Day One

Arriving back home, their tired bodies drag every step to the couch as they slump deep into said couch, taking a break and a deep breath. The soft hum of the city outside barely reaches them as they stretch out with a collective sigh of relief.

Jin-woo, ever the ‘responsible’ one, doesn’t waste a second. He heads straight to the kitchen to start prepping the leftover meat from their restaurant, eager to fill their empty stomach with some comfort. After finishing preparing, he starts to bring the meat to the table.

Seojoon, who's a little more energetic than the others, follows him into the kitchen. "Need help with the grill?" he asks, ready to jump in.

Jinwoo gives him a small smile, always appreciating his help, and nods. "Yeah, could you help bring the grill onto the table and turn it on?”

While they work in the kitchen, the rest of the group, too tired to do much, linger in the living room. Yumi, not wanting to be a bystander, starts setting the table with side dishes—kimchi, pickled radishes, garlic, and a variety of sauces. She arranges everything neatly, her movements graceful even in her exhaustion.

Eunseo, sitting with her legs stretched out, groans a little, rubbing her sore back. "I don’t think I can move for the rest of the night. My feet feel like they’re about to fall off."

BM laughs, stretching his arms behind his head as he sprawls across the couch. "We’ve all earned a little rest. But not for long, we’ve got dinner coming, and I’m damn hungry."

As Yumi finishes setting the table, she calls the others to gather around, but there’s one holdout: Eunchae. She’s slumped over, her face buried in a cushion, her body refusing to budge from the couch.

Yujin, noticing her reluctance, smiles warmly. "Eunchae, come on. The food’s ready, you’re not getting out of this."

Eunchae groans and whines, thrashing her body in disagreement. "I’m too tired, Unnie. I’ll just stay here, okay?"

Yujin, not taking no for an answer, kneels beside the couch and gently pulls on Eunchae's arm, coaxing her with a smile. "You can sleep after you eat; I promise. But if you stay here, you’ll miss all the food."

Eunchae raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "I’ll survive."

But Yujin doesn’t let up, and after a moment of playful tugging, Eunchae sighs and finally lets herself be pulled up. "Fine, fine," she mutters, but there’s a soft smile tugging at her lips. "You’re lucky I’m starving."

With everyone gathered around the table now, Jinwoo and Seojoon place the grilled meat down in front of them, the sizzling sound filling the room as they sit down to finally enjoy a well-earned meal together. It’s a simple, comforting moment, and despite the tiredness of the day, laughter starts to fill the air as they dig in.

Bedtime

Lying in her bed, Yujin stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Her mind wandered to the most random things, like how many Cheeto balls she could fit in her mouth or how life would be if Leeseo were her actual child.

"Leeseo and Eunchae would be so chaotic… wait, Eunchae?" she muttered. She quickly shook her head in embarrassment, pulling the sheets over her face, only to pull them down moments later, cringing at the thought.

"Yujin, some people are trying to sleep," Jin-woo’s quiet voice broke the silence.

"Sorry... Can we talk?" Yujin whispers back.

“Hmmm, can it wait?” mumbles Jin-woo, eyes still closed.

“Please…” says Yujin

"Alright, what's on your mind?" he asked.

"Nothing, really. I just want someone to talk to until I fall asleep," Yujin replies softly.

“Sigh, I loveeee being used to making people fall asleep. Especially when I’m being used as a body pillow." Jin-woo teases.

“Eww… does that happen often?" Yujin whispers with a small laugh.

“Yeah, and my most frequent customer is in this room," he adds.

“I'm not surprised," Yujin said, smiling widely.

“You know, honestly, it’s surprising how close you guys are, especially with you leaving her for so long."

“We’ve been like this since she was born," Jin-woo said, his voice softening with nostalgia.

“When she was just a baby, she would cry anytime she wasn’t in my arms. Let me tell you, my mom didn’t like that one bit."

“That’s so adorable!" Yujin coos, propping her head on her hands as she gazes down at him.

"Just imagining it makes me want to squirm from cuteness."

“She was adorable. Still is," Jin-woo said, smiling faintly.

“But now she’s all grown up. Just waiting for her moody stage to kick in, I bet she’ll have this whole brooding emo and revenge arc."

After a moment, Yujin asks, “Jin-woo, what do you plan to do when you retire from gaming?"

Jin-woo sighs dramatically. “Oh boy, I know where this is going," he mumbles, and stands up suddenly.

Yujin blinks in confusion as he moves closer. Her eyes widened when he gently nudged her aside with his strong arms, wrapping one around her and resting his chin on her head.

“Hey, what are you doing?" Yujin whisper-yelled, giving him a baffled look.

“Shh, calm down," Jin-woo murmured, closing his eyes.

“I am calm. Care to explain?" she asked, still puzzled.

With a faint smile, he said, “Puppy, the future will always be a mystery. You can’t predict what will happen. But for me? I’ll probably join a secret agent agency and fight aliens."

“Be serious! I’m asking about your actual plans because I don’t even know what to do after being an idol," Yujin said with a glare, her brows furrowed.

Jin-woo finally opened his eyes, meeting hers. "It depends on how you feel at the end of your contract. If you still love being an idol, you could go solo or continue with IVE. If you want to stay in the entertainment industry, try acting; you’d be amazing at it. And if you want to leave the industry, explore hobbies to find something you love. If nothing clicks, let me know. I’ll help you out."

Yujin’s expression softens as she listens. His blue eyes reflected hers in the dim light.

“Well, if the girls still want to be idols, I wouldn’t mind sticking with IVE. But it really depends on whether we’re still popular. Acting sounds fun, I guess. Are you sure I’d be good at it? And how would you know what I like?"

“I’m psychic," Jin-woo jokes, earning a soft laugh from her.

“Come on, don’t stress about the future. Live in the present and enjoy what you have now. As my favourite girls would say, ‘Live my life, 이제부터가 시작이야. 내가 선택한 삶의 주인공은 나.’"

“Aespa? I thought LESSERAFIM and IVE were your favourite groups," Yujin questions, squinting at him.

“LESSERAFIM is my favourite, and I’m not totally sold on IVE yet. Although…" he trailed off, smirking.

Yujin leans in subconsciously, curious.