exactly. there were 3 reasons to boycott - to bring hee back, for enha's better treatment and bc hybe is zionist. while one might argue heeseungs departure is still as sus as before, the other two reasons haven't changed and the boycott continues.
YOU SAID EVERYTHING I WANTED TO.
And it's so sad to see that people only boycotted for heeseung (I'm not saying it's wrong) and now that they are against boycotting. What about the rest of the boys? What about the mistreament they are receiving? We have to keep moving forward and boycott hybe AND BELIFT
And you might be wondering omg who asked this bitch her name, well yeah, so BASICALLY I AM LOOKING FOR FRIENDS. YEAH A VERY WEIRD WAY TO ASK FOR DAT BUT HERE WE ARE.
BuT YEAH HMU IF YOU MATCH ANY OF MY INTEREST
I do have a lot of online friends but I feel like when I take a break from social media they just forget me lol OMG OKAY NO SAD VENTING AND SHI FOR NOW.
Queen can you recommend some ff ๐ฅบI bet your taste is the best
1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! - you guys literally have to read this entire series because itโs so good, BUT IT'S SMUT so if you're not into that feel free to skip... tysm @minhosimthings for writing such a masterpiece ๐ซช๐ซช๐ฅน๐
2. WHAT THE MOON REMEMBERS - THIS LITERALLY MADE ME CRY ๐ญ it has that soulmate au vibe and itโs honestly so heartbreaking, iโve read this 3 times already but i still cry every single time ๐ญ๐ญ @lac4ygal is insane for this, this is literally the only fic that has ever made me sob like this ๐ฅน๐๐
3. YOU ON MY MIND, YOU ALL THE TIME - โTHIS IS SO FUN I'M SO IN LOVE WITH IT TO THE POINT I RE-READ IT 3 TIMES HWUWBUWHWUEH the plot is pretty light but the vibes are just immaculate, and i absolutely adore the writing style ๐๐ @zreamy thank you so much for creating this story ๐๐ป๐๐ป
4. KEEP YOU FOREVER IN THE DARK - โI SWEAR THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TOO, it literally gives me goosebumps just thinking about it but it's so addictive... I LOVE IT because the plot is incredible, it's not just some basic smut... itโs completely mind-blowing ๐คค๐คค๐คค @elikajinnie i love you ๐คค๐คค
5. MAKING PROGRESS - I NEED THIS HEESEUNG IN REAL LIFE OOMG ๐ญ๐ญ iโm so weak for nerd heeseung because it just adds so much to his charm, plus he's just the cutest baby ever in this story ๐๐ i love how light the conflict is but their relationship dynamic is just chef's kiss! @arelyvn I LOVE YOUUU ๐๐
โ ๏ธใ คใ คยทใ คใ คminors dni, explicit sexual content, unprotected sex (pls donโt), nipple play, dirty talk, orgasm denial / begging & teasing,โ kissing, mild overstimulation, idk what else...
ivy โก : HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!! ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!! ๐ฅณ ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐พ๐ผ๐บ๐๐๐พ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐บ๐ ๐โ๐ป ๐บ๐ฟ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐บ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐พ๐บ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐บ๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!! ๐๐๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐พ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ, ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฏ reblogs are greatly appreciated and the taglist is still open as always! thank you so much โก__โก
๐๐๐พ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐
THEY ARE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A MASSIVE, JAGGED CLIFF OVERLOOKING A ROARING, PITCH BLACK SEA.
the wind here doesn't feel cold, it doesn't feel like anything at all but the view is mesmerizing. at first, jay completely refused to come. he complained that it was a massive waste of time and that he had a tight schedule to maintain in his ledger
but the moment sunghoon muttered, "just come with me, dude. after this, we won't ever see each other again. i won't even be able to talk to you," jay silently yielded. he rolled his eyes, muttered a curse under his breath, and followed the annoying soul to the edge of the cliff
โ"so," sunghoon breaks the silence, shoving his hands casually into his pockets. "i noticed youโre kind of obsessed with f1. whatโs up with that?"
โโjay scoffs, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he keeps his eyes on the horizon. "i don't know, it's just wild. the sound of the engines is insane, and the stakes are so high. honestly, the pure risk of it all? itโs an absolute adrenaline rush."
โthe conversation naturally drifts from racing to their surprisingly identical taste in fashion. they spend a few minutes bickering about leather jackets, silver chrome accessories, and minimalist aesthetics, before sunghoonโs expression suddenly softens. a wistful, lingering smile tugs at the corner of his lips as a specific memory hits him
โ"usually, y/n is the one who helps me pick out my clothes when we go shopping," sunghoon says softly, his voice dropping into that deep tone
โjay cuts his eyes toward him, raising an eyebrow. "and why exactly are you so hopelessly whipped for her? sheโs just a human."
โsunghoon lets out a soft chuckle, looking down at his feet. "itโs kind of stupid, actually. it happened at this massive college party. i was drunk and i accidentally grabbed the wrong girl from behind thinking she was someone else. she looked so beautiful from the back, but when she spun around... man, she was even more gorgeous. but what really got me was how she immediately started scolding me. she talks so fast when sheโs angry, her lips moving at a hundred miles an hour. it was the most chaotic, funniest thing iโd ever seen. i think i fell for her right then and there."
โjay rolls his eyes dramatically, letting out a loud groan. "disgusting. humans and their pathetic, fleeting emotions." yet, jay doesn't actually mind listening to him. there's something strangely comforting about hearing a soul love someone so loudly
โ"hey, jay," sunghoon suddenly blurted out, a teasing glint in his ghostly eyes. "are grim reapers even allowed to date? like, can you get a girlfriend?"
โjay lets out a dry, sarcastic bark of laughter. "are you stupid? who in their right mind would want to date a grim reaper? iโm literally the embodiment of death."
โsunghoon laughs, but as the sound echoes out into the empty sea, a sudden realization hits him. he looks at jayโs sharp, untouchable profile and realizes that behind all that arrogance, jay has been entirely, completely alone for thousands of years
โjay murmurs, confirming the unspoken thought with a nonchalant shrug. "iโm not human, i don't need companionship."
โsunghoon instantly smirks, his usual arrogant prick persona flaring back up. "well, look at the bright side at least while i was around, you weren't lonely, right?"
โ"alright, thatโs it," jay snaps, turning around abruptly with an irritated scowl. "get back to your body right now. out of all the souls iโve harvested in the last millennium, you are by far the loudest, most annoying, and most complicated brat iโve ever had to deal with."
โwith a flick of jayโs wrist, the scenery shifts violently
the heavy glass doors of the intensive care unit glide open with a soft, sterile hiss, and sunghoon follows jay down the blindingly white corridor. they glide right through the solid wooden door of room 412
โsitting on a stiff, uncomfortable vinyl armchair right next to the beeping heart monitor is jake. his hair is a messy, unwashed nest, and his thick-rimmed glasses are sliding down the bridge of his nose as he punches over a glowing laptop, aggressively typing out a college essay
โ"dude, seriously, why are you being so stubborn?" jake mutters out loud to the quiet room, his voice raspy and dripping with sheer exhaustion as he glares at the hospital bed. "the doctors literally said your brain scans are completely pristine. your ribs are healed. your concussion was minor. you're literally just chilling in a six-month nap while iโm out here drowning in finals. wake up already, sunghoon. itโs not funny anymore."
โsunghoon steps closer to the side of the bed, his ghostly eyes tracking the rhythm of the mechanical ventilator pushing air into his own chest. itโs completely surreal. looking at his own face, pale, motionless, with dark circles under his eyes feels like looking at a stranger
โ"he's right, you know," jay says quietly, leaning his shoulder casually against the heart monitor pole, his dark eyes fixed on the glowing screen. "your physical injuries from the crash were practically nothing. no internal bleeding, no permanent brain damage. a normal human wouldโve been walking around, going to lectures, and eating convenience store ramen five months ago but because your soul was tied up in my ledger... you were stuck in limbo."
โsunghoon turns his head, looking at the grim reaper who had spent the last half-year dragging him through hell, heartbreak, and ancient wars
โ"so... this is it, huh?" sunghoon whispers, his voice soft against the rhythmic beeping of the monitor
โ"this is it, assistant," jay murmurs, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through his usual cold, arrogant facade. he reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out the glowing digital ledger, tapping the screen one last time to officially delete sunghoonโs intern profile. "your contract is fully canceled. the soul bond is restored, you're free to go back to your pathetic human life."
โsunghoon takes a step forward, a heavy breath leaving his lips. "thank you, jay. seriously for everything, for not letting me give up when i was being an idiot."
โbefore jay can reply with his usual snarky remark, sunghoon steps in and throws his arm around jay's shoulders, pulling him into a tight, firm hug
โto sunghoon's absolute surprise, jay doesn't push him away. he stands frozen for a split second, completely unaccustomed to physical warmth, before he actually accepts the hug, patting sunghoonโs back with a surprisingly gentle hand
โ"yeah, yeah, don't make it weird," jay rolls his eyes as they break apart, though his tone is soft as he steps back into the shadows of the corner, waving a final goodbye. "go on, your friend looks like heโs about to pass out on his keyboard."
โsunghoon gives him one last nod, takes a deep breath, and aligns his spirit with the pale, unmoving body on the bed. he closes his eyes and lets himself fall backward into his own flesh
โthe transition is a violent, suffocating shock to his system
โgasp!
โsunghoonโs chest arches off the mattress as his lungs violently expand, sucking in a sharp, freezing gulp of real air. the heavy metallic taste of oxygen and hospital tubing hits his throat, making him choke. his eyes fly open, the blinding white fluorescent lights above making his vision blur with instant, stinging tears
โ"what theโoh my god!" jake screams, his laptop sliding completely off his lap as he jumps out of the vinyl chair. his thick glasses slip right off his face, clattering loudly against the linoleum floor as he stares at the bed in absolute, paralyzed shock. it's like he's looking at a literal ghost. "sunghoon?! nurse! doctor! he's awake! oh my god, he's actually breathing!"
โwithin ten seconds, the quiet room erupts into complete, chaotic noise
a few days later, sunghoon is finally coherent enough to sit up and talk normally. that's when the rest of the group comes to visit. heeseung, jake, giselle, and yunjin all crowd into room 412, their faces a mix of sheer relief and exhaustion because they had all been there through the absolute worst of his accident
โbut out of everyone sitting in the room, sunghoonโs eyes scan the space before he asks the only question that actually matters to him. "where's y/n?"
โthe room goes stiflingly quiet for a second. yunjin sighs, leaning against the wall as she crosses her arms. "y/n already left, sunghoon. she's in europe now, and honestly, sheโs doing really well. she's happy there." she pauses, shifting her weight before she completely accidentally lets it slip. "actually, she has a date with some guy tomorrow."
giselle, heeseung, and jake all snap their heads toward yunjin, their eyes wide with absolute panic. jake frantically gestures for her to shut up, knowing sunghoon literally just woke up from a six-month coma and the last thing his heart needs is a sudden shock like that
โdeep down, sunghoon feels a sharp, suffocating wave of pain hit his chest but he forces his face to remain completely blank, letting out a flat, empty, "oh."
โyunjin, completely missing the tense atmosphere, just shrugs and continues. "i mean, you guys broke up anyway before all of this happened. itโs only natural for her to go on dates."
โgiselle immediately grabs yunjinโs arm, her grip tight as she forces a polite smile. "okay, i think we need to leave now. yunjin, come on, let's go." she practically drags a confused yunjin out of the hospital room, leaving nothing but an awkward, heavy silence behind them
โnow that itโs just the guys left in the room, sunghoon quietly turns his head toward jake. "hey, hand me a mirror."
โjake hesitates for a second before reaching into his backpack and passing over a small hand mirror. sunghoon holds it up, his eyes tracking his own reflection
his face is pale, his hair a bit overgrown, and it feels incredibly jarring like heโs looking at someone else entirely. he knows his physical injuries from the crash weren't severe enough to require long-term physical therapy, which means he doesn't need to waste any more time rotting in this bed
โhe sets the mirror down, his jaw tight as he looks at jake and heeseung. "let's go to the gym."
โheeseung and jake both burst out laughing, shaking their heads in absolute disbelief. "dude, seriously? you literally just woke up from a six-month nap and your first instinct is to lift weights?" jake chuckles, thinking itโs just sunghoon being his usual fitness-obsessed self
โthey all know sunghoon is a total gym rat, completely obsessed with working out and keeping his physique pristine, so they just write it off as him returning to his normal personality. but as sunghoon stares at the blank white wall, his knuckles turning white as he grips the bedsheets, he doesn't say a word
โthey think heโs just being stubborn. they don't know that the only reason he wants to tear his muscles apart at the gym is because itโs the only way he knows how to numb the agonizing heartbreak tearing through his chest
almost two years pass in a blur of sleepless nights, endless engineering blueprints, and heavy lifting at the gym
โitโs a late afternoon, the sun dipping below the horizon as heeseung, jake, soobin, and yeonjun lounge around the crowded university parking lot, leaning against the hoods of their cars after a brutal thesis consultation
a thick cloud of cigarette smoke drifts into the cool air as yeonjun, heeseung, and soobin light up, while jake just sits on the hood of his car, mindlessly popping open a freezing can of soda and taking a long sip
sunghoon is leaning against his own car next to them, his posture casual, completely absorbed in scrolling through his phone. his physique is noticeably broader now, his jawline sharper, the epitome of the campus' untouchable guy
โ"i'm telling you, itโs a done deal," yeonjun mutters, taking a drag from his cigarette as he brags about the girl heโs currently chasing. "she literally texted me first today. iโm locking it down by this weekend."
โsoobin scoffs, blowing a neat ring of smoke into the air. "yeah, yeah, whatever. at least youโre actually chasing someone. my current fwb situation is getting so complicated, sheโs starting to ask for actual dates and itโs stressing me out."
โ"that's because you're emotionally unavailable, you idiot," heeseung chimes in, checking his reflection in the car window as he adjusts his jacket. "just be normal like me. my girlfriend and i are literally planning a trip after graduation. clean and simple."
he then elbows jake, who is quietly drinking his soda. "what about you, jake? you've been suspiciously quiet. whoโs the lucky girl?"
โjake just lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he takes another sip, keeping his mouth shut. he is a master at staying in the background when it comes to his own love life, keeping his crush a total, tightly guarded secret from the loud group
โyeonjun rolls his eyes at jake before his eyes suddenly wander across the parking lot, catching sight of a group of girls walking past the engineering building "speaking of girls... bro, seriously, look over there. she keeps staring at our lot."
โheeseung glances over, squinting through the smoke. "who, lizzy? yeah, sheโs been trying to get someone to introduce her to sunghoon for weeks."
โhearing his name, sunghoon doesn't even bother to look up from his screen. his thumb just keeps mindlessly scrolling. "who the hell is lizzy?"
โ"dude, are you living under a rock?" yeonjun laughs, throwing his cigarette butt to the ground and crushing it with his shoe. "sheโs literally the most popular girl in the sophomore class. sheโs gorgeous, sunghoon. and she is completely, visibly into you. why do you always act like you don't care?"
โsunghoon just lets out a faint, dry hum, clearly bored and annoyed by the direction of the conversation. he locks his phone and shoves it into his pocket, staring out at the empty street
โsoobin watches him for a second, crossing his arms as a knowing smirk plays on his lips. "what, are you still hopelessly hung up on y/n?"
โ"yeah," sunghoon answers instantly. the response is so blunt, so completely without hesitation, that the entire group goes dead silent
heeseung and soobin freeze, while jake just watches with a heavy sigh. they all know sunghoon is incredibly attractive, a guy who could easily have anyone he wants with a single look, yet heโs actively choosing to rot in a self-imposed exile for a girl who left the country almost two years ago
โ"bro, are you insane?" soobin asks, his voice filled with genuine disbelief. "itโs been almost two whole years. sheโs literally across the world in europe living her life. why don't you just try moving on with someone else?"
โ"i don't want anyone else," sunghoon replies smoothly, his voice dropping into that arrogant, unbothered tone. "i only want her. i'm just waiting for her to come home."
โsoobin lets out a dry scoff, shaking his head. "and what if she comes back with a boyfriend? what if sheโs already with someone else over there?"
โsunghoon doesn't even blink. a small, dangerously confident smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he tilts his head back. "then iโll just wait for them to break up."
โthe guys all stare at him like heโs lost his mind, muttering about how toxic and delusional he is. sunghoon just scoffs and looks away, keeping his thoughts to himself. they think heโs crazy, they think heโs being a delusional, arrogant prick
โbut they don't know about the shadows. they don't know about the ledger, they don't know that no matter how many thousands of miles or how many years keep them apart, your soul belongs to him and he is simply waiting for the universe to catch up to what he already knows
the truth is, throughout the entire two years since he woke up from that coma, his phone has remained completely silent. he never once dared to text you
โevery time his thumb hovered over your name in his contacts, yunjinโs harsh words would echo in his mind. reminding him that you two were broken up, and that you were finally happy in europe
but more than that, it was the crushing weight of his own guilt. he still remembers how badly he had hurt you in the past for the sake of sooha. the sheer remorse makes him feel entirely unworthy of even reaching out.
he is too ashamed, terrified of the suffocating awkwardness, and deathly afraid that if he sends a message, you will just leave him on read
sunghoon finds himself dragged out to a crowded, neon-lit club. he hadn't even planned on going out, but soobin was currently a pathetic, drunken mess, drowning in regret after his fwb situation completely blew up in his face
they had officially become total strangers because soobin had been too stubborn to give the girl any real commitment
โwhile yeonjun and heeseung are busy trying to babysit a miserable soobin, sunghoon just sits back against the leather booth, casually sipping on his drink. he keeps his alcohol intake strictly to a minimum, his dark eyes mindlessly scanning the pulsing lights of the dance floor
โjake slumps down onto the seat next to him, holding a cold glass as he leans in to speak over the roaring bass of the music. "hey. you know y/n is coming back next week, right?"
โsunghoon freezes, his glass stopping halfway to his lips. he turns his head slowly, his eyes locking onto jake. "what?"
โ"yeah, she's coming back for graduation," jake nods, taking a sip of his drink. "yunjin and giselle are graduating in the same ceremony as us, so y/n is flying back to attend. she'll be there next week."
โthe words hit sunghoon like a sudden, brilliant wave of electricity. for the first time in two grueling years, the heavy, suffocating knot in his chest completely unravels. a breathless, genuine smile slowly breaks across his sharp face, a smile so sudden and radiant that jake actually blinks in surprise
โsunghoon looks down at his drink, his heart hammering against his ribs. you are coming home, you are finally going to be in the same room as him again. he doesn't even care if things are awkward, he doesn't care if you're mad at him. even if he only gets to say a simple, quiet 'hi' to you at the ceremony, it would be more than enough
the cold, sterile air of the airport terminal drifts around you as you pull your luggage through the arrivals gate. itโs exactly three days before graduation
the moment you step into the main hall, yunjin and giselle are already running toward you, drawing curious glances from everyone around
โafter almost two grueling years of being miles away in europe, the suffocating weight of the distance finally vanishes the second they throw their arms around you
โby the time you all arrive at the apartment, the jetlag hits you like a physical wall. you barely have the energy to unpack before you completely pass out on the bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep
โwhen your eyes finally blink open hours later, the room is dimly lit, the sun having long since set. youโre about to sit up and stretch when you hear a soft, unfamiliar voice drifting from the living room, completely drowned out by yunjin and giselleโs dramatic, high-pitched shrieks
โ"no way! shut up, there's actually no way!" yunjin gasps, her voice echoing through the hallway
โcuriosity getting the better of you, you rub your eyes and pad softly into the living room. the three girls are huddled around the coffee table, which is illuminated by a few flickering candles
sitting across from yunjin and giselle is a quiet, ethereal-looking girl youโve never seen before. a beautiful, intricate deck of tarot cards is spread out between them
โ"oh my god, you're awake!" giselle beams, looking up from the table and frantically waving you over. "come here, sit down! you have to try this. my friend here is literally insane with tarot, her readings are always dangerously accurate."
โyou let out a soft laugh, still a bit dazed from sleep, and slide onto the cushion next to yunjin. yunjin already chimes in, leaning forward eagerly as she elbows you. "let's do a love reading for her! skip everything else, love life is way more fun."
โthe quiet girl gives you a knowing, gentle smile, her eyes incredibly calm as she gathers the deck. the rhythmic sound of the cards shuffling fills the quiet room before she sets them down. "cut the deck," she instructs quietly
โyou reach out and split the deck in half. she takes the cards, placing them face down before drawing the first one and flipping it over. the girl hums softly, staring at the card before tilting her head to look at you
โ"are you still in contact with your ex?" she asks out of nowhere. "because the very first card that came out heavily represents the past."
โyou blink, a little caught off guard, but shake your head. "no... we haven't talked or had any communication at all for two years."
โthe reader nods slowly, flipping the next card. "well, this person from your past... heโs been waiting for you this entire time. according to the cards, he can be incredibly arrogant and a total perfectionist, but he is fiercely devoted to his person."
โyunjin and giselle exchange a quick, panicked glance, their posture immediately straightening as a single, terrifyingly familiar face flashes in their minds
you feel a sudden drop in your stomach, the description is a direct hint to park sunghoon
โthe girl continues shuffling and places another card face up. she looks at you intently. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โ"not really," you reply with a small, cynical shrug. "unless it's in the movies."
โ"really? you don't?" the reader scoffs softly, a tiny, mysterious smirk playing on her lips as she taps the center card. "because these cards are literally screaming that you two are soulmates. your personalities match perfectly, like a mirror reflection."
โbefore you can process the heartbeat hammering against your ribs, she flips one final card from the bottom of the deck. it's a card representing massive, impending transformation
โ"i don't know what happened between you two in the past," the reader murmurs, her voice carrying a strange weight. "but there is a huge, major shift coming your way very soon. honestly, all the cards are beautiful, but the only obstacle here... is you."
โ"me?" you whisper.
โ"yeah. you're the one holding back because you don't believe it," she explains with a light shrug. "but it's fine. the guy is going to be incredibly persistent anyway. heโs not going to let you go."
โthe living room goes completely dead silent. yunjin, giselle, and you are left utterly speechless, staring wide-eyed at the table. the eerie accuracy of the description leaves an uncomfortable warmth under your skin
โ"well... okay then," you finally mutter, clearing your throat to break the tension as you casually lean back against the cushion
โyou don't really take tarot readings to heart anyway. to you, it's just a silly, crazy coincidence meant for fun entertainment on a cozy night. you silently brush it off, forcing yourself not to think too much about it
the long-awaited graduation day finally arrives. you look effortlessly elegant in your tailored dress, clutching two beautifully arranged bouquets of flowers meant for giselle and yunjin
โonce the grueling, hours-long formal ceremony finally concludes, the massive doors throw open, and waves of graduates flood the plaza. the moment you spot yunjin and giselle, you navigate through the sea of togas and wrap your arms around them. handing over the bouquets, the sheer emotional weight of the moment hits them, and both of your best friends burst into tears of pure joy
โ"oh my god, y/n! you're actually here!" yunjin wails, turning her head frantically before spotting a familiar tall figure. she reaches out, aggressively grabbing him by the arm. "yeonjun! yeonjun, get over here right now! take a picture of us! if itโs blurry, iโm gonna tell your crush you still sleep with your teddy bear!"
โ"jesus, yunjin, relax! my hands are steady!" yeonjun laughs, quickly taking the phone from her hand as he backs up to frame the shot. "okay, look here! three, two, oneโsmile!"
โthe camera flashes as the three of you laugh together. but just a few yards away, the entire world comes to an absolute standstill for one person
โpark sunghoon feels his breath hitch, his surroundings blurring into complete white noise. there you are standing not too far from him, looking breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely more stunning than you already were two years ago
in that exact split second, he feels a sudden, sharp ache in his chest, exactly like a high school boy falling in love for the very first time. sunghoon had always believed that women only grew more beautiful as they matured, a belief instilled in him by his mother, but looking at you now, you are the absolute living proof of it
โperhaps sensing the intense weight of someoneโs gaze, you instinctively turn your head and your eyes lock right into sunghoon's. instantly, your vision blurs around the edges, the loud chatter of the graduation crowd completely fading away
he is still devastatingly handsome, though his physique has visibly filled out, looking significantly taller and broader in his black toga. he is staring at you with such a raw, burning intensity, as if he is trying to carve your image permanently into his memory
in that endless moment of unbroken eye contact, the universe seems to slow down, playing every breath you take by the police on a loop in the background of your mind
โyou stand there, completely suspended in time, until giselle suddenly tugs hard on your hand, breaking the spell. "come on, let's go over there! the guys are all over by the engineering booths!"
โbecause they had drifted apart to take photos with different circles earlier, the very last group that yunjin, giselle, and you approach is sunghoonโs circle. the second you walk up, the guys immediately crowd around you, completely sidelining their own graduation buzz
โ"woah, look who's back from europe!" jake grins widely, giving you a quick side-hug. "you look absolutely insane today, y/n! europe definitely treated you well."
โ"for real, you're literally glowing," heeseung chimes in, nodding in approval as he smiles warmly. "and hey, congrats on the dual degree graduation last few weeks! we saw the posts, that's huge. our resident genius is finally home!"
โ"congrats, y/n! you make all of us look like slackers," soobin teases, giving you a light pat on the shoulder
โyou laugh, thanking them one by one, your confidence returning, until you finally step up to stand directly in front of sunghoon.
the atmosphere between you two instantly turns suffocatingly awkward, the unresolved tension of the past two years hanging heavily in the air. breaking the heavy silence, sunghoon is the first one to softly murmurs, "hi."
โ"hi, sunghoon," you reply softly. without another word, he steps forward, and you let yourself fall into his embrace
โthe second his arms wrap around you, a violent, overwhelming surge of familiarity crashes over sunghoonโs consciousness. the sheer weight of their entire cosmic history hits him all at once
to him, this single embrace feels identical to the way he lunged forward outside the barracks in ancient greece, throwing his heavy bronze armored arms around your waist, pulling you flush against him as he choked out a desperate apology
it feels exactly like the way you ran into his arms in that warm medieval library, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as he caught you effortlessly in his silver-trimmed collar
โas he pulls you closer, he can feel the familiar warmth of your head, the exact same feeling of you leaning against his shoulder under the canopy of blooming white roses in that quiet renaissance garden. it triggers the agonizing memory of the palace courtyard in joseon, where their foreheads rested against each other as a single steel blade skewered them together in a brutal, tragic embrace
and it carries the profound peace of the victorian era, where he would pull you right into his lap on the plush velvet sofa, winding his arms around you tightly to anchor his entire existence to your skin
โit is so heavy. so incredibly long and painful. sunghoon involuntarily pulls you tighter against him, burying his face into your hair for a fleeting, desperately tight moment before he reluctantly lets go
โ"congratulations on your graduation, sunghoon," you say softly, your voice slightly trembling as your heart hammers violently against your ribs
โthe rest of the group is seemingly distracted, loudly talking and laughing amongst themselves except for heeseung and giselle, who secretly raise their phones, discretely snapping a candid photo of the two of you locked in that intense, breathless embrace
โas you both step back, soobin suddenly chimes in, waving his hands dramatically. "woah, hold on! you two need to take a picture together right now. iโm directing this."
โimmediately, the rest of the circle turns into an unstoppable force of absolute chaos
โ"yeah, seriously!" yunjin smirks, crossing her arms playfully. "are you telling me he waited two whole years just to not get a single photo on his graduation day?"
โ"right? don't be a party pooper, y/n!" yeonjun adds, raising his eyebrows and nudging sunghoonโs shoulder
โflustered and thoroughly cornered, you and sunghoon reluctantly stand side by side. but because of the lingering tension, you both stand stiff as boards, leaving a painfully awkward gap between your shoulders
โseeing the ridiculous distance, yunjin lets out a loud, dramatic groan. "oh, for god's sake! move closer!" before either of you can react, she steps forward, grabs sunghoonโs large, cold hand, and physically plants it firmly against your waist
โ"stop being so damn awkward," yunjin scoffs loudly, rolling her eyes as she steps back. "itโs not like you haven't held her waist in two years. just pose!"
โthe sudden heat of his large palm sears through the fabric of your dress, sending a violent jolt straight up your spine. that late afternoon air truly feels alive, buzzing with a golden, electric energy
and right there, beneath the proud, confident smirk he forces for the camera, park sunghoon is secretly breaking out into a cold sweat, his entire being utterly terrified and violently nervous by the simple, breathtaking reality of having you back in his arms
later that night, yunjin and giselle practically drag you out to an after-graduation party. you initially protest, arguing that you didn't even graduate here, but yunjin instantly shuts you down. "shut up, y/n! you literally lived and suffered with us here for two years, you're not a stranger. you're celebrating with us!"
โthe three of you go absolutely wild with your outfits. though the cuts and colors are completely different, you all show up in stunning dresses that instantly make you the center of attention the second you walk into the crowded, neon-lit venue
โon the other side of the roaring club, sunghoon is standing near the bar with soobin. soobin elbows him hard in the ribs, nodding toward you. "hey, go over there and talk to her before someone else does. what are you waiting for?"
โsunghoon had actually felt pretty confident just a few minutes ago. but the moment he turns around, his confidence evaporates, replaced by a sudden, burning spike of jealousy. someone had already beat him to it
โit's jung sungchan, the college soccer captain. sunghoon remembers him vividly from two years ago, back when you and sunghoon were still together, sungchan would constantly reply to your instagram stories, completely ignoring the fact that you had a boyfriend
sunghoon wanted to tear the guy apart back then, but right now? his hands are tied. he has no right to be angry when you two aren't even a thing anymore
โsunghoon turns back to soobin, a dark, defeated shadow crossing his face. "forget it. i'm too late."
โ"are you serious right now? you're so pathetic, hoon," soobin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "go show off some of that charm of yours, for god's sake. don't just stand here like a loser."
โsunghoon keeps his back turned to the crowd, staring miserably at his drink. but then, soobinโs eyes widen as he looks past sunghoonโs shoulder
his expression turns into pure panic, and he starts aggressively smacking sunghoonโs arm. "holy shit, hoon! go over there right now! hurry up before your girl gets taken home by that prick!"
โpanic instantly shoots through sunghoon's veins. he turns around and sees sungchan already smiling smugly, leaning into your space
without thinking, sunghoon strides across the crowded room, his broad shoulders cutting through the sea of people until he abruptly steps right in front of you
โboth you and sungchan freeze, completely caught off guard. "hoon...?" you blink, your jaw dropping slightly
โsunghoon doesn't let the surprise linger. he instantly switches on his charm, towering over sungchan as he looks down at you with a soft, captivating smile. "hey, y/n. can we talk for a second?"
โsungchanโs smile drops, annoyed by the sudden interruption. he opens his mouth, clearly about to complain and start an argument, but sunghoon cuts him off before he can even utter a single syllable
with a deadly, freezing expression, sunghoon gently places his index finger right in front of sungchanโs lips, almost touching them
โ"save the yapping for later," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dripping with an unspoken, dangerous authority. "this is important business."
โsungchan completely shuts up, utterly stunned by the audacity. youโre standing there entirely confused, your head slightly spinning from the loud music
before you can even process anything, sunghoon casually grabs your wrist. "come on, let's get you a drink first."
โbut sunghoon knows you too well. he knows your alcohol tolerance is low, and the moment he hands you a lighter drink, the alcohol finally hits you full force. the filterless, tipsy version of you immediately comes out, and you start nagging him aggressively
โ"i hate this, hoon! the music is too loud, my head is literally about to explode," you whine, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket as you pout. "take me outside. let's just go for a walk, please?"
the moment you finally step out into the cool, quiet alleyway, you immediately march ahead. your steps are steady enough for now, but the alcohol is definitely starting to buzz in your system
suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks, spin around, and shove your expensive little purse straight into sunghoonโs chest. "hold this," you huff, pouting. "my arms are too tired to carry it."
โsunghoon lets out a soft, breathy chuckle, easily catching the purse. but as his eyes trace your figure under the dim streetlights, his brows furrow slightly. his gaze lingers just a second too long on the low cut of your dress and how much skin it leaves completely bare to the night air
โ"why is your dress so short anyway?" sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping a bit lower as he steps closer. "you're going to freeze out here, y/n."
โyou roll your eyes, instantly clapping back. "excuse me? it's a graduation party. what did you expect me to wear, my pajamas?"
โsunghoon laughs, the sound rich and warm as he falls into step right next to you. "i'm just saying, you have zero tolerance for the cold. you always have."
โyou tilt your head, a soft, tipsy smile playing on your lips as you look up at his profile. "wow. you still remember that?"
โ"i remember everything about you," sunghoon states quietly. before you can even process the depth of his words, he slips his casual jacket off his broad shoulders and gently drapes it over your frame
โ"so," he continues, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watches you bundle up in his jacket. "do you still listen to those weird asmr videos just to fall asleep in europe?"
โyou let out a loud giggle, hiding your face in his oversized collar. "okay, shut up. maybe sometimes, but only when i'm stressed!"
โas you keep walking, the friction of your high heels suddenly becomes too much to bear. without a single warning, you stop, kick the expensive heels straight off your feet, and just leave them abandoned right there on the sidewalk. you keep walking barefoot, feeling the cool pavement beneath your soles
โsunghoon stops, staring at the empty shoes on the ground in complete disbelief before shaking his head with a fond, helpless grin
he bends down, picking them up effortlessly by the straps with one hand. this is your classic, ridiculous habit whenever you're tipsy
โ"my feet were literally crying, hoon, it was so uncomfortable," you whine, justifying your crime
โ"i know, baby, i know," he murmurs softly, not even bothering to scold you as he slows his pace to perfectly match yours
โeventually, the quiet stroll leads you both into a completely deserted neighborhood park. you instantly break into a small run, grabbing sunghoonโs free hand and dragging him over to the swing set
the two of you slide onto the swings side by side, gently swaying back and forth as you look up at the bright, glowing moon above
โ"hey, hoon," you speak up softly, your filterless, tipsy mind drifting back to three days ago. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โsunghoon doesn't even hesitate. his eyes stay fixed on the moon, a calm smile on his lips. "yeah, i do."
โyou blink, turning your head to frown at him skeptically. "really? why? you're literally the most logical person i know. you don't usually believe in things that don't make sense."
โ"i just do," he replies casually, turning his head to lock his dark, intense eyes with yours. "some things don't need a logical explanation to be real."
โyou hum, swinging your legs a little. "well... i actually had a tarot reading with giselle's friend a few days ago. i mean, i don't really believe in that stuff, but itโs just been stuck in my head. she said my soulmate is someone from my past."
โsunghoonโs posture subtly shifts, his attention completely locking onto you now.
โ"and honestly, it's driving me crazy because i keep wondering... is it you, or is it sungchan?" you muse out loud, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "because youโre my ex, so youโre the past. but sungchan was always chasing after me in the past, and well, he's still here in my timeline now."
โthe mention of sungchanโs name makes sunghoonโs jaw immediately tighten. a dark, incredibly possessive glint flashes in his eyes, and he instantly leans forward, his voice dripping with sheer confidence as he claims his territory
โ"it's me. it's definitely me, y/n," sunghoon states firmly, a arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "there is absolutely no way it's sungchan. since when could that guy ever be as cool as me?"
โyou burst out laughing at his sudden defensiveness. "but wait! the tarot reader specifically said the guy is arrogant. a total perfectionist."
โhearing the word arrogant, sunghoon lets out a soft, slightly bitter laugh. he lets his swing come to a complete stop, leaning his forearms on his knees as he looks up at you with a suddenly soft, vulnerable expression. "do you actually think i'm arrogant?"
โyou pause, stopping your swing too. you tilt your head, studying the sharp, beautiful lines of his face before shaking your head slowly. "i don't know, honestly. because when we were dating, you never showed me that side of you. you were always... just so completely whipped for me."
โsunghoon lets out a long, heavy sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders as a deeply fond, consuming warmth takes over his expression. he reaches out, his large hand gently catching the chain of your swing to pull you just an inch closer to him
โ"exactly," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a deep, serious register that sends a shiver down your spine. "so stop overthinking it. whoever that tarot reader saw, itโs me. itโs always been me, and itโs never going to be sungchan."
โ"then what about sooha?" you ask out of nowhere, the alcohol making you completely unfiltered as you look back up at him. "why aren't you with her?"
โthe casual mention of her name makes sunghoonโs expression shift instantly. the playful aura vanishes, replaced by a heavy, quiet seriousness. you don't seem to notice the change, your heavy head dropping onto his broad shoulder as you comfortably lean against him
โsunghoon tenses for a split second before slowly relaxing, letting you rest your weight on him. "i haven't been with sooha since the moment i woke up from the coma, y/n," he answers softly
โ"why?" you mumble into his jacket, your voice slightly muffled. "did you guys break up?"
โ"we were never together to begin with."
โ"really? why not?" you tilt your head against his shoulder, looking up at his sharp jawline. "didn't you two love each other?"
โsunghoon completely freezes. he stares straight ahead, the quietness of the park suddenly feeling incredibly heavy
your question sends a sharp pang through his chest, bringing back the vivid memories of his struggle, how he had literally begged the grim reaper, fighting through the afterlife just to mend the broken strings between your souls. everything he did, every single breath he took after waking up, was entirely for you
โbut he can't tell you that, not like this
โinstead, sunghoon just lets out a soft, shaky breath. "i'm sorry, y/n," he murmurs, his voice cracking slightly. "i'm so sorry."
โyou let out a loose, airy giggle against his shoulder. "why are you apologizing, hoon? we broke up two years ago anyway. what is there to be sorry for? honestly, i'm completely over it. i don't really feel anything anymore when i look at you."
โyour words hit him like a physical blow to the chest. it feels like a knife twisting straight into his heart, because god, he is still so desperately, hopelessly in love with you
sunghoon forces a bitter, painful smile onto his face, swallowing the lump in his throat. "oh... is that so?"
โ"mm-hmm," you nod sleepily, your eyes fluttering shut for a second
โsunghoon clears his throat, trying to keep his composure as he asks quietly, "so... did you date anyone while you were in europe?"
โ"yeah, i did," you reply casually. "his name was anton. he was so sweet, a total gentleman. we even adopted a hamster together. but... he wanted to focus on his career as a competitive swimmer, so we broke up. it sucked, honestly."
you let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh, shifting slightly against him. "itโs always like this. i'm always the one getting left behind by men. i swear, the next time i get a boyfriend, i'm going to dump him first."
โthat word left behind instantly triggers something painful inside sunghoon. before his coma, he was the first one who had ruthlessly left you behind for sooha
โ"i'm sorry," sunghoon whispers again, his voice dropping into a deeply emotional, vulnerable register
he turns his head, staring down at you with raw sincerity. "i am so, so sorry, y/n. ever since the day i woke up from that bed, there hasn't been a single day where i didn't regret leaving you. i hated myself for it. iโve been waiting for you to come home every single day, just so i could apologize to you properly. itโs been eating me alive... because i missed you so much."
โhe pours his entire heart out, his chest heaving as he braces himself for your reaction. he looks down, waiting for you to say something, anything but there is only silence
โsunghoon blinks, tilting his head closer, only to realize that the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of your shoulders means you had completely passed out
you were sleeping peacefully, using his shoulder as a pillow, entirely missing the absolute weight of his confession.
for a moment, sunghoon just stares at you, completely dumbfounded. then, a soft, defeated chuckle breaks through his heavy emotions
โ"unbelievable," he mutters under his breath, shaking his head as a fond, helpless smile replaces his sadness. "i'm being dead serious here and you just decide to fall asleep?"
โhe quietens down, the heavy tension from before slowly melting away into the cool night air. sunghoon just sits there on the swing for a long moment, watching your peaceful sleeping face
slowly, tenderly, he leans his head down and presses a soft, lingering kiss against the crown of your hair, letting his eyes close as he breathes you in
โ"welcome home, y/n," he whispers against your hair
a few days later, jake practically begs sunghoon to tag along to the university's final soccer match. since jake is part of the soccer club and sungchan happens to be the team captain, sunghoon casually agrees, mostly just to kill some time
โbut the moment sunghoon arrives at the stands, his relaxed composure completely vanishes. there you are, sitting a few rows down
โsunghoon immediately makes his way toward you, his brows furrowed as he stops right in front of your seat. "y/n? what are you doing here?"
โyou look up, blinking in surprise before giving him a small wave. "oh, hoon! i'm here to cheer for sungchan." you proudly gesture down at the oversized jersey youโre wearing
sunghoonโs eyes drop to the fabric, and his stomach instantly twists when he recognizes the number boldly printed on it, itโs sungchanโs jersey number
โ"it looks ugly on you," sunghoon mutters under his breath, his jaw tightening
โ"what did you say?" you squint, not quite catching his low murmur over the noisy crowd
โ"nothing," sunghoon replies flatly, forcing a neutral expression as he casually slides into the empty seat right next to you
โthroughout the entire game, sunghoon sits there like a ticking time bomb. every single time sungchan scores or runs near your side of the field, the captain immediately looks up, flashing you a smug, dazzling smile
you just smile back politely, waving your hand to support him. but sitting right beside you, sunghoon is violently rolling his eyes
gross. he looks so pathetic trying to act cute. iโm literally ten times better than him, sunghoon snarls bitterly in his head, crossing his arms tightly over his chest
โwhen the final whistle blows, sungchanโs team officially wins the championship. the crowd goes absolutely wild, but sunghoonโs eyes are strictly locked on sungchanโs movements
โthe very first thing sungchan does isn't celebrating with his teammates, he runs straight toward the stands, climbs up, and throws his arms tightly around you, lifting you slightly off your feet
you burst into a breathless laugh, lightly patting his back. "okay, okay! sungchan, put me down, i can't breathe!"
โsunghoon watches the display, his eyes freezing as he aggressively rolls his eyes. sungchan finally pulls back, throwing a deeply satisfied, triumphant look directly at sunghoon, clearly gloating over his victory
โunable to take another second of the suffocating jealousy, sunghoon abruptly stands up. he walks down to the field, taps jake on the shoulder, and mutters, "i'll wait for you outside."
โstanding outside the stadium, the sky has turned gray, and a soft drizzle begins to fall. sunghoon leans against a pillar, mindlessly scrolling through his phone to distract himself
but the second a familiar, soft giggle drifts through the quiet air, his thumb freezes on the screen then he looks up
โjust a few meters away, you and sungchan are walking down the pavement, sharing a single umbrella. sungchan is deliberately tilting the umbrella toward your side, letting his own shoulder get completely soaked by the rain just to ensure you stay perfectly dry
in your arms, you are carefully cradling a fresh, grand bouquet of pink peonies. sunghoon stares at the flowers, and a bitter, mocking laugh slips past his lips
โ"idiot," sunghoon whispers to himself, his voice cracking with a sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion. "your favorite flowers aren't even peonies... they're white camellias."
โthe realization hits him like a physical blow. sungchan doesn't even know you, not the real you, not the little details that sunghoon has kept memorized in his heart for years
but as he watches you walk away, looking so effortlessly beautiful as you laugh at something sungchan said, the sheer weight of reality crashes down on him. you are smiling with someone else now
the lounge is deafeningly loud, but for sunghoon, everything is reduced to a dull roar
heโs been sitting in the corner with yeonjun and jake, his knuckles white as he grips his glass so hard it might shatter. his eyes are fixed on you and sungchan, watching as sungchanโs hands roam possessively over your waist, your back, your arm
โ"hoon, cool it," yeonjun murmurs, nudging his side. "you're making a scene just by sitting there with that face. just let it go, man."
โ"heโs right," yunjin adds, leaning over from the next booth, her expression stern. "you two are over. itโs been two years. stop acting like you still have a claim on her. itโs embarrassing."
โsunghoon doesn't answer. he canโt. he feels like heโs suffocating, every muscle in his body coiled to strike. he watches you laugh at something sungchan says, and for a second, he thinks he might actually lose his mind
โthen, it happens
โsungchan leans in, and in front of everyone, he crashes his lips onto yours!
โthe world stops. he feels a sharp, jagged pain in the center of his chest, as if his heart is being slowly crushed in a vice. heโs completely paralyzed, his mind going utterly blank
โthe next thing he knows, heโs standing in front of you. he doesn't say a word, he just grabs your wrist, his grip iron-tight, and pulls you toward the exit
โ"hey! what do you think you're doing?" sungchan jumps up, ready to fight, but the moment he looks into sunghoonโs eyes he stumbles back, suddenly terrified, and lets you be pulled away
โyou stay silent while you're being dragged through the club, your face burning with humiliation, but the moment you hit the cool night air of the alley, you explode
โslap.
โthe sound of your palm connecting with sunghoonโs cheek echoes against the brick walls. sunghoon doesn't flinch. his head stays turned to the side, his chest heaving
โ"what is wrong with you?!" you scream, your voice trembling with pure, unadulterated fury. "why canโt you just leave me alone?! we have nothing, sunghoon! itโs been two years! don't you have any dignity left? you look so pathetic right now, obsessing over your ex-girlfriend like a stalker!"
โsunghoon slowly turns his face back to you. he looks broken, his eyes glassy and vacant
โ"i don't have feelings for you anymore," you continue, each word a cold, sharp blade. "not even a little bit! i don't even want to see your face ever again. if you show up in front of me one more time, i won't just hit you, sunghoonโiโll spit in your face."
โthe silence that follows is deathly. youโre breathing hard, your eyes blazing, but as you stare at him, you see a single, hot tear trail down his pale cheek
itโs not a dramatic sob, he just looks utterly hollowed out, as if youโve just deleted his entire existence
โ"i'm sorry," he whispers, his voice barely audible, shaking as he takes a step back. "i'm sorry for being... pathetic."
โhe doesn't try to touch you. he doesn't try to explain. he just turns around and walks into the darkness, leaving you alone in the alley, his shoulders hunched in a way that makes your own heart feel like itโs being torn into pieces
the second sunghoon steps into his quiet apartment, he completely collapses onto his bed. he doesn't even bother turning on the lights, letting the darkness swallow him whole as he stares blankly at the ceiling. his cheek still stings from the slap, but the burning ache in his chest is a thousand times worse
โ"jay, you're a liar," sunghoon mutters into the empty room, his voice thick with a mixture of anger and raw exhaustion
โhe lets out a harsh, bitter laugh, running a hand over his face. "you said if the strings was repaired, we could be together. you said it would fix everything. then why the hell does she hate me so much now?"
โhe closes his eyes tightly, the memory of your cold, furious gaze slicing through him all over again. "if i knew it was going to be like this... if i knew i'd just end up becoming a pathetic nuisance to her, i shouldn't have even bothered fixing the damn strings in the first place."
โsunghoon pauses, the quiet hum of the refrigerator the only sound answering him. he sighs, his shoulders slumping. "jay... i know you're probably listening to this from somewhere. what the hell am i supposed to do now?"
โas expected, only a heavy, dead silence greets him. back when his soul had left his physical body during the coma, he could easily communicate with the grim reaper
but now that his soul is locked back inside his human flesh, that connection is completely severed. there are no more shortcuts, no more supernatural interventions
โ"forget it," sunghoon mumbles, rolling onto his side and burying his face in his pillow. "i need to stop doing this. i need to find something else to do."
โand thatโs exactly what he does
โstarting from the very next morning, sunghoon forces himself to channel all his frustrated, agonizing energy into something productive. he completely locks himself in his room for days, meticulously building his resume and applying for high-level engineering positions at massive, prestigious firms that match his degree
he throws himself into preparation for interviews, studying until his eyes burn, determined to build a future so solid that no one could ever look down on him again
โof course, the sadness still creeps in. there are quiet moments late at night when a random memory of you will suddenly hit him, leaving him completely breathless with an overwhelming ache of missing you
โto keep himself from losing his mind, he starts hanging out more with his friendsโsoobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung. theyโd go to quiet bars, playing games or just drinking until late
his friends can clearly see the underlying frustration and anger heโs harboring, but sunghoon strictly draws a line
despite how hurt or lonely he feels, he never once tries to rebound or seek comfort from other girls. he refuses to do anything that could ever taint or damage the strings between you two again
โbecause deep down, beneath all the pain and the cold rejections, park sunghoon still stubbornly believes in one thing
โyou two are soulmates and heโs going to make sure heโs ready when the universe finally decides to give him another chance
two weeks fly by, and honestly, sunghoon rarely touches his phone anymore. his days are entirely consumed by his burning ambition to build his career, leaving him with zero time to drown in his own thoughts
โlate one evening, he and jake are sitting at the kitchen island, slurping down bowls of instant ramen after a long day. sunghoonโs laptop is open next to his bowl, and a soft ding echoes through the quiet apartment. he casually glances at the screen to check his email, but the moment his eyes scan the preview, he freezes
โsubject: offer of employment - enhigh corporate.
โsunghoon drops his chopsticks, his eyes widening in absolute shock. "no way," he breathes out
โ"what? what is it?" jake asks, leaning over with a mouthful of noodles
โ"i got in, jake. i actually got into enhigh corporate!" sunghoon suddenly shouts, jumping out of his chair. he lets out a loud, victorious cheer, throwing his fists into the air with a radiant grin that he hasn't shown in weeks
โjake immediately pulls him into a messy, aggressive hug, laughing loudly as he slaps sunghoonโs back. "congratulations, man! holy shit, i knew youโd pull it off! thatโs huge!"
โbut as the initial wave of excitement settles, a bittersweet realization hits the room. enhigh corporate isn't local, itโs located in a completely different country. accepting this offer means sunghoon has to pack up his entire life, leaving behind his friends and his apartment
โjake noticed the sudden dip in sunghoon's mood and gives him a reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder. "hey, don't worry about anything, hoon. what matters is that you're finally moving forward to the next step. you deserve this."
โa few days later, the apartment is filled with cardboard boxes. soobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung are all gathered, helping sunghoon pack the remaining engineering textbooks and clothes into his suitcases
โas heeseung tapes up a box of shoes, he casually looks up, his eyes scanning sunghoonโs quiet profile. "so... are you not going to tell y/n about this?"
โthe entire room subtly goes quiet. sunghoonโs hands pause over the sweater heโs folding
โ"no," sunghoon answers softly, keeping his eyes glued to the fabric. "i don't think i will. she made it pretty clear that she never wants to see my face again anyway."
โheeseung sighs, leaning back against the wall. "well, there's no harm in just letting her know. use it as a chance to say goodbye and apologize one last time properly. who knows? you two might actually never cross paths again once you fly out."
โthe words never cross paths again send a cold, sharp shiver straight down sunghoon's spine. his stomach twists uncomfortably. he scratches the back of his neck, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh
โ"yeah... i'll think about it," sunghoon murmurs quietly.
โa week later, you find yourself getting closer to sungchan. thereโs no official label between you two yet, but heโs sweet, attentive, and always there
late at night, youโre sitting on your couch, softly laughing into your phone as you talk to sungchan about your date scheduled for tomorrow morning
โin the middle of your conversation, the sharp buzz of your apartment doorbell echoes through the quiet space
โ"wait a second, sungchan. someone's at the door," you murmur, pulling the phone away from your ear. you walk over to the foyer and glance at the wall-mounted intercom screen
โyour heart instantly drops into your stomach.
itโs sunghoon. heโs standing under the dim hallway light, a beautiful bouquet of fresh white camellias cradled carefully in his arms
โthe bell rings again. you stay completely frozen, your breath hitching. you stubbornly refuse to open the door. the memory of your last fight is still too raw, and you simply cannot bring yourself to face him
โafter a long, heavy silence, sunghoon seems to realize you aren't going to let him in. he lets out a quiet breath, slowly bending down to set the white camellias gently on the floor right next to your door
he straightens back up, staring directly at the camera lens as if he knows you're watching him from the other side and then, he starts to speak
โ"y/n... i know you're in there," sunghoonโs deep voice drifts through the intercom speaker, sounding incredibly soft, completely stripped of his usual arrogance. "i know you still don't want to see me, and that's okay. i understand."
โyou stand there, pressing your palm against the cold wood of the door, unable to look away from the screen
โ"first, i just want to apologize. i'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable with how i acted at the lounge. i truly regret everything," he murmurs, his dark eyes looking incredibly vulnerable
he lets out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. "you know... the very first person i looked for when i woke up from that coma was you. crazy, right?"
โ"every single day after i woke up, i kept practicing what to say to you. i kept trying to draft an apology in my head. but honestly, i was terrified. i remembered how harsh and awful i was to you before the accident, and i couldn't even bring myself to send you a single text. i knew you had a life over in europe, and later on, yunjin mentioned that you were finally happy... that you were going out on dates. i didn't want to ruin that for you. i didn't want to drag you back into my mess because i knew exactly how badly i hurt you."
โtears finally spill over your lashes, tracking silently down your cheeks. you bite your lower lip hard, forcing yourself not to make a sound
โ"and... i'm genuinely happy to see that you're doing well now even if you're with sungchan," sunghoon continues, a faint, sad smile pulling at his lips. "jake told me about him since i've been too busy with other things lately. i guess... i really am pathetic, just like you said."
โhe pauses, looking down at his shoes before locking eyes with the camera again. "i'm sorry for everything, y/n. i just wanted to say it out loud so the weight in my head could finally ease up a bit. ah... i feel like i'm talking too much."
โhe clears his throat, his expression shifting into something genuinely proud. "by the way... i got accepted at enhigh corporate. pretty cool, right?"
โat that exact sentence, you lose your battle against the tears. a choked sob escapes your throat, and you have to clap both hands over your mouth to muffle the sound. you thought he was just dropping by to say sorry, but heโs still not done
โ"i just wanted to make sure i apologized to you properly before i leave, even if it has to be through a closed door," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking slightly with an emotion heโs trying hard to suppress. "my flight is tomorrow morning."
โhe lets out another breathy laugh, trying to lighten the suffocating gravity of his words. "man, i'm really not used to talking this much. my throat is literally dry."
โsunghoon slowly raises his hand, giving a gentle, lingering wave toward the camera lens. "goodbye, y/n."
โthe moment his shadow turns around and walks away from the screen, your knees completely give out. you slide down against the back of the door, collapsing onto the cold floor as you bury your face in your hands, crying uncontrollably. the heavy, suffocating silence of the apartment is completely filled with your raw, heartbreaking sobs
โmeanwhile, as sunghoon steps out of your apartment building, he lets out a massive, clean sigh. for the first time in two years, the crushing guilt in his chest feels a little lighter now that he has finally confessed everything he carried
โthe sky above is dark, and a heavy rain suddenly starts to pour, drenching the empty streets. but sunghoon doesn't care. without a second thought, he shoves his hands into his pockets and walks straight into the downpour, walking slowly, peacefully, letting the cool rain wash over him as he embraces the quiet, lonely night
โ"sunghoon!"
a desperate, cracked scream pierces through the heavy roar of the rain. sunghoon freezes. he abruptly spins around, his dark eyes widening in absolute shock
โthere you are. you had chased him all the way out of the building, running straight into the torrential downpour. youโre wearing nothing but a beautiful, silk nightgown that is now completely soaked and clinging to your skin, your bare feet stepping directly onto the freezing, wet pavement
โ"y/n...?" sunghoon whispers, his voice instantly swallowed by the wind
โseeing you standing there, shivering and crying under the heavy rain, completely breaks something inside him
without a second thought, sunghoon sprints back toward you. all his pent-up emotions, his worry bubbles up because god, you are truly the only person in this world who can drive him this violently insane
โ"what the hell are you doing?!" sunghoon roars, his hands instantly gripping your wet shoulders as he glares down at you, furious out of sheer worry. "are you out of your mind?! running out here in your sleepwear?! it's freezing, y/nโ"
โhe doesn't get to finish. you throw your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face into his soaked chest as you sob uncontrollably
you hold onto him with every single ounce of strength you have left, your entire body trembling against his broad frame
โ"i'm sorry... i'm so sorry, hoon," you choke out between your tears, tightening your grip on his jacket
"please... please don't leave me again. when you were in that coma, your body was right there, so close that i could touch it, but your soul felt miles away. and now youโre trying to leave for real?"
โsunghoonโs breath hitches. his hands slowly wrap around your small waist, pulling you so close against him that thereโs absolutely no space left between you two
โ"i'm sorry i slapped you yesterday," you sob loudly into his chest, letting all the hidden truths pour out. "i only did that because i wanted to hate you, hoon. i wanted to force myself to forget you because you were the only thing on my mind for two whole years! i hated you so much for never reaching out to me while i was in europe, even though i was desperately waiting for you. i had to keep begging yunjin and giselle for updates about you, and i had to physically stop myself from texting you because... because i promised your unconscious body that i wouldn't bother you anymore."
โtears mix with the rain on your face as you look up at him, your eyes completely raw. "and every single night while you were in that coma, i had these weird, vivid dreams. in every single one of them, you were constantly apologizing to me, over and over again, in so many different ways. i used to wake up every night crying, thinking i was just going crazy. i thought my brain was just making things up because i desperately wanted to hear you say sorry..."
โhearing your words, a profound, overwhelming wave of emotion crashes over sunghoon. a soft, breathless gasp slips past his lips. the strings, the connection he had fought so hard it was real. you had felt his soul begging for your forgiveness all along
a deep, radiant warmth fills his entire chest, and he buries his face into your neck, pressing a soft, desperate kiss against your wet shoulder as he holds you like you're his entire world
โ"i'm sorry, baby. i'm so sorry," sunghoon murmurs against your skin, his voice thick with tears
โbut then, reality kicks back in. he feels how violently youโre shivering in his arms. sunghoon quickly breaks the embrace, taking your small, freezing hands into his large palms. "you're going to get sick. you have zero tolerance for the cold, come on. we need to go back inside right now!"
โhe grabs your hand, and instead of walking, the two of you start running back toward your apartment building through the heavy sheets of rain
โbut this time, the heavy sadness is completely gone. despite being completely soaked and freezing, a loud, breathless laugh bubbles up from your chest
you look over at his sharp profile as you run, the adrenaline making you completely bold. "hoon! i love you!" you scream over the roaring thunder
โsunghoon blinks, the loud sound of the pouring rain completely muffling your words. "what?! what did you say?!"
โyou let out another joyful giggle, shaking your head as you pull him along. "nothing! i said i love you!"
โsunghoonโs lips instantly stretch into a wide, breathless grin. he tightens his grip on your hand, pulling you a bit closer as he runs right next to you. "i love you more, y/n! so much more!" he yells back, but his voice drops slightly at the end, the wind sweeping the rest of his words away
โ"what?!" you shout back, looking up at him. "i couldn't hear you!"
โ"i said hurry up before the rain gets any worse!" sunghoon scolds with a playful grin, shoving open the glass doors of your lobby
โthe two of you burst into the warm foyer, completely dripping wet, leaving a trail of puddles on the floor. you look at each otherโs ruined, soaked hair and drenched clothes, and right there in the empty lobby, you both break into loud, echoing laughter
one year later..
the dynamic between you and sunghoon has shifted into something entirely new. youโre still technically "exes," but the miles between you have taught you both something neither of you knew before: how to be each otherโs safe place, even from halfway across the world
โyour work schedule is a nightmare, brutal and relentless, often even more hectic than sunghoonโs. despite that, he never breaks his promise
every morning, a fresh bouquet of white camellias waits on your desk, accompanied by those infuriatingly cute sticky notes: โdonโt let your boss give you a headache today,โ or โsmile for me, okay?โ
โheโs obsessive in the best way. if you mention in passing that youโre bored with your bag, a courier shows up at your door forty-eight hours later with exactly what you described
it got to the point where you stopped mentioning things you wanted, because you knew heโd buy them instantly. whenever he asks,
"what do you want for your birthday?" you just whisper, "i just want to see you." but he always sighs, "be patient, y/n. the timing isn't right yet."
โuntil the japan trip. when you mentioned the group trip to yunjin, giselle, and the boys, sunghoonโs tone became unusually vague. โi donโt know, y/n. iโm drowning in work lately. i donโt think i can make it.โ
โyou hid your disappointment, forcing a smile. โoh... right. okay, no worries. good luck with work, hoon.โ
โbut after that, the silence became deafening. for three days, no texts. no late-night facetime. you felt like you were back to square one, your heart twisting with every hour he stayed offline. you were dying to tell him you missed him, but his phone was permanently unreachable
โby the time you land in japan, your mood is already hovering somewhere between exhaustion and pure heartbreak. then comes the hotel room disaster
โ"wait, why is my room key different?" you frown, staring at the card giselle handed you. "i thought i was bunking with you and yunjin."
โ"oh, about that," giselle says, looking anywhere but at you. "we figured you needed the space! we booked you a suiteโlook, itโs on a different floor and itโs massive. itโs got a private pool, y/n! don't be a party pooper."
โ"but iโm terrified of sleeping alone in a giant room!" you protest, turning to yunjin. "just come sleep with me!"
โyunjin looks horrified. "um, no way! giselle and i are terrified of obakeโjapanese ghosts. and if the three of us stay together, the room count becomes an odd number. odd numbers are a ghost's favorite, y/n. itโs simple math!"
โ"you guys are literally the most ridiculous people on earth," you deadpan, though you eventually give up
โthat night, lying in the massive, cold suite, you stare at your phone screen. โhoon, iโm in japan. i miss you so much. can we facetime?โ
โdelivered but no read receipt. you toss the phone aside, feeling the familiar, bitter sting of loneliness
โday one is a blur of chaos. you, yunjin, and giselle hit the streets of tokyo, turning vintage stores into your personal runway. you try to force yourself to enjoy the trip, but every time you see a cute shop, you instinctively think, โsunghoon would love this,โ only for the realization to hit that heโs not here
by nightfall, the whole squad meets up at a hidden ramen shop tucked away in a narrow alley. the air is thick with the savory scent of boiling broth, the clinking of glasses, and loud, chaotic arguments. currently, you are in the middle of a heated, absolutely ridiculous debate with yunjin and yeonjun
โ"i'm telling you, y/n, it makes perfect sense!" yeonjun aggressively slaps his hand on the wooden table, gesturing toward his round ramen bowl. "if the earth is actually a sphere, why don't the oceans just spill off the bottom into space? explain that to me!"
โ"yeonjun, please tell me you're joking," you groan, rubbing your temples while yunjin aggressively nods in agreement with him. "it's called gravity! the core of the earth pulls everything inward. we are not flying off into the void."
โ"but think about the horizon!" yunjin chimes in, leaning across the table with wide, dramatic eyes. "when you look at the ocean, it's a straight line, y/n. a straight. line. if it were round, weโd see a curve! i watched a three-hour documentary on youtube last week, and honestly? the government is lying to us. ice walls are holding the water in!"
โ"an ice wall?! what is this, game of thrones?" you burst out laughing, completely frustrated. "you guys are literally conspiracy theorists. soobin, please help me out here, tell them they're idiots."
โsoobin, who is busy chewing his pork belly, just raises his hands defensively. "don't drag me into this. i'm just here for the free food."
โyou roll your eyes, completely amused, and turn back to face your opponents. "okay, if the earth is flat, thenโ"
โmid-sentence, you notice yunjin and yeonjunโs expressions instantly shift. their arguments completely die out, replaced by this incredibly annoying, smug, and knowing smirk
they aren't even looking at you anymore, their eyes are fixed on something right behind your head
"what? why are you guys looking at me like that?" you frown, shifting uncomfortably on your stool
โbefore either of them can answer, a tall, broad shadow falls over your seat. you glance up, and the words completely freeze in your throat
โpark sunghoon is standing right there!
โhe looks devastatingly handsome, wearing a casual, dark button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his hair slightly damp from the summer humidity
before your brain can even process his presence, he smoothly slides onto the empty stool right next to you, his broad shoulder brushing intimately against yours
โyour mind goes completely blank. "youโhow are you even here?!"
โaround the table, the entire squad instantly bursts into loud, teasing cheers
โ"look at her face!" yeonjun howls with laughter, pointing a chopstick at you. "she looks like she just saw a real obake!"
โ"gosh, get a room, you two," yunjin teases, nudging your elbow playfully under the table. "the unresolved tension is literally making my ramen cold."
โjake just shakes his head, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he takes a sip of his water. "told you she'd look like that, sunghoon. you owe me ten bucks."
โ"shut up, jake," sunghoon chuckles, but his eyes never once leave yours
โwhile the rest of the table goes back to their loud conversations, sunghoon leans his head down, his lips brushing dangerously close to the shell of your ear
โ"did you miss me?" he whispers, his deep morning-like voice sending a sudden, electric shiver straight down your spine
โyou swallow hard, trying to keep your voice steady as you whisper back, "no. not at all. i was actually having fun."
โsunghoon lets out a dark, low chuckle that vibrates against your skin. he leans in just a millimeter closer, his dark eyes locking onto yours with terrifying intensity. "liar. you look even more beautiful than you did on screen, y/n. i couldn't take my eyes off you the second i walked in."
โyour face instantly burns a violent shade of red. beneath the privacy of the table, you blindly reach out and give his thigh a sharp, aggressive pinch
sunghoon doesn't even flinch, his smirk only widens as his hand casually drops onto your knee, giving it a firm, possessive squeeze before slowly pulling away
โon the walk back to the hotel, the group naturally scatters. heeseung and soobin disappear down a side street to look for rare, unique japanese cigarettes, while yeonjun and jake are busy arguing over who gets to hold the digital camera for photo spots. yunjin and giselle immediately run off to a late-night convenience store to shop for weird snacks
โjust like that, it's just you and sunghoon, quietly strolling side by side through the warm tokyo night
โyouโre both eating convenience store ice cream, but yours turns out to be absolutely disgusting, so you let out a whimper and throw it in a nearby bin. now empty-handed, you squint up at his match-flavored ice cream bar
โ"give me a bite," you mutter
โsunghoon smirks, willingly holding the ice cream bar up to your lips, watching with an intensely fond gaze as you take a small bite. "greedy," he murmurs softly
โ"shut up," you chew, before bringing up the topic that's been bothering you for days. "why did you barely text me these past few days? and why didn't you tell me you were coming to japan? i was literally losing my mind thinking you were drowning in work or something."
โsunghoon takes a slow bite from the same spot your lips just touched, his eyes locked on yours. "why? did you want me to text you that badly? did you cry yourself to sleep because you thought i wouldn't make it?"
โ"in your dreams, park!" you scoff, rolling your eyes in sheer annoyance as you playfully push your hand against his massive shoulder. "go back to your office. i was actually looking forward to a peaceful vacation without your annoying face."
โsunghoon lets out a melodious, genuine laugh, letting himself sway from your shove before stepping even closer, his arm wrapping smoothly around your waist to pull you flush against his side. "i wanted to surprise you, baby. and looking at how completely flushed you are right now... i'd say my mission was a masterpiece."
โwhen you finally reach the hotel floor, the hallway is completely empty. you walk over to the massive double doors of your luxury suite, pulling out your key card. "okay, we're here. why are you still following me? go to your own room, sunghoon, i want to change and sleep."
โ"i want to sleep too," sunghoon replies smoothly, leaning his back against the wall right next to your door frame, his arms crossed over his chest
โ"then go to your room!" you snap, waving your hand dismissively. "shoo."
โinstead of leaving, sunghoon just flashes you a slow, deeply amused grin. he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a golden key card, tapping it lightly against his own palm. "this is my room."
โyour jaw drops. "what?! what do you mean your room? park sunghoon, stop joking around, it's not funny."
โ"i'm not joking," he chuckles, stepping forward, effectively trapping you between his large physique and the door. he takes the card from your hand and swipes his own against the electronic lock
the door clicks open, revealing the massive, dimly lit suite with a private pool glowing in the background. sunghoon casually strolls inside, tossing his wallet onto the counter
โyou march inside after him, slamming the door shut with a loud thud. "are you crazy?! why the hell are we sharing a single hotel room? what kind of 'exes' do this?!"
โ"why are you acting so shocked?" sunghoon turns around, his dark eyes darkening with a sudden, heavy wave of heat as he steps into your personal space
he keeps walking until your hips hit the edge of the kitchen island, completely trapping you. "itโs not like weโve never shared a bed before, y/n. besides, it's not like i haven't seen you completely nakโ"
โbefore the word can fully leave his lips, you frantically throw both of your hands over his mouth, your heart hammering so violently against your ribs youโre convinced he can hear it. your face is practically on fire
โ"okay! okay! shut up! don't say it!" you squeak, glaring up at him with wide, panicked eyes
โsunghoon doesn't move. his dark eyes stare down at you over your palms, the corners of his eyes crinkling beautifully as he laughs silently against your skin, his warm breath tickling your hands
โ"fine, we're sleeping here," you breathe out, slowly lowering your hands but keeping your chest dangerously close to his. "but we are putting a mountain of pillows between us as a boundary. you stay on your side, i stay on mine. got it?"
โsunghoon just tilts his head, a devastatingly slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. his hands gently come up to rest on your waist, his thumbs tracing the bare skin just beneath the hem of your shirt, sending goosebumps all over your body
โ"we'll see about that, sweetheart," he whispers, his voice dropping into a raspy murmur. "let's see how long that pillow wall lasts."
day two begins with the absolute worst kind of morning chaos
โyou slowly blink your eyes open, feeling an unusual, heavy warmth pressing against your side. the bed suddenly feels incredibly cramped
you look down and notice the neat barrier of pillow walls you built last night is still perfectly intact right in the middle of the mattress. but park sunghoon? he has completely bypassed the boundary, slithering over to your side of the bed
โyou turn your head, and your heart instantly jumps. sunghoon is already awake, propping his head up with one hand as he stares down at your messy morning face with an incredibly fond, quiet gaze
โ"what the hell, sunghoon?!" you croak out, your morning voice raspy as you aggressively nudge his chest. "what are you doing on my side? you're making it so cramped!"
โsunghoon just lets out a low, deep morning chuckle, not moving an inch. "i was bored."
โ"if you're bored, go jump in the private pool outside!" you snap, sitting up and glaring down at him. "why do you have to annoy me the second i wake up?"
โ"swim alone? that's boring," he murmurs, his dark eyes gleaming with pure amusement. "come swim with me."
โ"no way, i still want to sleep," you complain, burying your face back into the sheets
โ"lazybones," sunghoon teases, poking your cheek
โyou instantly snap, sitting back up. "fine! i'm taking the bathroom first then."
โ"no, i'm going first," sunghoon counter-attacks, finally sitting up against the headboard. "let's settle this like adults. rock, paper, scissors. winner gets the shower."
โ"fine!" you lift your fist. "rock, paper, scissors!"
โyou throw out paper, and sunghoon throws out scissors
โ"ha! i win," sunghoon chirps, a smug, victorious smirk instantly spreading across his face. but instead of getting up, he just shoves his hands behind his head and leans comfortably back into the mattress. "alright, you can go first. go ahead."
โyou freeze, staring at him in absolute disbelief. "wait... what? you won! why aren't you going?!"
โyou crawl over and start aggressively pulling at his broad, solid arms, trying to drag his massive physique off the bed. "get up! go to the bathroom, sunghoon! move your lazy ass!"
โ"i don't want to go first," sunghoon mutters, laughing loudly against his pillow as he easily resists your pulls. "i just wanted to win the game so i could see that annoyed, frustrated look on your face. it worked beautifully."
โ"you are actually the most frustrating human being on this planet!" you yell, snatching the nearest hotel pillow and throwing it straight at his face before ripping your towel off the rack
once the whole squad is finally ready, the journey to enoshima turns into pure, unadulterated chaos. the vintage enoden train is packed to the brim with commuters and tourists, forcing everyone to cram into the narrow aisle
โon one side of the carriage, heeseung and yeonjun have completely passed out against each other. yeonjunโs head keeps lolling around like a broken doll, forcing a miserable jake to stand guard and physically push yeonjunโs head back onto his shoulder every thirty seconds
meanwhile, soobin is standing directly between a group of pretty local girls, suddenly shifting into his ultra-nonchalant, "cool guy" mode. his posture is rigid, his gaze is fixed on the ceiling, and heโs pretending to be incredibly absorbed in his phone, even though he's clearly sweating bullets
โin the corner, yunjin and giselle are giggling like maniacs, snapping candid, blurry photos of the boys' misery using a vintage film camera
โand then thereโs you and sunghoon. the train jolts violently, sending the entire crowd swaying. youโre pushed flat against the corner of the door, and sunghoon instantly steps in to "protect" you, which is really just an excuse to trap you in his space
he plants a large hand on the glass panel right above your head, his broad shoulders shielding you from the rest of the train, creating a tiny, suffocatingly intimate bubble just for the two of you
โhis presence is overwhelming. you can smell the faint, clean scent of his soap mixed with the humid summer air
โsunghoon leans down, his lips brushing dangerously close to your ear. his voice is a low, velvety hum that you feel more than you hear. "you smell so good today, y/n. did you change your perfume?"
โyour skin prickles. "sunghoon, you're too close. back up," you whisper, trying to maintain your dignity, though your voice cracks slightly
โhe chuckles, the sound vibrating against your shoulder. he shifts his weight, leaning in even further until his breath is tickling your neck. "you know... when this vacation ends, we shouldn't just go back to our separate lives. how about we take a real trip? just the two of us. a honeymoon, maybe?"
โyour eyes widen, and without thinking, you drive your elbow sharply into his ribs. "honeymoon?! are you delusional? get lost, park!"
โ"ow, that hurt," he feigns a wince, but his grin only grows wider, his dark eyes sparkling with that wicked, teasing light. "iโm serious. itโll just be us, just me and you."
โas the train takes another sharp turn, your body lurches forward. sunghoonโs hand moves from the glass to your waist to steady you, pulling you flush against his chest. you instinctively tilt your head back to glare at him, to tell him off, to call him a jerk but the words die on your tongue
โhis face is right there. heโs so close that your noses are nearly touching. you can see the golden flecks in his dark eyes, and his gaze is fixed intently on your lips, then back to your eyes, slow and deliberate
the air between you feels thick, charged with a tension so heavy it makes your heart hammer against your ribs like a caged bird
โyou were ready to yell at him, but instead, you find yourself completely breathless. your throat feels tight, and you suddenly feel incredibly shy, your gaze dropping to his shirt collar
โ"you..." you start, but you can't even finish the sentence. your heart is beating way too fast
โsunghoonโs hand on your waist tightens just a fraction, his thumb tracing a slow, rhythmic circle against your hip. he looks like he's about to bridge the last inch of space between you
โ"we'll talk about that trip later, then," he whispers, his voice dropping to a gravelly, suggestive purr that makes your knees weak. "but for now, just stay close to me."
โyou canโt breathe. you just give a tiny, almost imperceptible nod, your face burning a violent shade of red, completely forgetting all the insults you had lined up for him
when you guys finally step off at the beach, the afternoon heat hits you full force, and the squad naturally scatters into their own chaotic groups
โoff to the side, heeseung has somehow managed to borrow an acoustic guitar from some local beachgoers, and now he, soobin, and giselle are sitting on the sand, jamming out with some locals
yunjin and jake are a few yards away, animatedly chatting up a group of foreign tourists, while yeonjun is walking along the shoreline, holding his phone high up as he facetimes his current crush, bragging about the view
โaway from the noise, you and sunghoon are sitting side by side on a smooth wooden log, watching the sky shift into shades of amber and violet
โyou take a sip of your drink, staring out at the open water. "hey, hoon... do you think mermaids are real?"
โsunghoon turns his head to look at you, blinking behind his sunglasses. "mermaids? of course not. that's biologically and logically impossible, y/n. how would they even breathe or survive the ocean pressure?"
โyou instantly judge him with a massive side-eye. "wow. so you don't believe in mermaids, but you blindly believe in that whole soulmate and red thread thing? where is the logic in that, park sunghoon?"
โ"hey, that's completely different," sunghoon argues, letting out a soft laugh as he leans his chin in his palm. "mermaids belong in barbie movies. but soulmates? that's cosmic, it's real."
โ"whatever," you roll your eyes, but a soft smile slips onto your face as you look back at the horizon. the sun is slowly dipping below the ocean, painting the water in gold. "wow... it's so beautiful."
โyou turn your head to see if he's watching the sunset, but he isn't. sunghoon is leaning dangerously close to you, his intense, dark gaze fixed entirely on your face, the golden twilight highlighting every sharp, breathtaking line of his features
โ"yeah," sunghoon murmurs, his voice suddenly dropping into that deep, serious register. "incredibly beautiful."
โyou look into his eyes and swallow hard. "i... i meant the sunset, sunghoon."
โ"i know," sunghoon replies smoothly, a slow, radiant grin breaking across his lips as he tilts his face even closer to yours. "but i meant you."
โ"go away!" you gasp, your face exploding into a bright red flush
โwithout thinking, you reach out and slap your palm directly onto his face, aggressively shoving his head away from your sight. "stop getting so close to me! get away, park sunghoon!"
โsunghoon just bursts into a loud, melodious laugh, letting you shove his face away while his hands instinctively find your waist again under the golden sky, completely unbothered by your fake anger
the afternoon heat of late august mellows into a warm, golden breeze as the three of you finally step out of the dressing boutique
โinside the shop, the boys are already causing an absolute scene. yeonjun and yunjin are currently in a high-decibel screaming match near the mirror
โ"i'm telling you, choi yeonjun! the dark blue obi belt makes him look like a modern city prince!" yunjin yells, aggressively shaking a piece of fabric in his face. "the black one is just boring! it looks like heโs going to a funeral!"
โ"are you blind, huh?!" yeonjun shoots back, snatching the black belt and wrapping it around his own waist dramatically. "black is classic! it makes his chest look wider! ask jake, jake knows fashion!"
โjake, who is currently sitting on a wooden stool, doesn't even look up from his phone. "don't drag me into this. i'm busy trying to look up how to tie this damn thing on youtube. heeseung, help me, my arms are stuck."
โheeseung rolls his eyes, sighing as he untangles jake's sleeves. "you guys are literally so loud. the local staff are judging us."
โmeanwhile, near the changing curtain, giselle is already circling you like a hawk, her digital camera glued to her eye. "oh my god, oh my god, y/n! don't move! look over here! give me a slight poutโyes! stop, you look like a literal painting! i'm going to cry!"
โ"gigi, stop it! my eyes are going to get blurry from the flash!" you laugh, shielding your face with your wide yukata sleeves "people are looking!"
โ"let them look! they're just jealous they don't have a gorgeous friend like you," giselle squeals, aggressively clicking the shutter
โby the doorway, jake suddenly nudges sunghoonโs shoulder, leaning in to whisper secretly. "hey. check your breathing, man. your shoulders are completely stiff. stop looking like you're about to walk into a battlefield. relax, or sheโs going to notice something is up."
โsunghoon just gives a tight, frantic nod, swallowing hard as he adjusts his collar for the tenth time. "i'm trying, jake. my hands are literally sweating"
โthe moment you finally step out into the courtyard, the chaotic shouting instantly dies down. sunghoon turns around, and the playful scowl on his face completely vanishes
his eyes widen, taking in your entire appearance from head to toe. the soft makeup, the elegant floral hairpins, and the way the yukata hugs your figure perfectly. he looks utterly captivated, like a man who just saw a miracle
โ"wow," sunghoon breathes out, his deep voice thick with emotion as he steps straight into your space, completely ignoring the rest of the world. "y/n... you look incredibly beautiful. seriously. i can't even..."
โ"iโit's just a regular yukata," you mumble, your cheeks turning a bright, violent pink as you look down at your sandals. "stop staring at me like that, park. it's embarrassing."
โ"i can't help it," he murmurs, a soft, helpless smile breaking across his face
โas you guys head toward the festival, the group naturally splits up. or more accurately, your friends disappear with terrifying speed
โ"hey, look! a shooting game! soobin, come on!" yeonjun yells, grabbing soobin's arm and sprinting into the crowd
โ"wait, i want takoyaki!" yunjin shrieks, dragging jake and giselle with her. in less than thirty seconds, the entire squad has vanished into the sea of people, leaving just you and sunghoon
โ"where did they even go?!" you frown, looking around. "they're like roaches, they scatter so fast."
โ"let them be," sunghoon chuckles, his large fingers casually sliding down until they intertwine tightly with yours
โyou blink, startled by the touch. "woah. why are your hands so freezing cold, hoon? are you sick?"
โ"maybe because it's cold out here," he replies smoothly, keeping his eyes forward
โ"are you insane? it's literally late august, it's summer, and it's so humid tonight!" you scoff, giving his hand a light squeeze. "how can you be cold?"
โ"doesn't matter," sunghoon says, turning his head to smile down at you, his dark eyes gleaming. "just let me hold your hand. if you say no, i'll just hold your waist or wrap my arm around your shoulder instead. as long as i get to touch you, i don't care."
โyour heart does a wild, chaotic flip. you both find a quiet spot near a food stall, buying a boat of hot takoyaki and a katsu-sando. after just two bites of the sandwich, you hold the remaining half out to his face. "here, eat it. i'm full."
โsunghoon looks down at the half-eaten food, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "why do i always have to be your personal trash can? you always buy everything and make me finish it."
โ"it's bad to waste food, sunghoon! and it's delicious, don't judge it!" you whine, and before he can argue, you literally jam the bread against his lips. "just chew!"
โsunghoon laughs against your fingers, accepting the bite. "okay, fine. itโs good."
โ"told you," you smile proudly
โ"here, open your mouth. open wide," sunghoon murmurs a second later, lifting a steaming takoyaki ball with a wooden toothpick. he holds his other hand underneath it, carefully blowing on it. "small bites, okay? it's hot."
โyou lean in, carefully biting off a tiny piece, chewing delicately. "i'm trying to protect my lipstick," you mumble around your food
โsunghoon watches you with an intensely soft expression, his thumb reaching out to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering against your cheek for a split second. "you look like a literal hamster right now, y/n."
โ"shut up and eat your own food," you huff, blushing hard
โyou both find a quiet bench, looking down at your matching traditional outfits. "we honestly look like real local japanese people in these," you smile, looking out at the lanterns
โ"yeah," sunghoon smiles back, leaning his chin in his palm. "reminds me of the ancient japanese dynasties."
โ"what do you think we'd be doing if we lived in that era?" you ask, tilting your head playfully
โ"nothing much," he replies easily. "i'd probably be a samurai warrior knight, and you'd be my beautiful wife waiting for me at home."
โ"what about the joseon era?" you question, giggling
โat the mention of the joseon era, sunghoonโs playful smile completely vanishes for a split second. a flash of deep, ancient sadness swims in his eyes as he remembers how they had tragically died without ever getting married in their past life
โhe quickly recovers, shaking his head with a soft, reassuring smile. "forget the past eras. let's just focus on the present. back then, if we were long-distance, we couldn't even facetime or text. would you want that?"
โ"definitely not," you smile, leaning your head briefly against his massive shoulder
โwhen you guys head up to the main shrine to pray, an elderly japanese priest spots the two of you walking side by side. the priest smiles warmly, bowing politely as he speaks in heavy, japanese-accented english. "ah, beautiful! a newlywed couple? welcome, welcome to the shrine."
โyou blink, ready to correct him, but sunghoon beats you to it. he bows back perfectly, a smug, proud grin breaking across his face. "yes, thank you. this is my wife, we just got married recently."
โthe priest beams, clapping his hands. "ah, congratulations! may you be blessed with healthy children very soon!"
โyour face instantly explodes into fire. you let out a fake, high-pitched laugh, and the moment the priest walks away, you aggressively pinch sunghoonโs waist. "wife?! children?! are you completely out of your mind, park sunghoon?! what if someone hears you?!"
โ"ouch! hey, it's good to manifest it early, sweetheart," he chuckles, dragging you toward the altar, completely unbothered by your pinch
โstanding side by side, you both close your eyes to pray
โโplease,โ you pray fervently in the silence of your mind. โi just want to be with sunghoon forever. if this is the only way i can be happy, please let this duration last a little longer. just let me have him.โ
โright next to you, sunghoonโs eyes are closed, his expression deeply serene as he whispers his own silent prayer. โplease, just let everything end beautifully tonight.โ
โwhen you both step away, you nudge his arm. "so, what did you pray for?"
โ"unrealistic things," sunghoon lies smoothly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "i prayed for a massive corporate promotion and a raise. what about you?"
โ"oh, very similar," you lie back, flashing a grin. "i prayed that my tyrannical boss would give me a three-month paid vacation."
โas the hour of the fireworks approaches, the shrine grounds become absolutely packed. the rest of the squad is still nowhere to be found, leaving just you and sunghoon standing near a wooden railing overlooking the open valley below
your hand is still trapped in his, and you notice his palm is getting even colder, trembling slightly against yours
โ"hoon, are you sure you're okay? your hand is literally shaking," you ask, looking up at him worriedly
โ"i'm fine. just... excited," he whispers
โsuddenly, a sharp whistle pierces the night sky
โBOOM!!!
โthe first massive firework explodes into the dark blue sky, bursting into a breathtaking shower of gold and emerald
โ"wow... sunghoon, look! it's incredible!" you gasp, your eyes wide with awe, completely mesmerized. "itโs the most beautiful thing iโve ever seen!"
โbut sunghoon isn't looking at the sky. he stands sideways, his back to the fireworks, his intense, burning gaze locked entirely on your face. the colorful sparks light up your eyes, and to him, nothing else in the world matters
โwithout warning, he leans down, his lips brushing right against your ear as the thunderous roar of the fireworks shakes the air. "i love you, y/n."
โyou blush, smiling up at him. "i know you do, hoon. you don't have to shout it over the fireworks."
โ"no, y/n. listen to me," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a register so profoundly serious it makes your heart stop
he gently releases your hand, stepping back just an inch. "i am completely, deeply in love with you and i want to spend the rest of our lives together."
โbefore your brain can even process his words, sunghoon slowly drops down to one knee on the gravel ground
โyour jaw completely drops, your hands flying over your mouth as your eyes widen in pure, unadulterated shock. "sunghoon...? what are you doing? get up, people are looking!"
โfrom his yukata pocket, sunghoon pulls out a small, velvet box and clicks it open. inside, the most breathtaking, sparkling diamond ring you have ever seen gleams under the flashing lights of the fireworks.
โ"y/n," sunghoon looks up at you, his eyes burning with absolute devotion, his voice thick and trembling. "will you marry me?"
โtears instantly burst from your eyes, spilling over your cheeks. you can't even speak, you just nod your head frantically, sobbing out a breathless, "yes! yes, you idiot!"
โsunghoon lets out a massive, shaky sigh of pure relief. he carefully slides the sparkling ring onto your finger before standing up and pulling you forcefully into his chest, wrapping his broad arms around your waist so tightly like heโs trying to merge your bodies into one
โ"i am going to make you the happiest girl alive, y/n," he whispers roughly against your neck, his breath warm against your skin as he holds you
his shoulders shaking slightly. "i promise i will spend every single day redeeming myself, making up for every single mistake i made in the past. i don't want to live in regret anymore... i'd rather spend my whole life worshiping you and loving you, with you by my side. thank you for saving me again. thank you for coming back to me."
โyou sob loudly into his shoulder, your fingers clutching the fabric of his yukata. "you are such an idiot, park sunghoon... a total, absolute idiot."
โsunghoon chuckles softly, pulling back just enough to look at your tear-stained face. he gently wipes your cheeks with his thumbs, tilts your chin up, and leans down, pressing his lips firmly against yours
the kiss is deep, passionate, and filled with ultimate forgiveness, sealing your souls together under the exploding sky
โthe moment your lips part, you both rest your foreheads together, breaking into breathless, giddy laughter
โ"OH MY GOD! DID SHE SAY YES?! TELL ME SHE SAID YES!" yunjinโs chaotic scream suddenly pierces the air as she practically shoves her way past jake, spawning out of nowhere
โyou turn around, still giggling, and lift your left hand high up in the air, wiggling your fingers. "i said yes!"
โ"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I KNEW IT!" yunjin shrieks at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down like she just won the lottery, grabbing yeonjunโs shoulders and shaking him violently. "YEONJUN! THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED! MY BABIES ARE GROWING UP!"
โ"DUDE! CONGRATS!" yeonjun howls back, matching yunjin's chaotic energy as he aggressively claps sunghoon on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "finally! i thought i was going to have to listen to sunghoon whine about being single for another ten years! proud of you, man!"
โ"hey! i don't whine!" sunghoon defends himself, laughing as he pulls you closer by your waist
โ"oh, please, you totally do," jake chimes in, stepping forward with a massive, proud grin on his face. he lowers his digital camera, which was hooked up to a stabilizer. "congrats, guys. seriously, you have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret from you, y/n. sunghoon literally called me twenty times last week asking if the ring size was right."
โ"jake, stop exposing me," sunghoon groans, rubbing the back of his neck, though his smile is huge
โgiselle walks over, her eyes glistening with genuine tears as she hugs you tightly. "bitch, i recorded the whole thing in 4K resolution from behind the bush! you looked so beautiful! i'm literally sobbing. look at my mascara, it's ruined!"
โ"you look great, gigi, thank you," you laugh, hugging her back before looking over at soobin and heeseung
โsoobin is wiping a fake tear from his eye, looking like a proud father. "our little sunghoon is finally locked in. i'm so proud. can i be the best man? please tell me i'm the best man."
โ"we'll fight for it later, soobin," heeseung chuckles, giving sunghoon a warm fist bump before looking at you with a gentle smile. "congrats, y/n. you genuinely deserve all the happiness. and sunghoon, if you mess up this time, you know the whole circle is coming for your head, right?"
โ"i know, i know," sunghoon laughs, tightening his grip around your waist, his eyes looking down at you with nothing but pure, unadulterated devotion. "i won't ever mess this up. promise."
โ"wait a minute," you freeze, looking from sunghoon to soobin, your eyes narrowing as a sudden realization hits you. "so the room arrangement at the hotel...? the single suite...?"
โ"yep," soobin pops the 'p', flashing a cheeky grin. "sunghoon planned this whole trip, y/n. i only made the group chat and pretended it was a casual squad vacation because this idiot came to us crying last month saying he wanted to propose to you in japan. we just helped him set the trap."
โ"you guys are all complete menaces!" you laugh through your happy tears, hiding your flaming face against sunghoonโs chest
โ"alright, enough with the sappy stuff! we need to celebrate!" yunjin declares, waving her hand in the air. "to the nearest convenience store! sunghoon is buying everyone drinks, expensive ice cream, and snacks tonight!"
โ"hell yeah! free food!" yeonjun cheers, and just like that, the group starts walking down the shrine steps
โthe warm summer night is filled with their loud, loving, and absolutely chaotic banter, but as you look down at the sparkling ring on your finger and feel sunghoonโs now warm, protective hand wrapping securely around yours, you just smile. you were exactly where you belonged
the second the hotel room door clicks shut, there are no hesitant questions. before you can even take off your sandals, sunghoonโs large hands are wrapping around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest as his lips crash onto yours in a fierce, bruising kiss. the taste of him is intoxicating, laced with the sweet, lingering warmth of the summer night
โyou can barely gasp for air before his weight pushes you backward, both of you tumbling onto the soft hotel mattress. in a flash, sunghoon is hovering directly over you, his knees pinning your thighs down as his hands begin a restless, burning exploration of your body
โwhenever the crushing kiss finally breaks so you both can catch your breath, you look up into his dark, blown-out eyes. a soft, giddy laugh escapes your lips, but sunghoonโs expression is dangerously serious, his lips curving into a lazy, predatory smirk
โ"you have no idea," sunghoon breathes against your lips, his voice deep, rough, and trembling with a year's worth of hunger. "you have absolutely no idea how fucking hard it was to stand next to you today and act normal, when all i wanted to do was drag you into an alley and absolutely ruin you."
โ"then don't stop..." you whisper breathlessly, wrapping your arms around his neck
โ"who said anything about stopping?" he sneers darkly, diving right back down to capture your mouth
โhis fingers slide down, rucking up the layers of your yukata until his bare palm is boldly sliding up your inner thigh
the sudden friction of his calloused skin against your sensitive flesh makes you let out a soft whine against his mouth
โsunghoon breaks the kiss, tracking a path of burning, wet bites down your jawline, burying his face in the crook of your neck. his teeth graze your sweet spot, biting down hard enough to leave dark, bruising marks on your skin
โ"shut up and take it," he murmurs roughly against your skin, his tongue soothing the bite mark before he bites down on your collarbone again. "i want every single bastard out there to know exactly who you belong to."
โheโs so desperately turned on by your helpless whimpers that he doesn't even bother taking your yukata off. instead, his trembling fingers aggressively yank the tight sash apart, loosening the heavy fabric just enough to bare your chest to the cool air, exposing the two gorgeous, full breasts he has spent the last year obsessing over
โhe instantly captures one in his large palm, kneading the soft flesh mercilessly as he leans down to press another deep, tongue-heavy kiss to your lips
the sheer pleasure of his rough, punishing grip makes you instinctively slap his chest, a soft smack echoing in the quiet room
โ"ow," sunghoon grunts against your lips, a deeply dark, arrogant chuckle vibrating in his chest, he doesn't stop
instead, his thumb aggressively pinches your hard, sensitive nipple, twisting it just enough to make you cry out
he pulls back, looking down at your flushed face, his gaze dripping with filthy authority. "youโve gotten so fucking heavy, y/n... tell me the truth. did you touch yourself while i was away? did you rub your own nipples imagining my hands on them?"
โyour eyes widen, your brain short-circuiting at his blunt words. you frantically shake your head on the pillow, completely embarrassed. "n-no! i didn'tโah! sunghoon, stop pinching!"
โ"don't lie to me," he commands coldly, his thumb pinching the tip even harder until you gasp, forcing you to look into his dark, demanding eyes. "i want to hear you admit it. tell me you played with yourself because you were so fucking desperate for me."
โ"i... iโah! yes!" you cry out, your face burning as you arch your back. "sunghoon... ngh!"
โ"say it properly," he taunts, leaning his weight fully onto you. "say' yes, hoonie, i touched myself for you' come on.'"
โ"y-yes, hoonie... i touched myself for you... please!" you sob out, completely humiliated but impossibly turned on
โsunghoon lets out a low, deeply satisfied hum, his grip tightening as a victorious, filthy smile spreads across his face. "good girl. if you were that desperate for me, iโm going to make sure your tits are sore every single morning from now on."
โyou can only let out an unholy, breathless groan, your head rolling back into the mattress as his fingers work their magic
โbut sunghoon is far from done. his other hand slides further down, bypassing the tangled fabric of your yukata. he doesn't take off your damp lace panties just yet
instead, he presses his flat palm firmly over your core, right through the thin material, and begins to rub in slow, heavy, taunting circles
โthe heavy pressure right against your clit instantly makes you gasp, your hips hitching upward involuntarily. you're already dripping wet, the thin fabric of your panties completely soaked through as he picks up the pace, his fingers skillfully grinding against your most sensitive spot
โ"sunghoon, please... i can'tโi'mโ" you sob out, tears of overwhelming pleasure pricking the corners of your eyes
you clutch at his wrists, your hips chasing his hand. "please, sunghoon, touch me... properly, please..."
โ"properly? what does that even mean?" he mocks softly, leaning down so his hot breath brushes against your lips, purposefully stopping his hand completely to torture you. "use your words, y/n. tell me exactly what you want me to do to your wet little cunt."
โ"touch me inside... please, i'm begging you, i'm so fucking wet," you sob, completely losing your mind, fully stripped of your pride
โsunghoon stares down at you, his chest heaving as he watches your weeping, completely ruined state. he absolutely loves seeing you completely broken and begging just for him
โ"look at how pathetic you are," he whispers darkly, his voice thick with lust. "crying and begging just because i rubbed you a little. do you want my fingers or my mouth? tell me, or i'll just leave you like this."
โ"anything... just fuck me, please!" you sob, arching your hips up against his stalled palm. "give it to me, sunghoon, please!"
โ"fuck, you're so beautiful when you're like this," he murmurs proudly
โand then, he gives you both. sunghoon hooks his fingers under the waistband of your panties, pulling them aside as he ruthlessly shoves two long, slick fingers deep inside your soaking wet heat
at the same time, he dives his head down, burying his face between your thighs, his warm, wet tongue aggressively licking and sucking on your swollen clit
โ"oh my god, sunghoon! ah!" you scream into the quiet room, your hands flying into his styled hair, gripping the strands tightly as your hips rock violently against his mouth and fingers
โthe double stimulation is an absolute execution. you turn into a complete moaning mess. and to completely ruin you, sunghoon reaches his free hand all the way back up, blindly grabbing your bare, aching breast, pinching your nipple in perfect, agonizing rhythm with his deep thrusts below
โ"look at how ridiculously wet you are for me," sunghoon groans against your inner thigh, his voice muffled but incredibly hot as his fingers stretch you wider. "you're practically drowning my fingers, you little slut. scream my name louder. let me hear how much you want your fiancรฉ's cock."
โsunghoon doesnโt stop. his fingers move with a ruthless, punishing speed inside you while his tongue mercilessly wrecks your clit, driving you right over the edge
your breaths catch, your muscles tightening as the familiar, blinding wave of a climax begins to ripple through your lower abdomen
โ"sunghoon, waitโi'm cumming, ah! i'm cumming!" you cry out, arching your back off the sheets
โbut right at that exact split second, sunghoon suddenly yanks his fingers out and pulls his mouth away
โthe sudden, brutal loss of stimulation leaves you completely stranded at the peak. you let out a broken, frustrated sob, your tear-filled eyes opening to look at him. "sunghoon... why did you stop? please, i was right there! why are you doing this?!"
โseeing you in this completely ruined, desperate state only turns him on further. the dark, possessive urge to break you completely consumes him
a low, raspy chuckle escapes his throat as he crawls back up your body, his heavy weight settling back between your trembling thighs
โ"did i give you permission to cum?" he taunts softly, his large fingers wrapping gently but firmly around the front of your neck not choking you, but applying just enough heavy, dominant pressure to remind you exactly who is in charge. "you made me wait a three fucking years, y/n. you don't get to finish until i say so. i own you tonight."
โ"you're a monster..." you whine, glaring up at him through your tears, shivering from the sheer denial
โ"i know," he smirks, completely unbothered. without another word, sunghoon reaches down, blindly breaking open his own dark yukata. he frees his length, already fully erect, thick, and aggressively throbbing
โhe wraps his hand around himself, giving it a few heavy, desperate strokes right in front of your eyes before positioning himself right at your soaking wet entrance
โyour yukata is a complete, tangled disaster around your waist, but sunghoon couldn't care less. with one heavy, unyielding thrust, sunghoon drives himself all the way inside you in a single, brutal motion
โ"ahhh! sunghoon!" you scream, your hands flying up to grip his broad shoulders as your body stretches painfully and perfectly around his massive size
โsunghoon lets out a deep, guttural groan, burying his face into your hair as he waits for your tight walls to adjust to him
โ"fuck... y/n..." he growls against your ear, his hips slamming heavily against yours, making the hotel bed creak loudly. "you're still so fucking tight. it feels like it's your first time all over again. nobody else gets to stretch you out like this. this tight little pussy is all mine."
โ"y-yes! only you... ah! always only you!" you sob out, your head tossing back into the pillow as his rough, relentless pace drives you insane
โ"damn right it's mine," he pants, his pace turning fast and violently deep. "because you're so tight, i'm going to breed you every single night until your body completely forgets how to function without my cock inside you."
โunderneath him, you are a complete, unholy mess. you can only call out his name like a prayer, your voice broken and desperate. "sunghoon... ah, sunghoon, too deepโplease, slower!"
โ"no," he gasps out, his hips slapping loudly against your thighs. "take it all. take every inch of me."
โlost in the overwhelming pleasure, your hands desperately claw at his skin, your fingers gripping tightly onto his solid forearm, sliding up to dig your nails into his broad shoulders and his hard, flexing biceps as he relentlessly takes you higher and higher
โsunghoon can feel your walls twitching and milking him with every single thrust, getting slicker and hotter the more he talks dirty to you. he can feel you standing right on the edge of another massive peak, your inner muscles clamping down on him hard
but once again, right before you can cross the line, sunghoon suddenly groans and yanks himself completely out of you
โ"sunghoon! no! fuck, please!" you practically wail, large tears finally spilling over your cheeks from sheer, unadulterated frustration
you look at him, completely desperate, trembling from the sudden coldness. "why do you keep doing that?! please, i need it..."
โinstead of answering, sunghoon shoves his own slate-grey yukata off his broad shoulders, letting it pool onto the carpeted floor until he is completely, breathtakingly bare
he rolls onto his back, spreading his legs slightly on the messy sheets as his hard, slick length throbs against his stomach.
he looks up at your ruined state, a dark, wickedly arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "if you want to cum that badly, baby... you have to work for it. get on top of me."
โyou don't even hesitate. driven by pure, overwhelming lust and desperation, you crawl over his lap, straddling his thick thighs. you hold onto his hard chest for balance as you carefully guide his massive size back inside your aching heat, letting out a loud, breathless shriek as you take him all the way in
โ"fuck, yes... just like that," sunghoon groans, his hands flying to your waist as you tentatively begin to move your hips up and down
โhe absolutely loves the view from below. while you are riding him, sunghoon uses his large hands to aggressively untangle the rest of your messy yukata, yanking it off your arms and throwing it off the bed. finally, both of you are completely naked, your bare skin frictioning against each other with a burning, wet heat
โand now that you are fully exposed, sunghoonโs hands become completely lawless
โyour thighs are already shaking, and the moment your pace begins to slow down from exhaustion, sunghoon lifts his heavy hand and delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare, flush ass. smack.
โ"ah!" you let out a loud, high-pitched whine, your hips instantly dropping down hard on him from the shock
โ"did i tell you to stop moving, y/n?" he commands in a rough, gravelly whisper, his thumb reaching down to aggressively pin and rub against your swollen clit while your hips move. "keep riding me. if you get lazy again, i'm going to leave you bruised."
โwhenever your pace gets faster, his hands move back up, roughly grabbing, squeezing, and pulling your bare breasts, driving you into a complete, incoherent moaning mess
โ"sunghoon, please... give me a break... ah! it's too much, please!" you cry out, completely overwhelmed by the double stimulation
โ"no breaks for bad girls," he pants heavily, staring up at you with blown-out, predatory eyes. "do you have any idea how long iโve waited for this? keep moving."
โcompletely exhausted and unable to maintain the rhythm, your knees give out. you collapse forward, leaning your entire upper body against his broad chest, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as you pant heavily against his skin
โbut you completely underestimated him. your vulnerability is just another perfect opportunity for sunghoon
โbefore you can even catch your breath, sunghoonโs large hands slide down to lock around your hips, his fingers digging painfully deep into your skin to hold you firmly in place
and from beneath you, he suddenly begins to thrust upward with a brutal, unyielding, and incredibly fast pace
โ"sunghoon! ah! waitโah, fuck, ah!" you scream out, your fingers clawing desperately into his broad shoulders as he relentlessly slams himself up deep inside you, hitting your sweet spot with every single punishing stroke
โat this point, you are completely crying, your face buried in his neck. your brain is entirely short-circuited, you can't think of anything else in the world except the white-hot pleasure he is driving into you
โ"y/n... look at me," sunghoon gasps out, his chest heaving violently beneath you. he forces your chin up, staring into your tear-filled eyes. "tell me whose you are. tell me who owns this pussy. say my name, baby."
โ"yours... ah! i'm yours... ah, ah! sunghoon, please!" you sob out, your voice completely broken as you moan his name like a desperate prayer
โseeing his beautiful fiancรฉ completely broken, wrecked, and chanting his name under the flashing remnants of the summer night makes a smug, intensely satisfied grin break across his face
โ"fucking beautiful," he growls. sunghoon abruptly reaches up, wrapping one large hand behind your head to pull you down into a deep, bruising, tongue-heavy kiss
his pace below turns completely frantic, bottoming out inside you with every single strike. the overwhelming friction pushes both of you over the final cliff
โ"cum for me, baby. now." he orders against your lips
โwith one last, desperate thrust, sunghoon lets out a deep, guttural roar against your mouth as he comes heavily inside you, his hot seed flooding your tight walls
at the exact same time, your entire body spasms as a blinding, powerful orgasm rips through you, your walls clamping down on him in tight, desperate waves as you melt completely against his chest, totally and utterly ruined by park sunghoon
the black sedan is parked quietly under the shade of a large maple tree just outside the elementary school gates. inside, sunghoon is leaning against the steering wheel, his eyes calmly scanning the schoolโs front courtyard as he waits
โRINGGGG!
โthe loud, echoing sound of the school bell finally pierces the afternoon air. within seconds, the heavy wooden doors burst open, and a chaotic wave of first-graders floods the gates like a tidal wave
sunghoonโs initially calm, stoic expression instantly melts into a warm, incredibly radiant smile the moment his eyes lock onto a familiar little boy
โitโs seunghyun. his tiny body is practically swallowed whole by an oversized school backpack that bounces wildly against his back as he runs
seunghyun is smart, incredibly imaginative, and a little too active for his own good, mostly because he spends half his day finding creative ways to tease his little sister
โ"daddy!" seunghyun squeals, throwing his little arms up in the air as he sprints toward the car
โ"hey, big guy!" sunghoon laughs, stepping out of the vehicle and immediately dropping to one knee to catch his son in a tight, lifting hug
he spins him around in the air once, making the boy squeal with delight, before setting him back down on the pavement. "how was school today, hm? did you behave for the teacher, or did i get another email?"
โ"i did behave! i got a gold star today, look!" seunghyun points proudly to his shirt, before leaning in closer with a conspiratorial smirk that looks exactly like sunghoon's. "but daddy... remember what you promised me this morning? weโre still taking that detour, right?"
โ"shh! keep your voice down, you little rascal," sunghoon winks, tapping the tip of his son's nose with his finger. "alright, we can get ice cream. but on one very strict condition: do not breathe a single word to mommy that daddy bought you sweets right before dinner. it's our little secret, understood? if she finds out, we're both sleeping on the couch tonight."
โ"deal! high five!" seunghyun giggles, slapping his dad's palm before eagerly scrambling into the backseat
โafter sneaking out for their secret ice cream date, sunghoon decides to make a few more stops at the mall. he drags seunghyun along to a toddler snack stall, picking out a bunch of organic rice crackers for his baby daughter, jiyun. then, they head over to a bookstore to buy seunghyun a new drawing notebook and a fresh pack of markers
โlastly, sunghoon walks into a bright, luxury cosmetics store. he stands awkwardly in front of the shelves, rubbing the back of his neck as he remembers how you had whined last week about running out of sunscreen
since he has absolutely no idea how skincare works or what your specific brand is, he just points at the most expensive premium counter and tells the clerk, "just give me the whole box set. everything from the cleanser to the night cream. just package it beautifully."
โloaded with shopping bags, the father-son duo finally arrives home a little later than usual. the second sunghoon unlocks the front door, a desperate, exhausted shout echoes from the kitchen at the back of the house
โ"PARK SUNGHOON! THANK GOD YOU'RE HOME! HELP ME BEFORE I LITERALLY BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN!"
โsunghoon and seunghyun exchange a wide-eyed, knowing look before quickly throwing their shoes into the rack and rushing toward the kitchen. the moment they step over the threshold, they freeze
โyou are standing right in the middle of the kitchen floor, holding your breath, your hands trembling and your eyes literally teary and rimmed with red from sheer, unadulterated frustration
and right there on the tiles, sitting amidst a chaotic white cloud, is your toddler daughter, jiyun. she had somehow managed to crawl into the lower cabinet, drag out a brand new, unopened bag of flour, and dump the entire thing over her head
โ"dada!" jiyun squeals happily, waving her flour-covered arms at sunghoon, entirely proud of her culinary masterpiece. her long eyelashes, her messy pigtails, and her entire outfit are completely snow-white
โsunghoon takes one look at the kitchen apocalypse, and instead of helping, he bursts into a loud, roaring laughter, bending over as he clutches his stomach
seunghyun immediately joins in, pointing his finger at his baby sister and giggling uncontrollably. "look, daddy! jiyun looks like a ghost! a messy ghost!"
โ"park sunghoon! stop laughing and help me right now!" you whine, your voice cracking as you throw a clean dish towel straight at your husband's chest. "she literally did this in the two minutes i went to the bathroom! and that's not even the worst part of my day! this morning she drew all over the living room floor with her brother's crayons, and just twenty minutes ago, she spilled her whole bottle of milk all over the clean laundry i just finished folding! i am so exhausted, sunghoon! i want to cry!"
โseeing your genuine, tearful distress, sunghoonโs laughter instantly dies down into pure, melting fondness. he quickly steps over the white flour powder, wraps his strong arms securely around your waist, and pulls your trembling body into a tight, warm embrace, ignoring the flour transferring onto his expensive coat
โ"okay, okay, i'm so sorry, baby. i'm sorry for laughing," sunghoon murmurs gently, his deep voice soothing against your ear as he presses a soft, lingering kiss to your wet forehead. "shh, it's okay. you did a great job surviving today. mommy is the strongest, hm? look, i bought you a whole new luxury skincare set from the mall to make up for it, okay? the expensive one you wanted. now go sit down, let me handle this mess."
โhe turns around, flashing a stern but playful look at his son. "alright, seunghyun. operation clean up jiyun starts now. go fetch the vacuum cleaner from the closet, and do not let your sister crawl anywhere else, or she'll turn the living room into winter wonderland."
โ"yes, captain!" seunghyun cheers, running off
โlater that night, the house finally settles into a quiet, peaceful stillness after both kids are thoroughly scrubbed clean, fed, and tucked into bed
โyou are sitting at the kitchen island, quietly snacking on a bowl of freshly cut fruits, feeling much better after using your new skincare
across from you, sunghoon is standing by the sink, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his sharp forearms as he quietly washes the remaining dinner dishes, the soft hum of the running water filling the cozy, quiet room
โ"hey, sunghoon," you speak up softly, chewing on a piece of apple as you watch his broad shoulders move. "i was reading this fantasy novel earlier today... and it made me wonder about something. do you think we ever met each other in our past lives? like, centuries ago, before this current life?"
โsunghoon silently pauses, the soapy sponge in his hand freezing for a split second. a small, knowing, incredibly tender smile touches his lips as he remembers it
โhe rinses his hands under the warm water, turns off the faucet, and dries them thoroughly with a towel before turning around to lean against the counter, facing you directly. "yeah. i think we definitely did. without a doubt."
โ"really?" you tilt your head, blinking curiously. "you say it so confidently. do you think we were married back then too? or were we just star-crossed lovers?"
โ"of course we were married," sunghoon murmurs, walking over to the island and leaning down slightly, his dark eyes fixed on you with that same deep, eternal devotion that never faded over the years. "in every single era, in every single universe, i would always find you and make you mine. you don't ever have to worry about that. my soul belongs to you."
โyou smile, feeling a warm blush spread across your cheeks at his smooth words
sunghoon tilts his head, a playful, teasing glint suddenly flashing in his eyes as a familiar, mischievous smirk pulls at his lips. "why do you ask anyway, hm? would you actually want to be with another man if we didn't happen to meet in a past life?"
โ"pfft, definitely not," you answer instantly, crossing your arms over your chest with a smug grin. "i'm too terrified to ever look for another guy."
โsunghoon raises an eyebrow, thoroughly amused by your quick response. "oh yeah? why's that? are you that obsessed with me?"
โ"because..." you lean forward across the kitchen island, your eyes boldly dropping down to his lower half for a lingering second before looking back up into his eyes, a wicked, filthy smirk playing on your lips. "i'm just terrified that no one else could ever satisfy me the way you do. i mean, nobody else could ever be as incredibly good in bed as you are, park. you've raised the bar way too high."
โsunghoonโs jaw practically drops, completely caught off guard by your sudden, blunt words
his eyes widen for a split second, but within a heartbeat, a dark, incredibly intense, and hungry grin breaks across his handsome face. "oh? is that so? you're testing your luck tonight, aren't you? you think you can just say something that filthy and walk away unscathed, y/n?"
โrealizing you've successfully provoked the beast, your eyes widen and you instantly jump out of your barstool, sprinting toward the hallway. "ah! no! i didn't mean it like that! i was just joking, sunghoon!"
โ"get back here right now!" sunghoon barks out a loud, predatory laugh, instantly giving chase without a second thought
โhis legs are twice as long as yours, and before your hand can even touch the bedroom doorknob, sunghoon lunges forward from behind, his large, warm hands locking firmly around your waist. with one swift, effortless motion, he hoists your body up, tossing you over his broad shoulder like a literal sack of potatoes
โ"sunghoon! let me down! put me down, you giant pervert! the kids might wake up!" you shriek, laughing hysterically as you dangle over his back, your fists playfully drumming against his shoulder blades
โSMACK!
โsunghoon delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare bottom through your thin lounge shorts, the loud sound echoing through the quiet hallway
โ"ow! what was that for?!" you whine, your face flushing completely red
โ"that's a punishment for talking dirty and then running away like a coward," sunghoon chuckles darkly, his heavy, confident footsteps carrying you both straight into the master bedroom before he kicks the door shut behind him
โyou try to squirm out of his iron grip as he throws your body onto the soft, messy mattress. "sunghoon, stop, i'm serious! my legs are still so incredibly sore from running after jiyun all day and walking around the grocery store! i can't do anything tonight, i'm completely exhausted!"
โsunghoon crawls over you in a flash, trapping your body beneath his massive, solid frame. he looks down at you, his eyes darker than midnight, a slow, predatory smirk pulling at his lips as his large hands pin your wrists firmly above your head against the pillows
โ"since when do your legs need to do any of the fucking work anyway?" he whispers in a rough, gravelly purr right against your lips, his hot breath making your knees weak as his thumb strokes your jawline. "you don't have to move a single muscle tonight, baby. i'll do all the work, just like i always do. your only job is to lie down, look pretty, and scream my name until you're completely ruined for me. do you understand?"
โyour face turns a violent, burning shade of crimson, and you instantly free one hand to slap his solid chest. "PARK SUNGHOON! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY INSANE!"
โsunghoon just howls with laughter, his deep, melodic chuckles filling the warm bedroom as he leans down to capture your lips in a deep, bruising kiss that completely steals your breath away
โoutside the window, the late summer night breeze softly rustles the leaves, but inside, surrounded by the warmth of the home you built together, your happy, chaotic laughter blends perfectly into the nightโa chaotic, messy, but absolutely perfect eternal happy ending
guys sorry i'm typing this while fighting for my life against sleep so please forgive the typos or if it literally makes zero sense ๐ญ๐ญ
โ ๏ธใ คใ คยทใ คใ คminors dni, explicit sexual content, unprotected sex (pls donโt), nipple play, dirty talk, orgasm denial / begging & teasing,โ kissing, mild overstimulation, idk what else...
ivy โก : HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!! ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!! ๐ฅณ ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐พ๐ผ๐บ๐๐๐พ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐บ๐ ๐โ๐ป ๐บ๐ฟ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐บ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐พ๐บ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐บ๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!! ๐๐๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐พ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ, ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฏ reblogs are greatly appreciated and the taglist is still open as always! thank you so much โก__โก
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THEY ARE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A MASSIVE, JAGGED CLIFF OVERLOOKING A ROARING, PITCH BLACK SEA.
the wind here doesn't feel cold, it doesn't feel like anything at all but the view is mesmerizing. at first, jay completely refused to come. he complained that it was a massive waste of time and that he had a tight schedule to maintain in his ledger
but the moment sunghoon muttered, "just come with me, dude. after this, we won't ever see each other again. i won't even be able to talk to you," jay silently yielded. he rolled his eyes, muttered a curse under his breath, and followed the annoying soul to the edge of the cliff
โ"so," sunghoon breaks the silence, shoving his hands casually into his pockets. "i noticed youโre kind of obsessed with f1. whatโs up with that?"
โโjay scoffs, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he keeps his eyes on the horizon. "i don't know, it's just wild. the sound of the engines is insane, and the stakes are so high. honestly, the pure risk of it all? itโs an absolute adrenaline rush."
โthe conversation naturally drifts from racing to their surprisingly identical taste in fashion. they spend a few minutes bickering about leather jackets, silver chrome accessories, and minimalist aesthetics, before sunghoonโs expression suddenly softens. a wistful, lingering smile tugs at the corner of his lips as a specific memory hits him
โ"usually, y/n is the one who helps me pick out my clothes when we go shopping," sunghoon says softly, his voice dropping into that deep tone
โjay cuts his eyes toward him, raising an eyebrow. "and why exactly are you so hopelessly whipped for her? sheโs just a human."
โsunghoon lets out a soft chuckle, looking down at his feet. "itโs kind of stupid, actually. it happened at this massive college party. i was drunk and i accidentally grabbed the wrong girl from behind thinking she was someone else. she looked so beautiful from the back, but when she spun around... man, she was even more gorgeous. but what really got me was how she immediately started scolding me. she talks so fast when sheโs angry, her lips moving at a hundred miles an hour. it was the most chaotic, funniest thing iโd ever seen. i think i fell for her right then and there."
โjay rolls his eyes dramatically, letting out a loud groan. "disgusting. humans and their pathetic, fleeting emotions." yet, jay doesn't actually mind listening to him. there's something strangely comforting about hearing a soul love someone so loudly
โ"hey, jay," sunghoon suddenly blurted out, a teasing glint in his ghostly eyes. "are grim reapers even allowed to date? like, can you get a girlfriend?"
โjay lets out a dry, sarcastic bark of laughter. "are you stupid? who in their right mind would want to date a grim reaper? iโm literally the embodiment of death."
โsunghoon laughs, but as the sound echoes out into the empty sea, a sudden realization hits him. he looks at jayโs sharp, untouchable profile and realizes that behind all that arrogance, jay has been entirely, completely alone for thousands of years
โjay murmurs, confirming the unspoken thought with a nonchalant shrug. "iโm not human, i don't need companionship."
โsunghoon instantly smirks, his usual arrogant prick persona flaring back up. "well, look at the bright side at least while i was around, you weren't lonely, right?"
โ"alright, thatโs it," jay snaps, turning around abruptly with an irritated scowl. "get back to your body right now. out of all the souls iโve harvested in the last millennium, you are by far the loudest, most annoying, and most complicated brat iโve ever had to deal with."
โwith a flick of jayโs wrist, the scenery shifts violently
the heavy glass doors of the intensive care unit glide open with a soft, sterile hiss, and sunghoon follows jay down the blindingly white corridor. they glide right through the solid wooden door of room 412
โsitting on a stiff, uncomfortable vinyl armchair right next to the beeping heart monitor is jake. his hair is a messy, unwashed nest, and his thick-rimmed glasses are sliding down the bridge of his nose as he punches over a glowing laptop, aggressively typing out a college essay
โ"dude, seriously, why are you being so stubborn?" jake mutters out loud to the quiet room, his voice raspy and dripping with sheer exhaustion as he glares at the hospital bed. "the doctors literally said your brain scans are completely pristine. your ribs are healed. your concussion was minor. you're literally just chilling in a six-month nap while iโm out here drowning in finals. wake up already, sunghoon. itโs not funny anymore."
โsunghoon steps closer to the side of the bed, his ghostly eyes tracking the rhythm of the mechanical ventilator pushing air into his own chest. itโs completely surreal. looking at his own face, pale, motionless, with dark circles under his eyes feels like looking at a stranger
โ"he's right, you know," jay says quietly, leaning his shoulder casually against the heart monitor pole, his dark eyes fixed on the glowing screen. "your physical injuries from the crash were practically nothing. no internal bleeding, no permanent brain damage. a normal human wouldโve been walking around, going to lectures, and eating convenience store ramen five months ago but because your soul was tied up in my ledger... you were stuck in limbo."
โsunghoon turns his head, looking at the grim reaper who had spent the last half-year dragging him through hell, heartbreak, and ancient wars
โ"so... this is it, huh?" sunghoon whispers, his voice soft against the rhythmic beeping of the monitor
โ"this is it, assistant," jay murmurs, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through his usual cold, arrogant facade. he reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out the glowing digital ledger, tapping the screen one last time to officially delete sunghoonโs intern profile. "your contract is fully canceled. the soul bond is restored, you're free to go back to your pathetic human life."
โsunghoon takes a step forward, a heavy breath leaving his lips. "thank you, jay. seriously for everything, for not letting me give up when i was being an idiot."
โbefore jay can reply with his usual snarky remark, sunghoon steps in and throws his arm around jay's shoulders, pulling him into a tight, firm hug
โto sunghoon's absolute surprise, jay doesn't push him away. he stands frozen for a split second, completely unaccustomed to physical warmth, before he actually accepts the hug, patting sunghoonโs back with a surprisingly gentle hand
โ"yeah, yeah, don't make it weird," jay rolls his eyes as they break apart, though his tone is soft as he steps back into the shadows of the corner, waving a final goodbye. "go on, your friend looks like heโs about to pass out on his keyboard."
โsunghoon gives him one last nod, takes a deep breath, and aligns his spirit with the pale, unmoving body on the bed. he closes his eyes and lets himself fall backward into his own flesh
โthe transition is a violent, suffocating shock to his system
โgasp!
โsunghoonโs chest arches off the mattress as his lungs violently expand, sucking in a sharp, freezing gulp of real air. the heavy metallic taste of oxygen and hospital tubing hits his throat, making him choke. his eyes fly open, the blinding white fluorescent lights above making his vision blur with instant, stinging tears
โ"what theโoh my god!" jake screams, his laptop sliding completely off his lap as he jumps out of the vinyl chair. his thick glasses slip right off his face, clattering loudly against the linoleum floor as he stares at the bed in absolute, paralyzed shock. it's like he's looking at a literal ghost. "sunghoon?! nurse! doctor! he's awake! oh my god, he's actually breathing!"
โwithin ten seconds, the quiet room erupts into complete, chaotic noise
a few days later, sunghoon is finally coherent enough to sit up and talk normally. that's when the rest of the group comes to visit. heeseung, jake, giselle, and yunjin all crowd into room 412, their faces a mix of sheer relief and exhaustion because they had all been there through the absolute worst of his accident
โbut out of everyone sitting in the room, sunghoonโs eyes scan the space before he asks the only question that actually matters to him. "where's y/n?"
โthe room goes stiflingly quiet for a second. yunjin sighs, leaning against the wall as she crosses her arms. "y/n already left, sunghoon. she's in europe now, and honestly, sheโs doing really well. she's happy there." she pauses, shifting her weight before she completely accidentally lets it slip. "actually, she has a date with some guy tomorrow."
giselle, heeseung, and jake all snap their heads toward yunjin, their eyes wide with absolute panic. jake frantically gestures for her to shut up, knowing sunghoon literally just woke up from a six-month coma and the last thing his heart needs is a sudden shock like that
โdeep down, sunghoon feels a sharp, suffocating wave of pain hit his chest but he forces his face to remain completely blank, letting out a flat, empty, "oh."
โyunjin, completely missing the tense atmosphere, just shrugs and continues. "i mean, you guys broke up anyway before all of this happened. itโs only natural for her to go on dates."
โgiselle immediately grabs yunjinโs arm, her grip tight as she forces a polite smile. "okay, i think we need to leave now. yunjin, come on, let's go." she practically drags a confused yunjin out of the hospital room, leaving nothing but an awkward, heavy silence behind them
โnow that itโs just the guys left in the room, sunghoon quietly turns his head toward jake. "hey, hand me a mirror."
โjake hesitates for a second before reaching into his backpack and passing over a small hand mirror. sunghoon holds it up, his eyes tracking his own reflection
his face is pale, his hair a bit overgrown, and it feels incredibly jarring like heโs looking at someone else entirely. he knows his physical injuries from the crash weren't severe enough to require long-term physical therapy, which means he doesn't need to waste any more time rotting in this bed
โhe sets the mirror down, his jaw tight as he looks at jake and heeseung. "let's go to the gym."
โheeseung and jake both burst out laughing, shaking their heads in absolute disbelief. "dude, seriously? you literally just woke up from a six-month nap and your first instinct is to lift weights?" jake chuckles, thinking itโs just sunghoon being his usual fitness-obsessed self
โthey all know sunghoon is a total gym rat, completely obsessed with working out and keeping his physique pristine, so they just write it off as him returning to his normal personality. but as sunghoon stares at the blank white wall, his knuckles turning white as he grips the bedsheets, he doesn't say a word
โthey think heโs just being stubborn. they don't know that the only reason he wants to tear his muscles apart at the gym is because itโs the only way he knows how to numb the agonizing heartbreak tearing through his chest
almost two years pass in a blur of sleepless nights, endless engineering blueprints, and heavy lifting at the gym
โitโs a late afternoon, the sun dipping below the horizon as heeseung, jake, soobin, and yeonjun lounge around the crowded university parking lot, leaning against the hoods of their cars after a brutal thesis consultation
a thick cloud of cigarette smoke drifts into the cool air as yeonjun, heeseung, and soobin light up, while jake just sits on the hood of his car, mindlessly popping open a freezing can of soda and taking a long sip
sunghoon is leaning against his own car next to them, his posture casual, completely absorbed in scrolling through his phone. his physique is noticeably broader now, his jawline sharper, the epitome of the campus' untouchable guy
โ"i'm telling you, itโs a done deal," yeonjun mutters, taking a drag from his cigarette as he brags about the girl heโs currently chasing. "she literally texted me first today. iโm locking it down by this weekend."
โsoobin scoffs, blowing a neat ring of smoke into the air. "yeah, yeah, whatever. at least youโre actually chasing someone. my current fwb situation is getting so complicated, sheโs starting to ask for actual dates and itโs stressing me out."
โ"that's because you're emotionally unavailable, you idiot," heeseung chimes in, checking his reflection in the car window as he adjusts his jacket. "just be normal like me. my girlfriend and i are literally planning a trip after graduation. clean and simple."
he then elbows jake, who is quietly drinking his soda. "what about you, jake? you've been suspiciously quiet. whoโs the lucky girl?"
โjake just lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he takes another sip, keeping his mouth shut. he is a master at staying in the background when it comes to his own love life, keeping his crush a total, tightly guarded secret from the loud group
โyeonjun rolls his eyes at jake before his eyes suddenly wander across the parking lot, catching sight of a group of girls walking past the engineering building "speaking of girls... bro, seriously, look over there. she keeps staring at our lot."
โheeseung glances over, squinting through the smoke. "who, lizzy? yeah, sheโs been trying to get someone to introduce her to sunghoon for weeks."
โhearing his name, sunghoon doesn't even bother to look up from his screen. his thumb just keeps mindlessly scrolling. "who the hell is lizzy?"
โ"dude, are you living under a rock?" yeonjun laughs, throwing his cigarette butt to the ground and crushing it with his shoe. "sheโs literally the most popular girl in the sophomore class. sheโs gorgeous, sunghoon. and she is completely, visibly into you. why do you always act like you don't care?"
โsunghoon just lets out a faint, dry hum, clearly bored and annoyed by the direction of the conversation. he locks his phone and shoves it into his pocket, staring out at the empty street
โsoobin watches him for a second, crossing his arms as a knowing smirk plays on his lips. "what, are you still hopelessly hung up on y/n?"
โ"yeah," sunghoon answers instantly. the response is so blunt, so completely without hesitation, that the entire group goes dead silent
heeseung and soobin freeze, while jake just watches with a heavy sigh. they all know sunghoon is incredibly attractive, a guy who could easily have anyone he wants with a single look, yet heโs actively choosing to rot in a self-imposed exile for a girl who left the country almost two years ago
โ"bro, are you insane?" soobin asks, his voice filled with genuine disbelief. "itโs been almost two whole years. sheโs literally across the world in europe living her life. why don't you just try moving on with someone else?"
โ"i don't want anyone else," sunghoon replies smoothly, his voice dropping into that arrogant, unbothered tone. "i only want her. i'm just waiting for her to come home."
โsoobin lets out a dry scoff, shaking his head. "and what if she comes back with a boyfriend? what if sheโs already with someone else over there?"
โsunghoon doesn't even blink. a small, dangerously confident smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he tilts his head back. "then iโll just wait for them to break up."
โthe guys all stare at him like heโs lost his mind, muttering about how toxic and delusional he is. sunghoon just scoffs and looks away, keeping his thoughts to himself. they think heโs crazy, they think heโs being a delusional, arrogant prick
โbut they don't know about the shadows. they don't know about the ledger, they don't know that no matter how many thousands of miles or how many years keep them apart, your soul belongs to him and he is simply waiting for the universe to catch up to what he already knows
the truth is, throughout the entire two years since he woke up from that coma, his phone has remained completely silent. he never once dared to text you
โevery time his thumb hovered over your name in his contacts, yunjinโs harsh words would echo in his mind. reminding him that you two were broken up, and that you were finally happy in europe
but more than that, it was the crushing weight of his own guilt. he still remembers how badly he had hurt you in the past for the sake of sooha. the sheer remorse makes him feel entirely unworthy of even reaching out.
he is too ashamed, terrified of the suffocating awkwardness, and deathly afraid that if he sends a message, you will just leave him on read
sunghoon finds himself dragged out to a crowded, neon-lit club. he hadn't even planned on going out, but soobin was currently a pathetic, drunken mess, drowning in regret after his fwb situation completely blew up in his face
they had officially become total strangers because soobin had been too stubborn to give the girl any real commitment
โwhile yeonjun and heeseung are busy trying to babysit a miserable soobin, sunghoon just sits back against the leather booth, casually sipping on his drink. he keeps his alcohol intake strictly to a minimum, his dark eyes mindlessly scanning the pulsing lights of the dance floor
โjake slumps down onto the seat next to him, holding a cold glass as he leans in to speak over the roaring bass of the music. "hey. you know y/n is coming back next week, right?"
โsunghoon freezes, his glass stopping halfway to his lips. he turns his head slowly, his eyes locking onto jake. "what?"
โ"yeah, she's coming back for graduation," jake nods, taking a sip of his drink. "yunjin and giselle are graduating in the same ceremony as us, so y/n is flying back to attend. she'll be there next week."
โthe words hit sunghoon like a sudden, brilliant wave of electricity. for the first time in two grueling years, the heavy, suffocating knot in his chest completely unravels. a breathless, genuine smile slowly breaks across his sharp face, a smile so sudden and radiant that jake actually blinks in surprise
โsunghoon looks down at his drink, his heart hammering against his ribs. you are coming home, you are finally going to be in the same room as him again. he doesn't even care if things are awkward, he doesn't care if you're mad at him. even if he only gets to say a simple, quiet 'hi' to you at the ceremony, it would be more than enough
the cold, sterile air of the airport terminal drifts around you as you pull your luggage through the arrivals gate. itโs exactly three days before graduation
the moment you step into the main hall, yunjin and giselle are already running toward you, drawing curious glances from everyone around
โafter almost two grueling years of being miles away in europe, the suffocating weight of the distance finally vanishes the second they throw their arms around you
โby the time you all arrive at the apartment, the jetlag hits you like a physical wall. you barely have the energy to unpack before you completely pass out on the bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep
โwhen your eyes finally blink open hours later, the room is dimly lit, the sun having long since set. youโre about to sit up and stretch when you hear a soft, unfamiliar voice drifting from the living room, completely drowned out by yunjin and giselleโs dramatic, high-pitched shrieks
โ"no way! shut up, there's actually no way!" yunjin gasps, her voice echoing through the hallway
โcuriosity getting the better of you, you rub your eyes and pad softly into the living room. the three girls are huddled around the coffee table, which is illuminated by a few flickering candles
sitting across from yunjin and giselle is a quiet, ethereal-looking girl youโve never seen before. a beautiful, intricate deck of tarot cards is spread out between them
โ"oh my god, you're awake!" giselle beams, looking up from the table and frantically waving you over. "come here, sit down! you have to try this. my friend here is literally insane with tarot, her readings are always dangerously accurate."
โyou let out a soft laugh, still a bit dazed from sleep, and slide onto the cushion next to yunjin. yunjin already chimes in, leaning forward eagerly as she elbows you. "let's do a love reading for her! skip everything else, love life is way more fun."
โthe quiet girl gives you a knowing, gentle smile, her eyes incredibly calm as she gathers the deck. the rhythmic sound of the cards shuffling fills the quiet room before she sets them down. "cut the deck," she instructs quietly
โyou reach out and split the deck in half. she takes the cards, placing them face down before drawing the first one and flipping it over. the girl hums softly, staring at the card before tilting her head to look at you
โ"are you still in contact with your ex?" she asks out of nowhere. "because the very first card that came out heavily represents the past."
โyou blink, a little caught off guard, but shake your head. "no... we haven't talked or had any communication at all for two years."
โthe reader nods slowly, flipping the next card. "well, this person from your past... heโs been waiting for you this entire time. according to the cards, he can be incredibly arrogant and a total perfectionist, but he is fiercely devoted to his person."
โyunjin and giselle exchange a quick, panicked glance, their posture immediately straightening as a single, terrifyingly familiar face flashes in their minds
you feel a sudden drop in your stomach, the description is a direct hint to park sunghoon
โthe girl continues shuffling and places another card face up. she looks at you intently. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โ"not really," you reply with a small, cynical shrug. "unless it's in the movies."
โ"really? you don't?" the reader scoffs softly, a tiny, mysterious smirk playing on her lips as she taps the center card. "because these cards are literally screaming that you two are soulmates. your personalities match perfectly, like a mirror reflection."
โbefore you can process the heartbeat hammering against your ribs, she flips one final card from the bottom of the deck. it's a card representing massive, impending transformation
โ"i don't know what happened between you two in the past," the reader murmurs, her voice carrying a strange weight. "but there is a huge, major shift coming your way very soon. honestly, all the cards are beautiful, but the only obstacle here... is you."
โ"me?" you whisper.
โ"yeah. you're the one holding back because you don't believe it," she explains with a light shrug. "but it's fine. the guy is going to be incredibly persistent anyway. heโs not going to let you go."
โthe living room goes completely dead silent. yunjin, giselle, and you are left utterly speechless, staring wide-eyed at the table. the eerie accuracy of the description leaves an uncomfortable warmth under your skin
โ"well... okay then," you finally mutter, clearing your throat to break the tension as you casually lean back against the cushion
โyou don't really take tarot readings to heart anyway. to you, it's just a silly, crazy coincidence meant for fun entertainment on a cozy night. you silently brush it off, forcing yourself not to think too much about it
the long-awaited graduation day finally arrives. you look effortlessly elegant in your tailored dress, clutching two beautifully arranged bouquets of flowers meant for giselle and yunjin
โonce the grueling, hours-long formal ceremony finally concludes, the massive doors throw open, and waves of graduates flood the plaza. the moment you spot yunjin and giselle, you navigate through the sea of togas and wrap your arms around them. handing over the bouquets, the sheer emotional weight of the moment hits them, and both of your best friends burst into tears of pure joy
โ"oh my god, y/n! you're actually here!" yunjin wails, turning her head frantically before spotting a familiar tall figure. she reaches out, aggressively grabbing him by the arm. "yeonjun! yeonjun, get over here right now! take a picture of us! if itโs blurry, iโm gonna tell your crush you still sleep with your teddy bear!"
โ"jesus, yunjin, relax! my hands are steady!" yeonjun laughs, quickly taking the phone from her hand as he backs up to frame the shot. "okay, look here! three, two, oneโsmile!"
โthe camera flashes as the three of you laugh together. but just a few yards away, the entire world comes to an absolute standstill for one person
โpark sunghoon feels his breath hitch, his surroundings blurring into complete white noise. there you are standing not too far from him, looking breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely more stunning than you already were two years ago
in that exact split second, he feels a sudden, sharp ache in his chest, exactly like a high school boy falling in love for the very first time. sunghoon had always believed that women only grew more beautiful as they matured, a belief instilled in him by his mother, but looking at you now, you are the absolute living proof of it
โperhaps sensing the intense weight of someoneโs gaze, you instinctively turn your head and your eyes lock right into sunghoon's. instantly, your vision blurs around the edges, the loud chatter of the graduation crowd completely fading away
he is still devastatingly handsome, though his physique has visibly filled out, looking significantly taller and broader in his black toga. he is staring at you with such a raw, burning intensity, as if he is trying to carve your image permanently into his memory
in that endless moment of unbroken eye contact, the universe seems to slow down, playing every breath you take by the police on a loop in the background of your mind
โyou stand there, completely suspended in time, until giselle suddenly tugs hard on your hand, breaking the spell. "come on, let's go over there! the guys are all over by the engineering booths!"
โbecause they had drifted apart to take photos with different circles earlier, the very last group that yunjin, giselle, and you approach is sunghoonโs circle. the second you walk up, the guys immediately crowd around you, completely sidelining their own graduation buzz
โ"woah, look who's back from europe!" jake grins widely, giving you a quick side-hug. "you look absolutely insane today, y/n! europe definitely treated you well."
โ"for real, you're literally glowing," heeseung chimes in, nodding in approval as he smiles warmly. "and hey, congrats on the dual degree graduation last few weeks! we saw the posts, that's huge. our resident genius is finally home!"
โ"congrats, y/n! you make all of us look like slackers," soobin teases, giving you a light pat on the shoulder
โyou laugh, thanking them one by one, your confidence returning, until you finally step up to stand directly in front of sunghoon.
the atmosphere between you two instantly turns suffocatingly awkward, the unresolved tension of the past two years hanging heavily in the air. breaking the heavy silence, sunghoon is the first one to softly murmurs, "hi."
โ"hi, sunghoon," you reply softly. without another word, he steps forward, and you let yourself fall into his embrace
โthe second his arms wrap around you, a violent, overwhelming surge of familiarity crashes over sunghoonโs consciousness. the sheer weight of their entire cosmic history hits him all at once
to him, this single embrace feels identical to the way he lunged forward outside the barracks in ancient greece, throwing his heavy bronze armored arms around your waist, pulling you flush against him as he choked out a desperate apology
it feels exactly like the way you ran into his arms in that warm medieval library, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as he caught you effortlessly in his silver-trimmed collar
โas he pulls you closer, he can feel the familiar warmth of your head, the exact same feeling of you leaning against his shoulder under the canopy of blooming white roses in that quiet renaissance garden. it triggers the agonizing memory of the palace courtyard in joseon, where their foreheads rested against each other as a single steel blade skewered them together in a brutal, tragic embrace
and it carries the profound peace of the victorian era, where he would pull you right into his lap on the plush velvet sofa, winding his arms around you tightly to anchor his entire existence to your skin
โit is so heavy. so incredibly long and painful. sunghoon involuntarily pulls you tighter against him, burying his face into your hair for a fleeting, desperately tight moment before he reluctantly lets go
โ"congratulations on your graduation, sunghoon," you say softly, your voice slightly trembling as your heart hammers violently against your ribs
โthe rest of the group is seemingly distracted, loudly talking and laughing amongst themselves except for heeseung and giselle, who secretly raise their phones, discretely snapping a candid photo of the two of you locked in that intense, breathless embrace
โas you both step back, soobin suddenly chimes in, waving his hands dramatically. "woah, hold on! you two need to take a picture together right now. iโm directing this."
โimmediately, the rest of the circle turns into an unstoppable force of absolute chaos
โ"yeah, seriously!" yunjin smirks, crossing her arms playfully. "are you telling me he waited two whole years just to not get a single photo on his graduation day?"
โ"right? don't be a party pooper, y/n!" yeonjun adds, raising his eyebrows and nudging sunghoonโs shoulder
โflustered and thoroughly cornered, you and sunghoon reluctantly stand side by side. but because of the lingering tension, you both stand stiff as boards, leaving a painfully awkward gap between your shoulders
โseeing the ridiculous distance, yunjin lets out a loud, dramatic groan. "oh, for god's sake! move closer!" before either of you can react, she steps forward, grabs sunghoonโs large, cold hand, and physically plants it firmly against your waist
โ"stop being so damn awkward," yunjin scoffs loudly, rolling her eyes as she steps back. "itโs not like you haven't held her waist in two years. just pose!"
โthe sudden heat of his large palm sears through the fabric of your dress, sending a violent jolt straight up your spine. that late afternoon air truly feels alive, buzzing with a golden, electric energy
and right there, beneath the proud, confident smirk he forces for the camera, park sunghoon is secretly breaking out into a cold sweat, his entire being utterly terrified and violently nervous by the simple, breathtaking reality of having you back in his arms
later that night, yunjin and giselle practically drag you out to an after-graduation party. you initially protest, arguing that you didn't even graduate here, but yunjin instantly shuts you down. "shut up, y/n! you literally lived and suffered with us here for two years, you're not a stranger. you're celebrating with us!"
โthe three of you go absolutely wild with your outfits. though the cuts and colors are completely different, you all show up in stunning dresses that instantly make you the center of attention the second you walk into the crowded, neon-lit venue
โon the other side of the roaring club, sunghoon is standing near the bar with soobin. soobin elbows him hard in the ribs, nodding toward you. "hey, go over there and talk to her before someone else does. what are you waiting for?"
โsunghoon had actually felt pretty confident just a few minutes ago. but the moment he turns around, his confidence evaporates, replaced by a sudden, burning spike of jealousy. someone had already beat him to it
โit's jung sungchan, the college soccer captain. sunghoon remembers him vividly from two years ago, back when you and sunghoon were still together, sungchan would constantly reply to your instagram stories, completely ignoring the fact that you had a boyfriend
sunghoon wanted to tear the guy apart back then, but right now? his hands are tied. he has no right to be angry when you two aren't even a thing anymore
โsunghoon turns back to soobin, a dark, defeated shadow crossing his face. "forget it. i'm too late."
โ"are you serious right now? you're so pathetic, hoon," soobin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "go show off some of that charm of yours, for god's sake. don't just stand here like a loser."
โsunghoon keeps his back turned to the crowd, staring miserably at his drink. but then, soobinโs eyes widen as he looks past sunghoonโs shoulder
his expression turns into pure panic, and he starts aggressively smacking sunghoonโs arm. "holy shit, hoon! go over there right now! hurry up before your girl gets taken home by that prick!"
โpanic instantly shoots through sunghoon's veins. he turns around and sees sungchan already smiling smugly, leaning into your space
without thinking, sunghoon strides across the crowded room, his broad shoulders cutting through the sea of people until he abruptly steps right in front of you
โboth you and sungchan freeze, completely caught off guard. "hoon...?" you blink, your jaw dropping slightly
โsunghoon doesn't let the surprise linger. he instantly switches on his charm, towering over sungchan as he looks down at you with a soft, captivating smile. "hey, y/n. can we talk for a second?"
โsungchanโs smile drops, annoyed by the sudden interruption. he opens his mouth, clearly about to complain and start an argument, but sunghoon cuts him off before he can even utter a single syllable
with a deadly, freezing expression, sunghoon gently places his index finger right in front of sungchanโs lips, almost touching them
โ"save the yapping for later," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dripping with an unspoken, dangerous authority. "this is important business."
โsungchan completely shuts up, utterly stunned by the audacity. youโre standing there entirely confused, your head slightly spinning from the loud music
before you can even process anything, sunghoon casually grabs your wrist. "come on, let's get you a drink first."
โbut sunghoon knows you too well. he knows your alcohol tolerance is low, and the moment he hands you a lighter drink, the alcohol finally hits you full force. the filterless, tipsy version of you immediately comes out, and you start nagging him aggressively
โ"i hate this, hoon! the music is too loud, my head is literally about to explode," you whine, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket as you pout. "take me outside. let's just go for a walk, please?"
the moment you finally step out into the cool, quiet alleyway, you immediately march ahead. your steps are steady enough for now, but the alcohol is definitely starting to buzz in your system
suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks, spin around, and shove your expensive little purse straight into sunghoonโs chest. "hold this," you huff, pouting. "my arms are too tired to carry it."
โsunghoon lets out a soft, breathy chuckle, easily catching the purse. but as his eyes trace your figure under the dim streetlights, his brows furrow slightly. his gaze lingers just a second too long on the low cut of your dress and how much skin it leaves completely bare to the night air
โ"why is your dress so short anyway?" sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping a bit lower as he steps closer. "you're going to freeze out here, y/n."
โyou roll your eyes, instantly clapping back. "excuse me? it's a graduation party. what did you expect me to wear, my pajamas?"
โsunghoon laughs, the sound rich and warm as he falls into step right next to you. "i'm just saying, you have zero tolerance for the cold. you always have."
โyou tilt your head, a soft, tipsy smile playing on your lips as you look up at his profile. "wow. you still remember that?"
โ"i remember everything about you," sunghoon states quietly. before you can even process the depth of his words, he slips his casual jacket off his broad shoulders and gently drapes it over your frame
โ"so," he continues, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watches you bundle up in his jacket. "do you still listen to those weird asmr videos just to fall asleep in europe?"
โyou let out a loud giggle, hiding your face in his oversized collar. "okay, shut up. maybe sometimes, but only when i'm stressed!"
โas you keep walking, the friction of your high heels suddenly becomes too much to bear. without a single warning, you stop, kick the expensive heels straight off your feet, and just leave them abandoned right there on the sidewalk. you keep walking barefoot, feeling the cool pavement beneath your soles
โsunghoon stops, staring at the empty shoes on the ground in complete disbelief before shaking his head with a fond, helpless grin
he bends down, picking them up effortlessly by the straps with one hand. this is your classic, ridiculous habit whenever you're tipsy
โ"my feet were literally crying, hoon, it was so uncomfortable," you whine, justifying your crime
โ"i know, baby, i know," he murmurs softly, not even bothering to scold you as he slows his pace to perfectly match yours
โeventually, the quiet stroll leads you both into a completely deserted neighborhood park. you instantly break into a small run, grabbing sunghoonโs free hand and dragging him over to the swing set
the two of you slide onto the swings side by side, gently swaying back and forth as you look up at the bright, glowing moon above
โ"hey, hoon," you speak up softly, your filterless, tipsy mind drifting back to three days ago. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โsunghoon doesn't even hesitate. his eyes stay fixed on the moon, a calm smile on his lips. "yeah, i do."
โyou blink, turning your head to frown at him skeptically. "really? why? you're literally the most logical person i know. you don't usually believe in things that don't make sense."
โ"i just do," he replies casually, turning his head to lock his dark, intense eyes with yours. "some things don't need a logical explanation to be real."
โyou hum, swinging your legs a little. "well... i actually had a tarot reading with giselle's friend a few days ago. i mean, i don't really believe in that stuff, but itโs just been stuck in my head. she said my soulmate is someone from my past."
โsunghoonโs posture subtly shifts, his attention completely locking onto you now.
โ"and honestly, it's driving me crazy because i keep wondering... is it you, or is it sungchan?" you muse out loud, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "because youโre my ex, so youโre the past. but sungchan was always chasing after me in the past, and well, he's still here in my timeline now."
โthe mention of sungchanโs name makes sunghoonโs jaw immediately tighten. a dark, incredibly possessive glint flashes in his eyes, and he instantly leans forward, his voice dripping with sheer confidence as he claims his territory
โ"it's me. it's definitely me, y/n," sunghoon states firmly, a arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "there is absolutely no way it's sungchan. since when could that guy ever be as cool as me?"
โyou burst out laughing at his sudden defensiveness. "but wait! the tarot reader specifically said the guy is arrogant. a total perfectionist."
โhearing the word arrogant, sunghoon lets out a soft, slightly bitter laugh. he lets his swing come to a complete stop, leaning his forearms on his knees as he looks up at you with a suddenly soft, vulnerable expression. "do you actually think i'm arrogant?"
โyou pause, stopping your swing too. you tilt your head, studying the sharp, beautiful lines of his face before shaking your head slowly. "i don't know, honestly. because when we were dating, you never showed me that side of you. you were always... just so completely whipped for me."
โsunghoon lets out a long, heavy sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders as a deeply fond, consuming warmth takes over his expression. he reaches out, his large hand gently catching the chain of your swing to pull you just an inch closer to him
โ"exactly," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a deep, serious register that sends a shiver down your spine. "so stop overthinking it. whoever that tarot reader saw, itโs me. itโs always been me, and itโs never going to be sungchan."
โ"then what about sooha?" you ask out of nowhere, the alcohol making you completely unfiltered as you look back up at him. "why aren't you with her?"
โthe casual mention of her name makes sunghoonโs expression shift instantly. the playful aura vanishes, replaced by a heavy, quiet seriousness. you don't seem to notice the change, your heavy head dropping onto his broad shoulder as you comfortably lean against him
โsunghoon tenses for a split second before slowly relaxing, letting you rest your weight on him. "i haven't been with sooha since the moment i woke up from the coma, y/n," he answers softly
โ"why?" you mumble into his jacket, your voice slightly muffled. "did you guys break up?"
โ"we were never together to begin with."
โ"really? why not?" you tilt your head against his shoulder, looking up at his sharp jawline. "didn't you two love each other?"
โsunghoon completely freezes. he stares straight ahead, the quietness of the park suddenly feeling incredibly heavy
your question sends a sharp pang through his chest, bringing back the vivid memories of his struggle, how he had literally begged the grim reaper, fighting through the afterlife just to mend the broken strings between your souls. everything he did, every single breath he took after waking up, was entirely for you
โbut he can't tell you that, not like this
โinstead, sunghoon just lets out a soft, shaky breath. "i'm sorry, y/n," he murmurs, his voice cracking slightly. "i'm so sorry."
โyou let out a loose, airy giggle against his shoulder. "why are you apologizing, hoon? we broke up two years ago anyway. what is there to be sorry for? honestly, i'm completely over it. i don't really feel anything anymore when i look at you."
โyour words hit him like a physical blow to the chest. it feels like a knife twisting straight into his heart, because god, he is still so desperately, hopelessly in love with you
sunghoon forces a bitter, painful smile onto his face, swallowing the lump in his throat. "oh... is that so?"
โ"mm-hmm," you nod sleepily, your eyes fluttering shut for a second
โsunghoon clears his throat, trying to keep his composure as he asks quietly, "so... did you date anyone while you were in europe?"
โ"yeah, i did," you reply casually. "his name was anton. he was so sweet, a total gentleman. we even adopted a hamster together. but... he wanted to focus on his career as a competitive swimmer, so we broke up. it sucked, honestly."
you let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh, shifting slightly against him. "itโs always like this. i'm always the one getting left behind by men. i swear, the next time i get a boyfriend, i'm going to dump him first."
โthat word left behind instantly triggers something painful inside sunghoon. before his coma, he was the first one who had ruthlessly left you behind for sooha
โ"i'm sorry," sunghoon whispers again, his voice dropping into a deeply emotional, vulnerable register
he turns his head, staring down at you with raw sincerity. "i am so, so sorry, y/n. ever since the day i woke up from that bed, there hasn't been a single day where i didn't regret leaving you. i hated myself for it. iโve been waiting for you to come home every single day, just so i could apologize to you properly. itโs been eating me alive... because i missed you so much."
โhe pours his entire heart out, his chest heaving as he braces himself for your reaction. he looks down, waiting for you to say something, anything but there is only silence
โsunghoon blinks, tilting his head closer, only to realize that the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of your shoulders means you had completely passed out
you were sleeping peacefully, using his shoulder as a pillow, entirely missing the absolute weight of his confession.
for a moment, sunghoon just stares at you, completely dumbfounded. then, a soft, defeated chuckle breaks through his heavy emotions
โ"unbelievable," he mutters under his breath, shaking his head as a fond, helpless smile replaces his sadness. "i'm being dead serious here and you just decide to fall asleep?"
โhe quietens down, the heavy tension from before slowly melting away into the cool night air. sunghoon just sits there on the swing for a long moment, watching your peaceful sleeping face
slowly, tenderly, he leans his head down and presses a soft, lingering kiss against the crown of your hair, letting his eyes close as he breathes you in
โ"welcome home, y/n," he whispers against your hair
a few days later, jake practically begs sunghoon to tag along to the university's final soccer match. since jake is part of the soccer club and sungchan happens to be the team captain, sunghoon casually agrees, mostly just to kill some time
โbut the moment sunghoon arrives at the stands, his relaxed composure completely vanishes. there you are, sitting a few rows down
โsunghoon immediately makes his way toward you, his brows furrowed as he stops right in front of your seat. "y/n? what are you doing here?"
โyou look up, blinking in surprise before giving him a small wave. "oh, hoon! i'm here to cheer for sungchan." you proudly gesture down at the oversized jersey youโre wearing
sunghoonโs eyes drop to the fabric, and his stomach instantly twists when he recognizes the number boldly printed on it, itโs sungchanโs jersey number
โ"it looks ugly on you," sunghoon mutters under his breath, his jaw tightening
โ"what did you say?" you squint, not quite catching his low murmur over the noisy crowd
โ"nothing," sunghoon replies flatly, forcing a neutral expression as he casually slides into the empty seat right next to you
โthroughout the entire game, sunghoon sits there like a ticking time bomb. every single time sungchan scores or runs near your side of the field, the captain immediately looks up, flashing you a smug, dazzling smile
you just smile back politely, waving your hand to support him. but sitting right beside you, sunghoon is violently rolling his eyes
gross. he looks so pathetic trying to act cute. iโm literally ten times better than him, sunghoon snarls bitterly in his head, crossing his arms tightly over his chest
โwhen the final whistle blows, sungchanโs team officially wins the championship. the crowd goes absolutely wild, but sunghoonโs eyes are strictly locked on sungchanโs movements
โthe very first thing sungchan does isn't celebrating with his teammates, he runs straight toward the stands, climbs up, and throws his arms tightly around you, lifting you slightly off your feet
you burst into a breathless laugh, lightly patting his back. "okay, okay! sungchan, put me down, i can't breathe!"
โsunghoon watches the display, his eyes freezing as he aggressively rolls his eyes. sungchan finally pulls back, throwing a deeply satisfied, triumphant look directly at sunghoon, clearly gloating over his victory
โunable to take another second of the suffocating jealousy, sunghoon abruptly stands up. he walks down to the field, taps jake on the shoulder, and mutters, "i'll wait for you outside."
โstanding outside the stadium, the sky has turned gray, and a soft drizzle begins to fall. sunghoon leans against a pillar, mindlessly scrolling through his phone to distract himself
but the second a familiar, soft giggle drifts through the quiet air, his thumb freezes on the screen then he looks up
โjust a few meters away, you and sungchan are walking down the pavement, sharing a single umbrella. sungchan is deliberately tilting the umbrella toward your side, letting his own shoulder get completely soaked by the rain just to ensure you stay perfectly dry
in your arms, you are carefully cradling a fresh, grand bouquet of pink peonies. sunghoon stares at the flowers, and a bitter, mocking laugh slips past his lips
โ"idiot," sunghoon whispers to himself, his voice cracking with a sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion. "your favorite flowers aren't even peonies... they're white camellias."
โthe realization hits him like a physical blow. sungchan doesn't even know you, not the real you, not the little details that sunghoon has kept memorized in his heart for years
but as he watches you walk away, looking so effortlessly beautiful as you laugh at something sungchan said, the sheer weight of reality crashes down on him. you are smiling with someone else now
the lounge is deafeningly loud, but for sunghoon, everything is reduced to a dull roar
heโs been sitting in the corner with yeonjun and jake, his knuckles white as he grips his glass so hard it might shatter. his eyes are fixed on you and sungchan, watching as sungchanโs hands roam possessively over your waist, your back, your arm
โ"hoon, cool it," yeonjun murmurs, nudging his side. "you're making a scene just by sitting there with that face. just let it go, man."
โ"heโs right," yunjin adds, leaning over from the next booth, her expression stern. "you two are over. itโs been two years. stop acting like you still have a claim on her. itโs embarrassing."
โsunghoon doesn't answer. he canโt. he feels like heโs suffocating, every muscle in his body coiled to strike. he watches you laugh at something sungchan says, and for a second, he thinks he might actually lose his mind
โthen, it happens
โsungchan leans in, and in front of everyone, he crashes his lips onto yours!
โthe world stops. he feels a sharp, jagged pain in the center of his chest, as if his heart is being slowly crushed in a vice. heโs completely paralyzed, his mind going utterly blank
โthe next thing he knows, heโs standing in front of you. he doesn't say a word, he just grabs your wrist, his grip iron-tight, and pulls you toward the exit
โ"hey! what do you think you're doing?" sungchan jumps up, ready to fight, but the moment he looks into sunghoonโs eyes he stumbles back, suddenly terrified, and lets you be pulled away
โyou stay silent while you're being dragged through the club, your face burning with humiliation, but the moment you hit the cool night air of the alley, you explode
โslap.
โthe sound of your palm connecting with sunghoonโs cheek echoes against the brick walls. sunghoon doesn't flinch. his head stays turned to the side, his chest heaving
โ"what is wrong with you?!" you scream, your voice trembling with pure, unadulterated fury. "why canโt you just leave me alone?! we have nothing, sunghoon! itโs been two years! don't you have any dignity left? you look so pathetic right now, obsessing over your ex-girlfriend like a stalker!"
โsunghoon slowly turns his face back to you. he looks broken, his eyes glassy and vacant
โ"i don't have feelings for you anymore," you continue, each word a cold, sharp blade. "not even a little bit! i don't even want to see your face ever again. if you show up in front of me one more time, i won't just hit you, sunghoonโiโll spit in your face."
โthe silence that follows is deathly. youโre breathing hard, your eyes blazing, but as you stare at him, you see a single, hot tear trail down his pale cheek
itโs not a dramatic sob, he just looks utterly hollowed out, as if youโve just deleted his entire existence
โ"i'm sorry," he whispers, his voice barely audible, shaking as he takes a step back. "i'm sorry for being... pathetic."
โhe doesn't try to touch you. he doesn't try to explain. he just turns around and walks into the darkness, leaving you alone in the alley, his shoulders hunched in a way that makes your own heart feel like itโs being torn into pieces
the second sunghoon steps into his quiet apartment, he completely collapses onto his bed. he doesn't even bother turning on the lights, letting the darkness swallow him whole as he stares blankly at the ceiling. his cheek still stings from the slap, but the burning ache in his chest is a thousand times worse
โ"jay, you're a liar," sunghoon mutters into the empty room, his voice thick with a mixture of anger and raw exhaustion
โhe lets out a harsh, bitter laugh, running a hand over his face. "you said if the strings was repaired, we could be together. you said it would fix everything. then why the hell does she hate me so much now?"
โhe closes his eyes tightly, the memory of your cold, furious gaze slicing through him all over again. "if i knew it was going to be like this... if i knew i'd just end up becoming a pathetic nuisance to her, i shouldn't have even bothered fixing the damn strings in the first place."
โsunghoon pauses, the quiet hum of the refrigerator the only sound answering him. he sighs, his shoulders slumping. "jay... i know you're probably listening to this from somewhere. what the hell am i supposed to do now?"
โas expected, only a heavy, dead silence greets him. back when his soul had left his physical body during the coma, he could easily communicate with the grim reaper
but now that his soul is locked back inside his human flesh, that connection is completely severed. there are no more shortcuts, no more supernatural interventions
โ"forget it," sunghoon mumbles, rolling onto his side and burying his face in his pillow. "i need to stop doing this. i need to find something else to do."
โand thatโs exactly what he does
โstarting from the very next morning, sunghoon forces himself to channel all his frustrated, agonizing energy into something productive. he completely locks himself in his room for days, meticulously building his resume and applying for high-level engineering positions at massive, prestigious firms that match his degree
he throws himself into preparation for interviews, studying until his eyes burn, determined to build a future so solid that no one could ever look down on him again
โof course, the sadness still creeps in. there are quiet moments late at night when a random memory of you will suddenly hit him, leaving him completely breathless with an overwhelming ache of missing you
โto keep himself from losing his mind, he starts hanging out more with his friendsโsoobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung. theyโd go to quiet bars, playing games or just drinking until late
his friends can clearly see the underlying frustration and anger heโs harboring, but sunghoon strictly draws a line
despite how hurt or lonely he feels, he never once tries to rebound or seek comfort from other girls. he refuses to do anything that could ever taint or damage the strings between you two again
โbecause deep down, beneath all the pain and the cold rejections, park sunghoon still stubbornly believes in one thing
โyou two are soulmates and heโs going to make sure heโs ready when the universe finally decides to give him another chance
two weeks fly by, and honestly, sunghoon rarely touches his phone anymore. his days are entirely consumed by his burning ambition to build his career, leaving him with zero time to drown in his own thoughts
โlate one evening, he and jake are sitting at the kitchen island, slurping down bowls of instant ramen after a long day. sunghoonโs laptop is open next to his bowl, and a soft ding echoes through the quiet apartment. he casually glances at the screen to check his email, but the moment his eyes scan the preview, he freezes
โsubject: offer of employment - enhigh corporate.
โsunghoon drops his chopsticks, his eyes widening in absolute shock. "no way," he breathes out
โ"what? what is it?" jake asks, leaning over with a mouthful of noodles
โ"i got in, jake. i actually got into enhigh corporate!" sunghoon suddenly shouts, jumping out of his chair. he lets out a loud, victorious cheer, throwing his fists into the air with a radiant grin that he hasn't shown in weeks
โjake immediately pulls him into a messy, aggressive hug, laughing loudly as he slaps sunghoonโs back. "congratulations, man! holy shit, i knew youโd pull it off! thatโs huge!"
โbut as the initial wave of excitement settles, a bittersweet realization hits the room. enhigh corporate isn't local, itโs located in a completely different country. accepting this offer means sunghoon has to pack up his entire life, leaving behind his friends and his apartment
โjake noticed the sudden dip in sunghoon's mood and gives him a reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder. "hey, don't worry about anything, hoon. what matters is that you're finally moving forward to the next step. you deserve this."
โa few days later, the apartment is filled with cardboard boxes. soobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung are all gathered, helping sunghoon pack the remaining engineering textbooks and clothes into his suitcases
โas heeseung tapes up a box of shoes, he casually looks up, his eyes scanning sunghoonโs quiet profile. "so... are you not going to tell y/n about this?"
โthe entire room subtly goes quiet. sunghoonโs hands pause over the sweater heโs folding
โ"no," sunghoon answers softly, keeping his eyes glued to the fabric. "i don't think i will. she made it pretty clear that she never wants to see my face again anyway."
โheeseung sighs, leaning back against the wall. "well, there's no harm in just letting her know. use it as a chance to say goodbye and apologize one last time properly. who knows? you two might actually never cross paths again once you fly out."
โthe words never cross paths again send a cold, sharp shiver straight down sunghoon's spine. his stomach twists uncomfortably. he scratches the back of his neck, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh
โ"yeah... i'll think about it," sunghoon murmurs quietly.
โa week later, you find yourself getting closer to sungchan. thereโs no official label between you two yet, but heโs sweet, attentive, and always there
late at night, youโre sitting on your couch, softly laughing into your phone as you talk to sungchan about your date scheduled for tomorrow morning
โin the middle of your conversation, the sharp buzz of your apartment doorbell echoes through the quiet space
โ"wait a second, sungchan. someone's at the door," you murmur, pulling the phone away from your ear. you walk over to the foyer and glance at the wall-mounted intercom screen
โyour heart instantly drops into your stomach.
itโs sunghoon. heโs standing under the dim hallway light, a beautiful bouquet of fresh white camellias cradled carefully in his arms
โthe bell rings again. you stay completely frozen, your breath hitching. you stubbornly refuse to open the door. the memory of your last fight is still too raw, and you simply cannot bring yourself to face him
โafter a long, heavy silence, sunghoon seems to realize you aren't going to let him in. he lets out a quiet breath, slowly bending down to set the white camellias gently on the floor right next to your door
he straightens back up, staring directly at the camera lens as if he knows you're watching him from the other side and then, he starts to speak
โ"y/n... i know you're in there," sunghoonโs deep voice drifts through the intercom speaker, sounding incredibly soft, completely stripped of his usual arrogance. "i know you still don't want to see me, and that's okay. i understand."
โyou stand there, pressing your palm against the cold wood of the door, unable to look away from the screen
โ"first, i just want to apologize. i'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable with how i acted at the lounge. i truly regret everything," he murmurs, his dark eyes looking incredibly vulnerable
he lets out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. "you know... the very first person i looked for when i woke up from that coma was you. crazy, right?"
โ"every single day after i woke up, i kept practicing what to say to you. i kept trying to draft an apology in my head. but honestly, i was terrified. i remembered how harsh and awful i was to you before the accident, and i couldn't even bring myself to send you a single text. i knew you had a life over in europe, and later on, yunjin mentioned that you were finally happy... that you were going out on dates. i didn't want to ruin that for you. i didn't want to drag you back into my mess because i knew exactly how badly i hurt you."
โtears finally spill over your lashes, tracking silently down your cheeks. you bite your lower lip hard, forcing yourself not to make a sound
โ"and... i'm genuinely happy to see that you're doing well now even if you're with sungchan," sunghoon continues, a faint, sad smile pulling at his lips. "jake told me about him since i've been too busy with other things lately. i guess... i really am pathetic, just like you said."
โhe pauses, looking down at his shoes before locking eyes with the camera again. "i'm sorry for everything, y/n. i just wanted to say it out loud so the weight in my head could finally ease up a bit. ah... i feel like i'm talking too much."
โhe clears his throat, his expression shifting into something genuinely proud. "by the way... i got accepted at enhigh corporate. pretty cool, right?"
โat that exact sentence, you lose your battle against the tears. a choked sob escapes your throat, and you have to clap both hands over your mouth to muffle the sound. you thought he was just dropping by to say sorry, but heโs still not done
โ"i just wanted to make sure i apologized to you properly before i leave, even if it has to be through a closed door," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking slightly with an emotion heโs trying hard to suppress. "my flight is tomorrow morning."
โhe lets out another breathy laugh, trying to lighten the suffocating gravity of his words. "man, i'm really not used to talking this much. my throat is literally dry."
โsunghoon slowly raises his hand, giving a gentle, lingering wave toward the camera lens. "goodbye, y/n."
โthe moment his shadow turns around and walks away from the screen, your knees completely give out. you slide down against the back of the door, collapsing onto the cold floor as you bury your face in your hands, crying uncontrollably. the heavy, suffocating silence of the apartment is completely filled with your raw, heartbreaking sobs
โmeanwhile, as sunghoon steps out of your apartment building, he lets out a massive, clean sigh. for the first time in two years, the crushing guilt in his chest feels a little lighter now that he has finally confessed everything he carried
โthe sky above is dark, and a heavy rain suddenly starts to pour, drenching the empty streets. but sunghoon doesn't care. without a second thought, he shoves his hands into his pockets and walks straight into the downpour, walking slowly, peacefully, letting the cool rain wash over him as he embraces the quiet, lonely night
โ"sunghoon!"
a desperate, cracked scream pierces through the heavy roar of the rain. sunghoon freezes. he abruptly spins around, his dark eyes widening in absolute shock
โthere you are. you had chased him all the way out of the building, running straight into the torrential downpour. youโre wearing nothing but a beautiful, silk nightgown that is now completely soaked and clinging to your skin, your bare feet stepping directly onto the freezing, wet pavement
โ"y/n...?" sunghoon whispers, his voice instantly swallowed by the wind
โseeing you standing there, shivering and crying under the heavy rain, completely breaks something inside him
without a second thought, sunghoon sprints back toward you. all his pent-up emotions, his worry bubbles up because god, you are truly the only person in this world who can drive him this violently insane
โ"what the hell are you doing?!" sunghoon roars, his hands instantly gripping your wet shoulders as he glares down at you, furious out of sheer worry. "are you out of your mind?! running out here in your sleepwear?! it's freezing, y/nโ"
โhe doesn't get to finish. you throw your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face into his soaked chest as you sob uncontrollably
you hold onto him with every single ounce of strength you have left, your entire body trembling against his broad frame
โ"i'm sorry... i'm so sorry, hoon," you choke out between your tears, tightening your grip on his jacket
"please... please don't leave me again. when you were in that coma, your body was right there, so close that i could touch it, but your soul felt miles away. and now youโre trying to leave for real?"
โsunghoonโs breath hitches. his hands slowly wrap around your small waist, pulling you so close against him that thereโs absolutely no space left between you two
โ"i'm sorry i slapped you yesterday," you sob loudly into his chest, letting all the hidden truths pour out. "i only did that because i wanted to hate you, hoon. i wanted to force myself to forget you because you were the only thing on my mind for two whole years! i hated you so much for never reaching out to me while i was in europe, even though i was desperately waiting for you. i had to keep begging yunjin and giselle for updates about you, and i had to physically stop myself from texting you because... because i promised your unconscious body that i wouldn't bother you anymore."
โtears mix with the rain on your face as you look up at him, your eyes completely raw. "and every single night while you were in that coma, i had these weird, vivid dreams. in every single one of them, you were constantly apologizing to me, over and over again, in so many different ways. i used to wake up every night crying, thinking i was just going crazy. i thought my brain was just making things up because i desperately wanted to hear you say sorry..."
โhearing your words, a profound, overwhelming wave of emotion crashes over sunghoon. a soft, breathless gasp slips past his lips. the strings, the connection he had fought so hard it was real. you had felt his soul begging for your forgiveness all along
a deep, radiant warmth fills his entire chest, and he buries his face into your neck, pressing a soft, desperate kiss against your wet shoulder as he holds you like you're his entire world
โ"i'm sorry, baby. i'm so sorry," sunghoon murmurs against your skin, his voice thick with tears
โbut then, reality kicks back in. he feels how violently youโre shivering in his arms. sunghoon quickly breaks the embrace, taking your small, freezing hands into his large palms. "you're going to get sick. you have zero tolerance for the cold, come on. we need to go back inside right now!"
โhe grabs your hand, and instead of walking, the two of you start running back toward your apartment building through the heavy sheets of rain
โbut this time, the heavy sadness is completely gone. despite being completely soaked and freezing, a loud, breathless laugh bubbles up from your chest
you look over at his sharp profile as you run, the adrenaline making you completely bold. "hoon! i love you!" you scream over the roaring thunder
โsunghoon blinks, the loud sound of the pouring rain completely muffling your words. "what?! what did you say?!"
โyou let out another joyful giggle, shaking your head as you pull him along. "nothing! i said i love you!"
โsunghoonโs lips instantly stretch into a wide, breathless grin. he tightens his grip on your hand, pulling you a bit closer as he runs right next to you. "i love you more, y/n! so much more!" he yells back, but his voice drops slightly at the end, the wind sweeping the rest of his words away
โ"what?!" you shout back, looking up at him. "i couldn't hear you!"
โ"i said hurry up before the rain gets any worse!" sunghoon scolds with a playful grin, shoving open the glass doors of your lobby
โthe two of you burst into the warm foyer, completely dripping wet, leaving a trail of puddles on the floor. you look at each otherโs ruined, soaked hair and drenched clothes, and right there in the empty lobby, you both break into loud, echoing laughter
one year later..
the dynamic between you and sunghoon has shifted into something entirely new. youโre still technically "exes," but the miles between you have taught you both something neither of you knew before: how to be each otherโs safe place, even from halfway across the world
โyour work schedule is a nightmare, brutal and relentless, often even more hectic than sunghoonโs. despite that, he never breaks his promise
every morning, a fresh bouquet of white camellias waits on your desk, accompanied by those infuriatingly cute sticky notes: โdonโt let your boss give you a headache today,โ or โsmile for me, okay?โ
โheโs obsessive in the best way. if you mention in passing that youโre bored with your bag, a courier shows up at your door forty-eight hours later with exactly what you described
it got to the point where you stopped mentioning things you wanted, because you knew heโd buy them instantly. whenever he asks,
"what do you want for your birthday?" you just whisper, "i just want to see you." but he always sighs, "be patient, y/n. the timing isn't right yet."
โuntil the japan trip. when you mentioned the group trip to yunjin, giselle, and the boys, sunghoonโs tone became unusually vague. โi donโt know, y/n. iโm drowning in work lately. i donโt think i can make it.โ
โyou hid your disappointment, forcing a smile. โoh... right. okay, no worries. good luck with work, hoon.โ
โbut after that, the silence became deafening. for three days, no texts. no late-night facetime. you felt like you were back to square one, your heart twisting with every hour he stayed offline. you were dying to tell him you missed him, but his phone was permanently unreachable
โby the time you land in japan, your mood is already hovering somewhere between exhaustion and pure heartbreak. then comes the hotel room disaster
โ"wait, why is my room key different?" you frown, staring at the card giselle handed you. "i thought i was bunking with you and yunjin."
โ"oh, about that," giselle says, looking anywhere but at you. "we figured you needed the space! we booked you a suiteโlook, itโs on a different floor and itโs massive. itโs got a private pool, y/n! don't be a party pooper."
โ"but iโm terrified of sleeping alone in a giant room!" you protest, turning to yunjin. "just come sleep with me!"
โyunjin looks horrified. "um, no way! giselle and i are terrified of obakeโjapanese ghosts. and if the three of us stay together, the room count becomes an odd number. odd numbers are a ghost's favorite, y/n. itโs simple math!"
โ"you guys are literally the most ridiculous people on earth," you deadpan, though you eventually give up
โthat night, lying in the massive, cold suite, you stare at your phone screen. โhoon, iโm in japan. i miss you so much. can we facetime?โ
โdelivered but no read receipt. you toss the phone aside, feeling the familiar, bitter sting of loneliness
โday one is a blur of chaos. you, yunjin, and giselle hit the streets of tokyo, turning vintage stores into your personal runway. you try to force yourself to enjoy the trip, but every time you see a cute shop, you instinctively think, โsunghoon would love this,โ only for the realization to hit that heโs not here
by nightfall, the whole squad meets up at a hidden ramen shop tucked away in a narrow alley. the air is thick with the savory scent of boiling broth, the clinking of glasses, and loud, chaotic arguments. currently, you are in the middle of a heated, absolutely ridiculous debate with yunjin and yeonjun
โ"i'm telling you, y/n, it makes perfect sense!" yeonjun aggressively slaps his hand on the wooden table, gesturing toward his round ramen bowl. "if the earth is actually a sphere, why don't the oceans just spill off the bottom into space? explain that to me!"
โ"yeonjun, please tell me you're joking," you groan, rubbing your temples while yunjin aggressively nods in agreement with him. "it's called gravity! the core of the earth pulls everything inward. we are not flying off into the void."
โ"but think about the horizon!" yunjin chimes in, leaning across the table with wide, dramatic eyes. "when you look at the ocean, it's a straight line, y/n. a straight. line. if it were round, weโd see a curve! i watched a three-hour documentary on youtube last week, and honestly? the government is lying to us. ice walls are holding the water in!"
โ"an ice wall?! what is this, game of thrones?" you burst out laughing, completely frustrated. "you guys are literally conspiracy theorists. soobin, please help me out here, tell them they're idiots."
โsoobin, who is busy chewing his pork belly, just raises his hands defensively. "don't drag me into this. i'm just here for the free food."
โyou roll your eyes, completely amused, and turn back to face your opponents. "okay, if the earth is flat, thenโ"
โmid-sentence, you notice yunjin and yeonjunโs expressions instantly shift. their arguments completely die out, replaced by this incredibly annoying, smug, and knowing smirk
they aren't even looking at you anymore, their eyes are fixed on something right behind your head
"what? why are you guys looking at me like that?" you frown, shifting uncomfortably on your stool
โbefore either of them can answer, a tall, broad shadow falls over your seat. you glance up, and the words completely freeze in your throat
โpark sunghoon is standing right there!
โhe looks devastatingly handsome, wearing a casual, dark button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his hair slightly damp from the summer humidity
before your brain can even process his presence, he smoothly slides onto the empty stool right next to you, his broad shoulder brushing intimately against yours
โyour mind goes completely blank. "youโhow are you even here?!"
โaround the table, the entire squad instantly bursts into loud, teasing cheers
โ"look at her face!" yeonjun howls with laughter, pointing a chopstick at you. "she looks like she just saw a real obake!"
โ"gosh, get a room, you two," yunjin teases, nudging your elbow playfully under the table. "the unresolved tension is literally making my ramen cold."
โjake just shakes his head, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he takes a sip of his water. "told you she'd look like that, sunghoon. you owe me ten bucks."
โ"shut up, jake," sunghoon chuckles, but his eyes never once leave yours
โwhile the rest of the table goes back to their loud conversations, sunghoon leans his head down, his lips brushing dangerously close to the shell of your ear
โ"did you miss me?" he whispers, his deep morning-like voice sending a sudden, electric shiver straight down your spine
โyou swallow hard, trying to keep your voice steady as you whisper back, "no. not at all. i was actually having fun."
โsunghoon lets out a dark, low chuckle that vibrates against your skin. he leans in just a millimeter closer, his dark eyes locking onto yours with terrifying intensity. "liar. you look even more beautiful than you did on screen, y/n. i couldn't take my eyes off you the second i walked in."
โyour face instantly burns a violent shade of red. beneath the privacy of the table, you blindly reach out and give his thigh a sharp, aggressive pinch
sunghoon doesn't even flinch, his smirk only widens as his hand casually drops onto your knee, giving it a firm, possessive squeeze before slowly pulling away
โon the walk back to the hotel, the group naturally scatters. heeseung and soobin disappear down a side street to look for rare, unique japanese cigarettes, while yeonjun and jake are busy arguing over who gets to hold the digital camera for photo spots. yunjin and giselle immediately run off to a late-night convenience store to shop for weird snacks
โjust like that, it's just you and sunghoon, quietly strolling side by side through the warm tokyo night
โyouโre both eating convenience store ice cream, but yours turns out to be absolutely disgusting, so you let out a whimper and throw it in a nearby bin. now empty-handed, you squint up at his match-flavored ice cream bar
โ"give me a bite," you mutter
โsunghoon smirks, willingly holding the ice cream bar up to your lips, watching with an intensely fond gaze as you take a small bite. "greedy," he murmurs softly
โ"shut up," you chew, before bringing up the topic that's been bothering you for days. "why did you barely text me these past few days? and why didn't you tell me you were coming to japan? i was literally losing my mind thinking you were drowning in work or something."
โsunghoon takes a slow bite from the same spot your lips just touched, his eyes locked on yours. "why? did you want me to text you that badly? did you cry yourself to sleep because you thought i wouldn't make it?"
โ"in your dreams, park!" you scoff, rolling your eyes in sheer annoyance as you playfully push your hand against his massive shoulder. "go back to your office. i was actually looking forward to a peaceful vacation without your annoying face."
โsunghoon lets out a melodious, genuine laugh, letting himself sway from your shove before stepping even closer, his arm wrapping smoothly around your waist to pull you flush against his side. "i wanted to surprise you, baby. and looking at how completely flushed you are right now... i'd say my mission was a masterpiece."
โwhen you finally reach the hotel floor, the hallway is completely empty. you walk over to the massive double doors of your luxury suite, pulling out your key card. "okay, we're here. why are you still following me? go to your own room, sunghoon, i want to change and sleep."
โ"i want to sleep too," sunghoon replies smoothly, leaning his back against the wall right next to your door frame, his arms crossed over his chest
โ"then go to your room!" you snap, waving your hand dismissively. "shoo."
โinstead of leaving, sunghoon just flashes you a slow, deeply amused grin. he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a golden key card, tapping it lightly against his own palm. "this is my room."
โyour jaw drops. "what?! what do you mean your room? park sunghoon, stop joking around, it's not funny."
โ"i'm not joking," he chuckles, stepping forward, effectively trapping you between his large physique and the door. he takes the card from your hand and swipes his own against the electronic lock
the door clicks open, revealing the massive, dimly lit suite with a private pool glowing in the background. sunghoon casually strolls inside, tossing his wallet onto the counter
โyou march inside after him, slamming the door shut with a loud thud. "are you crazy?! why the hell are we sharing a single hotel room? what kind of 'exes' do this?!"
โ"why are you acting so shocked?" sunghoon turns around, his dark eyes darkening with a sudden, heavy wave of heat as he steps into your personal space
he keeps walking until your hips hit the edge of the kitchen island, completely trapping you. "itโs not like weโve never shared a bed before, y/n. besides, it's not like i haven't seen you completely nakโ"
โbefore the word can fully leave his lips, you frantically throw both of your hands over his mouth, your heart hammering so violently against your ribs youโre convinced he can hear it. your face is practically on fire
โ"okay! okay! shut up! don't say it!" you squeak, glaring up at him with wide, panicked eyes
โsunghoon doesn't move. his dark eyes stare down at you over your palms, the corners of his eyes crinkling beautifully as he laughs silently against your skin, his warm breath tickling your hands
โ"fine, we're sleeping here," you breathe out, slowly lowering your hands but keeping your chest dangerously close to his. "but we are putting a mountain of pillows between us as a boundary. you stay on your side, i stay on mine. got it?"
โsunghoon just tilts his head, a devastatingly slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. his hands gently come up to rest on your waist, his thumbs tracing the bare skin just beneath the hem of your shirt, sending goosebumps all over your body
โ"we'll see about that, sweetheart," he whispers, his voice dropping into a raspy murmur. "let's see how long that pillow wall lasts."
day two begins with the absolute worst kind of morning chaos
โyou slowly blink your eyes open, feeling an unusual, heavy warmth pressing against your side. the bed suddenly feels incredibly cramped
you look down and notice the neat barrier of pillow walls you built last night is still perfectly intact right in the middle of the mattress. but park sunghoon? he has completely bypassed the boundary, slithering over to your side of the bed
โyou turn your head, and your heart instantly jumps. sunghoon is already awake, propping his head up with one hand as he stares down at your messy morning face with an incredibly fond, quiet gaze
โ"what the hell, sunghoon?!" you croak out, your morning voice raspy as you aggressively nudge his chest. "what are you doing on my side? you're making it so cramped!"
โsunghoon just lets out a low, deep morning chuckle, not moving an inch. "i was bored."
โ"if you're bored, go jump in the private pool outside!" you snap, sitting up and glaring down at him. "why do you have to annoy me the second i wake up?"
โ"swim alone? that's boring," he murmurs, his dark eyes gleaming with pure amusement. "come swim with me."
โ"no way, i still want to sleep," you complain, burying your face back into the sheets
โ"lazybones," sunghoon teases, poking your cheek
โyou instantly snap, sitting back up. "fine! i'm taking the bathroom first then."
โ"no, i'm going first," sunghoon counter-attacks, finally sitting up against the headboard. "let's settle this like adults. rock, paper, scissors. winner gets the shower."
โ"fine!" you lift your fist. "rock, paper, scissors!"
โyou throw out paper, and sunghoon throws out scissors
โ"ha! i win," sunghoon chirps, a smug, victorious smirk instantly spreading across his face. but instead of getting up, he just shoves his hands behind his head and leans comfortably back into the mattress. "alright, you can go first. go ahead."
โyou freeze, staring at him in absolute disbelief. "wait... what? you won! why aren't you going?!"
โyou crawl over and start aggressively pulling at his broad, solid arms, trying to drag his massive physique off the bed. "get up! go to the bathroom, sunghoon! move your lazy ass!"
โ"i don't want to go first," sunghoon mutters, laughing loudly against his pillow as he easily resists your pulls. "i just wanted to win the game so i could see that annoyed, frustrated look on your face. it worked beautifully."
โ"you are actually the most frustrating human being on this planet!" you yell, snatching the nearest hotel pillow and throwing it straight at his face before ripping your towel off the rack
once the whole squad is finally ready, the journey to enoshima turns into pure, unadulterated chaos. the vintage enoden train is packed to the brim with commuters and tourists, forcing everyone to cram into the narrow aisle
โon one side of the carriage, heeseung and yeonjun have completely passed out against each other. yeonjunโs head keeps lolling around like a broken doll, forcing a miserable jake to stand guard and physically push yeonjunโs head back onto his shoulder every thirty seconds
meanwhile, soobin is standing directly between a group of pretty local girls, suddenly shifting into his ultra-nonchalant, "cool guy" mode. his posture is rigid, his gaze is fixed on the ceiling, and heโs pretending to be incredibly absorbed in his phone, even though he's clearly sweating bullets
โin the corner, yunjin and giselle are giggling like maniacs, snapping candid, blurry photos of the boys' misery using a vintage film camera
โand then thereโs you and sunghoon. the train jolts violently, sending the entire crowd swaying. youโre pushed flat against the corner of the door, and sunghoon instantly steps in to "protect" you, which is really just an excuse to trap you in his space
he plants a large hand on the glass panel right above your head, his broad shoulders shielding you from the rest of the train, creating a tiny, suffocatingly intimate bubble just for the two of you
โhis presence is overwhelming. you can smell the faint, clean scent of his soap mixed with the humid summer air
โsunghoon leans down, his lips brushing dangerously close to your ear. his voice is a low, velvety hum that you feel more than you hear. "you smell so good today, y/n. did you change your perfume?"
โyour skin prickles. "sunghoon, you're too close. back up," you whisper, trying to maintain your dignity, though your voice cracks slightly
โhe chuckles, the sound vibrating against your shoulder. he shifts his weight, leaning in even further until his breath is tickling your neck. "you know... when this vacation ends, we shouldn't just go back to our separate lives. how about we take a real trip? just the two of us. a honeymoon, maybe?"
โyour eyes widen, and without thinking, you drive your elbow sharply into his ribs. "honeymoon?! are you delusional? get lost, park!"
โ"ow, that hurt," he feigns a wince, but his grin only grows wider, his dark eyes sparkling with that wicked, teasing light. "iโm serious. itโll just be us, just me and you."
โas the train takes another sharp turn, your body lurches forward. sunghoonโs hand moves from the glass to your waist to steady you, pulling you flush against his chest. you instinctively tilt your head back to glare at him, to tell him off, to call him a jerk but the words die on your tongue
โhis face is right there. heโs so close that your noses are nearly touching. you can see the golden flecks in his dark eyes, and his gaze is fixed intently on your lips, then back to your eyes, slow and deliberate
the air between you feels thick, charged with a tension so heavy it makes your heart hammer against your ribs like a caged bird
โyou were ready to yell at him, but instead, you find yourself completely breathless. your throat feels tight, and you suddenly feel incredibly shy, your gaze dropping to his shirt collar
โ"you..." you start, but you can't even finish the sentence. your heart is beating way too fast
โsunghoonโs hand on your waist tightens just a fraction, his thumb tracing a slow, rhythmic circle against your hip. he looks like he's about to bridge the last inch of space between you
โ"we'll talk about that trip later, then," he whispers, his voice dropping to a gravelly, suggestive purr that makes your knees weak. "but for now, just stay close to me."
โyou canโt breathe. you just give a tiny, almost imperceptible nod, your face burning a violent shade of red, completely forgetting all the insults you had lined up for him
when you guys finally step off at the beach, the afternoon heat hits you full force, and the squad naturally scatters into their own chaotic groups
โoff to the side, heeseung has somehow managed to borrow an acoustic guitar from some local beachgoers, and now he, soobin, and giselle are sitting on the sand, jamming out with some locals
yunjin and jake are a few yards away, animatedly chatting up a group of foreign tourists, while yeonjun is walking along the shoreline, holding his phone high up as he facetimes his current crush, bragging about the view
โaway from the noise, you and sunghoon are sitting side by side on a smooth wooden log, watching the sky shift into shades of amber and violet
โyou take a sip of your drink, staring out at the open water. "hey, hoon... do you think mermaids are real?"
โsunghoon turns his head to look at you, blinking behind his sunglasses. "mermaids? of course not. that's biologically and logically impossible, y/n. how would they even breathe or survive the ocean pressure?"
โyou instantly judge him with a massive side-eye. "wow. so you don't believe in mermaids, but you blindly believe in that whole soulmate and red thread thing? where is the logic in that, park sunghoon?"
โ"hey, that's completely different," sunghoon argues, letting out a soft laugh as he leans his chin in his palm. "mermaids belong in barbie movies. but soulmates? that's cosmic, it's real."
โ"whatever," you roll your eyes, but a soft smile slips onto your face as you look back at the horizon. the sun is slowly dipping below the ocean, painting the water in gold. "wow... it's so beautiful."
โyou turn your head to see if he's watching the sunset, but he isn't. sunghoon is leaning dangerously close to you, his intense, dark gaze fixed entirely on your face, the golden twilight highlighting every sharp, breathtaking line of his features
โ"yeah," sunghoon murmurs, his voice suddenly dropping into that deep, serious register. "incredibly beautiful."
โyou look into his eyes and swallow hard. "i... i meant the sunset, sunghoon."
โ"i know," sunghoon replies smoothly, a slow, radiant grin breaking across his lips as he tilts his face even closer to yours. "but i meant you."
โ"go away!" you gasp, your face exploding into a bright red flush
โwithout thinking, you reach out and slap your palm directly onto his face, aggressively shoving his head away from your sight. "stop getting so close to me! get away, park sunghoon!"
โsunghoon just bursts into a loud, melodious laugh, letting you shove his face away while his hands instinctively find your waist again under the golden sky, completely unbothered by your fake anger
the afternoon heat of late august mellows into a warm, golden breeze as the three of you finally step out of the dressing boutique
โinside the shop, the boys are already causing an absolute scene. yeonjun and yunjin are currently in a high-decibel screaming match near the mirror
โ"i'm telling you, choi yeonjun! the dark blue obi belt makes him look like a modern city prince!" yunjin yells, aggressively shaking a piece of fabric in his face. "the black one is just boring! it looks like heโs going to a funeral!"
โ"are you blind, huh?!" yeonjun shoots back, snatching the black belt and wrapping it around his own waist dramatically. "black is classic! it makes his chest look wider! ask jake, jake knows fashion!"
โjake, who is currently sitting on a wooden stool, doesn't even look up from his phone. "don't drag me into this. i'm busy trying to look up how to tie this damn thing on youtube. heeseung, help me, my arms are stuck."
โheeseung rolls his eyes, sighing as he untangles jake's sleeves. "you guys are literally so loud. the local staff are judging us."
โmeanwhile, near the changing curtain, giselle is already circling you like a hawk, her digital camera glued to her eye. "oh my god, oh my god, y/n! don't move! look over here! give me a slight poutโyes! stop, you look like a literal painting! i'm going to cry!"
โ"gigi, stop it! my eyes are going to get blurry from the flash!" you laugh, shielding your face with your wide yukata sleeves "people are looking!"
โ"let them look! they're just jealous they don't have a gorgeous friend like you," giselle squeals, aggressively clicking the shutter
โby the doorway, jake suddenly nudges sunghoonโs shoulder, leaning in to whisper secretly. "hey. check your breathing, man. your shoulders are completely stiff. stop looking like you're about to walk into a battlefield. relax, or sheโs going to notice something is up."
โsunghoon just gives a tight, frantic nod, swallowing hard as he adjusts his collar for the tenth time. "i'm trying, jake. my hands are literally sweating"
โthe moment you finally step out into the courtyard, the chaotic shouting instantly dies down. sunghoon turns around, and the playful scowl on his face completely vanishes
his eyes widen, taking in your entire appearance from head to toe. the soft makeup, the elegant floral hairpins, and the way the yukata hugs your figure perfectly. he looks utterly captivated, like a man who just saw a miracle
โ"wow," sunghoon breathes out, his deep voice thick with emotion as he steps straight into your space, completely ignoring the rest of the world. "y/n... you look incredibly beautiful. seriously. i can't even..."
โ"iโit's just a regular yukata," you mumble, your cheeks turning a bright, violent pink as you look down at your sandals. "stop staring at me like that, park. it's embarrassing."
โ"i can't help it," he murmurs, a soft, helpless smile breaking across his face
โas you guys head toward the festival, the group naturally splits up. or more accurately, your friends disappear with terrifying speed
โ"hey, look! a shooting game! soobin, come on!" yeonjun yells, grabbing soobin's arm and sprinting into the crowd
โ"wait, i want takoyaki!" yunjin shrieks, dragging jake and giselle with her. in less than thirty seconds, the entire squad has vanished into the sea of people, leaving just you and sunghoon
โ"where did they even go?!" you frown, looking around. "they're like roaches, they scatter so fast."
โ"let them be," sunghoon chuckles, his large fingers casually sliding down until they intertwine tightly with yours
โyou blink, startled by the touch. "woah. why are your hands so freezing cold, hoon? are you sick?"
โ"maybe because it's cold out here," he replies smoothly, keeping his eyes forward
โ"are you insane? it's literally late august, it's summer, and it's so humid tonight!" you scoff, giving his hand a light squeeze. "how can you be cold?"
โ"doesn't matter," sunghoon says, turning his head to smile down at you, his dark eyes gleaming. "just let me hold your hand. if you say no, i'll just hold your waist or wrap my arm around your shoulder instead. as long as i get to touch you, i don't care."
โyour heart does a wild, chaotic flip. you both find a quiet spot near a food stall, buying a boat of hot takoyaki and a katsu-sando. after just two bites of the sandwich, you hold the remaining half out to his face. "here, eat it. i'm full."
โsunghoon looks down at the half-eaten food, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "why do i always have to be your personal trash can? you always buy everything and make me finish it."
โ"it's bad to waste food, sunghoon! and it's delicious, don't judge it!" you whine, and before he can argue, you literally jam the bread against his lips. "just chew!"
โsunghoon laughs against your fingers, accepting the bite. "okay, fine. itโs good."
โ"told you," you smile proudly
โ"here, open your mouth. open wide," sunghoon murmurs a second later, lifting a steaming takoyaki ball with a wooden toothpick. he holds his other hand underneath it, carefully blowing on it. "small bites, okay? it's hot."
โyou lean in, carefully biting off a tiny piece, chewing delicately. "i'm trying to protect my lipstick," you mumble around your food
โsunghoon watches you with an intensely soft expression, his thumb reaching out to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering against your cheek for a split second. "you look like a literal hamster right now, y/n."
โ"shut up and eat your own food," you huff, blushing hard
โyou both find a quiet bench, looking down at your matching traditional outfits. "we honestly look like real local japanese people in these," you smile, looking out at the lanterns
โ"yeah," sunghoon smiles back, leaning his chin in his palm. "reminds me of the ancient japanese dynasties."
โ"what do you think we'd be doing if we lived in that era?" you ask, tilting your head playfully
โ"nothing much," he replies easily. "i'd probably be a samurai warrior knight, and you'd be my beautiful wife waiting for me at home."
โ"what about the joseon era?" you question, giggling
โat the mention of the joseon era, sunghoonโs playful smile completely vanishes for a split second. a flash of deep, ancient sadness swims in his eyes as he remembers how they had tragically died without ever getting married in their past life
โhe quickly recovers, shaking his head with a soft, reassuring smile. "forget the past eras. let's just focus on the present. back then, if we were long-distance, we couldn't even facetime or text. would you want that?"
โ"definitely not," you smile, leaning your head briefly against his massive shoulder
โwhen you guys head up to the main shrine to pray, an elderly japanese priest spots the two of you walking side by side. the priest smiles warmly, bowing politely as he speaks in heavy, japanese-accented english. "ah, beautiful! a newlywed couple? welcome, welcome to the shrine."
โyou blink, ready to correct him, but sunghoon beats you to it. he bows back perfectly, a smug, proud grin breaking across his face. "yes, thank you. this is my wife, we just got married recently."
โthe priest beams, clapping his hands. "ah, congratulations! may you be blessed with healthy children very soon!"
โyour face instantly explodes into fire. you let out a fake, high-pitched laugh, and the moment the priest walks away, you aggressively pinch sunghoonโs waist. "wife?! children?! are you completely out of your mind, park sunghoon?! what if someone hears you?!"
โ"ouch! hey, it's good to manifest it early, sweetheart," he chuckles, dragging you toward the altar, completely unbothered by your pinch
โstanding side by side, you both close your eyes to pray
โโplease,โ you pray fervently in the silence of your mind. โi just want to be with sunghoon forever. if this is the only way i can be happy, please let this duration last a little longer. just let me have him.โ
โright next to you, sunghoonโs eyes are closed, his expression deeply serene as he whispers his own silent prayer. โplease, just let everything end beautifully tonight.โ
โwhen you both step away, you nudge his arm. "so, what did you pray for?"
โ"unrealistic things," sunghoon lies smoothly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "i prayed for a massive corporate promotion and a raise. what about you?"
โ"oh, very similar," you lie back, flashing a grin. "i prayed that my tyrannical boss would give me a three-month paid vacation."
โas the hour of the fireworks approaches, the shrine grounds become absolutely packed. the rest of the squad is still nowhere to be found, leaving just you and sunghoon standing near a wooden railing overlooking the open valley below
your hand is still trapped in his, and you notice his palm is getting even colder, trembling slightly against yours
โ"hoon, are you sure you're okay? your hand is literally shaking," you ask, looking up at him worriedly
โ"i'm fine. just... excited," he whispers
โsuddenly, a sharp whistle pierces the night sky
โBOOM!!!
โthe first massive firework explodes into the dark blue sky, bursting into a breathtaking shower of gold and emerald
โ"wow... sunghoon, look! it's incredible!" you gasp, your eyes wide with awe, completely mesmerized. "itโs the most beautiful thing iโve ever seen!"
โbut sunghoon isn't looking at the sky. he stands sideways, his back to the fireworks, his intense, burning gaze locked entirely on your face. the colorful sparks light up your eyes, and to him, nothing else in the world matters
โwithout warning, he leans down, his lips brushing right against your ear as the thunderous roar of the fireworks shakes the air. "i love you, y/n."
โyou blush, smiling up at him. "i know you do, hoon. you don't have to shout it over the fireworks."
โ"no, y/n. listen to me," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a register so profoundly serious it makes your heart stop
he gently releases your hand, stepping back just an inch. "i am completely, deeply in love with you and i want to spend the rest of our lives together."
โbefore your brain can even process his words, sunghoon slowly drops down to one knee on the gravel ground
โyour jaw completely drops, your hands flying over your mouth as your eyes widen in pure, unadulterated shock. "sunghoon...? what are you doing? get up, people are looking!"
โfrom his yukata pocket, sunghoon pulls out a small, velvet box and clicks it open. inside, the most breathtaking, sparkling diamond ring you have ever seen gleams under the flashing lights of the fireworks.
โ"y/n," sunghoon looks up at you, his eyes burning with absolute devotion, his voice thick and trembling. "will you marry me?"
โtears instantly burst from your eyes, spilling over your cheeks. you can't even speak, you just nod your head frantically, sobbing out a breathless, "yes! yes, you idiot!"
โsunghoon lets out a massive, shaky sigh of pure relief. he carefully slides the sparkling ring onto your finger before standing up and pulling you forcefully into his chest, wrapping his broad arms around your waist so tightly like heโs trying to merge your bodies into one
โ"i am going to make you the happiest girl alive, y/n," he whispers roughly against your neck, his breath warm against your skin as he holds you
his shoulders shaking slightly. "i promise i will spend every single day redeeming myself, making up for every single mistake i made in the past. i don't want to live in regret anymore... i'd rather spend my whole life worshiping you and loving you, with you by my side. thank you for saving me again. thank you for coming back to me."
โyou sob loudly into his shoulder, your fingers clutching the fabric of his yukata. "you are such an idiot, park sunghoon... a total, absolute idiot."
โsunghoon chuckles softly, pulling back just enough to look at your tear-stained face. he gently wipes your cheeks with his thumbs, tilts your chin up, and leans down, pressing his lips firmly against yours
the kiss is deep, passionate, and filled with ultimate forgiveness, sealing your souls together under the exploding sky
โthe moment your lips part, you both rest your foreheads together, breaking into breathless, giddy laughter
โ"OH MY GOD! DID SHE SAY YES?! TELL ME SHE SAID YES!" yunjinโs chaotic scream suddenly pierces the air as she practically shoves her way past jake, spawning out of nowhere
โyou turn around, still giggling, and lift your left hand high up in the air, wiggling your fingers. "i said yes!"
โ"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I KNEW IT!" yunjin shrieks at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down like she just won the lottery, grabbing yeonjunโs shoulders and shaking him violently. "YEONJUN! THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED! MY BABIES ARE GROWING UP!"
โ"DUDE! CONGRATS!" yeonjun howls back, matching yunjin's chaotic energy as he aggressively claps sunghoon on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "finally! i thought i was going to have to listen to sunghoon whine about being single for another ten years! proud of you, man!"
โ"hey! i don't whine!" sunghoon defends himself, laughing as he pulls you closer by your waist
โ"oh, please, you totally do," jake chimes in, stepping forward with a massive, proud grin on his face. he lowers his digital camera, which was hooked up to a stabilizer. "congrats, guys. seriously, you have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret from you, y/n. sunghoon literally called me twenty times last week asking if the ring size was right."
โ"jake, stop exposing me," sunghoon groans, rubbing the back of his neck, though his smile is huge
โgiselle walks over, her eyes glistening with genuine tears as she hugs you tightly. "bitch, i recorded the whole thing in 4K resolution from behind the bush! you looked so beautiful! i'm literally sobbing. look at my mascara, it's ruined!"
โ"you look great, gigi, thank you," you laugh, hugging her back before looking over at soobin and heeseung
โsoobin is wiping a fake tear from his eye, looking like a proud father. "our little sunghoon is finally locked in. i'm so proud. can i be the best man? please tell me i'm the best man."
โ"we'll fight for it later, soobin," heeseung chuckles, giving sunghoon a warm fist bump before looking at you with a gentle smile. "congrats, y/n. you genuinely deserve all the happiness. and sunghoon, if you mess up this time, you know the whole circle is coming for your head, right?"
โ"i know, i know," sunghoon laughs, tightening his grip around your waist, his eyes looking down at you with nothing but pure, unadulterated devotion. "i won't ever mess this up. promise."
โ"wait a minute," you freeze, looking from sunghoon to soobin, your eyes narrowing as a sudden realization hits you. "so the room arrangement at the hotel...? the single suite...?"
โ"yep," soobin pops the 'p', flashing a cheeky grin. "sunghoon planned this whole trip, y/n. i only made the group chat and pretended it was a casual squad vacation because this idiot came to us crying last month saying he wanted to propose to you in japan. we just helped him set the trap."
โ"you guys are all complete menaces!" you laugh through your happy tears, hiding your flaming face against sunghoonโs chest
โ"alright, enough with the sappy stuff! we need to celebrate!" yunjin declares, waving her hand in the air. "to the nearest convenience store! sunghoon is buying everyone drinks, expensive ice cream, and snacks tonight!"
โ"hell yeah! free food!" yeonjun cheers, and just like that, the group starts walking down the shrine steps
โthe warm summer night is filled with their loud, loving, and absolutely chaotic banter, but as you look down at the sparkling ring on your finger and feel sunghoonโs now warm, protective hand wrapping securely around yours, you just smile. you were exactly where you belonged
the second the hotel room door clicks shut, there are no hesitant questions. before you can even take off your sandals, sunghoonโs large hands are wrapping around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest as his lips crash onto yours in a fierce, bruising kiss. the taste of him is intoxicating, laced with the sweet, lingering warmth of the summer night
โyou can barely gasp for air before his weight pushes you backward, both of you tumbling onto the soft hotel mattress. in a flash, sunghoon is hovering directly over you, his knees pinning your thighs down as his hands begin a restless, burning exploration of your body
โwhenever the crushing kiss finally breaks so you both can catch your breath, you look up into his dark, blown-out eyes. a soft, giddy laugh escapes your lips, but sunghoonโs expression is dangerously serious, his lips curving into a lazy, predatory smirk
โ"you have no idea," sunghoon breathes against your lips, his voice deep, rough, and trembling with a year's worth of hunger. "you have absolutely no idea how fucking hard it was to stand next to you today and act normal, when all i wanted to do was drag you into an alley and absolutely ruin you."
โ"then don't stop..." you whisper breathlessly, wrapping your arms around his neck
โ"who said anything about stopping?" he sneers darkly, diving right back down to capture your mouth
โhis fingers slide down, rucking up the layers of your yukata until his bare palm is boldly sliding up your inner thigh
the sudden friction of his calloused skin against your sensitive flesh makes you let out a soft whine against his mouth
โsunghoon breaks the kiss, tracking a path of burning, wet bites down your jawline, burying his face in the crook of your neck. his teeth graze your sweet spot, biting down hard enough to leave dark, bruising marks on your skin
โ"shut up and take it," he murmurs roughly against your skin, his tongue soothing the bite mark before he bites down on your collarbone again. "i want every single bastard out there to know exactly who you belong to."
โheโs so desperately turned on by your helpless whimpers that he doesn't even bother taking your yukata off. instead, his trembling fingers aggressively yank the tight sash apart, loosening the heavy fabric just enough to bare your chest to the cool air, exposing the two gorgeous, full breasts he has spent the last year obsessing over
โhe instantly captures one in his large palm, kneading the soft flesh mercilessly as he leans down to press another deep, tongue-heavy kiss to your lips
the sheer pleasure of his rough, punishing grip makes you instinctively slap his chest, a soft smack echoing in the quiet room
โ"ow," sunghoon grunts against your lips, a deeply dark, arrogant chuckle vibrating in his chest, he doesn't stop
instead, his thumb aggressively pinches your hard, sensitive nipple, twisting it just enough to make you cry out
he pulls back, looking down at your flushed face, his gaze dripping with filthy authority. "youโve gotten so fucking heavy, y/n... tell me the truth. did you touch yourself while i was away? did you rub your own nipples imagining my hands on them?"
โyour eyes widen, your brain short-circuiting at his blunt words. you frantically shake your head on the pillow, completely embarrassed. "n-no! i didn'tโah! sunghoon, stop pinching!"
โ"don't lie to me," he commands coldly, his thumb pinching the tip even harder until you gasp, forcing you to look into his dark, demanding eyes. "i want to hear you admit it. tell me you played with yourself because you were so fucking desperate for me."
โ"i... iโah! yes!" you cry out, your face burning as you arch your back. "sunghoon... ngh!"
โ"say it properly," he taunts, leaning his weight fully onto you. "say' yes, hoonie, i touched myself for you' come on.'"
โ"y-yes, hoonie... i touched myself for you... please!" you sob out, completely humiliated but impossibly turned on
โsunghoon lets out a low, deeply satisfied hum, his grip tightening as a victorious, filthy smile spreads across his face. "good girl. if you were that desperate for me, iโm going to make sure your tits are sore every single morning from now on."
โyou can only let out an unholy, breathless groan, your head rolling back into the mattress as his fingers work their magic
โbut sunghoon is far from done. his other hand slides further down, bypassing the tangled fabric of your yukata. he doesn't take off your damp lace panties just yet
instead, he presses his flat palm firmly over your core, right through the thin material, and begins to rub in slow, heavy, taunting circles
โthe heavy pressure right against your clit instantly makes you gasp, your hips hitching upward involuntarily. you're already dripping wet, the thin fabric of your panties completely soaked through as he picks up the pace, his fingers skillfully grinding against your most sensitive spot
โ"sunghoon, please... i can'tโi'mโ" you sob out, tears of overwhelming pleasure pricking the corners of your eyes
you clutch at his wrists, your hips chasing his hand. "please, sunghoon, touch me... properly, please..."
โ"properly? what does that even mean?" he mocks softly, leaning down so his hot breath brushes against your lips, purposefully stopping his hand completely to torture you. "use your words, y/n. tell me exactly what you want me to do to your wet little cunt."
โ"touch me inside... please, i'm begging you, i'm so fucking wet," you sob, completely losing your mind, fully stripped of your pride
โsunghoon stares down at you, his chest heaving as he watches your weeping, completely ruined state. he absolutely loves seeing you completely broken and begging just for him
โ"look at how pathetic you are," he whispers darkly, his voice thick with lust. "crying and begging just because i rubbed you a little. do you want my fingers or my mouth? tell me, or i'll just leave you like this."
โ"anything... just fuck me, please!" you sob, arching your hips up against his stalled palm. "give it to me, sunghoon, please!"
โ"fuck, you're so beautiful when you're like this," he murmurs proudly
โand then, he gives you both. sunghoon hooks his fingers under the waistband of your panties, pulling them aside as he ruthlessly shoves two long, slick fingers deep inside your soaking wet heat
at the same time, he dives his head down, burying his face between your thighs, his warm, wet tongue aggressively licking and sucking on your swollen clit
โ"oh my god, sunghoon! ah!" you scream into the quiet room, your hands flying into his styled hair, gripping the strands tightly as your hips rock violently against his mouth and fingers
โthe double stimulation is an absolute execution. you turn into a complete moaning mess. and to completely ruin you, sunghoon reaches his free hand all the way back up, blindly grabbing your bare, aching breast, pinching your nipple in perfect, agonizing rhythm with his deep thrusts below
โ"look at how ridiculously wet you are for me," sunghoon groans against your inner thigh, his voice muffled but incredibly hot as his fingers stretch you wider. "you're practically drowning my fingers, you little slut. scream my name louder. let me hear how much you want your fiancรฉ's cock."
โsunghoon doesnโt stop. his fingers move with a ruthless, punishing speed inside you while his tongue mercilessly wrecks your clit, driving you right over the edge
your breaths catch, your muscles tightening as the familiar, blinding wave of a climax begins to ripple through your lower abdomen
โ"sunghoon, waitโi'm cumming, ah! i'm cumming!" you cry out, arching your back off the sheets
โbut right at that exact split second, sunghoon suddenly yanks his fingers out and pulls his mouth away
โthe sudden, brutal loss of stimulation leaves you completely stranded at the peak. you let out a broken, frustrated sob, your tear-filled eyes opening to look at him. "sunghoon... why did you stop? please, i was right there! why are you doing this?!"
โseeing you in this completely ruined, desperate state only turns him on further. the dark, possessive urge to break you completely consumes him
a low, raspy chuckle escapes his throat as he crawls back up your body, his heavy weight settling back between your trembling thighs
โ"did i give you permission to cum?" he taunts softly, his large fingers wrapping gently but firmly around the front of your neck not choking you, but applying just enough heavy, dominant pressure to remind you exactly who is in charge. "you made me wait a three fucking years, y/n. you don't get to finish until i say so. i own you tonight."
โ"you're a monster..." you whine, glaring up at him through your tears, shivering from the sheer denial
โ"i know," he smirks, completely unbothered. without another word, sunghoon reaches down, blindly breaking open his own dark yukata. he frees his length, already fully erect, thick, and aggressively throbbing
โhe wraps his hand around himself, giving it a few heavy, desperate strokes right in front of your eyes before positioning himself right at your soaking wet entrance
โyour yukata is a complete, tangled disaster around your waist, but sunghoon couldn't care less. with one heavy, unyielding thrust, sunghoon drives himself all the way inside you in a single, brutal motion
โ"ahhh! sunghoon!" you scream, your hands flying up to grip his broad shoulders as your body stretches painfully and perfectly around his massive size
โsunghoon lets out a deep, guttural groan, burying his face into your hair as he waits for your tight walls to adjust to him
โ"fuck... y/n..." he growls against your ear, his hips slamming heavily against yours, making the hotel bed creak loudly. "you're still so fucking tight. it feels like it's your first time all over again. nobody else gets to stretch you out like this. this tight little pussy is all mine."
โ"y-yes! only you... ah! always only you!" you sob out, your head tossing back into the pillow as his rough, relentless pace drives you insane
โ"damn right it's mine," he pants, his pace turning fast and violently deep. "because you're so tight, i'm going to breed you every single night until your body completely forgets how to function without my cock inside you."
โunderneath him, you are a complete, unholy mess. you can only call out his name like a prayer, your voice broken and desperate. "sunghoon... ah, sunghoon, too deepโplease, slower!"
โ"no," he gasps out, his hips slapping loudly against your thighs. "take it all. take every inch of me."
โlost in the overwhelming pleasure, your hands desperately claw at his skin, your fingers gripping tightly onto his solid forearm, sliding up to dig your nails into his broad shoulders and his hard, flexing biceps as he relentlessly takes you higher and higher
โsunghoon can feel your walls twitching and milking him with every single thrust, getting slicker and hotter the more he talks dirty to you. he can feel you standing right on the edge of another massive peak, your inner muscles clamping down on him hard
but once again, right before you can cross the line, sunghoon suddenly groans and yanks himself completely out of you
โ"sunghoon! no! fuck, please!" you practically wail, large tears finally spilling over your cheeks from sheer, unadulterated frustration
you look at him, completely desperate, trembling from the sudden coldness. "why do you keep doing that?! please, i need it..."
โinstead of answering, sunghoon shoves his own slate-grey yukata off his broad shoulders, letting it pool onto the carpeted floor until he is completely, breathtakingly bare
he rolls onto his back, spreading his legs slightly on the messy sheets as his hard, slick length throbs against his stomach.
he looks up at your ruined state, a dark, wickedly arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "if you want to cum that badly, baby... you have to work for it. get on top of me."
โyou don't even hesitate. driven by pure, overwhelming lust and desperation, you crawl over his lap, straddling his thick thighs. you hold onto his hard chest for balance as you carefully guide his massive size back inside your aching heat, letting out a loud, breathless shriek as you take him all the way in
โ"fuck, yes... just like that," sunghoon groans, his hands flying to your waist as you tentatively begin to move your hips up and down
โhe absolutely loves the view from below. while you are riding him, sunghoon uses his large hands to aggressively untangle the rest of your messy yukata, yanking it off your arms and throwing it off the bed. finally, both of you are completely naked, your bare skin frictioning against each other with a burning, wet heat
โand now that you are fully exposed, sunghoonโs hands become completely lawless
โyour thighs are already shaking, and the moment your pace begins to slow down from exhaustion, sunghoon lifts his heavy hand and delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare, flush ass. smack.
โ"ah!" you let out a loud, high-pitched whine, your hips instantly dropping down hard on him from the shock
โ"did i tell you to stop moving, y/n?" he commands in a rough, gravelly whisper, his thumb reaching down to aggressively pin and rub against your swollen clit while your hips move. "keep riding me. if you get lazy again, i'm going to leave you bruised."
โwhenever your pace gets faster, his hands move back up, roughly grabbing, squeezing, and pulling your bare breasts, driving you into a complete, incoherent moaning mess
โ"sunghoon, please... give me a break... ah! it's too much, please!" you cry out, completely overwhelmed by the double stimulation
โ"no breaks for bad girls," he pants heavily, staring up at you with blown-out, predatory eyes. "do you have any idea how long iโve waited for this? keep moving."
โcompletely exhausted and unable to maintain the rhythm, your knees give out. you collapse forward, leaning your entire upper body against his broad chest, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as you pant heavily against his skin
โbut you completely underestimated him. your vulnerability is just another perfect opportunity for sunghoon
โbefore you can even catch your breath, sunghoonโs large hands slide down to lock around your hips, his fingers digging painfully deep into your skin to hold you firmly in place
and from beneath you, he suddenly begins to thrust upward with a brutal, unyielding, and incredibly fast pace
โ"sunghoon! ah! waitโah, fuck, ah!" you scream out, your fingers clawing desperately into his broad shoulders as he relentlessly slams himself up deep inside you, hitting your sweet spot with every single punishing stroke
โat this point, you are completely crying, your face buried in his neck. your brain is entirely short-circuited, you can't think of anything else in the world except the white-hot pleasure he is driving into you
โ"y/n... look at me," sunghoon gasps out, his chest heaving violently beneath you. he forces your chin up, staring into your tear-filled eyes. "tell me whose you are. tell me who owns this pussy. say my name, baby."
โ"yours... ah! i'm yours... ah, ah! sunghoon, please!" you sob out, your voice completely broken as you moan his name like a desperate prayer
โseeing his beautiful fiancรฉ completely broken, wrecked, and chanting his name under the flashing remnants of the summer night makes a smug, intensely satisfied grin break across his face
โ"fucking beautiful," he growls. sunghoon abruptly reaches up, wrapping one large hand behind your head to pull you down into a deep, bruising, tongue-heavy kiss
his pace below turns completely frantic, bottoming out inside you with every single strike. the overwhelming friction pushes both of you over the final cliff
โ"cum for me, baby. now." he orders against your lips
โwith one last, desperate thrust, sunghoon lets out a deep, guttural roar against your mouth as he comes heavily inside you, his hot seed flooding your tight walls
at the exact same time, your entire body spasms as a blinding, powerful orgasm rips through you, your walls clamping down on him in tight, desperate waves as you melt completely against his chest, totally and utterly ruined by park sunghoon
the black sedan is parked quietly under the shade of a large maple tree just outside the elementary school gates. inside, sunghoon is leaning against the steering wheel, his eyes calmly scanning the schoolโs front courtyard as he waits
โRINGGGG!
โthe loud, echoing sound of the school bell finally pierces the afternoon air. within seconds, the heavy wooden doors burst open, and a chaotic wave of first-graders floods the gates like a tidal wave
sunghoonโs initially calm, stoic expression instantly melts into a warm, incredibly radiant smile the moment his eyes lock onto a familiar little boy
โitโs seunghyun. his tiny body is practically swallowed whole by an oversized school backpack that bounces wildly against his back as he runs
seunghyun is smart, incredibly imaginative, and a little too active for his own good, mostly because he spends half his day finding creative ways to tease his little sister
โ"daddy!" seunghyun squeals, throwing his little arms up in the air as he sprints toward the car
โ"hey, big guy!" sunghoon laughs, stepping out of the vehicle and immediately dropping to one knee to catch his son in a tight, lifting hug
he spins him around in the air once, making the boy squeal with delight, before setting him back down on the pavement. "how was school today, hm? did you behave for the teacher, or did i get another email?"
โ"i did behave! i got a gold star today, look!" seunghyun points proudly to his shirt, before leaning in closer with a conspiratorial smirk that looks exactly like sunghoon's. "but daddy... remember what you promised me this morning? weโre still taking that detour, right?"
โ"shh! keep your voice down, you little rascal," sunghoon winks, tapping the tip of his son's nose with his finger. "alright, we can get ice cream. but on one very strict condition: do not breathe a single word to mommy that daddy bought you sweets right before dinner. it's our little secret, understood? if she finds out, we're both sleeping on the couch tonight."
โ"deal! high five!" seunghyun giggles, slapping his dad's palm before eagerly scrambling into the backseat
โafter sneaking out for their secret ice cream date, sunghoon decides to make a few more stops at the mall. he drags seunghyun along to a toddler snack stall, picking out a bunch of organic rice crackers for his baby daughter, jiyun. then, they head over to a bookstore to buy seunghyun a new drawing notebook and a fresh pack of markers
โlastly, sunghoon walks into a bright, luxury cosmetics store. he stands awkwardly in front of the shelves, rubbing the back of his neck as he remembers how you had whined last week about running out of sunscreen
since he has absolutely no idea how skincare works or what your specific brand is, he just points at the most expensive premium counter and tells the clerk, "just give me the whole box set. everything from the cleanser to the night cream. just package it beautifully."
โloaded with shopping bags, the father-son duo finally arrives home a little later than usual. the second sunghoon unlocks the front door, a desperate, exhausted shout echoes from the kitchen at the back of the house
โ"PARK SUNGHOON! THANK GOD YOU'RE HOME! HELP ME BEFORE I LITERALLY BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN!"
โsunghoon and seunghyun exchange a wide-eyed, knowing look before quickly throwing their shoes into the rack and rushing toward the kitchen. the moment they step over the threshold, they freeze
โyou are standing right in the middle of the kitchen floor, holding your breath, your hands trembling and your eyes literally teary and rimmed with red from sheer, unadulterated frustration
and right there on the tiles, sitting amidst a chaotic white cloud, is your toddler daughter, jiyun. she had somehow managed to crawl into the lower cabinet, drag out a brand new, unopened bag of flour, and dump the entire thing over her head
โ"dada!" jiyun squeals happily, waving her flour-covered arms at sunghoon, entirely proud of her culinary masterpiece. her long eyelashes, her messy pigtails, and her entire outfit are completely snow-white
โsunghoon takes one look at the kitchen apocalypse, and instead of helping, he bursts into a loud, roaring laughter, bending over as he clutches his stomach
seunghyun immediately joins in, pointing his finger at his baby sister and giggling uncontrollably. "look, daddy! jiyun looks like a ghost! a messy ghost!"
โ"park sunghoon! stop laughing and help me right now!" you whine, your voice cracking as you throw a clean dish towel straight at your husband's chest. "she literally did this in the two minutes i went to the bathroom! and that's not even the worst part of my day! this morning she drew all over the living room floor with her brother's crayons, and just twenty minutes ago, she spilled her whole bottle of milk all over the clean laundry i just finished folding! i am so exhausted, sunghoon! i want to cry!"
โseeing your genuine, tearful distress, sunghoonโs laughter instantly dies down into pure, melting fondness. he quickly steps over the white flour powder, wraps his strong arms securely around your waist, and pulls your trembling body into a tight, warm embrace, ignoring the flour transferring onto his expensive coat
โ"okay, okay, i'm so sorry, baby. i'm sorry for laughing," sunghoon murmurs gently, his deep voice soothing against your ear as he presses a soft, lingering kiss to your wet forehead. "shh, it's okay. you did a great job surviving today. mommy is the strongest, hm? look, i bought you a whole new luxury skincare set from the mall to make up for it, okay? the expensive one you wanted. now go sit down, let me handle this mess."
โhe turns around, flashing a stern but playful look at his son. "alright, seunghyun. operation clean up jiyun starts now. go fetch the vacuum cleaner from the closet, and do not let your sister crawl anywhere else, or she'll turn the living room into winter wonderland."
โ"yes, captain!" seunghyun cheers, running off
โlater that night, the house finally settles into a quiet, peaceful stillness after both kids are thoroughly scrubbed clean, fed, and tucked into bed
โyou are sitting at the kitchen island, quietly snacking on a bowl of freshly cut fruits, feeling much better after using your new skincare
across from you, sunghoon is standing by the sink, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his sharp forearms as he quietly washes the remaining dinner dishes, the soft hum of the running water filling the cozy, quiet room
โ"hey, sunghoon," you speak up softly, chewing on a piece of apple as you watch his broad shoulders move. "i was reading this fantasy novel earlier today... and it made me wonder about something. do you think we ever met each other in our past lives? like, centuries ago, before this current life?"
โsunghoon silently pauses, the soapy sponge in his hand freezing for a split second. a small, knowing, incredibly tender smile touches his lips as he remembers it
โhe rinses his hands under the warm water, turns off the faucet, and dries them thoroughly with a towel before turning around to lean against the counter, facing you directly. "yeah. i think we definitely did. without a doubt."
โ"really?" you tilt your head, blinking curiously. "you say it so confidently. do you think we were married back then too? or were we just star-crossed lovers?"
โ"of course we were married," sunghoon murmurs, walking over to the island and leaning down slightly, his dark eyes fixed on you with that same deep, eternal devotion that never faded over the years. "in every single era, in every single universe, i would always find you and make you mine. you don't ever have to worry about that. my soul belongs to you."
โyou smile, feeling a warm blush spread across your cheeks at his smooth words
sunghoon tilts his head, a playful, teasing glint suddenly flashing in his eyes as a familiar, mischievous smirk pulls at his lips. "why do you ask anyway, hm? would you actually want to be with another man if we didn't happen to meet in a past life?"
โ"pfft, definitely not," you answer instantly, crossing your arms over your chest with a smug grin. "i'm too terrified to ever look for another guy."
โsunghoon raises an eyebrow, thoroughly amused by your quick response. "oh yeah? why's that? are you that obsessed with me?"
โ"because..." you lean forward across the kitchen island, your eyes boldly dropping down to his lower half for a lingering second before looking back up into his eyes, a wicked, filthy smirk playing on your lips. "i'm just terrified that no one else could ever satisfy me the way you do. i mean, nobody else could ever be as incredibly good in bed as you are, park. you've raised the bar way too high."
โsunghoonโs jaw practically drops, completely caught off guard by your sudden, blunt words
his eyes widen for a split second, but within a heartbeat, a dark, incredibly intense, and hungry grin breaks across his handsome face. "oh? is that so? you're testing your luck tonight, aren't you? you think you can just say something that filthy and walk away unscathed, y/n?"
โrealizing you've successfully provoked the beast, your eyes widen and you instantly jump out of your barstool, sprinting toward the hallway. "ah! no! i didn't mean it like that! i was just joking, sunghoon!"
โ"get back here right now!" sunghoon barks out a loud, predatory laugh, instantly giving chase without a second thought
โhis legs are twice as long as yours, and before your hand can even touch the bedroom doorknob, sunghoon lunges forward from behind, his large, warm hands locking firmly around your waist. with one swift, effortless motion, he hoists your body up, tossing you over his broad shoulder like a literal sack of potatoes
โ"sunghoon! let me down! put me down, you giant pervert! the kids might wake up!" you shriek, laughing hysterically as you dangle over his back, your fists playfully drumming against his shoulder blades
โSMACK!
โsunghoon delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare bottom through your thin lounge shorts, the loud sound echoing through the quiet hallway
โ"ow! what was that for?!" you whine, your face flushing completely red
โ"that's a punishment for talking dirty and then running away like a coward," sunghoon chuckles darkly, his heavy, confident footsteps carrying you both straight into the master bedroom before he kicks the door shut behind him
โyou try to squirm out of his iron grip as he throws your body onto the soft, messy mattress. "sunghoon, stop, i'm serious! my legs are still so incredibly sore from running after jiyun all day and walking around the grocery store! i can't do anything tonight, i'm completely exhausted!"
โsunghoon crawls over you in a flash, trapping your body beneath his massive, solid frame. he looks down at you, his eyes darker than midnight, a slow, predatory smirk pulling at his lips as his large hands pin your wrists firmly above your head against the pillows
โ"since when do your legs need to do any of the fucking work anyway?" he whispers in a rough, gravelly purr right against your lips, his hot breath making your knees weak as his thumb strokes your jawline. "you don't have to move a single muscle tonight, baby. i'll do all the work, just like i always do. your only job is to lie down, look pretty, and scream my name until you're completely ruined for me. do you understand?"
โyour face turns a violent, burning shade of crimson, and you instantly free one hand to slap his solid chest. "PARK SUNGHOON! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY INSANE!"
โsunghoon just howls with laughter, his deep, melodic chuckles filling the warm bedroom as he leans down to capture your lips in a deep, bruising kiss that completely steals your breath away
โoutside the window, the late summer night breeze softly rustles the leaves, but inside, surrounded by the warmth of the home you built together, your happy, chaotic laughter blends perfectly into the nightโa chaotic, messy, but absolutely perfect eternal happy ending
guys sorry i'm typing this while fighting for my life against sleep so please forgive the typos or if it literally makes zero sense ๐ญ๐ญ
โ ๏ธใ คใ คยทใ คใ คminors dni, explicit sexual content, unprotected sex (pls donโt), nipple play, dirty talk, orgasm denial / begging & teasing,โ kissing, mild overstimulation, idk what else...
ivy โก : HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!! ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!! ๐ฅณ ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐ผ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐พ๐ผ๐บ๐๐๐พ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐บ๐ ๐โ๐ป ๐บ๐ฟ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐โ๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐บ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐พ๐บ๐๐พ๐ ๐๐บ๐ ๐บ๐, ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐!! ๐๐๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ ๐พ๐๐พ๐๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐๐พ๐ฝ, ๐ ๐๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐พ ๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐๐ 2 ๐๐๐๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ฏ reblogs are greatly appreciated and the taglist is still open as always! thank you so much โก__โก
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THEY ARE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A MASSIVE, JAGGED CLIFF OVERLOOKING A ROARING, PITCH BLACK SEA.
the wind here doesn't feel cold, it doesn't feel like anything at all but the view is mesmerizing. at first, jay completely refused to come. he complained that it was a massive waste of time and that he had a tight schedule to maintain in his ledger
but the moment sunghoon muttered, "just come with me, dude. after this, we won't ever see each other again. i won't even be able to talk to you," jay silently yielded. he rolled his eyes, muttered a curse under his breath, and followed the annoying soul to the edge of the cliff
โ"so," sunghoon breaks the silence, shoving his hands casually into his pockets. "i noticed youโre kind of obsessed with f1. whatโs up with that?"
โโjay scoffs, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he keeps his eyes on the horizon. "i don't know, it's just wild. the sound of the engines is insane, and the stakes are so high. honestly, the pure risk of it all? itโs an absolute adrenaline rush."
โthe conversation naturally drifts from racing to their surprisingly identical taste in fashion. they spend a few minutes bickering about leather jackets, silver chrome accessories, and minimalist aesthetics, before sunghoonโs expression suddenly softens. a wistful, lingering smile tugs at the corner of his lips as a specific memory hits him
โ"usually, y/n is the one who helps me pick out my clothes when we go shopping," sunghoon says softly, his voice dropping into that deep tone
โjay cuts his eyes toward him, raising an eyebrow. "and why exactly are you so hopelessly whipped for her? sheโs just a human."
โsunghoon lets out a soft chuckle, looking down at his feet. "itโs kind of stupid, actually. it happened at this massive college party. i was drunk and i accidentally grabbed the wrong girl from behind thinking she was someone else. she looked so beautiful from the back, but when she spun around... man, she was even more gorgeous. but what really got me was how she immediately started scolding me. she talks so fast when sheโs angry, her lips moving at a hundred miles an hour. it was the most chaotic, funniest thing iโd ever seen. i think i fell for her right then and there."
โjay rolls his eyes dramatically, letting out a loud groan. "disgusting. humans and their pathetic, fleeting emotions." yet, jay doesn't actually mind listening to him. there's something strangely comforting about hearing a soul love someone so loudly
โ"hey, jay," sunghoon suddenly blurted out, a teasing glint in his ghostly eyes. "are grim reapers even allowed to date? like, can you get a girlfriend?"
โjay lets out a dry, sarcastic bark of laughter. "are you stupid? who in their right mind would want to date a grim reaper? iโm literally the embodiment of death."
โsunghoon laughs, but as the sound echoes out into the empty sea, a sudden realization hits him. he looks at jayโs sharp, untouchable profile and realizes that behind all that arrogance, jay has been entirely, completely alone for thousands of years
โjay murmurs, confirming the unspoken thought with a nonchalant shrug. "iโm not human, i don't need companionship."
โsunghoon instantly smirks, his usual arrogant prick persona flaring back up. "well, look at the bright side at least while i was around, you weren't lonely, right?"
โ"alright, thatโs it," jay snaps, turning around abruptly with an irritated scowl. "get back to your body right now. out of all the souls iโve harvested in the last millennium, you are by far the loudest, most annoying, and most complicated brat iโve ever had to deal with."
โwith a flick of jayโs wrist, the scenery shifts violently
the heavy glass doors of the intensive care unit glide open with a soft, sterile hiss, and sunghoon follows jay down the blindingly white corridor. they glide right through the solid wooden door of room 412
โsitting on a stiff, uncomfortable vinyl armchair right next to the beeping heart monitor is jake. his hair is a messy, unwashed nest, and his thick-rimmed glasses are sliding down the bridge of his nose as he punches over a glowing laptop, aggressively typing out a college essay
โ"dude, seriously, why are you being so stubborn?" jake mutters out loud to the quiet room, his voice raspy and dripping with sheer exhaustion as he glares at the hospital bed. "the doctors literally said your brain scans are completely pristine. your ribs are healed. your concussion was minor. you're literally just chilling in a six-month nap while iโm out here drowning in finals. wake up already, sunghoon. itโs not funny anymore."
โsunghoon steps closer to the side of the bed, his ghostly eyes tracking the rhythm of the mechanical ventilator pushing air into his own chest. itโs completely surreal. looking at his own face, pale, motionless, with dark circles under his eyes feels like looking at a stranger
โ"he's right, you know," jay says quietly, leaning his shoulder casually against the heart monitor pole, his dark eyes fixed on the glowing screen. "your physical injuries from the crash were practically nothing. no internal bleeding, no permanent brain damage. a normal human wouldโve been walking around, going to lectures, and eating convenience store ramen five months ago but because your soul was tied up in my ledger... you were stuck in limbo."
โsunghoon turns his head, looking at the grim reaper who had spent the last half-year dragging him through hell, heartbreak, and ancient wars
โ"so... this is it, huh?" sunghoon whispers, his voice soft against the rhythmic beeping of the monitor
โ"this is it, assistant," jay murmurs, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through his usual cold, arrogant facade. he reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out the glowing digital ledger, tapping the screen one last time to officially delete sunghoonโs intern profile. "your contract is fully canceled. the soul bond is restored, you're free to go back to your pathetic human life."
โsunghoon takes a step forward, a heavy breath leaving his lips. "thank you, jay. seriously for everything, for not letting me give up when i was being an idiot."
โbefore jay can reply with his usual snarky remark, sunghoon steps in and throws his arm around jay's shoulders, pulling him into a tight, firm hug
โto sunghoon's absolute surprise, jay doesn't push him away. he stands frozen for a split second, completely unaccustomed to physical warmth, before he actually accepts the hug, patting sunghoonโs back with a surprisingly gentle hand
โ"yeah, yeah, don't make it weird," jay rolls his eyes as they break apart, though his tone is soft as he steps back into the shadows of the corner, waving a final goodbye. "go on, your friend looks like heโs about to pass out on his keyboard."
โsunghoon gives him one last nod, takes a deep breath, and aligns his spirit with the pale, unmoving body on the bed. he closes his eyes and lets himself fall backward into his own flesh
โthe transition is a violent, suffocating shock to his system
โgasp!
โsunghoonโs chest arches off the mattress as his lungs violently expand, sucking in a sharp, freezing gulp of real air. the heavy metallic taste of oxygen and hospital tubing hits his throat, making him choke. his eyes fly open, the blinding white fluorescent lights above making his vision blur with instant, stinging tears
โ"what theโoh my god!" jake screams, his laptop sliding completely off his lap as he jumps out of the vinyl chair. his thick glasses slip right off his face, clattering loudly against the linoleum floor as he stares at the bed in absolute, paralyzed shock. it's like he's looking at a literal ghost. "sunghoon?! nurse! doctor! he's awake! oh my god, he's actually breathing!"
โwithin ten seconds, the quiet room erupts into complete, chaotic noise
a few days later, sunghoon is finally coherent enough to sit up and talk normally. that's when the rest of the group comes to visit. heeseung, jake, giselle, and yunjin all crowd into room 412, their faces a mix of sheer relief and exhaustion because they had all been there through the absolute worst of his accident
โbut out of everyone sitting in the room, sunghoonโs eyes scan the space before he asks the only question that actually matters to him. "where's y/n?"
โthe room goes stiflingly quiet for a second. yunjin sighs, leaning against the wall as she crosses her arms. "y/n already left, sunghoon. she's in europe now, and honestly, sheโs doing really well. she's happy there." she pauses, shifting her weight before she completely accidentally lets it slip. "actually, she has a date with some guy tomorrow."
giselle, heeseung, and jake all snap their heads toward yunjin, their eyes wide with absolute panic. jake frantically gestures for her to shut up, knowing sunghoon literally just woke up from a six-month coma and the last thing his heart needs is a sudden shock like that
โdeep down, sunghoon feels a sharp, suffocating wave of pain hit his chest but he forces his face to remain completely blank, letting out a flat, empty, "oh."
โyunjin, completely missing the tense atmosphere, just shrugs and continues. "i mean, you guys broke up anyway before all of this happened. itโs only natural for her to go on dates."
โgiselle immediately grabs yunjinโs arm, her grip tight as she forces a polite smile. "okay, i think we need to leave now. yunjin, come on, let's go." she practically drags a confused yunjin out of the hospital room, leaving nothing but an awkward, heavy silence behind them
โnow that itโs just the guys left in the room, sunghoon quietly turns his head toward jake. "hey, hand me a mirror."
โjake hesitates for a second before reaching into his backpack and passing over a small hand mirror. sunghoon holds it up, his eyes tracking his own reflection
his face is pale, his hair a bit overgrown, and it feels incredibly jarring like heโs looking at someone else entirely. he knows his physical injuries from the crash weren't severe enough to require long-term physical therapy, which means he doesn't need to waste any more time rotting in this bed
โhe sets the mirror down, his jaw tight as he looks at jake and heeseung. "let's go to the gym."
โheeseung and jake both burst out laughing, shaking their heads in absolute disbelief. "dude, seriously? you literally just woke up from a six-month nap and your first instinct is to lift weights?" jake chuckles, thinking itโs just sunghoon being his usual fitness-obsessed self
โthey all know sunghoon is a total gym rat, completely obsessed with working out and keeping his physique pristine, so they just write it off as him returning to his normal personality. but as sunghoon stares at the blank white wall, his knuckles turning white as he grips the bedsheets, he doesn't say a word
โthey think heโs just being stubborn. they don't know that the only reason he wants to tear his muscles apart at the gym is because itโs the only way he knows how to numb the agonizing heartbreak tearing through his chest
almost two years pass in a blur of sleepless nights, endless engineering blueprints, and heavy lifting at the gym
โitโs a late afternoon, the sun dipping below the horizon as heeseung, jake, soobin, and yeonjun lounge around the crowded university parking lot, leaning against the hoods of their cars after a brutal thesis consultation
a thick cloud of cigarette smoke drifts into the cool air as yeonjun, heeseung, and soobin light up, while jake just sits on the hood of his car, mindlessly popping open a freezing can of soda and taking a long sip
sunghoon is leaning against his own car next to them, his posture casual, completely absorbed in scrolling through his phone. his physique is noticeably broader now, his jawline sharper, the epitome of the campus' untouchable guy
โ"i'm telling you, itโs a done deal," yeonjun mutters, taking a drag from his cigarette as he brags about the girl heโs currently chasing. "she literally texted me first today. iโm locking it down by this weekend."
โsoobin scoffs, blowing a neat ring of smoke into the air. "yeah, yeah, whatever. at least youโre actually chasing someone. my current fwb situation is getting so complicated, sheโs starting to ask for actual dates and itโs stressing me out."
โ"that's because you're emotionally unavailable, you idiot," heeseung chimes in, checking his reflection in the car window as he adjusts his jacket. "just be normal like me. my girlfriend and i are literally planning a trip after graduation. clean and simple."
he then elbows jake, who is quietly drinking his soda. "what about you, jake? you've been suspiciously quiet. whoโs the lucky girl?"
โjake just lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he takes another sip, keeping his mouth shut. he is a master at staying in the background when it comes to his own love life, keeping his crush a total, tightly guarded secret from the loud group
โyeonjun rolls his eyes at jake before his eyes suddenly wander across the parking lot, catching sight of a group of girls walking past the engineering building "speaking of girls... bro, seriously, look over there. she keeps staring at our lot."
โheeseung glances over, squinting through the smoke. "who, lizzy? yeah, sheโs been trying to get someone to introduce her to sunghoon for weeks."
โhearing his name, sunghoon doesn't even bother to look up from his screen. his thumb just keeps mindlessly scrolling. "who the hell is lizzy?"
โ"dude, are you living under a rock?" yeonjun laughs, throwing his cigarette butt to the ground and crushing it with his shoe. "sheโs literally the most popular girl in the sophomore class. sheโs gorgeous, sunghoon. and she is completely, visibly into you. why do you always act like you don't care?"
โsunghoon just lets out a faint, dry hum, clearly bored and annoyed by the direction of the conversation. he locks his phone and shoves it into his pocket, staring out at the empty street
โsoobin watches him for a second, crossing his arms as a knowing smirk plays on his lips. "what, are you still hopelessly hung up on y/n?"
โ"yeah," sunghoon answers instantly. the response is so blunt, so completely without hesitation, that the entire group goes dead silent
heeseung and soobin freeze, while jake just watches with a heavy sigh. they all know sunghoon is incredibly attractive, a guy who could easily have anyone he wants with a single look, yet heโs actively choosing to rot in a self-imposed exile for a girl who left the country almost two years ago
โ"bro, are you insane?" soobin asks, his voice filled with genuine disbelief. "itโs been almost two whole years. sheโs literally across the world in europe living her life. why don't you just try moving on with someone else?"
โ"i don't want anyone else," sunghoon replies smoothly, his voice dropping into that arrogant, unbothered tone. "i only want her. i'm just waiting for her to come home."
โsoobin lets out a dry scoff, shaking his head. "and what if she comes back with a boyfriend? what if sheโs already with someone else over there?"
โsunghoon doesn't even blink. a small, dangerously confident smirk tugs at the corner of his lips as he tilts his head back. "then iโll just wait for them to break up."
โthe guys all stare at him like heโs lost his mind, muttering about how toxic and delusional he is. sunghoon just scoffs and looks away, keeping his thoughts to himself. they think heโs crazy, they think heโs being a delusional, arrogant prick
โbut they don't know about the shadows. they don't know about the ledger, they don't know that no matter how many thousands of miles or how many years keep them apart, your soul belongs to him and he is simply waiting for the universe to catch up to what he already knows
the truth is, throughout the entire two years since he woke up from that coma, his phone has remained completely silent. he never once dared to text you
โevery time his thumb hovered over your name in his contacts, yunjinโs harsh words would echo in his mind. reminding him that you two were broken up, and that you were finally happy in europe
but more than that, it was the crushing weight of his own guilt. he still remembers how badly he had hurt you in the past for the sake of sooha. the sheer remorse makes him feel entirely unworthy of even reaching out.
he is too ashamed, terrified of the suffocating awkwardness, and deathly afraid that if he sends a message, you will just leave him on read
sunghoon finds himself dragged out to a crowded, neon-lit club. he hadn't even planned on going out, but soobin was currently a pathetic, drunken mess, drowning in regret after his fwb situation completely blew up in his face
they had officially become total strangers because soobin had been too stubborn to give the girl any real commitment
โwhile yeonjun and heeseung are busy trying to babysit a miserable soobin, sunghoon just sits back against the leather booth, casually sipping on his drink. he keeps his alcohol intake strictly to a minimum, his dark eyes mindlessly scanning the pulsing lights of the dance floor
โjake slumps down onto the seat next to him, holding a cold glass as he leans in to speak over the roaring bass of the music. "hey. you know y/n is coming back next week, right?"
โsunghoon freezes, his glass stopping halfway to his lips. he turns his head slowly, his eyes locking onto jake. "what?"
โ"yeah, she's coming back for graduation," jake nods, taking a sip of his drink. "yunjin and giselle are graduating in the same ceremony as us, so y/n is flying back to attend. she'll be there next week."
โthe words hit sunghoon like a sudden, brilliant wave of electricity. for the first time in two grueling years, the heavy, suffocating knot in his chest completely unravels. a breathless, genuine smile slowly breaks across his sharp face, a smile so sudden and radiant that jake actually blinks in surprise
โsunghoon looks down at his drink, his heart hammering against his ribs. you are coming home, you are finally going to be in the same room as him again. he doesn't even care if things are awkward, he doesn't care if you're mad at him. even if he only gets to say a simple, quiet 'hi' to you at the ceremony, it would be more than enough
the cold, sterile air of the airport terminal drifts around you as you pull your luggage through the arrivals gate. itโs exactly three days before graduation
the moment you step into the main hall, yunjin and giselle are already running toward you, drawing curious glances from everyone around
โafter almost two grueling years of being miles away in europe, the suffocating weight of the distance finally vanishes the second they throw their arms around you
โby the time you all arrive at the apartment, the jetlag hits you like a physical wall. you barely have the energy to unpack before you completely pass out on the bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep
โwhen your eyes finally blink open hours later, the room is dimly lit, the sun having long since set. youโre about to sit up and stretch when you hear a soft, unfamiliar voice drifting from the living room, completely drowned out by yunjin and giselleโs dramatic, high-pitched shrieks
โ"no way! shut up, there's actually no way!" yunjin gasps, her voice echoing through the hallway
โcuriosity getting the better of you, you rub your eyes and pad softly into the living room. the three girls are huddled around the coffee table, which is illuminated by a few flickering candles
sitting across from yunjin and giselle is a quiet, ethereal-looking girl youโve never seen before. a beautiful, intricate deck of tarot cards is spread out between them
โ"oh my god, you're awake!" giselle beams, looking up from the table and frantically waving you over. "come here, sit down! you have to try this. my friend here is literally insane with tarot, her readings are always dangerously accurate."
โyou let out a soft laugh, still a bit dazed from sleep, and slide onto the cushion next to yunjin. yunjin already chimes in, leaning forward eagerly as she elbows you. "let's do a love reading for her! skip everything else, love life is way more fun."
โthe quiet girl gives you a knowing, gentle smile, her eyes incredibly calm as she gathers the deck. the rhythmic sound of the cards shuffling fills the quiet room before she sets them down. "cut the deck," she instructs quietly
โyou reach out and split the deck in half. she takes the cards, placing them face down before drawing the first one and flipping it over. the girl hums softly, staring at the card before tilting her head to look at you
โ"are you still in contact with your ex?" she asks out of nowhere. "because the very first card that came out heavily represents the past."
โyou blink, a little caught off guard, but shake your head. "no... we haven't talked or had any communication at all for two years."
โthe reader nods slowly, flipping the next card. "well, this person from your past... heโs been waiting for you this entire time. according to the cards, he can be incredibly arrogant and a total perfectionist, but he is fiercely devoted to his person."
โyunjin and giselle exchange a quick, panicked glance, their posture immediately straightening as a single, terrifyingly familiar face flashes in their minds
you feel a sudden drop in your stomach, the description is a direct hint to park sunghoon
โthe girl continues shuffling and places another card face up. she looks at you intently. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โ"not really," you reply with a small, cynical shrug. "unless it's in the movies."
โ"really? you don't?" the reader scoffs softly, a tiny, mysterious smirk playing on her lips as she taps the center card. "because these cards are literally screaming that you two are soulmates. your personalities match perfectly, like a mirror reflection."
โbefore you can process the heartbeat hammering against your ribs, she flips one final card from the bottom of the deck. it's a card representing massive, impending transformation
โ"i don't know what happened between you two in the past," the reader murmurs, her voice carrying a strange weight. "but there is a huge, major shift coming your way very soon. honestly, all the cards are beautiful, but the only obstacle here... is you."
โ"me?" you whisper.
โ"yeah. you're the one holding back because you don't believe it," she explains with a light shrug. "but it's fine. the guy is going to be incredibly persistent anyway. heโs not going to let you go."
โthe living room goes completely dead silent. yunjin, giselle, and you are left utterly speechless, staring wide-eyed at the table. the eerie accuracy of the description leaves an uncomfortable warmth under your skin
โ"well... okay then," you finally mutter, clearing your throat to break the tension as you casually lean back against the cushion
โyou don't really take tarot readings to heart anyway. to you, it's just a silly, crazy coincidence meant for fun entertainment on a cozy night. you silently brush it off, forcing yourself not to think too much about it
the long-awaited graduation day finally arrives. you look effortlessly elegant in your tailored dress, clutching two beautifully arranged bouquets of flowers meant for giselle and yunjin
โonce the grueling, hours-long formal ceremony finally concludes, the massive doors throw open, and waves of graduates flood the plaza. the moment you spot yunjin and giselle, you navigate through the sea of togas and wrap your arms around them. handing over the bouquets, the sheer emotional weight of the moment hits them, and both of your best friends burst into tears of pure joy
โ"oh my god, y/n! you're actually here!" yunjin wails, turning her head frantically before spotting a familiar tall figure. she reaches out, aggressively grabbing him by the arm. "yeonjun! yeonjun, get over here right now! take a picture of us! if itโs blurry, iโm gonna tell your crush you still sleep with your teddy bear!"
โ"jesus, yunjin, relax! my hands are steady!" yeonjun laughs, quickly taking the phone from her hand as he backs up to frame the shot. "okay, look here! three, two, oneโsmile!"
โthe camera flashes as the three of you laugh together. but just a few yards away, the entire world comes to an absolute standstill for one person
โpark sunghoon feels his breath hitch, his surroundings blurring into complete white noise. there you are standing not too far from him, looking breathtakingly beautiful, infinitely more stunning than you already were two years ago
in that exact split second, he feels a sudden, sharp ache in his chest, exactly like a high school boy falling in love for the very first time. sunghoon had always believed that women only grew more beautiful as they matured, a belief instilled in him by his mother, but looking at you now, you are the absolute living proof of it
โperhaps sensing the intense weight of someoneโs gaze, you instinctively turn your head and your eyes lock right into sunghoon's. instantly, your vision blurs around the edges, the loud chatter of the graduation crowd completely fading away
he is still devastatingly handsome, though his physique has visibly filled out, looking significantly taller and broader in his black toga. he is staring at you with such a raw, burning intensity, as if he is trying to carve your image permanently into his memory
in that endless moment of unbroken eye contact, the universe seems to slow down, playing every breath you take by the police on a loop in the background of your mind
โyou stand there, completely suspended in time, until giselle suddenly tugs hard on your hand, breaking the spell. "come on, let's go over there! the guys are all over by the engineering booths!"
โbecause they had drifted apart to take photos with different circles earlier, the very last group that yunjin, giselle, and you approach is sunghoonโs circle. the second you walk up, the guys immediately crowd around you, completely sidelining their own graduation buzz
โ"woah, look who's back from europe!" jake grins widely, giving you a quick side-hug. "you look absolutely insane today, y/n! europe definitely treated you well."
โ"for real, you're literally glowing," heeseung chimes in, nodding in approval as he smiles warmly. "and hey, congrats on the dual degree graduation last few weeks! we saw the posts, that's huge. our resident genius is finally home!"
โ"congrats, y/n! you make all of us look like slackers," soobin teases, giving you a light pat on the shoulder
โyou laugh, thanking them one by one, your confidence returning, until you finally step up to stand directly in front of sunghoon.
the atmosphere between you two instantly turns suffocatingly awkward, the unresolved tension of the past two years hanging heavily in the air. breaking the heavy silence, sunghoon is the first one to softly murmurs, "hi."
โ"hi, sunghoon," you reply softly. without another word, he steps forward, and you let yourself fall into his embrace
โthe second his arms wrap around you, a violent, overwhelming surge of familiarity crashes over sunghoonโs consciousness. the sheer weight of their entire cosmic history hits him all at once
to him, this single embrace feels identical to the way he lunged forward outside the barracks in ancient greece, throwing his heavy bronze armored arms around your waist, pulling you flush against him as he choked out a desperate apology
it feels exactly like the way you ran into his arms in that warm medieval library, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as he caught you effortlessly in his silver-trimmed collar
โas he pulls you closer, he can feel the familiar warmth of your head, the exact same feeling of you leaning against his shoulder under the canopy of blooming white roses in that quiet renaissance garden. it triggers the agonizing memory of the palace courtyard in joseon, where their foreheads rested against each other as a single steel blade skewered them together in a brutal, tragic embrace
and it carries the profound peace of the victorian era, where he would pull you right into his lap on the plush velvet sofa, winding his arms around you tightly to anchor his entire existence to your skin
โit is so heavy. so incredibly long and painful. sunghoon involuntarily pulls you tighter against him, burying his face into your hair for a fleeting, desperately tight moment before he reluctantly lets go
โ"congratulations on your graduation, sunghoon," you say softly, your voice slightly trembling as your heart hammers violently against your ribs
โthe rest of the group is seemingly distracted, loudly talking and laughing amongst themselves except for heeseung and giselle, who secretly raise their phones, discretely snapping a candid photo of the two of you locked in that intense, breathless embrace
โas you both step back, soobin suddenly chimes in, waving his hands dramatically. "woah, hold on! you two need to take a picture together right now. iโm directing this."
โimmediately, the rest of the circle turns into an unstoppable force of absolute chaos
โ"yeah, seriously!" yunjin smirks, crossing her arms playfully. "are you telling me he waited two whole years just to not get a single photo on his graduation day?"
โ"right? don't be a party pooper, y/n!" yeonjun adds, raising his eyebrows and nudging sunghoonโs shoulder
โflustered and thoroughly cornered, you and sunghoon reluctantly stand side by side. but because of the lingering tension, you both stand stiff as boards, leaving a painfully awkward gap between your shoulders
โseeing the ridiculous distance, yunjin lets out a loud, dramatic groan. "oh, for god's sake! move closer!" before either of you can react, she steps forward, grabs sunghoonโs large, cold hand, and physically plants it firmly against your waist
โ"stop being so damn awkward," yunjin scoffs loudly, rolling her eyes as she steps back. "itโs not like you haven't held her waist in two years. just pose!"
โthe sudden heat of his large palm sears through the fabric of your dress, sending a violent jolt straight up your spine. that late afternoon air truly feels alive, buzzing with a golden, electric energy
and right there, beneath the proud, confident smirk he forces for the camera, park sunghoon is secretly breaking out into a cold sweat, his entire being utterly terrified and violently nervous by the simple, breathtaking reality of having you back in his arms
later that night, yunjin and giselle practically drag you out to an after-graduation party. you initially protest, arguing that you didn't even graduate here, but yunjin instantly shuts you down. "shut up, y/n! you literally lived and suffered with us here for two years, you're not a stranger. you're celebrating with us!"
โthe three of you go absolutely wild with your outfits. though the cuts and colors are completely different, you all show up in stunning dresses that instantly make you the center of attention the second you walk into the crowded, neon-lit venue
โon the other side of the roaring club, sunghoon is standing near the bar with soobin. soobin elbows him hard in the ribs, nodding toward you. "hey, go over there and talk to her before someone else does. what are you waiting for?"
โsunghoon had actually felt pretty confident just a few minutes ago. but the moment he turns around, his confidence evaporates, replaced by a sudden, burning spike of jealousy. someone had already beat him to it
โit's jung sungchan, the college soccer captain. sunghoon remembers him vividly from two years ago, back when you and sunghoon were still together, sungchan would constantly reply to your instagram stories, completely ignoring the fact that you had a boyfriend
sunghoon wanted to tear the guy apart back then, but right now? his hands are tied. he has no right to be angry when you two aren't even a thing anymore
โsunghoon turns back to soobin, a dark, defeated shadow crossing his face. "forget it. i'm too late."
โ"are you serious right now? you're so pathetic, hoon," soobin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "go show off some of that charm of yours, for god's sake. don't just stand here like a loser."
โsunghoon keeps his back turned to the crowd, staring miserably at his drink. but then, soobinโs eyes widen as he looks past sunghoonโs shoulder
his expression turns into pure panic, and he starts aggressively smacking sunghoonโs arm. "holy shit, hoon! go over there right now! hurry up before your girl gets taken home by that prick!"
โpanic instantly shoots through sunghoon's veins. he turns around and sees sungchan already smiling smugly, leaning into your space
without thinking, sunghoon strides across the crowded room, his broad shoulders cutting through the sea of people until he abruptly steps right in front of you
โboth you and sungchan freeze, completely caught off guard. "hoon...?" you blink, your jaw dropping slightly
โsunghoon doesn't let the surprise linger. he instantly switches on his charm, towering over sungchan as he looks down at you with a soft, captivating smile. "hey, y/n. can we talk for a second?"
โsungchanโs smile drops, annoyed by the sudden interruption. he opens his mouth, clearly about to complain and start an argument, but sunghoon cuts him off before he can even utter a single syllable
with a deadly, freezing expression, sunghoon gently places his index finger right in front of sungchanโs lips, almost touching them
โ"save the yapping for later," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dripping with an unspoken, dangerous authority. "this is important business."
โsungchan completely shuts up, utterly stunned by the audacity. youโre standing there entirely confused, your head slightly spinning from the loud music
before you can even process anything, sunghoon casually grabs your wrist. "come on, let's get you a drink first."
โbut sunghoon knows you too well. he knows your alcohol tolerance is low, and the moment he hands you a lighter drink, the alcohol finally hits you full force. the filterless, tipsy version of you immediately comes out, and you start nagging him aggressively
โ"i hate this, hoon! the music is too loud, my head is literally about to explode," you whine, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket as you pout. "take me outside. let's just go for a walk, please?"
the moment you finally step out into the cool, quiet alleyway, you immediately march ahead. your steps are steady enough for now, but the alcohol is definitely starting to buzz in your system
suddenly, you stop dead in your tracks, spin around, and shove your expensive little purse straight into sunghoonโs chest. "hold this," you huff, pouting. "my arms are too tired to carry it."
โsunghoon lets out a soft, breathy chuckle, easily catching the purse. but as his eyes trace your figure under the dim streetlights, his brows furrow slightly. his gaze lingers just a second too long on the low cut of your dress and how much skin it leaves completely bare to the night air
โ"why is your dress so short anyway?" sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping a bit lower as he steps closer. "you're going to freeze out here, y/n."
โyou roll your eyes, instantly clapping back. "excuse me? it's a graduation party. what did you expect me to wear, my pajamas?"
โsunghoon laughs, the sound rich and warm as he falls into step right next to you. "i'm just saying, you have zero tolerance for the cold. you always have."
โyou tilt your head, a soft, tipsy smile playing on your lips as you look up at his profile. "wow. you still remember that?"
โ"i remember everything about you," sunghoon states quietly. before you can even process the depth of his words, he slips his casual jacket off his broad shoulders and gently drapes it over your frame
โ"so," he continues, shoving his hands into his pockets as he watches you bundle up in his jacket. "do you still listen to those weird asmr videos just to fall asleep in europe?"
โyou let out a loud giggle, hiding your face in his oversized collar. "okay, shut up. maybe sometimes, but only when i'm stressed!"
โas you keep walking, the friction of your high heels suddenly becomes too much to bear. without a single warning, you stop, kick the expensive heels straight off your feet, and just leave them abandoned right there on the sidewalk. you keep walking barefoot, feeling the cool pavement beneath your soles
โsunghoon stops, staring at the empty shoes on the ground in complete disbelief before shaking his head with a fond, helpless grin
he bends down, picking them up effortlessly by the straps with one hand. this is your classic, ridiculous habit whenever you're tipsy
โ"my feet were literally crying, hoon, it was so uncomfortable," you whine, justifying your crime
โ"i know, baby, i know," he murmurs softly, not even bothering to scold you as he slows his pace to perfectly match yours
โeventually, the quiet stroll leads you both into a completely deserted neighborhood park. you instantly break into a small run, grabbing sunghoonโs free hand and dragging him over to the swing set
the two of you slide onto the swings side by side, gently swaying back and forth as you look up at the bright, glowing moon above
โ"hey, hoon," you speak up softly, your filterless, tipsy mind drifting back to three days ago. "do you believe in soulmates?"
โsunghoon doesn't even hesitate. his eyes stay fixed on the moon, a calm smile on his lips. "yeah, i do."
โyou blink, turning your head to frown at him skeptically. "really? why? you're literally the most logical person i know. you don't usually believe in things that don't make sense."
โ"i just do," he replies casually, turning his head to lock his dark, intense eyes with yours. "some things don't need a logical explanation to be real."
โyou hum, swinging your legs a little. "well... i actually had a tarot reading with giselle's friend a few days ago. i mean, i don't really believe in that stuff, but itโs just been stuck in my head. she said my soulmate is someone from my past."
โsunghoonโs posture subtly shifts, his attention completely locking onto you now.
โ"and honestly, it's driving me crazy because i keep wondering... is it you, or is it sungchan?" you muse out loud, tapping your chin thoughtfully. "because youโre my ex, so youโre the past. but sungchan was always chasing after me in the past, and well, he's still here in my timeline now."
โthe mention of sungchanโs name makes sunghoonโs jaw immediately tighten. a dark, incredibly possessive glint flashes in his eyes, and he instantly leans forward, his voice dripping with sheer confidence as he claims his territory
โ"it's me. it's definitely me, y/n," sunghoon states firmly, a arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "there is absolutely no way it's sungchan. since when could that guy ever be as cool as me?"
โyou burst out laughing at his sudden defensiveness. "but wait! the tarot reader specifically said the guy is arrogant. a total perfectionist."
โhearing the word arrogant, sunghoon lets out a soft, slightly bitter laugh. he lets his swing come to a complete stop, leaning his forearms on his knees as he looks up at you with a suddenly soft, vulnerable expression. "do you actually think i'm arrogant?"
โyou pause, stopping your swing too. you tilt your head, studying the sharp, beautiful lines of his face before shaking your head slowly. "i don't know, honestly. because when we were dating, you never showed me that side of you. you were always... just so completely whipped for me."
โsunghoon lets out a long, heavy sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders as a deeply fond, consuming warmth takes over his expression. he reaches out, his large hand gently catching the chain of your swing to pull you just an inch closer to him
โ"exactly," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a deep, serious register that sends a shiver down your spine. "so stop overthinking it. whoever that tarot reader saw, itโs me. itโs always been me, and itโs never going to be sungchan."
โ"then what about sooha?" you ask out of nowhere, the alcohol making you completely unfiltered as you look back up at him. "why aren't you with her?"
โthe casual mention of her name makes sunghoonโs expression shift instantly. the playful aura vanishes, replaced by a heavy, quiet seriousness. you don't seem to notice the change, your heavy head dropping onto his broad shoulder as you comfortably lean against him
โsunghoon tenses for a split second before slowly relaxing, letting you rest your weight on him. "i haven't been with sooha since the moment i woke up from the coma, y/n," he answers softly
โ"why?" you mumble into his jacket, your voice slightly muffled. "did you guys break up?"
โ"we were never together to begin with."
โ"really? why not?" you tilt your head against his shoulder, looking up at his sharp jawline. "didn't you two love each other?"
โsunghoon completely freezes. he stares straight ahead, the quietness of the park suddenly feeling incredibly heavy
your question sends a sharp pang through his chest, bringing back the vivid memories of his struggle, how he had literally begged the grim reaper, fighting through the afterlife just to mend the broken strings between your souls. everything he did, every single breath he took after waking up, was entirely for you
โbut he can't tell you that, not like this
โinstead, sunghoon just lets out a soft, shaky breath. "i'm sorry, y/n," he murmurs, his voice cracking slightly. "i'm so sorry."
โyou let out a loose, airy giggle against his shoulder. "why are you apologizing, hoon? we broke up two years ago anyway. what is there to be sorry for? honestly, i'm completely over it. i don't really feel anything anymore when i look at you."
โyour words hit him like a physical blow to the chest. it feels like a knife twisting straight into his heart, because god, he is still so desperately, hopelessly in love with you
sunghoon forces a bitter, painful smile onto his face, swallowing the lump in his throat. "oh... is that so?"
โ"mm-hmm," you nod sleepily, your eyes fluttering shut for a second
โsunghoon clears his throat, trying to keep his composure as he asks quietly, "so... did you date anyone while you were in europe?"
โ"yeah, i did," you reply casually. "his name was anton. he was so sweet, a total gentleman. we even adopted a hamster together. but... he wanted to focus on his career as a competitive swimmer, so we broke up. it sucked, honestly."
you let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh, shifting slightly against him. "itโs always like this. i'm always the one getting left behind by men. i swear, the next time i get a boyfriend, i'm going to dump him first."
โthat word left behind instantly triggers something painful inside sunghoon. before his coma, he was the first one who had ruthlessly left you behind for sooha
โ"i'm sorry," sunghoon whispers again, his voice dropping into a deeply emotional, vulnerable register
he turns his head, staring down at you with raw sincerity. "i am so, so sorry, y/n. ever since the day i woke up from that bed, there hasn't been a single day where i didn't regret leaving you. i hated myself for it. iโve been waiting for you to come home every single day, just so i could apologize to you properly. itโs been eating me alive... because i missed you so much."
โhe pours his entire heart out, his chest heaving as he braces himself for your reaction. he looks down, waiting for you to say something, anything but there is only silence
โsunghoon blinks, tilting his head closer, only to realize that the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of your shoulders means you had completely passed out
you were sleeping peacefully, using his shoulder as a pillow, entirely missing the absolute weight of his confession.
for a moment, sunghoon just stares at you, completely dumbfounded. then, a soft, defeated chuckle breaks through his heavy emotions
โ"unbelievable," he mutters under his breath, shaking his head as a fond, helpless smile replaces his sadness. "i'm being dead serious here and you just decide to fall asleep?"
โhe quietens down, the heavy tension from before slowly melting away into the cool night air. sunghoon just sits there on the swing for a long moment, watching your peaceful sleeping face
slowly, tenderly, he leans his head down and presses a soft, lingering kiss against the crown of your hair, letting his eyes close as he breathes you in
โ"welcome home, y/n," he whispers against your hair
a few days later, jake practically begs sunghoon to tag along to the university's final soccer match. since jake is part of the soccer club and sungchan happens to be the team captain, sunghoon casually agrees, mostly just to kill some time
โbut the moment sunghoon arrives at the stands, his relaxed composure completely vanishes. there you are, sitting a few rows down
โsunghoon immediately makes his way toward you, his brows furrowed as he stops right in front of your seat. "y/n? what are you doing here?"
โyou look up, blinking in surprise before giving him a small wave. "oh, hoon! i'm here to cheer for sungchan." you proudly gesture down at the oversized jersey youโre wearing
sunghoonโs eyes drop to the fabric, and his stomach instantly twists when he recognizes the number boldly printed on it, itโs sungchanโs jersey number
โ"it looks ugly on you," sunghoon mutters under his breath, his jaw tightening
โ"what did you say?" you squint, not quite catching his low murmur over the noisy crowd
โ"nothing," sunghoon replies flatly, forcing a neutral expression as he casually slides into the empty seat right next to you
โthroughout the entire game, sunghoon sits there like a ticking time bomb. every single time sungchan scores or runs near your side of the field, the captain immediately looks up, flashing you a smug, dazzling smile
you just smile back politely, waving your hand to support him. but sitting right beside you, sunghoon is violently rolling his eyes
gross. he looks so pathetic trying to act cute. iโm literally ten times better than him, sunghoon snarls bitterly in his head, crossing his arms tightly over his chest
โwhen the final whistle blows, sungchanโs team officially wins the championship. the crowd goes absolutely wild, but sunghoonโs eyes are strictly locked on sungchanโs movements
โthe very first thing sungchan does isn't celebrating with his teammates, he runs straight toward the stands, climbs up, and throws his arms tightly around you, lifting you slightly off your feet
you burst into a breathless laugh, lightly patting his back. "okay, okay! sungchan, put me down, i can't breathe!"
โsunghoon watches the display, his eyes freezing as he aggressively rolls his eyes. sungchan finally pulls back, throwing a deeply satisfied, triumphant look directly at sunghoon, clearly gloating over his victory
โunable to take another second of the suffocating jealousy, sunghoon abruptly stands up. he walks down to the field, taps jake on the shoulder, and mutters, "i'll wait for you outside."
โstanding outside the stadium, the sky has turned gray, and a soft drizzle begins to fall. sunghoon leans against a pillar, mindlessly scrolling through his phone to distract himself
but the second a familiar, soft giggle drifts through the quiet air, his thumb freezes on the screen then he looks up
โjust a few meters away, you and sungchan are walking down the pavement, sharing a single umbrella. sungchan is deliberately tilting the umbrella toward your side, letting his own shoulder get completely soaked by the rain just to ensure you stay perfectly dry
in your arms, you are carefully cradling a fresh, grand bouquet of pink peonies. sunghoon stares at the flowers, and a bitter, mocking laugh slips past his lips
โ"idiot," sunghoon whispers to himself, his voice cracking with a sudden, overwhelming wave of emotion. "your favorite flowers aren't even peonies... they're white camellias."
โthe realization hits him like a physical blow. sungchan doesn't even know you, not the real you, not the little details that sunghoon has kept memorized in his heart for years
but as he watches you walk away, looking so effortlessly beautiful as you laugh at something sungchan said, the sheer weight of reality crashes down on him. you are smiling with someone else now
the lounge is deafeningly loud, but for sunghoon, everything is reduced to a dull roar
heโs been sitting in the corner with yeonjun and jake, his knuckles white as he grips his glass so hard it might shatter. his eyes are fixed on you and sungchan, watching as sungchanโs hands roam possessively over your waist, your back, your arm
โ"hoon, cool it," yeonjun murmurs, nudging his side. "you're making a scene just by sitting there with that face. just let it go, man."
โ"heโs right," yunjin adds, leaning over from the next booth, her expression stern. "you two are over. itโs been two years. stop acting like you still have a claim on her. itโs embarrassing."
โsunghoon doesn't answer. he canโt. he feels like heโs suffocating, every muscle in his body coiled to strike. he watches you laugh at something sungchan says, and for a second, he thinks he might actually lose his mind
โthen, it happens
โsungchan leans in, and in front of everyone, he crashes his lips onto yours!
โthe world stops. he feels a sharp, jagged pain in the center of his chest, as if his heart is being slowly crushed in a vice. heโs completely paralyzed, his mind going utterly blank
โthe next thing he knows, heโs standing in front of you. he doesn't say a word, he just grabs your wrist, his grip iron-tight, and pulls you toward the exit
โ"hey! what do you think you're doing?" sungchan jumps up, ready to fight, but the moment he looks into sunghoonโs eyes he stumbles back, suddenly terrified, and lets you be pulled away
โyou stay silent while you're being dragged through the club, your face burning with humiliation, but the moment you hit the cool night air of the alley, you explode
โslap.
โthe sound of your palm connecting with sunghoonโs cheek echoes against the brick walls. sunghoon doesn't flinch. his head stays turned to the side, his chest heaving
โ"what is wrong with you?!" you scream, your voice trembling with pure, unadulterated fury. "why canโt you just leave me alone?! we have nothing, sunghoon! itโs been two years! don't you have any dignity left? you look so pathetic right now, obsessing over your ex-girlfriend like a stalker!"
โsunghoon slowly turns his face back to you. he looks broken, his eyes glassy and vacant
โ"i don't have feelings for you anymore," you continue, each word a cold, sharp blade. "not even a little bit! i don't even want to see your face ever again. if you show up in front of me one more time, i won't just hit you, sunghoonโiโll spit in your face."
โthe silence that follows is deathly. youโre breathing hard, your eyes blazing, but as you stare at him, you see a single, hot tear trail down his pale cheek
itโs not a dramatic sob, he just looks utterly hollowed out, as if youโve just deleted his entire existence
โ"i'm sorry," he whispers, his voice barely audible, shaking as he takes a step back. "i'm sorry for being... pathetic."
โhe doesn't try to touch you. he doesn't try to explain. he just turns around and walks into the darkness, leaving you alone in the alley, his shoulders hunched in a way that makes your own heart feel like itโs being torn into pieces
the second sunghoon steps into his quiet apartment, he completely collapses onto his bed. he doesn't even bother turning on the lights, letting the darkness swallow him whole as he stares blankly at the ceiling. his cheek still stings from the slap, but the burning ache in his chest is a thousand times worse
โ"jay, you're a liar," sunghoon mutters into the empty room, his voice thick with a mixture of anger and raw exhaustion
โhe lets out a harsh, bitter laugh, running a hand over his face. "you said if the strings was repaired, we could be together. you said it would fix everything. then why the hell does she hate me so much now?"
โhe closes his eyes tightly, the memory of your cold, furious gaze slicing through him all over again. "if i knew it was going to be like this... if i knew i'd just end up becoming a pathetic nuisance to her, i shouldn't have even bothered fixing the damn strings in the first place."
โsunghoon pauses, the quiet hum of the refrigerator the only sound answering him. he sighs, his shoulders slumping. "jay... i know you're probably listening to this from somewhere. what the hell am i supposed to do now?"
โas expected, only a heavy, dead silence greets him. back when his soul had left his physical body during the coma, he could easily communicate with the grim reaper
but now that his soul is locked back inside his human flesh, that connection is completely severed. there are no more shortcuts, no more supernatural interventions
โ"forget it," sunghoon mumbles, rolling onto his side and burying his face in his pillow. "i need to stop doing this. i need to find something else to do."
โand thatโs exactly what he does
โstarting from the very next morning, sunghoon forces himself to channel all his frustrated, agonizing energy into something productive. he completely locks himself in his room for days, meticulously building his resume and applying for high-level engineering positions at massive, prestigious firms that match his degree
he throws himself into preparation for interviews, studying until his eyes burn, determined to build a future so solid that no one could ever look down on him again
โof course, the sadness still creeps in. there are quiet moments late at night when a random memory of you will suddenly hit him, leaving him completely breathless with an overwhelming ache of missing you
โto keep himself from losing his mind, he starts hanging out more with his friendsโsoobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung. theyโd go to quiet bars, playing games or just drinking until late
his friends can clearly see the underlying frustration and anger heโs harboring, but sunghoon strictly draws a line
despite how hurt or lonely he feels, he never once tries to rebound or seek comfort from other girls. he refuses to do anything that could ever taint or damage the strings between you two again
โbecause deep down, beneath all the pain and the cold rejections, park sunghoon still stubbornly believes in one thing
โyou two are soulmates and heโs going to make sure heโs ready when the universe finally decides to give him another chance
two weeks fly by, and honestly, sunghoon rarely touches his phone anymore. his days are entirely consumed by his burning ambition to build his career, leaving him with zero time to drown in his own thoughts
โlate one evening, he and jake are sitting at the kitchen island, slurping down bowls of instant ramen after a long day. sunghoonโs laptop is open next to his bowl, and a soft ding echoes through the quiet apartment. he casually glances at the screen to check his email, but the moment his eyes scan the preview, he freezes
โsubject: offer of employment - enhigh corporate.
โsunghoon drops his chopsticks, his eyes widening in absolute shock. "no way," he breathes out
โ"what? what is it?" jake asks, leaning over with a mouthful of noodles
โ"i got in, jake. i actually got into enhigh corporate!" sunghoon suddenly shouts, jumping out of his chair. he lets out a loud, victorious cheer, throwing his fists into the air with a radiant grin that he hasn't shown in weeks
โjake immediately pulls him into a messy, aggressive hug, laughing loudly as he slaps sunghoonโs back. "congratulations, man! holy shit, i knew youโd pull it off! thatโs huge!"
โbut as the initial wave of excitement settles, a bittersweet realization hits the room. enhigh corporate isn't local, itโs located in a completely different country. accepting this offer means sunghoon has to pack up his entire life, leaving behind his friends and his apartment
โjake noticed the sudden dip in sunghoon's mood and gives him a reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder. "hey, don't worry about anything, hoon. what matters is that you're finally moving forward to the next step. you deserve this."
โa few days later, the apartment is filled with cardboard boxes. soobin, yeonjun, jake, and heeseung are all gathered, helping sunghoon pack the remaining engineering textbooks and clothes into his suitcases
โas heeseung tapes up a box of shoes, he casually looks up, his eyes scanning sunghoonโs quiet profile. "so... are you not going to tell y/n about this?"
โthe entire room subtly goes quiet. sunghoonโs hands pause over the sweater heโs folding
โ"no," sunghoon answers softly, keeping his eyes glued to the fabric. "i don't think i will. she made it pretty clear that she never wants to see my face again anyway."
โheeseung sighs, leaning back against the wall. "well, there's no harm in just letting her know. use it as a chance to say goodbye and apologize one last time properly. who knows? you two might actually never cross paths again once you fly out."
โthe words never cross paths again send a cold, sharp shiver straight down sunghoon's spine. his stomach twists uncomfortably. he scratches the back of his neck, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh
โ"yeah... i'll think about it," sunghoon murmurs quietly.
โa week later, you find yourself getting closer to sungchan. thereโs no official label between you two yet, but heโs sweet, attentive, and always there
late at night, youโre sitting on your couch, softly laughing into your phone as you talk to sungchan about your date scheduled for tomorrow morning
โin the middle of your conversation, the sharp buzz of your apartment doorbell echoes through the quiet space
โ"wait a second, sungchan. someone's at the door," you murmur, pulling the phone away from your ear. you walk over to the foyer and glance at the wall-mounted intercom screen
โyour heart instantly drops into your stomach.
itโs sunghoon. heโs standing under the dim hallway light, a beautiful bouquet of fresh white camellias cradled carefully in his arms
โthe bell rings again. you stay completely frozen, your breath hitching. you stubbornly refuse to open the door. the memory of your last fight is still too raw, and you simply cannot bring yourself to face him
โafter a long, heavy silence, sunghoon seems to realize you aren't going to let him in. he lets out a quiet breath, slowly bending down to set the white camellias gently on the floor right next to your door
he straightens back up, staring directly at the camera lens as if he knows you're watching him from the other side and then, he starts to speak
โ"y/n... i know you're in there," sunghoonโs deep voice drifts through the intercom speaker, sounding incredibly soft, completely stripped of his usual arrogance. "i know you still don't want to see me, and that's okay. i understand."
โyou stand there, pressing your palm against the cold wood of the door, unable to look away from the screen
โ"first, i just want to apologize. i'm so sorry for making you uncomfortable with how i acted at the lounge. i truly regret everything," he murmurs, his dark eyes looking incredibly vulnerable
he lets out a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. "you know... the very first person i looked for when i woke up from that coma was you. crazy, right?"
โ"every single day after i woke up, i kept practicing what to say to you. i kept trying to draft an apology in my head. but honestly, i was terrified. i remembered how harsh and awful i was to you before the accident, and i couldn't even bring myself to send you a single text. i knew you had a life over in europe, and later on, yunjin mentioned that you were finally happy... that you were going out on dates. i didn't want to ruin that for you. i didn't want to drag you back into my mess because i knew exactly how badly i hurt you."
โtears finally spill over your lashes, tracking silently down your cheeks. you bite your lower lip hard, forcing yourself not to make a sound
โ"and... i'm genuinely happy to see that you're doing well now even if you're with sungchan," sunghoon continues, a faint, sad smile pulling at his lips. "jake told me about him since i've been too busy with other things lately. i guess... i really am pathetic, just like you said."
โhe pauses, looking down at his shoes before locking eyes with the camera again. "i'm sorry for everything, y/n. i just wanted to say it out loud so the weight in my head could finally ease up a bit. ah... i feel like i'm talking too much."
โhe clears his throat, his expression shifting into something genuinely proud. "by the way... i got accepted at enhigh corporate. pretty cool, right?"
โat that exact sentence, you lose your battle against the tears. a choked sob escapes your throat, and you have to clap both hands over your mouth to muffle the sound. you thought he was just dropping by to say sorry, but heโs still not done
โ"i just wanted to make sure i apologized to you properly before i leave, even if it has to be through a closed door," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking slightly with an emotion heโs trying hard to suppress. "my flight is tomorrow morning."
โhe lets out another breathy laugh, trying to lighten the suffocating gravity of his words. "man, i'm really not used to talking this much. my throat is literally dry."
โsunghoon slowly raises his hand, giving a gentle, lingering wave toward the camera lens. "goodbye, y/n."
โthe moment his shadow turns around and walks away from the screen, your knees completely give out. you slide down against the back of the door, collapsing onto the cold floor as you bury your face in your hands, crying uncontrollably. the heavy, suffocating silence of the apartment is completely filled with your raw, heartbreaking sobs
โmeanwhile, as sunghoon steps out of your apartment building, he lets out a massive, clean sigh. for the first time in two years, the crushing guilt in his chest feels a little lighter now that he has finally confessed everything he carried
โthe sky above is dark, and a heavy rain suddenly starts to pour, drenching the empty streets. but sunghoon doesn't care. without a second thought, he shoves his hands into his pockets and walks straight into the downpour, walking slowly, peacefully, letting the cool rain wash over him as he embraces the quiet, lonely night
โ"sunghoon!"
a desperate, cracked scream pierces through the heavy roar of the rain. sunghoon freezes. he abruptly spins around, his dark eyes widening in absolute shock
โthere you are. you had chased him all the way out of the building, running straight into the torrential downpour. youโre wearing nothing but a beautiful, silk nightgown that is now completely soaked and clinging to your skin, your bare feet stepping directly onto the freezing, wet pavement
โ"y/n...?" sunghoon whispers, his voice instantly swallowed by the wind
โseeing you standing there, shivering and crying under the heavy rain, completely breaks something inside him
without a second thought, sunghoon sprints back toward you. all his pent-up emotions, his worry bubbles up because god, you are truly the only person in this world who can drive him this violently insane
โ"what the hell are you doing?!" sunghoon roars, his hands instantly gripping your wet shoulders as he glares down at you, furious out of sheer worry. "are you out of your mind?! running out here in your sleepwear?! it's freezing, y/nโ"
โhe doesn't get to finish. you throw your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face into his soaked chest as you sob uncontrollably
you hold onto him with every single ounce of strength you have left, your entire body trembling against his broad frame
โ"i'm sorry... i'm so sorry, hoon," you choke out between your tears, tightening your grip on his jacket
"please... please don't leave me again. when you were in that coma, your body was right there, so close that i could touch it, but your soul felt miles away. and now youโre trying to leave for real?"
โsunghoonโs breath hitches. his hands slowly wrap around your small waist, pulling you so close against him that thereโs absolutely no space left between you two
โ"i'm sorry i slapped you yesterday," you sob loudly into his chest, letting all the hidden truths pour out. "i only did that because i wanted to hate you, hoon. i wanted to force myself to forget you because you were the only thing on my mind for two whole years! i hated you so much for never reaching out to me while i was in europe, even though i was desperately waiting for you. i had to keep begging yunjin and giselle for updates about you, and i had to physically stop myself from texting you because... because i promised your unconscious body that i wouldn't bother you anymore."
โtears mix with the rain on your face as you look up at him, your eyes completely raw. "and every single night while you were in that coma, i had these weird, vivid dreams. in every single one of them, you were constantly apologizing to me, over and over again, in so many different ways. i used to wake up every night crying, thinking i was just going crazy. i thought my brain was just making things up because i desperately wanted to hear you say sorry..."
โhearing your words, a profound, overwhelming wave of emotion crashes over sunghoon. a soft, breathless gasp slips past his lips. the strings, the connection he had fought so hard it was real. you had felt his soul begging for your forgiveness all along
a deep, radiant warmth fills his entire chest, and he buries his face into your neck, pressing a soft, desperate kiss against your wet shoulder as he holds you like you're his entire world
โ"i'm sorry, baby. i'm so sorry," sunghoon murmurs against your skin, his voice thick with tears
โbut then, reality kicks back in. he feels how violently youโre shivering in his arms. sunghoon quickly breaks the embrace, taking your small, freezing hands into his large palms. "you're going to get sick. you have zero tolerance for the cold, come on. we need to go back inside right now!"
โhe grabs your hand, and instead of walking, the two of you start running back toward your apartment building through the heavy sheets of rain
โbut this time, the heavy sadness is completely gone. despite being completely soaked and freezing, a loud, breathless laugh bubbles up from your chest
you look over at his sharp profile as you run, the adrenaline making you completely bold. "hoon! i love you!" you scream over the roaring thunder
โsunghoon blinks, the loud sound of the pouring rain completely muffling your words. "what?! what did you say?!"
โyou let out another joyful giggle, shaking your head as you pull him along. "nothing! i said i love you!"
โsunghoonโs lips instantly stretch into a wide, breathless grin. he tightens his grip on your hand, pulling you a bit closer as he runs right next to you. "i love you more, y/n! so much more!" he yells back, but his voice drops slightly at the end, the wind sweeping the rest of his words away
โ"what?!" you shout back, looking up at him. "i couldn't hear you!"
โ"i said hurry up before the rain gets any worse!" sunghoon scolds with a playful grin, shoving open the glass doors of your lobby
โthe two of you burst into the warm foyer, completely dripping wet, leaving a trail of puddles on the floor. you look at each otherโs ruined, soaked hair and drenched clothes, and right there in the empty lobby, you both break into loud, echoing laughter
one year later..
the dynamic between you and sunghoon has shifted into something entirely new. youโre still technically "exes," but the miles between you have taught you both something neither of you knew before: how to be each otherโs safe place, even from halfway across the world
โyour work schedule is a nightmare, brutal and relentless, often even more hectic than sunghoonโs. despite that, he never breaks his promise
every morning, a fresh bouquet of white camellias waits on your desk, accompanied by those infuriatingly cute sticky notes: โdonโt let your boss give you a headache today,โ or โsmile for me, okay?โ
โheโs obsessive in the best way. if you mention in passing that youโre bored with your bag, a courier shows up at your door forty-eight hours later with exactly what you described
it got to the point where you stopped mentioning things you wanted, because you knew heโd buy them instantly. whenever he asks,
"what do you want for your birthday?" you just whisper, "i just want to see you." but he always sighs, "be patient, y/n. the timing isn't right yet."
โuntil the japan trip. when you mentioned the group trip to yunjin, giselle, and the boys, sunghoonโs tone became unusually vague. โi donโt know, y/n. iโm drowning in work lately. i donโt think i can make it.โ
โyou hid your disappointment, forcing a smile. โoh... right. okay, no worries. good luck with work, hoon.โ
โbut after that, the silence became deafening. for three days, no texts. no late-night facetime. you felt like you were back to square one, your heart twisting with every hour he stayed offline. you were dying to tell him you missed him, but his phone was permanently unreachable
โby the time you land in japan, your mood is already hovering somewhere between exhaustion and pure heartbreak. then comes the hotel room disaster
โ"wait, why is my room key different?" you frown, staring at the card giselle handed you. "i thought i was bunking with you and yunjin."
โ"oh, about that," giselle says, looking anywhere but at you. "we figured you needed the space! we booked you a suiteโlook, itโs on a different floor and itโs massive. itโs got a private pool, y/n! don't be a party pooper."
โ"but iโm terrified of sleeping alone in a giant room!" you protest, turning to yunjin. "just come sleep with me!"
โyunjin looks horrified. "um, no way! giselle and i are terrified of obakeโjapanese ghosts. and if the three of us stay together, the room count becomes an odd number. odd numbers are a ghost's favorite, y/n. itโs simple math!"
โ"you guys are literally the most ridiculous people on earth," you deadpan, though you eventually give up
โthat night, lying in the massive, cold suite, you stare at your phone screen. โhoon, iโm in japan. i miss you so much. can we facetime?โ
โdelivered but no read receipt. you toss the phone aside, feeling the familiar, bitter sting of loneliness
โday one is a blur of chaos. you, yunjin, and giselle hit the streets of tokyo, turning vintage stores into your personal runway. you try to force yourself to enjoy the trip, but every time you see a cute shop, you instinctively think, โsunghoon would love this,โ only for the realization to hit that heโs not here
by nightfall, the whole squad meets up at a hidden ramen shop tucked away in a narrow alley. the air is thick with the savory scent of boiling broth, the clinking of glasses, and loud, chaotic arguments. currently, you are in the middle of a heated, absolutely ridiculous debate with yunjin and yeonjun
โ"i'm telling you, y/n, it makes perfect sense!" yeonjun aggressively slaps his hand on the wooden table, gesturing toward his round ramen bowl. "if the earth is actually a sphere, why don't the oceans just spill off the bottom into space? explain that to me!"
โ"yeonjun, please tell me you're joking," you groan, rubbing your temples while yunjin aggressively nods in agreement with him. "it's called gravity! the core of the earth pulls everything inward. we are not flying off into the void."
โ"but think about the horizon!" yunjin chimes in, leaning across the table with wide, dramatic eyes. "when you look at the ocean, it's a straight line, y/n. a straight. line. if it were round, weโd see a curve! i watched a three-hour documentary on youtube last week, and honestly? the government is lying to us. ice walls are holding the water in!"
โ"an ice wall?! what is this, game of thrones?" you burst out laughing, completely frustrated. "you guys are literally conspiracy theorists. soobin, please help me out here, tell them they're idiots."
โsoobin, who is busy chewing his pork belly, just raises his hands defensively. "don't drag me into this. i'm just here for the free food."
โyou roll your eyes, completely amused, and turn back to face your opponents. "okay, if the earth is flat, thenโ"
โmid-sentence, you notice yunjin and yeonjunโs expressions instantly shift. their arguments completely die out, replaced by this incredibly annoying, smug, and knowing smirk
they aren't even looking at you anymore, their eyes are fixed on something right behind your head
"what? why are you guys looking at me like that?" you frown, shifting uncomfortably on your stool
โbefore either of them can answer, a tall, broad shadow falls over your seat. you glance up, and the words completely freeze in your throat
โpark sunghoon is standing right there!
โhe looks devastatingly handsome, wearing a casual, dark button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his hair slightly damp from the summer humidity
before your brain can even process his presence, he smoothly slides onto the empty stool right next to you, his broad shoulder brushing intimately against yours
โyour mind goes completely blank. "youโhow are you even here?!"
โaround the table, the entire squad instantly bursts into loud, teasing cheers
โ"look at her face!" yeonjun howls with laughter, pointing a chopstick at you. "she looks like she just saw a real obake!"
โ"gosh, get a room, you two," yunjin teases, nudging your elbow playfully under the table. "the unresolved tension is literally making my ramen cold."
โjake just shakes his head, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he takes a sip of his water. "told you she'd look like that, sunghoon. you owe me ten bucks."
โ"shut up, jake," sunghoon chuckles, but his eyes never once leave yours
โwhile the rest of the table goes back to their loud conversations, sunghoon leans his head down, his lips brushing dangerously close to the shell of your ear
โ"did you miss me?" he whispers, his deep morning-like voice sending a sudden, electric shiver straight down your spine
โyou swallow hard, trying to keep your voice steady as you whisper back, "no. not at all. i was actually having fun."
โsunghoon lets out a dark, low chuckle that vibrates against your skin. he leans in just a millimeter closer, his dark eyes locking onto yours with terrifying intensity. "liar. you look even more beautiful than you did on screen, y/n. i couldn't take my eyes off you the second i walked in."
โyour face instantly burns a violent shade of red. beneath the privacy of the table, you blindly reach out and give his thigh a sharp, aggressive pinch
sunghoon doesn't even flinch, his smirk only widens as his hand casually drops onto your knee, giving it a firm, possessive squeeze before slowly pulling away
โon the walk back to the hotel, the group naturally scatters. heeseung and soobin disappear down a side street to look for rare, unique japanese cigarettes, while yeonjun and jake are busy arguing over who gets to hold the digital camera for photo spots. yunjin and giselle immediately run off to a late-night convenience store to shop for weird snacks
โjust like that, it's just you and sunghoon, quietly strolling side by side through the warm tokyo night
โyouโre both eating convenience store ice cream, but yours turns out to be absolutely disgusting, so you let out a whimper and throw it in a nearby bin. now empty-handed, you squint up at his match-flavored ice cream bar
โ"give me a bite," you mutter
โsunghoon smirks, willingly holding the ice cream bar up to your lips, watching with an intensely fond gaze as you take a small bite. "greedy," he murmurs softly
โ"shut up," you chew, before bringing up the topic that's been bothering you for days. "why did you barely text me these past few days? and why didn't you tell me you were coming to japan? i was literally losing my mind thinking you were drowning in work or something."
โsunghoon takes a slow bite from the same spot your lips just touched, his eyes locked on yours. "why? did you want me to text you that badly? did you cry yourself to sleep because you thought i wouldn't make it?"
โ"in your dreams, park!" you scoff, rolling your eyes in sheer annoyance as you playfully push your hand against his massive shoulder. "go back to your office. i was actually looking forward to a peaceful vacation without your annoying face."
โsunghoon lets out a melodious, genuine laugh, letting himself sway from your shove before stepping even closer, his arm wrapping smoothly around your waist to pull you flush against his side. "i wanted to surprise you, baby. and looking at how completely flushed you are right now... i'd say my mission was a masterpiece."
โwhen you finally reach the hotel floor, the hallway is completely empty. you walk over to the massive double doors of your luxury suite, pulling out your key card. "okay, we're here. why are you still following me? go to your own room, sunghoon, i want to change and sleep."
โ"i want to sleep too," sunghoon replies smoothly, leaning his back against the wall right next to your door frame, his arms crossed over his chest
โ"then go to your room!" you snap, waving your hand dismissively. "shoo."
โinstead of leaving, sunghoon just flashes you a slow, deeply amused grin. he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a golden key card, tapping it lightly against his own palm. "this is my room."
โyour jaw drops. "what?! what do you mean your room? park sunghoon, stop joking around, it's not funny."
โ"i'm not joking," he chuckles, stepping forward, effectively trapping you between his large physique and the door. he takes the card from your hand and swipes his own against the electronic lock
the door clicks open, revealing the massive, dimly lit suite with a private pool glowing in the background. sunghoon casually strolls inside, tossing his wallet onto the counter
โyou march inside after him, slamming the door shut with a loud thud. "are you crazy?! why the hell are we sharing a single hotel room? what kind of 'exes' do this?!"
โ"why are you acting so shocked?" sunghoon turns around, his dark eyes darkening with a sudden, heavy wave of heat as he steps into your personal space
he keeps walking until your hips hit the edge of the kitchen island, completely trapping you. "itโs not like weโve never shared a bed before, y/n. besides, it's not like i haven't seen you completely nakโ"
โbefore the word can fully leave his lips, you frantically throw both of your hands over his mouth, your heart hammering so violently against your ribs youโre convinced he can hear it. your face is practically on fire
โ"okay! okay! shut up! don't say it!" you squeak, glaring up at him with wide, panicked eyes
โsunghoon doesn't move. his dark eyes stare down at you over your palms, the corners of his eyes crinkling beautifully as he laughs silently against your skin, his warm breath tickling your hands
โ"fine, we're sleeping here," you breathe out, slowly lowering your hands but keeping your chest dangerously close to his. "but we are putting a mountain of pillows between us as a boundary. you stay on your side, i stay on mine. got it?"
โsunghoon just tilts his head, a devastatingly slow, wicked smile spreading across his face. his hands gently come up to rest on your waist, his thumbs tracing the bare skin just beneath the hem of your shirt, sending goosebumps all over your body
โ"we'll see about that, sweetheart," he whispers, his voice dropping into a raspy murmur. "let's see how long that pillow wall lasts."
day two begins with the absolute worst kind of morning chaos
โyou slowly blink your eyes open, feeling an unusual, heavy warmth pressing against your side. the bed suddenly feels incredibly cramped
you look down and notice the neat barrier of pillow walls you built last night is still perfectly intact right in the middle of the mattress. but park sunghoon? he has completely bypassed the boundary, slithering over to your side of the bed
โyou turn your head, and your heart instantly jumps. sunghoon is already awake, propping his head up with one hand as he stares down at your messy morning face with an incredibly fond, quiet gaze
โ"what the hell, sunghoon?!" you croak out, your morning voice raspy as you aggressively nudge his chest. "what are you doing on my side? you're making it so cramped!"
โsunghoon just lets out a low, deep morning chuckle, not moving an inch. "i was bored."
โ"if you're bored, go jump in the private pool outside!" you snap, sitting up and glaring down at him. "why do you have to annoy me the second i wake up?"
โ"swim alone? that's boring," he murmurs, his dark eyes gleaming with pure amusement. "come swim with me."
โ"no way, i still want to sleep," you complain, burying your face back into the sheets
โ"lazybones," sunghoon teases, poking your cheek
โyou instantly snap, sitting back up. "fine! i'm taking the bathroom first then."
โ"no, i'm going first," sunghoon counter-attacks, finally sitting up against the headboard. "let's settle this like adults. rock, paper, scissors. winner gets the shower."
โ"fine!" you lift your fist. "rock, paper, scissors!"
โyou throw out paper, and sunghoon throws out scissors
โ"ha! i win," sunghoon chirps, a smug, victorious smirk instantly spreading across his face. but instead of getting up, he just shoves his hands behind his head and leans comfortably back into the mattress. "alright, you can go first. go ahead."
โyou freeze, staring at him in absolute disbelief. "wait... what? you won! why aren't you going?!"
โyou crawl over and start aggressively pulling at his broad, solid arms, trying to drag his massive physique off the bed. "get up! go to the bathroom, sunghoon! move your lazy ass!"
โ"i don't want to go first," sunghoon mutters, laughing loudly against his pillow as he easily resists your pulls. "i just wanted to win the game so i could see that annoyed, frustrated look on your face. it worked beautifully."
โ"you are actually the most frustrating human being on this planet!" you yell, snatching the nearest hotel pillow and throwing it straight at his face before ripping your towel off the rack
once the whole squad is finally ready, the journey to enoshima turns into pure, unadulterated chaos. the vintage enoden train is packed to the brim with commuters and tourists, forcing everyone to cram into the narrow aisle
โon one side of the carriage, heeseung and yeonjun have completely passed out against each other. yeonjunโs head keeps lolling around like a broken doll, forcing a miserable jake to stand guard and physically push yeonjunโs head back onto his shoulder every thirty seconds
meanwhile, soobin is standing directly between a group of pretty local girls, suddenly shifting into his ultra-nonchalant, "cool guy" mode. his posture is rigid, his gaze is fixed on the ceiling, and heโs pretending to be incredibly absorbed in his phone, even though he's clearly sweating bullets
โin the corner, yunjin and giselle are giggling like maniacs, snapping candid, blurry photos of the boys' misery using a vintage film camera
โand then thereโs you and sunghoon. the train jolts violently, sending the entire crowd swaying. youโre pushed flat against the corner of the door, and sunghoon instantly steps in to "protect" you, which is really just an excuse to trap you in his space
he plants a large hand on the glass panel right above your head, his broad shoulders shielding you from the rest of the train, creating a tiny, suffocatingly intimate bubble just for the two of you
โhis presence is overwhelming. you can smell the faint, clean scent of his soap mixed with the humid summer air
โsunghoon leans down, his lips brushing dangerously close to your ear. his voice is a low, velvety hum that you feel more than you hear. "you smell so good today, y/n. did you change your perfume?"
โyour skin prickles. "sunghoon, you're too close. back up," you whisper, trying to maintain your dignity, though your voice cracks slightly
โhe chuckles, the sound vibrating against your shoulder. he shifts his weight, leaning in even further until his breath is tickling your neck. "you know... when this vacation ends, we shouldn't just go back to our separate lives. how about we take a real trip? just the two of us. a honeymoon, maybe?"
โyour eyes widen, and without thinking, you drive your elbow sharply into his ribs. "honeymoon?! are you delusional? get lost, park!"
โ"ow, that hurt," he feigns a wince, but his grin only grows wider, his dark eyes sparkling with that wicked, teasing light. "iโm serious. itโll just be us, just me and you."
โas the train takes another sharp turn, your body lurches forward. sunghoonโs hand moves from the glass to your waist to steady you, pulling you flush against his chest. you instinctively tilt your head back to glare at him, to tell him off, to call him a jerk but the words die on your tongue
โhis face is right there. heโs so close that your noses are nearly touching. you can see the golden flecks in his dark eyes, and his gaze is fixed intently on your lips, then back to your eyes, slow and deliberate
the air between you feels thick, charged with a tension so heavy it makes your heart hammer against your ribs like a caged bird
โyou were ready to yell at him, but instead, you find yourself completely breathless. your throat feels tight, and you suddenly feel incredibly shy, your gaze dropping to his shirt collar
โ"you..." you start, but you can't even finish the sentence. your heart is beating way too fast
โsunghoonโs hand on your waist tightens just a fraction, his thumb tracing a slow, rhythmic circle against your hip. he looks like he's about to bridge the last inch of space between you
โ"we'll talk about that trip later, then," he whispers, his voice dropping to a gravelly, suggestive purr that makes your knees weak. "but for now, just stay close to me."
โyou canโt breathe. you just give a tiny, almost imperceptible nod, your face burning a violent shade of red, completely forgetting all the insults you had lined up for him
when you guys finally step off at the beach, the afternoon heat hits you full force, and the squad naturally scatters into their own chaotic groups
โoff to the side, heeseung has somehow managed to borrow an acoustic guitar from some local beachgoers, and now he, soobin, and giselle are sitting on the sand, jamming out with some locals
yunjin and jake are a few yards away, animatedly chatting up a group of foreign tourists, while yeonjun is walking along the shoreline, holding his phone high up as he facetimes his current crush, bragging about the view
โaway from the noise, you and sunghoon are sitting side by side on a smooth wooden log, watching the sky shift into shades of amber and violet
โyou take a sip of your drink, staring out at the open water. "hey, hoon... do you think mermaids are real?"
โsunghoon turns his head to look at you, blinking behind his sunglasses. "mermaids? of course not. that's biologically and logically impossible, y/n. how would they even breathe or survive the ocean pressure?"
โyou instantly judge him with a massive side-eye. "wow. so you don't believe in mermaids, but you blindly believe in that whole soulmate and red thread thing? where is the logic in that, park sunghoon?"
โ"hey, that's completely different," sunghoon argues, letting out a soft laugh as he leans his chin in his palm. "mermaids belong in barbie movies. but soulmates? that's cosmic, it's real."
โ"whatever," you roll your eyes, but a soft smile slips onto your face as you look back at the horizon. the sun is slowly dipping below the ocean, painting the water in gold. "wow... it's so beautiful."
โyou turn your head to see if he's watching the sunset, but he isn't. sunghoon is leaning dangerously close to you, his intense, dark gaze fixed entirely on your face, the golden twilight highlighting every sharp, breathtaking line of his features
โ"yeah," sunghoon murmurs, his voice suddenly dropping into that deep, serious register. "incredibly beautiful."
โyou look into his eyes and swallow hard. "i... i meant the sunset, sunghoon."
โ"i know," sunghoon replies smoothly, a slow, radiant grin breaking across his lips as he tilts his face even closer to yours. "but i meant you."
โ"go away!" you gasp, your face exploding into a bright red flush
โwithout thinking, you reach out and slap your palm directly onto his face, aggressively shoving his head away from your sight. "stop getting so close to me! get away, park sunghoon!"
โsunghoon just bursts into a loud, melodious laugh, letting you shove his face away while his hands instinctively find your waist again under the golden sky, completely unbothered by your fake anger
the afternoon heat of late august mellows into a warm, golden breeze as the three of you finally step out of the dressing boutique
โinside the shop, the boys are already causing an absolute scene. yeonjun and yunjin are currently in a high-decibel screaming match near the mirror
โ"i'm telling you, choi yeonjun! the dark blue obi belt makes him look like a modern city prince!" yunjin yells, aggressively shaking a piece of fabric in his face. "the black one is just boring! it looks like heโs going to a funeral!"
โ"are you blind, huh?!" yeonjun shoots back, snatching the black belt and wrapping it around his own waist dramatically. "black is classic! it makes his chest look wider! ask jake, jake knows fashion!"
โjake, who is currently sitting on a wooden stool, doesn't even look up from his phone. "don't drag me into this. i'm busy trying to look up how to tie this damn thing on youtube. heeseung, help me, my arms are stuck."
โheeseung rolls his eyes, sighing as he untangles jake's sleeves. "you guys are literally so loud. the local staff are judging us."
โmeanwhile, near the changing curtain, giselle is already circling you like a hawk, her digital camera glued to her eye. "oh my god, oh my god, y/n! don't move! look over here! give me a slight poutโyes! stop, you look like a literal painting! i'm going to cry!"
โ"gigi, stop it! my eyes are going to get blurry from the flash!" you laugh, shielding your face with your wide yukata sleeves "people are looking!"
โ"let them look! they're just jealous they don't have a gorgeous friend like you," giselle squeals, aggressively clicking the shutter
โby the doorway, jake suddenly nudges sunghoonโs shoulder, leaning in to whisper secretly. "hey. check your breathing, man. your shoulders are completely stiff. stop looking like you're about to walk into a battlefield. relax, or sheโs going to notice something is up."
โsunghoon just gives a tight, frantic nod, swallowing hard as he adjusts his collar for the tenth time. "i'm trying, jake. my hands are literally sweating"
โthe moment you finally step out into the courtyard, the chaotic shouting instantly dies down. sunghoon turns around, and the playful scowl on his face completely vanishes
his eyes widen, taking in your entire appearance from head to toe. the soft makeup, the elegant floral hairpins, and the way the yukata hugs your figure perfectly. he looks utterly captivated, like a man who just saw a miracle
โ"wow," sunghoon breathes out, his deep voice thick with emotion as he steps straight into your space, completely ignoring the rest of the world. "y/n... you look incredibly beautiful. seriously. i can't even..."
โ"iโit's just a regular yukata," you mumble, your cheeks turning a bright, violent pink as you look down at your sandals. "stop staring at me like that, park. it's embarrassing."
โ"i can't help it," he murmurs, a soft, helpless smile breaking across his face
โas you guys head toward the festival, the group naturally splits up. or more accurately, your friends disappear with terrifying speed
โ"hey, look! a shooting game! soobin, come on!" yeonjun yells, grabbing soobin's arm and sprinting into the crowd
โ"wait, i want takoyaki!" yunjin shrieks, dragging jake and giselle with her. in less than thirty seconds, the entire squad has vanished into the sea of people, leaving just you and sunghoon
โ"where did they even go?!" you frown, looking around. "they're like roaches, they scatter so fast."
โ"let them be," sunghoon chuckles, his large fingers casually sliding down until they intertwine tightly with yours
โyou blink, startled by the touch. "woah. why are your hands so freezing cold, hoon? are you sick?"
โ"maybe because it's cold out here," he replies smoothly, keeping his eyes forward
โ"are you insane? it's literally late august, it's summer, and it's so humid tonight!" you scoff, giving his hand a light squeeze. "how can you be cold?"
โ"doesn't matter," sunghoon says, turning his head to smile down at you, his dark eyes gleaming. "just let me hold your hand. if you say no, i'll just hold your waist or wrap my arm around your shoulder instead. as long as i get to touch you, i don't care."
โyour heart does a wild, chaotic flip. you both find a quiet spot near a food stall, buying a boat of hot takoyaki and a katsu-sando. after just two bites of the sandwich, you hold the remaining half out to his face. "here, eat it. i'm full."
โsunghoon looks down at the half-eaten food, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "why do i always have to be your personal trash can? you always buy everything and make me finish it."
โ"it's bad to waste food, sunghoon! and it's delicious, don't judge it!" you whine, and before he can argue, you literally jam the bread against his lips. "just chew!"
โsunghoon laughs against your fingers, accepting the bite. "okay, fine. itโs good."
โ"told you," you smile proudly
โ"here, open your mouth. open wide," sunghoon murmurs a second later, lifting a steaming takoyaki ball with a wooden toothpick. he holds his other hand underneath it, carefully blowing on it. "small bites, okay? it's hot."
โyou lean in, carefully biting off a tiny piece, chewing delicately. "i'm trying to protect my lipstick," you mumble around your food
โsunghoon watches you with an intensely soft expression, his thumb reaching out to gently tuck a stray lock of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering against your cheek for a split second. "you look like a literal hamster right now, y/n."
โ"shut up and eat your own food," you huff, blushing hard
โyou both find a quiet bench, looking down at your matching traditional outfits. "we honestly look like real local japanese people in these," you smile, looking out at the lanterns
โ"yeah," sunghoon smiles back, leaning his chin in his palm. "reminds me of the ancient japanese dynasties."
โ"what do you think we'd be doing if we lived in that era?" you ask, tilting your head playfully
โ"nothing much," he replies easily. "i'd probably be a samurai warrior knight, and you'd be my beautiful wife waiting for me at home."
โ"what about the joseon era?" you question, giggling
โat the mention of the joseon era, sunghoonโs playful smile completely vanishes for a split second. a flash of deep, ancient sadness swims in his eyes as he remembers how they had tragically died without ever getting married in their past life
โhe quickly recovers, shaking his head with a soft, reassuring smile. "forget the past eras. let's just focus on the present. back then, if we were long-distance, we couldn't even facetime or text. would you want that?"
โ"definitely not," you smile, leaning your head briefly against his massive shoulder
โwhen you guys head up to the main shrine to pray, an elderly japanese priest spots the two of you walking side by side. the priest smiles warmly, bowing politely as he speaks in heavy, japanese-accented english. "ah, beautiful! a newlywed couple? welcome, welcome to the shrine."
โyou blink, ready to correct him, but sunghoon beats you to it. he bows back perfectly, a smug, proud grin breaking across his face. "yes, thank you. this is my wife, we just got married recently."
โthe priest beams, clapping his hands. "ah, congratulations! may you be blessed with healthy children very soon!"
โyour face instantly explodes into fire. you let out a fake, high-pitched laugh, and the moment the priest walks away, you aggressively pinch sunghoonโs waist. "wife?! children?! are you completely out of your mind, park sunghoon?! what if someone hears you?!"
โ"ouch! hey, it's good to manifest it early, sweetheart," he chuckles, dragging you toward the altar, completely unbothered by your pinch
โstanding side by side, you both close your eyes to pray
โโplease,โ you pray fervently in the silence of your mind. โi just want to be with sunghoon forever. if this is the only way i can be happy, please let this duration last a little longer. just let me have him.โ
โright next to you, sunghoonโs eyes are closed, his expression deeply serene as he whispers his own silent prayer. โplease, just let everything end beautifully tonight.โ
โwhen you both step away, you nudge his arm. "so, what did you pray for?"
โ"unrealistic things," sunghoon lies smoothly, shoving his hands into his pockets. "i prayed for a massive corporate promotion and a raise. what about you?"
โ"oh, very similar," you lie back, flashing a grin. "i prayed that my tyrannical boss would give me a three-month paid vacation."
โas the hour of the fireworks approaches, the shrine grounds become absolutely packed. the rest of the squad is still nowhere to be found, leaving just you and sunghoon standing near a wooden railing overlooking the open valley below
your hand is still trapped in his, and you notice his palm is getting even colder, trembling slightly against yours
โ"hoon, are you sure you're okay? your hand is literally shaking," you ask, looking up at him worriedly
โ"i'm fine. just... excited," he whispers
โsuddenly, a sharp whistle pierces the night sky
โBOOM!!!
โthe first massive firework explodes into the dark blue sky, bursting into a breathtaking shower of gold and emerald
โ"wow... sunghoon, look! it's incredible!" you gasp, your eyes wide with awe, completely mesmerized. "itโs the most beautiful thing iโve ever seen!"
โbut sunghoon isn't looking at the sky. he stands sideways, his back to the fireworks, his intense, burning gaze locked entirely on your face. the colorful sparks light up your eyes, and to him, nothing else in the world matters
โwithout warning, he leans down, his lips brushing right against your ear as the thunderous roar of the fireworks shakes the air. "i love you, y/n."
โyou blush, smiling up at him. "i know you do, hoon. you don't have to shout it over the fireworks."
โ"no, y/n. listen to me," sunghoon murmurs, his voice dropping into a register so profoundly serious it makes your heart stop
he gently releases your hand, stepping back just an inch. "i am completely, deeply in love with you and i want to spend the rest of our lives together."
โbefore your brain can even process his words, sunghoon slowly drops down to one knee on the gravel ground
โyour jaw completely drops, your hands flying over your mouth as your eyes widen in pure, unadulterated shock. "sunghoon...? what are you doing? get up, people are looking!"
โfrom his yukata pocket, sunghoon pulls out a small, velvet box and clicks it open. inside, the most breathtaking, sparkling diamond ring you have ever seen gleams under the flashing lights of the fireworks.
โ"y/n," sunghoon looks up at you, his eyes burning with absolute devotion, his voice thick and trembling. "will you marry me?"
โtears instantly burst from your eyes, spilling over your cheeks. you can't even speak, you just nod your head frantically, sobbing out a breathless, "yes! yes, you idiot!"
โsunghoon lets out a massive, shaky sigh of pure relief. he carefully slides the sparkling ring onto your finger before standing up and pulling you forcefully into his chest, wrapping his broad arms around your waist so tightly like heโs trying to merge your bodies into one
โ"i am going to make you the happiest girl alive, y/n," he whispers roughly against your neck, his breath warm against your skin as he holds you
his shoulders shaking slightly. "i promise i will spend every single day redeeming myself, making up for every single mistake i made in the past. i don't want to live in regret anymore... i'd rather spend my whole life worshiping you and loving you, with you by my side. thank you for saving me again. thank you for coming back to me."
โyou sob loudly into his shoulder, your fingers clutching the fabric of his yukata. "you are such an idiot, park sunghoon... a total, absolute idiot."
โsunghoon chuckles softly, pulling back just enough to look at your tear-stained face. he gently wipes your cheeks with his thumbs, tilts your chin up, and leans down, pressing his lips firmly against yours
the kiss is deep, passionate, and filled with ultimate forgiveness, sealing your souls together under the exploding sky
โthe moment your lips part, you both rest your foreheads together, breaking into breathless, giddy laughter
โ"OH MY GOD! DID SHE SAY YES?! TELL ME SHE SAID YES!" yunjinโs chaotic scream suddenly pierces the air as she practically shoves her way past jake, spawning out of nowhere
โyou turn around, still giggling, and lift your left hand high up in the air, wiggling your fingers. "i said yes!"
โ"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I KNEW IT!" yunjin shrieks at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down like she just won the lottery, grabbing yeonjunโs shoulders and shaking him violently. "YEONJUN! THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED! MY BABIES ARE GROWING UP!"
โ"DUDE! CONGRATS!" yeonjun howls back, matching yunjin's chaotic energy as he aggressively claps sunghoon on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. "finally! i thought i was going to have to listen to sunghoon whine about being single for another ten years! proud of you, man!"
โ"hey! i don't whine!" sunghoon defends himself, laughing as he pulls you closer by your waist
โ"oh, please, you totally do," jake chimes in, stepping forward with a massive, proud grin on his face. he lowers his digital camera, which was hooked up to a stabilizer. "congrats, guys. seriously, you have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret from you, y/n. sunghoon literally called me twenty times last week asking if the ring size was right."
โ"jake, stop exposing me," sunghoon groans, rubbing the back of his neck, though his smile is huge
โgiselle walks over, her eyes glistening with genuine tears as she hugs you tightly. "bitch, i recorded the whole thing in 4K resolution from behind the bush! you looked so beautiful! i'm literally sobbing. look at my mascara, it's ruined!"
โ"you look great, gigi, thank you," you laugh, hugging her back before looking over at soobin and heeseung
โsoobin is wiping a fake tear from his eye, looking like a proud father. "our little sunghoon is finally locked in. i'm so proud. can i be the best man? please tell me i'm the best man."
โ"we'll fight for it later, soobin," heeseung chuckles, giving sunghoon a warm fist bump before looking at you with a gentle smile. "congrats, y/n. you genuinely deserve all the happiness. and sunghoon, if you mess up this time, you know the whole circle is coming for your head, right?"
โ"i know, i know," sunghoon laughs, tightening his grip around your waist, his eyes looking down at you with nothing but pure, unadulterated devotion. "i won't ever mess this up. promise."
โ"wait a minute," you freeze, looking from sunghoon to soobin, your eyes narrowing as a sudden realization hits you. "so the room arrangement at the hotel...? the single suite...?"
โ"yep," soobin pops the 'p', flashing a cheeky grin. "sunghoon planned this whole trip, y/n. i only made the group chat and pretended it was a casual squad vacation because this idiot came to us crying last month saying he wanted to propose to you in japan. we just helped him set the trap."
โ"you guys are all complete menaces!" you laugh through your happy tears, hiding your flaming face against sunghoonโs chest
โ"alright, enough with the sappy stuff! we need to celebrate!" yunjin declares, waving her hand in the air. "to the nearest convenience store! sunghoon is buying everyone drinks, expensive ice cream, and snacks tonight!"
โ"hell yeah! free food!" yeonjun cheers, and just like that, the group starts walking down the shrine steps
โthe warm summer night is filled with their loud, loving, and absolutely chaotic banter, but as you look down at the sparkling ring on your finger and feel sunghoonโs now warm, protective hand wrapping securely around yours, you just smile. you were exactly where you belonged
the second the hotel room door clicks shut, there are no hesitant questions. before you can even take off your sandals, sunghoonโs large hands are wrapping around your waist, pulling you flush against his chest as his lips crash onto yours in a fierce, bruising kiss. the taste of him is intoxicating, laced with the sweet, lingering warmth of the summer night
โyou can barely gasp for air before his weight pushes you backward, both of you tumbling onto the soft hotel mattress. in a flash, sunghoon is hovering directly over you, his knees pinning your thighs down as his hands begin a restless, burning exploration of your body
โwhenever the crushing kiss finally breaks so you both can catch your breath, you look up into his dark, blown-out eyes. a soft, giddy laugh escapes your lips, but sunghoonโs expression is dangerously serious, his lips curving into a lazy, predatory smirk
โ"you have no idea," sunghoon breathes against your lips, his voice deep, rough, and trembling with a year's worth of hunger. "you have absolutely no idea how fucking hard it was to stand next to you today and act normal, when all i wanted to do was drag you into an alley and absolutely ruin you."
โ"then don't stop..." you whisper breathlessly, wrapping your arms around his neck
โ"who said anything about stopping?" he sneers darkly, diving right back down to capture your mouth
โhis fingers slide down, rucking up the layers of your yukata until his bare palm is boldly sliding up your inner thigh
the sudden friction of his calloused skin against your sensitive flesh makes you let out a soft whine against his mouth
โsunghoon breaks the kiss, tracking a path of burning, wet bites down your jawline, burying his face in the crook of your neck. his teeth graze your sweet spot, biting down hard enough to leave dark, bruising marks on your skin
โ"shut up and take it," he murmurs roughly against your skin, his tongue soothing the bite mark before he bites down on your collarbone again. "i want every single bastard out there to know exactly who you belong to."
โheโs so desperately turned on by your helpless whimpers that he doesn't even bother taking your yukata off. instead, his trembling fingers aggressively yank the tight sash apart, loosening the heavy fabric just enough to bare your chest to the cool air, exposing the two gorgeous, full breasts he has spent the last year obsessing over
โhe instantly captures one in his large palm, kneading the soft flesh mercilessly as he leans down to press another deep, tongue-heavy kiss to your lips
the sheer pleasure of his rough, punishing grip makes you instinctively slap his chest, a soft smack echoing in the quiet room
โ"ow," sunghoon grunts against your lips, a deeply dark, arrogant chuckle vibrating in his chest, he doesn't stop
instead, his thumb aggressively pinches your hard, sensitive nipple, twisting it just enough to make you cry out
he pulls back, looking down at your flushed face, his gaze dripping with filthy authority. "youโve gotten so fucking heavy, y/n... tell me the truth. did you touch yourself while i was away? did you rub your own nipples imagining my hands on them?"
โyour eyes widen, your brain short-circuiting at his blunt words. you frantically shake your head on the pillow, completely embarrassed. "n-no! i didn'tโah! sunghoon, stop pinching!"
โ"don't lie to me," he commands coldly, his thumb pinching the tip even harder until you gasp, forcing you to look into his dark, demanding eyes. "i want to hear you admit it. tell me you played with yourself because you were so fucking desperate for me."
โ"i... iโah! yes!" you cry out, your face burning as you arch your back. "sunghoon... ngh!"
โ"say it properly," he taunts, leaning his weight fully onto you. "say' yes, hoonie, i touched myself for you' come on.'"
โ"y-yes, hoonie... i touched myself for you... please!" you sob out, completely humiliated but impossibly turned on
โsunghoon lets out a low, deeply satisfied hum, his grip tightening as a victorious, filthy smile spreads across his face. "good girl. if you were that desperate for me, iโm going to make sure your tits are sore every single morning from now on."
โyou can only let out an unholy, breathless groan, your head rolling back into the mattress as his fingers work their magic
โbut sunghoon is far from done. his other hand slides further down, bypassing the tangled fabric of your yukata. he doesn't take off your damp lace panties just yet
instead, he presses his flat palm firmly over your core, right through the thin material, and begins to rub in slow, heavy, taunting circles
โthe heavy pressure right against your clit instantly makes you gasp, your hips hitching upward involuntarily. you're already dripping wet, the thin fabric of your panties completely soaked through as he picks up the pace, his fingers skillfully grinding against your most sensitive spot
โ"sunghoon, please... i can'tโi'mโ" you sob out, tears of overwhelming pleasure pricking the corners of your eyes
you clutch at his wrists, your hips chasing his hand. "please, sunghoon, touch me... properly, please..."
โ"properly? what does that even mean?" he mocks softly, leaning down so his hot breath brushes against your lips, purposefully stopping his hand completely to torture you. "use your words, y/n. tell me exactly what you want me to do to your wet little cunt."
โ"touch me inside... please, i'm begging you, i'm so fucking wet," you sob, completely losing your mind, fully stripped of your pride
โsunghoon stares down at you, his chest heaving as he watches your weeping, completely ruined state. he absolutely loves seeing you completely broken and begging just for him
โ"look at how pathetic you are," he whispers darkly, his voice thick with lust. "crying and begging just because i rubbed you a little. do you want my fingers or my mouth? tell me, or i'll just leave you like this."
โ"anything... just fuck me, please!" you sob, arching your hips up against his stalled palm. "give it to me, sunghoon, please!"
โ"fuck, you're so beautiful when you're like this," he murmurs proudly
โand then, he gives you both. sunghoon hooks his fingers under the waistband of your panties, pulling them aside as he ruthlessly shoves two long, slick fingers deep inside your soaking wet heat
at the same time, he dives his head down, burying his face between your thighs, his warm, wet tongue aggressively licking and sucking on your swollen clit
โ"oh my god, sunghoon! ah!" you scream into the quiet room, your hands flying into his styled hair, gripping the strands tightly as your hips rock violently against his mouth and fingers
โthe double stimulation is an absolute execution. you turn into a complete moaning mess. and to completely ruin you, sunghoon reaches his free hand all the way back up, blindly grabbing your bare, aching breast, pinching your nipple in perfect, agonizing rhythm with his deep thrusts below
โ"look at how ridiculously wet you are for me," sunghoon groans against your inner thigh, his voice muffled but incredibly hot as his fingers stretch you wider. "you're practically drowning my fingers, you little slut. scream my name louder. let me hear how much you want your fiancรฉ's cock."
โsunghoon doesnโt stop. his fingers move with a ruthless, punishing speed inside you while his tongue mercilessly wrecks your clit, driving you right over the edge
your breaths catch, your muscles tightening as the familiar, blinding wave of a climax begins to ripple through your lower abdomen
โ"sunghoon, waitโi'm cumming, ah! i'm cumming!" you cry out, arching your back off the sheets
โbut right at that exact split second, sunghoon suddenly yanks his fingers out and pulls his mouth away
โthe sudden, brutal loss of stimulation leaves you completely stranded at the peak. you let out a broken, frustrated sob, your tear-filled eyes opening to look at him. "sunghoon... why did you stop? please, i was right there! why are you doing this?!"
โseeing you in this completely ruined, desperate state only turns him on further. the dark, possessive urge to break you completely consumes him
a low, raspy chuckle escapes his throat as he crawls back up your body, his heavy weight settling back between your trembling thighs
โ"did i give you permission to cum?" he taunts softly, his large fingers wrapping gently but firmly around the front of your neck not choking you, but applying just enough heavy, dominant pressure to remind you exactly who is in charge. "you made me wait a three fucking years, y/n. you don't get to finish until i say so. i own you tonight."
โ"you're a monster..." you whine, glaring up at him through your tears, shivering from the sheer denial
โ"i know," he smirks, completely unbothered. without another word, sunghoon reaches down, blindly breaking open his own dark yukata. he frees his length, already fully erect, thick, and aggressively throbbing
โhe wraps his hand around himself, giving it a few heavy, desperate strokes right in front of your eyes before positioning himself right at your soaking wet entrance
โyour yukata is a complete, tangled disaster around your waist, but sunghoon couldn't care less. with one heavy, unyielding thrust, sunghoon drives himself all the way inside you in a single, brutal motion
โ"ahhh! sunghoon!" you scream, your hands flying up to grip his broad shoulders as your body stretches painfully and perfectly around his massive size
โsunghoon lets out a deep, guttural groan, burying his face into your hair as he waits for your tight walls to adjust to him
โ"fuck... y/n..." he growls against your ear, his hips slamming heavily against yours, making the hotel bed creak loudly. "you're still so fucking tight. it feels like it's your first time all over again. nobody else gets to stretch you out like this. this tight little pussy is all mine."
โ"y-yes! only you... ah! always only you!" you sob out, your head tossing back into the pillow as his rough, relentless pace drives you insane
โ"damn right it's mine," he pants, his pace turning fast and violently deep. "because you're so tight, i'm going to breed you every single night until your body completely forgets how to function without my cock inside you."
โunderneath him, you are a complete, unholy mess. you can only call out his name like a prayer, your voice broken and desperate. "sunghoon... ah, sunghoon, too deepโplease, slower!"
โ"no," he gasps out, his hips slapping loudly against your thighs. "take it all. take every inch of me."
โlost in the overwhelming pleasure, your hands desperately claw at his skin, your fingers gripping tightly onto his solid forearm, sliding up to dig your nails into his broad shoulders and his hard, flexing biceps as he relentlessly takes you higher and higher
โsunghoon can feel your walls twitching and milking him with every single thrust, getting slicker and hotter the more he talks dirty to you. he can feel you standing right on the edge of another massive peak, your inner muscles clamping down on him hard
but once again, right before you can cross the line, sunghoon suddenly groans and yanks himself completely out of you
โ"sunghoon! no! fuck, please!" you practically wail, large tears finally spilling over your cheeks from sheer, unadulterated frustration
you look at him, completely desperate, trembling from the sudden coldness. "why do you keep doing that?! please, i need it..."
โinstead of answering, sunghoon shoves his own slate-grey yukata off his broad shoulders, letting it pool onto the carpeted floor until he is completely, breathtakingly bare
he rolls onto his back, spreading his legs slightly on the messy sheets as his hard, slick length throbs against his stomach.
he looks up at your ruined state, a dark, wickedly arrogant smirk pulling at his lips. "if you want to cum that badly, baby... you have to work for it. get on top of me."
โyou don't even hesitate. driven by pure, overwhelming lust and desperation, you crawl over his lap, straddling his thick thighs. you hold onto his hard chest for balance as you carefully guide his massive size back inside your aching heat, letting out a loud, breathless shriek as you take him all the way in
โ"fuck, yes... just like that," sunghoon groans, his hands flying to your waist as you tentatively begin to move your hips up and down
โhe absolutely loves the view from below. while you are riding him, sunghoon uses his large hands to aggressively untangle the rest of your messy yukata, yanking it off your arms and throwing it off the bed. finally, both of you are completely naked, your bare skin frictioning against each other with a burning, wet heat
โand now that you are fully exposed, sunghoonโs hands become completely lawless
โyour thighs are already shaking, and the moment your pace begins to slow down from exhaustion, sunghoon lifts his heavy hand and delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare, flush ass. smack.
โ"ah!" you let out a loud, high-pitched whine, your hips instantly dropping down hard on him from the shock
โ"did i tell you to stop moving, y/n?" he commands in a rough, gravelly whisper, his thumb reaching down to aggressively pin and rub against your swollen clit while your hips move. "keep riding me. if you get lazy again, i'm going to leave you bruised."
โwhenever your pace gets faster, his hands move back up, roughly grabbing, squeezing, and pulling your bare breasts, driving you into a complete, incoherent moaning mess
โ"sunghoon, please... give me a break... ah! it's too much, please!" you cry out, completely overwhelmed by the double stimulation
โ"no breaks for bad girls," he pants heavily, staring up at you with blown-out, predatory eyes. "do you have any idea how long iโve waited for this? keep moving."
โcompletely exhausted and unable to maintain the rhythm, your knees give out. you collapse forward, leaning your entire upper body against his broad chest, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck as you pant heavily against his skin
โbut you completely underestimated him. your vulnerability is just another perfect opportunity for sunghoon
โbefore you can even catch your breath, sunghoonโs large hands slide down to lock around your hips, his fingers digging painfully deep into your skin to hold you firmly in place
and from beneath you, he suddenly begins to thrust upward with a brutal, unyielding, and incredibly fast pace
โ"sunghoon! ah! waitโah, fuck, ah!" you scream out, your fingers clawing desperately into his broad shoulders as he relentlessly slams himself up deep inside you, hitting your sweet spot with every single punishing stroke
โat this point, you are completely crying, your face buried in his neck. your brain is entirely short-circuited, you can't think of anything else in the world except the white-hot pleasure he is driving into you
โ"y/n... look at me," sunghoon gasps out, his chest heaving violently beneath you. he forces your chin up, staring into your tear-filled eyes. "tell me whose you are. tell me who owns this pussy. say my name, baby."
โ"yours... ah! i'm yours... ah, ah! sunghoon, please!" you sob out, your voice completely broken as you moan his name like a desperate prayer
โseeing his beautiful fiancรฉ completely broken, wrecked, and chanting his name under the flashing remnants of the summer night makes a smug, intensely satisfied grin break across his face
โ"fucking beautiful," he growls. sunghoon abruptly reaches up, wrapping one large hand behind your head to pull you down into a deep, bruising, tongue-heavy kiss
his pace below turns completely frantic, bottoming out inside you with every single strike. the overwhelming friction pushes both of you over the final cliff
โ"cum for me, baby. now." he orders against your lips
โwith one last, desperate thrust, sunghoon lets out a deep, guttural roar against your mouth as he comes heavily inside you, his hot seed flooding your tight walls
at the exact same time, your entire body spasms as a blinding, powerful orgasm rips through you, your walls clamping down on him in tight, desperate waves as you melt completely against his chest, totally and utterly ruined by park sunghoon
the black sedan is parked quietly under the shade of a large maple tree just outside the elementary school gates. inside, sunghoon is leaning against the steering wheel, his eyes calmly scanning the schoolโs front courtyard as he waits
โRINGGGG!
โthe loud, echoing sound of the school bell finally pierces the afternoon air. within seconds, the heavy wooden doors burst open, and a chaotic wave of first-graders floods the gates like a tidal wave
sunghoonโs initially calm, stoic expression instantly melts into a warm, incredibly radiant smile the moment his eyes lock onto a familiar little boy
โitโs seunghyun. his tiny body is practically swallowed whole by an oversized school backpack that bounces wildly against his back as he runs
seunghyun is smart, incredibly imaginative, and a little too active for his own good, mostly because he spends half his day finding creative ways to tease his little sister
โ"daddy!" seunghyun squeals, throwing his little arms up in the air as he sprints toward the car
โ"hey, big guy!" sunghoon laughs, stepping out of the vehicle and immediately dropping to one knee to catch his son in a tight, lifting hug
he spins him around in the air once, making the boy squeal with delight, before setting him back down on the pavement. "how was school today, hm? did you behave for the teacher, or did i get another email?"
โ"i did behave! i got a gold star today, look!" seunghyun points proudly to his shirt, before leaning in closer with a conspiratorial smirk that looks exactly like sunghoon's. "but daddy... remember what you promised me this morning? weโre still taking that detour, right?"
โ"shh! keep your voice down, you little rascal," sunghoon winks, tapping the tip of his son's nose with his finger. "alright, we can get ice cream. but on one very strict condition: do not breathe a single word to mommy that daddy bought you sweets right before dinner. it's our little secret, understood? if she finds out, we're both sleeping on the couch tonight."
โ"deal! high five!" seunghyun giggles, slapping his dad's palm before eagerly scrambling into the backseat
โafter sneaking out for their secret ice cream date, sunghoon decides to make a few more stops at the mall. he drags seunghyun along to a toddler snack stall, picking out a bunch of organic rice crackers for his baby daughter, jiyun. then, they head over to a bookstore to buy seunghyun a new drawing notebook and a fresh pack of markers
โlastly, sunghoon walks into a bright, luxury cosmetics store. he stands awkwardly in front of the shelves, rubbing the back of his neck as he remembers how you had whined last week about running out of sunscreen
since he has absolutely no idea how skincare works or what your specific brand is, he just points at the most expensive premium counter and tells the clerk, "just give me the whole box set. everything from the cleanser to the night cream. just package it beautifully."
โloaded with shopping bags, the father-son duo finally arrives home a little later than usual. the second sunghoon unlocks the front door, a desperate, exhausted shout echoes from the kitchen at the back of the house
โ"PARK SUNGHOON! THANK GOD YOU'RE HOME! HELP ME BEFORE I LITERALLY BURN THIS HOUSE DOWN!"
โsunghoon and seunghyun exchange a wide-eyed, knowing look before quickly throwing their shoes into the rack and rushing toward the kitchen. the moment they step over the threshold, they freeze
โyou are standing right in the middle of the kitchen floor, holding your breath, your hands trembling and your eyes literally teary and rimmed with red from sheer, unadulterated frustration
and right there on the tiles, sitting amidst a chaotic white cloud, is your toddler daughter, jiyun. she had somehow managed to crawl into the lower cabinet, drag out a brand new, unopened bag of flour, and dump the entire thing over her head
โ"dada!" jiyun squeals happily, waving her flour-covered arms at sunghoon, entirely proud of her culinary masterpiece. her long eyelashes, her messy pigtails, and her entire outfit are completely snow-white
โsunghoon takes one look at the kitchen apocalypse, and instead of helping, he bursts into a loud, roaring laughter, bending over as he clutches his stomach
seunghyun immediately joins in, pointing his finger at his baby sister and giggling uncontrollably. "look, daddy! jiyun looks like a ghost! a messy ghost!"
โ"park sunghoon! stop laughing and help me right now!" you whine, your voice cracking as you throw a clean dish towel straight at your husband's chest. "she literally did this in the two minutes i went to the bathroom! and that's not even the worst part of my day! this morning she drew all over the living room floor with her brother's crayons, and just twenty minutes ago, she spilled her whole bottle of milk all over the clean laundry i just finished folding! i am so exhausted, sunghoon! i want to cry!"
โseeing your genuine, tearful distress, sunghoonโs laughter instantly dies down into pure, melting fondness. he quickly steps over the white flour powder, wraps his strong arms securely around your waist, and pulls your trembling body into a tight, warm embrace, ignoring the flour transferring onto his expensive coat
โ"okay, okay, i'm so sorry, baby. i'm sorry for laughing," sunghoon murmurs gently, his deep voice soothing against your ear as he presses a soft, lingering kiss to your wet forehead. "shh, it's okay. you did a great job surviving today. mommy is the strongest, hm? look, i bought you a whole new luxury skincare set from the mall to make up for it, okay? the expensive one you wanted. now go sit down, let me handle this mess."
โhe turns around, flashing a stern but playful look at his son. "alright, seunghyun. operation clean up jiyun starts now. go fetch the vacuum cleaner from the closet, and do not let your sister crawl anywhere else, or she'll turn the living room into winter wonderland."
โ"yes, captain!" seunghyun cheers, running off
โlater that night, the house finally settles into a quiet, peaceful stillness after both kids are thoroughly scrubbed clean, fed, and tucked into bed
โyou are sitting at the kitchen island, quietly snacking on a bowl of freshly cut fruits, feeling much better after using your new skincare
across from you, sunghoon is standing by the sink, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his sharp forearms as he quietly washes the remaining dinner dishes, the soft hum of the running water filling the cozy, quiet room
โ"hey, sunghoon," you speak up softly, chewing on a piece of apple as you watch his broad shoulders move. "i was reading this fantasy novel earlier today... and it made me wonder about something. do you think we ever met each other in our past lives? like, centuries ago, before this current life?"
โsunghoon silently pauses, the soapy sponge in his hand freezing for a split second. a small, knowing, incredibly tender smile touches his lips as he remembers it
โhe rinses his hands under the warm water, turns off the faucet, and dries them thoroughly with a towel before turning around to lean against the counter, facing you directly. "yeah. i think we definitely did. without a doubt."
โ"really?" you tilt your head, blinking curiously. "you say it so confidently. do you think we were married back then too? or were we just star-crossed lovers?"
โ"of course we were married," sunghoon murmurs, walking over to the island and leaning down slightly, his dark eyes fixed on you with that same deep, eternal devotion that never faded over the years. "in every single era, in every single universe, i would always find you and make you mine. you don't ever have to worry about that. my soul belongs to you."
โyou smile, feeling a warm blush spread across your cheeks at his smooth words
sunghoon tilts his head, a playful, teasing glint suddenly flashing in his eyes as a familiar, mischievous smirk pulls at his lips. "why do you ask anyway, hm? would you actually want to be with another man if we didn't happen to meet in a past life?"
โ"pfft, definitely not," you answer instantly, crossing your arms over your chest with a smug grin. "i'm too terrified to ever look for another guy."
โsunghoon raises an eyebrow, thoroughly amused by your quick response. "oh yeah? why's that? are you that obsessed with me?"
โ"because..." you lean forward across the kitchen island, your eyes boldly dropping down to his lower half for a lingering second before looking back up into his eyes, a wicked, filthy smirk playing on your lips. "i'm just terrified that no one else could ever satisfy me the way you do. i mean, nobody else could ever be as incredibly good in bed as you are, park. you've raised the bar way too high."
โsunghoonโs jaw practically drops, completely caught off guard by your sudden, blunt words
his eyes widen for a split second, but within a heartbeat, a dark, incredibly intense, and hungry grin breaks across his handsome face. "oh? is that so? you're testing your luck tonight, aren't you? you think you can just say something that filthy and walk away unscathed, y/n?"
โrealizing you've successfully provoked the beast, your eyes widen and you instantly jump out of your barstool, sprinting toward the hallway. "ah! no! i didn't mean it like that! i was just joking, sunghoon!"
โ"get back here right now!" sunghoon barks out a loud, predatory laugh, instantly giving chase without a second thought
โhis legs are twice as long as yours, and before your hand can even touch the bedroom doorknob, sunghoon lunges forward from behind, his large, warm hands locking firmly around your waist. with one swift, effortless motion, he hoists your body up, tossing you over his broad shoulder like a literal sack of potatoes
โ"sunghoon! let me down! put me down, you giant pervert! the kids might wake up!" you shriek, laughing hysterically as you dangle over his back, your fists playfully drumming against his shoulder blades
โSMACK!
โsunghoon delivers a sharp, stinging slap right against your bare bottom through your thin lounge shorts, the loud sound echoing through the quiet hallway
โ"ow! what was that for?!" you whine, your face flushing completely red
โ"that's a punishment for talking dirty and then running away like a coward," sunghoon chuckles darkly, his heavy, confident footsteps carrying you both straight into the master bedroom before he kicks the door shut behind him
โyou try to squirm out of his iron grip as he throws your body onto the soft, messy mattress. "sunghoon, stop, i'm serious! my legs are still so incredibly sore from running after jiyun all day and walking around the grocery store! i can't do anything tonight, i'm completely exhausted!"
โsunghoon crawls over you in a flash, trapping your body beneath his massive, solid frame. he looks down at you, his eyes darker than midnight, a slow, predatory smirk pulling at his lips as his large hands pin your wrists firmly above your head against the pillows
โ"since when do your legs need to do any of the fucking work anyway?" he whispers in a rough, gravelly purr right against your lips, his hot breath making your knees weak as his thumb strokes your jawline. "you don't have to move a single muscle tonight, baby. i'll do all the work, just like i always do. your only job is to lie down, look pretty, and scream my name until you're completely ruined for me. do you understand?"
โyour face turns a violent, burning shade of crimson, and you instantly free one hand to slap his solid chest. "PARK SUNGHOON! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY INSANE!"
โsunghoon just howls with laughter, his deep, melodic chuckles filling the warm bedroom as he leans down to capture your lips in a deep, bruising kiss that completely steals your breath away
โoutside the window, the late summer night breeze softly rustles the leaves, but inside, surrounded by the warmth of the home you built together, your happy, chaotic laughter blends perfectly into the nightโa chaotic, messy, but absolutely perfect eternal happy ending
guys sorry i'm typing this while fighting for my life against sleep so please forgive the typos or if it literally makes zero sense ๐ญ๐ญ
โ ๏ธใ คใ คยทใ คใ คminors dni, explicit sexual content, edging, overstimulation, unprotected sex (pls donโt), nipple play, dirty talk, rough handling / mild domination, crying, depictions of character death and mutual suicide (joseon era), hospital/coma trauma, sunghoon being a jerk, jay is a hot grim reaper:), giselle is a tarot expert, yunjin is the ultimate hype-girl...
ivy โก : HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!! finally ๐ญ๐ญ there's still one more part because i ended up writing way too much ๐ญ๐ญ also, i'll be update the jay smau too lol. this is literally my second time writing something like this, so if it flops... i'm deleting it LMAOO ๐ญโ๐ป reblogs are greatly appreciated and the taglist is still open as always! thank you so much โก__โก
EVERYONE ON CAMPUS KNEW PARK SUNGHOON. IT WAS HONESTLY EXHAUSTING HOW PREDICTABLE IT WAS
the guy walked into a lecture hall and half the girls in the room suddenly forgot how to breathe. he carried himself with this effortless, arrogant tilt of the head, completely aware of the eyes tracking his every move, his ego fed daily by whispered compliments and lingering stares. he was the universityโs golden boy, untouchable, sharp, and brutally handsome
but to everyone's collective heartbreak, he belonged to you
โand god, you loved him so much it made your chest ache. you were the textbook definition of "girlier than most" you loved soft pastel cardigans, spent too long matching your ribbons to your tote bags. you were smart, a straight-A student doing a grueling dual-degree track, but you wore your emotions completely on your sleeve. a total crybaby, sunghoon used to tease, back when he used to press kisses into your hair to dry your tears
youโve been together for two years. two whole years of being that couple. he had chased you first, pursuing you with a fierce, quiet intensity until you finally gave in. for twenty-four months, you were his world, and he was yours
โexcept, lately, the air between you had gone cold
โit started out small, a text left on read for six hours. the way he didnโt hold your hand in the car anymore because his fingers were glued to his screen, smiling at notifications heโd quickly lock away if you leaned in too close. you tried to tell yourself you were just being paranoid, that engineering was just getting stressful for him. but you weren't stupid, you could feel the space widening between you, a silent chasm growing larger with every passing day
โwhich brought you here. a chilly tuesday night, walking side by side through the campus park
the streetlamps threw long, warped shadows across the concrete. you shivered slightly, pulling your knit cardigan tighter around your shoulders, waiting for him to notice. usually, heโd grumble about you not wearing a proper coat and drape his oversized leather jacket over you. tonight, sunghoon just stared straight ahead, his hands shoved deep into his own pockets, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek
โ"sunghoon," you said softly, your voice barely a breath in the cool night air. "are you okay? you've been really quiet tonight."
โhe didn't stop walking, he didn't even look at you. "i'm fine, y/n. just thinking."
โyou reached out, your fingers lightly brushing the sleeve of his jacket, desperate for any shred of the warmth you used to take for granted. "thinking about what?" you whispered
โfinally, he stopped. they were right under the dim, buzzing glow of a streetlamp. when he turned to face you, there was no affection in his eyes. just a chilling, detached emptiness that made you want to turn around and run
โ"we need to stop doing this," sunghoon said, his voice didnโt even shake. it was completely steady, cutting through the quiet night air like a blade
โyou froze, your hand dropping from his sleeve. the cold air hit your bare skin instantly, but it was nothing compared to the ice suddenly flooding your veins. "stop doing what?" you asked
โsunghoon let out a short, sighing breath, tilting his head back to look at the dark sky before bringing his gaze right back to you. there wasn't a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "this, us. iโm tired of pretending, y/n."
โ"pretending?" your voice cracked
"i like someone else," he said flatly. the world felt like it tilted on its axis
you stared at him, your chest heaving as the first tear spilled over, tracking down your cheek. "what... what do you mean? who?"
โ"her name is sooha," he said, and for the first time all night, his expression shifted but it wasn't out of guilt. a tiny, almost imperceptible soften occurred around his eyes when he muttered her name, and it felt like a physical slap to your face. "we've been seeing each other for about two months now."
โtwo months, eight weeks and sixty days of him coming over to your apartment, kissing your forehead, letting you cook for him, all while he was coming from or going to someone else. the betrayal hit you like a physical blow, leaving you completely breathless. your knees felt weak, you couldn't stand straight
โyou were sobbing now, big, quiet, trembling tears that shook your entire frame. you looked up at him through a wet blur, expecting to see a flicker of the boy who used to panic whenever you cried
โsunghoon just stood there, looking down at you and as he watched you fall apart, his posture actually straightened. seeing you completely wrecked over him didn't make him feel guilty, it fed his monstrous ego. he looked at your tears as proof of his power, a testament to how deeply he could affect someone
โ"so that's it," he said, crossing his arms. "i'm not gonna lie to you anymore, it's over."
โ"no," you gasped out, the word slipping past your trembling lips before you could stop it. you hated how desperate you sounded, but you were desperate. "no, sunghoon, please. just... give me one month."
โhe frowned, his eyebrows snapping together in annoyance. "are you serious right now? y/n, i literally just told you i don't love you anymore. iโm with sooha."
โ"i know!" you cried, burying your face in your hands for a second before looking back up, your eyes red and pleading. "i know. just... one month. don't break up with me until next month, please. after that, you can leave. you can do whatever you want, just give me thirty days."
โsunghoon scoffed, turning his face away in disgust. "this is pathetic. why would i do that? i want to be with her openly."
โ"please, sunghoon," you begged, taking a step closer, your hands trembling by your sides
you didn't tell him why, you didn't tell him that in exactly thirty days, your flight out of the country was booked. you didn't remind him about the dual-degree program in Europe you'd gotten into. the one you'd excitedly babbled about two years ago when you first met, back when he actually listened to you. he obviously didn't remember it now
โhe stared at you for a long, agonizing moment, weighing his options. "fine," he finally spat out, a harsh, arrogant smirk pulling at the corner of his lips
"one month. but let's get something straight, y/n. don't go demanding my time, don't text me asking where i am, and don't expect me to act like your perfect boyfriend. my affection is split now, and honestly? most of it is going to her. you don't get to protest, and you don't get to complain. take it or leave it."
โyou swallowed the lump in your throat, wiped your wet cheeks with the sleeve of your pastel cardigan, and nodded. "okay," you whispered. "okay."
by the third day of the first week, any lingering hope you had left was completely dead
โthe reality of the one month deal was so much uglier than you had anticipated. sunghoon didn't just split his affection, he completely turned it off. you were treated like an annoying ghost he couldn't wait to exorcise from his life
โit was a thursday afternoon when you saw a post on your feed about that new bakery cafe that just opened near the arts building, the one with the pastel blue storefront and the fluffy cloud pastries youโd been talking about wanting to try for months
normally, if you showed sunghoon a place like that, heโd roll his eyes, call it "too pink," but then immediately grab his car keys and pull his shoes on because he secretly loved indulging youโ. so, swallowing your pride, you typed out a quick message
you: hey, do you want to check out that new cafe today? my classes finish at three
โhoon ๐ค: can't. sooha wanted to go to that new pasta place downtown
โyour thumbs hovered over the keyboard, a hot, familiar wave of frustration rushing up your throat. you wanted to throw your phone. you wanted to scream at him, to scream that you were still his girlfriend, that he promised you thirty days, that it wasn't fair
โbut then you caught your reflection in the dark screen of your laptop. you saw your own tired eyes, and you remembered. thirty days. you only had to endure this for twenty-seven more days, and then youโd be on a flight across the world, leaving him behind forever. you couldn't ruin the plan
the next day: day four, started out weirdly different. you were sitting in your afternoon lecture, staring blankly at a slide about international trade laws, when your phone buzzed against your thigh. you figured it was yunjin asking what they should get for dinner, but when you unlocked it, your heart did a stupid, pathetic little flip
โhoon ๐ค: i'll pick you up after your class. meet me by the outdoor basketball courts at 4:30
โit was the first time in a week he had texted you first. you hadn't even had to double-text him. a tiny, foolish part of you wondered if maybe he missed you, if maybe spending time with sooha made him realize what he was throwing away
โthe only issue was the location. the outdoor basketball courts were on the complete opposite side of the campus, a massive trek from the humanities building. youโd have to walk down three long, winding corridors, and cut straight through the open park
โby the time the professor dismissed the class, it wasn't just raining it was pouring, a heavy, aggressive downpour that blurred the campus windows into gray sheets. you stood at the exit of the building, looking down at your canvas tote bag and your thin cardigan. you didn't have an umbrella. youโd forgotten it in the dorm
โbut sunghoon was waiting, he was actually coming to get you
โso, taking a deep breath, you tucked your phone securely into the inner pocket of your cardigan and ran out into the rain
โthe walk was brutal. within seconds, the freezing water soaked through your pastel clothes, making the fabric stick heavily to your skin. the wind was sharp, cutting right through you as you hurried down the empty walkways, the cold rain stinging your face and blurring your eyes. by the time you finally reached the outdoor basketball courts, you were completely drenched. your hair was matted to your neck, and your sneakers squelched miserably with every step
โthe courts were completely empty, looking bleak and miserable under the heavy gray sky. there was a small metal bench under a half-broken plastic awning that barely did anything to block the wind
โyou sat down, shivering violently, your teeth literally chattering as you pulled your knees to your chest to keep warm. you checked your phone. 4:35 PM
โyou: i'm here!
you texted, your fingers shaking so badly you could barely hit the right lettersโ. you waited,ten minutes became thirty. thirty minutes became an hour. the sky started to turn a dark, bruised purple as the sun went down, the campus streetlamps flickering to life
the rain didn't slow down it just got colder, the damp chill seeping straight into your bones until you couldn't even feel your toes anymore
โby 6:00 PM, you had been sitting on that freezing metal bench for almost two full hours. your skin was pale, your lips felt blue, and a sharp, throbbing ache had started to form right behind your eyes. the tears that finally slipped down your face were warm against your freezing cheeks, but they were quickly washed away by the relentless rain
โyou finally stood up, your legs shaking so badly you almost tripped over your own feet, and began the long, agonizing walk back to the dorms alone in the dark
the minute you walked through the door, giselle gasped, immediately dropping her laptop and rushing to the closet to pull out the thickest, most oversized blankets she could find. yunjin steered you straight into the bathroom, turning the shower on to a steaming, scalding hot temperature
โ"get in there right now," yunjin ordered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and fury. "don't come out until you can feel your skin again."
โit took an hour under the hot water just to stop shaking. when you finally crawled out, dressed in yunjinโs thickest sweatpants and wrapped in three blankets, your phone buzzed on the nightstand
โyour throat felt raw, a harsh cough tearing through your chest as you reached out a trembling hand to pick it up
โhoon ๐ค: shit, y/n, i forgot. sooha called me right after i texted you
hoon ๐ค: she needed someone to drive her to that nail art place across town because it was raining
hoon ๐ค: sorry, hope you didn't wait too long
โa harsh, bitter laugh escaped your lips, turning immediately into another painful cough. hope you didn't wait too long. two hours in the freezing rain, while he was sitting in a warm car, waiting for another girl to get her nails done
by the second day of the second week, your fever had finally broken, leaving you with nothing but a lingering cough and an incredibly heavy heart. you were sitting at the edge of your desk, mindlessly staring at the rain-streaked window, when your phone buzzed
โhoon ๐ค: iโm outside, letโs go to campus together
โyou stared at the screen for a full minute. your ego told you to ignore it, to walk to class in the damp air just to prove a point. but the truth was, you were just so tired. the anger from the basketball court had faded into a dull, numb acceptance. you missed him. you missed the routine of him. so, swallowing down the bitter taste of pride, you grabbed your tote bag and headed downstairs
โhis sleek, expensive car was idling by the curb, the engine a low, wealthy hum against the morning quiet. you walked up to the passenger door, a tiny, fragile sense of normalcy settling into your chest. you reached for the handle, pulling it open with a soft, practiced smile
โ"heyโ"
โ"don't sit there." the words were cold, cutting you off before you could even fully open the door. sunghoon didn't look at you. his hands were resting casually on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed forward
โyou froze, the door halfway open, the cool morning breeze hitting your face. "what?" you whispered, your voice catching in your throat
โ"go sit in the back," he said, his tone entirely casual, like he was asking you to pass the salt. "soohaโs joining us. sheโs getting picked up down the street, and she likes the front seat."
โit felt like a physical punch to the stomach. the sheer humiliation of it settled deep under your skin, hot and prickly. you stood there on the pavement, the door handle still in your hand, your eyes stinging instantly
โwith a trembling lip and a heavy, robotic movement, you gently clicked the passenger door shut. you walked to the rear, opened the back door, and slid onto the leather seat. sitting in the back of your own boyfriend's car felt like the ultimate demotion
โtwo minutes later, the car pulled up to the corner of the humanities building and there she was
โsooha looked perfect. her hair was done in soft, effortless waves, her lip gloss catching the gray morning light as she practically bounced toward the car. she pulled open the passenger door and slid in, completely filling the vehicle with the sweet, suffocating scent of a floral perfume that wasn't yours
โ"hi, baby," she purred, leaning over the center console
โand right there, right in front of you in the rearview mirror, sunghoon did something he hadn't done for you in months. a soft, genuine smile broke across his face, the kind of smile that used to belong entirely to you. he leaned in, meeting her halfway, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss right against her lips. it was so natural, so domestic, that it looked like they had been doing it for years
โyou choked on your own breath, quickly turning your face toward the side window, staring blindly at the passing campus buildings. your chest was heaving, a tight, suffocating sob building up in your throat, but you forced it down until your throat literally burned
โfor the entire fifteen-minute drive, you didn't exist. they talked about their weekend plans, laughed at inside jokes you didn't understand, and sunghoonโs left hand rested firmly on her thigh the entire time. you just stared out at the gray concrete, a ghost trapped in the backseat of your own life
by the sixth day of that same week, the silence was driving you crazy. you needed to know if there was even a single piece of the old sunghoon left inside that arrogant shell. so, you decided to push
โyou: can we do dinner tonight? just to talk
โyou expected a rejection, or worse, to be completely ignored. but to your utter surprise, his bubble popped up almost instantly
โhoon ๐ค: fine, i made a reservation at that Italian place near the square. 7:30 PM. don't be late
โa reservation, he actually made a reservation. for a split second, your naive, bleeding heart let out a breath of relief. maybe he wanted to apologize properly. maybe the guilt had finally caught up to him
โyou spent two hours getting ready. you wore a soft, cream-colored dress he used to love, painstakingly styled your hair, and did your makeup with extra care to hide the dark circles under your eyes from all the sleepless nights. you wanted him to see you
โyou arrived at the restaurant at 7:15 PM. the place was beautiful, dimly lit, warm, filled with the soft clink of wine glasses and the murmur of couples laughing. the hostess led you to a small, intimate booth in the corner
โ"just waiting on one more," you told her with a small, hopeful smile.
โ7:30 PM. you texted him
you: i'm here! table 14.
โ8:00 PM. the waiter came by for the third time, offering a polite but pitying smile. "can I get you a starter while you wait, miss?"
"no, thank you," you murmured, your fingers tightly gripping your glass of water. "he should be here soon. heโs probably just caught in traffic."
โ9:30 PM. the restaurant was starting to empty out. the warm, romantic atmosphere now felt like a mocking theater stage, and you were the main joke. your phone sat on the white tablecloth, dark and completely silent. you hadn't even gotten a read receipt
โby 11:15 PM, the staff was starting to flip the chairs onto the neighboring tables. the waiter came back, his expression entirely sympathetic. "i'm sorry, miss, but we're closing up the kitchen."
โyou paid for the untouched bottle of water, stood up on trembling legs, and walked out into the cool night air. but this time, the sadness didn't come. for the first time in two weeks, the crushing weight in your chest didn't turn into soft, pitiful tears. it turned into hot, blinding, volatile rage
โyou didn't go back to your dorm. instead, your feet marched blindly toward the boys' upperclassmen residence. toward sunghoonโs apartment
โyou didn't even knock. you knew the keycode, heโd never bothered to change it. you punched the numbers in with an aggressive, shaking hand and yanked the heavy wooden door open
โthe living room was quiet, lit only by a single desk lamp. sitting at the kitchen island was jake, sunghoonโs roommate. he was the textbook definition of a quiet genius, glasses perched on his nose, surrounded by thick textbooks, always a bit stiff and awkward around people, though heโd always been perfectly polite to you
โthe second the door slammed against the wall, jake jumped, his pen slipping from his hand. his eyes went wide behind his lenses as he took in your appearance, the fancy dress, the smudged makeup, the absolute aura of fury radiating off you
โ"y/n?" jake stammered, half-rising from his stool. "hey... what's going on? are you okay?"
โyou didn't even answer him. you didn't have the breath for it. without a word, you stormed right past him, your heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor as you marched straight toward the closed door of sunghoonโs bedroom.
โ"y/n, waitโ" jake called out, his voice sharp with warning, but it was too late. you threw the bedroom door open
โthe sight inside made the blood in your veins instantly boil. sunghoon was sitting on his bed, his laptop open on his lap, and curled up right next to him, her head resting lazily on his shoulder, was sooha. they were watching a movie, a bag of popcorn sitting between them, looking like the picture-perfect image of a cozy, happy couple
โboth of them snapped their heads up. sooha gasped, instantly pulling away from him, her eyes wide with manufactured innocence
โsunghoonโs expression didn't even soften into guilt. instead, his eyebrows snapped together, his arrogant features hardening into pure, unadulterated annoyance. "what the hell do you think you're doing, y/n? do you know how to knock?"
โ"four hours," you choked out, your voice shaking violently, the rage finally cracking to let the agony leak through. "i sat in that restaurant for four hours, sunghoon! you made the reservation! you told me to be there!"
โsunghoon let out a harsh, mocking scoff, closing his laptop with a loud snap. he stood up from the bed, towering over you, his ego flaring up at the confrontation. "and? something came up. sooha needed help with her study guide. are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?"
โ"something came up?!" you screamed, the tears finally bursting past your eyelids, hot and furious. "you left me there! you didn't even text me! i looked like a fucking idiot in front of the entire restaurant!"
โ"then don't look like an idiot!" sunghoon shot back, his voice rising, completely unapologetic. he took a step closer, looking down at you with total disdain. "this is exactly what i told you, y/n. this is the risk you chose to take. youโre the one who begged for this stupid month. youโre the one who wouldn't just let me go! no one is forcing you to stay with me, if you can't handle how things are now, then leave! you look completely ridiculous right now."
โthe cruelty of his words felt like a physical slap. he was standing there, defending his cheating, turning the blame entirely on you because you had loved him enough to ask for time
โyou stared at him through your wet blur of vision. you looked at sooha, who was sitting quietly on the bed, watching the drama unfold with a tiny, satisfied smirk hidden behind her fingers
โ"i hate you," you whispered, your voice cracking into a broken, jagged sound. "i actually hate you."
โyou turned on your heel and bolted out of the room. jake was standing there, looking incredibly uncomfortable but deeply concerned. he stepped into your path, his hands slightly raised. "hey... y/n, wait. it's really late, let me drive you back to your dorm you shouldn't walk alone like this."
โ"no!" you sobbed out, pushing past his shoulder, completely unable to accept kindness from anyone associated with sunghoon right now
ever since that massive fight between you and sunghoon, his phone has been a ghost town. you used to be the first person he texted when he woke up, the one heโd spam with random memes or complain to about his day. now? absolute silence not a single typing bubble, no read receipts
โbecause sunghoon completely checked out. he packed up all his attention, his time, and his energy, and handed it over to sooha
โtoday isn't any different. itโs a random afternoon, and his lock screen lights up with a message from her
sooha: hey, can we go out today? i really want to clear my mind
and just like that, sunghoon is already grabbing his keys. thereโs no hesitation, no second thoughts about how he left things completely broken with you. heโs entirely focused on being sooha's knight in shining armor
โthe air in his car smells faintly of his expensive cologne mixed with the stale warmth of the afternoon sun. he turns the ignition, the engine humming to life as he hooks his phone to the dashboard and sets the GPS for soohaโs apartment
โat first, everything is fine. itโs just a typical, mundane drive. the radio is playing some low, ambient indie track that he isn't really listening to
then, the traffic slows to a painful, agonizing crawlโ. sunghoon sighs, drumming his fingers against the leather wheel. he glances at the clock on the dashboard. rolling down the window a crack, he lets the humid city air fill the car, hoping itโll snap him out of his annoyed mood
โfinally, the lane moves. the car in front of him advances, and sunghoon presses his foot onto the gas pedal, moving forward into the intersection
โhe doesn't even have time to blink
โfrom the peripheral vision of his right eye, a blinding flash of silver streaks through the intersection. a car is speeding way too fast, completely ignoring the red light, barreling straight toward him from the side street
โthe sound of tires screeching violently against asphalt echoes for a split second, tearing through the quiet afternoon. sunghoonโs instincts kick in too late. his hands jerk the steering wheel to the left, his heart dropping into his stomach, a cold wave of pure terror freezing the blood in his veins
โCRASH
โthe impact is deafening. itโs a sickening, metallic crunch that shatters the windows instantly, raining thousands of tiny glass diamonds into the air. the sheer force of the collision sends sunghoon's car flying, spinning like a useless toy through the air before it slams violently onto the hard pavement, flipping onto its side
โinside the wreckage, everything happens in horrifying slow motion. sunghoonโs body is thrown violently against the door, his head cracking hard against the frame. the airbag deploys with a loud pop, but it does little to stop the devastating momentum
โand then, silence
โsunghoon is slumped over the shattered steering wheel, completely covered in dark, warm blood that drips down his forehead, matting his dark hair and pooling on the cracked dashboard. his breathing is shallow, ragged, and weak. within seconds, the overwhelming pain numbs into nothingness as his vision fades to pitch black. he loses consciousness entirely
โoutside, the world erupts into absolute chaos
โ"oh my god! someone call 911!"
"is he alive?! look at the car!"
"hey, can you hear me?! stay with us!"
โbystanders run over in a panic, shouting, waving their arms, hands trembling as they dial emergency numbers. the scene is a total nightmare smoke rising from the crushed hood, the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline filling the air
โthen, a weird sensation washes over himโ. sunghoon opens his eyes. the blinding headache is gone, the agonizing pressure in his chest vanished. he blinks, looking around, feeling strangely light. he looks down at his hands, theyโre completely clean, no blood, no scratches
โ"ugh... what the hell happened?" he mutters, groaning in sheer annoyance as he pushes himself up from the ground. he ruffles his hair, thoroughly pissed off that his drive got interrupted by some idiot driver
โhe looks around to see a crowd of people huddled around a overturned, wrecked car
โ"hey!" sunghoon calls out, stepping toward a guy who is frantically talking on his phone. "hey, man, did someone hit me? whatโs going on?"
โthe man doesn't even blink. he keeps talking into his phone, his voice shaking. "yes, an ambulance, quickly! there's a guy trapped inside, he's bleeding out really bad!"
โsunghoon frowns, confusion clouding his features. "dude? i'm right here, walkie-talkie guy, look at me!" he steps right into the man's line of sight, waving a hand directly in front of his eyes
โnothing. the man walks straight through sunghoon's shoulder to get a better look at the wreckโ
sunghoon freezes. a cold shiver runs down his spine. he turns around slowly, his chest heaving with a panic he canโt quite explain. he approaches a woman who is crying, stepping right up to her face, mere inches away. "excuse me? can you hear me? look at me, please!"
โshe looks right through him, her eyes fixed on the car. sunghoon slowly follows her gaze. he looks through the shattered windshield of the flipped vehicle
โand his heart stops
โthere, trapped in the driver's seat, covered in blood and looking completely lifeless, is him, his own body
โ"no... no, no, no, this is a joke," sunghoon whispers, stumbling backward. his hands grip his own hair, his breathing turns erratic. his soul, his actual spirit had completely detached from his physical body. he's dead or dying. heโs a ghost. "this can't be happening, this is insane!"
"wow, now that was an absolute cinema-level crash. pure epicness." a sharp, drippingly sarcastic voice cuts through sunghoon's spiraling panic
โsunghoon snaps his head around. a guy is leaning against a nearby lamppost, completely unfazed by the horrific scene. he looks around sunghoonโs age, rocking a look that screams effortless arrogance. his skin has a flawless, warm honey glow, and his jawline is so sharp it could genuinely cut glass. heโs wearing an outfit that feels a bit too sharp for a casual tuesday, and his lips are curled into a highly amused, thoroughly punchable smirk
โsunghoon stares at him, dumbfounded. "you... you're talking to me?"
โ"obviously. unless you see another floating soul having a mid-life crisis right now," the guy scoffs, rolling his eyes
โ"who the hell are you?" sunghoon demands, his temper flaring despite the terrifying situation. "and why can you see me when nobody else can?"
โthe guy stands up straight, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his jacket. he walks over to sunghoon with a slow, swaggering gait that matches sunghoonโs own usual arrogance. "i'm jongseong but you can call me jay and as for why i can see you..." jay flashes a sharp, knowing grin, his eyes gleaming with something ancient and dark. "i'm a grim reaper."
โsunghoon lets out a loud, mocking laugh, though it sounds a bit hollow. "a grim reaper? are you out of your mind? you're freaking delusional, dude. stop watching so many dramas."
โ"oh, a skeptic. love to see it," jay chuckles, completely unbothered
โ"i'm not dead," sunghoon snaps, turning his back on jay. "i just need to... i just need to get back in there. itโs a glitch, i'm going back."
sunghoon charges toward the wrecked car, determined to shove his spirit back into his bloody body. he lunges forward, trying to force himself through the shattered window, trying to merge back with his flesh and bones
โbut he just passes right through it like smoke, stumbling out the other side of the car, landing awkwardly on the pavement. he tries again, more aggressively this time, grabbing at his own bloody shoulder, but his ghostly hands slide through his own skin like water
โfrom behind him, a loud, echoing burst of laughter breaks the air. jay is literally clutching his stomach, laughing so hard his eyes crinkle. "oh my god, please keep doing that. that is hilarious, you look like a bird flying straight into a glass window over and over again."
โ"shut up!" sunghoon yells, spinning around, his face flushed with embarrassment and rage. "how do i get back in?! tell me!"
โjay wipes a tear of laughter from his eye, his expression suddenly shifting into something more professional, though the smug aura never truly leaves him. "look, buddy, hereโs the deal. if that ambulance over there doesn't show up in time? i'm officially cutting your soul's silver cord and taking you upstairs or downstairs wherever you're headed."
โsunghoonโs face goes pale. "you're going to kill me?"
โ"hey, don't blame the messenger," jay says, raising his hands in defense. "but lucky for you, your official death notice hasn't popped up on my phone yet. meaning, you're technically not scheduled to die today"
โsunghoon lets out a breath he doesn't even need to take, feeling a tiny sliver of hope. "okay, fine. then let me back in i need to go back to my life. i have things to do, i have to see sooha. i have to..." his voice trails off, his mind suddenly flashing to a memory of you, standing in the rain, crying during your fight
โ"i want to go back," sunghoon insists, stepping closer to jay, his eyes dead serious. "make it happen."
โjay stops smirking. his eyes narrow into a sharp, piercing stare that makes sunghoon feel completely naked under his gaze. jay steps closer, tilted his head slightly, his tone dropping into something incredibly chilling
โ"make it happen? wow, you really are an arrogant piece of work, aren't you?" jay whispers, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, but itโs entirely devoid of warmth. "you want to go back so badly... but you're conveniently forgetting something pretty major, park sunghoon."
โsunghoon blinks, a sudden wave of confusion washing over him. "forgetting what?"
โjay takes one more step forward, his shadow casting over sunghoon's spiritual form. "did you seriously forget? you forgot about the promise you made, didn't you?"
โsunghoon stands completely frozen, his mind racing as he stares into jayโs intense, unreadable eyes. a promise? what promise? he tries to rack his brain, searching through every memory, every corner of his mind, but nothing comes up. yet, looking at jayโs deadly serious face, a creeping sense of dread whispers that whatever he forgot. it was going to cost him everything
meanwhile, on the exact opposite side of the city,
โBANG
โthe violent sound of your bedroom door slamming against the wall forcefully yanks you out of your deep slumber. your heart instantly leaps into your throat, your eyes flying open as you gasp for air, completely disoriented.
โ"Y/N! WAKE UP! y/n, please, get up right now!" yunjin bursts into the room like a hurricane, her face completely pale, eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated panic
right behind her is giselle, who isn't even looking at you, sheโs frantically scanning your room, grabbing your black denim jacket from the chair and throwing your wallet and phone into a canvas tote bag
โ"w-what... what's happening?" you stammer, your voice thick and raspy from sleep. you try to sit up, but your brain is still foggy, sluggishly trying to process why your roommates look like the world is ending. "yunjin, you're scaring me, whatโ"
โ"y/n, look at me. focus on me," yunjin interrupts, her voice trembling violently. she lunges onto the bed, her hands coming up to pat your cheeks with frantic, stinging slaps to force the sleep out of your system. "wake up, seriously, we need to go now."
โ"yunjin, stop! why are you slapping me?!" you yell, pulling your head back, your heart hammering against your ribs like a trapped bird
โ"it's sunghoon," yunjin says, the words tearing out of her throat in a broken sob. "he was in a car accident, y/n. a really, really bad one. heโs at the city hospital right now, we have to go."
โit feels like all the oxygen is suddenly sucked out of the room. the name sunghoon echoes in your mind, followed by accident, but your brain flat-out refuses to connect the two words. sunghoon? your sunghoon?
โ"no," you whisper, your voice suddenly sounding miles away. "no, heโs... heโs fine. heโs with sooha. heโ"
โ"y/n, please, just put the jacket on!" giselle begs from the doorway, her voice cracking as she shoves the denim sleeves into your trembling hands
โthe panic hits you all at once, a brutal, freezing wave that completely shatters your numbness
โthe hospital smell hits you first, your sneakers squeak loudly against the polished white floors as you, yunjin, and giselle sprint toward the emergency waiting room. your eyes wild, scanning the rows of plastic chairs until you spot two familiar figures standing near the glass doors of the ICU
โitโs jake and heeseung. sunghoon's best friends look completely unrecognizable. jake is pacing a small strip of the floor, his skin a sickly, translucent white. his hands are shoved deep into his pockets, but you can see his entire frame shaking. heโs chewing on his bottom lip so hard itโs practically bleeding, his eyes staring blankly at the floor as he fights a losing battle against his own tears
next to him, heeseung is leaning heavily against the wall, his head tilted back, eyes tightly shut. his jaw is clenched so hard the muscles are jumping, his arms crossed over his chest like heโs trying to hold himself together
โthe moment jake hears your frantic footsteps, he looks up. the absolute, raw devastation in his eyes tells you everything you never wanted to know.
โ"y/n," jake chokes out, his voice dropping an octave, completely broken
โthe tears youโve been holding back for three weeks. the tears you swore you wouldn't cry today come crashing down like a collapsed dam. a loud, pathetic sob tears out of your throat, and your knees instantly give out. if it weren't for giselle catching you by your armpits, you would have collapsed right there on the dirty hospital floor
โ"hey, hey, iโve got you. breathe, y/n, please just breathe," giselle whispers frantically, wrapping her arms tightly around your shaking shoulders, pulling you into a plastic chair
but you canโt breathe. your chest is heaving, your vision completely blurred by a endless stream of hot, burning tears. you bury your face in your hands, your whole body convulsing with agonizing grief
โand then, through the blur of your tears, you see her. sooha is sitting just a few chairs down
โsheโs completely neat, not a single hair out of place. her face is pale, and yeah, she looks kind of sad, maybe a little stressed by the sterile atmosphere but there isn't a single tear on her face. her eyes are completely dry. sheโs just sitting there, hands neatly folded in her lap, watching the chaos
โyunjin marches straight up to sooha, her eyes blazing with pure fury. "what the hell are you even doing here?" she spits, her voice a lethal, venomous whisper that cuts through the waiting room. "he was on his way to you, this is your fault! get the hell out of here, you don't belong here."
โsooha shrinks back slightly, her bottom lip quivering in a perfectly practiced display of innocence. "i... i just wanted to make sure he wasโ"
โ"i said leave!" yunjin barks, stepping closer, her hands curling into fists
โ"yunjin, stop! don't do this here," giselle hissed, quickly letting go of you for a second to grab yunjinโs arm, physically pulling her back before a full-blown fistfight could break out in front of the nurses' station. "not right now."
โwhat none of them know is that they aren't alone
standing literally three inches away from jake, staring frantically into his pale face, is the spirit of park sunghoon
โ"jake! jake, look at me, bro, i'm right here!" sunghoon yells, waving his hands wildly in front of his best friendโs face. "stop pacing, you're making me nervous! i'm fine! look at me!"
โjake just walks straight through sunghoon's chest to grab a paper cup of water from heeseung. sunghoon shudders as the cold sensation of jakeโs physical body passes through his soul, leaving him feeling emptier than before
he spins around, looking at heeseung. "heeseung! please, tell me you can hear me. i'm not dead, okay? the doctors are tripping."
โheeseung just sighs, rubbing his tired eyes, completely ignoring the ghost screaming in his face
โ"whew, rough crowd," jay's smooth, mocking voice floats from the corner of the room. the grim reaper is currently sitting casually on top of a vending machine, swinging his legs back and forth, holding a glowing digital ledger that looks like a sleek black smartphone. "told you, buddy. you're a radio station with no frequency right now they can't hear your broadcast."
โ"shut up, jay!" sunghoon snaps, his frustration peaking
โjust then, yunjin starts screaming at sooha. sunghoonโs eyes widen as he sees yunjin invading soohaโs personal space. a protective surge of anger flares in his chest. he charges over, throwing himself between them, trying to shove yunjin away
โ"hey! back off her, you psycho!" sunghoon roars at yunjin, his face contorted with rage. "don't you dare touch her! she didn't do anything wrong! yunjin, i swear to god, if you don't get your hands off herโ" his ghostly hands pass harmlessly through yunjinโs shoulders, leaving him panting with useless fury
โhe turns to sooha, his voice softening into frantic desperation. "sooha, look at me. i'm right here. don't listen to her, okay? i'm fine." but soohaโs blank, tearless eyes are fixed entirely on the floor, not even glancing in his direction
โand then, sunghoon's gaze shifts. he looks over at the plastic chairs. he hears your broken, jagged breaths, sees the way your fingers are clutching your jacket like itโs a lifeline
โsunghoon lets out a heavy, irritated scoff, rolling his eyes so hard it looks painful.
โ"oh, for god's sake, y/n," sunghoon grumbles, his voice dripping with an incredibly harsh, dismissive edge. "stop overreacting. seriously, you're making a whole scene for absolutely no reason. we aren't even speaking, why are you crying like someone died? itโs so dramatic, just go home."
โup on the vending machine, jayโs amused expression instantly vanishes. his eyebrows furrow as he looks down at sunghoon, slowly shaking his head in utter disbelief
โ"wow," jay mutters under his breath, his sharp jaw tightening. "you really are a piece of work, aren't you? a complete and utter idiot."
hours bleed into one another. the sky outside the hospital windows turns from a hazy twilight to a deep, pitch-black night
โthe red surgery light finally clicks off, and a tired doctor steps out, informing the group that sunghoon is stable. the impact was severe, but he managed to survive the worst of it. theyโve moved his physical body into a regular, private recovery room to monitor his comatose state
โthe relief in the hallway is palpable, but the exhaustion is heavier. one by one, the group starts to thin out. sooha leaves first, offering a quiet, polite excuse about her ride being outside, which yunjin handles with a lethal glare
heeseung and jake stay for another hour, staring at sunghoonโs pale, machine-hooked body through the window before heeseung gently pats jake's shoulder, whispering that they need to get some rest and come back in the morning
โfinally, itโs just you, yunjin, and giselle standing outside the quiet room.
โ"y/n, come on. letโs go home," yunjin says softly, her voice completely spent from the day's anger. she places a gentle hand on your arm. "the doctor said heโs stable. heโs not going to wake up tonight. you need to sleep, youโre pale as a ghost."
โ"yeah, let us take you back," giselle chimes in, her eyes pleading. "you've been crying for six hours straight, y/n. your body can't take this."
โyou look through the glass pane of the door. sunghoon looks so small in that massive hospital bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and clear plastic tubes. the sight of him like that makes a fresh wave of quiet ache bloom in your chest
โyou slowly pull your arm away from yunjin's grip, shaking your head. "no," you whisper, your voice barely audible, but completely unyielding. "i'm not leaving."
โ"y/n, please don't be stubbornโ" yunjin starts, but you cut her off, looking up with raw, sleep-deprived, swollen eyes
โ"i'm staying, yunjin. please," you beg, your lower lip trembling. "just... let me stay with him, i can't leave him alone."
โyunjin and giselle exchange a long, heartbroken look. they know that tone. there is absolutely no changing your mind. with a heavy sigh, giselle hands you the tote bag with your wallet and phone
โ"we'll come back first thing in the morning, okay? call us if anything changes. literally anything," giselle whispers, giving your shoulder a tight squeeze. yunjin gives you a sad, lingering look before the two of them turn around, their footsteps echoing down the long, empty corridor until the double doors click shut
days melt into each other until they completely lose all meaning
โyouโve basically moved into this sterile, cramped hospital room, transforming the hard plastic chair next to sunghoonโs bed into your temporary home. the heavy scent of antiseptic and bleach doesn't even make you gag anymore
โmost of the time, you just sit there. you stare at his pale, unmoving face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw and the soft curve of his eyelids with your eyes, wishing with everything inside you that they would just flutter open. and then, without even realizing it, the hot tears start spilling over again, blurring your vision until you have to look away, wiping your face with the damp sleeve of your oversized hoodie
โwhen the guilt and the ache get too heavy to carry, you try to distract yourself. you pull out your laptop, spreading your college textbooks across the tiny rolling tray table, attempting to type out essays for classes you haven't attended in days. but your brain is completely fried. youโll read the same sentence five times, blink, and realize you haven't absorbed a single word. eventually, exhaustion wins. your head drops onto the hard edge of his mattress, your fingers loosely curling near his cold, unmoving hand, and you drift into a light, uncomfortable sleep, woken up every hour by the rhythmic, taunting beep of the heart monitor
โand the entire time, sunghoonโs spirit is right there. he stands on the other side of the bed, crossing his arms, watching you throw your life away for him. it completely bewilders him
he watches you type, watches you cry, watches you slump over in deep exhaustion. why is she still here? he thinks, his chest tightening with a weird, suffocating mixture of irritation and something he refuses to acknowledge as guilt
we literally ended things on the worst possible terms. she should hate me, she should be at home, sleeping in her own bed, totally glad that iโm out of her hair. why doesnโt she just get bored and leave?
โby the time the fourth day rolls around, something shifts in you. the crying spells have finally run dry, leaving you with a strange, hollow sort of energy
โyou pull your chair closer to his bed, resting your chin on the palm of your hand. you look at his quiet face, and for the first time in days, a tiny, sad smile touches your lips
โ"you're missing so much, you know," you whisper, your voice a little raspy from the dry hospital air
โand then, you just start yapping. you talk because the silence in the room is too loud, and if you don't fill it with the sound of your own voice, you feel like you'll lose your mind
โ"class was honestly so miserable today, sunghoon. professor lee was going on and on about the midterm, and honestly, i think even he was bored of his own lecture. yunjin literally fell asleep right next to me and started snoring. it was so embarrassing, i had to keep coughing to cover it up."
โyou let out a soft, breathy chuckle, your eyes crinkling at the memory. sunghoonโs ghost stands right beside you, his head tilted as he stares down at you, completely transfixed by the sound of your voice.
โ"oh, and after class, i went to that little cafe down the street," you continue, your fingers absentmindedly smoothing out a crease in his hospital blanket. "the one with the really good iced americanos? yeah, i went there by myself. it felt super weird ordering just one cup. the barista asked where my 'tall, grumpy shadow' was, and i didn't even know what to say. i just told her you were taking a very long nap."
โsunghoon's breath hitches. a tall, grumpy shadow. that's what the cafe staff used to call him because he'd always stand right behind you, looking thoroughly annoyed with the world until you handed him his drink
โ"afterward, me and giselle found this super sketchy tarot reading app," you say, a genuine smile breaking through your exhausted face. "we played around with it for hours, doing all these ridiculous future predictions. it told giselle she was going to marry a billionaire, which, honestly? totally tracks for her. it was so fun, sunghoon. we laughed so much."
โyour voice suddenly drops, the playful energy evaporating into thin air as you look at his closed eyes. your fingers twitch, desperately wanting to hold his hand, but you keep them to yourself
โ"but... the entire time, i just kept thinking about you," you whisper, your throat tightening up again. "the app said my future was full of 'waiting.' and it's right, i'm just waiting for you. please, sunghoon. just wake up already."
โyour eyelids grow incredibly heavy, the weight of the four-day burnout finally catching up to you. within minutes, your voice peters out, your head dropping onto your arms beside his hip, your breathing evening out into a deep, heavy slumber
โsunghoon stares down at your sleeping form. his physical ears couldn't hear a single syllable, but his soul heard every single word, every little shift in your tone, every quiet breath. his chest aches. itโs a phantom pain, but it hurts so bad he has to take a step back
โunable to handle the suffocating atmosphere of the room anymore, and still entirely too stubborn to let himself soften up, sunghoon turns around and walks straight through the hospital wall
โhe wanders out into the empty, moonlit courtyard of the hospital, the cold night air doing nothing to his ghostly body. he storms over to a stone bench and stands there, thoroughly frustrated
โ"jay!" sunghoon shouts into the dark, empty air. "hey! grim reaper guy! get out here right now!"
โwith a soft, shimmering ripple in the air, jay materializes, sitting cross-legged on the top of the courtyard brick wall. heโs holding an apple, tossing it casually in the air and catching it. "jeez, turn down the volume, will you? i was in the middle of a really good nap. whatโs burning your soul today, kid?"
โ"the promise," sunghoon demands, stepping closer, his knuckles white as he fisted his hands. "you said i forgot a promise. what promise? who did i make it to? tell me!"
โjay stops tossing the apple. he looks down at sunghoon, his dark eyes entirely unreadable, a cool, indifferent expression on his handsome face. he bites into the fruit with a crisp, loud crunch. "can't do that, buddy. cosmic rules and all that. if i just hand you the cheat sheet, it defeats the whole purpose of your little soul-searching journey."
โ"i don't care about the cosmic rules!" sunghoon roars, his anger flaring. "iโm trapped in a body that won't wake up, my friends think i'm dying, and i'm losing my mind! just tell me!"
โjay doesn't say a word. he just chews slowly, giving sunghoon a look full of pity and mild annoyance
โfrustrated beyond belief, sunghoon kicks a loose pebble on the ground, his foot passing straight through it. "fine, whatever. youโre useless," he grumbles, turning his back on the reaper. "i need to get out of here. i need a change of scenery before i go completely insane."
โ"oh? going for a stroll?" jay asks, hopping down from the wall with effortless grace, landing silently on his feet. "where to?"
โ"i want to see sooha," sunghoon says, his voice tightening. the thought of her suddenly blooms in his mind. "she hasn't been back to the hospital since the first day. sheโs probably a total wreck, she's probably crying her eyes out at home, waiting for news. i need to check on her."
โjay lets out a low, amused hum, a dangerous smirk slowly creeping back onto his sharp lips. "sooha, huh? well, you can certainly try to go see her. you're technically tethered to the city right now, basically anywhere within the radius of your accident or where your physical body is. sooha's apartment is well within the boundary. lead the way, lover boy."
"sooha? i'm here," he calls out automatically, even though he knows she can't hear him. he doesn't even bother knocking, he just steel himself and walks straight through the heavy wooden door
โthe words freeze completely in his throat. his entire ghostly form goes rigid, a cold, sickening shock rippling through his soul
โthere, on the plush velvet sofa, is sooha. but she isn't crying, she isn't a wreck. she isn't looking through old photos of them or praying for his recovery. sheโs wrapped tightly in the arms of some random guy sunghoon has never seen before in his life
the guyโs jacket is thrown carelessly on the floor, and soohaโs hands are buried deep in his hair, her lips pressed against his in a deep, frantic, incredibly enthusiastic make-out session. she giggles between kisses, a soft, breathy sound that sunghoon recognizes all too well, except it was never meant for someone else
โ"mnh, stop," sooha whispers playfully, pulling back just an inch, a flush on her cheeks. "what if someone calls from the hospital?"
โ"who cares?" the guy scoffs, leaning back in, tracing his hands down her waist. "the guyโs in a literal coma, sooha. he's not checking his phone anytime soon. letโs just enjoy the quiet."
โsooha hums in agreement, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him back down into another breathless kiss
โsunghoon feels like heโs been hit by a semi-truck all over again. his breath hitches, his eyes wide with horror and absolute betrayal. his chest feels like itโs being ripped open by bare hands
โ"no... no, this isn't real," sunghoon whispers, stepping backward, his hands trembling violently. "sooha... how could you?"
โfrom the doorway, a loud, roaring burst of laughter shatters the heavy silence. jay is literally leaning against the doorframe, clutching his stomach, laughing so hard his shoulders are shaking violently. "oh my god! an absolute classic! 'he's in a literal coma, sooha!' whew, that is cold-blooded! pure cinema!"
โ"shut up! shut the hell up!" sunghoon screams, spinning around, his face completely distorted with a mixture of raw heartbreak and humiliating fury. he can't stand to look at the couch for even another second. the sight of them makes him want to vomit
โwithout another word, sunghoon flees. he sprints out of the apartment, tearing through the walls, running as fast as his spiritual form can carry him, desperate to erase the image of sooha's betrayal from his mind
โhe doesn't stop running until heโs back in the quiet, dark hospital courtyard, collapsing onto the grass, panting heavily even though his lungs don't need air. his chest is heaving, his heart or where his heart used to be throbbing with a brutal, burning frustration
โjay materializes beside him, finally wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, though his expression tones down into something a bit more mocking. "well, that was educational, wasn't it? turns out your little princess didn't even need a tissue."
โ"i said shut up!" sunghoon yells, grabbing his own hair, his ego completely shattered into a million sharp, painful pieces
โhe was such a fool. a complete, arrogant idiot. he had pushed everyone away, he had pushed you away for a girl who didn't even care if he lived or died
โwhile sooha was making out with another guy, you were sitting in a cramped, sterile room, starving yourself, crying until your eyes swelled shut, yapping about your day just to keep his lifeless body company. you were the one who stayed
โa sudden, violent surge of desperation hits sunghoonโs core. the frustration boils over, turning into a frantic, burning need. he doesn't want to be a ghost anymore, he doesn't want to watch from the sidelines. he wants his life back, he wants to fix the absolute mess he made
โ"i need to wake up," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking as he looks up at jay, his eyes wide with a manic, unyielding determination. "jay, i don't care what it takes. i don't care about the promise right now. i need to get back into my body. i have to wake up, now!"
before you know it, day 28 hits. itโs a heavy, suffocating number because it means you and sunghoon only have exactly two days left as a couple. twenty-eight days ago, before the shouting matches and the radio silence, you guys had made a stupid, desperate thirty-day agreement
โyou havenโt abandoned him once, youโve practically lived in this tiny, sterile hospital room. the only times you ever leave are when you absolutely have to run to a morning lecture or dash back to your apartment to grab a fresh change of clothes. the rest of your life, your studying, your meals, your quiet breakdowns happens right here in the plastic chair by his bedside
โtonight feels different, though. the air in the room is thick, almost grieving. sunghoonโs spirit is leaning against the wall, his eyes tracking you as you move around the space. he freezes when he notices the corner of the room
your heavy backpack is fully zipped. your favorite oversized hoodie, the one you usually leave draped over the sofa, is neatly folded on top of a canvas tote bag. everything you own is packed up
โwait, what is she doing? sunghoon thinks, panic instantly flaring in his ghostly chest. why is she packing? is she leaving me? is she finally giving up because iโm not waking up?
โyou walk over to his bed, your sneakers squeaking softly on the linoleum floors. you sit down, dragging the chair closer until your knees are brushing the edge of his mattress. you look so small, so entirely spent, with dark circles bruising the skin under your eyes
โ"hey," you whisper, your voice cracking slightly before you clear your throat. you try to force a casual, effortless smile, but it doesn't quite reach your eyes
โand then, you just start yapping again. you talk about random stuff at first, trying to keep the mood light, but sunghoon can hear the underlying tremor in your words. his soul stands right over you, desperately listening, his heart dropping lower and lower with every sentence
โ"so, um... i'm actually leaving in two days, sunghoon," you say softly, staring down at your own intertwined fingers. "iโm flying out to europe to finish my degree."
โ"do you... do you even remember?" you let out a dry, bittersweet little chuckle, finally looking up at his pale, unconscious face. "back when we first met, during our very first coffee date, i told you about the dual degree program i applied for. i was so nervous, and you told me iโd be stupid not to take it if i got in. well... the paperwork finally went through, i have to go."
โ"no," sunghoon blurts out, his voice echoing uselessly in the empty spaces of the room. "no, no, no. y/n, look at me! you canโt go to europe. you canโt leave me here like this!"
โhe lunges forward, completely throwing his pride out the window. he drops to his knees right next to your chair, his transparent hands flying out to grab your shoulders. "y/n! look at me, please!" he roars, trying to shake you, trying to force your eyes to meet his but his hands just glide straight through your denim jacket, feeling nothing but a freezing, empty void.
โhe doesn't stop. he gets frantic, his chest heaving with a manic desperation. he starts tapping your shoulders, waving his hands violently in front of your face, screaming your name until his throat burns. "iโm right here! iโm right next to you! donโt go, y/n, please, iโm sorry, iโm so sorryโ"
โbut you don't look up. you can't feel the ghost who is begging for your forgiveness on his knees. instead, you take a deep, shaky breath, fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill over
you lean forward, your shadow falling over his pale face. slowly, gently, you press a soft, lingering kiss right onto sunghoonโs cold forehead
โsunghoon freezes, his spiritual form trembling as a phantom warmth blooms where your lips touch his skinโ. you pull back just an inch, your hands carefully resting on his unmoving chest
"thank you," you whisper, a single, stray tear finally escaping and tracking down your cheek. "thank you for everything, sunghoon. even the messy parts, our thirty days are basically up anyway... so, you're free now. you're completely free from me, you don't have to feel guilty anymore."
โyou wipe your face quickly with the back of your hand, swallowing down the massive lump in your throat. "i hope you wake up soon, really. the world is way too quiet without you."
โyou stand up, your chair scraping loudly against the floor. you give his peaceful, comatose body one last, long, heartbreaking look, engraving every detail of his face into your memory. then, you turn around, grab your packed bags, and walk out the door, shutting it softly behind you
the moment the door clicks shut, sunghoon snaps
โ"JAY!" he screams, spinning around in the empty, silent room, his face twisted in pure, unadulterated rage. "JAY, GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
โwith a lazy, irritated sigh, jay materializes near the window, his arms crossed over his chest. he looks completely annoyed, his sharp jaw tight. "dude, turn it down! seriously, you are the loudest, most obnoxious soul i have ever had to babysit. what is your problem?"
โ"she's leaving!" sunghoon yells, marching straight up to the grim reaper, his eyes wild. "she's going to europe in two days! i need to get back into my body right now, jay! push me in, do whatever magic grim reaper stuff you do! i don't care anymore, just let me wake up!"
โjay doesn't even blink. he just pulls out his glowing digital ledger, completely ignoring sunghoonโs screaming, acting like heโs checking his schedule
โ"are you listening to me?!" sunghoon roars, trying to grab jayโs jacket, but his hands pass through. "fine, you know what? whatever, ignore me."
โsuddenly, a manic, hysterical laugh bubbles up in sunghoonโs chest. he stops pacing, a twisted, relieved smile spreading across his face. "wait. why am i even panicking? iโm a spirit, i donโt need a plane ticket, i donโt need a visa, i can just follow her. iโll get on that plane with y/n, go to europe, and stay right by her side until my body wakes up. yeah... yeah, that works perfectly." sunghoon starts chuckling, feeling incredibly smug about his genius loophole
โjay stops scrolling on his device. he slowly lowers his hand, looking at sunghoon, and then, a dark, mocking laugh tears out of the reaperโs throat. itโs a cold, echoing sound that makes the hairs on sunghoonโs arms stand up
โ"you? go to europe?" jay scoffs, shaking his head with an expression full of dark amusement. "oh, man. you really don't get how any of this works, do you?"
โsunghoon's laughter dies out. "what do you mean?"
โ"you're a tethered spirit, sunghoon. and a incredibly weak one at that," jay explains, his voice dropping into a chillingly serious tone as he steps closer. "you can barely handle walking across the city without feeling exhausted. you think you can cross an entire ocean? the moment you try to follow her past the city limits, especially over open water, your soul will start to fray. itโll literally dissolve, particle by particle, into nothingness."
โsunghoonโs face drains of what little color it has. "dissolve...?"
โ"yeah," jay says, his eyes boring into sunghoon's. "and if your soul dissolves? you don't get a neat little funeral. you don't get to go to the afterlife. your consciousness is just wiped out completely and that physical body lying on the bed over there? its heart will just stop beating. total, permanent brain death. youโll be gone forever, park sunghoon. you can't follow her."
โthe reality of the situation hits sunghoon like a concrete wall. the sheer, brutal weight of his helplessness crushes his remaining ego into dust. he can't leave, he can't follow you, and he can't wake up. heโs completely, utterly stuck
โfrustration, grief, and a massive wave of bitter regret boil up inside him. his shoulders slump, his head dropping into his hands as a shaky breath hitches in his throat
โjay watches him, the mocking smirk finally fading from his face, replaced by a quiet, grounded sigh
โ"there you go," jay says softly, crossing his arms as he leans against the bed frame. "let it set in, drown in that regret for a little bit. you need to actually feel the weight of what you threw away."
โsunghoon looks up through phantom, blurry eyes, his voice completely broken. "please, jay... just tell me what to do. tell me how to fix this."
โjay looks down at his glowing device one last time, a small, mysterious glint in his eyes. "fine. look at me, sunghoon. you want to know how to fix this? then itโs time you finally remember that promise you made."
another whole week drags by like molasses, and the hospital room feels completely hollow now
โyouโre gone. you actually left for europe. the space where your plastic chair used to be is empty, now, the only people taking turns sitting in that cramped room are jake and heeseung. they split the shifts evenly, looking exhausted but refusing to let sunghoon be entirely alone. as for sooha? she hasn't shown her face a single time since that first afternoon
โsunghoonโs spirit has spent the last seven days throwing a massive, pathetic tantrum. heโs been totally sulking, refusing to even look at jay. mostly, he just mopes around the edges of his hospital room, occasionally throwing himself at his comatose physical body in a desperate, angry attempt to force his way back in. but every single time, he just slips straight through the mattress, landing on the floor like smoke
โfinally, on the seventh night, the frustration gets too heavy to carry. sunghoon swallows his pride and drifts back out to the moonlit hospital park, looking for the only person who can actually hear him
โhe finds jay sitting cross-legged on a concrete picnic table, glaring intently at his glowing smartphone screen. a tiny, tinny engine roar echoes from the speakers
โ"go on, pass him! inside line, you idiot!" jay mutters aggressively to the screen, completely locked in
โsunghoon blinks, staring at him. "are you... are you watching formula 1 right now?"
โ"shh! itโs the final lap of the monaco gp, do not ruin this for me," jay snaps, not even looking up. heโs easily the most bizarre, chronically online grim reaper to ever exist. heโs wearing a modern streetwear hoodie, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the race car engines
โsunghoon doesn't care about the race. his soul feels like it's literally fraying at the edges from pure desperation. he walks right up to the edge of the table, his shoulders dropping, all the usual arrogance completely drained from his posture
โ"jay, please," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking
โjay sighs heavily, hitting pause on his phone and locking it with a click. he looks up, his sharp eyes narrowing at the pathetic sight of sunghoon. "jeez. what happened to the arrogant prince? you look like a drowned cat."
โ"i'm begging you," sunghoon says, and he actually means it. he drops his head, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "i will do literally anything. i'll go to whatever afterlife you want. i'll accept any punishment just... please tell me what the promise was, i need to know how to get back to her. i can't let her leave like this."
โjay looks genuinely grossed out by the sudden display of vulnerability. he makes a face, shuddering dramatically. "ew, stop. the begging is honestly giving me the ick. itโs so weird seeing you act like a decent human being. stand up straight, you're embarrassing both of us."
โsunghoon doesn't move. he just stares at jay with wild, pleading eyes
โjay groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose in sheer defeat. "fine. alright! stop looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes, itโs ruining my vibe. you want to remember so badly? fine. blink twice."
โsunghoon doesn't hesitate. he closes his eyes, opens them, and snaps them shut a second time
โthe world doesn't just shift, it completely dissolves. the sterile scent of hospital bleach and the distant hum of city traffic vanish in a split second
instead, the sharp, metallic tang of copper and rust hits sunghoonโs nose, mixed with the damp, earthy smell of a dense, ancient forest. the air is thick and freezing cold
โsunghoon opens his eyes and gasps. they aren't in the park anymore. giant, ancient oak trees tower over them, their thick canopy blocking out most of the gray, overcast sky. everything looks muted, heavy, and old
โ"where... where are we?" sunghoon stammers, his voice sounding entirely different in this strange air
โ"keep your eyes open and follow me," jay says coldly
โas sunghoon steps past a thick patch of brambles, his breath catches in his throat. the forest floor is absolute chaos. swords, shattered wooden shields, and broken arrows are scattered across the mud. and worse, there are bodies. men clad in heavy, blood-stained iron armor are strewn everywhere, lifeless eyes staring blankly up at the gray sky
โ"is this... the middle ages?" sunghoon whispers, a cold sweat breaking out across his spiritual form
โ"look over there," jay instructs, pointing a gloved finger toward a massive, moss-covered boulder near a clearing
โsunghoon slowly walks closer, his heart hammering against his ribs. leaning heavily against the stone is a young man. his face is completely caked in dirt, grime, and dark, sticky blood. heโs clutching his stomach, his fingers desperately trying to hold together a massive, jagged sword wound that is leaking crimson onto the grass. his breathing is a ragged, wet wheeze
โsunghoon takes a sharp breath. the dying man has his exact face
โstanding right in front of the dying soldier is another figure. itโs jay, but this version of jay looks entirely ancient, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, absolute authority, holding a long, dark scythe that seems to absorb the very light around it
โ"this is where we first met," the modern jay whispers, standing right next to sunghoonโs spirit as they both watch the past unfold. "you were a captain in a war that didn't even matter and your time was up."
โthe dying sunghoon looks up at the medieval reaper, his vision clearly failing, but his grip on jayโs coat is fierce.
โ"my girl... y/n. where... where is she going?" the dying soldier gasps out, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips
โ"y/n? you mean the girl they fed to the flames?" the past jay asks, his voice echoing with an eerie, detached calm. "not your concern anymore, sheโs got her own destination. you go to your afterlife, she goes to hers. thatโs how the system works."
โ"no... wait," the soldier begs, his voice cracking with an intense, agonizing passion. "listen to me, reaper. whatever you are. i don't care about my soul... i don't care about heaven. in the next life... and the life after that... in every single universe... please, let me be with her. let me find y/n again. we only had a few years in this wretched life, but i love her... i love her more than my own breath."
โthe past jay tilts his head, intrigued. "you would bargain with a reaper? what are you willing to pay for a loop of fate like that?"
โ"anything," the dying sunghoon chokes out, tears cutting clean tracks through the blood on his cheeks. "take my soul to the deepest pits of hell when it's over... erase my existence entirely. let me dissolve into nothingness, i don't care... just give me another chance to love her. i promise i'll hold onto her next time... i promise."
โthe past jay stares at him for a long, heavy moment before lowering his dark blade. "a promise of eternal devotion, sealed with the threat of absolute erasure. very well, captain. your next life will be tied to hers. but remember... if you break her heart, if you fail to hold onto her, the contract voids and your soul belongs to the void."
โwith a swift, clean motion, the past jay touches the soldierโs forehead. the dying sunghoonโs eyes roll back, his head slumping forward as his final breath leaves his body.
โ"blink twice, kid." sunghoon snaps his eyes shut, his entire soul shaking violently as the memory burns itself into the very fabric of his consciousness. he blinks again
โsnap
โthe cold forest air is gone. the smell of blood vanishes. sunghoon is back in the hospital park, the neon city lights reflecting off the wet pavement
โhe stands there, completely frozen, his chest heaving as the sheer weight of his own forgotten words crashes down on him
โโi promise iโll hold onto her next time... i promise.โ
โhe had bartered his entire eternal existence just for a chance to stand next to you again. he had loved you across lifetimes and in this life, he had completely forgotten. he had taken your presence for granted, treated you like an annoyance, fought with you, and let you walk away for a girl who didn't even care enough to visit him in the hospital. he had literally signed his own soul's death warrant because of his own stupid, blinding ego
โsunghoon slowly looks up.
โjay is standing on the picnic table, looking down at him with that same familiar, incredibly arrogant, and smug smirk playing on his lips. he twirls his phone in his hand, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, knowing satisfaction
โ"so," jay says, his tone dripping with a cool, mocking confidence. "now you remember. i get to collect your soul for the void. any last words before the clock runs out?"
sunghoon drops straight to his knees on the damp grass, the cold from the ground cutting right through his spiritual form, though he barely even registers it. his mind is a complete, chaotic mess of your tear-stained face, a bloody medieval battlefield, and the terrifying realization that he has voluntarily walked himself right to the edge of eternal erasure
โ"jay, please," sunghoon chokes out, staring at the polished leather boots of the grim reaper standing on the picnic table above him. all the pride, all the high and mighty attitude he carried like armor for the past three weeks completely gone. shashed into pieces. "one more chance, just give me one single shot to fix this. i can't let it end like this, i can't let her leave."
โjay lets out a long, theatrical groan, looking up at the night sky like heโs asking the universe why he got stuck with the dramatic ones. "dude, seriously? i just told you the contract is practically voided. you messed up, you broke the terms. i don't do extensions."
โ"i'll do anything," sunghoon insists, his voice desperate, trembling as he reaches up to grasp at the hem of jayโs jacket, his fingers passing right through the dark fabric like mist. "i don't care what it is. iโll be whatever you want. a servant, a ghost, a punching bag, literally anything. just give me a chance to bridge the gap before the thirty days run out completely."
โjay pauses. he lowers his gaze, staring down at sunghoon with a sharp, calculating glint in his dark eyes. the silence stretches between them, heavy and suffocating, punctuated only by the distant, muffled sounds of the city
โ"anything, huh?" jay murmurs, a slow, dangerous smile creeping back onto his face. it isn't the playful, sarcastic smirk from before, this one is calculating. "well... it just so happens i've been drowning in paperwork lately, and the higher ups are breathing down my neck about efficiency. you want a chance? fine. youโre going to work for it. congratulations, kid. you're my new intern."
โsunghoon blinks, completely caught off guard. "your... what?"
โ"my assistant," jay says, hopping down from the table and dusting off his jeans. "you're going to help me harvest. let's see if you actually have what it takes to appreciate a soul, since you threw yours around like trash."
every time jay tosses a casual, heartless comment over his shoulder, sunghoon feels a sick twist in his chest, realizing oh my god that was me. he is forced to swallow a bitter dose of his own medicine every single hour of the day, watching his own worst personality traits play out through an all powerful deity who loves to make his life miserable
โthe first time sunghoon accompanies jay on a call, the casual, rock listening, formula 1 watching reaper completely vanishes. the air in the room drops down to a freezing, bone-chilling temperature. sunghoon watches from the corner of a dimly lit hospital room as an elderly man takes his final, rattling breath
โsuddenly, a massive, terrifying energy fills the space. out of thin air, a colossal scythe materializes in jayโs hands. the blade is made of a dark, obsidian metal that seems to actively swallow the light around it, looking impossibly sharp and heavy. jayโs eyes completely change, they turn cold, ancient, and completely devoid of human emotion. with one swift, silent swing, jay cuts the silver thread of life, his expression completely blank, like an executioner doing a routine job
โsunghoonโs soul shivers violently, terror pinning him to the spot. this isn't the funny guy from the park, this is death itself
โ"don't just stand there gaping like an idiot, park," jayโs voice cuts through the freezing room, snapping sunghoon out of his trance. jayโs tone is sharp, commanding, and totally professional. "log it, now."
โsunghoonโs hands shake as he pulls out jayโs glowing digital ledger. his official duty as an assistant is incredibly grim. he has to type in the exact timestamp of the death, verify the soulโs legal identity, and press the glowing "confirm departure to afterlife" button to officially close out the case
โfor two excruciating weeks, this is sunghoonโs reality. two weeks of watching families scream in agony, two weeks of witnessing the abrupt end of human lives, and two weeks of logging souls into a cold, black screen. it feels like his own personal hell
every single confirmation he hits feels like a weight being added to his own soul, dragging him closer to the realization of just how fragile existence really is and every night, he thinks of you, wondering if his own name is about to pop up on that screen next
โby the fourteenth day, sunghoon is completely broken down, his spiritual form feeling heavy and exhausted from the emotional toll of the job
โtheir final call of the night takes them to a quiet, winding suburban street where a terrible car crash has just occurred. itโs a horrific echo of sunghoon's own accident. an elderly husband and wife are trapped inside the vehicle, their pulses fading rapidly as the sirens wail in the distance
โjay steps forward, the massive scythe appearing in his grip with a terrifying, familiar hum. sunghoon prepares himself, pulling out the ledger, his eyes fixed on the couple
โbut as jay steps closer, sunghoon notices something he hasn't seen on any other soul before
โstretching between the husband and the wife, glowing with a soft, ethereal light, is a thick silver thread. it doesn't look like the fragile, thin life cords jay cuts. this one is intricately woven, pulsing with a gentle, warm energy, binding their two chests together so tightly that even as their breathing slows, the light between them remains completely solid
โjay raises his scythe, cutting their life threads with two clean strokes. the coupleโs spirits gently rise from their bodies, immediately reaching out to hold each otherโs hands, their expressions peaceful, completely unfazed by the death around them because they are still together. the silver thread between them remains perfectly intact, pulling them closer as they float upward
โsunghoon stares at it, completely mesmerized. "jay... what is that? why didn't that thread break when you cut their life?"
โjay lets the scythe dissolve into smoke, his expression softening back into his usual, casual demeanor as he shoves his hands into his pockets. he watches the elderly couple fade into the night sky
โ"thatโs a soul bond, sunghoon," jay says softly, his tone completely lacking its usual sarcastic edge. "itโs a connection born from lifetime after lifetime of choosing each other. itโs the strongest magic in the universe. it ensures that no matter where they go, or what life they live, they will always find their way back to each other."
โsunghoonโs chest tightens with a sudden, suffocating ache. "do... do me and y/n have that?"
โjay turns around slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on sunghoonโs face. the pity is back, heavy and unyielding
โ"you did," jay whispers. "in fact, yours was one of the thickest, brightest silver bonds iโve ever seen. you two have been weaving it since the middle ages, sunghoon. it survived wars, plagues, and centuries of separation."
โsunghoon feels a spark of hope flare up in his chest, but jayโs next words completely douse it in ice water.
โ"but a soul bond isn't indestructible," jay continues, his voice dropping into a chillingly serious register. "it requires both sides to feed it. and for the past month, youโve been actively hacking away at it with your ego. when you broke your promise, when you chose someone else.. you started fraying the cord."
โjay steps closer, pointing directly at sunghoonโs chest. sunghoon looks down, and his heart stops
โthere, protruding from his chest, is a tiny, pathetic wisp of silver light. itโs incredibly thin, practically translucent, and the edges are fraying violently, looking like a piece of thread that is about to snap under the slightest bit of tension
โ"itโs almost gone," jay says bluntly. "and let me make one thing completely clear to you, park sunghoon. if that final strand snaps... itโs over, completely over. you won't just lose her in this life. you will never cross paths with y/n again. not in the next life, not in the afterlife, not in any universe. you will become complete strangers across eternity."
โsunghoon stares at the fraying thread, a cold, suffocating wave of pure panic crashing over him. three weeks have passed, youโre in europe. the thirty days are officially over. the bond is snapping right in front of his eyes, and he is still trapped as a ghost, totally helpless
the loud, frantic roar of racing engines echoes from jayโs phone screen, cutting through the heavy midnight air of the park
โsunghoon is sitting on the edge of the stone bench right next to him, his knees pulled up to his chest, his eyes completely glassy. jay is totally locked in, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, occasionally shouting at the tiny cars on the screen
sunghoon doesn't understand a single thing about formula 1. the bright flashes of red and silver cars taking tight corners mean absolutely nothing to him right now. to him, itโs just background noise to the absolute chaos screaming inside his own head
โhis mind is entirely stuck on that fraying, pathetic silver thread in his chest. itโs a constant, phantom itch, a terrifying visual reminder that he is actively slipping out of your universe
โafter what feels like hours of agonizing silence, sunghoon clears his raspy throat. "i want to fix it," he says, his voice barely a whisper, completely catching jay off guard
โjay doesn't hit pause this time, but he slowly lowers the phone, his sharp eyes cutting over to sunghoon through the dark. "fix what?"
โ"the thread. my bond with y/n," sunghoon says, turning his head to look directly into the reaper's eyes
all the fake bravado, the stubborn pride, the ego, itโs all been completely burned away. thereโs only raw, desperate determination left. "i want to make it whole again, i don't care what it takes."
โjay lets out a low, breathy sigh, locking his phone and shoving it into his hoodie pocket. the playful demeanor is gone instantly. "it's not that simple, sunghoon. fixing a broken soul bond isn't like taping a ripped piece of paper back together. itโs incredibly hard. it takes an agonizing amount of time, and honestly? the mental toll is brutal."
โ"i don't care," sunghoon snaps instantly, his voice cracking but firm. "i genuinely don't care if it takes a hundred years, jay. as long as i get to come back to her. as long as that thread is perfect again. i'll do whatever you tell me to do."
โjay stares at him for a long, heavy moment, trying to see if the kid is bluffing. but sunghoonโs gaze doesn't waver once.
โ"you're really serious about this, huh?" jay murmurs, a faint, almost respectful glint appearing in his dark eyes. he leans back against the picnic table, crossing his arms. "alright, let me lay out the actual reality for you. you and y/n? you guys aren't just a casual, one-time thing. youโve actually managed to successfully end up together in five different lifetimes before this one. five times you found each other, loved each other, and closed the loop perfectly."
โsunghoonโs breath hitches. five lifetimes.
โ"but because you completely wrecked the contract in this life," jay continues, pointing a sharp finger at sunghoonโs chest, "saving that thread is going to take a long time. half a year, to be exact. six months in human time."
โsunghoon frowns, his mind instantly racing back to his physical body. "wait... six months? but what about my body in the hospital? am i just going to be a vegetable for half a year?"
โjay lets out a dry, slightly mocking chuckle. "honestly, your physical injuries from the crash weren't even that bad. you shouldโve woken up from that coma like, two weeks ago. the doctors are completely baffled because medically, your brain is fine. but the catch is... youโre currently tied up in grim reaper business. because your soul is entangled with me and the ledger, your spirit is physically locked out of your own body. you can't go back until this contract is either fulfilled or permanently cancelled."
โsunghoon looks down at his transparent hands, a heavy wave of guilt washing over him. six months of making his friends worry, six months of being a ghost, six months of you being all the way across the world in europe, thinking heโs either dead or completely moved on
โ"it's fine," sunghoon whispers, closing his eyes tightly before looking back up at jay. "if half a year is what it takes to make sure i don't lose her forever, then i'll take it just tell me how to fix the thread."
โ"well, since youโre so eager to sign your life away again... let me tell you a little secret. that medieval battlefield i showed you? that wasn't even the beginning. you and y/n actually started weaving your very first connection all the way back in ancient greece."
โsunghoonโs eyes widen. "ancient greece?"
โ"yeah. you guys were just kids back then, standing inside this beautiful, crumbling stone temple," jay says, his voice drifting off like heโs reading a historical text from his mind. "you didn't make an official contract with a reaper back then, so there was no magic binding you but the sheer weight of your feelings for each other in that temple was so intense that it planted the seed for every single life that followed. youโve literally been running after her for thousands of years."
โthe image of a sun-drenched stone temple flashes faintly in sunghoonโs mind, giving him a strange, warm sensation in his chest but the warmth is immediately crushed by the reality of his current situation
โ"so... how do i fix it now?" sunghoon asks frantically. "what do i have to do with those past lives?"
โjay straightens up, his tone turning completely serious, the weight of a deity settling over his shoulders. "to repair a frayed bond, you have to heal the roots. iโm going to send your spirit back through time. youโre going to visit every single one of those past lives where you two existed. and your only job? you have to find her in each era, look her in the eyes, and genuinely ask for her forgiveness. you have to apologize for the arrogance, the broken promises, and the pain you caused her in this current life. every time you successfully heal a past version of your connection, a piece of that silver thread will knit itself back together."
โjay steps closer, his shadow looming over sunghoon. "but let me warn you, park sunghoon. it is not going to be an easy walk in the park. youโre going to experience the pain, the heartbreak, and the tragedies of those eras all over again. if you fail to make amends in even one of those timelines, the thread snaps instantly, and youโre gone. the risks are absolute."
โsunghoon stands up slowly, his spiritual form suddenly glowing a little brighter with pure, unyielding resolve. he looks at jay, his jaw clenched, his eyes completely steady
โ"i don't care about the risks," sunghoon says, his voice echoing with absolute certainty. "send me back, jay. i'll bear every single consequence, just let me fix what i broke."
instead of the whole double-blink routine, jay just casually reaches out and slaps a hand onto sunghoonโs shoulder
โthud
โthe sound doesn't even make sense because theyโre both spirits, but the moment jay's palm connects, the world violently glitches. the modern glass buildings of the hospital, the plastic benches, and the soft neon glow of the city streets completely unravel like loose threads on a sweater
right before sunghoonโs eyes, giant, towering white marble pillars shoot up into a sky so blindingly blue it actually hurts to look at. the air instantly transitions from the heavy, damp smell of car exhaust and city rain to something incredibly crisp salty sea breeze, blooming jasmine, and the faint, earthy scent of sun baked stone
โtheyโre still ghosts, completely invisible to the world, but sunghoon is entirely paralyzed by the sheer gravity of what just happened. his jaw drops as he looks around the bustling, sun-drenched center of an ancient greek city. people are walking past them dressed in flowing linen tunics, carrying clay pots and shouting out prices for fresh olives and figs at a nearby market
โ"holy crap," sunghoon breathes, his eyes wide as he looks down at his own outfit. he and jay are literally the only people wearing modern streetwear, sticking out like neon signs in a black-and-white movie. "jay, this is... you did this with a single tap? your powers are actually insane."
โjay just lets out a bored, dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes as he grabs the back of sunghoonโs hoodie and yanks him forward. "yeah, yeah, i'm a god, we get it. stop gaping like a tourist and move your legs, park. we aren't here to sightsee."
โjay drags him through the narrow, stone-paved alleys, steering him away from the busy market square until they stop in front of a modest, whitewashed courtyard house. sunghoon is about to ask what they're waiting for when the heavy wooden door bursts open
โa little boy, probably around seven years old, comes barreling out into the street, giggling like a maniac. heโs wearing a simple white tunic, his dark hair a messy, windblown nest. close behind him, an older woman steps into the doorway, wiping her hands on an apron as she yells exasperatedly down the street, calling out his name
โsunghoon's heart does a violent flip in his chest. that's me
โ"he looks so quiet and calm, but man, that kid was a menace," sunghoon mutters, watching his past self dodge a stray cart with effortless agility
โthe little boy sprints all the way down to a quiet, grassy cliffside park overlooking the deep blue sea. sitting on a smooth stone near the edge is a little girl, her small feet swinging back and forth. the moment she hears his footsteps, she turns around, a massive, bright smile breaking across her face
โsunghoon feels a sharp, emotional ache bloom right in the center of his chest. you look so familiar, even as a child, with those same bright, expressive eyes. the two kids immediately dive into a game of tag, laughing hysterically as they run around the ancient trees, completely oblivious to the two time traveling ghosts watching them from the shadows
โ"see? told you," jay says quietly, his voice unusually soft as he leans against a stone wall, arms crossed. "you two have been joined at the hip since the very beginning. you didn't just meet in a college lecture hall, sunghoon. you've been practicing loving her for centuries."
โbefore sunghoon can even fully process the sight of their childhood, jay grabs his shoulder again, pulling him backward into the shadow of a grand marble building
โthe world blurs into a dizzying streak of light and shadow. sunghoon watches the stones beneath his feet weather and crack, while the pillars of the nearby temple grow more solid, majestic, and weathered by time. jay is fast forwarding through the years like a video clip
โwhen the spinning finally stops, the sun is setting, casting a warm, golden-purple hue over the cliffside. standing right under the grand archway of the temple are two teenagers. they look about eighteen now
โsunghoon completely loses his breath. you are standing there, dressed in a soft, elegant palla that drapes beautifully over your shoulders. your hair is pinned back, and you look so breathtakingly beautiful that the modern sunghoon canโt even take his eyes off you. your past self is holding hands with the eighteen year old version of sunghoon, your fingers tightly laced together
โthe young couple walks into the quiet, candle lit temple. they kneel together before a smooth marble altar, their heads bowed
โ"please," your past voice echoes softly through the sacred space, sweet and filled with an intense, desperate sincerity. "if our time in this life is ever cut short... please let us find each other again. in the next life, in the world after that. don't let me forget him."
โthe teenage sunghoon presses a soft kiss to the back of your hand, his eyes filled with a fierce, unwavering devotion. "i won't ever forget you, y/n. i'll find you, i swear it."
โwatching this, the ghostly sunghoon feels a burning wave of shame wash over him. he broke that oath. he forgot, he treated that sacred, centuries old devotion like a minor inconvenience in the modern world
โ"no time to cry yet, captain," jayโs voice cuts through his spiral
โwith another quick flick of jayโs wrist, the scenery shifts one last time, the atmosphere instantly turning incredibly heavy, tense, and suffocating. the peaceful sunset is replaced by a gloomy, gray afternoon
โthey are standing outside the barracks. the eighteen year old sunghoon is now wearing heavy bronze armor, a polished helmet resting under his arm. his face is hardened, but his eyes are breaking as he stares down at you
โyou are crying. your shoulders are shaking violently as you clutch the edges of his bronze chestplate, your tears dripping onto the cold metal. youโre an absolute crybaby in this life too, your heart completely on your sleeve
โ"you have to come back," you sob, your voice cracking with an agonizing fear. "please, you promised me. you can't leave me here alone."
โ"i will come back to you, y/n. i swear on my life, i will return," the young soldier promises, though his own voice is trembling with the terrifying knowledge that he might be marching straight to his death
โ"alright, intern, this is your cue," jay says, his sharp voice dropping all the sarcastic weight. he steps up right behind sunghoon, pushing him forward toward the armored soldier. "go on. step into his skin, you have exactly one minute to make amends before the timeline locks. do not mess this up."
โsunghoon swallows the massive lump in his throat. his hands are shaking as he takes a hesitant step forward, aligning his spiritual form with the back of the young captain. with a strange, magnetic pull, his consciousness is violently slammed into the physical weight of the bronze armor.
โsuddenly, he can feel everything. the heavy, suffocating weight of the breastplate, the cold sweat dripping down his neck, and the raw, heartbreaking warmth of your small hands clutching his chest
โhe looks down. you are looking up at him through a thick veil of tears, your eyes full of a desperate, terrifying love. seeing you look at him like that without the anger, without the bitterness of their modern thirty day breakup completely shatters him. he misses you so deeply it physically hurts his chest
โwithout a second thought, sunghoon lunges forward, throwing his armored arms around your waist and pulling you flush against him. he buries his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling the sweet, familiar scent of your hair
โ"sunghoon...?" you gasp softly, caught off guard by the sheer, sudden desperation in his hold
โ"i'm sorry," sunghoon chokes out, his voice thick with raw emotion. he doesn't mention the modern world, he doesn't mention the grim reaper, or the fact that heโs from a future where he completely broke your heart. he just grips you tighter, as if he could physically hold your souls together. "y/n, i am so, so sorry for everything, for every time i'm going to make you cry, for being an arrogant idiot, for taking you for granted. please... please forgive me. iโm so sorry."
โyou blink through your tears, completely confused by his strange, overwhelming apology, but the pure sincerity in his voice melts any fear away. you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face in his shoulder
โ"i forgive you," you whisper softly against his skin, a tear rolling down onto his armor. "i will always forgive you, sunghoon. just come back to me."
โthe moment the words i forgive you leave your lips, a sudden, blinding jolt of electricity shoots straight through sunghoon's chest. he feels a strange warmth ignite in his core, and with a violent gasp, his spirit is forcibly ejected from the physical body, flying backward through the air
gasp
โsunghoonโs eyes fly open
โthe ancient marble temples are gone. the heavy bronze armor is gone. heโs sitting flat on his ass on the damp grass of the modern hospital park, the familiar, annoying hum of city traffic filling his ears
โhe touches his chest frantically. there, glowing just a tiny bit brighter than before, the frayed silver thread has knit a tiny section of itself back together. itโs still incredibly thin and fragile, but itโs no longer unraveling
โbut instead of feeling happy, an overwhelming wave of pure sadness and grief crashes over him. his eyes burn, and a heavy, painful breath hitches in his throat as he stares blankly at the grass. he feels so entirely spent, his chest aching with the residual heartbreak of a lifetime that wasn't even his own.
โ"jeez. look at you, already sulking," jayโs smooth, mocking voice floats down from above
โsunghoon looks up through blurry eyes. jay is standing on the stone picnic table, hands shoved casually in his hoodie pockets, staring down at him with an incredibly arrogant, unbothered smirk
โ"that was... that was so heavy, jay," sunghoon whispers, his voice trembling. "she was crying so hard... i hate seeing her cry like that."
โjay let out a dry, clicking sound with his tongue, slowly shaking his head as his smirk turns a bit colder. "man, you really are weak, aren't you? youโre crying over that? let me tell you something, assistant... that era was a walk in the park. you guys actually loved each other there. the real tragedies haven't even started yet. get your act together, because the next timeline is going to absolutely destroy you."
sunghoon takes a deep, ragged breath, trying to blink away the residual warmth of that ancient greek sunset. he forces himself to stand up on his shaky, translucent legs, wiping a hand across his face. his chest still feels bruised from the sheer emotional weight of your past self's tears, but looking at the glowing silver thread just a fraction more secure than it was five minutes ago he knows he canโt stop
โ"i'm ready," sunghoon says, his jaw tightening as he looks up at the grim reaper. "take me to the next one, jay. whatever it is, let's just get it over with."
โjay doesn't say a word this time. the teasing smirk is entirely gone, replaced by a cool, unreadable expression. he raises his hand, his thumb and middle finger aligning perfectly
click
โthe sharp sound echoes through the quiet hospital park, and the world folds in on itself instantly. the concrete pavement beneath sunghoonโs feet melts into highly polished, deep mahogany wood. the cool night breeze is instantly replaced by the heavy, suffocating scent of burning beeswax candles, aged parchment, and expensive lavender oil
โsunghoon blinks, completely disoriented. he isn't outside anymore. heโs standing in the middle of a massive, breathtaking corridor. towering arched windows stretch up toward a ceiling covered in intricate, gold leaf frescoes depicting mythical creatures and royal battles. huge, velvet drapes in royal navy hang from the walls, catching the soft, flickering light of a dozen iron chandeliers
โ"woah," sunghoon mutters, completely losing his train of thought as he turns around in a circle, staring blankly at the sheer luxury of the place. "this is... insane. what kind of palace is this?"
โsmack
โ"ow!" sunghoon yelps, rubbing the back of his shoulder where jay had just hard palmed him.
โ"stop daydreaming, tourist," jay groans, rolling his eyes as he starts walking down the long hallway, his boots making absolutely no sound on the pristine floor. "we aren't architectural critics. keep your eyes open. weโre looking for you, remember?"
โsunghoon quickly scrambles to catch up, his modern sweatpants and hoodie looking hilariously out of place against the medieval luxury. they wander through a maze of winding corridors, passing silent guards standing at attention who don't even blink as the two ghosts glide right past them
โfinally, at the end of a secluded wing of the castle, they spot a tall figure walking with a heavy, commanding stride
โsunghoon freezes. the man is wearing a structured, deep charcoal uniform trimmed with silver embroidery, a heavy steel sword sheathed at his hip. his hair is pushed back neatly, exposing a sharp, unyielding jawline. he carries himself with an terrifying amount of authority. the kind of presence that makes people move out of the way without him saying a single word
โ"the grand commander of the royal guard," jay whispers from behind sunghoon, his tone casual but informative. "rumored to be the strongest, most ruthless warrior of this entire kingdom. nobody dared to cross his path. well... nobody except one person."
โthe past sunghoon stops in front of a pair of massive, towering oak doors. he pushes them open quietly, stepping inside what looks like a grand, multi level royal library. sunghoon and jay follow closely behind, slipping through the closing doors like smoke
โthe library is warm, lit by the golden glow of a massive fireplace. and there, sitting at a long wooden table buried under a literal mountain of thick leather-bound books and scrolls, is you
โthe moment your past self hears the heavy click of his boots, you look up. a brilliant, radiant smile breaks across your face, erasing all the stress of your studying. you slide out of your chair so fast you almost knock over an inkwell, running straight into the past sunghoonโs arms. you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face in his silver trimmed collar
โhe catches you effortlessly, his arms winding around your waist, pulling you so close thereโs absolutely no space left between you. the ruthless commander completely melts, his face softening into an expression of pure, unadulterated adoration
โ"i missed you," your past self murmurs, your voice muffled against his shoulder. "you were gone for three whole days, my love."
โ"i know, princess. iโm sorry. the northern border took longer than expected," the past sunghoon whispers back, his voice dropping into a deep, gentle register that the modern sunghoon recognizes all too well
โstanding in the shadows, the modern sunghoonโs spirit flinches. they were already together. they were deeply, hopelessly in love
โ"she was the daughter of one of the castle's kitchen maids," jay explains quietly, watching the couple sway slightly in the firelight. "grew up in the servants' quarters, but she had a brilliant mind. she practically lived in this library, teaching herself languages, history, and science. she was easily the smartest girl in the entire kingdom. thatโs why you fell for her."
โsunghoon stares at your past self, a bittersweet ache tightening his chest. she's exactly the same, he thinks. even in the modern world, y/n was always the smart one. you were always the one staying up late to study for midterms, the one who tried to help him with his essays, the one whose brain he always admired, even when his stubborn ego refused to admit it out loud. some things never change across lifetimes
โ"alright, dynamic duo, time to move," jay says, breaking the spell.
โhe grabs sunghoonโs wrist, dragging him backward through the solid stone wall of the library. the scenery violently blurs again, the golden firelight stretching into long lines of light before snapping into total darkness
โwhen the world solidifies, the heavy castle walls are gone. instead, the air smells like woodsmoke, pine trees, and fresh dew. the sky above is a brilliant canvas of thousands of stars, completely unpolluted by city lights
โthey are in the middle of a secluded forest clearing. a small, crackling campfire throws dancing orange shadows over a small canvas tent. sitting on a thick woolen blanket right by the fire are the past sunghoon and you. heโs wrapped a heavy fur cloak around your shoulders, and youโre leaning back against his chest, animatedly talking about a passage in a book you had just finished reading, your hands gesturing wildly in the air
โthe past sunghoon isn't even looking at the fire. heโs just staring down at your face, completely transfixed by the way your eyes light up when you're passionate about something. he reaches up, gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear
โ"i mean it, sunghoon," your past self says softly, turning your head slightly to look up at him, your expression turning serious under the starlight. "no matter what happens... promise me we stay together. promise me you won't let the court politics pull you away."
โ"i promise, my love," the commander says fiercely, pressing a firm, desperate kiss to the crown of your head. "i will never leave your side. iโd burn the whole kingdom to the ground before i let them take you from me."
โthe modern sunghoon lets out a shaky breath, covering his mouth with his hand. another promise. another sacred oath he ended up breaking in the future
โ"turn around," jayโs voice drops all the warmth, turning completely flat and freezing cold. "the fast forward is over."
โsunghoon turns around slowly, his heart sinking into his stomach. the beautiful forest clearing dissolves into a dark, damp, terrifying space. the smell of pine is replaced by the sickening, suffocating stench of rotting straw, mold, and rusted iron
โthey are standing in the subterranean dungeons beneath the palace. and there, locked inside a cramped, filthy iron cage, is you
โsunghoonโs soul violently shudders. your beautiful dress is torn and stained with dirt. your hair is a matted mess, and your eyes are completely swollen and bloodshot from hours of crying. you look so incredibly frail, shivering against the cold stone floor, curling yourself into a tight ball
โoutside the cell, the past version of sunghoon is standing there, his hands gripping the iron bars so tightly his knuckles are completely white, bleeding from where the rusted metal cuts into his skin. tears are streaming openly down his face, his ruthless commander facade completely shattered
โ"why?" the ghost of sunghoon whispers, his voice trembling with a terrifying panic. "jay, what happened? what did they do to her?!"
โ"the royal council," jay says bluntly, his eyes fixed on the heartbreaking scene. "they found out about her intelligence. a servant girl who knew more about science and medicine than the court doctors? they called it heresy. they accused her of practicing witchcraft, claiming she used dark magic to bewitch the grand commander. theyโre going to execute her, sunghoon."
โ"no... no, she was just studying books! she didn't do anything wrong!" sunghoon roars, trying to lunge toward the cell, but jay grabs his shoulder, his grip tightening like a vise
โ"the guards are coming down the corridor in exactly two minutes to take her to the gallows," jay barks, his tone dead serious as he shoves sunghoon toward the crying commander. "this is your only shot, get in there and make it right before she dies."
โsunghoon doesn't even hesitate. he throws his spirit forward, slamming violently into the physical body of his past self
โthe transition is agonizing. suddenly, the phantom pain in his chest turns into a real, suffocating heartbreak. his throat burns with the metallic taste of his own tears, and the cold iron bars feel freezing against his palms
โhe looks through the bars. you look up at the sound of his ragged breathing, your swollen eyes filling with a fresh wave of tears when you see him
โ"sunghoon..." you sob, crawling toward the bars on your hands and knees, your weak fingers reaching through the gaps. "i'm scared. please... i didn't do anything. i swear i didn't use black magic. i just wanted to learn..."
โthe modern sunghoon feels his soul literally breaking into a million pieces. he has never felt so utterly powerless in his entire existence. heโs the strongest commander in the kingdom, but he can't even unlock a stupid iron door to save the girl he loves
โhe reaches his large, calloused hands through the iron bars, gently cupping your dirty, tear-stained face. his thumbs softly wipe away the fresh tears spilling over your cheeks, ignoring the way the cold iron bruises his wrists.
โ"i know, i know, princess," sunghoon chokes out, his voice a broken, desperate sob as he leans his forehead against the freezing bars, staring into your eyes. "iโm so sorry. y/n, i am so incredibly sorry. i couldn't protect you... i failed you. please... please forgive me for being so useless. for every piece of pain iโve ever caused you, in this life and every life after... i'm sorry."
โyou lean into the warmth of his palms, closing your eyes as more tears spill over his fingers. even in the face of your own execution, you don't hold a single ounce of bitterness toward him
โ"i forgive you," you whisper, your voice a fragile, beautiful thread in the dark dungeon. "i will always forgive you, sunghoon. don't look at me with such sad eyes... we promised, remember? under the stars. we will find each other again. i'll wait for you in the next life."
โ"i'll find you," sunghoon promises, his heart breaking entirely as the loud, echoing sound of guards' boots starts to rumble down the stone corridor. "i swear on my soul, y/n, i will find you and i will hold onto you next time."
the violent jolt of electricity rips through his entire being, but strangely, this time sunghoonโs spirit doesn't get violently ejected from the body. he doesn't fly backward into a vortex of comfortable darkness
โhe is still firmly locked inside the heavy, suffocating skin of the grandcommander
โthe heavy iron latch of the dungeon doors rattles open, the sound echoing ominously down the damp stone corridor. sunghoonโs past body stands there, frozen, his hands still gripping the cold bars of your cell. a younger soldier, pale faced and trembling under the weight of his armor, steps into the dim torchlight, his eyes fixed firmly on the floor
โ"commander," the soldier whispers, his voice shaking. "everything... everything is ready. the king and queen have ordered the procession. itโs time."
โsunghoonโs mind is spinning in pure, unadulterated panic. why am i still in here? jay! jay, get me out of here! he screams internally, trying to force his consciousness to detach, but nothing happens. his physical mouth, acting on a lifetime of rigid military discipline, simply lets out a low, hollow sound. "understood."
โthe cell doors are unlocked, and two heavy handed guards drag your past self out into the corridor. you don't fight them, you're too weak, your frail frame shivering as the dirty linen of your white dress drags across the filthy stone floor. but as they pull you past him, your swollen, tear-filled eyes lock onto his face one last time
the transition from the dark, quiet bowels of the castle to the blinding light of the palace square happens too fast
โthe air is thick, suffocatingly hot, and vibrating with the deafening, monstrous roar of a bloodthirsty crowd. hundreds of angry citizens are packed into the stone plaza, throwing rotten vegetables and rocks, their faces contorted into ugly, twisted masks of hatred. up on the high royal balcony, the king and queen sit on their lavish velvet thrones, looking down with cold, indifferent eyes
โ"burn the witch!"
"she brought the plague upon our cattle!"
"spawn of the devil!"
โthe screams tear through sunghoonโs ears like physical knives. his past body is forced to march forward, taking its place at the very front of the royal guard, directly facing the massive wooden stake constructed in the center of the square
โhe watches in absolute, paralyzed horror as the guards roughly lift your small body up, binding your wrists and ankles to the heavy timber frames. you look so incredibly small against the massive wood. you look out into the crowd, your terrified gaze desperately searching until you find him standing there in his silver trimmed armor
โand then, a torch is dropped into the dry straw at your feet
โwhoosh
โthe flames erupt instantly, a roaring wall of bright orange and choking black smoke devouring the wooden stake
โsunghoon feels a physical sensation like a massive, clawed hand wrapping around his actual heart and squeezing it until it bursts. the sheer, unyielding agony of watching you, the girl he loved across centuries, the girl who just wanted to read books and hold his hand under the stars being consumed by fire is too much for his mind to handle. a silent, broken scream tears through his throat, but his past body remains frozen at attention, forced to watch the execution
โhis knees buckle. the armor feels like it weighs a million pounds. his vision starts to fray at the edges, spinning into a dizzying kaleidoscope of fire and smoke until the entire world finally collapses into pitch blackness
gasp
โsunghoonโs eyes fly open, his chest heaving violently as he sucks in a massive breath of modern, humid city air
โthe smell of burning wood and smoke is gone, instantly replaced by the familiar, synthetic scent of hospital bleach. heโs back. heโs sitting flat on his ass on the damp grass of the modern park, his hands trembling so violently he can barely press them against the ground to keep himself steady
โhot, heavy tears are streaming openly down his face, dripping off his sharp jawline and soaking into his modern black hoodie. he doesn't even care about his pride anymore. he buries his face in his hands, letting out a jagged, pathetic sob that echoes through the quiet midnight park
โ"man, you really are a total crybaby," a smooth, completely unbothered voice floats down from above
โsunghoon pulls his hands away from his face, his vision blurry with tears. jay is sitting casually on top of the concrete picnic table, his legs swinging back and forth. heโs holding a little strawberry milk carton, sipping lazily from a tiny plastic straw while watching sunghoon like heโs an entertaining movie
โ"she... they burned her, jay," sunghoon chokes out, aggressively wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, though the tears just keep coming. "i had to watch it, i had to feel it. i couldn't do anything, i was the grand commander and i couldn't even save her."
โjay takes a slow sip of his milk, letting out a soft, clicking sound with his tongue as he shakes his head. "yeah, well, history is messy like that. and honestly? youโre being completely dramatic. that was just lifetime number two. human history isn't a fairy tale, kid."
โsunghoon stands up on shaky legs, his head spinning from the residual emotional trauma of the dungeon. "i can't," he whispers, his voice cracking entirely as he stares at the glowing silver thread in his chest, which has only knit itself a tiny bit more. "jay, i don't think i can handle seeing her die again. i don't want to see her hurt itโs ripping my soul apart. i want to stop, let me just end it."
โjay stops swinging his legs. he lowers the milk carton, his sharp, dark eyes narrowing as a cold, dangerous aura instantly replaces his casual demeanor. the mocking smirk vanishes
โ"you want to quit?" jay asks, his voice dropping into a lethal, low whisper that makes the air around them freeze. "sure, go ahead. the portal to your body is right there. iโll just cancel the contract right now but letโs be entirely clear about what that means, park sunghoon."
โjay hops down from the table, landing silently in front of sunghoon, his shadow swallowing him whole
โ"the second i delete this file, that wisp of silver thread in your chest snaps permanently. you will never see y/n again. she will finish her degree in europe, she will meet someone else, she will live her life, and when you both die, your souls will pass each other in the ether like complete strangers. you will erase thousands of years of devotion because you can't handle a little bit of pain. so go ahead, walk away."
โsunghoon stands frozen, the words hitting him like physical blows
โstrangers across eternity
โthe thought of you forgetting him, the thought of never seeing your smile, never hearing your voice, never having the right to hold your hand in any universe ever again hurts infinitely worse than the fire in the palace square. itโs a cold, hollow, terrifying kind of pain that shakes him to his very core
โhe looks down at his hands, then closes them into tight fists. the frustration, the grief, and the fear melt down into a hard, unyielding desperation. he took you for granted in this life. he broke your heart for a girl who didn't even care about him. he deserved this torment. he needed to pay the price
โsunghoon raises his head, looking directly into the grim reaperโs ancient eyes. the tears are still wet on his cheeks, but his gaze is completely steady
โ"no," sunghoon says, his voice losing its tremor, hardening with pure resolve. "i'm not giving up."
โjay tilts his head, a faint, slow smirk creeping back onto his lips. "oh? changed your mind already?"
โ"send me to the next one," sunghoon demands, stepping closer, his ghostly form radiating a frantic, manic energy. "i don't care if itโs worse, i don't care if it destroys me. i'll watch whatever i have to watch, and i'll take whatever punishment you have. just send me back i'm going to fix our thread."
โjay lets out a low, amused chuckle, throwing the empty milk carton into a nearby trash can with perfect accuracy.
"the next one is going to be way more interesting, honestly," jay says, a little glint of amusement in his eyes as he plays with the stray strings of his hoodie. "not quite as terrifying as getting torched in a public square. well... maybe. depends on how you look at it."
โsunghoon just lets out a heavy, exhausted sigh, dropping his chin to his chest. his whole body feels drained, the phantom smell of smoke still clinging to the edges of his mind. he shuts his eyes tight, trying to brace himself for the impact of another world, another heartbreak
when he tilts his head back up, the humid night air of the hospital park is completely gone
โthereโs no violent jolt this time. the transition is smooth, almost elegant, like a watercolor painting bleeding into a new canvas. sunghoon blinks, realizing heโs standing inside a massive, sun-drenched bedroom. the architecture screams the height of the renaissance era. intricate wooden carvings on a giant four poster bed, thick velvet curtains in rich burgundy blocking out the midday sun, and beautiful, fresh oil paintings drying on easels in the corner. everything feels deeply tied to art and beauty, the whole atmosphere dripping with wealth and culture
โ"looks like we spawned in your old room," jay murmurs, casually leaning his back against a massive marble fireplace, looking completely unbothered by the sudden shift in centuries. "not a bad setup, honestly. you were loaded."
โbefore sunghoon can even take a step to examine the room, the heavy muffled sound of angry shouting drifts up through the floorboards. itโs coming from the grand parlor downstairs
โjay tilts his head toward the door, a faint smirk returning to his face. "sounds like a family meeting. letโs go eavesdrop."
โthe two spirits glide through the solid wooden door and descend the sweeping marble staircase. down in the parlor, a young version of sunghoon is standing stiffly in the center of the room, dressed in tailored, expensive renaissance garments. his expression is completely frozen, his jaw clenched as an older, aristocratic man and a woman draped in silk pace around him, their voices dripping with absolute fury
โsunghoon and jay stand in the corner, blending into the shadows as they listen to the argument
โ"you have a duty to this family, sunghoon!" his past father roars, slamming a heavy ringed hand onto a mahogany table. "she is the daughter of a duke! the alliance is perfect! you cannot keep turning these offers down!"
โ"i don't care about the alliance," the past sunghoon says, his voice quiet but incredibly stubborn, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor. "i will not marry someone i do not love."
โstanding in the shadows, the ghostly sunghoon watches his past self with a strange mix of pride and frustration. jay lets out a soft, mocking chuckle right next to his ear, crossing his arms. "man, the you in this life was kind of an idiot, wasn't he? thatโs literally the third arrangement heโs turned down. total hopeless romantic. he was actively ruining his family name for a girl he hadn't even met properly yet."
โbefore the argument downstairs can escalate any further, jay casually claps his hands together once
โcrack
โthe sound echoes like a gunshot through the room, and the angry voices of his parents instantly melt away. the dark parlor expands, exploding into a blinding sea of golden light, classical violin music, and the low, elegant chatter of hundreds of wealthy guests
โthey are suddenly standing right in the middle of a lavish, decadent wedding reception. crystal chandeliers hang from the high ceilings, and tables are overflowing with expensive wine and exotic fruits
โand right in front of them, standing at the center of the ballroom, are the past sunghoon and y/n
โsunghoon completely loses his breath, his eyes locking onto you. you are wearing a breathtaking, cream colored satin gown embroidered with delicate silver threads that catch the candlelight every time you move. your hair is intricately braided, and you look so completely radiant, so stunningly beautiful, that the ghostly sunghoon entirely freezes in his tracks. his mind goes totally blank. he just stares, his chest aching with a sudden, overwhelming surge of love and longing
โheโs completely stuck, entirely hypnotized by the sight of you laughing at something his past self whispered in your ear
โ"hey, space cadet, stop drooling," jay grunts, reaching out and roughly yanking sunghoon backward by the arm before he can try to touch you. "we don't have time for you to stare. let's move it."
โwith that harsh tug, the bustling wedding ballroom blurs into a streak of gold and white. the loud music fades, replaced by the gentle chirping of cicadas and the soft, cool breeze of a late evening
โwhen the world settles, they are standing in a manicured, private garden attached to a massive villa. the past sunghoon and you are sitting together on a stone bench under a canopy of blooming white roses. youโre leaning your head against his shoulder, your fingers intertwined with his. the atmosphere is peaceful, dripping with an domestic warmth that sunghoon hasn't felt in a very long time
โ"i still can't believe your father finally gave in," you murmur softly, a gentle smile playing on your lips as you look out over the dark garden
โ"he didn't have a choice," the past sunghoon replies, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. "i told him iโd leave the estate completely if i couldn't have you. i just want a quiet life, y/n. a happy, harmonious family with you. thatโs all iโve ever wanted."
โwatching them, the ghostly sunghoon feels a sudden ray of hope flare up in his chest. a huge, relieved smile spreads across his face. there's no tragedy here, he thinks frantically, his heart beating fast. we actually made it. we got married, weโre happy, there are no executioners or wars.
"jay, look!" sunghoon whispers excitedly, turning to the reaper. "there's no test here! we're actually fine in this one!"
โjay just lets out a low, dark chuckle, a look of profound pity crossing his sharp features. "man, you really are naive, aren't you?" jay raises a single finger, pointing toward a smaller, dark structure at the edge of the estate. "you forgot who i am, assistant. death always collects."
โjay flicks his wrist, and the beautiful, moonlit rose garden instantly rots away. the sweet smell of flowers transitions into the sharp, sickeningly familiar scent of herbal medicines, damp sheets, and cold sweat
โthey are back in the massive bedroom from before, but the sun is completely gone, replaced by a single, flickering candle on the nightstand
โlying in the center of the giant bed is the past sunghoon but he looks completely unrecognizable. the broad-shouldered, strong young man from the garden has shrunk, his body frail, gaunt, and completely drained of life. his skin is a sickly, pale gray, his breathing coming out in shallow, rattling gasps. an epidemic had swept through the city, and his wealth couldn't save him
โkneeling right by the bedside, clutching his cold, trembling hand against her cheek, is you. you are sobbing uncontrollably, your shoulders shaking as your tears soak into the linen sheets
โ"you can't leave me," you weep, your voice a broken, desperate mess. "sunghoon, please... we were supposed to grow old here. you promised me a quiet life, please don't go."
โ"i'll... i'll find you again," the dying sunghoon gasps out, his voice incredibly weak, his eyes struggling to stay open as he stares at your face. "i promise... i'll look for you in the next world..."
โ"heโs flatlining, intern," jayโs voice cuts through the heartbreaking room, sharp and urgent. "get in there before his soul detaches, you have less than a minute."
โsunghoon doesn't even think. the pure agony of seeing you cry over his dying body pushes him forward, and he throws his spirit straight into the frail, cold physical form on the bed
โthe moment his consciousness hooks into the body, a suffocating, crushing weight slams into his chest. he can barely breathe. every single gasp feels like inhaling liquid fire, his lungs completely failing him. his throat feels tight, dry, and absolutely paralyzed
โbut looking at you kneeling there, your face completely ruined by grief, he forces his weak, trembling fingers to squeeze yours back
โ"y/n..." sunghoon chokes out, his voice a raspy, breathless whisper
โyou gasp, looking up through your thick veil of tears, locking eyes with him. "sunghoon? oh my god, sunghoon, stay with me, pleaseโ"
โ"i'm sorry," he interrupts, his voice breaking as the suffocating pressure in his chest tightens, stealing his oxygen. he can feel his life slipping away by the second, the coldness creeping up his limbs. "y/n... i am so sorry for everything... for breaking my promises... for leaving you alone like this. please... please forgive me."
โyou shake your head frantically, pressing his weak hand against your lips, kissing his knuckles as your tears stream down his skin. "there's nothing to forgive! i love you, i will always love you! please just don't close your eyes!"
โ"i'm sorry..." sunghoon whispers one last time, a tear finally escaping his own eye, rolling down his pale cheek.
โwith that final apology, the last bit of air leaves his lungs. his heart gives one final, weak shudder before completely stopping.
โthe moment his physical eyes glaze over, you let out a blood-curdling, agonizing scream of pure grief, a sound so loud and full of despair that it vibrates through the entire room
โboom
โthe sheer force of your heartbreak, combined with the sudden death of the body, violently rejects sunghoonโs spirit. he is forcibly slammed backward, ripped right out of the physical flesh with a terrifying velocity. the bedroom, the candles, and your heartbreaking screams instantly dissolve into a roaring vortex of wind, spinning him around in total darkness until his feet violently connect with something solid
โgasp
โsunghoon hits the ground hard, tumbling onto the damp grass of the modern hospital park. his chest is heaving as he frantically sucks in the clean night air, his hands clutching at his shirt right over his heart. the agonizing suffocation of the sickness is gone, but his soul feels completely shattered, his mind still echoing with that final, devastating scream you let out over his corpse
"the next one is officially the worst," jay says, his voice losing every single ounce of its usual sarcastic bite. he lets out a low, heavy breath, looking at sunghoon with a level of dead seriousness that makes the cold air in the park feel even more suffocating. "it's the most tragic out of all of them, honestly. you need to actually pull yourself together for this one, park. if your mental state fractures, we're done."
โsunghoon takes a ragged breath, pressing the palms of his hands against his knees to stop the violent shaking. his soul still feels entirely bruised from hearing that final, echoing scream in the renaissance bedroom, but he forces his jaw to clench. "i'm fine. i can handle it, just send me."
โjay stares at him for a long, quiet beat, checking for any signs of bluffing. finally, he sighs and gestures to the empty space on the concrete bench right next to him. "just calm down for a second. relax your shoulders. sit down."
โsunghoon reluctantly slides onto the cold stone bench, his chest heaving. "now what?"
โ"now, close your eyes," jay instructs softly.
โthe second sunghoonโs eyelids flutter shut, the distant sound of city traffic completely dies out
โwhen he opens his eyes a fraction of a second later, the transition is incredibly jarring. the hard concrete bench is gone. instead, heโs sitting on a rough, weathered wooden bench right at the edge of a bustling, dusty dirt road. the air instantly hits his nose, the sharp, pungent scent of fermented radishes, dried fish, fresh straw, and the smoky haze of wood burning stoves
โeverywhere he looks, people are moving around in traditional, vibrant hanboks. heavy wooden carts pulled by oxen are rattling past, and merchants are loudly shouting out their prices for silk fabrics and clay pots
โ"joseon era," sunghoon mutters, blinking rapidly as his modern sneakers rest in the dirt. he looks down at his own casual clothes, then looks around the busy marketplace. "wait... am i like, a poor peasant or something in this life? why are we spawning near a crowded market?"
โjay, who is casually leaning against a nearby wooden pillar with his arms crossed, lets out a dry, mocking laugh. "peasant? you wish. look over there across the square. see that incredibly annoying guy surrounded by a literal horde of women?"
โsunghoon blinks, shifting his gaze toward a large silk merchant's stall
โstanding in the center of a giggling, blushing crowd of young noblewomen is a young man dressed in an incredibly expensive, pristine royal blue banyongpo. heโs holding a hand painted paper fan, tilting his head with an effortlessly smooth, devastatingly handsome smirk as he delivers a smooth comment to a girl who looks like sheโs about to faint
sunghoonโs jaw drops. itโs him
โand just like that, despite the absolute trauma of the last three timelines, sunghoonโs massive, modern day ego instantly flares back to life. a smug, satisfied smirk crawls onto his face. "well... can you really blame them? i mean, look at me. even in ancient history, the face card never declines. i was a total visual."
โjay looks like he wants to violently throw himself into the nearest river. he rolls his eyes so hard it looks painful, letting out a heavy, disgusted groan. "oh my god, shut up. this is exactly why the universe punished you. you were famously known for being breathtakingly handsome in this era, yes, but you were also a certified, arrogant prick. you walked around like you owned the entire peninsula."
โjay grabs sunghoonโs shoulder, dragging his spirit away from the crowded market square and leading him down a quieter, winding alleyway lined with beautiful, weeping willow trees. they stop right in front of a grand, multi-storied building decorated with bright silk lanterns and beautiful wooden screens. the faint, elegant sound of a gayageum plucking a slow melody drifts through the air
โ"a courtesan house?" sunghoon asks, raising an eyebrow
โ"just watch," jay murmurs, pointing through the open wooden shatters of a private upper room
โsitting on a silk cushion, pouring hot tea into a delicate porcelain cup, is a woman. her back is turned to them, her long, glossy dark hair braided perfectly down her back with a rich crimson ribbon. even just from the silhouette of her shoulders and the elegant, graceful slope of her neck, she looks stunning
โthen, she turns her head slightly to order a servant away
โsunghoonโs heart stops
โyou look absolutely ethereal in a pale pink chima and a white jeogori, your sharp, expressive eyes piercing right through the room
โ"she was the most famous woman in the district," jay explains quietly, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "incredibly beautiful, but notoriously fierce and sharp-tongued. she absolutely detested arrogant, smooth-talking noblemen, and she had zero patience for men who lacked substance. basically... she was your worst nightmare, which made you completely obsessed with her."
โsunghoon feels a sudden, intense wave of curiosity washing over him. "how did we even start talking? jay, fast forward it. i want to see how i managed to win her over if she hated me so much."
โ"fine, but don't blink," jay says.
โsuddenly, a sharp gust of wind sweeps through the courtyard, sending a stray, crisp green willow leaf flying straight toward sunghoonโs face. he instinctively raises his hand, brushing the leaf away from his eyes
โby the time his hand drops, the scenery has completely shifted. the bright daylight has faded into a deep, hazy twilight
โthey are now inside a secluded, private pavilion surrounded by blooming lotus ponds. and right there, leaning against the wooden railing, are the past sunghoon and you but you aren't fighting. in fact, the past sunghoon is leaning in incredibly close, his fingers gently brushing against your jawline, his eyes dripping with a smooth, heavy flirtatiousness
โyouโre smirking back, your eyes locked onto his lips, delivering a sharp, witty comeback that makes him let out a low, breathy laugh. and before the modern sunghoon can even process the dialogue, his past self lunges forward, pulling you flush against his chest and burying his lips into yours in a deep, intensely passionate kiss. your hands instantly tangle into the fabric of his expensive robes, pulling him closer
โstanding a few feet away, jayโs face immediately contorts into total disgust. "okay, nope. we are moving past this. i am not watching this."
โ"wait, wait! jay, don't!" sunghoon yells frantically, his eyes wide as he tries to swat jay's hand away from the portal. "don't fast-forward yet! let me watch for a second! i haven't seen her like this, let me just look at herโ"
โsmack
โ"ow!" sunghoon yelps, clutching the back of his head where jay had just delivered a firm, unbothered slap
โ"you are a literal pervert, park," jay groans, his expression completely judging him. "we are here to save your soul bond, not watch your past self's romance tape. move your head."
โwhen sunghoon looks back up, rubbing his sore skull, the lotus pond is gone
โnow, they are standing in a hidden, quiet courtyard behind a massive estate. the sun is shining brightly, and the air is filled with the sharp, rhythmic clack-clack of wooden practice swords hitting each other
โthe past sunghoon is standing right behind you, his large hands wrapped securely over yours as he guides your grip on a wooden sword. heโs adjusting your stance, his chest pressed against your back, a massive, soft, genuinely happy smile on his face
youโre laughing hysterically every time you mess up a form, turning around to playfully poke him in the ribs with the blunt tip of the weapon. they look so incredibly light. so completely, hopelessly happy
โ"enjoy it while it lasts," jayโs voice suddenly drops into that freezing, dark tone, cutting through the beautiful laughter like ice water. "because the tragedy is officially here."
โ"no, wait, can't we just stay here for a minute?" sunghoon begs, his chest instantly tightening with an anxious, suffocating panic. "just let me watch us be happy for a little bit longer, jay, pleaseโ"
โsmack
โjay slaps the back of his head one more time, completely ignoring his pleas. "open your eyes, assistant. look at what you actually did."
โthe beautiful, sunny courtyard instantly dissolves into a suffocating, heavy gloom. the happy laughter is cut short, replaced by the sound of raw, agonizing, breathless sobbing
โsunghoon looks around, his heart sinking right into his stomach. they are inside a dark, secluded library room. standing in the corner, clutching you tightly against his chest like heโs trying to merge your bodies together, is the past sunghoon
โyou are crying so hard you can barely draw a full breath, your small hands tightly bunching up the blue silk of his robes, your face buried in his shoulder as your whole body shivers with grief
โ"i'm sorry... y/n, i am so sorry," the past sunghoon whispers, his own voice cracking completely, tears tracking down his handsome face. "the king... my father... he officially announced it to the court today. the royal decree has been signed. i am being forced into an arranged marriage with the princess of the neighboring province. the wedding is next week."
โstanding in the shadows, the modern sunghoonโs spirit instantly erupts into pure, frantic rage. he turns around to jay, his face red, his fists clenched tight as he storms up to the reaper
โ"are you kidding me?!" sunghoon roars, gesturing wildly at the crying couple. "why does this keep happening?! a princess?! how beautiful could this stupid princess even be that my parents are completely ruining our lives for her?! i don't want to marry her! why am i doing this?!"
โjay just stands there, completely bewildered, raising his eyebrows at sunghoonโs sudden outburst. "bro, why the hell are you yelling at me? i didn't arrange the marriage. blame your ancient joseon parents, not the grim reaper. also, she's a princess, itโs about land and power, not a beauty pageant. stop shouting."
โsunghoonโs chest is heaving with anger and heartbreak, his eyes darting back to your sobbing form. the reality of the tragedy is setting in, and he can feel the heavy, magnetic pull of the timeline demanding him to step into the body
"this is where it gets really ugly," jay says, his voice losing every single ounce of its usual detached composure. he actually sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks down at the dusty floorboards of the library. "even for a grim reaper... this part of your history is hard to watch. you need to brace yourself, park. seriously."
โsunghoonโs anger evaporates instantly, replaced by a cold, sickening dread that pools right in his stomach. he looks at your past self, still clinging to his robes, sobbing like her world is ending. he just nods numbly, swallowing the dry lump in his throat. "i told you. i'm not backing down."
โjay doesn't waste another second. he raises his hand
โclick
โthe dark, quiet library fractures instantly. the smooth smell of old books and your sweet floral scent are violently ripped away, replaced by the suffocating, metallic stench of fresh copper, wet mud, and the terrifying, heavy atmosphere of an execution ground
โsunghoonโs spirit stumbles as the world solidifies. they are standing in the massive stone courtyard of the royal palace under a dark, weeping gray sky. hundreds of soldiers in heavy iron armor form a tight, impenetrable wall around the perimeter, their spears held high. at the far end, sitting on elevated wooden thrones, the king and queen look down with expressions of absolute, chilling disgust
โand right there, in the dead center of the cold stone floor, you are on your knees
โsunghoonโs soul goes into a frantic, chaotic panic. your hands are tied tightly behind your back with thick hemp rope, your beautiful pink chima torn, dragged through the mud, and stained with dark crimson streaks. you look so fragile, so completely stripped of your usual fierce, sharp tongued energy
"jay! what is this?! what happened?!" sunghoon screams, his voice cracking as he tries to lunge toward you, but his ghostly hands pass right through the air. "we were just in the library! why is she on the floor?!"
โjay steps up beside him, his sharp eyes dark and unusually heavy with grim pity. "you two tried to run," he explains quietly, the wind whipping his modern black hoodie around his frame. "the night before the royal wedding, you abandoned your title, stole two horses, and tried to smuggle her out of the province. but the kingโs scouts tracked you down at the border. and because youโre the beloved prince, the royal court couldn't execute you. so they put the entire blame on her. they claimed she was a seductress who bewitched the royal bloodline."
โbefore sunghoon can even digest the horror of jay's words, the booming, heartless voice of the king echoes across the courtyard, cutting through the heavy silence
โ"prove your loyalty to this kingdom, prince sunghoon," the king commands, pointing a cold finger down at your kneeling form. "dispel the witchโs curse. do it now."
โsunghoonโs ghostly head whips around. walking slowly out from the ranks of the soldiers is his past self. the handsome face that sunghoon had been bragging about five minutes ago is completely dead, pale as a corpse, his eyes entirely blank and hollow. in his right hand, he is dragging a long, heavy steel sword, the tip of the blade scraping against the stone floor with a horrific, screeching sound
โscreeech
โ"no... no, no, no," sunghoon whispers, the past sunghoon closes the distance, his heavy boots thudding against the stone tiles. but instead of standing behind you like a heartless executioner, he suddenly drops his weight, his knees hitting the damp earth with a loud, desperate thud right in front of you
โyou gasp, your eyes flying open as you look up through your tangled hair
โthe past sunghoon is looking right into your eyes, his face completely pale and breaking into a million pieces. heโs crying, thick, heavy tears cutting through the grime on his cheeks. he repositions his hands on the hilt of the heavy steel sword, reverse-gripping it so the sharp tip is pointed directly at your chest, while the pommel aligns perfectly with his own abdomen
โthe entire crowd of citizens and soldiers gasps in collective, paralyzed shock. the king stands up from his throne, screaming in fury
โblood instantly floods the stone floor, pouring from both of their bodies. his past self had chosen a double suicide. if the kingdom wouldn't let them live together, he was going to make sure they died together
โ"intern, go! now!" jayโs voice barks like thunder, shattering the shock. "enter the body before her consciousness fades! do it!"
โsunghoon doesn't even feel the transition. he just hurls his spirit forward, slamming directly into the physical flesh of his past self
โgasp
โthe absolute, unimaginable agony hits him like a physical tidal wave. sunghoonโs vision violently flashes red. it feels like a white-hot iron rod has been driven directly through his gut, his nerve endings screaming in pure, unadulterated torture. the taste of warm, thick copper immediately floods his mouth, choking him
โthe long steel sword drives forward, piercing straight through the center of your chest, tearing through your heart, and bursting out from your back. but the momentum doesn't stop there. because heโs holding you so close, the remaining length of the steel blade drives straight backward, ripping through the past sunghoon's own stomach, skewering you both together in a brutal, tragic embrace
โyour foreheads rest against each other, your blood mixing on the cold metal between you as the life rapidly drains from both of your eyes. they are face-to-face, locked together in death, refusing to let the timeline separate them
โhis past selfโs arms are losing strength rapidly, but with the very last ounce of his fading life, he leans forward. he presses his bloody lips against yours in a soft, desperate, lingering final kiss
โ"i love you," the past sunghoonโs voice whispers inside his mind, a final, fading thought before the modern sunghoon takes full control of the vocal cords
โ"y/n..." sunghoon chokes out, his voice a wet, ragged wheeze as blood spills over his lower lip. he tightens his grip on you, his tears mixing with the blood on your shoulder. "i'm sorry... i am so, so sorry. i couldn't get us out... i caused this. please... forgive me..."
โand through the absolute agony of death, a soft, incredibly sweet smile breaks across your bloody lips. it looks so beautiful it completely shatters his soul. you look as if you don't even feel the pain, as if being in his arms makes the execution entirely irrelevant
โ"i forgive you..." you whisper, your voice a fragile, breathy sigh that fades into the howling wind. "always... sunghoon..."
โyour eyes gently flutter shut, the moment your soul leaves, the final, crushing weight of the sword wound takes him too. his vision goes entirely black, his heart giving one final, agonizing thud against the steel blade before his spirit is violently repelled from the flesh
โgasp
โsunghoonโs eyes snap open
โthe dark gray sky of joseon is gone. the smell of mud and blood is gone. heโs lying flat on his back on the damp grass of the modern hospital park, the bright neon lights of the city blurring into long, dizzying streaks above him
โhe immediately rolls onto his side, curling into a tight, defensive fetal position, his hands clutching his stomach frantically. the physical wound isn't there, but the phantom pain of that steel blade feels completely real, a lingering, burning ache in his gut that makes him choke on his own breath
โsunghoon buries his face directly into the grass, letting out a loud, raw, unhinged sob. he cries so hard his entire body shakes violently, his fingers clawing at the dirt. the image of your sweet, bloody smile right before you died is burned into the back of his eyelids, torturing his mind
โ"i told you it was going to be bad," jayโs quiet, serious voice floats down
โsunghoon pushes himself up onto his knees, his face entirely ruined by tears, his chest heaving in absolute desperation. he looks up at jay, who is standing quietly by the bench, his usual arrogant demeanor completely replaced by a solemn silence
โ"jay, please," sunghoon begs, his voice cracking into a pathetic, broken whisper as he reaches out toward the reaper. "i can't do this anymore without seeing her. i need to see her, the real her. the modern y/n. please, just let me see her for one second, i'm begging you. i can't keep watching her die over and over again, it's killing me."
โjay lets out a long, slow breath, looking down at the glowing silver thread in sunghoonโs chest. it has knit itself together significantly now, pulsing with a much stronger, brighter light, though it's still missing the final pieces
โ"dude, seriously, calm down and be patient," jay says, his tone softening just a fraction, a hint of his casual peer voice returning as he steps closer. "we are actively working on it right now. every single time you survive one of these timelines and get her forgiveness, you're literally stitching her back into your destiny. you think iโm doing this to torture you? we're halfway there, park. if you break down now, that sword through the chest was for absolutely nothing. so take a breath, we still have one more to fix."
"you want to keep going or what?" jay asks, shoving his hands deep into his hoodie pockets. he watches sunghoon drag himself up from the damp grass, looking like an absolute shell of a human being
โsunghoon crosses his arms, letting out a sharp, petulant huff as he fixes the reaper with a heavy glare. "no. i'm sick of this, jay. i don't want to see another tragedy. i just want to see her, the real her. let me just go to europe, let me look at her from a distance, literally anything but this."
โjay rolls his eyes, entirely unbothered by the little tantrum. "dude, trust me on this one. if you go to the next lifetime, you're definitely not gonna regret it. it's a change of pace, i promise."
โ"yeah, right," sunghoon mutters, giving jay a massive, dramatic eye roll
โhe shuts his eyes tight for a fraction of a second, expecting the usual dizzying vortex or the violent pull of time travel. but when his eyelids flutter open a moment later, there's no wind, there's no crash
โinstead, heโs instantly hit by the overwhelming warmth of a crackling fireplace and the rich, expensive scent of polished mahogany, old money, and sweet vanilla. sunghoon blinks, looking down at his hands. they aren't see-through. he isn't a floating spirit this time, heโs completely locked into his past body from the get-go, feeling the physical weight of his own limbs. but when he glances toward the heavy velvet curtains by the window, jay is sitting right there on a leather armchair, blending into the shadows like a total creep
โsunghoon looks around the room, his jaw dropping a little. the house is absolutely massive, dripping in pure, unadulterated luxury. high ceilings, intricate gold molding, and plush patterned rugs that swallow his footsteps
โbefore he can even ask jay what era this is, two soft arms suddenly wrap securely around his waist from behind
โa tiny, contented sigh presses right into the middle of his back, the warmth of another body radiating straight through his clothes. sunghoon completely freezes, his heart doing a violent, chaotic flip in his chest. he slowly turns around in the embrace, and the breath is completely knocked right out of his lungs
โitโs you
โyou are standing right there in a flowing, silk and lace nightgown that hits the floor perfectly. an absolute, breathtakingly beautiful sin of a sight. your hair is soft, cascading over your shoulders, and your skin glows under the warm candlelight. seeing you like this, looking so domestic and ethereal, hits sunghoon like a physical truck. it makes his soul ache with a desperate, burning longing for the modern y/n, the girl he left crying in a hospital room
โhe glances down at himself, realizing he's wearing a perfectly tailored, incredibly expensive three piece suit. his coat is slightly unbuttoned, his tie loosened just a fraction. he feels exhausted, his shoulders heavy, like he just walked through the front door after a brutal, fourteen-hour workday
โ"you're home late," you murmur softly, your sweet voice cutting through his internal monologue as you look up at him with pure affection. "have you eaten yet? i can have the servants warm up some dinner for you."
โsunghoon swallows hard, his eyes completely locked onto your face, trying to commit every single detail to his memory. "no... no, i don't want to eat. i just... i want to rest."
โ"okay," you say gently, giving him a knowing, sympathetic smile as your hands slip from his waist. "you've been working so hard lately."
โsunghoon instinctively reaches out, his arms longing to pull you back into his chest, to just hold you and never let you go but he stops dead in his tracks
โwaaaah
โthe sudden, loud sound of a baby crying echoes sharply through the heavy wooden doors down the hall. your head instantly whips toward the noise, your motherly instincts kicking in immediately
โ"oh, she's crying," you say quickly, a tiny hint of exhaustion bleeding into your beautiful features. "i'll be right back, honey. let me go check on her."
โyou turn and quickly hurry out of the room, leaving sunghoon completely frozen in the middle of the massive parlor, his hands still hovering uselessly in the empty air.
โ"welcome to the victorian era, intern," jayโs smooth voice floats over from the dark corner. the reaper stands up, brushing invisible dust off his jeans. "you're currently one of the most successful, filthy rich shipping magnates in the entire country. and if i remember the file correctly, you fell for her the absolute second you saw her. textbook love at first sight."
โjay walks over to a grand mahogany side table, pointing his pale finger at a heavy silver picture frame. sunghoon steps closer, his heart pounding against his ribs
โinside the frame is a beautiful wedding portrait of the two of them, looking unbelievably happy. right next to it is a painted family portrait. there's past sunghoon, you looking radiant in velvet, a little boy about four years old sitting proudly on a stool, and a tiny baby girl wrapped in lace blankets
โchildren. they had a family. a real, whole, beautiful life together
โbefore jay can even finish explaining the family tree, the heavy door clicks open again. you walk back into the room, smoothing down your silk nightgown, but you stop when you notice sunghoon staring intensely at the empty space next to the table.
โyou blink, looking around the quiet room. "sunghoon? who were you just talking to?"
โsunghoon quickly glances to the side, but jay has already dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace behind. sunghoon clears his raspy throat, trying to play it cool. "oh... no one, darling. i just... i thought the telephone rang."
โhe can't take the distance anymore. the sheer sight of you after three timelines of absolute horror is making his head spin. sunghoon takes two large steps forward, grabbing your waist and pulling you flush against him before dropping heavily onto the plush velvet sofa. he yanks you right down into his lap, winding his arms around you so tightly itโs like heโs trying to anchor his entire existence to your skin
โyou let out a soft, surprised giggle, but you don't fight it. you just settle comfortably against his chest, looping one arm around his neck as you start casually yapping about your day. you talk about how the nanny struggled with the kids, how your son managed to paint all over the library floor, and how much you missed him while he was at the office
โsunghoon doesn't interrupt you once. he just listens to the sweet, rhythmic cadence of your voice, closing his eyes as he buries his face into the crook of your neck. he leans up, pressing his lips against yours in a deep, lingering, and completely desperate kiss. it feels so real. the warmth, the softness, the electric sparks shooting straight to his core. it feels exactly like kissing the modern y/n in his own timeline
โ"alright, lovebirds, wrap it up," jayโs annoyed, disembodied voice groans loudly right next to his ear. "i'm literally gonna throw up. stop enjoying yourself and hit your cue, park. i'm sick of watching this."
โsunghoon flinches slightly, pulling back from the kiss just enough to look into your beautiful, clear eyes. the overwhelming guilt from his modern life rushes back into his chest, choking him
โ"my love," sunghoon whispers, his voice thick with a sudden, heavy wave of emotion. "i'm sorry."
โyou blink, a amused, slightly confused smile breaking across your lips. "sorry? for what, sunghoon? for coming home late? it's fine, you were at a business meetingโ"
โ"no, for everything," he cuts you off, his grip tightening around your waist as he stares at you with pure, raw sincerity. "for every single thing i've ever done wrong. for taking you for granted, for making you feel lonely, for every promise i ever messed up. i am so, so sorry. please forgive me."
โyou let out a soft, airy laugh, reaching up to gently run your fingers through his dark hair, entirely amused by his sudden, random burst of dramatic emotion. "you're so silly tonight. of course i forgive you, even though you haven't done anything wrong. you're the best husband and the most wonderful father in the world, sunghoon. there's absolutely nothing to forgive."
โhearing those words, hearing that he was actually a good man to you in this life makes a warm, brilliant light explode right inside his chest. the relief is so intense he can barely breathe. he lets out a shaky laugh, wrapping his arms around you even tighter, burying his face in your hair as he shuts his eyes tight, wanting to just stay in this perfect, warm moment forever
"dude, get the hell off me! what is wrong with you?!"
โflick!
โa sharp, painful sting zaps right across sunghoonโs forehead, instantly shattering the beautiful victorian parlor
โsunghoonโs eyes snap open, and his stomach instantly drops. the velvet sofa is gone, the warm fireplace is gone. he is currently sitting on the grass in the modern hospital park, but his arms are wrapped completely around jayโs waist, his face pressed directly into the side of the reaper's black hoodie
โjay looks absolutely disgusted, using two fingers to aggressively push sunghoonโs head away as he dusts off his jacket like he just touched a biohazard. "get off! that is literally so foul. i don't do hugs, especially not from my interns."
โsunghoon scrambles backward into the dirt, rubbing his throbbing forehead, totally embarrassed but still buzzing from the sheer joy of the last life. a massive, desperate grin breaks across his face. "jay! did you see that?! we had kids! we were happy! please, just send me back to that one. let me do it again, i want to go back right now!"
โjay lets out a long, deeply exhausted groan, sliding off the concrete picnic table and rubbing his templates. "absolutely not. i am completely wiped out. do you even have any idea what time it is, park?"
โsunghoon blinks, looking around the dark park, then down at his hands. "what do you mean? it's still midnight, isn't it?"
โ"human time? yeah, it's midnight," jay says, holding up his glowing digital ledger. "your little history tour just took a solid six months, assistant. weโve been jumping through centuries for half a year."
โ"six months?!" sunghoon screams, his jaw dropping in pure shock. six months. his body had been laying in that hospital bed for half a year. you had been in europe for half a year, thinking he was a lost cause. the realization hits him like a bucket of ice water
โ"relax," jay says, a small, highly arrogant smirk creeping back onto his sharp face as he flips the screen of the ledger toward sunghoon. "look at the upside."
โsunghoon lowers his gaze to his own chest, and his breath instantly hitches
โthe tiny, frayed, pathetic little wisp of silver thread is completely gone. in its place, a thick, beautifully woven, and brilliantly radiant silver cord is pulsing right over his heart. the light is incredibly blinding, solid, and perfectly knit together, humming with a powerful, ancient energy. the bond is completely restored
โ"it's perfect," sunghoon whispers, his eyes tearing up again, but this time out of pure, unadulterated relief. "it's completely fixed."
โ"yeah, yeah, congratulations, you're not single across eternity anymore," jay rolls his eyes, though thereโs a faint hint of pride in his dark eyes. "your destiny with y/n is officially locked back in but don't celebrate just yet... because now comes the hardest part of the entire contract."
โ ๏ธใ คใ คยทใ คใ คminors dni, explicit sexual content, edging, overstimulation, unprotected sex (pls donโt), nipple play, dirty talk, rough handling / mild domination, crying, depictions of character death and mutual suicide (joseon era), hospital/coma trauma, sunghoon being a jerk, jay is a hot grim reaper:), giselle is a tarot expert, yunjin is the ultimate hype-girl...
ivy โก : HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!! finally ๐ญ๐ญ there's still one more part because i ended up writing way too much ๐ญ๐ญ also, i'll be update the jay smau too lol. this is literally my second time writing something like this, so if it flops... i'm deleting it LMAOO ๐ญโ๐ป reblogs are greatly appreciated and the taglist is still open as always! thank you so much โก__โก
EVERYONE ON CAMPUS KNEW PARK SUNGHOON. IT WAS HONESTLY EXHAUSTING HOW PREDICTABLE IT WAS
the guy walked into a lecture hall and half the girls in the room suddenly forgot how to breathe. he carried himself with this effortless, arrogant tilt of the head, completely aware of the eyes tracking his every move, his ego fed daily by whispered compliments and lingering stares. he was the universityโs golden boy, untouchable, sharp, and brutally handsome
but to everyone's collective heartbreak, he belonged to you
โand god, you loved him so much it made your chest ache. you were the textbook definition of "girlier than most" you loved soft pastel cardigans, spent too long matching your ribbons to your tote bags. you were smart, a straight-A student doing a grueling dual-degree track, but you wore your emotions completely on your sleeve. a total crybaby, sunghoon used to tease, back when he used to press kisses into your hair to dry your tears
youโve been together for two years. two whole years of being that couple. he had chased you first, pursuing you with a fierce, quiet intensity until you finally gave in. for twenty-four months, you were his world, and he was yours
โexcept, lately, the air between you had gone cold
โit started out small, a text left on read for six hours. the way he didnโt hold your hand in the car anymore because his fingers were glued to his screen, smiling at notifications heโd quickly lock away if you leaned in too close. you tried to tell yourself you were just being paranoid, that engineering was just getting stressful for him. but you weren't stupid, you could feel the space widening between you, a silent chasm growing larger with every passing day
โwhich brought you here. a chilly tuesday night, walking side by side through the campus park
the streetlamps threw long, warped shadows across the concrete. you shivered slightly, pulling your knit cardigan tighter around your shoulders, waiting for him to notice. usually, heโd grumble about you not wearing a proper coat and drape his oversized leather jacket over you. tonight, sunghoon just stared straight ahead, his hands shoved deep into his own pockets, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek
โ"sunghoon," you said softly, your voice barely a breath in the cool night air. "are you okay? you've been really quiet tonight."
โhe didn't stop walking, he didn't even look at you. "i'm fine, y/n. just thinking."
โyou reached out, your fingers lightly brushing the sleeve of his jacket, desperate for any shred of the warmth you used to take for granted. "thinking about what?" you whispered
โfinally, he stopped. they were right under the dim, buzzing glow of a streetlamp. when he turned to face you, there was no affection in his eyes. just a chilling, detached emptiness that made you want to turn around and run
โ"we need to stop doing this," sunghoon said, his voice didnโt even shake. it was completely steady, cutting through the quiet night air like a blade
โyou froze, your hand dropping from his sleeve. the cold air hit your bare skin instantly, but it was nothing compared to the ice suddenly flooding your veins. "stop doing what?" you asked
โsunghoon let out a short, sighing breath, tilting his head back to look at the dark sky before bringing his gaze right back to you. there wasn't a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "this, us. iโm tired of pretending, y/n."
โ"pretending?" your voice cracked
"i like someone else," he said flatly. the world felt like it tilted on its axis
you stared at him, your chest heaving as the first tear spilled over, tracking down your cheek. "what... what do you mean? who?"
โ"her name is sooha," he said, and for the first time all night, his expression shifted but it wasn't out of guilt. a tiny, almost imperceptible soften occurred around his eyes when he muttered her name, and it felt like a physical slap to your face. "we've been seeing each other for about two months now."
โtwo months, eight weeks and sixty days of him coming over to your apartment, kissing your forehead, letting you cook for him, all while he was coming from or going to someone else. the betrayal hit you like a physical blow, leaving you completely breathless. your knees felt weak, you couldn't stand straight
โyou were sobbing now, big, quiet, trembling tears that shook your entire frame. you looked up at him through a wet blur, expecting to see a flicker of the boy who used to panic whenever you cried
โsunghoon just stood there, looking down at you and as he watched you fall apart, his posture actually straightened. seeing you completely wrecked over him didn't make him feel guilty, it fed his monstrous ego. he looked at your tears as proof of his power, a testament to how deeply he could affect someone
โ"so that's it," he said, crossing his arms. "i'm not gonna lie to you anymore, it's over."
โ"no," you gasped out, the word slipping past your trembling lips before you could stop it. you hated how desperate you sounded, but you were desperate. "no, sunghoon, please. just... give me one month."
โhe frowned, his eyebrows snapping together in annoyance. "are you serious right now? y/n, i literally just told you i don't love you anymore. iโm with sooha."
โ"i know!" you cried, burying your face in your hands for a second before looking back up, your eyes red and pleading. "i know. just... one month. don't break up with me until next month, please. after that, you can leave. you can do whatever you want, just give me thirty days."
โsunghoon scoffed, turning his face away in disgust. "this is pathetic. why would i do that? i want to be with her openly."
โ"please, sunghoon," you begged, taking a step closer, your hands trembling by your sides
you didn't tell him why, you didn't tell him that in exactly thirty days, your flight out of the country was booked. you didn't remind him about the dual-degree program in Europe you'd gotten into. the one you'd excitedly babbled about two years ago when you first met, back when he actually listened to you. he obviously didn't remember it now
โhe stared at you for a long, agonizing moment, weighing his options. "fine," he finally spat out, a harsh, arrogant smirk pulling at the corner of his lips
"one month. but let's get something straight, y/n. don't go demanding my time, don't text me asking where i am, and don't expect me to act like your perfect boyfriend. my affection is split now, and honestly? most of it is going to her. you don't get to protest, and you don't get to complain. take it or leave it."
โyou swallowed the lump in your throat, wiped your wet cheeks with the sleeve of your pastel cardigan, and nodded. "okay," you whispered. "okay."
by the third day of the first week, any lingering hope you had left was completely dead
โthe reality of the one month deal was so much uglier than you had anticipated. sunghoon didn't just split his affection, he completely turned it off. you were treated like an annoying ghost he couldn't wait to exorcise from his life
โit was a thursday afternoon when you saw a post on your feed about that new bakery cafe that just opened near the arts building, the one with the pastel blue storefront and the fluffy cloud pastries youโd been talking about wanting to try for months
normally, if you showed sunghoon a place like that, heโd roll his eyes, call it "too pink," but then immediately grab his car keys and pull his shoes on because he secretly loved indulging youโ. so, swallowing your pride, you typed out a quick message
you: hey, do you want to check out that new cafe today? my classes finish at three
โhoon ๐ค: can't. sooha wanted to go to that new pasta place downtown
โyour thumbs hovered over the keyboard, a hot, familiar wave of frustration rushing up your throat. you wanted to throw your phone. you wanted to scream at him, to scream that you were still his girlfriend, that he promised you thirty days, that it wasn't fair
โbut then you caught your reflection in the dark screen of your laptop. you saw your own tired eyes, and you remembered. thirty days. you only had to endure this for twenty-seven more days, and then youโd be on a flight across the world, leaving him behind forever. you couldn't ruin the plan
the next day: day four, started out weirdly different. you were sitting in your afternoon lecture, staring blankly at a slide about international trade laws, when your phone buzzed against your thigh. you figured it was yunjin asking what they should get for dinner, but when you unlocked it, your heart did a stupid, pathetic little flip
โhoon ๐ค: i'll pick you up after your class. meet me by the outdoor basketball courts at 4:30
โit was the first time in a week he had texted you first. you hadn't even had to double-text him. a tiny, foolish part of you wondered if maybe he missed you, if maybe spending time with sooha made him realize what he was throwing away
โthe only issue was the location. the outdoor basketball courts were on the complete opposite side of the campus, a massive trek from the humanities building. youโd have to walk down three long, winding corridors, and cut straight through the open park
โby the time the professor dismissed the class, it wasn't just raining it was pouring, a heavy, aggressive downpour that blurred the campus windows into gray sheets. you stood at the exit of the building, looking down at your canvas tote bag and your thin cardigan. you didn't have an umbrella. youโd forgotten it in the dorm
โbut sunghoon was waiting, he was actually coming to get you
โso, taking a deep breath, you tucked your phone securely into the inner pocket of your cardigan and ran out into the rain
โthe walk was brutal. within seconds, the freezing water soaked through your pastel clothes, making the fabric stick heavily to your skin. the wind was sharp, cutting right through you as you hurried down the empty walkways, the cold rain stinging your face and blurring your eyes. by the time you finally reached the outdoor basketball courts, you were completely drenched. your hair was matted to your neck, and your sneakers squelched miserably with every step
โthe courts were completely empty, looking bleak and miserable under the heavy gray sky. there was a small metal bench under a half-broken plastic awning that barely did anything to block the wind
โyou sat down, shivering violently, your teeth literally chattering as you pulled your knees to your chest to keep warm. you checked your phone. 4:35 PM
โyou: i'm here!
you texted, your fingers shaking so badly you could barely hit the right lettersโ. you waited,ten minutes became thirty. thirty minutes became an hour. the sky started to turn a dark, bruised purple as the sun went down, the campus streetlamps flickering to life
the rain didn't slow down it just got colder, the damp chill seeping straight into your bones until you couldn't even feel your toes anymore
โby 6:00 PM, you had been sitting on that freezing metal bench for almost two full hours. your skin was pale, your lips felt blue, and a sharp, throbbing ache had started to form right behind your eyes. the tears that finally slipped down your face were warm against your freezing cheeks, but they were quickly washed away by the relentless rain
โyou finally stood up, your legs shaking so badly you almost tripped over your own feet, and began the long, agonizing walk back to the dorms alone in the dark
the minute you walked through the door, giselle gasped, immediately dropping her laptop and rushing to the closet to pull out the thickest, most oversized blankets she could find. yunjin steered you straight into the bathroom, turning the shower on to a steaming, scalding hot temperature
โ"get in there right now," yunjin ordered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and fury. "don't come out until you can feel your skin again."
โit took an hour under the hot water just to stop shaking. when you finally crawled out, dressed in yunjinโs thickest sweatpants and wrapped in three blankets, your phone buzzed on the nightstand
โyour throat felt raw, a harsh cough tearing through your chest as you reached out a trembling hand to pick it up
โhoon ๐ค: shit, y/n, i forgot. sooha called me right after i texted you
hoon ๐ค: she needed someone to drive her to that nail art place across town because it was raining
hoon ๐ค: sorry, hope you didn't wait too long
โa harsh, bitter laugh escaped your lips, turning immediately into another painful cough. hope you didn't wait too long. two hours in the freezing rain, while he was sitting in a warm car, waiting for another girl to get her nails done
by the second day of the second week, your fever had finally broken, leaving you with nothing but a lingering cough and an incredibly heavy heart. you were sitting at the edge of your desk, mindlessly staring at the rain-streaked window, when your phone buzzed
โhoon ๐ค: iโm outside, letโs go to campus together
โyou stared at the screen for a full minute. your ego told you to ignore it, to walk to class in the damp air just to prove a point. but the truth was, you were just so tired. the anger from the basketball court had faded into a dull, numb acceptance. you missed him. you missed the routine of him. so, swallowing down the bitter taste of pride, you grabbed your tote bag and headed downstairs
โhis sleek, expensive car was idling by the curb, the engine a low, wealthy hum against the morning quiet. you walked up to the passenger door, a tiny, fragile sense of normalcy settling into your chest. you reached for the handle, pulling it open with a soft, practiced smile
โ"heyโ"
โ"don't sit there." the words were cold, cutting you off before you could even fully open the door. sunghoon didn't look at you. his hands were resting casually on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed forward
โyou froze, the door halfway open, the cool morning breeze hitting your face. "what?" you whispered, your voice catching in your throat
โ"go sit in the back," he said, his tone entirely casual, like he was asking you to pass the salt. "soohaโs joining us. sheโs getting picked up down the street, and she likes the front seat."
โit felt like a physical punch to the stomach. the sheer humiliation of it settled deep under your skin, hot and prickly. you stood there on the pavement, the door handle still in your hand, your eyes stinging instantly
โwith a trembling lip and a heavy, robotic movement, you gently clicked the passenger door shut. you walked to the rear, opened the back door, and slid onto the leather seat. sitting in the back of your own boyfriend's car felt like the ultimate demotion
โtwo minutes later, the car pulled up to the corner of the humanities building and there she was
โsooha looked perfect. her hair was done in soft, effortless waves, her lip gloss catching the gray morning light as she practically bounced toward the car. she pulled open the passenger door and slid in, completely filling the vehicle with the sweet, suffocating scent of a floral perfume that wasn't yours
โ"hi, baby," she purred, leaning over the center console
โand right there, right in front of you in the rearview mirror, sunghoon did something he hadn't done for you in months. a soft, genuine smile broke across his face, the kind of smile that used to belong entirely to you. he leaned in, meeting her halfway, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss right against her lips. it was so natural, so domestic, that it looked like they had been doing it for years
โyou choked on your own breath, quickly turning your face toward the side window, staring blindly at the passing campus buildings. your chest was heaving, a tight, suffocating sob building up in your throat, but you forced it down until your throat literally burned
โfor the entire fifteen-minute drive, you didn't exist. they talked about their weekend plans, laughed at inside jokes you didn't understand, and sunghoonโs left hand rested firmly on her thigh the entire time. you just stared out at the gray concrete, a ghost trapped in the backseat of your own life
by the sixth day of that same week, the silence was driving you crazy. you needed to know if there was even a single piece of the old sunghoon left inside that arrogant shell. so, you decided to push
โyou: can we do dinner tonight? just to talk
โyou expected a rejection, or worse, to be completely ignored. but to your utter surprise, his bubble popped up almost instantly
โhoon ๐ค: fine, i made a reservation at that Italian place near the square. 7:30 PM. don't be late
โa reservation, he actually made a reservation. for a split second, your naive, bleeding heart let out a breath of relief. maybe he wanted to apologize properly. maybe the guilt had finally caught up to him
โyou spent two hours getting ready. you wore a soft, cream-colored dress he used to love, painstakingly styled your hair, and did your makeup with extra care to hide the dark circles under your eyes from all the sleepless nights. you wanted him to see you
โyou arrived at the restaurant at 7:15 PM. the place was beautiful, dimly lit, warm, filled with the soft clink of wine glasses and the murmur of couples laughing. the hostess led you to a small, intimate booth in the corner
โ"just waiting on one more," you told her with a small, hopeful smile.
โ7:30 PM. you texted him
you: i'm here! table 14.
โ8:00 PM. the waiter came by for the third time, offering a polite but pitying smile. "can I get you a starter while you wait, miss?"
"no, thank you," you murmured, your fingers tightly gripping your glass of water. "he should be here soon. heโs probably just caught in traffic."
โ9:30 PM. the restaurant was starting to empty out. the warm, romantic atmosphere now felt like a mocking theater stage, and you were the main joke. your phone sat on the white tablecloth, dark and completely silent. you hadn't even gotten a read receipt
โby 11:15 PM, the staff was starting to flip the chairs onto the neighboring tables. the waiter came back, his expression entirely sympathetic. "i'm sorry, miss, but we're closing up the kitchen."
โyou paid for the untouched bottle of water, stood up on trembling legs, and walked out into the cool night air. but this time, the sadness didn't come. for the first time in two weeks, the crushing weight in your chest didn't turn into soft, pitiful tears. it turned into hot, blinding, volatile rage
โyou didn't go back to your dorm. instead, your feet marched blindly toward the boys' upperclassmen residence. toward sunghoonโs apartment
โyou didn't even knock. you knew the keycode, heโd never bothered to change it. you punched the numbers in with an aggressive, shaking hand and yanked the heavy wooden door open
โthe living room was quiet, lit only by a single desk lamp. sitting at the kitchen island was jake, sunghoonโs roommate. he was the textbook definition of a quiet genius, glasses perched on his nose, surrounded by thick textbooks, always a bit stiff and awkward around people, though heโd always been perfectly polite to you
โthe second the door slammed against the wall, jake jumped, his pen slipping from his hand. his eyes went wide behind his lenses as he took in your appearance, the fancy dress, the smudged makeup, the absolute aura of fury radiating off you
โ"y/n?" jake stammered, half-rising from his stool. "hey... what's going on? are you okay?"
โyou didn't even answer him. you didn't have the breath for it. without a word, you stormed right past him, your heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor as you marched straight toward the closed door of sunghoonโs bedroom.
โ"y/n, waitโ" jake called out, his voice sharp with warning, but it was too late. you threw the bedroom door open
โthe sight inside made the blood in your veins instantly boil. sunghoon was sitting on his bed, his laptop open on his lap, and curled up right next to him, her head resting lazily on his shoulder, was sooha. they were watching a movie, a bag of popcorn sitting between them, looking like the picture-perfect image of a cozy, happy couple
โboth of them snapped their heads up. sooha gasped, instantly pulling away from him, her eyes wide with manufactured innocence
โsunghoonโs expression didn't even soften into guilt. instead, his eyebrows snapped together, his arrogant features hardening into pure, unadulterated annoyance. "what the hell do you think you're doing, y/n? do you know how to knock?"
โ"four hours," you choked out, your voice shaking violently, the rage finally cracking to let the agony leak through. "i sat in that restaurant for four hours, sunghoon! you made the reservation! you told me to be there!"
โsunghoon let out a harsh, mocking scoff, closing his laptop with a loud snap. he stood up from the bed, towering over you, his ego flaring up at the confrontation. "and? something came up. sooha needed help with her study guide. are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?"
โ"something came up?!" you screamed, the tears finally bursting past your eyelids, hot and furious. "you left me there! you didn't even text me! i looked like a fucking idiot in front of the entire restaurant!"
โ"then don't look like an idiot!" sunghoon shot back, his voice rising, completely unapologetic. he took a step closer, looking down at you with total disdain. "this is exactly what i told you, y/n. this is the risk you chose to take. youโre the one who begged for this stupid month. youโre the one who wouldn't just let me go! no one is forcing you to stay with me, if you can't handle how things are now, then leave! you look completely ridiculous right now."
โthe cruelty of his words felt like a physical slap. he was standing there, defending his cheating, turning the blame entirely on you because you had loved him enough to ask for time
โyou stared at him through your wet blur of vision. you looked at sooha, who was sitting quietly on the bed, watching the drama unfold with a tiny, satisfied smirk hidden behind her fingers
โ"i hate you," you whispered, your voice cracking into a broken, jagged sound. "i actually hate you."
โyou turned on your heel and bolted out of the room. jake was standing there, looking incredibly uncomfortable but deeply concerned. he stepped into your path, his hands slightly raised. "hey... y/n, wait. it's really late, let me drive you back to your dorm you shouldn't walk alone like this."
โ"no!" you sobbed out, pushing past his shoulder, completely unable to accept kindness from anyone associated with sunghoon right now
ever since that massive fight between you and sunghoon, his phone has been a ghost town. you used to be the first person he texted when he woke up, the one heโd spam with random memes or complain to about his day. now? absolute silence not a single typing bubble, no read receipts
โbecause sunghoon completely checked out. he packed up all his attention, his time, and his energy, and handed it over to sooha
โtoday isn't any different. itโs a random afternoon, and his lock screen lights up with a message from her
sooha: hey, can we go out today? i really want to clear my mind
and just like that, sunghoon is already grabbing his keys. thereโs no hesitation, no second thoughts about how he left things completely broken with you. heโs entirely focused on being sooha's knight in shining armor
โthe air in his car smells faintly of his expensive cologne mixed with the stale warmth of the afternoon sun. he turns the ignition, the engine humming to life as he hooks his phone to the dashboard and sets the GPS for soohaโs apartment
โat first, everything is fine. itโs just a typical, mundane drive. the radio is playing some low, ambient indie track that he isn't really listening to
then, the traffic slows to a painful, agonizing crawlโ. sunghoon sighs, drumming his fingers against the leather wheel. he glances at the clock on the dashboard. rolling down the window a crack, he lets the humid city air fill the car, hoping itโll snap him out of his annoyed mood
โfinally, the lane moves. the car in front of him advances, and sunghoon presses his foot onto the gas pedal, moving forward into the intersection
โhe doesn't even have time to blink
โfrom the peripheral vision of his right eye, a blinding flash of silver streaks through the intersection. a car is speeding way too fast, completely ignoring the red light, barreling straight toward him from the side street
โthe sound of tires screeching violently against asphalt echoes for a split second, tearing through the quiet afternoon. sunghoonโs instincts kick in too late. his hands jerk the steering wheel to the left, his heart dropping into his stomach, a cold wave of pure terror freezing the blood in his veins
โCRASH
โthe impact is deafening. itโs a sickening, metallic crunch that shatters the windows instantly, raining thousands of tiny glass diamonds into the air. the sheer force of the collision sends sunghoon's car flying, spinning like a useless toy through the air before it slams violently onto the hard pavement, flipping onto its side
โinside the wreckage, everything happens in horrifying slow motion. sunghoonโs body is thrown violently against the door, his head cracking hard against the frame. the airbag deploys with a loud pop, but it does little to stop the devastating momentum
โand then, silence
โsunghoon is slumped over the shattered steering wheel, completely covered in dark, warm blood that drips down his forehead, matting his dark hair and pooling on the cracked dashboard. his breathing is shallow, ragged, and weak. within seconds, the overwhelming pain numbs into nothingness as his vision fades to pitch black. he loses consciousness entirely
โoutside, the world erupts into absolute chaos
โ"oh my god! someone call 911!"
"is he alive?! look at the car!"
"hey, can you hear me?! stay with us!"
โbystanders run over in a panic, shouting, waving their arms, hands trembling as they dial emergency numbers. the scene is a total nightmare smoke rising from the crushed hood, the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline filling the air
โthen, a weird sensation washes over himโ. sunghoon opens his eyes. the blinding headache is gone, the agonizing pressure in his chest vanished. he blinks, looking around, feeling strangely light. he looks down at his hands, theyโre completely clean, no blood, no scratches
โ"ugh... what the hell happened?" he mutters, groaning in sheer annoyance as he pushes himself up from the ground. he ruffles his hair, thoroughly pissed off that his drive got interrupted by some idiot driver
โhe looks around to see a crowd of people huddled around a overturned, wrecked car
โ"hey!" sunghoon calls out, stepping toward a guy who is frantically talking on his phone. "hey, man, did someone hit me? whatโs going on?"
โthe man doesn't even blink. he keeps talking into his phone, his voice shaking. "yes, an ambulance, quickly! there's a guy trapped inside, he's bleeding out really bad!"
โsunghoon frowns, confusion clouding his features. "dude? i'm right here, walkie-talkie guy, look at me!" he steps right into the man's line of sight, waving a hand directly in front of his eyes
โnothing. the man walks straight through sunghoon's shoulder to get a better look at the wreckโ
sunghoon freezes. a cold shiver runs down his spine. he turns around slowly, his chest heaving with a panic he canโt quite explain. he approaches a woman who is crying, stepping right up to her face, mere inches away. "excuse me? can you hear me? look at me, please!"
โshe looks right through him, her eyes fixed on the car. sunghoon slowly follows her gaze. he looks through the shattered windshield of the flipped vehicle
โand his heart stops
โthere, trapped in the driver's seat, covered in blood and looking completely lifeless, is him, his own body
โ"no... no, no, no, this is a joke," sunghoon whispers, stumbling backward. his hands grip his own hair, his breathing turns erratic. his soul, his actual spirit had completely detached from his physical body. he's dead or dying. heโs a ghost. "this can't be happening, this is insane!"
"wow, now that was an absolute cinema-level crash. pure epicness." a sharp, drippingly sarcastic voice cuts through sunghoon's spiraling panic
โsunghoon snaps his head around. a guy is leaning against a nearby lamppost, completely unfazed by the horrific scene. he looks around sunghoonโs age, rocking a look that screams effortless arrogance. his skin has a flawless, warm honey glow, and his jawline is so sharp it could genuinely cut glass. heโs wearing an outfit that feels a bit too sharp for a casual tuesday, and his lips are curled into a highly amused, thoroughly punchable smirk
โsunghoon stares at him, dumbfounded. "you... you're talking to me?"
โ"obviously. unless you see another floating soul having a mid-life crisis right now," the guy scoffs, rolling his eyes
โ"who the hell are you?" sunghoon demands, his temper flaring despite the terrifying situation. "and why can you see me when nobody else can?"
โthe guy stands up straight, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his jacket. he walks over to sunghoon with a slow, swaggering gait that matches sunghoonโs own usual arrogance. "i'm jongseong but you can call me jay and as for why i can see you..." jay flashes a sharp, knowing grin, his eyes gleaming with something ancient and dark. "i'm a grim reaper."
โsunghoon lets out a loud, mocking laugh, though it sounds a bit hollow. "a grim reaper? are you out of your mind? you're freaking delusional, dude. stop watching so many dramas."
โ"oh, a skeptic. love to see it," jay chuckles, completely unbothered
โ"i'm not dead," sunghoon snaps, turning his back on jay. "i just need to... i just need to get back in there. itโs a glitch, i'm going back."
sunghoon charges toward the wrecked car, determined to shove his spirit back into his bloody body. he lunges forward, trying to force himself through the shattered window, trying to merge back with his flesh and bones
โbut he just passes right through it like smoke, stumbling out the other side of the car, landing awkwardly on the pavement. he tries again, more aggressively this time, grabbing at his own bloody shoulder, but his ghostly hands slide through his own skin like water
โfrom behind him, a loud, echoing burst of laughter breaks the air. jay is literally clutching his stomach, laughing so hard his eyes crinkle. "oh my god, please keep doing that. that is hilarious, you look like a bird flying straight into a glass window over and over again."
โ"shut up!" sunghoon yells, spinning around, his face flushed with embarrassment and rage. "how do i get back in?! tell me!"
โjay wipes a tear of laughter from his eye, his expression suddenly shifting into something more professional, though the smug aura never truly leaves him. "look, buddy, hereโs the deal. if that ambulance over there doesn't show up in time? i'm officially cutting your soul's silver cord and taking you upstairs or downstairs wherever you're headed."
โsunghoonโs face goes pale. "you're going to kill me?"
โ"hey, don't blame the messenger," jay says, raising his hands in defense. "but lucky for you, your official death notice hasn't popped up on my phone yet. meaning, you're technically not scheduled to die today"
โsunghoon lets out a breath he doesn't even need to take, feeling a tiny sliver of hope. "okay, fine. then let me back in i need to go back to my life. i have things to do, i have to see sooha. i have to..." his voice trails off, his mind suddenly flashing to a memory of you, standing in the rain, crying during your fight
โ"i want to go back," sunghoon insists, stepping closer to jay, his eyes dead serious. "make it happen."
โjay stops smirking. his eyes narrow into a sharp, piercing stare that makes sunghoon feel completely naked under his gaze. jay steps closer, tilted his head slightly, his tone dropping into something incredibly chilling
โ"make it happen? wow, you really are an arrogant piece of work, aren't you?" jay whispers, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, but itโs entirely devoid of warmth. "you want to go back so badly... but you're conveniently forgetting something pretty major, park sunghoon."
โsunghoon blinks, a sudden wave of confusion washing over him. "forgetting what?"
โjay takes one more step forward, his shadow casting over sunghoon's spiritual form. "did you seriously forget? you forgot about the promise you made, didn't you?"
โsunghoon stands completely frozen, his mind racing as he stares into jayโs intense, unreadable eyes. a promise? what promise? he tries to rack his brain, searching through every memory, every corner of his mind, but nothing comes up. yet, looking at jayโs deadly serious face, a creeping sense of dread whispers that whatever he forgot. it was going to cost him everything
meanwhile, on the exact opposite side of the city,
โBANG
โthe violent sound of your bedroom door slamming against the wall forcefully yanks you out of your deep slumber. your heart instantly leaps into your throat, your eyes flying open as you gasp for air, completely disoriented.
โ"Y/N! WAKE UP! y/n, please, get up right now!" yunjin bursts into the room like a hurricane, her face completely pale, eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated panic
right behind her is giselle, who isn't even looking at you, sheโs frantically scanning your room, grabbing your black denim jacket from the chair and throwing your wallet and phone into a canvas tote bag
โ"w-what... what's happening?" you stammer, your voice thick and raspy from sleep. you try to sit up, but your brain is still foggy, sluggishly trying to process why your roommates look like the world is ending. "yunjin, you're scaring me, whatโ"
โ"y/n, look at me. focus on me," yunjin interrupts, her voice trembling violently. she lunges onto the bed, her hands coming up to pat your cheeks with frantic, stinging slaps to force the sleep out of your system. "wake up, seriously, we need to go now."
โ"yunjin, stop! why are you slapping me?!" you yell, pulling your head back, your heart hammering against your ribs like a trapped bird
โ"it's sunghoon," yunjin says, the words tearing out of her throat in a broken sob. "he was in a car accident, y/n. a really, really bad one. heโs at the city hospital right now, we have to go."
โit feels like all the oxygen is suddenly sucked out of the room. the name sunghoon echoes in your mind, followed by accident, but your brain flat-out refuses to connect the two words. sunghoon? your sunghoon?
โ"no," you whisper, your voice suddenly sounding miles away. "no, heโs... heโs fine. heโs with sooha. heโ"
โ"y/n, please, just put the jacket on!" giselle begs from the doorway, her voice cracking as she shoves the denim sleeves into your trembling hands
โthe panic hits you all at once, a brutal, freezing wave that completely shatters your numbness
โthe hospital smell hits you first, your sneakers squeak loudly against the polished white floors as you, yunjin, and giselle sprint toward the emergency waiting room. your eyes wild, scanning the rows of plastic chairs until you spot two familiar figures standing near the glass doors of the ICU
โitโs jake and heeseung. sunghoon's best friends look completely unrecognizable. jake is pacing a small strip of the floor, his skin a sickly, translucent white. his hands are shoved deep into his pockets, but you can see his entire frame shaking. heโs chewing on his bottom lip so hard itโs practically bleeding, his eyes staring blankly at the floor as he fights a losing battle against his own tears
next to him, heeseung is leaning heavily against the wall, his head tilted back, eyes tightly shut. his jaw is clenched so hard the muscles are jumping, his arms crossed over his chest like heโs trying to hold himself together
โthe moment jake hears your frantic footsteps, he looks up. the absolute, raw devastation in his eyes tells you everything you never wanted to know.
โ"y/n," jake chokes out, his voice dropping an octave, completely broken
โthe tears youโve been holding back for three weeks. the tears you swore you wouldn't cry today come crashing down like a collapsed dam. a loud, pathetic sob tears out of your throat, and your knees instantly give out. if it weren't for giselle catching you by your armpits, you would have collapsed right there on the dirty hospital floor
โ"hey, hey, iโve got you. breathe, y/n, please just breathe," giselle whispers frantically, wrapping her arms tightly around your shaking shoulders, pulling you into a plastic chair
but you canโt breathe. your chest is heaving, your vision completely blurred by a endless stream of hot, burning tears. you bury your face in your hands, your whole body convulsing with agonizing grief
โand then, through the blur of your tears, you see her. sooha is sitting just a few chairs down
โsheโs completely neat, not a single hair out of place. her face is pale, and yeah, she looks kind of sad, maybe a little stressed by the sterile atmosphere but there isn't a single tear on her face. her eyes are completely dry. sheโs just sitting there, hands neatly folded in her lap, watching the chaos
โyunjin marches straight up to sooha, her eyes blazing with pure fury. "what the hell are you even doing here?" she spits, her voice a lethal, venomous whisper that cuts through the waiting room. "he was on his way to you, this is your fault! get the hell out of here, you don't belong here."
โsooha shrinks back slightly, her bottom lip quivering in a perfectly practiced display of innocence. "i... i just wanted to make sure he wasโ"
โ"i said leave!" yunjin barks, stepping closer, her hands curling into fists
โ"yunjin, stop! don't do this here," giselle hissed, quickly letting go of you for a second to grab yunjinโs arm, physically pulling her back before a full-blown fistfight could break out in front of the nurses' station. "not right now."
โwhat none of them know is that they aren't alone
standing literally three inches away from jake, staring frantically into his pale face, is the spirit of park sunghoon
โ"jake! jake, look at me, bro, i'm right here!" sunghoon yells, waving his hands wildly in front of his best friendโs face. "stop pacing, you're making me nervous! i'm fine! look at me!"
โjake just walks straight through sunghoon's chest to grab a paper cup of water from heeseung. sunghoon shudders as the cold sensation of jakeโs physical body passes through his soul, leaving him feeling emptier than before
he spins around, looking at heeseung. "heeseung! please, tell me you can hear me. i'm not dead, okay? the doctors are tripping."
โheeseung just sighs, rubbing his tired eyes, completely ignoring the ghost screaming in his face
โ"whew, rough crowd," jay's smooth, mocking voice floats from the corner of the room. the grim reaper is currently sitting casually on top of a vending machine, swinging his legs back and forth, holding a glowing digital ledger that looks like a sleek black smartphone. "told you, buddy. you're a radio station with no frequency right now they can't hear your broadcast."
โ"shut up, jay!" sunghoon snaps, his frustration peaking
โjust then, yunjin starts screaming at sooha. sunghoonโs eyes widen as he sees yunjin invading soohaโs personal space. a protective surge of anger flares in his chest. he charges over, throwing himself between them, trying to shove yunjin away
โ"hey! back off her, you psycho!" sunghoon roars at yunjin, his face contorted with rage. "don't you dare touch her! she didn't do anything wrong! yunjin, i swear to god, if you don't get your hands off herโ" his ghostly hands pass harmlessly through yunjinโs shoulders, leaving him panting with useless fury
โhe turns to sooha, his voice softening into frantic desperation. "sooha, look at me. i'm right here. don't listen to her, okay? i'm fine." but soohaโs blank, tearless eyes are fixed entirely on the floor, not even glancing in his direction
โand then, sunghoon's gaze shifts. he looks over at the plastic chairs. he hears your broken, jagged breaths, sees the way your fingers are clutching your jacket like itโs a lifeline
โsunghoon lets out a heavy, irritated scoff, rolling his eyes so hard it looks painful.
โ"oh, for god's sake, y/n," sunghoon grumbles, his voice dripping with an incredibly harsh, dismissive edge. "stop overreacting. seriously, you're making a whole scene for absolutely no reason. we aren't even speaking, why are you crying like someone died? itโs so dramatic, just go home."
โup on the vending machine, jayโs amused expression instantly vanishes. his eyebrows furrow as he looks down at sunghoon, slowly shaking his head in utter disbelief
โ"wow," jay mutters under his breath, his sharp jaw tightening. "you really are a piece of work, aren't you? a complete and utter idiot."
hours bleed into one another. the sky outside the hospital windows turns from a hazy twilight to a deep, pitch-black night
โthe red surgery light finally clicks off, and a tired doctor steps out, informing the group that sunghoon is stable. the impact was severe, but he managed to survive the worst of it. theyโve moved his physical body into a regular, private recovery room to monitor his comatose state
โthe relief in the hallway is palpable, but the exhaustion is heavier. one by one, the group starts to thin out. sooha leaves first, offering a quiet, polite excuse about her ride being outside, which yunjin handles with a lethal glare
heeseung and jake stay for another hour, staring at sunghoonโs pale, machine-hooked body through the window before heeseung gently pats jake's shoulder, whispering that they need to get some rest and come back in the morning
โfinally, itโs just you, yunjin, and giselle standing outside the quiet room.
โ"y/n, come on. letโs go home," yunjin says softly, her voice completely spent from the day's anger. she places a gentle hand on your arm. "the doctor said heโs stable. heโs not going to wake up tonight. you need to sleep, youโre pale as a ghost."
โ"yeah, let us take you back," giselle chimes in, her eyes pleading. "you've been crying for six hours straight, y/n. your body can't take this."
โyou look through the glass pane of the door. sunghoon looks so small in that massive hospital bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and clear plastic tubes. the sight of him like that makes a fresh wave of quiet ache bloom in your chest
โyou slowly pull your arm away from yunjin's grip, shaking your head. "no," you whisper, your voice barely audible, but completely unyielding. "i'm not leaving."
โ"y/n, please don't be stubbornโ" yunjin starts, but you cut her off, looking up with raw, sleep-deprived, swollen eyes
โ"i'm staying, yunjin. please," you beg, your lower lip trembling. "just... let me stay with him, i can't leave him alone."
โyunjin and giselle exchange a long, heartbroken look. they know that tone. there is absolutely no changing your mind. with a heavy sigh, giselle hands you the tote bag with your wallet and phone
โ"we'll come back first thing in the morning, okay? call us if anything changes. literally anything," giselle whispers, giving your shoulder a tight squeeze. yunjin gives you a sad, lingering look before the two of them turn around, their footsteps echoing down the long, empty corridor until the double doors click shut
days melt into each other until they completely lose all meaning
โyouโve basically moved into this sterile, cramped hospital room, transforming the hard plastic chair next to sunghoonโs bed into your temporary home. the heavy scent of antiseptic and bleach doesn't even make you gag anymore
โmost of the time, you just sit there. you stare at his pale, unmoving face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw and the soft curve of his eyelids with your eyes, wishing with everything inside you that they would just flutter open. and then, without even realizing it, the hot tears start spilling over again, blurring your vision until you have to look away, wiping your face with the damp sleeve of your oversized hoodie
โwhen the guilt and the ache get too heavy to carry, you try to distract yourself. you pull out your laptop, spreading your college textbooks across the tiny rolling tray table, attempting to type out essays for classes you haven't attended in days. but your brain is completely fried. youโll read the same sentence five times, blink, and realize you haven't absorbed a single word. eventually, exhaustion wins. your head drops onto the hard edge of his mattress, your fingers loosely curling near his cold, unmoving hand, and you drift into a light, uncomfortable sleep, woken up every hour by the rhythmic, taunting beep of the heart monitor
โand the entire time, sunghoonโs spirit is right there. he stands on the other side of the bed, crossing his arms, watching you throw your life away for him. it completely bewilders him
he watches you type, watches you cry, watches you slump over in deep exhaustion. why is she still here? he thinks, his chest tightening with a weird, suffocating mixture of irritation and something he refuses to acknowledge as guilt
we literally ended things on the worst possible terms. she should hate me, she should be at home, sleeping in her own bed, totally glad that iโm out of her hair. why doesnโt she just get bored and leave?
โby the time the fourth day rolls around, something shifts in you. the crying spells have finally run dry, leaving you with a strange, hollow sort of energy
โyou pull your chair closer to his bed, resting your chin on the palm of your hand. you look at his quiet face, and for the first time in days, a tiny, sad smile touches your lips
โ"you're missing so much, you know," you whisper, your voice a little raspy from the dry hospital air
โand then, you just start yapping. you talk because the silence in the room is too loud, and if you don't fill it with the sound of your own voice, you feel like you'll lose your mind
โ"class was honestly so miserable today, sunghoon. professor lee was going on and on about the midterm, and honestly, i think even he was bored of his own lecture. yunjin literally fell asleep right next to me and started snoring. it was so embarrassing, i had to keep coughing to cover it up."
โyou let out a soft, breathy chuckle, your eyes crinkling at the memory. sunghoonโs ghost stands right beside you, his head tilted as he stares down at you, completely transfixed by the sound of your voice.
โ"oh, and after class, i went to that little cafe down the street," you continue, your fingers absentmindedly smoothing out a crease in his hospital blanket. "the one with the really good iced americanos? yeah, i went there by myself. it felt super weird ordering just one cup. the barista asked where my 'tall, grumpy shadow' was, and i didn't even know what to say. i just told her you were taking a very long nap."
โsunghoon's breath hitches. a tall, grumpy shadow. that's what the cafe staff used to call him because he'd always stand right behind you, looking thoroughly annoyed with the world until you handed him his drink
โ"afterward, me and giselle found this super sketchy tarot reading app," you say, a genuine smile breaking through your exhausted face. "we played around with it for hours, doing all these ridiculous future predictions. it told giselle she was going to marry a billionaire, which, honestly? totally tracks for her. it was so fun, sunghoon. we laughed so much."
โyour voice suddenly drops, the playful energy evaporating into thin air as you look at his closed eyes. your fingers twitch, desperately wanting to hold his hand, but you keep them to yourself
โ"but... the entire time, i just kept thinking about you," you whisper, your throat tightening up again. "the app said my future was full of 'waiting.' and it's right, i'm just waiting for you. please, sunghoon. just wake up already."
โyour eyelids grow incredibly heavy, the weight of the four-day burnout finally catching up to you. within minutes, your voice peters out, your head dropping onto your arms beside his hip, your breathing evening out into a deep, heavy slumber
โsunghoon stares down at your sleeping form. his physical ears couldn't hear a single syllable, but his soul heard every single word, every little shift in your tone, every quiet breath. his chest aches. itโs a phantom pain, but it hurts so bad he has to take a step back
โunable to handle the suffocating atmosphere of the room anymore, and still entirely too stubborn to let himself soften up, sunghoon turns around and walks straight through the hospital wall
โhe wanders out into the empty, moonlit courtyard of the hospital, the cold night air doing nothing to his ghostly body. he storms over to a stone bench and stands there, thoroughly frustrated
โ"jay!" sunghoon shouts into the dark, empty air. "hey! grim reaper guy! get out here right now!"
โwith a soft, shimmering ripple in the air, jay materializes, sitting cross-legged on the top of the courtyard brick wall. heโs holding an apple, tossing it casually in the air and catching it. "jeez, turn down the volume, will you? i was in the middle of a really good nap. whatโs burning your soul today, kid?"
โ"the promise," sunghoon demands, stepping closer, his knuckles white as he fisted his hands. "you said i forgot a promise. what promise? who did i make it to? tell me!"
โjay stops tossing the apple. he looks down at sunghoon, his dark eyes entirely unreadable, a cool, indifferent expression on his handsome face. he bites into the fruit with a crisp, loud crunch. "can't do that, buddy. cosmic rules and all that. if i just hand you the cheat sheet, it defeats the whole purpose of your little soul-searching journey."
โ"i don't care about the cosmic rules!" sunghoon roars, his anger flaring. "iโm trapped in a body that won't wake up, my friends think i'm dying, and i'm losing my mind! just tell me!"
โjay doesn't say a word. he just chews slowly, giving sunghoon a look full of pity and mild annoyance
โfrustrated beyond belief, sunghoon kicks a loose pebble on the ground, his foot passing straight through it. "fine, whatever. youโre useless," he grumbles, turning his back on the reaper. "i need to get out of here. i need a change of scenery before i go completely insane."
โ"oh? going for a stroll?" jay asks, hopping down from the wall with effortless grace, landing silently on his feet. "where to?"
โ"i want to see sooha," sunghoon says, his voice tightening. the thought of her suddenly blooms in his mind. "she hasn't been back to the hospital since the first day. sheโs probably a total wreck, she's probably crying her eyes out at home, waiting for news. i need to check on her."
โjay lets out a low, amused hum, a dangerous smirk slowly creeping back onto his sharp lips. "sooha, huh? well, you can certainly try to go see her. you're technically tethered to the city right now, basically anywhere within the radius of your accident or where your physical body is. sooha's apartment is well within the boundary. lead the way, lover boy."
"sooha? i'm here," he calls out automatically, even though he knows she can't hear him. he doesn't even bother knocking, he just steel himself and walks straight through the heavy wooden door
โthe words freeze completely in his throat. his entire ghostly form goes rigid, a cold, sickening shock rippling through his soul
โthere, on the plush velvet sofa, is sooha. but she isn't crying, she isn't a wreck. she isn't looking through old photos of them or praying for his recovery. sheโs wrapped tightly in the arms of some random guy sunghoon has never seen before in his life
the guyโs jacket is thrown carelessly on the floor, and soohaโs hands are buried deep in his hair, her lips pressed against his in a deep, frantic, incredibly enthusiastic make-out session. she giggles between kisses, a soft, breathy sound that sunghoon recognizes all too well, except it was never meant for someone else
โ"mnh, stop," sooha whispers playfully, pulling back just an inch, a flush on her cheeks. "what if someone calls from the hospital?"
โ"who cares?" the guy scoffs, leaning back in, tracing his hands down her waist. "the guyโs in a literal coma, sooha. he's not checking his phone anytime soon. letโs just enjoy the quiet."
โsooha hums in agreement, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him back down into another breathless kiss
โsunghoon feels like heโs been hit by a semi-truck all over again. his breath hitches, his eyes wide with horror and absolute betrayal. his chest feels like itโs being ripped open by bare hands
โ"no... no, this isn't real," sunghoon whispers, stepping backward, his hands trembling violently. "sooha... how could you?"
โfrom the doorway, a loud, roaring burst of laughter shatters the heavy silence. jay is literally leaning against the doorframe, clutching his stomach, laughing so hard his shoulders are shaking violently. "oh my god! an absolute classic! 'he's in a literal coma, sooha!' whew, that is cold-blooded! pure cinema!"
โ"shut up! shut the hell up!" sunghoon screams, spinning around, his face completely distorted with a mixture of raw heartbreak and humiliating fury. he can't stand to look at the couch for even another second. the sight of them makes him want to vomit
โwithout another word, sunghoon flees. he sprints out of the apartment, tearing through the walls, running as fast as his spiritual form can carry him, desperate to erase the image of sooha's betrayal from his mind
โhe doesn't stop running until heโs back in the quiet, dark hospital courtyard, collapsing onto the grass, panting heavily even though his lungs don't need air. his chest is heaving, his heart or where his heart used to be throbbing with a brutal, burning frustration
โjay materializes beside him, finally wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, though his expression tones down into something a bit more mocking. "well, that was educational, wasn't it? turns out your little princess didn't even need a tissue."
โ"i said shut up!" sunghoon yells, grabbing his own hair, his ego completely shattered into a million sharp, painful pieces
โhe was such a fool. a complete, arrogant idiot. he had pushed everyone away, he had pushed you away for a girl who didn't even care if he lived or died
โwhile sooha was making out with another guy, you were sitting in a cramped, sterile room, starving yourself, crying until your eyes swelled shut, yapping about your day just to keep his lifeless body company. you were the one who stayed
โa sudden, violent surge of desperation hits sunghoonโs core. the frustration boils over, turning into a frantic, burning need. he doesn't want to be a ghost anymore, he doesn't want to watch from the sidelines. he wants his life back, he wants to fix the absolute mess he made
โ"i need to wake up," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking as he looks up at jay, his eyes wide with a manic, unyielding determination. "jay, i don't care what it takes. i don't care about the promise right now. i need to get back into my body. i have to wake up, now!"
before you know it, day 28 hits. itโs a heavy, suffocating number because it means you and sunghoon only have exactly two days left as a couple. twenty-eight days ago, before the shouting matches and the radio silence, you guys had made a stupid, desperate thirty-day agreement
โyou havenโt abandoned him once, youโve practically lived in this tiny, sterile hospital room. the only times you ever leave are when you absolutely have to run to a morning lecture or dash back to your apartment to grab a fresh change of clothes. the rest of your life, your studying, your meals, your quiet breakdowns happens right here in the plastic chair by his bedside
โtonight feels different, though. the air in the room is thick, almost grieving. sunghoonโs spirit is leaning against the wall, his eyes tracking you as you move around the space. he freezes when he notices the corner of the room
your heavy backpack is fully zipped. your favorite oversized hoodie, the one you usually leave draped over the sofa, is neatly folded on top of a canvas tote bag. everything you own is packed up
โwait, what is she doing? sunghoon thinks, panic instantly flaring in his ghostly chest. why is she packing? is she leaving me? is she finally giving up because iโm not waking up?
โyou walk over to his bed, your sneakers squeaking softly on the linoleum floors. you sit down, dragging the chair closer until your knees are brushing the edge of his mattress. you look so small, so entirely spent, with dark circles bruising the skin under your eyes
โ"hey," you whisper, your voice cracking slightly before you clear your throat. you try to force a casual, effortless smile, but it doesn't quite reach your eyes
โand then, you just start yapping again. you talk about random stuff at first, trying to keep the mood light, but sunghoon can hear the underlying tremor in your words. his soul stands right over you, desperately listening, his heart dropping lower and lower with every sentence
โ"so, um... i'm actually leaving in two days, sunghoon," you say softly, staring down at your own intertwined fingers. "iโm flying out to europe to finish my degree."
โ"do you... do you even remember?" you let out a dry, bittersweet little chuckle, finally looking up at his pale, unconscious face. "back when we first met, during our very first coffee date, i told you about the dual degree program i applied for. i was so nervous, and you told me iโd be stupid not to take it if i got in. well... the paperwork finally went through, i have to go."
โ"no," sunghoon blurts out, his voice echoing uselessly in the empty spaces of the room. "no, no, no. y/n, look at me! you canโt go to europe. you canโt leave me here like this!"
โhe lunges forward, completely throwing his pride out the window. he drops to his knees right next to your chair, his transparent hands flying out to grab your shoulders. "y/n! look at me, please!" he roars, trying to shake you, trying to force your eyes to meet his but his hands just glide straight through your denim jacket, feeling nothing but a freezing, empty void.
โhe doesn't stop. he gets frantic, his chest heaving with a manic desperation. he starts tapping your shoulders, waving his hands violently in front of your face, screaming your name until his throat burns. "iโm right here! iโm right next to you! donโt go, y/n, please, iโm sorry, iโm so sorryโ"
โbut you don't look up. you can't feel the ghost who is begging for your forgiveness on his knees. instead, you take a deep, shaky breath, fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill over
you lean forward, your shadow falling over his pale face. slowly, gently, you press a soft, lingering kiss right onto sunghoonโs cold forehead
โsunghoon freezes, his spiritual form trembling as a phantom warmth blooms where your lips touch his skinโ. you pull back just an inch, your hands carefully resting on his unmoving chest
"thank you," you whisper, a single, stray tear finally escaping and tracking down your cheek. "thank you for everything, sunghoon. even the messy parts, our thirty days are basically up anyway... so, you're free now. you're completely free from me, you don't have to feel guilty anymore."
โyou wipe your face quickly with the back of your hand, swallowing down the massive lump in your throat. "i hope you wake up soon, really. the world is way too quiet without you."
โyou stand up, your chair scraping loudly against the floor. you give his peaceful, comatose body one last, long, heartbreaking look, engraving every detail of his face into your memory. then, you turn around, grab your packed bags, and walk out the door, shutting it softly behind you
the moment the door clicks shut, sunghoon snaps
โ"JAY!" he screams, spinning around in the empty, silent room, his face twisted in pure, unadulterated rage. "JAY, GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
โwith a lazy, irritated sigh, jay materializes near the window, his arms crossed over his chest. he looks completely annoyed, his sharp jaw tight. "dude, turn it down! seriously, you are the loudest, most obnoxious soul i have ever had to babysit. what is your problem?"
โ"she's leaving!" sunghoon yells, marching straight up to the grim reaper, his eyes wild. "she's going to europe in two days! i need to get back into my body right now, jay! push me in, do whatever magic grim reaper stuff you do! i don't care anymore, just let me wake up!"
โjay doesn't even blink. he just pulls out his glowing digital ledger, completely ignoring sunghoonโs screaming, acting like heโs checking his schedule
โ"are you listening to me?!" sunghoon roars, trying to grab jayโs jacket, but his hands pass through. "fine, you know what? whatever, ignore me."
โsuddenly, a manic, hysterical laugh bubbles up in sunghoonโs chest. he stops pacing, a twisted, relieved smile spreading across his face. "wait. why am i even panicking? iโm a spirit, i donโt need a plane ticket, i donโt need a visa, i can just follow her. iโll get on that plane with y/n, go to europe, and stay right by her side until my body wakes up. yeah... yeah, that works perfectly." sunghoon starts chuckling, feeling incredibly smug about his genius loophole
โjay stops scrolling on his device. he slowly lowers his hand, looking at sunghoon, and then, a dark, mocking laugh tears out of the reaperโs throat. itโs a cold, echoing sound that makes the hairs on sunghoonโs arms stand up
โ"you? go to europe?" jay scoffs, shaking his head with an expression full of dark amusement. "oh, man. you really don't get how any of this works, do you?"
โsunghoon's laughter dies out. "what do you mean?"
โ"you're a tethered spirit, sunghoon. and a incredibly weak one at that," jay explains, his voice dropping into a chillingly serious tone as he steps closer. "you can barely handle walking across the city without feeling exhausted. you think you can cross an entire ocean? the moment you try to follow her past the city limits, especially over open water, your soul will start to fray. itโll literally dissolve, particle by particle, into nothingness."
โsunghoonโs face drains of what little color it has. "dissolve...?"
โ"yeah," jay says, his eyes boring into sunghoon's. "and if your soul dissolves? you don't get a neat little funeral. you don't get to go to the afterlife. your consciousness is just wiped out completely and that physical body lying on the bed over there? its heart will just stop beating. total, permanent brain death. youโll be gone forever, park sunghoon. you can't follow her."
โthe reality of the situation hits sunghoon like a concrete wall. the sheer, brutal weight of his helplessness crushes his remaining ego into dust. he can't leave, he can't follow you, and he can't wake up. heโs completely, utterly stuck
โfrustration, grief, and a massive wave of bitter regret boil up inside him. his shoulders slump, his head dropping into his hands as a shaky breath hitches in his throat
โjay watches him, the mocking smirk finally fading from his face, replaced by a quiet, grounded sigh
โ"there you go," jay says softly, crossing his arms as he leans against the bed frame. "let it set in, drown in that regret for a little bit. you need to actually feel the weight of what you threw away."
โsunghoon looks up through phantom, blurry eyes, his voice completely broken. "please, jay... just tell me what to do. tell me how to fix this."
โjay looks down at his glowing device one last time, a small, mysterious glint in his eyes. "fine. look at me, sunghoon. you want to know how to fix this? then itโs time you finally remember that promise you made."
another whole week drags by like molasses, and the hospital room feels completely hollow now
โyouโre gone. you actually left for europe. the space where your plastic chair used to be is empty, now, the only people taking turns sitting in that cramped room are jake and heeseung. they split the shifts evenly, looking exhausted but refusing to let sunghoon be entirely alone. as for sooha? she hasn't shown her face a single time since that first afternoon
โsunghoonโs spirit has spent the last seven days throwing a massive, pathetic tantrum. heโs been totally sulking, refusing to even look at jay. mostly, he just mopes around the edges of his hospital room, occasionally throwing himself at his comatose physical body in a desperate, angry attempt to force his way back in. but every single time, he just slips straight through the mattress, landing on the floor like smoke
โfinally, on the seventh night, the frustration gets too heavy to carry. sunghoon swallows his pride and drifts back out to the moonlit hospital park, looking for the only person who can actually hear him
โhe finds jay sitting cross-legged on a concrete picnic table, glaring intently at his glowing smartphone screen. a tiny, tinny engine roar echoes from the speakers
โ"go on, pass him! inside line, you idiot!" jay mutters aggressively to the screen, completely locked in
โsunghoon blinks, staring at him. "are you... are you watching formula 1 right now?"
โ"shh! itโs the final lap of the monaco gp, do not ruin this for me," jay snaps, not even looking up. heโs easily the most bizarre, chronically online grim reaper to ever exist. heโs wearing a modern streetwear hoodie, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the race car engines
โsunghoon doesn't care about the race. his soul feels like it's literally fraying at the edges from pure desperation. he walks right up to the edge of the table, his shoulders dropping, all the usual arrogance completely drained from his posture
โ"jay, please," sunghoon whispers, his voice cracking
โjay sighs heavily, hitting pause on his phone and locking it with a click. he looks up, his sharp eyes narrowing at the pathetic sight of sunghoon. "jeez. what happened to the arrogant prince? you look like a drowned cat."
โ"i'm begging you," sunghoon says, and he actually means it. he drops his head, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "i will do literally anything. i'll go to whatever afterlife you want. i'll accept any punishment just... please tell me what the promise was, i need to know how to get back to her. i can't let her leave like this."
โjay looks genuinely grossed out by the sudden display of vulnerability. he makes a face, shuddering dramatically. "ew, stop. the begging is honestly giving me the ick. itโs so weird seeing you act like a decent human being. stand up straight, you're embarrassing both of us."
โsunghoon doesn't move. he just stares at jay with wild, pleading eyes
โjay groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose in sheer defeat. "fine. alright! stop looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes, itโs ruining my vibe. you want to remember so badly? fine. blink twice."
โsunghoon doesn't hesitate. he closes his eyes, opens them, and snaps them shut a second time
โthe world doesn't just shift, it completely dissolves. the sterile scent of hospital bleach and the distant hum of city traffic vanish in a split second
instead, the sharp, metallic tang of copper and rust hits sunghoonโs nose, mixed with the damp, earthy smell of a dense, ancient forest. the air is thick and freezing cold
โsunghoon opens his eyes and gasps. they aren't in the park anymore. giant, ancient oak trees tower over them, their thick canopy blocking out most of the gray, overcast sky. everything looks muted, heavy, and old
โ"where... where are we?" sunghoon stammers, his voice sounding entirely different in this strange air
โ"keep your eyes open and follow me," jay says coldly
โas sunghoon steps past a thick patch of brambles, his breath catches in his throat. the forest floor is absolute chaos. swords, shattered wooden shields, and broken arrows are scattered across the mud. and worse, there are bodies. men clad in heavy, blood-stained iron armor are strewn everywhere, lifeless eyes staring blankly up at the gray sky
โ"is this... the middle ages?" sunghoon whispers, a cold sweat breaking out across his spiritual form
โ"look over there," jay instructs, pointing a gloved finger toward a massive, moss-covered boulder near a clearing
โsunghoon slowly walks closer, his heart hammering against his ribs. leaning heavily against the stone is a young man. his face is completely caked in dirt, grime, and dark, sticky blood. heโs clutching his stomach, his fingers desperately trying to hold together a massive, jagged sword wound that is leaking crimson onto the grass. his breathing is a ragged, wet wheeze
โsunghoon takes a sharp breath. the dying man has his exact face
โstanding right in front of the dying soldier is another figure. itโs jay, but this version of jay looks entirely ancient, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, absolute authority, holding a long, dark scythe that seems to absorb the very light around it
โ"this is where we first met," the modern jay whispers, standing right next to sunghoonโs spirit as they both watch the past unfold. "you were a captain in a war that didn't even matter and your time was up."
โthe dying sunghoon looks up at the medieval reaper, his vision clearly failing, but his grip on jayโs coat is fierce.
โ"my girl... y/n. where... where is she going?" the dying soldier gasps out, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips
โ"y/n? you mean the girl they fed to the flames?" the past jay asks, his voice echoing with an eerie, detached calm. "not your concern anymore, sheโs got her own destination. you go to your afterlife, she goes to hers. thatโs how the system works."
โ"no... wait," the soldier begs, his voice cracking with an intense, agonizing passion. "listen to me, reaper. whatever you are. i don't care about my soul... i don't care about heaven. in the next life... and the life after that... in every single universe... please, let me be with her. let me find y/n again. we only had a few years in this wretched life, but i love her... i love her more than my own breath."
โthe past jay tilts his head, intrigued. "you would bargain with a reaper? what are you willing to pay for a loop of fate like that?"
โ"anything," the dying sunghoon chokes out, tears cutting clean tracks through the blood on his cheeks. "take my soul to the deepest pits of hell when it's over... erase my existence entirely. let me dissolve into nothingness, i don't care... just give me another chance to love her. i promise i'll hold onto her next time... i promise."
โthe past jay stares at him for a long, heavy moment before lowering his dark blade. "a promise of eternal devotion, sealed with the threat of absolute erasure. very well, captain. your next life will be tied to hers. but remember... if you break her heart, if you fail to hold onto her, the contract voids and your soul belongs to the void."
โwith a swift, clean motion, the past jay touches the soldierโs forehead. the dying sunghoonโs eyes roll back, his head slumping forward as his final breath leaves his body.
โ"blink twice, kid." sunghoon snaps his eyes shut, his entire soul shaking violently as the memory burns itself into the very fabric of his consciousness. he blinks again
โsnap
โthe cold forest air is gone. the smell of blood vanishes. sunghoon is back in the hospital park, the neon city lights reflecting off the wet pavement
โhe stands there, completely frozen, his chest heaving as the sheer weight of his own forgotten words crashes down on him
โโi promise iโll hold onto her next time... i promise.โ
โhe had bartered his entire eternal existence just for a chance to stand next to you again. he had loved you across lifetimes and in this life, he had completely forgotten. he had taken your presence for granted, treated you like an annoyance, fought with you, and let you walk away for a girl who didn't even care enough to visit him in the hospital. he had literally signed his own soul's death warrant because of his own stupid, blinding ego
โsunghoon slowly looks up.
โjay is standing on the picnic table, looking down at him with that same familiar, incredibly arrogant, and smug smirk playing on his lips. he twirls his phone in his hand, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, knowing satisfaction
โ"so," jay says, his tone dripping with a cool, mocking confidence. "now you remember. i get to collect your soul for the void. any last words before the clock runs out?"
sunghoon drops straight to his knees on the damp grass, the cold from the ground cutting right through his spiritual form, though he barely even registers it. his mind is a complete, chaotic mess of your tear-stained face, a bloody medieval battlefield, and the terrifying realization that he has voluntarily walked himself right to the edge of eternal erasure
โ"jay, please," sunghoon chokes out, staring at the polished leather boots of the grim reaper standing on the picnic table above him. all the pride, all the high and mighty attitude he carried like armor for the past three weeks completely gone. shashed into pieces. "one more chance, just give me one single shot to fix this. i can't let it end like this, i can't let her leave."
โjay lets out a long, theatrical groan, looking up at the night sky like heโs asking the universe why he got stuck with the dramatic ones. "dude, seriously? i just told you the contract is practically voided. you messed up, you broke the terms. i don't do extensions."
โ"i'll do anything," sunghoon insists, his voice desperate, trembling as he reaches up to grasp at the hem of jayโs jacket, his fingers passing right through the dark fabric like mist. "i don't care what it is. iโll be whatever you want. a servant, a ghost, a punching bag, literally anything. just give me a chance to bridge the gap before the thirty days run out completely."
โjay pauses. he lowers his gaze, staring down at sunghoon with a sharp, calculating glint in his dark eyes. the silence stretches between them, heavy and suffocating, punctuated only by the distant, muffled sounds of the city
โ"anything, huh?" jay murmurs, a slow, dangerous smile creeping back onto his face. it isn't the playful, sarcastic smirk from before, this one is calculating. "well... it just so happens i've been drowning in paperwork lately, and the higher ups are breathing down my neck about efficiency. you want a chance? fine. youโre going to work for it. congratulations, kid. you're my new intern."
โsunghoon blinks, completely caught off guard. "your... what?"
โ"my assistant," jay says, hopping down from the table and dusting off his jeans. "you're going to help me harvest. let's see if you actually have what it takes to appreciate a soul, since you threw yours around like trash."
every time jay tosses a casual, heartless comment over his shoulder, sunghoon feels a sick twist in his chest, realizing oh my god that was me. he is forced to swallow a bitter dose of his own medicine every single hour of the day, watching his own worst personality traits play out through an all powerful deity who loves to make his life miserable
โthe first time sunghoon accompanies jay on a call, the casual, rock listening, formula 1 watching reaper completely vanishes. the air in the room drops down to a freezing, bone-chilling temperature. sunghoon watches from the corner of a dimly lit hospital room as an elderly man takes his final, rattling breath
โsuddenly, a massive, terrifying energy fills the space. out of thin air, a colossal scythe materializes in jayโs hands. the blade is made of a dark, obsidian metal that seems to actively swallow the light around it, looking impossibly sharp and heavy. jayโs eyes completely change, they turn cold, ancient, and completely devoid of human emotion. with one swift, silent swing, jay cuts the silver thread of life, his expression completely blank, like an executioner doing a routine job
โsunghoonโs soul shivers violently, terror pinning him to the spot. this isn't the funny guy from the park, this is death itself
โ"don't just stand there gaping like an idiot, park," jayโs voice cuts through the freezing room, snapping sunghoon out of his trance. jayโs tone is sharp, commanding, and totally professional. "log it, now."
โsunghoonโs hands shake as he pulls out jayโs glowing digital ledger. his official duty as an assistant is incredibly grim. he has to type in the exact timestamp of the death, verify the soulโs legal identity, and press the glowing "confirm departure to afterlife" button to officially close out the case
โfor two excruciating weeks, this is sunghoonโs reality. two weeks of watching families scream in agony, two weeks of witnessing the abrupt end of human lives, and two weeks of logging souls into a cold, black screen. it feels like his own personal hell
every single confirmation he hits feels like a weight being added to his own soul, dragging him closer to the realization of just how fragile existence really is and every night, he thinks of you, wondering if his own name is about to pop up on that screen next
โby the fourteenth day, sunghoon is completely broken down, his spiritual form feeling heavy and exhausted from the emotional toll of the job
โtheir final call of the night takes them to a quiet, winding suburban street where a terrible car crash has just occurred. itโs a horrific echo of sunghoon's own accident. an elderly husband and wife are trapped inside the vehicle, their pulses fading rapidly as the sirens wail in the distance
โjay steps forward, the massive scythe appearing in his grip with a terrifying, familiar hum. sunghoon prepares himself, pulling out the ledger, his eyes fixed on the couple
โbut as jay steps closer, sunghoon notices something he hasn't seen on any other soul before
โstretching between the husband and the wife, glowing with a soft, ethereal light, is a thick silver thread. it doesn't look like the fragile, thin life cords jay cuts. this one is intricately woven, pulsing with a gentle, warm energy, binding their two chests together so tightly that even as their breathing slows, the light between them remains completely solid
โjay raises his scythe, cutting their life threads with two clean strokes. the coupleโs spirits gently rise from their bodies, immediately reaching out to hold each otherโs hands, their expressions peaceful, completely unfazed by the death around them because they are still together. the silver thread between them remains perfectly intact, pulling them closer as they float upward
โsunghoon stares at it, completely mesmerized. "jay... what is that? why didn't that thread break when you cut their life?"
โjay lets the scythe dissolve into smoke, his expression softening back into his usual, casual demeanor as he shoves his hands into his pockets. he watches the elderly couple fade into the night sky
โ"thatโs a soul bond, sunghoon," jay says softly, his tone completely lacking its usual sarcastic edge. "itโs a connection born from lifetime after lifetime of choosing each other. itโs the strongest magic in the universe. it ensures that no matter where they go, or what life they live, they will always find their way back to each other."
โsunghoonโs chest tightens with a sudden, suffocating ache. "do... do me and y/n have that?"
โjay turns around slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on sunghoonโs face. the pity is back, heavy and unyielding
โ"you did," jay whispers. "in fact, yours was one of the thickest, brightest silver bonds iโve ever seen. you two have been weaving it since the middle ages, sunghoon. it survived wars, plagues, and centuries of separation."
โsunghoon feels a spark of hope flare up in his chest, but jayโs next words completely douse it in ice water.
โ"but a soul bond isn't indestructible," jay continues, his voice dropping into a chillingly serious register. "it requires both sides to feed it. and for the past month, youโve been actively hacking away at it with your ego. when you broke your promise, when you chose someone else.. you started fraying the cord."
โjay steps closer, pointing directly at sunghoonโs chest. sunghoon looks down, and his heart stops
โthere, protruding from his chest, is a tiny, pathetic wisp of silver light. itโs incredibly thin, practically translucent, and the edges are fraying violently, looking like a piece of thread that is about to snap under the slightest bit of tension
โ"itโs almost gone," jay says bluntly. "and let me make one thing completely clear to you, park sunghoon. if that final strand snaps... itโs over, completely over. you won't just lose her in this life. you will never cross paths with y/n again. not in the next life, not in the afterlife, not in any universe. you will become complete strangers across eternity."
โsunghoon stares at the fraying thread, a cold, suffocating wave of pure panic crashing over him. three weeks have passed, youโre in europe. the thirty days are officially over. the bond is snapping right in front of his eyes, and he is still trapped as a ghost, totally helpless
the loud, frantic roar of racing engines echoes from jayโs phone screen, cutting through the heavy midnight air of the park
โsunghoon is sitting on the edge of the stone bench right next to him, his knees pulled up to his chest, his eyes completely glassy. jay is totally locked in, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, occasionally shouting at the tiny cars on the screen
sunghoon doesn't understand a single thing about formula 1. the bright flashes of red and silver cars taking tight corners mean absolutely nothing to him right now. to him, itโs just background noise to the absolute chaos screaming inside his own head
โhis mind is entirely stuck on that fraying, pathetic silver thread in his chest. itโs a constant, phantom itch, a terrifying visual reminder that he is actively slipping out of your universe
โafter what feels like hours of agonizing silence, sunghoon clears his raspy throat. "i want to fix it," he says, his voice barely a whisper, completely catching jay off guard
โjay doesn't hit pause this time, but he slowly lowers the phone, his sharp eyes cutting over to sunghoon through the dark. "fix what?"
โ"the thread. my bond with y/n," sunghoon says, turning his head to look directly into the reaper's eyes
all the fake bravado, the stubborn pride, the ego, itโs all been completely burned away. thereโs only raw, desperate determination left. "i want to make it whole again, i don't care what it takes."
โjay lets out a low, breathy sigh, locking his phone and shoving it into his hoodie pocket. the playful demeanor is gone instantly. "it's not that simple, sunghoon. fixing a broken soul bond isn't like taping a ripped piece of paper back together. itโs incredibly hard. it takes an agonizing amount of time, and honestly? the mental toll is brutal."
โ"i don't care," sunghoon snaps instantly, his voice cracking but firm. "i genuinely don't care if it takes a hundred years, jay. as long as i get to come back to her. as long as that thread is perfect again. i'll do whatever you tell me to do."
โjay stares at him for a long, heavy moment, trying to see if the kid is bluffing. but sunghoonโs gaze doesn't waver once.
โ"you're really serious about this, huh?" jay murmurs, a faint, almost respectful glint appearing in his dark eyes. he leans back against the picnic table, crossing his arms. "alright, let me lay out the actual reality for you. you and y/n? you guys aren't just a casual, one-time thing. youโve actually managed to successfully end up together in five different lifetimes before this one. five times you found each other, loved each other, and closed the loop perfectly."
โsunghoonโs breath hitches. five lifetimes.
โ"but because you completely wrecked the contract in this life," jay continues, pointing a sharp finger at sunghoonโs chest, "saving that thread is going to take a long time. half a year, to be exact. six months in human time."
โsunghoon frowns, his mind instantly racing back to his physical body. "wait... six months? but what about my body in the hospital? am i just going to be a vegetable for half a year?"
โjay lets out a dry, slightly mocking chuckle. "honestly, your physical injuries from the crash weren't even that bad. you shouldโve woken up from that coma like, two weeks ago. the doctors are completely baffled because medically, your brain is fine. but the catch is... youโre currently tied up in grim reaper business. because your soul is entangled with me and the ledger, your spirit is physically locked out of your own body. you can't go back until this contract is either fulfilled or permanently cancelled."
โsunghoon looks down at his transparent hands, a heavy wave of guilt washing over him. six months of making his friends worry, six months of being a ghost, six months of you being all the way across the world in europe, thinking heโs either dead or completely moved on
โ"it's fine," sunghoon whispers, closing his eyes tightly before looking back up at jay. "if half a year is what it takes to make sure i don't lose her forever, then i'll take it just tell me how to fix the thread."
โ"well, since youโre so eager to sign your life away again... let me tell you a little secret. that medieval battlefield i showed you? that wasn't even the beginning. you and y/n actually started weaving your very first connection all the way back in ancient greece."
โsunghoonโs eyes widen. "ancient greece?"
โ"yeah. you guys were just kids back then, standing inside this beautiful, crumbling stone temple," jay says, his voice drifting off like heโs reading a historical text from his mind. "you didn't make an official contract with a reaper back then, so there was no magic binding you but the sheer weight of your feelings for each other in that temple was so intense that it planted the seed for every single life that followed. youโve literally been running after her for thousands of years."
โthe image of a sun-drenched stone temple flashes faintly in sunghoonโs mind, giving him a strange, warm sensation in his chest but the warmth is immediately crushed by the reality of his current situation
โ"so... how do i fix it now?" sunghoon asks frantically. "what do i have to do with those past lives?"
โjay straightens up, his tone turning completely serious, the weight of a deity settling over his shoulders. "to repair a frayed bond, you have to heal the roots. iโm going to send your spirit back through time. youโre going to visit every single one of those past lives where you two existed. and your only job? you have to find her in each era, look her in the eyes, and genuinely ask for her forgiveness. you have to apologize for the arrogance, the broken promises, and the pain you caused her in this current life. every time you successfully heal a past version of your connection, a piece of that silver thread will knit itself back together."
โjay steps closer, his shadow looming over sunghoon. "but let me warn you, park sunghoon. it is not going to be an easy walk in the park. youโre going to experience the pain, the heartbreak, and the tragedies of those eras all over again. if you fail to make amends in even one of those timelines, the thread snaps instantly, and youโre gone. the risks are absolute."
โsunghoon stands up slowly, his spiritual form suddenly glowing a little brighter with pure, unyielding resolve. he looks at jay, his jaw clenched, his eyes completely steady
โ"i don't care about the risks," sunghoon says, his voice echoing with absolute certainty. "send me back, jay. i'll bear every single consequence, just let me fix what i broke."
instead of the whole double-blink routine, jay just casually reaches out and slaps a hand onto sunghoonโs shoulder
โthud
โthe sound doesn't even make sense because theyโre both spirits, but the moment jay's palm connects, the world violently glitches. the modern glass buildings of the hospital, the plastic benches, and the soft neon glow of the city streets completely unravel like loose threads on a sweater
right before sunghoonโs eyes, giant, towering white marble pillars shoot up into a sky so blindingly blue it actually hurts to look at. the air instantly transitions from the heavy, damp smell of car exhaust and city rain to something incredibly crisp salty sea breeze, blooming jasmine, and the faint, earthy scent of sun baked stone
โtheyโre still ghosts, completely invisible to the world, but sunghoon is entirely paralyzed by the sheer gravity of what just happened. his jaw drops as he looks around the bustling, sun-drenched center of an ancient greek city. people are walking past them dressed in flowing linen tunics, carrying clay pots and shouting out prices for fresh olives and figs at a nearby market
โ"holy crap," sunghoon breathes, his eyes wide as he looks down at his own outfit. he and jay are literally the only people wearing modern streetwear, sticking out like neon signs in a black-and-white movie. "jay, this is... you did this with a single tap? your powers are actually insane."
โjay just lets out a bored, dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes as he grabs the back of sunghoonโs hoodie and yanks him forward. "yeah, yeah, i'm a god, we get it. stop gaping like a tourist and move your legs, park. we aren't here to sightsee."
โjay drags him through the narrow, stone-paved alleys, steering him away from the busy market square until they stop in front of a modest, whitewashed courtyard house. sunghoon is about to ask what they're waiting for when the heavy wooden door bursts open
โa little boy, probably around seven years old, comes barreling out into the street, giggling like a maniac. heโs wearing a simple white tunic, his dark hair a messy, windblown nest. close behind him, an older woman steps into the doorway, wiping her hands on an apron as she yells exasperatedly down the street, calling out his name
โsunghoon's heart does a violent flip in his chest. that's me
โ"he looks so quiet and calm, but man, that kid was a menace," sunghoon mutters, watching his past self dodge a stray cart with effortless agility
โthe little boy sprints all the way down to a quiet, grassy cliffside park overlooking the deep blue sea. sitting on a smooth stone near the edge is a little girl, her small feet swinging back and forth. the moment she hears his footsteps, she turns around, a massive, bright smile breaking across her face
โsunghoon feels a sharp, emotional ache bloom right in the center of his chest. you look so familiar, even as a child, with those same bright, expressive eyes. the two kids immediately dive into a game of tag, laughing hysterically as they run around the ancient trees, completely oblivious to the two time traveling ghosts watching them from the shadows
โ"see? told you," jay says quietly, his voice unusually soft as he leans against a stone wall, arms crossed. "you two have been joined at the hip since the very beginning. you didn't just meet in a college lecture hall, sunghoon. you've been practicing loving her for centuries."
โbefore sunghoon can even fully process the sight of their childhood, jay grabs his shoulder again, pulling him backward into the shadow of a grand marble building
โthe world blurs into a dizzying streak of light and shadow. sunghoon watches the stones beneath his feet weather and crack, while the pillars of the nearby temple grow more solid, majestic, and weathered by time. jay is fast forwarding through the years like a video clip
โwhen the spinning finally stops, the sun is setting, casting a warm, golden-purple hue over the cliffside. standing right under the grand archway of the temple are two teenagers. they look about eighteen now
โsunghoon completely loses his breath. you are standing there, dressed in a soft, elegant palla that drapes beautifully over your shoulders. your hair is pinned back, and you look so breathtakingly beautiful that the modern sunghoon canโt even take his eyes off you. your past self is holding hands with the eighteen year old version of sunghoon, your fingers tightly laced together
โthe young couple walks into the quiet, candle lit temple. they kneel together before a smooth marble altar, their heads bowed
โ"please," your past voice echoes softly through the sacred space, sweet and filled with an intense, desperate sincerity. "if our time in this life is ever cut short... please let us find each other again. in the next life, in the world after that. don't let me forget him."
โthe teenage sunghoon presses a soft kiss to the back of your hand, his eyes filled with a fierce, unwavering devotion. "i won't ever forget you, y/n. i'll find you, i swear it."
โwatching this, the ghostly sunghoon feels a burning wave of shame wash over him. he broke that oath. he forgot, he treated that sacred, centuries old devotion like a minor inconvenience in the modern world
โ"no time to cry yet, captain," jayโs voice cuts through his spiral
โwith another quick flick of jayโs wrist, the scenery shifts one last time, the atmosphere instantly turning incredibly heavy, tense, and suffocating. the peaceful sunset is replaced by a gloomy, gray afternoon
โthey are standing outside the barracks. the eighteen year old sunghoon is now wearing heavy bronze armor, a polished helmet resting under his arm. his face is hardened, but his eyes are breaking as he stares down at you
โyou are crying. your shoulders are shaking violently as you clutch the edges of his bronze chestplate, your tears dripping onto the cold metal. youโre an absolute crybaby in this life too, your heart completely on your sleeve
โ"you have to come back," you sob, your voice cracking with an agonizing fear. "please, you promised me. you can't leave me here alone."
โ"i will come back to you, y/n. i swear on my life, i will return," the young soldier promises, though his own voice is trembling with the terrifying knowledge that he might be marching straight to his death
โ"alright, intern, this is your cue," jay says, his sharp voice dropping all the sarcastic weight. he steps up right behind sunghoon, pushing him forward toward the armored soldier. "go on. step into his skin, you have exactly one minute to make amends before the timeline locks. do not mess this up."
โsunghoon swallows the massive lump in his throat. his hands are shaking as he takes a hesitant step forward, aligning his spiritual form with the back of the young captain. with a strange, magnetic pull, his consciousness is violently slammed into the physical weight of the bronze armor.
โsuddenly, he can feel everything. the heavy, suffocating weight of the breastplate, the cold sweat dripping down his neck, and the raw, heartbreaking warmth of your small hands clutching his chest
โhe looks down. you are looking up at him through a thick veil of tears, your eyes full of a desperate, terrifying love. seeing you look at him like that without the anger, without the bitterness of their modern thirty day breakup completely shatters him. he misses you so deeply it physically hurts his chest
โwithout a second thought, sunghoon lunges forward, throwing his armored arms around your waist and pulling you flush against him. he buries his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling the sweet, familiar scent of your hair
โ"sunghoon...?" you gasp softly, caught off guard by the sheer, sudden desperation in his hold
โ"i'm sorry," sunghoon chokes out, his voice thick with raw emotion. he doesn't mention the modern world, he doesn't mention the grim reaper, or the fact that heโs from a future where he completely broke your heart. he just grips you tighter, as if he could physically hold your souls together. "y/n, i am so, so sorry for everything, for every time i'm going to make you cry, for being an arrogant idiot, for taking you for granted. please... please forgive me. iโm so sorry."
โyou blink through your tears, completely confused by his strange, overwhelming apology, but the pure sincerity in his voice melts any fear away. you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face in his shoulder
โ"i forgive you," you whisper softly against his skin, a tear rolling down onto his armor. "i will always forgive you, sunghoon. just come back to me."
โthe moment the words i forgive you leave your lips, a sudden, blinding jolt of electricity shoots straight through sunghoon's chest. he feels a strange warmth ignite in his core, and with a violent gasp, his spirit is forcibly ejected from the physical body, flying backward through the air
gasp
โsunghoonโs eyes fly open
โthe ancient marble temples are gone. the heavy bronze armor is gone. heโs sitting flat on his ass on the damp grass of the modern hospital park, the familiar, annoying hum of city traffic filling his ears
โhe touches his chest frantically. there, glowing just a tiny bit brighter than before, the frayed silver thread has knit a tiny section of itself back together. itโs still incredibly thin and fragile, but itโs no longer unraveling
โbut instead of feeling happy, an overwhelming wave of pure sadness and grief crashes over him. his eyes burn, and a heavy, painful breath hitches in his throat as he stares blankly at the grass. he feels so entirely spent, his chest aching with the residual heartbreak of a lifetime that wasn't even his own.
โ"jeez. look at you, already sulking," jayโs smooth, mocking voice floats down from above
โsunghoon looks up through blurry eyes. jay is standing on the stone picnic table, hands shoved casually in his hoodie pockets, staring down at him with an incredibly arrogant, unbothered smirk
โ"that was... that was so heavy, jay," sunghoon whispers, his voice trembling. "she was crying so hard... i hate seeing her cry like that."
โjay let out a dry, clicking sound with his tongue, slowly shaking his head as his smirk turns a bit colder. "man, you really are weak, aren't you? youโre crying over that? let me tell you something, assistant... that era was a walk in the park. you guys actually loved each other there. the real tragedies haven't even started yet. get your act together, because the next timeline is going to absolutely destroy you."
sunghoon takes a deep, ragged breath, trying to blink away the residual warmth of that ancient greek sunset. he forces himself to stand up on his shaky, translucent legs, wiping a hand across his face. his chest still feels bruised from the sheer emotional weight of your past self's tears, but looking at the glowing silver thread just a fraction more secure than it was five minutes ago he knows he canโt stop
โ"i'm ready," sunghoon says, his jaw tightening as he looks up at the grim reaper. "take me to the next one, jay. whatever it is, let's just get it over with."
โjay doesn't say a word this time. the teasing smirk is entirely gone, replaced by a cool, unreadable expression. he raises his hand, his thumb and middle finger aligning perfectly
click
โthe sharp sound echoes through the quiet hospital park, and the world folds in on itself instantly. the concrete pavement beneath sunghoonโs feet melts into highly polished, deep mahogany wood. the cool night breeze is instantly replaced by the heavy, suffocating scent of burning beeswax candles, aged parchment, and expensive lavender oil
โsunghoon blinks, completely disoriented. he isn't outside anymore. heโs standing in the middle of a massive, breathtaking corridor. towering arched windows stretch up toward a ceiling covered in intricate, gold leaf frescoes depicting mythical creatures and royal battles. huge, velvet drapes in royal navy hang from the walls, catching the soft, flickering light of a dozen iron chandeliers
โ"woah," sunghoon mutters, completely losing his train of thought as he turns around in a circle, staring blankly at the sheer luxury of the place. "this is... insane. what kind of palace is this?"
โsmack
โ"ow!" sunghoon yelps, rubbing the back of his shoulder where jay had just hard palmed him.
โ"stop daydreaming, tourist," jay groans, rolling his eyes as he starts walking down the long hallway, his boots making absolutely no sound on the pristine floor. "we aren't architectural critics. keep your eyes open. weโre looking for you, remember?"
โsunghoon quickly scrambles to catch up, his modern sweatpants and hoodie looking hilariously out of place against the medieval luxury. they wander through a maze of winding corridors, passing silent guards standing at attention who don't even blink as the two ghosts glide right past them
โfinally, at the end of a secluded wing of the castle, they spot a tall figure walking with a heavy, commanding stride
โsunghoon freezes. the man is wearing a structured, deep charcoal uniform trimmed with silver embroidery, a heavy steel sword sheathed at his hip. his hair is pushed back neatly, exposing a sharp, unyielding jawline. he carries himself with an terrifying amount of authority. the kind of presence that makes people move out of the way without him saying a single word
โ"the grand commander of the royal guard," jay whispers from behind sunghoon, his tone casual but informative. "rumored to be the strongest, most ruthless warrior of this entire kingdom. nobody dared to cross his path. well... nobody except one person."
โthe past sunghoon stops in front of a pair of massive, towering oak doors. he pushes them open quietly, stepping inside what looks like a grand, multi level royal library. sunghoon and jay follow closely behind, slipping through the closing doors like smoke
โthe library is warm, lit by the golden glow of a massive fireplace. and there, sitting at a long wooden table buried under a literal mountain of thick leather-bound books and scrolls, is you
โthe moment your past self hears the heavy click of his boots, you look up. a brilliant, radiant smile breaks across your face, erasing all the stress of your studying. you slide out of your chair so fast you almost knock over an inkwell, running straight into the past sunghoonโs arms. you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, burying your face in his silver trimmed collar
โhe catches you effortlessly, his arms winding around your waist, pulling you so close thereโs absolutely no space left between you. the ruthless commander completely melts, his face softening into an expression of pure, unadulterated adoration
โ"i missed you," your past self murmurs, your voice muffled against his shoulder. "you were gone for three whole days, my love."
โ"i know, princess. iโm sorry. the northern border took longer than expected," the past sunghoon whispers back, his voice dropping into a deep, gentle register that the modern sunghoon recognizes all too well
โstanding in the shadows, the modern sunghoonโs spirit flinches. they were already together. they were deeply, hopelessly in love
โ"she was the daughter of one of the castle's kitchen maids," jay explains quietly, watching the couple sway slightly in the firelight. "grew up in the servants' quarters, but she had a brilliant mind. she practically lived in this library, teaching herself languages, history, and science. she was easily the smartest girl in the entire kingdom. thatโs why you fell for her."
โsunghoon stares at your past self, a bittersweet ache tightening his chest. she's exactly the same, he thinks. even in the modern world, y/n was always the smart one. you were always the one staying up late to study for midterms, the one who tried to help him with his essays, the one whose brain he always admired, even when his stubborn ego refused to admit it out loud. some things never change across lifetimes
โ"alright, dynamic duo, time to move," jay says, breaking the spell.
โhe grabs sunghoonโs wrist, dragging him backward through the solid stone wall of the library. the scenery violently blurs again, the golden firelight stretching into long lines of light before snapping into total darkness
โwhen the world solidifies, the heavy castle walls are gone. instead, the air smells like woodsmoke, pine trees, and fresh dew. the sky above is a brilliant canvas of thousands of stars, completely unpolluted by city lights
โthey are in the middle of a secluded forest clearing. a small, crackling campfire throws dancing orange shadows over a small canvas tent. sitting on a thick woolen blanket right by the fire are the past sunghoon and you. heโs wrapped a heavy fur cloak around your shoulders, and youโre leaning back against his chest, animatedly talking about a passage in a book you had just finished reading, your hands gesturing wildly in the air
โthe past sunghoon isn't even looking at the fire. heโs just staring down at your face, completely transfixed by the way your eyes light up when you're passionate about something. he reaches up, gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear
โ"i mean it, sunghoon," your past self says softly, turning your head slightly to look up at him, your expression turning serious under the starlight. "no matter what happens... promise me we stay together. promise me you won't let the court politics pull you away."
โ"i promise, my love," the commander says fiercely, pressing a firm, desperate kiss to the crown of your head. "i will never leave your side. iโd burn the whole kingdom to the ground before i let them take you from me."
โthe modern sunghoon lets out a shaky breath, covering his mouth with his hand. another promise. another sacred oath he ended up breaking in the future
โ"turn around," jayโs voice drops all the warmth, turning completely flat and freezing cold. "the fast forward is over."
โsunghoon turns around slowly, his heart sinking into his stomach. the beautiful forest clearing dissolves into a dark, damp, terrifying space. the smell of pine is replaced by the sickening, suffocating stench of rotting straw, mold, and rusted iron
โthey are standing in the subterranean dungeons beneath the palace. and there, locked inside a cramped, filthy iron cage, is you
โsunghoonโs soul violently shudders. your beautiful dress is torn and stained with dirt. your hair is a matted mess, and your eyes are completely swollen and bloodshot from hours of crying. you look so incredibly frail, shivering against the cold stone floor, curling yourself into a tight ball
โoutside the cell, the past version of sunghoon is standing there, his hands gripping the iron bars so tightly his knuckles are completely white, bleeding from where the rusted metal cuts into his skin. tears are streaming openly down his face, his ruthless commander facade completely shattered
โ"why?" the ghost of sunghoon whispers, his voice trembling with a terrifying panic. "jay, what happened? what did they do to her?!"
โ"the royal council," jay says bluntly, his eyes fixed on the heartbreaking scene. "they found out about her intelligence. a servant girl who knew more about science and medicine than the court doctors? they called it heresy. they accused her of practicing witchcraft, claiming she used dark magic to bewitch the grand commander. theyโre going to execute her, sunghoon."
โ"no... no, she was just studying books! she didn't do anything wrong!" sunghoon roars, trying to lunge toward the cell, but jay grabs his shoulder, his grip tightening like a vise
โ"the guards are coming down the corridor in exactly two minutes to take her to the gallows," jay barks, his tone dead serious as he shoves sunghoon toward the crying commander. "this is your only shot, get in there and make it right before she dies."
โsunghoon doesn't even hesitate. he throws his spirit forward, slamming violently into the physical body of his past self
โthe transition is agonizing. suddenly, the phantom pain in his chest turns into a real, suffocating heartbreak. his throat burns with the metallic taste of his own tears, and the cold iron bars feel freezing against his palms
โhe looks through the bars. you look up at the sound of his ragged breathing, your swollen eyes filling with a fresh wave of tears when you see him
โ"sunghoon..." you sob, crawling toward the bars on your hands and knees, your weak fingers reaching through the gaps. "i'm scared. please... i didn't do anything. i swear i didn't use black magic. i just wanted to learn..."
โthe modern sunghoon feels his soul literally breaking into a million pieces. he has never felt so utterly powerless in his entire existence. heโs the strongest commander in the kingdom, but he can't even unlock a stupid iron door to save the girl he loves
โhe reaches his large, calloused hands through the iron bars, gently cupping your dirty, tear-stained face. his thumbs softly wipe away the fresh tears spilling over your cheeks, ignoring the way the cold iron bruises his wrists.
โ"i know, i know, princess," sunghoon chokes out, his voice a broken, desperate sob as he leans his forehead against the freezing bars, staring into your eyes. "iโm so sorry. y/n, i am so incredibly sorry. i couldn't protect you... i failed you. please... please forgive me for being so useless. for every piece of pain iโve ever caused you, in this life and every life after... i'm sorry."
โyou lean into the warmth of his palms, closing your eyes as more tears spill over his fingers. even in the face of your own execution, you don't hold a single ounce of bitterness toward him
โ"i forgive you," you whisper, your voice a fragile, beautiful thread in the dark dungeon. "i will always forgive you, sunghoon. don't look at me with such sad eyes... we promised, remember? under the stars. we will find each other again. i'll wait for you in the next life."
โ"i'll find you," sunghoon promises, his heart breaking entirely as the loud, echoing sound of guards' boots starts to rumble down the stone corridor. "i swear on my soul, y/n, i will find you and i will hold onto you next time."
the violent jolt of electricity rips through his entire being, but strangely, this time sunghoonโs spirit doesn't get violently ejected from the body. he doesn't fly backward into a vortex of comfortable darkness
โhe is still firmly locked inside the heavy, suffocating skin of the grandcommander
โthe heavy iron latch of the dungeon doors rattles open, the sound echoing ominously down the damp stone corridor. sunghoonโs past body stands there, frozen, his hands still gripping the cold bars of your cell. a younger soldier, pale faced and trembling under the weight of his armor, steps into the dim torchlight, his eyes fixed firmly on the floor
โ"commander," the soldier whispers, his voice shaking. "everything... everything is ready. the king and queen have ordered the procession. itโs time."
โsunghoonโs mind is spinning in pure, unadulterated panic. why am i still in here? jay! jay, get me out of here! he screams internally, trying to force his consciousness to detach, but nothing happens. his physical mouth, acting on a lifetime of rigid military discipline, simply lets out a low, hollow sound. "understood."
โthe cell doors are unlocked, and two heavy handed guards drag your past self out into the corridor. you don't fight them, you're too weak, your frail frame shivering as the dirty linen of your white dress drags across the filthy stone floor. but as they pull you past him, your swollen, tear-filled eyes lock onto his face one last time
the transition from the dark, quiet bowels of the castle to the blinding light of the palace square happens too fast
โthe air is thick, suffocatingly hot, and vibrating with the deafening, monstrous roar of a bloodthirsty crowd. hundreds of angry citizens are packed into the stone plaza, throwing rotten vegetables and rocks, their faces contorted into ugly, twisted masks of hatred. up on the high royal balcony, the king and queen sit on their lavish velvet thrones, looking down with cold, indifferent eyes
โ"burn the witch!"
"she brought the plague upon our cattle!"
"spawn of the devil!"
โthe screams tear through sunghoonโs ears like physical knives. his past body is forced to march forward, taking its place at the very front of the royal guard, directly facing the massive wooden stake constructed in the center of the square
โhe watches in absolute, paralyzed horror as the guards roughly lift your small body up, binding your wrists and ankles to the heavy timber frames. you look so incredibly small against the massive wood. you look out into the crowd, your terrified gaze desperately searching until you find him standing there in his silver trimmed armor
โand then, a torch is dropped into the dry straw at your feet
โwhoosh
โthe flames erupt instantly, a roaring wall of bright orange and choking black smoke devouring the wooden stake
โsunghoon feels a physical sensation like a massive, clawed hand wrapping around his actual heart and squeezing it until it bursts. the sheer, unyielding agony of watching you, the girl he loved across centuries, the girl who just wanted to read books and hold his hand under the stars being consumed by fire is too much for his mind to handle. a silent, broken scream tears through his throat, but his past body remains frozen at attention, forced to watch the execution
โhis knees buckle. the armor feels like it weighs a million pounds. his vision starts to fray at the edges, spinning into a dizzying kaleidoscope of fire and smoke until the entire world finally collapses into pitch blackness
gasp
โsunghoonโs eyes fly open, his chest heaving violently as he sucks in a massive breath of modern, humid city air
โthe smell of burning wood and smoke is gone, instantly replaced by the familiar, synthetic scent of hospital bleach. heโs back. heโs sitting flat on his ass on the damp grass of the modern park, his hands trembling so violently he can barely press them against the ground to keep himself steady
โhot, heavy tears are streaming openly down his face, dripping off his sharp jawline and soaking into his modern black hoodie. he doesn't even care about his pride anymore. he buries his face in his hands, letting out a jagged, pathetic sob that echoes through the quiet midnight park
โ"man, you really are a total crybaby," a smooth, completely unbothered voice floats down from above
โsunghoon pulls his hands away from his face, his vision blurry with tears. jay is sitting casually on top of the concrete picnic table, his legs swinging back and forth. heโs holding a little strawberry milk carton, sipping lazily from a tiny plastic straw while watching sunghoon like heโs an entertaining movie
โ"she... they burned her, jay," sunghoon chokes out, aggressively wiping his face with the sleeve of his hoodie, though the tears just keep coming. "i had to watch it, i had to feel it. i couldn't do anything, i was the grand commander and i couldn't even save her."
โjay takes a slow sip of his milk, letting out a soft, clicking sound with his tongue as he shakes his head. "yeah, well, history is messy like that. and honestly? youโre being completely dramatic. that was just lifetime number two. human history isn't a fairy tale, kid."
โsunghoon stands up on shaky legs, his head spinning from the residual emotional trauma of the dungeon. "i can't," he whispers, his voice cracking entirely as he stares at the glowing silver thread in his chest, which has only knit itself a tiny bit more. "jay, i don't think i can handle seeing her die again. i don't want to see her hurt itโs ripping my soul apart. i want to stop, let me just end it."
โjay stops swinging his legs. he lowers the milk carton, his sharp, dark eyes narrowing as a cold, dangerous aura instantly replaces his casual demeanor. the mocking smirk vanishes
โ"you want to quit?" jay asks, his voice dropping into a lethal, low whisper that makes the air around them freeze. "sure, go ahead. the portal to your body is right there. iโll just cancel the contract right now but letโs be entirely clear about what that means, park sunghoon."
โjay hops down from the table, landing silently in front of sunghoon, his shadow swallowing him whole
โ"the second i delete this file, that wisp of silver thread in your chest snaps permanently. you will never see y/n again. she will finish her degree in europe, she will meet someone else, she will live her life, and when you both die, your souls will pass each other in the ether like complete strangers. you will erase thousands of years of devotion because you can't handle a little bit of pain. so go ahead, walk away."
โsunghoon stands frozen, the words hitting him like physical blows
โstrangers across eternity
โthe thought of you forgetting him, the thought of never seeing your smile, never hearing your voice, never having the right to hold your hand in any universe ever again hurts infinitely worse than the fire in the palace square. itโs a cold, hollow, terrifying kind of pain that shakes him to his very core
โhe looks down at his hands, then closes them into tight fists. the frustration, the grief, and the fear melt down into a hard, unyielding desperation. he took you for granted in this life. he broke your heart for a girl who didn't even care about him. he deserved this torment. he needed to pay the price
โsunghoon raises his head, looking directly into the grim reaperโs ancient eyes. the tears are still wet on his cheeks, but his gaze is completely steady
โ"no," sunghoon says, his voice losing its tremor, hardening with pure resolve. "i'm not giving up."
โjay tilts his head, a faint, slow smirk creeping back onto his lips. "oh? changed your mind already?"
โ"send me to the next one," sunghoon demands, stepping closer, his ghostly form radiating a frantic, manic energy. "i don't care if itโs worse, i don't care if it destroys me. i'll watch whatever i have to watch, and i'll take whatever punishment you have. just send me back i'm going to fix our thread."
โjay lets out a low, amused chuckle, throwing the empty milk carton into a nearby trash can with perfect accuracy.
"the next one is going to be way more interesting, honestly," jay says, a little glint of amusement in his eyes as he plays with the stray strings of his hoodie. "not quite as terrifying as getting torched in a public square. well... maybe. depends on how you look at it."
โsunghoon just lets out a heavy, exhausted sigh, dropping his chin to his chest. his whole body feels drained, the phantom smell of smoke still clinging to the edges of his mind. he shuts his eyes tight, trying to brace himself for the impact of another world, another heartbreak
when he tilts his head back up, the humid night air of the hospital park is completely gone
โthereโs no violent jolt this time. the transition is smooth, almost elegant, like a watercolor painting bleeding into a new canvas. sunghoon blinks, realizing heโs standing inside a massive, sun-drenched bedroom. the architecture screams the height of the renaissance era. intricate wooden carvings on a giant four poster bed, thick velvet curtains in rich burgundy blocking out the midday sun, and beautiful, fresh oil paintings drying on easels in the corner. everything feels deeply tied to art and beauty, the whole atmosphere dripping with wealth and culture
โ"looks like we spawned in your old room," jay murmurs, casually leaning his back against a massive marble fireplace, looking completely unbothered by the sudden shift in centuries. "not a bad setup, honestly. you were loaded."
โbefore sunghoon can even take a step to examine the room, the heavy muffled sound of angry shouting drifts up through the floorboards. itโs coming from the grand parlor downstairs
โjay tilts his head toward the door, a faint smirk returning to his face. "sounds like a family meeting. letโs go eavesdrop."
โthe two spirits glide through the solid wooden door and descend the sweeping marble staircase. down in the parlor, a young version of sunghoon is standing stiffly in the center of the room, dressed in tailored, expensive renaissance garments. his expression is completely frozen, his jaw clenched as an older, aristocratic man and a woman draped in silk pace around him, their voices dripping with absolute fury
โsunghoon and jay stand in the corner, blending into the shadows as they listen to the argument
โ"you have a duty to this family, sunghoon!" his past father roars, slamming a heavy ringed hand onto a mahogany table. "she is the daughter of a duke! the alliance is perfect! you cannot keep turning these offers down!"
โ"i don't care about the alliance," the past sunghoon says, his voice quiet but incredibly stubborn, his gaze fixed firmly on the floor. "i will not marry someone i do not love."
โstanding in the shadows, the ghostly sunghoon watches his past self with a strange mix of pride and frustration. jay lets out a soft, mocking chuckle right next to his ear, crossing his arms. "man, the you in this life was kind of an idiot, wasn't he? thatโs literally the third arrangement heโs turned down. total hopeless romantic. he was actively ruining his family name for a girl he hadn't even met properly yet."
โbefore the argument downstairs can escalate any further, jay casually claps his hands together once
โcrack
โthe sound echoes like a gunshot through the room, and the angry voices of his parents instantly melt away. the dark parlor expands, exploding into a blinding sea of golden light, classical violin music, and the low, elegant chatter of hundreds of wealthy guests
โthey are suddenly standing right in the middle of a lavish, decadent wedding reception. crystal chandeliers hang from the high ceilings, and tables are overflowing with expensive wine and exotic fruits
โand right in front of them, standing at the center of the ballroom, are the past sunghoon and y/n
โsunghoon completely loses his breath, his eyes locking onto you. you are wearing a breathtaking, cream colored satin gown embroidered with delicate silver threads that catch the candlelight every time you move. your hair is intricately braided, and you look so completely radiant, so stunningly beautiful, that the ghostly sunghoon entirely freezes in his tracks. his mind goes totally blank. he just stares, his chest aching with a sudden, overwhelming surge of love and longing
โheโs completely stuck, entirely hypnotized by the sight of you laughing at something his past self whispered in your ear
โ"hey, space cadet, stop drooling," jay grunts, reaching out and roughly yanking sunghoon backward by the arm before he can try to touch you. "we don't have time for you to stare. let's move it."
โwith that harsh tug, the bustling wedding ballroom blurs into a streak of gold and white. the loud music fades, replaced by the gentle chirping of cicadas and the soft, cool breeze of a late evening
โwhen the world settles, they are standing in a manicured, private garden attached to a massive villa. the past sunghoon and you are sitting together on a stone bench under a canopy of blooming white roses. youโre leaning your head against his shoulder, your fingers intertwined with his. the atmosphere is peaceful, dripping with an domestic warmth that sunghoon hasn't felt in a very long time
โ"i still can't believe your father finally gave in," you murmur softly, a gentle smile playing on your lips as you look out over the dark garden
โ"he didn't have a choice," the past sunghoon replies, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. "i told him iโd leave the estate completely if i couldn't have you. i just want a quiet life, y/n. a happy, harmonious family with you. thatโs all iโve ever wanted."
โwatching them, the ghostly sunghoon feels a sudden ray of hope flare up in his chest. a huge, relieved smile spreads across his face. there's no tragedy here, he thinks frantically, his heart beating fast. we actually made it. we got married, weโre happy, there are no executioners or wars.
"jay, look!" sunghoon whispers excitedly, turning to the reaper. "there's no test here! we're actually fine in this one!"
โjay just lets out a low, dark chuckle, a look of profound pity crossing his sharp features. "man, you really are naive, aren't you?" jay raises a single finger, pointing toward a smaller, dark structure at the edge of the estate. "you forgot who i am, assistant. death always collects."
โjay flicks his wrist, and the beautiful, moonlit rose garden instantly rots away. the sweet smell of flowers transitions into the sharp, sickeningly familiar scent of herbal medicines, damp sheets, and cold sweat
โthey are back in the massive bedroom from before, but the sun is completely gone, replaced by a single, flickering candle on the nightstand
โlying in the center of the giant bed is the past sunghoon but he looks completely unrecognizable. the broad-shouldered, strong young man from the garden has shrunk, his body frail, gaunt, and completely drained of life. his skin is a sickly, pale gray, his breathing coming out in shallow, rattling gasps. an epidemic had swept through the city, and his wealth couldn't save him
โkneeling right by the bedside, clutching his cold, trembling hand against her cheek, is you. you are sobbing uncontrollably, your shoulders shaking as your tears soak into the linen sheets
โ"you can't leave me," you weep, your voice a broken, desperate mess. "sunghoon, please... we were supposed to grow old here. you promised me a quiet life, please don't go."
โ"i'll... i'll find you again," the dying sunghoon gasps out, his voice incredibly weak, his eyes struggling to stay open as he stares at your face. "i promise... i'll look for you in the next world..."
โ"heโs flatlining, intern," jayโs voice cuts through the heartbreaking room, sharp and urgent. "get in there before his soul detaches, you have less than a minute."
โsunghoon doesn't even think. the pure agony of seeing you cry over his dying body pushes him forward, and he throws his spirit straight into the frail, cold physical form on the bed
โthe moment his consciousness hooks into the body, a suffocating, crushing weight slams into his chest. he can barely breathe. every single gasp feels like inhaling liquid fire, his lungs completely failing him. his throat feels tight, dry, and absolutely paralyzed
โbut looking at you kneeling there, your face completely ruined by grief, he forces his weak, trembling fingers to squeeze yours back
โ"y/n..." sunghoon chokes out, his voice a raspy, breathless whisper
โyou gasp, looking up through your thick veil of tears, locking eyes with him. "sunghoon? oh my god, sunghoon, stay with me, pleaseโ"
โ"i'm sorry," he interrupts, his voice breaking as the suffocating pressure in his chest tightens, stealing his oxygen. he can feel his life slipping away by the second, the coldness creeping up his limbs. "y/n... i am so sorry for everything... for breaking my promises... for leaving you alone like this. please... please forgive me."
โyou shake your head frantically, pressing his weak hand against your lips, kissing his knuckles as your tears stream down his skin. "there's nothing to forgive! i love you, i will always love you! please just don't close your eyes!"
โ"i'm sorry..." sunghoon whispers one last time, a tear finally escaping his own eye, rolling down his pale cheek.
โwith that final apology, the last bit of air leaves his lungs. his heart gives one final, weak shudder before completely stopping.
โthe moment his physical eyes glaze over, you let out a blood-curdling, agonizing scream of pure grief, a sound so loud and full of despair that it vibrates through the entire room
โboom
โthe sheer force of your heartbreak, combined with the sudden death of the body, violently rejects sunghoonโs spirit. he is forcibly slammed backward, ripped right out of the physical flesh with a terrifying velocity. the bedroom, the candles, and your heartbreaking screams instantly dissolve into a roaring vortex of wind, spinning him around in total darkness until his feet violently connect with something solid
โgasp
โsunghoon hits the ground hard, tumbling onto the damp grass of the modern hospital park. his chest is heaving as he frantically sucks in the clean night air, his hands clutching at his shirt right over his heart. the agonizing suffocation of the sickness is gone, but his soul feels completely shattered, his mind still echoing with that final, devastating scream you let out over his corpse
"the next one is officially the worst," jay says, his voice losing every single ounce of its usual sarcastic bite. he lets out a low, heavy breath, looking at sunghoon with a level of dead seriousness that makes the cold air in the park feel even more suffocating. "it's the most tragic out of all of them, honestly. you need to actually pull yourself together for this one, park. if your mental state fractures, we're done."
โsunghoon takes a ragged breath, pressing the palms of his hands against his knees to stop the violent shaking. his soul still feels entirely bruised from hearing that final, echoing scream in the renaissance bedroom, but he forces his jaw to clench. "i'm fine. i can handle it, just send me."
โjay stares at him for a long, quiet beat, checking for any signs of bluffing. finally, he sighs and gestures to the empty space on the concrete bench right next to him. "just calm down for a second. relax your shoulders. sit down."
โsunghoon reluctantly slides onto the cold stone bench, his chest heaving. "now what?"
โ"now, close your eyes," jay instructs softly.
โthe second sunghoonโs eyelids flutter shut, the distant sound of city traffic completely dies out
โwhen he opens his eyes a fraction of a second later, the transition is incredibly jarring. the hard concrete bench is gone. instead, heโs sitting on a rough, weathered wooden bench right at the edge of a bustling, dusty dirt road. the air instantly hits his nose, the sharp, pungent scent of fermented radishes, dried fish, fresh straw, and the smoky haze of wood burning stoves
โeverywhere he looks, people are moving around in traditional, vibrant hanboks. heavy wooden carts pulled by oxen are rattling past, and merchants are loudly shouting out their prices for silk fabrics and clay pots
โ"joseon era," sunghoon mutters, blinking rapidly as his modern sneakers rest in the dirt. he looks down at his own casual clothes, then looks around the busy marketplace. "wait... am i like, a poor peasant or something in this life? why are we spawning near a crowded market?"
โjay, who is casually leaning against a nearby wooden pillar with his arms crossed, lets out a dry, mocking laugh. "peasant? you wish. look over there across the square. see that incredibly annoying guy surrounded by a literal horde of women?"
โsunghoon blinks, shifting his gaze toward a large silk merchant's stall
โstanding in the center of a giggling, blushing crowd of young noblewomen is a young man dressed in an incredibly expensive, pristine royal blue banyongpo. heโs holding a hand painted paper fan, tilting his head with an effortlessly smooth, devastatingly handsome smirk as he delivers a smooth comment to a girl who looks like sheโs about to faint
sunghoonโs jaw drops. itโs him
โand just like that, despite the absolute trauma of the last three timelines, sunghoonโs massive, modern day ego instantly flares back to life. a smug, satisfied smirk crawls onto his face. "well... can you really blame them? i mean, look at me. even in ancient history, the face card never declines. i was a total visual."
โjay looks like he wants to violently throw himself into the nearest river. he rolls his eyes so hard it looks painful, letting out a heavy, disgusted groan. "oh my god, shut up. this is exactly why the universe punished you. you were famously known for being breathtakingly handsome in this era, yes, but you were also a certified, arrogant prick. you walked around like you owned the entire peninsula."
โjay grabs sunghoonโs shoulder, dragging his spirit away from the crowded market square and leading him down a quieter, winding alleyway lined with beautiful, weeping willow trees. they stop right in front of a grand, multi-storied building decorated with bright silk lanterns and beautiful wooden screens. the faint, elegant sound of a gayageum plucking a slow melody drifts through the air
โ"a courtesan house?" sunghoon asks, raising an eyebrow
โ"just watch," jay murmurs, pointing through the open wooden shatters of a private upper room
โsitting on a silk cushion, pouring hot tea into a delicate porcelain cup, is a woman. her back is turned to them, her long, glossy dark hair braided perfectly down her back with a rich crimson ribbon. even just from the silhouette of her shoulders and the elegant, graceful slope of her neck, she looks stunning
โthen, she turns her head slightly to order a servant away
โsunghoonโs heart stops
โyou look absolutely ethereal in a pale pink chima and a white jeogori, your sharp, expressive eyes piercing right through the room
โ"she was the most famous woman in the district," jay explains quietly, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "incredibly beautiful, but notoriously fierce and sharp-tongued. she absolutely detested arrogant, smooth-talking noblemen, and she had zero patience for men who lacked substance. basically... she was your worst nightmare, which made you completely obsessed with her."
โsunghoon feels a sudden, intense wave of curiosity washing over him. "how did we even start talking? jay, fast forward it. i want to see how i managed to win her over if she hated me so much."
โ"fine, but don't blink," jay says.
โsuddenly, a sharp gust of wind sweeps through the courtyard, sending a stray, crisp green willow leaf flying straight toward sunghoonโs face. he instinctively raises his hand, brushing the leaf away from his eyes
โby the time his hand drops, the scenery has completely shifted. the bright daylight has faded into a deep, hazy twilight
โthey are now inside a secluded, private pavilion surrounded by blooming lotus ponds. and right there, leaning against the wooden railing, are the past sunghoon and you but you aren't fighting. in fact, the past sunghoon is leaning in incredibly close, his fingers gently brushing against your jawline, his eyes dripping with a smooth, heavy flirtatiousness
โyouโre smirking back, your eyes locked onto his lips, delivering a sharp, witty comeback that makes him let out a low, breathy laugh. and before the modern sunghoon can even process the dialogue, his past self lunges forward, pulling you flush against his chest and burying his lips into yours in a deep, intensely passionate kiss. your hands instantly tangle into the fabric of his expensive robes, pulling him closer
โstanding a few feet away, jayโs face immediately contorts into total disgust. "okay, nope. we are moving past this. i am not watching this."
โ"wait, wait! jay, don't!" sunghoon yells frantically, his eyes wide as he tries to swat jay's hand away from the portal. "don't fast-forward yet! let me watch for a second! i haven't seen her like this, let me just look at herโ"
โsmack
โ"ow!" sunghoon yelps, clutching the back of his head where jay had just delivered a firm, unbothered slap
โ"you are a literal pervert, park," jay groans, his expression completely judging him. "we are here to save your soul bond, not watch your past self's romance tape. move your head."
โwhen sunghoon looks back up, rubbing his sore skull, the lotus pond is gone
โnow, they are standing in a hidden, quiet courtyard behind a massive estate. the sun is shining brightly, and the air is filled with the sharp, rhythmic clack-clack of wooden practice swords hitting each other
โthe past sunghoon is standing right behind you, his large hands wrapped securely over yours as he guides your grip on a wooden sword. heโs adjusting your stance, his chest pressed against your back, a massive, soft, genuinely happy smile on his face
youโre laughing hysterically every time you mess up a form, turning around to playfully poke him in the ribs with the blunt tip of the weapon. they look so incredibly light. so completely, hopelessly happy
โ"enjoy it while it lasts," jayโs voice suddenly drops into that freezing, dark tone, cutting through the beautiful laughter like ice water. "because the tragedy is officially here."
โ"no, wait, can't we just stay here for a minute?" sunghoon begs, his chest instantly tightening with an anxious, suffocating panic. "just let me watch us be happy for a little bit longer, jay, pleaseโ"
โsmack
โjay slaps the back of his head one more time, completely ignoring his pleas. "open your eyes, assistant. look at what you actually did."
โthe beautiful, sunny courtyard instantly dissolves into a suffocating, heavy gloom. the happy laughter is cut short, replaced by the sound of raw, agonizing, breathless sobbing
โsunghoon looks around, his heart sinking right into his stomach. they are inside a dark, secluded library room. standing in the corner, clutching you tightly against his chest like heโs trying to merge your bodies together, is the past sunghoon
โyou are crying so hard you can barely draw a full breath, your small hands tightly bunching up the blue silk of his robes, your face buried in his shoulder as your whole body shivers with grief
โ"i'm sorry... y/n, i am so sorry," the past sunghoon whispers, his own voice cracking completely, tears tracking down his handsome face. "the king... my father... he officially announced it to the court today. the royal decree has been signed. i am being forced into an arranged marriage with the princess of the neighboring province. the wedding is next week."
โstanding in the shadows, the modern sunghoonโs spirit instantly erupts into pure, frantic rage. he turns around to jay, his face red, his fists clenched tight as he storms up to the reaper
โ"are you kidding me?!" sunghoon roars, gesturing wildly at the crying couple. "why does this keep happening?! a princess?! how beautiful could this stupid princess even be that my parents are completely ruining our lives for her?! i don't want to marry her! why am i doing this?!"
โjay just stands there, completely bewildered, raising his eyebrows at sunghoonโs sudden outburst. "bro, why the hell are you yelling at me? i didn't arrange the marriage. blame your ancient joseon parents, not the grim reaper. also, she's a princess, itโs about land and power, not a beauty pageant. stop shouting."
โsunghoonโs chest is heaving with anger and heartbreak, his eyes darting back to your sobbing form. the reality of the tragedy is setting in, and he can feel the heavy, magnetic pull of the timeline demanding him to step into the body
"this is where it gets really ugly," jay says, his voice losing every single ounce of its usual detached composure. he actually sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks down at the dusty floorboards of the library. "even for a grim reaper... this part of your history is hard to watch. you need to brace yourself, park. seriously."
โsunghoonโs anger evaporates instantly, replaced by a cold, sickening dread that pools right in his stomach. he looks at your past self, still clinging to his robes, sobbing like her world is ending. he just nods numbly, swallowing the dry lump in his throat. "i told you. i'm not backing down."
โjay doesn't waste another second. he raises his hand
โclick
โthe dark, quiet library fractures instantly. the smooth smell of old books and your sweet floral scent are violently ripped away, replaced by the suffocating, metallic stench of fresh copper, wet mud, and the terrifying, heavy atmosphere of an execution ground
โsunghoonโs spirit stumbles as the world solidifies. they are standing in the massive stone courtyard of the royal palace under a dark, weeping gray sky. hundreds of soldiers in heavy iron armor form a tight, impenetrable wall around the perimeter, their spears held high. at the far end, sitting on elevated wooden thrones, the king and queen look down with expressions of absolute, chilling disgust
โand right there, in the dead center of the cold stone floor, you are on your knees
โsunghoonโs soul goes into a frantic, chaotic panic. your hands are tied tightly behind your back with thick hemp rope, your beautiful pink chima torn, dragged through the mud, and stained with dark crimson streaks. you look so fragile, so completely stripped of your usual fierce, sharp tongued energy
"jay! what is this?! what happened?!" sunghoon screams, his voice cracking as he tries to lunge toward you, but his ghostly hands pass right through the air. "we were just in the library! why is she on the floor?!"
โjay steps up beside him, his sharp eyes dark and unusually heavy with grim pity. "you two tried to run," he explains quietly, the wind whipping his modern black hoodie around his frame. "the night before the royal wedding, you abandoned your title, stole two horses, and tried to smuggle her out of the province. but the kingโs scouts tracked you down at the border. and because youโre the beloved prince, the royal court couldn't execute you. so they put the entire blame on her. they claimed she was a seductress who bewitched the royal bloodline."
โbefore sunghoon can even digest the horror of jay's words, the booming, heartless voice of the king echoes across the courtyard, cutting through the heavy silence
โ"prove your loyalty to this kingdom, prince sunghoon," the king commands, pointing a cold finger down at your kneeling form. "dispel the witchโs curse. do it now."
โsunghoonโs ghostly head whips around. walking slowly out from the ranks of the soldiers is his past self. the handsome face that sunghoon had been bragging about five minutes ago is completely dead, pale as a corpse, his eyes entirely blank and hollow. in his right hand, he is dragging a long, heavy steel sword, the tip of the blade scraping against the stone floor with a horrific, screeching sound
โscreeech
โ"no... no, no, no," sunghoon whispers, the past sunghoon closes the distance, his heavy boots thudding against the stone tiles. but instead of standing behind you like a heartless executioner, he suddenly drops his weight, his knees hitting the damp earth with a loud, desperate thud right in front of you
โyou gasp, your eyes flying open as you look up through your tangled hair
โthe past sunghoon is looking right into your eyes, his face completely pale and breaking into a million pieces. heโs crying, thick, heavy tears cutting through the grime on his cheeks. he repositions his hands on the hilt of the heavy steel sword, reverse-gripping it so the sharp tip is pointed directly at your chest, while the pommel aligns perfectly with his own abdomen
โthe entire crowd of citizens and soldiers gasps in collective, paralyzed shock. the king stands up from his throne, screaming in fury
โblood instantly floods the stone floor, pouring from both of their bodies. his past self had chosen a double suicide. if the kingdom wouldn't let them live together, he was going to make sure they died together
โ"intern, go! now!" jayโs voice barks like thunder, shattering the shock. "enter the body before her consciousness fades! do it!"
โsunghoon doesn't even feel the transition. he just hurls his spirit forward, slamming directly into the physical flesh of his past self
โgasp
โthe absolute, unimaginable agony hits him like a physical tidal wave. sunghoonโs vision violently flashes red. it feels like a white-hot iron rod has been driven directly through his gut, his nerve endings screaming in pure, unadulterated torture. the taste of warm, thick copper immediately floods his mouth, choking him
โthe long steel sword drives forward, piercing straight through the center of your chest, tearing through your heart, and bursting out from your back. but the momentum doesn't stop there. because heโs holding you so close, the remaining length of the steel blade drives straight backward, ripping through the past sunghoon's own stomach, skewering you both together in a brutal, tragic embrace
โyour foreheads rest against each other, your blood mixing on the cold metal between you as the life rapidly drains from both of your eyes. they are face-to-face, locked together in death, refusing to let the timeline separate them
โhis past selfโs arms are losing strength rapidly, but with the very last ounce of his fading life, he leans forward. he presses his bloody lips against yours in a soft, desperate, lingering final kiss
โ"i love you," the past sunghoonโs voice whispers inside his mind, a final, fading thought before the modern sunghoon takes full control of the vocal cords
โ"y/n..." sunghoon chokes out, his voice a wet, ragged wheeze as blood spills over his lower lip. he tightens his grip on you, his tears mixing with the blood on your shoulder. "i'm sorry... i am so, so sorry. i couldn't get us out... i caused this. please... forgive me..."
โand through the absolute agony of death, a soft, incredibly sweet smile breaks across your bloody lips. it looks so beautiful it completely shatters his soul. you look as if you don't even feel the pain, as if being in his arms makes the execution entirely irrelevant
โ"i forgive you..." you whisper, your voice a fragile, breathy sigh that fades into the howling wind. "always... sunghoon..."
โyour eyes gently flutter shut, the moment your soul leaves, the final, crushing weight of the sword wound takes him too. his vision goes entirely black, his heart giving one final, agonizing thud against the steel blade before his spirit is violently repelled from the flesh
โgasp
โsunghoonโs eyes snap open
โthe dark gray sky of joseon is gone. the smell of mud and blood is gone. heโs lying flat on his back on the damp grass of the modern hospital park, the bright neon lights of the city blurring into long, dizzying streaks above him
โhe immediately rolls onto his side, curling into a tight, defensive fetal position, his hands clutching his stomach frantically. the physical wound isn't there, but the phantom pain of that steel blade feels completely real, a lingering, burning ache in his gut that makes him choke on his own breath
โsunghoon buries his face directly into the grass, letting out a loud, raw, unhinged sob. he cries so hard his entire body shakes violently, his fingers clawing at the dirt. the image of your sweet, bloody smile right before you died is burned into the back of his eyelids, torturing his mind
โ"i told you it was going to be bad," jayโs quiet, serious voice floats down
โsunghoon pushes himself up onto his knees, his face entirely ruined by tears, his chest heaving in absolute desperation. he looks up at jay, who is standing quietly by the bench, his usual arrogant demeanor completely replaced by a solemn silence
โ"jay, please," sunghoon begs, his voice cracking into a pathetic, broken whisper as he reaches out toward the reaper. "i can't do this anymore without seeing her. i need to see her, the real her. the modern y/n. please, just let me see her for one second, i'm begging you. i can't keep watching her die over and over again, it's killing me."
โjay lets out a long, slow breath, looking down at the glowing silver thread in sunghoonโs chest. it has knit itself together significantly now, pulsing with a much stronger, brighter light, though it's still missing the final pieces
โ"dude, seriously, calm down and be patient," jay says, his tone softening just a fraction, a hint of his casual peer voice returning as he steps closer. "we are actively working on it right now. every single time you survive one of these timelines and get her forgiveness, you're literally stitching her back into your destiny. you think iโm doing this to torture you? we're halfway there, park. if you break down now, that sword through the chest was for absolutely nothing. so take a breath, we still have one more to fix."
"you want to keep going or what?" jay asks, shoving his hands deep into his hoodie pockets. he watches sunghoon drag himself up from the damp grass, looking like an absolute shell of a human being
โsunghoon crosses his arms, letting out a sharp, petulant huff as he fixes the reaper with a heavy glare. "no. i'm sick of this, jay. i don't want to see another tragedy. i just want to see her, the real her. let me just go to europe, let me look at her from a distance, literally anything but this."
โjay rolls his eyes, entirely unbothered by the little tantrum. "dude, trust me on this one. if you go to the next lifetime, you're definitely not gonna regret it. it's a change of pace, i promise."
โ"yeah, right," sunghoon mutters, giving jay a massive, dramatic eye roll
โhe shuts his eyes tight for a fraction of a second, expecting the usual dizzying vortex or the violent pull of time travel. but when his eyelids flutter open a moment later, there's no wind, there's no crash
โinstead, heโs instantly hit by the overwhelming warmth of a crackling fireplace and the rich, expensive scent of polished mahogany, old money, and sweet vanilla. sunghoon blinks, looking down at his hands. they aren't see-through. he isn't a floating spirit this time, heโs completely locked into his past body from the get-go, feeling the physical weight of his own limbs. but when he glances toward the heavy velvet curtains by the window, jay is sitting right there on a leather armchair, blending into the shadows like a total creep
โsunghoon looks around the room, his jaw dropping a little. the house is absolutely massive, dripping in pure, unadulterated luxury. high ceilings, intricate gold molding, and plush patterned rugs that swallow his footsteps
โbefore he can even ask jay what era this is, two soft arms suddenly wrap securely around his waist from behind
โa tiny, contented sigh presses right into the middle of his back, the warmth of another body radiating straight through his clothes. sunghoon completely freezes, his heart doing a violent, chaotic flip in his chest. he slowly turns around in the embrace, and the breath is completely knocked right out of his lungs
โitโs you
โyou are standing right there in a flowing, silk and lace nightgown that hits the floor perfectly. an absolute, breathtakingly beautiful sin of a sight. your hair is soft, cascading over your shoulders, and your skin glows under the warm candlelight. seeing you like this, looking so domestic and ethereal, hits sunghoon like a physical truck. it makes his soul ache with a desperate, burning longing for the modern y/n, the girl he left crying in a hospital room
โhe glances down at himself, realizing he's wearing a perfectly tailored, incredibly expensive three piece suit. his coat is slightly unbuttoned, his tie loosened just a fraction. he feels exhausted, his shoulders heavy, like he just walked through the front door after a brutal, fourteen-hour workday
โ"you're home late," you murmur softly, your sweet voice cutting through his internal monologue as you look up at him with pure affection. "have you eaten yet? i can have the servants warm up some dinner for you."
โsunghoon swallows hard, his eyes completely locked onto your face, trying to commit every single detail to his memory. "no... no, i don't want to eat. i just... i want to rest."
โ"okay," you say gently, giving him a knowing, sympathetic smile as your hands slip from his waist. "you've been working so hard lately."
โsunghoon instinctively reaches out, his arms longing to pull you back into his chest, to just hold you and never let you go but he stops dead in his tracks
โwaaaah
โthe sudden, loud sound of a baby crying echoes sharply through the heavy wooden doors down the hall. your head instantly whips toward the noise, your motherly instincts kicking in immediately
โ"oh, she's crying," you say quickly, a tiny hint of exhaustion bleeding into your beautiful features. "i'll be right back, honey. let me go check on her."
โyou turn and quickly hurry out of the room, leaving sunghoon completely frozen in the middle of the massive parlor, his hands still hovering uselessly in the empty air.
โ"welcome to the victorian era, intern," jayโs smooth voice floats over from the dark corner. the reaper stands up, brushing invisible dust off his jeans. "you're currently one of the most successful, filthy rich shipping magnates in the entire country. and if i remember the file correctly, you fell for her the absolute second you saw her. textbook love at first sight."
โjay walks over to a grand mahogany side table, pointing his pale finger at a heavy silver picture frame. sunghoon steps closer, his heart pounding against his ribs
โinside the frame is a beautiful wedding portrait of the two of them, looking unbelievably happy. right next to it is a painted family portrait. there's past sunghoon, you looking radiant in velvet, a little boy about four years old sitting proudly on a stool, and a tiny baby girl wrapped in lace blankets
โchildren. they had a family. a real, whole, beautiful life together
โbefore jay can even finish explaining the family tree, the heavy door clicks open again. you walk back into the room, smoothing down your silk nightgown, but you stop when you notice sunghoon staring intensely at the empty space next to the table.
โyou blink, looking around the quiet room. "sunghoon? who were you just talking to?"
โsunghoon quickly glances to the side, but jay has already dissolved into thin air, leaving no trace behind. sunghoon clears his raspy throat, trying to play it cool. "oh... no one, darling. i just... i thought the telephone rang."
โhe can't take the distance anymore. the sheer sight of you after three timelines of absolute horror is making his head spin. sunghoon takes two large steps forward, grabbing your waist and pulling you flush against him before dropping heavily onto the plush velvet sofa. he yanks you right down into his lap, winding his arms around you so tightly itโs like heโs trying to anchor his entire existence to your skin
โyou let out a soft, surprised giggle, but you don't fight it. you just settle comfortably against his chest, looping one arm around his neck as you start casually yapping about your day. you talk about how the nanny struggled with the kids, how your son managed to paint all over the library floor, and how much you missed him while he was at the office
โsunghoon doesn't interrupt you once. he just listens to the sweet, rhythmic cadence of your voice, closing his eyes as he buries his face into the crook of your neck. he leans up, pressing his lips against yours in a deep, lingering, and completely desperate kiss. it feels so real. the warmth, the softness, the electric sparks shooting straight to his core. it feels exactly like kissing the modern y/n in his own timeline
โ"alright, lovebirds, wrap it up," jayโs annoyed, disembodied voice groans loudly right next to his ear. "i'm literally gonna throw up. stop enjoying yourself and hit your cue, park. i'm sick of watching this."
โsunghoon flinches slightly, pulling back from the kiss just enough to look into your beautiful, clear eyes. the overwhelming guilt from his modern life rushes back into his chest, choking him
โ"my love," sunghoon whispers, his voice thick with a sudden, heavy wave of emotion. "i'm sorry."
โyou blink, a amused, slightly confused smile breaking across your lips. "sorry? for what, sunghoon? for coming home late? it's fine, you were at a business meetingโ"
โ"no, for everything," he cuts you off, his grip tightening around your waist as he stares at you with pure, raw sincerity. "for every single thing i've ever done wrong. for taking you for granted, for making you feel lonely, for every promise i ever messed up. i am so, so sorry. please forgive me."
โyou let out a soft, airy laugh, reaching up to gently run your fingers through his dark hair, entirely amused by his sudden, random burst of dramatic emotion. "you're so silly tonight. of course i forgive you, even though you haven't done anything wrong. you're the best husband and the most wonderful father in the world, sunghoon. there's absolutely nothing to forgive."
โhearing those words, hearing that he was actually a good man to you in this life makes a warm, brilliant light explode right inside his chest. the relief is so intense he can barely breathe. he lets out a shaky laugh, wrapping his arms around you even tighter, burying his face in your hair as he shuts his eyes tight, wanting to just stay in this perfect, warm moment forever
"dude, get the hell off me! what is wrong with you?!"
โflick!
โa sharp, painful sting zaps right across sunghoonโs forehead, instantly shattering the beautiful victorian parlor
โsunghoonโs eyes snap open, and his stomach instantly drops. the velvet sofa is gone, the warm fireplace is gone. he is currently sitting on the grass in the modern hospital park, but his arms are wrapped completely around jayโs waist, his face pressed directly into the side of the reaper's black hoodie
โjay looks absolutely disgusted, using two fingers to aggressively push sunghoonโs head away as he dusts off his jacket like he just touched a biohazard. "get off! that is literally so foul. i don't do hugs, especially not from my interns."
โsunghoon scrambles backward into the dirt, rubbing his throbbing forehead, totally embarrassed but still buzzing from the sheer joy of the last life. a massive, desperate grin breaks across his face. "jay! did you see that?! we had kids! we were happy! please, just send me back to that one. let me do it again, i want to go back right now!"
โjay lets out a long, deeply exhausted groan, sliding off the concrete picnic table and rubbing his templates. "absolutely not. i am completely wiped out. do you even have any idea what time it is, park?"
โsunghoon blinks, looking around the dark park, then down at his hands. "what do you mean? it's still midnight, isn't it?"
โ"human time? yeah, it's midnight," jay says, holding up his glowing digital ledger. "your little history tour just took a solid six months, assistant. weโve been jumping through centuries for half a year."
โ"six months?!" sunghoon screams, his jaw dropping in pure shock. six months. his body had been laying in that hospital bed for half a year. you had been in europe for half a year, thinking he was a lost cause. the realization hits him like a bucket of ice water
โ"relax," jay says, a small, highly arrogant smirk creeping back onto his sharp face as he flips the screen of the ledger toward sunghoon. "look at the upside."
โsunghoon lowers his gaze to his own chest, and his breath instantly hitches
โthe tiny, frayed, pathetic little wisp of silver thread is completely gone. in its place, a thick, beautifully woven, and brilliantly radiant silver cord is pulsing right over his heart. the light is incredibly blinding, solid, and perfectly knit together, humming with a powerful, ancient energy. the bond is completely restored
โ"it's perfect," sunghoon whispers, his eyes tearing up again, but this time out of pure, unadulterated relief. "it's completely fixed."
โ"yeah, yeah, congratulations, you're not single across eternity anymore," jay rolls his eyes, though thereโs a faint hint of pride in his dark eyes. "your destiny with y/n is officially locked back in but don't celebrate just yet... because now comes the hardest part of the entire contract."
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