Dasom looked at Mingyu Lee quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"Once you and Xiaoqing make up," she said softly, "I want to have dinner with you guys."
Mingyu's expression eased immediately.
"You really like her that much already?" he asked with a small laugh.
Dasom nodded. "I do. She makes you softer."
"That sounds insulting."
"It's meant to be."
He scoffed quietly before pulling her into a side hug. Dasom melted into him easily, finally feeling the familiar warmth of their relationship return fully after the emotional whirlwind of the last two days.
"Alright," Mingyu sighed. "Dinner. The three of us."
"No yelling this time."
"No promises."
Dasom elbowed him lightly. "You're impossible."
"Yeah," he muttered. "But I'm your impossible."
She smiled at that but also side eyed her brother for saying something so cringe.
—
About an hour later, the peace inside the Lee estate vanished completely.
The sound of loud voices echoed through the front foyer followed by Bee's unmistakable laugh.
"We're hereee!"
Dasom immediately brightened.
Hee Zhang, Asher Young and Jean Nicia entered the estate carrying overnight bags, snacks and enough energy to wake the entire mansion.
Mingyu greeted them in the foyer.
"Good evening, Hyung," Asher greeted respectfully.
Jean bowed slightly. "Congratulations on the promotion too."
Bee grinned. "Chairman Lee sounds sexy."
"Get out," Mingyu deadpanned.
They laughed before all four immediately migrated toward Dasom's quarters like they owned the place.
The second the doors shut behind them, Bee spun dramatically toward her.
"Daisy," she said seriously, "tell us what the hell that was with Yixing."
Jean dropped onto the sofa beside her.
"No seriously," he added. "Where have you been for the last two days? We were THIS close to filing a missing persons report."
Asher calmly pulled out his phone.
"I have a feeling," he said while opening a delivery app, "that we're going to need snacks for this conversation." Without even looking up he continued typing.
"I'm ordering midnight burgers, truffle fries, dumplings and dessert. No emotionally unpacking anything on an empty stomach."
"That's why you're my favourite," Bee sighed emotionally.
"You say that every week." Jean deadpanned.
"And I mean it every week."
Dasom laughed for what felt like the first genuine time all day before curling up on the large lounge across from them.
The room slowly settled.
Then all three of them looked at her expectantly.
Dasom stared at the ceiling for a second.
"…Okay," she sighed. "But nobody interrupt me until I finish."
"Agreed," Jean nodded solemnly.
"Cross my heart," Bee added.
Asher raised a hand. "Proceed."
And so she did.
She told them everything.
From the turbulence on the flight home… to the panic attack… to the mysterious stranger who stayed beside her the entire flight.
Bee gasped dramatically halfway through.
"WAIT. MR TURBULENCE WAS YIXING?!"
Jean nearly choked laughing.
"I'M SORRY— you called my cousin Mr Turbulence?"
Dasom buried her face into a pillow in embarrassment while the others erupted.
"I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS HIM!"
"That is the funniest thing I've ever heard," Bee wheezed.
Even stoic Asher was visibly trying not to laugh.
Then Dasom continued.
She told them about the banquet, about running into Yixing again, about how intense the eye contact was, and how he kept looking at her like he wanted to devour her whole.
Jean slowly lowered the drink in his hand. "…Oh no."
"What?" Dasom asked nervously.
Jean pointed dramatically. "That look means you're finished."
Bee slapped his arm. "Don't scare her!"
"I'm serious! I know that look! That man is DOWN BAD already."
Dasom groaned and threw a cushion at him.
She continued telling them about Bo, the confrontation, the argument with Mingyu, storming out on her motorcycle, crying in the rain, calling Oscar Sparks, staying at his apartment, and everything that happened afterward.
This time the room became quieter. Bee moved closer and gently squeezed her hand.
"You went through all that alone?" she asked softly.
Dasom shrugged weakly. "I didn't really know how to process any of it."
Asher's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Bo cheating.
Jean looked unusually serious too.
"He's lucky Gyu hasn't found out everything yet," Jean muttered.
"He's lucky I haven't found out earlier," Bee added.
Asher sighed quietly. "At least the conversation gave you closure."
Dasom nodded slowly.
"…Yeah," she admitted. "I think it did."
Then Bee suddenly narrowed her eyes. "Hold on."
Everyone looked at her.
Bee pointed accusingly.
"And why," she asked dramatically, "does Oscar suddenly sound like the male lead in a healing romance drama?"
Dasom blinked. "What?"
Bee ignored her completely.
"He rescued you in the rain, gave you his jacket, took care of you for two days, went on a riverside run with you, got facials with you—"
"They were not facials together!"
"Daisy," Jean interrupted dryly, "you also kissed his cheek."
Dasom froze.
Asher slowly leaned back into the sofa.
"…Interesting."
"Oh my God," Dasom groaned, covering her face again. "You people are actually unbearable."
Bee looked delighted.
"No," she corrected proudly. "We are INVESTED."
Dasom immediately pointed at them defensively. "To clarify, I don't know if it is Yixing," she corrected quickly. "I said that I thought it was him. I don't know though."
The room fell silent for exactly one second.
Then Jean burst out laughing.
"Daisy," Jean Nicia said through his laughter, "that man practically folded you into his chest every chance he got."
Bee nodded aggressively beside him.
"And stared at you like you were the last woman on earth."
Asher calmly added, "He also put his coat on you twice."
Dasom opened her mouth. Then closed it again.
"…That proves nothing."
All three of them stared at her.
Bee slowly leaned forward.
"Sweetheart," Hee said gently, "respectfully… you might be the only person in Hassano who can't tell when a man is obsessed with you."
"I AM NOT OBLIVIOUS."
Jean pointed dramatically again. "You called him Mr Turbulence."
Dasom groaned loudly and threw another cushion at his face while the room exploded into laughter again.
The conversation somehow circled right back to Oscar Sparks. More specifically, the fact that Dasom had spent almost two full days alone with him.
Bee narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Okay," she said slowly, "now that we've unpacked the Yixing situation… we need to discuss Oscar."
Dasom immediately groaned.
"There is nothing to discuss."
"There is EVERYTHING to discuss," Jean argued dramatically.
Asher leaned back comfortably on the lounge, quietly eating fries while observing the chaos unfold.
Bee pointed toward Dasom accusingly.
"You called Oscar crying in the middle of the night."
"Because he's reliable!"
"He rushed to get you."
"Because he's kind!"
"He wrapped you in his jacket."
"IT WAS RAINING."
Jean cut in. "He took you on a riverside run."
"That's called exercise."
"A spa date."
"It was not a date!"
"Shared emotional vulnerability."
"That is called friendship!"
Bee slapped her own thigh in frustration. "Do you hear yourself?!"
Dasom buried her face into a cushion again while the others laughed.
Jean suddenly sat up straighter. "Wait," he gasped. "We should vote."
"No," Dasom replied immediately.
"Yes," Bee countered instantly.
Asher nodded once. "Democracy."
Dasom rolled her eyes dramatically.
Jean grabbed a decorative cushion and held it against his chest like a game show host.
"Welcome everyone," he announced dramatically, "to Hassano's most important debate."
Bee clapped excitedly.
"Candidate number one," Jean continued, "is Executive Secretary extraordinaire, emotional support king, neighbourhood childhood bestie— Oscar Sparks."
Asher politely applauded.
Jean raised another hand.
"And candidate number two… the terrifyingly handsome, emotionally constipated heir apparent, Mr Turbulence himself— Yixing Wang."
Bee screamed laughing.
Dasom nearly choked. "I hate every single one of you."
Jean ignored her completely.
"Asher," he said seriously. "Your vote?"
Asher pretended to think deeply. "Oscar."
Bee gasped dramatically. "EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING."
"He knows her already," Asher answered calmly. "He understands her habits, her trauma responses, her personality. She trusts him naturally."
Jean nodded thoughtfully. "Valid."
Bee immediately raised a finger. "Counterpoint: Yixing literally looks at Daisy like she invented oxygen."
Dasom made a strangled noise.
Bee continued passionately. "And he already risked his expensive reputation by acting soft in public. Do you know how insane that is for someone like him?"
Jean pointed. "That's true actually."
Dasom stared at the ceiling like she was begging for divine intervention.
"Can we stop discussing my life like it's a political election?"
"No," the three of them answered simultaneously.
Bee turned dramatically toward Jean.
"Your vote?"
Jean grinned. "Yixing."
"TRAITOR," Asher said calmly.
Jean laughed. "Listen, Oscar is husband material," he admitted. "But Yixing and Daisy have chemistry that could cause structural damage."
Dasom threw a fry at his forehead.
Bee wiped fake tears from her eyes laughing.
"Oh this is getting serious."
Asher looked toward Dasom now. "Who would you vote for?"
Dasom blinked. "For myself?"
"Yes."
"No one."
"Coward," Jean muttered.
Dasom grabbed another cushion and smacked him with it.
Bee suddenly gasped. "WAIT."
Everyone looked at her.
"What if," she whispered dramatically, "they both like her?"
Silence.
Then all three of them slowly looked toward Dasom.
Dasom stared back. "…Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Jean sighed.
"Because Daisy," he said gently, "you accidentally collect emotionally unavailable rich men like Pokémon cards."
That finally broke everyone, even Dasom dissolved into helpless laughter back into the comfortable chaos they always created together.
Dasom looked around at her three best friends sprawled across her room— Bee curled dramatically into a blanket burrito, Jean lazily scrolling through his phone while stealing fries from everyone else, and Asher sitting calmly beside them all like the exhausted father of three chaotic children.
A warm feeling bloomed in her chest.
"…When we die," Dasom suddenly said quietly, "I hope we all reincarnate together."
The room immediately stilled.
She smiled sheepishly.
"I don't think a universe without you guys would be worthwhile."
Bee's eyes softened almost instantly.
"Oh my God, Daisy…" she whispered emotionally.
Jean dramatically clutched his chest.
"That was so beautiful."
Asher's expression relaxed into one of his rare genuinely soft smiles.
"Agreed," he said simply.
Jean nodded. "Yeah. Same people. Every lifetime."
Bee pointed at them all.
"And we better all be rich again too."
That broke the emotional atmosphere immediately.
Dasom laughed loudly. "You're unbelievable."
"I'm serious! I refuse to reincarnate into struggle."
"Actually valid," Jean agreed.
Asher stood up before the conversation could spiral further.
"Ice cream," he announced.
Within minutes, the four of them had migrated downstairs into the massive estate kitchen.
The scene was absolute chaos.
Bee sat cross-legged on the marble counter eating directly from a tub of strawberry ice cream. Jean was perched on a large rice bucket with mint chocolate chip balanced on his knee. Asher leaned against the island calmly scooping vanilla into bowls while Dasom sat barefoot on one of the benches in oversized pyjamas laughing so hard her stomach hurt again.
It was loud.
Comfortable.
Home.
That was exactly how Chairman Lee found them when he shuffled sleepily into the kitchen wearing silk pyjamas and house slippers.
He blinked at the sight before him.
"…Why," he asked slowly, "does my kitchen look like a kindergarten sleepover?"
The four immediately burst out laughing.