There were two types of people in this world: those who tackled their tasks the moment they were handed them, and those who, like Aerin, procrastinated until the very last minute, inevitably spiraling into stress as the deadline loomed.
Aerin was no stranger to the latter. She had left Seventeen's dorm with every intention of getting started right away, but instead, she'd pushed it off, telling herself she had plenty of time. In reality, she had given herself only two days to gather anything at all. Luck was on her side, though. Jeonghan had made one of his surprise visits—a perfect opportunity for Aerin to report back to Seungcheol. And surprisingly, when it came to Hyunjae, collecting evidence on someone she'd known her entire adult life wasn't as hard as she'd anticipated.
With a folder tucked in her bag, she hurried to the café. She was late—very late—but honestly, Seungcheol had picked a location so hidden that it was practically a treasure hunt to find. While it suited their idol careers, Aerin's poor sense of direction made it feel like a small personal trial.
She walked in, scanning the room with practiced ease. Then, a familiar cap gave him away. Aerin jogged over, pulling it off the moment she reached him.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Seungcheol teased, leaning back in his chair with that easy smirk of his.
Aerin rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile as she plopped down across from him, swiping her returned jacket off the table.
"Oh please. I'm not the one who picked a café in the middle of nowhere." At her exclamation, Seungcheol raised his hands in mock surrender.
It was only now that Aerin took a good look at him. He was dressed down in a simple outfit, a mask, and his signature cap. She was relieved to see she hadn't overdressed—at least they were on the same page in that regard.
"So. Yoon Jeonghan," Seungcheol's tone was steady, but his eyes were sharp, focused.
Aerin's heartbeat quickened as she pulled out the flash drive and folder from her bag. She slid them across the table toward him. Seungcheol glanced at the flash drive with a raised brow before looking up at her, silently asking for an explanation.
"Don't give me that look," Aerin said with a smirk. "The flash drive contains a video of him from our dorm, and the folder has photos and my personal notes. You're welcome."
She leaned back in her chair, a smug expression on her face. But Seungcheol didn't respond in the way she expected. He simply nodded, taking the documents, then retrieved a flash drive of his own from his bag.
Aerin took a long sip from her iced coffee she inferred he ordered for her, trying to quell the anxiety building in her chest. She wasn't sure what to anticipate from Seungcheol, but she had a feeling it would be something unexpected.
"Okay," he began, after plugging his flash drive into his laptop. "I know the owner of a convenience store across from that alley on 21st street. I wasn't expecting anything, but when I asked him to let me check the security footage... well, it paid off." He turned the laptop toward Aerin, glancing around to make sure no one was watching.
The video played, showing a woman moving suspiciously, glancing around as she walked slowly near a dingy, almost abandoned-looking building. Aerin's eyes widened when she noticed a detail she hadn't expected.
"That's Hyunjae's jacket... How did you know it was her?" Aerin asked, her voice almost incredulous. She would never have recognized the woman without that jacket, so how had Seungcheol managed to make the connection?
"I saw you two walking out of Music Bank that one day," Seungcheol explained, his voice calm. "She was wearing that jacket. When I saw the footage, I just connected the dots."
Aerin jumped up from her seat, her face lighting up with a bright smile. She didn't even think as she rushed to Seungcheol, throwing her arms around him in an impulsive hug.
"Ah, you genius!" she exclaimed, bouncing in excitement. She pulled away, still grinning at him.
Seungcheol stood frozen, his arms hovering awkwardly in the air, unsure of how to react. Aerin's grin was contagious, but there was something about her bright smile that left him feeling strange—more than strange, actually. It made him feel something unfamiliar, something he wasn't quite ready to define.
"Seungcheol..?" Aerin's voice pulled him out of his trance. He fumbled for the laptop, pressing play again to distract himself from whatever weirdness had started bubbling up inside him.
As the video continued, Hyunjae lingered outside the door, holding a large stack of papers. She flipped through them rather maliciously—Aerin squinted at the screen, trying to identify what possibly could be written on them.
"What's the building she's outside of?" she asked, leaning in closer. "What is it? Seungcheol, do you know?"
Before Seungcheol could respond, Aerin looked up only to find him staring at her. It took a moment before he shook his head, breaking the gaze.
"I'm not sure, but we'll figure it out before our next meeting," he said, clearing his throat and trying to focus.
The two of them high-fived in agreement, ready to leave, when they were stopped by a café staff member.
"Excuse me, I have these two tickets for the fair tonight," she said, holding out two passes with a smile. "My husband and I can't make it, so I thought I'd offer them to you two. You look like such a cute couple."
Aerin froze. Couple? Us?
Before she could respond, Seungcheol smoothly took the tickets from the woman's hand, offering her a polite smile.
"Thank you," he said, as he walked past her without a second glance.
Aerin blinked, stunned. "Are you not coming?" he called out, watching as Aerin jogged to catch up with him.
Once they were out of earshot, she slapped him lightly on the back. "What was that for? We're not going to the fair!"
Seungcheol simply rolled his eyes, an impish grin spreading across his face as he waved the tickets in front of her.
"Well, now we are."
Aerin's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure why she was so against the idea of being mistaken for a couple. Maybe it was just the absurdity of it all, or maybe it was something else entirely.
As Seungcheol kept walking, she couldn't quite suppress the smile tugging at her lips. Whatever this was, it was definitely starting to feel a lot more complicated than she had ever anticipated.
