"I'm back early, didn't I? Hehe, it's because I already had this draft, and since I'll be pretty busy these days, here's an early payment. I'll do my best to keep up with all of you, so I hope you all do the same! :))

---

"Today, we're heading to a shoot, my two little detectives!" 

Yoona and Seulgi exchanged eye rolls at the playful nickname Jong Suk had given them. "Just because we're women doesn't mean you can underestimate us. Who knows, we could kick your right now." Jong Suk halted his steps and looked at Seulgi, who had a 'What's up, dude? You wanna start something?' expression. Jong Suk raised his hands in surrender and chuckled.

"My ? You two?" He smirked, winking at them, which prompted the duo to fake gag.

"This is why I dislike guys," Yoona grumbled, rolling her eyes, with Seulgi nodding in agreement.

"Quit bringing up guys just because you've got a hot crush."

"One final warning, Mr. Lee. And, I'd also like to remind you that I never break my promises."

Jong Suk's teasing stopped when he heard that. He didn't want to risk his safety by teasing Yoona. He was intrigued by the fact that Yoona Lim was in love with Blackpink's Jennie Kim.

"What I'm curious about is..." The cousins sighed and turned to him as he paused in his tracks. "Why are you interested in women over men?" He was clearly referring to Yoona.

Yoona stared at him in disbelief, her hands in her pockets. "Mr. Lee, it's 2019 already. Time to open your eyes. And quit annoying me, or I might just punch you right now."

"Alright, alright. I'll calm down." He admitted he was actually a bit scared, but he enjoyed teasing the detective.

"That guy is really getting on my nerves,"

Seulgi laughed. "I can tell."

All three got into Jong Suk's car, with Seulgi taking the wheel. Jong Suk had a photoshoot for Vogue Korea scheduled for the day. The cousins couldn't deny that they found Lee Jong Suk handsome, but they hadn't anticipated he could be this annoying.

Upon stepping out of the car, Jong Suk was met with a swarm of fans. The cousins cleared a path for him to get through.

"LEE JONG SUK, YOU'RE SO HANDSOME!"

"THE FAMOUS DETECTIVES ARE HERE TOO! OMG!"

"DADDY SEULGI AND DADDY YOONG! GIVE ME BABIES!"

Yoona was puzzled by why they were using her nickname. The internet, obviously. She rolled her eyes, and they successfully made it inside.

"Well, that was quite a scene," Jong Suk remarked, adjusting his polo. "One cappuccino for me." The cousins exchanged glances and then looked back at Jong Suk. "What?"

"We're not your personal assistants, dude. Quit acting like a boss and stop getting on our nerves."

Jong Suk's mouth snapped shut as he walked over to his actual assistant.

"What's up with that guy? Why is he bugging me? If he keeps this up, I might not promise to spare his bones today." Yoona rubbed her temples, her frustration evident. The two of them were examining the area for safety precautions.

"Hey, take it easy." Seulgi chuckled as they decided to split up to cover more ground.

"Find anything?" Yoona inquired after they finished their examination.

"All clear."

Yoona nodded, her attention then drawn to the photographer capturing shots of Jong Suk posing. She glanced at her cousin, who seemed engrossed in a message from her girlfriend. Quickly, she looked away, focusing on Jong Suk again.

"Go," Yoona suddenly spoke, surprising Seulgi, who looked at her in confusion.  "I can't stand seeing you like this, struggling with what to do. Don't wait too long for your girl, or someone might snatch her away." Yoona's gaze remained fixed on Jong Suk.

There was a moment of quiet before Seulgi responded, "Would you mind if I leave now?"

Yoona turned to her cousin, offering a smile. "If you're heading to her place to make things right, I'm more than willing to cover for you."

Seulgi returned the smile and enveloped Yoona in a tight hug before hurrying away from the scene.

Watching Seulgi's retreating figure, Yoona adjusted her collar and refocused on Jong Suk.

"I definitely should consider becoming a psychologist and charging her 10 dollars per hour."

--

Irene felt devastated after Seulgi's rejection. The other members noticed her downcast expression and understood what was going on. Sighing, they decided to give Irene some space and didn't follow her as she took a seat in the chair where the surprise was supposed to take place.

"Seul Unnie is officially on my hate list," Yeri said, rolling her eyes in disbelief at Seulgi's rejection. It was hard for them to accept that Seulgi, whom they knew so well, could turn down Irene.

"What if Seulgi is genuinely busy? Irene Unnie mentioned they're dealing with a tough case, right?" Wendy chimed in, offering a possible explanation. The others nodded, considering Wendy's point.

"Still, if you love someone, you shouldn't keep them waiting," Joy added, voicing the collective sentiment. The situation was casting a shadow over their mood, and Suho's arrival was something they weren't keen on dealing with.

Soon, they heard the doorbell ring and checked the monitor to see Suho standing outside.

"Who is it?" Irene called out from inside.

"Should we tell her?" Joy whispered to Wendy, contemplating whether to inform Irene about Suho's presence.

"No, he's been causing enough trouble with his pursuit of Unnie," Wendy responded, not wanting Suho to add to their current woes.

Their day was already challenging due to Seulgi's absence and Irene's sadness. They weren't in the mood to deal with Suho's antics.

"Yerimie, who's at the door?" Irene's voice carried from the distance.

"Let me check," Yeri walked over to them, curious about the visitor. "Who is it?"

"It's Suho Oppa."

"Irene Unnie, it's Suho Oppa!" Yeri announced loudly, prompting her fellow members to shush her in frustration.

"Why did you say that?!" They scolded Yeri in hushed tones, but she merely swatted their hands away, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I have told her?"

"Yes, you shouldn't have," Joy retorted, crossing her arms and sighing in exasperation.

"Why?"

"Because he always gets Unnie into trouble," Joy explained, her annoyance clear.

Yeri's eyes widened as she finally realized the implications of her actions. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I had no idea!"

Rolling their eyes, the two members moved aside as Irene approached the door to greet Suho.

"You three, step back and let me handle this," Irene instructed firmly.

"But—"

"No arguments." Reluctantly, the three retreated back into the living room.

"What does he want this time?" Irene sighed before opening the door to find a cheerful Suho waiting outside.

"Hello, Irene."

Irene bowed slightly, which made Suho chuckle. "I told you not to be so formal with me, didn't I?"

Embarrassed, Irene nodded, causing Suho's heart to race a little faster.

He really loved the woman before him.

"What brings you here? Do you need something?"

Suho shook his head and offered a gentle smile. "No, not really. I just wanted to see you and have a conversation. It might sound a bit strange, but when I don't see you, I feel a void."

Irene's thoughts shifted to Seulgi. I wish she were thinking of me as much as I'm thinking of her right now.

They both settled down in an Indian seat at Red Velvet's front door, engaging in conversation about their respective days.

"How about you? How was your day?" Suho inquired, showing genuine interest. He wanted to create an open space for Irene to share her feelings.

Irene fidgeted with her hands and sighed. "It wasn't great."

"What happened?" Suho asked, curious and concerned, wanting to provide a listening ear.

"Well... I was hoping Seulgi would come here, but she couldn't make it. It made me sad because I was really looking forward to seeing her." Irene struggled to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to break down in front of Suho.

"Hmm. Detective Kang seems to hold a special place in your heart," Suho mused.

Irene slowly nodded, acknowledging his observation.

"Why couldn't she come? Maybe she's busy. Being a detective, solving cases must be quite demanding." Irene agreed, understanding the challenges Seulgi faced in her line of work.

But deep down, she missed Seulgi immensely.

There was a moment of silence, shattered by the sound of someone crying—someone right beside Suho.

"Are you alright? Why are you crying, Irene?" Instead of answering, Irene's crying intensified.

Seul, I miss you so much. Please come to me. I'm yearning to see you. The ache in her heart was overwhelming.

"I... I miss her," Irene managed to say through her tears. Suho's heart ached as he watched the love of his life break down. He moved closer and gently embraced Irene, offering comfort.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright. She must have a valid reason for not being able to make it today." But Irene continued to cry, struggling to regain her composure.

The thought of Seulgi slipping away from her tore at her heart. She couldn't bear the idea.

"She must mean a lot to you, huh?" Suho ventured once Irene's sobs had subsided.

Irene weakly nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

"How much does she mean to you? Just curious," Suho asked, his gaze averted.

"If I were to put it on a scale from 1 to 100, my answer would be 110%," Irene replied after wiping away her tears.

"You're in love with her, then," Suho said, his gaze finally meeting Irene's.

Irene's eyes widened as she looked at Suho, surprised by his observation. "H-How did you figure that out?"

Suho smiled warmly at her. Irene felt a pang of sympathy for him—Suho was a good guy, and despite his playful nature, she knew he was sincere. However, her heart belonged only to Seulgi.

"Usually, when a friend ditches you, you'd get angry, not cry even harder. The way you talk about her with a smile on your face is a clear sign. And the way you look at her, it's the same way I look at you."

Meanwhile, Seulgi was walking down the hallway with a bouquet of white roses and a box of chocolates in her hands. She often wondered if her gifts were enough, nervous about whether Irene would like them.

As she approached a corner, she spotted two familiar figures sitting on the floor. A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she recognized them. As she got closer, she could hear their laughter and see them having fun together.

I'm late.

She let out a bitter chuckle, her heart aching. With a deep sigh, she put on a fake smile and turned away.

"Isn't that Detective Kang?" Suho's comment caught Irene's attention. Her eyes followed his gaze and widened when she saw Seulgi's back.

Glancing down at the bouquet of flowers and the red box in her hands, Irene immediately stood up, brushing off her pants. She looked at Suho with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry."

Suho, though hurt, understood that when you love someone and they're happy, you have to let them go. "Go get your girl. Fighting!" he encouraged with a smile and a bow before Irene hurriedly headed towards Seulgi.

"I told you not to be so formal with me," Suho mumbled to himself, chuckling as he watched the woman he loved running towards the Detective.

Outside the building, Seulgi was about to get into her car when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. She closed her eyes and sighed, "Get in, Joohyun. I don't want to cause a scene."

Irene complied, and the two found themselves inside the car, engulfed in an awkward silence. Neither of them wanted to be the first to speak, fearing it might push the other away.

"What was he doing with you?" Finally breaking the silence, Seulgi's voice carried a mix of frustration and concern. "And to top it off, you seemed to be having a great time with him. What does that mean? Is he a better companion for you now? I guess I was wrong, and that's why I wanted to make it up to you. But then I find you outside your dorm, laughing with him!"

Seulgi's anger was palpable; she punched the steering wheel, causing Irene to flinch beside her.

Irene was hurt, deeply hurt. She scoffed and turned to Seulgi, her eyes glistening with tears. "So now you think I'm being unfair? I know it was my fault, my mistake! I tried reaching out to you, I tried…" Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. "...but you never listened to me."

Seulgi turned to Irene, her anger dissipating as she saw the tears streaming down Irene's face. She listened intently as Irene poured her heart out.

"I just wanted you to hear me out so we could work things out together. I respect that you needed your space, but you left me feeling so alone. I didn't know what to do, and the only solution that came to mind was to tell Suho that we're together. I wasn't sure if you wanted that, so I reached out to you. My members and I planned a surpris