Friday, January 9th, 3:35 PM.
Footpath, Yihwa High school.

"You're going on foot?" Seungkwan asked, a hint of disbelief creeping into his voice. She nodded, rolling her eyes playfully. "Yeah, because I can't exactly walk on my hands."

He slapped her on the back, earning a mock gasp of agony from her. "Don't be dramatic! I didn't hit hard," he replied, though he patted her back affectionately afterward. She straightened up, brushing off the moment.

"He said he'd be back by four because of some extra lecture. I figured I'd walk home so I can take my time," she said, a relieved smirk spreading across her face.

"Alright, I'll head home then. Just call me once you get back," he said, watching her turn and walk in the opposite direction.

She mused to herself that even if she walked, she'd reach home by 3:50. Taking a detour seemed like a great idea. Nodding to herself, she turned off the main path and began her journey. As she walked past a hospital, the strong scent of antiseptics made her scrunch up her nose. Suddenly, a shout broke through the air-"Look out!"

She turned just in time to see someone snatch her bag before speeding away on a bike.

"YAH!!!" she yelled, instinctively taking off after them, her heart pounding in her chest. But it was no use; they were too far ahead. She came to an abrupt stop, panting heavily.

"They took my books... and my phone!" She bent over, resting her hands on her knees, frustration surging within her. "Gosh, even my chips were in there..."

Slumping onto a stone by a nearby house adorned with blooming flowers, she cradled her head in her hands. What was she going to do now? She couldn't face going home like this-absolutely not. So she jumped up and sprinted in the last direction she saw the thief.

Her eyes darted around until she spotted an alley. Though it was still broad daylight, the narrow path looked foreboding. She approached the entrance and paused at a dead end, disappointment washing over her as she realized she had no clue where to continue.

Leaning against a nearby tree, she furrowed her brows. No, she couldn't let herself cry. That wouldn't solve anything. Reporting the theft to the police seemed like a reasonable option, but what if they located her stolen phone? Even with a password, there was a risk they'd be able to hack into it.

She frowned deeper, finally coming to the reluctant decision that she should report the theft and then head home. Jeonghan probably wouldn't scold her too much, but the thought of her personal memories being used or erased left a chill in her bones. All this trouble for a detour.

Just then, a bike pulled up in front of her. It wasn't the same bike, making her disappointed but, who was this guy? Her heart raced as her negative thoughts spiraled further-was she going to be kidnapped?

The rider dismounted and walked toward her, and she could feel her body tense in response. With a hint of intimidation in his posture, he held something out to her.

"This is yours, if I'm not mistaken."

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she took the item from him. She gulped and quickly inspected the contents-her books, her phone, an ID. Oh no, that was definitely a personal piece to be stolen. And what else? A shirt and her mini wallet, surprisingly intact, appeared before her eyes, though her chips were nowhere to be found.

With a deep breath, she bowed to him, gratitude flooding her voice. "Thank you for getting this back for me. I'm truly grateful. I really owe you one." She flashed him a genuine smile.

"If you don't mind, may I ask you a personal question?" he inquired, and she couldn't shake the feeling that his voice sounded familiar. He was still wearing a helmet, leaving her unsure about his identity. Hesitantly, she nodded in response, curiosity piqued despite her initial wariness.

"The ID said your father is Yoon Jeonghan. He is your brother, not your father. How did you convince the school managers to print it out like that?"

That struck her as suspicious, causing her to narrow her eyes at him and instinctively take two steps back, dread feeling her to its core. How come a random person knows about this? Who is fuck is this guy anyway?

"One: How do you know that my ID claims my father is Yoon Jeonghan? And two: How do you know who my brother is? Three: Who the hell are you?"

"One: When I chased those guys, they left your bag behind, its contents spilled out all over. They took your chips, by the way. I hope you don't mind. Your ID was lying there, and I couldn't help but glance at it accidentally," he explained, using her method of explaining, which she had to admit made sense. She mentally questioned herself for asking such a foolish question. Closing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder more securely. "And two?" she pressed, eyeing him with curiosity.

"How do I know Jeonghan?" he replied, looking away before meeting her gaze again. He gripped his helmet, gently removing it, revealing his face. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Sunbae?" she uttered, disbelief lacing her voice. There stood Xu Minghao in the flesh. For a moment, she forgot about her brother, too focused on what Vernon had warned her about.

"I don't exactly know why he bumped into you, but you need to be extra careful. If you ever see him coming your way, just... turn around."

"Guess this answers both your second and their answer."

"Why would you...?" she started, her brow furrowing as confusion washed over her. This made no sense!

"Why I helped you despite being a rebel student who supposedly causes trouble? It's complicated," he said, swinging one leg over the seat of his bike.

She nodded, acknowledging his honesty, but it didn't change the tension linger-ing between them.

"It doesn't matter. I have nothing to do with you. We'll never see each other again," he said as he settled onto his bike, his words clipped. "Unless, of course, you don't get in my way."

"Wait!" she shouted, unable to let the conversation end there. He paused, mid-helmet-strap, looking back at her with an expression that combined annoyance and intrigue. "You still didn't explain how the hell you know my brother?"

"Let's just say my friend and your brother go way back," he replied, pulling on his helmet. "But for my own good, don't mention to him that we talked. He'll kill my friend, if he finds out I was near you."

She resisted the urge to correct his grammar and simply asked. "Why would he kill your friend if he saw me with you?"

"It's complicated. You wouldn't understand."

With that, he started his bike, glancing at her once more. "Consider this your way of owing me," he added, revving the engine as he began to pull away, then hesitated, looking back one last time.

"You want a ride?"

Her heart raced, and she contemplated the decision for a moment. Could she trust him? In a split second, curiosity overruled caution. "No thanks, I don't trust you," she replied, but she was in a grave need of a ride since she ran to a completely different way and would take hours to get back home.

"This is where the gang meet up. It would kill me to know I just felt you here," he said, sounding embarrassed of himself that he offered her a ride. "Just....get on, will you? It's 4:25 and I have places to be."

She looked up and smiled painfully at the sky. I'm so sorry, Eomma. Forgive my sin.

As she climbed on behind him, making sure there was at least a foot of gap between them and held onto the back of her seat instead of holding onto him because that was not what she wished to do, she could hardly shake the feeling that this encounter was just the beginning of something far more complicated than she would anticipate.

^⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠^

"Stop." Minghao faltered at her words, his gaze shifting to the old house looming before them. "This is your place?"

"You said you didn't want my brother to know we talked, right? Well, he'll be home soon, and if he spots you, he'll definitely 'take care' of your friend," she replied, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"Don't stalk me,"

He huffed, turning his bike around. "I have better things to do," he muttered, though the reluctance was visible in his demeanor.

"You better have," she shot back, the corners of her mouth twitching into a frown.

"And just so you know, you owe me for dropping you off."

"Because you were so persistent!" she retorted, raising her arm defiantly.

"You still agreed," he said, a teasing lilt in his voice as he tilted his head. Annoyed, she turned away.

As she walked toward her home, Minghao turned just in time to see her bounce away, skipping with a lightness that made him shake his head incredulously before riding off.

Inside, she kicked off her shoes, a rush of relief washing over her as Jeonghan stood up from the couch and approached her. "Where were you?" he whispered, his voice laced with concern. While he trusted her to handle herself, the brotherly instinct to ensure her safety flickered within him.

"Let's go upstairs," she replied, trying to dismiss his worry as they tiptoed up the stairs.

In her room, she shrugged off her tie and sank into her chair. "I took a long way home. Some guys snatched my bag. They were on bikes, so I couldn't chase them far."

Jeonghan's gaze landed on her bag lying innocently on her desk, creating a flicker of hope. "How'd you got it back?"

"Hardly. I was about to report it when a guy on a fancy bike stopped and handed it back to me. Just one problem-my chips are missing!" She couldn't help but laugh, watching Jeonghan's expression shift from worry to amusement.

"You didn't trip or fall and hurt yourself, did you?" he asked, his tone suddenly serious again.

"Really? You think I'm that clumsy?" she deadpanned, pushing him toward the door with a playful shove.

She wore the matching outfit just like her brother, who was seated on the floor of his room busy with a couple of cup noodles. The white T-shirt hugged her comfortably, while the thin green jacket added a splash of color against her blue shorts.

After a quick freshening up in the bathroom, she walked into her room with a towel draped around her neck while tying her hair in a bun. She couldn't help but smile as she approached her brother, who was opening his spicy noodles.

"These are extra spicy. I have normal ones, though," he said with a grin, already eager to dig in. The aroma wafted up from his cup made her stomach rumble with anticipation. She settled down in front of him and peeled the lid off her own noodles, the smell making her almost melt with joy.

"Thank you for the food," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with gratitude before she began to eat. He chuckled, echoing her thanks as he slurped up his noodles.

"Our Uni created a special batch of Super 10," Jeonghan began after taking a mouthful of noodles. "They said it's for practical experience in the financial services industry. I'm not sure how much we'll actually see, but I'm pushing forward with it. It'll boost my work experience."

Surprised, she raised an eyebrow. "They're giving points for something extra? Did they, like, steal money or something?" Her teasing remark made him laugh, the sound lightening the mood.

"What do you even do there? Cashier's job?" she joked, causing him to choke on his ramen. She quickly passed him her water bottle, but he just pouted instead of drinking.

"We dive deeper into the financial situation of our country and learn about our career options. There might be professional settings, so we could be some big time people from the financial sector," he explained, excitement creeping into his voice.

"Damn, so you are in it? When's the practical experience? The trip, right?" She leaned in, genuinely curious.

"Our university and Oklahoma International University are doing an inter-university training. I'm guessing it's in about five days. I'll send you to Seungcheol's while I'm gone," he added, giving her a pointed look as she opened her mouth to protest.

"You can spend two days with Seungkwan, but you'll be staying with Seungcheol. I already cleared it with him; he's more than happy to have you. Just don't burden Byeol-nim with your appetite."

"I don't eat that much, you know that," she protested, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I was joking," he replied, smirking. "Now, pack your bags."

Confused, she blinked at him. "But aren't you leaving in five days?"

He nodded while finishing the last swallow of his noodles, tossing the empty cup into the bin. "Exactly. You procrastinate way too much."

Without warning, he hit her head and dashed out of the room just as she stood up, a playful fire igniting inside her. "You're gonna regret that!" she called after him, laughter bubbling up as she chased him down the hallway.

The lingering guilt of not telling her brother about Xu Minghao was taunting. Testing her loyalty and patience at the same time. Should she tell her brother? Or wait until it's the right time? Question is, when is the right time?

She definitely didn't trust Minghao but he did help her get her bag and offered to drop her off, and he did, safety enough, at that. So maybe he isn't that bad and they just had fights like the boys have. She does know that brother was involved in some fights in his last year of highschool and was strictly warned to not get into bad habits.

But it could be just misunderstanding.

I mean-as long as she doesn't bump into him again, it will be alright.

Saturday, January 10th. 9:30 PM.
Boo residence.

Jaeha and Seungkwan lay sprawled on the bed, eyes glazed over as they watched television, a bowl of chips nestled between them. Boredom hung in the air like an unwelcome guest. When Soojin walked in, the duo turned to her in perfect sync, and she couldn't help but stifle a laugh at their synchronized expressions. She glanced at the screen only to find a romantic kissing scene playing out, a smirk creeping onto her face as she thought of their "forever single" fate.

"Want some chips, noona/unnie?" they asked in unison, their voices dripping with mock innocence.

"No thanks. But you two really need to change the channel. How about something funny or even scary?" Soojin suggested, swiping a handful of chips as she spoke. With a devious smile, Jaeha and Seungkwan exchanged glances before pulling her closer and switching to a horror film, which soon had her shrieking in mock terror.

This playful torture continued until Mama Boo appeared, swooping in to rescue Soojin from her tormentors.

"Boo, let's hit the rooftop," Jaeha suggested, and Seungkwan nodded eagerly. They climbed the stairs, a refreshing breeze guiding them as they settled on the rooftop, the chaos of moments prior fading away.

"I've been thinking about pursuing culinary and hospitality after college," Seungkwan declared, breaking the tranquil silence. Jaeha nodded, intrigued.

"What about acting? I thought you were passionate about it," she asked, a hint of confusion dancing in her eyes. She genuinely wanted him to pursue acting; he had a knack for it.

"I'll figure it out. If I don't get through auditions, acting might not be in the cards, so I'll hone my skills while I learn to cook," he replied, his tone thoughtful.

A proud smile spread across Jaeha's face, but it quickly vanished when Seungkwan playfully nudged her head. "What about you? When are you going to settle on a path? You dabble in so many things-painting, cooking, you even have fighting skills. You could be a wrestler!"

She shot him a disbelieving look as he continued, "But really, what do you want to do?"

It took a moment for her to gather her thoughts. After a deep sigh, she turned to him. "I'm going to need your help with this." He nodded enthusiastically, eager to contribute. "I have three options: one, go into sports; two, business-don't ask me why; and three, acting."

Seungkwan gasped at the last one. "Acting?!"

"Yeah! Just imagine-if I became an actress, we could make movies together. Thrillers, adventures, you name it!"

He frowned at the thought. "Directors would probably force us into a romance, and knowing the kind of dynamic we'd have, we'd have to kiss each other on screen. So don't you dare become an actress!" He made a disgusted face, and she groaned.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" she retorted.

"How about business? It's tough, but worth it. If you're worried about money, you can always paint and sell your work."

"Are you sure business is a good choice?" Jaeha asked, skepticism lacing her voice as she watched him rack his brain for answers.

"Remember Jihoon?" he exclaimed suddenly, eyes shining with excitement.

"Jihoon? Our senior who topped the charts in Seoul two years ago?" she confirmed.

"Exactly! His cousin is in the business world. If you want, you could get an easy entry point there. And if you focus on studying, you can really pull it off, but since you don't, you've got a ways to go." He smirked, teasing her, and she playfully shoved him with her knee.

"All that sounds boring! I want something exciting! Should I just do what Oppa is doing?"

"Why would you want to do what he's doing? That's his specialty."

"But I don't have anything special!" she exclaimed in frustration.

"Yah, everything you do is special. Maybe your talent lies elsewhere. You have two years left-why fret over it now?"

She fell silent, not wanting to reveal her deeper worries. She was burdened by thoughts of providing for her family. Someday, her brother would earn his own way, and she knew he'd be fine. But her? She felt there was nothing remarkable about her skills, nothing that would yield a well-paying job. She wanted security, enough to support herself and her brother.

"Because one day, we're going to have to navigate life without Dad's support, and it's going to hurt." Seungkwan's eyes darkened at her words. He hadn't considered that before.

Their father had always provided for them-a safe home, education, and even a bit for groceries and clothes. But anything beyond that was a dream. If she spotted accessories that caught her eye, she knew she had to wave goodbye to them, as they'd never be within reach.

This necessity to secure a future made her value money more than anything, pushing her to aspire for wealth rather than merely consuming it.

"Alright, I'll ask my sister if she knows him and get his number. Obviously, we both know you won't have the guts to talk to him yourself, so I'll take one for the team!" He shot her a teasing grin that could rival the sun.

Her eyes sparkled in response, betraying her excitement as she nodded vigorously. Because let's face it, who can resist this sort of help? Not her!

A few minutes later, as the evening breeze sneakily turned into a delightful chill-perfect for bundling up like a human burrito-they meandered down to dinner. Seungkwan, channeling his inner trumpeter, decided to summon his sister the good old-fashioned way.

"NOOONNAAAA!!!"

It was a sound so loud it might have woken up the neighbors, or at least startled a few pigeons.

"Oh God, don't shout!" Mama Boo protested, rolling her eyes as if she'd just winced at the world's worst dad joke. Meanwhile, Jaeha, who had become practically a permanent resident in their home, served herself a generous mound of rice, showcasing her remarkable ability to appear completely unfazed by the ongoing chaos.

She was rather cozy with this quirky tribe-after all, who wouldn't prefer an evening of rowdy dinner debates and spontaneous renditions of pop songs over her father's indeterminate amount of dad grumbling?

As Seungkwan's attempts to lure his sister from the depths of her electronic abyss continued, Jaeha concluded that dinner at Seungkwan's house was about as predictable as a cat suddenly deciding to zoom across the living room at 3 AM. And honestly, who wouldn't want that kind of delightful unpredictability in their life?

Especially if it involves Seungkwan, who knows who to brighten up the mood.