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Scene 1: The Troublesome Beginning

“Congrats on kissing the prettiest girl in the school,”

You said as soon as Maki walked out of the theater’s production room – you had overheard that he was picked to be the Romeo for the Romeo and Juliet play. Yesterday, the audition for Juliet was held and Eunchae was chosen to fill the role of Juliet.

“I need to kill Harua for voting for me,”

“Whoa whoa. You don’t seem happy… what’s wrong?”

Maki has a soft spot for Harua, so when he announced that he’s having a murder intent towards Harua, there must be something wrong, somewhere.

Maki sighs, and shakes his head. He then marched down the hallway, making you tilt your head, wondering what makes your best friend act like that. You can ask Harua, but that boy is definitely busy – yesterday, he texted you that he just got home at 9 p.m. You guess you just have to wait until Maki sorts out his thoughts first, to know what happened.

“Wait. Wait, Maki! Wait for me!”

You just realized that you’re going home together with Maki today, causing you to dash down the hallway to catch up with him. After grabbing your bag, both of you walk together to his car in silence – you didn’t dare to say anything as his face looked extremely tense.

“Sorry, Y/N. I… I’m overwhelmed right now. I can’t say anything. Don’t misunderstand my silence, yeah?”

Maki said after you make yourself comfortable on the passenger’s seat. You nod, before patting Maki’s back.

“Take your time, Maki,”

“Thanks,”

Only songs fill the car throughout the drive to your house – not even a hum escapes from Maki’s lips. You bite your lips as you spare a glance at your best friend – he’s too tense, gripping the steering wheel to the point his knuckle turns white, and not even a single muscle moved on his face.

“Thanks for sending me home, Maki. I hope you’ll get to sort out your thoughts soon. Bye,”

You said as you got out of his car, and Maki gave you a small smile as a response. You awkwardly wave your hand at him, before jogs to your front door. You turned to wave at him again once you got inside, only to find that he already drove away.

“Wow… he’s that… stressed huh?”

You muttered as Maki never leaves until he’s sure that you’re inside. His actions only makes you wonder more about what had happened.

Scene 2: The Weird Lunch.

“Maki has to kiss Eunchae twice,”

Harua said before thanking the canteen lady for handing him the soup of the day.

“Is that why he’s stressed out?”

You asked before you too, thanked the canteen lady for giving you the soup. You finally had the chance to talk to Harua – he queued up right in front of you, and you wasted no time and began asking him about what happened. Both of you used to share the same class, but since someone decided to be studious and excelled in the second-year final exam (Harua), you now only see each other during breaks.

“Might be?”

Harua’s face shows hints that suggest that’s not entirely the story. There’s something he’s trying to hide – there’s no way Maki would threaten to kill him for… making him kiss Eunchae twice.

“Rua, tell me the truth. There’s no way Maki would say that he wants to murder you for voting for him, if that’s the full story,”

“Wow. Dare to threaten me, huh.”

Harua doesn’t look surprised, which makes it even weirder. You tilt your head as you stare at Harua, who busies himself with the food. 

“Rua,”

You call firmly, wanting him to be transparent with you. 

“Girl, that’s the truth. Maybe he’s making a big deal out of it because he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight or something. You know, kissing Eunchae comes with pros and cons. Pros, he gets to kiss the school’s heartthrob. Cons, her fanboys will definitely make his life harder, in some ways.”

You press your lips while wrinkles become apparent on your forehead as you weigh on Harua’s words. You then look at Harua who’s devouring the food like there’s no tomorrow, before heaving a small sigh. You still have your doubts, but for now, you’ll believe in his reasons. Until Maki confirms that’s the case.

“Are you not going to eat? Can I take this salad?”

Harua asks.

“Yeah… you can have that.”

You let him take it, before you begin eating. You hope by filling up your stomach, your uneasiness will go away for a bit, and you’ll believe Harua’s words even more after this.

Scene 3: The Odd Act

“I didn’t have my first kiss yet.”

“And that’s… why you crash out?”

You stare at Maki after he confesses what’s on his mind – both of you are currently in the fast food restaurant, having burgers and fries as Maki told you that he’s hungry as hell. He had to skip his lunch break for costume fitting, and on top of that, he failed to sneak a bite of his snack bar to satiate his hunger in the class – Mr. Kim was mad as hell over something that their class didn’t even do, so Maki can’t risk making him goes berserk.

“Yeah,”

“I’m… pretty sure they’ll teach you how to kiss, right? I heard Joshua went through the same thing too,”

You try to comfort your best friend – maybe you choose your words wrongly, because Maki looks deflated. His face, too, shows a hint of disappointment.

“Um, I’m not trying to dismiss your feelings! I think that’s a valid crashout. You were shocked, scared– obviously overwhelmed, and knowing that you’re going to kiss someone twice when you don’t have your first kiss yet is definitely… the straw that broke the camel's back…”

You add, to make sure that Maki understands what you’re trying to say. You get him, you really do – this is Maki’s first big role, so he’s definitely shocked, and maybe Harua teased him about this so he… felt extremely overwhelmed by everything. 

“Yeah. I get what you’re trying to say, Y/N. Thanks,”

His words should’ve made you feel relieved, yet uneasiness settled in your chest instead. Maki doesn’t look comforted by your words, and paired with Harua’s facial expressions during lunch earlier, you really think that there’s something going on. 

That only Maki and Harua knows. 

But what is it?

You chew your fries slowly as you rack your brain, trying to find any idea to figure out this whole situation. You then plant your eyes on your best friend, who’s finishing up his second burger, before heaving a sigh as you don’t have any idea of what might be going on.

“Maki,”

You gently call, making Maki’s attention shift from his burger to you.

“You know you can let me know everything, right?”

“Yeah. I know, Y/N,”

Despite his answer, you’re unsatisfied. Let’s practice patience, you tell yourself, let nature take its course and let Maki and Harua tell you the truth instead of forcing them to.

“Okay. I’ll be here, to help you. Always,”

You said and gave Maki an assuring smile, to make him let his guard down and confide in you. Maybe you won’t get an answer now, but you will get an answer soon.

Scene 4: The Seed of Doubts.

“Hey Y/N. Don’t you think it’s a bit weird that Maki and Eunchae are sticking to each other like gum these days?”

You turn to Woonhak who’s walking next to you – for the past few days, you’ve been going home with Woonhak, taking the bus and walking together since both of you live in the same neighbourhood.

Maki couldn’t give you a ride home like he always does, as his theater practice often runs late – till night, sometimes, and your mom is out of town due to her work, so you have no other choice than taking a bus home.

“They are Romeo and Juliet…?”

“Yes, I know that. But it’s just, suspicious…like… ugh Y/N, do you really not understand what I’m trying to say?”

“No.”

“Like, okay. Why would they spend their break time together? They’re literally going to meet each other right after school,”

Ever since Maki has been entrusted with the role of Romeo, he barely ate with you – he often skips his lunch for theater, or eats with the theater kids.

It never crosses your mind that it’s weird – the theater kids are mainly in different classes, so if they have something to discuss before the theater practice, lunch break is the only time.

“Woonhak, do you like Eunchae? Are you jealous?”

Your question makes Woonhak almost throw a tantrum – he manages to catch himself having a meltdown, but dissatisfied whines still escape from his lips.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M GOING FOR,”

“Then… what? Woonhak, having a crush on Eunchae isn’t embarrassing. Like, she’s the most popular girl in our school, of course–”

“I’M JUST TELLING YOU THAT IT’S VERY SUSPICIOUS,”

“I don’t find it suspicious,”

“Fine. Good for you.”

Woonhak then changes the topic of the conversation – it’s never quiet when going home with Woonhak. You can’t complain – worried to upset the guy – and you’re not in a state where you’re complaining either, because you’ve spent too much time with Woonhak to learn how to tune his voice out in your mind while partially paying attention to him.

“Bye Y/N, see you at school tomorrow!”

Woonhak bids goodbye while waving his hands at you as both of you arrive at your block – he lives in another one.

“Bye Woonhak!”

You wave your hand back at Woonhak before jogging down the street, eager to arrive home as soon as possible. You already have a plan in your mind – shower, eat while watching movies, then take a nap. A buzz from your phone takes your attention off the movie selections that you have in mind, and a smile instantly forms on your lips as you read the notification.

| Maki browski: hope you arrive home safely

| you: I’m home now!

| you: hope your practice goes well!

| Maki browski: thanks, Y/N

You didn’t reply to Maki after – you didn’t want to bother him as you know that the theater practice can be hectic sometimes. Plus, you can always talk to him in the class, so…

After taking a shower and having meals while watching a movie like you planned earlier, you lie down on the bed. You yawn quite a few times, but instead of closing your eyes, you find yourself scrolling through social media. 

mausriki_ don’t you worry my Juliet, your Romeo will save the day.

You blink rapidly at Maki’s Instagram’s story caption – it’s a photo of Eunchae, looking very much frustrated while pointing to the scoreboard. They’re at a bowling alley, you think to yourself – it’s obvious from the scoreboard itself. 

You tap on your screen to move to the next story – it’s a video of Maki knocking all the pins down, getting a strike. 

mausriki_ what did I sayyyyyy

You smiled – Maki is really good at sports, he just has a knack in it. So it’s not surprising for him to score a strike, despite rarely bowling. You tap on your screen again, and a photo of him, Eunchae and Taki shows up  – they’re smiling widely while pointing to the scoreboard,

mausriki_ we’ll eat well, harua! hehehehe

You chuckled – they must have placed bets. You’re glad that the theatre kids are having fun by themselves, because you’ve seen first hand how stressful everything can be – building bonds and chemistry is definitely needed for a successful play to be presented.

“I’m just telling you that it’s very suspicious,”

Woonhak’s voice rings in your mind, making you shrug. There’s really nothing to be suspicious of, you think to yourself – you placed your phone away, and immediately drifted to the dreamland, taking the much needed nap that you had planned for.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. But I can’t go, I have theater things,”

Maki said, declining your invitation to go to the recently opened funfair together. 

“Oh, I… didn’t know that you would be busy on Saturday too.”

He didn’t tell you that he has theater practice on Saturday – you genuinely thought that they only had practices during the school days. No wonder Maki looks like he’s lacking sleep nowadays.

“Yeah… There's like… 3 months left before the play and Harua is freaking out because we’re not getting to the middle of the play yet. I told him that we can just speedrun through everything and save perfecting the details for later, but that boy won’t listen,”

“Well, Harua is a perfectionist. Isn’t that why he’s the director?”

“Yeah, I guess,”

You press your lips into a thin line, feeling slightly upset that you won’t be able to go to the funfair with Maki. You don’t feel like suggesting to go on Sunday, because you feel like Maki definitely will be spending his Sunday catching up on his sleep, and you don’t want to look like you’re being inconsiderate to your best friend.

“I’ll go with Woonhak and Wonhee then,”

“Okay. Be careful, then. Let me know if anything, yeah?”

“Okie,”

You reply before giving him a small smile – you then walk over to Woonhak and Wonhee, inviting them to go with you. Both of them instantly agree without any hesitation, making you feel a bit better – if both of them are unable to go, you’re going to cry in the corner of your bed (dramatic, you know. But you really want to go and don't feel like going alone).

Saturday comes faster than you thought – you were doing your final outfit check when you heard the sound of the doorbell, meaning that Woonhak and Wonhee are here. You quickly finish whatever you’re doing, and head to the door while bidding goodbye to your parents.

“Be careful, don’t come home too late! And don’t go anywhere alone!”

Your mom reminds you as you put on your shoes.

“Okay! Bye mom!”

You open the door and are greeted by Woonhak and Wonhee – three of you then head to the nearby bus stop to go to the funfair.

“What should we ride first? Should we eat first?”

Woonhak asks as the three of you wait for the bus to arrive. 

“Woonhak… if we eat first then go on rides, won’t we be throwing up everything…”

Wonhee glares at Woonhak, and Woonhak rolls his eyes – you chuckles as both of them often get into banters, and it amuses you since they almost never run out of things to be fought (playfully) about.

“It’s a question. I’m asking, Wonhee,”

“Why don’t we go on rides, then have dinner during the sunset? Won’t it be great to watch the sunset while eating?”

You chirp in, and both of them look at you like you’re a genius – they instantly agree with you, and you find it funny how quickly both of them can be on the same page.

You arrive at the funfair about 20 minutes later. It’s starting to get packed, so the three of you decided on going to the popular rides first, like roller coasters, flying chairs and disco pang pang. 

“Oh, the viking is starting to have a queue too. We should go there!”

“Okay! Let’s go!”

You, Woonhak and Wonhee dashed to queue for the Viking ride. Luckily, you don’t have to wait too long to be on the ride. Unluckily, you have to sit at the most end. 

“It’s okay, everyone. It’s okay, this is not that scary,”

Woonhak said as the safety bar lowered, tucking the three of you securely into the seat, and Wonhee chuckled.

“Are you trying to convince us, or trying to convince yourself?”

“I’m trying to reassure both of you. I’m not scared,”

“Says the one who screamed throughout the flying chairs,”

“That’s because I feel like I’m about to fly anytime soon!”

You just shake your head while chuckling. You’re really looking forward to Woonhak’s reaction, because you’ve been laughing at him ever since the first ride the three of you had taken – trying to appear confident, before screaming with eyes as wide as saucers and looking panicked like he’s going to die soon.

“Oh what the hell! Why is this so high! Why does it look normal from below! Oh my god!”

Woonhak yells as the Viking ride starts to go higher and higher – as it reaches the highest point, Woonhak squeals the loudest while you and Wonhee are laughing to tears because of him.

“MY BUTT IS LEAVING THE SEAT! LET’S NOT GO HIGHER THAN THIS, PLEASE!”

Woonhak pleads make you clutch your stomach that begins to hurt from laughing too much, while Wonhee’s face turns red as she cannot stop laughing. When the ride comes to an end, Woonhak pretends like everything is fine – causing you and Wonhee to laugh hysterically.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh at me all you want. Let’s have something to eat, the sun is about to set soon,”

Woonhak said, bitterly – lower lip sticking out as he sulks at you both.

“Let’s go eat, Woonhak. I’ll pay!”

“Really? Really, Y/N? Okay!”

Woonhak instantly gets excited, causing you to laugh again as he stops sulking immediately.

“Yes! Let’s go!”

“Let’s gooo!”

The three of you walk to the food section – Woonhak chooses to have tteokbokki and corndog, while you buy a personal size pizza (you find it interesting as they will make your order on the spot, and it smells so nice so you decide to buy it). Wonhee settles on a cup of ramyeon and chicken skewers, and after buying drinks, three of you head to an empty picnic table nearby. 

“Where should we go after this?”

Wonhee asks before she takes a bite of the chicken skewers, and gasps as she finds it delicious.

“Bumper cars?”

“Oh! I forgot about bumper cars. Okay, you’re my target Woonhak. I’m going to crash into your car until you fly out of it,”

Wonhee declared. Woonhak immediately frowned, and hastily swallowed his food before protesting.

“Ah seriously, can’t I live in peace?!”

“No man shall live in peace,”

“Ughhh,”

Woonhak rolled his eyes while groaning, making you giggle while shaking your head. Never a dull moment with these two, you think to yourself.

Silence finds the three of you as you watch the sunset, admiring the purplish‑orange sky that stretches across the horizon, never failing to look as pretty as a painting. Once the sun is fully set, Woonhak cleans up the table, cueing that it’s time for the three of you to go – you and Wonhee too, immediately do the same thing.

“Isn’t that Maki?”

Woonhak’s words make your eyes instantly wander around, trying to find the said person.

“Where?”

Wonhee asks as she can’t spot him – you, on the other hand, manage to spot him within seconds after Woonhak pointed it out.

“There. Him and Eunchae, oh…”

Woonhak's voice fades, while Wonhee’s eyes widen – Eunchae is hugging Maki’s arm as two of them walk around. Your tongue presses against your cheek as a storm of anger, disappointment, and betrayal takes hold of you. 

Declined to go with you, but he’s here with Eunchae? And reasoned out that he’s having a theater thing? He could’ve been honest. You won’t be this angry if he tells you the truth.

You begin to march to Maki and Eunchae, causing Woonhak and Wonhee to panic.

“Wait– Y/N!”

You ignore them, and stomps toward the pair who are laughing, unaware of your presence.

“Fancy seeing you here,”

You said before smiling, sarcasm dripping from your words, tone and smile. 

“Oh. Y/N,”

Maki looks genuinely shocked and quickly removes Eunchae’s hands from his arms, while giving an awkward smile at you. 

“Hi, Woonhak, Wonhee,”

He continued to greet, and Eunchae too greeted the three of you cheerily. Eunchae then asks questions, making small talks – Woonhak and Wonhee take turns to respond, while you stare at Maki with a glare that could kill.

Despite Woonhak not saying anything to you, you can vividly hear his voice, repeating the same dialogue.

“I’m just telling you that it’s very suspicious,”

“We’re– Harua and the rest are here too, he said we need to take a breather and– I promise I’m not lying, Y/N.”

Maki instantly clears himself up as he notices that you’re staring at him.

Right. The theater kids. 

Why did you feel kind of irritated at the mentions of them now?

“I didn’t say anything, Maki. I’m just, surprised. Enjoy your time with theater kids,”

“No. Wait, don’t go anywhere yet. Don’t be upset, please. I know you invited me to come here, and– this whole thing just, impromptu.”

“I’m not, Maki. Really. Just, enjoy. You’ve worked hard, so you definitely need a breather,”

“Let’s get on the rides together then?”

“I’m, I wanna go home actually. I already ride everything with them, right?”

You turn your head to look at Woonhak and Wonhee, and both of them instantly nod, agreeing with you despite you’re telling a lie.

“I’ll send you home then. It’s been a while, isn’t it?”

“No! Um, there’s no need. Really. You should enjoy this funfair. I’m off,”

You give him the widest and fakest smile while gritting your teeth, your blood is still boiling. You then walk away fast – almost jogging to be exact – causing Wonhee and Woonhak to be hot on your heels, chasing after you. It takes a while for them to catch up with you, and when they do, you’re already out of the funfair area.

“I’m sorry. I… I’m gonna go home. You guys can continue to enjoy,”

You apologize, feeling guilty as the three of you are supposed to go to the bumper cars, but you just stormed off.

“Oh, Y/N. How can we enjoy it when you’re not feeling good…”

Wonhee said while tugging on your hand, pulling you closer to her. She then gently brushes her thumb against your knuckle, trying to calm you down.

“Yeah, Wonhee’s right. And it’s night. You shouldn’t go home alone,”

Woonhak adds – the three of you come together, and should go home together, he thinks. Plus, it’s dangerous for you to walk alone at night.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, Y/N. Why don’t we buy ice cream and have a movie night at my house? To make you feel a bit better, before we send you home?”

Wonhee suggests, before throwing a glance at Woonhak to support her ideas.

“Yeah. We can’t send you home like this… we care about you a lot more than you think, you know,”

“Okay,”

“Okay. Let’s catch a bus and drop by the convenience store near Wonhee’s house,”

You nod to acknowledge Woonhak’s words, and three of you head to the nearby bus stop. The whole ride back was silent – Woonhak didn’t say anything, afraid to trigger your tears. Wonhee too is the same, but she keeps making contact with you – she would gently squeeze your hand, pat your back, or rub your arm – and you’re grateful for it as it helps you ground yourself. You definitely would’ve burst to tears in the bus if she didn’t do that.

“I’ll pay for the ice cream. Pick anything and as much as you want, Y/N,”

“Thanks, Woonhak,”

You weakly replied. You truly don't know what flavours to buy, so you just follow Wonhee’s recommendation – Woonhak too, chirps in here and there before he leaves to find chips and drinks.

10 minutes later, the three of you arrive at Wonhee’s house. Her parents are out to celebrate their anniversary, so the whole house is hers for now.

Three of you occupy the living room’s couch and watch a movie that Wonhee chooses – Extreme Job. You can’t help but laugh over how absurdly funny certain scenes are, but the funniest thing wasn’t the movie – it was Woonhak who choked on ice cream while laughing. 

“Woonhak, how many times do I need to tell you to not inhale your food! Eat slowly and at a small amount, goblin!”

Wonhee scolds him while patting his back – more to slapping, actually.

“I was caught off guard! I wasn’t expecting that scene to be that funny,”

“You dumbass! There’s oreo ice cream coming out of your nose! DISGUSTING!”

Woonhak quickly wipes his nose clean, and looks at the tissue before groaning. 

“OH MY GOD, TODAY IS THE MOST HUMILIATING DAY EVER FOR ME!”

You laughed to tears while watching the two, finding the whole situation extremely funny. Wonhee slowly begins to laugh too – Woonhak, on the other hand, stares at you and Wonhee before sighing.

“Right, right. Of course you guys would’ve found it funny. If you’re happy then I would be too,”

Woonhak said before he smiled. He then excuses himself to go to the bathroom, leaving the two of you to resume watching the movie.

You feel slightly upset when the movie comes to an end, as you had fun watching it and it takes your mind off things that just happened. Wonhee places her hand on top of yours to gain your attention, and when your eyes are planted on hers, she smiles softly.

“Do you want to talk about it? It might make you feel even better,”

Wonhee gently said, and you pressed your lips into a thin line, contemplating whether to pour your feelings out or not.

“It’s okay if you don’t. We understand that you might need time,”

Woonhak adds – his voice too, is tender. It makes you feel grateful that you’re being surrounded with friends that care deeply about you, to the point you’re almost brought to tears.

“I… He could’ve told me that he’s going to go there with his theater friends. A simple text would’ve suffice…”

You begin talking – Maki used to update you everywhere he goes. But ever since he started practicing for the theatre, he no longer tells you. You try your best to not mind, because you’re just his best friend, not his parents to always be informed about his whereabouts. But it stings you, to find his update on social media instead of through text messages like he always did.

And to find him with Eunchae hugging his arm…

“I… I feel like we’re growing apart from each other. We’ve been best friends since middle school, and…”

You realized that Maki has somewhat become unreadable ever since the day he was chosen to be Romeo. You take pride in knowing Maki the best – well, Maki isn’t exactly nonchalant either. His emotions are often apparent on his face, and to you, his reaction is pretty much predictable. But nowadays, he reacts to your words differently than what you have in mind – sure, you shouldn’t expect much as people change. But… 

“I try to shrug it off as him being tired. He’s too caught up with the theatre practice. He’s… busy. I used to not mind this, you know. Like, I was just happy for him. But then, somehow… it creeps in. The feeling of him pulling away from me. Not wanting to befriend me anymore,”

Maki is spending less and less time with you. He used to send you home, have lunch with you, or show up on weekends to do homework together. Now, he did none of that, and he doesn’t really speak to you in the class – always reading and memorizing the script. If he’s not doing that, he would be making trips to other classes, even during short breaks between the lessons. And texts from him are getting lesser too – no more wishing you to arrive home safely. No more reminding you of homework. No more talking shit about teachers for handing out too much homework.

“If he doesn't want to be my friend anymore, he can just let me know… I mean… he’s getting popular now and… I’m just…”

Ever since the news of Maki taking the role of Romeo, love letters pile up in his locker. At one point, it spilled out – that’s how much he received.

“Oh, Y/N,”

Wonhee softly cooed. You instantly burst into tears, and Wonhee pulls you into her arms, patting your back as you cry your heart out. Woonhak presses his lips into a thin line before he gets up from the couch to find more tissues as the box near you is almost empty. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Just cry, Y/N,”

Wonhee whispers as she continues to pat your back. It takes you a while to stop crying, and when you lift your head up, a box of tissue comes into your view. 

“Thanks, Woonhak,”

“You’re welcome,”

Silence fills up the living room as the two of them are waiting for you to properly calm down, and once Wonhee sees that you’re a bit better, she breaks the silence.

“Did you talk to Maki about this? About what you feel?”

You shake your head. You don’t want to burden him with your emotions – he’s already tired from juggling between school and theatre, so the least thing you can do is not involve him in a discussion about your feelings.

“Y/N, you should let him know. Maybe Maki himself doesn’t realize that he’s pulling away from you. Try telling him and see how he reacts to it, yeah?”

“But it’s–”

The sound of the doorbell makes the three of you turn your head to the door. Wonhee looks extremely puzzled as her parents had texted her earlier that they’re going to be back extremely late, and had asked her to be extra careful and double check everything before sleeping. It’s just 10, so it can’t be them.

Another ring makes Woonhak get up from the couch, and press the intercom to see who’s waiting outside. You and Wonhee watch him intently – Woonhak’s lips then curl into a smile, making you glance at Wonhee with a dumbfounded look, and Wonhee, too, looks at you with the same expression.

“Maki’s here.”

Woonhak’s words make both you and Wonhee gasp in surprise. 

“Should I let him in?”

“Yes!”

“No!”

You and Wonhee shouted different answers – you don’t want to see him yet as you’re not ready, and he’s probably going to ask questions to why your eyes are red and stuff. Wonhee, on the other hand, is excited to see what kind of situation that will unfold.

“What, which one?”

“Yes!”

But in the end, Wonhee is the owner of the house, so you let her have the say in it. Woonhak opens the door and meets Maki, who looks nervous.

“Hey, is Y/N here? I went to her house and her mom said she’s not home yet. I went to your house and your sister said that you’re not there too, so,”

“Yeah, she’s here. Come in,”

As soon as you hear Woonhak inviting him into Wonhee’s house, you fix your eyes on the TV despite it not showing anything. You too, begin to stay extremely still – almost like a statue. 

Wonhee chuckled when she noticed your reaction. She then pats your back, before rubbing your shoulder.

“Talk to him, yeah?”

Wonhee said before getting up from the couch, causing you to look at her with eyes as big as saucers – you definitely didn’t think that you’re going to be left alone with Maki.

“Hi, Y/N.”

Maki calls, and you instantly freeze.

“I’m. I’m sorry. I saw that you looked so hurt, and I, I want to apologize properly. I bought you a small bouquet of flowers, for an apology. I– The florist shop was about to close so I didn’t get to pick your favourite flowers, so, I’m– I’m sorry for that too,”

You didn’t respond. Did Maki think you can easily be bought by flowers? (You are).

“Hey Wonhee, you don’t mind I… push this table slightly, right?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

The sound of the table's leg scraping against the floor makes you squint. When you properly open your eyes again, you can hear a thud, followed by Woonhak and Wonhee’s gasps. You finally turn to look at Maki, and find him kneeling on the floor while holding the said bouquet.

“Maki, what the hell are you doing?”

You said – surprised to find him doing this.

“Apologizing. Properly,”

“What?”

“I… I admit that I’ve been distant from you. It just clicked in my head why you felt that way when your mom said that it’s been a while since she saw me. I truly didn’t mean to do so, and I wasn’t trying to hurt you by any means. I just… I just got carried away with theatre things. It’s not their fault! Um, it’s my fault, because I can’t, you know… multitask. I focused so much on theatre to the point that I abandoned you, my biggest supporter. I promise I will change. I will not sideline you anymore, and try my best to make time for you. Wait, no. I promise I will make time for you. I’m sorry that I hurt you, Y/N,”

It would be a lie to say that your heart didn’t flutter. In fact, your heart was doing somersaults while he was speaking. All the tensed muscles that you have instantly loosen, and every negative emotion in you flies away immediately.

How could you not forgive him? He’s on his knees, and sincerely speaking his mind out, asking for an apology. WIth a bouquet of flowers too.

“...okay. I’m… I’m sorry too Maki. I should’ve talked…”

Instead of overthinking, you should’ve been frank about your feelings. But you didn’t, and just realized it after Wonhee suggested it. Suppressing emotions always leads to ugly things, and you fail to remember it sometimes.

“I should’ve asked too. I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“You’re…forgiven.”

Your words make Maki’s eyes widen, and smile finds its way to his lips.

“We’re cool?”

“We’re cool.”

“Great. Uh, um, do you not want your flowers? Take it. Wait, is it too ugly? I’ll buy even better bouquet once the florist shop open tomorrow,”

“I like it,”

You gently take the bouquet from him, and Maki nods to himself, happy that you’re liking it.

“Let’s go home?”

You never thought that a simple question from Maki can make you feel this happy – like a kid getting picked up from kindergarten by their favourite aunt and taken straight to Disneyland.

“Let’s go home, Maki.”

Scene 5: The Epiphany.

Ever since that day, Maki has put more effort into spending his time with you. He would send you home whenever he’s able to, and will eat with you during lunch break if there’s nothing important going on that requires him to sit with theatre kids. His texts too, become frequent – it feels like you’re getting the old Maki back. 

Currently, you’re in the school auditorium – waiting for Maki to finish up (since he will finish early today, so he had asked if you’re willing to wait for him. You said yes). 

“I heard that Eunchae is going to confess to Maki,”

Those words make you turn your head around to find the owner of the voice, and spot Asa and Kyujin walking by the window.

“Well, isn’t that kind of expected? Like, Maki is handsome, and they’ve worked with each other for almost 6 months now,”

“Right? I wonder when will she confess,”

“Probably after the play ends,”

Their voice slowly faded as they walked away from the auditorium – but somehow, you can catch all the details as if they’re talking next to you. Your eyes fell onto Maki and Eunchae who are laughing on the stage over God knows what.

“Isn’t that kind of expected?”

Kyujin’s words replayed in your mind. Right, isn’t that kind of a norm? For the male lead and female lead to fall in love with each other in real life. Like Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone who fell in love with each other while filming the Spiderman movie.

But why do you feel… weird?

You should be happy for Maki. Like, it’s every guy's dream to date Eunchae. She’s pretty, sophisticated, elegant, and full of confidence – she’s soft spoken, and eloquent too. 

But why do you wish that Maki doesn’t like her back?

“Hey, earth to Y/N,”

Maki’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts – the boy who’s been on stage earlier is now standing in front of you, with his bag slung over his shoulder.

“Oh. You’re done?”

“Yeah. Let’s go home,”

You followed Maki to his car – he was talking about something while you were heading there, but you unintentionally tuned his voice out. You’re engrossed in trying to know why you’re feeling like this – should you talk to Wonhee and Woonhak about this?

“Hey, Y/N. Are you okay? You’re being quiet,”

Maki’s question pulls you back to reality – he looks extremely concerned as you’re not responding well to him like you always do. 

“Huh? Oh. Yeah, I’m sorry. I– I was thinking about something,”

You feel slightly surprised as you find that you’re already in his car, and are halfway home already. You’re deeply bothered, you think, and you really need to talk to Wonhee and Woonhak.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

“It’s just silly things. I’ll let you know after I sort it out,”

“Okay. Let me know if it’s too much for you to handle alone, yeah?”

“Will do, Maki,”

“Oh and, there’s a full rehearsal tomorrow. Do you want to come? It’s like an actual play, with costumes and stuff as we have to make sure everything runs smoothly before Saturday comes.”

So will Maki kiss Eunchae for real? You notice that he has been avoiding it, and they’ve been rehearsing everything but the kiss according to what you overheard from Harua.

Wait, why does– why is that the first thing in your mind?

“Of course I’ll come, Maki. I’m your biggest supporter,”

You put on a smile – wide, and fake one, because out of nowhere, you don’t want to be there. You don’t want to see the kiss scene. Imagining it already makes your heart hurt. But why?

“Thanks, Y/N. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

Maki said as he pulled up in your driveway, and you gave him another smile before unbuckling your seatbelt.

“Thank you too, Maki. See you tomorrow. Break a leg! Not, literally.”

You throw in a joke, hoping that Maki won’t notice you being odd. 

“Okay, Y/N. Get inside first,”

“Okay. Have a safe drive home,”

“Will do. Bye Y/N,”

“Bye Maki,”

You wave your hands at him before going into your house – you were still at the door when you pulled out your phone and texts both Wonhee and Woonhak, asking them to come over to your house as soon as possible. It’s important, you said, I need to sort things out.

Wonhee and Woonhak show up 30 minutes later, with tons of ice cream and chips – you were surprised to find them with a few big plastic bags in their hand. 

“Did you just… clear the shelves?”

“Well, you said it’s important. We thought something big had happened so we went for a haul. Like, we literally grabbed everything we saw. And also because we’re hungry. Are you okay?”

Wonhee explained themselves – they were about to grab something to eat together when they saw your texts. They immediately ditch their plans and run to a nearby convenience store, and instantly head to your house.

“I’m… I don’t know. I feel weird.”

You respond while guiding two of them to your room – there’s no one in your house, but you prefer to talk about this in your room. Just in case the discussion gets too long.

“You feel weird? What happened? Did Maki do something?”

Woonhak asks, he can’t help but worry if Maki hurts you again. He wasn’t expecting him to do that again, especially after kneeling for your forgiveness. But hey, you can’t really trust a man (him included. But around food. Because he will inhale your portion if you’re not fast enough).

“No… I…”

You begin telling the story once the three of you have sat down on your fluffy rug. Both Woonhak and Wonhee patiently listened to you while munching on chips and eating the ice cream – eyes planted on you the whole time you talk about what’s bothering you.

“And I… I don’t feel like going tomorrow. I shouldn’t feel like this…”

You fell quiet after saying those as you had finished pouring your heart out. Wonhee and Woonhak exchange glances with each other, before Wonhee presses her lips into a thin line. Woonhak, on the other hand, exhaled a small sigh.

“Y/N… have you ever considered that you are… in love with Maki?”

Your eyes instantly widen at Wonhee’s words.

“What? Why would– we’re best friends!”

You begin to get defensive – there’s no way you’re in love with Maki. There must be other explanations on why you’re having this weird feeling.

“Okay, okay. Let’s… take a deep breath. Y/N, that was a question. You don’t… necessarily need to react that way,”

Woonhak’s words make you instantly apologize for overreacting. Wonhee shrugs it off, saying that it’s fine and she didn’t take it to heart.

“Y/N, Wonhee asked that because… both of us can see that you like Maki more than best friends,”

“Huh?”

You’re dumbfounded – no, dumbfounded is an understatement, you’re flabbergasted. What does Woonhak mean by that?

“Y/N, at first we thought it was best friends things too. But when we observed you and Maki, love was evident in your face. You literally light up when Maki calls for you. And nobody else was able to prompt you to give the same reaction. And the way you look at him… you know that our pupils would dilate when we see the people we like? Yeah, you looked like that,”

Wonhee nudged Woonhak to continue her words, and Woonhak quickly swallowed the chips that he was eating.

“We had some sort of discussion. We weren’t sure in the beginning, but hearing you today makes it clear that you’re in love with Maki. Because Wonhee said I could kiss the prettiest girl in the whole world and it won’t bother her in the slightest. In fact, she will be disgusted. And you’re wishing that Maki doesn’t like her, maybe because deep inside your heart, you’re hoping that Maki likes you, Y/N.”

“But he’s… we’re best friends…”

“I’m not sure if best friends include you feeling like you should run away from watching your best friend kissing someone and be reluctant to go to the play because of it. Because if it’s me and Woonhak, I’m excited to go so I can make fun of his bad angle of kisses or something. And mock him for it. Maybe will make a meme out of it,”

Wonhee’s words made Woonhak’s eyes grow wide in disbelief.

“Hey!”

“Maybe you need some time to process your feelings, Y/N. Because if you really feel that he’s just a best friend of yours, you should have the same amount of hatred for him as you do for your sibling. Because men are annoying. Girls, however, are a pleasure to have as your best friend.”

“Why am I being attacked out of nowhere? I hate you too,”

“I hate you more Woonhak,”

You fall into a deep silence as you watch Wonhee and Woonhak bicker again. There must be people out there that don't bicker with their best friend as much as Wonhee and Woonhak do, right? 

But…

You sigh.

“I think I need more time,”

Your words instantly make the two stop bickering, and Wonhee pats your back to comfort you.

“We’ll excuse ourselves, then. It’s… fine if you fall in love with Maki, Y/N. It’s fine if you really don’t and we’re wrong too. Just, don’t deny what you’re feeling, okay?”

“Yeah. And if you need anything, we would be here. Always,”

Woonhak adds, and both of them pack up their things – they leave some of the chips and ice cream behind for you to have. You see them off at the front door, then return to your room and lie down on your bed.

Do you really like Maki?

You reach out for your phone and begin scouring through the internet, and every search leads you to the same answer – you’re in love with your best friend. You sigh then toss your phone away and close your eyes, to calm yourself down.

After a few moments, the inner battle in you begins again. Do you really see Maki in that way? Of course you’re happy when Maki is around, he’s your best friend. Isn’t that normal? But, okay. Why do you feel happier going home with Maki, but don’t feel the same when you’re going home with Woonhak? But isn’t that obvious? You’re closer to Maki than Woonhak. Woonhak isn’t your best friend, Maki is. But why do you feel your heart breaking when you see Eunchae hug Maki’s arm? It’s even worse than finding out your longtime bias is dating someone. You’re not supposed to be jealous. Why do you feel happy when Maki searched for you everywhere because he thought you looked so hurt? Is it because you feel like you’re being chosen? Is it because you feel like Maki is finally prioritizing you? Why did your heart beat like it was going to jump out of your ribcage when Maki kneeled in front of you, to ask for your forgiveness?

Isn’t it because you’re in love with Maki?

You frowned.

“Fuck… I am in love with Maki…”

You groan as it finally sinks into you. Wonhee and Woonhak are right. You’re in love with Maki. Being extremely jealous over Eunchae and feeling upset when you heard that Eunchae likes Maki isn’t a best friend's behaviour. 

And now…what?

Do you really have to act cool when the person you’re in love is kissing someone else? You truly don’t understand how celebrities’ partners aren’t jealous when their partners kiss other people. Ah… right. Professionalism. You should learn about that. But how can you be professional when you know that Eunchae likes Maki and there's a probability that Maki likes her too?

You groan again and begin to mess up your hair, frustrated over yourself and this situation. Suddenly, an idea pops up in your mind. What if you pretend to be sick? Then you can skip the rehearsal. You might skip the actual play too if you’re lucky. 

But then Maki would be upset that you’re not there.

But isn’t it for the better? Your heartbreak is a bigger deal than Maki being upset.

Okay.

You’re not going to tomorrow’s rehearsal.

Scene 6: The Finale.

“I’m really excited to show you everything I have practiced,”

You smile at Maki who’s guiding you to your seat. He had reserved you the second front row seat – even though it’s just a rehearsal, plenty of people are coming to see. 

What happened to your original plan of not coming to rehearsal? Well, you had to scrap it because you remembered you had a quiz and needed to submit your essay for the school competition. You told yourself in the morning to act all lethargic and everything to make excuses, but… you had forgotten about it as soon as Wonhee greets you, so you have no excuses other than attending the rehearsal.

You really suck in acting.

“I hope everything goes well, Maki,”

“I really hope so too. I’m so nervous, damn,”

“You’ll be alright. Just think everyone as potato and you’re going to do well,”

Maki giggled at your words, making you tilt your head as you wonder what’s so funny about it.

“Why potato?”

“I mean, I consider everyone as a potato whenever I need to speak in front of class or during the assembly,”

“Am I a potato too? I hope I’m a handsome potato,”

“Enough of this nonsense. Go get ready to be ‘the Romeo’, Maki,”

You said while quoting with your fingers, causing Maki to giggle again.

“Aye aye, captain!”

Maki then left after saluting you, making you shake your head – as soon as he disappeared from your vision, the smile on your lips faded away. You begin sighing away as you try to come up with the best way to be here while not being here. Woonhak had suggested you go to the toilet when it’s about time for them to kiss each other, and so far, you haven’t come up with an idea that could rival his, so you might just do so.

Your phone buzzes multiple times, prompting you to check on it.

| Wonhee <3: behind you

| Wonhee <3: I memorized the play so I can give you a cue to go to the toilet in advance

| Wonhee <3: If you agree to Woonhak’s idea

You turn to your back and find Wonhee and Woonhak sitting two rows behind you. Wonhee waves her hand at you while Woonhak is busy opening a bag of chips – it wasn’t until Wonhee nudged him that he waved his hand at you.

| you: thank you, Wonhee

| you: I owe you guys a lot

| Wonhee <3: it’s nothing, Y/N

| Wonhee <3: for the sake of your happiness, we’re willing to do everything

| Wonhee <3: oh but Woonhak said he’s not willing to eat vegetables. 

| Wonhee <3: he can do anything else but that.

You laugh at Wonhee’s text – your chest, which starts to feel strangely heavy, becoming a bit lighter at the joke your friend throws.

Wonhee really carries her job well. She will spam you endlessly until you check your phone, and you will leave to go to the toilet and won’t come back until she tells you to do so. So when the play ends, your heart isn’t broken that bad, and you have a good memory of it – of Maki, obviously. How well he played his character, and how charming he looks in those costumes. 

“Are you okay?”

Wonhee and Woonhak approach you as the audience starts to leave after they wrapped up the play.

“Yeah. Thanks, Wonhee. Didn’t get to see them kiss at all,”

“Actually I–”

Woonhak halts his words as he gets elbowed by Wonhee, before he gets what Wonhee is trying to do.

“Actually…?”

“I was the one who memorized that play. Can you believe it?”

Woonhak quickly covers up, and receives an approval glance from Wonhee.

“You? I never think you’re the type to read a book, Woonhak.”

“Ahhhh, I do read books! Why do people not believe in me when I say I read books?”

Your words caused Woonhak to throw a tantrum – you can’t help but laugh at his reactions.

“Maybe because you’re not really that clever,”

Wonhee adds. Woonhak groans and their usual bickering session starts again – you will never get tired of watching these two, you think.

“Hey guys,”

Maki greets three of you – he had finished changing and ready to go home, with you.

“Oh, Romeo is here~ Oh, Romeo~”

Woonhak teases.

“Oh stawppp,”

Maki giggles and lightly hits his arm, acting all gushy and mushy. You can only shake your head at the two, while Wonhee looks at them in disgust.

“How was it? Did I do well, Y/N?”

“You did great! You really embodied your character really well, and there’s no scene that gives away an awkward feeling. Everything feels natural,”

“Wow. Wow… Thanks. Thanks for the compliments, Y/N. I guess I have nothing to worry about,”

“You have nothing to worry bro,”

Woonhak chirps in and pats Maki’s back.

“Thank you bro. Thank you,”

“You really should get going. You have your big family dinner at 6.”

Wonhee’s words make Woonhak’s eyes widen – he completely forgot about it. Woonhak excused himself in panic, and dashed out of the auditorium without looking back.

“That boy. It’s his family dinner and I’m the one who needs to remind him, lol. Bye Y/N, bye Maki. I’m off to see Yunah and Moka,”

“Oh, bye Wonhee,”

You wave your hands at her and she too, did the same, and leisurely walked out of the auditorium.

“Let’s go home?”

Maki asks, and you smile.

“Let’s go home, Maki.”

On your way home, Maki tells you that they’re supposed to have a post-mortem as soon as the rehearsal ends, but Harua suggested everyone to take a rest first – he said something along from the Director’s vision and from the audience vision, so Maki figured Harua probably want to hear the feedback from the audience first before doing the post-mortem session.

“I’m really looking forward the feedback on the kissing scene lol,”

Maki said while giggling. You, on the other hand, feel your heart break into pieces – like a ceramic vase falling from the top shelf, hitting the hard ground and shattering.

“Why?”

You ask – you really hope that Maki didn’t notice the slight trembles in your voice. You quickly put on your seatbelt as Maki already buckled up, ready to drive you home.

“Because we weren’t kissing! You weren’t able to tell, weren't you?”

What?

“Huh? Why– why are you guys not… kissing?”

You’re happy at the news, of course. But you’re puzzled at the same time, because why not? 

“Because I don’t want to,”

“Why wouldn’t you want to kiss Eunchae?”

“Okay, listen. I know this sounds childish but I make a big deal of my first kiss and Eunchae respects that. She said she feels uncomfortable kissing in front of the crowd too,”

“Wait. Maki– what? Isn’t Eunchae the perfect girl for you to have your first kiss with? Like, she’s the heartthrob of the school?”

Your words caused Maki to deflate – it’s the same reaction you get when you were in the fast food restaurant back then. His lips then quivers, before he heaves a sigh.

“It wasn’t enough, huh. All the efforts… it wasn’t enough to make you realize that I’m in love with you,”

Shocked is an understatement – your eyes grow as wide as it’s able to, and your jaw dropped to the floor. 

Maki is in love with you.

“Wha–”

“You’re really driving me crazy, why you’re so– ughhh, painfully obvious to my feelings… I dropped hints here and there– okay, it’s– you know what, it’s my fault for not being a man and not confessing to you first. But Harua scared me! And I’m a scaredy-cat! He said he’s not getting any positive response from you, so he said I’m definitely going to be friendzoned if I confess, and I– I can’t afford that! I would mess up my theatre practice if I did that– okay, I’m rambling. I’m–”

Maki buried his face in the steering wheel, embarrassed for rambling – he had pictured a cool confession scene in his mind: he brings you out to somewhere nice and confesses to you. Not out of the blue and… not while sitting in the car… like right now…

And you’re still in the school’s parking lot.

Fuck. Maki thinks before he groans.

You freeze as your mind recalls all your memories related to the current situation – the most prominent memory was of him kneeling on the floor to ask for your forgiveness.

“Yeah if it was me and Woonhak, he definitely won’t do that,”

Wonhee’s voice popped up in your mind – suddenly, you feel like you’re the main lead in a romcom movie, where there’s a little angel and devil sitting on your shoulder. But for you, it’s Wonhee and Woonhak.

“Why would I do that? We’re just best friends! Y/N and Maki are not!”

Woonhak’s loud voice causes you to squint – even in your imagination, his voice is still as loud as ever. You quickly shake your head to get a grip of reality.

“So you were… flirting with me?”

Your words make Maki turn his head to look at you.

“For the past few years, yes. Thank you for finally noticing it.”

You bite your lower lips and close your eyes to gather courage to speak your feelings out loud. Maki too, shut his eyes – ready to get rejected by you. He’s really positive that you don’t see him in that way. And honestly, he gets it. The two of you have been friends for a while, and you probably see him as an extension of you and–

“I love you too, Maki.”

Maki’s eyes shot open and his eyes grew as big as saucers. His jaw, too, dropped – you’re pretty sure that you look just like him earlier when he confessed to you.

“What? Is this for real?”

“Yes,”

“What– Oh my God. Wait. Wait, the question. Okay. I need to stay calm and be cool. I’m Romeo. I’m cool. I’m poised. No, fuck. I’m– I cannot be calmmmm!!”

You giggle as you watch your best friend lose his mind. Maki begins giggling too when he hears your giggles.

“May I be your boyfriend, Y/N?”

He asks once the giggles die down, and you eagerly nod.

“Yes, my Romeo.”

Director’s Cut.

Harua and Eunchae watch you and Maki from the window of the art room, walking together to the school’s building, hand in hand. Both of you look so giggly, making Eunchae and Harua can’t help but smile. They’ve heard the news from Wonhee – discreetly, of course. 

“What are you guys looking at?”

Taki asks and tiptoes to see. Harua pushes him slightly away and takes the coffee from his hand.

“Hey! My coffee– oh, they’re dating now, aren’t they?”

Taki said as he noticed both you and Maki, and Harua nodded.

“Aren’t you over the moon, Mr. Director? Afterall, your real life play ends well.”

Harua’s lips curl into a wide smile at Taki’s words – all his efforts to pin you and Maki together and push one of you to confess have finally paid off. 

“He really pulled every strings,”

Eunchae said, before taking a sip of her drinks. She’s truly amazed by the amount of effort Harua put into scheming to make the two of you a couple – other than Eunchae, he even recruited Wonhee, Woonhak, Asa, and Kyujin to pull everything off.

“Now, let’s focus on the stage play, shall we?”

additional notes: thank you for reading until the end <3

taglist (open): @dorlithesweetest @nichozzystuffs

the day was here; you were finally moving into your own apartment. you had dreamed of one day moving out of your parents house and into your own space. when you moved into the dorms you finally got a taste of that freedom , but even that wasn’t enough for you — so for your last year at college with money saved up from your job and help from your parents , you were able to move into your own apartment and you couldn’t be happier.

you might’ve been too excited because between signing your lease and the week leading up to the big move you completely forgot a key factor — the damn elevator was broken , and wouldn’t be fixed until the week after your move in. you tried your best to find people , but what could you offer anyone? after the expenses of apartment and decorating you were broke; so you were left with the next best things. doing it yourself.

you thought living on the third floor was the best thing that could happen — that was before you had to carry a box of books , after that you believed it was the stupidest thing you could ever think of.

once you got the last box to the front of your new apartment all the bad thoughts disappeared ; sitting on a box , your head drooped in your hands. “just a quick break.” you huffed , arms and legs burning from the many trips you took up and down the steps; you weren’t going to the gym for a while after this.

“this is so pretty.”

hearing the voice of a child had you looking; being met with the cutest little girl with pigtails , digging through an open box of yours , full of stuffed animals you were unable to part with during your move to the dorm your first year of college. “hello.”

her toothless smile , cheeks chubby; she was adorable; you almost forgot she was going through your box , currently holding your stuffed bunny. “hi.”

her sweet voice holding the toy. “is this yours?” she asked. “i have one like this in my room but it’s pink.”

“that’s the cool , you’re just the cutest thing , do your parents know you’re out here?” the door to the stairwell opened , an older man emerged from it — a very attractive man , who was walking your way.

“daddy!” the little girl ran into his arms , he smiled picking her up laughing.

“when i said you could go a head , i meant wait by the door , where’d you get this?” he carried the girl in his arms as he approached you , now he was holding your stuffed bunny. “i’m assuming this is yours.”

“thank you.” you quickly took the toy from his hands , throwing it into the box with the others. “it’s stupid but i can’t seem the part with them.”

“i don’t think it’s stupid at all , i think we should all keep a piece of our childhood with us.” he looked at you , it felt like he was inspecting you — suddenly feeling small , you shifted on your feet. “although it doesn't look like your childhood was that long ago.”

“i’m 23.” you spoke , he nodded. “so i was right.”

he looked at the boxes blocking his door , back to you. “did the movers not help you move your stuff into your apartment?”

“i’m so sorry.” you finally realized , your face heated up as you raced to pick up a box. “this is so embarrassing.” he sat the girl down , reaching for a box.

“there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” he said , holding the box of books in his hands.

“it’s just that the movers wanted an extra 200 dollars , and definitely didn’t have it.” you cringed, spreading your business to a stranger — moving was more stressful than you planned.

“i figured that out , the movers were idiots for not helping you , they should’ve known a young girl like you didn’t have it.” before you could say anything he was speaking again. “let me help you.”

“oh it’s okay, i got , i really don’t want to take away time with your daughter.”

he shook his head. “i’m sure she’ll be fine for a few minutes , she’s pretty occupied anyway.” the girl was once again in your stuffy box , shifting through all the toys. “it’s the least i could do in return for you being so nice to my aiko , the lady down the hall would've yelled at her by now.”

still holding the box , he held his other hand out. “you first.” you nodded , taking the box into your apartment. “i’m kei by the way.”

the two of you spent the next ten minutes bringing boxes into your apartment , you moved aiko into your apartment for the time being , letting her play with the stuffies while you brought the stuff in. “this is the last one.”

he sat the box down on the kitchen table , his button up sleeves rolled up his forearms , the first two buttons down , along with his tie. his hair was messy and there was sweat forming around his neck — you felt like a pervert , this stranger offering to help you , and here you are thinking inappropriate thoughts about him.

“oh thank you so much.” shaking the thoughts from your mind , he was at least 13 years older than you , and his child was sitting no more than 10 feet away from you playing with your childhood toys. “i don’t know what i would’ve done without your help.”

he nodded , pushing his glasses up on his face. “i remember getting my first apartment.” he said. “i was just as excited as you were , of course that was a long time ago.”

“you speak like you’re 50 years old, you know that?“ he let out a laugh , running his hands through his hair. “i told you im 23 , you can’t be that older than me.”

“im 35 , so yes 23 was a long time in my eyes,” he said , his eyes studying you like before; a pit forming in your stomach as he spoke , his soft spoken voice; probably what he picked up from talking to his daughter. “you’re young and you have a lot of freedom , but you’ll learn.”

“why does it feel like i’m talking to my dad?”

he laughed, shaking his head. “your dads a smart man, i’m sure.”

he bent down to his daughter's height. “it’s time for us to go.” the girl pouted , holding the bunny in her hand. “time to give yn her bunny back.”

“what can i do to thank you?” you asked. “i know you said i don’t have to but i feel bad that i don’t have any cash , or anything.”

he picked the girl up , standing straight. “just no loud parties late at night , the last neighbor did that and it was so hard to get mei to sleep.”

“i promise , don’t want to keep this cutie up all night.” you pinched her cheek , she giggled. “and once again , thank you so much for helping me.”

he nodded. “now come on mei , it’s about time you ate and got ready for bed.” you walked them to the door , he turned one last time giving you a wave before he walked over to his apartment , which you finally closed the door.

“i’m telling you ningning, he’s fine as fuck.” you unpacked a box putting the plates your mother bought for cheap into the cabinets with the rest of the dishes. “i mean model type fine , like he could be an idol.”

“yeah and how old was he?” she asked on the phone , listening to you go on about your neighbor.

“he thirty-five but he— he’s thirty-five with a 4 year old daughter.” she interrupted you about to defend yourself. “you two are in two different places right now.”

“how so?”

“uh well it could be he’s thirty-five, established job with a child , and you — well look at you , you got your own place yeah , you’re also eating ramyeon out a plastic cup and you’re about to pull and all nighter because you still have to unpack but you moved on a random wednesday and still have class so you have to study and you a shift at the cafe tomorrow.”

“okay so you do have a point.” she hummed in agreement. “but like i can still think about him though , like it’s nothing wrong with that is it?” you asked.

“as long as you remember the four year old he’s probably putting to bed right now as you thirst over him.”

“you’re just determined to ruin my night aren’t you?” you rolled your eyes. “so negative it’s not like i’m gonna seduce him.”

“exactly what i’m doing , as your best friend im here to knock you out of your delusions of already wanting to fuck you neighbor.”

she had a point , you were being extremely delusional , he was so busy with his life ; he probably didn’t need another distraction. “you’re right , he probably sees me as a kid anyway , i mean he saw the entire box of stuffies i own.” you said.

“see now you’re being smart.”

“okay im gonna go now , before you come up with a new way to call me dumb.” you ended the call , finishing your food so you could get some unpacking done — at least find the sheets to your bed so you can get some sleep.

the next day you could barely function throughout the day , the two hours of sleep that you got that night was like a slap to the face ; you could practically see your bed through your closed eyes as you sat at the bottom of the first floor steps — you couldn’t possibly do those stairs right now. “i don’t believe anyone in this building is inherently dangerous , however the man on the second floor will probably step on you purposely if you fall asleep here.”

looking up you were met with kei again , aiko standing right by his side , her face lighting up when she saw you. you quickly stood , you reeked of coffee and looked like you were hit by a bus. “long day?”

“is it that easy to tell?” you said , why does this man always seem to catch you in your worst moments. “these steps were gonna kill me if i immediately went up them.”

“well are you ready now?” he asked. “aiko you think we can help the pretty young lady up the steps?” you couldn’t help but smile hearing calling you pretty , the man had some sort of hold on you already. “let’s get her up to her apartment.” the three of you started up the stairs , aiko holding on to your arm , telling you about her day in kindergarten.

“wow aiko you must be just as tired as i am.” you reached the door to your floor , kei opened letting you both through , watching as you two walked to the end of the hall where your units were; you bent down to her level. “seems like you need to get some rest and get ready for another day tomorrow?”

“well first she needs to eat dinner , so she can grow big and strong right?” the little girl nodded.

“what about you?” kei asked , you stood up. “have you eaten dinner yet?” that cookie you snuck from the case was all you had eaten for lunch , not having time.

“i’ll probably just eat some ramen , i haven’t had time to go to market , i know i should’ve went after school and work but i seriously couldn’t be bothered.” he shook his head disappointingly.

“ramen is not a suitable meal for someone your age to consistently eat , it’s unhealthy.” he opened the door to his unit , holding his hand out. “come i’ll make you dinner.”

“oh i couldn’t- you can and you will.” he said , gesturing for you to walk in. “come on, be a good girl.” the way he said that , you could feel the warmth pooling in your lower belly , he waited with his arm out — completely forgetting what ningning told you , he was the one inviting you in , not the other way around. you stepped into the unit , he followed behind , closing the door behind.

aiko had already run off , leaving you standing in his living room watching him take off his suit jacket , his broad shoulders filling out his white button up shirt. “you can take a seat on the couch if you like , if you’d like something to drink, all i have is juice and water,” he said. “i don’t drink with aiko around.”

“oh juice is fine.” you said , he nodded walking into the kitchen , you followed behind. the apartment was surprisingly clean despite having a four year old running around. “your house is nice.”

“seems like a girl lives here.”

he laughed , opening the fridge. “well a girl does live here , but if i let her decorate the apartment it would be full of photos of bunnies and the walls would be bubble gum pink.” he poured you a cup of orange juice. “if you’re implying a mystery girlfriend , then you would be wrong , it’s been a while since i had a girlfriend running around here.”

“even aikos mom?”

your big mouth running before your brain again ; he just pushed his glasses up on his face. “me and aikos mom were broken up before she was born , she lives with me for the week and then goes to her mothers for the weekend.” he explained , leaning on the counter , maintaining eye contact with you. “aiko is the only girl in my life right now.”

right now; you definitely held on to that. “now how about i get dinner started , i told aiko i’d make her favorite tonkatsu with rice and miso soup.” he said, pulling ingredients from the fridge. “how does that sound?”

“really fucking good.” you covered your mouth , looking around for the little girl. “i’m sorry.”

“she can’t hear you once she gets to playing with those toys , but a pretty girl like you shouldn’t use such strong language.” he said , rolling his sleeves up , you shifted in your seat , watching him move around in the kitchen , cutting up cabbage and preparing the cutlets — why did everything he do turn you on? him washing rice sent shivers down your spine.

“i feel like a burden sitting here.” you stood up. “is there anyway i could help you? i can start frying the meat.” you said , but he just shook my his head.

“if i wanted you to cook for yourself , i would’ve sent you home.” he said. “but if you must do something , you can set out three plates,” he said.

with a silent head nod , you walked over to where he was standing , opening the cabinets to grab the plate , reaching above to grab them , standing on your tippy toes , your fingers barely ghosting over them. “i got you.”

you felt the heat from his body on you , one arm holding on the counter , the other reaching above your head; he wasn’t caging you in , but you also made no efforts into moving , he pulled the plates down , sitting them on the counter. “i told you ; you don’t have to do anything , just be a good girl , sir there and look pretty.”

now he was caging you between the sink and himself. there air felt more constricted and you couldn’t breathe properly , he smiled. “come on, breathe for me pretty , can’t have you passing out on me can i?” you took a deep breath in , looking into the eyes of a man who is half your age. “good girl.”

you swore you were about to let out a moan. “k-kei.” his big hands coming up to your cheek.

“come on, you're a big girl, use your words.” even with his encouragement you were rendered speechless with his body towering over you. “how am i supposed to know what you need if you don’t speak to me pretty , i’m no mind reader.”

“i-i.” before you could say a word — whatever it was you were trying to say , aiko called from her room. “is it ready yet?”

“maybe next time, yeah?”

he reached behind you , taking the plates and handing them to you. “can you set the table now?” you nodded , still afraid of what might come out of your mouth if you open. “use your words.”

“yes.”

“do it then.” you grabbed the plates , shakenly setting each plate down while he began to fry the cutlets. aiko coming out holding her stuffed bunny. “see i have the same one like you , see.”

you smiled nodding at the little girl. “keep it by your side forever.” you said , kei finished frying the meat , you helped aiko into her chair.

“time to eat.”

dinner went by quickly , kei helping aiko cut up her cullet , feeding it to her. you smiled watching him interact with her. “eat your veggies okay.” he instructed the girl. “so you can grow big and strong." he made eye contact with you , your lower half loving the attention.

“you too , eat your veggies , you need energy right?”

after dinner , you stayed to help wash dishes , but you eventually had to leave. “i have to study.” you said to the pouty girl. “besides you have to get to bed soon i’m sure , i’ll see you tomorrow right?”

“tomorrow i go to mommy’s.” she said , you nodded.

“that’s right , well i’m sure i’ll see you soon.” you said. “maybe you can come knock on my door to let me know you’ve come back on sunday.” she nodded enthusiastically.

“okay , i will!”

“here.” kei emerged from the kitchen , holding a container in his hand. “take this with you for lunch tomorrow , don’t skip lunch just because you’re busy.” before you could resist he was pushing it into you hands. “don’t say no.”

“thank you , i’ll eat it.”

“i’m expecting you to hand that back to me tomorrow empty okay?” you nodded.

he walked you to the door , waiting for you to walk across the hall; unlocking your door and walking in , you turned waving before closing your door , finally letting out a deep breath — not only were you full from dinner , your panties had been damp all evening due to kei , this man that you’ve known only 2 days has plagued your mind more than any other man you’ve been with.

that night wasn’t a silent night for you at all , after putting the leftover food he sent you with; you took the coldest shower you could think of to cool your body off , but even that didn’t work — you needed something more.

you didn’t even bother putting clothes on , making your way to your empty bed , climbing in letting the ac cool your naked body as you reached for your trusty vibrator , your fingers ghosting your nipples , teasing yourself and turning the toy on , lightly pressing it on your neglected clit. “fuck.”

you moaned , eyes shutting imagining it was kei touching you like this , his big hands touching your breast the way he touched you face. “k-kei.” you pinched your nipples , his name falling from your lips as you fucked yourself silly , your legs shaking as you reached desperately tried cum — but it still wasn’t enough , the thought of him touching you ; fucking you , calling you good girl as he fucked you. when he pressed against you in the kitchen , you got a feel of his thick cock in his slacks , you could only imagine , pressing the toy on you clit more as you thought about him stretching you out. “fuck i’m gonna cum.”

you whimpered out , your second orgasm approaching rapidly , legs shaking. with the final thought of kei calling you a good girl , you came. “shit!”

you shrieked as you reached your peak, your chest moving validly as you came down from your high. you had tired yourself out , tossing the toy to the side , your eyes heavy , you could barely move to cover yourself before your eyes were closing and you were drifting off to sleep.

it was a friday evening when you slowly stumbled down the hall of your building ; you told ningning it was a bad idea to go out after work , but she insisted saying ‘we have no classes and you have the weekend off , what’s the harm?’ the harm was you struggling to open the door of your unit , your body slumping against the door. “stupid fucking door.” you banged on it — suddenly it opened up.

“yn?” kei stood , not in his usual business clothes , but sweats and black shirt that tightened around his muscles deliciously.

that is why you couldn’t get the door open ; it wasn’t your damn door to begin with. “kei.” you tried to stand up , he caught you before you could fall back down.

“you’re drunk.” he said

“hardly i only four drinks , that’s barely anything.” the older man held you tighten , taking the key from your hands , shutting the door , holding your body up as he opened your door.

“it was clearly enough , you can barely stand up baby girl.” hearing the nickname made you look up.

“don’t call me that.” you slurred , groaning. “it makes my heart race and my brain think things. he picked you up making his way to your room , body in his hand , he sat you down on the bed.

“yeah like what?” he said , taking your shoes off. “what do you think about?”

“what it would sound like when you call me that while touching me.” the alcohol making you say things you would only say inside your head ; or to ningning.

“come on let’s get you into bed.” he pulled the covers back , your bright pink vibrator right where you threw it yesterday , he tried to ignore it , but the thought of you touching yourself — maybe to the thought of him. “come on.”

“i ate the lunch you packed for me , just like you said.” you crawled into bed , just pushing the vibrator to the side.

“good girl.” he did it just to see your reaction , which didn’t disappoint him , your whiny voice , cheeks flushed from the alcohol as you pouted.

“i said don’t call me that if you aren’t gonna take responsibility.”

“pretty im half your age , what are you gonna do with an old man like me?” pulling the covers over your body.

“i-i’m not a kid , i have my own apartment, im a big girl.” your words slurred , eyes closed , he laughed.

“yeah you do , but look at the state of you , you need someone to take care of you , you almost broke your key and my door trying to get into my unit.” he teased. “it’s cute watching you prove yourself to me though.”

the alcohol running through your body making you way too confident , you grabbed him by his shirt pulling into a kiss. “i-i want you.”

“you’re drunk.” he released your grip on his shirt. “i’m not those boys you hook up with i’m not gonna do anything to you when you’re drunk.”

“m’not drunk.”

“yeah okay , you couldn’t tell me what day it is , i don’t care if you’re a little bit tipsy , nothing is happening tonight except you going to bed.” he said , as much his cock was desperately twitching in his sweats , there was no way you could consent to what he wanted to do with you. “now close your eyes.”

you listened with a pout. “don’t pout , i don’t like bratty girls , i like good girls.” he said. “you’re a good girl aren’t you?” you nodded. “good now, sleep.”

watching you slip into a deep sleep , he went into your bathroom hoping to find some medication for your obvious headache in the morning , filling up a glass of water and sitting it on your nightstand — taking one final look at you before leaving you be taking his leave back to apartment ; to deal with his other problem

his hands wrapped around the base of his cock ; the moment he got back to his apartment , he went straight to his room — stripping himself of his underwear and sweats. he barely had time to do his normal routine , dealing with work, aiko and every day life ; there was simply no time to take care himself , and when there was a little time he was too exhausted to do anything but rest.

but with you around , giving him plenty to think about. pumping his length , he thought about the other night , it was for only a short time , but he was sure you felt his cock pressed against your ass. thinking about bending you over , fucking you against the counter — his bigger frame covering yours as he pounded into you. “fuck.”

he could tell you’d react so well for him , the way you reacted to when he called you good girl , he could see your eyes glazing over , the look of need. he stroked his cock faster. he knew you’d be tight — fuck you’d milk his cock he knew it , he groaned squeezing his balls in his hand as he fastened his pace , the thought of his young neighbor crying from his cock had him bursting , cumming all over his hand.

breathing heavily as he came down from his high ; he pushed his glasses up on his face , he laid there , his cum staining his stomach as thoughts of you still plagued his mind. he was half your age , he shouldn’t even be thinking about you in this manner — but it didn’t stop his cock twitching at the thought of you , blood rushing back down to his balls , his hand wrapping around the base ready to go again.

the next morning you woke up to the room still spinning and your ears ringing — and then the memories kicked in and you wanted to die.

after wallowing in self pity for an hour , you got out of bed and showered , still smelling like yesterday and whatever you had to drink — how the hell would you ever face kei again? you completely embarrassed yourself. getting dressed and taking the pill left on your night stand , another reminder of kei being in your space seeing you wasted out of your mind. you need to apologize for everything. you didn’t want to , just wanting to forget it ; but how could you forget kissing him.

your hand hovered over his apartment door , holding the empty controller cringing as you knocked. you really didn’t want to be doing this , but it was the grown up thing to do. you waited for him to answer , almost turning back into your unit — too bad the door opened up.

“yn.” kei stood there in the same outfit from last night , his hair tossed around like had just woken up. “you okay?”

“i’m so sorry.” a plethora of apologies spilled from your lips. “it was so inappropriate for me to do that , being drunk doesn’t excuse that.” you lower your head in shame. “i’m so embarrassed right now.”

“look at me.” he said , waiting for you to raise your head ; which you did. “come in and eat something.” taking the container from your hand.

you were almost afraid to walk in , but he just guided you into the unit , his hand on your lower back , closing the door. “i’m not really hungry.” you both entered his kitchen.

“you need to eat something.” he brought out a bowl , filling it with rice and an egg. “i’m pretty sure you have a hangover , did you take the pill i left out for you?” he sat across from you , his arms folded , waiting for your answer.

“i did thank you.”

“you shouldn’t drink like that , it can’t be healthy for you.” he said , already lecturing you while you ate. “and to come home like that alone isn’t safe , anything can happen to a young girl who’s drunk.”

“i wasn’t that drunk.” you lied knowing full well you can’t even remember if you came home with shoes. “just a little tipsy.” you finished off your food. he stood up , taking the bowl , sitting in the sink.

“ a little tipsy.” he laughed , but it wasn’t the hearty laugh you knew from the man , this one was different. “what exactly do you remember from last night?”

“uh..” you were too embarrassed to say it , so you just lowered your head , he grabbed your cheeks, lifting your head. “come on speak , i know you remember.”

“you need me to remind you?”

his body hovering over your sitting frame , your neck cranning up to look at him. “you admitting to me that you think about me touch you , you wanted me to take responsibility — you don’t remember that?”

you gulped , definitely remembering saying that. “you don’t remember kissing me?”

“i’m sorry.”

“no need to apologize to me pretty , i’ll take responsibility,” he said. “you have to be a good for me , can you remember what i told you yesterday or do you need a reminder?” he bent down to your level. “i told you i like good girls , i’ll only take responsibility if you be a good girl.”

“can you do that for me?”

you nodded , he released your cheeks. “use your words.” he said , his tone more authoritative than his usual soft tone.

“yes.”

he smiled. “good , than stand up for me.” you obeyed his word , standing up. “come on.” he took you back to his room , sitting down on his bed , gesturing for you come sit on his lap. “come here.”

you sat on his lap , feeling the hardness of his cock through his sweats. “you feel that?” the man said. “been fucking hard since last night , you kept running that pretty mouth of yours , got me all worked up no matter how much i tried to jerk off.” he kissed your neck. “i shouldn’t be doing this with you , you’re too young.”

“im old enough , im not a kid.” you sighed feeling his lips on yours. “i want it , i want you.”

“yeah?” he lifted you off his lap , “get on your knees for me then.” you sunk down to the floor , crawling in between his legs. “good girl , take me out.” he sat back watching your hands undo the ties to his sweats , lifting his hips up allowing you to pull them down to his ankles , his cock hard against his underwear , you kissed his bulge.

“take it out.”

you released his cock , his thick length almost slapping you in the face; you wrapped your hands around it , stroking his length , he groaned. “fuck that’s it — such a good girl f’me , put it in your mouth.”

you took his cock into your mouths , barely able to fit him into your mouth , you wrapped your hand around what you couldn’t fit. “your mouth is so tiny , i barely fit.” he groaned as you bobbed your head up and down. “come on take all of if , you can do it.”

he held your head down , guiding you all the way down his cock. “fuck that’s it , take all of it.” the elder man moaned , his hand tightening in your hair , you gagged around his length , his hips fucking up into your mouth. “tight fucking throat , gonna cum.”

pulling you off , his cock holding your head in place while he used the other one to jerk off. “open your mouth.” you obeyed , waiting for his cum. “good girl -fuck-” he came with a hiss , covering your lips in his cum. “come on , lick it off.” licking your lips , you brought your mouth back to his tip , sucking on it.

“sh-shit you’re gonna kill me.” you smiled pulling away from his cock , kissing the tip. “you love sucking my dick that much?” you nodded.

“so much.”

“that’s not being a good girl, pretty , that’s being a slut.” your thighs clenched involuntarily as the degrading nickname. “you’re a slut for my dick.” the sudden change in his behavior made your head spin , he smirked seeing the look in your eyes , slapping the tip on your lips. “get up.”

throwing your body down on the bed , he got rid of his clothes climbing on top of you , reaching for your shorts , pulling them down. “no panties?” he looked up at you , smirking condescendingly. “did you come over here to apologize or get dicked down by someone years older than you.” rubbing his length along your folds , the noise embarrassingly loud.

“pussy so noisy baby you’re making such a mess.”

“kei pl-please.” you whimpered , your hole clenching around nothing as he teased you. “pl-please fuck me.” your voice full of need and desperation.

he teased his tip inside , cursing as your warm cunt sucked him in. “so fucking tight pretty , relax.” he held your waist as he slowly moved , pushing his cock deeper inside. “you’re so tiny down there , i don’t think you’ll be able to take all of me.”

“i can do it please , i want it all.” you moaned. “i-i can take it.”

“yeah.” he looked down where you were already impaled on his cock. “well then take it.” he pushed himself all the way in , you let out what could only be a squeal , his cock stretching you out.

“fuck pretty , you’re squeezing me so tight -fuck- can barely move.”

“b-big.” you stuttered.

he moved slowly , your silky cunt. “i know , but you said you wanted it , you said you can take it right?” he kissed your fluttering eyelashes. “you’re not going back on your word right?”

his cock hitting deep inside you , shaking your head with a loud moan. “good girl.” you clenched.

“fa-faster.” lifting your waist up getting a deeper angle , he fastened his pace , your moans picking up. “ke-kei!”

it all felt like too much , your hands fell to his waist , pushing at it. “no don’t run from me now.” he grabbed your hands , pinning them above your head , pushing your legs up on your chest. “you said you can take it , so be a good girl and take it.” your eyes rolling to the back of you bed as he pounded into you. “that’s it.” he grunted.

“you look so pretty going dumb on my cock.” he grunted. “such a pretty girl , you're gonna cum for me? make a mess on my dick?”

you whimpered. “fe-feels weird.”

he laughed condescendingly. “no baby that means you’re pretty little pussy is about to squirt for me.” he attacked your clit with harsh finger eights. “go ahead cum.”

your legs shook as you finally snapped , your juices wetting his lower half ; that didn’t stop him though , he kept fucking you , holding you down as he plowed into you — he was ruining you. “too much.”

“i’m almost there you can hold it.” he grunted. “don’t be selfish, baby , let me cum.” his balls tightening , he was about to cum. “sh-shit.” you were on cloud nine as he finally came , pulling out to cum on your puffy cunt. “so messy.”

tapping his cock on your cunt , making your legs shake in response. “i think you got another in you.”

before you could protest he was in between your legs , his mouth kissing your clit. “kei wa-wait.” you grabbed his hair. he looked up at you through his lashes , before dove into your cunt , licking up his mess — your body felt like liquid in his hand as he skillfully used his tongue.

you felt your second orgasm of the night was approaching you tried to pull away but he held your wrist , keeping you in place. “k-kei i’m gonna cum again.”

this orgasm was even more intense than the last , you genuinely felt like you were gonna pass out ; it was only two orgasms but the way he fucked had you feeling like you had been at it for hours , you were literally shaking as he pulled away , giving your clit one final kiss.

“you look so cute , all ruined for me.” he kissed you lips softly. “just lay there , i’ll take care of you.”

and that he did , running a warm bath for you to soak in , he cleaned your body , softly working the soap into your skin , washing you off , leaving you to soak your aching bones in the water while he cleaned the bed up , replacing the bedding , warming the blanket it for you to climb under after the bath.

he gave you a shirt to sleep in , leaving water by the bed side. “you need to drink , you’re gonna get dehydrated.”

“even after all that , you’re gonna nag me?” you pouted , pulling him down into bed.

“well yes i am , you lost a bunch of fluids don’t you think?” your cheeks flushed. “exactly , so you need to drink.”

“fine i will.”

“good girl.” you bit down on your lower lip , he smirked. “are you serious , i can’t keep up with you pretty , you know i’m an old man , my stamina isn’t like yours.”

“you’re not sixty , and i can feel that you’re still hard.” you said , touching his half hard cock through his sweats, he cursed. “see?”

“i’m not giving into your pleas princess , you’re just gonna have to to wait until later , when you’ve recovered a bit and ate something.”

“jesus you really are an old man , aren’t you?” he pinched your side. “ouch.”

“god forbid i keep you from passing out , keep being a brat i wont give you anything later.” he whispered against your temples , you quickly gave in.

“good girl.”

The boiling pot on your stove began to bubble, its way of letting you know that dinner can be made while the sizzling of your pan persisted quietly, just enough so it didn't pop out any hot oil. Each drop of ingredients on it only let out crackles from your heated pan before the hissing died down after you had completely filled the metal bottom.

With a sigh through your nose, all you needed to do now was sit back and relax while the stove does its work. In all honesty, your kitchen was comforting. Usually you would have to deal with sweat from the built up heat of this room but with the cold weather outside as of late, it felt more like a little fireplace than the heat of 1000 suns.

Pit... Pat... Pit... Pat...

Your tired eyes stared blankly into the space of your window, now coated in sheets of raindrops as your body relaxed itself, completely unaware that you were even holding in tension. Who could blame you though after everything you had been through. Life just had its ways to mess with you sadly, and this month was far from normal.

People usually talk about how boring their life has been but in this situation? Yeah, you'd much rather have a boring life than to be pursued by a stalker. The aroma of your dinner felt like the only sense of normalcy you have left.

"........ Haah..."

It's cold out here.

Dinner is served! Your body has been unconsciously bracing itself for so long that you never even noticed the physical and mental toll it took on you. No time to waste though, you need to fuel your body with food and sleep asap.

With the cold stainless steel utensils in your hand, it warms up against the touch of your fingers, the steam curling from your food and brushing against your face before disappearing into the air. You were ready to dig in when—

RIIING!

"Huh?"

Your phone vibrated next to you on the dining table, the lock screen turning on to show some random number you've never seen before.

"Hello! Ms. Y/N? We'd like to confirm your booking for Grandview Heights Hotel on the 2nd August. Check-in will be open by 2pm, thank you for choosing our service!"

The cheerful tone of the man on the other end of the phone didn't help calm your nerves one bit. You figured his friendliness came with the job, but it never sounded forced. If anything, it felt like he genuinely loved helping people.

"What? I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number," in an attempt to reason it out, mistakes happened all the time. Maybe there was someone else named Y/N? It wasn't impossible, and phone numbers could easily be misdialled.

"Oh? This is L/N Y/N, correct?"

What? You know for a fact that you didn't book anything anywhere, and why would you even do such a thing when you already have a place to live in? It would make sense if you were going for a long trip but that's the last thing on your mind with all this paranoia, not to mention the recent weather.

The man continued to describe the booking details, confirming your nightmare even more when he repeated your exact phone number. This wasn't some coincidence—is it your ex? Did you somehow accidentally booked the hotel while browsing the web? Wait, you never even searched for any hotels to begin with.

Shit, it can't be your ex's doing, can it? Even if you suspected it, what the hell are you even supposed to tell the police? "Officer, my stalker bought me a hotel room!" And with what evidence? The entire booking details are under your name, your phone number, your ID card.

"Um, sir? May I ask, where was the payment made from and under whose name?" You tried to find any clues. Nobody should have access to your credit card details, not even your ex did so it has to be paid by other means.

"I'm sorry miss but I can't tell you confidential details of the payment. However, if you'd like, you may cancel the booking!"

"That'd be perfect, can I cancel it now or—"

"You'll have to cancel it through the website you booked it with."

Fuuuck. You don't even know where the hell this shit was booked from! The hotel's official website? Some advertisement? Or some app? You can't blame the receptionist for refusing to tell you payment information though, it is their policy. To him, he's just speaking to a customer on the booking.

"And what if I don't know where it's paid from?"

"Well, you can cancel it in person at the front desk tomorrow morning. It'll be a free cancellation until 24–48 hours before your check-in time but any longer than that and there will be a fee."

"Alright... Grandview Heights Hotel, right? I'll be there tomorrow by 1pm of that's fine," with reluctance, you had no other choice but to go on with this. Although you could've just left it there and stayed at home, your paranoia has been gnawing at you to find out even a little bit of hints you could share to your detective. You needed answers.

"Sure thing! We apologize for any inconveniences, and once again, thank you for staying with us."

Click!

A groan escapes you as you leaned back against your chair, slouching in the seat with your arms relaxed at your sides. Not the kind where you're calm though. The kind where your body just completely gave up. Even worse? Your dinner you've worked so hard for has long gone cold, forcing you to just accept its condition.

"Mommy, look at this statue!"

"Good morning ma'am!"

"Wait, what time can we go in our rooms?"

The chatter of customers blended into a constant hum throughout the grand lobby. Every polished surface reflected the golden lighting above, from the marble floors beneath your feet to the towering reception desk ahead. Bellhops wheeled expensive luggage past families and business travellers alike, making it painfully obvious that this wasn't the kind of place you normally found yourself in.

As you walked towards the receptionist desk, your footsteps echoes ever so slightly against the marble floors only to be muffled out by the busy lobby of happy families, children running around, and luggages being pushed here and there. It was almost intimidating but right now, that's not your problem to focus on.

"Hello, I'm here to cancel a booking?" Even your voice sounded like you were unsure of what you're saying. To be fair, you just mysteriously got a fully paid booking to a grand hotel you've never even been to, so what were you supposed to explain the staff with?

"Ohh, you must be Ms. Y/N, right? I'm the man you spoke to yesterday!" His cheerful attitude did help you feel welcome compared to the phone call yesterday. For once it felt like you were talking with someone normal.

"Yes! I am. Sorry but may I ask if you have any idea who might've done this?" You didn't waste a second trying to find some answers, pulling out your ID card for the usual credentials needed. Besides, you'd much rather get home as soon as possible when there's a stalker on the loose.

The receptionist began typing away on that computer of his, scrolling and searching for whatever it is he needed to confirm your cancellation. Although his gaze was focused on the screen, your question didn't go unheard.

"Well, as much as I'd like to tell you, I don't know myself. It could be someone who mistakenly booked under the wrong person but that's unlikely considering that it's all under your identity. Do you think it could be a surprise from someone you know?"

The idea of someone wanting to "surprise" you with an expensive hotel stay is not something you want to think about. Usually people would be happy to have a free stay in luxury like this, but you know for a fact that nobody is crazy enough to pay $500+ just because they wanted to be nice and leave no notes of it. Your train of thought had been interrupted when the receptionist spoke up again.

"Okay, I've cancelled your booking! You'll be refunded since it hasn't been the 2nd of August yet."

"Thank you..." You lowered your gaze with a quiet sigh feeling defeated. Great, you came all the way out of your safety just to find nothing. At the very least though, someone else can have your room.

"Seems like you're really eager to find out this mystery though, Ms. Y/N. Although I can't help you with confidential information, I can try and find where the booking order came from?"

"Yes please- I mean... Yeah, that'd be great," you didn't want your efforts and time to be wasted here, and finding someone who's even willing to help with your situation is even harder. Thank God this guy loves helping people.

Click click...

"... That's odd," the expression on the receptionist's face could only be described is utter confusion. Almost like someone trying to describe an animal that doesn't exist.

"What is?"

"The reservation had been made through Horizon Booking, a hotel booking platform. The problem is that the account used to made the reservation had already been deleted. Hold up, let me try to find—"

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

The loud sound of the fire alarm blasted your ear drums as you feel the vibration through the entire lobby. What was once a peaceful day had turned into civilians running around, children crying at the chaos, and people rushing out to the main entrance pushing each other.

"Miss, please get out! I'd love to help some more but it's not safe—"

BAM

"Shit."

The receptionist immediately jumps into action, wasting no time as a loud explosion could be heard far above in the hotel rooms. With no choice, you had to leave while he ran the opposite direction up the stairs to save whoever is in danger.

Outside wasn't any better. A large group of civilians had already been grouped up, everybody staring up above. A fire. Smoke escaped the shattered window of a room in large amounts, creating a dark grey soot.

"MY SON IS IN THERE!!!"

"What's going on?"

"The shattered glass didn't cut you did it?"

The disaster team had begun arriving as quick as they could, security taping the area and holding worried citizens back, the triage and transport team rushing in as protocol, logistics here and there. Your senses were overloaded with all the screams and shouts from people, their cries and panic, the fire, the smoke, everything.

With you forced back behind the tape into safety, there was nothing you could do. The only thing anybody can even do now is to depend on the disaster control as men and women rushed into the hotel wearing proper suits and equipments. Inside the hotel though?

.

.

.

"Help! Help!!"

A man could be heard yelling for help behind inside a locked ro, his voice being muffled by the walls and the chaos as he banged on the door for anybody at all.

Right at that moment, the same receptionist could be seen on the security camera attempting to cover his face from the overwhelming smoke, coughing a bit and fumbling with the keys to open the door.

CAM 04

The security camera pointing to the same door could be seen pushed open by the receptionist, only to be dragged into the burning room by a masked man with a black cap and hoodie on. Immediately, he went to the other side of the door to shut it in him, keeping the door shut with his weight while it continued to burn.

BANG, BANG, BANG

Only muffled shouts and banging could be heard by the receptionist.

.

.

.

This couldn't have been a coincidence. Not anymore. You entertained the possibility of it when it came to the mysterious booking, the deleted account, but not this. Not an entire fire caused by some explosion.

Some members of the disaster team rushed out with— the receptionist.

All bloody, bruised, and burnt. He looked like he's at the edge of life, whatever consciousness he had left just glancing at you as he couldn't move before disappearing into the ambulance.

"Y/N?"

Huh...?

"Ms. Y/N?"

In front of you stood detective Kang who's handling your stalker case. It had been a few hours since the incident but it only made you feel worse than before. To see the man who had done nothing but be nice get into this situation, could it have been because of you?

No, it can't be. You didn't do anything, you know that. He chose to save people but deep down, something was gnawing at you that this isn't just by chance.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that... As for your question about the receptionist, we can't confirm his state yet. I just don't think it's related to your ex—"

"I'm sure it is."

You interrupted the detective with your firm belief that your stalker had something to do with this. Even if you didn't have any leads or evidence to back it up, you just knew the "unintentional booking" wasn't an accident.

With a pause followed by a sigh from the detective, her hands swept through her bangs as she tried to be understanding of the situation. They had zero leads into this so pointing it to your ex couldn't help the situation.

"Okay... We can check the security cameras from the hotel once the situation has been controlled but if this doesn't go anywhere, please just leave it to our team to find him."

Reluctantly, you didn't want to just sit back and wait for the police to find anything. Not some damsel in distress. Legally speaking, if nobody can help you then you aren't going to just let any danger happen to you.

The quiet hum of the engine blended with the darkness outside, the city lights passing one after another beyond the window. It was a quiet ride, but not the uncomfortable kind. It was the kind that finally made you feel safe enough to simply breathe.

"Looks like we're here," the detective murmured, her voice calm and measured as she guided the car into the hotel's empty parking lot. The area had long been cleared, leaving only the cool night air and the distant flicker of emergency lights reflecting against the pavement.

As she opened the car door, detective Kang hesitated for a brief moment, making sure you were looking at her before speaking.

"Stay here," she instructed gently. "I'll lock the door so it's safer, okay? Call me immediately if anything happens."

And with that, you're left alone with the soft click of the car lock, the woman soon disappearing into the hotel backdoor. With nothing else left to do, you scrolled through the home screen of your mobile phone. Old chats, call logs, contacts. Nothing new and as you decided to browse random things—

RIIING!

INCOMING CALL

Officer Park

Your screen lit up with the name of an officer you knew, someone working alongside detective Kang Min-Ji. It gently vibrated against your hand with each ring, finally answering the call as you wondered if there was any news of your ex.

"Hello?"

Silence.

There was nothing on the other side of the call but a low hum of what sounded like flickering lights.

"Why were you so close with that service boy?"

That voice. That fucking voice, the same velvety calm like he didn't just ruined your love life.

"What the fuck do you want," immediately, you hissed back at your stalker through the call, voice laced with venom as you straightened your sitting position, body tensing up at his cocky tone.

"Love, you know what I want. Why have you been hanging out with those officers? Are you cheating on me?"

"Don't call me that. Where the hell are you," just as you did, you snapped back at your ex, taking no shit from this man who loves to toy with you. Yet, he didn't respond.

Nothing.

Silence.

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

That line didn't just come from the call. You heard it elsewhere. Somewhere near—

SLAM

A large hand collided with the car window, making the entire thing vibrate at the sheer force. Slowly, that fucking face showed up. The same calm as he did a few days ago at your workplace, slow, casual walks to the side of the passenger seat where you were.

Click

The phone call ended.

"Open the door, hun. Let's talk this through."

His voice muffled slightly behind the only obstacle between the two of you: the car door. Still, that expression of his with that gentle smile—so hollow, so blank, so dead.

"Like hell I am."

You weren't giving up that easily, especially not when your life is in danger right this instance. Your instincts were screaming at you to call the detective but what if— wait, what the fuck?

He simply just... Left. Even with him gone, you felt far from safe. Where the fuck could he be? What on earth is he planning?

Yet, your burning paranoia were answered as he returned back into view of the car window, slowly trailing around the vehicle as if trying to find any way in. An open door perhaps, one that isn't locked before stopping right next to your passenger seat once more when confirming that there's no way to get you out.

"You've heard about the weather, right? I think some disaster is going to happen because of the rain," his voice was just as calm before lowering down to just above a whisper, leaning in closer to the window to talk to you. His hand pressed firmly against the glass, creating a subtle fog around his warmth before releasing it and—

CRASH

A fucking hammer.

He left to take a damn hammer just to break into the car, the vehicle beeping loudly as the sound echoes through the parking lot while you screamed. Glass shattered everywhere as some had managed to cut your skin, flinching at the pain.

Immediately while you were busy with your shock, your ex easily unlocked the car door, opening it wide to expose yourself, completely vulnerable to the situation—to him.

He spent no time hesitating as he dragged you out, kicking with all your might as you screamed at the terror, your arm stretching out to the driver's seat in an attempt to grab a hold of the door knob there for any grounding at all.

"Come on, don't make this hard for us!" His voice rose, almost like a yell but worse of all, it was still calm. Like he was simply talking to you. God, his grip only tightened around your lap the more you struggled, the man giggling a little like this was a fucking game.

In this situation, your phone is the last thing to be worrying about just to make some damn phone call. There's no time. It's felt like an endless nightmare incarnate, being dragged and pulled by a freak, glass shards all over the seats and dashboard but suddenly, it stopped.

His abrupt release on your sore thighs had been followed by a loud thud.

The detective.

Panting and whining a bit from the fear and stress, you moved away as far as you could into the driver's seat until you felt your back hit the opposite door. Outside of the car were the two, his elbow driving backwards into her rib.

"Ghk—!"

Detective Kang doubled over for a split second before tightening her grip around him again. With tosses and turns, punches and attacks being delivered blow after blow to each other, if seemed like she had the upper hand as her hands flew to his face.

Every time he tried to step toward you, she intercepted him, grabbing at his hoodie and shoving him back. He twisted free with surprising ease, only for her to throw herself in front of him again, refusing to let him get within arm's reach.

What...?

A pocket knife.

He had it hidden in his hoodie pocket the whole time, giggling and chuckling during the fight like it was just some tussle. With the detective focusing on detaining your stalker, her reaction came too late as the blade had been forced into the side of her abdomen.

With the woman grunting in pain as she tried to apply as much pressure as she could, your ex taking this chance to flee as he got up with a little hop all while he still smiled at you.

"I'll see you soon~"

"Lucky for her, Detective Kang will recover just fine. The knife injured the muscles in her abdominal wall but missed all of her vital organs."

Relief settled in you as you heard the doctor's explanation, but it didn't remove the trauma from this week and especially not yesterday. Light filtered through the curtains as it painted the floor with a bright gold shade but you knew this warmth would disappear the moment night falls.

Beside the doctor is another officer as he began to explain your situation and the plans they have for now.

"Y/N, if it's okay with you, take this SOS watch and wear it at all times. There will be officers stationed around your apartment twenty-four hours a day."

The minimalist watch rested quietly in your palms, its sleek black face and simple design making it look no different from an ordinary wristwatch. Yet, you knew it was far more than that. Taking a slow breath, you lifted it to your wrist and carefully fastened the strap until it sat snugly against your skin.

"If you're ever in danger, just press the SOS button. It'll immediately alert us to your location, and we'll respond as quickly as possible."

You did feel much better now knowing that there would be security around you 24/7, and it gave you sense of relief knowing that they've finally taken your case more seriously and reinforced protection.

Back home though, surprisingly the feeling did last longer than you expected. As rain poured once again, you could see a cop car parked in view of your rain-streaked window. Maybe now you could finally relax for once in god knows how long, the main issue now being the heavy rainstorm pouring down.

You’re hidden in a section of his more than average penthouse that’s probably financed by his savings over the course of long working years. You know he’s only purchased this for you when you spent a little too much time in his office and managed to get your hands on a couple files.

There were all of his plans, bank history and a blueprint of the place. He practically decorated the place to keep a hostage in. All doors were unopenable unless you had a key or card of some sorts which you’re sure only he has. Where you’re kept is far into the apartment, behind many many rooms that you have to go through before eventually arriving.

He’s clever— deliberate in all of the choices he makes.

Yet this is all so stupid at the same time. How is no one looking for you? Not even a soul in the city cares for where you could be?

It was almost yesterday when they started giving you empathetic looks and “get well soon” messages. Now, they’ve all dissipated into thin air just like that? It’s like everything was a set-up plan.

Curiosity is the only thing that’s very evident in your mind aside from fear. It’s honestly daunting to suddenly know the reason he’s been single all these years, especially since so many of the girls in town would’ve jumped off a cliff if he told them to.

“Good evening, [name],” Malcolm enters, placing his jacket, keys and whatever trinkets are in his pockets onto the table. “What have you been doing?” he kneels to stare into your eyes.

“Nothing,” you reply, an icy fear making its way through your veins, despite him doing barely anything yet.

“I hope it wasn’t too boring,” he says. “I brought some things for you.”

He puts some books— empty and some actual best-sellers— onto the ground beside you. He knows you would pull some stunt if he gave you an electronic device or some toy like a key that’s malleable enough for you to escape, so he’s opted for pieces of paper.

Sure, you can use it to make a key but how good would it be?

He doesn’t doubt your skills, far from it, but he can’t risk it. However, he’s not meant to restrict you completely from gadgets. Maybe he’ll allow you to use the huge TV in the living room under his supervision one of these days.

You can’t deny that his place is much less claustrophobic than you would’ve expected, large windows that reveal the woods outside, giving you the light you very much didn’t know you even needed.

“I don’t read,” you say, denying his attempt at trying to make you at home.

“Then you won’t have much else to do,” he replies. “Do you want to go out to eat?”

Surprised, your ears perk up at the question. “Like… outside as in a restaurant?”

He nods. “Yeah, where do you want to go?”

“A-anywhere,” you answer, breath hitching and hope for freedom blossoming in your heart. “I-I’m not picky with food.”

He gives you an absent, empty glare and only disappears through the door, leaving you alone temporarily and coming back with some clothes. It was a simple pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. 

It would’ve been nice, if only you weren’t forced to literally change in front of him, but it’s not that shocking for him to be so wary about the patient he’s just kidnapped.

The restaurant he brings you to is actually a luxurious one that’s earned a couple Michelin stars throughout its career, flaunting it on the vestibule walls. It’s the ones you’d always wish to visit when you’re watching a rom-com, or some sort of romance movie. By the time you two have arrived, it’s night— the dark only makes the candles more prominent. 

Waiters and chefs alike all recognise him, probably from being a regular, but they seem intrigued by you.

The side of the town he’s brought you to is a total 180 flip from what you’re used to being in, one that you never even knew existed.

“Do you come here often?” you ask, trying to lessen the awkwardness that lies in between you two. “They seem to know you.”

He looks down, glasses tipping along, and replies with a “mhm,”

It’s well-known that he’s not socially intelligent, only being gifted by being attractive enough for women to come flocking, and actually has barely any friends. Maybe the other doctors are close enough for them to be considered as a connection.

Actually, not really. You seldom see them talking, potentially only for work reasons. 

The restaurant seems to come by pretty quickly and now you’re lying in bed with him after a movie marathon. From what you’ve observed, he has barely any trust issues since he’s let you run around with your bullshit for a while before ultimately giving you whatever you wanted.

It’s disturbing that you’ve never been close to finding out his final goal— what he’s wanted to achieve with you.

But you have enough data of the surroundings, the blueprint of the penthouse, and his sleeping behaviour. You know when he’s finally passed out dead and what time he wakes up, which is unsurprisingly very consistent down to the hour.

Slowly, you drop one foot onto the ground and another. Eyes locked onto his sleeping form, you carefully make your way to the door, not letting your gaze drift away from him in fear.

Grabbing the master key has become the next obstacle on your list, because you have no idea where he stores it every night. Even after all the study and investigations, you barely know anything about how he thinks— making it scarier than it should be.

You barely get past the threshold when a voice emerges from behind you: “Where are you going?”

He froze, he didn't know how to respond. He'd never told anyone about his thoughts or his past, all everyone knew was that he was a hero. Saving everyone, the poster boy, the strong masculine man every little boy wanted to be one day.

All for more toys to join Shinra and become the 1% of SOLIDERS who make it to 1st class.

"Just the next mission in my head, maintenance on the first reactor"

"Why do they need their number one SOLDIER to go, if it's just to check on the reactor."

Sephiroth paused picking up the cat, he didn't think of that. Why did they need him, they could send infantry men alongside a mechanic, and scientist. They didn't need to send him, unless it was for pr to give Shinra a good look.

"I'll ask about it"

--

Sephiroth ordered burgers, he ordered almost the whole menu. He said he was hungry, but you think he was just indecisive. You happily eat your chicken sandwich (yummy), feeling the cat a few pieces here and there.

"When I retire, where would you like to go?"

"huh?"

"After this mission, I said I was going to leave Shinra. I-I'm tired."

Sephiroth was being honest, he was tired of being a pawn. Used for wars and commercials, he disliked signing autographs, going to openings, being expirimented on. His entire life was a sham, they hid it so well from him too.

"I told Hojo when I'm back from Mt. Nibel I'm leaving Shinra, and he said they would support me. So where would you like to go."

His voice softens as he ends the sentence, looking down at the bullshit burger he'd ordered.

"Costa del Sol"

"I'll book the cruise from Junon" his lips curling into a small smile, "I was looking at houses in the countryside"

"you're an awful cliche"

He looked up in a bashful manner, "I think the movies I watched as a child influenced me. Escapades to the fields, raising animals, and watching the sunset with you."

"i just want to escape the city"

"I know, and we will"

Sephiroth relaxed, and smiled "then we should start packing, isn't that right tuna" he said scratching the cats fuzzy chin.

"I promise, to marry you as well. We'll have our happily ever after"

--

dada sephiroth

lwk ran out of ideas at the end hav e fun i still think my writing is buns 🥹✌️

you wondered to yourself if he’d arrive again today at this hour.

in your little cafe, you didn’t have to mask as much. for now. there were barely any people in here at this hour, at.. five o’clock in the morning.

not that you were complaining. it’s been a long, long week.  

you wiped down previous stickiness of the tables, scrubbing away the last traces of a coffee stain on a counter. as you threw away your latex gloves into the bin, a cold gust of wind overtook you once the entrance opened.

“hello sir, may i take your order?” you asked, forcing your voice to be as light and pleasant as possible. as you lifted your eyes, the tension wound up around your shoulders relaxed. 

a pair of hazel eyes behind spectacles stared back at you.

they were neutral, but the fleeting glint of recognition glinted behind his lens. his dark hair remained immaculate since the first day you met him, his scarred fingers adjusting the scarf around his neck. he raised his brows. 

you pursed your lips in an awkward smile. 

zayne tilts his head agreeably. “yes. one matcha latte please.” 

you nodded, letting the smile slip from your face. you exhaled deeply when you started narrowing in on the register, focusing on tapping the right order. “right. anything else?” 

those eyes, green and gold speckled in his irises, peered at your soul for a moment longer. “and one banana nut loaf. warmed up.” 

“of course.” you nod, discreetly glancing at his badge.

the name tag clipped on his breast pocket: zayne li, shone underneath the bright headlights. it swung around when he leaned over to hand his loyalty card. you took it, eyes flickering down to the tag for a bit. 

he’s right on time. you didn’t know why you were getting so antsy.

“by the way,” you cleared your throat, stamping it. “it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

“it has,” confirms zayne, then he tilts his head as he studies you.

“..what?” 

“you haven’t resting properly, have you?” 

“oh! i-” you fumbled over your words, your voice a little bit hoarse from underuse from the past few days. the words stretched in your mouth like chewing hard taffy, hands hovering over the register. “i didn’t—well, no. no, not—” you laughed helplessly. “not really.” 

zayne only hums, then turns around to sit at a table to pull out his phone. he falls into the background after — nonchalant and quiet. per usual. 

as you turned your back to get to work on his order. it took you a good fifteen minutes to get the milk and water ready, and five seconds to whisk the matcha.

before that, you couldn’t forget your favorite part: writing on the cup. 

‘always so sharp with your deductions. spare some braincells for the rest of us, and don’t be like me. rest properly, don’t be too dependent on caffeine. not that im complaining about your visits.

sincerely, your on-call barista. <3’ 

zayne came again at a random tuesday.

you don’t know how it led up to it — there wasn’t any particular trigger that made it feel as if everything felt so.. numb. as far as you knew, it was always onto the next thing. onto the next project, next event, next customer. one thing after another. 

life never waited for you. it would never stop to let you breathe, and why should it? 

maybe it was inevitable then, that your body broke down that day. 

your head frantically span as you sat yourself down in the break room, bringing your knees up to your chest. you tried desperately to keep yourself awake, but darkness spotted your vision every time you tried standing up.

“no.” a familiar tenor met your ears, cold and firm. “sit back down.” 

several coworkers spared concerned glances your way as you stumbled onto your feet from the register. your dress swayed across your knees as you wobbled across the ground, feet nearly hitting the counter. you felt so disoriented, that you didn’t even notice the door chiming open when it opened. 

ah.. this wasn’t good. you still needed to get your regular’s favorite pastries out the oven..  

you instinctually waved it off. “no, i’m fi—” 

“no if’s, and’s, or but’s. sit. your boss sent you on break.” the voice was clearer by the day, slow and clear in its enunciation. 

….zayne? 

your eyes landed on his familiar form hovering above you. he stands near the guest chair you were situated on, about ready to sit down right next to you. there’s a plastic bag in one hand holding all the pastries he accumulated, and an espresso cup on the other. 

you furrow your brows in confusion before you looked at the clock above you. 

twelve o’clock at midnight. you blinked twice in disbelief.  “you— huh? i thought you normally have operations at this hour?”

“i was let off early. seems like that was a good thing as you seemed like you were running on fumes.” zayne observes, settling next to you. “role models should exemplify good behavior, not enable bad ones.”

you let out an amused exhale through your nose. “well… it’s on the others to learn from their predecessors.” 

“…since when has that worked?”

“since now. aren’t you a full-grown adult?”

zayne rolls his eyes, setting down his drink in front of you before pushing it to your direction. “hm. well, it seems clear that i don't need these anymore. but i think you do."

taken aback, you look at him. “wait. that’s your drink. is that really okay?” 

“i bought it for you. i told you, it’s fine.”

your fingers delicately traced the rim of the cup for a bit. your eyes linger on zayne’s form hesitantly, before you turned the cup to see what kind of order it was. and there, inscribed on its white cardboard: 

‘you underestimate yourself too much. however, i will say the warning came in late as much as i do try to emphasize the balance between work and personal lives.

i appreciate your concern. you might need this hazelnut latte more than i do. 𖹭

seongje was pretty familiar with the people at his school — he knew who were the nerds, he recognized his lackeys, just like the mean girls who usually also stuck by his side. he didn’t certainly care about any of these groups. at the end of the day, seongje had his own status to live up to.

however, considering his work for the union, he wasn’t the most diligent student one could meet. he skipped a lot, showing up to school only once in a while, thinking he could just get his way anyway — well, today he had to find out that wasn’t the case.

the door to the principal’s office shut behind him with a soft click, way too calm for what had just happened inside. temporary suspension. the words clung to his ears, irritating more than shocking.

you’re getting into fights while wearing the school uniform, it’s damaging the school’s image. this is your final warning.

seongje scoffed as he walked down the hallway, shoulders loose, hands buried in his pockets. the same uniform they were complaining about still hung perfectly on him. he kicked an empty can down the corridor, watching it roll and crash uselessly into a wall.

when he came back, they wanted better grades. better behavior. a cleaner image.

he laughed under his breath. he had worked too hard for the one he already had. being strong, being feared, being malicious — that wasn’t something you just wiped away. it was earned. it was proof. proof that he belonged to the union, proof that no one should test him unless they wanted something broken.

“hyung?”

one of his lackeys hurried up behind him, voice hesitant, like he was afraid to speak too loudly in seongje’s presence.

“what.” seongje didn’t stop walking.

“uh… since you’re absent a lot, you probably don’t know, but there’s this new girl.”

seongje glanced at him, unimpressed. “get to the point.”

“y/n!” the lackey said quickly. “she’s really popular. teachers love her, students love her — she’s sweet, helps people out, always smiling. kinda… perfect.”

that made seongje stop. he turned slowly, eyes sharp and unreadable.

“and?”

“i just thought— if the school wants you to fix your image when you come back…” the lackey swallowed. “if anyone would be willing to help with that, it’d probably be her.”

seongje stared ahead for a moment, jaw tightening. sweet. well liked. trusted. everything he wasn’t, everything he’d never tried to be. he imagined it for half a second — teachers smiling at him instead of watching him, students not flinching when he passed. the thought made something uncomfortable twist in his chest.

violence was easier. fights were honest. adrenaline, blood, the thrill of being challenged… that was romantic in its own way. this? this felt foreign.

“…tch.” he turned away again, clicking his tongue. “sounds annoying.”

but as he headed toward the exit, the name stayed with him longer than he wanted it to.

y/n.

someone sweet, huh?

that lead to one day when seongje decided to wait by the school entrance for the sweet girl everyone wouldn’t shut up about. he wasn’t even sure how he’d recognize you, but the moment you stepped outside, it clicked.

you moved easily, like you didn’t have a care in the world, smiling as a small group followed you around. someone offered to carry your bag, someone else asked if you wanted to grab food with them. you turned them down nicely, but you were clearly enjoying the attention.

seongje rolled his eyes. figures.

you weren’t really watching where you were going, too busy dealing with everyone else, and that’s how you walked straight into him.

“—hey.” he cleared his throat and smiled down at you, like he’d been waiting for this. you jumped a little. of course you’d heard about him. everyone had.

you took a breath, then smiled anyway.

“oh, you must be seongje!”

“yeah, yeah. princess.” he said, unimpressed. “save the politeness. i need to talk to you. alone.”

his eyes slid toward the people around you, and that was enough. they hesitated, then slowly backed off. your smile faltered just a bit, and seongje caught it.

for a second, he thought about it — how easy it might be to mess with that perfect image of yours, see what happened when someone like him pushed.

too bad he didn’t have time for that.

“…sure.” you said, after a moment.

you followed seongje a few streets away from the school, not knowing that letting him pull you aside was the start of something you wouldn’t be able to walk away from so easily.

he lit up a cigarette the moment you stopped walking. the smoke barely had time to rise before you brought a hand to your nose, your smile tightening, still polite but clearly strained.

yeah, he thought. definitely used to people going easy on you.

seongje exhaled shamelessly, letting the smoke drift your way anyway.

“i got suspended.” he said. “few fights. uniform still on. school didn’t like that.”

he glanced at you, then really looked, eyes slow and unapologetic.

“now they want me to clean up.” he went on. “better grades, better behavior, whole ‘nice student’ act. like i know how to do that.”

his gaze slid over you again, almost amused. “you on the other hand… seem pretty good at that stuff,” he added. “being liked. popular.”

and as much as he hated to admit it, he got it. you were pretty. the kind of pretty that made people want to be nice, want to help, want to stay. add that smile you kept ready all day and it made sense why everyone was tripping over themselves just to stand close to you, hoping for a little bit of your attention.

“well, seongje,” you said lightly. “i’m flattered, really. and… i mean, it’s true. when it comes to this stuff, there’s probably no one better than me.”

you looked way too pleased with yourself. seongje clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, but his gaze lingered longer than he meant it to.

before he could say anything, you moved, circling around him slowly. he felt your eyes on him, sharp and curious, and it made his shoulders tense. then suddenly you were behind him, hands on his shoulders, straightening his back.

“—what are you doing?” he yelped, jerking slightly, not expecting you to be so bold with him.

you took the cigarette from his fingers without asking and crushed it under your foot. he opened his mouth to complain, then stopped.

“this is gonna be hard, mister.” you said, calm and confident. “but nothing’s impossible when i’m involved.”

you tossed your hair and stepped closer, way too close. his breath hitched before he could stop it. your face was just inches away now, eyes bright, curious. you reached up and gently slid his glasses off, studying his face like he was some kind of project.

seongje froze. people didn’t get this close to him. they didn’t touch him like this. and your perfume, sweet and soft, made his head feel light.

then you paused. your smile tightened, just a little.

“…nevermind.” you said quietly, putting the glasses back on his nose.

the spell snapped.

“what’s that supposed to mean?” he scoffed, annoyed and defensive. “i’m a good-looking guy, actually, you know.”

you laughed, like you weren’t even taking him seriously, already digging through your bag. you pulled out a pink glitter pen and caught his hand before he could pull away.

“okay, okay,” you said. “still. this is a lot of work. meet me tomorrow at five.”

you wrote your address right onto his palm, your fingers warm against his skin.

“and no cigarettes.” you added, smiling sweetly.

then you turned and walked away, leaving seongje staring after you, jaw tight, pulse annoyingly fast.

he was irritated. distracted. and somehow, completely and unfairly mesmerized.

and there he was the next day.

when he stopped in front of your house, he actually hesitated. just for a second. it was big — really big.

so not only did everyone fawn over you at school, you’d been born with a golden spoon too. figures.

seongje let out a quiet sigh and rang the bell.

you opened the door almost immediately, and whatever comment he’d been about to make died on his tongue.

out of uniform, you looked even more… wow.

you were wearing a pink dress that looked closer to a gown than something people wore around the house, fabric soft and flowing, like you’d just stepped out of a fairytale. casually. like it was nothing.

extra much, he thought, clicking his tongue.

and yet, annoyingly, something about it got to him. the way all that elegance and drama seemed effortless on you. like this world of glitter and softness was just… yours.

you grabbed his hand without warning, fingers warm and familiar, like you’d known him for years.

“this is gonna be so much fun!” you giggled, already pulling him inside.

he had to laugh under his nose. dragging a guy you barely knew straight to your bedroom. did you seriously have no sense of danger? did you not realize what someone like him could do to you if he wanted?

the thought barely had time to settle before it got knocked clean out of him though. your room stopped him in his tracks.

a massive closet lined with clothes in every shade and style imaginable. shelves full of trinkets, framed pictures of you smiling in different places, different outfits. pink bedding, soft and plush, like it had never known anything rough. the air smelled like vanilla and roses, sweet and suffocating in the strangest way.

seongje stood there, hands shoved into his pockets, feeling completely out of place.

like a wolf that had somehow wandered into a dollhouse, and wasn’t sure whether he wanted to tear it apart or stay a while longer.

you wasted no time. the moment the door shut behind him, you shoved him down onto your bed, the mattress dipping under his weight as you stood in front of him, armed with the same pink glitter pen and a small notebook.

“okay,” you said brightly, tapping the pen against the page. “so. we’re working with… a gangster who smokes, skips class, and gets into fights. and we’re turning that into a respectable young man with decent grades.”

you hummed to yourself while scribbling something down, then suddenly plopped down right beside him, way too close. before he could react, you took his hands in yours without hesitation.

seongje swallowed. he wasn’t used to people sitting this close. touching him this casually.

“my dearest,” you started.

my dearest? did those words mean anything to you, or did you just throw them around like confetti?

you inhaled, serious now. “i’ve helped a lot of hopeless cases, you know. we just need to make you… charming. a charming young man.”

he scoffed softly, but you were already continuing.

“that does mean dropping a few things, though.” you added, eyes flicking to his shirt. “this one first.” you pointed at the tiger print stretched across his chest.

“what? why?” he frowned. “it’s cool.”

you smiled at him, sweet and merciless, shaking your head.

“…no. it’s really not.”

before he could argue, you stood up and headed straight for the massive closet. seongje watched you disappear between rows of clothes, then blinked when you came back holding several neatly folded pieces — clearly men’s clothes.

“you just… have those?” he asked, confused.

“of course.” you said easily. “for my future boyfriend.”

he scoffed. “what, you wanna dress him up like a doll?”

the words had barely left his mouth before you were pushing the clothes into his arms.

“change.”

somehow, embarrassingly fast, he did.

when he stood up again, the mirror caught him off guard. the clothes were modest, clean, stylish in a way he’d never bothered with. they fit him too well. he clicked his tongue, annoyed.

“don’t get used to it.” he muttered.

you ignored that, sitting him down on your chair and stepping behind him with a brush in hand. gently, you started working through his slightly long, neglected hair. he stiffened at first, then slowly went still, letting you do it.

“from now on,” you said casually “you say ‘excuse me’ instead of shoving people. ‘thank you’ instead of staring them down. and you really need to stop smiling like that.”

“like what?” he grumbled.

“like you’re about to bite someone.” you replied.

he huffed, but didn’t pull away.

your hands kept moving, careful, patient, and after a moment he spoke again, quieter this time.

“…doesn’t it get tiring?”

you paused just slightly.

“doing all of this. every day.”

your expression dipped for just a moment when you looked at him, something softer slipping through, and then you turned back to his hair like nothing happened.

“sometimes.” you said softly. “but it’s a small price to pay if it means people like you.”

your fingers kept moving, slow and careful.

“i like being liked.”

it sounded simple, but it wasn’t. it felt a little too honest.

seongje nodded, not really knowing what to say. he wasn’t good with this kind of thing — feelings, quiet moments, especially not with someone like you. someone gentle and dramatic and way too sweet for a guy like him.

“…you don’t feel real.” he muttered before he could stop himself. he winced slightly. “not fake. just— like you’re always putting something on.”

you hesitated, just barely.

“your smile could use some work too.” he added, glancing away. “it was really strained yesterday. could end up hurting one of your fans’ feelings.”

you scoffed softly.

“watch it.” you said, playful but sharp. “you’re still a student. don’t talk back to your teacher like that.”

but when you smiled this time, it wasn’t perfect. it was smaller, genuine.

and seongje laughed.

somehow, seeing you like this, less polished and more real, was way better than that flawless image everyone else seemed so obsessed with.

once you were done with his hair, you turned him back towards the mirror, hands still resting on his shoulders.

seongje stared. longer than he should’ve.

he looked… different. clean. put together. almost harmless. if baekjin saw him like this, he’d probably lose his mind and tell him to get the hell out until he looked like himself again.

“god, i’m so good.” you said, beaming at his reflection like it was your own masterpiece.

“and you’re still not gonna admit it was easy ’cause i’m handsome?” he shot back, smirking.

you glanced at him, unimpressed.

“nope. you’re still a punk.” you said sweetly. “but don’t worry. i’m not giving up.”

you fluttered your lashes, dramatic as ever, and for some reason that tiny gesture hit him. hard.

then you clapped your hands.

“okay. next lesson!” you said. “how to talk to girls.”

he scoffed lightly. “seriously?”

“dead serious. easiest way to get popular.” you replied, then pointed at yourself. “pretend i’m a girl you like.”

his chest tightened. pretend. right.

he tried to play it cool, leaned back a little, said something smooth enough. or at least he thought it was.

you just looked at him. blank. unimpressed.

then you suddenly curled up into a ball, groaning dramatically.

“oh my god.” you sighed. “you’re toughest case i’ve ever had.”

he rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at his mouth now. “come on. i’m not that bad.”

you straightened up, closer again, eyes sharp.

“no, listen,” you said. “you don’t stare people down like you’re about to fight them. you soften your voice. you smile — not that scary one. this one.” you demonstrated, and it wasn’t the polished smile from school. it was warm and easy.

and that’s when it got to him — you weren’t just teaching him. you were doing it to him without even trying. the way you leaned in, the way you talked, the way you laughed when he messed up… it all slid right under his skin.

seongje clicked his tongue, annoyed at himself. he’d fought bigger guys, scarier guys, and never flinched.

but you?

he wasn’t immune to your charm. and realizing that made his pulse quicken in a way he didn’t know how to fight yet.

after your demonstration, seongje blinked, heat creeping up his neck.

“maybe… maybe this was a bad idea.” he muttered, wanting to stand up from your chair and carefully leave this battlefield, but before he could move, you stepped closer, catching his hands in yours. your touch was gentle, but deliberate, grounding him in place.

“no.” you said softly, leaning closer with every word, your gaze unwavering. “i’ll make you popular. for all the good reasons, not the bad ones.”

his glasses slid down slightly on his nose, and he felt… unsteady. he had never been looked at like this. never had someone make him feel exposed, almost defenseless. he swallowed hard, realizing with a slow, sinking thrill that you really knew your craft.

the rest of that evening blurred into even more of your ridiculous lessons, all tangled up with your laughter, your sweet voice, and those strange, dance-like movements you kept making around your bedroom.

by the time seongje finally got home, the silence hit him hard. your absence felt loud and empty.

he still had something, though. the clothes you’d given him, neatly packed into a cute pink bag. when he opened it, your scent spilled out. it made his chest tighten in a way he didn’t like.

he’d spent one day with you. just one. and he already… felt attached.

it was stupid. you were only supposed to help him fix his problem. he’d act like a model student for a few days, let the teachers calm down, then go back to his usual ways once everyone got bored and stopped caring. that was the plan.

but now it felt like more than that. way more.

the next day felt just as empty. knowing you were at school, smiling, swaying, handing out your attention so freely… it made something sharp twist in his chest.

why did you have to be nice to everyone?

no wonder people fell at your feet, the way you called everyone your dearest, the way you batted your lashes like it meant nothing. it pissed him off.

and that alone should’ve scared him.

he couldn’t wait to get to school — a thought he never imagined crossing his mind.

because now, he wanted your attention too.

and when his temporary suspension finally ended, seongje did come back to school.

his uniform was neat this time. no tiger-print shirt lurking underneath, just the clean, stylish button-down you’d picked out for him. he’d even tried to fix his hair the way you had at your place — not perfect, but close enough.

he looked… charming, just like you planned.

even his smile was different now. no sharp edge to it. no threat.

the moment you spotted him in the hallway, you waved at him immediately.

“now look at you.” you said brightly. “doesn’t he look great, everybody?”

your classic smile followed, and just like that, the people around you echoed it back, nodding, agreeing, praising him without a second thought.

that’s when it hit him.

you had power.

not the kind baekjin held in the union. not the kind seongje owned in back alleys and broken knuckles. yours was quieter, prettier… the kind of power that made people bend however you wanted to without them even realizing. like your word was the law.

“thank you, thank you.” seongje said, smiling and waving back at them, playing along.

he timed it perfectly, catching the teachers watching from their office doors. from the way they looked — surprised, approving — he finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

it really was working…

and seongje, he thought that meant that something had changed.

that now, after everything — the clothes, the lessons, the effort — you and him were… on the same level. that you’d walk with him, sit with him, maybe laugh with him instead of at the center of everyone else.

but you didn’t.

the whole day, you were surrounded. smiling, chatting, touching arms with others. your little crowd followed you everywhere, hanging onto every word like it was gospel.

loyal little subjects, he thought bitterly.

every time he tried to catch your eye, someone else was already there. every time he took a step towards you, you were pulled in another direction, laughing, twirling, existing like you belonged to everyone else, but him.

and it pissed him off.

more than that — it hurt.

he realized it sometime before lunch, the ugly truth settling in his chest. during his suspension, he’d stopped caring about the school, about the image, about getting the teachers off his back. somewhere along the way, all of that had been replaced by you.

and you?

you weren’t falling for him.

you weren’t even looking at him the same way he looked at you.

by the time the bell rang, his patience was gone.

he ducked into the bathroom, gripping the sink as he stared at his reflection. the neat uniform. the button-down. the hair styled just right.

a prince.

that’s what he looked like.

“fuck!” he snapped, voice echoing off the tiles.

his hand shot up, fingers raking through his hair, ruining it on purpose. he messed it up until it looked wild again. until it look familiar and real.

“what’s the point…” he growled at his reflection, eyes dark.

what was the point of being charming if it didn’t get your attention?

no one had ever made him feel this stupid. this angry. this desperate.

but you know what?

whatever.

the way seongje’s hair sat messily on his head now reminded him of something important — that no matter what you taught him, no matter how carefully you shaped him into something clean and presentable, he was still seongje. the strong, sharp and violent geum seongje. and some pretty clothes and practiced smiles weren’t going to erase that.

after splashing water on his face, he stepped back into the hallway, jaw tight. as he passed your classroom, his steps slowed.

the door was open.

inside, he saw you sitting there, chin resting on your hand, listening to everyone talk at you. laughing softly, reacting just right. glowing. still the people’s princess.

his chest tightened.

not for long, he thought.

the door slammed open.

seongje came in like a storm, boots echoing against the floor, his presence cutting through the room in an instant. before anyone could react, before you could react, his hand closed around your wrist firmly.

gasps filled the classroom.

“seongje—” someone started.

too late.

he dragged you back into the hallway, steps quick, grip steady. your composure cracked immediately, confusion flashing across your face as you struggled to keep up.

“where are you dragging me, you brute?” you demanded, voice sharp, but still whimsically dramatic.

he dragged you into a quiet corner of the school and only then stopped, chest rising and falling, his breath shaky.

you ripped your hand out of his grasp immediately.

“didn’t i teach you how to talk to girls?” you snapped, forcing steadiness into your voice.

“that was way too rough. and your hair— what did you even do to it? it looked fine this morning. here, let me—” you reached for him without thinking, like it was an already established habit between you two, but this time, he caught your hands midair. fingers firm around your wrists, stopping you completely. when you looked up, he was already staring at you. not angry, not smug. just… bare.

“yeah.” he started quietly. “you were right.”

his grip loosened, but he didn’t let go yet.

“i’m a hopeless case.” he swallowed hard, jaw tightening as if he was physically forcing himself not to retreat.

“but i…” his voice faltered. “i don’t know how to say this without sounding like a complete idiot.”

he sucked in a breath and let it out sharply, like the words were fighting their way out of him.

“i want you to look at me. not them. but me.” his voice dropped.

“i don’t want you to belong to everyone else. i know i’m rough,” he went on, a crooked smile tugging at his lips like armor he didn’t fully believe in. “selfish. violent.”

his eyes searched your face, wary now, vulnerable despite the bravado.

“but opposites work, don’t they?”

there was a beat of silence, and then he let out a quiet sound, almost a plea.

“be mine.”

his thumb twitched against your wrist.

“please.”

heat rushed to your face immediately. you’d heard confessions your whole life — pretty words, practiced declarations of love, boys tripping over themselves just to be noticed by you.

but this one hit differently.

maybe because it was seongje. maybe because his voice wasn’t steady, because his hands were still holding yours like he was afraid you’d disappear if he let go.

and maybe because he was the wearing clothes you’d once bought for a future that wasn’t supposed to have a face yet. you remembered laughing it off back then, pretending you didn’t notice how perfectly they fit him.

“i’m… i’m high-maintenance,” you whispered, cheeks warm, eyes flicking up to his. there was a soft pout on your lips, something honest and unguarded. “you know that, right?”

his laugh was quiet, the familiar signature smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“i know. and it still doesn’t make me want you any less.”

for a moment, the world felt impossibly small. just the two of you, close enough to feel each other breathe.

you nodded.

and the way his eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face, was almost enough to make you laugh.

still holding your hands, he pulled you towards him, suddenly urgent, and kissed you, his lips warm on yours, mixing with the sweet taste of your vanilla lip gloss.

you froze for half a second, heart hammering in your ribcage, and then you slowly melted into it, kissing him back just as fiercely.

when you finally pulled away, breath unsteady, your fingers were already in his hair, smoothing it instinctively.

“but…” you murmured, thumb brushing along his temple “as my… boyfriend, i can’t let you walk around looking like this.”

his grin came easy this time, warm and genuine, eyes soft in a way you’d never seen before.

“okay, princess.” he said, leaning in just a little closer. “whatever you say.”

fin.

if you’re interested in reading more of my work, make sure to check out my weak hero masterlist !! ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭