Both Jin-ho and Ji-min were escorted to their room, walking side by side behind the staff member who guided them.
Once they arrived, the staff member bowed politely and closed the door behind them, leaving the two alone inside.
For a brief moment, they simply stood there.
Then, almost at the same time, they looked at each other.
And laughed.
It wasn’t loud or exaggerated, just a quiet, shared reaction to how absurd the situation was.
Ji-min covered her mouth as she laughed softly, trying not to be too loud.
Jin-ho’s laugh was more restrained, but the amusement was clear in his expression.
After a few seconds, the laughter faded.
Ji-min removed her mask, revealing light makeup underneath.
“Let’s sit down first,” Jin-ho said.
“No need to just stand here.”
He removed his jacket as he spoke.
Underneath, the fitted long-sleeve shirt outlined his build subtly under the soft lighting.
Ji-min noticed for a moment, then quickly looked away.
Without saying anything, Jin-ho handed her the jacket.
“For your lap,” he said simply.
Ji-min hesitated for a second, then accepted it.
“Thanks.”
She placed it over her legs before sitting down.
Jin-ho followed and sat across from her.
For a moment, both of them focused on the menu.
Then Ji-min spoke first.
“What did your parents tell you?”
Jin-ho didn’t look up from the menu.
“My father said we’d be having dinner with my mother,” he replied.
Ji-min paused.
“That’s what my mother said too.”
She exhaled lightly, almost in disbelief.
“I thought you had a schedule today,” Jin-ho asked, finally closing his menu.
“I did,” Ji-min said.
“It ended earlier than expected.
My mother called right after and said we’d be having dinner with my father.”
She leaned back slightly.
“Now that I think about it… that’s probably why she told me to dress properly and gave me the location.”
A small smile formed on her face as she glanced around the room.
“Guess it all makes sense now.”
Despite everything, there was a quiet amusement in her expression at how everything had lined up.
The waitress knocked once and entered the room.
Her eyes briefly landed on Jin-ho, then shifted to Ji-min.
She paused for a fraction of a second.
But she quickly regained her composure, keeping her expression neutral as if she didn’t recognize Karina from aespa.
The staff here were strictly trained to remain discreet.
Recognition or personal reactions were not allowed.
One mistake could compromise the restaurant’s reputation, and more importantly, its clients’ privacy.
Because of that, the establishment was well known among high-profile guests.
Ji-min had only kept her mask on when she entered because of the other diners.
The waitress calmly took their orders, confirming everything without any unnecessary conversation.
Once finished, she bowed slightly and left the room.
A soft click followed as the door closed.
Silence settled for a moment before the atmosphere eased again.
Only then did Jin-ho and Ji-min turn their attention fully to each other.
“So,” Jin-ho asked, setting the menu down, “what are your plans after your comeback schedule ends?”
Ji-min leaned back slightly, thinking.
“I still have brand deals, commercial shoots, and a few events left,” she replied.
“It’s not completely over yet.”
She listed them casually, as if it were routine.
Jin-ho nodded while listening, his gaze lowered toward the table for a moment.
“She’s doing a lot more than me…”
The thought came and went quickly, quiet but honest.
Compared to her schedule, his life felt simple.
Mostly training, playing, repeating.
No spotlight, no packed calendar.
But he didn’t let it show on his face.
He had his own goals too.
His own reason for pushing forward.
Ji-min noticed the brief change in his expression, though she didn’t say anything.
Instead, she simply watched him for a second, then looked away as if giving him space.
After a moment, Jin-ho returned to normal, his usual calm expression settling back in.
Ji-min picked up on it immediately.
The tension didn’t last.
Soon, the two of them continued talking more naturally, the conversation softening as time passed.
And before long, a quiet, easy rhythm formed between them again.
A few minutes later, a knock came from the door.
The waitress entered alongside another staff member, carefully bringing in their orders one by one.
Plates were placed neatly onto the table, each dish arranged with the same attention to detail expected from a place like this.
The waitress asked if they would like to have wine, but both Jin-ho and Ji-min declined.
Neither of them wanted alcohol.
Jin-ho had a tournament the next day, and he preferred to stay fully focused.
As for Ji-min, she simply wasn’t in the mood to drink.
Once everything was finished, the staff bowed politely before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind them.
The room became peaceful again.
For a moment, both Jin-ho and Ji-min looked at the table.
Then at each other.
Ji-min nodded.
“It does.”
After that, they began eating.
The atmosphere felt surprisingly natural.
No awkwardness.
No pressure.
Just a comfortable back-and-forth conversation while sharing a meal.
As they continued eating, Ji-min gradually started talking more.
Mostly about random things she had seen recently.
Funny videos.
Strange clips online.
Memes that somehow kept appearing on her feed.
At one point, she nearly laughed while trying to explain one of them.
Jin-ho stared at her.
Then looked down at his food.
Then back at her.
“…People really have too much free time.”
Ji-min stared at him for a second.
Then immediately laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough for the room to fill with the sound.
And without realizing it, Jin-ho found himself smiling too.
The dinner continued like that.
Simple conversation.
Small laughs.
And a strangely comfortable atmosphere neither of them had expected.
After some time, the two had finished the dishes placed in front of them.
The plates had gradually emptied while the conversation continued without either of them noticing how much time had passed.
With nothing left to eat for the moment, they simply leaned back in their seats and waited for the next course.
The conversation never really stopped.
It simply shifted from one topic to another.
Ji-min continued talking about random things she had come across online, occasionally stopping midway because she started laughing at her own explanation.
At one point, she pulled out her phone and tried showing Jin-ho one of the image she had been talking about.
Jin-ho watched it quietly.
Then looked at her.
Then back at the screen.
“…That’s what made you laugh?”
Ji-min stared at him.
“What do you mean that?”
“It’s just the woman yelling at a cat.”
Ji-min immediately straightened a little.
“It’s not just that.”
Jin-ho looked at the screen again.
On it was the classic image of a woman pointing and shouting across a dinner table, while a white cat sat calmly in front of a plate of salad, staring blankly.
He looked at it for a moment.
Then back at Ji-min.
“…It’s literally just a woman yelling at a cat.”
Ji-min leaned forward slightly.
“You have to understand the context.”
Jin-ho still looked unconvinced.
Ji-min looked personally offended.
A few moments later, another knock came from the door.
The staff entered and quietly cleared away the empty plates before bringing in the next course.
New dishes replaced the old ones with practiced efficiency.
Soon after, they left the room once again.
The door closed softly behind them.
And just like before, the room returned to its quiet atmosphere.
Only this time, the conversation resumed almost immediately, as if it had never been interrupted at all.
Eventually, the two finished their meal and sat for a while, neither of them in a hurry to leave.
Jin-ho glanced at the time.
It was only 8:30 p.m.
He turned to Ji-min.
“When are you planning to head back to your dorm?”
Ji-min looked up from her phone.
“I’ll go whenever they decide to leave,” she replied casually.
Jin-ho nodded, and for a few minutes, they simply stayed seated in comfortable silence.
It seemed their parents had likely already finished as well.
Soon after, Ji-min took off the jacket she had been using over her lap and handed it back to him.
Jin-ho looked at her hand holding the jacket, then shook his head slightly.
“Just keep it on for now.
It’s a bit cold outside.”
Ji-min paused, then glanced at him.
Without arguing, she slipped the jacket back on.
A small, subtle smile appeared on her face.
It wasn’t something she said out loud, but being looked after like this felt familiar in a quiet, comforting way.
Ji-min was usually the one taking care of others.
Rarely was it the other way around.
And yet, in moments like this, Jin-ho seemed to naturally fill that role without making it feel forced.
Ji-min put her mask back on and stepped out of the room with Jin-ho walking beside her.
Their parents had already settled the bill for the meal.
As the two of them rejoined the group, both of their mothers exchanged knowing smiles, despite nothing being said.
Ji-min was still wearing Jin-ho’s jacket.
But somehow, in their eyes, it looked like enough to imagine an entire story.
The fathers, on the other hand, simply looked at the two of them in silence, unreadable and reserved, as if observing without commenting.
No one explained anything.
They all left the restaurant together and walked out into the evening air.
After a short walk, Jin-ho’s father spoke.
“Jin-ho, did you have any wine?”
“No, Dad,” Jin-ho replied.
“Why?”
Without another word, his father reached into his pocket and tossed something toward him.
Jin-ho caught it smoothly.
It was a car key.
“We’re continuing somewhere else,” his father said calmly.
“I’ve already arranged transportation for the four of us.”
Then he added, “This one’s yours for now.
I’ll take it back later if I need it.
So take care of it.”
Jin-ho nodded once and slipped the key into his pocket.
Meanwhile, Ji-min’s father asked her briefly if she had drank any alcohol.
“No,” Ji-min answered.
That was all he needed to hear.
The arrangement seemed settled.
Jin-ho’s mother glanced at both of them.
“It’s still early,” she said.
“You two can go and do something… fun.”
Jin-ho immediately rubbed his forehead.
Ji-min froze for a second, then turned slightly away as a faint blush crept up her face.
Both of them clearly understood the implication.
And both of them were equally caught off guard by it.
Their mothers exchanged knowing smiles at their reactions.
The two fathers looked at each other in silence, as if silently agreeing on something without needing to say it out loud.
After a few brief words, the four of them began walking ahead, leaving Jin-ho and Ji-min behind.
The moment they were alone, the atmosphere shifted.
Ji-min’s face was noticeably red, and even Jin-ho’s ears had turned slightly pink.
Neither of them said anything for a moment.
The words from earlier lingered in their minds.
“Don’t forget to use protection.”
Ji-min had tried to pretend she didn’t hear it.
But she did.
Clearly.
Loud enough that there was no escaping it.
Both mothers, meanwhile, had simply laughed softly before catching up with their husbands, completely unbothered by the effect they had left behind.
Behind them, Jin-ho and Ji-min remained frozen for a beat longer, still processing what had just been said.
Jin-ho recovered first and turned to look at Ji-min.
Ji-min met his gaze.
Silence followed.
“…Let’s go to the parking area,” he said calmly, though the earlier words still lingered in his mind.
Ji-min simply nodded.
The two of them began walking.
Side by side, but quiet.
Neither of them spoke as they made their way through the path toward the parking area.
When they arrived, Jin-ho used the key fob’s locator to identify the car.
A short signal confirmed its position.
The car stood in a quiet corner of the lot, slightly separated from the other vehicles.
It was a black luxury sedan, clean and well-maintained, its surface reflecting the soft glow of the surrounding lights.
The design was understated rather than flashy, with smooth lines and a low, elegant profile that gave it a quiet sense of authority rather than attention-seeking presence.
Even at a glance, it was clear the car belonged in a high-end parking area.
The tinted windows made the interior unreadable from the outside, adding a layer of privacy that matched the kind of place they had just left.
Nothing about it was loud or exaggerated.
It simply looked expensive, refined, and carefully chosen.
They walked over together, unlocked the vehicle, and got inside.
Once seated, the silence remained.
Ji-min already took off her mask.
Heavy, but unbroken.
Neither of them said anything.
Jin-ho blamed the person who had said, “Don’t forget to use protection,” which made things awkward between them.
He only thought this to himself and did not say it out loud.
“Ji-min… where do you want to go?” Jin-ho asked before starting the car.
Ji-min heard him, and the thought of a love hotel suddenly flashed through her mind.
Her face immediately turned red.
Realizing what she had just thought of, she quickly tried to calm herself down.
She used every bit of willpower she had to erase it from her mind, forcefully throwing away the earlier words and pretending they had never existed.
Jin-ho simply waited beside her and did not rush her.
After a moment, Ji-min finally calmed down and gathered her thoughts.
She thought seriously about where they should go.
“How about…
we go play pool?”
Ji-min looked at Jin-ho as she asked.
“Sure.
Where is it?” Jin-ho replied while starting the car.
Ji-min told him the location, and Jin-ho gave a small nod.
Soon after, the car slowly pulled out and headed toward their destination.