Only one? [male Chaeyoung x TWICE]

(12) the date

[one night]

Chaeyoung sat on Nayeon's neatly made bed, leaning back against the headboard, his phone in hand.

The room was cozy but a little cluttered—Nayeon's desk was covered in books, makeup, and snacks. She sat at the desk, lazily munching on some chips, her sharp eyes occasionally darting to Chaeyoung.

"You're really okay just sitting here waiting for Tzuyu?" Nayeon teased, popping another chip into her mouth.

"What, no hot date tonight? Or are you saving all your energy for her?"

Chaeyoung nearly dropped his phone, his ears turning a deep shade of red.

"What? No! That's not... I'm just waiting! We're friends, that's all!" His voice cracked slightly, only adding to Nayeon's amusement.

"Friends, huh?" Nayeon drawled, spinning her chair around to face him. "You two are practically joined at the hip. It's kind of cute, honestly. But don't let her down, you know." Her tone was teasing, but her words carried a subtle seriousness. "She really likes you," Nayeon jokes.

At least that was what Chaeyoung thought.

Chaeyoung shook his head vehemently, running a hand through his hair. "Tzuyu's just... I mean, yeah, she's great, but I don't think she thinks of me like that. We're close because she's comfortable around me. That's all."

Nayeon raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Right. Sure. And that's why she specifically told me to keep you entertained while she's at class. Totally platonic."

Chaeyoung groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Nayeon, please stop. You're making this weird."

Nayeon couldn't help but laugh, the sound light and teasing.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop—for now." She leaned back in her chair, a sly smile still playing on her lips. "You're too easy to fluster, you know that?"

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics—classes, campus life, their favorite foods—Nayeon found herself watching Chaeyoung more closely.

She had always admired his ability to talk about things with such sincerity. Whether he was joking about how bad the cafeteria food was or describing a childhood memory, there was a warmth in his smile that was impossible to ignore.

Her own smile softened as she watched him laugh about something ridiculous.

That smile... so genuine, so rare. For a brief moment, her thoughts wandered, and she felt a pang of something she quickly buried.

This wasn't for her.

It was for Tzuyu.

Tzuyu wasn't the type to express her emotions openly, but her feelings for Chaeyoung were clear as day to Nayeon.

And Nayeon... she wasn't the type to get in the way of her friends.

"So," Nayeon said, snapping herself out of her thoughts, "are you seriously just going to wait here until Tzuyu gets back? I mean, she's going to be a while."