Shadows At Dawn(Yeo Wonyoung X Female reader)

A SUDDEN INVITATION

"H-Hyung..." I huff, feeling the sweat drip down my forehead.

"Grab my shirt harder, raise your leg," Euihyun instructs, pulling my arms behind my back with way too much force.

"AGH, HYUNG! You're being t-too rough, I—!" My face twists in pain, making me wonder if I signed up for a wrestling match instead of self-defense.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry," he says nervously, releasing his grip so quickly I faceplant into the ground. Classic. "Are you okay, Y/N?"

I groan, sprawled out like a pancake on the mat. "Do I look like I'm okay, Hyung?!"

Hyung flinches and offers a hand to help me up, which I reluctantly take. Even with that tiny movement, the pain radiates through my arm, and tears prick at my eyes.

Euihyun grabs an ice bag and gently presses it against my arm. "How's that? Feeling better?"

"Yeah, fine, I guess—"

"What happened, Ming Ming?" a familiar voice interrupts. Taeju is casually leaning against the doorframe, as if he's been watching me get tossed around like a rag doll.

"She wanted to practice self-defense," Euihyun explains, rubbing the ice pack over my battle wounds.

I roll my eyes. "It's enough, Hyung. I'm good." More like I'm ready to retire from this whole self-defense nonsense.

"Oh... right, you're joining the martial arts club for a while." Taeju smirks, the smug look I know too well.

I narrow my eyes at him. "How do you know that? Were you spying on me? Who told you?"

"I didn't. Wo—" He pauses, scratching his head as if searching for a good excuse. "I just knew, alright?" That grin tells me I won't get a straight answer, but I'm used to that with him. Well I am with the siblings 24/7 so it does make sense for him to keep tabs on me "What were you trying to do, anyway?"

"Throw Hyung to the ground," I mutter.

He snickers, trying—and failing—to hide it. "You seriously thought you could throw him?"

"I didn't think that far ahead, okay? Plus, he's heavy," I grumble, the embarrassment starting to sink in.

"Him? Heavy?" Taeju's lip curls into a mischievous grin. "LOL, when we have se—"

"It's not about weight; it's all about technique," Euihyun interjects, standing up to refill the ice bag before Taeju can finish that thought.

I'm already done with this conversation. "I'm taking Euiyoung with me. We'll play till noon," I declare, dragging the little one with me before Taeju can say anything else that makes me want to throw myself back to the mat.

It's been quite some times since I came to this world. A lot of chapters must have published during this time. But is it finished yet? Taeju and hyung must have had some fight. There's a tension between them. I wonder if they will end up together or not... well Taeju had enough character development. And this type of couple in the end live happily ever after. I shouldn't worry too. But I seem to forget the next plots. This makes me anxious so much.

"Noona, who is Taeju to Hyung?" Euiyoung brings me back to reality.

"Hus-" Well that's a bit confusing to explain it to him... "He is a super duper nice friend of hyung." Is it ok to say that?

"He is weird though..." the kid mumbles "let's play dinosaur dinosaur!" Umm.. what kind of game is it again?

"Who taught you this game, Euiyoung?" I asked curiously.

"Taeju did." Oh so you don't like him but you like the weird ass game he taught you? Just like your brother, kid.

EUIHYUN'S APARTMENT, THIRD PERSON POV:

After their intimate moment, Taeju gets up and heads to the bathroom to freshen up.

"Stay for lunch, then you can leave," Euihyun says, blocking Taeju's path.

"I don't have time," Taeju mutters, grabbing his coat as if it's a matter of life and death.

"And you had time for sex?" Euihyun raises an eyebrow, his voice slightly shaky but defiant.

Taeju shoots him a bitter glance. "Isn't that the only thing you are here for?" He walks out with a stinging finality, leaving Euihyun standing there, speechless.

What's wrong with that guy? Euihyun thinks, staring at the empty doorway. Ever since their argument—about wanting a real, kind partner—Taeju has been distancing himself. A tension hangs in the air now, like an unresolved storm. Has Taeju really lost interest in him? The thought leaves Euihyun feeling hollow. What will he do if really Taeju throws him away? What wil happen to Euiyoung?

-

Later, when he heads to Y/N's apartment to pick up Euiyoung, he finds them both asleep. Euiyoung is curled up, resting his head on Y/N's arm. For a moment, Euihyun kneels beside them, watching them sleep.

"If I could, I'd have you stay with us too, Y/N," he thinks to himself. "I never imagined having another sibling, but having a sister... it could have made things better. We could've faced the world together." He lets out a soft sigh and stays there a moment longer before leaving quietly.

AFTERNOON, Y/N POV:

Sometimes holidays just suck for no reason. As much as I love staying in and embracing my introverted nature, today's just plain boring. My phone is acting up again—thanks to buying it secondhand. Ugh. Hyung is chatting with Haesung outside, and Ji-Yeong is busy with her own life.

I stretch my arms out, wondering what to do with this endless, boring day. My phone suddenly starts ringing, jolting me out of my thoughts. It's Wonyoung. Oh no. I bet she's calling to dump more work on me. I quickly consider pretending I didn't see it.

But the ringing doesn't stop. She won't give up, will she? Ugh. I give in and answer the call.

"Hello? Why didn't you pick up earlier?" Wonyoung's voice comes through, slightly annoyed.

"Calm down, Miss Wonyoung—"

"Just Wonyoung. We're not in the office." She sounds like she's scolding me.

"Wait, we're not talking about work?" Now that surprises me.

"What do you take me for, huh? I wouldn't bother you with work on a holiday." I choke on my own spit, coughing so hard I almost drop the phone.

"W-What?"

"Are you okay? Drink some water, I'm coming over." She seems genuinely worried.

"No, I'm fine—wait, you're coming where?"

"To your apartment."

"Why?"

"We're going out for dinner."

I blink, confused. "Why, though?"

"Remember? We talked about having lunch sometime. It doesn't matter if it's dinner. You promised. It's a celebration of us becoming friends... Girlfriends." She chuckles, clearly amused.

"Huh?! No, I—"

"Byeee~ See you in two hours. Don't even think about turning down my invitation!" she says before hanging up.

Wonyoung's been unusually nice to me these past few days, buying me and Gurenge-ah snacks and drinks out of the blue, always checking in on me. Even Gurenge-ah noticed. She was like, "It's rare for Boss Wonyoung to act like this. Just enjoy it while it lasts." So, I guess it's fine.

But still, wasn't that a little too fast? It's awkward... but it's just dinner, right? Yeah, just dinner. Besides, I'm bored out of my mind anyway.

.

But still... this is so sudden. It's just a dinner, right? Nothing more? Yeah, yeah. I stretch one last time and head to my room to change. It's only 5 p.m. Two hours should be enough time to get ready... right? Better not keep her waiting...