Kiss you in the morning ──★ ˙
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
꒰ ﹒ pairing: jungwon x fem!reader … rivals to lovers au﹒alternative!reader, jungwon has been in love the whole time, fluff, angst if you squint﹒ w/c: 11k~ summary: there’s a thin line between love and hate. you and jungwon know each other at an intimate level that almost seems romantic if it weren't for all the fighting and sabotaging. after spending so much time together, lines begin to blur until you realize you don't hate him after all.
꒰ ﹒ warnings: this doesn't depict the most healthy relationship, there are some harsh things that are said, does contain suggestive content (making out) but no smut
── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──
Jungwon placed a hand on Y/N’s desk, his sweet smile souring ever so slightly. The corner of his lips tugged to the side in a smug smirk as he leaned towards her. He was inches away from her, his breath fanning against her cheeks. From an outsider’s perspective, the scene might seem romantic, but what left Jungwon’s lips was far from it.
“Is this your attempt at looking pretty?” He chuckled softly, “Sunghoon doesn’t like clowns.”
Jungwon brought his finger to trace down Y/N’s cheek which had been painted with blush. His touch was almost gentle, his fingertip smudging the makeup on her skin.
She slapped his hand away and glared daggers at him. There wasn’t a day where Jungwon didn’t find a way to irritate her. For the past three years, he has gotten under her skin, sabotaged her in ways that made her homicidal, and had said things to her that deeply hurt her.
She wasn’t going to play victim, though. She had made sure to make his life a living hell in return. She insulted him, picked at his achievements and personality, and guaranteed to never give him what he wanted.
What Jungwon wanted most was to please his parents. He craved their praise and affection. Jungwon was convinced that the only way to get his parents’ approval was to be top of his class. It didn’t matter how many medals and certificates he had received, his parents were never satisfied. The only thing blocking him from winning his parents’ love was Y/N. No matter how hard he tried, she always beat him.
“You know Sunghoon will never like you, right?” Jungwon whispered against her ear, making a shiver run down her spine.
She clenched her fists around the fabric of her skirt. Her knuckles turned white and her hands were beginning to tremble with rage.
What she hated most about Jungwon was how perceptive he was. Long ago, he was able to pinpoint the root of her insecurities even when her stoicism left her unreadable to most.
Ever since she was young, her parents planted in her head that she was an embarrassment. She was too quiet, too much trouble, too hard to love. Instead of trying to change like her parents wished, she doubled down and made herself even worse in their eyes. She lashed out, dyed her hair, and dressed in a way that would be seen as ‘rebellious.’ She was perfectly content with being the outcast just to spite her parents.
It wasn’t until she garnered a crush on the quiet, yet popular boy, Sunghoon, that she started to wonder if her parents were right. She tried to fit in, buying some makeup and more feminine outfits, but it only made her feel more out of place. He would probably never look her way. No one would. Was she really unlovable?
Her eyes flickered up to meet Jungwon’s, which held a sparkle of smug mischief. His menacing smile revealed a dimple on his left cheek. If it wasn’t for his rotten personality, Y/N would’ve actually thought him beautiful.
“When was the last time you’ve talked to your dad?” Y/N smiled with faux sweetness. “Or has he still not picked up your calls since you dropped two rankings?”
Jungwon’s smile flattened into a harsh line, his jaw clenching ever so slightly. She knew their quarterly rankings were still a sore subject even when it’s already been a week since they’ve been updated.
Jungwon’s gaze remained on her face. She could see the mix of emotions swirling in his brown eyes.
“Just wipe that shit off your face. It looks ugly,” he muttered harshly before stomping off.
There’s a thin line between love and hate. You have to know your enemy like a lover in order to know what hurts them most. It’s intimate, almost romantic. The lines blur until you can’t decipher whether the racing beat of your heart is out of fear or desire.
-
Y/N practiced her makeup skills and continued to show up to school in obnoxiously feminine clothing. It was such a contrast to her regular tomboy-ish style that it made Jungwon snicker as they crossed paths. He could read it all over her face that she was uncomfortable. No matter how hard she tried to smooth her expression into one of impassivity, Jungwon noted the slight tension between her eyebrows and the stiffness in her shoulders.
Jungwon’s amused smile dropped from his lips when he caught Sunghoon glancing at Y/N as she made her way down the hallway. He did a double take, his eyes raking down her body as she walked stiffly as if there was a board strapped to her back.
The look was fleeting, too quick for anyone to really notice, but Jungwon noticed. Just like he noticed everything. His tongue poked at the inside of his cheek as he let out a scoff. His eyes lingered on Sunghoon a little too long to be normal before following Y/N into the library.
“You could’ve sat anywhere in the fucking room,” Y/N snarled.
She glared at Jungwon as he pulled out the chair next to hers. The tables around them were empty while the rest of the students ate lunch in the cafeteria. He gave her a lopsided grin, only irritating her even more.
“Such a princess,” he replied sarcastically, “this is why no one likes you.”
He unzipped his backpack and started taking out notebooks and a textbook. He laid out his pens and highlighters out on the table.
“Yet you decide to associate with me. What does that say about you?” She retorted.
“That I’m willing to help the less fortunate,” he smiled.
She glanced at how he straightened his supplies neatly. The highlighters had to be in rainbow order and not a single sheet of paper was out of place.
“You spend more time playing around with your pens than you do opening the textbook. No wonder you can’t even break the top 5 rank.”
Jungwon’s fingers twitched on the pen he was straightening. He glanced over at her, his eyes flickering down to her smug lips.
“Maybe I’m not here to study. Have you thought about that?” He hummed.
He placed his chin on the palm of his hand and fluttered his eyes at her. He watched as her face contorted with disgust at his attempt to be cute.
She mimicked his stance, placing her chin on her hand. Their faces were only a few inches apart. She stared deeply into his eyes, and Jungwon felt his breath hitch ever so slightly. He could see every little detail of her face. Her eyelashes curled up prettily, revealing a tiny mole at the corner of her eyelid, and her lips were slightly pouted from her hand on her chin.
“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” She asked, “do you want to keep disappointing your parents?”
Jungwon’s wandering eyes narrowed at her before he turned back to face his textbook. He slammed it open, making her snicker. They both remained silent as they studied. The only sound heard was the turning of pages and the scribbling of pen on paper.
Eventually, Jungwon got bored. His eyes became droopy, and it was becoming a challenge not to fall asleep. He rested his head in his folded arms on the table. He turned slightly to peek at Y/N. She was immensely focused, not even glancing his way.
Jungwon hated how easily studying came to her, and how she never had problems with focusing and staying on task. His brain always felt scattered, one idea bouncing off another until he was completely off topic.
He straightened up slightly, placing his chin on his hand once more. He leaned towards her, bringing his other hand up to gently poke her temple. She gave him a glare. He noticed how her nostrils flared, and he grinned. He brought his finger to poke her cheek, and her jaw clenched. He was about to poke her again when she caught his finger with her hand.
“If you don’t stop…”
“You’ll what?” He smirked.
She threw his hand back at him, making him laugh. Instead of stopping, he reached over and closed her textbook, making her lose her place. He grabbed her highlighters and started switching the caps on them so the color of the marker didn’t match the color of the cap.
“Are you serious right now?” She fumed.
She shoved his shoulder, almost pushing him off his chair. He continued laughing menacingly as he started unzipping her backpack. He pulled out a small pouch.
“What do we have here?” He mused, opening it to reveal makeup and sanitary pads.
She grabbed at his forearm, but he turned to face away from her, bringing the pouch out of her reach. He riffled through the contents, spilling them out onto the table.
“Lipstick…mascara…whatever this is…” he started tallying off the products, flicking them aside.
Once he finished going through all of her things, he straightened them out on the table. He glanced over at her, noting her irritated expression. He grinned and leaned forward slightly.
“Aww, don’t make that face, pretty” he purred.
Y/N’s face screwed up in disgust.
“Don’t call me that,” she spat.
Jungwon raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
“Isn’t that what you’re going for?” He gestured to her rosy cheeks and short skirt.
“Yes, but I don’t want to hear it from you,” she sneered.
Jungwon rolled his eyes and threw the pouch back at her.
“Can’t be pretty with an ugly personality,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Care to say that a little louder?” She threatened.
He turned to fully look at her. Jungwon’s eyes traced her features once more before landing on her eyes. He could see the anger swirling in her intense gaze, and there was something about it that he liked. A grin formed on his lips, and it only deepened the frown lines on Y/N’s forehead.
“I think you heard me,” he said.
He got up and grabbed his things, leaving all of her things scattered on the table for her to pick up herself just to irritate her even more.
“Bye, pretty,” he called out sweetly.
“Fuck you.”
Jungwon smiled.
Y/N couldn’t get the word “pretty” out of her head. The way Jungwon said it sounded mocking yet genuine somehow, and it conflicted her. She couldn’t lie and say she didn’t like being called pretty, but the fact it was Jungwon calling her that made her skin crawl.
-
Jungwon bombed the physics exam so badly, that he mustered up the courage to ask Y/N if she could go over the exam with him. To no one’s surprise, she got almost a perfect score.
Jungwon knew that by asking Y/N to tutor him, she would never let him live it down. However, he was so stressed about his grades. Since he missed so many questions, he knew that the problem was that he didn’t understand the fundamentals, and if he didn’t strengthen those, he would never understand anything in that class.
Y/N smugly agreed to tutor him.
“Where do we need to start? Do you know the structure of an atom?” she asked mockingly.
Jungwon’s eyes twitched with annoyance.
“Just go over radioactivity and radioactive decay,” Jungwon growled.
Y/N tried her best to explain things to him, but he was having trouble wrapping his head around it. He kept asking her to repeat things. She would find different ways to try and relay the information to him until he finally said he understood. However, five minutes later when he would need that information to build on another concept, he'd forgotten everything she'd told him.
Y/N was beginning to lose patience. She never realized how hard it was to be a teacher. Some things just seemed like common sense to her, and she didn’t understand how other people struggled so much.
“Are you genuinely stupid? How many times do I have to explain this to you for it to stick? Are you even paying attention?” She lashed out.
Jungwon was so stressed, and he felt so insecure that he couldn't pick things up as quickly as she could. Resentment began to fester in his chest at the way she was speaking to him.
“Well, maybe if you weren’t so shit at explaining things, I would actually learn something,” he snapped.
Her nostrils flared with annoyance.
“Well, maybe if you didn’t have shit for brains, you’d actually understand what I’m saying,” she fired back.
Jungwon glared at her, his gaze filled with hatred.
“You’re so self-absorbed.”
“Would someone self-absorbed be wasting their time trying to teach you?”
“See? You’re acting like I’m an inconvenience!” He exclaimed.
“Aren’t you?” She retorted.
Jungwon’s lips pressed into a tight line. This was the first time in his life that he’d been provoked to hit a woman.
Y/N sighed and ran her hand over her face. She knew she was being irrational, but she couldn’t help feeling irritated. They remained in silence for a moment, before she took a deep breath and looked back at him. His expression had changed from one of anger to one of despair, and it made her feel guilty.
“Okay, how about this?” she started.
Jungwon glanced over at her wearily.
“What about it is difficult to understand? We can focus on that,” she said.
They slowly navigated their way through the tutoring session. Jungwon kept asking clarifying questions, and Y/N tried her best to repress her impatience. Y/N gradually was able to understand Jungwon’s learning style, and accommodated her way of teaching to better suit it. Eventually, he could explain why he got the answers wrong on his test, picking out the correct ones. It was satisfying to both Jungwon and Y/N. Jungwon finally felt like he was advancing, and Y/N felt gratified by her teaching skills.
Every time Jungwon got a practice problem correct, his eyes lit up and he glanced over at her for approval. She would nod, and a triumphant smile would form on his lips. Y/N found it weirdly endearing.
“You did really well,” she said after they went over the whole exam.
“A compliment? From Y/N?” Jungwon grinned at her, “I must be dead.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You’ll be dead if your parents find out about the score,” she said.
His smile faded from his lips.
“They won’t find out.”
-
Y/N always knew when Jungwon was having trouble with his parents at home because he would cling to her and annoy her more than usual. For the past week, he had been kicking the back of her seat in class, tugging at her hair from behind, and dropping small crumbled pieces of paper into the back of her shirt. It took everything in her to not to turn around mid-lecture and hit him in the head with a textbook. She didn’t want to give him what he wanted, which was attention.
“Y/NNNN,” Jungwon whined and pulled at her backpack handle as she tried to walk away after class.
“Y/NNNN,” he continued when she didn’t turn to look at him. “Do you hate me?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
A grin formed on his lips, and he let go of her backpack to walk beside her.
“How much do you hate me?” he asked.
“A lot,” she grumbled.
“On a scale from one to I’d-rather-sit-naked-on-a-hot-grill, how would you like to go with me to the raccoon cafe that just opened up a few blocks away from school?”
Y/N stared at him with a blank expression, and his smile only grew wider.
“C’mon…” he pleaded, poking her face repeatedly.
She slapped his hand away, irritated.
“Why would I want to go with you?” she scoffed.
“Because I’m paying and I know you like raccoons,” he grinned.
Y/N’s eye twitched slightly.
“C’mon, pretty…” he tried again, stepping closer to her.
Y/N immediately took a step back, a shiver running up her spine. Her hands got clammy, and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. She didn’t like this feeling. Whatever it was.
Without another word, Jungwon grabbed her backpack handle again, dragging her down the hallway and out the building.
He dragged her to a variety of places. They went to the raccoon cafe where he indeed paid their entry fee and paid for their drinks. Afterwards, he took her to an arcade where, again, he paid for the tokens. They went window shopping, and when he bought her an ugly keychain and told her “it looks like you,” Y/N hit him across the head, making him laugh.
By that time, it was time for dinner, so Jungwon took her to eat as well. It was already 8pm, and he was still suggesting other places to go to, and Y/N was getting tired and aggravated.
“I want to go home,” she grumbled.
“I don’t. Let’s go to the playground. I’ll push you on the swing,” he said.
He grabbed her wrist and dragged her along. Her feet felt heavy with exhaustion from the long afternoon. She was beginning to put the pieces together. Jungwon was purposefully dragging this out. He wanted to delay going home. Whatever fight he had with his parents must’ve been bad for him to willingly spend the whole day with her.
Y/N planted her feet firmly onto the ground, making Jungwon stop in his tracks. He looked back at her with a frown on his lips.
“I want to go home,” she repeated.
Jungwon bit his bottom lip worriedly. His grip on her wrist tightened slightly.
“Okay. We can study at your place,” he said.
“No. I want to go home alone.”
“It’s dark out. Let me walk you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. He really wasn’t backing down.
“What happened with your parents?” She asked bluntly.
“Nothing. What do you mean?” He deflected.
“So you’re just going to spend the night at my house?” She raised an eyebrow.
His face lit up for a second.
“If you’re offering-”
She pressed her lips into a thin line, and Jungwon sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. Something had in fact happened with his parents. He didn’t know how it happened. Maybe it built up gradually, but when he had come home last week after his parents found out about the physics exam he failed, he found his room trashed. His laptop was gone, his gaming console was gone, his favorite DVDs and books were gone. Anything that was deemed a “distraction” was ripped out of his room. The worst of it all was that his parents didn’t mention a thing. They acted as if nothing had happened and everything was normal.
Y/N could tell how stressed he was just from his silence. Deep down, she felt bad for him. Her parents were no walk in the park either, but Jungwon was different. He wanted his parents’ approval. She didn’t.
“One night,” she said.
“Huh?”
“You can stay over one night, but that’s it,” she warned.
“Wait, really?” He asked.
Their eyes met, and she could see the glimmer of hope in them. She groaned but nodded.
“My mom can’t know you’re here,” she warned him as she snuck him into her room, “she’ll freak out.”
“What if I have to pee in the middle of the night?”
“Hold it,” Y/N said between gritted teeth.
“Does she not let you have friends over?” He asked.
She glared at him before going back to setting up a mat and blanket on the floor of her bedroom.
“We aren’t friends,” she muttered.
Jungwon grinned and leaned forward so his chin was almost resting on her shoulder.
“More than friends then?” He whispered, his breath tickling her ear.
Y/N whirled around, almost knocking herself over in the process. He grabbed her by the arms to steady her and chuckled.
“Relax. I’m joking. I won’t do anything,” he laughed.
“You better not or else I’ll skin you alive,” she threatened.
“Like I’d want to do anything with you,” he rolled his eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at him. Jungwon raised his hands in a defensive position, but his lips curled into a teasing smirk. She threw a pillow at his head. He caught it with ease and hugged it to his chest.
When she was done setting up his sleeping arrangements on the floor, she left him in her room while she tried digging for some of her dad’s old pajamas. She changed into her own pajamas in the bathroom. When she returned, Jungwon was already nuzzled into her bed.
“Get off my bed,” Y/N snarled.
“It’s comfy, though,” Jungwon mumbled from under the blanket.
She ripped the sheets off him and threw the pajamas at his chest without warning, catching him off guard.
“Where do I change if I can’t use the bathroom?” Jungwon raised an eyebrow.
“Here. I’ll just close my eyes,” Y/N said.
The smirk returned to his face as he got up from her bed.
“How do I know you won’t peek?” he asked.
He laughed when she scrunched up her face in disgust.
“Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t want to peek,” she said.
She crawled into her bed and pulled the blanket over her head to give him some privacy. She could hear the rustling of clothes as he changed. When everything got quiet again, she peeked from under the blanket.
“Don’t look! I’m naked,” Jungwon said.
Y/N practically shrieked and hid under the blanket again.
Jungwon burst out laughing, and walked over to her bed. All he could see was the lump of her body underneath the blanket. He tugged it down slightly to reveal her face. Her eyes were screwed shut.
“I’m not naked. Idiot,” he chuckled.
“I don’t trust you,” she said.
Her eyes remained closed as she blindly tried to find the edge of her blanket to pull it over herself again. He flicked her forehead, causing her to wince and bring her hand up to cover it.
“So you did want to peek,” Jungwon grinned.
“You’re delusional,” she snapped.
“It’s okay. I understand I can be irresistible sometimes-”
“You’re going to make me throw up,” she gagged.
“Oh, c’mon. You’re just exaggerating at this point,” Jungwon laughed.
“I’m going to sleep. Stay away from me or else,” she threatened, pulling the blanket up to her chin and turning away so her back was facing him.
Jungwon smiled and crawled into his makeshift bed on the floor next to her. He curled up under his own blanket. The room was engulfed in darkness when she turned off her bedside table lamp.
“Goodnight, pretty,” he whispered.
“Shut up,” she whispered back.
-
Y/N and Jungwon were caught the next morning trying to sneak out of the house. Y/N swore her mom had left for work already, but as she twisted the front door knob with Jungwon in tow, she heard a loud gasp that made her stomach sink.
Her mother cursed at her, assuming the worst. She berated Y/N for bringing a boy over, calling her every name under the sun while Jungwon stood there with wide eyes.
“How could you be such a slut! We didn’t raise you like this!” Her mother screamed.
Y/N’s jaw clenched in anger.
“After all we sacrificed for you,” her mother continued, “why do you keep disappointing us?”
“I didn’t ask you to sacrifice anything!” Y/N blew up.
“Um,” Jungwon cleared his throat to try to get her mother’s attention, “Y/N is a friend. I’m having family issues, and I needed a place to stay. Nothing…of that sort happened between us-“
It was no use. Y/N’s mother only heard what she wanted to hear. She heard nothing of what he was trying to say, and he was starting to feel helpless and guilty for having put Y/N through this.
“What are we gonna do with you?” Her mother sighed in desperation, “give me your phone.”
“I’m not giving you anything,” Y/N snapped.
“Hand it over. Now,” her mother hissed, “is this why you’ve been dressing differently lately? You want boys’ attention? What other boys are you fooling around with?”
“Do you really want to know? Let me see…” Y/N tapped her chin in thought before making a show of counting on her fingers.
Her mother looked at her with horror.
“There’s around 6. I don’t know them very well, though. You don’t really need a name to do that kind of stuff, right?” She gave her an evil grin.
Her mother burst out into tears and stormed to Y/N, grabbing fistfuls of her clothing, yanking at her and continuing to call her names. Jungwon was frozen in shock at the scene before him. He wanted to step in and break it up, but he didn’t know if it was his place.
Y/N shoved her off the best she could, putting on her shoes and making her way to the front door. Jungwon followed like a scared duckling. They were almost out the door when Y/N’s mother yanked her by her backpack.
“You filthy little-“
Y/N let her backpack slip through her arms, making her mother stumble before slamming the door closed.
She growled with annoyance as she led Jungwon back to the street. Jungwon remained silent, his mind not being able to comprehend what just happened.
“I’m sorry you had to see that. My mom is crazy,” she finally broke the silence.
“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t slept over-“
Y/N cut him off with the shake of her head.
“She would’ve found something else to yell about. It’s not your fault.”
Jungwon still couldn’t push the feeling of guilt away. They remained silent for a while as they walked to school. Jungwon knew it was probably best to change the topic, but there was something that was bothering him a little bit.
“Are you actually seeing 6 guys?” He asked softly, almost embarrassed to be asking.
She burst out laughing, making him jump back in surprise.
“I can’t even talk to Sunghoon, and you believe I can pull 6 guys at once?” She laughed.
Jungwon’s cheeks turned pink, and he looked away with a huff.
“No. I just said that to make her pop a vein. I want to see just how much she will believe,” she said.
“Doesn’t that just make things worse?”
She shrugged.
“Once I graduate, I’m moving away, and I'll never see her again. Why bother trying to make things better? There’s nothing to salvage.”
Jungwon grew quiet for a moment again.
“You can sleep over at my house tonight if you want,” he said quietly.
“And make my mom think I’m out with a boy all night? That’s a good idea,” she grinned wickedly.
“I mean technically you will be…”
Y/N raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m a boy, aren’t I?” Jungwon huffed.
Y/N rolled her eyes.
“I guess.”
“You guess?!”
“I’m gonna have to come back to get a change of clothes,” she said.
“You can sleep in mine,” Jungwon said, his cheeks flushing at the thought of Y/N in his sweatpants and tshirt.
Y/N narrowed her eyes at him, noticing the faint blush on his face.
“I sense an ulterior motive,” she said.
Jungwon blinked rapidly, “what ulterior motive?”
“I don’t know. Something perverted,” she shrugged.
Jungwon’s mouth hung open in shock.
“I don’t want to hear that coming from someone who was trying to peek at me while I was changing. If there’s a pervert, it’s you,” he snapped.
“I was not peeking, and you know it!” She exclaimed.
They continued bickering on their way to school. Jungwon was just happy to distract her from what had happened at home.
-
Jungwon tugged at a strand of Y/N’s hair to get her attention. They had independent study time in class to go over their recent assignment.
“Hey, what did you get for number 6?” He asked her.
When she ignored him and didn’t bother to turn around, he frowned. He pinched the fabric on the back of her shirt and pulled at it. He let go abruptly, making it snap back against her skin. She still ignored him. He took his cold hand and grabbed the back of her neck, making her jump in her seat. He gave her a dazzling smile when she turned to glare at him. His eyes flickered down to her lips briefly.
“Hey, pretty. Is that a new lipstick color?”
He watched as her lips pulled up into a slight snarl.
“It’s a nice color and all, but I think a more burgundy color would be better. That one’s too bright and it doesn’t look good on you,” he said.
Y/N’s face scrunched up in distaste.
“Don’t act like you know anything about makeup,” she scoffed.
“Yes, I don’t know anything about makeup, but I know when something looks off,” Jungwon grinned and tilted his head playfully, “and right now, your face looks off.”
She was about to raise her hand to hit him when a quiet voice made her freeze in her tracks.
“Hey, Y/N?”
She glanced up to lock eyes with the most gorgeous person she’d ever laid her eyes on. Sunghoon gave her a shy smile as she stared at him in shock. Her heart was racing so fast. She felt she was going to go into cardiac arrest. Jungwon glanced at Sunghoon too, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“I, um, noticed you’ve been experimenting with your style,” Sunghoon said.
He waited quietly, his eyes raking across her face for any response. When she continued to stare at him intently, he shrunk back timidly.
“You look pretty,” he said quickly. He gave her a soft smile before walking away, leaving her dumbfounded at her desk.
Jungwon’s eyes trailed behind Sunghoon as he left the classroom. He clenched his fists in his lap, and his nostrils flared with annoyance. Now he thinks she’s pretty? He grabbed his pen and clicked it aggressively. He was imagining stabbing it into Sunghoon’s milky white hand.
His gaze flickered back to Y/N. She was wearing a dress with layered ruffles and lace trimmings. It was bright pink like her lips. Jungwon couldn’t help but think about how she looked nothing like herself. She always looked uncomfortable too. He wanted her to go back to her gloomy wardrobe of blacks and dark colors. He wanted to see her freckles again that she’d been covering up with makeup for the past few months.
The look on her face made his eyebrows furrow. He thought the compliment would have made her happy or at least bring a smile to her lips. All he saw was a frown.
Y/N’s mind was reeling. When Sunghoon approached her without warning, she felt her heart skip a beat, but when he complimented her appearance, she felt her heart sink. He only started noticing her once she changed into something she was not. She didn’t understand why she was feeling so heartbroken. This is what she wanted to happen. She wanted him to notice her, but now that he has, there was no satisfaction.
“So, pretty,” Jungwon flicked at the delicate curls of her styled hair, “How did that feel? Do you think your hard work paid off?”
Y/N’s cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. What made her feel even worse was that Jungwon calling her pretty in that playful tone did more to her heart than when Sunghoon did it.
“Are you going to confess to him?” he asked, his voice carrying a hint of nervousness.
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped at him.
Jungwon bit his lower lip anxiously. He didn’t know why his stomach was churning uncomfortably at the thought. Now that Sunghoon seemed to take an interest in Y/N, the idea of them dating was not much of a joke anymore. In a desperate attempt to change her mind, he leaned closer to her.
“He doesn’t like you,” Jungwon said softly, “he only likes this doll character you’re masquerading as.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Instead of a snarky remark, Jungwon watched as her expression shifted. She remained silent, and it made him feel sick. Something was off. She gathered her things and stood up. He knew he fucked up when she didn’t even look back.
-
Jungwon uncontrollably tapped his foot as his eyes stayed glued to the classroom door. It had been three days since Y/N came to school. She missed the exam she was studying so diligently for. Jungwon tried to feel some type of joy knowing he definitely scored higher than her for once, but he couldn’t get rid of the pit in his stomach and the feeling of guilt. He couldn’t focus in class. His gaze was always drifting to the empty seat Y/N should have been sitting in.
When she finally did show up to class, she ditched her girly charade and dressed in her normal clothing. Jungwon’s eyes lit up for a split second until he saw the dark circles under her eyes. He chewed at his bottom lip, contemplating whether or not to go up to her. They’ve never apologized to each other for the things they’ve said before. They would just ignore each other for a while until they started bickering again, but this time it felt different.
Jungwon observed her throughout their classes, trying to gauge what she was feeling. He noticed how her gaze would often flicker over to Sunghoon, and anger stirred in Jungwon’s chest. If it weren’t for Sunghoon, Y/N wouldn’t have tried to transform herself into someone she was not. Jungwon furiously ripped at the corners of his notebook. He kept trying to tell Y/N to not change. He hated how she was trying to fit Sunghoon’s preferences. This was all his fault.
He watched as Sunghoon didn’t even bat an eye at Y/N the whole day which only made his blood boil. Once class ended, he marched over to him and grabbed the strap of his backpack, hauling him out of the room. Sunghoon stumbled beside him with a puzzled expression on his face.
“Um, what are you doing?” he asked.
“Just shut up,” Jungwon snapped.
He dragged Sunghoon, who instantly became quiet, to a deserted corner of the hallway. He practically threw the taller boy to the wall.
“What games are you playing?” Jungwon snarled.
“I…don’t understand,” Sunghoon said quietly.
“Do you like Y/N or not?” Jungwon fired.
“What?” Sunghoon hesitated.
“Answer the question.”
“I mean I don’t know much about her…I tried complimenting her the other day and she gave me this weird look. I don’t think she likes me,” Sunghoon stammered.
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“No, I don’t like her like that,” he said, “I just thought she looked pretty that day.”
Jungwon grabbed a fistful of Sunghoon’s shirt, but quickly let go and shoved him again. It was guys like this that pissed Jungwon off the most. They think they’re hot shit, and say something sweet to get a girl hooked then throw her to the curb when the fun is over. His anger was boiling over as he stormed off, leaving Sunghoon frozen and wide eyed in the hallway.
“She’s always been pretty,” Jungwon mumbled to himself.
-
“Hey…” Jungwon called out hesitantly to Y/N who was slumped over her textbook in the empty library.
She didn’t bother to look up, but by the way her grip on her pencil tightened, Jungwon knew she acknowledged he was there.
He silently sat in the chair next to hers, bringing out his supplies. They studied without saying a word. Jungwon flipped through his textbook half heartedly. He wasn’t even reading it. He was too focused on Y/N’s presence next to him.
Jungwon scooted his foot closer to hers under the table, tapping it slightly. He felt her move her leg away, and he frowned. She usually would shove his foot away with greater force than he tapped her. He scooted his chair closer to hers to a point where he was almost pressed up against her side. His gaze flickered to her hands that had frozen on her notebook. His finger came up to poke her side gently. She let him do it a couple more times before she abruptly stood up and started shoving her things into her bag.
“Wait, pretty. Don’t go-“
She froze in her tracks, her grip on her backpack strap tightening.
“Don’t call me that…” she whispered, “I’m dressed normally again.”
“So?”
She whirled her head to look at him, her face fuming with anger and hurt.
“So I’m not pretty anymore.”
Jungwon blinked at her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.
“You’re the same person regardless of the way you dress, no?”
Y/N stared at him with a blank expression, but he could see the gears turning in her head. Her face fell slightly at his statement. She never truly could change who she was. Jungwon was right. Her pretty clothes and painted face were a facade. It might’ve caught Sunghoon’s attention, but once he got to know her, his interest would have dissipated.
“Yeah, I am,” she said.
Jungwon could see the despair in her face as she turned to walk away again. His heart raced in a panic, and he ran to catch up to her. He stopped her in her tracks, holding her in place with his hands on her arms.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted out.
Y/N stared at him with round eyes. Her lips parted to say something, but she remained quiet in shock.
“I’m sorry for what I said about Sunghoon not liking you,” he continued, “I was mad…”
Jungwon’s face scrunched up slightly as he thought through what he wanted to say next. He swallowed nervously.
“I was mad at you for trying to change for Sunghoon, and I was mad at Sunghoon for only noticing you after you tried to change,” he said.
He let go of her arms, his own hands falling back down to his sides. He looked away timidly.
“You’re the same to me no matter what you wear,” he said, “and I’m going to keep calling you pretty… so…deal with it.”
It was Jungwon’s turn to scramble to get his things and walk away. He was embarrassed, but most of all, he didn’t want to see her reaction to what he said.
Y/N stood dumbfounded in the middle of the library as she watched Jungwon’s figure retreat, scurrying away like a little ant.
-
Something shifted in Jungwon and Y/N’s relationship after Jungwon’s apology. They weren’t exactly the best of friends, but they certainly weren’t enemies anymore. They still bickered and annoyed each other, but there were certain topics they stayed away from when it came to picking at each other.
Jungwon admired the ‘I-don’t-care-what-you-think’ attitude Y/N had when it came to her parents. He started implementing it slowly into his own relationship with his parents. He started voicing his opinions to them about how they treated him. Most of the time it only ended in fights and guilt trips, but he was starting to realize how flawed his parents were. There was no point in trying to live up to their standards when they themselves couldn’t live up to his.
He stopped trying to compete with Y/N. He’d much rather sit with her and feign his interest in studying so he could mess with her. She would sometimes comment on how his lack of studying would drop his grades, but the remarks didn’t bother him anymore. He felt like she set him free.
Although Y/N had ditched her girly era, there were some things she didn’t part with. She liked the art of getting ready and she implemented it to her normal style. She started getting into fashion and customizing her own pieces. She was still horrendous at doing her makeup, but she did love wearing lipstick. She often wore dark lip colors that would make Jungwon call her scary.
“It’s the vibe I’m going for,” she said, “I’m getting my eyebrow pierced this weekend.”
“Don’t you need parental permission for that?” Jungwon asked.
Y/N shrugged.
“Not where I’m going.”
Jungwon gave her a weary look.
“Be careful,” he said.
“It’s not like I’m going to get trafficked,” she laughed.
“You never know…” Jungwon muttered.
“Just say you want to come with me,” she gave him a teasing smirk.
“Why would I want to go with you? Go by yourself. I hope the piercing rejects,” Jungwon scoffed.
Y/N grinned and poked his side.
“Come with me. Let’s get your ears pierced,” she said.
Jungwon’s hands immediately jerked up to cover his earlobes with his fingers. His parents would kill him. He glanced over at Y/N, whose smile never left her lips.
“C’mon…” she pouted, “I think you’d look good with your ears pierced.”
His heart fluttered in his chest, and he felt his cheeks burn with blush. Actually…maybe stressing out his parents would be a good thing.
-
It had become a routine to ask each other if they needed a distraction after school. They never asked directly because that would mean they care for each other, and god forbid that be the case.
If one of them needed to delay going home, they would wait at a specific tree on the way out of campus. This time it was Y/N that was waiting under the shade when Jungwon walked by.
“I’m not in the mood for pizza. We’ve had pizza like four times this week because of you,” Jungwon said without even stopping.
Y/N jogged over to him to match his step.
“I didn’t even say anything!” She huffed.
“You have that look on your face. Your eyes say you want pizza,” Jungwon twirled his pointer finger over her face.
She scrunched her face up and scoffed. She did in fact want pizza, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of being right.
“Where do you suggest we go then?”
Jungwon smiled.
“I’ll show you.”
They stopped by a convenience store to get some snacks before Jungwon took her to a park. At first, Y/N thought they were going to find an empty picnic table and eat their food there, but he led her off trail through some vegetation.
“This is suspicious,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Relax, we’re almost there,” he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her through the last of the brush.
They stopped in a clearing where the ground turned rocky and dipped into a shallow creek. A few meters down the creek there was a small railroad bridge. It looked abandoned, and it was painted with graffiti.
“Let’s go eat on the bridge,” he said, pulling her along.
He climbed up with ease, setting their stuff down on the tracks before turning to hold out his hand for her to take. He hauled her up and placed his jacket down on the ground for her to sit on. He unpacked their snacks and placed them between their bodies.
“How do you know about this place?” she asked as they ate.
Their legs dangled over the edge of the bridge, swinging them mindlessly. There was a slight breeze, and it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The scene was picturesque and serene. The only thing they could hear was the gurgling of the creek and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
“I found it randomly a few months ago. I come here when I need a breather,” he said.
In other words, he came here when he was going through it.
Y/N glanced over at him, and she watched as the wind rustled through his hair. He looked peaceful, completely different from his usual antics. A blush crept up her cheeks. The moment seemed intimate. He was showing her his safe space, and she felt somewhat touched.
After they finished their food, Jungwon showed her around the area a little bit more. They took their shoes off and walked down the water. It wasn’t too deep, only reaching past their ankles. Jungwon kicked water at her, making her shriek.
“You-”
“Me,” he smiled, bending over to cup water into his hands and throwing it at her.
She bent over and started splashing water at him, making him laugh gleefully. He ran down the creek, Y/N hot on his tail. He purposefully ran a little slower, allowing her to catch up to him. She grabbed a fistful of the back of his shirt, pulling him to a stop. She scooped up a handful of the water and splashed it onto his back. His back arched slightly at how cold the water was.
“I’m going to die of hypothermia,” he yelled, wiggling out of her grasp.
She rolled her eyes.
“Cry baby,” she muttered.
“How would you like cold water down your back, hm?” Jungwon bent over to scoop water, and Y/N bolted.
They were both dripping wet by the time the sun set. They were back on the bridge, laying on their backs and looking up at the darkening sky. The moon was out, but the stars were difficult to see.
“We should probably go back. You’ll get cold,” he said.
Y/N grunted in protest.
Jungwon turned to the side to look at her. She continued to stare at the sky with a stubborn expression on her face. He smiled and sat up, placing his jacket over her body.
They remained silent, trying to find the stars. Y/N found herself not wanting to go back. Not because she didn’t want to confront her parents, but because she didn’t want the night to end. She realized she wanted to stay with Jungwon a little longer.
That feeling puzzled her. Somewhere along the way, she realized she stopped hating him. He liked to spend time with her, he sometimes bought her food, and even though he had seen her at her worst, he continued to stay.
She glanced over at her backpack, the ugly keychain he got her clipped to the zipper. She didn’t have to keep it, yet she did. She didn’t have to keep engaging with him after all the fights they had, yet she did.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Oh…I like him… She thought.
“What if we just never went back home,” he whispered.
“Okay, serial killer vibes,” she muttered.
Jungwon turned his head to look at her and smiled. There was something about it that made Y/N’s breath hitch at the back of her throat. The light of the moon casted a glow across his face, softening his features. He looked…
“Pretty,” she said softly.
“Hm?” he raised his eyebrow at her.
She blinked and looked away, the trance she was in immediately breaking.
“You should find a different nickname for me. That one is already taken by someone,” Jungwon said.
Y/N’s head snapped over to look at him, her mouth hanging wide open. The corner of Jungwon’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
-
When they graduate, Y/N is at the top of her class as always. Jungwon had gotten her a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her. A smug expression appeared on her face as she took the flowers from him.
“No matter how hard you tried, you still couldn’t beat me,” she chuckled light-heartedly.
Jungwon smiled, not taking any offense to her remark.
“I’m okay with being second,” he said.
“You’re just saying that because you lost,” she grinned.
He grinned back at her.
“You only care about winning. Do you even care about me at all?” he feigned hurt.
“Why would I care about you?” she replied playfully.
They stare at each other in silence for a moment. Jungwon takes in her bare face, her freckles scattered across her cheeks and nose. The only makeup on her face was a dark purple lipstick on her curved lips.
“If being second keeps me next to you, I’m okay with it,” he said softly.
Y/N’s cheeks flushed a deep red. She could feel her heart flutter slightly in her chest. Jungwon realized what he said, and quickly straightened his posture, coughing nervously.
“You worked really hard too,” she whispered, “I’m proud of you.”
It was Jungwon’s turn to blush. He felt a warmth course through his body. His parents might not have ever said those words to him, but he realized they felt more special coming from Y/N. They’ve both been through so much together. It felt like they were connected somehow.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get you flowers,” she said.
Jungwon shook his head.
“It’s okay. You can buy me my first drink instead,” he grinned.
“I’d rather not have to carry you home when you get drunk,” she said.
“You think I’m a lightweight?” Jungwon scoffed.
“Are you?”
He smiled mischievously.
“I don’t know. Let’s go find out.”
-
“You’re a man, right?” Y/N asked Jungwon as they walked through their new university campus. Their first semester hadn’t started yet, but they wanted to get familiar with the layout and find hidden places they could use to study.
“Last time I checked, yes,” Jungwon rolled his eyes.
“Can you help me move into my apartment tomorrow? I just need someone to help me haul my couch up a flight of stairs.”
Jungwon groaned, and Y/N tried her best to look at him with pleading eyes. His eyes narrowed at her expression.
“And what do I get out of this?”
“You get to spend the day with me,” she smiled innocently.
Jungwon stared at her for a moment. It gave her hope that he would say yes.
“I think I’ll pass,” he said.
“What’s wrong with spending the day with me? You’re doing it right now!” she huffed.
“Spending two days in a row with you is like being waterboarded-”
“I’ll pay for your meals for the whole day,” she cut him off.
“What time do you need me?” Jungwon smiled.
Jungwon was going to help her regardless, but the meals were an added bonus. A lot of the smaller boxes were already inside of her apartment. The only thing he really needed to do was carry one side of the couch as they slowly made their way up the stairs. He helped her unpack things, but there wasn’t much to unpack to begin with.
“Don’t open that!” Y/N almost tackled him as he ripped open the tape off a box.
“What? Is it your underwear?” he laughed.
“Yes,” she deadpanned.
Jungwon coughed and immediately took his hands off the box.
After unpacking everything, Y/N brought some bottles of soju to the coffee table. She set them down before collapsing onto the couch next to Jungwon.
They were still new to drinking, and they were figuring out what they liked and didn’t like. They would sometimes get new flavors to try out and just stay indoors, playing games or watching movies.
They watched dramas on her laptop since she didn’t have a television yet. Jungwon loved watching dramas with her. They would often have to pause the show when they got into arguments over who they thought was going to end up with who or what they thought a character should have done in a certain scenario.
Y/N usually fell for the main lead while Jungwon would almost always prefer the second lead.
“He has no personality! Since he’s going to end up with her no matter what, they make him as interesting as a sponge. The second lead is always a better option,” Jungwon said.
“Well, maybe a sponge is my type,” Y/N huffed.
For some reason, that rubbed Jungwon the wrong way. He was nothing like a sponge. He had too many issues to be boring, but knowing Y/N’s background, he understood why she would want someone who wasn’t so problematic. He began to mope, taking another shot.
“I got a new dress the other day. Do you wanna see?” She slurred slightly after they finished the last of the bottles.
“Mhm,” he hummed, leaning back on the couch to stop the room from spinning.
She disappeared into her room for a long time. Jungwon was beginning to think she passed out and fell asleep until she stumbled out the door and into the living room where he was.
Jungwon almost choked on his own saliva at the sight of her. She was wearing a long velvety dress. It was a deep red, almost purple color, and it hugged her figure before loosening and flowing down her hips. It was nothing like the dresses she wore to try and impress Sunghoon. She looked confident in this one.
“What do you think?” She asked, twirling clumsily for him.
Jungwon swallowed nervously.
“You look like a vampire witch,” he said.
“I do? Thanks,” she smiled, “actually, I have the perfect lipstick for this.”
Jungwon’s eyes trailed behind her as she dug around her purse and pulled out a tube of lipstick. She walked over to a mirror that he had hung on the wall earlier, stumbling slightly on the hem of her dress.
He rose to his feet, slowly walking up behind her. He watched her in the mirror as she coated her lips in a shade of burgundy lipstick so dark, it resembled dried blood.
She caught him staring at her in the mirror and she bared her teeth at him playfully.
He was losing his mind. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and his brain was struggling to come up with a compliment. He tugged at the strap of her dress, making it slap against her skin.
“You need a necklace,” he slurred.
Y/N turned to look at him directly, scrunching her nose in annoyance.
“I didn’t ask,” she snapped playfully.
Her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, and she was swaying slightly.
“Your cheeks are all red,” Jungwon hiccups, poking her warm cheeks with his finger, “it looks like a rash on your face.”
“How about you go fuck yourself?” She gave him a lopsided grin.
Jungwon’s gaze remained on her face. Her eyes were half-lidded as she looked at him, and her hair framed her face in a way that made Jungwon’s breath get stuck in his throat. Her vulgar words weren’t helping either. For some reason, he felt heat rise to his cheeks.
Y/N noticed the way his face flushed. At first, she thought it was because of the alcohol.
“You should be nice to the person who helped you move in,” Jungwon snapped back.
“What are you going to do? Take all my stuff if I’m not?” She challenged.
“Yeah,” he huffed, “when you go to sleep, I’m going to leave with your couch and all of your toilet paper.”
Y/N’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as she kept catching his eyes drifting down to her lips and dress. She knew why he was acting like this.
“Why can’t you just compliment me like a normal person?” She shook her head.
“What?” He blinked at her.
“You like being yelled at, is that it?” Y/N laughed, drawing closer to him as he slowly backed up.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he mumbled.
Jungwon could feel a rush of excitement flow through his body, and he cursed himself for feeling it at all. She stepped closer to him. His heart was racing in his chest, and his wide eyes were fixed to her face.
Y/N’s lips curled into a smirk, and she didn’t miss the way Jungwon’s eyes flickered down to her mouth again. He was attracted to her, she thought. Her heart fluttered slightly in her chest as she pressed herself flush against him.
Jungwon immediately stiffened as he was pressed against the wall. He could feel every curve of her body against his, and his breathing quickened. She was enjoying watching the way he squirmed under her gaze. He wouldn’t even look her in the eyes.
She gently placed her hands at his waist, slowly tracing his sides. She watched him closely, seeing the way his Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed. He screwed his eyes shut, as if it would make him feel her touch any less.
She hooked her thumbs under his shirt, rubbing small circles on his bare skin as she gently squeezed his waist. A soft whimper escaped his lips, and he immediately flushed at the sound. He didn’t even dare to look at her expression which was twisted into a wicked grin.
She slipped her full hands under his shirt, feeling the muscles on his stomach tighten as his breath hitched.
“You’re such a perv,” she whispered, “have you been making me angry this whole time just to get yourself off?”
Jungwon’s eyes widened and he shook his head. He was shaking like a leaf, scared of how she perceived him but also enjoying her touch a little too much. It wasn’t so much that he liked getting yelled at. He just liked having her attention on him.
“No…I promise…” he stammered, “I’m not like that…”
Y/N raised an eyebrow, a soft chuckle leaving the back of her throat.
“But you do like it?” She probed.
Jungwon opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut it once he realized the predicament he got himself into.
She leaned forward, their faces millimeters apart. She could feel his soft and quick breaths against her lips. She glanced up at his eyes which were looking at her with a mix of fear and desire. She smirked and placed a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth. She felt him stiffen underneath her lips, only making her want to do more. She was enjoying the control she had over him a little too much.
“You like it,” she stated in a murmur.
Her lips trailed down his jaw, pressing firmly against his skin. She could feel him shaking under her touch at his waist. She nuzzled her nose against his earlobe, feeling the cool metal of his earring. She kissed down his neck. A soft groan left his lips, and he moved his head to the side every so slightly.
She sucked gently at his skin, bringing her hands to trail down his arms. Her lips were coaxing soft moans and whimpers from his throat. She could feel his hands grip at her waist.
“Y/N…” his voice was soft and raspy.
She let her lips linger on his pulse point before pulling back to look at him. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Hm?” She hummed.
“I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret…” he whispered, his cheeks flushed.
“What makes you think I’ll regret it?” She murmured.
She leaned forward again, her lips brushing against his in a feathery kiss. Jungwon’s eyes fluttered shut, entranced by her for a moment, but he quickly pulled away. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
“We’re drunk,” he was breathless, “if you still want to continue when we’re sober…I’d like that better…”
She tilted her head and gave him an amused smile. His face was completely flushed, and Y/N found it endearing.
“Alright,” she said, stepping away from him.
Jungwon’s racing heart slowly went back to normal as she pulled away. It took so much will power not to let her keep going, but Jungwon wanted to know if she really wanted it. He wanted her sober so there would be no doubt that she wanted him too.
The tension between them remained as they stumbled around her room, getting ready for bed. She had changed out of her dress, and she rolled out a mat next to her bed and handed him a pillow and a blanket. Jungwon’s vision seemed to be spinning. He didn’t know if it was the rush of the alcohol or Y/N’s phantom lips he could still feel burning his neck. He scratched himself nervously.
He watched as Y/N crawled into her bed. Once she got settled in, she looked up at him and smiled. It was a different type of smile. It didn’t carry the same smugness as her smirks while kissing him. It was warmer, almost affectionate. His heart couldn’t help but flutter.
“Go to bed, Jungwon,” she said softly.
He hesitantly lowered himself onto the floor, laying down on the mat. He suddenly didn’t want to go to sleep. What if it was all a dream?
Y/N peeked her head over the edge of her bed to look at him. She could see his eyebrows furrowed with worry even in the darkness of the room.
“Goodnight, Jungwon,” she whispered.
“Goodnight,” he whispered back.
“No ‘goodnight, pretty’ this time?” She teased.
He pulled the blanket over his head to hide his flushed cheeks.
“Goodnight, pretty,” he mumbled, the blanket muffling his words.
She smiled.
“Goodnight, handsome. Kiss you in the morning.”
-
Y/N woke up with a raging headache. Her eyes hurt when she opened them, the sun casting light straight into them from the window. She groaned and sat up slowly.
She swung her feet over the side of her bed and onto the floor. Her hands immediately went to massage the pounding in her temples.
Jungwon was curled up underneath the blanket on the floor. His hair was messy, and his lips were in a slight pout as he slept. Y/N blushed as the memory of the previous night returned to her mind. She couldn’t believe she had done all of that. She couldn’t believe Jungwon let her.
As if he knew she was thinking about him, Jungwon stirred, his eyelids squeezing and his face slightly scrunching up as he woke up. Y/N watched as he slowly blinked and opened his eyes, staring out at the wall facing away from her. She could tell he was thinking about something. He remained frozen in place for several minutes, completely unaware that Y/N was focused on him.
Jungwon didn’t want to turn to look at Y/N’s bed. He didn’t want to confront what happened. What if it never happened in the first place? Should he even bring it up? Eventually, he mustered the courage to turn his body around. As soon as his eyes locked with Y/N’s, he gasped in shock and abruptly sat up.
The blanket that was pulled up to his chin fell to his waist, revealing dark burgundy lip imprints across his jaw and neck. Y/N’s eyes widened at the sight. Her hand unconsciously touched her lips. Was she really that all over him last night?
Jungwon’s eyes flickered down to the movement of her fingers tracing her lips, and his face flushed with heat. It was true. It did happen.
They remained in silence for what seemed like forever. They were both too scared to speak. What was the other thinking? Did they think it was a mistake?
One thing Y/N knew for sure was that she liked it. She liked the way his skin felt under her lips and the way he had sounded when she touched him. He was warm when they were pressed together, and she wanted him to wrap his arms around her. She wanted to kiss him again.
“Jungwon…” she whispered.
His heart sank. He was preparing himself for a rejection. It was a mistake. He bit his lip in an attempt to keep his lips from trembling.
“I made you a promise,” she continued.
He glanced up at her, his eyebrows slightly furrowing together in confusion. She held out her hand for him, and he hesitantly took it. She pulled him towards her, making him sit beside her on her bed.
“What promise?” His voice came out shaky.
Her eyes raked across his face, seeing the nerves and look of confliction in his eyes. He shrunk away from her gaze. She breathed in a breath of courage before leaning in towards him.
“To kiss you,” she whispered.
His eyes widened, and he could hear his heart racing in his ears. Before he could say anything in response, her lips pressed against his in a gentle kiss. It was a different kiss than the ones she had given him last night. This one was more hesitant and shy as if she was worried about how he’d react.
Jungwon’s heart swelled in his chest. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. He felt her gasp against his lips at the contact, and it only made him smile into the kiss. He felt over the moon.
He pressed his lips firmer against hers, showing her that he wanted this and she had no reason to hesitate anymore. He could feel her hands slowly grab his waist, and suddenly the memory of her lips on his neck flooded his mind. He was trying so desperately not to make any embarrassing sounds. He pulled away slightly, their labored breaths mingling together.
“Tell me you want me to keep going…” he panted against her lips.
He was still scared she didn’t truly want this. He didn’t want to seem overbearing and pushy. He needed to know…
Her lips captured his’ once more, silencing his worries immediately. His hand cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss. He felt her hands run down his chest, making him shudder. He gently sucked on her bottom lip as his fingers ran through her hair. Her body relaxed fully against his, her weight leaning forward slightly, making him slowly sink onto his back.
His hands splayed against her back as she pressed herself on top of him. Her lips began to trail down his jaw and neck again, making him groan. It still didn’t feel real. Her touches were making his body heat up in the most embarrassing way. When he felt her straddle his hips, he squirmed.
“Wait,” he croaked out softly.
Her lips froze on his neck, and she pulled back to look at him.
“As much as I want to keep going,” Jungwon’s voice shook slightly, “I want to be on the same page on some things.”
“What things?” She tilted her head.
He gently sat back up, guiding her off of him and onto the bed by her waist. His hands remained on her waist, his thumbs tracing nervous circles over her shirt.
“I want to be clear about my…feelings,” he said.
Their eyes met, and when he knew he had her undivided attention, he swallowed nervously. He never planned how he was going to confess to her. It seemed like everything had proceeded out of order.
“I like you, Y/N. A lot,” he started, “and I think I’ve liked you since the very beginning. You annoyed me, yes, but I liked your attention. You’re funny, smart…pretty…”
He blushed as he tried to continue.
“You’ve helped me through a lot of stuff unintentionally. You’ve been there for me when no one else was, and I hope I have been there for you too…You made me realize my flaws, and you make me want to be better. I’m still working on a lot of things, and I don’t know how you’d feel about this, but…”
He glanced up to meet her eyes timidly.
“Can I be your boyfriend?”
A smile cracked onto Y/N’s lips. When Jungwon saw her smile, his lips mirrored hers. Somehow, her smile always seemed to erase any worry that may have crossed his mind.
“This is an interesting development,” she laughed.
“Is it, though?” Jungwon gave her a lopsided grin, “I think I was being very obvious about my feelings. You were just too blinded by hatred to notice.”
“No, no. Don’t be putting this on me now,” she shook her head and pointed her finger at him, “how was I supposed to know you liked me when all you would do was insult me. Weird way of flirting if you ask me…”
Jungwon smiled so big, she could see his dimples.
“As if calling you pretty all the time was an insult,” he rolled his eyes.
“To be fair, you did call me ugly sometimes.”
“I never told such lies,” Jungwon shook his head.
“You would nitpick at my makeup!”
“Your makeup and you are two very different things,” he pointed out.
He reached up to gently trace his thumb across her cheek.
“I think you’re the prettiest without makeup,” he said, “but I do really like that burgundy lipstick…”
Y/N burst out laughing.
“Oh, you’ll love looking at yourself in the mirror right now,” she said.
He smiled warmly at her, and he gently tugged her face towards his own. He leaned forward, his lips almost brushing hers.
“What do you say, pretty girl?” he whispered, “can I be yours?”
Y/N’s heart fluttered in her chest. She never wanted someone as much as she wanted Jungwon. He may not be perfect, but no one was. He was perfect for her. Despite seeing each other at their worst, they remained by each other’s sides. They understood each other in a complex way others didn’t and couldn’t. She would be a fool to say no.
“Mhm,” she hummed, “please be mine.”
Jungwon grinned and pressed his lips to hers in a sweet, chaste kiss. Once he pulled away, he laughed giddily.
“Now where is your mirror…”
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