The living room was full of the usual chaos—laughter, light teasing, and the occasional fight for the TV remote. As everyone settled in, some sprawled on the couches, others gathered around the coffee table, the noise level slowly started to rise.
"I swear, every time I come here, there's food everywhere," Jake said, eyeing the spread of snacks on the table, a piece of pizza already in his hand.
"That's because you eat like a bottomless pit," Sunoo teased, reaching for the chips.
"Hey, I do not!" Jake shot him a playful glare. "I just don't like to waste food."
"I think you just like eating my food," Jungwon chimed in, sending a pointed look Jake’s way.
"Okay, okay, let’s not get into this," Ashley said with a laugh, stepping into the living room just as the debate was heating up. She had changed out of her school clothes and into a comfortable hoodie, her hair in a messy bun. “You guys are like a bunch of children.”
"Only because you refuse to ever share your snacks," Jake shot back, eyes narrowing.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "You can have some of my chips if you promise not to complain about them for once."
“Deal,” Jake agreed quickly, grabbing a handful of chips from the bowl and tossing them into his mouth.
“You’re lucky she’s so nice,” Sunghoon muttered, sitting back on the couch with his arms folded.
Ashley smirked, eyeing him. "What, you’re upset you’re not getting any of my snacks?"
Sunghoon raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Not upset, just observing how everyone else is getting in on your stash."
Jungwon laughed from his spot on the armchair. "Honestly, Sunghoon, you’d think you were starving with how you're eyeing her chips."
"Okay, I just don’t get why it’s always her food you guys fight over,” Sunghoon said, shaking his head with a smirk.
Ashley stuck out her tongue. “Well, maybe it’s because I actually know how to keep a snack stash that’s worth fighting for.”
“True, true,” Jake admitted, tossing a chip into the air and catching it in his mouth. “She’s got good taste.”
Got it! I'll adjust that part so that the group doesn't know about Helen and Jake's dynamic yet, keeping the tension subtle. Here's the revised version:
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Just as the playful banter continued, Helen walked in, making a dramatic entrance by flopping onto the couch beside Jake. “Ugh, today was so long,” she groaned, reaching for the popcorn bowl.
Jake glanced at her but didn’t comment, a flicker of something hidden in his gaze. “How long are we pretending we don’t have chemistry homework to do?”
Helen smirked, tilting her head toward him. “Who said anything about chemistry? I’m only interested in the good kind of chemistry,” she replied, her tone light but with a playful edge.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Is this what you two do when you're bored? Talk about chemistry all day?"
Helen flashed her a grin. "Well, you know, we all have our hobbies." She shrugged, acting as if she hadn't just made a subtle joke that everyone seemed to get, but no one was acknowledging directly.
Jungwon raised an eyebrow, looking between them. "You two are weird," he said, making a face as he grabbed the remote.
“Honestly, we all are,” Marcy added with a smirk, not missing a beat. “But that's why we love it.”
