Aiven spent most of the morning hiding in the guest room, curled up with his knees pulled to his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Raze's breath against his lips again, the softness of that kiss, the warmth of his hand holding him… and every time, his stomach twisted in a million tangled knots.
He wasn't ready.
But he also couldn't forget.
From the hallway, he heard footsteps—light, careful ones. Raze. Aiven froze, heart pounding, listening as the footsteps paused outside the door. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, very gently, Raze knocked.
"Aiven… can I talk to you?"
Aiven's breath caught. He didn't answer.
Raze waited a few seconds before whispering, "I don't want to force anything. Just… I'm here."
Aiven rested his forehead against his knees, whispering to himself, "Why does he make everything harder?"
But he knew the truth.
Raze made everything harder because he made everything feel real.
When the footsteps faded, Aiven finally let himself breathe again.
Downstairs, Zenith, Kazé, and Nova were preparing to leave for practice. Nova had trouble keeping still; the youngest was bouncing on his toes, humming a melody under his breath. When he spotted Aiven quietly slipping into the kitchen for water, Nova gave him the brightest smile.
"Aiven-hyung! You came back! We were worried about you!"
Aiven blinked—he wasn't used to anyone but Raze showing that much concern. "Oh… um, thank you, Nova."
Nova grinned even wider. "If anyone is bothering you, I'll protect you!"
Kazé burst out laughing. "Protect him? Baby, you can't even protect your snacks from me."
Aiven chuckled despite himself, the tension in his chest easing slightly.
Zenith suddenly cleared his throat. "We're running late. Nova, grab the keys."
And that smooth fate-stepping moment happened.
Nova ran toward the table, grabbed the wrong set of keys, and bumped straight into the doorway—right into Draven, who had just arrived to check on Aiven.
Both froze.
Nova blinked up at Draven, wide-eyed.
Draven stared down at him, confused.
For a moment, the dorm went completely silent.
Nova was the first to react. "S-sorry! I didn't see—oh my gosh, are you Aiven-hyung's best friend? You're Draven, right?"
Draven raised an eyebrow, not used to someone talking so quickly. "Uh… yeah."
Nova smiled nervously, cheeks pink. "I'm Nova! The maknae! You're taller than I expected."
"And you're louder than I expected," Draven muttered.
But there was no annoyance in his tone—only surprise.
Nova laughed, flustered. "Sorry! I'll be quiet!"
Aiven watched them, confused by the strange tension. Zenith noticed it too, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, as if he saw something before anyone else did.
Kazé leaned over and whispered dramatically, "Ohhh… interesting."
Aiven turned to Draven. "What are you doing here?"
Draven shrugged. "Checking on you. And telling you to eat something. And making sure you haven't climbed out the window to run away."
Aiven rolled his eyes, but his smile was grateful. "I won't run away."
His gaze drifted to the balcony where Raze stood, pretending not to stare.
Aiven swallowed hard. "Not now, at least."
Nova finally grabbed the correct keys. "We're going! Bye, Aiven-hyung! Bye, Draven-hyung!"
Draven blinked. "Since when am I 'hyung'?"
Nova only giggled and ran out.
The door closed.
Aiven and Draven were alone.
Aiven let out a slow breath, leaning against the counter. "He's… energetic."
Draven stared at the door Nova had disappeared through. "Yeah. Energetic." Something unreadable flickered in his eyes, but he shook it off. "Anyway, how are you feeling today?"
Aiven hesitated. "Still confused."
"Because of him?" Draven nodded toward the balcony.
Aiven didn't answer. He didn't need to.
Hours passed, and eventually, Aiven found himself standing outside the balcony door, watching Raze from behind the curtain. Raze hadn't noticed him yet—his headphones were on, music playing softly as he leaned against the railing, eyes distant.
Aiven's heart tugged painfully.
He stepped outside before his courage disappeared.
Raze turned immediately, eyes widening. "Aiven."
Aiven's voice trembled. "I'm… I'm not ready to talk about the kiss. But… I didn't hate it, okay? I just… need time."
Raze exhaled shakily, relief washing through him. He stepped closer but kept a respectful distance.
"Time," he said softly, "I can give you. As long as you don't disappear again."
Aiven's cheeks warmed. "I… won't."
Their eyes held each other's for a long, quiet moment. The tension between them softened, turning into something gentler… something hopeful.
Inside, Draven glanced at the balcony and smirked slightly.
But his thoughts drifted not to Raze…
not to Aiven…
But to the small idol who had bumped into him and smiled like sunlight.
Nova.
Draven scoffed under his breath. "What was that?"
But deep down…
he already knew.