**Jimin**
He was getting anxious; you'd been inside for way too long. What was going on? Maybe you'd hurt yourself, gotten into a spat with a coworker, or, you know, *something else*. His mind was drifting towards the dirtiest scenarios.
*Come on, get out of there; I'm losing it...* If you took any longer, he was seriously considering pretending to mistake that room for the bathroom and barging in.
But just when he was about to stand up, he saw you emerge biting your lips with flushed cheeks.
*What happened in there?*
Not long after, your boss came out smiling.
"What's going on in there?" Jimin felt his anxiety peak; he imagined all sorts of terrible scenarios.
*Only I should be doing stuff like that with you.*
The thought of you having something going on with some guy made him sick to his stomach. Time was ticking by, and Jimin decided to stick around until your shift ended. He wanted to ask you if you wanted to 'grab a drink' or go for a walk.
*Anything to be with you.*
Finally, your shift was over. Jimin had been rehearsing the words he wanted to say to ask you out when he saw you waving goodbye to your boss and dashing out of the café. He followed you outside but stopped a few meters away when he spotted Tae.
No way did he want to be recognized so he rushed away.
Tae waved at him, but Jimin just ignored him.
*Maybe he didn't see me.* Confusion swept over the young designer.
Jimin was mad at his friend for potentially stealing his crush. Seriously, what could be worse?
You approached Tae and greeted him. He thought to himself, "I'll ask him tomorrow if he was ignoring me on purpose."
Right now, he wanted to focus all his attention on you. He'd been waiting for this moment for hours. You hopped into Tae's car, and off you went to the soccer club. Before long, you were there.
During the ride, you chatted about how beautiful the sky looked today, how the colors blended so perfectly, and how poetic it was to watch the clouds and stars.
Once you picked up Adam, you arrived at Tae's house. As you got close to the door, you couldn't help but notice Tae's little sister waiting for you with a flower crown on her head and one in her hand, a huge smile plastered on her face. She dashed over to hug your brother and placed the crown on his head.
She had grown attached to him and was so excited to see him again. Honestly, it had been since that day that she'd been pestering Tae to invite him over, and she couldn't care less about you.
Tae would have preferred to spend time alone with you, no kids around. The thought of being alone with you made him blush like a *red apple*. Next time, he'd invite you to his solo apartment near Christie. Right now, you were at the family's villa; he used the other place when he wanted to focus on work or have a few one-night stands.
In reality, Tae preferred staying at his parents' villa for comfort; the place was filled with servants and butlers ready to cater to his every whim. You settled into the living room, and Haneul quickly whisked Adam away to her room, leaving the two adults alone.
*Didn't she want to bake with me and Adam?* you think slightly confused but decide the not question the little girl too much. She is just a kid.
Tae had given the staff the entire afternoon off. You felt a bit weird being alone with him and started brainstorming ways to break the ice. "What should we make?"
Tae smiled his signature boxy smile. "Your special muffins!"
You stood up. "Alright, let's do it!" You headed to the kitchen.
*It's huge!*
You washed your hands and checked to see if you had all the ingredients. "Incredible! There's so much stuff; we can bake for, like, 30 families!"
"I had no idea what and how much we needed, so I made the staff get everything that could be used for baking," said Tae.
Inside the fridge, there were over 60 eggs and at least 5 kg of butter, an insane amount of fresh and frozen fruit, various toppings, different types of chocolate, 30 kinds of jam, kg and kg of flour, 10 liters of milk, and enough yeast for two bakeries.
*What a show-off!'*
"So, have you ever baked anything?" you asked.
"Nope, I'm totally hopeless in the kitchen... but I'm down to learn!" was Tae's answer.
You smiled at him. "Great! Start by chopping up these strawberries..."
Time flew by as you and Tae were having an absolute blast. He was a bit of a mess in the kitchen, but he was really trying his best to learn. You two talked about everything—school memories, favorite foods, fears, love stories and even your favorite artists crushes.
While the desserts were baking, Tae started telling you about his latest job as an assistant at the high-fashion boutique, *BlackPink *, and how he planned to win the Stella Award to eventually open his own boutique.
You kept nodding, asking questions, and genuinely surprising him with your interest, making him feel over the moon. He was proud of his career choice, even though his parents were totally against it—they'd much rather have seen him study medicine, law or taking over their company.
It was getting late, and you hadn't even thought about dinner yet. Tae asked, "What should we do for dinner?"
Now that you thought about it, you were getting pretty hungry. The last thing you ate was lunch with Minji and Namjoon.
"If you want, I can cook something."
Tae's face lit up. "Yasss! Let's go!"
You chuckled. Sometimes he acted just like Adam. "Alright, how about you go check on what the kids are up to, and I'll figure out what to make."
Tae grinned. "Deal!"
**Meanwhile...**
Adam and Haneul were busy drawing at the table when the little girl suddenly stopped and asked, "Adam, can I ask you something?"
Adam smiled back. "Sure."
Haneul: "Do you love me?"
"Yeah." Answered the sweet boy, he loved all of his friends.
She grabbed his hand, smiling. "Will you marry me?"
Adam blinked, confused. "I don't get it."
Haneul pouted, her eyes welling up. "Then you don't love me!" She started to sniffle, a tear sliding down her cheek.
Panicked, Adam hugged her. "I do love you! Please don't cry."
Haneul wiped her tears and looked into his eyes. "Mama said that if you love someone *a lot*, then you have to marry them."
Adam, even more confused, said, "Oh really? My big sis never told me that," and started laughing.
Haneul blushed, feeling strange flutters in her tummy, her heart pounding at his smile. It made her giggle too.
Adam asked, "So, how do you get married?" Haneul went on to explain how the princesses in her mom's fairytales did it when she read them to her. Unfortunately, that didn't happen much since both her parents were super busy businesspeople.
Adam was all ears, nodding along. "Okay, I get it. If it makes you happy, we can try it."
Haneul beamed. "I need to put on a white dress, though! Don't peek while I change!" She bolted out of the room.
After a few minutes, she returned, wearing a white summer dress with flower prints.
Adam smiled at her. "You look really pretty."
Haneul blushed again. "Thanks!" She grabbed some flowers from a vase on the table and a couple of pink plastic rings from a drawer.
"Okay, Adam, you have to stand like this." She positioned him on one knee, and the boy followed her every instruction, not wanting to see her cry again.
"Now, you have to ask me to marry you, and I'll say yes, and then you put the ring on me."
He gave her a puzzled look but did as she asked, kneeling down. "Will you marry me?" Haneul blushed deep red.
"Yes."
Neither of the kids had any idea that Tae was watching from the doorway, quietly laughing to himself.
*'Aww, how cute. Haneul, you're something else, but I gotta hand it to you—you've got guts! I wish I had your confidence.'*
Adam placed the pink glittery star-shaped ring on her finger.
Haneul smiled. "Okay, Adam, now we're officially engaged."
The boy smiled back. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but as long as she was happy, that was enough for him.
Haneul placed her biggest stuffed panda, about the same size as her, in the middle of the room, holding a book.
"Adam, you'll wait here while I walk down the aisle holding flowers. Then we'll face each other, and you'll say 'I do,' and I'll do the same, and then you'll put the ring on my finger—this one." She pointed to her ring finger. "And at the end, you have to give me a kiss on the lips."
Adam pulled a face, totally grossed out.
Haneul, confused, asked, "Did you get all that?"
"Yeah, but I don't wanna kiss you on the lips." reached the kid.
Haneul looked heartbroken. "If you don't, we won't be married!"
Adam sighed. "Okay, fine... I'll kiss you on the cheek instead."
Seconds pass, and the big moment finally arrives—the kiss.
Adam closes his eyes, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek while Haneul has her head turned. But just as his lips are about to touch her cheek, Adam catches a glimpse of Tae's reflection in the mirror.
He quickly turns to warn Haneul about her older brother's presence, but it's too late. Instead of a cheek kiss, their lips accidentally meet.
Adam's eyes fly open in panic, totally not expecting this, and he's straight-up *shook*. Tae, on the other hand, stands there frozen with his jaw practically on the floor, staring in shock for a good few seconds.
But then he snaps out of it and rushes over to break them apart. Adam makes a face like he just ate something gross, while Haneul is completely paralyzed on *cloud nine*.
She's never felt anything like that before, and honestly, she wouldn't mind feeling it again.
Once she snaps back to reality, she sees Adam talking to Tae.
Tae's explaining that what just happened is something that just adults should do, and that Adam shouldn't pay attention to Haneul's wild ideas. After giving both of them a mini pep talk, Tae decides it's time to grab their hands and head to the kitchen—because you never know what kind of shenanigans these two might get into next.
When they get to the kitchen, they find you almost finished preparing dinner. "Go wash your hands, guys. Food's about to be ready!"
As you all eat together, Tae grins, leaning in with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"You won't believe what those two were up to in the room."
"What?" you ask curiously.
"They were... playing wedding."
You burst out laughing, unable to hold it back. "Wait, like a full-on wedding?"
Tae joins in, chuckling. "Oh yeah, they even kissed."
Your jaw drops, and you quickly glance over at Adam, who's totally focused on his plate like nothing happened. Then you laugh again.
"These kids are way too advanced for their age. Maybe we should take notes."
Tae smirks and leans closer, giving you a playful wink. "I mean, I'm ready whenever you are." Teasing you.
Your cheeks flush bright red. "Oh, stop," you giggle, trying to brush it off.
He laughs but under it all, he's not joking. In fact, if you asked him to marry you right now, he'd say yes without hesitation.
In his head, he's already daydreaming about waking up with you every morning, traveling the world together—he wants it all.
* This will happen,* he thinks to himself.
*No way I'm letting Namjoon or that psycho boss of hers take her from me. She's mine.*
To Tae, you're the ultimate "wife material," a once-in-a-lifetime person he can't let slip away.
Sure, maybe he's still young, and marriage feels like something far off, but dating? He's got that locked down.
Meanwhile, Haneul can't take her eyes off Adam. Her heart races every time he looks at her.
*Why do I feel like this?* she wonders.
Occasionally, Adam gives her a little smile and asks what she thinks of the food. He's totally proud of his sister's cooking, and it shows.
Tae, on the other hand, is taking his sweet time, savoring every bite. With each mouthful, he's imagining you cooking for him all the time, dreaming of having you by his side always, showering you with kisses every second.
**Returning to Jimin... **
After you had stepped out of the venue, Jimin had been waiting outside your house, like a loyal dog waiting for its owner to return.
He initially thought Tae was just giving you a ride home, but as time passed and you didn't show, he started getting worried. An hour later, he made the decision to enter your house, asking one of his men to stand guard outside and notify him if you came back.
The first thing that struck him when he entered were as usual the little plants he had gifted you—they had grown taller, blooming beautifully. The sight made him happy, knowing you were taking such good care of them.
As he approached your bed, he noticed a canvas leaning against the table.
*A new painting?*
It was a portrait, still incomplete, with no defining features. Jimin was fascinated by the softness and sensitivity of your strokes. Even in its early stages, the painting already emitted a certain aura.
He couldn't help but be amazed, once again, by how you managed to infuse your surroundings with your presence. You had this invisible energy, like sunlight—it wasn't obvious, but it was everywhere, reaching beyond the things around you. Jimin sat down on your bed, letting his eyes wander around the room.
Though he had been there countless times before, it never failed to surprise him how much of you lingered in every corner. After a few minutes, his gaze landed on two piggy banks sitting on a shelf.
Curiosity got the better of him, so he walked over to take a closer look. One had "Adam's University Fund" written on it, and the other said "My Future Studio."
Both were covered in a thick layer of dust, like they hadn't been touched in years.
*Maybe she forgot about them... or maybe there's no money left to put in them,* he thought. He shook them gently to gauge how much money was inside. Adam's university fund was significantly fuller than the one for the studio.
Jimin felt a tug at his heart. It moved him deeply to see that, even though you were struggling, you were still saving up for your brother's future.
*This girl never stops surprising me,* he thought, his admiration for you growing even stronger.
He didn't understand how it came so naturally to you—putting everyone else's needs before your own. Even the times you had saved him, you hadn't hesitated for a second. It was just who you were.
Jimin had already decided—he was going to make sure you got your own art studio. But how could he do it without making you suspicious? Scratching his head, he mused, *I'll create an art competition with the studio as the grand prize. I'll be the judge, using my real name, and have a few friends pose as "judges" too.*
He smiled to himself at the plan, but for now, he did the only thing he could think of to help in the moment—he reached into his pocket to add some money to the piggy bank. But when he felt around, he realized he didn't have any cash.
*Damn,* he sighed. It had been so long since he paid for anything with cash; he used his credit card for everything now. He let out a frustrated breath.
*Okay, from now on, I'll drop in some cash every time I visit—but not too much. I don't want her getting suspicious.*
Jimin noticed that your home was missing a lot of essentials. Or things he considered essesencials like an air fryer or dishwasher. He wished he could do more, but it had to be subtle.
*Shame I have to do all this in secret.*
In truth, Jimin would have much preferred to just invite you to live with him in his luxury apartment, where everything was comfortable and taken care of by waitresses . As much as he found your place cozy and charming, he couldn't help but dream of offering you and Adam something better.
Adam could have his own room, filled with toys, with a proper desk to do his homework at, instead of being forced to work at the kitchen table like he did now.
Jimin imagined you both swimming in his pool, or having a picnic in his beautiful Victorian garden. He would do absolutely anything to make you happy. Absolutely anything...