𝙭𝙭𝙞𝙭.

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Nabi's fingers twisted nervously in her lap, the motion a poor attempt at easing the storm of anxiety swirling inside her. The question she'd been carrying in her chest felt like it was about to break free, but it wasn't fear of confrontation that held her back—it was Jeonghan. He was unpredictable. His emotions never showed in his eyes, his voice, or even in the smallest movements of his body. It was unnerving, not knowing if he was about to lash out or if he was secretly laughing at her confusion.

"Hey, you said you had something to ask me, right?" Jeonghan's voice cut through the tension, casual as ever, though the way his eyes remained fixed on the road said otherwise.

Nabi's breath caught in her throat. She could tell something was off. Despite his nonchalance, the subtle tap-tap of his fingers on the steering wheel betrayed him. He was nervous. Was he already anticipating where this conversation was going? And if so, why pretend otherwise?

With a deep breath, Nabi spoke, trying to sound as calm as possible. "When I talked to Hansol outside, he... he told me you were all in a group together."

She expected a reaction—anything—but to her surprise, Jeonghan didn't flinch. He just kept driving, his expression unreadable, his hands steady on the wheel. He didn't answer immediately, and the silence hung between them like a heavy curtain, suffocating and thick.

The car ride felt endless, the city lights blurring past her window, but her mind was too occupied to notice. Her palms were sweaty as her thoughts raced, wondering how he would react when she asked the question that had been gnawing at her since she'd learned the truth.

"Why did you lie?" she asked, her voice quiet but firm. "You knew who Hansol was to me, and you still forced us into that reunion. Why?"

Her words spilled out with more intensity than she intended, but she couldn't help it. The anger, the confusion—it had all built up inside her like a pressure cooker. And then, as if her mouth couldn't stop itself, she added, "Actually... you probably knew who I was at the party, didn't you?"

The words left her before she could even stop them, and she froze, realization dawning on her like a slap to the face. She hadn't meant to bring up that night, but it was too late now. The memory flooded back, bitter and sharp. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been duped, that all along, Jeonghan had been playing some kind of game.

Jeonghan sighed, the sound barely audible but heavy in the air. That was all he gave her at first—a sigh, as if it was all so simple. She waited for him to explain, to justify himself, but he didn't speak immediately.

"So you did," She said.

He was so nonchalant, so easy, that it made Nabi's stomach churn. How long had he been hiding this from her? Had everything between them been a lie?

Without another word, Jeonghan swerved the car suddenly, almost recklessly, before parking on the side of a quiet street. Despite the hustle of Seoul at nearly midnight, this part of the city felt almost ghostly—empty and still. It was convenient, she thought bitterly, as if he knew this moment needed to be private.

The engine hummed softly as Jeonghan turned to face her, his posture relaxed but his eyes clouded with guilt. It was a strange contrast—the calmness in his body, and the storm in his gaze.

"I did know," he said, the words simple, but they held weight. Three little words that felt like a confession, like the pieces of a puzzle finally falling into place.

"But..." He trailed off, as if trying to find the right way to continue, or maybe even to escape the weight of the moment. He glanced around, his gaze flicking to the side, to avoid meeting her eyes. She knew him well enough by now to understand that he hated being caught in a lie. It wasn't about the truth; it was about the perception of it.

"However," he started again, and this time, his tone softened. "You and Hansol cleared things up, right?"

Nabi was taken aback by his casualness. She thought about the awkward conversation with Hansol, the tension, the unspoken words. Had they really cleared anything up? Or was she just pretending, clinging to some idea of resolution?

"I mean... you could say that?" she answered hesitantly.

Jeonghan's face lit up with a wide smile, the most genuine she had seen in him for a while. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he leaned back in his seat, looking almost proud of himself.

"Then my job is done!" he exclaimed, his voice chipper, too cheerful for the gravity of the situation.

Nabi stared at him, utterly confused. "I—what?"

Jeonghan laughed, a sound that caught her off guard. It was light, free from the tension that had been hanging in the air. It made her heart drop, then flutter in confusion. This was supposed to be a serious conversation, wasn't it? Why did he seem so... relaxed?

"Sorry for the confusion," he said between laughs, his eyes twinkling with a kind of mischief. "But I could see from both yours and Hansol's perspectives that the conflict between you two wasn't doing any good. I thought I'd see what I could do about it. Things had been slow with promotions last year anyway, and I figured if I could help, why not? Our meeting at the convenience store was purely coincidental, as was me being chosen for your project. But I do enjoy being your friend—if you'd consider us that close. I just thought this would be a perfect opportunity to fix a relationship I think could use some mending."

Nabi blinked, her mind struggling to process his words. That... was it? Was this some kind of elaborate plan to make her and Hansol get along? Was she really that easy to manipulate?

Jeonghan grinned sheepishly. "My methods aren't always the most foolproof," he admitted, laughing. "But it worked, didn't it?"

Nabi couldn't help but let out a small laugh in return. She was too tired for this—too drained from the days, the weeks of wondering, of overthinking everything. And yet, here they were, laughing about it like it was all a joke.

"I thought you had some sort of evil master plan or something," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

"Nope," he replied, looking at her with a smirk. "Just boredom."

She let out a breathless chuckle, her shoulders sagging as the weight of it all began to ease. "Well, that clears up a lot of things," she muttered under her breath.

Then, in a softer tone, he asked, "Can we still be friends?"

The question caught her off guard. Something in her chest tugged painfully, but it wasn't the old anger or confusion anymore. It was something else, something more tender. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the day, or maybe it was just that she wanted to believe him.

"It'll take me a while to get over this, you know?" she said quietly, her voice betraying the vulnerability she didn't want to show.

Jeonghan nodded. "I'm sure. Take as long as you need. I—like, I guess this is kinda my fault."

Nabi cracked a smile, her heart easing. "You guess?"

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