On Thursday, Seungwan got the keys to his house. His brothers came with him to do the first wave of unpacking. They called Junmyeon on video chat after carrying in the biggest pieces. 

“How many beds do you have?”

“One for upstairs, one for the main floor. I like to have sleeping options.” Seungwan spread his arms wide. “In my kingdom.”

Junmyeon leaned in to the screen, squinting. “Your kingdom looks like it needs a new coat of paint.”

Seungwan shrugged. “It needs more than that, but it’ll be a fun project. Let me show you the new bathroom, though.”

When he got back to the living room after giving Junmyeon a virtual tour, Chanyeol and Jongin had carried one of the two beds upstairs. 

Seungwan had ordered them both online, to be delivered to Chanyeol's house, and they were identical. Basic black wood frames, good quality mattresses.

Baekhyun picked up the memory foam mattress, vacuum packed in a giant tube. “This one is ours to set up.” 

Seungwan got out of his way, grabbing the headboard. They made quick work of it, setting up the frame first, then carefully cutting the plastic wrapping open so the mattress could expand into its full size.

“You got bedding for this?”

Seungwan rolled his eyes. “Nah, I was planning on sleeping on it just like that. Minimalist style. This isn’t a frat house, Baekhyun. Yes, I have bedding. But we have to let the mattress air out for a few hours first. Let’s go get more from my truck.”

After they unloaded everything, the thought of scrubbing down the kitchen was exhausting, so he took his brothers to Lee's for burgers. 

“This is on me,” he insisted when Baekhyun and Chanyeol both tried to grab the bill. “Thanks for your help tonight."

“We’ll help this weekend, too,” Chanyeol said.

Seungwan shook his head. “Actually, I’d rather you didn’t. I’m having a visitor come up tomorrow.”

“Who?”

Seungwan forced his face to stay nonchalant, even though he was pretty damn excited.

But that warm swell of energy that he felt when he thought about Joohyun coming up to stay with him was complicated and layered and none of his brothers’ business, really, so he’d put off telling them for days.

He didn’t want to hear their opinions about her, in any direction.

His friendship with her was private and special and none of their business.

But it would be worse if they caught wind of her visiting, or dropped by and she was helping him put his kitchen to rights. 

So Seungwan shrugged like it was no big deal. “Joohyun.”

Jongin pretended to search his memory. “The woman with the cookies?”

“Shut up, I know you guys have been talking about her and me for weeks.” Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol in exasperation. “Who snitched?”

Seungwan wouldn’t rat out Minjeong. “No snitching required. Whenever I talk to her, Chanyeol gets this matchmaking gleam in his eye.”

Now it was Chanyeol's turn to flip him off. “ you.” 

But that wasn’t a denial.

“Look, we’re just friends.” Seungwan took a deep breath, setting the stage for what might come next. “But if—if—anything develops between me and Joohyun, that’s about us. She’s slowly sorting her life out, and frankly, so am I. Neither of us need meddling in our lives, got it?”

Chanyeol looked far too ing proud of himself.

But nobody suggested Seungwan needed help with the house again, and that was a small miracle.

That night, he crawled into the upstairs bed and lay wide-awake wondering what Joohyun might think of the house, the town, and most importantly, the cafe. 

She was a grown woman. If she didn’t like any part of his wild idea, that would be fine.

She could wish him good luck with his family, his house, and his job, and be on her way after what he would do his best to make sure was a fun weekend either way.

That was the official line in his head. It would be fine.

But as Seungwan lay sprawled on his bed, alone in his own house for the first time, it wasn’t hard for him to admit how much he was looking forward to seeing her again and spending extended time together.

Some of his feelings didn’t quite make sense, even when he looked at them real hard.

Seungwan couldn’t put his finger on why he was drawn to her or why she made him feel so sure of an outlandish plan. 

But as he drifted off to sleep, Seungwan knew he would be disappointed if she passed on the opportunity.

He’d spent a lot of time in his life scraping by with “fine”.

He wanted more than fine, he wanted great and awesome.

Seungwan wanted a cheerleader just as much as he wanted to be someone’s cheerleader, and Joohyun was the first person who had ever inspired that in him.

He couldn’t wait to show her just what that life together could be like.

Joohyun left the city early and arrived in Purpletown in the middle of the day. She knew the area a bit, mostly from the Google.

She had never driven there, and she marvelled at how suddenly the landscape changed.

As she drove further east from Daegu, farmland and rolling hills gave way to jagged cliffs overlooking the sea.

The highway narrowed as it hugged the coastline. Nothing but rocky shore and crashing waves for quite some time, until she saw the turnoff for Purpletown.

She didn’t miss the emergency services building at the highway entrance to the town, and smiled to herself. That was where Seungwan worked, and she was proud of him for it.

When she entered Purpletown, the sandy beach stretched along Main Street before meeting the East Sea.

It was a quiet, picturesque coastal village, but something about it made her pulse race.

Joohyun had to—got to— drive past the cafe to get to his house, and her breath hitched in when she finally caught sight of it.

 When she drove past the local cafe, she pictured having her own bakery there someday with colorful banners hanging outside. The big front windows would be perfect for advertising specials and events like her upcoming bake sale. 

If she wasn’t careful, she would find herself falling hopelessly in love with the fantasy of it all.

She drove further along Main Street and to Seungwan's quiet side street lined with tidy one-story homes and larger two-story homes.

Many homes in this coastal neighborhood had spacious front yards facing the sea, with more natural landscape designs.

Up ahead she spotted Seungwan near the road, pushing a red push mower across his large front lawn.

Slowing, she waved through the window before turning into the long driveway cutoff.

Seungwan had sent her a photo, but it didn't capture the justice.

Nestled privately back from the road yet still close to the beach, his little cottage was surrounded by tall pine trees and lush coastal foliage. There were overgrown vines crawled up the front of the porch.

When she got out of her car, her legs aching from the long drive, Seungwan had mowed to where she was and turned off the engine.

He held out his arms and she folded in against him for an easy hug.

Seungwan smelled like fresh-cut grass and gasoline, and when she pulled back, he had a ready smile for her. 

“I’m here,” Joohyun announced. Ready to discuss the wildest plan.

He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad. Let me show you inside.”

That same wild, fluttery feeling she’d had on Main Street rioted in her chest as he pushed the door open.

There was a small foyer, which was dark, and a living room immediately to the left. Also dark.

But to the right was a staircase, and a window high on the wall flooded that with light. The whole place smelled like wood cleaner and fresh laundry.

“I’ve been cleaning all morning,” Seungwan said apologetically. “But there’s still a lot to be done. I have a room for you, though. This way.”

He led her past the very small but cozy living room, then stopped again. “The kitchen needs the most work. Well, other than the bathroom upstairs. That does, too. Just—” 

Joohyun realized she hadn’t said anything, and she grabbed his hand. “It’s beautiful, Seungwan. I love it. And I can tell that you’ve been getting it ready. It’s a lovely work in progress.”

His brows pulled together, and then he shook his head, laughing. “Just like me.”

“Me, too.”

His mouth curved in a slow smile. “Bit of a theme, then.”

As he’d warned, the kitchen was dated, with rough-looking appliances and no furniture. Boxes were stacked beside a back door that looked out onto a private backyard facing the sand and surf.

Then he led her down a short hallway that also had a door back to the living room on it. “And here is your room,” Seungwan said, leading her into what had probably been the rest of the living room at some point.

It was now a beautiful suite, with what looked like a modern, classy bathroom at the back of the house and a bed under a big window that overlooked the front yard.

“There’s lots of space in here to make this your own...you know, should you decide to...”

The elephant in the room. If Joohyun wanted to marry Seungwan, this would be where she would live. This would be her room.

He’d called it that, but it hadn’t sunk in.

A wild, wobbly laugh bubbled in her chest.

Joohyun rubbed that spot, hoping to keep it inside, but it didn’t work.

It burst out, and she shook her head as she laughed again and again.

Joohyun doubled over, blindly grabbing for Seungwan, who found her and put his hands on her shoulders, righting her. 

“You okay?” Seungwan chuckled. “It wasn’t that funny.”

“It’s just so absurd.” Joohyun wiped her eyes. “This would be my room? Who are you, and why don’t...” She stepped into the bathroom, which was stunning and didn’t match the rest of the house. “Surely this should be your room.”

“I’ll sleep upstairs. Do you want to see that, too?” 

“Of course.” Her head was spinning. They should keep moving so she didn’t stop and think or have random fits of the giggles again.

“Before I told you about the cafe being for sale, I planned to sleep in both rooms,” Seungwan said as he led her up the stairs. “Downstairs most of the time, because of that bathroom—you’ll understand in a minute—but when I’m sleeping during the day, nothing will beat the quiet of up here. This room is at the back of the house and...”

Joohyun followed him across the landing and stopped just inside the door to his room. Sure, Seungwan didn’t have a walk-in shower, but he was right.

His room was the quietest in the house, by far. And out the window stretched down to the shoreline.

Only the rolling sounds of waves and calls of seabirds broke the natural ambiance. It was serene and peaceful.

The perfect place to sleep after a twenty-four-hour shift.  

“So I’ll make renovating this bathroom a priority, and we’ll both be set.”

There was that elephant in the room again. Joohyun gave him a nervous smile.

Seungwan sat down on his bed. “Shall we talk about it now?”

“Oh, I don’t...”