“NOONAAA!”
Before anyone could react, Jisung came running across the dining room, his arms wide, crashing into the girl with a force that almost made her lose balance. His hug was tight, desperate, full of unfiltered relief.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Does—”
“Jisung,” Jaehyun interrupted. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight — more than enough to make the younger boy freeze.
The youngest blinked, then slowly stepped back.
“Calm,” Jaehyun said, his tone stricter than usual, leaving no room for argument.
Sungchan leaned toward Jisung, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She doesn’t remember what happened. Hyung told her she was involved in a car accident, that’s why she has these injuries.”
Jisung only nodded, the relief softening his tense expression. “Ah… okay.” He gave a small, relieved smile and nodded.
“I’m just happy you’re here, noona.” Soul gave a small, uncertain smile in his direction — a flicker of comfort at the familiarity in his voice.
Her thoughts drifted when Yuta’s loud voice interrupted the room.
“The hell, where are they?!”
“Yuta!” Taeil scolded him instantly. “Language. There are kids here.”
“Ah, they’ve heard worse,” Yuta shot back with a grin.
The tension broke. A few laughs escaped, and even Soul found herself smiling.
The oldest sighed, rubbing his temple. “I’ll go look for the others.”
“Johnny hyung’s in the garage fixing the cars!”
“Then go get him, please,” Taeil said, patting his shoulder.
“On it!” Mark called, already halfway to the door.
The girl watched them, fascinated. The easy teasing, the laughter, the chaotic warmth — it all felt foreign and familiar at once. Like a dream she had almost forgotten how to have.
Taeil chuckled. “Then I’ll check on the rest.”
When Mark returned a few minutes later, breathless and triumphant, he practically shouted, “I was faster than Johnny-hyung!”
That earned him laughter from around the table — a strange, fragile laughter that felt like the first warm light after a storm.
She watched them all quietly, the corners of her mouth twitching upward despite herself. Their energy, their chaos — it was comforting and foreign all at once.
Yuta turned toward her, grinning. “So this is your sister, huh? Cute. Be careful, Soul — I’m the fun one here. The others are boring.”
She laughed softly, the others protesting.
“Yahhh! I am normal! You guys are just boring!” Yuta defended himself, pointing at the group around him, earning giggles from the others.
Yuta leaned toward her, whispering conspiratorially, “Don’t listen to them. I’m totally normal. They’re the weird ones.”
She let out a small laugh — quick, light, instinctive. The room warmed at the sound.
“See? She agrees!” Yuta declared triumphantly, which earned a few groans and a half-hearted piece of rice thrown his way..
Then something shifted.
Soul turned her head — and froze. A tall boy had appeared in the doorway, his smile easy, eyes warm. But in the same heartbeat, an image flashed before her eyes: that same man behind a steering wheel, headlights blinding the night, her pulse pounding in her ears—
She blinked hard. The image vanished, but the cold sweat stayed.
“You okay?” Sungchan whispered beside her.
She nodded quickly. “Yeah… just a headache.”
He didn’t believe her, but he didn’t press.
The boys’ banter filled the room — light, overlapping, ridiculous. For a few precious minutes, the house felt like a home again.
The other boys filtered in from upstairs, teasing, joking, and creating a lively atmosphere. The sound of laughter and clattering dishes filled the air, yet for Soul, it was a distant backdrop—her attention kept being pulled toward the familiar face that lurked in the corner of her memory.
