{KOREAN-ENGLISH}
The dance floor pulsed with lights and music as Joon So Min and Hye Sua dashed into the crowd, their laughter trailing behind them like sparks.
"K-Playboy, we love you!" So Min screamed, throwing her arms in the air.
From the stage, Lee Min Jun squinted through the lights, spotting the two familiar girls. A grin spread across his face.
"Come up here then!" he shouted, beckoning them with a wide gesture.
Hye Sua's eyes widened. "It's finally happening!"
Giggling like schoolgirls, the two made their way up the stage. Min Jun handed So Min the mic and stepped aside like a showman passing the spotlight.
They sang horribly off-key but their joy was infectious. The crowd laughed, not out of mockery, but because their energy was wild and unfiltered. Lee Min Jun stayed onstage with them, dancing along and soaking in the chaos.
Back at the VIP table, Lee Seo Jun stared at the stage, drink in hand, a slow burn of jealousy creeping into his chest.
"Careful, brother," Lee Yun Jun said beside him with a chuckle. "She's just having fun."
Seo Jun scoffed. "Says the man sitting here and not even dancing."
⸻
Later that night, So Min and Hye Sua were in the backseat of Seo Jun's sleek car, still laughing uncontrollably.
"I had the best fun today!" Hye Sua shouted, throwing her hands up like a victorious child.
Seo Jun glanced at them through the rearview mirror. "Are you sure you can go home like this?"
So Min, staring out the window with a tired smile, didn't reply. She didn't want to go home not drunk. Her stepmother would scold her endlessly.
"Drop her off there," she finally said, pointing to Hye Sua's apartment.
Seo Jun drove swiftly and parked. So Min helped her friend into the building. But just as she returned to say goodbye—
"No!" Hye Sua burst back out, grabbing So Min's wrist. "Go with him. I'll be fine!"
"What are you—"
Before she could finish, Hye Sua slammed the apartment door shut and locked it.
"Hye Sua!" So Min yelled, pounding lightly on the door. "I hate you!"
There was no reply. She turned back toward Seo Jun, cheeks red with frustration.
"I swear, I'm getting my own place soon," she muttered.
"Let's go," Seo Jun said quietly, opening the passenger door for her. She climbed in.
⸻
"I'm sorry for the trouble," So Min said as they entered his luxurious apartment. The butler greeted them with a bow.
"I bought this place on you," Seo Jun said simply. "So you can stay whenever you need."
So Min stopped walking for a moment. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused but he didn't explain.
The apartment was massive. She was shown to a guest room where she settled in for the night, still wondering what exactly his words meant.
⸻
The next morning, her phone buzzed.
Hye Sua.
"What now?" So Min groaned.
"Well?" Hye Sua's voice was teasing. "Was the sex that good, or are you just too sore to call me?"
"You little—! How dare you?!" So Min hissed, cheeks burning.
"Wait. You mean... nothing happened?" Hye Sua sounded genuinely disappointed.
"No!" So Min shouted. "And he didn't even try anything!"
"Such a waste," Hye Sua muttered, then promptly ended the call.
So Min flung her phone onto the bed. "I hate that girl."
She stepped out of the room, heading to the kitchen where the maids greeted her warmly.
"What would you like, madam?"
"I'd like to make hangover tea,is there ginseng?"
"Of course. Let us prepare it—"
"No, it's alright. I'll do it myself," she said with a smile.
"Where's Seo Jun?" she asked as she stirred the pot.
"Sir is getting dressed for work," one maid replied politely.
Carrying two mugs of the hangover remedy, So Min climbed the stairs to find his room. She was about to knock when the door opened.
The room inside was stunning. Large, luxurious,
cleaner than any hotel suite she had ever seen.
Just then, Seo Jun emerged from the bathroom, steam curling behind him. A towel hung low around his hips, and another one was in his hand as he dried his wet hair.
So Min froze.
His torso was lean and muscular, droplets of water gliding down his skin.
Holy hell.
She turned away with a gasp, nearly dropping the mug in her hand.
Seo Jun blinked, mildly amused. "What are you doing here?"
"I-I brought you hangover tea," she stammered, still facing the other direction. She placed the cup on his bedside table.
"Why didn't you ask the maids to bring it?"
"They were... busy," she lied, blushing so hard it burned.
"It's right there. Just drink it. I'll... I'll go now."
Without waiting for another word, she dashed out of the room, mortified.
⸻
She ate breakfast alone in her guest room, her thoughts spinning with embarrassment. A message came in — from Seo Jun.
One of my guards will drop you off. I left early for work. Let the maids get you new clothes.
She looked down at the outfit she'd just been given expensive again, probably worth more than her rent.
This man...
Why did he keep doing things for her she didn't ask for?
And why, despite everything, did it make her chest feel so warm?