“so sweet, like honey”

— 2005

In all of his twenty-something years of living in this world, Park Sunghoon has never once turned his back on his brother. 

Fighting monsters, demons, anything that might seem far-fetched, you name it, Sunghoon and his brother, Jay were always side-by-side, working as a perfect duo to protect those in danger. Sunghoon trusted Jay with his whole heart, following his brother and the orders he gave without a second thought. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he looked up to Jay, his big brother that was always there to protect him when things got bad.

There were times where Sunghoon would disagree with Jay, most of them were resolved without a conflict happening. This round, however, was more complicated than usual. It was about their missing father. The whole point of Sunghoon leaving his normal life to go demon hunting with Jay was to find their father, who instructed the entire hunt in the first place. 

Sunghoon, being stubbornly adamant in his own beliefs, wished to abandon the hunt to search for his father, whereas Jay, the one who followed his father’s every order, insisted on following their father’s orders and continuing the hunt. The two brothers seemingly failed to resolve their differences, which explained the exact reason why Sunghoon was stuck on the road in the middle of the night, holding onto his bags as he failed to hitchhike.

By dawn, the sun was starting to rise, Sunghoon had walked to the nearest bus station, an aching body was the result of an impulsive decision. Knowing him, he was far from admitting his wrongs, willing to suffer with the consequences even if it meant he had to suffer. Alone.

Sunghoon couldn’t understand why the first thing he decided to do was to get on a bus back home. Home. A word that was foreign to him ever since he left it to escape the life of hunting and from his own father. He hasn’t been to the town that raised him in years. Truthfully, he didn’t have the guts after the whole incident with his mother’s death and his fight with his father that came years later. Looking back, Sunghoon wondered how life would be if he hadn’t done what he did. Ironically, he still went on the path he dreaded just because of his brother’s request.

“Going home?” the man sitting beside him suddenly spoke, seemingly trying to strike up a harmless conversation. 

“Yeah, I’m visiting,” Sunghoon nodded, noticing the newspaper he was reading. “You?”

“I’m returning home, made a quick trip out of town for some supplies,” the man had his attention trained on the newspaper, deeply engrossed with the contents written on it. Sunghoon’s eyebrows furrowed with questions circling in his head, but he held back, carefully threading through the conversation without sounding intruding.

“Supplies?” Sunghoon’s ears perked up at that particular word. What the man meant was cleaning supplies, right?

“You heard that right. Guns, knives, all of those,” apparently Sunghoon was far from crazy. The man closed the newspaper, shoving it into Sunghoon’s hands, the front page and the headline was enough to explain the man’s intentions. ‘Another fatal attack strikes! Was it an animal or a human’s doing?’ “The town had some deaths during the start of the month. The authorities claimed it was a freaky animal attack, apparently all of them were bitten in the neck. But now it’s happening in people’s homes,” the man leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Personally, I think it could be ghosts too. I have some holy water stored,”

Sunghoon raised his eyebrows, struggling between the urge to laugh it off or question the man further. Something was terrorising his hometown, something supernatural. The unreliable narration of the news and an even more unreliable mouth of an older man, Sunghoon’s natural curiosity peaked to find out the truth. Maybe returning home was the right choice after all. 

“That’s … that’s horrible. I didn’t think this would happen. It was fine when I left,”

“Well, young man, it’s been many years since you left. You know, this town, there’s too many secrets to it. All those folklores, stories you hear, they might be real,” the man shrugged, sounding to be a believer of the supernatural too. “Vampires, werewolves, witches, spirits, everything you thought were tales of the night are probably out there living in our town,”

Sunghoon tried to maintain a stoic look. Despite seeing the craziest things during his hunt with Jay, experiencing first hand what ‘supernatural’ actually meant, some part of him was in disbelief that the town he grew up in was filled with what the man listed. Vampires? Werewolves? In those years he lived in that town, he thought the lady down the street was the only thing that didn’t sit right with him.

“Have you encountered one before?”

“God forbid I do. That’s why I’m preparing myself for any kind of possible scenario,” the man shook his head, exhaling a strenuous breath. “You should be armed too, even if you’re visiting for a period of time. No one knows what will happen.”

The ominous feeling that came with the man’s words followed Sunghoon all the way to his destination. He bid farewell to the man when they got off the bus, knowing that he’d most likely see the man again since the town was small. Growing up, everyone practically knew each other considering the size of the town. Who knew the same town would be filled with such things after him and his family moved?

Sunghoon walked around the town with nowhere to go in mind. His old house was inhabited by a new family that he has never met before, there was no point for him to turn up at the doorstep, he was planning to save that for last before leaving anyway. The shops were still the same as it was, houses were left untouched, the high school he went to remained standing. He could recognise some people from his past, though they didn’t seem to recognise him, nor did he bother to reach out to them either.

Soon, he found himself in a diner, waiting for his lunch, contemplating if he should be less petty about his fight with Jay. Ever since he got onto the bus, his phone had accumulated many miss calls from his brother. There was an update from Jay that told Sunghoon he was busy with a new hunt somewhere in Chicago. If only his brother knew he was back in town with a newfound goal to track down the killer terrorising the locals.

There seemed to be an eeriness that lingered in the town. Quiet fear was evident in the people around. The diner was practically deserted except for him, the staff, and a couple other regulars. Sunghoon couldn’t put his finger on it, the odd atmosphere that told his gut feelings something wasn’t right, proving the man’s warnings. What was it that haunted the town people? 

“Hey,” A voice broke Sunghoon out of his trance, putting him on high alert, his hand flew to his backpack full of weapons as his first instinct. He stared up from his plate of food, meeting a pair of eyes that was strangely alluring, as though they were putting him in a trance. “Are you—perhaps—Park Sunghoon?”

Sunghoon blinked, mainly out of denial that someone recognised him. Moreover, he felt more guilty for not recognising the one person that came up to him willingly. Dressed in almost all black, it somehow piqued Sunghoon’s curiosity more. “I am … and, you are?”

“Oh, it’s Y/N L/N. From high school? I live a few houses down from you last time,” Sunghoon’s eyes didn’t leave your figure. He squinted slightly, trying to recall his past. “I moved here during junior year,”

It took another few moments before it clicked. You were the only girl that he was close friends with all throughout high school, the one that moved to New York when Sunghoon left for California, having zero contact since then. He had occasionally wondered about you, thinking if you were leading a life that was much better than his. 

The memories came flooding in without any warning, as if your appearance had unlocked a part of his mind that he kept hidden for a long time. You weren’t just his best friend, you were his first love, the only person that managed to slip through his fingers. He was staring at you with overwhelming awe, a little in denial that you were right there, in person, standing before him after suppressing years of guilt and regret for leaving without a proper goodbye. 

It just so happened to dawn on Sunghoon that he was staring at the one that got away. How did he not recognise you at first glance? “I remember, yeah, Y/N,” Sunghoon was mostly collecting himself from a mild shock. You were completely the same as before, the one thing that was different about you was probably the way you dressed and how you presented yourself, that was all. To Sunghoon, you looked identical to the first day you moved to town, you were as beautiful as he had remembered, he cursed at himself for forgetting you for a split second. “Sorry, it took awhile to refresh my memory,”

“It’s alright,” you chuckled, waving off his apology. He tried to put on a smile, feeling a surge of mixed feelings at the sudden reunion that he would never have predicted in a million years.

“Please, sit,” Sunghoon gestured to the empty seat opposite him, watching you closely as you slid into it. He was searching for the right words to say next, all of which had somehow disappeared from his mind. It was surreal to see a friend from his past materialised from his memories. He thought he’d never see you again when he lost contact with you. “You look … the same. It’s like you didn’t age at all,”

“Don’t flatter me,” you smiled, not entirely denying it either. “How have you been? The last time we saw each other you were heading for California. I didn’t think I’ll run into you here,”

“Actually, I dropped out. I decided it wasn’t for me, and some family … stuff came up,” Sunghoon felt partially guilty for lying. It wasn’t an everyday thing where he had to explain himself to someone he knew about his reasons for dropping out of Stanford. “Decided to come back and check out the town. I mean, it’s been years,”

Sunghoon was relieved to see that there weren’t any judgements hidden behind your expressions. Many would be making faces if he mentioned dropping out of an ivy league school. “How’s your brother?”

“He’s good. I had a fight with him recently actually, which explains why I’m here alone,” Sunghoon trailed off into a mumble, displaying a rather distasteful frown at the mention of their ongoing feud. “I just need some time to clear my head. What about you? How are you coincidentally in town?”

“I’ve been here for around a month. Just like you, I needed some space for myself, and that is away from New York,” you sighed, the smile you had was faltering. “I like it here, it’s quiet,”

“Is it?”

You tilted your head, staring at him, seemingly not understanding what he meant. “What do you mean by that?”

“I heard there were attacks recently,” 

You pursed your lips, shrugging. The casualness you carried was a contrast to what Sunghoon had in mind, expecting you to have similar reactions as the old man. “It’s animal attacks, aren’t they? Strange, but the authorities aren’t saying more than what’s on the news,”

“Do you really think it’s animal attacks?” he was obviously pressing you for information, desperate for any kind of insider opinions that might help, the news was far from helpful, if anything, they were lacking the truth. “Bite marks on the neck, drained of blood. There were scratch marks on some victims too, sounds too brutal to be just an animal attack,”

“You do have a point,” you nodded, leaning back against the seat, maintaining eye contact with him. Sunghoon couldn’t shake off the intensity of your gaze, the way it was speaking to him, pulling him in. “Why? You’re going to be a detective while you’re here?”

Sunghoon laughed, shaking his head a little, placing the weight of his body  against the table. “I guess you can say that,”

“Is that what you’re doing now? Saving lives as a local detective instead of being a lawyer,”

“Things might’ve changed but not entirely,” he offered a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, instead it fell rather quickly, unable to play his seriousness off. It was almost second nature for him to be highly alerted after he started hunting with his brother. “On the way here, a man told me about the town and its tales. Vampires, werewolves, witches, that’s what he said existed. I never heard about it once while growing up. What’s your take on this?”

You weren’t immediate on giving him a response, displaying a set of raised eyebrows, looking quite stunned and taken aback. There was a quiet scoff that left your lips, a sense of scepticism hung in the air. “You … believe that man’s words?”

“Only because of the accidents. Hey, I took his words with a grain of salt,” it was mostly true. Although Sunghoon had crossed paths with many types of supernatural beings, whether it was spirits or creatures such as a wendigo, he failed to fully believe that the supposed extinct vampires existed. They were extinct for a reason, eradicated by hunters of all generations. As for werewolves, they were a rare bunch. How could they be in his town out of all places? “Say, Y/N, not a believer of the supernatural?”

“Well, Sunghoon, I’ve always been a logic based person,” you drummed your fingers on the surface of the table, composure as calm as it had been from the beginning. “I’m just trying to say, those things seem too fictional to be true. I mean, we grew up here. Nothing was out of the ordinary while we were here,”

“Or maybe things have changed,” Sunghoon was trying to get his point across, the determination was clear in his tone. “The town is old, filled with a rich history,”

“So, are you saying you’re going to dig for information?”

“Might as well make up for the free time,” he leaned in closer, a grin stretched across his face. “Are you interested?” It was completely out of his character to be involving someone other than his brother in this so-called ‘hunt’ for the truth behind the killings. Not to mention, he was involving a skeptic like you, an old friend who probably had no idea about the world he was in, but a part of him knew he needed a local that’s close to him for help.

You were considering it, letting several seconds pass before sighing, relaxing your body into the seat. “I have nothing else to do in this boring town anyway, so why not?”

“Great,” he flashed you a genuine smile, clapping his hands. The least he needed was an ally in the town he once knew. It was odd to realise he was now considered an outsider in his hometown, barely knowing anybody around as most had moved away. “Where are you staying, by the way?”

“Still at my old home. My parents moved, they left the house vacant just in case they needed to be back. Looks like I’m the one who needed to return,” you shook your head, mainly at yourself. “What about you?”

“I’ll find a room at some motel or hotel,” 

“No longer a few houses down from me?”

“Nope. It was sold off to another family,”

“Shame,” you hummed, thinking about the days where you would stop by his house, suddenly reminiscing about the easier times. Speaking about the past, Sunghoon couldn’t help himself from focusing on a particular gemstone on your finger. 

“You’re still wearing that ring,” he pointed out the ring with a blue gemstone you were wearing, a piece of the past that struck him in the head. The gemstone was glittering under the sunlight, the same as it always had since the day you introduced yourself to him.

“It’s important to me, basically a part of me that I can’t lose. I’m surprised you remembered,” you were sincere, there wasn’t a single second where you kept up an act, it was as natural as it had been in the past. Sunghoon was surprised that he wasn’t an awkward mess, seeing you again felt like he was truly home. “I’ll leave you my number, I have somewhere to go,” you snatched a napkin, taking a pen out of your pocket to scribble some numbers down, sliding it over to him. “And you have a meal to finish,” 

Sunghoon glanced down at his half eaten meal that was undoubtedly cold by then, unable to control an amused grin from appearing. He watched as you got out of your seat, standing tall before him, the softness in your features opposed the intensity of your eyes that somehow still bothered him. “I’m going now, Sunghoon. Call me when you need me on your little … research,”

“I’ll do that. It’s nice seeing you again, really. I thought I’ll never see you again,” he paused, noticing the intensity in your eyes slightly subduing at his words, as if you were gradually putting your guard down. “I’ll see you around,”

“See you.”

Sunghoon was left alone with his unfinished meal, a number to call and a new motive in mind. He couldn’t seem to convince himself that you were as trustworthy as before. Sure, he had placed some trust in you, but not entirely. As much as he hated to admit it, he had his suspicions about you, and he knew not to ignore the blaring signals his brain was sending him. 

There were two things he was going to do before leaving town: solve the mystery of the deaths and also, the mystery of you. 

It has been three days. Three whole days of visiting the local library and going through piles of books ranging from local history to the urban myths, learning much more about the town than the history lessons he had in high school. 

Based on his research at the library combined with the little information from the internet, he learned that the town was founded and established in the 1800s, a land where it was believed to be sacred, inhabited by the founding families, later turning into the town that was known in the present day. That was touching only the surface of the deep history the town contained. 

It was believed that humans weren’t the sole residents. Witches from Salem migrated into the town, seeking for a fresh start, leaving centuries worth of bloodlines. Werewolf packs, just like the witches, picked the newly developed town as a spot for them to hide out, increasing the dangers of the town. While the witches and werewolves flooded into town, nobody knew that the vampires had originated there. 

Around the 1800s, right after the town was established, the vampires were discovered, resulting in their captures and deaths. The werewolves and witches were practically unknown, hiding their identities or escaping to other places, leaving the vampires to be the ones to shoulder most of the blame. This was what led to the belief that vampires were mostly extinct till this day. Sunghoon knew his father and some other hunters played a role in making sure they stayed extinct as well; there shouldn’t be a resurgence of vampires. 

“Any luck on your research?”

The sound of your voice brought Sunghoon back to reality, away from drowning in the letters on the pages. He had updated you earlier about his latest progress, figuring having a partner around was better than none. 

“Oh, trust me, a lot,” he shut the book in hand, putting it to the other pile of books. “This town might’ve been founded by humans, but its original inhabitants are vampires,” he paused, reaching for another book, flipping it open to skim through the contents. “The wolves and witches came after, it has been the vampires all along. The original vampires were created here, it was only later their population started to recede when they got discovered,”

You sat next to him, the books stacked on one another created something close to a high wall that separated you from him. Snatching the book on the top of the pile, you aimlessly looked through it until a piece of information caught your attention. “It says here the vampires were rounded and killed in 1864, marking the last time they were seen again,” you slid the book over to Sunghoon. 

“I doubt that’s the last time,” he mumbled under his breath, knowing the truth behind his father’s vampire hunts, and the fact that one of the reasons they were forced to move after his mother’s death was also due to a vampire being discovered by his father in this very town. Yet, it wasn’t something he couldn’t admit to you. At that point, he still hasn’t mentioned anything about himself either. 

“Okay, what about—theoretically—these things exist, how can you be sure the deaths are linked to the vampires? I mean, werewolves could be a culprit too,”

“It’s not the full moon … yet,” 

“Not all werewolves turn during the full moon,” you argued, eyes widening when you realised what you had just said. This successfully gained Sunghoon’s full interest with your one counter argument. 

“Now, what do you mean by that?” he turned his body to face you, one hand supporting his head, staring at you expectantly. “I thought you weren’t a firm believer,”

“That doesn’t mean I wasn’t curious before. I was a kid,” you merely shrugged, but Sunghoon had the same look on his face, not completely satisfied with your dismissiveness. You raised an eyebrow at him, a wordless question that prompted him to speak.

“Tell me more, everything you remember,”

You shifted in your seat, crossing your arms, recollecting every little piece of information you could find in your labyrinth of a mind. “Werewolves are much more complicated than we know. They blend in with every crowd, the only difference is that every full moon, they’ll turn, go rogue and kill whatever’s in their way. I’m sure you already know that,”

“I do,”

“There are two kinds of werewolves. Purebloods and regular werewolves. Regular werewolves are the ones that turn only during the full moon. They typically go on a feral rampage that they don’t remember once they’re done with the full moon,” you paused, closing the book you had in hand. “The purebloods, however, can turn whenever they want. They have total control, which makes them more dangerous because they’re conscious during their wolf-y endeavours,”

Sunghoon couldn’t form a response, simply soaking in the valuable information that he learnt. Knowledge as such wasn’t once mentioned in his father’s journal that was left to him and his brother for their hunts. He knew of werewolves, but not to that extent, so how on earth did you—of all people—have such detailed facts about them? He decided to ignore the questions in his mind, choosing to avert his focus elsewhere, away from the doubts about you.

“It could be werewolves,” Sunghoon considered, his fingers brushing across the headline of the newspaper he saved from days prior, the front page already displaying the gruesome pictures of the attack. “But that doesn’t explain the few victims who had blood drained from them,”

“What if … it could be both?”

“If that’s the case, we have to find who,” Sunghoon sighed, one leg already starting to shake, feeling stuck in the middle of a mess. “Do you have any idea when it strikes?”

“I’m not a psychic, Sunghoon. I don’t notice a pattern either. I think it happens whenever it wants to happen,” 

“Full moon’s around the corner, in two days,” he took a quick glance at his watch, trying his best to form a plan in the short period he was given before werewolves potentially appear, that was if they were still around. “If an attack happens, we’ll know who to catch; if there’s no attacks, we’ll have to go vampire hunting,”

“So, you’re going to wait for two days?” 

“I’m going to find the victim’s families, get some information at the police station, anything to piece together a picture that might make sense,” Sunghoon gathered the books into a neat pile, concluding his research at that moment. He couldn’t understand how honest he was with you, being the most careful out of him and his brother when it came to guarding his true identity and the things they did. But when it came to you, all seemed to fail, Sunghoon somehow turned into the seventeen year old version of himself that was also your best friend. 

It was only natural for you to frown at his response, failing to completely process the meaning behind his words. “And how are you going to do that?”

“It’s complicated, but don’t worry about it,” he got up from his seat, shooting you a mischievous wink, a glint in his eyes that left the impression of him being up to no good. To be fair, Sunghoon couldn’t admit that he and his brother had a habit of committing identity fraud for the sake of getting information.

You followed suit, trailing behind him as he placed the books back to their original positions. “Is this what you do now? You didn’t mention any jobs the last time we saw each other,”

“Like I said, it’s a little complicated,” he looked over his shoulder, staring at you with a hint of guilt in his gaze, one that you didn’t catch, the smile that came after had distracted you instead. “Let’s just say I inherited the family business,” he turned his head back, making sure he’s placing the books in the right place. “Are you going to trust me?”

You were silent for a few moments, the only thing coming out of your mouth was a sigh. A strained, exasperated sigh that gave Sunghoon the impression that you, just like him, had suspicions, lacking the same faith that existed in the past. “Should I?”

Sunghoon smiled at your honesty, mostly amused. Placing one last book away, he turned to face you fully, head slightly tilted, eyes sparkling with humour. “I can pinky promise that you won’t land in jail,”

There was an unmistakable sense of doubt hidden behind your irises, the pull of a frown didn’t help your case any further. However, you weren’t quick to deny his offer, seemingly in a conflict, that was what Sunghoon deduced from the lines etched in between your eyebrows. 

“Don’t make me regret trusting you.”

“Where did you get this from?”

Sunghoon hoped that it wasn’t him who started to regret bringing you along for his investigation. You had questions, too many questions that he couldn’t bring himself to answer. In his defense, how was he going to explain why he had a collection of fake IDs, including counterfeit police badges that would land him in jail. 

He snatched an ID of some fake doctor from your hands, handing you a sheriff badge. That wasn’t all that convincing either. You took it, though your unconvinced expression has yet to wear off, the badge sitting uncomfortably between your fingers. 

“Are you a con artist?”

“What?”

“Is there a way for you to explain why you have a bunch of fake IDs,” you crossed your arms, staring accusingly at him. “These are not even the fake IDs that get you into clubs,”

“It’s a long story, I’ll explain later,” Sunghoon waved your worries away rather dismissively, but seeing the expression you had, he could only sigh, placing the fake ID down. “Are you going to trust me or not?”

You knew what you had signed up for, there wasn’t any room available for second-guessing or turning back. Sunghoon made sure the last thing you were going to do was regretting the decision you made when you gave him your trust. You pressed your lips into a thin line, exhaling sharply out of your nostrils. “Fine. You’re—” you pointed at him, the fake badge in the palm of your hands, “—leading. I don’t know what to do,”

“Act natural, follow me,” he pulled his jacket on, nodding over to a house that was located a few blocks from the local diner you were at. For some reason, the diner where Sunghoon had his first encounter with you became the spot for meeting up. 

“What are we doing now?” you caught up to him, hoping to match his pace as he basically stalked over the house, resembling a man with hungry motivation. 

“We’re going to interview the latest victim’s sole witness, her boyfriend. Matt Davies,” he pulled out some loose papers from the inside of his jacket, going over the details for the last time. You managed to steal a glance, seeing a picture of a girl plastered on the paper, accompanied with basic information about her and information of her autopsy. “Caroline Jones. She was found dead outside the bar. Her boyfriend was the one who discovered her, saying there was someone there but he couldn’t remember the rest. They claimed his brain fog was some trauma response,”

“What did you think it was?”

“Vampires.”

Sunghoon beckoned you to his side, making sure you were ready for the act as you and him stood on the doorstep of a grieving boyfriend. He had already run through his plan with you, most of which was to follow his lead. You were calm, a little too casual about all of this in Sunghoon’s opinion, but he didn’t have time to mull over it, choosing to blindly place his faith in you.

Three knocks to the door, feet anxiously tapping the ground, the door soon flung open, showing a haggard looking teenage boy. The boy wasn’t entirely surprised by you and Sunghoon’s sudden appearance, his face remained impassive, devoid of any emotion, exhaustion evident. 

“Sorry to bother, Mr Davies, we’re from the sheriff department,” Sunghoon started off carefully, gently nudging you to follow his cue to pull out the sheriff badges. “I’m Sheriff Howard, my partner here is Sheriff Hayward,” you gave the boy a small nod of acknowledgement. 

“I’ve … already talked to the sheriff,” the boy, Matt, was uneasy, rightfully so, but Sunghoon wasn’t one to back down just because of some minor inconvenience. 

“Yes, that’s true, but we were sent to reconfirm your statements. Apparently there was some mix up with the last sheriff. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to get things right this time,” Sunghoon attempted to put on a friendly smile, though Matt still had a slight look to him that told you and your ‘partner’ he wasn’t completely sold. “I know you’ve witnessed a horrible thing, and we’re sorry about it, but we’ve got to get the details right,”

Matt stalled for a bit, contemplating whether to cooperate or slam the door in you and Sunghoon’s faces. Another beat passed, a defeated sigh left his lips, he opened the door wider, stepping aside. “Come in,”

You and Sunghoon entered the threshold, taking wary glances around the boy’s living room. For a seventeen year old living alone, the house was cleaner than imagined. According to Sunghoon’s sources, Matt’s parents were out of town for most of the time, leaving him, an only child, stuck in a home without any company. You could only imagine how hard his girlfriend’s death had impacted him.

“Take a seat,” Matt gestured to the couch, taking a seat on a chair opposite of it. Sunghoon exchanged a brief look with you, nodding ever so slightly to reassure you of his plan. 

“Mr Davies, could you tell us what happened that night? From the beginning until the moment you witnessed the attack,” Sunghoon leaned forward, his gaze unintentionally turning intense as seconds ticked by. He was determined to get answers, even if it was just a fraction of the whole picture. 

Matt glanced uncomfortably between you and Sunghoon, a split second of silence that penetrated deeply into the space around you. “I met her for dinner at the restaurant in town square, had a couple drinks after at the bar. She was sober, I swear, we were both sober. I had to use the restroom and by the time I was back, she’s gone. So, I walked out to find her, stumbled to the alley and I saw her … on the ground, covered in her own blood,”

“I read from the reports that you saw a person. Is that true?” Your impromptu questioning had Sunghoon eyeing you with interest, but he said nothing in return. 

“I think so? Look, the thing is, I don’t remember it clearly. I wasn’t drunk, I know I wasn’t, but I just can’t recall what I saw exactly. It’s like a piece of my memory was deleted. I remember the start and the end but not the middle, you know what I’m trying to say?” Matt’s voice was turning frantic, becoming more distressed as he continued on. 

“We understand, Mr Davies,” you sounded sympathetic, the edges of your mouth were pulled into a frown, pitying the poor boy for losing his girlfriend that young.

He shifted in his seat, the uneasiness from earlier returning in his mannerisms, but this time, however, it wasn’t because of you and Sunghoon, it was caused by the memories that remained etched into his brain, haunting him for a long time. 

“I did see something … someone, latching onto my girlfriend, but I don’t know what happened after. All I could remember was the police showing up, then realising she was dead.”

The interrogation with Matt didn’t last long. He didn’t have much more information other than the one he gave, claiming there were bits and pieces from his memories that were gone. Sunghoon left the house with nothing more than frustration and dissatisfaction. You, on the other hand, had finally fallen into the rabbit hole, discarding your prior doubts.

“It doesn’t make sense. This case looks very much like a vampire thing, but this other one—” Sunghoon slammed another casefile onto the table, opening it up to reveal some of the most gruesome pictures to exist, autopsy reports now strewn all over the table. “This one … is a werewolf’s doing,”

He slid a picture across the table over to you. You never thought a picture would single handedly ruin your appetite for the rest of your day, even when you’re sitting in the middle of the diner with food around you. The victim’s body was covered in bite marks, deep ones that resembled being mauled by a wild animal, it was practically a blood bath from the amount of blood lost. 

“The victim was found somewhere near the spot where Caroline was found,” Sunghoon flipped through the paperwork, somewhat thankful that you weren’t jumping him with questions about how he got his information. “He was killed before her, both around the same time. There’s some kind of pattern,”

“What about the first victim?”

“They covered that one up, the reports are classified as confidential, I can’t get ahold of them. Technically, the first few victims were covered up by the excuse of an ‘animal attack’, then people started to question if it was just an animal attack, so they got to change it. They believe it’s a serial killer case now, the authorities aren’t putting out any detailed information like the drained blood or bite marks, they think people are just randomly dying,” Sunghoon placed the papers down, resting both his forearms on the table, leaning forward. “Do you believe me now?”

“What?”

“You were obviously a skeptic at the beginning,”

“I was. I mean, who wouldn’t be? It’s not everyday you hear someone you used to know start telling you those things from stories are real. I was in denial, but I’m not anymore,” you were truthful, Sunghoon could tell, though he was aware you were hating him for relishing in making you break. “You said you’ll tell me about your family business,”

“Are you going to believe me if I told you the truth?” There was a laugh at the end of his sentence, finding it humorous that you, once a skeptic, were going to find out about the insane stories of his family.

“Try me,”

Sunghoon shook his head, a smile resting on his lips, taking you on for a challenge. “The family business I’m referring to is hunting and killing supernatural creatures. You know, spirits, demons, and you guessed it, vampires, werewolves, all of the above. We were trained by my dad to track down anything dangerous and eliminate them so others would be protected. It was something he did, then my brother joined him, but I … couldn’t. I left because I didn’t want to involve myself in it, that was why I had a split with my dad.”

Taking in your silence, along with an unreadable expression that he couldn’t dissect, he took his chance to break the silence. “This is probably the best time for you to say you don’t believe me,” he chuckled, sounding a little more nervous than usual. He didn’t know how you were going to react. You were the first person to ever know about his secret, it was supposed to be his ex-girlfriend, but unfortunately, she dumped him before he could spill.

“I do believe you,”

Sunghoon’s first response was to defend himself, his mouth opened to spew some lines he had prepared beforehand, then that was only when he processed what you actually said to him, that you believed him, nearly making a fool out of himself. “You do?”

“Sunghoon, I’m still sitting here, figuring out the case with you even though you told me vampires and werewolves are involved. If I thought you were some crazy lunatic, I would’ve been gone ages ago. I guess I do believe it to some degree … or maybe I’m actually crazy,” you laughed, mostly at yourself, watching the weight fall off Sunghoon’s shoulders as he settled into a more comfortable position. “You clearly know what you’re doing. I figured it has something to do with your family business, because if it isn’t, that just means you have some insane hobbies,”

It was his turn to let out a laugh of amusement. “You’re right,” he nodded, knowing you had a point. In his defense, that was one of the many reasons why he never dared to utter a word of his family history to his friends or lovers. “I was supposed to be a lawyer, but I got roped back into this mess by my brother. He needed my help, I had no choice,”

“Family’s complicated, I get it,”

“Why? You’ve got some family matters too?”

You breathed out an exasperated sigh, seemingly hesitant to reveal your situation, yet Sunghoon figured he was the only one you could confide in. “It’s my brothers. They’re back,”

“You have brothers?” Sunghoon was beyond confused. He’s met your parents, been to your house at least once or twice, known you for a solid few years before splitting apart, but it was just then he got to know you weren’t an only child. 

“I never mentioned them. They’re much older than me, so they moved out of town, that’s why you never saw them around. I don’t really see them a lot either, mainly during the holidays I’ll do,” you had a hint of sadness in your voice at the mention of your brothers, the look in your eyes revealed it all, the vulnerability you failed to hide in time. “They’re quite … complex. Our dynamic, that is,”

“Tell me about it,” Sunghoon chuckled, finally having the room to relate to the difficulties of family matters without his brother by his side for twenty-four-seven. He hasn’t revealed his exact location to his brother just yet, not bothering to care whether Jay was tracking him or not. All Sunghoon needed at the moment was an opportunity to be alone, away from his brother and the arguments he brought with him. “Will you introduce me to them?”

“If I have the chance to, but honestly, I don’t want you to. Let’s just say they’re not really the best people to be around,” you shrugged, avoiding Sunghoon’s inquisitive stare, wishing to divert his attention from the topic of your brothers. “Will I see your brother again?”

Sunghoon scoffed at the thought of his brother and the stubbornness he had. There were many things Sunghoon had in common with Jay, one of them was the fiery stubbornness that made them as hard-headed as they were. Frankly, he had a feeling his brother was making his way to him, it probably wasn’t hard for Jay to figure him out. “Maybe. I’m hoping he’ll come.”

You thought that was going to be the end of your investigation with Sunghoon for that day, but it seemed he had other plans in store. He wasn’t keen on revealing his next steps at a public place where anyone could possibly listen in, so instead, he decided to bring you back to his motel room, silently hoping he wasn’t sending you the wrong signals.

“This isn’t as bad as I thought,” you commented on the appearance of the motel that you failed to notice despite living there for years, having zero recollection of its existence. 

“You were expecting it to be a dump?” Sunghoon led you to his room, unlocking the door to reveal a room that was clean and organised, another aspect of Sunghoon that didn’t come to you as a shock. He entered his room casually, taking off his jacket and flinging it onto his bed.

“I did not say that. I just never knew there was ever a motel in town,” you lingered around the threshold, holding onto the doorframe while you looked into his room.

“It’s new, apparently. I think they built it when we were gone,” Sunghoon rearranged some of his belongings, tucking them away so that you’d have a spot to sit on his bed. There were newspaper clippings, books, files littered on the bedside tables and his bed. That was all you needed to know when it came to Sunghoon. He hasn’t changed, not in any way, still remaining as hard working as he had been in the past. 

Sunghoon paused when he saw you standing outside, appearing rather hesitant to enter. There was an internal voice nagging at him that he was trying to ignore, the same one that warned him when he saw you again for the first time. There was something to you that he couldn’t deduce. Sunghoon thought he knew you, you were one of the few people that willingly approached him when he was a kid, becoming his first official friend who spent years with him. Somehow, you were still an enigma, a mystery living in his mind for years that he hasn’t forgotten since he left, nor did he forget the feelings he had harboured for you.

However, he could also understand your hesitation to enter a man’s room all alone, and maybe, he was just overthinking it, that his body was always on high alert no matter what. He dismissed his prior worries, choosing not to assume the worst case scenarios, and instead, he believed you weren’t what his imagination made you out to be.

“Hey, what are you doing out there? Come in,” 

“I was just inspecting your room,” you said lightheartedly, taking a step into the room, the unopened beer bottles sitting on the table caught your eyes at first glance. You pointed to them, giving Sunghoon a questionable look, surprised that he was one to drink heavily. 

“Are you a dorm inspector? I need something to de-stress,” he defended himself, laughing quietly as he shut the door, moving around to gather some papers. “Sit. I won’t take up your time, I’ll just run through what we’re doing next,”

“‘We’?” 

“You’re my partner, no? Don’t tell me you’re backing out now,”

“No, it’s not that. I’m just a little shocked,” you admitted, taking a seat on the edge of his bed, watching him arrange the pile of papers in his hand before pulling a chair to sit in front of you. “I thought I was being a nuisance instead,”

“You’re giving me a lot more support than you think. Don’t sell yourself short,” Sunghoon was serious when he said it, not an ounce of false assurance was found in his voice, his genuinity had made you smile. “Anyway, the full moon’s tomorrow. We may or may not get our answers, so that’s why I plan to go to the bar in person, check it out and see if anything happens. Are you in?”

“Of course, it’s a no brainer,”

“Great,” Sunghoon clapped his hands together, one foot unconsciously tapping the ground out of habit. He was going and forth between telling you about his next plan, unsure how you’d react to it. “I’m heading down to the morgue later to check out the bodies. Honestly, something doesn’t sit right with me,”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’ve done this before, I’ll be fine,” Sunghoon realised that saying it out loud wasn’t much better than what he had in mind. You were unconvinced, the look on your face was enough for Sunghoon to know that you weren’t instantly on board.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t go, I think it’s helpful for the investigation, but Sunghoon, you know you’re putting yourself in danger, right?” you inhaled sharply, the momentary pause had Sunghoon raising an eyebrow at you, expecting a more in depth explanation from you. “This town may be quiet but the people here whisper. If the vampires and werewolves are living among us, you’re just putting a mark on yourself. They have eyes everywhere,”

“How do you know that?” 

You paused, “The town council, the police, everyone involved with the so-called ‘higher ups’ are most likely aware of their existence, that’s why they’re covering it up. They run the town, and they have eyes, ears everywhere. What makes you think the vampires and werewolves aren’t the same? Especially when they have people out there hunting for them,”

“What do you expect me to do? Nothing? I can’t sit around doing nothing,”

“I’m asking you to not be so rash,” you tried to reason with him, but Sunghoon couldn’t understand how you found him impulsive, having a tunnel vision when it came to his plan that he stubbornly supported. “I don’t want you to get hurt or be in danger,”

Sunghoon couldn’t find himself responding at once, letting the genuine worry in your voice along with your words sink into his skin, ignoring the way his heart picked up its pace. He shouldn’t let his personal feelings interfere with his work, but after all those years, he still couldn’t surrender to it. “I understand. I won’t go, you’re right. I should probably be more careful, shouldn’t I?”

“Exactly, you should,” 

“Then, how about this,” Sunghoon adjusted his position in his chair, placing both hands on his knees, leaning forward, earning himself an unconvinced huff from you. “Join me for beer?”

Your serious expression had melted into somewhat of a mixture between confusion and amusement, then it fully became a humoured grin. “Were you planning this?”

He simply shrugged, though you could guess from the look on his face that he had this brewing in his mind all along. “Maybe? So, is it a yes, or is it a no?”

“I can’t pass on this invite from you,”

“I’ll grab us two bottles.”

The stash of beers he had deemed to be useful after all. Sunghoon swore he hasn’t enjoyed a drink in ages, ever since he left his brother’s side. Having you there was a blessing he would never expect when he arrived in town. Sunghoon thought the last time he saw you was the ending of your story with him. Now that he was enjoying a bottle of beer with you, listening to your endless stories of New York, he figured running away from his brother wasn’t the worst call he’s made.

“I really miss our high school days,” you confessed out of the blue, successfully earning Sunghoon's full attention as he trained his eyes on you, waiting for you to elaborate more. “Things were easier. We were all living here, still hanging out, going to school together. I never thought one day it’d stop, and we won't see each other for years,”

Sunghoon was mostly guilty for that. On the day he parted ways with you, he exchanged numbers with you. After he had left the town, abandoning his old life, his old identity that scared him, he chose to discard anything that was related to it, including you. He thought of you a lot, but he was too afraid to reopen the wound he wanted to close. If he thought of you, he’d remember everything he threw away, he’d remember the good times with you and wished for it again. How could he be truly free if he didn’t let go of what’s holding him back?

“Life moves on,” Sunghoon sighed, taking a swig out of his bottle. The beer burned the back of his throat, hating the way it tasted, but hoping it would stump the emotions that surged. “But I didn’t,” he allowed the alcohol to numb his senses, feeling indifferent to sharing his honest thoughts. “I might’ve moved away, but I cannot forget the memories,”

“Me too,” you stared unblinkingly at him for a moment, debating back and forth whether you should confess the thoughts you had in mind. “I never forget you,”

Sunghoon wasn’t quick in producing a reaction nor a response, seemingly soaking in your words slowly, mentally processing the weight and meaning they held. There was one thing he could take away from it, that was knowing he felt the same as you did. “I didn’t either,”

There was a split second of silence, the both of you seemed to be relishing in the raw truth that was no longer hidden. The walls that you and him built against each other gradually crumbled, embracing the familiarity that was once there, seeking the comfort from the reassurance of one another’s presence.

You raised your bottle up, a small smile resting on your lips, an indescribable feeling of warmth creeping its way up to your cheeks. “There’s a reason we’re here at the same time,”

“No regrets this round,” Sunghoon raised his bottle as well, clinking his with yours. Even then, he had almost no clue what he meant by that. His regrets were insurmountable, they were abandoned in this very town when he left. Now that he was back, he knew he had no choice but to address them, or at least, fix them somehow, one of which was you, the person that secretly haunted the narrative of his story, bringing him to where it all started. 

“Absolutely no regrets.” you echoed after him, seemingly drinking down your personal regrets just as Sunghoon did. The unspoken bond was further strengthened through a mutual understanding with a side of beer, the line between friendship and something more unknowingly blurring as Sunghoon let it cloud his judgement.

Sunghoon didn’t know if he could make it out of this town alive, and he couldn’t predict whether it would be the vampires, the werewolves, his feelings or you that were going to kill him first.

“What’s the plan, Sherlock?”

Your early arrival to Sunghoon’s motel had startled him for a bit, momentarily distracted from constructing his plan, but also stopping him from hiding his weapons. The guns, silver and wooden bullets, wooden stakes, silver knives were displayed on Sunghoon’s bed, he knew he had zero chances of hiding them in time when you made your way to him. 

“Impressive,” you hummed, unlike your usual self where you’d be questioning him, it seemed you have finally adapted to the bizarre hunting lifestyle of his without knowing. “You’re very prepared,”

“What can I say? We’re literally walking into our own deaths. Also, can you handle a revolver?” He handed you a revolver loaded with silver bullets, the foreign object sitting oddly in your delicate hand. You stared uneasily between it and Sunghoon, the questions you withheld were showing up on your face instead. Luckily for you, he was someone who read body language well, taking your rigidness as a sign for him to budge in.

Sunghoon wordlessly moved, stepping behind you, standing close, his breath hitting the back of your hair. The atmosphere in the room shifted almost immediately, the air around you had turned heavier and stuffy, choking you out of breath and completely lost for words. You heard him shuffling behind you, your body became still, letting his hands gently guide your arms up, you had to remind yourself to hold onto the weapon tightly or else you’d lose your grip on it.

His hands rested on top of yours as your hand wrapped around the grip of the revolver, his chest almost pressing against your back, barely an inch of distance existed between you and him. “You load the revolver with bullets here—” he gently tapped onto the cylinder, his voice humming in your ear. “Then, you use your thumb to pull the hammer before you shoot,” his thumb rested on the part he mentioned, not daring to put it into action. “Finally, you press the trigger, and boom, you got your target,”

His touch was gone as fleeting as it came. The casualness in his actions had initiated a series of thoughts in your mind, whereas he continued on without comprehending the severity of his nonchalant proximity and intimacy. You didn’t know if you should be stunned by him or the fact that he was skilled in handling a gun. Who was Park Sunghoon, and why wasn’t he the same person you remembered? 

“Now that’s out of the picture, let’s talk about the plan,” he slipped a gun into the pocket inside his jacket, arming himself with several kinds of weapons. “We’ll wait, observe, see if anything’s weird,”

“I have a feeling there’ll be police there,”

“You think so?”

“Undercover, probably. Just a thought to have in mind. I’m sure with the bar being a hot area for people dying, they’re going to be increasing the security somehow,” 

“You have a point,” Sunghoon considered for a moment, feet tapping gently against the carpeted floor, a habit of his since early ages. “We’ll be extra careful. I’ve pulled this off before, so just follow my lead,”

“As always,”

“As always.” 

The bar was crowded as usual. Despite the infamous attacks located there, the locals still needed a place in search of relief, making it a vulnerable spot for more attacks to happen. That was the downside of living in a small town that barely had anything.

You trailed behind Sunghoon as he led you into the bar, one hand holding onto his forearm, which he insisted on so that he wouldn’t lose you. Most of the people there were familiar faces, there were barely non-locals present since the attacks started.  News traveled fast, and it sure did go out of town too. 

“What should we do now?” You and Sunghoon reached the counter, choosing seats that were the furthest from any curious ears. 

“We drink, we blend in, then we scout the area,” Sunghoon signaled for the bartender. 

“This isn’t an excuse to drink, right?”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes lightheartedly, tapping his fingers on the countertop. “I wish it was. I'm afraid we'd look too suspicious if we don’t try to blend in. I glanced around, I can tell there were local enforcements around,”

“I told you,” you shrugged, ordering yourself and Sunghoon a few shots. If you were going to spend the night hunting for someone, or rather, some thing, you'd better be prepared. 

Strong alcohol was served in a set of shot glasses, you and him didn't hesitate before downing them down, savouring the burn in your throat, hoping this was the most pain for the night and nothing more. Sunghoon slammed his shot glass down onto the counter, letting out a low hiss from the last of his glass. 

“After this is over, are you planning to stay?” He played with the rim of the glass, staring at you, doe eyed, as if he had some kind of expectation for your answer, maybe, he was hopeful. 

“I don't know. Life was boring here before you arrived. I was actually about to return to the city, but then you came,” you paused, swallowing deeply, occasionally looking away just to avoid his piercing gaze. “I know you won't be staying. I'm not trying to get my hopes up either, so I do appreciate every moment we have together, then eventually I'll have to go back,”

“But what if you didn't?”

“I'm not choosing to stay here,”

“Come with me then,” the words came rushing out of his mouth, not in desperation of any sorts, but because he could no longer hold onto that idea quietly.

“Are you crazy?” You laughed, thinking he was probably buzzed from the booze. Seeing his unchanged expressions, you started to realise that he was far from kidding. “Sunghoon, you run a family business with your brother. I’m not a part of the equation,“

“I’m just saying, I’m putting the idea out there, in case you wanted a life out of … everything,”

You were silent for a moment, the ridiculous suggestion had you frowning in denial. “I’ll think about it,” you let out a sigh, tapping your glass on the hard counter. “I might go back to searching for jobs,”

“Are we going to be strangers again after this?” Sunghoon pondered aloud, the flickering of his eyes were an attempt to mask the true emotions he held within. He experienced it once, he didn't wish to go through it again, not when you were this close. 

“What? After everything we did?” You scoffed, mainly out of disbelief that he’d think of you so lowly. “It’s the last thing I'll ever do. We can call, message each other, write letters, I don’t know,” you threw your hands up in defeat, throwing out every way of communication. “I’m not leaving here with you as just a memory,”

Sunghoon felt a significant weight lift off his shoulders, the air he breathed seemed less thicker than it was a second ago, he didn't know what he was feeling, a surge of multiple emotions overwhelmed him. “I’m glad we think the same,”

Before you could say another word, several people rushed out the door all at once, attracting minimal attention except for your’s and Sunghoon’s. The two of you exchanged a knowing look, something was up. Those people were definitely the undercover cops lurking around, their sudden exit was a signal that your target was present. 

“I'll head out,”

“I'll follow—”

“No,” Sunghoon cut you off, the softness in his features had completely disappeared, there was a heavy look behind his eyes. “Stay here, I’ll call you once I’m done taking a look,” noticing your hesitance, the silent protest for you to go with him, he placed his hand on yours. “I don’t want to put you in danger,”

You glanced at his hand, the only source of warmth in the room, then back at him, slightly unconvinced but somehow trusting him. Nodding slowly, you exhaled sharply through your nostrils, lips pressed into a thin line. “Come back here if something happens, alright? If you don’t call after five minutes, I’m coming out there,”

“You have my word.”

Sunghoon left with a sense of uneasiness weighing on this chest, which then spread to the entirety of his body. Firstly, it was because he was leaving you alone in a territory that was lurking with something dangerous. Secondly, in all honesty, he had no clue what or who he was going to face. 

Stepping out into the cold night, the chill ate away at his skin, his inner fear further clawed at him internally. Sunghoon’s always been brave whenever he and his brother were hunting, he couldn’t understand why this time was different from the rest. Probably because he didn’t have a definite answer to the creature he was supposed to hunt.

The sound of leaves crackling under someone’s shoes filled the quiet night air, causing Sunghoon to almost jump out of his shoes. He was carefully walking around the carpark, the primary place where the attacks took place, an uneasy feeling creeping up on him.

“HELP!”

The call for help echoed throughout the car park, whether it reached the inside of the bar, Sunghoon left that to be answered after. He bolted to wherever his instincts took him, trying his best to navigate the source, which came from a dodgy spot where there were no signs of life. 

On a closer look, there were trails of blood staining the ground, fresh and a bright shade of red that frustrated him further as he couldn’t spot a body. Based on his observation, he figured the body was dragged off somewhere.

In usual circumstances that Sunghoon learnt from horror movies, following the trail would lead to the worst case scenario, a.k.a, death. Luckily for him, he wasn’t like the rest, his years of dealing with situations similar to this had successfully numbed him to the point of not fearing death. On instinct, his feet started walking on its own along the trail of blood, heading towards the wooded area, which was not a good sign.

As he got closer to the wooded area, the trail almost coming to an end, a decent distance between him and the bar, he couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling eating away at the back of his mind. He persisted on, entering the dark woods, the street lights barely providing illumination. 

Sunghoon didn’t dare to venture further, not when he had only a gun and no source of light, it was basically suicide if there were actual vampires or werewolves around. He wasn’t that stupid. 

The trail strangely ended right at his feet. It was a dead end. Or was he one step too late? All Sunghoon could feel was frustration, and he could only think of his brother, Jay, wishing he was there to help him out. Jay was one call away, Sunghoon knew that, yet his ego got the best of him to be the first to call. 

Sunghoon sighed, shaking his head, figuring it just wasn’t his night. He turned to leave, managing to take only one step before a shadow leaped onto him. He fell onto his back, the impact nearly knocked the wind out of him, unable to react properly in time, letting out a choked groan. 

“What the fuck!” He shouted, struggling with the figure on top. Amidst the push and pull, Sunghoon noticed a set of unusual bright hazel eyes flashing across his vision. What made Sunghoon’s eyes widen in a mix of pure confusion and wonder was the sharp teeth glistening under the scarce stream of light. That was a vampire that happened to not be just a vampire. It was stronger, faster, possessing the traits like a beast.

Sunghoon was this close to forming a thought, one about his next move so that he wouldn’t get killed (obviously), but surprisingly, his attacker was flung off of him before he could fully process everything that happened to him in the last few minutes. He blinked, making sure he wasn’t in a dream which occurred because he dozed off. No, he was actually there, alive and not mauled by whatever that was on him.

“Sunghoon!”

Next, it was you appearing in his vision, standing right on top of him, your voice echoing in the silence. Your concerned stricken face stared at him, eyes scanning his body to ensure there wasn’t any obvious damage. However, your gaze landed on a cut on his cheek, a fresh wound with blood slightly dripping out of it. 

Sunghoon noticed the unusual pause, noticing your chest heaving erratically, eyes suddenly shut, jaw clenched. He said nothing, mainly because he didn't know what he could say at that moment. Instead, he reached his hand out for yours, hesitating for longer than a second, then slipped his hand into yours. 

“Are you okay?” He asked softly, watching your eyes fluttering open, breathing returning to normal. 

“I should be the one to ask you that,” Sunghoon could catch onto the apologetic tone in your voice, the worry came flooding back into your features. You grabbed onto his hand, pulling him onto his feet, staggering from his weight alone. “Are you hurt?”

Sunghoon patted the front of his jacket, readjusting and straightening it, sighing a breath of exasperation. He was in a state of shock whether he'd come to admit or not, resulting in missing out on who (or what) had sent his attacker away. “No, I'm fine. Just … attacked. Where was it?”

Eyebrows stitched together, you stared at him with your head tilted, looking a little clueless. “Where was what—”

You were not given a chance to complete your sentence when you got tackled by a shadowy figure, travelling at such a high speed that all Sunghoon could make out was a blur. You were sent flying more than six feet away from where he was standing. This … thing was quick, agile, and strong, much more than what he had seen in his countless encounters.

“Y/N!” Sunghoon knew, even if he was going to die, he wasn't going to let you be the first to do so. He snatched his gun from the inside of his jacket, aiming at the back of the attacker as you and the man struggled between each other. Sunghoon didn't think twice before shooting a silver bullet at the man, injuring him on the spot.

It never occurred to Sunghoon to think further ahead, because right after that, the attacker's anger fueled into flames, turning his attention to Sunghoon. The man stalked towards him rather than using his super speed, something a vampire normally possesses. Was this man a vampire or a werewolf? Sunghoon didn't have any time or space to think, he had to figure out how to survive first.

He pointed the gun at the man again, noticing how the initial shot had barely caused any damage. It was going to be a long night.

The man was advancing towards him, it didn't take Sunghoon another second to shoot at him, injuring him on the spot, but it wasn’t fatal. Was this it? Was Park Sunghoon actually going to die without his brother by his side?

Before the entirety of his life could play in his mind, the man was thrown to the side by a shadowy blur that travelled at high speed until Sunghoon could barely catch it. He stumbled back, close to losing his balance, not knowing what exactly shocked him. Was it the man himself or the thing he couldn’t catch knocking the man over?

There was a loud sound of leaves rustling from a distance, most likely where the man landed. Sunghoon had a feeling a fight had ensued, uncertain whether he should approach or stay where he was. He disregarded his momentary fear to move his feet so that he could find you after getting attacked by the man, cursing at himself for letting you get injured. Sunghoon carefully headed to the direction you were thrown, breathing heavily with his gun held up. 

The strangest part the further he walked was your absence no matter how far he ventured. You weren’t there. He could see some imprints of your shoes on the ground, the leaves were in a heap of mess, clearly disturbed. Yet, you were nowhere to be found. Sunghoon felt himself ceasing to breathe, a million worst case scenarios sprung to his mind, instantly regretting his decisions of involving you in the first place. 

Sunghoon didn’t have ample time to panic either. There was a series of strange sounds coming from behind him. The first mistake should be leaving his back unguarded. He spun around, pointing his gun at several directions, breathing shallowly at the expectancy of something popping out of the shadows. It took a blink of an eye for something blurry to enter his line of sight, disappearing just as quick as it had appeared. He blinked harshly, unable to determine if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Warily, he turned around, nearly tripping over his own feet when his gaze landed on a monstrous face.

Blood red sclera, black eyes, dark veins under eyes, canine teeth elongated into sharp fangs, that was what Sunghoon had to face. A vampire. It wasn’t his first, but he was hoping it wasn’t his last either. He was not going down without a fight.

Suddenly, it hit him. An unbelievable realisation that almost gave him an acidic reaction on the spot.

He wasn’t just staring back at a vampire, he was staring at you. 

It seemed to have equally dawned on you that it was Sunghoon you were looking at, not the attacker. The veins started to disappear, so did whatever was going on with your eyes and teeth, your face returning back to how you usually looked, revealing the true state of shock in your features.

Neither of you dared to speak or move first, standing rooted to your respective spots. It was hard to tell which one of you was more shocked than the other, seemingly equal in having a hard time processing the newfound discovery. Sunghoon’s mouth was agape, while your eyes were wide in panic. 

Sunghoon didn’t know which was worse at that moment: finding out you were a vampire or being killed by one. Experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions was an understatement. He couldn’t comprehend his childhood best friend was something he and his family hunted throughout his whole life. He felt guilty but also betrayed, conflicted was a way to sum the whole thing up.

He took a step back, eyebrows furrowed, one hand clenched into a tight fist, the other holding onto the gun by his side. Pain and regret flashed across your face witnessing him being scared of you. The last thing you wanted was someone who you could call your friend to be frightened by your true identity. You tried to approach him slowly, but with every step you took, he gradually backed away.

“Sunghoon, wait,” your voice came out almost like a plea, begging him to understand. He shook his head, eyes avoiding yours at every cost. 

“No, you … you—I—you are—” he pointed at you, an unreadable expression painted on his face, twisted into a pained look, as if the revelation had physically hurt him beyond repair. “You are a vampire,” these words came out in a hushed whisper, like he was convincing himself that none of this was real.

“I can explain—”

“You lied to me,”

“I couldn’t tell you what I was,” you exhaled, holding back every ounce of remorse from bleeding into your words. You knew hiding this secret would one day blow up in your face, a part of you regretted even approaching Sunghoon in the first place, aware of the risks, most of which you were willing to take. Look where it got you instead. “I didn’t have a choice,” 

Sunghoon opened his mouth to speak, but nothing seemed to be able to come out. At that moment, all he could think was the years he spent with you, whether it had been as real to you as it was to him. “You knew,” he said quietly, a wave of sudden awareness washing over him. “You knew about my family all along, didn’t you?”

You were silent for a split second, hesitation evident. “I did. I knew your dad goes around killing vampires and other stuff too,”

“Then why did you trust me?”

“Because I was hoping it wasn’t true for you,”

Sunghoon wasn’t expecting your response, stunned momentarily. He let his guard down for a second, his hardened gaze softening at the genuine sadness in your voice. It was probably a big risk for you to even befriend someone who had a family that was tasked to kill your kind. He couldn’t understand why you would do such a thing. 

Sunghoon disregarded his personal feelings, hoping to dig further for the truth. “Were you going to stop me from finding out? Is that why you approached me?”

You looked offended that he even dared to question your integrity, quickly defending yourself. “No!” you huffed, eyebrows now etched together. “I approached you because I recognised you, then you told me you were looking into this. I needed to know what was causing the deaths. I heard about it happening so I came back. I thought it was one of us too, but turns out it wasn’t,”

That definitely piqued Sunghoon’s interest. “Wh–what did you mean by that?”

“What attacked you—or us—just now, wasn’t exactly a vampire,” you sighed, mostly in a mix of exasperation and disappointment. “It was a hybrid, both werewolf and vampire,”

This new information hit Sunghoon like a truck. In his years of knowledge about the supernatural, he heard and also encountered both species, but a combination of the two? That’s a first for him. “Hybrids exist?”

“It used to be singular, ‘hybrid’, where only one existed,” you chewed on your bottom lip, pensive, selecting your next words carefully. “That would be one of my brothers,” you took Sunghoon’s silence as a sign for you to continue. “To sum it up, I’m an original vampire. My family originated here, the same ones you read, and due to some … troubles, my brother turned into a hybrid instead of just a vampire,”

Sunghoon blinked at you, this being one of the few responses he could manage until he got his brain unscrambled once more. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that one of the oldest vampires was standing before him, that you happened to be his friend too. Maybe it was for the best that his family never discovered about your family, because truthfully, there was no way his father could handle an original vampire. “I don’t know what to say,”

“I don’t expect you to say anything. It’s on me, really, I should’ve told you,”

“But why didn’t you?”

“Because one, you might kill me and my family, or two, you’ll leave, but I don’t think that would’ve stopped you anyway,” the underlying hurt and years of pain was clear in the tone of your voice, unable to hide the emotions you hid for a long time. 

“What happened after I left?”

“My family split. My brother was going on about his hybrid fantasy where he turns other vampires into hybrids to make them his little servants. My other brothers tried to stop him, but they stopped trying eventually,” you couldn’t hide the sadness from taking over your eyes, the tiredness setting in after years of holding this secret from people. “The reason why I actually came back was because I heard there’s a rogue hybrid running around. We saw the news clippings, so I decided to check it out. Now that I know who it is, my brother will be back to settle things I suppose,”

“Will you be leaving?” his question came rushing out of his lips, disregarding his prior worries about your true identity, seeing you for who you were at that second. He didn’t want you to go, not when he had you again for just a short while.

“Do you want me to?”

“What?”

“Sunghoon, you kill people like me,” you were half-shouting at that point, the frustration that gradually piled up seemed to be tipping over the edge. Sunghoon flinched slightly, not at the volume of your voice, but at the weight of your words that carried only the painful truth. “I should be thankful that you’re not killing me right now. I see the way you looked when you saw me as who I am. You’re scared of me,”

“I’m not scared of you, I’m just … surprised,” maybe ‘surprised’ alone was an understatement. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence that his hometown best friend happened to be an immortal all along. “I don’t know, I feel a little betrayed that I got lied to. I mean, I know what we had … none of it was a lie, ever since we knew each other, but it made me question what I really know about you,” he clicked his tongue, the crinkles between his eyebrows were enough to express his vexations. “I don’t hate you for who you are, I trust you. I know you never hurt anybody,”

You heaved a deep sigh, blinking away some tears that threatened to spill, making sure to look away just so Sunghoon wouldn’t see how you’re more vulnerable than you already were. “At some points I was close to telling you, but given the circumstances where your family were hunters, I chose to protect myself. I never got to tell you when you left, and I thought that was the end between us,” you paused, swallowing. “I never once lied to you, Sunghoon. What we had, it was real,”

A glimmer of hope sparked in Sunghoon’s eyes, ears perking up at your words, a subtle confirmation of your feelings that mirrored his as well. He wasn’t dreaming, neither did he hallucinate his affections for you throughout the years he spent with you. Sunghoon put aside his momentary internal conflicts, taking another step closer to you, his gaze trained intensely on you. “Say that again,”

“What?” 

“What we had is real, Y/N. This entire thing, us spending time together, all of it reminded me of what I felt for you years ago. It never went away, no matter how I tried to suppress it, it was always there,” Sunghoon pointed at his heart, his finger nearly digging into his chest. “Regardless of what you are, I don’t think it would ever change the fact that I’ve always loved you,”

The weight of confession not only affected you, but also him. It came rushing out in a blur, only after Sunghoon managed to comprehend the severity of the aftermath: having to deal with his feelings. He didn’t dare to speak, scared of uttering another word just in case he messed it up, instead, he watched you carefully as you digested every piece of it. 

“I love you too, Sunghoon. There were many things I regret not telling you, one of which is how much I like you,” you decided to let go of your past hurts, the fears and worries you shouldered since your youth with him, admitting to the truth once and for all, disregarding how the outcome might be. “I was scared to come to terms with it because I always knew the differences between us, so I thought after you left, maybe it might’ve dissipated,” you paused, shaking your head gently, alternating between looking at the ground and him. “It didn’t. It lingered, haunting me until the day I saw you in that diner,”

“I thought I’d never see you again,” there was a part of him that hoped you were there when he was on the bus, and it seemed the higher forces had heard him, presenting you into his life once more, as if giving him another chance. “I regret leaving. I wanted to avoid getting you mixed into my … family business, but I think it ended up backfiring,”

“I guess both of us are to be blamed,” you chuckled, fidgeting your fingers nervously. It was hard to hide your emotions, they were evident from the way you talked and how you looked at him. You were afraid to reveal more of yourself, knowing the separation was imminent considering you’ve already found the man behind the attacks. “I don’t want to lose you again,”

“You won’t, I’m not leaving, not anymore,” he closed the space between you and him, giving you no prior warning before softly holding your face, tilting it up for him to press lips against yours. The contact alone almost sparked electricity, an accumulation of longing and desire swarmed the both of you, lips moving from gentleness to an increasing intensity. Your hands travelled to the back of his neck, feeling him shudder under your touch, the sound of your heartbeat being the only thing you hear besides the groans Sunghoon emitted. 

It took a while before you were in need of air, slowly pulling away, only for Sunghoon to chase your lips like a hungry man. You laughed, hitting him on the chest, allowing him to peck your lips instead. With your arms around his neck, eyes never leaving his, you made a promise from the depths of your heart. “I’ll always stay by your side,” 

“No more running away,” it was not only an affirmation, but also a vow coming from him, strictly holding onto it and never going back on it. He made mistakes, experienced countless regrets, none of them managed to properly amount to you. “I’ll protect you with all my heart,”

“Shouldn’t I be the one who protects you?” you joked lightheartedly, smiling when you saw him doing the same. It was easy being like this, comfortable and free to express your feelings without any barriers of fear. 

“Touche. You did throw that hybrid and save me,” Sunghoon hummed in agreement, then his eyebrow raised, a question popping into his mind. “Wait, what happened to him? How do we know he’s not going to hurt more people here?”

“Oh,” you seemed to remember the existence of the hybrid as if you hadn’t just been attacked not long ago. “I tied him up,” 

“What?”

“Did you forget? I’m an original. My power surpasses every vampire and even hybrids. Come on, help me bring him to my hideout, my brother will be here by dawn,” you grabbed onto his hand, leading him towards a direction somewhere further into the woods.

“He will?” Sunghoon gulped nervously at the thought of meeting one of your brothers.

“I sort of called him before we left for the bar. I had a feeling,” you shrugged, continuing trudging along the trail that only you could recognise. “Which is why we must be quick while it’s still dark. Once the sun rises, everyone will be out,”

“How do you survive in the sun anyway? I thought vampires are allergic to it,” Sunghoon realised the reason why he had never dared to guess you were a vampire once was mainly because you didn’t seem to be burning under the sun, unlike the ones he came across and killed, most of which were active solely at night. 

“We have rings,” you held your hand up, brandishing the ring that Sunghoon remembered as a part of you. It made sense why you never once took it off. “Daylight rings. Without them, we’ll burn in the sun,”

Sunghoon blinked, unable to fathom new information that he had to keep in mind for future purposes if he ran into a vampire. First step, check if the vampire had any suspicious looking ring on their finger. “Right, magic rings,”

You stopped in your tracks, Sunghoon following shortly, assuming you had brought him to the scene of the attack. He averted his gaze, landing on a figure located right beneath a tree, ropes and chains bound around him, a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth. It was the same man that he faced earlier, the one responsible for all the attacks. Sunghoon couldn’t help letting out a breath of relief knowing you managed to successfully overpower the hybrid.

“I’ll explain later, body first,”

“Let’s get to work.”

It wasn’t an everyday thing for Sunghoon to be transporting a hybrid on some truck you prepared beforehand. 

He waited patiently outside of the hide out you led him to, listening to the lousy music on the radio, watching the sun slowly rise. His phone was silent, lacking messages or calls from his brother, Jay. Weird. Sunghoon made a mental note to call his brother once this whole hybrid hostage situation was settled. 

As the sun slowly made its appearance, you, too, announced your presence by walking out of the hideout, knocking gently on the window of the passenger side before entering. There was an unreadable expression on your face, one that Sunghoon couldn’t dissect immediately. It was a mix between sadness and relief. 

“Everything went well?”

“It did. My brother will deal with it,” you let out a huff of air, buckling in your seatbelt almost as though you were ready to leave without a second thought. “Turns out the werewolves were trying to pin it all on the vampires, nobody really knows it was a hybrid. It’s complicated,”

“I can imagine,”

You shrugged, mostly discarding this topic to move on to something better. “So, where to next?” 

“I’ve been trying to call Jay, but there’s no calls or texts from him, I’m getting worried,” Sunghoon looked through his call history, frowning deeply at the thought of his brother being in danger. “We’ll drive back to where I left him—”

Right at that second, Sunghoon’s phone chimed, a notification showing up on the tiny screen of his flip phone. It was from Jay. His expressions were twisted into a clear sign of distress and panic. With a snap following him closing his phone, he turned to you, the frown etching deeper into his skin.

“Funkytown,”

“What?”

“Our code when one of us is in danger,” he had his jaw clenched, one hand curled into a fist, breathing becoming erratic. It was no brainer that the two brothers were closer, something you might not be able to understand, they depended on each other, one couldn’t live without the other. “He’s probably still there. The last I heard he said he couldn’t leave yet since it wasn’t done. I shouldn’t have left,”

“Hey, breathe,” you placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently in a weak attempt to assure him. “It won’t be a super long drive, we’ll make it there in time,”

“You’d want to come with me?” 

“What happened to sticking by each other’s side?”

Sunghoon managed a small smile, there was a minor sag to his shoulders, looking a little more relieved. He reached to grab the hand you had on his shoulder, lacing his fingers with yours, resting your intertwined hands on his lap. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have even doubted for a second. Let’s go save my brother’s ass,”

“Roadtrip!”

( © jaylver all rights reserved. do NOT copy, plagiarise or edit my work and repost whatsoever. once discovered will be exposed and blacklisted. )

15th October - Treasure in a Cage

P: Mafia!Jay X Fem!Reader (18+)

Jay doesn’t love the way most men do. His affection is violent, and suffocating, dressed in silk and gold. To the world, he’s a ruthless mafia heir who leaves fear in his wake. To you, he’s obsession personified — a man who promises protection but chains you with devotion. You’re not his partner. You’re his pet.

20th October - Beneath His Heel

P: Heir!Ni-ki X Fem!Reader

The Nishimura household pays well, but no one warned you about their young heir. Ni-ki is quiet and calculating, his gaze following your every move as if you exist only for his amusement. Serving him was supposed to be simple. Instead, he twists the rules until you’re kneeling at his feet.

25th October - The Edge of Desire

P: Rival!Sunghoon X Fem!Reader (18+)

The ice rink is war, and Sunghoon has always been your fiercest rival — cold, arrogant, untouchable. His hands are rough, his kisses bruising, his voice a low taunt against your lips. With him, every mark is another victory.

31th October - The Return of Halloween (Bonus)

P: The Shape!Ni-ki X Fem!Reader

You looked up at the man who was your manager in every sense of the word. He wasn’t just your marketing manager or PR manager or even chief manager. He embodied every role, making sure your days as an idol went as smoothly as possible.

Kento Nanami didn’t do things in halves. If he dedicated himself to something, then he did it with everything he had in him. He put his all into his job, even now while you were on hiatus until further notice.

So, technically you weren’t retired, but you had been flirting with the idea of texting the girls and telling them that Divine Restriction was officially over.

You carefully took the mug of warm green tea from Nanami’s oversized hands before tentatively taking a sip. “Thank you, Kento.” Where would you be without him?

The blond simply bows his head before taking a seat at the foot of your bed. He doesn’t seem to notice the state disarray your room is in right now, but you know that it’s secretly eating away at him. Kento prefers things to be in order, which is why he was such a great manager.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, voice as warm and soothing as the tea you were sipping on. Sometimes you wondered what you did in a past life to deserve such a caring person in your life.

Even on the days where you insisted you didn’t deserve his thoughtfulness, Kento always showed up and showed out for you and the girls.

You sat back against your headboard, doing a small internal wellness check. You felt… you felt… “I’m doing better today.”

His hazel eyes simply narrow at your lie. It’s like he can smell when you’re being dishonest with him. “Why bother lying to me? You know I’ll get to the truth eventually.”

You sigh because you know he’s right. Then, you slump into your bed because you hate the look of disappointment on his face.

Kento had been the first person to truly believe in Divine Restriction. Your group had gained a little bit of traction on YouTube, but Kento knew that you and the girls had what it took to raise to stardom.

You had been on the cusp of something great when the voice started.

You’re not good enough.

Your time is fleeting.

This career never lasts long.

You’ll either live until you’re washed out or die tragically young.

You won’t be remembered.

Come home.

You were able to ignore it for a while. The skyrocketing numbers blinded you momentarily from the self-destructing thoughts. Also, you were in a new blossoming relationship. Things were great. Sure, you had a little bit of self doubt, who didn’t in this industry?

But when the numbers stopped dramatically rising and your relationship went stale, the voice grew stronger. It started out as panic attacks during practice, but it quickly grew into a suffocating phobia of being on stage. No matter what you told yourself, you still believed that everyone could see each of your flaws. It was if the adoring gaze of your fans soured into judgmental stares.

It didn’t help when your now ex-boyfriend left you completely to your own devices.

Then, it was the isolation. There were plenty of over analyzed texts on your phone left unanswered. Your girls, Shoko and Utahime, tried to reach out and break through, but your own insecurity kept them at arm’s length.

It didn’t matter that millions of people knew your name. You had never felt more alone in your life.

“Have you been doomscrolling again?” Kento asked, breaking your train of thought as he grabbed your phone from your side. You had. You couldn’t help yourself but to keep looking at comments. Your fans had plenty of hypotheses on where Divine Restriction went and what had really happened.

He took your phone across the room and plugged it up away from your bed. “You need to stop punishing yourself. When’s the last time you’ve eaten a real meal?”

Your eyes slowly shifted towards your bedside table. It was currently overfilled with half-empty water bottles and snack wrappers. “Ah, it hasn’t been too long…”

“If you can’t give me an exact time, then it has been too long.” He shook his head, unimpressed. “I’m going to go cook something for us, okay? In that time, can you try to get up and get dressed?”

You took a deep breath, releasing it through your nose. The feeling of being a disappointment weighed heavily on your chest, pinning you down to the bed. You were a grown woman, but your manager had to take care of you? This wasn’t even his job.

“I’m fine-“ Your voice cracked as you bit back unwanted tears.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured smoothly, walking back to take a seat on your bed. His big strong arms enveloped you in the safest of hugs.

He doesn’t like you.

He thinks you’re a burden. A mess.

He can’t love you like I can.

Your body trembled in his hug, trying to keep from sobbing in his chest. The voice was right. You were a mess, and Kento probably just felt obligated to clean you up.

“It’s okay to not be okay. You’re still worthy of clean clothes and nice hot food.” It was as if his voice worked to soothe you until it slammed against that brick wall in your head. The brick wall that kept you from letting anyone in.

You let yourself feel the intense emotions for a bit longer, taking solace in Kento's arms as he shushed you lightly. Finally, you found the strength to pull back and take a deep, shaky breath.

"Okay, I'll go shower," you mumbled. Nanami nodded his head, and his palm caressed your hair once more. His nerves itched with the implicit need to lean forward and press a kiss to the top of your head, but he held back. He figured you didn't need the burden of his affections on top of everything else.

He slowly got up from your bed, and he walked towards the door. "Call out if you need anything. I'll be in the kitchen."

Your body felt like it was on autopilot as you grabbed a simple outfit from your walk-in closet that was stuffed full to the brim of clothes and old costumes from tours, concerts, and meet and greets.

You used to wish on falling stars for this life, but now, you were nothing but a falling star.

Grabbing your phone off the charger, you clicked on your favorite music app to turn on an upbeat playlist while you showered. It was hard to feel helpless when your music drowned out all of your thoughts and emotions.

Mix curated from new uprising J-Pop group: JUJUTSU!

Dread settled into your stomach like a block of cement. You know that you had no right to feel jealous. Only you could be to blame for your recent group's downfall. Divine Restriction was on the very edge of being legendary, but your faulty brain simply couldn't take the spotlight.

You took a deep breath as you turned on the only single JUJUTSU! had released: Infinity.

The opening guitar riff caught you by surprise. This clearly wasn't your average run of the mill J-Pop group. Your hands tremored as you reached over and turned the nob of your shower, letting the water pelt down so Nanami wouldn't suspect you of doom scrolling in the bathroom.

You unsuccessfully tried to control the pounding in your chest, but the deep rugged voice continually found its way in.

Your fans have found another.

You were never really special.

Replaceable, but not to me.

Counting backwards from ten, listing off the things you could see, touch, and hear, visualizing a happy place... None of your coping skills were helping. To make matters worse, you instantly recognized the lead vocalist's voice as soon as his melodic hum drifted from your phone's speakers.

Your breath staggered in your throat. Tears of dejection pooled in your eyes. You grabbed the countertop as your body was having a visceral reaction to the sound of your ex-boyfriend's voice.

It was as if you were teleported back to the day he coldly left you behind.

"I'm sorry, sweets. You're just... existing rather than living. I need someone who's lively and passionate, and to be honest, I don't even think you like me that much." His crystalline blue eyes looked down at you as he shrugged nonchalantly... like he wasn't ending the only reason you looked forward to each day.

You merely stared up at him, hoping your tears could convey your emotions for you. How were you supposed to be lively and passionate when getting up felt like a chore? Satoru had been your one escape from the cruel cards you were dealt, but you couldn't even keep him around.

The silence between you two grew bitter. In his eyes, you didn't care enough to fight for him. You had tears, sure, but everything else within you was completely apathetic. In your eyes, he didn't care enough to stay.

He left you there on the sidewalk in front of the studio. The news of your breakup only added onto the theories for why Divine Restriction was on hiatus.

The lyrics faded out in your ears, replaced by a continuous buzzing sound. Your eyes were suddenly sore, and the light in the bathroom was too bright. It was too much. Everything was too much.

It wasn’t enough for Satoru to break your heart and kick you while you were down. Now, he wanted to steal your dream to?

You couldn't ignore the voice any longer. Its owner demanded your attention, and you needed a solid place to land.

As if your body moved without your mind telling it to, you found yourself with the small cuticle scissors in your hand. It was the only way you knew he would collect you without making you beg.

The pain didn't even have time to register before you were pulled into the underworld. You landed on your knees before a dais made of shadows. In an oversized throne compiled of bones, the owner of your impenetrable voice sat with his leg crossed over one another. His jaw sat on his knuckles as his hand propped up his face. In his auburn eyes, he had a small glimmer of amusement, but his lips were sneered.

"Don't you know that your pain belongs to me and me alone, little songbird?"

You stared at your own reflection in the full-length mirror, the dress you wore was riding a little too high, showing more skin than you usually did.

The fresh polished black nails matching with the inky colour of the dress, a few bracelets and nice earrings made the whole outfit even better.

“Girl, you look amazing.” Your best friend, Yunjin, commented as she wore a matching dress with yours, just in white.

“You look stunning as well.” You complimented her back, blowing her a kiss.

“So, what’s tonight’s plan?” She asked, putting some lipstick on. You sat down on her bed, stretching your limbs “Mh.. Find a nice guy to make out with?”

Yunjin hummed “Thought you were in a situationship with Heeseung?” She asked, mentioning the guy who hosted the party.

“I just needed someone to get us to a nice party.” You smirked cunningly, “You’re truly a bad bitch.”

You shrugged “You need to be smart to live in this world.”

Yunjin popped her lips and turned around, throwing the lipstick at you so you could apply it as well “Yeah, but be careful.”

You raised a brow “Of?”

“The games you play,” She stated, sitting beside you to put her heels on “They are going to backfire on you, someday.”

You just scowled at her, cause why on earth would the Y/N get hurt by a boy? That wasn’t going to happen.

“Jesus..” Yunjin’s eyes widened as she took in the house of the party. It was huge, probably bigger than both your houses combined, the amount of people inside was shocking, all drunken teenagers trying to take a break from the boring world.

“We don’t really belong in this side of the city.” Yunjin nudged your shoulder, “They’re all rich kids here.”

“So?” You entered the house, swaying your hips, already putting your charm to use “Nobody will know.” You winked at her.

The whole house was packed with people, some already drunk and stumbling around. You and Yunjin stayed together, knowing better than accepting drinks from strangers.

You went to the kitchen and stole one cup of punch, the bitter liquid burning your throat— Someone must’ve put more alcohol than it was supposed to.

A few drinks later, your ginger-headed friend was already starting to get out of her comfort zone and she dragged you to the dance floor.

You moved to the sound of the music, your eyes occasionally scanning the room to search for an attractive someone.

As you danced with Yunjin, your gaze fell on one particular guy leaning against the wall, his aura so attractive. He met your stare and didn’t even hide the way his eyes scanned your body, lingering a little longer on your curves.

There it was, your potential interest of the night.

Though, like you had learned with age, you needed to act as if you didn’t care to get boys to care enough. So, you just kept staying by Yunjin’s side, dancing with her and moving sensually, the alcohol in your system making you bolder than usual.

𓆩♡𓆪

You had noticed the way he was eyeing you, occasionally licking his lips or biting his bottom lip. His stare was hungry, so lustful— And you liked it. You enjoyed such attention, so you did your best to maintain them.

Occasionally swaying your hips a little too close to someone else, holding eye contact just to look away before he could. Needless to say, he was as shameless as you, giving you that stare that spoke volumes about how much he craved you.

So, you decided to give him one last, long stare as you smirked before detaching yourself from your best friend and walking upstairs to the bathroom.

You opened the door and loudly closed it behind your back.

Five, four, three— You miscalculated his eagerness because in just three seconds the door already opened behind you.

You saw his reflection from the mirror, his body towering over you, like a dark aura. You smirked “What are you doing, following a lady to the bathroom?”

His lips curved into a small, cunning smirk as well “Don’t act like you didn’t want me to.” His voice was so husky, a heavy australian accent lingering on his tongue, as sweet as honey.

You turned around, the small of your back resting on the countertop, near the faucet. You tilted your head, giving him a fake innocent smile “What’s your name?”

“Jake,” He then asked “What’s yours?”

“Y/N.” You answered. “Well, Y/N.” Jake nodded and stepped closer to you, slowly. He placed both his arms on each side of you. You could feel his warm breath hitting your face “Looks like I’ve got you all for myself.”

You chuckled, a dangerous one “Are you sure it ain’t the other way around?”

Jake raised a brow at your statement, a laugh escaping his lips. So joyful and intoxicating “Maybe it is.”

His finger started caressing your skin, barely touching it, just enough to leave you wanting more “What do you want from someone like me?” He asked, his dark eyes meeting yours “I’m a bad bet, Y/N.”

And lord, if you didn’t love the way your name rolled off his tongue, with the voice of an angel but devil intention.

“I’m not exactly good either.” You stated, your arms wrapping around his neck, your lips so close.

“No?” Jake raised a brow, his big hands settling on your waist, “No.” You stated and brought your lips on his.

He let out a surprised growl and kissed you back right away, so hungry and desperate, like he needed that to release some sort of built stress.

Jake lifted you up, your bare thighs landing on the cold porcelain sink, but you didn’t have time to hitch your breath since his tongue swirled inside your mouth, tasting all of you.

“I’ll ask again,” He murmured on your lips “What do you want from me?”

You caressed the back of his neck, your palm tracing over the little hair he had there. “What do you want from me?” You asked back.

He gently bit your bottom lip, letting a moan escape from you “Hear those pretty sounds.” He answered.

You wrapped your legs around his waist and moved against him, basically jumping him. He let out another deep groan, his lips claiming yours once more.

His whiskey-flavoured tongue licked your lips, one of his hands groping your breasts through the thin fabric of your dress— You had to admit he was rather skilled.

Jake knew where to touch and when to touch, he knew how to drive you insane, leaving your body burning in desire.

Your hands blindly went to undo his buttons, clumsily snatching his shirt open. You let your palms wander on his sculpted figure as his own fingers found your panties.

“Jake,” You breathed out, rocking your hips on his fingers “So eager.” He tsked, letting you grind his hand

But as soon as he was about to pull your underwear to the side, loud knocks were heard from outside.

“Open up!” A male voice said, sounding desperate.

“Fuck off!” You answered, frustratedly letting your head rest on the mirror at your back.

“I need to puke,” The guy outside knocked some more, harshly “Open the damn door.”

Jake cursed under his breath and let go of you, walking to the door before turning around again. He helped you down the counter and winked “Need to help a lady out.”

He then opened the door and the drunk guy threw himself in, reaching the wc. You didn’t want to witness whatever was going to come out of him so you quickly stepped outside.

“What a way to cockblock me.” Jake scoffed and you laughed, patting his shoulder “That’s a shame.”

You started to walk away when Jake hurried after you and took your hand “Where are you going?”

You frowned “Downstairs?” As if it was the most obvious answer.

“So, you’re going to act like I didn’t just stick my tongue in your mouth?” Jake scoffed

“I thought you just wanted a hook up?” You said, titling your head “And I ain’t going to have sex in some stranger’s bedroom, that’s nasty.”

Jake chuckled “But the bathroom is alright?” You shrugged “Better than dirty sheets.”

He then shook his head, the charming smile still on his lips “No, I don’t want just sex.” He pulled you closer by your head, brushing your hair to the side “I can settle with making out.”

You bit your bottom lip and fisted the collar of his shirt, “Bring it on.”

𓆩♡𓆪

A lot more kisses later, you and Jake sat on the grass of the backyard garden. The cold breeze hit your bare skin but even with your thin dress you weren’t bothered one bit, the alcohol in your system serving as a heater.

Your shoulders brushed against each other while you both sipped on two cans of beers— At which number you were, you weren't really sure.

“You go to a private school?” You asked as you were having a small chat with him. You two had been attached to the hip bone the whole night, getting to know the other.

You found out his family was originally from Australia, which explained the heavy accent— and that he was painfully rich.

“Yup,” He answered, popping the ‘p’ “With a uniform.” You grimaced “Don’t tell me you ever wear a blazer.”

The silence following your question made you widen your eyes “No fucking way.”

“Yes fucking way.” Jake chuckled, leaning back on his hands “It’s so ugly, I don’t look as attractive with that on.”

You laughed, “I’d like to see you.” Jake beamed back at you “Maybe one day.”

You got closer to him and whispered “Is your toilet paper made from fifty dollar bills?” At that, Jake let out a heartfelt laugh “I hope you’re not serious.”

“I’m joking.” You waved your hand, taking a sip from the can.

“What about you?” He beckoned at you, “You go to the public school? The one with the weird kids?”

“At least I don’t have blazers.” You gave him a sheepish smirk “And yes— When I go, it’s not like I attend it a lot.”

Faint music was heard from afar, but the only sound you could concentrate on was the giggle of the guy sitting next to you. His dishevelled state did little to hide the handsomeness of his face.

"You really don't give a single shit about the world?" Jake asked, shaking his head as if he could not believe you.

You just shrugged "Life's too short to give a shit." You took a sip from the can of beer "Besides, I'm still a teen only for." You counted mentally "Like, two years, why should I care about anything now? Better partying."

Jake laughed once again, perhaps the alcohol in his system making him feel better about the meeting he had to attend the next day— Shoot, he had completely forgotten about it.

The moonlight shone on your figure, making your skin seem brighter, your hair softer. Jake stared at you like you were a piece of art at a museum, to be worshipped.

His eyes fell on your small dress, a smirk spread on his face; despite knowing you for not over three hours, he felt a deep connection to you, like you could get him.

"Want to go on a date tomorrow?"

Your browns knitted "Wo, wo, wo." You said, placing your hand between the two of you, "Aren't you running a little?"

Jake licked his bottom lip, chuckling "Nothing serious, I just need you to fake being my girlfriend."

At such a statement, your brow raised "Why?" You asked and he stole the can from your hand, taking a sip as well.

You watched as he chugged down the liquid, his Adam apple in plain sight, making you feel a little light headed. He sighed and cleaned his mouth with his sleeve "You're reckless, a free spirit and you look like you smoke weed in your free time."

"Well damn, you got me." You joked, snatching the can from his hands, "You're everything my parents wouldn't like."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" You laughed and Jake got closer to your ear. "Oh darling, you bet it is."

You gulped, a shiver running through your spine "So, you just need me to meet you again tomorrow and be your fake girlfriend?" Jake nodded, "At least my acting classes won't go to waste."

Jake chuckled and nodded, caressing your thigh, his thumb brushing against your sensitive flesh "So... Will you help me anger my parents?"

You had no business accepting a drunken offer from the hot guy you made out with at a frat party, getting involved in his family matters and even fake dating him— But what could you do? You loved challenges.

"Deal."

Jake raised a brow “Really? You’d do that?” You just shrugged in response “Not like I have anything better to do.”

“That’s great,” Jake beamed, “And are you planning on going to school tomorrow?”

You raised a brow “Why?” Jake answered, “I’ll come pick you up.”

“You don’t even know what school I attend.” Jake smirked and stole your can again “Guess you’ll have to give me your number to text me the address and your schedules.”

You rolled your eyes “Just say it you want an excuse to fuck in the back of your car.”

“You don’t consider that nasty?” He raised a brow, recalling your previous comment, “Depends, if you can make me forget it with your skills.”

“Want to find out?”

𓆩♡𓆪

“You’re kidding.” Yunjin’s mouth fell agape as she took in the sight of the crimson sport car parked outside your school. You smirked knowingly as Jake waved his hand to you.

“I ain’t, baby.” You raised your brows to her, showing off. Yunjin patted your shoulder “I take back all the bad things I told you when you left me alone— I would’ve done it too.”

You laughed quietly, and was about to step further when your best friend stopped you, taking your hand. You turned around “What?”

“Are you sure you want to go?” She eyed Jake warily, scanning him, “Do you trust him?”

You let go of her hand and gave her a gentle smile “Weird, but I do.” You stated

“You were pretty drunk last night..” She trailed off “Not as much as you, I know what I did and I can tell you, he’s not dangerous.”

She looked at you a little reluctantly before nodding “Okay… Just be careful.”

You blew her a kiss and waved “Call ya later.” And then walked toward Jake. You laughed as you saw his uniform “Not the blazer.”

Jake opened his arms as if to show you his school uniform better “I promised to let you see it.”

You eyed him and then looked at the car, “What a show off.” Jake shrugged “What can I say? I wanted your friends to talk well about you.”

You rolled your eyes at his comments. Jake opened the car door and motioned you to enter it “After you.”

Jake followed right behind and got the car going, “You haven’t told me where we’re going since I need to meet your parents at dinner.”

“To buy a pretty dress for a pretty girl.” He answered, placing one hand on your thigh. The skirt you were wearing exposed your bare flesh — not as much as the day before — and the contact of his cold palm made you shiver.

“You don’t look that bad with the blazer.” You commented, settling yourself better inside the car. It was spacious, the seats were beige leather, and it felt as if the whole car had cost more than any expense you had made in your life.

“No?” He asked, the same sweet tone of the previous day returning, “No.” You stated.

“Why do I need a new dress?” You asked, “I think I have a few in my wardrobe.”

Jake chuckled “Oh, Y/N.” He shook his head, “The restaurant where we’ll have dinner is very… fancy,” He informed you, “And you’ll need a fancy dress.”

You crossed your arms on your chest “So, you just assumed I don’t own one?”

“Do you?” You answered, “No, but it’s rude that you just assumed I don’t have one just cause I’m not as rich as you.”

“That’s not what I meant.“ Jake sighed “I didn’t—“ He tried to explain but you had already looked out of the window, your mood ruined.

Silence fell in the car until Jake parked in the parking lot of the mall. You were about to exit it when you heard a ‘click’. You turned around and raised a brow “Why did you lock it?”

“So you’d listen,” His whole body was turned to face you “I did not assume a single shit, alright?”

You rolled your eyes, not wanting to hear him “Don’t bullshit me.”

“I’m not.” He stated, his stare so serious “I honestly don’t even care if you’re not rich, but I care the stares people will give you if you come wearing something normal.”

“I don’t care about them.” You frowned “Believe me, you will.” He seemed bothered by something. “They’re just… so mean, and I don’t want you to become their victim.”

You tilted your head to the side “But I need to piss them off.”

“My parents,” Jake said, “Not the people in the restaurant.”

You stayed silent a few seconds before nodding “Okay, I’ll let you buy it.”

Jake smirked, “Good girl.”

𓆩♡𓆪

You got inside a shop you had never even dared walk in front of, it smelled like a fairytale and all the assistants wore suits or elegant dresses. They all had the same forced smile and no matter how harsh a client was treating you— The assistant was always wrong.

You bit down your tongue to prevent yourself from commenting on one particular demanding lady who kept shouting at a poor guy who was obviously new and inexperienced and followed Jake into trying a few dresses on.

“Why is this so tight?” You commented, stepping out of the dressing room for what felt like the nth time.

“It’s supposed to be,” Jake said, glancing at you up and down, not even bothering to hide his hungry stare from the worker that was assisting you.

“But I can’t breathe.” You hissed, trying to move in that white dress “Maybe I should change the size?” The assistant suggested but Jake just dismissed him with his hand “No, try the other one.”

You rolled your eyes “Just another one, and then we’re going away.”

Jake raised a brow but then agreed “Fine…” He scanned the dressing room which was packed with so many dresses it looked like a princess’ wardrobe “Try the burgundy one.”

You let out a deep breath and went back into the cabin, fighting to get out of that tiny dress. You stood in your underwear, glancing at the burgundy dress that Jake suggested you wore.

It was fancy and elegant, sleeveless and short, but not too much. You had to admit it was the best one you’d seen so far, so you quickly changed into it.

“Here.” Jake said as he entered the dressing room, closing the curtain so no one could peek.

He helped you zip it up, maintaining eye contact with you from the reflection in the mirror. It felt like a dejavu of the previous night, his gaze so primal and dark.

He fixed your hair back and nodded “You look stunning, ma chérie.”

You widened your eyes at the nickname, Jake lowered to the height of your ear and whispered “Don’t you like it? We need to start acting as a couple if we want to be convincing.”

You turned around “I like it very much, baby.” You added the pet name with a smirk, making Jake chuckle.

His gaze fell on the curves of your body, the dress seeming as if it was perfectly made for you, “Damn Y/N.” He let out a deep groan “You are perfect.”

“Enough with the compliments or I might start to believe it.” Jake ran his fingers on each side of your waist. “You already do.”

You smirked, loving the way he already knew you well “Yeah, I already do.”

Suddenly, he pushed you so your back was pressed against the mirror, making you gasp. He put one hand in front of your mouth “Shh.” He demanded and you nodded.

Jake slowly sank to his knees, his palms grazing the bare flesh near your thighs. The contact made you shiver as you watched with knowing eyes what he was doing.

He slowly hooked the fabric of the dress up, so it rode just above your waistline “Jake..”

“Mh?” He hummed, his nose between your thighs as he smelled your sweet scent “What, love?”

You let out a shaky breath, “Is this some sort of pay back?” Jake chuckled quietly “You could say that.”

He hooked his fingers on the waistband of your panties and dropped them to your ankles, the air of the room hitting your bare core, making you hum.

“Can I taste you?” He asked and you nodded frantically, butterflies filling your stomach as the filthy thoughts of his following actions clouded your mind.

That eager consent was all it took him to lick a long stripe from your clit, tasting your juices. You gasped out and quickly placed a hand to muffle your sounds, not wanting the poor workers to hear the corrupted things you two had going on.

He gave kitten licks to your sensitive clit, teasing your wet folds with his free hand. Your own hand went to grasp his hair, pulling him closer to you, “Hurry.” You whined.

“Yes, ma’am.” He said before attaching his lips to your pussy, sucking on your clitorids. You let out quiet moans, still muffled by the hand you were biting, clearly some marks would appear later.

You pulled his hair and Jake stuck out his tongue, his doe eyes looking up at you. You took the hint and started grinding his tongue, the spongy texture sending waves of pleasure through your whole body.

“Oh yes,” He incited you, “Fuck my tongue, baby.” You gave up on trying to stay quiet and grasped his hair with your other hand as well, not like the filthy sounds coming from him eating you out could be blocked out.

Jake inserted two fingers inside of you, the sudden intrusion causing your body to jolt, if it wasn’t for his strong grip keeping you still you would’ve fallen over him.

Jake took one of your legs and hooked it over his shoulder, your whole pussy stretched all for him as he rubbed your sensitive bud with his tongue.

He started thrusting his digits, speeding his movements to match his tongue and damn, it felt heavenly.

“Jake—“ You gasped out, your moans loud enough for the whole shop to hear “Shh.” He shushed you, pinching your inner thigh.

You let out a soft whimper and chewed on your bottom lip to prevent yourself from moaning. Jake’s movements along with the pornographic scene unfolding in front of you was what took you to the edge, falling apart on his tongue with a loud gasp.

Your body quivered and Jake helped you riding out of your high. He detached his lips from your pussy, a string of saliva keeping them connected. Spit and your juices coated his chin as he got back on his feet, cleaning his face with the sleeve of his suit. “That was amazing.”

You smacked his shoulder lightly, still panting “You’re crazy— They heard us.”

Jake pulled you into a heated kiss, his dirty fingers wrapping around your throat, not adding any pressure, but enough to keep you still.

He rubbed his hard bulge on your stomach, needing to ease the aching feeling coming from it “Don’t act like you didn’t like it.”

You eyed him as he pulled away, your stare falling down to the evident hard on he had. You felt a little pitiful. “Let me help you.”

You were about to get on your knees when Jake stopped you, a warm smile on his face “No, don’t.”

You tilted your head in confusion “Why? You clearly need to fix it.”

Jake hummed “And I’ll do it in the bathroom, because if you want to help me, I wouldn't use your throat, baby.” His fingers traced the outline of your jaw “And I’m sure you don’t want it here.”

𓆩♡𓆪

As Jake helped you get ready and drove to the destination of the mission, you started to believe that was some kind of mockery.

The houses in your neighbourhood were half of the ones in Jake’s, all of them had at least one swimming pool and useless expensive cars.

You scoffed as you drove past them, making Jake smile. He put his hand on your thigh and caressed it “Let’s review what we said.”

You rolled your eyes “Act like a couple and make your parents believe it, just be me and use my sharp tongue to piss them off, possibly have sex later.”

Jake raised his brows in surprise “I didn’t know about the last point.”

You smiled proudly, “I just added it.” You took the hand he had on your thigh and slowly accompanied it higher, almost near your dangerous zone “Like it?”

“I’m driving, Y/N.” He scolded with the same deep voice he used to flirt. Damn, if it didn’t turn you on “And I ain’t doing anything.”

Jake placed his hand a little further “There won’t be any sex if we die in a car crash.” You crossed your arms on your chest “You’re so dramatic.”

He just let out a small chuckle and you two continued the drive in a comfortable silence. As soon as he reached the location, he killed the engine and got out of the car, reaching your side and opening the door for you “After you, ma chérie.”

You shook your head at his pet name and took his hand, walking out the door “These heels are killing my feet.” You complained, stumbling a little.

Jake wrapped one arm around your waist, supporting you. He leaned down to whisper in your ear “You look amazing.”

You shivered at his deep voice, his breath hitting your sensitive skin. “You look like someone I want to give head to.”

Jake let out another deep chuckle and you both made your way toward the fancy restaurant.

He stopped you before you could put foot in it, spinning you around so you were facing him. You tilted your head in a puzzled way, “What?”

He let out a small sigh “Promise me you won’t take anything they say by heart.” You stayed still for a moment before bursting out, laughing “Are you actually worried?”

Jake clicked his tongue “I’m serious Y/N. Whatever they say, don’t mind it.”

You just shrugged “I don’t even care what they say,” You wrapped your arms around his neck, mumbling on his lips “I’m here to help you, you don’t worry about me.”

His grip on your waist tightened, just a little “I just feel like I dragged you here… You were drunk when I asked and—“ Before he could even finish his sentence, you shushed him with your lips on his, licking his bottom lip.

Despite the sudden action, Jake kissed you back, one hand holding your scalp so he could deepen it.

However, you were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. You both pulled away and Jake widened his eyes “Father.”

You gulped down, noting the way his father didn’t even resemble him at all. Jake wasn't tall, but that man towered him by a lot. Jake’s features were soft, his eyes warm as a hot chocolate in winter— while his father’s were sharp, cold as ice.

He took hold of your hand, Mister Sim’s dark gaze falling onto your intertwined hands. “You’re late.” He just stated, monotone.

“Traffic.” Jake answered back in a voice you’ve never heard before— uncomfortable even.

“Seems like you were busy with something else.” His father’s gaze fell onto you, probably trying to intimidate you. You just raised a challenging brow in response.

“Your mother and I have been waiting for you. Hurry.” Mister Sim turned around and walked ahead of you. Before following him, you squeezed Jake’s hand and gave him a warm smile “Mission start.”

The whole restaurant screamed rich, with all those big chandeliers, candles and even a piano in the middle of the room, where a pianist was playing some classical music you had never even heard before.

As you arrived at the designed table, Mister Sim sat down beside his wife. Your eyes fell on the petite woman, looking like the copy-paste of her son.

“Mother.” Jake greeted, bowing slightly out of respect. You did the same, flashing a fake smile “Pleasure to meet you.” Miss Sim just nodded, beckoning you to sit down.

After ordering some food, Jake’s parents started questioning him while your gaze went to the table, noticing the amount of forks on it.

“Useless.” You commented a little too loud, because his father asked “Pardon?”

You raised your gaze to meet his “What do you need so many forks for? Just use one.” You raised one from the table, making him see

Jake chokes down a laugh, earning a warning stare from his mother “You’ve never been to a fancy restaurant, dear?”

You just shrugged, placing the fork down “Not my go to. I prefer some nice burgers, cheaper.”

Jake’s mother made a shocked, almost offended expression “You’ll get fat if you eat such rubbish.”

“So? Fat but happy.” You commented, patting at your stomach. Miss Sim eyed you as if you had just personally offended her.

Fortunately, the waiter interrupted you as he served the plates. In front of you there was a steak (something you couldn’t usually afford), but that same steak was the size of a nut. Literally, it was so tiny.

Jake noticed your expression and leaned down to whisper “We’ll buy a burger later.” You smiled and whispered back “I’d rather you eating me.”

“Whispering at the table is rude.” His mother commented, cutting a small piece of the already small steak.

“What was your name again, dear?” You mentally prepared yourself to be as rude as possible and answered “Y/N.”

“Right, Y/N.” Miss Sim nodded as if she had known your name before, which you knew she hadn’t “How old are you?”

“Just turned eighteen, Ma’am.” You said, placing down the fork “Oh, so you’re the same age as my son.” She flashed you a fake smile, looking like one of those dogs that seem so sweet but bite as soon as you try to pet them.

“I’ve always told Jake to date older girls, you know, they’re… wiser.” You raised a brow “So, you’re saying I’m dumb just because I ain’t older than him?”

Jake’s mother widened her eyes, “Not at all.” You gave her a fake smile “I was just joking.”

She laughed as well. “Of course, you have such a playful personality.”

“Too playful.” Mister Sim commented, clearing his throat “And where do you live? Your parents, what do they do for a living?”

You replied with your neighbourhood and your parents' jobs, earning some concerning stares from the two adults at the table, who were as mature as a two-year-old.

“We will have to start thinking about marriage, Jake will inherit our company.” Jake sighed, “Mother..” Miss Sim started, cleaning the corner of her mouth with the tissue “Do you want to get married? And kids?”

His father then added “Are you two sexually active?”

At such words, Jake fisted his hand under the table. You noticed and put one of your hands on his.

“Why—“ Before he could say something, you talked over “What does that even matter?” You asked, raising a brow.

“That’s my life, if I wanted to get married or have kids, that’s my choice to make. And that counts for Jake as well.” You frowned. Jake took your hand in his and squeezed it to give you support.

“You are two stereotyped jerks, and I’m being nice.” You earned a scoff from Mister Sim “How dare—“

“No, I’m the one talking now.” You snapped, “I’ve been sitting here for one hour, hearing all your bullshit. You rich people disgust me.”

You got up, receiving all the attention of the people in the restaurant, “You’re so stereotyped, you only care about money, get a fucking grip.”

Mister Sim’s eyes widened at your sudden outburst “Don’t you use such ugly words.”

“I do what I want, and I say this dinner is done.” You turned around, but Jake stayed put.

“You choose her?” Miss Sim asked with her best victim voice, ready to guilt trip her own son.

Jake had stayed silent the whole time, watching the scene unfold in front of his eyes. He gulped down, slowly raising his eyes to meet his parents’ “I don’t choose anyone, mother, because I am not ungrateful to turn my back to you.” He said, a sparkle of pride in your chest, “I agree with all she said, though.”

Jake smirked, “Yes, I’m a disgrace, but I don’t give a single shit about it.”

Said that, he took your hand again and dragged you outside.

As soon as you were out, you both stared at each other before bursting into a big and heartfelt laugh “Did I overdo it?” You asked and Jake shook his head “You did a great job.”

He drove you to your neighbourhood, the difference between the place you had just been and the restaurants in your side of the town was huge. It almost made you feel a shame, but then again why would you even need to be? That was your life and you loved it.

After having some burgers to your favourite street food place, making Jake taste your most treasured guilty pleasure, he parked the car in a nearby parking and helped you get out, holding your heels in his hand since you took them off, being too uncomfortable for your used-to-converse feet.

He walked you until your house, stopping as you reached its front. “I should go inside.”

Jake nodded and handed you the heels, “Seriously Y/N. Thank you so much.” He said sincerely, “I don’t even know why you agreed to this, but you said all the things I was too afraid to say.”

He brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, then caressing your cheek with his thumb “And you keep this dress. Maybe you’ll need it someday.”

“It costs more than my house.” You commented, making Jake chuckle “But it looks great on you.”

“So… no crazy sex in the car?” You asked and he shook his head “Isn’t that nasty?” He teased you.

“Hey,” You said, faking being offended. “Said the one who wears a blazer to school.”

“Oh.” He raised his hands in surrender. “You win.”

Jake took a hold of your waist and dragged you toward him, pressing his lips onto yours. The kiss was slow, much deeper than a normal goodbye one. It held so many emotions and care, you almost melted right there.

He then pulled away, licking his lips as if to take all the taste of you “Get inside, it’s getting cold.”

You looked up at him, your eyes sparkling “I’ll see you again?”

“Of course, ma chérie.” He smiled, kissing the corner of your lip “I still have to show you my bed skills.”

You chuckled and pushed his chest playfully “I’m much better than you.”

“Can’t know until you show me.” He winked and watched as you headed inside, his smile never leaving his face.

And neither did yours leave, for once you felt the happiest girl in the world, kicking your feet under the blanket and dreaming of the sensation his kisses brought you.

However, you should’ve listened to Yunjin’s warning about you getting yourself hurt in the end, because the next Saturday, when your eyes met Jake’s again at Heeseung’s new party and you smiled ever so sweetly at him— his stare diverted, smiling at another pretty girl, too pretty for your own likings.

Your laughter echoes, spinning up into the open air as wind tugs your hair back like invisible fingers playing with you. The breeze is warm and salted, thick with the scent of seafoam and sunscreen, and your heart beats a little too fast in your chest, somewhere between thrill and affection, between trust and the unknown.

“Where are we going?” you ask for the third time, not bothering to hide the grin in your voice. Your feet pound against the wooden planks of the upper deck, and Jungwon’s grip tightens just slightly, like a boy holding something precious he doesn’t want to lose to the tide.

“Be patient,” he says, breathless and full of delight. “You’re almost there.” You don’t know what’s waiting for you beyond the veil of this blindfold, but you can feel it coming, the way the air shifts, the way his hand slows, the way the world hushes around you. The laughter fades into a softer kind of silence, a reverent quiet, broken only by the hush of waves against the hull and the faint music of the ship drifting from far below, muffled and dreamy.

Then, suddenly, you stop. His body halts in front of you, and you sway, stumbling forward just slightly until your hands land on his chest. His heartbeat is there beneath your palms, steady and strong, a familiar rhythm you’ve grown to know over moonlit walks and shared glances at breakfast and long afternoons by the pool when you swore you weren’t staring but absolutely were. Jungwon lets go of your hand only to gather both of them in his, gently enclosing your fingers like they’re something sacred. His thumbs brush soft circles into your skin. You can feel the warmth of him radiating in the space between you.

“Okay,” he whispers. “Are you ready?”

Your voice is barely a breath. “Yes.” But instead of lifting the blindfold, he leans in, with his lips. A feather. A secret. A kiss so gentle it barely registers, like it might disappear if you dared to open your mouth and speak it into reality. You feel the softest press against your lips, a warmth that blooms like fire in your chest, and you laugh into it without meaning, to shy, giddy, glowing. He laughs too, and there’s something about the sound, so boyish, so full of joy, that makes your heart thrum with something that might be love, if you let it. He lifts the blindfold and light floods your eyes, but not from the sun. From candles.

There are hundreds of them. Laid out like stars scattered across the deck, each flickering flame cupped in a tiny glass jar, glowing amber in the soft night air. A blanket stretches out across the floor, thick and cozy, patterned with sunflowers and ocean blue. There’s a tray in the middle, glinting silver and filled with delicate snacks, grapes and strawberries and bits of chocolate stacked in spirals like a painting. Nearby, a chilled bottle of champagne rests in an ice bucket, the bubbles catching moonlight in a fluted glass.

And above it all, the sky. It’s opened itself to you, spilling constellations like confessions, impossibly wide and velvet dark. The stars are brighter here, freer. Maybe because there’s no city to cage them. Maybe because the ship is floating between worlds. You gasp. Your hands fly to your mouth, and you just stand there, overwhelmed.

“Jungwon,” you breathe. His name is barely a sound, more like the hush of tide against shore. “It’s… this is…” He smiles, soft and radiant, the way he always does when he’s proud of something but too humble to say it.

“I wanted to give you something before it ends,” he says quietly. “Before the world starts moving again.” You look at him, really look, his hair tousled by wind, eyes lit by starlight and flame, that nervous little smile on his lips like he’s hoping you’ll stay forever even though he knows you can’t. You step forward, closing the distance, and slip your fingers through his again.

“Come sit,” he says, voice low and warm. He leads you down to the blanket, his movements careful, as if you’re something delicate and treasured. You fold your legs beneath you and settle into the softness. He reaches for the champagne, pops the bottle with a quiet cheer, and pours two glasses with practiced grace.

“To the last night,” he says, offering you yours. His fingers brush yours when you take it. You clink glasses, and for a second you both just sit there, surrounded by the gentle crackle of candles, the hush of sea air, and the weight of the moment pressing into your bones like memory already forming. And then he says, a little quieter, “To you.”

You look up. “To what?” you ask, barely above a whisper.

He holds your gaze. The wind carries the scent of him across the small space between you, faint cologne and salt and something like home. “To you,” he repeats, and this time it feels like a promise.

You sit together on the blanket, legs brushing, hearts too loud for the silence between you. The candlelight flickers gently, casting a golden halo around his face, and you eat in that quiet kind of way where the weight of what isn’t being said hovers between your bites. The strawberries are sweet, the chocolate melts slow on your tongue, and the bubbles in your champagne glass catch the stars in soft gold fizz. The sea murmurs below like a lullaby you’ll never quite remember once the ship docks. The sky above holds every constellation you’ve ever whispered your dreams to. And yet, the silence between you grows thick.

Your hair dances in the wind. The night is warm and still. And then you say it. “I’m going to miss you so much.” The words fall from your lips before you can dress them up, plain and devastating in their simplicity. They hang in the air between you, raw and real, as if saying them aloud has cracked something wide open in your chest. You don’t look at him immediately. You’re afraid of how much it hurts. Of how much you mean it. But when you finally do, he’s already watching you.

This time, he’s not just smiling. He’s not teasing. There’s something solemn in the shape of his mouth, something fragile in the way he blinks. As if this moment is balancing on a wire between “almost” and “forever.”

“I love you,” he says. Just like that. So simply, it hurts. It hurts so bad. He says it like he’s been waiting all month to say it. Like he’s been holding it in every time your knees bumped under a dinner table, every time you laughed so hard you had to lean into him, every time you caught him watching you when you weren’t supposed to. You blink, stunned, not because you don’t feel it too, but because hearing it out loud makes it real.

“Jungwon,” you whisper, your voice already trembling with something too large to name. But you don’t get to finish because he leans in and kisses you, it’s soft. Slow. Reverent. He kisses you like he’s memorizing the taste of you, like he wants to bottle this moment and drink it down every day until you return. His lips are warm, tender, tasting faintly of strawberries and something sweeter, like summer and longing. Your hands find his shoulders, and you melt into him, a tear slipping silently down your cheek before you can stop it. He pulls back just enough to see your face.

When he sees the tear, his hands come up immediately, thumbs brushing your cheeks with a gentleness that makes your throat ache. “Hey,” he says softly. “Don’t cry.”

You try to laugh, but it breaks somewhere in the middle. “Too late.” His hands cradle your face now, thumbs stroking your skin as if the act might hold you here a little longer.

“We’ll get through this,” he tells you, voice low but firm. “We’ll survive university. We’ll survive long distance. I’ll call you every night. I’ll send you letters if I have to.” 

You sniff, still smiling. Still crying. “Letters? What are we, ninety?”

He grins. “Exactly. Because after all of this, we’re gonna buy a cottage in the countryside. With white curtains and a garden you’ll forget to water. And we’ll adopt a ridiculous number of dogs.”

You let out a watery laugh. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. And then I’ll marry you. Right in that garden. And we’ll have kids with your laugh and my eyes. And we’ll grow old. Really old. Wrinkled and grey and still stupidly in love.” You’re crying again. But you’re laughing too. Your heart is bursting in your chest, so full it’s spilling out of you in saltwater and breathless affection. 

“God,” you say, shaking your head. “You’re such a sap.” and you don’t know what else to say, so you kiss him, Harder this time. With everything you’ve been holding back. With all the tears you haven’t cried yet. With all the days you won’t see him and all the nights you’ll fall asleep wishing you could. You kiss him like he’s the sun setting behind your eyelids. Like he’s the promise of morning you’ll wait for. Like you love him more than you’ve ever loved anyone. Because you do. You kiss him like you’ll miss him more than you’ll ever miss anything.

The kiss lingers, warm, trembling, full of everything you’ve never said aloud. It’s a kiss that tastes like goodbye but refuses to let go, and when Jungwon tilts his head just slightly, deepening the angle, you feel the breath catch in your throat. He kisses you again, slower this time, but with more intention. His hands still cradling your face, fingertips slipping into your hair, brushing behind your ears with the kind of care that makes your chest ache. He’s holding you like you’re a piece of glass that he wants to trace every edge of, to remember you by the shape of your sighs and the softness of your mouth. You lean into him fully now, your hands sliding up his chest to his shoulders, your fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. You can feel his heartbeat, fast and real beneath your palms. It matches yours, wild and unsteady, like two waves crashing in sync.

His lips part against yours, and your breath tangles. The kiss grows fuller, deeper; not rough, not hurried, but hungry. Hungry in that quiet, reverent way lovers are when they know the clock is ticking and there’s only so much time left to touch, to taste, to remember. Your noses brush. Your mouths meet again and again, lips molding together like a song on repeat, like a prayer. You feel his tongue, tentative and warm, and you open to him with a soft whimper, your bodies drawing closer like magnets pulled by invisible string. There’s a slow rhythm between you now, a delicate push and pull that feels like dancing, like floating.

You shift in the candlelight, climbing gently into his lap, your knees on either side of his hips, and he lets out a quiet gasp as your weight settles on him. His hands fall to your waist, tentative at first, then more sure, resting against the dip of your back, pulling you flush against him as if this is the only way you’ll both survive the moment. The stars watch from above, the sea hums below, and your world shrinks to the warmth of his mouth and the press of his chest against yours.

His kisses trail, down your jaw, across the hinge of your throat, pausing where your pulse flutters wildly beneath your skin. He breathes you in there, lips ghosting over your neck as if he’s trying to taste your heartbeat, brand it to his memory. You tilt your head, letting him, your fingers sliding up into his hair, soft and wind-tousled, threaded with starlight. You tug just gently, and he groans, low and quiet, like the sound escaped without permission. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs against your skin, each word a kiss, a confession.

You smile, breathless. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.” Your foreheads touch. Your noses bump. His hands slide beneath the hem of your shirt, resting warm against the small of your back, not searching, just being. And it’s that touch, that simple press of skin to skin, that makes you tremble. Because this is what love feels like when you know it’s real. This is what it feels like when you're not trying to take from each other; but give.

You kiss him again, slow and tender, exploring the taste of him like you want to remember it in the morning when the ship docks and the sun returns. You rock forward slightly, and he sighs into your mouth, his arms wrapping tighter around you. There’s no rush. No destination. Just breath. Just lips. Just the sacred space between two people who are saying I love you with their mouths and their hands and the quiet desperation of the moment. “I wish we had more time,” you whisper, kissing the corner of his mouth, the hollow beneath his ear, the freckle on his cheek.

“We do,” he says softly, eyes shining. “We have tonight.” His hands are wandering now, sliding up beneath your shirt with a reverence that makes your chest tighten. They move slow, warm against your bare spine, fingers tracing the shape of you like a map he’s memorized but never dared to follow all the way. Until now.

You roll your hips without meaning to, and he gasps into your mouth, soft, broken. The sound makes heat bloom low in your stomach, sharp and wanting. “God,” he whispers, forehead pressed to yours. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

“I think I do,” you breathe, your smile trembling with both nerves and need. You feel him hard beneath you now, unmistakable and unashamed, and it only draws you closer, makes you ache more. You press down again, slow, deliberate and his hands grip your waist tighter, grounding himself in you, in this moment, in the fact that you’re here and real and his. Even if only for tonight.

“Are you sure?” he asks, voice hushed, wrecked with longing. “We don’t have to—”

“I want to,” you interrupt gently, your thumbs brushing his cheekbones. “I need to.” Because it’s the last night. Because you’ve fallen for him in moonlight and quiet talks and kisses that tasted like the sea. Because the thought of saying goodbye without knowing him like this, without being with him like this, feels unbearable. He searches your face for a heartbeat longer, something like wonder flickering in his eyes. And then he nods.

You peel away your layers like shedding the day, the month, the fear. Every button undone feels like a breath exhaled. Every inch of skin revealed feels like a promise kept. Jungwon watches you, breath caught in his throat, eyes drinking you in like you’re starlight poured into human form. “You’re…” he starts, but the words catch. “You’re everything.” Then he’s kissing down your neck, over your shoulder, down to the curve of your collarbone, each press of his lips more urgent, more desperate, more tender. His hands slide up your ribs, reverent, hesitant, and then sure. And when your shirt is finally gone, he just stares; for a moment, like he can’t believe you’re real. Like he can’t believe he gets to love you like this. 

You reach for him too, lifting the hem of his shirt, letting your fingertips skate over his skin, feeling the soft muscle beneath. He shivers at your touch, and you realize he’s nervous, too. That he’s never looked more beautiful than he does right now, vulnerable, breathless, yours.

Clothing is lost slowly, like petals falling from a flower. And when there’s nothing left between you but heat and want and the night air, you sink into each other on the blanket beneath the stars. His mouth finds yours again, and this time the kiss is deeper, full of something more, something sacred. His hips press against yours, the weight of him settling where you need him most. You gasp into his mouth, clutching at his shoulders, your body lighting up from the inside out.

You are the first to break the silence, your fingers trembling slightly as they trace the curve of Jungwon’s jaw, the edge of his lips. His skin is flushed, his breath unsteady. He looks at you like you hung the stars above with your bare hands. “Are you okay?” you whisper.

“I’ve never wanted anything more,” he replies, voice rough and tender all at once. There’s a pause; thick with anticipation, but not tension. Just the fragile, overwhelming weight of the moment. You’re both undressed now, your bare skin lit only by the flickering dance of candlelight. The night air ghosts over you, cool against the heat of your bodies. But Jungwon is warm everywhere, his chest against yours, his thigh nestled between yours, his hand trailing down your side, fingers painting invisible shapes into your skin.

You feel every breath he takes like it’s your own. Your noses brush. His eyes search yours one last time, silently asking for permission, and you nod. That simple motion unlocks something in both of you, something raw and infinite. He leans in to kiss you again, slower now. Like he wants to taste your every breath, your every sigh. His mouth moves against yours gently, but with a growing hunger. A need that runs deeper than lust. His hands slide up your waist, grazing the sides of your ribs, brushing under your arms until he’s cradling your face like he’s holding something holy.

“I love you,” he murmurs again, just against your lips. “I don’t want to forget a single second of this.” And then, carefully — so carefully — he begins to push forward, his hips pressing down into you, filling you slow and steady, breath by breath. You both gasp at the contact, his mouth falling open, yours parting in a sharp inhale that feels like the start of a new world. It’s overwhelming, this closeness. This heat. The stretch of it. The way your body makes room for him, like it knew him before your heart did. You clutch at his shoulders, trying to ground yourself, and he stills immediately.

“Too much?” he whispers, voice thick with restraint.

“No,” you manage, breath shaking. “Just, give me a second.” He nods, pressing the gentlest kisses into your cheek, your temple, your jaw, waiting. Breathing with you. And then, slowly, you nod again. “Okay.” Only then does he begin to move, it’s not fast or hard. It’s deep. Like he wants to reach something inside you that lives beyond touch. Like he wants to carve his name into your soul, not your skin. And you feel it — all of it. The warmth. The fullness. The way every shift of his hips pulls a gasp from your lips, a moan from his throat. He cradles your head as you arch into him, your body instinctively rising to meet his. There’s no rhythm yet, just exploration, his hand finding yours and threading your fingers together, pressing them into the blanket beside your head.

“You feel so good,” he whispers, his voice caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief. You moan softly, your legs wrapping around his waist without thinking, pulling him in deeper, closer.

“So do you,” you breathe. “You feel like… like everything.” His lips find your neck again, brushing kisses over the places that make you whimper. He moves inside you with growing confidence, still slow, still savoring, but no longer hesitating. And every movement brings more heat, more sound, more closeness. You feel your bodies learning each other, each thrust more certain, each breath more tangled. Your hips move together now, your arms wrapped around his back, your nails dragging faint lines down his spine as the pleasure builds in gentle waves.

He kisses you through it, over and over, like a man lost in worship. Like every part of you is a prayer. Your gasps mix with his soft groans, the sound of skin meeting skin drowned only by the ocean below, the candles fluttering around you like they, too, are trembling from the beauty of it all. Your body is consumed by him, you feel your orgasm rising; A deep, molten ache in your core. A tightening. A light. You gasp his name, clinging to him. “Jungwon—I’m—”

“I’ve got you,” he whispers, forehead resting against yours. “Come with me.” His rhythm stutters, then quickens, not rushed, just more there. More grounded in the moment. Your breaths become one. Your bodies move as one. you’re breaking apart beneath him, your whole body trembling, the pleasure cresting like a wave crashing against the shore. You cry out softly, eyes fluttering shut, and he kisses the sound right off your lips. He follows soon after, burying himself deep, shuddering through the release with a quiet moan of your name. His whole body tenses, then melts against you, like every piece of him has found its home.

You hold him there, wrapped in candlelight and cooling sweat, chest to chest, hearts pounding like thunder behind your ribs. He kisses you one more time. This one is barely a kiss at all, just his lips resting against yours, still, quiet, trembling.

“I love you,” you whisper, for the first time in return. “I’ll wait for our little cottage.” And the stars above, infinite and ancient, blink a little brighter. Because they know some love stories begin on land. But some are born at sea and carry on forever. 

not even a week ago, on july 23, i received an ask from anon asking if i own a certain blog since there is a fic very similar to mine and anon also linked the post. same anon then sent another ask with another link to a different post of the same writer. the blog is named @okwonyo !

i’ll link the fics here(had to unblock the author to do that): “confession” and “dreamer”.

and the works that they were “inspired by” are: “flirting” and “shaving nanami”.

now, the posts were uploaded on july 21 and jul 10, notably later than my works, and if it weren’t for anon i wouldn’t even have known about anything, because i don’t lurk around the enhypen tag. if you want to, you can read works and connect the dots, but i am gonna present the similarities and explain why i, and many others, think it’s blatant plagiarism rather than inspiration(red is marking her work and blue is marking mine), you can read the whole thing too if you’d like ofc, i highlighted everything that would guide to see the problem, but please read everything.

this is from “dreamer” and “shaving nanami” fics. you can see that there is similar pacing, and some of the sentences are structured the same way, using the same words, minimal changes applied. and yeah, you can say that the writer added the “dreaming about marrying you” thing to her work but it doesn’t change the fact that this whole thing was basically ripped off. then, let’s get to the “confession” fic that has like a sequence of sentences taken from my fic, despite the plot being a little different in her fic, but the whole “not noticing the flirting thing” was taken from me. i wouldn’t really call that inspiration if you just take the sentences and literally put them in your fic. would you? :)

(mind you, this is my first time dealing with things like this, which is not an excuse, bur rather an explanation as to why i handled this situation poorly at first.)

now, with these out of the way, let’s discuss what i talked about with the owner of the @/okwonyo, or “jiah”. i sent an ask since i didn’t follow her and couldn’t message her, and we had a civil conversation about these works. i’m sorry i don’t have screenshots but it’s because the chat is no longer available to me(she blocked me from her sideblog which she used for chat with me @okwonyos).

she did apologise and offered to link the fics(or even take them down!) but i, admittedly, was a bit distracted with in real life issues and dismissed by saying that she could just tag me, which of course was my fault. when i said that i thought she would say “inspired by bla bla bla” but she just literally tagged me in the end of posts(mind you, there were 4 posts and she tagged me only in these 2 hah) and when i noticed and decided to ask her to take the posts down like she offered in the beginning because it would just be easier and would make me comfortable enough. she insisted that she likes those works a lot and me, being the pushover i am, relented and thought “well alright at least her readers will stay happy” and allowed her to link my stuff in her post, although she again mentioned me only at the end when i asked her to do it in the beginning of the post. i didn’t really care that her notes were in the end, not really.

come to find our, there were another 2 fics, that i didn’t know about until she mentioned me.

oblivious and promises, which are “inspired” again by my fics: oblivious reader and beauty marks.

was she gonna mention these if i hadn’t texted her again a while later about her poor credit giving style? i don’t think so, buddy. anyways, i read the fics briefly and was baffled by the similarities i saw. granted, i will mention that the “oblivious” fic by her resembles an “inspiration” a lot more than other fics since there are added elements like the characters being childhood friends and confession scene and all that — but still, there is whole beginning of the fic that she basically reworded from mine(was it necessary to even use the message with emoji thing…):

for the “promises” fic… bruh, the pacing, the whole dialogue, the similarities, literally whatever happens between the reader and that male character are taken from my fic and reworded and posted as original before i dm’ed the author. which pisses me off, because if she had mentioned me from the beginning and if i considered it plagiarism it just would have been a lot more telling about this author’s intentions — they wouldn’t have been able to act nonchalantly, you know what i mean?

now, eventually, i sent the author some texts about how just taking paragraphs and changing them a little doesn’t look much like an inspiration and asked to take the posts down(if i remember correctly) and she went defence mode and me? i was too tired with my irl issues to attempt anything more after a string of messages pointing out that she didn’t “copy and paste” and she added her own details and plots to the fic. so i went with something like okay whatever i hope you learn from your mistake and bye and she happily replied “feel free to block me” which irked me.

it irked me to the point that after blocking her i didn’t feel relief or like a “winner” but more like i played right into her hand, which should have been the signs that this was not the right way to end things.

now, jiah, did you think it was over? i did think i’d just be mulling over this for a while and hoping other people don’t steal my stuff, but see it’s not me who noticed it, i was unaware — it was other people, several people, who noticed you just taking writing as your own and ignoring being “inspired” by me until you were reminded that yes, you did it wrong. and you have to understand what you did was wrong and accept it.

and you had to be the one to address it to your readers because me, i did address it and i asked my readers and followers to not even say anything to you and not go into your inbox — but something tells me you would have just ignored them and turned off anon asks.

you may ask: tori, why are you posting this almost a week later? well, i’m not gonna lie i have been thinking about this whole situation a lot and how i didn’t do it right and didn’t feel satisfied. and thanks to my beautiful readers and anons who felt injustice and confirmed my thoughts i have been finally pushed to act on this.

look, i have nothing to gain from this… i don’t need like the undying love of enhypen fans or to turn anyone against her, but jiah, gotta respect me, no? do i really need your credits after you posted your post like 10 days ago and was going to act like nothing happened until confronted? i really don’t lol, i just want to have peace and i want every anon and every person who sent me an ask about it and showed me immense support to be relieved that kpop community knows what’s going on.

and i’m bringing awareness to this because i am sure that plagiarism here is really common and i have been lucky to be struck by it only for the first time.

now, do what you will with all of this info.

you saw it before you could react. a massive chunk of cement was hurtling straight toward you, fast and unstoppable. your legs refused to move. time stalled, every second stretching thin with the awful realisation that this was it. this was how it ended—for no reason, on a thursday, because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

but just before it hit, something yanked you backward, hard.

you cried out as the world blurred around you, a blur of wind and sound and pressure crushing into your chest. you were flying. 

your brain screamed that it wasn’t possible, that none of this made sense, but your body was already curled tight against something solid and warm. it took a second to understand that it was a person. no—not just any person.

the red and blue suit. the stupid mask. the goddamn glowing web.

spider-man.

your stomach flipped violently as the city skyline whipped past, your legs dangling uselessly. his arm was locked around your waist, firm and annoyingly confident. a glowing thread of web tech was attached to your wrist, pulsing faintly as it connected you to his suit like a leash. below you, the chaos on the street was a distant noise. above you, the clouds were streaked orange from the setting sun. around you, the wind roared.

and you hated all of it. you had always hated spiderman. he was a self-righteous, cocky, reckless menace. always showing up to destroy half the street in the name of “saving” it. and now here you were, clutched to his chest like some helpless civilian in a comic book.

“put me down!” you screamed over the wind, squirming against his grip. “what the fuck are you doing? put me down, you freak!”

“you’re welcome,” he yelled back, voice muffled through the mask.

“i didn’t ask you to save me!”

“i noticed!” he shot back, and the smirk in his voice made your blood boil.

you struggled the entire way up—clawing at his suit, kicking your legs, swearing every curse you knew under your breath—until finally, he landed with a smooth, practised thud on the rooftop of some high-rise building. your feet hit solid ground again, but your balance didn’t catch up in time. your knees wobbled, and you stumbled forward, dizzy from the whiplash and adrenaline.

“i’m going to throw up,” you groaned, doubling over.

“do it away from the suit, thanks,” he muttered.

but before you could stagger farther, a sharp tug pulled you back—your wrist yanked mid-step until your body collided with his chest again. his arm caught you instinctively, steadying you, but you immediately shoved him away, heart still racing from the fall. that’s when you noticed it.

the thread was still glowing and your wrist was still tethered to it.

“what the hell is this?” you shrieked, holding it up. 

the web stretched and shimmered faintly in the light, a sickly silverish glow like it was straight out of some alien movie. it wasn’t even sticky anymore, just fused into your, skin buzzing faintly where it made contact. 

“why is this still on me?! get it off!”

“working on it!” he snapped, kneeling to inspect where it fused into his own suit. “it wasn’t supposed to... uh... attach like that.”

“attach like what?” you cried, tugging violently at it. it didn’t budge. “is this a leash? did you just fucking leash me like a dog?”

“you think i wanted this?” he shot up again, exasperated. “i was in the middle of stopping a building from collapsing when you ran into the line of fire!”

“i was just trying to take the subway!”

“and i was trying to stop a criminal from levelling the station! sue me!”

the shouting echoed across the rooftop, both of you standing there like idiots with a literal glowing string binding your bodies together. your breath came out in shaky huffs. your heart was still racing—not just from fear now, but fury, embarrassment, complete disbelief that this was actually happening.

he let out a long sigh, suddenly sheepish. “look... it’s an experimental prototype. a bio-thread. reacts to certain electrical signals. and, apparently, to heartbeats.”

you blinked. “you’re kidding.”

“wish i was.”

your eyes widened as the realisation sank in. “you mean this thing is connected to—”

“your heartbeat, yeah,” he said grimly, arms crossed now.

you stared down at your wrist, horrified. “that’s disgusting.”

“that’s science,” he corrected.

you gave the web another tug, desperate and annoyed. “so how do i get it off?”

he hesitated.

“no,” you said, already dreading it. “no, don’t tell me—”

“we wait,” he muttered. “should dissolve naturally in... seventy-two hours.”

“seventy—?” you choked. “seventy-two HOURS?!”

he raised both hands in defence. “give or take. the tech’s a little moody.”

“you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“i’m really not.”

you groaned so loudly it echoed. then you slumped down onto the edge of the rooftop, cradling your head in your hands, trying not to scream into the skyline.

 this couldn’t be real. it was some fever dream. you were probably still on the subway, passed out from exhaustion, hallucinating everything. because there was no way you were actually tethered to the city’s most annoying masked menace for the next three days. you refused to believe it.

but the soft glow from your wrist said otherwise.

“take me home.”

he groaned the second you said it, but you didn’t care. you crossed your arms and tilted your chin up, staring at him stubbornly as the wind from the rooftop whipped around the both of you, the glowing thread still tethering your wrist to his suit like some ridiculous sci-fi leash.

“no way,” he snapped. “i still have to go after that guy. he bombed the train platform—he’s probably already halfway across the city.”

you gaped at him. “are you dumb? you're gonna go fight a criminal—with me attached to you?”

he made a guilty little noise and glanced at the still pulsing thread between you. “...i mean. maybe.”

“maybe?” you hissed. “the police can handle him! you’re not dragging me into some vigilante war zone.”

he hesitated, shoulders slumping, and finally, with a sigh of defeat, muttered, “fine. but where the hell are we gonna live for the next three days?”

you blinked. “we?”

“we,” he said firmly, pointing between the two of you. “we’re literally bonded now. unless you wanna cuddle on a fire escape all weekend, we need somewhere to stay.”

you narrowed your eyes. “there’s no way i’m going wherever you stay. i don’t even know you. you could live in a sewer or like… some creepy underground lair.”

he looked genuinely offended as his mask scrunched up. “i don’t live in a sewer. and it’s not a lair. it’s a… small apartment. cozy, even.”

“yeah, no,” you said flatly. “you’re coming to my place.”

his shoulders sagged even further. “ugh fine. but we’re walking. i’m not swinging again with you screaming in my ear.”

and that’s how you found yourself dragging spider-man—spider-freaking-man—down the street by your wrist like some weird, reluctant pet. you ignored the way people looked. it was late, and luckily, his suit was mostly covered by the hoodie you’d given him. though he kept trying to duck into shadows, mumbling under his breath like a sulking child. the glowing thread shimmered faintly between you, pulling taut every time one of you stepped too far away.

when you finally reached your apartment building, he stared up at it with a kind of wary awe. “damn. you got a high paying job or something?”

you snorted as you opened the door. “i’m a uni student. my parents are just rich.”

he tilted his head at you as you stepped into the elevator. “what uni?”

you told him your school name without much thought, and immediately, his whole body stiffened.

“...wait,” he blurted. “me too.”

you turned to look at him slowly. “what?”

his eyes widened behind the mask. he cursed under his breath and looked away, like he’d just admitted state secrets. “shit. i didn’t mean to say that. ignore that.”

you were about to push him further when the elevator doors opened. just then, your phone buzzed. “takeout’s here.”

he startled like you’d just hit him. “you ordered food?”

“yeah,” you said, tossing your keys onto the counter as you entered the apartment. “i was starving and figured you’d eat too, unless you’re part spider and eat bugs.”

he didn’t dignify that with a response.

you handed him a pair of clean sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt you figured would fit—he disappeared into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, looking annoyingly good in your clothes. he was tall, broad-shouldered, sleeves pushed up his forearms as he sat across from you at your dining table.

you opened the takeout boxes and passed him one. “pad thai. extra spicy.”

he didn’t move.

“uh, you’re gonna have a hard time eating that with your mask on.”

his arms crossed defensively. “i don’t take off my mask in front of people. especially not people who hate spider-man.”

you scoffed, twirling a noodle around with your chopsticks. “i don’t hate you. i just think you're an annoying menace who causes more problems than he solves.”

“...that’s literally what hating me is,” he muttered.

you rolled your eyes. “look, i don’t care. you saved my life, remember? i won’t tell anyone. just… do it. you won’t survive three whole days eating through the mask.”

he was quiet for a second too long, but then hesitantly spoke up.

“...you won’t tell anyone?”

“swear on my meal,” you said solemnly.

he hesitated one last time, and then with a reluctant sigh, his gloved fingers reached up. you watched as he peeled the mask off in one smooth motion—and everything inside you short-circuited.

because holy. shit.

his face was devastatingly pretty. sharp cheekbones, soft pouty lips, golden skin that caught the light in all the right places. his hair was ruffled and messy, sticking out a little from the mask, and his eyes—big, brown, framed by thick lashes—blinked at you nervously.

“i… did not expect you to be that hot,” you blurted, mouth full of noodles.

he choked on air. “what—”

“no like—i was expecting some weird nerdy guy with maybe a beard.”

he blinked. “wow. thanks.”

you pointed at him with your chopsticks, narrowing your eyes. “wait. i know you.”

he froze at that.

“you’re… that guy from my discrete math lecture. choi yeonjun. you’re always sitting in the front row. you literally answer every question like a damn TA.”

his mouth parted slightly. “you’re the girl who sits in the column next to me. with the giant water bottle and all the highlighters.”

you paused. “...so you’ve noticed me.”

he blinked fast. “uh. yeah. i mean—you stand out. not in a bad way. just—pretty. you’re pretty. not that i notice or anything. well obviously i noticed because i just said it but—”

you snorted. “you’re really awkward without the suit.”

“i’m not—” he groaned, face turning pink. “okay maybe a little. it just gives me a different type of confidence you know?”

you grinned down at your food, heart ticking slightly faster. you didn’t know what was more surreal—sitting across from spider-man, or discovering spider-man was the hot math nerd who sat fifteen feet from you every tuesday and thursday. either way, it was going to be a very long seventy two hours.

you had come to terms with the fact that you were never going to get any real sleep. not when you were forced to lie right at the edge of your own bed, arm dangling pathetically over the side like some kind of human offering. 

the glowing web tether was still stuck to your wrist, stretching toward the air mattress yeonjun had flopped onto with a dramatic sigh of exhaustion. you could barely move without yanking his entire body with you, so the only position you could settle in was an awkward sideways curl, with one arm constantly pulled down like gravity itself was trying to remind you of your very stupid, very spider-shaped problem.

you tried to sleep. really. but around three in the morning, right as your eyes were finally starting to blur at the edges, you felt a sudden hard tug on your wrist and then you were falling. 

you yelped as your body was jerked right off the mattress, falling with a startled oof directly onto the unsuspecting man on the floor. yeonjun barely even stirred. he let out a sleepy little grunt and instinctively wrapped his stupid, warm, surprisingly toned arms around you like you were some oversized body pillow. 

you struggled, wriggling against his grip like a bug under a glass, but it was useless. his arms were locked around your waist, one of his hands now tangled in your shirt, and you could feel the soft, steady rhythm of his breathing against your neck.

you hissed his name, trying to peel his fingers off you, but all you got in return was a sleepy pout and a grumbled, “five more minutes.” it would’ve been cute if it wasn’t so infuriating. 

and okay, maybe it was a little warm. and his chest was kind of…comfortable. his stupid heartbeat was strong and slow under your ear, and you were so damn tired from the chaotic whirlwind of your spiderweb-tethered day that you just…gave in. your body melted into the warmth of his, cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his borrowed hoodie, and for the first time in hours, your eyes slipped shut. surprisingly, it felt safe and grounding. like being held together by something solid in the middle of all the mess.

the next morning though, was...less cute.

“you pulled me off my bed,” you deadpanned as you sat up, pushing off his chest with an elbow. your wrist still glowed faintly, the web tether warm between your skins.

yeonjun blinked up at you, hair sticking in every direction, a blanket half-kicked off the mattress. 

“huh?” he said groggily, then sat up fast as memory caught up with him. “wait—shit, did i yank you down?”

you narrowed your eyes. “yes. and then you cuddled me.”

his entire face flushed red. “i did not cuddle you.”

you crossed your arms. “you were purring.”

“that’s slander.” but he looked horrified.

the next twenty four hours were a disaster.

you tripped over the tether so many times that you started to wonder if it had a personal vendetta against your toes. brushing your teeth was like a weirdly synchronised dance of tangled arms and accidental elbow jabs. showering was even worse. 

he stood frozen outside the bathroom door, your glowing lifeline stretched taut through the crack, his voice drifting through like a very flustered ghost. “i’m not peeking, okay?!”

“you better not be!” you snapped as you held up a towel like a makeshift curtain while trying to lather shampoo one-handed. “don’t test me, spiderboy, i will kill you.”

“this is humiliating for me too!” he yelled back. “i’m an icon of justice!”

“you’re an icon of annoying!”

you fought like bickering siblings who had never met before yesterday and yet were somehow stuck together for life. every time you tried to do anything, you’d hear him mutter something under his breath like, “why couldn’t i have been bonded to someone normal?” and you’d throw a couch pillow at him.

it was exactly at the point of your worst argument—over whether or not he could eat directly out of the peanut butter jar—that his watch beeped. he glanced down, cursed under his breath, and without any warning, leapt off the couch.

“wait—what the fuck—!” you screamed as your body was yanked clean off the floor.

“shit, sorry!” yeonjun called back mid-air, swinging out the open balcony door like it was a tuesday stroll. “emergency call!”

“emergency call your ass, PUT ME DOWN!”

“can’t! you’re tethered! my bad!”

you flailed helplessly as you were flung through the air, wind screaming in your ears, the skyline of the city blurring past. each time he swung, your body would arc toward him, face practically slamming against his as you bumped into him with every motion. your nose brushed his chin, your cheek scraped his jaw, and one time—one time—your lips accidentally brushed the side of his mask.

you shrieked. “stop swinging like a lunatic and hold me!”

“oh? now you care about being close to me?” he teased, voice gleeful, mask slightly lopsided.

you scowled. “if i throw up, it’s going straight into your face.”

he just laughed, and then like a showoff on steroids he flipped mid-air, feet planting against the side of a glass building, body upside down. the web between you tightened instantly, pulling you forward until your face hovered just inches from his. he didn’t move. neither did you. the air thinned between you, your breath catching as your eyes flicked to his masked face.

your lips were right there.

he grinned.

then dropped you very unceremoniously onto a nearby rooftop with a thud.

“careful, pretty,” he drawled, voice smug. “you almost kissed me.”

you gaped at him. “what the hell?”

“what?” he said innocently, crouching on the edge of the roof like the cockiest bastard alive. “don’t blame me. you’re the one who’s all over me lately.”

“you pulled me into the sky like a rag doll!”

he tilted his head. “and yet, you’re still clinging to me. hmm.”

you chucked a loose brick at him, but he dodged it and just laughed again, sunlight catching his suit as he rose higher on the building’s edge. the way he stood, so confident and self-assured, was almost unrecognisable from the shy, stammering boy who slept in your apartment and accidentally blurted compliments with red cheeks and soft eyes.

because here, like this, in the suit, yeonjun wasn’t flustered. he wasn’t awkward. he was bold and flirtatious and impossible to pin down. and it was beginning to drive you crazy.

“god,” you muttered under your breath, trying to smooth your wind-tangled hair. “your split personality is insane.”

“you like it,” he said with a wink and leapt off the rooftop again, dragging you behind him with a scream echoing into the morning air.

he was heavy in your arms—well, technically you were mostly dragging him, but still, he made a pretty pathetic sight with one arm slung over your shoulder and his mask balled up in your fist. 

yeonjun winced with every step as you practically hauled him down the hallway to your bathroom, grumbling under your breath about superhero idiocy and your web-chained fate. his face was pale but smug, which made it hard to feel too bad for him, even with the deep gash on his side bleeding through the slick fabric of his suit. 

“could’ve just let me bleed out on the roof,” he joked weakly, slumping down onto the toilet seat. you shot him a look and flicked the bathroom light on.

“how could i? we’re attached to each other because of your stupid web.”

he groaned dramatically as you rifled through the cabinet for your tiny first aid kit. “god, i forget how mean you can get.”

“you’ve known me for two days.”

“and i’ve never known peace since,” he mumbled, hissing when you unzipped the top of his suit. it peeled down like a second skin, sticking slightly to the dried blood at his side, and then it was suddenly just there—his torso, sculpted and gleaming faintly with sweat, all defined lines and soft curves where his skin dipped between muscle. he was flushed down to his chest, breaths short and laboured, and you hated yourself for noticing. your eyes stuttered somewhere between his collarbone and the trail of blood slashed across his ribs. he was stupidly attractive, in that way people weren’t supposed to be when they were bruised and bleeding and shirtless in your bathroom.

you blinked hard to cover it up. “you’re disgusting.”

he grinned. “you’re staring.”

“i’m assessing the wound,” you snapped, even though your voice cracked embarrassingly halfway through. 

you knelt beside him, pulling out antiseptic and gauze, trying very hard not to notice the way his thigh brushed your knee. he was warm and so very there, and the web tether between you pulsed quietly, glowing with soft light that gradually brightened as your hands made contact with his skin.

you swore under your breath as the tether suddenly shortened, dragging you even closer until you were practically perched on his leg, trying to clean the gash with shaking fingers.

“stop moving,” you muttered, avoiding his gaze.

“you’re literally sitting on me.”

“and you’re literally whining like a baby,” you shot back.

“sorry, i didn’t realise getting stabbed meant i had to also deal with you sitting on me and insulting me,” he grumbled, but there was no bite to it. his voice had dipped lower and softer, with a strange edge of tension beneath the banter, which curled around your lungs and squeezed.

you froze when he tilted his head to look at you, eyes dark and voice barely above a murmur.

“you gonna kiss me or just keep staring?”

you froze at that, heartbeat thudding louder making the web glow brighter. you stared at him, caught between the heat of his skin under your hands and the dare in his voice. 

but then your hand shot up and smacked his chest, hard enough to jolt him, and you scrambled off his lap, trying to hide your flaming face behind pure rage.

“get dressed, freak!”

he laughed as you stormed out of the bathroom, muttering something about how you were the weirdest civilian he’d ever met. you didn’t respond with youe usual snarky response as you were too busy pressing your hands to your face and praying the floor would open up and swallow you whole.

later, the both of you ended up back in your bed this time, lying stiffly on either end like two strangers forced to share a lifeboat. the air mattress plan was abandoned mutually,  after both of you admitted it had been a disaster the night before. this was... better. except for the thing between you. the glowing thread, taut and warm, stretched like some cursed lifeline from your wrist to his. you turned to your side, glaring at the ceiling.

“this is insane,” you muttered.

“you think?” he sighed. “i was testing a prototype, not... roping myself to a civilian.”

you glanced over at him. his face was turned toward the ceiling too, dark in the low light, jaw sharp and brows furrowed in thought. then he spoke again, voice quiet and strange.

“it’s supposed to sync with biological emotion markers. that’s what the tech does. it connects based on stimulus—heartbeat, adrenaline, whatever.”

he then paused as both of you looked down at the web connecting your wrists. it was glowing again.

brighter.

“is it—” you swallowed, suddenly aware of how fast your heart was beating. “—is it reacting to me… or to you?”

his eyes flicked toward you. something unreadable settled into his expression as he shifted, leaning slightly closer. the tether pulsed, light blooming a little brighter between your wrists. you felt your skin heat where it touched the sheets, the air between your bodies shimmering with something you didn’t want to name.

his hand moved, slow and hesitant, fingers brushing your cheek like he was afraid of scaring you off. it was the first time he touched you that gently. like he wanted to. like this was something he wasn’t allowed to want.

your breath hitched.

but then he blinked, the moment cracking in half as he leaned away quickly and gave a sheepish laugh.

“sorry, i’m being so weird,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “goodnight.”

you stared at him as he rolled to his side, facing away, shoulders tense.

your hand drifted to the tether between you which was glowing faintly now. like it, too, was pretending none of that happened.

the next morning, you woke with a heavy feeling in your chest, the warmth of yeonjun's body pressed against your back where he'd somehow started spooning you during the night. 

the cursed bio-web glowed faintly between your wrists, its light weaker now but still stubbornly connecting you to the sleeping superhero whose arm was currently crushing your diaphragm. you tried to shift away, but the movement yanked yeonjun's wrist sharply toward you, jolting him awake with a grunt.

"mmph—w'shappening?" he slurred, blinking sleepily as his free hand came up to rub his eyes. then he froze, suddenly very aware of how his body was molded against yours, his nose buried in your hair. 

"oh. uh. morning."

"morning," you muttered, refusing to acknowledge how nice his sleep-rough voice sounded this close to your ear. the web pulsed between you, responding to your elevated heartbeat like the traitor it was.

yeonjun cleared his throat and attempted to roll away, only for the tether to snap taut, dragging you both into an awkward mid-air collision of limbs. 

"right. forgot about that," he mumbled, his cheeks pink as he untangled himself. "three days can't end fast enough."

the words shouldn't have stung, but they did.

the day passed in strange pockets of silence and unexpected intimacy. making breakfast was, again a clumsy dance of coordinated movements—you cracking eggs onehanded while he reached across you for the spatula, his chest brushing your back in a way that made the web flare brighter. 

by afternoon, you'd developed an unspoken rhythm. studying on the couch meant yeonjun's legs thrown over your lap, his toes occasionally flexing against your thigh. you told him about your classes, the professors you loved and hated, the little things that made you feel like home. he told you about his family, his friends’ relentless teasing, and how sometimes being spider-man meant missing out on the simplest moments. you laughed more than you expected, but the heavy feeling in your heart didn’t go away.

as sunset painted your balcony in gold, you stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the web's glow grow fainter. 

"think it'll hurt when it breaks?" you asked, trying to sound casual.

yeonjun flexed his wrist. "dunno. never stuck myself to a pretty girl before."

"shut up," you said without heat, your traitorous pulse making the thread brighten.

right as you said that, without any ceremony it suddenly dissolved. one moment the connection was there, thrumming with energy. the next, there was nothing. your wrist felt strangely light, the skin unmarked as if the tether had never existed. the sudden freedom was more disorienting than the fall from the subway platform three days ago.

yeonjun cleared his throat, rocking back on his heels. "so. uh. guess i should..." he gestured vaguely toward the skyline.

"yeah," you agreed too quickly. "crime to fight. people to save. all that."

an awkward beat passed before he suddenly pulled you into a stiff hug, his hands patting your back like he was unsure of what he was doing. "see you in class," he mumbled into your hair before releasing you like you'd burned him.

you nodded, a little breathless. “yeah.”

you watched quietly as he slipped the mask back up, eyes meeting yours one last time before he waved goodbye and launched himself into the air with a graceful swing. the sight left a hollow ache in your chest, the cool evening breeze whispering around you as you leaned on the balcony railing and closed your eyes.

just as you were wondering how the hell you were going to say hi to him on campus, a shadow suddenly blocked the fading sunlight in front of you. you opened your eyes and smiled. there he was—spider-man, hanging upside down right before you. the mask’s white eyes blinked slowly, hesitating.

"miss me?"

you let out a startled yelp which turned into a punch that sent him swinging backward with a laugh.

"you absolute asshole!" you hissed, heart hammering. "what the hell are you—"

"forgot something," he interrupted, catching himself on the railing. his voice was oddly nervous as the white lenses of his mask stared at you. "the web's gone but... my chest still feels kinda tight? like there's still a tether there. that's... not normal, right?"

you blinked. "your... chest?"

"yeah." his gloved hand came up to rub at the black spider emblem. "right here. it's weird. hurts a little. think i need you to check—"

"you're such a terrible liar," you breathed, but your hands were already reaching for his mask. this time, you pulled it all the way off.

yeonjun's face was flushed, his lips slightly parted as he stared at you with an expression so open it made your knees weak. there was no smugness behind it, just nervous hope. 

"so?" he whispered. "you gonna check or what?"

your fingers curled around his jaw. "shut up and kiss me, spider-boy."

he didn't need to be told twice.

the first kiss was messy—yeonjun still upside down, your hands fumbling with his hair as he gripped your waist to keep you both from toppling over. your upper lip brushed against his lower one first, that plush swell of his mouth impossibly soft against yours, and then he was kissing you back properly, his lips moving with a desperate hunger that made your head spin. the contrast was intoxicating—the way your upper lip caught slightly on the perfect curve of his lower one before he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping against yours in a way that had you clutching at his shoulders for balance. when you bit his lower lip, he actually whimpered, his fingers digging into your hips hard enough to leave bruises.

"fuck," he panted when you broke apart, his pupils blown wide. his lower lip glistened where you'd nipped it, that perfect pout even more swollen now. "was that—are we—"

"if you don't kiss me again in the next three seconds, i'm pushing you off this balcony."

he grinned, wild and bright, before surging forward. this time, he flipped mid-kiss, his body twisting until he was pressing you back against the railing, his thigh slotting between yours. your upper lip caught on his again in that delicious way, the sensitive skin tingling where it dragged against the fuller curve of his lower lip before his tongue swept into your mouth. 

the heat of him was everywhere, his hands roaming your back with none of the hesitation he'd had while tethered. when you moaned into his mouth, he swallowed the sound greedily, his lower lip catching on yours as he pulled back just enough to tease before diving in again.

"still think i'm a nuisance?" he murmured against your lips, his teeth scraping your jaw, his lips brushing yours with each word.

"shut up," you gasped, arching into him. your lips dragged against his as you spoke, the fleeting contact making him shudder. "just because i want to make out with you doesn't mean i approve of your reckless vigilantism."

yeonjun laughed, the vibration travelling straight through your chest as he lifted you effortlessly onto the railing. your legs locked around his waist on instinct, his hands gripping your thighs as he kissed you again, deeper this time. his lower lip slotted perfectly between yours, that plush softness yielding to your teeth when you bit down gently, and the groan it tore from him was better than any sound you'd heard in your life. 

"good thing i don't need your approval," he teased between kisses, each brush of his lips against yours more deliberate now, his upper lip catching on yours in ways that made your toes curl. "just your mouth. and your hands. and maybe—"

you cut him off with another kiss, your fingers tightening in his hair. the city stretched out below you, endless and bright, but all you could focus on was the way yeonjun shuddered when you tugged him closer, the way his heart pounded against yours —no web needed this time to prove you were connected.

𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 ©𝗴𝘆𝘂𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆𝘆 on Tumblr

You two could be insults deep in what was supposed to be a casual discussion about greenwashing in product engineering, and Jake would, without fail, feel all the blood rush to his dick until it was uncomfortably stiff.

Unsexy thoughts, unsexy thoughts, unsexy thoughts, he kept chanting to himself, attempting to force an image in his head of Heeseung kicking his sorry ass. Your brother would see to it that Jake was flatlining on a hospital bed before he could even act upon said urges. Unfortunately, it did very little to prove effective against the scarily overwhelming libido that tented his pants. 

Jake was ashamed to admit that he was also mildly turned on by the idea of being caught, which made absolutely no sense because that was also his biggest fear.

So, to summarize, Jake now found himself horny in situations where:

he was pissed off

he was in the middle of a heated argument

he was potentially going to get beat up