For the first time in her life, Park Jisoo wished she could dig a hole and live in it.
Kang Haneul—the Kang Haneul—her crush since freshman year, had just told her that the bento box confession was meant for her.
Not her brother.Not anyone else.Her.
Her brain went: ERROR 404, CONFIDENCE NOT FOUND.
"So… you really ate it?" Haneul asked softly.
"I—uh—yes, but in my defense it looked suspiciously edible," Jisoo stammered. "And I didn't know it was a love lunch! You should've written: 'WARNING—ROMANTIC CONTENT.'"
He chuckled, scratching his cheek. "You're exactly like I imagined."
"W-what do you mean by that?"
"Honest. Funny. Kind of chaotic."
Her heart did a backflip, landing directly in a puddle of embarrassment.
Before she could reply, a sudden voice echoed behind them.
"Jisoo-yaaaaa~ Who's this?"
She froze.That voice.That mischievous, tone-deaf, career-ruining voice.
She turned to see Park Jinu, wearing a mask and cap, casually strolling into campus as if he weren't one of the country's most famous idols.
"Oppa! What are you doing here?!"
"Checking on my cute sister," Jinu grinned, sliding his sunglasses down dramatically. "Also, I heard you had a love lunch."
"Wh—WHAT?! Who told you that?!"
"Twitter. It's trending again."
"TRENDING?!"
"Yup. Hashtag #JinuSisLoveLunch."
Jisoo's soul left her body.
Meanwhile, Haneul looked both amused and terrified. "Uh, hi. I'm Kang Haneul."
Jinu sized him up from head to toe like a bouncer. "Ohhh, the chef boy, huh?"
"Chef boy?"
"Yeah, the one who made my sister blush in 4K."
"Oppa!!" Jisoo tried to shove him, but Jinu dodged effortlessly.
Haneul turned red. "I-I didn't mean to cause any trouble—"
"Trouble? Nah," Jinu grinned, slinging his arm around Jisoo's shoulder. "My sister's just special. Anyone who likes her needs to be ready for chaos. She's like… a limited-edition disaster."
"Oppa I swear I'll suplex you—"
Haneul laughed quietly, surprising both of them. "I think that's what I like about her."
Jisoo froze.
Jinu blinked.
"…Did he just say like?"
"I-I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING!" Jisoo yelped, clutching her bag and running away like an Olympic sprinter.
Later that day, she hid in her dorm room under a pile of blankets.Minji sat beside her, scrolling through her phone.
"You're famous again. Look—'Jinu's sister caught in campus love triangle?!'"
"There's no triangle!" Jisoo muffled through the blanket. "Just a crush and a humiliation sandwich!"
"Relax," Minji giggled. "Everyone thinks you're adorable. Even the fandom."
Jisoo peeked out. "Really?"
"Yup. They're calling you 'Chubby Guardian.' Because you carried your brother and accidentally carried his fanbase too."
Jisoo groaned. "I can't tell if that's flattering or tragic."
That night, another notification popped up on her phone.
[DM from: @KangHaneul]Hey… sorry if today was awkward. I didn't mean to make things weird.But if you're free tomorrow, can I make it up to you with another lunch?This time, you'll know it's for you.
Her heart fluttered like a microwave bag of popcorn.
P.S. I promise no hidden love notes this time. Maybe.
Jisoo smiled to herself, hugging her pillow.
"Maybe… being average isn't so bad after all," she whispered.