The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x M!Reader

The storm

3rd-person POV

Their joined hands swung gently between them as they approached the restaurant, neither willing to be the first to let go. The evening air carried hints of coming rain, matching the electricity crackling between them.

The place was quiet - one of Karina's favorites, tucked away in a side street where they could eat in peace. A bell chimed softly as they entered, their hands finally separating as they followed the hostess to a corner table.

"Still remember my order?" Giselle asked softly as they settled in, a ghost of their old teasing dynamic surfacing.

"Kimchi stew, extra spicy," Y/N replied automatically. "No green onions, extra tofu."

The smile that flickered across her face made his heart stutter. "You do remember."

"Some things you don't forget."

Like the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when nervous. Like how her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when trying not to smile. Like...

Y/N's phone buzzed insistently. Winter's name flashed on screen:

"Found something. Need to talk ASAP."

"It's about Choi. And... someone else."

"Don't tell the others yet. Not until we're sure."

His hand tightened around the phone. Winter had found something? But before he could process that, another message:

"And Y/N? Be careful who you trust. Even at the company."

Across the table, Giselle noticed his tension immediately. "What's wrong?"

He looked at her - really looked at her - and felt his heart twist. She deserved the truth about Choi, about what he'd discovered. But Jung... until he was certain, until he had concrete proof, he couldn't risk bringing that darkness into her life again.

"It's about Choi," he said carefully. "I've been investigating him. The things he did to you all, during the hiatus..."

Her expression shuttered slightly at the mention of their former manager. "Why now?"

"Because..." He struggled, wanting to tell her everything but knowing he couldn't. Not yet. "Because you deserved better. All of you did."

Meanwhile, across Seoul, Winter sat in her room, staring at her own evidence board. Photos, documents, careful notes - all pointing to one inescapable conclusion.

Jung.

She'd suspected for months, quietly gathering proof. But until she was absolutely certain...

Her phone lit up with Y/N's reply: "We need to talk. Tomorrow."

"Yes," she typed back. "We do."

Neither knowing the other had already solved the same puzzle. Neither realizing they were both protecting the others from the same terrible truth.

Back at the restaurant

The waiter arrived with their food - her kimchi stew steaming exactly how she liked it. Y/N watched as she took her first bite, a familiar warmth spreading in his chest when her eyes lit up.

"Still good?" he asked softly.

"Better than I remembered," she admitted. Then, after a pause: "We used to come here all the time, didn't we? After late practices..."

"You'd always fall asleep in the car on the way back," he recalled, the memory bittersweet. "Winter has photos somewhere..."

The mention of Winter made his phone feel heavy in his pocket. What had she found? And why the cryptic warning?