shortcake. - geum seongje
sypnosis: you've hated seongje ever since you were children, but it seems as though he doesn't see you the way you saw him.
cw: violence (by you & seongje & a number of characters), mentions of harassment, cussing, reader is hospitalised, y/n used, horribly written kissing scene, kinda cheesy HAHAWW, lowercase is intended, seongje could be a little ooc, kinda cringe omds.
a/n: this is my first fic and some of the scenes are lowk inspired off of the show itself </3 also, reader is a pretty good fighter. happy reading!
many referred to you as childhood friends.
but to you, seongje was your worst enemy.
it was like ever since he was born to hate you and make your life a living hell.
your earliest memory of him was when he smashed a piece of strawberry shortcake into your face on your 4th birthday- that day marked the start of his life-long quest to annoy the shit out of you.
the phrases "haha- you have a funny face, shortcake!" or "get me a choco milk if you don't want your parents to find out that you failed your test!" were deeply embedded into your memory as traumatic events.
and it genuinely didn't help that both your parents were friends. so not only would you constantly see each other, your parents always dismissed your complaints of him!
"he just likes you- boys do stupid things to get girls to notice." your dad would say as he patted your fuming head.
perhaps it was his constant teasing and harassment, or maybe it was the fact that no one listened to you- but nevertheless, he left you with nothing but an unfathomable amount of hate towards him.
which is why, when he saved you from a group of thugs, you found it difficult to thank him.
his stance was lazy, throwing the last unconscious guy onto hard the floor by the collar.
with the pitch-black night sky and the lack of lighting in the alley, you could only slightly make out his black-framed glasses that were illuminated by the moon, and his tall, dark shadow upon your figure.
"what the hell are you doing here, shortcake?"
you tsk'ed at the childish nickname.
you couldn't see it in the dark, but you knew he was flashing that stupid grin.
"whatever then, don't tell me." he said, stepped towards you, "but a 'thank you' would've been nice, no?"
seongje crouched down to meet your eye level, allowing you to see him clearer. you stared back, glaring so intensely you scrunched up your eyebrows.
"i could've beaten them myself. i've been in boxing classes for years, you know."
he snickered, condescension seeped through his words. "you? against five thugs?"
he abruptly grabbed you by your forearm to yank you up with so much force, you stumbled towards him with a small yelp, which made him chuckle in amusement.
in all honesty, you actually haven't seen him in a while, but you did have some theories on why that is. the hushed conversations your parents and his had after you left the table, his absence in their routine dinners...
no, you don't care. not one bit.
"you're a real lunatic." you uttered as you stalked a few steps behind him.
he turned his head slightly without slowing his pace, a grin reappearing on his face again.
"awww, shortcake, you're so well-mannered."
after a few months of that incident, you didn't encounter him again.
life went on as usual- you hung out with friends, studied, awkward laughed through 'you get more beautiful as you grow!' comments from his parents...but in the back of your head, a question lurked.
whatever, you shouldn't focus on that right now-
"y/n! are you even listening?"
your eyes snapped back to your friend, jiwoo.
"hm? oh, sorry..could you repeat that?" an apologetic smile made its way onto your face.
"yah, y/n-a, you've been spacing out a lot more lately." your other friend, seoyun commented.
a soft sigh left your lips as you stretched your arms across your desk, mentally weighing the pros and cons of telling them about seongje. your three closest friends had their heads tilted with worried looks as they stared at you.
"uhh...just a bit paranoid being home alone, don't really wanna talk about it." you sheepishly replied. you technically weren't lying, you figured.
your friend, nari, gently remarked: "oh, right... your parents will be back in a month, right? if there's anything wrong, just text us."
"yeah, okay. thanks, you guys."
after a beat, seoyun clapped her hands. "alright yall! let's not press our dearest y/n any further!"
you giggled at her energy as she continued, "anyway, have you guys heard of the 'union'?"
"what's that?" jiwoo curiously enquired, her face lighting up in hopes of potential drama.
seoyun excitedly explained the union with much enthusiasm- what they do, their earnings, the constant fighting and finally, their leaders.
"and it's led by this one, STRAIGHT A, student called na baekjin. but the most interesting part is his right hand man: geum seongje."
you visibly flinched, your eyes snapping to seoyun's.
your clueless friend leaned in to whisper.
"people call him wolf, and it's rumoured that he beats anyone who stares at him for longer than 3 seconds up! crazy, right?!"
your palms got increasingly sweaty as your friends continued on their gossip session. you felt like a deer in headlights.
seongje is in an organised gang? you did theorise he was probably into some shady shit- but as a right-hand man?
the conversation died as everyone scrambled and returned back to their own seats. but the words rang in your head.
the right-hand man to the largest, most dangerous teenage-led gang in your area.
the guy who literally smashed a piece of strawberry shortcake in your face in kindergarten.
the lessons were a blur. you told your friends you had boxing training today and left as quickly as you could to avoid suspision.
the gym was usually quiet at this time of night, which could be creepy to some people, but it became your comfort zone. the serene tranquility that came with the empty training ground was the reason why it was your favourite place to practice fighting.
you changed out of your uniform and into a pair of sweatpants and sports jacket before walking to the boxing training area.
the punching bag took hit after hit. your headphones tried its best to drowned out your worries thoughts, but it was to no avail. the curdling frustration in your heart just kept rising no matter how much you hit the damn bag.
"damn it...stop thinking about him." you muttered to yourself, grunting breathlessly as you threw a punch.
you peeled off your headphones and wiped off your sweat, deciding to just give up and head home.
as you turn a corner into an alley leading to your neighbourhood, some girls pass by you.
"bora, isn't that..." one of them mutters.
"yah, are you y/n l/n?" the 'leader' of the three girls named bora nods her head at you.
you stare blankly for a moment before answering. "do i know you?"
"no, but i do have one thing to say to you." she snarked, stalking towards you.
her bright red lips curled into a smug smirk.
"stay away from seongje. he is already into me."
your heart dropped. your face remained neutral.
"that's two things." you sassed.
you toppled backwards, the ringing in your left ear getting louder and louder.
"you wanna be smart, huh?" the shorter girl behind bora chuckled.
before she could comment further, your flung your fist with full force towards bora's perfectly make-up-caked face.
the satisfying bone crack of her nose echoed through the alley, followed by their coordinated choir of cacophonous screams.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" the other girl yells as she practically flies towards you, ready to fight.
adrenaline rushed through your veins- you grabbed her and threw her against the mould-infested wall before fisting her ponytail and smashing her head against the surface, full force, for good measure.
as the two girls laid flat on the ground, panting and whining in pain, you trekked towards the last one- who was shivering with reddened eyes.
"i don't care who seongje gets tangled up with. i do not want any part of it. got it?" your voice was low, eerily calm, but your heartbeat was so loud you could barely hear anything else.
the terrified girl nodded as a tear fell from her eye.
you turned to leave, adjusting back to your normal pace.
"you're...gonna regret this.." bora choked out.
when you got home, the adrenaline had already faded, which made you realise your knuckles were screaming in pain and agony. you rummaged through the bathroom cabinet until you found a few bandages and decided they can do the job.
you didn't know why you did that. you usually wouldn't let anything get to you, not even seongje- so why'd you do it?
your ears rang; your chest felt unusually heavy.
the digital clock next to your bedside read 03:28 when a harsh knock thumped on your window nonstop.
you tried to ignore it, but it just wouldn't stop.
you squinted your eyes until the blurry image of a creepy figure outside your window cleared to show you a familiar face.
upon unlocking the window, seongje swiftly climbed into your room like he owned the damn place. you were too exhausted to comment on it, but not tired enough to not give him your iconic glare.
"what do you want?" you whisper-shouted, sitting cross-legged.
he took off his windbreaker (which was rare) tossed it into a corner before joining you on your bed. for once, he wasn't giving you that off-putting grin like usual. instead, his expression was replaced by something else.
something you couldn't exactly put your finger on.
"are your hands okay?" his tone was so, so soft.
"uh..i guess? yeah." you muttered as you looked down on your poorly-treated knuckles.
seongje let out a small huff as he checked out your hand before taking out a roll of bandages and a small bottle of iodine out of his pocket.
after stealing a few cotton buds from your bathroom, he peeled off your plasters and started treating your wound.
your mind was getting less fuzzier as time went on. the faint smell of cigarettes and your aromatic reed diffuser formed a concoction of a scent that strangely gave you comfort.
the weird tenderness on your busted knuckles was leaving question marks in your mind. when you were finally fully awake a few minutes later, you realised how... truly odd, this was.
he hummed lowly; the vibrations of his deep voice left your breath caught in your throat.
his movements paused for a second. "that crazy bitch's goons sent a pic. don't worry, they'll be taken care of."
"what do you mean by that?"
you didn't question further.
your face looked so...peaceful, as you slept. seongje sat beside your chest, breathing in rhythm of yours.
his jacket was now your second blanket- its soft fabric and faint smell of laundry detergent was comparable to a lullaby rocking you to sleep.
seongje's fingers was feather-light on your newly, well-bandaged one.
gosh, he could stay like this forever.
as if sensing his yearning desire, your fingers curled into his as you turned your body facing him.
he let out a soft exhale, lips curling into a small, genuine smile no one but you will ever get to see.
big boss baekjin đ¤đľ
seongje.
are you coming or not?
big boss baekjin đ¤đľ
we're starting in 5. be here.
in your dazed state, you think you feel a peck on your forehead before the warmth on your hands faded away.
oh well, must've been a weird dream.
INCOMING CALL FROM SEOYUNNIE! á( â˘Ě á â˘Ě )á...
that's weird. she should be having tuition right now.
"y/n...are you outside?" her unusually hushed voice made you tense up instantly.
"no, what's wrong? where are you?"
you could hear a few familiar voices in the background, taunting seoyun.
her voice trembled. "okay, thats good..." "YAH, SHE'S HERE!" "i gotta go y/n, please don't leave your home!"
"SEOYUN, WAIT!" she hung up on you.
without wasting a second, you snatched your coat and sprinted outside, trying to call seoyun again and again. she didn't pick up, which made you even more paranoid.
your eyes darted around the sea of students leaving her tuition centre, but not one of them was your friend.
no. they couldn't've gone far.
you ran around the tuition centre, trying to locate any possible noises from them.
seoyunnie! á( â˘Ě á â˘Ě )á
[image]
come to the rooftop, let's have some fun
when you finally reached the rooftop in record-breaking time, you locked eyes with the perpetrator- bora. but now, she was surrounded by about five more minions than last time, outnumbering you by almost tenfold.
you could barely see the guilt in seoyun's tear-filled eyes, the mix of anger and relief and sorrow glistening through her swollen eyelids. her straight, jet-black hair was now tangled up in bora's filthy, fat fingers, holding your friend down to her bloodied knees.
"you came here fast, that's so fun." bora mocked, her screeching voice stabbing your eardrums.
"let her go and i will consider not pushing you off this rooftop."
she sneered, before tossing seoyun carelessly to the side. you instinctively wanted to run towards her, but her goons stopped you.
as they lunged towards you, you mentally calculated.
it's fine if you lose. you just need to get seoyun out of here.
as one of her goons lept towards you with a monstrous yell, you ducked underneath her and rolled to make her fall flat onto the concrete floor.
you were a step closer to a passed out seoyun.
you landed punch after punch, dodging as much as you could, but you were still injured. just like last time, the rush of adrenaline and pure unadulterated rage fueled the strength in your fists.
their hits landed on you hard, but you couldn't feel it. you couldn't feel anything except for the anger bubbling over in your chest.
the girls were knocked out one by one thanks to your boxing experience and their lack of fighting skills.
finally, only you and bora were left standing.
despite looking the most roughed up of everyone else and limping slowly, your presence was the most overwhelming. the once overconfident, arrogant persona slipped, now replaced with the image of a trembling pig.
because in her eyes, she saw a monster.
without missing a beat, you used your only working leg to lunge towards her and tackle her to the ground. your sweat-ridden palms latched onto her throat, asphyxiating her. her long, perfectly manicured nails dug into your increasingly whitening fingers, making a choked sound you couldn't quite hear over your own heartbeat.
you let her go just as she was about to pass out. as she fell onto the ground with a loud thud, trying to catch her breath. you looked over to your friend.
seoyun was still unconscious, but breathing. that alone made you relieved.
you crawled towards her and tried to carry her, but after the adrenaline wore out, you found that you had exhausted all of your strength, and you were about as injured as seoyun is. with the last bit of strength, you texted the groupchat with you, seoyun, nari and jiwoo inside your location and slumped next to your friend.
as you spaced out on the ground, about to black out from the fatigue, a pair of sneakers stepped into your vision, and then two another following behind.
"you alive?" a voice- not belonging to any one of your friends- sounded distantly in your eardrums.
you looked up, breathless.
"why are.. why are you here, who..?"
"they're here to help. and you texted me, shortcake."
you let out an annoyed huff- but you couldn't care less right now.
seongje reached for you as you uttered a few words about 'seoyun..' and 'please' that he couldn't quite catch before you blacked out.
you woke up to the beeping of heart-rate machines and the smell of disinfectant. the first thing you did was look for seoyun, who was lying in the bed right next to yours.
then, you noticed a white plastic bag with an orange sticky note stuck to it.
'call me when you wake up. -sj'
this prick, so demanding.
shortcake đ°
[đlocation sent ]
don't call the police
we're at the rooftop, just carry us to the hospital.
worst guy ever đ
omw.
don't pass out.
- sent yesterday 23:58
oops. opened the wrong chat. as his note instructed, you reluctantly pressed the call button.
"hey, shortcake. you're a lot stronger than you used to be- can't believe you held out an 1v8." his magnetic voice rang through.
"...i think they got my message, right?"
"yeah. definitely. by the way, since your parents are away, i called to tell them i'd take care of you. you wouldn't want your parents to find out, right?"
you pursed your lips and sighed. take care of you?
"i'll come visit you later, got some things to do across the hall.."
you hung up, inclined the bed and sat up, observing seoyun on the bed next to you. her mom was sleeping as well, trying to be comfortable on the chair next to your friend.
it was a bad idea to have messed with them.
you could handle yourself just fine, but who knows what would've happened if you didn't reach in time. or didn't pick up the phone. this is why you didn't usually pick fights.
gosh why is this happening.
you held back your tears. now is not the time to self-pity.
remembering the plastic bag on the meal table in front of you, you took it, deciding to explore its contents before seongje gets here.
inside were two bottles of water, some rice balls and a singular piece of strawberry shortcake.
whatever. your ravenous hunger needed to be satiated, so you unpacked a rice ball and chowed down on them, staring the cake just sat solemnly on the table that mocked you by being the very thing that defined your existence to seongje.
you flinched at the sudden intrusion and met the man's gaze before relaxing.
"not since you caked my face." you retorted.
he laughed silently; his whole body shook. seongje stepped towards you and sat facing you on your bed. for some reason, the burning sensation of hate that used to fire up in your heart when you saw him has fully traveled to your ears and cheeks instead.
is this a new form of hate?
"well, i'm glad you have the energy to joke now, y/n."
"wow, so you do remember my name."
his eyes met yours, holding a sort of gentleness you haven't seen (or noticed) before. his chest heaved slightly, the fabric of his orange windbreaker shifting as he slowly reached for your hand, as if he was asking for permission to hold it.
"are you tired?" seongje's voice lowered to a whisper.
as his fingers interlaced with yours, you didn't move away. the warmth that submerged your freezing fingers sped up your heartbeat- was it hot in here??
your gaze didn't move from his, unwilling to back down in the staring contest.
ânot really. i just want some fresh air right now though.â
you blinked at him. âarenât i not supposed to leave right now?â
âi have my ways.â he winked.
after seongje skilfully snuck you out on a wheelchair into the hospitalâs garden, the two of you settled on a bench overlooking the greenery. the vast sky above was blanketed by the darkness that came with the absence of the sun, a few stars scattered across it like a small sprinkle of salt on black tablecloth.
âyou mind if i smoke?â
âyouâll still do it even if i say i mind anyway.â
he puffed a cloud of smoke into the clear air. his orange jacket was draped over your shoulders- the warmth of his body heat lingered, functioning as a temporary heater for you.
your fingers fidgeted with the sleeves, debating whether or not you should ask the questions that were stuck on your mind like a stain you canât quite wash off.
âif you have something to say, then say it.â seongje stated, still staring into the space above.
âwellâŚuh, i have some questions.â
he hummed, beckoning you to go on.
you tapped your fingers on your lap, trying to find the words to form your question.
"why haven't you been going to the monthly dinners?"
a moment of silence followed as you waited for his answer, glancing at him. he seemed deep in thought- chest heaving a soft sigh.
"o-oh...sorry." you stuttered, mentally cursing yourself for asking.
"you have more questions for me, don't you?"
"uh...yeah." you muttered, looking at him again just to meet his piercing gaze.
"why are you being so nice to me? i mean- i thought you hated me-"
your breath hitched as he leaned in unexpectedly, lips connecting with yours zealously. it was gentle, tender- everything you didn't think seongje was capable of until this very moment. his hand cupped your bandaged cheek with a feather-light touch that still sent shivers down your spine. he didn't give you time to reciprocate before he pulled back and fixed his glasses with a small grin.
"i was born to love you, shortcake."
