Monkey Bars (sjy) Part 2

Monkey Bars (sjy) Part 2

PART ONE

PAIRING: jake sim x fem!reader

GENRES: smut, angst (so much in this part), college au, frat au, enemies to lovers, exes to lovers

WARNINGS (for this part): profanity, underage drinking, violence, depression, so much slut shaming, kind of toxic relationship?, lots of crying and emotions, mentions of sex tape, unprotected sex, fingering, soft sex, victim blaming

SUMMARY: Jake Sim was like the epitome of the perfect fourth-grade boyfriend. He had it all – being a year older automatically put him on the cool list (which in turn also boosted your popularity), genuinely kind, and very cute. But then, the earth-shattering truth that he was a two-timing cheater hit you like a ton of bricks. You caught him red-handed, holding another girl's hand and it devastated you beyond measure. So of course, in your nine-year-old mind, there was only one deserving punishment – a forceful push off the monkey bars during recess, resulting in a broken arm. 

And so, the battle lines were drawn. You and Jake became sworn enemies, a feud that carried on even into college. You saw him as a total fuckboy who always knew how to get under your skin, while he saw you as a snobby bitch who thought she was better than everyone else. But fate, in its twisted sense of humor, had other plans. Out of a class brimming with a hundred other possibilities, it was Jake who ended up being your assigned partner. 

Clearly, the world had favorites and you weren’t on that list.

WORD COUNT: 18.1k

AUTHOR’S NOTE: i know it’s been almost a year since the first part came out and so much has happened since then but seriously thank you to everyone who waited patiently for this it really means so much to me that this story was loved as much as it was and i hope this last part doesn’t disappoint! seriously love you guys so much and enjoy! 🫶

THE FRAT DIARIES MASTERLIST

GLOSSARY

You didn’t really know how the rest of the weekend went. In fact, you weren’t even sure what day of the week it was, but honestly, that was the least of your worries. Since Friday, you had been holed up in your room, refusing to leave your bed. After running out of the bar, it was as if you lost all your memory. You had a hard time recollecting everything when you woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and swollen eyes.

According to Wonyoung, when she and Lily followed you out, you were in a state of absolute hysteria, hunched over on the streets, and dry heaving. Niki and Jungwon had stayed behind, and while you were trying to get away, Jungwon had apparently threw a punch, resulting in both of them getting kicked out. But neither of them cared. They came out of the bar seething with anger, not only with how the three boys treated you but also with the realization of what one of their own brothers had done to you. It was as if your body shut down, and Niki ultimately had to carry you back to your dorm. Since then, you haven't left the comfort of your bed.

Throughout the weekend, Wonyoung made sure you were left alone and took charge of your phone, shielding you from any more heartbreaking news. She couldn't bring herself to disclose the truth to you, knowing that what you had assumed was indeed true, and the reality was even more devastating than she had feared. A video was circulating, spreading like wildfire, and it seemed that a large portion of the school had already gotten ahold of it.

Your best friend had also held back in revealing that she had marched over to Epsilon Nu after tucking you in on Friday night and ended up getting AES banned from the EpNu house for the rest of the semester. None of your sisters seemed to care though as they were quick to stand in solidarity with you and wanted no association with their former brother fraternity. In fact, Yeji (AES’ President) had called an emergency meeting the next morning, which you were obviously absent from, to address the severity of this situation and how no one was to engage with the fraternity for the remainder of the semester. Once again, none of your sorority sisters seemed to protest as they all praised Wonyoung for the actions she had taken.

Wonyoung was never one for violence, but upon discovering what Jake had done to you, her sister, best friend, and soulmate, she felt an overwhelming need for him to face the consequences. Jungwon, of course, did his best to reason with her, urging her not to make any rash decisions, but Niki stood firmly in support of Wonyoung's impending actions.

Jake had just put the final touches on your shared project before submitting it when his door was forcefully thrown open. Jay, startled from his slumber on the other side of the room, was bewildered but still groggy. Jake, however, recognized the situation the moment he saw Wonyoung's face twisted in absolute fury. He was too slow to react as she delivered a resounding slap across his cheek, setting off a chain of chaos. Jay was now fully awakened as Jungwon tried to restrain Wonyoung, and Niki stood in the doorway, glaring at Jake. Despite Jungwon's efforts, Wonyoung effortlessly broke free from his grasp and landed a solid punch on Jake’s face, causing him to be met with a searingly painful sensation. The commotion attracted the attention of several of his fraternity brothers, who rushed over to assess the situation. The sight that greeted them was far from what they had anticipated.

Jay and Jungwon struggled to hold back Wonyoung, who had turned feral, screaming and attempting to break free in order to continue her assault on the boy now bleeding on the floor. Jake made no attempt to fight back or escape; he simply absorbed the blows, unable to meet anyone's gaze as guilt washed over him. He knew that once the truth about his actions became known to everyone, he would be left with nothing.

It took the combined effort of about five boys to finally restrain Wonyoung, but by then, the entire house had caught wind of the incident through her passionate outbursts. The piercing looks Jake received from his fraternity brothers only intensified his overwhelming sense of shame. He was immediately summoned into Heeseung's room for an impromptu meeting to address the situation.

"What the actual fuck, Jake!" Heeseung's disbelief was eclipsed by his anger. While Jake had always been one of the more unruly members of the fraternity, this crossed a line that even Heeseung couldn't fathom.

Jake pressed a towel to his still-bleeding nose, remaining silent with his eyes fixed on the floor.

“Jesus fucking Christ so you’re just not going to say anything?” Heeseung scoffed at Jake’s lack of response as he paced around his room. Then, the door opened revealing Taehyun who was in charge of risk management. He entered in silence as he eyed Jake before turning to Heeseung. 

“Soobin thinks you should call Yeji. Wonyoung’s having to be guarded by like five people. She’s crazy like she just yanked Sunghoon by his hair and threw him across the room like he was nothing, it was actually insane. The guys are kind of scared, what do you want me to do?” Taehyun’s normally big eyes were even wider as he informed EpNu’s president of their current situation. 

Heeseung, obviously stressed, exhaled really loudly and combed through his hair. “I’ll handle her and I’m calling Yeji right now. Can you take care of him? I’ll send Yeonjun up to help.” He shot Jake one last look before leaving. 

After Heeseung departed, the room fell into an eerie silence. In contrast to Heeseung's exasperation, Taehyun remained ominously quiet as he took a seat at Heeseung's desk. His unwavering stare fixed on Jake, and as mentioned earlier, Taehyun had a menacing aura when angered, which sent waves of terror through Jake.

"Is it true? What Wonyoung is accusing you of?" Taehyun's voice was cold, devoid of any sympathy for the bleeding boy.

Jake finally mustered the courage to meet Taehyun's gaze. Every fiber of his being urged him to avert his eyes, yet this time he decided to speak up. "Kind of."

Taehyun scoffed, unsatisfied with his response. "What the fuck does that mean? It's a yes or no question."

As Jake opened his mouth to reply, the door burst open, revealing a tall figure. Unlike Taehyun's icy glare, Yeonjun exuded an entirely different energy. He appeared visibly angered. "Did you fucking do it?"

"He says he 'kind of' did it, whatever that means," Taehyun informed the older male, rolling his eyes in Jake's direction.

Yeonjun narrowed his eyes, casting his gaze downward at Jake, both literally and figuratively, as he stood towering over him while Jake remained seated on the bed. "Alright, then what does that mean?"

Jake felt as though he was trapped in an interrogation room, suffocating under the weight of their scrutinizing stares. "I didn't intentionally share the videos. Some of the guys got hold of them and sent them in a groupchat to everyone during practice."

"So it's not your fault that they were leaked, then?" Yeonjun probed further, his confusion evident as he questioned why Jake bore a guilty expression.

Jake let out a heavy sigh before finally confessing, "Yeah, it's not entirely my fault when the videos first leaked, but I didn't do enough to shut it down. I don't know what came over me, but they kept pushing me to show more, and then Jeongin said some things that angered me, so I ended up giving them what they wanted. I thought they would drop it after that, but instead, they started treating me like some sort of god or something, and my ego got the better of me, so I let it continue. Even at that moment, I knew it was messed up, but for some reason, I couldn't stop myself. I just never expected them to confront her about it."

As Taehyun and Yeonjun absorbed Jake's explanation, their demeanors shifted dramatically. Taehyun stood up, seething with anger as Jake finished speaking. "You didn't think they would go after her and harass her about it? Are you seriously that fucking naive? They literally witnessed her most intimate moments, so of course, they targeted her! Unlike us, girls are constantly slut-shamed even for being even the slightest sexual!"

Taehyun practically screamed at Jake, unable to comprehend how he could have been so oblivious to the consequences his actions would have on you. Taehyun struggled to restrain himself from physically attacking Jake, his rage barely contained.

"Jesus, Jake. Taehyun is right. What the fuck were you thinking? Did you ever stop to consider Y/N? Fuck, man. Now you're going to face the repercussions of all this because you’ve really crossed the line this time." As the words of his friends echoed in his mind, Jake couldn't help but long for a chance to turn back time and undo everything.

3 days ago…

When Jake handed his unlocked phone to Eric and Jeongin so they could add their orders to the team's food delivery, he hadn't considered that they would have full access to his phone. He should have sensed trouble when he noticed them laughing loudly in the corner of the locker room. But it wasn't until he heard the sound of text notifications coming from nearby phones that he frowned, realizing the messages were from their group chat.

Reactions varied among the team. Some huddled together, laughing, while others stared at him with varying degrees of confusion, disgust, and amusement. It wasn't until Jisung approached him, asking if he had intended to send the video, that Jake's confusion deepened. Then he heard a familiar sound emanating from a nearby phone, and it dawned on him what had happened. Jake immediately stormed toward them, ready to unleash his anger for invading his privacy and sharing his private videos. But before he could even open his mouth, Jeongin beat him to the punch.

"Jesus, Jake. She doesn't even look like she's enjoying it. I mean look at you. Like this is kind of embarrassing. Clearly having a high body count means nothing by the way you’re fucking."

Jeongin and Jake had never had a good relationship, stemming from an incident during Jake's freshman year when he unknowingly slept with Jeongin's (now ex) girlfriend. Since then, Jeongin had harbored animosity toward Jake, and Jake wasn't about to let him win this time. Without thinking, he did the only thing he believed could counter Jeongin's words.

In an escalating frenzy, Jake's teammates gathered around him as he sat on one of the benches, pulling up a more recent video of the two of you having sex. The explicit video played, filling the locker room with the sound of your loud moans as you sported a fucked out expression while Jake wrapped his free hand tightly around your neck. It became evident, through the videos Jake displayed, that Jeongin had been mistaken. However, Jake hadn't considered the consequences of defending his ego. In his attempt to assert himself, he inadvertently exposed you to a vulnerable position. The initial high he experienced over the following days gradually faded as he came to terms with the gravity of his actions. Furthermore, he had forgotten about the widespread distribution of the videos. Before he could even begin to address his mistakes, it seemed that everything had already spiraled out of control.

While Jungwon had been the first to intervene between Jake and Wonyoung, it wasn't out of concern for Jake's well-being. He was actually holding Wonyoung back to prevent her from getting into trouble. He couldn't care less about Jake right now after all that had happened tonight, and he was relieved that Jake wasn't his big as this situation could have been even more devastating. Instead, he was stuck with the fool on the other side of the room, pathetically nursing his head (Jungwon was sure Sunghoon was actually crying), while Jay inspected it to ensure that Wonyoung hadn't actually scalped him. Still, he would prefer Sunghoon any day over Jake—poor Niki.

However, Jungwon had to admit that his girlfriend was quite terrifying when she was angry. His gaze drifted over to the head-shaped hole in the living room wall, a result of Sunghoon's head being smashed into it by Wonyoung. She had also kicked poor innocent Huening Kai in the stomach during her attempts to break free, and Sunoo appeared disheveled and exhausted from his own encounter with her that he narrowly escaped unscathed. Since then, Wonyoung had calmed down significantly, but everyone remained on guard as if she were a rabid dog that could unpredictably go wild again.

When Heeseung finally entered the living room after informing Yeji of the incident at the house, he took in the scene before him. It almost resembled a battlefield, with everyone tending to their wounds. In any other situation, he might have found it somewhat amusing, but right now, he had too much on his plate to find humor in it.

"Hey Wonyoung, Jungwon, and Niki, can we talk? The rest of you can go back to sleep. I'll speak with you guys in the morning," he addressed the three individuals who were present at the bar. Each of them displayed a range of emotions, with Wonyoung's anger being the most apparent on her face.

Jungwon and Niki nodded in agreement, while Wonyoung seemed unwilling to move from her spot on the couch. With some coaxing from her boyfriend, however, she reluctantly got up and followed them.

The four of them entered the kitchen for more privacy, and Heeseung let out a sigh before delivering the news. "I just spoke with Yeji, and unfortunately, due to the violence you showed towards multiple brothers tonight, AES will be banned from the house until the end of the semester. I’m sorry and I want to let you know that this isn’t at all what I wanted cause I know the reasons behind your actions, but I can’t go against the rules. We'll have time to discuss what will happen next during the break."

Wonyoung couldn't care less about the news. In fact, she was relieved that none of her sisters would have to come into contact with Jake.

"I need to talk to you three about what happened at the bar. I'll be having a more detailed conversation with Jake, but I want to know the full extent of what occurred," Heeseung's voice was stern, and it was perhaps the most serious Jungwon and Niki had ever seen their president.

"It was just three assholes who approached us while we were out and started harassing Y/N. She had no idea what they were talking about, and they assumed Jake had already shown us videos. He obviously hadn’t though so we were confused, but they were so fucking disrespectful towards her," Niki recounted, his brows furrowed and a look of disgust on his face as he recalled the degrading treatment his friend had endured.

This was exactly what Heeseung had feared, as he didn't know if any of the Epsilon Nu boys were involved in the incident. "I'll have to conduct a thorough investigation with Taehyun and Yeonjun over the next week to ensure that no one else was involved. Niki, I know you're Jake's little, and he may not have mentioned this to you, but it doesn't mean he hasn't discussed it with Jay, Sunghoon, or any of the other guys."

Wonyoung's face twisted in anger at Heeseung's words. The mere possibility that some of the EpNu boys could have been involved only fueled her diminishing fury. "Heeseung, I swear, if you find out that Jake had been showing those videos to the boys, I won't give a shit about your stupid fucking ban. I will kill them," she declared, her threat laced with genuine conviction. Wonyoung meant every word. Too many of her loved ones were connected to the boys of EpNu, and if she discovered any of them had prior knowledge of Jake's actions, she would unleash her wrath upon them without hesitation.

Heeseung understood the gravity of Wonyoung's words, knowing full well what she was capable of especially after tonight. He simply nodded silently. "It's getting late, Wonyoung. You should go back to your dorm," he sighed, rubbing his head in exasperation before he addressed her once again, this time expressing his remorse. "And I'm sorry about what Jake did to Y/N. I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through. I understand why you did what you did tonight. I'm not supposed to praise you for punching Jake, and I truly am not, but I want you to know that he will face the consequences he deserves."

His words hung heavily in the air as the three of them absorbed their weight, comprehending its significance and the gravity of Jake's actions. Wonyoung locked eyes with Heeseung, scrutinizing them to ensure he wasn't lying. Satisfied with what she saw, she gave him a firm nod and finally made her way out of the house, with Jungwon following closely behind.

By the following morning, before the sun had even risen, news of the incident had spread among your sorority sisters like wildfire. Their anger surpassed any imaginable limit, prompting many of them to march down to the EpNu house, demanding to confront Jake. Unfortunately, their attempts were in vain, leaving them to seek alternative means of seeking justice for their sister.

Winter, true to her earlier threat, didn't back down. Unable to physically harm Jake, she devised a different plan to inflict pain. With the assistance of Giselle, the sorority's Vice President of Public Relations, they composed an exposé letter, which was then published on AES' public Instagram account, boasting a substantial following of 10k. The letter called out Jake by his full name and provided enough details, carefully avoiding disclosing your identity as the victim, to shed light on his actions. Its publication sparked a significant reaction within the HybeU community, with all the sisters reposting the letter. This, in turn, flooded Jake's and EpNu's social media accounts with a deluge of hate comments, reaching such an overwhelming level that they had to disable their comments section a letter of their own in response. 

Monday arrived, and it came as no surprise that both you and Jake were absent from campus. Your friends managed to coax you out of bed for some breakfast, but the weight of the situation hit you hard as you tearfully picked at your pancakes. Despite the comforting hugs from your friends, the overwhelming sense of shame and regret still consumed you.

Lying on Winter's bed at the AES house, with Wonyoung across from you on her own big's bed, you felt a sense of solace in their presence. It was a natural occurrence for the four of you to hang out like this, given that your bigs were also best friends.

Winter broke the silence with a question, "Have you considered actually taking legal action?"

Honestly, amidst the chaos of dealing with the invasion of your privacy and its fallout, the idea of seeking retribution against Jake hadn't crossed your mind. While you were aware of the intense public scrutiny and the ostracization Jake was facing due to the public outing by your sorority and friends, you had barely had a moment to think about anything beyond handling the aftermath.

"No, not really," you replied, your brows furrowing in thought. "I mean, is there even anything I could report him to the police for?"

"You should, there's bound to be something they could charge him with. Like, at the very least for invasion of privacy, right?" Wonyoung's eyes widened with seriousness as she sat up from her bed, interjecting into the conversation.

Wonyoung’s big nodded in agreement with her little, "Yeah, there's definitely legal grounds for action. This whole situation is fucked up, and there's no way he should get off this easily."

You let out a sigh, feeling a headache starting to form at the mere thought of the complex legalities involved. "It's just so complicated. Plus, haven't we heard enough stories of things like this happening to girls, and even when they speak up, the police don't do anything? It's like I'd have to go through all this with no guarantee of justice at the end."

"There's no fucking way Jake's getting away with this. I mean, sure, everyone's hating on him right now, but give it time. After the break, they'll move on, and he'll be back to his normal life like he didn't just violate you. Meanwhile, you're gonna be forever stuck knowing those assholes have videos of you in your most vulnerable state. It's just not right," Winter vented, frustration evident in her tone. The idea of Jake seemingly escaping consequences fueled an indescribable anger within everyone present.

“Does the school know?” Winter’s roommate asked.

You shrugged in response, "I'm not sure, maybe? AES' post blew up, so it might've caught the attention of the administrators. But if they know anything, they haven't said anything about it."

"Okay, well then let's make sure they know. They'll be obligated to take action if you file an official complaint. We have proof and everything, so if they don't do something, the backlash will be insane," Wonyoung declared, already in action as she reached for her computer to draft the email.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm not so sure about this," you interjected, your mind suddenly conflicted.

"What do you mean?" Winter chimed in, puzzled by your hesitation.

"I..." You hesitated, struggling to articulate the whirlwind of emotions inside you. "What if he gets like expelled?"

Wonyoung's big wore a baffled expression. "What do you mean 'if he gets expelled'? That's what he deserves! He probably deserves that and more."

The girls nodded in agreement, but your emotions were in turmoil, and you couldn't pinpoint why you weren't fully on board with delivering the harshest punishment to Jake. It felt utterly stupid; you knew you deserved justice for everythin he put you through, yet you couldn't shake the discomfort of potentially derailing his entire future.

"I don't know, I need time to think about this. I appreciate it, but give me some time," you said, offering them a tight smile that betrayed your inner turmoil. With that, you gathered your things and headed for the door. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

The rest of the day unfolded in the library, where you desperately tried to catch up on missed classes and prepare for looming finals. Yet, your grades felt like the least of your worries as your mind continuously circled back to the revenge plan your friends had suggested. The desire for retribution burned within you, but something held you back. 

Frustrated and overwhelmed, you sighed heavily and rested your head on the table, closing your eyes in an attempt to alleviate the pounding headache. However, as you lay there, you couldn't ignore the faint whispering emanating from behind the bookshelves nearby.

"That's her, right?" The hushed voices reached your ears, stirring a sense of unease within you.

"Yeah, it's definitely her. I've seen her at one of those EpNu parties, always with her little clique. That sorority thinks they're hot shit, but turns out they're just dirty sluts. I mean apparently she’s been run through by most of that frat," one voice remarked, failing miserably at keeping their tone down.

Your heart sank as you realized they were talking about you, and the other voice chimed in just as indiscreetly, "I'm not surprised. I heard even before her sex tape got leaked that she had a foursome with Jake, Sunghoon, and Jay. So, it’s probably true."

A heavy lump formed in your throat as you struggled to contain the surge of emotions welling up inside you. Clenching your jaw to stifle the rising anger, you continued to lie there, desperate to hear more of their conversation. It fucking hurt, but you wanted to know what people were saying about you.

"What a fucking whore. Isn't she embarrassed? I remember crying when I didn't get asked back to AES during rush, but now I'm so glad, 'cause they're probably all like her. So much for being a ‘top house’," the voices continued, each word feeling like a dagger to your heart. 

"Yeah, I’m gonna take not getting into AES as a blessing in disguise. It seems like they only go after sluts, super fucking classy. I'd be mortified if I were her parents. Did you see her trying to play the victim card? Apparently Jake's getting all the blame, but that's bullshit because she clearly played a part in making those videos," the girl's disdain dripped from her words.

"Ugh, yeah, I kind of feel sorry for him. Everyone's been giving him the treating him like shit and icing him out, but what about her? That video was disgusting; the stuff they were doing was insane, and she looked so proud of it. It's gross," the other girl chimed in, their voices laced with mockery as they burst into giggles.

Unable to bear another moment of their cruel gossip, you abruptly gathered your belongings, stuffing them into your bag, and stormed out of the library, your emotions raw and turmoil consuming your thoughts.

Was this how people saw you now? You didn't even know them, yet they felt entitled to make all sorts of assumptions about you. The weight of their cruel assumptions pressed down on you, leaving you reeling with a mix of anger and hurt. As you waited for the bus, you clenched your fists, willing yourself to hold back the tears threatening to spill. You were beyond pissed off, and any lingering hesitation about going after Jake's academic career evaporated in an instant.

The moment you stepped into your dorm, you wasted no time in grabbing your laptop, your fingers flying across the keyboard as you poured your emotions into a lengthy email to the administration.

Jake was going to fucking pay—no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Jake emerged from a private meeting with Heeseung and Yeonjun, feeling a profound sense of dissapointment and carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. The repercussions of his actions had cast Epsilon Nu under intense scrutiny for the past few days, particularly due to the widespread awareness created by your sorority's Instagram post. The executive members of Epsilon Nu were in a frenzy, working tirelessly to address and rectify the fallout caused by Jake's behavior. It was abundantly clear to everyone involved that distancing the fraternity from Jake, at least for the time being, was not only necessary but also non-negotiable.

Fortunately for Jake, his membership as an Epsilon Nu brother hadn't been terminated, although he knew that many of the boys would probably have preferred that outcome. Heeseung explained that since the incident wasn't directly linked to the fraternity, they didn't have grounds to kick him out, but he had been placed on probation instead.

Despite the leniency shown, being an Epsilon Nu had been a source of pride for Jake so with the official announcement of his probation until the end of the school year, he felt a profound sense of loss and disorientation. The consequences he faced were still significant, as he was stripped of his participation in any EpNu coordinated events and denied the opportunity to reside at the house for the remainder of the year. Additionally, he was prohibited from wearing or engaging in anything that associated him with the fraternity during his probationary period. Still Yeonjun made sure to emphasize how lucky he was to not be kicked out and how they would allow him to live in the house until the semester ended due to it only being a couple weeks away.

He had of course anticipated some form of punishment from his fraternity, but what he hadn't expected was an email from the Dean’s Office sitting in his inbox. As he opened it and read its contents, his heart sank and what felt like panic started to creep up. He was summoned to meet with the Dean the following day to discuss his actions and the disciplinary measures the school intended to take. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him as he contemplated the impending consequences of his actions. 

While he wasn’t the exact person who had sent out the videos, there still was proof that it came from his phone. Plus, he was a willing participant in showing more content to his teammates and overall did nothing to shut any of it down. So of course, the next morning as he was sat in front of the Dean, he was sweating nervously with anxiety coursing through him at a rapid pace. 

The Dean wore a stern expression and barely acknowledged Jake's entrance, engrossed in the paperwork before him. A heavy silence hung in the room until the Dean let out a loud sigh, removed his glasses, and finally locked eyes with Jake.

"Mr. Sim, we are here today due to a troubling letter I received from one of your classmates, containing serious accusations against you. Upon an investigation by the university, it has come to light that you not only played a significant role in this incident but that it has gained significant public attention. In fact, even President Bang is now aware of the situation," the Dean stated, causing Jake's anxiety to intensify. The thought of the President knowing about his actions made him feel sick.

Without offering respite, the Dean continued, "This puts the university in an extremely difficult position, as it highlights our failure to protect our students. Consequently, certain actions need to be taken regarding your standing here. After thorough deliberation, the council and I have decided to place you on probation. This means you can continue attending classes but will be suspended from all other activities. I have already been made aware of your current status from your fraternity and must inform you that you will also be suspended from the soccer team until the next season. Your probation period will extend until the next academic year. Any further policy violations may result in suspension or even expulsion. Additionally, this disciplinary action will be recorded on your academic record, which may impact your future pursuits. While you have the right to appeal this decision, Mr. Sim, I must emphasize that the evidence against you is substantial, casting doubt on the success of your appeal."

Being a student at Hybe University had been Jake's lifelong dream, and now he found himself in a position that he never could have imagined himself in. The consequences he faced far exceeded anything he had ever imagined. He had risked everything for the mere approval of his teammates (ones that he honestly didn’t even care that much about), and the realization left him feeling utterly devastated.

"I should also mention that we have received additional information from one of your teammates who was present at the incident, providing details about other individuals involved. They too will face consequences for their actions. Know that we are taking this matter extremely seriously. By winter break, your parents alongside Y/N’s will be sent a letter fully disclosing everything that I discussed with you today to ensure that they are made aware of your status along with everything else. That will be all, and I expect to see you again at the end of your probation period." The Dean seemed unwilling to entertain any further discussion, promptly escorting Jake out after delivering the news.

Feeling numb and overwhelmed, Jake struggled to comprehend the gravity of his situation as he made his way back to the house. It was a profound realization that not only was he in disfavor with the school, but he had also lost his position as a soccer player. A series of poor choices had completely upended his life. While he understood that he would still be able to attend classes and, once his probation period ended, could potentially return to his fraternity and the soccer team, he couldn't shake the feeling that things would never be the same. The possibility of holding a leadership position within Epsilon Nu now seemed out of reach, and the dream of becoming team captain had evaporated. 

Amidst all the turmoil, Jake was also dealing with the dread of having to return back to the EpNu house. However, he had no other options; it was the only place he could go. What was once a sanctuary now felt like a confining prison he was compelled to enter.

Since Friday night, Jake had been met with glares and stony silence. He was only spoken to when necessary, and his presence seemed an unwelcomed one. Some of the guys didn't hesitate to voice their opinions and disgust towards him, while others acted as if he didn't exist at all. He wasn't sure which was worse. It hurt, but he knew he had brought it upon himself. He had no right to expect sympathy from his brothers after what he had done.

Jay had resorted to crashing in different rooms, avoiding any proximity with Jake while Sunghoon (who had been concussed during Wonyoung's attack) was outright ignoring him. Even Niki, who used to stick by his side everywhere, was distancing himself and seeking solace in the company of other fraternity members. Jake couldn't blame them; he knew a simple apology wouldn't solve anything this time. The Epsilon Nu boys were rightfully bitter and upset. They now had to face the wrath of the rest of the student body for their association with Jake, and they knew rebuilding their reputation would be an uphill battle.

Despite the circumstances, the EpNu boys stood by your side. While they knew Jake's actions weren't their responsibility, they continued to show their remorse through various gestures. When you returned back to your dorm, you were greeted with an abundance of flowers and baskets filled with your favorite treats, all signed by Epsilon Nu. Yeji had mentioned that the flowers had also been sent to the house as well. Some of Jake's closest friends, such as Niki, Sunghoon, Jay, and even Heeseung, even personally approached you to express their apologies and accompanied you to your classes to make sure you weren’t being harassed by anyone. However, while you appreciated their efforts, you knew that nothing could erase the pain you still felt.

"Jesus, this morning I even woke up to Jay screaming because Taehyun apparently stepped on him while trying to go to the bathroom! I mean, what did he expect from sleeping on the floor?" Beomgyu ranted about the changed dynamics within the EpNu house since Jake's probation was revealed. Jay had been avoiding Jake by crashing in either Beomgyu and Taehyun's room or Sunghoon's every night.

With finals week approaching, you finally decided to take up Beomgyu's offer to study together. It was quite different from your study sessions with Jake, where you would mostly study in silence and occasionally seek help from each other. Instead, you and Beomgyu seemed to prioritize chatting with your textbooks mostly on the back burner. Since the whole STD incident, you had actually become quite good friends with Beomgyu. He was kind and funny not to mention quite easy on the eyes so his presence in your life was a welcomed change. He was also one of the first to reach out to you, expressing his disgust at what Jake had done and trying to cheer you up. 

"Poor Jay, at this point, wouldn't it be best to just kick Jake out of the house? I mean, he won't even be living there when January rolls around." You were fully aware of Jake's status with his fraternity and the school, and while you should technically be happy with his punishment, the anticipated joy never surfaced. Instead, you were still engulfed in feelings of betrayal and hurt.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! None of us want him around, and the whole vibe in the house is fucked up now. I mean he’s probably going to fail all his classes cause he doesn't even seem to be attending any so he might as well just move back home." Beomgyu's eyes sparked with frustration as he voiced his concerns. Although he had already been on shaky terms with Jake, even after his apology, Beomgyu now believed that their relationship had an extremely slim chance of returning to how it was at the beginning of the year.

"Ugh, I'm so sorry, Beomgyu. It's terrible that all of you guys have to deal with this." You genuinely empathized with the boys. While you had been the main victim in Jake's actions, there was no denying that everyone around him had also been affected.

As soon as Beomgyu heard your words, he quickly shook his head in disagreement. "Y/N, I told you it's not your fault! Seriously, stop blaming yourself for this." You knew he was right, but despite that, tears welled up in your eyes, and you realized that the guilt you felt wouldn't disappear anytime soon.

In the bustling atmosphere of the cafe, you sniffled and looked down at your lap, hoping to stop the tears. However, Beomgyu reached out and gently took your hand in his, causing you to look back up at him. "I know you've been saying that you're doing a bit better now, but I can't imagine it being that easy. This isn't something you can just get over in an instant. You've known him your whole life, and I know your relationship was rough. But that doesn't mean the pain will be any less."

A tear escaped as it streamed down your face while you absorbed his words. He was right—things weren't okay, and the journey to healing would be long and challenging. But you had no choice but to move forward.

"I know you're closer to Wonyoung and Winter, and you have the support of your other sisters, but I genuinely mean it when I say that I'm here for you. Plus, it seems like your skills in physics are even worse than I thought, so I'm sure you'll need my help." True to Beomgyu's nature, he effortlessly made you burst into laughter amidst your tears. You knew this was his way of trying to cheer you up and it was working.

"Thank you, seriously." You expressed your gratitude sincerely, sharing a smile with him. His words, even if only a little, warmed your heart.

The rest of your study session went as before, with both of you laughing and attempting to get some work done. The joyful mood continued even as Beomgyu walked you back to your dorm after deciding to call it a day. However, the moment you reached the steps of your dorm, the atmosphere quickly changed.

From a distance, you could see a figure sitting at the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance. As you approached, your anxiety grew, and you realized who it was.

"Oh, fuck no." Beomgyu seemed equally unamused by the unexpected encounter. Jake looked up as he heard footsteps approaching.

Immediately, Beomgyu stepped in front of you, attempting to shield you from Jake. Though partially blocked, you caught a glimpse of him. While you couldn't recall exactly how he looked the last time you saw him, you knew for sure that he didn't look nearly as bad as he did now. You almost couldn’t recognize him as his usual smirk and playful glimmer in his eyes were now no longer able to be found and instead replaced with sunken features that made him look as if he hadn’t slept for days. 

"Hey, guys..." Jake didn't know what else to say. He hadn't expected to see Beomgyu with you, and he instantly knew that talking to you seemed even more impossible.

He took a step forward but was quickly stopped as Beomgyu pushed him back with his free hand while still holding you protectively behind him. "What the actual fuck do you think you're doing here?"

Even from behind, you could sense Beomgyu's anger vibrating in his voice. You, too, felt shaken, but for different reasons. Panic was creeping in, now familiar friends of yours since you were sure they seemed to be visiting you more frequently since the discovery of the leaked videos.

"Y/N..." Jake's voice called out your name, and you felt nauseous.

"No, seriously, dude, what the fuck are you doing here? Are you that fucking stupid? Do you think it's okay to just show up here and what? Ambush her into talking to you? Haven't you already done enough?" Beomgyu yelled angrily at Jake. 

"Please, just let me talk to her." Jake's voice softened in contrast to Beomgyu's, and he sounded almost desperate. He knew coming here might not have been the wisest decision, but he didn't know what else to do.

By now, you were nearly dissociating from reality, trying to control your breathing, but it felt futile. You realized you would have to face him at some point, but you didn't expect it to be so soon. You felt blindsided and unprepared.

"Jesus Christ, Jake, leave her alone! She doesn't want to talk to you, and the least you can do is respect her wishes." Beomgyu felt on the brink of losing control, restraining himself from confronting Jake physically. Seeing him at the EpNu house was one thing but seeing him here seemed to have ignited something in Beomgyu. 

"Fuck, Y/N, please. I'm sorry, please." Jake was on the verge of tears, desperately trying to convey his words to you while Beomgyu continued to push him away. Couldn’t he understand? You couldn't bear it any longer.

"Go away, please." Your voice was soft and broken as tears streamed down your face. You just wished for anything to happen, anything to help you escape this nightmare of a reality you were experiencing.

Your voice sounded weak, almost shattered, as Jake heard you softly crying. It felt as though his heart was breaking under the weight of a thousand pounds, and he wished he could vanish. At that moment, Jake realized he had committed the most heinous act, not only against anyone but against the girl he loved.

Fortunately, before the situation could escalate further, your RA, Renjun, intervened after hearing the commotion from inside the dorm lobby. Upon seeing Jake, he threatened to call campus security, prompting Jake to dejectedly retreat back to the house with one last glance in your direction.

In a state of panic, you were quickly ushered into your room, where Wonyoung sprang into action, doing her best to tend to you. Without the chance to bid Beomgyu goodbye or express gratitude to Renjun, who was currently contacting campus security to request increased dorm security, you collapsed onto your bed, completely drained from the overwhelming emotions coursing through your body.

Jake seemed to have complied with your wishes since that night, as you hadn't heard a single peep from him for the next couple of weeks until school ended. He even skipped the mandatory Relationship 101 class, but honestly, you couldn't care less about whether he passed or not. You were just relieved that your project was completed before everything unraveled. In truth, you were excited that the semester had finally ended and you could escape this toxic environment and go back home. It was disheartening to witness the campus you once adored being tarnished by Jake's actions, which had caused you immense anxiety. This break was much needed.

However, amidst the chaos of managing school, rebuilding your reputation, and working through the emotional aftermath of the incident, you had completely forgotten about how your parents would react when you returned home. It was naive of you to assume they wouldn't find out about what had happened given the scale of the situation. Now, here you were, confronted by your family's intense outrage, more specifically your father’s.

"To think that we raised our daughters alongside that bastard disgusts me! How many times have we welcomed the Sims into our home? I can't understand how you're staying so calm about this. He violated our baby! I can't handle this; I'm going over there right now to make sure he knows he will not get away with this and we will be pressing charges!" Currently, your entire family was trying to restrain your father from actually committing murder on an unsuspecting Jake, who lived just a few blocks away.

"Dad, no! Oh my god, stop!" You shouted at him, joining your sisters and mother in their desperate attempts to prevent him from leaving the house. This level of anger was uncharacteristic of your usually even-tempered father, but you understood why he was so furious. After all, Jake had harmed his precious daughter, not to mention the youngest.

"Dad, please, let's think this through first!" Your eldest sister, Jennie, usually level-headed, firmly pleaded. While everyone in your family had every right to be angry, resorting to violence wouldn't solve anything—it would only escalate the situation.

"Honey, listen to the girls, please. The school has already informed us about the actions they're taking against him. He won't get away with it. I'm furious too, I mean he’s the son of one of my best friends, but acting out won't help Y/N. Let's take a moment to calm down before we discuss this further," your mother, though seething with anger, managed to handle the situation better than your father.

"But that's not enough! I mean I can’t even imagine the extent of humiliation the boy put our daughter through!" Flames still flickered in your father's eyes as he yelled out, but his body came to a halt, no longer headed for the front door.

"Mom's right, Dad. Having your photo splashed all over the news because you ended up murdering Jake won't help Y/N at all," Rosé’s words seemed to finally resonate with your father, causing him to turn back towards the living room. He let out a deep sigh of frustration before taking a moment to collect himself. Clearly, he was still angry, but he knew that his rash actions would do nothing but more harm to your already delicate situation. 

You could see right through your father; it was evident how utterly heartbroken he was beneath all the rage. He couldn't help but direct some of his anger towards himself for not being able to protect his baby girl. With gentle steps, you approached your father, who was hunched over on the couch. You knew that no words could alleviate his suffering, so you simply embraced him in a tight hug, offering a silent gesture of comfort and support.

Thanks to Jake, it felt like he had even managed to rob you of your winter break, the one thing you had hoped would provide a sense of normalcy. Since the first day back, your family had been making an effort to avoid bringing up anything that would make you uncomfortable while still trying to maintain the holiday spirit you were all too familiar with, but something felt off. Despite your parents' repeated emphasis that none of this was your fault, you couldn't help but still feel an overwhelming sense of shame, especially now that they were aware of the relationship you had with Jake and the extent of what you had allowed him to do to you. It was already embarrassing enough that your parents knew about your sex life, but to have them informed by the school about the sex tapes you had made with their best friend's child added a whole new level of humiliation. 

As expected, the usual Christmas dinner between your family and Jake's family wasn't happening this year. It was clear that the incident had strained the relationship your mother had with his, causing a noticeable rift between them. While Jake's family had expressed sincere apologies for their son's actions, you knew that rebuilding the close bond they once had would be a difficult task for everyone involved. 

However, what truly caused you the most internal struggle was the conflicting feelings you seemed to have toward Jake. Yes, you were still undeniably angry and upset with him, but a small part of you kept nagging at the back of your mind, making you think about him. The image of his absolutely worn-down look during your last encounter haunted you. It was a side of Jake you had never seen before – so broken and vulnerable, and it bothered you. Was he genuinely feeling guilt for everything he caused you to go through, or was it just a facade to deal with the consequences of his actions? You berated yourself for even having these thoughts, but they were hard to ignore. 

Despite not considering each other friends, the progress made in your relationship during the semester had surprised you. The glimpses of a different side to Jake had almost made you proud of the changes the two of you were seemingly making. So, to witness everything crumble away was painful. It seemed as though, against your better judgment, you had developed some level of care for Jake, and amid all the pain you were going through, you couldn't help but wonder about him. 

The internal turmoil left you questioning your own sanity. How could you find any compassion for someone who had caused you so much harm? It was a maddening contradiction that seemed to defy all logic.

The only time you felt fully comfortable confronting these thoughts was during your daily walks with your dog to the park near your house. Unlike everyone else in your life, Lady (your absolute sweetie pie 5-year-old cocker spaniel) not only held no judgment in her eyes and was the best listener, but she also knew the best way to comfort your conflicted heart: cuddles.

"I know you're probably sick of hearing me saying this, but it's just so hard for me to really understand what's going on." You let out a huge sigh that caused Lady to look back at you with eyes that conveyed concern. But before you could continue your rant, Lady seemed to be taken by something as her head whipped around, and she barked loudly.

A fluffy ball of fur could be seen barreling through the playground, and you started to recognize what was heading your way. It seemed as though Lady was quite aware too, as before you could even register what was happening, you found yourself being dragged across the playground where you were currently swinging, all thanks to your dog. You were all too familiar with the Sim's family dog, Layla, who seemed to have spotted you earlier and escaped from her owner. You hadn't seen her in a while, but she seemed extremely elated to be in your presence, immediately rolling on her back, hinting at you to rub her belly. Lady, too, was overjoyed to see her friend, barking and jumping around in excitement.

"Fuck, Layla, come back! Jesus, you can't just—" You heard his voice before you saw him, and Jake seemed much too preoccupied with getting his dog back to realize who Layla was running towards. His wide eyes and frozen state at your presence were a huge contrast to how he was back at your dorm when you last saw him.

"Shit, Y/N…" He muttered out before failing to find the rest of his words. His face flushed red, seemingly utterly confused about how to approach the situation. Clearly, neither of your dogs seemed to sense the distress coming off from their owners as they happily played with each other.

Unlike before, the feeling of panic and overwhelming anxiety seemed to be less present, replaced by a profound sense of confusion. Yes, initial anger surged within you upon seeing him, but there was also a part of you that wanted to take him in, to understand him. Dressed in a dark hoodie and sweatpants, he appeared disheveled, as if he had just rolled out of bed. The darkness that clouded his face persisted despite the sunny weather, and it was evident that he hadn't made much progress since before.

"I'm so sorry about Layla. She just darted out of nowhere. I guess she spotted you with Lady and got excited." As he mentioned her name, Lady finally seemed to recognize his presence,  instantly wagging her tail and nudging his leg, seeking affection. "Um, seriously, I'm so sorry about her. I-I'll just go."

However, before you could fully comprehend your own actions, you found yourself shaking your head. "Wait!" His eyes widened in surprise.

"Jake, hold on. Can we talk?" You weren't sure where this sudden urge came from, but you knew that earlier you weren't ready to face Jake. Now, however, you felt more prepared. You needed this. It was the least he owed you.

He appeared taken aback by your request, but after a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Yeah, of course."

Your assumptions about his situation seemed to be accurate, as he was clearly not doing well. His parents were on the verge of kicking him out, unable to comprehend that their son was behind all of this, and his relationship with his brother was strained, with minimal communication between them. Moreover, he had failed almost all of his classes, save for one, and it appeared that his former friends had distanced themselves from him, not wanting to be associated with him. While a few of his teammates were still willing to hang out with him, he personally didn't want to be involved with them, knowing they were also complicit in what had happened. It was evident that his once highly regarded status and reputation were now completely shattered. 

His depression had reached an all-time low, and the idea of taking a break from school and not having to return back in a couple of weeks was incredibly tempting. After all, what was the point of resuming when he already had to take extra time to graduate due to his failing grades? However, he knew deep down that this decision wouldn't help repair his already strained relationship with his parents. Despite all this, as he spent his days moping around in bed, only one thing consumed his thoughts—you.

It was ironic how the person he had always seemed to despise was now dominating his mind but for entirely different reasons. Although it might be difficult to believe this sudden shift in his feelings towards you, Jake had come to a profound realization that his previous hatred had merely served as a facade for his true emotions. It had taken a long time for him to become aware of them, but now he was somehow enlightened. Jake wasn't entirely certain if what he felt could be called love or if it was perhaps a form of obsession, but one thing he was certain of was that the feelings he harbored for you were genuine. He found himself missing your smile, the scent of your perfume, and even the snarky quips you directed his way. 

Now, he understood why the saying "you never know what you have until it's gone" was so widely accepted, especially as he sat next to you on the swings. Every aspect of you captivated him, and he made a conscious effort to absorb every bit of you, unsure if this might be the last time he would have the opportunity to see you. You were utterly beautiful, and the mere thought of not being able to call you his brought tears to his eyes.

"I know my apology means very little to you, and it won't undo any of the damage I've caused, but I need to say it—I'm sorry." His words were sincere, and while he had been right that they wouldn’t erase the pain or fix anything, you had still been yearning to hear them directly from him.

You let out a sigh. "I just need to understand why. It’s no secret that we’ve never really been fond of each other, but I thought we were making progress. Have you really been hating me that much all this time?" Despite the joyful sounds of your dogs playing happily nearby, the atmosphere between you and Jake couldn't have been more different.

This question about his true feelings towards you had been haunting you at the core. If someone else had been responsible for the hurt you experienced, it would still be painful, but it somehow hurt more deeply when you realized it was Jake behind it all. You had known him your entire life, grown up together, and despite the ups and downs of your relationship, you took a chance trusting him with your most vulnerable self. For him to exploit that trust in such a cruel way felt like an unbearable betrayal.

"To be honest, I'm still grappling with that myself. As much as I want to deny it, the truth is that my stupid pride was at play when Jeongin was egging me on. At that moment, I prioritized my own ego and how I would appear in front of a group of guys I couldn't care less about. Y/N, I don't hate you. I don't think I ever truly did and in fact, I think it’s actually always been the opposite. I'm sorry." His confession made you frown, unable to immediately process what he was saying.

"Wait, what? Jake, you've spent most of our lives convincing me that you hated me. You can't just tell me now that you never actually hated me. I reciprocated those feelings because I believed it was mutual. If that wasn't the truth, then why did you torment me all this time?" The idea that Jake had never truly hated you should have brought some relief, but instead, it only added to your frustration.

"Damn it, I don't know. Deep down, I always knew I was in the wrong when we were kids and I cheated on you. I deserved that push off the monkey bars. But my pride got in the way, and it was easier for me to blame you than to admit my own faults. So, I continued messing with you, making you believe I hated you, rather than facing the truth. And now I realize how much I've lost. You were my best friend until that point, and I loved you. Losing you because of my foolish mistake was difficult to accept. And now, it seems we're in a similar situation. We were doing so well and I was starting to really fucking like you until I went and fucked it up again." Tears welled up in his eyes as he finally revealed the underlying reasons behind his actions.

He was sincere, and his guilt was evident, but you couldn't shake off the feeling of being upset. Growing up, girls were often told that if a boy picked on them, it was because they liked them, but that notion never sat well with you. Harassing someone you liked wasn't a display of love, and Jake's admission that he had perpetuated such a toxic stereotype only added to your disappointment. He could have chosen a different approach to express his true feelings, but instead, he resorted to hate, making you feel sorry for your younger self. While you were willing to participate in getting back at him, it was a result of your genuine upset and negative emotions towards his actions. If he had simply revealed that he was sorry and missed being friends with you, you would have readily welcomed him back into your life.

"Jake..." Your voice trailed off, struggling to find the right words as a surge of emotions overwhelmed you. "I don't think I can talk to you right now. I just need some time." Swiftly, you turned away from him and headed towards where Lady and Layla were joyfully playing. However, before you could get far, you heard his pleas and felt his hands grasp your wrist.

Jake desperately clutched on to your wrist, abandoning any pretense of holding back his tears as he begged. "Please, Y/N. I don't expect you to forgive me, because you don't owe me anything, especially cause of everything I’ve done to you but..."

You waited for him to finish his sentence, but his thoughts seemed jumbled and incomplete, prompting a sigh from you. "But what, Jake? I need time to process all of this. You've dropped a bombshell on me on top of everything you already put me through, and I can't easily understand or accept everything."

"You can take all the time you need, I beg you," he pleaded, cradling your hand and looking at you with desperation in his eyes. "I’ll do anything. I just can't bear to lose you again."

"Well, maybe you should have considered that before then."

The winter break inched by painfully slow, leaving nothing memorable in its wake since your unexpected encounter with Jake at the park. Days melded into each other until school sneaked back into session, disrupting the monotony.

Jake continued spending the rest of his break under his covers, in a depressive state. While he honestly should be more worried about his future at HybeU as his GPA had plummeted and he was looking to take an extra year to graduate, but the only thing he could think about was you. Every waking moment he spent mulling over you and your tears and the way your eyes gazed at him in betrayal. You, who he’d spent most of his life convincing himself that he hated when he knew that wasn’t true. It was his fault that he lost you when you were younger and now again when given the golden opportunity to win you back, he fucked it up again. 

The decision of whether to return for the second semester hung over Jake until the day before school started when he reluctantly opted to go back in hopes of avoiding driving a further wedge between him and his parents. But now, regret gnawed at him for not taking time off, leaving him wallowing in a sea of misery.

The first week of classes turned out to be far worse than he had anticipated. His motivation dwindled, and the simple act of attending felt like a burdensome chore. No one acknowledged him, a stark contrast to the earlier days of the school year when greetings were abundant from those he passed. Even the professors seemed to have caught wind of it, their expressions carrying a tinge of disappointment. The constant scrutiny and sudden isolation became overwhelming, especially now that he resided alone, separated from the familiarity of the EpNu house he had grown accustomed to.

He caught sight of Sunghoon and Jay at the library the other day, messing around just like they always used to, making the librarian frown with their loud banter and laughter. Instantly, a wave of overwhelming upset crashed over him, compelling him to turn around and head straight back home. It felt like everyone else had moved on, leaving him adrift.

The only ones who seemed to make an effort were a few guys from the soccer team facing similar consequences. But he found himself pushing away their attempts to connect, stewing in a mix of anger and resentment. While he knew his actions were at fault, part of him blamed them for provoking him into hurting you. 

Meanwhile, your night on the other hand was taking a completely different turn from Jake's scene, with you slamming down your sixth shot and pulling a face at the vodka's harshness, quickly chasing it with cranberry juice.

“Shit! That’s so gross ugh,” you grimaced as you chased the vodka with the cranberry juice you held in your other hand. 

"Ugh, vodka’s always the worst," Ningning grimaced, grabbing your drink and downing it herself to mask the taste.

It was formal season, and this year, Epsilon Nu had gone all out, choosing New Orleans for the grand celebration. You were surrounded by many of your sisters (EpNu had patched things up with AES to a certain extent, especially after Jake’s suspension and once it became clear that none of the boys were involved in anything), all glammed up to the max. The city was alive, music blasting from the bar, adding to the thrilling chaos of the night—an ideal distraction.

"Fuck, Ningning, seriously, that dress was made for you! Jay better be all over you later at the hotel," you slurred, planting a tipsy kiss on her cheek.

She blushed, about to reply when someone crashed into you, their perfume giving away their identity.

"Wonyoung, seriously, stop it!" Jungwon's voice frantically followed, trying to separate her from you.

Well past midnight, it was evident that everyone was thoroughly intoxicated. But honestly, who could blame you? You were surrounded by some of your closest friends in a city known for its entertainment, far removed from Jake's world on campus. It felt like the first time in forever that genuine laughter filled the air, finally allowing you to escape thoughts of him.

"Been searching all over for you! Ugh Y/N, you can’t just leave me like that!" Jungwon struggled to peel his girlfriend away from you, but you didn’t mind her clinging.

"Ningning and I have been right here the whole time! You clearly didn't look hard enough," you giggled, feeling the warmth from one too many drinks.

Your feet were throbbing in the stilettos you had on, and your body felt damp from the sweat of dancing and the drink you accidentally spilled earlier (thank goodness for the black dress). You knew your makeup was probably smudged, no longer as flawless as it had been for those pre-party photos. Your ears were practically ringing from the deafening noise of the bar and you were already dreading the miserable bus ride back home tomorrow, but honestly, in this high you were feeling right now, you couldn't care less.

“Where’s Beomgyu hyung?” Jungwon asked which made you realize that you’d lost your date. 

The party beads around your neck jingled softly as you whipped your head around, scanning the crowded space. Failing to spot him, a slight pout formed on your lips. "I don't know, I think I lost him. I'm gonna go find him," you declared, pushing yourself away from Wonyoung and heading away from the bar before protests from your friends could be heard.

Finding him in this crowd, especially in your tipsy state amid similarly dressed people, turned out to be quite the challenge. But then, as you glanced towards a dimly lit corner off to the side, your eyes widened in realization. There he was—Beomgyu, engaged in conversation with Sunghoon, Jay, and Yeonjun, oblivious to your presence. As you approached them, amid the bar's clamor, you could pick up on snippets of their conversation.

"He looked absolutely miserable, like I almost didn't recognize him," Sunghoon's voice pierced through the noise.

You frowned as you inched closer to them, careful not to reveal yourself yet eager to hear more of their conversation.

"Yeah, I've heard a few people mentioning how he hardly shows up to class anymore, and I don't even know if he has any friends left. Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't," Yeonjun remarked nonchalantly, taking a sip from his cup which you were sure was filled with some kind of alcohol.

"Well fuck him. He brought this all on himself and deserves it, and now he's probably just wallowing in self-pity," Beomgyu's disdain dripped from his words as he rolled his eyes. To him, Jake was nothing but a sorry excuse for a human being, and he couldn't help but feel angry that he had once considered him a brother.

"Yeah, he deserves everything he's getting, but you guys don't get it. He looked awful," Jay interjected, acknowledging Beomgyu's sentiments while also sharing his own observations from his and Sunghoon’s encounter with Jake at the library.

Sunghoon nodded in agreement, his expression troubled. "We're not trying to excuse his actions, but you should've seen him. It was beyond concerning, like he hadn't slept or eaten in weeks. He used to be our best friend, so yeah, we're fucking furious with him, but we can't help but feel a little worried."

"No, I can't believe this," Beomgyu shook his head in disbelief at Jay and Sunghoon's concern for Jake. "I don't know if you guys realize, but he ruined Y/N. She went through hell, and even though she might seem okay now, it's all an act. The things people are still saying about her are fucking insane. Winter and I practically had to drag her onto the bus to get here because we felt like we needed to do something to lift her spirits."

Yeonjun scoffed in annoyance, joining the conversation. "Yeah, you guys need to realize that while Jake may be struggling, it's nothing compared to what Y/N went through. Don't fucking bring this up again, at least not until we're back on campus."

And with that, Beomgyu stormed off, followed by Yeonjun while Sunghoon and Jay exchanged weary sighs, shaking their heads in resignation. The effects of alcohol seemed to evaporate from your system as their conversation sank in, leaving you painfully sober.

You should have been rejoicing in Jake's suffering, but instead, a sickening taste lingered in your mouth, refusing to dissipate throughout the rest of the night. Even as you returned to your hotel room, the intensity of your thoughts about Jake seemed to amplify. While Beomgyu softly snored beside you, you laid still on the bed, unable to escape the swirling whirlwind of emotions the thought of him had stirred within you.

This feeling didn’t seem to leave you as the bus ride back to school was filled with laughter and chatter, but even then, Jake continued to haunt the recesses of your mind. You felt guilty for allowing yourself to harbor such conflicted thoughts about him. How could you feel sympathy for the man who had shattered you in the worst possible way? Yet, shamefully, his presence persisted in your thoughts, a constant reminder of the turmoil he had inflicted upon you. 

"What's up with you?" Wonyoung's voice pierced through your thoughts, jolting you back to reality.

You quickly shook your head, trying to brush off her concern. "Nothing, what do you mean?"

But Wonyoung wasn't buying it. "Stop lying. I know you better than anyone, and I can tell something's been bothering you ever since formal. So, what's going on?"

You hesitated, debating whether to confide in her. Wonyoung was your best friend, but you feared her reaction to your shameful empathy towards Jake. She wouldn't understand. "Seriously, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," you insisted, hoping to brush off the conversation.

Her frown deepened, and you knew she wouldn't let it go. "Y/N, I'm serious. What's going on? I promise I won't judge; just talk to me."

With a heavy sigh, you relented, knowing her stubborn nature wouldn’t leave you alone till you told her. "Okay, fine. But you have to swear not to get mad or make me feel worse about it, because I already feel terrible," you requested, seeking her assurance. She nodded, prompting you to continue.

"During formal, I overheard a couple of the EpNu boys talking about Jake. They saw him at the library, and apparently, he looked really rough," you began, sensing Wonyoung's urge to interject but you gave her a warning look to let you finish. "Like, he apparently looked so bad that they barely recognized him, and he seemed like he hadn't slept or eaten in weeks. He already looked bad enough the last time I saw him, so I can’t even imagine what he probably looks like right now. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm worried, and I can't stop thinking about it, especially considering all the stuff he said when we ran into each other at the playground. I really-"

Wonyoung's reaction cut you off abruptly. "Wait, what do you mean you saw him at the playground? You didn't mention this! When was this? Are you okay?"

You cursed inwardly, realizing you hadn't shared this with anyone and hadn't really planned on doing so. "Shit, I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry," you apologized, offering her a sincere look before continuing, "We just ran into each other at one of the nearby parks during the break while walking our dogs. He wanted to talk, so I listened. He started apologizing, and then he started revealing things, like how he never actually hated me when we were younger and actually liked me. It was overwhelming, so I walked away, and I haven't seen him since."

Wonyoung's mouth hung open in shock. "And you forgot to mention this? Oh my fucking God, this is insane. He's actually fucking crazy, isn't he? Does he think confessing to you after what he did is going to fix anything? You're not buying into this, are you?"

"No, of course not," you asserted, your voice wavering with emotion. "Well, actually, he did seem genuine about being sorry and liking me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to forgive him. I swear I'm not. But the thing is, I can't stop thinking about him. Wonyoung, I don't think you understand. I fucking hate myself right now because all I can think about is him. I hate him so much for what he did to me, but why am I feeling this way?" Tears welled up in your eyes as you finally let out the pent-up emotions, laying bare your inner turmoil to her.

"Oh, honey," Wonyoung's face softened as she rose from her seat and approached you, enveloping you in a comforting hug as you sobbed into her embrace. "You're right, I have no idea what you're going through, and I fucking hate Jake so much for hurting my best friend in the worst way possible. But I also can't ignore the fact that you just admitted how you can't stop thinking about him."

There was a brief pause before she sighed and gently broke the hug, facing you with a serious expression. "Y/N, do you maybe like Jake?"

Her question caught you completely off guard, and a baffled look crossed your face as you almost jerked in surprise. "What?"

You started to shake your head, but she quickly interjected before you could even deny. "Y/N, just listen. I know this might sound insane, but have you considered that maybe you're experiencing this immense guilt and can't stop thinking about him because you have feelings for him?"

The moment Wonyoung uttered those words, panic surged through you like a tidal wave, causing your breathing to quicken as you vehemently shook your head in denial. There was no way.

"No, what the actual fuck, Wonyoung," you choked out, tears welling up in your eyes as you rose from your seat, needing to put distance between yourself and her. "Why would you even suggest that?"

Wonyoung could see you on the verge of hyperventilating, and she reached out to try to calm you down. "Hey, hey, Y/N, come on, sit down, please," she urged gently. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to upset you. I just think that you're going through so much right now, and from what you just told me, you're conflicted and in a really difficult place. We don't choose who we love, and I think it's weighing heavily on you right now, maybe that's what happened with Jake. He's put you through so much, not just this year, but practically your whole life, and maybe coming to terms with that despite everything, you still fell for him, is creating this guilt within you. It's not your fault, and for fuck's sake, Jake would be the last person I would choose for you to love, because he will never deserve someone like you. But I'm not in charge of that, and I'm so sorry."

In that moment, you broke down completely, your sobs wracking your body as you clung to your friend, desperate for some semblance of solace. Deep down, you knew she was right. You'd been grappling with these feelings for Jake for longer than you cared to admit, and the realization terrified you. You despised yourself for loving him.

"Wonyoung... What do I do?" you whimpered softly, your voice tinged with fear.

"I don't know, Y/N," Wonyoung replied gently, her own voice filled with empathy. "But I promise you're not alone. We'll get through this together."

You hadn't set foot in any of the downtown bars since that night when you learned about what Jake had done after being harassed by those guys. The thought of returning made you uncomfortable, yet on this Saturday night, with seemingly everyone in your friend group going out, you decided to push yourself to socialize, to reclaim some sense of normalcy in the chaos of your year. However, it quickly became evident that your judgment wasn’t the soundest; you were already feeling miserable, and it wasn't even midnight.

You had arrived with Winter and Ningning, meeting their boyfriends at the bar. But as the night wore on, you lost track of them. Winter was beyond drunk, likely off somewhere making out with Felix, while Ningning and Jay were lost in their own world on the dance floor. Unlike their blissfully intoxicated selves, you felt painfully sober. You longed for Wonyoung's presence; she was away for the weekend with Jungwon visiting his parents, and you regretted accepting the invitation to go out. 

Sighing, unable to immerse yourself in the same mood as your friends, you downed the shot of tequila in front of you before gathering your stuff and making your way to the exit. You made sure to send Winter a text, explaining that you weren't feeling well and were heading home, urging her to enjoy herself and not to worry. Just as you were about to summon an Uber though, an unfamiliar voice called out your name, halting you in your tracks.

At first, the voice seemed like a distant echo, easily dismissed amidst the clamor of the bar. But when it persisted, calling your name again, you couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Hey, Y/N!"

Turning abruptly, you were met with a face that you really didn’t ever want to see. He was obviously in a very intoxicated state; his words slurred, and his movements unsteady as he stumbled toward you.

"Hey, where're you going so fast? Have somewhere to be?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face as if you were close friends.

"Fuck off Jeongin." You curtly spat at him as you attempted to walk away.

He scoffed, his laughter tinged with bitterness. "Jesus Christ, Y/N, is that all you got to say to me after getting me fucking suspended?"

His words sent a chill down your spine, and you whipped your head around to address him. "I don’t know what you’re talking about because I didn’t do anything to get you suspended, but seriously, leave me alone," you angrily told him. As you attempted to walk away once more, you felt his hand reach out and harshly grab your wrist.

"Where the fuck do you think you’re going?" His tone turned menacing, the overpowering scent of alcohol made you grimace. "Aren’t you cute trying to act like you have no idea what you’ve done?"

His grip tightened on your wrist, sending waves of pain shooting through your arm as you struggled to break free. Panic surged within you as you realized he wasn't going to let you leave. "Let go of me! I have no idea what you're talking about. If anything, you’re the one who did this to me!"

"Listen here you bitch, because of your stupid little act of trying to paint yourself as some poor little victim, my fucking future is ruined. So this little act of you trying to act like you have no idea what I’m talking about isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to fucking pay, it’s the least you deserve,” he snarled, his grip on your wrist tightening as he dragged you out of the bar. You fought back, but his anger seemed to fuel his strength.

“You’re fucking hurting me! Seriously let me go you asshole!” you pleaded, your voice trembling with fear as you struck his arm.

“If you don’t shut the fuck—”

“Let her go, Jeongin.” The interruption came from a familiar voice, causing both you and Jeongin to turn toward the source.

Despite it only being about three months that had passed since you last saw him, Jake looked almost unrecognizable. His hair was longer and a bit unkempt, and he wore plain sweats and a hoodie. Yet, there was no mistaking him.

“Fuck off, Jake. Mind your own fucking business,” Jeongin spat, his disdain evident in his tone.

“You made it my fucking business once you dragged her into whatever you’re doing. So fucking let go of her,” Jake asserted, his voice laced with fury as he approached.

“What? You still fucking pussy whipped for her, huh?” Jeongin harshly threw your wrist away, turning to face Jake. “From what I know, aren’t you also in the same position as I am because of this bitch?”

“Don’t fucking call her that, and the only reason you’re in this position is because you put yourself there. So leave her out of this and go home, you’re drunk. It’s pathetic,” Jake shot back, his anger palpable.

“You’re in no place to be calling anyone pathetic. I mean, look at yourself. Newsflash, she’s a fucking whore! Jake, it’s honestly embarrassing to watch you throw yourself for what? A girl who obviously doesn’t give a shit about you. In fact, I did you a favor, she deserved this. I mean, she’s been so passed around she’s literally like a—” Before Jeongin could finish his drunken rant, he was knocked out cold. Jake's fist met his face in a swift, furious blow.

“Jake!” You gasped in shock, watching as Jeongin crumpled to the dirty street.

“He fucking deserved it,” Jake snarled, his rage barely contained. But before he could do further damage, you reached for his arm.

“Hey, he’s already out, just let it go,” you urged, tugging Jake away as you tried to diffuse his anger.

He turned to you, and in that moment, it was as if his anger melted away, replaced by concern as he took you in. You looked stunning, your eyes filled with worry for him, and Jake couldn't help but once again be struck by the realization of what he had lost.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His voice was gentle as he reached for your wrist, handling you delicately as if you were made of glass.

You furrowed your brows, concern evident in your features. “I’m fine, seriously. But Jake, you hit him really hard. Are you sure you didn’t break anything?”

Only then did Jake become aware of the ache in his knuckles, the pain radiating through his hand. He winced slightly as you reached to inspect his injured hand.

“You need to get that checked,” you insisted, but Jake shook his head stubbornly.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just ice it and it’ll be fine,” he assured, but you rolled your eyes at his attempt to brush it off.

“Ok fine, let’s go then,” you relented, letting out a sigh and crossing your arms.

Jake gave you a confused look before shaking his head. “I’m fine, Y/N, just go home. It’s late.”

“Jake, I’ll leave once you’re done icing your hand, so let’s go,” you insisted firmly. Knowing you wouldn't budge easily, he relented

“Jesus Christ, Y/N, fine. Let’s go,” he let out another sigh, closing his eyes briefly before nodding and the two of you walked away from the bar, turning left after walking a bit into what seemed to be the entrance of one of the student apartments located downtown.

Quietly, you followed him to the elevator, the tension palpable between you. After a while, Jake broke the silence. “Why were you out alone anyway?”

“Oh, I wasn’t alone. Well, I didn’t come alone, but everyone got really drunk and went off on their own, and I just wasn’t feeling it, so I was trying to go home when Jeongin ambushed me,” you explained, picking at your fingers nervously.

“Wait, so they just ditched you? Who’d you go out with? That’s not safe at all and in fact really dangerous—”

“No, they didn’t ditch me. They were dancing and all, and like I said, I just wanted to go home, so I left. You know damn well Winter and Ningning would never ditch me,” you clarified, rolling your eyes. Thankfully, the elevator dinged, cutting off any further discussion on the matter.

“So, how’s living alone?” you asked, eager to change the topic as you followed him down the hall to his apartment.

He let out a disgruntled grunt. “As lonely as you can expect it to be.” Fishing for his keys in his pocket, he winced a little at the pain his knuckle was giving him. Maybe you were right; it was starting to hurt like a bitch.

“Yeah, I guess going from living with a bunch of guys to being by yourself can be a huge adjustment,” you nodded in agreement. 

Despite the awkwardness in the air, you found yourself surprised at how calm you were feeling in Jake's presence. Given the strain in your relationship over the past few months, you had anticipated the reunion to be much more uncomfortable, especially seeing how the last encounter went, but it wasn't as bad as you had imagined. In fact, you felt lucky that he had run into you and Jeongin; if he hadn't been there, you weren't sure how you would have gotten out of that situation.

“Well, here it is,” Jake said, opening the door to his apartment and gesturing for you to enter. It was a clean studio, cleaner than you had expected, though it seemed he had only the bare essentials.

“Oh, it’s actually really nice,” you remarked, taking in the space as you set your purse down on the island.

Jake chuckled softly as he reached for the fridge to grab some ice for his hand. “What, you weren’t expecting it to be?”

“Oh no, it’s just... I don’t know,” you trailed off, unsure of what you had expected Jake's living space to be like. You hadn't really thought much about his living arrangements; your mind had been preoccupied with other matters, particularly your feelings toward him.

“I just overheard a couple of the EpNu boys talking about how they saw you and you weren’t in the best shape, so I didn’t really expect your apartment to be in the best shape as well,” you truthfully told him. Jake didn’t respond for a couple of seconds, just taking in what you said as he iced his hand.

“Sunghoon and Jay?” he asked, and you nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know... I guess they’re right. I haven’t really been doing the best, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be living like a slob. It’s already depressing enough.” Jake couldn’t meet your gaze. Both of you knew why he had reached this point, and he didn’t want to see any disgust reflected in your eyes towards him.

“Jake, can we talk, for real this time? I know we saw each other during the break, but I think that was just way too soon, and we were both just dealing with so much emotion to fully hold a coherent conversation,” you sighed, finally broaching the subject you had been avoiding. But you knew there would be no better opportunity than now to talk with him. You needed to, at least for yourself.

He nodded before answering, “Uhm, yeah, of course, but if you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to. I can just drive you back home.”

“No, I want to. I think I need to, and it’s the least I deserve,” you insisted. He nodded again, leading you to the couch.

Jake nervously bit his lip before sighing, facing you squarely. “Y/N, I just want to start by saying I’m sorry. I know you’re probably tired of hearing it, but I really mean it. I've had a lot of time to myself to reflect on everything, and I know that simply saying sorry will never be enough to make up for what I’ve done to you.” He swallowed hard before continuing. “I just can’t even begin to imagine what I put you through, and I’m just so fucking sorry for that. Hearing the awful things people have been saying about you, knowing it’s because of me, it’s just... it's horrible and so upsetting. You don’t deserve any of this. I know we haven’t always gotten along but you have always been a constant in my life and these past few months without you have made me realize the full extent of the pain I caused you. I ended up hurting the person I fell in love with in the worst way imaginable.”

Jake's confession to you brought tears to your eyes as your lips quivered. To hear those words from him ached your heart. It took you a moment to look up at him and regain your breath before you could respond.

“Jake, I know you didn’t send those videos out in the first place, but you were being so fucking stupid, and that ended up costing everything. You’re right, you don’t know what I’ve been through these past few months, because it’s been hell. But I’ve also been suffering not just because of the humiliation from classmates or just knowing that there’s a sex tape of us out there for everyone to see, but it has been so hard coming to terms with the fact that amidst all this, I had also somehow fallen for you. You ruined something that could’ve been so good, and that fucking hurts.”

"I miss you so much, Y/N, so fucking much it hurts. I'm sorry." A tear made its way down Jake’s face, and you couldn’t help but reach out for his hand because you couldn’t help but feel the same way.

“Jake, I don’t know what to do,” you softly said while looking at your intertwined hands.

Jake breathed heavily, “I don’t know either, but Y/N, I’m not expecting you to forgive me. I’ll be spending the rest of my life working for that, but I don’t know if I can go on living like this. I feel so empty without you, like I’m hollow inside and it aches like-”

You just couldn’t listen to him any longer. It hurt too much to see him like this. It hurt you too much to be away from him and so you did the only thing you could think to do. You kissed him.

Jake was obviously taken aback as he stood frozen on the couch, unable to reciprocate or even process what you had done. But your lips eased him as he slowly started to move against them. It was like he was riding a bike again, with muscle memory kicking in. The two of you got closer as your bodies touched one another, deepening the kiss. His hands made their way around your face, cupping them softly as if he was handling delicate porcelain, and you reached for his neck, pulling him closer as you wanted to feel more of him. You had missed this beyond words. You had missed him beyond anything.

As the kiss started to get more heated, you felt Jake slowly pull away, leaving you confused. “Wait, wait, Y/N, shouldn’t we think about this?”

He was right. You should, as every cell in your body was screaming at you about how big of a mistake this was. But right now, you couldn’t give a damn. “Can we just talk about this after? Please, I just need you right now. It’s been so long.”

Jake looked sincerely into your eyes, making sure you were sure of your decision before he gave a small nod and reached for you again.

Your lips moved against one another as if they’d been starved for each other and you quickly moved your body on top of his, straddling him as your mouth opened, letting more of him in. Quiet moans could be heard as you slowly moved your hips down on him while his hands made their way down to cup your ass. 

His lips detached from yours but before you could complain, they reattached themselves to your neck, nipping at your soft spot as you softly moaned. You had been wearing only a thin black slip dress so you could feel the hairs on your body all rise as chills went down your spine. 

As his lips moved their way down your neck, you palmed at his hoodie, “Take it off.”

He obliged with no hesitation and in one swift motion, his bare torso laid before you. Fuck, you had missed him. He looked as gorgeous as ever despite everything and you couldn’t help but rake your eyes over him, taking him all in. 

His patience got to him though as he yanked you down, bringing your lips together again. His fingers played with the bottom of your dress and before you knew it, that too was getting yanked off.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he whispered. You had forgone wearing a bra and so you were only left in a small black thong. You looked like a little present perfectly wrapped for him. 

You gave him a soft smile before reaching for him. You started to kiss your way down his neck to his chest, eliciting another groan from him, but before you could go further, he pulled you up. You shot him a quick look of confusion but he dismissed it. “Next time, I just need you right now.”

Jake got up from the couch, helping you up as well before guiding you backward a couple of steps to his bed. You laid back as you watched him take the rest of his clothing off. Your mouth was watering and to be honest, you hadn’t slept with anyone in a while and you hadn’t realized how badly you had been craving this until now.

He quickly made his way back to you and the two of you attached your lips once more, moving against each other as if you had been starved. One of his hands made its way down to your breast, softly kneading it, as the other hand went further down before reaching under your thong. 

His finger softly glossed over your entrance as you gasped, aching for more. You were wet, beyond soaking and it made Jake harder than ever. He gently played with your pussy before slowly entering a finger. 

You were just as warm as ever as your soft gummy walls sucked him in and your soft mewls were enough to instigate him to start moving his finger slowly. You tightly pulled at his hair as you continued panting into his mouth.

“Babe, you’re soaking,” he smirked a little before kissing you again. His finger was now steadily moving inside you as he teased another.

“Please, Jake please,” you moaned, seeking more of him.

He gave in to your pleas as he added a second finger, stretching you further. You already felt incredibly tight and Jake felt like he was losing his mind. He couldn’t bear to go further without fully being inside you so he pulled his fingers out before yanking your thong down and spreading your legs open.

“Jesus, you’re so beautiful. The absolute prettiest.” Jake praised you before taking his cock and lining it with your entrance. Feeling his tip alone was too much of a tease for you and you whined. 

“Just put it in, please.” He gave in to your plea as he plunged inside of you. 

Your eyes instantly rolled to the back of your head as your mouth opened wide. You felt like you were about to burst with how full he was making you feel. 

“You’re so fucking tight, shit,” Jake clenched his jaw, taking in how you felt around him. You were made for him and he couldn’t wait any longer. 

His thrusts were hard and powerful, making sure you felt him everywhere. Your soft pants turned to loud moans as you couldn’t hold them back any longer. He felt too good, plunging deep inside you, hitting against your cervix. Your toes curled and your hands reached for his shoulders to hold on to as he pummeled himself in and out of you.

“Jake, fuck! It’s too good,” you cried out. Tears were forming in your eyes from the pleasure. 

Sweat dripped down his back as Jake continued to thrust into you. He could feel himself getting closer every time you clenched around him and he reached down to capture your lips in his once more. 

Sounds of skin slapping against each other while lewd noises of tongues moving against each other filled Jake’s small apartment as the air around the two of you grew thicker. You knew you were getting close as you could feel the familiar coil below your belly on the verge of snapping.

“Fuck, Jake, I’m almost there, keep going,” you urged him as you maintained eye contact with him. His eyes were raging with fire as your words had him thrusting into you harder. 

Then the splintering feeling came crashing down on you as you clenched around him tightly. It was too good as the world around you spun while all the noise cut out. You let out a whimper as your toes curled tightly and back arched while you finished. 

The sight of you cumming was beyond heavenly and Jake chased quickly after his release. You were limp against him, softly mewling at the overstimulation as he continued to hammer into you before finally cumming inside of you. His deep groan in your ear had you clenching around him one last time as you felt him slump over you. 

The two of you panted loudly, trying to catch your breath as you stayed in your embrace. Your mind had been thoroughly blown, and this moment solidified just how much you had missed Jake. You never wanted to leave his embrace; it was where your raging mind and racing heart seemed to find stillness. Despite everything that had happened, you still yearned for this, and for the first time in a couple of months, you felt some semblance of clarity.

Your eyes fluttered open, and at first, you were confused as you took in your surroundings. But the events of last night quickly came back to you as you spotted Jake’s now bruised knuckles, his arm wrapped around you.

Tightly closing your eyes, you sighed, knowing that sleeping with Jake had just further complicated an already complicated situation. But no matter how much you tried to paint it as a mistake, you really couldn’t. You simply couldn’t change the fact that you had missed him deeply despite everything.

Feeling too hot under the comforter and the body heat emanating from Jake, you decided to quietly get up, gently moving his arm off of you to avoid waking him up. You searched around for your clothes but quickly realized that you had only worn your dress and there was no way you were getting back into that right now. So, you opted for Jake’s hoodie that was discarded on the floor last night.

You heard rustling from the bed, and when you turned around, you saw that Jake was half awake as he rose up from the bed. His hair was disheveled, and he rubbed his eyes before they laid themselves on you. He seemed surprised that you were still there.

“I thought you’d have been gone by now,” he murmured as he too searched around for his clothes.

You shrugged. “Running away from this would make it even worse.” It was true; what the two of you had done last night definitely wasn’t smart or ideal, but it had happened, and the two of you needed to deal with it.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Jake nodded, then asked, “You’re not regretting it?”

You shook your head. “Honestly, no. But Jake, I hope you realize that this doesn’t mean I forgive you for everything.”

“No, I know, I wouldn’t expect you to. But I hope you also realize that what I said yesterday is all true.” He walked towards you, taking both your hands in his as he peered into your eyes. “I love you, Y/N, and I’m not just saying that to get you to forgive me. I mean it.”

You looked deep into his eyes, searching for any signs of deceit, but found none. All you could do was nod. “Okay.”

“So what does this mean for us?” Jake’s question lingered in your mind. What did it mean? It was already established that the two of you loved each other, but you also couldn’t just overlook what he had done.

“I’m not sure, Jake,” you sighed. “I think we need to start over.”

Jake nodded. “Okay, and what does that mean?”

“I think you and I both know that we can’t date each other right now. That relationship would be fucked up the second we do. I think we need some time to maybe rebuild our relationship on a blank slate.” You scanned Jake’s face, hoping to gauge how he was feeling about your suggestion.

“Okay, a blank slate, that works for me.” This was more than he had expected you to give him, and it meant there was hope for the two of you. It was all he could ask for.

“Jake, you need to get your act together with school, your friends, and your parents. I don’t want you fucking up everything because of this one mistake. Yeah, it was a huge one, but what’s done is done and it can’t derail your entire life. And once you feel like you’re back on the right track, then maybe we can start over again.” You peered at him deeply, and he sighed. He knew you were right. His life had been so fucked up for the past few months, and he knew he had to straighten it out before even thinking about pursuing anything with you.

“I will, I promise. Thank you, Y/N, and I know I’ll be working for what I did to you for the rest of my life and that I’m nowhere close to being deserving of your forgiveness or even this. So I promise I’ll make it up to you and get my life back together. I love you.” Jake nodded as he cupped your face in his hands before giving you a kiss on your forehead.

You hugged him, and the two of you stayed in that embrace for a bit until you pulled back. “Wonyoung’s never going to forgive you for this, you know that? But I’ll be willing to work on her if you just show me that you’re genuine about this and working on yourself.”

And from the moment Jake dropped you back at your dorm, he did just as he promised you. For the first time in a while, he found himself eagerly making his way down to the library to get some work done for his classes, and while he knew it was a long shot, he texted Sunghoon and Jay. They were his best friends, and they also hadn’t deserved the betrayal Jake had put them through; they deserved a real apology. Jake was determined to change.

Slowly but steadily, it seemed to be working. Every now and then, you’d see him in the hall or at the library, and you would exchange waves or smiles. Each time, he looked like he was doing much better. You had also heard through the grapevine that he had been trying his best to mend each of the relationships he had with the EpNu brothers. Of course, not everyone had been as receptive or even willing, but everyone knew that he was atleast making an effort.

Long before you knew it, the year was ending, and while the back half of your semester didn’t bring you much excitement, you actually preferred it that way. After all that had happened, you didn’t need any more drama in your life. And honestly, you couldn’t complain. You still had your best friend by your side, along with a couple of other friends you had made along the way, whom you knew you would have for the rest of your life. Plus, you ended the year with pretty good grades, considering everything that had happened. The gossip and hate you initially received had pretty much died down, and honestly, you believed this was the best outcome that could have happened.

"I think we did alright, don’t you agree Lady?" Your sweetheart of a dog barked excitedly, as if she was agreeing with what you had said. But before you could say anything further, Lady's attention was taken as you saw a familiar ball of fur make her way towards the swingset where you and Lady were. Lady seemed to disregard you the second she spotted her friend and started excitedly chasing after Layla.

You watched the two of them playing with each other, a smile growing on your face. A few seconds later, you felt a presence on the swings next to you. You knew exactly who it was before you even turned to face him.

“Hey,” he said softly, offering you a smile as he extended his hand for a handshake. “I’m Jake. Nice to meet you.”

A smile as bright as the sun spread across your face as you shook his hand. “Hey Jake, I’m Y/N. It’s great to meet you.”

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Sweet lips

pairing : fuckboy!jungkook x shy nerd!f.reader

genre : SMUT, FLUFF, angst

warnings : CRINGE ASF, soft dom!jk, sub!reader, shy!reader, tattooed!jk, biker!jk, flirting, possessiveness, jealousy, pet names, teasing, making out, biting, marking, praising, corruption kink, masturbation, fingering, cybersex, sexting, penetration, unprotected sex, creampie, riding (first time), missionary, college party party yea, mention of consuming alcohol, mention of smoking, tipsy!jk, mention of throwing up, mention of period cramps

words count : 13k

A/N : Hi lovely people, I hope you've been doing good. Well, I'm finally posting. I took so much time but I had to do my best to make this as good as possible. I tried my best with that, I wish It will be good. I really wanted to add more but I wanted to post asap,, I couldn't wait anymore so yup. You ain't ready :) Enjoy. REMINDER : poor English,, I wanna apologise in advance like you guys already know English is not my first language so please don't mind the mistake. Love you guys <;3 - sunny

you can part 1 HERE

FEEDBACKS ARE WELCOMED 🥀

M RATED

You sighed loudly as you sat on the passenger seat making Jimin looked over at you.

“What is it?” he asked making you shake your head.

“I repeat my question. What is it?”

“Nothing.” you said looking outside.

“It’s that Jungkook dude, right?” you gulped denying again.

“Oh c’mon, after seeing him you were literally lost. You weren’t focused on the movie. Usually when I’m ogling over my favorite actor you would glare at me with a disgusted face and make fun of me, but tonight, you just nodded silently and kept on sighing. What happened? Did he say something that ruined your mood? Tell me.”

Jimin said putting his hand on yours gently.

“No no no, not at all. He didn’t do anything.”

“You were with him earlier, before I came to pick you up, weren’t you?” he stared at you, already knowing the answer.

“hm, no?” you pursed your lips, still looking outside.

“Oh c’mon bro! You really thought I wouldn’t notice that big ass hickey on your neck? That man literally devoured your throat.”

“Jimin!” you gasped, finally facing him making the man huffed.

“I already told you to stay away from him.” you looked down to your lap defeated.

You were about to speak when you noticed a group of friends exiting the cinema, they were saying their goodbyes as they parted away.

You easily spotted him-

“bruh, isn’t that mister muscle?”

You heard Jimin said making you gulp.

“wait for me.” he said calmly as he open his car door.

“Jimin! Stop it!” you pulled on his wrist, pulling him back inside, the door closing in the process.

“Don’t, please.” you pleaded making him scoff.

“I was just about to tell him to stay away from my best friend.”

“I told you already... I know what I’m doing.. I will just... well-” looking back toward Jungkook, you furrowed your eyebrows as you noticed the girl from earlier.

“who’s that?” Jimin whispered.

“I don’t know.” you whispered back.

“why are we whispering?”

“I don’t know, I mean since we spying on him.” he joked.

“ha. ha. ha.” you rolled your eyes.

Jungkook was leaning back on his bike, the girl standing just before him. They were too close for your liking.

Your heart picked up the pace as she approached him, her hand raised on his shoulder. You stopped breathing when she tilted her head to the side, her lips getting way too close to his face.

You panicked as you suddenly press on the honk.

Jimin bent down abruptly to hide himself, you doing the same.

“and now why the fuck did you do that?” he whisper-yelled.

“sorry, I just, just panicked.”

“girl..” Jimin started before shaking his head slightly.

You peeked up slowly, staying careful to stay discreet as you heard the whirring of the bike.

“shit!”

“what is it?” Jimin asked curiously.

“they left... together.”

You just watched as he drove away, her arms wrapped around his body as she sat on the back.

—

You finished drying your body, putting your underwear as you stared at yourself in the foggy mirror of your bathroom.

“What an idiot?” you groaned frustrated, being mad at yourself.

“I hate him!” you exited your bathroom, stomping to your wardrobe.

“hate who?” you heard a deep voice startling you as you turn around only to notice Jungkook sitting on your bed, back leaned against the bed head.

“you look good.” he smirked.

The words making you tripped over your feet, landing on your ass.

“Jungkook?! What are you doing here?”

“your windows were opened, I took it as an invitation for me to come here.” he explained nonchalantly, pushing his black hair back, revealing his eyebrows piercing.

“I know you did it on purpose.” he licked his lips before you gave him a -what do you mean- look.

“you missed me, huh?” his eyes wandering over your half naked body as you finally stood up.

“no... I mean yes? Well, you.. you ... what are you doing here Jungkook?” you looked toward the open windows, putting your arms in front of your chest to cover you a bit.

“you forgot your glasses at home.” he pointed to the glasses he left on the bedside table.

“oh! You could have give it back to me next week. It wasn’t that important for you come here this late.” you smiled at him, feeling soft at the gesture.

“but thank you, I appreciate it.”

“wanted to see you before sleeping.” he added shrugging making your heart skipped a beat.

You stood there silent, not knowing what to do or what to say.

“come here.” he patted his thigh making you gulp.

“let me just grab my pajamas first-”

“no need, c’mere.” he extended his hand for you.

“If you’re cold, I’ll warm you up.”he said with a stupid smirk plastered on his face.

You walked to him slowly, his eyes not leaving you as you approach the bed.

Taking your hand in his gently, he made you sit on his lap facing him.

“how was your movie?” he started, laying his cold hand on your thigh, goosebumps raising all over your skin.

You hated the way your body reacted to his touches, reacted to him.

Wait, did you really hate it?

“The movie was...”

Oh, you didn’t even watched it, you weren’t focused at all.

How was you supposed to reply to his question when you spent the whole time thinking about him.

“well, it was good.” you cleared your voice making him nod.

You stared at him, wondering if he meant what he said earlier – he wanted to see me? You furrowed your eyebrows confused.

“You’re not gonna ask me how was mine?” he raised an eyebrow making your thoughts came to a stop.

“ah yea yea... how was your movie?” you let a breathy laugh passed by your lips.

“good! I liked it. My friends were scared. It was funny. One of them almost jumped on me and had to hold my arm the whole movie.” he laughed making you smile.

You loved his laugh, he was just so cute. The way he scrunches his nose when laughing made your heart melt.

But- who was he referencing to? Was it the girl you saw him with at the cinema.

“we should definitely go watch a horror movie together. I want to see you scared and hold my hand.” he grinned making you roll your eyes.

“by the way, you looked good with my jacket tonight.” he said, one of his hand caressing your side.

You looked down, playing with your fingers nervously.

“thank you.” you whispered timidly.

“I should let you borrow my clothes more often.”

Gosh, why is he like that? You screamed internally, his words making you want to jump around happily.

Jungkook sat up, his face now closer as he did so. 

“Look at me.” he demanded.

“C’mon, what is it?”

“huh? Nothing?”

“you seem off.”

“no no I’m fine.”

“sure?”

“yes.” you smiled at making him hum.

“cool then.”

“are you tired?” he asked biting on his bottom lip.

“not really?” you replied hesitantly.

Jungkook’s lips were ghosting over yours, his hands sliding down your hips.

“your lips smell like.. cherry? You used it again, the same lip balm?” he asked whispering, his minty breath hitting your face.

You were about to reply when he connected his lips with yours, surprising you.

He sucked on your bottom lip making you moan into the kiss.

Parting away, he pursed his lips “taste good.” he grinned as you look away from him.

“you should use that lip balm everyday.” his thumb sliding over your lips as he speak.

“I like it.” he murmured.

“a lot.”

You were feeling hot, even if you could feel the light breeze from the windows caressing your skin, his presence was enough to make you feel weak and ready to suffocate.

You just wanted to kiss him, feel him again.

“you know, I find you so quiet tonight. If you don’t say anything, I’ll try to find a way to make you talk.” his fingers ghosted over your panties waistband.

“still silent? I’ll start thinking you don’t want me to be here.” he started kissing on your neck.

“no, no it’s not that.. I mean, I don’t know what to say y’know.” you closed your eyes, enjoying the softness of his lips against your warm skin, kissing the hickeys he painted earlier.

You shivered when he bite on the sensitive skin.

“Jungkook.” you whimpered, his hand traveling down between your legs.

“tell me princess, did you miss me?” he licked the abused skin, your hands sliding up his broad shoulders.

Jungkook laid you on your back, hovering above your body.

“did you think about me?” he pressed two of his fingers on your lightly covered core earning a moan from you.

“If you’re not replying I will have to stop. Is that what you want, angel-”

“no no please.” you whined as he rubbed on your clit painfully slowly.

Your bottom lip was caught between your teeth as Jungkook bite on your collarbones.

“so? Did you miss me?”

You nodded, your hands flying to his hair as you pulled on them when he started moving faster.

“Jungkook I-”

“Tell me.”

“I missed you, I missed you!” one of your hand gripping on the soft sheet under you.

“are you close baby?” he asked against your skin.

“y-yes, Jungkook.”

“do you want to cum?” you nodded throwing your head back as he went faster.

“Come, come for me baby.”

He captured your lips in a sloppy kiss as you came in your panties, hips bucking against his palm.

You breathed heavily, closing your eyes as you felt a small droplet of sweat sliding down your temple.

“I hope you will sleep well tonight.” he pinched your cheek making you open your eyes again.

After helping you get dressed with your pajamas, Jungkook stretched his arms a loud yawn escaping his mouth.

“well, I think I gotta go now.” you watched as he walk to the windows.

“shut the windows after me.”

“well, just shut your windows when you’re alone, at night or whatever. You don’t want to get robbed or kidnapped? Aren’t you afraid one day I come kidnap you when you’re sleeping?” he joked, a smirk decorating his pretty pink lips.

He turned around one last time tilting his head to the side making you raised your eyebrows curiously.

“I stole these while you were showering.”

He grabbed something from his back pocket making you open your mouth speechless as he showed you-

“my panties?! But why-”

“For me. Personal use.” he said burying it back into his pocket.

“Well, good night, i’ll get going. Don’t think too much about me, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight*” he said before disappearing.

(*well, here, people saying that sometimes when you can’t sleep it’s because someone is thinking about you.)

“you could have just exited by the front door...” you trailed out quietly.

You let your body fell back on your mattress, sighing loudly.

“what do you want from me, Jeon Jeongguk.” you whispered defeated.

_

[ monday – lunch time ]

“ah I love eating lunch with you.” you smiled as you sat next to Jimin at the wooden table outside the college.

“me too.” he smiled cutely.

“I’m glad your boyfriend is not the jealous type and don’t keep you away from me.” you joked before biting on your sandwich.

“I have the best boyfriend, that’s simple.” he pushed his hair back.

Jimin was gossiping and telling you about that girl he has a beef with in his science class when he suddenly stop making you confused.

“are you okay? What is it?” you put your drink down on the table, waving your hand in front of his face.

“isn’t that the girl we saw at the cinema Friday night?” he pointed behind you making you turn around curiously.

“ah... yea that’s her.” you started at the tall girl, the wind pushing her long brown hair behind, revealing more of her face, her dress showing off her long legs..

“she is so pretty.” you muttered..

“not prettier than you girl.” Jimin said before snatching your drink between your hand to sip a big gulp of it.

“argh stop lying.” you huffed throwing your head back as you felt a slap on your shoulder.

“I’m not lying bro.” he shrugged making you pout.

“thanks chim.”

“y’welcome.” he grinned.

“hm.. but quick question, what is she doing here?” your best friend spoke again.

“I’ve never seen her around.” he added making you think about it.

“yea you right... do you perhaps think she is a new student?” you suggested - not wanting it to be true.

“I don’t think so.” Jimin pursed his plump lips unsure.

“I mean, where’s her bag?” he kept munching on his sandwich.

“maybe she left it somewhere with some friends?”

“yea maybe.”

Sitting in the empty amphitheater, you jumped when someone snatched your phone away from your hands.

“hey!” Jungkook laughed.

“I finally found you.” he pinched your cheek making you sigh in relief.

“did I scared you?” he grinned making you shake your head.

“No, not at all. I was ready to kick you in the face.” you said turning to the side to face him.

“oh I see.” he sat on the table looking down at you.

“you were reading to pick up a fight with a boxer.” he teased making you gulp.

“yea, everything for my precious phone.” you replied confidently making him laugh.

“well, speaking of it. I noticed you were really focused on that screen.” he pointed out.

“what were you doing?” he asked curiously.

“nothing.. I was just... just reading.” you said too nervously for your liking.

“reading what?” he asked again, as he looked at the foreign application on your phone.

“an article!” you grabbed your phone back panicked between the hands of the man.

It was silent for a short moment before Jungkook started talking again.

“what are you doing here?” he tilted his head to the side.

“what do you mean? We have a course here.” you rested your head on your arm as you laid it on the table.

“oh darling.” Jungkook chuckled as he caressed your hair.

“I see no one told you.”

“told me what?” you furrowed your eyebrows looking up at him unsure.

“Mr Kang is not here today. He postponed his course for next week since he is sick.” he explained.

“so you’re telling me I’ve been sitting here for about an hour waiting for his course and no one told me he wasn’t here today?”

“Basically, I just did.” he pursed his lips ready to laugh but try not to as you sighed. 

“Didn’t you wonder why no one was here?”

“no, since I usually come before everyone so I can rest a bit in silence before the course start.” you huffed irritated, letting your head fall back onto the table. 

Jungkook just stared at you silently, hands still on your hair, mindlessly playing with them. 

“you hungry?” 

You lifted your head up to look at the man getting off the table.

“a bit.” 

“what do you wanna eat?”

You were about to reply when he continued talking.

“If it’s me that you wanna eat, sorry to disappoint but we will have to eat a real meal first since I’m starving cause I didn’t eat lunch earlier” he sighed, pushing his hair behind his ear.

“But you can have me for your dessert darling.” he smirked putting his hands in his pockets.

You covered your flustered face with your hands not knowing what to say at his burst. 

“argh you’re stupid.” you laughed standing up from your seat, grabbing your bag from the floor.

“stupid?” he raised his eyebrows laughing too.

“yea.” you pushed him on his shoulder playfully, passing by him before he suddenly grab on your wrist pulling you to his strong body.

You gasped when you collide against his chest, looking up at him, his eyes staring deeply into yours.

“say it again.” he bent down, face closer to yours.

You gulped, heart picking up the pace as he place his other hand on your waist. 

You shook your head slowly before letting a breathy laugh pass by your lips.

“I was joking.” you waved your hand in front of you, making him grinned knowing you were feeling awkward now.

“Well whatever. Let’s just go eat something.” you grabbed on his hand pulling him with you as you walk before him, the unusual gesture surprising him.

Oh, little did he know that you were surprised too. The simple action was considered bold for you.

_

“gosh I’m full.” Jungkook stretched his body, leaning back on his chair, throwing his head back. 

You were reading the book you’ve borrowed from the library last week, the attractive man sitting at the opposite seat of you was long forgotten as you focus on the ending of the book.

Jungkook stared at you, trying to get your attention as he tap his fingers on the table.

The café was pretty empty today. You were sat at the table at the back, a group of students were sat chatting and working at some tables away.

“you’re cute when you’re reading.” he stole the book between your hands surprising you.

“what?” you asked confused, glasses resting at the bridge of your nose making him smile as he shake his head slightly.

“nothing.” he pushed the glasses back up, your eyes widening a little when his thumb swipe over your cheek softly.

“there was a little something on your cheek.” 

“oh.. thanks.” you felt your cheeks heat up at the gesture.

“you’ve been reading that shit for awhile now, let’s go eat something sweet.” he suggested, closing the book as he sat more comfortably on the chair.

“what do you wanna eat?” 

“you.” he smirked, before biting on his pierced-lip.

You looked around you panicked as he say it loud enough for the whole area to hear.

“Why are you talking so loud?” you whisper-yelled embarrassed earning a cute laugh from the man.

“C’mon let’s go eat some ice cream. I know you like that.” he stood up, putting his cap back on his head.

“weren’t you full?” you arched an eyebrow teasingly as you pack up your things.

“Oh so you heard me? And you didn’t even react?” he gasped in a playful way acting offended.

“so?” you stood up facing him.

“are we gonna eat that ice cream?” you smiled cutely making him nod.

Walking next to you, Jungkook was about to pinch your cheek when his phone suddenly ring making him huff annoyed, his sweet little time with you being ruined by whatever idiot that disturbed him.

“Sorry.” he apologized looking at the screen checking the id.

“I have to take that call.”

You just nodded acknowledging his words as he picked up the phone. He furrowed his eyebrows listening to the other line, nodding silently as he stopped in his track. You stayed in place, observing him, his facial expression changed. He didn’t look nor excited nor annoyed.

“fine, see you.” you heard him speak.

“hey!” he approached you, putting his hands on your shoulders.

“mmh, so I can’t huh, for the ice cream right now. I have to go. I promise next time, I will make it up, and we will grab ice cream together.” he said calmly hands sliding down to his sides again.

“oh… it’s ok, don’t worry.” you forced a smile feeling a bit disappointed about the sudden canceling.

“I will give you some money so you can buy one.” he started searching in his jacket’s pocket but you grab on his arm stopping him.

“no no no worries! I…changed my mind! I don’t wanna eat ice cream anymore.. I was hesitating because it was getting cold and I don’t.. well yea.” you gulped, feeling weird for lying like that, you knew you were a bad liar so you really hoped that he would believe.

“are you sure?” 

“yea yea no worries.” you nodded immediately, your slightly shaky hands playing with the strings of your hoodie. 

“cool then, see ya’!” he patted your head with a smile, before rushing away.

You watched as he exited the park, your heart beating slowly as you felt sad? It was weird… you hated that feeling - you hated feeling that way for such a thing…and especially - because of him.

“y/n?!” you heard someone call loudly from behind making you turn around.

“Jimin? what are you doing here?” you smiled.

“I can ask you the same, girl.” he put his hand on his hips.

“are you alone?” he asked looking around, searching for someone he probably know that could hang out with you.

“I can ask you the same, bro.” you imitated your best friend, putting your hands on your hips aswell.

“I was with my boyfriend. Since I was near the park I wanted to come buy ice cream. I’m hungry.” he crossed his arms over his chest sassily.

“Really!?”

“Yea why?”

“I came to buy ice cream too!” you said smiling a bit.

“let’s eat together then.”

_

[ later ,, monday evening ]

“fuck it!” you yelled out loud annoyed.

You threw your body on your bed, a large pillow placed under your lower stomach as you try to find the best position to get comfortable because of the cramps.

“are you ok?” your best friend entered your bedroom with a glass of cold water.

You grabbed on your sheet tightly the pain getting unbearable as you shake your head tears in your eyes.

“I hate being on my period.” you whined rolling on your back, closing your eyes.

“yea I see that. Here take that.” Jimin handed you the fresh liquid as you sit up.

 “that was sudden.” he sighed.

“what do you mean?”

“your period. Like we were having a good time and then you got nauseous out of nowhere.”

“oh man, if only we could get a “notification” before having this shit.” 

“I think feeling nauseous was the notification.” he shrugged before dropping on your desk chair.

“yea but days earlier would have been better.” you huffed before gulping the water.

“I feel like throwing up.. right now.” you put the glass on the floor trying to get off the bed, head spinning,

“now?” Jimin jumped out the chair abruptly.

“right now.” you nodded putting your hand over your mouth.

You ran to your bathroom dropping in front of the toilet as Jimin turn on the light for you, staring with a disgusted face waiting for you to get everything out.

“Is everything alright?” he asked approaching you a little hesitantly.

Don’t get him wrong. It’s not that he didn’t want to help you but he didn’t really handle seeing someone throw up or he will throw up too. He is a really sensitive boy.

“I can’t throw up… I mean I can’t get it out.” you whined irritated.

“Should I do something to help? You want me to.. hm tap on your back? or… argh I don’t know.” he furrowed his eyebrows feeling lost.

“no no it’s ok.” you sighed, getting up slowly feeling dizzy.

“Let me help you to bed, you need to rest.”

Jimin covered you with the soft blanket, pushing your hair back from your sweaty forehead.

“be right back.” he went downstairs to search for painkillers and a bottle of water to leave on your bed side table.

Coming back to you, your best friend realized that you were already sleeping, curling into the blanket, discomfort painted all over your face even in your sleep.

“good night love.” Jimin whispered before leaving a soft peck on your temple.

_

[ Tuesday  ] 

You weren’t feeling too good to go to your classes today. You didn’t like missing courses but you couldn’t risk fainting or throwing up in front of everyone.

Early in the morning you noticed a little note Jimin left for you, explaining that he had to go home last night and couldn’t stay. You also noticed the painkillers and water he put on your desk making you smile a little. 

After your bath, you decided to stay in bed all day to rest.

You woke up time to time to go to the bathroom, feeling uncomfortable - always having that feeling of being stained by blood or whatever. 

It was around 3 when you decided to take a very little nap. (lie.)

You sighed pleasantly, the warm sensation on your neck making you hummed. You started feeling hot, chest raising up and down as warm air caress your cheek. 

You imagined Jungkook close to you, hands caressing your hair, making you furrowed your eyebrows not wanting to open your eyes - you didn’t want to wake up from -what you defined as a- dream.

“J-Jungkook.” you moaned softly.

“I’m glad I’m the one you’re thinking about when sleeping.” you heard a deep voice making you open your eyes only to see Jungkook sat on your bed next to you.

“what are you doing here?” you sat up abruptly, a grimace making its way on your face.

The man narrowed his eyes at you before pointing to the open windows.

“I told you to close your windows.”

“sorry, I was feeling hot earlier… so yea, I opened them.” you explained.

You pushed your hair back, rubbing your eyes a yawn escaping your mouth.

“you look dead. Did you sleep all day?” he asked as he made himself confortable on your bed, laying down on his back. 

“I tried reaching you, when I couldn’t find you in the campus and noticed your friend alone.” he continued.

“oh sorry I didn’t check my phone.” you apologized as you grabbed your phone.

“6?!” you gasped when you saw the time.

“yup m’aam it’s 6 and you spent your day in bed doing nothing while I was busy studying.” he acted tired making you scoff.

NOTIFICATIONS

[ 9 new messages ]

[ 5 missed calls ] 

                   || 🐥 dramaboy  || 

[ 10:18 am ] dramaboy : hello, are you awake?

[ 10:56 am ] dramaboy : well, I guess you’re resting. Take care bub. 

[ 12:07 pm ] dramaboy : bro eat something when you wake up. You still sleeping?

[ 2:05 pm] dramaboy : damn girl, you better be awake now. Stay hydrated!! I’ll call you later I have a course in a few minutes xoxo

                   || 🐰 jungkook  ||

[ 1:07 pm ] jungkook : hi, you good? you’re not coming today? 

[ 4:37 pm ] jungkook : you’re ignoring me?

jungkook  (4) missed calls

[ 5:38 pm ]jungkook : y/n, are you ok?

jungkook  (1) missed calls

[ 5:43 pm ]jungkook : I’m kinda worried you’re not answering. You’re at your house? 

[ 5:43 pm ]jungkook : i’m coming.

“oh… wow, I’m sorry for not answering. I was so exhausted today I wanted to rest-“

“wait!” he sat up again.

“are you on your girl bloody days?”

“yea-“

“oh, that’s why!” he exclaimed.

“are you feeling better now?”

“did you drink some water today? If you need anything just let me know.” he spoke making you feel so confused and soft inside. And also weird because-

“I’m feeling dizzy.” you blurted out.

“Huh? Is it because of what I said? I know I’m a nice guy you k-“

“no no I meant it ! I don’t feel good!” you threw the blanket aside, falling off the bed on the carpeted floor when you tried to get off.

“oh shit!” Jungkook rushed to you helping you getting up.

“you alright? Let me help you.” he slid his arm behind your back to hold you close, walking to your bathroom.

You dropped on your knees in front of the toilet, finally releasing everything you wanted to let out since last night.

Jungkook kneeled behind you, holding your hair for you as you started crying.

“It’s ok angel.” he rubbed your back gently, looking down.

After a few minutes, you flushed the toilet before washing your face.

“please don’t look at me, I’m horrible.” you sniffed looking down when Jungkook approached you.

You heard him clicked his tongue “what the fuck you saying now?”

You felt him stand behind you, his hand rubbing your arm reassuring you.

“y’know what, just take a warm shower. You’ll relax and I’ll just go find something for you to eat since I’m sure you didn’t today.” he stared at you in the mirror as you keep looking down. 

“You have to eat something. I don’t want you to faint or whatever. Call me if you don’t feel good and I’ll come right away, ‘kay?” 

You nodded silently before feeling his lips on your skin. Leaving a gentle kiss on your shoulder, you watch as he exited the bathroom closing the door behind him.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, your mind going crazy.

why are you like that Jungkook? Why are you doing this? What do you want from me? 

Going downstairs you met Jungkook in the kitchen, this one filling a glass with lemon water. 

Sitting at the kitchen counter, you rest your head on your arm laying on the table. 

“hey, you here? how you feeling?”

“much better.” you replied making him hummed.

“well, I did a little research and found out that noodles are anti- nausea, did you know?” he looked up at you with big eyes the information fascinating him a bit too much. 

You chuckled shaking your head.

“Well, so I made noodles. Let’s eat now.”

_

Jungkook admired you from your desk chair as you speak with Jimin on FaceTime.

🐥 : bro I’m so sorry for not coming. I’m such a bad best f-

“Oh c’mon shut up.” you laughed making Jimin laugh too.

🐥 : I’ll come visit you tomorrow, I promise.

“fine! I’ll wait for you then.”

🐥 : I’ll bring ice cream. 

“you’re good at apologizing.” you joked.

As you were saying your goodbyes to your bestfriend, Jungkook sat on the edge of the bed.

“hey.” you started.

“I wanted to thank you for everything. I’m so sorry for worrying you. And I’m sorry for disturbing you too. I mean you stayed here with me and it’s so late already.” you sat on your knees facing him. 

“don’t apologize. I decided to do it.” he smiled playing with the silver ring adorning his middle finger.

“well, I’ll let you rest then. Like you said, it’s late. I don’t want to disturb-“

“oh you’re never disturbing!” you blurted out without thinking twice.

“I mean, I.. well, good night!” you cleared your voice - you just wanted to throw your body on the floor. 

Why are you always so embarrassing y/n? you yelled internally.

“Good night darling.” he got off the bed ready to leave but you grab on his wrist.

You just wanted to kiss him before he leave.

You just wanted to hug him before he leave.

You just wanted to feel him before he leave.

You just wanted to tell him that you felt touched for everything he did for you tonight.

You wanted to let him know that you always feel happy when you’re with him. 

Jungkook looked down at you, raising an eyebrow as you open your mouth, no words coming out.

y/n, what the fuck! do something! 

You were about to panicked, why the fuck did I do that?! you whined internally.

“what is it?” 

“I want to… to hm well, I wanted to know… ah! No no I wanted to give your jacket back.” You let go of his wrist abruptly. 

“Ah, well it’s ok I’ll get it another day.” he smiled as you nod.

He was about to walk out the room when he stop turning around.

“for tomorrow, let’s just cancel.”

“what?” you tilted your head to the side.

“tutoring, we will do it another time, just rest. See ya’” he waved before leaving.

“See you…” you trailed out.

_

[ Wednesday ]

Today, you luckily didn’t have any courses. Your cramps were still bothering you but less than yesterday.

Early in the afternoon, Jimin visited you without forgetting ice cream like he promised.

Jimin was such a great friend, you considered him like a brother. The big brother everyone dream to have. He was always there for you, supporting you with whatever you’re doing. He reprimanded you when needed to. You didn’t seem like it but you’re really silly sometimes. Jimin meant so much for you, and the same goes for him, you meant a lot to him.

You laid on your couch, scrolling on your phone mindlessly. Everything was boring today. Even outside, the sky wasn’t as blue as usual. 

A pout made its way on your dried lips, forgetting to hydrate them today. You couldn’t stop thinking him. You couldn’t stop thinking about what he did last night.

Why all of this? It was so unnecessary? well it was really kind, way too kind. He acted so like a…

“boyfriend?” you said aloud making you stare at the ceiling.

Why do I keep feeling so bubbly when I’m with him? 

“Do I have feelings for him?” you talked to yourself.

“No, no not at all!” you kept on talking, voice resonating in the empty room.

“I can’t!” you put your hands over your face trying to calm down, the thought of liking him killing you inside.

You knew you couldn’t. 

You knew what type of guy he was.

But the way he was acting with you was so, seemed so natural?

You whined kicking your feet in the air.

You felt so affected by today’s canceling. It was weird not being to deal with him today.

You’re so used to him now…

_

[ Thursday ]

You courses unexpectedly went pretty fast today. Your day was going good, even if you were bleeding like you’ve been stabbed in the lower stomach.

For once, Jungkook wasn’t the one searching for you but you.

You were the one looking for him.

You didn’t even realize it as you keep on walking around the campus, earphones buried in your ears, the music accompanying you everywhere as you hoped to come across the man.

You arrived home later in the afternoon, smile pretty absent on your face the whole day.

You didn’t even get to see him today. Not even from afar.

No messages. 

Nothing.

It was so weird - you hated it.

You kind of miss him. You tried your best to ignore every single thoughts travelling through your mind.

_

[ Friday ] 

You were on the phone with Jimin debating about what you were about to do tonight.

“Friday night, movie night is an option today. Because hell nah we ain’t going to watch any of the movies at the theatre, they all seem bad.” Jimin huffed annoyed making you chuckled.

“So what do you wanna do tonight? Sleepover? Movie night at home? Gaming night?” you suggested earning a sarcastic laugh from your best friend.

“I’m not in the mood to be stay-at-home tonight.” he replied making you roll your eyes.

“What about a nice dinner at this restaurant we went last month. It was good!” he exclaimed.

“you fine with it?”

“good for me.”

.

“Hello?!” you heard Jimin gasped.

“I see you girl.” he smiled widely, eyes travelling up and down your body.

“you look so good, I’m speechless.” he kept on complimenting you.

“Shut up.” you laughed when he took your hand to guide you to his car.

“you know I’m a taken man, right?” he joked making you roll your eyes.

“If you’re trynna seduce me it won’t work. I love my man.” he started the engin as you slap his arm playfully.

“Stop it, you look good too Park.” you flattered him smiling.

“I know.” he smirked pushing his hair back, making you purse your lips.

“Let’s go.”

“Allons-y Madame.”

“Oh the French accent ?!” you gasped amazed. 

“My boyfriend studies french, what did you except?” he smiled proudly.

_

“oh man, I love this restaurant.” 

“Let me guess, he take you there often?” you raised an eyebrow teasingly.

“Well, yea but not totally, cause the dishes are so good here.” his eyes focused on the menu. 

“Good evening, I’ll be your waiter for tonight.” 

Both Jimin and you turned to the young man standing before you.

“Can I start off with something to drink?” he asked politely.

“Yes, I’ll have a red wine and for my friend..” he looked to you waiting for your choice.

“hm, for me it will be iced tea please, peach iced tea.” 

“Good, are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?”

After ordering, the waiter disappeared making you glare at Jimin.

“what?”

“red wine?” you crossed your arms over your chest.

“Oh c’mon it’s Friday night, let’s relax a bit.”

“yea yea whatever.” you sighed.

_

Jimin moaned loudly as he chewed on the grilled meat making you widen your eyes.

“damn that’s so fucking delicious.” he hummed as you agree.

“so what were you saying?” you kept munching on your food.

“Ah, yea he invited me to go with him in Paris for holiday!” he said excited.

“no way! that’s so cool!” you exclaimed before sipping on your fresh drink.

“I know.” he nodded happily.

“and guess what?”

You wait for him to continue.

“About that girl in my class, I stole her pencil and throw it in the bin when she went out to the bathroom.” he said feeling proud of himself.

“aren’t you ashamed?” you bursted out laughing taken aback.

“She stole my answer and said it loudly in class. And you want me to forgive that?” he watched you in disbelief.

“And she really d- oh hell nah, he really everywhere I’m done.” Jimin grabbed his glass gulping the fourth wine he ordered annoyed.

Turning around you noticed Jungkook standing at the bar, probably waiting for a drink. He looked so good. Seeing him after so long ( two days ) made your heart beat faster.

“I will start thinking he is following us every Friday.” he stated as you turn to him again.

“We met him only twice what do you mean ‘every Friday’” you chuckled at his words.

Jimin sighed heavily before grabbing his phone checking his messages, a smile appearing on his plump lips.

“It’s him huh?” you smirked kicking his leg under the table to tease him.

“oh shut up.” He put his hand over his mouth, putting his phone in his pocket.

“Okay, now let’s get out of here. He spoiled my evening.” he stood up grabbing his jacket.

“Oh c’mon bro, he didn’t even do anything.”

“His face is enough to annoy me.” he admitted dramatically.

“We will get dessert somewhere else.” 

Jimin and you walked to the front of the restaurant to pay.

“what!? I only had four glasses!” he gasped loudly.

“why are you making me pay for six?!” 

“Sir, the waiter reported s-“

“What? I don’t care what he reported! Let me talk to your manager!” he kept on fighting making you sigh.

“Jimin let me just pay, so we can go.”

“Hell no! I won’t allow that.” he shook his head pushing your hand away as you took your credit card out of your bag.

“Let me take care of that, go outside and wait for me.” he pushed you away, handing you his car keys.

You watched as he followed the person he was arguing with, at the back of the place.

“ah gosh.” you groaned tiredly.

You jumped when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Good evening, pretty girl.” you hear a deep voice whispering behind you.

Jungkook walked in front of you, a smile plastered on his face.

“You’re so beautiful tonight angel.” he complimented, eyes travelling all over your body. 

You found yourself wordless. Not knowing what to say as you gulp.

“are you on a date?” 

“no! I’m not !” you finally spoked denying immediately.

“I’m with Jimin. We came to eat dinner together. We’re friends! He is taken so it’s not a date? Well, we just ate and yea.” you cried internally, cursing yourself.

You’re sure you were born to be the most embarrassing person on earth.

“I know he’s your best friend, y/n.” Jungkook laughed.

Oh, the way your name dropped from his mouth made your knees buckled slightly. And his laugh, gosh just pin me against the wall and- 

“Where is he?” 

“He really left his pretty best friend alone without worrying someone might steal her.” his hand coming up to arrange the strap of your black velvet dress.   

You wanted to fall down on your knees, melting under his feet. The man knew how to make you weak.

“He… he is coming back. He has to take care of something before we leave.” you explained playing with your necklace nervously making him nod.

Jungkook approached you, his body getting really close to yours. You stopped breathing when he bent down to whisper in your ear.

“I would had really loved to fuck you right here, right now, if you could. You look really exquise tonight princess.” he bit on your earlobe, a soft moan begging to pass by your lips.

“Jungkook I-“

“Enjoy your night pretty girl.” he laid a soft kiss on your neck, a smirk decorating his tempting lips as he moved away.

Your body was on fire. You were really about to fall if you don’t freshen up a bit.

You pushed the restroom’s door open, entering the -too elegant - place for a restroom.

You splashed water slightly on your burning cheeks, breathing in and out slowly trying to stay cool.

“he’s such an idiot.” you breathed out smiling like an idiot yourself.

“are you talking about Jungkook?” you heard a unfamiliar feminine voice from behind you tearing you up from your thoughts.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” you spoke before turning around facing the girl Jimin and you saw at the cinema last week.

You stayed silent when you recognize her. 

She was prettier closer.

“I’m warning you, stay away from him.” she said before exiting the restroom leaving you speechless.

“And what the fuck is her problem?” you furrowed your eyebrows in shock.

“and where the hell were you?” you noticed a worried Jimin near the car.

“restroom, sorry.”

“I tried to call you, it’s ok.” 

“about the dessert?”

“let’s go home, I have ice cream and cookies. I bought them this morning.” you replied 

“I saw her.” you blurted out making Jimin look down at you curiously from the couch.

“the girl at the cinema.”

“where?”

“at the restaurant earlier.”

“Oh, Jungkook was there too. Do you think they went together?” Jimin supposed making you pushed your plate further on the table as you laid on the carpet defeated.

“Please don’t say that.” you groaned.

“She talked to me.” you spoke again.

“What did she say?” Jimin sat down next to you on the carpet.

“She told me stay away from him…”

“She said that?”

You hummed pouting when Jimin think for a moment.

“I agree with her.”

You slapped his thigh making him shrugged.

“But why?” he asked seriously this time.

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe she’s one of his bitches.” Jimin yawned unbothered.

“I’m one of his bitches too.” you sighed.

“I’m sure you are thee bitch.” he pinched your tummy making you sigh.

“You still fucking with him huh?” he rolled his eyes knowing the answer.

“nah because I’m telling you again baby, take your distance. He’s not a good guy. I mean he’s not a guy for you. You deserve better than this, you deserve the best.” he flicked your forehead making you glare at him.

“Jimin..” you started quietly after a long silence.

“Yea?”

“I think I appreciate him.”

“bruh, I think we all already knew that.”

“nah but I mean… a lot. More than I should.”

“damn bro… I’m sorry for you then.” 

“I’m serious Chim.” you looked into his eyes as he make the -oh - face.

“y/n…” he noticed the tears building in your eyes.

“aw no don’t cry, come here.” he took you into his embrace, patting your back.

“I’m bleeding.” you sniffed.

“It’s normal to feel like your heart bleeding when you're feeling a bit down.” he caressed your head.

“no I mean it. I’m bleeding.”

“Girl you serious.” he laughed making you laugh too.

“Don’t make me laugh bro, it’s getting worst.” you exclaimed making the man part away.

__

[ Tuesday ]

                || 🐥 dramaboy || 

y/n : guess what!

🐥 : ??

y/n : my period is over!!

🐥 : …

🐥 : I mean … why the need to tell me that?

y/n : sharing my happiness with my best friend is a crime now?? ☹️

🐥 : ahhh well, good for you I guess.

y/n : what are you doing?

🐥 : I’m still at college. I’m waiting for him 😩

y/n : it’s so late dude

🐥 : I know !! His French classes end up so late but I really wanted to wait for him.

y/n : aw what a sweetheart 🤭

🐥 : shut up!

[ Thursday ] 

A notification from your phone was what disturbed you from your - night personal - reading.

You groaned as you got up to grab your phone, checking which idiot disturbed you. You really thought you put it on not disturb mode.

You almost fell on your knees when you opened the message.

                     || 🐰 Jungkook ||

🐰 : you looked so fucking good today. I can’t stop thinking about you. 

🐰 : couldn’t stop thinking about how great you would feel on my dick.

🐰 : couldn’t stop thinking about the way I’d fuck u on Mr. Choi’s desk in front of everyone.

🐰 : u made me so hard.

🐰 : [ attachment ] 

It was the last straw. You really did fell on your knees, hand over your mouth when you  clicked on the attachment.

fuck was the only word coming out of your mouth.

He is insane.

Oh the way your felt your inside twitch when you stare at the picture he just sent you.

The -oh so - familiar feeling between your legs making you whine.

Jungkook sent a picture of himself, pants unbuttoned, hand resting on the bulge over his black Calvin Klein boxer.

🐰 : [ attachment ] 

🐰 : baby I need you so bad right now.

You threw your phone away when your phone indicated the incoming FaceTime.

“no way!” you gasped panicked.

“What do I do? Oh my gosh!” you bit on your fingers.

Taking a deep breath you clicked on the green button, heart skipping a beat when you saw his face.

He was so… attractive, it’s sick.

“hey darling.” his deep voice turning you on even more.

“hi Jungkook.” you forced a smile as you notice he was in his bed… shirtless, a smirk decorating his pretty lips.

Your eyes were glued on the screen as you stare at him silently, his smirk growing up.

“like the view baby?” he teased making you avoid his eyes.

“I… hi! how are you!?” you cleared your voice feeling embarrassed.

“I’m horny.” he admitted right away.

You were speechless.

The man was so bold, it’s insane. The way he was always so direct, always spitting everything out so easily.

What should I say?

“You were pretty today. Just wanted to let you know.” he said before you could talk. watching as you got shy.

“thanks.” you smiled seeing him shift, sitting up, back leaned back on the bedhead.

“I also wanted to let you know that you were so damn pretty that I had to walk around the campus with a big boner.” he continued, eyes getting darker.

“I suffered all day because of you.” 

“But.. I didn’t even do anything.” you protested shocked at his words.

“those pretty lips around that fucking lollipop was enough to turn me on.” he groaned also desperately.

“I thought about the way they would look around my cock.” he sighed.

“Jungkook.” his name leaving your mouth with a soft and quiet moan as your body started heating up.

Oh you were about to lose it if he kept on talking like that.

“angel.” he started again catching your attention again.

“can you do something for me?”

“anything.” You whispered with a nod.

“I m-mean what?” you tried to save a bit of your dignity.

The “anything” leaving your mouth so swiftly was enough to make his cock twitch.

“touch yourself for me.” 

You choked on your own saliva not expecting that.

“I’m not forcing you, if you’re not confortable doll.”

“no no, it’s not that but I’ve never.. y’know done it like that.” you pointed between you and the phone.

“I don’t know how I should do or.. well, I don’t know at all.” you admitted with a sigh.

Jungkook just chuckled, loving the fact that you’re so foreign with the phone sex.

He always loved to be your first times at every single new activities of yours.

“gosh you’re so…” he sucked on his bottom lip, the little rings disappear into his mouth as he do so.

“I’m more than glad to help you with that then.” he said voice laced with lust.

You were feeling so nervous when you see him move, setting his phone on his bedside table.

You watched as he got off the bed, standing just before his phone.

What is he doing?

You gasped when he started sliding his jeans down his legs, revealing his muscular thighs.

“What are you doing!?” you turned your face away giving him some kind of privacy making him laugh loudly.

“Don’t act like you’ve never seen me naked before baby.”

“I know you like it.” 

“no no it’s not that!” you looked back at the screen, your jaw ready to drop on the floor.

Here he was, standing proudly naked for your eyes.

“close that pretty mouth princess, you trynna catch flies?” he bent down, grabbing his phone back sitting on his bed again.

“your turn now kitten.” he put an arm behind his head waiting for you to do something,

“me? my turn?” you panicked, legs bouncing anxiously.

“undress yourself.”

“right now?”

Can someone save me please, I wanna throw myself away, the embarrassment is so high right now.

“yea, right now.” he waited.

Your head was about to explode with all the thoughts running through your mind at the same time. Were you really ready to try this?  Maybe. Were you willing to try it? Hell yea. But what’s blocking you right now is shyness. Undressing yourself in front of him was already a big thing you, but imagining doing it from afar is weirdly difficult for you.

Jungkook noticed your hesitation as he spoke.

“Angel, if you’re not comfortable it’s ok, don’t do it. I don’t want to pressure you or whatever.”

You shook your head denying his words.

“no don’t worry, I’m just.. just thinking where I should put my phone.” 

Stepping closer to your bed, you decide to mimic Jungkook.

You placed your phone on your bedside table, walking backward until your whole body was visible for him to see.

Your hands went down to the hem of your shirt, pulling it up to your head revealing your bare chest.

Jungkook sat up, watching attentively as you strip yourself for him, only him.

Just that thought made his cock throb.

If only you knew how excited you got him. 

Looking down to your feet, your hands nervously travelled down to the waistband of your pajamas short.

Jungkook’s heart started beating faster in excitement. Oh knowing all of this was your first time and he was the one making you experience this was enough to satisfy his ego for a whole week.

It was a boost for him.

Corruption.

He loved corrupting you.

You took a deep breath, sliding the soft cotton material down your beautiful legs, panties falling with it at your ankles.

You were left in nothing, and Jungkook, him, was left in amazement.

He’s used of seeing you naked for him, but tonight hit differently. There is something exciting but he couldn’t really know what.

Your thighs looked so smooth, your legs enough to make him go crazy. Your body was just a masterpiece for me.

“you’re so fucking pretty kitten.” he complimented making you get your phone back, sitting on your bed awkwardly.

You thanked him, staying still not knowing what you should say, what you should do.

“and now?” you asked hesitantly.

“and now, you’re gonna show me how you touch yourself when you’re thinking about me.” he looked into your eyes through the screen, his words making you feel hot.

It was like your body was set on fire.

“w-what?” you couldn’t think straight.

How should your start? How should you do it? Should you lower your phone a bit?

Gosh why did I put myself in this situation?

“do you think about me when pleasuring yourself angel?” he asked lowly.

You bit on your tongue, this man definitely don’t have filter because how the hell can your say such a thing so straight? No shame at all. He is really a thing.

“I don’t… d-“

“you don’t?” he raised an eyebrow surprised.

“no! It’s not that, I meant that… I don’t do.. that.. hmm I don’t do that by myself.” you confessed feeling embarrassed.

“you’ve never pleasured yourself? Like you've never masturbated?” he furrowed his eyebrows not expecting this answer.

You shook your head, a tiny pout making its way on your lips without realizing it.

Jungkook‘s eyes darkened, the new piece of information exciting him even more.

“Oh my dear y/n.” he smirked.

“what an innocence girl.” he tilted his head, eyes glued on your flustered face. 

“I will help you then.” he continued.

“you still good with that?” he made sure you were down with it, not wanted you to do something you don’t want to do.

“yes, I’m still good.”

“good. let’s start then.”

“Let’s go easy. Set your phone against something, so it doesn’t move and I can see you. Both your hands would be free and it’ll be comfortable for you.”

You did as he say, resting the back of the phone against a large pillow, your body on full display for him to admire. 

“lay down.” 

You followed every steps he tell you to do.

“you good?” you nodded as you look toward the screen seeing the shirtless man shifting.

"make yourself comfortable."

He was too attractive, it was hard to not look at him but hard to keep eye contact.

“let’s start slowly angel.”

“Caress your body gently.”

Jungkook’s eyes lingered on you, paying close attention at every of your movements.

Teasing yourself, you just slid your fingertips on the soft skin of your stomach, goosebumps raising after the soft touch of yours.

Your fingers went up your front, up along your cleavage.

“Cup your breast, stay soft and flick your nipple with your thumb.” 

“Do it like I always do baby.”

Jungkook watched as your played with your hardened bud, fingers pinching on your sensitive nipple.

Soft moans passing by your lips, as you rub your thighs together.

The pleasurable sensation throughout your body when you tug on the erected bud made your head spin as you close your eyes trying to focus on everything going on.

“Take your time.” you heard him say.

“Jungkook, I need you.” you whispered.

“Oh darling, unfortunately not tonight, but I’ll try my best to help you.” he sighed as bothered as you.

“Slide your hand delicately down your body slowly.” 

You couldn’t helped but imagine his hand on your skin, the soft feeling of his fingertips dancing down your skin. Gosh you wanted him so bad.

“Open your legs for me baby, I wanna see you.” he demanded.

Spreading your legs for him without a second thought, your hand went to massage your clit slowly, bottom lip caught between your teeth as your pointer and middle fingers slide up and down between your glistening lips.

The slow rhythm made you feel good as you forget everything around you.

“are you wet enough darling?” his deep voice waking you up. 

“Put a finger inside if you think it’s good, do it slowly.”

Sliding a finger in like he said, you furrowed your eyebrows at the feeling.

“Put another one.” he bit on his bottom lip waiting for you to execute his words. 

“Imagine your fingers are mine. Remember the way mine are buried deep inside you, fucking you slowly when I’m with you.”

“d-doesn’t feel the same.” you whined making him chuckle.

“Twist your wrist baby, keep going in and out.”

The way your fingers moved inside you fascinated him. He couldn’t just stay still and watch. You were just so hot for him.

“I’m going to stroke myself while imagining I’m fucking you deeply.” he breathed out making you let out a soft moan at his words.

Jungkook grabbed on his erection, the warmth of his hand enveloping around it.

“yea just like that darling.”

Jungkook groaned when you increase the speed, hand moving faster.

“fuck.” 

“you’re doing so well.” he praised breathlessly as he started moving his fist faster too, trying to catch up with your pace.

“you’re such a good girl for me, aren’t you?” 

You applied a heavy pressure on your bud of nerves with your palm as you felt the sparkling feeling in your lower stomach.

“tell me baby.”

“are you a good girl for me? Only for me, right?” he tightened his grip around his cock.

“Yes, only for you.” 

“I’m so close Jungkook.” you whimpered.

Jungkook’s hand stroked faster as his eyes followed your hand sliding up your breast, fingers playing with your nipple, your other hand still working on hitting on your g-spot. His thumb sliding over the head of his cock, trying to push him over the edge.

You closed your eyes as you felt your orgasm coming.

Moaning his name loudly, you came on your fingers, thighs shaking slightly, the wave of pleasure exhausting you.

Jungkook cummed after a few strokes, cursing as let his head fall back on his pillow.

“fuck look what you did.” you heard Jungkook said as you open your eyes to grab your phone.

He licked his lips before lowering his phone showing you the white ribbons covering his lower stomach making you swallow hard, cheeks warming up as you look away.

“you did so well.” he said with a soft smile.

[ later that night ] 

                 || 🐰 jungkook  ||

[ 11:47 pm ] jungkook : you sleeping?

[ 11:48 pm  ] y/n  : not yet

[ 11:48 pm ] y/n : you ok?

[ 11:49 pm  ] jungkook : yup. Just wanted to ask you if you’re coming to tomorrow’s party?

[ 11:49 pm ] y/n : ngl I didn’t know there is a party tomorrow.

[ 11:50 pm  ] jungkook : you should come

[ 11:50 pm ] y/n : I’m not into parties sorry

[ 11:50 pm  ] jungkook : oh c’mon, it’s gonna be fun! And it’s Friday, you need to get this week’s stress off.

[ 11:51 pm ] y/n : I’m busy on Fridays

[ 11:51 pm  ] jungkook : oh c’mon, let’s change a bit. It is your besties night thingy? Or I don’t know what shit?

[ 11:51 pm ] y/n : hey! Don’t say it like that! And yes it’s my special time with my best friend.

[ 11:52 pm  ] jungkook : Park will understand. C’mon come. My friend Jay said I can invite who I want, so you’re my guest.

[ 11:53 pm  ] jungkook : Tell Park to come with you. He will be your guest.

[ 11:53 pm ] jungkook : please pretty please.

[ 11:56 pm  ] y/n : I’ll think about it.

[ 11:56 pm  ] jungkook : I take that as a yes. See you tomorrow.

_

[ Friday ]  

After mentioning about the party with Jimin during one of your classes in the morning, you found out his boyfriend also invited him. Funny thing, both you and him didn’t want to go to the event but wanted to accept the invitations to be nice.

Later in the afternoon, you found yourself struggling in front of your wardrobe.

"What should I even wear? "

Jimin turned around on his stomach on your bed, looking up at you from his phone.

"Just go like that." he struggled playfully.

"Ah ah ah, you’re so funny." you rolled your eyes, as you tightened the knot of the white comfy robe wrapped around your body. 

"Just put whatever your want.”

“You’re not helping.” you sat on the edge of the bed defeated making Jimin get off of it.

“ok let me see what you have in there.” he hummed as he analyzed your wardrobe.

“what about that pretty skirt you got there?” he grabbed the black skirt that was hidden behind all your hoodies.

“and you put this low cut shirt, with a black jacket over it. Taadaaa.” he grinned with both hands on his hips feeling proud of himself.

[ Friday end of the afternoon ] 

“C’mon dadd-“

“bruh, I told you not to call me like that.” Jungkook grimaced as he buttoned his pants.

“where are you going?”

“I gotta go.”

“where?”

“my friend throwing a party and I’m invited.” he replied annoyed, buckling his belt rapidly as he looked down at his watch checking the time.

“It’s a party, there is no exact time to get there. Why do you seem in hurry?“

“I don’t have to give you explanations. Bye, have a  good ev-“

“you seeing her, huh?”

Jungkook stopped in his track, before turning around curiously.

“what?”

“y/n. You seeing that chick tonight right?” 

“none of your business.” he said after a few seconds, walking out of the room, slamming the door behind him annoyed.

_

“gosh I don’t like parties.. I feel weird.” you muttered grumpily, as you held onto Jimin’s arm near his parked car, the cold air hitting your legs.

“me too. I feel unwelcome.” he sighed agreeing with you. 

“Same but y’know I don’t have nothing against parties.. but there are too much people.” you groaned.

“yea I get it.”

“what if we go back home? or we can just going out just the two of us?” you said making Jimin shake his head, denying the ideas.

“We already said yes to come here. My boyfriend is already waiting for me inside or I don’t know.”

“Wait! You letting me alone?” You gasped. 

“Jungkook was the one who invited you. So I guess, you staying with him.” Jimin smirked teasing you.

“Jimin! No please! He just told me to come if I want with who I want. And it’s you! Jungkook will probably be with his friends.” you grabbed on his hand panicked.

“I’m playing, of course we staying together. Like just imagine if he let me alone, girl. And you know I don’t like when you’re with that man but I fear he might steal you from me tonight.” Jimin sighed as you both started walking to the big house reluctantly.

Gulping, you walked through the ocean of sweaty people grinding against each other, half-empty red cups in their hands.

You tightened your grip on Jimin waist as you both tried to find a less crowded place.

“gosh it smells! Can’t they put some perfume or deodorant before coming there!” you heard a disgusted Jimin yelled.

You laughed, slapping his arm.

Standing in the corner of the room, Jimin texted his boyfriend, letting him know that he was there.

After a few minutes, your best friend was with his boyfriend - you decided to give them some time together as you went to sit outside alone, even if both of them insisted for you to stay with them. 

You kept on checking your phone, perhaps hoping to get a message from the one that invited you. 

Looking around, you noticed Jungkook sat with a group of friends all around a table full of alcohol and other things you didn’t even know the name of.

They were smoking, laughing together.

Not only, you disliked him smoking but the girls sitting at each sides of him being too close for your liking. Especially the way their hands were on his thighs made your blood boiled. You hated that feeling. 

You looked down at the ground, feeling a bit insecure. You didn’t even know why you were feeling like that way so suddenly. It was definitely not the best place to be. You weren’t having fun, you didn’t even know anyone here. It was such a bad idea to come here.

“fuck what am I even doing here?” you groaned standing up, before grabbing your phone to send a text to Jimin letting him know you were going back home. 

As you started walking away, you heard a voice from behind you.

"Leaving already?"

Turning around, you were met with the person you hoped to see tonight, the only reason why you came. 

"Jungkook."

"I really thought you wouldn’t come."

"Well, there is a first at everything." You looked up at him. 

The man nodded approvingly.

"Are you gonna stand there all night? Come with me." He grabbed your hand as he guided you to where he was sat.

You didn’t know what to say, what to do as you forced a smile greeting his friends - one of them offering you an adorable gummy smile.

You stood next to him awkwardly not knowing where to sit since there was no place left. No one making a move to make some place for you to sit. Before you could do anything, Jungkook grabbed your waist pulling you down to sit on his lap making you widen your eyes in utter shock.

In front of everyone? you panicked internally as you stayed still. 

"Confortable?" he asked earning a small nod from you. 

You could feel eyes on you and let’s say, you didn’t enjoy it a lot. 

"Who is she? Is she in our college?" The girl sat on your left asked, looking you up and down. 

"My friend." He replied as he took a long puff of - what seemed like - a  cigarette.

Perhaps, Is that weed? It smelt so much different from cigarettes?

Gosh, you’ve never felt more uncomfortable. 

Jungkook laid his back against the couch as he started chatting with his friends again, but something didn’t go unnoticed by him as he pulled you closer to his chest. He didn’t appreciate the way one of a boy sat on the opposite couch look at you. He didn’t like the way his eyes were going up and down your legs, or the way he stared down toward your skirt that ride up your thighs when Jungkook shifted a bit when he started feeling you pressed harder on his lap. His tattooed hand slid to rest on top of your thigh, fingers sliding just a little down to rest on the inside of your thigh catching the man’s attention. Locking eyes with Jungkook, he knew he was fucked up. 

"Gimme that pretty?" He pointed to the plate placed before you on the table.

"I didn’t know you like brownies." You smiled cutely handing him one of the little cakes. 

"Oh darling. You’re so cute." He laughed, his dark eyes, quite red, staring deep into yours. 

"That’s not brownies." He took a very tiny bite of it making you furrow your eyebrows. 

"Space cakes." He muttered against your neck, goosebumps raising after the warm air caressing your skin. 

Turning around more, you give him a confused look as a smirk made its way on his pretty lips.

"Angel, when eating one of these.. you just.. boom! You’re traveling into another galaxy."

"It tastes so good." 

"Wanna try?" He cupped your cheek softly making you shake your head hesitantly.

"Pot brownies." You heard the guy with the pretty gummy smile say as he gulped his beer. 

"Brownies made with butter that has been infused with cannabis." He explained making you raise your eyebrows at the new piece of information. 

"Oh, I didn’t know about these." You replied making him smile.

Moving forward, Jungkook’s hand went to grab one goblet full of vodka. You watched as he gulped the liquid, his tattooed hand still resting on your bare thigh. 

"Want some?" He asked tilting his head to the side as you deny again. 

"I don’t drink." You pursed your lips innocently.

"C’mon, just a bit."

"Just for tonight." He stroked your thigh gently.

"Like you said, there is a first at everything."

You hesitated for a strong minute debating on what to do.

What if something happen to you?

What if you pass out?

“You’re with me, so don’t worry too much.” he kept on persuading you.

Even though his red eyes definitely show off how high he was, you wanted to try it.

You have one life, right? You nodded giving him the green light.

Lifting the red cup to your lips, you sip a little bit of it. The strong liquid burning your throat as you gulp it down.

"Fuck." You coughed putting your hand over your mouth as Jungkook grinned. 

Jimin will definitely beat your ass when he’ll know you had your first ever drink without him. He’s been asking, more like begging- about drinking alcohol with him so many times. 

He will especially break your hand when he will found out your first drink was with Jeon Jungkook.

Sending a quick text to Jimin, you turn your phone off with a sigh.

|| y/n : I fell like I’m gonna do something stupid tonight.

Jungkook was a really touchy guy. He loved physical contact.

And when he wasn’t sober or high, his hands couldn’t help but get more daring. 

You started feeling him pulling you closer to him, his arms snaking around your front, holding you tight. 

One thing about him, he hated sharing. What his, is his. And let’s say he didn’t get over how the guy sat at your opposite was ogling at you. He hated when other men look at you the same way he looks at you when you’re together alone. 

He snuggled his face into the crook of your neck, making you feel hot, body warming up as you felt his soft lips against your skin. 

"Jungkook, what- what are you doing?" You whispered feeling timid and uneasy at the fact that you weren’t alone.   

"Nothing." he hummed lowly, the tip of your ears burning as you sensed a little wet kiss being placed on your neck. 

"I want you." He whispered into your ears after a few seconds, your body heating up even more as he stood up, hands on both of your sides. 

"Right now." He looked at you with hooded eyes. 

"you leaving?" one of his friends ask with a knowing smirk.

"yea, see ya later." he grabbed on your wrist gently walking back inside the loud and crowded house.

Walking upstairs, he walked through the corridor leading you to the - luckily empty - bedroom at the end of it.

Pushing the door open, he locked it immediately after shutting it.

"Now, I have you all to myself." he tilted his head to the side, approaching your frozen body in the middle of the low enlightened room.

He was way too attractive right now, the small amount of alcohol in your system enough to make you feel lightheaded at the combination.  You could felt that little boost of confidence when you pulled him closer to you by the collar of his shirt, lips mere centimeters away.

"I need you so bad." you whined quietly biting on your bottom lip earning a "fuck" from him. 

"You’re so sexy." He muttered with a wide smile on his face.

Closing the distance between you two, you envelope his lips in a heated kiss, sucking on his bottom lip making him smirk.

Your hands slid down his covered chest tugging on the hem of it, a silent request for him to get rid of it.

Undressing each other's impatiently, Jungkook couldn't help but to enjoy this side of you. He kind of liked this side of you, trying to make the first move.

He sat on the edge of the bed admiring your naked figure standing timidly just before him, between his spreaded legs.

"do you want me baby?" he teased leaning back on his elbows.

You nodded playing with your fingers nervously, guess the bit of alcohol you consumed wasn't enough for you to not be shy around him tho.

"words baby." he wanted you to say it again.

"Jungkook, I need you." you obeyed shamelessly right away making him lick his lips.

"Let's try something new tonight, hm?" he pursed his lips noticing you gulp not expecting that.

"what?" you asked hesitantly.

"oh my princess." he started, the words "my" affecting you a bit too much, you felt like your heart did a backflip.

"don't be nervous." he pulling you to sit on his lap, thighs at each sides of him.

He pushed your hair back behind your ear, before decreasing the space between your faces as he went to whisper into your ear.

"I want you to ride me." he bit on your earlobe, erupting goosebumps all over your body.

"ride you?" you repeated trying to process his words, you've never done that, what if you couldn't-

"don't worry too much, I'll guide you." his hands came down to rest on top of your thighs.

You felt like your body was set on fire. Your body was so reactive to him, to his words, to his touches.

Taking a deep breath, you raised your hips, Jungkook's hands on your hips helping positioning yourself above his hard cock, precum already leaking from it.

Your heart started pounding inside your rib cage as you lower down on his erection.

"ah shit." Jungkook cursed as your walls slowly swallowed his cock in, the warmth engulfing around him making him bite on his bottom lip, the plump flesh turning white.

"Jungkook." you whimpered when you feel his cock buried so deep into you, you could feel him all.

You started rolling your hips slowly, as he guided you like he told you.

Your hand flew up to hold on his broad shoulders for support, your other hand traveling up to tangled up in his hair.

He enjoyed the way you would pull on his hair when he thrust his hips up to meet yours.

You groaned when you feel his teeth nibbling on the sensitive skin of your neck, leaving pretty marks there.

He loved marking you. It's like he wanted to show everyone that you were already with someone even though it wasn't the case.

He always ignored this weird feeling of jealousy he felt when he see a man near you, interacting with you or even for looking at you a bit too long.

"you're mine." he licked on the fresh reddish spot on your skin making you shiver at the friction.

He often said that to you. Especially during the intimate session you have.

Why? He didn't even realise it.

"look at me baby." you heard him breath out, hand coming up to your chin lifting your face so he could see you.

"say that you're mine."

"I'm yours, Jungkook." you whined, when he grabbed on your thigh roughly thrusting up into your hips, your sweaty body falling on his strong one, your face resting in the crook of his neck.

"only yours." you whispered with a soft whimper into his ear, earning a low moan from him aswell.

"move faster darling." he demanded as you raised up before slamming down on his cock again, the head of it hitting directly on that spot that could make you pass out.

You felt him so deep inside you, it was unbelievable.

"it feels so good." you blabbed against his skin making him chucked.

"ah yea?" he asked making you hummed, your hand pawed on his back when you try moving faster, thighs burning from all the efforts.

You couldn't help but whimpered, the feeling of your hard sensitive nipples rubbing on his muscular chest.

Jungkook let breathy grunts pass by his lips, when he felt your nails buried into the flesh of his back, scratching the skin leaving a pleasant burning sensation.

You felt the knot in your stomach tightened when he kissed you, tongue entering your mouth, before sucking on yours.

"I can't." you cried out, as your movements slowed down, muscles aching.

"c'mon darling, keep going." he grabbed on your hips, helping you as you shake your head, a tear sliding down your cheek.

"keep going, I know you can." you were about to whine when he spoke again.

"look at me."

You furrowed your eyebrows, looking into his eyes, still red from his little puff session, you noticed his gaze softened as he take in your exhausted face.

"fuck!" he groaned before switching position, flipping you on your back as he hover above your weak body.

He stayed inside you as he started thrusting into you in a way more faster way than you.

"oh god! don't stop please don't stop!" you cried out, legs trembling slightly as you hold on his bicep.

"you did so good for a first time, baby." he said between breaths looking straight into your eyes.

“you’re always doing so good for me.” he praised, his hand coming to gripped on the headbed for support as he picked up the pace, hips slamming into yours roughly.

You moaned loudly as you felt it coming. You were so close to cum and he knew it.

“c’mon darling, cream my cock.” his lips ghosting over yours, his dirty talk making you close your eyes.

Bending down, he enveloped his lips around one of the hardened bud ripping a loud moan from you as he suck on it, your chest lifting up from the mattress.

“Gosh I’m about to-“

“Come for me princess.” he muttered against the skin of your chest.

His words were the last thing needed for you to orgasm. You closed your eyes shut tight, mouth ajar as a trail of curse words escaped from it.

You felt that adrenaline running through your veins when one of your hand gripped on the sheet, legs trembling.

Jungkook could only cursed when he felt the warm essence coating his cock, dripping down between your legs.

You looked like a mess, body covered with a thin layer of sweat, hair covering your forehead a bit, chest heaving up and down as you breath heavily, but on top of that - the pretty hickeys he painted on your skin was the last push for him to cum.

“please come inside me.” you pulled him down to you by his neck, your words making him twitch inside you.

“shit! you’re so fucking hot.” he said panting as he rest his sticky forehead on yours.

Your tightness was literally suffocating his cock as he groaned, shooting his warm cum inside you, filling you up to the brim, painting your walls with white ribbons.

Jungkook took a deep breath with closed eyes, before placing a little peck on your nose.

Pulling out of you, he watched as his cum was oozing out of you, slowly down on the sheet in awe before pushing it back inside making you whimper from how sensitive you were.

He rolled on his side with a small grin displayed on his face knowing he was the one that made you look like this - your so fucked out face satisfying him way too much.

You opened your eyes, noticing Jungkook already looking at you.

"you're so pretty."

Was he still high? you wondered, heart pounding at the compliment words that came out of his mouth.

"you're so pretty like that." his hand came to caress on your throat, fingers tracing over the fresh hickeys, his red rimmed eyes showing off how proud he looked of his "art".

Dressing yourself up back, you started feeling shy rethinking about what you just did earlier. You knew a part of your mind was still disconnected, alcohol definitely the cause of it - you really should drink water or something else to try to get rid of that boost drink out of your body, you thought.

You walked to a already dressed Jungkook on the balcony, this one holding a red cup - of you didn't even know what it contained - as you stood next him catching his attention.

You both stared at the stars decorating the dark sky, the fresh air of the balcony caressing your skin gently. You felt different, there was something that you felt like doing. Saying it or not, you're not losing anything, right? It was the opportunity for you to finally confess your feelings out. Perhaps, hoping he might feel the same about you.

You cleared your voice getting the man’s attention. 

"I have to tell you something." You gulped, feeling nervous, hands getting clampsy. 

"Tell me princess."

You took a deep breath before talking. 

"Jungkook, I like you." You finally said making him smile cutely. 

"Aw kitten, I like you too." He pinched your cheek playfully. 

"No no, I mean I like you… a lot." You started playing with your fingers getting a bit anxious. 

"Me too, I really like your company and all." He started, hands on your shoulders.

"You’re one of the friends I like the most." He giggled. 

You shaked your head making him tilted his head to the side confused. You had to say it. Right now or never, you can’t back down now. 

"Jungkook, I think…"

"I’m in love with you." You whispered looking into his eyes. 

__

A/N : well, that was it 🤭 I honestly wanted to add so much things, add angst to get more jealous!jungkook, but I wanted to post this second part asap and I couldn't keep making you guys wait, sorry sorry - so I decided to post it like that. I really hope I didn't disappoint because I took so much time writing this and made you guys wait for a long time. I apologise for the lack of vocabulary again ; I will try to get better in the future! I really want to thank you all for reading this, really hoping you enjoyed! have a nice day and take care of yourself! love y'all <3

TAGLIST : @starstruckfangirls @jeonblisq @rebloginfics @nibi-chibi-blog @lunaiiree @jmscaffeine @kookieees-stuff @idaterosie @nostopshit @jkslaugh97 @musicisme333. @kenqki @cbugs13 @junecat18 @jeonjungukkk @starsinsky1999 @fxirytaetae @fizzaaaabs @saintsugar @lvrjjoyyy @uzispidey @thiccthighs19 @rkivemaar @cherrygukkie @burnahtsw @gyukookswhore @olimpiiaa @elmariajinn

❧ word count: 17.4k ❧ warnings: cursing ❧ genre: fluff, some mild angst, model jeno, journalist reader, reader is lowkey a bit of a jerk for some of it but for understandable reasons ❧ extra info: this is a reworked version of an old fic of mine that was about a former member. since i still really love the fic, i’ve made some (heavy) edits to re-release it about jeno instead. you can consider this the spiritual successor/an alternate universe to my sleepless cinderella series

You’d finally gone insane, you’d decided. Absolutely bonkers, completely crazy. After all, how else would you explain the fact that you were now kissing Jeno?

You felt absolutely pathetic. You were a journalist at a rather popular magazine, and your editor had finally entrusted you with a centerfold spot. So far, your word document for your article had less than a handful of words: your name. Writer’s block, and with only two months until copies were supposed to hit the shelves.

And so here you were, sitting on the small couch in your boss’ office, trying not to sound like you were whining to her. But you needed some sort of guidance. Ms. Zhang was sat on the other end of the couch from you, legs crossed, and round frames perched on the end of her nose as she thoughtfully listened to your rant.

Her voice was casual as she simply replied with, “Anything new in your life, Y/N?”

Which was a complete non-sequitur from your desperate plea for a subject. She really just wanted to make small talk while you were having an existential crisis?

Stunned, you blinked for a moment before answering, “Uh, not much. My roommate made me go out to this party a while ago.”

“That’s nice. Did you have fun?”

You were still completely unsure of why she wasn’t addressing your issue, but went along with it, nonetheless, “I guess.”

“Meet anyone?”

“Kind of. Seven someones, technically.”

“Oh?”

Realizing how that sounded, you grimaced to yourself before giving your boss an explanation of the actual situation. Your roommate NingNing had dragged you to the grand opening of a new nightclub, which she got an invite to thanks to her huge social media following. She was possibly the only actually down-to-Earth influencer you’d ever met—and you’d met plenty, thanks to her. The two of you had been friends since you were kids, before you entered into completely different lives as adults. You had a 9 to 5 while she was being paid insane amounts of money by luxury brands just to post a single photo of herself with their product.

The nightclub of course had a VIP section at the back, which NingNing was easily given access to, as well as you, her plus-one. It was there that you were introduced to Mark Lee, an up and coming young actor with a practically cult following online; Huang Renjun, an extremely popular video game streamer and YouTuber; Lee Jeno, an actual supermodel whose visage was across some of the biggest billboards in the city; Haechan, a pop star that you didn’t dare address by anything other than his stage name; Na Jaemin, another streamer and YouTuber who had recently been picked up for a modeling contract; Zhong Chenle, heir to the Zhong family fortune, whose family was involved in anything and everything to do with the entertainment industry and owned the nightclub; and Park Jisung, an influencer more in the same vein as NingNing, with millions of Instagram followers. Apparently, you had made a good enough impression that Chenle gave you your own pass to the VIP lounge—NingNing of course had her own, too.

At the end of your story, Ms. Zhang had a worryingly knowing smile across her lips, “You met seven celebrities in one night?”

“Do influencers and streamers really count as celebrities?”

“You met seven very popular men—three or four of whom are certifiable celebrities—in one night, have access to a private lounge they all frequent, and you still don’t have a subject for your article?”

Your jaw may have dropped slightly as you realized this. Immediately, your face turned hot as you refused the idea, “I don’t want to exploit them and make them uncomfortable somewhere that’s supposed to be free from that kind of stuff.”

She frowned as she shook her head, “I’m disappointed in you, Y/N. I thought you understood that journalism isn’t inherently exploitative.”

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not—”

“Are you going to publish horrible rumors and tabloid things with private information they don’t want to be out there? Is that what we do here?”

“No, but they’re all going to think that’s what I’ll do.”

“Show them those assumptions are wrong. It’s all in the way you carry yourself. If you are honest and humble and make them feel comfortable, they should have no reason to doubt what kind of journalist you are.”

At this point, you felt like melting into the pinstriped couch cushions in shame. You shouldn’t have doubted your boss’ vision for her magazine or demeaned your own career. And now you’d made Ms. Zhang disappointed in you. You would’ve preferred her to have yelled at you.

All that was left was to make her proud.

Three days later and you still hadn’t returned to the lounge.

Honestly, you were just being a chicken. And a procrastinator. A procrastinating chicken.

Slumped into your armchair in your living room, you blankly zoned off into the distance as you listened to your playlist through an earbud. NingNing was perched on your kitchen table, feet swinging off the side as she edited some photos on her phone.

As she tapped away, you found your gaze fixating on the visage on the cover of a magazine that had been resting on your coffee table. Squinting your eyes curiously and tilting your head to the side, you asked, “He kind of looks like a dog, right?”

“Who?” Your roommate raised a concerned eyebrow as she peered over her phone screen at you.

“Lee Jeno.” You held up the magazine. “He kind of looks like a dog. Right?”

Your friend squinted at the cover then gave you that same look, “No, he doesn’t. Y/N, I think the sleep deprivation has finally gotten to you. You’re delirious.”

“No, I swear, he looks like a dog,” you insisted, pulling your earbud out to be able to better argue your point. “A very specific kind of dog, God, it’s on the tip of my tongue.”

“He doesn’t.”

You crossed your arms. “I bet the others would agree with me.”

“You want to go ask them?” She challenged. “Jisung texted me saying they were all going to be there again tonight.”

“If that’s what’ll convince you.”

“I have been begging you to go back for weeks, and now you’ve agreed to go back to ask them if they agree that Jeno looks like a dog?” NingNing scoffed incredulously.

“Yeah.”

“Alright, fine, you weirdo. Be ready to leave at midnight.”

When you arrived at the club, you immediately felt out of place again. You clung onto NingNing’s arm tightly as she confidently led the way through the crowd to the VIP lounge. She flashed a smile and her VIP pass to the bouncer outside the room, who nodded and stepped aside. As soon as the two of you entered the small room that consisted of one large rounded booth, you immediately regretted your decision. When NingNing said that everyone would be there, your brain hadn’t pieced together that ‘everyone’ included Lee Jeno, who perked up with interest as the two of you walked in.

Jeno eyed you curiously, an eyebrow raised, “So you came back.”

“Y/N has something really important to ask you guys,” NingNing announced, gesturing to you pointedly.

You felt like a deer in the headlights as all of them turned to look at you. Swallowing thickly, you avoided looking at Jeno as you tried to think of anything else to say.

“Sit down, let’s get you a drink first,” Jaemin kindly saved you, gesturing to the open space at the end of the booth seat.

NingNing sat down next to Mark, who had previously been at the end, and you scooted in after her. The circular table unfortunately made it so that you were looking directly at Jeno, who you couldn’t help but sneak glances at as your brain still stubbornly tried to remember what breed of dog he reminded you of. Another round was brought out for everyone, and you gratefully started sipping on yours.

It was when he smiled up at the waiter as he was handed his drink that it finally hit you. You had to bite down on your lip not to cry out in victory.

Chenle looked at you over his sunglasses—yes he was wearing sunglasses indoors at night, as he had been last time. He asked, “So what is this really important thing you have to ask us?”

You looked at NingNing desperately, but she just gave you a deliberate nod.

“Come on, Y/N, it’ll be fine.”

With a gulp, you gathered your courage to just fucking say it and get it over with. You still wanted to be right. “Okay, think about it really hard before you answer.”

They all nodded in assent, anticipating your question.

Taking a deep breath, you finally asked, “Doesn’t Jeno kind of look like a Samoyed?”

A couple of them seemed concerned for your mental state. The rest pondered your question whole-heartedly, brows furrowed as they studied the model. Jeno had a look of pure bewilderment on his face.

Finally, Haechan gasped, “Oh my God you’re right.”

“Thank you!” You sighed victoriously, looking over at NingNing smugly.

Jisung fervently searched something on his phone, eyes widening in shock, “Now that you’ve said that I can’t unsee it.”

“What? Let me see.” Chenle yanked the phone out of Jisung’s hand, holding a picture of a fluffy white Samoyed up to Jeno’s face.

The model tilted his head to the side in confusion, perfectly mimicking the picture on-screen. Chenle burst into loud, cackling laughter.

“Shit, he-he does!” Renjun declared between his own laughs.

Murmurs of agreement erupted around the table, and you were now fully vindicated. “Thank you! Thank you! NingNing didn’t agree with me so I had to come and—”

“No, I did,” she snickered. “It was just the only way to get you to come back. You’re a whole different person when you think you’re right.”

You tried to glare at her, but you were much too ecstatic at being proven right to really be all that mad.

Jeno looked about to open his mouth as Chenle giggled incessantly and started swiping through more search results of Samoyed pictures. A horrible sense of dread covered you like scalding candle wax. It was hot against your skin, thick, and you felt like you couldn’t move or breathe. You prayed to every deity you could think of that Jeno had a really good sense of humor and wouldn’t take offense to someone he had met twice saying he looked like a dog.

When Jeno’s gaze finally focused on you, you swore you had never wished to turn invisible more in your life than in that moment. Or make time stop. Or wake up and realize it was a dream. Anything to get you out of this situation. But you were absolutely petrified, all excitement from before completely eradicated from your being.

Then suddenly all tension was gone from the air as his eyes crinkled into crescents and his mouth parted wide to let out hearty guffaws.

You looked around in alarm, waiting for the hidden camera to be revealed or something. This couldn’t be real.

He managed to contain his laughter enough to choke out between chuckles, “That’s— that's really, really funny.”

Your wide eyes were focused incredulously on him as he caught his breath. Still with a grin on his face, he continued, “Oh my god, seriously that was fucking funny. I’m a cute Samoyed, right, Y/N?”

Utterly speechless. That’s what you were. And also staring at him, completely dumbfounded.

“I think you broke her, Jeno,” Renjun snickered, reaching a fist out as if he were about to knock on your forehead like a front door.

Instinctually, you smacked his hand away from your head, a scowl overtaking your features, “I’m fine, Renjun.”

“Then why can’t you look him in the eye?”

You pointed to yourself, “Normal person—” then to Jeno, “supermodel. I’m still not used to that.”

But Renjun was right, you couldn’t look Jeno in the eye, and your whole body was practically on fire. Honestly, how were you supposed to react to this situation? With grace and comfort? No way.

“What? Seriously?” Jeno scoffed, standing up from the booth to pointedly sit on your side of it. Directly next to you.

“I’m not that— Y/N, really? You’re actually scooting away from me?”

You hadn’t even realized that you’d shifted the opposite direction from him, pressed into NingNing’s side. Meanwhile, the others were all finding this spectacle absolutely hilarious, sharing annoying snickers and giggles.

Your face was burning, and despite your satisfaction at being vindicated, you were now regretting coming to the club at all.

“Can you guys stop? You don’t have to be so annoying,” Jeno scolded his friends, much to both yours and their surprise.

Haechan had a look of mild offense and disbelief across his face, “Being annoying comes as natural to us as being ridiculously attractive comes to you.”

“Speak for yourself!” Jaemin slapped Haechan’s arm as Chenle was practically howling with laughter.

While they were distracted among themselves, Jeno’s attention was focused back on you. If you could look him in the eye, you’d be able to appreciate the genuine concern held within them. But you couldn’t, so all you could do was hear the genuine concern in his voice as he said quietly, “Sorry about them.”

“You don’t need to apologize for them,” you reassured him, messing with your fingernails.

“Anyway, I can’t stand having you be terrified of me.”

“I’ll get over it,” you cleared the audible squeak out of your throat, “eventually.”

“Eventually...” Jeno didn’t seem satisfied with that qualifier you added at the end. “Are you busy today?”

“Uhm— I don’t know. Why?”

“We should hang out.”

“What?”

“The more you’re around me, the less scary I’m going to be to you. Right?”

“I guess.”

“Then we should start right now.”

Your throat nearly closed up at this suggestion. Especially because you realized that the room was dead silent. The others had ceased their squabbling and side conversations and were awaiting your response to this too.

So you did the thing that came most naturally to you: procrastinated the issue.

“Oh, well, it’s already after midnight—”

“Then tomorrow.”

“I’m going to be super busy for a while, I just got a really big assignment at work—”

“What do you do for work?”

“I’m a journalist. Just got centerfold and it’s going to make or break my whole career so it’s going to take up all of my time for the foreseeable future, so...”

Jeno was unfazed, “What’s the topic?”

“I-uh it’s...” you couldn’t even bullshit an answer at this point, your stupid tongue tripping over itself. “I don’t have one yet.”

NingNing just had to offer up her opinion right then, “Do it on Jeno!”

If you were a lesser person, you'd have strangled NingNing in that moment, because the model’s features lit up. He clearly liked this idea.

“Yeah! I would love to. If it’ll fit your guidelines or whatever, of course.”

You sighed, “It does...”

The socially anxious part of you absolutely hated this idea. But, the journalist part of you knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Gritting your teeth, you managed to look Lee Jeno dead in the eye and say, “I would love to interview you, Jeno. Thank you.”

“Uhm, Jeno?” Jisung speaking up stopped the wide grin that was spreading across his friend’s face. “Aren’t you like, banned from interviews or something?”

“Technically,” Jeno answered dismissively, not breaking eye contact with you.

“Technically?” You echoed in confusion. Were you just being messed with?

“Something… happened with the last in-depth interview I did a while ago,” he admitted sheepishly. “But! I’ll talk to my manager and get it cleared, I promise, Y/N!”

[jeno: manager han gave the okay for the interview! when can we get started?]

Your stomach contorted itself at the message that just popped up on your phone screen. Last night you’d left the lounge with a growing sense of dread and anxiety. And Jeno’s phone number.

[jeno: i have a fitting this afternoon but i'll be done in time to get dinner]

[jeno: if that works for you, of course]

[jeno: we can always start it another day, whatever is good for you!]

[jeno: do you want me to send you my schedule for the next few weeks to make it easier for us to get together?]

Your phone’s continuous buzzing with enthusiastic and sincerely kind messages from him caught the attention of NingNing, whose feet were currently resting on your lap as you shared your couch together.

“When did you get so popular?” She questioned teasingly, peering at you over her own phone screen.

“It's just one person,” you informed her.

“Who texts you that much in a row other than me?”

“Lee Jeno, apparently.”

“Y/N, you seem very unenthusiastic about this,” she declared with a thoughtful frown, completely abandoning her phone. “Isn’t this a really big break for you?”

“I’m still a little shocked,” you admitted. “And scared.”

She shoved you with her foot. “Well at least text him back.”

“Right.”

Not a great idea to leave him on read.

[you: a copy of your schedule would be great]

[you: and yes, i can do dinner tonight]

It was less than a minute later that he replied.

[jeno: here’s my schedule]

[jeno: attached image]

[jeno: and could you give me your address so i can drive you to dinner tonight? the place i have in mind is kind of hard to find if you haven’t been before]

A lot was happening right now. Too much for you to process. Good thing there was another brain in this room to help you process it.

“Hey, NingNIng?” You got her attention before thrusting your phone screen towards her so she could read the texts.

“Uh, three options here.” She pointed to a new finger for each one as she listed them off: “He’s ridiculously excited about this interview; he likes you; or he’s going to kill you.”

“So far the last one seems most likely.”

With a shake of your head, you sent him your address.

Your fingers anxiously tapped along your bouncing knee as you waited on your couch for the text from Jeno that he was here. He told you that the restaurant was just casual, but you weren’t sure that a model’s idea of casual wear was the same as yours.

Jeez, what were you doing? Getting dinner with and interviewing one of the most well-known models in the country? You were so out of your depth here.

A buzz came from your other hand that was tightly gripping your phone. An incoming call from Jeno. Maybe he was calling to cancel, and you could just keep rescheduling until you both gave up on the whole idea and you never showed your face in that VIP lounge again.

Answering it, your voice squeaked as you attempted to give him a casual, “Hello.”

“Hey, Y/N!” The bright voice of Lee Jeno came through your speakers. “I’m just parking now, I’ll be up in a couple minutes.”

“You don’t have to come up!” You told him a little too forcefully and quickly. Having Lee Jeno in your apartment would just be too much.

“I don’t mind—”

You leapt up from your couch and rushed towards your door, “Too late, I’m already on my way down.”

With a sharp hit of your thumb, you hung up. Pressing the down button on the elevator impatiently, you prayed that Jeno would just give up and wait in his car.

He didn’t.

The elevator doors opened to the lobby, with Jeno right outside them. In fact, you nearly slammed right into his chest, but thankfully he took a step back before you could actually collide.

His ‘woah!’ was muffled slightly by the dark face mask over his mouth, accompanying dark baseball somewhat successfully obscuring his identity. As long as you didn’t look too closely, he could be any other guy.

“I told you I’d just come down on my own.” You shook your head at him, eyes trained on your shoes.

“And I told you that I’d come up and get you,” he shot back smugly. “Seems like neither of us listen very well.”

With no response coming from you, Jeno took your silence as the cue to lead the way out to his car. It was nice, nicer than most cars you’d seen around, but surprisingly not that ostentatious. It looked like something a moderately successful businessman would drive, not an A-list model.

Inside was a comfortable leather interior, and you took quick, short notes on the small notepad you kept with you as you looked around. After all, this was an interview, and you had an article to write. You could get over your own social awkwardness and feelings of inferiority for the sake of your future career.

Hopefully.

The restaurant Jeno had chosen was definitely out-of-the way.

It was down one back alley into another, through the back of an electronics shop, up a flight of stairs, then through a room of old ladies sat at sewing machines. They all gave a friendly chorus of hellos to the two of you, seeming to know Jeno pretty well as they all told him that he’d grown since the last time he’d come by. He bowed to them bashfully as he led you through. Past the curtains on the far wall, you finally ended up at the restaurant.

Okay, out-of-the-way was an understatement.

But despite the hard-to-stumble-upon location of the restaurant, it seemed busy. The small room was tightly packed with tables that you could barely see through the mass of people seated around them and plates of food resting atop them. A loud buzz of various conversations mixed in with the bumping of plates and clattering of utensils.

Just past the entrance was a small host’s stand where a young boy stood. He looked to not be out of high school yet, presumably a young relative of the owners: their son, nephew, or grandson.

He also knew Jeno, bowing to him, “Ah, Mr. Lee. We have your reservation for you. Come.”

Jeno bowed back and looked to make sure that you were still following the two of them through the nearly claustrophobic environment.

You were, eyes drinking in every detail as your hand furiously scribbled them down on your notepad, muscle memory functioning at full speed to write every letter without looking away from the scene around you. There was one more curtain for you to go through, and it was much quieter on the other side. This was most likely a VIP section of sorts, with just a couple tables separated by a divider.

The host gestured to one of the two tables, and you gratefully sat down across from Jeno. He then took his hat and mask off, fingers working through his hair for a moment to rid it of the hat’s aftereffects.

“Thank you, Yeonwoo,” he thanked the host, which you repeated as well.

The boy, who you now knew to be named Yeonwoo, bowed politely to the both of you before scurrying off.

“You must come here often,” you commented, hand poised to write his response.

“My family and I came here a lot when I was younger. Since I started my career it’s been difficult to eat here as often as I did before. Especially because their food isn’t technically allowed in my diet,” he had a mischievous glint in his eye as then he added, “But you won’t tell on me, right?”

“Of course not, unless writing an article about you that will be published in a magazine counts as tattling,” you snorted, much to his delight.

He laughed, “Right, right. That’s pretty much the ultimate form of tattling, huh?”

“If it gets published, yeah. If not, then the only people who will know will be you, me, and my editor. And I suppose Yeonwoo and our server, as well.”

“Speaking of our server, there she is!” Jeno announced, making the young girl who was approaching your table blush behind her notepad. She was probably around Yeonwoo’s age, maybe a little older.

“Good evening,” she greeted the two of you politely. “My name is Jieun, I’ll be your server tonight. Are you ready to order?”

You were a bit confused by her question, you hadn’t been given any menus yet. But Jeno seemed completely unfazed.

“Two orders of my regular, please,” he requested sweetly, which she quickly scribbled down on her pad.

“Of course, it’ll be out soon,” she informed you before hurrying away.

He turned back to you, “Jieun is Yeonwoo’s older cousin, their grandparents own the restaurant.”

You added this to your notes as well. It could be nice to add in to set the scene and show how down-to-Earth Jeno was, knowing this family as well as his own and not forgetting his roots even as a big model. Or something like that, you’d figure it out eventually.

“So, interview questions?” He prompted you, bringing you out of your contemplative planning ahead. You’d write that up later.

“Earlier you had mentioned your family, tell me a bit about them. Brothers, sisters?”

Could you have looked that information up online and found it? Definitely, but you wanted it from the source, to see if he would provide you with anything that wasn’t already out there. And you wanted to get a feel of your subject.

“Well there’s my parents, my older sister, and me. They’re not famous or anything. My parents own a grocery store nearby, and my sister’s a teacher.”

“You took my next question right out of my mouth,” you clicked your tongue in teasing disappointment, continuing on with a different one. “You said you used to come here often with your family, what are some other things you miss from your childhood that you don’t do as often?”

Jeno’s face easily betrayed his delighted surprise, “Oh, I wasn’t expecting that one.”

“Hm?”

“That’s a good question. Normally I get asked about celebrity crushes or my ideal type.”

You tilted your head to the side curiously, “If you thought that I was just going to ask you the same questions you usually get asked, why did you offer for me to interview you?”

“Never mind, never mind, sorry.” He coughed awkwardly, then quickly went to get off that topic, “Uh, it might sound kind of weird, but I used to help out at my parents’ store a lot as a kid. It was my first job I ever had. As soon as I could reach the register on a high stool, they put me to work. It’s actually how I got scouted, for modeling. My manager now just happened to come through my line while I was on the register and gave me his card. I thought it was a scam, honestly. But Jaemin made me give him a call, and he turned out to be legit. Even if I had the time to help at the store now, I’d just be too much of a distraction if I tried. And trust me, I tried. Once. So yeah, I miss helping out there.”

The desire for an answer to your other question was still there, but it was a path that you didn’t want to go down right now. Right now was time for the interview. So you simply scratched down his statement about his parents’ shop, then shorthanded off to the side ‘why me?’ as you readied your next question.

“You knew Jaemin before you guys were famous?”

“Yeah, we’ve been friends forever.” A fond smile crossed Jeno’s face. “Seatmates since primary school. He blew up with streaming first before I got my break as a model, actually. Most people usually assume it’s the other way around.”

“And what about the others?”

As Jeno eagerly answered your questions and you filled up page after page on your notepad, there was still that one lingering in the back of your mind.

Why you?

Over the course of a couple weeks, you’d spent a considerable amount of time with Jeno. According to his schedule that he had sent you, every free moment he got was taken up by your interview. Sometimes it would be more formal, like your first dinner meeting, and sometimes it was more casual, get-togethers in the lounge with the other VIP members or a riverside walk that felt more like two friends talking than a professional interview. And it all went in your notes, it would all go in your article. This was going to be a great article. The real Lee Jeno when he’s relaxed, what he’s like off the runway.

Today was very special, however, as you’d been invited to tag along to one of his photoshoots. You were just outside the building housed at the address you’d been given when you were met by a young man whose stern gaze never left you. It seemed as if he had been waiting for you.

“Are you the journalist?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, completely skipping any greetings.

“Ah yes, Y/L/N Y/N,” you confirmed, nodding your head respectfully to him as you held out your VIP lounge card as proof. Jeno told you that would be your pass to get in.

The man only scrutinized the card for a moment before he pivoted on his heel, “Follow me.”

You kept his hurried pace easily, ready to ask him questions as well, “So what’s your job here?”

He took a moment to push open a door that then nearly closed on you before answering, “I’m Lee Jeno’s PA.”

“Oh, Song Eunseok!” The name easily came to your mind.

The PA’s eyes widened in surprise, “Jeno’s brought me up?”

“Of course he has! You’re with him pretty much all the time, how could he not mention you?” You flipped through your notebook to where you’d taken previous notes about him, “Here, I asked him to walk me through his typical day, and he mentioned ‘Seokkie’ like seven times.”

Eunseok physically grimaced at this, “I’ve requested that he not call me that.”

“Why? I think it’s a cute nickname.”

“Really?” His eyes were now trained on his shoes as opposed to his previous laser focus on the end of the hallway. Your eyes could’ve been playing tricks on you, but you swore the tips of his ears were tinged pink, too.

There was another door, and this time you definitely couldn’t miss the fact that he held it open for you this time.

“Really,” you echoed.

The door had led to what you could really only imagine to be the set. Huge lightboxes, a couple cameras, and a multitude of people all set up with a single black sheet as the focal point. A white loveseat contrasted it starkly, but that wasn’t where your eyes were drawn. They were drawn to the man seated elegantly atop it, dressed head-to-toe like the playboy prince of a small but filthy rich country. Lee Jeno.

“You can wait for him over here with me,” Eunseok tapped your elbow with a feather-light touch, snapping you from your near-trance.

“Thanks.” You walked with him towards a table lined with various food and drink.

Your focus was still on the PA as he got a bottle of water, opened it, took a lemon slice from a small bowl and squeezed it into the drink before plopping a blue straw in as well. Then didn’t drink it. Instead, he turned back to you and held it in his hand patiently.

“The straw disturbs the makeup as little as possible,” Eunseok explained to you, and it was then that you realized it wasn’t for him, it was for Jeno. “Makes the makeup artists’ lives a little bit easier.”

“That’s very considerate. I wouldn’t have even thought of that,” you commented, taking note of that process as your focus returned back to Jeno and the photoshoot.

Knowing that your next question might be considered disrespectful, you leaned closer to Eunseok to whisper, “So who’s the photographer?”

He understood your delicacy, replying back equally quiet, “Chen Man, she’s brilliant. Jeno’s worked with her in the past, but this is his first solo shoot with her. It’s for the new YSL campaign that he was chosen to be the face of.”

And you were rocketed back to the fact that Lee Jeno was a famous model. Obviously, you hadn’t really forgotten it, but in your casual meetings and interviewing outside of his work, the magnitude of it was lessened. But a PA, giant photoshoot, famous photographer, and being selected as the new face of a campaign for a huge designer really hammered in the famous model part.

“Wow.”

It was just then that Chen Man called for a short break, and the silent studio was immediately filled with chatter. Jeno made a beeline for you and Eunseok, his normal contagious grin across his face, “Hey, Y/N! I’m glad you made it here okay.”

Up close, you could appreciate the detail and regality of his outfit. It was made of crushed velvet of a deep cerulean color; various intricate medals flashing on his chest; dark epaulettes making his already broad shoulders even more imposing; large black boots; and silver jewelry and chains glinting on his fingers and neck.

Eunseok offered the water out to Jeno then, and he accepted it gratefully, “Thanks, Eunseok.”

You continued from the model’s earlier statement, “Yeah, Eunseok made sure I got to the right place.”

“Good, I sent him out there to get you.” He turned on his PA, “You didn’t give Y/N a hard time, did you?”

“My job is to make sure none of your insane fans somehow get in here,” the other man scoffed.

“So you did give her a hard time.”

Eunseok rolled his eyes at Jeno’s teasing words. Despite knowing that they were employer-employee, it felt much more like two friends to you. You added that to your notes.

Jeno took a couple big sips of his water, and you took this time to ask him a couple of questions.

“So Eunseok was saying that this shoot is for the new YSL campaign that you’re the face of. Have you ever done something like this before?”

He blinked at you a couple times before actually replying, “Yeah, it’s really an honor and a big opportunity to be chosen for this. I’ve done solo shoots before, but not ones of this magnitude.”

Another figure approached your small group, a makeup artist. Jeno handed his water back to Eunseok before leading the way a little further away to sit in a chair. As the makeup artist attended to his makeup, you continued with the interview.

“How familiar are you with the photographer on this shoot?”

“I’ve worked with Chen Man a few times before—” he paused to let the makeup artist apply his lip color again. After she was done, he continued, “Her ideas are incredible and she’s honestly so wonderful to work with. However, all those other times I was with other models, so doing a solo photoshoot with her is a bit nerve-wracking. She’s the kind of person that you really want to make proud, you know?”

Thinking of Ms. Zhang and her disappointment in you earlier, you nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

There was a call for everyone to start getting back into their places, and you took this as your cue to leave Jeno alone. He had work to do.

The makeup artist did one touch up on his face before letting him up out of the chair, another person coming to his side to fix his hair up just the way they wanted it, walking alongside him awkwardly to do so.

“Take a bunch of notes on your little notepad, Y/N!” Jeno quipped as he walked back in front of the camera.

“Will do!” You affirmed, holding your notebook above your head and shaking it slightly so he could see it.

Returning to your previous spot off to the side with Eunseok, you had a fond smile on your lips from your short interaction with Jeno. Eunseok had a little smirk of his own as he gazed at you.

“And what’s that smile for?” You questioned, head tilted.

“Nothing.”

You elbowed him with a short giggle, “Come on, tell me.”

“No,” he shook his head, that same smile on his lips.

Even as you rolled your eyes, your focus never faltered from Eunseok. You changed tactics, a slight pout on your face as you asked again, “Please, Seokkie?”

Finally, he relented, “You’re pretty special, Y/N.”

“What?” You questioned in pleasant surprise.

“For Manager Han to have approved this interview after what happened last time, Jeno probably begged.”

“I can't imagine what would be so special about me.”

Eunseok had a brightness to his features that you hadn’t seen yet as he replied, “I can.”

You raised an eyebrow, “And what is it?”

Shouts from the set took both your attentions away from each other. Chen Man had been calling directions out during the whole shoot, but never with such aggression as then.

“Jeno! Lee Jeno!”

You scanned the scene in front of you as you tried to figure out what exactly was happening. Jeno’s arms were crossed across his chest, a startlingly stern but calm gaze focused on… you?

“Jeno can you—ugh, fifteen-minute break, everybody!” She yelled out in exasperation, the rest of the crew breaking the silence, scattering from the set.

Chen Man continued addressing her model, “Jeno, your expressions… they’re off.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll work on them.”

Despite acknowledging her words, you were doubtful of if he had actually registered them, stalking off the set with seemingly one destination in mind.

“Y/N,” Jeno stopped right by you and Eunseok. “Can I speak with you for a second?”

“Of course,” you nodded, well aware of how the crew was only pretending to be busy, instead actually focused on the three of you.

Your subject took off again, and you guessed that he anticipated that you’d follow him. Which you did. Eunseok stayed behind.

His longer legs made it a little hard to keep up with him as he took twists and turns down hallways of the building.

“Jeno,” you breathed out, seeming to finally snap him out of whatever mood he had been in.

Immediately, he slowed down to your pace, a faint smile coming to his lips, “Sorry, long legs.”

“Where are we going?”

He abruptly stopped, “Here is fine.”

It was the middle of some random hallway. He apparently didn’t have an actual destination in mind, more-so a distance.

“So what do you need to talk to me about?” You questioned, pencil and notepad at the ready. It had to be something for the interview, it couldn’t possibly be anything else.

“Y/N…” Jeno reached his hands out to cover yours, gently lowering the pencil and notepad for you. His hands were big and warm on yours, and you felt nerves flare up at his clear insinuation that this wasn’t for the interview.

“Jeno…” you said back with a nervous half-giggle. He was still holding your hands.

“This isn’t part of the interview. I’m not interviewee Jeno, and you’re not interviewer Y/N right now.”

“Okay…”

As soon as you had accepted these terms, he released his feather-light hold on your hands and took his own back to wring them nervously. What could Lee Jeno possibly be nervous about?

“Hm, I’ve never done this before,” he chuckled, pressing a palm to the center of his chest.

“Done what?”

“Okay, I’m just going to be upfront. Uh, I think you’re super great, and pretty, and awesome and I’d really like to be able to take you out on a date some time.”

This had to be a fucking joke. No way that someone who looks like him, an actual model, someone who gets paid for being ridiculously attractive, could actually be asking you out. This had to be a sick, terrible, horrible joke he was playing on you.

And yet as his big brown eyes gazed at you, wide and hopeful, looking a lot like a puppy waiting to be adopted from some animal shelter, you knew that he was being genuine.

And you panicked.

Stuttering for a moment, you finally choked out the most formal and emotionally removed response you could’ve come up with, “I’m sorry, I—that wouldn’t be appropriate, since I’m interviewing you right now. A bias or conflict of interest would damage the integrity of my piece as well as my career.”

Surprisingly, his features didn’t seem as crestfallen as you anticipated, his expressions were always so easy to read. He, in fact, seemed very happy with your reply.

“I get it,” he beamed at you, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze for a moment before letting it go. “After the article, then.”

That wasn’t what you meant. At all. But between your own burning cheeks and internal state of panic, you couldn’t express this to him. Or even really process your own thoughts right then.

“We should head back, Eunseok will come looking for us soon,” Jeno nodded with his head back in the general direction that you two had come from.

He kept a polite distance from you, allowing some of the panic alarms blaring in your mind to quiet just a bit. You tried to brainstorm ways you could possibly keep this interview going forever. Ways to give you as much time as possible. To do what, exactly? Maybe come up with an actual way of rejecting him. Or maybe give him enough time to change his romantic focus to someone else, so that he would never end up revisiting this subject after the interview.

You could dream.

“Oh my god!” NingNing exclaimed. “Are you shitting me?!”

You’d just recalled your day to your roommate, finally ending at the part where Jeno had asked you on a date. She had literally done a spit-take back into her soda as she smacked your leg in excitement.

Despite still being in disbelief yourself, Jeno had been extremely up-front and clear about it. No room for misinterpretation. Unlike your response to him.

“Well when’s the date?” NingNing squealed, pressing for more information.

“I said no,” you deadpanned.

“What?”

“Well, kind of.”

At the clear grimace on your face, your friend sighed, “Y/N, what did you tell him? Verbatim.”

“I told him that it would be inappropriate right now because a bias or conflict of interest would ruin the integrity of my piece and any career opportunity that came out of it,” you repeated your statement from earlier almost word-for-word, sure that it would be burned into your memory for the rest of your life.

“You do know that he now definitely thinks that you were telling him to just wait until after the article is over, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of,” you groaned, dropping your head into your hands and rubbing your face in exasperation.

“You don’t want to go on a date with Jeno?”

“I don’t want to date Lee Jeno,” you confirmed, nodding the head that you were still holding.

“Let me just review the situation here: you’ve got a very sweet, very funny, very hot guy that’s into you. What’s the problem?”

“He’s hot.”

Finally, you’d found it. The real reason you’d said no, the real reason you had a deep pit of dread in your stomach as soon as the words had left Jeno’s mouth hours earlier.

She snorted, “That’s a problem?”

“His entire career is based off being hot, he’s a model,” you explained rather desperately, relieved to finally be able to put your tumultuous thoughts into proper words. “I can’t deal with all that shit that comes with it. I just can’t.”

“So you’ll never want to date him? You’re not going to change your mind?”

“No, never. I couldn’t.”

“Never say never,” NingNing taunted with a sing-song voice, but at your eye-roll, became more serious. “Okay, let’s just say you’ll never date Jeno in your life—despite the fact that nothing is ever definite—you shouldn’t lead him on. Intentional or otherwise. Don’t let him spend the next few weeks thinking that you two are going to date after the article’s over.”

The anxiety was still there, however. “What if he doesn’t actually think that and I just misunderstood him? What if he just naturally gets over me in the next few weeks and doesn’t need me to confront him about this and straight-up reject him? He’s probably never been rejected in his life, what if he doesn’t take it well? What—”

She cut your endless strings of ‘what if’s short, “Y/N, didn’t he say that he’d never done this before?”

Realization hit you straight to the gut. “What if me rejecting him makes him never want to ask anybody else out again for the rest of his life and I scar him permanently?”

Your roommate had a clear look of ‘yikes’ on her face, and pure mortification ran through every inch of you.

“Never mind, there’s no way I could ever have such an impact on Lee Jeno’s life, that’s fucking ridiculous. I’m just some normal person, some journalist, and he’s literally a supermodel. No way this would actually matter to someone like that.”

“Y/N, don’t say stuff like that,” NingNing frowned, pulling some hair away from your face gently. “You matter to me, remember? You’re my best friend.”

Completely ignoring her, you continued, “I just have to be upfront with him, tell him I don’t want to go on a date with him, and be done with it. He’ll probably never think about it again for the rest of his life.”

She let out a sigh as if she were going to say something but thought better of it. You didn’t press her; your mind had been made up.

You couldn’t do it.

The next time you saw Jeno, you had every intention of being upfront. But you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. You were an absolute coward. Some part of you didn’t want to tell him, for whatever reason.

Maybe because the way his face absolutely lit up when he saw you was something you’d never seen anybody do for you before. Maybe because he asked you how your day was and didn’t look disinterested in your answer. Maybe because no matter how hard you tried to tell yourself that this was a professional interview, he made you feel so at ease that you somehow talked more about yourself than him.

Maybe because you did kind of want to date him.

Your notebook had been completely abandoned about fifteen minutes into your ‘lunch meeting,’ a fact that went mostly unnoticed by you. Until the waiter came with the bill and you had to move it out of the way for him to set it on the tabletop. You’d written just a couple short notes, nothing substantial. That wasn’t an interview, you couldn’t even try to bullshit it to yourself. That was a date-but-not-a-date. And you enjoyed yourself.

As you contemplated over your mostly-blank page, Jeno had already tucked his own card into the pouch and waved the waiter back over. Before you could argue him paying for you, the waiter was halfway across the restaurant.

“Jeno, I can pay for my own food,” you reminded him gently, feeling very much like you were scolding an over-excited puppy that had accidentally knocked over a potted plant in its haste to greet you.

“And I can pay for both of ours,” he countered.

You held his gaze firmly, waiting for him to— there it was.

His mouth split into a sheepish grin as he held up his hands in surrender, “Alright, I get it, I get it. Interview time right now. We’ll split the check for now.”

For now.

Maybe you liked the idea of that.

“Except this one, since they already ran my card,” Jeno added, a victorious smirk on his face, one that had you shaking your head fondly.

“Can I at least tip?”

“Already added that on the receipt.”

“How dare you be so thoughtful and respectful.”

He seemed about ready to quip something back when a distant chorus of squeals cut him off. You took a cursory glance around, eyes landing on a group of teenage girls standing just outside the window that you were seated by. They weren’t uncomfortably close, but it was clear what had made them so excited.

Jeno ducked his head shyly as he raised a hand to acknowledge them, only setting their nervous titters off again. Maybe he should have left his mask and hat on, or not chosen a table by the window.

And your heart dropped as you were once again reminded of who exactly the man in front of you was. Not just some cute guy named Lee Jeno, but a model who was known internationally, with fans who would recognize him out and about, with a career and life that was under the public gaze constantly.

You couldn’t do that. You couldn’t subject yourself to that. It would be too much for you.

With the girls still watching the two of you, you collected your notepad and stood up, stiffly bowing to him. “Thank you for allowing me to interview you, Mr. Lee.”

Thankfully, he took your lead, standing and returning your bow, “Of course, thank you as well, Ms. Y/L/N.”

Hopefully the girls got the message that this was business and nothing else. A dating rumor with Lee Jeno was absolutely the one thing you did not need in your life. Lee Jeno was absolutely the one thing you did not need in your life.

The light hum that had been in Ms. Zhang’s throat through most of her reading of your article suddenly changed tone as she came to the ending. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully, and your mind was running wild with nerves as you waited for her to speak.

“It’s good, Y/N,” she started.

You sensed a ‘but’ coming next.

“But… in the very first paragraph you introduce him as model by day, and explorer by night, or something to that effect.”

“Yes, that’s how he and his friends introduced him.”

“But you never bring up his ‘exploring’ again. This is about his life as a model and what he’s like outside of modelling here. You hooked me on the exploring part, but left me ultimately unsatisfied with that point.”

She was right. She was absolutely right. In your own personal whirlwind of confusion about your emotions and wants, you’d left a loose end in your article.

Ms. Zhang continued, her tone rising, “But…”

Oh, another ‘but.’

“This might just be perfect for a sequel. We publish this and advertise it as a two-part look into him, the first part his model by day, and the second part all about him as an explorer.”

You were caught off-guard, “You want to publish it?”

You had honestly expected her to throw it in the trash and fire you. You’d been so all over the place the entire time you’d been working on the article, you didn’t think it was anywhere close to your best work.

“Of course, this is the most hard-hitting and real piece that’s ever been done about the man! Most of it is tabloid nonsense. Not to mention that this is the first interview he’s done in over a year, it’s fresh content. It’s perfect, Y/N.”

Ms. Zhang just called your article perfect. You were on Cloud Nine, barely listening as she continued.

“Do you think you’ll be able to get a second interview with him? Maybe even tag along on one of his exploring trips or something, like how you went to one of his photoshoots in this one?”

That snapped you back into reality. Going on a trip with Jeno? That sounded dicey. But… also a chance to extend the interview, prolong the inevitable: his expectation that you’ll start dating after the interview. Your worst fear.

Avoiding an uncomfortable scenario and making your career out of it? It was an opportunity you couldn’t pass up.

“Of course, Ms. Zhang.”

Right as you walked into the VIP lounge, you were met with the expectant face of Jeno. You’d agreed to meet him there on your lunch break, right after your morning meeting with Ms. Zhang, to let him know if she was going to move forward with publishing your article or not. It felt a bit weird being at a nightclub in the middle of the day in your work clothes, but it was one of the more private places to meet with him.

“So?” He asked hopefully. “How’d it go?”

“She’s going to publish it,” you breathed out, still in shock yourself.

Two strong arms were suddenly around you, pulling you into a warm chest that was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh my god!” Jeno hugged you tightly. “Congrats, Y/N! I’m so proud of you!”

You hugged him back for a moment, enjoying it more than you should have considering you swore up and down that you weren’t going to let yourself date him. Then you remembered the other half of the conversation, your arms going limp.

“And she wants a second part.”

“That’s great!” He exclaimed, then after another moment, it seemed to have dawned on him. “Oh wait.”

And he let go of you, a particular chill coming to your body as he took a step back from you, declaring, “Professionalism. No bias or conflict of interest.”

You felt bad. You felt so bad. And yet you nodded, “Yeah, it’s still going to have to be like that.”

Maybe forever, if you could swing it just right.

“So… a second part about what, exactly? The article was super great, but I’m not sure how I could be interesting enough for a sequel.”

“Your ‘exploring,’” you explained. “I had mentioned it, but never returned to the topic or expanded on it, so she wants this whole second part to be about your trips and you know… all that stuff. Whatever you get up to when you’re not a model, and when you’re not a regular dude here.”

A rather cheeky grin spread across his face at this, and you didn’t want to know why he was so excited about you not dating, because you had a feeling it would be something awful close to it.

“Well then, what better way to get to know Explorer Jeno than coming with me on my trip to a tropical island next week?”

You were taken aback by both the invite but also by the event itself. After all, Jeno had given you his entire schedule for the past two months, which included next week. And you didn’t remember a trip being anywhere on there.

“Since when have you been going to a tropical island next week?” You asked incredulously.

“Since now.”

You sighed, rubbing your face. “Jeno, you can’t drop everything in your life just to do this. I can wait until whenever your next actual scheduled break is for whatever trip you make then.”

“Yeah, but I can’t wait,” he insisted, a near pout across his features. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, half-mumbling to himself, “I’m calling my manager right now. He owes me vacation days anyway, I’ll just take them early. Make my three-week backpacking trip in Europe next year fifteen days instead. I can’t wait.”

That went straight to your heart, and you felt your chest hurt from the implications of that. He couldn’t wait until he could date you. With every passing moment you felt like a more and more terrible human being. Which you were, you absolutely were just a horrible human being for doing this to him. After all, like you’d said, you were never going to date Lee Jeno.

Right?

One week later and you were in your third airport of the trip, your second layover as you waited for your connecting flight. You’d been in interviewer mode since Jeno had picked you up to head to the first airport that morning. Asking questions, writing answers, asking more questions. There was no room for anything but business on this trip. This article would be the follow-up to your first piece that your boss thought was perfect. So this had to be more perfect than perfect. You wanted to make her proud.

Jeno, surprisingly, was being rather professional too. Other than the slight touch here, an odd phrase there that couldn’t exactly be classified as professional. A brush of your hands as he tried to get your attention, off-handed comment about how cute you were when you were focused taking notes. You’d only remind him that this was a professional article, hoping that he couldn’t see the bashful smile on your lips.

Or even now, he returned from what was supposed to be a quick bathroom break with waters and snacks for the both of you.

“How much do I owe you?” You asked as you accepted the food and drink.

“Nothing.”

You frowned.

“Come on, Y/N,” he sighed in exasperation, cracking open his own water bottle. “I know we’re serious professional interviewing here, but two people doing business together can still be friendly and do nice gestures for each other.”

He was right. He was absolutely right. You were being a jerk for no reason. Well, not for no reason. There was a small voice in your head that hoped that maybe if you pushed him away enough now he would change his mind about wanting to date you, that he’d think you were actually a jerk. And that little voice was apparently wrong. And also a piece of shit. Jeno didn’t deserve that.

“Right, sorry,” you shook your grumpy face off, offering him a smile instead. “Thanks, Jeno.”

He pulled down his face mask to be able to drink the water, and that combined with his inconspicuous baseball cap brought back the idea that he was a famous celebrity who had to cover up his appearance when he went out to avoid being detected. Even in some random foreign country you didn’t know the name of on a layover. If you did actually start dating him, would he have to wear those on your dates? Any time you wanted to spend time together in public? Would you have to start wearing them?

Those were ridiculous thoughts, especially because you were never going to date Lee Jeno.

Right?

On the plane, you halted the interview to allow the two of you to both take naps, already feeling the toll of the heavy travelling you’d done today. And you’d be doing even more soon, as this flight wouldn’t even take you to the island directly, you had to take a ferry from a different island’s airport out to the actual island that was your destination. Then a car ride of some sort from the harbor to wherever you were staying. And based off the clothes Jeno had requested you bring, you’d be getting very in touch with nature on this trip, another exhausting idea.

All for an interview. All for a way to avoid the inevitable.

As you snoozed, not quite asleep yet, you felt Jeno slowly shift in his sleep, his head lolling to the side until it finally found a resting place on your shoulder. Even in his sleep this man completely disregarded professionalism.

But you were too tired to complain, soon falling asleep yourself, with your own head rolling until it finally found a resting place on his.

“So what exactly happened at your last interview that was so bad you were banned from them?”

Your questions continued as soon as you’d left the airport on the island, only halting when you were caught off-guard by Jeno’s choice of transportation: a cream yellow moped. Which you were now on the back of, clinging onto your bag for dear life. Thank God you had packed light like he suggested.

“It’s kind of a long story,” he replied loudly over the wind. “I’ll tell you when we get to the hotel, okay?”

“Fine.”

“We’ve got some tighter turns coming up, you might want to hold on to something actually attached to the moped.”

He didn’t say it, but you knew what he meant. Wrapping your arms around his torso, you then held onto him for dear life as he whipped around the turns. How he could possibly make a moped feel dangerous was truly incredible to you.

“Yeah, that—” he stumbled over a voice crack. “That’s good. Much more secure.”

“This question shouldn’t be a long story: Have you ever driven one of these things before?”

The hotel was small and homey, with so few rooms that the two of you would be sharing one. Jeno had already informed you of that beforehand, having asked for the okay from you, that sharing the room wouldn’t be too unprofessional. While it definitely was, there were no other rooms available, so you were stuck between a rock and a hard place. When he informed you that there were two beds, you finally agreed.

Except it wasn’t two beds, as you found out when you walked in. It was a bed and a pull-out couch. And he’d already claimed the pull-out couch for himself.

“Jeno,” you sighed again as you watched him set his stuff down on the less comfortable option. “This isn’t two beds.”

He shrugged, “We have separate places to sleep, that’s what you were worried about, right?”

Your patience was wearing thin. It was almost annoying how sweet he was. Well, it wasn’t really him being sweet that annoyed you. It was the sneaky ways he liked to do it.

“Jeno…” you repeated his name, trailing off as you waited for him acknowledge you.

He was still messing around with setting up the pull-out couch.

“Jeno, look at me.”

At your request, he immediately did so, the attentiveness catching you off-guard for a moment. But you were determined.

“I don’t like being lied to or tricked. Even if it’s something nice, you know? It’s sweet, but I like to make my own decisions about things. Even things that may seem little to you, like splitting the bill at restaurants, or whether you’re coming up to get me or I’m going down to meet you, or you dropping all your plans to go on some spur-of-the-moment trip, or who’s taking the couch and who’s taking the bed. I’d like a say in the matter, okay?”

He gulped, seeming to really be taking his time to mull over what you were saying. And you did, too. It was another reason that you could never date him. He was a celebrity, he was used to being able to do whatever, to not having to worry about the kinds of things normal people like you had to worry about. The implications of that terrified you. You couldn’t do it.

Finally, he said, “Okay, yeah. I understand. I never really saw it like that, I’m sorry. I should’ve been more thoughtful of how it was making you feel. I’m really sorry, Y/N.”

Shit, this dude was way too fucking sweet.

You nodded, mumbling some kind of response to the genuine apology he’d given you.

Clearly as eager to change the topic as you, Jeno spoke up, “So, what was it that you’d asked me on the moped earlier?”

And you were more than happy to revisit that, snatching up your notebook from your bag and sitting on the bed, “What happened at your last interview that caused you to be banned from them?”

“Oh, right,” he physically grimaced at this, rubbing his face with his hands for a moment. “It’s a long story, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“I’ve got plenty of paper.”

Jeno let out a sigh, sitting on the pull-out couch. “No, Y/N. I can tell you, but you can’t write it down, you can’t publish it. I’m sorry to have to ask you this, because I know how dedicated you are to the integrity of your work but… if you’re going to publish it, I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. The others don’t even know the whole story. Jaemin doesn’t know.”

His words struck you differently, hearing the genuine defeat and distress in his voice. With a twinging heart, you tucked your notepad and pencil back into your bag. For someone who had been preaching about professionalism and keeping the integrity of your article, you were really so ready to throw it out for him as soon as he asked, weren’t you?

“I won’t write it down, I won’t tell a soul,” you reassured him, wanting nothing more than to sit down next to him and hold his hand and tell him that everything was okay. But you still clung onto some little semblance of professionalism here. For some fucking reason, when it was getting clearer by the minute that all your resistance would be futile.

Just a glimmer of a smile was across his lips for a moment at your actions before it was taken over by the same pensive face as before, and he started the story.

“It was… oh probably over a year ago now. I was still kind of new to the modelling industry, but it felt like everyone’s eyes were on me. My company toted me around as their rising star and every second I wasn’t at a gig, I was being interviewed by someone. It was a lot, but it was freaking awesome.”

The brightness in his features that had been there as he recalled the earlier days of his career suddenly turned dark at his next words. “Until this one interview. It was for a smaller magazine, and my manager didn’t even know why I wanted to do the interview. But it was a magazine that my mom liked to read, and I wanted her to be able to see her son in it. So I sat down with the interviewer, and it felt like it was going like all my other interviews had gone. And maybe because I wanted to really make a good impression on her, so the article my mom read would be as positive as possible, I accidentally led her on or something like that.”

You tilted your head curiously at this last statement. If it had come from any other hot guy, you might have doubted his actual intentions, but it was Jeno. You knew that he wasn’t only physically attractive but had such a way of being naturally charming and making people feel at ease that it was impossible not to be drawn in by his attractive personality. He didn’t do it on purpose, he was just a genuinely nice guy.

“But afterwards, she asked for my number. I said no. I let her down as easy as I could, and she took it with grace. Or I had thought so until Manager Han and the CEO of my company—who I had never met until this—sat me down in his office and showed me a naked picture of some guy and asked if it was me. You couldn’t see his face, and his build was similar to mine, so I could see how they were doubtful. It wasn’t me, but that didn’t matter. The interviewer had sent those pictures to my company saying that if they didn’t pay her a bunch of money, she would post them online saying they were of me.”

Your eyes widened almost comically at this. You couldn’t believe that someone could actually think of doing something like that, especially to Jeno.

“Now, the company doesn’t take very well to people trying to extort them or threaten their people, so she was taken care of.” After a pause, his eyes shot open comically wide as he shook his head fervently, “Legally, in the legal system, it’s not like my company like killed her or anything, I phrased that very badly.”

A quiet laugh came from your mouth at his backpedaling.

“Anyway, they decided that after that, it would be best for me to not do interviews for a while. I don’t really know what happened to her after the court case, but to my knowledge, she hasn’t bothered us. And I haven’t had an interview since. Until you.”

“Until me,” you echoed, mind reeling from this story.

This interview really meant more to Jeno than you had realized before. You’d incorrectly and selfishly assumed that he was so invested in it just because he liked you. But it was more than that. His last interview had been a disaster, the interviewer threatened to humiliate him publicly, and betrayed him. He had taken a chance on you to be different than that, taken a chance to make you his first interview back after the shit the last one had put him through. You were sure that he was feeling the pressure from his company to make it the best possible return to them ever. And he had entrusted it all with you.

You weren’t sure of how long you’d been sitting in silence for, but it started suffocating you, so you finally choked out, “I’m sorry she did that to you. She’s… a bitch.”

Jeno chuckled, “I guess. I kind of just feel bad for her.”

“I don’t,” you snorted, feeling your blood starting to boil as you thought about it even more. “She tried to ruin your career and reputation because she got rejected. It’s not your fault, Jeno. You didn’t do anything to deserve that. She’s just a bitch.”

While he didn’t outright agree with you, the faint smile on his features was still apparent as he went to stand up, forcing some pep into his tone. “Okay, time for some island exploring. After all, you’re here for Explorer Jeno, right?”

“Right!”

Right?

Being on the island was refreshing. Not only because you’d never been on a trip to a place quite like it before, but just everything felt absolutely perfect. It was the perfect temperature outside, the warm sun being balanced out by a cool breeze that blew through your hair, the water surrounding you was the perfect clear blue, the flora the perfect rich green, and the man with you was… perfect.

You’d given up on trying to keep your fond thoughts of Jeno at bay. He was wonderful, that was undeniable. And as you went around the island together, his baseball cap and face mask left behind in the hotel room, the notion of his fame slipped from your mind. Sure, you were still writing down your observations, small adventures, and pertinent questions you asked him. But you weren’t interviewing Famous Supermodel Jeno right now, you were interviewing Explorer Jeno. And he was someone you could let yourself fall for, even for just a few days on this little island.

After your third day on the island as you signed onto the hotel wifi to transcribe your notes from your notebook to your word document on your laptop, a few email notifications popped up, catching your attention. Reception wasn’t the best, and you had so many other things occupying your focus and time—mainly Jeno—that you rarely checked your phone. Not to mention that before you’d left, you were unsure of if you’d even have cell phone service on the island, so you’d told your friends to email you if they needed anything.

One was an email from NingNing, the short preview of her message that you could see making you shake your head. You were not on a romantic getaway with Jeno.

The next was some flyer from a store advertising their latest sale, which you quickly discarded in favor of opening the one from Ms. Zhang. The person who was literally paying for you to be there right then.

The gist of her email was basically just asking for a status update, a routine check-in to see how your research and interview was coming along. You filled her in on what kind of direction and outline you were thinking of for the article, telling her some of the things you’d done together around the island, framing it as professionally as you could. However, it was very hard to make it business-like, you realized in slight defeat as you reread the email draft to yourself. Maybe you could make it casual-business-friendly-sounding instead. After editing a couple phrases here and there, you read it one more time. Satisfied that you’d made it sound the least like a ‘romantic getaway’ as possible, you hit send.

You had just sent it when Jeno emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed and toweling off his wet hair.

When the two of you had gotten back from wandering the streets and seeing the nightlife of the town, you’d given him first shower of the night, wanting to sort out your notes as soon as possible. You had a lot to move over just from that night alone, especially the moment when Jeno was ordering something from an older street vendor and had suddenly busted out some local dialect he’d picked up from God knows where. And the man knew what he was saying too. Jeno never ceased to amaze you.

“Jeno,” you called his name out from where you sat cross-legged on the bed, laptop with the email still up in front of you.

“Hm?” He hummed in acknowledgement, abandoning his towel in order to run his fingers through his damp hair.

“The way the guys had described your exploring, and the stuff you’d told me to bring made me think it’d be more… rugged than this.”

A handsome, crooked grin split his lips, seeming very delighted at your observation, “And what did the guys tell you?”

“Jaemin and Renjun seemed fearful for my life and told me to be safe; Haechan and Chenle were rather ecstatic and told me to have fun in a tone that made me not want to know their implications; Mark told me to bring plenty of water and a first aid kit; and Jisung… well he didn’t actually say anything but his face said it all.”

“You talked to all the guys about the trip?”

“Not by choice, NingNing brought me to an influencer party with Jisung, Jaemin, and Renjun the other day, and I was summoned to the lounge by Chenle and subsequently ambushed by him, Haechan, and Mark about it.”

“They’re all menaces,” Jeno shook his head fondly. “But don’t worry, I’ve got some plans for us tomorrow.”

“That sounds ominous.”

He giggled.

“So we’re hiking to the top of this volcano?” You summarized what Jeno had just told you, in much fewer words.

“Yep!”

“Then camping near the top, which we may or may not be allowed to do.”

“Yep!”

“Without a guide.”

“I’m your guide, Y/N! I do this kind of stuff all the time, and there’s a trail to follow anyway.”

“Now I know why Jaemin and Renjun feared for my life.”

“They were being dramatic, it’ll be fine.”

“Oh I’m not protesting going, I’ll just make sure to type up my will in the notes app in my phone first.”

“Now you’re being dramatic.”

You laughed, putting your hands up in surrender, “Alright, alright. I won’t write my final will and testament right now.”

“Let’s go!”

Thankfully, you’d taken heed of Mark’s advice to bring extra water. With the amount you were sweating, you would’ve been dehydrated less than an hour in if you weren’t constantly replenishing the lost fluids. It wasn’t an incredibly strenuous or difficult hike. Not a casual stroll, but you were managing. It was just that it was so hot and humid now that you were in the more confined landscape of the trees, you couldn’t tell if more of the moisture was your own sweat or the water hanging in the air and clinging to your skin as you continued through it.

Jeno kept you plenty entertained with stories of his previous (mis)adventures, almost all of which were solo. There were a couple times that he brought along others, but they didn’t go great. One unfortunate happenstance was when he’d dragged Eunseok out white water rafting with him and the poor guy fell out of the raft into freezing cold water. According to Jeno, his PA almost quit right on the spot. Another time, the other VIP lounge members had joined him as a celebration trip after Renjun hit 10 million subscribers. They ran out of water on the second day, Chenle ended up spraining his ankle, and they were ready to commit mutiny before the 48-hour mark, so the trip was concluded early.

“Jeno, it sounds like the people who go exploring with you don’t have a great track record of enjoying themselves,” you pointed out, taking another swig of water.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Y/N?” He countered.

Looking around, you could just make out a peek of blue ocean through the trees, and looking ahead of you, the two of you were more than halfway to the top.

“Yeah, I am. So far. There’s still time for me to sprain my ankle or fall into a freezing river.”

He shook his head affectionately at your teasing, “Careful, you’re going to jinx yourself.”

“Old hiking superstition? If you talk about spraining your ankle you will?”

“No, but still. My own little superstition, I guess.”

“Got it. Then I’ll un-jinx myself: I will not sprain my ankle or fall into a freezing river on this trip,” you announced loudly to the surrounding forest, earning another fond smile from Jeno accompanied by a soft chuckle.

“There you go.”

“Another five minutes or so and we’ll be at the peak!” Jeno yelled back over his shoulder to you excitedly.

You were a few steps behind him, your legs had been complaining for the greater part of the last thirty minutes. But with this information, you felt reinvigorated, having the end so close bringing a new spark of energy to your tired limbs. You caught up to him, sharing the trail at the wider parts and staying just behind him at the narrower parts.

Finally, you were at the top. And you knew because the trees opened up to a clearing, the leaves and branches giving way to the most incredible sights you could’ve imagined.

“Wow,” you breathed out, turning to get the full view.

From here you could see the whole little town below you, other nearby islands, the forest you had just hiked through, and the vast, glistening blue sea surrounding you. The sun bounced off of the water at the perfect angle to make it look like it was made of diamonds. It was breathtaking. Not to mention that now that you were out of the humid forest, you could once again feel the cool breeze across your heated skin.

A pod of dolphins surfaced briefly, their fins dipping up and down between the calm waves.

“Jeno, dolphins!” You pointed them out to him eagerly, instinctually clutching his arm in excitement. “Did you know that dolphins in the Amazon River are pink because of repeated skin abrasion, and that the males are pinker because they have a lot more interspecies aggression?”

“I think my guide told me something like that, but I was too focused on getting my paddle back from one to really listen to him.”

You turned to him with wide eyes. “You’ve seen them?”

“Yeah, I went to the Amazon last summer. I had to wrestle my paddle back from a rather playful one,” he shrugged, as if it was just a casual little day trip or something. “So you really like dolphins?”

“I did a report for school when I was like 11, some of the info just stuck.”

As you kept watching the dolphins, a smaller one popped up in the middle of the pod. “Oh! A baby! It’s so cute!”

“Yeah, she is,” he agreed with you.

You furrowed your brows in confusion. “You can’t tell it’s a girl from here!”

Then you looked over at him, realizing that his focus wasn’t on the dolphins, but on you. Mumbling something about professionalism, you let go of his arm, clasping your hands in front of you as you awkwardly looked back out to the sea.

With a victorious smirk on his face—probably enjoying the fact that he was able to fluster you—Jeno took a few steps away from you, yanking his knapsack off his back and grabbing a blanket from it, “Time for a late lunch.”

He laid the blanket out on a flatter part of the terrain, then brought out a small assortment of foods. You sat down with him, eager to dig into the food. With how much your legs hurt from hiking up here, you hadn’t realized that you were starving until he mentioned lunch. Your stomach growled angrily, and you just hoped it wasn’t loud enough for him to hear.

Jeno had packed a very nice lunch for you to share. For the most part, you two were quiet, mouths full of food and eyes still drinking in the stunning view of where you were. You turned your phone on to snap a few pictures before shutting it off again. With no charging ports out here, you had to conserve the battery until you were back in the hotel.

“Do you know which island that is?” You asked Jeno, pointing to the one that seemed the closest to you.

“Nope.”

“That one?” You pointed to a different one.

“Nope.”

“This one?” You teasingly pointed at the ground you were sitting on.

Jeno raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”

Right as you had opened your mouth to say something smartassy back, you pursed your lips in defeat. “Uh, nope.”

He chuckled, capping his water and starting to put the trash and leftover food back into his bag. You followed his lead, standing when he did so he could pack the blanket back up too. Stretching, a few satisfying cracks came from your back, letting go of the tension that had built up from your sitting position that probably wasn’t great for your spine.

“We should head down to the campsite soon,” Jeno informed you quietly as you had gone back to watching the ocean.

He’d told you while you were still at the base that you wouldn’t be camping at the peak, but at another area a little further down the mountain that was a lot safer for sleeping on. You wished you could’ve stayed up here for the rest of your life.

“Can’t we stay and watch the sunset?” Your voice was nearly a soft whine as you resisted leaving so soon. “It’s got to be incredible from up here.”

“I’m sure it is,” he sounded very reluctant to be telling you this. “But we have to set up camp before it gets too dark.”

“A couple more minutes?”

“Yeah, of course.”

After being rather useless in helping Jeno set up your campsite—not for any chivalrous reasons on his part, you were truly just inept at things and did more harm than good when you tried to help—you sat outside the tent with him. The two of you were going to be sharing a tent, which he had asked earlier if that would be okay. You told him it was fine with you.

The blanket previously used for lunch earlier was under the two of you as you sat just outside the tent. The site Jeno had chosen as your campsite was in a rare area where the foliage wasn’t too thick, and you could just make out some of the ocean as the sun set. It wasn’t the picture-perfect sunset you imagined could be seen from the peak, but it was still pretty.

You continued with your interview questions as you looked out towards the water, scrawling down his answers in the fading light. You couldn’t quite see what you were writing, hoping you didn’t just make a bunch of illegible scribbles instead of notes. He spoke again of his trip to the Amazon, saying how he’d like to go back again sometime, and maybe have a better look at the pink river dolphins. The way he said it fostered some implications, a thought in your mid that maybe you could go with him if he did go back. That was a nice thought. And impractical one, but it gave you warm fuzzies nonetheless.

“So, why do you think you like exploring so much?” You asked him after hearing so many stories of all the destinations he’d gone to.

“Who doesn’t like to travel?”

“What you do… it’s not just travelling, it’s not just a vacation. You’re not booked up in five stars hotels in city centers or doing every tacky tourist thing out there. You get at the heart of where you are, you explore it, you don’t just visit it. Why is that?”

“That’s a rather deep question,” he let out a light chuckle, shifting to face you as he closed his eyes, taking a moment to think. “I guess… like you said, I try to get at the heart of the place, not the surface-level stuff everyone else sees. I’ve always had a sort of wanderlust in me. When I was about twelve, I damn near gave my mom a heart attack because I got on a train and wanted to see where it went and ended up fifty miles from home. And now, I don’t know, I guess the stuff everybody else does doesn’t really interest me… the picture that’s painted to tourists of a place isn’t what it actually is, and I want to find out what is. If that makes sense. Did that make sense?”

You swallowed hard, nodding fervently. “Yeah, it did. I completely understand, yeah.”

That’s how he saw the world, and it was beautiful. And maybe you could see it like him; maybe you could look past the picture that’s painted and what everyone else sees to get at the heart.

Up this high, cold started setting in some time long after the sun had finished setting and darkness was all around you, save for the soft glow of the lantern Jeno had going. The temperature wouldn’t drop terribly, but it was cooler than it was during the day, encouraging you to tuck your chilly fingers into the inside of your knees for some warmth.

“I’m sorry,” Jeno frowned, standing up and stepping over to the tent. “I forgot to tell you to bring a jacket, didn’t I?”

“I’m alright, Jeno,” you assured him, but his arm popped back out of the tent holding a couple pieces of clothing.

It was two sweaters, one he offered out to you, the other presumably for himself. You didn’t refuse, which maybe you really should have for professionalism’s sake. Slipping the hoodie over your head then sticking your arms in, you were immediately swallowed up by it. Sure, Jeno was pretty buff, but you were sure this would be oversized even on him.

You didn’t even have to try to pull the sleeves over your hands, sweater paws already there as soon as you’d put it on. Which wasn’t ideal if you wanted to keep writing stuff down for the article.

“I would’ve told you that I’m a human space heater, but I figured this was a little more professional,” he said, heavy implications there.

Butterflies fluttered around in your stomach as you took it upon yourself to scoot closer to him until your legs and sides were touching, “This is still professional, just two professionals huddling together for warmth.”

“Yeah.”

You were trying to convince yourself more than you were him, knowing that you couldn’t really fool yourself on this one. But damn, you could pretend you did.

It was pretty soon after he’d gotten sweaters for the two of you that Jeno interjected into your conversation, “So when is the article technically over? When you’re done writing it? When your boss okays it? When it’s compiled with the other articles in that issue of the journal? When the copies hit the shelves and its uploaded to the website?”

You let out a shallow breath, knowing what he was really asking. When can the two of you date?

The part of you that was saying ‘never!’ was getting smaller and smaller, and the part of you who just wanted it to be right now was growing bigger and bigger. And yet, for some reason, you were still listening to the little one.

“I don’t know, probably when it’s officially published. You know, when ‘the copies hit the shelves and it’s uploaded to the website.’”

“When do you think that will be?”

“The first one is being published in this month’s issue. So, depending on how fast I get this one written up and proofed, at the earliest next month.”

“And the latest?”

“A couple months. I’m not sure how long Ms. Zhang will want between the two, if she wants to leave the audience in suspense for longer or give them the next part as soon as possible. Probably the first one, if I’m being honest.”

“Oh,” Jeno’s pout that you could see illuminated from the lantern was suddenly split into a wide yawn. “We should go to sleep, we’ve got the climb back down tomorrow.”

You were glad that he had brought it up first. After all, you were pretty tired, but you weren’t about to be the one to end the nice time you were having. Nodding, you stood, taking the lantern in your hand as Jeno folded the blanket back up.

Ducking into the tent, you immediately plopped down onto your sleeping bag, giving Jeno as much room as possible to maneuver his limbs around as he zipped the tent up behind him and set his stuff down in the corner. You put the lantern down at your feet, keeping the area illuminated as you climbed into your sleeping bag and started settling in for the night.

With the covers pulled up to your shoulders and Jeno’s hoodie bunching around your face in a comfortably warm way, you were pretty content to fall asleep then and there. But the light was still on.

Groaning, you looked down towards your feet, glaring at the lantern you knew you’d have to get un-comfy to turn off. Jeno had a small smile on his face as he sat up, “I’ll get it. You ready to turn it off?”

You nodded, your ‘yes’ muffled by the hoodie.

The last thing you saw before complete darkness was Jeno’s soft grin. That was a rather nice image to have in your mind as you drifted off to sleep.

Eyes fluttering awake, the first thing you were aware of was that you were warm. Very warm. Way too warm. One might say that you were currently in a pool of your own sweat. You’d have to wash this hoodie before giving it back to Jeno, it was definitely disgusting.

Speaking of Jeno, he wasn’t in the tent with you, which you noticed as you peeled the somewhat damp sweater off yourself. You took the opportunity to apply some more deodorant and change your short sleeve shirt before shoving your feet back into your shoes. You headed out of the tent, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you did so.

The very last traces of the sunrise were still in the sky from the little that you could see, but it was definitely morning. Looking around, you spotted Jeno standing a little further away from the tent, holding his hand out towards a lower-hanging branch. You wouldn’t have quite been able to reach it yourself, but he could. Perched atop the branch was a bright blue bird, eating right out of his hand. Your eyes widened just a little at this, though you were too tired to be terribly surprised.

Watching him feed the bird for a little longer, you felt your chest swell. His hair was messy, not having fixed his bedhead yet; a peaceful hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth; his big, round, eyes watched the bird eat with a certain simple happiness that for some reason had tears threatening to well up in your own.

You opened your mouth to call out to him, but instead a hoarse croak came out, one that made the bird take off in a flurry of blue feathers and fear. Jeno’s head whipped around to look at the source of the noise, you, and a bright grin came to his features.

“Morning, Y/N,” his voice was even deeper from sleep as he greeted you. He didn’t even seem mad that you’d scared off the bird.

As he approached you, the swell in your chest continued to the point where it hurt, and your vision started going blurry from the tears building up. Jeno’s expression changed to one of concern as he seemed to notice your moist eyes the closer that he got.

“Wh—”

You’d finally gone insane, you’d decided. Absolutely bonkers, completely crazy. After all, how else would you explain the fact that you were now kissing Jeno?

With your hands gripping at his shirt to bring his mouth down to yours, you kissed him like you’d been sick for your whole life and his lips were the cure. All the voices in your head finally shut up, your chest decompressed, and a single tear ran down your face.

He immediately kissed you back, but his hands seemed unsure of what to do, gingerly resting on your arms, featherlight as they hovered there. As if he was afraid that he’d break you, despite the force with which you had crashed your mouth to his.

When you let yourself come back down—and also breathe—you loosened your grip on Jeno’s shirt, releasing him from the slightly hunched position he had been in. Slowly, you brought one of your hands down to wipe away the lone tear.

Jeno was looking at you with a tilted head. “Well, that wasn’t very professional.”

A strangled chuckle escaped your mouth as you fiddled with the hem of your shirt, “Yeah, sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” he said softly, a gentle hand coming to cup your cheek, urging you to look back up at him. And when you did, he lightly brushed his lips against yours. A tender ghost of a kiss, one that didn’t last long as Jeno ended it almost as soon as he’d started it.

Opening your eyes, you saw a nearly silly grin spread across his face, precious giggles bubbling up. His smile was contagious, one gracing your mouth as well.

“Is this going to ruin the integrity of your article?” He asked, still smiling down at you. “If you want this to be a thing, of course.”

“I do, I do,” you nodded fervently, a great weight lifted off your soul now that you let yourself admit that. “I’ll tell Ms. Zhang and see what she wants to do about the articles. Until then, we’ve got to lay low.”

“Movie nights,” he immediately surmised.

Quite liking the idea, you agreed, “Yeah, movie nights.”

The doors opened to the VIP lounge, where you had agreed to meet Jeno after your meeting with your boss. It was almost two weeks after you’d returned from what NingNing was now definitely referring to as your ‘romantic getaway,’ which you couldn’t argue. Most of those two weeks was spent by you finalizing your second article, not wanting to tell Ms. Zhang about how that trip had really gone until after you had work to show for it.

Jeno was waiting for you, already standing up and pacing the small room nervously. He seemed more worried about this than you were, despite it really being your career on the line and not his.

You made a beeline to wrap your arms around his torso, burying your face in his chest, and he immediately reciprocated it, holding you closely and pecking the crown of your head.

“Hey, how’d it go?” His gentle tone of voice betrayed his assumptions that it was bad.

Bringing your face out of his chest in order to look up at him, you squealed, “She’s still going to publish them!”

“Ah!” He cried out, tightening his grip on you until it was practically bone-crushing. “I knew it! I knew you were just so good she would have to publish your articles.”

You elaborated, practically buzzing with excitement, “Because I kept out the uh, more private details of the trip and focused on you and the trip itself, she says that it ties up the loose end from the first one nicely. Although, she did recommend not going public until after the second article was out.”

“But you won’t get fired if we don’t abide by that recommendation, right?”

“No, I won’t,” you reassured him, happiness fluttering in your chest as he pecked your forehead.

“I’m so proud of you, Y/N.”

“Mhm,” you hummed, letting him peck your lips too before you spoke up. “I do think she’s right, though, we should wait a while to go out in public as a couple.”

Jeno clearly didn’t like that idea, sighing in reply, “Why?”

“It’s been less than a month, what if you decide you don’t like me?”

It was meant to be a joke, but he took it seriously, kissing your forehead, then your nose, then finally your mouth, “Impossible.”

After a moment, he relented, “Alright. I waited two months, another one or so shouldn’t be that bad.”

“Actually, she’s publishing the second article in a special edition that’ll come out two weeks after the first, not a month.”

“I can wait three weeks.”

And wait three weeks he did. Three weeks exactly. Twenty-one days after your conversation in the VIP lounge, two days after your second article hit the shelves, Jeno picked you up for your first public date. This time, you let him come up and get you—your roommate wasn’t home to bother you—and he left his hat and face mask at home.

“Hi Jeno,” you greeted him as you opened the door.

“Hi, baby,” he replied, wasting no time in lacing your fingers together as you walked to the elevator.

As soon as you stepped foot out of your apartment building, whatever resolve he had broke down, and he smooched your cheek loudly. You giggled at the gesture, squeezing his hand to let him know that you were okay with it. After all, you’d made the poor guy wait longer than he should have, some PDA was in order.

The date was at a small café a few blocks over, within walking distance. Which you were sure Jeno appreciated, having a longer time to be out in public with you, never once letting go of your hand or without physical contact with you. He had to let everybody know that you were dating, and you didn’t mind. You liked that he was so ecstatic to be dating you.

At the café, you ordered up at a front counter, and the cashier asked, “Together or separate?”

“Together!” Jeno replied brightly, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

You leaned over to murmur to him, “She means, are we paying together or separate?”

“Together!” He repeated.

Squinting up at him for a moment, you didn’t argue it, letting him take the check for both of you. Although you did take a few crumpled bills out of your wallet to drop into the tip jar. After getting your food, you eagerly dug in, a light and amicable conversation had between bites.

“So you really waited exactly three weeks, huh?” You teased him.

“The second article came out two days ago, I think that’s plenty of time for everyone to read it,” he defended himself.

“It took you five days to read it.”

He seemed about ready to quip something back when a muffled chorus of squeals cut him off. You took a brief glance around, eyes landing on a group of teenage girls standing just outside the window that you were seated by. They weren’t uncomfortably close, but it was clear what had made them so excited.

Jeno ducked his head shyly as he raised a hand to acknowledge them, only setting their nervous titters off again. This situation was eerily familiar, déjà vu washing over you.

But this time, you were kind of glad that he had left his mask and hat at home, and that he’d chosen a table by the window.

Because your heart soared as you were once again reminded of who exactly the man in front of you was. Not just a model who was known internationally, with fans who would recognize him out and about, with a career and life that was under the public gaze constantly, but also a cute, sweet, funny guy named Lee Jeno.

You could do that. You could subject yourself to that. It would be fine as long as you had Jeno with you.

With the girls still watching the two of you, you reached a hand out across the table towards him. Thankfully, he took your lead, picking it up before pressing a few tender kisses to your fingers. Hopefully the girls got the message that this was romantic and private, and nothing else.

A dating rumor with Lee Jeno was absolutely the one thing you needed in your life. Lee Jeno was absolutely the one thing you needed in your life.

“Jeno?” You called for his attention, ignoring the gaggle of fans outside the window.

“Yes?” He focused on you, squeezing your hand.

“I have a question…”

“I thought the interview was over,” he pouted teasingly.

“It is, I swear.” You lifted your linked hands pointedly. “I just… There’s something that’s kind of been nagging at me, about the interview.”

“Ask away.”

“Why me? Like, I remember at our first interview session, you thought I was just going to ask you all the normal stuff about celebrity crushes and stuff.”

“You remember what I said, about my parents’ shop? How I used to help out there?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“When NingNing brought you to the lounge, and you said that thing about you being a normal person, and me being a supermodel, and how you weren’t comfortable around me because of that, it really hit me. I-I really hated that.”

“Jeno, I’m sorry—”

“No, it’s not your fault,” he insisted. “It’s nobody’s fault, that’s just how it is, how our culture is, or whatever. But I hated that you felt like that around me. Because I didn’t use to be like that. I used to be a normal person, too. And I just thought that if you and I had met a few years ago, when I was working in my parents’ shop or something, I could’ve talked to you like a normal guy, and I would’ve been able to put you at ease and flirt with you like a normal person. Instead of having to do it in the most roundabout way like I did this time.”

You grinned. “Oh, I don’t know, you would’ve still been a stupidly attractive register boy, Jeno. I might’ve been a bit tongue-tied if we had met back then, too.”

“I guess we’ll never know, will we?”

“I guess not,” you clicked your tongue. “Though that would’ve been an even better meet-cute than me saying you looked like a dog.”

“Oh, so we’re not telling that story to our kids?”

“Kids?!” You sputtered out. “When did kids enter the equation here, Lee Jeno?”

“What? Who said that?” He blinked at you innocently.

“At least say the L-word first, jeez.”

“I love you.”

“Christ, I was joking!”

“I wasn’t!”

You shook your head, unable to fight off the smitten grin on your lips. “I love you too, Jeno. You crazy son of a bitch.”

⤷ blog masterlist

fav jungkook fics + recommendations!PT II

“busy bein’ yours, to fall for somebody new” ｡ﾟ･ ☆ ° ｡ PT II

^^ PART I PART III

young wolf by @junqkook

video games by @revkooks

the cost of jealousy by @jvngkoos

heartstrings by @cosmostae

the ability to fathom by @hanniwrites

euphoria by @btsydtrash

love is a game by @lleldey

the deepest marks of essence by @lleldey

denial by @girlygguk

obsesión by @thvlouvre

summer bummer, baby by @kooktrash

two point five by @bratkook

bad omega sweet omega by @helenazbmrskai

addicted by @sparklingchim

the weekend by @chryblossomjjk

deep six by @bratkook

eight year ache by @rmdently

freaky dreaky by @mercurygguk

ego season by @sparklingchim

trigger happy by @cosmostae

BAD, SAD AND MAD by @joonberriess

the hating game by @sxtaep

10 series by @deepdarkdelights

PT III very sooon! <3

Broken Melodies: Fake or True? ft. Lee Jeno {mini - masterlist}

"Are the feelings we have for each other real or just fuelled by the desperation of our families to live in peace?"

For as long as you could remember, the Lee family and your family, the Na Crime family had been in a longstanding feud. But as your father and the Lee family's head got older they started to crave for peace and harmony between them. That's where you and their youngest come in. The only way that would get the men of both sides to get along was by declaring their beloved prince and princess as lovers. You and Jeno were out of it, you refused to hold any kind of relationship with each other, whether platonic or romantic but in order to see your fathers happy the both of you didn't have a choice but to come to terms with the situation. But what happens when the both of you or one of you start to catch feelings?

"Don't be mistaken, Lee Jeno. The only reason I'm agreeing to this whole ordeal is my father." Eunbi said earning a scoff from Jeno.

"As if like you're any important to me. I'm doing this for my dad and my family." he said as the both of you looked away from each other.

Lee Jeno

Na Eunbi

Moodboard 1 (Lee Jeno)

Moodboard 2 (Na Eunbi)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

— CONSEQUENCES OF A ONE NIGHT STAND !

( synopsis ). in which after a drunken hookup , y/n y/ln and are jake left with some heavy consequences and now they have to come to terms with it.

pairings. sim jaeyun x fem!reader

genre. social media, stranger to lovers, pregnancy au, smut, fluff, angst, crack

warnings. mature content, sex, talk of sex, language, crude jokes, more tba...

started. 07-14-23

finished. tba

💬 nia's notes. this is only FICTION this does not represent enhypen in anyway.

— 𖦹 PROFILES !

000. the new mother and the feral aunts and uncles , 000. the new father and the unhinged uncles

— 𖦹 MONTH ONE !

001. jump jake day , jobless jungwon and the cycle sisters 🤞🏻

002. baby shoes or bad food?

003. well , who is he ??

004. dots are connecting ....

005. from daddy 🥵😮‍💨 to just dad 🤢😐...

006. hey. heyy..

— 𖦹 MONTH TWO !

007. meeting the stranger...

008. little nugget 😭😭😭😭...

009. cupcakes 🧁

010. im being cooked😞

— 𖦹 MONTH THREE !

011. doctors appointment ✎

012. going home ...

013. im home ❤ ...

014. telling the parents (fail) ✎

015. first day on the job 👍🏻 ....

— 𖦹 MONTH FOUR !

016. a week of madness

017. on his last limb ...

018. playing house 🏡 ...

019. oh shit , he admitted it ...

020. jake not being a pussy 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

021. boy 👶🏻💙 or girl 👧🏻💕 ...

022. finally ... ✎

023. first date ( nice to see you again jake ) ...

— 𖦹 MONTH FIVE !

024. that wench 😒…

025. song jihae …

026. ni-ki about to fuck shit up …

027. explanations …

028. daddy and son date🤍…

029. sunoo finds out 😳…

030. jungwon explain…

031. it all comes out …

032. lol …

MONTH SIX IS A TIME SKIP !

— 𖦹 MONTH SEVEN !

033. she’s back ✨🖤

034. miserable …

035. stop reading my mind …

036. moving day ❗️…

037. ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

038. it all comes out ( jake version ) …

039. forgive ( friends? )…

— 𖦹 MONTH EIGHT !

040. back like i never left🔥💪🏼 …

041. we lost him 😔…

042. frustration + knife + hand = emergency room 😨 …

043. taking it slow …

044. it’s time …

045. they’re a family 🥲🥲🥲

EPILOGUE

046. watch baby minji grow up💕 …

— ( taglist. ) ask to be added !

©️LUVYENI