𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 | csc

𝙭𝙭.

"Thanks for coming along tonight," Seungcheol said, glancing briefly at Aerin before returning his focus to the road. His voice was softer now, the earlier excitement dulled by the late hour.

Aerin, comfortably slouched in the passenger seat, popped another fry into her mouth. "Yeah, well, it's not like I had much of a choice. But I'll admit, these fries made it worth it." She held up the half-empty container of loaded fries, her tone light despite the underlying tension still lingering in the air.

Seungcheol's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He hadn't meant to bulldoze her into tagging along, but in his eagerness, he'd overlooked her hesitation. The guilt had been quietly gnawing at him since they left.

"Look," he began, exhaling slowly, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I got caught up in wanting to get out for a while and... I forgot about your situation. About how much more careful you have to be." His knuckles whitened as he fought the urge to over-explain. A shift in her expression made him wonder if he'd already said too much.

Aerin, to his surprise, started laughing—a sudden, unrestrained laugh that filled the car and left him blinking in disbelief. She doubled over, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes before finally calming down.

"Cheol," she said, her voice still tinged with amusement, "don't be ridiculous. I can hold my own, alright? If I didn't want to go, I wouldn't have. Yeah, I was worried at first, but..." She trailed off, a smile tugging at her lips. "I hate to admit it, but I had fun. So, no harm done."

Seungcheol blinked at her, caught off guard by her reaction. He'd braced himself for anger or, at the very least, cold indifference. But this? He hadn't expected this.

"Well," he said, his voice colored with cautious relief, "I wasn't expecting that."

Aerin smirked. "Just don't get used to it. If anything comes back to bite me, I'm blaming you."

He laughed, his earlier guilt easing into a sense of quiet satisfaction. "Fair enough."

As the car approached her dorm, Aerin gathered her things, glancing out the window at the familiar building. Seungcheol pulled up to the curb, shifting into park as she opened the door.

Before stepping out, she turned back to him, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. "Thanks, Cheol," she said, her voice carrying an unexpected warmth.

"Anytime," he replied, his smile lingering even after she disappeared into the building.

. . .

Aerin's alarm blared, cutting through the stillness of her room. With a groan, she rolled out of bed, scrambling to silence the third—and final—alarm. She couldn't afford to miss this meeting. Not when her position as leader was on the line.

She hurried through her morning routine, shoving a muffin into her mouth as she grabbed her bag. Last night's events looped in her mind like a broken record. The way Seungcheol had smiled at her, the warmth in his eyes—it was maddening how much space he was taking up in her thoughts.

𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺