The hallway still looked like disaster aftermath.
A very rich disaster aftermath.
People everywhere.
Blankets.
Slippers.
One abandoned belt still lying near the doorway like evidence from a criminal investigation.
And in the middle of it all—
Ji-Ah was still trying to fight Min-Ji.
"LET ME GO."
"No."
"She hit me!"
"It was accidental."
"She hit me with confidence."
Ha-Joon held her firmly around the waist before she could launch herself into Min-Ji's room again.
Ji-Ah kept trying anyway.
Not effectively.
Mostly dramatic struggling.
Still dangerous though.
Meanwhile Yoo-Na was still being restrained by Arisoo. "MOVE."
"No."
"One hit. Just one."
"No!"
"She screamed over leather!"
"That is not punishable by death!"
"It should be."
Min-Ji stood behind Madam now looking horrified. "Get them OUT!"
"You hit her first," Ji-Ah snapped immediately.
"It was an accident!"
"You accidentally have bad personality too."
"JI-AH," Ha-Joon warned.
"She started it!"
"And you're escalating it."
"She touched my forehead!"
Nikki gasped.
"Not the forehead."
"Exactly," Ji-Ah answered seriously.
Finally, after another thirty seconds of chaos, everyone slowly moved out into the hallway.
The room door shut behind Min-Ji dramatically.
Silence fell.
Well…
temporary silence.
Ji-Ah exhaled loudly and fixed her hair angrily. "My head still hurts."
"You're alive," Seo-Yeon said calmly.
"That's not comforting."
Min-Hyuk was still laughing occasionally to himself. "I can't believe this started because of a belt."
"It looked alive!" Min-Ji yelled from inside the room.
Yoo-Na immediately shouted back: "THEN GET GLASSES."
Arisoo started laughing again.
Halmoni shook her head slowly. "This family is doomed."
Ji-Ah rubbed her forehead again dramatically.
"I suffered tonight."
"You survived," Ha-Joon corrected.
She turned toward him instantly. "You held me hostage."
"I prevented assault."
"You embarrassed me."
"You attempted violence."
"She deserved emotional damage."
Then suddenly Ha-Joon reached out quietly.
And brushed her bangs away from her forehead.
Very gently.
The exact spot where Min-Ji accidentally hit her.
Everyone froze.
Ji-Ah froze hardest.
His fingers rested there for barely a second before he lightly pressed the area. "…does it hurt that much?"
His voice was calm.
Soft.
Too soft.
Ji-Ah blinked once.
Twice.
Because now everyone was staring.
And worse he was staring too.
Actually looking at her closely.
"N-no," she answered too quickly.
Min-Hyuk immediately made a sound. "Oho."
Seo-Yeon slowly looked away like she suddenly respected privacy.
Arisoo covered her mouth.
Halmoni's eyes sharpened instantly.
Nikki whispered dramatically: "She's turning red."
"I AM NOT."
"You absolutely are," Yoo-Na said immediately.
Ji-Ah pointed furiously. "Why are YOU involved?!"
"Because this is entertaining."
Ha-Joon still hadn't moved away fully.
His hand lingered one second longer before flicking her forehead lightly again.
Ji-Ah gasped. "OW?!"
"That one was intentional."
"You're horrible."
"You're dramatic."
"You touched my face in front of witnesses!"
A dangerous sentence.
Everyone reacted immediately.
Min-Hyuk actually stepped back laughing.
Arisoo bent over slightly.
Even Seo-Yeon smiled again.
"Oooooh," Yoo-Na sang softly.
Ji-Ah looked ready to combust. "There was NO meaning behind that sentence."
"There was a LOT of meaning," Arisoo corrected.
"There was grammar," Ji-Ah defended weakly.
Ha-Joon sighed quietly beside her.
But unfortunately—
the corner of his mouth twitched again.
Ji-Ah saw it immediately. "You're smiling AGAIN."
"I'm not."
"You are!"
"You hallucinate often."
"You cause hallucinations!"
"That doesn't even make sense."
Then Min-Ji's door suddenly opened again.
She peeked out.
Still offended.
Still embarrassed.
Still angry. "Can everyone stop standing outside my room?!"
Yoo-Na immediately pointed at her. "Belt victim."
The door slammed shut again.
That ended the hallway completely.
Even Ha-Joon exhaled like he was done with humanity for tonight.
Then finally—
he glanced once more at Ji-Ah. "Go sleep."
She crossed her arms immediately. "You first."
"I was going to."
"Good."
A pause.
Then quietly "…and put ice on your forehead."
Ji-Ah blinked.
Again.
That stupid warm feeling returned.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
"…okay," she muttered.
Too soft.
Everyone heard it anyway.
The teasing started instantly.
"Okay?" Yoo-Na repeated dramatically.
"She said okay?" Min-Hyuk added.
"Without arguing?" Arisoo gasped.
"Historic moment," Seo-Yeon said calmly.
Ji-Ah looked betrayed.
"You people are awful."
Ha-Joon finally turned away before the teasing got worse.
But as he walked down the hallway—
Nikki shouted loudly:
"UNCLE HA-JOON MADE HER BLUSH."
Ha-Joon nearly stopped walking.
Nearly.
And Ji-Ah buried her face into her hands while everyone lost control laughing again.
Ji-Ah shut her bedroom door behind her and immediately leaned against it.
Silence.
Finally.
No screaming.
No belts.
No Yoo-Na attempting murder over interrupted sleep.
Just peace.
Beautiful peace.
"…this family is insane."
She muttered it softly to herself before walking toward her bed.
Then collapsed onto it face first.
Blanket.
Pillow.
Soft mattress.
Everything smelled faintly clean and warm and safe after the chaos outside.
Ji-Ah let out a long dramatic groan into the pillow.
Then rolled onto her back slowly.
And laughed.
Quietly.
Just tiny little laughs escaping every few seconds as she replayed the entire disaster in her head.
Min-Ji screaming over a belt.
Yoo-Na charging like an angry bull.
Nikki announcing crimes like a news reporter.
And—
Ha-Joon.
Her smile faded slightly.
Then returned smaller.
Annoyingly softer.
"…you matter more."
She stared at the ceiling immediately afterward.
"Nope."
Absolutely not.
She pointed upward accusingly like the universe itself was responsible.
"Why would he say that."
No answer came from the ceiling.
Rude.
Ji-Ah turned over and grabbed her phone from beside the pillow.
Maybe scrolling through something would distract her.
Yes.
Good plan.
Very smart.
She opened her gallery absentmindedly.
The first picture appeared.
Arisoo.
Nikki.
And Ha-Joon in the background holding grocery bags looking tired already.
Ji-Ah blinked.
"…okay."
Swipe.
Another photo.
Min-Hyuk taking a blurry selfie.
Seo-Yeon trying to escape the frame.
And Ha-Joon standing behind them holding coffee.
Swipe.
Another.
Nisa laughing.
Do-Hyun posing dramatically.
And Ha-Joon sitting in the corner reading something.
Swipe.
Another.
Rain from earlier.
Her own hand accidentally capturing him looking at her.
Ji-Ah sat upright slowly.
"…why are you everywhere."
She scrolled faster now.
Photo after photo after photo.
Some were obvious group pictures.
Some accidental.
Some old.
But somehow—
he was in nearly all of them.
Not even intentionally posing.
Just existing there naturally like he had quietly slipped into every memory without asking permission.
One picture made her pause.
It was blurry.
Taken months ago.
She remembered it instantly.
Hanryeon rooftop.
Sunset.
She had meant to photograph the sky.
Instead—
Ha-Joon had turned slightly at the exact moment she took it.
The wind caught his hair.
His expression calm.
Soft gold light everywhere.
He wasn't even looking at the camera.
Ji-Ah stared too long.
Then immediately locked her phone.
"No."
Absolutely not.
She pointed at the phone now too.
"This is your fault."
The phone remained innocent.
Which made it more suspicious somehow.
She unlocked it again.
Maybe she was overthinking.
Yes.
Definitely overthinking.
She reopened the gallery.
And somehow opened another picture of him immediately.
Ji-Ah gasped dramatically.
"WHY."
Now she was offended.
Actually offended.
"How do I have this many pictures of him?!"
She scrolled aggressively.
There were too many.
Him sleeping on the couch once with a book over his chest.
Him standing beside Nikki at the aquarium.
Him holding Yuki while looking deeply inconvenienced.
Him sitting at work wearing glasses.
Him half-smiling.
Tiny.
Rare.
Dangerous.
Ji-Ah's ears started turning red again.
"Nope."
She threw the phone dramatically across the bed.
It bounced once.
Twice.
Then nearly fell off the edge.
Ji-Ah's soul immediately left her body.
"WAIT."
She lunged across the mattress at terrifying speed and caught it just before it hit the floor.
Then hugged it protectively to her chest.
"…money."
Priorities.
After checking for cracks three separate times, she finally flopped back onto the bed again.
Phone resting on her stomach now.
The room quiet.
Dark.
Only moonlight spilling faintly through the curtains.
Ji-Ah stared upward again.
Then sighed softly.
"…this is annoying."
Because somewhere between arguing…
and fighting…
and laughing…
and rain…
Ha-Joon had somehow become part of the rhythm of her days.
And that realization?
Terrifying.