240712 Showcase

They Lost Their Drunk Partner at a Party

these hotties lost their heavily intoxicated s/o at a party~

id recommend you stay and read until tsukishima at the end, it got me good- i got it soooooo good

Akaashi:

Akaashi wasn’t the type to panic, but right now? Yeah, he was definitely panicking.

The party was crowded, music thumping through the floorboards as people weaved between each other, laughing and shouting over the noise. And somewhere in this chaos, you—his very drunk significant other—had managed to slip away from his side.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he scanned the room for what felt like the hundredth time. How had he even let you wander off? One second, you were clinging to his arm, giggling about something ridiculous, and the next, poof—gone.

He checked the kitchen. Not there. The backyard? Nope. The couch? Just a pile of people deep in a debate about conspiracy theories.

Akaashi exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where are you…” he muttered under his breath.

Then, finally, in the dim glow of fairy lights strung up in the corner of the room, he spotted you.

You were curled up in an oversized armchair, legs tucked under you, sipping on a half-empty cup of what he could only assume was your last drink of the night. Your eyes were slightly hazy, but the second they landed on him, they lit up.

“Keiji!” You beamed, holding your arms out dramatically. “You found me!”

Akaashi let out a soft chuckle, making his way toward you. “You make it sound like we were playing hide and seek,” he murmured, crouching beside you.

You hummed, tilting your head. “Well… weren’t we?”

He sighed but couldn’t help smiling as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “You scared me for a second.”

Your expression softened at that, and you wobbled forward slightly, wrapping your arms around his neck. “M’sorry,” you mumbled against his shoulder. “Didn’t mean to disappear.”

His hands came up instinctively, one resting on your back while the other cradled your head. “Just stay where I can see you next time, okay?”

You nodded, nuzzling closer, and Akaashi swore his heart melted right then and there.

After a moment, you pulled back just enough to look at him, your gaze softer now. “Keiji, you’re really pretty, you know that?”

He blinked, his ears instantly burning. “You’re drunk.”

“I’m right,” you corrected, poking his cheek. “And I love you.”

Akaashi’s breath caught for just a second, but then he exhaled, his lips curling into the gentlest smile. “I love you too.”

You beamed, pleased with yourself, and Akaashi decided that, even if you were a handful when drunk, he’d search a thousand crowded rooms just to find you again.

“Come on,” he said, effortlessly lifting you from the chair. “Let’s get you home.”

You giggled, snuggling into his chest. “You’re the best.”

Akaashi only hummed, holding you a little closer as he led you away from the noise, away from the chaos—back to where you belonged, right by his side.

Kuroo prided himself on being laid-back, the type to go with the flow, never too ruffled by anything. But right now? He was definitely ruffled.

You had disappeared.

One second, you were right beside him, laughing at some dumb joke he made, your fingers loosely intertwined with his. The next? Gone. Vanished into the sea of bodies, swallowed up by the pulsing music and dim lighting.

He had done a quick scan of the house, expecting to spot you near the drinks or chatting with a mutual friend, but when you were nowhere to be found, a pit of unease settled deep in his chest. His mind was already running through worst-case scenarios as he pushed through the crowd, his teasing smirk long gone.

But then—

In a quiet hallway, away from the chaos, he finally saw you.

You were sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, a dopey, drunk smile on your face as you giggled to yourself. Relief hit him so fast it nearly made him dizzy.

Kuroo sighed, running a hand through his hair before stepping closer. “There you are. I was about to put out a missing persons report.”

You looked up, eyes lighting up the second you saw him. “Tetsu!” you cheered, holding your arms out dramatically. “I found you!”

He huffed out a laugh, crouching in front of you. “You found me? Babe, you’re the one who disappeared.”

You pouted. “Did I? I just… walked away for a second.”

“Yeah? And that ‘second’ turned into twenty minutes of me wondering if I was about to throw hands with some drunk idiot who thought they could steal you away.” He reached out, brushing his fingers against your cheek as if to reassure himself you were really there.

You leaned into his touch, humming contentedly. “Aww, Tetsu, were you worried?”

His fingers twitched, and for a moment, his usual cocky mask slipped. “…Of course, I was,” he muttered, voice barely above a whisper.

But then—before you could call him out on his rare display of vulnerability—he flicked your forehead lightly, his smirk snapping back into place.

“Do you know how embarrassing it would’ve been if I had to tell everyone my incredibly attractive, slightly reckless partner managed to get lost at a house party?” He tsked, shaking his head. “I’d never live it down.”

You giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer. “M’sorry,” you murmured, nuzzling into his shoulder. “Didn’t mean to make you worry.”

Kuroo sighed, his grip on you tightening. “Just… stay close next time, yeah?” His voice was softer now, laced with something real, something unshakable.

You smiled, pressing a lazy kiss to his jaw. “Okay.”

He exhaled, shaking his head as he hoisted you up into his arms effortlessly. “Alright, lightweight, let’s get you home before you go missing again.”

You snuggled into his chest, sighing happily. “You’re the best.”

Kuroo smirked, pressing a quick kiss to your temple. “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t scare me like that again, trouble.”

But as he carried you out of the party, holding you like you were the most precious thing in the world, you knew the truth—Kuroo might joke about it, might tease, but deep down, he’d search anywhere for you. Always.

Bokuto had been having a great time at the party—laughing with friends, downing drinks, hyping up strangers like they were long-lost teammates—until he realized something was missing.

You.

One second, you were by his side, giggling at his ridiculous dance moves, your hand clutching his sleeve as you swayed along with him. The next? Gone.

At first, he didn’t panic. Maybe you’d gone to the bathroom or grabbed another drink. No big deal. But when five minutes turned into ten, and then fifteen, his stomach twisted uncomfortably.

His mind started racing—What if you were too drunk? What if you got lost? What if some creep was bothering you?—and suddenly, the party wasn’t fun anymore.

Bokuto weaved through the crowd, his usual loud energy dimmed by the gnawing worry in his chest. He checked the kitchen, the backyard, even peeked into a random closet (just in case).

Then, finally, in a quiet corner near the stairs, he spotted you.

You were sitting on the floor, head tilted back against the wall, a lazy, tipsy smile on your face as you stared at the ceiling. Your drink—mostly melted ice at this point—was resting precariously between your fingers, dangerously close to spilling.

Bokuto let out a deep breath, relief flooding him so fast that he nearly dropped to the floor beside you. Instead, he crouched, placing a gentle hand on your knee.

“There you are,” he murmured, voice softer than usual. “You okay, baby?”

Your eyes lit up the second you saw him, your grin widening. “Bo! I was just thinking about you!”

His brows furrowed, still searching your face for any signs of distress. “Yeah?”

“Mhm.” You nodded, lifting a wobbly finger to poke his cheek. “I was wondering where you went.”

Bokuto huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “I was looking for you, babe. You kinda disappeared on me.”

You blinked, like the thought had never even occurred to you. “Oh.” Then you giggled. “Oops.”

Bokuto sighed, running a hand through his hair. You were clearly very drunk, and as much as he wanted to scold you for wandering off, he couldn’t bring himself to. Not when you were looking at him like he hung the moon.

Instead, he leaned in, pressing his forehead to yours with a dramatic pout. “You worried me, y’know.”

You reached up, tracing the furrow between his brows with your thumb. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know,” he murmured, closing his eyes for a second before pulling back. “Guess I’ll just have to keep an extra close eye on you now.”

Before you could ask what he meant, he suddenly scooped you up in his arms, standing to his full height with ease.

You gasped, arms wrapping around his neck instinctively. “Bo!”

He grinned down at you, any remaining worry melting into mischief. “Since you had me running around looking for you, I think it’s only fair that you pay me back…”

You raised a brow. “And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

Bokuto’s grin widened as he started walking—straight toward the center of the dance floor.

“By dancing with me, of course!”

Before you could protest, he spun you effortlessly, earning a squeal of laughter as he twirled you under the flashing lights. The music thumped around you, the party roaring back to life, but all you could focus on was the way Bokuto’s arms tightened around you, his eyes bright and full of love.

Maybe you had gotten lost, but somehow, you always ended up right where you belonged.

Tsukishima didn’t love parties. Too loud, too crowded, too many people acting like idiots. But he could tolerate them—for you.

He had been keeping an eye on you from across the room, letting you do your thing while he leaned against the wall, nursing his drink. But when he glanced over and saw you stiffen, your expression shifting from tipsy amusement to discomfort, his blood ran cold.

Some guy—some idiot—was way too close, leaning into your space, his hand hovering near your waist like he had any right to be there.

Tsukishima’s grip on his drink tightened. Seriously? He was right there, and this guy still had the nerve?

Annoyance flickered into something sharper, something dangerous as he pushed off the wall, making his way through the crowd with slow, deliberate steps.

He didn’t say anything at first—just slipped an arm around your shoulders, tugging you firmly into his side. His touch was casual, but his grip? Solid. Protective.

“Hey, babe,” he drawled, shooting the creep a deadpan look. “There you are. You ready to go?”

You blinked up at him, relief flashing in your eyes as you quickly caught on. “Y-Yeah.” You leaned into him, and he could feel how tense you were.

The guy had the audacity to scoff. “Oh, this is your boyfriend?” He let out a mocking laugh, clearly unimpressed. “Didn’t think you’d go for the quiet, moody type.”

Tsukishima’s golden eyes narrowed, his jaw ticking. He tilted his head slightly, feigning disinterest, but his next words came out cold, sharp as glass.

“And I didn’t think you’d be so desperate that you have to corner drunk girls at parties. Guess we’re both full of surprises.”

The guy’s smirk faltered. “What did you just say—”

Tsukishima didn’t even let him finish. He just arched a brow, looking bored. “You heard me. And unless you want me to embarrass you even more in front of everyone, I suggest you walk away.”

A tense beat passed, but then—like the pathetic coward he was—the guy scoffed, muttered something under his breath, and slinked off.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, already turning his attention back to you. “Come on,” he murmured, steering you toward the back door. “You need air.”

—

The night was cooler outside, the music inside muffled by the closed door. You exhaled shakily, still coming down from the adrenaline.

Tsukishima didn’t say anything—just shrugged off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders before leaning against the railing beside you.

You glanced at him, surprised by the quiet gesture. “…Thanks, Kei.”

He scoffed, looking away like it was no big deal. “Don’t mention it.”

Silence settled between you, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt… grounding. His presence alone was enough to calm the lingering unease in your chest.

After a moment, you leaned your head against his shoulder. He stiffened for half a second before sighing and relaxing into it, letting you stay close.

“You okay?” he murmured.

You nodded. “Better now.”

He hummed, his fingers brushing against yours before—very casually—he intertwined them.

“You really put yourself in the dumbest situations,” he muttered, his tone teasing but laced with something softer.

You smiled, squeezing his hand. “Good thing I’ve got you, huh?”

He rolled his eyes, but you didn’t miss the way his thumb absentmindedly traced over your knuckles, keeping you right where he wanted you—close.

Always close.

---

© 히니피앙★★★★★ | do not edit and/or crop logo

it's always the dance racha fics that get me crying in early mornings LIKE SGKEGSKWG

corona borealis, lfx

✧ genre/tw rambly soul-crushing fluff, one sweet kiss!!, lovely as a pet-name, felix being an undeniably sweet bf like always and hearing a bedtime story <3 , largely unedited.

✧ w/c 952 <3

✧ a/n definitely not brought on by asea felix are you kidding... he's so lovely i just had to dawdle on about it somewhere so here you go! also, the thought of telling lix a bedtime story makes me wanna cry i hope i'm not alone. mwah!!

His arm is hot around you, keeping you safe from the scary silhouettes the shadows bring, and the night is breathing. A group of you had come to this little campground for a night away from the city lights, and while the two of you are alone you can still hear the rest of the boy’s nighttime sounds mixing in with crickets and critters. 

Your boyfriend stands beside you, listening intently as you tell him stories of the stars. Usually, these tales come from the comfort of your bed–rustling under covers and speaking into his mouth, sharing breath and love until you fall asleep, tracing false shapes in the plastic stars adorning your ceiling. But tonight, under the cover of a too cold darkness you tell him his bedtime stories beneath the sky. 

His face is tilted up, looking to see where your fingers are pointing, and the soft glint in his midnight eyes makes you pause. You’ve never known someone who looked so alive, someone with a sun for a soul. Felix has the brightest smile you’ve ever seen, alight with joy and senseless mischief–eyes wide with wonder at the constellations rising above him. 

Looking at him is dizzying; that feeling when you put your arms out and spin so fast you fall, a carousel going so round and round. You feel like flying, rising up like the moment Icarus’ wings took him up and away. 

Sometimes you wonder if it’s normal to feel like this… if everyone in love feels as though they are the creator, the inventor of such depraved desire and compassion for another. Surely, you must be the first–no one else had felt Felix’s fingertips on their skin or his lips sweetly drinking them in. How could someone say they’ve encountered a deeper love than this when your sweetheart is the embodiment of love, Venus as a boy. 

He turns to you in your moment of hesitation, smiling at you with all the care in the world. He loves you endlessly, burns for you and the soft caress of your affection. You can tell he doesn’t know why you stopped speaking, but he’s happy just the same–sharing your space and time, living in this moment with you. He remembers the first time you told him a story, speaking the words softly, he thinks he fell in love right there. 

“What’s that one?” he asks, catching your still raised hand in his own. 

“Oh, it's a crown, see?” you can see his eyes tracing the points, finding the shape that connects the points together. “It’s Ariadne’s wedding tiara, she was a princess of Crete who helped Theseus slay her brother the Minotaur Asterion. After they escaped the labyrinth, the prince left her on the Island of Naxos where she was found by Dionysus,” 

“He left her there?!” he gasps, your sweet boy forever confused by ill intentions, even in a story. 

“Yeah, he’s so lame, right? Anyway, after the God finds her on his island they fall in love and eventually marry… the crown was her wedding present, and after she died Dionysus flung it into the sky to honor her.”

Felix is quiet for a long time after this, inhaling the story with all the deference you deserve. After every narrative he takes his time to think about how he feels about it: the first time you finished a movie with him and he was quiet for fifteen minutes before he told you he liked it, he is like that now. Quietly staring at the sky, not ignoring you for his hand still made its path up and down your arm and you know if you called his name he’d answer, but you don’t want to interrupt his silent seeking. 

His life is noisy, spirited, and wonderful in all the ways a beautiful boy like him creates, your infatuation came in chaos–in mindless chatter and kitchen counter dance parties, but you fell in love in silence. In the moments when the world was quiet and all you could hear was his heartbeat, the drawling intake of his lungs filling and releasing. You adore his voice, but just existing with him, sharing the same air would be lovely enough for a lifetime. 

Finally, after minutes of staring ahead, he speaks–softly but with no less intensity, 

“If something were to happen to you I would make you into a constellation.” 

His eyes, bright with longing stare into yours, and you know he’s not being funny. He means it with all of him, means it with every atom of his being. 

Shocked and in love with him you laugh, bursting with fondness never hidden. “I love you too,” you say, for you know that's what he means. A love that spills from his veins whenever he thinks of you, so massive and consuming that the words aren’t enough. “I’d make a constellation for you too, it’d be the prettiest one in the whole sky.” 

When he moves closer to you, you can feel the smile radiating on his shadowed face–sweeping his grin over the plane of your cheekbones. Scorching your skin where his lips touch, a traveling forest fire of kisses. When his journey ends, sliding his mouth over yours the flames grow, getting taller and taller as his caress goes deeper. 

The night is chilly, but there is no need for a coat when his arms are around you–sweeping you into his embrace with only the stars to watch. 

“Lets go to bed, lovely” he muttered, breathing through open-mouthed kisses and shared smiles. Leading you to where your tent lies, to where stories and sleep await you–love and life and dreams filled with him, your constellation of a boy. 

© LUVTAK 2024

---

HIOOOOOOO it's a need to have a jungwon atp man I hate y'all why am I reading this at 3am

⌗ attractive things jungwon does ⨾

includes: fluff, kisses

wc: 0.6k

a/n: just me ranting abt him bc I love him

whispers in your ear

He does this alllllll the time.

If it’s a crowded place, or your attention isn’t on him

He leans in

OR

He grabs your face.

once his voice fills your ears your attention is just tuned in on him

he knows how you get flustered so he might just do it for funzies

“y/n~” “yes won?” “hi baby.”

You’re over here just blushing and he’s

‘:3’

flexes his arms (FORRR NOOO REASON. he’s a menace)

Usually your bf dresses cute and cuddly

Always wearing the comfortable baggy clothes

this man’s duality I swear.

But once in a while, when it’s maybe either starting to get warm or he just feels like it

He wears tanks top or just shirts that show off his arms

Just to laze around the dorm yk?

WRONG

Now he mostly puts them on because HE LOVES LOVES your reaction

Like you can be sitting on the couch waiting for him, or in his room

And he’ll just walk in

arms all out, no clothing covering them

And your eyes just go 0_0

“what’s wrong?”

“you’re wrong.”

You just can’t comprehend how your cute cat like boyfriend is flaunting his toned arms

When he sits next to you trying to watch a movie your just watching him

You gets SO HANDSY and he’s living for it

‘Cue his cheeky little smile’

When your hands are feeling his arms he likes to flex them

“No tank tops outside the dorms.” You mumble and he grins

“Yoiiii~”

NECK. KISSES. (I will not stress this enough.)

HE LOVE LOVE LOVESS greeting you like this

If he’s coming from behind you then he’ll just wrap his arms around you

and place cute tiny pecks on your neck

Mumbling a small hi against it to

Or even if you’re just greeting him with a hug

He always makes sure to lean down and place a peck on the nape of your neck

when he gets serious (aka leader mode)

HE’LL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU TELL HIM HE LOOKS HOT WHEN HE’S SERIOUS

“So you want me to be mad at you?”

confused won (・・?)

At first he doesn’t believe you when you tell him

But then he catches you staring at him and you’re just

❤️👄❤️

Literally is just like “she wasn’t lying…”

SOMETIMES HE TRIES TO ACT SERIOUS OR ACT MAD

but he looks so adorable, just pouting

So you explain to him again that it just has to be when he has to be serious not forcing it

WHICH MAKES HIM MORE CONFUSED

when he gets jealous 🌚

HES YET TO KNOW THIS-

but golly- the way he gets so touchy and petty makes your stomach do backflips

Like if someone is staring at you in a way your beautiful bf doesn’t approve

He’s blocking their vision and is just glaring at them

Which leads you to before, he looks so hot when he’s mad

But it doesn’t stop there

He’s wrapping his arms around your waist and bringing you close to him

You’re just trying to pick a cereal and then you’re just met with his chest against your back

“You ok woni?”

He doesn’t answer, just resting his chin on your shoulder

When you guys get home though he rants about it

“I like when you get protective over me, shows me that you really like me.” You confess and he’s BLUSHINGGG

“Well duh.”

going to you when he’s stressed

He could be having a terrible a stressful day

He’s doing all of these showcases and fan events

Even though he loves engene

It just gets overwhelming for him

So when he comes home he always drops his stuff, taking off his shoes

Immediately calls for you

When he finds you in his room on his bed

He quickly lays on you

Wrapping his arms around you

Shoving his face in your neck

Will practically fall asleep when your hands meet his hair

“Long day?” And he just nods

He loves when you praise him

Even though he gets it a lot

Hearing he’s a good leader and he’s so strong from you matters the most to him

“Wanna eat?” But he shakes his head

“I just want you.”

Literally melting omf-

© 2023 aakomii — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REFRAIN FROM PLAGIARIZING, SHARING MY WORK ON OTHER PLATFORMS

OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO CUTEEE 😭🫶

WE NEED PART 2 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

THE WEDDING DUTIES — P.JS

SYNOPSIS: Reuniting with your sworn enemy after years of no contact was an interesting experience to say the least. Despite having not seen each other for ages, the undeniable tension between you and him was the same, palpable. It didn’t help that you and him were now forced to spend time together thanks to a wedding and completing wedding duties with each other. As people would say, forced proximity and a single bed was the solution to it, and boy it was. Two weeks in Greece and a whole lot of pre wedding activities was about to turn an old rivalry into something else, love.

PAIRINGS: best man!jay x maid of honour!afab!reader

GENRE: frenemies to lovers, he fell first but she fell harder, forced proximity, romance, fluff, angst, secret pining, slow burn

WARNING(S): drinking, parties, profanities, slight violence, mentions/hints of cheating, miscommunication, a pinch of suggestiveness

WC: 21k

AUTHOR'S NOTE: hope you all enjoy this one! i personally loved writing it and it might've taken a while but i'm glad it's here! please leave a feedback and reblogs are greatly appreciated! muah xx

masterlist | © jaylver 2024 all rights reserved

‘Hate’ might be a strong word, one that was cruel and brutal that your mother taught you to not use. But, how could you not when you had a constant reminder plastered in front of your face. There were no other feelings for him except hatred that measured the exact way you felt for the man who constantly haunted you. Worst of all, you’re letting a man with a typical frat name do that to you.

Growing up, you always had a man devoted to you. Cute, wasn’t it? It was particularly fun when he was specifically committed to praying for your downfall at any given chance.

Park Jong Seong.

That name and the person who carried it was the literal devil reincarnate. Well, at least to you. To most, Jay was a sweetheart, the golden boy of the area who charmed the hearts of women of all ages. Thanks to his pretty face and sweet smile, he easily swooned people and that included your family. Not you though, it could never be you. That facade would never, ever fool you.

He has been your neighbour ever since you were a kid. The boy who moved in next door that was forced to play with you from time to time. Play dates with him weren't your favourite, and neither was it for him. To say you two got off on the wrong foot was an understatement. 

What could possibly make you hate him for all these years? Where to start? 

He was mildly tolerable as a kid, but once he grew into a teen, God, you swore you hated teen boys and you stood by it. When Jay knew that he was a hot, smart and attractive boy, he managed to utilise it, and what better way to do so than torturing you with it. 

Out of the many things he could pull, he decided to date your then best friend, believe it or not. The worst part of all, he ruined the friendship between you and your ex best friend because of it. What happened to bros before hoes? Anyway, you were determined to not be stepped over by the idiotic Park Jong Seong, so you went and dated his best friend too. Sweet, sweet revenge. Best of yet, there was nothing he could do but silently curse you behind your back.

Or that other time he crashed your beach date and he cockblocked your chance with his handsome best friend, Sunghoon. Asshole. Oh yeah! Let's not forget the fact that he would tease and laugh at you for coming in second every semester. Golden boy Jay and his first place was the death of you. 

All in all, you didn’t have a great time with him and you surely weren’t anywhere close to being friends with him. Absolutely not. 

The only good part was that once you finished high school and moved out of your town, you didn’t see him anymore, only hearing brief mentions from your mutual friends who you still kept in contact with. There was one time where you saw a picture of him posted on Instagram and you’ve never gone back since, because no matter how you hate to admit it, he was a guilty pleasure. 

You thought your supposedly everlasting peace wouldn’t be affected, yet, you were wrong. 

The news of your cousin, Chaewon, getting engaged had taken you by complete surprise. It was no secret that she was in a long term relationship with one of your good friends, Heeseung, but the whole engagement came out of the blue and it had taken everyone aback, including her. It might’ve been unexpected but you knew it would come soon.  

Of course Chaewon was overjoyed. She was already pulling you with her to plan the wedding and even picking out little things. 

“You’re going to be my maid of honour,” she said so nonchalantly that she didn’t even notice you freezing in shock next to her.

“Really?”

She turned to face you, a smile wide enough to split her jaw open. Was this an effect of getting married? “Yes, Y/N, I’m sure. You’re like a sister to me all my life, there’s no one else I’d like to be my maid of honour other than you,”

The conversation definitely ended with tears streaming down each of your face, sobbing sappily as you spoke about your childhood memories together. But before any wedding plans ensued, it absolutely wouldn’t be them to not throw an engagement party first, so of course, they did exactly that.

The evening at their place started off well. They had a catering service and the house was decorated for the occasion. There was already a small crowd of friends and family, some of which you recognized. It didn’t take you long to realise that you had to buckle in for the night after you saw Heeseung’s friends walk through the door, ones that you knew and particularly the guy you’ve dreaded.

“You good?” Yujin, your long time best friend who was practically family, walked up to you, snapping her fingers to get you out of your trance. 

“Oh—I’m alright, I think?”

“You think?” she sighed, following your sight that was trained on a group of guys. “Is it because of Jay?”

You snapped your head to look at her, baffled at the mention of his name. “No,”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes’,” she hummed, joining you in leaning her back against the wall in the corner of the room. “You haven’t seen him in years,”

“And neither has he,” you noted thoughtfully, unaware how he looked like currently. The pictures online weren't enough, you needed to see him physically. Well, he was there, but you weren’t exactly thrilled to see him either. 

“You reckon there’s still something going between you guys after all these years?”

You tilted your head to the side, puzzled. “What ‘something’ is there even between us?”

“The whole ‘I hate you, you hate me’ thing! Like, come on, just admit you want to fuck each other—”

“Shut up, oh my God!” You exclaimed, though laughing out of disbelief. You? Fucking Jay? You just bursted out laughing. “There's no way that's happening,”

She eyed you doubtfully, shrugging. “Who knows?”

“What I know is that's so not happening,”

“I'm not saying anything,”

“Hey!”

“Ladies,”

That voice. 

You slowly turned your gaze away from Yujin, clearly panicked and dreadful. The one person you wished to meet last for the night happened to be there in flesh, in front of you. The epitome of your nightmare, the devil in disguise, he was actually there. Plus, since when was he ever so initiative in finding you?

“Jay,” Yujin acknowledged the moment you stood face to face with him. All you could think of in your head of how shamelessly you're checking him out.

Over the years of not seeing him, he has really changed. Toned and buffed, the button up he was wearing hugged him at the right places. His long legs complimented his tall frame, face seemingly more matured and handsome. Did law school do this to him?

“Yujin,” he replied before his gaze flickered over to yours, suddenly plastered on a cheshire grin. “Y/N,”

Rather begrudgingly and stoically, you replied. “Jay,”

Yujin glanced between you and him, taking the cue to escape the tension before it heightened. “I'll go catch up with the rest of the guys. Talk to you later!”

Great. Now you're stuck with him. Yuck.

“So, how’s life?” 

You raised a questioning brow, face scrunched up in disdain. Him, on the other hand, was nonchalant and carried himself coolly. “It’s a little out of your character to be this friendly to me,” 

“I’m trying to be civil here,” he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, dark hair falling over his face casually.

“Well, the last time I checked, I don’t think we’re exactly friends, aren’t we?”

“Touche,” he considered, keeping a strong eye contact with you, his smirk never faltering once. “But now that they’re both getting married, I think we have no choice but to tolerate one another to have this go successfully, eh?” 

“Whatever you say,” you mumbled half-heartedly, thinking about Chaewon and for her sake, you’d have to put up with this bastard. 

“I mean, you’re the maid of honour and I’m the best man, crazy isn’t it?”

“You’re Heeseung’s best man?”

“The one and only,” he smiled triumphantly, and you mentally knocked yourself on the head. How did you not expect this earlier? 

“Guess I really am stuck with you,” you mumbled under your breath, seeing the smirk still not wiped off Jay’s face.

“Can’t wait, angel,”

Before the conversation could go any further, the shouts of his friends from across the room snatched the attention of you two. They were calling Jay over to join them in on some drinks, signalling obviously with the bottles and cups in their hands. “I think they’re calling me over—” he turned his head away from them and back to you, eyebrows raised. “It was nice catching up. I’ll see you around,” He winked right after he finished his sentence and left, reminding you of his regular behaviour. Flirty and always an asshole. 

The exchange you had with him definitely gave you a whiplash. No way was that the same Jay who you called insufferable and annoying. Was he actually being normal for once? You believed everyone has their own character development, but to think Jay had one too was a little shocking. 

Maybe it was for the better, which meant you could finally admit he’s hot now—wait what. Forget whatever you’ve just said. What you really meant was you could talk to him like a decent being now … right?

“That was a short talk,” Yujin sidled up next to you almost on cue. 

“I don’t think there’s much to really talk about anyway,” you accepted the cup of drink from her.

“Oh, don’t be too harsh! He’s trying, so maybe you should too,” 

You gave it a thought, sipping wordlessly. “Hm, maybe I should,”

“Definitely,” she nodded in heavy agreement, eyes straying to the door and her face contorted in horror. You noticed it at once, wanting to see what she had seen too but before you could do so, she spun you around and away from facing the door.

“What?” you demanded, unnerved by the sudden twist in the air. “Hey, you’re scaring me—”

“Just don’t turn around…please,”

“Why?” you pressed on, impatience and curiosity creeping up on you. “Is there something wrong?”

She made a face. “Well—kinda—wait—”

You spun around and ignored Yujin’s flailing arms. At first, you didn’t understand what the problem was and why Yujin was making such a big deal, but once you saw what she was trying so hard to stop you from seeing, you finally understood.

Choi Yeonjun. 

He was standing there in all his glory, having the guts to even show up. You couldn’t even blame Heeseung for making him a part of the guest list though, they’ve been friends before you and Yeonjun dated. Key word, ‘dated’, past tense. 

Horrible breakup that ended in tears and hatred was the only thing that reminded you of him. Five years down the drain, you wished you were kidding. Everyone had thought he would be your forever, but you suppose that jinxed it and made him leave you with no explanation. 

Overnight, he had packed his bags without leaving a trace behind and next thing you knew, he was off boarding a plane to somewhere far away from you. The most ridiculous part of everything was the fact that you only found his whereabouts days after through a friend. That definitely has you crying out of pity for yourself. 

Did he cheat? Did he hate you? Was he hiding something? Questions and questions piled upon another but no answer was given.

It took years after for you to fully move on, though having zero closure, but what could you do anyway? That didn’t excuse your spite and grudge that was still present. 

“Oh,” 

The air had still, everyone that knew the history behind you two was shifting around awkwardly, eyeing between you and your ex. Kill you now.

“Want more whiskey?”

“No, if I get any more drunk, I’ll start a fight,” you shook your head, pursing your lips, turning away from the sight of Yeonjun. “I need some fresh air,”

You didn’t give any more time for Yujin to respond, mainly because you genuinely felt yourself almost doubling over and crying, but you didn’t, obviously. 

Storming out into the backyard, you hoped nobody saw you on the edge of panic. You weren’t as prepared as you thought you would be to see your ex again. Yes, you figured he was coming, but to see him in front of your eyes, that was a whole different baggage of emotions and thoughts.

You heard the glass door sliding, quiet footsteps approaching, it got you out of your trance and turning to see who it was.

“Y/N?”

By now, you had a feeling you’ve turned as pale as a blank sheet of paper. The horror you were experiencing at the moment was indescribable. What and why was your ex doing there?

Seeing him up close, looking very real and not a ghost, completely frightened you. He was glowing, in a way that one has after being gone for a long while, like a glow up that many had away from home. Right, he was different, someone you’ve deemed unfamiliar. All of that only made you want to throw up in anxiety. 

You were silent, mostly in shock and not knowing what to say, which only made Yeonjun widen his eyes in alarm.

“C–can you say something?”

No, you couldn’t. In fact, if you were to speak right now, curses and horrible things and probably overdue screaming with some crying would pour out. So, nope, you’re going to be silent.

“I’m sorry,”

He’s sorry? Wow.

You could only shake your head, opening your mouth to breathe deep so that you wouldn’t combust at any second. Holding up your hand, you wished he took this as a sign to stop and leave, but you guessed that he couldn’t take social cues in the end.

“Just say something, please—”

“Hey dude! Heeseung’s searching for you,”

Here comes another one of your nightmares, but surprisingly, you were actually glad to see him now. 

Jay had stepped out from the inside, hand still holding the sliding glass door, a nonchalant expression on his face as he scanned the scene before him. You, looking sick as ever; Yeonjun equally looking not good. 

“Really? Alright then,” Yeonjun croaked out, wiping his hands on the sides of his pants. Sparing you one last look, he walked towards Jay, nodding at him before disappearing past the threshold of the sliding glass doors.

You let out a breath of relief once your ex was out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind. 

“You good?”

You looked at Jay, forgetting his existence for a minute. “Not really,”

“He’s a douche, isn’t he?”

“You’ve probably heard what happened already, didn’t you?”

“I did—”

“Well, I’m embarrassed,” you rubbed the sides of your forehead, chewing at the insides of your mouth. Can you be swallowed up now?

“As much as I want to say something stupid right now, I can’t bring myself to, because it’s true that you didn’t deserve it,” he sighed, taking a seat on one of the lounging couches.  

Okay … maybe he was an actual changed man. Shocking.

You approached him slowly, taking a seat opposite him. From that angle, you could clearly see him and how he has changed. He got taller, leaner and definitely bulkier, it was a subtle but noticeable change. Other than that, his fashion sense improved, face maturing into a more sharper look, but he still carried a certain gentleness.

“Thanks,” you muttered, kicking your feet to distract yourself from his burning gaze. “I thought you’ll laugh at me or something,”

“Okay, I’m not that cruel,” 

“Really? Coming from the same guy that dated my best friend, who became my ex best friend,”

“You dated my best friend too! And you tried getting with Sunghoon,” he grumbled, murmuring the last part, knowing damn well Sunghoon was inside laughing over a fresh glass of wine.

“I would still get with him,”

“No you won’t,”

What was his problem?

“Why not? He’s hot,”

“I’m hot,” he blurted out, puffing his chest out in confidence. This was the same Jay that you’ve remembered. “And I don’t see you lusting over me,”

“First, not ‘lusting’,” you scrunch your face in distaste of the word, “second, you’re … you? Third, what’s so wrong with Sunghoon?”

“Well—he—he’s Sunghoon, and he’s a known player,” Jay pursed his lips, crossing his arms. “I don’t think you two will get along,”

“We’re friends,”

“As a couple,”

“How about as fuck buddies?”

“Nope,” 

“You’re weird,”

“Whatever,”

You broke out into a smile, shaking your head at his antics. If you told the younger you that you were conversing with Jay without ripping each others’ throats, you would’ve laughed. You didn’t expect yourself to laugh because of him, most of the time you were laughing at him. 

“Should we head in? They’re announcing it soon and doing their speech,” you suggested, looking over his shoulders.

“You’re right,”

“You’re agreeing with me? Aw,” 

“Shut up,” he stood up, but he didn’t leave, instead he waited for you to stand up as well before walking in together. “I guess the next time we’ll see each other is during the fitting,”

“I guess it is,” you nodded slowly, trying to remember the date of the fitting that your cousin had once mentioned. “Unless you’re intending that we’ll meet elsewhere?”

“You wish,” he said snarkily. “You’ll miss me, won’t you?”

“You wish,” you repeated his exact words in mockery, smiling sarcastically at him.

He shrugged, a lazy smirk forming on his lips. “Maybe I do.” 

The words didn’t fully process in your mind, but he was already off to join his friends before you realised. Did he just—what? You were going insane. 

Maybe the hatred from over the years was slowly but surely dissipating because how and why in hell was Park Jong Seong tolerable? How did you find yourself not exploding in his presence? Character growth was what you two needed after all.

Probably also a secret hook up.

Just as you’ve thought, the next time you saw Jay was exactly as he had said: the fitting. 

Except, you were screaming internally. Why? You were literally stuck with Jay and the two lovebirds. You didn’t expect receiving the news of doing the fitting with them and Jay alone, thinking it was a group thing with the other bridesmaids. No, in fact, they wanted it to be a maid of honour and best man special. Just great.

The boutique was fancy, like very. Serving champagne and having two floors with marble tiles, the inside already smelt more expensive than it let alone looked. Heeseung must’ve been doing well after taking over his father’s place in the company.

“Alright, first, I’ve already narrowed down some looks, but I have a specific dress that I chose which I think it’ll look really good on you,” Chaewon practically squealed, grabbing your shoulders with pure excitement in her eyes. You were about to be her barbie doll for hours. “I think it’ll match Jay’s suit too,”

She’s making you and Jay match?

“Nice, haha …” you gulped, masking your negative approach, not wanting to irk Chaewon when this meant a lot to her. But matching with Jay? Him? You knew you were being overdramatic but how could you not when it was him. However, you understood Chaewon’s need for matching aesthetics.

“I’m sure it’s going to look amazing on you!” she said excitedly. “The changing rooms are upstairs, you can go with Jay first since Heeseung and I need to settle something, so wait for us, okay?”

“Sure,” you nodded rather stiffly, leaving Chaewon to join the staff and Jay’s side. 

“It’s you again,” he greeted you, eyeing you with an odd look on his face. How friendly. 

“Yes, it’s me again, and I should be the one saying the same to you. Unfortunately, you’ll also be seeing me for months,” you hissed, following the staff up the fancy marble steps, letting Jay walk closely next to you. “Even in Greece,” you grumbled under your breath.

Mykonos, Greece. The destination you’ll be in half a year’s time, enjoying the wedding and basking in the prettiness of the island. It wasn’t entirely surprising for Chaewon to choose Greece as her wedding destination, it has been in her mood board for almost years. Although it might’ve been expensive, you were just glad it wasn’t in some shady area downtown. 

“Isn’t it amazing to be in the same space as I am?” 

“Please, you’re hugely insufferable,” you put your hand out, pulling a disgusted expression as a reaction.

“I just have personality! You won’t get it,” he slyly took a dig at you, letting you digest it and realised what he meant but by the time you wanted to reply, the staff stopped and turned around.

“The changing rooms there—” she pointed over to a large area with cushioned chairs and mirrors, two separate curtains for each changing place, a cover bag hung on the walls of each changing area, “already have your outfits which the couple hand picked. So please, help yourself out. There’ll be staffs waiting outside if you need any help,”

You and Jay casted a brief glance at each other before nodding, awkwardly shuffling towards the changing area. The last sight before drawing your curtains closed was Jay’s back, broad and exposed since he momentarily forgot to close his. Shutting out the image of that was hard as you got the dress on, not even able to pay attention until you saw your reflection in the mirror. It was a simple silky pink dress, one that was in Chaewon’s favourite shade and the specific cut that hugged your body tightly. 

The voices of Heeseung and Chaewon were heard from the other side of the curtains, which meant they were finally here to make their judgements. You revealed yourself, stepping out with an awkward laugh. “What do you think?”

“It’s so pretty,” Chaewon gushed, spinning you around, scanning your body. “You’re so pretty, Y/ N.”

“I’ll blush,”

Chaewon rolled her eyes at your sarcasm. “Hey, where’s Jay? We need to see the matching outfit!”

“Here,” he pulled the curtains open a little too dramatically at the mention of his name, smoothing the fronts of his suit. He was dressed in a dark coloured suit, a silk pink tie paired to match you.

“You guys are just too cute together,” Chaewon pushed you gently closer to Jay, staring between you and him in awe. Unbeknownst to her, you and Jay were groaning internally, glaring daggers at each other. 

Your cousin who didn’t go to the same high school as you did with Jay was absolutely oblivious to the history you two have, and you were sure Heeseung didn’t tell her either. That sick bastard probably enjoyed you and Jay suffering together, didn’t he?

“It’s so perfect,” Chaewon sighed dreamily, suddenly emotional as she leaned on her fiance. “I love you guys,”

“Babe, it’s too early to be this emotional,” Heeseung gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. 

“You’re right, oh my God,” she laughed, followed by you and the others’ chuckles. “Now that I know you two look absolutely perfect, Heeseung and I are going to confirm it with the staffs and settle some little things, so just take your time and change, then we’ll go for lunch,”

“Sounds good,” you took a step away from Jay, rubbing your cousin’s back in assurance. 

“Don’t do anything weird,” Chaewon whispered into your ear, eyeing Jay as she spoke, hoping you got the hint she was trying to convey. 

No way.

“We’re not fucking, okay?”

“Are you sure? I’m sensing something there,”

“There’s nothing to sense because we’re not into each other. At all,”

“Sure, whatever you say,” she winked at you, patting your butt with a sneaky smirk, then left with Heeseung, which meant you’re with Jay again.

“This tie is pretty cute, isn’t it?” he suddenly spoke out of nowhere, toying his tie with a slight pout. 

“That’s really random, but yes,”

He glanced up from his tie, meeting your gaze with an unreadable expression. His eyes were narrowed, travelling up and down your body, jaws clenched. It seemed that thoughts were conquering his mind, and you, on the other hand, read him like a book. He’s a man after all. They’re all alike. 

A small conniving smirk on your face as you approached him, never breaking eye contact once. Hands behind your back, chest pushed out, revealing your cleavage a little more, all while you bat your eyelashes innocently at him, only a few inches in between.  

“How do I look?”

There was an audible gulp from him. It was a blessing that there weren't any staff around, or else you would have suffered from embarrassment that nothing could get you back from. 

“Nice,” Jay practically gritted out, heaving a big breath in.

“Just … nice?”

His eyes flitted between you and your chest, gaze flickering and composure weakening. “Fantastic, pretty, gorgeous,”

He was so easy to read and play with. 

You stepped away from him, laughing under your breath, a gleeful grin that irked Jay, who knew it was just one of your schemes. But it was too late to come back from, how could he when you looked like that? As much as he hated it, you were stunning, and he was aware of every part of it.

“Thank you,” you smiled evilly, only getting a look of annoyance and an irritated eye roll from Jay. 

Turning around, you walked towards the changing area, hearing footsteps behind you, which also meant Jay was following you. Before you disappeared behind the curtains, you wanted to set his buttons off just one more time. 

“Are my nipples showing?” 

Jay did not expect that. However, this time he was smarter and sharper, so no, he wasn’t about to fall for one of your tricks. Keeping his stare straight ahead at you, he shrugged.

“Are you somehow forgetting that I happen to be—I don’t know—a man?”

“What’s wrong with nipples?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged, an irritated look on his face. “I'm just not falling into the grave you've dug. Nice try, L/N,” he said with a finality before drawing his own curtains shut. 

The sassy men apocalypse was never ending.

The rest of the day was practically spent with the couple, from lunch to dinner, your legs were dying from walking too much. Adding on the fact that you and Jay were stuck as fourth wheelers too. At the end, Heeseung and Chaewon entrusted Jay to drop you off at your apartment, which he surprisingly didn't complain about and you also got the chance to sit in his Mercedes  for the first time.

“You didn't talk about what you're doing now, so what are you doing?” It was most likely the awkward tension that forced you to speak up, but you didn't regret it either, wanting to know more about him. Now, that was development.

Jay glanced at you for a brief second, as if in disbelief that you were the one initiating a peaceful conversation. “I opened a law firm quite recently, that's why I'm back in town. I partnered with Sunghoon,”

“Sunghoon?”

“Yeah, Sunghoon,” he repeated his best friend's name again, a hint of annoyance laced in his voice. “You'll get to see me more often now,”

“And you'll equally see me just as often too,” you bit back. “Maybe I'll even turn up at your office and give Sunghoon a visit,”

“You wound me,” Jay pouted, feigning cries that sounded like choked laughter instead. “I'm here in front of you and you're talking about another man? Wow,”

“You're not just another man like him,” you said, unaware of the meaning behind your words and confusedly seeing the small smirk forming on Jay's lips. 

“Then what about you? What have you been up to?” He strayed back to the subject, waiting for your response.

“Nothing much, I guess? Still the same ol' office work. My boss recently proposed sending me off on a trip to Paris as a way to reward me for being his PA for years,”

“Did you accept it?”

“Does it look like I did?”

“Touche,” he hummed, turning a corner and the familiar roads leading to your apartment came into view. “What made you reject it?”

“Well, everything that's happening right now, I guess? I want to be present. Plus, he told me the offer is still up anytime,”

“Your boss is amazing,” he said in awe. “Maybe I'll go work for him instead,”

“And cause me to deal with you? No thanks,”

“Oh, you love me, admit it,”

“Yeah, sure, I want you and love you—gross—no way,” you laughed, pushing away Jay's body that was leaning towards your side, his eyebrows raised and gaze flickering between you and the road.

Soon, the car ride came to an end once Jay stopped at the front of your apartment complex. It was already dark outside and Jay somehow felt your uneasiness as you unbuckle your seatbelt.

“Do you need me to walk you up?”

“Oh—it's fine, I don't want to bother you further,” you genuinely didn't, internally surprised at his straightforwardness. “Or, do you want to come up?”

“No, no, it's okay,” Jay's eyes widened for a fraction, just as surprised as you were. “You should rest, it's been a long day,”

“Right,” you said slowly, not knowing what else to say or do. “Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it,”

“It's nothing, don't worry,” Suddenly, it felt like high school all over again. The awkwardness and stiffness, you didn't miss those. However, this time around, tolerance was present and you found yourself gradually enjoying his presence. Shocking.

“Night, Jay,”

He smiled, gentleness that you only see from time to time was in his gaze. “Night, Y/N. I'll see you again soon.”

“Look, you need this time off! It's a Saturday night, Y/N,”

“I should be in bed,”

“You should be getting laid,” 

Taking up your friends' invite to the club was probably not the smartest move you've made. Having not been out with them in a long time, you forgot the fact that they were crazy party people. The last time you were out with them was after your break up, and it only ended with you drunk out of your mind, almost turning up at Yeonjun’s house in spite. Now, you were in for a long night.

“Last thing I need is getting laid,”

Your girlfriends, Yujin, Wonyoung and Karina stared at you with doubt in their faces. 

“You need to get that pent up stress fucked out of your system,” Karina teased, nudging your side. 

The other two nodded in shared agreement, obviously entertained. 

“Maybe, maybe not,” you said half-heartedly, swirling your drink with a distracted mind.

Your time in the club wasn't the most eventful. Men trying to flirt with you that you ended up shutting down, some of which took it like a champ while there were ones that acted as if you’ve ended their entire bloodline. Then there were your friends. Karina was busy cosying up to the bartender, the other two wandered off into the crowded dance floor already, so you were alone at the side watching Karina use her usual flirting tricks.

“Didn’t expect seeing you here,”

Turning around on your barstool, you were met with a face that changed a lot since high school.

“Sunghoon?”

The times you’ve spent joking about him to tease Jay somehow manifested him to show up in front of you. You didn’t get the chance to speak to him at the engagement party, unaware that he had changed in some ways physically. He was just as pretty as he was, except more mature and hair dyed in a different shade. Not to mention the way he carried himself with confidence and grace, it definitely had you feeling things you shouldn’t be having, especially when he was standing ever so close to you.

“You’re here alone?”

“Oh, no, I’m here with my friends,” you nodded over at Karina, who was still obviously making a move on the bartender from her touches on his shoulder. “You?”

“I’m here with mine too, you know, the usual bunch,”

“So, Jay, Heeseung and Jake are all here?”

“Heeseung’s staying at home, I suppose getting engaged changed that man in some ways,” Sunghoon snickered, but you only smiled, understanding Chaewon’s reasons for being protective of Heeseung at times. “Do you want to join us?”

“It’s fine, thank you. I don’t want to trouble you guys, I still am on duty to look out for my girls,” you sighed a little, hoping the other two weren't off with some men they just met. “I can buy you a drink though,”

“Nah, it’s no need,” he politely declined, hands slipped into his pants pocket. “I feel like I should be the one offering that,”

You just chuckled, eyes flickering over his shoulder, not expecting them to land on him. Park Jong Seong. He was looking back at you, gaze sharp and eyes narrowed, a frown etched on that pretty face. 

What you hadn’t failed to notice was the girl next to him. She was talking feverishly, trying to grab his slipping attention as he trained his stare on you. Just like Sunghoon, both him and the girl’s voices only faded into the background for you and Jay individually, unable to turn your attention away from each other. 

“You okay?” Sunghoon leaned in closer, waving a hand in front of your face, snapping you back to reality. 

“Huh—I’m fine,” you chuckled nervously, occasionally flickering to Jay’s direction, realising he was no longer staring unabashedly at you, which also made you realise: you were actually craving for his attention? What? 

“Probably a little woozy, is all,” you added, smiling slightly. 

Sunghoon reciprocated your smile, nodding a little. “Take care, then, Y/N. Don’t drink too much and call a cab. Gotta go first, I’ll see you around,” 

“See you,”

Once Sunghoon was gone from your side, you finally had the chance to have some space to breathe and take in whatever that was earlier on. You couldn’t ignore it, how could you? Not when he was staring daggers at the back of his best friend’s head and sending you signals through his eyes, all with a girl next to him, unbelievable. 

His constant appearance was unhealthy for you, and after what he pulled, he was the only thing you could think of, slick bastard. You made sure Chaewon was safe and well before making a bee-line towards the restrooms, having to squeeze through crowds and pass by couples making out, you were about to turn a corner when you felt a hand tugging your wrist. 

One pull was enough for you to stumble over your feet and stumble into someone’s chest, specifically the person who had their hand on you. It was predictable, way too predictable that it was cliche at this point.

“Jay?”

“Oh—Y/N,” 

Why was he acting dumb?

Your eyebrows were raised in question, face pulled into an expression that was screaming ‘what the fuck’, but internally, being this close to him, wasn’t too bad of an idea. You were a hypocrite, and maybe a whore too.

“I saw you just now and I thought I wanted to say hi, you know?” 

“Really?” you stepped back a little, because the closer you were to him, the more insane you were becoming.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, alcohol evident in his breath. “Also saw you with Sunghoon,”

You rolled your eyes, a smirk itching on the way to the corner of your lips. “He was nice,”

“‘Nice’,” he echoed thoughtfully, tongue sweeping over his lips, grabbing your attention almost at once. 

“Are you drunk?”

He shrugged. “Maybe,”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes’,” you sighed, glancing down at his relentless hold, but not complaining either. If he was drunk, surely he was truthful too, right? “Were you jealous?”

He was silent for a second, as if trying to digest your question thoroughly. Without any ounce of hesitation, he answered with his full chest. “Yeah,”

Jay was jealous? Was he just playing with you?

“Don’t like seeing you with Hoon,” he mumbled, leaning more of his weight onto you and you had to press your back against the wall for more support. This position had you dying on the inside. He was close, breath fanning onto your face, his expensive cologne entering your senses. “Want you all to myself,”

“Thought you hated me,” you swallowed down a gasp, whispering out quietly.

“‘Hate’? Maybe mildly intolerable but you’re … you. How could I hate you?”

That was something new. 

You could only blink. He didn’t hate you as much as you had expected? Was there something more to this? Was Jay hiding untold truths that he kept secret? Before you could uncover more, Jake came tumbling around and ripped Jay off you, seemingly much sober than Jay was, a little pissed off as well.

“Motherfucker, you’re here—” he turned, expecting to see some random chick he was huddling up onto, but realisation dawned on his face when it turned out to be you, “—Y/N? Wait—Jay—you—I—” he was lost for words, catching a pair of sworn enemies together almost too scandalously. Oh, for sure he was going to blabber this out. 

“You’re taking him away, right?” you ignored his shock, hoisting Jay into Jake’s arms, prying his hold away, losing the overall warmth emitted from him. 

“Yeah,” he said, uneasy and still mildly surprised. 

“He’s all yours, buddy. He’s a little out of it but still functioning. So, I’ll get going first!”

“How did this—oh—bye!” he couldn’t even finish asking his question when you dashed away into the crowd, leaving a dazed Jay hanging on the side of Jake, where Jake wished Sunghoon hadn’t gone off with some girl now that he needed help.

Now, you need to be drunk and crash into the abyss before you wake up in the morning to overthink about what Jay said. 

Overthinking was definitely what you did the next day. 

Hangover headache and being haunted by Jay's words was not a great combination for your head and you. Maybe you were semi-drunk when you heard it, but what he said did affect you, and in that moment, you wanted to bring him home.

As much as you wanted to avoid him, his presence was simply inevitable. 

Chaewon had sent out an invite to lunch with the bridesmaids, groomsmen and some selected close friends, you and him were involved obviously. You were grateful that Chaewon was making an effort to plan activities together for the months leading up to her wedding, but God, being with Jay was intoxicating.

You were supposed to dislike him. What happened to all the years of hatred and rivalry? Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to feel that way anymore. He had invoked something else in you that you were afraid to admit. A feeling that you were scared to have after your last relationship.

"Hey," you heard someone calling out to you while you were already seated at the long table. You glanced up from your phone to see Jay sliding in from your right onto the seat next to you. 

"Hi," you greeted back, noticing how much more sober and awake he was this time. "Doing okay? Surprised that you didn't fall into a ditch or something,"

"Haha," He let out sarcastically, straightening out his jacket, eyebrows scrunched. "A little tired, that's all,"

The way Jay didn't bring up whatever happened between you and him was weird. Did he remember what he said? Was he pretending to not know?

"You got home late yesterday? Do you remember seeing me at the club?"

He was taking some time to process and rethink back to his night out, then he shrugged. "I think I did? It was kinda hazy. I remembered Jake slapping me awake in my apartment though," he laughed, and you did too, more forcefully, trying to hide the miniscule disappointment that was bubbling internally. "You got home safe, right?" 

"I did," you could still somehow remember Yujin's body falling on top of yours in the taxi, being the only one who's not fully drunk, you cursed your high tolerance.

You were about to reach for your glass when you felt your phone buzz, the screen lighting up just in time to see Yujin's message.

yujin: head's up, asshole's coming

Of course he was. You were glad Heeseung didn't include him in his groomsmen roster considering they were close, but to have his presence around was simply suffocating.

"I'm so fucked,"

"Why?" 

You looked around, noticing familiar faces joining the table. Your friends had arrived too, but they placed their belongings on the seat beside you and left once they saw you with Jay. Whether it was on purpose or not, you didn't know.

"Yeonjun,"

Jay's mouth formed an 'O', nodding slowly. "Why did Heeseung invite him anyway? Me and the guys don't really know him,"

"But Heeseung does. That's how Chaewon and him met. It was through me and Yeonjun," you sighed, shrugging. "What can I do? There's nothing much for me to say or do,"

"You can show him,"

"Show him what?"

"That you're happier,"

"Well, I am," you threw your hands up. "I think?"

"You think?" He chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Just ignore him. You're over him now anyway, don't give him the attention that he wants,"

"You're right, thank you,"

"It's nothing," he smiled, one that was gentle and understanding, a new kind that you've just discovered.

Soon, everyone had arrived, Yeonjun included, who made sure to sit further away from you, and before the lunch started, there was the obligatory speech from the bride and groom to be. 

In the meantime, the table was much smaller than anticipated, everyone was shuffling around, trying to get closer, moving their chair to be closer. So, there you were, sitting closer to Jay with barely some space in between.

You were ignoring him at all cost, especially when he accidentally brushed against you, leaned in too close trying to grab a plate, or when he even poured your drink for you. Nope, you were not falling for him or his tricks.

"Can you get me that bowl over there?" Suddenly, he was whispering by your ear, shooting you his best attempt of pleading eyes as you rolled yours.

"What if I said no?" You teased, hand already reaching for the bowl unknowingly.

"You won't," 

"I hate you," you hated the effect he had on you, or the fact that he was so smug and confident. Gosh, you hate him to the point where it somehow made him tolerable.

"That's kinda hot—thanks," he winked at you as he took the bowl from your hold, unaware of your flushed cheeks. Why were you letting him cause such a reaction from you?

You coughed a little, shaking off his words and pressing your lips into a thin line. "I heard Yunjin's coming to the wedding too," you brought up a mutual friend in order to change the subject away from the current situation, though it was just you that suffered whereas Jay was oblivious.

"Yunjin? That girl from high school?" Jay's eyebrows were furrowed thoughtfully at the mention of the girl. 

"I hope you have the right one in mind, but yes. She's a good friend of Chaewon and I. I thought you knew her?"

"I do, I think? I do remember having a teeny crush on her though," Jay shrugged, stabbing his fork into the salad and bringing it to his mouth. 

You pursed your lips, not knowing what to do with that information. "I kinda get it, she's an all american beauty. Are you going to hit her up at the wedding?"

"I don't know. Haven't seen her in years either. Why? You're trying to set me up? Get me out of your hair?" Jay leaned his body close, his lips curled into a sly smirk that you wished to wipe off his face.

"Just asking! I mean, she's a total catch,"

Jay shook his head softly, returning his attention back to his food with a small smile. "Why would I care about her when I already have a total catch by my side?"

Your head snapped to look at him, but was only met with a completely nonchalant Jay who continued with his meal. Did he seriously say that? And you did hear him correctly enough to know that you weren't mistaken. Wow, the man that you swore was your rival somehow became a mildly tolerable man that flirts with you? Someone wake you up, now!

"I wouldn't mind if you do set me up though," he whispered, earning a loud eye roll from you in return.

The lunch eventually ended with a heartful dessert and a tearful speech from the soon bride and groom. Throughout the meal, you were actively dodging Yeonjun's wishful gazes, moreover praying he would actually disappear instead. You could tell he wanted to approach you after, but for the first time, you were thankful for Jay's annoying presence popping up. 

"Your ex keeps glaring at me like I did something wrong," Jay raised his eyebrows, cocking his head at Yeonjun's direction.

"Don't blame me. I don't know what's his problem either considering he's the one who disappeared," you clicked your tongue, heaving a sigh of exasperation. "I can't believe I not only have to deal with him but also you at the wedding,"

Jay shot you a look, seemingly offended. "Okay, but at least I'm the nicer one between him and I,"

"Define 'nicer'," you started walking and he joined your side, hands shoved into his pants pockets.

"At least I didn't ghost you physically,"

"Alright, low blow. Plus, you're too much of an annoying entity to disappear anyway,"

"Ouch," he placed a hand on his face, feigning a hurt look despite cracking a laugh. "You won't be getting rid of me anytime soon,"

"How fun," you deadpanned, eliciting a small smirk from the latter. 

"Just like old times, eh?" He leaned in close to you, the scent of his cologne wafted into your senses. For a moment there, you thought you were hypnotised, until you came back to reality and gently shoved his face away.

"Hope not, don't want you cock blocking my chances with your friend again,"

It was Jay's turn to groan. "Seriously? Hoon again? Let him go,"

"I'm kidding, partially," you made a face, shrugging playfully. "You're acting like you hate the guy,"

"Whatever," he waved it off, a grumpy frown on his face that made you giggle quietly. "Your friends are waiting—" he nodded at where your friends stood, all of which were waving at you to join them, "—so I guess I'll see you around then, L/N,"

"Until then, Park."

It was unexplainable, but your goodbyes with him were always sincere despite the amount of banter and unseriousness. A part of you wished there was something more that brought you two together other than the wedding itself, but what if the wedding was your chance to create something beyond this push and pull?

You ignored your friends' watchful stares when you approached. They all knew, you knew too, that maybe there was something changing in the dynamics that you built in the past. Maybe it wasn't hate that you feel anymore. 

Who told Chaewon to let Heeseung take charge of the next activity?

Honestly, you were aware of the fact that you were simply unfit. But to combine that and having to be under the hot sun was a killer combo for you and your friends. Were you going to complain to your cousin, however? No. A happy bride-to-be was all you needed to make sure everything went well.

A very classic Heeseung thing to do was to arrange a football match that only he and his friends probably enjoyed. You tried being optimistic by treating it as a new experience only to be humbled by the scorching sun. Well, that totally burnt your expectations away. The only reassurance you had for the day was knowing your ex wasn't there. 

It was automatically split into two teams. Bridesmaids against groomsmen. You didn't know how that was fair but you didn't question it either for the sake of the spirits of a pre wedding game. 

You have never once touched a football in your life, neither did most of your friends, but the moment you met Jay's challenging gaze, you knew you had to turn into prime Messi to attempt at a win. This match was about to be a renaissance of the Ronaldo and Messi rivalry, except a more complicated and dumbed down version.

"Okay girls," you and the rest of the bridesmaids huddled together before the match started, a plan in mind that you knew could be put to play. "Here's what we can do. We might not know how to play football, but we know how to play with men's minds, right?" A hum of agreement passed through the group.

"Pretend you're injured, do whatever you can, get to their minds and distract them, then we can get past their defence easily. Look, I know what you guys can pull, so I trust you. Let's get this win!" 

Manipulation was the key to your success. 

Chaewon casted a small smirk at you, and you smiled innocently back at her before she went to where the referee stood, preparing for kick off. It was between her and Heeseung that would be the first to get possession of the ball. 

It was barely noticeable, but you caught it. Chaewon was slyly flirting with Heeseung, and by the time the whistle blew, Heeseung was a second too late and Chaewon got possession of the ball.

You started running, not knowing where your feet were bringing you, but all you did was train your focus on the ball. It was hard not to panic when the ball landed beneath your feet, and you suddenly grew respect for footballers. 

It didn't last long when the ball was kicked out of your possession by the one and only, Park Jong Seong. Since when was he a pro at defending?

You huffed in indignation as you watched him sprint away with the ball. Oh you were so going to get it back.

You dashed towards him until you reached his side. What was football without playing a little dirty? So, you used your shoulder to bump into him, causing him to lose his footing and giving you an opportunity to win it back and passing it to Yujin. 

"Wow, L/N," Jay exclaimed, giving you a look of either admiration or annoyance. "Who knew you could be this … rough?"

"Shut it, Park," 

He let out a humorous laugh before running off to join the rest of the action. You were clearly dumbfounded but you regained your composure not long after. 

The bridesmaids were getting closer to the groomsmen's goalpost and in a blink of an eye, Yujin made a swift kick to the ball and it hit the back of the net, scoring the bridesmaid team their first goal. Maybe you do get footballers a little more now that you were screaming and joining the girls for a huddle, jumping around like you've already won the entirety of the match.

"Alright, we just need to last another 50 minutes," Yujin quickly chimed in once every one of you calmed down from the high.

Her reminder did eventually bring you back to reality. 

The fifteen minute half time break wasn't much of a help either. By the time you were done catching your breath, the whistle blew and the second half commenced. There wasn't much action at the start considering everyone was getting tired, but when you noticed the groomsmen were picking up and attacking your side of the defence, you knew you had to step up your game.

You realised Jay was the one with the ball, making his way towards the goalpost, and crazily, your first instinct was to attempt a tackle on him. Right, a man who stood at five foot ten was going to be easily tackled by you. Seeing as he didn't budge, you did the second most crazy thing you thought of. You yanked onto him. 

Boy, did that work, maybe a little too well. 

He lost his footing, football rolling to God knows where, falling back in slow motion as he grabbed your arm like it was an opportunity for you to go down with him too. Everything happened at almost the slowest speed possible, your eyes widened, never leaving his panicked gaze as you fell face first onto him. 

Thankfully, you landed on his chest, not anywhere else. The accident itself went unnoticed by everyone else as the groomsmen scored their first goal, too busy basking in the glory to figure out one of them was on the ground, the maid of honour on top of him.

You didn't think it was humanly possible at all. To be on top of him, your chest pressing against his firm, hard—shut up—you meant his much firmer chest, hands grabbing onto his wide shoulders. There was only a minimal distance between your face and his. You could almost count the freckles on his cheeks or feel his breath on your face. Neither of you moved.

"I see you really like it rough, don't you?" Jay was the first to speak up, a smirk creeping up on his sweat stained face.

You blinked, and soon registered everything happening around you. The momentary brain fog wore off and you pushed yourself off of him, breathing deeply and heart beating quickly. Why was your heart beating this fast for him? Was it his eyes that caused your heart to skip a beat? Or was it his smile lines that render you speechless?

You didn't dare to look at him, sitting there rather quietly as you heard him grunt, hoisting himself up into a sitting position. You felt him glancing at you, but you remained passive.

"Is this your first time being on top of a man?"

That was enough to get you to look at him. "What?"

"Nevermind," he mumbled, dusting grass off his front. "Are you okay?"

"Shouldn't I ask you that instead?"

"Oh yeah, considering how you pulled onto me then proceeded to use me as a landing cushion," Jay grumbled, mostly lightheartedly, but you couldn't help feeling guilty.

"Sorry," you winced.

"It's fine. I'm not seriously injured either. You're lucky you're cute,"

"What—"

"Woah, you guys didn't get into a brawl, did you?" Heeseung rushed over just in time to cut your reaction off. You were in a state of mild shock, questioning if your ears had heard that right.

The rest of the game progressed with nothing much and ended in a draw. You ignored the quiet teasings from the other bridesmaids, trying your best to seem casual but it failed the moment Jay approached you.

"Good game," he handed you a bottle of cold water, to which you accepted gladly, secretly surprised at his assertiveness.

"Even after I throttled you?"

He let out a laugh, clearly amused and shaking his head. "Seems like old habits between us never died, huh? Always so competitive,"

"Same goes to you, Park, almost lost an ankle out there,"

"But at least you got to fall onto me, right?"

You scoffed, feeling heat creeping up the back of your neck. "Don't flatter yourself, it was an accident,"

"Mhm," he hummed, the playful smile still present and irking you, but a part of you was thinking how cute he looked. It didn't help that his shirt was stuck against his skin because of the sweat and you could see a faint outline of his abs and muscles. You were just a girl after all. "Didn't hear you complaining when it happened,"

"Okay—"

"Are we the lovebirds here or is it actually you two?" Chaewon swooped in with a big knowing grin, purposely wiggling her eyebrows at you.

"We're not lovebirds," you and Jay answered in unison, then heads snapping to look at each other incredulously.

"You need to stop copying me, it's getting old," you said, causing him to drop his jaw.

"I'm so not copying—"

"Right, right," Chaewon interjected, sparing you from another banter with Jay. "Let's go wash up and grab some food after, shall we?"

"Sounds good," you wrapped your arm around your cousin, staring pointedly at Jay.

"Yeah, it'd be great,"

"Good!" Chaewon exclaimed before either of you could utter another word. "Let's go then."

The food was good, but most importantly, you were fresh and clean. The only problem was the fact you were struggling to eat from the constant eye contact with Jay. He might've been sitting a couple seats away from you, but his eyes would stray to you. 

It was already hard to swallow the day's interaction with him, but to top it off with this was simply overwhelming. What was he doing to you? 

Whatever he was doing, you didn't want him to stop.

Time was passing by too fast. Way too fast. 

Chaewon surely knew how to keep you busy. From planning to activities, you were roped into all of them till the point where you've lost your concept of time. Pottery, painting and baking classes were the most memorable activities you had with the bridesmaids, and there were regular brunches or dinners with the groomsmen. Either way, all of those were soon memories as you currently prepared for your flight to Greece. Two weeks in Greece. Who gave Chaewon the idea of having her bachelorette party there too?

You know what, at least you got the chance to sit in business class. Chaewon, being the person she was, insisted on upgrading every groomsmen and bridesmaids to business class. There were countless arguments and conflict due to the fact that she was shouldering it, but she shut it down immediately. So, what else could you and the others do but listen and accept it gracefully.

It really was a different atmosphere being in business class. You were praying you got the single seat by the window, but with a glance at your ticket, you realised your seat was in the middle where a two seats sat side by side, seperated by a divider. May you get a rich business man that would take you around Greece for free.

"You again?"

Maybe you have to scratch that idea out.

You looked up from your seat, already all settled in, just to meet Jay's unamused gaze. Him again. Chaewon and Heeseung definitely had a thing to do with this whole setup.  

"You?" You eyed him from head to toe, taking in his hoodie clad body and grey sweatpants covered lower half. "What are you doing in my presence?"

"Why, I'm sorry, my majesty. It seems like I am sitting beside you," he hoisted his backpack up to the overhead compartment, flashing a little of his tummy and that happy trail of his. What the fuck. Before he could catch you staring, you averted your attention just as he plopped down onto the seat next to you, a contented sigh leaving his lips. "Man, business class truly is different,"

"I don't know how Chaewon is affording all these," you took a look around, spotting a few familiar faces. 

"Heeseung's loaded, remember? His family, his job," Jay let out a low whistle.

"Good for Chaewon, then,"

"Good for us too."

Take off was fairly peaceful knowing Jay was too engrossed into whatever movie he had on. You, on the other hand, was trying to get some sleep before any crying babies started wrecking havoc, or worse, Jay speaking. It didn't last long when food was served and Jay decided it was time to take a break from his movie.

"What are you eating?" Jay took a peek over the divider to see which menu you selected.

"Shrimp fried rice. Since when did you become so nosy?" Ironically, you secretly took a look at his food too, some wonton noodles with side dishes. 

"Trying to be nice to my neighbour that I'm stuck with for over ten hours. I'm being the bigger person here," 

"Bigger person, yeah," you mumbled under your breath, stabbing into your shrimp fried rice. 

"You know, I would really like to recreate Mamma Mia in Greece," it seemed that sometimes a filter didn't exist for Jay.

"Which part? The musical? The baby daddy disaster? Wedding off your own daughter? Having a love life crisis at your daughter's wedding?" At least you were mildly entertained.

Jay snorted, pointing at his paused screen, and that was when you realised he was actually watching Mamma Mia. "Probably the musical part. You know, 'Dancing Queen', classic,"

"Didn't know you roll with ABBA like that," why was his attractiveness level increasing? You were seeing him in a different light day by day and you didn't know if that was a good or bad thing for you.

"What can I say? I'm an attractive man with good music taste,"

"Then why are you still single?"

"We don't talk about that."

Fair to say the rest of the journey has been peaceful. Jay might've chimed in from time to time but he actually mostly made you laugh, unaware that he was staring at your smile and the way your eyes crinkled in happiness. Sleep was definitely the star of the show. It was what you did for most of the flight until it was time for landing, groggily waking up to an already freshly awake Jay. How did he do it? You didn't know. 

"I shook you awake for 20 times and you couldn't wake up," Jay leaned over and whispered, receiving a tired eye roll from you.

"I can't believe travelling is this tiring," you sighed, straightening your back against the seat.

"The wedding week is about to be more tiring,"

"Don't remind me about it," 

You were holding onto your last piece of peace before the wedding, truly. 

From exiting the plane to going through the usual airport measures, Jay has never strayed far from you. Surprisingly, you didn't mind it either. The two of you navigated through the airport, not sparing the occasional bicker as Jay was insisting on turning right while you insisted on turning left. Turns out, it was to head straight for the exit. 

You shared a cab together to the hotel Chaewon specifically booked so that you could meet with the others. It was awkward having to explain to the driver that you and Jay were not a couple after he called you two a beautiful pair, the language barrier didn't help anything at all, leaving the rest of the journey to your destination a little silent.

The hotel was genuinely a sight for sore eyes. Upon arriving, you had to check if it was the right place, and it really was. The hotel overlooked the sea, there even was an infinity pool by the edge of the cliff. You wondered how you managed to get here, to this beautiful getaway.

It didn't take long before the others arrived, including Chaewon and Heeseung themselves. You and Jay were busy chatting with Chaewon while the others already checked into the hotel rooms, unaware about the existing problems until Heeseung came sounding them. Supposedly everyone was meant to get their own rooms, but there seemed to be a mix up in the amount of single rooms and there were one room short. Everyone basically already had their own rooms … except for you and Jay.

Of course it's going to be you and Jay.

"So, it's fully booked out? That's the only room left?" You, Jay, and the actual couple surrounded the counter, mildly distressed—well, mostly you and Jay were—the other two had other thoughts in mind.

"Yes, Miss. We're so sorry about the mistake. We can offer complimentary services as a way to repay you,"

Screw those complimentary services, you were on the edge of a meltdown. 

"What about an extra single bed for the room? For free?" Chaewon chimed in, flashing her sparkly eyes in addition to the very reasonable repayment.

"We can do that," the receptionist was quick to answer, putting on a pretty forced friendly smile.

"Wait, so we're sharing rooms?" Jay interrupted, sounding a little confused.

"Glad to see you're only catching on now," you seethed through your teeth, glaring rather unhappily at him.

None of you complained despite the constant bombardment of questions from Chaewon asking if you were okay with the arrangements. You came to terms with it, and you expected more sound from Jay, but to your surprise, he silently accepted it. 

"You're not mad or anything?" It was now just the both of you, alone in a corridor trying to find your room. 

"Why would I be?" From the tone of his voice, he genuinely seemed fine with it.

"I thought you'd rather die than be with me,"

"That's what you think," his eyes were on the doors and the numbers, but his focus on your every word never faltered. "I've learnt to tolerate you. I think you should do the same,"

"I do! I'm not exploding anymore whenever I see you," 

"Oh wow, is that the effect I have on you—here's our room," you stopped right behind him, standing in front of a door, waiting for him to unlock it.

The room was exactly what you imagined but also not. It was a small room, mostly decorated and painted with the overall theme of Mykonos in mind. There was a single bed there and it certainly haunted you. Please deliver that extra bed quickly, you thought.

"Home sweet home for two weeks, I guess," Jay muttered as he came out of the bathroom after walking around the room, though there was nothing much to see anyway.

"At least you get to live your Mamma Mia dream,"

"Touche."

Being heavily jet lagged and tired out of your mind, you wondered how Chaewon still had ample amount of energy left in her to be so enthusiastic and cheerful. She had invited the bridesmaids, groomsmen and close friends out for dinner at an outdoor restaurant, where the pretty view made up for the hefty price.

The chilly evening weather was perfect for you to pull out one of your dinner dresses, a black long sleeved midi dress that complimented you. Maybe pulling the dress out was a good idea hidden in disguise, because it definitely did a number on Jay. 

From the moment you stepped out of the bathroom in the dress to the point where you're waiting for your dinner, Jay has been enamoured by you. Even if he said nothing, his eyes couldn't lie, they couldn't escape. 

"I don't like the way he's always staring at you," Jay whispered quietly so that only you could hear. You knew who he was talking about, unfortunately, and you detested the fact that you were getting the unwanted attention too.

"I don't like the way he's staring at me either," you mumbled, avoiding your ex's watchful gaze. "He's going to be such a pain in the ass for me,"

"Out of sight, out of mind,"

"You don't say," you sighed into your glass of wine, hoping to down another in an attempt to cloud Yeonjun's existence away. 

Dinner was taking its own sweet time to get prepared, so everyone was scattered around, either by the bar or at the table. Jay had wandered off with Sunghoon and Jake, leaving you with Yujin and Wonyoung.

"Okay, guess who's here," Chaewon had snuck up on you and the girls, flinging her arm carelessly around your's and Yujin's shoulders.

"It's me," you heard a familiar voice announcing her presence in a sing-song tone, causing you and your friends to turn around, seeing one of your best friends, Yunjin, approaching with open arms. 

"Yunjin?" You gasped, rushing over to throw yourself on her. "Oh my God, it's been ages since we met," 

"I know! I've been busy, it's insane," after all the hugs from you and the girls, you sat down to catch up, listening to every drama Yunjin had to offer. 

Time wasn't enough for the amount of things Yunjin needed to say as dinner was starting to be served and everyone was gradually returning. To your utmost surprise, Sunghoon took the seat next to you that Jay had originally sat in. It seemed Jay was a step too late as his face had obvious question marks on it. 

You met his eyes and shrugged, but proceeded to mouth 'Yunjin' and pointed at the empty seat next to her. Well, you were trying to be a good sport and set him up. But his furrowed eyebrows told you otherwise. However, he didn't have much choice either but to oblige.

"I'm so glad you're here. I really need my support since he is literally right here," you shook your head, taking a big bite out of your pasta.

"Who?"

"Yeonjun," you muttered, basically coughed to cover the mention of his name. 

Yunjin tensed for a second when you said his name. It didn't go unnoticed by you either, weird. But you decided to shrug it off at the moment, not thinking much of it.

"He better stay out of your way for the entire wedding," Yunjin said after a beat.

"I'm making it known, but he's kinda … difficult,"

"Just stick with Chaewon, I don't think he'd mess with you when she's around. Remember that time she pulled his hair just because you two got into an argument?"

"Right. Typical Chaewon," you laughed at the memory, mostly at Chaewon's actions than the entirety of it. Thinking about Yeonjun and your past was simply heart wrenching. To be reminded that you wasted years on a man that left without any explanations was a different kind of hurt. 

"Anyway," you started, shaking away the random surge of trauma inducing thoughts, averting your attention back on Yunjin. "Do you remember Jay?" You nodded over at said man whose attention you caught.

"Oh yeah, I do! Same high school as us, right?"

"That's me," he said, looking a mix of awkwardness and confusion. "I'm Jay,"

"Hi, Yunjin," 

"Well, cheers America, I suppose. You guys can bond a little over that then," you wiggled your eyebrows at Jay, who only stared back at you with an odd look. Whatever that was.

The rest of the dinner consisted of small talks with Sunghoon and laughing about shared experiences with Heeseung. You didn't notice the burning stare from Jay until dinner was over and everyone was just lazing around under the clear night sky. The bar was still open and everyone was slowly hovering over there bit by bit, swaying along with the music playing in the background.

"You're not going to get some drinks?" Sunghoon was already up from his seat, ready to join the others by the bar. 

You shook your head. "I'm fine, I think I'll survive on the wine,"

"Alright, then I guess I'll be off with Yunjin," 

You looked over to see Yunjin already standing, smiling happily at the mention of some drinks and was gladly whisked away by Sunghoon, which meant you and Jay were there together alone. 

"I see what you're trying to do," Jay scooted onto Yunjin's seat, now sitting beside you with a slight frown. "You're trying to set me up with her,"

"You said you were down,"

"Maybe I lied,"

"Well, don't lie then," you hissed, grabbing onto your wine glass and taking a large sip from it. 

Jay choked out a laugh at your reaction, a familiar teasing grin sitting on his lips. "I'm joking. I don't care about her, I barely know her,"

"She's really nice," 

"I don't care,"

"Then who do you even care about?"

"You,"

Given the fact that he was sitting close to you and he never once broke eye contact, his words had a bigger effect on you more than you could imagine. What did he mean by what he said? Adding on that he didn't care about Yunjin had unknowingly given you a sense of relief, though you didn't realise it. 

Jay cracked a smile, laughing under his breath at your confusion stricken face and took it as an opportunity to leave you hanging. "I'm going to get some drinks, want some?"

"I—uh—no thanks, I–I'll stick to my wine," you were a stuttering mess, and you were letting him do that to you. 

You couldn't believe it, you couldn't believe yourself. Park Jong Seong, really? You were not fully admitting it but you had to be honest, you were feeling the slight sparks when it came to Jay. Shoot you, right now please!

As if he knew he had a lasting effect on you, that man had the audacity to look over his shoulder as he left and meet your eyes, laughing a little before turning away. Motherfucker. 

A few sips of your wine eventually turned into downing the whole glass. Talk about liquid luck, you need the confidence to uphold your composure no matter what. And it was definitely fitting when Yeonjun appeared next to you out of the blue. Maybe downing the wine was a smart choice after all.

"You're with Jay now?" 

"Why would it be your business whether or not I'm with him?" You snapped, not needing his presence at the moment.

"I just—nevermind,"

"What do you want, Yeonjun? Last time I checked, we're not on speaking terms,"

"I just wanted to talk,"

"Talk? You left me with no explanation and you want to talk now? I rather we stay no contact forever," 

"Look, I–I did something … unforgivable and I couldn't face you, so I left and—"

"What was it? What did you even do till the point where you had to leave and disappear from my life?"

"I don't know if this is the right place to say or even the right time, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry,"

"Save it, if you're not even going to tell me. I don't forgive you, Yeonjun, and I don't think I ever will," you forced out even though you were crumbling internally, wishing the ground would just swallow you up and never see his face ever again.

"Y/N—"

"Y/N," It was Jay. He was back from the bar, standing with a glass in hand paired with a very confused look on his face as he stared at a distressed you then at your guilty looking ex. "And … Yeonjun,"

"Jay," Yeonjun greeted, or more so, acknowledged.

There was a recognisable tension that hung in the air. Not only did you feel uncomfortable, but also awkward and angry, and it somehow prompted you to get up from your seat. You didn't know what you were going to do, all you wished for was to be far away from Yeonjun. 

"I—you know what, let's go get some drinks," you caught onto Jay's wrist, pulling him with you to the bar without looking back or acknowledging Yeonjun's existence. 

"What was all that? I felt like dying there," Jay said in a hushed tone once your ex was out of earshot. 

"I don't know either, it almost felt like a fever dream. He basically said everything but also nothing," it was evident from your voice that Yeonjun had affected you more than it seemed. How dare he seek you out after all those times of being away? For a minute you thought you were in one of those scripted dramas. "Tell me, Jay, how am I supposed to avoid him when he's literally here with us for the entire wedding?"

"Forget about the rest of the wedding, let's just focus on tonight first. You know what we're going to do tonight? Drink and dance," Jay laced his hand into yours, and it took you by complete surprise. The warmth of his skin calmed you, the reassurance in the glow of his eyes made you think maybe everything was alright. 

You eventually ditched the wine and went for something stronger, reaching the point where you were playing drinking games with some of your friends while Jay watched. It was until Jay had to pull you away from the drinks and try leading you back to the table, but you stopped in your tracks and it made things difficult for him. 

"Why are you stopping?" He held onto your arms tighter, though you weren't fully drunk, you were still stumbling over your own two feet. 

"Do you hear that?" 

Jay squinted his eyes at you, almost like he's saying 'are you crazy' without verbally doing so. "Hear what?"

"ABBA,"

"ABBA?" Jay questioned, but when you shushed him and he actually listened, he could hear the start of 'Dancing Queen' playing from the bar speakers. 

"Your Mamma Mia dream!" You threw your head back laughing and grabbed onto his shoulder. 

Jay had always been a man who knew how to keep his composure, constantly pretending that you were nothing more to him, but now that it came to you, he seemed to be losing every bit of it. The moment he watched you throw your head back laughing, he was a gone man. His  knees were weak and his heart was racing quicker than usual. He didn't even realise you had pulled him into the middle of a mini dancefloor by the bar. Why did they even have a dance floor? He thought. Whatever, Chaewon and Heeseung were dancing, some of the others were too, so Jay, for once, decided to let go.

"It's your song! Dancing Queen!" You patted his shoulder with the widest smile on your face as if things hadn't gone sour in the first place. Alcohol worked wonders for you. But it didn't cloud your mind when Jay wrapped his hand around your wrist and proceeded to pull you in, knocking your liquid confidence out of you. 

"Dance with me then," 

Oh.

Oh.

"I'd love to," 

Fuck it.

Jay bit his lips, smiling wide and pulling you with him. You stumbled a little, but you didn't care, letting out a carefree laugh and moving your body to the music, not even realising that Jay was standing there watching you, completely starstruck by you.

"What are you doing? Dance with me," you pulled onto his arm and he laughed in response, letting you boss him around in your half drunken stage. 

Jay was a great dancing partner, better than you expected. He twisted and turned you around, and at one point, he spun you around. It was fun living this way, not caring about a single thing in the world and getting to dance till your heart's content. It was written all over your's and Jay's face, how much you were enjoying each other's company despite not saying it.

It took Dancing Queen and a few other ABBA songs to wear you and Jay out, eventually having to retire back to the table a little sweaty and very sluggish. Being a little tipsy and tired, you were ignorant to the obvious stares from your friends and Yeonjun himself. Were you going to explain yourself in the morning? Absolutely not.

Heading back to the hotel was easy when everyone of you walked back together, filling the quiet night air with loud laughs and juicy chatters. Jay's jacket was wrapped around your shoulders, and he himself was straying not far behind with Jake. 

You said your goodbyes for the night to Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the others before following Jay to the room. He made sure to have you by his side, occasionally sneaking glances at you as you both silently walked back. 

You've never been more glad to take your heels off and be back in your own room. As you stumbled around trying to get your shoes off, you caught sight of a change in the room. There were two beds. That's good. But they're side by side. Not good. The hotel was making a fool of you at this point. 

"What are you staring at—oh," Jay had entered the room, looking taken aback at the two single beds joined together. 

"They're together, they shouldn't be together," your words came out in a rush, almost in a panic. 

"Well, no shit," Jay mumbled, walking forward to the bed. "Do you want to move this? Oh, it's going to be a lot of work, the bedside tables—"

"You know what, leave it," you were too tired to complain, it was already past midnight and Jay was probably equally tired, it just wasn't a good time to be the one complaining here. "Let's just share the bed,"

"You're fine with that?"

"I am,"

"Really?"

"Yes, Jay, now stop asking before I downgrade you to the floor," that was enough to get the man to zip his mouth.

The process of getting in bed with Jay was bewildering to you. You were sleeping in the same bed as him. That was something you had to wrap your mind around. 

"You okay?" In the dark came Jay's voice. The lights were off and you were already tucked under the covers. There was a small space in between you and Jay, something the two of you made sure remained. However, you could hear Jay's faint breathing and feel the warmth emitting from his body. You were that close to him. 

"I'm fine, just … tired,"

"I didn't think you'd want to share the bed with me,"

"Why?"

"Thought you hated to be in my presence or something,"

"That's what you think," you said, quoting him from earlier on. Jay immediately caught onto that, letting out a snort in response.

"Are you finally charmed by me, L/N?"

It was your turn to let out a snort, but the smile creeping onto your face was telling you otherwise. "Go to sleep, Park,"

Jay laughed a little, and it was hard not to admit that it caused a swarm of butterflies to stir in your abdomen. "Night, sweetheart,"

Those swarms of butterflies were about to be a whole damn zoo. 

"Night, Jay."

That night, despite the space in between, you felt much closer to Jay than you've ever been before, both personally and physically.

Waking up to a feeling of heaviness over your stomach was alarming. Finding out it was Jay's arm was ten times more alarming.

Your eyes basically widened in light speed, snapping your head over to see Jay still dozed off beside you, but the space you both created was practically nonexistent. He was cuddling you. Cuddling you. No matter how many times you repeated it, you continued to be in disbelief.

The Park Jong Seong was cuddling you and you were in bed with him. If only fifteen years old you could hear that and not have a complete heart attack. 

You glanced over at him again, this time pausing at the sight of his face. The freckles littered under his eyes resembled constellations in the sky. It was impossible to deny that he had a face that was to die for, paired with features that were too delicate and detailed, he was a dream. 

Let's not start on his arm and the biceps, shall we? You carefully pushed his arm away, feeling the warmth from his touch slowly leaving your skin. Then, you made the run for it and headed to the bathroom without looking back. What a start to your morning.

It took approximately another thirty minutes before Jay woke up. By then, you were already done with your morning routine and were in the midst of choosing your outfit of the day. 

"Morning. You're up early,"

"No, Jay, you're up late. We need to meet them for brunch by twelve," you pointed at the clock that was conveniently hanging on the wall. It was half past eleven.

"Oh," he breathed out, hair sticking out in different directions, t-shirt all crumpled. "Give me ten minutes."

He truly stuck to his words. Ten minutes and he was out of the shower, fresh and fully awake. "Impressive," you noted.

"Thank you," he delivered a wink at you, bowing slightly. It was never too early in the morning for him to do that, was it?

Brunch came and went, eventually it was time for bridesmaid duties. You, Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the rest of the bridesmaids were at the venue doing some final preparations and going through what's needed. But the tap on your shoulder didn't prepare you for the thing she was about to say.

"Is Jay single?"

You were in the middle of checking the flowers and decorations, but was left too stunned to really continue on. "Huh?"

"That American guy, the one you introduced," she repeated, as though he wasn't the guy you're literally sharing a bed with. 

"Him, yeah, why?" Playing oblivious to digest the question was such a strategy to pull.

"Is he—I don't know—single?"

"Uh—yeah … kind of? Why?" Now, why did you add 'kind of'?

"He's cute, I wanted to talk to him more but he's a little quiet," 

Oh.

"Oh," you were chewing on your bottom lip, a habit that you found yourself doing when you're nervous. Why were you nervous? "He's a little weird, I don't think you'd like him,"

"But I like weird!" Yunjin laughed, and you forced out one too, which eventually faltered into a frown that rested on your lips.

"I'll … let him know," 

"Thanks!"

It was indescribable, specifically that feeling you had when Yunjin showed interest in Jay. The boiling, distasteful, stomach dropping feeling you had throughout that conversation. What was it? Plus, why would she even like Jay? He's not special, he's just … Jay. Well, the Jay you knew for ages and grew close to, that Jay. 

He was the same person that you swore you hated, the first boy you got to know. He just so happened to be standing in front of you, after all that push and pull you did in your head, you were faced with the man himself, alone in the room together.

"You look distracted," his voice broke the silence in the room, startling you slightly.

"What?"

"You look distracted," he repeated, joining you to sit on the bed as well. "Doesn't seem like it's a you thing to be distracted. What's going on in that head of yours?"

You, Jay. It's you.

"I—uh—wedding things. They got the flowers wrong," it was a plain lie, but you managed to dodge his question, just like how you were dodging his burning eyes.

"Chaewon's not overworking you, right?"

You chuckled at his question, shaking your head. "If anything, she's overworking herself out," 

"You should stop her, don't want the bride to be burnt out by the time of the wedding," Jay said, and you nodded as a response. It was silent for a little while, the sound of Jay's foot tapping the ground was all you heard, mixed with the steady breathing of his. 

"Y/N," 

One utterance of your name from him was enough for you to turn and meet his eyes. He was already staring at you. There was the softest glow in his gaze that he reserved just for you. It was quiet, but whatever it was that lingered in the air between you and him, it was loud and sparkling. 

You hummed, unable to verbally reply under his stare. He was close, you weren't even conscious of the nonexistent space you two had, only becoming gradually aware that his shoulder was pressed against yours. 

"I—" he started, but nothing really came out, and it somehow disappointed you a lot. "Nevermind," he laughed it off, but you could only manage a small smile, a part of you which was expecting something more had eventually shattered.

"What?" You nudged his shoulder in a lighthearted manner.

"It's nothing,"

You arched your eyebrow at him. "Nothing?"

He shook his head. You let out a hum in response even though you didn't believe him, but you moved on from it for the moment, switching to another topic that crowded your mind. 

"Yunjin asked me about you,"

It was his turn to be curious. "She did?"

You nodded in affirmation. "Asked if you're single. I think she's interested,"

"What do you think of it?"

"What? Why would I matter in this?"

"I care about what you think about this. Aren't you the one pushing the whole agenda?"

"Well—"

"You can always just tell me to fuck off and I will, you know?"

"I can't just do that. You're a person with free will, why would I want to get in the way of your love life?" 

"I could sense the disapproval in you, Y/N," he leaned in slightly, not knowing how much of an effect it has on you.

You gulped, trying to regain your composure a little bit more. "Do whatever you want, Jay, really,"

"Really?"

"Really,"

"Alright, I'll trust you and your judgement. Now go shower, stinky,"

You punched his shoulder and stood up. "What a gentleman you are, Jay,"

"I'm joking! But you do need to shower after a long day,"

"Maybe I do,"

"So you think you smell too?"

"Now you're putting words in my mouth," you picked up your towel and pajamas, casting him one last look. "You better think back on what you were about to say! I don't like being left hanging."

You heard a humoured laugh coming from Jay, but you continued your way to the bathroom. In the end, you knew you were lying about being fine and secondly, you could tell he was hiding the actual things he wanted to say earlier on. It was clear that he was lying, you had a sure feeling about it. But you weren't exactly innocent either. 

Jay was easy to read sometimes. It was hard to hide from you especially when his eyes were speaking to you first. They were already telling you things that couldn't be described with words, something much more intimate, yet, he couldn't say it to you for some reason.

Just like how you couldn't voice out the truth about you despising the idea of Jay and Yunjin together. It was confusing you, whatever this feeling you had harboured in your guts, or the fact that Jay was overtaking your mind, and you were willingly letting it happen.

You hate him. You hate the way he laughed. You hate his charming eyes that turn into crescent moons whenever his lips stretch into one of his sweet smiles. You hate his flirtatious remarks, or that look he had in his eyes whenever he's with you. In the end, you hate how he wasn't yours.

Oh god. You're supposed to hate him, but why were you feeling this way for him?

Oh. 

You like him. You like Park Jong Seong.

From that night onwards, you've never been the same. 

Being aware of your ongoing feelings for Jay was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that you got to be in tune with your feelings, but also having troubles acting like yourself around him was totally uncalled for, which explained why you've been actively dodging him for quite some time now.

"Are you okay? You're acting differently," Yujin, being your closest friend, seemed to see through your behaviour like glass. 

You shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. If you find yourself admitting that secret, you'd be fleeing Greece the next day. 

"We're going out to the club and you're so … toned down. It's so unlike you,"

"I'm just a little tired, the packed schedules are killing me, but trust me, I'm more than glad to be able to let loose tonight," it was part truth, part lie. 

"So no getting drunk for you?" 

"Nope. I'll get the worst hangover the next day so I think I'll pass," 

"I can't tell if you'll stick to your words," Yujin narrowed her eyes at you in doubt, and truth be told, you couldn't fully trust yourself either.

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow."

Almost everyone was there by the time you and Yujin arrived. Most of them were sitting in the booth but some had already wandered off on their own. Your eyes strayed to a certain someone sitting in the booth, realising he had his gaze on you first. 

Jay was dressed in a simple long sleeve denim button up, but there was a certain twist to it. First two buttons were unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to showcase his forearms, a single chain hung around his neck and an expensive watch wrapped around his wrist. Now … you couldn't believe his simplicity and minimalism has managed to swoon you over.

He smiled upon meeting your eyes. This action alone had you melting and it wasn't even something big. You couldn't help yourself from smiling either, letting that man charm you over. 

That was until your gaze flickered over to his side. Yunjin. 

That same feeling in the pits of your stomach seemed to have made its presence known. You shouldn't be feeling this way. Yunjin's your friend. But why were you feeling absolutely sour the moment you saw her by his side?

"Wanna grab some drinks or you're still sticking to your words?" Yujin nudged your side and nodded her head at the bar. She always knew how to tempt you, but at the same time, you were looking for a moment's worth of getaway from Jay and Yunjin.

"Fine. I'll get something light," you grumbled, finally giving in. Yujin cheered and she absolutely didn't waste another second before pulling you away towards the bar. You felt it, however, a lingering gaze as you left that you knew who it belonged to. It took every piece of you to not look back and that was what you did.

As you waited for the bartender to be done with your drinks, you pulled your best friend closer. "I need to ask you something,"

"Ask away, old friend,"

"No questions until I'm done, okay?" You didn't know what had gotten into you, maybe it was the night time adrenaline or the fact that it's been eating you up since forever, but all you knew was you needed to confide in your best friend. Yujin nodded, clear confusion written in her expressions.

"Hear me out. Let's just say, hypothetically, I have a crush on someone and I see him with another girl. I feel some sort of confusing feelings, is that normal?" 

Yujin's confusion morphed into realisation, then a wide knowing smirk took over her lips. "So, you've got a crush, eh?"

"Hypothetically! Now, answer my question,"

"Alright, whatever you say," Yujin's smirk never faltered, but she gave it a thought. "I know what it is,"

"What?"

"You're jealous," she might've put it plainly, but it surely did come crashing down on you like a big wave. You? Jealous? That's new. "Well, hypothetically speaking," she added, unconvinced.

"Why would I be jealous? Hypothetically," 

"It's natural, Y/N. Seeing someone you like with a girl who happens to not be you can be gut wrenching. It's also a part of girlhood," Yujin said thoughtfully.

"Then what do I do? Drown myself?"

"Not exactly, no, it depends. Either you admit your feelings or continue living your life in denial," Yujin hummed, resting her head on her hand as she stared at you. "Do you like him?"

"Yes—well—hypothetical situation wise. I think I'm no longer in denial, but I just don't know what to do,"

"Tell him. What if he already likes you from the beginning?"

"Bullshit,"

Yujin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is all hypothetical?"

"Y–Yeah, I suppose,"

Another satisfied smile spread across her face, looking as if she'd cracked the code to the safe. "I don't think you'd have to worry,"

"What do you mean?"

"You already have him wrapped around your fingers since day one,"

Did she actually crack the code? Was it that obvious? 

You let out a cough and straightened your spine. "It's all hypothetical, though. Don't worry,"

"Hypothetical, huh? We'll see."

How ominous that sounded. The ring of her words definitely burned in your mind even as the night progressed. Great to know you were burning with jealousy, but dreaded to realise you actually needed to voice out your feelings to be known. Why was romance this hard? 

What you know wasn't hard was drinking and dancing. You tried getting Jay out of your mind by dancing with your friends, even accepting drinks from a random guy whose name you learned was Intak. Apparently he was on a trip with his friends too. 

"Can I take you home tonight?"

"What?" You screamed over the music, but in reality, you were just trying to plot your escape.

"Wanna get out of here?" 

"I—uh—came with my friends so I think I'll stay," you were not liking how this was going.

"Come on, I know a good place nearby," he was reaching out to grab your hand but you quickly retracted it, slowly getting up from the tall bar stool. 

"I think I'll stay," you backed away gradually, eyes frantically blinking in anxiety as you watched him get up from his seat too.

"Hey, come on—" 

"What's going on?" Jay's voice travelled to your ears just as your back bumped into his chest, but you managed to recognise his voice before turning to meet his slightly agitated face. 

"Jay," you breathed out in relief, not even acknowledging the fact that he had caught hold of your wrist. 

He casted a glance at Intak, who thankfully backed down after seeing Jay approaching you. You thought your main concern was finally settled, but one peek at Jay's face, you knew he was mad without needing to ask. "Let's go,"

It was all fun and games until you realised he was genuinely pissed. His hold on you didn't loosen and you didn't know where you were being dragged to either. "Where are we going?" Silence from him. "Jay! Let go of me," 

The continued radio silence from him as he pulled you through the crowd and towards the exit only further your annoyance. You were angry and very much confused, an explanation was what you deserved too. 

Once you had exited the club, Jay finally stopped his tracks. The quiet night air that was accompanied by the sounds of waves crashing against the shore filled the momentary silence, just before you eventually cracked. 

"What are we doing here?"

"We're going back,"

"Back where?"

"The hotel,"

"What?" You took a step back, face contorting into confusion then anger. "I'm not going back yet,"

"You are. You're not staying especially when that creep is still there,"

"You're being unreasonable,"

Jay shook his head, jaw clenched. "What were you even doing back there? Can't you see you're getting yourself in danger?"

"I was just trying to enjoy my night, Jay,"

"And by that you meant getting yourself involved with a man you don't know?"

"God, Jay. Since when do you care?"

"Since always!" He burst out yelling, surprising you the most. He was breathing hard, eyes flickering around and his hands clenched tightly onto his jeans. "Since fucking always, Y/N, and it hurts me to see another man trying to get his way with you knowing how he doesn't deserve any part of you at all,"

Was this actually happening? Were you dreaming every word that was coming out of his mouth? 

"W–what? But I thought … I thought you and Yunjin—"

"For fuck's sake, Y/N, can't you see? I give a fuck about you, not your best friend, but you," he ran a hand through his hair, heaving a sigh of distress. "I want you. Ever since the day I met you, no matter how much you said you hated me, I just knew I couldn't feel the same, because … you're you, you're special like no other,"

The anger in his eyes melted into adoration, and most importantly, love. Desperation, longing and pining hung in his words, no matter how you tried absorbing them, your state of shock continued to render you speechless. You wanted to tell him how much you liked him, or the way he has been clouding your mind for far too long, but you just couldn't bring yourself to.

"Jay …" your voice was light and gentle, the alcohol in your system was buzzing and you swore you were about to lose your footing anytime soon. The additional silence from Jay only made the tension in the air thicker.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, forming a thin line. Eyebrows furrowed, thoughts clearly running through that mind of his. "I—forget it,"

That was the last thing you had expected. "What?"

"You're tired, a–and you probably don't know what to say, I can see it in your face. Let's just talk about this another day, okay?"

You hate to admit it, but he was partially true. All those times you prepared yourself by admitting that you did, in fact, like him surely hadn't gotten you ready for this moment. Maybe a heads up would've been great, but you couldn't help feeling sad that you had unintentionally left him hanging.

"Let's go back," Jay started to walk, but your feet were still stuck to the ground. He soon noticed and turned around, head tilted to one side in confusion. 

"I'm not rejecting you, Jay, I–I just need a clear head and a better time to gather my emotions. Trust me, I'm not pushing you away," your words might've come out slightly slurred, but it was all genuine. You held your breath until you saw a small smile forming on his face, waiting as he walked closer and finally stood before you.

"Alright, I trust you. Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

His arms were wrapped around you as you both walked under the night sky. You feared for the awkwardness, but it just seemed to be nonexistent. Your head was in a mess, but one thing's for sure, which was telling him how you felt once his heavy emotions diluted away. For now, you rested your head on his shoulder, basking in his presence before facing what was yet to come.

You didn't talk to Jay for the next few days.

Look, it's not that you didn't want to, you just couldn't. The bachelorette was the day after that night at the bar and it practically took up to two days since Chaewon insisted on a sleepover too, which also meant you haven't seen Jay for those days and given the situation you had with him, you're not sure if going no contact was the best idea. 

Then came the pre wedding dinner and its preparations. The whole morning leading up to the evening was just you and your fellow bridesmaids running around getting everything finalised. The dinner dress you had on definitely added to the dramatics. 

There was still an hour left until the open aired dinner. By then, you and your friends were able to catch your breath and enjoy some evening tea around the long table. The groomsmen were at one end while you and the bridesmaids were at the other, only furthering your distance from him.

"Hey, Y/N, can you grab me some sugar please?" Chaewon pointed at her cup of coffee, then batted her eyelashes sweetly at you.

The others laughed as you rolled your eyes. Maid of honour duties were truly on another level. "Alright, alright, anything else? You guys?"

"A cup of water for me please," Yunjin piped up, and a string of requests followed. It was almost as if you'd become their personal waiter.

You made your way towards the inside of the restaurant, passing by the groomsmen's end and getting some greetings from them. Your eyes, however, were on a particular one. The best man. He didn't meet your eyes, but you could tell he was resisting the urge to do so. He could have spared you a message or two, yet he chose not to, and that disappointed you more than imagined. 

You're not pushing him away, but why did it seem like he was the one pushing you away?

Just to make matters worse, the first person you saw upon entering the inside of the restaurant was your ex, Yeonjun. Of course he was here. Before you could escape from him, he had already caught sight of you and was calling for you. Just your luck.

"Y/N!" He took big strides towards you, and you cursed under your breath. 

"Yes?" You said slowly, taking a cautious step back. 

"I wanted to talk to you,"

Not again. You sighed. "Look, I'm not starting this conversation again. I'm tired, it's almost the wedding day and I just want some peace,"

"I–I just wanted to tell you the truth,"

"The truth?"

"The truth behind what happened. I owe you the closure that I deprived you of,"

Get you out of here ASAP. You stared at him blankly, your fight or flight instinct blaring loudly in your ears. Your foot took one step back, the other was waiting to do the same. 

"I slept with your best friend. I slept with Yunjin,"

Oh wow.

Nothing could've possibly prepared you for that. The reason why he broke off your five years long relationship was because he fucked your friend? That was almost a joke, except that joke was your reality. 

"I … I realised I was in love with her and I broke things off with you. Then I left and moved in with her overseas, before we eventually broke up too," his continuous confession only hit you like bullets. Maybe the closure and truth you were hoping for years was something you didn't need after all. "Say something, please, Y/N," 

You couldn't. Tongue tied and overwhelmed, your feet started backing up before you even knew it. Your state of shock had failed to notice a body brushing past you and advancing towards Yeonjun. Almost in a blink of an eye, Yeonjun was punched in the jaw and had fallen to the ground. The person turned around, and it was the one you were wishing on a star for. Jay.

Your eyes flickered between him and your ex, heart practically threatening to jump out of your chest at any moment. You didn't say anything and grabbed Jay's hands, pulling him out of the restaurant and most definitely away from the dinner tables. The beachside restaurant served its purpose as you dragged him to the beach, a storm of emotions clouding your senses. 

You reached the middle of the beach, and that's when you let go of his hand, facing him with a frown. "What are you doing? You ignored me for days and now you're out here punching my ex?"

"What? He deserved it!" Jay matched the level of your voice. "Y/N, he cheated on you with your friend,"

"I know, Jay, thanks for reminding me!" You snapped, but the anger and rage soon dissolved into a vulnerable hurt that you hid until now. Tears of grief betrayed your stone cold demeanour, gradually cracking under Jay's eyes. "Fuck," you hissed out before his arms pulled you into his embrace, sending you a mix of shock but also comfort.

He held you close, arms wrapped around you tightly. If anything, he has felt like home more than you had expected. He was silent, letting you pour your tears out even if it meant wetting his freshly ironed button up. To him, all it matters was you. 

"I don't know what to do now," you slowly pulled away, wiping the tears away and disregarding the fact that your makeup was most likely ruined. 

"We don't have to do anything first, we can just stay here and you can cool down for a bit," Jay said calmly, smoothing his hand on your back.

You nodded a little, holding onto his forearm and pulling him down to sit with you on the beach. The sand was rough against your skin, but that was the last thing on your mind. The two of you sat there, watching the waves and the clear blue sky, waiting for either one of you to speak first.

"I deserve an explanation too, you know?" Instead of mulling over your heartbreak, you decided to address the elephant in the room. If you couldn't fix one thing, at least you could fix this. 

"I thought of giving you space,"

"Look how that turned out, we're both hurting in our own ways. You said you wanted to talk about it, so let's do that," you turned your body to face him.

"Are you sure—"

"Very. I'm very sure, Jay. Just because I got fucked over doesn't mean I want to fuck us over," the wound might've been fresh, but it was to be addressed later on, you're putting the one before that first. "I have a clear head this time, timing is quite odd and my emotions might be a little over the place, but I've never been so sure about one thing. Jay, I like you,"

Jay blinked once, then twice. You didn't let him have the opportunity to respond, choosing to continue on a rant or else you'd combust. "I like you. Like, a lot. You have no idea how stupid I felt that night for not telling you straightforwardly, and I was so scared of losing you,"

"You could never lose me, Y/N, never," he reached over and rested his palm against your cheek, thumb swiping ever so gently over the mascara streak. You were a mess, eyes puffy from crying and makeup semi smudged, but in his eyes, you were beautiful. 

"I want you, Jay, you're everything to me, and I—" 

It was a whiplash. How Jay had finally closed the gap between you and him, addressing the heavy tension once and for all. Before you could utter another word, his lips crashed onto yours. It took you a second to fully realise, but when you did so, everything felt like heaven. 

The years of tension melted into the kiss, heavy and desperate, but also a hint of tender love was present. His hand on your cheek wandered off to the back of your neck, guiding you deeper into the kiss. His touch, his lips, they were an addiction. 

You felt him smiling into the kiss right before he pulled away, the smile still present. It was quiet except for your heavy breathing, but you couldn't stop yourself from giggling. The overwhelming joy of getting the man you deserve was something you couldn't contain, and it seemed he felt the same too.

Jay pressed his forehead against yours, palms resting on the side of your face. "Actually, that night in the hotel, you know, where I left you hanging?"

You scoffed, resisting a smile. "I know,"

"That night, what I really wanted to say was … I'm in love with you," he was cheesy, so cheesy, but it was genuine, and lucky for you, his cheesiness worked. "So super in love, since forever,"

You couldn't hold back your amused laugh this time, and your burning cheeks were betraying you. "I can't believe you're so cheesy! Who knew Park Jong Seong was such a hopeless romantic?"

"I'm professing my love for you and you're laughing at me?" He pinched your cheek, eliciting a louder bark of a laugh from you. 

"I'm kidding. I'm just as much of a hopeless romantic as you are," you pressed a kiss on his lips, rendering him speechless for a second, until you saw a grin spreading across his face.

"As much as I want to bask in this amazing moment right now, I think we should also face reality, because what are we going to do now?" 

You let out a groan. "I hate that you're right. I think we should head back,"

"You're not afraid of seeing him again?"

"Afraid? I might be heartbroken and still in shock but I'm healing thanks to all this—" you gestured between you and Jay, earning an expressive eye roll from him, "---plus, you can throw another punch for me,"

"You amuse me," he helped you get up and dusted the sand off your dress. "Are you okay, though? Genuinely?"

"Even if I'm not, I got to suck it up, don't I? I hate that I'm letting it get to me," your voice wavered, remembering the feelings you had when your ex dropped the news on you. "Years down the drain just because he fell in love with someone I considered a friend, it almost sounds like a movie night special,"

"Hey, hey," both of his hands were on your shoulders, warm irises gazing into yours, providing a pinch of comfort. "Fuck them, okay? You deserve much more than that. Yeonjun didn't cherish the amazing person you are and that's his fucking lost. You're doing better than him right now, you're shining, you're bejewelled,"

Gosh, you just wanted to grab his face and plant a big fat kiss on his lips. But instead, you opted for a smile. "Didn't know you were such a good hype man,"

"I'll be your hype man for as long as you want," he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear so naturally that you didn't even notice at first.  "Come on, let's head back, the dinner has probably already started. Let me treat you to a nice spa session at the hotel when we get back,"

"Okay, but can we stop by the restroom first? I have urgent matters to attend to: my makeup."

The dinner had indeed started by the time you arrived, but with your presence announced, chaos ensued. At least your makeup was fixed.

"Y/N!" Chaewon practically stumbled out of her chair, dashing towards you with Heeseung behind her. The moment she reached you, you swore your breath was knocked out of you when she tackled you into a hug. "I know what happened,"

"You do?" You were surprised, curious as to what had happened while you were gone.

"Fuck—yeah, I do. Some of them saw Jay punching Yeonjun from the outside. The glass panels, you know? Then you guys disappeared and it was only Yeonjun so we kinda pressured him into spilling and that's when we knew …" Chaewon's voice faltered, her eyes wandering around your face for signs. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I should've never let him attend in the first place, and God! Yunjin too. I feel so bad and incredibly stupid—"

"Chaewon," you stopped her from rambling, trying to put on a reassuring smile. "You're fine, it's okay, you didn't know—hell—I didn't know either,"

"Are you okay? We can ditch this dinner if you want,"

"Are you okay? Chaewon, our family's here, Heeseung's family too. Don't let me be the reason for a terrible night. Trust me, I'm much better than you think. Maybe even better after a couple of drinks," 

"You're unbelievable," she wrapped an arm around your waist and led you towards the table. "But seriously, just because it's my wedding doesn't mean you have to force yourself to be happy and think you can't rant to me. I care about you, and I don't want you to be hurting alone,"

"I won't be alone," you unknowingly casted a glance at Jay who was standing by the groomsmen's end of the table, a drink already in hand. "I'll be fine, really. I guess anticipating the truth for years helped me to hurt less in some ways, but also not really when it's unexpected. What happened to them anyway?"

"They left, or actually, got kicked out. Yunjin really surprised me though. I didn't think she'd be someone like that. I guess this part hurts the both of us," Chaewon heaved a deep sigh. Losing a friend because of betrayal was a form of mental torture that you couldn't bear to imagine. 

She removed her arm around your waist and threw it over your shoulder, pulling you closer to her side. "Yes, it hurts, but life goes on, right? For now, let's celebrate and forget it all," she patted your shoulders, then added in a whisper. "Then we can have a good cry session after," 

You choked out a laugh, nodding in agreement. "Writing that down in my plans for tonight."

For the rest of the dinner, you sat with the bridesmaids. They were quick to offer you comfort, but were also relentless when it came to talking shit. Yujin had you by her side, pouring you drinks and checking up on you from time to time. You were glad you felt less shitty now that you're around these people. It might've been a hard pill to swallow, but considering how you managed to get by the years without the two of them, you're sure you would eventually be fine.

The dinner soon ended after a speech from you and Jay, the bride and groom to be, and also their respective parents. The atmosphere of the open air venue along with the emotional speeches definitely contributed to the tears lingering in your eyes. You eventually said your goodbyes to the others and gravitated to Jay, wrapping an arm around him.

"Hey,"

"Hey, you good?"

"After a couple glasses of expensive wine, I'm doing more than just good," 

"You up for some cake then?"

"Do you expect me to say no?"

Along the way back to the hotel, you and Jay made a detour to a local bakery. You were sitting in a corner as Jay took his time ordering. It was crazy how fast the night changed. 

"Took you long enough," you said once Jay finally arrived with the cake slices. He set the plate down, casting you a suspicious grin.

"Read the words on the plate," he pointed at the plate, and it was then you realised there were writings in red icing gel on the plate. 

'BF & GF?'

You snorted at the simplicity of the wording, eyes flickering up to see a big grin already resting on his lips. "Seriously? BF and GF?"

"Okay, there wasn't enough space and I had to bribe them to write it for me," he threw his hands up in defence, then leaned his body forward. "So, what do you say? Can I be yours and you'll be mine?"

The sparks in his irises and the boyish grin he had made you smile, a rush of dopamine coursing through your veins. "I'd be an idiot if I said no," 

Without any say, you leaned over and pressed a haste kiss on his lips, but that wasn't enough for him. Just as you pulled away, his hand reached for your face and pulled you into a deeper kiss, as if he couldn't get enough of you and the taste of your lips.

"You are the best thing that's ever been mine," he whispered, his hand on your face still present as he gently stroked your cheek that was gradually turning pink from his words. 

"You're going to be the death of me. Quick, let's finish this before it gets late." Hiding the fact that you were actually dying internally because of him, you took a big bite out of the cake, ignoring his watchful gaze. 

Walking back to the hotel was a much different feeling compared to previous nights. Under the Greek night skies where the stars shined brighter than ever, it felt like this time around, all of them had aligned. 

You and Jay were a burning star in the sky that never ceased to stay alight. You and him were eternal. 

Wedding day chaos was real. 

Waking up at the ass crack of dawn and running around had fueled your adrenaline for the day. By the time you were dressed in your dress that you remembered vividly of that specific day when you tried it out, Chaewon was also done with her wedding gown.

You and the bridesmaids huddled around at the sight of the bride, most of which were moved to tears, including you. It didn't take long before your feet moved on their own towards Chaewon and engulfed her into a hug, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions knowing your cousin was getting married.

The ceremony itself was a huge success, a beautifully done success. You got to walk down the aisle with Jay, the best man, then you watched Chaewon and Heeseung both exchange vows, proceeded to shed tears and emotions wavered to happiness once it was over. What a rollercoaster. 

You managed to catch your breath a little more when the wedding reception started. It wasn't long until the round of speeches began, starting from you, the maid of honour. You couldn't lie, there were lots of tears and laughter shared during then, just as much as there was during Jay's speech. Alas, everyone shared a toast to the newly wed couple.

Dinner was interrupted by the dance session where the bride and her father shared their dance together, soon after it was the bride and groom's turn for their first dance. Seeing them dance only widened the smile on your lips, and it didn't go unnoticed by Jay as he reached for your hand, holding it tightly and squeezing it. You exchanged a knowing look with him. 

The moment the dance floor was opened for everyone else to join, you wasted no time in dragging Jay out of his seat and towards the dance floor. The music was slow, a mirrorball that hung above casted a soft glowing shine across Jay's face as he stood before you, hands on your waist and your arm around his neck, both swaying slowly to the song. 

"You look absolutely breathtaking," he leaned down to whisper into your ear, eyes shamelessing sweeping your figure from head to toe. It wasn't his first compliment of the day, he made it clear from the first moment he saw you that you were beautiful, pretty, out of this world et cetera. This man truly knew had a way of pulling lots of adjectives out of his ass. 

"Thank you. You're very stunningly handsome," you smoothed a hand on his chest, secretly taking in the look of him in an expensive black suit. 

He smiled at your words, the hand on your waist travelling lower. "I can't believe we're here,"

"I can't believe it too. The months leading up to this moment was insane," your hand that rested behind his neck was playing with some of his hair, neither of you could bear to get your hands off of one another.

"I'm glad it happened though, or else we wouldn't have this," his eyes gleamed, a glimmer of unwavering adoration and admiration filled his brown irises. "I believe it was meant to happen. We'd always find our way back to each other,"

It was hard not to melt at his words. Your gaze softened, an overwhelming urge to kiss him there was impossible to ignore. "You're not going to make me cry again, okay? My emotions are really unstable right now,"

Jay laughed, shaking his head. You kept your gaze on him, scrutinizing the way his eyes shined whenever he laughed or that slight dimple on his face, everything about him just made you want to be the reason for him to smile. "I'm glad everything worked out. I truly am,"

"Me too—"

"WHAT THE FUCK!" 

Your head snapped at the loud outburst coming from a semi drunk bride that was standing before you and Jay. Her shocked yet puzzled face told you everything you needed to know behind her reaction.

"You … and … Jay?" She gasped, pointing at you and Jay, her eyes only bulging bigger. You had to block out the teasing smiles and looks from your friends who most likely placed a bet on you two. 

"Surprise!" You tried laughing it off, waving your hands awkwardly.

Her shocked expression turned into a euphoric one almost in a blink of an eye. Another blink of an eye and she was pulling both of you into her arms. "Guys, you couldn't believe how happy I am. I was rooting for you two, and it happened!" 

It was no help trying to have Heeseung save you and Jay. He stood there, shaking his head, as if trying to say 'just let her be'. Well, you two really did just stay there with an overly drunk and emotional bride hugging you.

Towards the end of the wedding, it was time for one the most anticipated parts of the wedding reception, moreover, it was a round for all the unmarried women to gather. The bouquet toss plus a drunk Chaewon was going to equal chaos. From her mild stumbles to overly giddiness, you and the others were waiting rather anxiously. 

The wait was finally over when she sobered up by a fraction and straightened up, her back facing you and the crowd. You doubted you would even catch it, but what's the harm in participating anyway? 

On the count of one, two, and three, the bouquet was tossed into the air and screeches were heard as everyone scrambled around trying to catch the poor bouquet. You took a step forward, watching the bouquet fall almost in slow motion before you. With a stretch of your arm, you felt your fingers wrap around the bouquet, feet stumbling a little out of imbalance. 

Then, it clicked. You caught the bouquet. Time to eat your words from earlier on.

A loud holler sounded from the tables, specifically where Jay stood. You glanced over, watching the groomsmen and Heeseung clapping him on his back, egging him tirelessly. His gaze caught yours immediately amongst the crowd, a wide cheesy grin plastered on his devilishly handsome face. You couldn't hold back an amused laugh either, unable to resist the smile crawling onto your lips. 

It was crazy how a wedding was the reason everything even started. It has brought you and Jay together, again, but this time around, more than hate was in the air, there was love. A new found love that you didn't know existed until him, the man you couldn't imagine being friends with in high school and was now the person you're starting a new journey with. This everlasting love was something you would never, ever trade for. 

( © jaylver all rights reserved. do NOT copy, plagiarise or edit my work and repost whatsoever. once discovered will be exposed and blacklisted. )

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literally sobbing rn

Love Lessons

Genre: husband!Chan, angst, fluff

Warnings: self hatred (Chan)

Request: no

Characters: Chan, Y/N

Word Count: 1.8k

"I wish I looked like him."

Bewildered, Y/N turned to look at her husband. Chan was looking at the TV a little wistfully, a sad smile on his lips as he studied the actor depicted on the screen.

"He's so handsome … " Chan continued with a sigh, and he leaned back into the sofa in slow defeat. "And have you seen his body? He's so … big."

Y/N blinked. She moved fully so her body was facing his, and she reached out to take his surprised face in her hands. "Well, I'm very glad you don't look like him. I'm attracted to you, not him."

Chan was confused. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you attracted to me … ?" Chan's voice came out in a whisper; it wavered and cracked towards the end, and Y/N bit her lip.

She had a feeling it was one of those days. One of those days where her husband hated himself more than anything. One of those days where her heart broke over and over again in her attempts at trying to get him to see what she could see.

But she'd never stop trying. Not until he could finally learn to love himself even a fraction of how much she loved him.

"Because you're beautiful," Y/N smiled, caressing his cheeks. "And I love you very much."

Chan frowned. He didn't seem convinced; but then again, he never did. "But … I'm ugly."

Y/N considered saying "no, you're not" or "don't say that" … but something in the back of her mind told her not to. She decided to try a different approach, one that hurt her a little more than she wanted to admit.

"Okay," Y/N nodded softly. "Let's say you are ugly."

Chan was taken aback; his eyes widened as he stared at his wife.

Y/N smiled gently. "If you're ugly, does that mean you deserve less love than anyone else?"

Her question hit him harder than he thought it would. He blinked slowly, and he began to shake his head.

"No," Y/N murmured as she shook her own head along with him. "It doesn't. Do you remember what you used to tell your fans all those years ago?"

Chan bit his lip.

"'It doesn't matter where you're from, it doesn't matter what country you're in'," Y/N quoted as Chan's eyes began to glisten rather brightly. "'You deserve love. It doesn't matter what you are, what you chose to be, you deserve love,'."

At that, Chan couldn't help the tears that began to drop down his cheeks. Smiling up at him with her eyes full of love, Y/N wiped the tears away with her thumbs as she pulled him a little closer to her.

"I know it wasn't exactly about looks," Y/N said. "But I know for a fact that if someone was hating themselves back then because they thought they were ugly, you'd have immediately told them they deserved to be loved."

Looking down at his lap, Chan shut his eyes tightly. He hadn't expected this; he had no idea his musings would result in his wife's words bringing the tears out of him.

"Why are you any different, hmm?" Y/N gently caressed the nape of his neck; his hair had begun to curl up there, and it was soft, so incredibly soft that Y/N couldn't help but feel sad. She didn't understand why her husband hated himself when there were parts of him that were so dear to her, that she had no idea what she'd do without them.

"Who are you to not love yourself?"

At that, Chan spluttered; the hems of his shorts had ridden up his thighs, and they now glistened as fat tears splashed onto his skin like sad fireworks.

Y/N let him cry; she rubbed his back and kissed his hands until he was finished. When he looked up at her with red eyes, she almost felt her heart physically shattering into smithereens like glass.

There was so much pain and self loathing painted in his eyes … the eyes that felt like home to her, the eyes that calmed the depths of her anxious soul on the most terrifying of nights. She was shocked that such beautiful galaxies could hold such hatred; hatred that was directed at himself.

She found it terrifying yet beautiful that the eyes that looked at her with such love were the same as these ones; hard, cold, and full of pain.

"Okay," she whispered, reaching out to slip her fingers onto his again. "Okay. Let's go through this. What is it exactly that you think is ugly about you, baby?"

"Everything," Chan whispered. "Everything."

"Everything is a very big word, my darling," Y/N smiled. "I don't think even you hate everything about yourself."

She knew him well; the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly, and she couldn't help but inwardly smile even bigger.

"Okay, let's try this instead … you love me, right?"

It was remarkable; Chan's eyes immediately softened at the question, the sparkle that was so familiar to Y/N appearing in his pupils.

"Very much," Chan hummed.

"What is it that you love about me?" Y/N asked.

Chan smiled. "Everything."

At that, Y/N couldn't help but giggle. She leaned forward and kissed the man on his cheek. It was wet and fever hot, and she wiped the traces of tears away with her fingers again.

"Well … you believe in soulmates, don't you?"

He had no idea where this was going, but he nodded; he had said countless times since meeting her that he felt as though their souls were extensions of one another.

"If we're soulmates, then that would mean we share bits of each other, right?" Y/N asked.

Chan pondered this. He nodded slowly.

"If bits of you are in me, and bits of me are in you … " Y/N whispered, running her fingers over the backs of her husband's hands. "If you hate yourself, wouldn't that mean you're also hating bits of me?"

Chan's eyes suddenly widened. He seemed at a loss for words; he had no idea if what she was saying was scientifically correct or not, but he suddenly didn't care. The thought of him hating her, indirectly or not, was too much for him to bear.

His eyes suddenly flooded with tears all over again.

"Baby … " Chan whispered, dropping his face into his hands. Tears spilled through the gaps in his fingers as his body shook in front of his wife.

"Do you know one of the reasons why I began to love myself?" Y/N continued.

Chan shook his head.

"I started seeing pieces of you in me. The more time we spent together, the more I fell in love with you … I realised we were so much more similar than I thought was possible. And I thought … how on earth am I supposed to hate myself when so much of me is like you?"

"Y/N … " Chan was crying loudly now; his face contorted with pain as he gulped, his entire body shuddering. He didn't know what was going through his mind … all he knew was that he had never loved anyone as much as he loved the woman in front of him.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Chan pulled Y/N into him; he closed his lips over hers in a warm kiss, one that made Y/N's own eyes prickle with emotion as she shut them. She kissed him back, her lips gently caressing his. She was telling him something that no amount of words could ever say, and fresh tears spilled down his cheeks, and onto hers.

Y/N sniffed as she kissed her husband. She suddenly remembered reading about how people who didn’t love themselves couldn't love others; she couldn't help but feel that that was wrong. She had never felt as loved by anyone as she had by her husband. He loved her fiercely, passionately, so much so that sometimes she forgot he was even capable of hating in the first place.

She knew that people said it was impossible to love a broken person. She didn't think that was true. Difficult, perhaps.

But never impossible.

"You're beautiful to me," Y/N whispered now as she cupped his cheeks. "You're always going to be beautiful to me."

Chan nodded against her; her earlier words had flooded through him like a shock wave, and he suddenly felt incredibly guilty towards himself.

I was something he had never experienced before. He didn't quite know what to make of it.

"Whether you're ugly or you're not," Y/N said, her face breaking into a smile as she nudged her husband playfully. "Which you're not. But ugly or not, your body works so hard for you everyday. It does its best for you so you can eat and so you can walk and so you can talk and just … be alive. Don't you think it deserves a little bit of love for that?"

"Yeah … " Chan hiccuped. He leaned forward and Y/N immediately scooped him up into her arms. She held him tightly, gently rocking him as he cried into her shirt with an urgency that made her feel as though hundreds of little needles were piercing through her heart.

"I know you're always dissatisfied with your body and the way you look … " Y/N whispered against his shoulder. "But no matter how much your body changes, you're always going to be dissatisfied if you don't truly love yourself. You could be the strongest man in the world … but if you hate yourself, you'd still find a reason to be unhappy about your appearance."

Chan knew she was right. She always was. She knew him better than he knew himself - she seems to have somehow crawled into the depths of his mind and addressed the thought that constantly berated him throughout the day.

He knew he'd never be satisfied with the way he looked. He also knew there was only one way to go about fixing that.

Perhaps it was time he actually tried.

"You're right," he whispered, sniffing as he rubbed his cheek against Y/N's neck. "I know you're right. You're always right."

"This isn't about me being right, baby," Y/N smiled as she kissed his cheek. "I just want you to be happy in your own skin. I can't make you happy … but I can hold your hand and be right here while you do it for yourself, you know?"

Chab nodded. He nodded hard, and when he pulled away from his wife again, his face began to glow with a small smile.

"Aw, look at that," Y/N laughed quietly as she kissed his smile. "You're the most beautiful man I have ever seen."

He flushed; his nose turned pink and instead of denying the compliment like he usually would, he grinned.

"Thank you?"

---

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CRUSH (ushijima wakatoshi x reader)

summary: wakatoshi has a crush.

word count: 720

warnings: fem!reader, its all just fluff

tags: @keiva1000

Ushijima knows he has fans. He might be simple-minded and a little oblivious, but he’s not stupid.

He knows girls stare at him from the balcony during practice. And he can hear their giggling when he passes them in the halls. Tendou often calls him Shiratorizawa’s Golden Boy, which Ushijima wholeheartedly disagrees with, but never voices out loud. Tendou often says strange things. He doesn’t mind.

Ushijima doesn’t understand his popularity. Sure, he is a good player. The best ace in the prefecture. But most of these girls have no understanding of volleyball. So why are they spending hours upon hours in the stands, watching him play?

“They’re not watching the match, Wakatoshi-kun. They are watching you.”

Hm. Strange. His play is very consistent. Watching him do the same thing over and over has to get boring, especially when they aren’t watching for the sake of the game.

But then he sees you for the first time.

You are in his third year English class. In his three years of high school, Ushijima is sure he has never seen you before. Because if he had, there was no way he would forget you.

He is curious. And a little enamored by you.

You are, by all means, a regular girl. You sit on the same chair every day, bring your own bento instead of eating from the cafeteria. It is always wrapped in a pretty multicolored patterned cloth, done up in a knot on top. You have a small stuffed cat chain on the zipper of your backpack. And you wear your hair differently every day. Some days it is tied up, some days it is let down. And some days it is half-up and half-down. You have one pink bunny hairclip that you wear maybe once every two or three days that Ushijima thinks is very cute. Your uniform is always immaculate.

There are so many tiny details about you that Ushijima has learned, and he finally understands why girls would stay hanging over the gym balcony to watch him for hours, because he could watch you for hours too.

You are very smart, he could tell. You always answer correctly when the teacher would call on you, and he has glimpsed at your notes. Simple, but neat and easy to understand, just the way he likes it. There are no crazy colors and highlighters, and your handwriting is neat and beautiful, just like the rest of you.

You are also quiet. You have a select group of friends that you talk to, and while you are nice to anyone who interacts with you, you don't go out of your way to stand out. Again, Ushijima loves that. It seems he loved everything about you. All the minor details that make you a little bit more unique to everyone else.

When you show up at his game, he nearly loses his focus.

It in’t an important game by any means, just a practice match with another local university team. So why are you here? Have your friends dragged you along? Or are you here by your own volition? Ushijima feels how sweaty his palms are when he clenches his fists, and it surprises him.

Is he….. nervous?

Why? Because you are watching? How ridiculous. Ushijima has never once doubted his own strength, or his ability to win. How could your presence alter that? The thought annoys him, and he is determined to prove that you being here would not be a hindrance to his play.

Turns out, he needn't have worried. It seems your presence had sharpened his senses more than ever. Shiratorizawa won in straight sets, and of the 50 points they scored, 39 had been from Ushijima’s hand.

“You were on fire today, Wakatoshi-kun.” Tendou comments as the final whistle rings. Ushijima unintentionally glances at you in the stands, cheering for the team. Cheering for him.

His heart is beating a mile a minute, and he doesn’t think it is because of the game he had just played. He hears Tendou let out a dreamy sigh.

“Ah, the miracles of having a crush.”

He feels his lips tick up in a tiny smile as he throws a towel over his shoulders. Tendou is wrong. Ushijima doesn’t think he has a crush.

He thinks he is in love.

---

﹙ ✉️ ﹚ ── NIGHT AFFECTION. in which ⸝ 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌.

엔하이픈 ⠀ ੭୧ ⠀ fem!rea 1100 non-idol au fluff established relationship ˊᯅˋ pet-names skinship kissing ⠀， receuil . . .

분지 ܃ rewriting a old work because why not :0

reblogs ⠀ꢾ꣒ ⠀ feedbacks please

HEESEUNG

he is never ashamed to ask for the things that he want. whether it’s the remote when he is too lazy to get it himself or a compliment for something he has done; he always asks. 

he is not ashamed nor subtle about needing that good night kiss. and to emphasize on his point, he is not going to let you go to sleep until your lips connect with his.

he flops on top of you, his chest pressed against yours as well as his entire weight. “i can’t sleep,” he whines while you try to get him off of you. he bugs you, “i will die, kiss me.”

soon enough, he comes to find his position weirdly comfortable. he rearranges himself so he can hide his face in the crook of your neck, “i won’t get up until you kiss me,” he mumbles.

you laugh at the way his voice gets slowly quieter as be speaks, your boyfriend is already dozing off. he is already half asleep when you give him what he wants.

JAY

his reaction is quite funny. to him, it feels like his entire world crumbled in slow motion, right in front of his wide opened eyes. his goodnight kiss it is that important to him.

he doesn’t realize that he is staring at you. unintentionally, he is stuck in place without looking at anything but you, without even blinking once. he doesn’t realize that he is not laying down at the same time as you do, that is boring holes into your soul. 

realization only hits him a few seconds after you turn off the light. “babe,” he calls you hurriedly, tapping your form in fear that you would fall asleep without him receiving his act of affection.

you turn around, turning on the light in an almost panicking and downright confused. he smiles fondly, “didn’t you forget something, princess?”

seeing that you genuinely don’t know what is happening and that you are almost falling asleep, he kisses you himself.

JAKE

he is already tucked in bed, teeth freshly brushed, skin shining due to his nightly skin care routine and he feels comfortable here, enveloped like a tacos in the covers. 

it just feels too good, falling asleep after receiving a loving kiss from his beautiful girlfriend. he is so, so shocked when he realizes that you are not going to kiss him tonight. his eyes grow wide, his mouth falls agape. 

he mimics the look of a kicked pupil as he watches you get under the cover without even giving him a glance. 

he ponders, for a long moment, whether he should kiss you himself or just let it go. he is stays silent in hopes that his mind will successfully telepathically share his thoughts with you. 

“doll,” he whisper, getting closer to your ear. “can you give me a kiss, please?”

SUNGHOON

the lack of his before-sleep loving affection would leave him all sour faced. he wouldn’t hide it either, he is annoyed and kiss deprived.

you catches his face while you are getting ready to close your eyes. but his eyes digging holes in your skin makes you laugh out loud. he looks like an angry cat. 

you beat his chest playfully and with the softest giggle he has ever heard, and which makes his face arbor a more tender expression, “what’s wrong with you?”

shyness overtakes him when you laugh like that, he ends up avoiding your eyes as he fidgets with the covers. you study him for a moment until you realize what you’ve forgotten.

his cheeks are tainted with pink when you hold his chin between your index finger and your thumb. he leans in, closing his eyes and sigh when you kiss him.

SUNOO

he is bothered by it. to an extent that is a tad bit laughable. he finds himself utterly offended, downright shocked— he doesn’t have the time to be subtle about it. at all. 

this is how you are supposed to say goodnight. when it’s time to drowse, a kiss is needed. even when you are apart, the kissy face emoji or a flying kiss behind your phone’s camera is necessary. 

in all honesty, you are confused about his change of demeanor, given the fact that he was all smiley a few minutes prior. you find him with a small pout weighing on his pretty lips and don’t hear the things that he is grumbling under his breath. 

there is no way that is falling asleep without what he wants. and he is in disbelief when he realize that you forgot. and instead of reminding you, he just huffs as he lays down with his back facing you. 

he really does try to act like he doesn’t care, but after a dozen seconds in the dark, he trunks around and whisper, “hey, aren’t you forgetting something?” 

JUNGWON

he could tell you. he tap your shoulder sweetly, watch you turn around as you wait for him to talk and tells you that you forgot his before-bedtime smooch, but he doesn’t. 

of course, he takes it as an invitation to play with your mind a little, to make you curious, to make you wonder under his pleased gaze. 

a bit before you turn off the light, he speaks: “you forgot,” with the context swallowed in his throat. it rings your curiosity instantly, and you don’t want to sleep anymore. 

“jungwon,” he scoots closer to your circle of warmth. in the silence, he wraps his arms around you in the act of a loving embrace. “jungwon, what did i forget?” 

he laughs when you push him away slightly to get his attention. in lieu of an answer, he decides to get his kiss on his own. 

RIKI

he watches your every move. he follows you everywhere in the house, from the living room to the bathroom, to the bathroom to the bedroom. it is as if he is your shadow. 

you want to laugh every time you turn your gaze to his direction, seeing how impatient he is for that goodnight kiss. he looks like he has never been kissed before.

his world crumble under his feet when you decide to withhold the kiss and purposely ignore his presence. a frown draws itself on his mouth as well as on his eyebrows. 

silent treatment is what he gives you as a form of revenge. but he wants to kiss you really bad, you know. perhaps, his little vengeance doesn’t last very long because he jump when he hears he words, “i’ll find something else to kiss then!” coming out of your mouth. 

he attacks you with wet kisses all over your face as a gentle punishment. 

taglist open

---

I'm their baby girl fr

girl dad 🎀 (b.c)

i had seen a tik tok with chan and the twins, and how he's a girl dad 🥹 so, i had come up with this idea 🫢 i hope you guys like it 🩷

feedback is greatly appreciated 🥰

~

You've been sitting in your car for twenty minutes, trying to get yourself to stop crying. One hand covers your mouth, quieting your sobs while the other gently rubs your tiny baby bump. You're fourteen weeks pregnant, and you just found out what you and Chan are having.

Your phone vibrates in your vehicle's cup holder, seeing Chan's name on the screen. You wipe your tears and take a deep breath before answering his call.

“Hey, baby,” you greet him, smiling to yourself.

“Hi, my baby,” Chan's voice makes your heart flutter. “Have you made it to the studio yet? How did the appointment go? I'm sorry I couldn't go with you.”

You giggle and lean back against the seat, turning your head to look out the window. “It's okay, baby. I forgot you had a schedule this morning. It went well. I have another sonogram photo to show you,” you inform him on how it went, leaving out the part where you learned whether your baby’s a girl or a boy.

“That's good. I can't wait to see our bean,” he giggles into the receiver, making you giggle as well. “We're just about to start filming, so I wanted to let you know that you're free to come in. I gave your name to security.”

You turn your vehicle off, feeling yourself calmer after talking to your boyfriend. “Okay, baby. I just pulled in, so I'll be there in a few. I love you,” you smooch.

“I love you so much. As soon as I have a free moment, I'm kissing you,” he mentions, having missed his morning kisses due to both of you being busy.

You're walking towards the building, and you shake your head. “I'm not going to complain,” you laugh, bidding him goodbye.

You slip your phone into your back pocket, giving the guard your name. He lets you in without any trouble, thankfully, and you make your way towards the room they're recording in.

When you finally reach the place Chan and Felix are in, you notice that they've already started recording. You look through the window of the door, seeing your boyfriend sitting cross-legged on the floor with the twins in his lap.

Tears pool in your eyes as you gently rub your belly, thinking of how it'll be when she's born. “Is this what parent life will look like?” You ask no one in particular, taking a quick glance down at your barely noticeable bump.

You chew on your lip as you walk into the room, the squeals of the girls reaching your ears. Chan's eyes meet yours, and he smiles at you fondly.

You wave at him before crossing your arms over your chest. Felix and Chan's manager grabs a chair for you to sit in, knowing that you're pregnant. You thank Skijigi quietly and take a seat.

The recording didn't last much longer, the two boys having a snack with the twins before they headed out. You stay in your seat when Chan walks over to you, greeting you with a kiss.

“Have you been crying?” He asks, noticing the redness around your eyes. His fingertips gently stroke your skin, a frown etching onto his lips.

“I can't get anything past you, can I?” You chuckle, shaking your head. Chan shakes his head as well, looking around to see the staff slowly filtering out. “It's nothing bad, I promise.”

Your hand grabs his, intertwining your fingers together before squeezing his hand. “The baby's okay?” He asks, stroking the back of your hand.

“Yes, absolutely,” you tell him, standing up from your chair. You bring your conjoined hands to your stomach, letting him feel your bump. “She is doing fantastic.”

His head snaps up, a gasp leaving his plump lips. “She? We're having a girl?” Chan whispers, his hands moving to your waist. “Are we really having a baby girl?”

Tears pool in both of your eyes, and you nod your head, confirming. “We're gonna have a little girl,” you cry out, laughing as you do. “You're going to be such a wonderful girl dad.”

Your fingers stroke his cheek, smiling up at him as you wipe his tears. Chan's lip quivers, bringing you into his chest. “I can't believe we're gonna have a girl,” he sniffles, gliding his hands on your lower back. “I hope she looks just like you.”

You pull back enough to look at him, smiling softly. “I hope she has your smile and dimples,” you giggle, leaning on your toes to kiss his lips.

“I can't wait to tell the kids,” he laughs, pressing chaste kisses on your lips. “They were so convinced that we'll have a boy.”

You burst out laughing, combing your fingers through his hair. “Let's go prove them wrong,” you wink, pulling away from him completely. Chan swiftly grabs your hand as the two of you walk out of the room together.

“After we tell them you want to get dinner?” He asks, kissing the back of your conjoined hands.

Your heart flutters in your chest, nodding your head, yes. “I'd love to, baby,” you grin, leaning your head on his arm. “I love you.”

Chan kisses your head and squeezes your hand. “I love you, baby.”

~

tagging: @strawboorybunny @reddesert-healourblues @spacegirlstuff @moon0fthenight @foxinnie8 @like-a-diamondinthesky @prettymiye0n

---

damn, jake with the ponytail will now not leave my mind ever again 😊

⠀⠀⠀⠀[⠀谷. ) ᨓ ENHYPEN ADMIRING THEIR 𝒢IRL !

. . ──𝖺𝗅𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗒, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖻𝖺𝖽.

﹙ 𝒘𝐞𝐛 ⭑ 𝒅𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝓁𝓈. ﹚ enhypen lovesick over the simple things you do. fem!r. fluff, and so soft. wordcount` 635. アーカイブ ACHRIVE?

PLS REBLOG!!!!

𝗟𝗘𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗨𝗡𝗚 when you're talking; the way your lips move and the way your voice sounds, these are two things lee heeseung could never get over. he just cannot help but fix his eyes on your mouth shaping letters, so lost and so dazed. you might think he's not listening to exactly what you are speaking of but no, he is. every word and every tone behind it, the most interesting thing in the world. in his world full of everything about you.

"yes baby, i'm always listening, i love to."

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗝𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚 when you're eating; the little expressions you make and the tiny little sounds that leave you are heaven for him. he could live his entire life making you what you love to eat and sit infront of you to watch you stuff your face full of it. the way sometimes you'd smear some on your cheeks or your lips and just wait, leaving it for him to wipe it away with his thumb or kiss it off because you just love it so much everytime he does it.

"you're so cute, i could watch you forever,"

𝗦𝗜𝗠 𝗝𝗔𝗘𝗬𝗨𝗡 when you're tying up your hair; the hottest thing you could ever do is put your hairtie between your lips and tilt your head back to gather your hair in a pony, neck stretched and inviting. it is a sight on paradise and jake swears he'll die a thousand times to see it. in a trance he is trapped and helpless watching you seduce him every single time and then squeal away when he leaves a little peck at the base of your neck.

"fuck can you do that again, please?"

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗡 when you're putting on makeup; he absolutely loves sitting around and watching you doll up, or just see your fingers glide against your face like a creep. taking out his phone to click cute candids of you curling your hair, putting on ribbons and braids or record little videos of you putting on your lipgloss, zooming in on the applicator gliding against the plump of your lips, making it look shiny and so so kissable. he goes crazy.

"is it cherry? lemme give you a kiss, pretty,"

𝗞𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗪𝗢𝗢 when you're laughing; the sound of your laughter, the little giggles and the big snorts, sunoo is in badshit love with everything. he lives to make you so happy you cannot think about anything but laughing your lungs out at something funny or giggling to hide the sweetness and shyness you feel at his words. to see your eyes light up, your smile turning into tiny sounds of excitement sunoo can never move on.

"the sound of your happiness is my favorite thing,"

𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗢𝗡 when you're asleep; the vulnerability and softness your features hold when you are passed out makes him feel so giddy, jungwon just cannot stop staring at how cute and peaceful you look. the little snores you let out are his favorite thing in the world. your hair falling over your eyes and lips, breath dulcet and cozy. he loves tucking the strands away, grazing your cheeks and leaving fleeting kisses all over, pulling you closer to him.

"how do you look so pretty even when you're sleeping?"

𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗜 when you're checking out your outfit; putting on different dresses and twirling around in front of the mirror (and him), stopping to check your reflection in store windows and mirrors, riki does not know or understand why he feels so insane in love watching you do all that but he knows he looks at you all gogo gaga when you do it. sitting on the bed and helping you decide which outfit you look better in while his mind is all fuzzy.

"you look like a princess, my pretty princess."

taglist ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat @s00buwu @lilyuwon @pockyyasii @nctislifue @ashtxrie @miniature-tragedy @jayujus @brachives @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly @eeunoia @nxzz-skz @shawnyle @potato0579 @enhastolemyheart @belowbun @ro-diaries @ms-no1kpopstan