#badreputation

[sunishake]

BAD REPUTATION ✦ sjy

After your best friend is left heartbroken by the infamous campus legend Jake Sim, you make it your mission to teach him a lesson — the one he won’t forget until he’s practically begging for forgiveness. What starts as a simple plan quickly spirals into chaos, pulling you into a web of complications you never saw coming. Lines begin to blur, intentions get messy, and you realize things aren’t as black and white as they seemed. After all, a bad reputation is a heavy burden to carry on both ends, isn’t it?

content tags: tooth rotting miscommunication, enemies to enemies, y/n is the bitch we all aspire to be, angst, mid ass slow burn, college au, emotional turmoil, long ass fic, crack, blonde jake, campus romance (?), fake relationship, heejake if you squint.

# 1 shots

You and Chaerin had been inseparable for as long as you could remember, or at least that was the version of the story you held onto.

Same neighborhood which turned into same classrooms, same whispered gossip during lectures, same shared lunches when neither of you liked what your mothers packed. High school came and went with the same confidence that you would always orbit each other, and even now, in college, despite being in different courses, you still found your way back to the samecramped dorm room at the end of the day.

Sisters, practically. That's what everyone said, and for a long time, you believed it too. Which was why the shift felt so wrong when you finally discovered it.

"Chae, I told you..." Your voice faltered, as you stared at the two green glass bottles sitting on your desk like unwelcome guests. "I jus-no. Stop."

The room smelled faintly of graphite and eraser shavings, your half-finished architecture sheets spread across the desk in uneven layers. Lines and measurements blurred together demanding your attention in a way alcohol never could.

Behind you, Chaerin let out a soft, impatient sigh.

“Come on,” she groaned, dragging the word out as if coaxing a child. "It's just soju. You're acting like I brought poison."

You pressed your pencil down harder than necessary, it's tip snapping against the paper. The small, sharp sound echoed louder than your unsaid thoughts and hesitation "That's not the point," you muttered, not turning around. "I have to finish this. It's due tomorrow, Chae."

"And you will," she replied too easily. "After you relax a little."

You finally looked at her. She was sprawled across your bed, one leg dangling off the edge, her hair falling messily around her shoulders. There was a dullness to her eyes that hadn't been there before, a restless kind of energy, like she was always chasing something just out of reach.It unsettled you.

"I don't need to relax," you said, softer this time.

Chaerin clicked her tongue, sitting up with a suddenness that made you flinch. She grabbed one of the bottles, twisting the cap open with practiced ease "that's exactly your problem," she said, pouring the clear liquid into two mismatched cups. "always stuck in your head. Always working, always worrying...touche"

"I'm not-"

"You are."

You fell quiet.

For a second, neither of you spoke. The air shifted, subtle but heavy enough to feel. She held out one of the cups toward you. "Just one, please?" she said, her voice softening again, almost pleading now. "Drink with me."

You stared at the cup, then at her.

And that was the problem, wasn't it?

Chaerin wasn't just anyone. She wasn't a classmate you could brush off or a senior you could politely refuse. She was the person who knew exactly what your regular orders were, who could read your mood from the way you shut a door, who used to pull you out of crowds the moment you looked overwhelmed.

She knew you.

Which was why this — this insistence felt SO wrong.

"You know I don't like it," you said quietly. Her hand faltered for the briefest moment. Then she laughed, light and dismissive, "You've barely even tried," she said. "How would you know?" Your fingers curled slightly against your palm."I have," you insisted. "That one time, remember? With the seniors? I didn't even want to be there."

"Yeah, and you survived," she shot back. "See? Not a big deal."

"It was a big deal to me." The words slipped out before you could soften them. Chaerin's expression flickered as something unreadable passing through her eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. She leaned back again, taking a sip from her own cup instead "You're overthinking it," she murmured.

Maybe you were. Or maybe you weren't. Because this wasn't just about the soju. It hadn't been for months after that party. You could still remember the way she had bounced into your room that evening, excitement practically spilling out of her. Some rich kids from college were throwing it.

One of those infamous monthly parties everyone seemed to talk about in hushed, intrigued tones. You did warn her, just enough to let her know it wasn't your scene. Those places weren't as harmless as people made them out to be. That free flowing alcohol and dim lights and strangers with too much money and too little consequence rarely led to anything good.She had laughed it off

"chill y/n," she had said back then too.

She had wanted you to come with her. And you hadn't. You lied about going home for the weekend, packing a bag just to make it believable. You remembered the way she had pouted and tried to convince you one last time before leaving.

And you remembered the feeling of relief when the door finally closed behind her.

You weren't trying to control a grown girl like her and act like some strict parental figure. But something about that party had felt off. And when she came back, something about her felt off too. At first, it was small things. A new tone in her voice, certain impatience that hadn't been there before. Late nights that turned into early mornings. New people, new habits, new laughter that didn't quite sound like hers. You tried to ignore it.

Until ignoring it wasn't enough anymore. Now, sitting in your dorm room with unfinished assignments and a cup of soju being pushed into your hand, you couldn't pretend you didn't see the change or worse feel it.

"Chae," you said again, more carefully this time. "Why are you pushing this so much?"

She didn't answer immediately, instead, she took another sip, her gaze drifting somewhere past you, like she was looking at something you couldn't.

"It's just a drink," she said finally. But it didn't feel like just a drink.

Not when she looked at you like that....like—like she needed you to say yes. Not when it felt like saying no was slowly putting a distance between you that you didn't know how tocross anymore.

Your eyes dropped to the cup in her hand, then to the bottle on your desk, for a fleeting moment, a bitter thought crossed your mind.

You were tired of blaming the booze and over the top drunk horny adults for Chaerin's change, because certainty you knew Jake Sim deserved the full blame.

Okay hold on, rewind.

Whoooooo the hell was Jake Sim?

God, how badly you wished life worked in a way where you could just ask that one question and move on without facing any consequences. But nothing about Jake Sim was ever that simple. See he was well a reputation if you had to define him in the most brutally honest way possible. He was your typical upper class, introverted disaster with an ego that reached places even his money probably couldn't. The kind of guy people either obsessively adored or instinctively avoided and you had always been very comfortable being inthe second category.

A "community dick," was the most accurate description you could come up with after overhearing your classmates gush about his toenails and ball hair for what felt like the fiftieth time in one week.

bizarrely enough you never understood the obsession when you occasionally spotted him in the canteen, surrounded by his loud, obnoxious friends who seemed allergic to basic etiquette. Their laughter carried across the room, sharp and intrusive, making you instinctively shrink into your seat.

You had always silently thanked whatever higher power was looking out for you that Jake Sim was nowhere near your academic orbit. Different major, building and thankfully different world.

Perfect.

Except life, apparently, had a twisted sense of humor because while he stayed far away from you, he didn't stay away from Chaerin. Same department. Same classes. Same daily proximity. Bad news.

What confused you more was how Chaerin herself used to talk shit about him, ranting about his attitude, his arrogance, the way people bent over backwards for him like he was something divine energy. She gave you every unnecessary detail about him, every petty observation, every eye roll translated into words.

And then–It just... stopped.

Or worse, it flipped. Somewhere along the way, the same Chaerin who couldn't stand him started orbiting him instead. Watching his friend group like he had become something important and something she couldn't afford to lose sight of.

"Ah, fuck this shit."

The frustration finally spilled over and before you could second guess yourself, you grabbed the bottle from the desk and tilted it back, the sharp, burning liquid sliding down your throat in one reckless gulp. It burned god, it burned so good but you didn't stop until the bottle was nearly half empty.

"Girl-slow *hiccup* down-" Chaerin's words slurred together, as she tried to sit up straighter. Too late.

You wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, blinking away the sting in your eyes. The room felt warmer now, heavier, like the air itself had thickened."See..." Chaerin muttered, her words dragging, uneven. "I know *hiccup* you might hate me... for this one..."You frowned, irritation flaring instantly "Oh my god, just say it already," your adrenaline snapped. "You've said that line like fifteen times today." Your patience was hanging by a thread. At this point, smashing the bottle on her head felt like a reasonable option.

"Okay... wait..." she mumbled, blinking slowly as if trying to catch her thoughts mid-air. "Uh... where was I...? Right... right... so, I know you–*hiccup* no, fuck–I know you will-"

Your grip tightened around the bottle.

This was it.

Whatever it was, you were done waiting.

"Jaaay*hiccup*ke—kissed me..." she slurred, the name stumbling out of her mouth, "... then... uh... we kinda had sex."

Your hand froze mid-air and so did everything else, your thoughts, your breath, the room itself felt suffocating.

"What?" you repeated, the word coming out flat,almost disbelieving. Then, because your brain refused to process it any other way, you let out a sharp, incredulous laugh "Oh, you mean you got drunk and slipped on his dick?" your tone dripping with disbelief. Chaerin shot upright, offended despite her state. "No-wait-I-I did ride him *hiccup* how di-OWH!" Her words were cut off by a loud crash.

The bottle left your hand before you even realized it, flying straight out the open window. The sound of it shattering echoed faintly from below."Y/n, bitch!" Chaerin scrambled toward the window, panic cutting through her haze as she leaned out, trying to see if you had just accidentally committed manslaughter.

"What the fuck-Y/n!"

You clicked your tongue, leaning back against the desk like nothing had happened "I know there's more to your story," you said coldly. "Go on."

Her eyes widened.

Gotcha! Did she really think she could drop something like that and leave it half-finished? Not to you. Never to you.

"Chae," you added, your voice quieter but sharper, "don't make me smash the second bottle on your head."

She swallowed. "Okay... so..." she began, fidgeting with her fingers. "We did it... and then... when I woke up *hiccup* I texted him..." Her voice wavered. And just like that, something in your chest tightened.

The bottle slipped from your fingers, forgotten. Oh no. You knew that tone. You knew those pauses. Before she could say another word, you crossed the room in seconds, stepping over scattered cushions and pulling her into your arms. She broke instantly, her body collapsing against yours as sobs wracked through her.

"Y/n..." she choked out. "He-he said he doesn't want to keep any connection with me anymore... it was just a one-time thing..."

Her words shattered between hiccups and tears, each one hitting harder than the last. You closed your eyes, exhaling slowly as you held her tighter, your hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. Of course it was this. You guided her gently toward the bed, sitting her down as you wiped her tears with your thumb, your movements careful. "Hey... hey..." you murmured softly. "easy..."

She clung to you like a coala.

"Is this why you've been drowning yourself in all these weird drinks?" you asked, your voice quieter now, softer. She nodded barely but it was enough. Enough for everything to click into place.

God.

A part of you wanted to scream and to say

'I told you so'

To remind her of every warning, every concern she had brushed off. To curse Jake Sim and every rumor that followed his name, because clearly none of it had been exaggerated. But you didn't. Because right now, she wasn't the girl who ignored your warnings, She was just your Chaerin hurting, and crying in your arms. And that mattered more than that stupid shit assed Jake with bad reputation.

The following week passed as you giving nastiest side eyes to jake while chaerin ignored both you and that group of monkeys like plague. You did not insist her to have forced conversations because poor girl needed time to re-collect her thoughts.

You carried it with you everywhere, through lecture halls, crowded corridors, even the quiet corners of the campus where you usually found peace. It sat heavy in your chest, simmering just beneath the surface, most evident in the way your eyes instinctively narrowed every time you spotted him. Jake Sim.

If looks could kill, he would have been long gone.

Chaerin, slipped in and out of spaces quietly, conversations cut short, laughter nonexistent. You didn't push her. As much as it irritated you watching her shrink into herself like that youunderstood. She needed time. Time to think, to process, to gather whatever pieces of herself had been shaken loose But that didn't mean you let him off easy.

Because while Chaerin withdrew, you sharpened. Jake, continued living like nothing had changed. His routine, as far as you could gather from Chaerin's previous backbitching sagas, overheard conversations and casual observations, was almost annoyingly consistent.

Jake's life was simple. Wake up late. Ignore half the messages in his group chat and the other half from girls he had probably promised something to. Drag himself to classes and somehow still remain the topper of the entire engineering department. Afternoons were reserved for his friends, loud and carefree in the canteen or on the basketball court. Evenings drifted between the library, the gym, and video calls with his brother Riki, except now there was one small disruption in that perfectly curated routine.

Your sharp unrelenting gaze burning holes through his thick ass head.

"Yo, she totally wants you."

Sunghoon snickered laced with amusement as he passed the basketball to Sunoo. The two of them moved with practiced ease, laughter slipping between them, just another joke. "Everyone wants him," Jay muttered under his breath, wiping sweat from his forehead as he tried and failed to snatch the ball from Jungwon. "What's so surprising about that?"

Sunghoon scoffed, clicking his tongue. "Ugh, this time it's different—Sunoo here!"

Jake barely reacted. He sat on the edge of the court, phone in hand, scrolling lazily through pictures of layla, his dog that riki spammed that morning.

"Bro, I think you should ask her–oh shit..." The ball slipped from Sunghoon's hand with a loud thud. The rhythm of the game faltered because the sharp, unmistakable click of your heels had cut through the court like a warning. The air shifted as you approached, the boys' chatter dying down into something uncertain. You stopped right in front of him. "Mr. Park is asking for Sim Jake."

Your voice was calm but your eyes, however, never left his face.

"Why?" Jake asked, not even bothering to look up from his phone. Your lips pressed into a thin line "well, I didn't feel like entertaining your nonsense," you shrugged "So I skipped the part where I ask him Why"

Jay let out an irritated huff from behind you. "You're not even from our department. What the hell?"

Ignoring him completely you repeated "Mr. Park Soohyun is expecting Sim Jake in the sports office," tone blunt now. That got his attention.

Jake finally stood, slipping his phone into his pocket. He still didn't look at you, not even once, as if your presence alone wasn't worth the effort. "I'll be back," he said, tossing the ball toward Sunghoon. Then he walked past you.

And you followed. Not a word exchanged, just the sound of your footsteps trailing behind him.

The hallway should have been crowded at this hour. Between lectures and practice sessions, it was usually filled with noise — But today, it felt... off. A few students lingered here and there, one slumped against the wall, scrolling endlessly on their phone, another sprawled across the bleachers with a book covering their face, half- asleep. The rest of the corridor stretched ahead, unusually empty. And in the middle of it you followed a few steps behind Jake.

Your eyes, almost against your will, traced the line of his broad shoulders, then drifted upward to the messy blond strands of his hair. Then lower, the thin fabric of his shirt clung to his back, damp with sweat, outlining the flex of muscle beneath it with every step he took. Your felt your throat drying as your gaze lingered a second too long.

What the fuck.

You blinked hard, snapping yourself out of it.

Have you actually just lost it?

Absolutely not. You dragged your eyes away, jaw tightening. This was not the time to notice things like that. You had a purpose. A very important, very justified purpose. And it definitely did not involve... whatever the fuck was that.

The sports office came into view at the far end of the hallway, tucked into a corner, door standing plain and unassuming, but you knew better. Mr. Park usually kept it locked ever since that incident with the stolen baseball bats. No one really talked about it much anymore, but the habit stuck. Except today It wasn't locked. Jake slowed down slightly, stopping just short of the door. You watched him inhale, before he pushed it open and stepped inside.

For a split second, it almost looked like he forgot you were there.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Park..." His voice echoed faintly from inside.Silence answered.

"Mr. Park?" he tried again, a little louder this time. "....is there anyone–"

Click.

The sound was small, almost insignificant. But Jake froze.

His head snapped toward the door just as it shut completely, the lock sliding into place with a finality that made your chest tighten with something dangerously close to satisfaction.

"What the fuck?!" His voice sharpened instantly, his fist hitting the door hard. "Hey-open this!"

Outside, you leaned back slightly, your breath uneven, adrenaline rushing through you in waves. A bead of sweat slid down your neck, but you barely noticed. Because you were smiling. "Stay there and think about what you did asshole!" you called out, your voice carrying just enough to reach him through the door.

There was a brief pause, then the banging got louder. "Are you fucking serious right now?!" Jake's voice came through, muffled but furious as he shoved against the door, trying the handle again. "Open the damn door!" You bit back a laugh. He pushed harder, kicked once, then again, frustration bleeding into every movement. The rattling of the handle, the dull thud of his shoulder against the wood, it all blended into a chaotic rhythm behind you.And then your laughter slipped out anyway. You turned on your heel, the sharp click-clack of your shoes cutting through the hallway as you walked away, each step lighter than the last.Behind you, the banging continued.Jake Sim wasn't in control anymore and oh— He was soooo pissed.

"Students, it is unfortunate to note that the sports equipment robbery is still ongoing..."

Mr. Park's voice echoed across the cafeteria, cutting through the usual lunchtime chatter. You barely reacted, too focused on finishing the last piece of chicken nugget on your plate, chewing slowly taking your sweet time.

"People really have nothing better to do than rob sports equipment?" Chisa huffed, clearly annoyed, as she stretched her hand toward Jurin for her compact powder. "I mean... maybe that's what fills their bank accounts," Chaerin muttered absentmindedly. You glanced at her. She still seemed distant, less than before, but not quite herself yet. There was a softness to her voice now, like she was slowly returning but hadn't fully found her footing. Still, it was progress. And that was enough to make you smile, even if only faintly.

"Speaking of which," Jurin chimed in, pointing her chopsticks toward a certain table across the cafeteria, "I've only ever seen that group use the equipment anyway."

You didn't turn. You didn't need to.

Your heart, however, betrayed you — pounding just a little faster, as if it already knew exactly which group she was referring to. You kept your gaze steady, deliberately choosing not to look back. Instead, your eyes drifted toward Chaerin again. And just as you expected she was already looking at them. At him.

Her eyes lingered, slightly glossy, emotions flickering across her face in a way that made your jaw tighten.

You bit the inside of your lip. No.

You weren't letting this go. Not yet.

Not until Jake Sim was on his knees begging, apologizing, breaking the way he made her break. Only then would you consider letting it rest.

"Uh... earth to Jake Sim?" Jake's train of thought snapped abruptly, his brows furrowing as the overly high-pitched voice cut through his focus.

"Can you stop ignoring Evelyn?" the girl snapped, crossing her arms. "You were the one who promised to take her to the museum!"

Jake huffed, clearly caught off guard. Now who the hell had he promised that to?

Sunghoon cackled beside him, the sound only worsening the dull throb forming in Jake's head "Jake and a museum?" he slapped his thighs, laughter still rolling out "tell Evelyn to just print a cardboard cutout of him if that helps!"

The girl let out an irritated noise, clearly unimpressed, before turning on her heel and storming away.

Jake sighed, dragging a hand down his face as a string of curses slipped under his breath. Why was Decelis filled with such abnormal examples of humanity?

The rest of the week dragged on painfully slow as Jake buried himself in his studies, preparing for the upcoming midterms with an intensity that left little room for anything else. Notes, lectures, assignments, he drowned in them all, using the workload as a distraction. Occasionally, his phone would buzz with messages from Sunghoon and Jay usually something about clubs recruiting volunteers for their so called "public service"week.

Apparently, it offered extra credits. Not that Jake cared. His grades had always been flawless, consistent enough that he never had to worry about bonus points. Weekends, for him, were sacred and reserved for uninterrupted sleep and the occasional gaming session. And as far as he was concerned, this weekend would be no different.

Or at least, that's what he thought.

Until his phone started going off. One call. Then another. Then another. Followed by a flood of messages.

Jake frowned, pulling his phone from his pocket. He usually kept it on silent, but for some reason he hadn't that day. And now, past 1 p.m, his screen was filled with an absurd number of missed calls. All from Sunghoon.

"What the hell...?" He finally answered, voice hoarse and clearly irritated.

"Bro, what the fuck?!" Sunghoon's horrified voice exploded through the speaker, loud enough to make Jake pull the phone slightly away from his ear. "Check the college website right now!" Jake blinked, still trying to process the urgency.

"What are you talking about-"

"The volunteering list is out!" Sunghoon cut him off, his tone bordering on hysteria. "And someone signed you up for the National Museum!"

Silence.

Jake stared at his phone then at the wall and then back at his phone

"...You've got to be kidding me."

Welp. There went his perfect weekend.

"Good morning! Welcome to the registration offic—oh... it's you." Sadie's voice dropped the moment she recognized you, her expression twisting into poorly concealed annoyance. Still, she quickly recovered, forcing on a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Uhm, how can I help you, Miss Y/n Y/l/n?" she asked, tone dripping with fake politeness.

You physically cringed at the way she said your name, clearing your throat before speaking. "Uh... Sadie, I noticed you were talking with Jake today”

"Ugh, don't even start about that asshole," she cut in immediately, emphasizing the last word while grinding her teeth.

She clicked her tongue in irritation before narrowing her eyes at you. "Also, why are you suddenly so interested in Jake Sim? Even that day, I noticed you giving him heart eyes like you wanted to unzip his chain and give the cafeteria a real volunteering show—"

You slapped your hand over her mouth before she could finish, head whipping in every direction to check if anyone had heard that. "Are you insane?" you hissed under your breath. Sadie smacked your hand away almost instantly "ew, what the hell?"

You swallowed hard, staring at her in disbelief. Can she just... disappear? Why was she this insufferable?

"Look, Sadie," you said, taking a steadying breath, trying very hard not to knock out her barely five foot frame, "I'm here as a peacemaker."

She raised a brow, clearly unconvinced.

"See, I know Jake ditched Evelyn for that museum date..." you continued carefully, choosing your words. "But he's regretting it now. He told me to register him for the volunteer program at the National Museum." Sadie gave you a blank face then she slowly looked you up and down, her lips curling into a mocking smile "Why the fuck would he tell a nobody like you what he's feeling?" she scoffed. "Since when are you sooo close to Jake?"

You bit the inside of your lip. Right. You expected that. Still, you didn't hesitate.

"I overheard him talking to his friends on the phone," you replied smoothly. "He said he really regrets what he did to Evelyn... and how he ignored you in the cafeteria."

That did it. You immediately saw the shift.Sadie stilled and there it was. That flicker behind her eyes. Hungry of Interest and validation she thrived on. If there was one thing you knew about Sadie, it was that she would drop all logic the moment attention came into the picture, especially if it involved someone like Jake.

And now? Now she was hooked.

You kept your expression neutral, though internally, you knew you had her exactly where you wanted. You gave a small shrug. "That's what I heard....and as someone who who admire Evelyn and you as my senior...I just wanted to help you all"

You noticed Sadie's smile getting bigger.

Then, slowly, she nodded to herself, as if piecing things together in her head "Uh... okay," she said finally, her tone shifting. "I'll set Jake and Evelyn in the same segment at the National Museum."

There it was. The opening you needed. And just like that your plan moved one step forward.

# 2 clickbait

Jake swore he was going to pass out at any moment if another child approached him with same ridiculous bullshit like why historical figures had small dicks. He dragged a tired hand down his face, exhaling sharply as he stared at the museum walls, silently praying for the worst possible downfall of whoever had put him in this situation. And somehow he knew EXACTLY who was behind it.

Evelyn's soft voice pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts.

"U-uhm... thank you, Jake," she said, her tone hesitant as she tried to tuck strands of her hair behind her ears, clearly attempting to hide how red they had become. "For... reconsidering our date. You really are a man of your word. I don't know why people make such weird assumptions about you, but—but I just wanted to let you know... I don't care about your bad reputa—"

Jake yawned blatantly.

See Evelyn was....fine. More than fine, actually. Pretty, soft-spoken, most people would easily fall for. He had noticed her before, maybe once or twice during calculus lectures, when boredom got the best of him. But that was it. Nothing more. He had known from the very beginning that the "date" she once asked him about, eyes hopeful, voice slightly trembling was never going to happen. Yet somehow, he had still said yes. Because Jake Sim never really thought twice before making promises.

And now here he was. Stuck babysitting a group of overly curious children in a museum, listening to questions that made his head hurt, while standing next to a girl who clearly thought this meant something more than it actually did. He suppressed a groan.

Is this my karma for not clearly rejecting people? The thought lingered, bitter and annoyingly accurate. But then another thought cut through.

You.

His jaw tightened instantly. The memory of the locked sports office, your voice, your laughter echoing down the hallway, it all came rushing back, sharp and irritating.

Who the hell—No What the fuck was your problem?

Because this? This had your name written all over it.

The soft pitter patter of rain against the glass window stirred Chaerin awake. She blinked slowly, adjusting her slightly fogged glasses as she lifted her head from the table. For a moment, everything felt hazy, her thoughts, her surroundings, even the time. How long had she been sleeping in the library? A dull ache settled behind her eyes as she straightened up, wincing slightly.

The table was cluttered with open books, scattered notes, and uncapped highlighters. Somewhere between all that mess. She fumbled around for her phone, finally finding it beneath a stack of questionnaires. Outside, the rain poured heavily, blurring everything beyond the glass into indistinct shapes. The rhythmic sound felt almostsoothing.

Lately, she hadn't been sleeping much in her dorm. For some reason, the library felt quieter and safer. More peaceful than her own room.

Did Y/n already go back to the dorm?

she wondered, pushing her chair back as she stood up.

Chaerin grabbed her umbrella, clutching it tightly in her left hand as she made her way out of the main building. The hallway was nearly empty. Most students had gathered near the entrance, waiting for the rain to ease before heading out. A few leaned against walls, some scrolling through their phones, others simply watching the downpour. Chaerin slowed down as she approached the gate.

And then she froze.

Her breath hitched.Leaning casually against a pillar stood a figure she knew all too well.

He looked... the same. Something about the moment felt different and almost like a miracle or as if sensing her presence, he looked up. Their eyes met and neither of them moved.

Not for longer than a second and then he adjusted his cap, pulling it lower to cover his face before pushing himself off the pillar. Without a word, without another glance he walked straight out into the rain.

"Wait! Ja—fuck!"

Chaerin stumbled forward, her umbrella slipping from her grip as it knocked into a nearby plant pot, sending it clattering to the ground.

"You look miserable as ever." Sunghoon's voice cut through the room as he glanced up, eyeing Jake from head to toe who stood there, completely drenched, water dripping from his hair, his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his body. Jungwon giggled from the side. "His life has been nothing but a shitshow ever since his secret admirer showed up—"

He stopped mid-sentence. Jake's glare was enough "...Okay, I'll shut up," Jungwon muttered, raising his hands in surrender.

"She stole my umbrella," Jake said flatly.

There was a fake attempt to look for words of consolation as Sunghoon turned away covering his mouth, not wanting to spit the gum at Jake's face while having a crashout level laughing. And then, unfortunately, to picture it Jake searching for his ridiculous Spongebob umbrella and someone actually stealing it was not helping him to stay sane at all.

"...What the fuck happened to you?" Jungwon groaned as the door burst open again.

Another drenched figure stepped in. Water pooled on the floor as he walked in, completely soaked. "I had a bathroom emergency," Jay announced casually, pulling off his wet t-shirt and tossing his cap toward Sunoo.

Jake, Jungwon, and Sunghoon exchanged a long, tired look.

"Man, we've been friends for as long as I can remember," Jungwon started, narrowing his eyes. "Stop lyi-"

The sharp sound of Jay's room's door slamming shut cut him off and eventually silence followed.

Jungwon sighed "...Yeah, okay. Not asking."

"H–he won't even stop to talk to me... and would rather walk out in the rain... wahhhhhh y/nnnnn"

You let out a deep sigh, passing another tissue to Chaerin. She was sprawled across your bed again, her head hanging slightly off the edge, hair cascading down as she continued rambling between sniffles. Meanwhile, you sat on the floor beside her, your back resting against the wooden frame of the bed, your head tilted up as you stared at the ceiling. Her cries didn't stop.

You had genuinely thought things were getting better. Slowly but still, better. Chaerin had started showing signs of herself again, enough to make you hopeful. And you? You were doing your part, making Jake regret every second of his existence. Or at least, that's what you had thought. Your eyes shifted toward the corner of the room. The stupid Spongebob umbrella sat there, slightly tilted, almost mocking you. You had taken it earlier that day from his bag while he was too busy fooling around with his equally stupid friends on the basketball court.

A small victory.

But clearly not enough.

You clicked your tongue softly. Nah.

This wasn't working. You needed something bigger. Something that would actually hit him where it mattered, something embarrassing enough to make him crawl back and apologize to Chaerin. Something that would make him think twice before ever ignoring her again.

"Don't worry, Chae..." you murmured quietly, "everything will end soon."

Chaerin sniffled again, barely processing your words.

But you weren't really talking to her anymore. Because at that exact moment an idea formed.

A little unhinged maybe.

A faint smile tugged at your lips. Oh, Jake....you were so dead.

Getting Evelyn's number hadn't been difficult. Sadie practically handed it over without much effort. The two of them were always glued together anyway, so it barely took any convincing on your part. What was difficult was Evelyn herself. Convincing her that Jake was playing with her turned out to be far more complicated than you had anticipated. If anything, things had gotten worse. After setting them up to volunteer together at the museum, Evelyn seemed to have grown even more attached to him.

And that was a problem. Because no matter how obvious it seemed to you, she just refused to see it.

You exhaled slowly, leaning your head back against the bed.

So if she wouldn't see it you would have to make her see it. Your fingers tapped absently against the floor as your thoughts began to align, one by one.

There was only one way to do this. Jake's reputation.

That was your key. Every rumor, every story, every whisper that followed his name around campus it all existed for a reason. And now? You were going to use it.

Carefully and strategically you were going to play your cards right.

You scrunched your nose in irritation as you stared at the engineering major's schedule in front of you. Jake was — unfortunately far more studious than you had expected. It made no sense. How could someone juggle being a complete menace when it came to relationships and still manage to maintain such an academically perfect life? You clicked your tongue, zooming in further on the neatly organized routine that had been sent to you by his class representative, someone you had somehow managed to charm (or manipulate) into sharing the information. Honestly, even you were impressed with yourself.

"Monday no chance...Tuesday....three calculus classes oh my god...Thursday... no free period..." you muttered under your breath, scanning the list. "And who the hell attends classes on Saturdays—oh wait."

Your posture straightened slightly as your eyes caught something. There it was. A gap. Right after his electrical engineering class. Your lips slowly curled into a smirk.

Okay this was your chance "I need to corner him that day," you whispered to yourself, already reaching for your phone. Your fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before you began typing, carefully constructing the message in your head. Every word had to be precise and believable.

You typed

Hi Evelyn, I got your number from Sadie! Just wanted to let you know Jake wanted to meet you near the second floor staircase this Saturday. He can't contact you since his phone is broken. Thanks.

You reread it once. Twice.

Perfect.

You hit send and a small, a satisfied breath left your lips as you leaned back slightly. You had enough information about jake to conclude the fact he barely checked his messages unless they were from his useless group of friends. Half the time, he didn't respond at all which meant there was almost no chance of him ruining your plan by accidentally answering Evelyn's question about his phone. Another advantage.

Everything was falling into place. You looked down at the screen again, your eyes immediately catching the small line beneath your message.

Read at 8:40 PM.

Your breath hitched slightly "Oh—" A quiet gasp slipped past your lips. That was quicker than expected and that worked in your favor too.

Jay rummaged through his desk, irritation evident in the way his fingers knocked against scattered items. His body felt like it was running on five blood cells like after nearly seven hours of continuous practice. His muscles ached, each movement reminding him just how far he had pushed himself. Jungwon’s voice from earlier still echoed faintly in his head— “What are you training so hard for?”

Good question.

He had never been this serious about basketball. He picked it up casually in his first year, mostly because of Jake and Sunghoon. It wasn’t like Decelis offered scholarships or financial support for sports anyway. So what exactly was he trying to prove?

He pulled open the second drawer of his cabinet, finally spotting the strip of painkillers tucked away beneath a mess of random trinkets and bills. Calloused fingers fumbled through them, pushing aside blister packs until he found the one he needed. And then his fingers touched something else.

A pair of hoop earrings.

He froze for a second, and just stared at them, unmoving.

The memory of that night crept in before he could stop it, the earrings...they kept getting caught in his shirt. He remembered how he had carelessly reached over, almost like an instinct and taken them off her while she was too lost in the afterglow.

Shit.

He didn’t even remember putting them or keeping them here. Jay's grip tightened slightly before he swallowed hard and pushed the drawer shut. He didn’t need them....did he?

His body fell back onto his bed, exhaustion finally catching up to him as he sank into the mattress.

“I hope you know how hard it was for Dad to pay your college tuition fees…”

Jongseong's voice echoed throughout his frontal lobe.

Of course. Park fucking Jongseong — the perfect twin. The ace. He always won, always succeeded, always made the right choices and was the only one their parents proudly spoke about. And Jay?Jay was just… Jay.

Average and impossibly stubborn. Never quite enough.

Getting into Decelis had been the only thing he had done right and now, even that felt heavy.

“Don’t do anything stupid that will tarnish our family name. I know you attract the wrong kind of people—”

“Ugh, enough,”

Jay muttered under his breath, head already hurting as he squeezed his eyes shut. He had always resented that brat. Jongseong's quiet superiority and that constant need to act like he knew better, like he was better, pissed him off on supersonic level.

People his age drank, partied, smoked, hooked up — Oh.

Right.

Jay exhaled shakily, dragging a hand over his face. No matter how much he wanted to forget it, he couldn’t. The memory of Jongseong's disappointed bitch face tangled with the image of his parent's inevitable hopeful expectations, clung to his bone like some kind of inherited disorder.

He really fell into the trap....didn't he?

“No way she followed you here.” Sunghoon’s voice dropped into a half-whisper as he nudged Jake’s arm, trying to pull his half assed attention away from the lecture. “What a crazy bitch,” he added under his breath. Jake didn’t respond immediately, instead his gaze shifted lazily toward where Sunghoon was pointing. Surprisingly he didn’t need to see your face to recognize you anymore. The small Kuromi charm hanging from your bag gave you away instantly, something he had noticed a few days ago when your presence had still felt…..coincidental?

Ugh. Nothing about you was never a coincidence to start with. You really were a bad omen for him.

Now? What is she trying to pull this time?

The rest of the class passed in a blur or maybe it just dragged, Jake couldn’t even tell anymore. His focus came and went, interrupted every now and then by the thought of you standing right outside.

Sunghoon, on the other hand, didn’t shut up and went on eating his eardrums, rambling about some stalking incident that ended up in murder few blocks away. Jake barely registered his words.

Murder? Uh oh...He didn’t think you had murder in your eyes. Whatever you were up to was far worse. Probably something that involved trapping him, torturing him, and dissolving his body afterward.

He shivered.

Outside, your patience was wearing thin.

“What the hell is he doing in there for so long?” you muttered, stomping your foot lightly against the ground as you tried to swat away a mosquitoes. You pressed your lips together and chewed on the inside of your cheek, irritation building with every passing second.

You had been waiting for this for an entire week. Planning, adjusting, calculating every move. There was no way you were letting this opportunity slip now.

The classroom door finally opened as students began spilling out one by one, voices overlapping, footsteps echoing down the corridor. And then Jake walked out last, his expression as blank and unbothered as ever, limbs moving in an excruciatingly painful speed. Sunghoon slipped away the moment he saw you, muttering something “I’m not getting involved in this mess.”

Before Jake could follow Sunghoon, you stepped forward. Blocking his path.

“Hi, Jake.”

He stopped, eyes flickering over your shoulder, then behind him, pretending to check if you were talking to someone else. Finally, he pointed at himself.

Ugh. Can he just die? His stupidly handsome — wait no, 'questionable' face remained unreadable as you crossed your arms, trying your best not to let your inner thoughts show “Evelyn wants to meet you.”

Jake stared at you for a second then let out a sharp breath, “do you think I’m some airhead running on low brain cells? At least come up with something new. How am I supposed to believe you after you fucking trapped me inside the sports room?”

You inhaled slowly “It’s okay if you don’t want to believe me,” you said, voice deliberately calm. “But she really did ask me to tell you she’ll be near the second-floor staircase.” You shrugged lightly, and then continued again “I mean…..you can ignore it. Totally up to you, just don’t get mad when Sadie starts her usual whining about you ditching Evelyn again.”

Jake exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair as he looked away. You weren’t entirely wrong. Sadie had been relentless ever since the museum incident, spamming him and trying to set him up with Evelyn for another date. And if what you were saying was true....he might need to shove a pencil up his ear, infact he could already hear her high pitched endless nagging.

God, no.

His gaze shifted back slow to you as he looked you over — braided hair, down to your hands… nails painted brown, slightly chipped at the edges.

His eyes moving shamelessly up and down your body made you flustered as you took a small step back, suddenly aware of just how openly he was checking you out. Jake clicked his tongue then, without another word said “let’s go.”

Bingo! You have him exactly where you wanted.

The walk to the second floor staircase was the most dreadful thing you experienced beside that one time in high school when you snuck out to meet your ex boyfriend at 2 am.

You took slow, steady breaths, trying to calm yourself. It’s okay… I am not the one getting into trouble today. Yet, despite telling yourself that, your eyes kept drifting back to Jake. Again and again. You didn’t want to look — fuck — but you couldn’t stop. He walked beside you with that same stoic expression, completely unaffected.

Wasn’t he even a little excited about meeting Evelyn?

Then again… why would he be? This was Jake, the guy who changed girls like onion skins. You clicked your tongue internally, forcing your gaze forward.

The staircase finally came into view, the stage where everything was supposed to unfold. It was tucked away, hidden from the usual corridor crowd, a place most students didn’t even notice.

Perfect....it won't be even that big of a drama —

Or at least...thats what you prayed for.

Before you or Jake could even step closer a figure came running out of nowhere. You barely had time to react before you were shoved aside, stumbling back as the person launched himself straight at Jake.

“Baby, I missed you so much!”

Your eyes widened.

Students lingering nearby turned instantly, attention snapping toward the scene unfolding in front of them.

Wait what? What the fuck?

Your brain scrambled to process what you were seeing. What is he doing here?! He wasn’t supposed to do this yet!

Jake, clearly caught off guard, stiffened as the almost 6ft figure clung to him.

“Okay what in the flying fuc—man, who are you?!” he snapped, trying to push him away, his voice filled with confusion and irritation. You stood there, frozen, mentally clutching your nonexistent pearls.

Oh no.

No, no, no.

This was going to go so wrong.

You had known Lee Heeseung since your very first day at Decelis. He had been…well kinda impossible to miss. You still remembered walking into your first lecture, only to see him sitting there all bruised and battered, yet completely unbothered. You could hell he was an anomaly. It didn’t take long for you to learn that Heeseung was a scholarship student — and a very highly respected one, personally recommended by his high school principal.

Professors seemed to favor him, though he never abused that advantage. Well… not openly, at least. Then there was his boxing gig which explained the occasional bruises, the late entries into class, and being absent for weeks.

But what truly stood out was how helpful he was. The projector stopped working? Heeseung would fix it. Someone's grandma died and they missed classes? Heeseung would send them notes without being asked. Breakups, academic stress, random life crises, he was always there, somehow involved in solving everyone’s problems like random side quests.

So when the idea of taking Jake Sim down first crossed your mind mid semester, there was only one person you could think of being part of your crazy plan...Lee Heeseung. The only problem? He was barely ever in class. And even when he was, he left the moment lectures ended, unless someone stopped him first.

But luck, for once, was on your side.

The day after you texted Evelyn, you spotted him in class sitting in the back. Focused on his Nintendo Switch.

You hesitated for a moment before approaching him “I… have a little favor to ask…”

Your voice came out softer than intended, almost swallowed by the quiet hum of the room. Heeseung looked up slowly, his face half-hidden behind a mask and hoodie. Only his large, curious eyes were visible as they settled on you.

You realized he was waiting for you to continue so you stepped closer.

And explained everything. EVERYTHING.

By the time you finished, he had put his switch aside, sitting up straighter.

“So…” you hesitated, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. “Will you help me?”

Heeseung studied your face for a moment, then a quiet, breathy laugh escaped him “sure,” he said casually. “But what do I get?”

You gaped.

What exactly could you offer someone like him?

You scratched your head, genuinely thinking and then your face lit up. Rummaging through your bag, you pulled something out before holding it toward him with a hopeful expression.

A strawberry band-Aid set.

“This could help a lot,” you said earnestly. For a second Heeseung just stared at it. Then he laughed again, this time louder. He gave you a thumbs up.

“Consider your work done, baby.”

# 3 payback

“How can you be so heartless? Oh my god…” Heeseung’s doe eyes and exaggerated pout would have been almost comedic if not for the absolute horror etched across Jake’s face. You glanced around nervously. People were gathering. Of course they were!

A few curious students had already slowed down, whispers spreading as more heads turned toward the scene. Within seconds, a small crowd had formed, drawn in by the tension like moths to a flame.

“Me?! Heartless?” Jake groaned, finally managing to shove Heeseung away. “I don’t even know you!” Heeseung staggered back slightly before casually running a hand through his hair, “Really?” he scoffed, tilting his head. “Then why were you ignoring my texts?”

Holy shit. You stared at him, stunned. Lee Heeseung had exceeded your expectations. Was he secretly a theatre kid or something? Why was he so good at this?

Before you could even process it, Heeseung’s head snapped in your direction, his expression shifting dramatically “was it her?!” he accused, pointing straight at you “you’ve been ignoring me for her?!”

You had to bite down hard on the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from laughing but then you followed his gaze and turned back.

Oh shit.

Evelyn stood there, right behind you. Her expression a mix of disbelief, and something dangerously close to heartbreak.

“What?!” Jake’s voice rose again, panic slipping into it now. “I don’t even check texts from people I know!” He took a breath, trying to steady himself “look, I think you’ve got the wrong guy—”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Heeseung cut in smoothly, his tone suddenly serious “after you told me you were still confused about us… that you wanted to experience a few more ‘dates’ before settling down?” The final blow.

A sharp, collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Somewhere behind you Sadie shrieked. Your eyes darted back to Evelyn, her face had gone pale.

Oh my god.

Jake let out a disbelieving scoff “first of all, get your script right—I don’t even swing that way!”

Heeseung stepped closer again, gripping his shoulder lightly “you weren’t saying that last week after you came back from your museum event and told me how boring it wa—”

Smack.

The sound echoed through the corridor. Evelyn’s hand had already fallen back to her side, her chest rising and falling rapidly as Jake stood frozen, a red handprint blooming across his cheek.

For a moment everything went silent. Then Heeseung let out a small yelp, stepping back immediately. “Oh wow… I’m dipping,” he muttered, already retreating into the crowd. He threw you a quick wink before disappearing completely.

Wait—What?! Just like that?

“You could have told me if you didn’t like me in the first place!” Evelyn’s voice cracked, rising higher with every word. Jake blinked, still processing. “Look, Evelyn, I—”

She stepped back, shaking her head.

“Ahhhhh, so the campus fuckboy is actually a closeted gay who refuses to commit to any woman so he can keep his secret male concubines” Sadie, of course pushed her way to the front, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear “Guys!” she called out to the crowd still waiting for another climax “have you ever seen Jake Sim publicly showing affection to anyone?!”

Whispers spread instantly.

Agreement, disagreeing, mixed up speculation with judgment of course.

Jake stood there, jaw tightening as he took a slow, controlled breath. He was done. So fucking done.

All he had wanted was a quiet break. Maybe grab something to eat. Maybe scroll through Riki’s messages and laugh at whatever tung tung tung sahur nonsense his brother was up to.

Evelyn’s quiet sniffles broke through the noise “I should’ve known…” she whispered, her voice trembling “There were other people… how did I not see this coming…?” Sadie immediately jumped back in “Exactly, Evelyn! How many more wom—oops, actually, how many more people are there, Jake? Huh? Your reputation exists for a rea—”

Enough.

Something in him snapped.

Your body reacted before your mind could catch up. Legs told you to move, to leave, to get the fuck away and disappear before this spiraled even further out of control. But you couldn't.

Jake’s eyes found yours and something about the way he looked at you made your stomach churn. Wait…Why was he looking at you like that? Before you could think, he started walking toward you. Fast and long strides.

Oh no no no no — You turned, trying to slip into the crowd, but you couldn’t make it more than a step as his hand caught your forearm firnly. You yelped as he pulled you back, turning you to face him.

“I am not gay,” he said sharply, looking at Evelyn and Sadie “And I don’t know whatever the fuck that was.”

Your brain scrambled to catch up.

“But I sure as hell have something going on with her.”

“What—wait—”

You didn’t even get the chance to protest because in the next second, He pulled you in close. His frame towering over yours, overwhelming and leaving you no space to think, no space to breathe and then — His lips pressed against yours.

The bulb above your mind short circuited.

Gasps rippled through the crowd as Evelyn and Sadie screamed at the same time. Your legs felt like jelly. Mind completely blank. All you could register was the warmth of Jake’s lips against yours, and the way everything around you seemed to blur into nothing.

Wahhh....is that....the pearly gates of heaven—

And just as suddenly as it began he pulled away. There was a faint, almost smug smile playing on his lips.

A look of victory it is.

He got you at last.

“You bitch!” Sadie’s voice cut through the moment. She stormed toward you, her hand already raised, ready to strike, but Jake was way faster. He stood between you and Sadie, body shielding your figure as his hand shot out gripping her wrist mid air before it could make contact.

“Be careful.”

His voice was cold. Not raised. Enough to make Sadie freeze. Then she yanked her hand back, jaw clenched tightly, eyes burning with fury. Without another word, she grabbed Evelyn’s hand “Let’s go, Eve. Both of them are shit faced.”

Evelyn didn’t argue or look back. The two of them disappeared into the thinning crowd, whispers trailing behind them as people slowly lost interest and drifted away.

And then the inevitable silence fell. Just you, Jake and your trembling lips. Your heart was racing so fast it hurt. You barely noticed the way he turned toward you again until you instinctively stepped back. Once....twice until your back hit the cold railing behind you.

No escape zone.

Your breath hitched as Jake stepped closer. Too close.

Before you could react, his hand came up, gripping your jaw firmly, forcing you to look at him. Your breath stuttered and for a second, everything slowed.

His face was right there. His eyes—Wait. Had his eyes always looked like that? So… attractive —Shit, the HELL were you thinking?

“I hope you enjoyed that kiss,” he said, voice mocking you.

Your chest tightened slowly “And now,” he continued, his grip loosening just slightly but not enough to let you pull away, “you’re going to do everything I tell you.” Your stomach dropped.

“Otherwise…” He paused and that smirk returned.

“…the cctv footage of you locking me in the sports office won’t take long to reach your dean.”

Your eyes widened. Fuck. What ?!

Before you could even process it, he let go. Just like that and adjusted his bag over his shoulder, completely unbothered, then walked past you without a second glance.

Leaving you there, utterly screwed.

“Can we talk?”

Jay’s hand paused, his pen hovering over the notebook as he looked up, eyes widening slightly when he saw Chaerin standing in front of him, her expression unreadable. The library was packed, students hunched over books and laptops, trying to squeeze in whatever they could before finals.

He inhaled slowly. So this was it.

After weeks of avoiding her, ducking calls, changing routes, pretending not to notice, he had finally been cornered.

“i guess,” he muttered, though it sounded more like surrender than agreement.

Chaerin pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. For a moment, she said nothing, her fingers resting on the edge of the table as if she was trying to steady herself “see…” she began, “I wasn’t aware of your… fuck and leave rule”

Jay’s jaw tightened slightly.

“And I know I’m probably being annoying as hell,” she continued, fidgeting with her fingers, “but….I thought—I thought maybe...we had something. You talked about your family… your brother—I mean I'm not complaining!—it's just–”

“I do that with everyone” his voice cut through her words, firm and unwavering. Chaerin stilled.

“And you weren’t the first girl to sympathize with me,” he added, not looking away. “Everyone I’ve had ‘something’ with had the same reaction.”

Something.

So that’s what she was to him. Just another 'something'.

“Jay, I—” she hesitated, adjusting her glasses again as they slipped down her nose. “I like you. A lot. And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I don’t want to force anything…” The slight tremble in her voice was audible, “...I was just wondering… why did you stop talking to me? We were fine before that party, right?”

“I fuck and leave. Just as you said” his words landed bluntly.

Chaerin went quiet. An “oh” escaped her mouth sounding barely above a whisper.

“So… all this time…” she murmured, her gaze dropping to the table, “you just wanted to leave? Even before we…?”Jay’s fingers twitched under the desk. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Did he want to leave? His thoughts betrayed him — memories flickering through his mind. The lectures where she sat beside him, talking endlessly, distracting him in ways he never admitted he liked. The days she made him laugh when he felt suffocated by everything at home.

His silence stretched too long as Chaerin took it as her answer.

She stood up abruptly, the chair scraping softly against the floor “s–sorry for wasting your time, I guess…”

Move. Say something. Don’t just sit there stubbornly. His brother’s voice echoed in his head, mocking him.

But Jay couldn't move. His body felt heavy, rooted in place. Chaerin inhaled shakily “I really liked you, Jay,” she said, her voice steadier now, even if her hands weren’t “I’m sorry I was so blinded by it… I forgot to ask what you felt about me”

Liked. Did she not like him anymore? Was he really that easy to walk away from?

Chaerin didn’t wait for an answer this time before turning around and walking out of his sight.

You bit your nails relentlessly, eyes scanning the same line in your book for what felt like the hundredth time and yet not a single word registered. Everything was slipping out of your brain. What the hell had just happened? Why would Jake do that? And worse — What was going to happen now?!

You groaned, grabbing your pillow and pressing your face into it before letting out a loud, muffled scream “It’s my fault—it’s my fault, ughhhhh! Why didn’t I think about the cctv?!” you whined into the fabric, your voice coming out distorted. This had gone so utterly out of control. Nothing—nothing—had gone according to plan and on top of that, Heeseung’s useless entrance at the worst possible time, followed by his equally useless disappearance, had left you even more irritated.

You flopped onto your back, staring at the ceiling before your eyes drifted toward your phone lying lifeless beside you. Switched off.

You hadn’t dared to turn it on since morning knowing notifications would be flooded, messages, missed calls, blah blah and at least half of them would be from Sadie, probably cursing you, your ancestors, and your entire bloodline and perform some sacrificial ritual.

You groaned again, throwing an arm over your eyes.

A sudden knock on your door snapped you upright.

Your heart jumped into your throat. Oh shit.

Did Sadie come to kill you? No, no, no—this is too early—another knock came, louder this time. Fuck. She’s going to murder you.

Your palms grew sweaty as you slowly got off the bed, taking cautious steps toward the door. Each step felt heavier than the last. The knocking grew impatient. You gasped softly, grip tightening around the doorknob. Okay. This is it. You twisted the lock and pulled the door open —

Chaerin!

Relief flooded through you so fast your knees almost gave out.

“Ooouf—thank god…”

You stood there for a moment, just staring at her, trying to gather the right words.

“Jake kissed me.”

“I finally talked to Jay—wait, WHAT??”

crickets....

Your eyes widened as Chaerin stepped inside, quickly locking the door behind her “what the fuck do you mean Jake kissed you?!” she gripped her hair, pacing the room. “I’m going to commit arson on that bitch oh my god!”

Your mind went completely blank as you tried to process everything at once.

Wait....why was Chaerin so furious at Jake? Wasn’t she… heartbroken over him? And — Why did she say she talked to Ja..…y.

Oh.

Oh.

Wait.....wait a damn second.

“y/n, answer me!” Chaerin shoved you lightly, her eyes blazing. “What in the world happened?!”

You swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry “C-Chae…” you stammered, “who was the person you said you slept with at last month’s party…?” Chaerin groaned in frustration “Ugh, I told you—it was Jay! But that’s not important right now, first of all—”

Her voice started fading into the background as your slow ass brain finally caught up. You felt your legs giving up as you sank onto the mattress, hands coming up to clutch your head.

Jay. Not Jake.

Chaerin was hung up on Jay, not Jake.

Your dumbahh confused both the J’s and in the process you had created an absolute disaster. A soft gasp escaped your lips as the realization hit you fully. Oh my god. All this time…Everything you planned…every move you made, instead of helping Chaerin you were just embarrassing yourself.

“Helloooo??? Earth to y/n? Are you even listening?” Chaerin’s voice cut through your spiraling thoughts, laced with concern. You looked up at her slowly, your expression somewhere between horror and disbelief “Chae…” you said weakly, running a hand through your hair

“I think I might’ve done some irreversible damage…”

Getting into Decelis was something you had always been proud of. Being a scholarship student, getting the chance to major in architecture, the one thing you had dreamed of throughout your teenage years was more than enough. It was everything you had worked for and yet now you found yourself counting down the days to graduation. Or worse. To drop out without telling anyone. More importantly There was no one to blame but yourself.

You knew that.

You had spent the entire afternoon explaining Chaerin the absolute mess you had created, while looking up “painless kms methods” on your browser, only to slam your laptop shut seconds later.

“Y/n… I fear even I can’t get you out of this situation…”

Chaerin’s helpless voice echoed in your mind, and your chest tightened as another wave of emotion hit you. You let out a broken cry what, the fifth time today? You had lost count.

Now, sitting in front of your laptop again as the screen glowed harshly in the dim room, feeling less like a device and more like some kind of execution platform, your eyes remained fixed on a single message that came just a few seconds ago from an unknown number. Or at least you pretended it was unknown and you definietly didn’t recognize who it could be.

Anything to convince yourself this wasn’t real.

— Boys’ dormitory, third floor, room number 15. Come within five minutes.

Your gaze slowly shifted toward the digital clock on the wall.

1:00 a.m.

A dry laugh escaped your lips. Right.....What business could someone from the boys’ dorm possibly have with you at this hour? Hahaha…Such a silly prank.…ha.…ha....ha....

The silence that followed felt unbearable. You exhaled shakily, dragging a hand down your face. Yeah no.

This wasn’t a prank anymore. Which meant you had no choice but to go. Because if you didn’t — The next message you might receive would be directly from the dean’s office.

The trip to the boys’ dormitory felt like you were willingly walking straight into hell. Surprisingly, getting past the guards wasn’t difficult as they were sound asleep, completely unaware of your existence. Soon enough you found yourself standing in front of the door, with a metal batch of the number '15' on it.

You rubbed your sweaty palms against your jeans and lifted your hand, about to knock.

The door swung open.

Jake stood there, fresh out of the shower, his hair still wet, blonde strands clinging to his forehead. You could practically see the faint steam rising from his skin. The scent of his shampoo or body wash hit you instantly, clean and sharp, making your head feel oddly light.

“Oh?” he raised a brow. “Right on time. I was just about to notify your dean.”

The smugness in his voice made you want to turn back and leave. Before you could respond, his eyes flicked left and right down the hallway. Without any warning he grabbed your elbow and yanked you inside.

The door shut behind you with a click.

Your brain immediately fogged. Is he going to kill me? Or not? Every alarm bell in your head went off as you stood frozen for a second before forcing yourself to follow him further inside.

You had never been inside the boys’ dormitory before. Well—obviously you had never had a reason to. But everything you had heard was true. The space was bigger, more open compared to the girls’ dorms. Instead of separate rooms, a few boys shared one large living area with individual bedrooms branching off. You followed Jake through the common space, your eyes scanning everything instinctively. Unwashed dishes piled up in the sink. A gaming controller lay abandoned on the floor “Shit—” you muttered under your breath, almost tripping over it, catching your balance just in time.

You passed by three other closed doors, assuming they belonged to his friends, before finally reaching his room. Jake stepped in first, then you. And the door shut behind you again.

This is it. He’s going to kill you and put up your kidneys for friday sale. You stood awkwardly near the entrance as he nudged a gaming chair toward you with his foot. The wheels rolled softly until they bumped against your legs.

“Sit.”

You couldn't.

Meanwhile, Jake casually dropped onto his bed, completely at ease, “sooo…” he dragged out, resting back on his hands. “What should we do with you, miss...?”

"y/n..." you answered then swallowed, fingers fidgeting nervously as your gaze wandered everywhere except his face. His room was annoyingly spotless.

“okayy let’s start from the beginning,” his tone shifted slightly. “and clear our bad blood.”

You could feel his eyes on you, waiting. You took a deep breath. Whatever happens, happens. “See… I’m sorry,” you began “I mistook you for someone else and—and I didn’t realize it until I—”

He huffed, cutting you off “I’m not an idiot, y/n...I knew you mistook me for someone else the moment you locked me in the sports office,” Jake clicked his tongue, leaning back on one elbow. His gaze dragged over you again in that same shameless way.

“I just didn’t realize you’d be bold enough to drag it out this long.”

You wanted to disappear. This was so humiliating that you briefly considered jumping out of the third floor window.

“Now that the damage is done,” he continued casually, “let’s discuss what happens next.”

Your head snapped up. “Next?”

There’s a next?!

Jake stood up and walked towards you. Your body instinctively stepped back until your legs hit the gaming chair behind you, causing you to fall right into it with a soft thud.

“You,” he pointed at you, “are going to act like my girlfriend.”

Your brain stopped functioning.

“As long as I say,” he added. “And we—yes, WE—are going to make Evelyn jealous until she comes back to me.”

Your head spun. This can't be real.

“And everything in this relationship, will go according to my rules. My conditions.”

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out.

“Unless,” he added smoothly, “you decide you don’t want to do this and also don’t want to graduate with a proper degree.” Your stomach dropped “I can always send that footage to the dean—”

“No!” you blurted out, shooting up from the chair. “I—I’ll do it!”

Silence followed. Jake studied your face carefully, his eyes scanning for hesitation, doubt, anything that suggested you might back out. After a moment, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

“Good—savor the moment while it lasts”

Lying on your bed, you traced random patterns over your bedsheet, fingers moving absentmindedly as your mind refused to settle. Sleep was nowhere to be found. Your brain felt heavy as hell as your eyes flickered toward the digital clock.

4:00 a.m.

Another sleepless night. Another hellish week. And, of course — another hellish fake boyfriend who made sure you regretted every second of taking admission in Decelis. It had been almost two weeks since Jake “proposed”– no, forced this whole pretend relationship onto you, all for the sake of making his darling jealous. At this point, you were convinced it wasn’t even about her anymore. It felt personal grudge against your entire bloodline.

You groaned, rolling onto your side. Well, technically...it was personal.

Going to college had turned into a daily humiliation ritual. No matter where you went, lecture halls, corridors, cafeteria, Jake was there, reminding you of what an absolute joke your life had become. And the college? Oh, they were having the time of their lives. The forum buzzed nonstop with rumors about you being Jake’s new babe. Your classmates flocked around you like flies, throwing questions left and right from how does Jake wipe his ass to what the hell did he even see in you?

Disrespectful as fuck.

You had been avoiding the engineering building entirely, convinced Sadie might have already hired an assassin to take you out. You shivered, fingers brushing over a spot on your neck absentmindedly.

“Girl… I think you need to see a doctor,” Jurin sighed, grabbing your hand in concern.

“This could be an early symptom of cancer, who knows,” Chisa added still munching on a drumstick, earning dead glares from both Chaerin and Jurin. You huffed.

Honestly, being hospitalized didn’t sound that bad right now. At least Jake wouldn’t be able to drag you around.

“…So,” Chisa spoke again, completely unfazed, “how is Jake as a boyfriend?”

You groaned loudly, dropping your head back. The worst. Absolutely the worst.

He would call you at the most ungodly hours, 3 p.m., 3 a.m., it didn’t matter, interrupting whatever you were doing just to summon you to his room. For what? To turn on his computer. To clean his desk. Which, by the way, was already clean most of the time. Being Jake’s girlfriend—no, fake girlfriend felt like a full time ragebait experiment. And yet you thought, would he treat you better if you were his actual girlfriend?

What the fuck? No. Absolutely not.

Why were you even thinking that? Who in their right mind would want to be his girlfriend?

He was just an asshole with a good face. That’s it.…Okay, fine. Maybe a very good face.

You squeezed your eyes shut, annoyed at yourself and your eyes which unfortunately worked. Which meant you noticed stuffs. Like the way he looked on the basketball court, focused, sharp, effortlessly attractive.

Or the times you’d find him in his room, sitting casually and completely absorbed in his phone as you sneaked glances while cleaning his basketball tournament trophies.

Or the way he walked just ahead of you in the corridor, his tall frame practically swallowing your smaller one.

You exhaled deeply. This was getting bad. Very bad.

“Oh my god… she’s lost in the exclusive Jake sauce,” Chisa whispered and Chaerin smacked her arm instantly.

# 4 fatal trouble

“Are you purposely ignoring me or what?” Jake’s annoyed voice snapped you back to reality. You crossed your arms, already irritated by the heat and by him. His furrowed brows weren’t helping either. Why the fuck does he looks so attractive with an ugly expression like that the FUCK????

He had called you multiple times until you were forced to pick up in the middle of a lecture, no less which earned you a scolding from Professor Min in front of the entire class.

“I’m not,” you replied shortly, your tone flat. You knew if you said anything more, you might actually punch him. Jake didn’t bother arguing, instead, he tossed his bag at you. Which you caught it out of reflex, immediately sliding it over your shoulder.

God....did he carry bricks in this thing?

“Let’s go,” he said, already turning away. “We have somewhere to be.”

Which is how you found yourself stuck in some godforsaken café, whose interior design alone announced that they sold tasteless stuffs at horrible overpriced rates. Girls sat all around, looking as pretty as ever in their cute tank tops, skirts, jeans, and frilly bow clips, honestly, the only thing making the place somewhat bearable even though, you were still judging hard the questionable boyfriends they had brought along.

Evelyn and Sadie were seated near the window, surrounded by their friend group. Yunjin...ahyeon...daniel...You recognized a few familiar faces from the mechanical engineering department.

You weren’t sure if they had noticed you yet — or were just choosing to ignore you, but Evelyn had definitely noticed Jake who was sitting right across from you. His back faced her, hiding you perfectly from their line of sight.

Jake slid the menu toward you and you shook your head

“not hungry.”

He rolled his eyes “then pretend you are. Don’t embarrass me anymore in public, don’t you think once was enough?”

You screamed internally and flipped open the menu anyway.

What the fuck. 23 dollars for a frappuccino???You immediately snapped the menu shut.

that amount of money could feed you for days... there was no way you were ordering—

“uhhhh, two frappuccinos....and extra whipped cream on both.”

You froze.

Jake had already placed the order, completely uncaring of your internal crisis as you stared at him, mouth slightly open.

Is this it? Is this the part of fake dating where they pay for your food? I mean… not that you were complaining—

“Close your mouth, dimwit. You really do love attention,” he muttered causing your cheeks to hit up as you quickly looked away “whatever”

this was nothing like what you had imagined?? First of all, how the hell was sipping overpriced coffee with Jake supposed to make Evelyn jealous? Did he even have a plan? At this rate, you’d be fifty by the time anything happened, probably with heart problems from stress.

You hummed a random tune under your breath, absentmindedly playing with your straw, trying to distract yourself.

Your eyes drifted toward Jake out of habit. He was scrolling through his phone, as usual, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

You swallowed, the sweetness of the frappuccino did nothing to calm the sudden goosebumps on your skin. Why did he kiss me that day? Ugh… it’s his fault I can’t fucking look away from his lips the FUCK?

At the table beside you, some guy was making weird faces and feeding his girlfriend, and you couldn’t help but cringe. Wasn’t Jake supposed to be doing stuff like that to make Evelyn jealous? Whatever. Not your problem anyway—

You gasped slightly as Jake suddenly stood up and dragged his chair right beside yours, drawing a bit of attention,

including from Evelyn’s table.

You kept your head down, pretending to focus on your drink. Should you say something? Do something? This was so confusing. Minutes passed and you sensed Evelyn and her group getting closer, the clique clack of their heels on the hard wood floor, echoing through, you relaxed when she didn’t even spare you a glance and started heading toward the exit. Thank go—

Suddenly Jake’s hand moved from his cup to your left thigh, gripping it without hesitation. He squeezed lightly, too close to the hem of your skirt, his fingers brushing dangerously near your inner thigh.

“Eek!” you yelped, startled.

The sound drew immediate attention including Evelyn who turned and her eyes locked onto your flustered expression then they slowly travelled to Jake’s arm resting casually under the table, and his hand still wrapped around your thigh.

Shit shit shit.

Sadie wasted no time and grabbed her arm, pulling her away to the exit. The rest of the girls threw you strange, judging looks before following her out. Silence fell over your table. You could hear your own heart pounding violently in your chest.

The warmth around your thigh was gone the moment Evelyn walked out of sight. You sat there, heartbeat in your throat, and sweating crazy underneath the air conditioning machine. “Bill, please,” Jake called casually, handing his card to the waiter. “For one frappuccino.” Wait—what? You grabbed his shoulder, eyes wide. “What about me?!” He glanced at you, dragging his gaze up and down before shrugging. “I don’t know. I asked what you wanted—you couldn’t decide, so I ordered the same for both of us. Doesn’t mean I’m paying for both.”

You stared at him in disbelief. This was getting SO ridiculous. You quickly fumbled through your bag looking for your purse and shoved some crumpled notes into his hand before standing up and storming out.

God you just wanted to die.

Jake had officially pushed you to the point where you discovered strands of grey hairs growing from your roots. “Ouch!” you winced as Chaerin tugged at one absentmindedly. “Girl… trust me, no one cares. Damn, this one’s stubborn.” You bit your lower lip, trying to ignore the sting. “I care! What if people think I’m some kind of weirdo grandma going after a college guy?!”

Chaerin rolled her eyes. “You trapped yourself, at the end of the day.” You shot her a glare “I did everything for you, and this is how you repay me?!”

All she did was sigh “my dumb, pretty y/n… maybe if you had listened to me carefully NONE OF THIS WOULD’VE HAPPENED!”

You pouted. “Yeah, yeah. Everyone hates me, I get it.”

Between Jake and your coursework, the pressure of getting bullied by both was becoming unbearable. You let out what felt like your hundredth groan of the week. “Can this just end, god…”

Thud!

A basketball smacked straight into your head. “Ow!” you yelped looking up instantly, Jake stood there, amusement written all over his face “stop thinking so hard, dimwit. Take life easy,” he said, giggled and you swore you wanted to break his face.

Grabbing the ball, you threw it back at him with full force. “Suck it, Jackass.”

He caught it effortlessly, raising a brow. “Oh? Making progress, huh?” You stood up, brushing dirt off your jeans. Enough. It had already been over two hours. Jake had dragged you here because apparently Evelyn was supposed to watch the practice for new cheerleading recruits, but neither she nor any cheerleaders had shown up. Instead, you had been stuck watching him practice alone and getting harassed relentlessly.

He tossed the ball at you again but this time you caught it cleanly. And somehow that turned into a full blown game back and forth. Again and again. You hadn’t played basketball seriously since high school, but with Jake, everything felt different. Competitive and definitely Intense. No way you were leting him get out of the court without smashing his nuts with that ball–wait that's sounds weird but anyways.

It went on until both of you were completely out of breath. Jake finally dropped to the floor, legs stretched out, chest rising and falling rapidly. You laughed breathlessly. “Wha....t? Tired already?” He rolled his eyes “look at yourself first”

You both fell into a quiet pause, just staring at each other. And suddenly that same awkward, flustered feeling crept back in. “M-my dorm has a curfew today… I need to go,” you muttered, mostly to yourself, but loud enough for him to hear and started stomping towards the exit ready to leave. But before you could your foot caught on his stretched out legs.

“Ah—!” gravity pulled you down without giving you the chance to realise what just happened as a pair of strong arms caught you perfectly, landing right on top of him.

Your brain short circuited. From this close, he looked… unfair. His eyes slightly hooded, face flushed from exertion, and breath warm against your skin. You didn’t even notice the sweat trailing down your neck, hair just a mess and fingers tightly clutching his shirt. All you could focus on was him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. His gaze locked onto yours then slowly dropped to your lips. Your felt your heart skipping a beat. And before you could think you leaned in. Just a little closer, just this one time, jusssstt this once — Jake’s hand shot up, gripping your jaw, stopping you instantly.

Oh.

The doors burst opened and instantly gasps and low whistles filled the court.

Reality doubled down back into you. You scrambled off him immediately, heart racing, refusing to meet his eyes. Your gaze landed on the group that had just walked in.

The cheerleading team.

And right in the center — Evelyn.

Her glare was unpleasant. Great....just great. Sunghoon and Jay, who had come along, ran up to Jake, laughing about something you couldn’t even process. Jake, however, stayed seated, his expression unreadable. You didn’t wait another second. Grabbing your bag, you turned and stormed out.

“Oh my god… oh my god, fuckkkkkk fuckkkkk what was I thinking?” You smacked your cheeks repeatedly, staring at your reflection in the bathroom mirror. The girl staring back looked just as frustrated and flustered. Cupping your face you tried to sum up what the fuck was going on “y/n, get it together ugh!”

There were levels to your breakdown, and you were currently crossing every single one of them.

The image of jake being breathless and his warm breath against your face replayed again. His half lidded eyes drifting from yours to your lips.

Nope.

You turned the shower on. This couldn’t be happening rn. What the hell was his problem?No, more importantly, why did you lean in to kiss—“No! The fuck—never!” you shouted, trying to convince yourself as your fingers brushed over your lips, you nearly cried in frustration. Embarrassment seeped into your veins as you remembered his grip on your jaw, the only thing that had stopped you from completely humiliating yourself.

“Am I a slut?” you whispered, then let out a loud laugh. “Hell nah. How am I a slut for wanting to kiss my boy…friend…”

You trailed off. Oh... Right.

“Soooo… what was that?” Sunghoon grabbed Jake’s jaw, puckering his lips in an exaggerated kissy face “getting all lovey-dovey with your girl, aww—Fuck—AH!” he yelped when Jake kicked him under the table. “Can I eat my damn dinner in peace?” Jay muttered, already irritated by their dogfight since they returned. Sunghoon laughed, wiping the corners of his eyes. “Man… why are you even wasting your time on her?” He paused, then leaned forward “…no way. Don’t tell me you like her.”

Jake scoffed immediately “she isn’t even my type, the fuck? And how can I just let her walk away after the shit she pulled on me last month?” He crossed his arms, gaze drifting past Sunghoon toward the depressing white walls of their dorm “she pisses me off,” he added after a moment “in a good way. And I’m not letting her walk out until I get my satisfaction.”

Sunghoon leaned back, raising his hands in surrender. “Alrighttt. Do whatever you want—just don’t break the poor girl’s heart.” Jake ignored him, focusing back on his food.

Your next meeting with Jake wasn’t awkward for him. But for you? Oh you were a mess. You kept stammering, stumbling over your words, avoiding eye contact so obviously that even Jake noticed. “Are you sick?” he asked, casually licking his popsicle. You stared straight ahead, your mind screaming 'whatever you do, do not look at him'.

Your own popsicle had started melting in your hand within minutes.

Why was it suddenly so hot? And why did Jake even buy me one? He wasn’t that generous....was he?? Is he making fun of me rn? Oh god, he definitely is. I should just dig a hole and bury myself.

Jake sighed, clearly losing patience. He scooted closer, the bleacher suddenly feeling way too small as his thigh brushed against yours.

“N-no! I’m fine! I’m not sick!” you blurted out, forcing an overly bright smile. He grimaced “ew… what is that expression? I don’t believe you at all” before you could react, he leaned closer. His arms rested on the back of the bleacher, caging you in “hey…” he frowned slightly.

“Are you planning something behind my back again?”

His eyes locked onto yours, and you swore they were going to swallow you whole. You shook your head quickly. “…No.”

“No…?”

“No—”

Jake suddenly lifted his popsicle toward your mouth “lick.”

Your brain went blank. “What—no! I have my own—”

He pushed it closer anyway, smearing a bit of that melted cream at the corner of your lips. You froze instantly as his smug expression only made it worse. “Oops,” he muttered, mockingly. “So sorry, baby.” You felt your stomach flipping as a thumb came up, brushing against your lip to wipe the cream away — his rough fingertip lingered just a second too long. And then he brought that same thumb to his mouth. Licking it clean.

You heard faint shrieks from nearby girls, but they barely registered because your eyes had already caught something else.

Evelyn.

She was standing near a pillar, trying to hide, but her unmistakable stare gave it away.

Shit.

“I—I have class,” you rushed out, scrambling to your feet. “Evelyn saw us, I think my job here is done—” You backed away quickly when Jake tried to grab your wrist

“What—?” He turned, trying to spot Evelyn.

But by the time he looked back you were already gone.

What was happening? Why were you suddenly so nervous around Jake? He had always been the center of your rants and main topic of shit talking sessions between you and Chaerin. You had cursed him out more times than you could ever count. It wasn’t supposed to end up like this… right?

So what if he wasn’t the one who caused Chaerin’s breakdown? He was still an asshole for using you like this.

But then again… what you did to him wasn’t exactly justified either.

“Ugh…” you groaned softly, pressing your fingers to your temple. Everything was making your head spin.

“Good morning to Miss y/n? I hope you’re alright back there.” Professor Min’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You blinked, suddenly aware of the classroom and the number of students who had turned around to look at you.

“…what? Did Jake dump her already?”

Your jaw clenched. I can hear you, assholes.

As exam week approached, you prayed to every god you could think of that Jake would at least spare you. And surprisingly he did. He left you alone for the most part. There was no tortures except the occasional insulting text or sarcastic remark, nothing that actually disrupted your study schedule. There were only a few days left before your first exam, and Jake had practically gone MIA. By now, you knew he took his GPA seriously.

Not like you were missing him or anything.

“Why does the syllabus look longer now…? I swear it wasn’t this big before…” you muttered, flipping through your notes that looked like new discovery when you were so damn confident about your preparation.

“Whoa, easy, princess. You’re going to rip the book apart.”

You froze. That voice—You looked up and gasped “wha— It’s you!”

A few heads turned in annoyance, reminding you instantly that you were in the library. Oops. You mouthed a quick sorry before lowering your voice, eyes narrowing at the person who had just taken a seat beside you “Lee fucking Heeseung, what the hell…” you whispered. He covered his mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“Well, that’s because you literally disappeared after that incident!” you whisper yelled, making him sigh. He casually rolled up his sleeves and started taking out his books. “I had stuff to do.”

He shot you a wink, and annoyingly you couldn’t help but find it a little cute. Okay, fine. It was hard to stay mad at him.

“Want me to help you out?” he asked, glancing at your open notebook. “I know this chapter.” Relief washed over you instantly. “Yes, please.”

“Wahhhh, that was so easy!” You stretched, letting out a satisfied yawn. Heeseung nodded “I told you it wasn’t that hard.”

You started packing your bag while he slowly gathered his things as well. Then you paused. “Wait… aren’t you going to study? All you did was explain everything to my slow brain.”

He shrugged casually. “I studied too—in the process.” You nodded, slinging your bag over your shoulder. “Then… see you, I guess. Good luck!” you said, giving him a thumbs up. But before you could walk away, he grabbed your bag strap, stopping you in your tracks “and what do I get for tutoring you?”

You chuckled, already reaching into your pocket, pulling out the same strawberry designed band-aid, you held it out to him. “Here. Restock your supplies.”

Heeseung burst into laughter as he took it from your hand. “Sure thing.”

Jake wasn’t replying to your texts. You stared at the last message you had sent him two days ago still sitting there, untouched. You scoffed. It wasn’t like you were worried or anything. Or maybe… you were. You sighed and started typing again.

You okay?|

ew that sounded way too concerned.

You quickly erased it and tried again.

Is our deal off?|

no...what if he sees that and decides to pull something even weirder during exam week?

You groaned softly, deleting the message once more before turning your phone off entirely. This felt…weird. Just a few days ago Jake’s texts felt like notifications of doom and despair. You hated them. So why did his silence feel worse?

You stared down at your nails. The half chipped nail polish you had been nervously chewing off looked as awful as ever. Should I get a manicure? But… Chaerin wasn’t free. Chisa and Jurin were probably busy too. So what? You could go alone. Why were you waiting for anyone?

Yeah a small reward. Maybe motivation for your exams.

The nail salon wasn’t too far from your dorm. The sharp smell of nail polish and acetone hit you the moment you pushed the glass door open and stepped inside. After explaining the design you wanted, you sank into the padded chair, finally allowing yourself to relax. For once, things felt calm and peaceful. But that peace didn’t last long because the moment you turned your head slightly — your stomach dropped. Fuck. Sadie.

She was sitting right next to you, getting her nails done, laughing at something her nail artist had said. And just as if fate wanted to ruin your day further her eyes landed on you. You cursed under your breath.“H-hi…” you forced out, offering a tight lipped smile. Her response was a scowl and the nastiest glare you had ever received.

Okayyyy. Let’s just pretend that never happen.

You turned your head away, sitting as stiff as possible for the rest of the session, painfully aware of her gaze burning into the side of your face. You were in the middle of getting your cuticles pushed back, trying to ignore everything, when suddenly her figure appeared behind your nail artist. Before you could react she shoved your nail artist, who stumbled forward. The metal tool scraped against your skin in a flash.

“Ouch!” you hissed, flinching as a sharp sting shot through your fingers.

“I’m so sorry! Oh my god, are you okay?” your nail artist immediately stepped back, panicked, turning toward the source of everything that just went down. Saddie shrugged. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.”

What a bitch.

“I-it’s okay,” you managed, even though the skin around your nail was already starting to bleed. So much for a peaceful evening.

Jake stared at his answer for a solid fifteen minutes, eyes wide and watery as he tried to figure out what the hell he had just written. With a frustrated sigh, he deleted the entire paragraph. A tissue was stuffed into one of his nostrils as he struggled to stay sane and not sneeze again. Running a fever while preparing for darn sem finals felt like a survival show.

A soft knock broke his concentration.

He let out an annoyed sound. “Sunghoon, I told you stop bothering me”

The door creaked open slightly and Sunghoon peeked in, his expression unusually concerned. “I swear the dean will forgive you for one bad paper,”

Jake huffed. “I don’t care.”

Sunghoon hesitated for a moment before adding, “Uh… someone’s here for you” and Jake frowned. “Who?”

Instead of answering, Sunghoon pushed the door open wider, revealing you. You were standing there, glancing around the living room while trying to process the caveman level lifestyle these boys were living in. Jake’s eyes widened and he shot up immediately, only for his legs to wobble as pain shot through his joints. You rushed forward instinctively, grabbing his arm just as Sunghoon stepped in to help. The two of you guided him back to the bed.

Sunghoon looked between you both, then shrugged. “I’ll leave you guys to it,” he muttered before walking out.

You finally turned your full attention to Jake.“Damn. You look like you’re dying.”

He chuckled weakly, blowing his nose. “Yeah? You’re not invited to the funeral, by the way. The food’s gonna be great.” You rolled your eyes. Even sick, he is unbearable ugh.

“Sooo…” he leaned back, a lazy, teasing smile forming on his lips. “Did you miss me?”

God, you regretted coming here.

You swallowed. “No?”

“That came out way too fast. That means you did miss me—ouch!” he winced when you kicked his foot. “Have some mercy on a sick man, damn.” You huffed and tossed the plastic bag you were holding onto his lap. Jake blinked, confused, before peeking inside.

“…Oranges?!”

You tried not to smile too proudly at the way his entire demeanor shifted. He had clearly been craving them. Well It’s not like you spent a whole night stalked his old Instagram highlights from 2017 and saw a 13 years old Jake in his post basketball tournament, holding a trophie and a big box of fresh oranges from his hometown in Brisbane.

You cleared your throat. “Uh… consider it payment for the p-popsicle.”

A faint blush crept onto your cheeks. Jake set the bag aside and began peeling one, his eyes never leaving yours “sure”

You couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Even sick, he looked annoyingly good. His flushed face, slightly watery eyes, and glossed lips from constantly licking them.

“Speaking of which…” he suddenly stood up making you instinctively stepped back. “Why did you run away like that...that day?”

“I did not!” you protested, flailing your hands, only for him to catch your arms mid motion. “Right…?” he tilted his head, a grin forming. “are you shy?” He laughed softly, and you immediately cursed yourself for stepping inside the lion's den.“I am not!” you snapped, your voice rising. His grip shifted from your forearms to your wrists, holding you in place as your back bumped against the edge of his study desk.

I need to run. I need to run RIGHT NOW.

Your screamed in your head but your body stayed rooted while jake continued with his snarky remarks. Suddenly the sharp edge of the desk pressed against your injured finger.

“Ow!” you yelped. Jake paused immediately letting your wrist go. “shit are you okay?”

You rubbed the spot, shaking your head. “Y-yeah, I’m fine don’t worry!”

But he had already grabbed your hand. His eyes dropped to the cut, still slightly bleeding even under the bandage.

“Jake, you don’t have to do this—I should go—stop—ouch! slowly asshole!”

Your protests faded as he ignored you completely, carefully applying medicine to the wound. You watched him quietly, his brows furrowed in concentration, his touch surprisingly gentle. And slowly… your chest warmed. Maybe…he wasn’t that bad. You bit your lip, trying to make sense of your thoughts. You would’ve done the same if he showed up hurt at your door, right? But then again, why would he ever come to you? He had plenty of other places to go.

He’d probably run back to Evelyn.

Your body stiffened. Why did that thought bother you? Wasn’t this the whole point from the beginning? There was nothing to feel upset about.

Jake Sim was just living up to his reputation. Your thoughts were cut short when he suddenly shoved a piece of orange into your mouth.

“Stop thinking too much.”

You blinked, chewing slowly. Your finger was now neatly cleaned and re-bandaged. Your gaze drifted back to Jake who had already settled comfortably on his bed, munching on the remaining slices of orange. Stomach doing that weird twists again. You stood up slowly. “It’s late… I should go.”

This was bad.

He didn’t even look up and just hummed in response.

This was so bad.

You turned toward the door. Wouldn’t he say something? Anything?

You paused, waiting. But nothing came.

This was so fucking bad.

“Goodnight, Jake,” you muttered under your breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear it from under his duvet.

“Yeah… this is pretty bad,” Jake muttered, zooming in on the picture of you and Heeseung laughing over scattered notes on the table. He clicked his tongue, though his expression remained unreadable. It wasn’t like he cared anyway, at least, that’s what he told himself. He turned his phone off and rolled onto his side, facing the wall. Whatever.

“I believe this is not the first time you all are giving a test… still, I will do the final courtesy of reminding you that cheating is absolutely prohibited. Anyone caught cheating will be penalised according to Decelis rulebook…”

Professor Min’s voice felt unusually overwhelming today. You checked the clock, then your laptop screen. Is Jake feeling better now? It had been exactly one week since you last spoke. The bandage he had carefully wrapped around your finger had long been replaced by Chaerin, but somehow, the warmth of his fingertips still lingered. You shook your head. Focus. You forced your attention back to the test paper in front of you.

“Are you fucking kidding me? The test just ended and you’re telling me 50% of our grade still depends on this dumbass assignment?!” Sunghoon groaned, shoving his phone in front of Jay, who looked like he was about to pass out. “How the fuck are you so chill about it?” Jungwon leaned over to peek at Jake’s laptop screen, where he had already started gathering materials for the assignment.

“Party at Soobin’s who’s in?” Sunoo chimed in, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.“Let’s fucking go. I’m so sick of these exams and assignments,” Sunghoon wailed dramatically, only to fall silent when Jake spoke.“Not coming.”

He scoffed. “Yeah, suit yourself.”

“Exam is overrrr, finally!” Chisa sang, doing a little celebratory dance. “Oh my God, guys! I just got an invitation from Soobin to attend his dope party...and....he even said I could bring whoever I want!” Jurin squealed, joining her.

“No.”

The word left both you and Chaerin at the same time. “Every single bad thing happens there,” you muttered, earning an “exactly!” from Chaerin who nodded her head in agreement. Chisa whined. “Oh, come onnn, Chae—you did have fun at that senior party. And Y/n! don’t act like you won’t be cozying up with your boyfriend.”

You flushed instantly. “N-no?! We’re not even dating like that!”

“Yeah… not yet,” Jurin added with a grin.

“Not happening everrr,” you made a fake throwing up sound.

.…Well. You did say that before.

But now, sitting in Jake’s room with blankets bunched around your legs, a bowl of popcorn resting on your lap, and an iPad screen still loading movie details, you wondered if the universe was playing some twisted joke on you. After ghosting you for two weeks, he had suddenly texted. And here you were. “Why the hell are you sitting so far away?” Jake muttered, grabbing your arm and pulling you closer. You yelped. “No—no! I’m fine!”

He gave you a weird look before pressing play. You barely registered what the movie was about. Spaceships and dinosaurs blurred together as your thoughts spiraled uncontrollably. Right, he said he was stressed because of assignments and needed someone to be his popcorn holder. What a hell of an excuse.

You dared to steal a glance at Jake who was at this point completely immersed in the movie, eyes focused, expression calm. Damn he is such a science freak. I mean not like I was complaining anyway.

Actually, you were. You missed the comfort of your bed and jake's touch—No. Stop.

You shook your head violently. What the hell were you even thinking?Jake suddenly paused the movie and turned to you. “You okay?” You nodded quickly. “Uh huh! Completely!” He stared at you for a solid five seconds before sighing. “Okay. I’m bored. Feed me popcorn while I work on my assignment.”

You blinked.

He raised his eyebrows “you got any problem?”

“But what about the movie??”

“I’ve watched it five times.”

You stared at him, dumbfounded “then why the fuck did you even turn it on, idiot?”

“Because I wanted to, dimwit,” he laughed, already opening his laptop and scooting even closer to you. The rest of the night passed in a blur of bickering and chaos. Your phone buzzed nonstop with texts from Chisa and Jurin sending funny pictures of a drunk Chaerin.

You looked down at your fingers. The sticky feeling of caramel and alongside Jake's tongue brushing against them was lingering there. Your toes curled under the blanket. You swallowed hard, staring blankly ahead.

You didn’t want to admit it yet.

“After having an extensive conversation with the principal, we’ve decided to resume our yearly academic gala after four years of discontinuation.”

The vice chancellor’s announcement echoed through the auditorium, immediately followed by gasps, whispers, and rising excitement. “Why did they discontinue it again…?” Chaerin whispered beside you, still half-asleep as it was unusual for students to be summoned this early. “Some seniors got into a fight,” a random girl nearby replied “ and one of them even ended up with a head concussion.”

You made a weird face. Who the hell does that elementary level nonsense?

Anyways, you had greater problems to worry about than this gala which was about to take place months from now on. Not like you were interested to participate anyways. There was like hundreds of unspoken rule about participation by seniors which included having a mandatory 'attractive' date and wearing limited edition shits. So where does the middle class ugly kid goes? Nowhere silly! They stayed in their dorm while the rich kids drowned themselves in expensive alcohol and drugs.

“Need help?”

You flinched at the sudden voice cutting through your thoughts, then relaxed when you saw Heeseung’s familiar smile peeking out from under his hoodie. “Nahhh, I can reach it—see?” you said, stretching your arm to grab the design book you’d been eyeing. He laughed “no, dumbo. I meant…” He stepped closer and lightly tapped your forehead with his index finger. “There’s a lot going on in here.”

You rolled your eyes “Being a second year architecture major is not for the weak.” He chuckled, then crouched slightly to match your height. “Mhm… I don’t think this is about architecture at all, baby. There’s gotta be a mole.”

You shook your head and raised your hand to flick his forehead. “That’s not it—”

But before your fingers could reach him, another hand shot in and grabbed your wrist. Startled, both you and heeseung turned — and there he was.

Jake.

His expression was sharper than usual, a pair of bold black framed glasses rested on his nose, his uncombed hair falling messily over his forehead.

“You really should stop getting into people’s business,” he said coldly looking into Heeseung's eyes who let out a quiet sigh. “Yeah, my bad. Didn’t realise my boyfriend was into my girlfriend.”

Your tried your best to stay calm as Jake’s grip on your wrist tightened. “Fuck off,” he snapped.

Heeseung simply winked at you, mouthing 'got the mole', before slinging his bag over his shoulder and walking away. The moment he disappeared, you yanked your hand free and rubbed your wrist. “Stop showing up like that.”

Jake crossed his arms, scoffing. “Don’t you think you’re getting a little too comfortable with our deal?” You frowned. “It’s still on. What the hell did I even do wrong?”

He glanced around briefly, checking for anyone nearby, then leaned in slightly. “Getting all cozy with that guy is enough to ruin everything. Evelyn wouldn't even take me seriously at this rate.”

You ignored him, flipping open the book in your hands. “I think you just want to annoy me. This whole ‘making Evelyn jealous’ thing feels like an excuse. Why would a guy with a disgusting reputation like yours even try this hard for someone? You could literally just sleep with anyone and get whoever you want—”

You stopped abruptly, realising how harsh that sounded.

Slowly, you looked up at him. Jake’s expression remained stoic but his grip on the strap of his bag had tightened.

“And what makes you think I’m not fucking other girls while pretending to be in this ‘thing’ with you?” he asked flatly.

A lump formed in your throat and you tried to step closer instinctively. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean it like tha—”

“You know what your problem is?” he cut in, his voice sharp. “Girls like you think you’re superior than others just because you don’t go out, don’t have fun, don’t have any social life outside your stupid syllabus and assignments. When in reality, nobody ever actually chooses you.”

Something inside you cracked. Before you could respond, he stormed past you, his shoulder colliding with yours hard enough to push you back against the bookshelf.

Empty vessels make the loudest noise. Yes that was it. Of course Jake had no right to feel anything when he himself had built that image around him. But who were you even trying to convince? You weren’t supposed to feel like shit. And yet, you felt the worst.

“I can’t find my hoop earrings, what the hell…” Chaerin muttered, rummaging through your drawer and scattering everything in the process which you barely paid attention to. You really weren’t in the fucking mood.

Should I apologise? You bit your nails. But I was trying to...he didn’t even give me a chance.Your head was a mess, thoughts clashing into each other until they turned into an ugly emotion you couldn’t even name anymore.

“You’ve been sighing for the past half an hour. Just spit it out already,” Chaerin said absentmindedly, still searching for her jewellery. You rolled onto your bed, facing her. “I think I messed up.”

“Again???”

The silence that followed felt heavy. Slowly, Chaerin stopped moving.“What’s wrong?”

“I messed up.”

“No shit. About what?” She scooted closer. You bit your lips, trying to organise your thoughts before they spilled out in a word vomit. “Y/n, what are you thinking…” she nudged you lightly. That was enough to make you sit up abruptly, words tumbling out before you could manage them. “I think I have some…ehhh for Jake and I kind of pissed him off and he misunderstood me and—”

“Hold on.” Chaerin grabbed your shoulders. “You have what for Jake?”

You stared at her blankly. “ehhh”

“I swear I’m going to slap the shit out of you if you don’t get to the point,” she shook you violently and you gave up, instantly collapsing back onto the bed and pulling the duvet over your head. “Don’f hate mhme, Chaerin… I—I don’t know hoow it happenfed…”

She sighed, shaking her head, then peeked under the covers, only to find your face wet with tears and snots. “ew, gross” she muttered, covering you again. The room fell silent except for your quiet sobs. After a moment, you felt her hand gently resting on your head. “hey...It’s okay to like someone you know. And why are you crying, idiot? Get up,” she let out a small laugh. You slowly lowered the duvet, eyes red, nose sniffly as you grabbed a tissue “I hurt him, Chae…”

She shrugged. “Apologise. Problem solved.” You blowed your nose out, reaching for another tissue. “I don’t think he’s going to talk to me anymore…” Chaerin paused, thinking “then you accept it and move on. You can’t stay stuck like this forever, baby.”

Your chest tightened. Fresh tears welled up again, as you laid back down.

“I didn’t mean it like that… I didn’t…”

She laid down beside you, wrapping her arms around your torso. “If he feels the same, he’ll accept your apology.”

“you saying?”

“mmh hmm”

# 5 look back

The next time you saw Jake, almost after one week, he was in the library working on his assignments, attention full focused and absorbed in his laptop. You hesitated at the entrance. Even after Chaerin’s reassurance, your courage wavered. Well at this point it's now or never.

You walked in, your Kuromi keychain swinging with each step, and sat down in the empty chair beside him. You knew he felt your presence right away because the moment you turned towards him, he subtly shifted away. Oh. So that’s how it was. Fine, you weren’t backing out either. “Okay, listen… I’ll keep it short,” you whispered, leaning in just enough that your voice brushed against his ear. You could smell his familiar woody scent mixed with something musky.

“I’m sorr—”

Jake stood up. The chair scraped loudly against the floor, drawing a few annoyed glances from nearby students. Without saying a word, he packed his laptop and bag and started walking away. “Jake, wait—” You stood up to follow, but before you could take another step, three figures blocked your path.

Not now oh my god.

“Hi Y/n!” one of them chirped with a smile that didn’t quite reach their eyes. “Mind having a little talk?”

Your legs forgot their purpose as your pupils darted between the familiar faces standing in front of you. Yunjin casually threw an arm around your shoulder, steering you away from the library entrance, with Daniella and Ahyeon following close behind. “So… I heard you designed last year’s college carnival banner?” Ahyeon asked, twirling a strand of her perfectly curled hair.

“I—uh… yeah…” you stammered. “Great!” Daniella clapped excitedly, but immediately stopped when Yunjin shot her a sharp glare. The poor girl cleared her throat and turned to you with an stiff smile. “We’re having a small introduction party for our new cheerleading recruits. Mind designing a banner for us?” Your brain scrambled, trying to calculate what would happen if you refused, but it came up blank.

“Uh… sure. When do you need it?” you asked hesitantly.

“By tomorrow!” Daniella replied, a little too enthusiastically.

You sighed internally. Tomorrow meant Professor Min’s mandatory lecture, so the banner had to be done today. “But I don’t have any materials right now–” Before you could finish, Ahyeon and Yunjin grabbed your arms from either side. “Don’t worry,” Ahyeon chimed. “We already got permission from the art department to use their supplies!”

You didn’t get a chance to decline as the three of them dragged you across Decelis campus toward the art department, away from the library. Usually, the art students were extremely protective of their materials, so you were surprised and even relieved to find the main room was completely empty.

Daniella gave a squeeze on your shoulder. “We’ll wait for you in the library!” And just like that, the three of them disappeared, leaving you alone.

You began gathering supplies, trying to sketch out a rough design in your head. But actually nothing formed since your mind wasn’t empty at all — it was overflowing with jake jake jake and JAKE. Was he really never going to talk to you again? Well if that was it, then fine. It wasn’t like you were going to die if you did not see him.

But it totally felt like you would.

The memory of him ignoring you replayed over and over again, tightening something painful in your chest. You sighed. I need a break. Maybe working on the banner would distract you.

You stood up, suddenly realising you hadn’t asked for any details about the party. You needed them for the design. So you walked toward the door and stopped discovering it closed.

A frown formed on your face. Was it like this when I came in?

You grabbed the handle and pulled. It didn’t budge at all. A sharp wave of panic surged through you and the markers slipped from your hands, clattering loudly onto the floor.

“What the fuck…”You tugged at the handle again. Nothing.

You banged on the door.

“Guys??”

No response came as you knocked harder. “Hello?! Anyone here?!” Silence welcomed you again and this time you slammed your body against the heavy iron door. Again and again, but it didn’t move. Your energy drained quickly, knees weakening, your throat burned from shouting. And after few tries of banging again and calming yourself down, tears slowly welled up and spilled down your cheeks, you bit your lip.

A full circle moment, huh?

The memory hit you like a slap, locking Jake in the sports room just a month ago. Was this karma?

You wiped your tears roughly with the back of your hand, shaking your head. No. You weren’t giving up.

You stepped back, inhaled deeply, and shouted again, louder this time.

“Somebody help me! The door is locked from outside!”

“Okay, so hypothetically, what would you do if I told you Decelis has a ghost?”

Heeseung barely registered a word Beomgyu was saying whose mouth was stuffed with banana chips, crumbs flying everywhere as he talked. Heeseung sighed and closed the book he was reading, then snatched the packet from Beomgyu’s hand. “I mean, that explains why the art department students are always in a bad mood…” Beomgyu continued, leaning closer. “I once stole a roll of art paper—you should’ve seen the way one of them threatened to slit my throat with a craft knife.”

Heeseung finished the remaining chips and tossed the empty packet at Beomgyu’s head “Idiot why would you steal their stuff in the first place? Art paper is expensive.”

Beomgyu rolled his eyes “so??? I heard someone comitted over an argument about art supplies. That’s probably why they hold grudges like that…”

Heeseung checked his watch. Almost 6:30 pm.

He really needed to leave before Beomgyu’s nonsense drained whatever brain cells he had left. “Okay, whatever. Go buy me a drink,” he shoved his shoulder. Beomgyu made a horrified face. “Are you crazy??? The vending machine is literally beside the art department, and it’s the hour of doom. The sun has already set, and look! There are no birds flying back home, and I—”

Heeseung stood up. No this idiot won't stop. “Fine. Suit yourself. I’m going alone.”

“Fuck, what’s wrong with this…” he muttered under his breath when the vending machine failed to process his coins for the second time. “This is it. If it doesn’t work now, I’m getting the hell outta here,” he whispered to himself, trying again for the third time. While waiting, he glanced around, quietly laughing at Beomgyu’s stupidity. With a mechanical clunk, the drink finally dropped into the slot. He relaxed, bending down to pick it up and he paused.

A faint knock came out from the closed art department room. Heeseung froze for a second, a chill creeping up his spine. What the fuck. His eyes scanned around the large iron door. Then he shook his head.

This was Beomgyu’s nonsense getting into his head.

He grabbed his drink and turned to leave. Another knock came louder this time followed by sniffles. He stopped mid step. His grip tightened around the can as he slowly turned back. Something wasn’t right. He walked toward the door in long strides, stopping right in front of it. It was locked from the outside. He cleared his throat. “Is anyone inside?”

The sniffles stopped for a moment, silence filled the space.

Had he imagined it?

And then a voice called out for help. Heeseung didn’t hesitate this time. He quickly unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Y/N?? What are you—” You didn’t let him finish. The moment the door opened, you rushed forward and threw yourself into his arms, clinging to him tightly as your sobs broke out uncontrollably.

Jake stared hard at the pink bouquet, filled with roses, lilies, and a few other flowers he didn’t even know the names of. A frustrated exhale left his mouth as he let out a groan he had been suppressing for a long time. He had bought them hours ago, some of the petals had already started to wither. Now, sitting on the bleachers of the campus, he couldn’t understand what had possessed him to do so.

Jake is plain, he wasn’t a gentleman. Until now, his charm had worked on almost everyone, whether he wanted it to or not. There had never been a reason for him to buy flowers or take someone out on a proper date. At most, he’d share pirated movies with them or let them sit beside him while he played games on his computer. But this? Completely out of his syllabus. So what now? He had bought them so he should have given them to the person he wanted to — but who had he really bought them for?

Fuck. Okay he knows it's for you alright? And he also knows roses and lilies are your favourite flower from that particular shop you always gushed about when their catalogue popped up in your for you page. He knows it, he knows what he's doing but his mind is slowly failing to generate excuses why he would do this.

“shit,” he muttered under his breath, pushing himself up to his feet. He pulled out his phone, which he hadn’t checked since morning. He was scared, scared that he’d see your name in his notifications and run straight to you. His ego was far too fragile for that. And yet, the moment his phone connected to the campus wi fi, the first notification that appeared was from you.

Six hours ago.

I’m in the art department. let me know when you’re free, I want to talk to you.

Please.

His legs moved before his eyes could fully read the message. In seconds, he found himself sprinting towards the art department, on forth floor.

“Hey, shh… what happened?” Heeseung cupped your face gently, his thumb wiping away the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. “I was scared… m-my phone died, and I—I couldn’t reach anyone,” you choked out between sobs, clutching his shirt tightly, as if letting go would make some unknown creature drag you inside the room again. He didn’t ask for details, didn’t need them. All he cared about was calming you down. So he let you hold onto him, let you cry until your breathing steadied, until the panic slowly drained out of your body.

Moments ago, the room had felt like a prison with sealed windows, locked doors, suffocating silence. You had truly thought you might be trapped there forever.

And then through your blurred vision, you noticed a figure standing a few feet away. Panting and watching. Your breath hitched.

Jake.

His glasses were slightly crooked, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the run. All sweaty from skipping the elevator and taking stairs to reach to you fast.

The moment you recognized him, a sharp ringing filled your ears. You let go of Heeseung almost instantly and stepped toward him. “Jake you came...”

Suddenly he stepped back. A hollow, almost bitter laugh escaped him. “Is this why you called me here? To watch your cliché romance?”

Your stomach dropped. What? No no no no no he's getting it all wrong.

“No Jake listen–” You reached out for him, but before your fingers could touch him, he smacked your hand away. “Don’t.”

Behind you, you felt Heeseung step closer. His voice cut through the tension, uncharacteristically serious as the weight of the situation multiplied rapidly “can you stop being a dick for once?”

Jake’s eyes flickered, irritation flashing across his face. “And why should I take advice from a weirdo like you?”

Heeseung’s jaw tightened and he grabbed your arm, gently pulling you aside, placing himself between you and Jake. “Listen, deepshit—if you actually used that thing on your eyes of yours, you’d see the state she’s in—”

"I don't need to" Jake let out a shaky breathe. He refused to look at your way, cuz he knew if he did he would say something which would harder for him to take back later.

“Y/n…” he began,

“our deal is off.” he finished with a stone expression.

“You can fuck around him as much as you want now,” he continued, taking a deep breathe “but I really wish we had met in a different way.”

Before you could respond to him, he turned and and started walking away without looking back.

“Jake wait!” you called out, your voice breaking as you ran after him, ignoring Heeseung’s hand reaching out to stop you.

Down the stairs, through the empty corridor you called out his name but he was simply gone. Disappointed when you walked back your steps slowed as your eyes fell on a nearby trash can, where a bouquet of lilies and roses wrapped in pink was dumped.

Discarded like it meant nothing. Your chest tightened as you stared at it, the pieces falling into place far too late.

NEXT PART. ©sunishake

[irislumontxoxo]

omg im dealing w a fight club and it’s sooooooo annoying

im literally on my period let me eat chocolate in peace 💔💔

[mendesssmoments]

okay but bad reputation hits different when you blast it, haven’t done that in a while but wow. just wow.

[fan-imagines]

Shawn Mendes ~ Bad Reputation

MASTERLIST

Shawn Mendes x NeutralReader

Synopsis - You have a ‘bad reputation’, and you don’t want to date Shawn because of that.

Word Count - 600+

**Warnings** mentions of bullying

A.N. Very very very short :/ Also listen to the song Bad Reputation

“Coming!” I shout as I run down the few stairs in my apartment to open the door. I get to the door and open it without asking who it is. Very stupid of me. When you’re younger, the few things your taught is look both ways across the street, don’t talk to strangers, and always ask who it is at the door.  

I sigh when I see Shawn. The Shawn Mendes. I’ve known Shawn since sixth grade. He’s been through everything with me. Now that he is famous though, he can’t be seen with me. I’m not the best person to be associated with. I can’t ruin his career because of my feelings.  

‘’You know you shouldn’t be here, Shawn. I’ve told you so many times. You have to stay away.’’ I go to close my door, but he catches it with his foot. He looks me in the eyes, showing he’s not leaving. I sigh again and move into my kitchen, letting him in.

‘’I’m not understanding what is going on between us, Y/n. I’m your best friend and you’re mine. I can’t stay away from you.’’ He leans against the counter, pleading with me to understand.  

‘’You have to.’’ I start to raise my voice, wanting to get my point across.

‘’Why!’’ He shouts.

‘’Because I have a bad reputation! All your friends have probably seen me naked. People try and keep their distance from me because of my past. If it ever got out to your fans, and the media, you would lose everything. People would go insane and they wouldn’t adore you anymore. I can’t be the reason your career ends. Why don’t you get that?’’ I shout at him. When I was seventeen, almost two years ago, I met a man. He was twenty and interested in me. I had always been an outcast, and never had a crush like me back. When an older man, someone who had graduated, took interest in me, I would do anything for him. He asked for pictures, and I gave them to him. He sent them to his buddies at work, then they eventually came back around, and spread throughout the school. I had to dropout and home school to graduate. Shawn always tried to comfort me, but I pushed him away. He’s been in the spotlight since he was fourteen.  

‘’Y/n, I don’t care about that! They don’t know you like I do. You’ve been through so much that they don’t know about. That no one but me knows about.’’

‘’That doesn’t matter. Media twists things. People don’t forgive mistakes, they don’t let it go. The pictures are of me, and they can make up stories. Shawn, I cannot be a part of this.’’ I rub my eyes, feeling stressed. I’ve wanted to be with Shawn for, forever, but I can’t sabotage him like that. I feel Shawn pulling my hands away from my face and I look at him. His eyes plead for me to understand.

‘’Y/n, I’ve told you. I don’t care what they say about you or me. You shouldn’t either. I love you.’’ He cups his hands around my face, looking into my eyes. I look at him for a few seconds, and I finally start to believe him. I close the space between us and connect our lips. We pull away quicker than I wanted to, but we needed to breathe.  

‘’Are you sure?’’ I ask him.

‘’I’m one hundred percent positive, Y/n. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.’’ I hug him around his torso, and he wraps his arms around my shoulders. We stay like this for a few minutes, enjoying the fact that we both are finally together after everything we’ve been through.

[theworldismyoysterandiamthepearl]

[toddcollinsofficial-blog]

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You guys need to take a break and enjoy 😂 laughing a bit as myself and @mickeycomedy tear the house 🏡 down for you. • The Full Episode is available on Itunes, on @spotify as well as everywhere podcasts are. • I like to mix it up 🤷🏻‍♂️ watch how good my George Bush Impression is, or how I have dealt with anxiety in business and my personal life. • 📺 Tune in, grab some popcorn 🍿 and laugh your 🍑 off 😂. • • #anxiety #podcast #podcasts #love #entrepreneur #entrepreneurlife #baltimoreradio #mickeycucchiella #badreputation #badreputationpodcast #baltimore https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm511dvjVNL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1hgakvk9cp5pt

[ivvykygraphics]

Shawn Mendes Wallpapers / Lockscreens

✨ like/reblog if you use it

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[marenmisner]

Alright. It was an amazing show. I’m a Swiftie for a day. #taylorswift #badreputation #minneapolis (at U.S. Bank Stadium) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnNL1RLFgIs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1c7b4c7e12o3z