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THE FIRE CRACKLED SOFTLY, the flickering orange glow casting dancing shadows on the damp walls of the cave. y/n l/n leaned back against Kwon's chest, their shared body heat and the fire in front of them the only reprieve from the icy storm outside. The tension between them had thawed slightly, though it still lingered in the air, unspoken and unresolved.
"Here," Kwon said, breaking the quiet. He fished into his pocket, producing a handful of slightly squished berries. "Not much, but it'll keep you from whining about starving to death."
She glanced at him, eyebrows raised, but didn't object as he handed her some. As she plopped one into her mouth, she chewed slowly, savoring the faint sweetness despite its bitterness, and let out a sarcastic hum of approval.
"Wow," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "You're a real lifesaver. Bet you feel like a hero now."
"Always," he replied with a smirk, popping one into his own mouth. "I aim to please."
As the fireglow twirled all over his face, she caught the flicker of humor in his eyes and couldn't help but smile faintly. Still, the moment was fleeting as exhaustion and unease took hold of her again.
"So," Kwon started casually, leaning back against the cave wall, "sorry this isn't the evening you had planned. Sightseeing with Yoon sounded way more fun."
Y/n blinked, turning her head slightly to look at him. "What?"
"Don't act surprised," he said with a shrug. "I was there when you two were making plans, remember? Ssanggyesa Temple, right? Classic tourist stuff. I figured you'd enjoy it, being new to Chiri-san and all. You get bored so easily."
The girl's eyes narrowed, her lips tugging into a slight smirk as she moved away from him, leaning against the cave wall, facing him as her grip on his semi-dry jacket tightened. "Eavesdropping, are we? And here I thought you were too busy texting your girlfriend to care about my plans."
The word "girlfriend" hit him like a slap, his expression darkening instantly. He knew exactly what she meant. Yoo-mi. His ex. The girl who had cheated on him and caused more grief than he cared to admit. But y/n didn't know that; all she saw were the fragments she'd witnessed—a kiss here, a glance there. She had no idea what really happened.
"I don't have a girlfriend," he said tightly, his jaw clenching, unaware of the fact that she had seen a few moments of faux-passion flicker between the two, always initiated by Yoo-mi, but rejected by Kwon a second too late.
