Mina followed Chaeyoung enter one of the private dining rooms. The atmosphere was distinct, with its own dedicated chef visible from the dining area, skillfully preparing meals.
"Oh, look who's here!" Jeongyeon exclaimed, springing up from her seat. "Welcome, welcome!"
"Do you really have to show off this much?" Chaeyoung teased, casting a playful glance around the room while Mina greeted everyone. "We can all just eat outside."
"Well, we owe Mina at least this much," Jeongyeon quipped, flashing Mina a warm smile.
"If anything, you two should foot her therapy bill after all the trauma you caused her," Chaeyoung retorted, jesting with a playful smirk.
"Hey, it wasn't that bad!" Nayeon protested, though a blush crept across her face as she recalled Mina's expression from that night. "Well... maybe it was? I'm really sorry for the confusion and trouble, Mina."
Mina chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Ah, no worries, Nayeon. It's all good now. Chaeyoung cleared everything up already."
Nayeon's smile widened as relief wash over her. She then look at Chaeyoung. "Thanks for doing that."
"Well, I had no choice but to explain everything to her," Chaeyoung laughed, pulling out a chair for Mina and gesturing for her to sit. "She doesn't believe I'm single because she thought we're together."
"Now I'm curious what you looked like that night that made Mina think you're with Chaengie," Dahyun added with a playful grin.
"Well, duh, of course I looked pretty as ever," Nayeon sassed.
Chaeyoung shot Mina a knowing look, as if saying, "I told you Nayeon would find a way to call herself pretty." Mina couldn't help but chuckle, lightly hitting Chaeyoung's leg.
Chaeyoung cleared her throat, trying to hide her surprise at Mina's gesture, and asked, "Are we waiting for anyone else?"
"Oh, yeah. Jihyo should be here in a minute," Jeongyeon replied, just as if on cue, Jihyo entered the room holding someone's hand.
The group looked so surprised that Dahyun almost choked on her wine. Everyone was in shock except for Mina.
"Sana-ssi?" Nayeon was the first to break the silence and confusion in the room.
"You all know Sana, right?" Jihyo said casually, her smile unwavering despite the bombshell she just dropped. "I hope it's okay that I brought her with me."
Sana seemed a bit shy for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and greeted everyone with a warm smile. "Good evening."
Chaeyoung noticed Mina's lack of reaction and shot her a questioning glance, but Mina simply shrugged in response. It wasn't her place to disclose anything.
"I guess the more, the merrier, right?" Jeongyeon joked, attempting to diffuse the unspoken tension. "Come on, Sana-chan, take a seat."
"Right. Thank you." Sana smiled warmly.
As the food filled their table, the group began to eat together, albeit with a palpable tension lingering in the air, like an elephant in the room.
"Alright, this silence is killing me," Nayeon piped up again, unable to contain her curiosity. She directed her gaze at Jihyo, her expression inquisitive. "So, Jihyo, care to shed some light on this unexpected guest? No offense, Sana."
All eyes fixed on Jihyo, awaiting her explanation with bated breath, as the tension in the room thickened.
Jihyo took a deep breath, her gaze steady as she addressed her friends. "Right.." she began, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness. "Sana and I have been together for quite some time now, and we're actually living together."
