After what felt like an eternity, the wait is finally over! I apologize sincerely for the delay. These past days have been super hectic due to school, you know the drill. So here's what you've been waiting for, my lovely readers. Enjoy!

---

"Seul?" Irene's hand was in Seulgi's, her fingers gently rubbing to provide comfort. "Seul, come back," she called softly, pulling Seulgi out of her distant thoughts.

"Yeah?" Seulgi replied, her gaze empty and distant, until she locked eyes with her girlfriend once more. 

Irene's eyes were moist, a hint of vulnerability there. It felt like a return to a nightmare, as if Seulgi's affection was fading, shattering Irene's heart into fragments.

"I-I'm sorry," Irene's voice cracked, a tear escaping her eye, prompting concern in Seulgi.

Cradling Irene's cheeks, Seulgi looked at her tenderly. "Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong. It's my mind that's been playing tricks. I should be the one apologizing."

Irene took hold of the hands cupping her face, leaning into Seulgi's touch. "I just don't want you to be angry with me again."

Seulgi sighed, pushing away her negative thoughts. "You're not to blame. Negative thoughts got the best of me. It's me who should apologize." "Can you smile for me now?" Seulgi requested. Seeing Irene's tears was painful, especially knowing she was the cause.

Irene's tears subsided, replaced by a radiant smile. "There, that's the smile I adore," Seulgi commented.

"I love you," Irene whispered, her voice filled with sincerity. Seulgi blushed, taking pride in being fortunate.

"I love you more."

"Seul, I want you to trust me," Irene urged. Seulgi nodded, a smile forming on her lips.

"It's him that I don't trust," she cheekily pointed towards him.

Irene gave Seulgi a pointed look. "Seul," she warned, her tone suggesting the matter was serious.

Seulgi sighed, conceding defeat. "Alright."

"I swear to God, if he manages to irritate me, he'll know who your real lover is," Seulgi said, Irene's heart melting as Seulgi's jealousy surfaced. It was a clear sign of Seulgi's deep affection, and that meant the world to Irene.

"I'll go talk to him," Irene announced, about to walk away, but Seulgi halted her.

"Why are you going to talk to him?" Seulgi raised an eyebrow.

"I want to make it clear that he doesn't stand a chance with me," Irene replied with determination.

Seulgi couldn't help but suppress a smile, imagining Suho's potentially dejected expression. I might seem tough, but I don't care. It's about my girlfriend, and no one can take her away from me. I sound a bit possessive, though. 

"Joohyun!" Suho's familiarity caught Seulgi off guard, and she internally rolled her eyes at his audacity. How dare he address Irene so casually? They're not even remotely close.

"Be nice, please," Irene whispered, prompting another eye roll from Seulgi. Despite her reluctance, she nodded. If it meant avoiding a fight, she would tolerate him.

"Suho, can we talk?"

Suho's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Of course, but here's my gift for you." He offered the bouquet, and instead of Irene taking it, Seulgi intercepted.

"I'll put it inside for you," she said, faking a smile while silently thanking Irene for the subtle signal. "Should I give you two some privacy to chat?" 

"Yes, please." Irene smiled, signaling for Seulgi to enter the dorm and keeping the conversation brief.

Once inside, Seulgi was taken aback by the three members sporting devilish smirks. "What's going on?" she inquired.

"Where's Irene Unnie?" Yeri queried, craning her neck to look behind Seulgi.

"Oh, she's outside talking to that Suho guy."

"WHAT?! WHY?!" The three exclaimed in unison, their concern palpable.

"They shouldn't be talking!" Wendy exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency.

"Why?" Seulgi inquired, feeling a growing sense of unease.

"I just don't want them to talk, especially since Suho Oppa likes Irene Unnie. But she's already taken by this dumb Seulgi bear."

Seulgi's face turned red, prompting an "aww" from the others at her adorable embarrassment.

"Why are they talking anyway? What's the reason?" Wendy asked curiously.

"Uh, Joohyun wants to clear things with him and let him know she's not interested at all."

The three nodded, pondering the situation in silence, until their attention was drawn to the bouquet of flowers Seulgi was holding.

"Let me guess. That's from him, right?" Joy pointed out, to which Seulgi nodded while chuckling.

"He always buys her flowers."

"And she accepts them?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't put them in her room. She places the vase in the kitchen. She considers throwing them away, but she thinks that would be too harsh."

Seulgi passed the bouquet to them, saying, "I don't want to hold this for long, so you all take it." The three laughed as they went to the living room and settled on the couch.

"He really likes her, doesn't he?" Seulgi remarked.

"Yes. There hasn't been a day where he hasn't tried to express his feelings for her, but luckily, Irene Unnie always brushes it off."

Seulgi smiled at that, feeling proud of her girlfriend's unwavering stance.

Before Joy could continue, Irene suddenly appeared out of nowhere, spotting her members and her lover engaged in a conversation.

Irene playfully pushed Joy aside to make space beside Seulgi. Joy's eyes widened in surprise, looking at her leader with disbelief, while Yeri and Wendy burst into laughter at her reaction.

"This is why I try to avoid being near Seulgi Unnie. Irene Unnie can turn into a tiger whenever she wants."

Irene playfully rolled her eyes in response.

"Yeah, I agree with you. She can be tough sometimes," Joy commented, earning a playful punch on her arm. "See! She's really a meanie."

Seulgi smiled at the interaction and then patted Irene's back. "What is it?"

"How did the talk go?"

Irene nodded, her smile reassuring. "It's all sorted out now. No need to worry."

The two exchanged smiles, unfazed by the exaggerated reactions of Irene's members, who were faking disgust at their affection.

"I have to go," Seulgi suddenly announced, aware of the audience they had. Irene pouted, giving her the classic puppy-dog eyes and silently urging her to stay. "Yoona Unnie needs my help with some ongoing cases, so I must go," Seulgi explained.

Irene sighed but managed to offer a sweet smile, understanding the situation. "Alright."

Seulgi said her farewells and made sure to steal a kiss from her girlfriend before departing.

Once she was out of sight, Irene rejoined her members on the couch and let out a heavy sigh.

"What's going on?" Yeri asked.

"It didn't go well, did it?" Joy chimed in.

"Girl, you lied to her," Wendy teased.

Irene leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply. "I just didn't want her to worry about that. I wanted to spare her the stress."

"Girl, she has the right to worry when you lie to her," Yeri pointed out.

Irene let out another sigh, biting her lip. "I know, but what else could I do? He can't seem to accept that I've rejected him. He's determined to keep pursuing me."

---

"Stop with that look," Yoona warned, her tone half-teasing.

"What look?" Jennie replied with feigned innocence, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Yoona groaned and playfully rolled her eyes. She gently nudged Jennie away from the front door, attempting to create some distance, but Jennie, being her persistent self, stood her ground, not wanting Yoona to leave.

"Jen," Yoona warned again, her tone a mix of amusement and a hint of sternness. This time, Jennie complied, though her pouting expression remained intact.

Fidgeting with her own hands, Jennie continued to gaze at Yoona with those irresistible pouted lips. "Do you really have to go?" she repeated her question, sounding somewhat forlorn.

Throughout the day, Jennie had been unusually clingy, an undeniable display of her affection for Yoona. Her longing for the detective's touch was almost palpable. It was as if her dreams were coming true, yet she still craved more reassurance. She couldn't help but hold onto hope, even though she had been disappointed in the past. But her feelings for Yoona were undeniably strong.

"I have to go. You know the pressing cases I've been dealing with these past few days," Yoona explained with a defeated sigh, acknowledging the reality of her work commitments.

"Alright, I understand. But there's something I need to make sure of," Jennie nervously admitted, her eyelashes fluttering as she batted her eyes at Yoona.

"And what would that be?" Yoona asked, intrigued.

"You're not acting like a jerk right now, are you?" Jennie asked with a touch of vulnerability in her voice.

"What do you mean by 'acting like a jerk'?" Yoona inquired with a smirk, playing along.

"You know exactly what I mean, babe. I just don't want my heart broken again. The last time I checked—" Jennie's sentence was abruptly cut off when Yoona pulled her into a tender kiss.

Jennie smiled into the kiss, savoring the moment, before taking matters into her own hands and deepening it with a passionate fervor.

"Wow," Jennie breathed out, her heart still racing from their passionate kiss.

"That was quite intense, babe," Yoona commented, her laughter carrying a note of amusement, unaware of the internal excitement Jennie was feeling due to the endearment.

"Seriously, I just want to know if there's an 'us' because—"

"I like you."

"...I don't want to get my hopes up again—wait, what?!"

"You heard me, hotstuff. Now, come on, let me take you home."

With Yoona pulling her close, they exited her place and stepped into the elevator. Jennie was momentarily at a loss for words, processing the sudden turn of events. Yoona, noticing Jennie's unusual silence, glanced at her with a curious expression. "Okay, if it eases your mind, I really like you. A lot. Now, you can struggle to process that in your head all you want."

"You're making it even more complicated!" Jennie whined, hugging Yoona's waist tightly. Chuckling softly, Yoona shook her head and pressed the elevator button. "How else am I supposed to make sure you know you're mine? I need to make it clear that no one can take you away from me."

The question lingered in the air, and Yoona looked at Jennie. "I'm yours?"

Jennie's initial sour expression turned into a fierce glare, and her words cut through the air with a hint of accusation. "Don't tell me I'm just one of your casual flings."

Yoona gazed at her, a mixture of amusement and genuine surprise crossing her features. "You think that's how I view you? Like some stereotypical college player?"

"Hmm. That's how everyone perceives you, or have you not seen the posts on your social media accounts?"

"What about them?" Yoona asked, intrigued, as they left the elevator and headed toward the parking lot.

"They're all about you being a boy," Jennie responded matter-of-factly, her arms crossed and her expression one of mild annoyance.

"But I'm not a boy," Yoona stated.

"You might as well be, especially when you're in your bodyguard attire. People are constantly taking photos of you in public and turning them into memes. I wasn't even surprised, given how you're acting right now."

"What did I do this time?"

"I'm serious, I need your reassurance on this. I want you to be certain about us. I don't want any messing around or leaving me hanging again," Jennie spoke earnestly, looking deep into Yoona's eyes, hoping for a solid commitment from her.

Yoona understood exactly what Jennie meant. Taking both of Jennie's hands in her own, she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, catching Jennie off guard. A blush spread across Jennie's cheeks as she hadn't expected such a sweet gesture. "I'm new to this, Jen, but I'm sure that I like you. I won't promise to be the perfect partner, but I'll give it my best shot. Are you feeling better now?"

Jennie's eyes welled up with tears, alarming Yoona. Cradling Jennie's cheeks in her hands and wiping away the tears, Yoona looked at her with concern. "Why are you crying?"

"You... you like me," Jennie stammered.

Yoona's cheeks creased into a cheeky smile, and she responded, "I do. Is that a problem?" She grinned playfully.

"No, because I love it, and I love you," Jennie replied with a sweet smile, leaning in to peck Yoona's lips.

"Are you feeling better now? Is there anything else you need reassurance about before we head out?"

Actually, there was something Jennie wanted assurance about. She noticed that Yoona hadn't officially asked her to be her girlfriend, even though they shared mutual feelings. She wanted that official commitment to solidify their relationship. But she decided to hold off on confronting Yoona about it, not wanting to rush her. Yoona had admitted that this was new to her, and Jennie didn't want to overwhelm her.

"I'm feeling much better now. Thank you." Jennie formed a genuine smile and intertwined her fingers with Yoona's.

---

"We've attempted various approaches, but everything has failed. What's even stranger is that they seem to be aware of our security system."

Yoona tilted her head as she processed the Chief's words. Overwhelmed, she questioned, "So you're suggesting there might be someone within our team sabotaging us?" Seulgi chimed in with agreement, sharing Yoona's thoughts.