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Lee Seolhwa crouched behind the bush, eyes gleaming like a general surveying a battlefield. She was radiant with determination, hair tied up neatly, hands braced against her knees as she whispered, “Operation True Love begins now.”
Next to her, Yoo Joonghyuk looked like he’d rather be facing down the final boss of a scenario. His arms were crossed, his expression set to permanently unimpressed, and his ear still faintly ached from when she had grabbed it like he was a misbehaving schoolboy.
“This is idiotic,” he muttered.
Seolhwa ignored him, peeking through the leaves. Across the courtyard, Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung were sitting side by side at a table, deep in conversation. Heewon gestured animatedly with her hands, while Hyunsung nodded earnestly, a faint blush creeping up his neck whenever their shoulders brushed.
“They’re so close,” Seolhwa whispered with glee. “If they just realized what’s right in front of them…” She clasped her hands together dramatically. “It’s destiny!”
Joonghyuk gave her a flat stare. “That’s not destiny. That’s poor spatial awareness.”
She swatted his arm without looking. “Shh! You’ll ruin the mood.”
On the other side of the courtyard, Han Sooyoung had just sat down with Yoo Sangah, plopping a bag of snacks on the table and smirking in that infuriating, self-satisfied way of hers. Sangah laughed politely, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, not noticing Han Sooyoung's expression melting at the sound of her laughter.
Seolhwa nearly squealed. “Look! Look at that smile! Yoo Sangah totally likes her. And those eyes! I didn't know Sooyoung was capable of making heart eyes! I knew it. They're in love!”
Joonghyuk sighed, shifting uncomfortably in the bush. A twig jabbed into his side. “Why are we in a bush?”
“Because this is covert matchmaking,” Seolhwa hissed. “No one ever confessed their feelings under the watchful eye of an audience. We need to stay hidden.”
“This is a waste of time.”
“No, it’s not! This is vital to team morale. Happy couples make a happy Company.”
“Or they’ll break up and ruin morale,” Joonghyuk countered bluntly.
Seolhwa glared at him. “You’re terrible at this.”
“I told you I didn’t want to be here.”
“Too late,” she said firmly, grabbing his sleeve as he made to stand. “You’re already my co-conspirator. Now, watch quietly. If Hyunsung so much as blushes harder, we may have a breakthrough.”
Joonghyuk pressed his forehead into his hand, muttering under his breath, “This isn’t a breakthrough. This is torture.”
But despite his complaining, he stayed in the bush.
Seolhwa was still buzzing, hugging her knees with a grin that could power the Complex for a week. “All right. The question is… which couple should we focus on first?”
“Neither,” Yoo Joonghyuk deadpanned.
She jabbed a finger at him. “That’s not an option. Pick one.”
He exhaled sharply through his nose, as if entertaining the idea was already beneath him. “Fine. Start with Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah. Tell them to kiss. Done.”
There was a long pause.
Then smack!
“OW—!” He winced, hand flying to the back of his head where Seolhwa had just whacked him.
“That—” she jabbed her finger at him like it was a sword “—is not romantic at all! Romance is supposed to be soft, delicate, carefully nurtured—like a flower blooming! You don’t just tell people to kiss. Where is the build-up? The longing gazes? The fluttering hearts? The sweet tension before the confession?”
“It’s efficient,” Joonghyuk muttered, sulking. “Romance shouldn’t be this complex. This is why people in novels die before confessing. Too much waiting.”
Seolhwa rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck. “Yoo Joonghyuk. Do not blaspheme against romance in front of me.”
He gave her a flat, unimpressed look. “This is a waste of time.”
Before she could retort, movement caught her eye. Han Sooyoung had stood, Yoo Sangah following, their heads tilted toward one another as they whispered. Seolhwa’s gasp nearly rattled the bush.
“It’s happening. They’re going somewhere. This is it. MOVE.”
Joonghyuk barely had time to protest before Seolhwa’s hand latched onto his ear again, dragging him out of the shrubbery and into the streets.