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The evening air of Seoul was alive with neon lights and the lingering hum of traffic. For Rumi, the city felt warmer than usual, though she knew it wasn’t the weather—it was Jinu’s hand loosely holding hers as they walked back into their building. They had just finished their first official date, an evening that had been both chaotic and wonderful in equal measure. The chaos had been hers—accidentally spilling sauce on the waiter, dropping her chopsticks three times—but the wonderful part had been all Jinu, who only laughed and made her feel like none of it mattered.
Now, as they stepped into the sleek, glass-paneled elevator of their apartment building, she was still glowing. Jinu pressed the button for their floor, and the doors slid closed with a soft chime. The hum of the elevator began, but it hadn’t even climbed more than three floors before the car lurched violently and then…stopped.
The lights flickered once. Twice. Then everything went still, save for the faint hum of the emergency power.
Rumi blinked. “Oh no. No, no, no. Don’t tell me—”
“We’re stuck,” Jinu said calmly, as if he had expected this.
Rumi whirled on him. “Why are you so chill about this? We’re in a metal box between floors!”
He shrugged, the faintest of smirks tugging at the corner of his lips. “Because panicking won’t make the elevator start again. Besides, we’ve got time. And company.”
She rolled her eyes at the way he said it, but her pulse quickened all the same.
After mashing the buttons for a while, Rumi finally sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll call Bobby. He’s good at… mechanical things.”
She pulled out her phone and dialed. The call clicked, and Bobby’s voice came through, suspiciously casual. “Yo. What’s up, lovebirds? Done with your date already?”
Rumi felt her face heat up. “Don’t ‘lovebirds’ me! We’re stuck in the elevator. Come help.”
There was a pause, then a muffled laugh. “Seriously? You two, trapped together in a tiny box? Man, the universe really ships you.”
“Bobby!” she snapped. “Just get here!”
“All right, all right, I’m coming. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
The line went dead. Rumi groaned. “Why did I even call him?”
Jinu leaned back against the wall, arms folded. “Because he’ll actually fix it. Eventually.” Then, in a softer voice, he added, “And because it gives us time.”
“Time for what?”
He tilted his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes in that infuriatingly perfect way. “This.”
Before she could react, Jinu leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. It wasn’t rushed, just gentle and deliberate, as if reminding her that yes, this was real, and yes, he wanted this as much as she did.
Rumi’s heart did a complete somersault. “You—you can’t just—”
“I can,” he said, grinning now, “and I did.”
Her protests melted the moment he kissed her again, this time a little longer, his hand lightly brushing hers. She tried to scowl, but it came out as a laugh. “You’re impossible.”
“And you like that,” he shot back smoothly.
She shoved his shoulder, though not very hard. “Don’t get cocky just because we’re stuck here.”
“I’m not cocky. I’m…” He leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Confident.”
It was ridiculous, and it made her giggle despite herself. The sound bounced off the walls of the elevator, making the small space feel even more intimate.
They spent the next stretch of time half teasing, half flirting. Rumi accused him of planning the elevator breakdown just to trap her, and Jinu deadpanned that maybe he’d hacked the building just for a second date. She swatted him for that one, but her smile betrayed her.
Bobby finally showed up in the lobby with a toolbox slung over his shoulder, grumbling to himself. Zoey had tagged along, sipping a bubble tea like she was watching a reality show unfold.
“So they’re stuck, huh?” Zoey asked, slurping loudly. “In the elevator. Together. Alone.”
Bobby rolled his eyes. “Don’t start. They’re probably freaking out in there.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Zoey said slyly. “I bet they’re enjoying the quality time.”
Bobby tried not to laugh, but her smug tone was infectious. “If they are, I hope Mira’s filming it.”
Rumi and Jinu had settled on the floor by now, their shoulders brushing as they sat side by side. The silence between them wasn’t awkward—if anything, it was charged with an unspoken warmth.
Rumi fiddled with the hem of her jacket. “You know, this is…not the worst way to end a date.”
Jinu raised an eyebrow. “You mean trapped in an elevator with failing ventilation?”
She swatted him again. “You know what I mean!”
He chuckled, then leaned close enough that she could feel his breath. “If you say so.”
This time when he kissed her, it was softer, unhurried. She let herself melt into it, forgetting for a moment that they were still trapped in a malfunctioning elevator.
A sudden cough shattered the moment.
Both of them froze. Slowly, in perfect synchronization, they turned toward the corner of the elevator.
There, sitting cross-legged with her arms folded and an utterly unimpressed look on her face…was Mira.
Rumi nearly choked. “M-Mira?! How long have you—what—why—”
“I was here before you two got in,” Mira said flatly. “I just didn’t feel like announcing myself while you were…busy.”
Jinu covered his face with one hand. “Oh no.”
Rumi’s entire soul threatened to evaporate from sheer embarrassment. “Why didn’t you say anything?!”
Mira shrugged. “Because it was entertaining. Also, I didn’t want to interrupt.”
At that exact moment, the elevator shuddered and the doors creaked open. Bobby was crouched outside, flashlight in hand, grinning like a mischievous older brother. Zoey peeked over his shoulder, her bubble tea straw still in her mouth.
“Well, well, well,” Zoey sang, her voice dripping with amusement. “Look who survived their little ‘alone time.’”
Rumi shot to her feet, face blazing. “It wasn’t—We weren’t—”
“Lots of kissing,” Mira interrupted casually as she stepped out. “Lots of flirting. They seemed very…occupied.”
Zoey burst out laughing so hard she nearly spilled her drink. “Oh my gosh, this is even better than I imagined!”
Jinu sighed, resigned. “We’re never going to hear the end of this, are we?”
Bobby clapped him on the back. “Not a chance.”
Back in her room, Rumi collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in a pillow, groaning at the memory. Every single detail replayed itself in her head, from Jinu’s grin to Mira’s perfectly timed cough.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Jinu.
“Next time, let’s take the stairs.”
Despite her embarrassment, Rumi couldn’t help but smile. Her thumbs hovered over the screen before she typed back:
“Fine. But only if you promise not to be so confident.”
His reply came instantly. “No promises.”
She rolled her eyes, but her heart was lighter than it had been all night.
Somehow, even a broken elevator couldn’t ruin a perfect date.