"Why do you have to interfere in my relationship with Seo-in? She's been my girlfriend for a long time—we love each other. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing something like that, right?" Luca said, voice tight with irritation he rarely showed.
His words hung in the air like something fragile about to crack. Ye-rin stiffened, eyes narrowing, but before she could spit out a comeback, Seo-in shot upright—her gaze sharp and unmistakably dangerous.
"Ye-rin," she said, slowly, each syllable a warning. "Drop it."
Silence washed over the table.
Anya loudly sipped her bubble tea as if that alone could create a buffer zone.
Shockingly, Ye-rin slumped back in her chair, exhaling like a balloon losing air.
"...Fine." She gave Luca one last venomous glare before muttering, "But if you break her heart, I'll break your kneecaps."
Anya nodded solemnly beside her, as though this was a legal clause they all silently agreed to.
Seo-in rolled her eyes so hard it looked painful, but Luca caught the faint relief tugging at the corner of her mouth as she laced their fingers together beneath the table.
"Aish," Luca sighed, shaking his head. "You—both of you—are making me look like some creepy old man who forced her into something!" he burst out, exasperation twisting his expression.
The table froze. Then Anya snorted bubble tea up her nose and immediately started coughing.
Ye-rin's eyes stretched into saucers—utter horror—
Meanwhile, Seo-in broke. She burst into laughter, shoulders trembling with barely-contained hysterics.
She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Wh—what did you just say?"
"No—ja—I mean—It's like the two of you are interrogating me like I assaulted someone!" Luca gestured desperately between Ye-rin and Anya. "Oh my God … yes, I'm a guy, but you know that's impossible!"
He buried his face in his hands and groaned. Then he shot Seo-in a glare—because she was the one who started the spicy scene that morning, and he only followed her lead.
Her last whispered words before they parted had been echoing in his head all day—and his cheeks betrayed him, flushing red.
Seo-in caught the blush, and her laughter died into something breathless, embarrassed. Her own face was definitely heating up too.
Ye-rin and Anya just stared, bewildered, like they'd discovered an entirely new species: a flustered nerd boyfriend.
But Seo-in was too busy reliving that morning to care.
"Oh my god, shut up," she hissed, kicking him under the table.
Luca winced but swallowed any comeback. He simply squeezed her hand under the table—a quiet, grounding reassurance.
Ye-rin observed all of this and squinted, the gears in her head very visibly turning. Anya finally cleared her throat from her bubble-tea incident and leaned back, the perfect picture of someone watching premium-grade drama.
Then Ye-rin sighed dramatically, propping her chin on her palm.
"Alright. I'll admit—this is more entertaining than I expected."
Her eyes flicked from Luca's flushed face to Seo-in's death grip on her straw.
The poor straw was bent at a full 90 degrees.
"But," she added, pointing at Luca, "you're still not off the hook."
Anya nodded like a judge confirming charges, then gently tugged the mangled straw from Seo-in's hand—confiscating the evidence.
"We need details," she declared, dead serious.
Luca opened his mouth—
and immediately shut it when Seo-in elbowed him hard enough to bruise.
Seo-in cleared her throat with a terrifyingly sweet smile.
"There. Will. Be. NO. Details."
Anya grinned.
Ye-rin threw her hands up.
Seo-in abruptly stood, chair scraping loud across the floor. "Alright. This interrogation is over."
She grabbed Luca's wrist and hauled him up.
Luca barely managed to snag his half-finished coffee as she dragged him away.
"RUNNING AWAY ONLY MAKES YOU LOOK MORE SUS!" Ye-rin yelled after them.
But Seo-in was already shoving open the cafeteria doors with her shoulder, muttering about nosy friends and gremlins disguised as humans.
Luca stayed wisely quiet—though a small smirk tugged at his lips as she tightened her grip on his hand.
Back at the table, Ye-rin and Anya shared a glance … then instantly pulled out their phones to update the group chat with aggressive enthusiasm.
Outside, Luca glanced at Seo-in's flustered, annoyed face.
Then his eyes dropped—
to her shoes.
He chuckled. "So you finally listened to me about not wearing heels, huh?"
Seo-in shot him a withering look—but the tiny smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
"Shut up," she muttered.
***
Meanwhile, back in Seo-in's home country, her father was meeting with a businessman named Kim Ha-rin. As their discussion drew to a close, Mr. Ha-rin's gaze drifted to the framed family photo on Mr. Choi's desk — a refined couple with their two attractive teenage children.
He hummed softly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What a fine-looking family," he remarked, gesturing toward the photo. "Your daughter — she's still single, isn't she?"
Mr. Choi's expression didn't change. "Yes," he replied evenly. "She is."
Mr. Kim's smile widened slightly. "My son is looking for a suitable partner. He's accomplished, respectable, well-off — the kind of man any parent would be proud to call their son-in-law."
Mr. Choi remained polite, though his thoughts had already shifted. His daughter's current relationship had long been a source of disappointment. The young man she had chosen lacked refinement, ambition — and class. Perhaps this proposal was worth considering.
"She's still in college," he said, his tone measured. "She hasn't graduated yet."
Mr. Kim chuckled lightly. "All the better. Those years are ideal for finding the right person. My son wouldn't mind supporting her studies — he's generous, and he knows how to take care of what's his."
Mr. Choi gave a faint, approving nod. "That's very considerate of him."
Encouraged, Kim Ha-rin leaned forward slightly. "A union between our families would be beneficial on many levels — for them, and for us. Business ties, social circles, mutual growth."
Mr. Choi exhaled through his nose, silent for a moment. The idea was appealing — far more so than allowing his daughter to continue wasting time with someone beneath her.
"There are advantages," he admitted finally. "But I'll need to discuss this with my wife first. We make decisions together."
Mr. Kim smiled, confident he had gained ground. "Of course, of course. I'm sure she'll agree. After all, what mother wouldn't want her daughter to have security, and a man who can offer it?"
Mr. Choi nodded once, composed. "Perhaps," he said quietly. "I'll bring it up with her."
Mr. Kim's smile widened with satisfaction. "Excellent. I look forward to hearing from you soon."
Mr. Choi returned the smile — thin, polite, deliberate. For the first time in a while, he felt the situation turning in his favor.