⋆ 𐙚 ̊.CHAPTER 12 ✶⋆.˚

🇽​​🇴​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇾​​🇳

THE NEXT MORNING, Evelyn and Kitty were sprinting through the hallways of KISS, their shoes squeaking against the polished floors as they dodged students lingering outside their classrooms.

"We're so late," Kitty huffed, gripping her books tighter.

Evelyn shot her a look. "You think? I told you to get up twenty minutes earlier, but no—"

"Don't even start," Kitty cut in. "You weren't exactly jumping out of bed either."

They skidded to a stop in front of Professor Lee's classroom, Evelyn reaching for the handle, only to hesitate when she noticed the unusual silence behind the door.

Kitty frowned. "That's weird. Shouldn't he be lecturing by now?"

Evelyn didn't answer. Instead, she cautiously pushed the door open, and the moment they stepped inside, they realized why the usual classroom noise was missing.

Standing at the front of the room, addressing the class with an air of quiet authority, was Principal Jina—the last person either of them expected to see.

Both girls froze, hoping to go unnoticed as they slipped inside.

The two girls hurried to the nearest spots, exchanging quick glances before finally tuning in to what was happening.

"As I was saying," Jina continued, her gaze sweeping across the students, "Chuseok is a time of gratitude, a time to be with family and honor our ancestors. It is one of the most important holidays in Korea, and I expect all of you to celebrate it properly."

Evelyn leaned slightly toward Kitty, whispering, "Did we just walk into a speech on family values?"

Kitty barely suppressed a sigh. "Looks like it."

Jina kept speaking, her voice even but commanding. "For those of you who are away from home, I encourage you to find a way to connect with your families, even from a distance. And for those who are lucky enough to be here in Seoul, I hope you take the opportunity to celebrate with the people who matter most."

Evelyn's grip on her pen tightened slightly at that.

People who matter most.

Her mind flickered to her own family—oceans away, going about their lives without her. It wasn't like she hadn't spent holidays away from them before, but something about this moment, sitting in a classroom full of students who had their own homes to return to, made the distance feel heavier than usual.

Kitty, beside her, was equally quiet, staring at the desk with a thoughtful expression. Evelyn knew what was on her mind—family, siblings, the lingering questions about Professor Finnerty.

Jina clasped her hands in front of her. "That will be all for now. I trust you will all make the right choices on how to spend this holiday."

With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom, her heels clicking against the floor.

As soon as the door shut behind her, the tension in the room lifted, and the students immediately started murmuring among themselves.

Evelyn exhaled, leaning back in her chair. "Well, that was... something."

Kitty nodded, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Evelyn nudged her. "Hey. You okay?"

Kitty hesitated before finally saying, "Chuseok is about family, right?"

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Yeah."

Kitty chewed on her lip. "Then maybe... maybe this is the right time to talk to Professor Finnerty."

Evelyn sighed, already sensing where this was going. "Kitty—"

"I have to, Evie," Kitty insisted. "If he really is my stepbrother, then he deserves to know. And if he's not... then at least I'll have an answer."

Evelyn studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But we do this right."

Kitty gave a determined nod. "Right."

As Evelyn headed to her next class, Kitty took a deep breath and made her way down the hallway in search of Professor Finnerty. She wasn't exactly sure how this conversation was going to go, but she knew one thing—if there was ever a time to bring up family, it was now.

She spotted him near the faculty offices, flipping through a folder while absentmindedly sipping from a cup of coffee.

"Professor Finnerty!" she called out.

He looked up, breaking into a friendly smile. "Ah, Kitty! Happy Choo-sock!.....chu-sack?.....chuu-sseok?"

Kitty blinked. "Uh... close enough."

Finnerty chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Korean pronunciation isn't my strong suit."

"Well, points for trying," Kitty said, grinning. Then, before she could overthink it, she added, "We should spend it together."

Finnerty frowned slightly. "Sorry?"

Kitty cleared her throat, suddenly feeling nervous under his confused gaze. "I mean, Chuseok is about family, right?" She tried to keep her voice casual. "So, I'm inviting everyone who's alone for the holiday. You know, people whose families are miles away."

Before Finnerty could respond, a group of students passing through the hallway overheard her.

"Great idea, Kitty!" one of them called out. "We'll be there!"

Kitty turned to see two upperclassmen giving her a thumbs-up before disappearing down the corridor.

She forced a smile. "Awesome."

Finnerty laughed, shaking his head. "That's really thoughtful of you." He tucked the folder under his arm and nodded at her. "So, a lot of homemade food tonight, huh?"

Kitty's smile froze.

Homemade. Food.

Oh no.

"Uh... yup," she squeaked, her brain already spiraling into panic mode.

Finnerty gave her an approving nod. "Sounds like a real Chuseok feast. See you tonight, Kitty. You just started something great. The students are going to love this."

With that, he walked off, leaving Kitty standing there, internally screaming.

What had she just done?

During the break, Kitty stormed into the common area, her face twisted in sheer panic. She spotted Evelyn near the vending machines and rushed over, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"I made a terrible mistake," Kitty announced dramatically.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Only one? That's progress."

"I'm serious!" Kitty groaned. "I accidentally invited half the school to a Chuseok dinner, and now I have to cook for everyone."

Evelyn bit back a laugh. "That does sound like something you'd do."

"This isn't funny! I can't cook, Evelyn! I can barely make instant ramen without setting off the fire alarm."

Evelyn held up her hands. "Okay, okay. Breathe."

Kitty inhaled sharply, then exhaled. "Fix this for me."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "No, but I will help you. We'll go grocery shopping, and I'll call my friend Hanni—she knows way more about traditional Korean food than I do. She can help us figure out what to buy and maybe even share some recipes."

Kitty's eyes widened. "Wait, the same Hanni that Minho—"

"Yes," Evelyn cut her off before she could finish that sentence. "And before you ask, no, I don't know what's up with them, but we're focusing on your disaster right now."

Kitty nodded rapidly. "Right. Crisis first, drama later."

Evelyn smirked. "Exactly."

After their classes ended, the two of them met up with Hanni outside the dorms.

"So let me get this straight," Hanni said as they walked toward the supermarket. "You invited a bunch of people to a Chuseok dinner, and you don't even know how to cook?"

Kitty sighed. "I panicked, okay? It was supposed to be just a small thing, but then people overheard, and now it's an event."

Hanni chuckled. "You really are something else."

Kitty groaned. "That's what everyone keeps telling me."

Evelyn shook her head with a small smile. "Alright, let's just survive this shopping trip first."

With that, the three of them entered the supermarket, ready to tackle the next challenge—figuring out how to feed an entire crowd.

Kitty and Evelyn were scanning the shelves, trying to figure out what ingredients they actually needed versus what just looked good when an all-too-familiar voice interrupted them.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my two favorite sasaengs."

Evelyn groaned before even turning around. "Nope. Not today."

Kitty blinked. "What's a sasaeng?"

Minho leaned against the shopping cart with a smug grin. "My very own obsessed fans."

Kitty scowled. "Ew, no. That's actually disgusting."

Evelyn deadpanned. "He's just mad we don't worship him like half the girls at KISS."

Minho placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "It wounds me to be so misunderstood."

Kitty crossed her arms. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be on some yacht, being rich and annoying?"

Minho sighed as if her words physically exhausted him. "My dad is busy doing that with wife number three and her—" he gestured vaguely, "—fillers."

Evelyn snorted. "Charming."

Minho smirked and held up a fancy-looking box of chocolates. "So, instead, I figured I'd bless all the girls who love my existence with a little piece of me this Chuseok."

Evelyn made a loud gagging sound. "Chocolate and strawberries? I'm going to be sick."

Minho rolled his eyes. "Well, Lulu will definitely appreciate it. And the chocolates are for someone else."

Kitty tilted her head. "Who's Lulu?"

Minho's smirk widened. "Oh, she's only the fastest-rising pop star in the country. We've been flirting since her trainee days." He held up his phone, showing a picture of a stunning girl with sharp eyes and a confident pose. "We're meeting tomorrow. Even K-pop stops for Chuseok."

Kitty squinted at the screen. "Wait, isn't she, like, really famous?"

Minho grinned. "Obviously. Only the best for me."

Evelyn exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Minho, go away."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Hanni's helping us prepare for the Chuseok feast, and you being here will make things weird."

Minho smirked as if he wasn't even the slightest bit offended. "You think you can cook without me?" He let out a dramatic sigh and shook his head. "Raven, be honest. You've never cooked in your life. And Kitty over here? She's probably going to burn the kitchen down."

"Hey!" Kitty protested, crossing her arms.

Minho ignored her. "And let's be real, Hanni's just going to give you the recipes. You need an actual cook for this."

Kitty and Evelyn both scoffed.

"You?" Kitty asked. "An actual cook?"

Minho placed a hand over his chest. "Unlike some people, I actually know my way around a kitchen."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I highly doubt that."

Minho sighed dramatically, looking between them like they were helpless. "Guys, do you want to food poison everyone? Because I sure don't want my dorm to catch fire."

Evelyn groaned, rubbing her temples. "Minho, I swear—"

"Think about it!" Minho continued, completely unfazed by the glares both girls were shooting him. "Wouldn't it be tragic if all your hard work went to waste just because you refused to accept my incredible skills?"

Evelyn clenched her jaw, something hot and bitter curling in her chest. "You know what? Fine. Do whatever you want. But we're buying the ingredients with Hanni, so get your annoying butt out of here right now—and while you're at it, go get a facial or something. You wouldn't want Lulu to see you with freckles or—God forbid—a pore out of place."

She meant it as an insult, but the words tasted more bitter than usual. Because deep down, she wasn't just annoyed—she was jealous. Chuseok was supposed to be the perfect excuse to spend time with Minho, to finally talk to him about everything. But instead, he was going to be off with some rising pop star, flirting and acting like none of it mattered.

Minho, of course, just smirked. "Aw, Evie. You really do care about my skincare."

She rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Just leave."

And with that, she turned her back on him, missing the way Minho hesitated for half a second before sauntering off.

With Minho finally gone, Kitty and Evelyn found Hanni waiting for them near the fresh produce section, scanning a list on her phone.

"That took you guys long enough," Hanni said, raising an eyebrow. "What, did you get lost in the snack aisle?"

"More like we got ambushed by the worst kind of pest," Evelyn muttered, tossing a bag of rice into the cart.

Hanni gave her a questioning look, but Kitty groaned dramatically. "Minho. Obviously. He somehow managed to invite himself to our Chuseok dinner and made it very clear that we can't cook without his so-called 'incredible skills.'"

Evelyn tried to read Hanni's expressions at the mention of Minho's name, but nothing came. 

She stifled a laugh and said, "Honestly? He's not wrong."

Evelyn shot her a confused and betrayed look. "Not you too!"

"I'm just saying," Hanni said with a small smile, reminiscing about the past. "Minho's actually a really good cook. I mean, I did grow up with him after you left. Eve, I have so much to tell you and I think I'm ready for it now." Hanni smiled at her.

Evelyn made a face but did not know how to respond, "That's great Hanni. I'm glad I'll finally see the light." She made sure to make this sound sarcastic, because the way things have been happening around her, was much of a nuisance.

 Kitty, however, was quick to change the subject.

"Okay, so tell me why no one warned me that planning a Chuseok feast basically means hosting a wedding? The amount of work we have to do is insane."

Hanni chuckled, tossing a bundle of green onions into the cart. "Welcome to Korean holiday traditions. The food prep is half the battle. But it's worth it."

Kitty sighed dramatically. "You say that now, but wait until I set something on fire."

"You better not," Evelyn warned, narrowing her eyes. "I like having a dorm that isn't burned down."

The three of them bickered lightly on their way back to campus, chatting about food, Chuseok traditions, and somehow, the topic shifted to skincare.

"I'm telling you, rice water is a game-changer," Hanni said as they turned onto the dorm's pathway. "It keeps your skin soft and bright."

Kitty looked at her with newfound respect. "Okay, I might actually try that."

Evelyn snorted. "Right, like you have time between plotting your K-drama level discoveries."

Kitty gasped. "Excuse me for seeking the truth!"

Evelyn just laughed, shaking her head as they finally reached their dorm building. Hanni paused at the entrance, adjusting the tote bag on her shoulder.

"Alright, I should head back to my apartment," she said. 

Kitty gave her a thumbs-up. "You won't join us on the feast?"

Hanni grinned. "Well, my grandma is coming here, I haven't seen her for 5 months."

"Oh my god, that's great!" Kitty squealed. 

"Good luck surviving Minho." Hanni had her thumbs up.

Evelyn groaned. "Don't remind me."

With a small wave, Hanni turned and walked off toward her apartment, leaving Kitty and Evelyn standing outside their dorm.

Evelyn exhaled, staring up at the building. "Well... we're in deep now."

Kitty patted her shoulder. "If we make it through tomorrow without food poisoning anyone, I'll consider it a success."

Evelyn huffed a laugh. "Same."

ruka:

this was a longggg ahhhahha chapter. i would've completed the entire chuseok episode here, but that would make this even longer. so a chuseok part two incoming, m'ladies!