𝐻𝒶𝑒𝒷𝒶𝓁𝒶𝑔𝒾 ~ Johnny Suh ff

Chapter Three

"Julie, hurry up! The driver will be here in five minutes!" Jaehyun's voice echoed from the living room, a hint of impatience threading through his words.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Julie called back, scrambling to finish her last-minute touch-ups.

"Bet you've never heard those words before," Jungwoo teased, winking at Jaehyun as he lounged casually on the couch, his arms folded.

Before Jaehyun could retaliate with a punch aimed at Jungwoo's shoulder, Julie appeared from the bedroom door, stunning them both into silence. Her eyes were wide with a touch of nervousness as she asked, "How do I look?"

Julie was never one to lack confidence in her appearance, but it had been a while since someone else had weighed in on it.

Jungwoo was the first to react. He playfully shoved Jaehyun aside, grinning as he approached Julie with a dramatic flourish. "What's 4 + 4?" he asked, pretending to spin her in his arms as if they were performing on stage.

"Remind me to limit your TikTok screen time," Julie laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Ignore that idiot," Jaehyun said, elbowing Jungwoo out of the way as he stepped closer to her. His gaze softened as he smiled. "You look amazing."

Julie returned the smile, eyes briefly scanning Jaehyun's outfit. "You look like a rich CEO in a K-drama," she teased, her voice filled with playful affection.

Jaehyun couldn't help but laugh at the compliment. "Well, thank you, madame," he replied, bowing with exaggerated grace, which earned him a round of laughter from Julie and a dramatic scoff from Jungwoo.

"The driver is outside, let's go party," Jungwoo announced, already heading for the door. With a swift kick to Jaehyun's bent-over butt, he grabbed Julie's hand and pulled her toward the exit.

"JUNGWOO, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Jaehyun shouted, chasing them both out the door.

The short ride to the party venue was filled with lighthearted banter and playful teasing. But Jaehyun, having mulled it over in his mind for a while, decided it was the right time to confess something that might surprise Julie.

"Hey, Jules," Jaehyun started, trying to sound casual.

"What's up, Jae?" Julie responded, glancing over at him with a smile.

He shifted in his seat, hesitating for a moment before blurting out, "The party we're going to? It's for SM Entertainment idols. I'm an idol."

Julie blinked in surprise, her eyebrows knitting together as she processed the information. "Like a K-pop idol or...?" she asked, trying to make sure she understood.

Jaehyun nodded. "Yeah, I'm part of the group NCT 127."

"Hmm," she mused, turning her gaze to Jungwoo. "And you're an idol too?"

Jungwoo nodded with a grin. "And so are the other members at the house. We're all part of NCT 127."

Jaehyun laughed, surprised by her calm demeanor. "Isn't it crazy? Isn't it something you've never encountered before?"

She shrugged. "I had a friend who left to become an idol. I've heard it happen firsthand, so it's not something that feels... fake, I guess."

Jaehyun was taken aback. "Really? And here I thought I'd be introducing you to something new," he said with mock disappointment.

Julie grinned as she ruffled his hair. "Don't worry, you're still the first to take me to a K-pop party. The other guy kind of ghosted me once he made it big."

Oh, so you can ruffle my hair but I can't ruffle yours?" Jaehyun asked playfully.

"Exactly," Julie shot back with a teasing grin.