Beomgyu’s POV:

As she left, I absentmindedly started adding ice cubes to my coffee, my thoughts replaying the conversation we just had. Honestly, I couldn’t believe myself I’d talked to her like that. The way I managed to hide my sarcasm was nothing short of professional.

Footsteps approached the counter, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced up and saw Yeonjun leaning against the counter, arms crossed.

“Making coffee?” he asked. I nodded, not bothering with a verbal response.

He smirked and leaned closer. “You should cry more often.”

I shot him a sharp glare. “Why?”

Yeonjun chuckled, brushing his fingers close to my cheek. I instinctively leaned back.

“You look cute when you’re crying,” he teased.

“Stop.” I gave him a knowing look. “I know what you’re doing.”

He tilted his head, an amused eyebrow raised. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“You want me to make coffee for you, too, don’t you?”

His laughter broke free, light and easy. “No, but now that you’re offering... pretty please?” He batted his lashes mockingly, his gaze catching mine.

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Fine.”

As we chatted, I busied myself making him a cup. Once it was ready, I handed it to him, and he took it with a small smile.

“Thanks,” he said casually, taking a sip.

I nodded and sipped my own coffee. “You haven’t been going to practice much these days?” I asked after a moment.

Yeonjun shook his head. “I did yesterday... early in the morning. But I couldn’t focus.”

His words made me pause mid-sip. Guilt crept in. “...I’m sorry,” I muttered softly.

Yeonjun raised a brow. “Why?”

“For... burdening you,” I said, fumbling for the right words.

He chuckled lightly, his tone far from annoyed. “Burden me? With what, exactly?”

I clicked my tongue, frustrated. “I don’t know. I feel like I exaggerated the situation with Chaeyon... I acted so dramatic when you all were being mature about it.”

Yeonjun shook his head, sipping his coffee as if weighing his words. When he finally spoke, his tone was gentle.

“Just because you showed your emotions doesn’t mean you were being dramatic. I told Soobin hyung the same thing, we all feel the same way. It’s okay to let it out, Beomgyu. Honestly, I was happy you were being open about it.”

His words caught me off guard. I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t expected him to say that.

“Don’t be sorry,” he added with a small smile.

I nodded, letting his words sink in, and returned his smile. “I guess making you that coffee was worth it, huh?”

He chuckled. “Uh-huh. Definitely.”

After a comfortable silence, I broke the quiet. “By the way... Chaeyon and I talked before you came.”

Yeonjun’s brows lifted in surprise. “Really?”

I nodded.

“I didn’t think she actually would,” he admitted.

I tilted my head, confused. “What do you mean?”

He grinned, leaning back against the counter. “Before you came home with Kai and Taehyun, she asked me if she should talk to you. I told her that if she had the guts, she should go for it.”

“Oh,” I said, processing his words. “Well, we didn’t talk much. She just said she looked forward to getting to know me, and I... hummed.”

Yeonjun smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. “Well, at least you’re making an effort. That’s progress.”

I nodded slowly, then yeonjun asked, “What do you think about Chaeyon?”

He gave me a mischievous grin. I blinked “What do you mean?”

“I mean... her personality,” he clarified.

He sipped his coffee,

I sighed. “I don’t know. We’ve just started talking. But... she’s soft-spoken, and she seems to have patience.”

“With you, especially,” Yeonjun teased. “Honestly, with that attitude of yours, most girls would’ve lost their patience already.”

I smirked, meeting his teasing tone. “Uh-huh. If that’s the case, I know how to quiet girls down.”

Yeonjun laughed, and I couldn’t help but join him.

Yeonjun’s POV:

I liked how things were finally starting to feel normal again, like a weight had been lifted off all of us. The quiet buzz of conversation filled the kitchen as I sipped my coffee with Beomgyu. Soon, I heard soft footsteps approaching, and Soobin hyung appeared, rubbing his eyes and still dressed in his pajamas.

“You guys... you’re not asleep yet?” he asked, heading straight for the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

Beomgyu shook his head, his voice a little too chipper for the hour. “Not sleepy at all, especially when I’m drinking coffee.”

I smiled at Soobin’s amused chuckle as he unscrewed the bottle cap and took a long sip. “You two having a nice little late-night chat, huh?”

I grinned, gesturing for him to join us. “Why don’t you join in?”

Beomgyu brightened, his smile wide and inviting. “Yeah! I could even make you some coffee.”

Soobin smiled but shook his head. “No, I’m good. I just came to grab some water. I’m too tired and need to sleep.”

I couldn’t help but notice Beomgyu’s subtle pout. I chuckled quietly to myself at how childlike he looked in that moment.

“Goodnight then,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, and you two should head to bed soon too, okay?” Soobin added, screwing the lid back onto his bottle. “We’ve got dance practice tomorrow.”

I blinked in surprise, setting my cup down. “Wait, what? Manager Lee didn’t tell us anything about that.”

Beomgyu looked just as taken aback.

Soobin sighed, leaning against the counter. “Yeah, so much has been going on that I forgot to tell you. Practice starts at 5 a.m. tomorrow.”

“5 a.m.?” Beomgyu’s shocked expression was priceless. “There’s no way I’m waking up that early!”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Does Taehyun know?”

Soobin chuckled, amused by our reactions. “Of course he does. He’s probably already asleep, unlike you two caffeine addicts.”

Beomgyu winced, clearly regretting his choice of beverage. I could practically see the exhaustion hitting him early.

Soobin gave us a teasing smile before heading back to his room. “Be productive tomorrow, okay? Goodnight.”

As soon as his door clicked shut, Beomgyu turned to me, his face a mix of resignation and regret. “No way I’m drinking the rest of this coffee. I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I’m going to bed. Goodnight, hyung.”

Before I could respond, he abandoned his mug on the counter and bolted off to his room.

I sighed heavily, shaking my head at him. He always had a way of leaving me to clean up after him. I grabbed both of our cups and placed them in the fridge before heading to my own room. Tomorrow was going to come way too soon, and I’d need whatever sleep I could get.