Unprofessional Attraction | THREE
⥠pairing - yunho x afab!reader ⥠word count - 23.6K ⥠warnings for this chapter - fluff, ANGST, and explicit content (mdni), teacher/student relationship, some other members are featured, drinking alcohol, bigdick!yunho, pet names (angel, pretty, sweetheart, etc.), possessive/obsessive/toxic behavior, cunnilingus, hickeys, fingering, praise, unprotected sex, creampie(s), jealousy, blackmail ⥠A/N - Iâm soooo sorry this took me forever to write (itâs so many words ahhh đŤ ) but hopefully this is worth the wait. The next part will be the finale of this series. This also isn't beta read so I apologize for mistakes ahhh. I love yaâll, thank you for your patience friends, STREAM GOLDEN HOUR âĄ
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
âYou could at least try a little harder to pretend you want to be here with me, ____.â
Wooyoungâs antsy fingers pinch at the straw of his drink while he watches you thumb away at your phone. Going back and forth with your friends in the group chat about Jonghoâs upcoming recital is the only thing calming your nerves this afternoon. When you had agreed to his ruse, you didnât realize you were signing up for public humiliation. Those two words might be a bit dramatic, but sitting together in the dead center of the campus food court has you immensely anxious either way. This is entirely way too publicâŚ
You donât mean to offend him with your embarrassment. Itâs not like Wooyoung isnât handsome; in fact, that might make things worse. It helps draw in too much unnecessary attention from other women, and it feels as though there might as well be a spotlight circling your table. Luckily, Yunho has a lecture through the next hour today, so youâre not too concerned on that front. Regardless, your first fake date with him is starting to be nothing short of awkward.Â
âYou canât even look me in the eyes?â He inquires further.
âIâm sorry,â you find it within yourself to apologize, placing your phone face down on the table and sliding it away. To offset your anxiety, you put new effort into inspecting your food and preparing to finally eat it. Anything to just keep busy. âThis is just a little out of my comfort zone.â
âPretend Iâm Mr. Jeong if that makes it easier,â he suggests, but his tone hangs on the edge of condescension. Itâs not all that intentional, but heâs poking the bear. âI have access to the grade book all the same, you know.â
With narrowed eyes, you try to let his wisecrack roll off your shoulder, âThatâs not a very funny joke.â
Continuing to avoid his eyes, Wooyoung watches you put all your attention into eating the meal heâs bought you so that you both can pretend to be on this lunch date. He was gracious enough to offer to pay for any meals you share moving forward, as long as it would make things easier on you while being a part of his plan. Thatâs what a real boyfriend would do anyway, right? Though, right now youâre not treating him like a boyfriendâ youâre treating him like some kind of dirtbag with an open wallet. He can feel his own appetite slipping away slowly but surely.
âWhat are you both anyway, fuck buddies?â He asks a little too bluntly.
It might be a bit muffled, as your mouth is stuffed with food, but you still manage to retort, âThatâs none of your business, actually.â
His increasing annoyance is evident by the deep exhale he tries (and fails) to suppress. Wooyoung doesnât want things to be so tense, but youâre not exactly making it easy. He supposes you might gain some sympathy for him if he explains his troubles. You seem like a genuine person despite any contempt you might hold for him right now, so he figures youâll be understanding. He needs to make conversation in some kind of way, anyway.
âHow about I tell you a bit about my situation then?â He finally offers. You hum to let him know youâre listening, so he continues, âShe and I were together for the last three years, but then she broke up with me a few months ago. And over something so stupid, really.â
âGo on,â you encourage, swallowing the bulk of food in your throat.
âWell, I need a master's degree to get the specific job I want⌠After telling her, one of her friends got in her ear about how me staying in school might hold her back after we graduate next year.â Wooyoung tries to sound indifferent to her friendâs heavy influence on her decisions, but the look behind his eyes, as he glances around to see if sheâs in the area, says otherwise. Itâs full of bitterness and hurt. âShe wants to travel for a year before getting a job, and they told her Iâd stress her out too much with a long-distance relationship. She took that to heart, for whatever reason.â
Would it be a lie if you said you didnât support a tiny bit of actual pity towards Wooyoung? Probably. Knowing what you know now, you ponder more about the tight situation between you. Heâs an intelligent guy, and youâre sure he knows exactly what Yunho is to you with the way you get touchy about his name even being mentioned. Thatâs why heâs using someone elseâs happiness to retrieve his own once more. While thatâs not exactly just, youâre aware that love makes people do crazy things. Moreover, you know you in particular canât judge anyone after doing what youâve done to achieve Yunhoâs attention.
âIâm sorry to hear that,â is all you can reply, but itâs genuine.
Before you can process whatâs happening, Wooyoung suddenly reaches across the table and links his fingers with your free hand in an act of endearment. Your cheeks prickle with heat, not from being charmed, but from more humiliation. This is embarrassing, suddenly having to do public displays of affection with someone you donât even like in front of whoever is looking hard enough to notice.
âDonât turn around, sheâs here with a friend,â he mumbles, and then an affectionate smile tugs at his lips. It looks fairly genuine⌠He is much too good at looking charming on the drop of a dime. âDo you think itâd be too corny if we wore some matching outfits a couple times?â
You hesitate for the briefest second before squeezing his hand with false affection and leaning forward on your elbows to seem more interested.
Nobody is close enough to hear you reply, âAre you trying to win her back or get her to block you? Because I honestly canât tell.â
âItâs just a little joke. Laugh a little, I beg,â Wooyoung pouts.Â
He leads your connected hand to fondle his cheek, trying to inconspicuously guide you through the motions. If Wooyoung didnât know any better, he would assume youâve never been on a date in your life. His hopes were much higher than this, as youâre much too pretty to be this stiff when it comes to showing affection. It almost has him second-guessing whether heâs right about you and Yunho being involved more than just sexually. Much to his surprise, your hand finally relaxes against his face, and he revels in the way you even stroke his skin with your thumb. The timing couldnât be more ideal, truly. He can sense the attention of his intended audience, and the corners of his mouth curl into a subtle smirk of approval.Â
âThatâs perfect. Keep going.âÂ
âDonât push it, please.â
For the rest of that week, Wooyoung insisted on repeating these kinds of daily rendezvous. This request also accompanied another for walking each other to class when applicable. He knew he couldnât always time it right for when sheâd be present, but he had his workarounds. He was fairly knowledgeable about a few of her friendsâ class schedules, and he made it a point to walk with you on paths that would often intersect with those who he knew would inform her of his behavior instead. Occasionally, he would ask you to show up to school a little more fetching than usual, with prettier clothes and makeup. Wooyoung also made a point of concealing her identity from you, for reasons unbeknownst to you. He failed to tell you any more details about her after your first date, and that included basics as simple as her name. Several possibilities were considered when you finally identified this as a problem. The rational explanation would be that he doesnât want you approaching her on your own time and taking things into your own hands. A particular irrational explanation starts infiltrating your thoughts with the more days that pass by bearing no evidence of progress:
âIâm starting to believe this ex of yours doesnât exist.â
Your snide remark about his secrecy started as a joke.Â
âI have nothing to gain from lying to you.â
His terse reply didnât necessarily extinguish the conspiracy behind your jest. After consistently being told not to look in certain directions for nearly two weeks, and no updates on her position, it became harder to believe his words. Despite everything, you do as youâre told and pray that his ex breaks through sooner rather than later.
Iâm sorry.
It seems as though those two words havenât stopped coming out of your mouth ever since you stepped foot in Yunhoâs home this evening.Â
It begins with apologizing profusely for asking to come over on such short notice. Your complexâs Wi-Fi went out due to the wintery mix storm slamming the town tonight. Wooyoungâs been trying to lay it on thick the last few days and make your presence more than known to his ex, anywhere and every way that he can. Consequently, with a lot of your free time being taken away by him, you found little time to put towards important assignments due at the end of this week. The lack of Wi-Fi is the absolute last thing you need to happen right now.Â
Yunho doesnât care about your abrupt presence at his door or even the way you track slush past his doorstep. He's more concerned about how you drove in the middle of a huge storm so late into the evening with no care for your safety. Over and over, you find new things to apologize for that make no sense to him. Another set of frazzled apologies comes from your mouth for keeping him up late after an hour or two passes. Yunho canât help but genuinely laugh at this one.
âYou do realize what day it is, right?â He inquires. The clueless look on your face makes him sit up, âItâs Saturday, ____. The day you typically come over and spend the night. I actually texted you about it earlier today, I didnât know if you still wanted to or not since you were so busy last Saturday.â
This epiphany makes you immensely bashful and draws many more apologies out of you for your poor memory and lack of communication. How could I have lost time so badly that I forgot to reply to him about something we do so routinely? Under your stressful circumstances lately, your days are running together, and thereâs just too much on your plate to appease everyone. Yunho visibly sees the shame blanket you from head to toe, and he hopes he didnât come across as if he was upset with your behavior. In fact, heâs more concerned than anything.
Your lover can hear you type much faster after this brief exchange and he scoffs. Surely you donât believe heâd willingly let you make haste of your work so you can disappear for another week or two⌠he groans internally when he realizes thatâs exactly what youâre doing. He doesnât understand why youâre so self-conscious and sheepish tonight, but heâs not going to press it. Instead, he rises from his spot on his couch and creeps over to where youâre seated at his table. His hands find the slopes of your shoulders and thumbs rub comforting circles into your muscles.
âYou know youâre not going home tonight, right?â He questions after a moment of being nosey and peeking at your screen.
âAnd why not?â
The abrupt feeling of Yunhoâs large palm skating up the skin of your throat before pushing your chin up to meet his gaze above you makes a chill run up your spine. His eyes are warm and concerned, yet stern.
âBecause I said so,â he says point-blank.
Whether it be because of the terrible storm still slapping at his windows, or maybe even the fact that he hasnât seen you outside of a classroom in quite some time, he knows this succinct answer suffices just as well those do. The subsequent pout on your lips to him is seen simply as an invitation to kiss them, and he does just that. You donât even try to argue any further. It may not be your best work this semester, but itâs not too much longer after that when you finally submit everything due before its midnight deadline.
After briefly disappearing to his room to rummage through his dresser and change into something more comfortable, you eventually join him on the couch. Tonightâs position of choice has your head using his thighs as a pillow, cheek squished against his soft sweatpants as he spends endless minutes massaging the tense muscles of your back and shoulders with his fingers. He smells so good⌠that lavender and musk mix has you closing your eyes every handful of seconds just to breathe him in. Even if he canât see your face, itâs obvious that youâre not paying attention to the movie he has on the TV, so he suggests that maybe you both should move to the bedroom so you can be more comfortable. You assure him that youâre more than comfortable right where youâre at, and thatâs the truth.
Despite laying so peacefully with him, in what should be a moment of sedating intimacy, your mind is still reeling with things that need to be accomplished in the next few weeks. Every time you mentally check off something on your list, there are several more things added after, such as your three final exams, Yunhoâs final paper, returning your textbook rentals, finally figuring out your ceremony dress, picking up your guestsâ ceremony ticketsâ
âAre you going to attend my ceremony?âÂ
Yunho hears you mumble this randomly after a while of sitting in comfortable silence. Youâre sure he doesnât need a ticket as a teacher, but the thought of having to get them brings you back to earth and reminds you of his presence.
âThat was the plan,â he confirms, but hesitantly adds, âUnless you donât want me there. I donât want to make things awkward.â
The way youâre acting lately has him questioning things like this, now that he thinks about it. You immediately dispel his apprehension with a displeased grunt.
âNo, I⌠really need you there.â
Yunhoâs hand falters slightly in its kneading. Heâs grateful that youâre unable to see his face with how youâre lying because the apples of his cheeks are taut from the overjoyed smile threatening to break through his lips. Itâs one thing to be admired or adored by someone, but itâs another thing to be needed. He doesnât hear that word often, if at all, but hearing it come from your mouth makes it even more monumental to him. Thatâs something he could get used to. Yunho hums in understanding, wordlessly confirming that heâll be present. Following along the topic of graduation, he decides to ask something present on his mind recently.
âHave you thought about what you want to do after graduation?âÂ
âCareer-wise or celebration-wise?â
âWhichever⌠or both.â
You close your eyes to think. Nothing immediately comes to mind in terms of celebrating, but youâre sure your friends will be holding parties to attend. Putting that aside, you turn over and decide to open up a bit about your impending employment.
âI had a great internship last semester that I put my all into,â you divulge, âThey wanted to bring me on full-time, so I asked if they could hold the position and wait for me to finish my degree this semester. Lucky me, they agreed.â
âAlready set up for success right after you leave that stage⌠Youâre amazing,â Yunho marvels. âI suppose Iâm just as lucky too, huh? I get to watch you shine, front row.â
Thereâs a brief moment where you peer up and match his fond smile thatâs already beaming right back down at you. When you reach up to caress his cheek, Yunho leans into your touch as if itâs second nature. The further you both dive into this relationship, it feels as though maybe youâve finally found an additional frontline cheerleader.
âMhm, something like that,â you tease. When he turns to kiss your palm in his form of congratulations, you sigh. Your hands have been tainted by someone elseâs touch, and here he is blindly showing them genuine affection. Before you can help it, another apology comes out, âIâm sorry Iâve been so busy lately, Yu.â
âWhy do you keep apologizing tonight for things you canât control?â The gentle, unsuspecting laugh he lets out makes the guilt sitting in your chest about Wooyoung just a little bit heavier. âItâs finals season, I know how it goes.â
When your hand returns to your chest, your gaze falls just the same. Heâs right, albeit unknowingly. With those words, you can finally accept that you have no control over your current situation at all. No matter how hard you try to convince yourself that youâre guiding this blackmail ship forward, youâre just not. In any case, you still feel like youâre doing whatâs best for Yunho's future. Tonightâs tornado of apologies have all been unconscious overcompensation. As much as you feel like you need to, you know you shouldnât have to apologize for your shortcomings when they result from such unmanageable circumstances. Youâre doing your best, even if your best isnât enough just yet.Â
Yunho canât figure out what it is about tonight, but you seem like your head is a bit more in the clouds than usual. Youâre here with him physically, but he can tell youâre somewhere else mentally. However, he acknowledges that he could be reading into things too much since itâs been a while since you both have spent time privately.
âHey, stargazer, everything okay?â he finally asks in a soft voice, gently tugging on your cheek to bring you back to the present.
âSorryâyeah, everythingâs alright,â you reassure him. Thereâs something behind those soft eyes youâre giving him that makes him question your answer, but he keeps those concerns to himself and simply nods. âThank you for being so understanding. Iâll make it up to you when this is all over with, I promise.â
Youâre no longer talking about school with those words. Heâll probably never truly understand how much weight that sentence holds, but thatâs okay. For the rest of your time with him tonight, you pretend that none of your problems exist outside his home. He deserves your unwavering attention tonight, at the very least.Â
On the first day of the following week, Wooyoung requests your presence in front of some familiar dormitories. Itâs been quite some time now since youâve been on this side of campus, considering you moved into your current apartment around the end of your junior year. The nostalgic feeling you get when meandering your way to your meeting place doesnât do much to alleviate the anxiety you regularly get every time Wooyoung brings you somewhere so populated.
âWhat are we doing here again?â
âI heard sheâs swinging by here today to drop something off for a mutual friend,â he explains while his eyes still scope the area for her presence, as usual.Â
You busy yourself with playing on your phone, keeping your head down and yourself hidden for as long as you can manage. This place, while technically not as densely populated as the dining space you frequent, has too many opportunities for lurking gazes. This particular set of dormitories sits on the side of campus that encompasses a good amount of academic halls and the largest campus library. There are plenty of teachers and students walking to classes or accessing the library, and even more lingering outside within the surrounding courtyard despite the frigid weather. Wooyoung had insisted on holding you by your waist for the time being as well, citing something about how ânormal couples warm each other upâ. You just want this to be over with as quickly as possible before too many people can see you both standing so close together.Â
âHey, ____,â Wooyoung hums after a while, catching your attention quickly.
âHm?â
Before you can even fully look up from your phone, Wooyoungâs head dips down and seeks out your lips. Shock is an understatement; the feeling of your heart seizing in unison with your limbs makes you feel like you might as well be flatlining. This cannot beâ
âRelax,â he whispers before deepening this kiss, interrupting your thought as his tongue enters your mouth.Â
Reluctantly, you do as he says and try your best to relax while kissing him back. Over and over, you remind yourself this is supposed to be putting on a show in front of his ex. You try to allow yourself to fully slip into the role you have been forced to play. Your hands find purchase on his jacket, albeit uneasily. For someone whoâs making your life so much more difficult, you canât deny heâs at least a decent kisser. This moment feels like it lasts entirely too long, but eventually, Wooyoung pulls away and you watch his eyes dart around somewhere behind you.Â
âSheâs gone now,â he sighs, âPretty sure she saw that though. Nice job.â
âDonât ever do that without warning me beforehand again,â you scold him in a voice low enough for his ears to hear only. Wooyoung rolls his eyes, though he follows up with an apology. Even though it seems genuine, it does nothing to quell the immediate guilt that washes over you the moment you go to swipe saliva off of your lips with your thumb. The nauseous feeling stirring in your stomach over simply kissing someone else other than Yunho begins to build up and feel unbearable, âCan I go now? Iâm supposed to meet with a teacher during their office hours soon.â
Despite the tremor of uneasiness in your voice, Wooyoung believes your lie without question. That uneasiness doesnât depart your system for the remainder of the day even after removing his presence, and you decide to call it quits early instead of attending your final class. This feeling of guilt, almost as if you cheated while in a relationship, has you more saddened than frustrated tonight. To make things easier to deal with, you repeat the same phrase about you and Yunho in your head over and over.
Itâs okay, weâre not together yet.
While you cook yourself dinnerâ
Itâs okay, weâre not together yet.
While working on your final paperâ
Itâs okay, weâre not together yet.
Yunhoâs failure to text you back that evening before going to bed makes that fact easier to swallow. Itâs the truth, so it shouldnât be so hard to digest, right?
Yeosang does not expect much when he asks you out of the blue the next day to come and spend time with him after school. His roommate is gone for the week to visit family and heâs all by his lonesome. For the majority of the month, heâs become used to you declining in favor of completing overdue work. Heâs not used to you being so behind on your work, and it doesnât quite make sense to him when other times you say youâre even busier throughout the day. You look a bit more drained than usual when he Facetimes you that afternoon to suggest it, but he figures he wouldnât be that upset to hear another no if you need the rest.Â
The answer was yes, for the first time in a while.Â
As luck would have it, the imaginary shackles on you had been released for the day, and having time to yourself for an entire weekday almost felt strange. Your personified migraine had texted you early in the morning informing you heâd be out of town for the day to attend some seminar that you didnât care enough to remember the details of. Yeosang doesnât do a good enough job concealing his shock the moment confirmation comes from your mouth, and you feign offense.
âI'm being punked, right?â
You scoff, âI donât like the way youâre acting like this is bizarre, loser.â
You both know thatâs a fairly accurate word considering your disappearances these last couple of weeks. His broad smile at your usual banter makes you feel cherished and missed, and itâs comforting for him to know you still have such a sense of humor even through your fatigue. Heâs secretly been concerned for your well-being, but he didnât want to seem meddlesome. Eventually, you go from two faces on a screen to you perched at his kitchen table. Yeosang insisted he cook you a nice homecooked meal when you mentioned to him in passing how much you miss eating his food. His back might be turned away, but heâs still actively engaging in discussion with you over the controversial love triangle taking place on the dating reality show he has you catching up on with him tonight. Toward the end of an episode, it takes you a few minutes of rambling to realize your best friend has grown silent while he cooks. Behind your back, heâs busy ruminating over thoughts of love triangles when he decides to finally uncork the bottle heâs been keeping closed in an attempt to have a peaceful evening.
âCan I ask you a question?â Yeosang calls out suddenly over the sound of oil popping in his pan.
Your eyes stay glued to the television, but you hum in consent, âWhatâs up?â
âIs it true that youâre dating Wooyoung?â
Wooyoung.
His name is a burden to you these days; the syllables of it only bring you discomfort. Hearing it mentioned on a day when you almost felt like you could get away from him draws a long beat of silence from you, though Yeosang doesnât turn around to confront such silence. He allows you the time to answer however youâd like to if you would even provide one. Even though he was somewhat putting you on the spot with such a question, Yeosang is still your best friend at the end of the day. Heâs not the kind of person to pressure you or give you a hard time about your private business, despite the times he rags on you in jest.Â
The truthful answer is right on the tip of your tongue, begging to be shouted, but you donât have the strength to say such a thing yet. Instead, you inquire, âWho did you hear that from?âÂ
You donât mean to, but you sound a bit miffed when asking. Until this point, you had hoped your fake relationship with Wooyoung wasnât too obvious to those who donât pay close enough attention, but the feeling of failure is now pooling in the depths of your stomach. You shouldâve known better.Â
âWhen someone begins getting close to the TA whoâs in charge of their grades, I guess itâs understandable that there would be some rumors⌠Some people in our class are saying youâre together now,â Yeosang explains, voice as calm as ever while he continues to push around the meat in the pan. âI overheard those speculations and I didnât really believe any of it at all. Unlike them, I know youâre already seeing Mr. Jeong.â
Yeosang pauses to allow you a chance to say any words you wish to insert if anything. Being amongst speculations of wooing someone to raise your grades is the least of your worries, and you honestly couldnât care less if people believed such silly things in the last semester of your college career. At this moment, you are much more concerned about Yunho catching light of such rumors, or really anything regarding you and Wooyoung in the same sentence reaching his ears. It didnât seem that way when you were both in each otherâs presence a few days ago talking about your future, and youâre sure that he wouldâve confronted you about such things if he could. StillâŚ
âIâm not dating Wooyoung, nor would I even think of doing that for my grades. You know me, Yeo.â
Youâre sure Yeosang can feel your eyes gazing over at him now, boring anxious holes through his back. You know he can hear the uneasiness plaguing you, making your words waver.
âI understand, I do. Itâs justâŚâ Yeosang pauses once more to find the right words that donât sound so accusatory, âHongjoong told me he saw you both on each other on his way to class the other day. I figured Iâd simply ask you about that before I come to any conclusions, thatâs all.â
Several beats of silence pass before you feel like youâve finally drowned deep in this ocean of stress youâve been trying to keep afloat in.
âYeosang, Iâm in over my head and I canât handle this anymore.â
Yeosang finally ceases his stirring and peers over at you the moment the last syllable leaves your lips. This is the first time youâve both met each otherâs eyes since he began cooking and his gaze is undeniably the most concerned youâve seen him give you in years. He canât help it when he can so clearly hear the hurt in your voice. He knows youâre a bit more reserved these days when talking about your relationship with your teacher, and he understands that it could be out of respect for his privacy. This moment doesnât seem like a situation where thatâs applicable anymore.
Navigating this situation all by yourself is draining.Â
These last months in college are supposed to be nerve-wracking in an exciting way, finishing finals and prepping yourself to walk across the stage for your diploma. Youâre supposed to be anxious about what to wear and how to do your makeup for your ceremony, about how you should smile when the ceremonyâs photographer tells you where to look as you grab that fake symbolic roll of paper. Instead, youâve been running yourself dry trying to appease a man whoâs threatening to ruin one of the best things to happen to you thus far in life. You just want to be happy. Yeosang was right in warning you about playing with fire when pursuing Yunho, but it all still hurts so fucking badly.
âI want to help you ____, but you have to be honest with me,â he stresses, âIâm concerned about you. Tell me whatâs wrong, please.â
Youâre uncomfortably silent for a moment, eyes glued to his while contemplating his words. At last, you decide to broach the subject of all your mental stress. If you trusted anyone to help you navigate this situation, it was going to be him. This was no longer something you could handle on your own.Â
âIâm being blackmailed by Wooyoung.â
The words donât even sound real coming out of your mouth when you finally betray the promise of silence you made to Wooyoung.
Yeosangâs brows draw together even closer in concern, âWhat?â
âWooyoung found out that Yunho and I are together,â you confess further, words running out as quickly as you can think to say them, âAnd now heâs forcing me to date him to make his ex jealous. He wouldnât stay quiet otherwise, and itâs all my fault, Yeosang. Itâs all my fault.â
Your best friend pushes his pan away from the eye of the stove and makes haste over to where youâre sitting. He knows you better than you know yourself sometimes, already sensing you crumbling before you can realize that youâre finally breaking down. All of the pent-up stress over the last couple of weeks was finally taking its toll.Â
âI thought it would be over quickly, but it doesnât seem like weâre making any progress,â you sputter, putting your head in your hands and pressing your palms to your eyes. The last thing you want to do is cry over a man who doesnât deserve your tears. âHe wonât even tell me who she is. I canât handle this anymore, I just canât.â
Yeosangâs arms wrap around you to ground you before you can allow yourself to descend further into your breakdown. Very few times has he seen your foundation be shaken so badly by something. Youâre one of the strongest people he knows, and it takes a lot to disintegrate the fortitude you hold. He knows he can help you build it back later, heâs your best friend for a reason. For right now, though, heâll let you get everything out that youâve been holding in and dealing with by yourself. He knows you probably had your reasons to keep such things inside and away from him.
âHe kissed me yesterday and I felt so guilty for the rest of the day, like I betrayed Yunho,â you tell him, and before you realize it tears are finally brimming in your eyes.
âBe kind to yourself, ____,â Yeosang hums while he holds your face in his hands. âYou didnât do that because you wanted to, itâs okay. You donât have to deal with this alone anymore, okay?â
Hearing those words for the first time since this all began allows a veil of peace to cover you and you nod, finally accepting your need for help. Yeosang promises you that he will do whatever he can to find out who Wooyoung has his sights set so heavy on without interfering enough to throw things out of kilter. His help could be the only chance you had at getting this charade to end faster, even if it meant riskily trying to nudge things along behind Wooyoungâs back. You were no longer satisfied with being patient, and you now realize you donât have to settle for that anymore.
While you mightâve gained some peace that night, around 2 AM that morning, there is no peace to be found in the home of your lover.
Yunhoâs been staring at his ceiling for the last hour, unable to sleep even though he knows he needs to be up in a handful of hours for work. He had tried to push this situation plaguing his thoughts out of his mind all day yesterday, but his brain does its worst on nights when heâs left to his own devices and his thoughts spiral. At least tonight itâs not for self-sabotaging reasons like heâs prone to.Â
He allows himself to close his eyes and relive the moment when he saw you and his assistant kissing on his way to a multi-department meeting at the library. The moment he recalls the way your hands were clutching Wooyoungâs chest, he grimaces with unadulterated resentment. For the entirety of yesterday, he felt numb. He went through the day simply going through the motions, lacking any of his usual charisma and cordiality amongst most people he crossed paths with throughout the day. He was able to put on a mask for his students at the very least. How is one supposed to act when they see their girlfriend kissing another man? Thatâs when he has to remind himself:
Sheâs not my girlfriend.
At least, he doesnât know if you are or not, since you havenât said it out of your mouth yet. This is exactly the kind of bothersome bullshit he was so worried about weeks ago when he realized the severity of his feelings for you. He shouldâve had the conversation with you earlier to see where your head was at, but he put it off for so long under the excuse of being afraid of scaring you off. He wonders if maybe you think heâs not serious about you enough since heâs never brought it up first. And sure, he knows you both arenât technically together right now, but you couldâve at least let him know that youâre seeing more people than him, right? It hurts a little more that itâs also his assistant of all people.
He turns onto his side in a huff and buries himself deeper under his blanket. Yunho wishes he hadnât fallen for you so hard. Itâs hard enough to deal with his feelings as things are now, especially with the circumstances, but the introduction of competition might just drive him insane. Sheâs a grown woman and sheâs allowed to do whatever she wants, he reminds himself reluctantly while closing his eyes once more, but againâa heads-up wouldâve been nice. He doesnât even know how to approach this situation moving forward. How is he supposed to look you in the eyes today during class?
The answer is that he doesnât.Â
If he can help it, he actively avoids those engaged eyes of yours while he goes on for an hour about pragmatics. He doesnât even look over at your side of the room. Itâs not until the mid-class break that he takes multiple swift glances over at you chatting with Yeosang about something thatâs got you enthusiastic. That smile on your face while excitement physically pours out of you makes his eyes soften. He wonders if youâre discussing graduation, as it is coming up in some weeks now. Then, he remembers that he wanted to take you away or do something relaxing to celebrate since you seemed to not have existing plans. Would that sway you back over to his side, if he planned something nice and spoiled the surprise early? Before he can even finish that train of thought, he finds himself finally meeting your eyes while you briefly let yours wander around in the middle of a sentence. The sneaky flirtatious wink you send his way makes him clear his throat bashfully and adjust his tie.
Yunho spends the remainder of class discussing the final paper and offering to read any final drafts that people would like feedback on, as long as theyâre submitted by a specific date. He knows heâs probably shooting himself in the foot by putting that kind of work on his plate so close to the deadline, but he genuinely wants people to do well on his final and he knows there are quite a few seniors in this particular class section. The least he can do is make sure those of you end your college careers with a satisfactory grade to finish off your transcripts. He did very well with his midterm evaluations as well, so he wants to do the same for his finals.Â
When class ends, Yunho finally takes notice of how Wooyoung has been leaving as early as everyone else lately. He couldâve sworn Wooyoung used to stick around to ask him questions, and often times he even departed after Yunho had already departed. He also notices that you are nowhere to be found now even though Yeosang is still present, seemingly already having fled the room for one reason or another. He doesnât want to think about if heâs been so oblivious to these kinds of things up until this point, but the thought of you and Wooyoung rushing to meet up after his classes sticks with him for the rest of the day.
Yunho can admit heâs a bit toxic sometimes.Â
It happens in moments of weakness where he lets his selfishness outweigh anything else. He reasons to himself that this isnât one of those situations as he stands in front of your apartment door late into the evening of that same day. He had called you and asked if he could come see you at your place, which rarely happens. While it caught you by surprise, and you were in the midst of work, you were still as welcoming as ever. He knows youâd never say no. Heâd never admit it aloud, but heâs not solely here just to see youâheâs here to be a bit nosy.Â
Itâs freezing outside, so when you finally open the door heâs scrambling to get inside.
âThat was fast,â you marvel.Â
When you wrap your arms around him and pull him into a hug, your shivers and giggles are like white noise in his ears as his eyes sweep the room. He doesnât notice anything out of place, nothing that would make it seem like anybody other than you had been present here anytime soon anyway. His cold hands slide up the slope of your back to cup the sides of your face, and he offers you a sweet closed-mouth smile before briefly pressing his lips to yours in greeting.
âYeah, traffic was pretty non-existent,â he hums.
âI made soup since itâs so frosty,â you glance towards the kitchen as your hands go to unzip his jacket for him, âAre you hungry?â
âIf youâre cooking, always.â
Tonight, Yunho takes things slow.Â
From graciously eating your cooking to cuddling on your couch, he builds up the intimacy minute by minute. Itâs something heâs been craving from you lately, that feeling of intimacy and domestication. Heâs more than willing to indulge you when grow aroused by something as innocent as him mindlessly drawing shapes on your thighs with his fingers, slowly shifting them inside your pajama shorts when you whisper, âI want you to touch me.â
âIâm already touching you, baby.â
You push his hand just a smidge lower, whining, âYou know what I mean.â
When things finally move to the bedroom, Yunho fucks you nice and slow, and it feels much more intimate than any of your previous times together. Slow, steady rolls of his hips into yours like heâs intent on showing you every ounce of love he holds for you in his body if heâs unable to say it outright himself. Nothing inherently strikes you as odd about the way his demeanor is different tonight. In fact, this kind of pure intimacy is something youâd been curious to experience from him. It almost makes you feel like youâre officially together. Sure, sex is naturally intimate, but this? This feels different.Â
His hands go from holding yours beside your head so affectionately to passionately gripping and kneading the plush skin of your sides and thighs like theyâre fresh dough. Itâs like heâs trying to solidify that this is reality, that youâre truly here in his hands and not someone else's. Grip strong enough to dig deep into the tissue and make you moan, but gentle enough not to leave bruising marks. Truth be told, heâd rather leave marks of where heâs been in less covert places. Thatâs why his mouth subconsciously finds its way to your neck before you feel the gentle drag of his teeth on your skin. Itâs too quick to even be considered a warning.
âYu, waitââ
You begin to tell him he canât leave hickeys in such open places, but Yunho quiets you by sucking your skin anyway. The first one is on the tender skin just under your jaw, right where he can feel the pulse of how fast your heart is beating with his tongue. The desperate whine you let out when he finally lets up with a quiet pop! of his lips off your skin encourages him to put another on the column of your throat. Youâll probably throw a fit later when you see how bad these are and complain about the trouble of covering them up, but he really couldnât care less.Â
When he finishes off the second hickey, he kisses his way up to your lips so sweetly as if he didnât do something so obviously possessive. As if he didnt do something so mischievous whichâll draw questions from your friends and get you flustered trying to explain. These marks are warnings as much as they are bites of love. You throw your arms around his neck and arch your back, itching for more than what heâs offering. It doesnât matter that it still feels euphoric, those long drags of his cock against your walls just to fill you up againâitâs too slow. The breathy laugh he lets out against your lips draws a pout from your own.Â
âWhatâs wrong pretty girl, donât I make you feel good?â Yunho asks in a whisper, deep chocolate eyes holding your gaze while he continues to roll his hips at his leisure. He doesnât like that he needs a bit of reassurance right now, but he wants to hear it so badly. When you nod with fervor, itâs just not good enough for him, âTell me, angel. Tell me how good I make you feel.â
âYouâre everything I crave, Yu,â you oblige him breathlessly, hands scratching at the sensitive nape of his neck while you arch again. For the first time this evening, Yunhoâs hips falter in their steady rhythm. Heâs quite caught off guard by your choice of words; itâs as if you know exactly what he needs to hear more than he does himself. âNobody could ever make me feel like you do.â
âYeah? This pretty pussy needs me, huh?â
Thereâs that word that he now loves so much: need.
âMore than you know,â you gasp when he pushes his hips into yours as deep as he can manage, obscenities bubbling from within your chest.
Even though you both have had sex many times since this all began, this part still feels fresh. The way he manages to reach new depths inside of you and stretch you out to his heartâs content feels fresh every single time. Yunhoâs thrusts begin picking up some speed finally and whines claw at his throat.
âMy sweet, needy baby⌠Youâre the only one who gets this, ____,â he admits, voice trembly while he drags his lips against the sensitive skin of your jaw, kissing his previous artwork, âItâs all yours, okay?â
In a perfect world, heâd love to hear you say the same back to him, but heâs snapping his hips too roughly now to allow for words. The way you begin begging for him to give you more of himself makes up for it. Bitten-off moans tumble from your lips as the coil in your stomach grows tighter and tighter, and it makes his cock throb and ache for release. The way youâre chanting his name has his eyes fluttering up in bliss. Thereâs no doubt in his mind that you want him, mentally and carnally, but the real question is if heâs not enough to satisfy that want. Yunho doesnât have time to let his mind wander off into that kind of insecure territory. His brain becomes fuzzy as he becomes eager to feel you cum stuffed full of his cock, and then see his own paint your sweaty skin. Those familiar heavy pants he lets out against your lips make you simper.
âGetting close?â
âSo close,â he nods, hissing when he feels you clench at his answer, âH-hah, oh fuck.â
âWanna cum inside?â You offer this so shyly against his lips that he nearly doesnât hear you talking altogether. When he offers you an absentminded âhuhâ in response, you giggle and move to speak directly in his ear, âWant you to cum inside.â
Something behind Yunhoâs eyes changes when you pull backâthose blown-out pupils of his with little hearts swimming in them zero in on yours with a look you canât quite put your tongue on. You cross your ankles behind his back to emphasize your words, to show him youâre serious.
âReally want me to fill you up, pretty?â he rasps. When you bite your bottom lip and nod, he offers you a lopsided grin, âUse those fingers and catch up, then.â
You donât need to be told twice, one hand moving from being around his neck down to your clit to rub quick circles thatâll push you over the edge together. Heâs never cum in you ever since you both started having sex, but heâs feeling overwhelmingly possessive today and it might just subside if he sees his cum leaking from your cunt onto your sheets. Itâs now the only thought screaming at him in that fucked-out head of his. Your mouths connecting in a messy, sensuous kiss is the final push he needs.
Yunhoâs fingers wind deep into your sheets with as much strength as he can muster while he buries himself inside you, pelvis to pelvis, pushing you deeper into your mattress. The throb of his cock and the broken moan he lets out while he finally cums trigger your own orgasm. The moment you lock your legs around him to keep him in place, your walls flutter and squeeze his cock to help milk him dry. He makes a note somewhere in the lusty haze of his mind that he just has to get you both to cum at the same time like this again at another point in time because the way youâre practically squeezing every last drop from him while you fall apart is nearly making him whimper repentance for how sinful it feels. When your legs let up on their grip, he gives you a few shallow thrusts before finally pulling out. Focusing on catching your breath is hard when heâs gazing so heavily at the mess heâs made of you.Â
âDonât stare...â Yunho doesnât even realize heâs been fascinated with watching the way his seed spills from your heat until you poorly block it with a self-conscious hand. Only then does he finally look up and find you flustered, the pout on your face growing more prominent by the second, âItâs embarrassing...â
âGod, youâre so fine,â he coos. The jolt your body produces when he takes his fingers and pushes whatâs been wasted back into your sensitive hole makes him laugh. âEven prettier like this too. Letâs get you cleaned up, pretty baby.â
Yunho hadnât originally planned on sleeping overâit is a weekday after all, and he has work tomorrow morning. After showering, though, his willpower is tested. He loses nearly all his self-discipline to leave like a responsible man when you use this irresistible voice the moment he steps foot back into the room, humming honeyed words while holding his briefs behind your back to keep him from getting dressed.
âCanât you just wake up early to swing by your house and get ready?â You eventually pout up at him when he looks as if he might change his mind. With the way your gaze is focused on his attentive eyes, you canât see the way his cock is already twitching back to life again at your pleading eyes, the same ones you use on your knees between his thighs. Heâs so thankful for that. âThis is why I said you should leave some outfits over here just in case.â
âI know, I know. I should listen to you more. Can I please have my underwear back now?â
âAre you gonna stay? Please?â
He chuckles before finally conceding, âI canât say no when you ask me so nicely, can I?âÂ
You nearly fall apart at the way he pulls your face up by your cheeks with firm fingers before planting a kiss of surrender on your lips. Yunho doesnât even remember why heâs over your house anymore, now only focused on getting his underwear back from your hands before you can see him getting hard all over again. He has enough sense to know that a second round will surely be much longer than the previous one, and you both need to sleep soon if he wants to wake up early enough. Lucky for him, youâre much too tired from a full day to stay up too much longer anyway.
Itâs 8 AM when Yunhoâs phone starts chiming with an annoying tone he set specifically to force his awakening. That grating sound is also your punishment for persuading him to spend the night. Heâs slow to turn it off specifically for that reason, and a lazy smile stretches across his face when he hears you groan. Success.
âYouâre so annoying,â you murmur. You instinctively search for your phone on your nightstand to glance at how early your lover has you suffering, then slowly slide yourself out of bed to go blindly search for a bottle of water.Â
Yunho screws his eyes shut and open a few times to regain his vision before flipping over and patiently awaiting your arrival. He gave himself a fairly decent buffer on the off chance you decide to stay awake and eat breakfast with him. At least, that was the plan until something happened that immediately changed his brain chemistry. Yunhoâs eyes swivel towards your phone when it vibrates a couple of times on the nightstand. It really wouldnât have been a problem had he not seen and recognized the name on the screen. Against his better judgment, he picks it up gently. He sees two older notifications from the prior night and the two new ones now piquing his interest.Â
[Wooyoung: Donât forget lunch tomorrow]
[Wooyoung: Usual place]
...
[Wooyoung: Good morning]
[Wooyoung: If you get on campus by 10 let's do breakfast instead, theyâll be there. lmk]
His eyes constrict to slits almost instantaneously.Â
Youâve got to be fucking kidding meâŚÂ
He doesnât care that it's petty, he swipes each of the message notifications and deletes them with a pool of satisfaction boiling in the deepest pit of his stomach. You were too busy with him last night to notice his other messages anyway. If he could delete those messages permanently, he would. Realistically, there was no way he could keep you from eventually meeting up again with Wooyoung, but maybe distracting you enough to be late could be worth being a bit late to his own obligations. Heâs extra needy on purpose this morning, immediately seeking out your attention the moment you groggily slip back into bed after chugging water. Feeling his warm hands grope your butt just makes you groan in that special kind of annoyance that naturally comes with waking earlier than need-be. When his fingers travel to fiddle with the elastic of your panties, an indirect request of sorts, you muster enough energy to nudge him weakly.
âSâtoo early, Yu,â you pout without even opening your eyes and bury your cheek deeper into your pillow.
âI know, I know. I have to leave soon,â he acknowledges. Still, his hand dances its way into the fabric. He watches you shudder when his middle finger pushes against your clit experimentally. His brow lifts when you open your legs. He licks his lips eagerly before murmuring, âYou donât even have to do anything, Iâll take good care of you. Go ahead and rest, okay?â
The hum you let out, signaling him to do as he pleases, has him gently working your panties down your legs and tossing them on the floor. He spends all the time he can, all the way until the last few minutes before he has to leave, with his face buried between your tired thighs. Always a starved man when it comes to your greedy cunt, the one that he confirmed last night needs him oh so much, he french-kisses his way into a sore tongue and a stiff jaw.Â
âMhm, thatâs it,â he talks directly to your heat, holding open your lips with his thumbs while watching the way slick, cum, and spit seep out to sully your sheets, âGimme another one.â
Sleepy whines and garbled whimpers of his name have him rutting his hips against your bed. He would touch himself if he could, but his hands are too busy massaging your tense thighs in rhythm with his aching tongue lapping at your clit. The friction isnât enough. He supposes his poor underwear will just have to suffer from precum leaking out his deprived cock, drenching the fabric the more he gets aroused. Each orgasm heâs able to pull from you drains your body of its energy more and more until youâre a meek puddle of fatigue splayed out on your mattress.
Yunho doesnât remember what number orgasm his mouth finally parts from your core, but at some point, he finally reminds himself that heâs a man with responsibilities who still has to go home and change into his work clothes. He also needs to take care of this painful hard-on quickly when he gets somewhere private. Self-admittedly, this all was as rewarding to himself in fulfilling it as it was to you receiving. Seeing you absolutely spent and on the verge of (hopefully) deep sleep puts a shameless smile on his face.Â
Heâs still a gentleman above anything else, taking the extra time to clean your skin and the mess heâs made of your cunt with a wet cloth before lovingly redressing you in your undies. He doesnât even know if you can hear him after a certain point, but he still tucks you back in and whispers sweet nothings that heâll overthink about later when heâs in his office after remembering why he was here in the first place. He even apologizes for ruining your sheets, again. The timid, fleeting kiss he leaves on your temple is followed by him carelessly saying, âLove you.â
The moment those two words tumble from his lips his eyes grow wide, and he waits with bated breath to see if you are even the slightest bit awake to hear his blunder. When you show no signs of stirring, Yunho releases all air caged within his chest and decides itâs best to leave quickly before he can make a fool of himself any further. You donât hear from him for the rest of the day.
-
âI see⌠so she does exist,â you mutter sarcastically.
At the end of the week, following your shared linguistics lecture, you and your best friend convene at a table deep in the back of the library. Yeosang had spent a good amount of his time in the last few days covertly asking questions about Wooyoung to random acquaintances in hopes of getting bits of useful information about him or his ex. He was finally able to give you her name and class year, but he came up short otherwise.
âI wasnât able to get any of her socials, I didnât want to seem like I was pursuing her. However, I do have another idea,â he says, hands motioning for you to hear him out after he sees your spirits drop, âI was told sheâs in Hongjoongâs capstone class andââ
âOh brother,â you groan and sink further into your seat.Â
If Yeosangâs words days ago were anything to go by, Hongjoong was already convinced you were dating Wooyoung, so asking him for his ex-girlfriendâs number is surely just going to cause prying questions. Youâre fully convinced that he probably wonât even consider giving it to you because he might think itâll lead to drama.Â
âI know. Just hear me out,â Yeosang leans forward and lowers his voice, âI honestly donât think it would be hard to get him to tell you. If you can come up with a plausible reason why you would need to reach out, I think he wouldnât hesitate too much.â
âWhich would be?â
âWell, I donât know anything about her other than that sheâs in a sorority. You can figure something out from that, right?â
You couldnât deny that this was definitely a useful piece of information. Yeosang watches you purse your lips while you toss around some of the logistics in your head before nodding with some renewed optimism.
âWhich app do you think I should start on?â
âIâm sure the majority of our sororities have IG pages to promote their activities. Thatâs probably your best bet,â he recommends, âI can help you search in between finals prepââ
âYouâve done enough, I can definitely handle that part,â you interject with a reassuring smile, âThank you for even getting this info. I appreciate it, Yeo.â
While things definitely looked more positive from this conversation, there was an odd feeling lingering in your stomach over the next few days. From his time at your home through the weekend, Yunhoâs communication and presence were lacking a bit more than usual. While it made things easier for you to see Wooyoung when requested without fear, it didnât make things any less disappointing. Knowing heâs still there for you even through all of this mess was the only thing keeping you afloat, so itâs troubling when that disappears out of nowhere. Nevertheless, the end of the semester was creeping up faster than even you realized, so it makes sense that his schedule is being affected. Moreover, his job is what youâre doing this all for anyway, right? Even without his presence, youâd silently root for him in the shadows if it meant that December ended with you both together.Â
In the meantime, you push these feelings to the back of your mind and give yourself a break from being so worrisome. With this charade moving deeper into its timeline, itâs time-sensitive and imperative to ask for his exâs phone number from Hongjoong in an effort to contact her. Wooyoung might be intent on keeping you from meeting her, but heâs severely underestimated the fire in your belly when it comes to getting what you want. Youâve played along with his shenanigans long enough.
Hongjoongâs brows furrow while he shoves a few of the fries in his mouth from a meal you asked to treat him to this particular Monday afternoon.
âI shouldâve known you wanted to see me for ulterior motives,â he takes a swigger of his soda with pursed lips, âButtering me up with free food for my connections, huh?â
âI didnât remember until just now, I promise,â you lie, trying to remain composed. Youâre not exactly the best at lying to your close friends and this time is no different. âIf I knew about anyone else having her number I wouldâve asked them. I wouldnât lie to you, Joong.â
His eyes examine your body language keenly before scoffing, âIâm still caught up on how you didnât tell me that your mystery man was Wooyoung all this time. That was a lie by omission.â
âI am not dating Wooyoung, I already told you this.â
âThen why do you suddenly want his exâs number?â
You swallow the nervous lump in your throat and offer him an easygoing smile that you had practiced a plethora of times before even leaving to meet him.
âIâm reaching out on behalf of a mutual friend about possibly being commissioned to make the graduation stoles for their sorority. Thatâs all.â
Yes, through hours of snooping and finally finding her Instagram, you discovered that she is a die-hard sorority girl for one of the smaller sororities on your campus. You had almost talked yourself into simply contacting her there, but as luck would have it, her messages were turned off for strangers that she doesnât follow back. There was no doubt in your mind that she would never follow you back if you tried that route.
âYou sure youâre not trying to stir the pot?â Hongjoong inquires playfully, eyeing you with an elvish grin. You groan in annoyance. âIâm all for a little mess sometimes, but I donât like being the gateway.â
âCome on Joong, itâs nothing like that at all. I didnât think you would be so difficult to ask about this⌠Youâre supposed to be my rockââ
Your heart is threatening to break out of your chest when he holds up his free hand to quiet you with a roll of his eyes. Then, with his other hand, he finally scrolls through his phone to find said information.
âIâve heard enough, please stop being so dramatic,â he sighs. His thumb stops swiping as soon as he sees what heâs looking for in his classâ group chat, and he hands you the phone reluctantly. âUnder no circumstances do you tell her who gave this to you.â
âYou know I love you the most, right? Even more than Yeosang!â You smile and he matches it sarcastically.
âYeah, yeah, whatever you liar. I love you too.â
While Yunhoâs impromptu visit might have subdued his anxiety briefly, he knew it wouldnât be a permanent fix. He spent some time away from you under the excuse of helping other people prepare more for the final paper deadline approaching, but that only made things worse. The longing he feels these days is stronger when he realizes you could be spending the valuable time heâs avoiding you by seeing Wooyoung instead. Itâs embarrassing really, being so envious of someone younger than him. He shouldnât be letting some university student get under his skin so easily, but thereâs too much heâs given of himself to you to just be calm and collected about things.Â
These things swirl about in his head while heâs seated alone at the barâs counter, patiently waiting for his friends to finish playing Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who pays the tab tonight. It was fairly evident that it had been a rough start to the month for Yunho from his mood, so his best friends were intent on treating him tonight. Today and the next were the university-designated study days for finals. Seonghwa personally coaxed him out of hiding by stopping by his home and offering to drive. He knows Yunho has a hard time saying no when confronted directly. As karma would have it, it was looking to be an expensive night for Seonghwa unfortunately, marked by the heavy groan Yunho can hear come from behind him when the two finish.
When he finally joins Yunho at the counter, he searches through his wallet for his credit card while asking, âWhich beer do you want?âÂ
âI need something stronger tonight,â Yunho states before flagging the bartender down himself.
Nowadays, heâs more favorable to something light and bubbly like beer because itâs easy on his body and the buzz is manageable over a longer period of time. He canât remember the last time he drank pure liquor⌠It had to have been New Yearâs Eve or some other holiday thatâs usually burdened by alcohol. Yunhoâs not remarkably sensitive to liquor and heâs by no means a lightweight, but tonight heâs truly done a number on himself. Three Long Island Iced Teas and a few extra shots of rum have him loose and on stage in front of many eyes doing what he does best: singing. Singing karaoke duets with Seonghwa always makes him feel like a college student again, bringing him back to the days of their music classes.
When the next hour comes around and several more shots enter his system, the second phase of his inebriation hits: heartache and depression. Distractions are wonderful until theyâre not, and his throat hurts from doing too much falsetto. He keeps thinking about how heâs supposed to show you this side of himself eventually, serenading you like a cheesy romcom just to hear your pretty giggles telling him that he actually sounds like an angel, and those thoughts make him sad. On top of that, his social battery is depleted entirely and now all he can think about is going home. Distancing himself for the last several days is finally coming to an end, as youâre the only person he can think of to call since he doesnât want to ruin his friendsâ time by asking Seonghwa to take him back home. While booking an Uber ride wouldâve been the smarter idea, Yunhoâs too lovesick to pass up on a moment to hear your voice right now.
So, while Seonghwa is busy using the bathroom and San is distracted by an attractive woman whoâs gone out of her way to challenge him to a game of pool, his hazy eyes manage to find your contact card in his favorites before calling you. You take a bit longer to answer than usual, but the moment he hears that familiarly sweet âhello there, handsome~â come across his speaker, he physically melts into a heap on the counter. You can overhear the loud music coming through the speaker clear as day and figure he must be at the bar tonight with other teachers since theyâre all essentially off tomorrow. Calling you of all people while with his friends is risky, but you understand why heâs being so reckless the moment he opens his mouth.
âI need to see you, please,â Yunho drawls, his free palm pressed to his forehead to ground himself, âDrank too much, wanna go home.â
âWhere are you, Yu?â
Yunhoâs heart feels like itâs ready to take flight at the way you ask this with no hesitation and how he can hear you already shuffling to grab clothes. Maybe your feelings are as strong as his afterall.
âAt that dumb bar near campus. Hwa drove me,â he sighs, and you can practically hear the drunken pout stuck on his lips. âIâll just send my location⌠Can you come, baby? Please?â
âOf course, Iâll come take you home. Sit tight, Iâm leaving now.â
When you do finally arrive, Yunho lets his friends know that he ordered an Uber to go home, and successfully convinces Seonghwa not to walk with him outside even though his steps feel leadened.Â
âGo back to karaoke,â he waves him off with an anxious smile, âIâll let yâknow when I get home.â
Parking so close to the entrance mightâve been a bit daring on your part, but you expected Yunho to have some trouble walking too far with too much distance. To offset the risk, youâre donning a black face mask with the hood of your jacket pulled over your head, and you figure that should conceal any particulars about you enough for any lurking eyes. Yunhoâs surely more operational than he sounded over the phone, and even though his feet are slow on his way over, he slides in easily enough and even buckles himself in. From there, you focus on leaving the area before either of his friends gets curious enough to look outside.
The drive is comfortably silent. You keep the music low and drive a bit slower than usual to make sure he doesnât feel too dizzy during the trip. Yes, you care for the man dearly, but the last thing you need is his vomit in your passenger seat. With his head resting idly on the cool glass of your window, he tries to relax his mind and settle the stuttering of his heart. He doesnât know why heâs so nervous to be around you right now.
âOverdid it tonight, huh?â You ask him after a while to make sure heâs still conscious.Â
âI donât ever drink this much,â he replies with his eyes still closed, âMâso sorry for bothering you so late.â
âYou didnât bother me at all. Go ahead and relax, weâre almost home.â
His call was perfect timing actually, as you were just wrapping up exam prep for the day. Usually, you donât take study days seriously, but with this being your last semester you figure giving your all includes taking advantage of the academic liberties that are offered by your university in exchange for not having to go to class. He was on your mind tonight as he always is, and even though the moment is unconventional, you appreciate him finally calling you at all. Thatâs all you can think about for the remainder of the drive to his home.
This is so embarrassing, he mopes internally. Yunho feels extremely vulnerable with every lug of his feet up his steps to his door. Heâs not sure he ever wanted you to see him in such a state eitherâliquored up and liable to say anything lingering in his chest without inhibitionâbut itâs too late to worry about those things now.Â
âThank you for coming,â Yunho sighs upon entering his abode, shrugging off his coat and kicking his shoes off to a place he probably wonât remember tomorrow.Â
His throat is dry and itching for something else, anything other than liquor. You know better than anyone that he needs to be drinking water right now and flushing his system as well. Closing his front door, you follow suit with your shoes and jacket.
âYou donât have to thank me, sweetheart,â you assure him with a smile, âIâll go get you some water.â
However, before you can slip past him, Yunhoâs warm hands gently clasp around your cheeks. Your back hits the door as his sticky liquored lips squish against yours in an affectionate kiss. Much to his dismay, after only a few seconds of gratification you manage to pull back enough to talk.
âWater first, kissing later. Okay?â You chide with a giggle.Â
Yunho makes a whiny noise in the back of his throat in place of a ânoâ before stealing your lips once more. This time, his arms fall to wrap around your torso. Thereâs something desperate about the way his arms squeeze the air out of you as if he loosens them even in the slightest bit you might slip right from his grasp. Thatâs how heâs felt for some time recently like youâre slipping away right into someone elseâs arms. Somewhere deep down in his intoxicated subconscious, heâs able to acknowledge the feeling of his heart slamming against his chest from pent-up anxiety of seeing you again, touching you again⌠and maybe lack of oxygen. Yeah, perhaps thatâs what this intense feeling is building in his chest is, a blatant lack of oxygen. Breathing is just not something present in Yunhoâs impaired mind.Â
You, you, you, you, you!
All he wants to do is think about how he loves you more than you know.
He feels like heâs suffocating, but his brain wonât let his limbs move to breathe, lost in the thoughts and desperation of just needing to be connected to you. Just then, when he feels like heâs about to nearly pass out, you find the strength within yourself to push him from you hastily. The way you gasp for air lets him know that he was inadvertently suffocating you as well. His arms finally release their intense grip and a flurry of apologies tumble from his lips.
âMâso sorry,â he offers one last time, words running together, âI just missed you so much.â
Yunhoâs head falls and rests in the crook of your neck while embarrassment floods his cheeks.Â
âItâs okay, really. I missed you too,â you tell him, lungs settling while you card your fingers through his hair soothingly. Heâs so fragile at this moment and seeing this side of him makes your heart melt. You could never be mad at something like a little stolen oxygen. âLetâs get you settled in first though, okay?â
âPlease leâme stay like this for a couple minutesâŚâ
Heâs a bit dizzy, and your fingers lovingly massaging his scalp are making his heart feel ready to burst out of his chest. It doesnât matter that heâs older than you, or that technically heâs an authoritative figure in your life. Youâre always so soft with him, so attentive to his needs, and tender in your touch. You even came and picked him up while he was a mess, with no hesitation. For some reason, in Yunhoâs inebriated mind, heâs so sure that a positive answer to this next question will finally solidify your loyalty and how you truly feel about him.Â
âCan you stay with me tonight?â
Thereâs a moment of silence where youâre unusually still, and Yunho can practically hear your answer before you even open your mouth. Mentally, youâre battling with yourself because of premade morning plans with Wooyoung interfering with his request. Normally, youâd never decline to spend some extra time with him, but youâre not sure if blowing off Wooyoung last minute will have some consequences. Yunhoâs the most important thing to you, but which choice proves that the most?Â
âI have some important obligations in the morning, Yu,â you mumble a moment later, unable to outright say no. Itâs hard, but you figure the best way to show him his importance to you is to put his career first, ahead of your feelings.Â
In the crook of your neck you can feel him inhale, and for a second, heâs so still that you couldâve believed that heâd passed out. Youâre just about to call his name when you feel him begin to tremble and snivel, and alarm bells begin blaring in your head. Lifting his head with your hands gently, you gaze up at him in panic.
âHey, hey, whatâs wrong?â You comfort him softly, thumbs on either side of his face wiping away fat tears that begin spilling down his rosy cheeks. âIâll stay, I will. Iâm so sorry baby.â
âI canât do this anymore, ____.â
Youâre no longer worried about the warm tears spilling onto your fingers as you are the immediate tightness in your chest at such simple words. Simple, but hurtful. The last time you heard that kind of sentence, it was followed by a breakup. The pang in your chest at the realization that this is whatâs probably happening makes you feel sick. Nevertheless, you wouldnât blame him if your behavior over the last few weeks ended up being the final straw for him, and if leaving him alone drunk was the cherry on top. Your diminished communication and sudden lack of availability with obligations you could not explain⌠and who knows what heâs heard about your increasing closeness with his TA, if anything. You ponder if maybe thatâs why he has been acting differently recently, how perhaps the rumors had finally gotten back to him. Itâs hard to meet his eyes while you try to prepare yourself for words you figured you hear eventually but still never built your confidence up enough for.
âLook at me, please,â he requests. It takes a moment, but you find it in yourself to do as asked. The way Yunhoâs glazed-over eyes only hold dejection when you meet them lets you know something is seriously wrong. Youâve hurt him, you just know it. Youâre not sure what to expect, but it surely isnât him following up with, âI love you so much, itâs beginning to hurt, ____.â
Yunho didnât expect this genuine divulgence that he had finally found within himself to reveal to be met with annoyance of all things. The way your brows crease and the corners of your mouth downturn throw him for a loop.
âI know youâre drunk but you really shouldnât say a serious word like that so easily,â you chastise him in a soft voice.Â
The gentleness of your tone doesnât change the fact that you mean that statement wholeheartedly; heâs never used that word with you when sober, so why now? You donât want to be made a fool of when these drunken words get taken back when heâs in his right mind tomorrow. Being drunk doesnât excuse playing around with your feelings like that.
âI mean it. I do love you, so much. Not gonna pretend to be so casual about things anymore,â he retorts. While his voice still has that intoxicated twang in it, itâs now alarmingly firm.
That sudden tone and the way his face remains determined to make you understand him make your heart stutter. In the context of romance, âloveâ is a word you havenât heard from someone in a long time. To be fair, itâs a word you havenât offered to anyone youâve dated in a long time either. How long has it been since you met someone worthy of a word that powerful⌠Youâre at a loss for words. The increasing tightness in your chest with the more you take in the situation wonât let up, and you wonder if he can feel your anxiety through the trembling of your hands still caressing his wet cheeks.Â
Yunho doesnât mind that you donât say it back, he may be intoxicated but he still knows heâs coming on very strong right now. Instead, he adds, âYou donât have to say it back, but I canât handle not knowing what I am to you anymore. I canât tell how you really see me.â
The way your face immediately only offers confusion at that final statement is involuntaryâhis complete obliviousness to how you feel about him, about everything youâve done till this point, is just baffling. Despite any impending consequences of being involved with your teacher, youâve given this man so much of your time, your adoration, your bodyâwhat is there to question? When you finally take your hands back and place them on your temples, Yunho senses your frustration. He begins to feel bad when he realizes too much liquid courage may have made him go a bit too far.
âYunho, I thought it was pretty obvious that I want to be with you. Iâm just waiting for graduation to say it officially,â you explain. âIâ Weâve been dating for 3 months, for Christâs sake.â
You try to remind yourself that heâs intoxicated and that maybe you should treat this situation with a bit more grace. The next question he throws out completely shatters that mindset.
âThen why did you kiss him?â
The immediate mortification you feel at that string of words hits you like a sledgehammer, and the silence that consumes the room following this question is deafening. Yunhoâs eyes hold your shameful stare before you finally become physically uncomfortable, and you avert your gaze sheepishly. Yes, you had considered he might catch you in the act sooner or later, but did it have to be the stupid unwanted kiss of all things? This is not something you had readied yourself enough to be confronted about. Itâs something you wish you couldâve taken to the grave if possible.
The lack of an immediate reply to such a simple question has him pressing his palms to his eyes because he feels himself needing to cry again. Heâd do anything to turn off those leaky faucets behind his eyes for good right now if he could. Crying over someone he had no business falling for in the first place is exasperating because he knew better. Heâs sure heâd be able to compose himself more than this if he wasnât so drunk as well, but itâs too late for those kinds of thoughts now. Everything is out in the open, all the way down to the intensity of his feelings for you, and thereâs no turning back.
âItâs not what you think, Yunho,â you finally offer after taking some seconds to sort out your thoughts. The thing is, there is no other viable option at this point: itâs either tell him the truth or lie and break his heart further. You would never consider doing the latter. âI want to explain, but this isnât the best timeââ
âYou can be honest, I promise I can handle it,â Yunho interjects. He runs his hands through his messy hair, trying to mellow himself out and prove that statement, but his insecurities start to get the best of him. Words begin spilling out of his mouth without much thought, âIs it because we canât go out like normal couples? Am I not giving you enough attention? I know itâs tough right now butââ
âNo, no, of course not! None of that matters to me in the slightest.âÂ
âWhat is it about him, then? If itâs something I can fix or do better, I will. I promise,â he tells you earnestly, but his face already looks defeated. He still canât even say his name. Seeing him so distraught and broken like this over your actions is like a stiff punch in the gut. The last thing you ever wanted to do was make Yunho feel like heâs not enough.
Instead of answering, you ask him, âDo you trust me?âÂ
As much as he should be inclined to say no with everything heâs seen, or the way you wonât give him straight answers, he just canât say no.
âOf course I do.â
âThen Iâd really love for us to have this conversation in the morning when youâre sober,â you insist, hands seeking out his for comfort and reassurance, âPlease, Yunho.â
âAnd what happens if I wake up alone again?â
There it is. The hint of pessimism screaming at him in the back of his mind slipped through. He remembers the last time you left with no word and how it sent him irrationally spiraling. He just needs that final bit of reassurance.
âIâd never do that to you again, okay? I love you too much to hurt you like that. I promise.â
Yunho's left mute at this reply, damp lashes blinking repeatedly as his brain struggles to compute that you just said three very pivotal words heâs never heard from anyone else heâs ever dated. After not immediately reciprocating his sentiments earlier, he didnât really ever expect them to come from your mouth anytime soon.Â
âYouâŚloveââ
It happens way too fast, the wave of nausea that consumes him with how overwhelmed he begins to feel. Pulling his fingers away from yours, he clasps a clammy hand over his mouth and stumbles off toward his hallway bathroom in haste. This, of course, is not the ideal response youâd like to get back after fully confessing your feelings to a man. You try not to take it to heart and finally go to grab some water for him while heâs emptying his stomach in the bathroom.
The night comes to a close not too long later with you both burrowed in the blankets of Yunhoâs bed, and he falls asleep against your chest faster than your brain will allow you to join. How lucky he is to have alcohol easily lull him to sleep after such a mess, you muse. You suppose this is as good of a time as ever to sort your thoughts and words for your explanation tomorrow. That and the possible consequences following you finally revealing the truth. While Yunho might seem mild-mannered and easygoing on a day-to-day basis, you are now aware of just how sensitive he is as a person inside. He feels with his whole heart, and he keeps certain things locked inside of him. You want him to feel comfortable enough to share those things with you as a partner. You want him to trust you wholly with his entire heart, but you suppose that begins with being entirely honest with him first. Heâs more than enough, and you want him to believe that. Before you can let your mind wander too deep into the territory of that subject, your eyes finally feel unbearably heavy, and you fall asleep with your fingers curled around his own a little more securely than usual.
One thing Yunho prides himself in is not being prone to heavy hangovers, and this morning is no different. From his first couple years in college, he had learned that lots of water, sleeping in, and a good meal was the cheat code to his bodyâs ability to survive a night of binge drinking. This was partially thanks to his first roommate who was a Nutrition Major, because if he couldnât discourage him from drinking he could at least aid him in recovering from it. Aside from you forcing him to drink a few water bottles before he could sleep, throwing up the prior night and purging most of it helped a lot as well, of course.
Youâre not in bed when he stirs awake, but he can hear miscellaneous noise coming from another part of his home and smell the third element of his cheat code in progress. When he finally ambles out of his room and into his kitchen after chugging the bottle of water left on his nightstand, he finds you cooking something with what little groceries he has stocked in his fridge. The sound of him pulling out a chair at his table tears your attention away from the stove.
âGood morning,â you hum. He seems fully coherent, which makes things much easier on you. âHowâs your stomach?â
Yunho rubs his bleary eyes with the back of his hand while yawning, âMuch better⌠What time is it?â
âAround eleven, I think.â
âI thought you had something to do?â
âI canceled,â you tell him, âYouâre more important.â
Earlier, while Yunho was still passed out, you found some time to slip away and call Wooyoung to raincheck. Youâre not entirely sure if he believed the performance you put on about coming down with something last minute, but it didnât matter. The least he can do is give you a day off of this charade. You move the food youâve been working on off of the stoveâs eye and turn off the heat before snatching up his mug of coffee and joining him at the table.Â
You look different this morning, the way your eyes lack any of their usual whimsy or humor, and how you sit yourself to his left with body language more reserved than normal. Your stress is palpable, and that doesnât help settle the sad feeling beginning to manifest in his stomach when he realizes the conversation thatâs about to begin. Nonetheless, he decides to prepare himself for the worst.
âI promised you an explanation,â you sigh, âSo letâs talk.â
Messily relaying this story to Yeosang first helped you a lot with finding the confidence to make things more concise if a moment like this were ever to happen. You were able to tell Yunho the full extent of Wooyoungâs actions without getting as emotional as the last time. Even though you were trying to be truthful, you ultimately decided not to tell him about trying to connect with Wooyoungâs ex behind the scenes, as you didnât want to give him any false hope if things happened to fall through. When you finish spilling anything left lingering in your guts about the entire situation, thereâs an unbearable silence that settles over the whole room. Yunhoâs eyes are trained on his coffee, finger circling the rim of his mug while he lets his mind run wild. The guilty feeling that washes over you feels heavier and heavier with every passing second of him not replying.
âIâm really sorry,â you finally break the silence with a final apology. âItâs my fault for being so pushy in your office that day. This wouldnât have happened if I had just taken no for an answer.â
âYou have nothing to be sorry for, ____,â Yunho tails your sentence quickly. The tension in your chest finally dissolves when he speaks, and hearing his caring voice is really all you can ask for right now. He reaches a gentle hand over the table to cover yours for some well-needed comfort, before offering you a soft, sober smile, âI donât want you beating yourself up for decisions we made together. Iâm a grown man who makes my own choices, donât forget that.â
When Yunho dares to ask how far Wooyoung has made you go for him physically, you assure him the worst has only been that kiss.Â
âIâm not going to pretend like this doesnât fucking suck,â he groans, brows furrowing at the thought of being so stuck between a rock and a hard place, âI would remove him from class if I could. Seeing his face is going to piss me off even more than before.â
âI understand. The semester ends in a couple of weeks though⌠I know it might be a lot to ask for from you to deal with, but it wonât be too much longer,â you offer resignedly, though itâs not much of a consolation. Optimism is the only thing you have worth giving him at this point. Youâre only optimistic yourself while banking on his ex wanting to meet with you. When he goes from frustratedly rubbing his eyes to running a hand through his hair, you feel the need to add, âIâd understand if you donât want to deal with that though.â Yunho turns to you, his expression one of sheer incredulity.
âYou really believe I would willingly let someone like him end our relationship?â The teasing lilt in his voice is refreshing to hear, even if it is a serious question underneath. He reaches his hand over and holds your chin while assuring you, âYou canât get rid of me that easily, okay?â
âThat sounds more like a threat than a promise,â you chuckle.
âMaybe he should take it that way, then.â
For the remainder of the week, Yunho tries to bear through the new knowledge that Wooyoung is somewhere on campus turning you into a puppet for his own gain. It hits harder on the days when he texts you in an effort to check in on things but is met with radio silence. He was made aware that Wooyoung preferred you off of your phone when with him, but goddamn was it annoying. For your sake, he tries to keep these kinds of grievances to himself. He knows he needs to be supportive if he can help it. During this time frame, you also secretly began your effort to contact Wooyoungâs ex-girlfriend. Getting left on read with your first message was to be expected. It took her a full day before she entertained you by replying back, even if it was a little snippy. Regardless, her replying at all was a step in the right direction. She opened the door and you planned to slip your way in as best you could. Between Yeosang asking for updates, his ex contacting you sporadically throughout the days, and Yunho checking in occasionally to make sure his assistant isnât causing you problems that heâs more than happy to fix, you decide itâs best to keep your phone face down and away from Wooyoung when youâre together this week. Even if you want to keep up with your friends to pass the time, itâs just too risky.
âYou havenât told him anything, correct?âÂ
Wooyoung asks this out of the blue when you both convene for breakfast on Friday. You find it funny how neither of them can say each otherâs name, but you suppose Wooyoung is a bit more cautious these days to keep you from getting an attitude. Youâre much too tired to even entertain such a question, but you donât want to cause any suspicion by choosing not to answer.
You yawn after muttering, âNo, why?â
âHe looks at me differently these days,â he muses, pushing his fork into the plush of his lips, âItâs giving me bad vibes.â
âHe has a lot on his plate with finals that you canât help him with. Iâm sure the stress is overwhelming. Cut him some slack.â
Picturing Yunho trying to give Wooyoung the evil eye when they cross paths everyday has you turning your head away, suppressing a smile to keep from laughing at the end of your sentence.
âYou know better than I do,â he acknowledges with a nod and leaves the conversation at that.
Yunho begins losing a bit more of his resolve that same day when he catches Wooyoung rushing to meet you out the door after class, calling out your name right in front of his face. He doesnât particularly care for the carefree tone of his voice, and he feels like doing something so openly is too cocky for his liking. His fingernails rake at the material of his slacks irritably from behind his podium as he opens his mouth.
âWooyoung,â Yunho calls out before he can consult his better judgment.Â
When his assistant spins to face him, Yunho finds himself at a loss for words. He didnât really think this part through. His eyes flicker to you, whoâs waiting patiently by the door for your puppetmaster to join you, then back to Wooyoung. Thatâs when he makes the executive decision to steal him away from you for the next hour or so. He deserves that satisfaction at least.Â
âI wanted to discuss some things about my schedule regarding final papers next week, and then submitting final grades,â Yunho exhales while clasping his hands together.Â
He throws in a free and easy smile to twist the knife because his assistant loses all joy in his face at his words. The brief glance you exchange with your teacher as Wooyoung reluctantly ambles back to his station holds a world of emotions, conveying everything words cannot. The gratification he receives from simply seeing you nod and smile while departing alone for the day gives him everything he needs to complete his day with renewed composure.
Mondays generally suck for Yunho, but this final one of the semester is absolutely atrocious.
Today, heâs had the worst technical difficulties in both of his morning lectures with no valuable help from the Universityâs IT department. One of his biggest pet peeves is not being taken seriously when heâs working, especially as a younger teacher, and it seems that they put his issues on the back burner all morning since heâs not one of the elderly professors. Regardless, he made things work even through the giggles of some students. Itâs his final class before exam week begins, the least he can do is end his spiel of encouragement towards the final paper deadline on a good note.
If things had ended there, then he wouldâve had a decent rest of his day. Spilling hot coffee all over his white button-up that he rarely ever even wears puts a permanent grimace on his face for the remainder of the morning. He tries his best to dab it out with water when he gets a free moment during his lunch break, but heâs one hundred percent sure he made the liquid spread much worse. Coupled with him not even being able to put his tie back on properly in an attempt to fashion it in a way that hides the stain, heâs exactly three seconds away from deciding to go home for the rest of the day.Â
He decides to work through lunch in his office instead so he can end the day early once heâs finished. At least this way nobody could see how much of a mess he is today. But, after a while of Yunho holing up in his office and hiding from the rest of the world as long as he can manage, his phone vibrates with an unexpected call from San. He presses the answer option reluctantly and puts it on speaker.
Before he can even say hello, Sanâs voice is already excitedly asking, âYou on lunch?â
âSomething like that,â he chuckles weakly, and San can hear the clicks of his mouse in the background. When he hears San âtsk!â in disapproval of him working, he sighs, âYou know me, workâs never done. Shouldnât you be teaching a class right now?â
âBathroom breaks are important for everybody.â
âAnd you decided to call me during yours why?â
âListen, I know you told me not to make any unannounced visits to your classroom but,â San pauses to laugh at the foolishness of what heâs about to say. âBut, it seems that your student has done this to me today instead. I suppose that means today is fair game, right?â
Yunhoâs hands pause their movements as he filters through his mind what exactly his friend might be referring to. When he finally recalls that line from their conversation on the day his friends briefly met you, his face pales. San adds that you seem to be dressed oh-so-pretty today and Yunhoâs brows crease, not only in irritation at him talking so liberally about you but in confusion. Yunhoâs prolonged silence at what should be insignificant information is duly noted in Sanâs mind.Â
Truth be told, San did not call Yunho just for shits and giggles. A few days ago, during a shared lunch break, Seonghwa had come to him secretly about Yunhoâs recent behaviors:
âYou canât be serious Seonghwa,â San laughs wholeheartedly at his friendâs implications. âYunho is a bit desperate these days, but heâs not that desperate.âÂ
âYou canât say Iâm being delusional.â
âThatâs not what Iâm saying at all. Iâm just saying that it probably isnât what it seems like.â
Seonghwa rolls his eyes so far back that it almost hurts, âEnlighten me on why heâs being so secretive when I ask then.â
âYou asked him about her directly?â
âNot exactly⌠but I asked him about dating someone,â Seonghwa leans back in his chair and sighs, âHe told me nothing. Barely even got a peep about where he met the woman. A Tinder match has got him so quiet? It just doesnât make sense.â
âAnd you think itâs his student because of what exactly?â
âI didnât say anything at the time but I saw a glimpse of his phone a month or so ago,â Seonghwa snaps his fingers while he tries to remember the details, âThat night we went to that fancy lounge uptown, remember?â
âAnd?â
âWhen he was using the bathroom, he left his phone face up on the couch. I didnât mean to pay too much attention to it, but it lit up with a text and I recognized the name.â
San pushes the food around in his Tupperware with pursed lips while he tries to rationalize this revelation. Seonghwa does have a point⌠Why in the world would you have been texting him at 10 PM? Sanâs a pretty laid-back teacher himself, but none of his students have his personal number. All teachers do things differently though, he knows this. StillâŚ
San lowers his voice to ask, âWhat did the message say?â
âI didnât see that part,â his friend continues, the disappointment in his voice making San snicker, âHe came back too quickly. I mentioned it in passing though, and he said they text occasionally about her schoolwork.â
Seonghwa uses his fingers to put air quotations around that last word; as if heâd ever believe a student is texting their teacher close to midnight about âschoolworkâ. Heâs slightly offended that Yunho thinks heâs that much of a fool.
âThatâs not that implausibleââ
âIâm calling bullshit. Sheâs at the very least got a crush on him and heâs playing into it,â Seonghwa states plainly.Â
San resumes eating his lukewarm leftovers, humming, âI really donât think he would risk getting fired over hooking up with his student. We barely even see him flirt with people outside of work⌠Anything beyond that just isnât him. You know this.â
The conversation didnât last much longer than that, and San had effectively convinced Seonghwa to simply mind his business at the time. He ponders for a second if he should have a serious talk with Yunho about the repercussions that could come to him if Seonghwaâs speculations were true, as he obviously doesnât want to see one of his best friends lose their job. San may joke around a lot about these kinds of things, and heâs overly flirtatious with a numerous amount of people that may or may not include younger women, but he knows heâd never cross the line and put his job in jeopardy like that.Â
Itâs always been complicated. Yunho is an exceptionally loyal person and a hopeless romantic, but very few people get to see that side of him. San has seen plenty of women attempt to pursue him with both good and bad intentions, and Yunho has difficulty deciphering sometimes. That being said, when his friend is head over heels for someone, there is nothing he wonât do. There have been plenty of times when Yunho has done some stupid things because of stupid impulses when it comes to women he falls hard for. Donât get him started about when he had to talk him out of getting a tattoo just because a girl he fell for told him she preferred âbad boysâ when turning him down. He feels with all of his heart, and thatâs honestly something San admires about his friend.Â
He supposes while he has him on the phone, he should push the boundaries to see how he replies.Â
âSheâs been outside of my class for nearly half an hour,â San continues in a nonchalant voice, stoking the fire, âI was wondering if I should invite her to join in on the lecture, maybe chatââ
Unfortunately for San, Yunhoâs already having a bad enough day, and he doesnât need his friend joking about trying to pick up his woman.Â
âDo not bother her,â Yunho interrupts him in a voice with a steely edge that makes the instruction come out slightly more bitter than he intends it to. He immediately regrets letting that kind of emotion slip through and becomes bashful, quickly sputtering a playful jab at his friend instead, âGetting a girlâs attention without buying her a drink first? That would be an amazing feat from you anyway.â
âGetting a girlâs attention at all recently would be an amazing feat for you too,â San quips back with a laugh, but he makes a mental note of this peculiar reaction. It surely doesnât help extinguish Seonghwaâs conspiracies planted in his head. âAnyway, my class ends in half an hour, so Iâm sure sheâs just waiting for a friend to come out.â
At that suggestion, a thought crosses Yunhoâs mind that makes his stomach churn.Â
âSan, tell me something. Do you have a student named Wooyoung Jung in your class?â
âI do indeed, how did you know?â
Iâve got to be losing my mindâŚÂ
Thatâs the only explanation Yunho can come up with as to why heâs speed-walking from his building in the middle of campus to the one that hosts Sanâs class a handful of minutes away. Itâs brisk out, evident by the sharp chill of early December running down his back with every quick stride, but itâs a perfect excuse for why his cheeks are so red. Heâs not flustered, heâs just cold⌠of course.
The moment he spots you rocking back and forth on your feet in front of Sanâs lecture hall, patiently thumbing away at your phone, his chest aches. Youâre dolled up today just like San alluded to, wearing a pretty dress that heâs never even seen you in before. Coupled with some makeup and your hair done charmingly, he gets flashbacks to when you both went on your very first dinner together. This doesnât fare well with Yunhoâs mood.
The tap he does on your shoulder startles you enough to elicit a squeal, and that shock doesnât change even when you realize itâs Yunho beckoning for your attention.Â
âIâ What are you doing here?â
When Yunhoâs brows furrow in offense at your question, you wince. You donât mean to sound like the last thing you want to do is see him right now, but this is not the best time for him to be showing himself. The last thing you need is for him and Wooyoung to cross paths outside of the classroom with you directly in the middle. Nevertheless, you donât even get an answer to that query. The moment your arm is snatched and your feet drag while your captor hauls you away from your waiting spot, you internally scold yourself about how youâre probably the easiest kidnapping victim ever. To be fair, heâs a lot stronger than he looks.
âWait, I have a date with WooyoungââÂ
âI do not care,â he snaps back.
He doesnât bother responding to any more of your attempts of chiding him, eyes too busy following the signs that guide him to where the nearest restroom is. When he stumbles upon an unoccupied handicapped restroom, he sighs in relief and pulls you in before closing and locking the door.Â
âWhat is wrong with you?â You sputter in a dumbfounded, hushed voice.Â
Yunhoâs face is splotchy, and heâs visibly agitated while his eyes dodge between your outfit and your face, âWhy do you look like that?â
What a silly question, truly.Â
In his mind, the problem lies within who youâre looking so beautiful for, and not the fact that you look beautiful at all. Yunho rarely gets to see you as it is, but this prickâs got you dressing up for him? Surely this isnât necessary, because youâre beautiful enough to make anyone jealous as you already are. In his eyes, anyway.
âI just told you I have a date and I needed to look nicer,â you argue. Before he can muster up another pointless question, you fold your arms across your chest, âRight now is really not the time to be jealous.â
âIâm not jealous, Iâm annoyed.â
âThen why are we here, Yunho?â His eyes finally shy away from yours when you motion to your surroundings. He hates it when you use his first name like this because he knows that often accompanies the tone of displeasure. The last thing he wants to do is upset you. You sigh, âCanât you hold out just a little longer?â
âDressing up so pretty for him doesnât help me feel any better.â
âMaking a scene about it doesnât necessarily help anything either, does it?â
Youâd snicker at the shameful silence that follows that statement if the situation wasnât so genuinely distressing to him. Heâs genuinely upset, you get it. Youâd never admit it out loud, but a piece of you likes seeing him like this: wound-up, needy, and protective. The roles were reversed not too long ago about Wooyoung particularly, so seeing him show that same yearning and agitation when the tables are turned, even if itâs in terrible circumstances, makes you feel validated. Still, you do what you can to ease his mind for now.
âYouâre too handsome to be this envious, love,â you murmur sweet nothings. He remains silent, letting those words swirl around in his head while you reach out to fiddle with the kink in his tie until itâs fixed. His lip juts out when you chuckle at the stain sullying his shirt underneath. Your eyes gaze up at his fondly before you add, âHow many times do I have to tell you that Iâm yours and yours only before you start believing it?âÂ
Yunho soaks in every syllable of that soothing voice of yours while his eyes settle on your glossy lips when they talk. Anything not to look at those eyes that could surely make him get on his knees and apologize profusely for causing a scene. Heâs so predictable sometimes, you muse. Youâre sure a kiss or two to help settle his jealousy before you have to leave wonât hurt anyway.
Just as you predicted, he canât help himself, and the feeling of his impatient hands grabbing at your waist and his lips slotting over yours ignites this fire inside the pit of your stomach. Your butt hits against the counter of the bathroom sink and your hands try to find purchase on his blazer.
âReminders never hurt, right?â he breaks briefly to mumble before slipping his tongue into your mouth. You indulge him, falling victim to that sinful mouth of his as you always do.
And, sure, maybe kissing you should be enough to quell such intense feelings inside of him, but itâs just not. The thought that Wooyoung also has the ability to kiss you whenever he wants to enhance whatever convoluted plan he has going on makes it almost insignificant. Instead, his hands haphazardly drift under the hem of your dress, because heâs the only one allowed to touch you like this. He hopes so, anyway.Â
His warm fingers drag up the soft skin of your inner thighs with no hesitation, and your hands grapple onto his blazer tightly when he reaches the apex to stop briefly at your clothed cunt. Yunho swallows the surprised yelp you let out into his mouth when he begins to rub up and down, pressing on your clit through the cotton and feeling how damp you already are just from kissing him. God, it never gets old, the way he turns you on so easily. You shudder when he tugs your panties to the side and drags his lips in wet kisses from your lips to your ear.
âIâm gonna be late, YuâŚâ you complain, voice airy and whiny when his thumb rubs at your clit.
âIâm really sorry,â he murmurs while kissing the shell of your ear, âIâm just really pissed off today. You understand, right, angel?â
He punctuates that statement by finally slipping two fingers into your sopping cunt.
Yunhoâs a mess.Â
He stares at himself in the mirror behind you while his fingers busy themselves with pushing in and out of your cunt. How did he get to such a point, experiencing so many intense emotions over someone he never shouldâve fallen in love with in good conscience? How did he end up in this bathroom with his fingers evoking such sloppy noises from between your legs? He stares at how flushed he is in the cheeks with your glittery lipgloss smeared all over his lips and beyond. This is beyond sillyâŚ
Yunho swears heâs not actually such a jealous person, he swears, but the current circumstances are doing a number on his mental health. He deliberately curls his fingers up against that plushy spot he loves to find within you and watches tremors travel through your back. Aside from some tiny gasps and whimpers that are barely audible unless youâre close enough to hear them, youâve learned your lesson on being quiet in these situations, and you keep your lips pressed together tightly. The way your knees are buckling and your hands are clutching onto him for dear lifeâyes, this is just what he needs. Heâs never felt such an intense need to see someone cum in his life.
âDo you want more?â Yunho suddenly breathes against your ear, pressing a loving kiss on your warm skin before pulling back to look you in the eyes, âIâll do whatever you want me to, even if you just want me to stop.â
As God is his witness, he means every word. Heâll get down on his knees and suck an orgasm from you if you want him to. Heâll hold you against the wall and fuck any word other than his name out of your head if you want him to. To be honest, deep down he just wants to see if youâd blow off your date with this nuisanceâeven for just a few minutesâto let him satisfy you. Those shiny eyes of yours innocently blinking at his inquiry could make him melt on the spot. You donât know how much time has passed since you got dragged in here, or how much time there is left of Wooyoungâs class, but your hands move faster than your brain when considering these things as a problem.Â
His fingers slip out of your core and into his mouth the moment your hands drop to fumble with his belt hurriedly. There are no words spoken, and the only sounds filling the quiet air of the bathroom are Yunhoâs belt buckle coming undone and clattering against the floor tiles once his pants are shoved down. He pushes down his underwear and quickly fists his cock while you turn to bend over the sink. It doesnât take much to get him hard because seeing you so wet and ready for him to stretch you out with no care for anything else turns him on to the highest degree.Â
After tugging your panties down what he deems is enough, he doesnât even bother teasing and prods at your hole so eagerly that itâs almost embarrassing. The soft gasp you both share when Yunhoâs tip fully slips into your cunt by accident makes your stomach manifest butterflies.Â
Your hands grip the edges of the counter while he continues pushing forward, mouth agape and brows drawn together while watching the way the tight skin stretches around him and sucks him in greedily. When you finally feel his thighs meet yours, you release a deep breath you didnât even know you were holding heavy in your lungs.Â
âYouâre so wet, slipped in so easily,â he huffs, giving you an experimental thrust to see all your arousal coat his cock again before he bunches your dress around your waist in his hands. âGonna be good for me and stay quiet, right?â
âI should ask you the same,â you whisper, giving him a coy gaze through the mirror.Â
The smirk tugging at his lips in place of laughing is followed by a knowing nod, and you close your eyes when he finally begins moving his hips. Yunho has no intention of purposefully rushing things to get you back to your obligations any quicker than him bringing you here. Even so, he isnât going slow or taking his time like he treated you the last time you had sex. No, this is an exceptionally needy fuck today, with hasty, desperate thrusts that make his eyes flutter closed and chest feel heavy with noises of arousal just begging to creep out. He just canât help himself; Yunho swears your cunt was perfectly crafted just for him.Â
When he feels your knees buckle after one particular angled thrust, he groans lowly, âRight there, angel?âÂ
With a nod of your head, Yunho's hands move from your dress to your hips, fingertips digging deep into the plush skin while he reciprocates that previous thrust over and over and over until youâre gripping the sink spout to maintain some of your sanity.Â
âI need more Yu, please,â you beg him in a whisper, cock-drunk eyes meeting his own in the mirror, âMore, moreâpleaseâharder.â
You want nothing more than for him to just grab a fist full of your hair and make a mess of your sopping cuntâto ruin your makeup and send you back out to Wooyoung looking like a mess. You crave that pure and raw act of Yunho showing him who you truly belong to. Knowing your lover, he wouldnât decline the opportunity to assert his dominance in this situation, but you have enough self-control to keep those desires to yourself. Heâs giving you enough to handle anyway, firmly pressing your stomach to this counter with strong hands and settling on a brutal pace to satisfy your request. The sounds of skin slapping skin echo amongst desperate pants and gasps from you both every time he bottoms out just as fast as he pulls back.
The steamy air of the bathroom is interrupted when your phone begins ringing on the counter. You know itâs probably Wooyoung finally out of class and wondering where you are. You canât blame him, as you had explicitly told him youâd be waiting for him outside the classroom.Â
Even so, you canât seem to care enough to remove your focus from Yunho, your unwavering eyes still locked on his own through the mirror as he continues snapping his hips into you quickly. Yunho would be lying if he said this attention didnât go straight to his head. He knows you shouldnât ever have to prove it, but the reassurance he feels from seeing your devotion to him in real time makes his chest tight with adoration. The way nobody else matters to you right now, and how heâs the center of your attention, chips away at every inch of jealousy he was feeling earlier.Â
Yunhoâs hands abruptly pull you off the sink by your arms and up against him. This new position with your back arched and you on your toes has you seeing constellations, and you know you probably arenât going to last much longer with the way heâs also heaving just behind your ear. When one hand of his moves down to rub sticky circles on your clit, you presume heâs close as well. Yunho feels like heâs going crazy, mind spinning with thoughts of if you keep squeezing him like this, he might just accidentally cumâ
âInside,â you whimper, âPlease.â
He finds himself groaning against your skin, teasing you by breathing, âGoing on a date with another manâs cum in youâs kinda rude, no?â
âDonât care, please, please.â
As usual, how can he say no when you beg so cutely? He did say heâd do whatever you want, after all. Your eyes flutter closed and you focus on the final sounds of Yunhoâs soft grunts and your shaky exhales mingling in the air while he ruts up into you quickly. It always seems like he knows your body better than you know yourself these days because his hand covers your mouth before he gives the last few sharp thrusts that precede him finally spilling into you, and he successfully stifles the desperate moan you wouldâve let fly out once you fall apart in his arms.Â
âQuietâ Oh fuck, thatâs it,â Yunho hisses, letting out a soft moan at the way you struggle to stand while your legs tremble and your cunt milks him for all heâs worth. Heâs dangerously too addicted to this feeling already; you shouldâve never introduced something so heavenly to him. He canât stop his hips from beginning to buck again in messy strokes, intent on fucking you through your orgasm even if heâs sensitive himself. Watching the way you bite down on your lip to keep quiet as told, he whispers well-deserved praises in between kissing your skin, âTaking it so well, sweet girl. You really were made for me. Shhh, Iâve got you.â
Yunho only stops himself when your body becomes pliant in his arms, fully surrendering to fatigue and overstimulation. He waits patiently until you can put your weight back onto your feet before finally releasing his grip. When he finally pulls himself out, heâs not quick enough to step away, and his seed spills from you onto his pants still pooled around his ankles. The handful of curses spilling from his mouth at his fuck-up has you shushing him in between breathless laughs.Â
âIâm an idiot,â he groans.
âYes, and thatâs exactly what you get for dragging me in here.â
Yunho spends a handful of minutes using wet napkins to make his pants look a little more presentable while you do the same with the mess youâve both made soiling the insides of your thighs. He doesnât even try to hide the satisfied smirk tugging at his lips while inconspicuously watching you try your best to get his cum to stop seeping out of your core. Thereâs just not enough to properly clean up, and he finds this just as gratifying as getting you here in the first place. To be fair, you were the one who told him that you didnât care. On that note, he goes to grab your discarded phone and ushers it your way eagerly.Â
âYou should call your date and let him know youâll be wherever very soon,â he insists, âIâm sure heâs waiting patiently.â
âRushing me out after throwing such a fit is crazy,â you mutter while pulling your panties back up. Youâre sure heâs just obsessed with the thought of his cum making a cameo on your date.
âA man canât change his mind?â
As you stand in front of the bathroom mirror, quickly dabbing at your neck with napkins to clean any smeared lip gloss, Yunho leans against the bathroom wall and tries to decide how long he should wait in the bathroom before leaving after you. Between watching the way you apply a fresh coat to your lips and entering post-nut clarity, heâs a bit too scatterbrained to think about this critically, but heâs brought back to the moment when you finally spin around with a sigh.
âDo I look okay?â
Thereâs a bit of anxiety hidden in that question, evoked by the fear of looking disheveled or being perfumed with the smell of sex, but those thoughts are quickly extinguished when he gives you those eyes that look as though heâs falling in love with you all over again. Maybe itâs that special afterglow that sex grants, but to him, in this moment you look even better than when you enter this bathroom with him. Youâre exceptionally beautiful at all times, and he doesnât even have to answer that question for you to know his thoughts. After planting a quick peck of farewell on his cheek, Yunho stays hidden away against the wall out of view of the door so you can finally leave and call Wooyoung. Heâll hold off on teasing you about the little limp in your walk until you see each other again in private.
The following day, you find yourself seated alone at the familiar table tucked away in the back of the library, the very spot where you and Yeosang often retreated for private discussions. Wooyoungâs ex was supposed to be seated in front of you 10 minutes ago. Iâm giving her 5 more minutes before I leave. She was the one who finally asked you to meet with her after a bit of cordial back and forth, so being late to her own plans didnât necessarily make you as sympathetic to her situation as before. You suppose you should give her a little more grace, considering this is your only opportunity to try and put an end to the madness of Wooyoungâs chasing. Still, youâre a busy woman who needs to prepare for your first exam tomorrow.
â____?âÂ
A soft voice emerges from behind you that has you craning your head to seek out its owner.
âHello,â you greet her, and your eyes follow her as she ambles around the table to set down her bag to settle in across from you. âDidnât know if you were still going to show up.â
âI apologize for being late,â she sighs, embarrassment blossoming on her cheeks. With her first question, she wastes no time delving into the purpose of your meeting, âSo, how long have you and Woo been dating?â
Due to her Instagram page being locked down, you hadnât seen very many pictures of her before this meeting. You were only able to get glimpses of her in a scarce amount of posts on her sororityâs page that included all sisters. In person, sheâs exceptionally beautiful, and you expected nothing less of someone being so heavily pursued. Your blatant staring and lack of reply to her question have her glancing at you quizzically.
Itâs a bit surreal at first, but it finally sinks in that sitting in front of you is the very person of Wooyoungâs desires. An involuntary giggle escapes you at how silly this situation is, as you were never really prepared to be confronted by the very girl Wooyoung kept you from knowing this whole time. She was merely a faceless hindrance to your life, to the point of even doubting her existence at one point. Your reaction doesnât fare well with her, and sheâs noticeably bothered at being laughed at.Â
âIâm sorry, that was rude of me,â you offer a genuine apology before leaning onto the table on your elbows and admitting truthfully, âNot too long at all, just about a month.âÂ
Still, way too long, youâd like to add. Even though she visibly relaxes at this revelation, you can see a conflicting look flicker behind her eyes.
âI still donât really understand why you contacted me,â she sighs, but the look in her eyes just doesnât correspond.Â
Youâre sure she knows exactly why you reached out and exactly what you want to say; surely she already knows she is all Wooyoung wants. During this conversation, you had planned to tell a series of half-truths. She didnât need to know how you got wrapped up in this mess, but you figured itâd be helpful to admit that Wooyoung only thinks of her when heâs with you. Maybe youâd give her some empathetic spiel about how you âthinkâ he hasnât moved on from his feelings for her, and make it a bit emotional on your end. Despite those words dancing on the tip of your tongue, ready to give your best performance, you realize that she looks as if she wants to do your job for you. So, you play into it and let her take the wheel.
âYou look like you want to ask me something,â you observe, âIâm all ears.â
Sitting up a bit more erect in her chair, she meets your eyes head-on.
âIâd like to ask you ifâŚâ But, her voice falters before she can get to the tail of her request.Â
You wonder if itâs a pride thing thatâs keeping her from being honest with herself. She wants him back, youâre sure of it, but sheâs the one who broke things off initially. Maybe sheâs embarrassed, you muse. You suppose you could gently guide the conversation, posing the question she hesitates to voice herself.
âDo you want me to break up with him?â You ask forthrightly.
âI do,â she finally confesses, âI was hesitant about rekindling our relationship, but you reaching out to me made me feel more confident that I should ask. Iâm so sorry.â
Feigning indecision is easy, and pretending to fight your feelings about the situation is the cherry on top. It wouldnât be believable if you gave up too easily, so the uncomfortable silence is more than necessary. The false front is believable enough because she cuts into the tense silence before you can even respond.
âI made a mistake and I would just like a second chance with him. I know Iâm asking for a lot from you, and I want him to be happy, but I canât pretend that I donât still love him anymore,â she rambles on, trying her best to be authentic, âWe were together for quite some time andââ
âIâm aware,â you finally interject. When she downcasts her eyes, you perch your head in your palm and sigh, âWooyoung is still in love with you as well. I donât want to be with someone whoâs still caught up on someone else anymore. You understand?â
The way her eyes light up at this revelation makes yours soften. Even though Wooyoungâs actions may be maddening to you, you can tell he genuinely brings her joy. They both truly love each other.
âI donât know how to go about this,â she admits after a moment of thought.
"Just tell him you want him back. He'll probably end things with me right away," you say bluntly. You feel it's best to give her a gentle nudge to act sooner rather than later, though. So, you add, "I think heâs been planning a trip for us after finals, but I'm sure he'd rather go with you. Please, do it soon."
Underscoring the word please to her might come across as begging, but at this point, you are beyond caring. Going your separate ways after closing this conversation feels like a hefty weight lifted off of your shoulders. In the end, youâve done what needed to be done in terms of setting the stage; now it was time for her return to the spotlight as the lead.Â
The next morning, you awaken to a text from Wooyoung finally breaking your arrangement off. He doesnât go into any specifics of what happened, but at any rate, you donât need or care to know. As far as youâre concerned, heâs fully evaporated from your life the moment you delete his text thread. You find that your coffee and breakfast taste better than normal with one less weight of stress hanging over your head. Exchanging many [Good luck!] texts with Yunho has him subsequently requesting to meet with you after todayâs exam. That is how you ended up dawdling around your favorite aisle in the campus bookstore just before lunch. You had decided to turn in your textbook rentals early and put all of your faith in your notes for these next few days. The only other thing really lingering over your head was to finally turn in your final paper for Yunhoâs class before midnight.
You start to get a bit impatient when Yunho fails to show up after your proposed meeting time, and you wonder if maybe heâs in the wrong spot. With calculated steps, you begin to roam the nearby shelves, reluctant to call out his name too many times in such a quiet place. There are only but so many aisles he could be in within this store anyway. After a couple of minutes peeking into different empty aisles, you finally decide heâs simply just late. You venture back to your original aisle and decide to browse in the meantime; this is the last time youâd ever be stepping foot in this place, so it couldnât hurt to chew over a last-minute purchase. No matter how frequently this aisle has seen your presence in the last few years, you never fail to find something new that piques your interest. Unfortunately, todayâs mark is a small book with the prettiest spine, and it sits just out of your reach on the top shelf. Being unobtainable only makes your curiosity even more inevitable.
Stretching every muscle in your body as far as itâll give to try and at least graze the spine fails; thereâs just no use, and it seems appealing to simply give up. The moment you finally fall back on the heels of your feet, you can feel the sturdiness of a chest slyly pressing against your back while reaching for that very same book just out of your reach.Â
âYou should really be more aware of your surroundings,â Yunhoâs smooth voice hums next to your ear after feeling you freeze up underneath his presence. He plucks the book from the shelf with ease and sighs. You can feel his breath fan out on your neck and even smell the mint on his breath when he adds a playful jab, âShort stuff.â
âAnd you should really be more punctual,â you quip back, trying your best to ignore his proximity.Â
Heâs dressed casually today, charmingly sporting a comfortable pair of jeans and an oversized sweater since classes are officially over. If you didnât already know who he was, a simple glance would have you thinking he was a student himself.
âOh câmon pretty, at least Iâm here like I said Iâd be, right?â He reasons excitedly while offering you a toothy grin thatâs way too cute for your liking. The gentle tap of the book on the crown of your head has you scrunching up your nose, and he sets it aside. âYou sure this section is private enough?â
âOne hundred percent. I used to sit here in my free time when I wanted to read books without buying them,â you admit, adding, âNo cameras over here either.â
Yunho eyes you curiously. You're practically glowing today, evident to him by the smile you canât seem to keep off of your face even when you feign annoyance at his tardiness. He presses a hand to the shelf ledge behind you while the other finds solace in his pocket with his belongings.
âWhatâs got you so happy today?â
Heâs torn between whether youâll say something about already being rid of one exam, or maybe your spontaneous rendezvous with him here has you that giddy. Your eyes gaze back into his expectant ones and you find yourself finally able to relax for the first time in many weeks.Â
âItâs all over, Yunho.â
Normally, a sentence like that would seem ominous, but the wide stretch of your lips has his poor heart shooting into his throat. Itâs the way your eyes are lit while saying his name that really gets him. His pocketed hand finds its way to your cheek and his thumb skims the apple of your cheek. This kind of smile is something he hopes he can evoke from you on his own in the near future.
âI really missed seeing you this happy,â he confesses, âYou look like you can breathe again, ____.â
Something about the way those soft chocolate eyes of his are openly admiring every inch of your face, committing this kind of happiness from you to memory, has you shrinking back in shyness and averting your gaze.
Eager to move the spotlight off yourself, you inquire, âSo⌠whyâd you wanna meet up here?â
Oh, thatâs rightâŚ
Yunhoâs decision to drive to campus today mainly stemmed from the fact that you would already be here. He didnât want you to have to go out of your way just for him to see you, especially after an exam. A clandestine meeting in the bookstore, which you assured him beforehand would be devoid of many students, seemed like a feasible option. He moves to wrap his arms around you, pressing you against his chest in a firm embrace. You donât hesitate to wrap your arms around his waist.
âItâs going to be a very busy week for me with grading final papers all by myself,â Yunho begins tentatively.Â
His eyes close and he focuses on slowing down his heart thatâs beating a bit too prominently in his chest when your ear is pressed against it. There are a lot of emotions coursing through him today, many he canât quite decipher, although he supposes maybe thatâs just everything heâs been feeling throughout the entire semester coming to a head: love, jealousy, desperation, angst, and more. Even amongst the newfound happiness blossoming within his chest at such a detrimental obstacle being overcome, anxiety is still the most overwhelming feeling consuming him. Itâs a bit nerve-wracking inching closer and closer to the final moments where he can confidently say youâre his with no repercussions. Heâs been reflecting on how things will change between you both when finally crossing over this hump, and how things will flourish sans the threats to your futures. He doesnât want to get too ahead of himself, though.
âContinue,â you encourage him, âIâm listening.â
âI just wanted to see you in person before I have to disappear, and tell you that I know youâre going to do amazing on your exams,â Yunhoâs gentle voice imparts. He lowers it further to add, âIâm very proud of you andâŚâ
When he trails off, you turn to plant your chin on his chest and peer up at him with coy eyes, âAnd?â
âAnd⌠I love you,â he whispers, eyes flickering up for the briefest second to confirm youâre still in solitude.Â
Your gentle laughter at his neverending caution is like music to his ears. Heâs still learning how to comfortably say those words without being fearful of not hearing them back. The feeling of his arms letting you go in favor of his hands holding either side of your face steals the opportunity to return his words of adoration. Instead, you put those unspoken words into the kiss he doesnât hesitate to initiate. When you reach up and pull him by the back of his neck, deepening the kiss and encouraging him to let go, he feels his nerves finally melt away for this moment and this moment only. Yunho pulls away before he can get too lost in the feeling of not caring where you both are, and the way youâre led to chase his lips has heat prickling your cheeks.
âYou know, the storeâs nearly empty⌠Might even just be me and you,â you hum. Yunhoâs eyes donât leave yours, even as he feels your hand mischievously skirt down his chest to tap at the belt buckle under his sweater. When your fingers dare to dance further down to the crotch of his jeans, he finally takes hold of your wrist. âOh come on, are you still nervous?â
He shakes his head confidently, âJust think itâd be more fun to reward you once your exams are over. Making you wait a lil might be fun, no?â
âYou sure you can go a couple weeks without it?â You taunt him with a cock of your head. âAll that stress while grading finals adds up, no?â
âIs this coming from the same woman who spent two weeks away from me in the arms of another man before I knew about it?â He immediately counters, eyebrows dancing with mischief. âIâll be just fine. You, on the other hand, are a needy little thing it seems.â
âDonât make me consider going back,â you warn him.
Yunhoâs eyes find the ceiling as he inhales a deep, frustrated breath. Provoking him like this is unfair and dirty. If he were a man with no self-control, heâd have half a mind to have you in this aisle on your knees, putting that mouth to better use than spouting such nonsense. For now, he simply purses his lips and nods curtly.Â
âThatâs okay, be that way,â he concedes in a voice low enough for your ears only, âBecause the next time I get my hands on youâŚâÂ
He trails off while palming your ass through your leggings and squeezing to his heartâs content. The yelp you let out at his fingers sinking in a little deeper than usual makes a pleased smile tug at his lips. Heâd say a lot more, let those lewd thoughts entering his mind go freely for once, but the sounds of feet shuffling not too far away shut him up just as fast as he could think to say them. You both separate abruptly and face opposite shelves. How disappointingâŚ
Yunho clears his throat before finally sighing, âOn that note, I look forward to receiving your paper tonight.â
âI look forward to you reading it, Mr. Jeong,â you hum, and he can hear the smile lingering on your words. Itâs been quite some time since he heard such formalities come from your mouth. âI hope it ends up being worth the wait. You did help me craft it, after all.â
Behind you, his warm chuckle is followed by him laying a comforting hand on your head.Â
âSee you at graduation, ____,â he whispers.Â
When he departs, being left alone doesnât feel so lonely for once.
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