ellie

The two of you entered the house, and Jake dropped down the remaining bags you brought. Looking at the living room, it still feels empty.  The two of you had already decorated the rest of the house, leaving this spacious area as a temporary dumping ground for your unwanted boxes and trash. A forgotten broom and dustpan sat in the corner, only highlighting how empty the room truly was. It completely lacked comfort—no couch, no TV, and zero aesthetic touches to fill the massive space. It was like a blank canvas waiting for your touch.

Jake back-hugged you, startling you a little bit. But you managed to lean into his touch, accepting his embrace.

“Babe, what do you think about our house? Do you like it?” Jake asked.

“I love it so much, Jake! It seems like you stole my imagination just to build my actual dream home,” you jokingly said, receiving a laugh from him.

“But the living room feels empty. What about going to IKEA right now? You know, to buy some stuff to fill up the space,” you added as you spun around, facing Jake with your pleading eyes.

“Alright! Let's go then,” Jake said as he smiled, grabbing your hand to leave the house again.

This is what you love about Jake—he's so laid-back and chill at the same time. He doesn't pressure you at all, going with the flow anytime you want.

Once inside the massive IKEA store, you immediately began grabbing everything that caught your eye. Since your favorite color was blue, your cart quickly filled up with different shades of blue kitchen towels, curtains, pillowcases, bedsheets, a light bulb and more.

On the other hand, Jake was busy finding the right, comfortable sofa for your living room. He gently rubbed his hand onto the showroom models, trying to find the right texture and softness. He sat down and slightly bounced on the cushions to feel how relaxing it could be when the two of you spent some time together on that specific couch…

Your eyes wandered to him, looking so innocent as he tried out every sofa and chair he found. But your mind couldn't help but think about the dirty things you could do on that sofa. A deep blush crept up your neck as you realized where your thoughts were heading. You're imagining how good Jake would look sitting on it while you're giving him a head—

Oh shoot! Not right now.

While being distracted by your dirty thoughts about your husband, he called out, making you stop fantasizing about him.

“Babe! I need your opinion on this one,” he called out, pointing to a stunning white-and-blue sofa.

“Oh my gosh, it's perfect! It matches the color of the house and all the stuff I just picked out,” you said, appreciating the piece that Jake chose for your living room.

“Nice one! We should get this. Let's go to the counter to ask if it's still available,” Jake happily said, reaching for the handle of your cart.

What a gentleman. You can give whatever he wants.

“Let me push this for you, it's getting really heavy,” he said as he took the cart from your hands.

As you walked side-by-side toward the cashier, your playful eyes locked onto his forearms. Pushing the heavy cart made the muscles in his arms stand out, catching your attention immediately.

The veins on his forearms were very prominent, just like his…

Damn it! Stop stop stop it, Y/N.

Jake looked breathtaking every single hour of the day, but today felt different. He was radiating a magnetic, sun-kissed kind of heat that made your chest tighten. You couldn't help but view him as a total treat you wanted to devour right on the IKEA floor.

Maybe you're just hungry? 

You desperately tried to convince yourself that an IKEA hot dog would solve the problem.. That food would definitely satisfy the actual hunger you were feeling for your hot husband right now. 

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

“Is there something wrong? You look flushed right now,” Jake noted, turning his gaze to your bright red cheeks.

“M-me? Y-yeah! I forgot my hand fan in the car, that's why I am feeling hot,”  you stammered, desperately trying to cover your lies. 

"Alright..." Jake muttered, looking completely unconvinced by your excuse. Still, he rubbed your shoulder gently. "Just make sure to always bring it. I don't want you feeling uncomfortable.”

His touch did nothing to calm you down. It only made you feel more feral, leaving you completely desperate for more.

…

When the two of you got back home, Jake immediately started his duty as a responsible husband. He began hanging the blue curtains you had picked out earlier, and your gaze didn't leave him for a second. As he reached up to change the living room lightbulb, his shirt rode up, revealing his sexy v-line and the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxers. Next up was the heavy-ass sofa. You watched his veiny forearms flex as he effortlessly assembled the pieces he had chosen at the store.

You practically tried to chug cold water to ease the intense thirst you were feeling for him. You paced back and forth across the living room, trying hard to focus on your own decorating, but it was impossible. You were completely distracted by your hot husband, who was looking like a total DILF just by building a fucking couch.

Honestly, tears were practically running down your thighs at this point. 

When Jake finally finished assembling the sofa, he proudly called you over to show off his hard work.

“Babe, come here! Look at this,” he called out excitedly.

“Wow! You did a great job on this. Thank you, babe!” you said being a grateful horny wife, giving him an appreciative smile as you joined him in the living room.

“Let's sit down here together, it's so soft and comforting–”

But before he could finish his sentence, you pushed Jake onto the sofa, catching him completely by surprise as he fell back against the cushions. Standing directly in front of him, you parted his legs and positioned yourself right between his spread knees. Afternoon light cut through the window behind you, catching the sharp line of his jaw, the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.

"You've been a responsible husband, as always, Jake. You deserve some reward…" you said flirtatiously, watching him flustered by your sudden words.

The need of your husband being inside yours had coiled tighter with every hour, and now, finally, you could have him. All yours.

You sank to your knees. The soft furry carpet pressed on your knees, as you reached for his shorts,and gently palmed his semi-hard length. You felt him twitched against your hand the moment your fingers curled around him. A moan escaped from his throat, and you felt him growing bigger under your touch as you rubbed, slow, deliberate circles.

"B-babe—"

"Shh, let me take care of you."

You leaned forward and pressed your lips to his clothed dick, holding his gaze the entire time. The heat of him bled through the fabric onto your mouth. A heavy whine broke from him. Whiny Jake was like music to your ears—a sound you could listen to all day without ever complaining.

Your fingers found the waistband of his shorts and tugged, slow, dragging the elastic down. He lifted his hips without being asked. What a good boy. You pulled the fabric down his thighs, just over his ankles, onto the floor. His black Calvin Klein briefs followed — the same ones you'd been staring at all afternoon. 

Uhm…

Followed by Jake pulling his shirt over his head in one quick motion, tossing it aside, kicking the pile of clothes away. He settled back against the cushion, spreading his legs wider enough for you to settle in, and his hard dick sprung free, slapping against his stomach with a soft sound.

Your mouth went dry, but you feel yourself down there getting wetter. 

He was huge. Fat, long, flushed glossy pink at the tip where pre-cum oozed in a slow, shining bead. The veins running along his shaft stood out thick and prominent — just like the ones on his forearms. His dick twitched on its own without being touched. 

That was your sign to finish what you started.

You gently wrapped your hand around him, pumping slowly. Heavy. Almost rock-hard beneath the skin, but the skin was soft and burning hot against your palm. Jake's eyes fell shut, his jaw tightening, and you watched the tension ripple through his abs as he registered the feeling of your soft, lotion-smooth hand wrapped tight around him. 

Jake mentally noted that he will definitely be buying you the best quality hand cream in the market for the rest of his life if this was the result. It doesn't matter if it's expensive as long as your hands feel soft against him.

“You ready, babe?” asking one more time before taking him into your mouth. 

You opened your mouth wide, tongue out, and sucked his mushroom tip between your lips. The taste hit immediately — salt, skin, the faint slick of his pre-cum coating your tongue. A moan slipped out of him again, as you worked his tip like a melting popsicle, chasing every drop that beaded from his slit. Your head bobbed faster, taking more of him each time, and Jake's hand found your hair, gathering the long strands away from your face, holding them at the back of your head so he could watch.

He loves watching you doing the most sinful thing to him.

"Ooh—Ahh— Shit, keep sucking me, oh my god!"

You hummed around him, the vibration traveling down his shaft, and pushed deeper. The thick head of his dick pressed against the back of your throat, and you swallowed, muscles tightening around him. His hips bucked up due to the sensation, hand pressing your head down gently, wanting more, wanting to be buried in your throat completely. He doesn't care anymore, he just wanted to know how deep you could take him. And as always, Jake's wish was your command. You relaxed your jaw and took him deeper, nose pressed against his pelvis, smelling the vanilla scent from the body wash he always uses. 

"Ahh— right there, please! Ugh— Uhm—"

"Y-Y/N, don't stop, please… I'm almost t-there—!"

Jake was a moaning mess underneath you. His free hand gripped the soft new cushion, knuckles white, and you could feel every vein on his shaft dragging against your plump lips as you pulled back and sank down again. The sight of his big dick disappearing into your mouth over and over.  Lips stretched tight around his massive dick, the wetness from his pre-cum and mixed with your saliva. You knew you looked messy right now.  But for Jake, it was unbelievably hot. He likes it messy, he doesn't want to admit it. The way his dark eyes locked onto your mouth said he thought so too. 

A scene that will forever replay in his mind if you are away.

He pulsed hard against your tongue now, the rhythm was fast, desperate. Your saliva and his pre-cum had turned everything sloppy, slick, and the wet sounds of your mouth working him filled the room as it echoed lewdly. You bobbed faster, just the way he liked, cheeks hollowing.

"Oh— I'm cumming, shit, shit, shit—"

A loud groan tore from his chest as his hips slammed up and he came, hard, deep in your throat. Hot, thick ropes hitting the back of your mouth, and you swallowed around him, milking every drop. As a bratty wife, you didn't stop. You just care about him, right? You kept on sucking him, your tongue working on his swollen pink tip, drawing out every last pulse until nothing came anymore. He squirmed beneath you, hips jerking, his hand pushing gently at your head — too sensitive, too much to handle — but you gripped his thighs and held him still, staring up at him with his softening dick still in your mouth.

“T-too much.. Ahh–Please s-stop!” He tried to beg, eyes were glossy, but you just shook your head.

A tear slides down on his soft cheeks.

Fucked out. That was the only way to describe Jake's situation right now. Chest heaving, those delicious chiseled abs locked tight, a sheen of sweat glistening at his hairline and trailing down his temples. His lips were parted, gasping for air. As he ran his fingers through his wet fluffy hair calming himself.

What a sexy husband, isn't he?

You remembered how Jake told you the stories of his female coworkers who hit on him at the office — the ones who left suggestive sticky notes on his monitor, asking him for a dinner — who touched his arm playfully in the in the meeting room — flirting at him as if they were not updated about his love life that he was engaged already — Poor them. 

Now that you're married, this version of Jake belonged to you and you alone.

You pressed one last kiss to his tip, and you stood.

“We’re not done yet. I'm going to ride you now.”  you smirked at him, gently pressing a soft kiss on his pink lips.

Your clothes came off piece by piece. Short first, peeled down your legs. Your top, pulled over your head and dropped. The bra that Jake gifted to you last valentines day, lacy underwear — each clothes kicked aside until you stood bare in front of him like a goddess. Jake's eyes tracked every inch of you as you stepped forward and swung one leg over his lap, straddling him on this newly bought sofa.

What a nice way to use this comfortable sofa… 

You lowered yourself, grinding your wet pussy along the length of his dick, feeling him harden again beneath you, the slick heat of him sliding between your folds. His hands found your hips, slowly caressing your soft skin. You reached down, positioned the tip of his dick at your entrance, and let just the head slip inside — a tease, a sweet stretch — making both of you inhale sharply.

“Ohh fuck…T-that was good. So tight hmmp–” Jake managed to say despite being tortured by your wet and tight pussy.

Then you sank down, slowly, taking him inch by inch, feeling the thick stretch of him opening you up, the fullness building until he was buried deep inside you, and you began to bounce, slow and deliberate, savoring every sensation of your husband filling you completely. You love how hard and deep he is inside you, his fat tip reaching your sweet spots.

“You like this? You feel how desperate I am for you?” you teased him, as you slowly moved your hips against him.

Jake didn't bother to answer you, he just moaned as threw his head against the sofa.

As you ride him, Jake's hands roam against your body, touching your delicate skin, pulling you closer to him, his fingers digging into your hips, urging you to move faster, the sofa creaking in rhythm along with your bodies.

Jake kneaded your left boobs roughly as he sucked the other one like a thirsty man wanting to be hydrated.

“You look pretty while riding me.” he said, lifting his head as he sexily stared at you. 

You glanced down at him with his fucked out state, making you feel hornier than ever. You slammed your hips harder, boobs bouncing in front of him. Jake bit his lower lip, shamelessly watching you bouncing up and down on top of him.

The best view ever. 

Your moans become louder, clenching hard around his pulsating dick, desperate to reach your orgasm. Both legs are shaking, too overwhelmed from the pleasure. 

“Your dick feels good! Hnggh–!” you cried out.

Instead of replying back, Jake rubbed your swollen clit, teasing you as you rode him. "You like that, baby?" he whispered, his hips snapping up to meet yours. "Like this?

"Y-yes!" you cried out, your head thrown back in ecstasy. "D-don't stop, please don't stop! Don't you dare to stop, Sim Jaeyun!

You're going insane.

He chuckled as he continued to tease your clit, rubbing it in slow, tortuous circles. You could feel your orgasm building, your walls clenching around him as he thrust up into you. Your moans grew louder, filling the room with the sound of your pleasure.

"That's it, ride me. Show me how fucking desperate you are." Jake urged, his hands gripping your hips tightly.

“You think I didn't notice how you eye fucked me earlier while we're in IKEA? the way your eyes runs down on my forearms as I assembled this fucking sofa.” he added, lapping your sensitive nipples again.

Your hips moved faster, slamming down onto him as you chased your release. Jake met each thrust, his cock driving deep into you. The sensation was overwhelming, your body wound tight with tension.

Your orgasm crashed you over like a tidal wave. You screamed, your pussy clamping down on him like a vice as you came hard. Jake groaned, his hips stuttering as he followed you over the edge. Desperate for his second release.

“F-fuck! Baby…” 

He growled, burying himself deep as he spilled inside you. His cock throbbed, pulsing as he filled you with his hot seed. Jake rested his face on the crook of your neck planting small kisses.

You collapsed against him, both of you panting and trembling after the intense sex you had. As a sweet husband, Jake wrapped his arms around you, holding you close as you caught your breath. You could feel his heart pounding beneath your cheek.

"Thank you for the reward, babe.” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to your hair. “I'm lucky to have you as my wife.”

You smiled at him, nuzzling into his neck. "So are you," you whispered back. "I love you, Jake.”

"I love you too," he replied, his voice soft and filled with emotion. Comforting as always. 

The two of you stayed like that for a long moment, just enjoying the feeling of being together, being warm against each other. Connected in the most intimate way possible. 

Eventually, Jake helped you off his lap, both of you wincing slightly as he slipped his soft cock out of you. He pulled you down onto the sofa beside him.

"Stay here, I'll clean you up first.” he murmured, stroking your hair. 

Jake quickly pulled his Calvin Klein boxers back on and hurried to the bathroom to grab some towels and wet wipes to clean up the aftermath of your intense session.

He kneeled down in front of you, gently wiping away the fluids leaking from your swollen entrance. Even though he had just finished, his cheeks were still flushed at the sight of you, and he could feel himself twitching inside his boxers.

Not again.

“Jake!” you warned, noticing the very visible erection pushing against his boxers.

“I swear, I'm not trying to! You just look so sexy, you know?” he stammered, trying to make up an excuse.

“Oh my god... did we break the sofa?” your eyes widened as you shifted your weight, causing the couch to creak unstably beneath you.

Jake leaned down to check the frame and noticed that one of the main legs was completely bent out of shape, causing the loud creak. This was the literal, physical outcome of your wild session earlier…

“Don't worry, babe, I've got this! We have a one-year warranty on this, right?” Jake tried to calm you down, completely serious.

“Fuck you, Jake! What a fantastic idea," you replied sarcastically, face-palming as you gave him a total death glare. "Do you want to tell them that we broke this couch because we had intense sex on it? Really?!”

Jake just burst out laughing, totally unfazed.

You were absolutely doomed.

What on earth were you supposed to tell IKEA Customer Service?!

note: idk why i ended it like this lmao 😭 peace y'all!! btw, i keu's forearms so much tho he barely shows them arghhh! also, calvin klein plsss make jake as your ambassador huhuhu im on my knees i swear

01. you killed a freshman?

02. god finally heard my prayers

03. “it’s not like that”

04. insane, in a good way

05. photo creds!!!

06. my time has come

07.

08.

09.

The Kingdom of Elias worshipped three things above all else. The Crown. The Gods. And bloodlines. In that order.

A noble's worth was measured by the name they carried. A shop owner’s worth was measured by how much he earned. A soldier’s worth was measured by victories.

And the daughter of a blacksmith? She was supposed to be worth nothing at all. Yet somehow, everyone in the kingdom knew your name.

Perhaps it was because your father never stopped talking about you. Or perhaps it was because people genuinely believed the old man's ridiculous claim.

"My daughter is the Moon Goddess reborn."

Every person in the capital had heard him say it. Every market vendor rolled their eyes whenever he brought it up. Every noble laughed.

Yet none of them could explain why the entire room always seemed brighter whenever you entered. None of them could explain why flowers bloomed unusually well around your home. None of them could explain why even the grumpiest villagers softened whenever you smiled at them.

Your father certainly couldn't. He simply crossed his arms proudly and declared that he was right. As always. "My daughter was blessed by the moon."

The man was impossible. Your brothers agreed. All four of them.

Unfortunately, that meant you had five overprotective men in your life. Your father. And your four older brothers. It was unbearable.

─ · ✿ · ─

"You're not going," your oldest brother, Seo-jun, shook his head.

"I am," you replied.

"You're not," Min-hyeok agreed. 

"Yes."

"No," Tae-rin patted your shoulder almost sympathetically even if he was disagreeing too. You glared across the breakfast table. Seo-jun glared back. The rest watched the argument unfold.

"I am attending Decelis Academy," you repeated.

"You're not," Ha-jun, your youngest brother, laughed as if your ideas of leaving where hilarious.

"I was accepted."

"You can reject it."

"I earned my place."

"You can still reject it."

You wanted to throw bread at him. Instead, you settled for kicking his shin under the table. He yelped. Victory.

Your father immediately pointed at him, "See? My angel-daughter has spoken."

"Dad."

"What?"

"You cannot keep calling me that."

"I absolutely can."

Your Tae-rin groaned and Min-hyeok rubbed his face. Seo-jun looked ready to jump out a window as Ha-jun simply laughed again- like he found your suffering funny. Your father remained completely serious.

"You were born under a full moon."

"Dad."

"The moonlight turned silver-" he continued.

"Dad."

"The village priest cried-"

"Dad."

"The cows started mooing-"

"The cows always moo!"

"I know." You buried your face in your hands and the table erupted into laughter. For a moment, warmth filled your home. For a moment, everything felt perfect.

Then your father spoke again, "Any boy who looks at my daughter loses his eyes." The warmth vanished immediately and- of course- all four brothers nodded. 

You stared at them in horror. "WHAT?"

"Reasonable," Seo-jun spoke.

"Completely reasonable," Min-hyeok nodded.

"Very reasonable," Tae-rin agreed.

"Honestly, we should take their hands too," Ha-jun suggested calmly.

You nearly choked, "No one is taking anyone's eyes!"

Your father snorted, "We'll negotiate, sweetheart."

"DAD!"

Unfortunately for you, they were only half joking. Unfortunately for every young man in the kingdom, they were only half joking. Because you were adored. Absolutely adored. And nowhere would that become more obvious than Decelis Academy.

─ · ✿ · ─

The buildings stood upon a mountain overlooking the capital. Ancient stone towers pierced the clouds. Silver 'WELCOME STUDENTS!' banners fluttered against the wind. Future rulers, generals, scholars and nobles studied within its walls.Only the kingdom's most talented students could attend. Which was why many nobles were furious about your acceptance.

A blacksmith's daughter. Among aristocrats. Among heirs. Among future lords.

Scandalous. You didn't care, you had worked too hard, studied too much, sacrificed too many nights. No one would take this from you, not even nobles- especially not nobles. The academy gates opened and students poured inside.

─ · ✿ · ─

Carriages lined the roads.

Expensive fabrics. Precious jewels. House crests. Power. Everywhere.

You adjusted your books, lifted your chin and walked forward.

Immediately, people stared. You ignored them. Then someone collided into you. Books crashed. Papers scattered. A groan followed.

"Watch where you're—" The stranger froze. You froze. The boy kneeling among scattered books looked around your age. Dark eyes. Handsome features. Expensive uniform.

Noble. Definitely noble. Unfortunately.

The boy stared. And stared. And stared.You frowned, "Are you alright?" No response. His mouth opened slightly. Still nothing. A second boy suddenly appeared. Then another. Then another. And another. And another. Until six other young men stood around him.

All nobles. All staring. You were beginning to feel concerned.

"What happened?" a boy with soft eyes and gentle asked. The kneeling boy pointed at you and you blinked as they looked at you. Silence. 

Then one of them whispered, "Oh."

Another whispered, "Definitely oh."

A third whispered, "Completely oh." You had no idea what was happening. Then the kneeling noble finally stood, his eyes never left yours. 

"Hello."

You raised an eyebrow, "Hello."

The silence returned. The other boys exchanged looks. One visibly fought laughter. Another looked horrified. A third pinched the bridge of his nose.

Finally, one sighed, "He's broken."

"What?"

"Completely broken." You blinked. The noble in front of you still hadn't looked away. He extended a hand.

"My name is Lee Heeseung." Something about the way he said it felt important, as though he expected recognition.

You simply shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, Heeseung."

His friends looked excited. Heeseung looked hopeful. You smiled politely. Then walked away.

The seven nobles remained frozen. Several moments passed. Finally, one spoke, "She doesn't know who you are."

Another burst into laughter. A third nearly fell over. Heeseung stood motionless. Completely devastated. Because for the first time in years— someone had treated him like an ordinary person.

And somehow...

He liked it.

─ · ✿ · ─

The next few months changed everything. Mostly because Heeseung became impossible. Absolutely impossible. You saw him everywhere.

Library? Heeseung. Courtyard? Heeseung. Dining hall? Heeseung. Garden? Heeseung. Hallway? Heeseung.

At first you assumed coincidence. Then you discovered he had changed his study schedule three times just to match yours.

You discovered he sat near you whenever possible. You discovered his friends regularly abandoned him so he could speak with you. You discovered he was shameless. Utterly shameless.

"Good morning," he whispered for the third time that lesson.

"You said that already."

"I missed you."

"You saw me ten minutes ago."

"It was a difficult ten minutes."

You stared. He smiled. Infuriating. Months passed. Friendship grew. Slowly. Steadily. Against all logic.

Because despite his ridiculous behavior... He was kind. Painfully kind. He remembered everything. Your favorite books. Your favorite flowers. Your favorite tea. The subjects you struggled with. The subjects you loved. He listened. 

He cared. And worst of all—

you started looking for him too. The realization terrified you.

─ · ✿ · ─

One winter evening, snow drifted outside the academy library. Most students had returned home. Only a handful remained. Including you. And including Heeseung.

You sat across from each other studying. Or at least pretending to study. Heeseung had read the same page five times. You hadn't read yours at all.The silence felt different tonight.

Heavy. Expectant. Dangerous. Finally, Heeseung closed his book.

"(Y/N)."You looked up. His expression was serious. Far too serious. 

Your heartbeat quickened, "What is it?"

"I need to ask you something."

The room suddenly felt smaller. Outside, snow continued falling.Inside, neither of you moved. "What?"

He swallowed. Then stood, "Come with me."

─ · ✿ · ─

The gardens of Decelis were famous throughout the kingdom. Flowers bloomed among silver fountains. Crystal lanterns illuminated winding paths. Winter snow glittered beneath starlight.

It looked almost unreal. You followed Heeseung deeper into the gardens. Neither of you spoke. Your heart was racing. His was worse. Far worse.

Finally he stopped beneath a moonlit archway. For several moments, neither moved. Neither breathed. Then Heeseung turned toward you.

And everything changed. Because for the first time since you met him... There was no teasing.No laughter. No confidence. Only honesty. Raw. Terrifying honesty.

"(Y/N)," he said quietly. Your breath caught. His eyes never left yours. "I've liked you for a very long time." The world seemed to stop.

Snow drifted around you. Moonlight painted silver across the garden. And Heeseung continued, "I tried not to, it didn't work." A nervous laugh escaped him. "I thought it would."

His hands trembled slightly. "I thought if I waited, it would disappear."

It hadn't. You could hear it in every word. Every breath. Every heartbeat. His feelings had only grown stronger. "And now?" You whispered.

His gaze softened, "Now I think about you constantly." The confession struck like lightning.

You couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't look away. He stepped closer. Only slightly. Enough. "Will you let me court you?"

The question hung between you. Simple. Terrifying. Life-changing.

Your heart pounded because the answer had been growing inside you for months. Every smile. Every conversation. Every stolen moment. Every ridiculous greeting. Every shared laugh. Every glance.

You already knew. And so did he. You smiled- a small smile- but it was enough. "Yes." For a moment, Heeseung simply stared. As though he couldn't believe it.

Then the realization hit. And his entire face lit up. The joy there was so pure it nearly stole your breath.

He looked happier than anyone you had ever seen. And under the moonlit sky- the future seemed endless.

Neither of you noticed the figure watching from a balcony above.

Lady Lee.

Heeseung's mother. Her face cold. Her eyes sharp. And her expression furious. Because the future her son envisioned... Was not the future she intended. And she would do everything in her power to destroy it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Lady Lee did not sleep that night. Neither did Heeseung. Neither did you.

For very different reasons. You lay awake in your small room at the academy, staring at the ceiling as snow continued falling outside.

Your heart refused to calm. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw him. The way his hands had trembled. The way his voice had cracked. The way he had looked at you after you said yes.You smiled into your pillow despite yourself. Then immediately buried your face in it. This was ridiculous.

You had never been the sort of girl who daydreamed about romance. You had spent most of your life studying, helping your father, dodging your brothers, and trying not to get dragged into village gossip.

Yet somehow Lee Heeseung had appeared and ruined everything because now your heart was doing strange things. And you hated it. Mostly.

─ · ✿ · ─

Meanwhile, Heeseung was having a far worse evening because his mother had summoned him. Immediately. The moment you left. The doors of Lady Lee's private chambers closed behind him. The sound echoed. Dangerously.

Lady Lee stood near the fireplace. Elegant. Perfect. Terrifying.

The resemblance between mother and son was obvious. The same sharp features. The same dark eyes. The same commanding presence.

Unfortunately, Lady Lee possessed none of her son's warmth, "Heeseung."

His jaw tightened, "Mother."

"Who is she?" Straight to the point. Of course.

Heeseung didn't pretend ignorance, "(Y/N)."

"The blacksmith's daughter."

The words dripped with disdain. Something ugly twisted inside him, "She has a name."

Lady Lee's eyes narrowed, "You forget yourself."

"No," His voice was calm. Dangerously calm, "I remember exactly who I am."

The silence that followed felt sharp enough to cut skin. Lady Lee studied him carefully. Then sighed-like she was disappointed. "As your mother, I am attempting to save you from making a mistake."

The anger inside him grew, "(Y/N) is not a mistake."

"She is a commoner." The words struck like a slap. His hands clenched. Lady Lee continued, "You are a lord's son."

"Second son."

"That changes nothing."

"It changes everything." His voice rose for the first time, "You know it does."

The room fell silent. Because they both knew the truth. Heeseung would never inherit the titles. His older brother- Lee Heedo- would.

His future had always been different. Less restricted. Less political. Less important.

Yet somehow his mother still expected perfection. Still expected obedience. Still expected him to marry according to status. According to power. According to blood.

Never according to love. "End this," the command rang through the room. Heeseung laughed. A single sharp sound. Lady Lee looked startled.

Then offended. Then furious.

"No."

The word landed like a sword strike. "No?"

"No," Lady Lee stared. Her son had never spoken to her like this. Not once. Not ever. Yet here he stood. Meeting her gaze directly. Refusing.

Over a girl.

A blacksmith's daughter.

The realization made something cold settle inside her. Fine. If Heeseung would not end this willingly—She would end it herself.

─ · ✿ · ─

The next morning, you walked into class and immediately knew something was wrong.Heeseung looked murderous. Actually murderous. You paused beside his desk, "Good morning?"

He looked up. The murderous expression disappeared instantly, "Oh."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"You look like you're planning a crime."

"Only a few." You blinked. Heeseung smiled. But the smile didn't reach his eyes. Not entirely.

Something had happened. Something important.

Before you could ask further questions, arolled up piece of paper struck the back of Heeseung's head. He didn't even flinch, "Ow."

"You deserved that," Jake lowered his arm, Sunghoon nodded, Jay looked unimpressed, Sunoo looked entertained, Jungwon looked exhausted, Riki looked curious.

The entire friend group had arrived. Unfortunately.

"What did I do?"

Jake stared, "You disappeared."

"Yes?"

"You abandoned us."

"Mum."

"You missed dinner."

"Okay?"

"You have a girlfriend for one night and suddenly forget your friends exist." The classroom exploded into laughter. You nearly choked. Heeseung looked smug. You wanted the floor to swallow you whole.

"He's not my—"

"Courting partner."

Jay interrupted, "Potential future wife."

Sunoo added, "Future mother of his children."

Riki smirked subtly. You nearly died. Absolutely died. Heeseung looked delighted. "Thank you, Sunoo."

"You're welcome."

You covered your face. The boys continued arguing. The teacher eventually arrived. Order returned.

Mostly.

But one thing became painfully clear. Everyone was going to know. Soon. Very soon.

─ · ✿ · ─

The disaster arrived two weeks later. In the form of your brothers. All four of them. At once.

You were walking through the academy courtyard with Heeseung when a familiar voice echoed across the grounds, "(Y/N)!"

You froze. Heeseung froze. Slowly. Very slowly. You turned around and immediately wished you hadn't.

Because Seo-jun was standing there. Alongside Min-hyeok. Tae-rin. And Ha-jun.

The Four Horsemen of Your Personal Apocalypse, "Oh no."

"What?"

"Oh no."

Heeseung finally noticed them, "Who—"

"My brothers."

"Oh." A pause. Then another. Then:

"Oh no."

Now he understood. The four men approached. Their expressions growing darker with every step. Particularly when they noticed Heeseung standing beside you.

Very close beside you. Far too close. Ha-jun pointed, "Who is that?"

You considered lying. Unfortunately, Heeseung stepped forward. And bowed politely. "My name is Lee Heeseung."

Traitor. Absolute traitor.

The brothers exchanged looks. Dangerous looks. The kind of looks soldiers exchanged before battle. "Lee?" Seo-jun repeated.

"Yes."

"The noble family?"

"Yes.""The lord's son?"

"Yes." Silence. 

Then: "No."

Heeseung blinked, "No?"

"No."

"You don't even know what I'm asking."

"I know enough," Seo-jun crossed his arms, "You are not courting my sister."

The courtyard became completely silent. Students immediately began watching. Of course they did. You wanted to disappear.

Unfortunately, your family prevented that. Frequently.

"I'm not asking permission." The words left Heeseung's mouth before he could stop them. Your brothers stared. You stared. Even Heeseung looked shocked because that had been a terrible thing to say. A truly terrible thing to say. The resulting silence was horrifying.

Then Seo-jun smiled. That was somehow worse. Much worse. "Interesting."

Min-hyeok nodded slowly, "Very interesting."

Tae-rin cracked his knuckles. Ha-jun looked delighted because chaos was his favorite hobby.

"Oh, this is going badly," You whispered.

Heeseung whispered back, "I noticed."

And somehow against all logic of the situation—You almost laughed.

─ · ✿ · ─

The first letter arrived three days later. Lady Lee's seal gleamed upon the wax. You frowned. Then opened it and your blood ran cold because the contents were clear.

Painfully clear.

'You are not suitable for my son.'

You read the words once. Twice. Three times. Each reading made your stomach twist further.

She spoke of bloodlines. Status. Reputation. Duty.

Everything nobles valued. Everything you lacked. The message beneath the polite language was unmistakable.

'Leave him.'

You folded the letter carefully. Then walked home. Your father was working. Sparks danced through the air. The familiar sight usually comforted you. Today it didn't. Immediately, he noticed. His hammer lowered, "Sweetheart."

You swallowed, "Dad."

His expression changed instantly. The smile disappeared, "What happened?"

You handed him the letter. He read. Once. Twice. Then a third time. The air became very still.

"Dad?" No answer. "Dad." Still nothing.

Slowly, your father folded the letter, placed it on the table, then rolled up his sleeves. You stared, "Dad?"

"Where is my hammer?"

Your eyes widened, "Dad."

"Just asking."

"Dad."

"Perfectly innocent question."

"DAD."

The forge door suddenly opened and your brothers entered. Unfortunately. Your father immediately handed them the letter. You watched all four read it. You watched all four become angry. Very angry. Perhaps murderously angry.Your headache arrived immediately. 

Because this situation had somehow become worse. And you were fairly certain nobody had reached peak anger yet.

Not even close. Especially not Lee Heeseung. Who had not yet discovered what his mother had done.

When he did—

The kingdom itself might have reason to worry.

─ · ✿ · ─

The kingdom had much more to worry than expected because Heeseung discovered the letter the very next day. And he was furious.

Not the quiet irritation his friends were accustomed to. Not the mild annoyance he displayed when Jake stole food from his plate. Not even the dangerous anger he showed during academy tournaments.

No. This was different. This was the kind of fury that settled deep in a person's bones. The kind that remained. The kind that changed things.

Forever.

─ · ✿ · ─

You were sitting beneath the old oak tree near the academy gardens when Heeseung found you. Immediately, you knew something was wrong. His uniform was immaculate as always. His posture was perfect. His expression was calm. Unbothered.

The sort of calm people possessed right before disaster struck.

"Heeseung?" No response. Your stomach dropped because he only ignored you when something was truly wrong.

Slowly, he approached. Then held out an envelope. Your blood ran cold. The letter. Lady Lee's letter, "Oh." The single word escaped before you could stop it. 

Heeseung's jaw tightened, "She sent this to you." Not a question. A statement.

You swallowed, "Yes."

"When?"

"Three days ago." The silence that followed felt unbearable. Students passed nearby. Birds sang. The world continued turning. Yet somehow everything felt frozen.

"You didn't tell me." You stared at the ground because he wasn't wrong. You hadn't told him. Partly because you didn't want to worry him. Partly because you knew exactly how he would react. And judging by his expression—

You had been right, "I handled it."

"No," his voice cut through the air. Sharp. Precise. “You shouldn't have needed to." The anger beneath the words startled you. Not because it was directed at you. Because it wasn't. Every ounce of it was aimed elsewhere.

At Lady Lee. At the expectations surrounding him. At every person who believed they had the right to decide your worth, "(Y/N)."

You looked up. His eyes softened immediately. Just for you. Only for you. "You should never have had to read that." Something tightened painfully in your chest. Because nobody had said that. Not your father. Not your brothers. Not even yourself. 

Everyone had focused on the insult. The injustice. The anger. Only Heeseung focused on the hurt. The fact that someone had deliberately tried to make you feel lesser. And he hated it. You could see it. You could feel it.

His anger wasn't pride. It wasn't possessiveness. It was heartbreak. For you. And somehow that made everything worse. Because suddenly you wanted to cry. Which was ridiculous. You never cried. Almost never. 

Yet Heeseung looked at you as though the letter had wounded him personally. As though your pain belonged to him too. Without thinking, you reached for his hand. His fingers immediately intertwined with yours. Natural. Effortless. As though they'd been doing it forever.

The realization sent heat rushing to your face. Heeseung smiled slightly. The first genuine smile all day, "There you are."

"What?"

"I've been looking for that smile."

You scoffed quietly and the moment shattered. Thankfully. Because if he kept looking at you like that—You might've forgotten how to speak entirely.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, someone else witnessed the interaction. Lady Lee. Again.The woman seemed to appear whenever she was least wanted. Which was always. She had arrived at the academy to attend a noble council meeting.

Instead, she found herself standing in a stone corridor overlooking the gardens. Watching. And what she saw horrified her. Not because you were holding hands. Not because Heeseung looked happy.

But because he looked devoted. Completely devoted. The sort of devotion people wrote songs about. The sort of devotion that ignored reason. Ignored status. Ignored logic. Ignored consequences.

The sort of devotion that could not be controlled. And Lady Lee despised anything she could not control.

─ · ✿ · ─

The rumors exploded by week's end. They spread through Decelis Academy like wildfire. The blacksmith's daughter. The lord's son. The impossible romance.

Students whispered during lessons. During meals. During training sessions.

Everywhere. Most were supportive. Some were curious. A few were cruel. One particularly foolish noble girl approached you during lunch.Her smile was sweet. Artificially sweet. The kind that usually preceded unpleasantness, "You must feel very fortunate."

You looked up from your book, "What?"

"Lord Heeseung," she laughed lightly, "As a commoner, opportunities like this don't come often."

The table went silent. Completely silent. You recognized the trap immediately. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. Including Heeseung. Who happened to be sitting directly beside you with his arm around your shoulders.

The girl has made a mistake. A terrible mistake.

Because now the noble girl had purposely insulted someone Heeseung cared about and he was already angry.

The combination was unfortunate. For her. "What exactly do you mean by that?" The question sounded polite. Almost gentle. 

The girl relaxed.bAnother mistake, "I only mean she should know her place."

The dining hall froze. Completely froze. Hundreds of students stared. Waiting. Watching. Heeseung slowly set down his fork. Then stood.The movement alone made the girl pale because suddenly she realized something. 

The problem wasn't that a noble was courting a blacksmith's daughter. The problem was that the noble in question was Lee Heeseung.

And Lee Heeseung looked ready to start a war, "Her place?" His voice was terrifyingly calm. The girl swallowed. No response. Heeseung stepped forward. Just once. Yet somehow it felt threatening. "If you ever speak about her like that again—"

"Heeseung," Your voice interrupted him. Immediately. Instantly. His attention shifted. The anger disappeared.

Not completely but enough. The transformation stunned everyone. One moment he looked furious. The next he looked at you. And softened. As though the world itself revolved around your opinion.The entire dining hall noticed- every single person. The silence became deafening. You suddenly wished for death. Or invisibility.

Either would suffice. "Heeseung," You squeezed his hand gently, "Sit down."

He obeyed immediately. The dining hall collectively lost its mind. Because apparently watching one of the academy's most respected nobles obey a blacksmith's daughter without hesitation was shocking.

Personally, you thought everyone was overreacting. Heeseung disagreed, "You could tell me to jump into the Han River."

You stared, "What?"

"I probably would."

"That's ridiculous."

His smile returned, "There it is again."

You kicked him under the table and he looked delighted.

─ · ✿ · ─

Several days later, Heeseung visited your home for the first time. In retrospect, nothing good could have come from this.

The signs were obvious. Your father spent three hours preparing. Your brothers spent two. Nobody explained why, which somehow made everything worse.

When Heeseung arrived at the house, everyone was waiting.

Your father.

Seo-jun.

Min-hyeok.

Tae-rin.

Ha-jun.

All standing together. Watching. Like executioners.

"Oh."Heeseung stopped walking. Reasonable. Very reasonable. Your father smiled. The smile was terrifying.

"Welcome."

Heeseung bowed respectfully."Sir."

"Come inside." The smile remained. Still terrifying. You considered warning him. Unfortunately, it was already too late. He had entered the house. There was no escape now. The interrogation lasted three hours.

Three.

Entire.

Hours.

By the end, even Heeseung looked exhausted. Your father had questioned everything. His intentions. His future. His studies. His finances. His character. His plans. His feelings.

The weather. Probably. You couldn't remember anymore.

At one point Seo-jun demanded to know how many books Heeseung had read. At another point Min-hyeok somehow started discussing swordsmanship. Tae-rin wanted to know whether Heeseung could repair a wagon. Ha-jun simply asked increasingly bizarre questions for entertainment.

The entire experience felt surreal. Yet somehow, Heeseung never complained. Not once.Not even when your father asked the most important question of all, “Why her?"

The room fell silent. You froze. Everyone did. Even Ha-jun, which was rare. Extremely rare.

Heeseung looked toward you. Then smiled softly and answered, “Because she's her."

Silence. Absolute silence. Your heart stopped. Completely stopped. Your father stared. Seo-jun stared. Everyone stared. Heeseung didn't seem to notice. Or care. Because he continued.

"She's kind." Your face burned. "She's stubborn." Your face burned more. "She's brave." The room disappeared. "She's smarter than most nobles I've met." You considered jumping through a window. “She's honest." Death would be preferable. "And because I love who I become when I'm with her."

The silence afterward felt endless. No one moved. No one spoke. No one breathed. Then your father looked away. Quickly. Suspiciously quickly. As though hiding something. Seo-jun suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Min-hyeok cleared his throat. Tae-rin rubbed his eyes. Ha-jun looked emotional- which was horrifying. Because if Ha-jun became emotional- the world was ending.

You looked down immediately because your own eyes suddenly felt suspiciously wet. And you absolutely refused to cry in front of everyone. Especially not because of Lee Heeseung. Especially not because he loved you.

─ · ✿ · ─

The problem with Lee Heeseung was that once he decided something- nothing could stop him. Not his friends. Not your brothers. Not the academy. And certainly not his mother.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Heeseung had decided he loved you. Which meant the entire kingdom was about to suffer the consequences.

─ · ✿ · ─

Lady Lee summoned him again three days after his visit to your family's forge. This time, Heeseung arrived already irritated. A dangerous sign. Because normally Heeseung was patient. Reasonable. Diplomatic.

Today he was none of those things.

The moment he entered the sitting room, Lady Lee dismissed the servants. The doors shut. Silence settled. Then the argument began. "You visited her home."

Not a greeting. Not a question. An accusation.

"Yes," Heeseung shrugged.

Lady Lee inhaled sharply, "As if they are your equals."

The words landed like a slap.Heeseung's expression darkened immediately, "They are."

"No."

"They are."

"Heeseung—"

"No." The interruption shocked her. Again.

Recently, her son had become increasingly difficult to control. Increasingly willing to challenge her. Increasingly willing to choose you. Every single time. And she hated it. "You are embarrassing this family."

The statement hung between them. Cold. Cruel. Deliberate. For a moment Heeseung simply stared. Then he laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it was absurd. "Embarrassing?" his voice was dangerously quiet, "You think loving someone is embarrassing?"

"I think forgetting your responsibilities is embarrassing." Something snapped. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just enough. The patience he'd spent months maintaining finally disappeared.

"You want to know what's embarrassing?" Lady Lee froze, because her son looked angry. Truly angry. The kind of anger that rarely surfaced. The kind that made even grown men nervous.

"I've spent years doing everything you've asked," his voice shook. Not from fear- from fury. "I studied what you wanted." Silence. "I behaved how you wanted." More silence. "I became the son you wanted." Lady Lee said nothing because she knew it was true. "And now." His jaw clenched. "You've decided the one thing I want isn't acceptable."

The room felt suffocating. Heavy. Painfully heavy. For the first time, Lady Lee saw something she'd never expected. Resentment. Years of it. Buried beneath obedience. Buried beneath politeness. Buried beneath duty. All finally surfacing.

And somehow- it was your fault. At least in her eyes. Because before you, Heeseung had accepted everything. Before you, he'd listened. Before you, he'd obeyed. Then you arrived. And suddenly he was fighting back. Suddenly he was choosing himself. Suddenly he was happy.

And Lady Lee despised the fact that happiness had made him stronger.

─ · ✿ · ─

You had no idea any of this was happening. Instead, you were attempting to survive another day at Decelis Academy. A difficult task. Mostly because your relationship was no longer a secret. At all. Not even slightly. The academy had become unbearable.

Everywhere you went, people stared. Whispered. Gossiped. Speculated. It was exhausting. You were halfway through lunch when Sunoo suddenly appeared beside you. Without warning. Like a particularly annoying ghost.

"(Y/N)."

You nearly dropped your spoon, "What?"

Sunoo grinned. "Do you know what Heeseung did yesterday?" The answer was immediately concerning.

"No."

Sunoo looked delighted which made it worse, "He threatened a duke's son."

You choked, "What?"

Across the table, Jake nodded. "Twice."

"TWICE?"

"Technically three times," Jay corrected. You stared. Sunghoon looked embarrassed. Jungwon looked tired. Riki looked fascinated. The usual.

"What happened?"

Jake pointed toward Heeseung, who was currently reading a book several tables away. As though he hadn't apparently threatened multiple nobles. The liar.

"The duke's son called you a gold digger."

The dining hall immediately became quiet. Again. You hated when that happened. Because it usually meant trouble. And trouble frequently involved Heeseung. "Oh."

Jake nodded, "That was our reaction too." You looked toward Heeseung. He still hadn't looked up from his book. The picture of innocence. Fraudulent innocence. The worst kind.

"What exactly did he say?"

The six boys exchanged looks. Then Sunghoon sighed, "Heeseung informed him that if he ever insulted you again-"

Jake interrupted, "He'd throw him through a window."

You stared. Sunoo continued, "Then through another window."

You blinked. Riki nodded seriously, "There were several windows involved."

The silence lasted five seconds. Then, "He wouldn't actually do that." The six boys looked at each other. Nobody answered. Your stomach dropped."Oh God."

─ · ✿ · ─

The academy's Spring Festival arrived two weeks later. Traditionally, it was one of the most anticipated events of the year. Students dressed elegantly. Musicians performed. Nobles socialized. Future political alliances formed. And young people found excuses to dance together. You hated it already. Your brothers were visiting.

Lady Lee would obviously attend.

Half the nobility would be present. Nothing good could possibly happen, which meant disaster was inevitable. Heeseung disagreed because he was excited. Extremely excited. Suspiciously excited.

The realization should have worried you sooner.

─ · ✿ · ─

The festival began at sunset. Lanterns illuminated every pathway, music echoed through the academy grounds, students filled the gardens, laughter drifted through the evening air.

Beautiful. Elegant. Dangerous. You adjusted your dress nervously. Immediately regretting it because dresses attracted attention. Attention attracted people. People asked questions. You hated questions.

"(Y/N)." You turned and forgot how to breathe. Entirely.

Because Heeseung was standing there looking unfairly handsome. Completely unfairly. It should have been illegal. Actually illegal.

His dark formal suit fit him perfectly, his hair was neatly styled, his expression softened the moment he saw you.

Then completely disappeared. He stared. And stared. And continued staring. Your face warmed instantly.

"Heeseung." No response. "Heeseung." Still nothing. Finally, Jake appeared. Looked at Heeseung. Then at you. Then sighed, "He's broken again."

The others arrived immediately. Of course they did. Jay took one look at Heeseung's expression, and agreed, "Completely broken."

Sunghoon nodded, "Beyond repair."

Sunoo looked entertained, "As expected."

Jungwon pinched the bridge of his nose. Riki looked thoughtful, "I think he's in love."

You wanted to disappear. Immediately. Forever.

Meanwhile, Heeseung finally remembered how to speak. Barely, "You look beautiful." Silence. Complete silence.

Even his friends stopped talking. Your heart stuttered. Then stopped entirely because he wasn't teasing. Wasn't flirting. Wasn't joking. He meant it. Entirely. And the sincerity in his voice nearly destroyed you, "Oh."

Brilliant response. Truly. A masterpiece. Heeseung smiled. The soft smile. The dangerous smile. The one reserved only for you. The one that made your heartbeat impossible, "You always do."

Your death became imminent.

─ · ✿ · ─

The dancing began shortly afterward. You had hoped to avoid it. A foolish hope. A hopeless hope because Heeseung found you almost immediately. Then held out his hand. The gesture was simple. Yet somehow it felt enormous. Terrifying. Important.

Every noble custom suddenly became relevant. Every watching eye suddenly mattered. The entire world narrowed. Only him. Only you. Only this moment.

"May I have this dance?" his voice was quiet. Gentle. Yours. Always yours.

The realization terrified you because somewhere along the way- he had become home.

You placed your hand in his, "Yes." The smile that followed nearly blinded you.

Together, you stepped onto the dance floor. The music swelled. The crowd disappeared. The world faded. Only Heeseung remained. His hand resting carefully at your waist- your fingers in his. His eyes fixed entirely on you- as though nothing else existed. As though nobody else existed. For several moments neither spoke. Neither needed to.

Then: "I'm going to marry you someday."

You nearly tripped, "Heeseung!"

"What?"

You stared in horror. He looked confused- genuinely confused. The audacity. The absolute audacity. "You cannot say things like that."

"Why?"

"Because-" Words failed. Completely. Heeseung looked pleased, which was suspicious. Very suspicious. Then he leaned slightly closer. Only enough for you to hear, "I mean it."

Your heart stopped. Again. This was becoming a problem. A serious problem because he sounded completely serious. Not hopeful. Not dreamy. Certain. As though he'd already decided. As though the future itself had been settled.

And somehow- part of you wanted to believe him.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, someone else heard.

Lady Lee.

Standing across the hall. Watching. Always watching. And for the first time- fear entered her heart. Because she finally understood. This wasn't infatuation. Wasn't youthful attraction. Wasn't a phase.

Her son loved you. Entirely. Completely. Irrevocably. And the terrifying part? You loved him too. So, naturally- she needed a better way to destroy that.

─ · ✿ · ─

The problem with fate was that it never cared about anyone's plans- not yours, not Heeseung's.

And certainly not Lady Lee's.

Because only three days after the Spring Festival, a storm descended upon Decelis Academy unlike anything seen in years. The sky darkened before noon. Thunder shook the mountains. Rain battered ancient stone walls.

Students rushed indoors. Lessons were cancelled. Hallways filled with confusion. And by evening, nobody was permitted to leave their assigned dormitory wing.

Unfortunately, you were nowhere near yours.

---

"This is your fault."

Heeseung looked offended, "My fault?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"You wanted to walk through the gardens."

"You agreed."

"That isn't the point."

"It feels like the point."

You glared, he smiled. That infuriating man had the audacity to smile. Even now. Even while rain hammered against glass windows. Even while the academy staff attempted to organize hundreds of stranded students.

Even while you were both trapped in the administrative wing- too far from your dormitory.

"This is bad."

"It's not bad."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"Heeseung."

"(Y/N)."

You narrowed your eyes. He looked pleased with himself. Again. You hated when he looked pleased with himself, mostly because he was usually about to say something outrageous, which meant you were never prepared.

"We're dry."

"Yes."

"We're safe."

"Mhm."

"We're together."

You immediately looked away. A mistake.Because his grin widened, "Oh, there it is."

"What?"

"The blushing."

"I am not blushing."

"You absolutely are."

You were. Unfortunately.

─ · ✿ · ─

The academy staff eventually found a temporary solution. A terrible solution. An absolutely horrifying solution, which was how you found yourself standing beside Heeseung while an exhausted professor explained the situation, "We've run out of rooms." Silence.

"What?"

The professor sighed, "The lower dormitories flooded."

"Okay..."

"The guest wing is full."

"Oh."

"The faculty quarters are full."

"Oh."

The professor looked increasingly tired, "So you'll be sharing one of the study suites until morning."

The world stopped. Entirely.

You stared. Heeseung stared. The professor continued speaking. Neither of you heard a word because one sentence was repeating inside your mind.

Sharing. One. Room.

"Oh no."

The professor left. Immediately. Probably because he valued his own survival. A wise decision. Very wise.

You and Heeseung remained standing there. Motionless, neither speaking, neither breathing. The silence became unbearable. Then: "This is fine."

You looked at him. Heeseung looked back. Neither of you believed that. At all.

─ · ✿ · ─

The study suite was surprisingly large. A fireplace. Several bookshelves. A sofa. A desk. Two armchairs. One large window overlooking the storm. Comfortable. Private. Far too private.You hated it immediately. Mostly because Heeseung seemed entirely unaffected. At first. Then you noticed the slight tension in his shoulders, the way he kept adjusting his sleeves, the way he avoided looking directly at you.

Interesting. Very interesting.Because Lee Heeseung was nervous and you'd never seen that before. Not truly. Not like this.

The realization was oddly comforting. Good. He deserved it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Hours passed. Rain continued outside. Thunder echoed through the mountains. Inside, the fire crackled softly.

You sat in one armchair. Heeseung sat in the other. A respectable distance apart. Neither of you acknowledged how aware you were of each other's presence.Not once. Not verbally. At least.Until Heeseung ruined the peace, "Can I ask you something?"

You looked up from your book. He was watching the flames.

"What?"

His expression softened, "When did you start liking me?"

The question nearly killed you. Brutally. Mercilessly. You considered pretending not to hear. Unfortunately, he was patient. Annoyingly patient.

So eventually you answered, "I don't know." A lie. A complete lie. You knew exactly when- the library, the study sessions, the way he remembered everything, the way he listened, the way he cared.

You remembered all of it. And apparently Heeseung did too- because he smiled, "You're lying."

Your jaw dropped. The audacity- again, "You asked a question."

"And you didn't answer it."

"I did."

"No, you didn't."

You wanted to throw a book at him but, instead, you hugged it tighter. A much more mature response. Probably.

─ · ✿ · ─

For a while, neither of you spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, which somehow made it worse- because being comfortable with him had become dangerously easy. Dangerously natural.

You watched rain slide down the window. He watched you. The realization arrived suddenly. Without warning.

And when it did- you couldn't ignore it- no matter how hard you tried. You loved him.

The thought struck like lightning. Not because it was new but because it wasn't. Deep down, you'd known for weeks. Months, perhaps. You just hadn't said it. Hadn't allowed yourself to say it because saying it made it real. Terrifyingly real. 

And Heeseung... He loved you too. Enough to fight his mother. Enough to challenge nobles. Enough to risk his future. Enough to choose you. Every single time. Your chest tightened painfully because no one had ever chosen you like that before.

─ · ✿ · ─

"(Y/N)." You looked up almost immediately because something in his voice sounded different.  Heeseung wasn't smiling anymore, wasn't teasing, wasn't joking.

His gaze held yours. Steady. Certain. And suddenly the room felt much smaller. "What is it?"

For a moment, he said nothing. Then quietly, "No matter what happens..." Your breath caught. "No matter what my mother does." Silence. "No matter what anyone says." The storm raged outside. Inside, however, only his voice existed, "I am not leaving."

Your heart shattered because he meant it. Every word. Every promise. Every impossible vow. He meant all of it. And somehow- that frightened you more than anything.

Because what if he lost everything? What if loving you cost him too much? What if- "What if I ask you to?" The question escaped before you could stop it.

Immediately, regret followed. Heeseung stared. Then stood slowly, crossing the room until he stopped beside your chair. Close. Too close to be innocent. Just enough.

Carefully, he placed his hand on your cheek, moving forward as his breath ghosted over your lips. Leaning in, he pressed a heavy kiss to your lips. A kiss that held too much pent up tension and too much heat, and far too much love.

His tongue slipped into your mouth, still carefully cradling your face with his large palm as the other slid over your hip. You breathed into his mouth, your hands coming to rest over his shoulders as you melted into the kiss. 

Heeseung pulled back slightly, his forehead pressing to yours as he began unbuttoning your uniform shirt. When it was done all the way, he did his own, pulling both of them off both of you and throwing them into the corner of the room with a muffled thud.

Discarding the rest of your clothes, he pushed you back gently into the soft plush of the mattress, coming to giver over you as your naked bodies tangled together in the heat of the kiss.

“Do you want this?” Heeseung whispered, his lips trailing down your chin and to your neck, sucking lightly on the skin there, nipping a few times but soothing it with worshipping kisses and licks.

You nodded wordlessly, your arms wrapping around his neck as you arched into his touch.

“Words, my love, I need words,” he muttered, the sound vibrating through your body and sending searing heat straight to your core.

“Please, Hee,” you whined quietly, the flickering candles set around the room framing your feverish expression with a soft, warm light. The thunder cracked outside, making you jolt and press against him once more, feeling his growing hard-on.

You glanced up through your lashes to where he had changed positions. With a single view of your doe eyes staring at him, he groaned, the noise cutting through your thoughts and adding to your arousal.

Without warning, Heeseung dropped half his weight onto your body, crashing his lips onto yours as his hand cupped your small chest, thumb flicking over your nipple. You moaned into his mouth, pulling him closer towards you while grinding on his thigh.

He dipped down, parting from your mouth to rest between your thighs, face-to-face with your slick pussy. He pressed a kiss to the throbbing mound, then licked a broad stripe up the middle. You arched off the bed, as the obscene wet noises of Heeseung making out with your dripping cunt filling the room.

You reached down, threading your fingers through his hair and pushing him further down until he was nose deep inside you, smelling the slick arousal that was gathering there.

He moaned around your entrance, moving his hand to push inside you, scissoring your gummy walls next to his tongue. Quickening his pace, Heeseung pumped his tongue and fingers together inside and out of you, trying to get you to your high as quick as possible.

You whined loudly, followed by another whine, and another, and another, until Heeseung spoke, “Cum for me, princess, please cum for me.”

With one final noise, the coil setting low in your stomach snapped, sending gushing liquid down your thighs and Heeseung’s chin. He didn’t waste a bit of it, licking every last drop until only his spit remained on your legs and pussy.

You panted quietly, pulling him up by his shoulder till he was face-to-face with you, “My turn,” you whispered into his ear, rolling both of you until you were sat on top of him.

Heeseung looked up at you, eyes filled with adoration as he followed your movements until you were seated between his thighs. “(Y/n), you don’t have to-“ he started.

“I want to,” you cut him off, your hand wrapping around the base of his flushed red cock. He inhaled sharply at the contact, hips shifting slightly before you pressed your forearm down on his hipbone, “Stay still.”

Carefully, you took him into your mouth, your lips wrapping around his leaking tip, the salty taste of precum and sweat melting on your tongue. Heeseung let out a content sigh, his head dropping back onto the pillows behind him.

Taking him deeper, your nose pressed flush against his pelvis, you swallowed around him, your throat squeezing his length lightly. “Oh my god,” he arched slightly, fingers slipping into your hair as you swallowed again.

You looked up at him through your lashes, gagging deliciously when his cock hit the back of your throat, to which he moaned again- louder this time. Pulling your mouth off him completely, a string of spit connecting your lips to his tip, you wrapped both hands around his length and squeezed, “(Y/n)-“ Heeseung gasped, his grip on the bed sheets beside him turning his knuckles white.

Outside, the thunder from the storm cracked, but you were too focused on the pleasure to notice. Taking him back into your mouth again, you pushed all the way down, so he hit the back of your throat repeatedly.

He groaned, lifting one hand to bite on the skin there to keep his noises quiet. “Don’t, Hee, I want to hear you when you come,” you mumbled as you pulled off and peppered kisses on his thighs.

You licked a long stripe up the underside of his cock, from base to tip, pressing a soft kiss to the slit at the top. Surprisingly, that made him come, the white liquid coating your cheek and nose and mouth. Looking up innocently, you made eye contact and Heeseung groaned again, more of the liquid squirting out again onto you.

When he was done, Heeseung pulled you up till you were laid next to him, his hand on your breast and his other on your ass, while he wiped his cum off your face and licked it off his finger.

“You’re such a pervert,” you scoffed, laughing slightly, but still obeyed when he lifted his finger to your mouth, sucking on it until it was clean.

“Shhh, sweetheart, I’m going to make you feel so good,” Heeseung held your jaw, pulling you into a dizzying kiss while slipping his hand down between you to rub over your clit. You whimpered into his mouth, bucking into his hand as he smirked at your reaction.

“Needy, are we, doll?” he teased, rubbing over your pussy in tight circles while his hand dropped from your jaw to your breast, thumb flicking over your nipple.

“H-hee,” you protested, trying to get some more pressure that he wasn’t giving you, “don’t, ah, t-tease…”

Heeseung chuckled quietly, pulling his hand back as he pushed your body onto the bed and got on top of you, “Sorry, angel, I couldn’t help myself, I’ll take good care of you,” he muttered against your neck, before nipping the skin there.

You could feel his hard cock pressing against your entrance, and his hips moving back and forth so it was rubbing against you but not entering yet. “Heeseung, please,” you pleaded, eyes closing briefly to hold back a whine as he teased you.

“Okay, baby,” he smiled, pulling his hips back and lining himself up with your entrance. With one rock of his hips, he pushed inside, the stretch burning gloriously  as you both moaned loudly.

“Fuck- oh my god,” Heeseung groaned.

“Shit-“ you gasped, hands flying to his shoulder as your nails dug into the skin there to ground yourself.

“Baby, you feel so perfect, squeezing me so tight,” he whispered, pressing his lips to yours.

He pulled his hips back, only to snap them back in just as fast, causing you to moan into his mouth. Taking the opportunity, he slipped his tongue into your mouth, the wet muscle sliding against yours.

He moved back and forth inside you, stretching you out completely with his girth. Pulling his mouth back, a string of saliva connected your lips, and you moaned again- louder this time. As you did, Heeseung spat into your mouth, “Swallow,” he growled.

You complied, too pleased to even care that he had just done was so perverted that it was actually insane. 

Heeseung looked down between your bodies, watching his cock slide in and out of you easily from the messes you had both created before, “That’s it,” he eased back inside of you again, “Take it like a good girl, my good girl.”

Your eyes squeezed shut, mouth open in a silent scream as your face painted a picture of pure, fucked-out pleasure, “You gonna come, angel?” he whispered, “For me?” 

You nodded, opening your eyes again and staring into his, “…p-please…” 

He smirked, biting his lip as he reached between your bodies and began rubbing small circles on your clit. “Hee-“ you whimpered, the dual pressure too much and building up pressure in your lower belly again.

“Good girl,” he praised, rubbing harder as he slammed his cock into your pussy, “Come for me. Now. Again. All over my cock.”

With a drawn-out moan, you arched off the bed, warm liquid dripping out of you and onto his cock, “Fuck-“ you yelped as you came hard.

“Shit, baby, you’re squeezing me so much, can I come inside, yeah?” Heeseung cursed, rubbing your clit harder- to which you nodded and fluttered around him. He came heavily, the orgasm crashing down on both of you as he pumped inside of you to mix your fluids, “Fuuuuckk, you feel too good, milking me like this…” he growled as he leaned down and hit down on your neck, sucking on the skin.

Breathing heavily, he hoisted your leg up onto his hip, fully prepared for round two, but you rested a hand on his cheek, making him pause, “I don’t think I can move much, I won’t be any good,” you whispered, embarrassed that you couldn’t help him.

“My poor baby,” Heeseung pouted, dropping your leg back onto the bed and cradling your cheeks, “How about we cuddle-fuck? You know, spooning? You can be my pillow-princess,” he kissed you gently, watching the way your eyes lit up and chuckling.

As soon as you got into position, your back to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, he pushed inside you again, moving his hips at a steady pace. He moved his hand down to your lower abdomen, feeling the bulge there every time he pushed back in.

“Feel that? That’s how deep I am, right inside you, fucking you senseless, doll,” he growled and you whimpered breathlessly, your hands cradling his over your stomach.

Heeseung kept the slow pace, moving behind you gently, careful not to disturb you as he chased his own pleasure while you fell asleep in his arms. He lifted his leg over yours, pulling your whole body flush against his as he whispered sweet praises at how amazing you were into your hair.

“My perfect angel, letting me do this,” he mumbled as he kissed down the back of your neck and to your shoulder, leaving wet trails as he did. He thrust inside of you again, the bedsheets tangling between your legs as you woke up slightly, jostled awake by the pleasure once again.

You gasped quietly, your back giving a small arch against him as his tip hit your cervix once more, “Hee,” you leaned back onto his chest, your head on his shoulder as you spoke, “you’re too good, ah, at this….”

“Only for you my love,” he breathed against you, you sweaty skin pressing tight her in every way, it got to the point that you believed he would actually crawl into your skin if possible, “I only do anything for you…”

You felt the coil in your stomach pull tight again, giving a clear sign you were approaching you high again. Still reeling from the last orgasm, you moaned half-silently.

“My perfect girl,” Heeseung pressed a kiss to your shoulder, thrusting into you one more time until the coil snapped inside you. Liquid gushed between you two and onto the bedsheets, soaking the mattress as well as your thighs. 

He looked at you in awe, eyes gleaming with adoration as he pushed in and out of you, chasing his own release. The overstimulation was perfect, giving you more cum to release as he modded your gummy walls around his cock.

Heeseung came with a quiet groan, pressing his face into your neck as he spilled out inside of you, liquid releasing more and more until you had milked him dry and both of you were empty of nothing but love and pleasure.

Pulling back slightly, he answered- his voice was gentle but firm, "I won't leave you if you ask me to."

Your heart nearly stopped. Again. This was becoming a serious health concern, "You don't mean that."

"I do."

"Heeseung—"

"I love you." Silence. Absolute silence. The words settled between you. Heavy. Real. Beautiful. Terrifying.

Outside, thunder shook the mountains. Inside, the world changed because this time- neither of you pretended not to hear it, neither of you looked away.

And for the first time since this impossible train wreck of a story began, you realized that perhaps true love was stronger than fear. Stronger than status. Stronger than expectations. Perhaps even stronger than Lady Lee.

And somewhere far below the academy walls- Lady Lee was already preparing her next move. The cruelest one yet. One that threatened to separate you and Heeseung forever.

─ · ✿ · ─

The first sign that something was wrong was the silence. Not the comfortable silence that existed between you and Heeseung. Not the kind that came with shared books, stolen smiles, or lingering glances.A different silence. A frightening one.

The kind that settled over a room before disaster arrived. The kind your father always recognized immediately. The kind your brothers hated. The kind that made people uneasy without understanding why.

And unfortunately- that silence arrived in the form of a letter. Again. Only this time it wasn't addressed to you- it was addressed to your father.

─ · ✿ · ─

He read it once, then twice, then a third time. His expression became harder with every line. You were sitting across from him in the dining table. Immediately, your stomach twisted. "Dad?" No answer, "Dad." Still nothing. The silence stretched. 

Then slowly, he handed you the letter. Your eyes moved across the page.And your heart dropped because Lady Lee had escalated. Drastically. The letter was polite. Respectful. Elegant. Which somehow made it worse.

She wasn't threatening. She wasn't insulting. She wasn't demanding. Instead- she was offering money. A lot of money. Enough money to change your family's life forever. Enough to expand the workshop. Enough to buy land. Enough to ensure comfort for generations.In exchange for one thing. You. Or rather- your absence.

Your hands began to tremble. She wanted your father to convince you to end things with Heeseung. Permanently. A price.She had placed a price on your love. As though it could be purchased. As though you could be purchased.

Your vision blurred. For a moment you couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't move. Then suddenly- the letter disappeared from your line of sight.

Your father had snatched it from your hands and the next second it was in the fireplace. Burning. Gone. Destroyed.

You gasped, "Dad—"

"I don't care if she offered the royal treasury," his voice shook. Not from fear- but from anger. The kind of anger that made grown men dangerous, "My daughter's love isn't for sale."

Something inside your chest broke because your father didn't hesitate. Didn't consider it. Didn't even think about it. He simply burned the letter. As though the very suggestion disgusted him.Your eyes filled again, "Dad." His expression softened.

"Oh sweetheart." And that somehow made everything worse because now you really might cry.

─ · ✿ · ─

Unfortunately, Lady Lee wasn't finished- not even close. Because while she was attempting to buy your absence- Lord Lee was finally becoming involved.And unlike his wife- he was far more dangerous because Lord Lee rarely interfered. Rarely raised his voice. Rarely involved himself in family matters. Which meant when he did- people listened.

Even Lady Lee. Even Heeseung. Especially Heeseung.

─ · ✿ · ─

Heeseung was summoned home three days later.

The message contained no explanation- only a request. Yet somehow he already knew. The moment he entered his family's estate, he knew.

The servants looked nervous, the atmosphere felt heavy, and his father was waiting.

That alone was enough.

Because Lord Lee never waited for anyone. Not even his sons. Yet there he sat, inside the family study. Hands folded. Expression unreadable. Watching.

"Heeseung."

"Father."

The door closed behind him and silence followed. Long. Heavy. Uncomfortable.

Then finally- Lord Lee spoke, "I hear you've been causing problems."

Straight to the point. As always. Heeseung remained standing, "I disagree."

A slight eyebrow raise. Interesting. "I see." More silence. Then Lord Lee spoke again, "The blacksmith's daughter."

There it was. The real reason. The actual reason. The only reason.

Heeseung's jaw tightened, "(Y/N)." Lord Lee's gaze sharpened, "You correct me."

"She has a name." A mistake. Perhaps. Yet Heeseung didn't regret it. Not even slightly. The silence that followed felt endless. Then his father sighed. A tired sigh. An almost disappointed sigh. And somehow that hurt more than anger would have. 

"Heeseung," The use of his name was rare, which only made it worse, "You are making this difficult."

His hands clenched, "By loving someone?"

"By refusing reality." The words struck hard because Lord Lee wasn't cruel. Never cruel. Just practical. Painfully practical. And practicality was often more damaging than cruelty.

"Reality?" Heeseung laughed. A short, bitter one, "You mean status."

"I mean consequences." The room became very quiet because both men understood exactly what was being said. Lord Lee leaned forward, "The world is not kind." Neither spoke, "It never has been." Silence, "It never will be."

More silence. Until he spoke again, "If you continue this relationship, people will use it against you."

Against him. Against you. Against everyone. Political rivals. Noble families. Future opportunities. Everything.

Lord Lee wasn't lying and that was the problem. He was telling the truth. And Heeseung hated it.

─ · ✿ · ─

Meanwhile, you were completely unaware of any of this because you were too busy sneaking around with Heeseung. Entirely his fault. Mostly.

─ · ✿ · ─

It began with notes. Small folded messages hidden inside books, inside desks, inside library shelves. Everywhere.

You found one tucked between pages of a history text. That was considerably suspicious. Especially because the handwriting was familiar.

𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔. ♡

You scoffed, then groaned, then went anyway. A terrible decision. An absolutely terrible decision because Heeseung was waiting.

And unfortunately- the moment he saw you, he smiled, which ruined any chance of remaining annoyed, "You came."

"You knew I would."

"I hoped."

"Liar."

His smile widened, "You know me too well, angel."

You rolled your eyes at the nickname but the realization was oddly comforting, you did know him, better than most people. Perhaps better than anyone.

That mattered. A lot.

─ · ✿ · ─

The hidden garden became yours. A tiny forgotten corner behind ancient stone walls. Nobody visited. Nobody interrupted. Nobody watched.It felt impossible. A place existing outside the rest of the world. Outside expectations. Outside family names. Outside duty.

Just you. And him. The first kiss happened there. Properly happened. Not accidental. Not interrupted. Not rushed. Just real.

You had been arguing- again- because apparently neither of you knew how to behave normally,  "Heeseung."

"What?"

"You are impossible."

"I've heard that."

"Repeatedly."

"Usually from you."

You opened your mouth, fully prepared to continue. Then stopped because he was smiling. That smile. The one that always ruined your train of thought. The one that made coherent thinking difficult. The one reserved entirely for you.

And suddenly- you forgot what you were saying. Heeseung noticed immediately- of course he did. He always noticed. Everything. His expression softened, then softened further.

Until neither of you were speaking. The air felt different. Warmer. Closer. Your heartbeat became impossible. His wasn't much better.

And when he stepped forward- you didn't step away. Not once. His hand lifted- carefully- as though you might disappear.

As though you were something precious. Something fragile. Something worth protecting. 

The thought nearly broke your heart.He rested his gently against yours and for one quiet, still moment, everything stopped. The world. The academy. The rumors. His family. The future. Everything.

Only this remained. Only him. Only you. His voice was barely a whisper, "I love you."

The words still affected you. Every single time. Without fail. So before fear could stop you, before doubt could interfere, before the world could intrude- you kissed him.

Soft. Brief. Perfect.

His breath caught as soon as you pulled back and so did yours. Somehow- the second kiss was even worse because now neither of you could pretend. Not anymore.

─ · ✿ · ─

For a while things felt almost normal. They were the happiest weeks either of you had had. Shared lunches. Hidden notes. Stolen moments. Secret meetings. Quiet walks. Too many kisses- never enough kisses.

The kind of happiness that felt borrowed and temporary- fragile, even.The kind that usually existed right before tragedy and tragedy was coming fast.

─ · ✿ · ─

It arrived in the form of another meeting. This time involving both of Heeseung's parents. And the consequences were devastating.

Because together, Lady Lee and Lord Lee were unstoppable. One ruled through emotion. The other through logic.

One applied pressure. The other applied reality.

Together they cornered him. Piece by piece. Argument by argument. Fear by fear. Until finally Lord Lee spoke the words that changed everything.

"If you truly love her," silence, "Then let her go."

Heeseung's mouth opened- yet no words escaped his lips. His father continued, "Eventually this family will destroy her."

The room froze, every breath, every thought, every heartbeat.

Stopped.

And the worst part? For the first time- Heeseung wasn't certain his father was wrong

─ · ✿ · ─

The realisation haunted him. For days. Then weeks. Every insult directed toward you. Every rumor. Every whisper. Every cruel comment. Every attack. Every scheme. Every threat.

He saw all of it.

Terrible questions began growing inside him.

What if loving you wasn't protecting you?

What if it was hurting you?

What if he was the reason Lady Lee kept targeting you?

What if he was the reason your family kept suffering?

What if-

The thoughts destroyed him slowly and brutally. You noticed. Of course you noticed. Because you always noticed.

The smiles became rarer. The laughter quieter. The stolen moments shorter. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

And no matter how many times you asked-Heeseung wouldn't tell you.

─ · ✿ · ─

The truth broke through one evening in your hidden garden- the place that belonged only to the two of you, the place where everything had begun, the place where everything would end.

At least for now. You knew immediately. The moment you saw him because Heeseung looked heartbroken.

Completely heartbroken. Your stomach dropped, "Heeseung." No smile. No teasing. No warmth. Only pain.

You couldn't breathe, "What happened?"

His eyes closed briefly as though the question hurt.

He looked at you and the devastation there shattered your heart because you had never seen him look at you like that before.Like someone saying goodbye.

The realization hit you so hard that for a moment you genuinely forgot how to breathe. The hidden garden suddenly felt colder. Smaller. Wrong.

Nothing had changed. The stone walls still stood around you. The flowers still climbed the ancient arches. The evening breeze still rustled through the trees. Yet somehow everything felt different. Because Heeseung was looking at you as though his heart was breaking.

And yours was beginning to break too. "Heeseung." Your voice came out smaller than intended. His jaw tightened immediately. As though hearing you say his name hurt. As though everything hurt.

The sight terrified you. Because Lee Heeseung was many things. Stubborn. Protective. Infuriating.

Romantic. Ridiculously dramatic.

But he was never weak. Never uncertain. Never the person standing in front of you now. “What happened?" The question came again. Softer this time. Almost pleading.

For several moments he didn't answer. Simply stared. As though trying to memorize your face. Your smile. Your eyes. The features everyone so greatly described as the ‘Moon goddess reincarnated’. Every detail. The realization made your stomach twist violently.

"Heeseung."

His eyes closed, then opened again.

And when he finally spoke, his voice sounded broken. "We need to stop."

The world ended. Not literally. The kingdom remained intact. The stars remained overhead. The garden remained standing. Yet your world ended. The silence that followed felt endless.

You stared, certain you had misheard or your mind had invented the words.

Because they made no sense. Not from him. Not from Heeseung. Not after everything. "What?"

His throat moved, a difficult swallow,"We need to end this."

The second blow landed harder. Far harder. Because now there was no misunderstanding. No confusion. No mistake. He was saying it. Actually saying it. And suddenly the garden became difficult to see.

Your eyes were burning, "No." The word escaped automatically, without thought, without hesitation.

Simply no. Heeseung visibly flinched. As though the single syllable had physically hurt him, "(Y/N)—"

"No." Again. Stronger. Fiercer. Because this couldn't be happening. It couldn't. Three weeks ago he had promised he wasn't leaving.

Three weeks ago he'd stood beside the fireplace during the storm and sworn he wasn't going anywhere. Three weeks ago he'd looked at you like you were his future. And now-

Now he was trying to walk away. "No." Your voice cracked. The sound stunned both of you. Because you never cried. Yet tears were already gathering. Already threatening. Already impossible to stop.

Heeseung looked devastated. Completely devastated. For some messed up reason, that made everything worse.

Because if he didn't want this- if he'd fallen out of love- you could hate him, you could be angry, you could survive. But he looked heartbroken. As heartbroken as you felt.

Which meant something else was happening. Something terrible. "Tell me the truth." Silence. "Heeseung." Nothing. "Tell me the truth."

His hands clenched. Then unclenched. Then clenched again. Until finally, the truth emerged. "My parents are right." The words sounded poisonous. As though he hated them. As though they were destroying him.

You inhaled sharply, "What?"

His laugh was bitter, broken,"They'll never stop."

Your heartbeat slowed painfully, "Lady Lee—"

"My father too." The words stunned you because Lord Lee joining the battle felt worse. Much worse. You'd expected Lady Lee. Not him. Never him. "My father thinks they'll destroy you."

Silence, "My mother thinks you'll ruin me," more silence, "And every day they find another way to make your life harder."

You opened your mouth and immediately closed it because he wasn't wrong. The rumors. The whispers. The letters. The insults. The pressure.

All of it had become worse. Much worse. Yet- "So what?"

The question escaped instantly. Without thought. Heeseung looked shocked.

"So what?" your voice shook but you continued, "They've hated me from the beginning," you paused, "So what?"

"(Y/N)."

"No," your tears finally escaped. One. Then another. Then another. You hated it. Absolutely hated it. Yet couldn't stop, "Since when do you care what they think?"

His expression shattered because that wasn't the problem. Not really. He knew it.

So did you.

Because the answer arrived. Slowly. Painfully. Like a knife. He didn't care what happened to him. He cared what happened to you. The realization nearly destroyed you, "Oh."

His eyes closed. As though he'd been caught. As though the truth itself hurt. And suddenly everything made sense. The distance. The sadness. The silence. The shorter meetings. The haunted expression. All of it.

He wasn't protecting himself. He was trying to protect you. You hated it. You hated it so much. "You're an idiot."

The insult escaped through tears. Heeseung laughed. A strangled sound. Half laugh. Half heartbreak, "I know."

"You absolute idiot."

"I know."

"You don't get to decide that."

His eyes opened slowly, "Maybe I do."

"No."

"(Y/N)—"

"No."

You stepped closer and closer until only a small distance remained. His breath caught. Yours did too. Neither moved. Neither looked away. "I love you."

The confession escaped before you could stop it. The first time you'd said it. Actually said it. Out loud. The first time. And perhaps the worst possible moment because Heeseung looked as though his entire world had just collapsed.

His eyes filled instantly. The sight broke your heart because he looked happy and devastated at the same time.

Like someone receiving everything they'd ever wanted. And losing it. Simultaneously. You reached for him. Without thinking. Without permission. Without hesitation.

And the moment your hand touched his face- something inside him finally broke.

He stepped forward, closing the remaining distance. And kissed you. Not desperate. Not rushed. Not reckless. Just heartbreakingly gentle. The sort of kiss that felt like a goodbye. The sort that lingered. The sort people remembered forever.

Your fingers tightened against his coat. His hand found yours. Holding it. As though he couldn't bear to let go. As though letting go might destroy him. Perhaps it would. Perhaps it already had.

When the kiss ended neither of you moved. Foreheads resting together. Breathing uneven. Eyes closed. The garden silent around you.

"I love you too," his voice cracked. The words nearly killed you because you knew. Of course you knew.

Yet hearing them now hurt more than anything.

"I always will."

Your chest tightened painfully.

"No."

His eyes opened. Confused. You forced yourself to continue. Because somebody had to say it. Somebody had to be brave. Even if it wasn't him. Even if it wasn't you. Even if neither of you survived it.

"No."

The second time sounded stronger. Steadier. "If we're ending this," his face went white, "If that's really what you're choosing," silence, "Then don't tell me you'll always love me."

Your words shook yet you continued, "Because I won't survive hearing that." The truth hung between you. Raw. Terrible. Honest.

And for the first time all evening- Heeseung cried. Not dramatically. Not loudly. Just one tear. Then another. Then another. And suddenly you couldn't remember ever seeing him cry before. Not once. Not ever, which somehow made this infinitely worse.

Because if Lee Heeseung was crying, then this was real. Actually real. And neither of you wanted it. Not really. Not at all. Somehow it was happening anyway.

The garden felt colder. The night darker. The future impossible. Eventually Heeseung stepped back. The movement almost made you reach for him. Almost. But you didn't.

Because if you touched him again- you would beg. And you refused to beg someone who loved you. Even if it hurt. Even if it killed you. You refused.

So instead; you stood there and watched the boy you loved break his own heart and then yours at the same time.

When he finally turned away, neither of you stopped him because neither of you knew how.

Heeseung had been on edge all week.

Each time he thought about it, he couldn’t think of a particular reason why. Nothing bad had happened—it was simply another week of working on their new album, practicing choreographies, and preparing for their next comeback. Sure, he was only sleeping a few hours a night, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

Even still, though, something felt… wrong. And one night, he finally understood why.

It was late—almost midnight, and the seven members had been working on their newest choreography for hours. The harsh lighting of the studio had Heeseung’s head pounding–something that was only worsened by the scent of sweat mixed with cologne permeating the air–and the mirrors had begun to fog up around the edges hours ago. Still, the boys persevered, pretending that their bodies didn’t feel like they were about to fall apart with every movement.

“Heeseung, you keep stepping out too early in the chorus,” their choreographer said, her voice gentle. “Since you’re in the center, we’ll need to clean that up to make sure everyone stays on beat.”

“Oh, sorry,” Heeseung murmured, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. “I don’t know how I missed that.”

“That’s okay, let’s just run it again.”

Heeseung flashed an apologetic smile at the other members before resuming his position in the middle of the studio. The others staged themselves around him, and as their choreographer counted them in, Heeseung took a deep breath and prepared to move.

However, once the music began, he stepped too early yet again. The choreographer immediately stopped them, pausing the song that had been blaring through the space. She called for them to take five, leaving Heeseung to his thoughts for just a moment.

“Heeseung hyung, are you feeling okay?” a low voice came. Heeseung turned around to see Ni-ki approaching him, a look of concern etched across his face. “You never miss stuff like that.”

“Not since our trainee days,” Jay added, his eyes closed as he rubbed his sore neck. “You’ve seemed… off this week, hyung.”

Heeseung's small smile faltered. “I have?”

Ni-ki glanced at Jake, who had just wandered over after grabbing a water bottle. Heeseung caught the look that passed between them and felt a pit form in his stomach. “Have you guys been talking about this without me?”

“We didn’t mean anything by it,” Ni-ki rushed, sensing that Heeseung was not in the right headspace to have that conversation. “We just want to make sure you’re okay, that’s all.”

Heeseung glanced at his younger members, a frown slowly spreading across his sweaty face. “Then why didn’t you ask me? I can’t fix anything if I don’t know something is wrong.”

Jay took a step toward Heeseung. “Because we didn’t want you to get upset. We all have off days, you know that. How about we wrap it up for the night?”

Heeseung opened his mouth to object, but Jake shook his head. “Hyung, we’re all tired. Let’s just get some rest and try again tomorrow.”

Heeseung nodded almost imperceptibly, lowering his eyes to the ground. “Yeah, sure.”

///

The next few days passed in a blur. What Heeseung had thought was just a temporary issue was quickly growing into something larger. It felt as if his body refused to respond to the commands he gave it, causing him to lag behind the other members in a way he never had before–not even in their earliest days as a group. He was absolutely exhausted from months of sleepless nights and grueling comeback preparation, but he had been exhausted before. It made no sense why it would start affecting him all of a sudden.

As much as Heeseung hated to admit it, he could sense an underlying current of irritation from the other members as they practiced for hours on end. After all, he was their ace–the one who was supposed to do it all. So why was he suddenly two steps behind them after leading them for six years? He couldn’t understand it, and he barely slept because of it during the precious times when he was actually allowed to rest.

On the fourth day, Sunghoon groaned in frustration as their choreographer paused the music yet again after another misstep from Heeseung.

“Something isn’t right,” Sunghoon’s terse voice came, sounding through the studio like a gunshot. “We just don’t have it right now.”

“It’s okay,” Jungwon interjected, ever the peacekeeping leader. “We’ll figure it out. We still have six weeks until the comeback.”

Sunghoon whirled around, a deep frown spreading across his sweaty face. “Yeah, but we have to shoot the music video next week. How the hell are we supposed to do that if we can’t even get the steps right?”

Heeseung kept his eyes lowered as he leaned against the mirror, a sickening feeling twisting in his gut.

“We’ll figure it out–we always do,” Jake cut in, casting a warning glance at Sunghoon. “Like Jungwon said, we still have time.

Sunghoon rubbed his face, obviously trying to repress the frustration that was boiling up within him. “Sure, we always figure it out, but this has never happened to us before. We’re usually all on the same page, so what changed?”

“Sunghoon,” Jungwon said, his voice low in warning.

“He’s not wrong,” Sunoo said so quietly that Heeseung almost didn’t hear him.

“What?” Jake asked, turning on his heel to look at the younger member.

Sunoo shrugged, lifting his eyes to Jake’s. “We’ve never struggled this much with choreography before. Yeah, it’s hard, but nothing that we can’t handle. I’m not sure what the issue is.”

“He’s trying his best,” Ni-ki said, finally breaking his silence. At these words, everyone went completely silent, six pairs of eyes snapping to the youngest.

As Heeseung took in the image before him—the divisiveness of which he was the cause—he felt as if he were going to suffocate. The last thing he wanted was to cause strife within the group, but his sudden inability to meet their expectations was doing nothing but.

They’d be better off without me.

“That’s not what we’re talking about right now,” Jay’s voice filtered into Heeseung’s ears, but the words sounded incredibly far away.

“Then what else are we talking about right now?” Sunghoon shot back, looking as if he were about to lose the tight reign he had on his anger. “We all know exactly what’s happening, so I don’t know why we refuse to address it.”

“Because what is addressing it going to do?” Jay snapped, a muscle flicking in his jaw. “We’ve talked about this–we all have off days and weeks sometimes. Nobody ever holds it over your head when it happens to you.”

“Because it doesn’t happen to me during the most important part of our schedule!” Sunghoon fumed. “If we don’t figure this out, we’re in huge trouble with the company. How do you guys not understand that?”

“Why don’t you try worrying about what’s happening to your brother instead of what the company will think?” Jake shot back, his face betraying just how angry he was. “Have you even bothered asking Heeseung if he’s okay?”

“He did a few days ago,” Sunoo said, stepping closer to Sunghoon. “Why is this suddenly a competition? You guys are upset, too. Don’t pretend you aren’t.”

“Sure, but at least we’re not making it worse.” Jay shook his head in disbelief. “Being angry with each other solves nothing. Snapping at people only makes it worse.”

Sunghoon scoffed, taking a step toward the older member. “And you want to know what else solves nothing? Pretending that nothing is wrong. Not addressing the very fucking obvious elephant in the room. Maybe if we were actually able to address it, then we could talk about it as a team. Make a plan. Talk to management. But right now, the only thing we’re doing is making it worse.”

“You’re right, this is making it worse,” came Jake’s voice. “Talking about this as if Heeseung isn’t sitting right there and can’t hear every word you say.”

“I don’t care if he can hear me!” Sunghoon cast a quick glance at Heeseung, who was still completely silent against the mirror. “What happened to us? What happened to actually communicating with each other when things aren’t right? We’re going to fuck up this comeback if we don’t get our shit figured out.”

“Sunghoon, go get some air,” Jungwon said, his voice quiet yet dangerous. The leader tone he rarely used sliced through the tension in the room like a blade, silencing all the members immediately.

Sunghoon laughed humorlessly and shook his head, taking one final look at the others before turning on his heel and storming out of the room. Sunoo followed him out, and once the door clicked shut behind him, the remaining members looked to where Heeseung had pressed himself against the mirror at the far end of the room.

“I’m sorry,” Heeseung murmured, unable to lift his eyes to look at the others. “It’s all my fault. You guys shouldn’t have to fight over something I caused.”

“Heeseung, it’s okay,” Jake said, walking over to his eldest brother and scanning his face. “We know you’re not doing it on purpose. I think Sunghoon is just tired, that’s all.”

“How about we stop for the night?” Jay suggested. “I think we all need to get some sleep. Then, we can talk about it in the morning and try the sequence again when we’re not so tired.”

“I’m okay with that,” Jungwon said, his voice betraying just how exhausted he was. “I’ll have them get the vans ready to go.”

“I’m gonna stay here and practice,” Heeseung said, trying not to sound as defeated as he felt. “Sunghoon was right. We only have a week until we start shooting the music video, and I think I just need to work on it by myself. You guys shouldn’t have to keep practicing the same thing if you already have it down.”

“I can stay with you, hyung,” Ni-ki immediately offered. “I can try to help you get the steps and timing.”

Heeseung pushed off of the mirror and walked towards him, giving him a small smile before placing a hand on his bicep and squeezing softly. “No, it’s okay. You’ve all earned a break for the night. I think I just need some time to practice on my own.”

“You sure?” Jungwon raised an eyebrow. “We really don’t mind staying with you.”

“I’m sure.” Heeseung forced a wide smile onto his face, trying to portray a sense of contentness he did not feel. “I’m gonna head to the bathroom. See you guys tomorrow?”

“Don’t stay here too late,” Jake murmured, giving Heeseung a pat on the back as he stifled a yawn.

“I won’t,” Heeseung lied.

///

Heeseung stayed at the studio all night. As the hours dragged on, his eyes burned increasingly, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to stop, but he couldn’t. Every time he thought about giving up and returning to the dorm, he pictured the argument from earlier, the wasted hours of performing the same moves over and over, and he began again. He was the ace. He had never faltered, and he refused to start now. Not when there was so much at stake.

Heeseung only realized how much time had passed when he glanced at the windows mid-sequence to see subtle streaks of sunlight beginning to peak above the horizon. He whirled around, eyes wide, and found the clock on the wall.

06:18.

Had it really been seven hours since the members left?

And he had still barely made any progress on the choreography that was quickly proving to be his undoing?

He almost couldn’t believe it.

Suddenly, Heeseung felt as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked out. He tried to take a deep breath, but his lungs suddenly felt constricted, leaving him gasping for air. His body flooded with panic, and he was on the move before he knew what he was doing. He threw the studio door open, stumbling down the deserted corridor until he reached the bathroom. Once inside, he shakily turned on the faucet and splashed the cool water onto his flushed cheeks.

He tried to force himself to breathe, to get a grip on whatever emotions were overtaking him, but he couldn’t—and that only increased the deep-seated panic that slammed into him. He took a few gasping breaths, splashing more water on his face in an attempt to gain any semblance of control.

When Heeseung finally looked up at his reflection, he went numb at the sight of himself. He looked horrible. Deep purple circles stretched under his eyes, and his skin was pale and sallow from the hours of pushing himself until he had nothing left.

This was not the Lee Heeseung who was the eldest member of ENHYPEN.

This was not the Lee Heeseung who was frequently cited as the ace of the fourth generation.

This was not the Lee Heeseung who had grown into an anchor for his younger members over the years.

The man who stared back at him was not Lee Heeseung at all.

And suddenly, it hit him all at once. Weeks of exhaustion, frustration, and inadequacy rose in a furious crescendo within him, and he was shocked when he saw a rogue tear spill onto his cheek in his reflection. Then another. And another.

Oh.

Oh.

The onslaught of tears came before Heeseung could do anything about it. He pressed a hand to his mouth as he stumbled back from the mirror, his chest heaving. He couldn’t stand to look at himself for a moment longer.

Heeseung’s body moved automatically, carrying him out of the bathroom and into the same deserted corridor. However, his feet did not take him back to the studio that had become his prison. Instead, he soon found himself on the balcony that overlooked the wide expanse of Seoul.

Once the door had clicked shut behind him, Heeseung yanked the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and took a few steps forward. He stared out at the endless sea of buildings in front of him, gently illuminated from behind by the soft glow of the rising sun. The streets were quiet, and it all seemed… peaceful. A city full of people who would wake up, go to their desk jobs, perhaps get a drink with coworkers afterwards, and return home to their loved ones for a relaxing evening before doing it all again tomorrow.

For a moment, Heeseung allowed himself to wonder what it would be like. To not have people know his name, to not have his every move watched by the world. To not have to be perfect all the time, and for that to be okay. The weight of that thought was crushing, and he felt his breath hitch in his throat as the tears began to fall in a steady stream. They clung to his trembling jawline before dropping onto the collar of his hoodie, immediately soaking into the thick fabric.

Heeseung sank to the ground, no longer trying to suppress the sobs clawing up his chest and into his throat. The quiet of the city before him–and all the people in it–could not be more different than the whirlwind of emotions inside him.

He felt terrifyingly alone.

And with that thought, Heeseung finally allowed himself to unravel completely.

///

Heeseung had no idea how long he had been on the balcony when the door creaked open behind him.

The sun had almost risen completely, and the city of Seoul had finally started to awaken before him. Heeseung had wept uncontrollably for what felt like an eternity, releasing all the emotions that had been building inside him for longer than he cared to admit. After a while, though, the sobs had quieted into a trickle of tears and the occasional gasping inhale. Now, all he could do was stare numbly at the sunrise.

“Heeseung?”

Hearing his own name snapped Heeseung out of his stupor. He quickly wiped his cheeks with his sleeve before turning his head just enough to see who was behind him.

Jake.

“Are you okay?” his voice came again.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Heeseung said, trying to steel his voice into sounding calm–composed. As if he hadn't just been breaking for the last hour.

Jake immediately picked up on the fact that something wasn’t right. He stepped over toward Heeseung, crouching down in front of him. Heeseung kept his eyes focused on the ground, his face mostly concealed by his tousled hair and hood.

“Hee…” Jake murmured, lifting his hand and gently tilting Heeseung’s chin upwards. “What’s wrong?”

Heeseung simply shook his head, a sudden tightness in his throat eliminating his ability to speak.

“Did you ever come home last night?”

Heeseung shook his head again, clearing his throat and blinking rapidly in an attempt to get a hold of himself.

Jake sat down fully, placing a steady hand on Heeseung’s shoulder. “Hyung, you did nothing wrong. We’re not mad at you.”

“But I’m mad at myself,” Heeseung whispered, the trembling in his voice betraying him.

“You shouldn’t be,” Jake murmured, rubbing Heeseung’s shoulder. “We all mess up sometimes. You know how hard things were for me in the beginning.”

“But this is now.” Heeseung felt the all too familiar burning of tears behind his eyes, and he hated it. Hated crying in front of the others when he was supposed to be the strong older brother. “We’ve been doing this for six years. I have no excuse for how poorly I’ve been doing lately. I just need to work harder, that’s all.”

“I think you’ll fall apart if you keep pushing yourself like this. You work harder than anyone, hyung. And like you said, it’s been six years. Six years with no time to catch your breath and let yourself rest. I’m not surprised your body is starting to fight back, especially with how much you’ve been doing for this comeback behind the scenes.”

The tears gathered on Heeseung’s lashline, dangerously close to spilling over at any moment. “Then what do I do? Everyone else is going through the exact same schedule, so why am I the one who’s so messed up all of a sudden?”

“Maybe it’s because you’re old,” Jake joked. Against his will, the corner of Heeseung’s mouth raised ever so slightly, and Jake smiled. “There you are.”

Jake raised his hand and slowly pushed back Heeseung’s hood, allowing him to finally catch a glimpse of his eldest brother as he fell apart in real time. The tears had begun to cascade down Heeseung’s cheeks again, and Jake used his thumb to wipe them away.

“I don’t know what to do,” Heeseung choked out after a moment. “I practiced all night and barely made any progress. What the fuck am I supposed to do when it’s time to shoot the music video and I can’t do the choreography?”

“You will be able to,” Jake said, and the certainty in his voice left no room for doubt. “We’ll be with you every step of the way. But I think the first step is for you to get some proper rest, hyung.”

“But I can’t. We’ll fail if I don’t figure this out.” Heeseung tried to hide his face again, but this time, Jake wouldn't let him.

“Heeseung, you don’t have to carry this alone. We’re with you every step of the way–do you understand me? We aren’t going to let you drown. We love you, and we will do whatever it takes to support you through this–just like you always do for us.”

Heeseung finally lifted his eyes to Jake’s for the first time, and when he saw the love and care there, he could no longer stop the sobs anymore. For the second time that morning, Heeseung fell apart, but this time, he didn’t do it alone.

Jake wrapped his arms around Heeseung, pulling him into a tight embrace as he rubbed soothing circles between his shoulder blades. “Let it out, it’s okay. I got you. We all got you.”

///

When Heeseung and Jake stumbled into the dorm an hour later, Heeseung could barely stay on his feet. He was exhausted not only from practicing for almost twenty-four hours straight, but from finally allowing himself to break down after months of trying to stay strong for everyone else. After Jake had left to find Heeseung, Jungwon had somehow fought the company until they gave the group a day off–an extremely rare opportunity that was almost never granted to them, especially in the midst of preparing for a comeback.

“Heeseung hyung!” Ni-ki exclaimed, jumping up off the couch and rushing towards him. The second Ni-ki’s arms wrapped around him, Heeseung’s knees buckled, but Ni-ki and Jake caught him before he could fall. They supported him as they guided him to the plush, oversized couch, quickly placing a pillow behind his head before piling a variety of blankets on him. Heeseung smiled ever so slightly from just how much they were fussing over him.

The other four members trickled out of their rooms, worry etched across their faces.

“Are you okay?” Jungwon rushed. “Let me get you some water.”

Sunghoon sat down next to Heeseung, brushing his hair off of his forehead and gazing at him sadly. “I’m sorry I said those things, hyung,” he murmured.

“No, Hoon, you were right,” Heeseung rasped, his voice wrecked from crying. “I was dragging behind, and I was letting it affect the team. I should’ve told you guys that something didn’t feel right.”

“Even still, I should’ve approached it differently,” Sunghoon said, his voice tight. “I couldn’t sleep last night knowing that things between us were left unresolved. I should’ve been more understanding, and I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Sunoo’s voice came from across the room. Heeseung lifted his eyes to see him standing in the doorway, his eyes glassy. “I was awful to you, and I know that. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Heeseung responded, his own voice thick. “I should never have let it get that far.”

“How about we never let this happen again?” Jay said, plopping down on the couch on Heeseung’s other side. “Moving forward, we’re going to talk about it before it gets like this. And Heeseung, you’re going to sleep for the next 20 hours. I honestly think you’ve just been struggling because you’re so exhausted.”

“I agree,” Jake said from where he was curled up against Heeseung’s legs. “We know you haven’t been sleeping because you’ve been doing the vocal arrangements and working on the music behind the scenes. I think you just need a day to relax.”

Jungwon handed Heeseung a glass of water with a straw in it. “Before you sleep, though, you have to drink. Dancing and crying all night will dehydrate you.”

Heeseung felt his cheeks turn red. “How do you know I was crying?”

Jay scoffed, patting Heeseung on the leg. “I’m guessing you haven’t seen yourself lately?”

“You kinda look like shit,” Jake smiled, his honesty eliciting a laugh from the group. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Heeseung said in between sips of water. “Thank you, guys. Seriously. I don’t deserve you.”

Sunghoon rolled his eyes, but a smile played on his lips. “You know that’s bullshit. But seriously, please rest. You always take care of us, so let us take care of you for once.”

Heeseung nodded, handing the now empty glass to Jungwon and leaning back against the pillows. The other six members pressed up against him, enveloping him in a cocoon of warm protection.

It took no time at all for Heeseung to doze off, a small smile on his lips as he finally allowed himself to rest surrounded by those who loved him most.

©️ heesroses 2026.

The impact came fast and hard, sending a sharp sting across your cheek. Your eyes watered instantly as the ball bounced away somewhere across the field, but you barely noticed. All you could do was stand there, blinking in disbelief.

Seriously? Out of everyone on the field, it had to hit you?

A mixture of gasps and laughter erupted around you. Heat rushed to your face immediately, not from the pain, but from the sudden realization that half the football field was staring at you. Great.

Nothing was more humiliating than becoming the center of attention because a football had smacked you directly in the face. You pressed a hand against your cheek, hoping the ground would open up and swallow you whole.

A pair of hurried footsteps pounded across the grass, growing louder by the second. Before you could even recover, someone came to a stop right in front of you. “Oh my god.”

You looked up, it was Seonghyeon. His eyes were wide, his face pale. Judging by his expression, you’d think he just witnessed a murder.

“Are you okay?” he asked immediately. You opened your mouth to answer.

“I am so sorry.” Then closed it again.

“I wasn’t aiming anywhere near you, I swear. I don’t even know how that happened. Are you hurt? Does your head hurt? Can you see properly?”

The questions came so quickly that you barely had time to process them. You just stared at him. It wasn’t really because your head hurt, more so because Eom Seonghyeon, the same Seonghyeon who usually looked far too cool and confident for his own good, looked like he was seconds away from having a complete breakdown. Finally, you sighed.

“I got hit by a football, not hit by a truck’’

‘’Some would argue that that’s worse.’’

Despite yourself, a faint laugh escaped you. The tension in Seonghyeon’s shoulders eased immediately at the sound of your laugh. For some reason, that made your stomach do something strange.

“You laughed,” he said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

‘’Hm?’’

“It means you’re okay.”

You blinked at him. Then, before you could stop yourself you let out a quiet groan and pressed a hand to your forehead. Immediately, panic returned to his face. “Wait. What happened? Are you dizzy?”

“…Very.”

The reaction was instant.

“Oh god.”

You had to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling. “Very” was apparently the wrong thing to say. Seonghyeon looked seconds away from calling an ambulance.

“I might die, it could be because of you.” you said dramatically.

“It’s that bad?!”

Then he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Come on.”

“What?”

“I’m taking you to the nurse.”

You opened your mouth to protest, then closed it again. Actually…that didn’t sound so bad.

A few minutes later, you found yourself sitting on a chair in the nurse’s office while Seonghyeon hovered nearby like an anxious parent. The nurse had spent less than thirty seconds checking you over before declaring you completely fine. Unfortunately for Seonghyeon, he didn’t seem convinced.

“Are you sure?” he asked. The nurse looked mildly offended.

“Yes.”

“But the ball hit her pretty hard.”

“She’s fine.”

“How do you know?”

You looked away before either of them could see your smile. This was getting ridiculous. Yet you couldn’t remember the last time someone had worried about you this much. When the nurse finally sent you back out, Seonghyeon stayed beside you the entire walk down the hallway.

“You sure you’re okay? Do you want me to get you something? You’re not bruised, are you? Wait, let me check-” Before you could respond, Seonghyeon was already leaning closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he examined your cheek. You froze for a second, suddenly very aware of how close he was. After a moment, he leaned back with a small frown.

“I think it’s going to bruise.”

A few days have gone by, and Seonghyeon had somehow managed to become your personal caretaker. At first, it had been small things.

A bottle of water placed on your desk every morning with a bright smile that had you not doubt why everyone was charmed by him. When you carried many books, he’d take them out of your hands without hesitation. Everytime he would walk past you, he’d ask you this question:

‘’How’s your head today?’’ as if you were recovering from a life threatening injury. You have never met someone so commited. At some point you stopped correcting him because everytime he checked on you, his face softened in a way you have never seen before.

Before what happened in the football field, Seonghyeon had been one of those people you only knew from a distance. The kind of person everyone seemed to recognize. He wasn’t loud or constantly trying to be noticed, he never really had to. People gravitated towards him naturally.

Teachers liked him. Students liked him. Heck, even the security guard near the front entrance seemed happy to see him every morning. You had always thought Seonghyeon was cold and intimidating, which is why you have never spoken to him before. You weren’t exactly the type to walk up to people.

While Seonghyeon seemed to move through school as if he belonged everywhere, you preferred blending into the background. You kept your circle small, avoided unecessary attention and spent most of your time in your own world. The idea of starting a conversation with someone like Seonghyeon had never even crossed your mind. You were pretty sure he didn’t know who you were, or at the very least never bothered to pay any attention to you. Then he kicked a football directly into your face, now he wouldn’t leave you alone.

You really should’ve kept your mouth shut. It had been a completely harmless comment, a passing observation. Something you’d mutter to your friend while packing up your things after class.

‘’I’m hungry’’

You hadn’t asked anyone to get you anything, and you certainly hadn’t been talking to Seonghyeon. Yet somehow a few minutes later, he came back with a recognizable sandwich from the school cafeteria. You looked up in confusion.

“So..”

Before you could finish your sentence, Seonghyeon handed you the sandwich.

“You said you were hungry”

You stared at him, then the sandwich, then back at him.

“..oh.”

Very articulate. His expression didn’t change.

“Eat.”

“I was going to buy one after class.”

“Now you don’t have to.”

You opened your mouth to argue, then closed it again. Because the problem wasn’t the sandwich. The problem was that half the classroom had suddenly become very interested in what was happening. You could practically feel the stares.

The girls sitting by the window had stopped talking. Someone behind you let out a suspiciously amused laugh. Your friend looked seconds away from exploding. She had many questions, the look upon her face says it all. Heat immediately rushed to your face.

‘’Tha..nks.’’ You mumbled, taking the sandwich quickly in your hand while lowering your head. Seonghyeon was completely unaware of the crisis unfolding internally.

‘’Your head okay?’’

‘’Yeah..’

‘’You sure?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Good.’’

The conversation really should’ve ended there. Instead, Seonghyeon remained standing next to your desk. Your face grew warmer. Why is he still here? Finally, after a few seconds he spoke again.

‘’Let me know if it starts hurting.’’

Then, as casually as he’d arrived, turned and walked away. You turned to your friend, you already knew where this was going.

‘’Y/n-‘’

‘’No.’’

‘’There’s like-clearly something going on that you’re refusing to inform me about.’’

‘’Like what?’’

Her expression changed, as if it was obvious and self explanatory.

Choi Haejin was the complete opposite of you. You were reserved, she was sociable and open. You were in your own world and Haejin was in everybody else’s, gathering information to gossip about later. Somehow this dynamic worked extremely well. You needed a friend to do all the talking, and you really do enjoy it.

‘’Hello? Why is he practically working for you?’’

‘’There’s obviously something going on!’’

‘’WHAT IF HE POISONED THE SANDWICH?!’’

‘’It’s not reasonable for him to have any hatred towards you though..”

‘’How are you so calm?!’’

Yes, one of Choi Haejin’s many loveable qualities. Her overwhelmingly stacked questions.

Seonghyeon’s concern didn’t seem to fade with time. If anything, it had simply evolved. A week after the football incident, you found yourself stuck in a conversation you had absolutely no interest in being part of. You’d only been trying to get to class. That was it.

Somehow, somewhere between leaving the cafeteria and reaching the stairs, a girl from your year had stopped you. You knew who she was, but not well enough to have a ten minute conversation in the middle of the hallway. Yet here you were, smiling politely, nodding occasionally and secretly praying for an escape.

“-and then she literally posted about it!” the girl continued. “Really?” you replied.

You didn’t even know what you were saying “really” to anymore. The conversation had dragged on for so long that you’d completely lost the plot. You shifted your weight awkwardly, glancing toward the staircase. Your next class started in a few minutes, but cutting her off felt rude. Standing here forever also felt rude to yourself.

“So then I told her-‘’

“There you are.”

The familiar voice made you look up immediately. Seonghyeon. For a second, you just stared. He stopped beside you, one hand shoved casually into his pocket.

“Why are you still here?” he asked.

You blinked.

“What?”

“Class starts in like two minutes.”

Your eyes widened slightly.

It did?

Before you could check your phone, Seonghyeon looked over at the girl.

“Sorry,” he said easily. “I need her for something.”

Need you?

The girl glanced between the two of you.

“Oh.”

You felt your face heat up instantly.

“Oh.”

Seonghyeon, meanwhile, looked completely unaffected. The girl quickly stepped aside.

“Yeah, of course.”

And just like that, you were free. You followed Seonghyeon down the hallway, still trying to process what had happened. Neither of you spoke.

“You didn’t need me for anything.” You began.

“Nope.” You stared at him. He glanced over.

“You looked like you wanted to escape.” Your steps faltered slightly.

“Was it that obvious?”

“To me?” he shrugged. “A little.”

You looked away before he could see the smile threatening to appear. The strange thing was that you hadn’t even told him you were uncomfortable. You hadn’t said anything at all. And somehow, he’d noticed anyway.

The next day, by the time you reached your classroom, you were expecting everyone to already be inside. Instead, a small crowd had gathered outside the locked door.

A few students sat on the floor scrolling through their phones while others stood around complaining about the teacher being late. Relieved that you hadn’t actually missed anything, you slipped into an empty spot against the wall and pulled out your phone, hoping to blend into the background until the classroom opened. It was working for about thirty seconds, then a familiar voice spoke beside you.

“You’re late, It’s not because of your head is it?’’

You looked up to find Seonghyeon standing there. Before you could answer, someone walking down the hallway lifted a hand.

“Hey, Seonghyeon.”

“Hey.”

Another student nodded at him as they passed. A group farther down the hall called his name and he acknowledged them with a small wave. It was such a normal thing that he barely seemed to notice it. You did.

Before he acknowledged you, this was exactly how you’d always seen him, from a distance. Someone who seemed to know everyone and be known by everyone. Teachers greeted him. Students greeted him. Even people who weren’t in his friend group seemed comfortable walking up to him. Meanwhile, you were usually trying to avoid being perceived altogether.

“Well?” he asked.

You blinked.

“What?”

“Why are you late?” You immediately looked away because the answer was embarrassing.

“I couldn’t find a pen.” Seonghyeon stared at you.

“A pen.”

“Yes.”

“You were late because of a pen.”

“It was an important pen.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, you felt strangely defensive.

“It was.”

A laugh escaped him.

Not loud enough to draw attention, but enough that you looked up in surprise. You weren’t sure why the sound caught you off guard. Maybe because Seonghyeon always seemed so composed around everyone else. Maybe because you’d spent months assuming he was intimidating. Now he was laughing because you apparently make hilarious jokes.

The interaction hadn’t gone unnoticed, somehow you caught two girls nearby glancing over before quickly looking away. One of them whispered something to the other. Heat immediately crept up your neck.

For some reason, whenever Seonghyeon talked to you, it felt like everyone else suddenly became interested too. Seonghyeon either didn’t notice or didn’t care. A few minutes later, one of his friends appeared and nudged his shoulder.

“Come here for a sec.” You expected him to leave but instead he glanced over briefly. “I’ll be there in a minute, Keonho.’’ His friend looked between the two of you before smirking slightly. “Right.”

The second he walked away, you wanted to disappear. Seonghyeon meanwhile, looked completely oblivious. The conversation continued in small pieces after that. Nothing important. Complaints about homework. A teacher neither of you liked. The upcoming test everyone was stressing about. You still weren’t saying much but for the first time, the silences didn’t feel awkward.

That was what surprised you the most because before all of this, talking to Seonghyeon had never even seemed like a possibility. Now you found yourself hoping the teacher would stay late for a few more minutes.

If there was one thing you’d learned from being friends with Haejin, it was that she was incapable of making a quick decision. She was supposed to buy a game for her younger brother’s birthday.

You were only there because she’d insisted she needed a “second opinion”. According to Haejin, this was a very important responsibility. According to you, she just didn’t want to go alone. Twenty minutes later, your theory was proven to be correct.

“You’ve been staring at these three games for like ten minutes”

Haejin gasped dramatically. “This is a life changing decision.”

“…It’s a birthday gift?’’

‘’Exactly.’’

You sighed and glanced around the store.

The place was busier than you’d expected for a saturday afternoon. The game store was warm and slightly crowded, lined with shelves stacked with colorful game cases and collectibles. Bright lights reflected off display screens scattered throughout the store, while the faint sounds of racing games, button mashing, and excited conversations filled the air.

Groups of friends wandered between aisles, kids begged their parents to buy things and somewhere in the back of the store, a racing game played loudly through a set of speakers.

‘’Oh, what do i do? Haemin likes all of these.’’ At this point, you were mostly waiting for Haejin to decide which game she’d buy for her brother so you could both leave. Then a familiar voice drifted across the store.

‘’You can’t blame me for that.’’

For a second, you thought you’d imagined it but then another voice answered.

‘’Oh yes i can.’’

You turned your head slightly. Near the racing simulator setup stood two boys. One was sitting in the simulator, controller still in hand. The other stood beside him with his arms crossed. You recognized them immediately.

Seonghyeon and Keonho.

You simply stared. Not because seeing them was surprising, you’re sure many highschoolers come here.

Because seeing them like this was.

‘’You literally drove into me!’’ Keonho blamed.

‘’I didn’t-‘’

‘’You did.’’

‘’I barely touched you.’’

Keonho looked genuienly offended.

‘’You sent my car into a wall.’’

‘’Well you suck at this game anyway.’’

A laugh escaped Seonghyeon.

Even after becoming friends with him, most of your conversations had happened between classes, in hallways, or during lunch breaks.

School Seonghyeon was confident, calm, and seemingly unbothered by everything. This version felt more relaxed, warm. More real. Like the moment he stepped outside school, some invisible pressure disappeared.

Beside you, Haejin finally noticed where your attention had gone. She looked at the two boys.

“No way.”

You already knew that tone.

“Haejin.”

“No way.”

“Haejin.”

“That’s Seonghyeon- and Keonho.’’

“I can see that.”

She looked far too excited about this discovery. Fate apparently hated you because at that exact moment, Keonho looked up and spotted the two of you. His grin appeared instantly.

“Oh, this is interesting.”

Seonghyeon frowned.

“What?”

Keonho tilted his head toward the entrance. Slowly, Seonghyeon turned around. For a brief moment, surprise flashed across his face. His eyes met yours. The first thing he did was smile, a genuine smile. Suddenly, becoming very interested in the floor seemed like a fantastic idea. Haejin had other plans. Before you could stop her, she grabbed your wrist and started walking.

“Haejin.”

“Nope.”

“Haejin, come on-”

“We’re already committed.”

“We absolutely are not.”

Across the store, you could hear Keonho laughing which somehow made everything worse. By the time the two of you have reached them, your dignity had already left the building.

‘’Y/n,’’ Seonghyeon said.

The fact that he greeted you first did absolutely nothing to help.

‘’Hi.’’

Haejin meanwhile, had abandoned all subtlety.

‘’What happened to fourth place?’’

Keonho immediately pointed at her.

‘’THANK YOU.’’

Seonghyeon closed his eyes briefly. ‘’You are not helping.’’

‘’You came fourth?’’

You really couldn’t help asking. The look Seonghyeon gave you was almost enough to make you laugh, almost. Keonho looked delighted. Finally, someone was on his side. “You see?” he said, pointing at you. “Even y/n agrees.”

“I didn’t agree with anything,” you replied immediately.

“You asked the question.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“It basically is.”

“It absolutely is not.”

Seonghyeon looked exhausted.

“You two are impossible.”

The comment earned matching offended expressions from both you and Keonho which, unfortunately, only made Haejin laugh.

“Wow,” she said. “I’ve never seen him lose an argument before.”

“I’m not losing.”

“You came fourth.”

“I came fourth because somebody doesn’t know how to drive.”

Keonho gasped.

The betrayal.

The audacity.

The complete disrespect.

For a second, the two of them resumed arguing while you stood there trying- and failing not to smile. It was strange. Before today, you’d never really seen Seonghyeon with his friends. Not properly.

At school, people always seemed drawn to him. There was always someone talking to him, waving at him, asking him something. But this felt different, like it was more real, less intimidating.

“You know,” Seonghyeon said, glancing toward Keonho and Haejin, “I don’t think they’re coming back.”

You followed his gaze. Haejin was holding up two game cases while Keonho looked like he was defending his thesis.

“Yeah.”

“They’ve been arguing about the same thing for like ten minutes.”

“You say that like you weren’t arguing over a racing game when I walked in.”

Seonghyeon looked over.

“That was different.”

“Was it?’’

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Neither of you said anything for a moment. You found yourself looking around the store instead, eyes moving over shelves packed with games you knew nothing about. Then Seonghyeon pointed toward one.

“Have you played that before?”

You glanced at the cover.

“No.”

“What about that one?”

“No.”

He pointed at another.

“No.”

Another.

“No.”

Seonghyeon stared at you.

“Have you ever had fun before?”

You were slightly taken aback.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m trying to figure out why Haejin brought you to a game store.’’

“I’m here to supervise.”

To your surprise, he laughed.

Slowly, Your conversations started to flow naturally. It felt easier to talk to him. Maybe because it didn’t feel like talking to the cool guy everyone knew. Or the football player.

Just Seonghyeon.

Talking to him was becoming easier than talking to most people.

“You owe me.”

You looked up from your phone.

Across the lunch table, Haejin was staring at you expectantly.

“What?”

“You owe me.”

“..I don’t think I do.”

“You do.”

You narrowed your eyes, then Haejin leaned forward.

“Aren’t friends supposed to support each other’s interests?” She gave you a cheeky smile.

‘’Mm..that depends.’’

‘’On what?’’

“Whether those interests involve dragging me somewhere against my will.”

A look of betrayal crossed her face.

“Wow.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“Haejin.”

She grinned. “What?”

You gave her a knowing look before she finally decided to answer.

“There’s a football match after school.”

You stared at her.

“Seriously? No.”

The answer came so quickly that she looked offended.

“You didn’t even think about it.”

“I did.”

“You really didn’t.”

“I absolutely did.”

Haejin pointed at you.

“See? This is exactly why I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Unfortunately, that was how you found yourself sitting on the school bleachers three hours later, questioning every life decision that had led you to this moment. It seemed fun though.

The field was already crowded by the time you arrived.

Students filled up most of the seats, scattered in groups with friends, snacks and far more enthusiasm than you could ever relate to. The noise was conversations overlapping, people calling out to eachother, the occasional burst of laughter carrying across the field.

You adjusted your position on the bleachers and glanced around.

“This is way more people than I expected.”

“Obviously,” Haejin replied.

“Why obviously?”

She looked at you as if you’d asked something ridiculous.

“It’s the biggest match of the season.”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t know that either?”

“No.”

Haejin sighed. Sometimes you genuinely worried about her blood pressure whenever she talked to you. The teams began gathering on the field below. A few students immediately started cheering. Others waved at friends playing.

You found yourself mostly observing, until a familiar figure stepped onto the field. The annoying thing was that you recognized him immediately. Not because of the jersey, not because he was standing the closest, your eyes had simply found him automatically.

You hated that, a lot.

Before he hit you with the football, Seonghyeon would’ve blended into the crowd of players. Now he stood out immediately. The realization was embarrassing enough that you quickly had to look elsewhere.

When you looked back a few moments later, your eyes found him again. And again. And again. It was becoming a problem.

The whistle blew.

The game began.

At first, you paid attention out of politeness. Haejin had dragged you here, after all. The least you could do was pretend to care. A few minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty. Somewhere along the way, you realized you were actually watching.

Not football.

Seonghyeon.

The thing was, you’d never seen him like this before. At school, Seonghyeon always seemed relaxed and comfortable. The type of person who could walk into any room and immediately belong there. On the field, however, there was something different about him. He moved with an ease that made everything look effortless. Even from a distance, you could tell people listened when he spoke.

Teammates glanced toward him constantly. A few times, he called something out and everyone immediately adjusted. It was strange. Not because you hadn’t known he played football. Because you’d never really thought about what that meant.

For the first time, you understood why so many people admired him. And for some reason, that realization made your stomach feel weird. Beside you, Haejin followed your gaze. Then smirked. You knew that smirk. It was never a good sign.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Haejin.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re thinking something.”

“I am.”

You groaned.

“Please don’t.”

The smirk only grew.

Thankfully, before she could speak, the crowd suddenly erupted around you. Cheers echoed across the bleachers. Students jumped to their feet. You blinked.

Apparently something had happened. Unfortunately, you’d been too busy arguing with Haejin to notice.

“What happened?”

Haejin stared at you, then at the field, then back at you.

“You weren’t watching.”

“I was.”

“You literally weren’t.”

“What happened?”

She pointed toward the field and you followed her gaze. Seonghyeon was jogging back toward the center, teammates crowding around him.

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Haejin repeated.

“He scored.”

“He scored.”

You nodded.

For some reason, a smile pulled at your lips. A small one. One you didn’t even notice until Haejin did. Her eyes widened immediately.

“Wow.’’

Your smile disappeared.

“What?”

“You smiled.”

“So?”

“You smiled because he scored.”

Heat immediately rose to your face. You felt your ears swell.

“No i didn’t.”

“You did.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

You looked away before she could continue. You weren’t entirely sure she was wrong. That realization lingered for the rest of the match. Long after the cheering died down. Long after the game resumed. Long after you’d convinced yourself you were imagining things.

Because every time something happened on the field, your attention drifted toward the same person. Everytime he did something impressive, you felt strangely proud. As if you’d somehow earned the right.

Which was absurd.

You were still trying to convince yourself of that when the final whistle blew. The crowd immediately came alive. Students began standing, gathering their things, and making their way toward the exits. Some headed toward the field. Others were already talking excitedly about the game.

You stayed seated. Mostly because moving required effort. Partly because Haejin had disappeared five minutes ago after spotting someone she knew. You’d just pulled out your phone when a shadow fell across you. You assumed it was Haejin. Then a familiar voice spoke.

“I need an unbiased opinion.”

You looked up.

And immediately wished you hadn’t. Seonghyeon was standing there. Still wearing his uniform. Still slightly out of breath. His hair was damp from the game, falling messily across his forehead. For some reason, that bothered you.

Not because it looked bad, quite the opposite actually. Judging by the expression on his face, something had clearly bothered him.

“Hello to you too.”

“That can wait-‘’

You blinked.

“That’s sort of concerning.”

“I was robbed.”

A pause.

‘’Didn’t you guys win?’’

‘’That’s not the point.’’

‘’Feels like a pretty important point.’’

Seonghyeon looked genuinely frustrated, his breathing was heavier since the game had ended.

‘’The referee was seriously against me.’’

You stared at him for several seconds before you shifted in your seat.

‘’You’re one of those people?’’

‘’What?’’

‘’The people who blame the referee everytime something doesn’t go their way.’’

‘’It didn’t go my way.’’

‘’Well, you won.’’

‘’Of course i did.’’

You laughed, the reaction was immediate.

‘’You didn’t even pay attention.’’

‘’I was.’’

‘’No you weren’t’’

‘’How would you know?’’

‘’Because if you did, you’d be angry too.’’

‘’I’m not emotionally invested enough to be angry.’’

The look he gave you suggested this was the wrong answer.

“Okay, imagine this’’

‘’Oh-‘’

‘’I score.’’

‘’You score.’’

‘’A beautiful score.’’

‘’According to whom exactly?’’

‘’Everybody.’’

‘’Mm.’’

‘’Then the referee- who’s job is to observe accurately, calls it offside.’’

You considered this, then shrugged.

‘’Well- maybe it was offside.’’

The betrayal on his face creeped up fast.

‘’I swear it wasn’t.’’

‘’Were you the referee?’’

‘’No.’’

‘’Then how do you know?’’

For a moment, Seonghyeon simply stared at you, then he pointed accusingly.

‘’You’re terrible at this.’’

‘’At what?’’

‘’At being supportive.’’

‘’You wanted an unbiased opinion.’’

‘’I wanted you to agree with me.’’

‘’That’s not quite what unbiased means.’’

The corner of his mouth twitched. You knew he was competitive, he shot a football straight at you a few weeks ago.

‘’You know what? Nevermind.’’

You laughed again.

This time, Seonghyeon shook his head dramatically and dropped down to the bleacher seat in front of you. The field behind him remained crowded with players and students slowly making their way home. Voices carried across the evening air while coaches gathered equipment near the sidelines.

“You stayed for the whole match.”

The comment caught you off guard.

“What?”

“The whole thing.”

He leaned back slightly.

“I thought you’d get bored and leave.”

You narrowed your eyes.

“You have a very low opinion of me.”

“I watched you spend twenty minutes in a game store staring at absolutely nothing.”

“I was being supportive.”

“You were wandering.”

“I was observing.”

“You were probably lost.”

“I knew exactly where I was.”

“Sure.”

You hated how satisfied he looked, with a smile to follow up on. His smile was genuine, like you could argue about anything- and it would still feel like you won, simply because he gave you that smile.

Then again, you hated how often he made you laugh. Before either of you could continue, a voice called from somewhere behind him.

“Seonghyeon!”

You looked up automatically.

A girl was jogging across the field toward the two of you, a bottle of water in one hand. She couldn’t have been much older than you. She looked pretty, and confident. The type of person who seemed completely comfortable talking to anyone. The type of person you immediately disliked for absolutely no reason.

She stopped beside him and held out the bottle. “You left this.”

“Oh.” Seonghyeon took it.

“Thanks.”

The interaction was completely normal.

The girl smiled. “No problem.”

Then she started talking, and Seonghyeon talked back. Which again, was normal. Because why wouldn’t he? But as you stood there listening to their conversation, a strange feeling settled in your chest. One you didn’t particularly like. The girl seemed familiar with him, she was comfortable like this wasn’t the first time they’d spoken. Obviously it wasn’t, Seonghyeon knew everyone. You already knew that.

Still, you found yourself looking away. Suddenly very interested in fixing the strap of your bag.

“You coming to practice on monday?” the girl asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good.” She grinned.

“Coach would’ve killed you if you missed it.”

Seonghyeon laughed. The same laugh you’d spent the last few weeks becoming far too fond of. Hearing it now felt different, a little less special.

You’d never thought it was special. Not really. Right? The realization hit, maybe that was the problem. You had.

At some point, without noticing, you’d started treating every conversation with Seonghyeon like it meant something. When in reality this was just who he was. He was friendly, easy to talk to. He was comfortable around everyone.

The girl finally glanced toward you.

“Oh.”

For a second, she looked between the two of you then smiled politely.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

The conversation lasted another minute or two.

You weren’t really paying attention anymore because the stupid feeling in your chest had only gotten worse. Thankfully, someone else called Seonghyeon’s name from across the field. A teammate this time.

“Seonghyeon!”

He looked over, then back at you.

“I should probably go.”

The words were simple and harmless, but for some reason they felt disappointing.

“Yeah,” you said.

“See you monday?”

You smiled, disingeniously.

“See you.”

The second he stood up and walked away, you knew something was wrong. Not with him, but with you. You spent the entire walk home thinking about a conversation that hadn’t even involved you. You replayed everything, the exchanged conversation, his gaze, his laughter. You replayed him.

The realization irritated you more than anything else. It wasn’t as if Seonghyeon had done something particularly memorable. He’d talked to a teammate, that’s all. The interaction had been completely normal, yet somehow your brain insisted on revisiting it every few hours like there was some hidden meaning you’d failed to uncover the first time around.

By monday morning, you’d become so annoyed with yourself that you’d practically banned yourself from thinking about him altogether. Unfortunately, that lasted less than a day.

School carried on as usual. Teachers assigned work, students complained about it, and Haejin continued collecting gossip the way other people collected hobbies, which was admirable really. Everything felt normal. At least until the end of third period.

Your teacher had been gathering her things when she suddenly bent down and picked something up from beside one of the desks near the front of the classroom. It was a dark grey hoodie, slightly oversized and folded in on itself as if somebody had shoved it underneath a chair and forgotten about it.

“Did someone leave this behind?” she asked, holding it up.

A few students glanced over before immediately losing interest, you looked up too and knew exactly who it belonged to.

The answer came so quickly that you didn’t even question it at first. Seonghyeon. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation, you simply looked at the hoodie and knew.

Maybe it was because you’d seen him wearing it countless times over the past few weeks. Maybe it was because it had become one of those things your brain automatically associated with him. Whatever the reason, the certainty came naturally enough that you barely thought twice about it.

Then somebody behind you spoke.

“Oh, that’s Seonghyeon’s.”

Somehow, it felt odd. It wasn’t because they’d confirmed it, it was more so because they hadn’t told you anything you didn’t already know.

The rest of the class moved on immediately. The teacher placed the hoodie on her desk, someone made a joke and within seconds everyone was talking about something else. Everyone except you.

For some reason, that insignificant moment refused to leave your head. You spent the next hour trying to convince yourself it meant nothing. It was just a hoodie. People recognized each other’s belongings all the time. There was really nothing strange about it.

The argument would’ve been much more convincing if you hadn’t immediately noticed he wasn’t wearing it during lunch. The realization hit you before you even saw his face.

Your eyes found him automatically across the cafeteria surrounded by Keonho, Martin, James and Juhoon, the same group of friends he was always with. The first thing your brain registered wasn’t the conversation he was having or the fact that Keonho was laughing at something.

It was the absence of the hoodie. That’s why he looks different. You seriously didn’t like this, you in fact hated it. Seonghyeon, whom you hadn’t bat an eye on two months ago had occupied your mind the past four days. It was torture, simply because you refused to accept the thoughts. You denied everything, you brushed everything off and went about your day.

The following morning started with a problem. Not a particularly serious one, nor one that should have occupied more than a few seconds of your time, yet somehow you found yourself standing in front of your bedroom mirror far longer than necessary. You’d already finished getting ready.

Your makeup was done, your uniform was on, your bag was packed and waiting by the door. By all accounts, you should’ve been downstairs eating breakfast. Instead, you were still there staring at your reflection as if it had personally offended you. Something felt wrong.

The frustrating part was that you couldn’t figure out what. Your hair looked fine, more than fine actually. You had spent enough time on it to ensure that. Yet your hand still reached up to smooth down a strand near your cheek before stepping back again.

A few seconds later you found yourself leaning toward the mirror adjusting something else, then immediately questioning whether it had looked better before. The cycle repeated itself often enough that by the time you finally checked the clock, nearly fifteen minutes had disappeared. You frowned. That couldn’t be right.

Normally, getting ready in the morning wasn’t something you thought much about. You liked looking presentable and usually put effort into your appearance, but there was a difference between effort and whatever this was. This felt suspiciously close to perfectionism, except there was nothing to perfect.

Every time you fixed one thing, your eyes immediately found something else to focus on. A different hairstyle. A little more lip tint. Maybe a different pair of earrings. None of the changes were dramatic enough for anyone else to notice, but you noticed them, and apparently that was enough to keep you rooted in front of the mirror like an idiot.

Moments later, your phone buzzed. Haejin was texting you.

HAEJIN

Overslept.

Can’t make it to first period.

Meet you second period😴

Haejin was a bit careless when it came to school. You don’t think it’s on purpose, she just doesn’t see the need to wake up at 7:30 AM for merely first period. She makes it so justifiable, so you guess you could see it from her perspective, however not today. Today, was an important day.

By the time first period began, you were already feeling self aware. Now, instead of sitting beside your best friend, you found yourself alone at your desk while the teacher droned on at the front of the classroom. The seat beside you remained empty, which felt strangely noticeable. Haejin had a way of filling every space she occupied, and without her there the morning seemed significantly quieter.

When the bell finally rang, you gathered your things and stepped into the hallway with no particular destination in mind. Your next class was on the opposite side of the building, leaving you with more than enough time to get there. Normally, you would have spent the break with Haejin. Today however, you found yourself wandering alone through the crowded hallways.

“Y/n, hey.’’

The familiar voice made you turn immediately.

Seonghyeon stood a few feet away, one strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder. For a moment, your brain supplied an extremely unhelpful thought.

Did he notice?

You hated yourself instantly.

Notice what?

Your hair?

Your makeup?

The fact that you’d spent half your morning acting like a love island contestant? Thankfully, Seonghyeon seemed completely unaware of the spiraling thoughts currently unfolding.

“Haejin’s late,” you explained before he could ask. Before you could think of a more logical answer, like a simple hey.

Seriously?

What does Haejin have to do with this?

Why would he care?

Seonghyeon almost surpressed his reaction.

‘’Oh- right.’’

He was confused. Did you think he approached you to talk to Haejin? He didn’t read much into it though.

However, he did notice something was different about you today.

At first, he couldn’t figure out what it was.

Maybe your hair looked different. Maybe your makeup. Whatever it was, it gave you a slightly softer appearance than usual. Not dramatically different, just enough to make him pause for a second longer than normal.

“You look tired” he said instead.

You stared at him. Of all the things he could’ve said.

“Tired?”

“Yeah.”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Didn’t sleep?”

The betrayal you felt was immediate. You had spent an embarrassing amount of time getting ready this morning. An embarrassing amount. And somehow the only conclusion he’d reached was that you looked tired. For a brief moment, you considered pushing him down the nearest staircase.

“That’s offensive.”

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, tell me.”

“I’m choosing peace.”

Seonghyeon laughed.

Unfortunately, the sound did absolutely nothing to improve your mood. If anything, it made it worse. Because now all you could think about was the twenty minutes you’d wasted staring at yourself in the mirror. The universe clearly had a sense of humor.

“You look fine, by the way.”

The comment was casual. So casual that he probably didn’t think twice about saying it. You however, nearly forgot how to function. Before you could respond, Martin called Seonghyeon’s name from farther down the hallway. He looked over his shoulder, then back at you.

“I’ll see you later.” And just like that, he was gone.

Leaving you standing in the middle of the hallway wondering why two completely harmless words had managed to ruin the rest of your morning. The rest of the day passed surprisingly quickly after that.

Haejin eventually arrived halfway through second period carrying the same energy she always did, immediately filling the empty space beside you with stories, complaints and dramatic retellings of how she had supposedly fallen victim to circumstances completely beyond her control.

According to her, the blame rested entirely on a combination of faulty alarms, unfair school schedules and a universe that seemed personally determined to make her suffer.

“I woke up and it was 9:12.”

“You start at 8:30.”

“Exactly.”

“That’s doesn’t quite help.” Haejin pouted.

The rest of the day continued pretty much the same way. Haejin spent most of her time insisting she was being unfairly persecuted by the education system. By the final bell, you had almost forgotten about the awkward interaction from that morning. Almost. Unfortunately, while you were fully prepared to go home, Haejin apparently had other plans.

“I’ll be two minutes.”

“You said that fifteen minutes ago.”

“This time I mean it.”

“You also meant it last time.”

Ignoring you entirely, she disappeared back into the building after being stopped by a teacher regarding an assignment she had forgotten to submit. So you waited.

The afternoon air was cool, carrying the familiar sounds of students lingering around school grounds before heading home.

Groups gathered near the entrance, conversations overlapping as people delayed going home for as long as possible. You had been scrolling through your phone for several minutes when a football rolled across the pavement a few meters away. Your eyes followed it automatically.

Several members of the football team had gathered near the edge of the courtyard, passing time before practice. Some were kicking a ball around while others leaned against a nearby fence talking amongst themselves. The sight would’ve gone largely unnoticed if Haejin hadn’t finally emerged from the building at that exact moment.

“Oh.”

“What?”

Her eyes lit up. “Keonho’s here.”

Before you could stop her, she’d already started walking.

“Haejin.”

No response.

“Haejin.”

Still nothing.

Sometimes you genuinely believed she could hear only the things she wanted to hear. Unfortunately, Keonho seemed equally enthusiastic. A few minutes later, the two of them had somehow dragged everyone into the same conversation.

You weren’t entirely sure how it happened. One moment you were waiting for Haejin, the next you were standing in a loose circle listening to Keonho passionately argue that football players deserved special treatment during exam season.

“You kick a ball around.”

“That’s not all we do.”

“That’s literally what football is.” Seonghyeon let out a faint laugh. Keonho pointed at him immediately.

“See? He understands.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your silence supports me.”

The conversation drifted from one topic to another after that. Homework became complaints about teachers, which somehow turned into stories from middle school and then an argument over who had the worst attendance record. At some point, Keonho glanced toward Seonghyeon.

“Actually, speaking of people abandoning their friends.” Seonghyeon already looked tired.

“You spend more time talking to y/n than you do with me nowadays.”

The comment earned a laugh from Haejin. You wished it hadn’t, because now everyone was looking at the two of you. Seonghyeon meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected.

“You’re being dramatic.”

“I’m serious.”

For a second, Keonho gestured vaguely between the two of you as though presenting evidence to a jury. The response came easily. Without hesitation. Without even a second of thought.

“She’s my friend.”

The following morning began with rain.

Not the kind that belonged in movies, where people stared moodily out of windows while life changing realizations unfolded in the background. This was ordinary rain. Annoying rain. The sort that turned sidewalks slippery and made umbrellas feel completely useless because somehow you still ended up getting wet anyway.

By the time you arrived at school, your shoes were damp, your patience was gone and Haejin was already waiting by the entrance looking personally offended by the weather. She immediately launched into a five minute rant about how rain should be illegal before eight in the morning, only pausing long enough to complain about an upcoming assignment and the fact that she had forgotten to study for a quiz she apparently hadn’t known existed until fifteen minutes ago.

The conversation continued all the way to class. Then through first period. Then through half of second period. That was one of the things you liked most about Haejin. Being around her left very little room for overthinking. Unfortunately not no room, just very little.

The thought arrived sometime during lunch. You were sitting across from Haejin while she attempted to convince three people that she deserved compensation for having to wake up before sunrise every day. Around you, the cafeteria buzzed with the usual noise of conversations, laughter and the occasional argument over stolen food. It was normal. Completely normal.

Yet for some reason, you found yourself looking up whenever the doors opened. The first time, you didn’t think much of it. The second time, you barely noticed. The third time however, you caught yourself doing it and immediately looked back down at your food. That was strange. You frowned slightly.

Because you knew exactly what you had been looking for. Or rather, who. The thought irritated you far more than it should have. The problem was that it happened automatically. You had not consciously wondered where Seonghyeon was. You hadn’t been sitting there waiting for him to appear. Your eyes had simply searched the room on their own before your brain had the chance to stop them. Annoying. Deeply annoying. Across from you, Haejin paused mid-sentence.

“…Why do you look angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“You look like it.”

“I’m thinking.”

“That explains nothing.”

You stabbed a french fry with considerably more force than necessary. Haejin narrowed her eyes immediately. Never a good sign.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It isn’t.”

“It literally is.”

You sighed. The problem with having a best friend for years was that they became impossible to fool.

“You know,” Haejin continued, leaning back in her chair “most people don’t glare at potatoes unless something is bothering them.”

For a brief moment, you considered telling her. Not everything. Then immediately decided against it. Mostly because hearing your thoughts out loud would somehow make the situation significantly worse, and because deep down there was a part of you that already knew exactly what Haejin would say. The problem was that you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to hear it.

If someone had asked Seonghyeon whether anything had changed over the past couple of weeks, he probably would’ve said no.

Life looked exactly the same as it always had. Football practice continued to consume most of his afternoons and Keonho remained committed to making every situation at least twice as loud as necessary. The days blended together in the way school days often did. One class became another. One week became the next. Nothing particularly significant seemed to happen. At least, that was what he thought.

The realization didn’t arrive all at once. It wasn’t grand. It wasn’t even particularly noticeable at first. Instead, it appeared in small moments and then disappeared again before he could properly think about it. A hallway conversation that felt strangely short. An empty seat during lunch that shouldn’t have mattered. The first few times, he ignored it. By the tenth, it was becoming difficult to.

Thursday afternoon found him sitting through one of the most painfully boring lessons of the semester. Even the teacher seemed tired of listening to himself speak. Around the classroom, students had long since given up pretending to pay attention. Some were doodling in notebooks, others were staring blankly out windows, and James had somehow managed to fall asleep while sitting upright. Honestly, it was impressive.

Seonghyeon’s attention had drifted somewhere around twenty minutes earlier. His notebook remained open in front of him, untouched except for a few half finished notes written without much thought behind them. He wasn’t really looking at anything in particular when the teacher suddenly stopped speaking and sighed.

“Since nobody seems interested in participating today, let’s try something easier.”

Immediately, several students sat up. The word easier had that effect.

The teacher began asking questions instead, pointing at different students around the room whenever he needed an answer. Most people responded with varying levels of enthusiasm. Some answered correctly. Others guessed. One student somehow managed to produce an answer so incorrect that the entire class burst out laughing. Including Seonghyeon. For some reason, the moment reminded him of y/n. The thought appeared so unexpectedly that he almost frowned.

It wasn’t even a specific memory. Just a vague association. Something about the expression she would’ve made if she’d heard the answer. The way she tried not to laugh when she found something funny. The way she usually looked away immediately afterward as if being caught smiling was somehow embarrassing. For a second, he found himself glancing toward the row she usually sat in. Then paused, because that was strange. He hadn’t spoken to y/n properly in what felt like ages. It didn’t make sense.

A few weeks ago, running into her had somehow become normal. Conversations before class. Conversations after class. Random interactions in hallways that stretched far longer than either of them intended. Nothing major. Just enough that he’d stopped noticing when they happened.

Now he was noticing when they didn’t. The thought lingered for the rest of the lesson. Then followed him into the hallway. Then all the way to lunch. By the time football practice started, he still hadn’t managed to shake it. People got busy, that was all. School happened, life happened. There was no reason to think about it this much.

Unfortunately, that explanation became slightly harder to believe when he realized he couldn’t remember the last actual conversation they’ve had.

Instead, he found himself standing on the edge of the football field staring at absolutely nothing while the rest of the team warmed up around him.

“Earth to Seonghyeon.”

Martin’s voice snapped him out of it.

“What?”

“You’ve been staring at the same patch of grass for thirty seconds.”

Seonghyeon blinked.

Had he? Apparently. Keonho narrowed his eyes immediately.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.”

Seonghyeon didn’t understand why he had thought about it this much. He wasn’t the type to. He’d logically examine situations, come up with a logical answer and move on with his day. Somehow this was different, yet he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Keonho had never been the type of person to let things go. In fact, if Seonghyeon had to describe him using a single phrase, it would probably be incapable of minding his own business. The moment practice ended, Keonho’s attention returned to the subject with the determination of somebody investigating a crime.

At first, Seonghyeon didn’t even realize it was happening. The team had just finished collecting equipment, everyone moving around the field in various states of exhaustion while the sun slowly disappeared behind the school buildings. Conversations overlapped from every direction.

Somebody was complaining about the coach, somebody else was arguing about where to eat afterward and a football rolled across the grass before being kicked back toward a storage cart. Everything felt normal. Until Keonho appeared beside him. That wasn’t unusual. The fact that he remained there in complete silence however, definitely was.

For several seconds he simply walked beside him without saying anything. Coming from Keonho, that was concerning enough on its own. When Seonghyeon finally glanced over, he immediately regretted it. Keonho was already staring at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Seonghyeon asked.

“I’m thinking.”

A sigh escaped him. The evening air had turned noticeably cooler now, students gradually filtering away from the field in small groups as the noise around them slowly faded into the distance. For a brief moment it almost seemed like Keonho might finally drop the subject. Then he spoke again.

“You know what I think?”

“No.”

“I think you’re lying.”

Seonghyeon barely reacted. Mostly because this conversation happened at least three times a week.

“About what?”

“I don’t know yet.”

The answer was so stupid that a laugh almost escaped him.

“No, seriously.” Keonho adjusted the strap of his bag before continuing. “You’ve been zoning out lately.”

That got his attention. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard something similar. Over the past week different people had made almost identical observations often enough that it was becoming difficult to ignore. Martin had asked whether he was tired. His mother had asked whether something was bothering him. Even the coach had commented on him being distracted during practice yesterday.

At the time Seonghyeon had brushed all of it off. Now however, standing on the sidewalk outside the school while Keonho kicked absentmindedly at loose gravel beside him, he found himself wondering whether they all had a point.

The problem was that he couldn’t figure out what exactly was different. Or rather, he could. He just didn’t particularly like the answer. Because every time he started pulling at the loose thread of the thought, it somehow led back to the same place. The same person. The same question. When was the last time he’d actually talked to y/n?

Not seen her. Not waved at her from the other end of a hallway. Talked to her, a proper conversation. The answer should’ve come immediately. Instead, he found himself drawing a blank.

And for reasons he couldn’t explain, that really bothered him.

By the time he got home later that evening, dropped his bag beside the door and collapsed onto his bed, the thought was still there. Which was annoying, because he had homework to finish and football practice again tomorrow. He had significantly more important things to think about. Yet somehow, while staring at the ceiling of his room, his mind drifted back to the same thing. He dug deep into his thoughts.

The first time was almost laughably insignificant. Class had just ended, and students were spilling into the hallways at every direction. Seonghyeon had been halfway through putting his books away when he spotted y/n a little farther down the corridor.

She was standing beside her locker, listening to something Haejin was saying. Or rather, dramatically performing. Haejin’s hands were moving so aggressively that even from a distance it looked less like a conversation and more like an emergency press conference.

Without really thinking about it, Seonghyeon started heading that way.

Then suddenly y/n grabbed Haejin by the wrist and dragged her around the corner. Gone. Seonghyeon stopped walking, he had simply stared at the space where she’d been stadning.

‘’Why are you just standing there?’’

He looked over and Juhoon was staring at him.

‘’Nothing-‘’

Juhoon looked unconvinced.

The second time happened during lunch, Seonghyeon had just entered the cafeteria when he noticed y/n sitting at her usual table. For some reason, the sight made him smile.

He grabbed his tray and joined his friends. Halfway through James’s completely unecessary rant about him having to balance both the exams- since he’s a few years older, and football practice, Seonghyeon glanced across the cafeteria again.

The seat was empty, he frowned.

‘’How dare they stack up on exams the second football season gets serious? I can’t be expected to memorize biology and score goals.’’

Yeah that was just background noise for Seonghyeon.

The third time was when it had actually started bothering him. School had ended, and the campus was filled by students and chatter. Seonghyeon, Keonho, Juhoon, Martin and James stood in front of the school, talking while Martin shot the basketball into the hoop continuously.

Suddenly, he spotted y/n coming out of the main entrance. She was carrying a bag over her shoulder, already heading toward the front gate. He considered calling her name, the thought had appeared automatically. Then he paused. Because that would be weird, wouldn’t it? He wasn’t even sure what he would’ve said. Hey? Hello? Why have we apparently forgotten how to exist in the same space lately?

Before he could decide, a group of guys crossed between them. By the time they passed, she had already disappeared around the corner. That annoyed him.

He found himself looking for her the next day. Which felt ridiculous, that’s what he told himself while scanning the cafeteria without realizing he was doing it. He didn’t understand why it had bothered him so much.

Everytime he looked up, she seemed to walk the other way. He could’ve sworn she stood wherever he saw her, then poof she’s gone again. He missed talking to her. The more he thought about it, the more he realized y/n hadn’t actually disappeared. She was still around.

The strange thing about time was that it continued moving whether you wanted it to or not.

A few weeks ago, you’d convinced yourself that liking Seonghyeon was some life altering catastrophe. Every conversation felt important. Every interaction lingered longer than it should have. You’d spent an embarrassing amount of energy thinking about things that in hindsight, probably didn’t deserve nearly that much attention.

Now however, life had begun settling back into place. It wasn’t really because your feelings had disappeared, they hadn’t. You still liked him, that much obvious.

The difference was that it felt like your entire existence no longer revolved around it. Somehow, focusing on all ordinary frustrations had made everything else feel smaller. For the first time in a while, you felt like yourself again, which was probably why you agreed to help one of your teachers after class.

It seemed harmless enough at the time. It was just a simple favour, five minutes of your time. Unfortunately, teachers had a very different understanding of the word simple. Twenty minutes later, you found yourself carrying what felt like the entire contents of a storage room through one of the academic buildings.

A stack of folders was balanced precariously against your chest, several textbooks were tucked underneath one arm and a plastic container filled with miscellaneous classroom supplies kept threatening to slide out of your grasp every time you took a step.

You couldn’t see properly.

You couldn’t walk properly.

You were beginning to suspect your teacher had deliberately chosen you because you looked too polite to say no.

The hallway itself was mostly empty. Classes had ended nearly half an hour ago, leaving only the occasional student lingering behind for clubs, sports or whatever mysterious activities seemed to keep people at school long after everyone else had gone home. The combination of limited visibility and questionable balance meant you didn’t notice someone approaching from the opposite direction.

Not until it was too late.

The collision wasn’t dramatic, nobofy went flying across the hallway, well just the stack of folders that immediately tilted sideways, and the plastic container that slipped- oh and a pencil case launched itself onto the floor.

And before you could react, several sheets of paper had already escaped and scattered across the hallway like they were making a run for freedom. For one dreadful second, you simply stood there staring. Of course this was happening. Then a voice spoke.

“Whoa.”

You froze. Slowly, you looked up.

Seonghyeon looked just as surprised as you felt, then he looked down at the disaster surrounding your feet. Then back up at you. Then back down again. A smile appeared.

“Don’t.”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“You’re thinking something.”

“I am.”

You sighed.

“Great.”

The smile widened slightly.

Without another word, he crouched down and began gathering the papers scattered across the floor.

You hated how familiar the sight felt.

A few months ago, seeing Eom Seonghyeon kneeling on a hallway floor collecting your homework would’ve felt absurd. Now it barely registered as unusual. Together, the two of you began collecting the mess. Most of it in silence. The kind that had somehow become normal between you before either of you noticed.

The strange thing was that for the first time in weeks, you weren’t hyperaware of him. You weren’t overthinking every word, you weren’t wondering what something meant. You were simply trying to stop your papers from disappearing underneath a nearby vending machine.

“You know,” Seonghyeon said eventually, handing over another folder “for somebody who was late because of a pen, I feel like this tracks.”

You stared at him then immediately groaned.

“No.”

“Oh, yes.”

“That happened once.”

“You were defeated by a mere pen.”

“I wasn’t defeated.”

“You absolutely were.”

To your annoyance, a laugh escaped before you could stop it. The sound earned a grin from him. The folders had been restacked, the notebooks gathered and the loose papers that had scattered across half the hallway had been retrieved. Only one sheet remained. It had drifted farther than the others. The hallway itself had grown noticeably quieter during the few minutes.

You moved first, or atleast you thought you did. The second you stepped forward, Seonghyeon did too. The realization seemed to hit both of you simultaneously. You stopped, he stopped. The paper remained exactly where it was.

‘’Go ahead.’’

You looked up.

‘’What?’’

‘’You saw it first.’’

‘’No i didn’t’’

‘’You did.’’

‘’I was being polite.’’

‘’You’re never polite.’’

The response left his mouth so quickly that he seemed to realize what he had said only afterward. You stared at him, and he stared back. Then a smile appeared, it was small. The kind that always seemed to show up before he could stop it.

‘’You know what i mean.’’

‘’Do i?’’

‘’No.’’

You smiled- it was stupid. You loved the conversations, you missed them. Both of you moved at the same time again. The result was immediate. Your shoulders bumped together.

‘’Ow.’’

You immediately laughed in shock. He was being dramatic, it was a small bump.

The past few weeks suddenly seemed a little ridiculous. Seonghyeon spent so much time wondering why something felt off only to discover the answer was embarrassingly simple. He’d missed this aswell.

Haejin had never been particularly interested in making your life easier. The first sign of trouble appeared at exactly 5:34 PM on a Saturday.

Your phone buzzed.

Haejin

Can i come overrrr~

You stared at the message. Of course she could, rather it was weird she didn’t show up at your door to ask that.

You

obv

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Haejin

keonho is coming too apparently

You

Oh

Why?

Haejin

because he’s annoying and won’t leave me alone

he just texted me

he’s already on the bus

Before you could gather your thoughts to respond, another message arrived.

Haejin

oh Seonghyeon’s coming too

You nearly dropped your phone.

The thirty minutes Haejin had promised turned into forty three. Not that you were counting. You absolutely weren’t. The problem was that once somebody informed you that Haejin, Keonho and more importantly- Seonghyeon would be entering your house, suddenly every insignificant detail became a problem.

The blanket draped over the couch looked wrong. The cushions looked wrong. The stack of books sitting on the coffee table looked wrong. Even the framed photo sitting on the shelf near the television somehow looked wrong despite having remained in the exact same position for nearly three years. You were in the middle of rearranging the cushions for the third time when a voice spoke from behind you.

‘’Is Haejin coming over?’’

Your mother stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. Her eyes moved from you to the perfectly arranged couch, then to the freshly folded blanket, then to the coffee table you’d wiped down approximately fifteen minutes ago.

You nodded, before following it up.

‘’And two other friends.’’

‘’That’s fine- Should i go make something? A snackplate? Cut up some fruits?’’

‘’No, that’s okay.’’

The doorbell rang. The sound practically echoed throughout the house. The second your hand touched the doorknob, you could swear your heart dropped, like seriously. The door opened, and Haejin immediately walked inside without waiting for an invitation.

‘’Hello to you too.’’ You said.

‘’Thank you.’’

‘’What?’’

Behind her came Keonho, then Seonghyeon.

For some reason, seeing him standing on your doorstep felt stranger than seeing him anywhere else. Maybe because he’s become so firmly associated with school that your brain momentarily struggled to place him here. There was no football field, no hallway. Just your front porch, and Seonghyeon standing on it looking mildly uncomfortable beneath your scrunity. There was a long pause, it felt awkward.

‘’Hi.’’

Immediately, you wanted to throw yourself into traffic. It was a groundbreaking greeting, really. Thankfully, Seonghyeon wasn’t much better.

‘’Hi.’’

Behind him, Keonho sighed dramatically. ‘’This is painful.’’

The two of them stepped inside while Haejin continued acting like she had lived there for years. Almost immediately, your mother appeared from the kitchen.

‘’Hello, dear.’’

‘’Hi!’’

The response came so naturally that it sounded like a part of a routine they had performed hundreds of times before. Then your mother looked toward the boys. Before Seonghyeon could do anything, Keonho stepped forward.

‘’I’m Keonho,’’

‘’Nice to meet you.’’

‘’And that’s Seonghyeon.’’

A brief silence followed. Seonghyeon looked over, Keonho looked back.

‘’I can introduce myself.’’

‘’You were taking too long.’’

‘’You spoke first.’’

‘’Exactly.’’

Your mother laughed.

‘’It’s nice to meet both of you.’’

‘’Nice to meet you too.’’ Seonghyeon replied, then bowed out of respect, Keonho followed. Hearing him speak to your mother felt oddly surreal. Your mother smiled politely.

The second everyone made it upstairs, the energy somehow shifted.

Maybe it was because school had become such a permanent backdrop to all of your interactions that seeing those same people inside your house felt strangely unnatural. Haejin immediately made herself comfortable. Keonho wasn’t much better.

He wandered around without shame, examining random objects on your shelves with the confidence of somebody who had been granted permission despite the fact nobody had actually given him any. Meanwhile, you found yourself standing near your desk, suddenly hyperaware of everything around you.

The room wasn’t messy. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that it was yours.

School only allowed people to know certain versions of each other. Hallway conversations. Lunch breaks. Shared classes. Small pieces. Nobody saw what happened outside of that. Nobody saw your room at midnight when you were studying for exams. Nobody saw the stuff lying on your vanity or the old concert tickets tucked into your mirror frame. Nobody saw the photos you had forgotten were hanging on the wall until this exact moment.

And Seonghyeon seemed to notice everything.

Not in an obvious way. He wasn’t walking around inspecting things. If anything, he seemed quieter than usual. While Keonho was busy making himself at home and Haejin was already flopped across your bed scrolling through her phone, Seonghyeon’s gaze occasionally drifted around the room before moving elsewhere again. Small observations. Brief glances. Yet somehow those felt worse. You couldn’t tell whether he was actually paying attention or whether your brain was simply inventing reasons to be nervous.

“You definitely cleaned.”

You immediately looked at Haejin.

“No.”

“Yes you did.”

“I didn’t.”

“You moved something.”

“I didn’t.”

Haejin’s eyes slowly travelled across the room.

“The cushions downstairs.”

You hated her.

The smile spreading across her face told you she’d won.

“Oh my god. You did move the cushions.”

“I hate talking to you.”

From somewhere beside the bookshelf, a laugh escaped Keonho.

“You cleaned for us?”

“It wasn’t for you.”

The room fell silent for half a second before Haejin started laughing because of Keonho’s reaction. The next hour passed surprisingly quickly. Conversations drifted from one topic to another without much direction. Somebody brought up an old teacher. That somehow became a discussion about embarrassing middle school memories. Then football. Then exams. Then an argument, nobody actually cared about the answer. The argument continued anyway.

At some point, somebody stole your blanket. At some point, Keonho and Haejin became invested in a debate so stupid that the original topic had long since been forgotten.

“You are fundamentally misunderstanding the point.”

“I understand it perfectly.”

“No, you don’t.”

“You’re just wrong.”

“I’m always right.”

“That’s not how opinions work.”

Watching them argue was a bit like watching two people accidentally start a fire and then continue pouring gasoline on it.

Eventually, they ended up sitting on the floor near your television, completely absorbed in whatever nonsense they were discussing now. For the first time all afternoon, the room became quieter. You were sitting near the edge of your bed, scrolling through your phone while the sound of Haejin and Keonho arguing faded into the background. Beside you, Seonghyeon sat comfortably against the wall. Neither of you were really speaking.

The silence wasn’t awkward. A few months ago, silence between you would’ve felt unbearable. Now it barely registered. You scrolled past an old photo without thinking, then immediately scrolled back. A small laugh escaped you.

“What?”

You glanced up.

“Nothing.”

“That’s never true.”

You looked back down at the screen.

“It was from middle school.”

“Let me see.”

Without thinking, you handed him your phone but the second you did, you regretted it. Because the photo was awful. Seonghyeon looked at the screen, then looked at you. He smiled.

“What?” His smile widened.

“You look twelve.”

“I was twelve.”

“You look younger than twelve.”

“Give it back.”

You reached for the phone. At the exact same moment he pulled it slightly away, your hand brushed against his. The movement was tiny, it was barely anything. Yet both of you froze for a second. The noise from the rest of the room suddenly felt strangely distant. You weren’t sure why, it was stupid. People accidentally touched hands all the time, nothing should’ve happened.

Then Seonghyeon handed the phone back.

And somewhere across the room, Haejin suddenly yelled:

“THAT’S LITERALLY NOT WHAT I SAID.”

Seonghyeon didn’t realize he was still thinking about it until he walked straight into his bedroom door. The impact wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but it was embarrassing enough that he immediately looked around despite being completely alone. A second later he let out a quiet groan and rubbed a hand over his face.

A few minutes later after showering and changing into comfortable clothes, he found himself sitting on the edge of his bed with a towel draped around his neck. His phone had been abandoned somewhere beside him. Downstairs, he could faintly hear the television playing. Everything felt normal. The day was over. There was absolutely no reason for him to still be thinking about it.

Nothing important had happened. They had gone to y/n’s house, wasted an entire afternoon doing nothing productive, listened to Keonho and Haejin argue about things neither of them cared enough to remember and eventually gone home. That was it. Yet every time Seonghyeon tried focusing on something else, his mind drifted right back there again.

The strangest part wasn’t that he had seen y/n’s room for the first time. It wasn’t even that he had spent several hours with her outside of school. It was the fact that every new thing he had learned about her somehow felt oddly expected. Not because he knew those things already, but because they fit.

The way everything looked slightly messy until you paid attention and realized there was a system behind it. Even the way she’d reacted whenever somebody pointed something out. Half embarrassed. Half annoyed. Like she wanted people to know her but only on her own terms.

A quiet laugh escaped him before he could stop it. He could already imagine how offended she’d be if she knew he was sitting here psychoanalyzing her bedroom.The thought should’ve ended there, instead another one immediately followed.

The look on her face when Haejin exposed the fact that she had obviously cleaned before they arrived. The way she tried denying it despite the evidence being painfully obvious. Then the laugh she’d let out later. Then the smile she’d been trying not to show when he teased her.

Seonghyeon dropped backward onto his mattress and stared at the ceiling. There it was again. That same problem. Every thought somehow led back to her. It was infuriating, it’s like his brain had no originality.

He had known y/n for what? A couple of months? Yet lately it felt like she kept appearing in places she wasn’t even supposed to be. In random thoughts, in conversations, in moments where he was supposed to be focusing on literally anything else. It was getting harder and harder to ignore. For the first time, Seonghyeon found himself staring directly at a possibility he had been avoiding for weeks. Not accepting it. Definitely not accepting it. Just looking at it from a safe distance. Then immediately backing away.

Nope, absolutely not.

For a long moment he simply layed there with one arm thrown across his face, feeling increasingly annoyed with himself. Because the more he thought about it, the worse his life defense became. Maybe there wasn’t some complicated explanation. Maybe the reason he had spent weeks looking for her in crowded hallways, noticing when she wasn’t around, and wondering why everything felt different lately wasn’t because something weird was happening.

Maybe the problem was much simpler than that, and that’s exactly why he didn’t wanna think about it, didn’t wanna consider it.

The problem started with a pencil.

Not because the pencil itself was important. It wasn’t. The pencil belonged to Keonho, who had somehow managed to drop it three separate times during a single class period. By the third time, the teacher looked ready to launch it out the nearest window.

A few people around the classroom were already trying and failing to hide their laughter, while Keonho seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he was seconds away from becoming someone’s least favorite student.

Normally, Seonghyeon would’ve found this entertaining. He probably would’ve made a comment. Maybe laughed. Maybe joined Martin in making fun of Keonho later. Instead, he was staring out the classroom window, his attention drifting somewhere beyond the teacher’s voice and the half finished notes sitting in front of him.

He wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. At least, that was what he told himself. The lesson had become background noise a long time ago, blending together with the scratching of pencils, turning pages and the occasional sigh from students who had already mentally checked out for the day.

Outside, students crossed the courtyard below in small groups. Some were heading back toward the academic building after lunch while others lingered near the benches despite the fact that the break had ended nearly ten minutes ago. From up here everyone looked smaller, moving through familiar routines without much urgency. It was the sort of thing he would’ve glanced at for a second before looking away.

Then movement caught his attention. Someone familiar stepped through the courtyard gate. Immediately, his eyes followed. Which would’ve been fine if he hadn’t recognized her from half a building away. That felt excessive.

The distance alone should’ve made it impossible. He couldn’t even properly see her face from here. Yet somehow he had known it was y/n before he consciously registered any actual details. Before he thought about it. Before he even realized he was paying attention.

She was walking beside somebody. Just some guy from their year that Seonghyeon vaguely recognized. For a moment, he found himself watching longer than necessary. Not because anything unusual was happening. The opposite, actually. They were just talking. The guy said something and y/n laughed before shaking her head slightly. Then the conversation continued as if nothing had happened.

Have they always been friends?

Worked on a project together?

Why was he even thinking about this?

Because he genuinely didn’t care. He shouldn’t, atleast. His eyes remained fixed on the courtyard for another moment before he finally looked away. The strange thing was that nothing about the situation actually bothered him. Y/n was allowed to talk to whoever she wanted. She was allowed to have other friends. The thought shouldn’t have occupied more than two seconds of his attention.

The thought lingered for the rest of the lesson. It followed him when the bell rang, when students immediately began shoving books into bags and when Keonho somehow dropped the same pencil again while standing up.

Seonghyeon barely heard Martin laughing about it beside him. His attention had drifted elsewhere. Not toward the courtyard anymore, but toward the uncomfortable realization itself. A few months ago, he wouldn’t have noticed.

A few months ago, y/n would’ve blended into the hundreds of students moving around campus every day. Not really because there was anything forgettable about her, but because she had never given people a reason to look twice. She wasn’t loud. She didn’t try to draw attention to herself. Half the time she seemed perfectly content existing just outside the center of things.

The weather was unusually good, good enough that nobody wanted to spend lunch indoors. The football field, basketball court and every bench around campus were crowded with students taking advantage of the rare sunshine. Conversations echoed across the courtyard.

Seonghyeon sat on a low concrete wall near the basketball court with Martin, Keonho, James and Juhoon. Or rather, everyone else was sitting. Martin had somehow convinced himself he was the next basketball prodigy and had spent the last ten minutes repeatedly shooting the same ball at the hoop missing every time.

“You know,” James said, watching another failed attempt, “at some point this becomes a public safety hazard.”

Martin caught the rebound.

“You people don’t understand greatness.”

“Stick to football, please.”

Martin looked offended.

Beside them, Keonho was lying dramatically across the wall as if he’d just survived a life threatening event.

“I’ve decided something.”

Nobody reacted.

“I’m serious.”

Still nothing.

“You guys never support me.”

Juhoon didn’t even look up from his phone. “That’s because your ideas are usually terrible.”

“See? Exactly what I’m talking about.”

James sighed.

“What realization have you had now?”

Keonho sat up immediately.

“I should get priority in the cafeteria queue.”

‘’Why?’’

‘’Because i’m an athlete.’’

‘’…and so are we.’’

‘’Yeaaaaah- whatever.’’ Keonho immediately leaned back again.

The bookstore had always felt different after sunset.

Because there were fewer people around, or because the street outside became quieter once the shops started closing for the evening. Whatever the reason, everything seemed softer at night. The warm yellow lights reflected against the shelves, the air smelled faintly of paper and old wood and somewhere near the front counter low music played quietly enough that it blended into the background. It was one of the reasons you came here so often. Nobody bothered you. You could spend an hour staring at the same shelf and nobody would question it.

Which was exactly what you had been doing for the last ten minutes. At least until a familiar voice drifted from somewhere deeper in the store. You didn’t react immediately. At first your brain simply registered the sound as familiar. Then a second passed. Then another. And suddenly your head snapped up.

For a brief moment you genuinely convinced yourself you were imagining things. The possibility would’ve been less embarrassing than the alternative. Slowly, you stepped around the end of a bookshelf and glanced down the next aisle. Immediately, your stomach betrayed you.

Because standing near the back of the store was Seonghyeon. Not somebody who looked like him. It was him. Seeing him here felt like spotting a teacher at the grocery store. Not wrong exactly, just unsettling enough to force your brain to restart.

He was standing beside a rolling cart filled with books, listening while the owner explained something. Every now and then he would nod before reaching over to place another book onto a shelf. Judging by how comfortably he moved around the store, this clearly wasn’t his first time here. Then the owner noticed you. His face brightened instantly. “Y/n.”

Oh great, Seonghyeon was turning around too. For a second, surprise crossed his face. Then he smiled. The same smile that had become increasingly dangerous for your emotional wellbeing over the past few months.

“Hey.’’

It still managed to make your heart forget how to function. The owner looked between the two of you before immediately deciding this was the most entertaining thing that had happened all week.

“You two know each other?”

The silence that followed felt unnecessarily heavy. Technically, the answer was simple. Still, none of you spoke immediately. Eventually Seonghyeon answered first. “We go to school together.”

The owner looked unconvinced. You understood why. Because there was something suspicious about the way Seonghyeon had smiled while saying it. As if the answer was technically true. Just not the entire truth.

The owner eventually disappeared toward the front of the store after receiving a late delivery, leaving the two of you alone with several half empty shelves and a cart stacked with books that apparently needed to be reorganized before closing. The task itself wasn’t particularly difficult, but the aisle he had assigned you to was.

It was narrow enough that every time one of you moved, the other had to adjust accordingly. At first neither of you paid much attention to it. The conversation flowed naturally. It should have felt normal. In theory, it was normal. Still, somewhere between reaching for the same stack of novels and arguing over whether a book belonged in the mystery section or literary fiction, you became increasingly aware of how little space actually existed between the two of you.

You noticed gradually rather than all at once. One moment you were focused on sorting books, the next you found yourself noticing things that shouldn’t have mattered. The sleeves of Seonghyeon’s hoodie were pushed up to his forearms. His hair kept falling into his eyes every few minutes. Every time it did, he would push it back before continuing whatever he was doing. It wasn’t remarkable.

It wasn’t even interesting. Yet for some reason, your attention kept returning to it. Across from you, Seonghyeon wasn’t doing much better. He had spent the last several weeks trying very hard not to think too deeply about certain things, only to discover that being alone with you outside school made that task significantly more difficult. At school there were distractions. Friends, classes, teachers, noise. Here there was only the soft hum of the bookstore, the occasional turning page from a customer somewhere in the distance, and you.

You reached for a book resting near the top shelf at the exact same moment Seonghyeon stepped forward to place another back in its place. Neither of you noticed the timing until it was already too late. The aisle was far too narrow for both movements to happen at once. One second you were focused entirely on the shelf in front of you, the next you found yourself stopping abruptly as Seonghyeon did the same. Far too close.

You hadn’t walked into him. Neither of you had. Yet somehow the distance between you had disappeared anyway. The narrow aisle had trapped both of you in the same small space and now neither of you could move without brushing past the other. Instinctively, you took a small step backward. Though, your shoulder bumped lightly against the bookshelf behind you, leaving nowhere else to go. The movement seemed to catch Seonghyeon’s attention. His eyes flickered toward you before immediately looking away again. Then back. That was worse.

Because now he was actually looking at you. Not casually. Not the way he normally did. The kind of look that lasted a second too long. The kind that made you suddenly aware of every inch separating you.

Neither of you moved. Somewhere outside, a car passed by. Somewhere inside, somebody turned a page. Neither sound felt real. Not compared to this. Not compared to the fact that Seonghyeon was standing close enough for you to notice details you never should have been able to notice. The faint scent of his cologne. The slight rise and fall of his breathing. The way his gaze kept dropping for the briefest moments before returning to your eyes again.

Seonghyeon wasn’t doing much better. A normal person would have stepped away by now. That was the logical thing to do. The obvious thing. Yet for some reason, neither of them seemed capable of being the first one to move. His hand was still resting against the shelf above your shoulder. Not touching you. Close enough that it felt like it.

Close enough that every rational thought in his head had abruptly stopped functioning. He couldn’t even remember what book he had been reaching for. Couldn’t remember what either of you had been talking about thirty seconds ago. All he knew was that you were looking up at him and that suddenly felt like a very torturous thing. The silence stretched. Your eyes dropped briefly, then lifted again.

Mistake.

Because the second your gaze met his again, something shifted. Neither of you moved, yet the distance felt smaller than before. Small enough that for one completely irrational second, the possibility crossed both of your minds at the same time. And judging by the way Seonghyeon’s breathing faltered, he knew it too.

The sound of a stack of books being dropped somewhere near the front counter shattered the moment instantly. Both of you stepped back so fast it almost hurt.

The rest of the evening felt strangely disconnected after that.

You had left the bookstore not long after, mumbling some excuse about needing to get home before it got too late. The owner had teased you for leaving earlier than usual, but you barely remembered what you had said in response. Your brain had been somewhere else entirely.

The walk home should’ve felt familiar. You had taken the same route hundreds of times before. The same streets. The same convenience store on the corner. The same traffic lights that always seemed determined to turn red at the worst possible moment. Yet everything felt slightly off, as if somebody had shifted the world half an inch to the left without telling you.

The problem was that your brain had apparently become incapable of behaving normally whenever he was involved. Every time you replayed the evening, you found yourself stopping at the same moment. Your thoughts kept drifting there on their own. The narrow aisle. The silence. The way neither of you had moved. The way you suddenly became aware of absurd things you never paid attention to before, like how close he was standing or how easy it would’ve been to reach out and touch him.

Meanwhile, Seonghyeon made it approximately twelve minutes before realizing he was completely screwed.

The bookstore owner had eventually returned to find him standing in the wrong aisle holding a book he had already shelved three separate times. Seonghyeon wasn’t usually the type to get distracted. If anything, one of the things people liked most about him was how calm he was under pressure. Football matches didn’t stress him out, presentations didn’t stress him out. Exams stressed him out a little, but not enough to make him lose sleep. One interaction with y/n had completely destroyed his ability to focus. The owner had asked him a question and Seonghyeon had stared at him for three seconds before realizing he had not heard a single word.

Every time he thought he had moved on, he would remember some tiny detail and immediately get distracted again. The way she looked up at him. The way she froze. The fact that neither of them had stepped away immediately. That part bothered him most. A normal person would’ve moved. A normal person would’ve laughed it off and continued shelving books. Instead, they had both just stood there staring at each other like complete idiots until somebody dropped books near the front counter and snapped them back to reality.

The days after the bookstore felt strangely normal on the surface and completely unbearable underneath. Y/n would be halfway through listening to Haejin before suddenly remembering the look on Seonghyeon’s face in that aisle and immediately losing track of the conversation. Seonghyeon wasn’t doing much better. Looking for y/n had somehow become a habit. Not a conscious one. His eyes just seemed to find her automatically now, and what bothered him most wasn’t seeing her. It was when he couldn’t.

By Thursday afternoon, students flooded out of their classrooms as the bell rang. Conversations echoed through the hallways while people pushed toward their next lesson. Seonghyeon was walking with his friends, half listening to whatever argument Keonho was currently having, when he spotted y/n a little ahead. She was walking through the crowd. He didn’t think about it. Not really. The words left his mouth before his brain had the opportunity to intervene.

‘’You coming this friday?’’ The second he said it, she turned around.

‘’What?’’

Seonghyeon blinked, for a moment neither spoke.

‘’Where?’’

And suddenly every functioning thought in Seonghyeon’s head disappeared. Apparently, he had skipped an entire conversation.

‘’You know..’’ He started. No, obviously she didn’t know.

‘’The game.’’ She stared. ‘’The football game?’’

‘’Yeah.’’ Only now did Seonghyeon realize how insane this looked. They had never actually discussed her coming. Not once. For some reason though, it had already become a possibility in his head.

‘’Oh.’’ The hallway suddenly felt far too crowded. ‘’You don’t have to.’’ The words came out faster than he intended and he immediately regretted them, because now it sounded like he didn’t care. Which wasn’t true. Not even remotely. ‘’You could- you-‘’ He paused, then looked at her. Actually looked at her. ‘’I’d like it if you did.’’

Y/n’s heart had stopped functioning. There was no reason that sentence should’ve affected her the way it did. It wasn’t a confession. It wasn’t even flirting. Yet standing there in the middle of a crowded hallway, it felt dangerously close to something else. And suddenly she realized he actually meant it.

He wanted her there. A smile threatened to appear, she fought it immediately and failed. ‘’Okay.’’ The answer came out softer than she had intended.

Something shifted in Seonghyeon’s expression. The tension in his shoulders eased and the smallest smile appeared.

By the time you arrived, most of the stadium was still empty. The match wasn’t starting for another hour, leaving the school caught in that strange period between preparation and chaos. Staff moved equipment across the field, a few students wandered through the entrance gates and somewhere deeper inside the athletic building, the football team was getting ready. You honestly hadn’t planned on coming this early. At least, that was what you kept telling yourself. The hallway leading toward the locker rooms was nearly deserted when you spotted him.

Seonghyeon was standing beside a row of lockers, already dressed in his uniform, one hand resting against the metal door while he searched through his bag for something. For a moment, you simply watched. It felt unfair how normal he looked. Like he hadn’t spent the last few weeks slowly becoming the cause of half your problems.

Maybe he felt you staring, because a second later he looked up and smiled. Not the polite smile. Not the one he gave teachers. The real one. The one that always seemed to appear before he could stop it.

“You know the game’s not starting for another hour, right?” The greeting caught you off guard.

“What, you’re kicking me out already?”

“No,” he said immediately, a little too quickly.

“I’m just trying to figure out why you’re here this early.”

You adjusted the strap of your bag. “Maybe I have nothing better to do.”

“That’s depressing.” You stared at him.

“You’re about to play an important match.”

“And you’re making fun of me.”

“I’m helping you stay humble.” A laugh escaped him, and for a moment neither of you said anything else. The conversation should’ve ended there. It didn’t. For some reason, Seonghyeon was still standing there. For some reason, you were too.

“You nervous?” you asked eventually.

“About the game?” You nodded.

“Unless you’re secretly taking a math exam afterwards.” His smile returned.

“A little.” The answer surprised you, it sounded genuine.

“You?” he asked. You frowned. “What?”

“Nervous.”

“Why would I be nervous?” Something shifted in his expression. “Good question.” The look he gave you made your stomach drop because suddenly it didn’t feel like you were talking about football anymore.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. That was the problem. It felt too easy. Too comfortable. The kind of silence that only happened when you genuinely liked being around someone. You looked away first, which immediately turned out to be a mistake because the second you did, you became aware of how close he was standing. Not close enough to be strange. Close enough to matter. When you looked back up, Seonghyeon was already looking at you.

Neither of you moved. Neither of you spoke. The hallway felt quieter than before, and you couldn’t remember what you had been about to say. His gaze dropped for the briefest second before lifting again. The movement was tiny. It still made your heart nearly stop. For the first time since you had met him, Seonghyeon looked completely thrown off, like he was realizing something at the exact same time you were.

The realization hung between you. Neither of you acknowledged it. Neither of you looked away. The distance somehow felt smaller now. A lot smaller. You weren’t sure whether one of you had stepped forward or if you had simply stopped paying attention to everything except him. Seonghyeon let out a quiet breath. His eyes flickered down again. This time neither of you pretended not to notice. The moment stretched. One second. Two. Three. Long enough for your pulse to start racing. Long enough for him to look like he’d completely forgotten where he was.

Long enough that if either of you moved even slightly-

“SEONGHYEON!”

The shout echoed through the hallway, making both of you jump apart so fast it was embarrassing. A teammate appeared around the corner. “Coach is looking for you.” Seonghyeon genuinely looked annoyed. Actually annoyed. Which somehow made everything worse.

“Yeah.” he muttered. The teammate disappeared again, leaving the two of you standing there in the aftermath of something neither of you seemed willing to acknowledge.

Then Seonghyeon rubbed the back of his neck and let out a short laugh. “I should probably go before he benches me.”

“Probably.”

Then he looked at you properly. Not past you. Not around you. At you.

‘’Stay until the game finishes.’’

You blinked.

‘’What?’’

‘’You came all the way here, it’d be rude to leave earlier.’’ The excuse was terrible, both of you knew it. You were smiling. You gave him a reassuring hum. His own smile softened.

The whistle blew before you were ready for it.

Almost immediately, the atmosphere shifted. The scattered conversations around the stadium disappeared beneath the sound of cheering as both teams surged forward. Whatever relaxed energy had existed before kickoff vanished entirely. Suddenly everything felt louder. Faster. More important. You tried focusing, you really did.

For the first few minutes, your attention stayed where it was supposed to. The ball moved rapidly across the field, players weaving around each other while the crowd reacted to every near miss and interception. It was impossible not to get caught up in it. Even people who barely cared about football seemed invested tonight.

Then your thoughts wandered. Without warning, your mind dragged you back to the hallway. To the silence. To the way Seonghyeon had looked at you. A collective groan erupted from the crowd. You blinked. Apparently you missed something.

“That would’ve been such a good goal!’’ Haejin complained beside you.

“Are you even watching?’’

‘’I am.’’

‘’You’re not!’’

Before you could argue, the game resumed and your attention returned to the field. This time it stayed there for a while.The match itself was good. Really good. Both teams were evenly matched which only made the atmosphere more intense. Every attack felt intense. Every mistake earned a reaction from the crowd. By the time twenty minutes had passed, even you had stopped pretending not to care. A player from the opposing team broke through the defense. The stadium collectively held its breath. The shot missed by centimeters and the entire crowd exploded. Students jumped to their feet.

And before you realized it, you were standing too. For a moment, you just stared then slowly sat back down.

Huh. Maybe football wasn’t completely boring.

The final minutes of the match passed in a blur. The score was tied. Every touch of the ball seemed to pull a reaction from the crowd, every mistake earning groans and every opportunity drawing people to the edge of their seats. Even students who barely cared about football were standing now. The atmosphere had become infectious. Somewhere beside you, Haejin had completely abandoned any attempt at acting normal. She was half standing, half leaning over the railing, reacting to every play as if her life depended on it.

The clock was running down when Seonghyeon received the ball near midfield. The crowd immediately reacted. Maybe it was because everybody trusted him. Whatever the reason, the second he moved forward thousands of eyes followed. Including yours. The play happened so quickly you barely had time to process it. A pass. A turn. Somebody shouting. Then suddenly the ball hit the back of the net. The stadium exploded, the noise that had erupted was unbelievable.

Students jumped to their feet. Teammates rushed across the field. People screamed loud enough to make your ears ring. Somewhere beside you, Haejin grabbed your shoulders and started shaking you like she had personally scored the goal herself. You laughed in surprise.

The first thing Seonghyeon did after his teammates swarmed him was lift his head and look at you. The distance between you was enormous. The field, the track, hundreds of people, yet he found you.

The final whistle blew moments later. The match was over. The celebration wasn’t. Students immediately flooded toward the exits, some heading for the field while others crowded around friends and teammates. The entire stadium seemed alive with movement. You lingered for a while, letting people pass before eventually gathering your things.

You weren’t entirely sure where you were going. Only that suddenly being surrounded by hundreds of people felt overwhelming. The night air was cooler outside the stadium. The noise became quieter with every step until it faded into the background completely. For the first time all evening, you were alone with your thoughts.

You had almost reached the corner of the building when you heard footsteps behind you. You turned around, it was Seonghyeon. He was still wearing his uniform, still slightly out of breath. He looked at you, the corners of Seonghyeon’s mouth lifted first.

“You were leaving.”

You laughed softly.

“Why does everybody keep accusing me of that?”

“Because you keep doing it.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

Maybe you would’ve argued. Maybe you would’ve defended yourself. You found yourself smiling instead. The noise from the stadium felt distant now. The world seemed smaller somehow. Reduced to the stretch of pavement between the two of you and the fact that neither of you seemed interested in leaving.

A group of students passed somewhere behind Seonghyeon still loud from the match, still arguing over goals and missed opportunities and who deserved credit for the win. One of them called his name. Normally he would’ve responded automatically. You had seen it happen a hundred times before. Yet he didn’t even turn around. His attention never left you. Something about that made your stomach flip.

For months, Seonghyeon had existed in constant motion. Surrounded by teammates, friends, conversations. There was always somebody looking for him. Always somewhere else he needed to be. Now, after one of the biggest matches of the season, after scoring the winning goal, after spending two hours being pulled in every direction, he was standing here looking at you like the rest of the world had become background noise.

The smile on Seonghyeon’s face faded slightly. Your pulse sped up immediately, you knew. Not what he was thinking, not exactly. However, you knew this moment mattered.

The distance between you felt ridiculous, like it was the only thing both of you could focus on. Every second stretched longer than it should have. Your heart was beating so hard, you became painfully aware of it.

Seonghyeon took a step forward. You hated how quickly your breath caught. You hated how your eyes immediately dropped before finding his again. You hated that he noticed. You were standing close enough to notice details you never should’ve noticed. The faint flush lingering across his cheeks from the match. The way his hair had fallen messily across his forehead. The fact that he looked just as overwhelmed as you felt.

Your hand found the sleeve of his jersey before you even realized what you were doing. The second your fingers curled around the fabric, Seonghyeon’s eyes dropped to your hand. Then back to you. Something in his expression completely softened. Then finally, after a dreadful amount of missed chances and interrupted moments and terrible timing,

Seonghyeon kissed you.

The football field, the crowd, the noise from the stadium, all of it disappeared into the background until there was nothing left except the overwhelming realization that this was actually happening. The kiss wasn’t rushed, it felt like both of you had spent so long circling around this moment that neither of you quite knew what to do once you had reached it. Your grip tightened slightly against his jersey without meaning to, and something about that made his hand find yours.

You had spent weeks turning Seonghyeon into a problem inside your head. Something complicated. Something impossible to ignore. Yet standing here now, there was nothing complicated about it.

Then, your lips crashed against his. Off-center at first, your nose bumping his jaw accidentally before you corrected. You were pulling him closer. Seonghyeon had reacted immediately, his hands reached to cup your face delicately. His lips were warm and softer than you had expected for a boy who felt so intimidating and cold at first. The contrast sent something sharp down your spine.

He shifted one of his hands to your waist, the touch light at first, like he was questioning if you’d pull away. You didn’t, you kissed him harder. He tilted his head, adjusting the angle, and suddenly the kiss fit differently, better, deeper. His chest was pressed against yours. Your heart was pounding, he could feel it. Or maybe it was his own heart.

His thumb was brushing along your cheekbone, tilting your face up to meet his more fully. He kissed you properly now, he matched your energy. He kissed you until his lips were numb, he kissed you with genuine love. He kissed you like he was trying to get inside your skin. He was a mess for you. He took over the pacing, guiding slowly through it.

At some point, neither of you seemed to care how long you had been standing there. When you finally pulled apart, it wasn’t because either of you wanted to. It was because breathing had become somewhat important. The distance between you barely existed. Seonghyeon’s hand remained at your waist, his forehead nearly brushing yours as both of you tried to remember how to function.

You simply looked at each other. Weirdly, after months of wondering and guessing and pretending not to notice, that felt like enough. For the first time since all of this started, neither of you had to question it anymore.

Seonghyeon liked you.

You liked Seonghyeon.

And after everything it had taken to get here, It felt so good.

The next morning felt strangely normal. The school building was still crowded. Students still dragged themselves through the hallways half awake. Somewhere down the corridor, Martin was already being unnecessarily loud before first period had even started.

He was greeting everyone with the biggest smile plastered across his face, he was way too happy at 8:30 in the morning. Not as happy as you though. Your cheeks hurt, genuienly hurt reaching the main building. Everytime you remembered yesterday, another smile appeared before you could stop it. You were very warm, you just hoped it wasn’t obvious externally.

‘’You look happy.’’

You looked up, Seonghyeon was standing beside your locker. Immediately your smile got worse, a strange feeling in your stomach had come from nowhere when you looked at him.

‘’Hi.’’

He smiled.

His hand found yours so naturally it almost sent shivers through your body. His fingers slipping through yours as though they’d belonged there since forever. The action sent a completely unreasonable amount of warmth through your chest.

the two of you started walking toward your classroom. The hallway buzzed with conversation around you, people moving in every direction. A few students greeted Seonghyeon as they passed. He greeted them back automatically. Everything felt familiar. Yet every few steps your attention drifted toward your joined hands again. It was such a small thing.

“You know,” Seonghyeon said after a moment, glancing sideways, “you look less tired today.” You immediately narrowed your eyes. “You said I looked tired.”

“I said you were tired.”

“No.’’

“I meant it differently.”

“Sure.”

You tried very hard not to smile. Failed immediately. Beside you, Seonghyeon looked equally hopeless. The two of you reached your classroom far too quickly. Students were already filtering inside. The bell would ring any minute now. Neither of you seemed particularly eager to acknowledge that. Eventually, Seonghyeon stopped outside the door.

“So.”

‘’So.’’

A smile appeared, and a matching one answered it. Then Seonghyeon sqeezed your hand once before letting you go.

‘’I’ll see you later.’’

☘︎

You were already in his bed, wearing only his favorite oversized black shirt that barely reached mid thigh. The moment he closed the door behind him, you moved.You rose to your knees, caught his wrist, and pulled him down onto the mattress with you. Heeseung let out a soft, surprised chuckle, his deep voice rumbling.“Missed me that bad, baby?” he murmured, settling back against the pillows as you climbed over him.

But you didn’t answer with words. Instead, your hand slipped into his sweatpants, wrapping around his half hard length. He inhaled sharply, eyes fluttering for a second as you stroked him slowly to full hardness. Within moments he was thick and heavy in your palm, veins pulsing under your fingers. You pushed his waistband down just enough, positioned yourself over him, and sank down in one smooth, deliberate motion.

Heeseung’s cock stretched you open, filling you completely until your ass rested against his thighs, every inch buried deep inside your warm, wet heat. No thrusts no bouncing just staying perfectly still with him sheathed to the hilt.

“Fuck—” Heeseung’s voice broke into a low groan, his hands flying to your hips instantly, fingers digging into the soft flesh as if to ground himself. His eyes widened, dark and intense, locking onto yours with that signature leader intensity. His chest rose and fell rapidly, breath already ragged. “Y/N you’re so fucking warm so tight around me right now.”

For a long moment, neither of you moved. The only sounds were your mingled breathing and the faint wet sound of your bodies adjusting to each other. Heeseung’s cock twitched hard inside you, thickening even more at the sudden enveloping heat. You could feel every ridge, every vein, the way his pulse beat steadily against your inner walls. Your own pussy fluttered involuntarily around him, clenching and releasing in little pulses that made his jaw tighten.

Heeseung’s hands slid up under the shirt you wore his shirt—tracing the curve of your waist, thumbs brushing the undersides of your breasts. “You initiating this?” he whispered, voice dropping into that dangerously low register that always sent shivers down your spine. A slow, predatory smirk tugged at his lips, the one that made fans scream and made your stomach twist with want. “No warning, just sliding down on my cock like you own it my greedy girl I love it.”

He pulled you closer until your chests pressed together, your nipples hardening against him through the thin fabric. His lips found your neck, pressing open mouthed kisses along the column of your throat, sucking gently at your pulse point. Every tiny shift of your body caused delicious friction—his cock nudging deeper without any real thrusting. Heeseung let out a shaky exhale against your skin.

“Stay still like this for me,” he murmured, one hand moving to cup the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair. “I want to feel everything how wet you’re getting how you’re squeezing me.” He flexed his hips in the tiniest circle, barely perceptible, but enough to make you both gasp. “Shit, you feel incredible like velvet fire around my cock.”

Minutes stretched out. Heeseung was always patient in moments like this teasing, savoring, drawing out the pleasure until it bordered on torture. He kept you locked in place with strong arms, his body heat mingling with yours. His free hand roamed lazily: squeezing your ass, tracing your spine, rolling a nipple between his fingers until you whimpered softly. Each sound you made earned you a deep, appreciative groan from him.

“You’re dripping down my balls already,” he observed in that husky tone, voice vibrating against your ear. He reached between your bodies just enough to feel where you were joined, collecting some of your slick on his fingers and bringing them to his mouth. His eyes never left yours as he licked them clean. “Taste so sweet for me all this just from having me inside you?”

The praise made you clench harder around him. Heeseung’s head fell back against the pillow, exposing the sharp line of his jaw and the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed thickly. “That’s it keep doing that. Milk my cock while we stay like this.” His restraint was impressive, but you could feel the tension coiling in his muscles—the way his thighs trembled slightly beneath you, the constant subtle twitches of his length buried deep.

He kissed you then—slow, deep, and filthy. His tongue slid against yours in the same unhurried rhythm he used when he wanted to drive you crazy. One hand stayed on your hip, holding you down firmly so you couldn’t ride him even if you tried. The other tangled in your hair, tilting your head to deepen the kiss. When he pulled back, a string of saliva connected your lips for a second.

“I’ve thought about this,” he confessed quietly, forehead pressed to yours. “Coming home and having you warm my cock while we talk about our day feeling you pulse around me for hours.” His voice was pure velvet. “You’re perfect so fucking perfect for me.”

Time blurred ten minutes fifteen twenty. Heeseung kept up the intimate conversation, whispering filthy observations mixed with sweet nothings. How your walls fluttered when he praised you. How he could feel you getting wetter with every passing second. How much he loved being this connected, skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat. Occasionally he’d roll his hips in minute movements just enough to grind against that sensitive spot inside you without breaking the cockwarming stillness.

Your breathing grew heavier, matching his. Sweat began to bead on his chest where your bodies pressed together. Heeseung’s eyes were half lidded, dark with lust, but there was also that soft affection he reserved only for you the way he stroked your cheek with his thumb, the gentle kisses he pressed to your temple.

“You’re shaking,” he noted with a soft laugh, the sound low and affectionate. “Am I that deep, baby? Filling you up so good you can’t even think?” He flexed again, deliberately this time, making his cock jump inside you. The sensation drew a broken moan from your throat. Heeseung’s smirk widened. “Good girl let me hear you.”

The tension built unbearably. Your clit throbbed against his pelvis, aching for friction, but he kept you pinned, savoring the slow burn. Heeseung’s breathing was ragged now, control fraying at the edges. His hands gripped you tighter, almost bruising.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stay still,” he admitted, voice strained. “You feel too fucking good so hot and tight sucking me in like you never want me to leave.” He kissed you again, harder this time, more desperate. His hips gave a small, involuntary thrust upward, pushing him impossibly deeper.

You clenched hard in response, and Heeseung groaned loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet room. “Fuck, do that again.” When you did, his resolve cracked. He rolled you both suddenly, still connected, pinning you beneath his larger frame without ever pulling out. The new position let him press even deeper, the head of his cock nudging against your cervix.

“Look at me,” he commanded softly, elbows braced on either side of your head. His damp hair fell forward, framing his handsome face. “I need to move now need to fuck you properly after feeling you warm me for so long.”

What followed was intense. Heeseung started with slow, deep thrusts pulling out just enough to feel your walls drag along his length before sliding back home. Each stroke was deliberate, savoring the glide. His pace gradually increased, hips snapping with controlled power. The wet sounds of your bodies meeting filled the room, mixed with his low grunts and your moans.

“You started this,” he panted against your neck, biting down gently. “Taking my cock like that the second I walked in such a naughty girl.” One hand slipped between you, thumb circling your clit in tight spirals. “Come for me while I’m inside you want to feel you fall apart around my cock.”

The orgasm hit you hard, walls spasming violently around him. Heeseung cursed, burying his face in your shoulder as he fucked you through it, prolonging the pleasure. His own release followed soon after deep, powerful thrusts that pushed him to the hilt as he spilled inside you, groaning your name in that beautiful, wrecked voice.

Afterwards, he didn’t pull out immediately. Heeseung stayed buried deep, collapsing half on top of you with his weight comforting rather than crushing. He pressed soft kisses to your face, your lips, your eyelids, whispering praises.

“You’re amazing,” he murmured, voice hoarse. “I love when you take control like that. Love feeling so close to you.” His fingers traced lazy patterns on your skin as you both came down, still intimately connected. The afterglow stretched long, warm, and full of quiet affection.

Heeseung eventually shifted to lie on his side, pulling you with him so you stayed spooned together, his cock softening but still nestled inside you. “We’re sleeping like this tonight,” he decided with a sleepy, satisfied smile. “Don’t want to lose this feeling.”

The room grew quiet again, filled only with your synced breathing and the occasional soft kiss. Heeseung held you like you were the most precious thing in his world leader, lover, and the man who had just been completely undone by your bold initiation.

◟✿ jay ˒ The living room in the dorm was dimly lit, the only light coming from the large TV screen paused on Jay’s game. The rest of the members had gone to bed or out, leaving the space quiet except for the low hum of the city outside and the occasional click of the controller. Jay was sprawled on the wide couch in black sweatpants and a loose white tee, one arm draped over the backrest, looking effortlessly handsome with his sharp jawline and focused dark eyes. His hair was slightly tousled from running his fingers through it during the match.

You had been watching him from the doorway for a few minutes, heat pooling low in your belly at the sight of his relaxed posture and the way the fabric of his sweats outlined his thighs. Without warning, you crossed the room, climbed onto the couch, and straddled his lap. Jay’s eyebrows rose in surprise, a small smirk already forming on his lips.

“Hey, what’s—?” he started, but the words died when your hand slipped inside his waistband, pulling his cock free. He was already half hard from the way you’d been looking at him earlier. You stroked him firmly a few times until he was fully erect thick, veined, and heavy in your grip then positioned yourself and sank down in one smooth, deliberate motion.

Jay’s cock stretched you open deliciously, filling every inch until you were seated flush against him, his length buried to the hilt inside your tight, wet cunt. No movement just pure cockwarming.

“Shit—!” Jay’s head slammed back against the couch cushions, a sharp groan tearing from his throat. His hands shot to your waist instantly, fingers digging in hard enough to leave marks. His eyes flew open wide, dark and blown with lust as he stared at you in shock and raw hunger. “Y/N… fuck, you just— you took me all the way in like that?”

His voice was rough, that slight American accent thickening with arousal. For several long seconds, he didn’t move, simply breathing through the overwhelming sensation of your walls enveloping him completely—hot, slick, and pulsing around his cock. You could feel him twitch and swell even thicker inside you, the head pressing firmly against your deepest point.

Jay let out a shaky, impressed laugh, his chest rising and falling rapidly under you. “Bold as hell initiating cockwarming right in the middle of my game? You’re something else, princess.” His hands slid down to grip your ass possessively, squeezing the soft flesh as he adjusted his posture slightly, spreading his thighs wider so you sank even deeper. The new angle made both of you moan softly.

He looked down between your joined bodies where you were connected, then slowly dragged his gaze back up to your face. “You’re so fucking wet already. I can feel it dripping down my balls.” Jay’s voice dropped lower, husky and teasing. One hand slipped under the hem of the oversized shirt you wore his shirt again and traced up your spine, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “No warning just sliding that pretty pussy down on my cock and staying there. You missed me that much huh ?”

You stayed perfectly still, savoring the intimate fullness. Jay’s cock throbbed steadily inside you, matching his quickened heartbeat. He pulled you closer until your chests pressed together, his lips finding yours in a slow, deep kiss that quickly turned filthy. His tongue explored your mouth with the same controlled intensity he brought to everything precise, overwhelming, leaving you breathless.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours. “We’re doing this properly then,” he murmured, voice vibrating against your skin. “Stay right there don’t move.” His restraint was impressive he didn’t thrust up into you despite the obvious need. Instead, he focused on the connection, rolling his hips in tiny, lazy circles that created the barest friction enough to make your walls flutter around him without breaking the cockwarming stillness.

“God, you feel incredible,” Jay whispered, lips brushing your ear. “So warm and tight… like you were made to warm my cock like this.” His hands roamed everywhere cupping your breasts through the shirt, thumbs circling your hardening nipples until you whimpered. He pinched lightly, drawing a gasp from you that made his cock jump inside your heat. “That’s it squeeze me just like that I want to feel every little pulse.”

The minutes stretched deliciously. Jay was vocal, whispering a constant stream of praise and filth in that low, accented tone that always melted you. “You’re getting wetter every second. Soaking my sweats already.” He reached between you, fingers grazing where you were stretched around him, collecting your slick before bringing it to your lips. “Taste how much you want this.” His eyes darkened as you sucked his fingers clean.

He kissed along your jaw, down your neck, sucking marks into your skin while staying buried deep. Every tiny shift of your body earned a quiet curse from him. “Fuck, princess you’re clenching so hard. Trying to pull me even deeper?” Jay’s self-control was fraying at the edges you could feel the tension in his thighs, the way his abs flexed under you but he held you firmly in place, one arm wrapped around your waist like a steel band.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” he confessed between kisses, voice rough. “Practice was long, but coming home to this? You sinking down on me and keeping me warm best surprise ever.” He flexed deliberately, making his cock nudge against that sensitive spot inside you. The sensation drew a broken moan from your throat. Jay smirked against your neck. “Sensitive there, huh? Good. I want you aching for me while we stay like this.”

Fifteen minutes passed twenty. Jay kept the slow burn going, alternating between deep kisses and soft, affectionate ones. His hands never stopped moving—stroking your back, squeezing your thighs, occasionally tilting your hips just enough to grind subtly. Sweat started to bead on his forehead, his white tee clinging slightly to his chest. The room felt hotter, thicker with tension.

“You’re trembling,” he observed, pulling back to look at you with those intense eyes. A cocky, affectionate smile tugged at his lips. “Am I too big like this? Stretching you so full you can’t think straight?” He rolled his hips again in that maddeningly small motion. “I could stay buried in you for hours. Just feeling how perfect you are around me.”

Your clit throbbed against his pelvis, desperate for more friction, but Jay kept you pinned, drawing out the anticipation. His breathing grew ragged, control slipping. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold back,” he admitted, voice strained. “You feel too fucking good. Hot, wet, squeezing my cock like you never want me to leave.”

He kissed you harder then, more desperate, tongue sliding against yours as his hips gave a small involuntary thrust. The movement pushed him impossibly deeper, making you both groan loudly. Jay’s hands gripped your ass tighter. “Fuck it,” he growled softly.

In one fluid motion, he flipped you onto your back on the couch without pulling out, his body covering yours. The new position let him press even deeper, the head of his cock kissing your cervix. Jay braced himself on his elbows, staring down at you with dark, hungry eyes.

“Look at me,” he commanded, voice low and authoritative. His damp hair fell forward as he started moving—slow, deep thrusts at first, pulling out just enough to feel your walls drag along every inch before sliding back home. The wet, obscene sounds of your bodies meeting filled the living room.

“You started this,” Jay panted, snapping his hips harder. “Taking my cock the second you wanted it such a greedy princess.” One hand slipped between you, his thumb finding your clit and rubbing tight, perfect circles. “Come on my cock. Want to feel you fall apart while I’m still so deep inside you.”

The pleasure built fast and intense. Your orgasm crashed over you, walls spasming violently around his thick length. Jay cursed loudly, fucking you through it with powerful, controlled strokes. “That’s it—fuck, just like that. So good for me.”

His own release followed soon after. Jay buried himself to the hilt, hips stuttering as he came deep inside you with a low, guttural groan of your name. You felt every pulse, every spurt of warmth filling you.

Afterwards, Jay didn’t pull out right away. He collapsed half on top of you, careful not to crush you, and pressed soft, lazy kisses to your lips, your cheeks, your forehead. “You’re incredible,” he murmured, voice hoarse and satisfied. “Love when you take what you want like that.”

He stayed nestled inside you as he shifted you both to a more comfortable position on the couch, spooning you against his chest. His arms wrapped around you protectively, one hand gently stroking your thigh. “We’re staying like this for a while longer,” he decided with a lazy, content smile. “Don’t want to lose this feeling yet.”

The TV remained paused and forgotten. Jay nuzzled into your neck, whispering sweet nothings mixed with more praise as the afterglow settled over both of you—warm, intimate, and full of quiet affection. His cock softened slowly inside you, but he made no move to separate, content to keep you connected as long as possible.

◟✿ jake ˒ The bedroom was softly lit by a single bedside lamp, casting a warm golden glow over the rumpled sheets. Jake had just returned from a late dance practice, his body tired but still buzzing with leftover energy. He was lying on his back in bed, shirtless in just a pair of gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips, one arm slung over his eyes as he tried to unwind. His messy brown hair was damp with sweat, and his toned abs rose and fell with steady breaths. The faint scent of his body wash—clean and slightly citrusy lingered in the air.

You had been waiting for him, heart racing with anticipation. The moment he settled in, you moved quietly, climbing onto the bed and straddling his lap without a word. Jake stirred, lifting his arm with a sleepy, affectionate smile. “Hey, baby missed y—”

The words cut off in a sharp inhale as your hand slipped into his sweatpants, freeing his cock. He was already semi hard from the casual closeness, and a few strokes had him fully erect thick, long, and flushed. You positioned yourself over him and sank down slowly but deliberately, taking every inch until your hips met his and his cock was buried completely inside your tight, welcoming cunt.

Jake’s eyes flew open wide, a mix of shock and instant pleasure flashing across his handsome face. “Oh my god—babe!” His voice cracked beautifully, that bright Australian accent thickening with arousal. His hands shot to your thighs instantly, fingers gripping the soft flesh as his back arched slightly off the bed. “Fuck… you’re so warm so fucking warm and tight around me right now.”

For a long moment, he just stared up at you, lips parted, chest heaving. A bright blush crept up his neck and across his cheeks, but his eyes sparkled with pure lust and adoration. His cock twitched hard inside you, swelling even thicker as your walls fluttered and adjusted to his size. You could feel every ridge, every vein pulsing against your inner walls, the head pressed deep.

Jake let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh, the sound warm and husky. “You just… slid down on me like that? No warning, nothing?” He bit his lip, eyes darkening as he looked down to where your bodies were joined. “Jesus, princess…you feel incredible like heaven. I love when you surprise me like this.”

His hands slid up your thighs to your waist, pulling you down flush against him so your chests pressed together. The oversized shirt you wore his, of course rode up, and he slipped his hands underneath, palms warm and slightly calloused from practice as they roamed your bare skin. “Stay like this,” he whispered, voice already rough. “Don’t move yet. I want to feel all of you every little squeeze.”

Jake was affectionate even in the filthiest moments. He pulled you into a deep kiss slow and sweet at first, full of that warmth, then growing more heated as his tongue tangled with yours. His hips gave one tiny, involuntary roll, nudging deeper without breaking the stillness. The sensation drew matching gasps from both of you.

“You’re already so wet,” he murmured against your lips, forehead resting against yours. “I can feel it. You’ve been thinking about this, haven’t you? My sweet girl initiating cockwarming the second I get home.” His smile was bright and playful, but his voice carried that low, needy edge. One hand cupped the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair while the other squeezed your ass possessively, holding you in place.

He stayed perfectly still for long minutes, savoring the intimate connection. His cock throbbed steadily inside your heat, and every time your walls clenched around him whether from pleasure or on purpose he let out a soft, wrecked groan. “That’s it… just like that keep pulsing around me. Feels so good, baby.”

Jake’s hands never stopped moving gentle but exploratory. He traced your spine under the shirt, cupped your breasts and rolled your nipples between his fingers until they pebbled. He kissed everywhere he could reach your lips, your jaw, the sensitive spot beneath your ear, your collarbone. Between kisses, he whispered constant praise in that addictive accent.

“You’re so perfect for me. So tight and hot like you were made to warm my cock.” He flexed deliberately inside you, making his length jump and nudge that sweet spot. The tiny movement sent sparks through both of you. “Mmm, hear that little whimper? I love it love how full you feel with me inside.”

The cockwarming stretched on Jake’s usual playful energy mixed with deepening desire. Sweat began to glisten on his chest where your bodies were pressed together. His breathing grew heavier, but he held you firmly, refusing to let you ride him yet. “Not yet,” he’d murmur with a teasing grin whenever you shifted. “I want to enjoy this a little longer. Just feeling you around me… so wet and snug.”

He reached between your bodies once, fingers grazing your stretched folds where you took him so deeply. Collecting some of your slick, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean, eyes locked on yours the entire time. “Tastes so sweet all this because my cock is buried in you? God, I’m lucky.”

Your clit throbbed against his pelvis, aching for friction, but Jake kept the slow burn alive. He rolled his hips in maddeningly small circles barely any movement, but enough to grind subtly and keep the pleasure building. “You’re shaking already,” he observed softly, affection clear in his voice. “Am I that deep, baby? Stretching you so good you’re trembling on top of me?”

The tension coiled tighter. Jake’s control was fraying despite his sweet demeanor. His thighs tensed beneath you, abs flexing as he fought the urge to thrust. “I don’t think I can stay still much longer,” he admitted, voice strained and husky. “You feel too fucking amazing. Hot, wet, squeezing me like you never want me to pull out.”

He kissed you desperately then, tongue sliding deep as his hips gave a small involuntary buck. The movement pushed him impossibly deeper, drawing loud moans from both of you. Jake’s hands gripped your hips tighter. “Fuck… okay, I need you.”

In one smooth motion, he rolled you both over without pulling out, settling on top while staying fully sheathed. The new position let gravity press him even deeper, the head of his cock kissing your cervix. Jake braced himself on his elbows, messy hair falling forward as he looked down at you with bright, lust-filled eyes and that heart-melting smile.

“Eyes on me, beautiful,” he whispered, starting to move slow, deep thrusts at first. He pulled back just enough for your walls to drag along his length before sliding home again, the wet sounds of your connection filling the quiet room. His pace was enthusiastic and passionate, exactly like Jake—full of energy and focus on your pleasure.

“You started this,” he panted, lips brushing yours between thrusts. “Climbing on me and taking my cock so perfectly such a good girl.” One hand slipped between you, thumb finding your swollen clit and rubbing perfect, tight circles in time with his strokes. “Come for me while I’m this deep. Want to feel you milking my cock.”

The orgasm hit you hard and fast, walls spasming violently around his thick cock. Jake groaned loudly, the sound raw and beautiful as he fucked you through it, hips snapping with controlled power. “Yes—fuck, just like that. So tight, baby so perfect.”

His own climax followed soon after. Jake buried himself to the hilt, hips stuttering as he came deep inside you with a long, throaty moan of your name. You felt every pulse, every warm spurt filling you as he trembled above you.

Afterwards, Jake didn’t pull out. He collapsed gently on top of you, careful with his weight, and buried his face in your neck. Soft, lazy kisses peppered your skin your shoulder, your jaw, your lips. “You’re amazing,” he murmured, voice hoarse and full of affection. “I love when you take initiative like that feeling you warm me… best way to end the night.”

He shifted carefully, pulling you with him so you were spooned against his chest, his cock still nestled softly inside you. His arms wrapped around you securely, one hand gently stroking your thigh and hip. “We’re staying like this,” he decided with a sleepy, satisfied grin, nuzzling into your hair. “Don’t want to lose this closeness yet feels too good to let go”

The room fell into comfortable quiet, filled with your synced breathing and occasional soft whispers. Jake pressed gentle kisses to the back of your neck, murmuring how much he loved you, how perfect you felt, how he could stay connected like this forever. His body heat enveloped you, the afterglow warm and lingering as you both drifted toward sleep intimately joined, content, and utterly satisfied.

◟✿ sunghoon ˒ The dorm’s private gym corner in the basement level was quiet and dimly lit, the only illumination coming from a single overhead LED strip that cast cool, bluish tones across the mirrored walls. Sunghoon had stayed back after the others left, working on his core strength and flexibility routines that kept his figure skating precision sharp even in idol life. Sweat glistened on his skin, his black tank top clinging to his lean, sculpted torso and his loose training shorts riding low on his narrow hips. His dark hair was damp, pushed back from his forehead, and his sharp jaw was set in concentration as he finished a set of planks, breathing controlled and steady.

You had slipped down quietly to find him, drawn by the low sounds of his exertion. The air smelled of clean sweat and the faint citrus of his post workout spray. Without announcing yourself, you waited until he rolled onto his back to stretch his hip flexors, legs bent and slightly apart. That was your moment. You moved swiftly, straddling his waist and tugging his shorts and briefs down just enough to free his cock.

Sunghoon’s eyes snapped open, dark and intense, as your hand stroked him quickly to full hardness long, thick, and curving slightly upward. Before he could form a question, you lined him up and sank down in one fluid, deliberate glide, enveloping every inch until you were fully seated, your ass flush against his pelvis. His cock was buried to the hilt inside your slick heat.

A sharp hiss escaped Sunghoon’s lips, his hands instinctively flying to your hips, fingers pressing hard into your skin. His usual cool, princely composure shattered in an instant. “Y/N—” His voice came out strained, lower than usual, almost a growl. His eyes widened, pupils dilating rapidly as the overwhelming sensation hit him your walls hugging him so tightly, so warmly, pulsing around his length without any movement.

He stayed frozen beneath you for several heartbeats, chest heaving, abs contracting visibly under the tank top. The position him on his back on the cool gym mat, you perched perfectly on his cock made everything feel impossibly deep. “You… you really just took me like that? Right here?” Surprise laced his tone, but it quickly melted into dark arousal. A faint blush colored his sharp cheekbones, contrasting his typically icy visuals.

Sunghoon’s hands trembled slightly as they gripped you, holding you down so neither of you could shift. His cock throbbed powerfully inside your pussy, swelling thicker at the sudden intimate embrace. You could feel every ridge, the subtle curve pressing against your front wall, his heartbeat pulsing through the vein along his shaft. The mirrored walls around you reflected the scene back endlessly your bodies joined, his long legs stretched out beneath you.

“Fuck… you’re burning hot around me,” he whispered, voice husky and amazed. He licked his lips, gaze dropping to where you were stretched so obscenely around him. One hand slid up your thigh, pushing the hem of your thin dress higher, exposing more skin. “No prep, no talking… just sinking onto my cock after my workout so fucking bold tonight.”

Sunghoon didn’t immediately pull you down for kisses. He was more visual, more sensory. He kept you upright on him, eyes roaming your body as he adjusted his breathing. His fingers traced slow patterns on your thighs, then higher, thumbs brushing dangerously close to your clit without touching. The stillness amplified everything the faint twitch of his cock, the way your walls fluttered in response, the shared heat building between your connected bodies.

“Stay exactly like this,” he commanded softly, that deep, velvety tone sending shivers through you. He flexed his hips in the tiniest upward tilt, barely noticeable but enough to nudge deeper, drawing a gasp from both of you. “I want to feel how wet you get just from holding me inside. Look at the mirror.” He nodded toward the wall. “Watch how perfectly you take me.”

You both turned your heads. The reflection was erotic Sunghoon’s lean, powerful body beneath you, sweat making his skin glow, his cock disappearing into your body. He groaned low at the sight, his free hand reaching to squeeze your ass, spreading you slightly for a better view. “So tight gripping me like you’re afraid I’ll disappear. But I’m not going anywhere.”

Minutes passed in charged silence broken only by soft breaths. Sunghoon was masterful at restraint years of skating discipline showing in how he held perfectly still while his body screamed for friction. But he wasn’t silent. He murmured observations in that precise, low voice, each word dripping with lust.

“Your pussy is dripping down my shaft already. I can feel it coating my balls.” He shifted one leg slightly, bending his knee to change the angle just enough to press against a new spot inside you. The subtle movement made you clench hard. Sunghoon’s head tipped back, exposing the elegant line of his neck as he swallowed thickly. “Again do that again.”

You obeyed, and he rewarded you with a rare, devastating smile half smirk, half genuine pleasure. His hands moved with purpose now one staying on your hip to anchor you, the other slipping under your dress to cup your breast, rolling the nipple between cool fingers. “Sensitive tonight. Everything feels heightened because we’re not moving, doesn’t it?” He pinched lightly, eyes locked on your face, drinking in every reaction.

The cockwarming dragged on deliciously. Sweat from his workout mixed with new beads of arousal on his skin. The gym mat stuck slightly to his back, but he didn’t care. Sunghoon’s usual aloofness cracked further with every passing second his breathing grew ragged, and his thighs tensed beneath you like coiled springs.

“You’re so warm and slick it’s driving me insane,” he confessed, voice breaking into a whisper. He reached up, pulling you down until your chests met, but still no real thrusting. Instead, he wrapped both arms around your waist, holding you impossibly close. His lips finally found your neck—not soft kisses, but deliberate, sucking bites that would leave faint marks. “I train for hours to stay controlled, but you come in here and undo all of it in seconds.”

He guided your head to his shoulder, letting you feel his rapid heartbeat against your cheek while his cock continued its constant, throbbing presence inside you. Every tiny involuntary clench from you earned a quiet curse or a sharp inhale. Sunghoon’s hand trailed down your back, fingers dancing along your spine before gripping your ass again, spreading you wider in the reflection.

“Look how deep I am,” he murmured, voice dark. “You’re taking all of me so well my perfect girl.” The praise was sparse but potent, delivered in that intensity. He flexed again, this time holding the tension longer, letting his curved tip grind subtly against your g-spot without pulling out. The pressure built unbearably, your clit aching where it pressed against his pelvis.

Your whimpers grew louder. Sunghoon’s control finally frayed. “I can’t… I need to feel more.” In a swift, powerful move, he rolled you both sideways on the mat, keeping his cock fully sheathed. Now on your sides facing each other, legs tangled, he hooked one of your thighs over his hip. The new angle allowed even deeper penetration, his body curving into yours.

Sunghoon stared into your eyes, foreheads nearly touching. “You initiated this. Now take what comes next.” He began moving—slow, rolling thrusts that never fully withdrew, keeping the connection intimate and constant. Each stroke was precise, controlled, hitting every sensitive spot with skater-like grace and power. The wet, slick sounds echoed softly in the empty gym space.

His hand slipped between you, fingers finding your clit and rubbing in tight, expert circles. “Come on my cock,” he demanded quietly, eyes never leaving yours. “I want to feel you squeeze me while I’m this deep.” The intensity built fast his lean muscles flexing, hips snapping with increasing force while still somehow maintaining that connected depth.

Your orgasm crashed over you suddenly, walls convulsing hard around his thick length. Sunghoon groaned, deep and guttural, fucking you through the waves with focused thrusts. “Yes… just like that so good—fuck.” His own release followed moments later. He buried himself as deep as possible, hips stuttering as he spilled inside you, warm pulses filling you while he held you tight against him.

Afterwards, Sunghoon stayed inside, not pulling out. He rolled onto his back again, bringing you on top once more, his arms wrapped securely around you. His breathing slowed gradually, fingers tracing soothing patterns on your back. The cool gym air contrasted with your heated bodies.

“That was unexpected,” he said softly, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips. His voice regained some of its usual calm, but affection warmed it. “I like when you catch me off guard. Makes me feel alive.” He pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss to your temple, then your lips lingering and tender.

He didn’t move to separate. Instead, he reached for a nearby towel, draping it over your joined lower bodies casually. “We’ll stay like this until I say otherwise. I’m not ready to lose how warm you feel yet.” His hand stroked your hair, the other resting possessively on your ass, keeping you pinned.

The mirrors reflected your entwined forms in the low light. Sunghoon’s usual aura softened into quiet intimacy. He whispered occasional praises how perfect you felt, how he’d think about this during his next practice while his cock softened slowly inside you, still nestled comfortably. The afterglow stretched long, the gym quiet except for your breathing, creating a private world just for the two of you.

Eventually, he helped you up carefully, still connected, and carried you toward the elevator back to the main dorm levels, your legs wrapped around him. “Shower together later?” he suggested with a raised eyebrow, already planning to extend the closeness.

◟✿ sunoo ˒ The soft glow of string lights wrapped around the headboard filled Sunoo’s room with a warm, pinkish hue, creating a cozy, almost dreamy atmosphere. It was well past midnight, and the rest of the dorm had settled into silence after a long day of rehearsals. Sunoo had been unwinding in his favorite way sitting cross legged in the middle of his bed, a fluffy blanket draped over his lap, humming softly to himself while applying a sheet mask to his face. His skin was dewy from the recent cleanse, and he wore a loose white tank top paired with soft black shorts that rode up his thighs. His hair was slightly tousled, falling cutely over his forehead, and his expressive eyes sparkled with that signature Sunoo brightness even as he relaxed.

You entered quietly, drawn by the gentle melody he was humming one of their upcoming tracks. He glanced up with a bright smile, peeling the edge of the mask. “Hey~ You’re still up? Come here, I’ll share the mask—” But you had other plans. You crawled onto the bed, gently pushing his shoulders back until he was propped against the pile of pillows. Before he could react fully, you tugged his shorts down just enough, revealing his smooth, pretty cock. A few teasing strokes had him hardening quickly elegant and sensitive, responding beautifully to your touch.

Sunoo’s eyes widened in surprise, the sheet mask crinkling as his mouth formed a perfect ‘O’. You straddled him smoothly, pulling your own sleep shorts aside, and sank down onto him in one slow, intentional glide. Inch by inch, you took him until he was fully nestled inside your warm, slick walls, your hips flush against his. Pure cockwarming—no immediate movement, just the intimate, throbbing connection.

“Ahh—! Y/N…” Sunoo’s voice came out in a breathy, melodic gasp, higher-pitched than usual with shock and pleasure. His hands flew to your waist, fingers curling into the fabric of your top as his whole body tensed beneath you. The sheet mask slipped slightly on his cheek, but he didn’t bother fixing it. His cheeks flushed a deep pink almost instantly, that adorable blush spreading down his neck. “You… you really just sat on me like that? While I’m doing skincare?” A soft, disbelieving giggle escaped him, mixing cuteness with growing arousal.

His cock twitched vividly inside you, thickening and pulsing as your heat enveloped him completely. You could feel every subtle ridge, the way he fit so perfectly, like he was made for this closeness. Sunoo’s breathing quickened, his chest rising and falling under the thin tank top. He stared up at you with those large, expressive doe eyes, a mix of playful shock and deep want shining through.

“Wow… you’re so warm and tight right now,” he whispered, voice turning husky yet still retaining that sweet, bell like quality. He bit his plush lower lip, trying to stay composed, but the way his thighs shifted slightly underneath you betrayed him. Instead of immediately pulling you down for kisses, Sunoo reached up and gently adjusted his sheet mask with one hand, the other staying firmly on your hip to hold you still.

He let out another soft laugh, but it dissolved into a quiet moan as your walls fluttered around him involuntarily. The position him half reclined against pillows, you fully seated in his lap under the pretty string lights felt intimate and almost romantic. Sunoo’s free hand trailed up your side, slipping under your top to caress your bare skin with feather light touches. “Don’t move yet, okay? Let me feel you all of you holding me like this.”

True to his playful nature, Sunoo kept the moment light even as heat built between you. He tilted his head, studying your face with sparkling eyes while staying perfectly still. His cock continued to throb steadily inside your pussy, the sensation amplified by the lack of movement. “It feels like you’re hugging me from the inside,” he murmured sweetly, then giggled again when you clenched on purpose. “That’s cheating but I like it.”

Minutes ticked by in this dreamy haze. Sunoo was vocal and affectionate, filling the quiet room with whispered compliments and little hums. He finally peeled the sheet mask off completely, tossing it aside, revealing his glowing skin. “Look at us,” he said, nodding toward the mirror across the room that reflected your connected forms under the soft lights. “You look so pretty on me like this so full.”

His hands explored gently tracing your curves, cupping your breasts through the fabric, thumbs brushing over your nipples until they peaked. Each touch was tender yet teasing, never rushing. He leaned forward slightly to nuzzle your neck, pressing soft, lingering kisses along your collarbone while his hips remained motionless. The only “movement” came from subtle flexes—him deliberately pulsing his cock inside you, making you both gasp.

“You’re getting wetter I can feel it trickling down,” Sunoo observed in a hushed, almost reverent tone, his voice like velvet. “All because my cock is just sitting warm inside you? that’s so hot.” He sucked a small mark just below your ear, then pulled back to watch your reactions, his own face flushed and eyes half lidded with pleasure. The skincare scent mixed with the growing musk of arousal, creating an oddly intimate atmosphere unique to him.

Sunoo’s usual bright energy simmered into something deeper and needier. He started humming again softly a gentle melody that vibrated through his chest into yours while one hand slipped between your bodies without breaking the seal. His fingers hovered near your clit, teasing circles in the air just close enough to make you ache, but he didn’t touch fully yet. “Patience,” he teased with a cute pout, even as sweat beaded on his forehead. “I want to remember every second of you warming me so nicely.”

Your whimpers made his resolve waver. Sunoo’s breathing grew uneven, his plush lips parting as he fought the urge to thrust. “You feel too good so silky and hot. I could stay like this forever, just talking and feeling you squeeze me.” He finally cupped your face with both hands, pulling you into a slow, deep kiss. It was sweet at first then turned passionate, tongues gliding lazily in time with the subtle throbbing between your legs.

The tension coiled tighter. Sunoo’s thighs trembled beneath you, his lean body taut with restraint. “I’m trying so hard to be good,” he confessed against your mouth, voice breaking into a whine. “But you’re clenching so much it’s making me throb.” He rolled his hips in the smallest possible circle, grinding subtly against your front wall without pulling out. The motion drew a shared moan, the string lights casting shifting shadows across your skin.

Your clit pressed insistently against his pelvis, begging for friction. Sunoo noticed, his eyes darkening with desire while retaining that playful sparkle. “My baby needs more?” He finally let his fingers find your clit, rubbing slow, precise circles that matched the melody still humming in his throat. The dual sensation his cock buried deep and unmoving, plus the targeted touch pushed you closer to the edge.

Sunoo’s control snapped elegantly. “Okay I can’t hold back anymore.” With surprising strength, he shifted you both while staying fully sheathed, turning so you were on your back with him hovering above, still connected. The new angle let him press even deeper, his pretty face flushed and hovering close to yours. The blanket tangled around your legs, adding to the cozy mess.

He started moving slow, rolling thrusts that kept the intimacy intact, never fully withdrawing. Each stroke was graceful and rhythmic, like his dance moves translated into pleasure. “You started this surprise,” Sunoo panted softly, his voice melodic even now, “sinking onto me while I was masked up so naughty and cute.” His hips snapped a little sharper, hitting that perfect spot consistently.

One hand braced beside your head while the other continued teasing your clit. “Come for me like this,” he encouraged, eyes locked on yours with that intense yet loving gaze only. “I want to feel you pulse around my cock while it’s so deep.”

The orgasm washed over you in warm waves, your walls clamping down hard on his length. Sunoo moaned beautifully high and sweet fucking you through it with precise, passionate strokes. “Yes… ahh, just like that. You’re squeezing me so perfectly.” His own climax followed quickly, hips stuttering as he spilled deep inside you with a long, breathy whimper of your name, filling you with warmth.

Afterwards, Sunoo stayed buried inside, collapsing gently onto you with his face tucked into your neck. He pressed dozens of tiny, affectionate kisses across your skin, giggling breathlessly. “That was amazing I didn’t expect my night to end like this, but I’m so happy.” His voice was soft and satisfied, full of that signature sunshine even post-orgasm.

He rolled carefully to the side, pulling you with him so you remained spooned together, his softening cock still nestled comfortably inside your heat. The string lights twinkled above as he wrapped both arms around you, one leg hooked over yours to keep you close. “We’re sleeping just like this,” he declared cutely, nuzzling your hair. “I don’t want to pull out yet. You feel too warm and nice like my personal heater.”

Sunoo continued humming softly, his fingers drawing hearts on your arm as the afterglow wrapped around you both. He whispered sweet praises how much he loved your boldness, how perfect the connection felt, how he’d smile thinking about this during tomorrow’s schedule. The room filled with quiet contentment, his bright personality making the filthy act feel loving and special. No rush to separate, just prolonged closeness under the pretty lights, bodies joined and hearts synced.

◟✿ jungwon ˒ The dorm’s small home office nook off the main living area was quiet under the soft glow of a desk lamp. It was deep into the night, long after the other members had retreated to their rooms. Jungwon, ever the responsible leader, sat at the wooden table with his laptop open, reviewing tomorrow’s schedule and scribbling notes on a notepad. He wore a simple black hoodie and gray sweat shorts, his dark hair slightly messy from running his fingers through it in concentration. His sharp, cat like eyes scanned the screen with focused intensity, but his shoulders carried that subtle tiredness only you could notice. A half empty mug of herbal tea sat beside him, steam long gone.

You had been watching him from the doorway, admiring the way he carried the weight of the group with such quiet grace. Without speaking, you approached from behind, sliding your arms around his shoulders first. Jungwon turned his head with a soft smile, about to greet you, but you moved faster. You slipped onto his lap facing him, straddling his thighs right there at the table. Before he could set his pen down, your hand dipped into his shorts, stroking his cock from soft to fully hard in quick, practiced motions thick, veined, and curving just right.

Jungwon’s breath hitched sharply. “Y/N, what are you—” The words dissolved into a low, surprised groan as you pushed his shorts aside and sank down onto him in one steady, deliberate motion. You took him all the way in, your slick walls enveloping every inch until you were fully seated in his lap, his cock buried to the hilt inside your warm heat. No movement. Just cockwarming, right there at the desk with his laptop still glowing behind you.

His eyes widened, pupils blowing wide in the dim light. “Oh wow,” Jungwon breathed, his voice that perfect mix of youthful and commanding. His hands instinctively gripped your hips, fingers pressing into your skin through the thin fabric of your oversized tee. He sat perfectly still, processing the sudden velvet grip surrounding him. His cock twitched powerfully inside you, swelling thicker as your pussy fluttered and adjusted around his length. You could feel the subtle curve pressing firmly against your front wall, his pulse beating steadily deep within.

For a long moment, Jungwon just stared at you, cheeks flushing a soft pink that contrasted his leader aura. A small, breathless chuckle escaped him, low and slightly disbelieving. “Right here? While I’m working on schedules?” His tone held fond exasperation, but his dark eyes gleamed with instant heat. “You really chose now to warm me like this so sudden and bold.”

He leaned back slightly in the chair, careful not to dislodge you, the wooden seat creaking softly under your combined weight. The new position him seated at the table, you fully impaled on his cock with your legs wrapped around his waist made everything feel incredibly intimate and risky, the open nook adding a thrill of possible discovery. Jungwon’s hands slid under your shirt, palms warm against your bare back as he pulled you closer until your chests touched. “You’re so wet already,” he murmured, voice dropping into a husky whisper. “Sliding down on me without any warning my sneaky kitten.”

Jungwon’s response was measured yet intensely focused. He didn’t thrust or grind immediately. Instead, he held you there, savoring the deep connection while his laptop screen dimmed behind you. His fingers traced slow, soothing circles on your lower back, then lower to cup your ass, holding you flush so not even a centimeter of his cock escaped your heat. “Stay still for me,” he said softly, almost like a gentle order. “I want to feel every pulse. How you’re squeezing me so perfectly right now.”

The cockwarming stretched in charged silence. Jungwon’s discipline as leader showed in his restraint he remained almost motionless, only allowing tiny, controlled flexes of his cock inside you. Each deliberate throb made you both inhale sharply. “Feel that?” he whispered against your ear, lips brushing the shell. “That’s what you do to me. Just sitting here, warm and tight around my cock it’s driving me crazy in the best way.”

He turned his head to nuzzle your neck, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your throat while one hand slipped between your bodies to rest just above where you were joined, feeling the heat radiating there. No direct touching yet, just heightening awareness. “You’re dripping onto my shorts,” he observed quietly, a hint of teasing amusement in his voice. “All this slick just from warming me at the table?”

The desk lamp cast soft shadows across his sharp features as he continued light conversation mixed with filth, his tone calm yet increasingly strained. He occasionally glanced at the laptop screen, pretending to check a note, but his attention was entirely on the way your walls hugged him. “This schedule can wait,” he decided, closing the lid with one hand without shifting you. “You’re more important right now.”

Jungwon’s hands roamed with purpose cupping your breasts under the shirt, thumbs circling your nipples until they hardened. He rolled them gently, then a little firmer, drawing soft whimpers from you. “So responsive,” he praised, voice low and velvety. “Every time you clench, I feel it all the way up my spine. You’re going to make me lose focus completely.” Sweat began to form on his brow, his hoodie suddenly feeling too warm. He tugged it off one-handed, revealing his toned torso, then pulled you tighter against his bare chest.

The position allowed for subtle shifts. Jungwon tilted his hips minimally in the chair, changing the angle just enough to nudge a new sensitive spot inside you without breaking the cockwarming stillness. The motion made your clit grind lightly against his pelvis, sending sparks through both of you. “There,” he murmured with a small, satisfied smile. “Feel how deep I am? Filling you up so well while we sit here like nothing’s happening.”

Your breathing grew heavier, matching his. Jungwon’s cat-like eyes darkened, restraint fraying at the edges despite his composed exterior. His thighs tensed beneath you, muscles flexing as he fought the urge to move. “You’re trembling on me,” he noted, one hand stroking your thigh soothingly while the other gripped your waist. “So needy already. My strong, independent baby initiating this…it’s adorable and so hot.”

The tension built unbearably. Jungwon’s cock throbbed constantly now, leaking inside you. He captured your lips in a deep kiss, then turning hungry, tongue sliding against yours with growing desperation. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours. “I can’t stay still much longer,” he confessed, voice rougher. “You feel too incredible. Hot, wet, wrapped around every inch of me.”

With a quiet groan, Jungwon pushed the chair back from the table. Still fully connected, he stood carefully, lifting you with surprising strength. Your legs tightened around his waist as he carried you the few steps to the nearby couch in the nook, lowering you onto it on your back without ever pulling out. The new position him hovering above you, cock buried deep allowed better leverage.

“Eyes on me,” Jungwon commanded softly, that natural leader tone sending a thrill through you. He began to move slow, deep rolls of his hips that kept him mostly sheathed, grinding rather than pounding at first. Each thrust was precise, hitting that perfect curve against your walls. The wet sounds of your connection filled the quiet space, obscene against the earlier silence of schedules.

“You surprised me tonight,” he panted, hips snapping a little harder. “Taking what you want while I was trying to be responsible such a bratty leader’s girl.” One hand braced beside your head while the other slipped between you, fingers finding your clit and rubbing firm, expert circles. His pace built steadily, powerful yet controlled, exactly like Jungwon focused entirely on your pleasure.

The orgasm hit you intensely, walls convulsing hard around his thick cock. Jungwon moaned low, burying his face in your neck as he fucked you through it, thrusts deepening. “That’s it squeeze me just like that so good for me.” His own release followed swiftly. He pushed to the hilt, hips stuttering as he came deep inside you with a quiet, guttural groan of your name, warm pulses filling you completely.

Afterwards, Jungwon stayed buried deep, collapsing carefully over you with his weight comforting. He pressed tender kisses to your face, your lips, your eyelids, his breathing gradually slowing. “You’re perfect,” he whispered, voice hoarse but full of affection. “I love when you pull me away from work like this. reminds me I need balance too.”

◟✿ niki ˒ The dim glow of Niki’s gaming setup illuminated the corner of his room. He was slouched in his ergonomic chair, long legs stretched out under the desk, wearing only black basketball shorts and an oversized hoodie. Headphones sat around his neck as he laughed into the phone call with Jake, who was away visiting family and catching up on random stories. The speaker was on, Jake’s cheerful Aussie voice filling the quiet space while Niki played with a fidget toy in his free hand.

“Yeah, hyung, the new choreography is brutal on the knees. I keep telling the choreographer we need more breaks—” Ni-ki’s words cut off mid sentence as you quietly entered and approached him from the front.

His eyes flicked up, a playful smirk already forming, assuming you were just there to bother him like usual. But you didn’t give him time to react properly. You tugged his shorts down just enough to free his cock, already half hard from the casual laziness of the late hour. A few firm strokes later, he was fully erect long, thick, and flushed. Without breaking eye contact, you straddled his lap, pulled your panties aside, and sank straight down onto him in one smooth, relentless motion.

All of him disappeared inside you in seconds, your walls stretching around his impressive length until you were flush against his pelvis, fully seated on his cock while he was still on the phone.

Niki’s entire body jerked. His free hand shot to your hip, gripping hard, knuckles whitening. A choked sound escaped him before he could stop it. “—uh, yeah, I’m still here, hyung,” he managed, voice suddenly deeper and strained. His sharp eyes locked onto yours with a mix of shock, panic, and burning heat. His cock pulsed wildly inside you, thickening even more at the unexpected, scorching grip of your pussy.

Jake’s voice continued casually on the speaker. “You okay? You sound weird.”

Niki swallowed thickly, biting the inside of his cheek. You stayed perfectly still, impaled on him, the fullness overwhelming in the most delicious way. The risk of the ongoing call made everything sharper. “Just… stubbed my toe on the desk keep going,” he lied, forcing a breathy laugh. His long fingers dug into your thigh under the desk, a silent warning and plea at the same time.

You clenched around him deliberately. Niki’s head tipped back against the chair, eyes fluttering shut for a second as he fought to stay composed. The new position him seated upright in the gaming chair, you in his lap facing him, bodies joined while Jake chatted away felt dangerously intimate. His cock throbbed rhythmically against your walls, the subtle curve pressing right into a sensitive spot that made your breath hitch quietly.

“Shit you’re evil,” he mouthed silently at you, not daring to speak it aloud. Sweat already beaded on his forehead. He tried to focus on the call, nodding along to whatever Jake was saying about food recommendations, but his free hand roamed your body under your shirt instead. Long fingers traced your ribs, then cupped your breast, thumb brushing your nipple in slow, teasing circles that matched none of the calm tone he forced into his voice.

Every tiny shift of your hips even the involuntary clenches made his jaw clench. “Yeah, that place sounds good, hyung. We should go when you’re back,” Niki replied, but his voice had dropped an octave, husky and rough around the edges. You could feel him leaking inside you, the warmth spreading as your arousal coated his length and dripped down onto his shorts.

The call dragged on. Jake kept talking, completely oblivious. Niki’s usual boundless energy was now channeled into pure restraint. He mouthed filthy things at you between responses “So fucking wet,” “You’re gonna pay for this,” and “Don’t you dare move yet.” His long legs trembled slightly under you, muscles taut from holding still. The chair creaked faintly whenever he involuntarily flexed his cock deep inside your heat.

You leaned forward, resting your head against his shoulder, lips brushing his neck. Niki’s breath stuttered audibly. “Sorry dropped something,” he quickly told Jake, covering for the noise. One of his hands slipped between your bodies, not to touch your clit, but to press lightly just above where you were stretched around him, feeling the obscene bulge of his cock inside you. The pressure made you both shudder.

Minutes felt like hours. The cockwarming was torturous in the best way no big movements, just the constant, throbbing fullness while Niki multitasked on the call. His hoodie suddenly felt too hot he tugged at the collar with his teeth, eyes half lidded and dark as he stared at you. The fairy lights you’d helped him string earlier twinkled softly, casting shifting colors across his flushed face and sharp jawline.

Finally, Jake said something about calling it a night. “Alright dude don’t stay up too late gaming.”

“Yeah… yeah, I won’t,” Niki rasped. The second the call ended, he ripped the headphones off and tossed the phone onto the desk with a clatter. Both hands gripped your ass immediately, squeezing hard.

“You absolute menace,” he growled, voice raw and no longer restrained. A wicked, breathless grin broke across his face. “Sitting on my cock the entire time I was talking to Jake? I almost moaned your name, you know that?” He rolled his hips upward in one sharp, controlled thrust, driving himself impossibly deeper. The sudden friction after so much stillness ripped a moan from both of you.

Niki didn’t flip you or move to the bed. Instead, he stayed right there in the chair, using his long legs and strong core for leverage. He guided you into a slow, grinding rhythm deep, circular rolls that kept him buried almost completely while hitting every sensitive angle. His height advantage let him lean in and bite at your collarbone, sucking marks that would be hidden by clothes tomorrow.

“Feel how deep I am?” he panted against your skin, voice playful yet wrecked. “You took all of me while I was trying to sound normal. So fucking tight and sloppy now.” One hand finally moved to your clit, rubbing fast, messy circles with those long fingers. The wet sounds of your connection were loud in the now silent room obscene and slick.

He kept the pace torturously controlled at first, savoring the way you fluttered and clenched after the long wait. “You’re shaking already,” he teased, nipping your earlobe. “Was it the risk? Knowing Jake hyung could’ve heard me lose it?” His thrusts grew sharper, more energetic, hips snapping up to meet you each time you sank down. The chair rolled slightly on the floor from the force.

The buildup was intense and different no soft kisses or long praise sessions like the others. Just raw, teasing energy mixed with pure need. Niki’s stamina showed as he fucked up into you relentlessly while keeping you anchored in his lap.

“Come on,” he urged, voice dropping into that deep timbre. “Let me feel you come while I’m still so full inside you. Right here where I was talking to hyung five minutes ago.”

Your orgasm crashed hard, walls spasming violently around his thick length. Niki cursed loudly thrusting through it with powerful strokes, drawing out every wave. His own release hit seconds later he buried himself to the hilt, long body shuddering as he came deep inside you, hot pulses filling you while he groaned your name against your neck.

Afterwards, Niki didn’t pull out. He slumped back in the chair, arms wrapped loosely around you, still buried deep. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, a lazy, satisfied smirk on his lips. “That was insane best worst idea ever.” He pressed a surprisingly soft kiss to your temple, then another to your lips lingering and warm.