I watch her. From the moment she stepped into the house, suitcase in hand, posture stiff, eyes scanning every inch of the space, I saw it—the careful way she moved, the way she took everything in without reacting too much. Not just discomfort. Not just nerves. Calculation.

She’s observing. Watching us just as much as we’re watching her. The others don’t see it.

Jae and Seon prod at her like kids poking a caged animal, waiting for her to snap. Min stands back, arms crossed, face unreadable, but I can tell he’s watching just as closely as I am—though I doubt he’s noticing the same things.

She’s bracing herself. She knew this moment was coming, but I get the feeling it’s sinking in now—this is real. So I test something.

I move first, stepping past her without a word, reaching down to grab her suitcase. It’s not heavy, but it has weight—probably filled with everything she could carry to make this place feel less foreign.

She blinks, barely catching the motion. “Where are you going with my bag?”

“Your room,” I say simply, disappearing down the hall.

She doesn’t follow me, doesn’t rush to grab it back, but she watches. I feel her gaze lingering on my back, waiting to see what I’ll do next.

Interesting.

I place the suitcase by the bed, a clean, untouched space that feels more like a hotel room than a home. She won’t like that. By the time I return to the living room, she’s still standing where I left her, still guarded, still processing.

Then Jae grins and suggests celebrating our “new life together.”

And just like that, the moment shatters. She groans, fires back sharp retorts, argues when Seon gets too close, but it’s all surface-level. A distraction. Something to throw them off so they don’t look deeper. Then she storms to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Min exhales beside me. “She lasted longer than I expected,” he mutters.

I glance at him. He’s leaning against the counter, rolling his shoulders like he’s shaking off tension. I move toward the kitchen, wordlessly grabbing two mugs from the cabinet.

“Coffee?” I ask.

He eyes me for a second before nodding. “Yeah.”

The coffee machine hums softly as I prepare the cups. Silence lingers, stretching between us as we both keep an eye on the hallway. Jae and Seon exchange glances, and then, just as I expected, they go after her.

Min scoffs. “Idiots.”

I slide his mug toward him. “You say that, but you let them do it.”

He huffs, taking a slow sip before replying. “I get why they do it. She reacts just enough to make it fun.”

I hum, leaning back against the counter. “She reacts just enough to make them think she’s reacting.”

Min’s gaze sharpens slightly. “You think she’s faking it?”

“She’s controlling it,” I correct. “She only gives what she wants to give.”

Min doesn’t argue, just exhales quietly, considering.

A thud from down the hall. Laughter. A muffled protest. We both turn our heads just in time to see Jae and Seon coming back down the hallway, barely containing their amusement. Seon dodges to the side just as a pillow flies out of her room, missing him by inches.

I sip my coffee. “She’s going to kill them.”

Min smirks slightly. “If she doesn’t, I might.”

Seon grins as he flops onto the couch. “She’s fun.”

Jae stretches, completely unbothered. “She’s stubborn. That’s what makes it fun.”

Min takes another sip, thoughtful. “I teased her too.”

I glance at him. “When?”

“The day she came to sign the contract.” He doesn’t elaborate immediately, just swirls the coffee in his cup before finally adding, “I wanted to see how serious she was. If she could handle it.”

“And?”

His jaw shifts slightly. “She can.”

I watch him carefully. He’s more intrigued than he’s letting on.

“She’s not like the others,” I say quietly.

Min nods, almost absentmindedly. “No, she’s not.”

I tilt my head, studying him. “You’re watching her.”

Min exhales, gaze flicking back toward her door. “You’re not?”

I don’t answer, just sip my coffee.

Min lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “You know what’s funny?”

“What?”

He smirks. “I don’t think she realizes how much fun this is going to be.”

I let that sit between us for a second before muttering, “She has no idea what she’s just agreed to.”

Min hums, taking another slow sip of coffee. “Neither do we.”