Beom-seok entered the restaurant a few steps behind Suho and Sieun, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets. The warmth inside pressed against the cool air he brought with him, but he barely noticed. His eyes wandered lazily around the dining room, scanning it out of habit. He hadn't expected anything from this stop—just another meetup with friends. But then his gaze settled on someone behind the counter.

The person was busy taking an order, pen moving across a notepad like they'd done this hundreds of times before. Efficient. Calm. And then they looked up. Your eyes met for a second too long, and it hit him. A name emerged from the back of his mind: Suho's brother. He'd heard the name mentioned before, never with any real weight. But now, with just one look, it felt like something heavy had settled in his chest. Not recognition... just... impact. It made him catch his breath before he could stop himself.

"Hey, that's my little brother," Suho said, elbowing Beom-seok as they walked further inside. "Didn't know he was working today. Guess we might get free food." He smiled, oblivious. Beom-seok nodded slightly, forcing his gaze to shift, his jaw a little tenser than necessary. He said nothing. Couldn't. Because in that fraction of a second, something unspoken had passed between you, and it was already settling into his skin like a secret he didn't intend to keep.

Suho hurried past Sieun and Beom-seok, heading toward the counter. He ruffled your hair and playfully put you in a headlock. "Hey, little bro. Mind getting a table for three?" he exclaimed before turning to his friends as he led them to a table and started arranging the chairs.