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the boy is bad news | h.hj smau

ch 28 - what are you doing here?

genre: angst, smut, social media au (with written parts), college au, enemies to lovers

wc: 3.7k

summary: An aspiring journalist, you are the news editor for The Uni Chronicles; the campus newspaper, popular for delivering breaking news at the drop of a hat and providing detailed articles about the various happenings around your university. You think you’ve covered every story there was to cover before you’re tasked with producing an in-depth editorial on a student whose name is on everyone’s lips—Hwang Hyunjin.

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Pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, you take a look at your phone which reads “7:22 PM.” It’s twenty-two minutes past the time Nari had told you to meet her at the restaurant, yet you’re the only one here. With a roll of your eyes, you slip your phone into your bag and clutch your arms, rubbing them to keep warm.

Why on earth did you think it was a good idea to wear a dress in this weather? Well, it was your first official meeting with your best friend’s new boyfriend after all. You wanted to make a good impression! And you hadn’t accounted for the fact that they would leave you to wait outside in the freezing weather by running late.

Slightly frustrated by your friend’s tardiness, you slump against the wall outside the restaurant, mindlessly scrolling through your phone to pass the time.

“Y/N?”

You turn your head towards the sound of your name. Blinking twice at the sight before you, you realize the source of that voice was Hyunjin. He is stopped in his tracks, eyes widened in just as much shock as yours are to have run into you here.

“Hyunjin? What are you doing here?”

“I’m meeting up with Changbin and Nari…” He quirks his head as he makes his way towards you. “Why are you here?”

“To meet up with Changbin and Nari…”

Your voice drops as you realize you’re both here for the same reason. It’s not so strange that Hyunjin was invited to the dinner, Changbin is one of his best friends after all. But why didn’t Nari mention to you that he would be coming? You furrow your eyebrows as you try to understand why she failed to disclose this information.

“Guess they forgot to tell us, huh?” Hyunjin shrugs as he leans against the wall next to you.

“Yeah…” You shiver, wrapping your arms around yourself. “Did they forget to come altogether? They should be here by now.”

Hyunjin fixes his stance to face you. “You’re shivering. Are you cold?” He asks.

“Just a little. Hopefully we can go inside soon.” You sigh, looking down at your feet.

You feel warm fabric gracing your shoulders and look up to see Hyunjin draping his jacket around you. He doesn’t say a word and simply returns to his position against the wall next to you with his hands in his pockets.

“Um, thanks for the jacket.”

“Yeah, no worries.” He mumbles.

You wrap yourself in the cloth, his scent fresh on the fabric. It almost felt like he was the one wrapped around you, and you suddenly remember how nice it felt to be in his arms. You immediately shake your head at the thought—that’s history now. You guys are just friends, colleagues even. All that connects you is the editorial really, so such thoughts shouldn’t be playing in your mind.

Suddenly, Hyunjin reappears in front of you. His fingers come to your waist, ghosting over the fabric of the jacket before clasping onto the zipper.

“It’s warmer if you zip it up.” He mutters under his breath, pulling the zipper up to your chin. “Do I have to do everything for you?”

His hands hovered there for a few moments, inches away from your face as you struggled desperately to look anywhere other than his eyes. You blush at the proximity but quickly turn away.

“I can do it myself!” You huff, tugging away from him.

He chuckles. “Always so stubborn.” And gazes at you with a smile.

You can’t help but grin back. No matter how much you bickered, you had to admit that your playful banter with him was a little fun.

“Sorry we’re late!” Changbin and Nari announce as they finally arrive, hand in hand.

“Looks like you guys kept yourselves entertained though.” Changbin wriggles his eyebrows as he looks back and forth between you and Hyunjin, who immediately puts distance between you two at the sound of the couple’s arrival.

Hyunjin elbows Changbin in the ribs. “Y/N’s freezing and I’m starving. What took you guys so long?”

“Sorry! There was a lot of traffic on the way.” Nari explains.

You knew that was a lie though, because the streets were almost empty during your drive here. The happy couple must’ve been busy with something else to have arrived so late.

“Anyways, I know you met before, but this time I want to formally introduce you to my boyfriend, Changbin.” Nari smiles.

You reach out your hand to greet him, but are met instead with a nearly suffocating hug.

After releasing you from his grip, Changbin turns to Hyunjin. “And this is my girlfriend, Nari.”

They exchange a friendly handshake and you all head inside the restaurant.

As you enter, you are greeted by the inviting smell of barbecue sizzling on the grill and steaming bowls of army stew. The restaurant is packed, buzzing with chatter from groups of young college students like yourself, laughing over drinks and good food, eager to start the weekend. The lighting was dim enough to maintain a certain air of privacy amongst the tables and create a hazy ambience that was warm and comforting.

Thankfully the waiter still honored your reservation despite your party coming late, and escorted your group to a table in the corner of the venue, situated with a booth on one side and two chairs on the other. Changbin and Nari almost jump to take the chairs near the aisle, pushing you and Hyunjin to share the booth seats across from them.

Hyunjin steps back, gesturing for you to take your seat first and you oblige him. As you slip past him to enter the booth, he places a gentle hand on your back to guide your movement. You thank him with a timid smile to which he returns a bright grin.

After reviewing the menu and placing your orders, you open up the conversation. “So, tell us about how you got together!”

Changbin stretches an arm around Nari before clearing his throat to tell the story, clearly excited to share the details.

“Well, we were all there the night she and I met. I’m sure it was pretty obvious I was into her.” He starts.

“She’s beautiful, of course, so I wanted to get to know her better. But what you guys don’t know is, I’ve never connected with a girl like this—humor, personality and everything—so I’m pretty sure I actually fell for her that night.”

Nari playfully punches Changbin’s chest from embarrassment, but that doesn’t keep him from continuing.

“So I committed to playing the long game. Y/N, I’m sure you know how hard to get Nari can be, but I stuck it out and did my best to romance her and it worked! I finally built up the guts to ask her out and she said yes.” He grins triumphantly. “So I guess she likes me back just as much!”

Nari rolls her eyes at his comment, but can’t suppress her smile. You grin as you watch the couple act so lovingly, appreciating how this new man has brought your best friend so much happiness.

The conversation continues as the waiter brings out your plates. You’re enjoying getting to know Changbin and getting to see Nari act so differently now that she’s in a relationship. It’s a good kind of different, and you are truly happy to see this side of her get unlocked.

That chatter slightly dies down as you all begin digging into your food. Changbin’s eyes dart between you and Hyunjin, peacefully enjoying your meals, before meeting Nari’s glance with a mischievous smile.

He clears his throat. “Hey, Hyunjin can you pass me the salt?”

You look over to your left. The salt was right next to you in the corner, why didn’t Changbin ask you to pass it to him?

Without much thought, Hyunjin reaches over, his chest stretched wide in front of you. You have to lean back into your seat to avoid grazing his shirt with your face, but not far enough to miss the scent of his cologne, the one that smelled of flowers and tender sweetness.

“Here you go.” Hyunjin passes the shaker over and plops back into his seat.

“Thanks Jin.” Changbin replies. “Oh, and can you give some of this beef to Y/N? I don’t think she’s tried some yet.”

Again, why didn’t Changbin just pass it to you himself? But before you can ponder his strange behavior any further, Hyunjin is scooted right next to you, bringing the food to your plate.

“Pour her some more soju too, please! Her glass is empty.” Nari adds.

You look at her questioningly, but she just shoots you back a smile.

“Yeah, of course.” Hyunjin proceeds to fill your cup. “Is that too much?” He leans in, whispering.

“No, that’s good. Thanks Hyunjin.” You turn to him and grin.

He lifts his glass towards yours and flashes you a breathtaking smile. “Cheers.” He grins, his eyes turning to crescent moons.

Nari catches your little exchange and can’t stop smirking. “You sure love spending time with Y/Nnie don’t you, Hyunjin? You guys are always together.”

You nearly choke on your drink.

Hyunjin gulps down his shot and calmly answers. “Yeah, I do.”

Your eyes widen at his response, turning towards him in disbelief. Yet, his demeanor remains unchanged.

Nari giggles before playfully threatening him. “If I find out about you doing anything to cross Y/N, you’ll be hearing from me.” She huffs.

“I’m sure I will.” Hyunjin chuckles. “I never want to hurt her though.”

“And how can I trust that you won’t, hmm?” Nari challenges.

Hyunjin nervously clenches his fists on his lap, glancing at you momentarily. You meet his gaze with curiosity to know what his answer will be. His eyes twinkle as they meet yours, a soft smile playing on his lips before he faces Nari to answer her question.

“I know it’s hard to trust words coming from me, the campus fuckboy. But all I can say is, I really do care about Y/N. I just want to see her happy.”

Your heart skips a beat hearing Hyunjin say that he cares about you. Cares about me how? You wonder if his care was in regards to you being a journalist, in charge of an editorial about his life and career, or if he cared for you as a friend, or maybe some mystery third option? The faint lighting and the soju must be taking affect on your senses because you start to feel hot under his jacket.

Nari leans on the table, resting her face in both hands. “She’s the cutest when she’s smiling isn’t she?”

“She really is.” Hyunjin grins. “But my personal favorite is how her cheeks turn red when she’s angry or embarrassed.”

“Oh my gosh you’re so right! That expression is freaking adorable!”

Their comments fluster you, immediately bringing heat to your cheeks.

“When did this dinner become a ‘who can embarrass Y/N more’ competition?” You groan.

“We’re only doing it because we love you.” Nari whines. “Right Hyunjin?”

“Uh, yeah. Right.” He clears his throat, taking another sip of his drink.

“Well it sure doesn’t feel like it.” You grumble.

Your cheeks are flushed and you’re pouting your lips in annoyance, just the way Hyunjin likes it. He knows you’re frustrated with the teasing, and he’ll be sure to apologize later, but right now he can’t help but beam at how cute you look. How can someone be so cute? The way your puppy dog eyes gleam, your plush lips, your rosy cheeks—he loves it all, a little too much. You’re pretty even when you’re upset, and it amazes him as much as it scares him how much affection he has for you.

Hyunjin chuckles as he watches you fold your arms and lean your head down, your baby hairs falling to your face. He reaches to tuck the loose strands behind your ear, and mouths an “I’m sorry,” giving you a sheepish smile.

You keep your head down still, because you don’t want him to see how your skin is lit on fire at his soft touch, but you couldn’t hide your smile.

Your group laughed it off and quickly turned to other topics to talk about, the conversation flowing smoothly for the rest of the dinner. As you finish your meal, everyone gets up to leave the restaurant, stopping outside the door to say your goodbyes as you head out.

“It was great getting to know you, Changbin!” You smile as he pulls you into another bear hug.

“Thanks for planning this dinner.” Hyunjin adds.

“Of course guys! I’m glad we all got together tonight.” Nari says as she links arms with Changbin. “I’m gonna head back with Bin, I left some stuff at his place. Hyunjin, would you mind taking Y/N home?”

“Oh no, that’s necessary, I can just call an Uber—“

“No problem, I’ll drive her home.” Hyunjin responds. “C’mon, I just parked one street over.” He motions for you to follow him.

“Thanks! See you guys later!” Nari waves as you part ways.

Your ride home with Hyunjin is quiet but peaceful as you watch the passing scenery from the car window. You drive by a lake that’s glowing from the city lights reflecting off the water and a soft gasp escapes your mouth as you marvel at the beautiful spectacle.

Hyunjin notices your silent admiration. “Do you wanna make a pit stop here? We can walk off the food.” He suggests.

“If you don’t mind.” You grin, clearly excited with his proposal.

“Let’s do it.”

You hop out of the passenger seat and dart straight towards the water, squatting down near the shore. Hyunjin takes a seat next to you, hugging his knees as he watches you watching the lake.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” You ask.

“Yeah, it is.” He answers, eyes unwavering.

You continue to enjoy the scenery, breathing in the crisp night air. You find some pebbles to skip across the water and Hyunjin joins in for a few tosses before resuming his position, crouched beside you with his arms hugging his sides.

“Are you sure you don’t want to leave now? You look so cold, Hyunjin.”

“I’m okay, we can stay a bit longer.” He assures you.

“Okay, but don’t blame me if you catch a cold. This was your suggestion after all.” You tease him. “You must really like the lake to want to come here when it’s freezing outside.”

He chuckles and looks over to you. “Honestly? I just suggested it because I wanted to spend more time with you. Dinner ended too soon.”

Your eyes lock after hearing his admission and silence fills the space between you. You couldn’t really tell if everything around you had just gone quiet, or if it was the blood rushing past your ears and your heavy beating heart that drowned out all the noise.

Drawing in a breath of cool air to sooth your stormy nerves, you try to mentally slow down your heart rate and calm yourself.

“Are you sure you’re not too cold though? I took your jacket.” You mumble, finally breaking the stare.

Hyunjin replies. “I mean, it is pretty chilly, but don’t worry about it, you need it more.”

Frowning, you start to unzip the jacket to return it to him. But Hyunjin stops you before you can finish, placing his hand on top of yours.

“Seriously, you should keep it on.” He insists. “Here, if you’re really worried about me getting sick, we can share the warmth like this.”

Hyunjin takes half of the jacket and swings in over his shoulder, keeping the other half around you. The jacket wasn’t made for two people though and the limited length of fabric forces you to huddle close into his chest.

“There, happy?” He grins.

You mutter into his chest. “I think you’re the one who’s more happy about this.”

“Damn, you got me.” He laughs. “I guess my moves are getting rusty.”

“As if they would ever work on me.” You lean back to roll your eyes at him but fall into his shoulder giggling once you notice his dramatic hurt expression.

“You’re brutal, you know that?” He sighs with a smile.

“No I’m not! You just can’t handle me.” You sneer.

Hyunjin clicks his tongue with a smirk. “Teach me then, I’d like to learn.”

You scrunch your face at his suggestive comment, despite the blush forming across your skin. “That’ll have to be another time when we’re not nearly freezing to death.” You check the time on your phone. “It’s getting late, shall we head back?”

Hyunjin nods his head in agreement, though he’s reluctant to break the close proximity you were sharing, wishing he could hold you in his arms all night. Being around you kept him warm enough, just from the pure giddiness he felt whenever you are near.

He’s sure you could feel his heart beating out of his chest when you rested your head against him. Whether or not you were aware of what it meant, he’s not sure. And if you feel the same, he doesn’t know. Maybe you don’t and you just ignored the fact that you felt his heartbeat, just to save him from the embarrassment of this one sided romance. Or maybe you’re somewhere in between, still unsure if you want to take a chance on him.

Hyunjin doesn’t know how you feel about him, and it’s taking every ounce of his self control to not overwhelm you with his affection. He doesn’t know if it’ll freak you out how much he likes you—heck, it even freaks him out. He doesn’t know how to prove to you that he should be the guy you choose. All he knows is that every day he spends with you drives his heart insane, but every day apart is even worse.

“Are you coming?” Your voice snaps him out of his internal dilemma.

“Huh? Oh yeah, let’s go.” He shakes his head and follows you back to the car.

This issue will have to wait. It’s too risky to make any big moves right now. He just has to trust Chan’s advice and be patient, because god forbid he messes up and loses you for good.

Hyunjin remains awfully quiet during the ride home and you notice him seemingly deep in thought as he drives. You resume your attention to the window, getting lost in your own mind while you study the night view.

Ever since your argument at the bar, Hyunjin has been acting differently. He’s nice to you now, which is a stark difference from your first few encounters, but his recent behavior has even changed from when you initially started to get along. Back when you were sleeping together, as fuck buddies or whatever that was, he definitely treated you kindly, complimenting you and buying you to meals and such. You figured it was just because he was sexually attracted to you, that your lust for each other caused you both to behave more fondly with one another.

But now you’re not sleeping with him, you don’t give him anything other than friendship really, so why is he acting even nicer than before? You feel a genuine kindness from him in the way he treats you, always offering to take you home and make sure that you arrive back safely, rearranging his schedule so that he can see you and taking care to zip up his jacket around you to keep you warm. There’s another level of tenderness in the way he looks at you, the subtle smile on his lips and glimmer in his eyes when you talk to him.

Perhaps he’s just that good of a fuckboy that all these heart-swooning behaviors come naturally to him whenever he interacts with girls. Is he still eager to see if you’d want to sleep with him again? Or could it be that he’s finally taking the editorial project seriously and is showing his appreciation to you as his journalist? None of these reasons make any sense and you can’t seem to figure it out. Maybe he’s not actually treating you any different and you’re just imagining things. Maybe it’s all in your head. Maybe you’re just perceiving things the wrong way because you’re confused by your own feelings.

Your heart has fluttered one too many times tonight because of Hyunjin and it’s driving you mad. Okay, he’s cute and he’s being nice to you…but when did you become such a weak woman that a simple kind gesture from an attractive man could devastate you like this? You’re better than this and you’re frustrated at how vulnerable you are to his charms. But no matter how hard you try to contain yourself, you can’t suppress the butterflies in your stomach.

You clench your teeth and try to convince yourself to stop feeling this way. He’s just a cute guy who’s nice, that’s it. It’s normal to feel excited about something like this. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t read into it and take it too far like how your hopeless romantic brain always does.

You let out a sigh once you finally arrive at your apartment, ready to free yourself from overthinking and get Hyunjin out of your sight and mind. He doesn’t let you escape so easily though, exiting the car to walk you to your door.

“Thanks for dropping me off, Hyunjin.” You slip off his jacket to return it to him as you unlock the door. “And thanks for lending me the jacket, you kept me from freezing to death.”

“Keep it.”

You pause, confused. “But, it’s your jacket. I’ll bring my own next time, don’t worry.”

“Keep it just in case.” Hyunjin smiles. “It looks cuter on you anyways.”

You’re left blushing at his words for the nth time tonight. Hyunjin simply grins as he backs away from your doorstep, heading back to his car.

“Good night, Y/N.” He says before leaving.

“Good night, Hyunjin.” You reply as you enter your apartment, shutting the door.

What an interesting night. You think to yourself as you get ready for bed. Snuggling under the covers and closing your eyes, you attempt to catch some sleep after your long day. But no matter how hard you try, your racing heart keeps you wide awake.

a/n: hehe I’m so glad to have gotten some time to write this weekend! It’s been a while, so I do feel like my writing’s a bit rusty, but I still wanted to share because this series makes me happy! I hope I conveyed the characters feelings well enough for you guys to enjoy it! Lemme know what you think about this chapter, I always appreciate your feedback 🫶

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