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The afternoon settled over the apartment in a soft, golden way, sunlight spilling through the windows and stretching lazily across the living room floor. It was one of those rare quiet moments where nothing urgent needed to be done and no one was in a rush to be anywhere. The air felt warm, calm perfect for doing absolutely nothing.
Rumi and Jinu had taken full advantage of that.
They were curled together on the couch, tangled in a familiar, comfortable way that came from knowing each other too well to care about personal space. Rumi lay half on top of him, her legs tucked against his side, her head resting on his chest as if it belonged there. Jinu’s arm was wrapped securely around her waist, fingers tracing slow, absentminded patterns through the fabric of her sweater. Every now and then, he leaned down to kiss her hair, her temple, her cheek small, affectionate gestures that felt as natural as breathing.
Rumi, of course, returned the affection tenfold.
She tilted her head up to kiss him, soft at first, then lingering. Her hand slid up to his collar, fingers curling there as if anchoring herself to him. Jinu smiled into the kiss, his other hand coming up to cradle her face. Their kisses weren’t rushed; they were unhurried, comfortable, full of warmth and familiarity. The kind of kissing that said *we have all the time in the world*.
On the armchair across from them, Mira was trying very hard to read.
She had positioned herself strategically with a book, a blanket, and a mug of tea, determined to enjoy a quiet afternoon. Unfortunately, the soft sounds of kissing subtle but persistent kept pulling her attention away from the page.
She cleared her throat.
Nothing.
She flipped the page louder than necessary.
Still nothing.
Rumi giggled softly against Jinu’s lips, and Jinu murmured something teasing that made her smile even wider. Mira lowered her book just enough to glare at them over the top.
“Do you two need a room,” Mira said flatly, “or can I just move into the bathroom until this is over?”
Rumi didn’t even look apologetic. She smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“No,” Mira replied instantly. “Absolutely not.”
Jinu chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to Rumi’s forehead. “We’re being quiet.”
“You are *not*,” Mira said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I can’t even remember what chapter I’m on anymore.”
Rumi shifted slightly, snuggling closer to Jinu. “That sounds like a you problem.”
Before Mira could respond with something suitably sarcastic, the front door burst open.
“GUYS.”
Zoey practically exploded into the apartment, grocery bags swinging wildly from her arms. Her hair was slightly windblown, her eyes bright, her entire body vibrating with barely contained energy.
Rumi and Jinu were in the middle of an intimate kiss when Zoey’s voice cut through the room like a siren.
They broke apart immediately.
Zoey froze mid-step, staring at them. “Oh. Wow. Sorry. Did I interrupt something… intense?”
“Yes,” Mira said without missing a beat.
Rumi laughed, cheeks warm, while Jinu rubbed the back of his neck, amused rather than embarrassed. “What’s going on?”
Zoey dropped the grocery bags on the floor dramatically. “I have NEWS.”
She paced back and forth, gesturing wildly as if she were onstage. “First of all, Mystery was at the market. Like—*right there*. By the apples. I almost dropped a cantaloupe.”
Rumi perked up immediately, scooting to sit upright but still firmly within Jinu’s arms. “You saw Mystery?”
“Yes,” Zoey said, nodding furiously. “And then we talked. And then we walked around together. And then we spent basically the *entire day* together.”
Mira slowly closed her book. “I hate where this is going.”
Zoey continued, oblivious. “We compared snacks. He picked the weirdest cereal, by the way. And then we sat outside and talked. And then—” She gasped dramatically. “—he asked me if I wanted to get ice cream with him next week.”
The room went quiet.
Rumi’s eyes widened.
Jinu’s eyebrows shot up.
Mira stared at Zoey like she’d just announced the sky was green.
“…Zoey,” Rumi said carefully, “do you… do you think that might have been a date?”
Zoey blinked. “What? No. He didn’t say it was a date.”
Jinu bit his lip, clearly holding back a smile. “Ice cream… next week… just the two of you.”
Zoey waved him off. “He probably just wanted ice cream.”
Mira sighed deeply. “You are impossible.”
Zoey beamed, completely missing the point. “Anyway! I had to tell you everything because it was a BIG day and I’m starving.”
She finally noticed the couch again. “Why are you two still glued together?”
Rumi smiled innocently and leaned back into Jinu, who immediately wrapped his arms around her again. “We missed you.”
Zoey narrowed her eyes. “You were kissing when I walked in.”
Jinu shrugged. “We were also breathing.”
Mira groaned. “I need new friends.”
Zoey launched into a dramatic retelling of her day making sure every detail exaggerated, every glance and smile from Mystery analyzed with intense seriousness. She mimed slipping near the produce aisle, reenacted how Mystery helped her steady herself, and dramatically clutched her chest as she described their conversation about ice cream flavors.
Rumi listened with a fond smile, occasionally kissing Jinu’s cheek or resting her head against his shoulder. Jinu, for his part, kept brushing his thumb along her arm, leaning in to whisper teasing comments that made her laugh quietly.
“You’re distracting,” Rumi murmured to him at one point.
“On purpose,” he replied softly, kissing the corner of her mouth.
Mira stared straight ahead, resolutely refusing to react. “I cannot believe I’m the only sane person here.”
When Zoey finally finished, she flopped onto a chair, satisfied. “So yeah. Normal day.”
Rumi, Jinu, and Mira exchanged a look.
They all knew.
But no one said anything.
Zoey was smiling, glowing, completely unaware of what occurred and for now, they decided to let her have that.