The morning sun crept through the blinds, slashing across Jake's face with the precision of a merciless executioner. He groaned, turning his head to escape the light, but the damage was done.

Sleep clung to his body like a lead blanket, pinning him to the mattress. Every muscle ached—from his legs, sore from chasing Ni-ki around the arcade like a lunatic, to his arms, still stiff from the ill-advised Dance Dance Revolution battle. Why had he tried to keep up with someone three years younger and infinitely more coordinated?

He groaned again, louder this time, hoping the universe might take pity on him and let him fall back asleep.

But no. The world was cruel, and Jake Sim was its favorite target.

He cracked one eye open. The red glow of the alarm clock read 09:32. Late by their usual standards, but considering he hadn't crashed until nearly 3 a.m., it still felt like punishment.

The events of last night flickered through his mind in disjointed flashes. The arcade. The laughter. The photo booth. Ni-ki's voice, light and teasing, dancing through his thoughts like an uninvited guest.

"Did you ever think your soulmate might just be the person who makes you feel safe?"

Jake squeezed his eyes shut. Safe. Ni-ki, of all people, talking about safety. The same Ni-ki who had spent three straight hours trying to obliterate him in every game possible. The same Ni-ki who had smirked as Jake tripped over his own feet during DDR.

Safe? Yeah, right.

His stomach twisted. He shoved the thought aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. That was his go-to solution for all complicated emotions: ignore them until they either resolved themselves or came back to haunt him at the worst possible moment.

And right now, caffeine took priority over existential crises about soulmates.

Jake shuffled toward the kitchen like a zombie, hair sticking out in every possible direction. His oversized T-shirt hung off his frame, and his socks—one striped, one plain—slid across the hardwood floors as he dragged himself through the hall.

The door to the kitchen stood slightly ajar, warm laughter spilling through the gap. Jake paused. His instincts kicked in, whispering that something was off. The kind of off that usually involved him being the punchline.

He pushed the door open.

The ambush was immediate.

"Well, well, well." Heeseung was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, eyes glinting like a cat who'd just cornered a mouse. "Look who decided to rejoin the land of the living."

Jake froze. His eyes swept across the room. All of them were there. Sunghoon perched on a stool, Sunoo sitting cross-legged on the counter, Jay leaning against the fridge. And Ni-ki—of course Ni-ki—lounging in a chair, hands folded behind his head like he'd been waiting for this moment his entire life.

It was a trap. He should've seen it coming.

"Good morning, lover boy," Sunghoon greeted, voice dripping with mock sweetness.

Jake groaned, running a hand down his face. "I hate all of you."

"That's not what the photobooth pictures say," Ni-ki piped up from across the room, smirk firmly in place.

Jake's head snapped up. "Don't you dare."

"Too late!" Ni-ki reached into his hoodie pocket with theatrical flair, pulling out a strip of glossy photos. "Look at this masterpiece, everyone."

Jake lunged.

Ni-ki was faster. He darted behind the couch, holding the photos high like a trophy.

"See this one?" he called, waving the strip around like a flag. "That's the exact moment he realized he actually likes having fun. And here—" he flipped to the next frame "—that's when he tried to act cool but was blushing so hard I thought he might pass out."

Sunoo gasped, hand flying to his mouth. "Wait, Jake blushed? Actual blushing? I need to see this."

"No, you don't," Jake barked, circling the couch. Ni-ki zig-zagged around the furniture with the grace of a professional escape artist, grinning like a madman.

"Sharing is caring!" Heeseung called.

"Sharing is definitely caring," Jay agreed. "Come on, Ni-ki, don't be selfish."

Jake launched himself over the armrest. Ni-ki ducked, bolting toward the hallway. Jake twisted mid-air, landed with a thud, scrambled to his feet, and took off after him. Their footsteps thundered through the dorm.

"Give me those photos, you menace!" Jake yelled.

"Never!" Ni-ki cackled.

The chase ended with Jake crashing into the hall closet door, Ni-ki vaulting over a laundry basket, and the photos fluttering to the ground like fallen leaves. Jake dove, snatching them before Ni-ki could, then scrambled upright, chest heaving.

Victory. Finally.

He turned to glare at Ni-ki, who was bent over, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.

"You're the worst," Jake said, breathless.

"And yet," Ni-ki gasped, wiping his eyes, "you had fun yesterday."

Jake opened his mouth to argue—but he didn't. Because it was true. And Ni-ki knew it.

They trudged back to the kitchen, Jake shoving the photos into his pocket. He planted himself next to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup while the others watched, barely holding in their laughter.

"Okay, okay," Jay said, holding up his hands. "We'll stop. For now. But we do have one serious question."

Jake didn't trust him for a second. "What?"

Jay leaned against the counter, smirking. "So... which date's been your favorite so far? Be honest."

The others perked up immediately. Sunoo scooted closer. Heeseung arched an eyebrow.

Jake groaned into his coffee. "I'm not answering that."

"Aw, come on," Sunghoon drawled. "What about the worst? Give us something."

"Nope."

"What about who was the most handsome?" Ni-ki asked casually.

Jake rubbed his temples. "Why am I friends with you people?"

"Because you love us," Heeseung said cheerfully.

Before Jake could respond, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor cut through the laughter. They all turned.

Jungwon, who had been sitting quietly at the corner of the table the entire time, set his mug down with a soft clink. He glanced at Jake, his expression unreadable.

"Leave him alone," Jungwon said mildly. "He has another date today."

The room went still.

Jake froze mid-sip. The coffee turned to ash in his mouth. His heart plummeted to his feet.

Sunoo gasped. "Wait." He pointed at Jungwon, then swung toward Jake. "Wait, wait, wait. It's Jungwon's turn?"

"Oh my god," Jake whispered.

Jay burst out laughing. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Heeseung whistled. "Leader mode on a date? I can't imagine it."

Jake set the mug down with shaky hands. "No. No, no, no. Are you serious?"

Jungwon tilted his head, eyes glinting. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You're—you're you," Jake sputtered. "You're responsible. You're logical. You're—you're terrifying when you're in leader mode."

"Who says I'm bringing leader mode?" Jungwon asked, completely deadpan.

"Oh god." Jake slumped against the counter. "This is going to be a disaster."

"It's going to be iconic," Ni-ki corrected, eyes twinkling.

Jake buried his face in his hands. He was one date away from finishing this soulmate experiment. One date.

He had survived Sunghoon's competitive ice-skating challenge, Jay's chaotic dinner date, Heeseung's festival of doom, Sunoo's hyper-planned shopping day, and, somehow, Ni-ki's arcade ambush.

And now he had to survive a date with Jungwon. The calm, unflappable captain of their group. The strategist. The one person Jake couldn't predict.

He peeked through his fingers. Jungwon met his gaze across the room, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Yeah. Jake was doomed.

The practice room was dimly lit, the faint glow from the overhead lights casting long, lazy shadows across the polished wooden floor.

Jake had been here for hours, sweat dripping down his temples, soaking through the back of his shirt. His legs burned, his shoulders ached, and every time he shifted his weight, his muscles screamed in protest.

But stopping wasn't an option—not today, not when the guilt gnawed at him with every missed beat, every imperfect move. The others had been practicing religiously while he'd been... going on dates. Date after date after date.

He grimaced mid-step, nearly tripping over his own foot. Who the hell agreed to dates right before a comeback? Oh, right. Him.

Well, technically, not him. Jake was convinced the others had collectively orchestrated his downfall. From the moment he'd caved and downloaded the SoulMatch99 app, it had all spiraled. He'd figured it was just a joke, something harmless. A fun experiment. He didn't think it would lead to actual dates with his best friends, or to them turning into a pack of teasing hyenas every morning at breakfast.

And he definitely hadn't expected... feelings. Real ones. Unwelcome, confusing ones that made his head hurt more than the endless choreography he was trying to nail down.

Jake let out a frustrated groan and dropped to the floor, lying spread-eagle with his chest heaving. His phone, sitting abandoned on the edge of the practice room, lit up with notifications.

He squinted at it but didn't move. Probably Ni-ki sending more blackmail material from yesterday's arcade fiasco. He could still hear Ni-ki's smug voice in his head. "You were so red, hyung."

Jake covered his face with both hands. He really was going to have to kill Ni-ki in his sleep. There was no other solution.

His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the next date. The last one. With Jungwon. And if Jake were being completely honest with himself, it scared him more than any of the others had.

Not because Jungwon was scary—Jungwon was the responsible, level-headed leader. The one who held the group together. But there was something about the way Jungwon looked at him sometimes, like he saw right through Jake's carefully crafted nonchalance. And Jake didn't know if he was ready for that.

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his spiral. The door creaked open, and Jungwon stepped inside, his expression unreadable as usual.

He wore a loose hoodie and joggers, hair tousled like he'd just rolled out of bed, but his eyes were sharp and focused as they landed on Jake sprawled on the floor.

"Tired?" Jungwon asked, leaning against the doorway.

Jake groaned dramatically. "Extremely."

Jungwon smirked and crossed his arms. "You can survive one more."

"One more practice or one more date?"

Jungwon tilted his head. "Both."

Jake pushed himself up to a seated position, wiping his forehead with the hem of his shirt.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He forced a laugh, but his heart was already racing.

One more date. The final one. And then what? He'd just... pick someone? His friends. His family. How the hell was he supposed to choose when every single date had reminded him how much he cared about each of them? How much he loved them—just in completely different ways.

The room fell into a comfortable silence as Jungwon crossed the floor and sat beside him, pulling his knees to his chest. For a while, they just stared at their reflections in the mirror, Jake's face flushed and hair a mess, Jungwon as calm and composed as always.

Eventually, Jake broke the silence. "So... what are we doing today?"

Jungwon's lips twitched into a half-smile. "You'll see."

Jake groaned. "Come on. Can't you just tell me?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"I hate surprises."

"No, you don't."

Jake huffed, leaning his head back against the mirror. "I hate your surprises."

Jungwon laughed, soft and low. The kind of laugh that always made Jake's stomach twist without warning. "Trust me," Jungwon said. "You'll like this one."

Jake didn't trust him at all.

They sat like that for another few minutes until Jungwon stood abruptly and stretched. His hoodie rode up slightly, exposing a sliver of skin, and Jake immediately tore his gaze away, annoyed at himself.

When did this start happening? When did his brain start short-circuiting every time Jungwon—or his other members, did something as normal as stretching?

Jungwon caught his eye in the mirror and arched an eyebrow. "Nervous?"

Jake sat up straighter. "W-What? No."

"Good," Jungwon said, turning toward the door. He shot Jake one last look over his shoulder. "You should be."

The shower had done little to wash away the nerves knotting in Jake's chest. The hot water had pounded against his muscles, soothing the ache from hours of dancing, but his mind hadn't stopped racing.

He stood barefoot in the middle of his room, hair damp and sticking to his forehead, heart still thudding from anticipation rather than exertion.

Tonight was the last date. With Jungwon. And if Jake was being honest, it felt different from the others. The other dates had been chaotic, loud, full of teasing and laughter and unexpected twists that left him dizzy.

Each time, Jake had walked away breathless and confused, unsure whether the flutter in his chest was from adrenaline or something more.

But Jungwon... Jungwon was different. The thought of this date made Jake's palms sweat more than any performance ever had.

He ruffled his hair with a towel and sighed. His reflection in the mirror stared back: grey sweatpants, black t-shirt, still flushed from the heat of the shower. Barely presentable. He'd just finished considering changing when his phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Jungwon: "Let's go."

Jake blinked at the screen. Go where? He tapped out the question and sent it, pacing the room while he waited for a reply. It came almost immediately.

Jungwon: "Just trust me."

Jake groaned, dragging a hand down his face. The words did nothing to ease the tension in his chest. "Just trust me" was never a good sign.

A knock sounded at his door. Jake turned to see Jungwon leaning casually against the doorframe. The younger boy was dressed in dark jeans and a navy-blue hoodie, hair styled just enough to look effortlessly good without trying. Jake's stomach flipped against his will.

"Let's go," Jungwon said, voice light.

"Go where?" Jake asked again, helpless.

Jungwon's eyes glimmered with amusement. "You'll see."

Jake groaned. "That's what Heeseung said before the festival of doom."

Jungwon's laugh was soft, familiar. "This isn't that. I promise. Just trust me."

Jake hesitated, gesturing at his clothes. "I'm not even properly dressed for...whatever this is."

Jungwon's gaze swept over him, slow and appraising in a way that made Jake shift his weight. "Doesn't matter," Jungwon said easily. "Let's go."

"It's not fair you get to look good and I look all basic," Jake muttered, tugging self-consciously at the hem of his shirt.

Jungwon's lips twitched. "You think I look good?"

Jake froze. His heart skipped so violently it physically hurt. "I didn't mean—wait, no, I didn't say—"

Jungwon's grin widened, eyes sparkling. "Relax, hyung. No one's going to see us anyway. It doesn't matter what you wear." He turned toward the hallway, throwing one last glance over his shoulder. "You look good like that, anyway."

Jake stood there, rooted to the spot. His skin prickled with heat. He wanted to argue or laugh it off or pretend the words hadn't made his heart lurch—but his tongue felt like lead.

He heard Jungwon's footsteps fade down the hallway and let out a strangled breath.

"You're losing your mind," he mumbled to himself.

But he followed Jungwon anyway.

Outside, parked by the curb, was a sleek black car. One of the company's vehicles, the kind they usually took to schedules. But there was no manager in the driver's seat.

Jungwon walked straight to the driver's side, slid in, and started the engine. The headlights cut through the darkness of the quiet street.

Jake stopped dead. The last time one of his members had shown up in a borrowed company car, he'd ended up trapped at a festival with Heeseung, his pride thoroughly dismantled by the end of the night.

His instincts screamed at him to turn back, but then Jungwon leaned across the console and popped open the passenger door.

"You coming?"

Jake hesitated a second longer, then climbed in. The door shut with a soft click, locking him into the quiet of the car. The leather seats were cold against his skin, and the faint scent of air freshener mixed with something distinctly Jungwon lingered in the air—soap, clean and familiar.

Jungwon pulled away from the curb without another word. The city unfolded around them, neon signs casting colorful reflections across the dashboard as they weaved through late-night traffic.

The windows were cracked open, letting in the cool night air, and a low playlist hummed softly from the speakers.

Jake fidgeted, glancing at Jungwon out of the corner of his eye. He'd expected teasing or some grand reveal about the night's plan.

But Jungwon just drove, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping absently against his thigh in time with the music. His expression was calm, gaze fixed on the road.

Jake exhaled slowly and let himself relax into the seat. The tension that had been riding his shoulders for the past week began to ease. There was no need to fill the silence. No forced laughter. Just the quiet hum of the car and the occasional whoosh of cool night air rushing in through the open windows.

He turned his face toward the breeze and closed his eyes. For once, his mind wasn't racing with choreography counts, vocal corrections, or the impossible task of choosing between his friends.

It was just... still.

After what felt like forever, Jake opened his eyes and spoke softly. "This is nice."

Jungwon, still watching the road, smiled faintly. "Yeah."

The simplicity of it surprised Jake. No joke, no teasing follow-up. Just one word. Yeah.

The quiet stretched on, comfortable and unhurried. The city lights blurred past like watercolor paintings, and Jake realized, with a strange pang, that this was what he'd been missing all along.

Every other date had been loud—full of competition and teasing. But this was just existing.

His thoughts wandered as the music shifted to a slower, more melancholic melody. He had downloaded SoulMatch99 on a whim, thinking it was ridiculous. He hadn't expected his friends—his family—to pounce on it like it was some grand opportunity to torture him. He hadn't expected dates with all of them. He certainly hadn't expected the lines to blur like this.

The car slowed at a red light, the glow from the traffic signal casting soft, shifting patterns on the car's ceiling. Jungwon drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and turned to look at Jake.

"You look tired," Jungwon said softly.

Jake blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"

Jungwon's smile was