Synopsis: Boring history class, earphones plugged in and an unexpected someone broke her inner peace.
History teacher is out of the classroom as a history dovumentary plays on the TV screen. Some are watching while others aren't. Sohyun is zoning out, wired earphones plugged in her ears.
Jihyun came to classroom, a bit sweaty from the baseball practice as he sat down beside Sohyun. Since History class is the last subject before the school ends. Players of the campus baseball team either attend the class or not, since it isn't mandatory for them to attend.
But Jihyun attended the class. He sat down and looked at Sohyun beside him. He smiled as he watched her zoning out.
Suddenly, he pulled out the right earphone. Sohyun went back from day dreaming and was going to glare at someone who just ruined her inner peace, as Jihyun plugged the earphone to his ear so that he could hear what kind of music does Sohyun listen.
Together, they listen to Sohyun's playlist.
"You listening to this? Sounds cool."
Sohyun's heart skipped a beat as she doesn't know there's a person like Jihyun who listen to her emo rock music choice.
As the mellow guitar riffs and vocals filled their ears, Sohyun felt a flutter in her chest. She glanced at Jihyun, noticing the way his eyes were closed, a small smile playing on his lips.
Sohyun's mind began to wander again, this time not lost in thought but fixating on the man beside her. Her gaze drifted over his jawline, his nose and lips. She wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through that hair, to lean in close and breathe him in…
"Hey."
"Hm?" Sohyun tear his gaze away from his lips. She felt hot on her cheeks as she may be caught looking at him.
"Can I lean on your shoulder?"
Sohyun nodded before she even think. Jihyun lean his head on her shoulder as they listen to their shared music while not caring about the documentary playing on the TV across them.
Lost in the music, Sohyun's awareness narrowed to the sensation of Jihyun's breath against her collarbone, the steady rise and fall of his chest.
After a while, the bell signaled that the school hours has ended. Students stood up to pack their things. Both Sohyun and Jihyun stood up at the same time.
"Your music choices are amazing. Really." Jihyun gave her double thumbs up. Sohyun chuckled shyly.
They left the classroom but they parted ways as Sohyun joining her fellow members of dance club while Jihyun is going home.
As Sohyun watched Jihyun exiting through the school gates, she palmed her chest, her heart beating faster like she ran a marathon.
"Nah... Maybe he's just friendly. I don't think he's into me." Sohyun shaked her head slightly then walked towards to the dance studio.
As she stretched and warmed up with the rest of the dance club, Sohyun moved almost mechanically, her mind still consumed by Jihyun. Sohyun didn't know if she hated it or not.
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Day after day, Both of them slowly getting closer. Sharing their music playlists, their favorite foods even debating if Marvel's Avengers will win against DC's Justice League.
One night. They are strolling across the park, when Jihyun suddenly stopped.
"Sohyun."
"Yes?" Sohyun stopped as well. She looked up at him. Curious about what was Jihyun going to say.
"I know this is surprising but... I like you, Sohyun. I like you and I wanted you to be my girlfriend."
Sohyun was shocked, she kinda expected that but hearing it directly from him still made her jaw dropped.
"I.... I don't know what to say, Jihyun. I liked you too but..." Sohyun sighed then she held his hand. "I'm not ready to commit into a relationship. Not yet. I hope you understand that."
Instead of feeling sad, Jihyun understands Sohyun. If Sohyun doesn't want to commit to anything beyond friends, then he understand.
"It's okay. I understand you, Sohyun. I can wait even if it takes years. I wanted to tell you that my heart belongs to you." Jihyun hugged Sohyun. Which she embraced him in response.
"I'm really glad you understand me, Jihyun."
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One night, Jihyun heard a knock on his door. He opens it and saw Sohyun with two bags. "Sohyun? Why are you- Come in. It's cold out there." He ushered her inside his apartment. He guides her to the couch and Sohyun sat down on it.
He gave her a glass of water. "What happened, Sohyun? Did something wrong at home?"
Sohyun took a long sip of water before sighs deeply. "My step-father... He's a gambling addict. It started last year and his addiction is the reason why my mother fought with him."
"Today, he attempted to use the savings of the music produce course that my mother kept it for me. They fought once again and my mother told me to leave the house to keep me safe but I... I said I didn't want to leave her with that man but she insisted."
Jihyun listen to her story with concern. He took her hands in his, giving them a reassuring squeeze.
"I can't believe that you're going through this, Sohyun." His thumb rubbing circles on her knuckles. "Your mother did a good thing to keep you away from your step-father."
He shifted closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side. Sohyun leaned into him, craving the comfort and support only he seemed able to provide.
"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you want." Jihyun assured her, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "I'm glad you come over here."
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Sohyun is basically living with Jihyun on his apartment. They shared chores and they watched movies sometimes.
Two weeks later, Sohyun knocked at Jihyun's bedroom. She's on her sleeping pajamas. Jihyun ushered her inside and they sat at the edge of his bed.
"So... What is it?"
Sohyun took a deep breath before looking directly into his eyes. "Yesterday, I was approached by a man named Mr. Han after the dance club session. He was with the principal and he inteoduced himself as the talent scout for Kpop companies."
"So... Did you just... scouted?"
"Well...." Sohyun reached out to hold his hands. "Kinda... Like... Mr. Han offered me a push to the companies to become a trainee but in one condition..."
"What is it?" Jihyun felt something was wrong. Sohyun didn't answer immediately, Jihyun had to ask her again.
"Mr. Han told me that I need to... to... offer myself to him... for me to able to become a trainee." Sohyun felt her heart heavier as she said all of it to Jihyun.
As exepcted. Jihyun went silent then he broke the deafning silence. "Tell me that'a a joke, Sohyun. You declined it, right? Tell me.."
"I... I didn't agreed. I also didn't rejected the offer."
"Sohy-"
"I know... I know... I should've just straight up rejected his offer but... this is once in a lifetime opportunity, Jihyun. I dream to become an idol and someone who makes music. You know that, right?"
"But that man is a sick person, Sohyun. He's taking advantage of you. You knew that very well!"
"I know! It's sick and twisted but... this is the chance that I got." Sohyun cupped his face. "I came here to tell you that I'll give you a permission to have sex with me."
Sohyun leaned to kiss his lips gently. "You're the only man that I trust, Jihyun. Tonight is all about us. Just us."
Jihyun's breath hitched as Sohyun pressed her forehead against his, her words hanging heavy in the air between them. Torn between the overwhelming desire to give her what she wanted and the instinct to protect her at all costs.
"Sohyun…" His hands sliding down to rest on her hips. "Are you sure about this? I… I want nothing more than to make your first time special but I don't want you to feel pressured or regret anything… I know you can still become an artist without sacrificing your virginity."
"Yes, Jihyun... I wanted this.. Wanted you to be my first."
As their lips met, Jihyun poured all his pent-up passion and adoration into the kiss. His arms wrapped around Sohyun's waist, pulling her flush against his chest as he deepened the embrace. She melted into him, savoring the feeling of finally being claimed by the man she trusted most.
Slowly, gently, Jihyun laid Sohyun back onto the bed, hovering over her. "You're so beautiful." he murmured against her lips. "I will to cherish every inches of you."
With tender kisses and touches, Jihyun explored the curves of Sohyun's body, worshipping her with his touch.
They undressed each other clothes until both of them are bare naked. They kissed again, hungrier this time. Tongue to tongue, teeth to teeth.
As he trailed his mouth lower, Jihyun lavished attention on the column of Sohyun's throat. He suckled lightly at her pulse point, relishing the hitch in her breathing. When his lips reached the swell of her breasts, he paused to admire the breathtaking sight of her under the moonlight.
"So beautiful.." Jihyun murmured appreciatively, his palms molding to the soft weight of her breasts. He circled her nipples with his thumbs, watching in fascination as it harden under his touch.
Jihyun's hot breath ghosted over Sohyun's sensitive nipples, making her squirm with anticipation. Unable to resist any longer, he closed his mouth around a nipple, suckling gently as his tongue swirled and flicked teasingly.
"Ooohhh~~!" A breathy moan spilled from Sohyun's lips, her back arching to push more of her breast into Jihyun's eager mouth.
Jihyun lavished equal attention on both breasts, alternating between licking, sucking, and grazing with his teeth. His hands kneaded the supple flesh, thumbs continuing their maddening circles around the stiffened tips.
After her breasts, Jihyun trailed down kisses on her tummy until his face is mere inches on her glistering virgin clit. He put his tongue out to lick it slowly. "Wait- It.. tickles! But keep... going please..."
Jihyun smiled against Sohyun's inner thigh as he heard her breathless response. Encouraged, he parted her legs further, settling between them. He traced the seam of her folds, marveling at how wet she already was for him.
"Just relax, sweetheart. Let me make you feel good."
Slowly, deliberately, he dragged the flat of his tongue along her slit, savoring her sweet taste. He focused on her clit, circling and flicking the swollen nub with the tip of his tongue. Sohyun's hips bucked involuntarily, a high-pitched keen escaping her throat.
He pushed his middle finger and felt the warmest and tightest of her. Clearly that Sohyun has never been touched. He takes time to make her adjust to the new feeling.
Jihyun carefully worked his middle finger inside Sohyun's. He held still, letting her adjust to the unfamiliar sensation, his other hand rubbing soothing circles on her hip.
"That's it, baby. Just breathe."
After a moment, he began to move slowly, shallow thrusts that gradually increased in depth as Sohyun relaxed around him. His thumb found her clit, rubbing gentle circles around it.
Sohyun's walls clenched tightly around Jihyun's finger as he slowly pumped it in and out. Pleasure and slight discomfort intermingled, creating a confusing but exciting mix of sensations.
"Oh my... god... Fuck... It feels.. so good!" She whimpered and moaned softly, her hips starting to rock subtly against his hand, seeking more friction. Jihyun could feel her getting wetter, her arousal coating his finger and dripping down to the sheets below.
"Please, Jihyun… I need more."
Jihyun lean forward as he put his tongue out. Gently and slowly licking along her glistering folds that made Sohyun gasp loudly.
Jihyun's tongue delved deeper, lapping up Sohyun's copious arousal as he savored her unique flavor.
Jihyun added a second finger to her clenching channel, stretching her gently. Sohyun's back arched, a sharp cry tearing from her throat.
Jihyun starts finding her G-spot. The moment that Sohyun lets a loud squeal that covers her own mouth instantly, Jihyun knew he got it as he slowly stroking that spot. He didn't rush, He didn't pressure her. He take his time for her to adjust and experience her firsts.
In his mind, He still hated the fact that Sohyun is going to submit herself to that old man for a chance to get into the music industry but then he's lucky to be Sohyun's first.
For now, though, he focused solely on bringing her pleasure, his tongue swirling around her clit as his fingers worked her G-spot with deliberate slowness. He wanted this to last, to etch every moment into their memory as something precious.
"Jihyun... Fuckkk.. I'm feeling... something.."
Jihyun recognized the telltale signs: the rapid shallowing of her breaths, the fluttering of her eyelids, the way her inner walls clenched rhythmically around his fingers.
With a surge of tenderness and possessiveness, Jihyun redoubled his efforts, lavishing Sohyun's clit with fervent licks and sucks. He curled his fingers just so, grinding against that magic spot deep within her as her climax built.
"Yes, baby, let it go. I'm here with you. Give yourself to it."
Sohyun's world narrowed to the explosive sensations. Every stroke of his fingers, every lap of his tongue sens her towards to the climax.
Then, with a throaty groan, Sohyun's body tensed, her back arching off the bed as the most intense orgasm of her life crashed over her. Wave after wave of orgasm washed through her, leaving her trembling and breathless.
"You did great, Sohyun. You had your first orgasm." Jihyun kissed her soaked clit.
Sohyun through her half lidded eyes, she reached out to cup Jihyun's cheek. "Jihyun... It's my turn.. Can I do it?"
Jihyun nodded. Sohyun reaches out to wrap her fingers around Jihyun's cock as she slowly stroking up and down. "Am I doing it right?"
"It's perfect, baby. Keep doing it."
Encouraged, Sohyun redoubled her efforts, her grip tightening slightly as she picked up speed.
"Like this?"
"Yes, just like that... Fuccckkk..." Jihyun panted, his head falling back as he surrendered to Sohyun's handjob.
"Can I taste you?" He nodded.
Jihyun's cock twitched as Sohyun positioned herself between his thighs. He watched as her tongue darted out to lap at the underside of his cock, tasting the salty precum beading at the tip.
"Mmm~ you're so hard and hot."
Jihyun's hands fisted in the sheets as Sohyun took him deeper, her tongue swirling around the head of his cock before trailing back down to the base.
Then Sohyun braced herself as she took him on her mouth, inch by inch with her tongue swirling underside of Jihyun's cock. Jihyun groaned at the sight of Sohyun taking him on her mouth, the feeling of her warm and wet inexperienced mouth on him.
"Sohyun, you're doing so well. Look at you, taking my cock like a pro already."
Flushed with pride and arousal, Sohyun met his gaze, her eyes glazed with lust as she continued to work him over with increasing confidence. Jihyun's hands tangled in her hair, guiding her movements as he lost himself in the sensation of her warm, wet mouth.
"Fuck, baby, you're going to make me come soon."
Suddenly, Sohyun pulled back. "Can you hold it for a bit? I'll lay down and you... you do it."
"Yeah... sure."
Sohyun pulls out something from the discarded pajama on the floor and it was a condom. Sohyun lay down on the bed, spreading her legs wide as inviting him closer to her.
After ripping open the condom packet, Jihyun puts it on his throbbing cock, his hands shaking slightly with anticipation. As he positioned himself between Sohyun's spread thighs, he almost forgot to breathe, this is it.
Sohyun cupped his face. "Jihyun. I want this. I want you."
Jihyun slowly pushing his cock inside her. Penetrating her virgin inner walls, stretching her wide. Sohyun's face changed as she felt an intense pain. "Fuck... Keep.. going... don't stop... please..."
Because Sohyun is already wet moments ago, it was quite easy yet Jihyun needed a bit force to thrust inside. He make sure he's still gentle and not trying to make Sohyun hurt even more.
Jihyun slowly pulling out until the tip remains inside, he saw a sheer of blood coating the condom.
He plunged his cock inside of her slowly until he was balls deep. He didn't move, just wanted to make Sohyun adjust herself.
Sohyun gently pats his arm. "You can move now."
Jihyun began to move, his hips rocking in a slow rhythm. Each glide brought a fresh wave of pleasure, her wetness coating his cock and easing the way for deeper penetration.
"F-fuck, you feel amazing." Jihyun groaned, his control slipping as the sensations intensified. He leaned down to capture Sohyun's lips in a passionate kiss, swallowing her moans as he started to pick up pace, driven by the primal urge to claim her completely.
After a while, Jihyun pulled her up closer to him as he guides her to ride his cock. Her arms and legs wrapped around him as she started to ride him, their lips remained locked in a loving heated kiss. Her breasts pressed against his hard chest.
As Sohyun rose and fell on his cock, Jihyun broke the kiss to watch her riding him. Her inner walls clenched around him, milking his cock with each descent.
"God. You're so beautiful like this."
Emboldened by his words, Sohyun increased her tempo, her hips snapping faster as she chased her second orgasm.
Jihyun's fingers dug into the supple flesh of Sohyun's ass as he drove up into her, meeting her frantic rhythm. The room echoed with their ragged breathing, lewd moans, and the slick sound of flesh slapping against flesh.
"So close, baby…" Jihyun grunted, his thrusts becoming erratic as he neared the brink.
"Yes~! Yes~! Fuck! I'm almost... Almost~!"
With a hoarse shout, Jihyun shoots hot seed pumped directly into the condom. Sohyun's inner walls spasmed around him, milking every drop as she came undone in his arms.
They crashed back to the bed, Sohyun lay atop of him, nuzzled into his neck as Jihyun wrapped her arms around her.
Jihyun smiled because he's lucky enough to become Sohyun's first man to kiss her and to claim her virginity.
"Hey.."
"Yeah?"
"You can still do more?"
"Baby, you're insatiable." he chuckled, rolling them onto their sides to face each other. "But I'm always up for more... with you."
Sohyun nodded and smiled. She reached out to pull the condom full of Jihyun's semen out of his cock and ties the condom tightly then throws it on the bin.
She gave him another condom to use. While Jihyun putting it on his cock, Sohyun bends over infront of him.
Jihyun still couldn't believe at the sight of Sohyun's bare ass, high and rounded, just begging to be spanked or claimed.
Jihyun ran a hand along her spine, feeling the heat of her skin, before gripping her hip and pulling her back against him.
"I'm going to fuck you from behind now, baby." Jihyun murmured in her ear. Sohyun nodded. "Yes, Please..."
Jihyun entered Sohyun from behind. Slowly pushed his cock inside her. Sohyun moan softly as Jihyun starts to thrust in and out of her.
Her hands grasping the sheets tightly as Jihyun's thrusts hitting her spot. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Don't hold... fuck- back.. Fuck me like you... you meant it."
Jihyun's control snapped at Sohyun's plea, he started thrusting in an animalistic pace. The angle allowed him to hit her G-spot dead-on, and her keening moans spurred him on.
"Yes, just like that!" Sohyun cried, her nails digging into the sheets as she arched her back, presenting herself fully to Jihyun's relentless thrusts. "Harder, Jihyun! Fuck me harder!"
Jihyun pistoned into Sohyun's clenching heat. He reached around to fondle her breasts, tweaking her nipples between his fingers as he ravaged her from behind.
Sweat beaded on Jihyun's brow, his muscles coiled with tension as he chased his impending release.
"Fuck... I'm so close, Sohyun!"
Jihyun's thrusts became more brutal and erratic as he's nearing his climax. Sohyun's pussy tightened around him, milking his cock.
With a loud grunt, Jihyun slammed deep inside Sohyun, his cock pulsing as he filled the condom with his hot seed. Sohyun groaned at the pillow as her own orgasm ripped through her, her inner walls rippling around Jihyun's still spurting cock.
Finally, with a shuddering exhale, Jihyun collapsed forward, his forehead resting against Sohyun's sweat-dampened shoulder. They clung to each other, panting and trembling in the aftermath.
After a moments of deep breaths, Sohyun tilted her head to look at him over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. "You know what? There's one more condom."
Jihyun just laughed weakly, his whole body was sore and all but he didn't dismissed her either. He's all in for Sohyun. No matter what.
"Alright, baby.. One more time. But we'll make it quick, yeah?"
He positioned behind her as her sweaty bare back pressed agaisnt his chest. His left arm hooked on her leg to raise it up as Jihyun's cock enters inside her wet pussy once again then started to thrust in and out. Sohyun helped him by grinding herself onto him.
Their bodies moved in sync, a sensual dance of give-and-take as they chased their final climax together. Jihyun's breath came in ragged gasps against Sohyun's ear, his hips snapping faster as he neared the edge once more.
"That's it, baby… come with me." Jihyun panted, his fingers digging into Sohyun's flesh as he pistoned into her.
With a guttural moan, Jihyun slammed home, burying himself to the hilt as his orgasm overtook him. His cock pulsed and throbbed, unleashing a torrent of seed into the condom. Sohyun's inner walls clamped down around him, milking his length as she found her own release, her cries mingling with Jihyun's.
They collapsed together, Jihyun's spent cock still nestled within Sohyun's quivering pussy. Panting and trembling, they clung to each other.
In the quiet that followed, Jihyun pressed soft kisses to Sohyun's neck and shoulder.
Jihyun realized that Sohyun already asleep on his arms. He chuckled and leaned to her ear. "Good night, Sohyun."
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Morning came and they shared a breakfast with a smile. Jihyun chuckled at the thought that they just made love last night but still remained friends. He was just glad that Sohyun trusted him to claim her first time.
Two weeks later, Sohyun need to move out because she's now a trainee of a newly built music company made by a highly respected creative director named Mr. Jeong. Sohyun also got a chance to become the company's producer for future songs. She's backing out of college to pursue her music career.
Jihyun helped her pack her things. He and Sohyun stood each other at the side of the road, waiting for the taxi.
Jihyun is sad because he and sohyun will live seperately from now on but he's happy that Sohyun will able to reach her dreams.
"Sohyun. Whatever happens, you know where to go. I'll be always here with you. Okay?"
Sohyun hugged him. "Thank you, Jihyun. For being here with me through ups and downs. I will never ever forget you."
Jihyun still waved his hand even through Sohyun's taxi disappear at the corner. He was willing to wait for her even if it takes years and years.
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Years later.
Jihyun is looking forward to this exact moment. Sohyun's group named TripleS is the guest artist for his team Kiwoom Heroes.
He watched her perform with her fellow members from afar. He was so proud of her.
After a grueling long match, His team are able to defeat the defending champions and he is hailed as the MVP.
Chaotic celebration happened on their dugout. Jihyun sneaked outside and the timing is right because Sohyun is looking for him.
Jihyun's heart raced as he spotted Sohyun across from him, her radiant smile lighting up the evening air. Their reunion was everything he had dreamed of.
As they pulled each other close, Jihyun breathed in the familiar scent of Sohyun's shampoo, feeling the warmth of her body against his.
"We did it, Sohyun." Jihyun murmured, his lips brushing against Sohyun's temple. "We're standing here, successful and finally together again."
Sohyun nodded. "It's been too long, Jihyun. I've missed you so much."
Sohyun heard her manager calling her that she need to leave the stadium to go home with her members.
Sohyun's hand held his for a little while. "I'll text you the place. You don't need to bring anything, just come tonight."
With a lingering kiss to Sohyun's forehead, Jihyun reluctantly released her hand, watching as she hurried into the stadium's parking lot.
Two hours later. Sohyun opens the door and let him look at her camisole that fits on her body.
Without a word, Jihyun closed the distance between them, his hands coming to rest on Sohyun's hips as he pulled her flush against him.
"I've waited for this.." Jihyun growled, his lips pressed the sensitive spot of Sohyun's neck. "For you."
And with that, the night unfolded in a blur of desperate kisses, roaming hands, and the urgent shedding of clothing.
You push open the door with your shoulder, bag sliding down your arm, earbuds still in, still humming the chorus of the track you were half-distractedly mouthing on the walk back. The apartment’s dim, only the low yellow glow from the kitchen light pooling under the cabinets. It smells faintly like miso and something fried earlier (maybe tofu?) and, ironically, this reminds you that you forgot something. It doesn’t hit you immediately, what you forgot. But then your eyes sweep the counter.
Empty.
The fridge hisses softly when you open it. Half a carton of milk. Some eggs. A bottle of kimchi you’re not brave enough to open. And a lonely, suspicious cucumber. Then you freeze.
Okay. Right.
You were supposed to get groceries today. Actually, you were supposed to get them yesterday too, but Xinyu cornered you after the club meeting and asked for help lifting some stuff into storage—by which she meant do all the hard work while I pretend to supervise. Time got slippery. You left campus past dark and told yourself you’d make a list tomorrow.
Well, tomorrow was today. Now today is too late.
You step out of the kitchen just as Sohyun emerges from her room, barefoot, wearing that oversized sweatshirt she lives in when she’s in a mood. Dark grey, sleeves too long, hair twisted up with two pens stabbing through the knot like she’s some sort of overworked librarian assassin. Her expression is unreadable, which is bad. It’s when she gets unreadable that you know she’s very much read you and is probably two sentences away from verbal murder.
“You didn’t go, did you?” she says. No hello. Just sharp and low. Fair enough...
You fidget, rubbing the back of your neck. “I… got distracted. Club ran long.”
Her eyes flick down to your bag. No plastic handles sticking out, no clinking bottles or leafy greens peeking. She leans her weight to one hip and folds her arms slowly, like she’s savoring the drama of the moment.
“Distracted,” she repeats. “Again.”
“It’s just the second time—”
“The second time this week,” she cuts in, and now you’re pretty sure she’s not even mad about the food. There’s something else threading underneath, something prickly and a little tired.
You drop your bag by the couch and step closer, sheepish. “I know, I know. I really meant to, I just—club stuff’s been a lot. We’re organizing that charity auction and planning the art zine printing and—”
“You’re in a crafts club, not national defense,” she mutters, turning toward the kitchen, but slower than usual, like she’s waiting for you to say something worth staying for.
“It’s called ‘Hands On’,” you remind her, trailing after. “And it’s pretty fun, actually. We’re doing embroidery on vintage denim this week.”
That earns a glance, just a flash over her shoulder, one brow twitching. “So now you’re too busy learning how to sew flowers onto someone’s ass to remember your basic responsibilities?”
You shift on your feet. “You make it sound so much lamer than it is.”
“I didn’t have to try.”
You watch her pull out the rice cooker, expression smoothing into that blank practiced calm she wears when she’s trying not to let irritation sound like concern. The rice cooker clicks, and it suddenly feels very loud in the silence you left hanging.
“I’ll make it up to you,” you say quickly, guilt tightening your throat. “Let me cook this weekend.”
She pauses, dead silent. Then slowly turns, both arms now crossed tighter, chin tilted.
“You.”
“Me.”
“You want to cook.”
“For us, yeah.”
“You nearly set the toaster on fire trying to make Pop-Tarts.”
“That was one time. And I was sleepy.”
“You boiled water in a frying pan.”
“I couldn’t find the kettle!”
“It was next to the stove.”
You press your palms together like you’re about to pray. “C’mon. Let me try. I’ll find recipes online. I’ll watch a tutorial or something. I’ll even write down a shopping list this time.”
Her eyes narrow. “You're gonna write down one egg, one cup rice, plus one extinguisher?”
You groan and sag onto the counter dramatically, forehead thunking against the cool laminate. “Have some faith in me, Sohyun.”
“I do, that’s why I don’t want to die.”
You lift your head and grin at her, and she falters. There’s a twitch at the edge of her mouth like she’s fighting it, but her arms are still crossed and her eyes are still doing that sharp thing they do when she’s trying to seem unimpressed. She fails. She always fails.
“You’ve got that face on again,” you say.
“What face.”
“The grumpy ‘my idiot roommate is testing my will to live’ face. I don’t like that face. Gimme a better one.”
She turns away a little, her hip brushing the counter, but you catch the way her lips almost curve. You lean in slightly.
“C’mon, just a little one. Gimme a smile. I’ll even do the grocery run tomorrow and the day after.”
“That’s your responsibility anyway,” she mumbles, but softer.
“Yeah, but I’ll do it extra good. Promise. Just smile.”
She tries to keep her mouth straight, but it’s not fair, because you’re looking at her like a puppy that dropped its leash and still thinks it deserves a treat. And you know what you’re doing; weaponizing that whole innocent soft-boy thing, but it works. She finally lets one side of her mouth curl up, barely, like a crack of sunlight through clouds.
“There,” you say, triumphant, and point like it’s proof. “That’s the one. See? You look way less murdery when you do that.”
“Shut up,” she says, but she doesn’t move away when you lean against the counter beside her. Her shoulder is warm against yours, and she doesn’t pull away. You can feel her relaxing, even if she keeps up the grumble.
“Seriously though,” you say. “Thanks for cooking all the time. I know I suck at adulting. I’ll get better.”
“Yeah, well. Someone has to keep your malnourished ass alive.”
You laugh, and she pretends like that wasn’t a compliment buried in salt. The silence after isn’t tense anymore. It’s familiar. She leans over to rinse some rice, and you stay close, watching the way her fingers move, the easy rhythm of someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s kind of hypnotic. You catch yourself staring a little too long and glance away, ears warm.
“You know,” you say, just to fill the quiet, “Xinyu said she wants to teach me how to make handmade dumplings. Apparently she’s some kind of food goddess outside of club stuff.”
You don’t notice how still Sohyun goes. How her shoulders tighten just slightly. You’re busy thinking about how Xinyu had smiled at you when she said it, the way she tilted her head and asked if your hands were good with dough. Like she was measuring your answer with something hungrier than curiosity.
You don’t notice the way Sohyun’s grip on the strainer shifts. Or the small exhale she lets out, short and flat. But you do catch the quiet that follows your sentence. Heavy again. And not the good kind.
You glance over. “What?”
“Nothing,” she says, too fast. “Sounds like she’s keeping you real busy lately.”
“I guess? I mean, she’s just super involved in everything. She’s got all these ideas. And people really listen to her. It’s kinda cool.”
She hums, then dumps the rice into the cooker with a clatter that sounds more aggressive than necessary.
“Cool,” she repeats under her breath, but you don’t catch the tone.
You yawn and stretch your arms above your head. “Anyway. I’m gonna shower before dinner. Thanks for not killing me.”
“No promises,” she mutters.
As you disappear down the hall, you don’t see the look she gives the kitchen doorway. Not angry. Not exactly sad, either. Just a look like someone watching a window slowly shut on something they hadn’t even realized they were leaning out of. The rice cooker beeps behind her, forgotten. Her reflection stares back at her in the microwave door, and she doesn’t like what she sees there.
—
The air outside the lecture hall is too crisp for how warm your neck feels under the collar of your hoodie. Your econ professor dragged out the last five minutes of class with a winding tangent about inflation and donuts, and your brain’s still foggy from trying to stay awake. The hallway hums with the usual end-of-class shuffle—backpacks zipping, shoes squeaking on linoleum, someone laughing too loudly down the hall, the flick of water bottles being opened like a chorus of bored seals. You dig your phone out of your pocket, thumb tapping out a quick message to Sohyun to let her know you might head home soon—and then you hear your name.
Not called. Sung.
“Heeeey!”
You don’t even get the full chance to turn around before something soft and perfume-sweet hooks around your elbow and starts pulling. It’s instinct, at this point. You don’t even resist. You know that voice, and sure enough, there she is: Xinyu. In a velvet jacket the color of overripe cherries, hair twisted in a high braid that bounces with every movement, eyes bright with some new scheme. She's wearing high heels, which emphasizes her height (1.74cm, and she doesn't even need the heels to be taller than you).
“You have legs. You’re walking. Perfect. C’mon,” she says, already dragging you past two people in the hall who double-take like they’re seeing something illegal.
“Uh—hi? What—what’s going on?” You try to plant your feet but she’s stronger than she looks. “I actually need to get home kinda early—”
“It’ll be quick,” she chirps, which you immediately recognize as a lie, the same way Sohyun always does when you tell her you’ll “just check something real fast.” Xinyu gives you a sideways glance, all long lashes and a grin that should be registered as a performance-enhancing drug. “We’ve got a situation and you, my sweet dumb boy, are just the man to solve it.”
“I never agreed to—wait, what situation?”
“You’ll see,” she hums.
That’s how it always starts.
She marches you through campus like she’s late to a parade, and you end up outside the “Hands On” club room (formerly the Sad Little Arts Supply Closet), now upgraded with banners, fairy lights, a suggestion box shaped like a gumball machine, and one extremely passive-aggressive cactus on the windowsill that someone (probably Xinyu) glued googly eyes onto. The room smells like fabric glue and lavender cleaning spray. You can already tell something’s going on. Half the tables have fabric swatches and scissors laid out, while the other half are in chaos—cardboard boxes, paper stacks, craft knives, sticky notes everywhere like a crime scene made by a kindergarten teacher.
Xinyu kicks the door shut with her heel, and immediately spins to face you, hands clasped dramatically.
“Emergency,” she declares. “Our treasurer—bless his little heart—forgot to print half the zine inserts for tomorrow’s showcase. And he left town to visit his boyfriend and won’t be back until Monday.”
You blink. “Okay. And that involves me… how?”
She gives you a look, then grabs a stack of prints and holds them out with both hands, like she’s offering an ancient tome. “We need to trim the inserts, fold them, and pair them with the right zine covers tonight. I would do it myself, but I’m already running final checklists, and I need someone with…” She pauses, eyes dragging slowly down you in a way that makes your spine twitch. “…delicate hands.”
You’re not even sure what that means, but it works embarrassingly well. You shift your weight awkwardly, try not to smile, fail.
“I’ve got readings to do, though,” you mumble, still reaching for the stack anyway.
She leans in, nose almost bumping yours. “Just thirty minutes.”
You know it’s going to be at least two hours. But you’re already sitting down.
You work through the inserts like a factory line, trying not to get glue on your hoodie, trying even harder not to look too happy that she keeps hovering over your shoulder. Every few minutes she passes behind you, laying a hand on your back, leaning to read something over your shoulder, her perfume brushing against your cheek—light and heady, like peonies dipped in honey. When you mess up the first fold, she just laughs and reaches over to fix it, her fingers brushing yours deliberately.
“See? You’ve got the touch,” she says after you finish the third stack, peeking at your neat line of trimmed edges. “You’re careful. Precise. You’d make a good production lead.”
You pause, scissors halfway through a page. “Production what?”
“For the club.” She spins one of the folding chairs around and straddles it backwards, arms folded over the backrest like she’s about to make a TED talk. “We need someone to manage all the materials and oversee project prep days. It’s not super intense, just a couple meetings, task lists, making sure stuff gets done right. I’ve been doing it all myself, but honestly, you’re way more organized than I expected.”
“Uh. Thanks?” You’re not even sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.
She grins. “I'm serious! You’ve got this sort of… reliable energy. Like the kind of guy who double-checks the batteries before a camping trip.”
“Are you saying I’m boring?”
“No,” she says, tipping her head. “I’m saying you’re hot in a very unexpectedly domestic way.”
Your brain short-circuits a little. You drop a sheet. She laughs.
“That’s not—what even is that?”
“Means I could leave you alone in a room with a pet bunny and a glue gun and not worry about either of them dying.”
“…That is the weirdest compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
“And yet you’re still blushing.”
You turn your head away, trying to pretend you’re not. You totally are.
The idea of the position swirls in your head now, even as you keep folding. You picture being in charge of something, even something this small. Making lists. Making things run. Sohyun would probably laugh if she heard it. Or roll her eyes. Or both. Still. There's something weirdly satisfying about the idea of being useful like that. And then there’s the fact that it means more time here. Around her. Around this energy that makes you feel like you’re slightly floating, like maybe you matter in a way you hadn’t thought about before.
“I dunno,” you say. “I’ve never done anything like that before. And I’m still learning how the club works…”
“I’ll help you,” she says immediately. “Seriously. I wouldn’t throw you in alone. I just need someone I trust. And you’ve got this chill thing going on that keeps people from freaking out. I like that.”
You feel your ears heat again.
“I’ll think about it,” you say.
She pouts, and it’s completely weaponized. “But I need you.”
You choke on your breath.
She leans closer across the table. “Please? You’d be perfect. You’re already half in love with this place anyway.”
“I am not.”
She lifts an eyebrow. “You’re literally here folding paper on a Friday night.”
“…Point taken.”
She smiles then, something soft but electric, and somehow the room feels warmer. She taps the side of your hand lightly with a fingernail.
“Just say yes.”
You hesitate.
But it’s barely even hesitation.
“Okay,” you mumble, and you look down because her smile makes it hard to breathe right.
“I knew you would,” she says, sing-song and smug.
You keep working, heartbeat annoyingly loud, the sound of scissors and paper and her humming filling the room like you’ve stepped into a whole different orbit. Something not quite safe. But not bad, either. Just new.
And when you finally look at your phone later—two hours later—you realize you never texted Sohyun back.
—
You fumble with your keys at the door like they’ve suddenly become a math problem, plastic bags hanging heavy off your wrists, sleeves bunched up, hoodie damp with the sweat of a rushed walk to the market. You’re late. Not “forgot the time” late; actual late. Like, over-an-hour-past-the-“I’ll be home by six”-mark late. And that’s with the shortcut through the back alley that smells vaguely like wet cardboard and moldy pizza. You exhale, brace yourself, and nudge the door open with your foot.
Inside’s warm, lit up with the kitchen lights already on, even though you’d planned to turn them on yourself, cook like a responsible adult for once, surprise Sohyun with your flawless (okay, barely functional) culinary debut. Instead, there’s quiet rustling in the living room and the telltale smell of rice already cooking.
Damn.
“Sohyun,” you call out quickly, pushing in and kicking the door shut behind you. “Wait—don’t cook, I’m doing it! I swear!”
She appears before you can get another sentence out, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room with her arms folded like she’s on break from interrogating someone. That same sweatshirt again, sleeves half covering her hands, her hair up in one of those loose, tired buns that somehow makes her look even more intimidating. She doesn’t say anything. Just stares at you.
You lift the bags. “Groceries. All of ‘em. Even got the brand of gochujang you like and those overpriced Belgian chocolate bars you keep ‘not liking’ but always finish.”
That gets her eyebrow twitching upward, just a little. But the frown’s still hanging around her mouth.
“I said I’d cook,” you add. “I didn’t forget this time.”
“You’re late.”
“I know, I’m sorry. There was… stuff. At the club. Unexpected stuff.”
She doesn’t ask what. She just moves aside so you can shuffle into the kitchen and start unpacking the bags. Vegetables. Noodles. Chicken. Soy sauce. Two bars of that milk chocolate with sea salt she thinks you don’t notice her hoarding in the freezer like contraband. She watches silently as you line things up on the counter, sleeves rolled up like you’re about to operate instead of cook.
“Okay,” you exhale, trying to sound confident and not like you’re internally googling how to dice an onion without making it look like a hate crime. “Tonight, we are making… stir-fried noodles. With chicken. And bok choy.”
Sohyun leans against the doorframe, arms still crossed. “You’re stir-frying something.”
“Technically, yes.”
She watches you wrestle the chicken out of its package like it’s a test of your moral fiber.
“You know,” she says after a long moment, “the whole point of you cooking was to not make me do anything.”
“I got this.”
You do not got this. Five minutes later you’re trying to figure out which knife is for chicken and which is for not-dying, when Sohyun lets out a sigh and walks over. She ties her hair up tighter, grabs a cutting board without a word, and starts slicing the bok choy with precision so sharp it’s almost smug.
“Hey—” you protest, “I said I got this.”
“You said a lot of things,” she mutters. “At this rate, we’ll be eating at midnight.”
You shut up and just let her work beside you. There’s something comforting about it, the shared silence while you both prep, the sound of knives on wood, the little clatter of bottles and bowls. You glance over at her hands a few times—how practiced they are, how she moves like she’s not even thinking about it. You’ve never been able to do anything that confidently. Not like her.
She doesn’t look at you when she speaks next. Her tone’s quiet. Even. Too even.
“So. This ‘unexpected stuff’ at the club.”
You clear your throat. “Just Xinyu stuff.
“Of course.”
“She needed help setting up some print stuff for the showcase tomorrow. I told her I couldn’t stay long, but…”
“But you stayed anyway.”
You hesitate. “It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?”
You glance up. She’s slicing scallions now, but her hands have slowed, like she’s not as calm as she wants to sound.
“She just needed help.”
Sohyun sets the knife down, finally looks at you.
“She always needs help, doesn’t she?”
You blink. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sohyun wipes her hands on a dish towel. “It means girls like her know exactly what they’re doing when they lean in too close and smile too wide and ask for just one little favor. And boys like you—”
“—what about boys like me?” you cut in, more defensive than you expected.
She studies you. “You’re too nice. Too soft. You think people mean what they say when they smile at you.”
Your chest tightens, and you try to laugh it off. “You don’t even know her.”
“I don’t need to,” she says flatly. “I’ve seen enough. You come home late. You forget things. You’re too tired to eat sometimes. All because some pretty girl with glitter in her hair asks you to fold paper and run errands and smile on command.”
“She’s not using me,” you say, voice low now, trying to keep your hands busy with the noodles, but your pulse is skipping. “We’re friends. She values me. I’m not just—help. She made me a production lead.”
Sohyun lets out a quiet, humorless breath. “Wow. Production lead. That sounds very real.”
You grit your teeth. “You don’t know what it’s like there. The club’s fun. I like it. I feel… useful. Like I matter.”
“You do matter,” she snaps. “Here. With me. But you’re so damn caught up in being liked by her that you don’t see what she’s doing.”
You flinch, then stare down at the noodles, hands cold even over the heat of the pan.
“She’s really nice to me,” you mumble. “She listens. She laughs at my jokes. She makes me feel seen. Maybe you just… don’t get along with people like that.”
Her silence is louder than the stovetop now. You don’t dare look up. You keep stirring, even though the sauce is starting to bubble too fast, even though the smell is getting sharper. Sohyun says nothing for a long time.
When she finally speaks, her voice is quieter.
“She doesn’t see you,” she says. “She sees what she can get from you.”
You don’t know what to say to that. You just stand there, heat rising from the stove, from your face, from the sudden shift in the air around you.
“Let's just... finish cooking, okay?” you finally say, and the conversation ends.
The dinner isn’t bad. It’s not amazing either—one of the noodles is suspiciously crunchy and the sauce might be a little too salty—but it’s edible, and you didn’t set off the smoke detector, so it counts as a win. The kind of win where no one cheers but nobody dies. You both eat cross-legged on the couch, bowls balanced in your laps, watching something vague and unmemorable play out on the TV. Neither of you really pays attention. The show is just there to fill the silence you haven’t figured out how to cross again yet.
She’s quiet. Not in the usual way, where she’s half-ignoring you because she’s pretending to be annoyed. This is the kind of quiet where she doesn’t pick at your uneven chopstick technique, or sigh when you slouch too far forward like a sad noodle boy. She just eats. Occasionally glances at the screen. Mostly doesn’t look at you.
It’s your fault. You know that. You didn’t mean to shut her out, but the conversation from earlier is still coiled up tight in your chest like a knotted cord you can’t unkink. You know she meant well. You also know you didn’t want to hear it. And now it’s sitting between you like a third roommate with bad vibes and no rent.
You stab a stray noodle in the bowl and swirl it for no reason. Then, out of nowhere, you blurt it.
“Hey, uh… do you wanna go to the movies this weekend?”
Sohyun blinks. Turns her head slowly. “What?”
You cough and set your bowl down on the coffee table, feigning casual like you haven’t just rerouted the entire tone of the evening. “That movie. The weird indie horror-romance one you wouldn’t shut up about. You said it’s finally playing at that little theater downtown, right?”
She narrows her eyes like she suspects a trap. “That movie?”
“Yeah. That one with the girl who falls in love with a ghost that might’ve murdered her aunt.”
“You said that sounded dumb.”
“I’ve since developed taste.”
Her eyes flick down to your empty bowl, then back to your face, skeptical. “You wanna go see it. With me.”
“Yes.”
“At the theater.”
“Yes.”
“You, willingly, sitting through a movie where people talk in metaphors and cry in bathtubs for two hours.”
“Yes.”
She stares a second longer, then slowly sets her own bowl down.
“…Are you dying?”
You laugh, relieved that the wall between you starts to crack. “No. I just figured it’s been a while, you know? Since we went anywhere together. Just us.”
She looks at you, and this time it’s different. Softer. A little surprised. Her shoulders uncoil, just slightly.
“Yeah,” she says after a beat. “Yeah, I guess it has.”
You shift closer on the couch, knees brushing. She doesn’t pull away.
“I miss that,” you say quietly. “You and me. Hanging out. You making fun of my popcorn choices and stealing half of it anyway.”
“I don’t steal,” she mutters, glancing away. “You just let me take it.”
“Exactly,” you say, and you slide your hand over hers before you can overthink it. Just resting your palm on top of hers, fingers curling a little, not gripping, just—being there.
She flinches slightly at the contact, just a twitch, but she doesn’t pull back. She lets your fingers settle against hers, warm and tentative, and when you look up at her, she’s not smirking. Not scoffing. Her eyes are flicking down where your hands meet like it’s something foreign and strange and maybe a little fragile.
“You’re my best friend,” you say, simple and true. “You matter a lot to me.”
Her lips part slightly. Her brows lift, and for a second you think she might laugh it off or tell you you’re being cheesy or stupid—but she doesn’t. She just exhales, like maybe something heavy has been sitting in her chest too.
“You matter to me too,” she says.
You smile at her, and this time when your thumb brushes her knuckle, she doesn’t tense. She lets it happen. Lets you stay close. The show keeps playing in the background, some scene with a car chase and overly dramatic soundtrack cues, but you don’t hear it. Not really.
She shifts her hand slightly and laces her fingers with yours. Not fully. Not completely confident. But enough.
“Don’t be late to the theater,” she says softly. “Or I will eat all your popcorn.”
“Fair,” you say, and your heart’s beating like you’ve just run a mile uphill, but your smile won’t quit.
Neither will hers, even as she tries to hide it by turning toward the screen again.
And when she finally squeezes your hand, once, gently… you squeeze back.
—
The week grinds on like a slow, dull blade; long days of lectures that won’t end and projects that never feel done, your hands always on something, always organizing, always fixing. The new position in the club sounded cool when Xinyu pitched it, sounded manageable, even kind of important. And it is. But it's also constant. There’s always something that needs adjusting. A deadline that wasn’t clear. A last-minute supply shortage. Someone who forgot to RSVP to a workshop and now wants to be squeezed in. You spend most of your hours between classes running around campus, typing messages with one hand and juggling printouts with the other. It’s not that you hate it. It’s just… a lot.
And you’ve been deliberately keeping it at arm’s length this week. Showing up when you need to. Doing what’s necessary. But not lingering. Not letting yourself fall into the way Xinyu looks at you when you're both the last ones in the room. Not letting yourself chase that high that comes from being the center of her attention. You're just packing your things at the edge of the classroom when the scent hits you before the voice. Vanilla, sharp berry, something flirtatious. You freeze for half a second before you even look up.
“There you are,” Xinyu says, leaning against the frame of the door like it’s a movie scene. Skirt just high enough to register, blouse knotted loosely at the waist, hair done up in a half-messy twist that probably took twenty minutes to make look that accidental. She’s smiling at you like she caught you doing something bad and she’s this close to forgiving you for it.
“Hey,” you say, more cautious than casual.
“Got a minute?” She pushes off the door with one heel, strides into your personal space like she owns it, which (let’s face it) she kind of does when she wants to. “Just wanted to run a couple updates by you for the zine drop next week. Also, did you see my text?”
You blink. “Uh, I think so? About the schedule?”
“No,” she says, stepping even closer, voice lowering just enough to pull your gaze to her mouth. “The one I sent yesterday. About the mixer tonight.”
You shake your head. “I’ve been a little swamped. Haven’t had time to check.”
Her smile flickers, momentarily amused, maybe faintly disappointed. “Yeah, I noticed. You’ve been kind of... scarce this week.”
You shift your bag on your shoulder, trying not to notice the way her eyes track the movement. “I’ve just had a lot going on. Assignments, you know. Life.”
“Sure,” she says, tilting her head. “But it’s not like you to dip right after meetings. And I miss my favorite assistant-slash-handyman-slash-pretty boy.”
That catches you off guard. You cough and glance toward the hallway.
She’s teasing, obviously.
Probably.
Right?
“I’m still doing everything I’m supposed to,” you say, trying to stay focused. “I’ve just been trying to keep my head down and not burn out.”
She studies you for a second, like she’s assessing whether that’s the whole truth. “Mhm. So you’re saying you could come to the mixer tonight but you won’t.”
You laugh nervously. “I already have plans.”
That gets her attention. “Plans?” she repeats, lifting an eyebrow. “With who?”
You hesitate. A beat too long.
“…My roommate,” you say. “Sohyun.”
Her mouth lifts at one corner, interested now in a way that’s different; not just playful, but… analytical.
“Sohyun…” she echoes. “That name’s familiar. I think I’ve seen her around. Quiet girl? Moles on the face? Always in a hoodie?”
You nod. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Didn’t know you two were that close.”
You try to shrug it off, but your grip on your bag strap tightens. “We live together. We hang out sometimes. She’s just—she’s my friend.”
Xinyu steps closer. Close enough you can smell her perfume again, soft and sweet, like fruit ripened in summer heat. Her fingers trail lightly across your forearm.
“Just your friend,” she murmurs.
You nod, throat dry. “Yeah.”
Her eyes drag over your face like she’s reading a secret written across your skin. She doesn’t blink. Her fingers pause, then curl lightly around your wrist.
“That’s good,” she says, voice velvet-wrapped. “Because you already have an owner.”
Your breath catches. “I—what?”
She doesn’t give you time to untangle the meaning. She just leans forward and kisses you.
It’s soft at first, almost testing. Her lips barely brush yours, but the sensation is instantly overwhelming. Sweet gloss. A breath of warm air. Her fingers sliding up, into your hair, pulling you a half-step deeper before you even realize you're leaning in. Everything disappears, noise, time, the fluorescent hallway lights, it’s just her, kissing you like she’s claiming something that already belonged to her.
You don’t move. You can’t move. Your thoughts are scattering like coins in water.
When she finally pulls back, her face is still inches from yours, her breath warm and her smile damn near criminal.
“You’re cute when you look like you’ve been unplugged,” she says, brushing your jaw with the back of her knuckle. “But don’t worry. I don’t bite.”
You swallow, hard. “I don’t…”
“You don’t what?”
“I don’t really know what that meant.”
She laughs. “It means I’m making a reservation, baby. You’re mine.”
You look at her, dumbstruck, heart slamming in your ribs.
Then, before you can collect yourself, she adds, “So, since you’re blowing me off for your roommate tonight, how about you make it up to me.”
“…How?”
She leans in again, lips just by your ear now.
“Ask me out. Just you and me. No club stuff. No excuses.”
You hesitate. You shouldn’t. You should say no. You should stall. But instead—
“…Okay. I will.”
Her smile goes wide and adorable.
“Good boy.”
She kisses your cheek this time, softer, lighter, but somehow more dangerous, and then turns on her heel and disappears down the hall, skirt swinging, a melody of casual destruction.
You’re left standing in the doorway of your classroom, the taste of her still on your lips, your phone buzzing with a new message that you already know is from her.
And somehow, all you can think about now is how the hell you’re going to face Sohyun tonight.
—
You get to the theater with barely a minute to spare, which is honestly a miracle considering your brain's been running on static ever since Xinyu kissed you. You’ve been replaying it like some kind of forbidden cutscene you unlocked by accident. Her perfume is still clinging to your hoodie. Your lips still feel weirdly aware, like your body hasn’t updated the rest of itself on what happened. You texted Sohyun that you were on your way while your fingers were still slightly shaking.
And now she’s standing in front of the ticket kiosk, scrolling on her phone, her expression neutral until she hears your footsteps. She looks up, and her face softens the way it always does when she sees you: shoulders relaxing, lips almost smiling. She’s got her hair down tonight, not tied up like usual, and her eyeliner’s a little sharper than usual, like she put in effort but didn’t want to make it obvious. It kind of punches the air out of your lungs.
“You made it,” she says.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” you manage, trying to keep your tone level.
She squints. “You okay? You look like you just ran from a house fire.”
“I’m fine. Just, uh…” You rub the back of your neck, laughing awkwardly. “Got caught up with something right before I left. But I’m good now. Totally good.”
She walks beside you toward the entrance, and the moment you get close, she stops short. Her nose twitches. Her brow furrows slightly.
“Hold up,” she says, sniffing the air near your shoulder. “What is that?”
You freeze. “What’s what?”
“That smell. Are you wearing perfume?”
You nearly trip over your own feet. “What? No. No, no. It’s, uh… probably just my deodorant. I bought a new one. It’s got like, weird… berry something in it. Or… lavender? Maybe both? I don’t know.”
She stares at you like you just said your skin naturally emits essential oils. “You smell like someone else. Like a girl."
You try not to sweat. “Maybe I brushed past someone on the train. Or—maybe someone at the mall sprayed a tester thing. I mean, you know how people get with free samples.”
Sohyun doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t press further. Not directly. Just narrows her eyes and says, “Uh-huh,” before moving toward the theater doors again.
You scramble to change the subject, reaching for something, anything. “Hey, by the way… you look really beautiful tonight.”
That gets her attention. She stops walking again. Turns slowly.
“What?”
You blink. “I mean it. You look nice. Really nice. It’s the eyeliner or the hair or maybe both. I dunno. You just do.”
Now her expression isn’t suspicious, exactly. More like… confused. Like you just threw her off balance in a way she wasn’t expecting. She gives you a side glance, narrowing her eyes again.
“Okay, what’s going on with you tonight?”
“Nothing,” you say quickly, holding your hands up like you’re being accused of a crime. “I’m allowed to compliment my best friend, right?”
She mutters something like “Not when you’re acting weird about it,” but she walks ahead and scans the tickets, so you follow her into the dark theater, hoping the blackness will hide how flushed you probably are.
You sit next to her, the movie already starting with a low, ambient hum that fills the space between you. But you’re not really there. Not fully.
Your body is sitting beside Sohyun, her knee occasionally brushing yours, the bucket of popcorn between you smelling like synthetic butter and warm salt. But your mind keeps flashing back to the moment in the hallway earlier today—Xinyu leaning in, her lips brushing yours, her voice low and possessive, calling you hers. That look in her eyes like she meant it. Like she wanted you. Not just to help with her club plans, not just to make things run smoothly. You. Specifically you.
You sit still, trying to focus on the film, but the plot flows over you like mist—haunting music, characters whispering in shadowy rooms, a scene with someone walking backwards in slow motion. You’re lost in the echo of what Xinyu said.
You already have an owner.
You don’t know what to make of it. But it didn’t feel fake. It didn’t feel like she was playing. It felt like something real. Like maybe Sohyun was wrong. Maybe Xinyu does care about you. Maybe all the flirtation and teasing wasn’t just a way to get you to fold papers and haul supplies. Maybe she likes you. For you.
But then you glance sideways. Sohyun’s eyes are on the screen, but she’s smiling. Just a little. The kind of smile you only catch if you’re watching her close, when something in the movie hits right, or when she’s just happy to be there beside you, no pressure, no performance. Just… happy.
You feel it then. Not guilt, exactly. Something messier. Like being caught between two currents pulling in opposite directions. Xinyu’s kiss still burns on your lips. But Sohyun’s hand, resting on the armrest beside yours, feels like something familiar. Something safe.
So you just keep sitting there, the film flickering over both of you, your brain too full and too loud to hear much of anything.
But Sohyun leans slightly toward you halfway through the film, and whispers, “Thanks for coming with me.”
You nod, quiet. “Of course.”
She nudges you lightly with her shoulder. “Even if your deodorant smells suspiciously like high-end seduction.”
You laugh under your breath, and it breaks the tension in your chest a little. She doesn’t ask more.
And you’re not sure where this is all going. But for now, you’re here. With her. Sharing popcorn. Sharing silence. Sharing something you still haven’t named.
But despite all this, somehow, tonight is going well.
Or at least you're pretending it is.
—
It starts subtly. A slow gravitational shift. One day you’re just helping Xinyu reorganize the storage shelves in the club room, joking about how half the boxes are labeled with inside jokes only she understands, and the next, it’s just the two of you sitting cross-legged on the carpet, eating overpriced takeout while she flips through proofs and playfully feeds you shrimp tempura with her chopsticks. Time begins to bend differently around her. Hours pass like they’re minutes when she’s smiling at you like that, fingers trailing casually along your thigh while she talks about themes for the next zine, her head tilted, eyes lit like you’re the only one who gets to hear this part of her.
You try not to let it show too much outside the club room. It’s not like you’re trying to hide it, but there’s something about it that feels too new, too bright to be touched by other people’s opinions.
Especially Sohyun’s.
So you don’t say anything about the kisses stolen behind closed doors or the way Xinyu's hand slips into yours when no one’s looking. But you talk about her. A lot. More than usual. Like you’re hoping repetition will turn perception. Like you’re trying to overwrite Sohyun’s skepticism with enough evidence that she’ll finally admit she was wrong.
At first, you don’t notice how often you bring her up. Like during dinner one night, when Sohyun’s plating kimchi stew and you’re scrolling through your phone with a dumb grin.
“She’s seriously so funny,” you say, half-laughing to yourself. “Yesterday she was trying to teach me how to make those little origami frogs and I kept screwing them up, so she made a whole sad frog funeral out of my mess-ups. Like full-on folded a little casket. It was so dumb, but I couldn’t stop laughing.”
Sohyun glances up from the pot, slow, expression unreadable. “Sounds… elaborate.”
“Yeah, but like, in a cute way,” you say, scooping rice into your bowl. “She’s got this energy that makes everything more fun. Even boring stuff. Like she turned budget planning into a game last week. Made me guess prices on glitter and glue sticks like it was a quiz show.”
“She ever let you win?”
You grin. “Only when I look extra pitiful.”
Sohyun doesn’t laugh. She just places your bowl in front of you without comment, her eyes flicking down to the table as she settles into her seat. You don’t catch the way her fingers tense around her chopsticks before she starts eating.
You miss other signs too. Like how she doesn’t look up when you come home late anymore. Or how she doesn’t ask what you were up to. You used to tell her without prompting, but now your nights are wrapped in something private—lipstick on your neck, her breath on your ear, Xinyu pressing you against clubroom cabinets with that smug little grin that makes your thoughts scatter like dice.
You stop watching movies with Sohyun. Not intentionally. It just slips away. The time you spent together starts shrinking, edged out by late-night print meetings, gallery walks with Xinyu that turn into half-drunken conversations on park benches, and slow kisses that taste like watermelon gum and heat. You keep saying you’ll reschedule movie night. You never do.
Sohyun doesn’t press. But she notices.
She notices how you start smiling at your phone more than usual. How your hoodie comes home smelling like something not yours. She notices how you hesitate when she asks how your day went, how you mention Xinyu’s name like it’s a punctuation mark in every other sentence.
“Did she ask you to talk about her this much,” Sohyun mutters one night.
“What?”
She doesn’t repeat herself. Just stares at the screen. Her shoulders stiff.
You shift on the couch. “I just think maybe she’s not how you assumed, that’s all.”
Sohyun’s jaw tightens, her eyes still on the flickering movie neither of you are watching. “Maybe.”
“She’s been… really kind to me,” you add. “She listens. She gets it. I dunno. It’s just nice having someone who really sees you, y’know?”
There’s a pause. A breath. A sound like something small and invisible breaking.
“I thought I did,” she says quietly.
You turn to her. “What?”
“Nothing,” she says. “Forget it.”
You don’t push. And that’s the worst part. You used to. But now Xinyu’s kisses are still on your collar, her texts still open on your screen, little cartoon hearts trailing in your thoughts like an afterimage.
You’re floating. Orbiting. And you don’t see the way Sohyun’s been left behind on the ground, staring at your back like she’s watching a spaceship disappear into a sky that never once asked her to come along.
—
One month has passed.
She’s not surprised when you’re late. That’s just how it is now.
The first few times, she was. At least enough to stay up, waiting in the living room with a show paused halfway through and her phone resting face-up on the armrest. But that phase passed. It’s like training a cat to come home by midnight—you can try, but if it keeps slipping out the window, eventually you stop wasting your breath.
Now it’s routine. You say you’ll be home by eight. She hears the door creak at eleven. You always have a reason. Club stuff. Project stuff. Xinyu needing help. Xinyu needing you. And Sohyun tells herself not to care. She tells herself she’s just your roommate. She tells herself that if she keeps her expectations low enough, they won’t disappoint her when they inevitably fall short.
But tonight is different.
You didn’t say you'd be out late. You said you'd be back in time for dinner. Even said you'd help her prep. She made an actual list. Took the rice out early. Washed vegetables like she believed you.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid.
Nine o'clock. She tries to study. Fails.
Ten o'clock. She scrolls social media and refreshes your chat twice, looking for a dot that never shows up.
At eleven, she sends a message:
you good?
At midnight:
where are you
No reply.
She starts imagining things she doesn't want to imagine. Hospital beds. Car crashes. You ditching your phone somewhere and bleeding out behind a dumpster. All of it stupid, dramatic, and totally possible in the late-night silence of a too-quiet apartment. She walks the loop from the kitchen to the living room and back again like pacing will keep her from thinking. At 1 a.m. she gives up and goes to her room, sits in bed with the lights off and your chat open on her phone like it might suddenly ping alive and make her look dumb for worrying.
You don’t reply.
Not even the seen-check mark.
She stares at the glow of the screen, the little timestamp beneath her last message like it’s laughing at her.
At 3:04 a.m, the door clicks.
She hears it, obviously. She’s been awake for hours, lying still in the dark, breathing shallow like that might trick her thoughts into falling asleep. The lock turns slowly, like you’re trying not to make a sound. The door swings open with that telltale rubbery groan (it’s always the left hinge) and then soft footsteps. Your footsteps.
She doesn’t move.
You shuffle into the hallway. Then your door clicks shut, soft. No lights turned on. No message sent. No “hey, sorry I’m late.” Just… slipping in like a kid past curfew. Quiet as guilt.
She stares at her ceiling. Her room smells like night cream and too much unsaid.
Something’s wrong. Not in the usual way.
You didn’t just get caught up. You’re hiding something.
She sits up finally, swings her legs over the side of the bed, but doesn’t turn on the light. She just sits there in the dark, jaw clenched, fists curling in her lap.
It’s Xinyu. Of course it’s Xinyu.
Something about that girl makes Sohyun’s skin crawl. Too perfect. Too polished. Too practiced with the way she laughs like music and touches everyone like they’re already hers. And she could see it happening—could see the way you lit up around her, how your eyes chased Xinyu’s every move like a dog waiting for scraps. At first, Sohyun thought it was a phase. Something shallow. A crush that’d fizzle out like most of yours did.
But then the quiet started. The missed dinners. The unread messages. The new deodorant that didn’t smell like you. The way your eyes would dart when she said Xinyu’s name, like it was a window she could see through.
Now, tonight, the way you came in like a stranger. That was the crack that let everything pour in.
She should be angry. She wants to be angry. But what’s worse is this ache: this quiet, hollow ache in her chest like she’s watching something slip out of her hands she never got to call hers in the first place.
You were hers. Not hers-hers. Not officially. But still. Hers in the way you always came to her first. Hers in the way your laugh sounded different when it was just them. Hers in the way you’d watch her cook with that dumb soft look and try not to say anything because you didn’t want to sound sappy. She misses that.
She misses you.
Now all she has is the memory of your footsteps in the dark and the smell of that other girl on your clothes.
And she’s not sure how much longer she can pretend not to notice.
—
Sohyun wakes up earlier than usual. Not because she wants to. Her eyes just snap open like they’re waiting for an answer to a question she didn’t get to ask. The clock on her nightstand says 6:34, and her room is blue and gray and quiet, with the early light crawling across the floorboards like it’s sneaking in on tiptoe. Her pillow still smells faintly like conditioner and sleep and the night she wasted waiting for you to come home. She kicks the blanket off. Her skin’s cold but her chest’s hotter than it should be. A low, smoldering kind of heat that simmers behind the ribs. Not anger. Not yet. Something more corrosive.
You’re already in the kitchen when she steps out. Acting like everything’s fine. Like nothing happened. Even visibly exhausted, you’ve got that dumb, disarming half-smile on, and your hoodie’s zipped all the way up like you think it makes you look more innocent. Like you think you’re just gonna pour some cereal, mumble something about class starting at eight, and coast through the morning without her noticing the parts of you that don’t match.
"Morning," you say. Your tone is chipper. Fake. She hates it. “I made coffee for you.”
She doesn’t ask anything. She doesn’t snap. She just grabs a mug, fills it with that bitter cheap instant coffee you somehow never notice tastes like burnt pennies, and sits at the table. You start rambling.
“I didn’t get a chance to reply last night. My phone died. I was at a friend’s place. We were just hanging out. Time got away from me, you know how it is.”
She hums. Not in agreement. Just to fill space.
“It wasn’t even that late,” you say. “I mean, okay, yeah, technically it was late, but it’s not like—nothing bad happened or anything. Just lost track.”
She keeps sipping her coffee, expression unreadable. Like the mug is more interesting than your entire explanation.
You wait for her to say something. She doesn’t. You keep going. Nervous filler. You always do that when you’re lying.
“I mean, I didn’t even realize what time it was. It was like, wow, already past two? Crazy. And by then I figured I’d just crash and not wake anyone up.”
She sets the mug down too hard. It clinks against the wood laminate. She looks at you, expression flat. “It’s okay.”
That’s it. Just that. No inflection. Not even a glare. You nod awkwardly and start preparing your cereal.
—
The walk to campus is dead quiet. You both step in sync without thinking, but there’s no music between you. No shared earbuds. No small talk. Just footsteps and a silence that stretches so long it starts to feel like another person walking beside you, tall and heavy and suffocating.
At the entrance gate, you break off first. “See you later, yeah?” you say.
Sohyun just nods. You turn. And she watches you go.
But today’s different.
Today she’s not going to sit back. Today she’s done playing passive-aggressive roommate, done standing still while something she doesn’t want to name slips out of reach. Today she’s going to find out. For real. Whatever it is—whatever this thing is between you and Xinyu—she needs to see it. Even if it breaks her.
She heads toward your building at a brisk pace, hoodie pulled low, headphones in with nothing playing. Just for the look. Just to blend in. She waits across the quad from your classroom entrance, leaning against a column like she’s texting, like she belongs there, like her heart isn’t pounding in her ears so loud she feels it in her teeth.
You come out a minute later, backpack slung lazy on one shoulder, head ducked, scrolling your phone. She steps into motion before you can see her. You don’t look back. You don’t notice. She follows you across the paved paths, past vending machines and sleepy undergrads, keeping enough distance to look like she’s just going the same way. No one glances at her twice.
And then she sees her. Xinyu.
Bright red jacket. Short skirt and cropped top, quite inappropriate for the academic environment. Hair curled just-so, like she stepped out of an ad. Leaning against a bench with one ankle crossed over the other like she’s waiting for her date. You slow. She smiles. Arms open.
“There you are!” she chirps, pulling you in.
It’s not just a hug. Sohyun knows what hugs are. This one’s got linger. This one’s got fingertips sliding up your back like they’re trying to memorize every bone. You look caught off guard, but you don’t move away.
Sohyun slinks closer, behind the sculpture garden wall. She crouches low, right by the rhododendron hedge that stinks faintly of wet bark and cheap fertilizer. Her hands are cold.
"We need to go to the club immediately,” she says.
“I thought the club was closed today,” you reply.
Xinyu laughs, and it’s musical and full of knowing. “Exactly. It’s closed. No one’s gonna be there.”
You hesitate. “But like… isn’t that why we shouldn’t go?”
“Aw,” she coos, dragging her nail down your sleeve, “you’re so cute when you’re trying to be good. Come on, just a little visit. I forgot my notebook and I need to do some sketches. Besides—” she lowers her voice, “I like the place better when it’s empty. More room to spread out. More room to play.”
Sohyun’s stomach flips.
You laugh nervously. “I guess… I mean, if you really need help—”
“I always need help,” she says, and leans close again. “And you’re so good with your hands.”
It’s like someone punched the breath out of Sohyun’s lungs. She watches you scratch your neck, look away, not quite answering. But you’re not pulling away either. You’re not protesting. You’re blushing. She’s got her hooks in and she knows it. Sohyun can see it all from here, every smug flick of Xinyu’s lashes, every calculated little lean and brush.
She swallows hard. Her fingers are clenched so tight her knuckles hurt.
No. She’s not letting this slide.
She bolts before she can hear anything else. Takes the side path, sneakers hitting concrete in bursts, weaving through the back courtyards toward the old art building. The clubroom’s there, tucked in behind the supply annex. Her legs burn by the time she reaches it.
The door’s unlocked. Wide open. And inside, a janitor’s sweeping like this is just another fucking Tuesday.
“Excuse me!” she says, breathless, jogging in. The janitor looks up.
“There’s—someone from the admin office looking for you,” she lies, no hesitation. “Something about a sink backup on the second floor? They said it was urgent.”
He sighs. “Again?” and drops the broom.
As he walks out, Sohyun holds the door open like a good little helper, then slips in behind him and closes it tight.
The silence is huge.
The air’s cooler inside. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead. The clubroom’s a controlled mess—tables littered with fabric scraps, zine proofs, glue sticks half-melted from overuse. It smells like paper and lavender and too many secrets.
She moves fast, eyes scanning for hiding spots. Under the table? No, too exposed. Behind the supply shelves? Not unless she wants to get spotted immediately. Then—there. In the back corner, half-concealed behind stacked poster rolls and bins of foam letters: a janitor’s closet. She darts over and yanks it open.
Coats. Wire hangers. A mop bucket. Miscellaneous crap. She slides in anyway, curling herself into the shadow between a metal cabinet and a box labeled “event props.” Her heart’s still racing.
She pulls the door mostly shut, leaving just a sliver to breathe through.
And now… she waits.
Every creak of the floor outside makes her flinch. Her phone vibrates. One buzz. It’s a message from you.
Hey, forgot to ask—do we have soy sauce left at home or should I pick some up?
She stares at the screen, thumb hovering. Doesn’t answer. Just locks it again and grips the edge of a crate until her nails dig in.
You’re coming. With her. With Xinyu. To this room. This space.
She doesn’t know what’s about to happen. She just knows she has to see it.
She has to know
A few minutes later, she hears footsteps, accompanied by an irritating giggle that she can already imagine who it belongs to.
You enter the club with Xinyu. The door clicks behind you with a soft, unmistakable snap. The kind that doesn’t come from a casual tug—no, it’s deliberate. You hear the rustle of keys before you even process the sound of the lock sliding into place, and that does something to the air. Traps it. Slows it down. Makes it feel heavier somehow.
Xinyu twirls the lanyard on her finger once, lets it slap lightly against her thigh, then drops the keys into her bag without ceremony. “There,” she says, all sugar and satisfaction. “Now we won’t be interrupted.”
You laugh nervously, glancing at the darkened windows. The blinds are half-drawn, a few strips of light slicing across the tables. “You really didn’t have to lock it.”
“Didn’t I?” she says, tilting her head like she’s daring you to disagree. “What if someone wandered in? What if they got the wrong idea?”
You blink. “I mean—if someone walked in, they’d… kinda get the right idea.”
She giggles, high and soft, stepping in close enough that your backpack bumps the wall behind you. Her perfume’s even stronger in here. Berries and danger. She plants both hands on your chest and leans in, the weight of her grin dragging everything out of orbit.
“You really are cute when you’re flustered.”
You swallow.
“We’ve gotta be quick, though,” she says, letting her palms slide down your hoodie, slow and teasing. She pulls back a bit and throws her bag on the floor, then slowly takes off her jacket. “I told my friend I was going to grab a notebook. Don’t want her wondering why I’m gone long enough to start a new semester.”
She kisses you before you can answer. Fast. Hot. Hungry. Like her mouth’s been waiting all morning and now she’s starved for it. Her lips crash against yours in that wild way only Xinyu seems capable of—reckless and commanding, tongue slipping in like she owns the space. Your brain stutters. Her hands drag lower. One slips under your hoodie, nails brushing skin. The other works on the strap of your backpack, removing one at a time until it falls to the floor with a loud thud in the confined space.
And in the closet, twenty feet away, behind a stack of mismatched poster tubes and event bins, Sohyun goes still.
She doesn’t even remember breathing.
But she hears it all.
That kiss isn’t innocent. That kiss is confirmation. That kiss is a final answer to a question she wasn’t ready to ask—and it lands like a brick in the hollow center of her stomach.
Xinyu breaks from you with a little satisfied sound, her lips glossy, eyes bright. “So…” she purrs, brushing your jaw with the back of her hand, “what’d you think of last night?”
You smile, stupid and a little dazed. “It was… amazing.”
Sohyun’s hands clench.
She doesn’t need details. Her brain fills in the blanks. Too many of them. Her imagination paints things she never wanted to see—your hoodie balled on the floor, Xinyu astride you, laughing into your neck, your voice shaking in ways she’s never heard. The thought turns her breath into knives.
Xinyu hums in satisfaction, then drops her gaze—and her fingers.
They land on the waistband of your jeans.
You tense, glancing at the locked door. “Wait—here?”
“It’ll be fast,” she whispers, eyes already glinting. “You’re already hard.”
She says it like she’s proud of herself. Like you being turned on is a trophy she’s just picked up off the shelf. Her fingers fumble with your button, then unzip skillfully. She sinks down onto her knees, casual as anything.
Sohyun’s heart is in her throat.
She watches from that narrow slit between the door and the wall. She sees your pants drop to your ankles. Sees Xinyu’s hands slide up your thighs. Sees the gleam of her smile when she notices the outline straining through your underwear.
You shift, uncomfortable. “Hey, uh… maybe we shouldn’t keep staying out so late. I got home really late last night. I think Sohyun’s starting to get suspicious.”
Xinyu’s head tilts as she hooks her fingers in your waistband. “So?”
You blink. “I just—don’t want her to worry, that’s all.”
She laughs. Laughs. Like you told her a joke. “She’s not your mother.”
“No, but—she’s my best friend. I don’t want her to think I’m—lying or something.”
That makes Xinyu pause. Just for a second. Then her smile sharpens.
“She doesn’t get a say in this,” she says, and her hands tug your underwear down in one quick, fluid motion.
Sohyun sees everything. And it burns.
Your cock springs free, flushed, twitching with the tension of the moment. You make a small sound in your throat, embarrassed and eager all at once. Xinyu just beams.
“Aww, you really missed me, huh?” she coos.
You try to answer but you can’t form words. Not when her fingers wrap around the base, smooth and practiced, stroking once, twice. Your knees buckle a little.
“She’s not gonna come between us,” she adds softly, voice low now, as she leans in, breath hot against the head. “I don’t care who she is.”
“Don’t say that,” you murmur, but it’s weak. Shaky. “Sohyun’s not just… some random girl.”
Xinyu’s eyes flick up. “Sure,” she says, tone mocking. “She’s your 'best friend'. Whatever.” Then she opens her mouth and takes you in.
You gasp. Sohyun nearly doubles over.
The sound is unmistakable. Wet. Slow. She sees the way Xinyu hollows her cheeks, her jaw working, the obscene slide of her lips over you like she’s savoring every inch. Her hand moves in tandem, twisting just right, guiding every pull and suck. She doesn’t blink. Just stares up at you while she sucks you like she’s devouring you, like she knows she owns you now and she’s showing it.
Your fingers tangle in her hair. Your head tips back.
“S-Shit—” you whisper, trembling. “That’s… fuck…”
Xinyu moans around you, like praise is her favorite meal.
And Sohyun sits in the dark, biting her hand to keep from screaming.
Her lips glide down the length of you slow, savoring, wet heat enveloping inch by inch like she wants to claim it. She doesn’t gag—she adjusts, angle tilting, jaw relaxing, one hand bracing at your thigh while the other strokes the base with a rhythm that makes your knees wobble. Every pass of her tongue along the underside feels like it’s wired directly into your spine, like she’s flipping switches you didn’t know you had.
And she loves it. Every reaction. Every twitch of your hips, the shallow breath you try to hold back, the soft curse you can’t keep from slipping out.
Above her, you brace against the table edge with one hand, the other still threaded in her hair, not pulling, just trying to anchor yourself because she’s looking up at you through lashes dark with mischief, mouth full of your cock like it’s where she was meant to be. Like she planned this moment every time she leaned too close in club meetings or brushed your arm on the walk back from the coffee shop.
From the closet, through that sliver of space, Sohyun sees everything.
The bob of Xinyu’s head, the shine on her chin, the way your hips twitch forward helplessly when she lets her tongue swirl the tip and then slides back down again, steady, smooth, obscene. Sohyun’s fingers are curled into her jeans now, nails biting deep through the denim. Her legs are cramped, but she doesn’t move. She can’t. Every instinct screams to throw the door open and drag you out, but her body’s paralyzed with it—betrayal folded in silence.
You make a sound, soft and hoarse—something between a gasp and a whimper. Xinyu hums, and the vibration along your shaft sends a full-body shiver through you. She pulls off just enough to stroke you with her fist, wrist flicking expertly, thumb swiping the bead of precum from your slit before leaning in again—only this time, lower.
You flinch, surprised, as her lips brush your balls.
Her tongue darts out. A single slow lick, teasing. Then another. Then she shifts lower and takes one in her mouth.
Your breath catches.
“Fuck—Xinyu—”
She giggles, muffled, then pulls off, tongue trailing over your skin like she’s tasting you for notes of sweetness. “Mm,” she says, tilting her face just enough for you to see the smug curve of her smile. “Bet she doesn’t do that.”
There’s a pause.
You hesitate. It’s barely a breath.
“…She doesn’t,” you admit, low, shame threaded through the moan that slips out next as her mouth seals over you again.
Sohyun flinches like she’s been hit.
It’s the confirmation she never wanted—real, raw, echoing in your voice, in your hips tilting forward like you need this, like this is something you never got at home.
Xinyu switches sides, tongue painting lazy circles as her fingers resume their slow pump. “I knew it,” she purrs. “She acts all tough, but she wouldn’t dare get on her knees for you, would she?”
You shake your head, lips parted. Your reply is barely audible, wrecked: “No…”
“Mm,” she hums again, hot breath teasing your spit-slick skin. “Guess that’s my job now, huh?”
You can’t even speak.
She shifts again—one hand stroking, the other cradling under you as her mouth wraps around both balls, tongue massaging them gently, rolling with practiced pressure that makes your thighs tense. You groan, deep in your chest, and she moans with you, reveling in the sound, the twitch she feels under her tongue, the way your body gives itself up to her touch.
Your head falls back.
She’s not just sucking you off. She’s showing off.
For you. For herself. And unknowingly—for the girl hidden in a closet, heart shattering beat by beat.
Sohyun watches your hips rock forward slightly, the way you bite your lip to muffle the next sound. The way your hand trembles on the table. You’re trying so hard not to fall apart, and failing beautifully.
Your hand slides against the tabletop, blindly reaching for something—balance, maybe—but there’s nothing steady in you right now. Not with the way Xinyu's mouth keeps working you like she's drawing a map with her tongue, etching you into memory with every slow, deliberate swirl. She’s focused, almost clinical, except her eyes betray her—hungry, gleaming, dark with satisfaction every time your hips jerk, every time a new sound punches out of your throat and hangs too loud in the still air.
“Fuck—Xinyu,” you breathe, the syllables sticky with pleasure, broken by a stuttering inhale. “That feels so good.”
Her lips pop off your tip with a wet little sound, tongue dragging around it in slow circles, teasing. She smiles as she laps again, feather-light at first, then firmer, lashing under the head like she’s tasting something sweet she refuses to finish too soon.
“Mmm,” she murmurs, kissing it. “I love this cock. So thick… god, you don’t even know what you do to me.”
You twitch under her touch, body caught between surrender and overload. Your thighs are tight, your hands shaky, and she’s not slowing down. She wraps her lips around the tip again, deeper this time, sucking just enough to make your breath catch and your knees knock. One hand strokes the base with a slow rhythm while the other rests flat on your stomach, possessive, like she’s holding you in place. Your moans are barely controlled now, soft, breathy things slipping past your lips no matter how hard you try to stay quiet.
In the closet, Sohyun has both hands clamped over her mouth now, but it’s not enough. Her body is shaking. Her teeth are pressed so deep into her palm she doesn’t notice the sting anymore—not until her tongue tastes iron and she realizes her lip is bleeding too. Her eyes are wide, unblinking, locked on the sight of you crumbling under Xinyu’s mouth, on your hands fisting the edge of the table, the way your face is flushed and twitching and so vulnerable.
Then Xinyu pulls back with a wet gasp and a string of spit connects her lips to you. She wipes it with the back of her hand, smirking.
“Shit,” she says, laughing breathlessly. “You’re soaked. I made a mess.”
She doesn’t apologize. She’s proud of it.
Then her expression shifts. Her hands find your hoodie, tugging. “C’mon. Lie down for me.”
You blink, dazed. “What?”
She tugs harder. “Down. Now.”
And you obey. You let her guide you down onto the storage cushions scattered across the clubroom floor—the ones usually used for sitting during brainstorm sessions and awkward icebreakers. Today, they’re something else. They’re the mattress beneath your back, the soft collapse beneath your spine as Xinyu hovers over you like a second atmosphere. You barely get your balance before she swings a leg over you and straddles your hips, skirt hiked up already, panties visible in that indecent half-off way that says she planned this down to the hour.
She reaches between her thighs, fingers hooking the waistband to the side. No hesitation. No modesty.
“I wasn’t even gonna wear this skirt today,” she says, her grin downright feral. “But then I woke up and thought… damn, I really want to ride him. And this one makes it easy.”
Your mouth is dry. You can’t speak. Can barely breathe. The visual is too much—the way she sits on your waist, head tilted, hair framing her flushed cheeks. She grips you in one hand again, lining you up against the heat of her, rubbing once—twice—and your whole body jumps like you’ve been shocked.
In the closet, Sohyun is crumbling. Quietly. Violently.
She presses her head back against the wall, jaw clenched hard enough to ache. Her eyes are glassy now, not blinking. She watches Xinyu lean forward, planting a hand on your chest as her hips shift just slightly, aligning.
And for Sohyun, the moment cracks. She can’t breathe. Her stomach’s twisted into something unrecognizable. Her hand tastes like blood and skin and the sharp edge of a truth she can’t swallow.
She wants to leave. She wants to scream. She wants to rip the door open and yell your name and tear the whole thing down before it happens. But her body won’t move. Her knees are pins and needles, her vision blurry, her throat full of something that feels like grief and fury mashed into pulp.
And you—flat on your back, arms limp at your sides, chest heaving—you’re watching Xinyu like she’s the only thing that exists right now.
The room smells like heat now. Like sweat and arousal and perfume and that undercurrent of something you don’t recognize but Sohyun does. The smell of losing. Of being replaced.
And Xinyu’s voice cuts through the haze one more time, with that damn victorious purr in every syllable.
“You ready for me, baby?”
The moment she sinks down on you is like being swallowed by heat. Her walls clamp tight, velvet-slick and impossibly wet, and she exhales sharp through her teeth like she’s savoring every inch of stretch. Her thighs flex around your hips, body settling flush against yours, cunt wrapped like a vice around your cock. Warm, pulsing, obscene. You feel it in your knees, in the back of your throat, in the way your eyes blur a little just trying to hold on to the sensation. And she leans in, hands pressed to your chest, nails dragging lightly over your hoodie as she grins down at you—smug, flushed, dangerous.
“Feel that?” she whispers, grinding slow just to make sure you do. “That’s how wet I am for you.”
You nod like you’re in a trance, breath hitched, brain short-circuiting. She rocks her hips once, slow and deep, and your head tips back involuntarily, shoulders hitting the cold vinyl of the clubroom floor. The contrast is dizzying—your back chilled, your cock engulfed in heat. She rolls her hips again, faster this time, and you gasp, hips twitching up into her as she smiles that smile like she’s already won. Because she has. She knows exactly what she’s doing to you, the way her pussy clenches around you just when you think you’ve caught your breath.
“Fuck,” you mutter, hands flying up to brace her waist, fingers digging into her skin like it’ll keep you grounded.
“Mmm, yeah,” she purrs, rolling her hips again, faster now. “You love this. You love how tight I am. How I drip for you. You felt it last night, didn’t you?”
She leans closer, breasts pressing to your chest as she whispers hot against your ear. “That little black set I wore? The garter straps? The thigh-highs? All for you. I was soaked before you even touched me. So wet I could’ve made a mess of my sheets just grinding on your thigh. You remember how I moaned when you slid in? Remember how I told you you were deeper than anyone ever managed to get?”
You remember. God, you remember everything. The way her back arched as she bounced on your cock, the way her fingers tangled in her sheets, how she grabbed your wrists and held your hands against her hips like she didn’t want to let you pull out even if you tried. And it was hot—filthy, desperate, everything you’d never imagined yourself doing until she peeled you open and found all your soft spots.
But then you thought about Sohyun.
You didn’t mean to. It just… happened. Mid-thrust, mid-kiss, some flicker of guilt or curiosity or whatever sick alchemy lives in your gut. You’d pictured her. Not in a voyeur kind of way. Just… wondered. Wondered what her expression would be if she walked in. What her mouth would say. What her eyes would do. And worse, you’d wondered what it would be like if it were her riding you instead—her body flushed and stretched around your cock, her breathy little sighs instead of Xinyu’s practiced moans, her thighs trembling from the effort of keeping rhythm. That made your heart trip into your throat.
And now—now you’re thinking it again. You’re balls-deep in Xinyu, she’s rolling her hips like she’s trying to milk every drop out of you, and your fucking mind is betraying you. You’re picturing Sohyun in her ratty sleep shirt, hair undone, lip bitten, thighs spread across your hips like she’s scared of how much she needs it. You imagine her looking down at you, eyes wide and terrified and wanting, her cunt sucking you in like she doesn’t know how to stop. You imagine her voice cracking as she begs you not to stop, not to leave her like this, not when she finally has you.
The heat in your stomach coils tighter, shame blooming just beneath it.
And Xinyu notices.
“Where’d you go, baby?” she asks, cupping your face in both hands, her pace never faltering, slick heat grinding down on you with maddening precision. “You were staring right through me for a second. Thinking about something?”
You swallow thick. Shake your head. “No, I just—fuck. You feel amazing.”
She beams like it’s the truth. Maybe it is. Maybe it’s just buried under everything you’re not saying.
“Yeah?” she breathes, sitting upright again, her hands sliding down to pull at her top. She yanks it up and over her head in one swift motion, discarding it behind her like it doesn’t matter. Beneath it—no bra, just smooth skin, delicate collarbones and two perfect, pert breasts. Small enough to fit your palms. Nipples a flushed pink that draws your eyes like magnets.
“Wanna touch?” she asks, knowing damn well you do.
You nod, helpless, and she grabs your wrists, places your hands on her chest with a soft, teasing drag. The moment your thumbs brush her nipples she exhales, hips stuttering on your cock.
“Fuck, yes,” she moans, arching into your hands. “Squeeze them. Harder.”
You do. Palms cupping the weight of her, fingers kneading just the way she likes—gently at first, then rougher when she rolls her hips harder, when she grinds your cock deep inside her like she’s chasing something. Her thighs flex with every bounce, every motion building pressure in your spine. Her nipples pebble under your touch. She grabs your wrists again, pushes them tighter to her chest, pinning you in place as she rides harder now, breath catching with every impact.
“You’re so deep,” she pants, eyes fluttering closed. “I can feel you everywhere. Stretching me so fucking good, baby. God, I wish you could feel what I’m feeling. I’m soaked. I’m flooding your cock. You like that? You like how fucking needy I get for you?”
You groan, jaw tight, hips twitching up to meet her rhythm. You’ve stopped thinking. You’ve stopped pretending you can think. She’s taking everything from you with every roll of her hips, every clench of her cunt, every filthy word that drips off her tongue like sugar laced with venom.
And yet. The back of your mind still tugs. Still whispers.
What would Sohyun think, if she saw this? If she saw your face like this, your body bucking like you’re begging to be used? If she knew how Xinyu talks to you, fucks you, owns you?
What would she do if she saw you like this—flushed, trembling, helpless under another woman’s cunt?
Would she be jealous?
Would she be angry?
Would she want to be in Xinyu's place?
You can’t answer. You don’t get the chance.
Xinyu's pace shifts, frantic now, like something inside her snapped and all that sweet control she loved dangling over you is burning up fast. Her thighs tighten around your waist, nails digging into your shoulders, her whole body chasing friction like a starved thing. Every grind, every desperate rock of her hips sends jolts through your cock, your thighs, up your spine until you can’t even tell where your body ends and hers begins. Wet heat floods down your shaft, slick sounds filling the little space between you like they’re mocking the frantic, filthy rhythm you’ve fallen into.
She leans in, mouth crushing to yours, open, gasping, biting at your bottom lip like she can’t get close enough. Her breath is ragged, her kiss messy, spit-slick and desperate as her cunt clenches around you with every grind. She breaks the kiss for a second, forehead pressed to yours, breath hitching in short, punched gasps.
“Fuck—fuck, baby—” she pants, rolling her hips harder, faster, dragging you deeper every time she slams down. “You’re gonna make me cum. You feel that? You feel how fucking close I am?”
You nod, choking on your own breath. She’s trembling already, muscles shivering under your hands, pussy squeezing your cock so tight it makes your toes curl.
“Please—don’t stop—” she gasps against your mouth, and you hear the cracks in her usually-smooth voice, raw and honest in a way you barely ever hear.
You grab her hips, holding her still for a second, and start thrusting up into her, not gentle now—grinding her down onto you, meeting every desperate rut of her hips with a brutal snap of your own.
“Oh my God, oh my God, fuck—” she sobs, hands scrabbling for purchase at your shoulders, nails raking down your back through the thin fabric of your shirt. “Right there—right fucking there—!”
You don’t stop. You can’t. Your hips slam up into her again and again, cock punching deep inside her soaked cunt, the friction so blindingly good it’s all you can feel, all you can think about. Her walls flutter around you, squeezing tight, milking you, dragging you right to the edge with her.
Then her whole body locks up—legs clamping tight, back arching, head thrown back as she cums hard around you, mouth open in a silent scream. You feel her pussy clamp and pulse and flood hot around your cock, feel her thighs quivering against your sides as you keep pounding up into her, wringing every last spasm out of her until she collapses against you, boneless, panting.
She kisses you then, messy and open-mouthed, tongue sliding into your mouth like she’s trying to pull the breath out of you, hands fisting in your hair. The kiss is wild, uncontrolled, full of leftover shudders as her body rides the aftershocks. She sucks on your tongue, then bites your bottom lip, hard enough to sting, pulling back with a look that’s pure wrecked satisfaction.
“Fuck—you’re not done yet,” she says, grinning breathless against your mouth.
Before you can even catch your breath, she gets off you, stands up and grabs your wrists, pulls you up with surprising strength, practically dragging you toward the desk nearby, knocking over a half-empty box of markers in her haste. They scatter across the floor, forgotten.
She hops up onto the edge of the desk, legs falling open wide, skirt bunched up around her hips, panties obscenely pulled aside. Her cunt is glistening, flushed, still twitching around nothing, and she leans back on her hands, spreading herself shamelessly for you, watching you with dark, lazy hunger.
“C’mere, baby,” she purrs, crooking a finger.
You step between her legs, hands automatically gripping the backs of her thighs, and she grabs your cock, still slick with her cum, throbbing painfully hard, and lines you up, dragging the flushed head along her soaked folds before nudging you right back in.
You don’t ease in. You shove.
Hard.
Her mouth drops open in a guttural, broken sound as you bottom out in one brutal thrust, your hips slamming flush against her ass, your cock stretching her already-sensitive pussy wide again. Her whole body jolts with it, legs wrapping around your waist tight, holding you there, buried deep.
“Fuck yes—” she gasps, nails digging into the edge of the desk for leverage. “God, you feel so fucking good—”
You grab her hips, fingers digging bruises into soft skin, and start pounding into her, desk creaking loudly under the assault. Every thrust drives a choked little noise from her throat, her small tits bouncing with the force of it, her hair falling wild around her flushed, wrecked face.
“You’re so good, baby,” she babbles between gasps, clinging to the desk as you fuck her raw. “You’re—god, you’re perfect—you’re gonna make me cum again if you keep—ahh—keep fucking me like that!”
You bare your teeth, thrusting harder, faster, hips snapping against her ass with every vicious stroke. The wet sound of you hammering into her fills the room, loud and filthy, the slap of your skin against hers echoing off the walls. Her head tips back, exposing the long line of her throat, and you can’t resist leaning down, biting at her neck, tasting the salt of her sweat on your tongue.
She’s trembling again already, thighs quaking against your hips, every muscle in her body winding tighter, tighter, tighter. Her hands scramble for you, clutching your hoodie, your shoulders, anything she can reach, mouth working helplessly like she wants to say something but can’t get the words out past the way you’re fucking her.
“Don’t stop—fuck—don’t stop, don’t stop—!” she wails, legs locking around you again, trapping you deep as you hammer into her without mercy.
Sohyun, hidden behind that narrow closet crack, can barely breathe. She closes her eyes, squeezes them shut so tight it hurts, but the sounds slip in anyway, wrapping around her like smoke, curling in her lungs until she’s drowning in it.
She hears you fucking Xinyu hard enough to shake the table. She hears the desperate slap of skin, the thick wet noises between her thighs, the broken little sobs and gasps you can’t hold back anymore. Every low moan you spill is another nail in her heart. Every grunt, every hitched breath, every whisper of "Fuck, you’re so tight," slices deeper, and she grips the shelf beside her to keep from making a sound, knuckles bone-white.
And you... you’re so far gone you don’t even notice the world outside the space between your bodies. Xinyu’s pussy is swallowing you, so wet you can hear it every time you thrust back in, obscene and filthy and perfect. She clings to you, arms around your shoulders, nails dragging trails of fire down your back as you rut into her harder, faster, chasing the edge you can feel roaring up your spine.
"Fuck—fuck, I’m close," you pant against her throat, voice wrecked, hips stuttering from the effort of holding back.
Xinyu shudders all around you, grinding her hips, milking you with every twist and clench of her desperate cunt. She grabs your face, kissing you hard, sloppy, messy with need, lips sliding against yours as she gasps:
"Cum for me, baby. Please. I want it—I want you to cum for me."
You groan deep in your chest, every muscle tightening, your hands flying down to her waist, grinding her harder onto your cock, feeling that tight, soaked pussy fluttering in urgent little spasms.
"I want it in my mouth," she whimpers into your ear. "Please. Let me taste you."
That snaps what little control you had. You pull out quick, almost shaking with the effort not to cum right then, and your cock slaps wetly against her folds, gliding in her slickness. You drag the thick, swollen head up her entrance, tease her clit with it, grinding, slapping your tip against her until she shivers and gasps, legs falling wide open, fingers clutching at the edge of the desk like she’s about to fly apart.
Your hand wraps tight around your slick cock, jerking it fast and desperate, smearing her juices all over yourself as you stroke. Xinyu drops immediately to her knees, eager, mouth open, eyes wide and hazy with lust. She grabs the base of your cock with one hand, stroking in rhythm with yours, her other hand cupping your balls, massaging them gently.
She looks up at you with that wicked grin just as she leans forward, wraps her lips around the head, and sucks. Hard. Heat and suction explode through you, and your hips jerk forward helplessly. She moans low in her throat, dragging her tongue along the underside of your cock as she bobs her head, saliva glistening at the corners of her mouth, dribbling down your shaft.
She works you like she’s starving for it, alternating between sucking you deep into her mouth and stroking with her fist, twisting just right. The sight of her—kneeling in front of you, cheeks hollowing, spit and slick glistening all over her chin—drives you wild.
Your balls tighten, your thighs tremble, and you grab her hair, trying to warn her, but she just groans in approval, mouth sliding lower, tongue lashing the sensitive underside of your cock.
"X-Xinyu, I’m—fuck, I’m gonna—"
She pulls back just enough to look up at you, lips wrapped tight around the tip, hand still jerking your slick cock, and she nods. Wants it. Wants it bad.
You grip her hair tight as your body locks up and you cum hard, first shot hitting the back of her throat. She doesn’t even flinch. Just hums around you, swallowing every thick, hot spurt, milking you with her mouth and hand as you pulse and shudder against her. Jet after jet, the orgasm tearing through you so violently your knees nearly buckle.
She keeps going until you’re spent, gently sucking the last drops from your twitching cock, then pulls back slowly with a wet pop. She kisses the tip, soft and almost reverent, tongue flicking lazily across it like she’s tasting her victory.
You lean back against the desk, heart hammering, chest heaving, body flushed and trembling.
She stands, fixing her panties between trembling thighs, smoothing down her skirt, picking up the top on the floor. Her cheeks are pink, her lips swollen, her hair wild—and she’s never looked more satisfied.
You fumble to tuck yourself back into your pants, fingers clumsy. Your mind’s fogged with the aftermath. Xinyu steps closer, hands sliding up your chest, resting lightly at your shoulders. Her eyes soften, her mouth tilts into something small and unsure. She looks nervous. That’s rare. She’s always so sure. So in control.
"Hey," she says. “I meant what I said last night, y’know.”
You blink, still trying to catch up. “What?”
She presses her forehead lightly to yours, her hands sliding down to hold your waist, grounding you.
"I’ve never met anyone like you," she says, slow, like she’s scared if she rushes it’ll shatter. “You’re not like the guys I’m used to. All the ones before—they were assholes. Hot, but... just bad news. Guys who wanted me but didn’t actually care about me.”
She leans back, searching your face, biting her lip.
"But you—you’re different. You’re real. You’re sweet. You listen. You treat me like I actually matter."
You swallow hard, heart tripping over itself. You weren’t ready for this. You didn’t expect this.
She smiles, small and nervous, and asks it before you can even think of something to say.
"I want you to be my boyfriend. For real. Like… properly mine. Will you?"
You stare at her—this beautiful, messy, fiery girl who just swallowed your cum like it was candy, who rode you like you were hers before the words ever left her mouth. And something inside you wrenches.
Because you should say yes.
You should want to say yes.
But all you can feel is that gnawing hesitation. That pull. That confusion. That whisper of another name, another face, someone standing just outside this moment, invisible and heavy in the space between your breaths.
Sohyun.
You think about her without meaning to. Think about the way she looks at you when she thinks you’re not paying attention. The way her hand lingers too long when she passes you something. The way she squeezed your hand that night when you invited her to the movies.
You don’t know what you feel. You don’t know what’s real yet. You’re drowning in it.
And it shows.
Xinyu’s face flickers—just for a second. That bright, hopeful light dimming when you hesitate too long.
"I..." You rub the back of your neck, avoiding her eyes. "I just... I need some time to think. Please."
The silence after that is awkward.
She steps back, schooling her face into something neutral, but you can see the crack underneath. The disappointment. The sting. She nods once, slow.
"Okay," she says, and her voice is tight. "Okay. Take your time."
You want to apologize. You want to say something to make it better. But nothing fits. Nothing fixes this.
She grabs her bag from the floor, brushes her hair back, pulls her walls up fast and neat like she’s practiced it a thousand times before.
"See you around," she says, almost breezy, almost real.
And then she’s gone, slipping out the door and leaving you standing there in the wreckage of what you almost had.
You stare at the empty space where she stood, heart pounding, stomach twisting.
You don’t see the faint sliver of movement behind the closet door.
You don’t see the way Sohyun presses her hand over her mouth, trying to keep the sound inside.
Because she heard it all.
And for the first time in weeks, she has hope.
A brutal, aching hope.
Because you didn’t say yes.
You didn’t choose someone else.
Not yet.
And maybe… there’s still a chance you’ll choose her.
—
You drag yourself up the stairs like your body’s filled with sand, the keys slipping in your sweaty palm as you jam them into the lock and stumble inside. The apartment lights are off except for the thin line of glow leaking out from under Sohyun’s bedroom door. You shut the door behind you with a quiet click, kicking your shoes off, backpack sliding down your shoulder and thudding against the floor. Your whole body aches. Not just from exhaustion but from the weight of everything swimming in your head; Xinyu’s kiss still burning on your mouth, her words still echoing under your skin, the guilt, the confusion, the stupid tangled mess you couldn’t figure out if you tried. You sigh, pressing your back to the door for a second, head tipped back, eyes squeezed shut like maybe if you stood still enough, long enough, the world would stop spinning.
You don't notice the shape in the corner until it moves, a small shift of shadow peeling itself away from the wall. Your eyes fly open, heart lurching into your throat. Sohyun’s there—leaning against the wall, arms crossed tight over her chest. Her face half-hidden by her hair, her body tensed up in a way that sets your nerves on edge instantly.
“Jesus—” you blurt, breath hitching from the scare. You try to laugh it off, give her a sheepish little grin even though your pulse is hammering. “You scared the hell outta me. I thought you were asleep.”
She doesn’t smile. Doesn’t even blink. Her eyes stay locked on yours, too still, too serious. It sends a ripple of unease down your spine.
“We need to talk,” she says, and her tone is wrong, lower, tighter, with a tremble hidden deep under the words that makes your stomach twist.
You straighten a little, stepping forward slowly like she’s a spooked animal you don’t want to startle. “What... what happened?” you ask.
She holds your gaze for a long moment. So long it starts to physically hurt, like she’s looking right through your skin, peeling you open piece by piece. You can see it in her eyes—fear, yes, but something else too. Something desperate, clawing at the edges of her.
“I know,” she finally says. “About you and Xinyu.”
You blink, mouth opening then closing uselessly, your brain scrambling to process it.
“How—” you start, but she cuts you off, shaking her head once, sharp and final.
“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “It doesn’t matter how I know.”
You’re thrown completely off balance now, stumbling for footing you don’t have. You shift awkwardly, running a hand through your hair, trying to piece together something—anything—to say.
“I was going to tell you,” you mumble finally, and it’s the lamest excuse you’ve ever heard even as it leaves your mouth. “I just... didn’t know how to bring it up.”
Her laugh is short and humorless, a little broken thing that cuts through you sharper than any shout could have. “You didn’t tell me,” she says, voice rising just a little, enough to make your throat close up. “You didn’t. You could have. So why didn’t you?”
You hesitate, weight shifting from foot to foot, wishing desperately for some door, some window, some hole to crawl into and disappear. But there’s no escape. There’s only her, standing there, waiting for your answer like it’s the only thing keeping her upright.
“I was scared,” you admit finally, the words thick in your throat. “I didn’t know what you’d think. I knew you’d disapprove. I knew you wouldn’t... approve of me and her.”
Her arms tighten around herself, nails digging into the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Her lips press together, trembling, and she looks down at the floor for a second.
“Why do you care so much what I think?” she asks, and her voice is small and raw, like she’s asking herself more than you.
You swallow hard. “I... I don’t know.”
But you do know. Somewhere deep down, you’ve always known. You’ve just never had the guts to admit it.
She lets the silence drag, heavy and awful between you. Then she looks up, and there’s something shattering in her eyes—it makes you want to cry.
“You’re right,” she says quietly. “I would have disapproved.”
You open your mouth to speak, to apologize again, but she cuts you off with a sharp shake of her head, eyes wet now, shining in the dim light.
“Do you want to know why?” she asks.
You nod, too scared to say anything.
“Because I love you,” she says, and it bursts out of her like a dam breaking, like she’s been holding it back for years and can’t anymore. “I love you, you idiot! I’ve loved you for so fucking long it hurts!”
You just stand there, stunned into uselessness, your heart hammering in your chest, your breath stuck somewhere between a gasp and a cry.
She wipes at her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, blinking furiously against the tears spilling down her cheeks. “I didn’t even realize at first,” she says, “I thought it was just... caring. Being protective. Wanting you to be okay. But it’s not. It’s not just that. I love you. I’m in love with you. And seeing you with her—hearing you moan for her, seeing you smile because of her—”
She breaks off, a choked sob punching out of her chest, and it shatters you.
“It tore me apart,” she whispers. “Because you’re the most special person that’s ever crossed my path. And I was too much of a coward to say anything. I just kept pretending it was fine. That it didn’t matter. That you didn’t matter that way.”
You move to step toward her, instinct taking over, but she flinches back half a step, and it feels like a knife between your ribs.
“I’m sorry,” you say, voice cracking. “I didn’t know, I didn’t—”
“No,” she cuts you off, shaking her head violently, tears flying. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. It’s my fault for bottling it up, for being too scared to tell you, for letting you drift away while I just... watched. I did this to myself.”
You’re breathing too hard, chest aching, head spinning with too many emotions crashing into each other at once—guilt, sorrow, confusion, this desperate, aching affection for the girl standing in front of you with her heart bleeding out at your feet.
“Maybe it’s too late,” she says, crying. “Maybe you’re already hers. Maybe you’ve already moved on.”
She wipes her face again, sniffles, pulls herself together enough to look at you—really look at you.
“But I needed you to know. I needed you to know that someone loved you. That someone loves you. That someone would’ve given anything to make you happy.”
Your feet move before your brain catches up, drawn across the small space separating you like there's a magnetic pull you can't fight anymore. Her face is still wet, tears tracking clean lines through the faint flush on her cheeks, her eyes red-rimmed but locked on you with this terrifying vulnerability you've never seen before. She doesn't flinch this time when you get close, doesn't pull away, just watches you, chest rising and falling too fast, like she’s waiting for the final blow.
You lift your hand, fingers trembling slightly, and gently, so gently, brush the tears from her cheek with your thumb. The skin there is hot, damp. Real. She closes her eyes for just a second at the contact, a shuddering breath escaping her lips.
"Sohyun," you start, and your own throat feels tight, rough, like you’ve swallowed glass. "I'm... I'm so sorry." The words feel stupidly small, inadequate for the chasm that's opened up. "I'm the coward. Not you. Me. All this time... I never said anything because... fuck, because I was terrified. Scared I'd wreck everything. Our friendship, this... us. Everything we have. It felt too important to risk, you know? Too fragile. And I kept telling myself you deserved someone... better. Someone less screwed up than me. Someone confident, someone who had their shit together, not..." You gesture vaguely at yourself, at the mess you feel like you are, the mess you've made. "Not me." You see her lips part, ready to argue, maybe ready to forgive, maybe ready to yell again, but the words are tumbling out of you now, unstoppable, a confession mirroring hers, ripping free after being locked down for so long. "Don't," you whisper, cutting her off before she can speak. "Just... let me say this."
You take a shaky breath, meeting her wide, tear-bright eyes again. "It was always you, Sohyun. Always. Even when I didn't understand it, even when I tried to ignore it. You're the one I love." The words feel huge, terrifying, but also lighter than air once spoken. "Everything. I love everything. That little smirk you get when you win an argument? Love it. The way you wear those baggy sweatshirts every day but still manage to look... incredible? Love that too. How you always know when I'm having a shit day without me saying anything? How you just show up, make me tea, sit there in silence with me until it passes? How safe you make me feel, even when you're pretending to be annoyed?" Your own eyes are getting blurry now. "I love watching you sleep," you admit and, fuck, it's like breaking a chain, a secret you’ve guarded jealously. "Because you look so calm. Peaceful. And I can just... look. At your moles." A faint blush creeps up her neck, her gaze dropping for a second before snapping back to yours, confused, waiting. "You have four on your face, you know? Like a tiny constellation. There's one here," you reach out again, finger hovering below her eyes, not quite touching, "and here, by your nose... one on your cheek... they're the most charming damn things in the world. Seriously."
Her breath hitches, a soft little gasp. She looks utterly lost now, derailed from her pain by the specific, intimate detail. "My... moles?" she echoes, bewildered. You nod, a watery smile finally touching your lips.
"Yeah. My favorite, though? The one right here." Your gaze drops to her mouth, to the tiny, perfect dark mole on the curve of her lower lip. It's always drawn your eye, a little punctuation mark on skin that looks impossibly cute. "That one..." you murmur. "God, that one's made me wonder... so many times... what it would feel like to kiss you. What you'd taste like..."
You trail off, lost for a second in the thought, in the proximity, in the sudden, intense awareness of her mouth just inches from yours. You were going to say more, try to explain the tangle of fear and longing and the stupid, paralyzing certainty that you weren't good enough, but you don't get the chance.
Because Sohyun surges forward like something inside her finally snaps. One second she's trembling, broken open, the next she's pure force, her mouth crashing onto yours with bruising intensity. It's not gentle. It's not tentative. It's a raw, desperate claiming. Her lips are surprisingly soft beneath the force, tasting faintly of salt from her tears and something uniquely her, something warm and real that short-circuits your brain. Her hands fist in the front of your hoodie, yanking you closer, stumbling you backward. Your heel catches on the edge of the cheap living room rug, the world tilting sideways in a sudden, disorienting lurch. You gasp against her mouth, a startled sound swallowed by her kiss, and then you're falling, tumbling backward onto the floor with a muffled thud that knocks the wind out of you.
She lands right on top of you, straddling your hips, the impact solid and grounding even as your head spins. She doesn't miss a beat. Her mouth is still fused to yours, kissing you harder now, deeper, possessive. It's messy and frantic, teeth clashing slightly, tongues tangling with an urgency that borders on violence. Kisses that aren’t asking, they’re taking. Stealing the breath from your lungs, stealing the thoughts from your head, demanding a response you're suddenly, desperately eager to give. Her weight pressing you down, the heat of her body seeping through your clothes, the undeniable proof of her need right there against your stomach—it’s overwhelming. And then, finally, finally, your own arms come up, wrapping around her back, pulling her impossibly closer, and you kiss her back with all the pent-up fear and longing and stupid, crippling love you've kept locked away for years.
You meet her force with your own, tilting your head, deepening the kiss, letting the raw honesty of it burn away everything else. There’s no room for Xinyu, no room for doubt, no room for anything but this—Sohyun, her mouth on yours, her body pinning you down, the undeniable, explosive reality of now. The world outside the apartment fades to nothing, the only sound the ragged gasps for breath between frantic, open-mouthed kisses, the rustle of clothes, the frantic thudding of two hearts beating wildly against each other in the dim, quiet room. This isn't just a kiss; it's a collision, a confession answered, a point of no return you hadn't realized you were racing towards until you crashed right into it, tangled up with her on the floor like this is exactly where you were always supposed to end up.
After seconds that seem like hours, Sohyun finally breaks the kiss, pulling back just enough for air, her chest heaving against yours, eyes blown wide and dark, still glazed with disbelief and something fiercely possessive. Her hands frame your face, thumbs stroking your cheekbones like she’s trying to memorize you. "I love you," she whispers, the words thick, raw, tumbling out again like they can't be contained. Her forehead presses against yours. "God, I love you." She kisses you again, shorter this time, desperate, sealing the words. Pulls back. "I love you." Another kiss, harder. "So much." Each declaration feels like another layer stripped away, leaving her completely bare, completely yours in this moment. The fierce intensity shifts, softening just a fraction as the reality sinks in—you're here, you're kissing her back, you feel it too.
Your heart feels like it's going to beat right out of your chest. Hearing her say it, over and over, sinks hooks into places you didn't know were still empty. You shift beneath her, hands sliding up her back, fingers tracing the knobs of her spine through the worn fabric of her sweatshirt. "Sohyun," you breathe against her lips, needing to show her, needing her to feel it. You pull back just enough to look at her, really look, and then you start mapping her face with your mouth.
Soft, adoring kisses trail along her sharp jawline, up to the curve of her cheekbone where the skin is so soft it makes you ache. You kiss the corner of her eye, tasting the lingering salt of her tears, then move lower, pressing kisses against the pulse point throbbing wildly in her neck. She melts under the attention, a soft sigh escaping her, her body going pliant against yours, head tipping back to give you better access. Her hands slide from your face down to your shoulders, gripping tight, anchoring herself as you worship her skin. Every soft press of your lips feels like rewriting history, erasing the doubt and the distance, claiming this closeness that’s always simmered just beneath the surface.
"Hey," she murmurs, her breath catching when your lips find that sensitive spot just below her ear. She nudges you gently, reluctantly pulling away just enough to meet your eyes again. There's a new urgency there, a need that burns hotter than the confession. "My room," she says, her tone suddenly low, almost husky. "Let's go to my room. Now." She pushes herself up, scrambling off you with clumsy grace, and hauls you to your feet like you weigh nothing. You don't argue, don't hesitate. You follow her lead, stumbling towards her bedroom door, hands finding each other again, lips crashing together in the hallway, clumsy and desperate and necessary. You trip over the threshold, laughing breathlessly against her mouth as she practically drags you inside, kicking the door shut behind you with her heel.
The moment the door clicks, she's tearing at your clothes. Your hoodie comes off first, yanked over your head with frantic energy, tossed carelessly onto the floor. Her eyes rake over your bare chest for a beat, hungry, before she crashes back into you, kissing you with renewed fervor. Her hands are everywhere, exploring the lines of your shoulders, the dip of your collarbones, fingers tracing patterns that make your skin prickle. While her mouth works yours, her own hands go to the waistband of her shorts—those stupidly comfortable grey jersey shorts she always wears around the apartment. She hooks her thumbs in, shoves them down her legs in one hurried motion, kicking them free. She's left in just her oversized sweatshirt and a pair of simple, pale blue cotton panties that hug the curve of her hips. You groan against her lips, the sight hitting you harder than you expected. Her thighs look so strong, so soft.
You deepen the kiss, angling her back against the wall, one hand sliding down her spine, curving possessively over the swell of her ass through the thin cotton of her panties. You squeeze gently, experimentally, and she gasps into your mouth, hips instinctively bucking against yours. "Fuck," she breathes against your lips, her hands fisting in your t-shirt now. "Yes. Need you. So much."
Her admission is raw, desperate, stripping away the last vestiges of her usual guardedness. It fuels you, ignites something fierce inside you. You break the kiss long enough to grab the hem of her sweatshirt, pulling it up and over her head just as she did yours. It snags for a second on her messy bun, and you both fumble with it, laughing brokenly before it finally comes free. And underneath… nothing. No bra. Just Sohyun. Her breasts are fuller than you’d imagined, heavier than Xinyu’s, round and pale with darker, pinkish-brown nipples already pebbled tight from the cool air or maybe just the sheer intensity of the moment. They're beautiful. Perfect. Yours.
She looks down at herself for a second, a flicker of self-consciousness crossing her face before defiant heat replaces it. Your eyes meet hers, a silent question asked and answered. You scoop her up—she's surprisingly light—and carry her the few steps to her bed, tumbling down onto the soft duvet with her. The landing is messy, tangled limbs and breathless laughter, before you settle, half-propped over her, the reality of her bare skin under your hands making your head swim. You kiss her again, slower this time, softer, trying to pour all the unsaid years of affection into it. Her hands come up to cup your face, fingers tracing your jawline, her eyes searching yours.
Then your focus shifts. Your gaze drops to her chest, to the soft rise and fall of her breathing. You lean down, pressing a soft kiss to the valley between her breasts, then lower your head further. One hand gently cups the soft weight of her left breast, thumb stroking the peak, feeling it harden instantly under your touch. At the same time, your mouth closes over her right nipple.
Sohyun arches off the bed with a sharp, choked cry, fingers digging into your shoulders. The sound is pure, unfiltered pleasure, and it sends a shockwave straight to your groin. You suck gently at first, teasing, swirling your tongue around the sensitive peak before drawing it deeper into the heat of your mouth.
She moans again, a long, low sound vibrating up from her chest. "Oh god... yes... fuck, that feels..." You lave the nipple, licking slow circles around the darker areola, mapping the texture with your tongue, before nibbling gently with your teeth. She whimpers, hips twitching restlessly on the mattress. "So good... oh, fuck, yes, right there... I always... always imagined..." Her sentence dissolves into another shuddering moan as you switch sides, giving the other breast the same devoted attention, sucking and licking and teasing until she's writhing beneath you. "You're perfect," you murmur against her wet skin between ministrations. "So fucking beautiful, Sohyun. Always."
Her eyes are glassy, pupils dilated, lips parted and slick. She looks completely undone, vulnerable in a way that makes your chest ache with tenderness and a fierce, protective desire. You trail kisses lower, down the soft curve of her stomach, your lips brushing the faint indentation of her navel. Your hand follows, palm smoothing over the warm skin, feeling the tremors running through her. Your journey stops at the waistband of her panties. Simple blue cotton, dampening noticeably at the center. The sight, the proof of her arousal, makes your own cock strain painfully against your jeans. You press a soft kiss to the damp fabric right over her mound, inhaling her scent—musky, female, intoxicating. She gasps, thighs clenching instinctively. You nudge her legs apart gently with your head, trailing feather-light kisses along the inside of her thigh, right near the edge of the fabric. The skin there is incredibly soft, sensitive. She shivers violently, a choked sound escaping her. "Please..." she whispers, unsure what she's even asking for, just knowing she needs more.
You kiss the wet patch on her panties again, letting your tongue flick out just enough to taste the dampness through the cotton. She cries out, a sharp, high sound, hips lifting slightly off the bed. You look up at her, see the flush creeping down her neck, the desperate wanting in her eyes. Slowly, deliberately, you hook your thumbs into the sides of her panties and slide them down. Over the curve of her hips, down her strong, thick thighs, catching slightly at her knees before you pull them free and toss them aside. She lies bare beneath you now, exposed, vulnerable, beautiful. Her pussy is slick, glistening, her folds plump and flushed, dark curls slightly damp. You lean down, pressing a reverent kiss to her mound, right above her clit. She lets out a strangled sob, hands flying down to fist in her own duvet. She looks wrecked, overwhelmed, needy. "Will you...?" she starts, her breath hitching. "Can I...? Please, just... sit on your face? Let me... I need you to eat me. Please." You lean closer, lips brushing her slick folds as you answer:
"Baby, that's all I fucking want.”
You don't even hesitate. You scramble backwards on the bed, shuffling until you're lying flat, head propped slightly against her pillows—pillows that smell like her shampoo and sleep. Your heart is a frantic drum against your ribs, anticipation coiling tight and low in your belly. This. This it's something you've barely let yourself fantasize about, a scenario tucked away in the darkest, neediest corners of your mind—Sohyun, taking control, overwhelming you. Being completely at her mercy. The thought alone makes your cock throb against the zipper of your jeans, a painful, demanding pressure.
You look up as she moves, crawling towards you on the bed, her expression a mixture of raw hunger and something almost like nervous determination. She straddles your chest first, knees settling on either side of your ribs, leaning down to capture your mouth in another deep, searching kiss. Her bare breasts press against your chest, warm and heavy, the peaks hard against the fabric.
"You really want this?" she whispers against your lips, pulling back just enough to search your eyes. Her own gaze is intense, burning with a need that mirrors yours.
"Fuck, yes, Sohyun," you breathe, hands coming up to grip her waist, fingers digging slightly into the soft skin there. "More than anything. Please."
A slow, predatory smile spreads across her face, chasing away the last remnants of uncertainty. This is happening. She shifts, maneuvering herself with surprising grace, turning until she's straddling your head, her bare ass hovering right above your face. The sight is dizzying—the soft curve of her cheeks, the dark curls nestled between her thighs, the glisten of her wetness catching the dim light filtering in from the hallway. It's everything. You reach up, hands sliding up her strong thighs, thumbs brushing the sensitive inner skin. She shivers, letting out a soft gasp.
"God, yes... touch me," she pleads, her hips twitching.
You guide her down slowly, agonizingly slowly, until her slick folds brush against your lips. The scent hits you full force—musky, feminine, intoxicatingly Sohyun. It’s the smell of pure arousal, sharp and sweet, and it makes your head swim. This is your dream, isn't it? To be right here, underneath her, ready to worship, ready to be completely consumed by her pleasure. The idea of being dominated, smothered by the wet heat of her pussy, of her coming undone completely at your mercy while simultaneously holding all the power… It sends a jolt of pure, filthy need straight through you.
"Ready for you," you murmur against her skin, tilting your head slightly to get a better angle.
She lets out a shaky breath and lowers herself fully, settling onto your mouth with a soft sigh. The pressure is immediate, the heat shocking. Her wet folds engulf your lips, your nose, pressing intimately against your face. It’s almost too much: the closeness, the scent, the slick reality of her cunt right there. You take your first real taste, tongue darting out tentatively, exploring the plump outer lips, tracing the slick crease.
Sohyun gasps sharply, her whole body tensing. "Fuck... yes..."
Emboldened, you dive in properly. Your tongue pushes past her outer lips, finding the slick, sensitive inner folds, licking slowly, deliberately. You map her shape, tasting the unique flavor of her arousal—salty, sweet, utterly addictive. You find her clit, that hard little nub hidden beneath its hood, and swirl your tongue around it gently at first.
"Oh my god," she whimpers, fingers tangling violently in your hair, gripping tight but not pulling you away. "Right there... don't stop..."
You obey instantly, focusing your attention, sucking the sensitive bud into your mouth, worrying it gently with your lips and tongue. Her reaction is immediate, explosive. Her hips buck against your face, grinding down instinctively, seeking more pressure, more friction.
"Fuck, yes! Like that! Suck it harder!" she cries out, her earlier shyness completely incinerated by raw need. "God, you taste so fucking good... eat me like you mean it!"
You groan into her cunt, spurred on by her dirty talk, by the sheer intensity radiating off her. You suck harder, drawing more of her into your mouth, tongue working relentlessly on her clit while your lips provide constant pressure against her swollen folds. Her slickness coats your tongue, your lips, your chin, slicking the skin, making every movement smoother, hotter. She’s so wet, dripping onto your face, the taste of her flooding your senses. You love it. You fucking crave it. The feeling of being covered in her, drowned in her essence.
"That's it, baby," she pants, her hips starting to move in a slow, deliberate rhythm against your mouth. "Fuck, you're so good at this... Did you practice on someone else? Don't fucking answer that," she gasps out, contradicting herself immediately, lost in the sensation. "Just keep doing that. Lick me. Suck my clit like it's the only thing you care about."
"It is," you manage to mumble against her, tongue never faltering. "Only thing... right now... is you. Making you feel good, Sohyun."
Her hips stutter, a broken little sob escaping her lips. "Fuck... you saying my name like that... while you're... down there... God..."
She starts to ride you then, taking control just like she asked, just like you fantasized. Her movements are slow at first, tentative, testing the pressure, learning how to grind against your mouth for maximum effect. Her thighs tighten around your head, trapping you, holding you exactly where she wants you. The feeling of suffocation is mild at first, just the intimate pressure, the heat, the wetness sealing against your skin. But as her pace quickens, as she gets lost in the building pleasure, she presses down harder, her cunt engulfing your nose and mouth more fully. Your breathing gets shallower, restricted, but you don't panic. This is part of it. This surrender. Giving her everything, even your breath, if that's what it takes to push her over the edge.
"Oh god... oh fuck," she moans, the sounds deeper now, throatier. "It's building... fuck, don't stop... keep sucking... harder!"
You oblige, mouth working frantically now, sucking and licking with desperate abandon, chasing her orgasm alongside her. Her pussy clenches around your tongue, milking it, the muscles fluttering uncontrollably. She’s grinding faster now, rocking her hips with frantic energy, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. The pressure increases. Her cunt presses down hard, sealing over your mouth, your nose, the wet heat almost overwhelming. You can barely draw breath, getting only small, desperate sips of air mixed with the heavy scent of her arousal. But the lack of oxygen just fuels the fire, heightens the sensation, pushes you closer to a different kind of edge. You feel utterly possessed by her, consumed.
"Almost there... almost... FUCK!" she screams, her body locking up.
Her hips slam down hard onto your face, grinding relentlessly, muffling your own groan of effort and ecstasy. Her inner walls spasm violently around your tongue, flooding your mouth with a thick, hot gush of her climax. The taste is intense, salty-sweet, addictive, unique. You swallow instinctively, greedily, taking all of it, wanting every last drop. She collapses forward, boneless, her full weight pressing your face into the mattress, her slick cunt still pulsing against your mouth as the aftershocks ripple through her. You're completely enveloped, blinded, breathless beneath her, tasting her release, utterly dominated.
She stays there for long moments, just panting, trembling. You lie still beneath her, heart hammering, face sticky and wet, utterly spent from the intensity of giving her that pleasure. Finally, slowly, she pushes herself up, bracing her hands on the mattress on either side of your head. Her hair is wild, sticking to her flushed cheeks, her lips swollen and red, her eyes dazed and unfocused but gleaming with a deep, sated satisfaction. She looks down at you, at your slick-covered face, and a slow, knowing smirk touches her lips.
"Wow," she breathes. "You... you really did it."
You manage a weak grin, licking your lips, tasting her. "Told you," you rasp. "Anything for you."
She leans down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead, then your cheek, then finally your mouth, her kiss still tasting faintly of herself. It's intimate, proprietary. A claiming.
"Good," she murmurs against your lips. "Because we're not done yet. Not even close." Her eyes darken again, that possessive fire rekindling. "My turn to taste you.”
Sohyun pushes herself up fully, kneeling between your legs on the mattress. Her eyes, still hazy from her orgasm but sharp with renewed intent, roam over your face, lingering on your kiss-swollen lips and the faint marks she left on your neck. A possessive satisfaction flickers there. She reaches down, her hands landing on the button of your jeans. Her knuckles brush against the hard ridge straining behind the denim, and she lets out a low, appreciative hum.
"My turn," she murmurs, her gaze locking with yours. "Been wanting to do this for way too long. Way, way too long."
Her fingers work the button free with surprising dexterity, then move to the zipper, pulling it down with a slow, deliberate rasp that echoes loudly in the quiet room. She doesn't just yank your jeans off. She takes her time, hooking her fingers into the waistband, easing the stiff denim down over your hips, her touch feather-light against your skin. You lift your hips instinctively to help her. Your jeans slide down your legs, pooling around your ankles. You're left in just your boxers—boxers that are doing absolutely nothing to hide the thick, hard length straining beneath the fabric.
Sohyun pauses, her eyes fixed on the prominent bulge. She reaches out, tracing the rigid shape through the thin cotton with one curious finger. You twitch involuntarily, a low groan rumbling in your chest.
"Fuck," she breathes, a note of genuine awe creeping in. "I knew... I mean, I saw... before..." She glances up at you quickly, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as she remembers that moment in the club room closet, the stolen, frantic glimpse. "But seeing it like... this... Jesus."
Her gaze drops back down, captivated. She hooks her thumbs into the elastic waistband of your boxers and slowly, reverently, peels them down. Down past your hip bones, down your thighs, revealing you completely. Your cock springs free, thick and heavy, slick already with beads of pre-cum glistening under the dim light. It's undeniably large, thick-shafted, maybe even surprisingly so given your usually reserved, almost nerdy demeanor. It pulses slightly with your heartbeat, utterly exposed under her intense scrutiny.
Sohyun just stares for a long moment, her mouth slightly parted. Her eyes widen almost imperceptibly. This isn't like the frantic, hidden view she got before. This is up close, personal, undeniable. The sheer size and thickness of you, fully hard and demanding attention, seems to momentarily short-circuit her brain. She reaches out again, hand hovering just above you, like she's afraid to touch, afraid it might disappear.
"It's... perfect," she whispers. "God, it's so... much. And it's really... mine? Right now?"
"Yes," you manage, your throat tight. "All yours, Sohyun. Please. Touch me."
That breaks the spell. Her hesitation vanishes, replaced by a focused intensity that makes your stomach clench. She leans down, her hair falling forward, tickling your stomach as she lowers her face towards your cock. She doesn't grab it right away. Instead, she inhales deeply, breathing in your scent, her eyes fluttering closed for a second. Then, she presses a soft, tentative kiss right to the swollen, pulsing head. It’s a kiss of reverence, almost worshipful. She kisses it again, lingering, her lips incredibly soft against the sensitive skin. Then she trails kisses down the thick shaft, her warm breath ghosting over you, making you shiver uncontrollably. Her tongue darts out, tasting the slick bead of pre-cum at the tip, humming her approval deep in her throat.
"Mmm," she murmurs against your skin. "Taste good... smell good... God, you feel so hard."
She cups your balls gently in one hand, her touch surprisingly confident, weighing them, stroking the sensitive skin underneath with her thumb. You groan, hips lifting slightly off the mattress, needing more. Her other hand finally closes around the base of your shaft, her fingers wrapping snugly around the thick circumference. Her grip is firm, warm, possessive. She strokes you once, slowly, from base to head, watching your reaction with hungry eyes.
"You like that?" she asks. "Like me touching you? Holding your big, thick cock?"
"Fuck, yes," you gasp out, already close to losing it just from her touch, her words. "Please, Sohyun..."
"Shhh," she soothes, leaning down again. "Let me take care of you. Let me worship this perfect cock. You deserve it."
She starts by licking. Long, slow, wet laps all the way up the shaft, starting from the base where her fingers are wrapped tight, swirling around the thick ridge of the head, paying special attention to the sensitive slit at the very tip. Her tongue is relentless, mapping every vein, every inch, savoring the texture, the taste. She licks your balls too, darting her tongue out to trace the seam, making you gasp and buck beneath her. She seems fascinated, utterly absorbed in the act of adoration, like she's discovering a hidden treasure she can't get enough of. She alternates between licking and kissing, pressing open-mouthed kisses against the throbbing veins, occasionally taking just the very head between her lips, sucking gently, experimentally.
"So pretty," she mumbles against you, her breath hot. "So fucking hard for me. You feel so good in my hand... so heavy..."
She gathers your balls more firmly, lifting them slightly as she lowers her mouth over the head of your cock again. This time, she means business. Her lips seal tight, creating a wet suction that steals your breath. She starts to suck, slowly at first, adjusting her jaw, learning the shape and feel of you in her mouth. Her cheeks hollow slightly with the effort, her eyes fixed on yours, watching your reaction, feeding off the strangled noises clawing their way up your throat. She moans around you, a deep, guttural sound of pure pleasure—hers and yours.
"Mmmmph... fuck... so thick," she manages around you, pulling back slightly before sliding down again, taking you deeper this time.
Her pace picks up, her head starting to bob more rhythmically. She uses her hand in tandem, stroking the lower half of your shaft while her mouth works the upper half, creating an unbearable friction, a slick heat that threatens to make you explode. Her tongue works magic inside her mouth, swirling around the head, flicking against the frenulum, driving you absolutely insane. Saliva spills from the corners of her mouth, mixing with your pre-cum, coating your cock in a thick, slippery sheen. She doesn't seem to care about the mess; she seems to revel in it, smearing the wetness down your shaft with her hand, slicking up your balls until they shine.
"Drooling all over you," she gasps, pulling off for a second to look at her handiwork, eyes glazed with lust. "God, look how wet I'm making you... covering your pretty cock in my spit... you like that, baby? Like being my messy boy?"
"Yes," you choke out, nodding frantically, hands fisting in the duvet beside you. "Fuck, Sohyun, please... don't stop..."
"Never," she promises, diving back down, sucking you deeper than before, her throat muscles working as she takes as much of you as she can.
She alternates speeds, sometimes sucking slow and deep, milking you, other times bobbing her head frantically, her hair whipping against your thighs, her lips and tongue working you over with relentless abandon. She cradles your balls constantly, rubbing, squeezing gently, rolling them between her fingers, ensuring no part of you is neglected. The sounds are incredibly hot—the wet sucking noises, her low moans, your own choked gasps and pleas. She's not just giving you a blowjob; she's pouring all her love, all her pent-up longing, all her newly unleashed desire into worshiping you, pleasuring you, claiming you.
"You feel so good in my mouth," she pants, slicking her lips. "Best cock I've ever tasted... fuck, I wanna swallow you whole..."
She picks up the pace again, sensing you getting closer, her hand pumping furiously at the base while her mouth works magic on the head. Your hips are bucking off the bed now, completely involuntary, chasing the friction, begging for release. Your balls are drawn up tight, the pressure building unbearably.
"Sohyun... Sohyun, I'm gonna..." you gasp, vision starting to blur at the edges.
She hums, a deep vibration against your shaft, and pulls back just slightly, letting her lips drag slowly, wetly, all the way up to the tip. She kisses the head one last time, her tongue darting out to catch a final bead of slickness. She looks up at you, eyes dark and heavy-lidded, a satisfied smirk playing on her spit-slick lips. Your cock is practically vibrating in her hand, flushed, aching, coated in her saliva, impossibly hard, utterly ready.
"Good," she breathes, her gaze flicking down at your cock, then back to your eyes. "Keep it just like that for me. Hard and ready. Because now... now I need you inside me.”
Sohyun levers herself up, straddling your hips now instead of your face. Her knees press into the mattress on either side of you, boxing you in. Her gaze is locked on your cock, still hard and glistening, twitching slightly in anticipation. She reaches down, wrapping her fingers around the thick shaft again, her touch possessive, almost proprietary now. She strokes you slowly, deliberately, watching the way your hips lift instinctively off the bed, chasing her touch. A dark, satisfied smile curves her lips. She looks powerful like this, kneeling over you, naked from the waist down, her hair a wild halo around her flushed face, her breasts full and bare, nipples still tight and dark from your attention. The dynamic has shifted entirely. She's in control, and she knows it. And fuck, you love it.
"God, Sohyun," you gasp out, the words shaky. "I've... I've thought about this. So many times."
Her eyes flick up to meet yours, questioning, curious.
"About you," you clarify, needing her to understand. "About you being like this. On top of me. Taking charge. Riding me... dominating me..." The confession feels scandalous, ripped from the deepest, most submissive part of you, but seeing her like this, strong, determined, radiating need, makes it impossible to hold back.
A slow, understanding heat dawns in her eyes, chasing away any lingering shyness. She leans down slightly, bracing one hand on your chest, her thumb brushing your nipple through your t-shirt, making you jolt.
"Yeah?" she murmurs. "Funny. Me too."
Your breath catches. "You... you have?"
She nods, her smile turning wicked. "Oh, yeah. More times than I can count. Thinking about this..." She squeezes your cock gently, making you groan. "...this perfect, thick cock sliding inside me. Stretching me out. Filling me up." She leans closer, her lips brushing your ear. "I might have... borrowed one of your pillows a few times. When you were out late. Pretended it was you I was riding." Her confession is a hot whisper against your skin. "Imagined you were balls-deep inside me while I rode it until I came."
The image—Sohyun, alone in her room, desperate for you, grinding on your pillow—is almost too much. It makes your cock pulse painfully hard in her grip.
"Fuck, Sohyun," you choke out. "Tell me... tell me what you want."
"You," she says simply, fiercely. She lets go of you for a second, putting the panties aside. She guides the thick, wet head of your cock to her entrance, her own slickness making the contact incredibly slippery, incredibly hot. She looks down, watching intently as she aligns herself. "I want you. Inside me. Now."
With excruciating slowness, she begins to lower herself onto you. You feel the head of your cock nudge against her tight entrance, feel her slick folds parting, stretching. She gasps sharply, her eyes squeezing shut for a second as the thick ridge pushes past her outer lips, beginning to invade her.
"Oh my god... fuck..." she breathes, her hands gripping your shoulders tight enough to leave marks. "You're so... big..."
She sinks lower, inch by agonizing inch, taking you deeper. Her pussy feels incredible; impossibly tight, hot and slick and welcoming. The feeling of a body claiming something it’s desperately wanted for far too long. You groan deep in your chest, hands coming up to grip her hips, steadying her, steadying yourself. You can feel every internal ripple, every clench of her muscles as she takes you all the way down, settling onto your cock until you're buried to the hilt inside her.
She sits there for a long moment, just breathing hard, letting her body adjust to the thick invasion, letting you feel the sheer, glorious fullness of being completely sheathed inside her. Her head is tipped back, exposing the long, vulnerable line of her throat, her expression a mixture of intense pleasure and almost unbearable sensation.
"Fuck," she sighs out, a long, shuddering sound. "Just... feeling you stretching me out... God, it's..."
"Amazing?" you supply.
She nods mutely, eyes still closed, biting her lower lip. Then, slowly, she begins to move. Just a small lift of her hips, dragging your cock almost out before sinking back down again with agonizing slowness. The friction is electric, making your toes curl.
"Like that?" she whispers, eyes fluttering open to meet yours.
"Yes," you gasp. "Fuck, yes. More."
She starts to ride you properly then, finding a rhythm. Slow and deep at first, her hips rolling deliberately, learning your shape inside her, learning how to angle herself to hit just the right spots. Her hands rest on your chest, fingers splayed, feeling your heartbeat hammer against her palms. With every downward slide, her tight channel grips you, massages you, threatens your control. With every upward pull, the sensation of dragging your thick head along her sensitive walls makes you groan aloud. Her breasts sway gently with the motion.
"Mmmm... god, you feel so good," she murmurs, her hips picking up the pace slightly. "So fucking thick inside me... filling me up completely..."
She rides you with a growing confidence, her movements becoming bolder, faster. She shifts her weight, grinding down harder, experimenting with angles, a low moan escaping her lips every time she hits a particularly good spot. Sweat begins to bead on her forehead, plastering strands of dark hair to her temples. Her cheeks are flushed a deep pink, her lips parted as she pants for breath. She looks wild, primal, completely lost in the act of taking you, claiming you.
"Fuck, Sohyun, you feel incredible," you gasp out, hands tightening on her hips, tilting her slightly to drive yourself even deeper. "So tight... so wet..."
"Yeah?" she pants, a triumphant grin flashing across her face. "Like this? You like how I ride you?" She increases the pace again, hips pumping faster now, slamming down onto your cock with deliberate force. Her breasts bounce more vigorously, the sight mesmerizing. "You like watching my tits bounce while I fuck your cock?"
"Yes! Fuck, yes!" you cry out, completely overwhelmed by the sight, the sound, the feeling of her riding you with such abandon.
She leans forward, bracing her hands on your shoulders, riding you harder, faster, moving into a frantic, desperate rhythm. The bed starts to shake beneath you, the only sounds the wet slap of her pussy gripping your cock, her ragged pants, your answering groans. This is frenzy. Pure, raw, unadulterated need pouring out of her as she fucks you, possessively, relentlessly. Her eyes are locked on yours, fierce and unwavering, like she's daring you to look away, daring you to think of anyone else.
"Am I...?" she gasps out between frantic thrusts, her stare pinning you down. "Am I better? Better than her?"
There’s no coyness, no game-playing like Xinyu. Just raw insecurity wrapped in fierce possessiveness. She needs to know. Needs the validation. Needs to erase the ghost of the other girl.
You meet her intense gaze without flinching, hands gripping her waist tight, pulling her down harder onto your next upward thrust.
"Yes," you say, the word ripped from your throat, raw with conviction. "Fuck, yes, Sohyun. So much better. No comparison. It's always been you. Only you."
The confirmation—that she’s better, that it’s only her—fuels Sohyun like high-octane gasoline. The frantic energy shifts, solidifying into something harder, more deliberate, more dominant. She rides you with a vengeance now, hips slamming down onto your cock, grinding her clit against your pubic bone with every brutal downward thrust. Her pace is relentless, punishing, her body slick with sweat, moving like she’s trying to fuck you right through the mattress. The wet, slapping sounds fill the room, obscene and rhythmic.
"Fuck yes," she pants, head thrown back again, eyes half-lidded with ecstasy. "That's what I needed to hear. Needed you to say it." She leans forward, bracing her hands on your shoulders again, her stare burning into you. "Now give me more. Don't just lie there like a fucking doll. Touch me. Own me."
Her demand sparks through you, overriding the pleasant haze of submission. Your hands fly up to her breasts, cupping the heavy, sweat-slicked weight. They feel incredible, full and responsive. You squeeze them firmly, kneading the soft flesh, thumbs finding her nipples, still hard, aching pebbles, and rolling them roughly between your fingers.
"Ah! Fuck—yes!" Sohyun cries out, her hips stuttering in their rhythm for a beat before slamming down even harder. "Like that! Squeeze them harder! Play with my nipples while I ride your cock! Make them sore! Fuck, yes!"
You obey instantly, pinching and tweaking her nipples, pulling gently, rewarded by her sharp gasps and the way her pussy clenches impossibly tighter around your shaft. She grinds down onto you, moaning your name, lost in the dual sensations. She rides you like she owns you, like she’s branding you with every slam of her hips, every tight clench of her cunt.
Then, her eyes snap fully open, locking onto yours with a terrifying, desperate intensity. The frantic pace slows just slightly, becoming more deliberate, each thrust deeper, more meaningful.
"I need you to come," she says, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Now. Inside me."
You falter for a second, your hands stilling on her breasts. "Sohyun... wait, are you serious? We didn't... I don't have..."
"I don't fucking care!" she cuts you off, her voice raw, almost frantic. She grips your shoulders tighter, leaning down until her face is inches from yours, her breath hot and ragged against your lips. "I don't care about condoms. I don't care about anything! I need it! I need you to fill me up. Mark me. Make me yours, understand? Breed me. Right now. Cum deep inside my pussy."
Your brain whites out for a second. Breed her. The words, the raw need behind them, the sheer possessive desperation—it hits you like a physical blow, igniting a primal heat deep in your gut you didn't know existed. The idea of planting your seed deep inside her, claiming her womb…
"Fuck, Sohyun," you choke out, overwhelmed.
"Yes!" she urges, her eyes blazing. "Every day. I want you filling me up like this every single day. This pussy?" She grinds down hard, milking a groan from you. "It's yours. Only yours. No one else ever gets to touch it. No one else gets to fuck it. No one else gets to breed it. Only you. Promise me!"
"I promise," you gasp, the words ripped from you without thought, only instinct. "Only you, Sohyun. Always."
"Good," she pants, a wild, triumphant grin spreading across her face. She throws her head back again and starts riding you with renewed, almost violent frenzy. "Fuck yes! Breed your girl! Fill my womb up with your cum! Make me swell up with it! I want your baby! Fuck, put your baby inside me now!"
Every filthy word, every desperate demand, every slam of her wet cunt onto your aching cock drives you closer and closer to the edge. The friction is unbearable, her walls clenching and milking you, her words painting pictures in your head that are setting your nerves on fire. You can feel your own climax rushing towards you now, unstoppable, a tidal wave building behind your balls.
"I'm gonna... oh god, Sohyun, I'm so close!" you cry out, hips bucking up wildly beneath her.
"Me too! Fuck, yes, me too!" she screams back. "Cum with me! Cum inside me! Breed me! Breed me now!"
She rides you faster, harder, a desperate, frantic pounding as you both chase the peak. Her moans turn into high-pitched keening sounds, her body trembling violently. You feel the tell-tale clenching deep inside her, the spasms starting just as your own orgasm rips through you.
"FUCK! SOHYUN!" you roar, your body locking up as you explode deep inside her.
Hot, thick ropes of your cum pump into her womb, filling her, coating her insides just like she demanded. You feel her pussy clench violently around your cock, milking every last drop out of you, her own orgasm crashing over her in wave after wave. She continues to ride you even as you both come, slamming down onto your still-pulsing cock, drawing out the very last shuddering spurts, her own cries echoing yours in the small room. The intensity is blinding, shattering. Your eyes roll back in your head, vision whitening out completely as the pleasure finally crests and breaks, leaving you utterly spent, trembling, muscles twitching.
Sohyun collapses forward onto your chest, boneless, her breath coming in ragged, sobbing gasps against your sweat-slick skin. Her weight is heavy, comforting, grounding. You can feel the frantic thudding of her heart against yours, feel the faint, lingering pulses deep inside her where you just emptied yourself. You wrap your arms around her trembling body, holding her tight, burying your face in her damp hair, inhaling her scent. Neither of you speaks for a long time, just clinging to each other in the aftermath, adrift in the wreckage of shared pleasure, bound together by the intensity of what just happened.
The silence stretches, filled only by the sound of two bodies recovering, hearts gradually slowing from their frantic race. Finally, she lifts her head slightly, just enough to meet your eyes. Her expression is soft, unguarded, the fierce possessiveness momentarily banked by sated exhaustion and something that looks overwhelmingly like love.
"I love you," she whispers, the words quiet but solid, no desperation this time, just simple, profound truth.
Your chest aches with the force of your own feelings, a wave of tenderness washing over you, so potent it almost hurts. You lift a hand, brushing damp strands of hair from her forehead, your thumb tracing the curve of her eyebrow.
"I love you too, Sohyun," you murmur, the words feeling more real, more right than anything you've ever said. "So fucking much."
A slow, beautiful smile spreads across her face, reaching her eyes, making them shine. She leans down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your lips. It’s different from the frantic, claiming kisses before—this one is slow, sweet, full of affection and the dizzying relief of finally being here, together, like this. You kiss her back gently, pouring all your affection into it, letting the kiss deepen naturally, tongues tangling lazily, exploring rediscovered territory. You stay like that for a long while, just kissing, holding each other, limbs tangled, the sticky evidence of your climax cooling between her legs and inside her. The world outside her bedroom ceases to exist; there's only the warmth of her skin, the taste of her mouth, the steady beat of her heart against yours.
But even as you drift in the peaceful afterglow, your body betrays you. Deep inside her, nestled snugly in her tight, creamy pussy, your cock gives an involuntary throb. It’s still undeniably hard, thick and heavy within her, nowhere near satisfied despite the intensity of your release. Sohyun stills, her eyes widening slightly as she feels the distinct pulse deep inside her cunt. She shifts her hips experimentally, just a tiny grind, and gasps softly as your cock throbs again in response, pressing against her sensitive inner walls. She pulls back slightly, looking down between your bodies, then up at your face with bewildered amusement.
"Seriously?" she asks, one eyebrow arching. "How the hell are you still hard? I thought I killed you."
You let out a shaky laugh, tightening your arms around her waist. "Guess not." You shift your hips slightly, letting her feel the solid length still buried inside her. "It's you, Sohyun. You drive me fucking crazy. Always have."
A pleased, almost smug flush creeps up her neck. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," you confirm, grinning. "Seeing you like this... hearing you... knowing you want me this bad..." You shake your head. "It does things to me."
Her smile turns predatory again, that dominant spark reigniting in her eyes. "Good." She leans down, whispering against your ear, "Because I'm not done with you yet." But before she can reclaim control entirely, a surge of boldness rises in you.
"Neither am I," you murmur, and with a surge of strength you didn't know you possessed, you roll her over.
She lets out a surprised yelp as you maneuver her beneath you, ending up positioned between her legs in the classic missionary pose. The sudden shift in dynamic makes her blink, but she doesn't fight it. Instead, a curious, excited glint enters her eyes. You brace your hands on either side of her head, leaning down to capture her mouth in another deep kiss, taking charge this time, setting the pace. Your cock slides almost fully out during the roll before you sink back into her with one smooth, deep thrust.
"Fuck!" she cries out, back arching off the bed as you fill her again. "Oh my god, that feels..."
Her pussy is impossibly sensitive now, slick and creamy with the mixture of her arousal and your own cooling cum. Every slight movement sends shivers through her, her inner walls fluttering and clenching around you instinctively. The friction is insane, almost unbearable, slicker and yet somehow tighter than before. You pull back slowly, deliberately, dragging your thick shaft along her hypersensitive walls, then thrust back in deep, hitting that spot low in her belly that makes her gasp and her toes curl.
"Still feel good?" you ask.
"Y-yes! Fuck, yes!" she pants, gripping your biceps hard. "So good... it's almost too much... so sensitive now..."
"Good," you growl, starting to fuck her with a steady, driving rhythm. "I want it to be too much. I want to make you fall apart."
You fuck her hard, hips slamming against hers, driving deep with every thrust. Her legs instinctively wrap around your waist, pulling you even deeper, locking you in place. She meets your rhythm, hips lifting off the bed to take every inch, her head thrashing side to side on the pillows, dark hair fanning out. Her moans are louder now, higher pitched, broken sounds torn from her throat with every impact.
"Fuck! Harder! Please, harder!" she begs, completely lost to the sensation. "Right there! Oh god, oh god, yes!"
You obey, increasing the force, pounding into her relentlessly. The sound of your bodies colliding, the wet, sloppy sounds of your cock sliding in and out of her creamy cunt, fills the room. Her breasts jiggle wildly with the force of your thrusts, the sight driving you wilder. You lean down, capturing one nipple in your mouth again, sucking hard while you continue to hammer into her.
"Ah! Fuck! Yes, please—suck them! Bite them!" she cries out deliriously.
You lave the nipple, then bite down gently, just enough to make her cry out again, her pussy clenching violently around your cock. You switch sides, giving the other nipple the same rough treatment while your hips maintain their punishing rhythm. She's trembling all over now, completely overwhelmed, on the ragged edge of another climax.
"I'm gonna... I'm gonna cum again!" she gasps, eyes rolling back slightly. "Fuck, I can't stop it!"
"Don't stop it," you command. "Come for me again, Sohyun. Let go."
You focus your thrusts, angling slightly, grinding against her G-spot relentlessly, pushing her over the edge. Her body tenses like a drawn bowstring, muscles locking up, a high, keening whine building in her throat.
"Oh FUCK! I'm—!"
Her climax hits her like a lightning strike. Her whole body convulses, legs locking tight around your waist, back arching so high off the bed only her shoulders and heels are touching. A torrent of clear, slick fluid suddenly erupts from her, soaking the front of your body, spraying onto the sheets beneath her. She's squirting, a hot, copious gush that just keeps coming as her orgasm tears through her, wave after powerful wave. The sight, the feeling of her body spasming around you, the hot spray coating your skin, the sheer, unbridled intensity of her release—it shatters your own control completely.
"FUCK! SOHYUN!" you roar, unable to hold back any longer.
You feel your own orgasm roaring up your spine, too intense, too soon after the last one, but unstoppable. You pull out at the last second, cock slapping wetly against her drenched belly, still spasming from her squirt. You brace your hands, aiming carefully, and explode all over her chest. Thick ropes of your cum spray across her collarbones, coating her full breasts, dripping down between them. Shot after shot erupts from you, hot and heavy, until you're completely drained, collapsing forward slightly, bracing your weight on your elbows, chest heaving, heart pounding like it wants to escape your ribs.
You stay like that for a moment, catching your breath, looking down at the beautiful, glorious mess you've made of her. Sohyun lies beneath you, utterly wrecked, limbs trembling, face flushed, eyes glazed and unfocused. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly, coated in your thick, white seed. The sheets beneath her are soaked from her squirt. She looks debauched, thoroughly fucked, completely claimed. And she's never looked more beautiful. You lean down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"You," you whisper, "are the most beautiful girl in the world, Sohyun. Absolutely fucking perfect."
She manages a weak, trembling smile, lifting a shaky hand to cup your cheek. Her eyes finally focus on yours, filled with so much love, so much raw emotion, it steals your breath all over again. She doesn't say anything, doesn't need to. The connection between you is palpable, electric, forged in confessions and tears and sweat and cum and squirt, solidifying into something undeniable, something unbreakable, right there in the messy aftermath on her tangled sheets.
A long, shared sigh escapes both of you almost in unison. You lie down next to her, Sohyun rests her head back on your chest, her breathing still slightly ragged, her fingers tracing idle patterns over your cum-splattered chest. You stare up at the ceiling, your own mind racing, trying to process the whirlwind of confessions, the raw intensity, the spilled fluids currently cooling on both of you and the sheets. It feels surreal, like a dream you're afraid you'll wake up from.
"Holy shit," Sohyun whispers after a long silence, her tone full of dazed wonder. "That... actually happened."
You let out a shaky laugh, tightening your arms around her. "Yeah. I... I can hardly believe it either."
She shifts slightly, propping herself up on one elbow to look down at you, her expression serious now, practical thoughts cutting through the haze of pleasure.
"Hey," she starts, biting her lip slightly. "I'm... uh... gonna need to get a morning-after pill. Just... you know..." She gestures vaguely towards her lower body, where your seed still rests deep inside her. "We kinda... really overdid it on the whole... breeding thing."
A flush creeps up your neck, embarrassment mixing with the lingering thrill of her earlier demands. You nod quickly.
"Yeah," you agree, clearing your throat. "Yeah, we definitely did. Sorry, I should have... pulled out the first time too, I just... lost it."
She shakes her head, reaching out to cup your cheek gently. "Don't apologize. I told you to. I wanted you to." A small, almost shy smile touches her lips. "It was... really good. All of it."
Relief washes over you, potent and warm. "Yeah?" You meet her gaze, searching her eyes. "I thought so too. More than good. It was... everything."
She smiles fully then, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to your lips. The easy affection, the simple intimacy after the storm, feels grounding. You kiss her back, pouring all your confused, overwhelming feelings into it. After a moment, she pulls back again, her expression turning thoughtful, hesitant.
"So..." she starts, tracing the line of your jaw with a fingertip. "What... what happens now? With us?"
You shift awkwardly beneath her, suddenly very aware of your nakedness, your vulnerability. This is it. The moment you’ve simultaneously dreaded and longed for.
"Well," you begin, swallowing hard, forcing yourself to meet her searching gaze. "I was kinda hoping... um..." You fumble for the words, feeling ridiculously shy after everything you just did together. "Do you... maybe... want to be my girlfriend?"
Her breath catches, her eyes widening slightly before breaking into the most brilliant, radiant smile you’ve ever seen on her face. It lights her up from the inside out.
"Yes!" she breathes, relief flooding her features. "God, yes! Of course, I do, you idiot!"
She crashes down onto you again, capturing your mouth in a fierce, joyful kiss that tastes like hope and relief and the start of something new. You kiss her back with equal fervor, laughing against her lips, pure happiness bubbling up inside you. When she finally pulls back, breathless and beaming, her expression clouds slightly again.
"Okay, good," she says, settling back against your chest, but her fingers fidget slightly. "But... what about... Xinyu?"
You swallow hard, the name like a stone dropping into the pit of your stomach. Guilt immediately floods you, chasing away some of the euphoria. You owe Xinyu honesty, even if it’s going to hurt.
"Right," you sigh. "Yeah. I... I need to talk to her. Be straight with her." You hesitate, forcing yourself to be completely honest with Sohyun now, no more secrets. "She, uh... she actually asked me out today. Like, properly. Asked me to be her boyfriend."
"Oh," she says, her tone carefully neutral. "Really? Wow, I'm surprised… What did you say?"
"I didn't accept," you say quickly, meeting her gaze earnestly. "I told her I needed time to think. I was... confused. Uncertain." You reach up, cupping her cheek, needing her to believe you. "And now I know why, Sohyun. It was never about being confused between you two. It was about me being too scared to admit what I really wanted. Who I really loved." Your thumb strokes her cheekbone. "It's you. It's always been you."
Her eyes soften, glistening slightly, and she leans into your touch, pressing a kiss to your palm. "Okay," she whispers. "Just... be careful, okay? When you talk to her."
"I will," you promise.
—
The fluorescent lights of the campus bathroom hum overhead, casting a sterile glare on the tiled walls. Sohyun leans over one of the sinks, splashing cool water onto her face, trying to wash away the lingering exhaustion and the slightly dazed feeling that’s followed her all day. Everything feels different now. Knowing you feel the same way, knowing you're hers, officially... it’s like the world has tilted on its axis. She pats her face dry with a rough paper towel, catching her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes still look a little red-rimmed, her hair is messier than usual, but there’s a softness around her mouth, a lightness in her gaze that wasn't there before. She almost smiles.
The main door swings open, letting in the muffled sounds of the hallway, and Sohyun glances up automatically. Xinyu walks in, head down, scrolling intently on her phone, her usual bright energy noticeably absent. She looks... agitated. She heads towards the mirrors further down, seemingly not noticing Sohyun at first. But then she looks up, her eyes scanning the room, and freezes mid-step as her gaze lands on Sohyun. The recognition dawns instantly.
"YOU!" Xinyu finally spits out. She drops her phone onto the counter with a clatter and points a trembling finger directly at Sohyun.
A couple of other girls who were fixing their makeup quickly gather their things, exchanging wide-eyed glances before scurrying out, leaving the heavy tension simmering between just the two of them. The door clicks shut behind them, amplifying the sudden silence.
Xinyu takes a step closer, her face pale beneath her usually perfect makeup, her eyes blazing with hurt and anger. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the reason he dumped me!"
Sohyun straightens up slowly, leaning back against the cool tile, crossing her arms defensively. Her heart pounds, but she keeps her expression carefully neutral, refusing to rise to the bait immediately.
"Dumped you?" Sohyun asks, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What breakup are you talking about? As far as I know, you and he never actually had anything official to break up from."
Xinyu recoils as if slapped, offense flashing across her features. "Excuse me? We were having something! We were figuring it out, discovering each other! It was real! He kissed me, he fucked me, he was going to be mine! Until you!" she jabs her finger towards Sohyun again, voice trembling with suppressed tears. "You got in his head! You ruined it!"
A cold wave washes over Sohyun. Hearing Xinyu talk about you fucking her, even knowing it happened, still feels like a physical blow. But she pushes the hurt down, replacing it with a steely resolve.
"He was always mine," Sohyun says.
Xinyu lets out a choked, incredulous laugh. "Always yours? That's bullshit! You've known him for years, lived with him, watched him date other people, watched me flirt with him, and you never did a damn thing! You never had the guts! And now, now that I finally decided to go for it, now that I did what you were always too scared to do, now you decide to swoop in and get in the way?"
The accusation hits home, sharp and true. Sohyun flinches slightly, the guilt churning inside her. Xinyu isn't wrong about her cowardice, about her inaction for years.
"You're right," Sohyun admits quietly, dropping her gaze for a second before forcing herself to meet Xinyu's furious stare again. "You're absolutely right. That was my mistake. My biggest fucking mistake, letting fear stop me for so long." Her jaw tightens, her own fierce possessiveness surging forward. "But I finally acted. Because I wasn't going to lose him. Not to you. Not to anyone. I would never let myself lose him."
The raw conviction in Sohyun’s declaration seems to finally break something in Xinyu. Her furious facade crumbles, shoulders slumping, tears finally spilling over and tracking messy lines down her cheeks. She wipes at them angrily with the back of her hand.
"So what now?" Xinyu asks. "Are you going to make him quit the club? Tell him he can't hang out with me anymore?" The question sounds desperate, surprisingly vulnerable. "He... he still wants to be friends. And he's really important for the zine production... We need him."
Sohyun watches her cry, a flicker of unexpected pity stirring beneath her own lingering anger and possessiveness. She remembers your hesitation earlier, your insistence that Xinyu wasn't just using you. Maybe you were right. Maybe Xinyu did have genuine feelings, however tangled up they were.
"Look," Sohyun says, sighing, her tone softening slightly. "I'm not his mother. I don't tell him what to do." She shrugs, trying for nonchalance. "And I know he actually likes that stupid crafts club, for some reason."
"It's not stupid!" Xinyu snaps automatically through her tears.
"Whatever," Sohyun dismisses with a small wave of her hand. "My point is, if he wants to keep going, that's his choice. It's fine with me." She levels a steady gaze at Xinyu. "As long as you understand the boundaries. As long as you don't try anything. At all."
Xinyu sniffs, wiping her eyes again, nodding quickly. "I won't," she promises, her voice small. "I get it. I won't."
An awkward silence hangs between them. Sohyun feels a pang of something akin to regret, not for claiming you, but for the collateral damage.
"I am sorry," Sohyun says quietly, genuinely. "Sorry you got... deluded, I guess. Caught up in the middle of all this."
Xinyu offers a watery, humorless smile, shaking her head. "It's okay. My fault, really." She lets out a shaky breath. "Rule number one: don't fall for the guy who has a female best friend with obvious unresolved history with him. Never ends well, does it?" She attempts a laugh, but it comes out as more of a sob. She grabs a paper towel, dabbing at her eyes, trying to pull herself together. The confrontation seems over, leaving behind only the wreckage and the uneasy truce born from shared heartbreak over the same boy.
—
Walking into the "Hands On" club room later that day feels different. There's a knot of uncertainty low in your stomach, a leftover echo of the drama, the confrontation you know happened between Sohyun and Xinyu, and your own awkward conversation looming. You push the door open tentatively. The usual creative chaos greets you—fabric scraps littering tables, the faint smell of glue and paint, half-finished projects everywhere. Several members look up as you enter, their chatter dying down for a beat as they take you in. You can practically feel them sense the lingering tension, the potential for more trouble. A silent ripple of awareness goes through the room.
Xinyu, who was overseeing someone wrestling with a sewing machine, immediately straightens up, clapping her hands together with forced brightness.
"Alright people, less gawking, more gluing!" she calls out, her usual commanding tone back in place, though maybe a little strained around the edges. "Those zine covers aren't going to embellish themselves!"
The members quickly avert their gazes, busying themselves with their tasks, pretending they weren't just bracing for round two. You take a deep breath and approach Xinyu, stopping a few feet away, hands shoved awkwardly in your pockets.
"Hey," you manage, the word coming out quieter, shyer than you intended.
She turns, offering you a small, tight smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
"Hi," she replies, equally subdued.
You shift your weight, glancing around the room before forcing yourself to meet her gaze. "Look, have you thought about what I said earlier? I just... I came to see... Am I still, like... welcome here? In the club?"
"Yes, of course," she says quickly. "Obviously. You're still production lead, aren't you?"
“Yeah. Thank you. I really enjoy being part of this club. Hmm, by the way, Sohyun told me you two talked today."
Xinyu nods, fiddling with a stray thread on her perfectly coordinated velvet jacket. "Yeah. We ran into each other." A flicker of her old cattiness surfaces as she gives a small, dismissive sniff. "Still don't really get what you see in her, honestly. She's just so... plain. Basic."
"Hey," you cut in gently but firmly. "Don't start, okay?"
Xinyu immediately holds up her hands in mock surrender, though a genuine look of apology flashes in her eyes. "Sorry! Sorry. Force of habit. Old rivalries die hard, I guess." She offers a more genuine, albeit still slightly strained, smile. "Seriously though. We're glad to still have you. I'm glad. You actually get stuff done around here."
You manage a small smile back. "So... it's not going to be weird? Between us? After everything?"
She laughs, a short, sharp sound, but it holds genuine amusement this time. "Oh, it'll probably be weird for a bit," she admits honestly. "But we'll manage. I'll just have to make you work twice as hard on club duties to make up for breaking my heart."
You laugh, the sound easing more of the tension. "Okay, that's fair."
She leans against the table beside her, her posture relaxing slightly. "Look," she says, her tone turning serious again. "I meant what I said, you know. That I liked you." She avoids your gaze for a second, staring down at her perfectly manicured nails. "Okay, fine, maybe at first I was kind of just taking advantage of how nice you are to get help with lifting boxes and shit," she confesses with a wry twist of her lips. "But somewhere along the line... I actually started to fall for the sweet, reliable guy underneath all the errand-running. You're... genuinely good. Different." She sighs dramatically. "Turns out I have a weakness for dependable soft boys who blush easily."
"Xinyu..." you start, feeling a pang of guilt again. "I'm really sorry I couldn't... feel the same way."
She waves a dismissive hand, finally meeting your eyes again, her expression resigned but composed. "Eh, it's okay. Don't sweat it." She shrugs, trying for nonchalance. "Honestly? I should've known it wasn't totally there the second you hesitated when I asked you to be my boyfriend. Nobody hesitates with me." She strikes a pose, hand on her hip, chin tilted defiantly. "I mean, hello? I'm perfect."
You can't help but laugh genuinely this time. "You're right," you agree easily. "You are pretty amazing, Xinyu."
"Damn right I am," she says, grinning, the familiar confidence flowing back into her. "Clearly you just have questionable taste." She winks. "But hey, your loss. I still want to be friends though, if you're cool with that? Awkwardness aside?"
"Yeah," you say warmly. "I'd really like that." You hold out your hand uncertainly.
She looks at it for a second, then takes it, her grip firm and decisive. A handshake. A truce. A new beginning.
"Good," she says, releasing your hand and immediately pivoting back to business mode, clapping her hands together again. "Okay, Production Lead! Less standing around looking relieved, more figuring out how we're going to afford that iridescent cardstock for the spring showcase invites..."
You listen intently as she dives into project details, pulling you back into the familiar rhythm of club tasks. And just like that, things start to feel... normal again. Different, yes. Tinged with the memory of drama and hurt feelings, but manageable. Xinyu, you realize, is great. Complicated, sharp-edged, maybe even a little ruthless sometimes, but also vibrant and passionate and, in her own way, surprisingly understanding. You're genuinely glad you can still have her in your life, even if it's just as friends wrestling over glitter glue and budget spreadsheets.
—
Later that same day, you push the apartment door open, balancing two large grocery bags against your hip. You check the clock on your phone; only 6:30 PM. You’re not late. In fact, you’re early. A small, ridiculously pleased smile spreads across your face. Adulting: achieved.
Before you can even call out, Sohyun appears from her room. She’s wearing comfy lounge pants and one of your old band t-shirts that’s way too big on her, hair pulled back loosely, face free of makeup. She stops when she sees you, sees the bags, sees the time. A slow, soft smile lights up her face—the real kind, the one that reaches her eyes and makes your heart do a stupid little flip. She walks towards you, and without a word, stands on her tiptoes and presses a sweet, welcoming kiss to your lips.
"Hey," she murmurs against your mouth. "You're home early."
"Made sure of it," you reply, kissing her back gently before setting the groceries down on the counter. "Got everything on the list. Even the fancy mushrooms."
"Ooh, fancy mushrooms," she teases, peering into the bags. "Feeling ambitious tonight?"
"Tonight," you declare, pulling out flour, yeast, cheese, and various toppings, "we are making pizza. From scratch. Together."
Sohyun raises an skeptical eyebrow, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, but the fondness in her eyes gives her away. "Oh really? We are making pizza? Or I am making pizza while you try not to set the oven on fire or mistake salt for sugar again?"
You laugh, feigning offense. "Hey! I've improved. Slightly. Maybe." You grin at her. "Okay, fine. You'll be teaching me. But we're doing it together."
And so you do. You measure flour (incorrectly at first, earning a playful swat from Sohyun), knead dough (getting more on your shirt than in the bowl), chop vegetables (under her extremely close and critical supervision), and grate cheese. She patiently guides you, corrects your technique with gentle touches and exasperated sighs that don't quite hide her amusement.
There's teasing, there's flour dusted on noses, there's comfortable silence punctuated by easy chatter. It’s chaotic and messy and absolutely perfect. Gone is the sharp-edged tension that used to simmer beneath the surface, replaced by an open affection, a shared warmth that fills the small kitchen. As you slide the misshapen but lovingly topped pizzas into the oven, Sohyun wraps her arms around your waist from behind, resting her cheek against your back. You lean back into her embrace, covering her hands with yours.
"This is nice," she murmurs.
"Yeah," you agree, turning your head slightly to kiss the top of hers. "Yeah, it really is."
You eat on the couch later, cross-legged, sharing slices of slightly burnt but delicious pizza, watching some dumb movie you'll both forget by morning. Her head rests on your shoulder, your arm draped comfortably around her, fingers idly playing with a loose strand of her hair. It feels easy. Right. Like all the broken pieces, the misunderstandings, the years of unspoken feelings, have finally clicked into place, settling into this quiet, comfortable harmony. No more secrets, no more fear, no more wondering. Just this. Just you and her, finally, simply, being together. It’s not a dramatic fireworks finale, but a soft, warm glow settling over everything, promising quiet mornings and shared dinners and the simple, profound comfort of knowing you’re finally home.
TripleS Sohyun & Xinyu X Male Reader Ft Yooyeon & Rami
Tags : Romance, High School Love, Teenage Love, Feelings, Bullies, Female Bully, Fluff, Drama,
Words : 5,354 Words
A Romance Story Request By My Friend @superkpopeditsgirlgroup Hope You all Enjoy it.
The hallways of the elite preparatory academy were always buzzing with a frantic, suffocating energy, driven by the relentless pursuit of perfection. The air was thick with the scent of floor wax, nervous sweat, and the sharp tang of freshly printed study guides. It was an environment designed to crush the weak and elevate the ruthless.
At the very top of this unforgiving academic hierarchy sat you. You were the undisputed king of the class rankings, a quiet, diligent student whose test scores were always a flawless, untouchable standard. You moved through the corridors like a ghost in a machine, entirely focused on your textbooks and your future.
But this isolation didn't bring you peace. Instead, it made you a target. You were a challenge, an enigma wrapped in a calm demeanor that drove certain people to the brink of insanity.
If you were the quiet academic king, Park Sohyun and Zhou Xinyu were the reigning queens of the school's social ecosystem. They were strikingly beautiful, fiercely intelligent in their own right, and entirely intimidating. They walked the halls with a synchronized, terrifying grace that parted crowds like the Red Sea.
And for reasons you initially couldn't fathom, they had made it their personal mission to ensure your high school life was anything but peaceful.
Sohyun’s heart would hammer violently against her ribs every single time she saw you. It wasn't a gentle flutter; it was a painful, frantic beat that made her feel physically ill. From her seat in the back of the classroom, she would watch the way you meticulously organized your notes.
To her, you were brilliant. You were flawless. And you were utterly terrifying. She would sit there, her hands gripping her pen so tightly her knuckles turned white, consumed by an overwhelming, suffocating sense of inadequacy.
If she were to walk up to you and tell you how her breath hitched every time you entered the room, she was convinced you would undoubtedly look at her with those calm, analytical eyes and reject her on the spot. The very thought of your rejection felt like a physical blow, a devastating public humiliation she couldn't survive.
So, instead of confessing, she built a fortress of hostility. She masked her crippling anxiety with biting sarcasm.
It was a Tuesday afternoon in the school library when Sohyun initiated her usual routine. The library was a cavernous space, smelling of old paper and dust, illuminated by shafts of golden afternoon sunlight.
You were sitting at your preferred corner table, deeply engrossed in a thick textbook regarding green logistics and sustainable supply chains. You were completely tuned out from the world around you, marking a page with a yellow highlighter.
Sohyun forced her trembling hands to steady as she marched over. She slammed her heavy history books down on the table directly across from you. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the quiet room.
You flinched slightly, your eyes slowly rising from the page to meet hers. You didn't say a word, just waited for the inevitable storm.
"Are you ever going to take a break, or is staring at a textbook the only personality trait you actually possess?" Sohyun asked. Her voice dripped with a rehearsed, venomous sweetness, though her heart was pounding so hard she thought you might hear it.
"I have a presentation for Kelompok 4 tomorrow," you replied calmly, your voice a smooth, steady baseline that completely contrasted her erratic energy. "I'm just reviewing the reverse logistics framework."
Sohyun scoffed, rolling her eyes to hide the fact that she was desperately trying to memorize the exact pitch of your voice. "Kelompok 4. Right. Because carrying eight other people on your back isn't enough of a tragic martyr complex for you."
"They do their part," you said softly, looking back down at your book. "It's a group effort."
"Oh, please," Sohyun mocked, leaning across the table and invading your personal space. She reached out and snatched the yellow highlighter right out of your fingers.
Her skin brushed yours for a fraction of a second, sending a violent jolt of electricity up her arm. She prayed to every deity she could think of that you didn't notice the way her breath hitched.
"I'll be confiscating this," she declared coldly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "You're ruining the curve for everyone else in the grade. Consider this an intervention."
You looked at your empty hand, then up at her. "Sohyun, I need that to color-code the operational flowcharts."
"Then you should have thought about that before you decided to be so obnoxiously perfect," she shot back, twirling the highlighter between her fingers.
Inside, Sohyun was screaming at herself. The guilt was a heavy, suffocating blanket. She wanted to hand the marker back, gently brush her fingers against yours again, and apologize for being so unbelievably cruel. She wanted to ask you to explain the flowcharts to her, just so she could sit beside you and listen.
Instead, she watched you silently, patiently pull a cheap, smudging ballpoint pen from your bag and resume your work. She tucked your highlighter into her bag like a stolen treasure, her heart aching with a toxic mix of love and profound self-loathing.
Xinyu operated differently, though her internal turmoil was identical. Where Sohyun used passive-aggressive disruption, Xinyu used overwhelming, confrontational presence. Xinyu was taller, with a sharp, piercing gaze that made most students step out of her way without a second thought.
But whenever she saw you, her commanding exterior threatened to shatter into a million fragile pieces. The fear of being a mere annoyance to you mutated into a desperate, aggressive defense mechanism. If she couldn't be your equal, she would be your obstacle.
Later that week, the cafeteria was a chaotic sea of shouting teenagers and clattering trays. Xinyu spotted you navigating the crowd, carrying your tray with a quiet, intense focus, trying to avoid the chaos.
Her heart did a painful flip in her chest. The urge to run up, link her arm through yours, and pull you to her table was almost overwhelming. Instead, she forced her expression into a hard, unforgiving glare and stepped directly into your trajectory.
"Whoa!" you gasped, stumbling backward as Xinyu intentionally bumped her shoulder sharply against yours.
You barely caught your tray, though your carton of strawberry milk toppled over, spilling slightly onto the plastic. The surrounding students gasped, the immediate vicinity falling into a tense, expectant hush.
"Watch where you're going," Xinyu spat, her voice echoing loudly, masking the severe tremor in her hands.
You looked up at her, your brow furrowing in confusion. "You stepped right into my path, Xinyu."
"Are you calling me a liar?" she demanded, taking a step closer, completely invading your space. She looked you up and down, forcing her lip to curl in feigned disgust. "Maybe if you weren't so distracted by how incredibly tragic your outfit is, you would know how to walk in a straight line."
You looked down at your slightly oversized, faded gray sweater. "It's just a sweater. It's comfortable."
"It's a crime against humanity," Xinyu fired back, her voice harsh, even as her mind screamed at her to stop. She thought you looked incredibly endearing. She wanted to bury her face in the soft fabric of that sweater.
"I'll keep that in mind," you said softly. You didn't yell. You didn't argue. You merely adjusted your grip on your tray, offered her a small, unreadable nod, and walked around her.
As soon as your back was turned, Xinyu felt the familiar, crushing weight of immense guilt crash down on her shoulders. It felt like she couldn't breathe.
"Why do you do that?" a voice whispered from behind her. Xinyu whipped around to see Sohyun standing there, looking just as miserable.
"I don't know," Xinyu whispered back, her voice cracking. "He looked right at me, Sohyun. I panicked. I just… I completely panicked."
"You spilled his milk," Sohyun muttered, looking at the retreating back of your sweater. "He loves that strawberry milk."
"I know!" Xinyu hissed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I know I did. I'm a monster. He's going to hate me forever."
Watching this daily tragedy unfold from a completely different vantage point was Rami, a childhood friend of you and your older sister, Yooyeon. Rami was entirely detached from the school's social hierarchy, possessing a sharp, no-nonsense personality that cut through teenage drama with ease.
While visiting the school grounds one afternoon to drop off a forgotten textbook for you, she leaned against a set of blue metal lockers and observed the ecosystem of the hallway.
She saw you standing by a cork bulletin board. Within seconds, Xinyu was there, standing entirely too close to you, loudly criticizing the way your backpack was strapped. A few feet away, Sohyun was aggressively glaring at a younger freshman girl who had dared to wave at you.
Rami let out a long, heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off an incoming headache. The pathetic nature of it all was almost too much for her to bear.
She pushed off the lockers and walked right up to you, completely ignoring the immediate, territorial, hostile glares she received from both Sohyun and Xinyu.
"Here," Rami said, shoving the heavy textbook into your chest. "Yooyeon found it on the kitchen counter. Again."
"Thanks, Rami," you smiled, taking the book. "I owe you one."
Rami didn't smile back. She crossed her arms and glared over your shoulder at the two girls who were now pretending to examine the hinges of the lockers.
"Are you completely blind, or are you just a masochist?" Rami asked, not bothering to lower her voice.
You blinked, looking confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb over there," Rami said, jutting her chin toward Sohyun and Xinyu. "They are completely obsessed with you. It's actually painful to watch."
You glanced over your shoulder. Sohyun visibly flinched, and Xinyu suddenly found the floor tiles fascinating.
"They aren't obsessed with me, Rami," you said with a soft sigh. "They just enjoy making my life difficult. It's a game to them."
"It's not a game," Rami argued, grabbing your arm to pull your attention back to her. "Look at them. Really look at them. They act like rabid dogs because they're too scared to just wag their tails. You shouldn't put up with it."
"I don't mind," you replied calmly.
"You don't mind being bullied?" Rami raised an eyebrow.
"I don't think it's bullying," you corrected gently. "I think they're just… loud. They have a lot of energy."
"They're terrified of you," Rami stated bluntly. "And they're too stupid to realize that pushing you away is going to backfire permanently."
You didn't say anything to Rami's harsh assessment. You just looked back at the two girls. Sohyun was nervously chewing her bottom lip, and Xinyu looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of your mouth, softening your features.
"I'll see you later, Rami," you said quietly, turning away and heading toward your next class.
The high school years dragged on this way, a continuous, exhausting, emotionally draining dance of harsh words, stolen glances, and a love so deeply buried under paralyzing fear that it threatened to suffocate all three of you.
The transition from the rigid, structured hallways of your high school to the sprawling, vibrant campus of the university didn't break the intense gravitational pull between the three of you. If anything, the expansive grounds of the Faculty of Business and Economics only provided Sohyun and Xinyu with a much larger stage to act out their agonizing, complicated dynamic.
You had enrolled as a Business Networking major, your academic life consumed by the intricate complexities of Operations Management, supply chains, and your overarching thesis on Green and Reverse Logistics. You were, as you had always been, at the very top of your cohort. Your mind was a brilliant, analytical engine, constantly reading systems, predicting outcomes, and understanding human operational behavior.
Because of this, you were anything but oblivious.
You knew exactly how Sohyun and Xinyu felt about you. You had known for years. You didn't need a dramatic confession under a cherry blossom tree to understand the truth; you saw it in the data of their everyday actions.
You noticed how Sohyun would aggressively critique the formatting of your proposals for the Dewan Perwakilan Mahasiswa (DPM), only to secretly email you a flawlessly edited version at two in the morning so you wouldn't stress over it. You noticed how Xinyu ruthlessly maneuvered her way into "Kelompok 4" for your massive MIS project, aggressively managing the schedules to ensure absolutely no other girls in the group had the opportunity to sit next to you during late-night study sessions.
Their fear of rejection was incredibly loud, masked by layers of biting sarcasm and confrontational glares. But their profound, overwhelming care for you was even louder, provided you knew how to listen for it. You were simply waiting. You were a patient man, willing to let them fight their internal battles until they were finally brave enough to drop the armor.
However, that delicate, frustrating stalemate was entirely shattered on a sweltering Thursday afternoon.
You were sitting at a shaded outdoor table near the faculty lounge, trying to escape the midday Surabaya heat. You had a stack of journals on sustainable supply chain models spread out before you, deeply engrossed in your research.
Suddenly, your focus was broken by a pair of cool, familiar hands slipping over your eyes from behind.
"Guess who, genius?" a playful, melodic voice chirped right next to your ear.
You couldn't help but smile, reaching up to gently pry the hands away. "You're supposed to be in Jakarta, Rami."
Rami let out a bright, ringing laugh, stepping around the table and immediately dropping into the empty chair right beside you. She was your childhood friend, practically a second sister, and she operated with a complete disregard for personal space when it came to you. She slung an arm casually around your shoulders, leaning her head against yours as she peered down at your dense academic papers.
"My classes got canceled for the rest of the week, so I took the first train down to bother you and Yooyeon," Rami said, reaching over to blatantly steal a sip from your iced coffee without asking. "God, I missed you. Have you been doing nothing but reading about recycled cardboard since I left?"
"It's reverse logistics, Rami, and it's important," you chuckled, gently nudging her shoulder. "It's good to see you."
Rami grinned, leaning in closer, her face mere inches from yours as she animatedly began telling you a story about her chaotic train ride. To any outside observer, the sheer physical comfort and easy intimacy between the two of you painted a very specific, very romantic picture.
And unfortunately for Sohyun and Xinyu, they were currently acting as outside observers.
About fifty feet away, partially concealed behind one of the large concrete pillars of the faculty building, the two reigning queens of the university's social ecosystem were currently experiencing a catastrophic, system-wide mental breakdown.
Sohyun’s heart was hammering so violently against her ribs that she felt physically nauseous. Her manicured nails were digging painfully into the rough concrete of the pillar as she stared at the scene unfolding at your table.
Who is she? Sohyun's internal monologue was shrieking in pure, unadulterated panic. Why is she sitting so close to him? Why is she touching his shoulder? He never lets anyone touch his shoulder! Why is he smiling at her like that? He never smiles like that when I'm around. I usually just get the polite nod. Oh my god, she's gorgeous. Is she his girlfriend? Did he get a girlfriend?
Beside her, Xinyu was vibrating with a terrifying mix of profound jealousy and sheer terror. Her sharp, imposing gaze was fixed entirely on Rami, mentally dissecting this sudden, beautiful threat to her entire world.
I will completely destroy her, Xinyu thought wildly, her breathing shallow and erratic. No, wait, I can't do that, Y/N would hate me. But look at them! She just drank from his cup! Indirect kiss! They just shared an indirect kiss right in the middle of the campus courtyard! This is a disaster. This is an absolute, code-red emergency.
"Sohyun," Xinyu hissed, her voice trembling as she grabbed her friend's arm in a vice grip. "We have to do something. Right now. We have to go over there."
"And do what?!" Sohyun hissed back, her eyes wide with panic. "What if they're dating, Xinyu? What if we walk over there and he introduces her as the love of his life? I will literally throw myself into the campus fountain and drown."
"If we don't go over there, she's going to steal him completely!" Xinyu argued desperately, logic completely abandoning her. "We can't just stand here and let some random girl take the only guy we've ever cared about because we're too cowardly to act. We have to intervene. We'll march over there, assert dominance, and… and demand his attention for a DPM project!"
"I'm not even in the DPM!" Sohyun pointed out frantically.
"It doesn't matter! Just follow my lead!"
Fueled by a volatile cocktail of pure adrenaline, territorial jealousy, and the terrifying realization that they might actually lose you, the two girls stepped out from behind the pillar. They marched across the courtyard toward your table, their heels clicking aggressively against the pavement, looking like they were preparing for a war.
But as the physical distance between you closed, the adrenaline rapidly began to evaporate, entirely replaced by their deeply ingrained, paralyzing fear of your judgment.
By the time they reached your table, they had completely run out of steam.
You looked up from Rami's animated story, your calm, analytical eyes landing on the two girls standing awkwardly by your table. You raised an eyebrow, waiting.
Sohyun opened her mouth, fully intending to say something witty and sharp to demand your attention. She meant to ask you a complex question about operations management. Instead, her brain entirely blue-screened under the weight of your gaze.
"We…" Sohyun started, her voice cracking embarrassingly. She felt the heat violently rush to her cheeks, turning her entire face a brilliant, glowing shade of crimson. "The… the cardboard. For the… things."
Xinyu internally screamed at her friend's complete failure and stepped forward to take charge. She pointed a finger at your table, but her hand was shaking so badly she quickly dropped it.
"Y/N," Xinyu stated loudly, trying to summon her usual commanding presence, but it came out sounding breathless and panicked. "We need to… we have to discuss the schedule for the… the breathing. I mean, the meeting. The DPM meeting about the… the green leaves. Logistics. Green logistics."
You blinked, leaning back in your chair. "The DPM meeting about green logistics isn't for another three weeks, Xinyu. And Sohyun, you aren't on that committee."
Xinyu's face went from pale to a deep, agonizing red in less than a second. Her sharp mind went completely blank. She had absolutely no idea what to say next. She just stood there, her mouth slightly open, completely flustered, radiating a chaotic, terrified energy. Sohyun looked like she was actively praying for a sinkhole to open up beneath the courtyard and swallow her whole.
Rami, who had stopped her story mid-sentence, was currently staring at Sohyun and Xinyu with an expression of pure, unfiltered bewilderment. She looked from the two blushing, stammering girls, to you, and then back to the girls.
Rami leaned closer to you, not bothering to lower her voice. "Y/N, who are these creeps? Are they stalking you? Because I will happily call campus security right now. They look like they're about to have a synchronized stroke."
Sohyun let out a tiny, mortified squeak, burying her burning face in her hands. Xinyu looked completely paralyzed, her eyes darting frantically between you and Rami, completely unable to defend herself against the accusation.
You let out a soft, warm chuckle, the sound instantly defusing the heavy tension in the air. You reached over, gently patting Rami's arm to calm her down.
"It's okay, Rami. Stand down," you said smoothly. You gestured toward the two petrified girls. "Rami, these are my classmates. Park Sohyun and Zhou Xinyu. They can be a little intense when it comes to academics, but they aren't stalkers."
You shifted your gaze to the two girls, your eyes softening. "Sohyun, Xinyu, this is Rami. She's my childhood friend. She basically grew up in my house alongside my older sister, Yooyeon."
The words childhood friend echoed in Sohyun and Xinyu's minds like a chorus of angels singing.
The profound, crushing weight of their jealousy vanished in an instant, leaving behind only the sheer, embarrassing reality of their current behavior. They weren't losing you to a beautiful stranger; they had just aggressively marched up to your closest family friend and completely made fools of themselves.
"Oh," Xinyu breathed out, the tension leaving her shoulders so fast she almost sagged. "Childhood friend. Right."
"Nice to meet you," Sohyun managed to squeak from behind her hands, still refusing to show her incredibly flushed face.
Rami narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying their sudden, awkward submissiveness, but she leaned back in her chair. "Right. Well. Nice to meet you too, I guess."
You looked at the two girls standing awkwardly in the heat, clearly miserable and entirely unsure of what to do next. They looked like they wanted to bolt, to run away and hide from the immense embarrassment of the situation. But you weren't going to let them run away this time. It was time to break the cycle.
"Actually," you started, closing your textbook and neatly stacking your journals. "Rami and I were just about to head off campus to get some lunch. I know a quiet spot that serves incredible seafood just a few blocks from here. Why don't you two join us?"
Sohyun finally lowered her hands, staring at you in utter disbelief. "You… you want us to come with you?"
"I don't think we can," Xinyu added quickly, her defensive instincts kicking in to protect her from this incredibly vulnerable situation. "We don't want to intrude on your reunion. Plus, I'm sure you have… things to catch up on."
"It's not an intrusion," you replied firmly, offering them a small, encouraging smile. "I'm inviting you. I'd like it if you came. Both of you."
Sohyun and Xinyu exchanged a wide-eyed, panicked glance. You had never explicitly invited them to do anything outside of mandatory group projects. This was unprecedented territory. But the gentle, genuine warmth in your eyes was a magnetic force they simply couldn't resist.
"Okay," Sohyun whispered softly. "We'd like that."
Twenty minutes later, the four of you were seated in a cool, dimly lit restaurant known for its phenomenal grilled fish and spicy sambal. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the Surabaya heat, but the atmosphere at the table was incredibly thick with awkward tension.
You and Rami sat on one side of the booth, while Sohyun and Xinyu sat stiffly on the opposite side, keeping a perfectly measured six inches of space between them. They both looked like they were bracing for an execution rather than waiting for an appetizer.
Rami was thoroughly enjoying the situation. She methodically peeled a shrimp, chewing it slowly as she locked her sharp gaze on the two girls across from her.
"So," Rami started, wiping her fingers on a napkin. "Let me get this straight. You two saw Y/N sitting with a girl you didn't recognize, and your immediate instinct was to sprint across the courtyard, completely red in the face, to aggressively demand to talk about… cardboard?"
Sohyun closed her eyes, letting out a pained sigh. "Please, just let me die in peace."
Xinyu crossed her arms, her defensive walls instinctively snapping back into place. "We had a legitimate academic inquiry. Y/N is a vital part of our group projects. His focus is important."
"Right. Very convincing," Rami scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You know, for two people who supposedly just care about his grades, you both looked like you were ready to commit murder when you saw me touching his arm. It's honestly hilarious."
"Rami," you warned gently, placing a hand over hers on the table. "That's enough. Be nice."
Rami sighed, leaning back against the booth. "I'm just saying, Y/N. They act like absolute terrors. I've heard the stories from Yooyeon. They steal your stuff, they insult your clothes, they completely monopolize your time… and then they stand in a courtyard looking at you like you hung the moon and the stars. It's exhausting just watching it."
The table plunged into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Sohyun stared down at her untouched glass of iced tea, the condensation pooling at the base. Xinyu's jaw was clenched so tight a muscle ticked in her cheek. Rami had just taken a sledgehammer to the very fragile glass house they had been hiding in for years.
You looked at them, seeing the very real, very raw distress in their eyes. They were cornered.
"Rami is very blunt," you said softly, breaking the silence. You kept your voice low, steady, and entirely free of judgment. "She doesn't mean to be cruel. But… she isn't entirely wrong."
Sohyun and Xinyu both snapped their heads up to look at you, panic flaring in their eyes.
"I know I haven't said anything about it," you continued, leaning forward slightly, resting your forearms on the table. "But I'm not blind to the way things have been between us. The teasing, the arguments, the hostility. It's been going on since high school."
"Y/N, we—" Xinyu started, her voice panicked, but you gently raised a hand to pause her.
"I've always known it wasn't because you actually hated me," you said, your eyes moving between them, making sure they understood the absolute sincerity in your words. "I've always known there was a different reason behind it. I just… I didn't want to push you until you were ready."
Sohyun’s lower lip trembled. She reached down, her fingers nervously twisting the fabric of her skirt under the table. The fear of rejection was screaming at her to stand up, to make a sarcastic comment, and walk out of the restaurant.
But then she looked at you. She looked at the immense patience in your eyes, the quiet strength that had drawn her to you in the first place. You weren't attacking them. You were offering them a bridge.
Sohyun took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with you.
"I'm sorry," Sohyun whispered, her voice cracking under the emotional weight of the words. "I am so, incredibly sorry, Y/N."
You tilted your head slightly. "For what, Sohyun?"
"For being so awful to you," she confessed, a single tear escaping and sliding down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away. "For stealing your things. For saying cruel things about your studying. I was just… I was so intimidated by you. You were always so perfect, so brilliant, and I felt so small compared to you. I didn't know how to talk to you like a normal person. I was terrified that if I was just nice to you, you would see right through me and realize I wasn't good enough. So I acted like a monster to protect myself. And it was stupid. And it was mean. And I'm sorry."
The absolute vulnerability in Sohyun's confession hung in the air, raw and undeniable.
Xinyu swallowed hard, her throat thick with emotion. Seeing her friend break down her walls gave her the final push she needed to shatter her own.
"She's right," Xinyu said, her voice unusually soft, stripped entirely of its commanding edge. She looked at you, her sharp eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, too. For everything. For bumping into you in the halls, for insulting your clothes, for being so impossibly demanding during our projects. I used my anger because I was too cowardly to use anything else."
Xinyu reached out, tentatively resting her hand on the edge of the table, just inches from yours. "I didn't hate you, Y/N. I have never hated you. I just… I didn't know how to handle the fact that I cared so much about what you thought of me. And seeing you with Rami today… seeing how easy it was for her to just sit next to you and make you smile… it made me realize how much time I've wasted being angry instead of just being honest."
You looked at the two women sitting across from you. The masks were gone. The hostility had completely evaporated. They were terrified, yes, but they were finally, beautifully honest.
You reached across the table, your large hand covering Xinyu's trembling fingers, while your other hand reached out to gently grasp Sohyun's hand where it rested near her glass.
They both gasped softly at the physical contact, their eyes snapping to yours.
"Thank you," you said, your voice a warm, comforting rumble that sent a wave of profound relief crashing over them both. "It takes a lot of courage to say that. I accept your apologies. Both of them."
Sohyun let out a wet, breathless laugh, squeezing your fingers tightly. "You're not mad? You're not going to tell us to leave?"
"I invited you to lunch, didn't I?" you smiled, your thumbs gently rubbing against their knuckles. "I don't hold grudges. I just wanted us to finally be able to sit at a table together without someone threatening to confiscate my highlighters or rewrite my flowcharts."
Xinyu let out a small, self-deprecating chuckle, wiping at her eyes with her free hand. "I can't promise I won't still critique your flowcharts. They really can be quite messy."
"I'll take the constructive criticism over the yelling any day," you replied smoothly.
Rami, who had been sitting quietly watching the entire exchange, finally let out a loud, dramatic sigh, picking up her chopsticks again.
"Well, thank God that's over," Rami muttered, though there was a distinct, approving smile playing on her lips. "I thought I was going to have to physically shake the truth out of you two. Now that we've established that you aren't actually rabid stalkers and just emotionally stunted idiots, can we please eat? I'm starving."
The heavy, suffocating tension that had defined your relationship for years finally broke, shattering into a million pieces.
Sohyun and Xinyu didn't immediately confess their undying, romantic love. The fear of that final, ultimate rejection was still a small, lingering shadow in the back of their minds. But the massive, impenetrable wall of hostility was entirely gone.
As the waiter brought out the plates of fragrant, steaming food, the atmosphere at the table shifted into something completely new.
For the first time in your lives, you sat together not as a target and his tormentors, but as friends. Sohyun cautiously asked Rami about her life in Jakarta, genuinely engaging in the conversation without a hint of sarcasm. Xinyu, while still maintaining her confident posture, asked you a genuine question about your thesis, actively listening to your response without preparing an insult to tear it down.
You sat there, surrounded by the lively chatter, feeling a profound sense of peace settle over you.
It was just a meal. It was just an apology. But as you caught Xinyu's eye across the table, watching her offer you a small, completely genuine smile, and felt Sohyun 'accidentally' brush her knee against yours under the table without pulling away in panic, you knew everything had changed.
This wasn't the end of the story, nor was it the grand, romantic finale. But it was the very first, incredibly solid step toward the future you had been patiently waiting for them to finally build with you.
Word count: ~10.9k
A/N: why does this not open when i click on my most popular posts?
masterlist
*This is all fictional.
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
You stood in the middle of your new apartment, out of breath but happy with your accomplishment. Boxes everywhere, clothes still in bags… Everything was a pain in the ass to move upstairs since the elevator was closed for maintenance. For the first time in a while, you didn’t feel like you were life’s punching bag. You actually did something. It wasn’t much, just a tiny villa unit in Mangwon-dong, not spacious but at least you had your own space; that was one thing to be proud of. Letting out a loud groan, you looked at your phone.
08:21 PM
Man, I’m starving.
You hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. There wasn't anything in the fridge yet except for a pack of water bottles and some banana milk. You would fill the fridge with proper food and ingredients tomorrow. Tonight was the night to go out for something hot and easy. You figured you deserved it all after all this. The stress, the move, the weeks of saving up and torturing your life into this place. You grabbed your wallet and your phone, slipped into your slides then walked outside. That was when you saw a woman sitting in front of the door across from yours, knees pulled to her chest and her head down. She was crying, so naturally you thought she was just locked out; it also sounded like she was trying hard not to make any noise but the helpless sound just slipped out anyway. But then you noticed how her hand trembled every time she reached for the doorlock. Denied. Denied. She was barely holding it together now.
Should I help her?
You were quite an introvert, therefore comforting strangers wasn’t really your thing. But leaving a woman alone like this didn’t feel right either. So you crouched down, voice low not to scare her when you spoke.
“Excuse me… A- are you okay?”
She flinched and paused for a few seconds before wiping at her face messily with the sleeve of her hoodie. Now that you got a clearer look of her face, the woman was gorgeous even in this state. And the mole directly under her eye instantly took your attention away. Once you notice it, you couldn’t look at anything else.
Wow…
Her lips trembled as she tried to press them together, and her hands kept shaking. You then cleared your throat softly, eyes back to the door lock.
“You’re using the fingerprint one, right?”.
Her head barely moved as she nodded, so you leaned in to check the side of the lock.
“Looks like it activated the anti break in thingy. Might happen if you try too many times. Can I… uh?”
She sniffed a few times before silently shifting to the side. You played around and found the tiny reset switch that most people didn’t know was there.
Beep
Beep
“Okay. Should be fine now.”
Her hand hovered in the air for a second before she pressed her finger to the sensor, shoulder finally loosening as a familiar tune played when the door finally unlocked.
“Thank you…”
You straightened up, stepping back a little on your knees to give her some space.
“Ah, no problem… Are you okay now?”
Well, that did it. Asking people if they were okay always seemed to do the opposite. Her breath suddenly caught as her eyes flooded again, much more vulnerable this time. She even reached out to grab your t-shirt before you could even process what was going on and pulled you down toward her like she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She pressed her face into your chest, body shaking. Having never ever been in this type of scenario before, you didn’t know what to do, hands awkwardly in the air before slowly coming down to rest on her back, patting her there gently. You chose to stay there for her and let her cry. A lump formed in your throat but you swallowed it back.
“It’s okay, okay. I’m here. I’m here.”
The hallway was quiet until someone had to walk past. Perfect timing. One of the guys from the floor above glanced your way, slowing down and raising his eyebrows at the scene.
“Hi… uh– nothing to see here.”
You gave a small wave at him before patting the girl on the back again. The guy nodded before shuffling past like he saw nothing. Kneeling in the hallway, holding a girl you didn’t even know; what a way to spend your first day at your new place. Her shoulders kept trembling with sharp breaths going in and out. You weren’t sure what else to do next so you just slowly lifted a hand and patted her on the head. The girl then nuzzled even closer into your shoulder, hands still clutching your t-shirt. A few minutes then passed just like that, quiet except for her crying and breathing. Eventually, she pulled back and wiped at her face.
“Are you okay now?”
She nodded and stayed silent for a few seconds. Her eyes were a little clearer when she looked back at you.
“What is your–” She sniffled, asking again softly. “What is your name?”
Cute.
Letting out a quiet breath, you loosened your hold on her slowly like you were afraid she would break down again when you let go completely. You told her your name before asking her the same question.
“And yours?”
She wiped under her eyes, a smile barely on her lips.
“I’m Park Sohyun.”
“Okay… Park Sohyun-ssi.”
You scratched your neck, still awkward in your spot.
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“Ah, yes, yes... Thank you.”
Sohyun let out a relieved sound before standing up and bowed a little. When you finally stood up, Sohyun turned and tapped her door to walk inside. You stood in the hallway for another second, staring at her door. Your shirt smelled just like her perfume. Nice, feminine, sophisticated. You rubbed your face and slowly dragged your feet downstairs, not forgetting why you stepped out in the first place.
A few minutes later, you sat at a small noodle spot near your place, metal chopsticks in one hand, your phone in the other. The steam rose from the kalguksu bowl into your face and fogged your glasses a bit, but you didn’t care. Your thumb scrolled through the gallery and paused on a familiar photo of your ex.
Seo Dahyun
Her angelic voice, her smile immediately flashed through your mind. Back then, you didn’t want to hear anything bad about her, even when your friends told you she was just using you and she kept you around because you were… easy. You didn’t believe them, or your dumbass just chose not to believe them. You were young, naive and thought loyalty would be everything. Then uni cam and Dahyun disappeared a month in. No warning, no breakup, no text, no fight. Gone completely. It hurt, it still did even if you tried to act tough like it didn’t. You knew you should’ve deleted her photos by now. But you didn’t.
You idiot.
Mind heavy with the crazy day, you put your phone down on the table and pushed the noodles around your chopsticks before finally taking the first bite. When you got home, you didn’t think of Dahyun again. Your mind instead went straight to the girl you’d just met.
“Park Sohyun… Sohyun.”
“Pretty name.”
“And she’s pretty.”
Her shaking hands, how she’d clutched onto your t-shirt, the mole under her eyes, her soft round cheeks, her lips… You stared at your ceiling for a few minutes before finally tossing your phone somewhere on the mattress. For the first time in a long while, the memory of Dahyun hurt less, with a beautiful stranger filling the space tonight.
Dang, I have to clean up. Work and classes tomorrow…
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
You were smart enough to get into a good school, enough to do what your parents wanted, medicine. When you said you were interested in fashion design, they didn’t exactly like it. They still loved you and saw you as their son, but you were on your own. No tuition help, no monthly financial help or money wired to your bank accounts like some of your classmates got. You worked your ass off to survive. Sometimes you thought about how things could’ve been if you chose to pursue the other route, about something your parents could brag to their friends. But it didn’t make sense. You wanted this life, so that meant you had to walk into design theory class at 9AM the next morning, then some fabric analysis class.
In the afternoon, you headed straight to your part time job. A small printing and production shop not far from home; it wasn’t glamorous but at least it paid the bills. You clocked out at around 5:30, body sore. On the way home, you stopped by the grocery store to get everything you needed to survive for the next week. When you eventually reached your floor, you stopped in your tracks. She was there.
Park Sohyun
Her hair was neatly tied back, leaving enough loose to fall around her round cheeks. Gray off-shoulder long sleeved top showing off one side of her frame, blue jeans, phone clutched in her hands like she wasn’t sure what to do next. She looked at you the moment she heard your footsteps. Her lips pressed together, eyes a little brighter. You didn’t expect Sohyun to look this stunning in only casual clothing. Well, to be fair, you only found her crying in front of her door last night.
“Hi.”
She waved awkwardly, voice shy.
“Ah– Hi, Sohyun-ssi. Do you need anything? Is anything wrong?”
“No, no– not at all.” she eyed the grocery bag in your hands. “Are you cooking tonight?”
“This? I think so… Umm, what’s wrong?’
“I was wondering…” her fingers gripped her phone tightly. “If I can cook something… for you? My place?”
“For me?”
Sohyun nodded, pink slowly rising to her cheeks.
“To say thank you. For… you know, yesterday. I want to– umm, that.”
“Ah, oh… Su- sure. If you want to.”
“Great. Give me 20 minutes.” her lips curved into a soft smile. Then she turned, clumsily fumbled with her door and disappeared inside without looking back at you.
What the fuck just happened?
You quickly got inside your place and set the grocery bag on the small kitchen counter. Your shirt still smelled too much like the printing shop. Ink, sweat and fabric. Still sixteen minutes left when you looked at the clock, plenty of time. You then grabbed some clean clothes and jumped right into the shower. Getting out and finally changing, you wiped at the mirror with your palm and stared at yourself.
Why am I nervous? It’s not a date or anything. She’s just thanking me for yesterday.
You sprayed on just a teeny tiny bit of cologne, hoping you wouldn’t smell too much like a try hard. Two minutes left. Close enough. All nervous and anxious, you walked to her door and lifted your hand to knock. The door opened a few seconds later with Sohyun holding a spatula in one hand, a pink checkered apron tied loosely around her waist, hair now tied into a loose ponytail. Her cheeks were pink, maybe from the heat while cooking.
“Wah.” you glanced at the spatula. “You’re really cooking.”
Sohyun giggled softly and stepped aside to let you in.
“Of course I am. Come in, please.”
You finally stepped inside, the smell of food already filling the space. Sohyun’s place was a little similar to yours, but visibly bigger with more rooms and it actually had space to display things. Vinyl records lined on one wall, framed abstract paintings, a bunch of books stacked neatly on floating shelves, etc. She must work or do something in the creative field for a living. Your guess? A musician, and definitely way better off than you were. You were still standing dumbfounded when Sohyun tiptoed into your view, spatula wiggling in the air.
“Uhm, so… what do you think? Of the place and all?”
You glanced around for a few seconds more, eyes drifting to the records again.
“It’s nice. Way nicer than mine.”
“Eh… it’s not that nice.”
“I mean, it’s not a shoebox like mine so… way better.”
That actually made her laugh. She then pointed the spatula at the dining table near the kitchen.
“Umm, sit down, please. I’m almost done cooking.”
“...Okay, thank you.”
You pulled out a chair and dropped into it, elbows on the table, palms slightly warm as she got back to cooking.
“So are you in uni or… working right now? You look young.”
“Umm, I’m in Hongik. Fashion design.”
Based on the way she gasped, you knew Sohyun wasn’t expecting that one at all.
“Oh wah, really?”
“Yes, I got in through Suneung, somehow.”
Sohyun hummed, stirring whatever she was cooking.
“So what about you, Sohyun-ssi?”
“I make music. Produce stuff and… a bit of dancing every once in a while.” she glanced over her shoulder.
“That explains it. You look like a very artistic person.”
Sohyun laughed softly under her breath, tapping the spatula against the pot.
“Is that a compliment?”
“It is, I’m not joking.”
Sohyun pursed her lips before turning her attention back to the pot. Maybe she wasn’t used to hearing it directly.
“May I ask how old you are?” you asked.
“I was born in 2002. So I’m 24 now.”
“Ah, so… noona. I’m two years younger.”
…
”Noona is… good.”
A few minutes then passed, not exactly awkward but neither of you said much. When Sohyun finished cooking and grabbed two plates, you stood up to offer help.
“I got it, noona.”
Sohyun shook her head quickly, hugging them close to her body.
“No, no, it’s fine. You’re the guest, just sit.”
No matter how hard you insisted, Sohyun wouldn’t let you help her so you eventually settled back into your seat. She then brought the plates over and set the food carefully on the table. Stomach growling the second you saw them, you mumbled.
“Thanks for the meal, noona. These look delicious.”
“You’re welcome.” she smiled.
You then picked up your chopsticks, grabbing a piece of food and blowing on it a bit before putting it in your mouth. It tasted just as good as it looked.
“Wow.” your mouth were still chewing. “This is actually really good, noona.”.
“You’re just bluffing.”
“I’m not. I’ve be–” you swallowed. “I’ve been eating convenience store sandwiches for the past week, I know what bad tastes like.”
That made Sohyun laugh a bit loudly, a genuine and dorky sound that made her regret it instantly. She stopped, eyes widening with her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
“Sorry.” she mumbled behind her fingers, cheeks flushed.
“It’s okay, noona. It’s… cute.”
Sohyun looked back down to her bowl for an instant before finally eating. After a few more quiet bites, you gathered up the courage to ask.
“Noona, can I ask you something?”
Sohyun looked up from her bowl, food full in one cheek.
Cute.
“Hmm?”
“You said you produce music and stuff, right?”
She nodded.
“How’d you get into that?”
She stayed quiet a little more, chewing slowly to buy time.
“I was an idol trainee.”
“Really?”
Sohyun smiled. “Yeah, for a few years.”
“What happened?”
“It didn’t work out, I guess. They said I wasn’t the right fit. Good dancing, good singing but lacking in something. I changed companies several times too.” her voice stayed calm, but you could tell there was something about the memories. “They all said I was lacking something… Guess I didn’t look pretty enough.”
“But you look so pretty…”
Her cheeks flushed again.
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m not, noona.”
Sohyun kept her head down, but you didn’t miss how her mouth was twitching to hide another smile from coming out.
“So you just switched to producing?”
“Yes, I also do a bit of dancing every now and then but…” her fingers played with her bowl. “I already spent a lot of time training and music still is something I’m very passionate about.”
“Wow… so you’re making your own stuff now?”
“Mm. Songs and demos. Some for small companies. I got lucky and produced for a few big companies a few weeks back. Sometimes I just make music for myself. It’s more like a freelance job. Not stable or fancy but… I got myself this place.”
You leaned back in your chair, eyes scanning her living space again.
“That’s really amazing, noona.”
“Thanks. What about you?”
“Me?”
Sohyun nodded, chin in her hand now that the awkward vibe earlier had probably died down a little.
“You said you’re studying fashion design?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“That’s cool. I haven’t met many guys who chose to pursue this type of career.”
“My parents weren’t really happy with my decision. They want me to be a doctor like my dad.” Sohyun stayed quiet, listening and humming. “So… I’m on my own for now. Tuition, rent and all of it. Part-time job pays the bills somehow.”
Sohyun pursed her lips, those bright round eyes looking at you with a hint of pity that looked too adorable.
“That must be tough.”
“It’s not that bad, noona. At least I get to have dinner cooked by you.”
The two of you kept talking as you ate; conversations flowed between small stories, random jokes and bits of your life you didn’t usually share with someone who you’d just met yesterday. But it felt nice somehow. By the time you finished the meal, the room felt much lighter than before. Sohyun stood up first to gather the plates. You tried to help but she waved you off again, moving towards the sink. You followed her anyway, standing close behind as she rinsed the dishes with her back to you, pink checkered apron still around her waist. The off-shoulder top slipped just a little as she moved, revealing more of her bare shoulder. You then stepped closer, lifting your hands gently to grip her shoulders lightly. Sohyun tensed up the second one hand landed on her bare shoulder, her skin soft under your palm as you ease her back.
“I got this, noona. You already cooked.”
Despite letting out an annoyed sound, Sohyun didn’t resist. She slowly stepped aside and took off her apron to let you take over. Sohyun leaned against the kitchen counter and watched you work. When you finished and dried your hands, she shifted on her feet.
“You… You wanna go into my bedroom?”
“Huh!?”
Caught off guard, your ears burned at the sudden offer. Sohyun looked just as flustered, waving her hands quickly.
“N– No! No! Not like that! I just meant like…” she rubbed her arm awkwardly. “I wanna show you my music stuff. My work.”
“Ah, okay, noona.”
She bit her lips, looking away for a second.
“Sorry. I’m awkward sometimes.”
You laughed quietly, playing with your pockets.
“That makes two of us then.”
Sohyun led the way into her room. The second you walked in, you noticed the scent first, warm and nice, something expensive. Sohyun’s bedroom looked exactly like her. Creative, a little sophisticated but beautifully decorated. Vinyl records were on the walls again. Next to them was a small shelf with perfume bottles of different colors and shapes. There were also books stacked on floating shelves, some leaning over others. Across the bed, there was a TV mounted on the wall. Near the door was her workspace. A desk set up with her PC, a musical keyboard, an electric guitar and some other musical stuff that you had no idea what they were. Her chair creaked softly as she sat down. Sohyun then reached over and pulled out another chair, sliding it out to you as her eyes looked up at you.
“Sit, sit.”
Your cheeks heated up a little at the soft offer, but you played it cool. You took the seat next to her, close enough that your knees almost touched. Sohyun started clicking through a few folders on her computer.
“Do you know tripleS?” she asked, glancing at you.
“Umm, I’ve heard a few of their songs.”
Her lips twitched, holding back a grin.
“I actually produced quite a few for them.”
“Seriously? That’s crazy, noona.” you gasped.
“Not the title tracks. Just some b-sides. Some backing vocals and mixing jobs too.”
Sohyun opened a file and dragged the timeline to some specific parts. Then she grabbed a headphone on the armrest and gently slipped it gently over your ears. Her hands brushed the sides of your face for a second, it wasn’t a grand gesture but enough to make your heart jump. The music played, clean and crisp in your ears. While you listened, you felt her eyes watching you attentively with a proud smile. Her body leaned just slightly toward you, eager to see your reaction. When the song ended, you pulled the headphones down, genuinely impressed
“That was great, noona. You’re so cool.”
Sohyun tried to hide the way her cheeks flushed but to no avail, fiddling with her mouse again.
“Do you know Heejin?”
Your eyes widened at the mention of the name.
“Heejin? Jeon Heejin?”
Sohyun nodded like it was no big deal.
“Yup! Her. We’re actually friends. I worked on a song for her recently but it’s not out yet.”
“No way.” you almost fell out of your chair. “I’m a huge fan of her, noona.”
Sohyun laughed, that same shy and dorky laugh you were starting to get addicted to. She covered her mouth with her hand again, her eyes squinting from laughing too hard. “I’ll definitely tell her that.”
“What else do you have to hide from me, noona? You’re secretly famous?”
“Uh… I told you I dance.”
“Mm hmm?”
“I was in Twice’s Cheer Up MV. Just a background actor though.”
“No way!”
“I was a backup dancer on stage for Momoland once. I was called in last minute.”
You let out a loud gasp.
“Can you show me that one?”
Sohyun hesitated, biting her bottom lip.
“Ah… do I really have to?”
“Yes!” you insisted, leaning closer. “Please, noona. I wanna see.”
Sohyun groaned softly but clicked on Youtube anyway, pulling up a saved video. The moment the performance started, your eyes were glued to the screen to find her. Not too long into the video, Sohyun showed up in a wide shot–
“There you are, noona! Look at you!”
You pointed at the screen excitedly, mouth wide like you’d just spotted something worth a fortune. Sohyun let out a whiny laugh and tried to cover your eyes with both hands.
“Yah! Don’t look.”
You laughed, grabbing her wrists and holding them back.
“No! Let me see– Come on!”
“No! Don’t watch it–”
“I want toooo!”
Sohyun kept trying to block your view, both of you laughing like idiots. In the middle of all that, you lost your balance as the chair titled back just slightly and you fell to the ground.
“Oh fuc–”
You landed hard with your back against the floor. Sohyun fell right on top of you, her body pressing tightly against yours. Her face hovered dangerously close, scent filling something in you.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, noona…”
Her lips looked so good, breath a little shaky. Both your cheeks were flushed but neither made a move to sit up first. Thus, you cupped Sohyun’s round cheeks, thumbs brushing the soft skin right under her eyes. Still, she didn’t break away from your touch and kept eye contact, her pupil dilating. You didn’t think much and just kissed her. It was soft at first as you tested the line. But Sohyun kissed you back, breath catching in her throat. Your heart raced, fearing you stepped over the line too much now. You pulled back only to see Sohyun both shocked and breathless. You thought a slap or a punch would come next, eyes almost closing to prepare for a hit when Sohyun leaned in again.
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to kiss you like th–”
Sohyun cut you off with a kiss, this time harder with her hands gripping your shirt tight. Her mouth parted slightly, breath hot against yours. You saw your chance and slid your hands down her back before holding her waist. When Sohyun broke the kiss, she sat up and shifted her hips to sit on your stomach now. The room felt weird, the good kind of weird, as she looked down at you with a pleased and shy smile.
“I– uh…”
“That happened fast.”
“It did…” your heart pounded like crazy. “I swear I didn’t mean to kiss you like that, noona.”
Sohyun put her hands on your chest, feeling the way your heart beat.
“Ah, no, no… I also liked it. A lot more than you think.”
Relieved and happy at the same time, you let out a long sigh that you didn’t even know you were holding. Sohyun giggled at the sight before offering.
“Wanna watch… I don’t know, watch the performance again? We missed half of it.”
“Okay. That sounds good.”
Sohyun shifted happily on your stomach, adjusting herself to get ready to stand up but as she moved, her hands slid down and accidentally pushed at your crotch. The moment Sohyun realized where her hand touched, her eyes went wide, cheeks evolving from pink to straight red.
“Aah–”
You coughed to cover up the embarrassment, face also heating up. Sohyun quickly jerked her hand back like she was electrocuted, voice coming out panicked.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do that! I wasn’t tryin–”
You sat up, just as flustered.
“It’s fine, noona. Really.”
Sohyun quickly scrambled off your lap, fixing her hair. She helped you up, eyes looking everywhere but your face. Once you both stood up, Sohyun let out a shaky breath and gestured to you to sit back. The mood was now back into awkward territory. You both sat in silence, your knees touching.
“So, uh…” she fidgeted with the mouse, trying to break the silence. “What kind of music do you usually listen to?”
“Lately? Umm, a lot of sad music. Heartbreak and those stuff, you know.”
“Why?”
And for some reason, you let it all out about Dahyun. Maybe it was because of the way Sohyun was looking at you like she actually wanted to listen. She put on a moody playlist as the night went on. She asked. You answered. Back and forth. By the time you finished, Sohyun was pouting, her lips downward as she spoke like she was afraid she might break you.
“That’s so sad…“
She scooted her chair closer, the music still playing in the background and matching the mood.
“I’m sorry you went through it all like that, really.”
Her hands reached out, fingertips on your sleeves like she wasn’t sure if she should hold your hands yet. You sat there for a moment, shy and scared at the same time.
“Noona…”
Sohyun hummed. Still too nervous, you gathered your remaining courage and took your shot.
“This thing tonight, you’re feeling the same as I do, right?”
She looked at you for a long second, her eyes soft and reflecting the glow from the monitor. Then, with a small nod, she spoke.
“Yes, don’t worry. I feel the same thing too.”
Like on command, first the relief hit you, then came the warmth from her words, reaching every corner and untangled something that you’d thought to be unresolvable. You smiled, the attempt weak but it grew the moment she smiled back. None of this made sense. You’d just met yesterday and hadn’t even figured out what her favorite movie was or what she liked to eat. And yet, it felt like you’d found the exact place to put your feelings again, all on a girl who looked at you like you weren’t just a stranger less than twenty four hours ago.
“Can I, uh–”
“Hmm?” Sohyun tilted her head, smiling to encourage you. “It’s okay. What’s wrong?”
“Can I hug you now, noona?”
She chuckled at your silly question, eyes curving, lips still plump from the kisses earlier.
“Of course, you can. You’re so cute.”
You leaned in and circled your arms around Sohyun, pulling her into you slowly and not too rough, not too fast, just enough to feel her warmth again. She hugged you back, chin fidgeting gently on your shoulder. Then, still in the hug, her low and giggly voice arrived in your ear.
“Can you give me your phone?”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s exchange numbers and SNS.” Sohyun pulled her head back with a smile. “We just met yesterday, you know. Gotta make sure you don’t move out and disappear on noona tomorrow, right?”
Silly you.
“Ah. Right, right.”
You fumbled to fish out your phone from your pocket and handed it to her, still holding her with one arm. Sohyun took it, but the second the screen lit up, she paused and squinted at the lockscreen.
“Aeng?”
She broke the hug. Her lower lip puffed out, eyebrows scrunching together as she tried to pull the best ‘offended’ acting that she could, waving the phone with Heejin as your lockscreen.
“Yah, seriously?! Jeon Heejin?”
“Ah, that… It’s not like– Wait, noona.”
Your finger struggled to unlock the phone, already messing up the passcode twice. Sohyun’s lips were already twitching upward, the fake angry smirk she kept trying to hold only made her impossibly cute. You just couldn’t take her seriously anymore.
“So you like her in that way?”
“She’s just an idol, noona. And I already, I mean… I told you I’m a fan earlier.”
“Mm hmm. Fanboy.” Sohyun pretended to study the photo before closing in on you like a suspect. “Who else? Better tell me everything tonight or we are done, pretty boy.”
That ‘pretty boy’ did great damage to you, though you hid it well. Scratching your cheek, you tried not to smile so hard.
“Uh… I like IVE, Twice too. Maybe a little of– But I swear, if you give me a chance, noona… I’ll forget them all, instantly.”
Sohyun let out a small laugh before pinching your cheek.
“So you really like pretty women, hmm?”
“I mean…” you stared back into her twinkling eyes. “Seems like I do.”
She put more effort into the pinch before finally letting go and rubbing over the same spot.
“Hmph. Such a smooth talker.”
“Only when I mean it.”
“But it’s okay. I’m just glad that you think I’m pretty too. Just make sure to keep room for noona in your heart too, okay?”
---
Later that night, everything was dark except for your bright phone screen. You were on the bed, almost half an hour deep in Sohyun’s instagram.
@sohyunz14 / 24k followers
You didn’t mean to stalk that hard, but here you were liking a post from two months ago, thumb hovering over the screen like you had no self control. Her feed was full of mirror selfies, studio clips, old dance practice videos, etc. And Sohyun was beautiful in all of them. Your heart did a flip every time you saw a new picture. How could a human being be this beau–
Sohyun texted.
[박쌤 ^^]
what are u doing?
stalking me?
You shouldn’t have liked her old photos, you idiot.
[러버보이]
…
I can’t help it, noona
ur so beautiful
[박쌤 ^^]
ㅋㅋㅋ
ur smooth so when u wanna be
i don’t mind it tho
but i like you flustered much better
[러버보이]
u know what u do to me, noona
u clearly know i’m weak when u talk like that
[박쌤 ^^]
hmmm… yeah?
i like knowing i can do that to u
but don’t worry, i’m shy too
You smiled uncontrollably like a teenager at her answers. But your mind drifted back to earlier. Yes, that was something but you still knew your relationship wasn’t clearly defined yet. It was too risky to start something new in just under two days. And you couldn’t help it when the memory of Dahyun crept up again. What if Sohyun was just like Dahyun? What if she left you when things just got happy?
[러버보이]
noona, we just met. i clearly like u a lot but…
what are we right now?
friends or the some stage?
You then immediately lock your phone and stared at the ceiling, clearly expecting an honest answer.
[박쌤 ^^]
i’m a bit scared too
but i want to honest with u, i like u a lot even though we just met
maybe we are at the some stage...
and i would like to get to know u more
is that ok?
Your heart wanted to dive straight in, but your mind still hesitated; more than friends and less than lovers? For some reason, things felt different with Sohyun, real enough to encourage you to try. You took a breath and let your fingers do their thing.
[러버보이]
that’s good for me too, noona
[박쌤 ^^]
it’s good for me tooo~
i’m really glad we found each other
u made me feel very safe and happy, last night and tonight
[러버보이]
i couldn’t just leave u like that, noona
also…
can i have a few of ur pictures… pls
so that i can change my lockscreen photo?
You made an attempt, might as well, right?
[박쌤 ^^]
not now, pretty boy
gotta keep u waiting sometimes
Just as you were about to sigh, another message came in.
[박쌤 ^^]
but here… u were so cute tonight
these are not from tonight. i’m wearing a clay mask so cant show you that yet ㅋㅋㅋ
these are old photos
Sohyun was gorgeous in all of them. But your heart tripped the moment your focus went to her moles. The most special one was the one under her right eye, a tear mole. She looked so damn hot. It felt like texting your crush in middle school all over again. Only now you were grown, and this time it was real.
[박쌤 ^^]
do u have classes tomorrow?
wanna go out for coffee or smth?
[러버보이]
i got classes…
and part time job too.
[박쌤 ^^]
that’s a shame…
[러버보이]
I knowwww
how about tomorrow night, noona?
[박쌤 ^^]
then go to sleep ㅋㅋㅋ
we’ll talk about this later, we still have a lot of time
u will get tired if we keep texting like this
[러버보이]
but i wanna talk with u more, noona…
[박쌤 ^^]
we will have time
don’t make noona scold u
sleep now, pretty boy
[러버보이]
pls…
You were absolutely down bad at this point.
[박쌤 ^^]
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ur so needy
but i like it a lot
sleep. noona will text u in the morning.
sleep well~~
You texted her good night and locked your phone. You tried to close your eyes, you actually did but a stupid smile was stuck on your face, keeping you from a good night sleep. For the first time in a long while, you weren’t thinking about a certain someone named Seo Dahyun at all.
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
Over the next few weeks, you and Sohyun started to spend more time together. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident. She came over whenever she was bored, curling up on your tiny couch with her laptop while you sketched out ideas for design. Sometimes you worked in silence, sometimes she played random demos that she was working on while asking ‘How does this sound?’. You went over to her place whenever she had some problem she didn’t want to deal with alone. Broken switches, fixing the lights in her bedroom, replacing the shower-head, etc. She would stand behind you, tiptoe over your shoulder while you worked, always close enough for you to smell her perfume. Sometimes she cooked for you. Sometimes you just ordered food and ate side by side on the floor, already happy with each other’s presence. When you came home exhausted from work or school, Sohyun was always there. Whether it was a simple text like ‘come over, pretty boy’ or just her addictive voice, humming to call you in the hallway. The both of you also got to a point where you just added each other’s fingerprints on your door locks.
At first, you thought Sohyun was the cool, mysterious type. She looked like that on the outside. Low toned voice, chic and cool girl wardrobe; Sohyun was full of girl crush vibe, always in public with a ‘don’t care about anything’ attitude. But the more time you spent with her, the more you realized.
Park Sohyun was an absolute dork, an adorable one at that.
She laughed at weird memes you showed her, the same ones your friends thought were stupid. She randomly made weird cute sounds all day. And she had a lot of aegyo, not the forced kind either, but the natural ones that just slipped out naturally. Whenever you caught her doing it, she’d whine and get all pouty.
---
“Noona, did you just say ‘kyuuu~’ while pouring ramyeon?”
“Shut up… Don’t look at me.”
-
“Why were you dancing like that, noona?”
“I didn’t!”
-
“Stop pouting or I’m gonna cut your lips off, noona.”
“No, you wouldn’t! And I wasn’t pouting.”
-
"You're older than me, noona. You should know how to do this."
"But I don't know how to install it and I might mess up the whole PC! Please help me~"
"Is this the same Park Sohyun who scolded me over forgetting to turn off the stove yesterday?"
"Just... I don't know~ Help me~"
---
And there was one more thing you learned about Park Sohyun. She liked to act all tough and older. The noona who teased you first. The one who called you loverboy, pretty boy and always said ‘don’t make noona scold you.’ But said noona would fold so easily the second you tried to retaliate and take back control. And she’d never admit it. If you tugged her wrist and made her sit down? Folded. If you cornered her a little, stared into her eyes for a few seconds too long? Folded. If you tsked and stared at her like you were actually annoyed (even though you weren’t ever like that)? Folded.
---
You were both sitting on the floor at her low table one night, bowls of spicy jjajang tteokbokki between you. Some comedy movie was playing on the TV. You were about to take another bite when she leaned in with a napkin to wipe at the corner of your lips.
“Messy again~” Sohyun cooed, so proud of herself. “Aigoo, do you need noona to feed you all the time?”
That cute smug look on her face, the way it always was when she tried to act in control.
“Such a baby sometimes.” she wiped at the same spot again even though they were already gone. “What would you do without me, hmm?”
You let it happen at first, let her play the role. But Sohyun kept pushing. Calling you baby and looking at you like she had you wrapped around her finger. So this time you decided to flip the script just for fun. You caught her wrist so fast she was actually startled before pulling her right into your lap. Her body went stiff the second she rested sideways on your lap.
“Yah...”
You cupped both of her squishy cheeks with one hand easily, fingers rubbing that soft feature of hers that always distracted you.
“Look at you now, noona. All that talk but you lose so easily.”
“No, I don’t…”
You squished her cheeks again. Her eyes went wide, though she made no effort to escape. Then you picked up a piece of tteokbokki from the bowl on the table.
“Say ahh.”
Her cheeks flushed red but she didn’t pull away. Slowly and shyly, Sohyun opened her mouth for you to feed her. Satisfied, you dropped the chopsticks into the bowl before holding her waist close, keeping her secure in your lap. When she finally swallowed, she peeked at you through her lashes.
“I only lose this time.”
"I let you lose and win, noona."
"You wish, pretty boy."
"Keep telling yourself that, Doraemon."
-
It was a slow Saturday evening, no work, no classes. You’d come over to help Sohyun cook, or at least that was what she said.
“You can’t cook.” Sohyun handed you a bowl of vegetables and teased. “You barely survived boiling ramyeon last time, idiot.”
You rolled your eyes at her ridiculous and outdated statement.
“That was one time, Doraemon. I’ve leveled up since then.”
“Yah~ Don’t call me Doraemon.”
The kitchen smelled amazing already ten minutes in. Sohyun was at the counter, focused on cutting carrots while you stood by the sink washing the greens. The vibe was cozy, soft with Sohyun humming some tunes that she’d been working on. Just all you needed after a week full of classes and work.
“Noona.”
“Mmm?”
“You don’t trust me with that sharp thing?”
“Of course not, pretty boy. That’s why you’re on washing duty, not cutting.”
You snorted, shaking water droplets at her.
“Okay. Just so you know, I’m actually hurt. But whatever, you do what you want, noona.”
Sohyun smirked as she looked at you.
“You’re cute when you sulk, you know that?”
“I don’t sulk.”
“You do. ‘I’m sulking and pouting’ is literally written on your face right now.”
You denied, still rinsing the greens.
“Sure you’re not, you big baby.”
The two of you worked in silence for a while. Then suddenly, her hip nudged yours as she tried to reach the plate next to you.
“Move, lover boy.”
Playing the petty card, you stepped to the side only an inch and stayed put.
“Say please, noona.”
“Excuse me?”
“Manners, you know.”
Sohyun gave a small laugh through her nose, glaring at you like she was actually annoyed.
“Yah, you’re getting bold lately.”
“Maybe I’ve been learning from you.”
Sohyun bumped her hip into yours again with a grunt. Still, you didn’t move.
“Still not moving?”
“Nope.”
That was when she started to push harder while laughing under her breath.
“Yah! Move.”
“Careful.”
You warned with your eyes focused on the knife, wobbly in her hand. But Sohyun only giggled harder and tried again, this time putting more weight into it.
“Don’t tell me what to do–”
“Wait, noon–”
The knife slipped from her hold and glazed across her finger. The sound Sohyun let out broke whatever remaining playful energy left in the air as she immediately dropped the knife onto the counter and hissed, holding her hand close to her chest.
“Yah… Didn’t I tell you to be careful?” your heart pounded as you held her wrist. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s okay. Just a small cut.” Sohyun winced.
“Tiny or not, you’re still bleeding, idiot. You should’ve paid more attention.”
You quickly opened the top cupboard and pulled out a bandaid, carefully wrapping it around her finger. “There… That should help it.”
Sohyun didn’t answer. You looked at her face, seeing her huffing quietly with her lips pressed, eyes turned away. The playful sparkle earlier was gone, the quiet pout that had just taken over told you she wasn’t that angry, just hurt from how you raised your voice. So you leaned down closer to catch her eyes.
“Noona. Park Sohyun.”
She moved her eyes to the side, now suddenly interested in the spoons and chopsticks rack.
“Come on, noona… Don’t ignore me.”
Still nothing. You sighed and stepped closer, hands quickly finding her hips.
“Yah! What are you d–”
Despite Sohyun resisting for a moment with her palms pushing at your shoulders, she eventually gave up with a quiet groan as you gently lifted her up and set her down on the counter. You stayed there in front of her, so close that her legs almost wrapped around your waist.
“Noona, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to yell. You bled and I didn’t know how bad it was.”
Sohyun kept her arms crossed, still stubbornly staring at the far wall.
“I know I shouldn’t have snapped. You know I didn’t want you to get hurt, noona.”
…
“You’re really not gonna talk to me, really?”
The only response was the rise and fall of her shoulder, nothing audible and no look your way. So you did the only thing you could think of, catching her cheeks with both hands and stretching them out.
“Answer me, Doraemon. Answer meee.”
“Yah!” finally, she squeaked.
“Come on. At least glare at me properly.”
Sohyun tried to, eyes burning with the fakest hint of anger, cheeks pulled out like mochi. An absolutely adorable sight.
“There it is. That almost looks like a smile.”
Sohyun could only keep the frown alive for a few seconds longer before a tiny, stifled laugh found its way out and turned into a giggle.
“Stop! It hurts.” she slapped your hands away. "You're so childish sometimes."
"But you're not mad anymore, right?"
Sohyun paused and pretended to think, the faint marks of your attack were quite still visible on her adorable cheeks.
"Hmm... Maybe just a little?"
---
You never said it out loud but you liked that version of her, the Sohyun that dropped her tough facade, cheeks pink, voice soft all of sudden when she lost the upper hand. And maybe she liked it too. Because sometimes, when you caught her sneaky glances, you just got the feeling she was feeling the same thing you were.
Love?
Your relationship with Sohyun was steady and full of happy moments. It wasn’t exactly boyfriend-girlfriend yet. But the late night texts, the hanging out, the teasing, the way she let you hold her whenever things got too tough… Yeah, it was definitely more than just friends. Still, having no label didn’t bother you just yet.
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
One night, you were lying on your bed, scrolling on your phone when you got the notification that @sohyunz14 was currently live on Instagram. You tapped it without much thinking. The screen soon showed Sohyun swaying to a demo she’d worked on the other day, glancing at the chat every now and then, hands dancing on the touchpad of her laptop. She barely had any makeup on, a thin cardigan on top of a black shirt. But damn did she look good. Her skin looked so soft, even only under the brightness of that one light she only turned on whenever she went live. About 400 people were watching, most of them were Sohyun’s usual crowd. People who liked her music, tripleS stans, some close friends, etc.
“Of course, of course, I will be only playing this part today guys… Stop rushing me please.” Sohyun’s usual low voice sounded so soft, humming to the beat as she read the comments.
You recognized a few usernames popping up, spamming hearts and emojis; so you couldn’t resist.
noona look so good today
Sohyun’s reaction was instant. The second she spotted your comment, both of her hands flew up to fix her hair, as if she didn’t look good already. She then leaned in to move the phone, the other resting around her cheek, shyly mumbling.
“Noona looks so good today? Stop it, pretty boy.”
The chat immediately blew up.
pretty boy?
what did she said lmao?
explain girlie.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ who was that park sohyun
The other viewers who didn’t speak Korean had no idea what was happening.
chuu from loona
stop spamming stupid shit damnit
Sohyun let out a quiet laugh, her voice playful.
“Ah, you guys don’t need to know everything. Something are just private, okay?”
You’d spent enough time with her at this point to tell that Sohyun liked it. And you typed again.
pls give me a close up of your face noona
im your biggest fan
Sohyun muttered your comment, almost like she was teasing herself.
“Biggest fan… this boy.”
Sohyun then flicked her hair and picked the phone up. She tilted the phone horizontally, moving them back and forth close to her face, trying to find a good angle with her cheek now on the back of her other hand. A damn good sight.
“Okay, okay. close up service just for you.”
Sohyun then giggled, but the way she looked at the screen made it feel personal. The chat then blew up even more.
that guy got special fan service omfgg
this is not fairrrr unnie
witchhunt tomorrow, we bring him down
She stayed like that for a few seconds before holding the phone with both hands. Her lips now pressed out in a pout, cheeks puffed a little. Then she started swaying her head side to side, just to mess with you. You could clearly see her lips twitching before she finally broke into a smile, all soft and shy.
“Ah… I swear I will get you tomorrow, pretty boy.”
The chat exploded again.
who tf is that lucky guy
what about me noona????
pls notice me
stream ‘girls never die’ by triples pls guyzz
I love le serrafim
You stayed until the end of the live, lying there with your phone heating up in your hand. The chat was still going crazy when Sohyun tried to end the live.
“Okay, everyone. I’m ending the live now.” she waved goodbye. “Thank you for hanging out with me tonight. I’ll see you next time, okay? Be good.”
Then it ended. A few moments later, you got a few messages from her.
[박쌤 ^^]
yah… why were u always messing with noona like that?
u trying to embarrass me in front of 400 people?
[러버보이]
trying to remind noona that i’m her biggest fan
that’s all ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[박쌤 ^^]
next time i’m muting u
ur such a meanie
You knew Sohyun was smiling when she typed that.
[박쌤 ^^]
but thank you…
for reminding me that i’m pretty
You stared at it for a bit, smiling like a dumbass.
[러버보이]
noona, can u come over tomorrow?
i gotta design some womenswear for class…
i got some ideas already and i think it’d look good on you
[박쌤 ^^]
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ are u asking me to model for u?
[러버보이]
well, who else?
you’re my muse now, noona
[박쌤 ^^]
fine
but only if you buy me something to eat.
[러버보이]
deal
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
The sun was high enough to shine through your window when she came over the next morning, playing its role in making a normal and lived in kind of peace. Sohyun was lying with her head on your lap, one hand turning the pages of her book, the other shifting her black glasses. Everything was good, just short of perfect because the one thing that had been bothering you the past weeks. Sohyun wasn’t your girlfriend yet.
You sat almost fully slouched near the end of the couch with your sketchpad balanced on the armrest, moving the pencil in lazy strokes. It was moments like this that made everything else fade out. The part time job, the classes, the deadlines. And out of habit, you glanced down at the older girl. Sohyun’s face was calm, eyes tracing the letters behind the lenses as she read. Every now and then, she would bite her lip when she found something interesting, or exhaled softly like she was lost somewhere deep inside her own thoughts, or just to sing her favorite songs.
“침 묻혀줄래? 꼬집어줄래?
날 넘겨줄래? 읽어봐 줄래? 갈피를 꽂아줄래?...”
You smiled to yourself, thinking that Sohyun really had it all. Looks, brains, taste. She moved through life like she’d figured it all out. Maybe she had, making everything around seem a little more beautiful just by being there. But you? You were just a university kid trying to balance sketches and shifts, chasing some hazy dreams that sometimes felt too far away. Yet here Park Sohyun was. In your apartment, head on your lap while she read. You remembered telling yourself having no label was fine, but now… it was starting to get to you.
Would this last? Would this ever become something more?
You let your pencil fall still, lost in the thought.
“Why’d you stop drawing?”
Her voice made you blink and look down. Sohyun was now peering up at you from your lap, smiling with her eyes full of curiosity.
“Hmm? Just thinking about… you know, the design and stuff.”
“Design?”
“The proportions were… off, I think.”
“Liar.”
The way she called you out was so casual yet certain. Sohyun sat up a little and folded her legs next to you, book now forgotten on the nearby table. Smiling gently, she spoke.
“You only look like that when you’re overthinking, sooo… what’s going on in that stubborn head of yours?”
“Nothing serious, noona. Just tired.” you forced a stiff smile.
Sohyun bought none of your excuse, her lips quickly formed a small pout as she tugged on your arm.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Hide it when thing’s bothering you.”
You dipped your head the moment she confronted you even though it wasn’t stern, more patient and understanding.
“You can tell me, you know. Whatever it is. Noona’s here.”
Like a hand reaching out in the dark, Sohyun made it hard to keep pretending. So you finally chose to admit after struggling to get the right words out of your mouth.
“I was just… thinking about us.”
Sohyun didn’t appear shocked nor smug. She just looked quietly attentive.
“Us?”
You nodded slowly, heart now beating so fast that you almost laughed from how nervous you suddenly were.
“Like what we are and… I don’t know. Maybe just that.”
The confession felt much heavier than you’d thought, so much that when it ended, you didn’t dare to meet her eyes. You fidgeted with the fabric of your pants, pinching and stretching just to give the nerves somewhere to go. The sketchpad you’d been holding then slipped off the armrest and fell to the floor, but you didn’t even bat an eye. Maybe this was it. The part where things got awkward, where comfort and closeness finally broke just because you wanted something more than you were supposed to. You could already feel your throat closing around an apology you hadn’t said yet. Until you heard a small, stifled laugh. You looked to the side just in time for Sohyun to launch herself over onto you and loop her arms around your shoulder, pulling you into her chest.
“Ah~ this kid.” she cooed between soft laughter, hand ruffling your hair. “You’re so cute, you know that?”
Your face burned, not expecting this kind of reaction from her.
“Noona…”
“Worrying about things like that? Seriously, you’re adorable.”
“I’m being serious.”
“I know, I know.” Sohyun only chuckled harder, still holding you close. “That’s what makes it even cuter.”
“Stop saying I’m cute.”
She leaned back enough to look at you, smiling as she flicked your forehead playfully.
“You get all shy and thoughtful and do that kicked puppy thing on your face. I swear, you’re impossible to stay mad at.”
Despite groaning and sinking deeper into the couch, you couldn’t stop a smile from blooming on your face. In normal things, you were the one who helped her. You’d try to be composed and make her laugh. You fixed her door, carried groceries, reminded her to rest when she worked too late. Sure, Sohyun might’ve been a little clumsy sometimes, a little unsure of herself in daily stuff; but moments like this reminded you that she was, without question, the noona she claimed to be. She had her own way of making you feel safe, of reading your silence with no difficulties at all.
“You’re afraid we might end, hmm?”
She already knew. You hesitated before slowly nodding, eyes dropping back to your lap. She didn’t reply right away. Instead, she gently cupped your face so you’d look her in the eyes again, her smile wishful.
“You think too far ahead sometimes. But that’s okay, I get it.”
“I just… don’t want to lose this with you, noona.”
“I know.” Sohyun rubbed your cheeks, silence took over for a second before she finally asked. “Do you remember that night?”
“Which night?”
“The night you found me crying in front of my door.”
The memory hit you instantly with her knees pulled to her chest, shaking, the helpless sound of her trying not to break down even more.
“Do you know why I was crying?”
“I never asked. I didn’t want to make you talk about it since it might be painful.”
“I had things… because of work. Some issues with the label and song production. Deadlines, contracts, people changing things behind my back. But now looking back, I think it was just me pushing myself to perfect my work.”
You stayed quiet and let her talk. Her eyes turned glassy before smiling smaller this time.
“And then you, the new kid who didn’t even know my name showed up and crouched down, asking if I was okay.”
You were about to say something but Sohyun shook her head.
“After that, everything felt a little different. The next day, when we had dinner together, I remember thinking that… maybe not everything is falling apart and I can still breathe a little.” her hand still cupped your face, the touch warm and soft. “Spending time with you, doing stupid things, laughing together made me realize not everything has to be serious all the time. I was always chasing the next deadline, the next song or trying to prove something. But you just… you reminded me that being happy isn’t supposed to be rushed and complicated.”
“I…”
Fingers now moving down to play on your chest, Sohyun then asked with the shyness visible in those adorable eyes of her.
“Do you wanna hear the three words?”
Your heart skipped at the sudden question, unsure if you’d heard it right.
“Three words?”
“Mmm. The ones you’ve probably been dying to hear.”
You couldn’t think straight. Should you say something? Should you wait? What if things go wrong? A thousand questions flashed through your mind. As if she could read through every thought racing behind your eyes, Sohyun giggled and leaned forward to give you a brief kiss on the lips. The kiss wasn’t long, but it was all you needed to scatter every anxious thought that had been holding onto you, leaving behind only her warmth and the prospect of something new, just only on the verge of blooming.
“Is that enough for you, pretty boy?”
Still dazed from the kiss, you smiled like an idiot.
“For now, maybe.”
“Aeng?” Sohyun glared at you. “Maybe?”
“Alright, alright!”
You laughed and stood up, scooping her into your arms. Sohyun yelped and gripped your shoulders as you spun her around in the tiny space; she both laughed and shouted.
“Yah! Put me down!”
“Enough playing.” you grinned and set her down. “Time to do what you came here for, your measurements. I’m making you the most gorgeous outfit now, Doraemon.”
“Doraemon?!” her cheeks flushed from laughing. “I hate that nickname.”
“You got all the gadgets, noona.” you pointed to her glasses and blue shirt. “All you need is some blue and white paint, then I got Doraemon all to myself.”
“Fine.” Sohyun rolled her eyes, smiling widely while catching her breath. “It better be look good on me, idiot.”
“Uhhh, no promise.”
And as you went to grab your measuring tape from your desk, you realized something so simple yet certain. For now, this was really enough.
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
A few weeks later, everything between you and Sohyun kept going on steadily, not loud or dramatic. So when she suggested going out for coffee (a real date, as Sohyun called it), you couldn’t stop smiling. The spot she’d picked was perfectly her, somewhere in Hapjeong, filled with vinyl records on the walls and books stacked in uneven towers; a pleasant mix that felt too much like Park Sohyun herself.
Sohyun had excused herself to the restroom a few minutes ago, saying something about fixing her makeup before you took photos together. Things had been joyful and easy. You’d started to finish each other’s sentences and fall into small habits that people in love did. And yet, neither of you had said those words. Today, sitting here with the beautiful sunlight shining through the window, you’d decided today would be the day. You sat comfortably, rehearsing ‘I love you’ in your head and thinking about how her dorky laugh would sound after you said it. Everything was perfect.
“...Wait! Is that you?”
You weren’t sure if you heard it right at first; your heart already sunk before you even turned and saw her face. The sound already sent layers of memories you’d packed away a long time ago back into your brain. Slowly, you stood and turned.
Seo Dahyun
Her hair was longer now, the dark waves falling over her shoulders. She still had that same gentle face, the same rabbit front teeth. Everything was the same as you used to memorize down to every tiny detail. Still, the timid way she smiled at you showed you that she was just unsure as you were.
“It’s really you.”
Damn.
“Hi… It’s been a while.”
“You look better now. Different but… good.”
“Thanks. You too.”
You managed a polite smile back. Neither of you knew what to do with your hands or eyes. Nostalgia and awkwardness really did their things. Dahyun then laughed shyly.
“I– I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you at all. I just… wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting it either.”
“You’re still at Hongik?”
“Mm hmm, still studying. Fashion design.”
Her smile turned a little brighter.
“That’s great. You always talked about doing something creative, you know? I’m glad you actually did.”
“What about you?”
“I… left uni.” her fingers fidgeted with her purse. “Remember how I used to talk about music?”
“Of course, you love singing.”
“I wanted to pursue it properly. Singing, performing…” she let out a self conscious laugh. “Didn’t really work out the exact way I hoped but it led me somewhere better. I’ve got a stable job at a theater now, still doing some songwriting on the side. It’s… okay.”
“That’s great, really.”
You meant it even though your voice sounded distant like you were trying to hide behind something. You’d already moved on but didn’t know how to say it out loud. Dahyun seemed to sense it too, quickly nodding.
“Thanks.”
Hands buried in your back pocket, you nodded back.
“I’m glad you’re doing okay.”
Dahyun was still beautiful, still the same Dahyun who once filled your world. But now the feelings you’d carried for her had now faded away to nothingness, to something that no longer hurt.
…
“I was… wrong.” she finally admitted. “For leaving you like that and not saying anything. You didn’t deserve it at all… I told myself I was doing it for me, to focus on my career and not drag you into all my uncertainty. But I know I was selfish.”
“Dahyun-ah…”
“I just thought… maybe we could talk? Just a cup of coffee. I owe you that much, you know. To explain things properly, if I still have the chanc–”
Suddenly, your surrounding felt miles away. You really were struggling to find words. You didn’t want to hurt her, but there was nothing to give either. It wasn’t anger, just a quiet discomfort now.
“I–”
“Sorry, baby~”
Soft arms slipped around your waist from behind, a very familiar warmth pressed into you back as Sohyun spoke.
“You wouldn’t start without me, would you?”
Then she peeked out, smiling when she saw Dahyun standing in front of you. Still holding on to you, Sohyun gave a polite bow with her head.
“Oh? Hi.”
Dahyun was startled at first but quickly gathered herself, the awkwardness audible in her voice.
“Hi… Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just ran into him by chance.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Small world, you know.”
Dahyun eyed the way Sohyun had her arms around your waist to your face. As quickly as her offer to reconnect came, she waved and excused herself.
“Anyway, I should get going now. I just wanted to say hello.”
You nodded, waving awkwardly.
“Bye… Take care, Dahyun-ah.”
Dahyun smiled back genuinely.
“You too. Both of you.”
And she weaved through the table, disappearing into the other side of the cafe. A sudden bite at your arm then made you look down to the side.
“Jealous?”
Sohyun hmphed and plopped back down into her chair, crossing her arms with her lips jutted out.
“So that was Dahyun? Pretty, I see.”
“She is.” You sat down in the seat across from her, enjoying the way her expression turned sulky. “But she’s not you, noona.”
“Smooth talker~ I don’t buy any of it.”
“You don’t have to. You’ll see.”
No matter how hard she tried, Sohyun just couldn’t hold her pout and let a smile break through.
Time to say it?
────── ⋆⋅⋆ ──────
Sohyun really triggers the noona thing for me. Also, sorry to Dahyun fans...
A/n: Hello it’s been a while! This story had been in the making for quite a while. I’m still having troubles with writing good dialogue but I think I got this one nailed (still working on it tho). Anyways, please enjoy the fic. Thanks!!
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Sleep comes as a luxury for a guy like me nowadays. Most nights, I'm swamped, catching up on readings about a new shark fossil discovery in the Grand Canyon, or doomscrolling on my phone until the sun creeps through my blinds. Some nights, I'm just laying there, spiraling about a job hunt that feels like it's never going to pan out. And on the rare nights when sleep does come, it's only for a couple of hours. I can't afford any more absences in my courses.
Today's different, though. I'm finally getting some sunlight because I have a lecture to attend about a dinosaur fossil discovered fifty years ago. A part of me really didn't want to go, but my roommate pointed out that being trapped in my room for weeks was probably doing more harm than good. Plus, there's an extra credit opportunity, literally just my signature on the attendance list, and extra credit is guaranteed. So, here I am.
On my way there, my phone buzzed. It was a text from my best friend, Nakyoung: "On your way to the auditorium?" I replied with a simple "Yes," and not a minute later, she answered back: "Ok, see you at the campus." I rubbed the side of my head, pocketed my phone, and moseyed on toward the university.
The bright blue gates of our school were already in sight when a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Younghyu—" and as soon as I turned toward it, "OMG! What happened to you?" It was Nakyoung, her eyes wide with shock. I guess my sleepless state was more obvious than I thought.
"Nice to see you too, Naky," I huffed.
She walked closer, her expression shifting from surprise to concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, grabbing my face and tilting it side to side to get a better look.
"Do I look like I'm okay?" I mumbled as she manhandled my face, inspecting every unwanted blemish and dark circle. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in almost two weeks."
Being the studious, type-A person she is, Nakyoung is always prepared. She let go of my face and started digging through her purse, finally fishing out a box of pimple patches. "At least cover up your 'new friends,'" she teased, handing me the box. She pulled me toward a nearby bench and started applying them for me, trying to make me look at least half-presentable, even if I ended up looking like a sticker book.
When she was done, we made our way to the auditorium. We were a few minutes late, and the professor was already stepping up to the podium when we slipped in. They didn't seem to mind, so we found a couple of empty seats near the back, pulled out our laptops, and settled in to take notes on anything that might show up during exams week.
The professor launched into a lecture about the discovery of the Maiasaura and how it proved maternal instincts in dinosaurs—something researchers previously thought didn't exist, since they assumed dinosaurs were solitary creatures. It should have been fascinating. It was fascinating. But as the professor droned on, their voice started to fade, becoming muffled, like I was listening from underwater. My breathing grew heavy, and my eyelids felt like they were made of lead. I fought to stay focused, but it was a losing battle. Soon enough, I gave in. My head dropped, the professor's voice melted into a low hum, and darkness took over. Sleep had finally consumed me.
Then she appeared.
Everything was hazy, but I could clearly make out a figure looking directly at me. A woman. The first thing I noticed was her warm smile—the kind that could light up an entire city. Then, her beauty marks, perfectly placed under her eyes, on the bridge of her nose, and on her left cheek, as if a celestial being had carefully mapped them to help her guide wayward travelers like me. But what truly captivated me were her eyes: dark, dreamy, warm, and calming, yet with a hint of mischief. They felt like a gentle ray of sun breaking through a cold, barren field.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my side. I didn't know what it was at first, and it persisted, but the beautiful woman in front of me was enough of a distraction that I barely noticed. But the pain kept coming, sharper each time, until it became unbearable. Then, fluorescent lights flooded my vision, and reality came crashing back. I was in the auditorium. The shooting pain in my side? Nakyoung, pinching me, trying to wake me up.
"Ow! What the hell is wrong with you?" I whispered angrily, my head still groggy from the remnants of the dream.
"What do you mean, 'what's wrong with me'? You literally slept through the entire lecture!" Nakyoung scolded, her voice low but sharp.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around. The lights were on. The room was nearly empty, and the professor was packing up at the front.
"Wait, it's over?" I asked, dazed.
"Yes! And. You. Slept. Through. It!" She punctuated each word with another pinch to my side.
"Ow, okay, okay! Stop!" I stood up, rubbing the sore spot.
"Now come on," she said, the tone of the lecture–lingering in her voice. "It's almost noon. Let's go get lunch."
The walk from the auditorium was uneventful—Nakyoung and I fell into our usual rhythm of conversation. But as we walked, my mind kept circling back to the woman in my dream. Her dark eyes, like black holes pulling me in. The way they seemed to both drown me and let me breathe at the same time. Her star-like beauty marks lingered behind my eyelids, and I couldn't shake them.
Then my vision blurred. Everything started spinning. I ignored it at first, but it only got worse. Finally, I called out, "Hey, Naky." I rubbed the side of my head as we passed through the university gates. "I think I'm gonna skip lunch. I really need to crash."
Concern flashed across her face, and she pulled me aside. "Are you sure you're okay? It's not like you to skip a meal."
I huffed, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll be fine. I just really need sleep."
She studied me for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright. But text or call me if you need anything, or if something happens, okay?"
I nodded and pulled her into a quick, friendly hug. She hugged me back, and we said our goodbyes.
The walk back to my apartment was quiet, and I was grateful for it. People I knew gave polite nods or soft waves, and I returned them in kind. But the lack of sleep was catching up fast. My eyes were watery and sore, my steps sluggish, my breathing heavy. And then something strange happened.
As I struggled to lift my feet off the ground, a familiar figure stood out among the handful of people passing by. When I glanced over, I saw those eyes again—the woman from my dreams, standing right there on the sidewalk. I froze, rubbed my eyes, and when I looked again, she was gone. A jolt of panic shot through me, and suddenly I was wide awake. "Okay," I muttered to myself, picking up my pace. "I definitely need more sleep."
The rest of the walk passed in a blur. Every step was fueled by a mix of purpose and unease. Finally, the faded blue paint of my apartment complex came into view, and relief washed over me.
As soon as I opened the front door, I heard the faint sound of a drama playing in the living room. "Hey, you're home early," my roommate Giselle called out. "Did class end early or something?"
"No, just dead tired," I mumbled, kicking off my shoes.
She paused the TV and padded over to the doorway, her face scrunching with concern. "Whoa. I know school's been hectic, but not this hectic. Seriously, are you good, bro?"
I managed a weak nod and a small smile before heading to my room. When I opened the door, my bed welcomed me like an oasis in the desert. I collapsed onto it, letting the comfort of my pillow and sheets pull me under.
This time, the dream was different. Still hazy, but clearer than before. Tangible. Like I had some control over everything—except for her.
It was a sunny afternoon in a park. Birds sang, children laughed, and the sun's warmth hit just right. I was sitting alone on a bench under a big oak tree when she appeared. She wore a sundress paired with a cardigan, a purse hanging from her shoulder, and she was carrying two cups of 자몽에이드(Grapefruit Juice). She was sunshine personified.
She approached my bench and asked if she could join me. I agreed immediately. She set the drinks down between us, condensation pooling on the wood, and pulled out her phone. Watching her up close, I noticed that rare quality about her—the way she made life look easy. She smiled as she scrolled, until her screen lit up with a notification. Her face went blank, like someone had flipped a switch and plunged the room into darkness.
I decided to break the ice.
"So," I said, nodding at the drinks, "do you often drink two grapefruitades at the same time?"
She glanced at me, then at the cups, and let out a huffed laugh, a little embarrassed. "Oh, no. Turns out my date would rather block my number than drink these with me."
My stomach dropped. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. If I'd known, I would've—"
She waved her hands, cutting me off. "No, no, it's fine. Really."
A beat of awkward silence passed. I thought that was it, but then—
"Do you want the other one?" She held out the cup, her finger leaving a faint smudge on the frosty plastic. When I hesitated, she tilted her head. "Come on. It's way too sweet for one person anyway."
I was caught off guard, but when I looked at her, she was already smiling—not the kind that lights up a room, but the kind that creases the corners of her eyes. The kind that says she knows something about the world, and it's not all bad.
"Thanks." Our fingers brushed as I took the cup, and for a second, the ice between us melted.
"Guess I'm your rebound date now," I said, immediately wanting to punch myself.
But she laughed. "I guess you are."
We laughed together, the sound mingling with the birdsong.
"I'm Younghyun, by the way." I reached out my hand.
She looked at it, then took it. "S—un!"
I frowned. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."
"It's S—un!" she repeated, but her voice came out warbled, distorted.
Then everything started to fizzle. The trees, the grass, the people—all dissolving. She remained, but a void was consuming the park, swallowing everything into darkness.
And then, like a bolt of lightning, I was awake.
I was back in my room, staring at the ceiling, the remnants of the dream already slipping away. I dragged a hand down my face, scrubbing away the clinging traces of sleep. Fumbling around on my messy sheets, I found my phone under my pillow and checked the time. I slept for twelve hours. Skipped lunch and dinner.
I decided to call Nakyoung, partly to make up for bailing on her earlier. I scrolled through my contacts and found her number. The phone rang for a while, but she didn't pick up. It was past midnight—she was probably asleep.
I got out of bed and decided to head to the convenience store down the street. Maybe some ramyeon and microwaved kimbap would hit the spot. As I padded through the apartment, I saw Giselle asleep on the couch, her phone still in her hand, looping the same short video over and over. I gently took the phone, turned it off, and draped a blanket over her before heading out.
The streets were quiet at this hour. The walk was peaceful, the cold night air a relief after being cooped up for so long.
The bright lights of the convenience store were already in sight, but something else caught my attention: steam rising from a small tteokbokki stand on the sidewalk. The scent triggered an immediate growl from my stomach. Fresh, piping hot tteokbokki sounded way better than microwaved food. I glanced at the store and noticed they also sold 마약김밥 and ice-cold grapefruitade. Perfect.
As I approached the stand, a sweet old lady greeted me with a warm smile. "Oh, young man! Good evening. What can I get for you?"
"Good evening, Halmeoni!" I said, matching her energy. "Can I have one tteokbokki and five kimbaps, please?"
She got right to work, scooping a generous portion of tteokbokki onto a plate and arranging the kimbaps neatly. "Enjoy!" she said, sliding the plate toward me.
"네, 잘 먹겠습니다.(Yes, I will eat well.)"
I was about to take my first bite when I heard footsteps approaching the stand, accompanied by a voice that sounded strangely familiar. "Halmeoni! One tteokbokki and three kimbaps, please!"
I turned to look, and my body froze.
It was her. The girl from my dreams.
My chopsticks slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the tray.
"Oh? Sohyun-ah!" the old lady said, her face lighting up. "It's so late! I thought you already had dinner?"
While they chatted, I sat there, stunned. Am I still asleep? No. I definitely woke up.
Sohyun's voice pulled me out of my daze as she pointed at my fallen chopsticks. "Hey, I think you dropped these."
I looked down, embarrassed, but before I could reach for them, Halmeoni handed me a fresh pair with a knowing smile.
I took a bite of my food, trying to compose myself. Sohyun sat down beside me and, to my surprise, tried to start a conversation.
"You're not a regular here, are you?" she asked.
My mouth full of tteokbokki, I could only manage a derpy, "Huh?"
She let out a breathy laugh and repeated herself.
I swallowed quickly. "No, actually. I didn't even know this place existed."
"Yeah, not many people do," she said, nodding. "It's either too late at night, or they just go for the convenience store food."
I nodded and kept eating, the silence between us a little awkward. But she broke it easily.
"I'm Sohyun, by the way." She extended her hand.
I stared at it for a second, then shook it. "Younghyun."
"So, what brings you here tonight, Younghyun?" she asked, chewing thoughtfully.
I gestured vaguely with my chopsticks. "This was one of the only places open this late. It was either this or pre-packaged food."
She hummed in understanding, popping a piece of kimbap into her mouth. We ate in comfortable silence for a moment, the only sounds were the gentle bubbling of the tteokbokki and the distant hum of a streetlight.
But I couldn't shake the feeling. The way she tilted her head when she chewed. The way her beauty marks caught the faint glow from the stand's hanging lamp. It was her. Exactly her.
Finally, curiosity burned through me. "This is going to sound insane," I blurted out, "but have we… met before?"
Sohyun glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. "I don't think so, no."
"No, I mean—" I hesitated, already feeling ridiculous. "I've seen you. In my dreams. Like, multiple times."
I expected her to laugh, or edge away, or maybe flag down Halmeoni for help. Instead, she went completely still. Her chopsticks hovered mid-air, a piece of tteokbokki dripping red sauce back onto her plate.
"What did you say?" she asked, her voice quiet.
"I know how it sounds," I said quickly, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's just—there was this park. A sunny afternoon. You were wearing a sundress and a cardigan, carrying two grapefruitades. You sat next to me on a bench because your date stood you up."
The color drained from her face, then rushed back in a deep blush, then she whispered. "On the bench. Under the oak tree."
My heart slammed against my ribs. "Yeah, how did you know that?"
"I thought it was just a dream, a really vivid one." she said, setting her chopsticks down. “You even made a joke about being my rebound date."
"I still cringe thinking about it," I admitted with a wince.
A shaky laugh escaped her. "No, It was funny. And then—" She paused, her brow furrowing. "Everything started to fade. Like static on a TV. And I couldn't tell you my name properly."
"It came out all warbled," I finished. We stared at each other, the weight of the realization settling between us like a living thing.
"This is…" Sohyun trailed off, shaking her head. "This isn't normal, right? Two people having the same dream?"
"It shouldn’t be," I admitted. "But I've been thinking about it and you all day. Your eyes, your smile, the way you looked at me like you knew something about the world that wasn't all bad. I couldn't shake it."
Her lips parted slightly, her dark eyes, those eyes, searching mine. "I couldn't either," she confessed quietly. "I woke up and felt like I'd lost something. Someone. And I didn't even know your name."
The night air felt charged, electric. Halmeoni busied herself with wiping down the counter, pretending very hard not to listen, though the occasional glance she threw our way suggested she was thoroughly invested in this late-night drama.
I took a breath. Then another. My heart was hammering so loud I was half-convinced she could hear it. I set my chopsticks down carefully, lining them up neatly on the edge of my plate, a pointless gesture, but it gave my hands something to do.
Sohyun watched me, her dark eyes unreadable but warm, that tiny smile still playing at the corner of her lips. Up close, under the warm glow of the stand's hanging lamp, I could see every detail I'd only glimpsed in my dreams: the way her hair fell softly against her cheeks, the faint shimmer of lip balm, the beauty mark on her left cheek that I'd wanted to reach out and touch since the moment I saw her.
Say something, you idiot.
"Sohyun," I started, then immediately forgot every word I'd ever known. My mouth felt dry. I grabbed my grapefruitade and took a long sip, the cold sweetness doing nothing to calm my nerves.
She tilted her head, amused. "Yes?"
"I know we literally just met," I began again, setting the drink down carefully so she wouldn't see how my hand was shaking. "Like, actually met, not dream-met. And I know this is probably the most insane thing that's ever happened to you—to either of us, really. Two strangers having the same dream? That's not something that happens in real life. That's something that happens in dramas, or in those webtoons my roommate is always reading where the characters are secretly soulmates or whatever."
I was rambling. I knew I was rambling. But I couldn't stop.
"And maybe this is just some weird coincidence. Maybe we both drank too much Grapefruit juice and had weird dreams and our brains just happened to make up the same person. That's possible, right? That's a thing that can happen?"
Sohyun's smile widened, but she stayed quiet, letting me dig my own grave.
"But what if it's not?" The words tumbled out faster now. "What if there's actually something here? Because I've been thinking about you all day and I didn't even know your name until five minutes ago. I walked home from campus looking for you. I literally thought I saw you on the street and I rubbed my eyes so hard I almost gave myself a headache. And when I woke up from that second dream, I felt—" I stopped, struggling to find the right word. "Empty. Like something was missing. Like you were missing."
The admission hung in the air between us. Sohyun's expression shifted, the playful amusement softening into something deeper, more vulnerable.
I swallowed hard. "So I'm just going to say this before I lose what's left of my nerve."
I turned on my stool to face her fully, my knee almost bumping hers under the narrow counter. The world around us, the convenience store, the empty street, Halmeoni pretending to rearrange her sauce bottles—all of it faded into background noise.
"Sohyun, would you want to go on a date with me? A real one." I gestured vaguely between us. "Not in a dream. Not in a park that might dissolve into static the second I try to look at you or whatever. But here. In the real world. Where I can actually talk to you and you can actually answer back."
A breathless laugh escaped her, and the sound made my chest ache in the best way.
"I know this is fast," I continued, lowering my hand. "I know we're basically strangers who accidentally shared a brainwave or whatever the hell just happened. But I also know that when I woke up from that first dream, I felt like I'd lost someone I'd known my whole life. And when I saw you standing here tonight, I felt like—" I pressed a hand to my chest, right over my heart. "Like something clicked into place. Like my body knew you before my brain caught up."
I looked down at my plate, suddenly embarrassed by my own honesty. "And I just yapped and you probably think I'm crazy."
For a long, agonizing moment, she didn't respond. I could feel her gaze on me, studying my face like she was searching for something. The silence stretched, filled only by the distant hum of the streetlight and the soft bubbling of the tteokbokki.
Then I felt her hand cover mine on the counter.
I looked up.
Her eyes,those eyes, dark and warm and full of that familiar mischief—were glistening. Not with tears, exactly, but with something close. Something tender.
"Younghyun," she said softly, and the way my name sounded in her voice made my heart stutter. "When I woke up from that dream this afternoon, I cried."
The confession hit me like a wave.
"I didn't understand why," she continued, her thumb tracing a slow circle on the back of my hand. "But I woke up, and my cheeks were wet, and I just lay there staring at the ceiling, feeling like someone had reached into my chest and taken something important."
She let out a shaky breath. "I tried to forget about it. I told myself it was just a dream, just my brain being weird. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw you. Sitting on that bench. Making that stupid joke about being my rebound date. Looking at me like I was—" She paused, her voice catching. "Like I was someone worth looking at."
My throat tightened.
"And then Halmeoni texted me," she said, a watery laugh escaping her. "She said she was staying late to clean the stand and asked if I wanted free dinner because she made too much food. I almost said no. I was tired, I had homework, it didn't make sense to walk all the way here at midnight. But something—" She pressed her free hand to her chest, mirroring my gesture from earlier. "Something told me to come."
She squeezed my hand. "And now you're here. Sitting next to me. Telling me you dreamed of me too. Telling me you felt empty without me." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "How is that possible, Younghyun? How is any of this possible?"
I shook my head slowly. "I don't know. But I don't think I care."
She laughed again, softer this time, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Before I could think about it, my free hand lifted, and I caught it with my thumb, wiping it away gently. Her skin was warm, soft. She leaned slightly into my touch, just for a second, and the gesture felt more intimate than anything I'd ever experienced.
"Sohyun," I whispered. "Go on a date with me."
She turned her head, leaning towards the warmth of my palm before pulling back. The action was so impossibly tender, that I forgot how to breathe.
"Yes," she said, and the word was firm, certain, even as her eyes shimmered. "Yes, Younghyun. I'll go on a date with you."
"Yeah?" My voice cracked embarrassingly.
"Yeah." She smiled, that smile, the one that creased the corners of her eyes, the one that said she knew something about the world and it wasn't all bad. "But you're buying grapefruitade this time. The ones in the fancy cafes."
A laugh burst out of me, loud and unguarded, and she joined in, our laughter mingling in the cool night air like it belonged together. Like it had always belonged together.
From behind the counter, Halmeoni let out a satisfied "Aigoo," and I swear I saw her wipe her eye with the corner of her apron.
Sohyun and I looked at each other, her hands still on mine across the narrow counter, and I realized that for the first time in weeks I didn't feel tired. I didn't feel empty. I didn't feel like I was just barely surviving.
I felt awake.
"Saturday?" I asked. "There's this little café near Hongdae that does amazing egg tarts. And after, if you want, we could walk along the stream.”
“Oh my god, I love egg tarts!” She nodded quickly, still smiling. "Yes, Saturday sounds perfect."
"Great, you’re gonna enjoy the place then. But now that we have that, can I please get your number? The real one, I mean. Not the dream version where it's just a jumble of numbers that don't actually work."
She laughed and pulled out her phone. We exchanged numbers, the simple act feeling monumental, and I saved her contact with a photo I took right there—her mid-laugh, head tilted back, beauty marks on full display.
She also took a photo of me while saving her contact on my phone. "This is going to be my contact photo for you."
"What am I going to be saved as?" I asked.
She glanced at her phone when it buzzed, then looked up at me with that mischievous glint in her eyes. "Dream Boy."
I groaned. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." She typed something, and my phone buzzed. I looked down.
"Dream Girl"
I stared at the screen, then at her, then back at the screen. She was watching me, clearly delighted by my reaction.
"See? Even you did it!" She teased.
"That's—" I started.
"That’s what, perfect?" She further teased.
“Yes. Yes it is perfect!” I retaliated.
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and she ducked her head, hiding her smile behind her hand. The gesture was so shy, so different from the confident way she'd teased me moments before, that I felt my heart squeeze all over again.
Halmeoni chose that moment to reappear, sliding two small cups of complimentary kimbap toward us. "On the house," she announced, beaming. "For the happy couple."
"We're not a couple yet," Sohyun protested weakly.
"Yet," Halmeoni repeated, winking at me. "Young man, don't mess this up."
"Yes halmeoni," I said, and I meant it with my whole chest. "I won’t."
Sohyun looked at me, really looked at me, and in her eyes I saw the same thing I felt: wonder, hope, and the faintest trace of fear, the kind that comes with finding something precious and being terrified of losing it.
We ate our meals in comfortable silence, shoulders almost touching, the night stretching endlessly ahead of us. And when we finally said goodbye an hour later, after exchanging numbers, social media handles, birth dates, favorite colors, and a dozen other small details that made her feel more real than any dream ever could, she hugged me.
Not a friendly hug, not a polite hug. A real one. Her arms wrapped around my waist, her head tucked under my chin, and she fit there like she'd been made for it.
"Saturday," she murmured against my chest.
"Saturday," I promised, leaning my chin on the top of her head.
Walking home, I caught myself smiling like an idiot. My phone buzzed.
Dream Girl: Just so you know, if this turns out to be another dream and I wake up alone tomorrow, I'm going to find you in real life and yell at you.
Me: It's not a dream. I promise.
Dream Girl: How do you know?
I stopped walking, looking up at the stars scattered across the night sky. For the first time in weeks, I felt rested. I felt present. I felt like the version of myself I'd been before the sleepless nights and the endless doomscrolling and the quiet despair of a job hunt that went nowhere.
Me: Because in my dreams, I always wake up before the good part. And right now? This feels like just the beginning.
Her reply came instantly.
Dream Girl: ❤️
Dream Girl: Saturday can't come soon enough.
I pocketed my phone, still grinning, and walked the rest of the way home under a canopy of stars, already counting the hours until I'd see her again.