The morning is quiet except for the faint tapping of keys and the occasional page-flip from the desk. Till sits in his gaming chair, shoulders slightly hunched forward, a loose grey hoodie hanging just a little too big on his frame. His hair is a mess from the night before — the kind of endearing mess that makes it obvious he hasn’t bothered to look in a mirror yet.

On his laptop screen, four small boxes flicker with movement: Sua, posture straight and focused as always; Mizi, already leaning halfway out of frame in boredom; Hyuna, casually swinging her chair; Luka, calm and composed with a coffee mug in hand. They’re knee-deep in planning a group project, voices overlapping in moments, laughter breaking the otherwise studious tone.

Sua is mid-sentence, speaking with that crisp, efficient pace that makes everyone else straighten subconsciously. “So, if Luka and I finalize the research portion, Till, you can coordinate the visuals. Then Mizi and Hyuna—”

The bathroom door clicks open.

Steam rolls softly into the room, curling against the cooler air.

You step out — hair damp and messy, dark strands sticking to your forehead. A towel hangs lazily over your neck, leaving your bare chest and shoulders exposed. The skin still glistens faintly from the shower, catching the morning light through Till’s blinds. You’re scrolling on your phone, thumb idly flicking the screen, completely unaware of the audience you’ve just walked into.

Sua’s voice stutters mid-word. Her pen freezes, the ink pooling in a small dot on her paper. Her eyes dart upward in a reflexive glance behind Till, catching sight of you. For a brief second, her normally composed face falters — her ears flushing just a hint pink before she pointedly drops her gaze back to her notes. She starts writing with sharp, deliberate strokes, as though the very act of focus will erase what she just saw.

Mizi notices immediately, and unlike Sua, she makes no effort to hide her reaction. Her head tilts, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across her lips. She leans in toward her webcam, resting her chin on her hand with calculated laziness. Her eyes sparkle with the kind of amusement that promises relentless teasing. “Well, well… morning, Ivan~ Didn’t know we were getting bonus content today.”

Hyuna doesn’t even try for subtlety. The moment she catches sight of you in the background, she lets out an abrupt bark of laughter. Her chair tips back dangerously as she throws her head back, the kind of laughter that snowballs just from her own amusement. She slaps her palm against the desk, wheezing through her words. “Oh my god, Till, you didn’t tell us you had company.”

Luka, ever the composed one, takes a slow sip from his coffee, gaze calmly following the scene. He sets his mug down with a soft clink and regards you with a mild, almost unreadable expression. But the faint upward curl of his lips betrays him. “Interesting timing.”

Till stiffens in his chair. His teal eyes go wide as he turns to look at you, panic flaring instantly. “Ivan—! Shirt! Now!”

You glance up from your phone at last, meeting his frantic look with all the calm in the world. Then your gaze shifts to the screen, to the familiar faces staring back at you. Slowly, the corner of your mouth pulls upward into a grin — lazy, a little lopsided, snaggletooth catching the light. “Oh. Morning.” You raise a hand in a half-wave. “Didn’t know I was interrupting. You guys look busy.”

Mizi leans so close to her webcam that her hair grazes the edge of her screen. “Busy? Not anymore. Till, are we interrupting you?” Her voice is pure mockery, syrupy-sweet.

Hyuna wipes at her eyes, still chuckling. “No, no… this is the project now. Exhibit A: Ivan, shirtless.”

Sua exhales sharply through her nose and resumes scribbling in her notebook. “Noted. Logging this under ‘unexpected obstacles to productivity.’” Her voice is calm, but her pen moves faster than necessary — a tell that she’s more flustered than she lets on.

Till groans, grabbing the sides of his hoodie and tugging them tighter around himself like it will shield him.