I know.

You should’ve seen this coming — actually, no. Everyone should’ve seen this coming.

It wasn’t just the members. Not just the managers, the stylists, or even the company staff. At this point, half the industry had figured it out before you did.

Ever since the Honey Incident (as Wonyoung dubbed it, bless her tired soul), Yujin had apparently decided that embarrassing you in public wasn’t enough. At first, it was harmless and still pretty cute. She’d joke around, tease you about being too serious, drape herself over you in public like you were her personal couch, and demand your attention at all times.

Then it got worse.

Somehow, somewhere along the line, she had started treating you less like a bodyguard and more like her favourite person in the world.

Which, um, led to this moment.

An Yujin, the ever-cheeky, ever-confident leader of Everg— wait, fuck, wrong group, IVE, was standing in front of you, blushing, in the practice room.

You had been assigned to keep watch while they rehearsed, standing by the door as the girls went over their choreography for the millionth time that day. It was routine at this point — watch them sweat, keep an eye out for potential threats (especially if it involves a certain puppy), and occasionally stop Liz and Rei from sneaking off to buy bubble tea. The usual.

But today felt…off.

No, not Yujin being annoying again (though she had tried to balance a water bottle on your head as you watched over them). This was something else.

You first noticed it when Yujin kept sneaking glances at you between dance breaks. These were more hesitant, more…nervous. Which was…very out of character of her. Because An Yujin never gets nervous around you.

“Alright, let’s wrap up here,” their choreographer finally announced.

The members groaned in relief, collapsing onto the floor like a pile of exhausted puppies…well except for Yujin. Yujin was staring at you. Menacingly.

And before you could question it, she marched over.

“Hey,” she said.

You narrowed your eyes. “…What’s up, Yuu?”

She bit her lip, shifting on her feet. Her eyes were looking at anywhere but you. “So, uh…”

Code Red. She was acting weird.

Yujin never hesitated when speaking to you. Usually, she was all smug grins and playful insults. But now? She looked like she was about to combust.

The rest of IVE noticed, because of course they did. They had enough of Yujin fiddling around in their dorm.

“Oh my god,” Wonyoung mumbled from her spot on the floor. “It’s happening.”

“What’s happening, unnie?” Leeseo whispered.

“She’s finally doing that,” Rei deadpanned.

Liz let out a long, suffering sigh. “Took her long enough.”

Gaeul rubbed her temples. “I don’t have the energy for this.”

Meanwhile, you were still trying to process what was happening when Yujin squared her shoulders, sucked in a deep breath, and gave you her ultimatum.

“I LIKE YOU!”

Silence. The whole room froze. The whole world froze. And your brain short-circuited.

“…Huh?”

Yujin, still bright red, clenched her fists. “I LIKE YOU, OKAY?!”

Her voice cracked slightly.

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

She groaned, running a hand through her already sweat-damp hair. “Do I really have to say it again?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh.” She took another deep breath. “I LIKE YOU. ROMANTICALLY. LIKE, IN A DATE-Y WAY. LIKE, I WANT TO HOLD HANDS AND STUFF!”

From the floor, Wonyoung gagged. “Unnie, please stop talking.”

Liz groaned into her hands. “This is a nightmare.”

Leeseo, innocently, started clapping. “Go, unnie! Be brave!”

Yujin shot them a glare before turning back to you. “So? What do you think?”

You stared at her. Then at the other members, who looked like they were witnessing a murder scene. Then back at her.

“…Are you serious?” “Dead serious.”

What the…what?

Of all the things An Yujin could’ve done today or any other days — steal your sunglasses, challenge you to an arm-wrestling match, make up some dumb nickname for you—this was not on your bingo card.

But here she was.

The girl who spent the last few months making your life a constant struggle, the girl who clung to you like a koala and made sure everyone and their grandmother knew you were her bodyguard was now standing in front of you, blushing, waiting for an answer.

“…Absolutely not,” you said flatly.

Yujin gasped. Genuinely gasped. Like you had just betrayed her.

“Rejected?! On my first attempt?!”

“You literally threw the truth bomb at me, Yujin—”

“This is a historic moment,” she muttered, shaking her head. “An Yujin, turned down for the first time in her life… I don’t know how to recover from this…”

Gaeul threw a towel at her. “Bro, please shut up.”

“But—” “Just shut up.”

Yujin groaned dramatically before turning back to you.

“…Okay, fine. First attempt failed,” she admitted. Then her lips curled into a familiar, mischievous smirk. “Guess I’ll just have to try again.”

“What-” “I don’t give up that easily, honey~”

And that was the exact moment you realized you were screwed.

Yujin, apparently, had no concept of personal space. Everywhere you went, she was there. Which fits her nickname as the big, overgrown puppy that refused to leave your side.

“Good morning!!” she chirped, appearing out of nowhere and looping her arms around yours as soon as you entered the practice room.

You sighed. “Did you need to latch onto me the second you got here?”

“Yes,” “Why?”

She just grinned. “Because I like you~”

“That’s not an answer.” “It is an answer.”

“Not a good one, innit?”

“Well, too bad,” she hummed, swinging your arm like you were best friends at a schoolyard. “You rejected me, so now you have to deal with the full force of my affection until you change your mind.”

“You mean to suffer?” “Tomato, tomato, same thing.”

From the other side of the room, Wonyoung threw her water bottle onto the floor dramatically. “She never did this before. Why now?”

Gaeul groaned into her hands. “I don’t wanna see this anymore.”

Leeseo, bless her innocent heart, was still cheering her leader on. “She’s so great!”

Meanwhile, Rei just stared at you with pity. “You brought this on yourself.”

You sighed, but you didn’t shake Yujin off even when lunch time arrived. By that point, the entire company definitely knew about Yujin’s ridiculous pursuit. Here you are, sitting in the break room, minding your own business, when she waltzed in with the confidence of someone who bought the place.

“Hey, babe, what do you want to eat?” she asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

You ignored her. “Not hungry. And don’t call me babe out aloud, Yujin.”

“That’s not what I asked.” She slid into the seat across from you, chin resting on her palm. “I can order whatever you want. Couple meals are on sale today~”

That kickstarted a chain of whispers in the room. And seriously, you could feel the stares chilling down your spine.

“Yujin,” you said slowly. “Stop. Please.”

She gasped dramatically. “Rejected again?! In public?!”

“Stop acting like this is new.” “It hurts every time!”

At the next table, two staff members were openly watching the exchange, barely trying to hide their amusement.

“Seriously, are they dating or not?” “I dunno, but Yujin’s trying.”

Yujin winked at them. “Oh, I will succeed.”

You groaned and buried your face in your hands.

You eventually had grown used to the chaos (not by choice). The teasing, the dramatic declarations, the smug little grins Yujin would shoot at whenever she found new ways to fluster you. And yep, you had come to expect her annoying antics — her constant presence, the way she’d grab your wrist and drag you places, how she’d miraculously find an excuse to be around you no matter where you were stationed.

And it stops one day, and it gets you feeling unnerved. It felt…too quiet, and was very apparent the moment you arrived at the company building.

Normally, you wouldn’t even get to stand still before Yujin popped out of nowhere, throwing an arm around your shoulder like she had been waiting for you all morning. “Good morning, honey~!” she’d always say, far too enthusiastic for someone who had spent hours practicing the night before and always the responsible leader she is.

Today?

Nothing.

No surprise ambush. No unnecessary skinship. No Yujin. Absolutely nothing.

Which made your brows furrowed slightly as you walked toward IVE’s practice room. The usual noise from within — the sound of music, the members chatting, Wonyoung complaining about something — was still there. But the one bubbly voice that always stood out the most (unfortunately for you) was missing.

When you stepped inside, the members barely glanced at you, too busy stretching or scrolling through their phones during a break.

“Um….Where’s Yujin?” you asked, trying to sound neutral.

Gaeul sighed, tossing her towel over her shoulder. “Sick. She’s been in bed all day.”

You frowned. Yujin? Sick? That never happened.

“She overworked herself again,” Wonyoung added with an eye roll. “Serves her right for staying up late doing who-knows-what after practice.”

Liz hummed. “Unnie said she was fine this morning, but the moment she tried to stand up, she almost collapsed.”

Collapsed? Yujinie collapsed?

Before you could even process it, your feet were already moving toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Rei called out.

“Checking on her.” you replied without hesitation.

From behind, you swore you heard Leeseo muttering, “Wow, oppa didn’t even deny it this time.”

The dorm was quieter than usual.

Normally, when you entered, you were met with the sounds of the other members laughing, chatting, or bickering over something trivial. But today, it was almost eerily still.

You tip-toed down the hall until you reached Yujin’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and when you peeked inside, you found her curled up in bed, swallowed by a mountain of blankets (and hoodies that Leeseo sprinkled on). Her hair was a mess, her usually sharp and playful eyes barely open, fever-flushed cheeks standing out against her pale skin.

She looked… small. More than a sick puppy, which unsettled you.

Yujin was always everywhere, loud, full of energy, always teasing, always finding ways to get under your skin. But now? She looked nothing like the person who had spent the last few months making your life infuriatingly interesting.

Her gaze shifted slightly when she noticed you, and a slow, tired smile curled on her lips.

“…You came,” she mumbled, her voice hoarse and laced with sleep.

“Obviously,” you replied, stepping closer. “Gaeul said you almost collapsed this morning.”

“Gosh, they overblown it, aren’t they?” “That’s not funny, Yujin.”

Before she could mutter another tired sound, you sat beside the bed and placed the back of your hand against her forehead. She was burning. A lump formed in your throat.

She blinked up at you, dazed. “You never touch me first…*cough*”

“Because you’re usually annoying. Now shut up and let me check your temperature.”

Her lips twitched, like she wanted to say something smug, but she was too exhausted to put up a fight. Your fingers brushed against her wrist, and she was so warm. The thought of her pushing herself this hard—until her body gave out—makes you fidgeting around your seat.

“Have you even eaten?”

She shrugged lazily. “Didn’t feel like it.”

You exhaled sharply, glancing at the small table by her bedside. There was an untouched bowl of porridge, now cold, sitting beside a bottle of unopened medicine and a cup of water.

Shaking your head, you grabbed the medicine and turned back to her. “Take this.”

“Ugh, I hate that stuff.” “You hate a lot of things, but you still do them when necessary.”

She groaned, flopping back onto her pillow. “Bossy.”

“Annoying,” you shot back.

She grinned weakly, reaching out with grabby hands. “Then feed me, my favourite bodyguard.”

“You have hands.”

She pouted dramatically, eyes twinkling with mischief despite her exhaustion. “But I’m weak and helpless right now. What if I pass out? Will you carry me princess-style to the hospital?”

“Unbelievable.” Still, you remain on the edge of her bed, opening the bottle and holding out a spoonful of medicine.

Yujin blinked, looking genuinely surprised for once. “…Wait, you’re actually doing it?”

“Don’t make me change my mind,” you muttered. “Now say ahh”

She hesitated for a second before leaning forward, parting her lips. As soon as the bitter medicine touched her tongue, her face scrunched up in absolute betrayal.

“EUGH! That’s disgusting!” “You’ll live,”

You said flatly, handing her a glass of water. She downed it quickly, still making exaggerated gagging noises.

“Drama queen.”

She flopped back against her pillow, letting out a deep sigh. “You really do care about me, huh?”

“*sigh* Obviously. I’m meant to take care of you.”

For once, she didn’t tease. Instead, she just stared at you, her usual playful confidence softening into something quieter.

“…Hey…” she murmured, fingers curling into her blanket. “I wasn’t joking, you know.”

You swallowed. “About what?”

She smiled. Small, genuine, and far too vulnerable for someone usually so full of herself. “Liking you.”

Yujin, wha…She can’t just say something like that and have you continue the façade of ignoring something that had been growing for a while now, and the fact that you have been refusing to acknowledge until this moment. You sighed, ignoring the way your heart leapt a mile for her. Ignoring the way the corner of your mouth curled up to a smile.

“Yujinie.” “Hm…?”

“I know.”

Her nickname really is cute off your lips.