Synopsis: You recently discovered a new favourite restaurantâand a hot chef to go with it. What you didn't expect was to end up as his special dish.
Pairing: chef!Seungcheol x afab!reader
Genre: smut, non-idol! au, chef! au, oneshot
Rating: mature
Word count: 2.1k
Warnings: food play, oral (fem receiving), penetrative sex, unprotected sex (don't do this!), semi-public sex, dom!Seungcheol, sub!reader, big dick!Seungcheol, creampie, lemme know if I missed anything!
Note: Happy Cherry day! Here's my mandatory fic for daddy Cheol! This combines these requests, hope you enjoy anonies!
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You're scrolling through your phone, humming to yourself as you try to find a place for dinner. Being a bit of a foodie, you love exploring new spots every now and thenâbut nothing's really catching your eye tonight. That is, until you stumble upon a newly opened restaurant nearby. Curious, you check the reviews and are pleasantly surprised to see people raving about it, calling it one of the best meals they've ever had. Smiling to yourself, you decide you've got to try it out.
Once you arrive, a waiter named Vernon ushers you to your table. You go for the most recommended dish on the menu and take in the aesthetic around you while waiting.
When the food finally arrives, you're practically drooling at the sight. You don't even bother with snapping a pictureâyou just dig right in. And the moment it hits your tongue, you're in love. The reviews weren't exaggeratingâthis really is the best food you've ever had. You devour the whole dish, savouring every bite.
You already know you're going to be a regular here.
Ever since that day, you've made it a point to come back every single dayâhaven't missed one yet. You've worked your way through most of the menu by now, and honestly? You can't even pick a favourite. Everything is just so goddamn good.
Today, you order their special, and the moment you take a bite, you hum in delight. If it were possible, you'd get on your knees and worship the chefâthat's how good it is.
"Oh, Vernon!" you call out, stopping the waiter as he walks by.
"Yes? Can I get you anything?" he asks.
"I need you to help me compliment the chef," you say, eyes wide with sincerity. "I don't know what magic they're working back there, but tell them to never stop. This is incredible. Kiss them on the mouth if you can."
"UhâŚnot sure I can manage the kissing part, but I'll definitely let him know you enjoyed it," he says, chuckling as he disappears into the kitchen.
A few moments later, Vernon returns with someone by his side. You look up and nearly choke on your drink. Standing next to him is, presumably, the chefâand he's drop-dead gorgeous. Blonde hair, a solid, muscular build, pouty lips, sharp jawlineâŚhe looks like he walked straight out of Mount Olympus.
"Hello, Miss. I'm the chef, Seungcheol," he says with a warm smile, and your breath catches when you see the dimple that appears on his cheek. "Vernon told me you had some kind words about the foodâI really appreciate it."
"O-Oh," you stammer, suddenly hyper-aware of how flustered you feel under his gaze. "It's nothing, really. You deserve it. This is honestly one of the best meals I've ever had."
Seungcheol chuckles softly at your words.
"Thank you, Miss. That means a lotâespecially coming from a pretty lady like you," he says with a slight bow, and you feel your cheeks flush instantly.
He gives you a small smirk before turning back toward the kitchen, leaving you fanning your face in an attempt to cool down.
Just as you're finishing your meal, Vernon places a plate of brownies in front of you.
"Um, I didn't order dessert?" you ask, puzzled.
"It's complimentary," Vernon says with a knowing smile. "From the chef. He saidâand I quoteâ'a sweet treat for the sweet customer.'"
"Oh." You can't help but blush as you accept the plate, laughing softly.
You take a bite of the brownie and straight up moan. It's divine. You swear you've ascended. Nothing has ever tasted this good. If this is what heaven is like, you're ready to go. But instead of inhaling it like usual, you slow down, letting yourself savour every bite.
When you finally finish, you notice something tucked beneath the plateâa small piece of paper. Curious, you pick it up and see a phone number scrawled across it.
XXX-XXXXXXXXX
I'd love to get to know my sweet customer more :) - Seungcheol
You bite your bottom lip and slip the note into your pocket, heart pounding in your chest.
One text turned into five, five into tenâand now here you are, standing in front of your favourite restaurantâa date with the hot chef himself. After spending an hour at home debating whether or not to text Seungcheol, you finally gathered the courage and hit send. To your surprise, he replied almost instantly. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and you found yourself getting flustered every time he flirted. When he asked you out to dinner, you didn't hesitate to say yes, which brings you to this very moment.
You take a deep breath, smoothing out your dress one last time before stepping insideâonly to find the place eerily empty.
"UhâŚhello?" you call out, slightly confused.
Before your nerves can spiral, Seungcheol steps out of the kitchen, flashing that gorgeous smile. Your heart does a little flip as your eyes trail down his outfitâa sharp suit and a white dress shirt that clings just right to his broad chest.
"Y/N! You made it," he greets, walking over.
"Cheol, where is everyone? Why's the place empty?" you ask, eyes darting around the vacant restaurant.
"I closed it down for the night," he grins. "Thought we could have a private dinnerâjust the two of us."
Your heart skips a beat at the gesture.
"Come on, sit. I'll bring out the food," he says, pulling out a chair for you like a true gentleman.
You take your seat, and he disappears into the kitchen, returning shortly with the entrĂŠe.
"Made something new just for you. Hope you like it," he says with that signature dimpled smile.
You take a bite and instantly hum in delight.
"Cheol, seriouslyâwhat do you put in this? Why is everything you make so goddamn good?" you say with a soft moan, making him chuckle.
Dinner goes on effortlesslyâhe keeps surprising you with your favourite dishes, and you keep blushing at his thoughtful little touches. Every gesture feels intimate, every look makes your heart flutter.
Soon enough, he brings out dessert: a cherry-flavoured treat topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream.
"This is my signature dessert," he hums, resting his chin in his hand as he watches you.
You take a bite, closing your eyes to fully savour the way it melts on your tongue.
"How is it?" he asks.
"Divine," you reply sincerely, making him chuckle.
He takes a bite for himself, and a bit of whipped cream lands on his lips. You can't help but stare as he licks it offâand he catches you looking, smirking knowingly.
"You know," he begins with a chuckle, "Vernon did mention something about you asking him to give me a kiss."
Your face instantly heats up.
He leans in slightly, the ambient light hitting his features just right, soft and golden, making him look almost ethereal.
"I wouldn't mind getting that kiss from you," he purrs, voice low and teasing.
Your heart stumbles in your chest, breath hitching. You bite your bottom lip and slowly lean in, cheeks flushed. Seungcheol chuckles at your hesitation, then closes the gap between you, meeting you halfway.
The moment your lips touch, you melt.
The kiss is slow, tenderâyou can taste the cherries lingering on his tongue.
"I think you might be sweeter than the dessert," he murmurs against your lips before pulling you in again, this time with a deeper, hungrier kiss.
He dominates the kiss effortlessly, and you surrender, letting him take control. His hand slides behind you, pulling you flush against him. A soft moan escapes you as he teases your tongue, his grip possessive.
You let out a startled squeak when he lifts you without effort, settling you onto his lap.
"Better," he murmurs against your lips before claiming them again.
Your fingers twist into his blonde hair, tugging sharplyâjust enough to draw a low growl from him. His hands roam, leaving heat in their wake, and you can feel yourself growing wetter with every touch. Desperate, you roll your hips against him, aching for more.
"Impatient, are we?" He chuckles, dark and amused.
"Cheol, please," you whine, grinding down again.
In one swift motion, he lifts you onto an empty table nearby, your dress riding up. Plucking a cherry from the dessert, he places it between your lips with a smirk.
"Keep it there," he orders before diving back in.
The kiss is messy, hungryâcherry juice smearing between your mouths as he devours you. When he finally pulls back, his lips are stained cherry red, his hair dishevelled, and his gaze burns with satisfaction.
He shrugs off his jacket in one swift motion, rolling up his sleeves to reveal those veiny forearms you can't help but stare at.
Your breath hitches as he hikes your dress higher, fingers hooking into your panties and sliding them down, leaving you bare. The cool air kisses your exposed flesh, drawing a shiver from you.
"Fuck, you're already dripping," he growls, dragging a finger through your slick folds. The touch makes you whimper, hips twitching toward him.
"Wanna taste you," he murmurs, but instead of diving in, he reaches for the dessert with a wicked smirk.
Confusion flickers across your faceâuntil he scoops up a spoonful of whipped cream and smears it right over your aching core. You gasp as the cold sweetness contrasts with the heat between your thighs.
Then his tongue is on you, licking a slow, deliberate stripe through the cream. You whine, back arching.
"Fuck, you taste even sweeter like this," he moans against you.
He adds more cream, lapping at you like a man starved, as if he hadn't just finished a meal. Your fingers fist in his hair, tugging him closer, and he groans in approval. When your thighs instinctively squeeze around his head, his strong hands force them apart again, relentlessly.
"Cheolâ!" You cry out as your first orgasm crashes over you, thighs trembling, vision blurring. But he doesn't stop, tongue working you through it, coaxing out every last drop.
A second peak hits even harder, your entire body tensing as pleasure whites out your mind. You babble his name like a prayer, but he only drinks you in deeper, greedy.
When he finally pulls back, your juicesâand whipped creamâglisten on his chin. The sight is obscenely delicious. You whimper, boneless and ruined.
"Already tired, sweetheart?" he taunts, a smirk playing on his lips. "And here I thought you could handle me."
"Noâplease," you whine, squirming beneath him. "Need you inside me."
A dark chuckle rumbles in his chest as he unzips his pants, freeing his cock. Your breath hitches at the sightâgod, he's huge.
In one swift motion, he drags you to the edge of the table, your legs hooked over his arms.
"Ready?"Â he asks, though the hunger in his voice says he won't wait. You nod desperately.
The moment he pushes in, your back arches, a broken moan tearing from your throat. He fills you, stretching you so deep you swear his tip kisses your cervix.
"S-So big," you gasp, nails biting into his shoulders.
"Fuck, you're tight," he groans, grip bruising on your thighs. "Perfect fucking fit."
Then he movesâhard, relentless thrusts that have you clawing at him. Every snap of his hips drags his cock against your walls, the thick veins rubbing you just right.
"Wanna fuck you right against the glass," he growls, "so everyone can see how good you take it."
The thought sends a shudder through you, your breath coming in sharp, needy whimpers.
"You'd love that, wouldn't you?"Â His voice is rough, fingers digging into your hips. "Being watched while I ruin you?"
All you can do is moan, your body clenching around him.
"Dirty girl," he murmurs, amused and feral.
Your cries pitch higher, thighs trembling as your climax builds. Seungcheol doesn't let up, his thumb circling your clit with ruthless precision.
"Cum for me," he commandsâand you shatter, screaming his name as your ears ring from the overwhelming pleasure. He follows with a few final, deep thrusts, spilling inside you with a groan.
For a moment, there's only the sound of ragged breaths. Then he pulls out, and you whimper at the slick heat dripping from you. Gently, he helps you into your panties, fingers brushing your skin.
When he cups your face, his gaze is heavy, possessive.
"Wanna clean up at my place?"
You grin, still breathless. "Thought you'd never ask."
Synopsis: You missed to pay the rent on time once again, good that Seungcheol knows how to collect his payments.
Warnings: pwp, oral sex (f. receiving), masturbation, use of all sorts of nicknames. MDNI.
Word count: 1k
A/N: Hi guys, I'm still on hiatus, this was in my drafts for long so clearing it out as my contri to kinktober. Feedbacks are appreciated.
[ SVT Masterlist ]
It was a missed deadline.
You once again forgot to pay your rent on time. Work is hectic, deadlines piling up there as well that your mind has been into work only. So when you see Seungcheol, your landlord at your door as soon as you return from work, you feel guilty. His last ultimatum plagues your mind.
âDon't be late next time, doll. I have a way or two of collecting payments with interest that a pretty woman like you wouldn't like to know.â
Seungcheol is incredibly hot and you've noticed the way his eyes undresses you whenever in his vicinity. So when he trudges you inside your apartment, you don't protest.
âIâm here to collect payments.â, he tugs on your shirt and you obey immediately, âLet's see what's underneath, hmm doll?â
And you don't even speak a word when he cups your bare breasts and pumps them before stripping you entirely naked under his hungry eyes and eager hands.
His words are as vile as his gaze, âI'll be charging interest too, babygirl. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you already.â
"You can call me Cheol. You'll need it a lot tonight."
That's how you end up sitting on his face.
Your thighs shake as Seungcheol pulls you down harder onto his face, his palms spread wide across your hips and ass cheeks like he owns every inch of you, your body. You are straddling his broad chest, knee digging into the mattress, wet pussy pressed to his mouth while his sharp nose nudges obscenely against your clit every time he shifts, sucks and flicks.
He groans, hums low like burying his face between your legs is the most natural thing in the world. âSit properly, darling. Can't feel you.â, his voice breaks off into a groan when you whimper, grinding against his tongue without meaning to. âThatâs it, doll. Fuck, such a good slut for me.â
âCheol, I c-canât, itâs too much, oh god,â you whine, nails scratching into his shoulders for balance, chest heaving.
Seungcheol doesn't flinch, his lips latch onto your clit, sucking hard, tongue flicking with calculated precision. He drags you back and forth across his mouth like he is using you, but he is the one groaning deep into your cunt, throat vibrating against your soaked folds. You might pass out from the sensation.
âRide my face harder, princess.â, he orders softly, calm but firm, like you have no choice but to obey. âLet me taste all of it. Don't hold back.â
Seungcheol is so pussy drunk that he barely registers that his other hand has held his cock is in his fist, big, thick and flushed, pumping in slow, deliberate strokes. Every time you moan louder, he squeezes himself harder, precum smearing down his length. The veins stand out angry against his pale skin, his hand streaks with the mess heâd already leaked.
Your keen hips rolling messily against his tongue, slick dripping down his chin and jaw, âYouâre making me feel so goodâ.
You gasp, digging nails on his shoulders, âCheol, I'm close⌠pleaseâŚ.â
âSo wet for me, darlingâ, his voice is calm but heavy with hunger, âStay still and let me eat this cunt properly. This cunt is made for me, ainât it, honey?â, he chortles.
âCheol, can't hold anymore, gonna cum..â, you sob, thighs trembling uncontrollably as you try to lift off, but his grip has you pinned in place.
âWhere are you off to, doll? If you're gonna cum, you're gonna have to do it right here, on my face.â, his voice drops, steady and rough. He groans into you, tongue pressing flat between your sopping folds while his nose rubs against your swollen, abused clit. He palms your thigh, calloused hands on your soft skin, kneeding the muscles to stimulate, coax your orgasm.
You scream as your orgasm rips through you, hips jerking down against his mouth, gushing all over his face. âCheol.. oh god.. Cheolâ
Seungcheol continues to eat you like a man starving, licking everything you give him, swallowing shamelessly as you soak his face and jaw. Your body shakes so violently that you think youâd collapse, but it doesn't stop him, tongue dragging slow circles on your clit as you sob from how sensitive you are. Your hands base at his hair now to anchor yourself.
He strokes his cock harder, jaw clenched, watching your wrecked face as he works himself over the edge. âshit, that's it.â, his voice drops into a guttural growl as his hips jerk, his balls tightening.
âF-Fuck!â, he comes undone with a sharp grunt, thick ropes of cum splattering hot across his abs, dripping down to his fist. He keeps stroking himself through it, groaning into your soaked pussy while you whimper and tremble above him.
When you finally slump forward, panting, his beautiful black hair damp from sweat, lips and chin glistening with your juices, he kisses your thigh with that maddening composure of his.
His eyes gaze up, sharp and dark, voice calm but wrecked, âGet on my cock, I need this pretty pussy wrapped around me. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?â
Your eyes fly open, meeting his eyes, âI-I have work Cheol that I need to finish by tonightââ
He tuts looking at your wide eyes and fatigued physique without any consideration whatsoever, âForget work and do me, will you now, doll?â
â Do not copy, re-post, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms! All stories are copyrighted, joonsytip. Šď¸
synopsis: once every month, your boyfriend disappears for a week. radio silence, no calls, no texts. where does he go? and why is he so adamant on not letting you find out?
word count: 5.5k
warnings: fem!reader, swearing, some werewolf lore, smut, nsfw, unprotected sex, lots of mentions of bodily fluids, multiple orgasms, ruts and knotting, this is lowkey omegaverse donât come for me, there are things happening here that are anatomically not possible, reader is horny and it makes her stupid
a/n: hello i am back again. this is kinda crack fic-ey in some places LMFAOOOOO but ykw who cares fanfiction isnât supposed to be realistic anyway
kinktober 2025 masterlist
âI think you need to confront him.â
âWith what? I have no evidence except my crazy, paranoid brain.â
An eyebrow raise, an incredulous look from your friend.
âIâm sure being gone for a week every month counts as evidence.â
You donât answer, only pursing your lips in reply. You stare at your glass, still almost completely full as compared to Seungkwanâs, who has already downed one and is on his second. He isnât drunk, of course. Not off one beer. So you canât say his suggestion is coming from a place of intoxication. In any case, heâs right. Going off the radar monthly for a week is suspicious. Especially when itâs every month like clockwork, and especially because itâs your boyfriend doing it.
âMaybe his period is really bad.â Seungkwan jokes. You roll your eyes and finally take a sip of your drink. Seungkwan appraises you for a few moments, observing the troubled look on your face before sighing.
âYou canât keep going like this, Y/N.â His voice is more gentle now. âYouâve been seeing him for nearly half a year now. You deserve to know what heâs hiding from you.â
You shake your head. âI know him. Heâs not a liar. Heâs not a bad person.â
Seungkwan reaches across the table and squeezes your arm in reassurance. âI know that. Iâm not saying he is. But this isnât something that you can sweep under the rug. Wouldnât it be better to find out now instead of continuing a relationship that makes you doubt?â
Seungkwan is right. Of course he is. Even if it isnât something bad, you know you still have to ask Seungcheol about it. You have been putting it off under the guise that the relationship is still ânewâ and you donât want to intrude into his space too soon and potentially jeopardize what you two have. Because you really care about him, maybe youâre in love with him too, and you donât want to mess it up.
Seungcheol came into your life after a patch of bad dates. With every guy that acted like a complete asshole to you, you became more and more disillusioned with the idea of dating. But then you met him at a convenience store on a random Wednesday afternoon, where he showed up straight from the gym, looking for a bottle of water. You felt like an idiot with your soda and four sugary snacks, watching this absolute hunk buy just water and chug it down. But he noticed you, and he liked you enough to strike up a conversation. He walked you to your car, and you didn't hesitate for a second before giving him your number. He was handsome, kind and funny. Thereâs no way you could say no.
That was six months ago, and Seungcheol has proven to be an excellent boyfriend. He loves to dote on you and take care of you. He enjoys the little things, like lying in bed together to watch movies on a rainy day, or going for an evening jog and buying excess amounts of food on the way back. He loves showing you off to his friends, a tight knit group that often go out for barbecue and karaoke, insisting you join them. It always turns out to be a very fun night, and you look forward to it every time. He drives you home afterward, spends the night, and ends up taking you to heights you previously havenât experienced in your relationships. When he kisses you, it feels like flowers blooming in your chest. You truly feel like youâre falling in love with him. Heâs perfect in every way.
Except this one little thing.
Every month, for six days, Seungcheol disappears. And by that you mean truly disappears.
When it happened the first time, you called and texted, all of which remained unanswered. That was very unlike him. He always replies fairly quickly, or at least lets you know that he is busy. But not this time. Worry clawed at you. By day four, you had showed up at his apartment, and the door was answered by his roommate Mingyu, who was evasive about where Seungcheol was, and only promised that he would get back to you in a few days. He didnât even let you in, which was so far and away from the kind Mingyu you knew. You had left confused and slightly irritated.
When Seungcheol came back, he was endlessly apologetic, saying something urgent needed his attention and he left town. He sat you down and explained to you that he needed to be absent once every month on some personal business, and at the time, you two had freshly started dating, so you just agreed. He was the best boyfriend you had had in years. You didnât want to be difficult and drive him away. You already cared for him so much that it didnât register how strange his request was, how much of a red flag it should have set off in your brain. You couldnât imagine someone as wonderful as Seungcheol being involved in anything bad. And maybe that was naĂŻve of you, but you convinced yourself that maybe it was something temporary.
But months passed, and it kept happening. You are more comfortable with him now, and now you want to know the reason because if you donât then your mind will keep making up crazy explanations that will make you spiral. Is he cheating? Does he have a secret family out of town that he needs to see once a month? Is it drugs? God, you canât take it anymore.
You and Seungkwan call it a night fairly early, since you both have work the next morning. Itâs barely past nine when you get home, and you wonder if you should call Seungcheol over. He usually crashes at your place after wrapping up with work and the gym. But your eyes fall on the date, and you realise Seungcheol is due to âdisappearâ tomorrow. So he likely wonât show up for the night and instead stay at his own place. Or go out of town. Or whatever the fuck he usually does in this one elusive week.
You feel irritation creep up on your brain. Fuck this. You open his chat and text him.
[me]: SOS. URGENT.
Then you wait. You sit on the couch and donât answer the phone when he inevitably starts calling. You know itâs a shitty thing to do, but you donât think you can wait for a week to confront him and stew more and more in your thoughts. And this isnât something you can talk about over the phone. Whatever he needs to do can wait for one night of conversation. You know he will show up, so you just wait for the doorbell to ring.
And it does, followed by a series of heavy bangs, a call of your name, some cursing, before a key fits into the lock as he uses the one you gave him about a month ago.
Seungcheol comes barrelling into the room, out of breath and eyes darting around frantically. You feel a bit bad, but you canât focus on that too much when something that smells earthy and grassy hits your nose. Itâs not a bad smell, itâs actually quite pleasant. Like how grass smells after the rain. But itâs overwhelming and it clings to him. Itâs nowhere near projected to rain, you know the forecast. So why does he smell like that?
You frown, staring at him. He looks unreasonably disheveled. His hair is sticking up all over the place and heâs sweating like crazy. His gym isnât far. He shouldnât be this winded over a two block run, especially considering how good of a shape he is in.
âWhat-â he looks confused. âWhat happened?â
âI need to talk to you.â
He blinks a few times, straightening up and looking around. âWhat is the emergency?â
You sigh. âThereâs no emergency, Cheol. But I really need to talk to you before you take off again for a week.â
That makes him pause, the sharpness in your tone. He takes a deep breath, shifting in his place. He brushes his hair off his forehead, and you realise how flushed his normally pale skin is. His neck, his ears, up to his jaw and the apples of his cheeks.
âWere you in the middle of a workout?â You ask.
He blinks again, like heâs processing your words. You notice his eyes, hazy, unfocused. Worry starts to creep up on you.
âCheol, are you okay?â
He nods a bit too harshly, rubbing over his eyes as if to clear them. You watch, incredulous.
âI thought you were-â He huffs, as if irritated. âCan we do this after I get back?â His voice sounds strained. He shuffles back a bit more, away from you, and you feel the same irritation again, bordering on anger.
âNo.â You stand up. âWeâre doing this now. Iâm tired of the lies.â
Seungcheol looks indignant. âI never lied to you.â
âYou never told me the whole truth either.â You shoot back. When you take a step towards him, Seungcheol jerks back. You freeze. What the hell is wrong with him?
âAre you okay? Are you sick?â You feel more worried now, looking at the state of him. He shakes his head, still breathing hard. Heâs standing still now, why is his breathing not regulating? Why is he still panting like he ran two miles?
âIâm fine. I just need to leave.â
You scowl. âWhat is this, Cheol? What is so secretive that you can never talk about it?â
He groans, almost frustrated, before stepping towards the door. You immediately take hurried steps forward to block his path. He glares at you.
âDonât be childish.â He grits. âLet me leave.â
You hesitate for a second. Seungcheol has never acted this way with you before. Heâs rough around the edges, but heâs always gentle with you. You wonder again, if you should stick to your guns here. But youâve come too far to back off now.
âTell me where youâre going and I will let you go right now.â
Seungcheol laughs, but itâs not amused at all. Itâs choppy, almost like a scoff. His shoulders slump.
âFine.â He sighs. âFine. I guess it was too good to be true that you wouldnât question this at all.â
Your heart pounds. What is he about to tell you?
âIâm a werewolf.â
You stare at him. He stares back. Everything is silent in the apartment. You donât move, as if waiting for him to say âsikeâ and start laughing.
âWhat?â
âIâm a werewolf.â
âNo, I heard you-â You gape at him. Then you feel irritated again.
âIs this a joke? Because all itâs doing is making me more angry-â
Seungcheol shakes his head, trudging to the couch and dropping on it with a heavy sigh. He pushes his hair off his forehead again, and heâs so sweaty that it slicks back instead of flopping into place again. The smell of rain and earth hit you once more.
âYou ever notice that I disappear around the full moon?â He mumbles. He looks spaced out again, like he isnât really in his senses.
âI-â You donât know what to say. You know the rumors. The conspiracy theories online. The so-called âwerewolf sightingâ videos that look a little too fake. Every once in a while, someone would pop up talking about their experience with werewolves. There are pages and pages of so-called wolf âloreâ online, and the usual stereotypes about them, but you always thought it was some fantasy-obsessed nuts. Your mind reels. Somehow the first question you blurt out is-
âDoes anyone else know?â
He shakes his head. You remember when you had shown up at his apartment five months ago.
âDoes Mingyu know?â
Seungcheol nods. âHeâs a werewolf too. Part of my pack.â
Your jaw drops. âThereâs a pack?â
Seungcheol stares at you and nods slowly. âYeah. Me, Mingyu, Chan, Joshua, Soonyoung, JihoonâŚ.â He trails off, eyebrows furrowing.
âIâm not gonna lie, I didnât think you would be more interested in other members of my pack and not the fact that I'm a werewolf.â
âRight.â You feel lightheaded. âSorry. A lot to process.â
He finally smiles at you, but itâs painful, almost like a wince, and it makes your heart lurch a bit. You sway slightly, realise you are still standing, and move to the couch. When you sit down, Seungcheol scoots away from you. You watch him.
âDoes the fact that youâre acting weird have anything to do with you being a werewolf?â
Seungcheol fidgets, looking nervous for the first time. Is there more? What else could he possibly tell you that would be crazier than this?
âThis is- uh,â he groans, burying his head in his hands. âHow the hell do I tell you this?â
âIt canât be worse than what youâve already said.â You respond. Your own voice sounds like itâs far away from you, like youâre watching all of this unfold instead of being there yourself. Seungcheol snorts.
âIt absolutely can be.â
You donât reply, waiting. This time, Seungcheol doesnât look at you. His cheeks still dusted pink, sweat lining his forehead.
âOnce a month, every male werewolf goes into a rut.â He mumbles. âItâs just a natural thing. Starts after puberty.â
You frown, remembering what Seungkwan said. âWhat happens? Is it like a period?â
He manages to laugh at that, shaking his head. âNo, itâs like- like a mating thing.â
Heâs already flushed, but he manages to turn even redder, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He groans, expression pinched as if in pain. âThis is so embarrassing.â
âJust say it.â You encourage. Youâre very curious now, and the metaphorical edging isn't helping. You try to rack your brain on any passing thing you had read on the internet about werewolves, but youâre drawing a blank.
âI told you, itâs a mating thing. The werewolf part in me wants to- wants to breed.â
You freeze, trying to keep a straight face as you process his words.
âSo you get horny?â
Seungcheol nearly doubles over, burying his head between his knees. If you werenât reeling so hard at this revelation, you would be more amused.
âSo you disappear once a month because you get horny?â You lean back on the couch. Realisation of the incredulity of this situation hits you, and you try not to laugh. âI gotta hand it to you, Cheol. Thatâs one hell of an excuse.â
That makes him look up, confused. âWhat do you mean?â
You stand up then, walking to the kitchen. Seungcheol follows you with his eyes. You pour yourself a glass of water, leaning against the counter to look at him, peering over the back of the couch at you. You down the glass in two gulps, gathering your thoughts.
âYou expect me to believe that you disappear once a month because youâre a werewolf and you have some biological urge to mate and make werewolf babies?â You scoff, voice tinged with sarcasm. âYou know thereâs better ways to lie? But I have to admit, of all the guys that have lied to me in the past, yours is the most creative.â
âYou think Iâm lying to you?â He stands up, walking around the couch and closer to you. Thereâs that scent again. Rain and earth. âYou think Iâm making all this up?â
You roll your eyes, even if your heart squeezes at how hurt he sounds. Deep down, youâre very confused. He sounds so earnest and sincere, but it is just too fantastical to believe. Werewolves are real? Who the hell in their right mind would believe that?
You remembered hearing about werewolves from old, scary stories told around campfires when you were a kid. Then, with the internet becoming popular, those same stories got transferred to forums and YouTube video essays. While people did talk about werewolves, you donât know anyone personally who actually saw or knew one. They are the same as ghosts, or demons, or vampires. They are mythological creatures.
âEven your excuse is half baked.â You manage to say, not looking at his eyes, the hurt in them. âYou leave because youâre horny? You realise Iâm your girlfriend right? You realise we have sex?â
Seungcheol grits his teeth. âItâs not the same. A rut is- itâs intense. I lose control over all my senses. If Iâm not careful, I could hurt you.â
You roll your eyes. âBut you can go fuck someone else. Got it.â
Seungcheol steps closer, crowding you against the counter. He looks noticeably ticked off now, and something about it makes your core stir just a bit. âI donât fuck anyone. I lock myself in my room and ride it out. I would never do that to you. I love you.â
You tense, staring wide eyed at him, shocked. This is the first time he has said that to you. Your heart squeezes, and despite the clouds in his eyes, thereâs a bright sincerity in them as you look at him.
âYou mean that?â
He smiles, and it looks almost pained. âOf course I do. Iâve been in love with you for months. And I wish I could tell you this in a better setting, but I donât want you to ever think that I would do something like that.â
You let out a shaky sigh. âI donât know what to believe anymore.â
Seungcheol nods slowly. âI know. Itâs too much to take in. Once my rut is over, I promise I will take you out and show you everything. Iâll introduce you to the pack properly, this time as a pack. Every question you have, I promise I will answer. But right nowâŚ.â
He steps back from you, head turning up to the ceiling with eyes squeezed shut like heâs in pain.
âRight now I can feel my rut coming, so I have to leave.â
You watch him trudge out of the kitchen and towards the door. You panic at the thought of him leaving. So you make up your mind in that split second, even if you think it might be a stupid decision.
âYou could stay.â
Seungcheol smiles and shakes his head. âI canât, baby.â
âI could help you. With your rut.â
He blinks. Frowns. âI told you. I lose all senses.â
âAnd what?â You step closer to him. âYou get a little rough? I can handle rough.â
The air between you shifts, electrifies. Seungcheol stares at you, like heâs trying to figure you out.
âRuts arenât like normal sex.â His voice is low, breathy. Heâs speaking more deliberately now, as if trying to make you understand. You feel something zip down your spine. âI never go down. Iâm constantly hard. I need to cum over and over.â
âSounds hot as hell to me.â Youâre only partially teasing. Your heart is beating so fast, and a small voice in your head questions you. Are you insane? But thereâs a curiosity in you, and a fire sizzling deep inside the pit of your stomach. And something about the way he smells up close is making you heady, like sitting in a cloud of marijuana smoke.
And also, deep down, a small part of you still doesnât believe this ridiculous story. And you want to see where this goes.
When you lay your palm on your boyfriendâs chest, he tenses. His hands are clenched so tight that you can see his knuckles turn white. His breathing is heavy, shaky. His pupils are blown, and you canât help but clench at how wrecked he looks. And nothing has happened yet. You try not to imagine what he will look like when youâre under him. You want to see that so badly.
âI can take it.â
He shakes his head. âYou canât.â
âWhy donât we find out?â You challenge him. One step closer puts you right in his space, and you lean up on your tiptoes to run your lips over his jaw. Seungcheol nearly shakes, trembles with restraint. You can see he is battling with himself, and you wonder what you can do to give him one last push.
âImagine how much better your ruts could be if you had me to fuck through them, instead of suffering every month.â You mouth at his skin right below the ear. âYou underestimate how bad I want you to manhandle me, Cheol.â
He groans, and you feel his hands finally touch you, gripping hard at your hips before sliding up your sides. He kneads the plush of your waist, fingers almost greedy as they run over you. It sends a thrill through you. He all but pants into your neck and you almost gasp when you hear a growl reverberate deep in his chest, almost animalistic. Your veins turn a bit cold. You wonder what you have gotten yourself into.
âYouâre sure?â He asks one last time.
You swallow hard, making up your mind. âPlease fuck me. I want it.â
Something in the air breaks.
His lips are on yours, needy, desperate, suffocating, teeth nipping sharply at your mouth until youâre moaning, feeling his tongue slide in almost instantly. He bends just enough to grip the backs of your thighs, lifting you up and making you wrap your legs around his waist. He walks to your bedroom, lips not leaving yours for a single second.
Sex with Seungcheol is always passionate, but this seems charged by a fire you have not yet felt. It feels like he wants to devour you, and you keen at how good it feels to have him want you this much. You dig your fingers into his shoulders, holding on to him tight until heâs dropping you onto the bed, your body bouncing on the mattress for a fraction of a second before heâs on you again. This time, heâs licking and nipping over your jaw, traveling back until he meets the shell of your ear, then down to your neck. All the while, he whispers to you.
âYou have no idea how good you smell to me, baby.â He says. âThat first day I met you, I could smell you across the store. The most delicious thing I ever scented. And you were so beautiful. I knew I had to have you.â
You canât help your moan, hearing him talk about you like that. Thereâs something animalistic and primal about it that you didnât know could turn you on so much. He parts your legs to settle between them, and his tongue presses insistently into the junction between your shoulder and neck. Itâs his favorite place to give you hickies. You never knew why until right now.
âThis,â he nips at the skin, âis where itâs the strongest. This is where I want to mark you the most. So you can always smell a little bit like me. So everyone knows youâre mine.â
You clench hard. Your head spins. Your hips buck up, brushing over the front of his jeans. Heâs already rock hard, and somehow straining through the many layers so you can feel his erection. He groans, still sucking a hickey into you. You already feel delirious, trying to string your thoughts into sentences.
âWhy donât you bite me? Isnât that a werewolf thing?â
He growls, growls, and the sound is filled with primal desperation. He digs his teeth just a bit more into the skin. Not enough to break it, but enough to bruise. It feels like a warning, one that you donât want to heed.
âDonât say that shit to me, darling.â He rasps. âYou donât know how little self control I have right now.â
Thatâs what youâre working on. You want him to give in completely. And it might be a completely stupid risk on your part, but you canât help wanting to see him succumb to whatever animal is inside him, calling the shots. You buck your hips up again, and he chases after them, grinding hard into your heat. You sigh at the friction, and he does it again. He laves your neck with his tongue and teeth, humping into you over and over until youâre so wet and desperate that you canât take any more. You whine and tug at his clothes.
âCheol.â you gasp. âOff.â
He complies, and clothes fly off, one article after another, until youâre naked under his unusually heated torso. Youâve always loved how physically massive your boyfriend is, and you wonder if that has to do with his species or just who he is as a person. Is he even a person?
His skin is slick with sweat, and when you meet his eyes, you nearly gasp at how the color of his irises have changed. Streaks of golden branch outwards from his dilated pupils. His lips are swollen from being kissed and bitten, and he runs his tongue over them as if he wants to taste the remnants of your skin. His hair feels like itâs standing on its end, giving him a rougher, more rugged look.
He looksâŚâŚ wild. Thatâs the only word you can think of.
When he finally shucks his pants and underwear, leaving him bare, your eyes nearly bulge out from your head. Youâve seen his dick before, taken it countless times, but he looks bigger, curvier. The vein that runs on the underside is throbbing desperately, and you almost get dizzy when you see that the base of his cock is broader, almost like it swelled up.
âStill think you can take me?â He says.
He looks too gone to be able to speak even, but it seems some part of his mental faculties is still intact. You however, feel like youâve dunked your head underwater. Your pussy weeps, clenches, horribly empty, and some filthy part of you wants to take all of him, even if it might not be possible.
âI want to.â You breathe out, tearing your eyes away from his leaking cock to look up into his golden eyes. âWanna take all of you so bad. Even if I canât. I wanna try.â
Seungcheol takes his sweet time opening you up, going from one finger, to two, to three, and even squeezing his pinky in there when he thinks youâre ready. He whispers encouragement in your ear, saying he needs to do this before common sense leaves him and all he can think of is cumming inside you over and over. He praises you, sucking more bruises into your skin until you feel like every part of your neck is completely marred. He fucks his fingers into you until you cum once, twice, until your throat is hoarse from singing his praises, moaning over and over, begging for his cock. Until your pussy is wrecked and sore without even tasting his cock yet. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he pulls his fingers out, completely drenched, and uses your juices to slick up his shaft.
âI canât hold back anymore.â He sounds like a wounded animal, needy, begging, and his voice is torn and choppy. âI need to fuck you-â
When his cock finally breaches your cunt, your mouth drops open in a silent cry, hands fisting into the sheets under you, toes curling. Youâre already delirious, beyond logic from your two orgasms, and it feels like youâre already spent. But you want more because youâre greedy and Seungcheol always spoils you. Every time you feel like heâs all the way inside, he keeps going farther, until you think you can feel him in your stomach, even if thatâs not physically possible. You feel the rim of your hole bump up against something even bigger, and he finally stops.
âDonât think youâre ready for my knot yet.â He grunts out.
Your sex addled, horny brain wants to insist that you are, but you already feel so damn full, so you take his word for it. You try to regulate your breaths, try to make them slower so your chest doesnât feel like itâs on fire, but then Seungcheol starts moving, pulling out slowly before pushing back in, and for the first time since you started, you actually think you wonât survive this.
He picks up the pace fairly quickly, fucking hard and fast into you while he groans and pants in your ear, telling you how good you feel. His words quickly devolve into depravity. You feel his nails digging into your thighs more sharply now, and the scent of rain and earth gets more potent. You think you can see the little hair on his arms stand on end, his thrusts get more frantic. Your eyes are wide, you almost canât believe them, when you see the muscles shift under his skin, like they are rearranging themselves. Something fundamentally alters in his appearance at that moment, and you wonder if heâs really, truly gone now. He grunts again, rough and gritty, and youâre reminded acutely of an animal.
âIâm gonna cum in you. Gonna fill you up. You want that?â
Your body jolts with each thrust, your breaths coming in staccato, your poor pussy taking the beating of a lifetime, but it feels so good, like heâs fucking depths in you previously unreachable, stoking a fire so primal you had no idea it existed inside you. Your brain seems to be slipping further and further away from reality, almost like youâre the one in rut, like youâre the one who badly wants to fuck and get fucked, and you nod your head desperately at his question.
Seungcheol pulls your legs up by the backs of your knees until he is bending you in half, using his weight to pin you down hard on the mattress. It presses into your stomach, your chest, and your breaths get shorter, your brain more muddled as oxygen enters your lungs less and less. It only amplifies the pleasure, making you lightheaded. Seungcheol is still talking, making only little sense.
âGonna breed you. Gonna get you pregnant. You want that? Getting filled up with my pups?â
âYes.â You sob, caught up in the fantasy of it. âCum in me, Cheolie. Need to be filled up until itâs leaking out of me.â
He snarls, eyes screwing shut, and then you feel warmth flood your insides. Itâs enough to push you over the edge too, and you weep as a fire lights up in you in the wake of your orgasm, burning and sizzling in your nerves as you jerk and twitch, riding it out. Seungcheol groans and gasps, short, quick thrusts carrying him through his high. Heâs still cumming. Thereâs so much of it that it runs down your ass and onto the sheets, but you donât care. Your body goes slack.
You whine when he pulls out abruptly, your body jolting as he grabs your hips to flip you over, tugging at them until youâre on your knees. He uses his right hand to push down on your back until youâre arching. He hums in approval at the position you take.
His cock enters you again, and you gasp at how hard he is. He was right. He didnât lose his erection at all. He immediately sets a brutal pace, hitting a whole new angle in this position that has you scrambling for purchase, your walls fluttering around him. Itâs almost too much, almost, but it feels so good that youâre high on it, like someone took out your brain and threw it away, leaving you as this debased mess.
You can barely gasp, can barely feel the drool that runs from your open mouth and onto the mattress, eyes rolled up. But Seungcheol sees it when he bends over you, pace not faltering for a second, and he groans at the sight.
âNasty slut.â He spits out, voice unsteady because of the force of his thrusts. âYou were right. I did underestimate you. You were made to take a werewolfâs cock. Made to help in a rut. The perfect little fuck toy.â
You whine, clenching around him at his words. He curses, hand reaching around to toy with your clit, and aided by the remnants of your last orgasm, you cum again after a few tight rubs, trembling in his hold and nearly unable to suck in air. Tears escape the corners of your eyes, running down to drip onto the bedsheets. This one feels more like a gentle wave in the wake of your previous highs, like something cold and sizzling traveling through your nerves. Seungcheol moans, teeth sinking into the back of your neck, before heâs grinding into you and reaching his own high. He throbs inside you, spurting ropes of white, and more of it leaks out of you, running through your slit before falling in thick globs onto the bed. Itâs filthy, wet and sticky, but your mouth waters at the thought of tasting it.
It takes three more rounds, on the bed, on the floor, and against the wall, before Seungcheolâs cock finally, finally, goes flaccid. He fucks you for hours, alternating between deep, slow strokes to frantically rutting into you until he is cumming again. He whispers filthy, downright scandalous things in your ear, like youâre an object made for his pleasure, and all these words coming from kind, respectful Seungcheol just send you spiraling into lust.
He manhandles you so easily, arranging your limbs exactly how he wants them like you really are his little fuck doll. At this point, you have cum running down your thighs in thick streaks, oozing out every time your abused cunt clenches. Youâve lost count of how many times you came on him. Youâre sweaty and aching all over, no sensation in your legs. You canât move, canât speak, and black spots dance in your vision. You vaguely feel him carrying you, hands securely holding your thighs.
Itâs ten minutes later that you feel like you can see and hear again, and you find yourself in your bathtub, back against Seungcheolâs chest, warm from his touch and the water around you. It soothes your sore muscles, and your eyelids droop, basking in the silence. You feel gentle lips on your shoulder, on the rare unmarked patch of skin, and you sigh at the feeling.
âYou doing okay?â
You hum, turning your head so you can nuzzle into his neck. He kneads at your legs, and the pressure feels amazing.
âThink you can do three or four more days of this?â
You blink blearily up at him. He still looks a bitâŚ.. wild. Wolf-like. Hair standing up, bristling, like it has a life of its own. The golden tinge of his irises.
âI thought it was six days.â
âTheyâre shorter when you have someone helping you through them.â
You nod. âThereâs really so much I donât know.â
Seungcheol chuckles a bit, wrapping his arms tightly around you. His tongue laps at your neck again, licking over your skin in thick stripes, and you realise you really like it when he does that.
âHow long before we have to go again?â You ask.
He squeezes you, and you feel his lips tug up in a grin. âYou want me that bad?â
You heat up at the deep timbre in his voice, shrugging. âWhat can I say, I think itâs hot when you go all wolf on me.â
That makes him laugh, loud and deep from his chest. He kisses your temple, then the shell of your ear and water splashes around you as you squirm at the feeling, giggling. He keeps licking at your skin as the water settles again.
âMaybe one day, I can take your knot too.â
You can see the exact moment your words hit him, making him suck in a sharp breath, pupils dilating. He grins, slow and sexy, and you feel his cock twitch against your back.
âYou keep takinâ me like a champ and that day might come earlier than you think.â
Summary: You found out that Seungcheol was marrying you for your property and wealth while you're pregnant with his child. What would you do? Let him go or play a fool?
Seungcheol growled in anger upon hearing several hurried knocks on his bedroom door well past midnight. Inside, he held you close, releasing all the pent-up affection from his business trip. Your face blushed from the intimate activity, your lips plumped, and Seungcheol was the reason behind it all. Initially oblivious to the noise, you regained your senses when he suddenly stopped and questioned him, "Why?"
Seungcheol sighed, his lips peppering a gentle kiss on your forehead. He whispered, "I'm sorry," before continuing, "get dressed. Don't want anyone to see you like this," accompanied by another peck on your shoulder. You observed him donning a robe before rising to walk to your closet to get dressed. It had been a week since you last saw him during his business trip to Hong Kong, and he immediately reveled in the moment upon his return.
You understood the frustration etched on his face as he headed to the door, reprimanding his assistant whom he had just seen a few hours agoâmore than he had seen you all week. Despite the interruption, you decided not to retake your shower, opting for minimal clothing just in case the interrupted moment could be resumed. Wrapped in your robe, you lay on the bed with a tablet in hand, patiently awaiting your husband's return while attempting to mentally prepare for the upcoming workday.
It had been a year since you met Seungcheol, and you had been married for six months. People remarked that you two were still in the honeymoon phase, a sentiment you couldn't deny. The longest time apart was a mere week, and when you were both home, the opportunity for intimacy was ever-presentâbed, kitchen, home office, or even the car. Seungcheol cared little about the location as long as he could be close to you, witnessing your pleasure, and hearing you moan his name, a source of immense satisfaction and ego boost for him.
After nearly half an hour since your shared intimacy was interrupted, Seungcheol entered the bedroom, and you welcomed him with a smile, setting aside your device as he approached. However, your joy was short-lived as he dropped a bombshellâ an urgent matter required his immediate attention, shattering the serene moment.
His apology hung in the air, and you gazed into his eyes, almost whispering, "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" His gaze met yours, and he replied, "I'm sorry, but everyone needs me." The weight of his words settled, and you nodded, offering him a kiss. He whispered a goodnight and covered you with a blanket.
As he prepared to leave, he assured you, "I'm going. If you need anything, Eunji is downstairs, okay?" The deep kiss on your forehead lingered, leaving you with a mix of understanding and a touch of loneliness as he walked away, duty calling him away from the warmth of your shared moments.
As you sat in your office, a sense of solitude crept in as hours passed without any news from Seungcheol. Reflecting on your father's words, "A big power would come with a big responsibility, Y/n," you realized the weight of the responsibilities that came with leading two prominent companies. You, as the director of Seri Corps, and Seungcheol, the owner of a property investment company dealing with hotels, apartments, residences, and department stores, found little time to break away from the demanding roles.
The constant influx of work surrounded your thoughts, echoing your father's wisdom. You yearned for a moment to confront Seungcheol's assistant, Kim Mingyu, about easing the workload on your husband. Simultaneously, you knew Seungcheol harbored similar thoughts about Myungho, your secretary.
Seungcheol's suggestion of taking a break from work and starting a family lingered in your mind. "How about a little break from work? It might end up with a cute baby like you..." he had expressed his desire to build a family since the early days of your marriage.
Initially hesitant, thoughts swirled in your mind. Could you be ready to be a mother? Your upbringing without a mother made you wary, but Seungcheol had gradually changed your perspective. His love, support, and dreams of a family with you had softened your reservations. You found yourself yearning for the joy of building a family with Seungcheol, confident that he would be an exceptional father, creating a world of happiness for your future children.
After a lengthy discussion with Seungcheol about starting a family, you took the decision to visit your ob-gyn and began the journey towards pregnancy. For the past three months, you had gradually reduced your workload, entrusting responsibilities to your younger brother, Lee Chan, while actively trying to conceive with your husband. Unbeknownst to Seungcheol, you had already been pregnant for four weeks, and the only person privy to this news was Myungho, your ever-attentive secretary.
Myungho had been a pillar of support, ensuring your well-being by sending nutritious meals and a glass of pregnancy milk to your desk every morning. He also exhibited consideration for your workload, making efforts to send you home before 6. This morning, upon entering the office, you found Myungho had prepared your favorite breakfast from a beloved restaurant, lifting your spirits from the previous night's glum mood.
Despite your gratitude, you declined Myungho's offer to check an anonymous file that had been delivered to you. As you enjoyed your meal, you informed him that you'd arrange for your own transportation home and would call upon Eunji, the bodyguard Seungcheol had assigned to you.
"Just in case," Seungcheol explained when he was questioned about the need for a bodyguard, triggering memories of a near altercation when you initially resisted the idea. You asserted your ability to protect yourself, having learned jiu-jitsu and basic shooting. However, that night, Seungcheol revealed a hidden compartment beside your bed containing a gun. Holding your wrists firmly, he calmly stated, "I'm not doing this because you're a woman, but because you're my woman," emphasizing his commitment to your safety.
*
"Are we heading home, mam?" Eunji inquired, her gaze alternating between the road and the rearview mirror, noting the exhaustion etched on your face. Concerned, she questioned you about it.
"Just tired, thanks for asking. Yes, we're going home, please," you replied with a smile, appreciating Eunji's thoughtful gesture. Myungho, attentive to the shifting atmosphere, was about to join the conversation, sensing your unease.
"I'm okay, Secretary Seo. You should go home," you reassured him before closing the car door, leaving Myungho behind as the car set off for your house.
Looking out the window, your reflection mirrored the complex emotions brewing within you. As you questioned Eunji about your husband's whereabouts, her lips tightened, emphasizing her reluctance to share such information.
You hadn't received any news from Seungcheol today, a departure from the usual routine. While you recognized the demands of his busy schedule, today was different; a yearning for his comforting presence intensified, especially with the added vulnerability brought on by the pregnancy.
The familiar presence of threats was not new to you, but today brought a different kind of menace. A letter arrived this morning, accompanied by pictures and a USB. The images depicted Seungcheol in the company of an unidentified person, taken just hours after he left you the previous night. The revelation injected a new level of tension into an already uncertain day.
As you connected the USB, the file unfolded a chilling conversation between Seungcheol and his uncle, Choi Junggan. The revelation shook you to the core as they discussed plans to take control of Seri Department Store, a place with deep roots in your family history.
"We need her to hand you the Seri Department Store this year," Choi Junggan's voice declared, triggering disbelief and confusion within you. Seungcheol's voice, usually a source of comfort, uttered words that contradicted everything he had ever said to you.
Frozen in your car seat, you listened as Seungcheol acknowledged his role in the plan, vowing to gain your trust to further their hidden agenda. The shock reverberated through you, and doubts about the authenticity of your relationship took hold.
Arriving home, you rushed to your shared office, desperate to find evidence that would contradict the betrayal you had just uncovered. Each desk you searched only intensified the sinking feeling in your gut. Stumbling upon a hidden map and recalling the secret desk with a concealed gun, fear gripped you.
Questions raced through your mindâwas Seungcheol planning something sinister? Was he preparing to harm you? The shivers intensified as you discovered a Memorandum of Understanding signed by your father and Seungcheol's father, outlining a deal that involved transferring the Seri Department Store to Seri Corps to settle debts. A chilling note from Seungcheol himself accompanied the document, vowing retribution for the suffering caused by Seri Corps.
The foundation of your trust crumbled as you grappled with the harsh reality that Seungcheol might have used you to fulfill a hidden agenda, driven by a desire for revenge against your family. The love and assurances you believed in were now clouded by a chilling revelation, leaving you in a state of shock and betrayal.
Click
In the sudden darkness, every creak of the floor beneath your cautious steps echoed through the house, a symphony of dread playing in the silence. The weight of the unknown assailant's presence hung heavily, suffocating the very air you breathed. Your trembling fingers fumbled for your phone, desperation rising as you attempted to call Eunji for help, but the device felt foreign and cumbersome in your anxious grip.
Before the call could connect, a vice-like grip clamped around you from behind, the cold edge of a knife pressing menacingly against your neck. Panic set in, and your mind raced through the horrifying possibilities of what this intruder might do. The chilling voice that whispered into your ear shattered any semblance of security, laying bare a sinister knowledge about your husband's actions.
"Have you found out about who your husband truly is?"
As you closed your eyes, you clung to a prayer for rescue, desperately hoping that someone, anyone, would come to your aid in this supposedly secure haven. The slight pain from the knife's pressure served as a cruel reminder of the peril you found yourself in, each second dragging like an eternity.
Summoning the courage to question the intruder, you choked out, "Who sent you?" The tightening grip around your neck conveyed a chilling refusal to answer, and the revelation hinted at a darker truth about Seungcheol, unraveling the very fabric of the reality you once believed in.
"The person who sent me wants the department store you have."
In a surreal twist, the lights flickered back on, momentarily blinding both you and your assailant. Seizing the opportunity, you instinctively flipped away from the unknown threat, your heart pounding in your ears as you sprinted towards the bedroom. The slam of the door, the metallic click of the lock, and the thudding of your own heartbeat created a cacophony of tension in the enclosed space.
As you sought the hidden gun, the room felt like a battleground, the seconds ticking away in sync with your frantic breaths. Dialing Myungho, your voice trembled with urgency, "Send police to my house, someone's trespassing and tried to hurt me!" The air became charged with a sense of impending danger as you awaited assistance, realizing that the sanctuary of your home had been shattered, leaving you vulnerable and exposed to a threat that had breached even the most intimate corners of your life.
*
Seungcheol's heart raced as he sped towards home, two police cars in tow. The tension in the air was palpable, and he exchanged a concerned glance with Kim Mingyu, who was navigating through the traffic while contacting the dispatcher for an alternative route. However, the gravity of the situation became evident when Mingyu's expression shifted, and their eyes met in the rearview mirror.
"They are heading to your house, sir," Mingyu relayed the alarming news.
Seungcheol's furrowed eyebrows betrayed his growing anxiety. "What do you mean?"
Mingyu swiftly removed his earpiece and pressed harder on the gas pedal. "Someone's trespassing your house and trying to hurt Mrs. Choi."
Upon arrival, Seungcheol rushed into the house, his senses heightened by the impending threat. The scene unfolded before him â you seated on the kitchen counter, Myungho tending to a wound on your neck, and police officers meticulously investigating the incident. The sight cut through Seungcheol like a knife, and his eyes locked onto yours as he approached.
Without a word, he enveloped you in his arms, a mixture of relief and concern etched across his face. The chaos in the house seemed to fade into the background as Seungcheol held you close, silently vowing to protect you from any harm that dared to breach the sanctuary you both called home.
Seungcheol's concern was evident as he gently inspected the wound on your neck, his expression softening in a mix of worry and tenderness. Faced with the undeniable proof of your vulnerability, he couldn't help but ask, "What did he do to you?"
A hesitant smile played on your lips as you replied, "So you know him..."
Myungho, ever considerate, discreetly stepped away, allowing the two of you a moment of privacy. Seungcheol's eyes remained fixed on yours, a silent acknowledgment of the tumultuous situation that had unfolded.
Pulling you into his protective embrace once again, Seungcheol's concern escalated into frustration. He directed his anger toward Mingyu, demanding to know why there wasn't proper security in place when the intrusion occurred. Mingyu bowed apologetically, promising to investigate the lapse.
As the commotion settled, Seungcheol engaged with the police officers, his anger simmering as he learned the details of the trespasser's actions. His insistence on swift justice was clear, emphasizing that whoever had harmed you should be held accountable.
Once the room cleared and additional security measures were put in place, Seungcheol finally had the chance to sit with you. As you handed him the file of the Department Store Ownership Transfer, a heavy silence filled the room. The shared understanding between you two spoke volumes, acknowledging the depth of the betrayal that had unfolded.
In that moment, the room held the weight of unspoken emotions, and Seungcheol's gaze lingered on you.
The room hung heavy with the weight of revelation as you confronted Seungcheol. The truth, once hidden in the shadows, now stood exposed, unraveling the carefully woven fabric of your marriage.
"He wants Seri Department Store," you mumbled, your arms crossed, standing defiantly before Seungcheol. Frustration radiated from you as you ran your hand through your hair, grappling with the gravity of the situation that had unfolded.
"My life," you paused, "was worth of that store!"
Seungcheol shook his head, attempting to deny the painful reality. "Baby, no..."
"Don't call me that! You had the same intention!" The words burst out from you, a sharp accusation that hung in the air. It was a yell, a rupture in the calm facade of your marriage.
"You've been lying to me..." your voice faded, replaced by hot tears streaming down your cheeks. The vulnerability you revealed was a stark contrast to the stoic persona you had been trained to adopt.
Seungcheol's throat went dry, words catching in the tangled web of emotions. He took a deep breath, his heart breaking as he witnessed you, the strong and composed figure, breaking down in front of him. Wiping your own tears away, you showed a side that was rarely seen by anyone.
In that moment, Seungcheol loathed himself for causing the tears and hated that he couldn't be the one to comfort you. "I never lied to you," he finally uttered, but the truth seemed feeble against the magnitude of the situation.
You threw a letter at him, a tangible representation of the deceit that had taken root. "Then what is it? You're trying to fool me by marrying me. You're into my property, Seungcheol."
Seungcheol's voice matched your intensity, "Yes, I was! But I've been delaying..." His tone softened, desperation lacing his words. "Because I fell for you, for real. And I've been trying to stop my uncle for the revenge."
The room echoed with Seungcheol's explanation, his vulnerability laid bare. This was a side of him you had never seen before, and in this moment, as he bared his soul, the fragile bridge between betrayal and redemption trembled in the air.
In that vulnerable moment, Seungcheol shed the facade of superiority and power that he often wore. Tonight, he laid bare his emotions, doing everything in his power to make you believe in the sincerity of his love for you.
"I'm aiming for a hotel abroad and offered him the condition that we won't involve anyone from Lee Family, from your family, including you. He agreed. But little did I know he had sent someone to hurt you." Seungcheol approached you, gently rubbing your arms before his hand traced the tender area on your neck.
"They hurt you," he declared with fiery intensity in his eyes. Seungcheol sighed, his chest filled with anger, and he closed his eyes, seeking solace in looking at your face. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything."
Your hand caressed his cheek, and your lips met in a kiss that started calm and slowly transformed into something more passionate and charged with desire. As the kiss broke, leaving both of you gasping for air, his eyes opened, fixated on you.
"Promise me, this won't happen again," you whispered, and he immediately nodded. His lips sought yours again, but you playfully dodged, pulling your head away from him.
He looked at you with longing, whispering, "Baby..."
You licked your lips, making a demand, "Say that you love me."
"I love you," he replied without hesitation.
"Say that I'm more than that store." Your hands roamed to his stomach, then gradually went down to his hardness. Seungcheol groaned under your touch, "You're more than that, baby. You're worth the world," he whispered into your ear. His hands explored the warmth of your skin under your blouse, his member pressing against you.
"Can I take this off?" he asked, pulling the hem of your blouse. You nodded, and soon both of you stood there, stripped of the barriers that concealed your vulnerability.
He kissed your lips again, guiding your hands to his shoulders. "I love you, I love you so much." The words hung in the air, reaffirming the bond that transcended the complexities of the world outside.
*
Myungho entered your room, holding the file that contained detailed information about Choi Junggan, your husband's influential uncle who seemed to have a significant impact on Seungcheol's life since the passing of his parents.
"How about the guy who attacked me last night?" you inquired, your focus shifting from the file to Myungho. As you scanned Junggan's list of properties and business history, you nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing the extent of Junggan's influence on Seungcheol's business trajectory.
"Cops captured him. He hasn't said anything about the person who hired him. But it's definitely Choi Junggan. He's the only one who's into your property," Myungho revealed, shedding light on the tangled web of motives and alliances.
Seungcheol's revelation from the previous night suddenly made a lot more sense. While delving into the file Myungho had handed you, a realization struck youâthe depth of Junggan's control over Seungcheol's life since the tragic loss of his parents when he was just a high schooler.
Understanding that Seungcheol, as the sole heir to his parents, had been manipulated by Junggan to make your family pay for something you were yet to uncover, you recognized that the only way to unveil the truth was by confronting the man himself. The file in your hands became a key to unraveling the intricate layers of a past that had been concealed for far too long.
"Could you do me a favor, Secretary Seo?" you inquired, and Myungho nodded politely, ready to assist. "What is it, Mrs. Choi?" he asked.
"Are you personally close to Kim Mingyu?" you questioned, prompting a quizzical expression from Myungho. He responded, "I guess, we regularly meet at the pub blocks away from your house."
A smile played on your lips as you outlined your request, "I need you to find out about the properties my husband has been eyeing recently, possibly around Hong Kong and Singapore. I need all the details."
Myungho, respecting your privacy, sought clarification, "May I know what this is for, ma'am?"
"I want to buy them first, before my husband could," you calmly stated, leaning back in your seat. Myungho noted the determination in your eyes and quickly understood that Choi Seungcheol had underestimated the strength he was up against.
After few hours, a familiar figure approached your office. Seungcheol, clearly agitated, entered the room after signaling Mingyu and Myungho to stay outside. Your eyes met, and you became aware that your husband, Choi Seungcheol, had an undeniable issue with anger. He took control of the switchable glass, making the room opaque, a move that intensified his presence. He looks so hot like this.
"I thought I made it clear this morning that you shouldn't be at work after what happened last night?" Seungcheol voiced his concern, frustration evident in his demeanor.
You nonchalantly replied, "I was safer here than in your house, Seungcheol," rising from your seat and approaching him.
Seungcheol sighed, massaging his temples, "Baby, please don't do anything."
Your hands gestured in confusion, "I don't do anything," you replied with a shrug.
Concerned about the dangers posed by his uncle, Seungcheol attempted to explain, "My uncle, he could be pretty dangerous."
Understanding his apprehension, you nodded, "He is. Great to hear that you and I are seeing him from the same boat."
Seungcheol stepped forward, gently grabbing your hand and placing it on his cheek. Closing his eyes, he savored the softness of your touch before pecking your hand. As he opened his eyes, a soft smile adorned his face.
"Trust me, please," he earnestly begged, "Trust me, baby. I'll take care of him."
You bit your lip, confessing, "I want to help you."
Seungcheol shook his head, "I don't want you to get hurt. You were almost... killed last night. I won't ever let that happen again."
You nodded, whispering, "I know," and offering him a reassuring smile.
Attempting to steer the conversation back to a professional tone, you asked, "What are you doing here, by the way?"
Seungcheol, catching the shift, followed suit, "I have a meeting scheduled with Mr. Lee. Surprised to learn that it wasn't you leading the meeting with investors."
Concerned for your well-being, he inquired, "Are you okay?"
You assured him with a nod and a quick response, "I'm totally fine. I have a business trip to attend; I'll be home pretty late tonight."
Seungcheol nodded in understanding, seeking more details, "Where to?"
With a calm smile, you disclosed, "Singapore."
*
"Okay, you got my attention now..." Junggan's voice resonated from the phone speaker as Myungho handed you his phone, subtly mouthing, "Choi Junggan."
You chuckled upon hearing his first words, "Great to know that. You started it first by sending a poor man into my house," you replied, gazing out the window at the nighttime view of Incheon as the plane descended.
Junggan's laughter echoed through the call, "What a feisty girl! Yeah, Seungcheol has captured him, hasn't he? He was honest when he said he loves you."
A smile touched your lips, "Why? Is it hurting you? That your 'one and only doll' finally betrayed you? He's not a doll, Choi Junggan. He's your nephew."
Junggan scoffed, getting straight to the point, "What do you want?"
"Stop controlling my husband, and I'll give you the hotel," you proposed, offering a straightforward agreement.
You could hear the old man laughing, "You really bought a hotel just for my nephew?"
You sighed, "He's not just your nephew; he's my husband."
A sly smile crept into Junggan's voice, "But his worth is more than a hotel, isn't he?"
You couldn't help but chuckle at his audacity. Even in this situation, with you acquiring properties he had his eyes on in Singapore, Junggan remained arrogantly composed. The negotiation had just begun, and it seemed like dealing with him would be a game of wit and strategy.
"A hotel and 3% of your department store shares?" Junggan negotiated in a sly tone.
"Here's the thing, Mr. Choi," you paused, "I actually want to give you the department store. I thought about that, honestly." You could sense his excitement at the prospect. "However, I don't think my late mother-in-law would be happy if I give her precious building to someone who has been very deceitful and manipulative toward her son, Mr. Choi," you continued, and your words resulted in a moment of silence.
A confident smile played on your lips; you knew you had him.
There was a pregnant pause before he asked, "How do you know?" in a tone that betrayed his vulnerable pointâSeungcheol's mother, a person Junggan held very dearly in his heart.
"I have my sources," you said, "just like you have Eunji as your source."
Before the phone call could reach its conclusion, Myungho subtly indicated that it was time to go, as Seungcheol and your grandfather were eagerly awaiting you for a late dinner.
"You need to decide, Mr. Choi. Time is ticking," you said before decisively ending the call. The negotiation had just begun, and you felt a sense of satisfaction at holding the upper hand.
The starry night welcomed your landing at the international airport, and you were ready to disembark when Myungho suddenly announced that he had left an important file on his seat. He urged you to go ahead since your car was already waiting outside. Unusual for Myungho, who typically had other business to attend to, you signaled your new driver to head home immediately.
As you traversed the city streets, a notification alerted you to a text from Myungho. With a sigh, you muttered, "He won't ever let me rest," before opening the message. A shiver ran down your spine as Myungho requested that you inform Seokmin, one of Seungcheol's drivers, that Myungho would be waiting for him in his office since he couldn't reach him personally.
You put your phone down, inhaling a heavy sigh silently. Seokmin was assigned to drive you home, but whoever was behind the wheel of this car was certainly not Seokmin. You refrained from looking at him, sensing that he had been eyeing you through the rearview mirror. In response, you swiftly sent Myungho your location with a concise message:
"Send me help."
*
Seungcheol's heart raced as Mingyu delivered the alarming news of your kidnapping on the way home from the airport. His mind immediately pointed fingers at his own uncle, considering the recent threatening call and the ominous words echoing in his ears: "Betray me again, I'll let you know the consequence."
He had been cautious, attempting to shield you from the dangerous business involving Choi Junggan. However, your determination to help him and seek revenge had taken an unexpected turn. When Mingyu, panic-stricken, revealed that you had purchased the property intended for Seungcheol's uncle, the pieces fell into place. You aimed to confront Junggan directly.
Seungcheol had just spoken with his uncle an hour ago, and now the shocking news of your kidnapping left him reeling. It appeared Junggan had anticipated Seungcheol's plan, orchestrating a betrayal that ran deeper than Seungcheol initially thought. The threat wasn't just about revenge; it was a move calculated to protect his money laundering activities.
During Seungcheol's time as Junggan's assistant, he had diligently documented evidence of his uncle's illicit activities. Those notes and additional proof could be the leverage needed to finally put Junggan behind bars. As a mix of fear and determination surged through Seungcheol, he knew he had to act swiftly to save you and dismantle the dangerous web his uncle had woven.
As Seungcheol continued to make urgent calls to his lawyer, Mingyu updated him on the situation. The news of Seokmin found unconscious at the airport heightened the tension. Mingyu, sitting in the driver's seat, couldn't hide his frustration as he chuckled angrily. Your location, frozen for the past 10 minutes, signaled that the kidnappers might have discarded your phone.
"Myungho has informed the police to track your wife's location. They must have thrown her phone," Mingyu reported, the concern for your safety evident in his voice.
Seungcheol sighed, realizing the urgency of the situation. In a moment of clarity, he remembered placing a GPS on your wedding ring, a precaution due to your tendency not to update him about your whereabouts. Swiftly, he shared your latest location with Mingyu, who promptly relayed the information to Myungho and the authorities. The race against time had begun, and Seungcheol couldn't shake off the fear that gripped his heart, praying that they would reach you in time.
"Sir.."
Seungcheol's heartbeat quickened as Mingyu's revelation about Myungho having something important to share reached his ears. The car's atmosphere shifted into an air of tension, each passing second increasing Seungcheol's anxiety. Mingyu, with a look of concern on his face, executed the announcement with a gravity that made Seungcheol's gut twist.
As the speaker crackled to life, Myungho's voice trembled slightly, an unusual undertone of nervousness underscoring his usually composed demeanor. Seungcheol's instincts sharpened, sensing that whatever news was about to be delivered carried weight.
"Sir, I'm sorry for not telling you this before," Myungho began, the apologetic tone heightening the tension in the car. A heavy sigh punctuated the pause before he revealed the bombshell, "But your wife..."
The moment hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken implications. Seungcheol's mind raced, contemplating what revelation could follow, unaware that the news about to unfold would reshape the stakes of the impending rescue mission.
"She's pregnant."
Seungcheol's heart skipped a beat as the revelation about your pregnancy echoed through the speaker in the car. The gravity of the situation suddenly multiplied, intertwining the fear for your safety with the concern for the life growing inside you. The realization struck him like a lightning bolt, and for a moment, he felt a mix of emotionsâfear, panic, and an overwhelming sense of responsibility.
Mingyu, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, glanced at Seungcheol with worry etched on his face. Seungcheol took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing thoughts.
"Myungho, I... Thank you for letting me know," Seungcheol finally responded, his voice carrying a mixture of shock and concern. The news added an extra layer of urgency to the already critical situation. The thought of you, pregnant and in danger, fueled his determination to bring you back safely.
"Let's focus on getting her safely," Seungcheol instructed, his tone more resolute. The drive to rescue you became not only a mission to save his wife but also an imperative to protect the life growing within you.
Opposite to the confidence in his words, Seungcheol's hands tightened on his phone. A sharp pang of guilt surging through him like a current. The revelation of your pregnancy, a joyous occasion under different circumstances, now bore the weight of his past actions. Learning that you hadn't shared this significant news with him triggered an ache in his chest, a feeling of betrayal intertwined with remorse.
As he absorbed the reality of your pregnancy, Seungcheol couldn't escape the haunting guilt that you might perceive his lack of knowledge as a testament to your distrust. He couldn't shake the notion that your choice to keep this life-altering secret from him was a consequence of the distrust seeded by his initial motives for marrying you. The revelation of his original intentions â driven by revenge against your family â added a layer of complexity to his guilt, a realization that his past deeds were casting a long shadow over your relationship.
The darkness of the night seemed to mirror the turmoil within Seungcheol's mind. He wanted to protect you, cherish you, and share in the joy of impending parenthood, but the ghosts of his actions stood as barriers between them. The weight of guilt pressed on him, magnified by the realization that your silence might be a form of self-preservation.
In the confined space of the car, the echo of Myungho's revelation resonated with Seungcheol's internal struggle. Your trust, or lack thereof, became a tangible force, a barrier he needed to dismantle. As he raced against time to rescue you, Seungcheol grappled with the urgency to bridge the emotional distance that had unwittingly grown between you. He yearned not just to save you physically but to rebuild the trust that now seemed more fragile than ever.
The phone rang, and Seungcheol's heart skipped a beat as he saw the caller ID â his uncle. Answering with a trembling hand, he braced himself for the chilling exchange that awaited him.
His uncle's voice, dripping with malevolence, cut through the silence of the car. "Seungcheol, my boy, I see you're on your way to retrieve your dear wife."
Seungcheol's grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles turning white. "Let her go, uncle. This ends tonight."
A sinister chuckle resonated through the line. "Oh, but my dear nephew, it's just the beginning. You see, you've been quite the disappointment, trying to dismantle my plans."
The image of you, bound and unconscious, flashed on Seungcheol's phone screen, and his breath caught in his throat. His uncle's voice continued, each word a venomous threat. "I've sent you a little preview of what's to come. A taste of the pain she'll endure unless you comply with my demands."
Seungcheol's jaw clenched, a mixture of fear and rage fueling his determination. "Enough of this, Junggan. I won't let you harm her any further. Tell me what you want."
His uncle reveled in the power he held. "Simple, my boy. You come alone, or she pays the price. I've arranged a charming little place for our reunion. You have twenty minutes, Seungcheol."
The connection severed, leaving Seungcheol with a chilling ultimatum. The car accelerated, racing against time, each passing second amplifying the desperation in his heart. The road blurred beneath the car's tires, mirroring the whirlwind of emotions raging within him.
In the dimly lit room where you were held captive, your unconscious form became a pawn in this deadly game. The timer ticked down, a countdown to a confrontation that would determine not only your fate but the unraveling of a family's twisted legacy.
Seungcheol arrived at the designated location, the eerie silence of the abandoned building sending a shiver down his spine. He motioned for everyone to stay back, keeping a solemn promise to Junggan, who had threatened unspeakable harm if he defied the rules. Mingyu stood by his side, holding back your team and Myungho as Seungcheol ventured into the decaying structure by himself.
The building exhaled a musty breath, its walls stained with the remnants of a dark past. Shadows danced ominously in the corners, and the creaking floorboards echoed through the desolate halls. The air hung heavy with tension, a palpable reminder of the impending confrontation.
As hedelved deeper into the labyrinthine structure, the distant sound of a knife being sharpened reached Seungcheol's ears. Each scrape against the blade reverberated through the corridors, amplifying the sinister ambiance of the place. The echoes seemed to mock him, a haunting reminder of the imminent danger that lurked in the shadows.
Your captor's sadistic preparation was evident, the chilling sounds intertwining with the apprehensive silence, painting a grim picture of the confrontation ahead. Seungcheol tightened his grip on the makeshift weapon he had grabbed on his way in, steeling himself for the horrors that awaited him within the dimly lit recesses of the old building.
In the eerie ambiance of the dilapidated building, Seungcheol cautiously followed the echoes of his uncle's cold welcome, each step a tense reminder of the impending confrontation. The air was heavy with anticipation as he approached the dimly lit room, the shadows casting an ominous backdrop to the unfolding drama.
As Seungcheol entered, the scene before him unveiled a tableau of despair. There you were, seated vulnerably on a worn-out chair, your eyes reflecting a mix of fear and relief at the sight of him. A masked figure, an ominous silhouette in the dim light, stood menacingly beside you, wielding a gleaming knife at your neckâa silent threat that echoed through the room.
Junggan, concealed in shadows, initiated the negotiation, his demands echoing with a sinister undertone. The metallic edge of the blade against your skin served as a cruel incentive for Seungcheol to heed his uncle's commands. A choice lingered in the airâsacrifice his empire or risk harm befalling you.
Seungcheol, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, dared to question his uncle's malevolence. "Why, Uncle? What satisfaction do you derive from causing such pain? Is revenge worth the torment you're inflicting?"
In response, Junggan unraveled a tapestry of resentment and bitterness. He confessed that his hatred stemmed from the belief that Seungcheol wasn't his son but the offspring of the brother who had allegedly stripped him of everything.
Seungcheol, eyes ablaze with a mixture of anger and desperation, couldn't fathom the depth of his uncle's resentment. "Is this the only way you see to settle your grievances, Uncle? To use me, to hurt her? What did she ever do to you?"
Junggan, his voice dripping with venom, responded with a sinister chuckle. "You've always been the pawn, Seungcheol. A pawn in my game for justice. Your existence is a constant reminder of what was taken from me."
As the masked figure tightened their grip on the knife, you winced, and Seungcheol's resolve solidified. "If it's revenge you seek, hurt me, not her. She has nothing to do with your vendetta."
A wicked smile played on Junggan's lips. "But that's where you're wrong, Seungcheol. She's entwined in this web of revenge just by being a part of your life. The Lee family took everything from me, and now, through you, I'll take everything from them."
Seungcheol's fists clenched, grappling with the reality of his uncle's malevolence. "There has to be another way, Uncle. We can find a resolution without resorting to this brutality. I'm willing to face consequences, but spare her from this."
Junggan, unmoved by Seungcheol's plea, continued to press his demands. "Relinquish your shares and your position, or her suffering will be just the beginning. Your family will pay for the pain they've inflicted on mine."
In the tense exchange, Seungcheol's mind raced, searching for a solution that would save you from the impending danger. The cold metallic resonance of a sharpening knife underscored the urgency of his decision, knowing that every passing moment brought you closer to the brink of harm.
The reminiscence of past grievances escaped from Junggan's mouthâthe CEO status taken by Seungcheol's father, the love of his life, Seungcheol's mother, passed away after an accident made by Lee Family after a debt they couldn't afford. Betrayed by the nephew he saw as a means to reclaim what he believed was rightfully his, Junggan revealed that Seungcheol's actions had thwarted his grand plan for vengeance, fueling a burning desire to settle the score against a family he deemed responsible for his life's misfortunes. Desperate to thwart the unfolding tragedy that hung heavily in the air, his voice quivered with a potent mix of fear, anger, and an enduring undercurrent of love that defied the years of familial discord.
Seungcheol's plea cut through the tense silence, the gravity of the situation reflected in the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Uncle, you can't let this happen. There has to be another way. I won't let you harm her," Seungcheol implored, his eyes betraying a deep-seated concern for you, the woman he loved.
Junggan, shrouded in malevolence, reveled in the chaos he had orchestrated. His response dripped with vindictiveness.
"Seungcheol, you were always naive. You're a mother's son indeed, but you've betrayed your bloodline by siding with the Lees. Her family took everything from me!" Junggan's voice echoed through the desolate space, carrying the weight of years of perceived injustice.
Seungcheol, clinging to a glimmer of hope, pleaded for reason.
"I can't change the past, but causing harm won't right those wrongs. This cycle needs to end," he urged, his gaze unwavering despite the ominous figure holding a knife to your neck.
Junggan, driven by a festering bitterness, pressed on with his ultimatum.
"Your father and your in-laws stripped me of everything. Now, you'll pay the price unless you give up your shares and the CEO position," Junggan declared, the shadows accentuating the grim determination etched on his face.
Seungcheol, sensing an opening, sought common ground in an attempt to alter the course of events.
"I know you loved my mother. Is this what she would want? Revenge? Darkness?" he questioned, hoping to kindle a spark of humanity in his uncle's hardened heart.
A moment of hesitation flickered in Junggan's eyes, caught between the allure of vengeance and the echoes of a love that once defined him.
Seungcheol seized the moment, his voice resolute as he proposed an alternative.
"Let's find a way out of this darkness, together."
Seungcheol, desperation etched across his face, pleaded with his uncle. "See me as my mother's son then, as someone's son you truly loved. Is this what she would have wanted for us? For me to cause harm to the ones I care about?"
Junggan's cold gaze wavered for a moment, a fleeting glimpse of humanity breaking through the hardened exterior. Seungcheol seized the opportunity, buying precious seconds, knowing you were attempting to free yourself from the restraints.
"I know you've suffered, Uncle. I can't change the past, but I refuse to perpetuate this cycle of pain. Let her go, and we can find a way to heal, to break free from this darkness."
The room hung in a tense pause, Seungcheol's words echoing as he desperately sought a crack in his uncle's resolve. As you managed to loosen the ropes around your hands, you prepared to make your move.
Unable to sway Junggan, Seungcheol saw your decisive action. In a split second, you turned the tables on the masked assailant behind you, catching them off guard. Seungcheol seized the distraction, lunging at his uncle, attempting to overpower him and put an end to the sinister plan unfolding in that dimly lit room.
The deafening sound of a gunshot pierced the air, sending shockwaves through the dimly lit room. In a twist of fate, the bullet veered off course, sparing you but hitting the masked assailant square in the chest. The mysterious figure crumpled to the ground, revealing the chaotic tableau that unfolded before you.
Seungcheol, reacting with primal instinct, unleashed a barrage of punches on his uncle, Choi Junggan, driven by a potent mix of fury and the need to protect you. The room echoed with the collision of fists against flesh, a visceral symphony of retribution.
Heart pounding, you sprinted toward the chaotic scene, brandishing the knife you had managed to acquire. Desperation fueled your every step as you aimed for Junggan, determined to end the threat he posed. But the abrupt sound of another gunshot halted your advance, freezing you in place.
A searing pain gripped Seungcheol's stomach as he staggered back, a look of disbelief in his eyes. The room seemed to warp as your husband, once a pillar of strength, struggled to maintain consciousness. Panic clawed at your throat as you rushed to his side, frantically calling his name.
Meanwhile, the room buzzed with the arrival of law enforcement, finally catching up to Choi Junggan's malevolent pursuits. He was apprehended, the weight of his crimes hanging heavy as he was led away in custody. Mingyu and Myungho, responding swiftly, joined the chaotic scene.
Fingers trembling, you cupped Seungcheol's face, desperately trying to keep him conscious. The room spun, an unwelcome dance of disorientation as you fought against panic threatening to consume you. Mingyu and Myungho, sensing the urgency, swiftly called for paramedics, their voices a cacophony in the chaotic aftermath.
Seungcheol's eyes fluttered, struggling to focus on your face. The pain etched across his features intensified your desperation. "Stay with me, Seungcheol," you pleaded, your voice cracking with a mixture of fear and determination.
Myungho ushered the paramedics into the room, and their swift, practiced movements conveyed a sense of urgency. Assessing Seungcheol's condition, they worked efficiently to stabilize him. The sterile scent of antiseptic mingled with the lingering tension in the room as they set to work.
Mingyu, his expression etched with concern, hovered nearby, a silent pillar of support. The paramedics, clad in their clinical attire, exchanged urgent words, and the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment became a lifeline, a fragile connection to hope amid the chaos.
As Seungcheol was carefully placed onto a stretcher, your hand found his, the warmth of your touch a reassurance. "You're going to be okay," you whispered, more a declaration to yourself than to him, as if willing the words to manifest into reality.
*
The next day dawned with an incessant buzz of media activity outside the hospital, a swarm of journalists hungry for details about the tumultuous events that unfolded the night before. Cameras clicked, microphones were thrust forward, and questions were fired in rapid succession, creating a chaotic backdrop to the already tense situation.
Mingyu and Myungho, the steadfast guardians in this storm, ensured you were shielded from the relentless media frenzy. Their combined efforts allowed you moments of respite, a precious chance to attend to Seungcheol's side while navigating the whirlwind of investigations and inquiries.
The hospital became a temporary sanctuary, its walls offering both refuge and scrutiny. You moved through the corridors with the weight of exhaustion and concern etched on your face. The ordeal had left a lasting impact, and the layers of shock and fear demanded a toll on your stamina.
Mingyu and Myungho orchestrated a delicate balance, managing the influx of information while insulating you from the relentless bombardment of reporters. Their dedication ensured that you could focus on being by Seungcheol's side, a quiet force in the midst of chaos.
Seungcheol remained unconscious, a silent figure in the sterile hospital room. The aftereffects of the surgery lingered in the air, and the medical equipment surrounding him hummed a somber melody of monitoring and healing. As you sat by his bedside, your gaze flitted between the rhythmic blips on the monitor and the unconscious figure before you.
In the periphery, Mingyu and Myungho dealt with legal matters, fielding inquiries, and liaising with the authorities to ensure justice prevailed. The investigation into Choi Junggan's malevolent actions continued, unveiling a tapestry of deception and betrayal.
The quiet hum of the hospital room enveloped you as you maintained a vigilant watch over Seungcheol, waiting for the moment when he would stir from his unconscious state. The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, creating an atmosphere of hushed expectancy.
Days turned into nights, and your presence by Seungcheol's side remained unwavering. The rhythmic beeping of the monitors provided a constant backdrop, a metronome marking the passage of time in the silent room. Mingyu and Myungho, the ever-dedicated allies, took turns supporting you, ensuring you had moments to rest amidst the persistent vigil.
Then, a subtle change began to unfold. The stillness in the room seemed to shift, and Seungcheol's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the muted hospital lighting. The quiet anticipation gave way to a surge of relief as his gaze met yours.
For a moment, silence enveloped the roomâa tableau where words seemed insufficient to capture the depth of emotions. You reached out, your hand finding his, and a faint smile played on Seungcheol's lips. The shared understanding transcended spoken languageâa silent acknowledgment of the trials endured and the connection that persevered.
"My love," Seungcheol's voice, though weak, carried a resonance that resonated with the shared experiences of the tumultuous days. The weight of unspoken words lingered in the airâapologies, gratitude, and the silent promise of a shared path forward.
Mingyu and Myungho, attuned to the subtle shifts in the room, discreetly stepped outside, giving you the space for this intimate reunion. The hospital surroundings faded into the background as you and Seungcheol navigated the unspoken intricacies of the journey you had weathered together.
The initial frailty in Seungcheol's voice strengthened, and he began to piece together the fragments of what had transpired during his unconscious interlude. As you recounted the events, Seungcheol's expressions mirrored a spectrum of emotionsâfrom disbelief to anguish and, ultimately, a steely resolve.
Seungcheol's concern radiated as he carefully examined you, his eyes searching for any signs of injury. Your sigh carried a blend of exasperation and affection, and a soft slap on his arm punctuated your reassurance.
"Stop worrying me! You got shot, but luckily it didn't hit anything vital," you said, your words laced with relief. Yet, as the weight of the recent events pressed down, a tear found its way down your cheek, betraying the underlying emotions.
Seungcheol, witnessing your vulnerability, regarded you with a mix of disbelief and tenderness. "Hey, I'm okay now," he gently assured, reaching out to wipe away the escaping tears. "I'm fine, just some pain in my abs. Don't cry."
As Seungcheol's fingers brushed against your cheek, attempting to alleviate your tears, a nuanced connection unfolded. Your laughter, tinged with both relief and lingering anxiety, echoed in the hospital room. Seungcheol's fingers delicately wiped away the tears that had escaped your eyes, his gaze searching yours with an intensity that transcended the spoken words.
"I thought... I thought I almost lost you," you confessed, your voice barely above a whisper. The emotions of the past days surged to the surface, and you found solace in Seungcheol's reassuring presence.
Seungcheol's thumb brushed against your cheek, capturing the stray teardrops. "You won't lose me. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." His words carried a depth that resonated with the shared experiences, the trials that had tested the foundation of your relationship.
The intertwining of your fingers created a silent pactâan unspoken vow that traversed beyond the confines of the hospital room. The fragility of the moment, juxtaposed against the resilience you both exhibited, rendered the air charged with a profound understanding.
As the hospital surroundings faded into the background, you and Seungcheol navigated the uncharted territory of post-trauma healing. The physical wounds, while mending, paled in comparison to the emotional labyrinth that lay ahead.
Seungcheol's voice, a soothing cadence, broke the quietness. "We'll get through this, together. No more secrets, no more hidden agendas. Just us, facing whatever comes our way."
*
A week later, as Seungcheol was discharged from the hospital, you embarked on a dual missionâpreparing a grand welcoming party for his return and orchestrating a surprise announcement of your pregnancy. The air was charged with anticipation, both for the joyous reunion and the revelation that would shape the next chapter of your lives.
Amidst managing company affairs and attending to Seungcheol's recovery, you meticulously planned the party, envisioning the moment when you would share the news with your closest circle. The guest list included your parents, Mingyu, and Myungho, each holding a special place in your journey.
Unbeknownst to you, Mingyu and Myungho had discreetly informed Seungcheol about the impending announcement, adding an extra layer of excitement to the occasion. They playfully briefed him on the need to feign surprise later, turning a heartfelt moment into a delightful act.
As Seungcheol made his way home, a swirl of nerves accompanied his anticipation. The idea of feigning surprise added a humorous twist to the heartfelt revelation, highlighting the camaraderie that had formed between him, Mingyu, and Myungho.
The echoes of laughter and warmth from the party venue set the stage for the surprise, with decorations and joyful chatter creating an atmosphere of celebration. You, with a radiant smile, welcomed everyone, your eyes holding the secret you were about to unveil.
Seungcheol, aware of the impending revelation, played his part with an endearing mix of anxiety and excitement. His eyes sparkled with the anticipation of a scripted surprise, concealing the joy that brewed within.
The party unfolded seamlessly, filled with genuine happiness, heartfelt congratulations, and a shared toast for the growing family. Amidst the festivities, Seungcheol's feigned surprise added a touch of playfulness, creating an unforgettable memory that blended sincerity with a lighthearted twist.
As you stood together, announcing the impending arrival of a new member to your family, the room brimmed with love and shared joy. The surprise element, a collaborative effort with Mingyu and Myungho, added a layer of laughter to the celebration, underscoring the support and unity that defined your close-knit circle.
As the echoes of laughter and celebration subsided, the warm glow of the party lingered in the air. The night wore on, and eventually, you found yourselves in the quiet intimacy of your home. The day's excitement had settled, leaving only the serene presence of you and Seungcheol, cuddling on the bed.
Seungcheol, ever the sweet and caring husband, wrapped his arms around you, creating a cocoon of comfort. The genuine happiness from the party still radiated from both of you, making the shared moments even more precious.
Hours ago, Seungcheol had brilliantly acted out the surprise of your pregnancy announcement, and now, in the quiet solitude of your bedroom, his tenderness shone through. He whispered words of love and anticipation, expressing his joy at the prospect of becoming a father. Every touch and caress conveyed the depth of his feelings, creating a cherished connection between you two.
"You know, Seungcheol," you began, your voice carrying a feigned hurt, "you didn't have to pretend to be surprised about the pregnancy. I know you already knew back in the hospital."
Seungcheol's expression shifted from affectionate to a mix of surprise and amusement. His eyes met yours, registering your playful accusation. You continued, maintaining the facade of being a little upset.
"I appreciate the effort, but I would have loved if you asked me about it in person," you teased, a mischievous glint in your eyes.
Seungcheol, realizing the playful charade, chuckled softly. "You caught me," he admitted, a sheepish smile gracing his lips. "I just wanted to go along with the surprise, make it special for you."
You let out a melodious laugh, the earlier faux-disappointment dissolving into shared amusement.
Seungcheol, still holding you close, caressed your cheek and spoke with a sincerity that touched your heart. "I just want every moment, every announcement, to be special for you, my love. Our journey together, especially with our little one on the way, means everything to me."
You smiled, your heart brimming with love for the man beside you. "And it is special, Seungcheol. More special than any surprise. I'm grateful for every moment we share."
He pressed a soft kiss on your forehead, sealing the sentiment with affection. "I love you, more than words can express."
"I love you too, Seungcheol," you whispered, cherishing the quiet closeness of the night and the promises it held for your growing family. The future, once shrouded in uncertainty, now felt full of hope and the enduring strength of your bond.
As you both drifted into a peaceful sleep, the echo of those three words lingered in the room, a sweet lullaby that embraced you in the warmth of love and the anticipation of a beautiful journey ahead.
TAGS: Gym AU, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers, Oblivious/Obvious, Only One Bed Trope, An Attempt at Comedy
WARNINGS: Explicit Language, Smut (18+, MDNI, specific warnings are at the end of the post), Mentions of Alcohol, MC is a pathology resident (histopath you are my worst enemy), MC is shy/quiet (itâs always the quiet onesâ), Author has an unhealthy relationship with Cheolâs biceps, Author really really really likes jjajangmyeon (and it shows in her fics LMAO), Seungcheol x The Beach Comeback, Alcohol, Brief Weight mentions
WC: 24.9k
SUMMARY: Choi Seungcheol thinks itâs time to finally settle down, but after numerous failed dates, heâs starting to think that he might not find the one. However, a chance encounter with a shy, pretty stranger has him quickly realizing that maybe he was just looking too far. What a shame all his advances seem to be flying over your head.
A/N: Set in the same universe as Pretty U, but no need to read that to understand this. There is literally zero angst in this (Iâm so sorry angst girlies).
âThanks for dinner. Call me whenever or when weâre up for date number two, okay?â The womanâSeungcheol canât even remember her nameâpresses a kiss on his cheek as she gets out of his car, and Seungcheol only gives her a smile that he hopes looks genuine. Sad to say that Seungcheol probably would not be calling her whenever or ever, really.
Sheâs nice, pretty, a model slash influencer that any man with functioning eyes would fight for to have on their arm. Thereâs no denying that sheâs beautiful, but thatâs as far as Seungcheol would go in terms of compliments. They didnât have chemistry. How could they when Jisoo? Jiwoo?âthe woman only seemed interested in getting to know the depth of Seungcheolâs pockets rather than the depth of his character and the complexity of who he was?
Date two would not be happening at all.
Itâs another failure, and if Seungcheol wasnât so determined to finally do things right, he probably wouldâve headed to the closest bar or club to pick up some pretty woman that had trouble in her eyes and commitment out of sight. Unfortunately, Seungcheolâs days of fucking around are over, and the need for something genuine was greater than the desire for fleeting comfort.
Seungcheol would have to settle for the next best thing to get the frustration out of his system: the gym.
Itâs a good thing Mingyu invited him for a pull day session today because Seungcheol was ready to go heavyâ
The screen of Seuncheolâs phone lights up, and heâs quick to read the message, hands still on the wheel and stick. The last thing he needed was to get arrested for distracted driving after a shitty date with a woman who only saw him as a walking ATM machine.Â
[Mingyu]: Hyung I canât make it today
[Mingyu]: Boyfriend duties :P
Asshole, Seungcheol thinks as he processes the words. Of course Kim Mingyu, loverboy of the century, was going to ditch Seungcheol without a second thought when forced to choose between his best friend and his girlfriend. Seungcheol gets it, heâd do the same, but fuck was the timing shit.
Seungcheol takes advantage of the red light. Itâs still illegal, but at least he feels a little less unethical than he would if he had whipped his phone out mid-drive.
[Seungcheol]: I hope your muscles shrink
[Mingyu]: Boyfriend duties keep my muscles bigÂ
[Mingyu]: Not that youâd know ă ă
[Seungcheol]: đđđ
Seungcheol doesnât bother texting after that, choosing to focus all his attention on driving as fast as he canâwithin speed limitsâto C&K Fitness Center before it closes. Itâs not that big of a concern considering that he and Mingyu owned the gym, but he didnât want to keep the employees behind later than usual.
When Seungcheol arrives at C&K Fitness Center, heâs quick to get the bag he keeps in the backseat before practically stomping his way into the gym. Youngmi, the ever-lovely (sheâs a menace, really) receptionist he and Mingyu hired, is quick to snort at the poorly-concealed scowl on Seungcheolâs face.
âIâm guessing the date didnât go well?â Youngmi says, and thereâs a mix of pity and amusement in her tone that had Seungcheolâs frown deepening.
âDo you really not know anyone?â Seungcheol practically begs. Maybe he needed to stop getting his male friends to connect him with women. Maybe heâd be more successful if a woman was the one doing the matchmaking.
âAll the women I know are looking for women too,â Youngmi shrugs. âYou arenât exactly their type.â
âDamn it,â Seungcheol groans as he runs a hand frustratedly through his hair. âThanks anyway.â
âIâll let you know if my girlfriend knows anyone, boss,â Youngmi waves as Seungcheol heads to the changing rooms.Â
âThanks,â Seungcheol sighs, defeated.
The gym is relatively empty, with only two or three moving bodies scattered through the wide expanse of rubber and metal. Relief settles in Seungcheolâs form knowing that he was likely to be tapped for help today. Donât get him wrong, he liked helping people, but he was already having a shitty day, and the only thing he wanted to do was lift until the burn of his muscles were greater than the frustration in his veins.
Seungcheol grabs a resistance band for his warm-up, eyes trained on his form in the mirror as he stretches the band as far as he can. Once he wraps up with that, he follows it up with a few more stretches before heading to the lat pulldown machine.Â
The burn is great. Seungcheol can feel the way his muscles relax and contract with every pull of the handles, and some part of him feels like the day is less of a failure with how well heâs lifting the weight close to his PR. To an outsider, he probably looks insane rawdogging his lifts with nothing but the hum of the AC and the low volume of the gym music to keep him occupied, but he doesnât really mind.
Who hurt you? Is probably what theyâd ask if Seungcheol didnât look so intimidating.
With a huff, Seungcheol sets the weight down for a short break. This was one of Seungcheolâs favorite parts whenever he was working out: the silence and the burn after a set well done. Who cares if Mingyuâs out being lovey dovey with his girlfriend? Seungcheol was lifting so much heavier than that slacker now. Itâs the envy speaking, Seungcheol knows, but can you really blame him when all Mingyu ever posts about is how fucking lovesick he was while Seungcheol remained painfully singleâ
âExcuse me?â The soft voice coupled by a light tap on his shoulder is quick to snap Seungcheol out from his thoughts.
Quickly, he looks to the side, an accommodating smile plastered onto his face to replace the scowl he was previously sporting.
âYes?â Seungcheol asks, and when his eyes take the person in, his brain is quick to start firing signals for an emergency response. All the little workers in his head were probably scrambling to get their shit together while Seungcheol tried to keep a nonchalant facade.
The woman in front of him is familiar enough to have been someone he probably constantly sees from the corner of his eye, but thereâs a sense of unfamiliarity in Seungcheol that tells him that he probably never took the time to fully look at her. Heâs starting to think that maybe he should have done it sooner because wowâ
She looks nice.
(Seungcheol wasnât the best at articulating his words when it came to women that interested him, so please do forgive him).
âIs it okay if you spot me? Iâm kind of trying to go heavier today,â You say, a little shy, a little uncertain, and Seungcheol would be lying if he said that it wasnât stirring something awake inside him. âItâs totally fine if you canâtââ
âNo, Iâd love to help,â Seungcheol smiles in a way that he hopes is reassuring as he stands from the pulldown machine. âWhat exercise?â
âBench press,â You reply as you begin walking towards where youâve set up the bar and the plates on the rack of a bench. âItâs push day today.â
âNice,â Seungcheol comments casually, and he resists the urge to cringe. Nice? Really? Thatâs the best he can say? âDo you lift here often?â
âMWF,â You reply politely with a smile, and Seungcheol canât help but wonder why he hasnât taken the time to talk to you before. Heâs sure heâs talked to everyone here at least once. âMingyu and his girlfriend usually spot me, but they arenât here today.â
Of course that asshole knew you. That extrovert loved getting to know people.
âTheyâre on a date,â Seungcheol says as he steps behind the bar, watching with curious eyes as you sit on the bench and lay down. âI never caught your name, by the way.â
âItâs Y/N,â You smile at him from where youâre lying down, and Seungcheol swears there was a light tickle in his chest when you did it. Was he palpitating right now? Is that what was happening? âYouâre Seungcheol, right? Mingyu talks a lot about you.â
âMingyu talks a lot is enough of a sentence,â Seungcheol snorts, and something akin to pride blooms in his chest when you laugh. âJust call me Cheol, Seungcheol is too formal.â
âIf you say so,â You reply as you adjust your grip in the bar. Seungcheol helps you unrack it before stepping back to give you the space to do your lift. âMy life is in your hands.â
Seungcheol finds himself chuckling at your words, eyes never tearing from your form as you lift and bring the bar down to your chest. âIâve got you, donât worry.â
Your first first few reps are effortless, and Seungcheol almost feels like you donât actually need him around. Youâre doing well all on your own. Not wanting to feel useless, Seungcheol decides to just cheer you on. âNice form, thatâs it.â
The corners of your lips tug into a soft smile, and itâs one that Seungcheol is quick to reflect with a grin of his own. This is the other part of the gym that Seungcheol likes, the community, the instant click with strangers over shared hobbies.Â
Itâs around your eighth rep that Seungcheol notices the slight quiver in your arms, and heâs quick to take a tiny step forward. Youâre doing fine, but Seungcheol knew it was better to be safe than sorry.
âCome on, pushâthatâs it,â Seungcheol beams with pride when you make it through a particularly shaky set. âYou got one more in you. Get that bar down.â
âI donât,â You complain, but you donât rerack the bar.Â
Seungcheol shakes his head. âYou do, come on.â
And Seuncheolâs right because youâre able to do one more rep, albeit with gritted teeth and shaky limbs.
âI told you you had one more,â Seungcheol says smugly as he helps you rack the bar. When you sit up, Seungcheol raises a hand, and youâre quick to give him a high five and a thanks. Seungcheol has to will himself to ignore the buzzing in his palm. âHow many more sets do you have?â
âThatâs my last for today,â You reply before bringing the opening of your bottle to your lips, throat bobbing up and down quickly at the speed you were downing the water.Â
Seungcheol canât help but feel a teeny tiny bitâextremelyâdisappointed that your interaction would have to be cut short.
âFair, it is getting late,â Seungcheol says as he looks at the clock on the wall that reads 8:00 PM, two hours from closing. Seungcheolâs itching to ask what time you usually drop by, but he feels like thatâs too forward of a question for someone you just met. âIâll see you around then. Iâd be happy to spot you again.â
âThanks, Cheol,â Your smile is reserved, but itâs there. âIâll get going. Happy lifting.â
âThanks, Y/N,â Seungcheol says, and he canât help but feel like the name rolls a little too well off his tongue.
Why the fuck had he not seen you before?
The first thing Seungcheol does when he gets home isnât to eat his post-workout meal and to shower right after like he usually does. He breaks routine by pulling out his phone and texting Mingyu whoâs probably sleeping orâŚgetting cardio done.
Seungcheol has a feeling itâs the latter, but he doesnât give a shit.
[Seungcheol]: When is Y/N at the gym?
Simple and straight to the point, Seungcheol was too old for dancing around.
The reply is immediate.
[Mingyu]: L/N Y/N?Â
[Mingyu]: Why are you suddenly asking me
[Mingyu]: UnlessâŚ
[Seungcheol]: You know why Iâm asking so just answer
[Mingyu]: ă ă ă
[Mingyu]: Itâs just a little unexpected considering your type
[Mingyu]: Let me ask the gf, she knows Y/Nâs schedule better
Seungcheol waits, fingers tapping impatiently at the wood of his dining table as he stares at the three dots popping up and disappearing on his screen.
[Mingyu]: 6-8 pm MW, 7-9 pm on F
[Mingyu]: Itâs an estimate though
Seungcheol commits all of it to memory. He doesnât know why heâs so interested, but he doesnât really have anything to lose so why the hell not? Youâre pretty, and it wouldnât hurt trying to get to know the people in his gym. Plus, it could just be a fleeting interest, so itâs not really that deep. Itâll probably be gone in a few days, and Seungcheol may just find himself with a new friend.
(Sure, tell yourself that, the voice in his head practically taunts.)
[Seungcheol]: Thanks
[Mingyu]: No prob hyung
[Mingyu]: Sheâs really nice so donât be too rough
[Seungcheol]: ??
[Mingyu]: I meant your personality
[Mingyu]: But that too ig ;)
[Seungcheol]: Freak
[Mingyu]: The pot calling the kettle black </3
[Mingyu]: Gtg hyung, boyfriend duties
[Mingyu]: Hoping you relate soon ă ă ă ă ă ă
Seungcheol doesnât even bother dignifying Mingyuâs teasing remark with a response. He loves that man like a brother, but sometimes he just wanted to throttle him. Which is, honestly, accurate for sibling relationships, but Seungcheol doesnât dwell on it.
He had something else to think about.
In the following week, Seungcheol goes to the gym for seven days straight. Itâs something that leaves Youngmi puzzled and Mingyu giving him a knowing, teasing look every time their eyes meet. Only Mingyu knew Seungcheolâs agenda of wanting to cross paths with you.
However, Seungcheol doesnât approach you, he just observes. Itâs a little creepy, Seungcheol thinks, but in his defense, he was just curious. Heâs learnt from Mingyu that youâve been lifting at the gym for almost a year, so it was a little odd that he never fully registered your presence. The longer Seungcheol observed, however, the more he realized why your paths never fully crossed.
Youâre quiet, unassuming. You clean the equipment before and after every use, stack the plates dutifully like you were getting paid for it, and you only ever talk when someone else initiates conversation. Nine times out of 10, itâs either Mingyu or his girlfriend. The other one out of 10 is just other gymgoers asking if youâre almost done with the equipment or polite, short-lived conversations.
Itâs cute, Seungcheol thinks, the way you seem to be in your own world. Itâs become part of his routine to covertly watch your form bustling around in the gym as you go through your sets. For someone so quiet, your facial expressions surely had a lot to say, and Seungcheol finds that his favorite expression is the one you sport whenever youâre deep in thought while calculating the total weight of the plates, brows furrowed and pout light.Â
Itâs a good thing you havenât caught on to the way Seungcheol stares at you from across the gym.
Contrary to his initial belief, Seungcheolâs interest does not die after a few days. The itch, the need to get to know you persists even after one week has passed, and Seungcheol decides that heâs done enough staring and wondering from afar.
Seungcheol knows what he wants, and what he wants is you.
â
Fridays are for leg days.
Itâs something youâve had to learn painfully after doing one leg day session on a Monday and spending the rest of the week feeling like you just got run over by a truck. Itâs still a bad idea, considering that you spent your weekends walking or jogging, but it was better than going to the lab with aching legs. Hunching over the microscope almost the entire day was an occupational hazard you did not want to aggravate with a poorly-timed workout.
Honestly, this gym thing wasnât even supposed to be serious, but somehow you found yourself grinding your way through it anyway. When people ask you why you suddenly had an interest in the gym, youâre quick to tell them that muscles are good for longevity. You donât tell them that you may have seen a really, really, really handsome guy with the most scrumptious biceps walk into the gym, prompting you to go back to said gym to sign up for a membership just to see him again.
Youâd be setting feminism back by hundreds of years by saying that out loud.
What kind of self-respecting woman with a successful career in pathology would sign up for an expensive gym membership just to get a glimpse of a guy she doesnât even know? You would. You did.
Itâs embarrassing, but you donât really regret it. Throughout the months youâve been lifting at C&K, youâve met many wonderful people, and not to be presumptuous, but youâve definitely started feeling and looking a lot more toned after working your ass off. If you were going to the gym just to see a man, then you might as well just get hot and healthy in the process. You had eye candy and are becoming eye candy, so itâs a win-win in your book.
What you didnât expect was to actually interact with your gym crush.
You had resigned to just admiring Seungcheol from afar. He was less talkative compared to the other owner, more reserved. Exactly your type. He has a quiet confidence, and despite the way he keeps to himself most days, thereâs an unmistakable domineering energy rolling off his form in waves that has you mentally giggling and kicking your feet.
God, you want that.
Unfortunately, you arenât the kind of woman who puts herself out there. The only thing you can do is sit and watch while other prettier, more confident women walk up to Seungcheol and make their intentions clear, with some of them even successfully scoring a date. You envied their confidence, really. Itâs something youâve always wished you had. While werenât a total social recluse, you also wouldnât go out of your way to seek interaction.Â
Tapping Seungcheol for help had been a fluke. You were desperate to finish strong, and he just so happened to be the closest person available. However, you liked to think that it was your way of challenging yourself to go out of your comfort zone.
Thankfully, the interaction went well, and even now, as youâre setting up the bar for squats, youâre still replaying the conversation in your head in HD, the memory so clear itâs almost as if it just happened yesterday. Who cares if that was the only time you ever talked to him after nearly a year of pining from afar? You were expecting not to talk to him at all until your paths permanently diverged, so one conversation is honestly already an achievementâ
âLeg day?âÂ
You jolt in surprise, your grip on the 10 kg plate slacking dangerously. Thereâs no mistaking who that voice belonged to.
Thankfully, Seungcheolâs reflexes are quick, and heâs able to grab the plate from your hands and push it through the bar. âEasy there, you might hurt yourself.â
âSorry, you surprised me,â You reply, face flushed from the embarrassment flooding your veins. âBut yeah, itâs leg day.â
âNeed a spotter?â Seungcheol asks with a smile as he loads the other 10 kg plate on the other side of the bar. Itâs unfair how good he looked. The singlet heâs wearing gives you a perfect view of the way his biceps bulge and flex as he adjusts the plate.
âIf you donât mind,â You reply shyly as you position yourself behind the bar. Having a spotter is a little useless considering the fact that the squat rack had spotter arms, but you werenât about to complain. âAre you sure Iâm not disturbing you?â
âNot at all,â Seungcheol waves your concerns off before walking to stand behind you. âHow many reps?â
Heâs close, close enough for you to feel the light tickle of his breath on your nape. Seungcheolâs eyes bore into yours through the mirror, patiently waiting for a response, and itâs taking everything in you not to roll on the floor and scream your head off from the giddy feeling in your chest.
âThis is the last for squats so Iâm doing it to failure,â You reply as you step underneath the bar. âOnce again, my life is in your hands.â
Seungcheol grins as he gets into position a step or two behind where you are. âDonât bother worrying when Iâm around.â
Fuck, that was so hot? Is this how down bad youâve become? Basic human decency was getting you going? Seriously?
The 20 kg bar coupled with the numerous plates youâve stacked onto it is heavy. Itâs manageable, but you know that youâre probably going to start struggling after 4-5 reps of this weight. Slowly, you inhale as you squat, core bracing once youâre all the way down and exhaling slowly as you go back up. One down.
You continue, repeating the motions with proper form and breathing as Seungcheol stays closely behind you, legs bent and hands hovering near the bar as he watches you with full attention. Suddenly, your eyes meet his in the mirror, and heâs quick to speak, âNice form, good breathing.â
You canât help but feel accomplished.
âThatâs it, perfect,â Seungcheol continues praising you as you go through your squats, and honestly, itâs a big help considering the fact that you probably wouldâve tapped out two reps ago. âOne more rep.â
âI canât,â You breathe out shakily, hands tightening around the bar as you try to go for another squat. âToo heavy.â
âYou can,â Seungcheol says, eyes staring straight into your soul like heâs challenging you to retort. âCome on, give me one more.â
Your mind was definitely not in the gutter. No, not at all! You were definitely not etching the memory of his voice and his words into your brain for future use in a wholly different context. Definitely not.
(Liar.)
Miraculously, you push through one more rep, and Seungcheol has a victorious grin on his face as he helps you rack the bar. Briefly, your arms brush, and it takes everything in you not to squeal and giggle like a schoolgirl.
âGood job,â Seungcheol says, putting his hand up. Youâre quick to give him a high-five like you did last time, and god, youâd be lying if the innocent slap of skin against skin didnât send your heart into a frenzy. Was this going to be a thing? Were you going to keep giving each other high-fives until you can get him to give you a high-five somewhere elseâ
âThanks for the spot,â You reply, pushing the thoughts from your head before they become more unhinged. You needed to end this conversation soon before you made a fool of yourself. âIâll get to my nextââ
âWhatâs your next exercise?â Seungcheol asks, taking a step forward when you move to walk away. It seems like the conversation was not going to be over soon.
Youâre short-circuiting, unused to all the attention heâs suddenly giving you. âLeg press.â
âNice, I was going to do that too,â Seungcheol says. âWanna take turns?â
âSure,â You nod. Oh god, you werenât going to escape him anytime soon, huh? The thought both excited and terrified you.
Seungcheol accompanies you for the rest of your workout, the two of you taking turns on the machines or doing the exercises in sync. Itâs filled with lighthearted conversation, Seungcheol giving you a few tips and tricks while helping you out with your form on some of the more challenging exercises.
By the end of it, you think that you may have just gained a new gym buddy.
âNice workout,â Seungcheol says with a pat to your back before taking a swig of water from his bottle. The touch is light, fleeting, but it sends a zap straight through your body that has you straightening up and avoiding Seungcheolâs gaze. âI might have to keep doing leg days with you from now on.â
âYou liked my workout that much?â You ask jokingly before drinking from your own bottle.
âWhat can I say, itâs efficient,â Seungcheol says with a boyishly handsome grin that has your breath hitching. From this close, you have a clear view of the way his dimples dip, and itâs taking everything in you not to squish his face between your hands and coo.Â
âYouâre free to join me, if you want to,â You suggest, composed, polite, a stark contrast to the way your brain is currently going through an emergency response protocol.
âNice. I was scared you wouldnât offer, and Iâd have to say goodbye to my gainsâ Seungcheol jokes. âWait, let me give you my number. I think I have paper here somewhere, just a secâŚâ
Seungcheol pats himself before rummaging through his pockets. You donât know what overcomes you, but youâre thankful for the boost of confidence it gave that had you pulling out your phone and handing it to him.
âJust type it in,â You say with a small smile, hoping that the calm facade doesnât give your nerves away.Â
Seungcheol takes your phone and types his number. After that, he returns it to you with a grin, âText or call me whenever. Iâd be more than happy to share a few workout tips or answer any questions.â
âAny?â You ask jokingly as you look at the new contact on your phone. âCheolâ, itâs just one word but itâs enough to make your brain buffer. It isnât hitting you now, but you have a feeling that once it does, you would have a hard time getting back up.
âAny,â Seungcheol emphasizes with a smile and a look you canât quite decipher. The tone, the gaze, itâs all too much, and it has your heart stuttering in your chest. âGet home safely, okay?â
âI will,â You nod before pocketing your phone. âIâll see you next time, Cheol.â
âLooking forward to it,â Seungcheol replies with a pat to your back, an action that has your heart racing no matter how many times he does it.
Fuck, he was treating you like a bro! You shouldnât be getting giddy over such an innocent, platonic touch, but you canât help it. Bros before hoes they say, but youâd like to give a new perspective by saying that maybe bros can become your hoesâ
Okay, pause. Breathe.
When you get to your apartment, your mind is still reeling and your heart is still racing. The high from your little coupleâsâwow, youâre delusionalâworkout session seemed to have such a long half-life that even now, you were still buzzing and grinning like an idiot.Â
Youâre unable to stop yourself from plopping onto the couch and squealing into the pillow like a schoolgirl while you kick your feet aggressively. Itâs insane how much that man affected you. He was out here being a great business owner by connecting with his clients, and youâre out here imagining your first date, your wedding, your honeymoonâhell, even your retirementâwith him.
Boosted by the memory of Seungcheolâs friendly words and casual touches, youâre quick to whip out your phone and start constructing a text message.Â
Hey, just got homeâ
No, not that. He probably doesnât care about that. You werenât a girlfriend updating her boyfriend. Youâre an acquaintance slash gym buddy that just happened to have a well-constructed leg day routine.
Had fun todayâ
No, yikes. It sounded a little too much like you were thanking him for a date. Seungcheol might catch on to how delusional you are if you sent that.
[Y/N]: Itâs Y/N. Thanks for joining my workout today.
Formal and damn-near transactional, it was informative and personal while still keeping a boundary.Â
You nearly drop your phone when a reply pops up instantly, and you have to stop and physically pinch yourself to make sure that you werenât dreaming or hallucinating all of it.
[Cheol]: Anytime :)
Fuck, even the way he texted was handsome. That was seriously unfair.
[Cheol]: Are you home already?Â
[Y/N]: Yes. You?
[Cheol]: Good to hear
[Cheol]: Yeah, I am. Just making dinner.
[Cheol]: sent a photo
Holy fucking shit, was any of this even real?
The photo is innocent. Itâs a picture of a frying pan and scrambled eggs on it, but thatâs not what youâre looking at. No, definitely not that. Because apart from the eggs, the oil, and the steel, the photo also shows you a clear view of Seungcheolâs forearm as he holds the pan.
Damn it. God damn itâ
You scream into the pillow before composing yourself and typing out a reply. Whatever unholy thoughts you had regarding the firm expanse of his forearm were pushed aside in favor being a normal, functioning member of society.
[Y/N]: Looks good!Â
[Cheol]: It tastes even better :)
[Cheol]: Have you eaten?
You were not going to survive this. You were not going to be able to pull yourself out of the trenches that Seungcheol pushed you into. You were staying here indefinitely.
[Y/N]: I havenât, but Iâll get to it soon.
[Cheol]: Get to it then.
[Cheol]: You need fuel for muscle-building :)
[Y/N]: Okay, Mr. Gym Expert.Â
[Y/N]: Make sure to eat slowly, itâs better for you.
[Y/N]: Eat well.
Eat well? Eat well? Is that really the best you can say? You had zero flirting skills, and it was showing. You almost regret being so caught up in your academics because now you were paying for it.
[Cheol]: Thanks, I will.
[Cheol]: Good night, Y/N :)
Fuck, you couldnât wait for Friday so that you finally had an excuse to talk to Seungcheol again.
Thankfully, you didnât have to wait until Friday because the moment you step foot into the gym on Monday evening, Choi Seungcheol is already greeting you with a bright smile and a high-five.
âWhatâs your split today?â Seungcheol asks, trailing after you as you walk to the more open part of the gym to do your upper body stretches.
âPull day,â You reply as you grab one of the resistance bands hung on the wall. You donât miss the way Seungcheol grabs a band of his own.
âDamn, Iâm doing push today,â Seungcheol says, and you note that thereâs a slight edge of disappointment in his tone as he says it. âJust tap me if you need help, okay?â
âSure,â You nod with a smile. âI can spot as well if you need me to, but I donât think Iâll be much help.â
Seungcheol chuckles as he pulls the band taut across his chest before pulling it across his back. âAny help is better than no help, so I might just take you up on that offer.â
âDonât say I didnât warn you,â You joke as you hang the band on the wall again. âGood luck on your workout. Fighting.â
âYou too,â Seungcheol smiles, and you walk off to the pulldown machine before the conversation can progress further.
Some part of you is a little disappointed that Seungcheol didnât join your workout for today, but youâre also thankful because you donât think you can handle the sight of him doing pulldowns in a sleeveless shirt. Youâd have to start gnawing on the steel of the bars or have someone muzzle you just to cope.
Youâre able to go through all four of your pull day exercises before Seungcheol approaches you with a light tap on your shoulder while youâre in the middle of drinking your water. âCan you spot me?â
Quickly, you close your bottle and nod. âSure, what exercise?â
âBench press,â Seungcheol replies, and the memory of your first encounter quickly surfaces in your mind. âMy life is in your hands.â
You snort at his lack of originality before matching his grin with one of your own, âIâve got you, donât worry.â
Turns out, Seungcheol doesnât even need you. He powers through his sets like a machine, and youâre starting to wonder if heâs made of steel underneath that fair skin of his. He huffs and grunts with every heavy lift, and honestly, youâre glad he doesnât actually need your help because youâre extremely distracted by the sight and sound of him. The only time you ever truly involve yourself is when Seungcheol is reracking the bar, and it scares you every time because damn, even with Seungcheol lifting it, you could clearly feel the pull of gravity on those weights.
âThanks for spotting,â Seungcheol says as he stands up from the bench, and youâre quick to help him remove the plates and set them aside.
âThat was all you,â You reply with a shrug before taking another plate. âI didnât do much.â
âHey, youâre good at helping me rack,â Seungcheol says with a smile and a nudge to your shoulder with his, an action that had you short-circuiting from the sensation of his bare arm against your bare arm. âAre you done with your workout?â
What Victorian Era shit was this? Why were you so flustered by casual touch? Whatâs next? Would ankles start freaking you out too?
âYes,â You nod as you put away the final plate. âIâll go aheadââ
âWanna grab dinner?â Seungcheol suddenly cuts you off, a hopeful look in his eyes as he asks. âMy treat. To thank you for spotting.â
All the mini-youâs running around in your nervous system HQ are panicking as they rifle through the files in your head. You didnât have a protocol for this, didnât have an emergency plan. Despite your delusions, not once did you ever think of how the hell youâd respond if ever Choi Seungcheol asked you to hang out.
âNo need!â You quickly say, waving your hands and shaking your head. âItâs nothing, I swear. I didnât even do anythingââ
âI insist,â Seungcheol says. Suddenly, and a little unfairly, he pouts, and your mind is quick to blank. âPlease?â
What the fuck?
Who the fuck would be able to resist that?! Seungcheol is attractive, you know that, but in your eyes, heâs always been that manly, dreamy Adonis so this poutâthis heartaching, devastatingly adorable pout was definitely not something you expected. Itâs so unexpected that you donât even realize that youâre already nodding.
âFine,â You say before you can even stop yourself. âBut Iâm paying for my food.â
Seungcheol opens his mouth like heâs going to argue, but heâs quick to shut it. âOkay.â
After the two of you change into cleaner clothes, Seungcheol leads you to a sleek BMW, and even with your little knowledge of your cars, you know that this particular model didnât come in a price point that was affordable to the general population.
Fuck, maybe you were in the wrong business.
Like a gentleman, Seungcheol walks ahead of you to open the passenger door, and itâs something that has you thanking him softly before settling inside. Itâs clear that Seungcheol took good care of the luxurious hunk of metal. You couldnât spot scratches or dust anywhere in the exterior or the interior.
âNice car,â You comment when Seungcheol settles in the driverâs seat.Â
âThanks, I got it last year,â Seungcheol says before starting the engine and backing out of the parking spot. âDo you like cars?â
âNot really,â You reply, eyes trained on the way Seungcheol steers the wheel with one hand while the other hand held onto your seat. âI donât drive anyway, so itâs impractical to get a car.â
âWhy not?â Seungcheol asks, removing his hand from the seat to move the stick. âNever learned?â
âI have a license,â You clarify. âBut drivingâs too stressful.â
âAh,â Seungcheol nods before a teasing grin makes its way onto his face as he drives. âNothing wrong with being a passenger princess.â
You nearly choke on your spit at his words. âYah, itâs not my fault people on the road are insane.â
âYouâve got a point,â Seungcheol nods with a laugh. âHow do you get around then?â
âI commute,â You reply, eyes trained on the red and white lights in front of you as Seungcheol drives through the cityâs busy road. âIt can get crowded, but itâs still less stressful.â
âYour boyfriend doesnât drive you around?â Seungcheol asks casually, eyes locked onto the road like he didnât just send you spiraling with one question.
What?
A look of disbelief settles onto your face, and youâre quick to clarify, âI donât have a boyfriend. What gave you that idea?â
âJust assumed, sorry,â Seungcheol replies apologetically, but you can see the slowly-growing grin on his face. âDo you like jjajangmyeon?â
The conversation is quick to shift at Seungcheolâs sudden question. Youâre thankful for it because youâre not really sure how the conversation would go if Seungcheol decided to pry about your love life.Â
âI love jjajangmyeon, actually,â You reply, suddenly excited. You hadnât eaten it in a while, but god, you could practically taste the sauce on your tongue and feel the noodles between your teeth the moment Seungcheol mentioned it. âAre we getting jjajangmyeon?â
âYeah,â Seungcheol nods. âThere are other dishes, but theyâre known for their jjajangmyeon.â
âAll the exercise I did is going down the drain,â You sigh, but itâs really not that big of a deal. Diets with extreme restrictions arenât sustainable anyway.Â
Seungcheol only laughs. âJust think of it as bulking.â
âYou are so right,â You reply with a grin.
When the two of you arrive, the place is fairly busy. There are a few empty tables, but thereâs more than enough people in the tiny restaurant to breathe life and bring noise into the space. Itâs casual, friendly, and the farthest thing from intimate.
Aw.
Seungcheol lines up, eyes scanning through the menu plastered up on the wall before turning to look at you, âWhat do you want?â
His voice is being drowned out, but youâve done enough lip-reading and ear-straining to understand the words.
âJust jjajangmyeon, please,â You reply, and Seungcheol furrows his brows before taking a step closer.
In a way thatâs bad for your heart, Seungcheol brings you closer to him with a hand on your back before leaning down to let you speak straight into his ear. âSorry, itâs a little noisy. What did you say you wanted?â
âJjajangmyeon,â You manage to say despite feeling like your heart was about to jump out of your throat from Seungcheolâs proximity, his touch. âIâll have the jjajangmyeon.â
âAnything else?â Seungcheol asks, turning his head slightly to look you in the eye. His gaze flickers, youâre not sure to where, but it does. âTheir chicken is good.â
"Too heavy,â You shake your head, and before you can stop yourself, you continue, âMaybe next time.â
Wow! That was really presumptuous of you to think that this whole dinner situation was going to repeat itself. Good job, youâve embarrassed yourself yet again.
âOkay, next time then,â Seungcheol nods, and it makes you feel a little less embarrassed about your little slip-up. âWanna go get a table while I order?â
âSure,â You reply, and walk off to find an empty table for two. You find that breathing is easier now that Seungcheol wasnât making your chest feel all funny and ticklish.
Thankfully, the rest of dinner passes by in a lighter fashion. Most of your conversations circled around asking questions back and forth about each otherâs lives. Seungcheol, despite your reserved first impression of him, is a great conversationalist, and itâs something that has your guard crumbling down.
âAw, sheâs so cute!â You coo as Seungcheol shows you a picture of his familyâs dog on his phone, an adorable Coton de Tulear wearing a pretty pink bow on her head. âWait, so why is her name Kkuma?â
âI was on a diet when we got her,â Seungcheol says, eyes fond as he scrolls through his album full of the cute little ball of fluff. âDo you wanna meet her? She usually stays with my brother, but he takes her when he comes over.â
âI would love to,â You reply, swiping through Seungcheolâs album to see more of Kkuma and her pretty bows. âJust say the word.â
Most people would consider you reserved, quiet, but the people closest to you would probably beg to differ. It takes a while to get you comfortable, but once you are, youâre suddenly the worldâs biggest extrovert, your mouth running itself to talk about every single topic under the sun until the person in front of you just begs you to shut up before their ears bleed. Seungcheol doesn't do that though. He listens, shares, and his openness to whatever conversation you throw his way has your chest blooming with gratitude.
âNo way,â Seungcheol shakes his head with a disbelieving laugh after listening to your take. âPull day is so much better than push day.â
âIt is so not,â Youâre quick to argue. âI can barely sleep after pull day because my back hurts so much.â
âThe ache is satisfying though,â Seungcheol argues back. âI like doing pull days.â
Your eyes flicker to the way his biceps strain against the sleeves of his shirt, and youâre quick to roll your eyes playfully, âI can tell.â
Seungcheol only grins before flexing an arm in a manner that has you crashing out internally, âGood. I work hard for these.â
In return, you listen just as well. You keep your ears peeled and your expressions animated, making sure to hang onto every word and ask whatever burning question you had whenever Seungcheol would share bits and pieces about himself and his interests.
âYouâre a League player?â Youâre trying to keep your tone as non-judgmental as you can, but you have a feeling that youâre failing because Seungcheol is quick to laugh.
âWhatâs wrong with that?â Seungcheol asks with an amused smile.Â
âNothing theyâre justâŚâ You think of all your gamer friends, your cousins, and safe to say that thereâs only one thing they have in common when theyâre playing the game. âTheyâve got a lot of rage.â
âOh they do,â Seungcheol nods, laughing. âDo you like playing games?â
âPlayed COD once,â You reply with a shrug, âMobile and PC.â
âYou act like people there donât have just as much rage,â Seungcheol says, one thick brow raised in question. âDidnât think youâd be into that.â
âIâm into a lot of thingsââ Itâs late when you notice the innuendo in your words and the teasing expression on Seungcheolâs face, and youâre quick to pause and purse your lips when you realize what you just said. âI did not mean it like that.â
Seungcheol only laughs, hands raised in defeat when you throw a feeble glare his way. âNothing wrong with that.âÂ
The two of you get so caught up in conversation that by the time you pause your talking, the restaurant is almost empty. That same emptiness is what prompts the two of you to quickly finish your food and rush out of the establishment with sheepish smiles and apologetic glances.
âWhere do you live?â Seungcheol asks as he taps on the screen to open the navigation app.Â
âYou can just drop me off at the station,â You reply, a little embarrassed. âItâs late already.â
âExactly, itâs late,â Seungcheol says it like heâs scolding you, and honestly? Youâre not even upset. If anything, youâre feeling a littleâŚHot. âIâm not letting you go on your own when itâs this late.â
âSir, yes sir,â You say jokingly as you type in your address. âSorry for troubling you.â
âYouâre not,â Seungcheol says, his smile a little tight as he shifts in the driverâs seat. âI live in the same area, so itâs not even out of the way.â
Oh? That was unexpected. Surely you wouldâve noticed if someone this handsome lived in your area, but then again, you barely go out of your apartment unless youâre going to jog, work, or go to the gym.Â
The drive, much like the little dinner dateâyou know youâre delusionalâyou had, is full of casual conversation. Itâs a little strange how comfortable you are around him, but you liked to think that maybe it was because you spent practically a year just admiring him from afar. If anything, the question you should be asking is why he seemed comfortable around you. You donât dwell on it though, too happy about the situation to wonder about the logistics and the technicalities of it all.
When you reach your apartment, youâre quick to unbuckle your seat and sling your bag on your shoulder. âThanks for bringing me home.â
âI invited you, itâs the least I can do,â Seungcheol replies with a smile. âIâll try to bring you home earlier next time.â
Next time? Youâre not sure if heâs teasing you for your slip-up earlier or being genuine, but you donât really mind. You liked the sound of next time.
âGood night, Cheol,â You say as you open the car door and step out.
âGood night, Y/N,â Seungcheol replies before you gently close the door.
Seungcheolâs car remains parked on the road as you walk to the door of your apartment. Itâs only when you've shut the door behind you that you hear his car come to life as he drives off.
Itâs a little sweet, you think. Choi Seungcheol must be one hell of a boyfriend if he treated his friends with this much thoughtfulness. Honestly speaking, youâre a little jealous of the woman that would be getting that treatment, but it isnât your place. Youâre just a woman with a crush at her big age without the courage to seize what you want in fear of rejection.
Youâd rather live with the what ifâs than be rejected outright, honestly. The what ifâs left room for uncertainty, and uncertainty left room for hope. Rejection, on the other hand, has finality. It doesnât give hope the space to blossom, and honestly, youâd rather live with regret than without hope.
Regret haunts, but hopelessness halts.
However, you donât let yourself simmer in the thoughts any longer than you already have. You still had work tomorrow, and the more time you spent thinking, the less time youâd have for sleeping. That alone is enough to have you showering quickly and settling into bed.
Youâre in the middle of setting your alarm when you get hit with the sudden reminder that you didnât pay for your half of the meal. Itâs late, but youâd rather be rude than be called a freeloader.
Quickly, you whip out your phone and type out a message to Seungcheol.
[Y/N]: I forgot to pay earlier.
[Y/N]: Whatâs your account number?
You donât expect him to reply given how late it is, but at least youâve put out your intention to payâ
[Cheol]: I was hoping you wouldnât rememberÂ
[Cheol]: No need to pay, itâs my treat :)
[Y/N]: I said Iâd pay though.
[Y/N]: Iâll ask Mingyu for your details if you donât tell me
[Cheol]: Good luck prying it out of him ă ă
[Cheol]: Itâs my treat, just accept it :(
[Y/N]: Fine, but let me pay next time.
[Cheol]: No promises :)
[Cheol]: Go to sleep, you still have work tomorrow.
[Y/N]: Youâre right, but I will be reopening this argument in the future.
[Y/N]: Night, Cheol.
[Cheol]: Good night :)
â
Choi Seungcheol is seriously fucked.
Heâs staring at the screen of his phone, rereading your conversation with the stupidest smile on his face, and he doesnât even know heâs doing it until he feels the ache settle into his cheeks.Â
Seungcheol has only known you for around two weeks, but heâs out here hanging out with you and talking to you like heâs known you for years. Itâs insane how at ease he feels around you. Thereâs just something about how unassuming, kind, and witty you are that has him hooked, has him hanging onto every word and craving more. Itâs made worse by the fact that youâre just soâŚ
Beautiful.
From the gleam of your eye to the curves of your lips, Seungcheol thinks that youâre the kind of beauty that stops time. Itâs the kind that has him double-taking, the kind that lures you with a force that only gets stronger the longer you stare.
The worst part of it is that you didnât seem to be aware of your effect.
You smile, laugh, and speak with a clumsy sort of grace that has Seungcheolâs heart skipping beats and doing cartwheels. He feels like heâs 17 and falling in love for the first time again, and itâs so odd because even that didnât feel like this.Â
Itâll wear off, is what he tells himself as he sets his phone on the nightstand. Itâs not like he doesnât want to be into you. He does, he really does, and he probably really is into you, but he wants to be sure.
Because once he started, he knew there would be no going back.
The next time Seungcheol sees you, itâs Wednesday, and just like Monday, heâs constantly hovering around you like a pesky fly. Even when the two of you have different workout splits, Seungcheol somehow still finds a way to be close to you by choosing the equipment closest to the one youâre using and spending his break between sets talking to you.
Itâs exhilarating.
Itâs so exhilarating that when you leave, Seungcheol feels like heâs dropping from a high so steep to a crash so deep. He can only sit on the bench, hunched over as he tries to compose himself. Fuck, what were you doing to him?
You were being kind and polite, acting the way a person should in a friendship that was still blooming, and Seungcheol was over here wondering what it would be like to hold your hand and take you on dates by the Han River while he hand-fed you pizza slices.
Yeah, heâs fucking delusional. He knows.
âYouâre so obvious, hyung,â Mingyu says as he approaches Seungcheol with a smug grin. âIf I had known youâd be this whipped for her, I wouldâve introduced you guys sooner.â
âWhy didnât you?â Seungcheol asks with a frown.Â
âDidnât think youâd be into her,â Mingyu shrugs as he bends down and steals Seungcheolâs water bottle before taking a long sip that has Seungcheolâs frown deepening. âClearly, I assumed wrong.â
Seungcheol takes his bottle back and asks, âDo you think she knows?â
Seungcheol knows heâs going to regret asking this, but fuck, he really needed to know, âDo you think I have a chance?â
Mingyu blinks once, twice, thrice, staring at Seungcheol incredulously before he starts laughing his ass off like it's the funniest thing heâs heard in years.
âDude, holy shitââ Mingyuâs words cut off into a wheeze before he speaks again, âHyung, youâre so screwed, Iâm already telling you. Oh my god, is this what I was like before? Big fucking yikes god damnââ
âYah, just answer the question,â Seungcheol says, his patience with Mingyu slowly getting thinner by the second.
Mingyu is quick to compose himself when he catches sight of the glare Seungcheolâs sending his way. He coughs, hitting his chest and clearing his throat before he replies, âYou do, I think. You two are practically eye-fucking each other anywayââ
âYah, Kim Mingyu, watch your mouth,â Seungcheol warns, jaw clenching, and the taller man only raises his arms in surrender. âI donât want to rush this.â
âGood call,â Mingyu nods. âGood luck to her though. Youâre too much to handle sometimes.â
âDamn fucking right I am,â Seungcheol grins.
Mingyu quickly pulls a face of disgust in response, âYouâre disgusting.â
âLike youâre any better?â Seungcheol scoffs, brow raised.
âDidnât say I was.â Mingyu only shrugs with a grin. âGood luck, hyung. Just tell me if you need a wingman.â
âThanks,â Seungcheol snorts before hitting Mingyu with his towel. âNow stop chatting and finish your set before you lose all your muscles.â
â
Routines are both a blessing and a curse, you think.
Youâve been talking to Seungcheol for three months now, and heâs integrated himself into your life so well that it feels like heâs always been there. Mondays and Wednesdays were spent doing your own workouts and talking to each other during your breaks. Fridays, on the other hand, were spent doing leg days together and getting dinner right after. You like Fridays.
Another addition to your existing routine is Seungcheol driving you home after every gym session. He had insisted on taking you home during a particularly rainy Wednesday night, and the rest was history. It stresses you out sometimes because you canât help but feel like youâre bothering him, but Seungcheol is always quick to tell you that he really, really doesnât mind. The man even saying that it puts him at ease knowing that you got home safe.
How sweet (You were going to combust).
A more concerning addition, one you both love and loathe, is befriending a few of Seungcheolâs friends. You had met them during a Friday night dinner with Seungcheol, and they were all so nice and accommodating that it was easy to get comfortable around them.Â
Jeonghan could be mischievous, but heâs a great listener that cares for the people around him. Joshuaâs the perfect gentleman until you get to know him a little too well and realize that thereâs more to him than what meets the eye (in a good way, you swear!). You like talking to them, but you absolutely loathed the change because it made being delusional a little too easy. Encounters with them felt less like a hangout with friends and more of a âgetting-to-know-your-boyfriendâs-friendsâ session.Â
Itâs not good for your overactive imagination.
The most devastating addition to your routine, however, is the constant texting. On the days you donât see each other, the mornings before you meet at the gym, the nights after you go to the gym, and the weekends you spend apart, you and Seungcheol are constantly conversing on numerous platforms. It has reached a point where heâs talking to you about gym stuff on your Kakao and while simultaneously discussing the reels you sent him on Instagram. Choi Seungcheol takes up so much space in your world that youâre scared of the void heâll leave ifâwhen?âthe two of you part ways.
The only way you were getting out of this lovestruck trench was if Seungcheol fell in love with you and pulled you out of it to prance into the sun and live happily ever after or if he broke your heart and buried you six feet under that trench.
You are so screwed.
âY/N, just the person I wanted to see,â comes the frazzled voice of Wen Junhui, your classmate from med school and one of your closest friends. âIâve got bad news.â
Your first instinct is to look at the clock. Itâs 5:00 PM, youâre just waiting for the last few samples to come in, but something about Junâs expression and words tells you that you arenât leaving the hospital anytime soon.
âHow bad?â You ask, cautiously eyeing Jun as he fidgets and shifts from one foot to the other. âJun, itâs a Friday, please tell me itâs not that bad.â
âThe new lab tech may or may not have dropped a few samples,â Jun says with an apologetic smile that does nothing to ease you. âSheâs already making the new slides, but Dr. Na wants all of them read today, soâŚâ
âStabbing me with a scalpel wouldâve been kinder,â You say as you slack against your chair, defeat weighing you down like a sack of rocks. âHow long until sheâs done?â
âAn hour?â Jun says sheepishly. âShe didnât mean to. Sheâs already on it.â
If Wen Junhui wasnât so enamored by that lab tech, you swear you wouldâve been freaking out more. Mistakes are expected especially when everyone is overworked, but this day has been dragging on for far too long. You feel bad for her, but you canât help but feel bad for you too.
âYou better sit down and help me with all of that,â You frown. However, your phone suddenly buzzing on the desk and lighting up with a familiar name is quick to put a smile on your face.
Jun gives you a knowing look when he sees your face light up, âIs that him?â
âYes,â Youâre quick to reply.
âIâll be off then,â Jun teases as he starts walking back to the lab. âI better be invited to the wedding.â
âOnly if you invite me to your wedding with you-know-who,â You tease, and you internally celebrate when you see the tips of Junâs ears turn pink.
âI donât like her!â
âSure, you donât,â You snort, waving Junâs flustered form off before focusing on your phone.
[Cheol]: What do you want for dinner?
[Cheol]: Just so I know if Iâm going light or heavy for the pre-workout ă ă ă
Damn it, you werenât lifting today.
[Y/N]: Iâm not lifting today, sorry. :(
[Y/N]: Thereâs a problem with the samples, so I have to work overtime to fix them.
[Cheol]: No need to apologize. That must suck :(((
[Cheol]: What time do you get off?
[Y/N]: Not sure, probably late.
[Y/N]: Iâll be there next week, I swear !!
[Cheol]: Iâm counting on that :)
[Cheol]: Good luck with the samples
The rest of your rotation flies by in shades of pinks and purples as you read and interpret the samples like a machine. However, your efficiency is still nothing in the face of multiple samples, and by the time you finish, itâs 9:00 PM.
You quickly send your reports to Dr. Na, and after that, youâre quick to change out of your scrubs into something more comfortable. Wen Junhui, as usual, stays behind and only gives you a thumbs up as you leave.
Finally free, you think.
Your back hurts and your head is aching, but at least you had the entire day tomorrow to rest. The thought of a quick dinner followed by a cold shower and a soft bed is the only thing powering you as you walk out of the hospital and into the streetâ
Is that�
Are you hallucinating?
Thereâs a familiar car parked on the side of the road, and when your eyes drag across the length of it, youâre quick to realize that thereâs an equally familiar form leaning against the car as he scrolls through his phone.
You think itâs a little unfair how effortlessly handsome Seungcheol looks when youâre standing a few meters away from him looking like a drowned rat.
Why was he here?
Almost as if he could sense you, Seungcheol looks up from his phone, and when his eyes land on your shocked form, heâs quick to give you that bright, dimpled, gummy smile that feels like Cupidâs arrows piercing straight through the ventricles of your heart. All the exhaustion in your body is pushed away as a blooming warmth takes its place.
âHey,â Seungcheol says as he jogs over to you. âAre you done with your shift?â
âYeah,â You nod, still in disbelief. âWait, why are you here?â
âFelt like it,â Seungcheol says with a grin like it answers anything. It doesnât. It just raises more questions. âHave you eaten?â
âNo,â You answer as you follow Seungcheol to his car. âHow did you know what time I was getting off?â
âI didnât,â Seungcheol says with a shrug as he opened the passenger door. âI got here at around 8 and just waited.â
Before you can even get embarrassed and complain to Seungcheol about how he didnât have to do all of this, heâs already shutting your door and walking to the driverâs seat.
âWhat do you want to eat?â Seungcheol asks as he fixes his seatbelt and shifts the stick.Â
âChicken? Up to you, Iâm not really craving anything specific,â You reply, still not able to believe that everything happening was real.
âChicken it is,â Seungcheol smiles before stepping on the gas and heading off to the closest chicken place he knows.
Seungcheolâs passenger seat isnât unfamiliar to you. Youâve sat in this same spot so many times that you could probably call it yours. However, the context was never like this. The situation felt too intimate, too personal.Â
Maybe you were being delusional, maybe you werenât, but something about this had your heart racing and your words failing because godâ
You needed this.
After a long day where you had no one to count on but yourself, having Seungcheol meeting you at the end of it with a smile and the promise of stability was a relief. Itâs unfair because heâs treating you so well to the point that you think you might just have a chance, that he might be doing all of this because he likes you tooâ
But you refuse to be that delusional.
Choi Seungcheol is driving you insane, and he isnât even aware of it.
â
Yoon Jeonghan is having the time of his life.
âItâs been five months,â Seungcheol complains, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly as he nurses a glass of beer. âFive months, and she still hasnât caught on.â
Mingyuâs eyeing Seungcheol with the same kind of amusement that Jeonghan has in his gaze. Itâs not oftenâitâs the first time, in factâthat they get to see Seungcheol this hung over a girl. Itâs always been just one nightâs and a few months of on and off with Seungcheol, so to see him pining this long and this badly was a treat.
Jeonghan could be recording all of this if Seungcheolâs eyes werenât so sharp.
âHave you tried confessing?â Jeonghan says before taking a sip from his glass.Â
âHe hasnât,â Mingyu scoffs into his own glass. âHeâs doing everything but confess.â
Seungcheol shoots a glare towards the taller man before taking another swig from his glass. Frustrated, he wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand before speaking, âI donât want to scare her off.â
âYeah, well at this rate youâre going to make her lose interest,â Jeonghan says with a roll of his eyes. âActions speak louder than words, but Y/N doesnât really seem like the type to assume things without evidenceââ
âWhat other evidence does she need?â Seungcheol sulks, form deflating. âAm I not being obvious enough?â
âNope,â Mingyu says. âTalked to the missus, and she said that Y/N thinks youâre just being friendly.â
Jeonghan almost chokes on his beer at that.
So it was that bad, huh?
He thinks Seungcheolâs being a coward by not confessing, but he also understands why Seungcheol hasnât told you. Seungcheol probably didnât want to seem like he was befriending you just to date you. That was sleazy, and Jeonghan knows thatâs the last impression that Seungcheol wants to give you.
What Jeonghan doesnât understand is how you still think that Seungcheolâs just being friendly. Surely, youâre suspecting? Surely, you know? Because Jeonghanâs an outsider to this all but even he knows that Seungcheol isnât just being friendly. Heâs absolutely sure that everyone who has had the misfortune of being around Seungcheol while youâre in the room will say that Seungcheol is head over fucking heels in love with your oblivious self.
Seungcheol either looked like he wanted to devote the rest of his life to worshipping the ground you walked on or to take you on the closest surface for everyone to see because the need, the longing, was just too much to leave be. The tension that hangs in the air is always thick when you and Seungcheol are in a single room, and itâs so heavy that Jeonghan has to excuse himself from time to time just to get a break from all the heated looks and longing glances the two of you unknowingly exchange.Â
And itâs not even one sided! Jeonghan has only known you for a few months, but he knows that you see Seungcheol as more than a friend. You wouldnât be smiling at the man like he was your entire world if you didnât. Itâs stupid. All of it is extremely, unbelievably stupid. Seungcheolâs clearly into you, and Jeonghan thinks youâre into him too, so why did all of it have to be so difficult?
Youâre both cowards, thatâs why.
Jeonghan ought to lock the two of you in a room until you fuck the tension out of your systems, really. If only to save him from the torment of watching the two of you pine like idiots.
âI donât want to assume,â Seungcheol grumbles. âBut kinda?â
âWow, youâre both idiots,â Jeonghan complains. âSince when were you this much of a coward?â
âYeah, hyung,â Mingyu agrees. âWhat happened to knowing what you want and doing everything to get it? Since when did you beat around the bush?â
âSince I found something I canât lose,â Seungcheol says, and the two find themselves silenced.Â
Well.
Damn.
The air is heavy with Seungcheolâs words. No one knows what to say, so they just let the weight linger. Itâs not something they can fix, not something they can address. The only thing they can do is ask for another bucket and pray for the bestâ
âShe texted,â Seungcheol grins.
And just like that, the air gets lighter.
Mingyu and Jeonghan look at each other with knowing looks and teasing grins, relief evident in their forms as the tension clears. Meanwhile, Seungcheol remains blissfully unaware of it all, too busy texting you back with the biggest, dumbest, lovestruck smile on his face.
God damn you had this man whipped.
â
Itâs leg day again.
âAre you free next week?â Seungcheol asks as he takes the 10 kg plate from you and loads it onto the bar. After that, heâs quick to hand you one barbell clamp while he squats down and secures the other.
âYup,â You nod as you bend down and put the clamp through the bar. âDr. Na wanted us to enjoy the long weekend. Why?â
âJeonghan and the others are planning a roadtrip to Busan,â Seungcheol answers, and despite the casual look on his face, you can still spot the excitement that lingers on the edges of his words. âWanna come?â
Youâre torn. On one hand, you donât want to miss out on the opportunity of going on a trip with Seungcheol. The idea of it has the delusional, head over heels part of you screaming that this might just be the final push you need to become something more with the man that youâve been admiring for so long. On the other hand, you donât want to impose. The logical, rejection-fearing side of you doesnât want to be faced with the possibility that Seungcheol might not reciprocate your feelings and that heâs just being polite by inviting you.
âOh, you should come, Y/N!â Mingyuâs girlfriend is quick to interject in the conversation, and Mingyu whoâs following closely behind looks like heâs going to say the same thing. âPlease? Save me from these men, my god, I donât want to be the only woman there.â
Well shit, you canât argue with that.
But you argue anyway. âI donât really want to impose.â
âYouâre not!â She quickly replies, and Mingyu is quick to nod behind her.
âDude, you really arenât,â Mingyu adds. âThe more the merrier.â
âTheyâre right, Y/N,â Seungcheol says, and you can see the beginnings of a pout on his face. Youâre going to lose this argument, you can already tell. âPlease?â
âFine,â You give in, and Mingyuâs girlfriend is quick to cheer and pull you into her arms as she rambles about going bikini shopping and drinking by the beach.
Seungcheol grins like he just won something.
When you get home, you find that youâve already been added to a group chat called âHaeundae Hottiesâ, and you scroll back far enough to find out that it was Jeonghan who had made it and renamed it.
Relief washes over your body when you realize that youâve met and talked to everyone in this groupchat. You wouldnât have to go through the awkward phase of introducing yourself and getting to know other people while trying to enjoy the long weekend.
The rest of the night is spent planning and discussing the more logistical part of the little beach-slash-road trip. Jeonghan was assigned to find a hotel, Mingyu and his girlfriend were tasked with finding the best local food spots, Joshua was assigned to look for activities, and you and Seungcheol were assigned to sort out the logistics of traveling.Â
Itâs exciting. A little nerve-wracking, but exciting. You werenât always the adventurous kind despite the longing in your bones to explore. The lack of time and opportunity always held you back, and now that you had both, you were brimming with excitement. A week from now, youâd be in Busan with Seungcheol and his friends, people that you now consider your friends too.
You canât wait.
â
Kim Mingyu thinks youâre it for his hyung.
Youâre the girl, the endgame. The one that would ruin Choi Seungcheol for everyone else that came after youâif there would be anyâand the one that would probably give Mingyu and Seungcheol liver disease if ever you broke the latterâs heart. He doesnât think heâs seen his hyung so soft, so gentle, so in love.
Donât get him wrong, Choi Seungcheol isnât a rough, brash, mannerless asshole. Heâs just⌠Indifferent. With the few serious and many casual relationships Choi Seungcheol has had, he has always been respectful, reliable. Mingyuâs sure many girls have looked at this man and thought that they were going to spend forever with himâ
But Kim Mingyu thinks this is the first time that heâs seen Choi Seungcheol have that look instead.
Even from the backseat, hidden in the shadows of the early morning, Kim Mingyu could practically see the hearts in Seungcheolâs eyes and hear the honey dripping from his tone as he speaks to you. Mingyu is almost tempted to shake his girlfriend awake just to coo about how cute you and Seungcheol were being.Â
(He doesnât, he knows that there are consequences.)
When the first half of the drive is done, Mingyu and his girlfriend are quick to switch with you and Seungcheol, and itâs taking everything in Mingyu not to grin and wiggle his eyebrows at Seungcheol through the rearview mirror. Instead, he exchanges knowing looks with his equally amused girlfriend, away from your and Seungcheolâs line of sight.
The rest of the drive is silent, and Mingyu gets so lost in the lull of it all that he doesnât notice whatâs going on in the back. Luckily, his girlfriendâheâs glad sheâs just as nosyâis quick to nudge him and discreetly point to the back with a grin.
Mingyuâs eyes are quick to flicker to the rearview mirror, and what he sees has him wanting to kick his feet and pull out his phone to take a pic.
Youâre fast asleep on Seungcheolâs shoulder, and the man looks like heâs turned into stone. Mingyu wonders if his hyung was even breathing at this point with how still he was being. Every once in a while, thereâll be a bump in the road, and Mingyu has to stop himself from giggling like a schoolgirl watching a drama after school when Seungcheol raises a sturdy arm to keep your head pressed against his shoulder.
Smooth little shit.
(Mingyu makes sure to drive over every road bump he can find.)
Mingyu catches Seungcheolâs questioning gaze and raised brow in the rearview mirror, and Mingyu only grins and wiggles his brow in suggestion. Seungcheol rolls his eyes, but thereâs a poorly concealed grin on his lips as he keeps your form stable against himâ
Click.
The shutter sound of a camera rings softly through the air, and Mingyuâs girlfriend is quick to say âoopsâ and pocket her phone. Mingyu only gives her a high-five and asks her to send it to him while Seungcheol glares, his hand now pressed over your ear as he hisses at the two to stop giggling before you wake up from the noise.
Kim Mingyu could not wait to put that picture on a slideshow and present said slideshow at a reception where he would be raising a glass in a toast to your and Seungcheolâs forever.
This may just be the start, but Mingyu can already see the end.
â
Choi Seungcheol knows Yoon Jeonghan like the back of his hand.
Thatâs why when Jeonghan leaves the reception desk and walks across the length of the hotel lobby with a look too apologetic to be sincere, Seungcheol knows something is definitely up.
âThereâs a problem with the booking and the hotelâs full so they could only book us three rooms,â Jeonghan sighs, heavy, exaggerated, and Seungcheolâs trying to figure out where the sly man is going with his little theatre act. âItâs enough to accommodate the group, but weâll have to share.â
âOh, shucks,â Joshuaâs sigh and word choice is equally artificial, practiced, and thatâs how Seungcheol knows that it isnât just Jeonghan who was part of whatever scheme that just took place. âBut itâs not that bad? We can room together, Mingyuâsâwell, we know where Mingyuâs rooming, and Y/N and Cheol can just share the other room. Problem solved.â
Ah.
Fuck.
âYou guys can have whatever room arrangement you want as long as I stay with my baby,â Mingyu says with a lovesick grin as he drapes himself over his girlfriend who looked like she was having the time of her life at the events taking place. The look she gives Jeonghan is too aware, too sly to have been a coincidence.
Itâs then that Seungcheol realizes that everyoneâsave for you and himâwas in on this, plotting and scheming like criminals behind your backs.
Assholes.
âAre you fine rooming with Cheol?â Jeonghan asks you, and itâs taking everything Seungcheol not to swear at him. He knows Jeonghanâs behind this room mix-up, but he has nothing to prove it. Heâs willing to bet his entire life that this wasnât the hotelâs fault, and that it was a deliberate move by Yoon et al. to force proximity between you and Seungcheol. Itâs a good thing you havenât caught on, but Seungcheol thinks these fucking idiots are going to ruin everything for him at this rateâ
âYeah, I donât mind,â You nod with a smile before turning to Seungcheol. He can tell that youâre trying to be cool about it all despite the tinge of apprehension in your gaze. âAre you okay with it though?â
Fuck yes, is what Seungcheol wants to say, but he knows it isnât appropriate so he only nods with a smile that he hopes is reassuring. âOf course.â
âThatâs settled then,â Jeonghan says as he hands the keycards out: one to Joshua, one to Mingyuâs girlfriend, and one to you. âGo get settled first then weâll have lunch at 12 before going out.â
And with that, everyone splits ways.
âShall we?â You smile at Seungcheol, and despite his initial annoyance at the entire situation, he finds himself relaxing the moment he catches your gaze.
With a smile, Seungcheol takes your bag and slings it on his shoulder alongside his before speaking, âLead the way then.â
The walk to the room is light, carefree, and Seungcheol thinks that maybe he was worrying for nothing. You seemed fine with it, so why wouldnât he be? Plus, itâs not like you two are going to be sharing the same bed. Jeonghanâs not that insane. The most youâd have to do is share a room and a bathroom, and the only thing he had to worry about was making sure that you felt safe sharing a space with himâ
Oh fuck no.
The door to your hotel room swings open, and what Seungcheol sees has him taking back that statement about Jeonghan not being that insane because it turns out that Jeonghan is that insane.
Thereâs only one bed.
He was going to strangle each and every single one of his friends the moment this vacation was over.
âOh,â You say, and Seungcheol thinks the gravity of the situation is starting to dawn on you.Â
Seungcheol, ever the gentleman, is quick to try and alleviate the situation, âI can sleep on the couchââ
âCheol, I donât think youâre going to fit in there,â You shake your head. âIâll take the couchââ
âNo, it looks uncomfortable,â Seungcheol shakes his head. âIâll take itââ
âLetâs just share the bed,â You say firmly, and Seungcheol doesnât bother arguing because he may be a gentleman, but heâs also just a man so head over heels in love that heâll seize whatever opportunity he can to be beside you. âThe bedâs big enough anyway.â
âAre you sure? Mingyu says I snore loudly,â Seungcheol says jokingly, offering you a way out in case you changed your mind in that split second. He may be an opportunistic asshole, but he still had a shred of his morals left untouched by his need to have you all for himself.
You donât take it, only laughing at his words before plopping onto the couch beside the window that puts the ocean into view. âIâll just have to fall asleep before you.â
Seungcheol only laughs, setting the bags down and shutting the door before plopping beside you on the couch. âIâll make sure to stay awake until then.â
âGood.â
â
The universe is testing you, you can feel it.
First, the long drive. You had spent the first half of the drive talking Seungcheolâs ear off to keep him awake throughout the early morning. The second half was spent off in dreamland, and itâs only when you woke up that you realized that you had turned Seungcheol into your personal pillow while he kept an arm around your head to keep it from falling forward. The contact had you flusteredâand imagining a few other scenarios that involved his arm around your head in a wholly different contextâbut Seungcheol looked casual, like it was just another day of saving distressed damsels for him.
Second, the hotel room. You had swung the door open expecting two single beds, at the very least, only to be met with the sight of a king-sized bed. Thank the heavens it was king-sized because you donât really know how sane you can stay if you had to sleep even closer to Seungcheol. Even the slightest, most innocent brush of skin had you freaking out and internally screaming, youâre not sure if you can handle accidental cuddlingâ
Ok, maybe you were being too delusional, but still! The chances of it happening are low but never zero.
Third and lastly, is the entire trip to the city after lunch. Choi Seungcheol was acting like the worldâs finest gentleman. He was out promptly pulling chairs for you, gently guiding you by the waist, softly asking for your input, dutifully taking nice pictures, and endlessly bombarding you with other different acts of service that had Mingyuâs doting actions for his girlfriend pale in comparison. And that isnât how itâs supposed to be because Mingyu is practically married to her while you and Seungcheol are just friends.Â
Choi Seungcheol needed to stop being so frustratingly attentive before you took his friendly actions the wrong way.
(Or maybe you were just being delusional?)
And now, youâre here, drying your hair and going through your night routine as slowly as you can to avoid facing Seungcheol and the inevitable only-one-bed trope the universe decided to throw your way like some sick joke to kick your already down bad self lower into the ground.
When you get out of the bathroom, Seungcheolâs lounging on the couch, lying on his side with one hand propping his head up as he goes through reels on his feed.
âBathroomâs free,â You say as you plop onto the bed and take a look at how much battery your phone accumulated while you were bathing. Youâre trying to look casual as you do it, but the delusional part of your brain canât help but point out that this felt a little too much like a honeymoon or a one-night standâ
The door to the bathroom shuts, and you let out a heavy breath that you didnât know you were holding. Youâre overreacting, you know, and you almost envy the way Seungcheolâs being so cool about it all.Â
You argue that itâs because he isnât in love with you the way you are with him. He doesnât have to worry about his heart skipping beats or his mind racing endlessly. He doesnât have to feel all the feelings you do because he isnât in love with you. Maybe thatâs why heâs being so casual. Maybe you donât even register as someone worth dating. Maybe you were just another bro to him.
Damn it.
Seungcheolâs shower is unfairly quick, and you find yourself pretending to scroll through your phone like this is the most normal thing in the world. Your phone isnât upside down, is it? No, itâs not, thankfully. That would be embarrassing.
Seungcheol takes the space beside you, and itâs taking everything in you not to blurt out somethingâeven if itâll come out a little awkwardâjust to dispel the tension in the air.
âWhat are you watching?â Seungcheol, thankfully, is the one to speak up first, scooting closer to you on the bed to watch the videos on your phone.
âInstagram reels,â You reply, slightly angling the phone to give Seungcheol a better view.
Itâs oddly domestic, but you donât say it out loud.
The rest of the evening passes by like that: you and Seungcheol going through the reels in your feed like 10-year olds ruining their attention span with unsupervised screentime. The tension is gone, and in its place is a calm air that gives your heart the space to flutter and race whenever a hearty chuckle or a light snicker leaves Seungcheolâs form.
You hate the way it makes you feel all funny.
Eventually, the early morning drive and the exhaustion from the day catches up to you, and you find yourself fighting to keep your eyes peeled as you hold your phone up to go through a few more videos.
âSleepy?â Seungcheol asks softly from beside you.Â
âA little,â You reply before a yawn treacherously leaves your mouth. âOkay maybe not just a little.â
âSleep then,â Seungcheol says. âNo oneâs holding you at gunpoint to stay awake.â
âBut the reels,â You pout softly. Seungcheol could probably just whip his own phone out, but you enjoyed watching the reels on your phone together. Sleeping meant letting that moment die, and youâre not sure if itâs something you can bring back to life.
âSleep, Y/N,â Seungcheol says as he takes your phone, shuts it, and reaches over you to place it on your nightstand, something that has the expanse of his torso hovering dangerously close to your own from above. He grins down at you as he withdraws into the space youâve mentally designated as his. âThere. No more phone for you, miss.â
You only match his playful energy with a pout, hoping with every fiber of your being that it conceals the way your heart is threatening to break free from his proximity. âKilljoy.â
âMhm, you bet,â Seungcheol only affirms you before chuckling. âSleep before I do or else youâll have to put up with my snoring.â
âFine,â You huff out petulantly before turning your back to him. âNight Cheol.â
âNight, Y/N,â Seungcheol replies, and you hear the sheets shift for a few seconds before it pauses, the silence taking over.
Despite the rapid beating of your heart, it only takes a few minutes before youâre pulled into a deep sleep by the exhaustion from the dayâs events.Â
â
Choi Seungcheol is going through the toughest test of self-restraint.
Youâre fast asleep, clinging onto him like heâs nothing more than a pillow for your comfort, and Seungcheol is hyperaware of every sliver of skin and cloth of yours that touches him.Â
Even breathing feels impossible.
Seungcheol is flattered that you feel comfortable enough to be knocked out cold this quickly, but fuck, why did you have to be this adorable while sleeping? Your softened features, your parted lips, your curled bodyâall of it had this protective urge taking over Seungcheolâs form. Every single fiber of his being is practically aching to take you into his arms and protect you from the imaginary dangers of the night broken by nothing but the moonlight streaming from the window.
The only downside to it all is that Seungcheol canât seem to hold onto you despite the way youâve pressed the entirety of your front to his side, with your leg even going as far as slinging itself across his thigh like itâs nothing more than a bolster. Surely this was punishment, to have everything you wanted being dangledâtighly pressedâin front of you and not being able to do anything other than lie still like a log.
Puppies, sunshine, clouds, flowers, grandmasâChoi Seungcheol is trying to think of every neutral thing he can to distract him from the softness caging his arms and the plush pressed against the muscle of his thigh. Heâs a gentleman, he swears! But he is also just a man, and itâs not his fault that his physiology was weak to your magnetism. Hell, even your smile was enough to have him chubbing up like a hormonal freak from time-to-time so this? This was nitric oxide straight to the fucking shaftâ
You shift, hand now pressed onto Seungcheolâs chest as your unconscious body nuzzles deeper into him like itâs where you belong.Â
Seungcheolâs heart pounds harder, and briefly, he wonders if the strength of its beating is strong enough to be felt by your unconscious form. He hopes it is, no matter how illogical. It beats that way for you, so itâs only right that you know.
Soon, Seungcheol thinks to himself as he finds his heart swelling with warmth and affection as he traces your face with a gaze nothing short of adoration. With a soft touch, he brushes a strand of your hair away from your forehead. Itâs the only thing he allows himself to do, but he thinks even that single, intentional brush of skin against skin is enough to temporarily satiate the ache in his soul that longs for the entirety of your being.
Rejection suddenly seemed meaningless when placed beside the need to love you out loud.
â
When you wake up, Seungcheol is already awake.
Heâs lying on his back, eyes trained onto the screen of his phone as he scrolls through it with one hand. His other hand isâ
Oh my god, you have his other arm hostaged.
Youâre quick to scoot away, eyes wide open as apologies spill from your lips, âCheol, I am so sorryââ
Seungcheol only snorts before pulling you back until youâre closer than before, cheek now pressed against his shoulder as he wraps an arm around you, âI donât mind. The guys do it a lot anyway.â
The guys?
Well, damn. Now, youâre not sure if youâre going to be relieved, embarrassed, or offended. Itâs great that heâs taking it in stride, but did you really not have an effect on him? Were you seriously getting homie-zoned right now? Choi Seungcheol had an entire woman pressed up against him, and heâs lying there like itâs just another sleepover with the bros.
The hell?
âLook,â Seungcheol is snickering as he shows you another meme, and you have to admit that it is funny, but youâre too annoyed at your lack of effect on him to give him anything greater than an amused roll of your eyes.
The rest of the morning continues like that, the two of you bundled up like homiesâfuck you, Cheol, you thinkâwhile scrolling through Seungcheolâs feed. However, when the clock strikes 8:00, the two of you are quick to part and prepare for the little trip to the beach planned for that morning.Â
Frustrated and feeling a little rejected from the morningâs events, you enter the bathroom and quickly change into the white bikini you bought while shopping with Mingyuâs girlfriend before wearing a cute linen dress to cover it up. Fuck the tankini sitting in your bag, you were a woman on a mission. You donât mind if you register as hoe in Seungcheolâs mind as long as you didnât register as homie.
How annoying.
When you get out of the bathroom, Seungcheol is already adding the final touch to his outfit: a yellow cap that made his biceps shift and bulge as he adjusted it on his head.
Maybe you should just say fuck it and strip in front of him. Letâs see if heâll still have the gall to unknowingly bro-zone you then.Â
âReady to go?â Seungcheol turns to you, pausing when his eyes land on you. The look on his face is unreadable as his eyes look you up and down. âYou look⌠Nice.â
âThanks,â is what you say in reply. Itâs not a victory, but it isnât a loss either, so you take it. âNow letâs go get breakfast. I wanna swim while itâs still not that hot.â
âMaâam, yes Maâam.âÂ
â
Rest in peace, Choi Seungcheol.
Itâs the only thing running through Jeonghanâs head as he watches the morning unfold from whereâs sitting on the beach towel.
The day already started out⌠Charged. Everyone in the little vacationer group felt the air shift the moment you and Seungcheol joined them for breakfast, and Jeonghan briefly debated asking if the two of you finally fucked it out. However, based on the way Seungcheol still kept his touches light and fleeting, and the way his jaw seemed to clench when you so much as brush against him, Jeonghan realizes that you guys probably didnât⌠But youâre definitely close to it.
It all gets worse the moment the little group goes to the beach, and youâpoor, obliviously pretty youâwere quick to garner attention that Jeonghan thinks is very much warranted given the way your little dress looked on you. He has eyes, Jeonghan likes to think he can say that much. He canât say it out loud though, unless he wanted to deal with a bitchy Seungcheol.
At first, Seungcheol had been fine, watching over you from afar and scowling at whatever prick that felt worthy enough to be within a two-meter radius of you. However, it became a different story the moment you shimmied out of your dress and started playing the water.
Jeonghan has to resist the urge to cackle like a madman when he sees Seungcheol subtly adjust his swim shorts before power-walking over to where youâre being engaged in friendly conversation by a random man that was blind to the 178-cm lump of muscle and anger issues that was hovering around you like an overprotective guard dog.
âShould we just lock them in a room?â Joshua asks from beside Jeonghan, watching as Seungcheol puts a possessive hand on your bare waist as he talks to the ballsy dude that dared to even look at you.
âIsnât that kind of what we did with the rooms?â Jeonghan snorts. âIâm surprised theyâre still not together.â
âTechnically, they arenât locked in the room,â Joshua replies. âI meant more like a fuck-or-die scenario.â
âYouâre insane for that,â Jeonghan laughs as he imagines locking the door and refusing to open it until you and Seungcheol confess your obvious feelings to each other⌠Or until you did something else. âNot a bad idea, though.â
âWhat are we talking about?â Mingyu suddenly appears with his girlfriend by his side, the two dripping after a little frolicking in the seawater. He turns to look at where Jeonghan and Joshua are focused, and heâs met by the sight of you digging holes with Seungcheol for your little sandcastle while the man looked like he wanted to be digging his fingers into a completely different hole.
How the fuck can you not see it? Feel it?
âThinking if we should just lock them into a room until they confess,â Jeonghan replies before sipping on his drink. Heâs honestly impressed at Seungcheolâs tenacity. If the woman he liked was bouncing around like that in a cute little two-piece while other men leered like the sleazy douchebags they are, heâd be dragging her into the closest secluded space, confess, and pray to the heavens that it leads to something more.
âWhat about flirting with her?â Mingyu suggests, and Jeonghan and Joshua are quick to look at him incredulously while his girlfriend only rolls her eyes.
âBro, are you trying to get us killed?â Joshua asks, face scrunched up in disbelief. âLook at him.â
And they all do. Seungcheol is literally glaring at any man that dares to linger around you, not that there were many considering how offensive his energy felt. If looks could kill, this beach would become a graveyard. The look on his face only softens when you address him, bossing him around as you continue to point at different areas for Seungcheol to dig into.
Seungcheol, ever the lovesick fool, only nods and gets to work, eyes rounding out with a desire for praise and approval as he presents his handiwork.
âWhipped bastard,â Jeonghan snickers when he watches the way Seungcheol practically deflates when you shake your head in what seemed to be disapproval at the little hole that Seungcheol dug.
âWanna bet on how long after this trip heâll confess?" Mingyu suggests with a grin. âIâm betting a week.â
âToo long,â Jeonghan shakes his head. âI say a day.â
âYou all believe in him too much,â Joshua snorts. âTwo weeks.â
âIs no one betting on months?â Mingyuâs girlfriend asks, and the no that comes from the three men is unanimous. They knew Seungcheol like the back of their hand, and with how whipped the man was, theyâd say that the confession is long overdue.
âHow much are we betting?â Jeonghan asks.
â50,000 won,â Joshua quickly replies. âFrom each of the losers.â
âDamn, can I change my answer?â Mingyu suddenly says as he suddenly realizes the gravity of the stakes.
âNope,â Jeonghan says cheerfully. âThe one with the closest answer wins. âPrepare to lose.â
â
Yoon Jeonghan is the devil in disguise, you think.
He looks like an angel, but the way he was getting everyone to down shots like itâs water is insane. The way he coaxed everyone into playing drinking games in your hotel roomâthat you unfortunately sucked atâis harmless at first, but itâs quick to turn concerning when you realize just how many bottles youâve all downed in the process. Despite all that, Jeonghan himself seems to remain sober while everyone else got inebriated.
Seungcheol got the worst of it though, you think. The man had volunteered to drink your penalty shots after a certain point, and with how often you lost, youâre surprised he hasnât passed out on the floor beside you.
Everyoneâs buzzed, some more than others. Itâs clear that everyoneâs inhibitions are slowly slipping away. Joshua has a faraway look in his eyes as he swirls his bottle before drinking again. Jeonghan is just yapping endlessly. Mingyu and his girlfriend are just all over each other, and you have to pretend not to see the way their hands are hovering dangerously close to places they shouldnât be, not in a room full of people, at least.
And Seungcheol? Seungcheolâs wasted, you think, his cheek pressed against your shoulder as he drunkenly gigglesâheâs gone alrightâat something Jeonghan says. You try to ignore the way his hand rests warm upon your bare knee.
âWeâll get going,â Mingyu suddenly says as he gently pulls his girlfriend to her feet. âYou guys enjoy though.â
Everyone bids them goodbye with knowing looks. Shortly after that, Joshua and Jeonghan leave as well after cleaning up, leaving you and Seungcheol on the floor of your hotel room with your backs pressed against the side of the bed.
âAre you okay?â You ask Seungcheol in a soft tone as he continues to lean against you, eyes blinking sleepily as he pokes and prods at your knee like itâs the most interesting thing his drunken self has seen. You wonder if he can feel the way your blood thrums beneath your skin. Heâs stuck himself to close enough for him to feel it, you think.
âIâm fine,â Seungcheol nods against your shoulder. âYouâre finer though.â
The amused snort that leaves you is sudden, ugly, but it only makes Seungcheolâs dopey grin wider while you flushed underneath his gaze.
âWho knew youâd be this smooth when youâre drunk?â You laugh, finding the entire thing all too amusing. Some part of you is tempted to start recording it all just to tease Seungcheol tomorrow. You know he doesnât mean it, that itâs just the alcohol talking, but itâs funny nonetheless.
(Though some part of you wishes that he actually finds you fine.)
âIâm always smooth,â Seungcheol pouts as he pulls away, hand withdrawing from your knee to point an accusatory finger at you. âYou just donât notice.â
Huh?
The confusion must be clear on your face because the pout on Seungcheolâs face is quick to deepen. âSee! Even now, you still donât.â
âCheol, what?â You ask, heart racing in anticipation. Youâre not dumb. Youâve consumed enough media to know that things like this could transition into drunken heartfelt confessions, but you doubt that it was about to happen to you, of all people.
It doesnât stop you from hoping, though.
âY/N, Iâve been flirting with you for months,â Seungcheol complains, frustration clear on his face. âDo you not like me? Because Iâve been making moves on you for a while but none of them seem to be successfulââ
âSorry, what?â You stare at Seungcheol, disbelief and confusion clear. He literally homie-zoned you this morning! What do you mean he was making moves on you for a while? Flirting with you for months? Since when? âCheol, I donât understand.â
Maybe you do, maybe you donât. Because while your instinct told you that you and Seungcheol were constantly toeing the line between friendship and something more, the socially anxious, less confident side of you refused to assume in fear of coming across as arrogant and delusional.
âI like youâhell, I might even be in love with you,â Seungcheol says with certainty, but you know itâs just the alcohol boosting his confidence and fueling his recklessness.
Interested in you, you can accept, but like? Love? You highly doubt it. Youâve been pining after him for a long time, and youâve seen the confident, straightforward, accomplished, drop dead gorgeous women heâs entertained, and you know that youâre the farthest thing from that. Sure, you arenât too bad, but you arenât that great either.
So what reason did Choi Seungcheol have to even spare you a glance?
âY/N, say something,â Seungcheol says, voice suddenly small as he looks at you with a gaze that looks too desperate to be fake. âBecause I think you like me too, but I want to be sure that Iâm not making it up and overstepping boundariesââ
âCheol, youâre drunk,â You cut him off before he can ramble further. Too many things arenât making sense all at once, and you didnât need him to add more to the mess in your head. It turns out you weren't as slick as you thought you were, but thatâs the least of your concerns when Seungcheol is drunkenly confessing to you and every part of you wishes it was true.
âI am, but I mean it,â Seungcheol practically pleads as he leans in closer, the proximity forcing your heart into overdrive. Gently, he grabs your hand before laying it flat above his chest, hand enveloping yours with warmth as his eyes search your gaze for a sign. âDo you think I can fake that?â
Seungcheol's heart beats underneath your palm, and you find that the force at which it pounds is enough to rival the racing of your own heart. He canât fake it, you know that, but why you? Why now?
âCheol,â You know youâre going to regret passing up this opportunity as you speak. âSober up, then weâll talk.â
Seungcheolâs grip on your hand wavers, and youâre quick to pull away. You hate the way his gaze falls like heâs hurt, hate the way he purses his lips and nods in understanding while you rise to your feet and go into the bathroom.
âIâll wash up,â You whisper softly before closing the bathroom door, and Seungcheol only nods.
Itâs quiet.Â
Seungcheol is both too close and too far away.
Your backs are turned to each other, the distance between you on the king-sized bed now suddenly apparent as you confine yourself to the spaces youâve designated for yourselves. You wonder if sleeping is hard for him the way it is for you, but the silence on his end has you doubting that
Fuck Choi Seungcheol, for tilting your world on its axis and having the audacity to fall asleep peacefully.
Your mind races through the past few months, overthinking and dissecting every interaction youâve had with the man to try and prove yourself right, but you come up empty. The workouts, the dinners, the late night conversationsâall of it point to one obvious direction that you refused to run straight into.
Why the fuck did modern dating have to be so difficult?
Canât people just confessâ
Well, he did confess. If anything, youâre the problem here. Youâre the one who refused to believe it, but can anyone really blame you when Choi Seungcheol decided that the best time to confess was when he was clearly intoxicated? No self-respectingânotoriously overthinkingâwoman would believe that!
It takes a few more hours of your internal monologue before you fall asleep, and even then the sleep is shallow, useless, worthless because youâre waking up the next day with a pounding head and an aching body.
Seungcheol is already up, packing his things quietly on the couch as you sit up on the bed.
Does he remember? You wonder.
You donât know what you want the answer to be, honestly.
âOh, youâre up,â Seungcheol says softly as he straightens up and drops the shirt he was folding into the bag.
âAbout last nightââ
âWhat time do we have to be out?â You cut him off, and you turn your head subtly to avoid seeing the frown that forms on his face. Youâre not ready for this, not ready to face the conclusion of the very long period of pining you went through.
Seungcheol doesnât argue, doesnât make mention of last night any further than he already has, and youâre thankful for it. âWeâre having breakfast at 9 then we leave at 10.â
âIs Mingyu driving? You went pretty hard on the drinks,â You joke, trying to lighten the air as you grab your things from the closet.
âTheyâre riding with Jeonghan and Shua,â Seungcheol replies, and youâre quick to realize the implications of his words. âAnd donât worry about me, Iâm already sober.â
Sober up, then weâll talk.
Your own words haunt you now.
âI can shift, if youâre tired,â You offer.
Seungcheol snorts at that, and itâs the only warning you get before you feel him behind you, warmth radiating from his chest to your back as he reaches into the closet and grabs his jacket. âNo need, I know you donât like driving.â
With that, he withdraws, leaving your heart racing and your body flushing as you try to ignore the lingering sensation of his body against yours.
You were not looking forward to the drive home.
â
Signal ëł´ë´, signal ëł´ë´
ě°ëŚż, ě°ëŚż, ě°ëŚż, ě°ëŚż
ë ë뼟 ěí´, ë ë뼟 ěí´
ě ë°ěě´ ěëâ
You quickly switch the song. If you had known that your playlist was going to work against you today, you wouldnât have taken Seungcheolâs offer of taking control of the music.
You have stolen my heart, oh, yeahâ
Mentally, you swear as you switch to the next song. Could this day get any worse? You donât know if youâre imagining it, but you swear Seungcheol looks amused as you try to look for a song that isnât about love and yearning.
Why the fuck was your playlist like this again?
(Youâre a hopeless romantic deep inside, thatâs why.)
So if youâre ready (so if youâre ready)
And if youâll let me (and if youâll let me)
I wanna see it in motion, in 3D
You wonât regret meâ
âWhyâd you switch?â Seungcheol pouts as he glances over at you. âI liked that song.â
Heâs fucking with you, you can tell.
âI donât,â You huff. Itâs an obvious lie considering the fact that it was your playlist, but it only leaves Seungcheol even more amused as he continues to drive.
Touch, touch, touch, touch, touch
Thought about you way too much, much, much, much, much
Over overthinkin' us, us, us, us, us (ooh-ooh)â
Seungcheol turns the music off, and without missing a beat he speaks. âYou really donât want to talk about last night?â
Youâre quiet as you fiddle with your fingers.
You do, you really do, but youâre scared about what it might mean for your friendship. You started this entire thing with no plan of ever getting entangled with Seungcheol, but now youâve braided and knotted yourself so deeply into this mess that one wrong step may just lead to you hanging your friendship with the man into a noose of your own making.
âItâs fine if you donât feel the same, Y/N,â Seungcheol shrugs like heâa trying to be cool about it, but you donât miss the way his knuckles go white from his grip around the wheel. âIâm not going to force youââ
âYouâre not,â You shake your head. Youâre a coward but you arenât a liar. âCheol, look, youâre right about me liking you. You arenât making that up, butâŚâ
You pause, trying to find the right words.
But what?
But I donât believe you?
But I donât think itâll work out?
But I donât think I can risk losing all of this for the chance to have all of you?
âCheol, Iâm not your type,â You reason out like an idiot, and it has Seungcheol giving you a questioning look that has you realizing just how immature it sounded. âIâve liked you even before you knew me, and Iâve seen the girls you talk to in the gym, the ones that manage to score dates with you, and Iâm nothing like thatââ
âDonât you think that maybe thatâs why?â Seungcheol interrupts before you can spiral further. âYouâre nothing like them, youâre right, and Iâm glad you arenât because I like you. Iâd say the other word, but I donât want to scare you off.â
âNot like I can run from a moving car,â You joke, trying to dispel the tension, and Seungcheol smiles. âI just find it hard to believe that you actually like me.â
âDid you really not notice?â Seungcheol asks, eyes flickering between you and the road. âEveryone thought I was being obvious.â
âI thought you were being friendly,â You argue, and Seungcheol is quick to look offended at your words.
âSorry? Friendly?â Seungcheol spits the word out like it puts a sour taste in his mouth. âY/N, I pick you up and drive you home. I pay for all our dinners. I literally lose sleep texting you and youââ
Seungcheol laughs in disbelief, âYou think Iâm being friendly?â
Well, when he put it like thatâŚ
âSorry,â You say sheepishly. âI donât really⌠I donât know what to do with all of this.â
âAccept my feelings and kiss it all better, maybe?â Seungcheol says jokingly. âKidding, but if you want to, I donât mind.â
âCan youâŚâ You take a deep breath. Despite every cell in your body screaming at you to take this man into your arms and kiss him senseless, you refused to jump headfirst into a dive where you have no estimate of the fall. âCan you give me time?â
âOf course,â Seungcheol doesnât miss a second. âIâd wait forever if you asked me to.â
Somehow, that eases you.
One month. Youâd give yourself one month to test the waters and the veracity of Seungcheolâs words before coming to a decision.
â
A month is too long, you think.
Ever since Seungcheolâs confession a two weeks ago, you have not known peace. Picking you up and driving you home is no longer an MWF thing, itâs become an everyday routine. Dinners are no longer just Friday night meet-ups, theyâve become spontaneous take-outs to your workplace and home-cooked dinners in your apartment.Â
You were able to overlook the intention in Seungcheolâs actions then, but you donât think you can do it now. Not when Seungcheol seemed so hellbent on being anything but friendly to you.
Itâs not good for your heart.
And now youâre here, doing another leg day session with Choi Seungcheol who probably only ever started joining these sessions to get to know you.Â
âHow much do you weigh?â Seungcheol asks as he loads a plate onto the bar.
Youâre not sure why heâs asking, but you answer him anyway, and Seungcheol is quick to nod, stacking a few more plates until it matches the number you gave.
What?
âWhat exercise are we doing?â You ask, watching as Seungcheol steps over the bar and sits on the floor.
âGuess,â is the only thing Seungcheol says as he gets under the bar, positions it over his hips, and thrusts to get the bar up.
Oh fuck no.
The bar practically flies as Seungcheol thrusts it, and the way heâs looking at you with a grin tells you that all of this, from the exercise choice to the weight of what heâs lifting, is intentional. Youâre not sure what heâs trying to convey, but you sure as hell know that it isnât harmless with the way he hits you with a wink when he sets the weights down and stands up without a single drop of sweat, âYour turn.â
âShow off,â You mumble. You can hip thrust your own weight, but you usually start with something lower for the warm-up. You donât remove plates though, refusing to let Seungcheol and his suggestive looks faze you.
âOnly for you,â Seungcheol replies as he watches you do your own set.Â
When you finish what was supposed to be your warm-up set, Seungcheol adds a few more plates, and youâre not going to lie, it was starting to feel less like a workout and more like flirting that was bordering on⌠You refused to acknowledge it.
Seungcheol thrusts the bar, no sweat, and it has your mind wandering into a less innocent territory. You hate that he looks good even when heâs thrusting a heavy bar, hate that his thighs only look even better from this angle. It has you imagining what it would be like to grip onto them while heâ
âYouâre up,â Seungcheol says with a brief squeeze to your hip followed by a pat to your back. Itâs only then that you realize youâve been staring into nothingness, lost in your inappropriate thoughts as Seungcheol throws a self-satisfied smirk your way.
Prick.
The rest of your workout continues like that, an unspoken but well-known tension hanging in the air as you and Seungcheol go through the motions of the exercises. By the end of it, youâre sweaty, exhausted, and heaving, and thereâs a frustration in your veins that not even the workout could get rid of. If anything, Seungcheolâs casual touches and brushes against you throughout the little leg day session only had you getting more wound up while he gave you those unfairly handsome, teasing grins that had you heart racing and you panties metaphorically falling.
Fuck you, Choi Seungcheol.
âMingyu wants to go out for drinks tomorrow,â Seungcheol says as he hands you a bottle of water. âWanna come?â
âWhat time?â You ask before downing what was left of your water in one go. You hoped the coolness of it would kill the heat in your stomach, but it doesnât.
âAround 10 PM,â Seungcheol says, and youâre quick to catch on to the fact that it isnât just going to be a casual hangout over drinks in some bar. âIf you go, Iâll go.â
âWhat if I donât go?â You ask with a teasing grin. Mingyuâs probably going to sulk and whine if Seungcheol didnât show up because of you. Somehow, the idea has you feeling powerful.Â
âThen I wonât,â Seungcheol shrugs. âIâm not really into clubbing that much anymore.â
You wonder what Choi Seungcheol was like in his younger years. Heâd probably be a heartbreaker, you think. With a face like that and a charm to match, that man probably had girls hitting on him for the chance of getting that one night.
Somehow the thought both pisses you off and turns you on. Had you been less shy, and had your paths crossed during those days, you probably and unfortunately would have been one of those girls vying for his attention.Â
Who wouldnât in the face of a man like that?Â
âIâll go,â You reply, and Seungcheol looks surprised.
âAre you sure?â Seungcheol asks, and you can hear the worry lacing his tone. âItâs noisy and crowded, so it might not be up your alley.â
âYouâll be there, no?â You ask, and Seungcheol nods. âI think Iâll be fine.â
The smile on Seungcheolâs face is bright.
Fuck, you canât wait for the month to be over.
â
Choi Seungcheol is too old for this shit.
Heâs only 30, itâs not that old, but heâs spent so much of his 20s in this setting that heâs grown desensitized to whatever high itâs meant to bring. He had hoped you would reject the invitation so he could proceed to invite you over to his place for dinner and a movie marathon, but heâll take what he can get.
It didnât matter where he was as long as you were around. A shame you still hadnât arrived really.
You were with Mingyuâs girlfriend, the latter suggesting a quick shopping trip and a makeover session before your little night out with Mingyu, Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and Joshua. The latter two were already out and about, chatting up a few strangers here and there, and they seemed to be having fun.
Good for them, but Seungcheol was definitely not having fun, and he thinks Mingyuâs on the same boat.
âDude, I miss her already,â Mingyu sighs as he sulks deeper into the faux leather of the booth seat. There are a few women throwing sultry gazes his and Seungcheolâs way, but none of them are successful.
âSame,â Seungcheol replies, taking another sip from his drink before frowning. For a place so expensive, their alcohol was shitty. âWhat time did they say they were coming?â
âThey were on the way 20 minutes ago,â Mingyu huffs out, swirling his glass with a bored expression. âShould I call her?â
âNo,â Seungcheol says as he whips out his phone. âIâll call Y/Nââ
âSorry weâre late, we lost track of time,â Mingyuâs girlfriend is the first to approach, and Seungcheol has to resist the urge to roll his eyes when Mingyu stands up straight and takes the woman into his arms with whines of how much he missed her.
Simpâ
âSorry for keeping you guys waiting,â comes your voice, and Seungcheol is quick to lose the right to judge Mingyu because the way heâs puffing his chest out and sending a lovesick grin your wayâall without a proper labelâis seriously embarrassing.
Good thing he doesnât give a shit.
Especially not when you look like a figment of Seungcheolâs worst intentions in your little black dress and heels.
Fuck, you were going to kill him.
Seungcheol swallows the lump in his throat as you take the seat beside him. âYou lookââ
âNice?â You say teasingly as you pluck the drink from his hand and take a sip. The little wince on your face after tasting it has Seungcheol shaking his head with a laugh and opening a bottle of water for you to take
âI was going to say beautiful,â Seungcheol says as he takes the bottle from you and caps it again. âBut if you insist.â
âYour vocabulary improved, at least,â You snort, and Seungcheol only grins.
âMy girlâs smart so I gotta keep up,â Seungcheol replies, eyes flickering between your gaze and your lips. Heâs not usually this forward, but something about the atmosphere and the look in your eyes has him growing bolder.
âOh?â Youâre quick to match his energy, leaning closer as your finger coming up to toy with the dangling silver around Seungcheolâs neck. The action has your perfectly manicured nail lightly scratching against the notch of his jugular, and Seungcheol would be lying if he said that it had no effect on him. âDoes she know sheâs your girl?â
Seungcheol only smirks, one hand coming up to boldly rest on your bare knee as he speaks, âA guy can dream.â
âSave the flirting you two, Y/N promised to dance with me,â Mingyuâs girlfriend huffs and Seungcheol is quick to throw a glare at Mingyuâs way.
The man in question only sulks, clearly not happy about it either.
âOh yeah!â Your mood is quick to shift as you let go of Seungcheolâs chain and stand up to where the other woman is. âSorry, Iâll be back, I swear.â
âDonât miss us too much, boys,â Mingyuâs girlfriend says with a wink sent straight to Mingyuâs direction while you give Seungcheol a small wave.
Damn it.
âWell,â Mingyu sighs as he pours himself a bottle. âFuck this shit, really.â
âPass me the other bottle,â Seungcheol says in response.
There goes his plans of spending the rest of the night with you.
â
Itâs fun.
Itâs a little outside of your comfort zone, but itâs fun. A few other girls have joined your little duo, and youâre all having the time of your lives dancing the night away. The thought of nightclubs used to intimidate you, but knowing that Seungcheol was just around the corner had you feeling a little more reckless, a little more carefree.
You and Mingyuâs girlfriend are swaying your hips to the music, giggling and grinding against each other like college girlfriends on a little girlsâ night. You feel a little bad for leaving Seungcheol and Mingyu, but youâre sure theyâll find a way to have fun on their own.
âY/N, so sexy!â Mingyuâs girlfriend cheers with giggles as you sway your hips against hers, and sheâs quick to jokingly move and grind with you. âMaybe we should just date each other.â
You laugh at that, âMingyuâs not going to like that.â
The woman only rolls her eyes with a laugh. âWanna go back? I think weâve left them long enough.â
âYeah,â Youâre quick to nod. Your feet were starting to ache, after all, and youâre beginning to think that wearing heels for the aesthetic was not a good choice considering the fact that you were used to moving around in rubber shoes.Â
Sheâs quick to lead you out of the crowd, hand secured around your wrist as she heads into the direction of the little booth that Mingyu and Seungcheol paid for to use the entire night.
Your blood is practically buzzing, energized by the crowd and the alcohol in your veins as you giggle and chat with Mingyuâs girlfriend on the way back. The crash after this night is going to be so bad, you can already tell.
Itâs a good experience though.
That good mood of yours is quick to disappear when you spot a woman sitting next to Seungcheol.
âOh god, itâs her,â The woman beside you is quick to frown, annoyance clear on her face as she pauses in her steps to watch the situation play out.
âWho is she?â You ask, eyes locked on the way she seems to be leaning a little too close into Seungcheolâs bubble.
Fuck, is this how you were going to lose him?
âJiwoo,â Mingyuâs girlfriend replies. âSheâs obsessed with Seungcheol, like seriously obsessed.â
You eye her warily, but you donât miss the way Seungcheol shifts away from her.Â
âGo get your man, girl,â The woman beside you grins, nudging you forward as Jiwoo raises a hand to squeeze at Seungcheolâs arm, something that has the man quickly grabbing her wrist and pushing it off.
Know what, you will. Youâre going to go out there and get your man. Fuck that one month, fuck not fighting for what you want. You werenât about to let this pushy woman ruin your night and make Seungcheol more uncomfortable than he already is.
You were going to regret this, but you donât really give a shit.
âWhoâs this, babe?â You ask sweetly as you slip beside Seungcheol and wrap one arm around his, the other going straight to lay softly, possessively on his thigh. You donât miss the way Seungcheol relaxes underneath your touch despite the surprised look on his face.
âAn acquaintance,â Seungcheol replies, hand coming up to intertwine with the one youâve laid on his thigh.Â
âI didnât know you had a girlfriend, Cheol,â The woman giggles, but you can see the frustrated look in her eyes.
âHi, Iâm Jiwoo.â
âY/N,â You smile sweetly. You were definitely punching above your weight, but fuck, you refused to let this woman get in your way. She reminded you too much of the cliquey girls in high school that pretended to be nice only to spread rumors behind your back. âHowâd you guys meet?â
You can feel Seungcheol tense underneath you.
âOh, we dated,â Jiwoo replies, smug, self-satisfied. âBut Iâm not trying to start anything, I swear! Seungcheolâs a great guy, after all, so I totally get why youâre dating him.â
âYou went on one date,â Mingyu pipes in from the side, and Seungcheol chuckles. âI wouldnât call that dating, really.â
Jiwoo only looks flustered for a second, her gaze growing sharp as she looks at Mingyu before turning to you and Seungcheol.Â
âWell, I donât think your rude friend wants me around so Iâll be off. My numberâs still the same in case youââ Jiwoo looks you up and down, unimpressed as her nice girl facade finally slips, ââwant better company.â
With that, she takes her leave, and you have to resist the urge to go after her and give her a piece of your mind.
Fuck, what had gotten into you?
With the threat gone, you move to peel yourself away from Seungcheol, but he doesnât let you move away, his hand letting go of yours to anchor you onto the seat by your thigh.
The sensation of his rough palm your bare thigh shoots straight to the heat between your legs.
âBabe?â Seungcheol asks, amused.
âYouâre lucky I arrived on time,â You huff out, avoiding his gaze, but Seungcheol doesnât let your gaze stray too far away before heâs grabbing your chin and making you look straight into his eyes.
Youâd be lying if you said that the action didnât get you all hot and bothered.
âEyes on me, babe,â Seungcheol says, and youâre quick to swallow. âWhat was that?â
âWhat was what?â You ask, pretending not to know whatever it was he was alluding to.
âYou know what I mean,â Seungcheol says, letting go of your chin to brush a strand of your hair back.Â
You scoff, âI donât, actually.â
âBrat,â Seungcheol only clicks his tongue, and you hear Mingyuâs soft whisper of âoh shitâ before youâre able to fully register the dark look swirling in Seungcheolâs eyes.Â
âMingyu, weâre leaving,â Seungcheol says as he stands up, hand wrapped securely around your wrist. You donât even have the time to hear Mingyu or girlfriendâs goodbye before Seungcheolâs dragging you out of the nightclub and into a cab.
When the two of you get settled, Seungcheol only asks you one question:
âMy place or yours?âÂ
At surface level, itâs an innocent question, but given the context, the history, and the events that just took place, youâre a hundred percent sure that itâs more than just about where youâre spending the night.
Were you finally going to seize what you wanted, or would you continue running away from it?
After more than a year of pining, the answer comes easy, you think.
âYours.â
Seungcheol is quick to tell the driver, hand gripping and kneading possessively on your thigh throughout the entire ride.Â
When you arrive, you only get a total of two seconds to take in your surroundings before Seungcheolâs shutting the door of his apartment and pressing you against it.
Quickly, your hands scramble to pull Seungcheol in by the collar, but he resists, hands braced on the door behind you while you stare at him in confusion.
âY/N, what are we?â Seungcheol asks, gaze deep with an unspoken desperation that bleeds into his tone. âI need to know before we do this because I refuse to do anything halfway with youââ
âCheol, Iâm in love with you,â You breathe out, hands growing tight in their grip like youâre scared your confession might make him run away.Â
It doesnât. It only has Seungcheol letting out a shaky breath as he presses his forehead against yours.
âOkay,â Seungcheol says.
âWill you kiss me now?â You huff out a little impatiently as your hands move from his collar to lay flat across his chest.Â
âCan weââ Seungcheol chokes on his words for a moment when you dig your nails into him. âCan we not tonight? I donât think I can stop at just kissing.â
You frown, a little torn. You wanted to respect his wishes, but not when he was only doing it in consideration of you. âWho said we were stopping at just kissing?â
Seungcheol is quick to groan at your words, his hands falling down to your waist as he speaks through a clenched jaw, âY/N, Iâm not kidding. Donât do this to me. We havenât even gone on a proper dateââ
âOkay, and?â You reply, frown deepening. âCheol, Iâve wanted you to bend me over since day one, do you really think I still have the patience when we were practically dating anywayââ
Your words are cut off by Seungcheolâs lips pressing against yours, and your mind is quick to blank. This is heaven on earth, you think. The way Seungcheolâs moving his mouth against yours is hungry, desperate, but thereâs a sweetness, a devotion to it that even the lust emanating from his body canât overshadow.
Seungcheol parts your legs with his, and itâs the only warning you get before your body jolts from the sensation of his muscled thigh rubbing against your core.
Fuck, this man should be illegal.
Your lips part in a soft moan, and Seungcheol is quick to slip his tongue inside while one of his hands comes up to cradle the back of your head. Youâre powerless like this, mouth left to the onslaught of Seungcheolâs ravenous kiss as he tries to steal whatever remains of your breath.
Seungcheol parts from you, and the loss has you whining, but the man is quick to appease you by pressing kisses onto your neck as he unzips your dress.Â
Thank the heavens you wore your favorite set: a cute white pair made of lace and sin that never failed to boost your confidence.
The groan that leaves Seungcheolâs throat is quick to have you dripping, your core tingling in anticipation as Seungcheol steps back to take you in.
âWarn a man next time, holy shit,â Seungcheol hisses through clenched teeth before he desperately grabs your waist and starts sucking bruises into the column of your throat.
âNext time?â You ask teasingly, but your shit-eating grin only lasts for a few seconds before it morphs into an âoâ, an obscene moan leaving your throat when Seungcheol sucks over the lace covering your nipples. âCheol, fuck!â
Seungcheol remains undeterred, too lost in the haze of finally having you all to himself. It seems like Seungcheol wasnât happy about the cloth blocking you from his tongue because the next thing you know, heâs pulling the lace down to set your breasts free before heâs wrapping his mouth around a tit and groaning deeply.
A squeal leaves you when Seungcheol nips, but the unfamiliarly pleasurable sensation only has you arching and pressing your chest closer to his face.
âCheol, please,â You breath out as Seungcheol switches to the other breast, his hands now furiously kneading at your asscheeks like heâs trying to imprint his fingers into your skin.
âPlease what?â Seungcheol asks softly when he pulls away. âUse your words, baby.â
âPlease fuck me,â You whine, nipples only growing harder as Seungcheolâs warm breath hits the spit smeared all over your chest. âCheol.â
âPatience, baby, I need to prep you,â Seungcheol says with a kiss to your sternum that goes lower and lower until heâs kneeling on the floor between your legs. Itâs one hell of a sight to have this strong, naturally domineering man on both knees as he looks up at you with a gaze nothing short of devotion.
Without breaking eye contact, Seungcheol leans forward until his nose hovers dangerously close to wet patch on your panties
A whine leaves your lips when Seungcheol digs his nose into the damp cloth, inhaling deeply like a fucking a freak with his eyes closed and his brows furrowed in bliss before he drags it up the lace covering your cunt until he reaches your swollen clit.
Your breath hitches when you feel his soft lips press against your clit, the sensation sending sparks up your spine as your stomach pools with a burning, aching desire that rids your brain of all logic and reasoning.
Without warning, you feel Seungcheol tugging at the waistband of your panties, lips trailing a scaldingly lecherous path from your thigh to your knees as he drags your underwear down.
You resist the urge to moan when you see Seungcheol pocketing the lace.
âCheol, stop teasing,â You whine out, hands tugging impatiently at Seungcheolâs hair as he raises one leg over his shoulder.
âLet me savor you, baby,â Seungcheol appeases you with a kiss to your inner thigh that has you squirming and sighing. âYouâre the one who said that eating slowlyâs good for me, no?â
You swear thereâs a smart remark on the tip of your tongue, but it quickly disappears when Seungcheol drags the warmth of his tongue across the length of your sopping core.
âCheol, fuck!â You cry out, head throwing itself back against the door as your stomach caves and twists from the way Seungcheol practically devours your cunt. âShit, thatâs so good.â
Moans and whines continue to fall from your lips, tears pricking at your eyes from how overwhelming the sensations were. Itâs all too much for someone whose experience only went as far as making out and light groping.
But youâre not about to tell Seungcheol that.
Itâs a little embarrassing, you think. Because you may be a whore in theory, but youâre a goddamned virgin when it came down to the practical side. You didnât really want to scare Seungcheol off with your inexperience.
Your vision goes white as your orgasm hits you like a speeding train. Obscene moans of Seungcheolâs name breaking free from your chest as you ride out your high on the manâs face. The man only groans, eyes rolling back as you coat his tongue with the sweetness of your releaseâ
Fuck, you donât think youâve ever made yourself cum like that before.
You rest against the door, legs quivering with nothing but Seungcheolâs grip to keep you standing as he licks the release trailing down your thighs. Heâs diligent, tongue chasing every trace and dribble of slick that oozes from your tingling cunt.
âDâyou feel good, baby?â Seungcheol asks, pressing a soft kiss against the side of your knee before heâs standing, taking you into his arms, and nosing affectionately at your ear.
âYes,â You breathe out, arms wrapping loosely around Seungcheolâs neck as he continues to press featherlight kisses all over your neck in an attempt to coax you down from your high and back to earth. âI donât think Iâve ever cum like that.â
You feel Seungcheolâs lips morph into a grin against your jaw. âNo oneâs ever eaten you out that good, hm? Just me?â
âNo oneâs ever eaten me out, period,â You say jokingly, but youâre quick to realize your mistake when Seungcheol looks at you incredulously.
âYouâre telling me that no oneâs taken the time to eat you out?â Seungcheol sounds offended as he says it, brows furrowed in disbelief. âWhat kind of boys have you been going around with?â
âYouâre the first,â You confess softly, hoping that he doesnât hear. You might as well just get it over with. If your inexperience was going to scare Seungcheol off, then maybe he just wasnât the one.
However, the way Seungcheol tenses up at your words tells you that he did hear you.
âLike,â Seungcheol stares at you with a look you canât quite decipher. âLike kissing or whatââ
âIâve kissed before,â Youâre quick to explain. âBut thisâIâve never⌠Iâve never gone beyond making out.â
âFuck,â Seungcheol looks like his world is crashing down. âI am so sorry holy shit. Y/N, you shouldâve told me.â
Seungcheol continues to panic. âI would have been so much gentler if you told meââ
âWhat if I donât want gentle?â You mumble, but the way Seungcheol stares at you with a dark look is enough for you to know that he heard you. Feeling a little more brave, you continue. âWhat if I want you to be rough with me?â
Fuck you and your horny brain, youâre probably biting off more than you can chew.
Seungcheol looks conflicted, looks like heâs fighting an internal battle where one side is clearly losing by a landslide. âY/N, you donât know what youâre asking for.â
Boldly, you press a kiss against Seungcheolâs throat that has his breath hitching and his lids fluttering shut, âThen show me.â
â
Choi Seungcheol needs to invest in a leash and a muzzle after this because holy shitâ
He doesnât think heâs ever tasted something as sweet or touched something as soft. Youâre liquid ambrosia, and Seungcheol almost feels unworthy to have all of you to himself, but he's not going to let that stop him. He had no plans of getting his mouth or hands off you anytime soon.Â
The only way your friends or family would ever get to you was if they knocked Seungcheol out cold and locked him into a cage because the possessiveness, the hunger, the desireânone of it would allow him to leave your side anytime soon.
Especially not after what you just said to him.
Seungcheol can see the worry in your eyes as he lays his hard cock on your stomach. He gets it, he really does, but fuck, heâd be lying if he said it didnât have him getting harder, practically bursting at the seams as his tip leaks precum all over your navel.
Fuck he was going to ruin you for everyone that came after him. Not that heâd ever let that happen. Heâd die before he let anyone get a taste, hell even a whiff of your sweet cunt.
Youâre his just as much as heâs yours, and heâs going to make sure that youâre addicted to every aspect of him. Heâs going to love you so good and fuck you so well that youâre never going to think of anyone else.
âAre you sure you want this?â Seungcheol gives you a final way out because while he may be aching to fuck you brainless, heâs still very very very much in love with you, and hurting you or forcing you into something you didnât want was the last thing heâd ever do. You nod, but Seungcheol refuses to take that. âSay it, baby.â
âYes, butâŚâ Your eyes flicker between the heavy cock on your stomach and Seungcheolâs gaze thatâs torn between worried and ravenous. âWill it fit?â
Itâs a valid concern, and Seungcheol should probably be more worried, but hearing the question fall so sweetly, so innocently from your soft lips had Seungcheol wanting to say fuck it and move to corrupting the ever-loving shit out of you as he ploughs through your unsullied insides with his cock.Â
Fuck, heâs disgusting.
(You had a way of bringing out the best and worst in him)
âWeâll take it slow, baby,â Seungcheol says with a tender kiss to your forehead like he isnât fantasizing of the many different ways he could take your innocence in his bed. The idea of being the first to take you, to taint you, was something that had all reason leaving his body. His love for you being the final line of defense in the battle against his debauched desires. âWe can stop at any time, okay? Just tell me.â
And he means it because Seungcheol may be a freak, but this freak just so happened to be in love with you.
When you nod, Seungcheol presses a quick peck to your lips before heâs sliding his cock through your folds to coat himself in your slick. Heâs glad he coaxed three orgasms from your prior to this. He probably wouldnât be able to stick even just the head in if he didnât.
âFuck, baby, easy there,â Seungcheol hisses when he slides the head of his cock in. Heâs waited for this, fantasized about it even. Only the universe knows how many times heâs bent you over and fucked you on every surface know to man in his head. Regardless, no part of his imagination was ever truly enough to prepare him for the way you felt around his cock. âRelax for me.â
âI am, but youâre too big,â You whine, nails digging into Seungcheolâs shoulders as he slips more of his cock into you.
âI know, baby, Iâm sorry,â Seungcheol tries his hardest to make the apology sincere as he presses kisses against your tear-stained cheek, but heâs too focused on trying not to cum too soon. Itâs a dangerous game, considering that he was bare in your cunt, but Seungcheolâs a weak man when it comes to you, so if you say that bare is fine then bare is, indeed, fine. He can always just pull out.
Though he wonders what it would be like to fuck you full until your pussy oozes white, but Seungcheol doesnât dwell on it because he might just bust in your cunt at the mental image.
âCan I move?â Seungcheol asks, and when you nod, he decides to just slide all the way in. He was just going to prolong the agony for the two of you if he slid it inch-by-inch.
The groan that leaves Seungcheol syncs with the obscene squeal of his name that leaves you when he buries cock inside you to the hilt, and it takes everything in Seungcheol not to start fucking in and out of you like an animal.
Itâs hot, itâs tight, and Seungcheol doesnât think heâs ever felt a pussy this fucking good. You're wrapped tight around him, your tiny opening stretched thin on the circumference of his cock in a way that has Seungcheol groaning and digging his fingers into the sheets to ground himself to reality.Â
Seungcheol knows heâs going to ruin you, and he feels so bad about it because he knows heâs going to enjoy every single second of it.Â
â
Youâre no longer being fucked for pleasure, you think.
Seungcheolâs just fucking you to prove a point.
Youâve already cum twice, once on your back and the other on your side. Now, youâre on all fours, cunt loudly squelching from the sloppy way Seungcheolâs driving the mix of your release and his precum into the deepest crevices of your walls.
Itâs so much deeper like this.
âIs this still friendly to you, baby?â Seungcheol hisses through gritted teeth as he fucks you from behind, nails digging crescents into your hips to make you meet his brutal thrusts. âDo you still think this is friendly?â
âNo!â You cry out, cheek pressed against Seungcheolâs sheets as the man continues to pound you mercilessly. âFuck, I thought we were over thatââ
âJust making it clear,â Seungcheol says, leaning down until his lips are brushing against the shell of your ear. âCanât have you thinking that Iâm just a friend when Iâm fucking you bare, no?â
The filth of Seungcheolâs words has you clenching, your brows furrowing and your eyes rolling back as depraved moans fall from your parted lips.Â
âAnswer, baby,â Seungcheol says darkly with a harsh thrust that has you jolting and whining. âAm I your friend?â
âNoâhngâyouâre not,â Youâre surprised that you can still reply considering the mushy state of your head from Seungcheolâs toe-curling strokes. âN-Not a friend.â
âWhat am I then, baby, hm?â Seungcheol asks, pressing a featherlight kiss against the back of your ear before he nips it. âCome on, baby. No better time to make it official than when Iâm fucking you full, no?â
âMy boyfriendâfuckâCheol!âÂ
âGood girl,â Seungcheol groans in approval. âThen its fiancĂŠ, then husbandâfuck, youâre clenching, baby. Do you like the sound of that, hm?â
Fuck yes, you do, but you can only give him a nod. It was difficult to speak when Seungcheol was fucking every coherent thought out of you.Â
You know itâs a little early to be even thinking about all of that when you just made it official a few seconds ago, but you trust this man with your life.
And you honestly donât mind spending the rest of it with him.
âFuck, youâre getting tighter,â Seungcheol hisses when he feels his thrusts hampered by the tight cling of your cunt. âAre you close, baby?â
âYes!â You manage to gasp out through moans. âCheol, please, Iâm so closeââ
Seungcheolâs thrusts pause, and youâre quick to whine in frustration. You were so close! Sure, youâve cum twice on his cock, but fuck, itâs so unfair that Seungcheol would work you this close to your high only to cruelly rip it away from you at the last second.
âSay youâre mine, and Iâll let you cum,â Seungcheol whispers against your ear as he gives you slow, shallow thrusts that do nothing to quell your frustration. âYou wanna cum, right? Say it.â
âIâm yours,â You whine out in frustration, the sheets crumpling under your hold as you try to fuck yourself back onto Seungcheolâs cock. âFuck, Cheol, Iâve always been yours so just let me cumâShit!â
Seungcheolâs thrusts are rough, but theyâre methodical. His tip is repeatedly digging into that spot that has you seeing stars, electricity firing each of your nerves as you try to keep up with Seungcheolâs brutal fucking.
âCum for me,â Seungcheol groans out against your ear. âCome on, youâve been so good for me, baby. Let go.â
Itâs the only thing you need before youâre sent straight into your fourth orgasm of the night, white dots bursting beneath your lids as your lips part into a silent scream.Â
Seungcheol doesnât stop even when youâre boneless on the bed, and you donât tell him to. Heâs fucked three orgasms out of you with his cock, and you think that letting him chase his release with your pliant body is the least you can do for him.
âIâm so close, shit,â Seungcheol hisses, thrusts picking up speed.
âCum, Cheol,â You manage to breathe out, hand intertwining with Seungcheolâs on the bed where heâs bracing himself. âCum all over me, please.â
Your cunt is suddenly empty as Seungcheol swears and flips you onto your back. Youâre glad he did it because it gives you a perfect view of him pumping his cock desperately with his thick brows furrowed. Itâs hot, heâs hot, the way his muscles shift and clench with every pump has you squirming and whining, and itâs taking everything in you not to line him up with your used cunt just to get him to cum inside.
When Seungcheol cums, itâs one hell of a sight. His handsome face morphs into an expression so blissed out as ropes of white spill all over your thighs, with some spilling dangerously close to your opening.
For a moment, neither of you speak as Seungcheol lies down beside you, pulling you close into his strong arms until youâre lying on top of him.
âAre you okay?â Seungcheol asks, tenderly rubbing your back up and down like he didnât just give you the most mind-blowing orgasms youâve ever experienced in your entire life.
âMore than okay,â You giggle, pressing a kiss to his chin as you reach up and press away the furrow between his brows. âStop worrying, Iâm fine.â
âI didnât mean to get that rough, sorry,â Seungcheol says, arms tightening around you. âGive me a second, and Iâll clean you up.â
Apparently, cleaning up was another way of saying that Seungcheol was going to lick you clean of his cum until thereâs nothing but his spit and another wave of your release all over your cunt.
The orgasm takes all the energy left in you, and by the end of it, youâre teetering dangerously close to oblivion, unable to register anything other than the sensation of Seungcheol slipping into bed behind you.
âSleep,â Seungcheol murmurs against your hair as he wraps his arm around your waist. âIâll be here when you wake up.â
âGood night, Cheol,â You whisper in reply.
âGood night, Y/N.â
â
Choi Seungcheol has never spent his mornings like this.
Youâre fast asleep beside him, hair messed up, lips parted, and the only thing he can think about is how much he adores you.
Youâre probably dreaming, and Seungcheolâdespite having his eyes wide openâis too. He dreams of more mornings like this, dreams of rubbing soothing circles into your bare waist as he coaxes you awake with soft kisses all over your face, your neck, your shoulders. Seungcheol dreams of more nights with you, ones where he makes hard, sweet love to you just so he has an excuse to pamper you right after (not that he really needed the excuse). Seungcheol dreams of days, weeks, years, and forever by your side, and every cell in his body screams that itâs right.Â
Seungcheol has chased otherworldly highs, but he dreams of the mundane by your side.
He dreams of his morning coffee placed beside your tea, dreams of his shoes set beside yours, dreams of things in doubles, in duos, in pairs that screamed you and him. Seungcheol dreams of doing groceries with you, dreams about the way his usually quiet girlfriend would boss him around about where and when to push the cart while he grins like a lovesick fool. Seungcheol dreams of laundry days, dreams of throwing his and your clothes into the wash while he cuddles with you on the couch. Seungcheol dreams of the hardest days with you, dreams of the moments where things are so difficult that heâll want nothing more than to pull you close and never let go.
Seungcheol dreams of the dullest of things, but they shine bright because of your presence in every single one.
âWhat time is it?â You ask softly before yawning and stretching, and though Seungcheolâs been awake, he thinks itâs only now that heâs beginning his day.
â7:32,â Seungcheol says, and when you shoot up straight, heâs quick to laugh and drag you back onto the bed. âItâs Sunday, baby.â
At his words, youâre quick to relax, falling back and letting out a relieved sigh. Seungcheol takes it as an opportunity to cuddle, head falling onto your chest as he wraps his arms around you.
âYah, youâre heavy,â You complain, but your arms wrap around him anyway, fingers carding through his hair affectionately with an occasional scratch through Seungcheolâs scalp.Â
He might just fall asleep againâ
âYah, whyâd you stop?â Seungcheol pouts, looking up from your chest as he grabs your hand to put it on his head.
The grin on your face tells him itâs intentional.
âYou want it?â You ask, and Seungcheol is painfully reminded of all the ways he made you beg last night. âSay it then.â
âBrat,â Seungcheol huffs out before biting onto your chest softly, an action that you yelping and slapping at his shoulder with a pout. He only chuckles.
âNo scratches for you,â You huff out, and Seungcheol only sulks, cheeks puffing out as he lays his head back on your chest.
However, it only takes a few seconds before he caves.
âPlease?â Seungcheol suddenly mumbles out, eyes rounding and lips jutting out in his most pitiful pout. Fuck his pride, fuck his little tough guy persona. He was going to get cuddles and scratches through pouts and sulks, and he was going to enjoy it. âI like it when you scratch my head.â
Youâre caught off guard, Seungcheol can tell, not actually expecting him to do all of that.
What Seungcheol doesnât expect is the way you coo and take his face into your hands, âOh my god, why are you so cute, thatâs not fair!â
Itâs the only warning Seungcheol gets before heâs rolled onto his back and showered with your kisses all over his face.
Seungcheol thinks he could die like this. You on top of him, smothering him with soft kisses and coos about how adorable heâs being while he gigglesâyes, a grown man gigglingâand complains about how ticklish your lips are.
This is it, Seungcheol thinks.
Youâre forever to him.
A/N: This wasnât supposed to have smut but my hand slipped oops
Specific Smut Warnings: Oral (f receiving), Corruption Kink, Size Kink, Loss of Virginity (tis a social construct), Unprotected sex (are we even surprised atp, donât do it btw), Pulling Out (that isnât birth control by the way, thatâs breedingâ *gets shot*), Mild Dacryphilia, MC is a brat in the making (one !! day !! soyongdorigyu !! will !! write !! about !! brat !! tamer !! cheol !!)
OH MY GOD đđđđ @soyongdorigyu HAS DONE IT AGAIN. I PROCASTINATED OFF THIS FIC AND I FINALLY COMPLETED IT OMG. EVERYTHING, LITERALLY, EVERYTHING ABT THIS FIC WAS PERFECT WHAT THE HELLY. I WILL BE TELLING ALL MY FRIENDS ABOUT THIS. SUCH A MASTERPIECE