Trina Chere

Chapter 7

Before you know it, the next few months fly by. Somewhere between lazy Sundays together wrapped up in bed, evenings cuddled up on the couch watching a new horror movie you both wanted to see, and weekly trips to the famers market together before the cold settled. You and Yunho become inseparable. You would spend your days working and then without much discussion either one of you would end up at the other’s place where you’d spend the evening attempting a new recipe together. Some recipes would turn out better than others, some would end with you both accepting defeat and ordering takeout.

“I don’t think this looks right.” You say as you tilt your head with your nose scrunched.

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m sure it’ll thicken up once we let it sit for a few minutes.” Yunho says as he scratches his head not sounding too confident. After a few minutes it’s not thickening up and possibly looks worse than before. You cautiously grab a spoon to taste test. Your face immediately turns at the taste causing Yunho to start laughing. “Maybe we should just get some wings instead?”

“Extra crispy, please.” you say laughing as you chug a bottle of water.

There were countless grocery store dates, Yunho brought you to some plant stores you hadn’t been to before, telling you that you needed to “add to your collection.” When work required you to head out of town for a few days you left Yunho with a spare key so he could water your plants while you were gone. Before either of you realized it, there were toothbrushes in both bathrooms, hoodies scattered between apartments, and drawers filled with each other’s clothes. At some point, it stopped feeling like you were visiting one another and started feeling like you simply had two homes.

“Babe, we have to make sure we remember to grab some more dish soap tomorrow when we go to the grocery store.” Yunho says as he places the plate he was just washing in the dish strainer.

“Just wrote it on the list this morning.” You say with a wink as you walk behind him and wrap your arms around his waist. He slightly turns with you still wrapped around his waist as he places a kiss on your forehead.

“You’re the best.”

A week before Thanksgiving, Yunho laughed as he reminded you the last time you were at your parents’ house he went as your pretend boyfriend; he grabbed your hand and said the next time you walk through their door together he wants to be your real one. You said yes before he even finished asking. When thanksgiving finally came Yunho helped your dad with the turkey while your mom and grandma fussed over the side dishes. Laughter echoed through the house, and every time you looked over at him, he seemed to fit there as naturally as if he’d been part of your family all along. At one point your mom leaned over and quietly whispered, “I told you not to let this one get away.”

Your chest filled with warmth as you watched him slip so effortlessly into your life. Christmas arrived a few weeks later. You spent the next few weeks decorating both places, building gingerbread houses and decorating cookies together. You even convinced him to get matching pajamas with you, which you know he secretly loved. He spent the entire evening insisting they were ridiculous but never once suggested taking them off. When you exchanged gifts, you could see the genuine excitement on his face when you got him a limited-edition Spider-Man figurine that he had mentioned wanting before. When Yunho handed you your gift, you couldn’t believe he was able to find a rare plant you had been looking for. Between the matching pajamas, decorating cookies, and binging Christmas movies, he slowly became your favorite part of the holiday.

The holidays came and went, and loving Yunho slowly became a part of your everyday life. There were moments when things weren’t always picture perfect, though. Work sometimes got overwhelming and the stress from work would sometimes follow you home. You’d withdraw and he would notice immediately. When you’d brush it off, he would mention he knows something is bothering you, but he wouldn’t push. You’d end up snapping but would come back an hour later apologizing. He was always so gentle with you he’d give you your space until you were ready to talk about whatever was bothering you. You appreciated his patience with you. Yunho also had a habit of not wanting to ask for help sometimes or admit that he didn’t know something.

“Babe, maybe we should use the GPS. I don’t think we’re going in the right direction.” You said as you look out the window trying to find a familiar landmark to show if you were going the right way or not.

“No, it’s fine I know how to get there.” Yunho said sounding slightly annoyed. He wasn’t necessarily annoyed with you, more so annoyed with the fact that he wasn’t quite sure where you were at. T wenty minutes later, and after passing the same gas station twice, Yunho sighed in defeat. “Okay…maybe we are lost.” You purse your lips together as you try to hold back your laughter.

“That’s what I thought.” Your laughter finally spills over as you pull up the GPS.

By the time spring rolled around, date nights had become a tradition. Every Saturday, one of you would be responsible for planning a date for that night and the other wasn’t allowed to complain about what it was. This week it was your turn. There had been a new slasher film that just recently came out that you were dying to see. Even though Yunho found a lot of the horror movies you watched predictable, he’d always watch them with you and would pay close attention to any theories you had. Halfway through each movie he’d tell you he knew who the killer was already and was right every time.

“Don’t you dare tell me your predictions during the movie because you’re going to be right and I won’t be surprised!” You say with a pout as you fold your arms.

“My lips are sealed.” He drags two fingers across his lips as if he’s zipping them shut, a smile threatening to break through. You playfully smack his shoulder.

“I’m serious! You’re scarily accurate every time. I want to feel the suspense when I find out who the killer is!” You can’t hold back your laughter anymore. You playfully continue your conversation while you wait in line to get your snacks and drinks. On the way to the theater, you’re dramatically telling a story when you accidentally bump into a man. You begin apologizing immediately but the man scoffs and begins to scold you.

“You need to pay better attention to your surroundings! I almost dropped my popcorn. What a fucking idiot!” The man hisses out as he points his finger in your face. Yunho clenches his jaw. His fingers are gripping the snacks so tight his knuckles are white.

“It was an accident sheeesh.” Before you could say anything else he storms into the same theater you were headed for. “Great.” You roll your eyes. You look over and see how angry Yunho looks. It almost scares you since you’ve never seen him this angry before. You rub his arm gently to soothe him. “Hey, babe. It’s fine. Just ignore that jerk.”  His his gaze is fixed in the direction the man disappeared in for another moment before he finally blinks, his expression softens as he looks down at you.

“Yea. It’s fine.” He smiles softly at you and you both make your way into the theater. As you settle in your seats, Yunho takes notice that you were seated right in front of the mysterious jerk. You could hear the man scoff when he realizes the same. You try your best to ignore him when the previews begin, but he is determined to make his presence known. During the quietest moments of the movie, he lets out a loud, over the top cough. Every couple of minutes you hear him shuffling in his seat as he adjusts the candy and popcorn around him. You look back and let out a heavy sigh when he shakes the candy box incessantly to get the candy out.

“Could he be any more annoying?” You whisper to Yunho loud enough for the man to hear you. He rolls his eyes at your comment. Yunho doesn’t take his eyes off the screen.

“Just watch the movie.” He says calmly but his jaw is tight. Thankfully, you are able to catch enough to follow the plot. You already know you’ll be watching it again once it becomes available on streaming services to catch anything you might have missed. When the credits roll across the screen you get up with an attitude as you roll your eyes at the man. You don’t want to carry the attitude back home with you so you try and focus on happier thoughts to rid your attitude before you get to the car. The man shoves past people making his way towards the exit. Yunho’s eyes follow him as far as they allow him.

The cool evening air greets you as you walk out the theater. You and Yunho are discussing the movie as you make your way across the parking lot. Yunho quietly locks on to the man outside smoking a cigarette. He continues to watch him as the man walks out of the parking lot towards an alley. You’re wrapped up in your explanation you don’t notice what is happening. When you get a few feet from his car he begins patting his pockets.

“Dammit, babe. I think my phone fell out my pocket when we were sitting in the seat. I’m going to go back and check for it.”

“Of course it did.” You let out a soft laugh. “Go look, I’ll wait in the car. I’m seriously going to Velcro your phone to you in a minute the way you’re always misplacing it.” He kisses your forehead as he unlocks the car for you. He waits until you get settled in the passenger’s seat before he walks away. He walks towards the theater entrance and then looks back to make sure you’re out of site when he walks in the direction of the alley. Yunho quickens his pace, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. The man slows near the entrance of the alley, taking another drag from his cigarette.

“Got an extra smoke?” Yunho calls casually.

The man turns at the sound of his voice; he doesn’t realize who spoke to him before Yunho was reaching for him. With his hand on the man’s face, he pushes him to the ground and is straddling him. He pushes his face into the ground. The struggle is brief. Yunho moves his hand from his face to wrap around his neck. The man fights back at first, but every attempt grows weaker than the last until the alley falls silent. He waits a couple beats to ensure there is no more breathing from the man. Yunho remains still for a moment, listening. Nothing but the distant hum of traffic and muffled voices drifting from the theater. He exhales loudly, smooths the wrinkles from his shirt, runs a hand through his hair, and drags the body out of immediate view beside the overflowing dumpster. By the time he reaches the car, every trace of the man from the alley has disappeared. As he opens the driver’s door, the warmth returns to his eyes, and he’s once again the man you’ve grown to love.

“You’re not going to believe this.” He laughs pulling his phone from his back pocket. “My phone was in my pocket the whole time.” Your jaw drops before you join in the laughter.

“No way! Oh my god.” You say as you dramatically palm your face and drag your hand down. “Velcro isn’t enough at this point.” Your eyes soften as you look at him, unable to fight the smile tugging at your lips. “What am I going to do with you?” He reaches over and grabs your hand.

“Love me.” A smug smile pulls at the corners of his lips. You shake your head as you quietly laugh.

“I think I can do that.” You squeeze his hand and your gaze shifts to look out of the window as he pulls from the parking space. The ride home is a comfortable silence with only the low sounds of the radio filling the air between you. Even though there were some unpleasant moments in the evening from rude movie goers, you enjoyed your date night and as you watched the city lights blur past your window, you found yourself wondering what the two of you would end up doing next Saturday.

© princesskatriinnaaa 2026 | please do not copy, repost or modify my work.

You lay in the bed twirling your braid around your fingers, wondering if your hair had grown any longer since you’d been down in the bunker. It needed a good wash. When you made it back home, you were going to schedule a sauna day and make Mingi go along with you. He wouldn’t object, he loved a good sauna. Ooh, and we’ll get some good food too.

You heard what sounded like banging around above you and sat up, closing your eyes so that you could focus on the noise. You almost thought your mind was playing tricks on you again when you heard a voice. When the bunker door began to screech open, you froze in place, realizing that it was real. They’re here! You scrambled up from the bed in a panic, eyeing the hallway as you went. I won’t make it to the stock room in time! You dove under the bed and retrieved the tarp that you’d stowed under there before retreating to the corner nearest the hall.

“Bitch,” the door closed with a thunk and you could hear Dae Gwan clambering and clanking down the stairs. “She always makes me do the dirty work. She’s gonna pay for this one day. I’ll fix her good… one day.” He was muttering to himself, complaining about Chae Yi again. You rolled your eyes.

Poor Dae Gwan. Always the victim. Right. You got yourself into position, spreading your legs apart to keep your balance, and lifted the tarp up just past your nose, leaving only your eyes unblocked so that you could see the instant Dae Gwan appeared in the main room. The hall was silent for a moment, then you could hear him fumbling around in the stock room. You were so glad you hadn’t hidden in there.

“Where is it?” he growled. “She said it’s in here. Fucking where? Fuck!” You could hear him pressing buttons on his phone. “Hello? I don’t see it in here. Are you sure it’s not at your house? Maybe you lost it. Well, don’t get pissy with me, I’m doing what you asked me to! Why don’t you just get down here and do this part yourself since you’re in such a rush for it to be done? You left me to deal with this girl by myself for almost 2 weeks, you could have at least helped me carry some of this stuff… yeah well, just get here fast, ok? And maybe you should bring something else with you, a rock or something. I know you don’t want to turn around and have to find another blade, but I really don’t see the hatchet anywhere in here.”

You gasped. The hatchet! He was looking for the hatchet. You glanced over at it on the bed and cursed, dropping the tarp and shooting over to grab hold of it, positioning it in your hand so that you could grip both it and the tarp. You silently thanked the gods that you’d found the hatchet before Dae Gwan had come back. You could only imagine what mad plan he and Chae Yi had concocted with it in mind. And where was Chae Yi? By the sound of it, she was in the area, but what was she up to?

Her voice came crackling through Dae Gwan’s phone to answer your question. He must have put it on speaker so he could have both hands free to search. “I’m taking care of evidence that you left behind, you idiot! Why would you just leave rope laying around in the woods? It’s like you’re asking for us to get caught!” Chae Yi sounded like her usual bossy self. “Listen, the hatchet has to be there. That’s where I left it. If you can’t find it then just rip them off or something. I know you’re strong enough.”

“I can’t literally rip the fingers off of someone with my bare hands. That’s what you said the hatchet was for!”

“Didn’t you bring a knife like I told you to? If not, just bite them off then! Either way, they have to go!” She abruptly hung up, leaving Dae Gwan fuming in the middle of the stock room.

“I hate her,” he seethed. “I bet she’s going to tell me to just bite through the bitch’s arms and legs to dismember her too, huh?”

Dismember? You trembled at the thought of your body being hacked apart and morbidly wondered if they would do it while you were still alive and conscious and could feel every slice. With Chae Yi, you were almost certain that would be her preference. She was a demon.

You could hear Dae Gwan moving around again. His heavy footsteps slapped ominously on the concrete floor as he moved towards the main part of the bunker. You sucked in a breath and silently revved yourself up. Ok, I can do this. I can do this. I’m ready. The air seemed charged with electricity. The sound of your own heartbeat thrummed in your ears, and you could feel your entire body vibrating in anticipation. Come on.

“Shit!” Dae Gwan sucked in a breath and turned around just as he was coming into view, and you felt your stomach drop. Had you gone to toss the tarp over him in that moment, you would have surely missed, and he would have overcome you in an instant. You shrank back into the corner, not sure anymore whether you were predator or prey in that moment as you listened to him clatter around in the stock room again. What was he doing?

Mingi was struggling, Yunho could tell. He wasn’t moving as quickly as he had been. His feet seemed to drag in the mud a bit with each step. “Mingiya, you ok?” he asked, already knowing that Mingi would lie.

“I can keep going.”

“You can’t keep this up, Mingi.”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”

Yunho pressed his lips into a thin line and grabbed the back of Mingi’s hoodie. “You’re being unreasonable.” Mingi let out a heavy sigh and turned to face him. Yunho’s jaw was set.

“Yunho…”

“Mingi, no. Just look at yourself. You’re obviously not doing alright. I know you’re in pain. Are you so insistent on pushing forward that you don’t care if you die in the process? What good are you to Y/N if you’re dead? You think she wants to know that you killed yourself trying to find her? Don’t you think that would destroy her?” He put a hand to Mingi’s chest and gave a light push, watching as Mingi stumbled back and struggled to right himself again, grappling for a tree trunk for support. “See? You’re off balance. You need a doctor. I’m not asking anymore, Mingi.”

Mingi wanted to argue. Wanted to tell Yunho that he was wrong. That he could keep going. But the truth was that as he stood there looking at Yunho, his head was pounding, his vision was still swimming, and he was pretty sure that he’d twisted his ankle somewhere along the line. Yunho’s words echoed in his mind. You think she wants to know that you killed yourself trying to find her? “I just,” he started, “just let me make a call first. Then I’ll decide.”

“Decide what? We’re leaving. The police can handle this.”

“Just let me make a call first!” Mingi had a hard time focusing on the names on his phone screen, but managed to find Jinwoo’s number. He answered almost immediately.

“Hey!” Jinwoo sounded better than he had the last time they’d spoken. “I was just about to call you. I’ve got news.”

“Is it good news?” Mingi asked.

“More or less. I got permission to put together a search party, but not until the rain lets up. I convinced my boss that finding Y/N was more important than preserving evidence that might not even exist after the rain.” Mingi’s breath hitched in his throat. He had been so sure that Jinwoo was going to tell him that he’d failed.

“Really?”

“Yeah, so with any luck we’ll have boots on the ground by the end of the day… or tomorrow morning.” Mingi clapped a hand over his mouth, stifling the sobs that threatened to rake his body. “But, I wanted to tell you…” Mingi heard the sound of a door creaking shut on the other end of the phone. “Officially, we’ve got to wait for the rain, but unofficially, I’ve got two friends on the force that are willing to go out with me in a little bit and start looking ourselves.”

“Won’t you get into trouble?”

“Sometimes you’ve got to bend the rules a little. Anyway, once we find her, the captain will be too happy about that to want to penalize me. I’ll be fine.”

“I’m… I’m so glad to hear that.”

“I told you I’d try, didn’t I?” Mingi could hear the smile on Jinwoo’s face. “Anyway. I just wanted to call you and let you know. I’m rounding my people up now. You’re more than welcome to join the actual search party too when it forms. I know you’d want to be there.”

“Yeah,” Mingi chuckled a little. “You’re right about that. Just uh, just let me know what’s going on. I’ll see you soon. And thanks again, Jinwoo-ssi.”

“No problem at all. I’ll be in touch.”

Mingi hung up the phone and slid it into his pocket. “Well,” Yunho said, “who’d you call?”

“Jinwoo.”

“And what did he say?”

“They’re going to search for her once the rain lets up. Him and a couple guys from the force are coming in a little while, though”

Yunho closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, thanking God for Jongho’s cousin. If it hadn’t been for Jinwoo’s tenacity, Yunho probably would have had to drag Mingi out of the woods by his toes. “So, will you let me take you to the hospital now?” Mingi nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

Yunho was almost grateful for the rain as they made their way back to the car. With the terrain being so muddy, it was easy to follow their tracks. Yunho never let go of Mingi’s hand as he led him through the trees. Mingi followed behind slowly. Yunho suspected he was back there sulking. He imagined Mingi’s sad eyes filled with tears. Yunho didn’t necessarily feel good about making Mingi leave. He knew it was best, but in the back of his head he worried that if the police didn’t find you, Mingi might never forgive him.

As they neared the area where they’d initially come across the piece of rope, Mingi glanced around to see if he could spot it again. It was gone. Mingi sucked in a breath, noticing a new pair of footprints pressed into the mud beside theirs.

“What?” Yunho asked, craning his neck to look back at Mingi. “What is it?”

“…Nothing.” There was no point in telling Yunho at that moment. It would likely only serve to panic him; but Jinwoo would be the first person he told when the detective arrived.

You fought to steady your breathing again when you heard Dae Gwan making his way back into the main room again. He emerged from the hall peering down into a burlap sack that he had spread open and was muttering to himself as he dug around in it. The sounds of metal clacking together gave you terrible visuals of knives and saws and all manner of sharp things. He didn’t even look over at the bed as he moved. For a split second you wondered if you shouldn’t just make a break for the stairs and forget the tarp entirely. He was occupied with his murder bag. He wouldn’t notice you, right?

Your feet were glued to the spot. Instead of running or throwing the tarp, you stood quietly in the corner and watched as Dae Gwan pulled out what appeared to be a shower curtain and lay it down in the middle of the floor. He then sat the bag down and knelt down beside it, pulling out a box of plastic bags, a few kitchen knives, and a bottle of bleach. Your stomach churned.

“Hey!” He called. Your head snapped from the items he’d laid out back to him. You hadn’t even realized that you’d spaced out. He still wasn’t looking at the bed as he began to climb to his feet. “Wake the fuck up.”

Now or never!  You didn’t waste another second on thinking. You cleared your mind as best you could and lurched forward with the tarp outstretched in front of you. You threw it over his hunched frame, not bothering to make sure he was fully covered before you spun around and broke for the exit. You could hear his confused shouts as he fought to get the tarp off, but the sound of your bare feet on the concrete seemed louder still.

“What the fuck!” You took the steps two at a time just as you’d practiced and were at the door in no time. No amount of prep could have prepared you for how heavy the door actually was. You gripped the latch and tried to use your shoulder to force the door up. A few weeks ago, it would have been easier, but you were so worn that it felt like you were trying to move a car. Where was the strength that adrenaline was supposed to give you?

The thunder of Dae Gwan’s steps pushed you harder, and you pulled out every last bit of strength you had, screaming as the door finally gave way to the rain drenched forest. You didn’t give yourself even a second to take anything in before you turned to try and get the door closed, hoping that it would deter him just long enough for you to put some space between you.

You saw his hands before his face. He reached out with both hands and wrapped them around your ankles, yanking so hard that your feet came from under you and you slammed to the ground. “Bitch!” he foamed, “stupid bitch!” You could feel the small rocks and sharp twigs digging and tearing into your back as he dragged you back into the bunker. You threw your arms up to shield your head from banging the stairs and suddenly realized,

I still have the hatchet! You were suddenly grateful that he was so blinded by his own malice that he hadn’t noticed you were armed.

Once he’d gotten you to the bottom of the stairs, he grabbed you by the hair and wound your braid around his arm. “Where the fuck did you think you were going?”

Home! You swung the hatchet as hard as you could, the dull thud of it connecting with his thigh sent a shiver up your spine and elicited a howl from his lips. He didn’t release you, though. His grip on your hair grew tighter and his fist drove into your face. You could feel the blood pouring from your mouth and nose almost immediately. He tossed you to the floor and towered over you as you lay motionless.

“I’m actually going to enjoy taking you apart,” he said through clenched teeth. You didn’t move, didn’t react at all. You needed him to think he had you right where he wanted you. You kept the hatchet clenched to your chest, hidden from sight, hoping that he thought you’d dropped it.  He leaned down to look into your face. “That’s all the fight you had in you?” he asked. “Worthless.” He gripped your shoulder and shoved you over so that you lay on your stomach. “Women are really only good for one thing, huh?”

You could feel his hand creeping up your nightgown and began trembling. Not fear. Anger. Rolling over onto your back, you swung the hatchet again, this time hitting him in the arm and slicing off a hunk of flesh. He reared back, yowling and clutching at his arm. You jumped up, ignoring the twang of your ankle, and went for the stairs again. He followed close behind, bloody and limping, but still gaining on you. He grabbed hold of your ankle and pulled you back down again. You jumped to your feet immediately and swung wildly, hearing the thunk and feeling metal connect with bone. You looked and saw that the hatchet was in his head. He appeared dazed, if nothing else, but still, he moved in on you.

You swung again. And again. When he fell, you went down with him. Still swinging. His pained gurgles turned quickly into rattles and the dull thunks into wet squelches. You didn’t stop. I’m going home! I’m going home! It wasn’t until the hatchet bounced off the concrete and sent the vibrations up your arms that you finally opened your eyes to the scene before you. You didn’t look down, not wanting to see what had become of Dae Gwan. All you knew was that he wouldn’t be coming after you again, and that was enough. You climbed off of him slowly, feeling the weight of your blood soaked nightgown pulling on your shoulders. As you climbed the stairs, you could feel blood and something else, something spongy, squishing between your toes.

Emerging from the bunker, the first thing you noticed was the feel of the cool rain on your skin. You drank it in, spreading your arms out and craning your head towards the sky. The droplets kissed your eyelids, your cheeks, and ran down your neck. You sighed, the beginning of a smile spreading on your lips, overtaken by the sudden need to vomit. You placed a shaky hand on a nearby tree and hurled your guts out onto the forest floor. When you were finished and pulled your hand from the tree, a bloody smear was left in its place. You stared at it in silence. I’m not free yet. I’m not safe.

You cast your eyes downward, looking for some kind of sign to tell you which way you should go. The trees towered over you, stretching for what looked like miles in each direction. It was disorienting. You spotted footprints in the mud. Dae Gwan. Glancing down into the bunker, all you could see were your bloodied footprints on the stairs. The irony of Dae Gwan’s prints being the ones that would lead you to salvation wasn’t lost on you. Without another thought, you headed off into the woods, keeping your eyes on the tracks in the mud.

When Yunho and Mingi broke through the trees back into the field, Yunho could see that there was a car parked directly behind his. Two men stood outside the car talking amongst themselves. The other man leaned against Yunho’s car with his arms crossed over his chest. “Is that-”

“Jinwoo,” Mingi shuddered. He had really been hoping that he and Yunho would make it back to the car before Jinwoo showed up. But part of him had known better. Once Jinwoo had a plan, he executed it quickly. “I’ll talk to him.” They moved slowly across the field, Yunho still taking care to make sure Mingi stayed upright. As they closed in on Jinwoo, the disappointment on his face quickly gave way to concern as he noticed the dried blood on Mingi’s face.

“What happened here?” Jinwoo asked as he and Yunho both helped Mingi cross over the ditch.

“He fell,” Yunho explained. “He hit his head on a tree and I’m sure he’s concussed. I need to get him to a hospital.”

“You shouldn’t have come out here alone,” Jinwoo growled as he checked Mingi, immediately finding the gash on the back of his head. “That was foolish of you.”

“I had to try to find her,” Mingi said unapologetically. “I didn’t know if you were going to come through. I didn’t want to take the chance.”

“I’m here. You need to go to the hospital. My men and I will take it from here.”

“We really appreciate this,” Yunho said, offering a bow.

“I’m just doing my job,” Jinwoo responded.

“Please,” Mingi clung to Jinwoo’s arm. “Please find her.”

“Don’t worry.” Jinwoo squeezed Mingi’s shoulder. “I’ve got it.”

“You guys should be careful in there,” Yunho looked towards the woods. “It’s treacherous in there.”

“It won’t be my first woodland search in the rain,” Jinwoo reassured him. “We’ll be fine. You two on the other hand,” he looked directly at Mingi. “You two need to leave. Now.” Yunho opened the passenger door for Mingi and helped him lower himself into the seat.

“I’m fine, Yunho. I can sit down by myself.”

“Shut up.” Yunho shut the door and went to the drivers’ side. Jinwoo met him there.

“Here,” Jinwoo said. “Let’s exchange numbers. Regardless of what we find out here, I’ll keep you updated.” He glanced into the car at Mingi. “I think he needs a minute to rest. Is it ok that I contact you instead?”

“Yeah.” Yunho locked Jinwoo’s number into his phone. The sound of a car door opening drew both of their attention. Mingi was climbing back out.

“No,” Jinwoo said. “Get back in the car.”

“I just have to tell you something!” Mingi leaned over the roof of the car.

“What is it?”

“We went west when we got in there. I’m sure we were going the right way because I found some rope. Don’t worry, we didn’t touch it; but on our way back the rope was gone, and there were newer footprints in the mud. Smaller ones…” Mingi watched as the pieces clicked together in Jinwoo’s mind. “Be careful out there.”

“I have my service weapon,” Jinwoo stated. “I’m ready for whatever is in there. Thanks for the heads up.”

“What’s in there?” Yunho asked, thinking back to the rustling in the trees. “That wasn’t an animal we came across earlier, was it?”

“I told you it was foolish to go in there alone,” Jinwoo said. “Get your friend to the nearest hospital.”

The rain beating down on you made you feel waterlogged and blurred your vision. You were sure you would have gotten lost a while ago if not for the tracks in the mud that showed you the way. Initially, you had been following only Dae Gwan’s footprints, but after a while, they merged with more prints. What appeared to be two or three more sets. It was hard to tell. You idly wondered if these other prints were evidence of there being more people to be afraid of, or if someone was looking for you. Maybe they had nothing to do with me at all. You looked down at your own feet coated in mud and grime and wished that you had your hiking boots. Hell, you would have settled for a pair of those flimsy foam flip flops that the nail salons gave out when you got a pedicure. Anything would have been better than stepping on sharp rocks with your bare feet. You couldn’t wait to get back home.

The sound of rustling came from behind you and you turned quickly, eyes scanning the area. The prickling feeling of anxiety climbed up your body and settled in the hairs on the back of your neck. You gripped the hatchet tightly in your hand and began moving backward, not letting your eyes leave the spot where the sounds had come from. You hoped it was an animal, hoped it was just a deer trying to make its way back home, same as you. I wish it wasn’t so dark in here.

The rustling came from your left, and you snapped your head toward it. It wasn’t a deer. Whatever it was was watching you, tracking your movements. Do I run? You turned to face forward again, deciding that running would be a bad idea with everything being slick with rain and mud. You knew you’d be likely to fall and hurt yourself. You couldn’t afford that. Instead, you took quiet, calculated steps, keeping the hatchet at the ready just in case. After a second, you could hear what sounded like footsteps behind you. You itched to turn around, but you were afraid of what you might see. What if it was Dae Gwan, somehow having come back one last time to make you pay for what you had done to him? Don’t be ridiculous, you chided yourself. Just look. You squared your shoulders, sighing heavily. You were so tired.

The moment you turned around, you were met with a flurry of hair and nails. Animalistic wails and shrieks escaped a mouth full of bared teeth that snapped and tore at you. You fell to the ground, and as your vision focused, you saw your attacker. Chae Yi? She was relentless in her attack, but you quickly noticed that she wasn’t armed and shoved her off of you, brandishing the hatchet.

“How are you here? Where is Dae Gwan?” she spat. You said nothing, keeping your eyes focused on her as she moved around you erratically. “He’s such an idiot! I’m going to tear him a new one. But you!” She crept closer, her gaze never leaving yours. “You need to get back down there.” She tore her eyes away from you for a moment to focus on the hatchet in your hand. “That’s mine,” she said, reaching out for it. You swung it at her and she retreated back, only then noticing that you were covered in blood. Her eyes darted around your body, searching for injuries, confused when she found none. She looked back at the hatchet. “Did you?” Your eyes narrowed as you watched the smug look disappear from her face.

Chae Yi stood there for a moment, just looking at you. You couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Had she figured out that Dae Gwan wasn’t about to come bursting forth from the woods to take you captive again? Did she have a contingency plan? Were there others waiting in the wings to do her bidding? “This isn’t right,” she muttered, more to herself than to you. “You have to go back.” She took another few steps in your direction.

There’s no chance in hell I’m going back, you thought. You didn’t want to, but you were fully prepared to use the hatchet again. You couldn’t give up, not when you were so near to the finish line. You held the weapon out in front of you.

“Give me back my hatchet!” she shrieked swiping for it again. You snatched it back and she leapt at you, clawing at the hand that held the hatchet. “I’ll fucking kill you!” She bit down hard on your hand and you had no choice but to drop the hatchet. She snatched it up and shoved you back down. “I’m in charge,” she huffed. “You’ll do what I say.” You lay there, propped up on your elbows and glaring daggers into her. The smug grin was back. “Get up.” You didn’t move. “I said get up!” Upon being met with more silence, she shrieked and rushed towards you, hatchet raised.

Shit! Your eyes quickly scanned the area for something you could use to protect yourself and saw only a soggy, hollow long. A forest full of rocks and branches, but nothing that I can use. You shifted focus back to Chae Yi. She was mere inches away from you. You could see the malice in her dark eyes as she charged towards you. You did the only thing you could. Lifting up your leg, you shot your foot out as hard as you could, simultaneously hearing the crack in your ankle as you kicked her squarely in the stomach, succeeding in knocking the wind out of her lungs.

She flew backward, her feet slipping and sliding from up under her. She screeched as she fell, hitting the ground on her side. The hatchet flew from her hand and rested a few feet away from her. You climbed to your feet, looking at her. Waiting for her to get up and attack you again. She didn’t move. She wasn’t dead, you could hear whimpers and cries coming from her as you inched closer and picked up the hatchet. Why wasn’t she getting up? She hadn’t fallen that hard.

Feeling braver now that you had the hatchet back, you got even closer to her. You reached a hand out to touch her and saw tears pouring from her eyes. “I… I can’t move,” she sniveled. “I can’t move.” Confused, you took her shoulder and rolled her over onto her back. It was then that you saw what she had landed on. A rock jutted out of the ground right where she had landed. The blood on the rock and the blood on her neck told you what had happened. You took hold of one of her arms, picking it up and watching as it dropped back down limply.

Her neck… she broke her neck. You picked up her arm again, wanting to see if it was real. To see if she was just waiting for you to turn away before she jumped on your back and clawed out your eyes.

“Get your hands off me!” You let her arm go, not caring when her own hand slapped down on her face, but unable to hide the tiniest smile from creeping up on your lips. Noticing a rectangular lump in her back pocket, you felt a twinge of excitement. A phone! You dug into her pocket and pulled it out. It was yours, puffy yellow case and all. Flipping it over, you groaned. The screen was shattered. You tapped it aggressively, willing it to turn on. Nothing. Fuck!  

You winced as you stood back up; you were sure that your ankle was broken this time. You were going to have to limp your way through the rest of the woods. You slipped your phone into the little breast pocket of your pajama dress, sure that you’d be able to get it fixed, and located the footprints in the mud again. This way.

“Wait!” You turned your head to look back at Chae Yi. Her eyes were wild with panic as they met yours. “Don’t leave me here! Don’t you fucking leave me here!” You stared at her for a second, incredulous, before you turned back around and limped away. “Come back! Come back!”

Yunho settled himself into the drivers’ seat, placed both hands on the wheel, and sighed. Jinwoo had told them to leave ten minutes ago, and Yunho wanted nothing more than to do that. But Mingi… Mingi begged Yunho to just give him a minute. He didn’t want to leave until he saw Jinwoo and the other officers actually go into the woods. He wanted to make sure that they weren’t saying that they’d go just to get Mingi to leave. Yunho had tried to tell him that it made no sense, but Mingi was insistent. “Not yet.” So, Yunho indulged him.

Mingi was nearly plastered to the window as he watched Jinwoo and the officers strategizing. He wished he could make out what they were saying, but they were too far away. He glanced up at the sky. The rain seemed to finally be moving away. The drops weren’t coming down as hard as they had been when he and Yunho had been in the woods, and he was glad for it. Less rain meant it would be easier for Jinwoo’s team to follow the prints, and hopefully find you at the end of them. His stomach was in knots. He wrung his hands and pulled at his bracelets, bouncing his leg so hard that he was shaking the whole car. “Mingi,” Yunho breathed. “You must calm down.”

“I’m sorry, Yunho. I’m sorry.”

“How is your head?”

“My vision seems a little better.” He wasn’t lying. It had admittedly taken a while, but his vision had finally begun to focus again. His head, on the other hand, was still pounding.

“Well, at least there’s that. Look, as soon as they get over there, Mingi, we’re leaving. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you, Yunho.”

“Good.” Together, they watched as Jinwoo and his team started across the field. Jinwoo glanced back at the car and gave Mingi a thumbs up. “Are you ready?” Yunho turned the key and the engine revved to life, startling Mingi.

“Huh?”

“It’s time. We’re leaving.”

“Yunho.”

“We’re leaving.” Mingi placed his hand on the handle of the door, but Yunho locked it immediately. “No. We’re going. Jinwoo can handle this.”

“Yunho…” Mingi spoke quietly, almost a whisper. “What if he doesn’t find her?”

“I’ll be here for you.”

The crunch of the gravel under the tires was deafening as Yunho pulled away from the ditch. Mingi swallowed the lump in his throat, his teary eyes still glued to the woods. Out of his peripheral, he could still see Jinwoo and the guys making their way across the seemingly endless field, but their bodies were growing smaller in the distance. Then something caught his eye. Something came tumbling out of the trees. He looked on curiously, what kind of animal was that? He squinted his eyes and gasped. “Stop the car.”

“Mingi…”

“Yunho stop the fucking car!” Mingi flung the car door open before Yunho could come to a complete stop and tumbled out of the car.

“Mingiya!” He jumped out of the car and ran around to help Mingi, who was already on his feet and stumbling in the direction of the field. Yunho looked past him to see that Jinwoo’s team had stopped moving. They were observing the small frame of what looked like a woman in a red dress. “Mingi, wait!” He jogged to catch up to Mingi, who was still moving as fast as he could towards the field.

The figure in the red dress moved strangely, leaning more to one side than the other as they limped across the field. One of the officers with Jinwoo ran in the direction of the stranger and was stopped in his tracks when the stranger actively moved to get away from him. Mingi dropped down into the ditch and quickly hauled himself up, there was no time to waste in trying to clear it when he knew he wouldn’t be able to, stopping at the edge of the field. He looked on at the figure in the near distance, noticing something yellow sticking out of their dress pocket. The person swept tangled wisps of hair out of their face and Mingi’s heart nearly burst.

“Y/N!” He broke into a full run, ignoring the pain in his ankle. When he face planted in the mud, he climbed back up and continued towards the girl in the red dress. She couldn’t even tell what he’d said, but upon hearing the hoarse cry she looked up at the man that was dashing right towards her. “Baby!”

You stopped in your tracks, not sure if what you were seeing was real. There was no way it could be, but when he stumbled again, you knew it was him. You dropped the hatchet. “Mingi!” Your throat was still on fire, your ankle shattered, but you didn’t care. You cried out his name again and dragged yourself across the field towards him. He ran to you, and when he slammed into you, he wrapped his arms so tightly around you that you almost couldn’t breathe.

Neither of you said a word. He held you tightly, arms wrapped around your waist, yours around his neck. You breathed in his scent, relished the feel of his skin on yours, and melted into him. You finally felt it. The safety that his touch always afforded you. The peace that having him near provided. Neither of you wanted to let go. He pulled you away, taking in every detail. He saw that what he had mistaken for a red dress was actually a blood-soaked nightgown. Your hair was a mess, your skin dull, your eyes sunken. But it was you. God, it was really you. He kissed you all over your face, tears streaming down his cheeks. Every time he tried to speak, he could only sob.

As you took him in, you could see that the stress of you being gone had really done a number on him. But he was still as handsome as ever. He was still your Mingi. “You came for me,” you hiccuped.

“I can’t believe you’re really here.” He pressed his forehead to yours. “I knew you were alive. I knew it.” The sobs raked his body. You let his tears fall on your face to combine with your own.

“I tried to get back to you,” you whispered, “I tried so hard.”

“I’m sorry.” He wiped the tears from your face and kissed you, pressing his body into yours. You wrapped your arms back around him and kissed him back, tongues dancing. He tasted like sweat and tears and mud, but you didn’t think you’d ever tasted something so delicious. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

“Baby… baby, what happened?” He asked the question you knew would be coming.

“A lot. I’m not ready yet.”

“I understand.” He wrapped you back up in his arms. “I’ll never let you go. Never.” You searched for words. Something to express how much you’d missed him, and how every moment away from him had been torture, but there were none. You threw your hands up into his hair, immediately pulling them back when you felt the matted, crusty patch on the back of his head. He was hurt.

“Are you ok?” you asked, alarmed. You looked at your hands, seeing dried flakes of blood. “Mingi?”

“I’m ok. We’re ok.” He kissed your forehead. “We’re going to be ok.” You smiled at him, believing every word.

“Um, excuse me.” You flinched at the sound of another voice. You had completely forgotten that there were other people around. A man approached you, with two others on his heels.

“This is Jinwoo,” Mingi explained. “He’s the detective that’s been helping me look for you. He’s Jongho’s cousin.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Jinwoo said. “I’m glad you’re alright.” He quietly assessed you in the moment. Your overall disheveled appearance: your bloodied gown, your facial injuries, your discolored, swollen ankle. “I’m sure you’ve been through a lot these past couple weeks.”

“Y/N,” another voice called. You looked over to see Yunho walking towards you and Mingi.

“Yunho, you’re here too.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll call medical,” one of Jinwoo’s friends said, stepping away from the group. He returned a moment later. “The ambulance, Cha, the chief, and half the squad are on the way.”

“Ok, you two,” Jinwoo said, turning to you and Mingi. “When the ambulance gets here, get in and get to the hospital. There are going to be people wanting to question you immediately, but I don’t think this is the proper setting for that. Get to the hospital, get cleared, then when you’re ready to talk, we’ll have officers come up. If you like, I will come too.”

“Please,” you answered.

“And me?” Yunho asked.

“You? You go home. You were never here. You get me?”

“Yes, sir. Mingi,” Yunho turned to him. “You’ll be ok now?”

“Yeah, I’m ok now.”

“Listen to the doctors, ok.”

“I will.”

“You and Y/N take care of each other. I’ll see you up at the hospital.”

The strobing blue and red lights washed over the field before the cars came speeding down the road faster than you thought they would. Mingi still held you close, refusing to let you go even as the EMTs assessed the two of you. They loaded both of you up onto separate stretchers and settled you in the back of the ambulance. Before they could close the doors, you called for Jinwoo. He climbed into the back of the ambulance and you motioned for him to lean down. He obliged. “There’s a girl in the woods… Chae Yi. She can’t move, but she’s alive. And the man in the bunker… Dae Gwan… he’s not. They did this.” Jinwoo sat up slowly, nodding.

“I understand. Thank you for the information.” He climbed down from the ambulance and shut the doors, tapping twice on the bumper. You watched through the windows as he turned and disappeared into the sea of lights.

Mingi reached across the truck to clasp your hand in his while the various medical devices beeped and chimed, signaling that the two of you were still alive despite it all. You’d never really liked hospitals or ambulances, they usually always meant that something horrible had happened. But with Mingi there beside you, you knew that the horrible part was over. That the time to heal had come. That whatever came next, you’d face it together. And that even if something tried to pull the two of you apart again, you’d be drawn back together, like roots seeking water. Without thought, without hesitation, and against all odds, simply because that was how it was meant to be.

EPILOGUE

You lay in the hospital bed, hooked up to IV drips and monitors, the beeping the only sounds. Mingi slept soundly beside you, his body curled around you like a shield, hand resting gingerly on your stomach. The doctors had tried and failed to get him to lay in the bed that was directly beside yours, but he’d refused, and you’d ensured them that he was exactly where you wanted him to be, so they didn’t press the matter.

Mingi had skated by with his testing, coming away with a sprained ankle, a mild concussion, and stitches in his head. You on the other hand, had been taken for multiple tests, and the doctors had to pry Mingi away from you each time. They’d given you a psych evaluation, checked you for internal injuries, infections, head injuries, and upon your request, pregnancy. When your test results came back, you weren’t surprised to have such a long list of issues. There was of course the acute stress, but also a broken ankle, a nasal fracture, multiple contusions, severe rope burns, a bruised larynx. They also told you that you were severely dehydrated and mildly malnourished, which were the most pressing matters to them. You were pregnant, and neither of those things bode well for the baby.

When they’d informed you and Mingi that the baby’s heartbeat was weaker than they’d like it to be, but that it was still there, and that a few weeks of rest and rejuvenation would undoubtedly remove you from the high-risk category, you burst into tears. You clung to Mingi, who was equal parts shocked and overjoyed at the news, and sobbed like a child. You had spent so many days convinced that the baby was gone. But they were still there. They were still fighting. The doctor exited the room quietly, giving you and Mingi a moment alone to absorb the news. Mingi placed his hand over your stomach as he looked at the ultrasound pictures over your shoulder. “They’re strong,” he beamed, tears in his eyes. “Just like you.”

“I wanted to tell you first,” you’d said, explaining to him that you’d found out the night you were kidnapped. That you thought the pregnancy was the whole reason you’d been taken in the first place. Mingi hadn’t been so sure. He seemed to think that Chae Yi had been plotting long before she’d discovered the pregnancy test photo.

The detectives had come and gone. They pressed you about the timeline of events, the roles that Dae Gwan and Chae Yi had played, and the circumstances that led to what they described as a brutal scene in the bunker. You spared them no detail, giving them a full account of the last two weeks of your life. Jinwoo stood in the corner of the room while you told the story, only cutting in to remind them that you were the victim when he felt like the officers were getting too aggressive. You were grateful for him. He had been there to help Mingi, and now he was there to help you. You’d have to make sure to give Jongho the greatest of thanks.

Once the officers had taken your statement, they left, and it was just you, Mingi, and Jinwoo. “So,” you asked, “what’s going to happen to Chae Yi?”

“Oh, she’s officially in custody,” Jinwoo replied. “She’ll be being guarded twenty-four seven until she is released from the hospital, and then she’ll be under the care of the Ministry of Justice. Don’t worry, she’s going away for a good long time. Even if she doesn’t get as much time as she deserves, she’s serving a life sentence either way.”

“What do you mean?” Mingi asked.

“She’s paralyzed from the neck down. If you ask me, that’s a fate worse than death.”

You sat with that for a moment. After everything you’d been put through, Dae Gwan was dead, and Chae Yi would never be able to hurt anyone else again. It didn’t necessarily feel like justice to you. It felt more like peace. No more need to worry, to look over your shoulder, to feel trapped. Just peace. Jinwoo stood up to leave and you grabbed his arm. “Thank you for everything.”

“No need to thank me. I was just doing my job. If you want to be grateful for someone, it’s Mingi. He never gave up on you. Not even for a second.” You looked over at Mingi, who had gone back to smiling at the ultrasound pictures.

“I am,” you said quietly. “Every day.” You watched Jinwoo sling his jacket over his shoulder and turn to leave.

“Mingi, take care of her, alright?”

“Absolutely.” You closed your eyes, feeling Mingi wrap himself back around you, cooing softly in your ear. “Get some sleep, baby. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” You felt yourself drifting off, comforted to know that Mingi would always do everything he could to protect you; but also knowing that if the day ever came again when he couldn’t, you were strong enough to survive on your own.

End.

San sat wide eyed on the bed, mouth slightly agape. He and Seonghwa had discussed quietly with the other members their thoughts about what had probably happened to you. Of course, they were all praying that you would be found safe, but none of them were blind to the high chance that you were already dead. They had been quietly preparing themselves in case they had to do damage control once you were found. None of them wanted to see Mingi go into that dark place that he had been in before when he went on hiatus. They knew that this time would be far worse, that this time they might actually lose him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mingi stated. “I’m going.” Seonghwa looked at him mournfully with what looked like tears in his eyes before he quietly padded out of the room and down the hall. They heard his bedroom door close softly.

“Mingi… I’ll come with you.” San said. “You can’t go alone. Let me come too.”

“You can’t come, San,” Mingi sighed. “I appreciate all the support you guys have been giving me, and I understand how worried everyone is. I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger too on my behalf. This is my problem.”

“We’re supposed to solve our problems together.”

“Not these kinds of problems.”

“Especially these types of problems!”

“San, no. Stay here with hyung, ok?”

“Mingi…”

“San, please. Just… leave me alone for a little while.” Mingi turned away from him, signaling that he was finished with the conversation. San studied his back, trying to imagine what his face must look like. Mingi’s shoulders were slouched, his back hunched. The posture of a man defeated. He realized in that moment that Mingi’s decision wasn’t coming from a place of big headedness. He was desperate. San stood and exited the room without another word. There was nothing more he could say.

Mingi stared at the wall for what felt like hours. It was only when the sound of rain hitting the window brought him back to himself that he realized he had a splitting headache. He lifted himself up from the bed and headed for the bathroom to grab a few aspirin. The stress and restless sleep were catching up to him. He quickly screwed the top off of the medicine bottle and popped a couple pills into his hand before slipping into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Once he’d swallowed the pills, he went back to his room to look for a good hoodie to wear. The rain was coming down a bit hard, not to mention he wasn’t sure what kind of plant life was growing around that area; he didn’t want to make himself sick wandering through the woods exposed to the elements.

He found a nice thick hoodie and slipped it on, zipping it up as far as it would go and made his way to the front closet where they kept their shoes, sifting around until he found his pair of combat boots. They had thick soles with good tread, ideal for muddier terrain. He set them by the door and made a beeline for the linen closet. They kept miscellaneous things on the bottom shelf; tools, extra batteries and whatnot. He dug around in the back until he found what he was looking for, a flashlight. With the rain, it was shaping out to be a bleak day, and he knew that the canopy of trees would make the woods even darker; the last thing he needed was to get lost in the woods and become another person in need of saving. He shoved the flashlight in one pocket, opened up the toolbox to grab the hammer, and shoved it into his other pocket. He may have been desperate, but he was no fool, he knew that you simply didn’t go into the woods without some sort of protection. Feeling as prepared as he could be, he moved to the front door to shove his boots on.

A gentle knocking came from the other side of the door and Mingi shot up straight and looked through the peep hole before opening the door. “Mingiya.”

“Yunho? What are you doing here?”

“Where are you going? You aren’t usually up this early.”

“I’m going to look for Y/N.”

“It’s raining outside, you know.” Mingi looked Yunho up and down, he had clearly forgotten his umbrella at his dorm.

“You got rained on, you’re fine. I’m going.” He tried to push past Yunho, who threw an arm up to bar him.

“Mingiya.”

“Yunho, don’t do this. Did Seonghwa call you? Was it San? They always think that if they call you that you can change my mind on things. It isn’t going to work this time, Yunho.”

“It doesn’t matter who called me, and I’m not here to stop you, Mingi. I’m coming with you. And I’m not taking no for an answer.” Mingi took a second look at him. He was wearing the same style of boot and had donned a sweatshirt and jeans. If people didn’t know any better, they would have sworn they coordinated outfits.

“You can’t come either, Yunho.”

“You don’t get to tell me where I’m allowed to go. I drove here. I’ll drive wherever else I want to. If it happens to be in the same direction that you’re going, it’ll just be coincidence.” Yunho’s mouth was set, his eyes determined. That was something they had in common, they were both stubborn as rocks. They stared one another down silently, each willing the other to blink. It was one of the ways they settled disagreements and though he would never admit it aloud, Mingi would often blink first on purpose, just to let Yunho have his way. Mingi sighed. It was easier to tell the others no, but he was never really able to deny Yunho. Until he’d met you, Mingi didn’t think there was anyone aside from his parents and Yunho that held that kind of power.

“Fine, Yunho. Fine.”

“Good. I’ll drive.” Mingi rolled his eyes and glanced back into the apartment. He swore he could see San’s head ducking back into the hallway.

Once they were in Yunho’s car and settled in their seats, Mingi pulled out his phone. “Who are you calling?” Yunho asked.

“Jinwoo.”

“Is he going to meet us there?”

“Well, technically he can’t. His boss told him to back off until forensics finishes collecting everything, but…”

“Ah, well then, it’s probably better that you don’t call him. We aren’t exactly doing things by the book here. If you clue him in and he doesn’t stop us, it could get him into trouble.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Mingi put the phone back in his pocket and lay back in the seat as he looked out the window. The rain was falling hard, pelting the windshield with big droplets that the wipers could barely keep up with. Mingi knew that heading out into the woods in that kind of weather was ridiculous, that if the police knew what he was doing he’d likely be arrested for obstruction, but he couldn’t care less about that. The only important thing on his mind was you.

When they pulled up to the scene, the taxi was still in the ditch. Little yellow evidence markers sat all over the place and Mingi wondered to himself how much of the evidence would survive the rainfall. “By the time they get back here all the evidence will be destroyed.”

“Let’s hope not.” Yunho parked the car near the ditch and they hopped out. “Ok, where to?”

“The footprints the other day lead in that direction.” Mingi pointed into the woods. “That’s where I’m going.”

“Ok.” Yunho started towards the tree line and Mingi grabbed his shoulder.

“Yunho, you know you really don’t have to do this.” Yunho looked over at him and placed a hand over the one on his shoulder.

“It’s important to you,” he said quietly. “So, it’s important to me too. I won’t let you go through something like this alone. Now, let’s go find my sister.” Mingi smiled weakly and they moved forward, helping one another to hop over the ditch, Mingi almost fell in when the mud under the heel of his foot gave way, but Yunho held his arm tightly. Side by side, they tramped towards the woods. Mingi’s heart was in his stomach. He was scared, he had to admit, but he wasn’t going to let fear keep him from you.

          You’d gone through the routine several times and you felt like you had it down. It was simple enough, a two step plan, but you’d messed up a couple times too. You’d accidentally stepped on the tarp while trying to throw it once and even fell as you were trying to take the steps a few at a time to get to the top quicker. Now you sat on the bed nursing the new injury to your knee. It was a bit swollen, but you were grateful that at least you hadn’t cut it on the stairs. You could feel your eyes getting heavy while you sat there rubbing your knee; all the running back and forth had exhausted you quicker than you thought it would, but you wouldn’t dare lay down to sleep. Any moment could be the one where the monsters came to devour you. You reconciled with yourself that you wouldn’t sleep another wink until you were home. Now was the time for action.

You’d slid another tarp under the bed, just in case you were caught by surprise and were unable to get to the one in the stock room. It made you feel more secure to have a backup. You nervously fingered your tangled hair, pulling out knots and snarls as you went until it was all detangled and you were able to gather it into a braid. You didn’t want it getting in the way while you were trying to escape. You were as prepared as you could be, and you felt as confident as anyone else in a similar situation might feel, but you were still terrified. With all the practicing, there was no telling if the plan would even work. Anything could happen, you knew that, but there wasn’t anything else you could do.

The hatchet lay beside you on the bed; you hadn’t let it out of your sight since you’d found it. There was something reassuring about having it with you, even with knowing how reluctant you were to actually use it. Better to be armed and not need it than to need it and not be armed.

Laying back, you placed a ginger hand onto your belly. The nausea was back. You supposed that it was from the nerves. In the back of your mind though, you wondered how soon morning sickness started for pregnant women. You couldn’t wait to get back to the world, to go to the hospital and get checked out. Not knowing what was going on inside you was really bothering you. All you wanted was a yes or no to whether or not your baby was still growing, if it was still there at all. In due time, you told yourself. In due time.

Your thoughts brought you to Mingi. You still didn’t know if he knew about the pregnancy, but you speculated that if he did, he was probably tearing his hair out about it. You brought your other hand up to cover the one that rested on your belly, pretending that it was his hand atop yours. You missed him terribly, and with freedom within arms reach, the feeling was only getting stronger. It was like whenever you had to pee and it wasn’t urgent, but as soon as you got to the bathroom the urge was overwhelming. You chuckled silently at the analogy. He would have thought it was funny too.

As you lay there quietly, you could hear the rain coming down heavily above you. You had heard what you thought was thunder a little while before, but you hadn’t been positive until the drop had begun pelting the inside of the pipe from the hidden grate above. You struggled to remember the last time you’d heard the rain. The only time that came to mind was that first night that Mingi had walked you home and it had rained all over the two of you. The night that he had finally revealed his true self to you. You had been so grateful for the rain that night.

Your stomach began to growl loudly and you sighed, glancing over at the silver bags of freeze dried food. You were so tired of it and would have given a kidney to get some of your boss’s wife’s freshly made chicken stew or Mingi’s tofu jeyuk bokkeum. He said it was his mother’s recipe and it was one of his favorite comfort foods. You’d tried to replicate it once, only to end up throwing the entire batch away. He had offered to help and you rebuffed him, saying that you could do it yourself. He’d laughed so hard at the way your face contorted in disgust at the first bite and promised that if you wanted, he would ask his mom to teach you how to make it. You remembered the way you had blushed so hard at the thought of meeting his mom. Seeing how bashful it made you gave him cuteness aggression and he’d snatched you up and planted kisses all over your red face. You smiled at the memory, hoping that you’d actually get the chance to meet the woman that had raised such a perfect human.

“Mingiya, slow down!” Yunho called from behind. As soon as they had broken into the trees, Mingi had taken off. Even with his long-legged strides, Yunho was barely able to keep up with Mingi as he tore through the woods.

“It’s this way!” he yelled back to Yunho. It was hard to hear one another over the rain beating against the canopy of trees and the wind whooshing through the branches. He held the flashlight out in front of him, the light bobbed around wildly, mimicking his equally wild footfalls. “She was this way!”

“How do you even know where we’re going?” Yunho slapped a low hanging branch out of his way, wincing when it swung back to thwack him on the back of the head.

“Her location pin was around here! She’s here!” Mingi refused to slow. He couldn’t ignore the pull of whatever it was that was telling him he was on the right path. He was so close. He'd memorized the screenshot he'd taken the night you were kidnapped. Pulling up the map now only confirmed what his instincts were already screaming. There was still a long way to go.

“Be careful!” Yunho couldn’t help but notice the clumsy way that Mingi was traversing the forest, he was paying no mind to the rocks and fallen branches that lay in his path, Yunho feared that he would hurt himself before it was all over. Yunho was preparing to shout at him again when Mingi stopped in his tracks, looking down at something Yunho couldn’t see yet. “What is it?” Yunho asked, coming up behind Mingi and putting a hand on his shoulder. He almost didn’t want to look for fear of what he might see, but when he did, he saw it was just a bit of rope. He felt the tension in his body ease and heaved a sigh.

Mingi didn’t say anything, he stood staring down at the rope, hope and horror fighting for a place in the forefront of his mind. He really was on the right path, but seeing the rope made him uneasy. He was sure it was part of the rope that had been found in the trunk of the taxi. The rope that had almost surely bound you up. He couldn’t think of a reason why your kidnapper would have untied you in the middle of the woods. Unless… no. He wouldn’t let himself think that way. “Mingi?”

“…Let’s keep going!” Mingi shouted over the rain. He glanced back at Yunho, eyes wild. “We have to keep going!” He thought about picking up the piece of rope, but decided against it. It was evidence and he didn’t want to mess up the scene…just in case.

“Maybe we should call the cops, or at least Jinwoo!”

“They’ll only tell us to get out of here!” Mingi shot back. “No cops!”

“But-”

“I said no! If you want to go back to the car then go back!” Mingi shouted, turning around to face Yunho. “Here, I’ll even give you the flashlight. I’m not going back without her.” He thrust the flashlight into Yunho’s hand. “Go on!”

You sat on the steps with the door propped up as much as it could go, gulping in the cool air and reaching your fingers out to feel the rain. You couldn’t tell what time it was; the storm had wiped away any traces of sun and the animals that would normally be skittering around the forest floor had all gone into hiding. It was just you and the timeless expanse that surrounded you. Your foot tapped impatiently on the step beneath you. You had done the practicing. You had tried other methods of escape and found none. All there was left to do was wait, and you didn’t know how much longer you would have to. You bowed your head, confused at your own feelings. You were terrified of the moment when Dae Gwan and Chae Yi would reappear, but you also couldn’t wait. Their return was your opportunity. Your moment to put your plan into action. Come on, you fuckers. What’s taking so long?

Your ears perked up and you froze in place. You thought you could just make out the sound of voices out in the woods somewhere, but it was hard to tell, and you supposed maybe the rain was playing tricks on you. You recalled when you were little and told your mom about the voices that would come out of the water whenever you would turn on a faucet of any sort; you could never quite make out what the voices were saying, but you knew you could hear them. She had been alarmed immediately and took you to a pediatrician, who told her that you in fact did not have any form of child psychosis and that the phenomena you had described actually had a name. Auditory Pareidolia. You remembered being so embarrassed that she had taken you to see a doctor that you didn’t talk to her for almost a full day that week. You really wished you could talk to her now.

You scrunched up your nose, sighing to yourself. The brain really was a strange, complicated hunk of meat. You cursed it for making you think that you could hear people out there when you knew nobody in their right mind would be hiking through the woods in the middle of such a downpour. They’d have to have a death wish. Or a desire to kill… You strained your ears, wanting to be sure that it was actually a trick of the mind and that you weren’t mistaking firing neurons for flesh and blood voices. But there was nothing. Whatever you’d thought you heard had been swallowed by the rainfall. You sighed, squeezing your eyes shut tight against the sting building behind them. You wouldn’t cry.

Shutting the door to the bunker, you made your way back down the stairs to sit cross legged on the bed. You weren’t about to drive yourself crazy with hallucinations. You needed to be clear headed for what was coming next. You wondered when the rain was going to let up. You really didn’t want to be running through a downpour if your kidnappers came back while it was still raining. You didn’t have any shoes on and the pajama dress that Dae Gwan had given you was barely any protection from the elements. But rain or no rain, when the opportunity came to run, you were taking it without a second thought.

You played around with the hatchet in your hands, turning it over and over, trying to get better acquainted with the feel of it in your grasp. You idly wondered how long it had been in the trunk in the supply room, and what it had been used for. Looking at the rusted blade, you remembered hearing that dried blood could cause metal to corrode over time. You’d learned that while watching an episode of Forensic Files in high school and for some reason it stuck with you. You set the hatchet down beside you, suddenly not crazy about keeping it so close. You remembered when Chae Yi had mentioned that she knew about the bunker before bringing you down there and shuddered to think what horrible things she might have gotten into when no one was around. She was clearly a mad woman, and to contend with her, you felt like maybe you’d have to be a little mad yourself. You reached back over and wrapped your hand back around the handle of the hatchet. I’ll do whatever I have to. I’m going home.

Mingi and Yunho stood face to face, rain running into their eyes. Yunho looked down at the flashlight that Mingi had shoved into his hands and sighed. He was being irrational. Giving away the only real source of light and telling Yunho to leave without him. He looked back into Mingi’s eyes. It wasn’t anger or stubbornness staring back at him. It was panic. He glanced down at their feet, shoes covered in mud and leaves; it had been the right choice to go with the combat boots. But even with the right shoes, his socks were still wet. Mingi hadn’t even laced his own boots properly, so Yunho knew that his feet had to be soaked too. They were definitely going to get sick. “Mingi,” he said softly, “you’re not thinking clearly.”

“Yes, I am!” Mingi wiped water from his face. “Y/N is out here. I don’t care if you believe me or not!” He spun away from Yunho and pushed off of a nearby tree to launch himself forward. Yunho could hear twigs snapping underfoot as he bowled through the trees.

“Mingiya! Mingiya!” Yunho shot off after him, keeping the flashlight as steady as he could so that he wouldn’t lose sight of his best friend. He’s going to kill himself.

“Y/N!” Mingi screamed into the rain. “Y/N! Baby, please!” He was barely paying attention to where he was going anymore. All he knew was that he had to keep moving forward. Forward. He thought that if he could just do that, he would find you. He had to. He swatted branches out of his way and leapt over hollowed logs, cursing to himself whenever his boot would get suctioned to the mud and he’d have to fight to get it out.

“Ya!” Yunho shouted, “be careful!” Mingi paid him no mind. He could feel the panic burning in his chest, forcing his heart up into his throat. He had to move faster. He had to keep going. Then he stopped dead. Something was rustling up ahead and for a moment he could swear that he had seen a sliver of something dip into the trees. He narrowed his eyes, determined to discern what it was. “What is it?” Yunho asked breathlessly.

“Something’s up there,” Mingi said.

“Where?” Yunho shined the light in front of them. “I don’t see anything.”

“I saw something.”

“It could be an animal,” Yunho replied. “It could be a boar.”

“I don’t think so…”

“Mingi, look, we’ve been out here a while. Maybe we should just wait-”

“I already told you I’m not leaving without her!” Mingi spat. “What don’t you understand?” The trees rustled again, Mingi and Yunho both snapped their heads in the direction it came from. Whatever it was, it seemed to be moving parallel to them. They looked at one another. Mingi’s eyes said that he wanted to keep going, the furrow in Yunho’s brow begged for them to turn back. Mingi pulled the hammer out of his pants and started forward again. If it was a wild animal and it attacked them, he would take care of it. If it was something else, well, he would take care of that too. Yunho stuck close behind him with the flashlight, keeping it trained on the area where they’d seen the trees moving.

Having an unidentified thing in the same area did nothing to quell Mingi’s determination, or slow his pace. He still tore through the woods like a man on fire. He decided that as long as whatever it was didn’t come after them, he wouldn’t worry about it. Yunho meanwhile, kept his eyes trained on the trees where the rustling had come from. Most animals would be taking shelter in a storm, especially one as bad as the one they were in. He had a hard time convincing himself that the unknown entity wasn’t a threat.

“Baby! Y/N, can you hear me?” Mingi shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. He hardly expected you to answer him, but he hoped that you could hear him. That you would know he was coming. The only response to be heard was the rain beating down. “God dammit!” he cried, pushing himself to move ever faster. He was so focused on speed that he neglected agility and by the time he noticed that his foot had caught under a rock he was already hurtling towards the ground. He spun around, grasping wildly for a branch or Yunho’s hand and found neither. His body tensed reflexively, bracing for impact. When it came, it still took him by surprise. He could hear his head crack against a tree and the forest grew darker around him. He saw Yunho running towards him before everything disappeared.

You stand in front of the full-length mirror in the dressing room taking in how you look. You feel like a princess in your wedding dress. You always dreamed of this day and you couldn’t believe it was finally here. Your hair is styled in a beautiful updo with pearls placed throughout. To top it off, you wore a mini crown that held your veil. Your makeup is flawless. Simple, yet gorgeous.

You feel a knot in your stomach as you try to steady your breathing. In a few hours your life will be forever changed. Your hands shake from the nerves taking over and you feel a hand link with yours, fingers intertwining. You look over and see your best friend giving you a comforting smile.

“Relax, y/n. Everything is going to be just fine.” Her voice is soft and reassuring causing you to relax instantly. She rubs her thumb over the back of your hand. “You look absolutely beautiful. Like a princess straight out of a fairytale.” She laughs softly. “He’s the luckiest man in the world to have you!” You smile at her way of hyping you up. You can always count on her to be your personal hype man. You hear a knock at the door and then your fathers head peaks in.

“It’s almost time. Are you rea-” his eyes find you and his eyes tear up instantly as he comes into the room placing both hands on your face. “My babygirl. You look like the princess I knew you were all along.” He smiles warmly and just takes in the moment. “You’re so beautiful. Your mother already can’t stop crying from how happy she is, she’s going to flood the church with how much more she’s going to cry when she sees you.” He chuckles at his own joke. “If you’re ready, we can head down.” You nod and take one last look in the mirror before linking your arm in your fathers.

You make your way to the lobby as you stand lined up in front of the sanctuary doors. You hear the organ begin to play the Bridal Chorus. The priest tells everyone to rise as the tall double doors open. Wooyoung fidgets with his fingers, a habit he has when he’s nervous. He settles with his hands behind his back in an attempt to spare his cuticles. You squeeze your fathers' arm tightly as the flower girl makes her way down the aisle followed by the remaining bridal party. Once everyone takes their place at the alter you appear, arm still connected with your fathers.

Wooyoung stops breathing when he sees how beautiful you look. He always thought you were the most beautiful person to ever exist, but in this moment, you look more beautiful than he could ever imagine. He begins to feel overwhelmed with emotions and his eyes begin to well up. You look happier than you’ve ever looked and he can’t keep his eyes off you.

You finally reach the alter and give your father a hug and kiss before he takes his seat. You stand in front of your husband to be, eyes never leaving each others. There’s a sparkle in your eyes and you can feel the love radiating from each of you. Neither of you can even hear the priest anymore as you’re lost in each others eyes the voice becoming mere background noise.

Wooyoungs heart is sitting in his stomach by now, he’s not even sure he’s taken a breath since you walked in. Wooyoungs knees start to feel weak. He has been head over heels in love with you since you were 12. The highs and the lows, the tears, the fights, the love you’d make. He cherished every moment with you. Which is why today, from his seat in the audience, he felt his heart completely shatter as you were about to be wed to someone else.

He never stopped loving you after you ended things two years ago. You didn’t end on bad terms you both were just in very stressful periods at work which caused neglect from both sides. You both decided it was best to go separate ways before either of you did or said anything hurtful.

You kept in contact casually, which is why it didn’t seem too weird to invite him to your wedding. It was a blow to the face for him though. He almost didn’t show up but decided he would try and show some type of support. He’s not sure why he didn’t think about how hard it would be to see the woman he loves, marry someone else. And then the dreadful part of the ceremony came.

“If anyone present knows of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Wooyoungs mind is racing by now. Should he say something or be quiet and let another man marry the woman that was made for him? You were made for each other. Life can be easier now for you both. You’ve both grown in the time apart and can be better for each other now. You can move past the things that drove you apart.

But you seem so happy. You’re glowing and seeing you this happy makes him question if he could ever make you this happy. Could you be this happy with him? Or would you just resent him for ruining a good thing for you? You stand there smiling at your husband to be when suddenly,

The moment you stepped onto the floor his attention automatically found you. His eyes followed your path through the office, taking in the familiar sight of you weaving around desks and associates with barely a glance in their direction. His jaw tightened slightly as the skirt moved with every confident step, forcing himself to look away before someone noticed him staring at your ass. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered under his breath. Because apparently seven years wasn’t enough time to get over a crush. Not law school. Not graduation. Not working together for almost three years. Nothing helped. If anything, seeing you every day only made it worse. Far worse.

A sharp knock pulled him from his thoughts as his assistant stepped into the office. “Jeong, the Montgomery files.” Yunho looked down at the documents in front of him. “Thanks.” The assistant left and Yunho immediately looked back toward your office. Pathetic. Actually pathetic and he knew it. His father knew it. Half the damn firm probably knew it. Yet there he was. Still watching. Still hopeless. Still completely screwed. Then his mood darkened. Because Danny appeared. The new associate. Fresh out of Northwestern. Too eager. Too friendly. And unfortunately very interested in you.

Yunho watched as Danny crossed the floor carrying two coffees. One for himself and one for you. His jaw immediately clenched as Danny stopped outside your office just as you reached your desk. You looked up from your laptop and he flashed a smile, said something Yunho couldn’t hear. Then handed you the coffee and your smile appeared. And Yunho nearly snapped the pen in his hand. The worst part wasn’t even that Danny liked you. Everybody liked you. That wasn’t new. The problem was Danny had the confidence to actually do something about it. While Yunho had spent years pretending he wasn’t completely obsessed.

From your office, you accepted the coffee with a grateful smile and Danny laughed at something you said and you laughed back. And across the floor, Yunho looked one minor inconvenience away from committing several felonies. A moment later his office door opened and his father stepped inside carrying a folder. One glance out the glass wall was all it took and older man sighed. The sigh of a man who had watched this exact situation unfold for years. “Morning, son.” Yunho didn’t answer as his father followed his gaze. Saw Danny. Saw you. Saw the coffee. And immediately understood. “Still haven’t told her?”

Yunho’s eyes never left the scene outside. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right.”

“Not a clue.”

His father nodded then placed the folder on the desk. “You know, most people simply ask someone out.” Yunho finally looked at him. “I’d rather jump off the roof.” His father laughed. “That’s probably easier than whatever it is you’re doing now.” Outside, Danny said something else that made you smile again and Yunho looked away immediately. Because for some reason, that smile had always been his biggest weakness. And unfortunately for him, you had absolutely no idea.

Yunho’s father didn’t look particularly sympathetic. In fact, the older man looked far too entertained for someone standing in the office of a man currently contemplating murder. Outside the glass walls, Danny was still lingering beside your desk, leaning casually against the doorway while you sorted through emails. Whatever he was saying earned yet another laugh from you and Yunho’s eye twitched.

“You’re glaring.”

“I’m working.”

“You’re glaring while working.”

“I’m multitasking.”

His father snorted. “Very professional.” Yunho finally dragged his attention back toward the folder sitting on his desk. “What do you need?” The smile his father gave him instantly made him suspicious. Twenty seven years old and it still worked. Every time that smile appeared, it meant trouble. His father slid a folder across the desk. “New case.” Yunho opened it and froze.

First came confusion. Then disbelief. Then something dangerously close to hope. His father watched every emotion happen in real time.

“You’re kidding.”

“No.”

Yunho flipped through the first few pages. Major client. Corporate litigation. Huge account. Millions at stake. The kind of case that could make careers. His eyes landed on the staffing page then stopped. Because directly beneath his own name was yours and for a second he forgot how to breathe as his father folded his arms. “Surprise.” Yunho read it again. Then again just to make sure. Still there. Your name. Partnered with him. For months. Potentially longer. Depositions. Strategy meetings. Client dinners. Travel. Late nights. Court appearances. The entire package.

Slowly, his father sat down across from the desk. “Happy?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

Yunho tossed the folder onto his desk and his father grinned. “You two will be leading it together.” Yunho groaned, putting up that front of his. Denial. False annoyance. “Why?”

“Because you’re my two best associates.”

Yunho immediately narrowed his eyes. “That sounds fake.”

“It’s not.”

“It sounds fake.”

His father laughed. “It is a little fake.” Yunho rolled his eyes. “There it is.” The older man leaned back in his chair. “The client requested our strongest team.”

“And?”

“And unfortunately the two of you are extremely good together.”

Yunho hated that. Not because it wasn’t true. Because it was. You fought constantly. Argued over strategy. Disagreed on nearly everything. But somehow every case the two of you touched ended in a win. The entire firm knew it. Which only made it worse. His father studied him for a moment then sighed. “You know this is probably healthy.” Yunho already hated where this conversation was heading. “Healthy?”

“Yes.”

“Working sixty hour weeks is healthy?”

“No.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

His father pointed toward the bullpen. Toward you. “The time together.” Yunho immediately looked away. “Absolutely not.”

“The kind of time where you’re not obsessing over her from behind glass.” Outside, a group of associates walked past your office while Yunho stared at his father like he’d just committed a crime but the older man just continued. “Maybe you’ll actually have a conversation.”

“I talk to her.”

“You argue with her.”

“Same thing.”

“It is not.”

Yunho rubbed a hand over his face. His father was enjoying this far too much. “You’re being dramatic.” His father nearly choked laughing. “Me?”

“Yes.”

The older man pointed at the floor to ceiling windows. “Son, you’ve spent the last ten minutes watching her drink coffee.”

“That’s not true.”

“You literally stopped listening when she smiled.” Yunho opened his mouth and closed it. Opened it again. Then gave up. Because unfortunately that was exactly what had happened and his father looked positively delighted. “Seven years.”

“Stop.”

“Seven.”

“Please stop.”

“Years.”

Yunho groaned as his father stood and straightened his jacket. “You know, normal people would’ve asked her out by now.”

“I’m not normal.”

“Clearly.” His father moved toward the door then paused and gave one last glance over his shoulder. One final bullet to the head. “Try not to scare her off.” The door closed behind him and Yunho stared at it. Then immediately looked across the office floor straight toward your office. As if sensing it, you looked up and your eyes met through the glass. And for a brief second. One tiny second. Before you rolled your eyes and went back to work….. Yunho felt something in his chest do a complete backflip. Then Danny reappeared carrying another stack of files and just like that, his mood was ruined again.

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

The rest of the morning passed exactly how most mornings at Jeong & Partners passed. Chaotically. Emails. Phone calls. Research requests. Partners demanding updates. Clients demanding miracles. By noon, you had almost forgotten about the conversation you’d overheard between two associates discussing some major litigation assignment being announced later that week. Almost. Unfortunately, one particular blond attorney seemed determined to make sure you didn’t forget.

Across the floor, Yunho had spent the better part of the last three hours pretending to work. The keyword being pretending. Because every time he looked up from his desk, he could see your office. Every time he glanced through the glass walls, there you were. Typing. Reading. Arguing with opposing counsel over the phone. Running a hand through your hair when frustrated. And every single time, he had to force himself to focus on something else. The problem was now he knew. Now he knew you’d be working together. Months. Possibly longer. Which meant his already fragile self control was hanging on by a thread. And the worst part? He was excited.

Which was exactly why he needed to be an asshole. The asshole persona was safe. The asshole persona couldn’t accidentally confess he’d been in love with you since constitutional law. The asshole persona couldn’t accidentally admit he remembered what color dress you’d worn to graduation. So the asshole persona stayed and by lunchtime, you were gathering your things. Your laptop disappeared into your bag. You grabbed your phone. A few files. Your wallet. And finally stood from your desk. But the second you stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice appeared like a curse. “Going somewhere?”

You stopped walking and closed your eyes. Counted to three then turned. Yunho stood a few feet away looking irritatingly perfect as usual. The charcoal three piece suit fit him like it had been stitched directly onto his body. His tie had disappeared sometime during the morning, the top button of his white dress shirt undone. The silver blond hair he’d been bleaching for as long as you’d known him fell across his forehead in a way that should’ve looked ridiculous. Instead, annoyingly, it worked. You hated that it worked. You hated that your brain occasionally noticed things like that. Mostly because it was easier to be irritated by him when he wasn’t walking around looking like the human embodiment of an expensive magazine ad of your exact type. “What do you want?”

His mouth immediately twitched. “You know,” he said casually, sliding one hand into his pocket, “most people start conversations with hello.”

“Most people aren’t you.”

“Ouch.”

“Tragic.”

Yunho looked positively delighted and you hated that too. Then again, he always seemed happiest when annoying you. Which honestly said a lot about his mental stability. “So,” he said.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“I know enough.”

His grin widened. God, you wanted to throw something at him. “Did you hear the news?” You rolled your eyes so hard it physically hurt. “What news?” For a brief moment something flashed through his expression. Excitement. Then it disappeared beneath the usual cocky smile as Yunho pulled a folder from under his arm and held it out making you frown as you took it and opened it. And immediately froze. Your name. His name. The case assignment. The same realization hit you that had hit him hours earlier. “Oh no.” Yunho laughed. The bastard. “Oh yes.” You looked up. Then back at the paperwork. Then back at him. “No.”

“Afraid so.”

“There has to be a mistake.”

“There isn’t.”

“Your father hates me.”

“My father loves you.” You blinked and Yunho blinked. And for one horrifying second neither of you moved. Then he recovered. Far faster than you did. “Professionally,” he added quickly and your eyes narrowed. “Right.”

“Obviously.”

Neither of you seemed entirely convinced as Yunho cleared his throat. Then leaned slightly closer. Not enough to invade your space. Just enough to be annoying. His favorite distance. The distance that made you aware of him. Made you notice things. Like the expensive cologne. Or the sharp line of his jaw. Or the fact that his eyes always seemed to be looking directly through people. Except when he looked at you. Then they felt entirely too focused. Entirely too attentive. And entirely too dangerous.

His grin returned. Slow and cocky and infuriating. “Looks like you’re mine for the next few months, sweetheart.” You stared at him as you slowly closed the folder and smiled. The kind of smile that made junior associates run. “Oh, Jeong.” Yunho’s stomach immediately dropped. Because that tone never meant anything good. And he hated how it made his dick twitch. “What?” You stepped forward. Close enough to pat his shoulder. Close enough to watch his stupid confident smile falter slightly. “If you call me sweetheart one more time…” Yunho looked amused as you smiled wider. “I’m going to make sure every minute of this case feels like a personal attack.”

For a second silence hung between you. Then Yunho laughed. A real laugh. Low. Warm. Entirely too attractive. And to your absolute horror, the man looked thrilled. Like you’d just promised him a vacation instead of a threat. “Can’t wait, sweetheart.” You rolled your eyes and walked away toward the elevators and behind you, Yunho watched you go. Watched until the elevator doors closed. Watched until you disappeared completely. Then let out a slow breath. Because working with you every day for months was either going to be the best thing that had ever happened to him. Or the thing that finally killed him. And honestly? He wasn’t sure which outcome was more likely.

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

By the time you returned from lunch, your irritation had somehow gotten worse. Which was impressive. You’d spent nearly forty minutes convincing yourself you were overreacting. Convincing yourself that being assigned to a case with Yunho wasn’t the end of the world. That you were both professionals. That you’d survived law school together. That you’d survived three years working in the same building. You could survive one case. Then you’d walked back into the office and the first thing you’d seen was Yunho leaning against someone’s desk laughing about something. The second thing you’d seen was him noticing you. The third thing was that stupid grin appearing immediately. And suddenly all your progress had disappeared.

Now you stood outside the managing partner’s office. Mr. Jeong’s office. The largest office in the building. Floor to ceiling windows overlooked downtown Chicago while shelves lined with legal awards and framed photographs occupied nearly every wall. Most people were intimidated walking in here. You weren’t. Mostly because you’d known the man for years. The door was already open and Mr. Jeong looked up from a stack of documents when you appeared and a smile immediately pulled at his mouth that looked too much like his son’s. Which should have been your first warning. “Ah.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Don’t ‘ah’ me.” His smile grew. Definitely a warning sign. “Good afternoon, Y/N.”

“You put me on a case with your son.”

“Yes.”

“No explanation?”

“No.”

You stared and he stared back completely unbothered as you dropped into the chair across from his desk. “Why?” The older attorney set down his pen. “Because you’re both excellent attorneys.”

“That’s the official answer?”

“It is.”

“I want the real answer.”

His eyes sparkled and you immediately regretted asking as Mr. Jeong leaned back in his chair. “You know, when you ask a question like that, it makes it sound like working with Yunho is some terrible punishment.”

“It is.”

The man laughed. “That’s harsh.”

“You raised him.”

“I tried my best.”

“You failed.”

“I know.” Another laugh and honestly, it was annoying how much amusement he got from this. You crossed your arms. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Mr. Jeong.”

He sighed dramatically. Then folded his hands on his desk. “The truth?”

“Yes.”

“You two are the best litigators I have.”

You opened your mouth but he raised a finger. “And before you argue, let me finish.” You immediately closed it. Mostly because he was giving you the same look he gave witnesses right before destroying their credibility. “The two of you disagree on everything.”

“Exactly.”

“Which is why you work.” You frowned as he continued. “Yunho sees details nobody else sees.” You hated how true that was. “You see angles nobody else sees.” Unfortunately also true. “You challenge each other.” You rolled your eyes. “We annoy each other.”

“That too.” The older man smiled. “But every single time I put the two of you in the same room, the work gets better.” You couldn’t immediately argue. Which was irritating and Mr. Jeong noticed. Of course he noticed. He noticed everything. “You know what your biggest problem is?”

“I have several.”

“You assume things about my son.” The sudden shift caught you off guard. “What?”

“You assume you already know who he is.”

You leaned back. “And I don’t?”

“No.” The answer came immediately. Without hesitation. Without doubt. And for some reason that bothered you. Mr. Jeong glanced toward the windows. Toward the city beyond them. “He works harder than anyone in this building.” You opened your mouth but he raised a hand again. “I know exactly what people say. Founder’s son.” His voice was calm. “Nepo hire.” Your expression shifted slightly. “Everything handed to him.” The older man smiled. A sadder smile this time. “They’ve been saying it since he first started law school.” Something uncomfortable settled in your stomach. Because if there was one thing you knew about Yunho… he never defended himself. Ever. He’d make a joke. Deflect. Smile. Move on. But he’d never actually defend himself.

Mr. Jeong looked back at you. “The reason I’m putting you together is because I trust both of you.” You nodded slowly. That answer at least felt genuine. Then the older attorney ruined it. “I also think it’ll be entertaining.” You groaned. “Seriously?”

“Very.” The man grinned again. “You should’ve seen his face when I told him.” Your eyes narrowed as Mr. Jeong looked entirely too pleased with himself. “What face?” His grin widened. “The kind that suggested he was trying very hard to pretend he wasn’t happy.” Now you looked suspicious. “Happy?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Why?”

The older man suddenly became fascinated by a document sitting on his desk. “Oh, who knows.”

“Mr. Jeong.”

“No idea.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m a lawyer.”

“That’s not helping your case.”

“It never does.”

You stared at each other. And the older man looked remarkably smug as you stood. Because you weren’t getting anything useful out of him. “You’re impossible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

You moved toward the door, reaching for the handle. Then his voice stopped you. “Give him a chance, Y/N.” You paused as Mr. Jeong’s expression had softened. Only a little. But enough. “A chance to what?” His smile returned. Smaller this time. “To genuinely surprise you.” You rolled your eyes and shook your head as you walked out. But for the rest of the afternoon, as annoying as it was, you couldn’t quite get those words out of your head.

Because for the first time in years, a tiny part of you wondered if maybe there was more to Yunho than the arrogant smartass who spent half his life trying to get under your skin. Unfortunately, that thought lasted exactly seven minutes. Because the moment you got back to your office, there was a sticky note on your monitor in familiar handwriting.

Don’t forget our strategy meeting after hours tonight, sweetheart. ❤️

You stared at it long and hard. Then immediately started plotting his murder.

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

By five thirty, the office had settled into its usual evening rhythm. Some associates were packing up and heading home. Others were just beginning the second half of their day. The litigation department lived on caffeine, spite, and impossible deadlines, and today was no different. You had spent the last two hours buried beneath discovery documents, deposition transcripts, and a growing headache that felt suspiciously like the beginning of a migraine. Which was why you eventually abandoned your office in search of salvation. Specifically, a Red Bull.

The break room was mercifully empty when you walked in. At least for the first ten seconds. You opened the refrigerator. Found the can you’d stashed there that morning and immediately heard a familiar voice behind you. “Please tell me that’s not your dinner.” You glanced over your shoulder. Danny. Of course. He stood in the doorway carrying a stack of files under one arm. His tie was loosened and his sleeves were rolled up. The picture of an overworked attorney trying very hard to impress someone. Namely you.

“It has vitamins.”

Danny laughed. “That’s not how vitamins work.”

“It is when you’re desperate.”

“You know, normal people eat food.”

You cracked the can open. “Normal people aren’t handling four cases and a psychotic partner.”

“Fair point.”

The two of you fell into easy conversation while you leaned against the counter sipping your drink. Danny was nice. Maybe a little eager. Maybe a little obvious. But nice. The kind of guy who remembered birthdays and probably called his mother every Sunday. Unfortunately for him, he had made the mistake of developing a crush on someone who worked directly across the hall from Yunho. A mistake Yunho was becoming increasingly aware of. Because at that exact moment, Yunho stepped into the break room and stopped.

The sight before him made something unpleasant settle in his chest. You standing beside the counter. Red Bull in hand. Skirt riding up a little. Laughing. And Danny standing entirely too close. Smiling entirely too much. Looking entirely too interested. For a moment, Yunho considered turning around. Walking away. Being mature. Then Danny reached over and brushed something off your sleeve and suddenly maturity became significantly less appealing.

“Well.”

Both you and Danny turned as Yunho stood in the doorway. One hand tucked into his pocket. Expression casual. The kind of casual that usually meant trouble and you immediately sighed. “No.”

“No what?”

“No whatever you’re about to do.”

His smile widened as Danny looked between the two of you. Confused. Concerned. Possibly afraid. Smart man. Yunho ignored him completely. Instead he walked directly toward the coffee machine. “You know,” he said, “I was wondering why productivity suddenly dropped on this floor.”

Danny blinked. “What?”

Yunho pressed a button on the machine. “Oh, nothing.” The machine whirred as you narrowed your eyes. Because you knew that tone. “So what was the cause?” Danny asked and Yunho looked over his shoulder. Smiling. “Apparently extended social visits during work hours.”

You nearly laughed despite yourself. Danny looked offended. “I was grabbing files.”

“Mm.”

“I was.”

“Of course.”

Danny frowned again. “You got a problem?” Dangerous question. Very dangerous question. Because Yunho’s smile never slipped. Not even slightly. “I don’t think I said I did.”

“You implied it.”

“I implied many things.”

Danny’s jaw tightened as you pinched the bridge of your nose. Because this was exactly what you didn’t need. Two men posturing in the break room like they were in a nature documentary. Somewhere a narrator was probably explaining mating rituals as Yunho finally turned around. Coffee in hand. Expression pleasant. Far too fucking pleasant. “How long have you worked here now, Danny?” The younger associate frowned. “Four months.”

“Interesting.”

Danny looked even more confused. “What is?”

Yunho took a sip. “The confidence.”

You closed your eyes. There it is. There was the antagonizing. Subtle enough that nobody could technically accuse him of anything. But sharp enough to draw blood. Danny folded his arms. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

Yunho grinned. God, he was annoying when he grinned like that because he looked even more attractive. “It means four months is impressive.” Danny stared. You stared. Even Yunho seemed amused by his own answer. “You’re impossible,” you muttered and immediately his eyes found yours. And just like that, all his attention shifted. The irritation. The jealousy. The possessiveness he’d been fighting all afternoon. Hidden again. Buried beneath that infuriating grin. “You say the sweetest things.”

You rolled your eyes as Danny looked between the two of you. Then realization slowly crossed his face. Not complete realization. But enough. Enough to notice something was off. Enough to notice that Yunho watched you differently. Enough to notice that Yunho had entered the room focused entirely on him and somehow ended up focused entirely on you. Yunho noticed the realization too. Which was exactly why he smiled even wider. A warning disguised as amusement. Danny wasn’t stupid. “Right,” Danny said awkwardly, gathering his files. “I’ve got to finish those motions.”

“Good luck,” Yunho said as he left and silence settled over the room as you slowly turned toward Yunho. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“You know exactly what.”

“I really don’t.”

“Liar.”

Yunho leaned against the counter beside you. Close enough to annoy you. Far enough to remain technically innocent. His favorite game. “I was getting coffee.”

“You were antagonizing Danny.”

“He seems sensitive.”

Yunho took another sip of his coffee as you took another sip of your Red Bull. The silence between you wasn’t comfortable. It never was. Not because it was awkward. Because it always felt like something was happening beneath it. Some current neither of you acknowledged. Some invisible tug of war that had existed for years. You were glaring at him and Yunho seemed entirely unbothered by that fact.

“What?” you asked.

“What?”

“You’re staring.”

His mouth twitched. “I am not.”

“You absolutely are.”

“Maybe you’re just distracting.”

You groaned immediately. “There he is.”

“There who is?”

“The world’s most annoying attorney.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“I’ll take what I can get.”

You rolled your eyes. A habit he was personally responsible for. For a moment neither of you moved. Then Yunho’s expression shifted slightly. Not enough that most people would’ve noticed. But you knew him. You’d known him for years. You knew when he was about to say something annoying. You knew when he was about to start a fight. You knew when he was about to push your buttons just because he could. And right now? Something else flickered behind his eyes. Something sharper.

His gaze drifted toward the door Danny had disappeared through. Then back to you. “You know he’s wants to fuck you, right?” You nearly choked on your drink. “Jesus fucking Christ Yunho.” The room felt smaller all of a sudden. The air heavier. Like something had shifted. You could feel it as Yunho pushed away from the counter and took a step closer and you took another drink from your Red Bull. Mostly to give yourself something to do. Yunho’s coffee had long been forgotten. It sat abandoned on the counter while he leaned against it beside you.

His gaze drifted over your face before he suddenly asked, “What happened to Kevin?” You blinked, furrowing your brows. The question caught you completely off guard. “What?”

“Kevin.” He shrugged. “The boyfriend. Haven’t seen him come by in a while.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Why do you know his name?” Yunho immediately realized his mistake. Because he absolutely shouldn’t know his name. Not with the confidence he’d just said it. Not unless he’d been paying attention. A lot of attention. Which unfortunately he had. For years. His recovery came quickly. “He picked you up from work like fifty times.” That was fair. Kevin had practically lived in the firm’s lobby for a year. “Why?” Yunho looked down at his coffee. Acting casual. “No reason.”

“He’s gone.”

Something sharp flickered behind Yunho’s eyes at your answer. Gone. As in gone gone. “When?”

“Months ago.” That got his attention. “Months?” You nodded. “Five.” Yunho stared at you. Five months. You’d been single for five months. And somehow he was only finding out now. For a brief moment he wondered if he’d actually died and nobody told him. Then he remembered he was supposed to be acting normal. So instead he asked, “What happened?”

You sighed. The kind of sigh that carried old irritation. “He cheated.” Yunho’s jaw tightened. Not because he was surprised. He wasn’t. He’d known. Hell, he’d been the one who made sure you found out. An anonymous email. Photos attached. No name. No explanation. Just evidence. Enough evidence that Kevin never had a chance of talking his way out of it. To this day you had no idea who sent it and Yunho intended to keep it that way. “He cheated,” you repeated, shaking your head. “A year and a half together and apparently that wasn’t enough.”

Yunho looked away. Because if he looked directly at you right now he was going to say something reckless. Something honest. And honesty around you had always been dangerous. “You have terrible taste in men.” The words slipped out before he could stop them and you laughed. A genuine laugh. The first one he’d heard from you in a long time. “Oh, that’s rich coming from you.”

“I’m serious.”

“You think every guy is terrible.”

“No.”

You tilted your head. “No?”

Yunho looked back at you slowly. And something in his expression started shifting. Softening. Dangerously. “No,” he said quietly. “Just the ones you date.” The laugh died in your throat and neither of you moved as Yunho’s gaze dropped briefly. Just for a second. Taking in the skirt you’d worn that morning again. The one he’d been trying not to notice all day. Then his eyes lifted back to yours. “You settle.”

Your eyebrows pulled together. “What?”

“You settle.” His voice remained calm. “You keep picking men who don’t deserve you.” For once there wasn’t a joke attached. No sarcasm. No smirk. Just honesty. Raw and unfiltered. And somehow that was far more dangerous than any of his usual flirting. He shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping him. Almost disbelieving. As if he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. “You know what the problem is?”

“What?”

His smile returned. Smaller this time. Less cocky and more personal. “The second someone gets your attention they stop trying.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Yunho looked away briefly. Because he knew exactly what it meant. It meant he couldn’t imagine taking you for granted. Couldn’t imagine looking elsewhere. Couldn’t imagine spending years wanting someone only to risk losing them. When he looked back at you, his gaze had darkened, something settling there you couldn’t quite decipher just yet. “If I had you in my bed every night….” He leaned down, moving closer until his mouth was right at your ear. “no other woman would exist to me.”

It’s like your brain just stopped computing. His words slammed into you like a truck and you had no idea how to respond to that. Especially when the feel of his lips just barely brushing your ear still lingered as a cough cleared from the doorway. Yunho backed away from you casually. Like he hadn’t almost had you pinned to the counter. Mr. Jeong stood in the doorway, his gaze going back and forth. First you. Then his son. Then back again with a hint of amusement. “Am I interrupting something.”

“Not at all.” Yunho picked his coffee back up. “I was just asking Y/N if she’s coming to my place tonight so we can start briefing and going over our new case.” He looked way too smug. “Excuse me?” You broke out of your daze quickly, glaring at him. “I am not going over alone to your place. We can go to my place. My roommate will be home but he shouldn’t bother us.” Roommate. Yunho knew exactly who you were talking about. Wooyoung. Yunho had seen him visiting you a few different times back in law school. He also brought you lunch sometimes now. Always had thick eyeliner. Tattoos. A wicked little smirk he liked to throw at anyone who piqued interest.

“Sounds like a plan.” Yunho grinned again and his father gave you both one last look before walking away. You groaned. Last thing you needed was to be alone or semi alone with Yunho outside of work.

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

“I need you to stay home tonight.” You were practically begging into your phone. Wooyoung snorted obviously intrigued and confused. “And here I was planning to get my back blown out tonight.”

“Woo, I’m serious.” You hissed and looked up catching Yunho in his office through the glass wall. He noticed you and smirked and had the audacity to wave at you. “Look…. I have this new case. It’s a big one and…..” You paused. Hesitated. “I have to… I have to do it with Yunho.” The silence on the other end of the call was deafening for one second. Two. Three. Four. “OH MY GOD!” Wooyoung laughed, actually cackled. “You’re kidding me. You’ve wanted to climb that man like a tree since law school.”

“I HAVE NOT.” You didn’t mean to yell. One of the newer attorneys passing by your office jumped at your outburst which to your luck also caught Yunho’s attention. “I have not.” You repeated much lower this time and you could practically hear Wooyoung roll his through the phone. “Please.” He scoffed. “You told me yourself that you and I quote, want to choke him with that annoying tie and make him beg for it.”

You gasped. “I was drunk.” You hissed. It was on Wooyoung’s birthday. Right after you left your ex. Turns out all your dirty little secrets weren’t so secret with tequila in your system. “Drunk words are true thoughts or whatever.” Wooyoung said and you just know he was grinning. “I hate him!” You snapped which at this point wasn’t true at all. He annoyed you most the time. Made you question whether you wanted to slam his face into a wall or drop to your knees. And after Mr. Jeong told you to give his son a chance…. No. Absolutely not.

“If you hate him that just means the sex will be amazing.” Wooyoung was enjoying this way too much. “There will be no sex.” You immediately regretted saying that because of course. Of course! The devil himself was leaning in your office doorway, brow raised looking far too amused at whatever parts of the conversation he was picking up. “Just be home.” You told Wooyoung before ending the call and clearing your throat. “What do you want? Other than eavesdropping.”

Yunho let out a laugh under his breath and that sound immediately made you suspicious. “What?” You narrowed your eyes at him. “Nothing.” He shrugged but he was smiling too smugly for your liking. “You’re smiling.”

“Am I?”

“You are literally smiling.”

His grin only widened. Which meant he was absolutely about to be annoying. Wonderful. Fan fucking tastic. You crossed your arms. “Spit it out, Jeong.” Yunho tilted his head slightly, that damned silver blonde hair falling across his forehead as his gaze flicked briefly toward your phone before returning to you. “Well,” he said casually, “I just found one part of that conversation particularly interesting.”

Your stomach dropped and you muttered under your breath. You were going to kill Wooyoung. And Yunho. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes.” His smile sharpened. “The part where you informed whoever that was that there would be no sex.” Heat immediately flooded your face. “Jesus Fucking Christ Yunho.” You were starting to wish you got paid for every time he got that out of you.

“So there was sex on the table at some point?”

“There was never sex on the table.”

“Interesting wording.”

“Yunho.”

“Just asking questions.”

“You are a lawyer. You get paid to twist words.”

“True.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Still doesn’t answer my question.” You stared at him, eye twitching and he just stared right back. Completely shameless. And the worst part? He looked unfairly good doing it. You hated that your brain insisted on being horny every time he was around. You pointed toward the door. “Get out.”

Yunho laughed. A real one. Warm and Low. And unfortunately dangerously attractive. “See, now I’m curious.”

“You should be billing hours.”

“I am billing hours.”

“You are standing in my office harassing me.”

“Multitasking.”

“That isn’t how billing works.”

“It is when you’re talented.”

You made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a threat and Yunho’s grin somehow widened further. Then, unfortunately, his gaze drifted lower. Only for a second once again. But you caught it. The way his eyes flicked over the way your skirt rode up from sitting and your pulse did something stupid.

“So,” he said.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“I know enough.”

His eyes narrowed playfully. “You know, for someone who claims to hate me, you spend an impressive amount of energy thinking about me.”You nearly choked. “Excuse me?” You wanted the floor to open up and swallow you whole. Immediately. Right now. “I’m just wondering…..” You immediately cut him off. “About what?” His gaze held yours. “Whether you’ve really hated me all these years.” The question caught you off guard. And for a moment the office felt quieter. The sounds of phones ringing and conversations outside seeming farther away. You looked away first. A big mistake on your part. Because Yunho noticed everything. He always had. A slow smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. “There it is.”

“There what is?” You snapped.

“You didn’t answer.”

You hated that he was right. You hated it even more because you weren’t entirely sure what the answer was anymore as Yunho pushed away from the doorway. “See you at your place.” He turned to walk back to his office. The two of you only had an hour before you got off. “You don’t even know where I live.” You called after him and Yunho didn’t even glance back as he answered.

“Don’t I.”

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

The entire drive home was torture. Not because of traffic. Not because downtown Chicago was a nightmare at six o’clock. But because every single red light gave your brain more time to replay the conversation and how Yunho asked whether you’ve really hated him all these years. You tightened your grip on the steering wheel. Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.

Seven years of knowing Yunho Jeong and somehow that stupid question had managed to lodge itself directly inside your skull. You’d spent years calling him arrogant. Annoying. Insufferable. None of those things were technically lies. But lately… things felt different. And you hated that.

By the time you pulled into the parking garage beneath your apartment building,you had a headache. Perfect. Exactly what you needed before spending an entire evening trapped with Yunho. You grabbed your bag from the passenger seat and headed upstairs and the second you stepped through the apartment door, the smell hit you. Pizza. You closed your eyes. Thank God.

“Kitchen.” Wooyoung’s voice carried through the apartment as you kicked off your heels near the door and followed it. Sure enough, Wooyoung was leaning against the kitchen island wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants, a slice of pepperoni in one hand while two pizza boxes sat open on the counter. His eyes immediately found you and narrowed. “Oh.”

You froze. “What?”

Wooyoung pointed his pizza at you. “You’re spiraling.”

“I am not.”

“You absolutely are.”

You dropped your bag onto one of the stools. “I’m fine.” Wooyoung laughed as he took a bite. “Liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You walked into this apartment like someone just told you the IRS was outside.”

You glared at him as Wooyoung took another bite. Still staring. Still judging. Still entirely too observant for your liking. Then his eyes widened like a lightbulb went off in his head. “Oh my God.” You immediately regretted everything. “What now?”

“You really do want him.”

“No.”

“YOU DO.”

“I DON’T.”

Wooyoung practically slapped the counter. “You do.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I don’t.”

“You literally sound twelve.”

You grabbed a paper plate. “I’m getting pizza.” Wooyoung gasped at you. “You are avoiding the conversation.” You shook your head as you grabbed two slices. “I’m hungry.” You shoved a slice into your mouth as Wooyoung folded his arms then smirked. A dangerous smirk. The kind that usually meant somebody’s life was about to become significantly more difficult. “Did something happen?”

“No.”

“You hesitated.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

You sighed dramatically. Because unfortunately something had happened. Not a big thing. Not really. Just enough things. Enough tiny moments. Enough comments. Enough looks. Enough questions. Enough of Yunho being… Yunho. And now your brain refused to shut up about it. Refused to forget the way his lips felt grazing your ear…. Wooyoung’s eyes narrowed further. “What did he say?” You stared at your pizza. Bad sign. Very bad sign. Because now Wooyoung looked genuinely interested. “Oh, this is serious.”

You chewed at your pizza, hesitant before swallowing. “He told me… he told me if he…” you could still hear the way his voice had dropped when he said it. “If he had me in bed every night then… no other woman would exist to him.” The silence was loud because Wooyoung was never silent and somehow now…. he was speechless. You watched him blink. Once. Twice. Then he slowly set his pizza down on the counter. “Oh.”

You hated that response. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Woo.”

“Nothing.”

“Wooyoung.”

His eyes snapped back to yours. “Y/N.” You narrowed your eyes at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He grinned. “Because I think I just witnessed the moment your life became a romantic comedy. A very hot romantic comedy.” You groaned. “Oh my God. Shut up.”

“No, seriously.” He pointed at you. “Do you have any idea how insane that is. He was flirting. Practically throwing himself at you.” You shook your head in complete denial. “He was not.”

“Yes he was.”

“No he wasn’t.”

Wooyoung stared at you a second before shaking his head. “Jesus Christ.” You groaned. “What now?” He rolled his eyes in pure exasperation. “You really don’t see it.” Your brows furrowed, your voice muffled around the bite of pizza. “See what?”

“The fact that Yunho Jeong has been down catastrophically bad for you since law school.”

You choked a little and pointed your pizza at him. “Don’t say that.”

“Make me.”

“You are impossible.”

“Again,” Wooyoung said, “he practically through himself at you.”

“He did not.”

“Y/N.”

“He did not.”

“Y/N.”

You groaned loudly. Because the problem wasn’t that Wooyoung was wrong. The problem was that for the first time… you weren’t entirely convinced he was. Your gaze drifted toward the clock on the microwave. Yunho would be here soon. And suddenly the thought of being alone with him felt very different than it had this earlier. Dangerously different.

You quickly finished eating your pizza and didn’t even glance at Wooyoung as you headed towards the bathroom. “I’m getting a shower before Satan gets here.” The bathroom door slammed shut behind you. Your clothes came off achingly slow. You sat your phone on the sink counter, letting music play to try and clear your head. Steam poured into the room as the water rushed out the shower head. Scolding and too hot. You adjusted it and stepped in letting the water try and fail to wash away your spiraling thoughts.

“He was not throwing himself at me.” You didn’t believe yourself anymore though. Because in the comfort of the shower you started to think. How in law school Yunho would always been standing outside your civil procedure class and would finally go in once you showed up. How he once brought handed you coffee on graduation day because he happened to have an extra but it tasted like your favorite. How he mentioned his dad’s law firm had an opening and you thought he was trying to annoy you and then next day you got a call from Mr. Jeong himself…..

“Oh my god…” you stopped washing your hair as the realization slammed into you. “he was throwing himself at me.” Holy shit. It should have been obvious. Your heart was pounding now because Yunho on his way over. You were both about to spend insane amounts of time together in the near future for this case. And he likes you. “Fuck!” You almost slipped, your hand shooting out your grab at the shower curtain.

What were you supposed to do? What if you were crazy? Imagining it? What if Wooyoung had gotten inside your head? But even as the thoughts came, they felt weaker. Less convincing. Because the truth was becoming impossible to ignore. The truth was that this wasn’t just physical anymore. Wasn’t just finding him attractive. Wasn’t just noticing the way his suits fit. Or the way his hair fell into his eyes. Or the way his voice always seemed lower when he spoke directly to you.

Somewhere along the way, something had changed. Something dangerous. Something that made your pulse race every time he looked at you too long. Something that made the thought of him showing up at your front door feel terrifying and exciting all at once.

You closed your eyes. And finally admitted the thing you’d been avoiding for years. “Shit.” Because the problem wasn’t that Yunho liked you. The problem was that you liked him too. Because now every want and needy thought you’ve ever had about him shifted from just physical attraction to something else. Something crazy. Completely and totally insane. “Oh my god.” You wanted him too and that realization refused to leave.

Even after you finished washing your hair. Even after you stood beneath the spray for another five minutes pretending your life hadn’t just completely unraveled. By the time you finally shut the water off, your fingers were wrinkled and your thoughts were somehow worse. “Great.” You grabbed a towel. “Fantastic.” You wrapped another towel around your hair as you stepped out of the shower. “Wonderful.” The mirror was fogged over completely. Which was probably for the best. You didn’t need to see the expression on your own face right now.

Because apparently after seven years of arguing with Yunho, you had finally realized you had feelings for him. Feelings. Actual feelings. You wanted to throw yourself out a window. But unfortunately you lived on the eighteenth floor. You tightened the towel around yourself and stormed toward the door. This was Wooyoung’s fault. Entirely his fault. If he’d just kept his mouth shut, you’d still be blissfully ignorant. Or trying to be anyways.

The second the bathroom door opened, you were already talking. “This is your fault.” You marched into the hallway. “You couldn’t just mind your own business for once in your life.” The living room came into view. “And now I have to spend the entire evening pretending I don’t have feelings for….” You screamed. The kind of scream usually reserved for horror movies and home invasions. Because Yunho was sitting on your couch now looking equally startled for approximately half a second before he started laughing.

“Oh my God!” Your hand flew to your chest, gripping your towel. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Across the room, Wooyoung was absolutely useless. In fact, he looked delighted. “There she is!” You glared at your best friend before your gaze snapped back toward Yunho. Which was a mistake. A huge mistake. Because somehow seeing him outside the office felt different. The charcoal suit jacket was gone. Tossed over the back of the couch. His tie hung loose around his neck. The top button of his white dress shirt had disappeared. The sleeves were pushed up to his forearms. And somehow that looked more intimate than if he’d shown up wearing nothing but sweatpants.

You hated that thought immediately as Yunho’s eyes flicked over you, dragging down and staring at where the fluffy pink towel you had ended just barely covering anything. Then he looked directly at the ceiling and a muscle jumped in his jaw. And of course Wooyoung noticed. The bastard looked like Christmas had come early. “You know,” Wooyoung said casually, “most people greet guests when they arrive.”

“I was in the shower!”

“Clearly.”

You groaned. Because somehow this day had gone from bad to catastrophic. And the worst part? The absolute worst part? You’d just spent twenty minutes realizing you had feelings for Yunho. Then immediately walked into your living room wearing nothing but a towel. Wooyoung looked between the two of you grinning as you backed toward the hallway, tightening your grip on the towel again. “I’m getting dressed.”

“Probably for the best,” Wooyoung agreed and you glared at him. Then at Yunho. Then immediately regretted looking at Yunho because he was already looking at you. “Five minutes,” you muttered before disappearing down the hall and into your room and slamming the door behind you.

Silence settled over the apartment. Or at least it should have. Instead, Yunho found himself staring at the wall. His brain had stopped cooperating somewhere around the moment you’d walked into the living room. Not because of the towel. Well. Not entirely because of the towel. It was the fact that you’d looked completely caught off guard. Completely real. Not the sharp tongued attorney who spent every workday arguing with him. Not the woman who could dismantle opposing counsel with a single question.

Just you.

Then his mind drifted. The way when you had turned around he could see a glimpse of your ass peaking from the bottom of the towel. “Well,” Wooyoung’s voice snapped him out of it. “I’m going to my room. I have a new season….” Yunho stopped listening again as Wooyoung disappeared down the same hall you had. He’s wanted you for seven years. Obsessed over you. Yearned over you. Might of moaned your name a few times during one night stands. And now he was sitting here in your apartment and had the perfect opportunity to finally try and have you. “Shit.” Why did he feel nervous? He doesn’t get nervous.

The apartment felt strangely quiet when you stepped back into the hallway. For a moment you simply stood there. Yunho was exactly where you’d left him. Sitting on the couch. One arm stretched across the back cushion. The case file sitting untouched on the coffee table. And he was staring at absolutely nothing. Lost somewhere inside his own head. You’d never known Yunho to be quiet.

The floor creaked beneath your foot and his head turned. And immediately his eyes found you. His gaze dropped before he could stop it. Legs. Bare from mid thigh down. Your black shorts doing nothing to cover them. His jaw tightened and his eyes immediately snapped back to yours. And for the first time all day, Yunho looked caught. Actually caught. Not cocky. Not smug. Caught.

Something about that made your stomach flip. “Nice staring,” you called him out and his eyebrow lifted. “Nice outfit.” You rolled your eyes. “There he is.” He grinned, eyes lighting up. “Missed me?”

“Not even a little.”

“Liar.” The word came automatically. Like breathing. Like every conversation you’d ever had together. Yet somehow tonight it felt different. Softer and more familiar. Your gaze drifted toward the coffee table. Toward the thick litigation folder sitting there. Thank God. Something normal. “Did you at least bring the case file?” Yunho followed your gaze and let out a quiet laugh. “I did.”

“Good.”

“Look at us.”

You frowned. “What?”

“Being responsible.”

“We’re attorneys.”

“Debatable.”

You snorted before you could stop yourself and Yunho’s expression immediately brightened. Like he’d just won something. Idiot. You hesitated another second before finally crossing the room. Every step felt weirdly loud and noticeable. The couch suddenly looked much smaller than it was. You hated that. You hated it even more because Yunho seemed perfectly relaxed. Until you sat down. Then his entire body went subtly rigid. The cushion dipped beneath your weight, thigh ending up far closer to his than either of you probably expected.

The scent of your shampoo drifted through the air as you reached forward grabbing the case file before your brain could focus on anything else. “Okay,” you said, opening it onto your lap. “Work.”

“Work,” Yunho agreed. The word sounded strangely disappointed but you ignored that as you flipped hrough the first few pages. “Corporate fraud.”

“Mm.”

“Thousands of pages of discovery.”

“Mm.”

You glanced over but Yunho wasn’t looking at the file. He was looking at you. You cleared your throat finding it harder now to focus on anything other than your newly accepted feelings for him. “So…” you looked back towards the file, scanning words but not reading any of them. “this is a pretty big case…”

“I want you.”

You froze and you could practically hear the panic in Yunho’s voice. “Shit…” he did not mean to say that out loud. Not like that. “I mean…. I uh…” he shook his head. Because fuck it. “Actually…. Yeah. I want you. Fuck.” He let out a humorless laugh. “It’s driving me crazy for the better part of a decade.” When he looked at you, you were still staring at the file. Frozen. Shocked. “Look…. I know you…. Kind of hate me. I mean…. I do…”

“I don’t hate you.” Your voice was quiet, heart beating so loud you were sure Wooyoung could hear it from his room. Because Wooyoung was right. Your shower spiraling was right. Yunho had feelings for you. “I don’t think I ever hated you. You could just be…. a pain in the ass.” Yunho snorted despite his confession making him nervous. “I was only like that because I never wanted someone like that before. And I couldn’t afford distractions in law school. So I… tried blocking you out… it just made it worse.”

You turned to him, narrowing your eyes. “So you just decided to be like some third grader pulling at my pigtails.” He laughed then. A full on real laugh. “Something like that.” You scoffed, shaking your head. “You’re an absolute idiot.” It got silent for a moment. You both just stared at each other until Yunho looked away. “Idiot might be understatement. I…. there’s something you should know.” He hesitated. Because what he was about to say was probably gonna make actually hate him. But he couldn’t shoot his shot without the truth being out. Otherwise it would eat him alive.

“What is it?” You furrowed because he liked serious. Like what he had to say was more serious than his arguments defending anyone in court. “I knew your boyfriend cheated on you. I saw him…”

“It was you.” You cut him off. Of course it was Yunho. He never could mind his own business. “You sent me that email. The pictures….. what you just…. followed him?” Yunho scoffed like he was offended. “I didn’t follow anyone.” He shrugged. “I hired a private investigator.”

“Oh my god…” you laughed. Because what were you supposed to say? Were you meant to be mad? Mad that he caught your boyfriend cheating and found a somewhat weird to tell you? “you’re obsessed with me.” You were joking. Kind of. Mainly teasing but Yunho didn’t deny. In fact his demeanor shifted. He sat up, and when his gaze met yours again…. it had darkened. Sharpened into something heated and hungry that made your stomach twist and your thighs to almost clench together.

“I told you…” the tone of his voice had dropped. Which was dangerous. Because Yunho’s voice was already deep. Intoxicating if you will. But right now….. you couldn’t help but remember the break room and that same tone against your…. “that if you had me in your bed no other woman would exist to you.” You finished for him and it was like all that tension that built for the last seven years snapped.

“Wrong.” Yunho’s gaze dropped to your legs, taking his time to work his way up, pausing at your lips and staying there. “No other woman exist to me since that first day you told me to fuck off.”

You knew the two of you should probably talk. Actually talk. Go over everything. Have that real, I like you, you like me, speech…. but you were over it. Seven years of him driving you crazy. Seven years of him obsessing over you…. your own gaze fell to the loose tie around his neck and you remembered that little drunk confession you gave Wooyoung.

“What are you….” Yunho froze when you reached out and grabbed his tie. You gripped it, thumb rubbing against the material. “You want to know what I was talking about…. when you were eavesdropping at work?” You looked at him and your gaze was almost as dark and hungry as his. Yunho gulped, remembering that phone call. He hadn’t heard much other than you proclaiming no sex. “Wooyoung was reminding me of a dirty little secret.”

“Yeah?” Yunho was gone. He was gone the second you grabbed his tie. You could tell him to get on the floor right now and bark me he probably would. Because the way you’re looking at him. Like you’re imagining every detail of him under his clothes. Like you could see his dick twitch in his pants when you tugged his tie a little. “Mhm.” You started scooting closer on the couch, your thigh brushing against his leg now. “Apparently I told him I wanted to choke you with this tie” you gave his tie another tug for emphasis. “and make you beg for it.”

You both just stared at each other for a moment before leaned his head back, let out a groan and then looked back at you completely undone. “Fuck me.” He grabbed you, your grip on his tie tightening as he pulled you into his lap. Your lips met messy. Desperately. Needy. You moaned into because now you could feel him. Feel the bulge in his pants where his dick had started getting hard the second you grabbed his tie. Could feel his dick twitch when your tongues collided. And you moaned when he pulled back just enough to start kissing down your neck, lips grasping at any skin available within the tank top you had on.

“Fuck…” Yunho was the one moaning now as you kept your grip on his tie and started rocking, grinding. His dick aching in his pants as you rode him. “You gonna beg for me, Yunho?” He wanted to say no. It was instinct. He never begged before in his life. He always had control. But for you…. “Make me.”

“I bet you don’t last two minutes.” You said it so sure of yourself and that alone made him want to give in. He watched you, pupils blown, dick practically screaming to be let out and buried inside you already. You reached down with the free hand that wasn’t still gripping his tie and palmed him through his pants. His bulge alone was big and you could only imagine what he had zipped up underneath. And Yunho? He just sat there, his breath already uneven as your fingers worked at his belt and zipper with deliberate slowness.

The apartment around you felt charged, the spring air from Chicago filtering through a cracked window doing little to cool the heat building between your bodies. You tugged his pants and underwear down just enough, freeing his dick. It sprang out, thick and heavy, the tip already flushed and aching with a bead of precum that caught the low light.

A low groan rumbled from his chest the moment your hand wrapped around him, and you felt it twitch hard against your palm, pulsing with need as if it had a mind of its own. You stroked him once, twice, dragging your thumb over the slit to spread that slickness, savoring how his hips jerked forward involuntarily. His tie remained clenched in your other hand, anchoring him in place while you worked him in unhurried strokes that made his thighs tense and his knees weaken slightly. Every vein along his length throbbed under your grip, the heat of him radiating into your skin as you took your time exploring every inch.

You shifted closer on the couch, using the head of his dick to hook the edge of your shorts and panties and with a slow push, you moved the fabric aside, exposing your soaked pussy to the cool air. Instead of taking him inside you, you guided him between your folds, letting the length glide along your slick. The underside of his dick pressing right against your clit as you rocked your hips, using him like a toy to rub slow circles. Each pass sent sparks through you, your grip on his tie tightening while your strokes on him matched the rhythm.

Yunho's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck standing out as he fought to stay still, but his dick kept twitching between your folds, leaking more with every glide. You could feel the way his tip caught just slightly on your entrance before sliding up again, teasing without entering, building that unbearable friction against your swollen clit. His breathing grew ragged, eyes locked on where your bodies met, pupils blown wide with the effort of holding back as you kept the pace torturously steady, riding the length of him without letting him slip in, your clit grinding down on the ridge of his tip again and again in deliberate, dragging motions that made your own thighs quiver.

The wet sounds of your arousal coating him filled the room, mixing with his soft curses under his breath. “Fuck sweetheart..” His control frayed at the edges with every pass, shoulders rigid, fingers digging into the couch cushions as he resisted the urge to thrust up into you. You edged him mercilessly, slowing your strokes whenever his dick pulsed too hard, drawing out the moment until the tension built in his body like a coiled spring. The pressure mounted in your own core too, each glide pushing you closer until your own orgasm hit. Your thighs shook, a soft cry escaping as you came against him, slick coating him further and dripping down him. That was when he broke.

“Fuck… please ok! Please let me fuck you,” Yunho gasped out, voice strained and desperate, his hands trembling as they gripped your hips. And the second you nodded, he moved. Strong hands gripped your thighs, lifting you effortlessly as he stood. He didn’t wait, didn’t tease, he lined up and impaled you down onto his dick in one deep thrust. The stretch burned in the best way, forcing a sharp cry from your throat as he filled you completely, thick and unyielding, your walls clenching around every inch of him.

He paused for a moment, letting you adjust to his size, then his fingers dug into your thighs and he started pounding up into you. Each thrust drove deep, the force making your body bounce against him while you clung to his tie and shoulders like a lifeline. The living room filled with the wet sounds of skin slapping against skin and there was no way Wooyoung wasn’t hearing all of this with the way your moans grew louder until you screamed his name, your pussy clenching hard as you squirted around him, soaking his dick and thighs in a rush of release that stained dripped and stained the carpet below you.

“Which one is your bedroom?” Yunho asked, his voice hoarse with need. Still buried inside you, “the…. one on the right down the hall…” you were breathless as he carried you there without pulling out, every step making him shift and press deeper, his dick nudging against sensitive spots and wedging against your g spot that had you gasping. He wasted no time getting you on the bed, his gaze catching site of the mirror angled perfectly toward it and grinned, dark and hungry as you both made quick haste of getting your clothes off, tossing them aside until nothing remained between you.

He grabbed you, pulling your body flush to his. “Look at the mirror,” he ordered, sinking to his knees between your legs. “Watch how I make you beg for it.” His tongue thrusted into your pussy in firm, wet strokes that had you arching instantly. You tangled your fingers in his hair, tugging at the bleached strands as the pleasure built fast and sharp. Your legs shook, cries spilling out, “fuck…. Yunho… please… please make me come…. I need…” you started grinding against his face and he didn’t let up until you shattered again, body trembling and pulsing around his tongue.

Yunho kissed his way back up your body, slow and deliberate, pausing when you eyed his dick and he smirked. “If you want a taste all you have to do is take it.” You shook your head, pulling him closer. “Next time,” you breathed, needing him inside you again too badly to wait. Too impatient for it. “Fuck…” he had to hold back from saying, Fuck I love you, instead, he flipped you onto your stomach, holding you down and positioning you to face the mirror.

The head of his dick teased between your pussy and ass, sliding back and forth in lazy passes that made you whimper and push back. After a minute of that torment he sank back into you with a single thrust, your walls instantly clenching around him as one of his hands fisted in your hair, tilting your head toward the reflection of the mirror. The sight of him over you, buried inside you staring back a painted sin. “Watch…. watch how my dick is about to make you mine.”

He started fucking you hard, hips snapping forward in deep, relentless strokes that had you babbling, begging, “harder…. harder….. deeper… Yunho please…” and he gave it to you. Hands gripping your waist, hard, as he grinded into you, “you feel so fucking good, sweetheart….” he paused for a moment just to feel you clenching around him, then, just as the pressure peaked, he pulled out and flipped you and folded you a little, your legs pressed up and over his shoulders.

He tapped his dick against your clit a few times before sinking back in, his hands moving your legs to pin your thighs down as you watched in the mirror as you started squirting again, making a mess over both of you. Ruining the new sheets you only bought a few days ago after Wooyoung spilled his iced coffee on your others. The sight spurred him on, his pace turning brutal. “You’re mine. Pussy… mine. All of you. Mine.” Maybe he was a little possessive.

Your back arched as another orgasm crashed through you, sobs and cries tearing free but Yunho didn’t stop. He kept pounding, chasing his own release until he buried himself deep and came with a groan, filling you until he you milked him almost dry then he collapsed on top of you, still buried inside, his weight comforting as you rubbed slow circles over his back, a soft chuckle escaping you. “You begged for it.” He lifted his head just enough to meet your eyes with a satisfied grin curving his own lips.

“So did you.”

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

The next morning felt strange. Not bad strange. But an awkward kind of strange. For seven years, you and Yunho had existed in this bizarre limbo of arguments, tension, stolen glances, and denial. Now, after finally tearing down every wall between you, you were somehow expected to walk into Jeong & Partners and act normal. Which was proving significantly harder than either of you anticipated. Especially because Yunho was terrible at it.

“You are wearing the same suit.”

Yunho looked over from the driver’s seat. “So?” He hadn’t even gone home last night. After he had finally pulled himself out of you, you took another shower, that lead to you dropping to your knees and finally getting him in your mouth. Had an amused and smug little told you so looks thrown at you from Wooyoung. Slept together which lead you to find out that Yunho liked being the little spoon which was beyond hilarious with his size. Then he gave you no argument in letting him drive you both to work in his ridiculously expensive Mercedes.

You stared at him. “People will know.” Not that you really cared. “And?” And apparently Yunho didn’t either. You looked at him as pulled into the law firm parking garage and when he looked back at you after parking, you both burst out laughing.

Five minutes later, the elevator doors opened onto the twentieth floor and immediately, something felt off. Not wrong. Just… observant. Associates looked up from their desks. Assistants paused mid conversation. Even the receptionist seemed suspiciously interested in her computer screen. Nobody knew anything. But somehow everybody knew something.

You stepped out first with Yunho a few feet behind you. Both of you trying very hard to appear casual. Which probably would’ve worked if Yunho didn’t keep looking at you every thirty seconds as you headed toward your office. And you almost made it. But then Yunho’s eyes narrowed. Because across the floor, Danny appeared. Coffee in hand. Making a direct path toward you just like every morning. Only this morning was different. Because this morning, Yunho’s patience had completely disappeared.

Danny slowed as Yunho walked straight past him. Past several confused associates. Past two paralegals who immediately stopped pretending to work. Then he reached you and you barely had time to speak before his hand wrapped around your wrist. “What are you doing?”

“One second.”

“Yunho.”

He ignored you completely as he turned you toward him and kissed you. Right there in the middle of the litigation department. The entire floor collectively forgot how to breathe and when he finally pulled back, his forehead rested briefly against yours, a grin tugging at his mouth. Possessive and completely unrepentant. And entirely too pleased with himself.

“Mine,” he murmured softly and your face immediately flushed. “Yunho….”

“Just reminding you.” Then his eyes shifted past you. Right towards the frozen associate still holding two coffees. Yunho smiled bright and friendly. And definitely cocky. “Morning, Danny.”

Danny looked like someone had personally unplugged his soul. And without another word, Yunho straightened his jacket and continued walking toward his office as if he hadn’t just detonated a bomb in the middle of the firm. The silence lasted approximately three seconds. Then chaos erupted. Across the floor, associates started whispering. Phones appeared. Someone actually dropped a stack of files.

And from behind the glass walls of the managing offices, Mr. Jeong looked up from a contract. Watched his son disappear into his office. Watched you standing there frozen. Watched Danny questioning every life decision he’d ever made. Then the older man leaned back in his chair and shook his head, muttering to himself.

“Fucking finally.”

═════════ ═════════ ═════════

Chapter 3

Monday morning you make your way to the 16th floor where your job is located. Yunho had been calling and texting you all weekend, but you didn’t respond. You had a packed weekend, so you weren’t around your phone often and when you were, you used that time to decompress. You make your way to your desk and set your bags down to get ready for the day. You’re in the middle of getting your computer screens pulled up when you hear a voice behind you.

“Good morning, beautiful.” The sudden voice startles you, causing you to jump. You turn around and see Yunho standing there with an iced coffee. You slowly reach for it and take a sip. It tastes exactly how you usually order it.

“How’d you know my order?” you question.

“Oh… I overheard you mention it before.” He smiles. You feel unsure about when you could have mentioned your drink order to someone, but his smile warms you up, so you brush it off.

“O-oh. Thank you.” He stands there a minute longer in an awkward silence before he speaks again.

“So, uh. I had called and text you over the weekend. I didn’t hear from you after you snuck out. Is everything alright?” his voice was shaky at first but became more steady towards the end of his sentence.

“Yea, sorry I was pretty busy this weekend. I barely had time to look at my phone.”

“Mm.” Was all he said. His response didn’t sit right with you causing you to scrunch your face up at him. But before you could say anything back, he walks away. “Have a good shift.” He says smiling as he’s turning around. You ignore it and get to work.

Later that day, Yunho is walking to the restroom and notices your coworker, Eric at your cubicle. He stops in his tracks and watches as you laugh and flirt with Eric. He sees you rub your hand on his arm. His blood is boiling at the sight. He clenches his fist with his jaw tight and continues his trip to the restroom.

Thirty minutes later he sees you walk into the copy room. He follows behind you, creeping up on you while you scan a file at the copy machine. From behind he grabs a handful of your hair, pulling your head to the side. You let out a gasp as he brushes his lips against your ear as he whispers.

“He can’t fuck you like I do. He can’t make you cum back-to-back the way I do.” His voice vibrates straight to your center. He moves a hand to the waistband of your skirt and slides his hand inside making his way to your clit. Your breath hitches as he draws tight circles on your clit. You can’t even think straight the way he’s pulling you closer to your peak. Your eyes close as your head lulls back resting on his shoulder as you’re almost about to cum. Right when you’re about to cum, he snatches his hands from your skirt leaving you panting, trying to catch your breath. He licks your arousal off his fingers as he walks away with a smug grin.

It feels like it takes forever for you to steady your breathing. The rest of your shift you’re sitting at your desk, pressing your thighs together as you try and stop the need to be touched. Your core is pulsating the rest of the day you’re not even sure how you were able to get any of your remaining work done.

At the end of the shift Yunho heads to the garage. He’s walking like he’s on a mission, quickly turning corners as he makes his way to his target. He finally catches up with who he was looking for. He sees Eric getting closer to his car and before he gets the door open Yunho rushes him, pushing him against the wall. He holds him up against the wall gripping his collar.

“Stay away from y/n.” He says through his teeth.

“Yunho! Hey it’s not even like that.” Eric tries to reason with him. Yunho lets out a cold laugh.

“Emily, that’s your daughter, right? She goes to 12 school; her teacher is Miss Wilma? That’s her, correct? Yeaaaa, that’s her. I suggest if you don’t want anything to happen to your little princess, you don’t come near mine. Do I make myself clear?” Eric nods quickly, tears brimming his eyes.

“Y-yea. I hear you man.” Yunho has him pinned against the wall still as he begins to laugh again. He lets go of Eric and then brushes off his collar before he taps his cheek twice.

“Alright, good talk man.” Yunho says as he walks away towards the level his car is on. Unaware of what just happened, you see Yunho approaching his car and you call out his name. He stops when he hears your voice. You don’t say anything else you just walk up to him and pull him in for a kiss. Your lips crash into his as you start pushing him towards his car door. He unlocks the door while your lips are still connected and you both climb in the front seat. He leans the driver's seat back giving you enough room to straddle his lap.

“I’ve been thinking about fucking you all day. I need to feel you inside me.” Your voice comes out breathy as you lift your skirt up and pull your panties to the side. He pulls himself out of his pants and lines himself up with your entrance. He moves the tip back and forth gathering slick causing you both to moan.

“Look how wet you are for me already.” He moans out. You sink down on his length and sit for a second when you bottom out. You begin to grind on him once you’ve adjusted to his length. You throw your head back as you continue to roll your hips forward.

“Fuck, you feel so good daddy. You’re so deep oh my god.” You whimper as you look at him, eyelids half lidded. Just looking at your fucked out face brings him close. He grabs your hips and begins thrusting up into you. “Oh my god I missed feeling you inside me. Fuck daddy you fuck me so good!” You scream out as you feel your climax nearing. Yunho moves his thumb to rub over your sensitive clit to pull your orgasm from you. Following behind you, he paints your walls white as he releases inside you. He grunts loudly as you milk him for every drop.

The sounds of heavy breathing fill the car as you both try and catch your breath. With him still inside you, you grab his face a place a soft, gentle kiss on his lips. You pull away and meet his gaze. The more you look at him the more you begin to admire his features. You knew he was handsome, but when you sit here in this moment, your eyes tracing every feature on his face, your heart flutters and you start feeling something different. Before you could stop yourself, you whisper out,

“You’re going to make me fall for you.”  You gasp and cover your mouth immediately. “I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” You curse yourself for saying that out loud. That was supposed to stay an inside thought. You’re not even sure what you feel right now but you feel a shift, and it scares you. You’re not ready to be in a new relationship yet. You’ve barely had time to enjoy your newfound freedom. You’re not looking to rush into anything or be serious with anyone just yet. He grabs your face and kisses you before he speaks.

“Hey, look at me. I’m moving at your speed. I’m here with you, ok?” You nod your head slowly in response. Eventually you pull yourself off and head to your car. Yunho is on cloud nine after your confession. He feels like he’s making progress with you and doesn’t feel the urge to kill.

Thursday rolls around and you’re at home getting ready to head to the club with your friend Vivian. You two were roommates in college and used to experiment a lot together. Whether that be with drugs or each other. She was your partner in crime when it came to partying. So, when she hit you up about a new upscale club that opened you couldn’t tell her no. Yunho overheard you tell Amina that you were going so he waited outside your house to follow you. He felt like you shouldn’t go somewhere like that without supervision since there are a lot of creeps in that area. At least that’s what he told himself when he was following two cars behind.

You and Vivian sit in your car before heading in. You adjust your hair and makeup making sure you both look good. Once you are both satisfied with how you look, she digs out a mint container from her purse handing you a little pastel pink pill with a smile. You grab it from her with a smile as you both place the pills in your mouths and wash it down with water.

“Let the fun begin!” You say as you both get out of the car and walk inside. You waited behind the velvet ropes for about 30 minutes, inching forward. By the time you reached the entrance, a guard scanned your ID before motioning you to the metal detector. As you walked through the doors the bass greeted your first, low enough to feel in your chest. Sapphire lighting covers the room, casting everyone in shades of blue while crystal chandeliers sparkle overhead. Velvet booths wrap around the dance floor, each occupied by groups sipping bottles of champagne that costs more than some people’s rent.

Yunho followed behind at enough of a distance to not be spotted by you, but close enough to be able to keep an eye on you. He made his way up to the second floor to occupy a booth that could see the whole floor below. He watched from above as you and Vivian danced. On the dance floor, you notice that the E is finally kicking in. Blue lights begin to wash over the room in slow waves, softening every face into something beautiful. Your body was moving to the sound of the music as the bass settles beneath your skin, each beat vibrating through your chest. It felt impossible to stop moving as you swayed your hips to the music.

Every accidental touch from Vivian sent a chill through your body and made you want more. You place your hands on her hips, pulling her closer as you both continue moving with the music. Her hands trail your body, and you look at her smiling like she’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. You’re not sure how long you’ve been dancing by now as her hands pull you into a kiss. Your body feels like fireworks are going off as she swirls her tongue in your mouth. Your hands grab at any part of her body you can put your hands on; you just need to feel her on your skin. Yunho watches from above, he can’t take his eyes off you. You look so happy and carefree. He’s lost in a trance as he watches you be free. Your lips are moving up and down Vivian’s neck as your hands continue to roam her body when you hear a a deep voice that is velvety smooth.

“Have room for one more?” You pull your lips apart and look over to see a man with shoulder length bleach blonde hair, nice plump lips and freckles lightly speckled across his face. With the blue lights shining behind him, he looks like an angel. You smile up at him before you pull him in for a kiss. Your tongues roam each others' mouths before he pulls away and kisses Vivian with as much intensity. From above, Yunhos fingers tighten against the balcony railing, knuckles turning white. Something ugly twisted in his chest. Vivian was apart of your world. She belonged. This unknown man was an intruder and he did not belong. He did not deserve to touch something that did not belong to him. Rage begins pulsing through his veins.

You go back and forth between kissing this man and then Vivian, hands all over each others' bodies you’re not sure where one ends and the other begins. He pulls away and grabs your hand.

“Follow me.” You grab Vivian’s hand as he pulls you through the crowd and down quiet hallway. Yunho watches as he brings you to a private room. He makes his way downstairs so he could be closer to the room, feeling the need to protect you from this intruder. The man leads you to a frosted covered glass door that opens into a secluded section that shares the same hue of blue lights behind hidden panels on the wall. A velvet sectional wraps around the wall with two small glass tables on the ends. There’s a champagne bottle in a bucket of ice on one table. Overhead hung a smaller chandelier similar to the one on the main dance floor. Thick charcoal carpet covers the floor swallowing the sounds of every footstep. The door closes and the sound from the main area becomes muffled.

Without a word, you and Vivian find each others' lips, pulling soft moans from each other as you begin to massage her clothed breasts. The man sits on the sectional, slumped down with his legs spread. He takes his hand and massages the bulge forming in his pants. With your mouths still connected you pull her breasts from her dress. You pull apart to bring your lips to one of her nipples as the other hand massages the other nipple. She moans as your tongue laps up and down her nipple. You wrap your lips around and begin to suck gently. Her moans become more desperate as she tangles her hand in your hair. You slide a hand down and lift up her dress. Sliding her panties to the side you run your fingers up and down her folds. You groan at how wet she is. You slide two fingers in and begin to quickly pump in and out of her. Her high comes rushing out in no time. You kiss her one last time as you both walk over to the man. By now he’s pulled out his leaking member as he strokes it watching you both. You stand in front of him and place the fingers that you just had in Vivian, in his mouth. He licks her juices off your fingers and moans.

“She tastes delicious, doesn’t she?” He nods in response as you both drop to your knees in front of him. You both take turns licking along his long member one on each side. When you get to the tip you flick your tongues on the tip and then pull each other into a kiss and then continue with the same movements. You take turns taking him fully in your mouths, each gagging on it one at a time covering it with saliva. The man’s moans roll off his tongue and vibrates through both of your cores acting as motivation to keep doing whatever you can to pull those pretty little sounds from his nice plump lips. There are a few other people in the hallway with Yunho, so he doesn’t look out of place. His jaw tightens as he can see bodies connected from the frosted glass and can hear the faint moans.

You pull the blonde man’s member from your mouth with a pop and step out of your thong. You climb in his lap and slide down on his length. You motion for Vivian to sit next to you. With your feet planted on either side of his thighs you begin bouncing up and down taking him all the way. Vivian sits next to you and spreads her legs open. You begin rubbing her clit at a quick pace. You look down and tell the man to put his fingers inside of her hole. He does as instructed, causing Vivian to scream out in pleasure. You move your fingers from her clit and place a finger in her hole as well stretching her out and meeting his pace. As you continue to bounce your juices slide down his member. She splashes you both with her release bringing you to yours as well.

You climb off and tell Vivian to lay on the carpeted floor. She gets down on the floor as she’s told, and you crawl over to her kissing her passionately. You bring your mouth from her lips down to her breasts making sure to give both attention. Then you move your way down kissing her navel and finally her throbbing hole. You grab her thighs with both hands and push them back as you devour her. Your tongue laps up and down at a vicious pace. Her back arches off the ground as you plunge two fingers inside. You arch your back, ass in the air giving the man the perfect view of your dripping hole. He licks a finger and begins rubbing your second hole.

“Don’t just tease me baby. I want you to fuck my asshole.” He can’t believe how you make such dirty words sound like heaven. He grabs his leaking member and rubs it through your folds to gather slick. He spits on your hole before he slowly pushes inside. You moan out on Vivian, sending a wave of heat to her core. The man slowly pumps in and out of your tight hole. You’re craving much harsher pumps, so you begin throwing it back at a pace you prefer.

“F-fuck baby I don’t know if I can last much longer. You’re so tight oh my God” he grunts out as you slam your ass back and forth. You bring them both to their climax at the same time. His release drips from your asshole. When Yunho hears you finish, he walks back into the crowd to blend in. He watches you all come back to the main area after a few minutes, he assumes you took a minute redressing and making yourselves look presentable again. He heads outside and waits.

You and Vivian walk over to your car. You grab her hand and pull her into another kiss. This one more passionate. She moans out which allows you to slip your tongue in her mouth. Your tongues dance against each other once more before you pull apart.

“I’m not done with you yet.” You smirk as you pull her into the backseat of your car. You climb on top of her and place your legs on each side of her leg, dropping your clothed, soaked core to hers. You begin grinding back and forth as you rock the car. You and her moan in unison as you both start dripping from your panties. You slide both of your panties to the side. “Fuck baby I wanna feel your clit on mine. You’re so wet for me oh my god.” You slide your now bare clit against hers pulling moans from you both. You’re so wrapped in each other you don’t even realize you’re being watched.

Yunho stands against a wall barely visible as he stares into the car, his breathing picking up as he watches the car rock from you bucking your clit onto Vivian’s. His gaze moves to the man walking out of the club. He lets the man get far enough ahead before he follows behind him. The man cuts through a narrow alleyway to get to the parking garage. Footsteps echo behind him. He glances over his left shoulder as a hand grips around his neck slamming him into the brick wall. His head bounces off the wall blurring his vision instantly. With both hands around the man’s neck, Yunho squeezes the last breath from his lungs. He lets go of his neck and lets the body drop to the ground lifeless as he walks away.

Once home, Yunho gets in the shower to wash the night away. Facing the water, he closes his eyes and lets the water run down his body. He slides his hand down to wrap around his length. With his eyes closed he begins to stroke himself as images of you and Vivian replay in his head. He can hear your moans from behind the frosted door. Images flashing in his head of your fucked out face and how tight you squeeze around him. He hears your voice repeating over and over how you’re going to fall in love with him and that brings him to his climax as he spills his release down the shower drain.

Chapter 3

Monday morning you make your way to the 16th floor where your job is located. Yunho had been calling and texting you all weekend, but you didn’t respond. You had a packed weekend, so you weren’t around your phone often and when you were, you used that time to decompress. You make your way to your desk and set your bags down to get ready for the day. You’re in the middle of getting your computer screens pulled up when you hear a voice behind you.

“Good morning, beautiful.” The sudden voice startles you, causing you to jump. You turn around and see Yunho standing there with an iced coffee. You slowly reach for it and take a sip. It tastes exactly how you usually order it.

“How’d you know my order?” you question.

“Oh… I overheard you mention it before.” He smiles. You feel unsure about when you could have mentioned your drink order to someone, but his smile warms you up, so you brush it off.

“O-oh. Thank you.” He stands there a minute longer in an awkward silence before he speaks again.

“So, uh. I had called and text you over the weekend. I didn’t hear from you after you snuck out. Is everything alright?” his voice was shaky at first but became more steady towards the end of his sentence.

“Yea, sorry I was pretty busy this weekend. I barely had time to look at my phone.”

“Mm.” Was all he said. His response didn’t sit right with you causing you to scrunch your face up at him. But before you could say anything back, he walks away. “Have a good shift.” He says smiling as he’s turning around. You ignore it and get to work.

Later that day, Yunho is walking to the restroom and notices your coworker, Eric at your cubicle. He stops in his tracks and watches as you laugh and flirt with Eric. He sees you rub your hand on his arm. His blood is boiling at the sight. He clenches his fist with his jaw tight and continues his trip to the restroom.

Thirty minutes later he sees you walk into the copy room. He follows behind you, creeping up on you while you scan a file at the copy machine. From behind he grabs a handful of your hair, pulling your head to the side. You let out a gasp as he brushes his lips against your ear as he whispers.

“He can’t fuck you like I do. He can’t make you cum back-to-back the way I do.” His voice vibrates straight to your center. He moves a hand to the waistband of your skirt and slides his hand inside making his way to your clit. Your breath hitches as he draws tight circles on your clit. You can’t even think straight the way he’s pulling you closer to your peak. Your eyes close as your head lulls back resting on his shoulder as you’re almost about to cum. Right when you’re about to cum, he snatches his hands from your skirt leaving you panting, trying to catch your breath. He licks your arousal off his fingers as he walks away with a smug grin.

It feels like it takes forever for you to steady your breathing. The rest of your shift you’re sitting at your desk, pressing your thighs together as you try and stop the need to be touched. Your core is pulsating the rest of the day you’re not even sure how you were able to get any of your remaining work done.

At the end of the shift Yunho heads to the garage. He’s walking like he’s on a mission, quickly turning corners as he makes his way to his target. He finally catches up with who he was looking for. He sees Eric getting closer to his car and before he gets the door open Yunho rushes him, pushing him against the wall. He holds him up against the wall gripping his collar.

“Stay away from y/n.” He says through his teeth.

“Yunho! Hey it’s not even like that.” Eric tries to reason with him. Yunho lets out a cold laugh.

“Emily, that’s your daughter, right? She goes to 12 school; her teacher is Miss Wilma? That’s her, correct? Yeaaaa, that’s her. I suggest if you don’t want anything to happen to your little princess, you don’t come near mine. Do I make myself clear?” Eric nods quickly, tears brimming his eyes.

“Y-yea. I hear you man.” Yunho has him pinned against the wall still as he begins to laugh again. He lets go of Eric and then brushes off his collar before he taps his cheek twice.

“Alright, good talk man.” Yunho says as he walks away towards the level his car is on. Unaware of what just happened, you see Yunho approaching his car and you call out his name. He stops when he hears your voice. You don’t say anything else you just walk up to him and pull him in for a kiss. Your lips crash into his as you start pushing him towards his car door. He unlocks the door while your lips are still connected and you both climb in the front seat. He leans the driver's seat back giving you enough room to straddle his lap.

“I’ve been thinking about fucking you all day. I need to feel you inside me.” Your voice comes out breathy as you lift your skirt up and pull your panties to the side. He pulls himself out of his pants and lines himself up with your entrance. He moves the tip back and forth gathering slick causing you both to moan.

“Look how wet you are for me already.” He moans out. You sink down on his length and sit for a second when you bottom out. You begin to grind on him once you’ve adjusted to his length. You throw your head back as you continue to roll your hips forward.

“Fuck, you feel so good daddy. You’re so deep oh my god.” You whimper as you look at him, eyelids half lidded. Just looking at your fucked out face brings him close. He grabs your hips and begins thrusting up into you. “Oh my god I missed feeling you inside me. Fuck daddy you fuck me so good!” You scream out as you feel your climax nearing. Yunho moves his thumb to rub over your sensitive clit to pull your orgasm from you. Following behind you, he paints your walls white as he releases inside you. He grunts loudly as you milk him for every drop.

The sounds of heavy breathing fill the car as you both try and catch your breath. With him still inside you, you grab his face a place a soft, gentle kiss on his lips. You pull away and meet his gaze. The more you look at him the more you begin to admire his features. You knew he was handsome, but when you sit here in this moment, your eyes tracing every feature on his face, your heart flutters and you start feeling something different. Before you could stop yourself, you whisper out,

“You’re going to make me fall for you.”  You gasp and cover your mouth immediately. “I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” You curse yourself for saying that out loud. That was supposed to stay an inside thought. You’re not even sure what you feel right now but you feel a shift, and it scares you. You’re not ready to be in a new relationship yet. You’ve barely had time to enjoy your newfound freedom. You’re not looking to rush into anything or be serious with anyone just yet. He grabs your face and kisses you before he speaks.

“Hey, look at me. I’m moving at your speed. I’m here with you, ok?” You nod your head slowly in response. Eventually you pull yourself off and head to your car. Yunho is on cloud nine after your confession. He feels like he’s making progress with you and doesn’t feel the urge to kill.

Thursday rolls around and you’re at home getting ready to head to the club with your friend Vivian. You two were roommates in college and used to experiment a lot together. Whether that be with drugs or each other. She was your partner in crime when it came to partying. So, when she hit you up about a new upscale club that opened you couldn’t tell her no. Yunho overheard you tell Amina that you were going so he waited outside your house to follow you. He felt like you shouldn’t go somewhere like that without supervision since there are a lot of creeps in that area. At least that’s what he told himself when he was following two cars behind.

You and Vivian sit in your car before heading in. You adjust your hair and makeup making sure you both look good. Once you are both satisfied with how you look, she digs out a mint container from her purse handing you a little pastel pink pill with a smile. You grab it from her with a smile as you both place the pills in your mouths and wash it down with water.

“Let the fun begin!” You say as you both get out of the car and walk inside. You waited behind the velvet ropes for about 30 minutes, inching forward. By the time you reached the entrance, a guard scanned your ID before motioning you to the metal detector. As you walked through the doors the bass greeted your first, low enough to feel in your chest. Sapphire lighting covers the room, casting everyone in shades of blue while crystal chandeliers sparkle overhead. Velvet booths wrap around the dance floor, each occupied by groups sipping bottles of champagne that costs more than some people’s rent.

Yunho followed behind at enough of a distance to not be spotted by you, but close enough to be able to keep an eye on you. He made his way up to the second floor to occupy a booth that could see the whole floor below. He watched from above as you and Vivian danced. On the dance floor, you notice that the E is finally kicking in. Blue lights begin to wash over the room in slow waves, softening every face into something beautiful. Your body was moving to the sound of the music as the bass settles beneath your skin, each beat vibrating through your chest. It felt impossible to stop moving as you swayed your hips to the music.

Every accidental touch from Vivian sent a chill through your body and made you want more. You place your hands on her hips, pulling her closer as you both continue moving with the music. Her hands trail your body, and you look at her smiling like she’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. You’re not sure how long you’ve been dancing by now as her hands pull you into a kiss. Your body feels like fireworks are going off as she swirls her tongue in your mouth. Your hands grab at any part of her body you can put your hands on; you just need to feel her on your skin. Yunho watches from above, he can’t take his eyes off you. You look so happy and carefree. He’s lost in a trance as he watches you be free. Your lips are moving up and down Vivian’s neck as your hands continue to roam her body when you hear a a deep voice that is velvety smooth.

“Have room for one more?” You pull your lips apart and look over to see a man with shoulder length bleach blonde hair, nice plump lips and freckles lightly speckled across his face. With the blue lights shining behind him, he looks like an angel. You smile up at him before you pull him in for a kiss. Your tongues roam each others' mouths before he pulls away and kisses Vivian with as much intensity. From above, Yunhos fingers tighten against the balcony railing, knuckles turning white. Something ugly twisted in his chest. Vivian was apart of your world. She belonged. This unknown man was an intruder and he did not belong. He did not deserve to touch something that did not belong to him. Rage begins pulsing through his veins.

You go back and forth between kissing this man and then Vivian, hands all over each others' bodies you’re not sure where one ends and the other begins. He pulls away and grabs your hand.

“Follow me.” You grab Vivian’s hand as he pulls you through the crowd and down quiet hallway. Yunho watches as he brings you to a private room. He makes his way downstairs so he could be closer to the room, feeling the need to protect you from this intruder. The man leads you to a frosted covered glass door that opens into a secluded section that shares the same hue of blue lights behind hidden panels on the wall. A velvet sectional wraps around the wall with two small glass tables on the ends. There’s a champagne bottle in a bucket of ice on one table. Overhead hung a smaller chandelier similar to the one on the main dance floor. Thick charcoal carpet covers the floor swallowing the sounds of every footstep. The door closes and the sound from the main area becomes muffled.

Without a word, you and Vivian find each others' lips, pulling soft moans from each other as you begin to massage her clothed breasts. The man sits on the sectional, slumped down with his legs spread. He takes his hand and massages the bulge forming in his pants. With your mouths still connected you pull her breasts from her dress. You pull apart to bring your lips to one of her nipples as the other hand massages the other nipple. She moans as your tongue laps up and down her nipple. You wrap your lips around and begin to suck gently. Her moans become more desperate as she tangles her hand in your hair. You slide a hand down and lift up her dress. Sliding her panties to the side you run your fingers up and down her folds. You groan at how wet she is. You slide two fingers in and begin to quickly pump in and out of her. Her high comes rushing out in no time. You kiss her one last time as you both walk over to the man. By now he’s pulled out his leaking member as he strokes it watching you both. You stand in front of him and place the fingers that you just had in Vivian, in his mouth. He licks her juices off your fingers and moans.

“She tastes delicious, doesn’t she?” He nods in response as you both drop to your knees in front of him. You both take turns licking along his long member one on each side. When you get to the tip you flick your tongues on the tip and then pull each other into a kiss and then continue with the same movements. You take turns taking him fully in your mouths, each gagging on it one at a time covering it with saliva. The man’s moans roll off his tongue and vibrates through both of your cores acting as motivation to keep doing whatever you can to pull those pretty little sounds from his nice plump lips. There are a few other people in the hallway with Yunho, so he doesn’t look out of place. His jaw tightens as he can see bodies connected from the frosted glass and can hear the faint moans.

You pull the blonde man’s member from your mouth with a pop and step out of your thong. You climb in his lap and slide down on his length. You motion for Vivian to sit next to you. With your feet planted on either side of his thighs you begin bouncing up and down taking him all the way. Vivian sits next to you and spreads her legs open. You begin rubbing her clit at a quick pace. You look down and tell the man to put his fingers inside of her hole. He does as instructed, causing Vivian to scream out in pleasure. You move your fingers from her clit and place a finger in her hole as well stretching her out and meeting his pace. As you continue to bounce your juices slide down his member. She splashes you both with her release bringing you to yours as well.

You climb off and tell Vivian to lay on the carpeted floor. She gets down on the floor as she’s told, and you crawl over to her kissing her passionately. You bring your mouth from her lips down to her breasts making sure to give both attention. Then you move your way down kissing her navel and finally her throbbing hole. You grab her thighs with both hands and push them back as you devour her. Your tongue laps up and down at a vicious pace. Her back arches off the ground as you plunge two fingers inside. You arch your back, ass in the air giving the man the perfect view of your dripping hole. He licks a finger and begins rubbing your second hole.

“Don’t just tease me baby. I want you to fuck my asshole.” He can’t believe how you make such dirty words sound like heaven. He grabs his leaking member and rubs it through your folds to gather slick. He spits on your hole before he slowly pushes inside. You moan out on Vivian, sending a wave of heat to her core. The man slowly pumps in and out of your tight hole. You’re craving much harsher pumps, so you begin throwing it back at a pace you prefer.

“F-fuck baby I don’t know if I can last much longer. You’re so tight oh my God” he grunts out as you slam your ass back and forth. You bring them both to their climax at the same time. His release drips from your asshole. When Yunho hears you finish, he walks back into the crowd to blend in. He watches you all come back to the main area after a few minutes, he assumes you took a minute redressing and making yourselves look presentable again. He heads outside and waits.

You and Vivian walk over to your car. You grab her hand and pull her into another kiss. This one more passionate. She moans out which allows you to slip your tongue in her mouth. Your tongues dance against each other once more before you pull apart.

“I’m not done with you yet.” You smirk as you pull her into the backseat of your car. You climb on top of her and place your legs on each side of her leg, dropping your clothed, soaked core to hers. You begin grinding back and forth as you rock the car. You and her moan in unison as you both start dripping from your panties. You slide both of your panties to the side. “Fuck baby I wanna feel your clit on mine. You’re so wet for me oh my god.” You slide your now bare clit against hers pulling moans from you both. You’re so wrapped in each other you don’t even realize you’re being watched.

Yunho stands against a wall barely visible as he stares into the car, his breathing picking up as he watches the car rock from you bucking your clit onto Vivian’s. His gaze moves to the man walking out of the club. He lets the man get far enough ahead before he follows behind him. The man cuts through a narrow alleyway to get to the parking garage. Footsteps echo behind him. He glances over his left shoulder as a hand grips around his neck slamming him into the brick wall. His head bounces off the wall blurring his vision instantly. With both hands around the man’s neck, Yunho squeezes the last breath from his lungs. He lets go of his neck and lets the body drop to the ground lifeless as he walks away.

Once home, Yunho gets in the shower to wash the night away. Facing the water, he closes his eyes and lets the water run down his body. He slides his hand down to wrap around his length. With his eyes closed he begins to stroke himself as images of you and Vivian replay in his head. He can hear your moans from behind the frosted door. Images flashing in his head of your fucked out face and how tight you squeeze around him. He hears your voice repeating over and over how you’re going to fall in love with him and that brings him to his climax as he spills his release down the shower drain.

Chapter 3

Monday morning you make your way to the 16th floor where your job is located. Yunho had been calling and texting you all weekend, but you didn’t respond. You had a packed weekend, so you weren’t around your phone often and when you were, you used that time to decompress. You make your way to your desk and set your bags down to get ready for the day. You’re in the middle of getting your computer screens pulled up when you hear a voice behind you.

“Good morning, beautiful.” The sudden voice startles you, causing you to jump. You turn around and see Yunho standing there with an iced coffee. You slowly reach for it and take a sip. It tastes exactly how you usually order it.

“How’d you know my order?” you question.

“Oh… I overheard you mention it before.” He smiles. You feel unsure about when you could have mentioned your drink order to someone, but his smile warms you up, so you brush it off.

“O-oh. Thank you.” He stands there a minute longer in an awkward silence before he speaks again.

“So, uh. I had called and text you over the weekend. I didn’t hear from you after you snuck out. Is everything alright?” his voice was shaky at first but became more steady towards the end of his sentence.

“Yea, sorry I was pretty busy this weekend. I barely had time to look at my phone.”

“Mm.” Was all he said. His response didn’t sit right with you causing you to scrunch your face up at him. But before you could say anything back, he walks away. “Have a good shift.” He says smiling as he’s turning around. You ignore it and get to work.

Later that day, Yunho is walking to the restroom and notices your coworker, Eric at your cubicle. He stops in his tracks and watches as you laugh and flirt with Eric. He sees you rub your hand on his arm. His blood is boiling at the sight. He clenches his fist with his jaw tight and continues his trip to the restroom.

Thirty minutes later he sees you walk into the copy room. He follows behind you, creeping up on you while you scan a file at the copy machine. From behind he grabs a handful of your hair, pulling your head to the side. You let out a gasp as he brushes his lips against your ear as he whispers.

“He can’t fuck you like I do. He can’t make you cum back-to-back the way I do.” His voice vibrates straight to your center. He moves a hand to the waistband of your skirt and slides his hand inside making his way to your clit. Your breath hitches as he draws tight circles on your clit. You can’t even think straight the way he’s pulling you closer to your peak. Your eyes close as your head lulls back resting on his shoulder as you’re almost about to cum. Right when you’re about to cum, he snatches his hands from your skirt leaving you panting, trying to catch your breath. He licks your arousal off his fingers as he walks away with a smug grin.

It feels like it takes forever for you to steady your breathing. The rest of your shift you’re sitting at your desk, pressing your thighs together as you try and stop the need to be touched. Your core is pulsating the rest of the day you’re not even sure how you were able to get any of your remaining work done.

At the end of the shift Yunho heads to the garage. He’s walking like he’s on a mission, quickly turning corners as he makes his way to his target. He finally catches up with who he was looking for. He sees Eric getting closer to his car and before he gets the door open Yunho rushes him, pushing him against the wall. He holds him up against the wall gripping his collar.

“Stay away from y/n.” He says through his teeth.

“Yunho! Hey it’s not even like that.” Eric tries to reason with him. Yunho lets out a cold laugh.

“Emily, that’s your daughter, right? She goes to 12 school; her teacher is Miss Wilma? That’s her, correct? Yeaaaa, that’s her. I suggest if you don’t want anything to happen to your little princess, you don’t come near mine. Do I make myself clear?” Eric nods quickly, tears brimming his eyes.

“Y-yea. I hear you man.” Yunho has him pinned against the wall still as he begins to laugh again. He lets go of Eric and then brushes off his collar before he taps his cheek twice.

“Alright, good talk man.” Yunho says as he walks away towards the level his car is on. Unaware of what just happened, you see Yunho approaching his car and you call out his name. He stops when he hears your voice. You don’t say anything else you just walk up to him and pull him in for a kiss. Your lips crash into his as you start pushing him towards his car door. He unlocks the door while your lips are still connected and you both climb in the front seat. He leans the driver's seat back giving you enough room to straddle his lap.

“I’ve been thinking about fucking you all day. I need to feel you inside me.” Your voice comes out breathy as you lift your skirt up and pull your panties to the side. He pulls himself out of his pants and lines himself up with your entrance. He moves the tip back and forth gathering slick causing you both to moan.

“Look how wet you are for me already.” He moans out. You sink down on his length and sit for a second when you bottom out. You begin to grind on him once you’ve adjusted to his length. You throw your head back as you continue to roll your hips forward.

“Fuck, you feel so good daddy. You’re so deep oh my god.” You whimper as you look at him, eyelids half lidded. Just looking at your fucked out face brings him close. He grabs your hips and begins thrusting up into you. “Oh my god I missed feeling you inside me. Fuck daddy you fuck me so good!” You scream out as you feel your climax nearing. Yunho moves his thumb to rub over your sensitive clit to pull your orgasm from you. Following behind you, he paints your walls white as he releases inside you. He grunts loudly as you milk him for every drop.

The sounds of heavy breathing fill the car as you both try and catch your breath. With him still inside you, you grab his face a place a soft, gentle kiss on his lips. You pull away and meet his gaze. The more you look at him the more you begin to admire his features. You knew he was handsome, but when you sit here in this moment, your eyes tracing every feature on his face, your heart flutters and you start feeling something different. Before you could stop yourself, you whisper out,

“You’re going to make me fall for you.”  You gasp and cover your mouth immediately. “I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” You curse yourself for saying that out loud. That was supposed to stay an inside thought. You’re not even sure what you feel right now but you feel a shift, and it scares you. You’re not ready to be in a new relationship yet. You’ve barely had time to enjoy your newfound freedom. You’re not looking to rush into anything or be serious with anyone just yet. He grabs your face and kisses you before he speaks.

“Hey, look at me. I’m moving at your speed. I’m here with you, ok?” You nod your head slowly in response. Eventually you pull yourself off and head to your car. Yunho is on cloud nine after your confession. He feels like he’s making progress with you and doesn’t feel the urge to kill.

Thursday rolls around and you’re at home getting ready to head to the club with your friend Vivian. You two were roommates in college and used to experiment a lot together. Whether that be with drugs or each other. She was your partner in crime when it came to partying. So, when she hit you up about a new upscale club that opened you couldn’t tell her no. Yunho overheard you tell Amina that you were going so he waited outside your house to follow you. He felt like you shouldn’t go somewhere like that without supervision since there are a lot of creeps in that area. At least that’s what he told himself when he was following two cars behind.

You and Vivian sit in your car before heading in. You adjust your hair and makeup making sure you both look good. Once you are both satisfied with how you look, she digs out a mint container from her purse handing you a little pastel pink pill with a smile. You grab it from her with a smile as you both place the pills in your mouths and wash it down with water.

“Let the fun begin!” You say as you both get out of the car and walk inside. You waited behind the velvet ropes for about 30 minutes, inching forward. By the time you reached the entrance, a guard scanned your ID before motioning you to the metal detector. As you walked through the doors the bass greeted your first, low enough to feel in your chest. Sapphire lighting covers the room, casting everyone in shades of blue while crystal chandeliers sparkle overhead. Velvet booths wrap around the dance floor, each occupied by groups sipping bottles of champagne that costs more than some people’s rent.

Yunho followed behind at enough of a distance to not be spotted by you, but close enough to be able to keep an eye on you. He made his way up to the second floor to occupy a booth that could see the whole floor below. He watched from above as you and Vivian danced. On the dance floor, you notice that the E is finally kicking in. Blue lights begin to wash over the room in slow waves, softening every face into something beautiful. Your body was moving to the sound of the music as the bass settles beneath your skin, each beat vibrating through your chest. It felt impossible to stop moving as you swayed your hips to the music.

Every accidental touch from Vivian sent a chill through your body and made you want more. You place your hands on her hips, pulling her closer as you both continue moving with the music. Her hands trail your body, and you look at her smiling like she’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. You’re not sure how long you’ve been dancing by now as her hands pull you into a kiss. Your body feels like fireworks are going off as she swirls her tongue in your mouth. Your hands grab at any part of her body you can put your hands on; you just need to feel her on your skin. Yunho watches from above, he can’t take his eyes off you. You look so happy and carefree. He’s lost in a trance as he watches you be free. Your lips are moving up and down Vivian’s neck as your hands continue to roam her body when you hear a a deep voice that is velvety smooth.

“Have room for one more?” You pull your lips apart and look over to see a man with shoulder length bleach blonde hair, nice plump lips and freckles lightly speckled across his face. With the blue lights shining behind him, he looks like an angel. You smile up at him before you pull him in for a kiss. Your tongues roam each others' mouths before he pulls away and kisses Vivian with as much intensity. From above, Yunhos fingers tighten against the balcony railing, knuckles turning white. Something ugly twisted in his chest. Vivian was apart of your world. She belonged. This unknown man was an intruder and he did not belong. He did not deserve to touch something that did not belong to him. Rage begins pulsing through his veins.

You go back and forth between kissing this man and then Vivian, hands all over each others' bodies you’re not sure where one ends and the other begins. He pulls away and grabs your hand.

“Follow me.” You grab Vivian’s hand as he pulls you through the crowd and down quiet hallway. Yunho watches as he brings you to a private room. He makes his way downstairs so he could be closer to the room, feeling the need to protect you from this intruder. The man leads you to a frosted covered glass door that opens into a secluded section that shares the same hue of blue lights behind hidden panels on the wall. A velvet sectional wraps around the wall with two small glass tables on the ends. There’s a champagne bottle in a bucket of ice on one table. Overhead hung a smaller chandelier similar to the one on the main dance floor. Thick charcoal carpet covers the floor swallowing the sounds of every footstep. The door closes and the sound from the main area becomes muffled.

Without a word, you and Vivian find each others' lips, pulling soft moans from each other as you begin to massage her clothed breasts. The man sits on the sectional, slumped down with his legs spread. He takes his hand and massages the bulge forming in his pants. With your mouths still connected you pull her breasts from her dress. You pull apart to bring your lips to one of her nipples as the other hand massages the other nipple. She moans as your tongue laps up and down her nipple. You wrap your lips around and begin to suck gently. Her moans become more desperate as she tangles her hand in your hair. You slide a hand down and lift up her dress. Sliding her panties to the side you run your fingers up and down her folds. You groan at how wet she is. You slide two fingers in and begin to quickly pump in and out of her. Her high comes rushing out in no time. You kiss her one last time as you both walk over to the man. By now he’s pulled out his leaking member as he strokes it watching you both. You stand in front of him and place the fingers that you just had in Vivian, in his mouth. He licks her juices off your fingers and moans.

“She tastes delicious, doesn’t she?” He nods in response as you both drop to your knees in front of him. You both take turns licking along his long member one on each side. When you get to the tip you flick your tongues on the tip and then pull each other into a kiss and then continue with the same movements. You take turns taking him fully in your mouths, each gagging on it one at a time covering it with saliva. The man’s moans roll off his tongue and vibrates through both of your cores acting as motivation to keep doing whatever you can to pull those pretty little sounds from his nice plump lips. There are a few other people in the hallway with Yunho, so he doesn’t look out of place. His jaw tightens as he can see bodies connected from the frosted glass and can hear the faint moans.

You pull the blonde man’s member from your mouth with a pop and step out of your thong. You climb in his lap and slide down on his length. You motion for Vivian to sit next to you. With your feet planted on either side of his thighs you begin bouncing up and down taking him all the way. Vivian sits next to you and spreads her legs open. You begin rubbing her clit at a quick pace. You look down and tell the man to put his fingers inside of her hole. He does as instructed, causing Vivian to scream out in pleasure. You move your fingers from her clit and place a finger in her hole as well stretching her out and meeting his pace. As you continue to bounce your juices slide down his member. She splashes you both with her release bringing you to yours as well.

You climb off and tell Vivian to lay on the carpeted floor. She gets down on the floor as she’s told, and you crawl over to her kissing her passionately. You bring your mouth from her lips down to her breasts making sure to give both attention. Then you move your way down kissing her navel and finally her throbbing hole. You grab her thighs with both hands and push them back as you devour her. Your tongue laps up and down at a vicious pace. Her back arches off the ground as you plunge two fingers inside. You arch your back, ass in the air giving the man the perfect view of your dripping hole. He licks a finger and begins rubbing your second hole.

“Don’t just tease me baby. I want you to fuck my asshole.” He can’t believe how you make such dirty words sound like heaven. He grabs his leaking member and rubs it through your folds to gather slick. He spits on your hole before he slowly pushes inside. You moan out on Vivian, sending a wave of heat to her core. The man slowly pumps in and out of your tight hole. You’re craving much harsher pumps, so you begin throwing it back at a pace you prefer.

“F-fuck baby I don’t know if I can last much longer. You’re so tight oh my God” he grunts out as you slam your ass back and forth. You bring them both to their climax at the same time. His release drips from your asshole. When Yunho hears you finish, he walks back into the crowd to blend in. He watches you all come back to the main area after a few minutes, he assumes you took a minute redressing and making yourselves look presentable again. He heads outside and waits.

You and Vivian walk over to your car. You grab her hand and pull her into another kiss. This one more passionate. She moans out which allows you to slip your tongue in her mouth. Your tongues dance against each other once more before you pull apart.

“I’m not done with you yet.” You smirk as you pull her into the backseat of your car. You climb on top of her and place your legs on each side of her leg, dropping your clothed, soaked core to hers. You begin grinding back and forth as you rock the car. You and her moan in unison as you both start dripping from your panties. You slide both of your panties to the side. “Fuck baby I wanna feel your clit on mine. You’re so wet for me oh my god.” You slide your now bare clit against hers pulling moans from you both. You’re so wrapped in each other you don’t even realize you’re being watched.

Yunho stands against a wall barely visible as he stares into the car, his breathing picking up as he watches the car rock from you bucking your clit onto Vivian’s. His gaze moves to the man walking out of the club. He lets the man get far enough ahead before he follows behind him. The man cuts through a narrow alleyway to get to the parking garage. Footsteps echo behind him. He glances over his left shoulder as a hand grips around his neck slamming him into the brick wall. His head bounces off the wall blurring his vision instantly. With both hands around the man’s neck, Yunho squeezes the last breath from his lungs. He lets go of his neck and lets the body drop to the ground lifeless as he walks away.

Once home, Yunho gets in the shower to wash the night away. Facing the water, he closes his eyes and lets the water run down his body. He slides his hand down to wrap around his length. With his eyes closed he begins to stroke himself as images of you and Vivian replay in his head. He can hear your moans from behind the frosted door. Images flashing in his head of your fucked out face and how tight you squeeze around him. He hears your voice repeating over and over how you’re going to fall in love with him and that brings him to his climax as he spills his release down the shower drain.