Selfish - Part 12
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14
Genre: angst, fluff
Pairing: Jun x Reader / Chan x Reader
Word Count: 4k
Christmas worked out in the end. Everyone seemed to be happy with the arrangements this year.
You spent your morning with Jun and you woke up early just to surprise him with breakfast in bed. And, as you were cooking, he surprised you with your gifts. The morning was spent with you eating, making love, and cuddling in bed until it was time for him to leave. Visiting his parents provided him with a distraction from the fact that you were going to spend the bulk of your day with Chan. You assured him that you’d meet them again soon before you sent him on his way.
The rest of the day was spent with Chan. You exchanged gifts and spent most of the late afternoon talking in bed together. His parents were in town for the next couple days and the four of you went out for dinner. Chan seemed really happy and it made you smile; you knew that he hadn’t seen his parents in a while and seeing the way his face lit up brought a smile to your face.
*
You looked at the dresses in your closest, not quite satisfied with any of them. Jun invited you to a New Years’ party on Saturday. And now, the day before, you were freaking out over what to wear. From what Jun described, it was a black-tie event. This meant that you’d have to wear a dress and you couldn’t just step out in a skirt and a shirt.
Your phone started vibrating on your bed. You glanced behind you to find Chan’s name on your screen. The clothes were completely forgotten as you answered your boyfriend’s video call.
“Hello?” you answered, sprawling out across the bed.
His face popped up on the screen. “Hey babe.”
“Did you just get home from work?”
He nodded. “Yeah. How was your day?”
“It was good,” you said. “I was looking in my closet for something to wear for this party tomorrow night. Jun invited me.”
“Oh cool. I’m going out with Jason tomorrow night.”
“Maybe we can meet up on Sunday,” you said. “We can get brunch or something?”
Chan said, “We can do that.”
But what he really wanted to say was “Are you sleeping over at Jun’s place?” But he had no right to ask that. He was the one who suggested that they minimize the details when it came to that stuff. It would only make him jealous and frustrated. This was just how it had to be for him to keep you and, right now, he’d rather this than not to have you at all. * The past year had been hectic for Jun. Between his work and then his rocky relationship with you and the new addition of Chan into the equation, it’d been stressful for him. He was glad that the three of you had figured things out as far as scheduling time and not over sharing. Sometimes, though, he still felt himself getting jealous when you said that you were hanging out with him.
He hoped that things would be better this year. He wanted to get off to the right start. He wanted to do better, be better.
He thought that going to a party would be a nice way to start the year off right. It was a nice way to have a few drinks, socialize and unwind. His coworkers told him about this party and he thought it would be fun to attend. It had been a while since he wore a suit and tie. He was excited to have dinner with you right before and to go to the party and, most likely, take things to the bedroom afterward.
He knocked on your apartment door and the door opened immediately. He was met with your smiling face. “You look amazing,” he said, just noticing your dress. It was a little black one, one he’d seen you wear in pictures but not in person. Jun wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you in for a kiss.
You said, “I’m so hungry. Let’s go.”
After a few minutes in a taxi, the two of you ended up in front of the steakhouse. Your mouth watered at the thought of food as you’d barely had anything to eat for lunch. Jun opened your door and lead you into the restaurant.
You sat across from Jun and after the waiter pushed you in, you said, “Of course you’d choose this expensive restaurant.”
Jun shook his head. “Only the best for my lady. Don’t worry about it. We got our end of the year bonuses and I wanted to take you on a nice date.”
You smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
You picked up the menu. “Let’s order. My body will shut down if I don’t eat something soon.”
Jun frowned. “You skipped lunch?”
“Kind of,” you said. “I was just in meetings all day and didn’t really have time to eat.”
Jun sighed. “Well, you’ll eat well tonight. Do you want wine with the steak?” * A couple minutes into the event, while in line for coat check, Jason said, “I didn’t bring you here to mope.”
Chan took off his coat and said, “I’m not moping…”
Jason laughed as he took his ticket from the person at coat check. He turned to his friend. “If I googled pictures of people moping, the face you’re making right now would pop up first in the results.”
Chan sighed. “She’s not answering my text…”
“She’s out having fun, just like we’re about to do.”
“Yeah but…” Chan let out a sigh. “You’re right. Let’s get drinks. Alcohol will take my mind off things.”
With that, Chan and his friend headed inside the venue. Their ears were filled with loud EDM and Chan was starting to adjust to the party vibe. When Jason invited him to this party, he didn’t specify that it was a party like this. He’d been under the impression that it was just a regular party but this was definitely a dress-to-impress kind of event. He wasn’t used to dressing up like this but you gave him a compliment earlier when he sent a selfie and that helped him feel a little more confident.
Chan lead the way toward the bar. It was starting to get crowded even though they arrived early. As Chan ordered drinks, he noticed that Jason had disappeared. Chan rolled his eyes as he grabbed the drinks and scanned the room for his friend. He spotted him talking to a girl he’d never seen before.
Spotting Chan, Jason waved him over. Chan handed Jason his drink.
Jason said, “Chan, this is Yumi. We knew each other in high school. We were just catching up.”
Chan shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Chan.”
“Where are you guys sitting?” she asked, as Chan took a sip of his drink.
“Oh, we didn’t get a table,” said Jason.
She smiled. “Come sit with us. My company got a table for me and my coworkers. There’s plenty of room.”
Jason looked at Chan and Chan looked at Jason. Chan said, “Why not?” The three of them took off toward the VIP sections off to the side of the dance floor. The table wasn’t crowded, just like Yumi had said. Chan took a seat across from Yumi and Jason. One of the other girls scooted over toward Chan.
Yumi said, “We sent the guys to go get some drinks.” Taking notice of the friend that scooted toward Chan, she added, “This is my coworker, Malai.”
Malai grinned. She was beautiful, Chan had to admit. She had a darker skin tone and she was wearing makeup, but not too much. Her long black hair hung over her shoulder, curled just like you liked to do on occasion.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. Then, turning back to Yumi, she said, “Is Jun coming? I thought he’d be here.”
Yumi shrugged. “He’s probably just late.” Jason started talking to him. Chan has no idea what he was talking about but he nodded. The conversation next to him was starting to become far more interesting.
Yumi raised her eyebrows. “What’s going on between you and Jun anyway?”
Malai chuckled, nervously almost. “Oh, it’s nothing…”
“I mean, last time we went out drinking you were practically in his lap. I left my phone and came back to grab it but did you go back to his place after?”
At that moment, Chan cut in. “What company do you work for?”
Yumi said, “Oh we work for Lotte.”
Chan let out a deep breath. Jun worked at that company. Jun was a common name but he had a feeling that he knew exactly what Jun they were talking about. He felt angry. How could he do this to you? How could he pretend with you when he clearly had another woman on the side? He didn’t know Malai and didn’t know if she knew what was going on but it was safe to assume that she didn’t. Jun was a hypocrite, making it seem like Chan was the problem. But no, it was Junhee that was clearly the issue.
Chan wanted to text you, to tell you everything he’d heard. But he knew that you were with Jun, so he’d wait until the right time. Besides, he figured he could get more information in the meantime.
The conversation about Jun didn’t continue and Chan wished that he’d at least gotten confirmation about whether or not Malai ended up going home with Jun. Chan took a bigger gulp than necessary from his glass. Clearly, it was going to be a long night. * Jun was starting to feel a bit nervous as he entered the venue with you. His coworkers were definitely here and they told him to stop by their table. He didn’t want to because he knew that, more than likely, Malai would be there. Things didn’t go too far with her but they could’ve. Luckily things didn’t go further than the kiss. Jun knew that she wouldn’t run around telling everyone about their history but Jun knew he was guilty. He was guilty by omission. Because of that, he wasn’t sure how he felt about his former flame being in the same space as his current flame.
The two of you headed to the bar. Both of you had had some wine at the restaurant but Jun needed something a bit stronger to calm his nerves. He ordered whiskey while you ordered your third glass of wine.
As you received your glass of wine, you said, “Didn’t you say your company has a table?”
Upon hearing this, Jun nearly choked on his drink. Clearing his throat and loosening his tie, he said, “Um, yeah. They’re here somewhere.”
“Let’s see if we can sit there. It’s crowded.”
With a sigh that only he could hear, he headed toward the VIP section. He spotted his boss, red-faced and sipping on a drink he probably didn’t need to have. He chuckled to himself, recalling one of the team dinners where he and his coworkers had to haul him into a taxi to take him home.
Then, Jun saw Chan. He saw Chan before he noticed him walking over. Then, he happened to look up and his eyes met Jun’s. He stood up immediately. By now, he’d noticed you. Jun was surprised to see him here and, judging the look on his face, so was Chan.
Your face lit up when you saw Chan. Seeing him unexpectedly made you excited. He stood up and gave you a hug. He whispered, “Hey baby.”
You pulled from his embrace. “This is what you meant when you said you were going out?”
Jun said, “Hey. What a coincidence. Are you friends with someone at the company?”
Chan shook his head. “Nah. My friend Jason knows Yumi and she invited us to the table.”
“Jun!” called his coworkers.
He waved at his coworkers and the three of you sat down at the table. Jun sat with you and, after having an internal battle with himself, Chan decided to sit on the opposite side. This was mostly so he could observe Jun from the other side of the table since Malai had been sitting on that side of the booth, too. Chan wanted to watch his interactions with her. After hearing what he heard and confirming that this was the Jun that they were referring to, he felt the need to get to the bottom of things before approaching you about it.
Yumi said, “Hi, I’m Yumi. Are you a friend of Jun’s?”
You shook hands with her. “Nice to meet you.”
Jun cleared his throat as he made introductions between you and the rest of his coworkers. Chan watched his actions and he looked uncomfortable. Chan didn’t know the details but he knew that Jun looked guilty of doing something or another.
At that moment, a waiter came over with complimentary drinks. Jun helped himself to one and Chan noticed that he’d downed his drink within a minute of sitting there.
Malai returned from her trip to the ladies’ room and sat down conveniently next to Jun. You smiled at her. “Hey, I’m Y/N.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Malai.” She took a sip of her drink. “So how do you know Jun?”
“Oh, we’re dating.”
Malai nodded. From what Chan could see, she didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. But she didn’t say anything else.
Chan decided to sip his own drink. He even chuckled to himself. Jason nudged him and said, “Stop staring. You’re gonna burn a hole in his head.”
“I don’t trust him.”
Chan had already filled his friend in on his suspicions about the nature of Jun and Malai’s relationship. Jason agreed that he should tell you about it but he also knew that this situation had the potential to turn into something it didn’t need to be. He suggested that maybe he asked Jun about it instead, man to man, but Chan wasn’t so sure he’d get an honest answer out of him.
“I know,” Jason said.
“I’m just going to tell her,” he said, “after one more drink.”
Chan stood up and headed toward the bar. As he walked, you came up next to him.
“Hey,” you said, grabbing his arm.
“Hey there,” he said. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thanks. You’re looking good, too.”
“Since you’re here, can I talk to you about something?”
“What’s wrong?”
Chan looked around the room, analyzing the situation. “It’s kind of loud. Let’s go in that sitting room by the bathrooms.” He took your hand and led you there. To be honest, he had no idea how this was going to go. He didn’t want you to be hurt but he couldn’t know these things without telling you.
You both sat down on the couch. You turned to him, your eyes filled with concern. He placed his hand over yours, holding it tight. “I overheard something and I’m not a hundred percent sure how true it is but I think that there might be something going on with Jun and his coworker.”
Your heart dropped. “Who? How do you know?”
“Malai. The girl who was sitting next to Jun,” he replied. “Before you came, Yumi was talking to her and she asked if she went home with Jun. I think they were all at dinner or something and they were alone at some point. Something definitely happened.”
Your heart dropped. A million emotions were coursing through your body and you weren’t sure how to process them. You knew that Chan wouldn’t lie to you about something like this but, at the same time, Jun wouldn’t cheat on you like this, would he?
You shed a tear and Chan felt bad. Should he have waited to tell you this? Was your night ruined? Chan said, “Don’t cry, baby. I just don’t want you to be hurt.”
“Hearing this,” said Chan, “makes me not trust him. I’m afraid he’ll hurt you.”
As you started crying, Chan went to get tissues. “Baby, you’ll mess up your makeup.”
You nodded and took the tissues, blotting under your eyes. “Thank you for telling me.” You stood up. “I’m going to ask him what happened.”
Chan nodded as you disappeared through the door to find Jun. You were angry, hurt and feeling betrayed. If what Chan said is true, you needed to get to the bottom of it. You stormed out away from Chan and toward the problem. Jun was at the table, laughing at something.
You stood in front of him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Jun furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, wondering what had ruined your mood within the five minutes you’d been away from the table. You led him to the rooftop, not saying a word the whole time. To be honest, he was nervous. He had no idea what this could be about.
It was cool outside but not too bad thanks for the heated lamps scattered on the roof. However, it felt a bit colder than usual with Jun knowing that you were pissed. A knot formed in Jun’s stomach as you finally stopped in front of a bench. You turned sharply on your heel.
Jun cleared his throat. “What did you want to talk about babe?”
You glared at him, your gaze as cold as ice. “What is your relationship with Malai?”
Jun’s heart dropped. There’s no way you could know about what happened that night. He didn’t know how the conversation was going to go. “We knew each other in college. We were friends. I liked her but she didn’t return my feelings back then.”
“There has to be more to it than that,” you said. “Why else would I hear your name with hers?”
“We didn’t have sex, if that’s what you’re thinking. We never have, not even back then.” He cleared his throat. “We had a team dinner a while ago. We all went and we were the last to leave. We were just talking. One of my coworkers came back because she forgot something and she may have gotten the wrong idea.”
He pulled you closer and kissed your forehead. “It’s not like that. Really. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Let’s go back inside. It’s chilly on the roof.”
You nodded and followed him back inside. You believed him but something still felt off. Maybe it was just your insecurities. Looking back, Malai was a beautiful woman. You’d spoken to her. She seemed like a nice girl. The fact that Jun had known her longer and had a crush on her in the past made you feel jealous. Since he worked in the same office as her, he got to spend more time with her throughout the day. You didn’t know what her job title was or if they were even in the same team but the idea made you feel uneasy.
As you got to the table, Chan looked up. He saw you walking with Jun, his hand snaked around your waist. He didn’t think he’d feel jealous but he did. He knew that it was something couples did but, after hearing about Jun and Malai, he was pissed. He didn’t think that Jun had the right to hold you like that. In Chan’s eyes Jun was guilty. He didn’t know what he told you but there was something wrong with this picture.
Chan got up, deciding that he couldn’t sit around and watch this. He headed toward the bar, seeking some water at least. He could feel the alcohol hitting him and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to have to drag him out of the venue. When he turned around with his water, you were in front of him. He handed it to you and got another.
He scratched his head. He wanted to talk to you, to say something. But he didn’t know what to say. He was so frustrated.
You took his hand. “Talk to me…”
He sighed. “I know i should respect your privacy with him but did you really believe him?”
“I really don’t think he’s lying to me.”
“I just don't trust him and I feel like he's gonna break your heart again…”
“Why do you think that?” you asked. “Should I go ask her myself?”
“I’m not gonna tell you what to do but if you think that’ll help. I just feel like something isn’t adding up.”
You thought about it. Maybe that’s why you still felt a little weird about it all. “I’ll go ask her.”
You left Chan and decided to go in the bathroom to freshen up and to figure out how you were going to approach her. You felt a little combative but you knew that approach wasn’t the best way to handle this. You didn’t want to come off as immature or childish.
As if the universe had set things up this way, Malai was standing at the mirror applying a new coat of lipstick. She saw you in the mirror and said, “Doesn’t it suck when you eat and all your lipstick comes off?” She chuckled to herself.
You smiled but didn’t join in her laughter. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She closed her liquid lipstick and turned to face you with a confused expression. After all, she didn’t know you and you didn’t know her. “Yeah?”
“I’m just going to be blunt,” you said. “Is there...something going on between you and Jun?”
“We never hooked up but I guess you can say that we have a history. He liked me back in college and I didn’t return his feelings. A few months ago, I started liking him. I’ll admit that but then I found out he was dating you and I left it alone. Anyway, I’m seeing someone. That’s all in the past now.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t know if you already spoke to him about this but maybe he feels something more than he’s letting on…”
You nodded. “Thanks for being honest.”
“No problem,” she said with a smile before finishing her lipstick. “I’m heading out now but enjoy the rest of the party.
Then she headed out of the bathroom and you were left alone with your thoughts. You were torn. You wanted to believe Jun but maybe Malai was right. Maybe there was something else going on. Maybe there was some missing piece. You sighed and left the bathroom. Your mood had deteriorated and you wanted nothing more than to go home and forget all of this.
By the time you got back to the bar, Chan was gone. As you went back to the table, you didn’t see him or Jason. Had they both left? You picked up your phone, deciding to give Chan a call.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Did you leave? Where’d you go?”
“I left with Jason. He was starting to get tired so I just left with him.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, my phone is gonna die so I’ll let you know when I get home.”
“Okay. I think I’m going to head home too…”
“No stay enjoy the party don't leave just because I left…”
“I’m getting tired too.”
“Okay. Text me when you’re home, okay? I love you.”
“I love you too.”
You hung up and went to coat check. You were ready to go home. And the alcohol was starting to hit you. You knew because you were starting to feel emotional. As you handed in your ticket, you heard Jun’s voice from behind you. “You’re ready to go home?”
You nodded. “Yeah. I think I might’ve had too much...”
“Okay. I’ll get my coat, too, then.”
You turned to him. “I think I just wanna be alone tonight.”
Jun frowned. “Babe, is this about Malai? It’s not like that, I promise.”
The tears you had been holding back started falling. “Then why didn’t you tell me? Why keep it a secret? Do you have feelings for her or something?”
“I don’t. I should’ve mentioned it before. I’m sorry.”
“Okay,” you said, heading outside. “I still want to leave.”
“Okay,” he said, grabbing his coat. “At least let me take you home.”
You nodded and the two of you left the venue, leaving all of the drama behind you.