Ouyangguang rolled over, lying on his side, pressing the phone tightly to his ear, as if that was the only way to absorb some real warmth. He spoke into the microphone, his voice unconsciously low, with a hint of dependence and coquettishness that he himself was not aware of: "Sister, what surprise did you prepare for me? Can't you tell me in advance~"

"No, it's a secret." There was a smile in her voice, firm and gentle.

This small act of "resistance" strangely stirred a mischievous thought in him. Perhaps it was the night that made him bolder, or perhaps it was her tolerance that made him want to push his limits. He curled his lips and adopted Choi Young-do's somewhat ruffian and unreasonable tone in the drama, whispering teasingly, "Sisters, how can you keep a secret from your brother, huh? You're not being obedient at all."

There was a noticeable pause on the other end of the phone, and then Kim Ji-won's voice, raised half a degree, was heard, filled with embarrassment and disbelief: "Ouyang Guang, what are you talking about?" The tone was like a feather gently scratching the earlobe, itchy and making people's heart beat faster.

"Sister, you don't like it," he continued in that lazy and somewhat rogue tone, pressing on with his victory, "but I want to hear you call me brother."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, only the sound of breathing could be heard. Just when Ouyangguang thought she would get angry and hang up, Jin Zhiyuan's voice came again, lighter and softer than before, like a feather slowly falling on the tip of his heart:

"Do you really want to hear it?"

"Yeah, I want to listen." He put away his joking tone and answered with extraordinary seriousness and certainty.

There was another brief silence, as if some kind of silent tug-of-war. Then, he heard her take a deep breath, and then, a soft, yet incredibly clear, voice, like a dream whisper, pierced his eardrums through the airwaves: "Guang Oppa, sarangheyo!"

With a bang, it was as if fireworks exploded in his mind. All the irritation, anxiety, anger at his teammates' loss of contact, and anxiety about the team's future were strangely soothed and dispelled by these few words. A scorching heat surged from his heart to his limbs, leaving his fingertips slightly numb.

He clenched the phone, his Adam's apple rolling, all the words churning in his chest, and finally turned into an equally sincere response: "Nuna, I like you too! Baby, if only you were by my side right now, I really want to hug you and kiss you."

Kim Ji-won on the other end of the phone seemed startled by his bluntness, or perhaps with the same emotions surging, she paused before speaking in a softer, nasal voice: "A Guang, me too. See you tomorrow, good night!"

"Good night!" He paused and uttered a few clear, breathy kissing sounds into the microphone, "Mmmmm!"

The call ended. Silence fell once again in the room, but the air was no longer cold and heavy. Ouyang Guang clutched the burning phone to his chest, clearly feeling his own rapid heartbeat and the uncontrollable curl of his lips.

Seoul was still brightly lit outside the window, and the faint sounds of other members moving around in the dormitory next door seemed to reach them. The unpleasant return incident still lingered, and the team's problems were not resolved.

But at this moment, his world seemed to be infused with new, bright colors. The warmth of holding her hand seemed to linger on his wrist, and the gentle voice of "Kwang Oppa" echoed repeatedly in his ears.

He buried his face in the soft pillow and laughed silently.

What will tomorrow’s surprise be? I’m really looking forward to it!