screaming on a school night rn instead of sleeping
This has been playing for 2 hours now and i still can't stop watching it
The way he rolled his eyes???? Please i'll keep giving him head just to see that look
How can he be real thođ so fucking fine
#cryingagain
midnight thoughts: [heeseung + drunk words]
synopsis: real sweet, but you wish he was sober (alternatively, you take such good care of heeseung while he's drunk that he decides to tell you how he really feels). pairing: heeseung x gn!reader genre/warnings: hurt/comfort (?), f2l (ambiguous but still cute i promise) / EMETOPHOBIA TW (nothing happens but throwing up is mentioned, be cautious <3)!!!, drunk heeseung lol, tiny skz mention (my worlds colliding), um alcohol consumption (?), sunghoon is the dd don't worry there is no drunk driving! wc: 1.4k (el oh el)a/n: inspired by model student heeseung in the first couple en-o'clocks who is unreasonably attractive but also ? a dork . that is all. (love u hee stans this one's for u hope u're doing okay lately w ur man acting the way he is.)
[1:16AM] six shots of tequila and a raspberry smirnoff ice deep, and lee heeseung is gone. strong surges of heat rush to his cheeks to create a dizzying push and pull effect, rivulets of sweat are beginning to drip from his temples, and he's trying his best not to vomit up the fried chicken jake and sunghoon made him eat earlier. heeseung finds solace on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor; he clutches the crisp fabric of his white button down and attempts to will away the waves of nausea that are crashing against the walls of his stomach. breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, heeseung's thoughts begin to drift back to a familiar place. he can almost feel the phantom sensation of your fingers carding through his hair; the tips of your fingers are refreshing and imbue him with a tranquility that he isn't often privy to.
"holy shit, dudeâdid we really let you get this fucked up?" heeseung vaguely registers jake's voice as two warm fingers reach under his jaw to check his pulse. inwardly, heeseung chucklesâleave it to biomedical engineering major, pre-anesthesiology track jake sim to presume death over everything else. glancing up, heeseung watches the genuine concern that flashes in the younger boy's gaze. "c'mon heeseung, we gotta get you home, bro. good godâ[y/n] is actually gonna murder us âŠâ
heeseung curls in on himself at the sound of your name, hiding away from the prodding of jakeâs fingers into his upper arms. he wants to press his face into the crook of your neck, he aches to feel your hands cascading up and down the length of his spine, he yearns so desperately for a chance to indulge in a tender moment of unity with you. heeseung closes his eyes to relish in the way the memories seem to envelop him in a ghostly embrace, and he swears he only blinks once. the bass-boosted music and headache inducing strobe lights become mere background accompaniment to the movie playing behind his eyelids.
he swears he only blinks once, but the familiar aroma of your perfume begins to permeate his sensesâbergamot and vanilla, his favorite. voices come into focus, his head starts to pound, and the reality of being splayed all over the backseat of sunghoonâs benz is setting in at the speed of falling molasses. "what the hell did you let him get into?" there's a certain venom in the question that bites at his jugular. he recognizes the cadence of your voice and the way you suck a sharp breath through your teeth with ease. "sigma kappa zeta is so out of hee's leagueâyou couldn't have taken him to alpha tau zeta or tau chi tau or someplace that bang chan doesn't run?"
"he said he could handle it!" sunghoon counters.
you let an incredulous scoff escape your mouth as you berate the two boys in a hushed whisper, "and, you believed him? he obviously wanted to impress you idiots. god, i'm starting to think jongseong is the only one of you with a functioning brain ... "
"[y/n]!" jake exclaims, "so not chill."
"noâwhat's really not chill is tweedledumb and tweedledumber letting heeseung get wasted at his first frat party." you scold, voice cold as ice while jabbing an accusatory finger in their faces. jake and sunghoon hang their heads like dogs being told off for chewing up furniture; in any other situation, you might have had the inclination to chuckle, but you don't. "now, help him up to my couch and leave before i get even meaner."
everything is blurry as heeseung stumbles his way up the stairs to your apartment; sunghoon and jake are bickering with one another while supporting each side of his bodyâwho is tweedledumb and who is tweedledumber, who let heeseung drink this much booze, who will have to recount tonight's escapades to jay, and who will have to give pity laughs to his impending dad jokes? they curse at one another until you mention the possibility of a noise complaint, and all the incessant chatter stops. in the midst of a spring night, only cricket song remains. heeseung focuses on the quiet chirping until the cool leather of your couch cushions begins to soothe the molten liquid that seems to course through his veins. goodbyes are exchanged and a door is closed somewhere far away, but heeseung's head is too heavy to lift.
he blinks again and opens his eyes to the rough fibers of an old washcloth running over the peaks and valleys of his face. the fabric brushes along the deep circles carved beneath his bloodshot eyes; concentration knits your forehead into a multitude of different creases, and heeseung can't help the pitiful chuckle that tumbles from his mouth. an airy sensation overtakes his being as he realizes that he's right where he had wanted to be all eveningâwith you. embarrassment still settles like an indestructible boulder in the pit of his stomach, however; shame's spindly talons sink into heeseung's flesh as he realizes just how much of a fool he's made out of himself.
"justâjust wan'ed to be cool, [y/n]," heeseung slurs out, voice plagued with exhaustion. bringing his knees to his chest, heeseung attempts to keep his tears at bay. "just wan'ed to show you that i c'n be cool 'nd awesome 'nd sexy! but, now 'm just looking stupid on your couch ..."
placing the washcloth on the arm of the sofa, you move to rest heeseung's head in your lap. he gladly accepts the comforting gesture, cuddling into the soft cotton of sweatpants he realizes are his. combing your fingers through his roots and scratching at his scalp, you whisper, "for the recordâi already think you're cool and awesome."
heeseung glances up at you, face swollen and eyes puffy. "really?" he asks, "so, you don't think i'm a stupid, un-sexy idiot that can't hold his liquor?"
"well, you can't hold your liquor," you muse with a hint of laughter in your voice, caressing the supple skin of his cheekbone, "but, no. i don't think you're a stupid, un-sexy idiot."
basking in the reality he was just confronted with, heeseung's drunken mind can only focus on one thing. his desperate need for clarification tempts him; desire's forked tongue beckons him towards the truth. the question repeats over and over again in his brain until it spills outâan unwilling victim of an inebriated perpetrator. "so ..." he drawls, attempting to wink but closing both eyes instead, "you think i'm sexy?"
and, you laugh. it's a euphoric soundâa beautiful melody reminiscent of spring picnics, gingham blankets, and the fragrant scent of blooming tulips. for a moment, heeseung loses himself in it; coherent thought escapes his grasp as he is overtaken by you. your touch, your warmth, the bleary image of your smile as it comes in and out of focus. you wash over heeseung in waves, an ocean of calm in a world that only seeks to burn; alluring siren song floods his mind as you call out to him over the sound of the blood pumping his ears. the cool tips of your fingers are beginning the quell the heat beneath heeseung's skin as consciousness begins to slip away from him, and a dopey grin is woven onto his lips.
"heeseung," you murmur, the ghost of a bout of giggles hiding behind your words. "hee, baby, you should really let me get up to grab you some advil."
the term tumbles from your mouth before you can help it, and you freeze. having revealed yourself, you're overcome by the desperate urge to runâbut, heeseung has given you nowhere to go. his weight traps you, holding tight and pressing harder by the second. half of you wants to hear him say it back, while the other hopes for the couch cushions to swallow you whole. heeseungâthough not a man of many surprises with his perfect grades, perfect attendance, perfect everythingâmanages to stun you tonight.
"wan' you t'call me that again, [y/n]," heeseung mumbles through sleep, "please."
"you wantâ" your voice catches in your throat, "you want me to call you baby?"
there's a beat of silence so long that you're almost sure heeseung has fallen victim to the salivating jaws of sleep, but he groans. the utterance is low and deepâdripping with what seems to be a concoction of mild annoyance, exasperation, and endearment. "'s all i've ever wanted, [y/n]," he replies, eyes closed and nose buried into your sweater, "you're all i've ever wanted."
another pause.
"okay," you say, meandering through the quiet for a moment, letting yourself wade towards him in this new sea of possibilities, "baby."
Shoto Todoroki headcannons
Shoto needs you to be gentle with him, especially after suffering years of abuse from his father and his complicated relationship with his mother. The poor thing just needs love. Out of all the characters, I honestly see him as the one most in need of affectionâa definite little spoon. Even if you raise your voice at him, just the slightest bit during a disagreement, his different colored eyes go all sad. Be gentle with the poor thing.
He really enjoys the feeling of your hands in his two toned hair, so heâll lay down on your lap while you rub his head. Heâs very patient and sweet, but he also gets his feelings hurt very easilyânot by most people, just by you, so you have to be careful with his emotions because he has a tender heart.
He needs physical touchâhe likes to be held tightly in his sleep. He enjoys feeling compressed against you. His favorite position is when you're behind him, his back facing your chest, with your arms tightly around his waist and your face buried in the back of his neck.This position is perfect for both of you because you can hear each otherâs hearts beating due to the proximity. It helps drown out his thoughts. Also screw blankets because due to his quirk his body is really warm (at least the left side anyway).
He likes to buy you things. Every type of love languageâphysical touch, gift giving, acts of kindness, quality time, and acts of serviceâhe loves them all, both giving and receiving. He needs to be able to spend time with you. A great example of quality time is when he specifically used his name to pull strings after becoming a pro hero, getting you on his crew because he didnât want to be away from you. Since he knew he wouldnât be home often, heâd rather be away with you, that way he never really had to be away from home because you are his home, in a way.
He always tells you how pretty you are, how much he loves you, and how much you light up his world and make him happy. Ever since you got into a relationship, the boy smiles so much more.
He also needs words of reassurance because he gets insecure. Heâll buy you presents randomlyânecklaces, bracelets, simple but cute ones with both of your initials on them.
He doesnât like you buying expensive things for him because it makes him feel guilty, but it means a lot to him when you buy him chocolate and treats he likes. He has a soft spot for sweets, and itâs nice to see him excited. He usually appears so monotone, but when heâs excited over you, itâs obvious.
He loves you more than anything, and every action, every little gesture, is a reflection of that.
pairing: sunghoon x reader
word count: 597
warnings: fluff, wedding magazine photoshoot, sunghoon asks to hold you, sfw, might give you cavity because im on soft hours, and strangers to friends to potential lovers???
âIâm so sorry! Am I too late?â You spoke between your pants as you rushed inside the wedding magazine photoshoot.Â
âNot at all! You arrived just in time for the next session,â one of the staff answered upon seeing you. âCome here, letâs go change!â
When your friend pitched you about being a model for a wedding photoshoot ad, you were quick on your feet to pick it up. They are willing to drop three hundred dollars on the spot, so why not? You need fast money to buy K-POP merch and if this gig can get you somewhere, letâs go!
Once the hair and makeup were done, a female staff helped you get dressed in a simple white wedding dress.
âThis is our male model who will play as your groom, Park Sunghoon,â the staff introduces you to your partner.Â
âHi,â he greets you with a shy smile.
âHi,â you say in return, swallowing hard at seeing how handsome this man is.
âOkay, you two are playing the modern groom and bride. So try to pose like youâre in love and sell the outfits!â The staff beams, giving the light directions before the photographer helps you two model.
The first ten minutes were nerve-wracking as youâd never been this close to such a handsome man before. The photographer had to keep telling you both to relax and stop acting stiff. Especially when two had to stay close to one another. It was awkward as youâre both new to each other, but Sunghoon starts asking questions and that eased your mind.
âIs it okay if I place my hand here?â
âHow do you feel about me holding your waist?â
âLet me know if Iâm too close, okay?â
Sunghoon was so gentle, so caring, and it made your heart flutter each time he asked you a new question when a new pose is to happen. Howâd you get so lucky with a sweet partner?
In between breaks, you two chatted about life, a way to get to know each other so work wouldnât be so awkward. The moment Sunghoon mentioned this being a side gig, you perked at him.
âThis is a side gig for me too!â You chime and Sunghoon chuckles.
Who knew that you two are low-key broke college students who need money?
âThis entire time, I thought you were a legit model and I was just filling in,â you explain in all honesty, and Sunghoon shakes his head.
âI donât think Iâm up for modeling. Iâm more of a tech guyâŠâ Sunghoon replies, nervously rubbing the back of his nape. âMy friends teased me to use my long legs for this gig.â
You giggle at his words and nod your head. âI agree with your friends. Your long legs probably landed you this job,â you tease him and your heart instantly melted at his beautiful smile.
The break ended rather quickly and you two changed outfits again. Feeling a bit more comfortable with one another after getting to know each other, you two were able to build better chemistry this round. The photographer couldnât stop chef kissing into the air and commented how cute you two would be if you ended up being a real couple.
Finally, the wedding photo sessions came to an end you were able to change back to your comfy clothes. You find Sunghoon who waves at you after receiving your payment.
âI was wondering if you want to grab dinner?â He asks with that heart-melting smile plastered on his face.
Grinning in return, you nod your head. âIâd love that.â
when you donât say âi love youâ back to bakugou.
Bakugou says, âI love you,â every time heâs about to leave the house without you. Itâs something that he got from his father, and to put it simply, he got influenced.
Heâs about to finish putting on his hero gear. His gauntlets were already in place, his boots laced, and his mask pushing his hair away from his faceâkind of like how he wore it during high school whenever it wasnât necessary to wear it properly.
And there you were, sitting cross-legged on the floor without a care in the world.
Books were scattered around you in piles, organized by some system only you seemed to understand. You were focused as you murmured to yourself quietly, comparing sizes, genres, and authors, completely absorbed in your task of organizing the living roomâs bookshelf.
âIâm heading out.â
âMmhm,â you replied absentmindedly, holding up two books and tilting your head as if the slight angle would help you decide which belonged on the top shelf.
Bakugou frowned, his brow twitching. âOi, did you hear me?â
âYes, yes,â you said, still not looking at him. âBe careful, Katsuki.â
He let out a huff, running a hand through his hair. He was used to you getting lost in your little projects, but this felt different (were you playing a prank on him?). He stepped closer, crouching down beside you to meet your eye level. âDonât overwork yourself while Iâm gone,â he said, softer this time.
âI wonât.â
Still not looking at him. Unbelievable.
To Bakugou, it felt like being thrown through a building and backâand he wasnât even exaggerating because it actually happened to him once! And he could definitely conclude that the feelingâs similar when youâre ignoring (not paying that much attention to) him.
Bakugou watched you for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing slightly before he sighed. âI love you,â he murmured, his tone quieter.
âUh-huh. Have a good day at work.â
Just as Bakugou was about to stand back up, he blinked, the words sinking in slowly. His brow furrowed as the realization hit himâheâs so confused.
You didnât say it back.
âWhat the hell?â he muttered, more to himself than to youâbecause you didnât even hear him.
He huffed, taking the book you were inspecting as he let your hands fall on his arms instead.
âHey.â
âHm?â you glanced at him, your expression innocent as if nothing unusual had happened.
âYou didnât say it back,â he said, his tone sharp, though there was a hint of disbelief beneath the irritation.
The audacity you had. After almost always saying âI love youâ to him to the point where Bakugou realized he couldnât go on his day without hearing it, you decide to not say it now?
Whatâs next? Youâre going to tell him you want a divorce? Heâs overreacting, he thinks.
âSay what back?â
He clenched his jaw, his cheeks flushing faintly. âI said I love you, dumbass.â
Realization dawned on your face, followed by a sheepish smile. That smileâthe one that managed to win him overâitâs so infectious it might as well be a cause of an epidemic.
âOh! Katsuki, Iâm sorry. I was distracted.â
âTch,â he muttered, looking away from you. âYeah, I noticed.â
You leaned closer to where he was crouching, squeezing his forearm softly, your touch light and apologetic. âYou know I love you too, right?â
He side-eyed you, his scowl deepening, though it was clear his annoyance was fading.
âDoesnât count if I gotta remind you,â Bakugou grumbledâalmost pouting.
Your laughter bubbled out, so familiar that Bakugou was reminded where his home is, as you then held his face gentlyâthen squishing his cheeks so that his lips are puckered. âIâm sorry,â you said, your voice warm and teasing. âIâll make sure to say it next time, promise.â
âBetter keep thath promish,â he muffled out.
âI will,â you assured him, loosening your hold as you gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Strawberry-flavored chapstick, one of Bakugouâs favorites whenever you kiss him.
âI love you, Katsuki.â
He tried to maintain his frown, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward as you kissed him once more. âYou better.â
âNow go save the day, my hero.â
With a sigh, Bakugou leaned away from you, his posture reluctant to even leave you. He made his way to the door, pausing to glance over his shoulder one last time. You were looking at him, blowing him lots of kisses with the emphasized âmwah!â
âDonât get so caught up in your books that you forget I exist,â he tells you.
You smiled, nodding along. âNever.â
âI love you.â
âI love you too! Text me when you get to your agency; love you lots!â Thatâs better.
As he closed the door behind him, Bakugou shook his head, muttering to himself, âIgnored for some damn books. Unbelievable.â
Still, despite his grumbling, the faint smile on his face said he wasnât really mad.
SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.
A LITTLE MYSTERY NEVER HURT ANYBODY . . . pro-hero katuski bakugou x f ! actress reader. mâdni / fluff / hints of âtensionâ and maybe suggestive⊠/ established relationship / little smau at the end / not proofread / minors donât read this !!
despite being a fairly new actress, you were able to catch the attention and hearts of the fans from your recent debut just two years ago. becoming a highly in-demand star, given every project possible just to be seen on the screen. however, you kept a secret. that one secret that could cause a frenzy, that the beloved actress of the nation is dating the one and only pro-hero dynamight.
they all assumed that they definitely knew the both of you are in a relationship⊠somehow. you had that certain glow and katsuki definitely made it sure that heâs not available. no matter how many fans tried to flirt, no matter how many interviews heâs gone through he says one thing very clear, âgot a pretty girl already.â however, nobody knew it was with the two of you together.
countless articles are read about you, how you were overheard with a director from your upcoming series that you wanted to avoid any romantic scenes or a partner in general. which boosted more speculation on your âmysteriousâ love life.
now, your manager says that she got you booked with a new project. youâll be in a promotional shoot with a pro-hero for a fashion campaign with an upcoming designer. âthatâs fine right? youâd be with someone in the shoot though.â your manager says. you shrug, looking over at the recent line the designer put out.
âitâs fine. no point in declining opportunities right?â
she nods enthusiastically, âthatâs the spirit! we were actually surprised the team agreed immediately when they found out it was you. i heard they only accepted solo projects for him.â
you smile, âwell whoever itâll be iâm sure weâll do great.â
the moment you step foot on the set, you were immediately greeted by the designer themselves. ây/n youâre so beautiful, youâre so perfect for us!â
âthank you for believing in me! please take care of me well.â you bow and was brought to your own dresser. quickly dressed in a silk robe and getting your makeup done. your hair was in curlers, the team taking their sweet time to make sure they enhanced your features for the shoot.
you hear a knock on your door, and you could hear your manager gasp when she opens it. peeking at the mirror with one eye, you see a familiar figure walking towards you, messing with the collar of his shirt.
âhey baby.â voice raspy and hoarse. now everyone in the room was shocked. looking at the two of you. to top it all off, katsuki places a quick kiss to your cheek and getting a stool to sit beside you.
your manager definitely felt like she was gonna faint. she had no idea what this was or when, or even how. everyone else was also in shock and confused, felt like time stopped somehow.
why is he now acting all lovey dovey in public? is what they all, including you, wondered.
âfuck baby youâre looking too pretty.â you giggle, trying to stay in place while the makeup artist adds their finishing touches. âthank you katsuki, no wonder you agreed to this shoot.â you say. the makeup artist finally says youâre done, you were all ready, just needed to change into the outfit.
katsuki was in a fitted velvet button up shirt with low-rise slacks. only the middle section of the shirt was buttoned, and for the first time in your career, your professionalism was definitely getting tested. just a little lower you could probably catch a glimpse of his happy trail. âwho allowed you to wear that?â you motion with your head. but before he could answer youâre already turned around, moving behind the divider to dress up.
âaw come on, i know you fuckinâ like it.â he says loudly, then followed by the door closing. suddenly the staff was all on you after you stepped out. complimenting how you looked so good, how youâre going to be the new face of the brand after this. but most especially, the elephant in the room.
âi know everyoneâs thinking you have a boyfriend but⊠dynamight?!â
âwhere, when, why, and how?â
âi never saw him speak that sweetly to anyone beforeâŠ.â
âi thought it was another celebrity! this is really unexpected.â
lots and lots of questions but they were immediately shut down by your manager who wanted to maximize the time. âwe still got a shoot. y/n can tell us the details another time.â she gives you that look that reads âyou better tell me everythingâ and you give her an apologetic smile.
you take a look in the mirror, seeing how you matched with him. in a tight velvet dress that hugged your figure really well, probably a piece from the earlier collections. itâs pretty, the skirt is slanted with peaks of ruffled tulle.
youâre start walking to the set where katsuki was already waiting. âoh our princess! you look amazing.â the designer says, holding his hands to his chest. âi knew you and dynamight would look amazing together, i thank you both really.â
you grab their hands, âiâm really happy you paired me with him too!â
you approach katsuki with a smile, and heâs already grinning at you. âwell shit this might be the hardest job iâve taken yet.â he chuckles, placing a hand on your back to help you on the extravagant set.
youâre shining so bright and in your element that heâs just happy to be there. yet, the whole time he couldnât seem to keep his hands off you, how his hold on you lingered, wanting to touch you even more, even deeper. despite the director giving clear directions that you followed with no fuss, he on the other hand just has to have a hand on you. but it definitely gave an effect on each shot.
katsuki couldnât help but keep his eyes on you, eyes glimmering with desire. and how youâre looking at him with such a cool glareâit just felt so out of character for the both of you. whoâs usually so sweet and him whoâs usually so out for reach. âthink i need you in this dress when i take you home.â he would whisper. and youâll playfully hit him on his arm.
when you prepare for the next shot heâd always tell you things thatâd rile you up. and when nobodyâs paying attention heâd be looking you up and down. âbet youâre even prettier under this fuckinâ dress.â
even in between clothing changes you both looked picture perfect. both complementing each otherâs visuals. heâd sneak you out from time to time to get a smooch here and there, resulting in the makeup artists on the set to fix him up because his and your lipsticks would smudge, wondering why he gets messed up all of a sudden.
âyouâre so damn pretty baby. too bad the makeupâs gonna get ruined when we get home.â
âstop teasinâ during work katsâŠâ
the last shot had you both seated on the carpet. it was sexy, your handâs on his bare chest and heâs leaning in towards you with a finger under you chin. the two of you together felt magnetic. itâs so interesting to everyone in that room how the hero whoâs usually uncontrollable became so compliant because if you. overall, it just felt too romantic, that petals of roses were somehow seen falling down on the both of you while you posed.
what was most unexpected was how katsuki really enjoyed being in front of a camera, as long as itâs with you (mightâve gotten a few âcreativeâ ideas too). heâs definitely making one of these photos his wallpaper when they upload it.
and the next day, that one shot trended all over the internet. blasted all over the digital billboards in the city too. finally seeing the elegant y/n who seemed to have helped show a new side of the pro-hero to the public.
showering the brand with praises and how much of a âgeniusâ they were for even choosing the two of you as the muses. because it really was just a coincidence that the owner was a fan of you both.
then there goes the online articles, the video complications, the noise that just wonât die down. tweets and photos, even a sudden rise in fanpages. dynamight and y/n, and the public thatâs trying to piece every evidences of your interactions. how they were all tricked that your relationship was just under their noses. how in events youâre always seen together, or how your car was spotted in his neighborhood that one time. or when katsuki always keeps saying in interviews that his favorite shows and media always had you in itâmain lead or not. the way nobody caught it even when you mentioned that dynamight was one of your favorite heroes. even showing them a small plushie charm that you carried on you hanged on your bagâeveryone was stunned.
still, neither of you confirmed anything, yet.
till the moment the official account of the brand posted all the shots of you together, and it was very obvious how the two of you were actually in love, like the head over heels type.
well, the both of you are gonna have more projects together soon for sure.
bonus!
do not copy, plagiarize, translate, or repost my works
note : i really like this actress au iâm definitely gonna make more đđ different versions for sure
hyunjin x photographer!reader. friends to lovers with so so much tension and pining. hyunjin is too pretty (yet again). suggestive in the end and reader is wearing a dress. inspired by Bathtub hyunjin.
thank you hyunjin yet again for being my eternal muse and inspiring this brainrot. wrote this while listening to All mine by plaza so.. please enjoy <333 feedback is highly appreciated đ«¶đ»
Is it possible to drown in the depths of your emotions, until breathing becomes a forgotten process, one that eludes each one of your senses?
Yes, you believe, if standing before a vision of ethereal beauty, as you are now, all encapsulated within Hwang Hyunjinâs being.
The camera slightly shakes in your grasp as you linger by the threshold of the bathroom, eyeing Hyunjinâs silhouette submerged in the waters. Heâs sitting inside the bathtub, fingers running through his raven locks, awaiting your return.
He doesnât seem to notice your presence, nor do you wish him to. Instead, you remain silent by the door, allowing yourself a few seconds to savor the intoxicating aura he exudes.
See, he isnât doing anything particular, nor is he adorned in anything enticingâ a simple white shirt and matching linen pants. And yet, his presence fills the air, compelling oxygen particles to flee from your being, leaving you transfixed, unable to do anything but gaze at him.
âI can feel you staring,â he remarks casually, his eyes still drawn before him as he leans back, tapping the edge of the tub with his ring-clad fingers.
Your heart pulses against your ribs, a dance that the organ knows intimately by now, one that Hyunjin alone can orchestrate. It isnât the first time heâs had this effect on you, it is a familiar territory you first breached when Minho introduced you to him.
Hyunjin is a friend, but his hands find your waist more times than deemed platonic, and you like his touch much more than youâd like to admit.
âI'm assessing my subject, you know?â A faint grin dances upon your lips as you approach the bathtub. Hyunjin is doing you a favorâ you just booked your first photography gig, and your client only has one condition: to shoot it in a bathtub. You wanted to translate your vision to life beforehand, and Hyunjin volunteered to help you.
âAnd how do I look?â he inquires, his smile a sugary dream that coaxes forth his left dimple. You place your camera gently on the countertop, bending down to inspect him up close.
His eyelids glisten with the golden glitter you delicately applied earlier. His skin is dewy, glistening underneath the warm lightning, and his lips drip crimson, courtesy of the cherry chapstick you carefully tapped into place.
There is always a myriad of visions that come to your mind when you think of Hyunjinâ a blazing fire where each flame surges higher towards the heavens, a burning dance of passion and confidence; or a delicate red rose standing resilient in an empty field, vulnerable yet unwavering in its strength.
And now, you see a siren, beckoning mortals with a voice of beauty, ensnaring them with its hypnotic allure, much like he captivates you in this moment.
âYou look nice,â you settle on saying, and he playfully pouts, his thumb grazing against your wrist lightly, akin to the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wing. âThat's it? You never compliment me properly.â
âSomeoneâs gotta keep your ego in check,â you shrug, grabbing a dozen of roses and scattering them all around his body. You nod, satisfied with the outcome, finally retrieving your camera.
âLet's start with a simple shot, look at the camera, as you would when seducing someone.â
Instead of looking at the lens, Hyunjin's gaze finds yours first. With a deliberate slowness, his eyes trace the contours of your form, sending delicious shivers down your spine. His pupils dilate, his gaze darkens, before he reluctantly tears his eyes away, finally shifting his focus to the camera.
it takes you a few beats longer to find your voice once again.
âHold still, one⊠two⊠three,â you murmur, capturing a few shots, pausing for a few seconds to admire the warmth of the light bouncing off his honeyed skin. âPerfect.â
âMe or the picture?â he teases, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and you roll yours in response.
âThe photographer.â
âYouâre right, you're perfect,â he replies simply, and you're momentarily taken aback, your eyes widening slightly. He notices, a small smile playing on his lips as you grab his hand to adjust his pose.
âYou aren't allowed to speak anymore,â you declare, guiding his index finger to his lips while his head rests on his other curled fist. He grins, before his expression morphs into a smoldering gaze, one that blankets your skin in hues of red from its sheer intensity.
âLook at me this time,â you instruct, and he nods obediently, directing his gaze towards you. Though your eyes remain fixed on the lens, you can sense the intensity of his gaze piercing through youâsuddenly, the white dress you're wearing feels too sheer to contain the flames ignited by his stare.
âMm,â you hum in approval as you look at the result. A sweet realization washes over you as you notice the subtle shift in his gazeâ does he know his eyes unconsciously soften when they land on you?
With each click of the camera, your nerves dissipate, replaced by a growing confidence as each shot turns out exquisitely. They look worthy of gracing billboards worldwide, a privilege of working with a model as beautiful as him, one who portrays emotions as if they were crafted solely for him to feel.
âGood, let's try an overhead shot now,â you instruct, slinging the camera strap around your neck before climbing into the bathtub, legs on either side of his body. Youâre hovering over him as he gazes up at you, his fluttering eyelashes echoing the erratic beat of your heart.
Your eyes briefly trace the contours of his now-translucent white shirt, a veil that delicately clings to his form, accentuating the sculpted lines of his physiqueâthe arc of his v-line melding seamlessly into the fabric of his trousers. He possesses the body of a masterful dancer, a muse Michelangelo himself would have revered.
âTake off your shirt,â you suddenly request, and though your words are met with a quirked eyebrow, he obliges effortlessly. With a fluid motion, he peels the garment from his frame, sending it sailing across the bathroom's expanse.
âGood?â he questions but you remain silent because words have suddenly become beyond your grasp. Your client's request for a portrait suddenly feels inadequate and you almost itch to cancel it, because you know it won't exude the same beauty as Hyunjinâs. For each fiber of his being flusters you, makes you hyper aware of your every pulse point and how they all come together to chant Hyunjinâs name.
âLook up at me as you lean back,â you finally say, positioning the camera directly above his head. With each click, your heartbeat speeds up even more at the sightâ collarbones and arms bathed in the play of light and shadow, his long, wet hair cascading over broad shoulders, and worse of all, a faint smirk that graces his placid face, as if he's aware of how breathtaking he looks in this moment.
âShould I do this?â he asks, picking up a rose and brushing its dewy petals against his lips. You swallow hard, nodding meekly before swiftly capturing a few more frames.
Emotions twist you into a peculiar being, yearning for your very soul to liquefy, transforming into the water droplets adorning the rose's petals, longing to caress Hyunjinâs lips too.
Hyunjin suddenly straightens his posture, hands coming to rest gently on your calves, fingers dancing along the hems of your dress with a delicate touch.
âHowâd I do? Do I look good for you?â he asks and your knees weaken beneath you, his words rendering you a merciless leaf, swayed by the fiery winds he commands, with his words, with his touch, with his eyes, all solely on you.
âFor me?â you echo, and he nods, his hand moving languidly up and down your leg, pausing delicately at your knee.
âMm. You're the only one I want to impress.â
Your response escapes your being breathlessly. âAnd why is that?â
âDidn't you ask me not to speak?â he grins, running a hand through his hair. Swiftly, you place your camera on the counter before kneeling down, your thighs now brushing against his own.
âSpeak,â you command, and in an instant, he seizes your waist, drawing your body close until you're straddling him, legs enveloping his middle.
âSay it again,â he whispers, and you thread your fingers through the strands of his hair, gently tugging at the edges until his head tilts back, exposing the expanse of his neck.
âI saidâŠâ you trail off, leaning in until your nose grazes the warmth of his skin.
Being this close to Hyunjin isn't unfamiliar to you; your interactions have always teetered on the brink of almost-kisses, your bodies drawn together like magnets, two halves of an orange yearning to reunite.
Yet, this moment feels different, much more fateful, as if the universe has granted you one final opportunityâto finally ignite in passion or perish into ash.
âTell me. I want to know,â you urge, your voice a whisper against his skin, laden with unspoken desires.
âBecause... I like you a lot. So much that you're the only one I think of all day. And I want you to like me too. I feel like I need it to breathe.â
His response catches you off guard with its vulnerability, the intimacy it drapes on this moment. The water envelops your intertwined bodies as your hands find solace atop his chest, his rapid heartbeat seeping into your palm.
âI always forget how to breathe around you,â you confess, a sheepish smile gracing your lips. The grin that blooms on his face is radiant, casting a glow on the room that cannot be replicated by artificial lighting.
âIf you forget how to breathe, I'll give you all my oxygen,â he promises, his thumb tracing gently across your cheekbones. You see the sun in his smile, feel its warmth in his words that burn you. âI think it always belonged to you anyway,â he murmurs, his lips hovering tantalizingly close to yours. âI think... I wanna give you back what's yours. Would you let me, pretty?â he asks, his voice a tender plea.
And amidst all the planets you know and the countless universes that may exist, you cannot fathom a single one where your answer would be anything but yes.
âPlease,â you whisper, and his lips crash against yours in a fervent dance.
Your lips part before swiftly meeting again, and you close your eyes, surrendering to a world where all your senses converge to breathe Hyunjin inâyour hands exploring the contours of his chest, your mouth savoring the sweetness of his lips infused with your cherry chapstick, your nose inhaling his scent, a delicate blend of vanilla and tobacco pulling you into a dizzying dance, your ears catching the gentle rhythm of his breaths and the faint thud of his heartbeat, all resonating within you.
And you don't need your eyes to see Hyunjin; he's indelibly etched behind your eyelids from all the time you've spent admiring him before.
âFuck," he whispers as he draws back, âI should have kissed you much sooner.â
âMm?â you grin, intertwining your hands behind his neck, âWas it that good?â
âYou have no idea what you do to me, donât you?â
âThen show me,â you grin, a playful glint in your eyes.
His gaze sparkles with mischief, his lips curling into a self-assured smirk, his hands finding your waist once more. Breathing is not necessary if it gives you Hyunjin in the end.
âOh, I will.â
âą â calm down. | íŹìč.
genre: fluff
warnings: mentions of stress, kissing
requested: no
pairing: heeseung x fem!reader
milanâs note: kind of inspired by calm down by rema & selena. when i was thinking abt this fic i was thinking abt that song (made this fic for u guys but a lil for me cause im a bit stressed myself)
heeseung always took good care of you. especially the times you were stressed and today just so happened to be one of those times. he knew that everything you had going on was a lot on you even when you tried to hide it or mask your real emotions with a smile and an âitâs fineâ.
he didnât need much of an explanation from you in words but could always tell from your body language. how your shoulders were higher and more tense. the way youâd stop eating and/or drinking normally. even how much more you stared off in to space when he was talking.
he knew it all. which is why even after he came home prepared for cuddles and a relaxed night, he decided to take you out.
this landed you at the nearest park by your shared apartment. you both walked side by side up to a steep hill where you could see the sun setting behind the nearly bare trees. his arm was tucked tightly around you, pulling you into him every time you took a step. he pressed kisses on your temple, whispering âI love youâsâ and how much he cared about you.
once you got to the edge of the hill, you stood with your hands shoved in the pockets of your coat, looking out at the setting sun. heeseung moved to stand behind you, arms wrapping around your torso as he placed more kisses to your temple and cheek. he nuzzled his reddish nose against the side of your neck.
âyou mean the world to me, you know that?â he mumbled close to your ear. you nodded at his comment, knowing he was about to go into one of his mini speeches that he always gave you when you tried to hide your feelings from him.
âi donât want you to ever feel like you have to hide the fact that youâre simply tired or overwhelmed. i wanna be there to take care of you when you canât calm down.â he said, the last part referring to when you cried in his arms before you both left for a walk. your eyes still slightly red after the sobbing fest.
you sniffled, nodding once more. he continued to talk to you, making you promise to talk to him more. after the sun had mostly gone down, you turned around with heeseungâs arms still wrapped around your waist. your slightly warm hands came up to his pink cheeks, pulling him down to meet you halfway with a gentle, but deep kiss.
your lips moved in sync for a bit, his grip on you tightening. his eyebrows furrowed as he deepened the kiss, putting all his love for you into one smooch.
you both pulled away slowly, resting your foreheads against each otherâs but not before leaving one more peck on his lips.
âiâll always be here for you, sweet girl.â
âą milanâs notes: hope u guys enjoyed :)
taglist: @haechansbbg @contyynishimura (message or comment to be added)
© KAIROOT 2023
OFF MY FACE ( in love with you ) â lee heeseung
pairing : basketballer! heeseung x fem! reader
genre : strangers to lovers, romance, comedy if you squint, she fell first he fell harder, love at first kiss, literally no angst no problems they are in love with each other
synopsis : heâs talented, heâs smooth, heâs funny, heâs the popular basketball captain lee heeseung! when you find yourself saving him from a predicament, you muster up the courage to ask this long time crush of yours for a kiss in return. his mind tells him itâs just another kiss given, but why does his heart keep accelerating at the thought of you?
warnings : cursing, kys joke, mutual pining, sickening love that leaves singles ( me ) crying for one chance, heeseung comes so dangerously close you might faint imagining it, slight jealousy, suggestive? descriptions of making out, heeseung kisses another girl like twice ( booooo ), cucumbers
word count : 7.7k ( i have absolutely no vocab left in my head )
nellaâs notes : long fics are so hard to write i am not fit for this?! kudos to those amazing amazing writers because how⊠again, not my best ( Iâm past my peak ) so please please please give me feedback. i will read it when i stop being such a coward and face the fact that this is extremely mid.
for astrid : thank you so sososososo much for constantly hyping me up and cheering me on during the writing process. you were the first person i ever gave a spoiler to and you really make me feel like iâm floating whenever you say that you canât wait for this very fic to come out ( i hope it lives up to at least half your standards )â€ïžâđ„đ»âŒïž
for rim : thank you cat woman, george, the cavity to my toothpaste for beta reading and helping me improve the flow of the whole fic ++ dealing with my dramatic ass cause told you not to text one too many timesđđșđ€š this is the middest thing iâve ever churned out but you actually read it so youâre literally on topâïž
important
part one of hylfab series :: series masterlist
LOVE is crazy and unpredictable, like the storm that comes after a sunny day. It washes you, drenching your whole body and soul in it. And some people decide to run, seeking for shelter desperately while others decide to dance in the shower of nature, accepting the love the earth blesses them with. But you, you were the type who waited for it with anticipation, crazily in love with the thought of love.
You feel a drop and then another. A kiss. A kiss. And then another kiss.
i. when your grassy lips touch mine
âWith seconds left on the clock, Decelisâ Captain Lee Heeseung looks determined to score a tiebreaker, heâs driving towards the basket, and with a layup he-â You watch the boy whizz through the court, light on his feet as he dodges everyone in his way.
The way he moves is magnetic, you think, and he jumps easily tossing the ball into the basket.
âScores!â And youâre on your feet, eyes wide and mouth agape as your scream blends into the cheers of your fellow schoolmates. âLee Heeseung has done it once again, heâs led his team into the semifinals of the HYBE Basketball Tournament!â
The final whistle blows and you watch as the basketball team huddle together, specifically at a number 11, who was patting your good friend Jungwon on the back. The sweat from his temple rolls down to his chin as he pulls his jersey to wipe it, exposing the tiniest bit of skin that leaves you blushing.
âWould it hurt for you to look away once in a while?â Minjeong says, rolling her eyes, âI know you like him but god, get a change of scenery or youâll get bored.â
The tips of your ears turn pink as you turn your head towards her, rebutting, âOne, looking at him is a change of scenery from looking at you. Two, I was literally looking at Jungwon so that I could go congratulate him.â She scoffs, rolling her eyes at your pitiful attempt to explain yourself.
âY/n! Minjeong!â Jungwon yells, capturing the attention of the both of you as you stop your bickering to congratulate him. As you walk down the steps, your eyes move to Heeseung, eyeing the way his tongue darts out to lick his lips as he listens to his coach.
You think heâs gorgeous, how his hands move to brush his hair back and how his skin glowed under the harsh lighting of the hall. His gaze shifts to meet yours for a split second before returning back, nodding at something his coach said.
âCongratulations Won, you were amazing!â Minjeong exclaims, giving him a big slap on the back. âYeah Won, youâre the MVP of this game in my heart,â you add, passing him a water bottle like you always do after his matches. He holds back a laugh and you shoot him a sharp glare, cautioning him not to embarrass you in any way, especially when Heeseung was right beside him.
Before he can reply, Heeseung returns, patting Jungwon on the shoulder. âI have to get something for Coach Yoon, see you at the afterparty later?â Jungwon nods and he smiles, gaze darting from Jungwon to Minjeong to you before taking his leave.
âYouâd think from the way you look right now, itâs the first time youâve seen his face. But from the amount of times youâve watched him from behind, I guess it actually is.â Minjeong jokes.
âKill youself,â you reply, cursing her under your breath. It wasnât the first time sheâs teased you about your crush on Lee Heeseung. Just as you were about to call Minjeong out on the way she acted with her crush, your phone rings.
âShit, sorry guys, I canât hang out today. My brother just returned home yesterday, and heâs here to pick me up.â You apologise as you hurriedly grab your bag.
âSunooâs back? Tell him we said hi, and that we canât wait to see him around school again!â Jungwon says, as the two of them wave goodbye to you.
The sky was turning a dark shade of blue as you finally breathed in some fresh air, starkly contrasting the musky smell of sweat that occupied the arena. Humming a song under your breath as you made your way across the empty hallway to the academyâs carpark.
âHey, is anyone there?â The sound of rattling and thumping breaking the serene silence you were walking in. You turn, eyes at work, trying to find where the seemingly familiar voice was coming from. âHello?â Your eyes dart to the equipment store.You walk towards the storage room, easily turning the knob on the door, opening it only to find Lee Heeseung, in all his glory, holding a door knob?
âThank god, someone heard me,â he heaved a sigh of relief, hand moving up yet again to brush his hair back â which came to be useless as the strands of hair returned back to their places on his forehead. âThank you so much, Jungwonâs friend,â he says, tossing the door knob into an empty basket.
âJungwonâs friend?â You ask, head tilting in curiosity.
âYeah, arenât you Jungwonâs friend? I saw you with him just now. Thank you again for helping me.â He replies, meeting your gaze for the third time today and you feel a little faint.
âI helped you,â you repeated, processing his words, âwell then, you owe me,â a lazy grin spreading on your face.
âWhat?â he says, slight shock evident in his voice, âwhat do you mean I owe you?â
You sigh exaggeratedly, âI was busy but I still helped you, and now Iâm late for a meeting with a very important person. So, you owe me.â
âOkay,â he trails off, âso you want me to buy you lunch?â
âLunch? Huh, is that how you ask out all of your side chicks,â you joke, having fun teasing the oblivious boy in front of you, âchuck them in a smelly room with you then tell them youâll treat them for lunch?â
He scoffs, eyeing you for the first time. He thinks youâre pretty, how you were drowning in Jungwonâs oversized jersey with cheeks painted in streak of Decelisâ renowned navy blue and white. âNo lunch then, so what exactly do you want, hm pretty girl?â
You look him up and down, and heâs intrigued. Heâs used to girls falling to their knees for him. The kind with shy personas yet starkly contrasting gazes, as if they were going to eat him up. But heâs never really seen the look in your eyes, like you had him where he was supposed to be, and he was obliged to listen to your every beck and call.
âHow about, â you pause, thinking, âa kiss.â
âA kiss?â Heeseungâs taken aback. Never in his life has he been asked for a kiss this directly, especially not from such a pretty girl like you. He watches as you look up at him, doe eyes and glossy lips, and he thinks heâs gotten soft. âSure,â he agrees cooly, keeping his composure.
You wonder where the surge of confidence had come from as you tilt your head up, gesturing to him to bend down before you move in.
He catches a whiff of your perfume before tasting the honeyed vanilla of your lips. Itâs sweet yet subtle and he canât help but yearn for more. His fingertips dance on your waist as he pulls you closer, hair softly brushing against his face as he drowns in the cream-like warmth of you.
He thinks paradise is between your lips and heâs in a dream. Like his heart is a stone that skims across the ocean of your skin, leaving dents of throbbing desire with every touch of your tongue with his.
But before he can go any further, you break the kiss, a frown etched on your face as you wipe your lips.
âUgh, what is on your lips? Do you use some kind of olive oil lip balm? Thatâs disgusting,â you say, looking up to him appalled. âDonât know if itâs you or the girl you kissed before the game, but whatever it is, itâs nauseating.â
Heeseungâs taken aback and wants to refute, but you were already walking out of the equipment room, the back of your hand trying to rub off the lingering taste of grass on your lips. He scoffs at your disappearing silhouette, ignoring the slight disappointment at the back of his mind.
Itâs fine, he thinks, itâs just another kiss.
ii. stomach, meet butterflies
Itâs been four days and Heeseung still canât get you out of his mind. Suddenly you were everywhere, at basketball training, five people in front of him in line at the cafeteria ( he counted ), and his eyes constantly wandered, sifting through the different faces just to find a doe eyed girl with a sharp tongue and witty attitude.
The arm wrapped around his bicep tugs him down, bringing him for a kiss. Itâs bitter and sour all at once, and he can taste it, the hint of the grass-tasting product on Soojiâs lips.
âHey, what product do you use on your lips?â Heeseung asks her, curious of the disgusting flavour of the girlâs lip gloss.
âYou like it that much, huh?â She purrs, shifting closer to Heeseung. âItâs actually cucumber, all natural as well, makes my lips softer. My mother actually bought it for me when she went to ââ Heeseung nods, tuning out the girlâs annoyingly high pitched voice as he finds himself looking for you in the midst of the crowd of the cafeteria yet again.
To his surprise, he finds you already staring at him and he awkwardly shifts in his seat, moving away from Sooji. He doesnât know why, but it suddenly feels wrong to be sitting so close to a girl, kissing and touching Sooji who heâs barely had five full conversations with when you were around. ( even if you were sitting across the cafeteria )
Heeseung canât hear your soft voice that keeps replaying in his head, so he results to just watching as you break eye contact to wave your hand at Jungwon, who was walking towards your table. The way your eyes sparkle as Jungwon approaches you and your friends, and the grin plastered on your face as you call him out by his nickname irks Heeseung.
âWonâ, one simple syllabus and a silly nickname. So why is he feeling envious?
Youâre just another girl heâs kissed, nothing more. He thinks, trying to console himself. It didnât matter that you were confident, hilarious, or the prettiest person heâs ever met. Nor is it about how your lips felt so so soft against his, the taste of delicate vanilla that stayed on the tip of his tongue.
âSeungie, are you even listening to me?â a shrill voice interrupting his thoughts, and he turns back, annoyed at the fact that his line of sight was no longer you, but a cakey face of makeup paired along with a sickening amount of perfume. âWhat was I talking about?â
âUhâŠcucumber lip balm?â Heâs dazed, all his attention on you, not sparing a single glance at the girl leeched onto his arm. He canât help but be mesmerised at how alive you were as you laughed along with your friends, the strong glare of the sun somehow cradled your figure, like a natural spotlight.
Itâs like you have him wrapped around your finger, unknowingly tying up his heartlines like telephone cords. And he doesnât know what to do.
So he results in asking Cupid. âIâve retired Hee,â she says, âIâm not cupid anymore.â Her boyfriend Jayâs arm slung around her shoulder, as he twirls the ends of her hair.
âIâm not asking for matchmaking, I just don't know what to do next,â He mutters, slightly embarrassed. Heâs Lee Heeseung, the basketball captain who led his team to the championships, the guy who could get any girl he liked, yet he finds himself stumbling over one small kiss with you.
Jay examines his friendâs expression, âif she really asked you for a kiss, then why are you the one chasing her around, following her like a lost puppy?â The girl beside him stifles a giggle, unable to fathom how the tables had finally turned. That after constantly teasing the both of them for following each other everywhere, it was finally his turn.
âAm not,â he argues, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.
The couple looks at him in disbelief, âyouâve literally been asking around about her, looking for her every second youâre free, or do you not remember?â
Heeseung remembers. How could he ever forget when all he does these days is stare at you.
âYouâre down, bad.â Jayâs voice bringing him back to reality, âso? She liked the kiss, right?â
Heeseung sighs, not knowing how to answer. He enjoyed it, but did you? Most probably not. Not when his lips were smothered with Soojiâs all-natural cucumber balm ( they make your lips soft, but at what cost? ) âYou promise not to laugh?â he casts knowing looks at the duo who loved making fun of him, âshe said my lips taste like grass.â
He watches as Jay and his girlfriend hold back their laughter, looking at each other in amusement. âOh god, sheâs way out of your league,â he says, âwe have to meet her.â
Heeseung groans, palms rubbing his face as he deliberates why he ever came in the first place, âjust fucking tell me what I should do.â
iii. if i had two hearts, i would fall for you twice
You think itâs pathetic; youâre pathetic â as you watch the boy youâve liked for a year bend down to kiss a different girl with his lips, as if nothing had ever happened just a few days ago. Maybe you were being dramatic, making a big deal out of such a normal act from Lee Heeseung, but you couldnât help but frown at the thought of your unrequited feelings.
Though you were the one who broke the kiss up, you had to admit it was one of the best kisses youâve ever received in your life. An intricate memory of your first kiss with your crush that should be stored in the treasure chest of your heart. You wished it could last forever. But tasting another girlâs gloss on his lips made you feel so worthless, like you were a side piece â even if he wasnât really yours to begin with.
âHeâs a wuss, heâs a coward,â Minjeong exclaims as the both of you sit on the bleachers of Decelisâ indoor sports hall, âhe gets the kiss of his life, follows you around school like a bitchless loser, and when you finally look at him he kisses someone else?â
You slap your palms onto Minjeongâs mouth, nodding your head towards the hall full of basketballers practising. âWay to be secretive,â you groan, âbut I guess itâs normal for him to kiss people. Plus, he does not follow me around, heâs always with Sooji.â
âWe literally saw him outside our class just now, looking directly at you through the window,â she comments, âyouâve definitely caught his attention.â
You sigh, watching Heeseung as he bends down to catch a breather, body flushed like roses as he mouths something to his teammate. And you think it would take you more than a lifetime to get over the boy. He never needs to know how you replay your conversation with him in your head all the time. The way he smiled when you opened the door, the lovesick feeling that only he could give you.
âNo, I-â you start, turning to face Minjeong, before you are interrupted by her furious tapping, âyeah, you did, because heâs on the way here right now.â
âHey Y/N, hey Minjeong,â he greets, standing in front of you looking like a god. Your eyes widen in shock as your name rolls off his tongue and youâre buzzing, burning, flying.
âHey guys,â Jungwon follows, hands reaching out to ruffle your hair and you scream.
âWon, it took me such a long time to do my hair today,â you complained, whining as you glare at him in anger, completely forgetting the fact that your crush was right in front of you at the thought of your messed up look, âand your palms are sweaty.â
âThis is the one I told you about, the brat,â Jungwon explains to Heeseung, a playful glint in his eyes as he points towards you. Heeseung looks at you, an amused smirk forming on his lips.
âI know what sheâs like,â he says, âweâve talked before.â Your heart squirms around your chest under his gaze. Weâve kissed. You think, as you calm the throbbing heart of yours.
âSo,â you start, attempting to change the topic at the price of your embarrassment, âwhat brings the almighty captain of our basketball team here? Doesnât really seem like youâre in need of any saving.â You trail off, smiling at the thought of getting back at him.
âOf course not, pretty girl,â he challenges back, neither of you backing down, âbut if you want, you can save me anytime.â You donât know when he moved in, so close you shuffle back.
And you think that God was so unfair, that the universe hated everyone but Lee Heeseung. Because it was criminal, how he looked so good drenched in sweat with flushed cheeks and pretty eyes so powerful one gaze could easily knock a faint hearted out.
âDo I look that easy?â You tilt your head, the tips of your lips curving up forming a sly smile, âyou might be smooth, Lee, but I donât save just anybody.â
âWell, thank god Iâm not just anybody,â he mutters before moving back, a cocky smirk plastered on his face, âso, would you come save me?â
Heeseungâs words bury itself in every layer of skin belonging to you, and he owns every feeling that blossoms in the pit of your stomach when you think of him. You hear him, and almost plead for him to save you as you stargaze at the opaque galaxies in his irises.
âSince you so earnestly begged,â you answer, catching a small falter in your voice. And he crushes you with his reply.
âYou promised,â the creaminess of his voice wrapping around you as the shrill sound of his coachâs whistle cuts the tension between the both of you. âSee you soon, pretty girl.â
He runs off, leaving you tongue tied, numb, as your heart falls again and again.
iv. language is so miserably insufficient when i talk about you
Heeseung makes lists in his head about what he wants in a lover, like brown hair and a sweet voice. Athletic, and maybe someone soft, gentle, and caring to him. And itâs all bullshit. Because people arenât lists and the girl heâs staring at across the hallway is showing him that.
Youâre different from the list in his head, equipped with a sharp mind and a sense of humour that actually makes people laugh like they mean it. And he finds you spilling into him, but for once he doesnât care. His veins brimming, bones soft, and lungs inflated as his lips smiles at the remembrance of the imprint of your mouth on his.
He doesnât know when it happened, barely catching himself slipping away from his past antics of having random cheerleaders on his arms or giving kisses because he felt like it. Now, he felt the need to save. To save his unlimited kisses for someone, you, who stood across the hallway with perfume that smelt like a fleeting dream.
âBroâs too love struck to even look at us when we talk,â Jake says, eyeing the boy with hearts in his eyes.
âJust go for it,â Sunghoon pipes up, âhow hard can it be to get a girl?â
Heeseungâs head whips back, eyes slitted as he glared hardly at him. âYou wouldnât even know, youâre too busy arguing with that neighbour of yours.â
âJust give her flowers and shit, girls like that.â Sunghoon rolls his eyes, unable to even imagine why his friends were all so infested with their love lives now.
Jay slaps Sunghoon on his back, face contorting into slight annoyance. âNot all girls like that, you have to get to know her, what she likes, and what she doesnât. Donât take advice from a idiot who shows his liking by being a nuisance to his crush.â
âI do not like her, she is the most annoying person in the universe.â Sunghoon refutes. And Heeseung stares at the scene â of two of his friends bickering.
He turns to Jake, gesturing as if asking him to tell Heeseung his thoughts and Jake sighs, ânot me bro, Iâm literally fake dating my crush and she thinks every gift or kiss i give her is fake. You should listen to Jay.â
So Heeseung turns to Jay, face with an expression ever so vulnerable; with the innocence of a love struck puppy and the wish to become a lover.
âI mean,â Jay starts, and Heeseungâs eyebrows furrow in concentration, wanting to capture every last detail of Jayâs love advice. âDo you like her?â
Itâs a simple question but it wrings the life out of Heeseung. Liking someone is simple, but admitting it is not.
And he thinks back, to the time when he felt as if he kissed the garden of eden on the lips, tinted mosaic love, heart soft in soft hands, warm fingertips grazing warm skin. He smiles, and fuck, he likes you. A lot.
He opens his mouth, but is too overwhelmed by the enriching feeling washing him down. So he results in just nodding, and for once his eyes sparkle; so bright it puts the sun to shame.
âThen go talk to her, ask her out, find out what she likes to do, what she despises, and go for it.â Jay answers, reminiscent of the time he first felt the intense feeling of love, of crush.
Heeseung doesnât need to be told twice as he makes a beeline to you. Itâs not the first time heâs approaching you, yet his palms are sweaty and his breath is staggered when he reaches you at your locker.
You look up from your phone to the boy who stands in front of you, shadow casted onto the screen of your phone. âLee Heeseung, fancy seeing you here. Whatâs up?â
Your voice is tranquil as it kisses his eyelids, that he can now no longer see anyone but you. His mind turns a blank sheet â the flower petal used to write you the sweetest letter erased.
âUh, Friday?â He stutters, and he mentally kills himself for losing composure in front of you. âI mean,â he pauses, catching his breath, âhey, are you free Friday?â
You stifle a laugh at the poor boyâs lack of speech, his obnoxious confidence replaced with fragile dandelions at the tip of his tongue.
âSure,â heâs cute, âsee you Friday Heeseung.â
And he feels like heâs scored a winning basket.
v. my heart is so full of you, i can hardly call it my own
The devil works hard, but Lee Heeseung works harder. With his muscular arms crossed against his chest, body leaning against the metal frame of your locker as he waits, like he has for the past hour, scanning the crowd for you.
âSorry for the long wait, Heeseung.â you say as you approach. Hearing his name come out from your lips made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Heâs never known a better sound than his name on your lips.
âNo problem,â he replies, staring into the same eyes that got him hooked and he thinks, âsheâs so pretty, I could cry,â a pretty girl, his pretty girl with pretty hair and pretty eyes. âIâll always wait for you.â
You look away nonchalantly, but heâs observant enough to notice the blush forming on your cheeks. âOkay, loverboy, if thatâs what you want to do.â And he laughs, fingertips sliding around your wrist as he pulls you out of school.
âHey! Where are you taking me,â you exclaim at the sudden movement from the boy who opens suns in your heart, âthis is so ungentlemanly of you! Is this how you take all your side chicks out? Manhandle them?â
Heeseung stops in his tracks, turning his body around before pulling you in by the wrist. His eyes etched onto yours, âstop being such a princess and just follow me.â
And with that he continues to lead you into the mall, a winnerâs smile etched on his face at the thought of your shocked expression.
He pulls you into the mall, guiding you to the arcade situated on the ground floor, professionally swerving through the crowd of children to the basketball machines tucked in the corner of the bustling place.
âThis? You want me to save you, the almighty basketball captain, from an arcade shooting game?â You say, a baffled expression on your face.
âI hold the highest score, sweetheart,â he replies cockily, as he watches you scoff at his arrogance.
âOh, so this is a challenge?â You say as you jokingly stare him down, and he smiles. He smiles because he sees the warmth in your eyes, so intense he was sure you could read all of his thoughts, everything he felt and thought about you, written on his pupils.
âYeah, whatever you wish,â he mumbled to himself, his heart swelling at the sight of you so adorably eager to win.
You turn to him, snapping him out of his thoughts, âplay with me, Hee, I want to see your face when you lose.â
And he goes mad at the way your eyes morph into crescents when you laugh, stars glittering your smile and your face so colourful. He slowly finds that with you around, everything's a blur and time moves too quickly.
You laugh and he feelsâŠrelief. Relieved that you simply exist, and heâs privileged enough to exist with you in the same lifetime, in the same world, right beside you.
Itâs an easy win for you, but only because heâs distracted by the pureness of your giggles, his eyes constantly moving away from the metal netting of the basketball hoop to you.
âLoser,â you exclaim, sticking your tongue out in sheer happiness. It wasnât often that you would beat a captain of a basketball team in his sport after all, ânow you have to treat me to ice cream.â
Heâs about to refuse before he holds himself back, wanting to blurt out how it was you who caused him the loss. âDon'tâ be a sore loser, Hee, not everyone can be blessed with such immaculate talents,â you teased.
You are not wrong. You are immaculately talented with the way you spin his heart dizzy, lightheaded, drunk on the tiniest of memories he has with you. You may not be the world, but you are everything that makes the world good. And now that Heeseungâs met you, he thinks all heâs done in his life was just existing, not living.
A soft tug snaps him out of his daydream of you, tiny fingers bunching the fabric of his shirt. âExcuse me, can you help me?â
Before he can register the unfamiliar voice, youâre already bending down, squealing over the cute boy, âAww, youâre so adorable!â
You interact excitedly with the little boy, eyes practically shaped into hearts as you stare at him in adoration. âIâll help you, letâs go! Donât ask this sore loser, heâs still crying over how I absolutely trashed him in basketball!â
Heeseung bends down as he gasps, feigning hurt. âYou wound me, princess,â a hand on his chest as he entertains the small boy in front of him.
âHyung, why is your girlfriend so mean to you?â His eyes wide as he asks ever so innocently, scratching the side of his head in confusion.
âAh, heâs not-â
âYeah, why are you so mean to me, my girlfriend?â He sided with the little boy, turning to face you. Heâs amused as you shoot him a warning look, mind racking for a response in your flustered state.
He wishes that he could hear about all the thoughts flying through your head at the moment. He wishes that inside, thereâs a garden blooming just for him.
Do you think about him the way he thinks about you?
The question gnaws at him, because even though he knows that you have had a crush on him, he doesnât know what it feels like.
But maybe now he does.
Itâs like heâs hell bound and youâre heaven sent, and heâs never really believed in love at first sight ( or kiss ) till he met you. But there was no other explanation, of why his eyes looked for you in the midst of the crowd even when he barely knew your name and just the taste of your lips, or why his pulse would jump whenever he hears your name even though heâs at the other end of the hallway.
You haunt him, and he loses sleep as he stares at the countless stars in the sky, looking for one thatâs shaped like the stars in your eyes.
Pouting, you try to explain yourself, âheâs mean to me first,â you say, putting the blame on Heeseung. But to your dismay, the little boy doesnât believe you one bit.
âHe literally looks at you like how a dog looks at a bone,â Heeseungâs laughter rings through your ear and into your heart as the tips of your ear blush red.
âYou make it seem like he wants to eat me,â you say, hands moving up to soothe the heat of your ears.
âBut he looks like he wants to kiss you so badly,â and Heeseung wonders how the little boy is so accurate in his observations. Youâre stunned, and he takes the chance to dip down, finally tasting the sweet vanilla dripping from your lips again.
âCome on, Iâll help you,â Heeseung says as he stands up, grasping the tiny hand of the boy, âmy girlfriend is a little preoccupied right now.â
vi. one boy, thousand feelings
You presume that youâll never finish falling in love with Lee Heeseung now that heâs planted himself firmly in the garden of your life, conducting the butterflies in your stomach with how he waits for you after school at your locker, in the same leaning stance that has slowly become familiar after the past two weeks.
You remember when you asked him why he waited in that stance, with his arms crossed leaning against the locker coolly. And you remember calling him a hypocrite when he said it was the position he looked best in, because all he was in your eyes was a loser.
Or because he always looked his best in your eyes.
Even so, with his charming tactics and smooth ways, here you are; with a sour aftertaste in your mouth and a sunken heart as Minjeong asks you about the basketball game this evening.
âSo he didnât ask you to watch him at the basketball game?â She scoffs, âwhat a boyfriend he is.â
âHeâs not my boyfriend,â you reply, bashful at the intimate label. âAnd maybe itâs because he knows I always go either way.â
âBut still,â she reasons, âwith the way he goes around proclaiming and calling you his girlfriend, he shouldâve at least asked.â
You sigh. Maybe itâs a sign, you think, a sign that he doesnât actually like you as much as he seems to, a wake up call that this will never be real, that itâll forever stay a coin that youâve thrown into the wishing well.
âDonât worry Y/N,â Minjeong consoles, âweâll be going together, matching in Jungwonâs jerseys! Who wants to match with Lee Heeseung when you can match with the Kim Minjeong instead?â
A small smile forms at the words of your best friend, âokay then, letâs go get ready, I canât wait to match with the Kim Minjeong.â
She squeals, pulling you into her room, where two of Jungwonâs white jerseys hung. And you spend the afternoon with Minjeong, giggling and gossiping, as you dress up to watch the basketball game.
The both of you finally reach the indoor hall, seated at the usually second row of your schoolâs bleachers. Eyes scanning the crowd of boys on the basketball court, only to find Heeseung in the midst of the chaos.
The gradual beat of your heart suddenly accelerates. No, you were supposed to be upset that he didnât invite you, get your act together, you think to yourself.
Curse him, curse Lee Heeseung, because with that face and skill, it was near impossible to look away. He dazzles on the court, easily manoeuvring past everyone, and youâre way too distracted by trying to keep your gaze off him you barely focus on the scores.
âJungwon, Iâm here for Jungwonâ is the mantra you tell yourself as you fix your gaze on your other best friend, who was proclaimed to be the upcoming ace of Decelisâ basketball team.
And he proves it himself, with the way he catches the ball thrown to him by Heeseung, eyes focused as he shoots a clean three pointer.
You and Minjeong immediately stand up cheering, hollering like crazy fans. âOh my gosh, with the way heâs playing, heâs definitely getting mvp tonight instead of Heeseung.â A wide smile on her face starkly contrasting yours, âlooks like lover boy isnât doing so well today.â
Turning to look at him, your heart squeezes, not only because of your deep feelings for the boy, but also due to how drained he looks. Face pale as sweat drips down his hair onto the court in droplets.
You hate yourself. For not paying attention, for being petty, for missing out on how his legs tremble ever so slightly as he struggles to stand straight.
He looked fine at a glance but the more you observed his actions you realise how much of a bad shape he was in. A huge sigh of relief exits you when the halftime whistle blows and you fly down the stands to the barrier, sourness replaced with worry.
âHeeseung,â you call, and amidst the bustle of the hall he hears you clearly, jogging to you with shining eyes.
âHey my pretty girlfriend,â he says with a small frown as he examines your outfit, âwhy are you wearing Jungwonâs jersey?â
You ignore the boyâs envy laced comment, âHee, are you feeling okay? You didnât look too good on court today.â
He musters up a tired smile, âonly because a pretty girl is watching me, makes me nervous.â
You sigh as your words enter his left ear and exit through his right, âI think you should sit out for the last half of the game,â your eyebrows furrow in worry, âdonât overwork yourself.â
You wonder if the boy in front of you is even registering your words when you see the dazed look in his eyes, as if he was ticked off by something on you.
âLee Heeseung, are you listening to me?â
âWhy are you wearing Jungwonâs jersey?â He repeats, this time in a stern tone that sends shivers down your spine. His voice raspy as he asks.
âI always do, you know that,â unaware of the situation you were in, ânot like it matters.â
âIt does,â he grunts, âhow can my girlfriend wear another boyâs jersey to my game, cheering his name, and waving a sign for him.â
âYou never gave me yours,â you mutter under your breath, not wanting to seem too dramatic in front of him, âand Iâm not even your girlfriend.â
A string of curses leave his mouth under his breath, and he pauses for a moment, âyet,â he says, âyouâre not my girlfriend yet.â
And you feel like you could look into his eyes forever, memorise the mesmerising patterns of his irises. More than that, maybe you could recognize him by his touch alone, by smell even; you would know him blind, by the rhythm of his breaths, the loudness of his footsteps.
The call of Heeseungâs name breaks your gaze from his, and you gesture to him to go back. But his eyes are etched to your face, as if you were an angel bestowed upon him.
âHee,â you echo his teammateâs calls, âyour teammates are calling.â And he snaps out of it at the sound of your voice, nodding before placing a soft kiss at the corner of your lips.
âWait for me,â he says, expression serious. And you liked it, how it softened slightly when he looked at you. Like the way he looked at you differed from how he looked at anyone else.
Heeseung turns away but you pull him back, fingers encasing his wrists, cheeks sullied the colour of love, âdonât strain yourself out there, youâre always the best player to me.â
You donât know how your reassurance melts him, thaws him down to his raw emotions and bones. You squeeze his wrists, offering him a comforting smile, and he thinks heâs fucked.
vii. i think iâll call you love !
Heeseung thinks the universe must hate him, as he blows his nose into the nth tissue of the day. He had so much planned; to finally treat you to ice cream from your previous date, and to ask you to finally be his girlfriend. But he thinks itâs all ruined.
He doesnât know the exact moment he fell for you, nor did he know that he would fall. But he thinks thatâs the beauty in it, that he wasnât even looking when he found you.
âWe could get ice cream,â he suggests, voice low and stuffed as he sniffs. Watching the adorable way your face scrunches up in disbelief entertains Heeseung as you scold him for not taking care of himself properly.
âIce cream? When youâre sick?â casting a stern glance at the tall boy, âdo you want to die?â
He smiles at your cute expressions, and god he wants to kiss you so badly. There wasnât a single word in the universe to describe how he felt about you.
Thereâs nothing in the world heâll ever find more beautiful than you. Not the sun. Not the moon. Not even the galaxy compares to the light you radiate.
Yes, as long as the last thing heâd see was you. He wants to reply, but instead a few coarse coughs exit his throat as his hands fly up to cover his mouth.
âI think you should head home, Hee,â you say, anxious for him, âyouâre burning up.â Your hands push his hair back gently as you gauge his temperature from your touch on his forehead. âI told you that you shouldâve sat out from yesterdayâs basketball game.â
âGuess Iâm in need of saving again,â he mumbles, resting his forehead on your shoulder, nausea drifting away at the smell of your vanilla perfume.
Your hand caresses him back, softly asking him to stand up before pulling him to the direction of the nurseâs office.
âNo,â he groans, âletâs go out.â
You tsked at Heeseungâs childish complaining, âstop being such a big baby and follow me.â
âI hate the smell of the nurseâs office,â he whines, âletâs go.â
And he pulls you, hands encasing your fingers as he walks out of school. âWhere?â You ask, not even trying to persuade the boy to go back, as if he would listen to you.
âHome,â he says, pulling you across the road, passing a few houses before he stops.
âThis is your house? I never knew you lived so close to school.â
âYou donât know where your boyfriend lives?â he teases, masking the dizzy feeling in his head, âand yet I know so much about you. Like how you like to dance, how youâre called the pretty girl of your year, how you devour strawberry covered chocolates like youâre starved.â
Youâre blushing and Heeseung is proud. âAsking around about me now, Hee? Donât make it so obvious, or else people might think youâre obsessed.â
Maybe he was. Obsessed with you. He sees you before he sees anything else in the room, vanilla was never his favourite scent till he smelt it on you, and heâs tangled, blurred into you.
He unlocks the door and welcomes you in, watching as you look around in awe, âOh my god, you look so cute here!â You point towards a framed picture of a baby Heeseung placed on the top of a drawer.
He flushes, quickly moving to turn the photo down before awkwardly changing the topic. âHow about we watch a movie?â
âDidnât we come here so you could rest?â You say, âYou should go to sleep Hee, Iâll let myself out.â
He shakes his head furiously, distasting the idea of missing precious time with you. âNo, letâs watch a movie,â he insists.
âFine,â you sigh at the stubborn boy, âjust for a while then you go to sleep.â
Heeseung randomly chooses a movie, unable to focus as he flops back onto his sofa. He moves his head, laying it on your shoulder, shifting to find a comfortable position.
And itâs silent as the both of you watch the movie, with Heeseungâs head propped on your shoulder, curled up against you.
Heeseung, for once, feels at peace. His head is void of basketball strategies or maths equations, filled with just you. With the lovely silken murmur of your breath, like an angel clad in wings and the soothing feeling of strawberries, cherries, and kisses during spring.
He canât take it anymore, itâs killing him. He hates how nothing goes according to plan, how he couldnât take you out today, tease you in front of the world and ask you to be his. But he guesses this is what love really is, not really showing you off, no. But more so the urgency to trace over the spots you last touched, a gentle graze, a pat on the shoulder, or even a simple hug. He feels you even when youâre not near, and your scent has perfectly settled into his senses.
âBe my girlfriend Y/n,â he blurts out, âmy real girlfriend.â
You freeze up, in shock and he feels the need to explain, to confess, to cough up all the words that are stuck in his throat.
âI like you, so much I canât put it into words. Youâre stuck in my head, everywhere I go youâre the first person Iâve come to look for. Anytime someone looks at you, or speaks to you, Iâm jealous. I want all your minutes and all your words. I want all of you, to myself, all the time. I-â
You cut him off, lips pressing against his. This is what itâs like to kiss Venus, he thinks. And he never thought a kiss could be such a dream. His heart intoxicated, his mind derailing into madness, anaesthetised bodies against each other as the both of you run wild like the fire in your veins.
Giving in and pulling away, taking it all in with smoke in the air, in the comfort of each other's arms and sedated beings. Just you and him.
âSo, is that a yes?â Heâs dazed and worried, worried that you would say no and heâd never be able to forget about you.
You crack a big grin, giggling at his stupid question. Your cheeks dusted in fairy red as you glow, âI guess youâre my real boyfriend now, Lee Heeseung.â
viii. i donât know how you do it, but iâm forever ruined by you
Instead of the usual #04 on the back of your shirt, youâre donning a #01. Definitely because your boyfriend was a jealous brat, and not because you wanted to. ( Actually you instantly agreed when he asked you to )
Itâs been two weeks and youâre absolutely sick. Sick of the butterfly galore fested in your stomach, and even more so of the handsome boy who owns it, constantly clinging onto you like he was right now.
âBabe, I canât believe youâre not going to give me a good luck kiss, Iâm literally going to faint right now.â He says, dramatically flopping into your arms.
âI know youâre weak Hee,â you say to the boy who looks extremely happy in your arms, âbut I canât be saving you all the time.â
âBut youâre a hero. My hero.â He replies, his words working past the interlacing fingers of your ribs, there, into your heart. And you can and never will get enough of Heeseung, with his tall figure and messy hair, deep voice and words that come out of his mouth like waves you ride on into the ocean of love.
He says what he means and some people may mistake this for simplicity, but it doesnât take a genius to cut into a heart. Especially with your boyfriend being a #01 idiot. ( your #01 idiot )
âGo to your teammates Hee, youâve got a game to play.â You shoo him away, and his eyes widen, turning glossy as he crosses his arms at your words.
âTrying to get rid of me already? You hate me that much, huh babe?â
You huff, stepping into his embrace, hands snaking around his neck and his, your waist. You press a kiss onto his pillow lips, and you beg each other for warmth, till youâre rubicund flushed, till your lips and cheeks and sun-splotched.
He breaks the kiss, and both of you stay; forehead against forehead, your heavy breaths mixed with his. And he smiles, itâs sweet and easy, like milk, dribbling through your fingers in a laugh warm as the melting of a love scented candle. And itâs all the better for no one else to hear it. Because this is your loveline, this, you think, is living.
âGo kick their asses, boyfriend.â
bonus. somewhere far far away, in the land of eumpapas, nella presents ânot so love lettersâ
Dear Y/n ( My Prettiest Hero ),
Itâs been three years since weâve started dating yet Iâm still mad about you. This is the cheesiest shit Iâm ever going to write so this is a warning to never use this as blackmail against me or show this to my family members when they ask you how Iâve been performing as a boyfriend. ( as if Iâm not the best boyfriend in the world )
For the past three years, youâve made my life so much easier to bear. My repetitive routines felt more lively, and you make my life better, all by just being you. In my long long life to come, itâs you, who will forever be the most special moment.
Though we may have argued over many petty things, especially during your senior year and my first year in uni, I wouldnât change a thing. And Iâll choose you, over and over and over. Without a doubt, in a heartbeat, Iâll keep choosing you just like how youâve chosen me.
Everything has a reason for falling, and I have you. I love you so much, Iâm so glad heaven sent you to me.
Ps: stop laughing at my hair colours or Iâll replace your vanilla lip glosses with those cucumber ones you love.
A boy who's off his face, in love with you.
Lee Heeseung ( Your Hee )
exeunt. he kisses you even when the sun sleeps.
© eumpapas, 2023
OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO CUTEEE đđ«¶
WE NEED PART 2 đŁđŁđŁđŁđŁ
SYNOPSIS: Reuniting with your sworn enemy after years of no contact was an interesting experience to say the least. Despite having not seen each other for ages, the undeniable tension between you and him was the same, palpable. It didnât help that you and him were now forced to spend time together thanks to a wedding and completing wedding duties with each other. As people would say, forced proximity and a single bed was the solution to it, and boy it was. Two weeks in Greece and a whole lot of pre wedding activities was about to turn an old rivalry into something else, love.
PAIRINGS: best man!jay x maid of honour!afab!reader
GENRE: frenemies to lovers, he fell first but she fell harder, forced proximity, romance, fluff, angst, secret pining, slow burn
WARNING(S): drinking, parties, profanities, slight violence, mentions/hints of cheating, miscommunication, a pinch of suggestiveness
WC: 21k
AUTHOR'S NOTE: hope you all enjoy this one! i personally loved writing it and it might've taken a while but i'm glad it's here! please leave a feedback and reblogs are greatly appreciated! muah xx
masterlist | © jaylver 2024 all rights reserved
âHateâ might be a strong word, one that was cruel and brutal that your mother taught you to not use. But, how could you not when you had a constant reminder plastered in front of your face. There were no other feelings for him except hatred that measured the exact way you felt for the man who constantly haunted you. Worst of all, youâre letting a man with a typical frat name do that to you.
Growing up, you always had a man devoted to you. Cute, wasnât it? It was particularly fun when he was specifically committed to praying for your downfall at any given chance.
Park Jong Seong.
That name and the person who carried it was the literal devil reincarnate. Well, at least to you. To most, Jay was a sweetheart, the golden boy of the area who charmed the hearts of women of all ages. Thanks to his pretty face and sweet smile, he easily swooned people and that included your family. Not you though, it could never be you. That facade would never, ever fool you.
He has been your neighbour ever since you were a kid. The boy who moved in next door that was forced to play with you from time to time. Play dates with him weren't your favourite, and neither was it for him. To say you two got off on the wrong foot was an understatement.Â
What could possibly make you hate him for all these years? Where to start?Â
He was mildly tolerable as a kid, but once he grew into a teen, God, you swore you hated teen boys and you stood by it. When Jay knew that he was a hot, smart and attractive boy, he managed to utilise it, and what better way to do so than torturing you with it.Â
Out of the many things he could pull, he decided to date your then best friend, believe it or not. The worst part of all, he ruined the friendship between you and your ex best friend because of it. What happened to bros before hoes? Anyway, you were determined to not be stepped over by the idiotic Park Jong Seong, so you went and dated his best friend too. Sweet, sweet revenge. Best of yet, there was nothing he could do but silently curse you behind your back.
Or that other time he crashed your beach date and he cockblocked your chance with his handsome best friend, Sunghoon. Asshole. Oh yeah! Let's not forget the fact that he would tease and laugh at you for coming in second every semester. Golden boy Jay and his first place was the death of you.Â
All in all, you didnât have a great time with him and you surely werenât anywhere close to being friends with him. Absolutely not.Â
The only good part was that once you finished high school and moved out of your town, you didnât see him anymore, only hearing brief mentions from your mutual friends who you still kept in contact with. There was one time where you saw a picture of him posted on Instagram and youâve never gone back since, because no matter how you hate to admit it, he was a guilty pleasure.Â
You thought your supposedly everlasting peace wouldnât be affected, yet, you were wrong.Â
The news of your cousin, Chaewon, getting engaged had taken you by complete surprise. It was no secret that she was in a long term relationship with one of your good friends, Heeseung, but the whole engagement came out of the blue and it had taken everyone aback, including her. It mightâve been unexpected but you knew it would come soon. Â
Of course Chaewon was overjoyed. She was already pulling you with her to plan the wedding and even picking out little things.Â
âYouâre going to be my maid of honour,â she said so nonchalantly that she didnât even notice you freezing in shock next to her.
âReally?â
She turned to face you, a smile wide enough to split her jaw open. Was this an effect of getting married? âYes, Y/N, Iâm sure. Youâre like a sister to me all my life, thereâs no one else Iâd like to be my maid of honour other than you,â
The conversation definitely ended with tears streaming down each of your face, sobbing sappily as you spoke about your childhood memories together. But before any wedding plans ensued, it absolutely wouldnât be them to not throw an engagement party first, so of course, they did exactly that.
The evening at their place started off well. They had a catering service and the house was decorated for the occasion. There was already a small crowd of friends and family, some of which you recognized. It didnât take you long to realise that you had to buckle in for the night after you saw Heeseungâs friends walk through the door, ones that you knew and particularly the guy youâve dreaded.
âYou good?â Yujin, your long time best friend who was practically family, walked up to you, snapping her fingers to get you out of your trance.Â
âOhâIâm alright, I think?â
âYou think?â she sighed, following your sight that was trained on a group of guys. âIs it because of Jay?â
You snapped your head to look at her, baffled at the mention of his name. âNo,â
âIâm taking that as a âyesâ,â she hummed, joining you in leaning her back against the wall in the corner of the room. âYou havenât seen him in years,â
âAnd neither has he,â you noted thoughtfully, unaware how he looked like currently. The pictures online weren't enough, you needed to see him physically. Well, he was there, but you werenât exactly thrilled to see him either.Â
âYou reckon thereâs still something going between you guys after all these years?â
You tilted your head to the side, puzzled. âWhat âsomethingâ is there even between us?â
âThe whole âI hate you, you hate meâ thing! Like, come on, just admit you want to fuck each otherââ
âShut up, oh my God!â You exclaimed, though laughing out of disbelief. You? Fucking Jay? You just bursted out laughing. âThere's no way that's happening,â
She eyed you doubtfully, shrugging. âWho knows?â
âWhat I know is that's so not happening,â
âI'm not saying anything,â
âHey!â
âLadies,â
That voice.Â
You slowly turned your gaze away from Yujin, clearly panicked and dreadful. The one person you wished to meet last for the night happened to be there in flesh, in front of you. The epitome of your nightmare, the devil in disguise, he was actually there. Plus, since when was he ever so initiative in finding you?
âJay,â Yujin acknowledged the moment you stood face to face with him. All you could think of in your head of how shamelessly you're checking him out.
Over the years of not seeing him, he has really changed. Toned and buffed, the button up he was wearing hugged him at the right places. His long legs complimented his tall frame, face seemingly more matured and handsome. Did law school do this to him?
âYujin,â he replied before his gaze flickered over to yours, suddenly plastered on a cheshire grin. âY/N,â
Rather begrudgingly and stoically, you replied. âJay,â
Yujin glanced between you and him, taking the cue to escape the tension before it heightened. âI'll go catch up with the rest of the guys. Talk to you later!â
Great. Now you're stuck with him. Yuck.
âSo, howâs life?âÂ
You raised a questioning brow, face scrunched up in disdain. Him, on the other hand, was nonchalant and carried himself coolly. âItâs a little out of your character to be this friendly to me,âÂ
âIâm trying to be civil here,â he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, dark hair falling over his face casually.
âWell, the last time I checked, I donât think weâre exactly friends, arenât we?â
âTouche,â he considered, keeping a strong eye contact with you, his smirk never faltering once. âBut now that theyâre both getting married, I think we have no choice but to tolerate one another to have this go successfully, eh?âÂ
âWhatever you say,â you mumbled half-heartedly, thinking about Chaewon and for her sake, youâd have to put up with this bastard.Â
âI mean, youâre the maid of honour and Iâm the best man, crazy isnât it?â
âYouâre Heeseungâs best man?â
âThe one and only,â he smiled triumphantly, and you mentally knocked yourself on the head. How did you not expect this earlier?Â
âGuess I really am stuck with you,â you mumbled under your breath, seeing the smirk still not wiped off Jayâs face.
âCanât wait, angel,â
Before the conversation could go any further, the shouts of his friends from across the room snatched the attention of you two. They were calling Jay over to join them in on some drinks, signalling obviously with the bottles and cups in their hands. âI think theyâre calling me overââ he turned his head away from them and back to you, eyebrows raised. âIt was nice catching up. Iâll see you around,â He winked right after he finished his sentence and left, reminding you of his regular behaviour. Flirty and always an asshole.Â
The exchange you had with him definitely gave you a whiplash. No way was that the same Jay who you called insufferable and annoying. Was he actually being normal for once? You believed everyone has their own character development, but to think Jay had one too was a little shocking.Â
Maybe it was for the better, which meant you could finally admit heâs hot nowâwait what. Forget whatever youâve just said. What you really meant was you could talk to him like a decent being now ⊠right?
âThat was a short talk,â Yujin sidled up next to you almost on cue.Â
âI donât think thereâs much to really talk about anyway,â you accepted the cup of drink from her.
âOh, donât be too harsh! Heâs trying, so maybe you should too,âÂ
You gave it a thought, sipping wordlessly. âHm, maybe I should,â
âDefinitely,â she nodded in heavy agreement, eyes straying to the door and her face contorted in horror. You noticed it at once, wanting to see what she had seen too but before you could do so, she spun you around and away from facing the door.
âWhat?â you demanded, unnerved by the sudden twist in the air. âHey, youâre scaring meââ
âJust donât turn aroundâŠplease,â
âWhy?â you pressed on, impatience and curiosity creeping up on you. âIs there something wrong?â
She made a face. âWellâkindaâwaitââ
You spun around and ignored Yujinâs flailing arms. At first, you didnât understand what the problem was and why Yujin was making such a big deal, but once you saw what she was trying so hard to stop you from seeing, you finally understood.
Choi Yeonjun.Â
He was standing there in all his glory, having the guts to even show up. You couldnât even blame Heeseung for making him a part of the guest list though, theyâve been friends before you and Yeonjun dated. Key word, âdatedâ, past tense.Â
Horrible breakup that ended in tears and hatred was the only thing that reminded you of him. Five years down the drain, you wished you were kidding. Everyone had thought he would be your forever, but you suppose that jinxed it and made him leave you with no explanation.Â
Overnight, he had packed his bags without leaving a trace behind and next thing you knew, he was off boarding a plane to somewhere far away from you. The most ridiculous part of everything was the fact that you only found his whereabouts days after through a friend. That definitely has you crying out of pity for yourself.Â
Did he cheat? Did he hate you? Was he hiding something? Questions and questions piled upon another but no answer was given.
It took years after for you to fully move on, though having zero closure, but what could you do anyway? That didnât excuse your spite and grudge that was still present.Â
âOh,âÂ
The air had still, everyone that knew the history behind you two was shifting around awkwardly, eyeing between you and your ex. Kill you now.
âWant more whiskey?â
âNo, if I get any more drunk, Iâll start a fight,â you shook your head, pursing your lips, turning away from the sight of Yeonjun. âI need some fresh air,â
You didnât give any more time for Yujin to respond, mainly because you genuinely felt yourself almost doubling over and crying, but you didnât, obviously.Â
Storming out into the backyard, you hoped nobody saw you on the edge of panic. You werenât as prepared as you thought you would be to see your ex again. Yes, you figured he was coming, but to see him in front of your eyes, that was a whole different baggage of emotions and thoughts.
You heard the glass door sliding, quiet footsteps approaching, it got you out of your trance and turning to see who it was.
âY/N?â
By now, you had a feeling youâve turned as pale as a blank sheet of paper. The horror you were experiencing at the moment was indescribable. What and why was your ex doing there?
Seeing him up close, looking very real and not a ghost, completely frightened you. He was glowing, in a way that one has after being gone for a long while, like a glow up that many had away from home. Right, he was different, someone youâve deemed unfamiliar. All of that only made you want to throw up in anxiety.Â
You were silent, mostly in shock and not knowing what to say, which only made Yeonjun widen his eyes in alarm.
âCâcan you say something?â
No, you couldnât. In fact, if you were to speak right now, curses and horrible things and probably overdue screaming with some crying would pour out. So, nope, youâre going to be silent.
âIâm sorry,â
Heâs sorry? Wow.
You could only shake your head, opening your mouth to breathe deep so that you wouldnât combust at any second. Holding up your hand, you wished he took this as a sign to stop and leave, but you guessed that he couldnât take social cues in the end.
âJust say something, pleaseââ
âHey dude! Heeseungâs searching for you,â
Here comes another one of your nightmares, but surprisingly, you were actually glad to see him now.Â
Jay had stepped out from the inside, hand still holding the sliding glass door, a nonchalant expression on his face as he scanned the scene before him. You, looking sick as ever; Yeonjun equally looking not good.Â
âReally? Alright then,â Yeonjun croaked out, wiping his hands on the sides of his pants. Sparing you one last look, he walked towards Jay, nodding at him before disappearing past the threshold of the sliding glass doors.
You let out a breath of relief once your ex was out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind.Â
âYou good?â
You looked at Jay, forgetting his existence for a minute. âNot really,â
âHeâs a douche, isnât he?â
âYouâve probably heard what happened already, didnât you?â
âI didââ
âWell, Iâm embarrassed,â you rubbed the sides of your forehead, chewing at the insides of your mouth. Can you be swallowed up now?
âAs much as I want to say something stupid right now, I canât bring myself to, because itâs true that you didnât deserve it,â he sighed, taking a seat on one of the lounging couches. Â
Okay ⊠maybe he was an actual changed man. Shocking.
You approached him slowly, taking a seat opposite him. From that angle, you could clearly see him and how he has changed. He got taller, leaner and definitely bulkier, it was a subtle but noticeable change. Other than that, his fashion sense improved, face maturing into a more sharper look, but he still carried a certain gentleness.
âThanks,â you muttered, kicking your feet to distract yourself from his burning gaze. âI thought youâll laugh at me or something,â
âOkay, Iâm not that cruel,âÂ
âReally? Coming from the same guy that dated my best friend, who became my ex best friend,â
âYou dated my best friend too! And you tried getting with Sunghoon,â he grumbled, murmuring the last part, knowing damn well Sunghoon was inside laughing over a fresh glass of wine.
âI would still get with him,â
âNo you wonât,â
What was his problem?
âWhy not? Heâs hot,â
âIâm hot,â he blurted out, puffing his chest out in confidence. This was the same Jay that youâve remembered. âAnd I donât see you lusting over me,â
âFirst, not âlustingâ,â you scrunch your face in distaste of the word, âsecond, youâre ⊠you? Third, whatâs so wrong with Sunghoon?â
âWellâheâheâs Sunghoon, and heâs a known player,â Jay pursed his lips, crossing his arms. âI donât think you two will get along,â
âWeâre friends,â
âAs a couple,â
âHow about as fuck buddies?â
âNope,âÂ
âYouâre weird,â
âWhatever,â
You broke out into a smile, shaking your head at his antics. If you told the younger you that you were conversing with Jay without ripping each othersâ throats, you wouldâve laughed. You didnât expect yourself to laugh because of him, most of the time you were laughing at him.Â
âShould we head in? Theyâre announcing it soon and doing their speech,â you suggested, looking over his shoulders.
âYouâre right,â
âYouâre agreeing with me? Aw,âÂ
âShut up,â he stood up, but he didnât leave, instead he waited for you to stand up as well before walking in together. âI guess the next time weâll see each other is during the fitting,â
âI guess it is,â you nodded slowly, trying to remember the date of the fitting that your cousin had once mentioned. âUnless youâre intending that weâll meet elsewhere?â
âYou wish,â he said snarkily. âYouâll miss me, wonât you?â
âYou wish,â you repeated his exact words in mockery, smiling sarcastically at him.
He shrugged, a lazy smirk forming on his lips. âMaybe I do.âÂ
The words didnât fully process in your mind, but he was already off to join his friends before you realised. Did he justâwhat? You were going insane.Â
Maybe the hatred from over the years was slowly but surely dissipating because how and why in hell was Park Jong Seong tolerable? How did you find yourself not exploding in his presence? Character growth was what you two needed after all.
Probably also a secret hook up.
Just as youâve thought, the next time you saw Jay was exactly as he had said: the fitting.Â
Except, you were screaming internally. Why? You were literally stuck with Jay and the two lovebirds. You didnât expect receiving the news of doing the fitting with them and Jay alone, thinking it was a group thing with the other bridesmaids. No, in fact, they wanted it to be a maid of honour and best man special. Just great.
The boutique was fancy, like very. Serving champagne and having two floors with marble tiles, the inside already smelt more expensive than it let alone looked. Heeseung mustâve been doing well after taking over his fatherâs place in the company.
âAlright, first, Iâve already narrowed down some looks, but I have a specific dress that I chose which I think itâll look really good on you,â Chaewon practically squealed, grabbing your shoulders with pure excitement in her eyes. You were about to be her barbie doll for hours. âI think itâll match Jayâs suit too,â
Sheâs making you and Jay match?
âNice, haha âŠâ you gulped, masking your negative approach, not wanting to irk Chaewon when this meant a lot to her. But matching with Jay? Him? You knew you were being overdramatic but how could you not when it was him. However, you understood Chaewonâs need for matching aesthetics.
âIâm sure itâs going to look amazing on you!â she said excitedly. âThe changing rooms are upstairs, you can go with Jay first since Heeseung and I need to settle something, so wait for us, okay?â
âSure,â you nodded rather stiffly, leaving Chaewon to join the staff and Jayâs side.Â
âItâs you again,â he greeted you, eyeing you with an odd look on his face. How friendly.Â
âYes, itâs me again, and I should be the one saying the same to you. Unfortunately, youâll also be seeing me for months,â you hissed, following the staff up the fancy marble steps, letting Jay walk closely next to you. âEven in Greece,â you grumbled under your breath.
Mykonos, Greece. The destination youâll be in half a yearâs time, enjoying the wedding and basking in the prettiness of the island. It wasnât entirely surprising for Chaewon to choose Greece as her wedding destination, it has been in her mood board for almost years. Although it mightâve been expensive, you were just glad it wasnât in some shady area downtown.Â
âIsnât it amazing to be in the same space as I am?âÂ
âPlease, youâre hugely insufferable,â you put your hand out, pulling a disgusted expression as a reaction.
âI just have personality! You wonât get it,â he slyly took a dig at you, letting you digest it and realised what he meant but by the time you wanted to reply, the staff stopped and turned around.
âThe changing rooms thereââ she pointed over to a large area with cushioned chairs and mirrors, two separate curtains for each changing place, a cover bag hung on the walls of each changing area, âalready have your outfits which the couple hand picked. So please, help yourself out. Thereâll be staffs waiting outside if you need any help,â
You and Jay casted a brief glance at each other before nodding, awkwardly shuffling towards the changing area. The last sight before drawing your curtains closed was Jayâs back, broad and exposed since he momentarily forgot to close his. Shutting out the image of that was hard as you got the dress on, not even able to pay attention until you saw your reflection in the mirror. It was a simple silky pink dress, one that was in Chaewonâs favourite shade and the specific cut that hugged your body tightly.Â
The voices of Heeseung and Chaewon were heard from the other side of the curtains, which meant they were finally here to make their judgements. You revealed yourself, stepping out with an awkward laugh. âWhat do you think?â
âItâs so pretty,â Chaewon gushed, spinning you around, scanning your body. âYouâre so pretty, Y/ N.â
âIâll blush,â
Chaewon rolled her eyes at your sarcasm. âHey, whereâs Jay? We need to see the matching outfit!â
âHere,â he pulled the curtains open a little too dramatically at the mention of his name, smoothing the fronts of his suit. He was dressed in a dark coloured suit, a silk pink tie paired to match you.
âYou guys are just too cute together,â Chaewon pushed you gently closer to Jay, staring between you and him in awe. Unbeknownst to her, you and Jay were groaning internally, glaring daggers at each other.Â
Your cousin who didnât go to the same high school as you did with Jay was absolutely oblivious to the history you two have, and you were sure Heeseung didnât tell her either. That sick bastard probably enjoyed you and Jay suffering together, didnât he?
âItâs so perfect,â Chaewon sighed dreamily, suddenly emotional as she leaned on her fiance. âI love you guys,â
âBabe, itâs too early to be this emotional,â Heeseung gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.Â
âYouâre right, oh my God,â she laughed, followed by you and the othersâ chuckles. âNow that I know you two look absolutely perfect, Heeseung and I are going to confirm it with the staffs and settle some little things, so just take your time and change, then weâll go for lunch,â
âSounds good,â you took a step away from Jay, rubbing your cousinâs back in assurance.Â
âDonât do anything weird,â Chaewon whispered into your ear, eyeing Jay as she spoke, hoping you got the hint she was trying to convey.Â
No way.
âWeâre not fucking, okay?â
âAre you sure? Iâm sensing something there,â
âThereâs nothing to sense because weâre not into each other. At all,â
âSure, whatever you say,â she winked at you, patting your butt with a sneaky smirk, then left with Heeseung, which meant youâre with Jay again.
âThis tie is pretty cute, isnât it?â he suddenly spoke out of nowhere, toying his tie with a slight pout.Â
âThatâs really random, but yes,â
He glanced up from his tie, meeting your gaze with an unreadable expression. His eyes were narrowed, travelling up and down your body, jaws clenched. It seemed that thoughts were conquering his mind, and you, on the other hand, read him like a book. Heâs a man after all. Theyâre all alike.Â
A small conniving smirk on your face as you approached him, never breaking eye contact once. Hands behind your back, chest pushed out, revealing your cleavage a little more, all while you bat your eyelashes innocently at him, only a few inches in between. Â
âHow do I look?â
There was an audible gulp from him. It was a blessing that there weren't any staff around, or else you would have suffered from embarrassment that nothing could get you back from.Â
âNice,â Jay practically gritted out, heaving a big breath in.
âJust ⊠nice?â
His eyes flitted between you and your chest, gaze flickering and composure weakening. âFantastic, pretty, gorgeous,â
He was so easy to read and play with.Â
You stepped away from him, laughing under your breath, a gleeful grin that irked Jay, who knew it was just one of your schemes. But it was too late to come back from, how could he when you looked like that? As much as he hated it, you were stunning, and he was aware of every part of it.
âThank you,â you smiled evilly, only getting a look of annoyance and an irritated eye roll from Jay.Â
Turning around, you walked towards the changing area, hearing footsteps behind you, which also meant Jay was following you. Before you disappeared behind the curtains, you wanted to set his buttons off just one more time.Â
âAre my nipples showing?âÂ
Jay did not expect that. However, this time he was smarter and sharper, so no, he wasnât about to fall for one of your tricks. Keeping his stare straight ahead at you, he shrugged.
âAre you somehow forgetting that I happen to beâI donât knowâa man?â
âWhatâs wrong with nipples?â
âNothing,â he shrugged, an irritated look on his face. âI'm just not falling into the grave you've dug. Nice try, L/N,â he said with a finality before drawing his own curtains shut.Â
The sassy men apocalypse was never ending.
The rest of the day was practically spent with the couple, from lunch to dinner, your legs were dying from walking too much. Adding on the fact that you and Jay were stuck as fourth wheelers too. At the end, Heeseung and Chaewon entrusted Jay to drop you off at your apartment, which he surprisingly didn't complain about and you also got the chance to sit in his Mercedes for the first time.
âYou didn't talk about what you're doing now, so what are you doing?â It was most likely the awkward tension that forced you to speak up, but you didn't regret it either, wanting to know more about him. Now, that was development.
Jay glanced at you for a brief second, as if in disbelief that you were the one initiating a peaceful conversation. âI opened a law firm quite recently, that's why I'm back in town. I partnered with Sunghoon,â
âSunghoon?â
âYeah, Sunghoon,â he repeated his best friend's name again, a hint of annoyance laced in his voice. âYou'll get to see me more often now,â
âAnd you'll equally see me just as often too,â you bit back. âMaybe I'll even turn up at your office and give Sunghoon a visit,â
âYou wound me,â Jay pouted, feigning cries that sounded like choked laughter instead. âI'm here in front of you and you're talking about another man? Wow,â
âYou're not just another man like him,â you said, unaware of the meaning behind your words and confusedly seeing the small smirk forming on Jay's lips.Â
âThen what about you? What have you been up to?â He strayed back to the subject, waiting for your response.
âNothing much, I guess? Still the same ol' office work. My boss recently proposed sending me off on a trip to Paris as a way to reward me for being his PA for years,â
âDid you accept it?â
âDoes it look like I did?â
âTouche,â he hummed, turning a corner and the familiar roads leading to your apartment came into view. âWhat made you reject it?â
âWell, everything that's happening right now, I guess? I want to be present. Plus, he told me the offer is still up anytime,â
âYour boss is amazing,â he said in awe. âMaybe I'll go work for him instead,â
âAnd cause me to deal with you? No thanks,â
âOh, you love me, admit it,â
âYeah, sure, I want you and love youâgrossâno way,â you laughed, pushing away Jay's body that was leaning towards your side, his eyebrows raised and gaze flickering between you and the road.
Soon, the car ride came to an end once Jay stopped at the front of your apartment complex. It was already dark outside and Jay somehow felt your uneasiness as you unbuckle your seatbelt.
âDo you need me to walk you up?â
âOhâit's fine, I don't want to bother you further,â you genuinely didn't, internally surprised at his straightforwardness. âOr, do you want to come up?â
âNo, no, it's okay,â Jay's eyes widened for a fraction, just as surprised as you were. âYou should rest, it's been a long day,â
âRight,â you said slowly, not knowing what else to say or do. âThanks for the ride, I really appreciate it,â
âIt's nothing, don't worry,â Suddenly, it felt like high school all over again. The awkwardness and stiffness, you didn't miss those. However, this time around, tolerance was present and you found yourself gradually enjoying his presence. Shocking.
âNight, Jay,â
He smiled, gentleness that you only see from time to time was in his gaze. âNight, Y/N. I'll see you again soon.â
âLook, you need this time off! It's a Saturday night, Y/N,â
âI should be in bed,â
âYou should be getting laid,âÂ
Taking up your friends' invite to the club was probably not the smartest move you've made. Having not been out with them in a long time, you forgot the fact that they were crazy party people. The last time you were out with them was after your break up, and it only ended with you drunk out of your mind, almost turning up at Yeonjunâs house in spite. Now, you were in for a long night.
âLast thing I need is getting laid,â
Your girlfriends, Yujin, Wonyoung and Karina stared at you with doubt in their faces.Â
âYou need to get that pent up stress fucked out of your system,â Karina teased, nudging your side.Â
The other two nodded in shared agreement, obviously entertained.Â
âMaybe, maybe not,â you said half-heartedly, swirling your drink with a distracted mind.
Your time in the club wasn't the most eventful. Men trying to flirt with you that you ended up shutting down, some of which took it like a champ while there were ones that acted as if youâve ended their entire bloodline. Then there were your friends. Karina was busy cosying up to the bartender, the other two wandered off into the crowded dance floor already, so you were alone at the side watching Karina use her usual flirting tricks.
âDidnât expect seeing you here,â
Turning around on your barstool, you were met with a face that changed a lot since high school.
âSunghoon?â
The times youâve spent joking about him to tease Jay somehow manifested him to show up in front of you. You didnât get the chance to speak to him at the engagement party, unaware that he had changed in some ways physically. He was just as pretty as he was, except more mature and hair dyed in a different shade. Not to mention the way he carried himself with confidence and grace, it definitely had you feeling things you shouldnât be having, especially when he was standing ever so close to you.
âYouâre here alone?â
âOh, no, Iâm here with my friends,â you nodded over at Karina, who was still obviously making a move on the bartender from her touches on his shoulder. âYou?â
âIâm here with mine too, you know, the usual bunch,â
âSo, Jay, Heeseung and Jake are all here?â
âHeeseungâs staying at home, I suppose getting engaged changed that man in some ways,â Sunghoon snickered, but you only smiled, understanding Chaewonâs reasons for being protective of Heeseung at times. âDo you want to join us?â
âItâs fine, thank you. I donât want to trouble you guys, I still am on duty to look out for my girls,â you sighed a little, hoping the other two weren't off with some men they just met. âI can buy you a drink though,â
âNah, itâs no need,â he politely declined, hands slipped into his pants pocket. âI feel like I should be the one offering that,â
You just chuckled, eyes flickering over his shoulder, not expecting them to land on him. Park Jong Seong. He was looking back at you, gaze sharp and eyes narrowed, a frown etched on that pretty face.Â
What you hadnât failed to notice was the girl next to him. She was talking feverishly, trying to grab his slipping attention as he trained his stare on you. Just like Sunghoon, both him and the girlâs voices only faded into the background for you and Jay individually, unable to turn your attention away from each other.Â
âYou okay?â Sunghoon leaned in closer, waving a hand in front of your face, snapping you back to reality.Â
âHuhâIâm fine,â you chuckled nervously, occasionally flickering to Jayâs direction, realising he was no longer staring unabashedly at you, which also made you realise: you were actually craving for his attention? What?Â
âProbably a little woozy, is all,â you added, smiling slightly.Â
Sunghoon reciprocated your smile, nodding a little. âTake care, then, Y/N. Donât drink too much and call a cab. Gotta go first, Iâll see you around,âÂ
âSee you,â
Once Sunghoon was gone from your side, you finally had the chance to have some space to breathe and take in whatever that was earlier on. You couldnât ignore it, how could you? Not when he was staring daggers at the back of his best friendâs head and sending you signals through his eyes, all with a girl next to him, unbelievable.Â
His constant appearance was unhealthy for you, and after what he pulled, he was the only thing you could think of, slick bastard. You made sure Chaewon was safe and well before making a bee-line towards the restrooms, having to squeeze through crowds and pass by couples making out, you were about to turn a corner when you felt a hand tugging your wrist.Â
One pull was enough for you to stumble over your feet and stumble into someoneâs chest, specifically the person who had their hand on you. It was predictable, way too predictable that it was cliche at this point.
âJay?â
âOhâY/N,âÂ
Why was he acting dumb?
Your eyebrows were raised in question, face pulled into an expression that was screaming âwhat the fuckâ, but internally, being this close to him, wasnât too bad of an idea. You were a hypocrite, and maybe a whore too.
âI saw you just now and I thought I wanted to say hi, you know?âÂ
âReally?â you stepped back a little, because the closer you were to him, the more insane you were becoming.
âYeah,â he breathed out, alcohol evident in his breath. âAlso saw you with Sunghoon,â
You rolled your eyes, a smirk itching on the way to the corner of your lips. âHe was nice,â
ââNiceâ,â he echoed thoughtfully, tongue sweeping over his lips, grabbing your attention almost at once.Â
âAre you drunk?â
He shrugged. âMaybe,â
âIâm taking that as a âyesâ,â you sighed, glancing down at his relentless hold, but not complaining either. If he was drunk, surely he was truthful too, right? âWere you jealous?â
He was silent for a second, as if trying to digest your question thoroughly. Without any ounce of hesitation, he answered with his full chest. âYeah,â
Jay was jealous? Was he just playing with you?
âDonât like seeing you with Hoon,â he mumbled, leaning more of his weight onto you and you had to press your back against the wall for more support. This position had you dying on the inside. He was close, breath fanning onto your face, his expensive cologne entering your senses. âWant you all to myself,â
âThought you hated me,â you swallowed down a gasp, whispering out quietly.
ââHateâ? Maybe mildly intolerable but youâre ⊠you. How could I hate you?â
That was something new.Â
You could only blink. He didnât hate you as much as you had expected? Was there something more to this? Was Jay hiding untold truths that he kept secret? Before you could uncover more, Jake came tumbling around and ripped Jay off you, seemingly much sober than Jay was, a little pissed off as well.
âMotherfucker, youâre hereââ he turned, expecting to see some random chick he was huddling up onto, but realisation dawned on his face when it turned out to be you, ââY/N? WaitâJayâyouâIââ he was lost for words, catching a pair of sworn enemies together almost too scandalously. Oh, for sure he was going to blabber this out.Â
âYouâre taking him away, right?â you ignored his shock, hoisting Jay into Jakeâs arms, prying his hold away, losing the overall warmth emitted from him.Â
âYeah,â he said, uneasy and still mildly surprised.Â
âHeâs all yours, buddy. Heâs a little out of it but still functioning. So, Iâll get going first!â
âHow did thisâohâbye!â he couldnât even finish asking his question when you dashed away into the crowd, leaving a dazed Jay hanging on the side of Jake, where Jake wished Sunghoon hadnât gone off with some girl now that he needed help.
Now, you need to be drunk and crash into the abyss before you wake up in the morning to overthink about what Jay said.Â
Overthinking was definitely what you did the next day.Â
Hangover headache and being haunted by Jay's words was not a great combination for your head and you. Maybe you were semi-drunk when you heard it, but what he said did affect you, and in that moment, you wanted to bring him home.
As much as you wanted to avoid him, his presence was simply inevitable.Â
Chaewon had sent out an invite to lunch with the bridesmaids, groomsmen and some selected close friends, you and him were involved obviously. You were grateful that Chaewon was making an effort to plan activities together for the months leading up to her wedding, but God, being with Jay was intoxicating.
You were supposed to dislike him. What happened to all the years of hatred and rivalry? Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to feel that way anymore. He had invoked something else in you that you were afraid to admit. A feeling that you were scared to have after your last relationship.
"Hey," you heard someone calling out to you while you were already seated at the long table. You glanced up from your phone to see Jay sliding in from your right onto the seat next to you.Â
"Hi," you greeted back, noticing how much more sober and awake he was this time. "Doing okay? Surprised that you didn't fall into a ditch or something,"
"Haha," He let out sarcastically, straightening out his jacket, eyebrows scrunched. "A little tired, that's all,"
The way Jay didn't bring up whatever happened between you and him was weird. Did he remember what he said? Was he pretending to not know?
"You got home late yesterday? Do you remember seeing me at the club?"
He was taking some time to process and rethink back to his night out, then he shrugged. "I think I did? It was kinda hazy. I remembered Jake slapping me awake in my apartment though," he laughed, and you did too, more forcefully, trying to hide the miniscule disappointment that was bubbling internally. "You got home safe, right?"Â
"I did," you could still somehow remember Yujin's body falling on top of yours in the taxi, being the only one who's not fully drunk, you cursed your high tolerance.
You were about to reach for your glass when you felt your phone buzz, the screen lighting up just in time to see Yujin's message.
yujin: head's up, asshole's coming
Of course he was. You were glad Heeseung didn't include him in his groomsmen roster considering they were close, but to have his presence around was simply suffocating.
"I'm so fucked,"
"Why?"Â
You looked around, noticing familiar faces joining the table. Your friends had arrived too, but they placed their belongings on the seat beside you and left once they saw you with Jay. Whether it was on purpose or not, you didn't know.
"Yeonjun,"
Jay's mouth formed an 'O', nodding slowly. "Why did Heeseung invite him anyway? Me and the guys don't really know him,"
"But Heeseung does. That's how Chaewon and him met. It was through me and Yeonjun," you sighed, shrugging. "What can I do? There's nothing much for me to say or do,"
"You can show him,"
"Show him what?"
"That you're happier,"
"Well, I am," you threw your hands up. "I think?"
"You think?" He chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Just ignore him. You're over him now anyway, don't give him the attention that he wants,"
"You're right, thank you,"
"It's nothing," he smiled, one that was gentle and understanding, a new kind that you've just discovered.
Soon, everyone had arrived, Yeonjun included, who made sure to sit further away from you, and before the lunch started, there was the obligatory speech from the bride and groom to be.Â
In the meantime, the table was much smaller than anticipated, everyone was shuffling around, trying to get closer, moving their chair to be closer. So, there you were, sitting closer to Jay with barely some space in between.
You were ignoring him at all cost, especially when he accidentally brushed against you, leaned in too close trying to grab a plate, or when he even poured your drink for you. Nope, you were not falling for him or his tricks.
"Can you get me that bowl over there?" Suddenly, he was whispering by your ear, shooting you his best attempt of pleading eyes as you rolled yours.
"What if I said no?" You teased, hand already reaching for the bowl unknowingly.
"You won't,"Â
"I hate you," you hated the effect he had on you, or the fact that he was so smug and confident. Gosh, you hate him to the point where it somehow made him tolerable.
"That's kinda hotâthanks," he winked at you as he took the bowl from your hold, unaware of your flushed cheeks. Why were you letting him cause such a reaction from you?
You coughed a little, shaking off his words and pressing your lips into a thin line. "I heard Yunjin's coming to the wedding too," you brought up a mutual friend in order to change the subject away from the current situation, though it was just you that suffered whereas Jay was oblivious.
"Yunjin? That girl from high school?" Jay's eyebrows were furrowed thoughtfully at the mention of the girl.Â
"I hope you have the right one in mind, but yes. She's a good friend of Chaewon and I. I thought you knew her?"
"I do, I think? I do remember having a teeny crush on her though," Jay shrugged, stabbing his fork into the salad and bringing it to his mouth.Â
You pursed your lips, not knowing what to do with that information. "I kinda get it, she's an all american beauty. Are you going to hit her up at the wedding?"
"I don't know. Haven't seen her in years either. Why? You're trying to set me up? Get me out of your hair?" Jay leaned his body close, his lips curled into a sly smirk that you wished to wipe off his face.
"Just asking! I mean, she's a total catch,"
Jay shook his head softly, returning his attention back to his food with a small smile. "Why would I care about her when I already have a total catch by my side?"
Your head snapped to look at him, but was only met with a completely nonchalant Jay who continued with his meal. Did he seriously say that? And you did hear him correctly enough to know that you weren't mistaken. Wow, the man that you swore was your rival somehow became a mildly tolerable man that flirts with you? Someone wake you up, now!
"I wouldn't mind if you do set me up though," he whispered, earning a loud eye roll from you in return.
The lunch eventually ended with a heartful dessert and a tearful speech from the soon bride and groom. Throughout the meal, you were actively dodging Yeonjun's wishful gazes, moreover praying he would actually disappear instead. You could tell he wanted to approach you after, but for the first time, you were thankful for Jay's annoying presence popping up.Â
"Your ex keeps glaring at me like I did something wrong," Jay raised his eyebrows, cocking his head at Yeonjun's direction.
"Don't blame me. I don't know what's his problem either considering he's the one who disappeared," you clicked your tongue, heaving a sigh of exasperation. "I can't believe I not only have to deal with him but also you at the wedding,"
Jay shot you a look, seemingly offended. "Okay, but at least I'm the nicer one between him and I,"
"Define 'nicer'," you started walking and he joined your side, hands shoved into his pants pockets.
"At least I didn't ghost you physically,"
"Alright, low blow. Plus, you're too much of an annoying entity to disappear anyway,"
"Ouch," he placed a hand on his face, feigning a hurt look despite cracking a laugh. "You won't be getting rid of me anytime soon,"
"How fun," you deadpanned, eliciting a small smirk from the latter.Â
"Just like old times, eh?" He leaned in close to you, the scent of his cologne wafted into your senses. For a moment there, you thought you were hypnotised, until you came back to reality and gently shoved his face away.
"Hope not, don't want you cock blocking my chances with your friend again,"
It was Jay's turn to groan. "Seriously? Hoon again? Let him go,"
"I'm kidding, partially," you made a face, shrugging playfully. "You're acting like you hate the guy,"
"Whatever," he waved it off, a grumpy frown on his face that made you giggle quietly. "Your friends are waitingâ" he nodded at where your friends stood, all of which were waving at you to join them, "âso I guess I'll see you around then, L/N,"
"Until then, Park."
It was unexplainable, but your goodbyes with him were always sincere despite the amount of banter and unseriousness. A part of you wished there was something more that brought you two together other than the wedding itself, but what if the wedding was your chance to create something beyond this push and pull?
You ignored your friends' watchful stares when you approached. They all knew, you knew too, that maybe there was something changing in the dynamics that you built in the past. Maybe it wasn't hate that you feel anymore.Â
Who told Chaewon to let Heeseung take charge of the next activity?
Honestly, you were aware of the fact that you were simply unfit. But to combine that and having to be under the hot sun was a killer combo for you and your friends. Were you going to complain to your cousin, however? No. A happy bride-to-be was all you needed to make sure everything went well.
A very classic Heeseung thing to do was to arrange a football match that only he and his friends probably enjoyed. You tried being optimistic by treating it as a new experience only to be humbled by the scorching sun. Well, that totally burnt your expectations away. The only reassurance you had for the day was knowing your ex wasn't there.Â
It was automatically split into two teams. Bridesmaids against groomsmen. You didn't know how that was fair but you didn't question it either for the sake of the spirits of a pre wedding game.Â
You have never once touched a football in your life, neither did most of your friends, but the moment you met Jay's challenging gaze, you knew you had to turn into prime Messi to attempt at a win. This match was about to be a renaissance of the Ronaldo and Messi rivalry, except a more complicated and dumbed down version.
"Okay girls," you and the rest of the bridesmaids huddled together before the match started, a plan in mind that you knew could be put to play. "Here's what we can do. We might not know how to play football, but we know how to play with men's minds, right?" A hum of agreement passed through the group.
"Pretend you're injured, do whatever you can, get to their minds and distract them, then we can get past their defence easily. Look, I know what you guys can pull, so I trust you. Let's get this win!"Â
Manipulation was the key to your success.Â
Chaewon casted a small smirk at you, and you smiled innocently back at her before she went to where the referee stood, preparing for kick off. It was between her and Heeseung that would be the first to get possession of the ball.Â
It was barely noticeable, but you caught it. Chaewon was slyly flirting with Heeseung, and by the time the whistle blew, Heeseung was a second too late and Chaewon got possession of the ball.
You started running, not knowing where your feet were bringing you, but all you did was train your focus on the ball. It was hard not to panic when the ball landed beneath your feet, and you suddenly grew respect for footballers.Â
It didn't last long when the ball was kicked out of your possession by the one and only, Park Jong Seong. Since when was he a pro at defending?
You huffed in indignation as you watched him sprint away with the ball. Oh you were so going to get it back.
You dashed towards him until you reached his side. What was football without playing a little dirty? So, you used your shoulder to bump into him, causing him to lose his footing and giving you an opportunity to win it back and passing it to Yujin.Â
"Wow, L/N," Jay exclaimed, giving you a look of either admiration or annoyance. "Who knew you could be this ⊠rough?"
"Shut it, Park,"Â
He let out a humorous laugh before running off to join the rest of the action. You were clearly dumbfounded but you regained your composure not long after.Â
The bridesmaids were getting closer to the groomsmen's goalpost and in a blink of an eye, Yujin made a swift kick to the ball and it hit the back of the net, scoring the bridesmaid team their first goal. Maybe you do get footballers a little more now that you were screaming and joining the girls for a huddle, jumping around like you've already won the entirety of the match.
"Alright, we just need to last another 50 minutes," Yujin quickly chimed in once every one of you calmed down from the high.
Her reminder did eventually bring you back to reality.Â
The fifteen minute half time break wasn't much of a help either. By the time you were done catching your breath, the whistle blew and the second half commenced. There wasn't much action at the start considering everyone was getting tired, but when you noticed the groomsmen were picking up and attacking your side of the defence, you knew you had to step up your game.
You realised Jay was the one with the ball, making his way towards the goalpost, and crazily, your first instinct was to attempt a tackle on him. Right, a man who stood at five foot ten was going to be easily tackled by you. Seeing as he didn't budge, you did the second most crazy thing you thought of. You yanked onto him.Â
Boy, did that work, maybe a little too well.Â
He lost his footing, football rolling to God knows where, falling back in slow motion as he grabbed your arm like it was an opportunity for you to go down with him too. Everything happened at almost the slowest speed possible, your eyes widened, never leaving his panicked gaze as you fell face first onto him.Â
Thankfully, you landed on his chest, not anywhere else. The accident itself went unnoticed by everyone else as the groomsmen scored their first goal, too busy basking in the glory to figure out one of them was on the ground, the maid of honour on top of him.
You didn't think it was humanly possible at all. To be on top of him, your chest pressing against his firm, hardâshut upâyou meant his much firmer chest, hands grabbing onto his wide shoulders. There was only a minimal distance between your face and his. You could almost count the freckles on his cheeks or feel his breath on your face. Neither of you moved.
"I see you really like it rough, don't you?" Jay was the first to speak up, a smirk creeping up on his sweat stained face.
You blinked, and soon registered everything happening around you. The momentary brain fog wore off and you pushed yourself off of him, breathing deeply and heart beating quickly. Why was your heart beating this fast for him? Was it his eyes that caused your heart to skip a beat? Or was it his smile lines that render you speechless?
You didn't dare to look at him, sitting there rather quietly as you heard him grunt, hoisting himself up into a sitting position. You felt him glancing at you, but you remained passive.
"Is this your first time being on top of a man?"
That was enough to get you to look at him. "What?"
"Nevermind," he mumbled, dusting grass off his front. "Are you okay?"
"Shouldn't I ask you that instead?"
"Oh yeah, considering how you pulled onto me then proceeded to use me as a landing cushion," Jay grumbled, mostly lightheartedly, but you couldn't help feeling guilty.
"Sorry," you winced.
"It's fine. I'm not seriously injured either. You're lucky you're cute,"
"Whatâ"
"Woah, you guys didn't get into a brawl, did you?" Heeseung rushed over just in time to cut your reaction off. You were in a state of mild shock, questioning if your ears had heard that right.
The rest of the game progressed with nothing much and ended in a draw. You ignored the quiet teasings from the other bridesmaids, trying your best to seem casual but it failed the moment Jay approached you.
"Good game," he handed you a bottle of cold water, to which you accepted gladly, secretly surprised at his assertiveness.
"Even after I throttled you?"
He let out a laugh, clearly amused and shaking his head. "Seems like old habits between us never died, huh? Always so competitive,"
"Same goes to you, Park, almost lost an ankle out there,"
"But at least you got to fall onto me, right?"
You scoffed, feeling heat creeping up the back of your neck. "Don't flatter yourself, it was an accident,"
"Mhm," he hummed, the playful smile still present and irking you, but a part of you was thinking how cute he looked. It didn't help that his shirt was stuck against his skin because of the sweat and you could see a faint outline of his abs and muscles. You were just a girl after all. "Didn't hear you complaining when it happened,"
"Okayâ"
"Are we the lovebirds here or is it actually you two?" Chaewon swooped in with a big knowing grin, purposely wiggling her eyebrows at you.
"We're not lovebirds," you and Jay answered in unison, then heads snapping to look at each other incredulously.
"You need to stop copying me, it's getting old," you said, causing him to drop his jaw.
"I'm so not copyingâ"
"Right, right," Chaewon interjected, sparing you from another banter with Jay. "Let's go wash up and grab some food after, shall we?"
"Sounds good," you wrapped your arm around your cousin, staring pointedly at Jay.
"Yeah, it'd be great,"
"Good!" Chaewon exclaimed before either of you could utter another word. "Let's go then."
The food was good, but most importantly, you were fresh and clean. The only problem was the fact you were struggling to eat from the constant eye contact with Jay. He might've been sitting a couple seats away from you, but his eyes would stray to you.Â
It was already hard to swallow the day's interaction with him, but to top it off with this was simply overwhelming. What was he doing to you?Â
Whatever he was doing, you didn't want him to stop.
Time was passing by too fast. Way too fast.Â
Chaewon surely knew how to keep you busy. From planning to activities, you were roped into all of them till the point where you've lost your concept of time. Pottery, painting and baking classes were the most memorable activities you had with the bridesmaids, and there were regular brunches or dinners with the groomsmen. Either way, all of those were soon memories as you currently prepared for your flight to Greece. Two weeks in Greece. Who gave Chaewon the idea of having her bachelorette party there too?
You know what, at least you got the chance to sit in business class. Chaewon, being the person she was, insisted on upgrading every groomsmen and bridesmaids to business class. There were countless arguments and conflict due to the fact that she was shouldering it, but she shut it down immediately. So, what else could you and the others do but listen and accept it gracefully.
It really was a different atmosphere being in business class. You were praying you got the single seat by the window, but with a glance at your ticket, you realised your seat was in the middle where a two seats sat side by side, seperated by a divider. May you get a rich business man that would take you around Greece for free.
"You again?"
Maybe you have to scratch that idea out.
You looked up from your seat, already all settled in, just to meet Jay's unamused gaze. Him again. Chaewon and Heeseung definitely had a thing to do with this whole setup. Â
"You?" You eyed him from head to toe, taking in his hoodie clad body and grey sweatpants covered lower half. "What are you doing in my presence?"
"Why, I'm sorry, my majesty. It seems like I am sitting beside you," he hoisted his backpack up to the overhead compartment, flashing a little of his tummy and that happy trail of his. What the fuck. Before he could catch you staring, you averted your attention just as he plopped down onto the seat next to you, a contented sigh leaving his lips. "Man, business class truly is different,"
"I don't know how Chaewon is affording all these," you took a look around, spotting a few familiar faces.Â
"Heeseung's loaded, remember? His family, his job," Jay let out a low whistle.
"Good for Chaewon, then,"
"Good for us too."
Take off was fairly peaceful knowing Jay was too engrossed into whatever movie he had on. You, on the other hand, was trying to get some sleep before any crying babies started wrecking havoc, or worse, Jay speaking. It didn't last long when food was served and Jay decided it was time to take a break from his movie.
"What are you eating?" Jay took a peek over the divider to see which menu you selected.
"Shrimp fried rice. Since when did you become so nosy?" Ironically, you secretly took a look at his food too, some wonton noodles with side dishes.Â
"Trying to be nice to my neighbour that I'm stuck with for over ten hours. I'm being the bigger person here,"Â
"Bigger person, yeah," you mumbled under your breath, stabbing into your shrimp fried rice.Â
"You know, I would really like to recreate Mamma Mia in Greece," it seemed that sometimes a filter didn't exist for Jay.
"Which part? The musical? The baby daddy disaster? Wedding off your own daughter? Having a love life crisis at your daughter's wedding?" At least you were mildly entertained.
Jay snorted, pointing at his paused screen, and that was when you realised he was actually watching Mamma Mia. "Probably the musical part. You know, 'Dancing Queen', classic,"
"Didn't know you roll with ABBA like that," why was his attractiveness level increasing? You were seeing him in a different light day by day and you didn't know if that was a good or bad thing for you.
"What can I say? I'm an attractive man with good music taste,"
"Then why are you still single?"
"We don't talk about that."
Fair to say the rest of the journey has been peaceful. Jay might've chimed in from time to time but he actually mostly made you laugh, unaware that he was staring at your smile and the way your eyes crinkled in happiness. Sleep was definitely the star of the show. It was what you did for most of the flight until it was time for landing, groggily waking up to an already freshly awake Jay. How did he do it? You didn't know.Â
"I shook you awake for 20 times and you couldn't wake up," Jay leaned over and whispered, receiving a tired eye roll from you.
"I can't believe travelling is this tiring," you sighed, straightening your back against the seat.
"The wedding week is about to be more tiring,"
"Don't remind me about it,"Â
You were holding onto your last piece of peace before the wedding, truly.Â
From exiting the plane to going through the usual airport measures, Jay has never strayed far from you. Surprisingly, you didn't mind it either. The two of you navigated through the airport, not sparing the occasional bicker as Jay was insisting on turning right while you insisted on turning left. Turns out, it was to head straight for the exit.Â
You shared a cab together to the hotel Chaewon specifically booked so that you could meet with the others. It was awkward having to explain to the driver that you and Jay were not a couple after he called you two a beautiful pair, the language barrier didn't help anything at all, leaving the rest of the journey to your destination a little silent.
The hotel was genuinely a sight for sore eyes. Upon arriving, you had to check if it was the right place, and it really was. The hotel overlooked the sea, there even was an infinity pool by the edge of the cliff. You wondered how you managed to get here, to this beautiful getaway.
It didn't take long before the others arrived, including Chaewon and Heeseung themselves. You and Jay were busy chatting with Chaewon while the others already checked into the hotel rooms, unaware about the existing problems until Heeseung came sounding them. Supposedly everyone was meant to get their own rooms, but there seemed to be a mix up in the amount of single rooms and there were one room short. Everyone basically already had their own rooms ⊠except for you and Jay.
Of course it's going to be you and Jay.
"So, it's fully booked out? That's the only room left?" You, Jay, and the actual couple surrounded the counter, mildly distressedâwell, mostly you and Jay wereâthe other two had other thoughts in mind.
"Yes, Miss. We're so sorry about the mistake. We can offer complimentary services as a way to repay you,"
Screw those complimentary services, you were on the edge of a meltdown.Â
"What about an extra single bed for the room? For free?" Chaewon chimed in, flashing her sparkly eyes in addition to the very reasonable repayment.
"We can do that," the receptionist was quick to answer, putting on a pretty forced friendly smile.
"Wait, so we're sharing rooms?" Jay interrupted, sounding a little confused.
"Glad to see you're only catching on now," you seethed through your teeth, glaring rather unhappily at him.
None of you complained despite the constant bombardment of questions from Chaewon asking if you were okay with the arrangements. You came to terms with it, and you expected more sound from Jay, but to your surprise, he silently accepted it.Â
"You're not mad or anything?" It was now just the both of you, alone in a corridor trying to find your room.Â
"Why would I be?" From the tone of his voice, he genuinely seemed fine with it.
"I thought you'd rather die than be with me,"
"That's what you think," his eyes were on the doors and the numbers, but his focus on your every word never faltered. "I've learnt to tolerate you. I think you should do the same,"
"I do! I'm not exploding anymore whenever I see you,"Â
"Oh wow, is that the effect I have on youâhere's our room," you stopped right behind him, standing in front of a door, waiting for him to unlock it.
The room was exactly what you imagined but also not. It was a small room, mostly decorated and painted with the overall theme of Mykonos in mind. There was a single bed there and it certainly haunted you. Please deliver that extra bed quickly, you thought.
"Home sweet home for two weeks, I guess," Jay muttered as he came out of the bathroom after walking around the room, though there was nothing much to see anyway.
"At least you get to live your Mamma Mia dream,"
"Touche."
Being heavily jet lagged and tired out of your mind, you wondered how Chaewon still had ample amount of energy left in her to be so enthusiastic and cheerful. She had invited the bridesmaids, groomsmen and close friends out for dinner at an outdoor restaurant, where the pretty view made up for the hefty price.
The chilly evening weather was perfect for you to pull out one of your dinner dresses, a black long sleeved midi dress that complimented you. Maybe pulling the dress out was a good idea hidden in disguise, because it definitely did a number on Jay.Â
From the moment you stepped out of the bathroom in the dress to the point where you're waiting for your dinner, Jay has been enamoured by you. Even if he said nothing, his eyes couldn't lie, they couldn't escape.Â
"I don't like the way he's always staring at you," Jay whispered quietly so that only you could hear. You knew who he was talking about, unfortunately, and you detested the fact that you were getting the unwanted attention too.
"I don't like the way he's staring at me either," you mumbled, avoiding your ex's watchful gaze. "He's going to be such a pain in the ass for me,"
"Out of sight, out of mind,"
"You don't say," you sighed into your glass of wine, hoping to down another in an attempt to cloud Yeonjun's existence away.Â
Dinner was taking its own sweet time to get prepared, so everyone was scattered around, either by the bar or at the table. Jay had wandered off with Sunghoon and Jake, leaving you with Yujin and Wonyoung.
"Okay, guess who's here," Chaewon had snuck up on you and the girls, flinging her arm carelessly around your's and Yujin's shoulders.
"It's me," you heard a familiar voice announcing her presence in a sing-song tone, causing you and your friends to turn around, seeing one of your best friends, Yunjin, approaching with open arms.Â
"Yunjin?" You gasped, rushing over to throw yourself on her. "Oh my God, it's been ages since we met,"Â
"I know! I've been busy, it's insane," after all the hugs from you and the girls, you sat down to catch up, listening to every drama Yunjin had to offer.Â
Time wasn't enough for the amount of things Yunjin needed to say as dinner was starting to be served and everyone was gradually returning. To your utmost surprise, Sunghoon took the seat next to you that Jay had originally sat in. It seemed Jay was a step too late as his face had obvious question marks on it.Â
You met his eyes and shrugged, but proceeded to mouth 'Yunjin' and pointed at the empty seat next to her. Well, you were trying to be a good sport and set him up. But his furrowed eyebrows told you otherwise. However, he didn't have much choice either but to oblige.
"I'm so glad you're here. I really need my support since he is literally right here," you shook your head, taking a big bite out of your pasta.
"Who?"
"Yeonjun," you muttered, basically coughed to cover the mention of his name.Â
Yunjin tensed for a second when you said his name. It didn't go unnoticed by you either, weird. But you decided to shrug it off at the moment, not thinking much of it.
"He better stay out of your way for the entire wedding," Yunjin said after a beat.
"I'm making it known, but he's kinda ⊠difficult,"
"Just stick with Chaewon, I don't think he'd mess with you when she's around. Remember that time she pulled his hair just because you two got into an argument?"
"Right. Typical Chaewon," you laughed at the memory, mostly at Chaewon's actions than the entirety of it. Thinking about Yeonjun and your past was simply heart wrenching. To be reminded that you wasted years on a man that left without any explanations was a different kind of hurt.Â
"Anyway," you started, shaking away the random surge of trauma inducing thoughts, averting your attention back on Yunjin. "Do you remember Jay?" You nodded over at said man whose attention you caught.
"Oh yeah, I do! Same high school as us, right?"
"That's me," he said, looking a mix of awkwardness and confusion. "I'm Jay,"
"Hi, Yunjin,"Â
"Well, cheers America, I suppose. You guys can bond a little over that then," you wiggled your eyebrows at Jay, who only stared back at you with an odd look. Whatever that was.
The rest of the dinner consisted of small talks with Sunghoon and laughing about shared experiences with Heeseung. You didn't notice the burning stare from Jay until dinner was over and everyone was just lazing around under the clear night sky. The bar was still open and everyone was slowly hovering over there bit by bit, swaying along with the music playing in the background.
"You're not going to get some drinks?" Sunghoon was already up from his seat, ready to join the others by the bar.Â
You shook your head. "I'm fine, I think I'll survive on the wine,"
"Alright, then I guess I'll be off with Yunjin,"Â
You looked over to see Yunjin already standing, smiling happily at the mention of some drinks and was gladly whisked away by Sunghoon, which meant you and Jay were there together alone.Â
"I see what you're trying to do," Jay scooted onto Yunjin's seat, now sitting beside you with a slight frown. "You're trying to set me up with her,"
"You said you were down,"
"Maybe I lied,"
"Well, don't lie then," you hissed, grabbing onto your wine glass and taking a large sip from it.Â
Jay choked out a laugh at your reaction, a familiar teasing grin sitting on his lips. "I'm joking. I don't care about her, I barely know her,"
"She's really nice,"Â
"I don't care,"
"Then who do you even care about?"
"You,"
Given the fact that he was sitting close to you and he never once broke eye contact, his words had a bigger effect on you more than you could imagine. What did he mean by what he said? Adding on that he didn't care about Yunjin had unknowingly given you a sense of relief, though you didn't realise it.Â
Jay cracked a smile, laughing under his breath at your confusion stricken face and took it as an opportunity to leave you hanging. "I'm going to get some drinks, want some?"
"Iâuhâno thanks, IâI'll stick to my wine," you were a stuttering mess, and you were letting him do that to you.Â
You couldn't believe it, you couldn't believe yourself. Park Jong Seong, really? You were not fully admitting it but you had to be honest, you were feeling the slight sparks when it came to Jay. Shoot you, right now please!
As if he knew he had a lasting effect on you, that man had the audacity to look over his shoulder as he left and meet your eyes, laughing a little before turning away. Motherfucker.Â
A few sips of your wine eventually turned into downing the whole glass. Talk about liquid luck, you need the confidence to uphold your composure no matter what. And it was definitely fitting when Yeonjun appeared next to you out of the blue. Maybe downing the wine was a smart choice after all.
"You're with Jay now?"Â
"Why would it be your business whether or not I'm with him?" You snapped, not needing his presence at the moment.
"I justânevermind,"
"What do you want, Yeonjun? Last time I checked, we're not on speaking terms,"
"I just wanted to talk,"
"Talk? You left me with no explanation and you want to talk now? I rather we stay no contact forever,"Â
"Look, IâI did something ⊠unforgivable and I couldn't face you, so I left andâ"
"What was it? What did you even do till the point where you had to leave and disappear from my life?"
"I don't know if this is the right place to say or even the right time, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry,"
"Save it, if you're not even going to tell me. I don't forgive you, Yeonjun, and I don't think I ever will," you forced out even though you were crumbling internally, wishing the ground would just swallow you up and never see his face ever again.
"Y/Nâ"
"Y/N," It was Jay. He was back from the bar, standing with a glass in hand paired with a very confused look on his face as he stared at a distressed you then at your guilty looking ex. "And ⊠Yeonjun,"
"Jay," Yeonjun greeted, or more so, acknowledged.
There was a recognisable tension that hung in the air. Not only did you feel uncomfortable, but also awkward and angry, and it somehow prompted you to get up from your seat. You didn't know what you were going to do, all you wished for was to be far away from Yeonjun.Â
"Iâyou know what, let's go get some drinks," you caught onto Jay's wrist, pulling him with you to the bar without looking back or acknowledging Yeonjun's existence.Â
"What was all that? I felt like dying there," Jay said in a hushed tone once your ex was out of earshot.Â
"I don't know either, it almost felt like a fever dream. He basically said everything but also nothing," it was evident from your voice that Yeonjun had affected you more than it seemed. How dare he seek you out after all those times of being away? For a minute you thought you were in one of those scripted dramas. "Tell me, Jay, how am I supposed to avoid him when he's literally here with us for the entire wedding?"
"Forget about the rest of the wedding, let's just focus on tonight first. You know what we're going to do tonight? Drink and dance," Jay laced his hand into yours, and it took you by complete surprise. The warmth of his skin calmed you, the reassurance in the glow of his eyes made you think maybe everything was alright.Â
You eventually ditched the wine and went for something stronger, reaching the point where you were playing drinking games with some of your friends while Jay watched. It was until Jay had to pull you away from the drinks and try leading you back to the table, but you stopped in your tracks and it made things difficult for him.Â
"Why are you stopping?" He held onto your arms tighter, though you weren't fully drunk, you were still stumbling over your own two feet.Â
"Do you hear that?"Â
Jay squinted his eyes at you, almost like he's saying 'are you crazy' without verbally doing so. "Hear what?"
"ABBA,"
"ABBA?" Jay questioned, but when you shushed him and he actually listened, he could hear the start of 'Dancing Queen' playing from the bar speakers.Â
"Your Mamma Mia dream!" You threw your head back laughing and grabbed onto his shoulder.Â
Jay had always been a man who knew how to keep his composure, constantly pretending that you were nothing more to him, but now that it came to you, he seemed to be losing every bit of it. The moment he watched you throw your head back laughing, he was a gone man. His knees were weak and his heart was racing quicker than usual. He didn't even realise you had pulled him into the middle of a mini dancefloor by the bar. Why did they even have a dance floor? He thought. Whatever, Chaewon and Heeseung were dancing, some of the others were too, so Jay, for once, decided to let go.
"It's your song! Dancing Queen!" You patted his shoulder with the widest smile on your face as if things hadn't gone sour in the first place. Alcohol worked wonders for you. But it didn't cloud your mind when Jay wrapped his hand around your wrist and proceeded to pull you in, knocking your liquid confidence out of you.Â
"Dance with me then,"Â
Oh.
Oh.
"I'd love to,"Â
Fuck it.
Jay bit his lips, smiling wide and pulling you with him. You stumbled a little, but you didn't care, letting out a carefree laugh and moving your body to the music, not even realising that Jay was standing there watching you, completely starstruck by you.
"What are you doing? Dance with me," you pulled onto his arm and he laughed in response, letting you boss him around in your half drunken stage.Â
Jay was a great dancing partner, better than you expected. He twisted and turned you around, and at one point, he spun you around. It was fun living this way, not caring about a single thing in the world and getting to dance till your heart's content. It was written all over your's and Jay's face, how much you were enjoying each other's company despite not saying it.
It took Dancing Queen and a few other ABBA songs to wear you and Jay out, eventually having to retire back to the table a little sweaty and very sluggish. Being a little tipsy and tired, you were ignorant to the obvious stares from your friends and Yeonjun himself. Were you going to explain yourself in the morning? Absolutely not.
Heading back to the hotel was easy when everyone of you walked back together, filling the quiet night air with loud laughs and juicy chatters. Jay's jacket was wrapped around your shoulders, and he himself was straying not far behind with Jake.Â
You said your goodbyes for the night to Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the others before following Jay to the room. He made sure to have you by his side, occasionally sneaking glances at you as you both silently walked back.Â
You've never been more glad to take your heels off and be back in your own room. As you stumbled around trying to get your shoes off, you caught sight of a change in the room. There were two beds. That's good. But they're side by side. Not good. The hotel was making a fool of you at this point.Â
"What are you staring atâoh," Jay had entered the room, looking taken aback at the two single beds joined together.Â
"They're together, they shouldn't be together," your words came out in a rush, almost in a panic.Â
"Well, no shit," Jay mumbled, walking forward to the bed. "Do you want to move this? Oh, it's going to be a lot of work, the bedside tablesâ"
"You know what, leave it," you were too tired to complain, it was already past midnight and Jay was probably equally tired, it just wasn't a good time to be the one complaining here. "Let's just share the bed,"
"You're fine with that?"
"I am,"
"Really?"
"Yes, Jay, now stop asking before I downgrade you to the floor," that was enough to get the man to zip his mouth.
The process of getting in bed with Jay was bewildering to you. You were sleeping in the same bed as him. That was something you had to wrap your mind around.Â
"You okay?" In the dark came Jay's voice. The lights were off and you were already tucked under the covers. There was a small space in between you and Jay, something the two of you made sure remained. However, you could hear Jay's faint breathing and feel the warmth emitting from his body. You were that close to him.Â
"I'm fine, just ⊠tired,"
"I didn't think you'd want to share the bed with me,"
"Why?"
"Thought you hated to be in my presence or something,"
"That's what you think," you said, quoting him from earlier on. Jay immediately caught onto that, letting out a snort in response.
"Are you finally charmed by me, L/N?"
It was your turn to let out a snort, but the smile creeping onto your face was telling you otherwise. "Go to sleep, Park,"
Jay laughed a little, and it was hard not to admit that it caused a swarm of butterflies to stir in your abdomen. "Night, sweetheart,"
Those swarms of butterflies were about to be a whole damn zoo.Â
"Night, Jay."
That night, despite the space in between, you felt much closer to Jay than you've ever been before, both personally and physically.
Waking up to a feeling of heaviness over your stomach was alarming. Finding out it was Jay's arm was ten times more alarming.
Your eyes basically widened in light speed, snapping your head over to see Jay still dozed off beside you, but the space you both created was practically nonexistent. He was cuddling you. Cuddling you. No matter how many times you repeated it, you continued to be in disbelief.
The Park Jong Seong was cuddling you and you were in bed with him. If only fifteen years old you could hear that and not have a complete heart attack.Â
You glanced over at him again, this time pausing at the sight of his face. The freckles littered under his eyes resembled constellations in the sky. It was impossible to deny that he had a face that was to die for, paired with features that were too delicate and detailed, he was a dream.Â
Let's not start on his arm and the biceps, shall we? You carefully pushed his arm away, feeling the warmth from his touch slowly leaving your skin. Then, you made the run for it and headed to the bathroom without looking back. What a start to your morning.
It took approximately another thirty minutes before Jay woke up. By then, you were already done with your morning routine and were in the midst of choosing your outfit of the day.Â
"Morning. You're up early,"
"No, Jay, you're up late. We need to meet them for brunch by twelve," you pointed at the clock that was conveniently hanging on the wall. It was half past eleven.
"Oh," he breathed out, hair sticking out in different directions, t-shirt all crumpled. "Give me ten minutes."
He truly stuck to his words. Ten minutes and he was out of the shower, fresh and fully awake. "Impressive," you noted.
"Thank you," he delivered a wink at you, bowing slightly. It was never too early in the morning for him to do that, was it?
Brunch came and went, eventually it was time for bridesmaid duties. You, Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the rest of the bridesmaids were at the venue doing some final preparations and going through what's needed. But the tap on your shoulder didn't prepare you for the thing she was about to say.
"Is Jay single?"
You were in the middle of checking the flowers and decorations, but was left too stunned to really continue on. "Huh?"
"That American guy, the one you introduced," she repeated, as though he wasn't the guy you're literally sharing a bed with.Â
"Him, yeah, why?" Playing oblivious to digest the question was such a strategy to pull.
"Is heâI don't knowâsingle?"
"Uhâyeah ⊠kind of? Why?" Now, why did you add 'kind of'?
"He's cute, I wanted to talk to him more but he's a little quiet,"Â
Oh.
"Oh," you were chewing on your bottom lip, a habit that you found yourself doing when you're nervous. Why were you nervous? "He's a little weird, I don't think you'd like him,"
"But I like weird!" Yunjin laughed, and you forced out one too, which eventually faltered into a frown that rested on your lips.
"I'll ⊠let him know,"Â
"Thanks!"
It was indescribable, specifically that feeling you had when Yunjin showed interest in Jay. The boiling, distasteful, stomach dropping feeling you had throughout that conversation. What was it? Plus, why would she even like Jay? He's not special, he's just ⊠Jay. Well, the Jay you knew for ages and grew close to, that Jay.Â
He was the same person that you swore you hated, the first boy you got to know. He just so happened to be standing in front of you, after all that push and pull you did in your head, you were faced with the man himself, alone in the room together.
"You look distracted," his voice broke the silence in the room, startling you slightly.
"What?"
"You look distracted," he repeated, joining you to sit on the bed as well. "Doesn't seem like it's a you thing to be distracted. What's going on in that head of yours?"
You, Jay. It's you.
"Iâuhâwedding things. They got the flowers wrong," it was a plain lie, but you managed to dodge his question, just like how you were dodging his burning eyes.
"Chaewon's not overworking you, right?"
You chuckled at his question, shaking your head. "If anything, she's overworking herself out,"Â
"You should stop her, don't want the bride to be burnt out by the time of the wedding," Jay said, and you nodded as a response. It was silent for a little while, the sound of Jay's foot tapping the ground was all you heard, mixed with the steady breathing of his.Â
"Y/N,"Â
One utterance of your name from him was enough for you to turn and meet his eyes. He was already staring at you. There was the softest glow in his gaze that he reserved just for you. It was quiet, but whatever it was that lingered in the air between you and him, it was loud and sparkling.Â
You hummed, unable to verbally reply under his stare. He was close, you weren't even conscious of the nonexistent space you two had, only becoming gradually aware that his shoulder was pressed against yours.Â
"Iâ" he started, but nothing really came out, and it somehow disappointed you a lot. "Nevermind," he laughed it off, but you could only manage a small smile, a part of you which was expecting something more had eventually shattered.
"What?" You nudged his shoulder in a lighthearted manner.
"It's nothing,"
You arched your eyebrow at him. "Nothing?"
He shook his head. You let out a hum in response even though you didn't believe him, but you moved on from it for the moment, switching to another topic that crowded your mind.Â
"Yunjin asked me about you,"
It was his turn to be curious. "She did?"
You nodded in affirmation. "Asked if you're single. I think she's interested,"
"What do you think of it?"
"What? Why would I matter in this?"
"I care about what you think about this. Aren't you the one pushing the whole agenda?"
"Wellâ"
"You can always just tell me to fuck off and I will, you know?"
"I can't just do that. You're a person with free will, why would I want to get in the way of your love life?"Â
"I could sense the disapproval in you, Y/N," he leaned in slightly, not knowing how much of an effect it has on you.
You gulped, trying to regain your composure a little bit more. "Do whatever you want, Jay, really,"
"Really?"
"Really,"
"Alright, I'll trust you and your judgement. Now go shower, stinky,"
You punched his shoulder and stood up. "What a gentleman you are, Jay,"
"I'm joking! But you do need to shower after a long day,"
"Maybe I do,"
"So you think you smell too?"
"Now you're putting words in my mouth," you picked up your towel and pajamas, casting him one last look. "You better think back on what you were about to say! I don't like being left hanging."
You heard a humoured laugh coming from Jay, but you continued your way to the bathroom. In the end, you knew you were lying about being fine and secondly, you could tell he was hiding the actual things he wanted to say earlier on. It was clear that he was lying, you had a sure feeling about it. But you weren't exactly innocent either.Â
Jay was easy to read sometimes. It was hard to hide from you especially when his eyes were speaking to you first. They were already telling you things that couldn't be described with words, something much more intimate, yet, he couldn't say it to you for some reason.
Just like how you couldn't voice out the truth about you despising the idea of Jay and Yunjin together. It was confusing you, whatever this feeling you had harboured in your guts, or the fact that Jay was overtaking your mind, and you were willingly letting it happen.
You hate him. You hate the way he laughed. You hate his charming eyes that turn into crescent moons whenever his lips stretch into one of his sweet smiles. You hate his flirtatious remarks, or that look he had in his eyes whenever he's with you. In the end, you hate how he wasn't yours.
Oh god. You're supposed to hate him, but why were you feeling this way for him?
Oh.Â
You like him. You like Park Jong Seong.
From that night onwards, you've never been the same.Â
Being aware of your ongoing feelings for Jay was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that you got to be in tune with your feelings, but also having troubles acting like yourself around him was totally uncalled for, which explained why you've been actively dodging him for quite some time now.
"Are you okay? You're acting differently," Yujin, being your closest friend, seemed to see through your behaviour like glass.Â
You shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. If you find yourself admitting that secret, you'd be fleeing Greece the next day.Â
"We're going out to the club and you're so ⊠toned down. It's so unlike you,"
"I'm just a little tired, the packed schedules are killing me, but trust me, I'm more than glad to be able to let loose tonight," it was part truth, part lie.Â
"So no getting drunk for you?"Â
"Nope. I'll get the worst hangover the next day so I think I'll pass,"Â
"I can't tell if you'll stick to your words," Yujin narrowed her eyes at you in doubt, and truth be told, you couldn't fully trust yourself either.
"Well, we'll find out tomorrow."
Almost everyone was there by the time you and Yujin arrived. Most of them were sitting in the booth but some had already wandered off on their own. Your eyes strayed to a certain someone sitting in the booth, realising he had his gaze on you first.Â
Jay was dressed in a simple long sleeve denim button up, but there was a certain twist to it. First two buttons were unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to showcase his forearms, a single chain hung around his neck and an expensive watch wrapped around his wrist. Now ⊠you couldn't believe his simplicity and minimalism has managed to swoon you over.
He smiled upon meeting your eyes. This action alone had you melting and it wasn't even something big. You couldn't help yourself from smiling either, letting that man charm you over.Â
That was until your gaze flickered over to his side. Yunjin.Â
That same feeling in the pits of your stomach seemed to have made its presence known. You shouldn't be feeling this way. Yunjin's your friend. But why were you feeling absolutely sour the moment you saw her by his side?
"Wanna grab some drinks or you're still sticking to your words?" Yujin nudged your side and nodded her head at the bar. She always knew how to tempt you, but at the same time, you were looking for a moment's worth of getaway from Jay and Yunjin.
"Fine. I'll get something light," you grumbled, finally giving in. Yujin cheered and she absolutely didn't waste another second before pulling you away towards the bar. You felt it, however, a lingering gaze as you left that you knew who it belonged to. It took every piece of you to not look back and that was what you did.
As you waited for the bartender to be done with your drinks, you pulled your best friend closer. "I need to ask you something,"
"Ask away, old friend,"
"No questions until I'm done, okay?" You didn't know what had gotten into you, maybe it was the night time adrenaline or the fact that it's been eating you up since forever, but all you knew was you needed to confide in your best friend. Yujin nodded, clear confusion written in her expressions.
"Hear me out. Let's just say, hypothetically, I have a crush on someone and I see him with another girl. I feel some sort of confusing feelings, is that normal?"Â
Yujin's confusion morphed into realisation, then a wide knowing smirk took over her lips. "So, you've got a crush, eh?"
"Hypothetically! Now, answer my question,"
"Alright, whatever you say," Yujin's smirk never faltered, but she gave it a thought. "I know what it is,"
"What?"
"You're jealous," she might've put it plainly, but it surely did come crashing down on you like a big wave. You? Jealous? That's new. "Well, hypothetically speaking," she added, unconvinced.
"Why would I be jealous? Hypothetically,"Â
"It's natural, Y/N. Seeing someone you like with a girl who happens to not be you can be gut wrenching. It's also a part of girlhood," Yujin said thoughtfully.
"Then what do I do? Drown myself?"
"Not exactly, no, it depends. Either you admit your feelings or continue living your life in denial," Yujin hummed, resting her head on her hand as she stared at you. "Do you like him?"
"Yesâwellâhypothetical situation wise. I think I'm no longer in denial, but I just don't know what to do,"
"Tell him. What if he already likes you from the beginning?"
"Bullshit,"
Yujin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is all hypothetical?"
"YâYeah, I suppose,"
Another satisfied smile spread across her face, looking as if she'd cracked the code to the safe. "I don't think you'd have to worry,"
"What do you mean?"
"You already have him wrapped around your fingers since day one,"
Did she actually crack the code? Was it that obvious?Â
You let out a cough and straightened your spine. "It's all hypothetical, though. Don't worry,"
"Hypothetical, huh? We'll see."
How ominous that sounded. The ring of her words definitely burned in your mind even as the night progressed. Great to know you were burning with jealousy, but dreaded to realise you actually needed to voice out your feelings to be known. Why was romance this hard?Â
What you know wasn't hard was drinking and dancing. You tried getting Jay out of your mind by dancing with your friends, even accepting drinks from a random guy whose name you learned was Intak. Apparently he was on a trip with his friends too.Â
"Can I take you home tonight?"
"What?" You screamed over the music, but in reality, you were just trying to plot your escape.
"Wanna get out of here?"Â
"Iâuhâcame with my friends so I think I'll stay," you were not liking how this was going.
"Come on, I know a good place nearby," he was reaching out to grab your hand but you quickly retracted it, slowly getting up from the tall bar stool.Â
"I think I'll stay," you backed away gradually, eyes frantically blinking in anxiety as you watched him get up from his seat too.
"Hey, come onâ"Â
"What's going on?" Jay's voice travelled to your ears just as your back bumped into his chest, but you managed to recognise his voice before turning to meet his slightly agitated face.Â
"Jay," you breathed out in relief, not even acknowledging the fact that he had caught hold of your wrist.Â
He casted a glance at Intak, who thankfully backed down after seeing Jay approaching you. You thought your main concern was finally settled, but one peek at Jay's face, you knew he was mad without needing to ask. "Let's go,"
It was all fun and games until you realised he was genuinely pissed. His hold on you didn't loosen and you didn't know where you were being dragged to either. "Where are we going?" Silence from him. "Jay! Let go of me,"Â
The continued radio silence from him as he pulled you through the crowd and towards the exit only further your annoyance. You were angry and very much confused, an explanation was what you deserved too.Â
Once you had exited the club, Jay finally stopped his tracks. The quiet night air that was accompanied by the sounds of waves crashing against the shore filled the momentary silence, just before you eventually cracked.Â
"What are we doing here?"
"We're going back,"
"Back where?"
"The hotel,"
"What?" You took a step back, face contorting into confusion then anger. "I'm not going back yet,"
"You are. You're not staying especially when that creep is still there,"
"You're being unreasonable,"
Jay shook his head, jaw clenched. "What were you even doing back there? Can't you see you're getting yourself in danger?"
"I was just trying to enjoy my night, Jay,"
"And by that you meant getting yourself involved with a man you don't know?"
"God, Jay. Since when do you care?"
"Since always!" He burst out yelling, surprising you the most. He was breathing hard, eyes flickering around and his hands clenched tightly onto his jeans. "Since fucking always, Y/N, and it hurts me to see another man trying to get his way with you knowing how he doesn't deserve any part of you at all,"
Was this actually happening? Were you dreaming every word that was coming out of his mouth?Â
"Wâwhat? But I thought ⊠I thought you and Yunjinâ"
"For fuck's sake, Y/N, can't you see? I give a fuck about you, not your best friend, but you," he ran a hand through his hair, heaving a sigh of distress. "I want you. Ever since the day I met you, no matter how much you said you hated me, I just knew I couldn't feel the same, because ⊠you're you, you're special like no other,"
The anger in his eyes melted into adoration, and most importantly, love. Desperation, longing and pining hung in his words, no matter how you tried absorbing them, your state of shock continued to render you speechless. You wanted to tell him how much you liked him, or the way he has been clouding your mind for far too long, but you just couldn't bring yourself to.
"Jay âŠ" your voice was light and gentle, the alcohol in your system was buzzing and you swore you were about to lose your footing anytime soon. The additional silence from Jay only made the tension in the air thicker.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, forming a thin line. Eyebrows furrowed, thoughts clearly running through that mind of his. "Iâforget it,"
That was the last thing you had expected. "What?"
"You're tired, aâand you probably don't know what to say, I can see it in your face. Let's just talk about this another day, okay?"
You hate to admit it, but he was partially true. All those times you prepared yourself by admitting that you did, in fact, like him surely hadn't gotten you ready for this moment. Maybe a heads up would've been great, but you couldn't help feeling sad that you had unintentionally left him hanging.
"Let's go back," Jay started to walk, but your feet were still stuck to the ground. He soon noticed and turned around, head tilted to one side in confusion.Â
"I'm not rejecting you, Jay, IâI just need a clear head and a better time to gather my emotions. Trust me, I'm not pushing you away," your words might've come out slightly slurred, but it was all genuine. You held your breath until you saw a small smile forming on his face, waiting as he walked closer and finally stood before you.
"Alright, I trust you. Shall we go?"
"Let's go."
His arms were wrapped around you as you both walked under the night sky. You feared for the awkwardness, but it just seemed to be nonexistent. Your head was in a mess, but one thing's for sure, which was telling him how you felt once his heavy emotions diluted away. For now, you rested your head on his shoulder, basking in his presence before facing what was yet to come.
You didn't talk to Jay for the next few days.
Look, it's not that you didn't want to, you just couldn't. The bachelorette was the day after that night at the bar and it practically took up to two days since Chaewon insisted on a sleepover too, which also meant you haven't seen Jay for those days and given the situation you had with him, you're not sure if going no contact was the best idea.Â
Then came the pre wedding dinner and its preparations. The whole morning leading up to the evening was just you and your fellow bridesmaids running around getting everything finalised. The dinner dress you had on definitely added to the dramatics.Â
There was still an hour left until the open aired dinner. By then, you and your friends were able to catch your breath and enjoy some evening tea around the long table. The groomsmen were at one end while you and the bridesmaids were at the other, only furthering your distance from him.
"Hey, Y/N, can you grab me some sugar please?" Chaewon pointed at her cup of coffee, then batted her eyelashes sweetly at you.
The others laughed as you rolled your eyes. Maid of honour duties were truly on another level. "Alright, alright, anything else? You guys?"
"A cup of water for me please," Yunjin piped up, and a string of requests followed. It was almost as if you'd become their personal waiter.
You made your way towards the inside of the restaurant, passing by the groomsmen's end and getting some greetings from them. Your eyes, however, were on a particular one. The best man. He didn't meet your eyes, but you could tell he was resisting the urge to do so. He could have spared you a message or two, yet he chose not to, and that disappointed you more than imagined.Â
You're not pushing him away, but why did it seem like he was the one pushing you away?
Just to make matters worse, the first person you saw upon entering the inside of the restaurant was your ex, Yeonjun. Of course he was here. Before you could escape from him, he had already caught sight of you and was calling for you. Just your luck.
"Y/N!" He took big strides towards you, and you cursed under your breath.Â
"Yes?" You said slowly, taking a cautious step back.Â
"I wanted to talk to you,"
Not again. You sighed. "Look, I'm not starting this conversation again. I'm tired, it's almost the wedding day and I just want some peace,"
"IâI just wanted to tell you the truth,"
"The truth?"
"The truth behind what happened. I owe you the closure that I deprived you of,"
Get you out of here ASAP. You stared at him blankly, your fight or flight instinct blaring loudly in your ears. Your foot took one step back, the other was waiting to do the same.Â
"I slept with your best friend. I slept with Yunjin,"
Oh wow.
Nothing could've possibly prepared you for that. The reason why he broke off your five years long relationship was because he fucked your friend? That was almost a joke, except that joke was your reality.Â
"I ⊠I realised I was in love with her and I broke things off with you. Then I left and moved in with her overseas, before we eventually broke up too," his continuous confession only hit you like bullets. Maybe the closure and truth you were hoping for years was something you didn't need after all. "Say something, please, Y/N,"Â
You couldn't. Tongue tied and overwhelmed, your feet started backing up before you even knew it. Your state of shock had failed to notice a body brushing past you and advancing towards Yeonjun. Almost in a blink of an eye, Yeonjun was punched in the jaw and had fallen to the ground. The person turned around, and it was the one you were wishing on a star for. Jay.
Your eyes flickered between him and your ex, heart practically threatening to jump out of your chest at any moment. You didn't say anything and grabbed Jay's hands, pulling him out of the restaurant and most definitely away from the dinner tables. The beachside restaurant served its purpose as you dragged him to the beach, a storm of emotions clouding your senses.Â
You reached the middle of the beach, and that's when you let go of his hand, facing him with a frown. "What are you doing? You ignored me for days and now you're out here punching my ex?"
"What? He deserved it!" Jay matched the level of your voice. "Y/N, he cheated on you with your friend,"
"I know, Jay, thanks for reminding me!" You snapped, but the anger and rage soon dissolved into a vulnerable hurt that you hid until now. Tears of grief betrayed your stone cold demeanour, gradually cracking under Jay's eyes. "Fuck," you hissed out before his arms pulled you into his embrace, sending you a mix of shock but also comfort.
He held you close, arms wrapped around you tightly. If anything, he has felt like home more than you had expected. He was silent, letting you pour your tears out even if it meant wetting his freshly ironed button up. To him, all it matters was you.Â
"I don't know what to do now," you slowly pulled away, wiping the tears away and disregarding the fact that your makeup was most likely ruined.Â
"We don't have to do anything first, we can just stay here and you can cool down for a bit," Jay said calmly, smoothing his hand on your back.
You nodded a little, holding onto his forearm and pulling him down to sit with you on the beach. The sand was rough against your skin, but that was the last thing on your mind. The two of you sat there, watching the waves and the clear blue sky, waiting for either one of you to speak first.
"I deserve an explanation too, you know?" Instead of mulling over your heartbreak, you decided to address the elephant in the room. If you couldn't fix one thing, at least you could fix this.Â
"I thought of giving you space,"
"Look how that turned out, we're both hurting in our own ways. You said you wanted to talk about it, so let's do that," you turned your body to face him.
"Are you sureâ"
"Very. I'm very sure, Jay. Just because I got fucked over doesn't mean I want to fuck us over," the wound might've been fresh, but it was to be addressed later on, you're putting the one before that first. "I have a clear head this time, timing is quite odd and my emotions might be a little over the place, but I've never been so sure about one thing. Jay, I like you,"
Jay blinked once, then twice. You didn't let him have the opportunity to respond, choosing to continue on a rant or else you'd combust. "I like you. Like, a lot. You have no idea how stupid I felt that night for not telling you straightforwardly, and I was so scared of losing you,"
"You could never lose me, Y/N, never," he reached over and rested his palm against your cheek, thumb swiping ever so gently over the mascara streak. You were a mess, eyes puffy from crying and makeup semi smudged, but in his eyes, you were beautiful.Â
"I want you, Jay, you're everything to me, and Iâ"Â
It was a whiplash. How Jay had finally closed the gap between you and him, addressing the heavy tension once and for all. Before you could utter another word, his lips crashed onto yours. It took you a second to fully realise, but when you did so, everything felt like heaven.Â
The years of tension melted into the kiss, heavy and desperate, but also a hint of tender love was present. His hand on your cheek wandered off to the back of your neck, guiding you deeper into the kiss. His touch, his lips, they were an addiction.Â
You felt him smiling into the kiss right before he pulled away, the smile still present. It was quiet except for your heavy breathing, but you couldn't stop yourself from giggling. The overwhelming joy of getting the man you deserve was something you couldn't contain, and it seemed he felt the same too.
Jay pressed his forehead against yours, palms resting on the side of your face. "Actually, that night in the hotel, you know, where I left you hanging?"
You scoffed, resisting a smile. "I know,"
"That night, what I really wanted to say was ⊠I'm in love with you," he was cheesy, so cheesy, but it was genuine, and lucky for you, his cheesiness worked. "So super in love, since forever,"
You couldn't hold back your amused laugh this time, and your burning cheeks were betraying you. "I can't believe you're so cheesy! Who knew Park Jong Seong was such a hopeless romantic?"
"I'm professing my love for you and you're laughing at me?" He pinched your cheek, eliciting a louder bark of a laugh from you.Â
"I'm kidding. I'm just as much of a hopeless romantic as you are," you pressed a kiss on his lips, rendering him speechless for a second, until you saw a grin spreading across his face.
"As much as I want to bask in this amazing moment right now, I think we should also face reality, because what are we going to do now?"Â
You let out a groan. "I hate that you're right. I think we should head back,"
"You're not afraid of seeing him again?"
"Afraid? I might be heartbroken and still in shock but I'm healing thanks to all thisâ" you gestured between you and Jay, earning an expressive eye roll from him, "---plus, you can throw another punch for me,"
"You amuse me," he helped you get up and dusted the sand off your dress. "Are you okay, though? Genuinely?"
"Even if I'm not, I got to suck it up, don't I? I hate that I'm letting it get to me," your voice wavered, remembering the feelings you had when your ex dropped the news on you. "Years down the drain just because he fell in love with someone I considered a friend, it almost sounds like a movie night special,"
"Hey, hey," both of his hands were on your shoulders, warm irises gazing into yours, providing a pinch of comfort. "Fuck them, okay? You deserve much more than that. Yeonjun didn't cherish the amazing person you are and that's his fucking lost. You're doing better than him right now, you're shining, you're bejewelled,"
Gosh, you just wanted to grab his face and plant a big fat kiss on his lips. But instead, you opted for a smile. "Didn't know you were such a good hype man,"
"I'll be your hype man for as long as you want," he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear so naturally that you didn't even notice at first. "Come on, let's head back, the dinner has probably already started. Let me treat you to a nice spa session at the hotel when we get back,"
"Okay, but can we stop by the restroom first? I have urgent matters to attend to: my makeup."
The dinner had indeed started by the time you arrived, but with your presence announced, chaos ensued. At least your makeup was fixed.
"Y/N!" Chaewon practically stumbled out of her chair, dashing towards you with Heeseung behind her. The moment she reached you, you swore your breath was knocked out of you when she tackled you into a hug. "I know what happened,"
"You do?" You were surprised, curious as to what had happened while you were gone.
"Fuckâyeah, I do. Some of them saw Jay punching Yeonjun from the outside. The glass panels, you know? Then you guys disappeared and it was only Yeonjun so we kinda pressured him into spilling and that's when we knew âŠ" Chaewon's voice faltered, her eyes wandering around your face for signs. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I should've never let him attend in the first place, and God! Yunjin too. I feel so bad and incredibly stupidâ"
"Chaewon," you stopped her from rambling, trying to put on a reassuring smile. "You're fine, it's okay, you didn't knowâhellâI didn't know either,"
"Are you okay? We can ditch this dinner if you want,"
"Are you okay? Chaewon, our family's here, Heeseung's family too. Don't let me be the reason for a terrible night. Trust me, I'm much better than you think. Maybe even better after a couple of drinks,"Â
"You're unbelievable," she wrapped an arm around your waist and led you towards the table. "But seriously, just because it's my wedding doesn't mean you have to force yourself to be happy and think you can't rant to me. I care about you, and I don't want you to be hurting alone,"
"I won't be alone," you unknowingly casted a glance at Jay who was standing by the groomsmen's end of the table, a drink already in hand. "I'll be fine, really. I guess anticipating the truth for years helped me to hurt less in some ways, but also not really when it's unexpected. What happened to them anyway?"
"They left, or actually, got kicked out. Yunjin really surprised me though. I didn't think she'd be someone like that. I guess this part hurts the both of us," Chaewon heaved a deep sigh. Losing a friend because of betrayal was a form of mental torture that you couldn't bear to imagine.Â
She removed her arm around your waist and threw it over your shoulder, pulling you closer to her side. "Yes, it hurts, but life goes on, right? For now, let's celebrate and forget it all," she patted your shoulders, then added in a whisper. "Then we can have a good cry session after,"Â
You choked out a laugh, nodding in agreement. "Writing that down in my plans for tonight."
For the rest of the dinner, you sat with the bridesmaids. They were quick to offer you comfort, but were also relentless when it came to talking shit. Yujin had you by her side, pouring you drinks and checking up on you from time to time. You were glad you felt less shitty now that you're around these people. It might've been a hard pill to swallow, but considering how you managed to get by the years without the two of them, you're sure you would eventually be fine.
The dinner soon ended after a speech from you and Jay, the bride and groom to be, and also their respective parents. The atmosphere of the open air venue along with the emotional speeches definitely contributed to the tears lingering in your eyes. You eventually said your goodbyes to the others and gravitated to Jay, wrapping an arm around him.
"Hey,"
"Hey, you good?"
"After a couple glasses of expensive wine, I'm doing more than just good,"Â
"You up for some cake then?"
"Do you expect me to say no?"
Along the way back to the hotel, you and Jay made a detour to a local bakery. You were sitting in a corner as Jay took his time ordering. It was crazy how fast the night changed.Â
"Took you long enough," you said once Jay finally arrived with the cake slices. He set the plate down, casting you a suspicious grin.
"Read the words on the plate," he pointed at the plate, and it was then you realised there were writings in red icing gel on the plate.Â
'BF & GF?'
You snorted at the simplicity of the wording, eyes flickering up to see a big grin already resting on his lips. "Seriously? BF and GF?"
"Okay, there wasn't enough space and I had to bribe them to write it for me," he threw his hands up in defence, then leaned his body forward. "So, what do you say? Can I be yours and you'll be mine?"
The sparks in his irises and the boyish grin he had made you smile, a rush of dopamine coursing through your veins. "I'd be an idiot if I said no,"Â
Without any say, you leaned over and pressed a haste kiss on his lips, but that wasn't enough for him. Just as you pulled away, his hand reached for your face and pulled you into a deeper kiss, as if he couldn't get enough of you and the taste of your lips.
"You are the best thing that's ever been mine," he whispered, his hand on your face still present as he gently stroked your cheek that was gradually turning pink from his words.Â
"You're going to be the death of me. Quick, let's finish this before it gets late." Hiding the fact that you were actually dying internally because of him, you took a big bite out of the cake, ignoring his watchful gaze.Â
Walking back to the hotel was a much different feeling compared to previous nights. Under the Greek night skies where the stars shined brighter than ever, it felt like this time around, all of them had aligned.Â
You and Jay were a burning star in the sky that never ceased to stay alight. You and him were eternal.Â
Wedding day chaos was real.Â
Waking up at the ass crack of dawn and running around had fueled your adrenaline for the day. By the time you were dressed in your dress that you remembered vividly of that specific day when you tried it out, Chaewon was also done with her wedding gown.
You and the bridesmaids huddled around at the sight of the bride, most of which were moved to tears, including you. It didn't take long before your feet moved on their own towards Chaewon and engulfed her into a hug, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions knowing your cousin was getting married.
The ceremony itself was a huge success, a beautifully done success. You got to walk down the aisle with Jay, the best man, then you watched Chaewon and Heeseung both exchange vows, proceeded to shed tears and emotions wavered to happiness once it was over. What a rollercoaster.Â
You managed to catch your breath a little more when the wedding reception started. It wasn't long until the round of speeches began, starting from you, the maid of honour. You couldn't lie, there were lots of tears and laughter shared during then, just as much as there was during Jay's speech. Alas, everyone shared a toast to the newly wed couple.
Dinner was interrupted by the dance session where the bride and her father shared their dance together, soon after it was the bride and groom's turn for their first dance. Seeing them dance only widened the smile on your lips, and it didn't go unnoticed by Jay as he reached for your hand, holding it tightly and squeezing it. You exchanged a knowing look with him.Â
The moment the dance floor was opened for everyone else to join, you wasted no time in dragging Jay out of his seat and towards the dance floor. The music was slow, a mirrorball that hung above casted a soft glowing shine across Jay's face as he stood before you, hands on your waist and your arm around his neck, both swaying slowly to the song.Â
"You look absolutely breathtaking," he leaned down to whisper into your ear, eyes shamelessing sweeping your figure from head to toe. It wasn't his first compliment of the day, he made it clear from the first moment he saw you that you were beautiful, pretty, out of this world et cetera. This man truly knew had a way of pulling lots of adjectives out of his ass.Â
"Thank you. You're very stunningly handsome," you smoothed a hand on his chest, secretly taking in the look of him in an expensive black suit.Â
He smiled at your words, the hand on your waist travelling lower. "I can't believe we're here,"
"I can't believe it too. The months leading up to this moment was insane," your hand that rested behind his neck was playing with some of his hair, neither of you could bear to get your hands off of one another.
"I'm glad it happened though, or else we wouldn't have this," his eyes gleamed, a glimmer of unwavering adoration and admiration filled his brown irises. "I believe it was meant to happen. We'd always find our way back to each other,"
It was hard not to melt at his words. Your gaze softened, an overwhelming urge to kiss him there was impossible to ignore. "You're not going to make me cry again, okay? My emotions are really unstable right now,"
Jay laughed, shaking his head. You kept your gaze on him, scrutinizing the way his eyes shined whenever he laughed or that slight dimple on his face, everything about him just made you want to be the reason for him to smile. "I'm glad everything worked out. I truly am,"
"Me tooâ"
"WHAT THE FUCK!"Â
Your head snapped at the loud outburst coming from a semi drunk bride that was standing before you and Jay. Her shocked yet puzzled face told you everything you needed to know behind her reaction.
"You ⊠and ⊠Jay?" She gasped, pointing at you and Jay, her eyes only bulging bigger. You had to block out the teasing smiles and looks from your friends who most likely placed a bet on you two.Â
"Surprise!" You tried laughing it off, waving your hands awkwardly.
Her shocked expression turned into a euphoric one almost in a blink of an eye. Another blink of an eye and she was pulling both of you into her arms. "Guys, you couldn't believe how happy I am. I was rooting for you two, and it happened!"Â
It was no help trying to have Heeseung save you and Jay. He stood there, shaking his head, as if trying to say 'just let her be'. Well, you two really did just stay there with an overly drunk and emotional bride hugging you.
Towards the end of the wedding, it was time for one the most anticipated parts of the wedding reception, moreover, it was a round for all the unmarried women to gather. The bouquet toss plus a drunk Chaewon was going to equal chaos. From her mild stumbles to overly giddiness, you and the others were waiting rather anxiously.Â
The wait was finally over when she sobered up by a fraction and straightened up, her back facing you and the crowd. You doubted you would even catch it, but what's the harm in participating anyway?Â
On the count of one, two, and three, the bouquet was tossed into the air and screeches were heard as everyone scrambled around trying to catch the poor bouquet. You took a step forward, watching the bouquet fall almost in slow motion before you. With a stretch of your arm, you felt your fingers wrap around the bouquet, feet stumbling a little out of imbalance.Â
Then, it clicked. You caught the bouquet. Time to eat your words from earlier on.
A loud holler sounded from the tables, specifically where Jay stood. You glanced over, watching the groomsmen and Heeseung clapping him on his back, egging him tirelessly. His gaze caught yours immediately amongst the crowd, a wide cheesy grin plastered on his devilishly handsome face. You couldn't hold back an amused laugh either, unable to resist the smile crawling onto your lips.Â
It was crazy how a wedding was the reason everything even started. It has brought you and Jay together, again, but this time around, more than hate was in the air, there was love. A new found love that you didn't know existed until him, the man you couldn't imagine being friends with in high school and was now the person you're starting a new journey with. This everlasting love was something you would never, ever trade for.Â
( © jaylver all rights reserved. do NOT copy, plagiarise or edit my work and repost whatsoever. once discovered will be exposed and blacklisted. )
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