Park Dong hid his grin the moment Irina handed him her photo, slipping it away like a prized possession.
His expression was barely contained eyes bright, shoulders a little too relaxed.
The other two accepted their photos as well, though they didn't seem nearly as interested, glancing at them once before pocketing them without much reaction.
After that, Seojin turned to Seolhyo."Want me to walk you home?"
Seolhyo smiled faintly, her tone apologetic. "Irina and Jinkyung are going to my house, so I won't be alone."
"Okay," Seojin said softly. "Be careful."
"You too," she replied.
Seojin glanced over at Park Dong and the others, who were clearly ready to leave bags slung over their shoulders, just waiting on him.
He looked back at Seolhyo once more.
"Then… we'll go first."
Seolhyo nodded.
Before she could say anything else, Seojin leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
Seolhyo froze for half a second then immediately covered the spot with her hand.
When she turn to him, Seojin was already walking away, Park Dong and the others bursting into laughter and snickering as they followed him.
The girls, meanwhile, were no better teasing glances and giggles flying Seolhyo's way.
She turned back just in time to catch Seojin looking over his shoulder.
Blushing hard, she shot him a glare, which only made his smile widen before he disappeared down the path.
Irina laughed first. "Wow. Seojin really doesn't hold back, huh?"
Park Mijin clasped her hands dramatically, eyes flicking between Seolhyo and Seojin's retreating figure. "Seriously, watching you two feels like a drama. I swear it's like you've got a script."
Sujeong tilted her head, grinning. "A drama? Please. This is straight-up a romance movie. And Seojin's obviously the male lead."
Jinkyung snickering at Seolhyo. "More like Seojin's a golden retriever, and Seolhyo's a shy cat. HAHA."
As their teasing dragged on, Seolhyo felt her patience snap.
She flicked her hair back dramatically, chin lifting as a smug smile curved her lips.
"You're just jealous," she said lightly. "Single. Losers."
Then she turned and walked off with exaggerated confidence, her steps practically daring them to react.
The four of them froze.
Slowly, their expressions darkened.
"…Come here, you little !"
"How dare you, Seolhyo don't get smug!!"
Seolhyo burst out laughing.
The second she heard their footsteps pounding behind her, she took off running, laughter echoing as they rushed after her, shouting threats that were way more playful than serious.
That night, we ended up at the sauna. Jisung bailed last minute, so it was just the five of us.
We sat on the wooden platform, heat pressing in from all sides, sweat already clinging to our backs.
Inseop leaned against the wall, completely unbothered, phone pressed to his ear.
"Yup, honey~ just finished showering," he said sweetly. "We'll chill in the sauna for a bit, then sleep. I'm with Seojin, Suwon, Daegyu, and Park Dong~ Yeah, Ono said he's working out at home, so we ditched him. What're you doing, honey?"
The four of us stared at him in silence.
Park Dong look at him like looking at a trash. "Is it just me, or does him calling her honey sound nasty as hell?"
Suwon visibly shuddered. "Totally disgusting. I swear my ears are burning."
Inseop snapped, lowering his phone just enough to glare at the two of them. "Shut up already!!"
Daegyu, his mouth still full, shrugged. "They look good together though," he said between bites. "They actually make a good match."
Park Dong scoffed. "You must have a really strong stomach."
I laughed. "You're only saying that because you're single. If you got a girlfriend, you'd end up acting exactly like him."
Park Dong paused.
For a split second, he imagined himself talking like that with Irina.
His face twisted immediately.
…There's no way. Never.
Suwon took a long sip from his drink, straw making a quiet slurp, then glanced sideways at Daegyu. "How about you, Daegyu? Why don't you have a girlfriend?" he asked casually. "You totally could get one."
Daegyu clicked his tongue. "Dumbass, they asked me out first. I just haven't found someone that really clicked with me yet."
I nodded, stretching my arms behind my head. "Maybe you'll find someone soon. There are a lot of girls who confessed to me too, but I turned them down since I didn't really like them."
I couldn't help grinning, flashing a smile so wide it practically reflected off the wooden walls."But ever since I first saw Seolhyo… it just suddenly felt different, you know?"
I said, then added with a laugh, "Though I guess the biggest reason is her pretty face. Hehe."
Daegyu chuckled. "Honestly, I doubt there's a guy alive who wouldn't notice Seol Hyorim after seeing her once."
Park Dong snorted. "If it weren't for her brother, there'd be an all-out war just to be her boyfriend. I'm still shocked you'd date her after meeting him."
Suwon nodded, sipping his drink. "Seol Hyorim really is pretty. Even though everyone knows you two are dating, guys at our school still can't help but stare. I mean she's prettier than most actors."
Inseop muttered under his breath, "If only her personality matched her face-"
Before he could finish, I shot him a sharp glare."…What did you say?"
Inseop froze. Sweat that had nothing to do with the sauna immediately beaded on his forehead."I-I said her personality really matches her super pretty face," he corrected quickly.
Seojin scoffed.
Inseop avoiding Seojin eye finally hung up. "Okay honey~ love you~" and tucked his phone away with a grin.
Daegyu leaned back, towel over his shoulder, and suddenly changed the subject. "How about you, Suwon? Don't you have anyone you like?"
Suwon froze for a second.
At the mention, Harang's face flashed in his mind, and his expression dimmed. He muttered bitterly, "No… I haven't really found one I like."
I snapped my fingers, cutting in. "Oh, yeah Suwon, there is someone I noticed in our school. I remember it cause her name's almost the same as yours."
Suwon raised his brows, confused. "Same? How?"
I smirked. "Her name is literally your name backwards."
He blinked. "…Ji Suwon… Su... Won... Won Suji?"
I burst out laughing. "Yeah! HAHAHA! That's pretty rare, right?"
Park Dong immediately added in, cackling. "Maybe that's the one for you! HAHAHA!"
Inseop snorted. "Lol, Suwon having a girlfriend? Maybe in his next life."
"Shut up," Suwon muttered, glaring at him.
But Daegyu chimed in, more serious. "Nah, honestly he could totally get one if he tries, compared to how he looked before, he got way better looking."
Park Dong nodded inspecting Suwon closely. "Facts. You lost weight, cleaned up, and got that wolf cut. You're kinda fine now, dude."
I leaned forward, grinning. "Yeah, but I still remember how you looked before like a chestnut! HAHAHAHA!"
Suwon groaned, covering his face with his towel. "Why the hell am I friends with you guys?"
The whole sauna shook with laughter.
After a beat, I stretched out my legs, cooling down from laughing too hard, and suddenly changed the subject. "Anyway… guys, what gift should I give Seolhyo? Her birthday's next week."
The room went quiet for a second, and then all eyes slowly turned to me.
Park Dong squinted. "So you're just gonna rub salt in our wounds like this, huh? You think we care about your couple problems?"
Suwon groaned, tossing his towel at me. "This bastard. He's seriously asking us for help with his girlfriend's present?"
Daegyu smirked. "Dude, you're hopeless. But fine what are you thinking? Jewelry? Clothes?"
I tapped my chin. "Jewelry? That's a good idea… maybe a bracelet. Yeah, I'll try to look for one in a jewelry store."
Park Dong burst out laughing. "LOL, do you even have money for that? You think you're some chaebol prince?"
As if on cue, I pulled out a fat stack of bills from my pocket and fanned them out casually. "Who said I don't?"