the fifth bad sign “But it’s your day,” I said. Nayeon leaned her chin into her palm “Yes.”

“So…” “So I get to decide what happens first.” I laughed once, uncertain “You decided rest?” “I decided I don’t want a boyfriend who looks like he is reporting for duty.”

The pavilion went quiet. Not the defeated kind of quiet from earlier. A sharper one. The kind that happened when someone said the thing everyone had been walking around. I stared at her. Nayeon stared back. There was still pride in her face. Still Nayeon. Still the woman who could make the entire world orbit her with one smile and then complain that the world was too slow. But underneath it, something else had opened. Care. Anger, maybe. At me. For myself. At everyone else. For letting it get this far. At herself. For almost enjoying the version of me that moved too quickly whenever she smiled.

I did not know what to do with that. So naturally, I tried to do something “I’m fine,” I said.

Nine TWICE members, five ITZY members, and one billionaire all looked at me with varying levels of disappointment. Even Chaeryeong. That hurt.

Ben leaned back in his chair “Terrible opening.” “I wasn’t asking you.” “You needed to hear it.”

Yeji covered the lower half of her face with her hand, but I could see the smile in her eyes. Nayeon stood. For a second, my body tried to stand with her. Her hand landed on my shoulder. Not hard. Enough “No.”

I froze. She looked down at me.

“You are going with Jihyo and Mina.” “I am?” Jihyo stood from the other side of the table “Yes.”

Mina also stood. Also yes, apparently.

I looked between them “This feels planned.” “It became necessary,” Mina said. “I am awake.” “Barely,” Jihyo said. “I slept.” “Not enough.” “I rested yesterday.”

“You complained that resting made you aware you were tired,” Dahyun said. I turned to her “You were quiet for so long.”

Nayeon’s hand squeezed my shoulder once before she removed it. The loss in her face was quick. Almost invisible. But I saw it. She had wanted today. Not the idea of it. Not the schedule. Not just the rotation privilege. She had wanted me. And she was choosing to send me away first. That choice cost her something. I opened my mouth. She saw that too.

“If you apologize,” she said, “I will make Jihyo put you in a nap so hard you wake up tomorrow.”

I closed my mouth. Jihyo nodded. “I can do that.” “I believe you,” I said.

Mina stepped beside me with the calm inevitability of a woman who could make rest feel like a court order “Come.”

I looked at Nayeon one more time. She smiled again. It was smaller than her usual smile, but more honest. “Go rest, Oppa.”

I tried to make a joke. It did not come. So I only nodded “Yes, ma’am.”

Her eyes softened “Good boy.”

That should have been teasing. It wasn’t. Not entirely. Jihyo took my arm on one side. Mina took the other. I looked down at both of them.

“Am I being escorted?” “Yes,” they said together. Ben laughed into his coffee at the sight of me.  “I hope you choke.” “I won’t. I’m hydrated.” “Billionaires should not be allowed to be smug before noon.” Nayeon waved one hand lazily toward him “Ben.”

He looked at her. She smiled sweetly. Too sweetly “Stay.”

His eyebrows lifted. Yeji’s did too. Lia looked up from her tea. Ryujin slowly lowered her sunglasses enough to see over them. Nayeon turned back to me before I could ask anything “Do not look so betrayed. I am not replacing you with your best friend.”

“That was not my expectation.” “It was close.” “I am mostly confused.” “You are mostly tired. Go.”

Jihyo started pulling me gently away. Mina did not pull. She simply moved, and somehow I moved with her. As we left the pavilion, I looked back once. Nayeon was still standing there. Ben was watching her now, less amused. Yeji had turned fully toward them. Lia’s hands had tightened around her cup. Ryujin was smiling. That worried me most. Because Nayeon looked like she was about to do something more frightening than demand attention.

She looked like she was about to ask for help.

Nayeon’s Perspective:

Nayeon waited until John disappeared down the path between Jihyo and Mina. Only then did she let her smile fall. Not completely. She was still Nayeon, there were standards.

But the bright, polished edge of it faded into something more thoughtful, something she would have hidden if more people were looking at her for the wrong reasons.

Unfortunately, the exact wrong people were looking at her. Ben. Yeji. Lia. Ryujin. And, somehow worse, Tzuyu from three seats away. Nayeon pointed at Tzuyu first “No.”

Tzuyu blinked. “I did not say anything.” “You were about to understand too much.” “I already did.” “Then understand quietly somewhere else.” Tzuyu gave her a look of mild offense, then stood with her tea “I will go make sure Dahyun does not become loud again.” “That is appreciated.”

Tzuyu left with the grace of someone who had absolutely won the exchange. Nayeon hated that. Ben leaned back “So.”

Nayeon pointed at him next “No smugness.” “I said one word.” “It had posture.” Yeji looked at Ben “It did.”

Ben accepted that with a small shrug. Lia’s mouth curved faintly into her tea. Nayeon sat down again, this time across from them instead of beside John’s empty chair. The empty chair bothered her. She refused to look at it directly.

“So,” Ben repeated, less smug this time. Nayeon exhaled “I need advice.”

The three words left her mouth like she had been forced to swallow a lemon. Yeji’s expression softened immediately. Lia blinked. Ben went very still. That bothered Nayeon more than if he had laughed.

“Do not make that face,” she said. “What face?” “The careful one.” Ben’s brows lifted slightly “You asked for advice.” “Yes. Not a funeral.”

Ryujin, who had not yet left, slowly raised one hand “I would like to stay for this.” Nayeon did not look at her “No.” “I have expertise.” “In what?” “Ruining people in helpful ways.” Lia closed her eyes “Ryujin.” “What? That was honest.”

Yeji sighed, but she did not send Ryujin away. That meant something. Nayeon looked at the four of them and regretted every choice that had led her here. She was the oldest member at this table.

Senior idol. TWICE. Im Nayeon.

She had survived trainee evaluations, live broadcasts, hate comments, sleepless comebacks, variety show humiliation, and Sana stealing her food while maintaining eye contact, and now she was sitting across from her juniors asking how to be a better girlfriend to her own boyfriend.

Insane. Necessary, but insane.

“I had plans,” Nayeon said. Yeji nodded. “For John.” “With John,” Nayeon corrected immediately.

Ben tilted his head. Nayeon glared. He raised both hands slightly “With John,” he repeated. “Good.” Lia watched her gently. Too gently. That made Nayeon want to become louder just to protect herself. She did not.

Progress was humiliating. Nayeon looked toward the path John had taken “He was already ready,” she said quietly. No one interrupted. “That was the problem.” her fingers tapped once against the table. “I said today was mine, and he looked like he was preparing himself.”

Ben’s expression changed. Nayeon caught it. There. The careful face again, but different now. Not pity. Recognition. She hated that too “He does that,” Ben said.

“I know he does that.” “No,” Ben said. “You know he is useful. That is not the same as knowing what it costs him.”

Nayeon’s jaw tightened. Yeji gave Ben a small warning look, but Nayeon lifted her hand “No. Let him.” Ben looked at her for a moment longer. Then his gaze moved to the empty chair beside her. When he spoke again, the words came slowly, with more effort than usual. That surprised her. Ben usually spoke like arrogance had given him a private road through every conversation. But now he was choosing each word like John might be hurt by the wrong one even while absent.

“John will accept almost any form of love,” Ben said, “as long as he can convert it into responsibility.”

Nayeon went still. Lia looked down into her tea. Yeji’s hand moved toward Ben’s under the table. Ryujin stopped smiling.

Ben continued “If you give him affection, he will ask what it needs from him. If you give him attention, he will ask how to return it properly. If you give him your day, he will try to make sure you never regret spending it on him.”

Nayeon’s throat felt tight “That sounds like him.” “It is him.” “I hate it.” “So does everyone who loves him.”

The answer was too quick. Too honest. Nayeon looked at Ben again. For the first time that morning, the ridiculous rich menace looked less like a billionaire on a leash and more like John’s oldest friend. That made her soften despite herself. Only slightly “So what do I do?”

Ben did not answer immediately. That was how she knew he was taking it seriously. Yeji answered first “Do not take control from him like you are stealing it.”

Nayeon frowned. “Then how?” “Make it feel like he is allowed to put it down.” “That sounds like a line from a drama.” “It is still true.”

Nayeon looked away. Annoyingly, it was. Yeji leaned forward slightly.

“Ben is like that too. Different reasons. Different damage. But if I try to make him stop, he fights me. If I tell him he is being stupid, he agrees and keeps going.” “She’s right, Nayeon, I do that,” Ben said. “You do.” “I am improving.” “You are on probation.”

He smiled faintly. Yeji ignored him and kept her eyes on Nayeon “But if I give him somewhere to be honest, somewhere he can stop without feeling useless, he tries. Not always well. But he tries.”

Nayeon absorbed that. Somewhere he can stop without feeling useless. That sounded impossible. John did not know what to do with useless. If a room had nothing for him to fix, he invented a draft. If a girlfriend did not ask for anything, he checked the water. If everyone was happy, he started planning how to keep them happy tomorrow. He was not restless because he did not love rest. He was restless because rest did not give him proof.

Lia set her cup down “If you want him to stop performing,” she said softly, “do not fill every silence with a request.”

Nayeon turned to her. Lia looked a little embarrassed by her own advice, but she did not retreat “That sounds boring,” Nayeon said.

Lia smiled faintly “It is not boring when someone finally believes the silence is safe.” Nayeon hated how much that landed. Because silence had always been something she filled. With laughter. With charm. With teasing. With a pout if necessary. With her face, her voice, her presence. She had made an entire career out of knowing how to turn empty space toward her. And John always followed. That was the part she loved. That was the part that scared her now.

“What if he thinks I don’t want him?” Nayeon asked. It came out smaller than she wanted. Lia’s expression softened. Yeji did not answer for her. Ben did not either.

Ryujin did “Then tell him you want him.”

Nayeon looked toward her. Ryujin had pushed her sunglasses up into her hair now. Her eyes were sharp, awake, too pleased with herself for someone who had just said something useful.

“That is not advice,” Nayeon said. “It is if you stop making it complicated.” “It is complicated.”

“No, you are complicated.” Ryujin pointed at her with the end of her straw. “You want him to look at you without making him work?” Nayeon did not answer. Ryujin waited. Nayeon sighed “Yes.”

“Then stop giving him tasks.” “I do not give him tasks.”

Ryujin stared. Ben stared. Yeji stared. Lia looked politely into her tea. Nayeon’s eyes narrowed “Fine. Continue.”

Ryujin smiled “Tell him what you want. Not what you want him to do.”

Nayeon frowned. Ryujin leaned back “Don’t say, ‘Make me feel special.’ Say, ‘Stay with me.’ Don’t say, ‘Look at me.’ Say, ‘I want you here.’ Don’t say, ‘Prove this is my day.’ Say, ‘I choose to spend my day like this.’”

The table went quiet. Ryujin blinked at herself. Then scowled “I hated how sincere that was.”

Lia smiled. “It was good.” “Don’t praise me. I become worse.” Ben was looking at Ryujin with open amusement “Emotional growth looks terrible on you.” Ryujin pointed her straw at him now “Go check on your best buddy boyfriend.” Ben frowned. “My what?”

Nayeon’s head snapped toward him “Actually. Yes.” Ben looked betrayed “I was offering useful guidance.” “You did.” Nayeon gave him her brightest smile. “Now go check on your best buddy.”

Yeji looked at Nayeon, then down the path John had taken. There was understanding in her face. Ben did not move. Nayeon’s smile sharpened “Do not make me say it twice.”

“I am not your staff.” “No. You are a billionaire on a leash with suspicious emotional access to my boyfriend.”

Ben stared at her. Ryujin made a sound of pure delight. Lia covered her mouth. Yeji closed her eyes like she had expected this and still wished she had not heard it.

Nayeon leaned back “Go. Check. On. Your. Best. Buddy.”

Ben looked at Yeji.

Yeji smiled faintly “She is not wrong.” “That is not the point.” “It rarely is.” Ben stood slowly, still looking mildly offended “I am not on a leash.”

Yeji lifted an eyebrow. Ben paused. Then looked away. Ryujin whispered, “Leash confirmed.”

Nayeon waved him off “Tell John I said he is not allowed to be useful until I come get him.”

Ben stopped at that. The amusement faded. He looked back at her “Good,” he said. One word. No joke attached. Then he left as Nayeon watched him go. The moment stretched.

Then Ryujin leaned closer across the table “So.” Nayeon closed her eyes “No.” “I have more advice.” “That worries me.” “It should.”

Lia gave Ryujin a warning look. Ryujin ignored it “If you really want him to stop working later,” Ryujin said, voice lower now, less teasing, “take the lead.”

Nayeon’s eyes opened. Yeji looked at Ryujin immediately “Ryujin.”

“What? I am being thematically relevant.”

Nayeon did not speak. Ryujin shrugged, but her expression had turned less playful “He probably spends all his time thinking about whether you are satisfied. Whether he is doing enough. Whether he is making it worth your day. If you let him lead, he might just turn sex into a performance review too.”

Nayeon’s face warmed. Not from shyness. From recognition. Lia looked down at her tea again, but her voice came softly “If you do that, remember the quiet after.”

Nayeon looked at her. Lia’s cheeks colored, but she held her gaze “Do not rush to ask if it was enough. Do not make him reassure you immediately. Let him feel cared for first.”

Yeji nodded “And if he tries to take care of you anyway,” Yeji added, “do not scold him for it. Just bring him back.”

“Back where?” Nayeon asked. Yeji’s smile was small “To the part where he is allowed to feel wanted.”

Nayeon sat with that. The ocean moved beyond the pavilion. Somewhere down the path, John was probably trying to convince Jihyo and Mina that he was fine. Ben was probably about to ruin that lie with one sentence. Momo was probably forcing Chaeryeong to rest with snacks. Yuna was probably pretending not to plan anything. Dahyun was probably storing evidence in silence— And Nayeon sat there with three juniors and one absent billionaire’s advice pressing against her pride.

It was awful. It was useful. She sighed “I had my juniors and a billionaire on a leash critique my girlfriend performance review,” she muttered “I have suffered professionally.”

Ryujin grinned “That line was good.” “I know.”

Lia laughed softly and Yeji smiled. Nayeon stood before any of them could make the moment too warm “Thank you,” it came out too stiff. Too formal. Too honest. She hated that too.

Ryujin lowered her sunglasses back over her eyes “You’re welcome, unnie.” Nayeon pointed at her “Do not enjoy this.” “I will absolutely enjoy this.” “You are lucky I am growing today.” “That sounds dangerous.” “It is.”

Nayeon turned toward the path where John had disappeared. For the first time since breakfast, the loss did not feel like losing. It felt like choosing. Still annoying. But choosing.

John’s POV:

I would like it on the record that by the time Nayeon came to get me, I was not asleep.

Resting was not the same as sleeping, even if my eyes had been closed, even if I had lost track of time, and even if Ben had apparently taken one look at me ten minutes earlier, said, “You look like a haunted office chair,” and left before I could respond.

I was resting on a wide shaded lounge chair near the garden, where Jihyo and Mina had left me under what they called soft supervision. Soft supervision meant Mina sat nearby with a book while Jihyo pretended to answer messages, both of them watching me every time I moved. Very relaxing.

“Can I sit up now?” I asked. “No,” Jihyo said. “I wasn’t asking you.” “You looked at me.” “I was checking if you were still there.” “I am.” “That is the problem.” Mina turned a page “You can sit up when Nayeon unnie comes.” “And if Nayeon never comes?” “She will.” “How do you know?”

Mina looked at me over her book. “She is Nayeon.” That was fair, unfortunately.

I settled back again with a sigh. The shade was warm, the breeze slow enough to make my body aware of everything I had been ignoring: my shoulders, my head, the heaviness behind my eyes, and the strange guilt of doing nothing while everyone else existed around me.

I hated it, I hated that I needed it.

A soft voice cut through the quiet.

“Is he alive?”

I opened one eye. Nayeon stood at the edge of the shade, hands behind her back, hair moving lightly in the breeze. She looked casual. Too casual. The kind of casual that had been planned carefully enough to look effortless.

Jihyo glanced up. “Barely.” “I am right here,” I said. Mina closed her book “He tried to negotiate.”

Nayeon looked at me “Of course he did.” “I was advocating for mobility.” “You were trying to escape,” Jihyo said. “Words have meanings.” “Yes,” Mina said calmly “Escape is one of them.”

Nayeon walked closer, her eyes moving over me in a way that made me feel more seen than I was prepared for. Not hungry. Not playful. Assessing, but not like a manager. More like someone checking the weather before deciding whether to open a window.

“Did you sleep?” she asked. “I rested.”

Jihyo made a sound. Mina did not. That was worse.

Nayeon crouched beside the lounge chair until her face was level with mine “Oppa.”

“Yes?” “Did you sleep?” I looked at her. She waited. I exhaled “A little.” “How little?” “I don’t know.” “More than ten minutes?” “Yes.” “More than thirty?” “Maybe.” “Good.” She stood. “Then I’m taking him.”

Jihyo studied her, not suspiciously, but carefully. “Nayeon.”

“I know.” Mina’s gaze rested on her for a second longer. “Recovery compliance?” Nayeon smiled “With better lighting.”

That made Jihyo laugh once under her breath. Mina looked satisfied. Apparently, that was enough. I slowly pushed myself upright, and no one stopped me this time. That felt suspiciously emotional. Nayeon held out her hand.

I looked at it, then at her. “You are being very calm.” “I can be calm.” “That has only been theoretical.” Her smile sharpened “Do not make me regret growing.”

I took her hand. She pulled me up gently, which was somehow more dangerous than if she had yanked me. Jihyo touched my arm once as I passed, not stopping me, just reminding me she was there. Mina did the same with her eyes. I pretended not to feel all of it.

She tugged my hand lightly. “Come on.” “Where are we going?” “Nowhere far.” “That is vague.” “It is low-volume day. Everything is vague.”

She tugged me toward the quieter side of the pool. I followed for three steps, then stopped. Nayeon turned back with immediate suspicion. “What?”

“I want to go to the beach.” Her eyes narrowed. “No.” “That was fast.” “You just rested.” “I did.” “You are supposed to continue doing that.” “I am.” “At the beach?” “Yes.” “That sounds like a loophole.” “It is a location.” “It is a suspicious location.”

I looked past her, toward where the path opened between the palms and the sand waited beyond the resort stones. The ocean was bright in the afternoon light, soft and wide and quiet enough that it did not feel like a demand.

It looked like something I could give her without turning myself into work. Maybe that was why I wanted it.

Nayeon’s grip on my hand tightened. “Oppa.” “I am not asking to hike a mountain.” “You would if someone looked tired enough near the summit.” “That is unfair.” “It is accurate.”

I smiled faintly. She did not. Her face had gone careful again, the way it did whenever she was trying to protect me from myself and hated that protecting me meant saying no to something she wanted. That was the problem.

She did want it. I saw the tiny flicker in her eyes when I said beach, the Nayeon part of her that still wanted a date, a memory, something that felt like hers. Then she buried it under recovery compliance.

I squeezed her hand. “Nayeon.” “No.” “You do not even know what I was going to say.” “You were going to make it sound reasonable.” “It is reasonable.” “See?”

I stepped closer, not because I wanted to win, but because I wanted her to hear the difference “I know what you are doing today,” I said “I know you are trying to make sure I do not turn your day into a shift. So let me do the same thing.”

She blinked. “What?” “Let me prove to you that I can love you without making it a job either.”

Nayeon went quiet. That got the attention of the nearby table. Jihyo looked up first. Mina’s book lowered by one inch. Sana, who had been pretending not to listen with the subtlety of a lighthouse, turned her whole face toward us. Dahyun leaned over from her chair.

“Personal observation,” Dahyun said “This sounds important.” Nayeon did not look away from me “John.”

“One quiet beach walk,” I said “No schedule. No pictures unless you want them. No big plan. No proving anything. And if I get tired, we come back.”

“Will you tell me?” “Yes.” “Actual answer.” “Yes.”

She still did not look convinced. Jeongyeon’s voice came from behind her “Let him.” Nayeon turned. Jeongyeon had both arms crossed, expression flat and unfairly older-sister. Nayeon frowned “You are supposed to be on recovery compliance.”

“I am. He said one walk.” Mina added calmly, “He is not trying to escape. He is trying to choose.”

That landed. Nayeon’s shoulders shifted. Dahyun raised one finger. “Also, if he collapses dramatically, we have witnesses.” Jihyo sighed. “That is not the helpful part.”

“It is a logistical comfort.”

Sana smiled softly at Nayeon “Let him give you something small. You gave up your plan. That does not mean you have to give up being loved today.”

Nayeon’s face changed just enough. Tzuyu, seated nearby with a drink, added, “If he is stubborn about resting, stop him. If he is stubborn about loving you quietly, maybe allow it.”

Nayeon stared at all of them. “You are all ganging up on me.” “Yes,” Jeongyeon said. “With care,” Dahyun added. “With documentation,” Mina said.

Everyone turned toward Mina as she blinked “What?”

Nayeon exhaled, annoyed and touched and trying very hard not to show either. Then she looked back at me “One walk. It has to be slow, and if you lie about being tired, I will tell Jihyo.”

“I believe you.” “If you make this into a boyfriend achievement, I will turn around.” “I know.” “If you say something stupid like ‘anything for you,’ I will push you into the ocean.”

I smiled “Noted.” Her eyes narrowed “You were thinking about saying it later.” “I was not.” “You were.” “I adjusted.” “Growth,” Dahyun whispered.

Jihyo pointed at her without looking. Dahyun shut up. Nayeon stepped closer again, still holding my hand. Her voice lowered “You are not taking no for an answer?”

“Not on this.” “Because it is my day?” “Because it is your day,” I said “And I want to spend part of it with you somewhere that feels like you wanted it.”

Her mouth parted slightly. For a second, old Nayeon would have teased. New Nayeon almost cried. Actual Nayeon did neither. Instead, she lifted her chin “Fine.”

I smiled. She pointed at me. “Do not look victorious.”

“I am not.” “You are.” “I am happy.”

Her hand tightened around mine. This time, she did not argue with that “Then walk slowly,” she said. So we did. Not because I was reporting for duty. Not because she had demanded proof. Not because the day needed a perfect romantic scene to count.

Because I wanted to give her one quiet thing. And because, for once, she let me.

The sand was warm under our feet. Nayeon insisted on taking off her sandals first, then immediately complained that the sand was hotter than expected.

I looked at her. She pointed at me “No.”

“I did not say anything.” “You were about to offer to carry me.” “I was not.” “You absolutely were.” “I was going to offer shade.” “With your body?” “That sounds worse when you say it.” “It was going to become worse if I let you continue.”

I laughed. She tried not to but failed.

The ocean moved ahead of us in slow, foamy lines, reaching toward the shore and pulling back again like it was practicing restraint. The beach was quiet at this hour, mostly empty except for a few resort staff far down the curve and the occasional gull cutting across the sky. Nayeon walked beside me, our hands still joined. Slowly.

At first, I thought she was setting the pace for me. Then I realized I was the one walking slower than usual. Not dramatically. Not enough to make the world tilt or my knees threaten betrayal. Just enough that my body felt heavier than my pride wanted to admit.

Of course, Nayeon noticed. Her hand tightened around mine.

“Oppa.” “No.” “You do not even know what I was going to say.” “You were going to tell me we should go back.” “I was going to suggest it with emotional maturity.” “That sounds like telling me we should go back with better branding.”

She stopped walking. I stopped with her. Her eyes moved over my face, then my shoulders, then the way I was pretending not to breathe a little deeper than usual.

“That is fatigue.” “That is walking.” “That is fatigue wearing walking’s clothes.” “Nayeon.”

“No.” Her voice softened, which somehow made it more dangerous. “I said one walk. I did not say you had to finish it just because you asked for it.”

I looked at her. There it was. The overcorrection. Not control this time… Care. Too much care, arriving too quickly because she had learned one lesson and was trying very hard not to fail it.

I squeezed her hand once “I know.” Her expression flickered “I mean it,” I said “I know we can go back.”

“Then why are you arguing?” “Because I am not trying to prove I can keep walking.” I looked past her, toward the water. “I am trying to give you something small.”

Nayeon’s face changed just enough. I smiled faintly “And this is still small.” She did not look convinced. So I tried again.

“Fifteen percent,” I said. Her brows drew together. “What?” “I am doing fifteen percent.” “That sounds like Ben said something annoying.” “He would have made it about equity distribution.” “He would.”

“I mean…” I lifted our joined hands slightly. “You are doing most of the work today. I know that. You sent me to rest. You gave up your plan. You keep catching me before I turn your day into a performance review.”

Her mouth tightened “But I get to try too,” I said. “Not fifty-fifty. But just a little.”

Nayeon stared at me. The ocean rushed in behind her, thin white water spreading across the sand before slipping away again.

“A little,” she repeated. “Yes.”

Her thumb moved once against my hand “And your little is this?” I looked at the beach. Then at her “Do you want photos?”

The question caught her completely off guard. For one rare, beautiful second, Nayeon forgot to be composed “What?”

“Photos,” I said. “You wanted a date memory.” “I did not say that.” “You did not have to.”

Her lips parted. Then closed. Then pursed “I hate you.” “That usually means I am right.” “It means you are annoying while being right.” “So yes?”

She looked away toward the water. Her ears had gone pink “Yes.” The answer was quiet. Not embarrassed exactly. Just honest enough to cost her something. I held out my hand “Phone.”

Her eyes narrowed immediately. “Why?” “So I can take photos.” “You have your phone.” “You took my phone.” “Prevention.” “Then give me yours.” “That sounds like a loophole.” “It is a camera.” “It is a suspicious camera.”

“Nayeon.” She stared at me for another second, then pulled her phone from her small bag and placed it in my hand like she was handing over classified information.

“No ugly angles.” “I would never.” “No weird zoom.” “I am not Dahyun.” “No taking one photo and saying it is enough.” “I know who I am dating.”

That pleased her. She tried to hide it and failed once again. I stepped back a little and lifted the phone. Nayeon immediately changed. Not fully into idol mode. Not the practiced stage version. Something softer. Vacation Nayeon, if I’m allowed to call it that.

Her hair lifted in the wind. Her dress moved around her knees. She stood near the water with the sunlight touching her face, smiling like she was trying to pretend she had not wanted this badly enough to be afraid of asking for it.

I took the photo. Then another and another. Her smile grew more natural with each one, less posed, more alive “Stop looking at me like that,” she said.

“Like what?” “Like you are happy.” “I am.” “That is cheating.” “I am taking photos.” “You are being romantic while taking photos.” “That sounds like efficient work.”

Her eyes narrowed. I lowered the phone slightly “Sorry. Efficient love.”

“Better.”

I took another photo. She laughed during that one. That became my favorite immediately. Nayeon must have seen it on my face, because her smile softened “Let me see.”

“No.” “Excuse me?” “I am still taking them.” “It is my phone.” “It is my beach date.”

Her eyes widened. Then she smiled. Slowly. Dangerously “Oh?” I should have been afraid. I was— a little. She walked toward me with the soft confidence of someone who had found a weakness and intended to decorate it.

“Your beach date?” “I asked for it.” “You did.” “I am doing my fifteen percent.” “You are.”

She reached me, took the phone from my hand, then grabbed my wrist before I could step back “Then I get the other eighty-five.”

“That math feels threatening.” “It is romantic.” “That does not make it less threatening.”

She pulled me closer. Not hard. Enough. My body moved before my brain finished deciding whether to protest. Nayeon lifted the phone, angling it toward us. Her shoulder pressed against my chest, her hair brushing my chin as she leaned back into me “Smile.”

I looked at the screen. There we were. Nayeon glowing in front of the ocean. Me behind her, tired around the eyes, probably too soft in the face, one hand hovering near her waist like I was still asking permission from the universe. Nayeon noticed that too.

Her free hand caught mine and placed it properly at her waist “Stay,” she said quietly. The word hit harder than it should have. I stopped hovering. The picture changed immediately.

Nayeon smiled at the screen “Better.” She took the selfie. Then another. Then she turned her face slightly, cheek almost brushing mine “You know,” she said, still looking at the screen, “I thought I wanted you orbiting me today.”

I swallowed “And now?” Her eyes lifted from the phone screen to mine through the reflection “Now I think maybe that was the problem.”

I did not answer. She lowered the phone slightly but did not move away “I like being the center,” she admitted.

“I know.” “I like attention.” “I know.” “I like when you look at me like the rest of the room became optional.” “That happens often.”

Her mouth curved “I know.” Then her smile softened “But maybe I do not want to be the center of gravity all the time.”

The wind moved around us. The ocean kept breathing at our feet. Nayeon’s fingers tightened lightly over mine at her waist “Maybe I want us in the same gravity,” she said. “Not you circling until you get tired. Not me pulling until I forget you are allowed to stand still.” My chest went quiet “Nayeon.”

She smiled “There. That one.” “What?” “That face.” “I have too many faces now.” “This one is good.”

She lifted the phone again, “Selfie?” I looked at her suspiciously “You already took some.”

“I want another.” “That tone is suspicious.” “It is a location.” “That is my line.” “It worked.”

She angled the phone. I leaned in, still wary. Nayeon smiled at the screen “Ready?”

“For what?” “For the picture.” “That was not specific.” “Three.” “Nayeon.” “Two.” “You are going to do something.” “One.”

She turned and kissed me just as her thumb hit the button. My brain went completely blank. The kiss was quick. Warm. Too soft to be a prank, too sudden to be fair.

By the time I understood what had happened, she had already taken another photo. Then another. Because apparently, once Nayeon found a successful ambush strategy, she believed in documentation. I pulled back just enough to breathe. She looked extremely pleased with herself “That was cheating.”

“That was romance.” “That was an attack.” “A romantic attack.” “You took photographic evidence.” “I am an artist.” “You are a menace.” “I contain depth.” “You keep saying that.” “It remains true.”

She looked at the photos, then immediately tucked the phone against her chest so I could not see. I stared “That is suspicious.”

“They are mine.” “They include my face.” “They include my boyfriend.” “That is also me.” “Exactly.”

She looked down at the screen again, and for a second, the teasing faded. Her thumb moved over one of the photos. I did not need to see it to know which one she had stopped on. The kiss.

The proof that I had been there, not managing the moment from the outside, not trying to make her day perfect from a safe distance. There. With her, caught and chosen.

Nayeon’s voice softened “This one is my favorite.”

“The one where I was attacked?” “The one where you stopped thinking.”

I went still. She looked up at me “That is rare.” I did not know what to say to that. So I told the truth “I was not ready.”

“I know.” “You like that?”

Her smile softened further “I like that you did not have time to perform.” The words landed gently, but deep. I looked at the ocean because looking at her suddenly felt like too much. Nayeon did not push. She only slipped her phone back into her bag and took my hand again.

For a while, we stood where the water kept touching us and leaving. Coming close. Pulling back. Returning anyway. Eventually, she looked up at me “Tired?”

I considered lying. Not because I wanted to prove anything. Habit. Then I stopped “I’m a little winded.” I admitted.

Nayeon’s eyes changed. There it was again. The impulse to end everything immediately, wrap the moment in care, and carry it back before it became risk. I squeezed her hand first “But not too much.”

“Actual answer?” “Please do not use Ben’s catchphrases during our date.” “Actual answer?” “Yes”

She studied my face. Then nodded once. That was her eighty-five too. Not stopping me because she was afraid. Not pushing me because she wanted more. Listening. Adjusting. Staying in the middle.

“Then we walk back slowly,” she said. “Slowly.” “And you do not argue if I say stop.” “I do not argue.”

She stared

“I argue less.” “Growth.” “I am trying.” Her expression softened “I know.”

We walked a little farther before turning back, not much, just enough that the beach date became real. Not a plan. Not a grand romantic production. Not another thing I had performed correctly.

A small stretch of sand. A cold line of water. Her hand in mine. Her quiet admission. My stubbornness accepted instead of punished. Her kiss saved somewhere on her phone, proof that even recovery could have romance if we stopped treating love like a crisis. When we turned back toward the resort path, Nayeon did not look disappointed.

She looked satisfied, not because the beach had been perfect, but because it had happened. Because she had wanted something and I had chosen to give it. Because I had wanted to give something and she had let me. Balance, maybe.

By the time we returned to the quieter side of the pool, the afternoon had softened around us. Nayeon guided me to a shaded pair of lounge chairs and sat beside me. Not across. Beside. Close enough that our shoulders touched.

Then she took my phone from my pocket. I stared. “That was theft.”

“That was prevention.” “Of what?” “You.” “That feels broad.” “It is.”

She placed the phone face down on the small table between us like it was evidence, then leaned back and threaded her fingers through mine again. That sounded easy, which meant it was not. Every few minutes, my eyes moved toward the phone by instinct. Every time, she noticed. Every time, she said nothing, which was worse than scolding.

I could feel her letting the silence stretch on purpose. Not empty silence. Not angry silence. Not the silence before a fight or after someone said something too true to pretend around. This one only felt like a test because I did not know how not to be tested.

Nayeon’s shoulder rested against mine. Her hand stayed in my hand. She did not ask for water, did not ask for a picture, did not ask if I was bored, did not ask if I wanted to go somewhere else. She simply stayed.

The longer she did, the more aware I became of my own body trying to find work. My thumb moved over her hand. Was that enough? Too much? Did she want me to hold tighter? Did she expect a joke? Should I compliment her? She looked beautiful. She always did. But would saying it make this normal again? Would normal be bad?

Nayeon sighed. “Oppa.” “Yes?” “You are doing it again.” I froze. “Doing what?” “Trying to figure out the correct way to sit beside me.”

I opened my mouth. Closed it. Nayeon nodded once, satisfied and slightly annoyed. “That face means I am right.”

“I do not like how quickly everyone has learned my faces.” “We had time.” “That sounds ominous.” “It should.”

She turned slightly in the chair, one knee folding beneath her so she could face me more directly. The move made her look soft in the shade, relaxed in a way that was probably deliberate but not false. Nayeon could perform ease better than anyone I knew.

This was not that. This was her choosing not to perform either “I’m not asking you to be perfect at it,” she said.

“At what?” “This.” She lifted our joined hands a little. I looked down at them “Existing?” “Existing with me without turning it into service.”

The words landed gently. Somehow that made them worse. I laughed once under my breath “That is a very specific accusation.”

“I had help.” “I assumed.” Her mouth curved “I suffered professionally.” “I am afraid to ask.”

“You should be.” She leaned closer, eyes narrowing. “I had my juniors and a billionaire on a leash critique my girlfriend performance review.” That startled a real laugh out of me. Nayeon brightened immediately, like she had won something, then pointed at me. “Do not laugh too much. It was humiliating.”

“I am trying to respect your suffering.” “No, you are enjoying it.” “Maybe a little.” “Rude.” “Who was the billionaire on a leash?”

Nayeon gave me a look so flat it became art. I smiled “Right. Stupid question.”

“Very.” “Did Ben object to the leash part?” “He tried.” “And?” “Yeji existed.”

I nodded “Powerful counterargument.” Nayeon smiled, but it softened almost immediately “That was the easy part.”

“What was?” “Making you laugh.”

I did not know what to say to that. She looked down at our hands “I know how to make you laugh. I know how to make you look at me. I know how to make you orbit me.” There was the word again.

Orbit.

She said it like she had found it somewhere and hated how accurate it was “I like that,” she admitted. My chest tightened. “I know.”

“You always say that.” “Because I do.” “No.” Her eyes lifted to mine “You know it like something you have to answer.” I went quiet. Her fingers tightened slightly “I do not want to stop being me,” she said.

“I would never ask that.” “I know. That is not what I mean.”

The breeze moved through the palms. Beyond the pool, someone laughed once and immediately lowered their volume, as if Jihyo’s declaration had become law written into the resort air. Nayeon looked toward the water “I still like being wanted loudly sometimes. I still like when you cannot look away. I still like making you lose your train of thought.”

“You are unfortunately good at that.” She smiled, then it faded “But if every time I want that, you turn it into a job…” Her voice softened. “Then I do not know what to do with it anymore.”

That one hurt. Not because she blamed me— because she did not. She was trying to meet me somewhere I had not known how to stand. I looked down at our joined hands “Nayeon.”

“I am not saying I will be good at this immediately.” “That makes two of us.” “Good.” She nodded once “Then we can be bad at it together.”

I laughed again, smaller this time. She looked proud of that too. Then she released my hand. For one terrible second, I thought I had done something wrong, but she only reached for the plate of fruit Sana had left earlier and picked up a piece “Eat.”

I stared. She lifted her eyebrow. “Do not make it weird.” “You just told me not to turn love into service, and now you are feeding me fruit.” “I am allowed.” “That feels unfair.” “It is my day.”

There it was. Not gone. Not softened into someone else. Still Nayeon. She held the fruit near my mouth. I looked at her. She looked back. No performance. No challenge. No pout. Just waiting. So I leaned forward and ate it from her fingers. Her eyes flickered, very small, but I saw it. The satisfaction. The warmth. The way being the one giving did not make her feel less centered. It made her glow differently. She watched me chew with shameless attention.

“What?” I asked. “Nothing.” “That was not a nothing face.” “All my faces are Nayeon faces.” “Technically true.”

She picked up another piece and held it out. I accepted that one too, and something in her shoulders loosened. Mine did too, though I did not notice until the air felt easier to breathe.

“See?” she said. “You can receive.” “I am receiving fruit.” “It counts.” “It feels like a low bar.” “For you? It is a mountain.”

I wanted to argue. I could not. Nayeon smiled with too much victory for someone holding fruit “You are enjoying this,” I said.

“I am.” “Feeding me fruit?” “Making you not know what to do with being taken care of.” “That sounds cruel.” “It is educational.” “Has Ryujin been influencing you?” “She said if you made the customer-service face, I should bully the face, not the man.”

I slowly turned toward the far side of the pool, where Ryujin was nowhere visible and somehow still guilty “I am writing Ben and Ryujin a complaint.”

“Denied.” “You cannot deny complaints for other people.” “I am girlfriend of the day.” “That authority has limits.” “Not today.”

The phrase should have sounded like old Nayeon: demanding, bright, possessive. Instead, she said it softly, like a promise. Not today.

Today, she was not going to let me disappear behind usefulness. Today, she was not going to let me prove anything just because she wanted to feel chosen. Today, she would choose differently and dare both of us to survive it. I leaned back in the chair. Nayeon watched me. I felt the familiar impulse rise. Say something. Compliment her. Make her laugh. Turn the softness into something safer.

But she must have seen the decision before I made it, because she placed one finger lightly against my lips “Quiet,” she said. I blinked. She lowered her finger, looking almost shy for half a second before she recovered “Lia said the quiet counts.”

I held her gaze “Lia said that?” “Yes.” “Smart.” “Annoyingly.” “Did you tell her that?” “Obviously.” “Good.”

Nayeon settled beside me again, closer than before, her head resting against my shoulder. I stopped breathing properly. She noticed. “Breathe.”

“I am.” “Like a person.”

I tried. She hummed, satisfied. Then we sat there. No phone. No instructions. No pictures. No task. Just the pool light, the shade, the warm press of her against me, and the uncomfortable discovery that being with Nayeon did not always have to mean keeping up with her. Sometimes it meant letting her slow down beside me. Sometimes it meant trusting that she would not punish me for not moving.

Eventually, she spoke without lifting her head “Is this boring?”

“No.” “You answered fast.” “Because it is true.”

She stayed quiet. I looked down at her. Her eyes were on the pool, but her face had gone careful. There it was. The fear under the pride. If she stopped demanding, would I still feel her? If she stopped being loud, would I still look? If she let me rest, would it still feel like her day?

I turned my hand palm-up between us. After a second, she took it “No,” I said again, softer “It is not boring.” Her fingers squeezed mine once “Good.”

“And even if it was…” I smiled faintly. “I think I might need boring.” Nayeon stared at me. Then her face did something complicated, almost cracking before she covered it by scoffing “Wow.”

“What?” “My day became medicinal.”

I laughed. She pointed at me. “No. Do not laugh. I am offended.”

“You wanted honesty.” “I wanted romantic honesty. Not ‘Nayeon, you are my prescribed emotional rest period.’” “That was not what I said.” “That was what I heard.” “You hear creatively.” “I am an artist.” “You are a menace.” “I contain depth.” “You said that earlier.” “It remains true.”

She leaned back against me, but this time with more confidence, as if she had asked a question and survived the answer. As if boring, somehow, had not meant unwanted. For a while, the afternoon stayed gentle. Not empty. Gentle.

A few people drifted at the edges of our view. Sana and Dahyun passed near the beach path, arguing quietly about whether not taking pictures was a spiritual exercise or a personal attack. Tzuyu followed them at a distance with a drink, looking like she had appointed herself judge. Momo crossed the pavilion with a plate, then crossed back without it, which implied Chaeryeong had been fed successfully.

Yeji appeared near the garden path once, scanning the resort in that leader way of hers. Her eyes found Nayeon beside me, then me, then our hands.

She smiled. Not teasing. Approving. Nayeon saw it too and lifted her chin. “Do not look so proud.”

Yeji’s smile widened “I said nothing.” “You said it with your face.” “You are doing well.” Nayeon immediately looked away “Annoying.”

Yeji laughed softly and continued down the path. I watched her go, then looked back at Nayeon “You told Yeji?”

“Some.” “About me?” “Some.” “And?” She gave me a side-eye “You are fishing.” “I am curious.” “You are anxious.” “Also true.”

Nayeon sighed and turned toward me again “She said not to take control from you like I am stealing it. She said to make it feel like you are allowed to put it down.” The words moved through me slowly. Allowed… That was the part I had never known how to believe.

People could tell me to rest. They could force me to sleep. Lock doors. Take phones. Watch me like I might escape into a schedule. But allowed was different. Allowed meant the room would not collapse if I stopped holding it. Allowed meant no one was waiting to be disappointed.

Nayeon’s thumb moved over the back of my hand “I don’t know how to do that,” I said.

“I know.” she told me. “I mean it.” “I know.” “I keep trying to.” “I know.”

The repetition should have annoyed me. Instead, it steadied me. Because she did know. And she was still there. Nayeon’s voice softened “So we practice.” I looked at her “What does practicing look like?”

“For now?” She reached for another piece of fruit and held it near my mouth. “This.” I smiled despite myself. “You are very committed to the fruit.”

“It is working.” “I am not sure fruit can fix me.” “No.” Her eyes warmed “But I can start small.”

So I ate the fruit. And she looked at me like it mattered. Not because I had done something well. Because I had let her do something for me. That was different. I did not know how to carry that yet. Maybe I did not have to.

Dinner ended softer than it began. When people started leaving the pavilion, I stood too. Mina looked at me and I sat back down. Nayeon laughed before she could stop herself “I did not even get to do anything.”

“She is faster than you,” I said. Mina folded her napkin “He was holding his coffee like luggage.” “I was stretching.” “With coffee?” Dahyun leaned across the table. “Personal observation. He was escaping.” “That loophole is dangerous.” “Thank you.”

Jihyo looked from me to Nayeon. “He rests after this.” Nayeon lifted one hand “I know.”

For once, she did not act offended by everyone watching her “No tasks,” she said. “No proving. No making him report for duty.” Then she looked at me. Her smile softened “I’ll take him.”

“Why do I feel like a custody battle?” “Because you are,” Jeongyeon said. “Do I get a say?”

Nine different versions of ‘no’ answered me, even Momo. Nayeon took my hand and led me away before I could appeal the ruling. The path outside was warm and dim, the resort lamps turning the stones gold beneath our feet. Behind us, the table noise softened into distant laughter. Nayeon did not hurry. After a few steps, I asked, “Where are we going?”

“Your room.”

I looked at her as she kept walking.

“My room?” “Yes.” “That sounds suspicious.” “It is your room.” “It has history.” “That is why.”

Tonight, she held my hand like she was afraid of wanting too much “Nayeon.” She stopped beneath one of the lamps “Are you sure?” for once, she did not answer with a joke “I let you sleep if you’re tired.”

“I know.” “I gave up my plan.” “I know.” “I asked my juniors for advice, which I will deny forever.” “I know.”

Her fingers tightened around mine “And I still got you at the end”. The words were proud, but her voice was not. It was softer than that.

“So yes,” she said “It is still my day.”

I looked at her. She looked back like she was trying very hard not to ask for anything. That hurt me more than if she had. So I said, “Can you go with me to my room?” Nayeon’s face changed. Just a little. Like she had expected me to follow, but not choose “John.”

“I want to go with you.”

Her eyes shone for half a second before she blinked it away “You do?”

“Yes.” “Not because I said so?” “No.” “Not because everyone told you to rest?” “No.” “Then why?”

I stepped closer “Because I want to end today with you.” The night went quiet around us. Nayeon looked down at our joined hands. For a moment, she looked too touched to hide it properly. Then she sniffed once, lifted her chin, and tried to become Nayeon again “Careful,” she said “That was dangerously romantic.”

“I adjusted.” “You are learning too fast.” “You told me to do my fifteen percent.”

Her mouth trembled into a smile “I did.”

“So this is me doing it.” “Choosing?” “Choosing.”

She looked at me for another second. Then she pulled me forward “Then come on.”

The door closed behind us softly. My room looked the same as always. The bed. The couch. The desk. The curtains moving faintly with the night air. Nayeon looked at the bed first, then immediately looked away “Do not.”

“I did not say anything.” I told her. “You were smiling with commentary.” “I contain methods.” “That is my least favorite thing you learned today.”

She walked to the couch instead and sat down. Not the bed, the couch. That told me enough. She had brought me here to rest. Maybe to sit with her. Maybe to hold me until the day stopped feeling like something both of us had to pass.

I sat beside her. Carefully. She sighed, grabbed my arm, and pulled me closer until our shoulders touched. We sat quietly. For once, it was not awkward. Nayeon’s hand found mine. “I was not planning anything,” she said. She looked at me then, cheeks warming “I brought you here because it is yours. Because everywhere else today, someone was nearby. Watching. Checking. Approving.” Her thumb moved once against my hand “I wanted somewhere you did not have to be looked after by everyone… I am trying not to overdo it and I probably am overdoing it.”

“A little.” then I said, “I still want you.” Nayeon went still. The whole room changed.

I looked down at our hands, because saying it while looking at her felt too direct and not direct enough at the same time “I am tired,” I said “A little. And I know today was different. I know you are trying not to make me work for your attention.”

Her hand tightened around mine “But wanting you is not work.” Nayeon did not answer. So I kept going “What hurts is thinking I have to earn the right to stay. Thinking I have to be perfect so no one regrets choosing me.” I swallowed. “But wanting you because you are here, because it is you, because I have been looking at you all day and trying not to make that your responsibility…”

I finally looked at her “That is mine.” Nayeon’s face softened in a way that almost broke me “You’ve been tired for quite a while, and you still want me?”

“Yes.”

Her mouth parted slightly. Not teasingly or in a victorious sense— it was emotional. Like she had spent the entire day trying to want less, only for me to tell her she did not have to erase herself to love me better “John…”

“I am allowed to want you too,” I said quietly.

Her eyes shone again, and this time she did not hide it fast enough. Then her expression changed. Soft first. Then Nayeon lifted one hand to my cheek “Then let me take the lead.”

My breath caught. There was no lecture. No report, just her deciding. Her hand slid to the back of my neck, and she kissed me. Not like the beach ambush. Not like the first time she ever entered this room. This was quieter. More dangerous because it was not trying to prove anything.

I kissed her back. Not perfectly. Not calmly. But honestly. When she pulled away, her forehead stayed close to mine “There,” she whispered.

“What?” “You chose.”

My throat tightened. She stood. Old instinct made me start to follow. Nayeon placed one finger against my chest “No.” I froze. She smiled faintly “Still teachable.”

“That felt like a trap.”

“It was.” she stepped between my knees, looking down at me with a softness that somehow had more power than any teasing “This is still my day,” she said “But I am not taking from you.”

She leaned down, her hands resting lightly on my shoulders “I am choosing you back.” then she kissed me again. This time, warmer. Deeper. Still careful.

My hands settled at her waist. She let them stay there. Then guided them more firmly into place. Not as an instruction. As permission. The instinct rose immediately.

Check her face. Ask if she wanted more. Make sure I was doing this right. Nayeon covered my hand with hers before I could move “Stay,” she whispered and Nayeon smiled like that was enough.

For now.

Nayeon didn’t move away from me. She stayed in my space, her scent—something like expensive florals and a hint of the salt from the beach—filling my lungs. I could feel the heat radiating off her, a magnetic pull that made the remaining distance between us feel like a physical ache.

I looked at her, really looked at her, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel the need to check the time or the mood or the potential for disaster. I just wanted her.

"You're thinking again," she whispered. Her voice was a low vibration that seemed to settle right in the base of my spine.

"I'm not." "You are. Your eyebrows do this little twitch when you're calculating." I let out a breath, a small, defeated laugh "I can't help it. It's a reflex."

Nayeon stepped closer, her chest brushing against mine. She reached up, her fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling my head down just enough so our noses brushed "Stop calculating," she murmured "Just be here. With me."

She didn't wait for an answer. She leaned in, her lips meeting mine in a kiss that tasted of longing and a quiet, fierce kind of ownership. It wasn't the playful ambush from the beach; this was slow, deep, and demanding. Her tongue swept against mine, tasting of sweetness and heat, exchanging in a rhythmic, hungry dance. I moaned into her mouth, my hands instinctively finding her waist, squeezing the soft curve of her hips.

Nayeon pulled back just an inch, her eyes dark, pupils blown wide. I started to move, my hands reaching for the hem of her dress, but she stopped me. She gripped my wrists, her expression firm "No. I said I was taking the lead, remember?"

She stepped back, her eyes never leaving mine. With a slow, deliberate motion, she reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. The sound of the teeth parting was loud in the quiet room. She let the fabric slide down her shoulders, the material pooling around her ankles in a soft heap. She stood before me in a sheer, lace bra and matching panties that left very little to the imagination. Her skin glowed under the dim amber light of the room, the curve of her breasts straining against the lace, her nipples peaking through the thin fabric.

I felt my cock stir, thickening and straining against the denim of my jeans. I made a move to strip, but Nayeon shifted, her hand landing on my chest to keep me rooted "Stay," she commanded "I want to look at you while I do this."

She knelt before me. The movement was fluid, like someone savoring the moment of claiming their prize. I watched her, my heart hammering against my ribs, as she reached for my belt. Her fingers were nimble, undoing the buckle with a clinical efficiency that made my stomach flip. She slid my pants down, the sound it made was in contrast to the heavy thud of my pulse.

When she reached inside my boxers and wrapped her small, warm hand around my length, I nearly jumped. I was already hard, a thick, pulsing vein running along the side of my shaft. She squeezed gently, her thumb brushing over the crown, catching the pre-cum that had already leaked out of my tip.

"Look at me, John," she whispered. I looked down. She was looking up at me, her face a mixture of pride and raw desire. She leaned forward, her warm breath ghosting over the head of my cock before she opened her mouth and took me in.

The sensation was an immediate, electric shock. Her lips were soft, but the suction was intense, pulling the skin of my shaft tight as she slid her mouth down. I gasped, my head hitting the wall behind me. She didn't stop; she moved with a slow, agonizing rhythm, her tongue swirling around the head, licking the sensitive ridge before swallowing me deeper.

I felt the urge to reach down, to guide her, to tell her exactly how I liked it, but I remembered the weight of her words ‘Stop managing’ I forced my hands to stay at my sides, my fingers curling into fists. I let myself just feel. I felt the wet heat of her throat, the slight friction of her tongue, the way her cheeks hollowed as she sucked harder, pulling the very soul out of me.

             The sound of it—the wet, rhythmic movements of her tongue and mouth moving around the shaft of my cock—filled the room. I was trembling, my breath coming in jagged hitches. Nayeon looked up at me through her lashes, her eyes shimmering, a string of saliva connecting her lip to the head of my cock as she pulled back for a second to breathe.

"You like that?" she asked, her voice husky. "I... yes. God, yes." "Good boy."

She dove back down, her pace increasing. She began to use her hand at the base, pumping in tandem with her mouth, creating a vacuum of heat and pressure that pushed me toward the edge. I was floating, the exhaustion of the day dissolving into a singular, blinding point of pleasure.

But as the tension built, a different kind of hunger flared in my gut. I didn't just want to receive; I wanted to taste her. I wanted the scent of her arousal, the salt of her skin "Nayeon," I rasped, my voice sounding like it had been dragged through gravel "Stop. Please."

She paused, her mouth still hovering just an inch from my skin. She looked concerned for a fraction of a second before I continued "I want to taste you. I want you on my face."

A shiver ran through her. A small, needy sound escaped her throat, a whimper that told me she was just as close to the edge as I was. She didn't argue. She stood up, her movements hurried now, stripping out of her lace panties in one fluid motion.  

She pushed me back onto the bed, her hands pressing into my shoulders. I lay there, breathless, watching her as she climbed over me. She didn't sit on me; instead, she positioned herself, her thighs framing my head, the scent of her pussy hitting me like a wave—musky, sweet, and drenched in honey.

She lowered herself slowly, her wet folds brushing against my lips. I groaned, my tongue instinctively darting out to taste the first drop of her nectar. She gasped, her hips hitching upward "Oh... John..."

I didn't wait. I buried my face in her, my tongue finding her clit with a precision born of a thousand imagined nights. She was soaking, her pussy lips swollen and slippery. I licked her deeply, long, slow strokes that went from her perineum up to the peak of her pleasure. The sound was visceral—a wet, squelching noise as my tongue slid through her juices.

Nayeon’s hands found my hair, her fingers gripping tightly, pulling me closer, urging me to go deeper. I sucked her clit into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the sensitive nub while my fingers slid beneath her, finding the entrance to her heat. I pushed one finger inside, then two. She was tight, her internal walls pulsing and gripping my fingers in rhythmic waves.

"More," she pleaded, her voice breaking. "Please, John, more."

I increased the pressure, my tongue working frantically, my fingers curling inside her, hitting the spot that made her back arch off the bed. She began to shake, her breathing turning into short, sharp cries. I could feel her building, the tension in her thighs reaching a breaking point.

Then, it happened. Nayeon let out a loud, unrestrained scream, her hips slamming down against my face as her orgasm ripped through her. I felt the sudden, hot gush of her climax, the thick, creamy fluids flooding my mouth and face, the sheer intensity of her release pulsing against my tongue.

The feeling of her climaxing on me—the heat, the smell, the raw vulnerability of her surrender—was the final trigger. The pressure in my cock became unbearable. I reached down, my hand gripping my shaft, and as the aftershocks of Nayeon's orgasm continued to ripple through her body, I let go.

I came with a violence that left me breathless, thick ropes of semen spurting across her face, the release so intense it felt like a physical blow. I shuddered, my eyes closing as the world narrowed down to the feeling of Nayeon collapsing on top of me.

We lay there for a long time, the only sound the heavy, synchronized thumping of our hearts and the ragged sound of our breathing. Nayeon’s head rested on my chest, her skin damp with sweat, her body still occasionally twitching from the remnants of the climax.

I felt a surge of protectiveness so strong it nearly choked me. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tight, kissing the top of her head.

"You okay?" I whispered. "I'm... perfect," she breathed.

But the night wasn't over. The emotional intimacy had opened a door, and the physical desire was still simmering, a slow burn that refused to die. Nayeon shifted, lifting herself up. She looked at me, her eyes soft but determined.

She moved down my body, her hands guiding me to roll onto my back. She positioned herself over me again, but this time, she reached down, grabbing my cock and guiding the head to her opening. She was still dripping, her pussy wide and welcoming.

Slowly, she lowered herself. I gasped as the head of my cock breached her entrance, the heat of her internal walls enveloping me. She sank down inch by inch, her eyes locked on mine. The feeling was overwhelming—the tightness, the wetness, the way she seemed to mold herself around me. When she finally bottomed out, her cervix meeting the head of my cock, we both let out a simultaneous moan.

Nayeon began to move. She started with slow, grinding circles, her hips rotating to maximize the friction. I could feel every ridge, every fold of her pussy gripping me. The sound of our bodies meeting—the wet, rhythmic slapping of her thighs against mine echoed in the room.

The instinct returned. I wanted to lift my hips, to thrust upward, to take control of the pace and ensure she was getting exactly what she needed. My muscles tensed, my body preparing to lead. Nayeon felt it immediately. She stopped moving, her hands pressing firmly onto my chest, pinning me to the mattress.

"No," she whispered, her voice a gentle warning. "I just... I want to..." "I know what you want," she interrupted, her gaze piercing "You want to make sure I'm satisfied. You want to manage the experience. Stop it."

I froze, my breath hitching. "Leave it to me, John," she said, her voice softening "Just feel me. Don't think about how to do it. Just feel how much I want you."

I let out a long, shuddering exhale and relaxed into the bed. I stopped fighting the urge to lead and simply surrendered. I watched her, my eyes wide, as she began to move again. This time, it was different. She wasn't just riding me; she was communicating. She slowed down, grinding her clit against the base of my cock, then suddenly accelerated, her movements becoming frantic, shallow and fast.

I could feel her walls contracting, milking me, pulling at me with a desperation that made my vision blur. I was a passenger in my own pleasure, and it was the most liberating feeling in the world. I didn't have to be the manager. I didn't have to be the provider. I just had to be the man she wanted.

"You're so... thick," she whimpered, her head falling back, her throat exposed "You fill me up so completely..."

I reached up, my hands finding her waist, not to steer her, but just to hold her. I pulled her down toward me, my need for her shifting from the physical to the emotional. I wanted to be inside her, yes, but I wanted to be WITH her.

Nayeon leaned down, her breasts brushing against my chest, and I captured her lips in a kiss. It was passionate, desperate, a collision of teeth and tongue. We kissed with a hunger that felt like we were trying to merge into a single being.

As the kiss deepened, the tension in the room reached a breaking point. I could feel Nayeon's internal muscles beginning to spasm, the familiar signs of her second climax approaching. I felt my own peak rushing toward me, a tidal wave of sensation that I could no longer hold back.

I gripped her hips, pulling her down hard against me, and as we held the kiss, our breaths mingling in a single, ragged gasp, we both shattered. Nayeon screamed into my mouth, her body locking up as her orgasm rippled through her. At the exact same moment, I finally gave in to my orgasm, my body arching off the bed as I came deep inside her, the heat of my release filling her to the brim. We stayed like that, locked in the kiss, our bodies shaking in unison, the world dissolving into a blur of white light and overwhelming emotion.

When the waves finally subsided, Nayeon collapsed onto my chest, her breath hot against my skin. We stayed entwined for a long time, the silence returning, but this time it was a peaceful silence. A shared silence.

Slowly, Nayeon shifted, rolling to the side but keeping her body pressed against mine. She pulled the duvet over us, cocooning us in a warm, scent-filled bubble. I pulled her closer, my arm draped over her waist, my fingers tracing light patterns on her skin.

I looked at her in the dim light. She looked exhausted, her eyes heavy, her lips swollen from our kisses. She looked beautiful—not the polished, idol-perfect beauty the world saw, but a raw, honest beauty that belonged only to me.

"Nayeon," I whispered. "Hmm?" "Thank you." She blinked, looking up at me "For what?"

"For today. For... everything. For sending me to rest. For the beach. For... for letting me just be here with you." I paused, my voice cracking slightly "I know it wasn't easy for you. To give up your plan. To ask for advice. I know you did all that just to make sure I was okay."

Nayeon’s expression shifted. Her eyes shimmered, and for a moment, the pride and confidence vanished, replaced by a vulnerability that made my heart ache. A single tear escaped, sliding down her cheek and disappearing into the pillow "I just..." she started, her voice trembling "I just didn't want you to feel like you had to earn me, John. I don't want you to be my manager in the bedroom. I don't want you to be the 'perfect boyfriend' because you're afraid of what happens if you're not."

She shifted, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my jaw "I love you," she whispered "And that's why I did it. Because this is what people who love each other do. They carry the weight when the other person is too tired to hold it."

I felt a lump form in my throat, a mixture of gratitude and love so intense it felt like it might break me. I tightened my grip on her, burying my face in the crook of her neck "I love you too, Nayeon. More than I know how to say."

"You just did," she murmured, her voice trailing off as sleep began to claim her.

I held her, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing, feeling the warmth of her body against mine. For the first time in a long time, the noise in my head was gone. There were no schedules to manage, no scandals to prevent, no expectations to meet.

There was just Nayeon. And for once, that was more than enough.

As I closed my eyes, drifting off into a deep, dreamless sleep, I realized that Ben had been right. I didn't need to be useful to be wanted. I just needed to be here.

And as Nayeon let out a small, contented sigh in her sleep, clutching my hand against her chest, I knew that we had finally found our gravity. Not as a center and an orbit, but as two souls, falling together, in the same beautiful, chaotic space.

For a while, Nayeon did not say anything. That was how I knew she was trying. Old Nayeon would have filled the silence by now. A joke. A tease. A smug little comment about how well her day ended. Something bright enough to hide behind.

Instead, she only shifted closer under the blanket, her cheek resting against my chest, her hand spread over my heartbeat like she was listening to proof that I was still there.

I looked down at her.

Her hair was a mess, and eyes were half-lidded and heavy, but softer than I was used to seeing them. She looked tired. Happy. A little afraid of being both.

“You are staring,” she murmured. “I am.” “At least lie with effort.” “I am too tired to lie well.”

That made her smile. Barely. Enough. Her fingers moved once against my chest “Good.”

“Good?” “You said tired.” I breathed out a quiet laugh. “That is the standard now?” “For you?” she said, eyes still closed. “Yes.”

She sounded proud of herself for catching it. I should have argued. I did not.

The room had cooled around us, the curtains moving faintly near the balcony. Somewhere outside, the resort still existed. People were probably laughing, drinking, cleaning up, planning tomorrow, pretending not to know exactly why Nayeon and I had disappeared.

For once, none of it reached me.

Nayeon pulled the blanket higher, then tucked herself closer like she had decided the safest place in the room was against me.

I kissed the top of her head “Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?” “For today.”

She did not answer. So I kept my voice low “For letting me rest. For the beach. For the fruit. For not getting mad when I was bad at all of it.”

“You were very bad at it.” “I know.” “Terrible.” “I know.” “Emotionally undertrained.” she pointed out. “That one hurt.”

She smiled into my chest, but it faded quickly. When she spoke again, her voice was smaller “I hated sending you away this morning.”

“I know.” “No, you don’t.” Her hand curled lightly against my skin “I hated it so much.”

I waited. She took a breath, and I felt it tremble before she could hide it “I kept thinking… what if I do all of this right and you think I do not want you as much anymore?”

My chest tightened “Nayeon.”

“I know,” she said quickly, like she wanted to outrun the embarrassment “It is stupid.” “It isn’t.” “It felt stupid.” She swallowed “I wanted to be mature. I wanted to be better. I wanted to stop pulling so hard.”

Her voice softened “Then you asked me to come here with you.”

I remembered the look on her face under the lamp. The way she had tried to become Nayeon again and almost failed “You looked surprised,” I said.

“I was.” “Why?”

Her fingers stilled “Because I thought if I stopped pulling, I would have to wait and see if you still came closer.”

I held her a little tighter “You did not have to pull.”

“I know that now.” Her voice broke on the last word, only slightly. She hated that. I loved her for it.

A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. She turned her face toward my chest immediately, hiding it like the pillow had offended her. I wiped it away anyway.

“Nayeon.” “Do not make a big deal out of it.” “I wasn’t.” “You were thinking warmly.” “That is not a crime.” “It should be, in moments like this.”

I laughed softly. She pinched my side. Not hard, just enough to make her point. Then she stayed there, face hidden, breathing slowly until the emotion passed into something quieter. When she finally lifted her head, her eyes were still wet, but her mouth had settled into a tiny, stubborn pout.

“My day still worked,” she said. I smiled “Yes.” “Even if I gave up half of it.” “Especially then.”

“For the record,” I said, “I wanted you all day.” Her eyes widened a little “Even during the boring medicinal part?” “Especially then.” “My fruit therapy was attractive?” “Terrifyingly.”

That got a real laugh out of her. Small. Sleepy. She leaned up and kissed me once. Not to start anything again. Not to prove the moment. Just because she wanted to. Then she settled back against me, her leg sliding between mine, her hand finding mine under the blanket “Sleep,” she murmured.

“You first.” “I am leading.” “Still?” “Yes.”

I smiled into her hair “Then lead.” her fingers tightened around mine.

For a long while, she did not sleep. I could feel it in the way she kept adjusting closer by tiny degrees, like she was trying to memorize the shape of staying without asking for more from it.

I did not rush her. I did not ask if she was okay. I only held her. Eventually, her breathing evened out. The last thing she did before sleep took her was pull my hand against her chest and keep it there. Like she had finally let herself have something without making me carry the whole weight of it.

I closed my eyes after that. No schedules. No faces to check. No proof to provide. Just her and the quiet.

Morning came soft. The kind of soft that made me suspicious before I even opened my eyes.

Nayeon was still wrapped around me, warm and heavy beneath the blanket, her hair tickling my chin. One of her legs had somehow claimed mine during the night. Her hand was still holding mine against her chest. I tried not to move. She spoke immediately.

“If you start thinking before breakfast, I will bite you.”

I smiled “Good morning.” One eye opened “Manager voice.” “I just woke up.” “And yet.” “I said good morning.” “You said it like you were about to ask for everyone’s schedule.” “That is an unfair accusation.”

She closed her eye again, but her mouth curved. For a few minutes, neither of us moved. The light slowly grew brighter behind the curtains. Outside, somewhere far enough to feel unreal, someone laughed. The resort was waking up. So was the day after hers. Nayeon knew it too. Her fingers tightened around mine before she said anything.

“Jeongyeon gets you today.”

The sentence was quiet. Not wounded. Not pretending either “Yes.” She nodded against my chest “I know.”

I waited for the joke. It did not come right away. Instead, she shifted up enough to look at me. Her face was bare in the morning light. Soft. Sleep-creased. Too honest for someone who usually preferred choosing exactly how people saw her.

“I hate it a normal amount,” she said. I smiled “That sounds mature.” “It is.” Her nose wrinkled “Annoyingly mature.” “Very.”

She looked at me for a long moment, then leaned up and kissed me. A goodbye without being dramatic about it. When she pulled back, she stayed close “Do not forget yesterday,” she said “I won’t.”

“I mean it.” Her thumb brushed lightly under my eye “Not the big parts. The small ones.” “The beach?” “The beach.” “The fruit?” “Obviously the fruit.” “The part where you suffered professionally?” “That part is private.”

I smiled. She did too, but her eyes stayed serious “Use it,” she said. “With Jeongyeon. With everyone.” That one reached deeper than the rest. Because it was not jealousy. It was trust.

She was not asking me to keep her day separate like a secret treasure no one else could touch. She was asking me to let it change me. I squeezed her hand “I’ll try.”

Nayeon’s smile softened “That is enough.” Then she sat up, taking half the blanket with her. I looked away. She noticed instantly “Oh?”

“No.” “You looked away.” “I am being respectful.” “You are being shy.” “I contain methods.” “That line is banned.” “You used it first.” “And I regret teaching you language.”

She climbed out of bed slowly, gathering her clothes from the floor with far less confidence than she would have pretended to have yesterday. Not because she was embarrassed. Because leaving slowly was the only way to admit she did not want to leave yet.

I let her have that. When she was dressed, she came back to the bed and bent down to fix my hair with her fingers. It did not need fixing. I let her do it anyway.

“For the record,” she said, “my day was still my day.” “Yes.” “Even the parts I gave up.” “Especially those.”

Her mouth trembled once before she covered it with a smile “Careful. You are getting good at this.”

“I had a strict teacher.” “She was beautiful.” “And humble.” “And growing.” “That sounds dangerous.” “It is.”

She kissed my forehead. Then my mouth. Then she stood before either of us could make it harder. At the door, she stopped with her hand on the handle.

For a second, I thought she would leave first. Then she looked back at me “Are you coming?”

I blinked “To breakfast?” “No, to war.” Her expression flattened “Yes, to breakfast.” “I thought you were going ahead.” “Why?” “Because…”

Because Jeongyeon’s day was waiting. Because the rotation moved. Because that was how this worked. Because Nayeon had already given up enough, and maybe I thought leaving separately would make the handoff cleaner. Nayeon understood all of that from my face.

Her eyes softened. Then narrowed “No.” I sat up “No?” “I am not sneaking out of your room like I lost something.”

My chest went quiet. She walked back to the bed and held out her hand “I am going to breakfast with you.” I looked at her hand, then at her “You are?”

“Yes.” Her chin lifted. “My day ended. It did not disappear.”

That was so Nayeon it almost hurt. Proud. Soft. Refusing to turn tenderness into defeat. I took her hand. She pulled me up, then immediately looked over my face “You look too serious.”

“I am having a moment.” “Have it while brushing your teeth.” “That feels disrespectful.” “You also have morning hair.” “I thought you fixed it.” “I made it worse. Emotionally.”

I laughed. There it was. The room loosened. So did I.

We got ready slowly. Not in a dramatic way. Not in a way that tried to stretch the morning into another chapter. Just slowly enough to feel real. Nayeon stole my comb for no reason. I stole it back. She complained that my shirt choice made me look too responsible. I changed. She said the second one made me look like I was trying too hard to look irresponsible. I changed back.

She called that growth. I called it manipulation.

She kissed me once more by the door and said both could be true. By the time we stepped out together, the hallway was bright with morning. Nayeon’s hand found mine immediately.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Breakfast noise floated from the pavilion ahead. Voices. Plates. Someone laughing too loudly. Dahyun, probably. Jeongyeon’s lower voice followed, dry and calm, already sounding like the day had begun without us.

Nayeon heard it too. Her fingers tightened once. Then relaxed “You okay?” I asked. She looked at me. For once, she did not turn the question back on me “Yes,” she said.

Then, after a beat, “A normal amount.” I smiled “That sounds healthy.”

“It sounds annoying.” “That too.”

We started walking. The resort path opened ahead of us, sunlight spilling over the stones. Nayeon walked beside me, not pulling, not hanging back. Same pace. Same direction.