Yours (COMPLETED)

chapter thirty-eight: your man

Chaeyoung's phone buzzed on the kitchen counter, the screen flashing Lisa’s name.

She took a deep breath before answering, already correctly guessing the reason behind the call.

"Morning.", she said, balancing her mug of coffee in one hand and the phone in the other.

Lisa’s voice came through sharp and fast, just as expected. "Morning? That’s all I get? Have you seen what’s trending right now?"

Chaeyoung chuckled softly, "Nope. And I’m not planning to."

Lisa groaned, "Chae, your face is literally everywhere since midnight. 'Social Influencer and VP of Daehan Group spotted displaying PDA, romance confirmed?', and oh, the worst one 'From heartbreak to high society?'"

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter, "I should start charging people for making up my life story."

"You’re taking this a lot better than I thought.", Lisa said, pausing, then narrowing her eyes. "Wait...Chaeyoung, where are you? This isn’t your kitchen background."

Chaeyoung blinked, her lips curling into a slow, guilty smile.

Before she could say anything, a bark echoed faintly in her background. Lisa’s eyes widened.

"Oh my god. You’re at his place, aren’t you?"

Chaeyoung let out a laugh, turning the phone around in her hand.

The camera shifted to the sunlit living area where Haneul and Jungkook were laughing as they played tug-of-war with Hank and Bam, the two energetic dogs bouncing happily between them.

Lisa let out a dramatic gasp, "Chaeng, you’ve gone full domestic. Yesterday, you were spotted dating, and today you’re already living together? This is practically a soft launch and a house tour in one!"

Chaeyoung laughed, shaking her head. "Lis, we're practically neighbours. You know that."

"Correction: You two are practically neighbours and intensely dating.", Lisa said, grinning teasingly.

"Lisa, no...", Chaeyoung said through a laugh, then lowered her voice. "I’m not staying here. I literally just got here about 15 or 20 minutes ago."

Lisa squinted suspiciously, "With your coffee?"

"I made it here.", Chaeyoung said, raising her mug proudly.

"Domestic."

"No! Listen to me, I was about to take Hank for a walk this morning with Haneul when I bumped into Jungkook in the hallway. He was walking Bam."

Lisa leaned in closer to the screen, "Coincidence, huh?"

"I'd say fate.", Chaeyoung replied, amused. "Haneul saw Bam and immediately asked if she could play with him. So, instead of going on a walk, Hank got too excited seeing Bam and dragged me all the way into Jungkook's apartment. I’ve been here since."

Lisa’s eyes sparkled, "So the dogs set you up."

Chaeyoung smirked, "Maybe."

They both laughed, and in the background, a joyful squeal rang out as Haneul was gently knocked over by the two dogs, Jungkook reaching to help her up, grinning.

Lisa’s voice softened, "You look…happy, Chaeyoung. Like, really happy."

Chaeyoung glanced back at them, a warm smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah.", she said quietly. "I think I am."

Lisa smiled softly through the screen, "I’m happy to see you like this. You look lighter. Like you’re finally breathing again."

Chaeyoung looked down at her coffee, her smile growing more thoughtful. "I'm feeling the same way. It's like...I'm healing again."