Back at the elevator, the doors were finally pried open by two workers. They found the two of them sitting awkwardly on the floor.
"Aigoo, you've been stuck in here for a while, huh?" one of them said.
The other reached out a hand. "Come out carefully now~"
The one who spoke to them earlier added, "We couldn't get in touch with the staff… this elevator's always a problem."
Irina and Park Dong climbed out.
"…Y-Yes… thank you…"
Outside, silence hung thick between them.
They stood side by side, facing forward, completely still neither daring to speak first.
After a moment, Park Dong finally broke it.
"…Should we go home?"
"Yeah… let's do that," Irina replied.
He glanced at her. "…Even if I'm not walking you back?"
Her eyes stayed fixed ahead. "I'll just go alone."
They both turned in opposite directions then hesitated.
"…Yeah, well then… go," he muttered.
"…Yeah…"
They each took a few steps.
"IRINA!"
She turned back. "Y-Yeah?"
Park Dong stood frozen, his face burning red, sweat beading at his temples, his nervousness plain for her to see.
"Then… starting today…" he stammered, "…we're counting it as our first day?"
Irina froze.
She looked back for half a second, eyes wide, then quickly turned away and ran off, yelling, "I DON- I DON'T KNOW, YOU DUMBASS!!"
Park Dong stood there, watching her retreating figure with a stunned look then slowly grinned, a hand pressed over his racing heart.
-
Seol Minsu stood by the window in his sister's room, a cigarette resting between his fingers.
In his other hand was a photo.
Seolhyo, on Seojin's back, laughing by the stream.
His fingers trembled slightly as he held it, jaw tightening.
He had only meant to put her phone back in the drawer but then he noticed it.
A stack of sealed photos.
So that's why she seemed off when I called her that time…
He brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled slowly.
By the time he lowered his hand, only the butt remained.
Turning, he placed the photo back in the drawer, sliding it carefully into the stack of neatly sealed pictures.
His mind flickered
Seol Hyorim, in elementary school, walks up to him and scolds him.
"Oppa, stop fighting! You're supposed to get along!"
Then middle school arms crossed, looking at him tiredly:
"Did you fight again? Seriously, what's wrong with you?"
And finally, high school
Her voice trembling, gripping his arm, eyes glossy with tears.
"Can you stop, please…? These are my friends…"
"…Do you even think about how they'll look at me after all this?""Have you ever worried about that?"
Minsu stood there for a moment, staring at the drawer.
Then, slowly, he closed it.
He turned and walked out of the room.
Morning came softly.
Seolhyo stirred awake.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Seojin's sleeping face.
Her face instantly flushed red as realization hit.
"KYAAA! Why did I do that?!"
Her thoughts spiraled, her eyes unfocused as she stared at him.
Then she felt it his hand resting on her waist, shifting slightly.
T-That hand…
it touched no, it groped it…
and I let him…!!
AAAHHH!"
She finally noticed her own hand, which had stayed inside Seojin's shirt the whole night, resting against his body mostly his abs and chest.
Her fingers were pressed against his abs.
Slowly, she moved it, tracing along his muscles.
It's so… firm…
Seojin stirred, feeling the movement.
Seojin stirred awake, feeling the faint movement.
He opened his eyes and saw Seolhyo looking down, her fingers tracing along his body.
He smirk and say. "Have you touched enough?"
Hearing his voice, Seolhyo jolted, instantly pulling her hand away.
She looked up only to meet his teasing smile and immediately buried her face into his chest in embarrassment.
He chuckled softly and moved his hand from her waist, gently caressing the back of her head before sliding to her cheek and cupping it, guiding her to face him.
"Good morning, Rim…"
Her eyes, which had been closed, fluttered open. A shy, genuine smile formed on her lips.
"…Good morning, Jin."
Seojin leaned down and gave her a quick, soft peck on the lips.
"Should we get something to eat?" he asked warmly.
She nodded, his hand still gently brushing her cheek.
After a few more minutes of cuddling, they crawled out and headed to the dining area.
They sat cross-legged across from each other, a low table between them. Seojin ordered seaweed soup for both of them.
While waiting, he looked at her.
"After this, you're going home."
Seolhyo frowned, holding Seojin's flip phone and playing Snake.
The snake died as she failed to press left in time, causing it to run into itself.
"…No. I don't want to."
"You have to. I'll come with you."
She restarted the game. "…I don't want to see him."
Seojin sighed. "If you don't come home and keep avoiding him, he might start calling people to look for you. And if that happens, others could get dragged into it too Daegyu, Park Dong, Heejun. Do you really want that?"
Her hands paused as the snake died again.
"…No way… he wouldn't mess with them too, would he…?"
She set the phone down, thinking.
"…He totally might. Easily…"
Her eyes turn to him.
"You'll come with me…?"
Seojin nodded.
"But my brother already knows about us… he might start throwing punches at you again…"
Seojin chuckled. "That's probably why he hit me yesterday too. HAHA."
Seolhyo groaned, burying her face in her hands. "This is a disaster…"
"Seaweed soup is ready~"
Their order was called, cutting through the tension.
Seojin stood up and headed to the counter to get the tray.
They ate while talking quietly.
After finishing, they cleaned up, changed back into their clothes, and stepped outside.
The morning air greeted them.
They walked side by side toward her house.
Seojin glanced at her she was biting her fingernails.
He sighed, gently taking her hand and pulling it away from her mouth.
"Calm down… he already knows. No point stressing over it."
She nodded and held onto his hand more firmly.
They arrived at the building.
Seolhyo took a deep breath before opening the glass doors.
They walked up to the second floor and stopped in front of a red door.
Seojin knocked lightly before pushing it open since it wasn't locked.
Inside, Seol Minsu sat on the floor of the living room, one arm resting on his knee, gaze fixed on the ground.
"Minsu hyung… she's here." Seojin said.
He didn't look up and even gave a response.
Seeing no reaction, Seojin decided to leave the siblings to talk it out themselves.
"I'll be going now."
He turned to Seolhyo and gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay."
He glanced at Minsu, then sneakily gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"See you tomorrow."
She nodded faintly. "Be careful on your way."
After he stepped out, she closed the door behind her.
The sound echoed softly in the room.
Without saying anything, she walked straight toward her room, reaching for the doorknob
When Minsu's voice cut through the silence.
"Why even come back if you're just going to crawl here again?"
Seolhyo froze, then turned her head slightly, her voice sharp and trembling.
"You think I came back because I wanted to? If it weren't for Seojin, I wouldn't have come back. I could've just stayed at his place. I only came because who knows you might've pull some group punishment on all my friends again."
Her grip tightened on the knob.
"You think I'd let them get humiliated again just because of you?"
She twisted it open, stepped inside her room, and slammed the door shut behind her.