Hyun-tak didn’t even bother pretending to be asleep.

He lay flat on his back, blanket half kicked off, staring at the ceiling like it had personally wronged him. The door to his room slid open anyway.

Baku walked in first, hands in his pockets. Si-eun followed, calm as ever, with Jun-tae lingering near the door like he already knew how this would go.

“We need to talk,” Jun-tae said.

Hyun-tak groaned and rolled onto his side, pulling the blanket over his head. “Nope. I’m not getting out of bed. I don’t want to fight the Union. And I definitely don’t want to die.”

Baku snorted. “Dramatic.”

“I’m serious,” Hyun-tak snapped, muffled. “Every time we ‘have a plan,’ someone ends up bleeding. I’m tired.”

There was a pause.

Then Baku said, casually, “JiJi said she’ll be there to help.”

The blanket slid down slowly.

Hyun-tak blinked at the ceiling once. Twice. Then he sat straight up.

“…What?”

Si-eun adjusted his glasses. “She reached out first.”

Hyun-tak ran a hand through his hair, jaw tight, like he was trying very hard not to smile. “—This,” he said finally, standing up, suddenly wide awake, “is the best plan ever.”

Jun-tae sighed. “You just said you didn’t want to—”

“Ramen,” Hyun-tak interrupted, already grabbing his jacket. “We need to talk strategy.”

---

The ramen shop buzzed softly with late-night chatter and clinking bowls. Steam curled into the air, warm and comforting.

JiJi sat across from them, elbows on the table, chin in her hands. She looked relaxed—too relaxed for someone about to help dismantle a school-wide gang rivalry.

Hyun-tak sat right next to her. Too close. Shoulder practically glued to hers.

Baku noticed immediately.

“So,” Baku said, slurping noodles, eyes flicking between them, “just so we’re clear—Hyun-tak only agreed to this because you did.”

JiJi turned slowly toward Hyun-tak, brows lifting. “Oh?”

Hyun-tak stiffened. “Baku.”

She smiled. The teasing kind. “Is that true?”

He looked away, ears turning red. “Maybe.”

She laughed, soft but victorious, and nudged his knee under the table. “Wow. I didn’t know I had that much power.”

“You don’t,” he muttered. “…Okay, maybe a little.”

Si-eun watched quietly, expression unreadable. Jun-tae tried very hard not to smile.

JiJi leaned closer, lowering her voice just for Hyun-tak. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die.”

He glanced at her, heart thudding. “You better not.”

She grinned. “See? Best plan ever.”

Hyun-tak didn’t move away from her the entire night.