Synopsis: All the SEVENTEEN members, including the all-female group, are at a retreat for the next three days. A few members are preparing dinner for the night - cleaning the kitchen, going grocery shopping - and others are relaxing the day away until it's mealtime. Ruby and Minghao decide to put together a puzzle inside one of the rental house lofts while waiting for other members to come back from the grocery store so everyone can finally eat. In the loft, they talk about random things to pass the time...

***

"What is Jun doing?" Minghao asks from his spot on the carpet. He rises to his knees and peeps out the window to see Jun playing with a tennis ball by himself, kicking and balancing it on his limbs like a hacky-sack toy while other members behind him play table tennis.

Ruby gets to her knees and crawls around the coffee table where their incomplete puzzle rests, going to the window and looking out to see the buzz in the grassy courtyard below. "Wow... whatever he's doing, he's good at it." She looks amused at Jun's athletic ability.

Minghao scoffs and shakes his head, returning to his seat on the carpet to finish the puzzle. "He plays so well by himself."

Ruby also spots two of her members in the courtyard. Cheng is lounging in the shade reading a book while Yin is skipping stones across the river with Hoshi and Dino.

"It's so funny how different everyone is," Ruby comments. "My younger members are so different. Some can sit quietly for hours; another can't stop talking sometimes. But everyone gets along."

Minghao nods while searching for puzzle pieces. "At least they get along. I remember as a trainee, I had to adjust to living with everyone... the members were so loud, and all I wanted to do was meditate."

"Ugh, you were so quiet back then. What happened?" Ruby says while crawling back to the coffee table to focus on their puzzle. Minghao wrinkles his eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean what happened? I grew up," he replies.

"You were more fun when you were quiet. We could easily pick on you and you got angry a lot. It was nice," Ruby remembers with a grin.

Minghao scoffs. "Nice for who?"

"Now you're all calm but sarcastic. You weren't as catty back then, but now you bite back when people say something."

"Is that a bad thing? Am I not supposed to speak my mind? Should I be a doormat?" Minghao says with a serious tone and look, which makes Ruby start laughing.

"See! You're so sassy. Ugh..."

There's a pause as they fit some puzzle pieces together.

"I learned from the best," Minghao shoots back. "I hope you're not bothering the new members like you did to me."

"Oh, I would never! I'm the best unnie!"

Minghao raises an eyebrow and laughs, reaching across the table for a puzzle piece. "I'm curious what kind of noona you'd be..."

Ruby glances up at Minghao for a second. "I'm a good big sister. I talk to my real younger sister every week and give her advice about things."

Minghao looks a bit speechless before responding, "Ah, I forgot you had a younger sister..."

"Mhm. She's in college studying business and fashion. She owns her own clothing line."

"Really?" He asks in surprise.

"Yeah. She's doing good for herself as the youngest."

There's a small silence as he takes in her words. They fit a few more pieces of the puzzle as the air conditioning turns on, cooling the space.

"That's impressive. Owning your own business in college? So she designs clothes?"

Ruby nods. "Mhm. Hats, shirts, jeans, dresses... she has an online store."

Minghao nods. He can't hide his impressed reaction. "That's really cool. I thought about creating my own designs one day... in the future..."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"Hopefully not too soon in the future. Your sense of fashion needs some more work..." Ruby replies while judging Minghao's appearance. "Who wears a coat and hat in the summer?"

Minghao looks down at his long-sleeved getup. "It's not a coat - it's a jacket. It's comfortable. Is that a problem?"

"Bro, it's 80 degrees outside! You're crazy..." Ruby chuckles while catching his piercing gaze. Minghao looks like he's about to say something, but only nods while holding his tongue.

"That's okay. What works for me doesn't have to work for you..." He replies in a calm tone.

"I should get my sister to hook you up with some free merch. I'm sure she'll have something that'll work for you."

"I don't know if you're playing or being serious..."

"No, I'm serious. I'll have her send you something." There's a pause as Ruby hides her smirk. "Anything would be better than what you have on..."

Minghao sighs and takes a sip of his iced coffee while sitting back, glancing out the window. "You really know how to make people feel good," he sarcastically replies.

Ruby releases an evil snicker. "Thank you. I'll be here all week."

Another pause as he sips his drink. The sound of birds chirping is heard from outside.

"I'm glad I don't have a sibling like you. Being an only child feels like a gift from the Gods," Minghao says.

"You'd be blessed to have a sibling like me. Please..." Ruby rolls her eyes.

"I'll pass..."

"I feel like I'd die without a sibling. It'd be so boring."

"I like it," Minghao says. "It's peaceful."

"Ugh. With no one to talk to except yourself?" Ruby scrunches up her face while sitting back from the coffee table, taking a sip of her energy drink. "Maybe it's nice for you since you're lame anyway, but I have to interact with people."

Minghao shakes his head and cuts his eyes at his same-aged friend. "Do you HAVE to talk to people? That's the thing. People don't know how to just be by themselves and sit in quiet. They always feel like they have to be doing something, but in reality, they don't."

"I'm an 'E'. I can't live without socializing..." Ruby replies while running a hand through her short hair and glancing out the window. At this point, the two are sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table with their legs spread out and leaning back on the palms of their hands. Minghao wiggles his toes through his socks and adjusts the beanie on his head. They're taking a small break from the puzzle.

"That may be true, but it's still a benefit to taking time for yourself and doing nothing. That's why meditation is so good. It allows you to be present in the moment and relax your mind," Minghao explains in a soft-spoken voice.

"The irony is I have a Psychology degree, so I know this. But I don't think meditation works for me," Ruby replies with an honest expression. "I have to be active. That's why boxing helps calm my mind."

Minghao nods, sighs, then goes back to the puzzle. "That could be true for you."

"We should try that one day..." Ruby replies with a smirk. "I'll take you to a boxing class and see if it'll lower your stress levels."

"Boxing?" Minghao asks, appearing a bit skeptical.

"Mhm. I think it'll be good for you."

"In what way?"

"Well... you said how meditation relaxes your mind. Boxing keeps you on your toes; helps you think quickly. And it'll give you a tough exterior..." she replies. "I used to box with my older brother before he went to the military. It's like sport and therapy at once."

"I don't know..." Minghao replies with a nervous grin.

"Aye, don't be scared. I'll be there with you. What do you think?" Ruby asks with a wide grin, trying to read Minghao's eyes. "It'll put some meat on your bones. Get you swole, like me."

"Who says I wanna be swole?" Minghao frowns.

"I'm sure CARATs wouldn't mind..." Ruby smirks.

"Well, CARATs are just gonna have to deal with the way I look now."

"Boooooo...." Ruby grumbles dramatically while giving him the thumbs down which causes him to laugh.

"Why?" He asks.

"No fun."

"I'm not trying to be fun. I'm only trying to be myself," he replies in a smart-alec kind of way.

"Ughh... please!!" Ruby dramatically rolls her eyes and rests her head on the coffee table, blocking half of the puzzle with her body.

"What?!" Minghao chuckles while looking at her. "You're messing up the puzzle..."

"You always gotta have a comeback..." she mumbles.

Minghao sighs then grins. "...if I try out boxing, will you try out meditating?"

Ruby lifts her head up from the table like a meerkat. "Meditating?"

"Mhm. There's this Buddhist temple I can take you to for praying or meditating. They have private rooms as well," Minghao reveals.

"You'll really try boxing?" Ruby asks with hopeful eyes.

Minghao nods.

Ruby smiles. "Ha ha! Okay. Deal!" She sits up and happily continues the puzzle.

Minghao can't keep his eyes off her while grinning.