As the boys strolled toward the market, they looked like a gang straight out of a movie. People around them stopped in their tracks, staring wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open.
Wonwoo and Vernon noticed the stares.
"Guys," Vernon whispered, "do we look like we just robbed something?"
The boys burst out laughing.
Hoshi giggled. "I know exactly why they're staring at us like that~"
Woozi raised a brow. "Then tell us, Hoshi. What are they thinking?"
With a cheeky grin, Hoshi cupped his face like a blushing girl. "It's because we robbed their hearts~"
The group froze mid-step, turning in unison to stare at him. Boo, already stretching his arms, looked ready to strangle Hoshi.
"Hoshiya~! How can you be this cheesy?!" Boo wailed dramatically.
Mingyu sighed. "If you said it's because we're idols, maybe we could've handled it. But this..." He shook his head in defeat.
Still laughing, Hoshi added, "What? Haven't all of you captured Carats' hearts too?"
Woozi burst out laughing and smacked Hoshi lightly on the head. "Shut up, you hopeless flirt."
Wonwoo glanced around. "Okay, we're drawing too much attention. Let's move."
"Yeah," Vernon agreed. "We're acting like two-year-olds." He raised his hand confidently. "And who are we?"
The boys raised their hands in sync. "We're the girls' brothers!"
Vernon nodded solemnly. "Let's go."
Wonwoo chuckled quietly. "And here I thought Vernon was the mature one."
---
When they reached the market, they found themselves in the middle of the street, blocking traffic without realizing it. It was their first time at a local market, and the boys looked around in awe.
Joshua stood in front, scanning the stalls, trying to figure out where to start. The others, meanwhile, were… well… playing with vegetables.
Boo and Dino stood beside a shop admiring the fresh product. Dino picked up a tiny vegetable and asked, "Hyung, do you know what this is?"
Boo blinked like a lost puppy, then shrugged. "I think it's cabbage?"
Dino frowned. "Since when is cabbage this small?" He gently placed it back down and continued scanning the stalls with childlike wonder.
Meanwhile, Woozi, Jun, S.Coups, and Hoshi were crouched near a crying child. Her mother looked flustered, trying to calm her down.
The boys immediately jumped in to help, making silly faces and dancing gently to cheer her up. The little girl stared at them without blinking, then slowly raised her arms. The boys followed, copying her movements like it was a fairytale moment.
Just then, she reached out and hugged Woozi's leg.
Jun, S.Coups, and Hoshi exchanged jealous glances. Woozi, cheeks flushed red, crouched down with a soft smile as the girl beamed up at him. Jun patted her head gently while the mother sighed in relief.
"Thank you so much," she said as she picked up her daughter.
The girl waved at the boys as they walked away. The boys melted, waving back with soft, faint smiles.
From a distance, Jeonghan, Joshua, Dino, Boo, Vernon, and Wonwoo called out, "What are you guys doing? Come on, let's buy the fruits!"
The group turned back with a smile and hurried over.
---
Joshua, as mission leader, stood at the front of the fruit stall, deep in thought. The others giggled as they touched fruits, pretending they knew what they were doing.
The shopkeeper glanced at them suspiciously. "What are you boys doing here?"
The boys froze. A few apples slipped from their hands.
Scoups stepped forward, nervous. "Sir, we came to buy fruits…"
The shopkeeper squinted. "Why are you all here, though?"
Joshua looked at Scoups in alarm. Dino jumped in. "Sir… do you know us?"
The man stared at them, then said, "I don't know. But I feel like I saw you somewhere recently."
The boys went pale.
Boo chuckled nervously. "Haha... maybe you saw someone else, sir!"
Quickly, Joshua handed over apples and oranges. The shopkeeper took them, eyeing the group like they were suspicious.
Once they got their fruits, the boys ran down the road holding hands like they were escaping a crime scene.
The shopkeeper blinked in confusion. "What odd kids…"
---
Meanwhile, Minghao and Xuanye sat quietly on a bench.
Xuanye gazed at the sky. "Hao, look at the clouds. They look so bright today."
Minghao looked up and nodded. "Yeah, but… what's on your mind?"
She smiled faintly. "Even the clouds are bright now, but in rainy season, they turn dark and loud. It's just like… work. We started off thinking we could handle it, but when our boss said those words, I suddenly felt like the office was a battlefield."
Minghao's expression softened. He gently patted her head.
"When we were trainees," he said, "we were kids. We had no money, no house big enough for all of us. Jun and I couldn't even speak Korean. We were juggling training, studying, and exams. It was… overwhelming. Like carrying the sky on our backs."
He looked her in the eyes.
"But I loved singing. It was my heart. So I held on. And now, we're here — all thirteen of us."
Xuanye blinked, tears welling in her eyes.
"So Ye," he said softly, "don't get disheartened just because someone tried to bring you down. Use it. Grow stronger than them. One day, they'll look up to you."
Her lips trembled, eyes glistening with emotion. Minghao leaned in, his own hands trembling, and gently kissed her. Her eyes widened, then fluttered shut as she kissed him back.