"I liked being here." I meant it more than I could express, the words feeling inadequate for the fullness in my chest. "Seeing what you do. Understanding it better."
Min-jun's smile widened, just a fraction, his dimples deepening. "That's all we wanted." Min-jun said, his voice warm and certain. "For you to see us. Really see us." He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with gentle fingers, the touch feather-light. "I think you do now."
Then he was gone, following the others, and I was left standing in the empty practice room, surrounded by their lingering scents and the echo of their music.
I did see them now. Not just as alphas or idols or even potential mates.
As people. Complete and complex and trying so hard to be worthy.
Ours,my omega said, soft and certain.They're ours. And we're theirs.
For the first time, that thought didn't scare me at all.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
KEIRA
The dorm felt different after practice.
Maybe it was the post-shower calm that had settled over everyone, the frenetic energy of the practice room replaced by something softer. Maybe it was the way the setting sun painted the living room in shades of gold and amber, warm light spilling through the windows. Or maybe it was just me, still riding the high of watching them work, of understanding them in a way I hadn't before.
Whatever it was, I found myself curled up on the massive sectional couch, a blanket draped over my legs, feeling more at home than I had any right to feel.
"Movie night." Hwan announced, emerging from his room with damp hair and a hoodie that looked three sizes too big, his voice carrying the weight of a royal decree as he padded barefoot across the hardwood floor. "It's been decided."
"By who?" Tae-min asked from the kitchen, where he was rummaging through cabinets with single-mindeddetermination, his own hair still dripping onto his shoulders, leaving dark spots on his t-shirt.
"By me." Hwan dropped onto the couch beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched, his body radiating warmth from the shower, the scent of his shampoo mixing with his natural sunshine and vanilla. "Just now. I'm the official fun coordinator of this pack."
"That's not a real title." Jin-ho said dryly, settling into the armchair across from us with a book in hand, though he hadn't opened it yet, his dark eyes tracking Hwan with fond exasperation, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"It is now." Hwan countered, already reaching for the remote, his grin bright and unrepentant, dimples deepening in his cheeks. "I'm also accepting applications for co-coordinator, if anyone's interested."
"Hard pass." Tae-min returned from the kitchen with an armful of snacks — chips, chocolate, some kind of crackers — and dumped them unceremoniously on the coffee table before collapsing onto the couch on my other side, his weight making the cushions dip dramatically. "What are we watching?"
"Keira picks." Hwan said, pressing the remote into my hands with ceremonial gravity, his golden eyes warm on mine, his expression softening into something genuine.
"Me?" I looked down at the remote like it might bite me, surprised by the sudden responsibility, my fingers curling uncertainly around the plastic.
"Doesn't matter." Min-jun appeared from the hallway, his hair still damp and curling slightly at the ends, a soft sweater making him look impossibly cozy as he moved toward us with quiet grace. He settled on the floor in front of the couch, his back against my legs, the warmth of him seeping through the blanket. "Tonight is about what you want."
"We've seen everything anyway." Tae-min added, already tearing open a bag of chips with more force than necessary, crumbs scattering across his lap as he shoved his hand inside. "Idol life means a lot of downtime between schedules. We've watched every movie on every streaming platform at least twice."
"Some of us more than others." Jin-ho said pointedly, his gaze flicking to Tae-min, his voice carrying a hint of long-suffering patience.
"I like rewatching things." Tae-min defended, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth, his words muffled by the crunching, his expression stubbornly unapologetic. "It's comforting."
"You've seen that one animated movie about the fish seventeen times." Jin-ho's voice was flat, but his lips were twitching, betraying his amusement despite his best efforts.
"It's a masterpiece." Tae-min said with complete sincerity, still chewing, his eyes wide with genuine conviction. "The sequel too."
"Just pick something." Jae-won's voice came from the kitchen, where he was doing something with mugs and what smelled like hot chocolate, the clink of ceramic punctuating his words. "Anything. We'll watch it."
I scrolled through the options, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. Action movies, rom-coms, horror films, documentaries — everything blurred together into an endless wall of thumbnails.
"I usually just put on background noise when I'm working." I admitted, still scrolling aimlessly, my thumb moving over the buttons without purpose. "I don't actually watch things that often."
"Then pick something you've always wanted to watch but never had time for." Hwan suggested, his chin coming to rest onmy shoulder, his breath warm against my neck as he peered at the screen, his weight comfortable and grounding. "We've got all night."
