FATAL TROUBLE (REVERSE HAREM)

Part 52

"You've been glaring in that direction for fifteen minutes now," Sunoo whispered as he leaned closer, his voice low but teasing. His comment earned him a sharp glare from you in return.

"And you've been keeping track? Do you not have anything better to do?" you shot back, your tone carrying a mix of annoyance and sarcasm.

"Relax, I'm just observing," Sunoo shrugged, his lips curling into a small smirk.

Before you could retort, Jungwon, seated to your other side, spoke up, his voice calm yet inquisitive. "Why don't you just go back to that girl already? Clearly, something's keeping your attention there." He tilted his head slightly, poking his inner cheek with his tongue as he studied you.

You exhaled sharply, crossing your arms as you shifted your gaze to the elevated platform where the evening's runway event was soon to begin. "Why are you so eager to send me back to her?" you huffed. "Weren't you all just interrogating me about her like I'd committed some kind of crime? Now you're pushing me to go talk to her again?"

At this, Niki, who had been quietly observing the exchange from your other side, let out a soft chuckle. The sound immediately drew your attention, and you turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"And what's so funny, huh?" you asked, your tone sharper than you intended.

Niki raised his hands defensively, the corners of his lips twitching with amusement. "Nothing, Noona," he said, still grinning. "It's just... you've changed all of a sudden."

Your frown deepened. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well," Niki began, leaning back slightly as if to brace himself, "just before the event—and even yesterday—you were so shy, so soft-spoken. But now? After meeting that girl, you're... different. It's like she reset your whole personality or something."

He reached out to pinch your cheek, but you slapped his hand away, narrowing your eyes at him. "And what exactly is wrong with being different, huh?"

"Nothing!" Niki laughed, shrugging casually. "I think it's cool, actually. But I'm curious—what changed?"

You took a deliberate sip of your juice, letting the silence stretch for a moment before responding. "Maybe she did change me," you admitted, your voice quieter now. "She taught me how to stand up for myself. How to fight for my rights—the mutual ones."

"Mutual what?" Sunoo interjected, his brow furrowing as he leaned in closer. "Mutual rights? What rights are you even talking about?"

You glanced between them, realizing you'd piqued their curiosity more than you intended. With a small sigh, you leaned back in your seat. "Let's just say... it's better if I explain this to you all later," you said cryptically, earning confused looks from all three of them.

Leah, when I told you that the youngest ones would be better to handle during this situation of topic, I didn't think they would be so curious like this and attentive.

"Wait, wait, hold up," Jungwon said, sitting up straighter. "What does that even mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough," you replied with a faint smile, turning your attention back to the stage. The conversation may have ended there, but the questions lingering in their expressions told you they wouldn't drop the subject so easily.

The hum of activity around the venue served as a steady backdrop to your group's banter. The boys were still exchanging confused glances, their curiosity lingering. You tapped your glass lightly with your fingers, a sly thought creeping into your mind. If they were so curious, maybe this was your chance to dig a little deeper—on your terms.