unfortunately yes this is a disbandment post đ iâve fallen out of love with writing on here :( i tried it out for a while and while i love the people iâve met and the works iâve discovered on here, i donât feel passion for writing yn anymore :( thank you to everyone who supported + followed along with me on my redebut of my tumblr journey ⥠and all my mutuals i have talked to and followed throughout my time here as well đ„č i will be returning to ao3 and twitter and continuing my fics on there, so if you would like to follow/oomf me there please dm! maybe one day i will return but until then thank you for reading đđ„č thank you for 900 as well :3
warnings: none.. i think.. pls feel free to leave feedback :,,)
2:54 pm
sungchan was too close. you could feel the heat from his body, smell the subtle scent of his cologne that made your skin tingle. the room felt smaller with every second that passed, the space between you narrowing until it was just you and him, and the air was thick with something dangerous.
his eyes were on you, unblinking, every inch of him focused solely on you. "you don't have to keep pretending," he said, his voice barely a whisper, but it landed like a command. his hand brushed against the side of your face, fingertips grazing your skin with an almost startling gentleness.
you felt your breath catch, your body reacting against your will, every nerve standing on edge. you could've pulled away, but you didn't. your gaze flickered to his lips, just for a second, and you saw the way his smirk deepened. he knew what you were thinking. knew exactly what you wanted.
"channie..." your voice broke, something between a warning and a plea. your heart was pounding so loud in your ears, it drowned out everything else. he leaned in just enough for you to feel the warmth of his breath against your ear. "say it," he rasped, his lips brushing against your skin as the words escaped him. "tell me what you want."
you froze. every part of you wanted to say itâto finally give in, to admit what had been building between you both for weeks, months evenâbut a part of you still fought it. you still tried to hold onto the last shred of control you had left. but sungchan wasn't having it.
his hand slid to the back of your neck, the touch firm and commanding. he wasn't asking anymore. he was taking. you inhaled sharply as his fingers tangled in your hair, tilting your head back, forcing you to meet his gaze. his eyes were dark with something primal, something raw, and there was no escaping it.
"don't make me ask again," he said, voice low and thick with lust. your heart hammered in your chest, and the words tumbled out before you could stop them. "i want you. now."
sungchan didn't wait. he kissed you thenâhard, fast, urgentâand it was everything you'd been holding back. the force of it took you by surprise, a rush of heat flooding through you, making you forget everything but the way his lips moved against yours, how his hands roamed to your waist, pulling you into him, as if he couldn't get close enough.
your body responded immediately, pressing into him, your hands gripping his shirt, tugging him closer, needing more. the kiss deepened, his tongue tracing the line of your lips before slipping inside, and you couldn't hold back the moan that escaped you. his grip on you tightened, pulling you even closer, until there was no space left between you, no air to breathe.
he pulled back just enough to catch his breath, and his gaze dropped to your lips, to the way they parted with every shaky breath you took. "this what you wanted?" he asked, his voice rough and hungry.
you nodded, your chest heaving, your heart racing. you could barely think, the desire running through you like a live wire. all you wanted was him, needed himâhere, now.
sungchanâs smile was dark, triumphant. "good." he leaned in again, but this time, his lips trailed down to your neck, kissing you with the same intensity as before. you gasped, arching into him, every part of you was on fire. his teeth grazed your skin, and you couldn't help but shiver.
his hand slipped lower, his fingers brushing against the curve of your hip, and you jolted, your breath catching as the heat between you grew unbearable.
but just when you thought he'd go further, just when you thought you couldn't take it anymore, he pulled back, his lips curling into a slow, teasing smile.
"next time," he whispered, the words more a promise than a question, "we'll finish what we started."
and with that, he was gone, leaving you standing there, breathless, flushed, with nothing but the feeling of his touch lingering on your skin.
warnings: maybe a bit suggestive if u squint, antonâs kinda mean but itâs anton so itâs ok
7:21 pm
the air was thick between you, so heavy it almost felt suffocating. anton stood a few inches away, his presence overwhelming, like the room had shrunk to accommodate the weight of his gaze. you tried to steady your breath, but it felt like your chest was too tight, like you couldn't quite inhale enough air to fill your lungs.
you had never been this close to him before, and suddenly, you couldn't seem to figure out how to act. your body felt... too aware of his every move. the way his eyes lingered on you, the way his lips twitched like he knew exactly what was running through your head.
"what's wrong?" anton's voice was smooth, almost like he was savoring the moment, watching you squirm under his attention. there was a hint of amusement in his tone, like he found your discomfort entertaining. how did he do that?
"i-im fine," you stammered, but even to your own ears, it sounded like a lie. you could feel his gaze dragging across every part of you, like he was dissecting your thoughts, your every reaction.
anton tilted his head, his lips curling into a slow, mocking smile.
"really?" he asked, voice dripping with a condescending sweetness. "because you look like you've never been this close to a man before."
you swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. his words stung, even though you knew he was just playing with you. you weren't sure whether to feel embarrassed or frustrated, but you certainly felt something-something that made you want to run, and yet, you couldn't.
his fingers brushed against your arm, featherlight, as if he were testing your limits. "so innocent," he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for you to hear. "you don't even know how to react, do you?"
you winced, but tried to keep your composure. "i know what I'm doing," you said, voice barely above a whisper, but it was weak. you didn't really know what you were doing. you didn't know what he expected, or why your body kept betraying you every time he looked at you like that.
anton took a slow step closer, his eyes scanning your face like he was savoring your discomfort. "you don't, sweetheart," he said, almost pityingly, but there was no softness in his voice. "look at you. trembling, shy, so desperate for me to touch you, but too scared to admit it."
you felt your cheeks flush. the way he said it made you feel small, like you were a lost puppy who had no clue about the things your body was craving. you tried to protest, to tell him he was wrong, but your words stuck in your throat.
anton's hand slid to your waist, his touch possessive and commanding, and you couldn't help the shiver that ran through you. "you don't have to act so innocent," he said, his voice thick with amusement. "i can see it in your eyes. you want this."
you wanted to argue. you wanted to say that you didn't, but your body betrayed you again. you couldn't look away from him, couldn't stop the way your breath hitched when his fingers brushed against your side. you wanted to push him away, but your hands were frozen at your sides, unwilling to move.
anton stepped even closer, his lips almost grazing your ear. you could feel his warm breath on your skin, and your pulse quickened in response, though you hated how easily he was making you react. "you think i don't know what you're feeling?" his voice was a low, mocking murmur. "you think you can hide it from me?"
the confidence in his tone made your stomach churn. he was so sure, and it made you feel exposed, like you had no power here, no control over how badly you wanted him.
"yes," you whispered, almost shaking your head in disbelief, though the words didn't feel true even as you said them.
anton laughed softly, his fingers sliding under the hem of your shirt, just a light brush of skin against skin, but it felt like fire.
"don't lie," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "you're so fucking naive." he tilted your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze, and the look in his eyes made something coil tight in your stomach. "but iâm going to teach you."
you wanted to look away, to find some way to hide the way your body was responding to him. but you couldn't. you couldn't pull back from him, not when his hand slid lower, cupping your waist again, pulling you in closer. your chest brushed against his, and you couldn't stop the way your body reacted to the pressure.
"you're so innocent," anton repeated, his voice low and almost cruel now. "it's cute. but i don't think you're going to be so innocent for long."
you felt a rush of heat flood your body, straight to your core. your breath became faster, your head spinning. you wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but you couldn't find the strength to do it. how did he know you so well? how did he make you feel like you were so small under his gaze?
anton's lips brushed against yours, soft at first, just a whisper of contact, but it was enough to make your pulse race. you froze, your hands shaking at your sides, unsure of what to do- of how to respond. but then his mouth pressed harder against yours, and it was impossible to deny the way your body leaned into the kiss, your lips parting as if inviting him in.
"that's better," he murmured, his voice full of satisfaction, his hand sliding down to the curve of your hip. "just relax, sweetheart. let me show you what it's like."
the words sent a shiver down your spine. you didn't know what it was, but you wanted to find out. you wanted him to teach you, even though it terrified you.
but you couldn't stop. you didn't want to stop. the way he kissed you, the way his hands moved over you-it made you feel alive in a way you never had before, and you couldn't help but want more.
an: sry this was lowkey bootycheeks too #imtryingmybest pls feel free to send feedback or asks or anything đđ»ââïž
the room smells like warm linen and him. something faintly citrus in his detergent, something heavier underneath it that you only notice when youâre this close. his shirtâs half-off, bunched between your fingers at the small of his back, and he hasnât said a word in minutes.
just breathing.
just watching you.
the light from the hallway spills in through the open door, just enough to catch the right angles of his face, the way his jaw tightens every time you shift in his lap. heâs sitting at the edge of the bed, holding on to every bit of control he can.
âyouâre doing it again,â he says, voice low.
âdoing what?â
âlooking at me like you donât know what youâre doing to me.â
you smile, trying to keep yourself together, but your heart is beating too fast to play it cool. âmaybe i donât.â
he lets out a breath, part laugh and part groan, and leans forward. his mouth finds your neck like it belongs there, like heâs been thinking about it longer than he wants to admit. teeth just barely grazing skin. not enough to mark. not yet.
your hands slide under his shirt, palms flat against his skin. heâs warm all over. his muscles tense up under your touch.
âyouâre not nervous?â he asks, lips brushing your collarbone.
you shake your head, then pause for a moment. âmaybe a little.â
he pulls back, just enough to meet your eyes. âgood.â
you raise a brow.
âmeans this matters to you,â he says quietly. âmeans itâs real.â
you donât reply. you just lean in again, kissing him like youâre trying to memorize his mouth. he groans into it, quiet yet restrained. but he grabs your waist tighter, fingers pressing into the bare skin beneath your shirt like he canât help it.
the fabric rides up with every movement. your thighs tighten around him. the tensionâs not building, itâs already there. thick and humming, like the whole room is waiting.
he tilts his head back, eyes half-lidded. âif you keep looking at me like that, iâm gonna forget how to be careful.â
you lean down, lips brushing the corner of his mouth. âmaybe i donât want you to be.â
his grip falters. just slightly. just enough.
âsay that again,â he says.
you press your mouth to his ear, nibbling it lightly. âdonât be careful.â
he exhales hard, arms wrapping around you all at once like he canât hold it back anymore. your back hits the mattress before you even realize heâs moved.
he hovers over you, breathing heavy, jaw clenched like heâs still trying to be good. still trying to hold it together.
âone more time,â anton says, voice rough. âjust to be sure.â
you look up at him, cheeks flushed, feeling open and honest.
it was supposed to be just a visit home back to your loving parents. a quick normal vacation until you went back to college again. but after a quick encounter with a mysterious boy in the forest, it was everything but normal. a summer you wouldnât forget, the boy you had to forget.
tw: swearing, spirits??, mentions: park jay, (more to be added in later parts)
inspired by into the forest of fireflies light! (hotarubi no mori e)
notes: hi! this is my first fic iâm coming out with, itâs more experimental, this is most likely going to a 2-3 part series, be nice to međđ this part will be a lot shorter than the next parts so please bare with me
update: hi, before i post the next part i will be revamping this part meanwhile! sorry :p so if it looks different thatâs why!
nothing compared. being back home with the warm sun radiant against your skin, the flourished greens under your feet, the soft breeze caressing your face, the freedom and nostalgia. it was your favorite time of year and not just because you were free from the hell people call college but because you basked in the season and you got to go home back to your parents that you always missed dearly.
the lyft ride from the airport to your home was going fairly quick, no traffic or awkward conversation from the driver to your surprise. the car quietly rumbles as it hits road to dirt exiting the city. the tall grey buildings become a blur now turning into green mist as the vehicle descends further out of town. you were blessed to live such a quiet life outside of the bustling city of seoul. busy traffic lights and crowded side walks were not something you were accustomed to until heading to college where you learned- were forced, to adjust.
it was your third year away from home. going off to college in another country was not an easy decision, but your parents encouraged the idea to start new and experience what you couldnât at home.
your first year was a pain, trying to adjust to social norms, time differences, and making new connections. you were already incapable of making sustainable friendships at home, so how was moving going to be any different? your only friend was the neighbor 3 miles west from your house, jay.
he was your complete opposite. the boy everyone loved at school, a heartthrob. you could only admire his confidence and how easily he navigated his way through life. it was a miracle you grew up with such a personality but you were grateful.
as you watched the trees speed by, the gps signals that you were arriving at your destination. the scene of your fairly large estate surrounded by an assortment of different flowers your parents grew as well as the small garden filled with different vegetables and fruits comes into view.
home sweet home.
the car comes to a hard stop, making you jolt forward a little. unbuckling your seatbelt, you thank the driver, gathering your belongings and head out the door. hot humid air engulfs your body almost burning the peach fuzz off of your face. it was extremely warm out but the feeling felt like heaven, like home. you hum and skip as you drag your suitcase across the gravel entrance to your front door. the vegetables were fully ripe, waiting to be picked. the flowers flourishing in the sunlight, swaying and dancing along with the light breeze. the buzzing of the humidity and sun rang in your ears.
you ring the doorbell twice, giving the wooden door three hard knocks. you heard footsteps shuffling on the other side of the door. the excitement had your heart jumping out of your chest. hands clammy from holding onto your luggage and sweat beads forming as you stood in the blazing sun. the door finally bursts open, standing there, your parents wearing bright pink party hats holding a cake that said âwelcome backâ.
âwelcome home love!â, your mom exclaims, jumping as she yanks your wrist through the entrance of the house. you stumble a bit over the floor mat into your momâs arms, the cold brush of wind from the ac hits your body.
âgood to see you too momâ, hugging your mother tightly, giving her a few squeezes before running to your dad. heâs not much of an emotional person, a man of very few words but with no hesitation he opens his arms wide, appreciating the skinship from his daughter that he hasnât seen in a year. the feeling of coming back home never gets old.
the house was the same, nothing changed within the three years you were in and out. photos of you from kindergarden to high school still scattered along the hallway walls, fresh flowers from the garden in tall glass vases sitting in the center of every table, the overworked aâc still running because your mom refused to shut it off due to the humidity outside.
âhave you ate yet y/n? i prepared dinner just in case, didnât want you to come home starvingâ, your dad sets your suitcase and carry on into the living room and tugs you along to the dining table giving you no time to settle in. the table was lined with all your favorite dishes along with the cake your parents greeted you with previously. it was like your death row meal laid upon you. the overwhelming aroma caused a low grumble in your stomach realizing you havenât ate since last night from the late packing and early flight time.
âyou really went all out huh, god iâm absolutely starving right nowâ, you take a seat as your dad pulls out the chair for you, plates and utensils already set out. âof course i did, you havenât had a home cooked meal in a year, i figured you needed thisâ, your mom laughs as she shoves food onto her plate. you didnât waste a second, scarfing down anything and everything you could fit in your stomach. your appetite felt insatiable.
the afternoon went by smoothly, dining room filled with endless laughter and conversation of new updates from your third year of college, managing to avoid the pestering curiosity about your love life that you didnât possess. romance was not in your agenda, you havenât even experienced your first love or heartbreak and you planned to keep it that way. it was ironic how you were only surrounded by love, watching you parents grow old together, still hopelessly in love with one another as if they just got married yesterday. love wasnât something you desired or considered.
as dinner came to an end, your mom was packing away the remaining leftovers, placing the dishes in the sink as you helped her wash, scrubbing with the same scrub daddy your mom swears by. you could tell your mom was going to ask you something by the way she lingered in the kitchen even after everything was packed up.
âhoney, have you ever thought about dating jay?â
a choked cough erupted from your mouth from the sudden question.
âmom, jay has been my best friend for years, i donât see him in that wayâ, there was no hesitation in your answer. jay never came across your mind as romantic partner, just a best friend. someone who you could rely on.
âi was just asking! you guys have been friends for so long and youâve never brought a boy homeâŠâ, she trails off. you turn your head giving your mom a âreallyâ look. she just sighs in defeat, heading over to the couch to join her husband.
the one thing about your mom is she never budges, never asks too many questions, never pries. she left enough space for privacy, and god were you blessed to have a mother like her.
your parents were nestled together on the couch, glass of wine in hand blabbing about the show playing on the tv. it felt so surreal, only being a year away made you realize how much you missed being at home. you place the last dish of what felt like hundreds in the dishwasher to dry. clearing your throat, you interrupt the heartfelt moment between your parents letting them know you were going to head out for some air. they just nod and tell you to be safe, attention already turned back to the boring soap opera.
night was barely reaching so you decided a nice walk wouldnât hurt especially after the large amount of food you just ate and the interrogation you barely managed to pass by. you slip on the crocs that havenât moved from their spot since you left and slip past the back door. since the sun set, the air was cool now, the breeze cold enough to make the hairs on your arm stand. the atmosphere was quiet, only the sounds of the dirt and gravel crumbling under your feet. you head into the tall trees and green ivy towards the pathway you engraved when you were a kid. nature was your second home, it spoke to you more than the loud cars and yelling pedestrians back in the city.
the nostalgia hit even harder now, the familiar path you would walk every other night provided the same comfort it always did. sounds of crickets chirping and branches swaying filled the air, the cold breeze making your nose hurt. stepping over rocks and tall weeds made you feel like a kid again. like it was just yesterday you were galavanting through with no worries or problems. just pure ignorance for the world. your reminiscing came to an abrupt stop when you realized you werenât the only one in the forest. you heard a branch snap not too far from you.
there shouldnât be anyone else out here? not at this time.
it didnât feel like there was other life around you but you could hear it. you take a couple more glances, searching inbetween the long ray of trees and bushes. suddenly your body freezes up, you could feel the blood inside you drain in fear. you caught a glimpse of a figure standing just steps away from you.
aside from you there shouldnât be anyone else in this forest, a neighbor would be too far out to be this close to you. the figure doesnât seem to catch your presence still unmoving from its spot. you take the chance to get a closer look, moving behind a tree you carefully maneuver between broken leaves. using it as a cover, you shift slightly to peak your head out.
it was a boy. not too tall, short black hair that barely falls over his eyes, and broad shoulders. heâs on the slimmer side, body only being covered in a white flannel that seemed a little too big for him and baggy jeans. his silhouette illuminated by the few fireflies surrounding him. your eyed widened, heart still pounding from this unknown specimen in your backyard. youâre still unnoticed, heâs staring off into the sky, eyes following the little fireflies swarming above his head.
you peaked a little too far losing your balance causing you to come out of hiding, leaves crumpling underneath your feet. your heart drops to your ass. his head whips around, eyes no longer on the light above but at you. frozen, you contemplate on running or screaming but thanks to your survival instincts, the ones you didnât have, you stayed still.
you both just stand there, not moving a single inch. he blinks a few times as if he couldnât comprehend if you were real or not. your breath hitches as you see him start to approach you.
i canât die like this. i just got home
your feet are still tapered to the ground, the fear in you was high. your body felt like it was being held down by bricks. heâs just a few steps in front of you now, getting closer and closer by the second. as he inches closer, his face becomes visible, he was breathtaking. he was innocent looking, looked about your age, eyes round and soft, skin pale yet delicate, and his overall face was⊠gorgeous. it pained you to admire your future murderer but you couldnât deny that he was handsome.
he stops just an arms length in front of you. all you could do was shut your eyes tensed with your fists balled up, waiting for a knife to stab you or an ax to slash you but it never comes.
âwhat are you doing?â
you peak one eye open at the boy still standing in front of you.
âuh⊠hello?â, he speaks again. his voice was oddly soothing. tone not very deep. he looks confused as he stares at you with your fists bunched up.
âyouâre not going to hurt me?â, only one eye opened still bracing for impact.
âwhy would i hurt you, youâre the one stalking me behind a treeâ
you felt stupid. you relaxed your shoulders, finally standing up straight you get a good look at him. he was just a head taller than you. he looks down at you still greatly confused by the stranger who graces in front of him. you break the silence with a loud huff.
âwell no one is ever out here, and you were just standing out here alone like a creepâ
his left eyebrow raises in more confusion. what did you mean no one was ever out here. heâs here all the time but the thought stays in his head.
âi feel like i should be telling you the same thingâ, his voice goes monotone, âdo you always stalk people in the middle of a forest? a little odd if you ask me.â
the ridiculous question completely threw you off.
so this guy isnât a killer.
you donât answer right away, only repositioning your stance with an attitude, hand on your hip.
âlast time i checked this was my backyard, you know like the one behind my house, strangerâ
silence
his presence wasnât strong, as if he wasnât standing a few breaths in front of you. it was almost ghost-like. you stand there lost in thought on who this random boy was and why he was lurking in the forest alone. his face rests after deeming you harmless.
âare you just going to keep staring at meâ
before you could even process the question, heâs already turning his heel to leave. your curiosity gets the best of you, hand already reaching to pull his arm from leaving.
âwai-â
he quickly snags his hand away from your reach. the surprise action halts your movement.
âoh sorry⊠i didnât mean to- i just⊠i didnât even get your name?â, you mutter in embarrassment. itâs not like you were rejected but the harsh reaction definitely left a mark on your ego.
his hands fall to his sides as he turns his head to meet your gaze. as soon as his mouth opens, a strong gust of wind flows right by the both of you, your eyes shut on instinct from the sudden breeze. jungwon, a small whisper in your ear as the words flowed through the air. it sent shivers down your spine. reluctantly you open your eyes again, vision adjusting from the blinding wind.
he was gone.
no noise, not a crinkle of leaves or crackling of branches. no sign he left. he was no longer in front of you, it was really like he was never there.
you were left in a daze.
where did he go? was i just imagining?
you take another look around you whipping your head side to side in disbelief, maybe heâs hiding?
there was no breeze, the air was still but the trees were still whispering like they were conversating. the moment happened all too quick. confused, you blink hard a few times, rubbing your eyes checking if you were just seeing things. there was still no sign of his whereabouts.
âi think thatâs enough walking tonightâ
your mind was in ruins racing back to the house. everything felt disoriented.
thereâs no way.
he was real wasnât he?
did i eat too much?
maybe iâm just exhausted from the long travel.
your pace picks up as the whispers get louder. the pathway felt different now, there was no clear walk way. the trees were closing in and the bushes were crowding the space. you were panicked as you rustled and tripped on roots and rocks.
as you fight your way out, your house comes into view. approaching your backdoor reaching for the door handle, your body freezes again. you take another look behind you, the whispers stopped. still no one. it was eerie. you slide open the door with urgency, kicking your shoes off leaving them on the door mat outside.
your parents were long gone from the couch, lights off and wine glasses placed in the sink, the imprint of their bodies still molded into fabric. locking the door behind you, your feet carry you upstairs and down the hall to your room. flipping the switch the dim light flickers.
a wave of relief hit you as you swung your door open, your room was untouched, left exactly how you arranged it before your departure to college. the picture frames of you and your parents still lay on the nightstand, desk still cluttered with paperwork, your walls were still grey and some books on your shelf were dusty. it gave you some peace of mind after the mind boggling interaction you just experienced.
a relieved sigh leaves your chest as you settle down on your bed trying to catch your breath. the sheets felt like ice, and the room was freezing.
thereâs no way i was just imagining it, him.
your head turns to the left to glance out your window that looks out towards the forest. eyes searching for any signs of him, but to no surprise, the land was still empty, only the fireflies still gathered in the same spot you found him in. you fall back on the bed with a loud squeak from the old springs. this wasnât how you imagined your first day back home. a borderline mystical or even spiritual encounter with a handsome boy who just disappeared out of thin air. it was just like one of those lame romance movies.
jungwon.
you lay pondering, the name lingered in your mind. the flashback of him pulling his arm away still bugged you. the sudden intrusion of his space was your fault but the way he reacted still baffled you.
you yawn as exhaustion finally took affect over your body from jet lag and it didnât help that you had to practically sprint back home. you didnât want to spend another thought on the boy, you couldnât.
âi need to sleepâ
you push yourself up from the bed to finish unpacking your luggage, placing clothes back on hangers and setting some necessities back onto your vanity. grabbing your towel, you head into the shower. letting the water run cold over yourself to shake the boy out of memory. exfoliating every part of your body, scrubbing until your skin turned red like you were trying to get rid of the nerves underneath the layer.
~
trudging into bed, your body finally relaxes into the mattress. your mind still in tatters over jungwon. the questions still circling your in your head as you toss and turn under your comforter. youâve lived here all your life. youâve explored every part of the land and knew everybody who stayed or passed through. never once did you come across this unfamiliar face, but youâve been gone for a year, things are always changing, right?
it seemed like hours of endless questions and incoherent thoughts.
was he real?
he was literally standing right in front of me.
maybe he just moved in nearby?
he was quite literally ethereal. he didnât feel real. the image of the slender boy replayed over and over.
your eyelids start to flutter and your body goes numb as sleep creeps in. the thoughts got quieter as your consciousness stirred.
as sleep started to take you, something in you knew this wasnât the last time you would see jungwon.
hi mai gooners iâve missed u all dearly đ i see everyoneâs asks and feedbacks and iâm so happy for all the love my little fics r still getting <3 iâve been super ia and busy with real life in general but iâm not disappearing forever! iâm still writing but iâve been in a horrrible writers block atm and have lost passion for my current wips and works :â) i will make my comeback mark my words !!!
you've heard the stories and you know what happens to bunnies that enter the woods at night. really, itâs your fault. you knew this would happen. itâs like you wanted this⊠no? oh, but didnât you?
pairing â wolf!sunghoon x afab bunny!reader
word count â 3.9k
tags â oneshot, wolf!sunghoon x bunny!reader, little red riding hood inspired, petnames (bun, bunny, u get it), reader is a little dumb smut tags â pwp, noncon/dubcon, p in v, oral sex (f!receiving), loss of virginity, some blood, blood kink, virginity kink, breeding kink, mentions of womb/cervix/cherry-popping, knotting, saliva/drool, squirting, biting/claiming, mentions of death, this is just a tiny bit nasty :3
warnings â pls heed the tags! noncon/dubcon claiming :3 lapslock + not proofread iâm sleep deprived and Crazy rn.
a/n â wrote this trying to get out of my writerâs block </3 pls enjoy my belligerent 1am insanity
âȘ all the girls are needing, i need a big boy
give me a big boy, i need a big boy
minors dni. dark content ahead.
âh-hello? is anyone there?â
your voice is soft and shaky. your soft, plush white ears stand tall as they flick, listening for somethingâanything. your tail is stiff in fear and you canât shake the feeling of being watched.
you donât know how you got here; the middle of the dark, dangerous woods that are in no way a place for something like you, at least not this late at night. youâve never ventured this far at night, you know betterâyou know that it isnât safe for bunnies like you.
youâve heard the stories of what happens to bunnies like you when they get caught. youâve seen the bodies brought back to your villageâbloodied, mangled, dead and used. every corpse that was brought back reeked of⊠of wolves.
you were just supposed to be on your way to your grandmaâs house. every month, on the same day, your grandma calls you to her house for a visit. usually you make the journey with your mother, but your mother is terribly sick with a cold and told you it was okay for you to venture alone.
âyouâll be okay, sunshine. whatever you do, stay on the trail. do not leave the path. if it starts getting dark, come back.â your momâs voice was sweet and caring as she packed you a basket with treats for you and your grandma to share.
your mother trusted you enough with this, and you didnât want to let her down. you missed your grandma terribly and wanted nothing more than to make it to her house safely.
butâthereâs always a but.
youâre lost.
somehow you managed to stray from the trail. something distracted you, but in your fear you canât even seem to recall what it was. one second you were walking the trail like a good daughter, and the next the sun was gone and so was the path.
you tried to find your way back, but it only caused you to be more confused and lost. it was dark, the only light coming from the glow of the full moon. you were whimpering in fear. the full moon only means one thing: wolves.
somewhere along your search back to the trail, you heard something. there was a snap! then it was quiet, too quiet. the silence is eerie, uncomfortable. you feel like youâre being watched⊠like something is there with you, watching you, waiting for you.
you let out another sound of distress, your ears flicking anxiously. you freeze when you hear the sound again, closer this time. you donât moveâyou canât. youâre frozen in place, just like a helpless prey.
âhello? is anyone there?â your voice shakes. youâre trembling, your fingers gripping the basket so tight that the wood starts to splinter. âhello?â
then, you hear a chuckle. the sound is low, deep, and it echoes and resonates deep within you.
âtsk, tsk, tsk.â the voice is getting closer. âpoor little bunny, are you lost?â
your eyes widen like saucers when the owner of the voice shows itself. a wolf. youâre frozen in fear still, not knowing whether to run and hide or to freeze and accept your fate.
âw-wolf!â you stutter, your voice not able to reach a complete scream. you canât scream, you canât run. itâs too late.
âpretty bunny, are you lost?â the wolf repeats himself. âi can show you the way. i donât bite.â
the wolf emphasizes the word with a big grin, the moonlight glints and his canines radiate.
âoh, what sharp teeth you have,â you whimper. âyouâre not going to eat me?â
âno, bunny,â the wolf still has that wolfish grin on hus face. âi would never eat a bunny. iâm a nice wolf, you can trust meâŠâ
â_____,â against your better judgement, you tell the wolf your name. âwill you really show me the way?â
âyes, bunny,â the wolf nods, taking a few steps closer. his eyes rake up and down your trembling body, and his gaze stops at the very end of your cloak. âmy name is sunghoon, bun.â
âs-sunghoon?â
the wolf, sunghoon, nods. âsounds so pretty cominâ from your mouth, bun. what are you doing out here all alone? it isnât safe for an innocent bunny like you. youâd be eaten alive by some real bad wolves by now if i hadnât found you.â
your cheeks heat, and your gaze drops to the floor. your ears droop at the shame of being lost. âiâm just trying to make it to my grandmaâs house, mr. wolf. she lives near the middle of the forest, by the big lake.â
âah, does she now?â sunghoon licks his lips. âi know exactly where that is. youâre lucky you ran into me tonight, bun. i can show you the way.â
âreally?â you perk up, meeting his eyes again. heâs closer now, so close that if you reached your arm out you would be able to touch him. he smells⊠oddly okay, not like how the other bunnies at your village describe wolves to smell like. he smells of grass and flowers and oak, not like the blood of bunnies. âplease, please, please!â
sunghoon chuckles, his gaze dark as he looks down at you. the height difference is jarring, heâs over a head taller than you, and from up close you can see that heâs big.
heâs way bigger than you, his arms are so big that the plain t-shirt heâs wearing looks small, way too small for his body. he has prominent veins along his forearms and hands that pop out and twitch with his every movement, and his chest is so extremely large that it looks as if he has ginormous pecs. his shoulders are so broad, and you think that sunghoon is probably very strong.
âof course, bunny. you just have to follow me. i know a shortcut to the lake. itâs very close, just up ahead. maybe another half mile.â sunghoon reaches his hand out, offering it to you. âcome, bun. let me take you.â
youâre trustingâtoo trusting for your own goodâas you take his hand, letting him enclose his large palm over your small hand.
sunghoon leads you deeper into the woods, and you follow him blindly. you canât wait to be at your grandmaâs house, and you trust that sunghoon will lead you there in no time.
itâs odd, though. you havenât seen or heard a single animal or creature near you in minutes.
âyouâre very pretty, bunny. your cloak seems so soft and warm.â sunghoonâs voice breaks the silence. âi wonder, what are you wearing underneath it?â
âthank you. my grandma gifted me this cloak,â you say, softly. âiâm wearing a dress my grandma also handmade for me.â
âmmm,â sunghoon hums. âyou smell very good, bun. like chocolate and vanilla. i wonder how you taste, too.â
you shiver. âwhat?â
ânothing, bun. weâre almost there.â
you start to tremble again, but then you smell the water, and you know the lake is near. your parents always told you to not trust wolves, that wolves will only tear you apart and lick your bones clean one by one, but this wolfâsunghoon, has been trustworthy. he didnât eat you.
the lake comes into view moments later, the water practically sparkles underneath the moonlight.
you gasp. âsunghoon! you really brought me here! thank you, thank you, thank you!â
âi told you, bunny,â sunghoon grins. âyour grandmaâs house should be near. are you staying overnight?â
âno, iâm supposed to return home tonight, my parents will be worried sick if i donâtâŠâ
âthen i shall wait for you, bun. i will accompany you on your way back home to make sure you make it safe and sound.â
âoh,â you say, surprised. âyou would do that?â
âof course. i have to make sure you donât get eaten by any wolves⊠hm?â
âo-okay,â you murmur, sheepish. âi shouldnât be long.â
sunghoon nods, and you rush off to your grandmaâs. her house is only around the corner, so the walk is quick.
you think about sunghoon the whole way there. he proved that wolves arenât all bad. some wolves can be trusted and some wolves wonât eat you. everything youâve learned about wolves was wrong, and you canât wait to go back to your village and spread the new information you learned.
âgrandma! iâm here!â
your grandmaâs house is warm and comforting as you enter. you set the basket of goods on her small wooden table.
âdear! you made it!â your grandma approaches you, rushing you into a hug. âi was so scared, dear. itâs so late at night.â
âyes, grandma. iâm safe.â you reassure her. âmom packed you some sweets, your favorite.â
âah, did sheââ your grandma stills. âdear, whatâs that smell?â
you sniff the air. âwhat do you mean?â
âyouâyou reek of wolf!â
âgrandma, itâs okay! please, calm down! the wolf helped me here! he didnât try to eat me!â
âyouâre a traitorâtraitor!â your grandma backs away in horror. âyou brought a wolf here? you need to leave, now.â
âno, grandma, please! he wouldnât hurt me, or you!â you reach for her, wanting to console her, but she flinches away like sheâs been burned.
âno family of mine will be in contact with a wolf,â your grandma spits the word like itâs poison. âget out. never come back.â
âno, grandma!â
she rushes you out the door, locking it behind you and leaving you out in the cold with nothing but your cloak. you sniffle, hot tears making their way down your cheeks as you sob and knock on the door rapidly.
âgrandma! please! let me in!â you cry, helplessly holding onto the doorknob like sheâll open it. âplease!â
it seems like an eternity that passes before you get tired of trying. your grandma disowned you and left you in the cold. you canât go back, what if the rest of the town also treats you the same way? what do you do?
you get a brilliant idea then. youâll go to the lake and wash yourself. youâll wash the scent of sunghoon away and make it back home. nobody will know.
you make it a few steps before you smell it againâhim.
âbunny? whatâs wrong?â sunghoon steps into view. his face is masked with concern and pity. âpoor little bunny, why are you crying?â
âmy grandmaâshe,â the thought of your grandma has you breaking down once more. you rush into sunghoonâs arms, his big chest comforts you. âshe left me! she told me to get out as i smell like a wolf, and told me she never wanted to see me again!â
sunghoon cradles your head as you sob into his chest. âshh, there, there. itâll be alright, bunny. she just doesnât understand.â
âi have to go to the lakeâi have to wash off before i go home. or else theyâthey wonât accept me back.â
âokay, bunny. letâs go to the lake and wash you off. then iâll walk you home, okay?â sunghoonâs voice is deep and low, and somehow comforting.
you nod, sniffling, and let sunghoon lead you to the lake, hand in hand.
sunghoon is quiet as he leads you both knee deep into the water. he reaches for your cloak, and you let him undress you. your cries quiet now, only sniffles escape every few moments.
sunghoon drops your cloak somewhere below you, before reaching for the straps of your small, silk babydoll dress.
he sucks in a breath, but youâre too overwhelmed by your grandma to pay any mind to it. he undoes the straps one by one, before letting your dress slide down and fall into the water as well.
âbunny,â sunghoon murmurs. âkneel and wash yourself.â
you obey, making sure to rinse yourself and get rid of the wolf scent on you. after your fur is soaked and your body is freezing, you consider yourself clean enough.
âbunny, youâre shaking,â sunghoon says. âare you cold?â
you nod, and sunghoon coos. âbut your clothes are all wet. whatever will we do?â
âi-i donât knowâŠâ youâre freezing and trembling so much that your teeth chatter as your tail drips water into the lake. âitâs so cold.â you whine.
âaw, is my bunny cold?â sunghoon coos again. âdo you need me to warm you up?â
you nod, and sunghoon grins. âcome here, bunny. come to me.â
you step closer to him, and he pulls you in roughly. he wraps his arms around you, enclosing your body with his larger one. heâs so warm, extremely warm, and you let out a soft sigh as your body finally starts to warm up.
âyouâre so small, bunny,â sunghoonâs breath hits your ears as he speaks. âand so soft, so supple and soft.â
you whine, shy, and then you feel it.
âs-sunghoon⊠something is poking me,â you whisper.
âis there?â sunghoon murmurs, his voice low and dripping something you arenât sure of.
the hardness you feel twitches, pressing deeper against your thigh. youâre scared to look down, scared of what you might see.
âsunghoon, itâitâsâŠâ
âfuck,â sunghoon growls, suddenly. you flinch at his outburst, your ears stiffening and standing tall upon your head. âi canât hold back anymore.â
âsunghoon, what?â you say, your voice shaking.
sunghoon ignores you, picking you up and out of the water, carrying you in his arms as he reaches grass and mud again.
âyou make me crazy, bun,â sunghoonâs voice is rough as he speaks. âi canât hold back anymore. not when youâre nude and presenting yourself so nicely to me.â
âs-sunghoon?â you tremble in his hold. he releases you, then, to put you back onto your feet.
when you meet his eyes again, he looks different. gone is the comforting face you thought you knew, and now thereâs a predatory, evil look in his eyes.
âplease, sunghoon, youâre scaring me.â you plead, whisper. âsunghoon?â
itâs like he canât hear you. he doesnât answer as he leans down, his hands on your bare waist as he presses his nose into the crook of your neck and inhales deeply.
âfuck, bun, you smell so good,â sunghoon groans, and you feel the hardness return. sunghoon grinds against your leg, and your tail stiffens in fear. âyou smell so delicious, bunny. so perfect for me. iâm going to tear you apart.â
âsunghoon, no! please!â you cry and beg. he wouldnât eat you, heâd never, right?
âdonât worry, bun. iâm not going to eat you,â sunghoon chuckles and it vibrates against your skin. he licks a stripe from your collarbone to your ear, before whispering, âbut iâm going to ravage you. youâre mine now, bunny.â
you tremble in his hold, cringing at the feeling of his tongue against your skin. âno! sunghoon! please, please!â
then suddenly, sunghoon lets you go. âno?â
âno!â you cry, pleading. âplease!â
ârun, bunny,â sunghoon smirks, his sharp canines making an appearance again. âiâll count to three. iâll give you a headstart. if i catch you, i get to take you.â
you turn on your heels immediately, scrambling to run for your life. youâre still naked, and the ground is rough on your feet as you try to dodge rocks and branches.
âoneâŠâ
youâre heaving, running so hard that you feel like you might throw up.
âtwoâŠâ
but bunnies are known for being quick, arenât they?
âthree! iâm coming, bunny. you canât hide from me!â
your heart drops. you donât know where you are, but you know that sunghoon is already close, you hear his footsteps gradually getting closer to you, and you have nowhere to hide. you look around frantically, looking for something, anything.
your eyes land on a small hole, just big enough to burrow yourself in. thatâs it, you think. youâll hide there.
youâre almost in the hole, digging yourself deeper when you smell him.
âpoor little bunny,â sunghoonâs voice is too close. âare you lost?â
he growls, and you feel his fingers close around your ankle as you get violently dragged from the hole. you were so close.
you let out a bloodcurdling scream.
âfound you.â sunghoon looks crazy. heâs panting, his eyes wide with excitement. âi told you, you canât hide from me. youâre mine. i could smell your fear from a mile away. could smell your sweet, little pussy calling out to me.
âno! please, let me go!â you thrash in his hold, but itâs no use. sunghoon is stronger than you as he straddles your hips, your wrists above your head and held by one of his hands as the other explores your body.
âshhh, bun. iâll take good care of you,â sunghoon laughs, in a frenzy. âyou smell unmated, fresh and sweet. iâve never taken a bunny before. itâll be both our first times, hm?â
you canât reply anymore, youâre choking on your spit and tears, and youâre more than sure that thereâs snot rolling down the sides of your cheeks as well.
âsweet, virgin bunny,â sunghoon leans in to lick your cheek, eating up all your tears and wetness. âyou taste so good, i wonder how you taste down here.â
you kick your legs and thrash when sunghoon lifts his hips. itâs the wrong move, because sunghoon comes back up to snap his teeth at you. he bites at your jaw, not hard enough to break skin but enough to make you go limpâtranquilizing you.
âstay still, bunny. or i really might just eat you instead.â
you cry silently, finally giving up as sunghoon disappears below you. he spreads your legs open, exhaling at the sight of your pussy, all presented to him.
âyou look delicious,â sunghoon leans in, inhaling deeply as he uses his fingers to spread your folds, exposing yourself to him. you feel wetness as he licks a stripe from your asshole to your clit. âyou taste so goodâiâm never going to get enough of you, bunny.â
you whimper as he licks youâpractically eating you with his mouth. your clit is sensitive, the nub starting to swell against your will as he continues to devour you with his tongue.
âbunny,â sunghoon murmurs. âyou like this, donât you?â
ân-no! no, no!â you say, weak. you shake your head, trembling as your ears flatten.
âoh? but your body betrays you. your hole is already getting itself ready for my cock.â sunghoon chuckles, evil. âso wet already.â
sunghoon trails his fingers from your thighs to your pussy, and your hole flutters as he slowly sticks his two fingers past your entrance.
âfuck, bun, youâre so tight,â sunghoon groans. âyour little virgin pussy is going to break when i get my cock in you. how are you going to take my knot like this?â
your eyes widen in fear. âknot? noâsunghoon, i canât!â
âbut you will,â sunghoon raises himself, and youâre horrified to see that heâs already nude. his cock is huge, hard and leaking. his cock is a deep shade of red, bordering on purple with how hard he is. âyouâll make it fit. itâs okay if it doesnât. iâm still going to take you anyways.â
you shake your head as he gets closer to you, one hand around his cock as the tip prods at your entrance. âno! sunghoon! iâm not readyâyouâre going to break me! please!â
sunghoon growls. âshut up. take it. take it like the innocent virgin bunny you are. iâm going to ruin you, youâre going to reek of alpha once iâm done with you. youâll never be able to go home after this.â
he pushes into you roughly, and you canât hold back the scream you let out. your voice cracks with the intensity of your scream. the pain is unbearable, your body just wants to cave in on itself and shut down.
âfuck, youâre so tight. iâm going to break you. iâm going to fill you with my litter. youâre never leaving, youâll take my cum and carry my pups forever.â
sunghoon groans, his eyes never leaving yours as he fucks into you roughly, his balls slapping against your buttcheeks with every thrust. you smell the bloodâthe blood that leaves your cunt as sunghoonâs cock breaks past the first layer inside of you. it drips down your cheeks and onto the dirty ground beneath you, and youâre ashamed.
youâre no longer a virgin anymore. youâve been taken and broken in by the worst kindâa wolf.
sunghoon growls, animalistic, slamming into you at a pace ao brutal that it bruises your insidesâbruising your cervix. then you feel it, the tip of his cock breaching so deep into you, practically reaching your womb.
âyou feel that?â sunghoon groans, rolling his eyes. âiâm so deep inside you, bunny. iâve broken you, iâm going to fuck you so good, every day, every day until your stomach is round with my pups. and then iâll do it again, and again, and again.â
you cry, but your body betrays you. the pain and pleasure makes you want to just die. youâre torn between submitting and fighting back.
your body seems to decide for you as you tighten around sunghoonâs cock.
âfuck, yeah, you like this, donât you? you like being used by me, huh? fucking whore. just wanted to get your virginity stolen away from you by a big, bad wolf, hm? thatâs all you really needed, right?â
sunghoon never lets up. his cock pushes past the entrance of your womb with every thrust, and heâs losing himself in the feeling of being inside your tight, wet heat. your walls are so soft, so tight, practically sucking him in every time he pulls back out, just to slam back in harder than before.
your body keeps betraying you, because on a particularly hard thrust, you seize up, releasing wet, clear liquid all over sunghoonâs cock.
âiâmâiâm peeing!â you squeal, your release still squirting like a waterfall on sunghoonâs cock.
âfuck, bunny, your little pussy just squirted all over me. you like it that much? fuck, fuck,â sunghoon growls, leaning down and pressing his face into your neck. âthatâs it, keep squirting on alphaâs cock, just like that. make it all wet for me, fuck!â
sunghoon does the unimaginable then; he bites you. his teeth sink deep into the juncture of your neck and shoulder, biting down and breaking skin, his canines drawing blood from you.
you cry and scream and thrash in his hold, your pussy weakly clenching around his cock as he forces his mating bite onto youâclaiming you as his for life.
you feel his cock swell, growing larger and bigger. you panic, trying to push him off of you, but itâs no use. heâs going to knot you, and you have no choice but to take it.
he pushes into you, breaking you open and shoving his knot inside of you. it hurts, you feel like youâve been ripped open, and you can feel his body shake with pleasure as he finally releases his cum into your womb.
he keeps grinding and grinding as his cock shoots out more cum, filling you up with his white, hot release, marking you from the inside out.
he releases your neck, then, finally pulling his teeth out of you. you meet his eyes in horror, your mouth dropping open with a sob when you see bloodâyour blood all over sunghoonâs lips and chin.
he smirks, his teeth stained red, as he licks his lips.
âyouâre mine now, little bunny. you canât ever hide from me again.â
sunghoon grinds his cock, inflated with his knot, inside of you, and you know nowâthis is never going to end.
a/n: i feel insane itâs 2am i finished this in an hour pls bare w me if there r any mistakesâŠ
â summary: what happens when your ex-best friend lawyers you into marrying him? exhibit a: the marriage contract you both wrote and signed when you were twelve.
pairing: lhs x f!reader, wc: 18k words , genre: work romance, fluff, slight angst (not really) w: rude jokes, cussing, kissing, implied sex
12 YEARS AGO
Twelve was a ridiculous age.
At twelve, you knew just enough to survive. Water was good. Hunger sucked. Sleep was non-negotiable. You understood that cereal could be dinner if no one stopped you, and that bruises from falling off your bike hurt less than the sting when Park Jongseong, your first middle school crush, told you your pigtails were uneven. For some reason, that hurt.
But love? Love was still the kind of thing you learnt from watching episodes of Phineas and Ferb when you were bored or whatever drama your mum had playing on the TV in the background. You didnât really understand what it was.
All you knew was that it probably had the same colour and scent as Lee Heeseung.
It was the summer of 2014, and you were lying flat on your stomach across Heeseungâs bedroom carpet, the pattern of the rug imprinting little diamonds into your knees. The fan overhead creaked in slow, lazy circles. Outside, someoneâs dog wouldnât stop barking. Inside, Heeseung was twisting around with a new fidget toy he got from the dollar store.Â
âDo you think Iâll have a boyfriend twelve years from now?â you asked, chewing the end of your pencil.
He didnât even look up. âBeats me.â
âHee, Iâm serious,â you pressed.
With a groan as dramatic as his limbs were long, Heeseung finally glanced up. âWhat do you even want me to say?â
âI donât know.â You shrugged, pencil now balanced horizontally between your upper lip and nose like a moustache. âIâm just thinking.â
Heeseung leaned back against the side of his bed, gaze flicking to the ceiling like the answer might be hidden in the fanâs creaky rotations. âTwelve years from now⊠weâd beââ He held up a hand, counting quietly. âTwenty-four.â
âThatâs the age my parents got married,â you said, as if that somehow doomed you to a ticking clock.
Heeseung made a face. âGross.â
You frowned, dramatic in the way only preteens could be. âI wanna get married.â
He clicked the fidget toy shut with a snap. âWhat is it with you and boyfriends lately?â
âI mean⊠twenty-four is old, Heeseung. Way old.â
âBarely,â he replied, then paused, his brow quirking slightly. âBesides, someoneâll like you.â
You cradled your face in both hands. âWhat if they donât?â
He reached out and poked your cheek with the back of his knuckle. âYouâre pretty. Iâd like you.â
You blinked at him. âYou would?â
âSure.â He gave a one-shoulder shrug. âBut not now. Youâre weird.â
You cracked a smile. âHm, so you think Iâm pretty⊠thatâs not what Park Jongseong said last week when I beat him at basketball. He said I looked like a âsweaty worm.ââ
âOh yeah.â Heeseung snorted, eyes crinkling. âThat was funny.â
You launched a cushion at his face in retaliation. He caught it with one hand, barely blinking.
âIâll tell you what,â he said, tone casual as he dropped the cushion to the floor. âWhen weâre twenty-four⊠weâll get married.â
You blinked. âWhat? Why?â
âJust in case,â he replied with a shrug. âIf you donât have a boyfriend and I donât have a girlfriend. Then weâll get married.â
You stared at him, unsure if he was joking. Heeseung always said ridiculous thingsâlike how he was going to invent a chocolate that never melted, or become the first person to skateboard across the ocean. But this? This was different.
âReally?â This time, you sat up properly, legs crossed beneath you, your heart doing something weird and fluttery in your chest.
âYeah.â He nodded like it was the most reasonable thing in the world.
âAre you just saying that?â
Heeseung shook his head. âWe can pinky swear on it.â
âA pinky swear?â you scoffed, arms folding. âThatâs, like, so elementary school. We need something more binding.â
âLike what?â
You rummaged through your pencil case, digging out a crumpled sheet from your favorite Hello Kitty notebook, half-covered in doodles of stars and lopsided flowers. âA contract.â
Heeseung leaned closer, peering over your shoulder as you smoothed the page flat on the carpet. âYouâre seriously writing this down?â
âAbsolutely.â You grabbed a glitter gel pen and scribbled across the top in loopy, uneven letters: Marriage Pact â Do Not Ignore (Even If Youâre Famous or Rich)
Heeseung burst into laughter. âWhat kind of title is that?â
âA legal one,â you replied seriously, already underlining it twice. âSign here, please.â
Heeseung took the pen from your hand, tongue sticking out slightly as he wrote his name in slow, deliberate strokes. Then he passed it back.
You signed yours underneath, dotting the âiâ in your name with a tiny heart.
And just like that, two twelve-year-olds, were legally bound by glitter ink.
-
12 YEARS LATER
You slammed your apartment mailbox shut with your foot, flipping through the envelopes as you climbed the stairs.
You sighed. âElectric. Insurance. Internet. Phone. Rent. Water,â you muttered, voice rising with each envelope. âCanât believe we live in a world where they charge us for clean water.â
You shoved the stack under your arm and nudged the apartment door open with your hip, stepping inside and closing it behind you with the heel of your foot.
Jake looked up from the couch. âYou look like youâve seen a ghost.â
You held up the bills with a deadpan stare. âIf ghosts came in white envelopes and demanded a fuck ton of money, then yeah. Paranormal as hell.â
Jake looked up from the couch, controller still in hand. âAgain?â
âYes, Jaeyun. Bills happen every month. Thatâs what we signed up for when we became roommates.â
You tossed the stack onto his lap. He sighed and paused his game, the TV screen freezing on a very intense moment in Mario Kart.
He flipped through the envelopes, brows furrowing as he read each one aloud. âElectric. Insurance. Internet. Phone. Rent. Water.â
He looked up at you with disbelief, âCanât believe we live in a world where they charge us for clean water.â
âThatâs what I said!â you replied, dropping your bag by the side of the couch and kicking off your shoes.
Jake was about to make another sarcastic comment, but then he paused.
He squinted at one of the envelopes, holding it up by its edge like it might bite. âWhatâs a Lee Heeseung?â
You stilled. ââŠWhat do you mean?â
Jake held it up with two fingers like it was radioactive. âSomeone named Lee Heeseung addressed a letter to you. WaitâŠLee Heeseung⊠sounds familiar. Isnât this the guy whoââ
You lunged forward, snatching the envelope out of his hands so fast the paper rustled.
He started to stand. âWaitââ
But you were already on your feet, clutching the envelope to your chest like it held state secrets.
âIâm going to my room,â you said quickly, already halfway down the hall.
Jake called after you, âYou canât just run away!â
But you were gone.
You dropped the envelope onto your desk and began pacing, feet dragging slightly over the worn hardwood floor. Back and forth. Hands on your hips, then rubbing the back of your neck, then up through your hair like you could physically scrape the panic out of your scalp.
Lee Heeseung.
You hadnât heard that name in six years. Not since you were 18. What the hell was he doing sending you letters after 6 years of ghosting you? Letters, of all things. Not a text. Not an email. A letter.
You rubbed your face with both palms, fingers pressing into your temples. Your entire body felt tight with confusion.Â
You stared at the envelope for a long second.
Should I open it? you asked yourself.
Your fingers twitched.
Before you could talk yourself out of it, you were already tearing into the envelope, clumsily slicing the top open with your nail. The paper ripped slightly at the corner from how fast your hands moved. The letter slid out, crisp and neatly folded.
You read it, then stood in silence, blinking. Mouth open. Eyes wide. Brain empty. You were confused. Stunned. A little stoned but from shock. Absolutely floored. Like someone had drop-kicked your frontal lobe.
This letter is to formally present the enclosed documentation for legal execution of a prior agreement, namely a childhood contract between yourself and one Mr. Lee Heeseung. The aforementioned contract, signed voluntarily at age twelve, contained a clause regarding marital union at the age of twenty-four should both parties remain unwed.
 Pursuant to this clause, Mr. Lee Heeseung has submitted the original document, legally notarized, and formally requests your signature on the attached marriage certificate to fulfil the terms of said agreement.
 Please review the enclosed documents at your earliest convenience. For any clarifications, feel free to contact our office or Mr. Lee directly.
Your mouth moved but to be honest, all you could manage was:
âWhat the fuck is wrong with him.â
-
You were late.
You werenât usually late. In fact, you were one of those annoying people who showed up fifteen minutes ahead of time and still apologised for making others wait. But today? Today was the one day you really didnât want to be late.
Your first day at your big girl job and here you were, sprinting toward the building that held your future career by its palm.
ââYour shoulder bag bounced wildly against your side as you dodged a man holding a suspiciously large iced coffee, barely avoiding a full-blown caffeine collision. The turnstile doors loomed ahead sleek and metallic. You jabbed your access card against the reader. You slipped through and finally looked up.
And then you saw Jake.
âHurry up!â he called, gesturing frantically as the elevator chimed. âI canât believe I let you talk me into getting the bus without you.â
You jogged over, breathless. âWell youâd be late and you know I get the nervous poops.â
He glanced at his watch. âYeah but couldnât you have held it in? You know how they say the first impression counts.â
You rolled your eyes as you stepped in beside him. âThey also say to surround yourself with supportive friends, but look how that turned out.â
The elevator doors slid shut with a polished ding, sealing you and Jake into a box of brushed metal and awkward first-day jitters.
âI still canât believe we got the last two spots at Aureum,â You said, âThe Aureum.â
âWell,â Jake said, trying to catch his breath, âwe fought our way here and beat out that no-good Park Eunmi and her brattyââ
âJake.â You shot him a warning look. âWeâre adults now. We donât go around talking shit about people we wonât even be seeing anymore.â
He blinked. âWerenât you the same person who called her, and I quote, a âtwo-faced conniving bitchâ yesterday?â
âLike I said,â you replied, smoothing your blouse, âIâm an adult now.â
As two of the newest Junior Marketing Associates, you and Jake had beat out over a hundred applicants. A hundred other applicants who probably practiced their interview answers in the mirror a million times before. And somehow, two under-slept twenty-somethings from a shared apartment with a broken microwave made it through.
Your eyes flicked around the office, trying to drink it all in, endless cubicles with glowing monitors, people tapping away at keyboards like they were born doing it, voices murmuring through headsets, and behind closed doors, offices that belonged to people with email signatures way fancier than yours.
You clutched your lanyard a little tighter.Â
âCome on in, guys. Sit down, sit down.â A man in a blazer and slacks stood by the doorway, gesturing everyone inside with brisk efficiency. His voice was clear, professional, and used to being listened to.
You followed Jake into the room, quietly settling into one of the twelve chairs arranged in a half-circle around a low conference table. The space was bright, glass walls on one side, soft overhead lighting, and a large flat-screen monitor mounted neatly in front. A clicker and laptop sat idle on the table. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable.
âIâm Park Jongseong,â the man announced once everyone had filtered in. âWeâll be starting orientation in about five minutes. Weâre just waiting for the head of department to arrive, and then weâll get going.â
The name hit you oddly. A little familiar. Park Jongseong. It tugged at the back of your memory, but you brushed it off. Probably a coincidence. Jongseong wasnât exactly rare.
He continued, tone practised. âBefore that, letâs take attendance. Please scan the QR code on the screen, log in using your company ID, and mark yourself as âpresent.ââ
The screen flickered to display the code. A few people reached for their phones immediately.
âIf you have any questions, feel free to ask,â he added, hands clasped in front of him, his expression neutral but approachable. The lanyard hanging around his neck read Human Resources â Manager. That explained the ease, the polished tone. Heâd clearly done this many times before.
You unlocked your phone and scanned the code, fingers moving over the login screen. Jake leaned over slightly to peek at your screen, making sure he was doing the same thing right.
You tried to focus, but the name still lingered somewhere in your mind. Park Jongseong.
You shook your head, returning your attention to the task at hand.
It couldnât be. Not that Jongseong. Right?
âOkay, heâs here,â Jongseong said, glancing toward the glass wall. He gave a quick nod to someone just out of sight. âPlease use my company email if you have any HR-related issues. Thank you, and Iâll see all of you after this session.â
He stepped aside, and a man entered the room.
âGood morning everyone, Iâm the head of department,â the newcomer said, tone cool and efficient. âFor anything related to your job, your submissions, deadlines, or team responsibilities, they will come through me. Understood?â
A quiet chorus of nods followed. You nodded too, still focused on your phone screen. It was taking forever to load. You squinted, trying to figure out why, until you realised youâd typed your employee ID wrong. You had tapped 7 instead of 6.
You tapped back, correcting it, only half-hearing the voice that came next.
âRight,â came a quiet chuckle. The voice was warmer this time, slightly amused. Familiar. âSorryâI forgot the intro bit. Iâm Lee Heeseung. You can call me whatever feels comfortable."
Your finger froze on the screen.
The pen you had been holding slipped from your hand and hit the floor with a small clack. You stood up so quickly your chair scraped the polished floor, every eye in the room swivelling toward you.
Heeseung paused mid-sentence, glancing in your direction. His gaze landed on you and stayed.
Your breath caught. Your brain refused to supply anything useful, like words.
Heeseung blinked, the faintest trace of recognition crossing his face but he said nothing.
âIs there an issue?â Jongseong looked up from his tablet, glancing around before his eyes landed on you. His brow furrowed slightly. âHey, arenât youââ
âNo.â You shook your head a little too quickly, a little too firmly. âNope.â
âBut youâreââ
âNot her.â
Jongseong paused. âYou didnât even know what I was going to say.â
âIâm not who you think I am,â you replied, already feeling the heat rise to your face.
âBut how do you know who Iâm thinking about?â he countered, eyes narrowing slightly.
There was a long, loaded beat of silence. You could feel Jake watching your exchange, an eyebrow raised.
You exhaled.
âOkay,â you muttered, shoulders slumping slightly. âIâm her.â
âI knew it,â Jongseong said with a grin, nudging Heeseung with his elbow. âI told you she looked familiar. Didnât you just send her that stupid lawyerââ
Heeseung cut in, his voice even. âThatâs enough.â
The room was silent.Â
You cleared your throat, brushing your hair behind your ear and reaching for your pen like none of that had just happened. âAnyway. Please continue, Mr. Lee.â
âOf course,â he said smoothly, stepping to the front of the room. âWhere were we?â
And just like that, orientation resumed.
You sat stiffly in your seat, eyes glued to the screen at the front, pretending to take notes on the companyâs mission statement while internally drafting your resignation letter in all caps.
You could feel it.
That unmistakable weight of a stare, burning, pointed, patient. Heeseungâs gaze practically drilled through the crown of your head. And you couldnât bring yourself to look up. Not once. Not even when Jake elbowed you under the table, trying to stifle a grin.
Unbelievable. Out of all the possible outcomes in this capitalist hellscape, this was what you got?
As if that wasnât enough to emotionally flatten you, you'd also just received a letter from his lawyers three days ago.
Because apparently, a glitter-gel-penned contract you made when you were twelve still counted.
-
âWhat the fuck was that?â Jake hissed, yanking you halfway out of your new ergonomic chair before you could even take a seat.
You blinked up at him. âWhat do you mean?â
He gestured vaguely toward the hallway. âThe whole thing with Mr. Lee and Park Jong⊠something.â
âSeong. Itâs Park Jongseong,â you corrected, brushing down the front of your blouse as you stood properly this time.
âYeah, that. What was that about?â
You glanced around quickly. The office floor was open-concept, dotted with neatly arranged cubicles, each one separated by low partitions and decorated with cheerful onboarding folders and branded pens. Too many ears. Too much glass.
âCould you not ask me about it when his office is right there?â you muttered, trying not to move your lips too much.
As if summoned, the two of you instinctively turned your heads.
Heeseungâs office sat just a few feet away. And through the transparent wall, you saw him.
Already looking. Directly at you.
You and Jake immediately snapped your heads back around like guilty children caught cheating on a test.
You could feel the heat rush to your face. Jake ran a hand through his hair and muttered, âHe definitely saw that.â
âOf course he did,â you whispered.
âOkay. Lunch,â Jake said, already tugging on your sleeve. âYouâre telling me everything.â
-
âDo you remember that guy I told you about⊠when we first met?â you began cautiously, already regretting this entire conversation.
Jake didnât even blink. âThe almost ex who broke your heart? The one who vanished without a word, no texts, no emails, just poof? The guy you cried over every night for the first two months we shared a dorm? That guy? The one who had you in sweatpants for so long our professor personally pulled you aside after our first group presentation to suggest dressing like you hadnât just escaped a deadly house fire?â
You gritted your teeth. âYou couldâve just said yes.â
âI like my answer better,â Jake replied, flashing that annoyingly smug grin of his.
You rolled your eyes, arms folding over your chest. âFine. Yes. Itâs⊠that guy.â
Jakeâs eyes widened so fast. âHoly fuck. Wasnât he the one who, correct me if Iâm wrong, lawyered you into marrying him like 3 days ago?â
You nodded slowly. âI doubt itâs even legal, but⊠yes.â
Jake leaned back in his chair, the disbelief painted across his face shifting into something almost amused. âThis is highly coincidental,â he said, voice rich with sarcasm. âAlmost likeâŠit's fate.â
You stared at him for a beat, then stabbed your spoon into your bowl and shoved a mouthful of meat in before mumbling through it, âIf this is what fate is, then fateâs a fucking bitch.â
-
âDo you think theyâre dating?â Heeseung asked, eyes fixed on the other side of the company cafeteria.Â
Jongseong followed his line of sight.
Across the room, you and Jake were seated at a small corner table, trays pushed aside, both of you laughing, loud and unbothered.. You were leaned in close, practically in tears from whatever Jake had just said.
âLooks friendly to me,â Jongseong shrugged. âDonât tell me youâre still in love with her. Thought you hated her.â
âI do,â Heeseung said quickly. âItâs justâI donât know. I mean⊠she was right in some sense.â
Jongseong didnât miss a beat. âDude, she didnât even show up at the airport. You waited there like an idiot until the last minute. You almost missed your flight.â
Heeseung gave a tight laugh, but it didnât reach his eyes. âMaybe she was busyâŠâ
Jongseong raised an eyebrow.
âI mean, I donât blame her,â Heeseung said quickly. âShe was scared. She thought long distance would ruin us. That weâd fall apart, stop being friends, stop meaning something to each other.â
Jongseong turned his head, slow and deliberate, fixing him with that look, the one he always gave before saying something brutally true.
âWell,â he said, voice calm, âare you friends now?â
Heeseung said nothing.
âDidnât think so,â Jongseong muttered, then grinned as he picked up a piece of kimchi. âAre you also forgetting who you video called the first hundred times you cried in Canada?â
âWhy do you love bringing that up?â Heeseung groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
Jongseong took a long, smug sip of his drink, barely suppressing a grin. He turned back to his tray of cafeteria food before pointing his chopsticks at Heeseung like they were an accusation. âBecause itâs funny.â
Heeseung didnât respond, just glared at his soup.
Jongseong raised an eyebrow. âSo by the looks of it, Iâm guessing you really got Beomgyu to send that lawyer letter to scare her?â
âTo be fair,â Heeseung muttered, âI didnât know sheâd end up under me.â
âYouâre an idiot,â Jongseong said through a mouthful of rice, chuckling as he shook his head. âBut if you wanna get all weirdly poetic about it, I guess this is kinda like destiny, isnât it?â
Heeseung stared down at his tray, âWell,â he muttered, âif this is destiny then destinyâs a fucking bitch.â
-
ListenâŠHeeseung was smart.
He climbed Aureumâs corporate ladder in less than two years, thanks to an impressive portfolio born out of his time in Canada. Moving there had been a blessing in disguise. Academically, professionally, it launched him. He made the most of it. Graduated top of his class, turned internships into job offers, turned job offers into power.
But for all of Heeseungâs intelligence, his work ethic, and his calculated rise, if there was one thing he was consistently stupid about, it was you. He didnât understand it. In fact, he couldnât even explain it. You were the one area of his life that turned logic into mush and rationality into dust.
It started as a joke. A stupid, drunken mistake that shouldâve stayed buried under the dim lights of some bar on a Thursday night.
It was happy hour. He and Jongseong were at their usual spot, a watering hole they swore they were too old for but kept returning to anyway. One tequila turned into four. Somewhere between rounds, Heeseung started rambling, slurred sentences about you, the past, and that dumb glitter-pen marriage pact youâd made when you were kids.
Jongseong, drunk and equally dumb, grinned and said, âDude. You should actually send her something. Like get lawyers involved. Just to freak her out.â
Heeseung, handsome as ever and dumb as a fork, blinked. His eyes widened. âWait. Thatâs⊠actually kind of funny.â
âNo itâs not,â Jongseong had said, already laughing. âThatâs what makes it brilliant.â
Which is how, somewhere around midnight, Heeseung scrolled through his contacts, called the first legal name he recognised, Choi Beomgyu, law school graduate, part-time legal consultant and said:
âHey, can you help me draft a marriage contract?â
-
It had been two days since you started working at Aureum.
Coincidentally, it had also been two days since Heeseung had done any actual work.
Each morning, like clockwork, he walked in, tailored suit, briefcase in hand, and Prada shoes. He placed his bag neatly on the desk, powered on his computer, clicked into his emails⊠and then lost all sense of purpose. The first thing he did every morning was type a message to Jongseong.Â
Subject: emergency
i madonna die i mgona die shes lookihng voer pretty pretty u think shell love me back ohne day? Actually im jk i hate her but if hate why prtty? omg shes lookg voer...pretend teim oding work im doing many work work is fun work is cool Work . im work
Best Regards
Lee Heeseung
Head of Marketing | Aureum & Co.
đ +82-10-XXXX-XXXX
âïž [email protected]
đ www.aureumcorp.kr
âWe donât do average.â
Heâd hit send. Then he'd type a second variation and send that too. On the first day, Jongseong had replied with âYou good?â On the second, he didnât respond at all. By day three, Heeseung didnât even expect a reply. He was just venting into the void.
Heeseung told himself he just wanted a moment. A single conversation. A little closure. Maybe an opportunity to push your buttons, mess with you, throw you off your game. Because as far as he was concerned, you still owed him that. And now, here you were.
Still stupidly, infuriatingly pretty.
-
He sat behind his desk, legs crossed under the polished oak surface, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, eyes fixed on the list of new hires.Â
But all Heeseung cared about was one thing: getting you alone.
He had crafted a plan that was equal parts desperate and genius, hosting a Getting to Know You session for each new employee. No one could question it.Â
Nishimura RikiâNi-ki. A boy with his hoodie still half-zipped, hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks like he was allergic to authority. He entered without knocking, took the seat opposite Heeseung with zero urgency, and stared blankly at the offered glass of water. Said maybe six words in ten minutes. Heeseung didnât mind. He respected the quiet ones. Good for him.
Next came Kim Sunoo.
He bounced into the room like the sunlight had a personality and sat with both palms flat on the table like he was bracing for takeoff. Heeseung barely finished the questionââHowâs working here so far?ââbefore Sunoo launched into a detailed narrative about his family, his dead turtle, and the emotional trauma of overwatering a succulent. At one point, he teared up. Heeseung slid the tissue box across the table silently. You know what, good for him too.
Then came Yang Jungwon.
Jungwon knocked twice, entered with a clipboard, and sat like a model intern. His back straight, pen ready, shoes perfectly aligned under the chair. He answered every question clearly, thoughtfully, and didnât overshare once. Heeseung liked him. He even made a note in the corner of his notepad: Promotion material.
And then Jake Sim.
Jake entered all smiles and sunshine, like he was walking into a brunch spot instead of a corporate office. His tie was off-centre. Shirt sleeves rolled too high. Hair a little too perfect. He slid into the chair across from Heeseung, crossed one ankle over his knee like he owned the place, and grinned.
âGood afternoon, sir.â
The office suddenly felt hotter. Like the air conditioning had given up. Heeseung straightened the papers on his desk even though they were already perfectly aligned, mostly just to stop himself from flipping the table.
âSo,â he started, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward with faux interest, âdo you see yourself working here long?â
Jake nodded, no hesitation. âYeah, working at Aureum is honestly a dream. Itâs been on my list of dream companies since uni.â
Heeseung raised an eyebrow. âOne of your dream companies?â
Jake blinked. âUhâwell, yeah. I mean, I had a few, but Aureum was definitelyââ
âSo what you mean to say,â Heeseung said, leaning back slowly in his chair with a smile that was definitely not a smile, âis that youâre disloyal.â
Jake froze. âWhat? No! Thatâs notââ
Heeseung picked up his pen and made a note on the paper in front of him. It had nothing to do with Jake. He just wrote âboring. lame. has uglier hair than me.â
He didnât hate Jake Sim.
He despised him.
No real reason, of course. Except that Jake seemed to be exactly the kind of person you were comfortable around. The kind you laughed too easily with. The kind you sat next to at lunch and leaned into like it was natural. Didn't help that Jake was incredibly suave and handsome. Damn it.
It wasnât personal.
Except it completely was.
Heeseung exhaled as soon as Jake left the room, running a hand through his hair and glancing at the final name on the list.
Your name.
He cleared his throat, stood up, and walked to the small mirror near the bookshelf to fix his hair, like that would somehow fix everything else.
And for the first time all day, Heeseung felt nervous.
You cleared your throat, then knocked. Heeseung looked up instantly.
His smile appeared before he could stop it, quick and unguarded, warm enough to light the whole damn office. Then, as if remembering himself, it vanished just as fast. His expression flattened into something more controlled. Nonchalance, he reminded himself. Be cool.
But it was hard to be anything close to composed with you standing there. Your head poked through the doorway, eyes bright and curious. That little hairclip still holding your bangs to the side, the same way you used to wear it when you were younger. Your hair fell in soft waves over your shoulder, reaching just past your waist. It swayed slightly as you tilted your head.
âCan I come in?â you asked, voice soft.
âYeah,â he said, sitting up straighter, shoving a file to the side like he hadnât just been zoning out for ten full minutes. âOf course.â
Heeseung gestured to the chair across from him, and you made your way over, smoothing the front of your blouse before sitting down. The cushion dipped beneath you, and for a moment, you didnât speak. Neither did he.
Heeseung cleared his throat. âWell⊠I already know you.â
You looked up.
A small pause.
âDo you want me to go?â you asked, half-standing.
âNo!â he blurted, way too fast. He cleared his throat again, more controlled this time.Â
Heeseung leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the desk, fingers tapping once against the wood before stilling. He glanced down at the paper in front of him, your employee profile probably and cleared his throat.
âSo,â he began, voice measured, âyouâve been placed in the campaign strategy team.â
You nodded. âYeah. Thatâs what the onboarding email said.â
He hummed, eyes scanning the paper like he didnât already know what it said. âYouâll be working on the upcoming brand relaunch. A lot of external collaboration, internal pressure, long hours.â
âIâm okay with that.â
âYou sure?â He looked up now, eyes sharp. âBecause I need people who follow through. Who donât just start strong and then bail when things get inconvenient.â
You blinked. âExcuse me?â
Heeseung shrugged, leaning back in his chair. âIâm asking if youâre the kind of person who sticks around when things get hard. Or if youâre more of a⊠run-and-disappear type.â
There was a pause.Â
You stared at him, jaw tightening. âIs this about Aureum, or about us?â
He didnât answer immediately.
And that was answer enough.
Something in your chest twisted. âBecause if you want to drag the past into this, you better say it plainly. Donât wrap it up in company protocol and pretend itâs part of my fucking job description.â
And then, quieter, more bitter, he added, âItâs just⊠I thought you were serious about things. But apparently, you were only serious when it was easy.â
The room felt colder.
You inhaled slowly, the words slipping out before your brain could catch up. âYou left. Not me.â
Heeseung flinched but you caught it. That flicker of something raw behind his eyes. But then, just as quickly, his expression closed over, sharp and unreadable again.
âNo,â he said flatly. âYou left first.â
Your breath hitched. âHow did Iâ?â
âI needed you,â he cut in, his voice low, rough, brimming with a bitterness that stung more than you were ready for. âI couldâve used support. A friend. Anything. But the girl I loved the mostââ his jaw tightened, ââshe left me first.â
âIââ
âSo before you paint me out to be the villain,â he said, his eyes dark, voice thick with something between anger and heartbreak, âthink about how you ignored me after I told you I loved you.â
Your mouth opened, then closed, your chest rising and falling too quickly. âI didnât ignore you because of thatâIâŠâ The words caught in your throat like they were afraid to come out. âHow was I supposed to react? We finallyâfinallyâgot together and then right after, you told me you were leaving.â
âIt wasnât my choice!â he shouted, the words shattering between you like glass.
There was silence after that. Not the passive kind, but the kind that stung, like a slap in the middle of a quiet room.
âMr. Lee,â you said, tone cool, professional, clipped. âI would like to leave now, since this meeting has had nothing to do with my job and everything to do with some attempt to lower my pride or exert some kind of personal power play that I donât want any part of.â
You reached for the doorknob. And thatâs when he panicked.
His mind raced, grasping at anything, everything, until one sentence tumbled out of his mouth like the worldâs worst reflex.
âYouâre supposed to be marrying me.â
The words dropped heavy into the room like a weight you hadnât seen coming. You froze, hand still on the doorknob, back turned, breath caught somewhere in your chest.
âDid you think that lawyer letter was a joke?â His voice was quieter now, but there was something about the way he said itâlike he was testing the air between you, like he wasnât sure if youâd laugh or scream.
Slowly, you turned around, brows drawn together, the confusion and disbelief etched across your face. âHeeseung, that was a contract from when we were kids. Do you really think Iâm some kind of idiot?â
He didnât flinch. âIt still stands actually⊠unless you want to get sued.â
You blinked. âAre you fucking with me?â
Heeseung held your gaze, mouth twitching into a slow, lopsided smile, one that didnât quite reach his eyes. âDo I look like Iâm fucking with you?â
And then, he started walking toward you. Steady, unhurried steps that somehow made the air feel thinner with every inch he closed between you. Your heart began to pound erratically in your chest, loud enough you were almost certain he could hear it. Damn him for looking like thatâlike a fucking model in fitted slacks and a shirt that clung just right to his frame.
He stopped in front of you, close enough for you to catch the faintest scent of his cologne, clean and a little woodsy. God, he was hot.
âBecause Iâm not.â
âYou are insane!â you hissed, voice rising.
âIâm not the one yelling in a see-through office,â he replied, gesturing lazily to the glass walls.
You paused, suddenly aware of the four to five people from accounting who were staring directly at the scene. You cleared your throat and lowered your voice only slightly. âI am not marrying you, Heeseung.â
He clicked his tongue and placed his tea down. âDid you read the bottom? The fine print?â
âIâm not reading anything that came from you and your fuckass lawyer,â you snapped.
Heeseung sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples like you were the one being unreasonable. âIf you bothered to read a very legal document, youâd know that... itâs either marriage,â he paused to take another sip, âor you pay $20,000.â
You blinked. âExcuse me?â
â$20,000,â he repeated, a little too casually. âAs outlined clearly in the exit clause.â
Your jaw dropped. âAnd where is a girl who JUST started working supposed to get that kind of money?â
Heeseung shrugged, stepping closer. His footsteps were slow, annoyingly calm. He stopped right in front of you and gently lifted your chin with two fingers, like he was mocking you. âWell,â he said, voice low and irritatingly smug, âthatâs up to you.â
You swatted his hand away, hard. âI am not marrying you,â you repeated, practically growling.
âSo youâre giving me the $20,000 then?â he offered again, tilting his head, lips forming a mock pout.
You narrowed your eyes, then without thinking, leaned in and bit his fingers.
âOWâwhat the fââ He jerked his hand back with a laugh.Â
âI shouldâve bit your face,â you muttered.
Heeseung grinned through the sting, shaking his hand. âOr... and Iâm just spitballing here,â he said, stepping back with an exaggerated stretch, âI let you goâno marriage, no paymentâif you do everything I say for one year.â
You stared at him like heâd grown three heads. âYouâve lost your mind.â
âCome on,â he said, tilting his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips. âJust a year of doing whatever I say.â
You crossed your arms. âThree months.â
âEight,â he shot back, without missing a beat.
âFour.â
âSix.â
You squinted at him. âFive and I donât get you coffee.â
âNope. Six, and you do exactly what I say.â
The air between you crackled, neither of you willing to back down. You stepped closer, closing the space between you with slow, deliberate steps until you were standing toe-to-toe in front of his desk. He didnât flinch. If anything, he leaned in, eyes dark with challenge, the corners of his mouth curling like he was already claiming victory.
Your nose nearly brushed his. âFine,â you hissed. âSix months. But if you so much as make me iron your stupid ass fancy Prada suit, Iâm out.â
âOkay,â Heeseung said smoothly, his voice low and maddeningly smug. His breath fanned your face. âBut you should know, I donât wear wrinkled suits.â
-
And thus began the worst month of your life.
Day 1: He made you sort his alphabetised collection of business cards⊠in cursive. Handwritten. On new cards. With a quill. âIt builds character,â he said..
Day 5: He scheduled a client meeting at 7am. You arrived. There was no client. He strolled in at 10 with a latte and said, âWow. Youâre early. How driven.â
Day 6: Assigned you to shadow a client. You followed a random man around a bookstore for 45 minutes before he texted: âWrong guy btw.â
Day 9: Email subject line: âURGENT â FOOT EMERGENCY.â The body? âBuy me socks.â No context. Follow-up email: âWith little cartoon frogs. The happier the better.â
Day 11: He asked you to water the plants in his office. None were real. One was a coat rack. You watered it anyway. He thanked you with a straight face.
Day 13: He demanded lunch delivered to his apartment. On your break. You found him mid-couch, watching Shrek 2 with subtitles and a face mask on. âWanna join me?â
Day 16: Made you create a 23-slide presentation titled: âWhy Lee Heeseung Is the Greatest Asset to This Company and Mankind.â You had to present it. To two confused interns and Park Jongseong, who heckled the whole time.
Day 18: Sent you to buy exactly 50 blueberries. âNot 49. Not 51. 50. Count them.â You did. The cashier thought you were insane.
Day 23: Assigned you to âreorganise the supply cabinet.â Inside was a single banana, a picture of himself and Jongseongâs car keys.
God. you hated Lee Heeseung.
-
The soft clink of chopsticks against a lunch container echoed across the sleek, minimal office. Jongseong sat casually on Heeseungâs guest couch, feet kicked up, poking at his lunch.
âYou know,â Jongseong began between bites, âthis little revenge youâve got going on? Donât you think itâs starting to get a little...much?â
Heeseung didnât look up. âWhatâs much?â
âYou made her pretend to be a floor tile last week.â
Heeseung barely blinked, expression flat.
âAnd to be fair, she was very convincing,â he muttered, like it was a genuine compliment.
Jongseong set his chopsticks down, suddenly serious. âHee. Be honest. Are you trying to punish her, or are you just scared to talk to her like a normal human being?â
Heeseungâs lips parted, but no words came out. His jaw flexed. The silence stretched, and for the first time in weeks, he hesitated.
âI donât know,â he finally said, voice lower than usual.Â
Just then, the door swung open. You strode in without knocking, your eyes on fire and your movements sharper than necessary. You slammed a paper bag on his desk, the contents shifting loudly inside.
âHereâs your goddamn lunch,â you snapped, not sparing him a glance.
And before he could even process the noise, you turned on your heel and stormed out, leaving the door wide open in your wake.
A beat of stunned silence passed.
Jongseong blinked. âYou sure sheâs not poisoning that?â
Heeseung finally looked down at the crumpled paper bag, then at the door youâd stormed out through. He didnât move for a moment, fingers hovering near the bag, like it might explode.
Then, with a low sigh, he leaned back in his chair, swivelling slightly toward Jongseong. âCan you check if sheâs had lunch?â
Jongseong narrowed his eyes. âWhat?â
âIâm just saying, sheâs been running around all morning like a lunatic. Maybe she skipped lunch.â
âWhy donât you check yourself?â Jongseong smirked, already enjoying this. âOr better yet, pack it for her next time. Maybe write a little note with hearts on it.â
Heeseung groaned and rubbed his face with one hand. âJesus. Iâm not in love with her.â
âI never said love,â Jongseong sang. âYou did.â
Heeseung glared at him. âIâm just doing what a responsible boss would do. Basic leadership. Workforce efficiency. You know, keeping employees from fainting.â
âBy micromanaging her blood sugar?â
Heeseung pointed at him, still scowling. âShut up and just go check.â
Jongseong stood, grabbing his soda and grinning. âWhatever you say, boss.â
As he walked out, he muttered just loud enough for Heeseung to hear, âBet if she skipped lunch, youâd hand-feed her a five-course meal.â
Heeseung didnât respond. He just turned back to the lunch bag and quietly moved it a little closer to his side of the desk.
-
You were done. You hated Lee Heeseung with every fibre of your being.
You had been mid-task, setting up a fragile product display for a major investor walkthroughâwhen the shelf gave way beneath your hand. One of the glass panels slipped, and in your rush to keep it from shattering, your palm dragged hard against the sharp metal edge of the support frame. You hissed, sucking in a breath as pain bloomed across your skin, followed by a streak of red pooling fast..
It wasnât life-threatening, but it was definitely more than a paper cut. You stood frozen for a second, blood dripping onto the glossy marble floor, the scent of antiseptic and showroom polish mixing unpleasantly in the air.
Heeseung was across the room but moved in an instant, almost stupidly concerned. âAre you okay?â he asked, voice sharp with something that sounded a lot like panic.
âIâm fine,â you muttered, clenching your hand as if squeezing the pain away.
âLet me see.â He was already digging in the drawer for the office first aid kit, grabbing a pack of antiseptic wipes and a bandage like it was muscle memory.
You pulled your hand away before he could touch you. âCan I go now?â
He froze. âIâm just trying to help. Stop being so stubborn.â
You stared at him, incredulous. âAre you serious right now? Youâre the one who sent me to fix a million-dollar display alone. Donât act like you suddenly care.â
Then you walked off without another word, your wound throbbing in time with the storm brewing behind your ribs.
Heeseung stood there, staring at the streak of blood you left behind on the polished floor. The silence in the showroom echoed louder than it shouldâve. The first aid kit was still in his hands, unopened. For once, he wasnât sure what to do with them.
Had he been too harsh?
The thought circled, bitter and biting. He meant to keep things light, or at least ridiculous. Make you squirm a little. Maybe even get back at you for leaving him all those years ago. But this? Watching you walk away, shoulders tense, hand bleedingâthis didnât feel like winning.
It felt like being the asshole.
He set the first aid kit down a little too hard on the nearest counter and exhaled slowly. Damn it. He hadnât wanted to actually hurt you.
Maybe Jongseong was right. Maybe this whole thing was going too far.
And maybe, just maybe, he needed to stop acting like he wasnât still in love with you.
But god, you made it so damn hard.
-
You hadnât spoken to him. Not once. Not since that night.
You hated what heâd turned into, this cold, distant version of the boy who once knew you like the back of his hand. He was still familiar, his face carved a little finer now, his jaw set a little firmer, but everything else? Foreign. A stranger wrapped in the skin of someone you used to love.
He used to be yours.
The boy whoâd race across districts just to find that one ridiculous snack you were obsessed with because the local mart ran out. The one who never let you cry alone, whose hoodie always smelled like laundry powder and peanuts, who sat silently beside you, his arm around your shoulder, steady as a heartbeat.
He wasnât that boy anymore. He wasnât the one who once turned to you, eyes soft and sure, and said, I love you.
Not anymore.
But somehow, even through the pounding in your chest and the sting behind your eyes, you couldnât help but feel it, that awful, twisting weight in your stomach. Guilt.
Because he was right.
You had left him first. You had pulled away. When he needed you the most, you had shut down, locked the door, and disappeared behind your own fear.
He was scared. Of course he was. Scared of leaving everything behind. Scared of starting over in a place where no one knew his name or the way he liked his coffee or how he bit his lip when he was nervous. Scared of being alone in a country halfway across the world. And the only person he had counted on to be his constant, you, had walked away.
-
6 YEARS AGO
Heeseungâs palms were sweating. His grip on the bouquet tightened, the white petals of the daisies trembling ever so slightly, your favourite flower. He glanced at his watch, then at his shoes, then back again, heart pounding louder with each passing second. It was noon. Youâd be here any moment.
And he felt like he might be sick.
Just yesterday, everything had changed. His parents had sat him down with carefully measured smiles and voices too gentle to be comforting, âWeâre moving to Canada. Itâs a good opportunity. Itâs whatâs best for the family.â
But what about him? What about you?
His throat turned dry, mouth full of words he didnât know how to say.
Today was supposed to be your first date. The start of something new, something real. Just two days ago, heâd stood under the willow tree with shaking hands and a confession written at the back of his hand. Then, heâd told you he liked you. And you had kissed him for the first time.Â
This day was meant to be perfect. But now, all he could feel was the weight of goodbye on his shoulders and it stunk.
And then there you were.
Pretty as ever, like he hadn't just found out his universe was crashing just the day before. You waltzed into view with a skip in your step, a loose, ribboned blouse tucked into jeans, your hair tied up in a ponytail that swayed with every bounce. Your eyes were wide, full of light, full of him, and everything in you screamed excitement for the day ahead.
âFlowers?â you grinned, raising a brow. âDidnât think you were the type.â
Heeseungâs lips curved before he could stop them. âThen maybe you donât know me as well as you thought.â
And just like that, the knot in his chest loosened. Just like that, he remembered how you always made him feel. Like everything was okay even when nothing was.
Then you smiled. And he was wrecked all over again.
You reached out, fingers finding his, lacing them together. âSoâŠâ you murmured as your hands swung between you, âwhere we going today?â
âIâm not one to spill secrets.â
âOh? And is it a crime to wonder what my best friend has planned for our very first date?â
Heeseung winced playfully, biting his lip. âGod, the word friend is starting to drive me insane.â
You laughed, soft and teasing. âWell, you havenât actually asked, so I canât just go around calling myself your girlfriend. Thatâd be⊠desperate.â
âYou could reek of desperation,â he said, gaze steady, âand I think Iâd still be in love with you.â
You let out a low whistle, raising a brow. âDamn. Dropping the L bomb already?â You leaned in with a crooked grin. âDidnât peg you as a simp, Lee.â
âAnd I didnât peg you as a hater,â Heeseung shot back, his smile matching yours.
Heeseung led you down a winding trail, hand in hand, until the trees parted to reveal a quiet creek. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves. A few couples lounged on checkered blankets, laughter drifting through the breeze. It was peaceful, idyllic.
âTa-da,â he said, stepping aside with a grin so wide it made your heart stutter.
Before you was his surprise: a small picnic set up just for the two of you. A rattan mat stretched across the grass, a modest basket nestled in the middle. Inside were some store-bought sandwiches, your favourite yoghurt drinks, and tucked beside it all, two small square canvases with a neat set of watercolours.
âWeâre painting,â he announced proudly.
You stared at him, then burst into laughter. âSo weâre being secretive and artsy now? Who are you and what have you done with Lee Heeseung?â
He nudged your shoulder, feigning offense. âHey, I can be romantic.â
âOh please, you totally stole this off Pinterest.â
âGuilty,â he admitted shamelessly. âHonestly, itâs a miracle I even got Jongseong to help set this up while I distracted you.â
As if summoned by name, Jongseong emerged from behind a tree with a dramatic sigh.
âI swear, I do the darndest things for you,â he muttered, stepping into view, brushing off invisible dirt. âNow enjoy, lovebirds. Just remember, if the ravens start circling and steal your food, donât come crying to me.â
The two of you had spent hours painting and teasing, talking over each other, laughing so hard it echoed off the trees.
âThatâs supposed to be me?â you scoffed, squinting at his canvas. âWhy are my eyes two completely different sizes?â
âItâs a work in progress,â Heeseung said, scandalised, snatching the canvas back. âStop looking at mine!â
âI canât help it! Itâs like watching a train wreck happen in slow motion.â
âOh, like yours is any better?â he shot back, rolling his eyes. âWhy are my eyes so far apart?â
âTheyâre not!â
âTheyâre a mile away from each other,â he groaned, holding his face dramatically.
You gasped. âI think they look nice!â
âYou made me look like E.T.!â
âThey look nice, youâre just picky!â you snapped, pointing at the eyes youâd painted. âTheyâve got that same sparkle your eyes have! See? Both pretty.â
He blinked. Then his cheeks turned pink. âSo you do think my eyes are pretty.â
âThatâs not what I said.â
âYou just said that.â
âNo, I said my painting was pretty.â
âOh, so now weâre pretending?â he drawled, a slow smile curving on his lips. âWe kissed two days ago, and youâre back to acting like calling me pretty is a scandalous revelation? Pretending weâre just best friends again?â
His arm brushed behind you, anchoring against the mat, his body leaning a little closer, warm and steady beside yours.
You swallowed hard. âWell⊠you are my best friend.â
âAm I?â His voice was softer now, like velvet.
You nodded, a breath catching in your throat. âY-Yes.â
He hummed, tilting his head. âThatâs a pity. I really liked kissing you.â
Then he leaned in. His eyes flicked to your lips and you froze. You waited, heart pounding, lips parted slightly, breath shallow. Eyes fluttering closed.
And thenâŠ
Nothing.
You opened your eyes to find him gone, leaned back with a smug grin and the audacity to be laughing.
âYou fucking asshole,â you hissed, shoving him with a pout, arms crossed tight across your chest.
âOkay, okay, Iâm sorry!â Heeseung wheezed, still laughing as he reached for your wrist, trying to pull you back.
You turned away, refusing. âYou just love embarrassing me.â
âAww, come on, I was joking.â He bumped his shoulder gently into yours, trying to peek at your face. âYou looked so cute.â
âYou just want to humiliate me for your own selfish amusement.â
âAw, baby, pleaseâI was kiddingââ
You both froze.
Baby.
Your head turned slowly. âWhat did you just call me?â
âNothing.â
âYou called me the b word.â
âIâd never call you a bitch,â he said quickly.
âNo, not that b word.â
âBest friend?â
âHeeseung.â
âOkay, okay,â Heeseung said, hands raised in surrender, the corners of his lips still twitching with that smug, boyish grin of his. âFine.â
The silence that followed felt heavier than it should have, stretched tight between you like a string neither of you wanted to pull too hard in case it snapped. The leaves rustled above, a soft hush from the wind, but you couldnât hear any of it over the way your heart was pounding.
You cleared your throat, trying to sound casual but your voice still came out sharper than planned. âIf youâre not gonna ask me to be your girlfriend, then fuck it.â
He blinked, startled. âHuh?â
You turned your body fully to face him now, cheeks hot, but your eyes steady. âHeeseung?â
He straightened a little, eyes narrowing in confusion, like he wasnât sure if he was being messed with. âWhat?â
Your lips curled upward, small but sure. âWill you be my boyfriend?â
Heeseung stared.
And for a moment, there was nothing. No cheeky remark or flirty deflection. Just silence.
You hadnât expected silence. You were bracing yourself for a grin, for the way heâd pull you into a hug and say yes like it was the easiest thing in the world. But he didnât.
âHee?â you said softly, your voice faltering, a knot of dread starting to twist in your chest. âWhy arenât you saying anything?â
âI⊠canât,â he whispered, barely audible.
You blinked. âWhat?â
Heeseungâs gaze dropped to the rattan mat between you. His fingers curled into the fabric like he could steady himself with something solid, something real, but the words still caught in his throat. How was he supposed to say it? How could he tell you now after everything? After the daisies. After telling you he loved you. After you asked him that question.
âIâm leaving,â he said, suddenly. The words spilled out like theyâd been choking him.
You laughed, but it was hollow, disbelieving. âLeaving?"
âMy dad,â he murmured, eyes still downcast. âHe got a job offer. In Canada. Weâre moving. Iâm going with him.â
You sat there for a second, like the wind had been knocked out of you. And then you swallowed hard.
-
You hated reliving that memory.
It haunted you in quiet moments, when the house was too still, when a familiar song played, when someone said his name by accident and the air shifted. That gnawing, hollow ache of losing your best friend. The ache of watching someone who once felt like home turn into a goodbye you never got to say properly.
Youâd stopped talking to him not out of cruelty, but because every word felt like watching him slip further away. Because you were scared. Because it hurt. Because loving him and losing him at the same time felt unbearable. You were selfish, and you understood that now. But he was leaving. And what did a couple of teenagers really know about long distance? About staying in love through time zones and silence?
You told him that. You stood there crying and told him it wouldn't work. That it was better to end it before it hurt more. He shook his head. He believed that if you loved each other enough, you could survive anything.
But what could you have given him that would make him stay?
You were no one special. Just a girl. And deep down, youâd convinced yourself he deserved better, someone who could give him everything he was reaching for.
Your own insecurities⊠they were the cracks that broke everything apart. And by the time you realised that, by the time the fog of fear cleared and you understood what youâd done, he was already gone.
Instead of blaming yourself, you clung to bitterness. You told yourself he was the one who left without saying goodbye. You told yourself he shouldâve told you the date, that he shouldâve made it clearer. You told yourself that if you had known, you wouldâve run to him. That you wouldâve fought harder.
But he didnât tell you.
 And you didnât ask.
 And that was the end of it.
You sent message after message after he left. DMs, texts, half-drafted emails, all swallowed by silence. No reply. No closure. You watched his life unfold through your screen. New friends. New places. A girlfriend.
He looked happy.
And in some twisted, aching way, you knew you had done the right thing. You had let him go. And maybe he was never yours to keep.
-
PRESENT
âDid you eat the last cronut in the pantry?â you asked, narrowing your eyes as you kicked Jakeâs shin under the table.
He flinched and gave you an innocent look that was anything but. âNope. I think that Ni-ki kid did.â
âAw, man,â you groaned, sinking further into your chair.
The two of you were slouched in the company conference room, half-heartedly going over the slides for a pitch that your project manager, Park Sunghoon, had asked you to prepare. The room was quiet except for the tapping of your laptop keys and Jakeâs occasional groan of disapproval whenever a client email annoyed him.
Then your elbow nudged into his side. âHey, do you think Park Sunghoonâs hot?â
Jake barely glanced up. âHeâs alright.â
âAlright?â You stared at him like he had personally offended you. âDude, look at him. Jawline? Chiseled. Eyes? Big and brooding. And those musclesâmy God, I can see them through his shirt.â
You pointed through the glass wall of the conference room where Park Sunghoon stood in conversation with another colleague, Jungwon, looking far too polished for a Thursday.
Then a throat cleared behind you.
You froze. Jake froze.
The two of you slowly turned around to find Heeseung standing at the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face and a very prominent vein pulsing in his jaw.
Your squeal was high-pitched and unmistakably guilty.
âMr Lee! We were just working,â Jake said quickly, voice smooth but eyes flickering with panic.
You didnât say a word. Still not speaking to Heeseung. Not after what he had essentially made you do.
Heeseung shifted awkwardly in the doorway, scratching the back of his neck like he wished heâd knocked first. âIâuhâI need one of you to be my assistant for tomorrowâs meeting in Busan.â
âBusan?â Jake blinked, his brows lifting. âI canât. Iâve got that strategy consult with Sunoo.â
Then Heeseung turned to you. His voice gentled, just slightly. âYou?â
You nodded, keeping your eyes fixed on your laptop screen, fingers still tapping random nonsense into the spreadsheet just to look busy.
âIâll get a car to pick you up at eight,â he said, hesitating like he wanted to say something else. But he didnât.
You nodded again. Still didnât look at him. And then he was gone.
The door clicked shut behind him, but his presence still hung heavy in the air like the scent of cologne he always wore.
Jake let out a long, low whistle. âYou guys are so dead.â
-
Heeseung had told you to pack light. Light, as if you werenât being dragged into a two-day conference in Busan with the human equivalent of the devil. Unfortunately, there was no suitcase small enough to prepare you for the storm of spending that much uninterrupted time with Lee Heeseung.
It was 6 in the morning, and the sky was still the kind of grey that made everything look sleepy and slightly unreal. You stood outside your apartment building, rubbing your eyes, a hat over your messy hair.
Jake stood beside you like a 1960âs housewife sending off her husband. Dressed in a hoodie tossed over his pyjamas, yawning every three minutes, he looked one gust of wind away from collapsing back into bed.
âYou can go back inside and sleep, Jake.â
âI know,â he said, rubbing his eyes, âbut I need to see you get into the car safely or Iâll assume someone kidnapped you and I canât pay rent alone.â
âYou could just say you care about me.â
âAnd whereâs the fun in that?â Jake grinned. âGod, youâre shivering,â he muttered, before shrugging off his jacket and draping it over your shoulders without another word.
Just then, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. Right as Jake tucked the jacket around you, the window rolled down, revealing Heeseung behind the wheel.
You blinked. âI thought you were sending over a car.â
âHe couldnât make it,â Heeseung said coolly. âSo Iâm driving us there.â
Your jaw dropped. âYou want me to sit in a rolling asylum with you for five hours?â
âJust get in,â he said with an eye roll, already unlocking the doors.
You turned to Jake dramatically. âIf I donât make it back, it means Heeseung has killed me and buried my body in the woods.â
Jake snorted. âDonât be dramatic,â he said, before softening. âBut seriously, text me every hour just so I know youâre alive.â He leaned in, pressing a kiss to your cheek.
âBye! Be safe!â he called out, watching as you reluctantly opened the passenger door and slid in, still wrapped in his jacket.
And just like that, the trip began.
-
The first hour passed in heavy silence, broken only by the occasional shuffle of your legs adjusting uncomfortably or the low hum of the road beneath the tyres. You stared out the window, arms folded, trying to pretend you werenât painfully aware of Heeseung sitting just inches away.
Then, out of nowhere, he cleared his throat. âSo⊠are you and Jake together?â
You choked on your own saliva, coughing into your elbow as you glared at him. âI donât think thatâs any of your business.â
Heeseung nodded, unbothered, eyes fixed on the road.
Another three minutes of silence wrapped around the car. You sighed, leaning your head against the window.
âBut if you must know,â you muttered, âno. Weâre not.â
âOh,â he replied, nonchalant. âCouldâve fooled me.â
You turned to him, brow raised. âNever had a female friend before?â
His lips quirked. âHad one. Just like you. In fact, I think it was you.â
That shut you up.
-
You trailed behind Heeseung, dragging both your suitcase and his, the wheels rattling against the tiled floor. Somewhere along the line, you'd just⊠assumed this was your role for the trip. His assistant. His shadow. His indentured servant, thanks to that ridiculous contract or what wouldâve been a $20,000 debt hanging over your head if you refused.
You didnât complain. Not out loud, at least. But inside, you were already cursing every single decision that led you here.
But before you could even reach the hotel lobby, Heeseung turned around and without a word, took both suitcases straight out of your hands.
âI can doââ you started, blinking.
âShh,â he said, not even looking at you as he cut you off with a single syllable, raising one hand dismissively.
You stared at him, stunned, as he coolly rolled the two bags into the hotel. Like you hadnât spent the last hour building him up in your head as the undefeated king of petty power plays.
And now he was carrying your luggage.
You hated that your heart skipped a little.
âI have a reservation Under Lee?â Heeseung said to the hotel receptionist, casually placing both suitcases beside the counter.
You stood just behind him, twiddling your thumbs and trying not to look like someone being dragged into a hostage situation.
âOh!â the receptionist squeaked, her eyes lighting up. âLee Taehyun, right? This must be your beautiful new bride! You two look so good together!â She beamed, completely unaware of your soul leaving your body. âAnd for newlyweds, we actually have a special promotion going on, rose petal turndown service, champagne on ice, and, of course, a complimentary aphrodisiac dessert to spark the honeymoon magic.â She winked.
You sputtered. âNo. No, no. Absolutely not. Weâre not Lee Taehyun or Lee whatever-he-is. We are Lee Heeseung. Could you please check that instead? Thank you.â
Heeseung scoffed beside you. âCalm down.â
âCalm down?â you hissed, turning toward him with wide eyes. âShe was about to sell us off to the forest spirits and feed us magical truffles so we could get pregnant and return here every anniversary for the rest of our cursed lives.â
Heeseung sighed, rubbing his temples like heâd heard this exact flavour of overthinking from you a hundred times before. âStill as dramatic as ever.â
You huffed, crossing your arms and looking away. Okay. Maybe you had gone a little off the rails with the cursed honeymoon fantasy, but still. Aphrodisiacs? Really?
ââŠWhatever.â
âOh, right!â the receptionist chirped, tapping away at her keyboard. âHere we have itâa suite reserved for Mr Lee and his girlfriend.â
Heeseung blinked. âSuite?â
She nodded, all smiles. âYes, sir. One king bed, ocean view, complimentary coupleâs spa vouchers. Booked by a Mr Park Jongseong.â
Heeseungâs eye twitched. âNo, that canât be right. I got Jongseong to reserve two single rooms.â
She frowned, double-checking the screen. âIâm afraid this is all we have under your name. Mr Park Jongseong booked you a suite.â
Heeseung let out a slow exhale, the kind that clearly said Iâm going to murder someone when this is over.
Fucking no-good Park Jongseong, he thought, gripping the edge of the counter. Ruining my life once again.
âWell, can you change it to two single rooms?â Heeseung asked, voice strained but still clinging to the last threads of patience.
âIâm sorry, sir,â the receptionist said with an apologetic smile. âThat suite is the only room available tonight.â
âNo, butââ
âItâll be fine. Thank you!â you cut in brightly, grabbing the room key from the counter before he could dig himself deeper. You turned and started walking toward the elevators without looking back.
Heeseung followed, flabbergasted. âHow is this fine?â
âOh, relax,â you said, pressing the elevator button. âWeâre just sharing a room.â
âTen minutes ago, you looked horrified at the idea of someone thinking we were a couple, and now youâre suddenly fine with us sharing a bed?â
You turned to him with a sweet smile. âOh, weâre not sharing a bed. Youâre sleeping on the couch.â
He scoffed. âNo, Iâm not.â
âOh yes, you are. Iâm a woman.â
âAnd you also owe me $20,000.â
You turned your head sharply toward him, narrowing your eyes.
Heeseung smirked. The elevator doors slid open. This was going to be a very long trip.
-
This was one of the rare times youâd seen Heeseung serious and you hated to admit it, but it was kind of⊠annoyingly attractive. The way he stood there, hands tucked into his pockets, voice steady and low as he discussed strategy and projections like he actually cared. His posture, his tone, the faint crease between his brows, it all screamed quiet authority.
âI heard youâre quite the hopeless romantic, Mr Kim,â Heeseung joked mid-discussion, flashing a polite smile.
Mr Kim, a big-shot client whoâd made waves in the industry, chuckled. He was currently planning to invest in a luxury jewellery company as a surprise anniversary gift for his wife. Conveniently, Aureum had just acquired one of the most prestigious jewellery lines in the country. Heeseung saw it as a win-win.
Heeseung had heard stories from others whoâd worked with Mr Kim, he valued authenticity, sentiment, sincerity. The only reason the man was even entertaining a partnership with Aureum was because Heeseung had, against every corporate bone in his body, lied and said they were alike. That he too was deeply in love, devoted to his long-term partner.
Meanwhile, you were perfectly content by the buffet table, happily snacking on hors dâoeuvres. Free food, no responsibilities? You were thriving.
âIâd love to meet her,â Mr Kim said suddenly, sipping his drink. âYou said you brought her here today?â
Heeseung hesitated for only a beat before nodding. âUh, I did.â
Mr Kim looked around. âWhere is she?â
There was a long, tense pause. Heeseung glanced around the room, praying for a miracle. Then his eyes landed on you, halfway through chewing a mini tart, looking entirely unbothered and, in his opinion, far too cute for your own good.
âThere,â he said, pointing. âSheâs right over there.â
Mr Kim followed his gaze and smiled. âSheâs beautiful. Seems just like what your type would be.â
Heeseung forced a smile, hand loosening slightly around his glass.
God, you were gonna kill him.
Then you wandered over, completely unaware of everything, happily licking tart crumbs off your thumb. âHave you tried the tarts?â you said cheerfully. âTheyâre so good.â
Heeseung turned to you. âThere you are,â he said, voice dripping with sudden warmth. It wasâŠweird. You looked at him, eyebrows raised, but he was already putting on his best smile. âI was just talking about you to Mr Kim.â
You blinked, gaze shifting to the man in front of you. Oh. Mr Kim. You knew who he was. Big client. Even bigger deal.
You quickly bowed. âItâs very nice to meet you.â
âAh,â Mr Kim said, smiling warmly. âHeeseung tells me about you all the time.â
Your head snapped toward Heeseung. âHe has?â
âHe told me you were beautiful,â Mr Kim continued, chuckling. âAnd I see now he didnât lie.â
Your eyes narrowed just a fraction, head tilting. âHe did?â
âYou seem surprised,â Mr Kim said, raising a brow, clearly confused by the disconnect.
Then you felt a light poke on your back. Heeseung leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper against your ear. âPlay along and Iâll let go of the $20,000.â
You straightened immediately, laughing a little too quickly. âOh! Iâm just surprised he talks about me, thatâs all.â
âWhy wouldnât he?â Mr Kim said warmly. âYouâre beautiful. The two of you look beautiful together.â
And then you froze.
Beautiful together?
You gulped, lips twitching into a forced smile.Â
Back in the hotel room, you slammed the door behind you, nearly tripping over your own suitcase.
âYouâre insane,â you snapped, spinning on your heel to face Heeseung.
âLook,â he said calmly, shrugging off his blazer and tossing it onto the couch, âjust do this for two days, and I let go of the twenty grand. Seems like a win-win, doesnât it?â
Heeseung gave you a lazy smile, then leaned against the table. âThe dealâs already done. Once these two days are over, youâre free. Mr Kimâs contract is worth a million dollars to the company. So either you suck it up and act like you're in love with me⊠or you pay me one millionâplus the existing twenty thousand you already owe.â
You stared at him. Then blinked. Then stared some more.
Your brain scrambled for a response, but all it managed was a silent scream and a thousand curse words you couldnât legally say out loud.
You gulped, glaring at him through gritted teeth. ââŠFine.â
Earlier, Heeseung had sent you to a nearby salon, muttering something about how he refused to walk in with someone who âlooked like they just rolled out of a laundry pile.â Youâd wanted to punch him. But now, walking out of the room, you⊠almost didnât recognise yourself.
Your hair was done in a half-up ponytail, the rest curled into soft, elegant ringlets. The makeup was natural but glowing, and the pink dress they sent up fit so well, hugging the right places, flowing gracefully just at your knees. Pink ballet heels, delicate dangling earrings brushing your collarbones. You looked like you belonged here.
But you didnât feel like it.
Heeseung had already left for the conference earlier, texting only once to tell you where to meet him and, of course, to not embarrass him.
Charming.
You stepped into the corridor, a bit dazed, and decided to take the longer route through the golf course. There was a lake just beyond the path. The air was crisp, the sky painted with fading pinks and purples. Youâd never stayed anywhere this fancy before. It felt like walking through someone elseâs life.
Then you spotted it.
A lady in a chefâs hat, sprinting awkwardly across the green grass, arms outstretched, chasing something. A blur of white darted ahead of her.
A rabbit.
Your eyes widened. Were they going to cook it? Serve it at dinner for the hotel guests? You knew people ate rabbit. You werenât someone to judgeââlet people eat what they wantâ was practically your moral codeâbut the way the rabbit bounced in terror, its tiny legs scrambling to escape?
No. Nope. Couldnât do it.
Without hesitation, you lifted the hem of your dress and ran. Full sprint. Across the grass, heels sinking slightly into the dirt, heart thudding as you caught up. With an ungraceful lunge, you scooped the bunny into your arms.
âPlease donât kill him!â you cried, standing defensively in front of the chef.
The chef skidded to a stop, looking at you like you were the crazy one. âWhat?â
âI know heâs probably delicious, but please! Donât do it!â You clutched the rabbit tighter. âHeâs scared! Look at him!â
The woman blinked⊠then chuckled. âMiss.â
âIâll give you money,â you blurted. âI donât have much but Iâll transfer to you some, just please, let him go!â
She laughed harder now, motioning to the other side of the lawn. âMiss⊠the rabbitâs a family pet. Weâre just trying to get her back into the hotel suite. You see?â
You followed her finger and saw another staff member standing sheepishly beside an open rabbit cage.
âOh.â
The chef blinked at you for a second, startled, before her features slowly softened into a smile, wide, warm, the kind only older women could pull off.
You were still clutching the rabbit like it was a child in danger.
âOh, sweetheart,â the older woman said, chuckling as she approached you gently, palms raised like she didnât want to startle you this time. âWeâre not gonna cook the bunny.â
You blinked, still catching your breath. âSo⊠youâre really not going to cook him?â
She laughed, her whole frame shaking. âNo, darling. This naughty girl escaped from our suite when the door was left open. Weâve been trying to catch her for the last twenty minutes. But thank you for your⊠enthusiasm.â
You looked down at the rabbit, who blinked lazily in your arms.
The chef stepped closer and gently took the bunny from your arms. But before she stepped away, she paused, looking at you with a fond smile.
âYouâre too cute,â she said softly, tucking a loose curl behind your ear. âSuch a kind heart, and so pretty too.â
And then the chef walked off, humming to herself, rabbit nestled contently in her arms like none of the chaos had just happened.
You glanced down at your watchâand froze.
âCrap!â you hissed, eyes widening. You were 10 minutes late. You were supposed to meet Heeseung 10 minutes ago, and knowing him, he probably already assumed you'd either bailed or spontaneously combusted. You lifted the hem of your dress and took off running, again, heels clicking wildly against the marble floor as you made a mad dash through the hotel.
He looked down at his watch for the fourth time. Then toward the entrance. Then back at his watch. He groaned under his breath, jaw tightening.
Of course you were late. Of course youâd leave him hanging, tonight of all nights. He was already imagining himself pulling out his phone to text you a series of snarky messages when the ballroom doors opened.Â
And then you stepped in.
Heeseung's breath caught mid-sentence, mid-thought, mid-everything. Time didnât slow down; it stopped. He swore the music dimmed just to make space for the sound of his heartbeat. There you were, framed by the golden light of the chandeliers, hair curled into soft, glimmering ringlets that fell perfectly over your shoulders. Your heels clicked gently against the floor, matching your earrings that caught the light with every step, brushing your collarbones like a secret. You looked perfect.Â
And Heeseung? Heeseung forgot what air was. Forgot that this was a business event. Forgot that this was pretend. All he could think was that no one else in the room existed but you.
You made your way toward him, a little breathless, cheeks warm, your eyes meeting his with that familiar glint of mischief and irritation and something softer underneath. He cleared his throat, awkwardly adjusting his collar like it was suddenly suffocating him.
âYouâre⊠late,â he muttered, voice low, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserablyâbecause all he could think was how the hell do you look this pretty and expect me to act normal?
âI was trying to save a bunny,â you said, completely serious. Your brows were drawn together in the most sincere little frown, concern written all over your face like you were still thinking about the damn rabbit.
Heeseung blinked.
You had that look in your eyes, the one where they went all wide and sparkly and impossibly earnest.Â
He was this close to melting. Just folding into your arms right then and there, because what the hell. Who gave you the right to be this pretty and this adorable? He wanted to squeal. He wanted to throw a chair. He wanted to tuck you under his coat and never let you do anything dangerous or heartbreaking or normal ever again.
But instead, he cleared his throat, forced his lips into a flat line, and muttered, âYeah, well⊠you were still late.â
Pathetic. Even his pretend-annoyed voice sounded whipped.
-
Heeseung found himself standing beside Mr Kim near the open bar, both nursing glasses of champagne. The conversation had drifted from projections and sales to something lighter, more personal but Heeseungâs shoulders were still stiff, his eyes constantly flicking toward the far side of the ballroom to you.
You were talking to people. Merging into a circle of clients and industry professionals as if you belonged there. He watched as you laughed politely at something someone said, nodding attentively, gesturing animatedly when it was your turn to speak. He caught the way someone leaned in closer when you talked, how another man offered you a drink with a too-eager smile.
He clenched his jaw and looked away.
âSheâs quite charming,â Mr Kim said, following Heeseungâs gaze with a subtle smirk. âLooks like sheâs handling herself just fine.â
Heeseung chuckled stiffly. âYeah, she tends to make a good impression.â
Mr Kim smiled knowingly, taking another sip of his drink. âMy wife was talking about someone like her earlier. Said she saw a girl in a pink dress out on the golf course and thought she was watching a Disney princess chase after a rabbit.â
Heeseung groaned under his breath, rubbing a hand over his mouth to hide the grin trying to creep up. âThat sounds⊠exactly like her.â
âSheâs adorable,â Mr Kim said warmly, his tone turning unexpectedly sincere. âRare to see someone so real in a room full of people wearing masks.â
Heeseungâs fingers tightened slightly around his glass. His eyes found yours across the ballroom, animated and smiling as you spoke to a small group. For a second, something soft bloomed in his chest, something he hadnât meant to feel.
He nodded once. "She's perfect."
-
The conference had gone better than expected, and the energy in the room had shifted to celebration,champagne flutes half-filled, smiles looser, jackets coming off shoulders.
âIf I may,â Mr Kim said, standing tall at the front of the ballroom, his voice warm but commanding enough to draw the attention of everyone in the room, âIâd like to invite someone very special to say a few words.â
You almost choked on the crabcakes you were devouring.
Heeseungâs hand froze mid-air, fingers curled slightly around the stem of his glass. His eyes widened just a fraction, enough for you to see the panic ripple beneath the surface of his carefully maintained expression.
He stood slowly, giving you one last glance like he was walking straight into a firing squad, and made his way to the front of the room.
Mr Kim clapped him on the back. âIâve always admired honesty, Mr Lee. Letâs hear what love sounds like from someone living it.â
Heeseung stepped up to the mic.
The room quieted. The seconds stretched. You watched his throat bob, watched the slight tremble in his fingers where they gripped the edge of the podium. He was freezing.
And Mr Kim noticed.
The man tilted his head, expression beginning to shift, curiosity folding into doubt.
You stood.
Heeseungâs eyes found yours immediately. And you didnât think. You just walked.
You made your way up to the stage, your heels clicking softly against the ballroom floor, your heart pounding. You reached him, gently touched his arm, and turned to the mic. Heeseung stepped aside without a word, his jaw still tight.
You turned slightly, your gaze catching Heeseungâs from the corner of your eye.Â
âWell...uh...Heeseung and I⊠weâve been friends for as long as I can remember,â you began, âThen at the age of 18 left me for Canada. Canada. Can you imagine? Leaving thisââ you gestured to yourself with mock offense, ââfor Canada?â
The crowd laughed, a ripple of amusement breaking through the room.
You smiled, softer this time, your voice dipping gently. âWe drifted after thatâstopped talking, stopped being us. And then⊠he came back. Somehow, we reconnected, and, as fate would have it, he was actually even more insufferably annoying than I remembered.â
Another laugh bubbled from the audience, gentler this time.
âHe knew exactly how to push my buttons. He was cocky, arrogant⊠God, I hated him. Made me do the dumbest things. Made me run the craziest errands. Like, have you ever seen someone counting exactly 50 blueberries in the middle of a supermarket? If you have, that was probably me.â
The room stilled, the laughter fading like it had never been there. The shift was subtleâjust the way attention turned sharper, the way even the background music felt like it had lowered itself into a hush.
âBut somehowâŠâ you continued, your voice softer now, almost hesitant. You turned your head fully, locking eyes with Heeseung, and the noise of the room blurred around the edges.
âAfter all those years, after all the silence⊠I realised something.â
You drew in a breath, one that trembled slightly on the way out. âI blamed him for so much time lost. I blamed him for leaving, for not telling me when, for not trying harder. But I forgotâŠâ
You paused. The truth sat heavy on your tongue, but it needed to be said.
âI forgot to blame myself,â you whispered. âAnd I never apologized.â
Your fingers tightened slightly around the mic. The words felt raw, too honest, and somehow⊠exactly why you had hated him back then. Because loving him hurt, and you didnât know how to carry that without turning it into anger.
Heeseungâs expression shatteredâcomposure gone, his eyes soft and stunned, like youâd touched a place inside him he thought youâd never reach again. There was something breaking open in his gaze. Something unspoken but unmistakable.
âTill now,â you finished, voice barely above a whisper.
And then, with the ache growing full in your chest, your eyes still locked on his, you breathed into the mic.
âIâm sorry.â
The word hung in the air louder than you intended. You wiped the single tear that rolled down your cheek, hoping no one noticed. But then it hit you, you were still on stage. Still holding the mic. Still standing under a literal spotlight in front of dozens of clients and colleagues.
You cleared your throat and plastered on a small, tight smile. âAnd of course,â you said lightly, forcing the laugh into your voice, ânone of this would have happened if we werenât madly in love and getting married in exactlyâ ,you glanced at your imaginary watch, âthree months and four days. But whoâs counting? Apparently, bridezilla herself!â
The crowd laughed. A few people even let out soft awws, and someone near the front clapped.
You gave a stiff little bow, muttered a quick âthank you,â and then got off the stage.
And ran.
You had somehow found your way back to the golf course. You walked faster, heart pounding, heels sinking slightly into the grass. You didnât want him to find you. Not like this. Not when your walls were crumbling and your heart was screaming things you werenât ready to say out loud.
But then, a hand gripped your wrist, gentle and firm, stopping you in your tracks. You spun around, startled, only to find Heeseung behind you.Â
âWhat you said back there,â he said, voice low, shaking slightly, âdid you mean it?â
Heeseung didnât even flinch. âIt didnât seem like a lie.â
You scoffed, looking away. âI was just tryna get the $20,000 off my back, Heeseung.â
âYou still love me,â he said, cutting you off. His voice was raw now.
You froze. âNo, I donâtââ
âStop lying to yourself!â Heeseung shouted, the words cutting through the quiet night, raw and ragged, like something inside him had finally broken loose. âStop lying to me! I canât take this anymore!â
His voice echoed across the empty golf course, full of something desperate and real, something that made your chest tighten and your breath catch.
âThat girlâŠâ he said, voice cracking, âthat girl I was in love with⊠who I still am in love withâsheâs in there somewhere. I refuse to believe she didnât show up at the airport.â
âHeeseung,â you breathed, eyes wide, frozen in place.
âWhy?â His voice wavered. âWhy didnât you come? Why didnât you show up? Why did you just⊠shut me out after I told you I was leavingââ
âBecause!â you snapped, your voice breaking as you finally let it spill. âBecause Iâm selfish!â
Heeseung paused, taken aback. His brows pulled together.
âI didnât want to get hurt,â you whispered.
âThatâs not the truth,â he said quietly.
âIt is,â you insisted, but your voice wavered.
Heeseung shook his head, stepping closer, eyes locked on yours. âYouâre lying.â
You ran a trembling hand through your hair, your voice cracking as you looked away. âFine! You want the truth? You really want to hear it?â
Your chest rose with a sharp breath, the words clawing their way up. âItâs because I thought⊠I thought if you stayed, Iâd ruin you.â
You turned, eyes burning as they met his. âYou were 18, Heeseung. 18. You were so smart. You had this whole brilliant, blinding life ahead of you. A future so much bigger than anything I could give you. And me?â Your voice broke. âI was scared Iâd be the reason you didnât shine. That youâd look back one day and realise you settled.â
You swallowed hard, âSo I let you go. Because it felt easier to lose you than to stay and watch you wake up one day and realise you made a mistake by choosing me.â
Heeseungâs breath caught, his entire body tensing. âWhy?â he asked, voice cracking, his voice growing louder each with each second passing by. âWhy would you think Iâd ever regret choosing you?â
You turned your face away, âBecause I was scared, okay? I was 18. I was still trying to figure out who I was, let alone what I meant to you. And then suddenly I had to make a decision that felt like it would shape the rest of your life.â
You faced him again, voice rising with the ache in your chest. âYou were leaving for this big, shiny life. New country, new people, new everything. And Iââ You choked. âI didnât want to be the reason you stayed and resented it.â
He stared at you like he didnât even know how to speak. âWhat was good for me?â he echoed quietly, like the words were something sacred. Then louder, sharperââYou! You were! I fucking loved you so much, how could you not see that?â
âThen why didnât you tell me when you were leaving!â you cried, your voice breaking under the weight of years unsaid. âI wouldâve come. I wouldâve come, Heeseung. If Iâd knownâif you had just told me whenââ
âYes I did!â Heeseungâs voice cracked again. âI wrote it. In the letter.â
You froze. âWhat letter?â
âThe letter I gave your mom,â he said, breathless. âThe one IâGod, I gave your mom a letter. I told her to give it to you.â
You stared at him, stunned.
âWhat fucking letter?â you whispered.
âI gave your mom a letter,â he said again, quieter this time. âIt had everything. The date. The time. Everything. I thought you didnât come because you chose not to.â
âMy mom⊠never gave me a letter,â you said softly, the words tumbling out like a secret you hadnât known you were holding.
Heeseungâs eyes widened. âWhat?â
âIf I did know, I wouldâve shown up,â you continued, your voice cracking at the edges. âI wouldâve told you not to go. I wouldâve begged you to stay.â Your throat burned.
âI didnât mean to leave,â Heeseung said quickly, shaking his head, his voice full of urgency. âGod, I didnât just leave. I waited. I waited until the last possible second. I looked for you until they started calling my name for final boarding.â
Your eyes brimmed with tears, heart pounding. âNow I know you didnât.â
Heeseung took a shaky step forward. âAnd now I know you didnât ignore me. You didnât walk away.â
You nodded slowly, unable to speak as the tears slipped down your cheeks. Before you could hide, before you could even wipe them away, Heeseung stepped forward and gently tugged you into him, his arms wrapping around you like they were made to.
He pressed your head to his chest, where his heart was beating fast and loud, just like yours. One hand cradled the back of your head while the other brushed against your cheek, wiping your tears.
Then, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to your forehead.
âI never stopped loving you,â he whispered, voice cracking. âIâm sorry for the shit I put you through.â
And this time, you didnât hold back.
âI should've asked. I'm sorry.â you whispered back.
You tilted your face up to him, eyes still wet but softer now, like the storm inside you had finally started to settle. Heeseung looked down, gaze flicking between your tear-streaked cheeks and the curve of your lips, his thumb still gently resting beneath your chin.
And then you leaned in.
The both of you were hesitant at first. But the second your lips met, everything else slipped away. His hands in your hair, your fingers gripping his tie.
The kiss deepened. His fingers curled around your waist. Then, without warning, he tapped your thigh twice.
You understood immediately, jumping up as he caught you with ease. Your legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, and he held you there, effortlessly.
Your lips never parted, not even as he turned and started walking, steady and sure. The golf course faded behind you, quiet except for the occasional rustle of wind.
He pulled back just enough to grin against your cheek. âAs much as I like the idea of christening the 9th hole⊠I think we should take this somewhere less⊠open.â
-
The door clicked open behind you, but you barely registered it.
In one breath, Heeseung had you in his arms again, his hands firm at your waist, his lips crashing onto yours. There was nothing hesitant about it. Just years of built-up longing released in one desperate, searing kiss.
He guided you backwards gently, lips never parting from yours, until the backs of your knees hit the edge of the bed. You stumbled slightly, gasping into his mouth, and he caught you with a quiet laugh, pressing you down with a tenderness that made your chest ache.
âJongseongâs gonna have a field day with this one,â he whispered, grinning against your skin.
You let out a soft laugh. âWell, Jake too.â
He pulled back just enough to raise an eyebrow at you. âDid you really have to mention Jake when Iâm trying to put some moves on you?â
âYou mentioned Jongseong first.â
âYeah, but⊠Jakeâs gross.â
âYouâre just jealous.â
He scoffed. âWhat if I am?â
âThen youâre stupid, because Jakeâs like a brother to me.â
âI wanna fire him.â
You snorted. âYou canât fire him without an actual reason, dumbass.â
Heeseung groaned, flopping onto the bed like the world had betrayed him personally.Â
âThis is so unfair. I fall for a girl and her emotional support dog comes in the same package.â
You rolled your eyes, hovering just above him with a smirk tugging at your lips. âNow are we making out, or are we gonna keep talking about our friends?â
âI definitely prefer the first option,â he muttered.
And then his hand slid to the back of your neck, and he pulled you down into him again, his lips meeting yours, firmer this time, no hesitation. Just heat and honesty and a kiss that felt like it had been years in the making.
-
Morning light spilled in through the hotel curtains, soft and golden, casting gentle shadows across the sheets tangled around your legs. You blinked slowly, the haze of sleep clinging to your lashes, the warmth beside you anchoring you to a reality that felt too perfect to be true.
Heeseung was still asleep, bare-chested, one arm slung lazily over your waist, hair a complete mess, lips parted slightly like heâd fallen asleep mid-sentence. His face, usually so composed and sharp, looked peaceful like this.Â
You smiled, fingers brushing lightly over the curve of his shoulder.
Then you sat up. And screamed.
âHeeseung!âÂ
 He jolted awake like someone had lit a fire under him. âWhat? Whatâwhatâs wrong?â
âWeâre late! The breakfast meeting!â
For a second, you both just stared at each other, completely frozen in chaos. The clock read 8:43. The meeting started at 9.
âShit.â
You scrambled to untangle yourselves from the sheets, clothes flying across the room as you grabbed the first items in reach, your skirt halfway zipped, his shirt buttoned all wrong.
Heeseung stumbled while trying to put on his socks, nearly falling face-first into the carpet. âWhy didnât we set an alarm?!â
âBecause someone was too busy whispering sweet shit in my ear and kissing my shoulder for an hour.â
âWell excuse me for being emotionally available for once!â
You both raced around the room like it was on fire, bumping into each other, yanking open suitcases, swearing under your breaths, and then suddenly, just as you were jamming a shoe onto your foot, Heeseung grabbed your wrist and spun you toward him.
âWait,â he said, breathless. âJust one. Please.â
You blinked. âHee, we donât have time.â
âJust one,â he whispered, already leaning in. âOne kiss.â
You sighed. Let your hands wrap around his collar as he kissed you, messy, rushed, and full of everything youâd both been too stubborn to say for years.
When you finally pulled away, both of you slightly dazed, Heeseung grinned. âTotally worth it.â
You smacked his arm. âLetâs go, idiot.â
And hand in hand, grinning like fools, you bolted for the elevator.
-
Itâd been a few days since everything had changed. Since the night on the golf course. Since the hotel room. And since well, you and Heeseung hadâŠdone stuff. Multiple times.
You werenât official but you were⊠together. Always orbiting each other like you were tethered by something invisible. No one knew. Not Jake. Not your team. And definitely not HR, which, unfortunately, was Park Jongseong himself, a man with a love for company policies and a suspicious sixth sense for office romance.
And so, here you were. In the office pantry with Jake, who was minding his coffee.
Jake nudged your elbow as he poured milk into his mug. âSo, how was the trip with the devil himself?â
You sipped your coffee. âIt was fine.â
âFine? Really?â Jake squinted at you. âDamn, I thought you were coming back with at least three things I could use to file an anonymous complaint.â
You shrugged, avoiding eye contact. âYâknow⊠actually, heâs not that bad.â
Jake slowly turned to face you. âNot that bad? He made you pretend to be a floor tile.â
You winced. âOkay, yeah, butâlook, we were both kind of crazy. I spat in his coffee once, so like⊠weâre even.â
Jake nearly dropped his mug. âEven?â He stared at you like youâd just told him youâd taken up sword-swallowing as a hobby. âWho are you right nowâwait.â His eyes narrowed. âWait, waitâoh no.â
You froze.
Jakeâs jaw dropped. âOh my god. The two of you hooked up, didnât you?â
You opened your mouth then closed it.Â
Jake looked personally betrayed, âI knew it. I knew you were all weird this week! Who the hell goes to the janitor closet for breaks?â
You froze mid-sip, eyes darting away.
Jakeâs jaw dropped. âHeeseung was in there, wasnât he?â
You blinked.
âOh my godâyou two did it in the janitor clâEW!â Jake staggered back like the mental image physically harmed him. âI eat lunch near that hallway!â
You held up a hand. âFirst of all, we did notââ
âYou hesitated! That was a hesitation!â
âJake, if you donât shut up, I swear Iâm going to tell Jongseong you said his HR memo font choice was ugly.â
Jake rolled his eyes, lowering his voice only slightly. âFine but just so you know, this doesnât mean I like him. Heâs still an asshole.â
You shrugged, sipping your coffee like this wasnât the most ridiculous conversation youâve had in weeks. âGood. Because he hates you too.â
Jake blinked. âWhat the fuck did I do?â
You shrugged, âExist.â
-
Heeseung sat at his desk, fingers flying across the keyboard as he finalised the proposal for Mr Kim. It was clean, sharp, every slide perfectly aligned to close the deal heâd been working for almost half a year. A deal that, according to the company group chat, had already been deemed one of the most high-profit wins in Aureumâs history.
He shouldâve been riding the high of corporate glory.
But none of it really mattered. Not compared to the fact that heâd come back with you.
He tried to stay focused but every few minutes his eyes drifted upward, toward your little cubicle across the hall. You were hunched slightly over your desk, tongue peeking out the corner of your mouth in concentration.
He rested his cheek on his palm, watching you like an idiot. You were so pretty.
And then you looked up.
Your eyes met his, and instead of pretending he hadnât just been caught openly simping, Heeseung grinned because ever since the two of you were unofficially official, he didnât even bother to hide it anymore.
You tilted your head, smirking. Then sent him a flying kiss.
Heeseung squealed. Audibly. And sent one right back with two hands like a dramatic fool.
And that was when the office door swung open.
âWhat the fuck are you doing?â came Park Jongseongâs voice, disgusted and traumatised all at once.
âA HR violation,â Jongseong said with a sniff, eyes narrowing.
As much as Heeseung loved Jongseong, god, the man could be such a self-righteous pain when it came to company policies.
âI donât smell anything,â Heeseung said, typing without looking.
âNo, no. I smell it. Thereâs a strong odor of office romance in the air and it reeks in here.â
âYou must be sniffing yourself.â
âOh please. This company only hires uglies.â
âYouâre not the catch you think you are, Jongseong.â
âYes I am,â he said with absolute confidence, âand I will find out who is reeking of romance. Itâs horrendous.â Then, dramatically, he turned to Heeseung. âIs it you?â
Heeseung gulped, eyes twitching. âCouldnât be me.â
Jongseong stared harder. âYouâre right. You reek too much of a man who hasnât gotten laid in three years because heâs been secretly in love with his subordinate.â
Heeseung blinked. Deeply offended, but smart enough not to give in. âYeah sure. Whatever you say.â
Then, without warning, Jongseong spun and pointed directly at Jake, who had just walked in with his smoothie.
âItâs him!â Jongseong gasped. âHe has the cheekbones for it. Look at himâhe looks gorgeous. No way this man isnât pulling chicks.â
âCheekbones?â Heeseung scoffed. âTheyâre more like rotten apples. Donât you think?â
âNo. This man looks like he was carved by God himself.â
âOr the devil, actually.â
âNo. Look at him,â Jongseong insisted, grabbing Heeseungâs shoulders and spinning him toward Jake. âHe looks like a piece of Renaissance art with a gym membership.â
âHe looks like three-day-old underwear.â
âYouâre just jealous⊠because⊠oh my god.â Jongseongâs eyes widened, turning to face Heeseung fully. âHeâs dating her, isnât he?â
âWhat?â Heeseung looked at Jongseong like heâd just suggested he was secretly a lizard.
âThatâs why youâre extra moody today,â Jongseong gasped. âBecause Jake and her are together. And that leaves you all alone.â
Heeseungâs stomach flipped violently. He hated the image of you and Jake together. He hated the way Jongseong even said it like it made sense.
âTheyâre not together,â he snapped.
âWell, if they are, we could always just fire Jake,â Jongseong offered casually, sipping his coffee.
âWe are notââ Heeseung paused. âHold on. Thatâs a good idea.â
âWell, then sheâd have to go too. Because, yâknow, also dating Jake.â
âOh. Right.â Heeseung grimaced.Â
Jongseong raised a brow. âNot like you care though? You fucking hate her.â
âActually, people change,â Heeseung muttered. âShe apologized. Sheâs⊠not that bad.â
âNot that bad?â Jongseong repeated slowly, squinting.
He looked at you through the glass. Then at Heeseung. Then at you again. Then back at Heeseung.
His mouth dropped open.
âItâs you,â Jongseong gasped, pointing between the two of you like heâd just cracked a government conspiracy. âIt's you two!â
Before another word could escape his mouth, Heeseung shot up from his chair and launched himself at him.
Jongseong barely had time to react before Heeseung had tackled him into a makeshift headlock, one hand slapped over his mouth as the two of them stumbled into the corner of the office.
âLet go of me!â Jongseong struggled, flailing under Heeseungâs grip. âI have rights!â
âNot until you promise you wonât say a word!â Heeseung hissed, tugging on Jongseongâs shoulders and trying to wrestle him into silence while Jongseong kicked wildly at the air.
Outside the office, you and Jake stood with your coffees, watching everything unfold behind the glass.
Jake blinked. âWhat the hell do you think is happening in there?â
You shrugged, casually sipping from your mug. âNo clue. Glass walls donât help if they built the place like a soundproof aquarium.â
Back inside, Jongseong finally managed to pull Heeseungâs hand from his mouth long enough to shout, âI am a man of the people! I have to report this monstrosity!â
âCalm the fuck down,â Heeseung gritted through his teeth, still trying to keep him pinned. âYouâre a HR manager, not Captain America.â
Jongseong wheezed, flailing. âThe people must know!â
âThe people can suck it!â Heeseung growled, still halfway wrestling Jongseong into the carpet.
âJongseong, I swear to God, if youâre the next obstacle to us getting back together, Iâm never forgiving you.â
âIâIââ Jongseong wheezed, still pinned beneath Heeseungâs arm. âWhen the hell did you getâsoâstrong?â
Heeseung didnât even flinch. âPilates, bitch.â
Outside, you took another slow sip of your coffee, eyebrows raised. âFive bucks says Heeseung bribes him with cake to shut up.â
Jongseong finally shoved him off, crawling backward until he could breathe. âOkay, fine!â he huffed, adjusting his rumpled blazer. âYou seem pretty serious about her.â
Heeseung straightened, flicked his collar, and gave the smuggest little smirk. âI am.â
There was a pause.
Then, softer this time, âSo please?â Heeseung added, meeting Jongseongâs eyes. âCould you just⊠keep it down?â
Jongseong looked at him. Then at you through the glass. Then back at Heeseung.
He sighed deeply, like he was about to betray his entire code of ethics. âFine.â
Heeseung grinned. âThank you.â
âBut the second you start getting gross in meetings, Iâm reporting both of you to HR which is me.â
âDeal,â Heeseung said, already pulling out his wallet. âStrawberry shortcake?â
Jongseong paused. âExtra whipped cream.â
Heeseung nodded. âDone.â
-
You knew it was a risk.
The moment Heeseung had grabbed your wrist in the hallway and tugged you into the janitorâs closet with that familiar look in his eyes, the one that always made your knees weak and better judgment nonexistent, you knew.
And yet here you were.
Pressed against the wall between a mop and a bucket, lips tangled with yours. His hands roamed your waist with urgency, and your fingers were tugging at his tie.
âThis is your fault,â you whispered against his mouth.
âYou kissed me first,â he murmured back, breathless, grinning.
âBecause you looked hot during the finance meeting!â
âYou said profit margin like it was a dirty word!â
You were about to argue whenâ
The door opened.
âOh my GOD,â Jakeâs voice rang out, horrified.
âWhat the hellââ Jongseong's words trailed off as he stepped in behind Jake, immediately shielding his eyes with a clipboard. âI knew it. I knew it! Iâm reporting the two of you to HR.â
You scrambled to fix your blouse, cheeks burning. âJake, shut the door!â
âYouâve scarred me. I need therapy.â
âTechnically,â Heeseung said, calm as ever, âweâre on our ten-minute break.â
âThatâs it,â Jongseong snapped. âThis is the third time this week Iâve caught you two doing something borderline illegal in the fucking mop closet. Iâm reporting you. Iâve been way too tolerant.â
âHow about a hundred bucks and we pretend this never happened?â Heeseung offered smoothly.
Jongseong paused. Then grinned. âDamn. Didnât know I could go blind for ten minutes, but apparently, I can. Nice doing business with you.â
Jake blinked. âWait, how about me? I can still report this to HR too!â
âYouâre lucky I donât fire your ugly ass on the spot.â
Jake scoffed. âI told you two months agoâI donât want your ratty-ass girlfriend. You can stop being weird about it.â
âRatty?â you gasped, hand to your chest like youâd just been stabbed.
Jake rolled his eyes. âYou know Iâm exaggerating. Youâre the prettiest princess in the entire damn kingdom.â
You giggled. âHee, apologise to him.â
âAbsolutely not. He just called you pretty right in front of me.â
âAm I not pretty?â you asked, feigning offence.
Heeseung groaned. âYouâre very beautiful. Which is exactly why weâre in this situation in the first place!â
âWell, then, could you please apologise to Jake?â
Heeseung sighed, dramatically pained. âFine. Iâm sorry, and I donât hate you.â
Jake blinked. ââŠThanks?â
âNow,â Heeseung said, already tugging the door shut again, âcan we have five more minutes?â
âNO!â they both shouted in unison.
The door slammed shut anyway.
Jake stared at it, traumatised. âIâm never opening a janitorâs closet again.â
Jongseong nodded solemnly. âIâve seen things. I need bleach.â
HAII HYEEE <3333 i've been so ia today </3 was working and then went to get my lip pierced... ehehehe MWAH MWAH MWAH im going to eat u. how r u my baby
