CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

𝟺𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜

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𝐒𝗍υρ𝗂ᑯ 𝐂υρ𝗂ᑯ

ᴵ'ᵐ ⁱⁿ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁱᵗ'ˢ ᵃ ᶜʳʸⁱⁿᵍ ˢʰᵃᵐᵉ
ᴴᵉʸ ʰᵉʸ, ˢᵉᵗ ᵐᵉ ᶠʳᵉᵉ
ˢᵗᵘᵖⁱᵈ ᶜᵘᵖⁱᵈ ˢᵗᵒᵖ ᵖⁱᶜᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵒⁿ ᵐᵉ

ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ'ᵗ ᵈᵒ ᵐʸ ʰᵒᵐᵉʷᵒʳᵏ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ'ᵗ ᵗʰⁱⁿᵏ ˢᵗʳᵃⁱᵍʰᵗ
ᴵ ᵐᵉᵉᵗ ʰᵉʳ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸ ᵐᵒʳⁿⁱⁿᵍ 'ᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᵃ ʰᵃˡᶠ ᵖᵃˢᵗ ᵉⁱᵍʰᵗ

ᴵ'ᵐ ᵃᶜᵗⁱⁿᵍ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵃ ˡᵒᵛᵉˢⁱᶜᵏ ᶠᵒᵒˡ
ʸᵒᵘ'ᵛᵉ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ᵍᵒᵗ ᵐᵉ ᶜᵃʳʳʸⁱⁿᵍ ʰᵉʳ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ ᵗᵒ ˢᶜʰᵒᵒˡ
ʸᵒᵘ ᵐⁱˣᵉᵈ ᵐᵉ ᵘᵖ ᶠᵒʳ ᵍᵒᵒᵈ ʳⁱᵍʰᵗ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᵛᵉʳʸ ˢᵗᵃʳᵗ

─ᶜᵒⁿⁿⁱᵉ ᶠʳᵃⁿᶜⁱˢ

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—You left me. —Jooin's voice sounded broken, echoing through the dimly lit room, while his eyes desperately searched Mihyun's.

—Jooin...

—You left without looking back even once. —The (fake) bitterness in his voice was palpable, an echo that contrasted with the distant laughter of their friends spilling from the kitchen. The festive atmosphere seemed to mock his 'anguish.'

Mihyun sighed impatiently, fully aware of the familiar script that repeated every time Jooin felt hurt.

—Stop being so dramatic, —she said, crossing her legs on the couch and biting into a pocky stick with indifference. —I already told you I was sorry. Besides, San oppa was there.

Jooin stood up abruptly, his expression full of indignation.

—Dramatic?! —he shouted, his chest rising and falling dramatically, as if each word weighed a ton.

Mihyun rolled her eyes, though this time the disdain wasn’t entirely genuine. A pang of guilt settled in her chest like a thorn she couldn’t remove. The pocky between her teeth helped her resist the urge to throw the box at Jooin’s face, an action that would probably just escalate the tension.

Both were waiting for their friends to sit down and watch the recordings on Dan-i’s dad’s camera. However, ever since they’d stepped into the apartment, something more than anticipation for fun filled the air. On one hand, there was the strange tension between her and Yeo-Ryeong, an issue she decided to postpone for later; on the other, the inexplicable grudge Jooin seemed unwilling to let go. (Something that would be clarified once two and two were put together.)

—It’s always the same, —he continued, his voice dropping but not his intensity. He complained like a grumpy old man—. He shows up, and you forget about me. ME, your precious and cute Jooin.

Mihyun let out a sarcastic laugh.

—When did I ever say you were cute?

—Mihyun! —His tone sounded offended, almost pitiful—. I’m serious. It’s annoying. —He sighed and flopped back onto the couch, sliding down until his head rested on her lap, eyes closed, as if the weight of the world had fallen on his shoulders.

Mihyun looked at him for a second, feeling her guard soften at the sight of his dejected expression. Slowly, she began to massage his scalp in a nearly mechanical gesture, though not without tenderness. She had to admit she’d forgotten about him, and the guilt lodged in her chest like a thorn she couldn’t dislodge. Jooin could be carefree and capable of blending in with any person or group, regardless of age differences. In fact, during one of their outings, they’d ended up having lunch with a group of terrifying bikers who turned out to be very kind and entertaining people.

But even he had limits. Preferences, like anyone.

And between going home with Woo San and his friends or staying with her, Jooin would choose her without hesitation. Not giving him the option and just leaving with Eunhyuk had been a mistake.

—Sorry. —The apology came out clumsily. It was rare for them to actually apologize. Brutal honesty was the norm between them, but they had never ignored or forgotten about the other. So, in the end, she’d messed up.

Jooin, sensing the sincerity in her words, simply gave in.

—Well, —he sighed, condescendingly—, what does it matter? Looks like you two made up, huh?

Mihyun chuckled softly, feeling the blush begin to creep up her cheeks.

—Yeah, we reached some sort of agreement. —Jooin looked at her curiously, and she shrugged. Even though he was her best friend, she wasn’t going to share the details of her deal with Eunhyuk. That was a secret between her and him. —I’m surprised you’re the first to mention it. I thought Ji-Ho would be the first to tease me.

—Why would he?

—I don’t know, he’s been acting weird lately. —‘As if he knows I’m into Eunhyuk, something I’m barely admitting to myself’—Anyway, never mind. Come on. Tell me, what do you want? I know this little show wasn’t just to punish me and get some affection.

Hearing this, Jooin’s eyes sparkled mischievously under his messy hair as a smile spread across his face.

—I want a date. —The words cut through the air, and Mihyun tensed immediately.

—Damn it, Jooin. —Her voice was a mix of disbelief and annoyance as she glared at him—. I told you to stop calling our hangouts that. It’s not... normal.

Jooin laughed with satisfaction, clearly enjoying how he’d managed to break the girl’s composure.

—And since when do we do anything normal? —he replied, amused, looking up at her—. I remind you, we’re two creepy weirdos.

Mihyun shifted her legs, causing Jooin’s head to bounce before he could complain.

—Hey! —though a smile fought to break free on her lips.

—Besides, the term ‘date’ is relative, —Jooin continued, emphasizing each word while lazily wagging a finger in the air—. I just want to make it clear, it’ll be just the two of us, no extras, not even Ji-Ho.

—Excluding your own best friend? What a little selfish jerk you are. —Mihyun finally let out a laugh, playfully pinching his nose.

—So, you accept?

—Sure. Why not? I’ll dress up pretty.

—You always look pretty.

—Haha, I know.

The tension eased for a moment, and in that instant, there was nothing more to add. They remained in silence, enjoying each other's company.

Jooin pulled his phone out of the pocket of his hoodie, settling more comfortably on her lap, savoring the scalp massage. Mihyun, distracted, looked around the room, lost in thought. Thinking of everything and nothing. Of her parents, and the dog she greeted that morning. All of that changed when the smell of popcorn enveloped her.

She turned her head to the left, where a few meters away, the kitchen door was visible. The view she found was perfect: a tall, nearly 1.90m guy, sleeves rolled up, waiting patiently like a puppy in front of the running microwave. The sight made her chuckle softly.

When she looked again, instead of seeing red hair, she found a white puff sipping coffee, watching her with sharp curiosity.

She clicked her tongue as the guy approached. Resuming the slow movements of her hands that had paused, she now looked ahead at the black TV screen, awaiting Eun Ji-Ho’s teasing.

Unaware that Jooin had also caught her looking at Eunhyuk. And now, he wore an apathetic, unreadable expression. It had been a while since he’d stopped scrolling through the internet in search of a new place to visit.

—What are you guys doing? —Ji-Ho asked as he approached, sitting to the girl’s right, who smiled at him with false cheer.

—Nothing, why?

Ji-Ho was about to press her about that look from earlier, but instead, he just shrugged and took a few more sips of his coffee, silently disapproving of the scene as he fixed his gaze on Jooin.

Mihyun ignored him and relaxed again, closing her eyes with her head and arm draped over the back of the couch. It was like a gambler caressing one of his 'girls' without paying attention to the one beside him. This prompted the latter to start 'complaining.'

—Hey, aren’t you too comfortable? —Ji-Ho said, unable to keep ignoring his best friend’s audacity. Jooin, who had forced himself to focus on his phone again, didn’t respond. He was too busy furiously tapping his thumbs against the screen, playing a bloody video game.

—Woo Jooin. —He called him once more.

Seeing that her peace was about to be disturbed, Mihyun sighed but said nothing. Instead, she glanced again to her left, only to meet the eyes of her favorite guy once more.

Leaning against the door, Eunhyuk watched the scene with discomfort.

He couldn’t help it. Every time he saw Jooin getting too close to Mihyun, something tightened in his chest—a kind of jealousy he tried to hide. Over time, he had come to accept that they had a special friendship, but even now, he couldn’t control the knot forming in his stomach.

Eunhyuk took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure. He focused on the soft hum of the microwave to avoid being obvious, but his attention kept drifting back to the living room. Jooin rested his head on Mihyun’s lap, and the sight burned him from the inside. Why couldn’t he be in that spot?

‘God… you’re so childish,’ he scolded himself, casting one last glance at the blonde girl, not expecting to meet her gaze.

Eunhyuk flinched. Had she been watching him this whole time? He didn’t think he’d been that obvious. His body tensed, a wave of nerves rushing through him from head to toe. He wanted to look away, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood frozen, trapped in the eyes he liked so much.

In a hurried and clumsy reaction, Eunhyuk tried to smile as if that would cover up the obvious, but she, casual and beautiful, her head still resting on the back of the couch, smiled first. A small, calm smile that made him forget how to breathe.

Butterflies. Stupid butterflies fluttered non-stop in his stomach, and he hated himself a little for it. How could a simple smile have him so hooked? Damn, she had him wrapped around her finger.

And as if that weren’t enough, Mihyun let out a soft, almost musical laugh that knocked him off balance again. She winked, and that finished him.

The beeping of the microwave brought him back to reality.

—Eunhyuk, are you handling that?— Yeo-Ryung asked from a few meters behind him, serving drinks with Dan-i.

—Oh! Yes, yes,— he stammered, fumbling with the microwave and burning himself a little as he grabbed the popcorn bag too quickly. —Ouch-

Mihyun, watching the whole thing, just smiled before signaling Jooin to let her get up.

Grumbling, Jooin complied. She figured she’d interrupted his comfort, but didn’t care too much as her legs were already heading in a different direction.

—Popcorn,— she stated the obvious. Eunhyuk jumped at her silent approach, spilling some popcorn out of the bowls he was filling. She chuckled softly again, and he cleared his throat.

—Yeah. I thought it’d be a good idea.

—Good call. Um... how’s the bump? Did you apply the ointment on schedule?

—Well, you said you’d be mad if I didn’t.

—Wow, so obedient,— she teased, giving him a light nudge. Eunhyuk sighed but ended up smiling.

It was refreshing to interact normally again.

Spotting a piece of popcorn near her shoe, Mihyun bent down to pick it up and was about to eat it when a warm hand wrapped around hers and stopped her.

Then, Eunhyuk’s voice spoke too close to her ear:

—You shouldn’t put dirty things in your mouth, Mihyun,— he scolded her like a child, looking directly at her with a mix of seriousness and his usual warmth.

The gesture electrified her body, leaving her breathless for a few seconds. Luckily, Chun Young appeared at that moment, blatantly interrupting.

—You’re in the way,— he said in his usual monotone.

He had only come over to grab some popcorn but ended up witnessing something "unpleasant": Flirting. Chun Young hated cheesy things in general, except when it involved Dan-i. Mihyun always teased him about that, joking that one of his dreams was probably to share an umbrella with her. He never denied it, blaming the dramas his second older brother watched after every breakup. It still amazed him how many times two people could get back together with the same person. Mihyun empathized, saying she understood perfectly.

Regaining control of her senses, Mihyun rolled her eyes as Eunhyuk released her and sighed.

Standing up, the blonde girl didn’t hesitate to choke Chun Young with a handful of popcorn, unsure of how to feel about his intervention. Should she thank him or curse him?

Eunhyuk, on the other hand, had no doubt—he wasn’t happy about it. Not after feeling Mihyun’s pulse quicken under his touch. Now he couldn’t stop wondering why.

And so, for the first time in a long while, Eunhyuk decided to start a cold war with the ice king himself. Later, during the video playback, every time Chun Young tried to reach for the popcorn, Eunhyuk would move the bowl just out of reach, deliberately ignoring the incredulous and puzzled looks from his best friend.

❀
゜
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[ Ham Dan-i’s POV ]

Ban Yeo-Ryeong, sitting right in front of me, rested her head on my knees. I gently reached out to stroke her hair.

The TV screen remained blurry. As I stared at it, I asked Ban Yeo-Ryeong a question.

—What's this video about?

—Maybe something you filmed before? I'm not sure either.

—Huh?

While I was still puzzled, a voice suddenly came from the TV. Bright, refreshing, and quite distinct—it was none other than Jooin's voice.

The screen showed our dining table and then Jooin's face. He looked so charming on the screen, his light brown hair slightly tousled, and he appeared younger and a bit shorter than he is now.

A strange feeling washed over me as I watched Jooin, now quietly chatting with Ji-Ho. When our eyes met, Jooin spoke with a smile.

—This is from when I was in my second year of middle school, Mom.

—Oh, right. You look younger.

—Woo Jooin looks so cute there, Eun Jiho teased mischievously, too bad he’s not anymore, right, Mihyun?

Moments later, Jooin elbowed him, and just a few seconds after, the Jooin on the screen excitedly spoke.

—Hi! Let me introduce you to my family.

—...What?

From somewhere off-screen, a somewhat surprised but calm voice chimed in. No wonder, it was Eun Hyung.

—Was Eun Hyung in the kitchen at that moment? Just as I thought that, Eun Hyung appeared on the screen, wearing my mom’s pink floral apron.

He looked younger than he does now, wearing the apron like a shy newlywed. How can he look so handsome and cute in that apron? I thought, and then heard quiet giggles beside me.

—Hehe.

Jooin covered his face with a cushion, maybe trying to hide his laughter after seeing Eun Hyung.

Chaos had already erupted in front of the couch. Ban Yeo-Ryeong and Eun Jiho were laughing uncontrollably, clutching their sides. When I turned to look at Eun Hyung, I saw Mihyun teasing him with embarrassing compliments like, *Wow, you looked so cute* or *That apron’s not bad, but the one at my place suits you better.*

From Eun Hyung's flushed face, it was clear he wished he could disappear.

Not wanting to witness more of this verbal lynching, I turned my head back to the TV. *Let’s not say anything else from now on.*

Barely a minute had passed since the video started, but it was already proving to be quite a dangerous clip.

On the screen, Eun Hyung covered the camera with his hands out of embarrassment. The TV screen went dark for a second, but soon brightened again.

—Oh, don’t film. This isn’t the right time.

—Let me introduce you! This is my mom. Mom! Mom! What’s on the menu today?

Despite Eun Hyung’s nervous protests, Jooin cheerfully joined in. The shaky camera soon focused on a bubbling pot of rich red stew.

By now, Eun Hyung seemed to have given in, his low voice continuing.

—Fine, film if you want, but I’ve always wondered… Why do you also call me 'Mom'? Isn’t Dan-i your mom?

—Oh, there are a lot of moms around here.

—What? Is this like plural voting or something?

—Anyway, Eun Hyung-mom, what’s the menu today? Please explain!

—It’s tteok-bokki. Open wide and say ahh~

A spoonful of the red stew appeared in front of the camera. The screen shook violently, and Jooin’s shocked voice mixed with Eun Hyung’s urgent tone as a head of blonde hair crossed the screen, and the stew vanished in an instant.

—No, Mihyun!

Soon, a groan of pain echoed from the speakers.

—Ow! It’s so... So hot! How is it that spicy?!

The camera refocused, capturing a perfectly framed shot of a beautiful blonde girl covering her mouth with both hands, her well-manicured nails glistening. Her deep blue eyes were filled with tears, making her look like a model on the cover of a famous magazine.

Jooin, no longer holding the camera, was now beside Mihyun, patting her back, while Eun Hyung hurriedly handed her a glass of water.

—Here, here, he offered nervously, —spilling some water in his rush.

In the present, Mihyun sighed, recalling the event with apparent resignation.

—You were awful that day, —she murmured, pinching Eun Hyung’s side. He winced but didn’t move away.

—Sorry, sorry. But that was meant for Jooin, he defended, —as if that made it more acceptable.

—I’ll never trust that sweet tone again.

Now that I think about it, they seem quite comfortable with each other, leaning close, almost cuddling. I guess they’ve really made up. That’s good; we won’t have to eat at separate tables on Monday.

Once again, I focused on the TV screen.

A flash of long black hair appeared on the screen. A girl with doll-like delicate limbs stood quietly in our living room, her silhouette so perfect it took my breath away for a moment.

The girl, Ban Yeo-Ryeong, turned to look at the camera. The silence inside the screen, like a magical spell, finally broke. Ban Yeo-Ryeong’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly ran toward the camera. She looked younger than she does now.

—Wow, where did you get this?

—Dan-i’s dad gave it to me to play with.

—Dan-i’s dad? He must really like you, huh? Oh, wait, are you filming right now?

—What’s all the fuss about?

Soon, a familiar voice echoed, followed by a hand reaching to grab the camera. The person who peered down into the lens was none other than Eun Jiho.

His platinum blonde hair glowed under the bright light, his soft gaze into the camera looking as lifeless as a fish’s eyes.

Compared to now, Eun Jiho back then was much more expressionless. Just as I thought I wasn’t the only one noticing how different he looked, Yoo Chun Young asked from the side.

—Hey, did you used to look like that?

—Like what?

Eun Jiho instantly turned his head to look at us. Leaning his elbow on the corner of the couch, Yoo Chun Young asked again.

—You seemed much more... emotionless than you are now. Were you always like that?

—Yeah, that’s true. I didn’t recognize you at first either. Man, you were cool back then.

Hearing this, Ban Yeo-Ryeong chimed in, agreeing with Chun Young’s comment, making me burst into laughter. Jooin laughed too, stomping his foot, and I heard Eun Jiho’s confused voice ask:

—What do you mean by that?

—Huh? Don’t you get it?

—That sounds weird... I was, am, and always will be handsome.

—Sure, Ji-Ho~ No one’s taking that illusion from you, Mihyun finished, her sarcasm clear.

Frowning, Ji-Ho turned to look at her, but she only stuck out her tongue in response. Jooin and I wrapped our arms around each other’s shoulders, laughing uncontrollably.

Jooin, laughing