Chapter 43 preparing for the night show
**Dinner at the Lee Mansion**
The crystal chandelier cast a warm, golden glow over the grand dining room of the Lee family mansion. The evening was quiet, save for the soft clinking of silver cutlery against porcelain plates. But despite the calm atmosphere, the energy at the table was buzzing—mostly radiating from Lee Ga Eul.
She was practically bouncing in her seat, a massive, uncontainable smile plastered across her face as she pushed her food around her plate.
Mrs. Lee paused, resting her wine glass on the table. She observed her daughter for a moment, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Ga Eul, you look absolutely glowing tonight. What is the good news?"
Ga Eul looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Omma, Oppa and his friends are holding a concert this Friday, and I absolutely cannot wait to see them!" she squealed, clapping her hands together.
"Oh, really?" Mrs. Lee asked, raising an eyebrow. She took a slow sip of her water, staring at her daughter and clearly waiting for the *actual* news. "Is that all?"
Ga Eul's cheeks instantly flushed a deep, rosy pink. She looked down at her lap, her voice dropping to a shy mumble as she added the real reason for her excitement. "Well... Yi Jung will be there, too. We promised to sit together."
Mrs. Lee blinked, completely confused. "Yi Jung? Who on earth is Yi Jung?"
In that exact instant, the sweet, bashful expression on Ga Eul's face completely evaporated. She slowly turned her head toward her father, her eyes narrowing into a fierce, scolding glare that could freeze water.
"Apparently, Omma... Appa knows *exactly* who he is," Ga Eul said, her tone dangerously sweet. She crossed her arms. "Appa, why don't you tell her who Yi Jung is?"
Across the table, Mr. Lee's eyes darted frantically around the room, as if looking for an emergency exit. He pulled at the collar of his expensive dress shirt, suddenly realizing that the consequences of keeping a secret from his wife were about to catch up to him.
He let out a long, heavy sigh, taking his sweet time to formulate the words.
"Honey," Mr. Lee began, his voice surprisingly small for the patriarch of the family. "Yi Jung is... well... he is Ga Eul's boyfriend."
*"Huh?!"* Mrs. Lee gasped, sitting up straight.
Mr. Lee swallowed hard and quickly continued before she could interrupt. "He is Lee Dae's bride's younger brother. It's a good family connection!"
The dining room went dead silent.
The heavy, rhythmic *tick-tick-tick* of the antique grandfather clock in the hallway suddenly sounded like it was blaring on a loudspeaker. Mr. Lee braced himself, gripping the edge of the table and preparing for the inevitable fire to rise to the roof of the mansion. He had kept their daughter's dating life a secret, and he knew exactly how terrifying his wife could be.
But unexpectedly, the high-tension atmosphere shattered.
Instead of an explosion of anger, Mrs. Lee's eyes crinkled at the corners, and a bright, genuine smile broke across her face.
"I had long known from the very beginning," Mrs. Lee said, a teasing lilt in her voice. "I was just patiently waiting for one of you to finally crack and tell me."
She burst out laughing, completely losing her elegant composure as she looked at her husband's face. The formidable, incredibly successful Mr. Lee had entirely lost his mature, stoic aura. Instead, he was pouting with the adorable, guilty face of a two-year-old child trying to avoid being scolded.
Mr. Lee slumped back in his chair, letting out a massive, dramatic sigh of relief.
"Let's eat before the food goes cold," he said, smiling warmly at his family.
---
Morning Preparations
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows of the shared apartment. Inside their respective rooms, Lucy and the boys were already awake and dressing for the day ahead.
After throwing on a comfortable outfit, Kim Jo made his way into the kitchen. He tied an apron around his waist and immediately got to work, the rhythmic sound of chopping vegetables and the sizzle of a hot pan filling the quiet apartment. Shortly after, the soft padding of footsteps echoed in the hall, and Lucy joined him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter to keep him company while he cooked.
A few moments later, the dining table was a feast. It was completely filled with different types of food, sending a delicious, savory aroma through the air. The rest of the guys emerged from their rooms, and they all sat down together, digging into their breakfast with cheerful, chaotic energy.
Once the plates were cleared, they headed out into the city for a shopping trip.
Inside a brightly lit, trendy clothing store, Kim Jo took the lead. He sifted through the racks with a focused expression, carefully choosing clothes for Lucy to wear for the upcoming show. He pulled out a few elegant, understated pieces that perfectly matched his own style.
However, Seo Joon had entirely different plans.
Sliding over to a completely different rack, Seo Joon pulled out a vibrant, eye-catching outfit. He proudly held up a bright pink mini skirt paired with a matching pink blazer, looking extremely pleased with himself as he presented it to her.
While they were waiting near the dressing rooms, Seo Joon leaned in close to Lucy, a conspiratorial grin on his face.
"Lucy," Seo Joon whispered, making sure the others couldn't hear. "There's going to be a secret party tomorrow midnight. Are you in?"
Lucy turned around to face him, her eyes widening. She was instantly filled with so much happiness at the idea of a spontaneous adventure.
"Where is the party held?" she asked eagerly.
Seo Joon smirked, thoroughly enjoying the suspense as he answered, "In..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Kim Jo appeared right beside them, carrying a stack of clothes. He looked between the two of them, raising an eyebrow at their hushed whispering.
"Are you not tired standing up?" Kim Jo asked dryly, clearly trying to interrupt whatever scheme Seo Joon was brewing.
Seo Joon completely ignored him, turning his attention right back to Lucy to deliver the punchline. "...In LA, at the—"
Lucy didn't even need to hear the rest of the sentence. She was smiling heavily, dramatically clasping her hands together.
"My gosh!" Lucy exclaimed, completely overjoyed. "I can't wait for tonight! My heart is jumping!" She did a little happy dance right there in the aisle. "Step in, baby, step in!"
Overcome with excitement, she threw her arms around them, pulling both Seo Joon and Kim Jo into a massive, happy hug right in the middle of the clothing store.