see you soon then🤎✨.

"dohyun." hyunjin whisper yelled, "do get down!"

dohyun turned his head and it would be the last thing he ever did before a rip of bullets shredded him open. he dropped like a sack of potatoes, his head snapping to the side as it smacked the ground, rebounding sickly like a flat basketball. dohyun's open, lifeless eyes stared at hyunjin mockingly, as if to say, 'i'm down.' 

hyunjin slapped both hands over his mouth, muffling the shriek clawing its way up his esophagus.

"please." hyunjin stumbled back into the crates behind him, feet pushing against the floor frantically. "do please get up."

dohyun's dead gaze followed hyunjin as hyunjin crab walked himself backwards away from his friend's body.

hyunjin's fingers slipped against some of the blood spray. "oh God."

hyunjin couldn't breathe, bile hot in his throat. the bullets were not stopping. hyunjin was staving off a panic attack, hyperventilating as his ass slid against the concrete until there was nowhere left to go.

they'd been set up, that much was clear now.

hyunjin's eyes were filling with water as he looked all around for somewhere to hide, or something to defend himself with. hyunjin was kicking himself. kid had told him earlier that she'd had a bad feeling. dohyun had joked that she was just being an overprotective big sister. she'd rolled her eyes and reminded them both that hyunjin's nickname for her notwithstanding, she was still their senior. but hyunjin had brushed off her concern, he'd been a cocky little shit as long as kid had known him.

youthful arrogance personified.

well, that arrogance had just gotten dohyun killed; and, as hyunjin heard footsteps and saw shadows closing in, he was next.

"fuck." hyunjin cursed tearily, reaching out to grab what looked to be a broken chair leg. one end was spearlike and the other end was blunt. it would have to do. hyunjin was gonna die, but he didn't have to make it easy for them. his fist tightened around his last stand, the splinters already embedding into his skin. he held his breath and rose his arm, ready to strike.

"ahh!" hyunjin yelled as he swung the chair leg in the hair.

"Jesus!"

hyunjin's eyes were crazy as he rose the weapon again at the man who had just ducked and jumped back, narrowly avoiding hyunjin's attack. "you want me? come get me."

"no offense jagiya, but you're not exactly my type." the man's head tilted to the side with a carefree smile, "although-"

"jisung enough." another man stepped into view and hyunjin blinked rapidly. what in the fuck was going on? "hyunjin-"

"h-how do you know my name?"

"i think it's better if we just skip past whatever cliché questions you have in this moment, and you can go ahead and assume there's absolutely nothing i don't know about you."

hyunjin stared wide eyed while the man called jisung just grinned at him.

"so cute, i looked exactly like you when channie hyung found me."

"c-channie hyung?"

"guilty." the other man rose his hand. "now let's go, we don't have a lot of time."

"i'm not going anywhere with you murderers the fuck, michesseo?" hyunjin was still wielding the chair leg.

"because your hands are clean right?"

hyunjin flinched at that. it was true after all, many a "dohyun" hadn't made it back to their loved ones because of him.

"bangchan." jisung's tone was chastising as he tsked and shook his head at his friend, and bangchan had the sense to look contrite when he met jisung's gaze.

bangchan then looked at hyunjin and sighed. "look i'm sorry. i'm not passing judgement trust me. and i will answer every question you have. it's just we really do have to go. we are not the ones who set you up. and we are not the ones who killed your friend."

"yeah plus the bounty was insultingly low, you're worth at least double." jisung scoffed.

"han for fuck's sake." bangchan rubbed his forehead.

jisung shrugged, "just saying hyung. his file speaks for itself, plus look at his will to live!" jisung gestured towards the splintered wood.

"yeah yeah, han's law number 1."

hyunjin's eyes had been pingponging between jisung and bangchan, trying to understand what the fuck was going on. "h-han's law number 1?"

jisung nodded with a smile, "yup, everything's a knife if you stab hard enough. and when i rounded the corner, you really put your weight behind that sucker."

"w-what is- i-i mean who are-?"

bangchan shook his head, "like i said, no time. not to be all terminator, but please, come with me if you want to live."

hyunjin's lip quivered, a tear falling as he looked past jisung and bangchan to where he could still see dohyun's blood splatter.

did hyunjin want to live? did he even deserve to?

"i can't just leave him." hyunjin's voice cracked.

jisung's eyes softened and he stepped forward cautiously, putting a hand on hyunjin's shoulder. "then we won't."

bangchan nodded, "we don't leave each other behind."

hyunjin watched as bangchan tapped his earpiece and uttered a few quick commands in korean. after a brief exchange bangchan looked back at hyunjin, "it's done. we'll bring dohyun's body home too." 

bring dohyun's body home. his friend, one of his best friends in the world. closer than blood. dead. reduced to a body. and somebody they'd trusted had wanted him that way. enough to pay. maybe kid was somewhere riddled with bullets too. and when they found out hyunjin was still alive, they'd come for him again.

he'd never felt so alone.

the chair leg shook in hyunjin's hand, suddenly the weight of it feeling like an anchor trapping him. the air pressing in on him like the weight of the ocean. hyunjin jerked, dropping the hunk of wood to the floor like it stung him to keep holding on.

"i-i," his legs wobbled. "my adrenaline's gone, i'm gonna go into shock now."

"hey whoa." jisung surged forward and put his arms around hyunjin. "diagnosing yourself mid crash, you are as good as they say."

hyunjin's eyes were dazed as he held onto jisung's shoulders. "who says?"

"i'll tell you later." jisung smiled, supporting hyunjin's weight.

"we're moving." bangchan rose his gun, ready to lead the three of them out to the waiting suvs.

hyunjin looked at jisung, another tear tracking down his face. "jisung, i-i can't feel my legs."

"that's alright." jisung smiled empathetically, "i've been there."

hyunjin's cheeks were full on wet now and his voice fractured. "i don't think i can do this."

"so don't think, i never found much use for it myself." hyunjin let out a wet laugh despite himself and jisung smiled a bit. "you're okay. it's just a little panic jinnie, it'll pass."

hyunjin tried to steady his breath, bloody fingers squeezing jisung's arms for stability as he saw two men enter from the corner of his eye. they went straight for dohyun, handling dohyun's body with the kind of care that shouldn't've been extended to a stranger. hyunjin looked back at jisung who was still holding him up, handling him with that same care.

who were these people?

"we gotta move now." bangchan's voice was firm and he started walking.

"copy you." jisung replied but he was still looking at hyunjin. and hyunjin got the sense that despite his affirmation, jisung would disobey bangchan and stand there for however long it took hyunjin to be ready.  

hyunjin closed his eyes, tears still pushing through. when he opened them again jisung was still there. "okay."

jisung nodded once, "okay."

jisung gave hyunjin's arms a single squeeze and then guided hyunjin to lean on him. hyunjin clung to jisung as they followed behind bangchan and jisung rubbed his arm.

"you can relax now jagi, we gotcha."

don't be a silent reader. interaction is a writer's life blood. love you, mean it.💋

"oh for fuck's sake you're not doing it right."

minho had been watching the girl seungmin brought home try, and fail, to get the literal job done for the better part of fifteen minutes.

seungmin huffed frustratingly and he tossed his arms in the air. this was supposed to be a fun surprise. a thank you gift of sorts to minho for all the trouble minho had gone to to celebrate seungmin making the varsity baseball team.

minho had mentioned a couple weeks ago that he found sooyeon attractive, and hardly anyone on campus didn't want a taste of whatever seungmin and his boys had going on, so it wasn't like she'd needed much convincing. but now that sooyeon was here, minho was anything but impressed.

you know what they say, never meet your idols.

seungmin was still hard in between sooyeon's lips, but that was really only because minho had been sat in a chair in the corner of the room trying, and failing, to cuck his way into an orgasm. minho hadn't gotten what he wanted, but anytime seungmin had a chance to watch minho stroke his dick he was a happy boy.

"hyung-"

"shut up."

seungmin had talked today up so much that minho had skipped out on his morning ritual which meant he was pent up, out of patience, and done with pleasantries.

minho got out of the chair, cock still out and leading the way like a metal detector and seungmin was the hidden treasure.

"move." minho pulled sooyeon off of seungmin with a wet pop ignoring her sounds of protest. minho dropped to his knees and splayed his fingers across seungmin's thighs.

"hyung but this is supposed to be your gift-"

"shut. up."

it was the last thing seungmin said, or rather could say, because the way minho took him from tip to root was mind numbingly good.

seungmin couldn't feel anything but the heat of minho's mouth. "holy f-fuck."

minho smirked around seungmin, eyes glancing toward where sooyeon still lay forgotten on the floor as if to say, 'see, this is how you do it.' minho scooted closer, his nose pressed to seungmin's tufts of hair and minho inhaled through his mouth. deeply. the feeling, the pullback of air against the sensitive skin of his dick was enough, too much.

seungmin's eyes rolled back. "oh m-min i can't hold it anym-i'm gonna-i can't-oh m-my Goddd fuck fuck fuckkk."

it was thick and salty and minho's cheeks were full with it, his tongue still managing to swivel around while seungmin's hips jerked into his forehead. seungmin's toes curled and his knees buckled, the overstimulation was killing him in the best way. seungmin emptied the last of himself with a high pitched squeak and fell back onto the bed.

sooyeon stared with wide eyes as seungmin struggled to catch his breath and minho stood up with his signature cocksure smirk. minho turned to face her, his dick tapping her temple as he did so. her lips dropped open in a shocked gasp at the contact and minho took the invitation, heavy length landing on her tongue. sooyeon's mouth closed around him even as she gagged.

minho gripped her jaw and tilted her head up.

"now you try."

don't be a silent reader. interaction is a writer's life blood. love you, mean it.💋

"hey fe, you're ea-"

felix pushed through the door of your apartment, lips meeting yours so forcefully you could taste what he'd had for breakfast: syrupy eggs and minho's neck.

felix's hands were everywhere: across your ass pulling you in closer, on your hips walking you deeper into your home, around your throat tilting your lips up higher and stealing what little breath you had left.

when you separated you panted, blinking rapidly. "you're, you're early."

felix's only response was a smirk as he lifted you, walking you back to your room. you didn't even know how he knew the way, but far be it from you to look a gift horse in the mouth. felix tossed you on the bed, the force of it bouncing the books the two of you were meant to be using for your research project off the edge.

they hit floor with a thud. or you assumed they did because you couldn't be sure when the sound of it was covered by the clink of felix's belt as he shucked off his pants. felix gripped the waistband of your sweats and dragged them, and your panties, off in one fell swoop.

"felix." you were all at once shy, breathless, and needy.

felix barely spared you a glance, all his focus on the center of you. bared for him. tight coils across your mound like rare black diamonds in a mine, and he intended to dig.

slipping his arms under the hinge of your knees, felix curled up and down, pulling you so forcefully to the edge of the bed that your tank top rolled up, exposing your bra.

"fe please." you whined, surprised by your own wantonness, but too desperate to care.

he tore his gaze from your glistening lips to look up at you and give you the softest smile. it was a stark contrast to the heat in the room. the way he looked, blonde hair in a bun, freckles littered across his face, lust blown in his eyes, and still the smile of an angel. it was enough to bring you to tears.

he leaned up, hands still tight on your thighs to keep you still, and kissed you. you sighed into his mouth, your fingers crawling up his back and curling into the nape of his neck. he kissed you like he had all the time in the world and that still wouldn't be enough. he nudged your nose gently, pecked you again, and then leaned back. licking his lips, tasting you on them before he tasted you with them. your chest tightened in anticipation.

"___."

you looked down at felix in question, his lips were moving but the sound… he said your name again, except—

"___!"

you jerked up in bed, sweat under your neck as your hand gripped your chest. one of your roommates was knocking on your door.

"y-yes?" your voice was hoarse.

"i think blondie's at the door. i'm in a towel you better go get it."

you shook your head trying to bring yourself back to reality and replied with a strained, "coming."

or at least you would've been, had your dream lasted 5 more minutes.

you got up from your bed, the books you and felix needed for your project still sat nicely on it. you straightened your tank top and rolled the band of your sweats. you took a centering breath and then opened the door with a smile you hoped said anything other than what you were thinking.

"hey fe, you're early."

don't be a silent reader. interaction is a writer's life blood. love you, mean it.💋

your hand reached out and slammed down on your bedside table, effectively silencing your alarm. you rolled back to your back with a sigh, head turning to see last night's fun interfering with this morning's obligations.

"hey" you nudged his arm, "wake up."

the man groaned, jaemin, you think it was, but who could remember between the drinks and the dancing and the mid sex. you were already getting out of bed, wrapping yourself in your robe before tossing his clothes at him.

"hey." he grumbled from under his jeans. "i said get up."

jaemin sat up, rubbed through his bed hair and sleep crusted eyes. "and a good morning to you too beautiful."

"don't tell me things i already know." you grabbed your phone, shooting off a text. "i'm gonna shower. when i get back here, you won't be. valet is bringing your car around front." you smirked as he stared at you with something between disbelief and awe. an expression you were all too familiar with. "don't forget to tip baby."

he scoffed as you left the room. "valet or you?"

"surprise me."

||

halfway to work your phone rang. pressing the screen of your suv, you answered.

"it's gonna cost you jack."

"you don't even know if i want something ___."

"you're calling me on a wednesday morning before 7am. you want something. and it's big."

jack's sigh filled your car, "you remember skz?"

your hands tightened on the wheel. "who wouldn't?"

"well they're in need of a defense attorney."

"shocking." you rolled your eyes. "all 8 of em?"

"no, just one. some trouble from years ago, you worked on it then. if you recall."

"i do, the piper does like to be paid eventually."

you could picture jack's eyeroll, "___-"

"why can't a junior handle it?"

"be serious."

"or one of the other partner's then?"

"bangchan called me personally. you know how they move. i would, but i'm still in figi."

"the life of a ceo."

"as if you're not a few more suit wins and a board vote away from second in command." jack countered.

you sighed, putting your head on the steering wheel.

"___, you still there?"

you rubbed your temple, trying to focus on the road as the light turned green. yeah, you knew of skz. everyone with a working brain, and even those without, knew of skz. in the news, they were upstanding gentlemen. last year bangchan was presented the key to the city. changbin's gym has held the firefighter/police annual boxing match for three years in a row. hyunjin had a wing in the city's most revered art museum named after him. and so on and so on. it truly was amazing how much normalcy they managed considering that anyone with their ear to the ground knew they were one of the most globally feared mafia's of the 21st century.

the story goes jack had been a good friend of bangchan's back when bangchan was still just running petty crimes with minho, changbin, and jisung. let jack tell it, despite the untoward company he kept, he was always going to be a lawyer. but those who knew of skz's leader's meticulousness might've thought bangchan had designed it that way. and maybe he had.

from the moment jack had met bangchan and his friends, jack had always kept his foot right up against the licit line. just close enough to pull skz out of trouble, just far enough to stay out of himself.

skz and jack weren't on your radar in those early days, maybe never would've been if not for...but anyways it really didn't matter because it was just your dumb luck that of all the firms in seoul, there was only one your father's nepotism and narcissism, and thereby control, didn't reach: jack's. so, even after trying desperately to avoid the underworld, you'd dove headfirst into it. four years later you were still doggy paddling, watching life rafts drift by just out of reach. and like it or not, after everything jack'd done for you, career aside, he was basically family, so there was almost nothing you wouldn't do for him.

you sighed, letting another proverbial life raft pass you by. "yeah jack i'm here. send penny the case file."

jack clapped, "yes thank you so much ___. you're the best."

"yeah remember that when it comes time to collect." you ended the call before he could respond, shaking your head as you changed your route from the office to the courthouse.

your heels clacked as you badged into building, passing through security with a few pleasantries exchanged with the guards, and your assistant, penny, trailing behind. she'd met you here with a moment's notice which told you jack had already told her. that little shit knew you'd say yes all along.

penny had stepped away to procure your second coffee of the short morning when you heard your last name in a pretentious lilt.

"ms. ___." you looked up at the prosecutor. "i expected to see mr. zane."

"he's away at the moment."

"i see, well always a pleasure."

you followed him into the conference room, set your briefcase down, and opened your laptop. "let's not start our mediation off with a lie now leo, hmm."

leo was a short something of a man with a cliche napoleon complex to boot. a misogynist who'd moved from rome to seoul so his wife could be near her parents when they started having children. two divorces and a fiancée later, he had made south korea his home.

leo sneered at you, "why dont we just skip the small talk altogether then ___. you know your client's guilty, i know your client's guilty. take the deal."

"does her client know her client is guilty?" you tensed at the new voice in the room. "cause it feels like he should have some say in the matter."

"jeongin-"

"mr. yang." jeongin corrected leo as he took his seat next to you. you could feel jeongin's eyes on you as he made himself comfortable, but you kept them focused on the case file.

"my apologies. mr. yang then. i was just discussing with your lawyer. new evidence has come to light in the arson investigation that left your family home unsalvageable."

you tilted the screen of your laptop towards jeongin to show him said "evidence." as he read the words, jeongin's hands flexed and released beneath the table, his fingers cracking under the weight.

"pity." jeongin said, sliding his gaze from your computer over to leo.

"here i thought a break in the case would make you happy."

"i buried that life long ago mr. bianchi. you can't imagine how it feels to dredge it up." you could tell by jeongin's voice he was speaking through barely contained rage. but not at whatever evidence leo was alluding to in the petition that they had sloppily filed against him, but at the memories of what jeongin had endured in that house.

leo's voice dripped with feigned sympathy. "no mr. yang i suppose i can't. although, i suppose i don't know how being an arsonist feels either."

"you've burned down a few marriages, probably something like that." you finally looked up.

leo's jaw dropped slightly and jeongin held back a laugh.

"leo let's cut the bullshit, shall we? there is nothing concrete in this case file to suggest my client had anything to do with that arson. you hardly meet the burden of proof to bring this to judge judy let alone the statute of criminality. this alleged new evidence is not even enough to open a new arson case that could be considered one of its own, and thereby not interfere with my client's right against double jeopardy. which, mind you, was established when he was cleared of all this mess two years before your scarpes even touched korean soil."

"scarpe," leo glared at you, his this is sparta ass accent thick with his anger. "not many american's know italian."

"yes and apparently not many italians know the law." you shot back.

at that jeongin did snort loudly, "well, doesn't take an arsonist to see that was one hell of a burn mr. bianchi."

you rolled your eyes at jeongin backing you up with a small smile. "now leo, i don't know if you were hoping to catch mr. yang unaware, because i know you know very well jack is not in the damn country. maybe you were hoping they'd send a junior or better yet have nobody at all. but i am here for him." at those words you felt jeongin look at you, but you kept a laser stare on leo. "and this emergency filing was sloppy, inappropriate, and unfounded. i could've sent pen in here to do nothing but dump my coffee on this file and it would've been less insulting than this absolute waste of time and gas in this economy. this case is dead and buried. and unless you'd like your career to be much of the same, we will never find ourselves here again."

"and why is that case dead and buried miss ___?" leo was pissed, his face scrunched up as he barked at you. tiny men with napoleon egos to match never did know when to say die. "perhaps because what could've been a very damning testimony was buried as well, hmm?"

you held leo's gaze, refusing to show the way his words landed, refusing to let yourself wonder how he seemed to know what he should have no idea about. "mr. bianchi, you talk with all the slick of the serpent you are, but the facts remain that mr. yang was cleared by a jury of his peers 4 years ago. and whatever loophole you thought you were gonna use to get a win against a skz member, in hopes of boosting your horribly stunted career, is gonna find you in front of an ethics board if you're not careful. in fact, the day is young, my patience is thin, and i have all the audacity of a balding italian prosecuting has-been, i wonder if pen might be able to reach judge yoo while we're all already here."

leo's face was as purple as his suit, and his hands, that had been flat on the table, balled into fists. jeongin's eyes tracked the movement and his own hand slid to his pants and it made you wonder how much he'd had to pay security to make it through with a weapon.

"you bitch." leo jumped up.

jeongin was on his feet just as fast. "watch your fucking mouth."

you put your hand on jeongin's where it was behind him under his suit jacket. jeongin didn't back down but you could feel him soften at your touch. leo's eyes followed your hand and he visibly gulped. you could hardly have a career in law, or law adjacent, and not know of skz. but most kept their distance or feigned ignorance regarding their extracurriculars. but leo, leo was one of the stupid ones who'd, not only proudly made himself an enemy of skz, but—hoping being a cape crusader of sorts would catapult him from outdated prosecutor to governmental power (spoiler it would not)—he had made no secret of wanting to take them down.

but leo wasn't about to lose his life in this boardroom over it.

leo closed up his things and ticked his jaw. "forgive me miss ___. and mr. yang i'm very sorry for wasting your time. i will be sure to have a talk with my legal aid about case law."

jeongin watched leo leave and he didn't take his hand off his gun until the door closed behind leo's tucked tail.

you exhaled then, removing your hand from jeongin's and starting to pack up your own things. "legal aid my ass. he know damn well he heard jack was away and tried to throw something together his damn self." when you looked up jeongin was just staring at you. "what?"

"nothing just, you look good ___. haven't aged a day in four years."

"yeah well black don't crack and all that." you gave a passive smile and shrug as you stood.

jeongin grinned and shook his head, "yeah i guess that's true. so uh, thanks for coming. i got word of the case over night and channie hyung called jack before the sun was up. i didn't know what to make of it, but leo has been out for us for months so you never know."

"well your uncle suddenly remembering he saw you light a match five years later isn't exactly a slam dunk. and even if it was, you can't be tried again. best they could do is a civil matter. but i suspect leo was hoping to make you slip on...your other activities while he had you here."

jeongin smiled at your mention of 'other activities'. "guess i'm lucky you were here. saved my ass back then, and now."

"jack saved your ass back then, i was just a paralegal."

"___ i think we both know i don't mean as counsel." jeongin looked at you, "and you were never just anything."

you looked at him back and you could feel it, the weight of everything you'd shoved down crawling up again. you cleared your throat and grabbed your things. "stay out of trouble jeongin."

||

 "bold of you to come back here."

you sighed into your drink. what metaphysical all powerful being had you pissed off? because between seeing jeongin again, 3 back to back cases in court, a zoom disposition, and a flat tire you had had it. all you'd wanted was to drown your sorrows in your third dirty martini and here was last night's mistake to add insult to injury.

"just couldn't stay away from you jaemid."

the smirk he'd been wearing dropped from his face, "it's jaemin."

"not last night." you sipped your drink.

"bitch-"

"for God's sake this is the fourth time i'm hearing that today, why are all you mediocre men so...mediocre."

"you think just because you have money you can talk to people any way you want?"

"no i think because you came quick and i had to finish myself off while you were passed out in my bed that i can talk to you any way i want." you set your glass down and turned to look at him.

he chuckled without humor and crossed his arms. "you know you're known here right?"

"am i?"

"an uptight hotshot lawyer always with someone new."

"so all good things then." you could sense his temper rising at your indifference but you were buzzed and didn't have it in you to care.

"you think you're something. i looked you up ya know. all daddy's money won't save you from a lonely, barren life just like your whore of a mother."

the drink was out of your glass and in his face before you could really think about it. he gasped, letting out an expletive as he stepped forward.

"i wouldn't." jeongin's hand was on jaemin's chest before the man could get into your personal space.

"and who the fuck are you?"

jeongin pulled his leather jacket back and you couldn't see from where he was standing protectively in front of you but by jaemin's expression you could guess what he saw. "call me colt."

"you're gonna shoot me over this bitch?"

"i've shot many more for much less." jeongin's tone dropped as he stepped forward, forcing jaemin to take a fearful step back. "and now that's the second time you've called my wife a bitch. there will not be a third."

"wife?" jaemin's eyes bulged, trying to look at you where you stood still protectively behind jeongin's back. only seeing the side of your curly bun, jaemin looked back at jeongin who rose a brow as though to say, 'yes, wife.' jaemin stared for another beat before scoffing and throwing up his hands. "forget it. the pussy's good, but it ain't worth dying for."

jeongin didn't turn around until he was sure jaemin was gone.

"you can't flash your gun every time someone insults me."

"you don't know me."

"i know you." you looked up at him. he held your gaze.

God he had missed you.

"guy's a real winner."

"yeah i know how to pick em." your tone had more bite than you would've liked for someone who wished to only show the public practiced indifference, but you know, third martini and all. something like regret passed over jeongin's face but it was gone before you could be sure. you put a bill on the bar and waved at the bartender before grabbing your purse.

you were standing outside waiting on an uber when you heard the club's door open. you didn't need to look to know. there was a long stretch of silence, 4 years worth. your phone chimed. "man" was a minute away.

"were you actually dating that asshole?" you leaned off the wall and walked to the curb. jeongin watched the back of you, crossing his arms. "or do all your one night stands know the state of your familial relationships?"

your step stuttered, your heel nearly giving way under you. you'd feigned indifference during jaemin's drunken rant but your family, or lack thereof, was one of your sorest spots. beaten, in fact, only by jeongin and whatever the fuck mess the two of you were. now, after the day you'd had and the liquor in your system, it was getting harder to pretend you weren't hurting.

jeongin wanted to call the words back as soon as he'd said them, and even more so when he saw how they hit you. you were always so headstrong, sometimes he forgot that you were still only human. he stepped forward to steady you but you jerked away like you were scared his touch would burn.

maybe you were, maybe it would.

"___-"

"leave me alone jeongin."

"i just-"

"___?" your uber driver pulled up, winding down his window and looking at the two of you unsurely.  

jeongin put his hand on the door before you could open it. "baby just give me a minute."

"i gave you a lot more than that and i'm not your fucking baby."

"like hell you're not."

not that man wasn't appreciating the free show, but he did have places to be. "i'm sorry it's just the ride is for one so-"

jeongin ducked his head down and stared at your driver. man shut his mouth.

you sighed as jeongin stood back up. he just looked at you, expression much different than the death glare he gave man than stunned him into silence.

jeongin looked ready to beg, and he was. "angel-"

"you're gonna get me a 1 star."

"please."

all this time and you still couldn't deny him. four years, four months, four seconds. God sober you was gonna be pissed. and actually, if you looked closely enough, you could see her, a that's so ravenified lizzie mcguire cartoon with a black expletive bar over her mouth, jumping up and down on your shoulder shouting and waving her arms. you rolled your eyes, ignoring your better judgment and giving jeongin an almost imperceptible nod.

he caught it.

reaching in his wallet he gave the driver way more than what your ride would've cost. "cancel the ride and give her 5 stars."

"oh yes sir. thank you sir." man cheesed as he sped off.

you scoffed and shook your head. "you know he can't rate me if he cancels the ride, right?"

jeongin shrugged as he guided you to his car with a soft hand at your back. "angel, the only thing i know is that asshole from before is cracked because your pussy is absolutely worth dying over." 

don't be a silent reader. interaction is a writer's life blood. love you, mean it.💋

you hadn't talked to felix since the conclusion of your project together. not for lack of trying on his part, but by design on yours. truthfully, the little moment of domestic bliss you'd shared with him and the rest of the boys had been enough to make you dream of something you didn't dare speak out loud. besides, it was your final year and if you hoped to actually graduate on time, you didn't have any space to spend on wishing and wanting.

so you started coming to class a few minutes late. ignoring the way felix had initially looked around for you and ignoring the sting when he stopped. you looked up the boxing instructors ahead of time and strategically took the classes luca taught instead of changbin. and when jisung caught your eye across the quad, you were suddenly very interested in something under your nail.

it'd been a month of near misses with 8 of the most gorgeous men the campus had to offer, and still a semester and a half till graduation remained. but no matter, you could do this.

"___?"

fuck, you'd forgotten you and bangchan were not all that far in age. if you had gotten an email calling all intended graduates to a meeting then he had too.

so apparently much matter, and you could not do this.

closing your eyes, you said every curse word you knew in your head at once, and then tilted your head left towards the voice as casually as you could manage. "hey chris. how are you?"

his smile was warm, if a little apprehensive, as if picking up on your discomfort. "i'm good. i..do you mind if i sit here?"

"no, of course not." and despite all your avoidance antics, you meant it.

bangchan sat down. aside from the rustling of his bag and him getting situated, there was silence between you. you decided to get really intrigued by rereading the email the dean had sent yesterday imploring you all to show up, and bangchan watched you with an amused smile.

"so you have been avoiding me."

your fingers tightened around your phone. "w-what? no i-"

"well not me specifically but us," you looked over to find bangchan was already intently looking at you. "all of us."

"that's not-"

"and not subtly either." suddenly minho's voice came from the other side of you as he dropped into the empty seat. right, he was graduating too.

you looked back and forth between the two of them. one was amused, one was smug, both entirely too fine for 9am. you'd had dreams like this..you shook your head to clear the thought, you had no time to run back to your apartment to change panties. you took a deep breath, you could feel both sets of eyes on you. just watching, just waiting.

finally you sighed and looked at bangchan. "okay yes, i have been."

"care to share why?"

you turned to minho to answer his question, "just, i mean.." your voice trailed off and you found yourself blinking. what exactly were you supposed to say? oh nothing just i want you all so bad that i have to avoid you because the only other option is moving in and never looking back. as fucking if.

"yeah actually you could've said that." bangchan shrugged.

"excuse me?"

"you said your inside thoughts outside love," minho smirked as your jaw dropped. "it's cool though, i'm told i sleep talk."

your face was redder than the shirt of your dean as he stepped up to the podium. you'd never been more grateful to see dean jenkins than in that moment. you pointedly paid attention as he called the auditorium to order and ignored the snickers of bangchan and minho beside you.

the entirety of the fortyfive minutes you were hyperaware of the two men you were sandwiched between. bangchan's arm had commandeered the armrest between you, and there was no where else for his johnny bravo shoulders to go but against yours. and fifteen minutes into the meeting your right leg had started to bounce in that anxious way it sometimes did, and minho had pressed his left thigh into yours. it stopped your fidgeting, but he hadn't moved away since.

you were gonna have to make time to go back to your apartment.

the dean finished his presentation and called for an open forum. so while a few of your fellow grad hopefuls moved closer to the dean to ask their questions, you tried to think about the best way to escape, and also what wigs you could wear to conceal your identity for the rest of the year. something other than a big rainbow afro of course, because with your earlier freudian slip you were clearly already playing the part of bozo the clown.

inside thoughts outside, fucking hell man.

lucky for you one of minho's taekwondo student's tapped on his shoulder to ask a question, and bangchan's 4x4 teammate loudly yelled something about practice that caught his attention. just call you 2005 emo punk band boys like girls because that was all you needed to make your great escape.

you were home free. feet rushing up the stairs and towards the exit, hands pushing open the double doors, and the sun was hitting your fa—where the fuck the sun go?

your face was smushed against bangchan's chest. apparently it was sunny with a chance of chris tiddies. Jesus no wonder your track team had the top record in the nation where the hell did he come even from?

"whoa there." bangchan chuckled, hands on your arms to help steady you. "you okay?"

you pulled your hands away from his pecs as soon as you had your bearings. "yeah all good i-"

"you sure?" minho was behind you, and you'd just backed into him. his hands finding your waist to keep you from tumbling.

"are you guys vampires or something? how are you so fucking fast?"

they both snorted.

bangchan leaned closer, "this is the skin of a sprinter bella." you would've laughed if the feel of his minty breath wasn't paralyzing you.

"now what was that about you avoiding us because you're in love with us?" minho asked. the pair stood shoulder to shoulder in front of you now, arms crossed.

"i never said i was in love." you retorted quickly.

"no just that you wanna cohabitate because we're incredibly fuckable." minho smirked.

you rolled your eyes even as your face grew warm. "please spare me, you all know how attractive you are."

"and do you?"

you looked at bangchan, "what?"

"do you know how attractive you are?" bangchan dropped his arms and stepped closer. "and smart. and kind. and sort of all any of us can think about lately."

your eyes widened a bit. "chris-"

minho stepped forward too, "i told you that day the seat next to me was for you. and i've been waiting months for you to fill it." he reached a hand out to push a strand of tight coils behind your ear. "i don't wanna wait anymore jagiya, none of us do."

your mouth opened and then closed, your brows creasing as you tried to understand what the two of them were saying. "are you asking me on a date...all 8 of you?"

"that's the very least of what we're asking noona." bangchan smiled a bit. "but a date is good to start."

you bit the inside of your cheek, "i'm not sure-"

"you don't have to be. for now, let us be sure enough for you." minho interjected. "it's just dinner. just say yes to dinner."

you looked between the both of them. as much as you had dreamt about it, you were skeptical to say the least. you wondered how many girls had been the ninth for "just dinner." what number ninth were you? how many would come after you? did you have a right to care? maybe you should just enjoy the proverbial and potentially literal ride.

"dinner, a dinner date, tonight, the nine of us?"

bangchan's eyes sparkled like he was holding back a laugh, but he just nodded sweetly. "the nine of us, tonight, a dinner date, dinner."

you huffed a laugh at that and minho's lips upturned crookedly at the sound. you were so pretty when you were flustered, he could only imagine how much more when you were getting fu-

"okay," you breathed. "it's a date."

don't be a silent reader. interaction is a writer's life blood. love you, mean it.💋