The ride home was unusually quiet.
Not awkward.
Not tense.
Just quiet… and stunned.
Hyun Soo and Kang Ho sat in the front, both in complete mental shutdown, replaying The Peck on loop like their brains were stuck on a loading screen.
"Did that really happen?" Hyun Soo whispered.
"I'm not ready to talk about it," Kang Ho replied, eyes forward, soul somewhere else.
In the backseat, Jaewook sat beside Minah, his lips gently curved in a smile he couldn't fight.
Not the smug CEO kind.
The soft, stunned, boyish kind.
Minah, still pink in the cheeks, gazed out the window—but her thoughts were definitely not on the traffic.
Slowly… shyly… her hand inched toward his.
Just a brush.
A hint of courage.
And Jaewook, with the gentlest touch, reached over and slid his fingers between hers.
No words.
Just warmth.
Her hand didn't pull away.
Neither did his.
Two hands—intertwined. Quiet. Warm. Safe.
They both smiled.
Not at each other.
Not at anyone.
Just quietly… to themselves.
---
Meanwhile in the front:
Hyun Soo:
"Okay but like... do we send wedding invites or??"
Kang Ho:
"Bro. They're holding hands."
Hyun Soo:
"WE MISSED IT?!"
Kang Ho sighed.
"We're not main characters. We're comic relief."
---
Once they pulled up to the villa, Minah gently let go of Jaewook's hand.
He got out first and, without a word, reached over to shield her head from bumping the doorframe. A simple gesture. Familiar now.
Minah blinked—but didn't comment.
She simply stepped out quietly.
Hyun Soo and Kang Ho?
Suddenly experts in meteorology.
"Wow, would you look at that… beautiful evening breeze, huh?"
"Mmm. Air's really… atmospheric."
Jaewook ignored them both.
---
Once inside, Minah disappeared into the kitchen with a calm nod.
She turned back briefly and signed:
"Rest."
Jaewook smiled. Soft. Compliant.
"Yes, ma'am."
He flopped onto the couch—just as Hyun Soo and Kang Ho teleported into his personal space like gossip-seeking missiles.
"Sooo…" Hyun Soo drawled, leaning in.
"Wife. Cheek kiss. Hand-holding. Explain. Everything."
Kang Ho nodded solemnly.
"We're your brothers. This is a safe space."
Jaewook sipped his water calmly, eyes still on the kitchen.
He didn't say a word.
But the way he looked at Minah—like she was the rarest gem in a vault full of worthless gold—said everything they needed to know.
---
A few moments later, Minah returned.
She placed a tray on the coffee table, filled with neat rows of bite-sized dragonfruit, juicy watermelon, and glistening grapes.
Small forks on the side. Napkins folded.
No announcement. Just quiet care.
Hyun Soo blinked.
"We're being... fed?"
Kang Ho whispered like he was witnessing a sacred ritual.
"She gave us fruit. Fruit, Hyun Soo. That's... affection."
Jaewook smiled again.
This time, brighter.
"Told you."
"She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
----
That night, the villa didn't sleep.
Jaewook, Kang Ho, and Hyun Soo gathered around the table, eyes glued to monitors and files. The air was thick with determination and open tabs.
They were chasing shadows.
Old military bases.
Abandoned hospitals.
Forgotten tunnels beneath Seoul.
All tied to one name: Park Dojin.
---
But while the men were lost in their storm of strategy—
Minah moved quietly between them like calm water.
She set down steaming mugs of green tea beside each of them.
No fanfare.
No words.
Just the gentle clink of ceramic.
"Hydration," Hyun Soo muttered like a prayer.
"She's a national treasure."
Kang Ho gave her a small nod of thanks.
Jaewook didn't even need to look.
He felt her presence the moment she returned to her seat beside him.
---
Minah sat down, tucking her legs under her.
She opened her worn notebook, the pages already filled with pieces of the past.
Then she began to sketch.
The lab—
Dim, damp corridors. Surgical lights overhead.
The shape of medical beds behind transparent curtains.
A wall with peeling numbers.
A rusted emergency exit door.
Next page—
Her old home—
The hallway leading to the study.
The position of the safe.
The cracked window in the guest room she used to hide in.
She didn't speak.
But her pencil did.
And the men around her?
They didn't treat her like someone fragile.
They treated her like their fourth teammate.
---
Jaewook finally looked over and caught a glimpse of her sketchbook.
He didn't say anything right away.
Just placed his hand gently over hers for a second.
"We'll find it," he said quietly.
"Together."
Minah smiled.
Then turned to the next page.