Anti-Romantic | CHAPTER FOUR | 18+
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P.R.O.M.
"It’s like I was drowning, and you were a breath of fresh air."
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Pairing: Hyunjin x Fem!Reader Genre: Non idol au, fluff, smut, romcom, drama, opposites attract Chapter Warnings: explicit sexual content, masturbation (f), heavy dom/sub dynamics: dom!reader & sub!Hyunjin, oral sex (f & m receiving), rough sex, unprotected sex, also i'm in a rush to post sooo prolly many typos IGNORE EM Word Count: 18k 😪
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You hate monotony. You can always feel it swarming into your being and morphing you into another one of the robotic sellouts working in corporate America. You wake up at six. Shower, and another drab blazer. A bowl of cereal. The seventeen minute drive to work. The seventeen— or twenty, with afternoon traffic— minute drive back from work. Sleep. By the millisecond, it kills your creativity, along with all of that chaos that personifies you so truly, no matter how many problems said discord might cause you. Because you like color, you like danger. So, even though it’s an aspect of your daily life, you hate monotony.
But as you sleepily blink your eyes open, adjusting to your new surroundings, you can’t help but yearn for every other morning in your life to be exactly like this. An arm thrown over your waist, hugging you close. Covers carelessly cast over your body. Light shyly creeping through the part in the curtains. The feeling of belonging somewhere.
You turn your head slightly, focusing on the person nestled against you. Even in the morning, Hyunjin is gorgeous, with tousled hair flopping over his forehead, skin glowing where it has been kissed by the sun rays. His eyes are fluttered shut, and soft snores escape his lips. Your heart squeezes tight, and this time, it’s not of yearning, but of love, of how much you adore him. Corporate America may not be so bad, not if your days begin next to a sleeping angel on Earth.
You watch Hyunjin doze for a little longer, reminiscing about the night before. Confessions that were returned, by the grace of some higher power deciding to have mercy on you. Calls up to said higher power in the urgency of pleasure. Hyunjin taking you home, torturing you with his teasing during the drive. Heated kisses between his sheets that smelled so overwhelmingly and perfectly like him. Closing your eyes knowing that you didn’t have to go to bed alone, for the first time.
You drifted off last night thinking that you’d wake up to real life, but now that the new day is here, your reality is much better than any dream you could have ever conjured up in your head. Cautiously, you try to lift Hyunjin’s arm off of you so that you could move to find your phone, but his hold on you subconsciously tightens, trapping you.
“And where are you going?” Hyunjin rasps into your ear, a tickle of breath against your skin. The flirtatious edge to it makes you flush, and you realize that neither of you are wearing any clothes, separated merely by a few flimsy folds of cotton.
“Nowhere now,” you reply, looking into the eyes that are now wide with alertness, taking you in. And it’s true— there is nowhere else you would ever want to go, when you’re tucked in Hyunjin’s embrace. “Good morning.”
“‘Morning, beautiful.” Hyunjin leans in to give you a dizzying kiss, one that sends a little tingle through your limbs. He reaches his hands up to cradle your face in his palms, before pulling back to give you a tender look. “Sleep well?”
“Better than I have in ages,” you say, unable to keep the giddy feeling from bubbling up in your chest. You’re in the arms of Hwang fucking Hyunjin, and he just asked you if you slept well. What was life before him, anyway? “How about you?”
Hyunjin grins, pecking you softly on your lips. “Ditto.”
Both of you don’t say anything for a moment, just basking in each other’s warmth. The tips of Hyunjin’s fingers caress the line of your hip, simply exploring you in the light of the morning. You instinctively clench, his touch far too racy for it to be innocent.
“Hyun,” you murmur, feeling the embarrassingly prominent arousal already pooling in between your legs.
“Mm?” Hyunjin looks at you innocently, but you don’t miss the hint of a smirk on his face. His hand trails down even further, now tracing nonsensical patterns on your thighs.
“Don’t start things you can’t finish.” You capture his wandering hand and bring it up to your lips, kissing it softly. “It would be really mean of you, especially when we both have work in just a few hours.”
Hyunjin groans dramatically. “Let’s just stay in bed. I don’t want to go.”
“Me neither but today is Thursday, the week is almost over, and Mark will have my ass if I bail. And I would not love it if Wonyoung murdered you either, so,” you laugh, thinking of Hyunjin’s secretary furiously spamming his phone, demanding his ETA to the office.
“Fine,” Hyunjin grumbles. “But I get to make you breakfast before you go. And we shower together first.”
“I guess I could clock in a little late.” You bite back a smile, carding your fingers through his hair. Hyunjin nuzzles into your neck, waiting for your answer. “But only if you swear to behave.”
“Scout’s honor.”
Hyunjin pulls back, expression so somber that you almost get surprised when he corners you in the bathroom just moments later, crescent moon eyes crinkling smugly when you let him have his way with you. Hyunjin makes you come with the shower head twice, whining that he just had to see if the water pressure was good enough, and that you were just the best way to check. You see straight through his lies, but you can’t complain, not when he diligently runs a soaped washcloth down your trembling legs afterward, praising you for being so forgiving.
Hyunjin then takes his time taking care of you, shampooing your hair slowly and massaging your scalp, and before letting you do the same to him. For a blissful period, it’s just the both of you, enveloped in a cloud of lavender-scented intimacy. But the feeling doesn’t run out when you turn off the tap, and Hyunjin wraps you in a fluffy towel, leading the way out back into the bedroom, where you shiver in the blast of air.
Despite your numerous protests that you could just wear your clothes from the night before, Hyunjin insists on you wearing something of his. Of course, he ends up winning, when you walk out of his closet donned in a “silk Versace pantsuit,” the only words you remotely understood when Hyunjin had used a plethora of high fashion jargon to describe the androgynous beige number.
He just chuckles, obviously pleased with his work. “You look ready to ruin corporate lives. Just stunning.”
The genuine compliment has you heating up, with how you were never good at accepting them in the first place, but especially now, when it comes from the most gorgeous person you know.
But before you go overthinking, a tiny ball of fluff barrels into Hyunjin out of nowhere, exploding in a fit of tiny barks. Hyunjin holds the puppy up, letting it snuggle into him while it sizes you up over his shoulder.
“Who’s this?” You nearly melt as the puppy wriggles out of Hyunjin’s hold and tentatively approaches your hand, sniffing before launching itself at you.
“My best friend, Princess Diana.” Hyunjin laughs as she cuddles you, licking your neck curiously. “You know, Diana’s usually very suspicious of new people. But it looks like she likes you a lot.”
You smile, letting Diana go and run off to whatever she was doing before greeting you both. His words touch you, and make you realize something else. Hyunjin makes you feel special. You love who you are when you are around him. And you want it all, Hyunjin, Diana, and the feeling of being home with him.
Hyunjin leads you into his kitchen and seats you at one of the high stools at the island, leaving you to do nothing but keep him company. You stay quiet for a second, just observing him exist, completely in his own element. He may be in the kitchen now, pulling bell peppers out of his blindingly shiny Samsung fridge, but the way he confronts the day and every task it brings with so much ease reminds you of how he is when in professional mode over at SeoulSpark.
It’s no secret that you admire how his confidence resonates within everything he does, but what really strikes you is that other side of him, the one he’d bared to you the night before, in that stretch of vulnerability. It’s the part of him that he keeps hidden the most, the inevitable messiness of life. Knowing that makes you feel like you’re looking into a warped mirror everytime you think of Hyunjin; your problem has been that you’ve always been too quick to act on your convoluted emotions, too impulsive, while Hyunjin just seems to repress it all. When not staggered by your own thunderstorms and error codes, you feel like you can read him better than a simple parsing script in Python. And you love it, and him, for everything that he openly is and pretends not to be.
“What are you thinking about?” Hyunjin asks you, looking up at you while whisking a ceramic bowl of eggs.
You snap out of your thoughts, shrugging. You’ve decided that one day, if you allow this seed between you both to blossom, you’re going to tell him what you really think: how loved Hyunjin really is. But for now, you’ll take a page out of his book and deflect. “Just that you're a real life Barbie.”
He gives you a quizzically amused look, now folding chopped vegetables into the egg mixture before expertly tipping spoonfuls into a skillet. “Meaning?”
“I really can’t think of one thing you cannot do.” You gesture at the stove and wave your hand lightly, trying to convey how wonderful you find the spicy aroma that has now diffused into the air. “On top of everything, you have skills to rival the hopefuls on MasterChef.”
Hyunjin bursts out into laughter. “Well, I can think of a billion things I can’t do. I don’t know how to code like you. I really suck at juggling. And you will probably never win if I’m on your team for trivia night.”
“Okay, then. Maybe not Barbie.”
“Personally, I have always felt more aligned with Raquelle, seeing as we’re both Asian and have great style.”
Hyunjin gives you a cheeky look that has you giggling and blushing on the inside, but he doesn’t need to know that. You follow him to the dining nook that he has set up adjacent to the kitchen, helping him carry everything over. In the shadows of the night prior, you couldn’t take in Hyunjin’s penthouse, but now, you allow your eyes to roam.
Like any other average twenty-something working an average job, you feel that initial punch to your spatial ability while witnessing the abode of a clearly above-average lifestyle. The painting on the wall that’s definitely worth more than your mortgage. The crisp, ninety-degree angle to every piece of furniture in sight. The entire city of Los Angeles sprawled out below the gigantic windows. It’s jarring, witnessing the scarily pristine quality of Hyunjin’s place. It is very cool, of course, but it doesn’t feel real— at least, not at first.
However, you don’t skip over those quintessentially Hyunjin touches to the apartment, the add-ons that anyone else could miss if they don’t look close enough. The garishly pink chick flick CDs wedged in between the minimalist decorative books. The pack of strawberry jolly ranchers peeking out of the bowl of fruit on the coffee table. The crayon sketch of a llama that’s stuck on the fridge with a pizza-shaped magnet.
Hyunjin follows your gaze to the last one, explaining before you can ask. “One of my client’s kids made that for me during art class. He said it’s a portrait of me as a spirit animal. Can you see the resemblance?”
You swallow down the urge to swoon at how fucking adorable he is. Any day, you prefer these little stories in item form, these quirks that represent Hyunjin. “Totally.”
Hyunjin beams and places a beautifully cooked gourmet omelet onto your place, sprinkling on a few green onions and coriander for a garnish. “I hope you like it. I know you do love eggs.”
You frown. “Wait. How do you know that?”
“You might have told me when you were drunk.”
You turn red, suddenly vaguely remembering a nonsensical rant about your favorite breakfast foods. Well, shit. At least, you can ponder over the fact that he’s remembered that miniscule detail about your tastes. “You really didn’t have to do all this, Hyunjin. I have a stash of granola bars inside my desk at work.”
He shakes his head adamantly. “Absolutely not. What kind of a monster would I be if I didn’t at least make sure you ate well before work? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
You relent, digging into your plate. “In any case, thank you.”
An easy silence follows, in which both of you just take the time to savor your food and each other’s company. But the unpleasant inevitable that you’ve been putting off for long enough works its way out of your mind. “So, we should probably talk now, though. About us.”
Hyunjin wipes his mouth with a napkin before setting it down, a determined look on his face. “I agree. I should begin with saying that I don’t regret a single thing.”
“I don’t regret anything either,” you respond softly, still taken with how steadfast he seems to be in his feelings for you. “I know I never actually came to you for therapy, but you were my counselor, before I transitioned fully into relationship coaching.”
He nods. “I know, it’s complicated. Since you are my client as well, there are some ethical guidelines that now might be jeopardized, and we’ll have to take a couple steps to prevent any potential conflict.”
“What kind of conflict?”
Hyunjin sighs, thumbing the edge of his plate. “Hypothetically, if we broke up, and you felt like you were taken advantage of in your counselor-client setting, you could sue for damages. And I wouldn’t be the only one bearing the lawsuit— it would be the entire company board for SeoulSpark, which is why they’re always skeptical of any romantic relationships with clients.”
“Seems ironically anti-romantic, taking into consideration what SeoulSpark does.” In spite of the ball of stress now accumulating in your stomach, you shoot Hyunjin a dry smile that he returns. “But if we did pursue a romance, I would never break up with someone like you. Never.”
That momentary passage of honesty has got the both of you surprised, Hyunjin flustered a little bit. A cute flush spreads across the apples of his cheeks, as he clears his throat. There’s a slight fragility to how he looks at you now, beyond that charming cockiness and suave exterior. “Do you really think so? You don’t know what the future holds. I- I feel like I still don’t deserve you, like I’m going to disappoint you somehow.”
“Never. Since forever, I’ve never felt like I was seen for who I was. You see me, you always have. And you don’t try to change me. What you’ve done for me transcends the abilities of a dating coach. Hyunjin, you are the best part of my days.”
“I am so whipped for you.” Hyunjin shakes his head a little, and it almost seems as if he’s speaking to himself, to affirm it out loud.
You press your lips together in one last ditch attempt to not melt into a puddle right there. “So, we’re giving us a try, then?”
“Yes,” Hyunjin confirms firmly. “We’ll take it slow, because I don’t want to overwhelm you. I’ll have to meet with H.R. and the board, but first, we’ll go on a few dates, get to know each other better.”
You sigh happily, practically glowing with relief. “Sounds good. Does this mean my contract with SeoulSpark is over?”
Hyunjin gasps dramatically, clutching at his heart. “Are you breaking up with me? Again?!”
You roll your eyes in a lovingly exasperated sort of way, smile widening nevertheless with Hyunjin’s theatrics. “Don’t worry. I’d rather have Hyunjin over the Love Doctor anyday.”
Hyunjin beams sweetly, reaching across the table to clasp your hands in his. “You have to let me take you out tomorrow night. Please?”
“That would be perfect,” you say, lightly running your thumb down the side of Hyunjin’s hand. “I can’t wait.”
You help Hyunjin clear and wipe down the table, trading comments on controversial fashion trends to your top artists on Spotify while doing the dishes side by side. The whole picture of you both, just talking about anything while trudging through the mundane, feels so beautifully and achingly domestic to you, something you never thought you would have.
After you both finish cleaning up— the reward of which was a solid nine minutes spent making out against the kitchen counter— Hyunjin gives you a disarming smile and subsequently pleads with you to let him drive you to work.
“It’ll be so cute when I drop you off, and I definitely won’t linger around the NCT office building, trying to scope out the competition.” Hyunjin shoots you a sad set of puppy dog eyes that has you raising your eyebrows suspiciously.
“What competition?”
“Well, I can’t have some handsome fool crushing on you,” Hyunjin scoffs, completely serious in a way that’s almost comical. “Gotta make it known from the beginning that you’re mine.”
The possessive address automatically makes you sigh dreamily inside, before you take care to assure Hyunjin that he has absolutely nothing to worry about. “Trust me, Hyunjin, the majority of the guys at the office are fools, but nowhere near handsome.”
“Sorry,” Hyunjin mumbles, a sheepish grin playing upon his lips. “I guess this is the part where I tell you that I am a very dramatic person when it comes to relationships. This is your time to run.”
“Not a chance.” You seal your promise to stay by leaning in for a kiss, which Hyunjin happily obliges you with.
Giggling together like teenagers who have just done it for the first time, you and Hyunjin head down to the parking garage, lost in your own bubble. To anyone, it could seem like you were both obviously in the honeymoon phase of your budding relationship, that this phase would pass, but you know in your heart that life with Hyunjin could never lose its luster.
Today, you forgo your morning NPR fix to sing along to Hyunjin’s playlist homage to one of his favorite artists, some funky underground band called Lost Children. You’ve always been more of a classical person, but the upbeat hip-hop music seems the most fitting when you look over at Hyunjin laughing at some dumb joke you’ve made, his hand casually slung over your thigh. The moment feels like a frame stolen out of a movie, something that you still can’t fathom to be your real life.
Because on a dime, everything has changed. You used to walk into NCT with your gaze trained on the ground, trying to block out the world around you with your cheap headphones. Now, the dopiest smile known to man is plastered on your face, frozen in place even minutes after Hyunjin has dropped you off at the office; he had refused to leave until you kissed him goodbye, and subsequently, you watched him drive away until the convertible became a speck in the distance. Because little does Hyunjin know that he need not ask anything of you; for as long as you can, you’ll try your best to give him everything he could ever even dream of.
Friday evening doesn’t come fast enough. But when it does arrive, Hyunjin feels like there is barely enough time to prepare himself. One second, he’s glumly sitting in his office, counting down those torturous minutes that he has left before he can see you. In the next, he’s flying around his penthouse at 5:36 PM, getting himself together in a panic. Shit, he has to pick you up soon; dinner jacket thrown onto his back. 5:37 PM. Crap, his hair looks too pretentious; sea salt leave-in product sprayed onto his hair, to texturize and style. 5:38 PM. And fuck, he’s missing something; a spritz of cologne on his neck. 5:39 PM.
Hyunjin nearly cries in relief when his reflection finally satisfies him, before he’s grabbing his keys and scrambling down to get into his car. He gets to your apartment exactly three minutes before six, and he was even able to afford a speedy stop at the florist, a bouquet of pink carnations now perched in the passenger seat. After checking his breath (minty and good-to-go) and using his rear-view mirror to scan himself one last time, Hyunjin gathers the nerve to knock on your front door.
You open the door almost immediately, slightly out of breath like you had dropped everything just to dash over. After adjusting to that initial moment of awe that overcomes him whenever he lays eyes on you, Hyunjin takes his time admiring how beautiful you look. You’re wearing a wine-colored gown that hits right above your knee, a flash of your soft skin an insinuation to where exactly you’d want Hyunjin’s hands to wander. Your hair, tumbling over your shoulders like a waterfall, just begging Hyunjin to pull on. Dark red lips to bite onto, kohl lined eyes to gaze into. And a lovely smile that spreads across your face when you realize that it’s Hyunjin at the door, all for him.
“Hyunjin!” you exclaim, and before he can say anything else, you’re pulling him in by his tie, kissing him deeply. That distinct smell of vanilla and gardenias invades his senses, and for a second, he’s temporarily debilitated by it.
You both pull apart for air much too soon, but he embraces you in a hug, because he’s too greedy to let you go, even though you’ve promised yourself to him this evening.
“It’s great to see you too,” Hyunjin giggles, that warm feeling in his belly now spreading throughout the rest of his body. No matter the weight of it, love feels nice. “And these are for you. Not as beautiful as you, obviously, but a guy can try.”
“Pink carnations are my favorite flowers, thank you.” You accept the bouquet and stare at it in astonishment, making Hyunjin wonder if that asshole Park Jisung had ever once brought you flowers. But Hyunjin shakes the simmering fury away when you step to the side, beckoning for him to come inside. He’ll find every damn pink carnation in the world and lay them at your feet, to treat you as you deserve to be.
After you finish placing the carnations inside a vase to adorn your dining table, you grab Hyunjin’s hand, pulling him out the door.
“So, where are you taking me?” You ask Hyunjin as he opens the car door for you.
“It’s a surprise.” Hyunjin smiles when you playfully roll your eyes at him. “You’ll just have to see.”
You put on your seat belt and use the sun visor mirror to fluff out your hair, while Hyunjin just watches, completely smitten.
“You going to start the car anytime soon, Hyunjin?” You eye him, propping the visor back into place and effectively snapping Hyunjin back into reality. “Or are you going to keep staring at me?”
You barely ever have to do anything to make Hyunjin fold, but here you are, putting in the extra effort to mess with him. Just like magic, you’ve switched into this flirty woman who speaks to him in a deliciously degrading way, and Hyunjin loves it. God, you know what you’re doing. And of course he wants to choose the latter option, to keep admiring you for as long as his heart desires, but he ends up glaring straight forward and jamming the key into the ignition.
“It’s become a bad habit. I can’t look away from you,” Hyunjin mutters, a little mortified that you’ve caught him. The universe might as well stamp “SIMP” on his forehead in big, bold letters. He messes around with the touchscreen stereo in an attempt to keep himself occupied with anything other than you, flipping through the radio stations until he lands on a neutral jazz mix.
You tilt your body towards Hyunjin, so close and yet too far. “I don’t think it’s bad… I like it when you look at me. It does things to me, you know.”
By now, Hyunjin’s knuckles that are gripping the steering wheel are bone-white. He needs you, and he needs you to use him now, damn it. And you’re not helping. But what is he, if not a glutton for pain?
“What kinds of things?”
“You’ll just have to see,” you laugh, copying Hyunjin’s words from earlier and falling back onto your seat comfortably. Before Hyunjin can say anything else, you suddenly turn to the window, pointing at the sunset excitedly. “Oh my god, Hyunjin! Look!”
Hyunjin nearly misses it, the distinct green flicker that appears transiently above the setting sun’s upper limb. But he doesn’t, catching it before it fades in an instant. “Wow, I never thought I’d see one of those.”
You glance over at him, a dreamy look in your eye. “The green flash. The atmosphere makes the sun refract into different colors, and the one our eyes perceive is green. A lot of people think it’s a hoax. But it’s real. It’s just rare.”
“West Coast wonder,” Hyunjin says, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lips. “It’s fate that we just happened to see it.”
“Hmm. It might be the coder in me, but I think it’s logic not fate.” You thread your fingers in through the gaps in Hyunjin’s. “Good things happen when I’m with you. I’m with you. And this is something good.”
Hyunjin doesn’t say anything, just taking you in. The idea of being meant to be has always resonated within him, but perhaps you really are right. Hyunjin is well aware that he’s somewhat of a hypocrite, always encouraging others to be happy and be themselves, while the entire time, he would package his emotions deep inside, maintaining his facade of perfection. Even at home, when he was all alone, he would never truly be comfortable in his own skin, instead obsessing over routine that never did much to ease him on the inside.
Eat, sleep, work, train, repeat, until a certain variable threw his life off its borderline neurotic train tracks. Just like that, he felt like he could feel again. It was messy and hard to comprehend, but there was feeling. You make Hyunjin feel human, keep him tethered to Earth no matter how sky-high his defenses might be. You bring out the best in Hyunjin— you are the best thing that has happened to him.
And here you are now, with a boundless smile that is Hyunjin’s own West Coast wonder. He’ll just have to try his hardest to keep it from ever fading away. There’s a breeze in the air that ruffles your hair, and the last of the sun’s rays shine onto you like a halo, dousing your skin a molten gold shade. The sky is a warm periwinkle stricken with pink and orange, the backdrop to the masterpiece that is you. Hyunjin can barely register the melodious croon of Adele above his heart beating to the roaring rhythm of the ocean hitting the jagged shoreline rocks below.
Miraculously, Hyunjin has the capacity to park the car in the cramped lot hidden behind his destination, a charming restaurant called Moonraker that sits on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the inky sea. By now, the dainty colors in the sky have given way to a stormier front, ominous clouds already moving in, charcoal slashing through pale pink. But this little brick haven covered in rose vines perseveres, the thrum of lively chatter inside blocking out the roll of thunder in the distance.
“Reservation for two, under Hwang Hyunjin?”
You don’t let go of Hyunjin’s hand the entire walk to the table, only separating to sit down. Hyunjin had specially requested this table for tonight, where it is situated on the far end of the restaurant. Here, the rustic red brick walls give way to a sleeker, glass paneling that curves inward like a makeshift gazebo. The design gives a perfect view of the ocean and the moonlight that is soon to illuminate it, as well as the gentle fall of raindrops onto the see-through half-domed ceiling. A suspended bird cage full of lit steel doves serves as a charmingly offbeat chandelier, and along with a small cluster of centerpiece candles, it provides enough light that Hyunjin can discern your features from across the table.
“Hyunjin, this place is gorgeous,” you remark, taking in your surroundings with astonishment. “It seems so obscure, but it’s such a gem. How did you find it?”
“Remember Jin?”
“How could I ever forget Mr. Worldwide Handsome?”
Hyunjin tries and fails to cover up a snort. “His family owns Moonraker, and he actually works here as the executive chef. Dr. Jeon, his half-brother, works with us, and he suggested this place for a business dinner a few years ago. I fell in love with this place right then, but I never came again until now.”
“Why not?”
“I wanted to enjoy it with the right company. And now I’ve found her,” Hyunjin says quietly, the urge to be honest winning over his inner critic who cringes at his sappiness.
You bite the corner of your lip. “Well, thank you for bringing me here, Hyunjin. And just so you know, I really, really like you.”
I love you.
“I really, really like you too.” Hyunjin reaches forward and takes your hand again.
The waiter arrives to pour your drinks, a selection of Moonraker’s finest red wine, and leaves to give you both some time to decide on what to order.
“What do you recommend here?” You duck your head into the menu, still unable to see the apples of your cheeks flushed that beautiful color. You’re prettier than any sunset. “Everything looks good.”
“The tangerine and pesto burrata is the best appetizer I’ve ever had. You have to try it.” Hyunjin flips through his own menu, scouring the various entrees. “And the lemon shrimp fettuccine? Life-changing. I think I may end up getting that again.”
“I’ll get the pasta too, then,” you say happily, setting down your menu.
Hyunjin takes a small sip from his glass, reveling in the cherry and cocoa notes of the alcohol. That buzz finally sets in, enveloping the both of you in your own lovely world, any remnants of first date nerves vanquished. Hyunjin asks you about work, and you do the same, sparking the kind of conversation that Hyunjin would be fine partaking in for hours on end. There’s no break in your words, a new question or anecdote coming up everytime a potential lull could manifest, and Hyunjin is sure that he’s found his match. After all, he could listen to you talk forever, try to piece together your thoughts to the best of his abilities.
“It’s called programmable read-only memory, or as I like to call it, P.R.O.M. It’s a type of computer memory, which is used to store programs for digital devices.” You hold out the microcontroller in the palm of your hand, showing it off to Hyunjin.
“And you carry this around everywhere you go?”
You laugh, slipping the chip back into your purse. “Once it’s programmed, the information written is permanent and can never be deleted. It’s almost kind of beautiful, in a way. The power of forever, in your hands. And I know it’s kind of silly, but it’s just a tangible reminder of how much I love tech. Nothing can be erased forever. My good luck charm.”
Hyunjin shakes his head. You captivate him beyond anything else, and he’s not sure if at this point, he’s getting intoxicated on the wine or you. Probably the latter. “No, I think it’s cute. I have a heart-shaped plushie hidden in my office drawer, something to remind me of how much I love my job, especially when I’m stressed.”
“Really? In that case, we’re basically the same person.” You clink your glass against Hyunjin’s.
“Cheers to that.”
You laugh, tossing a loose piece of hair over your shoulder. The action should be inconsequential, but Hyunjin can’t help but be drawn to it, focusing on the smooth skin of your now exposed clavicles. His gaze follows the nearly scandalous cut of your dress to settle on the thin gold necklace that you’re wearing, but he doesn’t dare look down any further to find the pendant. You, however, have no idea of Hyunjin’s thoughts, so when you lean forward to grab the salt shaker, he receives the perfect view of your cleavage, so enticingly nestled in your bodice.
Hyunjin swallows harshly, looking up at the ceiling as the waiter sets your desserts down on the table. After collecting the check, he goes quickly, leaving you both to dig in. Hyunjin doesn’t move for a moment, just hopefully watching your reaction to one of the best dishes he has ever tasted. He gets more than he bargained for when you take a bite of the tiramisu and close your eyes, making a small sound of pleasure.
Hyunjin clears his throat, trying to calibrate himself back to getting a fucking grip. He picks up his spoon in an attempt to be normal, but he can’t bring himself to eat, not when there’s something else he is absolutely starving for. And the new hard-on that the universe just gifted him with definitely isn’t helping either.
“Hyunjin.”
“Yes?”
“Is there something you want?” You raise your eyebrow at him knowingly.
Hyunjin inhales deeply, closing his eyes for a moment to convince himself to make a pass at maintaining his dignity. “I, um, sorry. That was inappropriate.”
“If it makes it better, I like your chain too. You’re good.” You smirk at Hyunjin, toying with your fork before deliberately dropping it onto the floor right underneath the table. “Oops. I really am so clumsy.”
Hyunjin shivers in his seat, shaking his head. “Oh, you’re trouble, aren’t you?”
“Would you be here if I wasn’t?” You smile sweetly at Hyunjin, even though your intentions are anything but. “Can you get that for me, darling?”
Without even bothering to take a look around and check for unwanted guests, Hyunjin pushes back in his chair and drops to his knees. Without breaking eye contact with you for as long as he can, Hyunjin lifts the tablecloth before crawling under the table.
He has ideas, so many ideas, of what things he might do to you on the journey to retrieve the poor fork, but he doesn’t anticipate you facilitating it all for him; you aren’t wearing anything at all underneath your dress, your core bared to his unexpecting gaze. As if you notice how Hyunjin has automatically freezed, you spread your legs even further, completely exposing the sheen of arousal that decorates your inner thighs.
But before he can touch you, your cruel agenda manifests when you snap your legs closed. Hyunjin just knows that this is your plan, to play with him and have him going insane; he can picture the smug look on your pretty face, at having won this round.
Clenching his jaw, Hyunjin pushes himself back onto his feet, haphazardly letting the stupid fork fall from his palm onto the table with a loud clatter. “Are you having fun?”
“Loads.” You smile sweetly, gaze dropping from Hyunjin’s face to where he’s already hard with frustration. “What’s gotten you all worked up?”
“You’re really something, aren’t you?” Hyunjin tries to sound serious, but his voice is thick with affection, and he can’t help but smile.
“Let’s have the rest to-go.” You purse your lips, eyes sparkling. “Take me home.”
Hyunjin opens the door to his apartment somberly, a maddening contrast to his breakneck speed on the highway, one that was augmented with the feeling of your hands all over him. He hears you shut the door behind yourself, and he doesn’t say anything, just closing his eyes in a minute of contemplation.
Reckless, that’s what he’s been. And he doesn’t care anymore. He’s been falling for you since the moment you stepped into his office, and this is his beautiful repentance. He’ll let you take complete control of him tonight, and maybe tomorrow, and the day after that. He just wants you to keep him for as long as you want. It’s why he turns back to look at you all of a sudden, every bit of desperation that he thought he had hidden from you manifesting in his expression.
“I want you to do whatever you want to me. Anything, I’ll listen.” Hyunjin takes your hands in his, placing a chaste kiss on your knuckles to make up for what is about to follow. “Please, darling.”
Your lovely features twist in a fleeting moment of surprise, but the feeling is soon replaced by an ecstatic mischief. “Alright then.”
You move closer to Hyunjin at a tantalizingly slow pace, but just when your lips are but a hair’s breadth apart, you pull away with a devious grin that has Hyunjin’s knees going weak. You pat his shoulder softly, giving him a patronizing little look as you start to saunter around the penthouse with ease, delicately trailing your fingers on walls.
“Where are you going?” Hyunjin stutters out, a pit of arousal building in his stomach.
“Take off all your clothes and meet me in the bedroom.” You look over your shoulder at him, a small smirk curving the corners of your lips. “And leave the chain on.”
Hyunjin scampers to strip himself completely, finally kneeling in front of you in his room, shivering from both the air conditioning and the way your gaze slowly traces over every inch of his body.
But what a sight you are, with your lipstick smudged from the kisses stolen at each red light on the road, hair tousled by the evening breeze. You lean forward and hook the chain hanging from Hyunjin’s neck with your index finger. You bring him closer to you by your grip, your lips brushing ever so slightly.
“You’re eager, aren’t you?”
Hyunjin inhales deeply, feeling himself harden immediately, knowing that you’re aware of it too, and yet, doing nothing about it. “Yes.”
“Good.”
You reel him in completely, grinning into the kiss as you playfully nip at his lower lip. Hyunjin prays you’ll deepen the kiss, but of course you never relent, pulling away with a laugh.
With your hold on his jewelry, you bring Hyunjin up to his feet, guiding him back until his calves hit his bed. You push him back, and Hyunjin lands rather clumsily on the sheets, nevertheless raptured by you.
Because there you stand, tall and strong and breathtakingly beautiful. Hyunjin watches as you slip out of your dress, leaving nothing but a thin chain that circles your waste, flirting with the dip of your navel. That, combined with the fact you’re otherwise completely naked, has him going crazy.
Hyunjin is nothing but awestruck. He knew you would have him at a loss for words with just a bat of your eyelashes, but you seem to outdo even the closeted thoughts he has of you, every single time. Before you, there had never been someone who could even cold a single fucking candle to the kind of woman you are. And Hyunjin realizes now that there never will be.
From the elegant dip of your clavicles, Hyunjin’s eyes fall to lovely, full breasts that demand his hands and mouth all over them, to be lovingly reddened with his teeth. The curves of your hip look like they crave to be sculpted, to be captured in stone forever, twins to the delicate stretch marks that frame your pelvis. The dark curls of hair that cover your pubic bone are just the final touches to the last shreds of Hyunjin’s sanity, hiding his most favorite place from him.
“Fuck me,” Hyunjin accidentally says out loud as you turn, showing off the delectable curve of your backside.
You face him again, giving him a derisive smile. “I’m getting there, but someone’s in a hurry. So greedy, aren’t you?”
“I’m sor— holy fuck,” Hyunjin breathes out as you bend over more than you need to, picking up your dress. You brazenly flash your pussy from the back, perhaps completely aware of the dreams Hyunjin has had of having you in a position like this.
“What do you think?” You carelessly toss your dress onto the armchair in the corner and give Hyunjin a knowing look, taking a step closer to him.
“I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen,” he murmurs, running his hand through his hair. “Just look at you.”
You chuckle at his praise, placing your hands on his shoulders for support as you sit down on his lap. The feeling of you is overwhelming, from the seductive scent of your perfume to your heavy locks ensnaring Hyunjin in a silky curtain as you kiss him slowly.
“Baby,” you sigh in between kisses, a sound that goes straight to his cock. “I’m going to get myself off now, and you’re going to watch. Okay?”
Hyunjin nods in anticipation, waiting for you to sprawl out on the bed, to spread your legs open for him and touch yourself. Instead, you straddle his thigh tightly, wrapping your arms around his neck. Hyunjin’s ears start ringing when you let out a soft whimper at the feel of his hard thigh against your clit, as you start to roll your hips against him.
Hyunjin can feel all of you, how dripping wet your cunt is against his skin, how you’re completely soaking his entire leg without any care. Hyunjin places his hands on your lower back to help you gain friction, as you claim his mouth in a deep, lush kiss. Wet, hungry, and fucking starving for each other.
As your movements quicken, Hyunjin can properly sense how slick and hot you are, how maddening your sensitive core is against his bare skin, like every part of you is a live wire. He lowers his hands to your hips, facilitating the way you shamelessly grind on him.
“Spit on it,” you instruct Hyunjin, directing your gaze down at your pussy as you lift your hips higher. Obediently, Hyunjin leans down and does what you ask, letting you ride him with even more ease and fluidity than more. You moan at the sensation, and Hyunjin feels so free and unhinged at the sound.
This time, Hyunjin’s the one initiating a kiss, sucking on your tongue as you work your cunt even harder against his skin. Wet, lewd sounds fill the room, complementing your breathy sighs like a symphony, and he moans into your mouth, digging his nails into your ass and helping you go faster.
Hyunjin tilts his head back when your lips attach to his neck like a promise to refresh the marks gifted in your previous rendezvous. He can tell you’re close, with how your clit throbs with desire and a fiery warmth spreads from your core and out. You curl your toes as you bounce on Hyunjin’s thigh, your orgasm looming closer. You grip the nape of his neck and kiss him hard, gasping at the feeling of your body tipping over the blissful edge of euphoria.
You hold onto him as you climax, shaking and writhing, hips not letting up as you come. You cry out his name, burying your face into his neck and inhaling his scent, finally calming down as he raises his leg, massaging you as you come back down from your high. So devastatingly gorgeous.
You lift yourself off of Hyunjin, who whimpers at the sight of your essence all over him. You slide down to your knees to slot yourself between his legs, staring up with lulled eyes.
“You’ve been so good for me.” Your cheeks and chest are flushed from your orgasm, your breathing heavy. Your baby hairs are stuck to your temples with perspiration from your valiant solo efforts. “You deserve something special.”
Without any warning, you lick a bold stripe up Hyunjin’s cock and suck at the head, wrapping your perfect lips around the tip. Hyunjin moans uninhibited, deep and from his chest, only spurring you on. You take him in further like you love his taste, how he pulses against your tongue. Hyunjin’s hips shift against the bed as you work your mouth all the way down, until your nose is pressed into the light dusting of hair at the base.
"Fuck,” he curses under his breath. "Please—”
Hyunjin’s words cut off as your hand comes up to his stomach, smoothing over his chest and feeling the muscles ripple under your palm. You push his torso back fully onto the bed, smiling before kissing the base of his cock. Hyunjin lets out a low whine, tangling his fingers through the ends of your soft, soft hair, pulling you back onto him.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” you sigh against him, the vibrations of your words flowing through Hyunjin’s nerves. Your lips travel up in teasing kisses, and Hyunjin nearly stops breathing, as everything else disappears.
Hyunjin can feel you work him rapidly, keenly watching his thighs flex and shake as you take him deep. Hyunjin lets out a guttural sound— a sound that should be embarrassing but he can’t find it in himself to be— when you unexpectedly fondle his balls in your hands. He can feel it in his cock, intensified by the wet heat of your mouth wrapped around him. He’s losing his mind, and it’s all because of you.
He cries out once more, twisting your hair in a way that is sure to have caused you pain. But you pay it no mind, Hyunjin’s legs caging you comfortably as you continue. Your rhythm is steady, with how you close in on him as well as your can, slightly gagging around his width and creating a delicious friction that has Hyunjin bucking up his hips. Your hand moves at a feverish pace to make up for the difference, and Hyunjin is a mess above you, groaning and head empty of everything except for your hot, wet mouth around his most sensitive area.
“I’m close,” Hyunjin gasps as you run your tongue over the underside of his cock, before kissing his stomach.
You hum in agreement, pulling your mouth up his shaft one last time, as you momentarily release Hyunjin’s body from the tension you’ve put him through. You give the tip a wet, filthy kiss, and stand, tall and serene.
“Good.” You take Hyunjin’s cock in your hands, working him with your fingers, and Hyunjin notices how you squeeze your thighs together to contain yourself. You’re just as turned on as he is, and there’s no hiding that.
Hyunjin’s fingertips tingle in that last wave, a film of sweat forming across the expanse of the back of his neck. You get calmer and faster at the same time, and Hyunjin can’t bear to keep back his sounds of pleasure, louder and even more desperate as the pressure in his coursing through his body builds. He sees stars in the shape of your eyes behind his eyelids, and the air is thick and the room is on fire with his undoing. He can’t hold on anymore, letting go at last and unloading his release all over your breasts in hot spurts.
In the aftermath, he looks up at you in a mixture of fear and arousal, chest rising and falling raggedly. “I’m sorry.”
You grin, like you knew this would happen. “It’s okay to make a mess as long as you clean it up.”
Hyunjin doesn’t waste any time lowering his head to your breasts, licking all over your skin to clear up his own come. It’s filthy yet incredibly erotic, especially when he starts to circle his tongue around your nipple, sucking at the sensitive bud. You thread your fingers into his hair, hugging him close while he’s more thorough than he needs to be. He meets your eyes while looking up, giving you a mischievous smile before he lightly nips at the bud before kissing it innocently, finally releasing it with a wet pop. Immediately, you drag his head away from you, mock irritation all over your features. Your eyes sweep over his form, narrowing on his pitiful cock, where he’s getting hard again.
“Baby, please,” Hyunjin can’t help but moan, taking your hands in his. "I need to be inside you.”
"I like the way you say that," you smirk. "Please. Say it again.”
"Just fuck me. Let me make you feel good. I love how fucking wet you get when you come for me. I want to fill you up and make you drip all over me." The words tumble out of Hyunjin’s mouth, yearning and desperate, mirroring every fiber of his being.
You click your tongue, tapping your finger against your chin in wait. "Where's that please?"
"Please. You're all I can think about, please, my darling. I'll get on my fucking knees if I have to, pleas-"
You kiss him, silencing him effectively because at this point, you have heard enough to give you both what you want.
“Take it.” Your control, your body, your pleasure.
Hyunjin flips you over and throws you back onto the bed, your giggles melting deliciously into the air. He runs his hands over your body, cold, firm hands against soft, warm skin. Over the smooth dip of your stomach, the valley between your breasts, that beautiful gap between your shoulders and collarbones. Every touch pulls Hyunjin further into the heaven you offer, your sighs his creed and your hips his altar.
“Look at you. You take my breath away every time, don’t you know?”
You say nothing, doe eyes staring up at him with heavy-lidded lust. Hyunjin has officially lost every other thought that does not involve you. He squeezes your breasts once, before cupping your face, nothing but pure affection dripping from his tone. You are by far the most precious thing to him, and he’ll thank the higher powers for as long as eternity if it means he gets to keep you.
You scoot back a little, leaning up on your elbows and bending your knees, feet flat on the bed. Like a magnet, Hyunjin’s eyes are drawn to your core, where you’re shiny and soaking wet. You are absolutely beautiful, and he’s dizzy again, unable to function on anything but the thought of how much he wants you, even if he might have you right now.
You run your hand down your body at a tantalizing rate, all the way down, sliding one finger over your lips, spreading yourself apart slowly, with how you’re still sensitive from the last time you came. Hyunjin watches in amazement like it’s the first time again, and he can’t help himself in that moment, even though he’s been promised something else.
After all, that magnetic pull is stronger, and his hands slide under the bend of your knees so perfectly, like a missing puzzle piece. His head is already lowering towards your heat, where you smell like sex and peaches. Your fingers, which had continued to stroke over yourself, disappear, and your hips twitch up toward him. You are open, waiting, impatient. It completely clouds Hyunjin’s brain, and his only desire now is to put his mouth on you.
And he has to force himself to pause, with his face centimeters from your pussy, to absorb the sight of you, breathe you in, before pressing his mouth against you. You taste like a ripe mango dusted with salt, sweet with the slightest hint of something tart and heady. Hyunjin slowly slides up, gliding his tongue flat over your folds, lips lightly brushing over your clit, and you gasp, freezing.
Hyunjin smiles, letting out a wicked breath over your nub and flicking his tongue against it once more. He rotates the tip of it around your clit, and you choke out a moan, pulling at Hyunjin’s hair at even the tiniest movement of his tongue.
The hot, balmy Californian air floating through the windows seems to make you shake as well, breathy moans mixing with the breeze like music. Your thighs grip his head, legs thrown over his shoulders, and Hyunjin’s breathing skips for a moment, a groan of satisfaction escaping his lips.
And you love this, arching your back as your hips press even more up against him, and Hyunjin practically devours you, holding your thighs in a vice grip and licking deep into your delectable cunt.
It almost sounds as if you’re in pain, but then your body melts into the bed, letting go of everything. “Don’t fucking stop.”
Even if Hyunjin had his own will in this matter, he’d obey your command. Hyunjin builds a rhythm, tracing patterns against the hood and your walls, his nose brushing against your clit. This is enough, when you rock against his face, your moans getting higher in volume and pitch. The pressure he exerts builds up to crescendo, and after some time, you quiet.
Hyunjin opens his eyes, looking up at you, and you are the very image of sin. Your long hair is fanned around your body like a frame harboring art, body shining with a thin veil of sweat, back arched, head towards the ceiling. You still shake, chest heaving as you struggle to breathe, and Hyunjin slows down a little, taking in the moment. His own hair is a mess, clumped together in places from both the sweat of his effort and your arousal. Hyunjin’s cheeks are warm and red, and everything feels hot.
He pulls off for a second, teasingly, before diving back in, licking you through your pleasure. He drinks in your cream, thick and sweet, as you pulsate when the feeling washes over you like a riptide, crashing into you like a tidal wave. Against your pussy, he chants your name over and over like a prayer to mirror the way you do to him, and eventually, you slow the roll of your hips, releasing your hold on him.
Hyunjin gives a few more gentle licks across your cunt, cleaning you up even as you twitch in sensitivity. He kisses your thighs and your stomach, then both of your breasts, finally heaving his body up the rest of the way and pressing his nose to yours. You both giggle deliriously as he kisses you again.
“I’ll go get a condom really quick, it’s in my bedside—”
“Don’t.” You give him a sharp look that has him crumbling. “Take me raw.”
When he finally inserts himself inside of you without any barriers at all for the first time, it’s painfully slow, sliding out and back in. But even with how spent you are, there are those sharp intakes of breath and the small noises of pleasure, as if you’re surprised and confused by the ecstasy you’re feeling for the umpteenth time in the night. Hyunjin tries it again, and your pleasure sounds stronger, more sure of itself and its place. He does it once more, a bit faster, and something overtakes you. You are all desire, all-consuming, all hands in his hair, legs around his hips, and pulling him closer.
“More,” you whisper against Hyunjin’s lips, and he is all too happy to give it to you.
Hyunjin keeps himself steady at first, before working it up further, groaning into your neck, biting at your shoulder. He bends a bit, shifting the angle, and suddenly you are crying out louder, nearly screaming.
“There!” You cry out, eyes screwed close. “There, oh god, right there, please, again, again.”
Hyunjin obeys, giving harder thrust than before, and he lets out a ragged breath and picks up his pace. He latches onto you, hands in her you, on your skin, arms around you, marking himself on your neck. Your nails claw down his back, sure to leave fiery trails of the evidence of your activities, but it doesn’t matter. Your teeth drag along his jaw, his earlobe, and Hyunjin nearly crumbles.
“That’s my good boy,” you sigh into his ear, in a low, husky tone that goes straight to his cock. “My sweet boy, so good for me, so perfect.”
It’s the most dirty, seductive thing you have said all night, dipped in sugar and coated in spice. Hyunjin is right there on the edge, bound to tumble over any second.
“Please, baby,” he huffs into your neck. “I need to...I don’t think I can for much longer.”
“Yes you can,” you encourage, breath tickling his ear. “I know you can.” Another moan disrupting your train of thought. “For me. Just a little bit longer. Do it for me. You can hold on for me.”
Hyunjin can feel you tightening up too, your sounds higher, quieter, and he knows you’re right there, your walls clenching against his cock.
“Let go now,” you order, and Hyunjin can’t hold himself back any longer, now that you’ve given him the agency to release.
And he is gone, shaking as the pressure is released into you, but he is still going, moving frantically inside of you, moaning your name into your neck. And you’re arching up into him, unable to keep your composure because you are so desperate for more even when your pleasure is already spilling over and out of you. Hyunjin knows you can feel him twitching, pulsing inside of you, and it only makes his orgasm that much stronger, and in turn, he holds you tighter, pounds into your cunt with everything he has. It’s an avalanche, a tsunami, a thunderstorm, the ultimate explosion of your desire, the ultimate connection between them.
Eventually, the lust gives way to exhaustion, and the strong thrusts transition into steady, slow rolls, which also subside to nothing. In a daze, Hyunjin lifts his head to press his forehead against yours. You both smile dumbly, and you laugh. Hyunjin, however, doesn’t know how he managed to even lift his head, because when you naturally shift your hips, and he tries to pull out, it’s as if he doesn’t have any muscles at all; pushing himself up above your body is nearly impossible. So he stays in that position, still inside of you, and you let him.
You hold him steadfast, one hand on his back and the other stroking his face. Hyunjin pillows his head on your chest, tucking it under your chin. His hands stay content on your breasts, thumb grazing your nipples softly, in a self-satisfying kind of way. There, he just basks in your warmth and the steady rise and fall of your chest.
“Thank you,” Hyunjin whispers, drawn out long. For letting him come, for letting him love you like this, for letting him be here, for the meaning you’ve brought into his life. You combs your fingers through his hair again and kiss his forehead, and he hums in delight.
“No, thank you,” you say. “Hyunjin. Baby, you were so good tonight, so perfect.”
Hyunjin smiles at the praise, hazy, loopy with happiness. Your words drift in and out of his brain, sounding more present and coherent than he feels, and he sinks deep into it.
This state of being, this space he’s in, is heaven— it must be. Nothing can be more perfect than this. He loves you. And maybe, you might love him just as much. He is yours. And you are his.
“Mine,” he whispers into the darkness.
“Yours,” you return. “Always.”
“This is going to change everything.”
“Uh huh,” Minho mutters, toying with the little cat plushie perched on the corner of his desk. “I believe you.”
“I’m serious! I emailed the event committee. I’m not planning it anymore, given that I just burned my job to a crisp, but it’s still happening. The party is two weeks away, and they will do everything to prevent me from entering it, but I’m going to pitch my idea no matter what. Somehow. I’m going to find a way.” You frantically pull out the hard copies of your outlines for the ITEM revival, spreading them out in front of Minho. “You’re one of the most talented engineers I know, and I can’t see anyone else taking the role. I need to know if you’re with me.”
Minho makes a show of scanning the documents while humming in deliberation, prompting you to roll your eyes in exasperation. But before you can scold him, pipes up. “The opportunity to get out of this hellhole working under Mark is too enticing. Imagine the look on his face when I tell him, ‘I’m ITEM Tech’s Chief Technology Officer. I quit, you S.O.B.!’ I’m so in.”
You give him a weary smile, the tight ball of stress in your stomach loosening a little. “I’m glad to hear that, but don’t be hasty to quit your stable job when we don’t know what’s going to happen with ITEM. Anyway, now that I have you, there’s only one other I need to get on board.”
Minho whistles. “Who?”
“Chan, my old classmate. The person who created ITEM Technologies with me.” You hum in thought, tapping your fingers against your arm. “I can’t move forward unless I have his permission. And his support would be even better, because he really was such a damn good strategist.”
“Did you reach out?”
You pull out your laptop and show Minho your empty inbox. “Yeah. I emailed him a few days ago, but no response yet.”
“I must be a good luck charm.” Minho glances up from the screen and shoots you a shit-eating grin. “‘Cause you’ve got mail!”
“What!” You exclaim while snatching the laptop back, expecting another one of Minho’s vastly unfunny jokes. But lo and behold, he’s not lying; there sits an unread message from the target sender.
You scramble to open the email, nearly dropping the machine in the middle. Ignoring Minho’s snicker, you somehow regain enough coordination to read it carefully, taking in every word.
From: Chan Bahng <[email protected]>
To: Y/N Y/L/N <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: ITEM Proposal
Dear Y/N,
How have you been? I was so happy to see your email… we haven’t talked in ages. I apologize for the delay in responding, there’s been a lot going on recently.
But I loved working with you, and I am interested in hearing more. I still live in L.A., so it would be great to meet up with you in-person. I know you’re here too, and I am so stoked to hear about all of your work at NCT Corp!
This is also kind of an impromptu plan, but how about meeting up for lunch at noon? I’m actually going to the Indian place on 700 Ave, if you want to join me. Remember doing physics homework and brainstorming over their butter chicken? Good times.
Anyway, if it doesn’t work out for you today, I totally get it. Let me know when you’re available, and we can find another time. I’m pretty much free these days. I cannot wait to see you!
P.S. My new phone number is 424-639-4922. It’ll probably be easier to communicate over cell.
Cheers,
Chan
Minho tries to peer into your screen. “Well? What did he say?”
“He’s asking to get lunch. In twenty minutes.” You hesitate, glancing over at Mark’s closed door. He would definitely strangle you if he found out that you skimped on work for just a lunch break. The horror!
Sensing your uncertainty, Minho pats your arm. “Don’t worry. This is important. I’ll cover for you.”
“How? Mark may be vile, but that man is very thorough and will murder both of us if he finds—”
“I’ll just tell him you got diarrhea. No one ever asks follow-up questions.” Minho cackles, while you watch him, unimpressed.
“Ugh, fine. Are you sure it’s alright?”
“Positive.” Minho nods solemnly, dropping all humor from his disposition. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t find out. Just take notes and ask all the necessary questions. I’m rooting for you.”
You exhale in relief. “You are a lifesaver. The actual best.”
“I know.”
After you dismiss Minho’s ludicrous escape plan that involves parachuting off of a nearby construction crane, you unceremoniously exit through the main entrance, thanking your lucky stars that Mark doesn’t manifest out of nowhere from behind a decorative plant.
You quickly get into your car and hightail out of the building garage, navigating out of the corporate hub and into a more breezy, down-to-earth sector of the city. After paying a terrible price for parking and checking your watch, you slow your pace while walking, just taking in your surroundings. The young, bustling crowd alive in the streets remind you of the days you would frequent this place, trying new activities with friends or just soaking in the zest of your life. As you near the Bombay Bistro, you realize that you’ve missed this, just enjoying the moment you’re in.
You follow the delicious, spicy aroma into the little restaurant. For a minute, you just gape around at the place, remembering everything. The rounded chairs with the fraying upholstery, the beautiful paintings of lithe dancers and bengal tigers, the sound of some old Bollywood song playing over the chatter of everyone dining. After you collect yourself, you scan the interior for Chan, but fail to spot him, even though it’s already six minutes past noon.
You: Hi Chan, I’m here. Where are you?
Chan: Hey! I’m in the back, at our usual table
Chan: I see you!
You look up from your phone, squinting your eyes at the dining area in confusion, before your gaze lands on a man sitting at your favorite booth. At first, you remain utterly perplexed at why this complete stranger keeps waving at you wildly, but vague recognition kicks in as you make your way towards him.
“You haven’t changed at all, have you?” Chan stands up from his seat to give you a hug, while you just stay there in place, frozen.
The Chan that is standing in front of you right now looks nothing like the awkward, shy kid you knew during your college years; he looks confident and has finally grown into himself. The heat damaged side part that he once sported has been traded for a luscious head of his natural curls, to go with a freshly aligned smile that nearly blinds you. And obviously, he must have gone premium at his gym, judging by the look of his biceps in that black compression shirt. In your entire time you had known Chan, you never saw him out of his daily uniform of khakis and a collared shirt that was far too big for him.
“And you changed… a lot,” you let out an astonished sound. “How are you, Chan?”
Chan gestures for you to sit down. “Let’s just say we have a lot to catch up on. You look amazing, by the way.”
“Not as much as you,” you say automatically, before immediately clamping your hand over your mouth in mortification.
He laughs, and you’re transported back into senior year, to the midnight study all-nighters and early mornings tinkering in the lab. Deserting your friendship instead of turning to it, when you both needed it the most, was one the few things that you truly regretted about the past few years. At least that laugh hasn’t changed, and neither has his accent, an homage to his western Sydney heritage.
“I missed this. Feels like old times.” Chan grins, the dimples on his handsome face deepening.
You both give your orders to the waiter before you sigh, shaking your head. “Chan, I shouldn’t have left things like that. You deserved a better goodbye than some lame text and me just dipping. I’ve been so ashamed of myself that all this time, I didn’t reach out. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, don’t say that.” Chan reaches across the table, taking your hand in his. “You were going through a lot back then, and I’m just happy that we can go back to the way things were.”
“Me too.” You smile at him, hope blossoming in you. “Does this mean you considered the proposal?”
“More than considered. I’m accepting it.” Chan grins, leaning over your mango lassis like you’re both in on a secret. “No one could be the COO to your CEO like me.”
“That’s true.” You both clink your glasses together, and you sip your drink, reveling in the delightfully fruity flavor that has suddenly turned a thousand times sweeter. “Welcome back, Mr. Bahng.”
“We can iron out the details maybe this weekend, since you basically planned most of our presentation for the event. So for now, let’s just enjoy ourselves. Spill everything on NCT, go.”
The next few minutes are spent discussing your not-so-dream job over appetizers, and you have to admit, talking in detail about NCT is not your favorite thing to do at all, but it’s worth it to see Chris’s expressions as you speak. Indignance at Mark’s machinations, delighted curiosity at the mention of Minho, and sympathy for your carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of being overworked.
“And what about you?”
Chan turns serious, the light drowning out of his expression. He starts picking at the slice of naan in front of him, tearing it into little pieces and arranging it on his plate. Another old trait that never died. “You know that swanky restaurant on the fifth? The Terrace?”
You raise your eyebrows, your thoughts going straight to the Golden Trio. How could you not know the place, after haunting it every Saturday afternoon for years? “Mhm.”
“Well, I was working there, until last night.”
“Wait, what?” You sit up in surprise, mind flashing back to the last time you visited the restaurant. Sana had left the table to go annoy one of the staff that she had her eye on. You didn’t recognize him back then, but you remember now. “Oh my god, you were the bartender that Sana was obsessed with? Chris?”
Chan winces, nodding. “The funny thing is, Sana didn’t remember me from college. Back then, I was just another nerdy loser to her. But then again, even you didn’t know who I was, all those times you walked past the bar. Like you said, I changed.”
You shake your head slowly, trying to digest his words. “Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“Well, I was a little hurt, and far too proud to talk to you first. And I haven’t exactly been my best self, all this time.” Chan swallows harshly, looking away.
“Chan… what happened?”
“JYP had given me an offer that I accepted before graduating, but soon after everything that happened with CODA, I was laid off. I mean, JYP was going through a merger, and I guess I just didn’t seem like a special asset anymore, after the losses incurred with ITEM.”
“But… but you could have found another job.” You stutter, the guilt manifesting like a pit. “You’re one the smartest, most capable people I know. You’re so much better than me.”
“I’m going to write down that you said I’m better,” Chan chuckles, but there’s no real humor in his voice. “Y/N, you know how oversaturated this industry is. And especially with helping Mom recover from her relapse, I just couldn’t keep up with it anymore. It took me forever to find a job in retail, and that was only after I changed my ethnic name to something more socially acceptable. Hence, Chris.”
“I’m so sorry about everything, Chan. CODA. The job. And Mrs. Bahng too. I didn’t know. I— is she okay?” You say, chest hitching as you think of Chan’s lovely mother. She had treated you like her own, bringing you homemade meals because your parents lived far from campus, throwing you a party when you got that one summer internship you’d been stressing over for so long.
“It’s not your fault, stop apologizing.” Chan squeezes your hand. “And the cancer is long gone, she’s good now.”
“But it is. It is my fault. If I had just gone to CODA and secured our funding—”
“Y/N, I promise I don’t blame you. I never did,” Chan cuts you off firmly. “But we get a second chance now. I quit that terrible job and now I’m ready to find my passion again. Let’s make the most of it.”
Chan always had a way of getting you to agree, to accept his word like a decree. It wasn’t that he was particularly forceful or persuasive with his rhetoric. Rather, even in his most determined rants, he had a certain warmth to him, like you could trust him. And you do.
You secure your revived relationship with another lassi toast, and any remaining tension fades away when it’s time for dessert. The waiter sets down twin cups of saffron rose ice cream, and you both dig in, the mood returning to something friendly and lighthearted.
“Hey, this might sound crazy,” Chan says between mouthfuls of the ice cream, prompting you to look up. “But, would you maybe want to get dinner sometime? Someplace nice. And in a non-work-related way. No pressure at all, of course.”
“You mean…” You blink in surprise. “Like, a date?”
“Yeah.” Chan shrugs with a smile. “Figures I’m shooting my shot years later, but I need to get it off of my chest if we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other now. I’ve always had a giant crush on you, I thought you knew.”
“Chan, I’m flattered, and you’ve always been so sweet to me.” You set your spoon down. “However, I’m actually already with someone.”
“Oops, never mind. Crush deactivated.” Chan jokingly lifts his hands up as if in surrender, and you sit back. You like how easy things are with him, how he always laughs it off. “So, who is he? Boyfriend? Or, husband?”
“His name is Hyunjin. And um, it’s pretty new, so definitely not at the latter stage. Or really, any? I don’t know, we haven’t really put a label on it yet.” You explain, a little flustered, a little dazed, at the thought of Hyunjin. “But it’s good! It’s really good. He makes me really happy.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You deserve someone who makes you happy.” Chan gives you a genuine smile. “I’d love to meet him one day.”
You return it. “Thank you. And yes, you definitely will.”
But there’s now something else that pulls at you. The fact that you and Hyunjin still haven’t made things official between you both. Does he not feel as serious about you, as you are about him? You shake the thought away, focusing on something else. “Can we circle back to how you had a crush on me? I had no clue!”
“I thought I was making it obvious—”
“It’s all about the eggs,” Hyunjin says, turning the knob on the pasta machine as you watch him. “You have to make sure they're at room temperature, or else they won’t mix well with the flour.”
“I’ve never had homemade pasta before,” you reply. “Delicious.”
Hyunjin looks up from the machine, smiling at you. The tip of his nose and tops of his cheeks are dusted in flour, and his flowery little apron is covered in splotches of pesto sauce. For the past twenty minutes, you’ve been perched on the counter, leaning on your elbows and following Hyunjin’s every movement, just enraptured by him.
“I’m honored to be your first,” Hyunjin quips, making you roll your eyes in mock irritation at the innuendo. “How was your day?”
“Pretty good. I met up with my old partner over lunch to get him on board the ITEM proposal. And he’s accepted, thankfully.”
Hyunjin places the strips of dough into a pot of boiling water, before turning around with his eyebrows raised. “Partner, huh?”
“Okay, okay. It’s not like that. Chan and I never had anything between us going on, never will. Purely platonic,” you explain. “I mean, he did admit he had a crush and asked me out, but I rejected him. Still on friendly terms though, obviously.”
Hyunjin sighs, wiping his hands. “Well, I can’t blame the poor guy for liking you. But you did tell him you’re taken, right?”
“Yes, I did, but…” You purse your lips in thought, thinking back to what had bothered you earlier at the bistro. “Hyunjin, can I ask you something?”
He sets the pan of sauce back down on the stove, the space between his eyebrows crinkling in concern. “Of course, darling. You can always talk to me, you know that.”
“Well, when Chan and I were talking, I didn’t know how to describe us. I just want to know, what are we?” You bite your lip nervously, deciding to just continue rambling on, judging by the surprised look on Hyunjin’s face. Oh god. “I Googled when couples should go from dating to making things official, like, ‘boyfriend girlfriend’ official, and most forums say that it’s a minimum of nine dates. We’ve gone only on one official date, two if we’re counting this one. And you don’t have to answer any of this, obviously.”
“Has anyone ever told you how cute you are?” Hyunjin walks over to you, an amused little smile spreading across your face. “First of all, I’ve been wanting to make things official since before we even had our first kiss. I just didn’t want to scare you away. I’ve always wanted you, and only you.”
“Oh,” you breathe, relaxing your shoulders from their tense position.
“As the Love Doctor, I think I’m qualified enough to say that we are free to be whatever we want. Like I said, our lives, our rules. I know you, and you know me. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I want to be with you. And I’m ready to make things official when you are.”
“I’m more than ready,” you say quickly.
“Are… are you sure, love? I don’t want you to feel rushed, or anything.” Hyunjin earnestly looks at you. “And I know you saw Jisung the other day, like you told me, so if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, or if you’re having mixed feelings about this—”
“Hyunjin. Seriously. You are a dream come true, but can you seriously not see how completely gone I am for you?” You stroke the side of his face lovingly, realizing how clearly you two are so alike. “I’ve been stressing over this for so long, because I felt the exact same way. I didn’t want to blindside you with how I felt, but I want this too. I want to be with you only, too.”
“Oh yeah?” Hyunjin grins, kissing you sweetly on your lips. “Soo, will you be my girlfriend then?”
“Yes.” You giggle. “I like you very much.”
“Well, not as much as I like you.”
“That’s not possible.” You bite back a smile, as Hyunjin corners you against the island, caging you in with his arms.
“Wrong, I can prove it to you.” Hyunjin smirks mischievously, before leaning in.
As you kiss each other fervently, Hyunjin lifts you with extreme ease and places you on the counter. The candles that he so painstakingly lit are blown out with your harried motions, and the dinner set on the table, along with the lychee sorbet in the freezer, is long forgotten, in favor of a different kind of sweet satisfaction. Hyunjin roughly pulls off your cardigan and unzips your dress, accidentally knocking over the half full glasses behind you. Neither of you care, however, saving the mess for tomorrow morning.
“This one.” Hyunjin holds up a slinky black dress that looks like it would cost you a whole year of rent. “Show stopping.”
“Hyunjin, we only stopped by the mall because you said you wanted to look at the perfumes, and only the perfumes.” You playfully chide him, fingering the sequined material. “Besides, I already bought a dress for the party with Yeonjun. Remember? I sent you a picture.”
“I know, I know.” Hyunjin sighs. “I just can’t hold myself back though, this vintage Valentino would just look gorgeous if it was on you.”
“You just know how to talk to a woman, don’t you?” You grin, grabbing his hand. “Either way, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to wear the dress; it would just wither away in my closet.”
“We’ll see about that,” Hyunjin says mischievously, prompting you to suspiciously look him in the eye.
“...What are you planning?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see!” Hyunjin thrusts the dress into your hands. “Come on, just this once! Then we’ll leave, I promise. Please?”
You smile, shaking your head in defeat. “I can’t say no when you ask me that.”
“It’s one of my talents.” Hyunjin quips, pulling you over to the dressing rooms.
But then maybe you should have really kept your foot down and hightailed it out of the store when you had the chance, because you see her, strutting around the shoe displays like some kind of a top model gazelle.
“Irene.” Her name leaves your lips before you can help it, but the charred disdain in your voice is completely intentional.
She looks up, surprised for a moment, but then she smooths out face, pursing her blood red lips and sizing you up. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How have you been?”
You hesitate for a moment, unsure of what to say, before Hyunjin takes your hand in his, quietly reassuring you. You clear your throat, deciding to be honest but reserved. “I’m great, actually. And what about you?”
Instead of answering your question, however, Irene turns her gaze over to Hyunjin and then down to where his hand is clasped in yours; this time, she is unable to conceal her shock. “Dr. Hwang? Why are you here with Y/N?”
Hyunjin shoots her a seemingly charming smile, but you’ve mastered his body language enough to see the contempt hidden under it. “It’s a beautiful day, Ms. Bae, why would I not be here with my girlfriend?”
If the revulsive look tainting Irene’s perpetually poised, rehearsed exterior wasn’t enough for you, Hyunjin’s words, filled with confidence and ease, are enough for a warm feeling to spread throughout you. You don’t at all sense the frigid blast of mall air conditioning, but rather, feel like you’ve just downed the sweetest, toastiest hot chocolate known to man.
“G-girlfriend?” Irene chokes out, clutching her mother of pearl necklace rather comically.
“Yeah. We just started dating.” You giggle, glancing over at Hyunjin, who matches your gleeful expression. “Isn’t he so cute?”
“Aw, baby. We’re so cute.” Hyunjin plays along, slipping his hand out of your grip so he can completely engulf you in a big bear hug. Usually, you’d be averted to such a touchy public display of affection, but you absolutely enjoy it at this moment.
“Explain, now!” Irene snaps loudly, causing a few other shoppers to look up from their browsing in irritation.
You frown in mock confusion. “But Irene, you don’t seem very happy for us. After all, you’re the one who recommended me to visit Hyunjin.”
“I told you to get an appointment and fix yourself, not to fuck Dr. Hwang!” Irene retorts, rubbing at her temple frustratedly in a way very unlike herself. “But then again, I don’t expect any less from an ungrateful brat like you. Here you are again, embarrassingly whoring yourself out to another man, just like you did with—”
“How dare you speak to her that way—” Hyunjin starts, voice full of fury as every last ounce of playfulness melts away. But before he can finish, you calmly cut in, placing your hand on Hyunjin’s elbow.
“Hyun, it’s okay.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, I got this.”
Hyunjin looks like he wants to say something else, but he stops, nodding as he moves aside. You take a deep breath, looking Irene in the eye. “I have nothing to be grateful to you for, except for showing me that I deserved better than people like you. I met Hyunjin as a result, who saw and accepted me for who I am. I’m thanking you for this one thing, for giving me the push I needed to leave you and find him. Otherwise, I have nothing left to say to you.”
Irene scoffs, crossing her arms across her chest. “You have changed, haven’t you?”
You just smile, looping your arm through Hyunjin’s once more. “Goodbye, Irene.”
You and Hyunjin finally make your way over to the dressing rooms, leaving behind Irene and your past. Before, you may have lost every time when it came to her, but this was the only win that really mattered to you, anyway.
“That was… wow.” Hyunjin looks down at you with wide eyes. “How do you feel?”
You shrug and smile. “Liberated.”
“And… you meant it all?”
“Every word. Her one redeeming quality is that she’s the one who led me to you. Or maybe it was fate. Either way, I have you now, and nothing else matters.” You lift Hyunjin’s hand up to your lips and kiss it.
“You’re so cool, you know that?” Hyunjin shakes his head in awe. “I’m your biggest fan.”
“And just for that, maybe we can stay here a little longer.”
After you try on the dress and buy it— no, you did not end up paying, not when Hyunjin wrestled your credit card out of the cashier’s hands to replace it with his own black card— you both leisurely stroll through the mall at your own pace, basking in the moment, before you suddenly have an idea.
“Hyunjin?”
“Hm?” Hyunjin turns back to look at you. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Nothing at all. There’s just something I really have to do.” You smile, taking his hand in yours. “Can you please drive me back to work?”
The adrenaline from your big confrontation is maintained as you burst through Mark’s office door, gearing up for another one. Mark immediately lifts his head from his computer, eyes filling with surprise and irritation at your interruption.
“Well, good afternoon, where the hell did your manners go? Usually, you knock before coming inside.”
“Save it, Mark.” You take a seat in front of Mark, crossing your legs pompously. “I quit.”
Mark scoffs skeptically. “Yeah, and I’m the tooth fairy. How dare you blast into my office, and so arrogantly—”
“Oh, shut up.” You roll your eyes, laughing with no mirth at all. “I’m so over your childish games, your constant need to put me down to feel good about yourself. I’m done, and I have better opportunities than this job.”
Mark’s expression turns sour, like he’s just bitten into a piece of moldy bread. You’d be amused right now, if you weren’t so serious. “You have no prospects at all. Nada. You’ll be nothing without me.”
“Screw you. Just wait and watch me bring you to shame.” You give him a venomous smile, slapping your resignation letter on his desk, which makes him cower back a little. “You’re nothing without me.”
You stand and walk over to the door, but before you can leave, you hear Mark’s voice over your shoulder. “If you think your position will remain unfilled, when you come crawling back to me, you’re sorely mistaken.”
You chuckle, not even glancing back. “Goodbye, Mark.”
The door slams shut behind you, and you can hear the muffled sound of something being thrown across the room inside Mark’s office. You triumphantly march over to your desk, boxing all of your belongings and preparing to get the hell out of here, and never look back.
“Damn, I always knew you were my evil twin.”
You look up from where you’re crouched under your desk, rolling up your charging cord, to see Minho standing in front of you, arms crossed. “Please, you are one-hundred percent the evil one in any scenario. And what do you mean?”
“I’m quitting too.” Minho chews on a Twizzler, as you nearly fall back on your backside, hitting your head under the desk. “Surprise!”
You lift yourself up with a groan, tossing the wire into the box. “What? Minho, you didn’t have to.”
“I want to. I can put all my effort into ITEM with you now.” Minho shrugs. “Either way, from now on, I have to be a good example. I can’t stay at a job where I don’t feel fulfilled.”
“A good example? For who?”
Minho clasps his hands together loudly, making you jump. “Oh right! I didn’t tell you the secret yet. We’re having a baby!”
A couple people look up from the tops of their cubicles in curiosity, and you turn back to Minho, reeling back in shock. “Probably not a secret anymore! And your wife is pregnant?!”
“Yup.” Minho nods proudly, and you notice he’s a little teary-eyed. You decide not to call him out for it, just this once. “I’m going to be a father.”
“I’m so, so happy for you, Minho.” You shake your head in disbelief. “But I can’t let you do this. You can’t quit, not with a baby coming. And your wife is still a resident. We don’t even know if ITEM is going to succeed—”
“Oh, brother,” Minho laments dramatically. “I already quit, first of all, after having a long talk with the missus. And would you look at that, she believes in you almost as much as I do.”
“Minho.” You close your eyes, trying to find the right words to articulate yourself. But you can’t, so instead, you just grab your friend in a giant hug, hoping that would be enough to express your gratitude. “You’re going to be the best dad.”
Minho makes a show of squirming in your hold for a moment, before he properly embraces you in return. “That means a lot to me, thank you.”
You pull back, swiping at your eyes. You notice Minho trying to inconspicuously do the same. “Are you getting all soft on me, you menace?”
“Shut up,” Minho bites back, with no real malice in his words. “Besides, after my lovely, amazing, smart wife’s residency is over, she’s going to make bank as an attending surgeon. So if anything does go wrong with the company relaunch, I’ll just become a house husband. Easy.”
You elbow Minho, to which he responds with a silly bow. Minho helps you carry the rest of your boxes out back to your car, packing them up for you in the trunk.
“Thank you, Min, really,” you tell him in full earnest. “I’m so glad we’re friends.”
“Ugh, I’m not.” But with the way he smiles at you, eyes crinkled at the edges, you know he feels the same way. “And for the record, I was wrong. About Hyunjin.”
You cock your head at him. “Hyunjin?”
“A few months ago, when I told you that he was probably just some temporary thing.” Minho sighs, looking at you apologetically. “I was wrong. You really love him, and I can see that now.”
“It took me a while to figure it out myself, but I really, really do.” You get into your car, rolling down the window. Minho watches quietly, kind eyes crinkling with understanding. “See you tomorrow, Minho.”
And with that, you drive away to the one person you really want to see right now.
The lobby of Oasis, with its expansive marble walls and grim receptionist, feels imposing until Hyunjin waltzes in, lighting up the room like the sun.
“So? How was it?” He scoops you up into his arms with a smile, kissing you without a care for any distaste on the faces of uppity passersby.
“Amazing. I shouldn’t have waited this long to tell off that jerk.” You laugh, humming against Hyunjin’s lips in contentment. “Thanks for driving me back to work, by the way. That was the best ever use of my lunch break.”
“Of course. I’m just happy it all ended up working out and that you can now focus all of your energy on your pitch. You got this.”
You melt into Hyunjin’s touch as he offers his hand to you, leading the way back up to his place. The short journey up to his penthouse has now become familiar, filled with stolen touches in the elevator, pressed up against the metal panels in short yet heated kisses, giggling in the hallway as you both dodge curious glances.
People wonder who you are, you know that. To them, you are simply the woman who had suddenly taken up this space in Hyunjin’s life, manifested out of nowhere. To them, you don’t belong here, your clothes clearly snatched out of clearance and the deep circles around your eyes a testament to the luxury facials you never received.
One unfriendly neighbor had even ventured so far as to directly question Hyunjin in front of you one time, as you both happily hugged in the lobby.
“What is this?” The Upper Side Karen tossed her platinum blunt bob in the air, reprovingly thrusting a sharply-manicured finger in the space in between you and Hyunjin. “Girlfriend? Hook-up?”
For being so seemingly affluent, it was definitely a cheap thing to ask. Classless, for sure. But how could you care at all, when Hyunjin basically ignored her, flashing you the widest smile in the world. He answered her question as if he was speaking to you, his eyes staying on yours.
“I’m her boyfriend.”
God, you’re utterly besotted.
It’s evident in the way you know you look at him; you feel the fondness in your gaze as he now pulls you closer to him, dramatically guarding the space between his door and you.
“Close your eyes.” Hyunjin grins wickedly.
You close your eyes, smiling. Days of allusion building into what you are sure has finally come to a reveal. Hyunjin swings the door open and carefully leads you in, buzzing with anticipation. It’s something sweet, for sure. Maybe a little silly, but oh-so-very lovingly and quintessentially Hyunjin. A wall of flowers. Hot air balloon tickets. The limited edition Birkin that Hyunjin was rambling about.
So perhaps you both have very differing tastes, but that doesn’t erase the meaning or intention behind whatever Hyunjin is about to give you.
“Can I open them now?” You huff jokingly.
“Almost,” Hyunjin trills, the sounds of him puttering around punctuating his excitement. “Okay! You can now!”
“Finally…”
You open your eyes gingerly, prepared to see something probably worth a year of rent, but you’re met with an unexpected surprise. Rose-colored streamers dangling from the ceilings in delicate, swirling streams. Glowing, silver confetti lies on every surface in sight. A literal disco ball hangs in the center of the living room, casting all colors of the rainbow throughout the apartment, the spots bouncing off of the walls.
It’s extravagant, for sure, but in a different way.
Hyunjin rapidly taps on the screen of his phone, and immediately, a playlist that you recognize as the top hits that dominated your final year of high school. “Adore You” by Harry Styles blasts through the speakers in the penthouse, and you look at Hyunjin in awe, your expression conveying your question.
Hyunjin clears his throat, turning the music down so that it lingers as a pleasant buzz in the background. “It’s um, your high school prom.”
“My prom?”
He shrugs, trying to be nonchalant, but you can tell he’s stiff. “I remember you saying you never got to go.”
“I know, but you didn’t have to do all of this.” You take his hands in yours, relishing how warm he is. “I’m over it, I promise. It’s not a big deal.”
Hyunjin frowns, and it’s so endearing that you just have to smile. “It is to me. I hate how you’ve been treated before, and in a way, this is to make me feel better about it. I want to fix all of the ways you’ve been wronged, no matter how cheesy and stupid it might be. I’m recreating your prom, because you deserve to feel cherished in all aspects of your life— past, present, and future.”
“Hyunjin—”
“And you know, I really took what you said the other day seriously. Back at Moonraker. I may not understand tech like you, but I think it’s safe to say that the way I feel about you is my version of a P.R.O.M. The thought of you will never be erased from my mind. I can’t ever go back to the way I was. And I don’t want to.” Hyunjin blushes, turning his gaze up to the ceiling. “Except, maybe, I wouldn’t mind losing these cheesy metaphors. My mind just goes so blank whenever I’m around you. And—”
You finally break his nervous ramble with a kiss, looping your arms around his neck and forcing him down to your level. “Thank you, Hyunjin.”
“Really? You’re not completely cringed out? I didn’t do too much?” Hyunjin whispers, still in a daze from the kiss.
“Absolutely not.” You press another kiss onto his soft, soft lips, trying your best to support your words. “You could never be too much. I love how much you care, how seen you make me feel. When I’m with you, I feel so safe, yet free. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”
Hyunjin chases your lips, and you’re only too eager to oblige. “Really?”
“Really,” you murmur as Hyunjin’s kisses trail down from your lips to your neck.
“I feel the exact same way. I think I was a shell, an empty husk, before I met you. My life was great, yes, but it never felt enough. Something was missing. And then you walked into my office, and everything suddenly clicked. It was always you.” Hyunjin lets his lips linger over your pulse, kissing you there.
“I still don’t understand,” you say, closing your eyes. “Why me? There must be so many pretty girls you see everyday.”
Hyunjin pulls back, cupping your cheeks gently. “You know, I’m probably one of the most neurotic people on this plan. I have— had— a daily routine that I never strayed from. Wake up, work, eat, sleep. It was fine, and most people would call it healthy. Maybe it was. But it was barely a life, when at the end of the day, this terrifying emptiness would haunt me. My clients all end up finding love or some kind of satisfaction in their lives, something I ironically never had. I tried covering it up, but I couldn’t.”
“And then what happened?”
He laughs softly. “I met you. You were unlike anyone I had ever met. A sun shower, an aurora. Most people put me on a pedestal— apologizes if I sound conceited. They either expect me to solve their problems or want me to spectacularly fail at it, proving that they’ll stay miserable forever. It’s the typical woes of someone who’s in my line of work, I suppose. But this is what my entire life was, I didn’t have any balance. There was no authenticity.”
You purse your lips, unsure. “You were like, the most secure person I had ever met.”
“Secure? Sure. But that’s it. Secure. Stable. There was just no spark. And I have friends— lovely, wonderful friends. But I never had someone who I was so wholly devoted to. And I won’t lie, I also felt chemistry. I’m inexplicably drawn to you. But I feel so human, around you. I can be normal. I feel normal. I know you came into SeoulSpark with a goal, but I never felt like you had these expectations for me. In a way, I felt like you were supporting me, not the other way around. With you around, I started having fun. Real, true fun. Like there was a new reason I had to live.”
You shake your head in disbelief. “No one has ever spoken to me like this. You make me seem so valuable, Hyunjin. There is no way. All I’ve caused is problems for you, I’m sure.”
“Oh for sure, you have caused many problems in my life,” Hyunjin teases, eyes playful. “You’ve made me chaotic and messy, and I’m all over the place, but in the best way. My life before? Stuck, stagnant. It’s like I was drowning, and you were a breath of fresh air. Maybe you might not understand now, but I don’t mind, because it only means I have all of this time to prove myself to you.”
“I look forward to it,” you accept, pure, unadulterated joy spreading throughout your limbs. He’s like your liquid sunshine, impossibly brightening up every dark room you walk into. He’s like a clover in your palms, a fortune that you can’t even fathom stumbling upon. But you have. This is your reality.
It’s why you let Hyunjin tug you into the living room for a dance. He pulls you into his arms to the croon of “Lovesong” by Beabadobee, your head resting comfortably on his chest. It’s a little clumsy, but you both fall into rhythm, rocking together slowly.
The tune encasing the room is a little melancholy, the fondness in Bea’s words tinged with sorrow, the fear of the unknown. It should be a sad song, but it doesn’t feel that way. Because maybe this is what it means to devote yourself to someone. To always be a little afraid of what might happen, of being a fragile object in someone else’s hands. But loving them anyway, having faith in spite of it all. Persevering and trying, anyway.
It’s terribly romantic knowing that, as you feel the beat of his heart against you. Sun and moon. Two doves sitting on a windowsill. Twin flames. You never much believed in soulmates, but maybe you were meant to be intertwined in some way or the other, in this universe or the next.
“Hyunjin?”
“Mm?” He looks back down at you, eyes shining with a world’s worth of affection. It powers you to be brave, to say what you’ve been keeping down for so long.
“I lo—”
Your declaration is cut short by the shrill ring of your cell phone. You want to ignore it, so bad, but it’s an incessant sound, one call after the other.
“Someone is very desperate to reach you,” Hyunjin jokes, unaware of what you were about to say. “You should answer it. I don’t mind.”
You really don’t want to. But Hyunjin steps away, smiling, saying that he’ll go check on dinner. With a sigh, you pull your phone out of your pocket and hastily answer it.
“Hello?”
“Y/N!”
You make a confused noise. “Chan? What’s up? We’re still good to meet tomorrow to discuss the plan, right? Is everything okay?”
“We’re more than good,” Chan says, and the tension dissipates, leaving just curiosity. You tune in properly. “You know that huge networking party you told me about? I finally found us a way to pitch our proposal that doesn’t require James Bond level antics to sneak in.”
“Really? How?” You grip your phone tightly, bubbling with excitement.
“My friend is on the organizing committee, and I gave him the draft of the proposal that you first emailed me. He thought it was incredible and that we deserved a fair shot to present.”
“But, the committee hates me, especially after I quit under a month before the event.”
“Well, they did hate you.” You can hear the grin painting Chan’s accent over the phone. “But you know how charming I can be. We have another chance.”
“Chan.” You inhale, barely containing yourself. “This. Is. Insane. You are insane!”
“I know, right?” Chan laughs. “So have a good night’s rest. Because tomorrow, we’ll be working like dogs to finalize this presentation. And I also want to introduce you to a buddy of mine. He’s one of the best computer engineers I know, and I think he’ll be a fine fit for our team.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” you sigh, completely overwhelmed with everything.
“‘Goodnight, see you tomorrow’ works.”
You chuckle. “Goodnight, see you tomorrow, Chan. Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t mention it.”
You hang up the phone, still shocked. One less thing to worry about. One big thing that has been removed from your gargantuan checklist. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of your shoulders. You can feel that familiar excitement coursing through your body, that old passion you had for your work that had festered inside you for so long, untouched for so long.
Hyunjin sneaks up behind you, caging you in a hug as he nuzzles into your shoulder. “Was that Chan Bahng?”
“Calling about work,” you clarify, smiling at the envy in his tone.
“Hm.”
“He got us a slot to present at the party in two weeks. It’s all coming together. ITEM is coming back, it really is.”
Hyunjin beams softly. “I’m so proud of you, darling.”
“I’m just so happy.” You say gleefully, letting Hyunjin twirl you in his arms. “It really does seem like only good things have happened since I’ve met you.”
“That’s probably not true. You’re just the coolest person I know, and good things are bound to happen to you. But I’m not going to shy away from the compliments. Let’s celebrate.”
To match the mood, Hyunjin whisks you away to his closet, where he dresses you in a show stopping lavender Atelier Versace gown, your “prom dress,” in his words. He dons a matching suit, and it’s one of the many things you admire from across the table while you eat dinner. Unabashed flirting over spicy vodka pasta and fancy little bruschettas, all that Hyunjin has cooked himself. You both drink too much wine and giggle as you stumble into the living room, tripping over each other’s feet while attempting a round two on Hyunjin’s makeshift dance floor.
And then the inevitable. But it’s different this time, the way in which you both have each other. Hyunjin leads you into the complete privacy of his room, and he strips you of the dress, dragging the zip down with a maddenly slow pace. He places kisses onto every new inch of skin exposed, making up for the tease. And he lays you down on his bed, velvety rose petals tickling your back, both of you completely bare. Hyunjin gazes down at you, the flickering candles placed around his room casting shadows on the planes of his lovely face.
This time, he makes love to you slowly, cherishing nothing but the presence of just each other. The hunger is still there, with the way he sinks into you so deeply, with the heated kisses peppered lovingly over your skin. But it’s quiet, giving you the space to just enjoy the moment. There’s no rush at all, as he whispers promises and earnest praise into your hair. He touches you like he has all the time in the world, but looks at you like you’re the last thing he’ll ever see.
You both finish at the same time, sighs washing over each other like morning mist. And you both fall asleep at the same time, cloaked in the heady scent of belonging so intimately, matching smiles on your faces, before the night steals you and Hyunjin away.
«GENERAL M.LIST» · «NAVIGATION» · «TALK TO ME» · «TAGLIST»
AUTHOR'S NOTE Hi guys 🤡 I know I always say I'll update but I never do... but at least I did this time! But on a serious note, thank you so much for bearing with me and being patient. I really, really appreciate your support. I love writing so much and I missed it even more! This year has been really stressful for me (i.e. school, family, friends, LIFE), so I just never had the time. But I'm back for real, and I really will try the best down the line to update. I can't say when I'll release the finale, but I'm hoping it'll be sometime in July. I will let y'all know if that plan changes! Anywayyyy... about the actual chapter! This all so disgustingly domestic that it hurts my own head. The fact that I'm about to turn 20 and I'm STILL single is terrifying; maybe I write romance because I'm trying to fill the void :P This chapter was comparatively uneventful, because I wanted to deeper explore the relationship dynamic and tie up some loose ends before the finale. And that brings me to the next chapter, the LAST CHAPTER?! I can't believe it. But I'll save the waterworks (for now). I'll just go stream Lost Children and be emo for the rest of the day because I have terrible post-concert depression (yes I finally saw skz live, no I'm not okayyyy). Please leave your thoughts, I really don’t mind if you leave a whole essay ;) -Dreamy
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NETWORKS @kflixnet @k-films
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