── ୨ৎ ── how does a cold, composed CEO fall in love with his talkative employee ?
⤷ grumpy ceo!jay x sunshine employee!reader (f)
!! smau (11 pics), jay is low-key dry but not very grumpy, reader is yappy, 67 jokes, suggestive (just in the last pic), hamilton mentioned, mentions of sickness, maybe part 2???
masterlist: PART 1 — PART 2 — PART 3 — PART 4 — PART 5
Note: ts is inspired by my fav romcom how to lose a guy in 10 days, I think it's pretty obvious from the title lol TT, hope you enjoy it.
Part 1 Part 2
Your morning did not begin with a green drink or a run through Central Park. It started with the noise of the traffic outside your third-floor apartment in NYC. You lived with Giselle and Wonyoung two friends you met during a summer internship.
Giselle was standing in the kitchen drinking an iced coffee. She worked with a stylist. Had a sharp tongue and a wardrobe that was mostly old leather clothes. Wonyoung on the hand worked with social media for a beauty company. She made her life look perfect online but she was really good at understanding how people behave.
"Y/N if you do not stop typing loudly I am going to throw your laptop out the window" Giselle said without looking up from her phone.
"I am finishing my story for the city council" you said, hitting send on your computer.
Wonyoung walked in wearing pajamas and a face mask. "Honey give up on that story. Verve does not want to hear about issues. They want to know if the 'Clean Girl' look is still popular. If you want a promotion you have to do what they want."
"I am a journalist" you said. "Not someone who writes to get clicks."
An hour later you were in the office of Lana, the boss of the magazine. She was looking at your story like it was something she did not want to touch.
"Stories about people being forced out of their homes are boring" Lana said. "They do not sell perfume ads. Your writing is interesting. I need that for a project."
Lana leaned forward. "Our readers are tired of hearing about how to find love. I want a column from the point of view: 'The Exorcist'. I want you to find a man, the kind of guy every woman wants and I want you to make him break up with you in ten days using every trick in the book. If you can make him dump you by Day 10 I will give you a job and a lot of freedom to write what you want."
Your heart skipped a beat. This was an opportunity.
"What if he does not break up with me?" you asked.
"Then you will be writing about what your star sign says about the lotion you use for the two years."
Meanwhile in an office in Midtown, Jay was dealing with his own problems. He was the boss of Vanguard Horology, a company that made watches. His company was in trouble. Might be taken over.
The only person who could save the company was Arthur Belson, an investor who liked traditional values.
"Belson thinks you are not a worthy person, Jay " his business partner, Marcus said. "He thinks you spend time in the news than working. He told me he only invests in men who have stability. Men who are building a life with someone."
Jay leaned back in his chair his face showing no emotion. "He wants a family man? Fine. The Belson Charity Gala is in ten days. I will bring a woman. Not just any woman. A woman who's totally in love with me. If Belson sees I can handle a relationship he will invest in my company."
"Ten days?" Marcus said. "You cannot even get a woman to text you back in ten days."
"Watch me " Jay replied.
That night you were at a bar with Giselle and Wonyoung looking for the perfect man for your column.
"Not that one he is wearing a ring on his thumb." Giselle whispered. "Too easy."
"What about him?" Wonyoung pointed to a man at the bar.
There stood Jay. He was wearing an ivory suit that looked expensive. He was handsome. He seemed guarded. Like a challenge.
"He is perfect " you whispered. "He looks like he has no patience for drama. I will have him running away by Tuesday."
"He looks like he always gets what he wants." Wonyoung added. "Be careful Y/N. Do not fall for his charm."
You smiled, adjusting your dress. "I am not falling for anything. I am the Exorcist remember?"
You walked towards the bar pretending to slip so he would notice you. Jay turned, his hand reaching out to steady your arm. His touch was warm and firm. For a moment you felt a little dizzy.
"Easy there " Jay said, his voice smooth. "The floor is slippery or maybe you have had much to drink?"
You looked up at him smiling. "Actually I think I am a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere. I am Y/N."
Jay looked at you and for a moment his business face slipped. He saw a sharp-eyed woman who looked like trouble. To him you were the woman to show off to Belson. To you he was the man, for your column.
"I am Jay." he said, holding your gaze a little long. "I think you are exactly what I am looking for."
Neither of you knew that you were both getting into a situation that would change everything.
just a little jay drabble/oneshot. different than my usual writing.
not proof read.
trigger warnings:
obsession: the state of being obsessed with someone or something.
stalking: stalkers use a variety of tactics, including (but not limited to): unwanted contact including phone calls, texts, and contact via social media, unwanted gifts, showing up/approaching an individual or their family/friends, monitoring, surveillance, property damage, and threats.
voyeurism: voyeuristic behavior is when someone derives sexual gratification from secretly watching others undress or engage in sexual activities. voyeurs are also known as "peeping toms"
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ ₊˚⊹♡
every where you were, jay was there too.
a coffee shop, main library on campus. any cafeteria or food center on campus. anywhere and almost everywhere.
it didn’t matter how many different options were available, you both always ended up at the same place at the same time.
yet you both only had 3 classes together on campus.
philosophy intro to logic, abnormal psychology and interpersonal communications.
“will you be okay?” you friend asked with extreme concern.
“yes, i will be okay, ryunjin.” you reassured.
she was worried because for your abnormal psychology class you were partnered with jay for project.
“maybe yall should study him, because he’s definitely abnormal.” ryunjin whispered.
you playfully swatted her arm. “jay told me to meet him on the fourth floor.”
“why the top floor? so no one can hear you scream?”
“it’s the quiet floor and that’s where he reserved a study room for us.” you said. “please stop being like that!” you huffed.
ryunjin rolled her eyes but went to the second floor where her other friends were as you rode up the elevator to the fourth floor.
you were the one to actually suggest the fourth floor and jay reserved a room for you both based on that suggestion.
getting off the elevator, you found the study room off to the corner with ease, seeing jay set out needed materials on the table.
when he saw you enter he smiled. “oh hey!”
you smiled and waved. “hey jay. ready to get this project knocked out?”
he laughed, “absolutely, but it should be fun. abnormal psychology is one of my favorite subjects.”
“mine too.” you smiled.
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
almost an hour later, you both decided on the topic of how personality disorders impact intrapersonal relationships.
you had actually suggested the topic on obsessive sexual fascinations like fetishism, voyeruism, and exhibitionsim, however, jay wasn’t too sure that would even get approved by the professor.
“why not?” you had asked. “is it not a part of abnormal psychology and human behavior?”
“it is but—,”
“you’re not comfortable, it’s okay.” you teased.
ryunjin would probably say it’s because it would mean studying his pattern of behaviors and people don’t like when they get caught.
during the next hour you both jotted down some ideas and found a few psychology papers and articles you all could use.
“we would also need to make sure we find examples.” jay said. “like in movies, shows, plays, things like that.”
“sounds like an easy task! we could use the movies like scream, when a stranger calls, or even—,”
jay chuckled. “and how do these movies relate to our topic?”
“are you kidding,” you laughed with a chuckle, “those people were cray cray. they had to have some kind of personality disorder. sure i can find out with some research.”
“when’s the next time you’re available to work on the project?” jay asked as you both started packing your belongings.
“i am pretty open. i don’t do much but hang around friends or stick to myself.” you shrugged. “how about tomorrow?”
“that’s fine. but i think we’ll have to find a new spot, if i remember correctly the library study rooms are booked up.”
“that’s okay, since we need somewhere private, maybe mine or your apartments?” you suggested, putting your bag over your shoulder.
jay nodded. “either is fine.” he smiled.
“we can do my place! i have plenty of snacks.”
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
“are you insane?” ryunjin scolded you. “that guy is is messed up in the head, you know he’s stalking you, yet you invite him to your place? what are you, crazy yourself?”
it was the next day, and you were telling ryunjin your plans with jay to work on the project at your place while you both stopped by a coffee shop earlier in the morning.
“he asked for my address.” you stated.
“of course he did! he can’t get caught.” ryunjin narrowed her eyes at you. you rolled yours, and walked out the coffee shop, her right behind you.
“you know i am just looking out for you, right?” ryunjin sighed. “i mean, you’ve told me how you been finding flowers at your doorstep, and jay would randomly pop up where you are, almost everywhere, you were.”
“i could be overreacting.”
ryunjin scoffed. “oh now you say you’re overreacting? babe, a stalker is a stalker.”
“i actually never said he was a stalker.” you defending, back tracking.
“you legit told me, ‘ryunjin, jay from my class is stalking me!’”
“i don’t recall.” you shrugged it off.
you did recall.
you remember telling ryunjin how flowers were showing up at your door step, the same flowers from a flower shop jay worked at over the summer.
you remember telling ryunjin how anytime you were at the mall, you saw jay there and he would be staring at you wide-eyed, then quickly walk away.
same at any coffee shop, cafeterias on campus and so forth.
you remember telling ryunjin how you always felt someone was watching you as you undressed.
later that evening you prepared a variety of snacks for jay, and spread out all materials that would be needed for the project.
he had texted you and stated he would be at your place by 7:00 pm.
it was 7:05 pm and you got worried, negative thoughts clouding your mind. was he hurt? did he forget? did he stand you up?
at 7:10 pm a knock came to your door, and you giddily got up from your spot on the floor in front of the coffee table and took big strides to open the door.
you opened seeing jay with a smile. “sorry i’m a bit late. uh, something popped up.”
“oh no, is everything okay?” you asked with concern.
jay seemed frazzled and out of sorts than how he usually presents himself or how you see him.
jay shook his head, “i’m good. just probably all in my head.”
“great, let’s get to work!”
you invited jay in your apartment, showing him were you set up the coffee table for working on the project.
“wow you really do have a lot of snacks!” he chuckled. he picked up a few, “and many are my favorite?” this came out more as a question and surprise, his eyebrows raising cutely.
“really? they’re my favorite too!” you giggled. “should we get started? i have a few personality disorders we can explore.”
“sure! what are some you have in mind?”
“well i was researching,” you began, and took a seat on the floor and jay did the same. “some personality disorders that can affect relationships and communication include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorders, histrionic personality disorders and narcissistic personality disorders.” you listed with a smile. “but those are just cluster b that i think have the highest affects.”
“you seem to know a lot about personality disorders?” jay chuckled.
“i should, it’s an interest of mine. like i mentioned, abnormal psychology is one of my favorite subjects. i would love to work with populations most wouldn’t.”
“like who?” jay asked as you piped his interest.
“serial killers, stalkers, criminals, people like them.”
jay nearly choked on his own spit. “why is that?”
you smirked and your hand landed on his shoulder. he looked at your hand nervously, “i just think most are misunderstood.” you smiled widely. “i also just believe the way they think is so interesting and unbelievable.”
jay watched you talk about your passion with not only interest but something more. maybe he was looking at you strangely? looking at you with concern?
“well, this project should be breeze then.” he laughed nervously. he was more than ready to leave.
as you all continued to work on the project at a good pace, you and jay couldn’t help but still glances at one another.
two and half hours later, jay stood with a stretch, “it’s getting late, i should go.” he stated. “thank you for the snacks.”
he started packing up his things, as you began cleaning up a little. once his backpack strap was over his shoulder, he looked into your kitchen seeing a vase of flowers, a tag that clearly showed it was from the flower shop he worked at over the summer.
jay got nervous and fearful. he quickly adverted his gaze before you caught him looking. but unknown to him, you saw him out of the corner of your eye looking at the flowers, but you decided to keep quiet about it.
“so, i’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked hopeful.
jay’s voice shook with nerves, “um, i’ll text you. i forgot i have something planned with my friends tomorrow.” he smiled politely, but quickly bid goodbye and left your apartment.
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
jay laid in bed after showering wide awake for a while. his nerves had gotten the better of him.
you had showered and put on some comfy clothes to enjoy your favorite show after jay left.
jay soon fell asleep, and one thing about jay was he was a heavy sleeper. almost nothing could wake him up so easily. his friends would tease him about it, but it was just who he was.
you weren’t a heavy sleeper on the other hand. which is why to every small noise you would awake, or had almost a third sense of being over cautionary fearful someone was always watching.
the flowers in the trash looked at you almost mockingly, and you closed your fist so tight, your nails were sure to dig into your knuckles.
such an angel while sleeping. so peaceful.
yes jay was. you smiled lovingly looking down at him as you watched him from his doorway as he slept soundly. you stepped quietly closer to him to get as close as possible, when you took out your polaroid camera.
after watching your favorite show which starred jay, him getting undressed and redressed, you were hot and bothered and couldn’t wait until you could finally make your move.
but it would take time. he wouldn’t understand you, or your habits, or how your brain worked.
you could see he was judging you earlier about the way you spoke about your passion.
but he would come around. he had to.
you knew he got stumbled by the flowers in your apartment. if he questioned, you would’ve just waved it off as a coincidence you got it for yourself, or maybe tell him you had a secret admirer to see if he would get jealous.
would he? you had a feeling he would be the jealous and possessive type of what belongs to him.
you sure were. possessive, jealous, of any girl that he talked to. he didn’t know better, but those women should! you thought, they couldn’t compare to you anyway.
when it came to your tactics, you had to be careful. you didn’t want to scare him off too soon. so this project was a great way to wiggle yourself into his bubble.
you fantasized so much about your future with jay. it blurred the line between fact and fictitious, and you were so deep into the obsession, you didn’t understand or even see the line anymore.
you didn’t want to blackmail him—not yet. the flowers were enough for now.
your love for jay made you crazy.
no one could blame you. that’s just how love was, right?
“don’t blame me.” you whispered to jay as you ran your fingers lightly through his hair with a smile.
warnings — mentions of food, jay is so in love with you it hurts, reader wear’s necklaces ??
pairing — jay x gn!reader
wordcount — 317
a/n — christmas theme pictures but not christmas themed drabble sorry!!! merry christmas everyone and happy holidays!
jay who keeps a photo in his wallet of you, and looks at it whenever he feels down and can’t see you.
jay who is reminded of you every single day, sometimes even if its just a restaurant he passes with food you would like, or a person with a similar smile or similar style.
jay who keeps a phone charm tied to his phone case because even though it’s not the prettiest, you made it just for him because he said his phone was too boring.
jay who watches a car that is a similar model to yours. speeding up to see if you’re driving the car only to be disappointed that it’s not you.
jay who keeps a bottle of your perfume in his room, or when he travels. spraying it on his hoodies just so it feels like you’re around.
jay who wears your initial on a necklace, unable to keep in his smile whenever he sees your necklace with a “j” on it.
jay who begs for a selfie whenever he swears he “forgets what you look like” only to act like he’s fallen in love at first sight. but then immediately goes offline whenever you ask for one, only answering your spam of calls after thirty seconds at least.
jay who has a playlist of all your current songs, who says he doesn’t listen to it often but then it turns out your favorite artist is one of his most listened to artist.
jay who plays your favorite youtubers or movies whenever he needs background noise, just so he can keep up with what you like and talk about.
jay who sends you pictures of beautiful sunsets or even cute stuffed animals and says only a few words that manages to make you swoon.
jay who is irrevocably in love with you. and is content with all his thoughts leading to you.
genre; angst, fluff if you squint, romance, royalty au, strangers-to-friends-to-??
warnings; attempted murder, weapons
word count; 1.9k
summary; in which you wish you had met him in another reality.
network; @kflixnet
author’s note; part two of The Dancing Princes. let me know what you think~
song recommendations; the playlist
Prince Park Jongseong was quite the topic for daily rumors all across Decelia. He was written to be the topic of everyone’s favorite stories; handsome, tall, well-built, and a prince.
Unlike many of his friends and acquaintances, prince Jongseong, lovingly named Jay for his relaxed demeanor, was not ambitious for the crown. He wanted to live life first and worry about serious business later. He knew there was no room for mistakes once he became king, so why not make those mistakes now?
One of those mistakes was being a bit too much of a smooth talker. Although he had never made direct advances to any women, his way of speech style was gravely misunderstood, and the rumors of prince Park being a ladies’ man fired upright the following day.
That was one of the few times Jay received a good scolding from the queen, and he promised to be careful. And if eloquence was one of his defining traits, determinism is another. Ever since that event, Jay does not speak to any women aside from the queen.
You were the private tutor the queen requested for Jay since he had to resit his last year of high school. At first, you and Jay clashed a bit because of your differences; Jay was assertive to have you replaced by a male, and you were claiming him to be overreacting.
Let us say, the first few weeks, every corner you turned, you would see a mop of blond hair at the opposite end flashing by.
It made your job incredibly difficult. After all, you were supposed to get closer with the prince. Moreover, it frustrated you how the free-spirited, fearless prince seemed to have a phobia for women.
Fortunately, you are also a determined person.
One day you managed to catch the prince after a childish chase, cornering him in one of the many hallways while catching your breath.
“Your majesty, I understand your reluctance when interacting with women, but must you run at the sight of me?” you speak with frustration, unaware of close you are to the prince. Jay gulps at the proximity, not having been so close to a person in a long time. He tries to recollect his calm facade and walk away, but you slam your hand against the wall next to him, effectively stopping the startled prince.
“Miss Elise, please let me leave.” he addresses you with your fake name, which indicates he does know you are supposed to tutor him. He sports a distressed expression you could almost call cute if you weren’t so upset for having to run a mile or two.
“No. You have been ignoring me and your duty to graduate this year, your majesty.” Jay stops looking around the moment he accidentally looks into your eyes. It is the first time the two of you have proper eye contact, and he realizes how pretty your eyes are.
“Not a talker? That is fine. Just come to the study chamber tomorrow after breakfast; I beg you. I have to do my job properly, or I might get fired.” you play your pity card and internally smirk when you notice his guilty eyes. He still hasn’t said a word, but you see him nod his head ever so slightly, and a bright smile covers your face.
“Excellent, see you tomorrow, your majesty!” your over-enthusiasm wasn’t part of the act, but it sure makes Jay look forward to tomorrow the tiniest bit.
That following morning was awkward, to state the least; Jay still refused to speak to you, making you look up from the literature every single time to read his facial expressions. It almost convinced you that he might not be able to, but you knew how well the prince spoke just a few weeks ago when he spoke to the public.
It made it incredibly hard for you to get closer to the prince, let alone gather personal information.
Until one day, you arrived a little late to your tutor session with some freshly baked honey-filled pastries from town. Jay’s curious eyes silently stare at the pies the entirety of the session, making you smile a bit at your second breakthrough; he has a sweet tooth.
You decided walking to town every morning would not be so bad when he muttered a soft ‘thank you whenever you offered him one. The slight sparkle in his eyes whenever he tries new pastries might be a reason as well, but you convince yourself that it was majorly to earn his trust.
The process was slow, but indeed, you were taking down Jay’s walls. He started to make small comments on things you told him and sometimes even cracked a smile whenever you praised him for understanding a subject quickly. Sometimes, you let yourself slip and believe that you could build a genuine friendship with the prince, but every fortnight, the report in your hands proves that the two of you could never be.
The more you got to know Park Jay, the more you wished he would push you away like he did at first.
You wish he did not sneak looks at you when you pretend to do something else; you wish he would not accept every delicacy you offered; you wish he did not talk and joke with you like you are dear to him.
You wish you had failed this mission before it began. Hoping the progress will suddenly halt and your boss would send someone else to do the job, allowing you to protect him secretly. But wishes are precious because they only get fulfilled once in a while, and they decide not to fulfill yours.
Jay invites you to Kim Sunoo’s coronation on one of your afternoons strolls to the bakery. You try to wave off his invitation by stating you are too much of a commoner to be allowed in, but the stubborn prince keeps pushing you to come, and you are left with no choice.
That is how you found yourself in front of the doors leading to the ballroom in your gown. It was something far too expensive for you to wear, but Jay insisted he wanted to make it a special moment for you, and it pained you whenever you thought of his excitement.
Today was the day you had to end it all, and the dilemma in your head was killing you.
You try to merge with the crowd, talking with the daughter of the bakery owner you frequent. She was in charge of the banquet tonight, apparently recommended by Jay to the Kims. You smile at her rambles about the process of preparing for the coronation banquet but feel a presence right behind you that stops the two of you mid-conversation.
“You came.” His surprise was evident, and so was the happiness in his tone. You force yourself to turn around and plaster your well-trained fake smile on your face. “Of course, your majesty.” Jay leads you to the dance floor, effortlessly avoiding the other dancing pairs until you reach an empty spot.
You wait for Jay to speak up, but he only stares at you while the two of you waltz through the songs.
“Not a talker tonight, your majesty?” you tease him, noticing the rosy hue covering his cheeks at your words.
“I was just admiring the beauty in front of me, miss Elise.” the words make you flustered for a second, but reality regains its reins on your mind the moment your fake name leaves his mouth. It makes you feel sick.
“Your academic performance is improving, and you aren’t afraid to charm a woman anymore? I see you are aiming for that perfect prince charming title now, aren’t you?” Jay laughs at your words, loud enough for a few heads to turn your direction, but both of you can’t care less.
“I am only trying because I met someone I’m willing to settle with.” his reckless comment takes you by great surprise, and you accidentally step on his foot. You profusely apologize while Jay continues to laugh way too hard.
And the night continued like that, one song turned into three, and one dance session turned into five. It didn’t matter to both of you that there were places to be. Your presence in each other’s arms is worth more than any amount of treasures.
As love blossoms, your feet start to hurt. You bend down to rest your feet but stop your motion. You felt the presence of the little dagger strapped high against your thigh.
Oh. Right.
This was not your fairy tale. But, this was the story that will leave you heartbroken for the remains of your lifeline.
“You must be tired, my lady. Let me lead you to a more private place”, his arms finding their way around you in a natural way as if he had practiced the movement thousands of times.
The two of you walk in silence, the ballroom music fading into the background as your footsteps grow louder.
End it, now or never. The thought makes your vision blur with tears.
“Do your feet hurt that much, my lady?” Jay asks, worry evident in his mesmerizing voice. He stops you next to the fountain, moving up his hands to caress your cheeks.
“What is wrong? My lady, you must not scare me.” his brows furrow while he slips the shoes off your feet, checking how severe the blisters are. Your heart is only tearing further at the sight in front of you. I will never deserve this man.
“Your majesty, I am sorry. The perfection you wish for is far from who I am. I am a traitor.” your words leave your lips weakly, and your facade crumbles. I am ready to be truthful. “I am a traitor.”
“Do not speak of such ridiculous matters, my lady” he chuckles nervously, trying to act as if you didn’t just confess your crime to him. As if the two of you still had a chance. As if a relationship built on lies had a future.
You shake your head as you hold unto the dagger hidden in your sleeve. “Please, just walk away.”
“I love you, y/n,” he suddenly says, and you finally look him in the eyes, only to find the world’s saddest stars glistening in them. Don’t.
“You knew who I was, and you still let yourself fall for me?” you ask in disbelief. How could you be such a fool, Jongseong?
“Because it was you. I am not afraid to love you even if I might end up dead,” the prince states firmly, his hands going back to the place where they belong: around you. He pulls you into a hug as he lays his head on top of your head. You feel his tears on your skin and close your eyes to reminisce about all your time together. I’m sorry, I am not brave enough for you.
“But I am.” you croak, pushing the dagger to pierce through his clothing and skin, right into his chest. But I will always love you.
“It’s okay, y/n,” he says with his kindest smile, and you can’t bear to watch him fall, turning around to run away like you always have done.
Jay’s smile saddens, but he holds unto it. First, knowing his guard will soon search for him. And most importantly, knowing how much you love him, too.
The wound hurts a lot. But he will survive it perfectly fine, and he understands your actions speak louder than your words. Live a good life for me, please.
nobody had ever really noticed you before. you spent your entire life blending in with the crowd, despite dedicating your entire life to becoming a singer on stage. you’d always felt so unimportant and uninteresting. but to him, you were the bright splash of colour in a grey world.
PAIRING park jongseong x fem! reader
THEMES bassist! jay, vocalist! reader, fluff, highschool au
WARNINGS very light sex references
the energy of the club whenever a band was performing was your favourite. everybody was dancing and singing along to what they knew, using those few hours to push away all of their responsibilities and just relax. for many years, you had witnessed it from the crowd with a yearning to be up there creating that energy yourself.
having taken up guitar lessons at a young age with an innate desire to perform, you knew that one day you’d get the chance. or, at least you thought you would. auditioning for a highschool band seemed like an ingenious idea at the time, until you got the part as sub vocalist. the girl that had taken your place as lead vocalist happened to be sleeping with the band’s leader... and the rest was history.
but the lost opportunity wasn’t going to get you down. especially not as you were standing in that very same club, sipping on your drink and eyeing the competition on stage.
said competition was the small group that had taken over the school with their good looks and musical talent. there was heeseung as the lead vocalist, a sweet boy who had already graduated. then there was sunghoon, the lead guitarist that had every girl and guy alike in the palm of his hand. and jake, he was the drummer but spent most of his time trying to be the top of the class and flirting with his fangirls. finally there was jay, the bassist. you didn’t know much about him, just that he seemed very chilled out and insanely popular for that reason specifically.
something about jay always had you wondering, though. he’d meet your gaze as you were sipping from your drink, keeping his eyes on you. it made you feel seen, and you felt stupid for feeling that way. in what world would jay park be interested in you?
as the last song came to a end, you turned back and made your way through the crowd. there your own bandmates were, chatting amongst themselves.
being in their band was a temporary fix. you weren’t their friend, nor were you a necessary member of the band. although you could easily be traded out for someone else, you really didn’t mind. at least you had the opportunity to be on stage, even if it was out of the spotlight.
‘we should head backstage,’ you reminded your lead vocalist before stepping away from them. making your way through the staff only door and heading up the steps, you came face to face with jay.
‘hey, y/n,’ he greeted with a smile, moving out of the way so that you could get past him. you mumbled a quick thank you before fleeing the scene and finding your guitar. jake and sunghoon passed by you as well, talking loudly about something. and then heeseung, who smiled at you before following the rest of the boys onto the floor of the club.
your own band finally showed up as you were checking the tuning of your guitar. the four of you made your way onto the stage, the lead vocalist getting right into greeting everyone.
it was routine. you started the song off with the strum of your electric guitar, and the energy began to pick up. the lead vocalist sang, the drummer played the drums, and the bassist played his bass guitar. you had small singing parts, usually as the backup for your lead, but it was enough for now.
jay was watching your every move. from your black painted nails to the pick between your lips to the way you gripped the microphone and sang so beautifully. his favourite thing was your baby pink electric guitar, perfectly preserved and a huge contrast to the outfits you wore on stage. he was completely mesmerised by you, but you didn’t have a clue.
singing was your first love. you loved the rush of playing a guitar solo, but nothing felt better than expressing your emotions through your voice and lyrics. so every friday, as students began flooding out of the school gates, you headed to the music classroom for practice.
your piano skills were rusty, but you took a seat at the instrument anyway. although, there was one tune you would never be able to forget, which happened to be a song you’d written. your purpose in the band wasn’t to write music, so you’d never mentioned it to your bandmates.
as your fingers ran delicately against the keys, you began to hum. jay came to a stop outside of the classroom at the sound of your playing.
when you began to sing your lyrics, he felt himself mindlessly smiling. he always thought you had a better voice than your lead singer, and was confused as to why you were made sub vocalist. it seemed like you were overflowing with musical ability, and deserved a better place in your band.
‘that’s a pretty song,’ he stepped inside, making you jump. there was a horrible clash of piano keys coming together to make an awful sound that made you both cringe. ‘sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you.’
‘it’s fine,’ you turned around on the piano bench to face him. ‘how long have you been there?’
‘just since you started singing,’ he shrugged, but you felt your eyes go wide. nobody had ever heard your song before, so you couldn’t believe the first person to hear it was jay park. ‘oh... i’m sorry for invading your privacy. i just came here to pick up my guitar.’
‘seriously, it’s fine, jay,’ you reassured with a smile, watching him reach for his guitar. ‘but maybe knock next time so that i don’t almost have a heart attack.’
he laughed shortly at your words. as he was about to leave, he turned back around to face you. ‘you have a really beautiful singing voice,’ your cheeks began to heat up. ‘you know, heeseung has been considering leaving the band since he’s no longer a highschool student. so if you ever wanted to practice as a lead vocalist, the place is up for grabs.’
‘i think i’d like that,’ jay couldn’t help but smile at your words. ‘do you want my number so we can arrange a session together?’
sunghoon and jake were tired of hearing jay go on and on about you. he’d been jumpy all day waiting for you to show up, so much so that heeseung felt himself getting dizzy.
when you did arrive, everybody already looked exhausted. it reminded you a lot of your own band practices, since everybody in your band was always so dull and boring.
‘y/n!’ heeseung called happily, dropping down from a barstool to greet you. ‘finally, you’re here.’
‘did i keep you all waiting long...?’ you awkwardly looked around the room. but nobody seemed too annoyed, so you were sure you were off the hook.
‘no,’ sunghoon started. ‘just jay—’ jake reached to cover sunghoon’s mouth, cutting him off.
‘let’s get you set up,’ heeseung suggested, gesturing towards the stage. you followed him up, the other three boys finding their instruments. ‘just choose a song you want to try and they’ll start.’
he jumped back down from the stage to sit back on his bar stool. at first you felt awkward, standing up in front of the band’s current lead vocalist. it didn’t help that you couldn’t see the three boys behind you.
but after a while, you started to feel more comfortable. and it was fun, taking control of the songs with your vocals. every couple of songs, you’d take a snack or drink break and sit around on the stage with the boys, just chatting amongst yourselves. jay was unusually quiet, watching you laugh with his friends from the sidelines. it wasn’t jealousy, he just liked seeing you happy and carefree.
after the session was over, you packed up your pink guitar and said goodbye to the boys. jay followed you out, catching your wrist to spin you around.
‘you’re amazing, y/n,’ he spoke, holding back a smile. ‘i’m not going to force you to leave your own band, but i want you to know the position is being offered to you. so think about it, please?’
‘i will,’ you nodded, beaming with pride. ‘thank you for today, jay. i’ll see you on monday.’
you were sitting with your back against the tree, snack in one hand and a book in the other. considering it was a sunny day, you thought it was a great idea. well, you were wrong.
‘enjoying that, y/n?’ you lowered the book to see your lead singer standing in front of you. ‘i just came to see if the rumours were true.’
‘what rumours?’ you closed your book, setting it down beside yourself. she was standing with her arms crossed, an annoyed look on her face.
‘just that you’re the new lead singer for jay and his little buddies,’ the tone of her voice was mocking. a smirk was on her lips, as if this whole thing was nothing more than a joke to her.
‘well, they’re not true,’ you defended. ‘heeseung is leaving and jay asked me to practice with them. he said he really likes my singing voice and that they’ve been wanting a female touch to the band.’
‘well, they’re kind of true,’ she squinted her eyes, staring down at you. ‘if you want to fraternise with the enemy, then go ahead. but you’re out of our band, and we won’t be taking you back.’
‘fine by me,’ you stood, slipping your bag onto your shoulder. ‘good luck sleeping your way to the top, we all know that’s the only reason you got lead singer.’
as you tried to walk away, she just kept going on. ‘do you really think i’m that stupid, y/n? the only reason jay is offering you a place in their band is because he’s hoping to sleep with you.’
‘unbelievable,’ you turned back around. ‘can you just drop it? i really don’t care for your opinion.’
‘not an opinion, y/n,’ she stepped forward, a smug smile on her face. ‘just a fact.’ shoving past you, she disappeared inside of the building.
there was a knock on the door and you looked up from your lyric book. ‘hey,’ jay greeted, letting himself into the music classroom. ‘i heard what happened.’
‘hi, jay,’ you smiled weakly. ‘yeah, it was pretty bad... but please don’t pity invite me into your band.’
‘can i sit here?’ he gestured towards the piano bench you were occupying. you nodded, sliding over a bit to give him more room. ‘i’m not pity inviting you. with heeseung leaving, we need a talented vocalist to take his place. i’ve seen you sing and perform, and i just genuinely think you’re an amazing artist.’
‘thanks,’ you bit back your smile, looking off to the side. ‘that means a lot. but i do have one question.’
‘i’m sure i have an answer,’ jay shrugged.
‘please bare in mind that i really don’t see you as the type to do this,’ your words made him tense up. what could you possibly need to ask? ‘but ever since she mentioned it, i couldn’t stop thinking about it. you’re not asking me just because you want to sleep with me, are you?’
‘no,’ his answer came quick. he didn’t want you to see him as that type. ‘i can’t say that i don’t have feelings for you, but i wasn’t looking to pursue you. i’m sensible, keeping work and play separate.’
‘work and play?’ you laughed, resting your hand on his arm for support. ‘work hard, play hard type of guy? not very surprising.’
‘nah, that’s jake,’ he laughed along with you, eyes moving down to where your hand was. feeling awkward, you removed your hand and cleared your throat. ‘but seriously, the spot is yours. i’d love to see you up there thriving on stage.’
he stood from the bench, sending you one last smile before turning out of the room. shuffling your things into your bag, you ran to catch up to him. ‘jay, wait!’ you called, seeing him stop in his tracks.
‘yeah?’ he asked cluelessly. you got closer, a bright smile on your lips. leaning up, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. jay felt himself tensing up, his entire body warming up at the gesture.
‘thank you, jongseong,’ you smiled, then leaving him to stand there looking like an idiot.
