Luca drove his classic scooter at a moderate pace, his eyes fixed on the road, occasionally glancing in the rearview mirror to see Seo-in's face.
"How was your day?" he asked lightly, without looking back.
Seo-in clung a little tighter to Luca's waist, the wind whipping through her hair as they weaved through the busy Bremen streets.
"It was fine," she called over the hum of the scooter engine, still trying to shake off the lingering tension from her conversation with Ye-rin. "Just classes and studying."
Luca nodded, his grip on the handlebars tightening ever so slightly. "And your friend?" he asked nonchalantly, but there was an undercurrent of possessiveness in his tone.
Seo-in bit back a sigh, knowing where this conversation was headed. "Ye-rin is fine," she replied, careful to keep her voice neutral. "She was just ... checking on me, you know."
Luca's shoulders tensed ever soslightly under her grip, but he kept his eyes trained on the road.
"She doesn't trust me," he muttered, his voice barely above a low growl.
Seo-in chewed her lip, feeling a pang of guilt. She knew that Ye-rin's protectiveness over her was genuine, but she also knew how much Luca hated feeling like an outsider.
"She just wants to make sure I'm safe," she replied, her voice soft but firm. "She's been my closest friend since middle school, she's just..."
Luca interrupted curtly, "Overbearing."
Seo-in exhaled through her nose, resting her forehead lightly between Luca's shoulder blades.
"She's worried," she corrected gently. "Just like how you get when I skip meals or stay up too late studying."
Luca's grip on the handlebars twitched—annoyed but undeniably caught in his own hypocrisy.
"...That's different," he grumbled weakly, knowing full well it wasn't.
The motorcycle slowed as they hit a red light, and he finally chanced a glance over his shoulder at her.
"You need someone to look after you."
His voice was rough but tinged with that frustratingly earnest protectiveness that always disarmed her arguments halfway out of mouth.
Seo-in rolled eyes skyward before leaning forward enough press quick kiss against tense line of jaw just below helmet strap. A cheap trick; one hundred percent effective.
"We need groceries," she countered smoothly while light turned green again— "And maybe ice cream."
Luca let out a huff that was somewhere between frustration and reluctant amusement. He revved the engine and accelerated, weaving through traffic with ease.
"Fine," he conceded, "But we're getting pistachio chocolate chip and not choco mint."
Seo-in laughed lightly, unable to suppress a smile at his petulance.
It was endearing, in its own way. "Deal," she replied, tightening her grip around his waist once more. "Just don't speed. Again."
Luca scoffed but eased off the throttle just slightly, his shoulders relaxing a fraction.
"Tch. I don't speed—I drive efficiently."
Seo-in pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at his defensive tone.
"Right, efficiently," she agreed dryly, fingers brushing absently against the taut fabric of his jacket.
By the time they pulled into the supermarket parking lot, Luca had begrudgingly slowed to something resembling a legal speed—though he still parked with deliberate precision in the farthest corner of the lot. Away from other cars and prying eyes.
He killed the engine and yanked off his helmet before turning to Seo-in with that piercing stare of his.
"You're buying your own damn cereal this time," he muttered as he dismounted. "Last time you complained for three days straight about how I picked 'the wrong kind.'"
Seo-in grinned unrepentantly as she slid off after him, shaking out her wind-tousled hair.
"Because you did! Who buys bran flakes voluntarily, Luca? Are you secretly fifty years old?"
He flicked her forehead lightly in retaliation before tugging her toward him by backpack straps—just close enough for quiet growl against ear:
"Keep insulting me princess see what happens."
She shivered but smirked anyway.
Inside the supermarket, Seo-in picked her favorite fruits—especially peaches and oranges. Meanwhile, Luca was at the vegetable counter next to her, methodically sorting through bell peppers with a furrowed brow. His cooking habits were born out of necessity—Seo-in's idea of "culinary skills" involved burning cereal and setting off fire alarms.
From the fruit section, Seo-in hummed softly while piling ripe peaches into her basket. When she spotted Luca frowning at a suspiciously soft zucchini, she couldn't resist teasing him.
"You look like you're interrogating that vegetable," she called with an amused grin.
Luca didn't glance up from the eggplant in his hand, "because I am," he said flatly before tossing it back into the pile with a sigh. "Rotting. They're all rotting."
Seo-in giggled—but her hand froze mid-reach when Luca suddenly stiffened beside her. His gaze snapped toward something behind them, near the dairy aisle.
A tall man stood frozen there, holding a milk carton. The glint of an expensive watch flashed under the fluorescent lights as their eyes met briefly—before the stranger turned away, pretending sudden interest in the yogurt section instead. But the damage was done. Luca's grip on the grocery basket had gone white-knuckled.
Seo-in's laughter died in her throat. She followed Luca's line of sight, catching a glimpse of the man's sleek suit before he averted his gaze. The stranger's attempt to appear casual only made the air heavier. Luca's jaw clenched. He reached out, taking Seo-in's hand.
"Let's go."
Seo-in didn't protest, feeling the tension in his grip. As they moved down another aisle, she glanced over her shoulder. The man was still there—half-turned, as if he wanted to follow but changed his mind at the last second.
Luca didn't relax until they were three aisles away. His fingers still twitched around hers, like he was debating whether to drag her out of the store entirely.
"Who was that?" Seo-in whispered once they reached the snack section.
Luca exhaled sharply through his nose, scanning their surroundings.
"No idea," he muttered darkly.
And that unsettled him more than anything—the fact that he didn't recognize a potential threat.
Before she could say anything else, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and frowned before silently showing Seo-in the screen.
[Unknown] 18:07 "Tell your boyfriend he might want to rethink dragging women around supermarkets if he knows what's good for him."
Both of them froze, reading the message twice to make sure they weren't misreading it. Then the grocery basket hit the floor with a clatter. Luca turned on his heel, scanning the crowd, fury sharpening his eyes. Seo-in's heart lurched.
She grabbed his sleeve, trying to slow him down. "Luca, wait—"
But he shrugged her off, already locking onto the man from the dairy aisle, now standing further down by the snacks, still pretending to browse.
Luca's voice was low and tight. "Are you sure you don't know that guy?"
Seo-in blinked, startled. "What? No! I've never seen him before in my life."
He studied her face, searching for any flicker of deception. When he saw only confusion and fear, his shoulders dropped slightly.
"...Fine," he muttered. Then he took her wrist again—gentle, but firm—and pulled her toward the checkout.
His only thought now was getting her out of there, before whoever sent that message decided to step closer.