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The movie theater was dim and quiet, lit only by the flickering credits rolling up the giant screen. The surrounding sound had faded to a gentle instrumental tune, the once-booming action now simmering into peaceful stillness.
Changbin sat stiffly in his seat, hands tucked between his knees, eyes locked on the screen—but he hadn't seen the last five minutes of the movie. Not really.
Beside him, Jeongin shifted slightly in her seat, stretching her arms in a quiet yawn. Her hair brushed against his sleeve, and he swore the air in his lungs forgot how to move.
They hadn't exactly called it a date. No one used the word. It had started with a casual, "Wanna go see that new movie?" during lunch while everyone else was distracted. Changbin had played it cool, shrugged, and said sure. Inside, he had panic-screamed for an hour.
And now here they were.
Jeongin let out a soft laugh under her breath. "You didn't tell me you cried at fight scenes."
"I wasn't crying," he muttered immediately, cheeks blooming pink. "My eyes were just... adjusting to the brightness."
"There was no brightness," she smirked. "It was a cave scene."
"Yeah, yeah." He huffed, unable to defend himself anymore. "Whatever. That one guy deserved better."
"Okay, but also," she leaned a little closer, "you flinched during the explosion part."
"That was loud! I wasn't ready!" he defended, flailing his hands a little. "Besides, you jumped too."
"Yeah, but I didn't grab the popcorn bucket and squeeze it like it owed me money."
They both stared at the mangled popcorn bucket in Changbin's lap. Then they broke into helpless laughter, shoulders shaking as the theater slowly emptied around them.
Changbin watched her laugh—a real genuine laugh, head tipped back slightly, the light from the screen catching on her earrings—and something swirled tight and warm in his chest.
"Hey," Jeongin turned to him suddenly. "Thanks for coming."
He blinked. "I mean... I wanted to."
"I know," she said. "Me too."
And it was soft. Simple. Nothing grand. But the way she said it made Changbin's heart do a weird, sideways somersault.
The lights came on slowly. Jeongin stood and stretched, and Changbin scrambled to follow, awkwardly brushing popcorn off his lap.
They walked outside side by side, shoulders almost touching. The air outside was cool, and the world felt too quiet after all the sound and colors of the movie.
Jeongin nudged him gently. "So... next time, you pick the movie?"
"Next—?" His voice cracked. "Next time?"
"Yeah," she smiled, hands stuffed in her hoodie. "If you want."
Changbin didn't trust himself to speak, so he just nodded, face warm and heart racing. And as they headed down the sidewalk together—laughing about the dramatic villain monologue and arguing over which character was secretly the best—neither of them said the word 'date.'
But it didn't matter.
They had barely made it past the parking lot when a chorus of squeals broke through the quiet.
"Jeongin?!"
"Innie!!!"
Changbin turned before Jeongin just as five girls came, as if practically descended from the clouds—voices bright, bags swinging, all in matching energy like a whirlwind of color and sound.
"They're my friends," Jeongin whispered to Changbin. "My classmates."
Chaewon got to her first, half-running, her oversized hoodie sleeves flapping.
"I knew that was you! I was like, 'that's Jeongin,' and Jinnie said no, but I said yes, and here we are!"
Yunjin rolled her eyes, though she was grinning. "Because we literally saw her from a distance, and you screamed like a seagull."
"Still accurate," Eunchae piped in cheerfully.
"Wait, wait, wait." Juha pushed through gently, her eyes landing on Changbin with immediate curiosity. "Who is this?"
Jeongin froze for half a second, then casually slid an arm around Changbin's shoulder. It was supposed to look natural. It made Changbin stop breathing.
"This is Changbin," Jeongin said, a little too brightly. "My—uh—he's a friend."
Friend.
Changbin smiled politely. "Hi."
"Hi~" they all echoed, eyes twinkling.
"He's the one from the pictures, right?" Yoonah whispered loudly to Yunjin, and Jeongin looked ready to physically explode. She quickly got in between them and clapped her hands.
"Anyway! We just saw a movie—"
Chaewon stepped closer, interrupting whatever Jeongin was about to say. "We were just about to grab lunch. Come with us!"
"Oh—" Changbin blinked, caught between shock and trying to look chill. "Um..."
Jeongin caught his hesitation. "Only if you want to," she said quietly, meeting his eyes. "They're... a lot. But they're good people."
He hesitated for a beat longer. Then nodded. "Yeah. Sure. Let's go."
They walked to a nearby diner in a loose formation, the girls surrounding Jeongin and peppering her with half-serious questions.
"So when did you start dating him?"
"We're not—!" Jeongin choked.
"Okay but like... yet?"
"Yoonah!"
Changbin walked behind them, half-smiling, pretending not to hear until Eunchae slowed down to match his steps. "They tease, but they're harmless," she said lightly.
"I figured," he replied. "You're all kinda like my aunt's family. Just taller."
"Oh!" She giggled. "You're chill. We like you already."
Inside the diner, the group specifically asked for a large single booth, where Jeongin insisted on sitting beside Changbin, and he tried not to seem too thrilled.
They ordered whatever came on the menu randomly, along with shared fries, and the girls somehow made it feel like he'd always belonged in the group.
By the time the food arrived, Jeongin was convinced she had stepped into an alternate universe.
Because... there sat Changbin—her sort-of movie date, her crush, the one who panicked while tying his shoelaces earlier that day—grinning between Chaewon and Eunchae like he had known them forever.
"Okay, but wait," Chaewon was saying, eyes wide, "you actually know the whole 'More and More' choreography?"
"Not really," Changbin sipped his soda casually. "Bits of it. It's a good warm-up."
"Warm up," Yunjin echoed like she'd just heard the most profound words of the week.
"Dancing's better than the gym," Changbin added. "I mean, it is cardio, and it's not boring."
Eunchae leaned forward, jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me you learn girl group dances for fitness?"
"I also like the music," he shrugged.
"Well... then," Juha was already pulling out her phone. "You can't say that and not show us."
"I second this," Yoonah said, turning toward him. "C'mon, give us like... the final eight seconds of 'More and More.'"
"Right here? In the diner?"
"Do it," Jeongin said suddenly, after a long moment of silence, arms crossed, but her eyes sparkled.
Changbin stared at her. "You're joining me then."
"Nope," she grinned, sinking into her seat.
"I'll join!" Juha said, more excited than her words suggested as she got up. "Let's do it, Bin."
A beat of silence. Then—with a dramatic sigh—Changbin stood up halfway and did the cleanest two bars of choreography any of them had seen in a restaurant setting. Tight angles. Sharp turns. A very serious face.
Juha didn't even get a bit of attention. She forgot to dance. "Okay, but why is he so good?" she half-yelled, slapping the table.
"I... what—Is he auditioning to join Twice?" Yoonah whispered in awe.
"Is he already the hidden member?" Yunjin added.
"No, he's the choreographer," Chaewon corrected, pointing around the table. "We must make a new girl group and add Bin to it."
"You're part of our girl group now!" Eunchae told him solemnly as he sat back down, cheeks flushed but smiling.
"Do I get a stage name?" Changbin asked, smiling, amused.
"Chang-babe," Chaewon said instantly.
"Chang-cheeks," Yoonah muttered into her straw.
"I vote Changlight," Juha said dramatically. "Because he's glowing."
"Changbae," Yunjin said, smiling wide.
"I vote that," Eunchae agreed without any second thought.
"You're all insane," Changbin said, but he was laughing, face pink with embarrassment and something else—something that looked a lot like happiness.
Jeongin stared at him across the booth with an amused grin. He wasn't just fitting in. He was thriving.
Somewhere between his fake idol name, the shared fries, and his shockingly correct guess that Yoonah's bias was Karina from aespa, he had stopped being her friend who got dragged into lunch and had become... one of them.
Jeongin felt it. So did the girls.
Her friends approved of him without saying the word. That's... that's a big deal. A win. A very big celebration-worthy win.
And maybe—just maybe—that soft flutter in her stomach had a little more room to stretch now.
The sun was beginning its bright glow when the group finally spilled out of the diner, laughter trailing behind them like the scent of fries and strawberry soda.
One by one, Jeongin's friends waved their dramatic goodbyes, tossing jokes and inside references over their shoulders.
"Bye, Changbae!"
"See you at our next dance practice, idol trainee!"
"We'll be there for your next boxing match!"
"Take care of our Innie! She's a handful, but she's sweet."
"Don't forget your diet soda and knee warmers!"
Just as the group began to scatter in pairs and trios, Chaewon lingered behind for a heartbeat longer and slid beside Jeongin with a look that was half mischief, half approval.
"Hey," she whispered, bumping her shoulder lightly, "not to be dramatic, but..."
Jeongin raised a brow. "But?"
Chaewon pointed subtly toward Changbin, who was at that moment helping Juha untangle her phone charger from her purse without a single trace of impatience.
"You better date him before one of us does."
Jeongin choked. "Chaewon—!"
"No, listen." She grabbed Jeongin's arm and leaned in, voice low and serious. "He's a green flag, Innie. A walking, talking green flag. He's funny, he dances, he eats like a real person, he paid the bills, and he literally held Juha's makeup bag like it was holy. He's a diva and a gentleman in training. I've never seen Juha look that starstruck over a boy who didn't even try to flirt."
Jeongin stared at her, heat creeping up her neck.
"And the way he looked at you the whole time?" Chaewon clutched her chest like she'd witnessed a live drama. "That boy's already gone. You just need to catch up." With a wink and one final dramatic sigh, Chaewon twirled on her heel and jogged to catch up with the others.
Jeongin stood frozen for a moment, pulse ticking faster than it should. She glanced over.
Changbin was laughing about something with Yoonah, totally at ease, totally himself.
And in that moment—with Chaewon's words still ringing in her ears—Jeongin couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe...
It was her turn to be brave.
By the time Chaewon and Juha vanished around the corner, it was just Jeongin and Changbin standing on the sidewalk, the diner's sign gleaming brightly above them.
For a moment, they just stood there, the sudden quiet pressing in. Jeongin crossed her arms and tilted her head.
"So... when exactly were you planning to tell me you're the official seventh member of my friend group?"
Changbin shrugged, smug. "I was going to ease into it. Slowly charm them over a few months. But I guess I'm just that likable."
She blinked at him. "You really knew the choreo."
"Told you."
"And you kept up with Eunchae and Yunjin's chaos. That's not beginner level."
"Again—told you."
Jeongin stared at him for a moment longer, lips twitching. Then she laughed, head thrown back, eyes crinkled, pure, loud, and genuine.
"You're ridiculous," she said between laughs. "You really surprised me."
Changbin looked at her, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Good surprise?"
She tilted her head. "The best kind." Her smile softened, almost private.
Changbin felt his heartbeat thud in his ears.
They started walking slowly down the street. Not touching. Not talking. Just moving together. But the air between them had shifted—gentle, lighter. Like something unspoken had clicked.
Like a maybe-date had become a maybe-more.
They walked a little slower. Neither of them said much. But it wasn't the uncomfortable kind of silence. It was the kind that wraps itself around you like a hoodie two sizes too big—safe, soft, and easy to melt into.
The sunset painted everything in warm hues. Changbin kicked a pebble along the sidewalk with lazy precision. Jeongin glanced at him, her fingers twitching at her side, like they were itching to do something reckless—like reach for his hand.
And as they walked side by side, feet matching, Jeongin thought to herself—
Changbin... he really might just be her favorite plot twist.