#ra0n

he was told women will be the cause of his downfall.

he laughed it off, telling grandma she can't believe everything she hears, reassuring her that he will marry a nice girl some day and that she doesn't need to worry about him, but even then, a part of him knew the fortune teller was right.

a lot of his problems revolved around women. yet, somehow, he can never steer clear of them. like a curious moth flying into a flame, or a ravenous fish biting the bait, seo jaerim is a knight that knows no fear, one that finds himself dashing into the dragon's lair time and time again.

the one thing he should've learnt by now is to stay away from his exes (it's rule number one of the breakup handbook), but it is also the one lesson he never learns. he gravitates towards women he knows are bad for him—there is a reason why they're an ex, but there is something so addictive about being around an old flame, reigniting an old spark. is it the comfort of familiarity, or does he just like getting burned in the same place twice?

he never should've met up with seryung. maybe shouldn't have came to this event that her family was hosting. then again, can he really avoid her when they run in the same circles? he should've long cut the detonating time bomb that is seulki off, let alone agree to spending time with her at the event. both of these terrible decisions led to his demise, as it always has all his life.

but there is one girl that he feels so right being around, enough for him to delude himself into believing that she is good for him. the way she does not hesitate to point out his mistakes, or make fun of him like he wasn't the seo jaerim, allows him to let his guard down around her. he's found a friend in her, but his greed keeps getting in the way and he finds himself wanting more. it doesn't help that he can tell she wants him just as much.

their fingers touch when he reaches for his bottle of soju. his vision gets hazier by the second but it does not matter, because she is all that he sees in that moment. he wants to shove everything between them out of their way and press his lips against her. he wants to be alone with her, without this stupid table between them, or all these intoxicated people around them. for once, he wants to have her to himself without feeling like he isn't allowed to.

he lets his fingers linger near hers, dilated eyes piercing through hers. he doesn't care that he was giving her his 'fuck me' eyes, doesn't care that he misses his bottle and reaches for hers instead, sipping from the exact spot her lipstick had imprinted on the nozzle of the bottle.

"i had a fucking terrible day today." why does her soju taste sweeter? is it because her lips had been on this bottle? "drink with me, please."

a woman on a mission, aera moves through the throng of people with ease, party goes diverging like the red sea after one look at her fixed stare, her vehement countenance, the small gift bag that's coiled so rigidly within a hand that it almost rips beneath her touch. raon is the woman with a target on her back, or at least it's what is assumed by the way aera is seen asking multiple people of her sister's whereabouts only an hour after the festivities begin. somewhere in the back of her mind she's aware of how this could appear, how gossip girl is probably salivating at the thought of another possible sibling clash over god knows what, but the vast amount of conflicting emotions that thrash within her at the gift at hand obstructs any sort of logic at the moment, only running off of sentimental value.

so whenever the familiar frame of raon finally comes into her view ( or at least the description matches underneath the damn indiscernible lighting ), there's no hesitation within her walk, making herself known within the seemingly private conversation with an air of entitlement as she interrupts with an angelic grin, "hi, yeah this conversation? no longer important. you're coming with me," and before there's any back talk aera takes hold of raon's wrist, almost yanking her away to the somewhat hidden stairs that occupy the private rooms. she's silent, jaw tight to hold the feelings within that threaten to come up like bile, spilling all over. it's why she roughly makes her way inside an unoccupied room, pulling raon in and before the padded stillness of the room could come between them, she shows her the opened gift, shaking it with vigor.

he had expected raon to avoid him after that night at the benefit. they had, after all, crossed the line they had sworn off all these years. there was a lot to unpack with that change in dynamic (he wouldn't want to call it a mistake, unless she thought of it as one) and he understands that it could've been overwhelming for her. he had called her a few times, all of which went to voice mail. maybe she was just busy. (he was too, with the gallery's opening, but why was she on his mind during every pocket of free time he had?)

after a couple of unread messages and a very incriminating gossip girl post, he finally understands why she was avoiding him. this is when he should've sent her another message, explaining all that was possibly running through her mind, but he realises that he had reached a roadblock himself too. if even he didn't know the answer to this quandary, how could he explain it to her? he misses her and contemplates showing up at the bar she works at, knowing she couldn't turn a customer away, but never plucked up the courage for that.

it was a reflex, showing up by her side when she had gotten wine all over her clothes. he had forgotten the cold war they were having (or at least, a war she had commenced and a poor defence on his end) when he swooped in to put his jacket around her, taking her away from the prying gazes basking in her demise. they left yutnori and he leads her into a staff lounge at the museum, where he had left an extra set of clothing and some toiletries to freshen himself up between breaks.

"i only have an extra suit, but i think the pants would be far too long for you. this should be enough, though." he hands her his white buttoned down shirt and the towel he had gotten from the trunk he came with in the morning. "most people had left for the refreshment party so the museum is pretty much empty. don't worry, just change into this."