#boynextdoor reader

— always makes sure you're warm

it’s late at night, and you’re curled up on the couch, scrolling through your phone. you don’t even realize that the blanket has slipped off your shoulders until you feel the familiar warmth of it being draped back over you. leehan doesn’t say a word, just tucks the fabric around you carefully, making sure it covers your feet too.

he sits beside you, letting his arm rest behind you on the couch, fingers lightly tracing patterns along your back. “you always forget,” he murmurs, amusement laced in his voice.

you glance up at him, already feeling sleepier under the newfound warmth. “that’s why i have you,” you mumble, leaning into his side.

he smiles, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “always.”

— listens to you even when you think he’s not

weeks ago, you had offhandedly mentioned a bakery you wanted to visit. you never brought it up again, not even thinking leehan would remember. but now, you’re standing right in front of it, your fingers intertwined with his as he grins down at you.

“surprise,” he says, nudging you toward the entrance.

you blink, a little stunned. “wait… you remembered?”

he squeezes your hand like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “of course. you looked so excited talking about it. figured we had to come.”

your heart swells, and before you can stop yourself, you throw your arms around him, hugging him tight. he chuckles, easily wrapping his arms around your waist. “thank you,” you whisper into his shoulder.

he tilts his head, lips brushing against your ear. “anything for you.”

— gives you the last bite

you’re both sharing a slice of cake, forks clinking softly against the plate. it’s your favorite kind, and leehan loves it too, which is why you’re extra aware when there’s only one bite left. you glance at him, ready to offer it, but before you can say anything, he pushes the last bite toward you with a small smile.

“you have it,” he says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

you frown. “but you like this.”

he shrugs, leaning his chin on his palm as he watches you. “yeah, but i like you more.”

your face heats up, and he just laughs, nudging your fork closer to your lips. “eat, love.” and you do—because how could you ever say no to him?

— knows when you're about to cry before you do

you’re staring at your laptop, blinking rapidly, willing yourself not to cry. the weight of the day is pressing down on you, frustration knotting in your chest. you don’t say anything, don’t even make a sound—but leehan notices. he always does.

he doesn’t ask what’s wrong. instead, he silently pulls you into his arms, his warmth wrapping around you like a shield. his hand finds your back, rubbing slow, comforting circles, and it’s all it takes for the dam to break.

“i got you,” he murmurs against your hair, his voice soft, steady.

you clutch onto him, letting the tears fall, and he just holds you—no questions, no rush. just him, just this, just the quiet understanding that he’ll always be there.

— waits for you to text that you got home safe

you say goodnight, part ways, but you know he’s not going to sleep until he gets your message. and true enough, the second you step inside your home, you send a quick, just got home!

his reply comes instantly. good. sleep well, love.

sometimes, when it’s late, he adds, call me before you sleep? just wanna hear your voice. and even though you’re tired, even though the day has drained you, you always call. because his voice feels like home, and there’s nothing more comforting than hearing him say, “rest well, baby. sweet dreams.”

— ties your shoelaces for you

you groan as you bend down to tie your sneaker, only for your fingers to fumble with the laces. before you can get frustrated, leehan is already crouching in front of you, hands gently pushing yours away.

“let me,” he says, his voice soft.

you watch as he carefully loops the laces into a neat bow, his brows furrowing in concentration. when he’s done, he looks up at you with a small smile. “all set.”

you shake your head, amusement flickering in your eyes. “you know i could’ve done that myself, right?”

he stands up, dusting off his jeans before reaching to brush your hair back. “i know. but i like taking care of you.”

your chest tightens in the best way, and all you can do is cup his face, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “you’re too sweet.”

he grins. “only for you.”

— carries your things without you having to ask

shopping bags, books, your water bottle—whatever it is, leehan always takes it from your hands before you even realize you need help.

“it’s heavy,” you protest when he swings your bag over his shoulder like it weighs nothing.

he just shrugs, looking completely unbothered. “not for me.”

you pout, reaching to take it back, but he smoothly dodges you, a teasing glint in his eyes. “nice try.”

you huff, but secretly, you love it. especially when he casually holds your things in one hand and your hand in the other, as if both are equally precious to him.

— remembers your coffee order

you drag yourself out of bed, still groggy, only to be greeted by leehan standing in the kitchen, holding out your exact coffee order.

“for you,” he says, placing it in your hands.

you blink, wrapping your fingers around the warm cup. “how’d you—”

he tilts his head, lips curving into a soft smile. “you always get this when you’re tired. figured i’d save you the trouble.”

your heart does a little flip. you take a sip, warmth spreading through you—not just from the coffee, but from him.

— tucks your hair behind your ear

whenever the wind blows your hair into your face, leehan’s hand is already there, gently tucking the strands behind your ear. it’s an automatic gesture, something he does without even thinking.

sometimes, his fingers linger, brushing against your skin as he looks at you, his eyes soft, unreadable. “pretty,” he murmurs, almost to himself.

and you? you melt. every single time.

— loves you in ways you don't even realize

it’s in the way he always walks on the side closest to the road. in how he instinctively reaches for your hand in a crowded place. in how he watches you with quiet admiration, even when you’re rambling about something completely random.

it’s in the way he loves you—not loudly, not in grand gestures, but in a million quiet, thoughtful ways that remind you, over and over again, that he’s yours.

it’s just leehan. your leehan. the bestest boy ever.

the summer heat was killing you—the kind of heat that made you feel like you were going to melt any second from now. campers ran across the grass, some chasing stray balls, others arguing over who truly won pop the balloon. you stood at the starting line, clipboard in hand as you wrote down names of the campers who were going to participate in the next activity—trying your hardest to look like a responsible team captain while at it. beside you, jaehyun—co captain, tightened his blue bandana tied around his forehead. “ready to beat the red team?” he asked, low but bursting with excitement. “i’m ready to win,” you replied, writing down the last score on the sheet. jaehyun whined, bumping his shoulder lightly against yours. you opened your mouth to respond, but before you could, a group of campers rushed past—still buzzing from their last game. they slowed down when they noticed the two of you standing side by side. “you guys are together, right?” one of them blurted, loud enough for everyone in a 10-foot radius to hear. your head snapped up, “what?!” jaehyun, who was completely unfazed, glanced up at them and then at you, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “we’re just partners, that’s all,” he told them, winking back at the kids. “right (reader)?” the group of children just stared at him, that’s when one of them screamed “ayoo?!” all you could do was just roll your eyes and continue writing away at your sheet. the whistle blew, signalling the end of the quick break. campers scrambled toward the centre of the field, crowding around the camp leader. “alright!” she called, her voice booming over the chatter. “it’s time for the main event—the captain’s race! captains, grab your co-captains. you’ll be doing a piggyback relay to the finish line and back. first team across wins double points!”

your head snapped toward jaehyun, only to find him already looking at you with that infuriating smirk. “don’t tell me you’re shy,” he chirped, crouching slightly and patting his shoulder. “c’mon, hop on. promise i won’t drop you, pretty,” he added with a wink. your stomach flipped—not from the race, but from how easily he said it, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

at the starting line, the other six captain pairs were chatting while you waited. woonhak, co-captain of the green team, bounded over with a grin. “you are so going down!” you snorted. “you’re literally in last place, what are you talking about?” woonhak’s face fell as he trudged back, muttering under his breath.

“everyone ready?” the leader asked, scanning the line. the kids went wild, screaming for their captains. jaehyun looked at you again, softer this time. “you trust me?” your hands hovered over his shoulders. you took a deep breath. “yeah… but if you drop me—” “i’m not dropping you,” he cut in, steadying your legs as you climbed on. the moment your arms wrapped around his neck, he leaned back just enough to murmur, “told you so.”

before you could roll your eyes, the whistle blew. jaehyun launched forward, the ground flying past under his feet. the wind rushed against your face, your grip tightening as his laugh rumbled through his chest. “you holding on okay back there?” he called over his shoulder. “just focus on winning!” you yelled back, hiding your grin against his shoulder. jaehyun thundered down the field, your legs wrapped around his waist. the crowd’s cheers blurred into one, but all you could hear was the quick pounding of his heartbeat under your chin. you felt like you were soaring through the sky—nothing could ever compare to this feeling you were having right now.

turning the corner, jaehyun slowed down just enough to make sure you didn’t fall off—something that some of the other teams didn’t do. “hold on tight, we’re almost there,” he grinned, eyes sparkling with excitement. you tightened your grip even more, making sure you didn’t fall off, trying your hardest not to laugh as you saw someone fall off their partner.

at the far end, you jumped off and switched places with jaehyun in a smooth order. “get on my back, now!” you shouted. jaehyun complied, and you tried your best to run as fast as you could with the boy on your shoulder. “look at you, i see you superwoman!” he teased. you grunted as you continued running to the finish line. your team erupted into cheers as you and red team were neck and neck, the kids shouting your names as you put all of your energy into making it to the finish line.

“we are so winning this!” he cheered, rubbing small circles into your shoulder, trying to soothe you. when you touched the finish line, the entire team exploded into cheers. jaehyun hopped off of you and held you up as your heart beat like crazy. all the kids on your team huddled around you, cheering praises. never did jaehyun take his eyes off of you, looking at every detail that was on you. “told you i wouldn’t drop you!” he teased, holding you upright.

“ouuuh! jaehyun and (reader) are getting all touchy touchy!” one of the kids sang, but all you could do was laugh as you leaned into jaehyun’s embrace. without even thinking about it, you entangled your fingers with his, making jaehyun lean in closer to your ear. “feeding into their fantasies, now are we?” he teased. “i like it though,” he said softly before looking at the kids who were screaming like crazy at the sudden action. your heart fluttered—maybe the kids were onto something.

the cheers slowly died down as the kids ran off to get their snacks, leaving you and jaehyun alone on the sidelines. you leaned your head on his shoulder, still catching your breath. “you really saved me back there,” you whispered, fingers still tangled with his. he smiled softly, loosening his grip from your hand. “hey, you’re the one who carried us though, did you see the distance between us and the other team?” jaehyun’s hand found yours once again, squeezing gently.

“y’know, i kinda hoped this day would be memorable,” you chuckled. “well, with you piggybacking me, it definitely was.” the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with warm hues. jaehyun’s eyes sparkled in the golden light, and you could swear your heart skipped a beat with every second you spent staring into his eyes. “so… what’s next for the unstoppable blue team captains?” he teased. you smiled shyly. “hmm, maybe a victory dinner? and some teasing from the kiddos.” he laughed. “yeah, i can already hear them gossiping.”

table of contents ᯓ★

profiles

ch 1. first day woohoo!

ch 2. survived

ch 3. you're joking

ch 4. that's enough

ch 5. LOL

the air smelled faintly of instant ramen and cheap coffee, the scent clinging to your uniform as you absentmindedly ran the rag over the counter for the third time. your thoughts drifted—mostly to woonhak, as they often did during these long, uneventful shifts.

woonhak was at the back of the store, stacking boxes near the stockroom. from where you stood, you could see the way his sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms as he effortlessly lifted each box like it weighed nothing. he made it look easy, just like he made everything look easy.

you bit the inside of your cheek, annoyed at yourself for staring. it wasn’t like he was going to notice anyway. he never did.

at first, you tried convincing yourself that he was just quiet, that maybe he was the type of person who kept his distance from coworkers. but that theory crumbled quickly when you watched him chat effortlessly with customers, throwing in the occasional charming smile or polite nod. even when his friends dropped by, he greeted them with a grin, his usual composed expression softening into something warmer.

but with you? nothing.

sure, he said hi when your shifts overlapped. he’d ask you to stock shelves if he was busy handling the register. but that was the extent of it. no small talk. no casual conversations about school or life outside the store. just simple, impersonal exchanges that made you feel more like background noise than an actual person.

it was frustrating, really. and the worst part? you still couldn’t stop thinking about him.

you sighed, leaning against the counter, when a voice suddenly cut through the silence.

“you missed a spot.”

you jolted, your grip on the rag tightening as you turned to see woonhak standing beside you, peering down at the counter with his usual unreadable expression.

you blinked, your brain short-circuiting for a second. “what?”

woonhak pointed to a barely visible smudge near the register, his tone as casual as ever. “right there.”

you quickly wiped over it, heat creeping up your neck. of course, the first real thing he says to you all shift has to be about cleaning. not school, not work, not even some throwaway comment about the weather—just that.

when you looked up again, he was already walking away, disappearing into the stockroom like the moment hadn’t even happened.

you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, staring after him in disbelief.

was he really that oblivious? or was he doing this on purpose?

either way, it was driving you insane.

the more time you spent working at the store, the more you started noticing the little things about woonhak. not the obvious things—like the way customers always gravitated toward him or how effortlessly he balanced school and work—but the smaller details, the ones you weren’t sure anyone else even paid attention to.

for instance, the way he hummed under his breath when he thought no one was listening. it was always something soft, barely audible over the hum of the refrigerators. sometimes, it was an old song playing faintly through the store’s speakers; other times, it was just a melody with no real pattern. you caught yourself lingering near the aisles whenever it happened, pretending to fix the same row of snacks just to hear it a little longer.

he also had this habit of organizing snacks by color. at first, you thought it was just him being efficient, but then you realized he did it even when it wasn’t necessary. the chips, the candies, even the energy drinks—if he was stocking the shelves, they always ended up arranged in a neat, color-coordinated gradient.

“you know, no one really cares if the ramen cups go from red to yellow,” you teased one evening, watching as he rearranged a row of instant noodles.

woonhak didn’t even look up. “yeah, but it looks better like this.”

you tilted your head, studying his expression. he wasn’t doing it for the customers. he wasn’t even doing it because his dad expected the shelves to look nice. he just liked things a certain way. it was oddly endearing.

but the thing that really got to you? the way he sometimes looked at you when he thought you weren’t paying attention.

it started small. you’d glance up from the register and catch his eyes flickering away too quickly. or you’d be restocking the shelves and feel the weight of his gaze just before he turned back to whatever he was doing. at first, you thought you were imagining it, that maybe you just wanted him to look at you so badly that your mind was playing tricks on you.

but then it kept happening.

like that time you were leaning against the counter during a slow shift, absentmindedly fiddling with a snack wrapper, when you felt it—that unmistakable pull of someone’s stare. you turned your head just in time to see woonhak, standing by the fridge section, looking right at you.

his expression was unreadable, but his eyes held something unfamiliar, something you couldn’t quite name.

the second your eyes met, he looked away, pretending to check the labels on the bottled drinks.

your heartbeat stuttered.

maybe he wasn’t as oblivious as you thought.

—

the storm rolled in without warning. one moment, the sky outside the store was a deep navy, the streetlights flickering lazily against the pavement. the next, rain was hammering against the windows, wind howling through the cracks in the doors. then—darkness.

the hum of the refrigerators cut out, the overhead lights flickered once, then died. the only thing left was the soft, eerie glow of the emergency lights lining the walls.

“great,” you muttered, setting down the inventory clipboard you’d been pretending to work on.

behind the counter, woonhak sighed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. he tapped the screen. “no signal.”

of course. just your luck to be stuck in a blackout, in a convenience store, alone with woonhak.

you shifted awkwardly, glancing at him. “should we, uh… do something? or just wait it out?”

he looked around, eyes scanning the dimly lit store. “well, we can’t close up, and we can’t leave.” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “guess we’re stuck here for a while.”

with nothing else to do, the two of you sat down on the floor near the counter, backs against the shelves stocked with instant noodles. the emergency lights cast a faint, bluish glow over his face, making his features look softer, almost unreal.

for a while, neither of you spoke. the silence wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it was heavy, like something unspoken was lingering between you. then, out of nowhere, woonhak let out a small, breathy chuckle.

“this is kinda weird, huh?” he mused.

you turned to him. “what is?”

“being here like this. we’ve worked together for months, but this is probably the longest we’ve ever talked.”

you blinked, taken aback by his sudden honesty. “yeah. you’ve always been... kind of hard to talk to.”

he raised an eyebrow. “hard to talk to?”

“i mean, you’re quiet. you don’t really say much unless it’s about work,” you admitted, hugging your knees. “honestly, i wasn’t sure if you even liked me.”

woonhak tilted his head slightly, studying you. “i never disliked you,” he said after a pause. “i just… don’t always know what to say.”

you looked at him, waiting, sensing there was more.

he exhaled, leaning his head back against the shelves. “it’s kinda dumb, but… i feel like i don’t have time to just—talk. i’m always thinking about what i should be doing next. school, work, helping my dad. it’s a lot, you know?”

his voice was quieter now, the usual steadiness replaced with something more fragile.

“because you’re the eldest?” you asked softly.

he nodded, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. “yeah. i don’t really have a choice. my dad relies on me, and i don’t want to let him down. sometimes, i think about what i actually want to do, but then i feel guilty, like i’m being selfish.”

for the first time, you saw him not as the woonhak that everyone admired—the perfect son, the dependable coworker—but as a boy who was just… tired.

hesitantly, you said, “i get it. maybe not in the exact same way, but… i understand what it’s like to feel like you have to be something for everyone else.”

he turned to you, intrigued. “yeah?”

you nodded, fiddling with the hem of your sleeve. “i’ve always felt like i had to prove something. like if i don’t push myself hard enough, i’ll just… fade into the background. i guess that’s why i’ve always been so frustrated with you.”

he blinked. “with me?”

you let out a small laugh. “yeah. you make everything look so easy. it’s like you don’t even have to try, and meanwhile, i’m over here struggling to keep up.”

woonhak was quiet for a moment, then—to your surprise—he smiled. not his usual polite smile, but something softer, more real.

“i didn’t know you thought that,” he murmured. “if it makes you feel any better, i think you work harder than anyone else here.”

you felt your face warm, looking away. “you’re just saying that.”

“no,” he said simply. “i’m not.”

the air between you shifted, something settling into place. and for the first time since meeting him, you didn’t feel invisible.

—

the change was subtle at first, but once you noticed it, you couldn’t unsee it.

woonhak was everywhere.

he was always near, always teasing, always finding little excuses to talk to you. he stopped treating you like just another co-worker and started acting like… well, like someone who actually wanted to be around you.

one evening, after an unusually slow shift, you were restocking shelves when you accidentally knocked over a row of neatly stacked chip bags.

“careful,” woonhak drawled from behind you, arms crossed as he leaned against the counter. “you break it, you buy it.”

you huffed, bending down to pick up the fallen bags. “do you ever actually help, or do you just stand there and make fun of me?”

“oh, i definitely just stand here and make fun of you,” he said, grinning.

you rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips.

and then there was the way he waited for you after shifts. at first, you thought it was a coincidence—maybe he just happened to finish work at the same time as you. but then it happened again. and again.

“why are you still here?” you asked one night, shoving your hands into your jacket pockets as you locked up the store.

woonhak stretched lazily, as if he hadn’t been waiting outside for you. “it’s dark out.”

“so?”

he gave you a pointed look. “might as well walk together.”

you narrowed your eyes. “but your house is—”

“doesn’t matter.” he started walking ahead, then glanced back at you, raising an eyebrow. “you coming, or what?”

you hated how easily he did this—how effortlessly he inserted himself into your routine, into your life, like he had always been there.

you groaned, but the truth was, you liked it. you liked how he matched his pace with yours, how he walked on the side closest to the street, how he never let the conversation die out even when you weren’t sure what to say.

and then there were the snacks.

at first, it was small. a bag of your favorite chips left near the register, a cold drink placed beside your bag without a word. when you asked about it, he’d just shrug.

“it’s nothing.”

but it wasn’t nothing.

one afternoon, after a particularly long shift, you found a neatly wrapped rice ball waiting for you in the breakroom.

you picked it up, turning it over in your hands. “did you—”

“you haven’t eaten, right?” woonhak interrupted, not looking at you as he busied himself with the stock list.

you blinked. “how did you know?”

“you always forget when you’re working.”

your heart stuttered at his words.

he noticed.

he was noticing you now. really noticing you.

you unwrapped the rice ball slowly, trying to ignore the way your hands felt unsteady. “thanks,” you muttered.

woonhak finally looked at you then, and for once, his usual teasing expression softened into something quieter. “don’t mention it.”

and that was how it was. little moments, little gestures, little things that all added up to something bigger.

you weren’t sure what it was, not yet. but you liked it.

and just as you started to believe that maybe, just maybe, this was turning into something more—

you overheard the conversation.

—

it was late, your shift nearly over, when you heard woonhak’s father speaking in hushed tones near the back of the store.

“it’s a big opportunity, woonhak. you’d be crazy to pass this up.”

you froze, your hand tightening around the stack of receipts you’d been organizing.

“i know,” woonhak replied, his voice lower than usual. hesitant.

you inched closer to the back of the store, staying just out of sight behind one of the shelves.

“then what’s the problem?” his father pressed. “you’ve worked hard for this. this isn’t just about the store—this is about your future.”

there was a pause. a long, heavy silence.

then, woonhak exhaled. “it’s just... sudden.”

“that’s how these things work. you don’t always get time to think. you have to act.” his father’s voice softened slightly. “listen, i know you worry about me, about the store, but i’ll be fine. this is your chance to do something more, something bigger than this place.”

your stomach twisted.

what was he talking about? what opportunity? where would it take him?

and why—why did it feel like something was slipping through your fingers before you even had the chance to hold it?

you heard woonhak sigh, the kind he let out when he was deep in thought, troubled.

“i just need time,” he murmured.

his father didn’t push him further, only replying, “just don’t take too long, son.”

you stood frozen behind the shelves long after the conversation ended, your heart pounding in your ears.

because you already knew.

whatever this was—whatever had been growing between you and woonhak, however slowly, however subtly—it wasn’t going to last.

the next few days felt different. not because anything had changed—woonhak still teased you, still left snacks by the register, still waited for you after your shifts like it was the most natural thing in the world. but now, there was something unspoken hanging in the air between you.

you weren’t sure if he knew you had overheard. part of you wanted to pretend you didn’t, to pretend things were the same. but you weren’t sure how long you could keep up the act when every moment with him suddenly felt like it had an expiration date.

then one night, as the store’s closing time approached, woonhak finally said it.

“can we talk?”

you turned to him, heart pounding. “yeah.”

he hesitated before pulling you outside, the cool night air wrapping around you both. the neon lights from the store’s sign buzzed softly above you, casting a faint glow over his face.

for a moment, he just looked at you, like he was trying to memorize something. then, he sighed.

“you heard, didn’t you?”

you swallowed. “yeah.”

woonhak let out a dry chuckle, looking down at his shoes. “figured. you’re not exactly subtle when you eavesdrop.”

“shut up,” you muttered, but there was no real bite to it.

he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “it’s a scholarship. a really good one. i’d be studying abroad for a year—maybe longer, if things go well.”

your chest tightened. “that’s… amazing.”

he scoffed. “you don’t sound like you mean that.”

“no, i do.” you forced a smile. “this is everything you’ve worked for, right?”

“yeah,” he said, but his voice was uncertain. he wasn’t looking at you anymore, staring out at the empty street instead. “but… i don’t want to leave you alone.”

you blinked, caught off guard by his honesty.

he turned back to you, his usual teasing expression replaced with something raw, something real. “i mean it. the thought of being somewhere new, somewhere exciting—it should make me happy, right? but all i can think about is how i won’t be here. with you.”

your throat felt tight. because a few months ago, you never would have imagined hearing those words from woonhak. back then, you weren’t even sure he noticed you. and now here he was, standing in front of you, telling you he didn’t want to leave you behind.

but you couldn’t let him stay just for you.

you reached out, poking his forehead lightly. “you’re an idiot.”

he blinked. “what—”

“you have to go, woonhak,” you said softly. “you’d regret it if you didn’t.”

he frowned. “but—”

“but nothing,” you cut him off, smiling a little. “you won’t lose me.”

he stared at you, and for once, he didn’t have a witty comeback.

you took a deep breath. “i’ll wait for you. no matter how long it takes.”

woonhak exhaled, shaking his head with a small, incredulous laugh. “you’re serious?”

“dead serious.” you tilted your head at him. “what, do you not trust me?”

“no, it’s not that,” he muttered. “it’s just… funny. the you from a few months ago didn’t even think i knew you existed, and now you’re out here promising to wait for me.”

you felt your face heat up. “shut up.”

but woonhak was grinning now, his usual self creeping back in. “you’re kind of romantic, you know that?”

“don’t push it.”

he laughed, then—to your surprise—reached out and ruffled your hair. “alright, fine. i’ll go. but only because you said you’d wait for me.”

you swatted his hand away, scowling. “like you weren’t gonna go anyway.”

“nope. i was seriously considering staying.” he gave you a lopsided smile, and something about it made your heart ache. “but i guess i have to make this count now. wouldn’t want to keep you waiting too long.”

you rolled your eyes, but you were smiling.

and when he walked you home that night, he stayed a little longer by your door, hesitating like he had something more to say.

but instead of words, he reached out, carefully intertwining his pinky with yours.

a silent promise.

“wait for me,” he murmured.

you squeezed his hand, grinning. “i already said i would, didn’t i?”

and as woonhak laughed, shaking his head like you were the most ridiculous person in the world, you realized something.

for the first time, you weren’t afraid of losing him. because somehow, in his own way, woonhak was waiting for you too.

it started with the mess.

“seriously?” you had scoffed one evening, walking into the gym after the basketball team’s practice, only to find discarded water bottles, sweaty towels, and even an empty sports drink bottle rolling across the floor like a sad little tumbleweed.

the volleyball team had practice right after, and nothing pissed you off more than stepping onto a court that looked like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

so, like any responsible captain, you took it upon yourself to find the root of the problem. and that root had a name: myung jaehyun.

“hey, jaehyun, clean up your team’s mess next time,” you had called out after one of your shared gym sessions.

jaehyun, who was in the middle of chugging a bottle of water, raised a brow at you. “our mess?”

“yes, yours.” you gestured to the abandoned pile of trash near the bench. “you leave the place looking like a hurricane hit.”

he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and shrugged. “not my fault you’re allergic to a little dirt.”

“not my fault you guys are allergic to basic hygiene.”

leehan, who had been dribbling a basketball nearby, snorted. “dude, she’s got a point.”

“whose side are you on?” jaehyun shot him a glare before turning back to you. “we don’t even leave that much of a mess.”

you let out a short laugh, stepping forward and kicking an empty bottle toward him. it rolled to a stop right by his foot. “oh yeah? then whose bottle is this?”

sungho, who had just been passing by, took one look at the scene and immediately pointed at jaehyun. “definitely his.”

jaehyun gave him a betrayed look. “are you serious?”

“i mean, statistically speaking, it’s more likely to be yours than mine,” sungho said with a lazy shrug. “i actually clean up after myself.”

“that’s a lie and you know it.”

“okay, but do i leave sports drink graveyards on the court? no.”

you crossed your arms and smirked. “see? even your own team thinks you’re the problem.”

jaehyun groaned, bending down to pick up the bottle before lazily tossing it into the trash can. “there. happy now?”

“ecstatic,” you deadpanned. “now do that, but every time.”

from then on, it became an ongoing battle. jaehyun’s team kept leaving behind their junk, and your team kept glaring at them from across the gym. you never actually fought, not really, but there was an unspoken war between the two of you—one built entirely on glares, sarcastic remarks, and aggressively wiping down volleyballs while jaehyun walked past you like he owned the place.

one time, after another particularly messy practice, you had stormed into the basketball team’s locker room, ignoring the immediate groans and complaints from the players inside.

“again?” you huffed, pointing toward the gym doors. “why do i have to keep reminding you guys to pick up after yourselves?”

leehan, who was in the middle of changing into a fresh jersey, blinked at you. “damn, i thought we locked the door.”

“she probably kicked it open,” riwoo muttered, adjusting his towel around his neck.

jaehyun, who was seated on the bench, barely looked up as he tied his shoelaces. “maybe if your team spent less time complaining and more time training, you’d actually win more games.”

your jaw dropped. “excuse me?”

he finally glanced up, a teasing glint in his eyes. “just saying.”

taesan whistled lowly. “oh, you’re dead.”

woonhak patted jaehyun’s shoulder like he was saying his final goodbyes. “it was nice knowing you, man.”

you took a deep breath, shaking your head as you turned on your heel. “you know what? forget it. next time i see even one of your bottles on that floor, i’m chucking it at your head.”

“looking forward to it,” jaehyun called after you, clearly amused.

god, you hated him.

as if the universe wasn’t already laughing at you, things got even worse when your teams had to start training together.

your school had decided that since both the basketball and volleyball teams shared the same gym, you might as well train under the same program for conditioning sessions. this meant early morning drills, weight training, and endurance exercises—together.

it was hell.

not because the training was hard (you could handle that), but because it meant spending more time around him.

the first morning session was already off to a bad start.

“alright, everyone, pair up,” the coach announced. “we’ll be doing partner drills for today’s endurance training.”

immediately, you turned to find one of your teammates, but before you could move, a familiar presence slid up beside you.

“guess we’re stuck together,” jaehyun said, his voice way too chipper for someone who just ran two miles as a warm-up.

you scowled. “who says?”

he gestured around. sure enough, all the pairs had already been formed, leaving you and jaehyun as the only ones unpaired.

“unless you want to run laps alone, i’d say this is fate,” he added, smirking.

you groaned. “curse.”

the drill was simple—one person would hold a plank while the other jumped over them repeatedly. then, you’d switch. simple in theory. infuriating in practice.

you started first, dropping into a plank position while jaehyun jumped over you. the first few were fine. but by the fifth jump, you were sure he was messing with you.

“are you—” you gritted out, arms burning from holding yourself up, “—doing this on purpose?”

jaehyun landed smoothly before hopping over you again. “doing what?”

“jumping so damn slow.”

“you should be thanking me. i’m giving you more time to work on your arm strength.”

you clenched your jaw. “i swear to god—”

“switch!” the coach called.

you got up, shaking out your arms before shooting jaehyun a glare. “watch how it’s actually done.”

he smirked, lowering himself into a plank. “looking forward to it.”

you took a step back, bounced on the balls of your feet, and leapt.

you might’ve landed a little too close to his back.

“jesus—are you trying to kill me?” jaehyun yelped, bracing himself.

“oops,” you said, not looking the least bit sorry.

from then on, training together became a battle of who could annoy the other more.

— 

but the worst part? meal times.

since both teams had the same conditioning schedule, the coaches thought it would be a great idea for you all to eat together in the dining hall. something about team unity and bonding.

you called it suffering.

because every single meal, without fail, jaehyun would find a way to sit across from you.

like today.

“morning, partner.”

you didn’t even look up from your tray of eggs and rice. “go away.”

“nah, i like it here.”

you stabbed at your food aggressively. “why are you like this?”

“like what?” he asked, reaching over to steal a piece of your egg with his fork.

you smacked his hand away. “like that!”

leehan, seated next to jaehyun, chuckled. “dude, one day she’s gonna actually throw hands.”

“and i’ll be ready,” jaehyun said, grinning at you.

you rolled your eyes, turning your attention back to your food, determined to ignore him. but then—

clink.

you glanced up. jaehyun had casually placed his sports drink on your side of the table.

you frowned. “what?”

he smirked. “just marking my territory.”

sungho nearly choked on his juice. “bro, that sounds so wrong.”

taesan snickered. “he means his half of the table.”

you glared. “i hate you all.”

━

and then there was the winking.

the first time he did it, you thought it was an accident.

the second time, you realized it definitely wasn’t.

but by the fifth time? you were convinced he was just doing it to piss you off.

during games, during practice, even in the hallways—jaehyun had made it his personal mission to wink at you whenever he got the chance.

like during one of their practice matches.

you had been forced to stay behind in the gym, waiting for your team’s turn. so, unfortunately, you had a front-row seat to watching jaehyunshow off.

you sat on the bleachers, arms crossed, watching as jaehyun dribbled past a defender with ridiculous ease. he moved with that effortless confidence, quick on his feet, spinning past his opponent before driving straight to the basket.

the ball swished through the hoop, nothing but net. his teammates erupted into cheers.

jaehyun turned, scanning the gym, and then—

wink.

you scowled immediately. “oh, for fuck’s sake.”

your teammate, yuna, who was sitting beside you, snorted. “what is his problem?”

“he is the problem,” you muttered, gripping your water bottle with unnecessary force.

yuna hummed, clearly entertained. “you know, for someone who ‘hates’ him, you sure do pay a lot of attention.”

“i have to! someone needs to keep his ego in check.”

as if to prove your point, jaehyun jogged back to his side of the court, smug as ever, and made direct eye contact with you again.

you knew what was coming.

another wink.

you groaned dramatically, throwing your head back. “i hate him.”

woonhak, who had overheard from the bench, grinned. “that’s funny, ‘cause he sure loves pissing you off.”

you shot him a glare. “gee, really? hadn’t noticed.”

━

the winking didn’t stop. if anything, it got worse.

during practice, in the dining hall, even when you passed him in the hallways—he somehow found a way to send you that stupid, infuriating wink.

like today, after your volleyball practice.

you had just finished a brutal set of drills, sweat dripping down your back, when you spotted the basketball team lingering near the entrance. they must’ve been waiting for their turn in the gym.

and, of course, jaehyun was right at the front.

you barely spared him a glance as you grabbed your water bottle from the bench, but that didn’t stop him.

“looking good, captain,” he called out.

you narrowed your eyes. “shut up, jaehyun.”

he laughed, raising his hands in surrender before winking.

you swore you saw red.

leehan, standing beside him, sighed. “dude, what if she actually kills you?”

“nah,” jaehyun said, grinning, “i think she’d miss me too much.”

you threw your towel at his face.

━

but as much as you hated to admit it, life was never boring with jaehyun around.

even when the two of you were forced into situations that made you want to rip your hair out—like the latest disaster your biology professor had cooked up.

the day had started out normal enough. until you got your test results back.

you stared at the glaring red F on your biology test, feeling your soul leave your body.

beside you, jaehyun whistled, holding up his own paper with an identical F. “ouch.”

you turned to glare at him. “why are you failing?”

he shrugged. “dunno. wasn’t paying attention.”

“of course you weren’t.”

before you could spiral into a full-blown academic crisis, your professor cleared his throat, looking way too pleased for someone who had just failed half the class.

“since many of you didn’t do well on the test,” he began, eyes twinkling mischievously, “i’ve decided to give you all an opportunity to redeem yourselves.”

murmurs filled the classroom. you remained suspicious.

“you will be given a partner—someone who also failed.”

you immediately got a bad feeling.

“together, you will complete an assignment on responsibility and care. an experiment, if you will.”

you glanced at jaehyun, who looked just as confused.

the professor smiled. “for the next week, you will take care of an egg.”

silence.

then—

“a what.”

the professor clasped his hands together. “an egg! consider it a simulation of caring for a delicate, fragile life. you must protect it at all costs and document your progress. and, of course, your partner will be chosen randomly.”

your stomach dropped.

and then—

“y/n and jaehyun,” the professor announced.

you slammed your head onto your desk.

jaehyun, meanwhile, let out a low whistle. “well. this should be fun.”

you turned your head slightly to glare at him, cheek still pressed against the desk. “i swear to god, if you break our egg, i’m breaking you.”

he grinned. “relax, partner. we’ve got this.”

you groaned. “this is literally my worst nightmare.”

jaehyun leaned back, crossing his arms. “nah. your worst nightmare is me leaving the gym extra messy just for you.”

you lifted your head just enough to glare at him. “don’t test me.”

he winked.

you nearly flipped your desk.

“now listen carefully,” your professor continued. “your assignment is simple. you must keep your egg safe for one full week. if it cracks, you fail. if you forget it somewhere, you fail. if i so much as suspect that you’re not taking this seriously, you fail.”

you felt a headache forming.

professor lee’s eyes narrowed. “and trust me, i’ll know.”

a collective shudder ran through the class. professor lee was infamous for his unconventional teaching methods. last semester, he had made students carry around cabbages as part of a psychology experiment. cabbages.

you glanced at jaehyun, who was still grinning like he had won the lottery.

he thinks this is a joke.

you groaned. “i’m so screwed.”

“nah,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “we got this.”

you turned to him, deadpan. “jaehyun. you literally failed this class.”

he placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. “so did you.”

“yeah, but at least i actually tried.”

he snorted. “right. well, don’t worry, partner. our egg’s in good hands.”

you didn’t believe that for a second.

“one last thing,” professor lee added, holding up a basket. “before you leave, come up and receive your child.”

you almost choked.

child?

yuna was practically vibrating with laughter beside you. “you’re gonna be a great mom.”

“shut up.”

jaehyun, on the other hand, was already making his way to the front, completely unbothered. when he returned, he was holding the egg in his palm, studying it like it was some ancient relic.

“alright, partner,” he said, plopping into his seat. “meet our kid.”

you stared at it.

it was just a normal egg. nothing special. fragile, small, and already giving you anxiety.

“we’re so failing this,” you muttered.

jaehyun scoffed. “have a little faith.”

you gave him a pointed look. “jaehyun. be honest. how long do you think you can go without dropping it?”

he paused.

then—

“...three days?”

you groaned again.

this was going to be the longest week of your life.

—

the first day of the project was already testing every ounce of patience you had.

you and jaehyun sat at one of the library tables, your so-called child resting in an old coffee cup between you. professor lee had made it clear that this assignment wasn’t just about keeping the egg safe—you had to document everything. feeding schedules (which made zero sense), bedtime routines, and even bonding activities.

you hated every second of it.

“this is the dumbest thing i’ve ever done,” you muttered, tapping your pen against the table.

jaehyun, who was busy doodling little lightning bolts around the word thunder in your shared notebook, smirked. “that’s because you lack vision.”

“oh, i have vision. i see our grades plummeting.”

he leaned back in his chair, tossing his pen in the air before catching it effortlessly. “relax, co-parent. we just have to act like responsible adults for a week.”

you squinted at him. “you literally left the egg unattended five minutes ago to go buy chips.”

he waved you off. “our kid was fine. independent.”

“it's an egg.”

“it's our egg.”

you exhaled sharply, choosing to ignore him as you scribbled in the notebook. but then, out of the corner of your eye, you caught him reaching for the cup.

you tensed immediately.

“what are you doing?”

“holding my child.”

“no. no touching.” you moved the cup further away. “i don’t trust you.”

he looked genuinely offended. “wow. you were the one who almost knocked it over earlier.”

“because you distracted me!”

“because you were making that stupid face while writing.”

“stupid face?” you gawked at him. “i do not make a stupid face.”

he shrugged. “if the shoe fits.”

you smacked his arm with the notebook. “contribute to this or i’m making you do the whole thing by yourself.”

“fine, fine,” he sighed, taking the pen from you. he twirled it between his fingers before scrawling something next to your notes.

you glanced at the paper.

“bonding activity: jaehyun teaches the egg how to shoot a three-pointer.”

you stared at him.

“you’re a menace,” you said.

he grinned. “and yet, here we are. bonded for life.”

you groaned, dropping your head onto the table.

and somewhere in the distance, leehan and taesan—who had been watching from another table—exchanged glances before bursting into quiet laughter.

the first time you stepped into jaehyun’s room, you had one goal: check on the egg, make sure it was intact, and leave.

but of course, nothing was ever that simple with him.

“welcome to the nursery,” jaehyun said, kicking the door shut behind him.

you rolled your eyes. “nursery? it’s your room.”

“our son lives here now,” he replied, completely serious. “show some respect.”

you sighed, stepping past him. his room was… surprisingly neat. you expected a mess—basketballs lying around, clothes thrown over furniture, maybe even an unmade bed. but aside from a few scattered notebooks and a pile of hoodies in the corner, it was normal.

too normal.

“where is it?” you asked, crossing your arms.

jaehyun walked over to his desk and held up a small shoebox. he lifted the lid, revealing the egg nestled in a bundle of socks.

you blinked. “you put it in a box?”

“i made a crib,” he corrected, placing the box gently on his bed. “cozy, right?”

you sat down at the edge of the bed, peering inside. "you could’ve at least used a tissue or something instead of Nike socks."

“those are premium cushioning. only the best for our kid.”

you scoffed, but you couldn’t deny that the egg was perfectly fine. untouched. safe.

and then, jaehyun did something unexpected—he sat next to you. not across from you, not at his desk, but right next to you, so close you could feel the warmth radiating off of him.

the usual chaos, the usual bickering, the usual tension that made you want to strangle him—it was still there. but something else settled in between the silence.

it was different here.

“so,” he said, voice quieter than usual. “how’s it feel knowing our son sleeps in my room?”

you turned to glare at him, but the second you did, you realized just how close he was.

your breath caught.

he was leaning on one arm, watching you with a lazy smirk, the kind that usually annoyed you to no end. but here, in this room, on this bed, it felt like something else.

something you didn’t want to name.

“i don’t care where it sleeps,” you muttered, looking away. “i just don’t want it broken.”

“i’ll take care of it,” he said, and for once, there was no teasing in his tone.

you swallowed. “good.”

but when you tried to stand up, he didn’t move.

“jaehyun.”

“hm?”

“move.”

he grinned. "say please."

you shoved his shoulder, and he finally let you go with a laugh, flopping back onto the bed as you practically sprinted for the door.

“same time tomorrow, co-parent?” he called after you.

you slammed the door behind you, heart pounding.

your hell starts the moment you start noticing things about jaehyun that you shouldn’t be noticing.

it’s the way he moves on the court—fast, precise, like he already knows exactly where the ball will land before it even gets there. it’s the way he runs a hand through his hair when he’s frustrated, the way he rolls his shoulders before a free throw, the way his eyes flicker to you after making a perfect shot, as if waiting for your reaction.

and it’s infuriating.

because now, even when you’re supposed to be focusing on your game, your team, your own plays—jaehyun lingers at the back of your mind like an annoying pop song you can’t get rid of.

but the worst part? it’s not just at the gym.

it’s when you’re in his room, sitting on his bed, checking on the egg like always. except now, you’re hyperaware of how close he sits, how he sometimes lets his arm rest against yours like it’s nothing. how, when you pout at him over something stupid—like the way he insists on calling your egg “junior” instead of a normal name—his gaze flickers to your lips for half a second too long.

and jaehyun?

he’s in denial.

because this was not supposed to happen. he wasn’t supposed to want to kiss you when you scolded him. wasn’t supposed to feel heat creeping up his neck when you absentmindedly played with your necklace while talking. wasn’t supposed to care that your team captain from another school once called you “impressive” after a practice match.

he wasn’t supposed to want you.

and unfortunately for him, his friends have noticed.

“so,” woonhak drawls one afternoon, lazily dribbling a basketball as they sit on the bleachers, watching you and your team wrap up practice. “when are you gonna admit it?”

jaehyun doesn’t even look up. “admit what?”

leehan snorts. “that you like her, dumbass.”

“i don’t,” jaehyun scoffs, leaning back against the bench.

sungho raises a brow. “right. that’s why you’re staring at her like she personally offended you by existing.”

jaehyun looks away immediately, only for leehan to chuckle.

“you do realize she probably feel the same way, right?”

that makes jaehyun freeze for a second.

taesan hums. “she still argue with you, sure. but i see the way she get all flustered when you compliment her. she didn’t used to react like that.”

jaehyun opens his mouth to deny it again, but then he thinks back.

to the way you stumbled over your words last week when he casually told you your spike was getting better. to the way your breath hitched when he tucked your hair behind your ear. to the way you hesitated before leaving his room the other night, as if you were starting to feel this too.

maybe his friends were right.

and that’s when jaehyun decides: it’s time to test the waters.

so he starts pushing boundaries—just a little.

at the gym, after practice, he doesn’t just wink at you like usual. he lingers, waiting for you to react, grinning when you groan and shove him away.

when you come over to check on the egg, he always has food ready, pretending it’s no big deal when he slides a plate toward you.

“i didn’t ask for this,” you huff, poking at the meal he made.

“didn’t say you did,” he shrugs, sitting across from you. “but you always look tired after practice. eat.”

and that confuses you.

because what the hell is he doing? what the hell does he want?

you’d always known jaehyun as the annoying basketball captain who drove you insane, but now…

now he’s holding your hand a second longer than necessary. now he’s calling you “co-parent” with a lazy grin that makes your stomach twist in a way you don’t want to acknowledge. now he’s casually running a hand through his hair while watching you in between classes, like he knows something you don’t.

and you hate that it scares you.

because if this is just another game to him, if he’s just messing with you—then why does it feel so real?

the egg cracks.

not metaphorically—though, honestly, it might as well be—but literally.

you’re standing in jaehyun’s room, holding what used to be your child (as he so dramatically called it), staring at the jagged fracture running across the eggshell. your breath catches in your throat.

“oh, shit,” you whisper.

jaehyun, who had been leaning against his desk, looks up from his phone. “what?”

you slowly turn to him, the broken egg cradled in your hands like a crime scene.

“we killed junior.”

for a moment, there’s silence. then—

“oh my god,” jaehyun breathes out, eyes widening.

“we’re failures.”

“we’re murderers.”

“professor lee is going to slaughter us.”

“okay, first of all,” jaehyun says, quickly moving toward you, “you’re the one who dropped it—”

“don’t you dare pin this on me.”

“—and second,” he continues, ignoring you, “we just need a replacement.”

you blink at him. “you want to… replace our child?”

“wouldn’t be the first time people switched babies at birth,” he shrugs.

“you’re insane.”

“do you want to fail?”

you purse your lips. no. but—

jaehyun sighs. “look, we can sit here mourning an egg, or we can fix the problem. your call.”

you scowl at him, but he’s right. begrudgingly, you set the cracked egg down and grab your bag.

“fine. but if we get caught—”

“we won’t,” he grins, already grabbing his car keys and intertwining his hand with yours, “let’s go, co-parent.”

—

you manage to replace the egg. you turn in your project. you pass.

but that’s not the ending.

the ending is this:

it’s late, and you’re at jaehyun’s house, sprawled out on his bed like always. the ceiling fan hums softly overhead, casting slow-moving shadows against the walls. the scent of his cologne lingers in the air—clean, familiar, a little too comforting. he’s sitting at the edge of the bed, lazily spinning a basketball on his finger, gaze half-lidded with concentration.

you’re supposed to feel relieved. the project is over. the ridiculous assignment, the stress, the stupid arguments—you survived it all. but your head is still spinning, not from exhaustion, but from something else. something heavier.

because things have shifted. you don’t bicker as much anymore. the teasing has changed. the tension isn’t sharp—it’s something softer now, something unspoken that curls around the edges of your conversations. something that lingers in the way his eyes stay on you a little longer than they should.

“so,” jaehyun says suddenly, voice cutting through the quiet. “you’re still thinking about it.”

you blink at him. “thinking about what?”

he finally looks at you, and the corner of his mouth twitches like he’s amused.

“us.”

your stomach flips. you sit up too fast, the mattress dipping beneath you. “there’s no us.”

jaehyun smirks. slow. knowing. like he’s heard the lie in your voice before you even said it.

“sure,” he hums, spinning the ball again. “but i think about it.”

your breath hitches.

“what?”

he tosses the ball aside. it rolls off the bed, thudding softly onto the carpet, but you barely hear it over the sudden rush of blood in your ears. because he’s shifting, leaning in, invading your space in a way that makes your pulse stutter.

closer than necessary. closer than friends should be.

“i think about how much fun it is to piss you off,” he murmurs, and his voice is different this time—lower, rougher. “i think about how much i like having you around.”

his hand lifts, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. the touch is barely there, but it burns.

“and i think about how, if i kissed you right now, you wouldn’t stop me.”

your breath catches.

because he’s right.

but the worst part? you don’t want to stop him.

you don’t move when his gaze flickers down to your lips. you don’t push him away when his fingers graze your jaw, thumb tracing slow, feather-light circles against your skin.

and when he finally tilts his head and closes the distance, when his lips press against yours in something hesitant but undeniably real—

you kiss him back.

sure, you knew he was part of your friend group. you knew he was the loud one, the one who somehow had endless energy no matter how late you all stayed out. you knew he had a laugh that made everyone else laugh with him, even if they had no idea what was funny. but beyond that? nothing. you never had a reason to talk to him, and you never thought about changing that.

it wasn’t like you were avoiding him—there was just never a need. every gathering, every hangout, every chaotic group chat interaction, leehan was just there. always talking to someone else, always laughing at something stupid, always moving from one conversation to another like he physically couldn’t sit still.

and you? you preferred to stay on the sidelines. observing, commenting only when necessary, giving rei and eunchae unimpressed looks whenever leehan did something particularly dumb, which was often.

like the time he tried to balance three cups of bubble tea in one hand while dramatically reenacting some anime fight scene with woonhak. predictably, all three drinks ended up on the floor.

“dude,” jaehyun had sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “this is why we can’t take you anywhere.”

“no regrets,” leehan had declared, completely unbothered as he wiped milk tea off his sleeve. “the scene was worth it.”

or the time he climbed onto a shopping cart in the middle of a parking lot, insisting that sungho push him at full speed.

“this is a terrible idea,” you had muttered to rei.

“he’s going to break something,” rei had agreed.

both of you had been correct. he crashed into a curb ten seconds later, and you had simply stepped over his sprawled-out form on the pavement, unimpressed.

“so dramatic,” you had muttered as you passed.

“so heartless,” he had groaned in response.

but despite all of that, you had never actually spoken to him. not directly. not one-on-one. you existed in the same space, floated around the same conversations, but your worlds never really collided.

and you thought that was how it would always be.

until tonight.

it started with a simple realization—both of you were leaving jaehyun’s house at the same time. you wouldn’t have thought much of it, except that when you turned the corner, leehan was still there. walking in the same direction. with you.

but before that, the night had been nothing short of chaos.

jaehyun’s parties were always like this—loud, messy, and somehow both the best and worst decision at the same time. the living room was packed, music loud enough to shake the floors, and the friend group was scattered across the house, each involved in their own brand of mayhem.

wonyoung and eunchae were doing dramatic reenactments of k-drama confession scenes on the couch, taking turns being the heartbroken lead. rei was recording them, hyping up their performances while sungho kept yelling, “oscar-worthy! pure art!”

meanwhile, taesan and woonhak had somehow started an impromptu dance battle, with jaehyun acting as the referee. leehan, true to his nature, was right in the middle of it all—hyping them up, throwing in ridiculous dance moves of his own, and laughing so hard he nearly fell over.

“i don’t know whether to be amazed or horrified,” you muttered, watching as leehan attempted to moonwalk but somehow ended up looking like a malfunctioning robot.

rei, standing next to you, snorted. “knowing him? both.”

at some point, someone suggested a game of truth or dare, which quickly devolved into chaos. woonhak ended up wearing a ridiculous hat made out of plastic cups, jaehyun was dared to text his professor something absolutely unhinged (thankfully unsent at the last second), and leehan?

leehan, of course, had to take things up a notch.

“i dare you to confess to the person you find most attractive here,” woonhak smirked, clearly expecting chaos.

leehan didn’t even hesitate.

he turned, dramatically sweeping his hair back, and locked eyes with you.

“you,” he declared, pointing directly at you.

silence.

then, laughter exploded around the room as everyone hooted and cheered, assuming it was a joke. you, however, just blinked at him, unimpressed.

“you’re not funny.”

“no, but i am committed to the bit,” he shot back, grinning. “also, you should feel honored.”

“oh, so honored,” you deadpanned.

somehow, between all the chaos and ridiculousness, time flew by, and soon enough, people started heading out. and that’s when you found yourself in this situation—leaving at the exact same time as leehan. you wouldn’t have thought much of it, except that when you turned the corner, leehan was still there. walking in the same direction. with you.

and then he kept walking. and walking. through the same streets. past the same convenience stores. down the same subway stairs.

you eyed him suspiciously as you both tapped your train cards in sync. leehan, however, just looked amused.

“are you following me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“i could say the same thing to you.”

he let out a laugh, light and easy. “guess we just have the same route home.”

you hummed, unconvinced. but then, as the train arrived and you both stepped into the same car—then sat in the same row—your skepticism turned into sheer disbelief.

“you have got to be kidding me.”

leehan grinned, resting his chin in his hand. “this is kinda funny, though.”

“no, it’s weird,” you deadpanned.

“or maybe it’s fate.”

“don’t push it.”

but then it got weirder. because when you both got off at the same stop and started walking again—this time in perfect sync—it became undeniable. when you reached your apartment building, you could only stare as leehan casually pulled out his key.

“wait. you live here?”

leehan laughed, unlocking the front door. “you sound so horrified. yeah, i live here.”

“since when?”

“for, like, a year?”

you groaned, running a hand through your hair. “this is insane. i have never—not once—seen you here.”

leehan just shrugged. “guess we were never meant to meet. until now.”

“that’s actually creepy.”

he shot you a playful glare. “you’re ruining the moment.”

and just like that, it started. what was supposed to be a one-time coincidence turned into an unspoken routine. you and leehan started walking home together. started taking the train together. started stopping by the convenience store for late-night snacks, where he’d insist on paying even when you threatened to strangle him with a pack of ramen.

“leehan, put the card down.”

“why? i like treating my friends.”

“okay, but i don’t like being treated.”

“that sounds like a you problem,” he said, successfully tapping his card before you could stop him.

you huffed, grabbing your drink from the counter and stomping out of the store. leehan followed, barely suppressing a laugh.

“you’re so dramatic.”

“and you’re an idiot.”

“an idiot who just paid for your snacks.”

somehow, someway, you became friends.

which, apparently, was the most shocking thing to everyone else.

“you and leehan?” wonyoung had stared at you like you’d grown a second head. “you guys are friends now?”

rei had been even more dramatic, clutching her chest like she was about to faint. “the walking golden retriever and the resident black cat? unbelievable.”

“it’s not that weird,” you muttered, stabbing at your lunch with your chopsticks.

“no, it is,” taesan confirmed, shoving a chip into his mouth. “leehan gets along with everyone, but you? you don’t just ‘get along’ with people. you tolerate them.”

“thanks for that.”

“anytime.”

sungho narrowed his eyes. “wait, so you guys really hang out? like, outside of group stuff?”

rei gasped. “wait, wait, wait. have you ever laughed at his jokes?”

you rolled your eyes. “i’m not heartless.”

“so that’s a yes,” woonhak smirked. “wow. history is being made.”

leehan, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered. “you guys act like i tamed a wild animal or something.”

jaehyun nodded. “because you kind of did.”

“seriously, though,” eunchae piped up, eyes gleaming with interest. “do you guys ever, like, talk? or is it just comfortable silence?”

“both,” leehan answered easily, nudging your side. “sometimes she lets me ramble about random stuff. sometimes we just exist in peace.”

rei leaned forward. “and you actually enjoy that?”

leehan just grinned. “it’s okay. i like black cats.”

“it’s okay. i like black cats.”

.

.

.

“it’s okay. i like black cats.”....

.

.

.

“it’s okay. i like black cats.”

this shouldn't bother you, right? at least, that's what you’ve been telling yourself for the past 10 minutes… no, 20 minutes, as you stared at yourself in the mirror. face flushed, red as a tomato.

it was stupid. it was just leehan being leehan—annoyingly charming without even trying. he probably forgot he even said it. meanwhile, you were standing here, gripping the edges of the sink like it had personally wronged you.

“this is stupid. get yourself together,” you muttered, lightly smacking your own cheeks before splashing cold water on your cheeks, as if that would help. 

except it didn’t. because the moment you stepped out of your room, your phone buzzed with a message from leehan.

[leehan]: convenience store run?

you stared at the text for a solid five seconds. you could ignore him. pretend you were already in bed. but your feet were already moving before you could think twice.

[you]: fine. be outside in 5.

when you got downstairs, leehan was already there, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket, a familiar grin on his face. “you’re five minutes early.”

“i like to be efficient,” you mumbled, walking past him toward the store.

he fell into step beside you, chuckling. “so efficient that you took twenty minutes to text me back?”

“i was busy.”

“busy staring at yourself in the mirror?”

you stopped in your tracks, whipping around. “excuse me?”

leehan blinked innocently. “what? i just figured, you know, considering how red you were earlier—”

“shut up.” you picked up your pace, pretending your face wasn’t burning again.

leehan laughed, easily catching up. “you’re fun to tease.”

“i hate you.”

“no, you don’t.”

unfortunately, he was right.

at the store, you went straight for the snack aisle, grabbing a bag of chips and your usual drink. leehan, as always, hovered behind you, dramatically inspecting his options.

“hmm,” he mused, holding up two different ice cream flavors. “do i want strawberry or mint choco?”

“strawberry.”

he gasped. “wow, no hesitation.”

“because mint choco is disgusting.”

he clutched the mint choco to his chest, looking genuinely wounded. “you wound me.”

“good.”

leehan pouted before tossing both ice creams into the basket. “guess i’ll have to get both, then.”

“or you could just make a better life choice.”

“this is a personal attack.”

the next day, the unspoken routine continued as if nothing had changed. but you swore leehan was watching you a little too closely when you met at the station.

“you look extra grumpy today,” he commented, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. as usual.

“thanks,” you deadpanned.

he grinned but didn’t push further. instead, he just walked beside you, the easy rhythm of your steps falling into sync like always.

as usual, you stopped by the convenience store. but this time, something felt different. you blamed it on last night’s stupid moment, on the way your brain kept replaying his words like a broken record. because suddenly, standing next to leehan under the fluorescent lights, everything felt… hyper-aware.

“what do you want?” he asked, already reaching for his wallet.

“i can pay for myself,” you said, shooting him a glare.

“yeah, yeah.” he waved you off and grabbed a basket, throwing in his usual snacks. then, without thinking, he plucked a carton of banana milk from the shelf and tossed it in too.

you blinked. “why are you getting that?”

he looked at you like you were asking something obvious. “because you always get banana milk.”

you opened your mouth, but nothing came out. because—oh. he noticed?

“stop looking at me like that,” he teased, nudging you with his elbow. “it’s just banana milk.”

except it wasn’t. not really. it was something small, something dumb, but it still sent your heart into a quiet little panic.

this was bad.

this was really, really bad.

because of the fact that you kind of liked it.

which was a problem.

—

jaehyun’s house was packed again, music thrumming through the walls, the air thick with the scent of food, alcohol, and too many people crammed into one space. you weren’t even sure what the occasion was this time. knowing jaehyun, he probably just felt like throwing a party for no reason.

you had just arrived, barely setting foot in the living room, when wonyoung and rei ambushed you.

“oh my god, look who finally decided to show up!” wonyoung beamed, linking her arm with yours. “and here i thought you’d become too busy with your new best friend to hang out with us.”

rei snickered. “right? they’re practically attached at the hip now.”

you rolled your eyes, shaking them off. “not this again.”

“you’re not denying it, though,” taesan said, popping up from behind you with a knowing grin.

before you could snap at him, your eyes caught sight of leehan on the other side of the room, laughing at something jaehyun had said.

your stomach did something weird. you ignored it.

jaehyun noticed you staring and smirked. “hey, look who’s here.”

leehan turned his head, his eyes immediately finding yours.

and then—he winked.

you nearly choked on air.

rei and wonyoung let out a synchronized ooooh.

“okay, you guys are insufferable,” you muttered, heading straight for the kitchen, desperate for something—anything—to distract yourself.

but leehan was fast. before you could grab a drink, he was suddenly beside you, leaning against the counter like he hadn’t just almost made you collapse five seconds ago.

“you’re late,” he said.

“and you’re annoying,” you replied, popping open a soda.

leehan just grinned, stealing the drink right from your hand and taking a sip.

“hey—”

“mmm, refreshing,” he sighed dramatically, handing it back to you with an infuriatingly smug look.

you narrowed your eyes. “i should poison you.”

“aww, you’d miss me.”

“debatable.”

you took a sip from the same can, too caught up in glaring at him to realize what you’d done. but the second you did—when you felt the ghost of his lips on the rim—you nearly dropped it.

leehan saw your reaction, and that stupid grin of his widened.

“oh?” he teased. “flustered?”

“shut up.”

“you totally are.”

you needed to get out of here. fast.

but as the night went on, escaping leehan became impossible. somehow, he was everywhere—pulling you into games, making sure you were on his team during random challenges, always finding some way to be in your space.

it didn’t help that the others were having the time of their lives watching it unfold.

“oh, come on, just admit it,” jaehyun said at one point, slinging an arm around leehan’s shoulder. “you two have something going on.”

“yeah, it’s called friendship,” you deadpanned.

“nah,” taesan interjected. “i’ve never seen leehan act this way with anyone else.”

rei nodded enthusiastically. “he literally follows you around like a puppy.”

wonyoung gasped. “oh my god, he’s a golden retriever boyfriend in the making.”

leehan, unbothered, just nudged you playfully. “see? i told you i like black cats.”

you ignored the way your face burned.

—

later that night, after hours of pretending everything was fine, you finally managed to slip away from the chaos. you grabbed your jacket, heading for the door.

and then, right on cue, leehan appeared beside you.

“leaving already?”

“yeah,” you muttered.

“i’ll walk with you.”

you frowned. “aren’t you staying over at jaehyun’s?”

he shrugged. “changed my mind.”

you eyed him suspiciously but didn’t argue. and so, just like last time, you left together.

and this time, as you stepped out into the quiet night, something had shifted.

the walk back to your building was different this time. quieter. more charged.

a few months ago, leehan had been just another name in the friend group, a background character in your life who never had any real reason to cross paths with you. but now? now he was walking beside you like he had always belonged there, his presence as familiar as the crisp night air wrapping around your skin.

and maybe he did belong there.

you weren’t sure when it had happened—when he’d started showing up in your thoughts even when he wasn’t around, when the stupid things he said began lingering in your head longer than they should. you weren’t even sure when the sound of his laugh had become something you liked hearing, or when the way he looked at you started making your chest feel too tight.

but it had happened. somewhere between the teasing, the ridiculous dares, the way he always seemed to be near you even when he didn’t have to be—it had happened.

and now you were here, walking home together, fingers grazing every few steps.

you pretended not to notice. he pretended not to, either.

but you both did.

the city hummed around you, neon signs flickering in the distance, the occasional car passing by. it was late enough that the usual bustle of the streets had quieted down, leaving just the two of you and the rhythmic sound of your footsteps on the pavement.

you reached your building, stepping toward the entrance, but then—

leehan stopped walking.

you turned to him, brow raised. “what?”

he looked... different. not in the usual smug, teasing way. he was shifting his weight slightly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, his gaze flickering between you and the ground like he was debating something.

and then—

“…do you want to come over?”

you blinked.

“…huh?”

his ears were turning red. red.

he cleared his throat. “w-we can, uh… eat? and have a movie marathon?” his words came out rushed, like he was afraid he’d forget them if he didn’t say them fast enough. “o-or, uh… i don’t know, whatever you’d love to do. online games?”

your lips parted slightly, caught off guard. leehan—confident, annoying, always-has-a-snarky-response leehan—was nervous.

nervous about you.

his fingers curled inside his sleeves, his usual teasing grin nowhere to be found.

and that was when it hit you. the way he always found you in a room. the way his insults had softened into something closer to fondness. the way he never actually seemed to mind when you called him annoying.

he had been holding back.

and maybe, just maybe—you had been, too.

you took a step closer, tilting your head. “leehan.”

his throat bobbed. “yeah?”

your lips twitched into a smirk. “silly, of course i’d love to come over.”

before he could fully process your words, you grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the entrance of the building.

“and while we’re at it, we’ll talk about how we don’t like each other that much.”

leehan let out a strangled noise. “huh—wait—”

you ignored him, swiftly entering his passcode like it was your apartment, pushing open the door. “hurry up, we’re wasting time.”

he stood frozen for a second, blinking at you, before breaking into a wide grin, shaking his head in disbelief. “you’re unbelievable.”

“unfortunately.”

you plopped onto his couch like you lived there, grabbing the remote, already scrolling through movie options. leehan sat beside you, close—closer than usual.

and this time, neither of you pretended to ignore it.

the movie played in the background, its soft glow casting flickering shadows across the dimly lit room. but neither of you were watching. not really.

leehan sat beside you, slightly tense, like he was aware—of the space between you, of the way your knees brushed when you shifted, of the fact that this wasn’t just another night hanging out. this was something else.

you, on the other hand, acted as if everything was normal. because if you thought too much, if you acknowledged the weight in the air, you weren’t sure what you’d do.

but leehan was staring. you could feel it.

“if you keep looking at me like that, i might start thinking you actually like me,” you muttered, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl between you.

leehan didn’t even flinch. “what if i do?”

you paused mid-chew.

slowly, you turned to him, raising a brow. “what?”

his expression was unreadable, but his fingers tapped absently against his knee, a nervous habit you’d only recently started noticing.

he inhaled, exhaled, then shrugged. “just saying. maybe i do.”

you stared at him, waiting for the punchline. some stupid joke, a teasing smirk—something to make it feel less like he was turning your entire world upside down.

but nothing came.

he just looked at you, quiet and steady, like he’d already made peace with whatever was about to happen next.

and suddenly, all those months of playful arguments, of lingering glances, of almost-but-not-quite moments came rushing back at once.

you hated him. except, you didn’t.

“you’re messing with me,” you said finally, but your voice lacked the usual bite.

leehan shook his head. “nope.”

“…seriously?”

“seriously.”

your heart was doing something weird. like a stuttering engine, skipping beats it wasn’t supposed to.

you scoffed, trying to mask it. “wow. what a plot twist.”

“right?” leehan hummed, leaning back into the couch. “who would’ve thought? me, liking you.”

“so tragic.”

“a real disaster.”

but despite the words, despite the banter, neither of you laughed.

you could still feel his gaze, waiting... waiting for you to say something.

but what were you supposed to say?

that your heart had been beating like this for weeks now? that you had started looking for him in every room before you even realized it? that you kind of liked being the first person he teased, the first person he looked at when something funny happened, the first person he always, always sat next to?

ugh.

this was so unfair.

so, instead of answering, instead of dealing with the mess he’d just dumped into your lap, you grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it at him.

leehan blinked. “…seriously?”

“seriously.”

a beat of silence.

then, he smirked. “oh, you’re so dead.”

before you could react, he grabbed a pillow and launched it at you, knocking you back against the couch.

“leehan!” you shrieked, throwing another handful of popcorn in retaliation.

what followed was a full-blown war; popcorn flying, pillows swinging, laughter filling the small space between you. the movie played on, forgotten, as you both devolved into something ridiculous and childish and stupidly happy.

somewhere between dodging an incoming pillow and trying to wrestle the remote from leehan’s grasp, you tumbled forward, colliding into him—too close, too warm, too real.

your breath caught.

so did his.

neither of you moved.

his hand was still wrapped around your wrist. your knees were pressed against his. your face was this close to his, close enough to see the way his lips parted, just slightly.

the teasing, the laughter, the noise...it all faded.

for a second, the world stilled.

“…you’re not gonna hit me again, are you?” leehan murmured, voice quieter than before.

“depends,” you said, but it came out softer than you meant it to.

his gaze flickered down, just for a split second.

then, slowly, a grin spread across his face. “you like me.”

you scoffed, pulling back. “delusional.”

“you so do.”

“good night, leehan.”

“admit it.”

you grabbed a pillow and threw it at him again before standing up. “sleep well, best friend.”

“oh my god.”

“bye.”

leehan’s laughter followed you as you walked toward the door, his voice light, teasing but different now. like he knew something you weren’t ready to admit yet.

and maybe he did.

either way, it didn’t matter.

because as you stepped out, your heart still racing, you realized—this wasn’t the end of something.

it was the beginning.