her || lee know ff

• e i g h t •

'I'm home,'

said Areum, who just came back from work. She took off her shoes and entered the living room. As she stepped inside, she saw Minho watching something at the TV screen, completely captivated by the intense action of a thrilling movie. Areum couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.

' Caught up in another action-packed film, huh?' she teased, joining him on the couch.
Minho turned to Areum , just noticed she just came back .

' you're back . '
' yeah '

She said as she leaned on the couch, eyes closed, clearly exhausted from a long day at work.
' already ate the dinner ? '
she just nodded .
'Just keep watching, Minho. I need to rest. I've been busy all day doing catering.'

Minho nodded understandingly, respecting her need for rest. The room fell into a comfortable silence, with only the soft sounds of the movie playing in the background. The air became still, as if holding its breath, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere. It was a moment of calm, where words were unnecessary, and the silence spoke volumes. Until Minho heard a little snoring coming from Areum, he couldn't help but smile. He knew that she had finally found the peace and relaxation she needed. With a gentle chuckle, Minho decided to let her rest and continued watching the movie. Not long after, her head suddenly ended up on his lap. Minho was taken aback for a moment, unsure of what to do. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face, feeling a mix of surprise and warmth. With a soft smile, he decided to let her sleep peacefully, cherishing the unexpected closeness between them.

' she's so pretty '

He didn't realize he had been staring at her for too long until suddenly, Areum's eyes fluttered open. Their gaze met, and for a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. Minho's heart skipped a beat as he found himself captivated by the depth and beauty in her eyes. He quickly looked away, feeling a mix of surprise and embarrassment.
' Oh, uh, sorry,' he stammered, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

~

As Areum stood in front of her house , ready to open the door , she suddenly heard Chan's voice . Startled , she flinched for a moment , her body instinctively reacting to the unexpected sound . Chan suprised . He didn't mean to startle her .

' Sorry , I didnt mean to startle you '
Areum turned around .
' No , it's okay . I'm fine . Urm , why you came here anyway ? '
' Nothing , I just wanna ask something . '
' Oh ? What is it ? '

Chan chuckled .
' why are you laughing ? Is it something unserious you want to talk about ? '
' No. Yah , do you greet your guests like this? Talking in front of your house? ' he teased. Areum couldn't help but laugh at Chan's playful comment.

' Well, it's not the usual way, but I guess I was just caught off guard, ' she replied with a smile. 'So, what did you want to ask me? I'm curious now '

Chan grinned mischievously, keeping the suspense. ' Oh, it's a secret for now. I'll reveal it at the right time. Now , can I come in ? We're talking inside ? '
Areum's throat slowly tightened as she gulped nervously, her thoughts consumed by Minho. She was afraid that if Chan found out the truth, he would catch Minho and think she was lying.

' Areum ? Are you okay ? If you uncomfortable with that we can tal- '
' No . It's okay . Come in '
She forced a smile as she opened the door , but deep down, she hoped she wouldn't get caught .

Chan took off his shoes, his eyes landing on a pair of men's shoes near the entrance. He remained silent, assuming they belonged to her boyfriend.

...
' So , what is the important question that you wanna asked ? ' asked Areum as she placed a cup of warm tea in front of Chan . Then , she took a sit .

' wait a minute . '
With that, he took out his laptop, inserted a pendrive, and opened a folder she wasn't familiar with. Once he found it, he showed her a CCTV video where a guy broke in the shop . She turned to chan , a questioning look plastered on her face . She opened her mouth , wanting to ask but then chan show her another video . Chan paused the video as soon as that guy's face appeared on the screen. Then, he turned his gaze to her. She started sweating, feeling nervous and unsure of how to respond since she had just been caught in red handed .

' Areum '
' yeah ? '
' be honest with me . It's okay , don't be scared of me . I won't do anything that might harm you or him . I just want you to be honest . '

Areum let out a sigh of relief, feeling vulnerable yet determined. She took a deep breath and found the courage to speak her truth.
' are you sure you can keep this , chan ? I mean you know I actually didn't trust you fully yet . '
She looked down .
' hey , it's alright . Minho used to be my best friend too. I don't know what happened, but he changed. It's like I don't even recognize him anymore. Deep down, I feel like there must be a reason behind his transformation. That's why I'm here without Changbin and Chaeryoung. They don't know the real Minho, and I don't want to ruin everything. And yeah, I actually heard about you from Minho back in high school. I kept it to myself because I didn't want to complicate things. '

Her face lit up as she heard the last senteces . ' he did ? '
' yeah . ' he chuckled .
' hold on , why didn't I see you in my highschool back then ? I mean - '
' because we're not in the same school '
Chan took a sip of his drink .
' oh , right .. '

' eh , so you know he's somewhere in my house ? ' she continue .
' Yeah , I've known all along ' he replied .
' Oh ? Im sorry '
' You know you're smart enough being a liar one . '
' jeez , no need to compliment me tho '

Chan giggles .
' Areum-ah . Don't tell anyone that I came here okay ? It's just a secret between us '
' Chill bro . Let's just keep a secret and stay as a friend then '
' cool . '

( a/n: gosh , istg this is the boring chapter that I ever write but seriously . I just want to tell you guys that , stay focused about the hint that I left . Also , stay tuned for the next chapter . LOL love you guys <33 )