[L]ee Ju-hee strolled in wearing a black sweatsuit and socks, catching the others mid-table-setting.
"Wait, you had spare clothes in your car? You just saved us from a wardrobe meltdown! Thanks, man!" Han-sol said, juggling plates of soup, rice, side dishes, kimchi, and pickled radish.
Min-ho, now in sweatpants and a plain white tee, shrugged nonchalantly. "No biggie. Noona and I are just moved to this city anyway, that's why."
Truth be told, Min-ho always had spare clothes in his trunk for his noona's wardrobe emergencies but he decided to keep that bit to himself.
"Oh, you're not from around here, then?" Han-sol asked, curious.
Min-ho started to respond, "Not exactly—"
But Lee Ju-hee's sudden remark shifted their focus. "Hmm, it smells delicious."
The living room and dining area were all in one open space, and Han-sol's apartment was nothing fancy, just your average place.
Jin-ho arrived with a tray of glasses and drinks, eyeing Lee Ju-hee's outfit before asking, "So, where's Ha-eun?"
Lee Ju-hee glanced over her shoulder and deadpanned, "She's still getting ready."
As he placed the tray on the table, Jin-ho added, "Cool, we're almost good to go! Food's almost set."
Min-ho and Han-sol had really outdone themselves with the food setup. Meanwhile, Jin-ho couldn't help but want to sit next to Lee Ju-hee.
Then, Yoonjae walked in, sporting grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt borrowed from Han-sol, followed by Ha-eun.
"I'm starving!" Ha-eun playfully patted her tummy.
Han-sol chuckled and said, "Perfect timing. Let's dive in."
Without missing a beat, Ha-eun rushed to the table and patted the empty chair next to her. "Unnie, sit here!"
Jin-ho's hope of sitting beside her seemed to fade, but he wasn't about to give up that easily, thinking, 'Well, if Ha-eun's got the seat on her left, I can just snag the one on her right, right?'
However, just as Lee Ju-hee settled into her chair, Min-ho smoothly slipped in, handing her a bowl of rice and shooting Jin-ho a cheeky glance over his shoulder.
Jin-ho clenched his teeth, a noticeable vein pulsing in his jaw. He really wanted to give Min-ho a piece of his mind, but he restrained himself, considering that Min-ho was their guest.
After some contemplation, Jin-ho resignedly took the seat next to Ha-eun, his expression firm.
Observing Jin-ho's mood, Lee Ju-hee discreetly pushed her untouched bowl of rice his way and softly said, "Here." The gesture took him off guard.
"Come on, Noona?" Min-ho whined.
"Don't tease him, Min," Lee Ju-hee chided discreetly, before signaling for Jin-ho to take it with her eyes.
After a bit of hesitation, Jin-ho accepted the bowl, making sure to shoot a smug smirk in Min-ho's direction.
"Tsk!" Min-ho scoffed, shifting his attention to his food.
Ha-eun, seemingly oblivious to the competitiveness brewing between Min-ho and Jin-ho, chimed in, "I want rice from Unnie too!"
"Sure thing!" Lee Ju-hee nodded, serving her trainee a bowl of rice as well.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Han-sol shook his head with a sly smile as he added a piece of braised pork to Yoonjae's rice.
Dinner went by pretty peacefully. When it was time to turn in, Lee Ju-hee and Ha-eun shared Nari's bedroom.
Han-sol and Yoonjae bunked together in another room, leaving Min-ho and Jin-ho to crash in the living room.
Min-ho seemed a bit uneasy about the arrangement, and Han-sol couldn't help but comment, "What's the issue?"
"Can't I just share a room with you guys? I'll take the floor mattress!" Min-ho suggested.
"Hah, is there some kind of rivalry going on between you two?" Han-sol quipped, amused by the situation.
Min-ho and Jin-ho exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads in disagreement, even though their actions suggested otherwise.
"Alright then!" Han-sol agreed with a chuckle.
***
In the dead of night, the call of nature couldn't be ignored any longer. Jin-ho reluctantly peeled himself away from the comfort of the couch and duvet, making a beeline for the guest restroom.
As he tiptoed across the hallway, he noticed the familiar outline of Ha-eun standing by Nari's bedroom door. Jin-ho halted, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Ha-eun? Can't sleep?" he whispered, unintentionally startling her. She jumped a bit, then put a finger to her lips, hushing him.
"What's up?" he muttered, curious as he approached her.
"Oppa, I think... Unnie's having a nightmare."
"What do you mean?" he asked, just as a moan emanated from Nari's room.
Jin-ho peered inside and narrowed his eyes as he realized that Lee Ju-hee, who appeared to be sleeping on a floor mattress, was clearly struggling.
"Let's just wake her up," Jin-ho suggested gently, putting aside his urge to use the restroom. As he entered the room, he noticed the hoodie she'd worn at dinner discarded nearby.
Kneeling beside her, he reached over to switch on the small lamp on Nari's bedside table.
Just then, his gaze shifted down her frame, her disheveled state apparent. The white tight top she wore clung to her body, damp with sweat in patches.
He couldn't help but notice the bruises creeping from beneath the low neckline of her top, likely remnants of what had happened at the club earlier.
Realizing why she might be having a nightmare, he whispered to Ha-eun, "Could you grab me a clean towel, please?"
With a nod, Ha-eun disappeared into the hallway, leaving Jin-ho alone with Lee Ju-hee. His brown eyes softened as they landed back on her face. He noticed a strand of her white hair sticking to her cheek and attempted to brush it away.
In that moment, her eyes shot open, and before he knew it, Jin-ho was lying flat on the floor mattress, her body poised above him, her hand tightly gripping his t-shirt, and her face hovering dangerously close.
He let out a sharp hiss, a vein pulsing in his jaw as he fought to keep his composure, especially with one of her knee brushing delectably against his crotch.
Clearly, she had no idea how hot she was.
Her breathing was ragged, and her eyes seemed a bit unfocused. "Calm down. It's just a nightmare," Jin-ho reassured her, pushing her hair gently out of her face.
Narrowing her eyes, she asked in a cold tone, "What are you doing here?"
His gaze seemed fixated on her lips, and he had to muster considerable self-control to tear his eyes away.
"Ha-eun mentioned you were struggling in your sleep," he mumbled, raising his hands defensively and nodding toward her hand gripping his shirt.
After regaining her composure, she released her grip on him and sighed. "I see..."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"About what?" She inquired, settling back onto the bedding.
"The bruises," Jin-ho gestured toward her chest. Just then, she noticed her disheveled state, with part of her black bra peeking through. She quickly reached for her hoodie.
Slipping it on casually, she downplayed the situation. "It's nothing."
"Are you sure you're—"
At that moment, Ha-eun returned with a dry towel. "Unnie, you're awake!"
"Hmm," Lee Ju-hee nodded, adding, "Sorry for making you worry."
"It's nothing, Unnie, really," Ha-eun reassured, handing the towel to her. "You've been sweating a lot. You might want to change into fresh clothes. Should I wake up Min-ho Oppa?"
"No need!" Both Lee Ju-hee and Jin-ho refused simultaneously, paused slightly and exchanged a few glances among themselves.
To clarify the situation, Jin-ho offered, "I'll take care of it. Go back to sleep, Ha-eun."
Not entirely sure what to make of it, Ha-eun seemed to hesitate. But Lee Ju-hee nodded in agreement. "Yeah, go sleep. I'll be back in a bit."
As she stood up, she extended a hand to Jin-ho to help him up. He stared at her hand for a moment before accepting it, and together, they made their way outside.
Lee Ju-hee closed the door behind her after taking one last glance at Ha-eun to ensure she was settled in bed.
When her blue eyes met brown again, her breath nearly hitched in her throat. Yoo Jin-ho, her sworn enemy, was regarding her with a swirl of dark emotions in his eyes.
"What?" She demanded, her voice trembling slightly at the end.
"Come with me," he said simply, turning toward the living room, having entirely forgotten his trip to the toilet.
Lee Ju-hee hesitated to follow, torn by the thought that had plagued her all night: What if she'd made a mistake by agreeing to have dinner with them?
Fortunately, her training in detecting poison had paid off – the food was safe.
"You coming?" His voice pulled her out of her reverie from down the dim hallway.
With a nod and furrowed brows, she replied, "Yeah, sure."