The crisp evening air was filled with the hum of Seoul's bustling streets as Chrystal and Man-shik walked side by side, their arms brushing occasionally. The tension that had once defined their interactions was now replaced by an easy rhythm of laughter and conversation.

"You're seriously saying that pineapple belongs on pizza?" Man-shik teased, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

Chrystal smirked, nudging him with her elbow. "Absolutely. It's a perfect balance of sweet and savory. But knowing you, I'm guessing you're one of those purists who only eats margherita."

"It's not being a purist," he countered, his grin widening. "It's called having taste."

Chrystal laughed, the sound light and infectious. "You're lucky I find your bad opinions charming. Otherwise, this relationship would be off to a rocky start."

Man-shik's steps faltered for a moment, the word relationship hanging in the air between them. He recovered quickly, though, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips. "So, you're admitting this is a relationship now?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. "Don't push your luck."

Later that evening, they decided to stop at a nearby convenience store to pick up snacks for a movie night. Chrystal immediately made a beeline for her favorite aisle, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the shelf stocked with honey butter chips.

Man-shik trailed behind, grabbing random items and pretending to judge her choices. "Do you ever eat anything healthy?" he asked, holding up a pack of seaweed snacks.

"Healthy is overrated," she replied, tossing a bag of chips into her basket. "Besides, this is a movie night, not a health retreat."

"Fair point," he conceded, plucking a pack of spicy ramen off the shelf. "But if you get to indulge, so do I."

As they wandered down separate aisles, Chrystal suddenly found herself face-to-face with a tall, well-dressed man holding a can of soda. He smiled warmly, his gaze lingering a little too long.

"Excuse me," the man said, his voice smooth. "Do you know if the chocolate bars are in this aisle or the next?"

Chrystal glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Next aisle over," she said politely, turning her attention back to the shelf in front of her.

"Thanks," he said, not moving. "By the way, I couldn't help but notice you. You have a really beautiful smile."

Chrystal blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, uh... thanks."

Before she could say anything else, Man-shik appeared around the corner, his expression instantly shifting when he saw the man standing a little too close to Chrystal.

"Hey," Man-shik said casually, his arm draping over Chrystal's shoulder with the kind of ease that screamed claiming territory. "Everything okay here?"

The man looked between them, his smile faltering. "Yeah, just asking for directions to the chocolate aisle."

Man-shik nodded, his expression polite but his tone laced with sarcasm. "Ah, well, you found more than directions, didn't you? This is my girlfriend."

The man's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize—"

"No harm done," Man-shik said smoothly, his smirk bordering on smug. "Just a little friendly advice: chocolate's great, but it won't get you out of awkward situations like this."

The man mumbled an apology and quickly walked away, leaving Chrystal standing there with her mouth slightly open.

"Seriously?" she said, turning to Man-shik.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Chrystal stepped closer, pinning him against the coolers with a sly grin. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned in, her voice dipping into a teasing whisper. "Careful, Man-shik. Keep pulling stunts like that, and you might unlock a new character."

Man-shik blinked, his trademark smirk vanishing as his brain short-circuited. "Unlock? Unlock what?"

Chrystal let her gaze flicker to his lips for the briefest second before stepping back with a triumphant smirk. "Guess you'll have to find out."

Man-shik stood frozen for a beat before snapping out of it. He straightened, calling after her as she walked away. "Wait, wait! How do I unlock it? Is it like a cheat code? Do I need to do a side quest?" He threw his hands up in mock frustration. "Chrystal, you can't just drop that on me! Unlock! Unlock!"

Chrystal glanced back over her shoulder, her laughter ringing out as she waved him off. "Good luck with that."

Man-shik muttered to himself, still standing there, his face a mix of bewilderment and intrigue. "I need a walkthrough for this woman..."

That weekend, they went on their first official date, settling on a cozy café tucked away in a quiet neighborhood. The atmosphere was intimate, with soft jazz playing in the background and the scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air.

"You know," Chrystal said, stirring her latte, "I'm half expecting something to go wrong tonight. We don't exactly have a great track record with peaceful outings."

Man-shik chuckled. "Relax. I've planned everything down to the last detail. Nothing can go wrong."

Fate, however, had other plans.

Just as they were enjoying their appetizers, a familiar voice called out. "Man-shik?"

Both of them looked up to see a woman standing by their table. She was striking, her outfit impeccable, and her smile a little too eager.

"Wow, it's been ages," the woman said, ignoring Chrystal entirely.

"Uh, hey, Hana," Man-shik said, his voice tinged with discomfort.

Chrystal's eyebrows shot up. Hana? She didn't need a detailed backstory to guess who this was.

Hana's gaze flicked to Chrystal for the first time, her smile faltering slightly. "Oh, I didn't realize you were on a date."

Chrystal leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Not just a date. I'm his girlfriend."

Hana's smile tightened. "Really? That's... surprising."

Chrystal tilted her head, her voice dripping with faux politeness. "Surprising how?"

"Well," Hana said, clearly flustered, "it's just that Man-shik has always been so—"

"Selective?" Chrystal cut in, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, he is. Lucky for him, he made the right choice this time."

Man-shik bit back a grin, watching as Hana struggled to find a response.

"Well, it was nice seeing you," Hana said finally, her tone clipped.

"You too," Chrystal replied sweetly, watching as Hana walked away with her head held high.

Man-shik let out a low whistle. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Chrystal smirked. "Oh, you're already there. But you're cute, so I let it slide."

Man-shik laughed, reaching across the table to take her hand. "Thanks for that, by the way. I think you scared her off for good."

"Good," Chrystal said, squeezing his hand. "I don't share."

As they finished their meal, the tension from earlier melted away, replaced by an easy warmth that felt new and familiar all at once.

Later, as they walked back to the car, Man-shik slipped his arm around Chrystal's waist, pulling her closer.

"You know," he said, his voice low, "I kind of like seeing you all possessive. It's... hot."

Chrystal rolled her eyes, but her cheeks flushed. "Don't get used to it. That was a one-time thing."

"Sure," he said, smirking. "Whatever you say."

They reached the car, and as he opened the door for her, Chrystal paused, looking up at him with a small smile.

"Tonight wasn't perfect," she said, "but it was us. And I think I'm okay with that."

Man-shik leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. "Me too."

For the first time in a long time, neither of them felt the need to fill the silence. Some things didn't need words.