True to her words, Victoria finally came up with a plan to confront Nichkhun to get him to listen to her. It involved getting him to a public place, away from the cozy seclusion that always ended up with him having the upper hand. A bustling coffee shop would be the perfect setting for her to express her concerns. Victoria was coming from a pre-filming of short one TV ad for bottled juice drink and Nichkhun was invited to be an honorary judge in a an idol competition show; their managers coordinated to meet at a coffee shop at Victoria’s suggestion to take a break before they all head to another location for a yet another promotional shoot for “Heart Ramble”.

As they sat across from each other, cups of coffee between them, Victoria took a deep breath. "Nichkhun, we need to talk."
He looked at her with those knowing eyes but he still asked "About what?" and she knew he wanted to reach out to her hands but he caught himself because they were in a public place. He did promise to behave in public with her to JYP and his manager and he was a man of his words, much to Victoria’s relief.

"This... us," she began, searching for the right words. "It's all happening too fast. We're diving into this without truly understanding each other."

Nichkhun's expression shifted, caught off guard by her sudden seriousness. "I like you and I know you like me. Fine I’m always the one trying to kiss you" his voice lowered as Victoria’s brows raised in alarm since somebody might be eavesdropping on them. “...But you’d kiss me back. Can’t deny that” It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at Victoria, a quizzical and challenging one. 

He was right, Victoria had to concede that she couldn't resist him. "But it's not just about the attraction, Nichkhun-ssi. We need to build a foundation beyond that. We need to know each other better, perhaps as friends first, be sure we're doing the right thing before taking this plunge."

He frowned, half struggling to accept her rationale and half irritated by the word ‘friend’. He had agreed to them being sworn brothers, even calling her ‘ge ge’ during one their TV guestings as a symbol of his acquiescence. "Nichkhun's expression flickered between understanding and reluctance. "But why wait? Why not just go for it?"

Victoria sighed, frustration lining her face. "Because," Victoria explained, "we're skipping crucial steps. This strong attraction between us is undeniable, but aside from that, do we really know each other? And history proves that we jump to conclusions about each other. Remember after WGM? Remember just this past month’s events? I assumed you were dismissing me that morning, and maybe you thought I was pushing you away, again. We tend to assume the worst of each other. We need to break out of this cycle, Nichkhun."

Nichkhun's features softened as her words sank in. She had a point. "I guess we do have a history of misunderstanding each other." 

"And we can't even communicate well even as friends, let alone as something more," Added Victoria. Nichkhun almost guessed what she was going to say next.

"I suggest we take a break from whatever this is. It's too chaotic right now. Let’s give us time to breathe, to think. We need a fresh start when we're both ready," she proposed. 

Nichkhun's stubbornness flared up. She was asking him to do what — wait? Of course, she was being vague again so she would never tell him when that "start" would be exactly and the next thing he would know, they would have lost contact and let everything fade to oblivion again. He was about to voice his protest when a Chinese fan recognized them. 

The unexpected interruption forced them to put their conversation on hold. The fan approached, excitement evident in her eyes. In rapid Mandarin, she asked Victoria if the rumors were true about her dating Nichkhun. Victoria flat out said "No", which was true since they hadn't officially started yet and were instead taking a break. Then she explained they were waiting for their transfer service and having coffee while doing so. The fan, a former Khuntoria shipper, turned to Nichkhun and expressed her disappointment in him for getting together with another girl after WGM, before letting out an audible “humphh!” as she her heels to leave. Victoria, mischievously deciding to have a bit of fun, translated it differently to Nickhun.

"The fan said you smell bad," Victoria teased. “Uh, your perfume doesn't blend well with the autumn air.” She was clearly making this up.

Nichkhun's eyes widened, and he chuckled. "You're messing with me now, aren't you?" not expecting Victoria's playful response.

Victoria shrugged, a mix of playfulness and a pinch of truth in her response. "Maybe a little." she trailed off, unable to articulate her thoughts. How vexed she must have been lately because even his scent had become a source of irritation for her.

They spent the remaining few minutes enjoying their coffee and it was just like during the latter part of shooting "Heart Ramble": warm comfortable atmosphere and they were just enjoying each other's company. Victoria found herself missing that so much.

A few days after, the tension surrounding Krystal's situation still lingered. Learning about the backlash Krystal faced, especially regarding the negative reviews of her acting, stirred empathy among the group. The reason she was still “bumming around" in Beijing instead of going back to Seoul was because she was very disturbed about the negative reviews about her acting performance. It was getting to her and she was channeling out all her frustration and anger towards defending her Vic umma. No wonder she was being overly hostile to Nichkhun about the Tiffany rumor earlier but even more so now that she got wind of the new wave of hate comments from delusional Nichkhun fans against Victoria because of the "intrigue bombs" the former seemed to favor dropping during interviews lately.

Learning of this, Nickhun planned a surprise get together at Victoria's apartment to cheer up his youngest daughter. As they played board games and had pizza, Krystal's hostility towards Nichkhun became evident and she snapped at him again. She stood up, said a hurried “sorry” to Nichkhun and ran to the kitchen in excuse of needing a soda refill.

Sensing her discomfort, Nichkhun signaled to Victoria and they followed their maknae daughter. "Why are you still in Beijing, Krystal?" Nichkhun asked finally.

Krystal sighed, her guard momentarily dropping. "I can't go back like this. The reviews are eating at me. They're saying I can't act, that I'm a disappointment." Her voice was cracking but she drowned that with a swig of her diet Coke.

Victoria placed a comforting hand on Krystal's shoulder. "You're a talented actress, and this will pass. Don't let the negativity consume you."

“You're not a disappointment. If there was a huge mess of an actor here, that’s me.” Nichkhun pointed to herself. “I don’t think my portrayal of a ‘model’ in one specific movie was anything to write home about, except earning me a beating from my mom.”

Neither had watched that movie; they quipped and Nichkhun appeared comically relieved. At that, the two women burst into laughter. 
Krystal hugged Victoria, appreciating her unnie’s support. She felt blessed that aside from her biological older sister, Jessica, she also found three more in f(x). As the atmosphere lightened and unknown to Nichkhun, he had won brownie points from Krystal with regards to Victoria so that even if she was still not calling him appa again like Amber and Luna, she wasn't actively trying to keep Victoria away from him anymore. Victoria could sense a shift in Krystal's perception of Nichkhun.

The harsh bashing Krystal received resonated with the group. It was not only her but everyone in this cut throat industry had had their share of negative attacks from netizens. Nobody said it out loud but everyone thought about Sulli's tragedy and it acted as a poignant reminder of the importance of cherishing every connection - the friendships they formed in the industry was their source of strength to keep them going on despite the hardships. It was essential to extend kindness to each other. Victoria, reflecting on her regrets about not expressing her love to Sulli as much as she intended to when she had the chance, felt a renewed sense of gratitude for the bonds she shared.

Amber and Henry, the resident jesters, didn't miss the chance to playfully chide Victoria for keeping Nichkhun at arm's length. This gentle teasing wormed its way into Victoria's conscience, prompting her to reevaluate her approach. Despite her reservations, she packed snacks for Nichkhun during their next event, a photoshoot for a magazine.

The pact that Nichkhun and Victoria had made to keep a distance outside of work commitments seemed to be working, but the subtle signs of progress, consisting of continued pack snacks and lunch (which by the way all the staff and crew also enjoyed from Victoria) fueled his hope.

However, the delicate balance was about to be tested. Leo Liu, Ou Hou, and Song Wei Long, along with Victoria, were invited as guest judges on Hot Blood Dance Crew. Amber and Henry were thrilled to collaborate with Victoria on the show. As the day's work concluded, the group, including the staff, decided to unwind with dinner. Victoria invited Luna and Krystal to join them. Nichkhun, intentionally left out, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. The presence of these eligible bachelors, all fellow Chinese, only intensified his unease. Most especially when he found out from his snitches, Henry and Amber, that his Qian had packed special snacks not just for him but for Leo, Ou Hou, and Song Wei Long as well. This revelation, coupled with the knowledge that his own claim to Victoria happened because she got drunk on that night, set off alarm bells in Nichkhun's mind.

Unable to ignore the gnawing worry, Nichkhun concocted an excuse, claiming that Henry had called him to join the gathering. Victoria, perceptive as ever, wasn't convinced. As he arrived, a tension hung in the air as all eyes were on him. Leo turned to Victoria, whom he was sitting next to, with a questioning look on his face.

"Nichkhun, what are you doing here?" Victoria questioned, her expression a mix of surprise and irritation as she stood up.
Nichkhun, attempting to mask his real motives, replied, "Henry called. Said you guys were here."

Victoria raised an eyebrow, looking at Henry who hid his guilty look by burying his nose in his plate of barbecue. She was not buying into his pretext. “Follow me. We need to get you a seat.” But it actually meant “We need to set this straight.”
Nichkhun sighed, abandoning the pretense when they reached the deserted spot at the end of the long table. "Look, Qian-Qian, I just wanted to make sure everything's okay. You know, with all these guys around. And you, drinking."

Victoria's irritation flared. "Nichkhun-ssi, we agreed to give each other space. I can take care of myself. Who said you can call me Qian-Qian?"

"Me. It’s cute. Anyway, I just worry, okay? Especially after what happened last time you got drunk, we ended up–" He sensed the daggers shooting from her eyes so he stopped. They did agree to not mention that incident anymore, especially in the presence of other people.

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm not a child. Besides, I've sworn off alcohol after that… that…incident. You don't need to play the protective knight in shining armor."

Nichkhun hesitated, a mixture of emotions flickering across his face. "It wasn't just a one-night stand, Qian-Qian."
“Shhh!!” his ‘Qian-Qian’ quickly cut him off. It clearly aggravated this frustrating but wonderful and beautiful woman in front of him nut he couldn't help teasing her. Nichkhun chuckled loudly which caught the attention of a lot of the people at the table for a minute. Victoria shoved a rib of roasted lamb into his mouth to shut him up and smiled at the rest “Hao chi! [how delicious!] Enjoy!” and they all went back to merry conversations, except for one of the bachelors. Leo kept his eyes on Song Qian and this sudden intruder from her past in Korea.

"Don't you dare spit that out" Ordered Victoria to Nickhun, trying to be menacing but horribly failing because the man in front of him just continued to smile and seemed to enjoy it even.