Your family’s dining room shimmered under the glow of the crystal chandelier, the long mahogany table filled with elegant dishes and silverware. You were perched beside your older brother, your fingers fidgeting with the satin hem of your emerald green slip dress. Gold jewelry glinted at your throat and wrists, subtle but expensive—like everything else in your family’s world.

Across the table, Mingi sat laughing at one of your father’s jokes, his deep voice echoing off the marble walls. His hair was styled back, a few soft strands falling into his eyes, and he looked frustratingly perfect in his black button-down shirt, sleeves rolled to reveal his veined forearms.

He wasn’t just your brother’s best friend. He was practically family—an honorary son at every holiday, every lavish vacation. The two of them had been inseparable since high school, Mingi always tagging along to your house with a shy grin and polite bow. But lately, things between you and Mingi were…different.

You didn’t know when it shifted, but suddenly, his glances lingered longer than they should. His voice dropped an octave when he spoke to you. Your skin felt electrified when he brushed past you in the hall.

Tonight was no different. The entire dinner felt like an eternity of you pretending to eat, trying not to notice the way Mingi kept flicking his eyes toward you. His tongue darted across his lips as he watched you laugh at something your mother said, and the heat pooling in your stomach was impossible to ignore.

Eventually, the stuffy room and polite chatter became too much. You pushed back your chair and slipped out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air hit your flushed skin. The gardens below glittered with tiny lights, fragrant roses spilling over the marble railing.

A moment later, you heard footsteps behind you.

“Hey.”

Mingi’s voice was lower than usual, almost husky. You glanced over your shoulder to find him leaning in the doorway, hands in his pockets, watching you like he was reading your every thought.

“Can’t handle one family dinner?” He teased softly, stepping closer.

You folded your arms, trying to maintain some distance, but your pulse betrayed you. “It’s suffocating in there.”

Mingi chuckled, dipping his head a little so he could meet your eyes. “Your dad’s roast was pretty dry.”

A reluctant laugh escaped you, and you shoved his arm. “Shut up.”

But then his hand came up, fingers brushing your cheek so lightly it made your breath catch. The garden lights reflected in his dark eyes, giving them a molten glow. “Focus on me.” He murmured, the words slicing through the night air like a secret promise. “Forget everything else for a second.”

Your heart thudded, and suddenly, it felt like the world had shrunk down to just the two of you—the faint classical music drifting through the open doors, the distant clink of silverware, and the warmth radiating off Mingi’s body as he stepped even closer.

“Stop tempting me.” You whispered, echoing the teasing tone he often used with you.

Mingi tilted his head, lips curling into a lazy grin. “Then stop looking at me like you want me to.”