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The next week arrived faster than anyone expected, and with it came the first official meeting of the liberal arts club.

Jay, of course, had taken it upon himself to make sure everything was "perfect" for Jungwon's reluctant debut. He spent the entire lunch period reminding her—more than once—that they had to make a good impression.

"You have to help me keep him entertained," Jay said as they walked toward the classroom after school. He was carrying a bag filled with snacks, supplies, and some random items she doubted had anything to do with the club. "If he's bored, he's out."

"I thought the whole point of this was to convince him that the club's worth joining," she pointed out.

"Exactly," Jay replied, as if that clarified anything. "You're good at making things sound interesting. Just, you know, charm him a little."

She rolled her eyes. "He's your brother. Shouldn't you be the one doing the convincing?"

Jay waved her off. "He's immune to my charm. I need backup."

When they entered the classroom, a few other students were already there, chatting and setting up tables. Jay immediately took charge, dumping the bag of snacks on the desk and loudly announcing, "Snacks for everyone! Help yourselves."

Jungwon arrived a few minutes later, walking in with his usual unbothered expression. He scanned the room briefly before spotting them. Jay immediately waved him over, practically bouncing with excitement.

"There he is!" Jay called out, clapping Jungwon on the back as he reached their table. "Welcome to the best decision you'll ever make."

Jungwon gave him a look that clearly said, I doubt that. "I'm here for one meeting. Don't push your luck."

"Noted," Jay said, grinning anyway. "Come on, sit with us."

Jungwon reluctantly took a seat, his posture as stiff as if he were preparing for an interrogation. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him—Jay was being especially overbearing today.

"So," Jay began, sliding a bag of chips toward Jungwon. "What do you think so far? Pretty cool, right?"

Jungwon opened the bag of chips but didn't answer, clearly unimpressed.

Sensing the need to break the awkwardness, she leaned forward slightly. "It's not always this chaotic," she said, offering him a small smile. "We're just getting started."

Jungwon glanced at her, his expression softening just enough to show he appreciated the effort. "I'll take your word for it."

Jay, oblivious as ever, jumped back in. "Okay, icebreaker time! Everyone say your name and something you like. I'll start—my name's Jay, and I like being awesome."

The group groaned at his answer, but the introductions went around the room. When it was Jungwon's turn, he paused for a moment, as if debating whether to participate at all. Finally, he said, "I'm Jungwon. I like music."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Jay said, clearly pleased.

As the meeting progressed, it became clear that Jungwon wasn't entirely comfortable. He mostly stayed quiet, only speaking when directly addressed, but he didn't seem completely miserable either. At one point, during a group discussion about planning an art showcase, he even offered a practical suggestion about organizing the schedule.

Jay, of course, took this as a victory. "See? You're already contributing!" he said, nudging Jungwon with his elbow.

Jungwon shot him a warning look. "Don't make it a thing."

By the end of the meeting, most of the students had filtered out, leaving only the three of them behind to clean up. Jay was humming to himself as he stacked chairs, clearly in a good mood.

"So," Jay said, turning to Jungwon. "What's the verdict? Are you staying?"

Jungwon glanced at him, then at her, then back at Jay. For a moment, it seemed like he might say no. But then he shrugged and said, "I'll think about it."

Jay's face lit up like he'd just won the lottery. "I'll take it! You'll see, hyung—this club is going to change your life."

Jungwon rolled his eyes but didn't argue, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. As he walked out, he paused briefly, turning back to her. "See you next time, maybe."

And with that, he was gone, leaving her to deal with Jay's celebratory antics. "He's hooked!" Jay declared, pumping his fist in the air. "I told you I'd get him to join."

She shook her head, laughing despite herself. "He didn't say yes, Jay."

"Yet," Jay corrected, grinning. "Just wait. This is only the beginning."

As they finished tidying up, she couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity about Jungwon.

He was still a bit of a mystery, and though she didn't expect him to stick around, a part of her was interested to see how things would unfold—whether he'd come back for another meeting, and whether this club really would change anything for him.