Shadows of desire || SVT ||

(58) Flowers

It was dinner time, and Yuri sat with Vernon and Seungkwan, who were both glued to the TV, engrossed in whatever show was on. The room was calm, filled with the occasional sound of the TV and the soft clinking of utensils.

Just then, the door opened, revealing Jeonghan, Scoups, and Joshua. As soon as Yuri saw them entering, she immediately stood up and made her way toward them, her eyes scanning their faces for any hint of what had transpired.

Yuri approached them with a smile, feeling slightly relieved as Jeonghan and Joshua greeted her warmly. Scoups, however, still had that cold, unreadable look in his eyes.

"How was your day, Yuri?" Jeonghan asked, tilting his head with a gentle smile.

"It was nice," Yuri replied, her tone brightening as she recounted her little project. "I set up a mini library today! Wonwoo helped me organize the books."

Joshua raised an eyebrow, amused. "A mini library, huh? Sounds cozy. We'll have to check it out later."

Yuri smiled, nodding. "Yes! You should. But for now, it's dinner time, and everyone is waiting for you."

Joshua and Jeonghan exchanged looks, clearly thinking about diving straight into the food. "Ohh, Yuri, fooooodddd," Jeonghan half-joked, ready to sit down.

But before they could settle in, Yuri stepped in front, hands on her hips. "Wait, wait-before you eat, you should change your clothes and freshen up. You just came from outside!!"

Jeonghan and Joshua glanced at each other, a little caught off guard but amused by her scolding. "Okkayyy, fine," they replied, dragging out the word as they laughed and headed toward their rooms.

As they walked away, Seungkwan and Vernon burst into laughter, clearly entertained by how Yuri had just scolded the eldest members. "You really told them," Vernon said between chuckles.

Yuri turned, feeling slightly victorious, but then she saw Scoups standing there, watching the scene unfold. He was about to leave when she called out coldly, "You too. Go freshen up and come back to eat."

For a second, Scoups remained silent, his eyes lingering on her. But without a word, he nodded curtly and turned to head to his room. Yuri watched him leave, her gaze thoughtful. Something about his silence always seemed heavier than words.

---------

The car came to a smooth stop outside the grand mansion, and Hoshi stepped out, adjusting his clothes. As he was about to close the door, the girl in the driver's seat leaned over with a teasing smile.

"See you tomorrow!" she called out playfully.

Hoshi raised an eyebrow. "I ain't seeing you tomorrow."

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Oh, you will. Your leader called our team for lunch tomorrow. Apparently, we've got some business together."

"He called you for lunch?" Hoshi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Hmm," she replied casually, leaning back in her seat.

With a nod, Hoshi shut the door and made his way toward the entrance of the mansion. As he walked inside, the sound of the car pulling away echoed in the distance. He shook his head, amused, but his mind was already shifting to whatever plans Seungcheol had in store for the next day.

------

As everyone gathered around the dining table, the usual chatter filled the air, but Yuri couldn't help but sigh softly as her eyes landed on the empty spot where Hoshi usually sat. She had hoped he'd make it in time for dinner, but it seemed like he was still out. With a small shake of her head, she focused on serving everyone, her mood lifting as she dished out generous portions of her special Kimchi Fried Rice.