TOO HOT TO HANDLE.
PART IV
Seungmin x reader. (s)
Too Hot To Handle Masterlist
Synopsis: You and Seungmin become contestants in a reality dating show, Too Hot To Handle. (8,5k words)
Author's note: Enjoy the last part and let me know what you think about it :)
Even though you've been given the space that you asked for from Seungmin, being on your own makes you feel a little empty inside. Maybe you're so used to having him around and even when you're not in the same room, you know you can always find him nearby.
But this... having this much space doesn't help you find the answer. If anything, you find yourself unable to think or come close to a decision.
You're deep in your thoughts when Zane steps in, finding you lounging on the sun chair next to the cabana.
"Hi," he softly greets with a warm smile.
You return the smile, "Hi."
He comes closer and then sits on the end of the lounger, "How are you doing?"
You fold your hands in front of you and just say whatever is in your head, "I'm doing good," you reply with a normal answer.
Zane nods with his smile that doesn't wear off even for a second as he stares at your face.
"You have a nice smile," you compliment, "A nice, bright smile."
One compliment and he gets flustered already which you find very endearing.
"That's very nice of you. Thank you!" He says with a smile that grows bigger on his face.
He hesitantly places his hand on your knee and rubs his thumb on the skin that's warm from basking under the sun for some time.
"Are you comfortable with me?" He suddenly asks.
"Surprisingly yeah, I do feel comfortable," you honestly answer.
He slides his hand down to your shin, touching you as he speaks, "If you're comfortable with me... just know that my arms are open for you," he says.
Zane is not shy to be very open which is unlike most men you've met who chose to play it cool and have a superiority complex.
"My head is..." you pause to inhale air, "it's a mess right now."
He bobs his head, intently listening to you with his hand constantly rubbing up and down your shin.
"My attention has been shifted," you tell him.
He licks his lower lip and hesitantly asks, "To me?"
"To you, yeah," you confirm with a nod.
"With you, it's just... I don't know how to explain it. I just want to know you," you vaguely answer, unable to crack the need in your head into words.
"Probably because I offer a lot different than most of the men here," he says, sliding his hand down to wrap his hand around your ankle.
He squints as he looks at the sun then looks back at you with an intense stare into your eyes, "Fairly speaking, you haven't had a chance to learn about me," he says.
That's true. Things could have gone differently if Zane came before Seungmin and it's only fair if you give him the same chance you've given to Seungmin.
"Tell me something about yourself then," you let him have his chance.
Zane thinks for a moment for a piece of himself he wants to share with you.
"I grew up without a father so it's been just me and my mom.. all my life," he openly shares.
You didn't expect him to share a very personal thing about himself but you appreciate him for that.
"That's crazy because I went through the same thing too. My father walked out on me when I was five," you share back.
It's even crazier that you open up to him more than you intend to but maybe that proves a connection is there.
"I can relate to that cause I know the pain and that's something you and I could connect on a whole different level," Zane says, finding something in common with you that would help both of you to bond.
Zane rests his hand on your knee again and deeply looks into your eyes.
"I don't want you to think that I'm just my looks. There's far more than what you see," He adds with his smile disappearing from his face only to show you how earnest he is about his words. For now, you decide to take his words into account to see if there's a connection between you and him.
-
YOU: I'm getting to know Zane better but the fact that I care about Seungmin is making the whole situation even harder for me.
-
Something keeps tugging on your chest and as you go about your day, it keeps weighing you down and down, making it harder for you to breathe. You take advantage of the empty dressing room just to be with yourself but being alone with your own thoughts is not it either.
Someone walks into the room and your head turns to see who it is.
Vale makes his way to sit on the chair next to yours which is the one Adriana usually used to sit. He only smiles at you and does not say anything until he knows you accept his presence well.
"How are you?" Vale asks.
"I'm not doing good," you honestly say with a sad smile on.
Vale thinly smiles and rests both hands on the armrest of the chair.
"So... where are you at with Seungmin and Zane and all of your men?" He playfully asks as he leans back on the chair.
If there's someone you can safely share your deepest thoughts with it's with Vale so you let yourself open and pour all your worries to him to see if he can help you make up your mind. You pull your legs up and hug them as you sit facing him on your chair, "I feel bad to say it but I want to get to know Zane," you answer.
"Is it because he's hot?" He asks with a low laugh.
You chuckle at that, "Well, that's like ... my old tendency," you playfully respond.
"It was fun and game at first then I realized that there could be something deeper than that. That's one of the reasons why I am drawn to Zane," you explain as best as you can about the dilemma you're going through right now.
Vale does his thing of rubbing his beard as he talks, "What are you going to do now?"
You shake your head, feeling even more confused whenever someone asks you that.
"I honestly don't know," you honestly answer, "but I am leaning towards Zane at this moment."
You throw your head back and stare at the ceiling as you let yourself be completely open and bare.
"I don't know it's the connection that I have with Zane and that we could be a potential match or..." You rake your hair to the back and sigh, "I'm running from Seungmin."
It's not hard to know what Vale thinks, there's a big chance that he thinks it's the latter but the only one who knows what you truly feel is yourself, no one doesn't know how confusing it is for you. Your head feels like it's about to explode from all the thinking that it's taking a toll on you and tears are forming in your eyes as you stare at the void.
"I don't know what to do," you mutter with a quivering voice.
Vale grabs your hand and holds it tight, letting you know that you're not alone and you have his back.
"I don't want to give you unsolicited advice or preaching you but do you want to hear what I think?" He politely asks.
You nod with tears already pooling on the corner of your eyes and you quickly dab it with the heel of your hand.
Vale leans forward and looks at you as he utters his thoughts at you, "I think it would be unfortunate to see your abandonment or trust issues get in the way of your connection," he says.
However, Vale decides to not force his thought on you, he places his other hand on you, sandwiching your hand between his.
"You have a big decision to make because if you choose Zane then you'll lose Seungmin," Vale simplifies things for you.
You're aware of the things you could've gained and lost if you choose one over another because apparently, you can't have it all and the world sucks like that.
-
YOU: This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make [exhales air]
-
The amount of make-up you put on wouldn't be enough to cover what you truly feel underneath. Your head is close to short-circuiting from thinking day in and day out, trying to find the answers to everything. However, Zane always finds you there, sitting alone, and uses it as a chance to make a move on you. You don't mind at all, you need all the distraction you need but more importantly, some assurances from him.
"What's up?" He asks, taking a seat opposite you.
You stay quiet and assess yourself to find an answer to his simple question.
"There's like... a whirlwind in my head," you answer a few minutes too late.
He looks a little concerned by your answer, "Yeah?"
"I just need to know if this," your hand gestures to him and you, "this connection is real."
Zane understands what you're actually asking him. He leans forward with his elbows planted against his knees, "I think you're beautiful. I think you're sweet. I like your personality, your attitude, I like you as a whole person."
You smile and nod at his compliments, letting him finish with what he has to say to you.
"I think you might be the one," he confidently says.
And that takes you aback. You know that he's not the type to hesitate talking his thoughts out loud but that's just blew you away.
"Do I make you nervous?" He asks with a shy smile.
You stifle a nod.
"There's no one else in this villa that I'm attracted to like that," he adds.
You're not yet able to wrap your head around the fact that Zane is a sweet guy which is the opposite of what he looks like. But you need more than just his good intentions.
"I need to know if there's something there," you tell him.
"There's something there. No doubt," he says with so much faith in his words.
You can't tell if he wants to impress you or if he has that much faith in you two, you can only chuckle and admire his confidence.
"I would love it if we share a bed tonight," His confidence fades a little as he asks you that.
"You know, just to explore our connection," he immediately adds, not wanting to give you the wrong ideas.
Well, that has been your intention all along, to find out if this connection is real or not. However, it's not going to be easy when you have someone's feelings to consider.
"I'll think about it," you tell him.
-
YOU: If I don't explore things with Zane, then I'll never know if it was a real connection. On the other hand, I really do like Seungmin and I care a lot about him so what am I supposed to do? [Cries] Fuck!
-
Seungmin is giving you the space you need so he has no idea where things stand between you and Zane or how far you have known each other but he's hoping to hear something from you.
The day almost ends when you finally come up to him and ask, "Can I talk to you?"
Seungmin doesn't want to expect because he doesn't want to be disappointed but he can't help hoping to hear good news from you soon. He follows you to the dressing room and sits on the chairs next to each other. A couple of minutes have passed and you haven't started talking yet.
He looks at you and puts on a smile, "You know you can talk to me."
You return the smile with a sad one and lay your hands flat on your thighs, "You know that I like you and I don't feel what I feel for you for anyone else," you begin.
By you saying that, he guesses that you have something unpleasant to tell him afterward so he prepares himself for the worst.
"Yes," he nods.
"But I... I'm going to sleep with Zane tonight," you say in one breath, not wanting to have to repeat those words to him.
Seungmin always thinks no matter what the situation is he can be mature and handle it well but this hurts. He manages to stay calm but his heart shatters, it's certainly not what he hoped to hear from you.
"I do care about you and that's why I'm telling you this," you say with a trembling breath.
"Okay," he casually responds because that's what his brain can compute at the moment.
You look down at your hands on your lap and sniffle, "I hope you understand that I don't want to walk out of here and wonder 'what if?' I need to see how it goes," you explain.
He understands your good intentions in telling him about this but he can't help it, it's painful to know that you choose someone else over him.
"Thank you for telling me," he calmly says without showing how disappointed he is about this.
You let a moment pass to let everything sink in and then ask, "What do you think?"
Well, what do you think? Seungmin has no other choice but to tell you how he truly feels.
"It's fucking sucks," he bitterly says, letting his anger erupts for a split second.
"I told you I feel something for you that I've never felt with anyone else. I want you in my bed," he utters everything he wants but not getting from you.
He holds the armrest of the chair so hard his knuckle turns white, he quietly inhales air to calm himself down and then continues talking.
"But if you feel like that is your chance at happiness then that's something that I have to give to you," he concludes.
In the end, everyone wants to be happy even though he has to be the one not getting his own happiness, he's willing to do that for you.
"I don't know if this is my chance at happiness, I still need to figure it out," you say with another sniffle.
He can't believe that the first time he feels a sense of love toward someone like this it would hurt this much which only makes him realize how genuine and tremendous his feelings for you.
-
SEUNGMIN: People say that if you love someone, you set them free and that's what I'm doing here.
-
In his profession, this is what they call a curveball. It's something difficult and unpleasant to deal with, one that he can't hit away because he didn't see it coming in the first place.
"Aren't you going to bed?" You lowly ask.
Seungmin stares at the void instead of looking at you, "I just need a minute," he says.
You take it as a sign to leave, you rise from your chair and head for the doorway. You stop on the way out to look over your shoulder to say, "Goodnight."
Without looking, Seungmin answers back, "Goodnight."
When he's finally alone in the room, he leans back on his chair and stares at the ceiling as his heart breaks into smithereens.
There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Seungmin can only try to put on a brave face but he's struggling so hard when he sees you on the bed with someone else.
"Oh, no," he can hear someone quietly mutter when he steps into the bedroom.
Everyone can see what is going on in the room, how he walks to his bed with his soul feeling like it has left his body and it's merely just the vessel.
He has to share it with the new girl by default and worse is, the bed is right next to yours and he can hear the low chatter between you and Zane.
"Do you like cuddling?"
"I am, yeah."
"That's just perfect."
Seungmin lays on his bed trying to shut the world and into his head, reminding himself of what kind of person he is, it's a shame that it doesn't work out with you so it's time to give his time to someone who truly acknowledges his worth.
At the end of the day, Seungmin is relieved that he stands his ground and that he will never be the person who has to persuade someone to be with him.
-
SEUNGMIN: I really like her but this seems like the end for us.
-
The morning comes and you feel like waking up in an alternate universe. There's nothing wrong with Zane, he's a great guy and you like sharing a bed with him. This feels nice but feels wrong at the same time and you don't know how that happens. He smiles when he notices you're already awake, turning to the side to face you so he can look at your face.
"I can get used to this," he says with a foolish grin on his face.
There's no denying that he likes you and you can see that from the way he treats you, and how he makes you feel comfortable around him but instead of feeling assured, you feel more befuddled.
The lights are on and everyone starts to wake up as well, sleepy faces and all. You refuse to see the bed next to you because you know how that'll make you feel.
"How's everyone sleep?" Elliott asks around while half yawning.
"Good," Jeff shortly replies.
The others give various answers but they're mostly positive then when it comes to Seungmin, you immediately shrink in your bed.
"I didn't sleep at all," He answers.
Everyone knows the reason why but they choose not to meddle further into his business and Lana comes just in time.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Morning, Lana!" Zane excitedly responds, putting his hand on you.
"As we approach the end of the retreat, it is time for our more established couples to start looking towards the future and how their relationships might progress in the outside world," she announces.
You don't know where you stand right now because your head feels like it's been splitting in so many ways, you don't know where you are anymore.
"For those of you who are struggling to commit to a single emotional connection, it is time to focus your energy and make a choice."
Welp, that's you. Lana specifically says that to you and you shrink further in your bed, tempted to hide under the cover like a fucking loser.
"Please consider this today as you do not have long left."
It's like Lana doesn't care about how much pressure she just adds onto you.
"Goodbye," she finishes with a grim farewell.
-
YOU: Waking up next to Zane feels good but I feel guilty about Seungmin and it only confuses me so much more than before.
-
The day has just started but it seems like it won't get any better. Vale comes into the dressing room while the girls are still doing their makeup, knocking on someone's closet to get everyone's attention.
"Can you guys gather in the cabana in 10 minutes?"
"Wh–what is it?" Adriana asks in confusion with only one fake eyelash on.
"Is it Lana?" You ask, carefully sipping your coffee.
"Just come to the cabana," he says, skipping on explaining why everyone has to come.
You decide to do your eye makeup later and apply mascara so your eyes won't look tired, not forgetting to put on a tinted lip balm before heading to the cabana with the girls.
The rest are already waiting in there and you guess it must be Lana, you start to get nervous that your time to make a decision has come.
"Which one of you guys broke the rules?" Tom asks.
"No one breaks any rules," Vale says with a chuckle.
Once everyone settles in their seats, Vale gets up and takes a stand in front of everyone. He puts his hands in front of him and then rubs them together.
"So guys, I have something to say here," he starts.
You look up at him because he's just that tall and listen to what he has to say.
He looks at everyone and continues, "My time here has been great."
"No..." Elliott softly gasp.
You don't want to assume but you know what it's about and you don't want to hear it. Everyone seems to get to where he's heading with this conversation.
"No, no!" Adriana exclaims in denial.
Vale sadly chuckles at her reaction and continues talking, "But it's time for me to go."
Everything becomes a blur with tears clouding your eyes and when you close them, you feel tears roll down both of your cheeks, hot and wet, full of sadness.
"It's just what's best and I'm not sad about it, honestly, guys," Vale's voice is trembling in places.
You keep closing your eyes even though you know you can't avoid the reality but it helps you from breaking down.
"I've learned a lot. I made friendships and got to know a group of amazing people here," Vale keeps going with his speech.
You hear sniffles and groans around you, guess you're not the only one brokenhearted by this sudden exit.
"In order for me to progress and get to the next level of personal growth, I would've needed to make an emotional connection, and that—" Vale has to pause to get ahold of his emotions.
"I didn't find that here so uh—" he can't even finish his words without getting emotional.
Vale knows what he wants but he can't find it here so he decides to take himself out of the equation to find it somewhere else and you know Vale will find it, he will because he deserves everything in life if not more.
"It's important that you guys know that it's been amazing here. The best part of this is this," he gestures to everyone in the room, "you guys."
Vale has been nothing but a positive energy in the villa, his kindness and his gentle presence are one of a kind and everyone acknowledges that his exit would make a hole in their hearts.
Tom is holding back his tears to say something to him, "Thank you for being such a positive energy in here, man I– I'm genuinely upset that you leave," he says, choking on his words in the middle.
When it's your turn to bed a farewell, you hug him tightly and cry even harder into his chest. You know it's for the better but you just can't stop the tears from streaming down your face. You can't accept the fact that he leaves at a time when you need him the most.
"You'll figure it out," he mutters on the top of your head as he tenderly rubs your back.
-
YOU: He's like a big brother to me, he helps me become the person I've become so far I–I'm so devastated that he's leaving [cries]
-
You take a moment to process Vale's unexpected exit on your own in the bedroom. You get to make peace with it once you remind yourself that it's not the end of your friendship and you'll eventually meet again, one day in the outside world.
You see the bedroom door swing open and see Adriana come through it.
"Hey," she says while quietly closing the bedroom door behind her.
"Hey," you weakly reply, wiping your snotty nose.
She comes to your bed then sits cross-legged facing you, "Just want to check on you. Are you okay?"
You put on a thin smile and prop a pillow behind your head, "I'm okay," you answer.
She nods then takes the cushion into her lap, squeezing on it as she tries to check on your true condition, "How are things?"
It seems like she's no longer asking you about Vale, she asks you about the Zane-Seungmin question. Considering that you don't have much time, you're open to any advice at this point.
"I don't know what to feel. I'm so confused," you honestly answer.
"Do you... feel unfulfilled with Seungmin?" She carefully asks, not trying to offend you in any way.
"No," you immediately reply.
"It's just that when I look at Zane, it's just different from when I look at Seungmin but at the same time, I like Seungmin a lot."
Words can't even justify how you feel and how tangled your thoughts are inside your head.
"I see but do you see a deeper connection with Zane?"
You lightly shake your head, "I don't know."
You take a deep breath and not letting yourself get emotional this time, "I feel like I've been through this so many times because in the past every time a guy came by and caught my attention, I'd immediately jump ship," you share.
Adriana repeatedly nods while her hands are playing with the tassels on the cushion, "Is it because you're not ready for a deeper connection with Seungmin that you're scared?"
That question hits you right in the chest, you know the true answer to that, "I'm scared."
If you pursue Zane, do you think you're making the same mistake you did in the past?" She asks another hard-hitting question.
You can't find the answer to it, "I don't know."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," you desperately sigh.
"What is your heart telling you to do?"
You can't find the answer again, "I don't know."
Adriana nods again and tries to conclude what she gets from your answers. She reaches for your shoulder and gently rubs it.
"I think what you and Seungmin have is so beautiful. It'd be sad if you throw that away just because you're scared."
It's indeed beautiful and you don't know why you want to throw that away.
-
YOU: My head is... all over the place so I'm going to have to give myself some time alone to think.
-
Everyone in the dressing room is startled to hear the cone chimes. It startles you more that Lana calls for your name the first thing she comes online.
"Yes, Lana?" You answer with a groggy tone.
"Please, can I talk to you privately in the cabana?" Lana politely asks but it's not a question, it's a command.
"Right now?"
"Yes, immediately."
Everyone is giving you uneasy glances but you hurriedly finish your makeup, applying some colors to your cheek before heading to where Lana asks you to be. It feels strange to be there by yourself, you choose to sit in the middle of the sofa and face the cone.
Lana chimes once more and goes straight to business, "As you know, I'm here to help you make deeper, more meaningful connections. I can see you are struggling to commit to just one person."
You guess that Lana has given you the time to make a decision but it's the last chance she's going to give to you. You keep gulping air because you're not ready yet, your mind goes two different ways at once.
"With the retreat nearing an end, I'm offering you the opportunity to make a choice once and for all," Lana says.
You know it's going to end up with Lana taking matters into her own hands and you don't know if that's a good thing.
"You must choose only one to take on a date and in doing so, finally commit to one connection."
You ball your hands into fists on your lap, feeling a mix of feelings and your head is close to exploding.
"Oh, my god," you breathlessly gasp, "I don't know, Lana. I don't know."
Lana doesn't want to hear another excuse from you to avoid making decisions, "You have 15 minutes to make a decision."
Your heart palpation and you feel so stressed thinking about your choices and what's going to happen if you choose one over another.
As you delve deeper into your head and heart, you find yourself in a moment of clarity and realize that Zane is your comfort zone. The reason why you're drawn to him is because he offers something new but there's nothing deeper there.
On the other hand, Seungmin is out of your comfort zone because he actually takes you to new emotional places and you feel things more deeply with him hence why you're so scared.
Fifteen minutes pass in the blink of an eye and Lana asks you the final question, "Who do you choose to go on a date with you?"
There's a part of you that has to decide if you want to be this new person leaving this retreat. You look into yourself once again to find the answer and once you find it, you steadfastly answer, "I choose..."
-
YOU: This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make and I hope it's the right decision.
-
Even though he's angry, Seungmin so badly wants you to come back to him but he should bury that deep in his heart. You seem to have come to a decision and it's not him. Last night was the proof of it and that assures him that he shouldn't wait in uncertainty.
Now that there's nothing he can do more here, he considers leaving the retreat like Vale did but he has to hold that thought when the cone in the bedroom chimes and he's the only one there.
"Seungmin," Lana calls his name.
Seungmin fumbles to get up from his bed and sits on the edge of the bed, "Yes, Lana?"
"I have given her the chance to choose between you and Zane to go on a date," Lana informs.
Something warm floods his heart but he won't let it blossom until he knows for sure what he's about to hear is good news.
"She has chosen to go on a date with you," Lana continues.
He needs a moment to register that information into his brain but Lana is urging him to answer her next question.
"Seungmin, will you agree to attend?"
He should be happy to hear that you chose him but that also gives him an impression that you have a fickle mind and he's not sure if he wants to deal with that.
"I must press you for an answer," Lana urges him, "Will you attend?"
After everything that happened, Seungmin doesn't know if he wants to do this.
-
SEUNGMIN: If she chooses to come back to me, I don't know what I'm going to do but I want to hear what he has to say.
-
The date is located on the part of the villa Seungmin has never been to. He walks there dressed neatly for a date, a date that he didn't expect to happen under this kind of circumstance. He arrives there to see you sit with your back facing the entrance and not acknowledging his presence until he places his hand on your shoulder.
"Oh, my God!" You gasp to see him there.
You shoot up from your chair to exchange a quick hug with him and he can't lie, he misses the warmth of your body against him.
"I think we need to talk about this," he says as he lets go of the hug.
"Yes," you answer.
He takes the seat opposite you and places his hands under the table, ready to listen to what you have to say. But before that, he has something to say to you.
"Last night, when you told me you were going to sleep with Zane. It made me realize that I don't want to be away from you but I obviously don't want to force you to be with me," he starts.
These past few days have been overwhelming, draining him both physically and mentally, he doesn't want to go through the same thing, hanging in uncertainty and not knowing where you lead him.
"I've never felt this way to someone before but I can't do this if you're going to constantly have these doubts," he continues.
Seungmin places his hands on the table and stacks them together in front of him. It's time to ask you the question that he's sure you already have the answer to because why would he bother to be here if it wasn't for that?
"My question remains the same. What do you want?"
-
SEUNGMIN: I need her to communicate with me and be open and honest. Otherwise, I'm about to walk away forever.
-
For the last hour, you've been anxiously waiting whether he'd come or not to the point that your body shakes and your palms are sweating. Deep down, you know you deserve it if he chose to stand you up but Gosh, you can't imagine how devastated you would be.
Seungmin is here now and it's such a great relief, and now he demands the answer to his question: What do you want? Before you get to that, you owe him an apology for what you did. You swallow air before start speaking.
"The decision I made last night was very selfish and hurts you a lot. I'm sorry," you sincerely apologize.
Your body is shaking still but it's for a different reason, opening up yourself to someone is scary but you have to try. You grip the hem of your dress for something to hold on to.
"I know that I have a connection with you and I know that it's real. When I look at you, I get this feeling that I've never had before but I also don't understand it in a way," you utter your thoughts as best as you could.
Seungmin wants you to be open and that's what you're doing right now, you're ignoring how your chest hurts as you let your heart out.
"Trust me when I say I was really pushing myself to walk away from you because I am terrified," you bite back your tears and swallow them down to continue talking, "I am terrified because I felt like you are going to leave me at some point."
Seungmin has been getting nothing from you and accepting everything as it is when in fact you owe him an explanation of why you did what you did.
"It all goes back to when I was five when my father walked out on me and that made me think that I'm not worthy of love, that I'm not good enough."
The more you try to keep the lump in your throat the more it feels like it burns you like a hot coal. You let them spill, letting your tears flood your eyes and down your cheeks.
"I find myself doing this a lot in the past because I don't want to get hurt. I'm just trying to protect my heart," you barely made it to the end of the sentence without getting choked on your tears.
"That was an easy defense mechanism but I understand," Seungmin says.
His hand makes its way to you and not stopping until he finds your hand, he holds it tight in his. He smiles as he looks into your teary eyes.
"Thank you for opening up," he mutters.
"I've never done this before. I've never opened my heart to anyone, ever," you tell him with a trembling voice.
You quickly wipe your tears with the back of your hands even though they won't stop coming out of your eyes.
"I'm scared shitless right now," you admit with a dry chuckle.
He stares into your eyes with the warmth that you missed terribly much, giving you this instant sense of comfort you can't find anywhere else.
"I feel things and I don't know if it's love because I've never been in love before," you confess.
You bravely hold his gaze as you look into his eyes and in those eyes, you find the strength to finally give him your answer, "But I want to know what it is and I want to do it with you.”-
-
YOU: It was scary but I'm glad I'm taking that step and I want this, I want to explore this to the fullest with him.
-
This is exactly what Seungmin wanted to hear from you and now he gets it, he thinks that it's beautiful how you come out of your shell, shedding a layer of yourself and letting him see more of you.
"I'm just going to be honest," he says.
He rubs the back of your hand with his thumb as he speaks, "When I'm looking at you, I know what I feel is love," he openly tells you.
It's a new feeling but he knows for sure that it's love and it's pure, intense, and overpowering, he loves you and that feels right.
You brush your tears with the heel of your hand and smile at him, "Thank you for seeing me, coming here for me," you mutter.
You hold his hand back and intertwine your hand with his, "Thank you for being so patient," you add.
With you, Seungmin learns that loving someone means giving that someone power over him and he doesn't mind that because it's not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength.
"It sounds like we're both going to take a big step together into the unknown," he says with a soft smile.
You nod with a smile on your tears-streaked face, "But this time, we have each other," you finish his sentence.
And with you, Seungmin gets to know that he can have this much love inside of him and he can share it with someone yet he'll never run out of it.
The chime on both of your watches takes you by surprise. Seungmin rises from his seat and comes up to you, holding his hand out at you to help you get up from your chair. He holds your face with both hands and looks at your face, a face that he longs to see, and then slowly, he leans in to kiss you.
The kiss is such a long time coming, it breaks his heart open and ails his pain. He pours out the content of his heart into this kiss, hoping that you get to feel it through his lips how sincere and how deep his feelings for you are.
He breaks the kiss to say something to you, "You are worthy of love."
He holds the sides of your face with eyes overflowing with fondness, "You are good enough."
With all of his heart, he says the three words that have been on the tip of his tongue, "I love you."
And then he seals those words with a long, lingering kiss on your forehead.
-
SEUNGMIN: To see her finally take this step, face her fear, and put it out there for me [smiles] this moment is everything.
-
The first thing you do when you get back to the villa is to find Zane. You have so much respect for him to not give him an explanation on why you chose Seungmin.
In the bedroom, you find him lying on his bed and he looks like he knows that you chose Seungmin and went on a date with him.
"Hey, how are you doing?" You ask, sitting on the bed next to his.
He gets up to sit on the bed and fixes his shirt, "Good. You?"
"Good," you shortly answer.
You carefully pick your words before letting them out but it's always best to start with an apology, "I want to apologize for not choosing you."
Zane gets quiet for a moment then he scratches the back of his head, "I'm disappointed because I did not see that coming."
"Well, I think you're an amazing guy, inside and out," you genuinely compliment him because that's what he's been to you, an amazing guy.
"Thank you."
"But I have this connection with Seungmin, a connection that I've never felt before and I want to explore it with him," you explain.
Zane nods and folds his leg under him, "It's okay. I think I had my hopes up too high but I'm not mad at you."
It's a great relief that he has the heart to accept your rejection well and you appreciate him so much, he really is a great guy and he deserves more.
"Thank you for understanding and once again, I'm sorry," you apologize one more time because it feels like you're not apologizing enough.
Zane puts on a smile, "I appreciate your apology and honestly, I just want you happy."
It's heartwarming to know that he wishes good things for you and you're grateful that things end well between the two of you.
"Thank you, Zane," you say again.
You both get up from the bed to end things on a good note with a nice, friendly hug.
Tonight has been bittersweet.
But mostly, you are thankful for so many things. You are grateful for Seungmin and his patience despite you putting him through so much. You are grateful for Zane who has been so understanding. Lastly, you are grateful for you for allowing yourself to be vulnerable.
Things wouldn't have ended like this with Seungmin's head resting on your lap and everything goes back into its place. You tenderly brush his fluffy hair and caress his cheek, getting that feeling that you're exactly where you should be.
"It's going to be okay now," you mutter to him.
Seungmin softly smiles and catches your hand to place a kiss on it, "It is now."
-
YOU: I appreciate this moment so much and I'll remember this for all my life [smiles]
-
A part of you can't believe that you have come to the end but this is it, this is the last day of the retreat.
You wake up with a smile as you turn your head to the side and see Seungmin there. You nuzzle your head, peppering his cheek and jaw with soft kisses then put your arm across his chest.
"My handsome man," you murmur as you place another kiss on his cheek.
He gets back to you by burying his head in your neck and tickles you there, his teeth faintly scraping the thin skin. Lana's chime interrupts the playful moment.
"Welcome to your final day in the retreat," Lana says.
Everyone is cheering in reaction and Jeff throws a cushion across the room, "Let's make the most of it!" He excitedly shouts.
"Later on today, I'll announce who has won the $79,000 prize fund," Lana informs.
"Guys..." Seungmin calls everyone.
All the heads in the room are turning to him now and Seungmin pushes himself up to sit with his back against the headboard of the bed, "I'm deeply sorry but we spent 40 grand last night," he mutters with a regretful expression.
You see everyone reacts differently but what catches your attention is the way Adriana's jaws hang open and the way Tom's eyes widen once they hear what Seungmin said.
"What?" Devon gasps, holding her hair out of her ear.
You exchange a look with Seungmin then nods, "False alarm, everybody!" He announces that it's just a joke.
That seems to knock down the tension that is about to build in the room. You point toward Tom and Adriana's bed and burst into laughter, "Your faces... oh, my gosh!"
"There are 12 hours left of my retreat. Use them wisely," Lana finishes.
-
YOU: We were the most persistent rule breakers but now our connection is something deeper than that [smiles]
-
While everyone else is busy talking about who's likely to win the prize money, you use the time to have a look back on how far you've grown in this retreat.
It's obvious that you've been through a lot but that allowed you to learn a lot of lessons, you learned to let your guard down, you learned that it's okay to feel loved and to deserve love, to let love in and be vulnerable. The one thing you learned the hard way is that the next best thing isn't always the next best thing.
This retreat has taught you a lot and you're proud of what you have become, a different person from when you first came into the retreat.
This time, you feel anything but nervous as you walk to the cabana. You can't believe that you're saying this but you're just sad that it's coming to an end.
One thing for sure is you're not going to miss hearing that melodic chime.
"Hi, everyone."
"Hello, Lana!" You cheerily reply.
"As you know, the prize fund now stands at $79,000."
"That's a whole lot of money," Tom comments while rubbing his hands together.
"Since your arrival in the retreat, I've been observing your behavior. Your ups and downs, your mistakes and breakthroughs.
"She knows everything. She's kind of nosy, eh?" Cara jokingly says, earning a few laughs from here and there.
"Now, it's time to announce my finalists," Lana further informs.
-
YOU: She knows everybody's journey so I trust Lana's decision.
-
"While I acknowledge that you have all shown impressive emotional development. I have identified four individuals who stand out for their transformative journeys."
Seungmin thinks that you must have the same mind with him that regardless of who wins the money, you both are happy to have met each other here and that is something that no one can value with material things.
And no matter who wins, he'll be happy for them.
"The first finalist is... Devon and Elliott. I have decided to nominate you together as a couple."
Everyone gives them a round of applause as they take a stand while Lana explains the list of things that earned them a spot as finalists.
Everyone gets tensed once again as Lana is about to announce the next two finalists and would likely win the money.
"The next finalist is... Seungmin."
It's not about the money to him, Seungmin feels proud that his growth is being acknowledged and it feels somehow rewarding. He looks down at you and wishes that you take the next spot because you grow so much in the retreat and fuck anyone who says that he's being biased, he knows you deserve it.
Just like Lana reads through his mind, she calls for your name as the last finalist. He enthusiastically takes you into a hug and having a moment together.
"As a pair, you have empowered each other to change. Therefore, you too, are nominated as a couple," Lana announces.
Everyone gives you two a round of applause too and Adriana is the one who can't stop squealing in happiness. He holds your hand because it feels like he's about to float away from this much happiness.
"Finalists, please make your way to the beach and await further instructions," Lana orders.
-
SEUNGMIN: I feel like she deserves it more from how much she has grown in this retreat. But to stand as finalists together... it's just perfect [Grins]
-
As you wait for everyone back in the cabana to vote, Elliott pops open the bottle of champagne and the white wine spurts out of it. he hurriedly fills the glasses and initiates a toast.
"Cheers!" Everyone exclaims as glasses are clinking against each other in the middle.
"Who would have thought the most spending couples become the finalists, huh?" Elliott says.
You chuckle once you swallow down your wine and say, "Well, not me."
The sun is sinking lower into the horizon when the rest of the guests are finally joining you on the beach. A few more bottles of champagne are being opened and glasses are being passed around.
while we wait for Lana to come, everyone is reminiscing about their time here in the retreat, both good and bad, they're just as precious.
It turns quiet when the cone chimes in and probably for the last time, ever.
"Hello, everyone," Lana greets.
"Hi, Lana!" You sweetly respond. Oh, how you're going to miss it.
"During your time at my retreat, you have broken the rules 14 times," Lana informs.
"Geez!" Jeff exclaims.
"Y'all was having too much fun," Tom grumbles then breaks a laugh after.
"Throughout your stay, I've observed people commit to the process and ultimately make a significant change."
Adriana raises her champagne flute to the air and says, "It's all thanks to you Lana."
Everyone agrees with her and also raises their glasses to the air to give Lana a toast.
"Finalist, your fellow retreat guests have been voting for the winning couple and the time has come to announce the winners."
Your heart is pounding and at times, you feel like it's about to jump out of your chest. You hold Seungmin's hand before getting up from your seats per Lana's order.
"The votes have been counted and only one couple can check out with the $79,000 prize fund."
Seungmin pulls you close to his side with a hand resting on the small of your back. He looks at you and you look back at him, you both couldn't ask for more but who can say no to that much money?
"The winning couple by 6 votes to 1 is..."
You suddenly turn deaf from all the screams and cheers coming your way, not realizing that Lana has announced the winners. Once it hits you that you are the winner along with Seungmin, you let out a high-pitched scream.
-
YOU & SEUNGMIN: $79,000 whoo!
YOU: [Looks at Seungmin] What the fuck??
SEUNGMIN: [Laughs]
-
It turns into a hugging fest in a minute but it's also a farewell to everyone. Seungmin lets himself savor the moment because it's one that he'll never get to experience again.
"We're all winners! Let's party!" Jeff shouts.
More bottles are popped open and the glasses are being refilled with more wine, everyone is having fun and enjoying the last moment in the retreat with the beautiful sunset in the background.
Everyone is busy having fun and forgets that Lana hasn't done talking yet. She comes one last time to deliver the last announcement, one that Seungmin anticipates the most.
"My retreat is officially over. The rules no longer apply."
He wastes no time to pull you close and kisses you hard like he wanted. It blows his mind that he gets to kiss you as he pleases as of now and other than that, it's the future that awaits him and you. It's exciting but also scary but you know what?
With you, Seungmin has no reason to be afraid.
-
SEUNGMIN: It was such an amazing experience.
YOU: And we can't wait to get out of here so we can f—
-
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