Don't Blame Me || Jeongcheol

Chapter 55

A week passed, the moment Haneul dashed out of the penthouse with the other members, his laughter trailing behind him, the living room felt strangely different. It wasn’t quiet, not exactly. But the warmth Haneul carried with him left with his absence, leaving behind a charged atmosphere that neither Jeonghan nor Seungcheol had prepared for.

Jeonghwa, seated across from them, leaned back against the couch, stretching her legs out in a way that exuded complete nonchalance. But her eyes, sharp and amused, held something else. A glint of mischief, of curiosity, of something deeper that neither of them had quite seen from her before.

“So..” she drawled, breaking the silence, “Are you two always this nauseating, or is today special?”

Jeonghan blinked, confused. “What?”

Seungcheol, on the other hand, barely reacted. He only raised a brow and set his glass down. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Jeonghwa scoffed, tilting her head in mock disappointment. “Don’t play dumb with me. The looks, the unspoken tension, the way you hover around each other like lovesick idiots but never actually say anything about it?” She waved a lazy hand between them. “It’s sickening.”

Jeonghan scowled. “We do not-”

“You do.” Jeonghwa cut in smoothly, grinning. “The little glances, the unnecessary touching, the dramatic ‘I’ll die for you’ energy you both give off.” She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “It’s honestly embarrassing to watch.”

Seungcheol smirked, clearly amused. “You’ve been paying a lot of attention.”

“Well, it’s kind of hard not to when you two act like a tragic romance novel right in front of me.”

Jeonghan’s face was beginning to burn. “Okay, first of all, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jeonghwa only raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then tell me, what exactly is this thing between you two?”

Silence.

Jeonghan opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then scowled at Seungcheol like it was somehow his fault that they didn’t have a clear answer.

Seungcheol, for his part, looked as unbothered as ever. He simply tilted his head and mused, “That’s a good question.”

Jeonghan turned to him, glaring. " Seriously?"

Seungcheol chuckled. “What? She’s not wrong.”

Jeonghwa let out a low whistle. “Wow. So neither of you actually know what you are?”

Jeonghan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“Because it’s fun..” Jeonghwa deadpanned. “And, honestly? Hilarious.”

Seungcheol smirked. “Go on. Sounds like you have something to say.”

Jeonghwa shrugged, playing with a loose thread on her sleeve. “I just think it’s fascinating. You guys have obviously been circling each other for months I guess..”

“That’s an exaggeration.” Jeonghan grumbled.

“It’s really not.” Seungcheol muttered.

“-and yet, you still don’t know what to call yourselves? That’s kind of sad.”

Jeonghan crossed his arms. “Why do you care?”

Jeonghwa hesitated for only a second. A flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes before she plastered on an easy smirk. “Like I said, it’s entertaining.”