Episode 8
1127 Words
Choi Joon stepped out of the room, only to be met with a series of strange looks from his members.
Jihoon crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.
“Hyung… what are you doing?” he asked. “You said she’s just a friend. And now you’re offering her your bedroom? This isn’t right.”
Choi Joon frowned slightly.
“Tone down your voice.”
Minseok let out a long sigh.
“Hyung… seriously. What are you thinking?”
For a moment, Choi Joon said nothing.
Because the truth was—
He didn’t know.
He knew what he did wasn’t exactly normal. Not when they weren’t even close. Not when he couldn’t even explain why he felt the need to take care of her like that.
His silence said everything.
Yu Rim stepped forward, trying to ease the tension.
“Guys, let it go,” he said calmly. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out himself.”
Before leaving, he lightly tapped Choi Joon’s shoulder.
“Whatever you decide, we’re with you. Just… don’t do something you’ll regret.”
One by one, they left.
The apartment fell quiet.
Choi Joon slowly cleaned the living room—the empty glasses, the scattered bottles, the faint smell of alcohol still hanging in the air.
When he was done, he dropped onto the couch and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
“…What am I doing?”
The words slipped out quietly.
But there was no answer.
Only a strange weight in his chest.
Inside the bedroom, Shree stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she quickly checked the time.
1:02 AM.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh no…”
She sat up abruptly, looking around—and then froze.
She was in his bedroom.
“What have you done, Shree…” she whispered, pressing her fingers to her temple. “This is so wrong…”
Carefully, she picked up Nila, who was still fast asleep.
“I should leave… right now.”
As she stepped out, she saw him.
Choi Joon was sitting on the couch, lost in thought, his expression distant.
“Choi Joon-ssi…”
Her voice was soft.
He looked up immediately and stood.
For a brief second, their eyes met.
“I… I think I should leave now,” she said, adjusting Nila in her arms. “Thank you… for everything. And I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that.”
She gave a small bow.
For a moment—
It felt like he was about to say something.
His lips parted slightly… his brows furrowed… but nothing came out.
Shree waited.
Just for a second.
Then she lowered her gaze.
“…Good night.”
And she walked away.
Choi Joon stood there, unmoving.
Watching her leave.
He took a step forward—
…and stopped.
His hand tightened slightly.
“…Why didn’t I say anything?”
That night, he didn’t go to his room.
He lay on the couch, staring into nothing until sleep finally came.
The next morning—
An alarm rang loudly.
Choi Joon groaned, half-asleep, reaching for his phone—but it wasn’t there.
Frowning, he followed the sound.
It was coming from his bedroom.
He walked in and found a phone on the bed.
He picked it up, staring at it for a moment.
“…She must’ve left in a hurry.”
Then he grabbed his jacket.
“I’ll return it.” He hesitated.
“…And keep some distance.”
A few minutes later—
He stood in front of her door.
He pressed the bell.
The door opened.
Shree looked surprised.
“Choi Joon-ssi? What are you doing here so early?”
He held out the phone.
“You left this yesterday.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh… I didn’t even notice. Thank you.”
She took it from him, their fingers brushing for a brief second.
Both of them noticed.
Neither of them said anything.
Choi Joon gave a small nod and turned to leave.
“Wait—”
He stopped.
“…Thank you for yesterday as well,” Shree said softly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around people like that. It felt… nice.”
A small, genuine smile appeared on her face.
“…So thank you.”
Choi Joon shook his head lightly.
“No… it’s okay.”
His tone was calm—but distant.
“I’ll leave.”
He turned and started walking.
But something felt… off.
Each step felt heavier than it should.
As if he was walking away from something he wasn’t supposed to.
“…Why does this feel wrong?” he thought.
His brows pulled together slightly.
“Is it because we’re not close…?”
Or… was it because he didn’t want it to stay that way?
He stopped mid-step.
For a moment, he just stood there, unmoving.
Then, almost without thinking—
He turned back.
He walked up to her door again and knocked.
Shree opened it, clearly confused.
“Choi Joon-ssi?”
He hesitated for a second.
“I… need a favor.”
Shree blinked. “What is it?”
He shifted slightly, almost awkward now.
“Can you… pet-sit Yuki?”
She stared at him.
“…What?”
He let out a small breath.
“We’re leaving for a world tour next week. It’ll be around seven months.”
Her eyes widened instantly.
“Seven months?!”
He quickly added,
“The whole tour is that long—but I’ll come back during breaks.”
A faint, almost shy smile appeared on his face.
Shree narrowed her eyes slightly, studying him.
“And you’re asking me… as a favor?”
He nodded. “Only if you’re okay with it.”
Her gaze dropped slightly as she thought about it.
“Seven months is… a long time,” she said quietly. “Even if you come back during breaks… it’s still a big responsibility.”
Shree looked away again, thinking.
Then slowly—
“…Nila would like it,” she murmured.
Finally, she nodded—just slightly.
“…Okay.”
She looked back at him.
“I’ll do it.”
Her voice was calm, but gentle.
Choi Joon’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Thank you… really. I’ll drop her off before I leave.”
He gave a small bow.
And left.
As the door closed—
Shree stood there for a moment, staring at it.
Then she let out a soft breath.
“…This guy is really something.”
A small smile crept onto her face.
“I thought he’d be too embarrassed to even talk to me after yesterday.”
She shook her head lightly.
“I thought he was an introvert…”
A pause.
Then she let out a quiet laugh.
“…Nope. He’s just crazy.”
- Writer
