Aerin ended the call, a soft giggle escaping her lips as she tucked her phone into her pocket. As she straightened up and turned to face the front, she caught Jihoon's gaze in her peripheral vision. He was watching her, his headphones freshly hanging around his neck, an unreadable expression on his face.
"What?" she asked, unable to shake the feeling that there was more to his silence than he was letting on.
Jihoon only shrugged, his shoulders stiff with an almost defensive air, before they both fell into silence once more. But the quiet was short-lived—only two minutes passed before the Uber pulled up to the curb, and the two of them stepped out of the car.
"Let me walk you in," Jihoon said, his tone softening.
"Nah, it's okay, Ji. I'll be fine."
Though he didn't want to argue, especially after everything she had been through in the last 24 hours, Jihoon relented. With a heavy sigh, he slowly entered the car, watching Aerin walk safely into the dorm building. Despite the rough night, despite his tough exterior, Jihoon cared for her more than he would admit. She was like a sister to him, someone he could protect, even if he had to do so from a distance.
He closed his eyes and let out a long breath, trying to shake off the weight of the past few hours.
Inside the dorm, Aerin's return was met with overwhelming emotion. As soon as she stepped through the door, Yuna was the first to rush toward her, followed by the rest of the members of Eclipse. They enveloped her in a group hug, their relief palpable. But as comforting as it was, Aerin couldn't help but feel something was off.
Her gaze drifted over the familiar faces, but it was Hyunjae who caught her attention. She was sitting off to the side, casually eating takeout with Jeonghan, a man Aerin hadn't expected to see there. She froze for a moment, trying to process what was happening.
But before she could react, Yuna's quiet sobs broke through her thoughts, pulling her into the moment. Aerin smiled softly, rubbing Yuna's back as she whispered comforting words.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm fine, really. Everything's okay."
Yuna's crying eventually slowed, and as she wiped her eyes, Aerin's gaze drifted back to the pair on the couch. Hyunjae, still sitting back casually, barely seemed to acknowledge her. Something about her aloofness struck Aerin as odd, especially considering the situation.
The others, however, were too focused on her to notice her growing suspicion. It wasn't until Aerin stood, preparing to address the situation, that Jeonghan's calm demeanor truly unsettled her. He looked like he belonged, lounging there as if nothing was wrong.
Jeonghan was the second to break the silence, standing up with a smirk when Aerin addressed him directly.
"What are you doing here?" Aerin's voice was sharp, but her confusion was evident.
Jeonghan, as unfazed as ever, grinned at her. "Hyunjae and I are long-time friends. You didn't know?"
Aerin blinked, a frown pulling at her features. Long-time friends? She had never heard of them being close. She paused, her mind racing.
"Jae... why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was slow, measured, as she moved toward the living room. Hyunjae's dismissive shrug only deepened her unease.
"I didn't think it was important."
Something in her words—or rather, the way she said them—felt wrong. Too indifferent. Too detached. The Hyunjae she knew didn't speak like this. Aerin felt a shiver of doubt, but she pushed it away. She had to. There was no way Hyunjae was hiding anything from her. She couldn't be. She trusted her.
"Okay..." she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "Still, Jeonghan, that doesn't explain why you're here."
Jeonghan stood, his movements smooth and beyond casual. He made his way toward Aerin, his hand brushing her shoulder as he walked past her.
"Just visiting a friend. And now, I'm leaving," he said, his voice casual as if this was all perfectly normal.
As he exited, Aerin turned to face the others, but her gaze faltered when she noticed the sudden shift in the room. The other girls were avoiding her eyes, their posture stiff, their body language tense.
"Girls," she said, her voice sharp as she took a step forward. The tension in the room was so thick it was suffocating.
At the sound of her voice, their heads snapped toward her, as though they had all been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. Something was wrong. Aerin knew it. Her instincts screamed at her to press further, but she couldn't shake the doubt gnawing at her.
Her eyes darted to Hyunjae, still on the couch, her gaze fixed on the balcony doors, the open glass framing her detached expression. She wasn't looking at Aerin. Not a single glance. It unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Seungcheol's voice echoed in her mind, his words replaying in her head until they overlapped, filling her thoughts in a haunting refrain.
This isn't right. It can't be. Hyunjae would never—
But Aerin's own thoughts were turning against her. Could She?
Her stomach twisted. She couldn't make sense of it. Hyunjae was supposed to be someone she trusted—someone who had always been there for her. But now, doubt clouded every part of her thinking. Could she really be that wrong about her?
Aerin shook her head, trying to clear the confusion, but the tension in the room wasn't easing. And the more she looked at Hyunjae, the more she couldn't ignore the strange dissonance between her behavior and her own gut feeling.
No. She wouldn't believe it. Not yet.
She had to be wrong.
But deep down, the gnawing sense of unease only grew stronger, and Aerin couldn't ignore it any longer. Something was happening here. Something she wasn't ready to face.
