❖ Scene: Caught in the Act
The clock struck midnight.
The mansion was quiet. Too quiet.
I slipped through the hallway like a whisper, hoodie on, shoes in hand, heart pounding in my ears. I'd memorized the guards' rotations. Junho had drawn a sketch on napkin paper—half mocking, half helpful—and told me:
"If you make it to the gate, you deserve a medal."
Now I was inches from that gate.
Freedom. Air. Space to finally breathe—
"Going somewhere, my little thief?"
His voice was low. Velvet. Dangerous.
I froze.
Turned slowly.
Taehyun stood in the shadows, arms crossed, a look of betrayal softening his fury.
Behind him?
Junho.
Leaning against the wall, sipping a drink casually, smirking like the devil he was.
And then—he winked.
"You told him," I whispered.
"Obviously," Junho said, smug. "You really thought I'd help you run from him? You're lucky I didn't tie your hoodie strings together."
I glared.
"Traitor."
"Haters gonna hate," he shrugged.
❖ Flashback: The Brothers & the Truth
Earlier that evening — in the rooftop lounge, under rain clouds ready to break — Junho had sat beside Taehyun, jaw tense, voice low.
"She's planning to run."
Taehyun didn't answer right away.
"She'll lie, say she's going for a walk or feeding the birds or whatever weird thing she does... and then vanish."
Still silence.
"Why don't you let her go?" Junho asked finally. "She doesn't love you. She doesn't even trust you. Why are you still painting her nails and buying her libraries and protecting her like she's your oxygen?"
Taehyung looked down at his hands.
"Because she is, Junho."
Junho scoffed.
"You've lost it."
"Maybe."
Taehyun leaned back, eyes on the stars.
"But you'll understand. When you fall in love—real love—not the kind you play with, not the kind you can walk away from."
"What if she never loves you back?"
"That's not love's job," Taehyun whispered.
"It's mine.
To protect.
To carry the weight of her hurt until she remembers how to breathe without pain.
To stand still… until she runs out of reasons to run."
Junho stared.
"You sound like a poet."
"Then let the poems bleed," Taehyun
smiled faintly.
"Because when the time comes, I'll tell you everything.
Every secret. Every reason. Every night I chose her over sleep."
Junho didn't reply.
But in the silence, he nodded once.
● Back to the Gate
Standing in front of them now, I swallowed back the lump in my throat.
"I just wanted to remember who I was," I whispered.
"I didn't mean to hurt—"
Taehyun stepped closer.
"I know."
"Then why stop me?"
His fingers reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face gently.
"Because you don't have to search for yourself in the dark anymore."
His voice was soft, unshakable.
"You've already been found."
Behind him, Junho groaned.
"Ugh. I'm gonna puke."
Taehyun turned, tossing him the keys.
"Put the gates back on lockdown."
Junho caught them.
"Fine. But if she tries to bribe me again with banana milk, I will consider it."
●: Eternal Enemies, Unlimited Sass
I was curled up on the couch in the sunroom, flipping through a book Taehyun gifted me — something about poetry and stars — when he entered.
Kim Junho.
Leather jacket. Ruffled hair. Way too much confidence for someone who just burned toast in the kitchen.
"You're in my spot," he announced.
"You're in my atmosphere," I replied without looking up.
"Can you not?"
"It's called breathing."
"Well do it silently, please. Preferably in another country."
He walked over and plucked the book from my hands like a thief.
"Reading poetry now? Let me guess—so you can recite it dramatically next time you escape through a window?"
"I will throw you out that window if you touch my book again."
He smirked, dropping it back.
"You've got attitude, I'll give you that."
"And you've got issues."
"You know," he scoffed, "you're lucky my brother's in love with you. Otherwise, I'd have locked you in the basement."
I raised an eyebrow, folding my arms.
"You treat every girl like this, or just the ones prettier and smarter than you?"
"No. Just the ones who ruin my peace, steal my brother, and bribe me with banana milk."
I stood up, chest to chest with him now — well, more like collarbone to forehead, but the energy was there.
"No wonder you're single. You treat every woman like she's an undercover enemy."
He leaned closer, cocky grin tugging at his mouth.
"And you act like a Disney villain who got rejected from the princess lineup."
I gasped.
"You wished I was a princess. Then maybe you'd have the decency to respect me."
"Respect is earned, brat."
"And love is impossible for someone who glares at every girl like she owes him money."
Junho snorted, shaking his head.
"Keep dreaming. You're like... an annoying mosquito that somehow bit my family's soul."
I narrowed my eyes.
"And you're the mold in this mansion's perfect architecture."
The old maid walked by, shaking her head.
"You two bicker like a married couple."
We both turned on her at once.
"WHAT?!"
■ The Aftermath
Later, Junho flopped on the opposite couch with a dramatic sigh.
"Can't believe I'm losing arguments to someone younger than me."
"Can't believe you still think age matters when your emotional intelligence is at sponge level."
He stared at me.
I stared back.
And the room filled with silence…
Except for Taehyun's soft laughter echoing from the other room.
"You two are going to kill each other."
"That's the plan," we said in unison.
● Royalty Arrives (and the Mansion Goes Insane)
The mansion gates opened with a low groan.
From the upstairs balcony, I squinted.
"Is there… a sports car parked on the lawn?"
Junho appeared beside me, groaning.
"Great. They're here."
"They?"
"Brace yourself."
And then came—
KIM Minho: black coat, hands in pockets, earphones in, eyes like a sniper.
Kim Jinwoo: pink sunglasses, silk shirt, holding two shopping bags and humming a love song loudly.
"Hello, peasants!" Jinwoo called, throwing his arms open as if the mansion were his stage.
"The face of this cursed family has returned."
Minho walked past without a word, tossed his keys to a guard like he was handing off a grenade, and made a beeline for the whiskey cabinet.
● Chaos Begins
I walked downstairs cautiously, unsure if I should bow or throw water on them.
Junho leaned against the railing.
"Don't say anything. Don't make eye contact. And for the love of God, don't tell Jinwoo he looks handsome."
"Why not?"
"He'll start singing about himself."
Too late.
"You!" Jinwoo spotted me instantly, rushing forward.
"You must be the little doll Taehyun married."
"Um—yes?"
"You're prettier than Junho described."
"I never said anything," Junho hissed.
"Exactly. Which means he's jealous."
Minho finally looked up from his drink.
"You're the one who tried to escape last week, right?"
His voice was quiet. Too quiet.
I nodded awkwardly.
He sipped slowly.
"Bold. Stupid. But bold."
● The Dinner That Followed
The dinner table was full.
Taehyun sat at the head, calm and glowing like always.
Jinwoo beside him, swirling wine and narrating his life like a movie.
Minho across, silent, eyes flicking between me and Taehyun like he was decoding something.
Junho?
Glaring. Fork stabbing his chicken like it owed him money.
"So," Jinwoo grinned. "Our dear devil is married.
Tamed. In love. Gasp."
"Shut up, hyung," Taehyun muttered.
"No, no—this is historic. You, of all people. I thought you'd die hugging a gun and loneliness."
"He's still hugging the loneliness," Minho added.
I tried not to choke on my water.
"And you," Jinwoo turned to me with that gleam in his eyes.
"Have you brainwashed our prince? Or are you just that irresistible?"
"Both," I said sweetly, ignoring Junho's dramatic gagging.
Minho finally spoke again, softly.
"What happens when her memory comes back?"
The table went still.
Taehyun stared at his glass.
Jinwoo stopped smiling.
Even Junho looked down.
But me?
I smiled — the smile of a girl who had no answers but all the instincts.