As I drift into consciousness, I'm jolted by the unmistakable sound of someone rummaging through my room.
My eyelids flutter irritably, barely cracking open before a yawn escapes me. The morning sunlight stabs through the open curtains, and it takes a few blinks and some aggressive eye rubbing before I realise that Mum struck again and decided to draw my curtains. She always thinks sunlight equals productivity.
Much as I want to grumble about being woken up like I'm in boot camp, I have to admit... it's a pretty view.
Once my vision stops fighting me, I lift my head and spot my sister elbow deep in my drawers, clearly hunting for something.
Probably my lipbalm or maybe my concealer stash reserved for emergency zit days. And when I say emergency zit, I mean the monstrous kind that loves centre stage. They always show up on my nose, like divas craving the spotlight. My dwindling social relevance at school must have gave them room to shine.
"Looking for something?" I croak, voice still coated in sleep.
Chu Hua yelps, whipping around with all the guilt of a toddler holding a broken vase. Instantly, she swaps shock for innocence which she has had years of practice.
"What? No, I was just—"
"Looking for my lipbalm?" I cut her off, fully deadpan.
"Of course not," she blurts, followed by the fakest nervous laugh in history.
My eyes narrow. "I hid it for your information. Somewhere safe. In a place far beyond your reach. A place where it won't be bitten out of anger."
"I never bit anything!" she screeches like a banshee.
I recoil into my skin with a hiss of irritation at her piercing voice. So early in the morning as well. Pretty sure my eardrums just cracked under the pressure.
She bolts out of the room angrily and immediately tattles dramatically, "Amma, Seong Jin won't lend me his lipbalm!"
After shaking my head in defeat, I flop back against my pillow and stare at the ceiling.
Just another perfectly unhinged morning in this household.
I let out a dramatic sigh and blow a rebellious strand of hair out of my eye. Obviously, I'm staying in today. Not because I chose peace and solitude but because I have nothing better to do. Unless you count drowning in a pile of homework and overdue assignments. But really... does anyone count that?
Maybe I'll crack open that book I've abandoned. Or maybe I'll give in to the siren call of Bridgerton and binge until my brain turns to mush.
Maybe...
Just as I start inching toward sleep again, my bedroom door bursts open.
Enter my mother, the walking whirlwind known as Kimiko Lee. She stands in the doorway with her frazzled hair, eyes flashing with urgency.
"Seong Jin, you need to get up. Your father's not home so I need help getting everything ready."
"Ready for what?"
"I need you to bathe the twins. Your sister wants to go over to Kayla's and Ji Ho has a playdate with Cameron."
I blink up at her through sleep heavy lids, silently judging her for bringing such irrelevant chaos into my sanctuary.
"Lee Seong Jin, neo-hante malhaneun geojana. Deul-go iss-eo?" she barks in our mother tongue, the tone unmistakable. Move or die.
"Ne, Amma..." I grumble, stretching out each syllable. I yawn again, this time covering my mouth, blinking through the tears. My tongue clicks against the roof of my mouth.
Gross.
I need to brush my teeth.
Or pop a mint and pretend some form of hygiene too place.
Guess which one is currently winning.
"I'll be there in a few," I add. "Just need to freshen up first."
"Arasseo, seodulleo," she snaps, already turning to head down the hall.
I swing my legs off the bed. "What time is Franklin coming back?"
"He just opened up the diner. Should be home soon," she says impatiently.
I nod, slipping my feet into my goat themed fuzzy slippers—my one remaining source of joy.
"I think the bacon is burning downstairs. Get the twins ready, brush your teeth properly, and clean your room. I can practically taste the bacteria floating in here."
Of course...
Classic Amma.
I roll my eyes as she vanishes down the hall. Stretching in place, my limbs groan from sleep. I scratch that annoying itch on my lower back with unapologetic intensity. It's always the mole. Always.
In the bathroom, I brush my teeth with usual halfhearted swirls, splash water over my face to wake myself up.
Once I feel sort of human again, I glance at my reflection in the mirror. This moment has become a ritual—say one nice thing about myself. It used to be something sensory. From how I look to how I smell. But lately, compliments have evolved into... whatever scraps my brain can throw together.
Yeah, I've run out of the good ones.
"You have... great socks," I tell the boy in the mirror.
He smiles back like I just called him drop dead gorgeous.
We're delusional together.
Somewhere beyond the steam and reflection, my ringtone cuts through the air.
I grab a towel, wipe my face and hustle back to my room, answering without even glancing at the screen. If it's some random wrong number, I might just pretend to be whoever they were hoping to reach. That's how dull my life has gotten, catfishing strangers for entertainment.
"Hello?" I mumble, still drying off.
"Let's do it," comes the voice on the other end, direct and bold.
I freeze, brows furrowing. My face twists into the universal expression for ew.
Pulling the phone away, I check the screen.
Private number. Of course.
I am not about to indulge some anonymous voice in a mystery conversation that's clearly heading into sketchy territory. Phone flirting with strangers? Hard pass. I prefer my brand of innocent chaos, like inviting people to restaurants for a meetup I'll never attend. That's more my speed.
"Um... yeah, sorry, mate. I'm not into that sort of thing," I begin, ready to hang up.
"It's me, you moron," the voice grumbles, sounding annoyingly familiar.
"...Who?"
"Who else, stupid?"
My eyebrows shoot up. "The boy from school who stole blackmail material from me and now makes it his life mission to make my life as miserable as his?"
"Yeah, that's the one," he says casually, as if he's talking about the weather.
No shame.
I can picture him now—leaned back nonchalantly, staring into the void with no emotions in his expression.
"To save time," he adds, "I just go by Dominic."
"Where did you get my number?" I ask, tossing the towel onto my bed and flopping down at the edge. After a second, I bounce back and settle cross legged, curiosity piqued. "I don't remember giving it to you."
"I have my sources."
"You say that like you moonlight as a technician for the mafia." I raise an eyebrow, pushing some hair away from my face. "Do you, Domi?"
"Don't call me that," he mutters, voice full of gravel.
"What, Domi?"
"Exactly that. Stop."
I roll my eyes toward the ceiling and bite back a reply.
I don't want to argue with him. Not today. It's a stay-in Saturday. The sacred tradition where Seong Jin keeps his cool and refuses to spiral into another loud, emotionally compromised rant. Especially not over the phone with the guy who seems immune to everything and is completely unfazed by my existence.
Seriously, it's unnatural.
Dominic moves through life like he's made of Teflon. The world could explode, heaven's gates could get jammed by sobbing souls who lost their loved ones, and Dominic? He'd probably just shrug, let the flames of hell lick his hoodie.
Remembering his first statement, I raise my brows and muse curiously, "So... let's do what?"
"The plan you wouldn't shut up about. Let's do it."
My eyes go wide.
I almost pinch myself to see if I'm still dreaming, but then I remember that I don't dream about Dominic calling me. It's always been me chasing him. Well, it was me chasing him. Not anymore. These days, fantasies of him slamming me into a locker and kissing me breathless beneath his hoodie are filed under cringe.
"Oh my gosh." A smug smile slides onto my face. "You finally grew those balls, didn't you?"
I hear a sigh of exasperation on his end of the call. I can practically hear him rolling his eyes. "Yes, Starr. I grew my balls. Are we doing this or not?"
"Obviously." I lean back into my bed. "Worry not, Dominic. My plan is airtight. It works to accommodate both you and Jodie. Compatibility assured. Abs optional."
"Okay?"
"Okay," I echo with a grin, nodding. "I'll fill you in Monday."
"I want to talk today. I need time to prep before Monday."
I make a face. "Yeah, see... it's lazy Saturday, and I'm totally booked doing absolutely nothing."
"I'm coming to get you."
"No, I don't think that's a good idea!" I interrupt quickly. "My mum's a psycho and only approves of Damien and Edward. And she's skilled in martial arts. You show up here and she'll punch you in the throat."
He releases another sigh and then there's a pause before he finally suggests, "Meet me at the park?"
I wrinkle my nose at his persistence. "The park?"
"Yes."
"Okay look, Dominic, I'm gonna be completely honest with you. Spending time with you has to have been the worst week of my life. Mentally draining, soul sucking kind of week. So I just need a day to recuperate. Seeing you in your full demonic form today might just tip me over the edge."
"Wow. Thanks for the honesty," he says flatly, dripping sarcasm.
Then he hangs up on me before I can respond.
I stare at my phone unfazed before tossing it on my bed.
"Great," I mutter.
Just Dominic doing Dominic things.
"Seong Jin," Amma's voice shoots up the stairs like a missile and jolts me into motion. "I thought I told you to give the twins a bath!"
I bolt out of my room, mentally prepping for battle.
Why the fuck am I still required to bathe those two?
Aren't they old enough?
With any luck, Chu Hua won't bolt out of the bathroom in the nude again.
After scrubbing her clean, I ruffle a towel over her head while she sways her hips to the beat of my playlist, streaming through the speaker I "borrowed" from Yang Jin four months ago and never returned.
The nonstop carousel of bouncy tracks are handpicked to keep Chu Hua dancing in place instead of streaking through the house bare and giggling.
"Seong Jin?" she says, peeking up at me with that mischievous sparkle.
I raise an eyebrow, fully aware that whatever she's about to say will likely test my patience.
"You better not be asking for my lipbalm. You know Kayla's mum banned you from bringing things over after what happened last time."
Chu Hua grins. "Her face puffed up for a whole week," she says, then snorts. "She looked like a stuffed pig."
My lips betray me and twitch into a reluctant grin.
"Not funny," I say, shaking my head even though I'm halfway to laughing. "She had an allergic reaction. That's serious."
"But she did look like a stuffed pig," Chu Hua insists.
"Yeah... she kind of did."
We burst into giggles.
I help her dry off and wrap her in one of my towels because ever since Chu Hua turned ten, she's declared a full rebellion against all things that make her appear like a baby. She banished her Barbie towel. My Little Pony tee from Franklin? Now she deems uncool. Instead, she raids my wardrobe and parades around in shirts three sizes too big, claiming they're cooler.
Amma says I'm getting a lock on my door next week.
Honestly, it's about time.
"Seong Jin?"
"Mmm?"
"When are you vlogging again?"
Wait, what?
I whip my head toward her, clutching her shirt in panic. "How do you know about my vlogs, Chu Hua? Have you been snooping through my stuff again?"
"No!" she says way too quickly, her face already halfway through guilt.
My glare does all the talking.
She cracks.
"Okay, fine. Yes. But only because I needed to take a photo of my new doll collection. Dad got Poppy a vintage outfit and I had to document it. That's when I saw one of your videos."
"Chu Hua!" My voice jumps an octave, definitely hitting the older sibling scolding frequency.
"I'm sorry! I didn't tell anyone you're in love with Eddie, I swear."
I practically fly across the room to silence her, narrowing my eyes warningly. Throwing my head over my shoulder in case Yang Jin, the human megaphone, is lurking nearby. Sighing in relief, I turn back around to glare at her.
"I am not in love with Edward," I hiss. "I just... like him, okay?"
"Same thing."
"It's not." I tap her arms so I can slide the shirt over her head. "Love is like Amma and Dad. Like is just... liking."
She pops her arms through the sleeves and looks at me.
I stare at her earnestly. "You can never tell anyone about this, Chu Hua."
"I won't, I pinkie promise. I'm not a nark, okay? That's Yang Jin's job."
I grin in amusement, sated by her response. Mainly, because she threw our older brother under the bus without hesitation. That earns her major sibling points with me. Yes, the less cool sibling in the household is a snitch, shocker.
After pulling on her yellow shorts, I head to her wardrobe to grab the perfect black belt to make the outfit.
"Seong Jin?"
I don't even bother turning around. "No, Chu Hua. My lipbalm lives and dies with me."
"Just a quick loan! My lips are crying for help. You want me to suffer?"
Her exaggerated pout nearly makes me laugh but I hold strong.
Until she clutches her heart like she's in some tragic opera and whispers, "I'll give it back. I swear on all things."
With an exasperated sigh, I finally give in. Turning to face her, I look her dead in the eye and say, "Fine. But under no circumstances can you lose it, okay?"
She beams, extending her pinkie with solemn ceremony. "I pinkie promise."