a/n: In case you didn't see on the last chapter, this is a double update. So if you haven't read chapter 29 yet, you can go back and do that first!

The drive goes by incredibly quickly, not due to the pleasant company, but more as a result of Hannah’s breakneck driving. She seems oblivious herself, chattering on happily about starting at the hospital the next day, little interactions she’s had with Daniel since the lunch with Jong Kook, and occasionally exclaiming about different shops along the road, though Jong Kook has no idea how she spots them as they’re whizzing by. He breaks in once in awhile to direct her and before he knows it, Hannah is pulling up in front of Charity’s apartment. Jong Kook winces as she hits the curb, but Hannah is unperturbed.

“Mr. Kim Jong Kook! Thank you for inviting me to dinner! Your friends are all so nice, I had a fantastic time.”

“Any time.” Jong Kook grins at Hannah, finally replacing the grimace that had been in place on his face for the entire drive as he anticipated his death around every corner. “Can I take you --”

Hannah cuts in. “I’m going to be super busy for a while, but let’s see each other soon. I’ll take you for a meal next time.” Jong Kook opens his mouth to object, but she holds up a hand. “No arguments! Friends take turns.” She smiles at him and sticks out her hand to shake his good night. “Right, friend?”

Jong Kook hesitates, looking at her extended hand for a long moment before finally extending his own. “Right…” He shakes her hand and Hannah lets go quickly, craning her neck around to see past him to the building stretching high into the sky.

“Is this where you live? With your parents? What are you parents like? Can I meet them sometime? Oh, it’s late, right? I should let you go instead of talking your ear off! But my Korean lessons start soon, so then I’m really going to start talking your ear off. Be prepared, Mr. Kim Jong Kook!” She laughs lightly.

“I won’t mind at all,” he says sincerely. “Thank you for the ride home.” He pushes the door open and steps out onto the sidewalk. “Great car, Hannah. Good night!”

“Thank you! And good night!”

As soon as the door is shut, she screeches away, causing Jong Kook to wince deeply. He stays on the sidewalk for a while, staring down the road long after her taillights have disappeared into the sea of traffic.

He thinks back on the evening as he slowly makes his way inside the building. How easily and comfortably Hannah chatted with his friends. How she slotted into place among everyone with barely a blip. Her friendly attitude and easy way of drawing everyone into conversation even when she doesn’t speak the same language. He smiles, remembering her teasing Suk Jin and the man’s flustered response.

As he enters the lobby and crosses to wait for the elevator, he starts thinking about what Jae Suk said and shifts his weight uncomfortably. What did Jae Suk mean by “not the type” he pictured Jong Kook ending up with? What’s wrong with Hannah? He can’t think of anything off the top of his head, except maybe the way she drives. And the lavish car purchase kind of goes against his financial sensibilities. And she did forget that she was supposed to come to the film set that day. But those are minor things, really, as far as Jong Kook is concerned. Except maybe the way she drives. So it can’t be that Jae Suk thinks there’s something wrong with Hannah, then. It must be that Jae Suk never imagined Jong Kook would end up with someone as great as Hannah, really, he tells himself as he steps into the elevator and punches the button for the 15th floor.

By the time he reaches the door of Charity’s apartment, he’s almost totally shaken off his unease at Jae Suk’s comments. He keys in 4-8-9-4 to the pad above the doorknob and lets himself in to the apartment, kicking his shoes off into the cubby just inside. He trudges across the dim apartment and is halfway across the living room when he spots Charity sitting silently on one of the couches and jumps a mile.

“Hey,” she says, amused. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he says, reaching over the back of the other couch and dropping his bag before circling around to flop down himself. “Just wasn’t expecting to see you there.” He glances at his watch. “Aren’t you usually... out and about by now?,” he asks diplomatically.

“Mm,” she neither agrees nor disagrees, giving him a look. “Not tonight.” She jerks her head in the direction of the stairs and Jong Kook remembers.

“Oh, Zoe’s asleep? Did you guys have a good night?” He suddenly feels exhausted and sprawls out along the couch, promising himself he’ll only lay down for a moment before showering and heading to bed.

Charity nods. “We did.” Her phone dings and she glances down, frowns, then sets it face down on the cushion beside her. She sits forward on the couch and bounces her knee.

“Did she enjoy the amusement park with your mother in law?” Jong Kook slides his cap off his head and over his eyes. Just another few minutes, he tells himself.

“She did. I think she did. She’s wiped out, but we got to have dinner and watch a movie together before she totally melted down.” Charity’s phone dings again and she stands up suddenly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“That’s good.” Jong Kook barely masks a yawn. “Did Miranda behave herself?”

“As far as I know, but who really knows. Hey. I’m going to get something from the kitchen. I’m going to get a drink. Or a snack. Or a drink and a snack. Did you eat? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything? You look tired, maybe you should go to bed. It was a long day.” She calls that last bit over her shoulder as she bounces across the space to the kitchen and begins immediately opening and closing drawers and cabinets at random.

Jong Kook forces himself to sit back up on the couch. “No, I’m fine. I’m fine. And yes, I’m a little tired, but your day was just as long as mine, why do you have so much energy?”

Her phone gives another burst of notifications and Charity’s actions get even more erratic. “I think I’m going to make eggs,” she announces. “Oh, no, wait, we had eggs for breakfast, right? I should leave the eggs for Zoe for tomorrow.” She flings open the fridge. “I’ll make… steak.” She starts hauling things out of the fridge and piling them on the counter.

“Steak?” Jong Kook’s eyebrows nearly reach his hair. “It’s after 10pm. You don’t need to eat steak right now.”

Charity surveys the pile of food on the counter. “You’re probably right.” She immediately begins loading everything back into the fridge. “I’ll just have water.” She pours herself a glass and immediately drains it, tapping her foot the entire time.

“Charity.” Jong Kook half-laughs at the frenetic flurry of activity. “Are you drunk or something?”

“Not at all,” she groans, suddenly hopping onto one of the kitchen stools and dropping her head onto her folded arms. Her phone vibrates from where it’s slid between the couch cushions and suddenly the lightbulb goes off in Jong Kook’s mind. He gets up and moves to the other couch, pulling her phone out and quietly switching it to silent mode before sliding it back between the cushions.

“On second thought, I could eat a steak,” he says.

Charity’s head lifts halfway up off her arms. “Really?”

“Yes, really. That girl I want to date? She came to dinner with us tonight and I barely ate a thing, I was so distracted.”

Charity lifts her head all the way and half-smiles at him. “Ah, too bad, I’m sure it would have been nice to meet her.” She makes an abrupt turn of subject. “Steak!,” she says, leaping fro