. Friendly Invitation

"Wait a second. You guys actually know each other?" Flame's eyes bounced back and forth between the new guy and Lee Ju-hee, his curiosity on full display.

Shin Ha-eun, Yoo Jin-ho, and Kim Han-sol all had the same intrigued expressions as Flame, their attention fixed on the unfolding interaction.

Without skipping a beat, Park Min-ho looked serious as he asked, "Ju-hee noona, I seriously had no idea you were into that kind of thing!"

"Into what, exactly? And Min-ho, were you like, stalking me or something?" Lee Ju-hee gave him a mildly annoyed look, wondering if he doubted her when she said she'd opt out of the honeytrap plan earlier.

Raising his hands in defense, he quickly explained, "No way! It's not like that. I just happened to be around and saw you coming in here!"

"You could've just shot me a text," Lee Ju-hee said, her eyebrow arched skeptically.

"I did send texts, but... You know, you weren't replying. I got a bit worried that maybe you were dealing with... well..." Min-ho's voice trailed off as Lee Ju-hee quickly checked her phone.

Sure enough, a bunch of messages and missed calls were glaring at her from the lockscreen.

"Trouble?" Han-sol and Flame both supplied, finishing Min-ho's sentence together.

Yoo Jin-ho, though, maintained a skeptical expression. He regarded Park Min-ho with a trace of suspicion, as if something about him didn't quite add up.

Shin Ha-eun, who had been quiet so far, piped up curiously, "Hey, Unnie, is that good-looking oppa your boyfriend?"

Lee Ju-hee nearly choked on her own breath at the unexpected question. Out of all the things she'd encountered, this was by far the most absurd.

Apart from their height difference, Min-ho and she shared plenty of similarities like their black hair and blue eyes. How could anyone mistake them for a couple?

Quickly jumping in, Min-ho clarified, "Oh no, it's not like that!"

Not entirely convinced by Min-ho's quick denial, Shin Ha-eun went on, "Hmm, could it be: maybe Jin-ho oppa was actually trying to make a move on you, Unnie? And you turned him down because... of him?"

Shin Ha-eun's words triggered a flicker of recognition in Jin-ho's gut. Unwanted feelings of not measuring up started to surface, but he pushed them down. This wasn't the time nor the venue.

'Is this dude really her boyfriend?' Jin-ho wondered to himself, sizing up Park Min-ho. 'Other than his eyes, he's pretty ordinary!'

Unaware of Jin-ho's thoughts, Lee Ju-hee let out a resigned sigh. She walked over to Shin Ha-eun and playfully flicked her forehead.

"Ouch, Unnie, that kinda hurt!" Ha-eun whined, her hand moving to rub the spot.

To Flame and Han-sol, the family resemblance between Lee Ju-hee and Min-ho was obvious. Probably a brother looking out for his older sister.

"Anyway! What brings you here?" Min-ho asked again, turning his attention to Lee Ju-hee and demanding an explanation.

"Just dropped by with some creampuffs for Ha-eun!"

"Here? At a host club?" Min-ho arched a brow in disbelief.

"Wait up, I can explain!" Han-sol waved a hand, trying to intervene. "It was pouring outside, so I asked Shin Ha-eun to come in!"

"Oh? You know her?" Min-ho's serious expression relaxed a bit, his eyebrows less furrowed.

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine," Han-sol confirmed politely.

"Got it! Phew, I thought Ju-hee noona was causing trouble again!"

"You're totally painting me as a walking disaster!" Lee Ju-hee shot him an annoyed glance, her face showing a mix of feelings that surprised Jin-ho.

He was used to her signature emotionless face, competitive, and kind of superior attitude. This was the first time he'd seen her wear so many expressions. This guy must've been pretty close to her for her to let her guard down.

"Haha! Admit it, trouble's your middle name!"

With a playful jab at Min-ho's arm, she uttered with a blank face, "Enough!"

"Alright, alright!" Min-ho relented with a chuckle.

"Wow, what a fantastic get-together," Flame muttered with a hint of sarcasm, pulling everyone's attention.

"My bad for taking up everyone's time!" Lee Ju-hee stated, remembering they were still in the middle of the enemy's den.

"Shin Ha-eun, you've got quite the knack for making friends with good-looking folks!"

"Heh?" Shin Ha-eun chuckled shyly, innocently scratching the back of her head.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Min-ho said, extending his hand toward Flame. "I'm Park Min-ho, and this noona here is Lee Ju-hee. Though I guess you must already know her!"

"Choi Yoonjae, but you can call me Flame!" Yoonjae introduced himself, then gestured to Han-sol. "This is Kim Han-sol, goes by ScarletPetal, and let me introduce you to our superstar host of the week, Yoo Jin-ho, aka Poison!"

As Jin-ho's name came up, a fleeting shadow crossed his expression, vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared. Park Min-ho swiftly shook hands with Yoonjae and Han-sol. However, when it came to Yoo Jin-ho, he tightened his grip subtly.

"Oh, you're the famous guy who made a move on noona, huh?" Min-ho remarked with a touch of bitterness, causing Yoonjae to explode into a series of dramatic coughs.

"Wait, what? Did I hear that right?"

"Min-ho!" Lee Ju-hee's warning tone made Min-ho release Jin-ho's hand and step back, lifting his hands slightly in defense.

"My bad, noona! Seriously—"

"Yeah, I did. So what?" Jin-ho shot back, surprising them all. There was a hint of challenge in his voice, but Lee Ju-hee simply regarded him with calm eyes.

"Are we witnessing a macho showdown or something?" Yoonjae's offhand comment seemed to ratchet up the tension between them.

Until Lee Ju-hee grabbed Min-ho's arm and tried to shift the focus. "I'm all done here. Ready to head out?"

"Yeah, of course!" Min-ho agreed, checking his wristwatch. "How about grabbing dinner before I drop you home?"

"You mean, dinner at my place, right?"

"No way! I'm saying I'll treat you to dinner, since you always nag me for showing up at your place just to eat!"

"…" Lee Ju-hee eyed him suspiciously before finally nodding. "Alright then! Ha-eun, you want us to drop you home?"

"No way! Have fun noona!" She quickly declined, shaking her head with a knowing grin.

Han-sol had an urge to facepalm at her response. He patted her head playfully instead and suggested, "Hey, Yoonjae's birthday is coming up! We're throwing a party at Synergy Club this Saturday. Feel like joining us on the fun?""

Lee Ju-hee was ready to decline when Yoo Jin-ho cut in, "Ju-hee's not really the clubbing type."

He remembered from their first encounter how much she disliked crowded places. Taking her to a club filled with smoke and booze would just make her uncomfortable.

Giving Yoo Jin-ho a skeptical look, Lee Ju-hee felt a sudden inclination to say yes.

"It's true, I'm not a big fan of clubbing. But why not? I'll give it a shot!" She announced, silently seeking approval from Min-ho.

"Sounds good to me!" Min-ho nodded in agreement. "Count me in too!"

"Perfect!" Han-sol shot Yoo Jin-ho a smug grin, giving him a thumbs-up.

It was his way of saying he was playing matchmaker for him and Lee Ju-hee. Completely clueless, Yoo Jin-ho looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Up for exchanging numbers?" Yoonjae offered, his phone held out like an invitation. With nods of approval, they began swapping contact info.

Jin-ho reluctantly joined in, mainly because he wanted her number saved on his phone.

As Min-ho and Ju-hee waved their farewells and departed the club, a nagging feeling of unease tugged at Jin-ho's heart, almost like an itch he couldn't scratch.

"I did my part! Now it's your turn, buddy!" Han-sol patted Yoo Jin-ho's back playfully, leaning in to whisper just for the two of them to hear.

As usual, Yoo Jin-ho remained in the dark, failing to grasp the significance of his friend's words.