𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒆

[34]

The four of them made their way to a table, laden with fruits, desserts, and drinks. The light from the chandeliers above bathed the table in a soft glow, casting delicate shadows over the spread. The conversation hummed in the background, but at the table, there was a more relaxed silence as everyone settled in.

Sooheon took his seat across from Jaebom, Namra next to him. Chanmi slid into the seat beside Jaebom, the faintest tension in her body as she tried to push down a sudden rush of unease.

Jaebom leaned back in his seat, casually picking up a drink, eyes flicking between Namra and Sooheon. A playful smirk spread across his face. "You two really look like a couple, you know that?"

Chanmi's fingers froze midair as she reached for a piece of fruit. Her gaze shot up, a little startled.

"What?" she asked, her voice slightly more tense than she intended.

Jaebom, undeterred by the sudden shift, shrugged and grinned. "Come on. The way you sit so close, the quiet way you look at each other. It's obvious. You two are a couple, right?"

Sooheon raised an eyebrow and shot a glance at Namra. He let out a small chuckle, clearly amused. "Not exactly," he said, giving a soft shrug. "We're not dating."

Namra, calm and composed, didn't offer much more than a quiet nod in agreement. Her gaze flickered briefly to Sooheon, and for a split second, it almost seemed like there was something unspoken between them.

Jaebom laughed lightly. "Yeah, sure. You two are like an old married couple then." His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned forward, his voice almost teasing. "The chemistry is hard to miss."

Chanmi, for a moment, felt something stir in her chest-an odd sense of jealousy. She quickly forced it down, focusing on the conversation instead.

"Well, we're just... comfortable around each other," Sooheon said, his voice light but genuine. "We're not dating though."

Namra, whose expression was as unreadable as ever, nodded again. "Yeah. Not dating." Her voice was quiet, controlled.

Jaebom raised an eyebrow, as if not quite believing them. "Okay, if you say so. But you two definitely act like a couple."

Sooheon chuckled, the sound soft and unaffected. "We're just not, though."

Chanmi couldn't help but notice the way they looked at each other, the unspoken bond between them, and it bothered her more than she wanted to admit. There was something so natural about the way they were together, something that seemed a lot more than just friendship, but neither of them had confirmed or denied it. It was like there was a wall between them, but it wasn't impenetrable.

Jaebom wasn't picking up on any of the undercurrent of tension. He grabbed a piece of fruit and popped it into his mouth, still grinning. "Alright, alright. You say you're not, but come on-you sure?"

Chanmi couldn't look at them anymore, her gaze falling to her drink. Her hand tightened slightly around the glass as she forced herself to smile, trying to appear calm. It's nothing, she thought to herself. They're just... close. That's all.

Sooheon noticed the slight shift in the conversation. He met Chanmi's eyes briefly before turning his attention back to Jaebom. "Let's quit this," Sooheon said, this time with a quieter tone, his smile still gentle.

"Yeah," Namra added, her voice soft and sure. "Let's say we're not friends, not a couple. At least, not yet."

The words hung in the air for a moment, and Jaebom seemed to realize that maybe he'd pushed a little too far with his teasing. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I get it. No pressure." He gave a casual grin. "But you two make it so obvious, it's almost impossible not to think so."