𝗠𝗦. 𝗕𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗥

𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺

aera didn't knock—she never did. it was like she had a radar for sunghoon's worst moments of peace, using them as the perfect opportunity to invade his space. tonight was no different. she barged in like the human tornado she was, armed with complaints and dramatics.

sunghoon, lying on his bed with one arm behind his head, barely glanced up from his phone as she flung herself onto his mattress. "sunghoon" she groaned, voice muffled by his blanket, "i had the worst nightmare."

he rolled his eyes, already sensing the incoming wave of nonsense but something about the way she just threw herself into his space—so comfortable like she belonged there—made his chest tighten, like a balloon swelling just a little too much. he let out a long sigh, still scrolling, feigning indifference. "what did jake steal your favorite seat in class again?"

aera's messy hair flopped over her eyes as she lifted her head slightly, shooting him a death glare though it wasn't all that menacing. she looked more like an irritated kitten tangled in yarn. "no. worse. way worse" she said dramatically, pausing like she was about to deliver earth-shattering news. "i dreamt we were at prom together."

his thumb froze mid-scroll. sunghoon blinked, confused, then scoffed. "and that was the nightmare?"

she whipped around, sitting up like she was ready to file a formal complaint against the universe. "yes. you don't understand. you were wearing this hideous ill-fitting tux—like seriously have you ever heard of tailoring—and your dancing. . ." she let out a theatrical shiver, eyes wide with faux horror. "you were stepping on my feet. repeatedly. in front of everyone. it was a tragedy. i woke up in a cold sweat."

sunghoon stared at her, trying—failing—to keep the grin from creeping up on his face. her lips, slightly pouty from all her exaggerated distress, were kind of adorable. he shook his head, hoping she didn't notice how long he was staring. "first of all i look good in a tux and i would not be caught dead in an ill-fitting one, and second i can dance."

"oh really? in my dream you danced like you had two left feet" aera shot back almost accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest. the way her eyebrows furrowed, like she was actually mad about dream-sunghoon, made him throw his head back, laughter spilling out of him like he couldn't hold it in anymore. it wasn't just a chuckle or a quick laugh—it was full and rich, the kind that made his eyes crinkle at the corners and his dimples deepen. his laugh had this warmth to it, something so genuine that it filled the room. it wasn't often that he laughed like this, but when he did, it was beautiful, almost contagious, like the sound alone could make everything feel a little bit brighter.