Jisoo came back.
And somehow… everything returned to normal.
They all grew closer again especially Han and Seungmin. The two of them were always together. Talking quietly. Sitting side by side. Laughing at things no one else understood.
Seungmin often took Han to the penthouse, saying they needed "fresh air."
Jisoo still brought lunch every single day.
One afternoon, while handing him the lunchbox, Seungmin said casually,
"Tell your mom to make food for two from tomorrow."
Jisoo just nodded.
And walked away.
He was jealous ....painfully jealous but he forced himself to stay calm. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with Han. He didn't want to become bitter.
So he swallowed it.
At home, after basketball practice and boxing, he cooked dinner for the princess. She stood beside him in the kitchen every night, listening as he talked.
About watching Seungmin eat.
About seeing him practice.
About seeing him laugh with Han.
She let him speak until his chest felt lighter.
Jisoo wasn't just jealous.
He was guilty.
And sad.
Final exams were approaching. Everyone suddenly acted serious.
They studied together sometimes at Wonwoo's house, sometimes at Dino's, sometimes at the library.
And during all those study sessions, they discovered something important:
Han and Dino were terrible at studying.
While the others tried to focus, those two drifted into conversations about series, anime, and idols.
One day Han said,
"I really like NEXON. Their music is so different from other bands. I relate to their songs so much. They talk about childhood trauma… about pain… about surviving. They're the best."
He opened his phone and showed Dino pictures.
"They're really handsome!" Dino said excitedly.
"Told you," Han grinned.
"So who's your bias?" Dino asked.
Han covered his face with both hands, shy. Then he giggled.
"Do you see the tall one with the big lower lip? That's Chaewon. He's my bias. He's the same age as us and look how famous he is. He's my motivation."
Dino hesitated. "Actually… I also like a band."
Han's eyes lit up. "Tell me!"
"They're kind of judged a lot," Dino admitted. "That's why I never told anyone."
"Just tell me."
Dino smiled and started talking about his favorite group — Dreamin.
They were both so excited, so relieved to find someone who understood.
It looked like everyone was studying.
But in reality, everyone was listening to Han and Dino talk.
Even Seungmin.
Seungmin barely studied. He just sat there sometimes zoning out, sometimes sleeping.
No one forced him.
Because honestly… no one was really studying anyway.
Ten days before finals, Seungmin disappeared.
The first day, no one thought much of it.
The second day… it felt strange.
By the third day, the teacher finally told them:
"He had an accident."
Everyone panicked.
But Jisoo knew something wasn't right.
When they gathered for practice, Dino said,
"We should go check on him. We're his friends."
Almost everyone agreed.
Jisoo's heart tightened.
If he took them there… they might see the truth. They might see how badly Seungmin's father treated him.
But the others insisted.
So before leaving, Jisoo stepped aside and called Jaehan.
"Hyung… can I bring my friends to see Seungmin? They're worried."
Jaehan was silent for a moment.
Then he said,
"You can bring them. Mr. Choi is overseas."
Jisoo exhaled slowly.
That meant the house would be quiet.
But quiet didn't always mean safe.