They continued walking through the streets of Vancouver, stopping every now and then whenever David pointed out another place worth seeing.
There were little shops tucked between the older buildings, souvenir stores filled with postcards and tiny maple-leaf decorations, flower stalls, cafés with warm windows, and small shops selling things that Ji-Ah absolutely did not need but somehow still ended up staring at.
Min-Hyuk, naturally, was buying things.
A lot of things.
"Do you really need another mug?" Seo-Yeon asked as he proudly held up a mug with a Canadian flag on it.
"It's historical."
"You said that about the keychain."
"That was also historical."
"You're going to need another suitcase."
"I have one."
"You have three."
Min-Hyuk smiled. "Exactly."
Yoo-Na groaned. "I refuse to travel with you again."
"You say that every trip."
"And every trip I mean it."
Hea-In laughed quietly beside them.
Ji-Ah barely heard the conversation.
She had been deliberately keeping some distance between herself and Ha-Joon.
Whenever everyone stopped, she somehow found herself beside Yoo-Na.
Whenever Ha-Joon walked toward one side of the group, Ji-Ah suddenly became extremely interested in whatever was on the opposite side.
Whenever Min-Ji moved closer to him, Ji-Ah simply looked somewhere else.
It wasn't obvious.
At least... She hoped it wasn't.
But Ha-Joon had noticed. Of course he had.
He didn't say anything. He simply watched her occasionally with that quiet expression of his.
Meanwhile, Min-Ji was talking. And talking. And talking.
"I think flowers can actually become emotionally attached to people."
Ha-Joon glanced at her. "...Flowers?"
Min-Ji nodded seriously. "Yes."
David, who was walking ahead, looked back briefly.
Min-Ji continued. "They respond to how people treat them. If you're kind to them, they grow better."
Ha-Joon gave a small nod. "I suppose."
"I think they know when someone loves them."
"Maybe."
Min-Ji smiled. "I always feel like flowers understand me."
Ha-Joon's attention drifted.
His eyes moved past her shoulder.
Toward Ji-Ah. She was pretending to study a display of little wooden souvenirs.
She picked up one. Put it down. Picked up another. Put that one down too.
She was very clearly pretending not to listen.
Ha-Joon almost smiled.
Min-Ji continued speaking. "And I think certain flowers even have personalities."
Ji-Ah quietly muttered under her breath. "...I wonder if they can file complaints too."
Yoo-Na heard her.
She nearly laughed.
"Don't." Ji-Ah covered her mouth.
"I'm trying to behave."
"You've been behaving for three hours."
"I'm exhausted."
Then suddenly Min-Ji stopped. She winced sharply.
Ha-Joon immediately turned toward her. "What's wrong?"
Min-Ji brought a hand toward her eyes. "My eyes..."
"Something got in them?"
"I don't know."
Ha-Joon leaned slightly closer, carefully checking. "Don't rub them."
"I think there's something there."
Ji-Ah turned too. She watched them for a moment. They were close. Too close. She immediately looked away.
Why am I looking?
Stop looking.
She turned toward a nearby shop.
Flowers. Look at flowers.
She stared at a display of artificial maple leaves as if they contained the secrets of the universe.
Behind her, Ha-Joon was still checking that Min-Ji's eye was alright. "Better?"
Min-Ji blinked. "Yes."
"Good."
Ji-Ah continued walking.
And then... She stepped directly onto an uneven part of the pavement.
Her ankle twisted. "Ah—"
The pain shot up her leg.
She stopped instantly.
Her hand tightened around the strap of her bag.
No. She looked around. Nobody had noticed. Good.
She straightened immediately. "I'm fine."
Yoo-Na glanced at her. "Did you say something?"
"No."
"You just made a face."
"I was..." Ji-Ah looked around desperately. "...thinking."
"With your ankle?"
"Yes."
Yoo-Na stared at her. "That doesn't even make sense."
"I know."
Ji-Ah continued walking. Her ankle hurt. Quite badly, actually. But she wasn't about to say anything. Not after Min-Ji had just been fussed over.
If she suddenly started limping now, everyone might think she was copying her.
Absolutely not. She could survive. Probably. Maybe. She took another step.
Pain. Another. More pain.
She kept her expression neutral.
Walk.
Just walk.
You're an adult.
You can walk.
Her walking had become noticeably strange. But somehow she managed to keep going. Eventually, they reached a restaurant.
David stopped outside and turned toward everyone. "This is where we'll have lunch."
Everyone immediately became interested.
Yoo-Na practically brightened. "Food."
Ji-Ah's eyes lit up too. "Finally."
Ha-Joon looked around. "Go inside and choose a table. I'll be there in a moment."
Everyone began heading inside.
Ji-Ah started to follow.
Then "Ji-Ah."
She stopped.
Slowly turned around.
Ha-Joon was standing a few steps behind her. "Yes?"
"Come here."
She hesitated. "...Why?"
"Just come here."
She walked back.
Or tried to. Her limp became impossible to hide.
Ha-Joon's eyes immediately dropped to her feet.
His expression changed. "What happened?"
"Nothing."
He looked at her. "Your ankle."
Ji-Ah smiled. "It's fine."
"It doesn't look fine."
"It's a very normal ankle."
"Ji-Ah."
She sighed. "I'm okay."
He stared at her for another second.
Then walked closer.
Before she could react, he gently took her hand and guided her toward a nearby bench. "Sit."
"I can stand."
"Sit."
She sat. Ha-Joon crouched in front of her.
Ji-Ah's eyes widened. "Ha-Joon..."
He carefully examined her ankle.
The skin was already slightly swollen and reddened.
His eyebrows drew together. "How long has it been like this?"
"...A while."
"A while?"
"Maybe twenty minutes."
"You've been walking on it for twenty minutes?"
Ji-Ah looked away. "...Yes."
He exhaled. "You should've said something."
"I didn't want to interrupt everyone."
"You were limping."
"I was walking creatively."
Ha-Joon looked up at her. "Creatively?"
"Yes."
"You were walking like one leg belonged to somebody else."
Ji-Ah's mouth twitched. "That's rude."
"It's accurate."
He stood. "If you don't want to continue, we can go back to the hotel."
Ji-Ah immediately shook her head. "But I'm hungry."
Ha-Joon paused.
Then nodded. "Fine."
He pulled out his phone. "We'll eat."
He made a quick call to the driver. "You can't walk around with that."
Ji-Ah looked down at her ankle. "...It's really that bad?"
"It's swollen."
She sighed. "Great."
Ha-Joon put his phone away. "Come on."
He held out his hand.
Ji-Ah stared at it.
Then at him. "...I can stand myself."
She tried. She pushed herself up from the bench.
The moment she put weight on the injured foot "Ah!"
Her balance went.
Ha-Joon immediately caught her.
One hand steadied her around the waist while the other held her hand.
Ji-Ah froze. He looked down at her. "You were saying?"
She swallowed. "...I changed my mind."
"I noticed."
He helped her walk slowly.
Ji-Ah kept her eyes firmly on the ground.
Her face felt warm.
Don't look at him.
She accidentally looked up. His hair moved slightly with the breeze. A few strands fell across his forehead. His expression was focused as he watched where she stepped.
Don't. She looked away again Why am I noticing his hair?
They finally reached the table.
Everyone had already settled down.
And naturally... Everyone noticed. Yoo-Na's eyebrows shot upward. Seo-Yeon immediately covered a smile. Min-Hyuk looked between them.
Hea-In quietly raised an eyebrow.
Min-Ji... Wasn't smiling anymore.
Ha-Joon helped Ji-Ah into her seat before taking the chair beside her.
Yoo-Na leaned toward Ji-Ah. "What happened?"
"Ankle."
"You injured your ankle?"
"Apparently."
"How?"
"I lost an argument with the pavement."
Yoo-Na nodded solemnly. "Understandable."
Min-Hyuk laughed.
Even Seo-Yeon smiled.
Ha-Joon picked up the menu. "I know what everyone should order."
Yoo-Na immediately looked interested. "You do?"
"Yes."
He began ordering.
Ji-Ah listened quietly.
When the food arrived, Ha-Joon made sure Ji-Ah's plate was positioned comfortably in front of her. "Eat."
"I can eat."
"I know."
"Then why are you telling me?"
"Because you're staring at your food."
"I'm admiring it."
"Eat."
She picked up her fork. "Bossy."
"I heard that."
"You were supposed to."
Min-Ji watched them.
Then smiled sweetly. "Ji-Ah, your ankle looks painful."
Ji-Ah looked at her. "It is."
"Maybe you should've been more careful."
Ji-Ah paused. "Maybe."
Min-Ji tilted her head. "I was worried when I hurt my eye earlier too."
Yoo-Na's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ji-Ah understood immediately.
That tone.
That innocent little smile.
She was provoking her.
Ji-Ah simply picked up a piece of food. "Then we're both having a difficult day."
Min-Ji smiled. "Perhaps."
Ha-Joon looked between them. "Just eat."
Ji-Ah nodded. "Yes, sir."
Min-Ji smiled again. "You're very obedient today."
Ji-Ah slowly looked at her.
Yoo-Na nearly choked on her drink.
Ha-Joon sighed. "Min-Ji."
"What?"
"Let her eat."
Min-Ji gave a small smile. "Of course."
Ji-Ah lowered her eyes to her plate.
She wasn't going to react.
She couldn't.
Not when Min-Ji had that video.
Not when Ha-Joon's reputation was hanging over her head.
So she simply ate quietly.
But beneath the table, her fingers tightened around her fork.
I won't let you destroy him.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, that mysterious male voice returned.
Do something for me... Ji-Ah's eyes narrowed slightly.
Min-Ji wasn't finished.
And neither was the mystery.