Golden Hourglass

CHAERYEONg

Chaeryeong was floating in that perfect hazy space between dreaming and waking, cocooned in warmth and the scent of Sunwoo's cologne. The late afternoon sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting golden patterns across the living room. Someone had draped a soft blanket over them at some point - probably Lia, always the thoughtful one - and Chaeryeong had burrowed deeper into Sunwoo's chest, one leg hooked over his, completely content to doze the rest of the day away.

Voices drifted over from somewhere near the dining table. Soft. Intimate. The kind of hushed tones people use when they're trying not to wake sleepers but can't help wanting to talk.

"Want to go for a walk?" Yeji's voice, unusually gentle. "Down by the beach? I want to take some photos while the light is good."

"Yeah." Minho. Quieter, but warm. "I'd really love that."

Chaeryeong cracked one eye open just a sliver, careful not to move and give herself away. From her position on the couch, she had a perfect view of Yeji standing by the table in that ethereal white sundress and wide-brimmed straw hat, backlit by the afternoon sun streaming through the windows. She looked like something out of a romance film - soft, feminine, vulnerable in a way Yeji never allowed herself to be in public.

But it was what happened next that made Chaeryeong's heart leap.

Yeji reached out her hand. Hesitated for just a fraction of a second - so brief Chaeryeong almost missed it - then Minho took it. Their fingers interlaced, and though the gesture looked natural, easy, Chaeryeong knew - knew - that Yeji didn't do hand-holding. Not with her hookups. Not with anyone.

Holy shit, Chaeryeong thought, suddenly wide awake but forcing herself to stay still. They're holding hands. Like... actually holding hands. Even if it's just inside the villa, that's still huge for Yeji-unnie.

She watched through barely-open eyes as they moved toward the front door, their silhouettes merging in the golden light. The door opened with a soft creak, then closed with a quiet click that seemed to echo in the now-silent villa.

Sunwoo stirred beside her, his arm tightening around her waist, pulling her closer in his sleep. "Mmm... they gone?" he mumbled into her hair, his voice rough and adorably groggy.

Chaeryeong couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up, her cheeks warming as she snuggled back into him. She loved this - the casual intimacy, the way he automatically sought her out even in sleep. "Mhm. Just left."

"Good," he murmured, nuzzling the back of her neck. "More cuddle time."

But Chaeryeong was too wired now to go back to sleep. Her mind was racing, connecting dots, building theories. "Babe," she whispered,` turning in his arms to face him. "Did you see that?"

Sunwoo yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Mm? See what?"

"Them!" She poked his chest for emphasis. "Holding hands. Walking out together like - like an actual couple."

That got his attention. His eyes opened fully, focusing on her with growing interest. "Wait, really? They were holding hands?"

"Yes! Like, fingers intertwined and everything!" Chaeryeong sat up slightly, keeping her voice low even though they were alone. "Yeji-unnie doesn't do that. Like, ever."

Sunwoo propped himself up on one elbow, his expression thoughtful. "You're right. I don't think I've ever seen her hold hands with anyone. Not even at events when it'd look good for photos."

"Right?" Chaeryeong's eyes sparkled with excitement. "She's always so careful about boundaries. About not letting people see her be attached to anyone. But with Minho-oppa..."

"It's different," Sunwoo finished. "Did you catch it at lunch? The way she looked at him when he was talking about the trainee program?"

Chaeryeong nodded eagerly. "When he said watching her succeed was more rewarding than being on stage himself? God, I almost teared up. It was so genuine."

"And Yeji's face," Sunwoo added, getting invested now. "She looked like... I don't know. Like he'd just given her everything."

"Okay, and - " Chaeryeong leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm pretty sure I saw her squeeze his hand under the table. And earlier? She was about to feed him. Like, chopsticks going straight to his mouth. But she caught herself and put it on his plate instead."

"Yeji doesn't share food."

"Never," Chaeryeong said emphatically. "Remember when Ryujin tried to steal a piece of her chicken and Yeji literally stabbed her hand with a chopstick?"

Sunwoo laughed quietly. "Okay, but Ryujin was being annoying that day."

"Still!" Chaeryeong bit her lip, her mind clearly working overtime. "He's different though. Minho-oppa is really different from anyone else she's been with. She actually introduced him by name - not just as 'a friend' or whatever. And she brought him here. On vacation. With all of us. That's... that's huge for her."

"So you think they're dating?" Sunwoo asked.

Chaeryeong flopped back against the cushions dramatically. "I don't know! That's what's been driving me insane! She keeps saying they're just friends - friends with 'history,' whatever that's supposed to mean. But we all know there's way more going on. Friends don't look at each other like that."

"Like what?"

"Like they're the only two people in the world," Chaeryeong said softly. "Like they're home."

Sunwoo was quiet for a moment, tracing patterns on her arm. "You know what's interesting? Yeji never brings guys around. Like, ever. She keeps that part of her life completely separate."

"I know, right?" Chaeryeong said, sitting up again. "Remember after debut? She and Ryujin were both kind of... wild for a while. Like twin chaos flames. But even then, Yeji never let anyone actually close. Never brought anyone around to meet us." She paused. "But Minho-oppa? She's so protective of him. Like, seriously protective. Remember that yacht party in Busan? The one I told you about?"

"The one where you said Yuna couldn't stop staring at his arms?"

"Yes! And Ryujin kept watching him too," Chaeryeong said, her eyes lighting up with the gossip. "Like, really watching. You know that intense look she gets? Yeji-unnie noticed immediately and basically pulled him away. Then later she had this really serious talk with Ryujin about how Minho-oppa was completely off-limits."

"How'd Ryujin take that?"

"Oh, she was so mad," Chaeryeong recalled, eyes widening. "Like, upset for a whole week. She said it wasn't fair that Yeji could share everything else but not him. They actually fought about it. And Yeji told her - " She leaned in. "She said she could share clothes, makeup, even other guys, but not Minho. That he was different."

Sunwoo whistled low. "That's... territorial."

"It's more than territorial," Chaeryeong said earnestly. "It's like... dragon-guarding-treasure level. Which is so weird because Yeji's always saying attachments make you weak, right? She's constantly talking about staying detached, not catching feelings."

"But she's caught feelings for him."

"She's completely drowning in feelings," Chaeryeong said, gesturing emphatically. "She just won't say it out loud. Not to us, not to herself, probably not even to him."

"Maybe they don't know what they are," Sunwoo mused. "You know - complicated history, scared of messing up what they already have. That kind of thing."

"Ugh, it's honestly worse than any drama," Chaeryeong groaned. "At least in Romance is a Bonus Book they kissed by episode six! This tension? This denial? It's killing me. Someone just needs to admit something already!"

"Speaking of which," Sunwoo grinned, "weren't you supposed to stop watching that show because you kept staying up until 3 AM crying?"

"That was one time!" Chaeryeong protested. "And it was a really emotional episode!"

"Baby, it was every episode."

"Okay, fine, but still," she laughed, swatting his chest playfully. "The point is, I really need to figure them out. For my own peace of mind."

"What about Minho?" Sunwoo asked. "He seemed nervous at lunch."

"So nervous, right? Like he was being super careful about everything. He kept glancing at Yeji-unnie like he was worried he'd said something wrong."