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The party was already out of control by 9:17 PM.
Not normal party out of control either.
This was rich-people-rented-a-private-hillside-mansion-with-three-floors-and-a-DJ kind of out of control. The bass from the speakers practically shook the walls. Pink and blue lights flashed across the ceiling like somebody had turned a nightclub into a fever dream. People were yelling over music, laughing too loud, spilling drinks everywhere, taking blurry videos they were absolutely gonna regret tomorrow.
And in the middle of it all—
“YOONCHAE!”
A whole crowd screamed her name as someone shoved another birthday shot into her hand.
Yoonchae blinked at it for half a second before laughing so hard she almost dropped the tiny glass.
“Wait—wait—what even IS this?”
“Don’t ask questions on your eighteenth birthday!” Lara yelled back immediately.
“That’s literally the worst advice you’ve ever given,” Sophia muttered.
“Wrong,” Daniela said. “One time she told me bangs were a good idea.”
“THEY WERE CUTE.”
“Lara, no baby.”
The girls dissolved into laughter while Yoonchae leaned against the kitchen island, already dizzy from the noise and lights and people and everything happening way too fast around her.
Eighteen.
Actually eighteen.
The number still felt fake in her head.
Like somehow she’d wake up tomorrow and everyone would go psych! You’re still seventeen loser!
But no.
This was real.
There were giant silver balloons floating above the staircase that literally said 18. Somebody had gotten a custom cake with glitter frosting. Megan had cried over it for five minutes earlier because she said it was “too pretty to eat,” despite eating two slices afterward.
Very Megan behavior.
Yoonchae smiled stupidly at the thought.
And then immediately took the shot.
Instant regret.
“Oh my GOD,” she choked, coughing as the burn hit her throat. “That tastes like gasoline!”
“WOOOOOO!”
The crowd cheered anyway.
Daniela nearly fell over laughing while Manon filmed the whole thing on her phone.
“Your face,” Manon wheezed. “Oh my god, you look traumatized.”
“I am traumatized.”
Sophia reached over and stole the empty shot glass from her before she could accidentally drop it. “Okay. Maybe water?”
“No,” Yoonchae said immediately.
“Yes.”
“Nooooo.”
“Yes.”
“Mama Sophia strikes again,” Lara announced dramatically.
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Somebody has to keep this kid alive.”
“I’m an adult now,” Yoonchae protested.
“Exactly. Which means legally you can make worse decisions.”
“That is so inspirational.”
Another roar came from the living room as the music changed. The DJ transitioned into a louder track and suddenly half the party screamed the lyrics.
Yoonchae’s head already felt floaty.
Warm.
Loose.
Way looser than she expected this fast.
Okay maybe she’d taken more shots than she remembered.
In her defense, every five minutes somebody else handed her another drink because birthday girl. At one point she’d somehow ended up with two cups at the same time and nobody questioned it.
“Mmm,” Manon hummed, studying her carefully. “Yeah she’s gone.”
“I’m not gone,” Yoonchae argued.
“You just stared at the ceiling fan for like thirty seconds.”
“It was spinning.”
Lara snorted into her drink.
Sophia gently grabbed Yoonchae’s wrist before she could wander off again. “Seriously. Water first.”
“But dancing second.”
“You can do both.”
“That sounds fake.”
Sophia sighed like a tired mother of six.
Meanwhile across the room—
Megan was also becoming a problem.
A loud problem.
“Oh my GODDDD,” Megan shouted from the couch area, halfway hanging over the back cushions. “Wait wait wait wait—play the sad remix one again!”
“You cannot cry to club music,” Daniela yelled back.
“Watch me.”
“She’s definitely drunk,” Manon said.
“No literally,” Lara agreed. “She started speaking in cursive like twenty minutes ago.”
Megan looked incredible tonight, which honestly felt offensive.
Black cargo pants. Tiny silver chain around her neck. Dark eyeliner slightly smudged from heat and dancing. Hair messy already because she kept running her hands through it every five seconds.
Yoonchae tried not to stare.
Failed instantly.
Like genuinely failed.
Her eyes kept finding Megan no matter where she was in the room.
On the couch laughing too hard.
At the drinks table arguing with the bartender over whether tequila “tasted blonde.”
Dancing with strangers.
Throwing her head back laughing.
Everything Megan did tonight felt brighter somehow.
And every single time Megan smiled—
Yoonchae’s stomach flipped violently.
Which was honestly rude.
Lara noticed first.
Of course she did.
Lara noticed everything.
She looked from Yoonchae to Megan and immediately got the biggest grin on her face.
“Ohhhhh,” she dragged out quietly.
Yoonchae looked at her suspiciously. “What?”
“You are not subtle.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve looked at Megan like sixteen times in the last minute.”
“I literally have not.”
“Babe,” Daniela cut in, “you are actively doing it right now.”
Yoonchae snapped her gaze away so fast she almost gave herself whiplash.
“No I’m not.”
Sophia slowly sipped her drink. “You kinda are.”
“Oh my god.”
“Wait this is actually hilarious,” Lara said, suddenly delighted. She turned toward the living room and cupped her hands around her mouth. “MEG!”
Megan looked over immediately.
“What?”
“Wave at Yoonchae.”
There was a split second where Yoonchae’s soul fully left her body.
“MORTIFYING,” she yelled.
But Megan, already drunk enough to think everything was funny, just grinned lazily from across the room and gave her the dumbest little wave imaginable.
Tiny finger wiggle.
Soft smile.
Eyes all warm and shiny under the flashing lights.
And Yoonchae—
Actually giggled.
Like a full-on pathetic lovesick giggle.
The second the sound escaped her mouth, the other girls LOST IT.
“Oh my GOD,” Daniela screamed.
“NAHHHHH,” Lara wheezed.
“THAT WAS INSANE.”
Yoonchae covered her face immediately. “Shut UP.”
“She giggled,” Manon cried. “She literally giggled.”
“I hate all of you.”
Sophia looked deeply entertained now. “You’re cooked.”
“I’m leaving.”
“You’re too drunk to leave.”
“That’s true,” Yoonchae admitted sadly.
Across the room Megan was still staring at her.
Still smiling.
And somehow that made everything worse.
Or better.
Definitely worse.
Probably better.
Her brain was too fuzzy to decide.
The music got louder again.
Someone started chanting for shots in another room.
The house practically vibrated with noise.
Then Megan pushed herself off the couch and started walking toward them.
Uh oh.
Actual uh oh.
Yoonchae suddenly forgot how standing worked.
“Hey birthday girl,” Megan said when she reached them, voice low and rough from yelling over music all night.
Way too close.
Why was she standing so close?
Yoonchae could smell her perfume.
Something warm and expensive and slightly sweet.
“Megan,” Yoonchae said, immediately sounding drunker than before.
Lara physically bit her lip to stop herself laughing.
Megan looked at the group. “Why are you all staring at me like that?”
“No reason,” Daniela said way too fast.
“None at all,” Manon added.
Sophia just watched silently with the expression of someone witnessing a future disaster in real time.
Megan squinted suspiciously before shrugging it off.
“Dance with me,” she said to Yoonchae.
Every single one of the other girls reacted instantly.
“Oh that’s a terrible idea,” Daniela muttered.
“Horrible,” Sophia agreed.
“Catastrophic even,” Lara added.
Yoonchae blinked. “What?”
“Nothing,” the four of them said together.
Megan laughed. “Y’all are dramatic.”
She held her hand out toward Yoonchae anyway.
And the thing was—
Yoonchae should’ve said no.
Probably.
Definitely.
Actually yes, definitely.
Because the second Megan looked at her like that, all soft-eyed and smiling and flushed from alcohol—
Yoonchae’s brain stopped functioning entirely.
So instead she grabbed Megan’s hand.
Huge mistake.
The other girls exchanged identical looks of horror.
“Should we stop them?” Manon asked.
Sophia watched the two girls disappear toward the dance floor.
“…Probably.”
Neither of them heard her.
The crowd swallowed them instantly.
Lights flashed overhead in dizzy colors while the bass pounded through the floor hard enough to feel inside your chest. Bodies moved everywhere around them, sweaty and loud and chaotic.
Megan spun around dramatically the second they hit the middle of the dance floor.
“OH THIS IS MY SONG.”
“You said that about the last four songs.”
“Because I contain multitudes.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
Megan laughed so hard she almost stumbled.
Yoonchae grabbed her arm automatically to steady her.
And then—
Oh.
Oh no.
Physical contact.
Warm skin under her fingers.
Megan looking down at where she touched her.
The moment stretched weirdly long.
Too long.
Long enough for Yoonchae’s heartbeat to go absolutely insane.
Long enough for Megan’s smile to soften just a little.
“You okay?” Megan asked quietly.
Yoonchae nodded immediately.
Too immediately.
“Yep.”
Liar.
Complete liar.
Megan tilted her head like she knew that too.
God.
The lighting in this room was evil. Every flash of neon blue and pink made Megan look unreal. Her eyes looked darker tonight somehow. Softer too.
Yoonchae needed another drink immediately.
Instead she kept dancing.
Which honestly was not helping.
At all.
They moved through the crowd together, laughing whenever somebody bumped into them. Megan kept grabbing Yoonchae’s hands dramatically whenever the chorus hit. At one point she nearly fell and took Yoonchae down with her, both of them collapsing into breathless laughter.
Every single second felt dangerous.
Not dangerous dangerous.
Just—
Emotionally dangerous.
Because they weren’t supposed to feel like this.
None of this was technically allowed.
KATSEYE contracts were strict.
No scandals.
No public dating disasters.
Nothing messy that could become headlines.
And especially not member/member situations.
The company had made that very clear from the beginning.
Which meant Yoonchae absolutely should not be staring at Megan’s mouth right now.
And Megan absolutely should not be touching her waist while dancing.
And neither of them should be this drunk.
Across the room, Sophia spotted the hand placement and nearly inhaled her drink wrong.
“Oh no,” she muttered.
Daniela followed her gaze.
“Oh NO.”
Lara looked delighted. “This is cinema actually.”
“This is an HR violation,” Sophia corrected.
Manon looked between them nervously. “Should somebody separate them?”
The four watched as Megan leaned down to say something into Yoonchae’s ear.
Yoonchae immediately turned bright red.
“…Yeah,” Sophia sighed. “Probably.”
____
The problem started with one sentence.
“I want another drink.”
That was it.
That was the beginning of the end.
Yoonchae was leaning halfway into Megan at this point, both of them flushed from dancing for way too long. The music downstairs was deafening now, bass vibrating through the entire house while people screamed lyrics off-key.
Sweaty.
Drunk.
Dizzy.
Everything felt blurry around the edges in the best and worst way possible.
Megan pushed messy hair out of her face and squinted at her. “Another one?”
“Yes.”
“You can barely stand.”
“That sounds fake.”
“You almost walked directly into a wall like thirty seconds ago.”
“The wall moved.”
Megan burst out laughing.
Actually burst.
Head thrown back, loud cackle, entire body shaking.
And Yoonchae’s stomach flipped again.
This was getting ridiculous.
“You’re sooo pretty when you laugh,” Yoonchae said without thinking.
Silence.
Like actual dangerous silence.
Megan blinked at her slowly.
“Oh,” Megan said.
OH?
Why did she say it like that?!
Yoonchae immediately slapped both hands over her own face.
“Oh my god forget I said that. Delete it from your brain immediately.”
“No wait,” Megan said, laughing again. “No no no, say it again.”
“I’m going to die.”
“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
Yoonchae physically made a noise of distress.
This was horrible.
This was actually horrible.
Because Megan was drunk too, which meant she kept saying things in That Voice.
The soft one.
The low one.
The one that made Yoonchae feel like she was actively losing years off her lifespan.
And the worst part?
Megan kept looking at her.
Not normal looking either.
Like really looking.
Eyes lingering too long.
Smiling every time Yoonchae laughed.
Hands constantly finding her arm or waist or shoulder in the crowd.
None of this was helping.
At all.
“We should get drinks before Sophia kidnaps us,” Megan decided suddenly.
“True.”
“She’s been looking at me like I committed tax fraud.”
“She’s looking at both of us like that.”
“Damn.”
Megan grabbed Yoonchae’s wrist before she could disappear into the crowd and started pulling her toward the stairs.
Huge mistake.
Massive.
Catastrophic.
Behind them, Lara noticed immediately.
“Oh absolutely not.”
Daniela turned around too late. “What?”
Lara pointed dramatically toward the staircase where Megan and Yoonchae were already disappearing upstairs together.
Daniela’s expression dropped instantly.
“Oh that’s bad.”
Sophia followed their line of sight.
Then closed her eyes.
“Why are they going upstairs?”
“Drinks,” Manon offered weakly.
Sophia looked unconvinced. “There are literally drinks downstairs.”
Meanwhile upstairs—
The hallway was quieter.
Not fully quiet.
The music still shook through the walls and floor, muffled bass echoing from downstairs, but compared to the chaos below it felt weirdly private.
Too private.
Yoonchae stumbled slightly as they reached the second floor landing.
Megan caught her immediately.
“Woah there.”
“I’m okay.”
“You are swaying like a tree in a hurricane.”
Yoonchae giggled.
Actually giggled again.
This was becoming a serious issue.
The upstairs hallway glowed gold from dim wall lights, way calmer than the flashing neon downstairs. Most people stayed on the first floor or outside by the pool, meaning the second level was almost empty except for distant voices behind closed doors.
Megan still hadn’t let go of her wrist.
Not even a little.
Yoonchae noticed.
Unfortunately.
“Wait,” Megan said suddenly, stopping mid-hallway.
“Hm?”
“You really think I’m pretty?”
Yoonchae nearly walked directly into a plant.
“Oh my god.”
“I’m serious.”
“You can’t ask me that!”
“Why not?”
“Because—because you’re Megan!”
“That answered literally nothing.”
Megan was smiling again.
Soft.
Teasing.
Dangerous.
Yoonchae’s face felt insanely warm now.
“That’s not fair,” she mumbled.
“What’s not fair?”
“You keep looking at me like that.”
Megan blinked slowly. “Like what?”
LIKE SHE WANTED TO KISS HER.
But Yoonchae absolutely could not say that out loud.
Especially not here.
Especially not when both of them were drunk enough to make terrible decisions.
The company would kill them.
Not literally obviously.
But spiritually? Emotionally? Publicly?
Absolutely.
KATSEYE’s management team already monitored enough things as is. If anybody even suspected something between members—
Nope.
Bad.
Very bad.
Yoonchae knew that.
Megan knew that too.
Which made this entire situation somehow worse.
“Nothing,” Yoonchae muttered.
Megan stepped closer.
Dangerously closer.
The hallway suddenly felt way too warm.
“You’ve been staring at me all night,” Megan said quietly.
Yoonchae’s brain blue-screened.
“No I haven’t.”
“You literally have.”
“Nope.”
“You giggled when I waved at you.”
“That was propaganda.”
Megan laughed under her breath.
Then she tilted her head a little.
“You’re really cute tonight.”
Oh.
OH.
That one hit directly like a sniper bullet to the chest.
Yoonchae stared at her.
Megan stared back.
Neither of them moved for a second.
The music downstairs thumped faintly through the walls.
Somebody yelled somewhere outside near the pool.
But up here?
It suddenly felt weirdly still.
Yoonchae became hyperaware of everything all at once.
Megan’s hand still lightly around her wrist.
The chain around Megan’s neck glinting under warm hallway lights.
The smudge of eyeliner near the corner of her eye.
Her lips.
Okay stop looking at her lips.
Seriously stop.
“You’re staring again,” Megan murmured.
“I can’t help it.”
The words slipped out before Yoonchae could stop them.
And judging by Megan’s expression—
That definitely changed something.
Because Megan’s smile faded slightly.
Not in a bad way.
In a quieter way.
A more serious way.
Her thumb brushed lightly against Yoonchae’s wrist.
And oh that absolutely did not help.
“Megan,” Yoonchae whispered.
Not even on purpose.
It just came out like that.
Soft.
Small.
Too soft.
Megan looked at her for one long second.
Then another.
And then—
“Fuck it,” Megan mumbled.
Yoonchae kissed her before she could think.
Fast.
Immediate.
Like her brain completely skipped every logical process and went directly to yes absolutely this.
One second they were staring at each other.
The next—
Yoonchae had both hands grabbing the front of Megan’s shirt while kissing her hard enough to shove her backward into the hallway wall.
Megan made a startled sound against her mouth.
Then immediately kissed back.
And that was the actual disaster.
Because if Megan had pushed her away maybe this could’ve ended there.
Instead Megan grabbed her waist instantly.
Pulled her closer.
Kissed her deeper.
Hot and messy and reckless.
Everything after that happened way too fast.
Yoonchae’s brain completely melted.
Megan tasted like vodka and cherry lip gloss.
Her hands were warm against Yoonchae’s waist.
Their mouths moved desperately against each other like they’d both been thinking about this way longer than either wanted to admit.
Which honestly?
Probably true.
Yoonchae felt Megan’s fingers tighten slightly against her side and nearly lost her mind.
This was bad.
So bad.
Like career-ending bad.
But also—
Megan kissed like she was trying to ruin lives.
Yoonchae couldn’t breathe properly.
Couldn’t think properly either.
Every time they pulled back half an inch one of them immediately kissed the other again.
Messy.
Impatient.
Megan’s head tipped back lightly against the wall while Yoonchae kissed her deeper.
A quiet sound escaped Megan’s throat.
That sound almost killed her instantly.
“Megan,” Yoonchae breathed against her mouth.
Megan looked completely gone already.
Eyes half-lidded.
Cheeks flushed.
Hair messy.
“You’re so—” Megan started.
Then stopped because Yoonchae kissed her again.
At this point neither of them were thinking about literally anything.
Not the group.
Not the party.
Not the cameras downstairs.
Not the contracts.
Nothing.
Just this.
Just each other.
Which was exactly why they didn’t hear footsteps coming upstairs.
Didn’t notice Daniela walking down the hallway.
Didn’t realize they were absolutely screwed until—
“What the FUCK.”
Both of them jumped apart violently.
Daniela stood frozen at the end of the hallway holding a red plastic cup like she’d just witnessed a murder.
Actually no.
Worse.
Because murder might’ve been easier to explain.
For a full second nobody spoke.
Megan blinked slowly against the wall.
Yoonchae looked like her soul had physically exited her body.
Daniela stared between them in complete disbelief.
“…Are you BOTH insane?” she finally whisper-yelled.
Yoonchae opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Megan squinted at Daniela. “Hi Daniii.”
Daniela looked horrified.
“Oh my god you’re wasted.”
“Probably.”
“You are making out in a hallway!”
Megan considered this.
“…Yeah.”
“And you,” Daniela snapped toward Yoonchae, “are supposed to be the responsible one tonight!”
“I’m literally not,” Yoonchae said weakly.
“YOU’RE THE BIRTHDAY GIRL.”
“I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”
Daniela looked seconds away from passing out from stress.
“Do you two understand how bad this is?!”
Megan frowned thoughtfully at the wall beside Daniela’s head instead of at Daniela herself.
“You’re kinda moving.”
“I AM STANDING STILL.”
“Agree to disagree.”
Yoonchae slapped both hands over her face.
“Oh my god.”
Daniela pointed aggressively between them. “No no no. Absolutely not. We are ending whatever this is right now before Sophia has an aneurysm.”
At the mention of Sophia—
Yoonchae visibly winced.
Because oh.
OH NO.
Sophia.
Sophia was absolutely gonna kill them.
“She’s gonna murder me,” Yoonchae whispered.
“She’s gonna murder BOTH of you.”
Megan looked oddly unbothered by this information.
“She loves me.”
“She will not after tonight.”
Daniela immediately grabbed Yoonchae’s wrist.
“C’mon.”
Yoonchae stumbled slightly. “Wait—”
“Nope. You’re going downstairs. Away from this disaster.”
“Megan—”
“Nope.”
Megan pouted instantly.
Actually pouted.
Lower lip out and everything.
“Daniiiiii.”
“Don’t Dani me!”
“You’re being mean.”
“You were eating Yoonchae’s face!”
Megan blinked slowly.
“…That sounds kinda aggressive when you say it like that.”
Daniela made a sound like she was spiritually exhausted.
“Jesus Christ.”
_____
“This is actually the worst night of my life.”
Daniela wasn’t even whispering anymore.
She had one hand death-gripping Yoonchae’s wrist while dragging her down the stairs like an exhausted mother collecting a feral child from a grocery store.
Behind them, Megan leaned dramatically against the upstairs hallway wall.
Still pouting.
Still drunk.
Still somehow not understanding the severity of literally anything happening right now.
“Dani,” Megan complained, voice echoing down the staircase, “you’re ruining the vibe.”
“The vibe SHOULD be ruined!”
Yoonchae made the mistake of looking back at Megan.
Huge mistake.
Because Megan immediately brightened.
Actually brightened.
“There’s my birthday girl,” she said lazily.
Yoonchae almost missed a step.
Daniela tightened her grip instantly.
“Nope. Eyes forward.”
“I literally didn’t do anything.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I kissed her first.”
Daniela froze mid-staircase.
“Oh my GOD why would you admit that?!”
Yoonchae immediately slapped a hand over her own mouth.
Too late.
Way too late.
Behind them, Megan burst into delighted laughter.
“I KNEW IT,” Megan yelled.
“You knew WHAT?” Daniela snapped.
“She likes meeee.”
Daniela looked seconds away from jumping off the staircase voluntarily.
The music downstairs got louder as they descended back into the party chaos. Flashing lights bounced across the walls. Somebody somewhere was screaming the chorus to a Charli xcx song directly into another person’s face.
Normal party behavior.
Completely normal.
Meanwhile Yoonchae felt like she was actively having an out-of-body experience.
Her lips still tingled.
That was the worst part.
Actually no, the worst part was remembering how Megan kissed back.
Fast.
Desperate.
Like she wanted it too.
Like this hadn’t just been drunken stupidity.
Which made everything about a thousand times more dangerous emotionally.
“Okay,” Daniela muttered mostly to herself. “Okay. Damage control.”
“There is no damage control,” Yoonchae whispered.
“There HAS to be.”
“I think I’m in love with her.”
Daniela stopped walking so suddenly Yoonchae nearly crashed into her.
“…You could not have told me that literally any other day?”
“Oh my god I said that out loud.”
“Yes! You did!”
Yoonchae covered her face again.
Everything was awful.
Daniela stared at her for a second before dragging her the rest of the way downstairs.
Sophia was exactly where they’d left her earlier: near the kitchen island with Lara and Manon, all three casually pretending not to monitor the situation every thirty seconds.
The second Sophia saw Daniela dragging Yoonchae alone—
Her expression dropped immediately.
“Oh no.”
“Yeah,” Daniela said.
Lara looked around. “Wait where’s Megan?”
Daniela laughed once.
Not happily.
“Oh she’s upstairs drunk off her ass after making out with Yoonchae in the hallway.”
Dead silence.
Then—
“THEY WHAT?!” Lara screeched.
Several nearby strangers turned to stare.
Sophia physically choked on her drink.
Manon slapped both hands over her mouth so hard she nearly dropped her phone.
Yoonchae wanted the floor to open up and consume her instantly.
Sophia slowly put her cup down.
Very slowly.
Like someone trying not to commit a crime.
“They did WHAT.”
Daniela pointed at Yoonchae. “This one kissed Megan.”
“I WAS DRUNK.”
“And Megan kissed back.”
Sophia closed her eyes.
“Of course she did.”
“She’s still upstairs by the way.”
Sophia’s eyes snapped open immediately. “ALONE?”
“With her emotional support wall apparently.”
Lara was losing her mind.
“No because WAIT—hold on—hold on—” She grabbed Yoonchae’s shoulders dramatically. “You guys ACTUALLY kissed?”
Yoonchae made a miserable noise.
“Oh my god this is insane.”
“Lara,” Sophia warned.
“No I’m sorry but this is genuinely the least shocking thing that’s ever happened.”
Everyone turned toward her.
Lara blinked.
“…What?”
“You knew?” Daniela asked.
“I mean not knew knew. But c’mon.” Lara gestured vaguely between them. “They’ve had weird tension forever.”
“Weird tension?” Sophia repeated.
“Yes.”
“They stare at each other like divorced exes who still secretly hook up,” Lara explained.
“LARA,” Manon yelled.
“What?! I’m right!”
Yoonchae looked ready to evaporate.
Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose hard enough to leave marks.
“Okay. New rule. Nobody says anything stupid for the next five minutes.”
“That’s impossible in this group,” Daniela muttered.
Sophia pointed at Yoonchae. “How drunk are you?”
Yoonchae considered this carefully.
“The stairs were moving earlier.”
“Fantastic.”
“I’m okay though.”
“You just confessed your love to Daniela.”
Yoonchae froze.
“…I did what.”
Daniela immediately looked delighted. “OH so you DON’T remember.”
“Oh my GOD.”
Sophia looked like she was rapidly aging in real time.
“Okay. Fine. Whatever. We deal with feelings later.” She grabbed Yoonchae’s face gently between both hands. “Right now I need you to listen to me carefully.”
Yoonchae blinked at her.
“You cannot go upstairs again tonight.”
“…Okay.”
“You cannot be alone with Megan tonight.”
“…Okay.”
“You especially cannot kiss Megan again tonight.”
Yoonchae stared at her silently for two seconds.
Then—
“…Can I think about it?”
“NO.”
Lara collapsed against the counter laughing.
Meanwhile upstairs—
Megan had fully slid down the hallway wall and was sitting on the floor now.
Just vibing.
Daniela marched back upstairs like an exhausted soldier returning to war.
She found Megan humming softly to herself while staring at the ceiling light.
“You,” Daniela said immediately.
Megan looked up slowly.
“Oh hey Dani.”
“Get up.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Megan squinted at her suspiciously. “You look mad.”
“I AM mad.”
“Why?”
Daniela stared at her in disbelief.
“Because you made out with Yoonchae!”
Megan blinked.
Then smiled dreamily.
“Oh yeah.”
“Oh my GOD.”
Megan rested her head back against the wall again. “She kissed me first.”
“I KNOW.”
“She’s really cute.”
Daniela pointed aggressively at her. “See that attitude right there? That’s the problem.”
Megan frowned. “What attitude?”
“The whole heart-eyes thing you have going on!”
“I do not have heart eyes.”
“You literally look like you’re about to start writing poetry.”
Megan gasped dramatically. “That’s rude.”
“You know what’s rude? Potentially detonating the group dynamic!”
“That sounds fake.”
Daniela nearly threw her cup at the wall.
“Megan.”
“What?”
“You cannot do this.”
Megan’s smile faded slightly.
Not fully.
Just enough.
“…Do what?”
Daniela sighed.
And suddenly Megan looked less drunk for half a second.
Not sober.
Definitely not sober.
But quieter.
“You know what,” Daniela said more gently now. “You know exactly what.”
Megan stared at the floor.
The music downstairs thumped faintly through the ceiling vents.
For the first time since Daniela found them—
Megan looked uncertain.
“She looked at me first,” Megan mumbled finally.
Daniela crossed her arms. “Oh my god you BOTH are down horrendous.”
Megan groaned and covered her face with both hands.
“That’s so embarrassing.”
“Yes.”
“She’s just…” Megan paused. “She’s Yoonchae.”
Daniela’s expression softened despite herself.
Because honestly?
Yeah.
That was kind of the issue.
Yoonchae was Yoonchae.
Sweet and funny and clingy when drunk and secretly emotional under all the chaos. The youngest member who somehow made every room brighter just by existing in it.
And Megan—
Well.
Megan looked at Yoonchae like the moon personally hand-delivered her to earth.
Which was exactly why this entire thing was a disaster waiting to happen.
“You guys signed contracts,” Daniela reminded quietly.
“I know.”
“And if this got out—”
“I know.”
Megan’s voice came out smaller that time.
Daniela sat down beside her with a tired sigh.
For a second neither of them spoke.
Then Megan looked over.
“Is she mad at me?”
Daniela blinked.
“Megan.”
“What?”
“She’s downstairs spiraling because she thinks she just ruined her life.”
“…Oh.”
“And Sophia is like two seconds away from cardiac arrest.”
Megan snorted.
“That’s fair.”
Daniela studied her for a second.
“You really like her huh.”
Megan immediately looked away.
Which was answer enough honestly.
“Oh this is BAD bad,” Daniela muttered.
Megan groaned louder.
“Stop saying it like that.”
“I’m saying it exactly like that because it IS exactly like that.”
Downstairs, Yoonchae was currently hiding her face in Sophia’s shoulder while Lara continued being the least helpful person alive.
“No but wait,” Lara said between laughs. “How long do we think they’ve wanted to do that?”
“Lara,” Sophia warned again.
“What? I’m INVESTED now.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Manon said.
“I thrive in chaos.”
“We know,” Daniela muttered as she finally returned downstairs with Megan trailing behind her.
The second Yoonchae saw Megan—
Everything got worse.
Like visibly worse.
Her entire face went red immediately.
Megan stopped walking too.
Both of them just stared at each other across the kitchen.
Silent.
Hopeless.
Drunk.
Absolutely doomed.
“Oh BROTHER,” Sophia muttered.
Lara looked between them once.
Then pointed dramatically.
“See?! LOOK at them!”
“They’re not even trying to hide it anymore,” Manon whispered.
Daniela rubbed both hands down her face. “I need aspirin.”
Megan took one tiny step toward Yoonchae.
Sophia immediately pointed at her like a weapon.
“Don’t.”
Megan stopped instantly.
“…Okay.”
Yoonchae made a tiny sad noise before she could stop herself.
Every single person in the group reacted.
Lara physically collapsed onto the counter again.
Daniela looked ready to scream.
Sophia stared at the ceiling like she was asking God personally for patience.
“Oh my god,” Manon whispered. “They’re actually gone.”
And honestly?
Yeah.
They absolutely were.
_____
By 11:42 PM, Sophia had officially had enough.
“Nope,” she announced suddenly.
The rest of the girls looked up from various positions around the kitchen.
Sophia stood there with the exhausted expression of a woman moments away from filing a workplace incident report.
“We’re leaving.”
Immediate complaints.
“WHAT?” Lara cried.
“But the party’s still good,” Manon protested weakly, despite already looking tired herself.
Daniela pointed toward Megan and Yoonchae across the room.
“Counterpoint: those two.”
Megan was currently leaning halfway across the kitchen island trying to get Yoonchae’s attention while Yoonchae hid her face behind a red plastic cup like it could physically protect her.
It could not.
Especially because every five seconds one of them accidentally made eye contact and immediately smiled like idiots.
Sophia looked deeply haunted by it.
“We are one drunken decision away from a TMZ headline,” she said firmly.
“That’s dramatic,” Lara replied.
“It’s accurate.”
Honestly?
Yeah.
It was accurate.
The longer the night went on, the less subtle Megan and Yoonchae became.
Now that the kiss had happened, something between them had fully broken open.
Not publicly publicly.
But enough.
Enough that every glance lingered too long.
Enough that Yoonchae kept unconsciously gravitating toward Megan in crowded rooms.
Enough that Megan looked like a kicked puppy every time Sophia physically positioned herself between them.
And unfortunately for everyone involved—
Both of them were way too drunk to pretend otherwise anymore.
Sophia pointed toward the front door.
“Shoes. Now.”
Lara groaned dramatically. “You’re literally evil.”
“I’m responsible.”
“That’s worse.”
Daniela was already grabbing her jacket. “No no, Sophia’s right. Before these two start writing each other sonnets in public.”
“I would never,” Megan gasped.
“You absolutely would,” Manon said.
Megan considered it.
“…Okay maybe.”
Yoonchae giggled into Sophia’s shoulder.
That was another thing.
At some point within the last twenty minutes, Yoonchae had gotten sleepy drunk instead of chaotic drunk.
Which meant she’d attached herself directly to Sophia like an exhausted baby koala.
Her makeup was slightly smudged now. Her hair messy from dancing. Eyes all heavy and soft every time she blinked.
Sophia had one arm around her shoulders to keep her upright.
“Baby,” Sophia said gently, “we’re going home.”
Yoonchae made a tiny unhappy noise.
“Nooooo.”
“Yes.”
“But my party.”
“You can barely keep your eyes open.”
“That’s fake.”
“You just fell asleep standing up.”
“I was thinking.”
“Sure.”
Lara snorted while slipping her heels back on. “She’s gone gone.”
Meanwhile Megan perked up instantly.
“HOME?”
Daniela physically pointed at her. “See? This is exactly what I mean.”
“What?”
“You’re excited because Yoonchae’s going home too.”
Megan blinked.
Then smiled sheepishly.
“…Maybe.”
“Oh BROTHER.”
Manon was trying not to laugh as she collected everyone’s bags and phones from random spots around the kitchen.
“Okay but lowkey,” Lara whispered loudly to Daniela, “this is kinda cute.”
“It’s not cute when it could implode the group.”
“But it IS cute.”
Daniela sighed so hard it nearly became a spiritual event.
Ten minutes later they finally escaped the party.
The cold night air hit them immediately.
London streets glowed under streetlights while distant music still echoed faintly from the mansion behind them. The city felt quieter out here. Damp pavement. Chilly breeze. Midnight traffic humming somewhere far off.
Yoonchae instantly leaned harder into Sophia.
“M’cold.”
Sophia pulled her closer automatically. “I know.”
“You’re nice.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I sleep?”
“In the car.”
“Okay.”
Megan stared at this interaction with visible jealousy.
Actually visible.
Lara noticed immediately.
“Oh this is incredible.”
“Do not encourage her,” Daniela warned.
“I’m not encouraging,” Lara lied. “I’m observing.”
“You’re instigating.”
“Same thing.”
Manon unlocked the van parked along the curb. “Okay. Seating arrangements.”
“Important,” Sophia said immediately.
Everyone turned toward her.
“No funny business.”
Megan looked offended. “I’m literally standing here.”
“Yes. Menacingly.”
“I don’t menace.”
“You absolutely menace.”
Lara climbed into the backseat beside Megan before Daniela could stop her.
“Dibs.”
Daniela narrowed her eyes. “You volunteered?”
“Somebody has to monitor her.”
“You want gossip.”
“I want information.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Meanwhile Sophia carefully guided half-asleep Yoonchae into the middle row of seats.
The second Yoonchae sat down, she immediately tipped sideways onto Sophia’s shoulder.
Gone.
Completely gone.
Sophia looked down at her fondly despite everything. “Birthday baby.”
“Mmm.”
“You drank way too much.”
“Was celebratin’.”
“That’s not an excuse.”
“It kinda is.”
Sophia smiled despite herself.
Up front, Manon started the car while Lara twisted around in her seat dramatically to stare at Megan.
“So,” Lara said.
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I was gonna ask.”
“Yes I do.”
“You totally like her.”
Megan immediately buried her face in her hoodie.
Daniela groaned from the seat beside her. “I can’t do this.”
Lara looked delighted beyond belief.
“Oh my god you DO.”
“She’s cute,” Megan mumbled into the fabric.
“THIS IS CRAZY.”
“Lara,” Sophia warned from the middle row.
“What?!”
“Indoor voice.”
“We’re literally in a car.”
“Exactly.”
Megan suddenly sat up straighter.
“Oh my god wait.”
Everyone tensed instantly.
“What,” Daniela asked cautiously.
“I wanna hug Yoonchae.”
“No.”
Sophia answered so fast it almost overlapped the sentence itself.
Megan looked personally betrayed.
“Why?”
“Because you’re drunk.”
“She’s drunk too.”
“Exactly.”
“That sounds like discrimination.”
Sophia ignored her.
Megan leaned sideways trying to peek around the seat. “Yoonchaeee.”
Yoonchae lifted her head slightly from Sophia’s shoulder.
“Hm?”
“You should come sit back here.”
Sophia immediately placed a hand against Yoonchae’s forehead and gently pushed her back down onto her shoulder.
“No.”
Yoonchae started giggling again.
Actually helpless giggling.
Megan looked delighted by this.
“Oh she likes me.”
“Please stop saying that out loud,” Daniela begged.
The ride back to the dorms was mostly chaos.
Lara interrogated Megan like an investigative journalist.
Manon nearly drove into another lane laughing at one point.
Sophia continuously stopped Yoonchae from sliding off the seat every five minutes.
And Megan?
Megan spent the entire drive staring dreamily at Yoonchae whenever she thought nobody noticed.
Unfortunately everyone noticed.
Every single person noticed.
Especially Daniela.
“Oh this is gonna be a nightmare tomorrow,” she muttered.
“Why tomorrow specifically?” Lara asked.
“Because then they’ll remember everything.”
Silence.
Everyone considered that.
“Ohhhhh,” Manon whispered.
Yeah.
That was bad.
Because drunk actions were one thing.
But sober realization?
Sober realization was lethal.
The dorm building finally came into view around midnight.
The second the van parked, Sophia pointed at Megan.
“You stay there.”
Megan gasped dramatically. “You treat me like a criminal.”
“You made out with your group member in a hallway.”
“One time.”
Daniela made a face. “Please never phrase it like that.”
Everyone piled out of the van slowly.
The cold air hit harder now.
Yoonchae immediately curled closer into Sophia’s side while they walked toward the dorm entrance.
Half asleep.
Tiny sleepy mumbles.
Basically nonfunctional.
Megan watched her like she’d just witnessed the moon descend from heaven personally.
“Oh brother,” Daniela muttered again.
Lara, meanwhile, was having the time of her life.
“So when did you realize you liked her?”
Megan blinked slowly while walking.
“Huh?”
“There it is,” Lara whispered dramatically to Daniela. “She didn’t deny it.”
“I hate this conversation.”
Megan shoved her hands into her pockets.
“She laughs at my jokes.”
“That’s your reason?” Daniela asked.
“No.” Megan smiled to herself a little. “But it’s part of it.”
Lara physically clutched her chest.
“STOP being cute. It’s making the situation worse.”
Sophia heard that and immediately sped up slightly with Yoonchae still attached to her side.
“Nope. Distance.”
Megan noticed instantly.
“Wait.”
“No.”
“I just wanna hug her.”
“No.”
“One hug.”
“Absolutely not.”
Megan looked devastated.
Actually devastated.
Which only made Lara laugh harder.
“This is like watching a divorced dad fight for visitation rights.”
“MOVE,” Sophia said.
They crossed the lobby toward the elevators.
Yoonchae’s eyes were basically closed now.
“M’tired.”
“I know baby,” Sophia said softly.
“Can Megan carry me?”
The entire group froze.
Sophia looked horrified.
Daniela slapped both hands over her face.
Lara started choking laughing against the wall.
Megan looked like she’d just been handed the meaning of life itself.
“I CAN,” Megan volunteered immediately.
“NO,” Sophia snapped.
Yoonchae pouted sleepily.
“Megan’s warm.”
“Megan is a problem.”
“Mean.”
Sophia exhaled slowly through her nose.
The elevator doors opened.
Everyone shuffled inside.
And somehow—
Somehow—
Megan ended up close enough to Yoonchae anyway.
Sophia noticed too late.
Because the second Megan got within arm’s reach—
Poke.
Yoonchae squeaked softly.
Then giggled.
Sophia turned immediately. “Megan.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Poke.
Another tiny giggle escaped Yoonchae.
“Megan.”
“She’s laughing!”
“She’s trying to sleep!”
“But she’s cute.”
Yoonchae buried her face into Sophia’s shoulder again, giggling helplessly while Megan continued lightly poking at her arm whenever Sophia got distracted for half a second.
The worst part?
Yoonchae kept leaning toward her every time.
Like a magnet.
Like she physically couldn’t help it.
Sophia looked moments away from a stress-induced blackout.
Daniela watched the entire thing in exhausted silence.
Then finally muttered—
“We’re never surviving this.”
______
The dorm hallway was dead silent by the time they got upstairs.
Which honestly felt offensive after the chaos of the party.
No music.
No flashing lights.
No people screaming lyrics at each other.
Just six exhausted girls stumbling through the hallway at almost one in the morning looking like survivors of a small war.
Sophia unlocked the dorm first.
The second the door opened, Yoonchae shuffled directly inside without lifting her head from Sophia’s shoulder once.
“Shoes off,” Sophia reminded softly.
“Mhm.”
Yoonchae kicked one sneaker halfway across the entryway immediately.
Sophia sighed. “Close enough.”
Meanwhile behind them—
“NO WAIT.”
Megan was trying to follow Yoonchae down the hallway toward the bedrooms.
Sophia physically intercepted her with one arm.
“No.”
“I just wanna say goodnight!”
“You’ve said goodnight like six times already.”
“But not romantically enough.”
The entire apartment went silent.
Megan blinked.
Daniela slowly turned around. “What does THAT mean.”
“I don’t know,” Megan admitted honestly.
Lara completely lost it laughing.
“Oh my god she’s speaking entirely from vibes now.”
Sophia looked exhausted beyond human comprehension.
“Megan. Bedroom. Now.”
“But Yoonchae—”
“Bedroom.”
Megan pouted so hard it genuinely looked painful.
Across the apartment, half-asleep Yoonchae lifted her head slightly.
“Phia?”
Sophia closed her eyes briefly like she was finding inner strength through meditation.
“Yes?”
“Tell Megan g’night for me.”
Megan visibly melted.
Actually melted.
Hands over heart. Tiny gasp. Full emotional collapse.
“She called me Megan,” she whispered dramatically.
“That is your NAME,” Daniela yelled.
Lara was laughing too hard to breathe at this point.
“This is my favorite night ever.”
“No it’s not,” Daniela snapped.
“Yes it is.”
The dorm arrangement situation made everything worse.
Way worse.
Because unfortunately fate had a sick sense of humor.
Sophia and Yoonchae shared a room.
Megan and Lara shared a room.
And Daniela and Manon, the only sane people left apparently, shared the last one.
Lucky them.
“Okay,” Sophia said firmly, slipping into manager mode. “Everybody to their rooms before somebody makes another catastrophic life decision.”
“That feels targeted,” Megan muttered.
“It is.”
Yoonchae was significantly easier to deal with.
The second Sophia guided her into their shared room, she practically collapsed face-first onto the bed.
Done.
Gone.
Lights out.
Sophia barely managed to get a blanket over her before Yoonchae curled into it automatically with a sleepy sigh.
Peaceful.
Quiet.
Cooperative.
Sophia stared at her for a second.
Then looked toward the ceiling.
“…Thank God.”
Across the hall, meanwhile—
“MEGAN.”
“No.”
“You have to change.”
“I’m comfortable.”
“You are literally still wearing jeans.”
“And?”
“And you said earlier jeans were ‘leg prisons.’”
Megan considered this.
“…I did say that.”
Lara stood in the middle of their room with one hand on her hip like a tired babysitter at summer camp.
This was awful.
Actually awful.
Because drunk Megan had somehow become both clingier and more stubborn than usual.
An already dangerous combination.
Especially when she kept trying to leave the room every thirty seconds.
“Where are you GOING?” Lara demanded as Megan reached for the door again.
“To see Yoonchae.”
“No.”
“But what if she misses me.”
“She’s unconscious.”
“That’s kinda rude.”
“Megan.”
“What.”
“You cannot go flirt with Yoonchae at one in the morning after making out with her in a hallway.”
Megan frowned.
“…When you say it like that it sounds bad.”
“Because it IS bad!”
Lara grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants off Megan’s bed and threw them at her face.
“Change.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Noooo.”
“Megan Meiyok—”
“Okay damn.”
But even then it took another fifteen minutes.
Fifteen.
Entire.
Minutes.
Because Megan kept getting distracted halfway through changing.
At one point she fully sat down on the floor holding one sock and started talking about how nice Yoonchae’s laugh was.
“She does this thing,” Megan said dreamily while Lara fought for her life trying to locate a clean shirt, “where she snorts a little when she laughs too hard—”
“Oh my god.”
“—and then she gets embarrassed after—”
“Megan PLEASE put your pants on.”
“I am emotionally vulnerable right now.”
“You are literally in your underwear.”
Lara finally hit her limit.
“MANON,” she yelled toward the hallway. “HELP.”
A beat later Manon appeared in the doorway wearing pajamas and looking deeply concerned.
“What happened?”
“Megan happened.”
“That’s fair.”
Manon took one look at the situation—
Megan sitting on the floor rambling drunkenly while half dressed.
Lara visibly deteriorating under stress.
Clothes everywhere.
—and immediately started laughing.
“This is not funny,” Lara said.
“Yes it is.”
“She keeps trying to go confess her feelings!”
“I do not.”
“You literally just said you wanted to read poetry to Yoonchae.”
Megan gasped. “You promised not to weaponize that.”
“I promised NOTHING.”
Manon leaned against the doorframe smiling fondly.
“What do you need me to do?”
Lara pointed at Megan dramatically. “Contain her.”
“That seems difficult.”
“It IS difficult.”
Manon walked over carefully and crouched in front of Megan.
“Hey.”
“Hi Manz.”
“You gotta finish changing, okay?”
Megan narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “You’re using the voice.”
“The voice?”
“The one that makes people listen to you.”
Manon blinked innocently. “Is it working?”
“…Maybe.”
Lara stared at them in disbelief.
“You actually got through to her?”
Manon shrugged casually. “She likes me.”
“I LIKE YOU TOO,” Megan announced loudly to Lara.
“I know.”
“And Yoonchae.”
“There it is,” Lara whispered.
Manon tried not to smile. “Okay, c’mon. Arms up.”
Shockingly—
It worked.
Mostly.
Between Lara aggressively supervising and Manon gently redirecting Megan every time she got distracted, they somehow managed to get her into sweatpants and a sports bra.
Good enough.
Close enough.
Nobody had the energy for more.
“There,” Lara said finally. “Human being achieved.”
Megan looked down at herself.
“…Where’d my jeans go.”
Lara pointed toward the corner where they’d apparently been launched sometime during the struggle.
“Oh.”
Then immediately—
“Can I text Yoonchae?”
Both Lara and Manon yelled “NO” at the exact same time.
Megan looked offended.
“Why is everybody oppressing me tonight.”
“Because you’re drunk,” Lara answered.
“And in love,” Manon added before she could stop herself.
Silence.
Lara slowly turned toward her.
Manon’s eyes widened instantly.
“…Oops.”
Megan froze.
Then buried her face dramatically into a pillow.
“Oh my god.”
Lara climbed onto her bed immediately like a gossip-starved animal sensing prey.
“OH MY GOD.”
“No.”
“YOU ARE.”
“Noooo.”
“MEGAN.”
Manon looked like she wanted to disappear through the floor.
“Sorry.”
Lara grabbed Manon’s arm excitedly. “Did you hear that?!”
“I was there.”
“She didn’t deny it!”
Megan groaned louder into the pillow.
“This is humiliating.”
“You made out with your group member in a hallway.”
“STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT.”
Across the hall, Sophia was just climbing into bed when she heard Lara shriek through the walls—
“SHE’S IN LOVEEEEEE!”
Sophia closed her eyes.
Then slowly pulled the blanket over her face.
“Nope,” she muttered to herself. “I’m retiring.”
______
The dorm was weirdly quiet the next morning.
Not peaceful quiet.
More like everybody-is-avoiding-eye-contact quiet.
Which honestly?
Made sense.
The living room looked tragic.
Half-open blinds let gray morning light spill across the apartment while six exhausted girls occupied the space like survivors after a natural disaster.
Sophia sat at one end of the couch with coffee.
Very strong coffee.
The kind of coffee that tasted like stress and responsibility.
Daniela sat on the floor beside the couch while Lara laid dramatically across it with her head in Daniela’s lap looking spiritually deceased.
“I got two hours of sleep,” Lara mumbled into a throw pillow.
“That’s your own fault,” Daniela replied immediately.
“You enabled her.”
“I asked one question!”
“You asked forty-seven.”
Manon sat cross-legged on the rug nearby while Yoonchae leaned sleepily against her shoulder scrolling through her phone with the brightness all the way down.
Every few seconds she winced.
Hungover.
Quiet.
Suspiciously quiet actually.
Sophia noticed too.
“Headache?”
“Mhm.”
“You drank like somebody trying to get recruited into the Olympics.”
Yoonchae groaned softly.
“I know.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Daniela asked casually.
Every single person in the room went still.
Lara physically lifted her head off Daniela’s lap.
Manon stopped moving entirely.
Sophia slowly lowered her coffee cup.
Meanwhile—
Megan wandered into the living room wearing gray sweatpants and an oversized hoodie like absolutely nothing had happened.
“Morning losers.”
Everyone stared at her.
Because somehow—
Somehow—
Drunk Megan and sober Megan were not different at all.
Same energy.
Same flirting.
Same complete lack of self-preservation.
Actually no.
Sober Megan might’ve been worse because now she was coherent enough to weaponize it.
Megan blinked at everyone staring.
“…Why do you all look like Victorian children witnessing a murder.”
“No reason,” Sophia said immediately.
Megan shrugged and walked straight toward Yoonchae.
Every single person in the room tensed.
Not visibly.
But spiritually?
Absolutely.
Because this was exactly what they were all afraid of.
Megan stopped behind Manon and lightly rested her chin on top of Yoonchae’s head.
“Birthday girl survived.”
Yoonchae froze.
Like fully froze.
Then slowly tilted her face upward.
And smiled.
Tiny.
Sleepy.
Soft.
“Barely.”
Lara made a muffled screaming noise directly into Daniela’s stomach.
Daniela slapped a hand over her face instantly.
“Control yourself.”
“I CAN’T.”
Megan reached down and gently squeezed Yoonchae’s shoulder.
“You hungry?”
“A little.”
“I’ll make you toast.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes immediately.
“You don’t know how to use the toaster.”
“That feels aggressive.”
“It’s accurate.”
Megan ignored her completely.
“C’mon,” she told Yoonchae quietly. “Toast date.”
Date.
DATE?
Every single person in the room reacted internally.
Externally they all pretended nothing happened.
Because they’d agreed.
No mentioning the kiss.
No discussing feelings.
No making things weird.
They were drunk.
Friends kissed all the time.
Nothing crazy.
Totally normal.
Definitely believable.
Unfortunately none of them were good actors.
Especially not Lara.
“Toast DATE?” she choked out.
Megan blinked at her.
“…Toast activity?”
“Much better,” Sophia said immediately.
Yoonchae was trying so hard not to smile.
Which was another problem.
Because now that everyone knew—
Every interaction between them felt loaded.
Megan stealing glances at Yoonchae across the room.
Yoonchae immediately brightening whenever Megan talked to her.
The casual touching.
The inside jokes.
All the flirting that apparently had existed long before the hallway incident.
How had nobody stopped this sooner?
Actually no.
Lara had definitely noticed.
She just thought it was entertaining.
Megan disappeared into the kitchen.
Yoonchae unconsciously watched her go.
Daniela saw it immediately.
So did Sophia.
So did Manon.
Lara made eye contact with all three of them and looked seconds away from exploding.
Nobody said a word.
Because if they started talking about it, things would become real.
And if things became real—
Well.
That was complicated.
Very complicated.
From the kitchen, Megan yelled—
“WHO USED THE LAST CLEAN PAN.”
“Probably you!” Sophia yelled back.
“That sounds fake!”
“It’s literally your pan!”
A second later Megan reappeared holding bread and looking offended.
“You all bully me.”
“You deserve it,” Daniela muttered.
Megan gasped dramatically.
Then walked back over toward Yoonchae instead of the kitchen.
Sophia immediately looked suspicious.
“What are you doing.”
“I need emotional support.”
“For toast?”
“Yes.”
Before anyone could stop her, Megan flopped sideways onto the rug beside Yoonchae and hooked an arm loosely around her shoulders.
Instant silence.
Everyone stopped breathing psychologically.
Yoonchae looked down at Megan’s arm.
Then at Megan.
Then smiled again.
“Oh my god,” Lara whispered into Daniela’s leg.
Daniela smacked the top of her head lightly.
Ow.”
“Be quiet.”
The thing was—
Megan had always been affectionate.
That was the problem.
She hugged everyone.
Flirted with everyone.
Constantly touched people while talking.
So technically none of this meant anything.
Technically.
But now?
Now every single interaction felt like watching a live grenade roll slowly across the floor.
Because after the kiss, everyone noticed everything.
The way Megan absentmindedly rubbed her thumb against Yoonchae’s shoulder while talking.
The way Yoonchae leaned into her automatically.
The way both of them smiled softer around each other than anyone else.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
And apparently impossible to stop.
“So,” Megan said casually to Yoonchae. “You still think I’m pretty?”
The room went dead silent.
Absolutely dead.
Sophia slowly lowered her coffee cup again.
Daniela stared at the ceiling.
Manon looked like she wanted to teleport away.
Lara physically convulsed.
Yoonchae’s face turned violently red.
“Megan,” she whispered.
“What?”
“You know what.”
Megan grinned.
“Ohhhh you remember.”
“Oh my GOD,” Yoonchae groaned.
Lara made another dying noise.
“Nobody react,” Daniela ordered immediately.
“HOW.”
Megan looked around the room finally noticing the collective tension.
“…Why are you all acting weird?”
“We’re not,” Sophia lied.
“You absolutely are.”
“Nope.”
Megan narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Then shrugged.
“Anyway.” She turned back toward Yoonchae completely unfazed. “You’re cute when you’re hungover.”
And there it was again.
That thing.
That impossible horrible thing where Yoonchae immediately melted under Megan’s attention.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Enough that Sophia noticed.
Enough that Daniela noticed.
Enough that Lara nearly started chewing on the couch cushion to stop herself from screaming.
Manon quietly leaned closer toward Daniela and whispered—
“They’re doomed.”
“Yep.”
“But like… kinda adorably.”
Daniela sighed.
“Yep.”
Across the room Megan finally stood up again after approximately four minutes of sitting still.
Which apparently was her physical limit.
“Okay NOW I’m making toast.”
“You said that ten minutes ago,” Sophia pointed out.
“I got distracted.”
“By flirting.”
“By friendship,” Megan corrected.
Lara actually slid off Daniela’s lap onto the floor laughing.
Nobody corrected her.
Because technically Megan wasn’t wrong.
Friends joked around.
Friends flirted.
Friends got drunk and kissed sometimes.
Right?
Right.
This would blow over eventually.
Probably.
Hopefully.
Maybe.
Sophia watched Megan disappear into the kitchen while Yoonchae unconsciously tracked her movement with her eyes again.
Then she looked toward the ceiling with the exhausted expression of somebody realizing this was absolutely not blowing over anytime soon.
And from the kitchen—
“WHO PUT METAL IN THE MICROWAVE.”