"What do you think of me?" | yjh [ch3]
Genre: best friendâs brother to lovers (or something), FLUFF, romcom, office setting, yjh and his sister are nepo babies
Summary (this chapter basically goes like this):
you: just trying to survive internship hell
jeonghan: what if i grabbed ur wrist and whispered in ur ear while drunk
also jeonghan: accidentally falls on you and passes out while BTS plays in the background
also also jeonghan: âwhat do you think of me?â
update: he stole the can you drank on and now you think heâs wearing your same, exact perfume. chat, is this normal behavior?
A/N: FINALLY DONE WITH THIS CHAPTER AHHH. I was planning on publishing this and ch4, but I figured you guys would want to read this first cause it's been 3 days (?) now đđ
Teaser | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
By 3:17 PM, you had already run out of your post-its, remaining patience, and reasons to live. Since last week, your seniors have been dumping all their work onto the interns. Your group chat, named âCorporate Work Trauma,â had more than 99 unread messages, either from interns begging the other to help them complete their work or wishing that your seniors would magically get fired and be replaced by more responsible people.
Just as you were about to complete your final assignment for today, you hear the sound of that stupid humming again.
âIntern! Iâll be needing your help with some of the materials for tomorrow.â Manager Kang, from a completely different department, walked over with urgent footsteps and dropped a stack of documents on your desk.
You just stared at it blankly. Manager Kang then cleared his throat, as if to say, âOh, donât worry. That will only take you 5 minutes.â
âJust flag me whatâs urgent on e-mail, and Iâll get to it as soon as possible,â you looked up with the smiliest and politest face youâve ever worn, but anyone who knew you would know that you were on the verge of either killing Manager Kang or breaking down.
âGreat attitude,â he said, walking away.
âWhat an ass,â you muttered under your breath. You couldnât hold it in, but you didnât want to get fired either.
It was petty, yeah, but so was this day. And the day before that. And the day before yesterday.
From his office, Jeonghan looked up from his monitor. He looked around the room, and all the lights were turned off except for the intern area.Â
This usually happens every time the company hires new interns. A ârite of passage,â they called it. A hazing, heâd say. Usually, those seniors would get a serious talking to by the rest of the management, but this was just for formality since, well, those same people also do the same thing.
Jeonghan scrunched his nose just at the thought of how many interns quit last year. He did try to help them, albeit only those in his department. He only heard about those assholes from those adjacent departments that dumped tasks onto his interns and made them do their work when two of them quit. From then on, he banned other departments from casually coming in and out of his department. But I guess this happened again, since the interns right now have been staying late in the office for three days straight.
He finally stood up and went out of his office to tell the interns to go home for the night and to report to him about who was making them work and what they were assigned to do.
You blinked up from your monitor, staring. Joenghanâs voice was low and effortless, like it was just another thought passing through the room.
The rest of the interns did the same and asked him if there was anything he needed. He asked them to leave for the night and to report to him tomorrow
The rest of the interns looked up like theyâd just been told the war was over.
âOh my god. Finally,â one of them breathed out, already half-standing.
âBro, Iâm gonna write a 10-page essay about the hell these people put me through,â another muttered, cracking their knuckles with a vengeance.
âTeam Leader Yoon, youâre the realest one here,â someone said, patting their bag and walking out like it was the end of a prison sentence.
One of them turned back to you. âYou coming?â
You glanced at your monitor, finger still hovering over the trackpad. âYeah. Just have to finish this last page,â you said with a small smile.
âYeah. Wonât take long.â
With a round of exhausted goodbyes and a collective sigh that echoed through the empty office, the rest of them finally filtered out.
When the last of the other interns finally leaves the office, you look up at your monitor. It was just one last page, and you were done. Might as well finish this and not let your hard work go down the drain before the bloody battle that breaks out tomorrow.Â
âYou free for a second?â Jeonghan, who, unbeknownst to you, has been staring at you since he dismissed you.
âHmm? Me?â you asked, surprised. That was a dumb way to respond, since you were the only one there (other than him). But, you know, youâre tired, heâs tired. Thereâs something abysmal, yet normal, about your reaction.
âNo, the ficus. Yes, you. Youâre the only one here.â
You got up, slowly, wary. âOkayâŠâ
Jeonghan walks to his office, and you follow him. Right now, youâre not sure about whatâs happening. He just dismissed you a while ago, right? You didnât just dream that, right?
He opened his office door for you, and you stepped in. Youâre hit with the scent again, but this time, it's more subtle.Â
It was late in the evening, and youâre too tired. The ambience of it all was so relaxing, youâre sure you would sleep here right now, if it werenât for the subconscious part of your body telling you to sleep in your own bed.Â
âSit,â Jeonghan said, his eyes pointing towards the couch.
You, oddly enough, half-expected a lecture on HR violations or intern responsibilities. More work. Maybe a mild scolding delivered in that stupidly smooth voice of his.
As you went to plop on the couch, he opened the drawer under his desk. From your view, you could see the shine of aluminium. A canned herbal tea and a familiar chocolate almond bar. Weird combo? Sure. But it was your go-to back in college, herbal tea and almond chocolate during all-nighters.
Jeonghan walked over to you, his shadow looming over your body. He held them out like a peace offering.
You just looked at whatâs in his hands. âYou... called me in for this?â
As you were about to take them, he pulled back his hand and opened the can first before placing both products on the glass coffee table in front of you. You roll your eyes.
He sat on the couch opposite you and leaned back, his hands going behind the back of his head. Casual. Composed. Eyes on you like he was studying your expression for microreactions. At first, you were hesitant. Your eyebrows furrowed, making that expression you had every time youâre curious about something. He knows what you were thinking about. How did he know about what you wanted, and why did he have them ready at his office? But then, you finally start drinking the tea.Â
Your eyes, already half-lidded, began to soften further. Before taking another sip, you went ahead to dig into the chocolate bar. Oh, the mood right now was too cozy. The lavender atmosphere, the soft wool couch swallowing you whole, and you finally having your first meal in almost seven hours, no less, from the man in front of you. God, you just wanted to stay there forever.
âYou looked like you were ready to go to the morgue,â he said. âFigured youâd need something to swallow before you head home.â
You chewed slowly, staring at him as your brain finally caught up with what was happening. âWoahhh... Team Leader Yoon Jeonghan,â you drawled, voice thick with playful suspicion. âHow did you know I was craving this exact combo? Have you been stalking me?â
Jeonghan quirked a brow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. âDonât flatter yourself,â he said lazily. âIf I were stalking you, Iâd probably know you secretly take screenshots of food from that mukbang channel at midnight.â
You choked slightly on your tea, eyes narrowing. âExcuse me?â
ââSaved Posts,â he said, smug. âPublic account. Rookie mistake, seriously. Who taught you internet safety?â
You gasped, half-laughing, half-mortified. âYou actually went through my saved posts?â
He shrugged. âDidnât have to. Your notifications were on during that one meeting, and your screen lit up with your username. Curiosity got the better of me.â
You paused, your hand still gripping the chocolate bar. Your cheeks flushed, just slightly, the faintest pink blooming as his words sank in.
You clutched your forehead dramatically. âUnbelievable. Iâm never showing my phone in public again.â
Jeonghan leaned forward then, elbows on his knees, gaze steady. âYou interns have been running yourselves into the ground lately. Figured someone should give a damn.â
You looked at him, and for a second, you couldnât say anything. The teasing was there, sure, but underneath it was... sincere.
You rolled your eyes, if only to hide how warm you felt. âYou couldâve just sent an email like a normal person.â
He scoffed. âAnd miss the chance to see your tragic little face in person?â
âWow. Thanks,â you said flatly, trying not to smile.
Jeonghan waited a full five seconds before glancing back at the door. Then, slowly, he sat back into his chair.
His gaze dropped to the half-crushed can on the table, the one you'd sipped from earlier. Faint, but still visible: a perfect smudge of maroon left on the aluminium rim. It wasnât just a mark. It was the same shade you'd been wearing all night. The same shade youâd been wearing since you started working here. Rich. Creamy. Almost too bold for you.
His fingers reached for it. Brushed the edge.
The pigment clung to his skin. He turned his hand over, staring at the stain against the pad of his index finger. A color too soft to be dangerous, but too dark to be innocent.
He lifted his fingers to his mouth.
Then, he touched his lips to them.
The warmth wasnât the same. But it mimicked what couldâve been yours.
He exhaled through his nose, a quiet, bitter laugh.
He didnât even like herbal tea and almond chocolate.
The hum of the vending machine was the only sound filling the small break room. You sat slouched on the bench, head resting against the cold wall, eyes closed. The coffee in your hands had gone lukewarm. Your shoes were kicked off, legs tucked beneath you like you were claiming this sad little corner as your territory.
Today, you finally finished all the projects you were assigned. Your fellow interns finally stopped cursing and hexing your seniors, and you finally have time to relax. Moreover, those same seniors got chewed out by Team Leader Yoon. âMy final warning,â you remember how his voice was calm and calculating, making everything he said sound like a death threat instead of a âIâll-send-you-to-HRâ threat.
âYou look like you got hit by a truck,â a familiar voice piped up.
You cracked one eye open to find your best friend, Jeonghanâs younger sister, leaning against the doorframe, sipping from her iced latte like she hadnât just insulted you.
âTruck, bus, and a management-level bullet train,â you deadpanned, sighing dramatically as you took another sip of your coffee. âThe seniors? Demonic. One of them made me sort three years of archived campaign decks. My soul left my body halfway through 2023.â
She winced. âOkay, yeah. Thatâs cruel and unusual. Even I donât like those archives, and I barely do anything.â
She sauntered over and sat beside you, nudging your shoulder. âYouâve been looking real burnt-out lately. You okay?â
You shrugged. âItâs fine. Just new intern stuff. Paying my dues. Blood, sweat, tears, and barely-scheduled bathroom breaks. Besides, your lovely brother finally saved us.â
âEw, donât call him that.â She grimaced. âYou need a break. Like, real one.â
You looked at her suspiciously. âWhy do you sound like youâre about to propose something... stupid? Insane? Whatâs the right wordâŠ.â
She smirked. âOkay, first of all, rude. Second of all⊠maybe I am.â
You squinted. âDonât say team-building workshop. Iâll cry.â
âWorse.â Her grin widened. âKaraoke. Tonight.â
You groaned. âNooo. My legs feel like overcooked noodles. I canât stand, let alone scream-sing IU.â
âBut itâs to celebrate! You finally survived intern hell. That deserves a round of somaek.â
You blinked. âCanât we just do that without involving the whole department?â
âNope. Everyoneâs coming--well, everyone that matters. Especially you interns. AndâŠâ She paused for a beat, her voice dropping just slightly into a mischievous tone. âOppa might come too.â
âNo, he wonât. No one will. Why? Because this wonât happen.â
âCome on~â She flipped her hair dramatically. âI might go tell him itâs a little celebratory thing.â
You stared at her. âYou do know that heâs busy, right?âÂ
She beamed. âYeah, but he would make time. Maybe. As long as youâre there. Looking cute. And tired. And vulnerable.â
You almost choked on your coffee. âYouâre evil.â
She beamed. âYou love me.â
Jeonghan didnât look up from his laptop when the door opened. âIf this is about the budget sheet, tell them to stop using Comic Sansââ
âItâs not,â his sister sang-songed, plopping onto the guest chair across from his desk. âItâs about plans.â
âSounds exhausting already.â
She leaned in, elbows on his desk. âDid you know weâre doing karaoke tonight?â
He raised a brow. âNo.â
âMm-hmm.â She stretched the silence, letting it hang before she dropped the bait. âGuess whoâs coming?â
His fingers paused mid-typing. â...â
âYep. Poor girlâs been run ragged. You shouldâve seen her, she looked like she was about to merge with the coffee machine. Thought itâd be nice for her to unwind.â
He didnât reply right away, gaze still fixed on the screen, though nothing was being typed now.
His sister grinned. âAnyway. I told her you might come.â
This time, he looked at her.
âJust a heads up,â she added sweetly, before slipping out of the office.
Behind her, Jeonghan leaned back in his chair, his forearm rising to cover his eyes, as he slowly, very slowly smirked to himself. He let out a low chuckle, like he was plotting some evil Doofenshmirtz-level plan.
âThis crazy bastardâŠâ his sister just walked away as quickly as she could.
You were nestled in the corner of the private room, surrounded by your coworkers who were thriving in their tipsy chaos. The lights bounced off the walls, the mic was being tossed around like a volleyball, and someone was currently screaming their way through an old 2 PM hit.
You were smiling, even laughing occasionally, but your body still felt tired. Drained.
This probably wasnât a good idea, but you were having fun. I guess you would have to prioritize your bodily needs tomorrow. The past few days had chewed you up and spit you out with a polite, overworked bow.
The door opened, and Jeonghan stepped in. Some of your coworkers did not expect him to come here, while the rest were too drunk to even get up from their seats. He was wearing a button-down shirt (too few buttons done up, you note) and sleeves rolled up like he just walked off a music video set.
You turned to your friend, who was screaming her lungs off. She made eye contact with you and winked. Yeah, no. This was her doing.Â
You could see his eyes scanning the room until they stopped. At you.Â
A faint smile ghosted across his lips. And then he walked in fully, sliding into an open seat at the end of the room, not next to you, but close enough to watch.
He didnât even greet you directly.
But you could feel him there.
You had stepped out of the room to cool off. It was too warm. Too loud. Too much. It was like your skin couldnât hold everything in anymore.
You were just beginning to breathe when you felt him.
Jeonghan leaned against the wall beside you like he belonged there. Like the hallway had been waiting for him.
You turned to see him, eyes closed, head tilted, cheek pressed lazily to his shoulder. His hair, beautifully disheveled, fanned out behind him, catching the soft light like silk. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, the few buttons still undone, skin glowing pale beneath the low light. His hair?Â
You couldnât tell if he was drunk or just reckless tonight. But his presence was magnetic, pulling everything in, including you.
âTeam Leader Yoon⊠are you alright?â Your voice came out quiet, unsure, but your body already moved. You stepped in, closer, protective by habit and helplessness.
He didnât answer at first. Just hummed low. His head dipped in a slow, deliberate motion.
You watched the fall of his bangs. The way his lashes brushed the flush of his cheeks. His lipsâ plump, a little red, and parted just enough to tempt every reckless impulse in your brain.
Your hand lifted.
You didnât mean to.
But it did. Hovering near his mouth.
Were they still wet from all the drinks? Or dry from the hallway air?
Then, heat.
Fingers wrapped around your wrist. Slow, firm.
He opened one eye, heavy-lidded, a little too knowing. Then, slowly, like he had all the time in the world, Jeonghan pulled you toward him. Not hard, instead, it was gentle, devastating. Until your bodies nearly touched.
Sandalwood. Lavender. And something unmistakably his.
And then, with the barest smirk at the corner of his lips, his thumb brushed over your bottom lip.
âSame color,â he murmured, voice low. âYour lips⊠the other night.â
His thumb lingered a second longer before sliding away, his grip still secure around your wrist. But now, it was his fingers that trailed gently along the skin there, mapping every inch like it was a confession.
You didnât even register it until his fingers brushed the slope of your neck. Just enough to make your breath hitch and your spine freeze.
Then he found the necklace you wore.
His fingers traced the delicate chain along your neck, unbearably slow, like he already knew what it was doing to you. You swallowed, breath catching when he reached the pendant resting above your collarbone. It was heart-shaped. Of course it was. His thumb brushed over it once, twice, as if he was testing the rhythm beneath it.
You were certain. Utterly, humiliatingly certain that he could feel your heartbeat rising against the cage of your ribs like it wanted to leap into his palm.
Lifted it slightly. As if weighing something.
âStill wearing this?â he said, almost like he was asking himself.
Then, he let it go gently. The charm dropped against your skin with a soft clink.
You didnât get to exhale.
Because in the next second, his hand slid to the back of your neck. His fingers threading through your hair, palm warm and solid.
Your body followed, helpless.
He leaned in. Past your cheek. Past your jaw.
And just as your breath trembled out, his lips brushed the side of your neck, and he whispered:
âWhat do you think of me?â
Your knees nearly gave out.
You could feel every syllable burn against your skin. Every letter was a sin.
You couldnât move. Couldnât speak. Couldnât look at him.
Because he was right there. So close. And you knew, if you turned your head, your lips would meet.
The door behind you rattled.
Voices. Laughter. The sound of someone scream-singing off-key to âAutumn Leavesâ by BTS. The hallway light flickered briefly from the opened door.
Your blood turned cold. Your stomach dropped.
He kept his hand at your nape. Still holding. Still there.
Your pulse thundered. His breath ghosted your jaw.
He looked amused. Barely. Like this was all some twisted game, and only he knew the rules.
âLet go,â you whispered, though you didnât even sound like you meant it.
He just smiled against your skin.
Yoon Jeonghan. Your Team Leader. Your best friendâs brother.
And now? Collapsed at your feet.
Dragging you down with him.
âOkay, okay, I got it, youâre very strongââ
You struggled to keep Jeonghan upright as he leaned heavily against your shoulder, humming some half-forgotten ballad into your ear. His hair was falling into his eyes, lips slack in a dopey grin.
Across from you, his sister, your beloved best friend, was swaying slightly on her feet.
âSoooâŠâ she slurred. âIsnât he heavy? Heâs heavy, right? I told him not to mix soju and beer.â
âYou also cheered him on,â you deadpanned, glancing at her with a little more concern. âYou donât look so good eitherâwait, did you drink from that mystery cocktail?â
âShhhh,â she hushed you with one finger to your lips. âShhhh. Listen. Focus. Mission. Jeonghan. Home.â
âYeah, youâre gonna take him to your apartment, right?â
Your best friend blinked, confusion present on her drunken face.
Then she laughed. âBabe, I canât even find my own feet.â
You turned your head slowly to where Jeonghan was now lightly beatboxing under his breath with his eyes closed.Â
Somehow, by sheer divine intervention and one very confused taxi driver, you got Jeonghan into the backseat of a cab, while your best friend leaned dramatically against a lamp post, blinking slowly.
âAlright, Iâll ride with him,â she mumbled. âYou go home.â
âUh.â You hesitated. âI think I should go with you two, actually.â
âNoooo.â She waved a limp hand. âIâll just⊠go to sleep.â
âWhatâno, you canât sleep in a cabâ wait, are you calling another one for yourself?â
She nodded very proudly, pressing her phone to her cheek like it was a teddy bear. âLike a pro.â
You sighed, pulling out your phone. âIâm calling someone else toââ
She called out your name in a long and slurred tone.
You turned, and your best friend was suddenly wide awake. Swaying, but possessed by purpose.
âI have a genius idea.â
âGenius,â she whispered proudly. âHe trusts you.â
You stared at her, baffled. You shook your head and said: âI should be taking care of you, not your brotherââ
âBut Iâll be fiiine,â she grinned, now somehow sitting on the sidewalk. âI live around here. Youâre going the same way, anywayyyy. Youâre also the responsible one. Heâll be nice to you.â
From the cab, Jeonghan murmured something that sounded vaguely like, âYou smell like flowers,â before slumping over dramatically.
You exhaled. And sighed. And almost cried a little.
ââŠI hate all of you.â
The drive was mostly quiet, save for the muffled sound of traffic and Jeonghanâs occasional humming, off-key, barely coherent, but somehow still hypnotic. His head was back on your shoulder again, like a magnet, a gravitational constant you had no power over.
Your heart hadnât slowed down since the hallway.
You didnât move. You didnât even breathe too hard.
Then, the cab driver cleared his throat. Glanced at you two through the mirror. You, with your face red, with your boss leaning on your shoulders.
âSoâŠâ he said, voice light. âAre you two dating?â
âIâ what? N-No, weâre notââ
âBecause you look good together,â the driver continued, oblivious and chuckling. âLike a couple in a drama, you know?â
You were about to melt into the seat and die when Jeonghan stirred beside you.
He blinked slowly. Then let out a soft chuckle.
And in a warm, slurred tone, he saidâ
âI agree with him⊠Are we?â
Your head snapped toward him, eyes wide.
But he was smiling now, lopsided and sweet, his cheek still pressed to your shoulder like it was the most natural place in the world.
He turned his face slightly, lips grazing the fabric of your shirt.
âYouâre soft,â he mumbled.
Your nervous system stopped completely
The cab driver laughed. âAhah, young love.â
You slapped your hand over your face, covering every inch that exposed the flush of your cheeks. âIâm going to jump out of this car.â
âIâll catch you,â Jeonghan murmured, barely audible now, already drifting again.
But his hand, warm and slow, was still holding your wrist. Thumb brushing lazily across your skin like he wasnât done saying everything he wanted to say.
You didnât speak for the rest of the ride.
But your heart did. Loudly. The whole time.
Tag list: @sumzysworld, @lixisoul99, @viciousdarlings, reiofsuns2001, @lily409, @armycarat2612, @cheolliesvt
(To everyone commenting/reacting to this story, thank u very much! I'll make sure to actually finish this for u guys đâ€)
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