Not a love-story , it's a war-story.

Day Seventeen. 10:00 AM.

Soo-Min stared at her toothbrush.

She hadn't slept much.

Last night, she kissed Min-Jae.

Not by accident. Not as part of a fake fight. A real, fireworks-blasted, camera-captured, heart-thudding kiss.

And now?

Now he was humming in the kitchen like he hadn't just flipped their universe.

---

Scene 1: The "Are We Official?" Talk

"So," she said, arms crossed, hovering near the fridge. "Are we... dating now?"

Min-Jae turned, holding a spoon.

"I was hoping you'd bring that up."

"Why? Were you about to propose with cereal?"

"Only if you like chocolate rings."

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously. We kissed. In public. On TikTok. What does that make us?"

He put the spoon down.

"It makes us two idiots who've been fake-breaking up since chapter five. And now, we might finally be… together."

A long pause.

Then he reached over, tapped her nose.

"So, Soo-Min — will you be my girlfriend? Officially? With permission from Bokki?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"I demand a formal PowerPoint."

"Already made one. Slide one: 'Why Soo-Min is My Favorite Menace'."

She burst out laughing.

"Fine. We're dating. But you're still banned from using my shampoo."

"Worth it."

---

Scene 2: The Group Chat Explosion

Their phones buzzed violently.

[Group Chat: Building 4 Life]

TeenNeighbor007: OMG YOU GUYS KISSED UNDER FIREWORKS??? 🔥💥💏

Mrs. Park: I zoomed. I enhanced. I sobbed. True love is real.

Mr. Han: So when's the engagement? I can emcee.

Min-Jae: "Did someone say emcee? We haven't even done the 'first public couple lunch.'"

Soo-Min: "We haven't even finished brushing our teeth."

Later that day, the building threw them a 'Congrats-You're-Finally-A-Real-Couple' party.

There was a cake. Confetti. Bokki-themed hats.

"I feel like a zoo animal," Soo-Min muttered.

Min-Jae grinned. "Smile and wave. Or I'll bring out the PowerPoint."

---

Scene 3: Bokki's Big Break

After the party, a knock came at the door.

A young woman in a blazer stood there.

"Hi. I'm from CatStar Entertainment. We're here to talk about Bokki's influencer future."

"WHAT."

"Your cat's TikTok just hit 100k followers. We'd like to offer management services."

They looked down.

Bokki, in sunglasses, blinked slowly.

Soo-Min: "He's not even trying."

Min-Jae: "He doesn't have to. He's the star."

"Are we just side characters in Bokki's rise to fame?"

"Yes."

---

Scene 4: Late Night Softness

That night, they sat on the couch, half-asleep.

Bokki nestled between them like a living fluffy wall.

Soo-Min turned her head.

"Hey. Remember when we hated each other?"

"We still argue every day."

"But now I don't fantasize about throwing you off the balcony. That's progress."

He smiled.

"I'm glad it's you. Roommate. Co-parent of the internet's most sarcastic cat. And now… girlfriend."

She leaned against him.

"We're going to be weird together, aren't we?"

"Exceptionally."

Outside, the city lights twinkled.

Inside, Bokki purred.

---

End of Chapter 18