"Zhang Yixing?"

Jisoo was taken aback to find Zhang Yixing standing in front of her door on an early Sunday morning. His tall frame and familiar features were a surprising sight on her doorstep.

Yixing gave her a warm smile and a greeting. "Good morning, Jin Xian," he said, emphasizing the use of her alter-ego with casual ease, as if this were a nickname they had used for years.

Jisoo froze. Yixing was dangling a familiar set of keys—Sehun's sedan key—from his index finger. She had fully expected one of his staff to drop the keys off later; she hadn't expected Yixing to return the car himself.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, genuinely curious. "I thought you were going to send someone from the office?"

Yixing chuckled softly. "Yeah, that was the plan. But my assistant had to take emergency leave for a family thing. So, I figured I'd take care of it myself."

Hearing that, Jisoo felt a little guilty for causing him unnecessary inconvenience. She waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Please, come in. Just ignore the mess; I'm still operating at half-speed." She was already busy in the kitchen. "I'm making chicken congee for breakfast. Want to join me?"

"Perfect timing. I'm starving," Yixing replied readily, accepting the invitation.

She let out a chuckle at the coincidental reply. She was glad that the invitation was the right thing to do. He must have gone out so early that he didn't even have time to have his breakfast.

As he stepped inside, she handed him the unused slippers Minseok usually wore (the nice ones, definitely not Sehun's beaten-up pair). She let his gaze wander around her apartment.

"Welcome to my lair," she announced. It wasn't huge, but for Jisoo, it was the perfect cozy space. It was so comfortable, in fact, that Sehun even claimed a 'nest' for himself on the small library sofa.

Yixing paused, looking around. "I think I can definitely relate to what Sehun thinks about this place," he commented. Jisoo had no idea what exactly he meant by that.

Once in the kitchen, Jisoo continued preparing the comforting congee, stirring the simmering pot. She could see curiosity and interest gleaming in his eyes as he took in the details of her personal domain. She allowed him to wander and explore, giving him a brief, casual tour of her home office and the main living areas.

After the congee was ready, Jisoo brought the steaming bowls out to the terrace. Her small balcony was set up like a mini coffee shop, complete with a wooden table and two chairs where she often hung out or hosted guests. Jisoo also prepared a refreshing orange peel tea, infused with honey and ginger, hoping to ease any lingering discomfort from the previous night's soju indulgence.

Rather than sitting directly across from Yixing, Jisoo settled herself at another edge of the table, to his right side.

Yixing noticed this right away. "Why do you always choose to sit next to me?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine curiosity. "You did the same thing at the restaurant last night."

Jisoo was momentarily flustered, not wanting to admit the truth (that she felt less awkward sitting beside him). "I don't want to block my view of the garden," she replied simply. "The scenery is gorgeous from here."

Yixing paused for a beat, seemingly weighing the logic of her answer. Finally, he gave a smooth nod, accepting the explanation as completely valid. He didn't press the matter, deliberately turning his attention toward the lush trees with their turning red leaves outside.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Yixing commented, "Honestly, I thought you'd be sleeping in late after last night. I'm genuinely surprised you're up and totally functional."

Jisoo smiled. "Early rising is a habit, My Friend, no matter what happened the night before. It’s key to survival," she answered lightly, quoting his grandfather's words. "That's why I'm already making this emergency hangover cure—to clean up the soju mess from yesterday."

Jisoo carefully spooned a portion of the steaming, fragrant congee and offered it to Yixing, awaiting his reaction with bated breath. This was the first time she had cooked for anyone outside her family, making her feel slightly insecure. Especially since Minseok had mentioned during the Chuseok dinner that Yixing was an excellent cook who mostly prepared his own meals. For Jisoo, whose minimalist cooking skills only covered basic comfort food, it felt exactly like trying to feed Gordon Ramsay. The pressure was immense.

As Yixing took the first savory bite, Jisoo watched his expression intently, her heart doing a nervous little flip of anticipation and self-doubt. She finally sighed in relief when Yixing nodded, clearly satisfied, and praised the congee with genuine appreciation,

"Comfort food done right. It's delicious," he commented, taking another, more generous spoonful and continuing to eat.

Only then did Jisoo start on her own bowl. The taste was instantly refreshing. Sipping the warm congee on a chilly morning was the best antidote to the faint soju fog remaining in her head.

She felt incredibly grateful that her composure always seemed to win, even when tipsy. The thought of running into Yixing again after a drunken spectacle was simply too cringeworthy to bear.

While they ate in companionable silence, Jisoo secretly shuddered at the mere possibility of being the type who became loud or unruly when drinking. The idea of embarrassing herself in front of Yixing—the keen observer—was enough to make her cheeks flush. She was infinitely thankful she was the calm, collected type when inebriated; that fact alone had probably saved her dignity last night.

Yixing, noticing Jisoo occasionally shivering, asked, "What’s on your mind? You weren't as hyped as last night."

Jisoo almost dropped her spoon, slightly flustered by the direct question. She quickly recovered, giving him a knowing look. "My brain isn't fully online yet, Zhang Yixing," she deflected with a smile. "I'm enjoying this rare five-minute window where I don't have to explain any sociological theories."

Yixing chuckled softly, recognizing her quick deflection. He took a sip of his tea, a faint smile on his lips, letting the matter drop.

After a moment, Yixing set down his spoon, his eyes twinkling playfully. "You always seem to have an answer ready for everything I say." He then tilted his head, a mock-serious pout replacing his smile. "I have a small complaint, though. We’ve hung out a few times now, and you keep calling me Zhang Yixing, Zhang Yixing. Your brother and I are the same age, you know. Are you never going to use a proper title like 'gege'?"

Jisoo laughed, a rich, genuine sound. "Gege?" she repeated exphasizingly, leaning back slightly. "Well, 'gege' can come with a lot of heavy, annoying expectations, don't you think?" She paused, her expression turning mock-serious. "I think I'll stick to just using your name. It feels more... egalitarian," she finished, giving him a cheeky grin.

Yixing smiled widely, seemingly enjoying her refusal to conform to the traditional seniority and hierarchy. "Egalitarian it is, Professor Kim," he conceded smoothly.

They finished the last bowls of congee contentedly. As soon as his bowl was empty, Yixing immediately gathered all the used utensils.

"Let me do the dishes," he offered, standing up. 

Jisoo chuckled, quickly shaking her head. "No need, I can handle it. My princeling guests just sit back and relax." She tried to take the stack of bowls from his hands, but Yixing deftly held on.

"I can't allow that. I've already inconvenienced you with breakfast. The manners of this 'pampered prince' need to be salvaged," Yixing argued, his tone joking but his grip firm on the bowls. "Just consider this me performing my due diligence as a civilized guest."

Yixing's reasoning sounded sensible—and funny. "Fine, due diligence accepted," Jisoo relented, letting Yixing head to the sink. "But if you break anything, I'm charging you the professor's repair rate."

"Yes, Ma'am."