The next day, A-RA lounges at her usual spot in the cafeteria, earphones in, completely indifferent to the world around her.
YU-JUN marches over with a tray of food, radiating the kind of arrogant confidence that only spells disaster.

A-RA glances up as he sits down, her expression a perfect, unreadable poker face.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up," she says dryly. "What a boring lunch it would have been..."

YU-JUN crosses his arms, leans back casually, and locks eyes with her, his voice pure nonchalance.
"Where’s the fun in that? Tomorrow... I'd like to take you on a date."

A-RA immediately picks up on the game he’s playing and bites back a chuckle.
"I'm loving that we're skipping the boring parts and going straight to action," she says, leaning in closer, eyes sparkling with mischief.

YU-JUN’s smirk grows wider... until A-RA drops the real bomb.
"Why wait till tomorrow?" she purrs. "Let’s go to dinner today."

He stumbles, words tripping over each other like panicked cats.
"T... today? I mean... I have... ooooh..."

All his earlier confidence vanishes, leaving him a nervous wreck. He takes a deep breath, trying to salvage his pride.

"Why today? We can just... do tomorrow."

A-RA smiles like a cat who's already caught the mouse.
"Dignity, YU-JUN. I shouldn't know that I've caught you off guard. You’re the one who wanted a date, remember?"
She taps her chin thoughtfully, clearly savoring every moment.
"Well, guess what? I'm taking you on one today. And tomorrow? You can either keep this crazy train rolling... or jump off while you still can."

YU-JUN just sits there, stunned into silence, barely touching his food.

Meanwhile, A-RA happily munches away, completely unbothered.
"What?" she says, blinking innocently. "Aren’t you going to eat?"

She polishes off her lunch like it’s just another normal day...
while YU-JUN quietly contemplates every decision that led him to this exact moment.

Back at the boys’ office after lunch, YU-JUN stumbles in like a man who’s just survived a full-blown war.
His hair’s a mess, his eyes are hollow, and his soul? Probably left back at the cafeteria.

The boys are already waiting, faces lit up like kids on Christmas morning.

HA-JOON whistles low.
"Man, today looked rough. She was talking, and you were flinching like you were taking a good whipping! What happened?"

YU-JUN collapses into his chair, head in hands, voice defeated and distant.
"DO-YUN... man... you set me up..."
He mumbles it more to himself than anyone else.

Slumped over, he groans dramatically.
"I really did step on a mine... I'm not coming out of this alive. And if I do come out alive..." he pauses for effect, eyes completely glazed over, "there’s no way I’m coming out of this sane

He lifts his head just enough to glare at the others, his spirit utterly broken.
"My whole life, I’ve been a soldier. Trained to trust my instincts. I don’t know why I listened to you guys this time..."

The boys lean in, savoring every second of his suffering.

YU-JUN exhales like an old man who's seen too much.
"She made me again... she even offered to take me to dinner tonight!."

MIN-JUN, absolutely no effort made to hide his amusement, slaps his thigh and cackles.

"Hahaha! Oh my gosh, it’s like she had a whole date stashed in her back pocket—just chilling there like a secret weapon—waiting for you to shoot your shot so she could whip it out like... ‘Oh, you wanna date? Cool, I got a five-course dinner, a sunset walk, and a full mariachi band standing by!’"

He mimes dramatically pulling an invisible menu out of thin air while YU-JUN just buries his face deeper into his hands, rethinking all his life choices.

HA-JOON tries his absolute best to hold in his laughter, cheeks puffing out.

MIN-JUN? He looks like he’s about to pull a muscle from how hard he’s grinning.

HA-JOON, mockingly serious, leans in.
"Okay... but, like... why didn’t you just say no? Anyway, bro—don’t arrive at the venue before her. You saw how far she can shoot... She could take you out from her house and still have the perfect alibi."

He nods sagely, like he’s giving wartime advice.
"In fact, your date should probably be in another town. Y’know, just to be safe."

He glances around, conspiratorial.
"By the way... where’s the date?"

YU-JUN just stares at them. Blank.
Thoroughly, devastatingly confused.

DO-YUN, smirking like he knows something wicked, leans back in his chair.
"...Seriously? You don’t know?"

YU-JUN, cutting him off, voice dry and completely exhausted:
"Please don’t start. I barely have a vague recollection of the whole lunch."

DO-YUN turns to MIN-JUN and HA-JOON, fighting to keep a straight face.
"Guys, make sure your alibis are bulletproof tonight. Y'know they question family and friends first."

He turns back to YU-JUN, who looks two seconds away from faking his own death.
"And you... We'll be expecting updates. If you’re still around tomorrow. Otherwise, we'll just assume you’ve... ‘accidentally relocated to a nice farm where you can live freely.’"

He pauses, suddenly serious.
"But for real—if this goes south... your sacrifice will make a fantastic cautionary tale."

HA-JOON smiles, way too cheerfully for the situation.
"We’ll be waiting for updates tomorrow."
He winks.
"And make sure you give her a kiss at the end of the date... y’know, to keep throwing her off balance like DO-YUN said."

YU-JUN glares at him, pure murder in his eyes.
But the boys just chuckle and return to their work, leaving YU-JUN to stew silently at his desk...

Later that evening, YU-JUN pulls up to the curb, gripping the steering wheel like he’s about to drive into battle.
A-RA stands waiting, cool as ever, tossing her hair back before sliding into the passenger seat.

A-RA, casually buckling in:
"That’s not the face you’re supposed to have when going on a date."

YU-JUN, muttering under his breath, eyes dead ahead:
"Date? I feel like a horror movie character. Y'know—the one who hears a creepy noise and still goes to investigate instead of running for their life."

A-RA scoffs but makes herself comfortable in the seat.
"If it’s any consolation, everyone knows I’m with you tonight. Even you know I wouldn’t pull such an amateur move."

YU-JUN sighs long and hard, like he’s preparing to meet his maker, and drives off, his nerves practically rattling the car windows.

After what feels like the world's longest, most confusing drive, they finally pull into a massive outdoor food fair.
YU-JUN stares out the windshield, completely baffled.

YU-JUN, blinking, utterly lost:
"This... is where you reserved tickets?"

A-RA smirks, already unbuckling.
"Oh, I know. You were fully expecting some dark spooky dungeon. Y'know—chains on the walls, mysterious puddle in the corner that’s definitely not water... Maybe next time."

She hops out of the car, tossing him a wink over her shoulder.
"But for now—hurry up before we lose our spot!"

She speed-walks toward a giant white tent like she owns the place.
YU-JUN trails behind, still half-convinced he’s walking into an elaborate trap.

They slip backstage, peeking out from behind the curtains at a podium set up under twinkling fairy lights...YU-JUN, glancing around the lively fair, finally exhales deeply.

"For real... I was worried for nothing."

He leans back, shoulders relaxing for the first time all day.
"So you brought us to watch a food eating competition? This your thing? Got a favorite contestant?"

A-RA, flashing an innocent smile:
"You see, I'm not all bad."

Suddenly, the ANNOUNCER’s voice thunders over the loudspeakers:

ANNOUNCER, booming:
"And one of our elite competitors, with her partner, has just arrived! Get ready for a fierce showdown!"

The crowd explodes into wild cheers.

YU-JUN, caught up in the excitement, claps enthusiastically... even whistles a little, eyes scanning for the "elite" competitor.

Mid-clap, A-RA grabs his hand.
Before his brain can register what’s happening, he’s being dragged through the crowd—straight to the center stage.

YU-JUN freezes mid-step, mouth hanging open.

The crowd roars even louder as A-RA takes a graceful bow, looking every bit the poised champion.
YU-JUN leans in, whispering frantically into her ear:

YU-JUN, voice trembling:
"I think I know what’s happening but... please tell me what’s happening."

A-RA, still smiling like she’s greeting royalty:
"You’re a soldier, right? Rules of ambush apply: improvise, adapt, survive."

YU-JUN watches in horror as A-RA waves to the crowd, bows to the other contestants, and chats with the MC like this is her natural habitat.
Meanwhile, he looks like he’s about to throw up or bolt—or both.

An attendant strolls over and without warning, ties a giant plastic bib around his neck.

YU-JUN opens his mouth to protest—
But the ANNOUNCER cuts through the air, voice dripping with drama:

ANNOUNCER, shouting:
"Contestants! You know the rules! We’re starting in... THREE... TWO... ONE... GO!"

A-RA turns to him, grinning wickedly:
"Make me proud."

Before he can even utter a sound, A-RA and the rest of the competitors launch into the food with feral energy, stuffing their faces like seasoned gladiators.

YU-JUN stands there, frozen, staring at the pile of food in front of him like it’s a live bomb.

A-RA, noticing his paralysis, casually stomps on his foot.
Hard.

YU-JUN yelps, clutching his foot—then, out of sheer survival instinct, grabs a fistful of food and starts eating.

The crowd goes absolutely ballistic.