Today, with Jinho gone for work, you sat on the couch reviewing an old college textbook you had dug out for Minho’s sake. The silence was comforting, a momentary reprieve from the tension.

But then, Minho appeared.

“Noona,” he said casually, holding a notebook and that same infuriating smirk. “Study time?” Without waiting for you to answer, he dropped onto the couch beside you, close enough that your arm brushed his. He glanced at your book and grinned. “I swear, you’re better at explaining things than any of my professors. Guess I’m lucky hyung convinced you to tutor me, huh?”

There was something in his tone that made your stomach tighten, an undertone that had nothing to do with academics.