Jihoon stirred awake from a much-needed nap.
His mind was still heavy from the exhausting calculations and strategic thinking he'd buried himself in earlier, and the fatigue from not having slept the night before still lingered in his bones.
But the familiar sounds of footsteps and laughter in the hallway told him the girls were home from school—it was time to get moving.
Stretching slightly, he got up and made his way to the kitchen, deciding to prepare dinner for the two girls who had quickly become part of his daily life.
Sulli had officially moved in by now, joining Jieun not just at school, but often accompanying her to Loen Entertainment for her practice as well.
Though she had once been a trainee under SM Entertainment, Sulli no longer held the same desire to debut as an idol.
The harsh, demanding environment of the industry had dulled that dream for her.
But music—especially singing—had rooted itself deep in her heart since childhood.
That kind of connection was hard to let go of.
So even if she wasn't chasing the spotlight anymore, she still found comfort and a quiet joy in the practice room.
Her presence at Loen wasn't just to support Jieun—it was a way for her to stay connected to a part of herself she didn't want to lose.
Singing had become a passion as natural to her as breathing, just like acting.
Being able to do both, on her own terms, brought a sense of peace she hadn't felt in years.
And Jihoon, watching the two of them grow into their routines—one chasing a dream, the other rediscovering a forgotten one—felt something warm settle in his chest.
Life was far from simple, but in these small moments, it made just enough sense.
The warm aroma of soy-braised beef and stir-fried vegetables drifted through the apartment as Jihoon placed the last bowl of soup on the dining table.
Dinner was ready.
He wiped his hands on a towel and called out, "Jieun-ah! Sulli-ah! Dinner's ready!"
A second later, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway, followed by the familiar sound of giggles and half-stifled laughter.
"We're coming!" Jieun called out playfully.
They both burst into the dining room still smiling, plopping themselves into their seats with the ease of a well-practiced routine. Jihoon watched them with a quiet fondness.
These days, it almost felt like a little family.
"Wah, oppa, it smells amazing," Sulli said as she reached for her chopsticks.
"Seriously," Jieun nodded, "I was starving. School was nonstop today."
Jihoon chuckled as he settled into his own seat. "Then eat up. I made plenty."
For a few moments, the room was filled with only the clinking of chopsticks and the occasional satisfied hum.
Then, Jihoon glanced at them, deciding now was a good time to talk.
"So… how's school lately?" he asked casually. "Anything interesting happen?"
"Mm," Sulli mumbled through a bite of kimchi, "our homeroom teacher gave us this crazy math problem. Even the smart kids were stuck."
"Sounds intense," Jihoon smiled.
"I think I did okay on my history quiz today," Jieun said proudly. "And I've been practicing my new song during training at LOEN."
Jihoon nodded, listening carefully to both girls as they took turns sharing bits of their day.
He was proud of them—how hard they were working, how well they were growing.
But as the conversation started to lull, he took a breath and gently shifted the topic.
"Jieun-ah, Sulli-ah…" he began, setting down his spoon.
"Oppa might have to go back to the States soon."
The girls looked up, both a little surprised.
"Again?" Sulli asked. "For work?"
"Yeah," Jihoon said with a small sigh. "There's some ongoing projects in LA I need to oversee. And this time… I might be gone a little longer than before."
The room fell quiet for a moment, the air settling around his words.
"I'll make sure you two are taken care of," he added quickly.
"I'm planning to hire a live-in nanny. Someone trustworthy who can look after you both and help with the house chores while I'm away."
Jieun blinked, processing the news. "You mean, like... someone staying here all the time?"
Jihoon nodded. "Exactly. Last time I came back from LA, the place was a disaster. Dust everywhere, fridge empty, and don't even get me started on the laundry. Took me two full days to clean everything."
Sulli stifled a laugh. "That's because Jieun was staying at LOEN dorms back then, right?"
Jihoon let out a dramatic sigh, setting his chopsticks down. "Yah… don't even bring that up," he said, narrowing his eyes playfully.
"I seriously considered just burning the couch instead of cleaning it."
"You know what I found? One of Jieun's socks—completely soaked—and it had been sitting there for months. MONTHS!"
Sulli nearly choked on her rice from laughing. Jihoon wasn't finished.
"The smell that hit me when I opened the door that day…" He shuddered.
"It was like my brain got an instant freeze. I thought something or someone had died in there!"
Jieun turned bright red, eyes wide. "OPPAAAA!" she yelped, throwing her napkin at him.
"You're exaggerating! It wasn't that bad!"
"It was worse than that," Jihoon said with a grin, leaning back just in time to dodge the napkin Jieun had tossed at him.
"I'm not even kidding. I almost called a priest to bless the entire house," he added dramatically.
"It felt like there was some evil presence living in that sock. I opened the door and—BAM! Pure darkness."
"Like something crawled out of the sewer and made a home in that couch," Jihoon said with an exaggerated tone and wild gestures.
Sulli burst out laughing, nearly dropping her spoon. "Oh my god, stop! I can smell it in my head now!"
Jieun covered her face in embarrassment, her cheeks turning the color of ripe tomatoes.
"Yah! Oppa! You're making it sound like I cursed the house or something!"
"Well," Jihoon shrugged playfully, "the mold had its own ecosystem. Pretty sure it was forming a democracy in there."
Jieun groaned. "You two are the worst. We were gone for a couple of months! I didn't know one sock would cause this much drama."
"You underestimate your sock," Jihoon said, poking at his rice. "It changed me."
They all burst into laughter, the kind that lingered just long enough to soften the edges of an otherwise heavy conversation.
As the laughter settled into quiet chuckles, Jihoon took a breath and leaned forward, elbows on the table.
"Alright, alright—I know this setup isn't exactly perfect," he began, his tone gentler now.
"But this way, you won't have to worry about cooking or cleaning, especially when I'm gone."
"The nanny will be here full-time, and I've arranged for an extra driver too—he can take you guys wherever you need to go."
"School, the studio, even just out for ice cream if you want."
He looked between the two girls, hoping his words offered some comfort.
"I just want you both to feel safe while I'm away. And not feel alone."
Jieun stirred her soup with her spoon, eyes focused on the swirling broth.
After a long pause, she gave a small nod, not looking up yet.
Jieun looked down at her bowl, then nodded slowly.
"Okay, oppa. Just... promise you'll call often."
"I will," Jihoon said softly. "Every day, if I can."
"And you'll bring us something cool from LA?" Sulli added, grinning.
Jihoon laughed. "Deal. Just don't make it too expensive."
As they returned to their meal, the mood was lighter again.
Change was coming, but for now, they were together—and that made dinner taste just a little bit better.
[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe, JiangXiu, BigBoobs, Night_Adam, Daoist098135 and Daoistadj for bestowing the power stone!]