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the boy is bad news | h.hj smau

ch 32 - something’s changed

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

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.

wc: 2.9k

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He didn’t think much before grabbing his keys to leave after he read the messages from Chan. Seungmin, the man you’ve been madly in love with for over a year, is in a relationship with someone else. Hyunjin should be happy about this—he can finally make his move now that his competition is out of the picture. He can finally go all in and prove to you that he’s the one you should be with instead. He should be ecstatic at this chance to win your affections—but he isn’t.

His stomach is in knots as he approaches your door. From the moment he heard the news, Hyunjin’s mind went into a frenzy worrying about you. How will you take this? Will you be sad? Angry? He’s scared about you getting hurt, fearing the look you’ll give him when he tells you the news, the tears that may come, and most of all, how much it’ll crush him to watch your heart break.

The mere thought of your pained expression sends a pang to his chest. How should he comfort you? What could he do to alleviate the wound? Hyunjin jumps ahead of himself, contemplating how to handle the aftermath before he’s even sorted out a plan to reveal the news to you. His mind is racing almost as fast as his heart. He paces back and forth on the sidewalk in front of your apartment, hands making a mess of his hair as he struggles to formulate the right words to tell you.

What am I even doing here? Hyunjin thinks, hesitating to knock on the door. He shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with cold air to cool his nerves. Slowly, he opens them again, nearly leaping in shock when he sees you appear before him, your head poking out from the side of the door.

“I saw you from the window, do you want to come in?” You ask, brows furrowed in curiosity.

Hyunjin’s mind blanks for a moment as he processes your words and waits for the surprise from your sudden presence to wear off.

“Y-yeah. Thanks.” He mumbles. The uneasiness he feels from what he’s about to say, the flutter that thrills his heart upon seeing you in your adorably oversized pajama shirt, it all leaves him in a daze.

You lead Hyunjin to your living room, expecting him to take a seat on the couch, but he remains standing, so you stay standing as well.

“So, what did you need to tell me?” Your voice quivers as you speak.

Hyunjin looks anxious, fidgeting with his rings and combing his fingers through his hair repeatedly. You also start to feel jittery as you try to predict what it was that brought him to your doorstep tonight. Could it possibly be a confession, or was that just wishful thinking? The anticipation was killing you, and his nervous demeanor wasn’t doing anything to help you calm down.

“So…” Hyunjin clears his throat. “I just found something out that I think you’d be interested in knowing.” He slaps a hand to his head. “Ugh, interested is the wrong word, I don’t know how to explain this—“

He sighs and tries to start again. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m telling you this because I think you deserve to know sooner than later.”

“Damn it Hyunjin, can you just spit it out already? I have no idea what you’re talking about but you’re making me nervous.” You groan.

“I know, I’m sorry, I’m bad at explaining.” He pauses to look at you, his anxiety shooting through the roof.

“Seungmin is dating someone.”

Silence fills the room as you digest his words. Seungmin is dating someone. Your unrequited love story has finally come to an end. Deep down, you knew this day would come eventually. All the years you spent silently crushing on him, admiring him from afar and never daring to express your feelings—you knew it was a hopeless infatuation, a one-sided love affair. Is that why, in this moment of clarity, you don’t feel sad? You had prepared yourself for this outcome, and never really considered the possibility of your feelings ever being returned. Maybe that’s what made the blow less painful, easier to accept.

“Who is he dating?” You finally break the silence.

Hyunjin meets your gaze with apprehension, before hesitantly answering. “Yoona.”

Damn. You had a feeling there was something going on between them and your suspicions were right. It all made a lot of sense. They were two people on the same level—intelligent, ambitious, successful. Of course they make a perfect match, it would be naive to think that either of them would settle for anything less. But this realization couldn’t stop you from feeling a bit foolish. How humiliating is it to have ever believed you stood a chance against her? It’s obvious that she surpasses you in every imaginable category. You lost a battle you clearly weren’t qualified for, and to be told all of this by Hyunjin, who knows how much you’ve struggled to prove yourself to Seungmin and Yoona, was an even bigger embarrassment.

You’re frustrated with yourself for once again letting your ignorant fantasies get the best of you. You feel stupid. Realizing how pitiful you must look in front of Hyunjin, your eyes begin to sting with tears. He probably thinks you’re such a fool. He always teased you about your crush on Seungmin, and he must feel smug seeing how it played out in the end. Hyunjin sees the tears about to fall from your eyes and reaches a hand towards you, but you back away.

“Did you tell me this to rub it in my face?” You mutter, wiping your eyes with your T-shirt sleeve.

“What? No! Why would I do that?” Hyunjin retorts.

“I don’t know. You must think I look pathetic right now.” You sniffle.

“God, you’re so frustrating sometimes.” Hyunjin sighs. “I was worried about you this whole time…but now you’re somehow more upset at me than you are about the news.”

He plops down with a huff and leans his head back on the couch.

“I’m not upset at you…” You cautiously take a seat beside him. “I just feel a little embarrassed about the whole thing.”

“Embarrassed? What do you have to be embarrassed about?” Hyunjin questions. “Seungmin is the one who made a mistake, shouldn’t you be disappointed?”

“I don’t know, not really.”

Hyunjin looks at you with wide eyes. “So you’re okay with this?”

“I think so. I kind of expected this to happen for a while now, so I’m not as hurt by it.” You lean back on the couch next to him. “In a way, it’s a bit of a relief to finally let go of that part of my life. But I just feel stupid for holding on to that hopeless crush for so long.”

“I don’t think it was stupid.”

“I do.” You chuckle. “But I guess everyone’s a little stupid when they’ve caught feelings for someone else.”

“You can say that again.” He mutters. “But you can’t help who you fall for, so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed about what happened. Just because Seungmin didn’t feel the same doesn’t mean someone else won’t.”

You softly smile at his words. “I know, you’re right. I have a bad habit of looking down on myself. It just kind of sucks when the girl he ended up with is better than me on so many levels.”

“Y/N, stop comparing yourself to other people.” Hyunjin huffs. “Because there’s no one in the world who’s like you.”

Hearing him say that makes your heart jump and effectively shuts you up. “I’m sorry, I’m doing it again.” You mumble. “I’ll try to stop thinking like that.”

“Good, because I don’t like when you belittle yourself.” He frowns. “It makes me mad.”

You and Hyunjin sit side by side, gazing up at the ceiling. Your hands are tucked in your lap but your shoulders are touching. This simple physical contact somehow calms you down and you turn your head to look up at him. “Were you really worried about me?”

Still looking up at the ceiling, he answers. “I was.”

You lean your head into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. “Thank you, Hyunjin.”

“For telling you? Chan warned me against it, but I figured you’d want to know as soon as possible.”

“No, for worrying about me.”

Chuckling, he rests his head on yours. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

“Did you think I was going to take it badly?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think much to be honest. I just felt like I needed to tell you right away, and I was scared it would hurt you.”

You shift your head to sneak a glance at him and notice a light blush across his cheeks which brings a fuzzy feeling to your stomach.

“You’re sweet, Jinnie. I’m glad you came tonight.” You smile and snuggle into his side.

Hyunjin’s stomach erupts with butterflies. He stiffens momentarily at your touch before relinquishing his guard and melting into your embrace. Never did he think he’d find himself rushing to comfort a girl while she’s heartbroken over another guy, yet here he was, racing to be by your side. Everyone’s a little stupid when they’ve caught feelings, huh? Hyunjin knows he has affection for you, but he hadn’t realized how bad it really was until it was too late.

This is much worse than he ever imagined. Because presently, all he can think about is the touch of your head resting on his shoulder, the dizzying smell of your shampoo, the sound of your breathy laugh, and how desperate he is to hear it again. Hyunjin has already surrendered all of his pride, the ego he’s built for years now, never before losing to another man—to be beside the one girl who chose somebody else over him. But no matter how much it’s a jab to his pride, it hurts him more to see you sad. That’s why he’s here, and that’s why he’ll never leave, not until you ask him to.

Tonight, your smile was enough. Hyunjin is content knowing that you’ve taken the news well and that you’re okay. But he’d be lying if he said his impulsive decision to come over wasn’t slightly self-indulgent. After all, he wants you to be his, and hearing that you’re able to move on from your old crush is making him dangerously excited.

But his excitement will have to wait. Now is not the time to make any reckless moves. Hyunjin reminds himself to be patient, just like Chan told him. He already made a rash decision to come here and shouldn’t test his luck any further.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Hyunjin caresses your cheek before sitting up straight, causing you to shift your weight off his shoulder. “I’m sorry for barging in so suddenly tonight, I should probably leave.”

“But I don’t want you to go.” You speak without thinking. “I mean, I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

Hyunjin swallows his saliva, nervously avoiding your gaze. Yet, against his better judgement, he concedes. “Okay, I’ll stay with you.”

You immediately grin at his words, then blush in embarrassment at your giddy reaction.

“I’ll um, sleep on the couch then.”

“Are you sure? My bed is more comfortable though.” Hearing yourself turns you even redder. You can’t believe the words coming out of your mouth right now, yet you don’t take them back.

Hyunjin’s eyes widen at your suggestion. “I, uh, I don’t think I should.” He clears his throat. “I don’t want to intrude on your private space.”

Truthfully, Hyunjin would love nothing more than to spend the night in your bed—every night, for that matter. But he knows he’d be setting himself up for failure if he agrees to sleep beside you. There’s no chance in the world that he’d be able to hold back, no amount of self-control that could keep him from giving in to his true desires. You are much too tempting, even without trying, and Hyunjin fears he might end up doing something he’ll regret.

“I’ll sleep on the couch with you then.”

The words fall from your mouth before you could stop them. You’re as equally shocked as Hyunjin to hear yourself. You don’t know what’s come over you, but you just want to be close to him, as close as possible. Being around Hyunjin makes you feel safe. His presence brings you a special comfort that only he is capable of giving, and maybe you’re seeking solace from the hurt you’re feeling tonight. Or maybe you simply want to be close to him.

Regardless of the reason behind your insistence on spending the night together, your heart is dead-set on it. And after trying his best to maneuver out of this situation, Hyunjin’s defenses are down. He doesn’t have the will to say no to you, not when you’re looking at him with those irresistible pleading eyes, and especially not when his heart is screaming that he wants it too.

So you find yourselves laying together on the sofa. It’s silly really, choosing to sleep on this cramped piece of furniture over your much more spacious bed somehow makes you feel less uncomfortable, less…questionable.

Because beds are the place for intimate moments and sinful acts. Couches are more neutral, not as suggestive, friendly even. Nothing provocative could take place on a dingy couch. Then why is it so difficult for you to fall asleep? Why does it feel like your heart is beating out of your chest?

“You can lay on me if you want.” Hyunjin mentally curses at himself because he knows this is going to make things even more challenging for him, but you look so miserable trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in, he couldn’t stay silent.

Flustered realizing that Hyunjin noticed your restlessness, you silently take him up on his offer. When your head meets his chest, his arm swings around your shoulder and you both release a relieved sigh. You’re instantly relaxed, as if his arms were made to lull you to sleep. The touch of his silken skin against yours, the rhythmic raising and dropping his chest, his warm breath brushing past your cheek, it all felt too perfect.

You lift you head, greedy to catch a glimpse of him while he’s asleep. His eyelashes flutter with dreams and his lips were parted, releasing shallow pants. He’s too perfect. You think to yourself as you study his features. His plush lips always mesmerized you with how lush and rosy they always appear, not to mention how lavish they feel.

You’re entranced by him, his presence pulling you closer. Before you know it, you’re mere inches from his face, you can feel his breath on your lips, drawing you in.

As if he felt your gaze, Hyunjin slowly opens his eyes. You’re startled to be caught staring at him, your faces almost touching, his eyes fixed on yours. But he doesn’t question it, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he closes the distance, grazing his lips against yours before locking them in a kiss.

You’re both frozen, unmoving for a moment when your lips connect, as if teetering on the edge of a cliff, unsure if you’ll stay grounded or fall. The warmth from his lips sends a jolt of electricity through you, throwing you completely off-balance, and you take the plunge.

Hyunjin kisses you with restraint. His soft pecks lingering a bit too long, but never daring to cross the border of lust and sexual desire. He stays within the realm of unadulterated intimacy, though he struggles to withhold his passion. He doesn’t know how else to tell you—he was never any good with words—so instead he shows you, hoping you will understand by the way his lips move against yours, leisurely, savoring every moment, yet unsatisfied and longing for more.

He’s never kissed you like this. Or maybe, you’ve never kissed him like this. Hyunjin’s lips are firm in their movement, yet graze yours ever so delicately. You hope this is a lucid dream that you could take control of. You’d stop time and kiss him forever.

The illusion is broken when your humanity takes over, the need to fill your lungs causing you to release and gasp for air. Was it the lack of oxygen or the kiss itself that was making you lightheaded?

Hyunjin strokes your hair, lightly patting your head back down to his chest. You lay down, the sound of your racing pulse blasting in your ears.

“Good night, Y/N.” He whispers, choosing not to acknowledge what just happened.

“Good night, Hyunjin.” You reply, following along in his feigned ignorance.

You close your eyes and try to numb the adrenaline in your system. Resuming your position beside him, you can’t help but feel like something’s changed. The comfort that Hyunjin’s presence normally brings you is now replaced with intoxicating tension that you can’t ignore. You try your best to calm your heart, but to no avail—it was going to be a restless night.

a/n: some rare fluff for y’all~ you’re welcome 😇 I hope you guys enjoy this one! their dynamics are changing~~~ alas, we’re approaching the last arch of this series 😪 but i still have plenty in store for you guys! lemme know whatcha think, thanks for all the feedback 🫶

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