The warmth of the restaurant had settled comfortably around the table.
Dinner had somehow turned into conversation.
Conversation had somehow turned into laughter.
Even Ha-Joon, who usually finished eating in quiet efficiency, hadn't made any move to leave.
It was... nice.
Unexpectedly nice.
Yoo-Na rested her chin on one hand, lazily stirring the ice in her drink.
She looked around the table. "...You know."
Min-Hyuk didn't even look up. "No."
"I haven't said anything yet."
"I know your tone."
"My tone?"
"That tone always leads to trouble."
She gasped dramatically. "I am deeply offended."
Seo-Yeon calmly took another bite of her food. "You'll recover."
"I won't."
"You will."
"...Probably."
Ji-Ah laughed into her napkin.
Just then... The restaurant doors opened.
Several heads turned.
Min-Ji walked inside.
She had changed into a cream-colored knit dress with a long beige coat draped over her shoulders.
Her makeup had been lightly touched up.
She looked perfectly fine.
Not like someone who had been too sick to leave her room.
Ji-Ah noticed first. "...Feeling better?"
Min-Ji smiled politely. "A little."
She pulled out the empty chair beside Ha-Joon. "I felt lonely staying in the room."
Ha-Joon looked at her briefly. "You should still rest if you're unwell."
"I didn't want to eat alone."
His expression remained calm. "If you're feeling well enough, then eat."
She smiled. "I will."
She sat down gracefully.
As the waiter approached... Min-Ji casually glanced toward Hea-In.
Just once.
Barely noticeable.
A tiny tilt of her head.
A slow blink.
Nothing anyone else would have questioned.
But Hea-In understood immediately.
Her fingers tightened around her fork for the briefest moment.
Now?
Min-Ji looked back at the menu as if nothing had happened.
Yes.
Five minutes later...
Hea-In suddenly placed a hand against her forehead. "...Ah."
Everyone looked toward her.
"What happened?" Seo-Yeon asked.
Hea-In forced an awkward smile.
"I..." She hesitated dramatically. "I think..."
Another pause.
"...I left..."
Silence.
"My..."
Another pause.
"...Phone charger."
Yoo-Na blinked. "...At the hotel?"
"Yes."
Yoo-Na frowned. "...Couldn't it survive until after dinner?"
"I..." Hea-In searched desperately for an excuse. "...My phone gets emotionally attached to chargers."
The entire table went silent.
Ji-Ah slowly lowered her spoon. "...Emotionally .Attached?"
Hea-In nodded far too seriously "Yes."
Yoo-Na looked at Ji-Ah. "Did... did she hear herself?"
Ji-Ah bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself laughing.
Min-Hyuk looked genuinely impressed. "That's the worst excuse I've heard this year."
Seo-Yeon quietly covered her face.
Ha-Joon simply took another sip of water.
Min-Ji smiled pleasantly. "If you need it, you should go."
Hea-In stood so quickly her chair almost tipped over.
"Yes."
"I'll..." She pointed vaguely toward the elevators. "...Retrieve its emotional support."
Without another word...
She hurried away.
Yoo-Na watched her leave.
Then looked at Ji-Ah. "...That charger deserves an award."
Ji-Ah nodded. "For surviving that explanation."
The strange moment disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
Food continued arriving.
Conversation resumed.
Yoo-Na sighed dramatically. "I almost believed her."
"You absolutely didn't," Ji-Ah replied.
"I wanted to."
Across the table...
Min-Hyuk carefully cut a piece of steak before placing it onto Seo-Yeon's plate.
She looked at him. "I can do that myself."
"I know."
"Then why?"
"You've been talking."
"So?"
"You'll forget to eat."
"I won't."
"You will."
She sighed. "...Fine."
He smiled victoriously.
A moment later he poured her more water.
Then moved the pepper farther away.
Then handed her a napkin because she'd almost dropped hers.
Yoo-Na watched the entire performance with increasing disbelief. "...Are you raising a child?"
Min-Hyuk looked offended. "I'm taking care of my fiancée."
"You've adjusted her spoon three times."
"It wasn't straight."
"It looked perfectly straight."
"Not to me."
Seo-Yeon calmly continued eating.
"I'm used to it."
Yoo-Na slowly looked toward Ji-Ah. "...Help."
Ji-Ah leaned closer and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "I think if Seo-Yeon blinked too slowly..."
She pointed at Min-Hyuk. "...He'd call an ambulance."
Min-Hyuk nodded without shame. "I would."
Seo-Yeon laughed, finally giving up trying to act composed. "You see what I live with?"
Yoo-Na placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"...My condolences."
The laughter echoed around the table.
Ha-Joon didn't join in immediately.
Instead...
He found himself quietly watching Ji-Ah.
She was laughing so hard she'd almost knocked over her own glass.
She quickly caught it.
Looked relieved.
Then immediately started laughing again.
He shook his head almost imperceptibly.
A small smile appeared.
Again.
Without effort.
She really can turn dinner into an event...
Ji-Ah looked up suddenly.
Their eyes met across the table.
There it was again.
That quiet smile.
Not hidden.
Not denied.
Just...
There.
She smiled back automatically.
He's looking again.
He's definitely looking.
...Should I wave?
No.
Don't wave.
Normal people don't wave across dinner.
Instead...
She lifted her eyebrows ever so slightly.
He understood immediately.
What?
She mouthed silently.
Ha-Joon gave the tiniest shake of his head.
Nothing.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Then smiled anyway.
Just then...
A phone vibrated against the table.
Ha-Joon glanced down.
Do-Hyun.
He answered almost immediately. "Hello."
The conversation at the table softened.
Everyone continued eating while he listened.
"How are things there?" Do-Hyun's familiar voice asked through the speaker.
Ha-Joon leaned back slightly.
"Quiet."
"That's surprising."
"A little."
"And Canada?"
He looked briefly toward the window overlooking the harbor.
"Cold."
"I expected that."
A faint chuckle escaped both men.
"How's Nisa?" Ha-Joon asked.
Do-Hyun's voice immediately softened.
"She's asleep."
"Finally."
"Pregnancy is tiring her out."
"I imagined."
"The baby apparently wanted mangoes at two in the morning yesterday."
Ha-Joon actually smiled.
"That sounds like Nisa."
"It absolutely does."
Across the table...
Yoo-Na's ears practically perked up.
She leaned toward Ji-Ah.
"...Do-Hyun."
Ji-Ah nodded.
"I know."
"I miss bothering him."
"You bothered him yesterday."
"I know."
"I miss doing it today."
Ji-Ah laughed.
Ha-Joon continued quietly.
"Tell Nisa everyone says hello."
"I will."
"And tell her Vancouver is beautiful."
"I'll make sure she gets jealous."
"Good."
Yoo-Na suddenly shifted in her chair.
"...Ji-Ah."
"Hm?"
"...Bathroom."
Ji-Ah blinked.
"...Now?"
"Right now."
"Can it wait?"
Yoo-Na's eyes widened dramatically.
"It absolutely cannot."
She stood so quickly her chair scraped lightly against the floor.
"I'm going."
Ji-Ah laughed.
"Go then."
"No."
Yoo-Na grabbed her wrist.
"You're coming."
"...Why?"
"What if I get lost?"
"It's the same hotel."
"It's a very rich hotel."
"There are signs."
"I don't trust expensive signs."
Ji-Ah looked helplessly toward the others.
"...She's serious."
"I always am."
"No."
"Sometimes."
Ha-Joon looked up from the phone conversation just in time to see Yoo-Na already pulling Ji-Ah halfway out of her chair.
He quietly covered the microphone with one hand.
"...She'll survive."
Ji-Ah pointed helplessly at Yoo-Na.
"I'm not worried about me."
"I'm worried about her."
Yoo-Na nodded proudly.
"Correct."
Ha-Joon's smile deepened just a fraction.
"Go."
Ji-Ah sighed dramatically.
"If she gets us lost..."
Yoo-Na gasped.
"How dare you."
"...I'm blaming you."
"You'll thank me later."
"For what?"
"I don't know yet."
Ji-Ah laughed, shaking her head.
"That's not reassuring."
The two women excused themselves from the table and headed toward the elevators, their voices fading into the softly lit lobby.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, neither of them noticed that down the same quiet hotel corridor...
Hea-In had still not returned.
And behind one of the suite doors...
Min-Ji was waiting exactly where she had planned to be.