When the girl, Johnny, Haechan, and Mark stepped into the living room, their eyes immediately took in the entire group of boys gathered there. The room buzzed quietly with chatter and movement, but the moment she entered, every gaze seemed to settle on her, making her chest tighten.
All of them were conversing in low tones, but in the center of the group stood the two youngest, Jisung and Chenle, animatedly discussing something with Taeyong. Behind them, Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun lingered hesitantly, shifting from foot to foot, clearly embarrassed by the antics of the youngest. Soul felt a flutter of anxiety watching the dynamics, her body instinctively shrinking back a step.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Taeyong’s sharp gaze landed squarely on Soul. She froze mid-step, a familiar wave of unease washing over her. Her palms felt clammy, and she struggled to find a place to put her weight, her uncertainty amplified by the intensity of his stare.
“Hey, are you okay?” Johnny crouched slightly to meet her eyes, his tone gentle.
“H-huh? U-uhmm… y-yes,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, betraying the nervous tremor in her chest.
“Really? Because your body tells me something else…” he added, an amused glint in his eyes. Her head snapped up, panic rising briefly as her mind misinterpreted his words. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were wide with panic, heart hammering.
“Haha, nooo! Not like that,” he laughed, the warmth in his voice easing her tension slightly. “You’re sweating and trembling—classic signs of fear.”
“O-ouu…” she murmured, her face hot, still unsure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed. Johnny chuckled knowingly. “Ah, so that’s what you were thinking,” he teased, and she yelped softly, sinking another inch lower into herself.
“A-ani! I-it is just—”
“It’s okay, you don’t need to explain anything,” Johnny interrupted softly, kneeling slightly to meet her gaze. “Jaehyun told me it’s a complicated story. No pressure. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll listen. And if not… that’s fine too.” He winked reassuringly before moving toward Ten, Kun, and Taeil, leaving Soul to process the reassurance. Her pulse slowed slightly, though anxiety still lingered like a shadow.
“Seolya!”
She flinched violently at the call, her body tensing as if bracing for impact.
“Y-yes?” she stammered, her voice small and uncertain.
“Come here,” Taeyong commanded, his tone even, yet unyielding. A cold shiver ran down her spine, her mind racing with worry over what she might have done wrong.
Her breath hitched involuntarily. Fear curled in her chest like a live thing—what if he was angry again? What if she said something wrong and he lashed out? She swallowed hard, fighting back tears, every step toward him heavy with uncertainty.
“Noona, it’s okay! Come on!” Jisung encouraged, his voice bright and steady. Soul’s gaze flickered toward him, grateful for the familiar warmth. Her brothers and a few of the others observed silently, their expressions unreadable, adding to the tension coiling in her stomach.
She lowered her eyes, feeling dwarfed between Chenle and Jisung, taking a hesitant step behind them. The floor felt impossibly far away, her shoes heavy, her thoughts scattering—every glance from the boys and from Taeyong pressing down on her like weight she couldn’t bear.
Jaemin, Jeno, and Renjun hovered nearby, eyes sharp, ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble. Each movement from Taeyong felt like a small earthquake to Soul, and the three boys were hyperaware of how quickly the situation could escalate.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor, yet she could feel Taeyong’s gaze piercing through her, making her muscles tense involuntarily. Every nerve in her body screamed caution; speaking seemed a monumental task as her mind struggled to formulate a sentence without seeming “wrong.”
