The morning light filtered through the apartment's thin curtains, casting a soft glow on the wooden floor. Yuna stirred in bed, blinking groggily at her phone. 7:42 AM. She groaned, burying her face into her pillow.
She hadn't slept well.
Her mind had been restless all night, replaying the image of Rin standing in their doorway, soaked and silent.
As she sat up, Yuna could hear soft voices coming from the living room. Jiyeon must be up already.
Yuna yawned and got out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. As she exited her room, she could see Jiyeon and Rin sitting at the kitchen table, sipping hot cups of tea.
Rin looked different in the morning light. Still a bit weary, but more alert. His eyes flickered towards Yuna as she entered the room.
Yuna blinked.
"You're… doing the dishes?" she asked, still half-asleep.
Rin glanced at her briefly before looking back at the sink. "Jiyeon made breakfast. I wanted to help."
Jiyeon beamed, placing a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of Yuna. "He insisted."
Yuna sat down at the table and looked at the plate in front of her. The food looked untouched, but what caught her attention was Rin himself.
He was rinsing a pan with a meticulous focus, as if he took great pride in his task. Yuna could see the muscles in his arm flex as he scrubbed away at a stubborn stain, and she couldn't help but let out a small scoff.
Rin finished drying the dish and placed it neatly in the rack before turning toward the table. He hesitated for a second before slowly sitting down across from Yuna, his posture slightly stiff.
Jiyeon, completely unfazed by the awkwardness, happily sipped her coffee. "So, Rin, do you have any plans for today?"
Rin lowered his gaze. "No."
Yuna frowned. "You said you had nowhere to go. What were you planning to do before my sister brought you here?"
There was a brief silence. Rin toyed with the edge of his sleeve. "I didn't have a plan."
Jiyeon shot Yuna a warning look, but Yuna just sighed, stabbing her fork into a piece of egg.
Jiyeon tried to change the subject, but Yuna wasn't satisfied yet.
"So, you were just, what, wandering around in the rain without a plan? No job, no money, nothing at all?"
Rin kept his gaze on the table, avoiding eye contact.
Jiyeon reached across the table, giving Yuna's arm a light squeeze before turning back to Rin. "You can stay here until you figure something out."
Yuna choked on her coffee. "Wait, what? That's not what we agreed on!"
Jiyeon gave her a pointed look. "We never agreed on anything."
Yuna sputtered, trying to protest, but Jiyeon cut her off.
"Yuna, look at him. He's a kid, and he's alone. We can't just throw him out."
Yuna wanted to argue further, but something in Jiyeon's gaze made her fall silent. She looked at Rin, who was now looking at her directly, his eyes unreadable.
"Jiyeon, we don't even know him."
Rin lowered his head slightly, his grip on his toast tightening.
"I know," Jiyeon said softly. "But I also know that he doesn't have anywhere to go. And I don't want to throw him back onto the streets when he clearly needs help."
Yuna gritted her teeth, knowing her sister had a point. But the idea of a stranger living in their apartment still made her uneasy.
Jiyeon reached across the table and gently touched Rin's shoulder.
"You'll stay here, okay? Just until you can get yourself sorted out. But you have to promise that you won't cause any trouble."
"…Fine," she muttered. "But he pulls his weight. No freeloaders."
Rin finally looked at her, his expression unreadable. Then, he gave a small nod. "I understand."
Jiyeon clapped her hands together. "Great! Then it's settled."
Yuna had a feeling she was going to regret this.