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After what felt like an eternity of missteps, awkward stumbles, and muffled frustration, Jungwon finally nailed the choreography. The group clapped lightly as the music came to a halt, a small but victorious grin spreading across his face.

"Finally!" Sowon exclaimed, throwing her arms up dramatically. "I was starting to think we'd never finish practice today."

Felix patted Jungwon's shoulder with a warm smile. "Good job, mate. Knew you'd get there."

Ni-ki nodded in approval. "Not bad. You just needed to stop overthinking."

Jungwon chuckled nervously, grabbing his water bottle. "Yeah, thanks for putting up with me."

With practice over, he grabbed his bag and headed out to meet Sunoo for their usual boba stop. When he arrived at Blue Hour, Sunoo was already waiting, sipping on a strawberry milk tea.

"Look who finally made it," Sunoo teased as Jungwon slid into the seat across from him.

"I'm not even that late," Jungwon replied, rolling his eyes. He ordered his usual and leaned back in the chair, enjoying the brief respite.

"So, how was practice?" Sunoo asked, his tone light but teasing. "Did Ni-ki manage to keep his cool with you messing up?"

Jungwon glared at him playfully. "You know what? You're lucky I'm in a good mood. And yes, I finally got it right, thank you very much."

Sunoo smirked but then paused, his expression shifting into something more contemplative. "Speaking of Ni-ki... What do you think of him?"

Jungwon raised an eyebrow, sensing the subtle change in tone. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Sunoo said, swirling his drink absentmindedly. "He's... cool, I guess. And he's fun to hang out with."

A sly grin spread across Jungwon's face. "Do you like him?"

Sunoo choked on his drink, his cheeks instantly flushing. "What? No! I mean, he's just... No!"

"Sure," Jungwon drawled, leaning closer. "You're blushing, Sunoo."

"Am not!" Sunoo protested, looking away. "Can we talk about something else, please?"

Jungwon let it go, but his smirk stayed firmly in place. "Alright, alright. What's new with you, then?"

Sunoo sighed, visibly relieved at the change in topic. "Well, I've been paired up with Jake for a fashion design project."

"Jake?" Jungwon asked, tilting his head. "As in Jay's cousin?"

"Yup," Sunoo confirmed, sipping his drink. "Apparently, he's some kind of prodigy in fashion. He's super talented, though I won't lie—it's a little intimidating working with him."

Jungwon chuckled. "That's not surprising. Jake seems like the kind of guy who's good at everything."

"Yeah, and he's actually really nice," Sunoo added, a small smile tugging at his lips. "But he's also... different. He's got this energy that makes you want to step up your game, you know?"

"Well, good luck with that," Jungwon said, finishing the last of his boba. "If Jake's anything like Jay, you'll need it."

Sunoo laughed. "Don't remind me. Speaking of Jay, how's your little 'deal' going?"

Jungwon groaned, his head falling onto the table. "Don't even get me started."

Sunoo smirked mischievously. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun to watch."

Jungwon rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face. Deep down, he knew he was in for a wild ride, but at least he had Sunoo to keep him grounded—or to laugh at his misery.

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As Jungwon and Sunoo stepped out of Blue Hour, the cool evening air greeted them. They chatted casually, with Sunoo rambling about Jake's precision and attention to detail on their project.

"So then he looks at my sketch and says, 'It's good, but you could elevate it by doing this,'" Sunoo mimicked Jake's voice with an exaggerated tilt to his head. "And I'm sitting there thinking, 'Elevate it? Dude, this is already my best!'"

Jungwon laughed, shaking his head. "Sounds like he's just trying to help you improve."

"Easy for you to say," Sunoo muttered. "You don't have Jake breathing down your neck."

But before Jungwon could respond, his gaze drifted ahead—and froze.

There, leaning casually against a lamppost with his phone in hand, was Jay. He wasn't dressed in anything particularly eye-catching, just a black hoodie and jeans, but somehow, he still managed to stand out. He looked up from his phone, his sharp eyes locking onto Jungwon almost instantly.

"Oh no," Jungwon muttered under his breath, his heart racing.

"What?" Sunoo asked, following his line of sight. When he spotted Jay, he smirked. "Well, well, look who it is."

"I'm not dealing with this right now," Jungwon whispered, already backing away.

"Where are you going?" Sunoo asked, amused.

"Anywhere but here," Jungwon replied before turning on his heel and bolting down the street.

"Jungwon!" Sunoo called after him, but his friend was already gone. He turned back to see Jay watching the whole scene, an eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.

Jay pushed off the lamppost and approached Sunoo with an easy smirk. "Did I scare him off?"

Sunoo crossed his arms, pretending to think. "Maybe. Or maybe he just doesn't want to deal with whatever trouble you're planning."

Jay chuckled, his gaze lingering in the direction Jungwon had run. "He's fun to mess with."

"You're really dedicated to this whole deal thing, huh?" Sunoo asked, tilting his head.

Jay shrugged. "A deal's a deal. Besides..." He shoved his hands into his pockets, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's not like I plan on losing."

Sunoo rolled his eyes. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Jay grinned. "I've been told."

Without another word, Jay turned and strolled off, leaving Sunoo shaking his head. "Poor Jungwon," Sunoo muttered under his breath before heading home, already imagining the complaints Jungwon would have for him later.

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