millennium bug โ e. sohn
pairing: eric sohn x fem! reader
genre: 90s au, twenty-five twenty-one au, brother's best friend au, childhood friends au, fluff, slice of life, coming of age. older brother! sunwoo. essentially just eric being baek yijin. oct-nov scenes inspired by weak hero class 1. no plot just vibes im sorry
warnings: minimal swearing and thats all lol
word count: 19k
a/n: posting a fic for a new fandom is always so scary pls be nice to me deobiblr bc im literally abt to cry. also yes i am calling this a 2521 au bc the plot is so heavily inspired it might just be one. a special thank you goes out to @csenke for dragging me into stanning this group i am enjoying myself ๐ค
there are some pros and cons to not having friends growing up. cons: you're always forced to tag along with your brother and his group wherever he goes. pros: his childhood best friend is kind of hot.
JUNE OF 1999
Being Kim Sunwooโs younger sister is no bed of roses sometimes.
Sure, you get the occasional excitement of having him bring you rollerskating with you down the hill or the ever so rare moments of him defending you in front of your mother when you two have done something wrong (while never saying he was in on the bad act as well, of course), but more than often, you are met with his disgusted looks and insults whenever the two years older boy passes by your room and casually bangs at the door just to spite you.
His snarky looks are especially ones to remember. Maybe itโs because he offers them to you oftenโ much like in this very moment, completely unprovoked, and completely not by your fault.
โBut mumโโ
โI already told you, Sunwoo,โ your mother looks at him with a stern look in her eye, the one that makes chills run down your spine, โyou can go if you take Y/N with you.โ
โBut nobodyโs bringing their sister! Mum, come onโโ
โTake it or leave it, young man.โ
And see, your brother may be 19 years old, but heโs still in need of getting permission to leave the house if it includes an overnight stay. Itโs an unspoken rule he always follows, since heโs usually granted the right to leave, but the result of his conversation was different than what he expected this time. And see, you may be just two years younger than him (one year left until you are an adult), but even though your mother is too busy to take care of you and entertain your slowly adultling self on most days because of her highly demanding job, she always makes sure that you donโt stay alone for long, and thatโs exactly why (you realize, contrary to your brother) she insists on making you tag along on Sunwooโs trip to the beach house with his friends.
The male grunts and turns on his heel, not giving your mother another responseโ and with this, you know she won. And that means youโll have to pack your bag soon, because you know that thereโs no way Sunwoo would miss going to the beach house with his friendsโ even if it meant making his little sister tag along.
And sure enough, Lee Juyeonโs minivan pulls up into your driveway only a few hours later, and the sound of the honking outside is enough for your older brother to aggressively drag you outside of the house, shutting the door behind you and hollering an angry โBye mum!โ to your mother. Your figure is handled with the least amount of care possible as youโre thrown towards the white van, the door opened and 5 heads already peeking out with expecting eyes, waiting for your brotherโs arrival.
โMy mum made my stupid sister go with me, so I hope we have space for one more,โ Sunwoo huffs as he throws his bag into the trunk, slamming it with more force than was necessary (boy does he know how to throw a scene), an encouraging voice of none other than Juyeonโ the driver himselfโ landing in your ear.ย
โSure, just hop in!โ
With that, your feet finally unglue themselves off the ground and bring you into the vehicle. Youโre familiar with his friendsโ since a scenario like this hasnโt happened for the first time and you had to spend your fair time with Sunwooโs circle growing up, mainly because you never really had many friends yourself. Youโre not close with any of them, though, and youโre sure you havenโt seen half of them for ages.ย
Lee Juyeon is the responsible one of the group. Youโre comfortable with the fact that heโs the driver, since youโre not entirely sure if youโd trust any of the other men in this space behind the wheel (you fear the day your brother gets a driverโs license. You'd bet a million dollars that heโll die while driving recklessly one day). Next to him on the passengerโs seat is Choi Chanhee, his best friend, carrying a map in his hands and twirling it in all possible directions to get his friend on the right track. In the three-seat behind those two is Ju Haknyeon, Ji Changmin and your brother himself, and in the very back of the whole van, almost in the trunk, youโre sat next to Eric Sohnโ your brotherโs childhood best friend.
โHi guys,โ you offer a greeting to all of them, settling into the uncomfortable leather seat (thatโs peeling off, just by the way), watching as the rest of the men pay you no mind and ignore your voice, falling into a comfortable conversation with each other.
Sighing, because this always happensโ your brother gets too annoyed because he has to bring you with him all the time, and you imagine his friends arenโt fond of the fact eitherโ you settle deeper into the seat and cross your hands on your chest, looking outside of the window. You canโt imagine enjoying your trip now, since you feel like youโre a nuisance, a child they have to take care of (yes, it embarrasses you just the tiniest bit, you have to admit. Although, you do enjoy getting out of the house from time to time), and the fact that your feelings were probably more than justified and also true has you pouting, an unsatisfied feeling weighing at your lungs.
โHi,โ a voice resonates from your side, the sight of a smiling Eric peering at you taking you off guard. You didnโt expect anyone to react to your greetingโ not so delayed anywayโ and the sight of your brotherโs best friend carrying on in the conversation with you has you shocked beyond belief. โExcited?โ
Finding yourself hum in agreementโ how much you are still excited for the pool and for the sun, youโre not really sureโ and although you are upset, something about his open and nice demeanor has you visibly relaxing, the sparkles inviting themselves back into your eyes. โIโve never been to the beach,โ you admit, seeing Eric gasp at you in surprise.
โReally?โ he asks. โI go every year with my parents.โ
โWell,โ you hum, โyou know how my mother isโฆโ you sigh, chewing on the inside of your cheek. Itโs easier to joke about it than to actually let the fact get to youโ with your mother being the main news anchor, she is too busy to actually go on trips and form bonds with her own children sometimes. Thatโs why you spent most of your childhood at Ericโs familyโs house in the first placeโ this is what made you the closest with Sunwooโs same aged friend. His parents were nice enough to let you stay over and have sleepovers whenever your mum had to leave suddenly and take week-long trips abroad, or have emergency shifts during late evenings.ย
Eric hums, sympathizing with you. โWell, at least you get to experience it now!โ
โYeah,โ you awkwardly nod, playing with the hem of your jean shorts. Itโs the shorts you made yourself by cutting the legs off your favorite pants after you grew out of them and they got too short, and theyโre starting to look a little worn-out now. Maybe you should beg your mum to get you some new clothing.
The conversation between the boys grows in volume, doing nothing to help you to relax in the crowded vehicle. You canโt really find a place to fit yourself in and talk, the topics too unfamiliar for you and the feeling of not even being welcome in the discussion sitting heavy on your chest, when a finger bears itself to the flesh of your thigh, making you snap your head around to gape at the source of the contact. Eric looks at you with a boyish grin, sparkles evident in his eyes.
โWanna see something?โ he asks.
โSure.โ
The male digs around his backpack, hands searching through the contents of his bag for only a couple of secondsโ since heโs the neat one, contrary to your messy brotherโ before he takes out a small gadget: a square with a little screen on top, a silver, circular button space sitting big in the very middle of the device. Eric throws the thing into your lap, smiling when you take it into your hands and examine it with curious eyes.
โHave you seen one before? My dad got it for me last week,โ he boosts, satisfied with your reaction to it.ย
Your motherโs job pays quite wellโ meaning that you usually have the latest gadgets, the latest trendsโ but if youโre being honest, you havenโt seen one of these in real life before. Yes, you caught a glimpse of an ad for it in the town center, on one of the big billboards while passing by to get to school in the morning, so you know that itโs an MP3 player, but still; this was your first time touching one and examining it in real life.ย
โHow does it work?โ you ask, watching as the boy scoots from his seat to the middle one, so he is now sitting directly next to you, before he takes out wired headphones from the first department of his backpack and turns the little square over in his hands, finding where the jack goes.
โYou put those in,โ he says, plugging in the headphones, โand then you press thisโฆโ he explains, taking the device out of your hand and pushing on the power button for a few seconds, โand then it should play.โ
Watching him with expecting eyes, the boy finally puts the MP3 player back into your hold. Then, his fingers swiftly put the respective earphones into your earsโ like youโd do to a little kid that has no idea how they work, making you a little flushed at the actionโ and after that, youโre left with the sound of an unfamiliar song playing in your ears, making the sound of the chatter in the van completely tune out. Eric keeps on watching you, a sense of pride in his eyes as you nod at him, all excited with the new explory, before he takes one of the earphones out of your ear, grinning.
โCool, isnโt it?โ
โYeah,โ you nod. โThe song is good,โ you dumbly say, watching as the boy next to you pridefully nods at the compliment, resting his back against the car seat.ย
โItโs the H.O.T album. My dad says theyโre good,โ he mumbles, moving the headphone he took from you and placing it into his ear, making you nod at him in acknowledgement. The action has your insides bubble with disappointment, thinking that the fun is over as you reach for the other earphone as well, offering it to the male.
Eric looks at you with a shocked pout, shaking his head. โNo, we can share!โ he says, pointing towards your ear. โIf you want, of course.โ
The action has you smiling, a shy nod escaping out of you as you reach and put the earphone back into your ear, letting yourself fall deeper into the car seat, listening to the song from Ericโs MP3 player. Youโre grateful for his presenceโ he didnโt have to keep up a conversation with you. He could ignore you, just like the rest of his friend group always has. Maybe it was something about the two of you growing up together that always made the boy at least a bit more affectionate towards you than the rest.
You spend the car ride to the beach house with Eric leaning on your side, listening to music and his occasional blabbering about how his previous days went.ย
Somehow, you're glad the seat beside him was the only vacant one when you arrived to the vehicle.
YOUR SEVENTH BIRTHDAY, 1989
You don't quite remember when you met Eric for the first time, if youโre being completely honest. The first memory you have of him is of your seventh birthday party, although youโre almost certain the boyโs been present at some point of your life beforeโ at one point, you think you saw a picture of him and Sunwoo, two chubby toddlers, watching you as you laid on a blanket on the ground somewhere in your photo album. As far as youโre concerned, he may as well have been there when your mother brought you back from the hospitalโ although you think he must have been too young for that back then.
The first memory you have of Eric Sohn is the day you turned sevenโ a gloomy, sad day that in the moment, you prayed you wouldnโt have to remember in the first place.
It was already established that while your brother is the social butterfly, you donโt have a big friend group. Actually, you could count the number of your friends on one hand, and since the amount wasnโt as big, your mother allowed you to invite them all over to your house to celebrate your birthday with you.ย
She baked a cake, she decorated the living room, hell, she even took a day off from workโ something you deemed special, for it doesnโt happen oftenโ and as you sat on the floor of your living room, the cake standing proud on the small coffee table, waiting for your friends to arrive, you hummed a song under your breath, the clock slowly passing the time you agreed for them to come over and celebrate.
At first, you didnโt mind itโ everybody gets late sometimes, itโs okay. It was just a birthday party, and you had a lot of time. Not everything had to be set on schedule.
But the closer the clock moved to being one hour, than two after the time your friends were supposed to come, you grew worried. Your motherโs nervous pacing around the living room and her heavy sighs as she sat next to you on the floor, smiling at you in what you can only explain as sad way made you more and more anxious about the fact that you only had three friends, but all three of them seemed to not care enough to come celebrate your birthday with you. And as your mother finally took the final bow in the form of a soft hand on your inner thigh, her tone gentle as she called your nameโ โY/N, I think we should light the candles,โ you began to tear up.
You were supposed to eat the cake with your friends. You were supposed to hear them sing the birthday song to you. You were supposed to turn on the radio and dance around with your classmates, eat the sweets and unwrap the cheap, but heartfelt gifts they brought along with them to celebrate your birthday.ย
But none of these scenarios were happening, and you felt incredibly, incredibly lonely and sad. Forgotten, if you will. Not cared for, definitely.
Hiding your face into your hands, you started to cry. This disappointment was too big for your small heart to take, and you no longer cared about the cake, the candles, the seaweed soup your mother cooked for you to celebrate, the gifts, or the party. All you wanted to do was hide in your room and never come outโ something about the whole situation felt deeply embarrassing, and to this day, the moment before the whole day turned around still makes you feel a bit ashamed of yourself.ย
Too busy crying, you didnโt notice your older brother watching you with big bambi eyes, a worried glance sent your way each time your sobs grew louder and louder. And maybe the boy only wanted to taste the cake (heโs been bugging your mum about it since the very morning, but he was always sent off with a scolding look telling him that heโll get a slice when everyone arrives), but no matter what his true intentions were, his actions still managed to pull your seventh birthday party together in a way you never imagined.
The sound of the front door faintly resonated in your brain somewhere in the middle of your aimless sobbing, but you paid it no mind, thinking it was just Sunwoo going out to the yard to kick the ball. See, your older brother had never really known what to do when you cried growing upโ it didnโt matter if he was the reason for your tears or if anyone else was. If he was the reason for your emotional outbursts, he tried to shut you up with his palm and get you to stop crying before his mother found out and gave him a scolding, but if someone else was, the small boy sometimes turned angry at the source. Kicking his classmate that once made a snarky comment about you and made you tear up or punching his friend when he was too harsh with you was all he knew to do in these situations, so he wasnโt the one to comfort you with words or hugs. It was only natural for him to escape in this situation.
You were brought to a state of shock and surprise when a hand landed on your shoulder, a familiar voice breaking you from your emotional turmoil.
โWhy are you crying? We have to eat the cake!โ you heard, your big, sad eyes meeting the small figure of the boy living next door, your brother nervously stepping from one side to the other right behind his best friend. โCan you light the candles, Mrs?โ Eric politely asked your mum, pointing towards the cake waiting sadly at the coffee table, the figure of your mother leaving your side only shortly to get the matches from the kitchen and illuminate your face with the small flames.
Confusion mirrored your features as you watched your brother and his best friend sing the birthday song to you while your mum lit your candles, both boys clapping and dancing around, acting silly just to get a laugh from you. You didn't know how Eric got there, but you guessed there are some good sides to having him as your neighbor. The energetic boy did his best to brighten up your mood a bit, and when you blew out the candle, making a wish, Sunwoo even went as far as smashing your face into the cake to bring in the full birthday authenticity.
That got him a slap to the back of his head from your mother, as well as made you stand up from your positionโ no longer making you look like a disappointed bulk of pityโ and chase him around the room, icing falling off your nose to the laminated floor. You got your revenge and smeared the chocolate all over his forehead (he let you chase him down only because it was your birthday and he really, really hated to see his sister cry, but he wonโt ever tell you that) and as the three of you sat back down to the floor, watching your mother slice the cake and offer it to you on small white plates, you realized you suddenly weren't as sad anymore.
โWhat did you wish for?โ Eric asked you, mouth full of cake and face messy with chocolate.
โI canโt tell you,โ you hummed, eyebrows furrowed. โThen it wonโt come true.โ
โYou probably wished for that doll you saw in the store the other day,โ Sunwoo snickered as he swallowed, having you glare at him and send a sharp kick to his shin, unwatched by your mother (thankfully), as the boy fought you back, having no mercy.
Music suddenly filled the room as Eric stood up and put the radio on, his 9 year old brain smart enough to know how the device worked, his small figure dancing away to the songs playing on the single radio station you could play without carefully sorting out the antenna so it faced the north, and truly, you didnโt know how it happened, but it had you standing up and dancing around, exactly how you'd imagined doing with your friends from school.
The day wasnโt ruinedโ quite the opposite, really. It was one of your favorite birthday parties, and ever since then, Eric was invited to every single one you had after. And while Sunwoo may act like he doesnโt hate anything more in this world than having a younger sister, every time you feel like a burden to him, you remember this very afternoon.
You will never tell anyone what you wished for that dayโ but just to let everyone in on the secret,ย
it was to somehow, just like Sunwoo, find someone like Eric for yourself as well.ย
JUNE OF 1999
Standing at the side of the pool, eyes squinting from the inevitable force of the sun, youโre starting to regret your decision of coming along just a little. See, you usually donโt protest whenever Sunwoo aggressively drags you around and brings you everywhere heโs supposed to, because even though you love to see your brother angry (especially when youโre the reason behind the emotion), youโd also hate to see him miss out, but now, as the scorching hot sun is having no mercy on every exposed inch of skinโ and believe me, thereโs a lot of it, since youโre wearing your swimming trunksโ and the sweat on your forehead is no longer culminating in beads, but rolling painfully slowly down your forehead, you do admit youโd be a little bit happier in the shade of your little room than here, watching the guys play volleyball in the comfort of the freezing cold pool.
And as the only female around the house, you settle with the patriarchy and bring out a small folding chair and a camping table alongside with a big, sharp knife, struggling to hoist up the giant watermelon you got in a grocery store on your way to the beach house, with the intention of cutting it and serving it to the guys later. Who knows, maybe theyโll like you a little more after that.ย
The knife sinks into the thick green skin of the watermelon easily, and so as you accompany yourself with the excited (and not so excited screams coming from the losing side of the gameโ mainly your brother himself), you cut up the fruit into halves, then quarters, and as you stare at the moon crescents settled on the camping table, you decide to play nice and cut up the fruit into smaller triangles as well, to really get on everyoneโs good side.
The yearning for male validation awakes in a woman pretty early on in life. Itโs an inevitable misfortune.
โTold you Sunwooโs all talk but no game!โ you hear Haknyeon yell out as the game seemingly ends, the younger boy lunging at him in the pool, fighting him for the truthful words. Glancing at the commotion, you notice the guys slowly getting out of the pool, making you heave out in victoryโ youโre finally gonna have your turn in the pool. Well, if they donโt decide to occupy it again before you even get a chance to get in.
โY/N! You cut up the watermelon?โ Eric asks a very obvious question, walking up to you with beads of water all over his half-naked body. His dark hair is damply sitting against his forehead, making him look like a wet puppy, but as the male gets closer to you, he drags his palm through the locks and pushes them back, revealing his foreheadโ a sight sweet to your eyes, but you refuse to pay it much attention in the heat of the moment. Itโs just the sun making you delirious as the idea of finding him attractive flashes through your brain, thatโs all.ย
โI did! Take one,โ you smile, watching as the rest of the guys walk over to your little standโ while also obnoxiously swatting out water out of their hair like dogs, refusing to use towels like normal peopleโ and finally, there it comes: appreciative smiles appear on their faces as they each take a piece, biting down on the fruit with delighted sighs.
Sunwoo walks up to you with a surprised look on his face, sighing as he messes with your hair. โIf I knew youโd be our servant, I wouldnโt have even minded you going in the first place.โ
โYou do something nice for people and they jump on the chance to exploit you,โ you hum, shaking your head in disbelief. โThatโs just like you, Kim Sunwoo.โ
โNo, thatโs just me having older brother privileges.โ
โI hope you choke on that, you know,โ you bite at him, pointing towards the piece of sweet watermelon in his hands, the smile on his face turning bitter. Thereโs a satisfied look on your face when your brother does, indeed, choke on a watermelon seed a few seconds laterโ and they say dreams donโt come true.
โYou didnโt have to,โ you hear Eric speak up from the other side, your head turning to face the male, his features appreciative and warm. โThank you,โ he beams. Thereโs redness on the tip of his nose and his forehead, signaling his quickly approaching sunburn, and you canโt help but laugh out at his clueless, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer self.ย
โWhatโs so funny?โ he asks, furrowing his eyebrows at you in question.
โNothing,โ you peep, โyou just look like you forgot to use sunscreen,โ you mumble, watching as the male gasps and touches his face, a horrified expression overtaking him when the skin under his fingertips burns to the touch.ย
โI didnโt forget! It must have rubbed off in the pool,โ he mourns, โI must look stupid!โย
โOnly a little,โ you tease, a grin overtaking your features. See, thereโs something about the fact that youโve known Eric for the entirety of your whole life that makes you more prone to teasing himโ youโre familiar with your dynamics and just how far you can go, so his next actions startle you just the tiniest bit as the male looks sternly at you, throwing the half-eaten watermelon slice to the camping table. You thought you had the risks calculatedโ apparently, you didn't.
โWhat did you say?โ
Examining his features, seeing no signs of angerโ just the stoic, fakely-offended face of your brotherโs childhood best friendโ you shrug. โThat you look a bit stupid with your face like that.โ
โOh, okay,โ he nods, โyouโre going down for that.โ
โWhat do you meaโโ
Your words are cut short when the male lunges at you, his arms enveloping your thighs and holding you up. The contact of his cold skin from the pool and your heated figure makes goosebumps appear all over your body, your hands instinctively reaching around him to support yourself as he walks closer to the poolโ his intentions are suddenly painfully clear and you start to panic.ย
โThis will teach you to respect your elders,โ Eric huffs, the turquoise surface of the water slowly coming into your point of view.
โStop! Stop-stop-stop,โ you squirm, kicking your feet and trying to take down the predator, โIโm sorry! Iโm sorry, alright?โ
The male takes a halt for a split secondโ making you foolishly believe heโll let you offโ before he breaks out into a devilish grin and continues to walk to the edge of the pool. โToo late.โ
โEric!โ you scream, the volume of your voice resonating through the whole beach, your heart thumping wild against your ribcage with the awaiting process. Youโre not even sure what youโre scared of anymoreโ you can swim and you bet the water will feel nice against the scorching sunโ but still, youโre absolutely terrified as the male has no mercy on you, carrying you steadily towards the water. โAt least let me tie my hair first! You can dump me in after, I promise,โ you mourn, trying to buy yourself more time.
โAlright,โ he nods, waiting at the very edge of the pool, leaving you to take the purple scrunchie off your wrist and gather your hair together, preparing to tie it into a bun so it doesnโt get in your way when youโre in the pool. The hair tie is just at the tips of your fingertips, the first loop over the hair ready to be done, when a scream cuts out of your throat.
The feeling of falling suddenly overtakes your body, leaving you no time to prepare yourself for the impact of the cold water against your skin and all up in your nose, since you didnโt pluck it when you were dumped into the pool. The fall only lasts a split second until youโre below the water, the force of it resonating in your ears, and when you finally act on your instincts and stand up in the pool (it wasnโt even that deep in the first place, only reaching to your upper stomach), you cough out all the water and pray to gods you donโt throw up chlorine into the freshly cleaned pool. After youโre done catching your breath and getting oxygen into your lungs again, you do your best at getting all the hair out of your face.ย
There is laughter landing into your ears as soon as you manage to get all the water out of them by leaning your head to the side and violently slapping each one, and when your eyes look up, you see an amused Eric Sohn bending over in his waist at your disheveled appearance.ย
Grunting and pointing a finger to the criminal that almost made you drown, you huff out. โIโll kill you! Just you watch.โ
Your scrunchie nowhere to be found, forever lost somewhere outside of the beach house, you think, as it flew off your hand in the impact of the attack, shock makes your figure shake alongside of the coldness of the water, making you audibly sigh.ย
Yes. You do regret coming along just a little.
JULY OF 1999
Somewhere along the way, Eric Sohn starts acting as if heโs your second older brother. Sure, youโve known the male your whole entire life and heโs seen you grow up, but it took him 17 years of your life to come to a point where he gives you equal amount of attention whenever heโs over at your house than he does to your brother, and even asks Sunwoo if youโre coming along with them whenever they leave to hang out somewhere else. Itโs a change that comes naturally and slowly, and you welcome it unknowinglyโ the revelation shocks you on a hot summer day, though, when the idea finally comes to you in full force.
You would even argue and say Eric acts more like your brother than your actual sibling doesโ he asks if youโve eaten and listens to you when you talk (which Sunwoo never does, well, except from when heโs arguing with you). Eric even compliments your outfits sometimes and lets you borrow his MP3 player from time to timeโ Sunwoo would never share his things with you, no matter how hard you pleaded and threatened to tell your mum. Yes, your brother's an adult and youโre one year away from becoming oneโ you still resolve your conflicts through your only parent, though. Some things, you never grow out of.
โI wanna try using the skateboard now, Sunwoo,โ you order sternly when the boy finally reaches your destination. Youโve been sitting on the sidewalk for quite some time now, since your brother and his friend decided that theyโre gonna try out their new skateboards on the hottest day of the year. Your town doesnโt have fancy skateparks and ramps like the ones youโve seen in the music videos on TV, so you donโt really know what initially made the two buy those things, but you do admit that even driving up and down the road in front of your house does seem a little funโ so much youโd love to try it.
โWhat a shame we all wish for things we canโt have,โ he shrugs ironically, shaking his head at you from his position above. The male reaches down for his bag, taking out a water bottle and putting it against his plush lips, all while you glare at him from below, still seated in your initial position. Eric comes up to you two, squishing at the soft plastic bottle in Sunwooโs hold, making the water splash your older brother in the face, leaving a winning grin to be shared between you and the shorter boy, an expression that makes you all warm on the inside. See, at least Eric always has your back.
โYou can try mine, if you want,โ the latter shrugs, offering you a smile.
โReally?โ
โYeah,โ he nods, โwhy not?โ
โI donโt know,โ you shrug, โI just didnโt expect you to offer, since as you saw, my dear brother just refused when I askedโฆโ you mumble, standing up from the sidewalk and taking the skateboard into your hand. Eric offers it to you with an outstretched arm and watches as you put the board on the floor, squinting at it with much examination.
โDo you know how to ride it?โ he asks.
โNo,โ you shake your head, โbut I mean, if Sunwoo can do it, how hard can it really be?โ you joke, seeing as the said boy glares at you, finally finishing his water and dropping the bottle to the ground.ย
โIโll remind you of that statement when you eat shit on the pavement,โ he shushes you, rolling his eyes.ย
Not paying more attention to the grumpy being that is your own brother, you relocate your attention back to the skateboard on the heated road. Youโre lucky you live on a street where cars donโt often drive by, since your neighborhood is on the very edge of the town, so you donโt really fear being run over by a pickup truck. What you do worry about, though, is your lacking sense of balance, which you discovered when you learned how to ride the bike for the first time. While your brother was a professional in no time, it took you weeks to get it right, and so with the idea of riding a board that provides you zero sense of security, you get a bit worried for your own life.
Dragging your hair out of your face and aimlessly trying to tuck it behind your earsโ thereโs no use in trying though, as the strands slip out just as fast as they found their placeโ you keep staring at the board only a few centimeters away from your feet, mentally calculating your next move. Thereโs a noise of a backpack being opened and rustling around in the background of your miserable thoughts, and when you look up to see whatโs going on, you notice Eric offering you a small, purple bundle of fabric.ย
โWhatโs that?โ you ask, even though the answer is clear as the dayโ you recognise your own scrunchie with no problem. Youโre just surprised to see it in his hold. You thought it was forever buried somewhere in the beach house, since you werenโt able to find it after you got out of the pool, no matter how hard you tried.
โOh,โ he shrugs, amidst a little too nonchalantly, โI found it and figured it was yours, but I forgot to give it back to you thenโฆ it seems like you need it now, though,โ he offers you an explanation, lips pressed into a thin line that slightly signifies a smile.
โAh,โ you gasp, nodding as you take the hair tie out of his outstretched palm, gathering your hair into a bun and tying it up on the crown of your headโ the staring contest youโve been having with the board is much clearer now, when you donโt have your messy strands in the way. The idea of Eric keeping your scrunchie after finding it at the beach house makes your stomach do a weird kind of turnโ you guess it made you a bit weirded out, if youโre being honest.
โWant some help with that?โ he asks, pointing towards his skateboard.
Nervous, cracking your knuckles as you meet his eyesโ he looks a bit amused, but still genuineโ you nod, admitting defeat. Thereโs no way youโre getting on top of that board without help and not falling down. Itโs always better to be safe than to be sorry, and so when Eric laughs airly at your composure and takes a few steps closer towards you, you let the male lead you, finding comfort in his secure words and actions.
Eric offers you his arms to hold when you try to get on the skateboard. He is peering at you from under his eyelashes when you put one of your legs onto the wood, his grip on your forearm getting firmer when you try to get your other foot on as wellโ and you must admit that you suddenly donโt feel like you might die anymore when thereโs someone holding you and standing by your side.ย
โSee? Itโs not that hard,โ Eric mumbles, his voice low and reassuring from the proximity. You notice your hands sweating a little when his palm envelopes yoursโ damn the sun and its unbearable heat making you embarrass yourselfโ but he doesnโt mention it as he firmly holds you and meets your eyes. โIโm gonna drag you around a bit so you get used to it before trying yourself,โ he says before taking a few steps forward, preparing to be your own type of personal driver.
Having him instruct you and help you around makes you feel more comfortable on the board. Sunwoo would never do such a thing for youโ heโd enjoy watching you fall down and break your neck and possibly dieโ so youโre more than happy to have someone in your life that takes care of you in ways your older brother refuses to.ย
The skateboard moves forward a little, starting slow, but then picking up speed as Eric jogs a little, making you laugh at the action. He does not have to go above and beyond, but he still doesโ but you guess itโs good for him to let out his energy somewhere. After a while, he looks back at you and meets your eye with a warm gaze, making you nod at him reassuringly and hold up a thumb of the hand heโs not holding right now, signaling that youโre okay and enjoying yourself. That has the male let go of your hand and let you take the road with the laws of physics, moving forward by yourself with the force he created.ย
Itโs nice. Itโs fun.ย
Yes, you totally understand why Eric and Sunwoo wanted skateboards after seeing them on TV. Hell, you want one now.
โTry it yourself now!โ Eric encourages you as the board naturally comes to a stop under you, and his smiling face is enough for you to take initiative and nod, relocating one foot off the wood and placing it on the floor, then kicking it and making yourself move on the simple vehicle.
A moment of surprise envelopes you like a warm hug when you manage to not fall off and keep your balance, the joy of it making you try to go faster on the board, kicking once, twice against the pavement with the sole of your old, beaten up shoe. โIโm doing it!โ you yell, glancing back at Eric standing on the sidewalk, watching you with excited eyes. The male offers you a victorious holler, something that makes you break into a laugh, makes your confidence blossom in marvelous ways.
Confidence rises in you so much you try to take a U-turn and go back to your teacherโ perhaps showing off that you really got the hang of it now, or somethingโ but as you try to maneuver the board and turn right, there it comes: the moment where you realize that you were, once again, too overly-confident in your abilities that are, sadly, very poor. Your body sways from side to side, your poor balance laughs at you and points an accusing finger at your attempts, and, well, to put it frankly, your whole life flashes in front of your eyes and the moment plays in slow motion as you lose the board from below your feetโ the wood flying somewhere to the opposite side of the road, not at all where you meant to go in the first placeโ and your body inevitably comes crashing to the ground.
Awaiting the hard pavement meeting your nose and breaking it, you brace yourself with palms outstretched in front of you, the last remains of self-perseverance entering the sane parts of your brain in what you think are the last seconds of your miserable life. Another moment of surprise greets you when your yelp is muffled against something soft and your hands donโt hit the hard pavement, your ears filled with a grunt that belongs to another human swiftly chiming in and catching you before you fall.
Firm hands hold your waistโ the touch somehow familiar, enveloping you in a strange sense of deja vuโ and even though your body goes limp in terror, the male has you back on your feet in no time, his palms on the exposed skin of your stomach. The realization has you burning up as you look up and meet Ericโs eyes, gasping at the closeness of his face to yours.ย
โYou okay over there?โ he asks as you unconsciously study his faceโ you never noticed his nose looked this nice up closeโ before you wake out of it and nod urgently, breaking away from his hold. Youโre not gonna try to calculate the effort he must have put in just to chime in and catch you from where he was standing in such a short moment, but something about the passing thought of it has you weak in your knees from gratefulness.ย
โUhm- yeah,โ you nod, kicking the pavement with your stained shoes, โI justโฆ miscalculated my skills, thatโs all,โ you sheepishly hum, hearing the boy snicker at your shaken-up composure.
Watching him take off and retrieve his skateboard from where it wandered off against the curbโ much to his golden retriever energyโ you sigh and prepare to go sit back on the sidewalk, having enough of new experiences from the shock still lingering in your fingertips. You take a glance down the road, seeing your older brother cruising on the streetโ when and how he got there, you truly have no ideaโ when you hear Eric, who seemingly has different ideas for your next actions, call at you from the middle of the pavement.
โWhere are you going? Come back!โ he asks, having you look at him in surprise, mouth agape and eyes big, staring at him. He now has the board under his shoulder, but puts it back on the road and points at it, shrugging to himself. โIโll push you down the road, itโs gonna be fun!โ
โEric, Iโm literally going to dieโโ
โNo, youโre not. Come on, I promise,โ he says, but still, he doesnโt have you convinced. Your feet move against your best conclusions, though, and when you come to a halt right in front of your companion, he offers you a boyish grin. โSit down on it, that way youโre more balanced. I swear youโre not gonna fall off, okay? I got you.โ
โYou promise?โ
โYes,โ he nods, determined.
โPinky swear,โ you mumble, holding up your pinky fingerโ all thoughts of seeming childish pushed to the side in the desperate momentโ and the male in front of you shakes his head in disbelief, breaking into a laugh.
โCute,โ he huffs, โyeah, okay. Pinky swear,โ he nods, interlacing your pinky with his and bumping his thumb against yours, the seal foolishly making you feel more secure as you follow his order and take a seat on the skateboard, your hands gripping the bottom of the wood so hard your knuckles turn white.
โOkay, ready? 3, 2, 1โโ he chants as he pushes you, two steady hands coming in contact with your shoulder blades, force making you move on the board, wheels taking you down with gravity. The sound of Ericโs shoes hitting the pavement fills your ears as you go faster, and as you finally get to the part of the hill that takes a downwards slope, he offers you a final push, sending you down the road.ย
Wind makes your hair fly back, your surroundings blurring as you yelp and scream, but you canโt say youโre not enjoying the ride. Eric was rightโ it was fun, you liked it, and something about the gesture had you all warm on the inside. The breeze has you cool down a little in the summer heat, and the board continues to move even as you pass your older brother standing at the bottom of the slope, away from your trajectory.ย
Body relaxing when the skateboard finally slows down, you let out a heartfelt laughter. Turning back and seeing Eric jog down the road with a humongous grin on his face, you offer him two thumbs up above your head, watching as he returns the gesture and makes his way back to the two of you on the bottom of the small hill.
The truth is, this was the day you realized Eric Sohn has always found his way to make you feel included and safe.ย
You canโt help but feel grateful.
AUGUST OF 1999
โSunwoo, you have to tie a knot here and thenโ no, you dumbass, youโre doing it completely wrong,โ you mourn as you watch your older brother with a mess of thread in his lap, a focused scowl on his face. Thereโs a fan standing across from you, blowing cold air into your face, but you still feel yourself grow heated with frustration as Sunwoo just canโt help but not understand the art of making friendship bracelets. Itโs not like youโre forcing him to do themโ he was the one that asked you to show him how to, muttering something about offering one to his classmate Yeji once heโs back in schoolโ so in theory, he should be putting in effort, no?ย
Or maybe he is. Maybe heโs justโฆ incompetent.
โI donโt get it,โ Sunwoo hums under his breath, sighing as he leans against the sofa in your living room, the two of you sitting on the floor accompanied by his best friend squinting at you from the opposite side, a comic book in the latter's hand. The myth of men not being able to multi-task is quickly thrown into the bin as you watch Eric pay equal amount of attention to the comic book and the dialogue between you and your brother, and when Sunwoo seems to give up on the art of making friendship bracelets, his best friend canโt help but laugh.
โYouโre giving up already? This is how you want to get a girlfriend?โ you poke your brother to his side and take the threads off his lap, examining the mess of a safety pin and meters of yarn, all knotted up and not coming along in the shape you taught him to at all.
โItโs not to get a girlfriend, I just-โ
โSure,โ you roll your eyes, huffing as you roll his poor attempt at friendship bracelet into a ball and throw it to the corner of the room, making a mental note to pick it up and throw it to the bin later. โYou know what, just give her this one and pretend you made it,โ you mutter, taking a bracelet you'd already made to demonstrate in between your fingers and throw it into Sunwooโs lap, the older one catching it and examining it under his nose.
โThat looks pretty good,โ he hums, making you snort at his appreciative comment. The bracelet is pink and red, the colors just screaming romance and cute energy, which is exactly what a girl needs to be swayed by your brother. You canโt really believe a bracelet will make her swoop into his arms, because truthfully, with your brotherโs face and manners, every living thing is keeping a fair distance, but hey, it doesnโt hurt to try, does it? Maybe his classmate isโฆ majorly blind? That might do it?
โOf course it looks good,โ you scoff, โthatโs because I made it,โ you nod, averting your gaze towards your lap, threading your fingers through the yarn you attached to a safety pin on your sweatpants to keep the growing friendship bracelet in place.ย
โThen why is the one youโre making right now so ugly?โ Eric asks, pointing towards the creation.ย
Glancing up at the male slowly, mentally throwing all different kinds of curses at him for daring to talk badly about your craft, you huff. โWhat do you mean, ugly?โ
โThe colorsโฆ they donโtโฆ they donโt really go together,โ Eric sheepishly admits, scratching the back of his neck, quickly averting his gaze from you and gluing it back into his comic book. You think that if he doesnโt stop being a smart-ass and throw jabs at your artistic choices, heโs gonna have to protect his comic book with his own bodyโ and you bet heโd do that, because he borrowed it from the library. The fees for damage are high.
โThatโs justโฆ not true at all,โ you muse, but groggily take a look at the creation once again, but now, thanks to the remark, seeing it in a completely different way. Shades of orange, brown and purple stare back at you amidst a little disappointedly, and as you thread the yarn and make a couple of knots to end the bracelet, you canโt help but feel a pout growing on your face from the realization. Eric might be right. It does look a little badโฆ
โWhatever. Your taste is just bad,โ you snap as you finish off the craft piece, unclasping the safety pin and sliding the bracelet off the inside, freeing it from the hold. Eric laughs a little at your frustrated stateโ similarly to what you do when you manage to get Sunwoo upsetโ and with that, you sigh and put the bracelet on the coffee table.
โIโm going out to the store to get some chocolates,โ you say as you stand up, goal clear in your mind, โhave fun, losers.โ
โYouโre still collecting the stickers from these?โ Sunwoo asks, a mischievous smile growing on his lips. The teasing is inevitable and coming very soon, and thereโs nothing you can do about itโ youโre fully aware, which only further makes you want to escape the situation more quickly. Rolling your eyes at your brotherโs antics, you move towards the door.ย
โYes, Sunwoo, I am. Theyโre cute and make me happy, do you have a problem with that?โ you point an accusing finger at the male, having him shrug, tongue poking the inside of his cheek.
โYouโre such a kid,โ he huffs, averting his gaze from you when he lands the comment, the jab coming straight at your fragile heart.
โOkay, then,โ you note, โIโll just have my pretty and cute bracelet back, and you can get your girlfriend something else-โ
The male quickly regains his previous composure, swatting his hands in hurry just to make you halt in your sentence. His eyes are big and his mouth is a little agape in terror as he tries to save his ass, plea written all over his face. โI was just joking! Donโt be so petulantโฆ go get your cute stickers, theyโre so fun!โ
Humming to yourself, your face is tugged up into a victorious smile. โThat's what I thought. So, as I was saying, have fun, losers.โ
โWait!โ Eric suddenly calls for you, making you turn on your heel in the middle of your escape, eyes peering at the male. โDonโt I get a bracelet too?โ
The request catches you off guard. Thereโs a certain kind of spark in Eric Sohnโs eyes as he asks the question, and you canโt really place it in any category, but it has you nervously shrugging at the preposition. Youโre not really sure why Eric would want a bracelet from you, but to avoid confrontation and also the weird leap of your heart surely leading you into cardiac arrest, you only shrug and move back inside of the living room, chewing on the inside of your cheek as you scan the surroundings, searching for something.
โSure,โ you nod, taking the ugly bracelet off the table and offering it to him, โyou can have that one.โ
You hold a staring contest with the older boy for a couple of seconds, his head undoubtedly swirling with arguments and comments about the apparel of the friendship bracelet, but heโs smartโ he must know the survival of his beloved comic book must be at stake. So, he only nods and smiles at you, outstretching his hand to you and nudging his head in its direction.
โOkay,โ he hums, โtie it for me?โ
A second comes byโ a heartbeat, reallyโ in which you chew on your bottom lip and gasp at the request, but still, you nod and come closer, crouching down to be at his level and taking the thread into your fingers. You wrap the bracelet around his wrist, making sure to leave a bit of wiggle room before you tie a knot, bringing the ends together, all while feeling the eyes of Eric glued to your face, watching every micro expression flash through your unsettling composure.
When youโre done, making a move to hide your hands behind your back and standing up, your limbs bump into each other and send an unspoken sense of electricity all through your body. The sensation is so strange you donโt meet anyoneโs eye before you leave the room, yelling out a goodbye as you hurriedly open the front door and run out to get fresh air (itโs August, though. The air is humid and only makes your head spin more).
You clear your throat before you take off to the grocery store. It's only when you're halfway there that you realize you'd forgotten to bring your wallet with you. It's okay, thoughโ you take this chance to walk around, regaining your casualty.
You bet Eric will take the bracelet off in a matter of a week.
SEPTEMBER OF 1999
The leaves start turning orange and the weather a bit colder when you become hyper-aware of your shifting composure whenever Eric Sohn is around. The way you feel heat rushing to your cheeks whenever he calls you cutie, a nickname heโs had reserved for you since you two were little kids, the way you feel weak in your knees whenever he casually brings his arm around your shoulders or when he bends down to tie your shoelace in the middle of the sidewalk. You donโt really know what those sudden changes are, yet, you feel a bit embarrassed by them whenever they take place. You donโt think itโs normal to feel this way around your brotherโs best friend, and the more you hang out with him, the more you wish you read less books as a childโ because now, youโre also hyper-aware of the title those feelings may have.ย
Still, it only comes to you on one September afternoonโ you wake up from blissful unawareness and jolt with the quickly opening pit in your stomach at the strange revelation.
โEric! Sunwoo isnโt home, though?โ you mumble, confused as you notice the boy standing on your doorway, a plastic bag in his hand and a red Nike jacket enveloping his frame.
โI know, he said heโs hanging out with Juyeon hyung today,โ he nods, โI brought you something, though,โ he says, holding up the bag and making sure you get a chance to see it, offering you a boyish grin.
โOh?โ you gasp, furrowing your eyebrows at the male. When you do nothing to invite him inside, he does so himselfโ slightly nudging you in your side as he passes your figure and enters your house. He acts like he owns the place, and by the amount of time heโs spent in your home, youโd think he doesโ he doesnโt, though. The only thing he owns is just a lot of audacity.
The male takes off his shoes in the entryway and walks his way over to your roomโ a surprising act, considering heโs spent the least amount of time in this very placeโ and when heโs sure youโre following his every move, he empties the contents of the bag to the middle of your freshly made bed. Watching as approximately ten items fall out of the plastic, your eyes widen with surprise as you recognise your favorite chocolateโ the mini bars with stickers inside, the ones you collect and stick into your journal and look at in the middle of the night, giggling to yourself and kicking your feet at the adorable pictures in your make-shift collect book.
โWoah,โ you gasp when the male looks at you, seemingly awaiting your response, and when he gets the wished outcome, pride overtakes his features, shrugging to himself.
โMy mum got some for free because she bought a lot of cabbage for kimchi yesterday,โ he explains, โI thought of you when I saw them, so I bought you some more.โ
โI- you-โ you stutter, emotions too big for your own good swelling all inside your fragile, little self, hands running into your hair and tugging at the roots to wake yourself up from the dream. โYou didnโt have to!โ
โWe got them anyway, and I know you like the stickers,โ Eric shrugs, scratching the back of his neck, completely ignoring the fact that he said he bought you some more, your heart skipping a beat at the sentiment. Clearing your throat, you tentatively take a step closer to your bed, gathering a bar of chocolate into your hand and opening it, taking a bite.
โYou can have the stickers if you give me some chocolate,โ Eric says close to your ear, almost as if he was creating a masterplan, to which you eagerly nod and plop onto your bed, moving the bars of sweets into one pile. As you continue to munch on the first one, you unwrap the sticker and look at it, praying to yourself as if you were checking if your lottery ticket was worth any centโ hoping you get a sticker you donโt own yet.
The image of a cute panda would cheer anyone up even in their darkest momentsโ not you, though, as you mourn and sigh, disappointment clear in your features.ย
โWhat?โ Eric asks, eyes big pools of worry.
โI already got that one.โ
โAh,โ he nods, seemingly understandingโ much to your surprise, โwell, we got 9 more tries, letโs get to eating.โ
Wrappers are rustling in your bed sheets as you and Eric eat the concerning amount of chocolate, gathering the stickers in a little pile on top of your notebook, promising each other to not look at the stickers as you go and just make a grand reveal at the end. Ericโs full cheeks are a sight you enjoy, telling him he looks like a squirrelโ to which he sends a light flick to your forehead, telling you you donโt look much differentโ and soon enough, the nine bars left disappear from your plain sight (you only had 3 and Eric ate the remaining 5. Heโs a growing boy, though, so you understand. He needs to get his undying energy from somewhere.).
โReady for the reveal?โ you ask, locking your gaze with Eric.
โReady as Iโll ever be.โ
With that, you get to the pile of stickers in the middle of your bedsheets. Looking at the first one, thereโs a happy squeal cutting out of your throat, the image of an adorable yellow duck warming you up with euphoria.ย
โYou donโt have that one yet?โ
โI donโt,โ you nod, โthis is just perfect.โ
Eric nods and watches you with a certain kind of warmth in his gaze as you open up your notebook and stick the newest addition to your little sticker farmโ or a ZOO, however you wanna call it. The next sticker from the pile is added as wellโ a brown, big bearโ and the next one too, the most adorable colorful parrot slapped to the corner of your page.ย
The rest of your stickers are the ones you already own, thoughโ a displeased look takes over your features at the knowledge, but still, you canโt help but beam at the fact that you have 3 new additions to your collection, and they were a gift from Eric Sohn himself. Someone who doesnโt make fun of your childish habit. Someone who feeds your little interest, watches you with excitement in his eyes as you indulge. Someone not like your brother.ย
Someone you could never see the way you see your brother.
โWhat do you do with the duplicates?โ Eric asks, pointing to the sad pile on the top of your notebook. His figure is closer to you now, since he wanted to watch you stick the animals into your notebook, his crossed legs almost pressed against yours on the small bed.
โWell, usually, I just throw them out,โ you shrug, โbut since youโre hereโฆโ you muse, the idea plopping into your head like the newest discovery you should probably patent, peeling the back of one of the dog stickers off and swiftly turning towards your companion, mischief sparkling in your eyes.
You put the sticker on his left cheek, making the boy jump. โHey!โ
Giggling, taking another one of the stickers and pressing it to the middle of his forehead, Eric starts to fight you, your bodies wrestling on the bed. You donโt think he puts much effort into getting you off himโ that, or heโs insanely weakโ and in no time, his face is adorned with all different kinds of animals, his hair messy from tussling in your bedsheets. The image has you laughing before you realize youโre basically straddling him on your bed, his big eyes gaping at you from below, his appearance enough to make something in your brain short-circuit and make you leap off him, clearing your throat.
Heat rushes into your cheeks as you take a seat next to him, playing with your fingers. You pray for anything to come and ease the awkwardness you caused, and sure enough, today must be your lucky day. โHey, look here!โย
You call for the boy as you swiftly take your polaroid camera off your bedside tableโ the one that belonged to your dad, the one you fought with Sunwoo about, the one your mum said was yours because Sunwoo is too careless with his things to keep it safeโ and snap a picture of the puppy-like boy, laughing at the fact that now, you have the image of him looking dumb and covered in stickers forever. Or at least until he doesn't take it away from youโ which he attempts quickly.
โHey!โ he yelps again, huffing as he lunges at you, trying to take the picture out of your grasp as you drop the camera into your soft sheets. Your feet take you to the living room, navigating through furniture, and when you donโt hear footsteps follow you, you think youโre safeโ Eric does have a lot of energy, but chasing you around gets tiring for him quickly when he knows you'll never let him win.
Entering your room once again, prepared to find him on your bed like before, youโre taken by surprise as a shutter sound goes off right after you open the door, a polaroid picture taken of your face making you temporarily blind at the flash.
โEric!โ you whine, hating that thereโs a picture of you standing shocked at your doorway now forever in the universeโ not really caring that the boy just got you back with the exact stunt you pulled on him just a few minutes ago. Before you get a chance to blink out the blind spots in your vision caused by the flash and run after him, though, you feel him gently press you out of the doorway and slip outside, the sound of the front door opening and closing after him resonating along his slowly disappearing, amused laughter.
Serves you right, doesnโt it?ย
Sighing, you shake your head and take a seat on your bed, the picture of the boy still in between your fingertips. You only take a look at it when your vision comes back to normal, and as the image of Eric covered in stickers, hair messy and cheeks rosy below the animal print comes into your sight, the revelation arrives the same second a starstruck smile plays with your features.
And with that, youโre absolutely terrified.ย
Throwing the polaroid picture onto the bedside table and lunging yourself into the sheets, you scream into your pillow and wish for the feelings to disappearโ because in what world does a crush on your brotherโs best friend ever come to a happy ending?
OCTOBER OF 1999
Once October hits, you find yourself home alone more often than youโd like. Sure, you donโt mind having some me time to read comic books or watch the TV uninterrupted in the living room, but stillโ alone turns lonely pretty quickly, and somehow, you start to regret the fact that youโve been relying on your older brother and his friends for so long instead of making some connections on your own.
Sunwoo started to play soccer at schoolโ something is telling you that he might go far if he keeps it upโ and thatโs why heโs been stuck at practice every single day, coming home late in the evening all tired, but happy, so youโre not really complaining. Eric works in the little bistro downtown now, since he wanted to make some money and not rely on the allowance Mrs. Sohn gives him every month, and itโs not like you were that close to begin with, but the fact that the boy is now too busy to meet you is making your spirit fall just the tiniest bit. And with your mother always being at work, you find yourself alone in your room, laying in your bed and staring at the ceiling.ย
Sometimes, you journal. About anything and everything, really. You donโt really think youโre ever gonna read back the entries once youโre older, since they would just be a reminder of how miserable and boring your teenage years really were, and thatโs why you allow yourself to be authentic. On most days, you write about your assignments for school. Sometimes you bad mouth a classmate or twoโ gossiping with the diary pages, because you donโt really have any human beings to do so in real lifeโ and seldom, you allow yourself to get into topics that evoke the slightest bits of existential crisis in you.
Topics like college. Growing up. Your lack of hobbies and social interaction with the outer world. The newly found crush on Eric Sohnโฆ
Okay, maybe you do write about the boy with brown hair and dark eyes a little too often. You canโt help it, thoughโ when heโs not giving you any new interactions to dwell on, you have to just pick apart the old ones. You think itโs a natural reaction.
And thatโs exactly what youโre doing one October afternoon, the lamp in your room on, since the evening comes faster when the weather is colder, as youโre laying in your bed and kicking your feet back and forth, chewing on the end of your pencil. The sound of your doorbell resonates through the house suddenly and startles you, making you jump awake from your delirious delusions.
Mentally going through the list of possible visitors you could haveโ because it canโt be your mother or your brother, since they never forget to carry their house keysโ youโre lost, not really finding any fitting candidates. Furrowing your brows, lost in thought and frankly, a bit confused, you plant your socked feet onto the wooden floor and walk over to the front door just in time for the bell to ring again. Scratching the back of your neck in nerves, thinking of precautions you could take for your own safetyโ since your front door doesnโt have a peep hole and you donโt want to open the door to a complete strangerโ you clear your throat and yell over the door.
โWho is it?โ you ask.
โDelivery!โ a voice calls through the door, making you huff.ย
โI didnโt order any food?โ you yell back, confused. โSir, thereโs another house behind ours, sometimes the mailmen get confused and we get their mail. Maybe try there?โย
โThe address is right, though?โ the voice calls again, and somehow, it sounds kind of familiarโฆ no, it canโt be, you dumb goose. Youโre just imagining things because youโve spent the last 20 minutes writing about the curve of his nose into your diary.
โThere must be a mistake-โ
โCome on, Y/N, open the door,โ the voice on the other side mourns, the mention of your name making you jump, completely startled. The tone the man says it in is sweet like honey, though, so familiar in your ears, that you mentally want to slap yourselfโ so you werenโt dreaming. It is him.
Dragging your hand through your hair to smooth it down, praying you look at least a little presentableโ although in your stained sweatpants and the Pokรฉmon shirt you inherited from Sunwoo when he grew out of it, you doubt thatโs even possibleโ you open the door and try to offer Eric a warm smile. โWhat are you doing here?โ
โFood delivery,โ Eric shrugs, pointing with his thumb in the direction behind his back, where his bike undoubtedly stands up against your gate.
โOhโฆ. but I already told you I didnโt order anything,โ you mumble, confused. Studying his faceโ because a girl can indulge when she has the opportunity, am I right? โ you notice his hair has grown a little longer, falling into his eyes. You bet itโs hard for him to see, but you must admit it looks nice, and you almost tell him, before you catch yourself and break away from the sentiment.ย
The male snickers. โI know, I was just joking,โ he says, โI did bring you food, though.โ
โWhy?โ you ask, confused when he bends over and picks up a plastic bag off the ground, a container of food inside, the warmth of the contents making condensation appear all over the red sack.ย
โWe made this by mistake and it was just gonna be thrown out if nobody took it,โ he shrugs, โand I figured you havenโt eaten yetโ or if you did, you just had those cold kimbap rolls from the storeโ and I wanted to get some warm food into your stomach.โ
โAh,โ you gasp, nodding at the explanation. It does explain the source of the food really well, but truthfully, it explains nothing about the fact why Eric thought of bringing you the food instead of taking it home with himselfโ heโs a foodie if youโve ever seen one. The idea of him worrying about if you were fed or not is equally as strange and interesting in your headโ still, you clasp your hand around the bag and take it, the smell making you involuntarily hungry. โThank you.โ
Eric only nods at you, a smile beaming at his face. โWell,โ he sighs, โIโd love to stay longer and hang out, but Iโm still on the clock, soโฆโ he mumbles, taking a hesitant step backwards towards his bike, eyes never breaking contact with yours.
โOh, right,โ you nod, โthatโs okay. Have a fun day at work!โ you muse, watching him as he grins and finally retrieves back his bike, opening up the gate to your property and escaping, waving at you as he gets on.
โIโll see you soon!โ he calls as he rides off, your eyes following him until his figure disappears behind a corner, your ears buzzing with excitement and your lower lip trapped between your teeth with the innocent promise.
Walking back into the house, you grin as you close the front door behind you and carry the food into the kitchen. You quickly get the containers out of the damp bag, putting them onto the wooden table, and gasp when you find a sticky note on the very top one, a messy handwriting scribbled in a rush, but stuck to the food with care.
Eat well and donโt skip meals, Y/N-ie!! โ Eric x
Not being able to battle your smile anymore, you decide to open up the containers and stuff your mouth with the food insteadโ only to find your favorite dish inside, staring back at you in what seems to be a dream thatโs too good to wake up from.ย
And sure, you are delusional, but are you delusional enough to believe that this wasnโt all a coincidence? Youโre not so sure.
Still, you eat the food with feet kicking back and forth as you sit in the silent kitchen, the empty house no longer feeling so lonely. When youโre done, you throw the trash outโ everything but the sticky note, which you glue into your diary a few minutes later, hoping to keep the memory forever.
NOVEMBER OF 1999
The world around you is dark as you step outside of cram school, your eyes are tired and your skin is prickled with goosebumps in the chilly air. You despise going to cram school, but your mother told you you have toโ since you didnโt have any athletic features that could get you far in life like Sunwoo, you had to be good at studying, or else you wonโt get into university. There was a lot of work ahead of you, but since you didnโt really have anything else to do in the day, you didnโt protest and went anyway.
The days are usually very long and you get off very late, resulting in you being tired almost all the time. When you get home, you undress yourself and change into your sleep clothes and doze off until the morning, when you have to wake up and go to school againโ itโs an exhausting cycle, but you know you have to endure it for your own sake.
Walking down the steps that lead out the cram school building, you stretch your body and huff, cursing at yourself for the fact that you didnโt bring a jacketโ you forgot that evenings get really chilly, and frankly speaking, you didnโt have much time to think when you were rushing to get ready in the morning. Youโll just have to get through it, you think to yourself as you walk in the direction of your houseโ the last bus to your neighborhood already left an hour ago, when you were in the middle of revising divisionโ your sneakers kicking the stray rocks below your feet as you tug the sleeves of your hoodie lower, desperately trying to feel more heat.
โDo you never watch where youโre going? Thatโs gonna get you in trouble one day, you know,โ you hear a familiar voice say, the joking tone making your heart skip a few beats as you place the owner of the saccharine voice to its face. Looking up, slightly alarmed at being caught in such a distressed state, you gasp.
โI wasโฆ watching my step, I guess,โ you shrug as you come into a halt in front of him, shivering both under Ericโs gaze and the cold weather at once. โWhat are you doing here? Deliveries?โ
โI just got off,โ he says, โso I figured I could stop by. Sunwoo said youโre going to cram school, I thought you might enjoy some company on your way home.โ
Gaping at his explanation, you nod, completely startled. The idea of your brother talking about you in front of Eric, the boy you have a very embarrassing, very big crush on scares you, to say the least. See, it doesnโt really matter that the boy grew up with you, pretty much seeing you at your lowest whenever he was around over at your house when you were both just little kidsโ the image of Sunwoo telling Eric about finding you sobbing at your comic book (the scene got too sad, nobody can really blame you) or about how your favorite jeans ripped right before you had to go to school one morning is terrifying. You donโt really want him to know about these things. He may act like your brother sometimes, but you never really saw him in that light in the first place.
โWell, then,โ you clear your throat, โitโsโฆ itโs good to see you,โ you say. Eric shows you his boyish grin as your lips utter out the words, and you canโt help but mirror it, your eyes locking with the male. As if you just took a step back, your eyes see him in a light youโve never seen him beforeโ as if this was your first time meeting your brotherโs best friendโ and something about the sentiment has your stomach feeling all uneasy, heat rushing to your face. His hair is styled in a way that tells you that he didnโt really style it (or if he did, it looked truly effortless in your eyes, so props to him), pushed back a little and revealing his forehead, a few of the strands carelessly falling into his eyes. His jawline is sharper than how it was when you first met the boy, and with the realization of a foolish teenage girl, you have to admit that Eric Sohn grew up to be a very attractive, attentive man.
โYouโre cold?โ he says, although the sentence sounds more like a statement rather than a question, before he shakes his head at your antics and heaves out a sigh. โYou shouldโve taken a jacket with you when you went, you know it gets cold in the evening,โ he scolds you. In those times, he reminds you the most of your brotherโ because although you and Sunwoo act like you hate each other sometimes, you know the older male still cares about you. He just hates showing it, which translates in his scolding tone whenever you do something wrong or against his wishes.ย
In those times, Eric reminds you the most of the way your brother treats you, and you somehow hate it. You despise the fact, because that means he must only see you as someone like his younger sisterโ he never had one, so maybe he just likes to compensate for it by taking care of you all the time. Maybe he feels responsible to do so because of Sunwoo. The thought makes you equally as nauseousโ youโd never want him to hang out with you just because he feels like he has to.ย
โI didnโt have time in the morning,โ you grunt, rolling your eyes at him. You avert your gaze from the male, for it makes you slightly uncomfortable after your previous thoughts, so when the noise of a zipper being pulled down and the weight of fabric on your shoulders brings you back to reality, you snap your head around at him all alarmed.ย
โWhat? Wear it,โ he says, head shrugging towards the direction of his jacket on your figure. โYouโre gonna catch a cold if you donโt.โ
Trying to wrestle out of the red material, you squirm in the hold of the windbreakerโ Ericโs hands gripping each side of the jacket, as if predicting your next moves, making sure it stays on you and doesnโt fall down. His strong arms tug you closer to him to make your fight more difficultโ and heโs successful with his efforts, because the proximity of him and his smell engulfs you and unarms you, heat rushing to your cheeks as you halt in your movements.
โStop,โ you mourn, โI donโt need it.โ
โYes you do,โ he insists, โso stop being a baby about it and wear it.โ
Staring into his eyes, as if to mentally tell him to stop what heโs doingโ to stop how heโs treating you, how heโs making you all weak in your knees and sleepless at nights because of how much you think of him and hope heโs doing well each day, to stop being so gentle with you and taking care of you, because it brings all sorts of both doubts and delusions into your headโ but he doesnโt back down. Youโve known him for quite some time, you should already be aware of just how stubborn he can be.
โArms in,โ he hums, holding on to the jacket and waiting for you to wear it properly. One thing about youโ you can always admit your defeat. So, with a sigh, you put your arms through the sleeves of Ericโs red windbreaker, shrinking a little under his firm gaze. He looks at you with a look full of something you canโt decipher, and itโs all making you so, so insanely lost in the many thoughts and feelings swirling around your head, not helping your current state.
โI already have a brother, yโknow,โ you mumble in a moment of weakness, looking at your feetโ your dirty white sneakers almost touching his from how close you are standing right now, โso you should stop treating me like one.โ
A moment of silence overtakes you two, and you suddenly feel like youโve done something wrong. Still, Ericโs hands are holding on to the sides of the opened jacket, keeping you close to him. โHm?โย
Clearing your throat and shaking your head, you snicker to yourself. โForget it.โ
โNo- I mean,โ he blurts out, tone of voice a little nervous, โdo you see me as your brother figure?โ he asks, tone of voice more quiet now, more gentle.
Breathing in the crispy air, taking a moment before you reply, you shake your head in disapproval. โNo,โ you say, โno, I donโt. I- I donโt think I do,โ you say, scared of what your answer will bring out of him. You donโt really know why, but at this moment, you feel insanely fragileโ as if any bad move could make you break in his hands, waiting for him to glue you back together.ย
Metaphorically, he does just that. โGood,โ he nods, leaning down towards you, hands gripping the zipper of his jacket and zipping it together, making sure no cold can get to your bones as his fingers tug it up towards the very top, under your chin. โBecause Iโve never seen you as my sister either.โ
His answer once again startles youโ but when you take a step back from the situation, you think it was in a good way. His hands grip your shoulders for a second as his eyes meet yours and he offers you a warm smile. โCome on, letโs get you home,โ he says, tugging you towards the fence where you find his bike, his motions guiding you like a rag doll sucked out of all life.
โHop in,โ he motions towards the back of the bike, where the basket would usually beโ Eric moved it towards the front, though, leaving enough room for you to sit atโ and as you do, he takes a seat in front of you and looks back at you over his shoulder. โHold on tight so you donโt fall.โ
Like in a trance, your arms sneak around his middleโ this was the first time you had this kind of physical touch with him, and just the thought of it makes you want to scream your throat outโ before the male takes off on the bike, riding towards your neighborhood. With the cold wind slapping your face, you foolishly rest your cheek on his shoulder blade and close your eyes, enjoying the closeness of his body keeping you warm.ย
If anyone asked you about the action, youโd tell them you were just tired.
DECEMBER OF 1999
Socked feet make their way through the room, the sound of footsteps resonating on the laminated floor, as the short male comes up to you with a bowl of potato chips in his right hand and a bottle of soda under his left arm. Eric Sohn sighs at you, shaking his head in disbelief, before he places the items onto the coffee table and takes a seat next to you on the floor, opening up the bottle and pouring the three of you drinks.
โCanโt believe Iโm spending New Yearโs Eve with you losers, of all people,โ Eric snickers, having you roll your eyes at the male and grumpily furrow your eyebrows at his sentence.
โNo oneโs stopping you if you wanna go, yโknow,โ you grunt as you take the filled glass off the table, taking a sip of the sweet drink and sighing at him. If heโs gonna take a leap into the new year with you while making you annoyed, he may as well leave now and do whatever his initial plan wasโ once again, no oneโs stopping him if thatโs what he wants to do.
โIโm just saying,โ he shrugs, โit wouldโve been so much more fun if we all went to Juyeon hyungโs. Everyoneโs there celebrating, but weโre stuck here in your room.โย
โWell, Eric,โ your brother smiles ironically at him, shrugging to himself, โitโs not like itโs my fault youโre not over at Juyeon hyungโs right now. You chose to spend the new years here with me. My mother prohibited me from going there, not yours.โ
The argument has the male shrug, his eyes averting your brotherโs gaze once his comment gets a bit too honest and realistic. Itโs true and heโs rightโ itโs not like Ericโs mum told him he canโt go celebrate with his friends, because she didnโt. Ericโs mum trusts him and wants him to have fun and do what all the kids his age are doing. Your mum, on the other hand, is making you and Sunwoo stay home for New Yearโs Eve to celebrate with your family, because, as she quoted, New Yearโs Eve the only time she gets time off work, and she wants to spend it with her kidsโ forget the fact that youโre currently sitting locked in your room with your friend, protesting the family time just because you canโ and when Sunwoo told her she has to stop treating him like a little kid, she told him she has all the right to do so, because he is her kid. And thatโs how the party he was supposed to attend with Eric (the party you foolishly thought youโre gonna have to tag along to, not hating the sentiment as much as before now) got canceled from your brotherโs plans.
โWell,โ Eric chews on the inside of his cheek, โI did it for you two. Be grateful.โ
โWhatever,โ you hum, โletโs turn on the TV. I bet thereโs some variety show on.โ
Eric heaves out a sigh as he reaches for the TV remote, clicking the power button and making the boxy device in front of you light up. Your mum got you a TV in your room when you complained about being too bored one November day, and although the box of entertainment didnโt really help like you imagined it to, youโre glad itโs of service at least today. Instead of the expected variety show, though, thereโs news onโ the face of the old announcer looking at you with a serious look on his face, the professional tone making chills run down your spine, for he reminds you a bit of your mother when she scolds you. You think thatโs a common news announcer trait.ย
โAs the year 2000 approaches, computer programmers realize that computers might not interpret the 00 in the software as 2000, but 1900. The softwares currently running only use a two-digit code for the year, excluding the 19. The data was excluded because the data storage is costly and takes up too much space. Activities that were planned on a daily basis could be damaged or flawed,โ the announcer says, making the three of you look at the screen with interest. Maybe itโs true that when you get older, you get more interested in newsโ you think itโs good to know whatโs going on around you, although the topic discussed right now might not even concern you in the slightest.
โBanks, which calculate the interest rates on a daily basis, could face real problems. Interest rates are the amount of money a lender, such as a bank, charges a customer, such as an individual or business, for a loan. Instead of the rate of interest for one day, the computer could calculate a rate of interest for minus almost 100 years!โย
โOops,โ Eric lets out next to you, a reaction so far away from what a real adult would think of the situation. See, you are all just kids, after all.
โCenters of technology, such as power plants, are also threatened by this issue. Power plants depend on routine computer maintenance for safety checks, such as water pressure or radiation levels. Not having the correct date could throw off these calculations and possibly put nearby residents at risk,โ the announcer continues, the information coming out of his mouth suddenly making you hyper aware of the reality youโre experiencing right now.
โDo we have a nuclear power plant nearby?โ you ask in a hushed whisper, watching as the men next to you almost comically widen their eyes, shrugging.
โIโm not sure,โ Sunwoo peeps.
โThe worst of all, this software and hardware issue could cause such a big problem in nuclear energy facilities, where nuclear bombs and missiles could be set off, causing the world to go into utter chaos, or worse, an end,โ the announcer concludes, the last word making you gasp in terror.ย
โAn end?โ you chirp, sitting up straight in your seat as you look at the two men, now equally as terrified. Thereโs something in Sunwooโs gaze that makes chills run down your spine, the reality crushing down on you with heavy measures.ย
โI knew I shouldnโt have fought with mum. What if the last words the two of us exchanged before we die are the harsh words I had said yesterday?โ your brother mourns, seeing as his best friend chews on his bottom lip, lost in thought.
โWhat did you say to your mum?โ
โThat- that Iโll never forgive her for ruining this for me,โ he mumbles, his voice breaking at the end, โandโฆ other things,โ he adds, the hint of incoming panic making his best friend frantically wave his hands around and try to make your brother relax before he has to deal with the breakdown. If the world is ending, this is not how any of you want to go.
โItโs okay, donโt worry,โ Eric says, clearing his throat and pointing to the TV, โlook! The show is on, we should watch before the year ends,โ he proposes, taking the remote into his hand and turning the volume up to hopefully drown out Sunwooโs thoughts and have him focus on something else. And it worksโ noting that your brother has an attention span of a 5 year oldโ he can hardly remember what he was worrying about just 30 seconds ago.
Still, the thought keeps bouncing around your head like a child in a bouncy castle. The words of the news anchor keep repeating in your brain, making your ears ring as you look at Eric from the corner of your eye, watching his angelic face. Oh how you hate disturbing the peace now that youโve all calmed downโ but still, you canโt deal with the worries alone. Checking the clock hung above the TV, noticing thereโs at least 5 minutes left before midnight, you clear your throat, feeling your whole body on fire.
โDo you really think the world is gonna end?โ you ask, cracking your knuckles in a nervous manner. Looking at Eric, pupils shaking, you find your brotherโs best friend seemingly lost in thought. The music of the variety show program serves you three as a background sound now, none of you paying attention to the TV anymore, instead, focusing on all the things you've done wrong in your life and how somehow, this feels like karma for all of it.
โI dunno,โ Sunwoo shrugs, โI mean- they said itโs possible! It was on the news, and they wouldnโt lie on the newsโฆโ he nervously mumbles, scratching the back of his head.ย
โThatโs whatโs worrying me,โ you sigh, โwe shouldnโt have turned on the TV.โ
โIt was your idea in the first place!โ
โAnd Iโll carry the burden into my grave,โ you admit, gulping as you press a forced smile onto your lips.
Momentarily looking back at the TV, you desperately want to keep the thought of the world being over out of your head before you spend your last minutes on this earth going crazyโ but now that you started, you canโt keep thinking about it. โMan, the world canโt end yet. Thereโs so many things I havenโt tried yet! Iโm too young to die!โ
The men don't reply to thatโ you presume theyโre too busy trying to find other things to occupy themselves with instead of the inevitableโ which has you dissatisfied as you throw your body back into the sofa, heaving out a sigh. Seconds go by painfully slow but also painfully fast at the same time, given the circumstances, as you listen to the cheerful song playing in the background and nudge your friend into his upper arm with your pointer finger, feeling his arm encircle your shoulders and pull you closer to him. The contact of his fingers on your upper arm makes you squirm and break out into a smile, feeling a particular lightness in your stomach at the action, a sensation that has you in shock.ย
โIโm gonna talk with mum before we die,โ Sunwoo suddenly calls as he stands up from his seat on the floor, sighing to himself, โI canโt go with the thought of her being upset with me,โ he sentimentally adds before heโs out of the door, rushing towards the living room.
The space falls into momentary silence now that your brother is gone, having you chew on your bottom lip with nerves. You think now is the time to beg for forgiveness with the higher forcesโ I'm sorry for not studying well. I'm sorry for being rude and ungrateful towards my mum. I'm sorry for being greedyโ when the sound of Ericโs voice resonates through the place as he speaks up again, waking you up from the anxious slumber, the clock now striking 2 minutes before midnight. โWhat would you wanna do before you die?โ he asks.
The question is simple. You presume he wants simple answersโ things like getting into college, getting a good job and making a lot of money, growing oldโ but as you lean away from him and get back to your place on his left, your eyes locked with his, youโre left clueless. There are so many things you have yet to achieve, and the idea of not being able to pushes a burden to your chest, but at this very moment, you canโt really name one.ย
Shrugging, you chew on the inside of your cheek as your eyes scan his face. His firm eye contact has you a bit flustered, making you shrivel in your seat, and as the sound of the TV morphs from the song into a countdown from 55, youโre overwhelmed with the thought that your friend is insanely prettyโ and he always has been, you just hated admitting it to yourself for the past few months, despite still being fully awareโ and that now, when the world ends, youโre dying unkissed and alone.
Well, not completely alone, since Ericโs here. And heโs always been hereโ your whole life, since you can remember, and heโs here now as well, even though he shouldโve been at Juyeonโs house. As the clock strikes 30 seconds away from midnight, your eyes involuntarily travel down to his chapped lips, all air knocked out of your lungs, the thoughts in your brain picking up on speed the closer you come to the end.
Youโre dying soon. Youโre dying in 30- now 29 seconds, and youโve never kissed anyone before. Youโre dying before you get a chance to hold hands with someone and have a partner, and youโre dying before you get a chance to tell Eric how you feel about him. Thereโs 28 seconds left until the end and youโre just staring at him like a coward, because you donโt really let yourself indulge in the silly warmth of your heart whenever youโre around your friend, but god, you can at least admit it to yourself before you die.
And as the clock gets closer and closer to midnight, now only giving you 20 seconds before it all ends and a missile lands on the top of your house, blowing up the whole town and making you all disappear, Ericโs question repeats itself in your brain. What would you want to do before you die?
The answer is suddenly painfully clear as you take actionโ leaning towards the boy on your right, face closer to his than itโs ever been before, your eyes counting all his eyelashes and focusing on his surprised, yet unmoving faceโ and as you hear the countdown reach 15, you close your eyes and press your lips against his.ย
The contact makes you weak in your knees as your hands reach to his face to steady him, your own firework show erupting in your stomach, and suddenly youโre completely content with dying tonightโ because at least youโre with Eric, at least you did something. You kiss your friend with something close to an unsaid confession, your lips staying on his throughout the rest of the countdown, the taste of soda youโve both been drinking the whole evening mixing in the contact of your skin. Youโre not sure youโre even doing this rightโ again, youโve never kissed anyone beforeโ but it doesnโt matter to you much as you let go of your worries, aware of the fact that in a few seconds, nothing will matter anymore when neither of you are going to be around to say anything to each other after the kiss is over.
The countdown rings in your earsโ coming down from 5 as you scoot yourself closer to Eric, 4 as you run the pads of your thumbs along his cheekbones, 3 as you still in your movements, 2 as you notice your knees bumping into each other on the ground and finally, 1 as you get ready to die, kissing your first and only loveโ when the sound of cheers and fireworks from the TV fills your ears instead, the world around you stilling and completely unchanged.
Your kiss started in 1999 and ended in 2000. Your love for him passed a century.
Eyes fluttering open and your mouth letting go of his, the image of the boy with his lips slightly parted, eyes closed and cheeks rosy comes to you in the yellow light of your room, making your heart fall down to your stomach. He looks absolutely angelic, his hair slightly messy and the fabric of his shirt a little disheveled in the front, and even though youโd love to indulge in your foolish desires and kiss him some more, youโre quickly taken aback with the noise of the door to your room opening and making you jump away from Eric, your brother appearing out of thin air in the presence of your room. It serves you like a weird kind of reality check, Ericโs eyes opening and looking at your brother, and even though you two havenโt been caught, the male clears his throat and bites down on his lower lip, looking almost guilty.
Oh no. What have you done?
Suddenly, you feel insanely silly.
JANUARY OF 2000
โYouโve been awfully quiet the whole day,โ Sunwoo mumbles from beside you, his whole body engulfed in a pile of snow, โnot that I care, but are you okay?โ
โI thought you liked it when I donโt talk,โ you mutter, playing with the frozen white all around you, seated on the red plastic sled at the top of the hill. You got tired after dragging it up from the bottom, and when you noticed that the rest of Sunwooโs friendsโ Eric includedโ are still on their way up, you figured you could use up the time to relax and sit around for a while. Itโs been quite some time since all of Sunwooโs friends gathered to hang out at the same time, which made you surprised to see that your own brother invited you to tag along with them as they decided to go sledding on the second day of January, using up their break to best of their abilities. Which is also why you didnโt say no to the invitationโ you thought sitting at home and moping around wouldnโt help you much.
โI do,โ he says, nodding, โthatโs why Iโm asking whatโs upโ so I know what to do when I need to shut you up later,โ Sunwoo hums, making you roll your eyes at the masked worry.
Shaking your head in disbelief, you scoff. โItโs nothing.โ
โSure,โ he shrugs, โso youโre just going through puberty?โ he teases, to which you take a handful of snow into your palm and lunge the white at him, satisfaction running through your veins when the snowball lands into his unsuspecting face, the male coughing and swatting his arms around to defend himself.
โHey!โ your brother screams at you once he gets the ice out of his eyes and his mouth, his body jumping into a standing position before he chases you around, the bubble of a laugh escaping your throat for the first time these daysโ theyโre not wrong when they say malicious joy is the best kind of joy.
Running at the top of the hill, not really looking where youโre goingโ instead looking over your shoulder to see Sunwooโs actions, preparing yourself to duck if he decides to turn your small quarrel into a snow fightโ your legs get tangled with the red sled you left before you started a war with the angered man, a yelp cutting out of your throat as you get prepared to fall over and knock your teeth out.
Your body comes in contact with something half-firm, half-soft, and as your feet slip and the snow-covered ground disappears from below your legs, two arms wrap around your waist and steady you, making sure you donโt get hurt.
Turns out Eric Sohn is there to catch you every time you are about to eat shit. You hate this kind of deja vu.
As you open your eyes (that you had closed on instinct, not wanting to see your own death) once youโre sure youโre safe and sound, the world around you invites itself into your ears in an overwhelming noise. The laughter of Sunwooโs friendsโ some hollering at your fall, some at the redness and last remains of snow covering your brotherโs faceโ and the hushed arguments over whoโs going down firstโ with Haknyeon screaming that heโs stealing Sunwooโs (yours) sled and Juyeon following him. After all those happening in the matter of a few seconds,ย you realize youโre left on the top of the hill alone with the male, terror shaking through your insides.
Clearing your throat and taking a step back from him, you tuck your hands into your pockets and avert your gaze from Eric. You two havenโt spoken since you decided to kiss him on New Yearโs Eve, and with the awkward tension in the air, you donโt feel like doing so ever again in your whole entire life.ย
โThanks,โ still, you hum.
Eric seems a little more light-hearted than you, shrugging as he replies to you. โHavenโt I told you to start watching where youโre going?โ
โIโm not good with listening sometimes,โ you mutter, huffing. Taking a look around yourselfโ noticing that there are no sleds left on the top of the hill, therefore, if you wanted to escape the situation, the only way down would be to roll around like a human version of a snowman, you once again admit your defeat, standing around nervously and shifting your weight from one foot to the other.
The silence is uncomfortable. It makes you want to dig a hole in the snow and bury yourself alive, to suffocate under the weight of the icy cold and never see Ericโs face again. You know that you ruined whatever friendship you had with the maleโ by being stupid and foolish, not really thinking about consequences (because there were supposed to be none and you were supposed to be dead), and the weight of the guilt makes you want to puke and hide away.ย
Still, Eric comes out of his way to talk to you. Honestly, youโre kind of surprisedโ he should be disgusted with you. Realistically, he should be the one avoiding you, not the other way around.โTheyโre gonna take long to walk back up,โ he notes, โwanna get hot chocolate with me?โ
โIโm good, thanks,โ you shake your head, not once breaking eye contact with the overwhelming white of the hill.
โCome on,โ he sighs, โitโs just around the corner. They built a hot chocolate stand because they knew kids would come sledding here. Honestly, itโs an astute business tactic, but I promise the hot chocolate actually tastes nice,โ he says, nudging you slightly with his arm, as if to make you look at him and change your mind.
โThanks, but no,โ you definitely say, chewing on the inside of your cheek.
โAre you avoiding me?โ he asks, tone of voice casualโ as if it was the most normal thing in the world, as if nothing ever happened and he was genuinely curious about the reasoning behind your actions.
โIโm not, I just donโt really like hot chocolate,โ you sheepishly mutter, trying hard to avoid the topic.
โSo you are avoiding me,โ he hums, as if it wasnโt obvious beforeโ and not only because youโre a bad liar. Plus, you love hot chocolate. Somehow, you think Eric knows.
โLook, Eric,โ you sigh, running your hand through your hair, โcanโt you just drop it?โ
โNo,โ he shrugs, shaking his head, โand thatโs why weโre talking about the reason why youโre avoiding me over a cup of hot chocolate. Letโs go.โ
His persistence is terribly overwhelming sometimes. You wonder how the male does it. โI already told you-โ
โYou owe me for the stickers and the meal and everything,โ he corners you, and you know you canโt argue with that. Heโs kind of right, you supposeโ you never paid him back for all the chocolates or for the free meal he brought you that one evening. And thatโs exactly why you find yourself sighing as you follow him, mentally preparing yourself for the talk.
You hate how he can always get his way. Walking up to the stand, you crack your knuckles in the pocket of your jacket, nervously coming up with possible arguments to tell him. I didnโt kiss you on purpose, it was an accident. I only did it to know how it feels. We are both supposed to be dead, itโs not my fault the world didnโt end like it was supposed to! Each sentence sounds more stupid than the previous one, and so with that, you shake your head, wiping the thoughts away, smiling at the elderly lady in the stand. Youโre just gonna have to be honest, you figure.ย
โTwo hot chocolates, please.โ
Rummaging through your pockets to find your walletโ you do owe Eric, so itโs only natural for you to payโ youโre caught off guard as the male next to you swiftly takes out his own and unzips it, preparing to pay for you.ย
โI thought I owed you?โ you mumble, hand reaching to tug at his forearm to stop him, to which Eric only grins at you and sighs.
โYeah, but that doesnโt mean you have to pay,โ he says.
โI think thatโs exactly what that means.โ
โJust take it,โ he huffs as he brings out a note from his wallet, the force making something else fly out and fall to the ground with it, having the boy swiftly crouch down and pick the item up, attempting to hide it before you get a chance to see. And now, you donโt have 20/20 vision, but you recognise your face when you see itโ that, and you also recognize the small white sheet to be a polaroid picture, and as far as youโre aware, youโre the only one who has a camera in his circle.
The boy hands you the drink with red-tinted cheeks. The idea of him carrying a picture of you that he took back in September makes you flush as well, and when your gloved fingers accidentally meet as you take the cup from him, he forces out a laugh. โWe can talk about that after you tell me why youโre avoiding me.โ
His nonchalance has you relaxing only for a few seconds. The boy walks with you as you try to heat up your cold hands on the boiling surface of the cup, and when you see a bench a few meters away from you two, you instinctively take a seat.
โSo?โ he becomes you, eyebrows rising as he takes a sip from the melted sweetness.
Sighing, you try to come up with the best way to go around this. Do you apologize? Do you promise to never do it againโ and you wonโt, even though you want to so badly and his lips look surprisingly soft today? Furrowing your brows at the war in your head, you place the cup on the bench next to you and put your head into your hands, hiding away from him when you realize the only way to do this is to be completely, utterly honest.
โIโm just so embarrassed, Eric.โ
The only noise meeting your eardrums in the moment is the faint yelling of the crowd sledding in the background, your companion remaining quiet for a bit. When he sees you wonโt explain yourself, he goes ahead and asks the question. โWhy?โ
โDo I really have to spell it out for you?โ you sigh, not believing his so casual composure.
โMaybe,โ he laughs, the airy sound taking all breath away from your lungs.
Well, not all of it, since you have enough oxygen to go on a tangent, it seems. โBecause I kissed you, goddamnit. And- and I donโt even know why I did it, honestly, Iโve never thought of kissing you before! Itโs just- when I heard the world is ending, I realized I hadnโt had my first kiss yet, and that just felt like such a miserable way to die, and then you asked what I wanted to do before I die and I couldnโt think of anything else,โ you say, progressively taking out your head from your hands and facing the male, big eyes staring into his soul.ย
To your surprise, he doesnโt seem mad. Or disgusted. Or any of the reactions you expected, really. Eric stares at you with a soft, but amidst a little star-struck look in his eyes, and youโre suddenly painfully aware of every slight shift in his composure.
โDid you kiss me because you wanted to kiss me, or because you thought the world was gonna end?โ he asks, awaiting your answer.
And if youโre being honest, 2 days after New Yearโs Eve, you do admit the thought of the world actually ending sounds a bit stupid. Why did you even believe that theory? Why did they talk about it so seriously on the news? They tricked you into ruining your own life.ย
But still, nothing can be done about it now. โBoth,โ you admit, shrugging, โIโฆ I kissed you because I really didnโt want to die unkissed, but alsoโฆ I wanted it to be you, yโknow? Likeโฆ I thought we were really going to die, and so I thought kissing you might be a nice way to go. I really wanted to spend my last moments with you, I guess,โ you sheepishly say, averting your gaze from the male.
Eric offers you his silence again after youโre done explaining. While you do admit you feel a little tense to hear what he has to say, you also realize you feel lighter now that itโs out in the universe and out of your system. A major weight was taken off your shoulders with the confession, and suddenly, youโre kind of glad that your friend was so assertive and insistent on talking about thisโ who knows how long youโd go before managing to face him. You think you could honestly go onโฆ forever.
Taking a sip of the luscious liquid, you feel your body warm up once the anxiousness slips away from your bones. The boy next to you hums, making you face him with expecting eyes. โThen why were you avoiding me?โ
Sighing, you shake your head. โI just told you. Iโm starting to think youโre the one thatโs bad at listening.โ
โNo,โ he laughs, โthatโs still you. Because if you were good at listening, youโd remember me telling you that Iโve never once seen you as my younger sister.โ
Shrugging, kicking the pile of snow in front of you with the tip of your winter boots, youโre not quite following. โSo?โ
โSo you shouldโve realized that Iโm not doing all of this,โ he theatrically swings his arms around, โfor nothing, you know?โ
โAll of what?โ
โTaking care of you. Feeding you, helping you collect those stupid animal stickers, walking you homeโฆโ he mumbles, sighing. โKeeping your picture in my wallet,โ he adds with a playful tone, making you smile.
โI thought you were just being a good friend,โ you shrug.
โI donโt keep a picture of your brother on me at all times,โ he says, tugging off his gloves. The sleeve of his jacket rides up a little as you watch him take his cup of hot chocolate off the bench, surprised (and flooded with warmth) to see the ugly friendship bracelet you made still adorning his wrist.
Grinning to yourself, excitement welcoming itself into the tips of your fingertips, you shrug. โSo?โ you mirror your own question from a little while ago, wanting him to say it to you instead of relying on your own brainโ you think thereโs still a possibility of you just being too delusional to see the reality for what it really is. You need to make sure youโre not imagining things.
โSo,โ he starts, sighing to himself as he turns a little in his seat to face you, โyou should stop avoiding me, because I liked the kiss. And you. And we should probably do it again, because I didnโt get the chance to kiss you back the first time,โ he says, once again taking all oxygen out of your lungs with the casualty of his preposition.
Locking his eyes with you, having you two staring at each other like two rays of sunshine warming up the cold January, he grins. โHow does that sound?โ
โGood,โ you breathe out, โvery good.โ
The male takes it as an invitation as he scoots himself closer to you on the bench, his body turning a bit to face you. His free hand cups your cheek, leaning closer to lock his lips with you like he asked you to, your eyes fluttering close at the proximity, the fuzzy feeling in your stomach already expecting to kiss him again. The situation feels a little too idyllic to be real, thoughโ you shouldโve expected it to get ruined again.
Something cold and wet comes into contact with the side of your face, and when you sharply open your eyes, you see Eric staring at you with shock and terror in his eyes, the snow dripping down the side of his face as well. Whoever threw the snowball has good aim, you thinkโ managing to target two people at once (even though your faces were that close to each other that it probably wasnโt even that hard), and before you get a chance to look around and see who cut off your kiss, thereโs a scream coming from the left side of the two of you, the sound of feet quickly darting in the snow landing into your ears.
โEric Sohn, what the fuck do you think youโre doing with my sister?โ the voice hollers, and before you get a chance to react, the said male fastly stands up from the bench and runs to the other direction, laughter resonating all throughout the place as Sunwoo and his friends chase their shortest friend down.
Snow starts falling as you watch your brother tail his childhood friend, and with a foreign sense of warmth, you get reminded of the birthday wish you made while blowing out the candles on your seventh birthday.
You wished for someone just like Eric. You didnโt know the universe would be so kind to give you him instead.
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(NO) STRINGS ATTACHED
PAIRING lee hyunjae x f!reader
WORD COUNT 5.58k
GENRES smut ๏นangst ๏นfluff
WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, mature language, strangers to fwb to lovers, a few timeskips here and there, hyunjae is a manwhore but what else is new, heโs also a criminal justice major so, mentions of alcohol, mentions of roblox? idk, reader is lowkey horny as hell ๐ญ, handjob, oral (m!receiving), mentions of sex in various places, hyunjae is an emotionally constipated idiot, juyeon appearance crowd cheered, also cha eunwoo appearance but crowd did not cheer, hyunjae goes through the five stages of grief, no foreplay but what can u do about it, marking, unprotected sex (wrap before u tap u know the drill), cowgirl position yeehaw, creampie yeehaw, little bit of cockwarming st the end ngl
SUMMARY becoming friends with lee hyunjae after his valiant attempt to save your life (stopping you from drunk driving) was certainly not on your yearโs bingo card. also not on your bingo card? waking up in his bed every other night following, but itโs not like youโre really complaining.
MORE bruh. first of all. iโm so sorry this is so late. ๐ญ second of all, NOT ONLY IS IT A DAY LATE, BUT ITS ALSO LIKE AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE ๐ญ my time management was not all there this past weekend, and also due to some unfortunate decisions on my part, this fic was delayed a bunch but WE ARE SO BACK pls. i hope u all enjoy this bc i kinda hate it and im sad bc i was so excited for it and its nothing like how i wanted it to beโฆ pls rb if u liked it ๐ฟ also this is lowkey for izzy bc weโre both going through insane hyunjae brainrot rn..
SERIES MASTERLIST
PERM TAGLIST @winterchimez @maessseongs @itsbeeble @zzoguri @deoboyznet @cloverdaisies @vernyangel @ericlvr
TAGLIST @millksea @from-izzy
In Hyunjaeโs defense, he didnโt mean for any of this to happen.
When the two of you first met, he really was just trying to be a gentleman. Heโd always been raised as someone who should do the right thing without expecting anything in return. He prided himself on sticking by his motherโs lifelong wisdom.
Okay sure, he mightโve had a few slip ups here and there in the form of random girls heโs hooked up with, but could you blame him? He was a university criminal justice major after all. Thereโs no harm in a little one-night-stand fun. Learning the ins and outs of the world of law and order was soul-draining enough without the freedom to stress-relieve whenever he felt fit.
Right. Back to you.
Your first encounter took place at the Tau Beta Zeta end of semester party. The fraternity had been working towards securing their victory against the KAT sorority just so they could host the damn thing. Hyunjae had yet to find a girl to entice him for the night, instead bothering some of his frat brothers. For example, Jacob Bae, who had just won the IST University boysโ volleyball team a championship title.
He couldโve gone after Lee Haeun, Jacobโs ex, but he had higher standards than that. There was also the incident earlier that day, while setting up for the party. He tried making a move on the KAT president to piss off Sangyeon, but that ended up failing. Honestly, he didnโt even care much about sleeping with anyone at these things anyways. Usually pretty girls came up to him first, but then ghosted him once they realized he wasnโt looking for anything serious. That was the only reason why his rap sheet was so long. Heโd never intended on being the resident fuckboy.
Hyunjae remembers spotting you across the room during one of the numerous rounds of beer pong that night. Rather than Juyeon refereeing with Younghoon like they normally did, he stepped in to let the younger male enjoy the party with his girlfriend. The current match-up was Sunwoo versus Changmin with their respective partners. He had glanced up after witnessing the soccer prodigy miss a cup, making eye contact with you accidentally.
You tucked some hair behind your ear, bringing your drink to your lips and taking a sip before looking away. Your friends had sucked you back into the conversation you were having, effectively blocking Hyunjaeโs chance to shoot any shots. He quickly got over it upon witnessing Changmin and Sunwoo arguing over the game, egging them on like the instigator he was.
Most people wouldโve thought that was the end of it. Just a fleeting glance at each other, dozens of people standing between you. In hindsight, Hyunjae partially wishes that was where your story ended. You wouldโve just been another girl to him, a stranger he saw once and never ran into again.
Itโs funny how the universe works in strange ways.
By two in the morning, when over half of the partygoers had left the TBZ house, Hyunjae felt his social battery reach empty. He woke up earlier that morning to study for his Victimology final and felt drained by the time he walked out of the lecture hall. (He knew he aced it, but that didnโt mean it wasnโt mentally taxing.) He was just about ready to call it a night when he saw you sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, blubbering into your phone about something.
โWhat do you mean you left?โ You wail, cheeks stained with mascara streaks. โI donโt care about your boyfriend! Iโm too drunk to drive home and you were supposed to be my D.D.โ
Your words are slightly slurred, a hiccup following your last sentence. Damn, you were cute even when you were crying like a baby. Hyunjae observed as you argued with who he assumed to be your friend over the phone, exasperated by the end of it. Despite not knowing a single thing about you, not even your name, he decided to step in and offer aid.
โI didnโt mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you saying youโre too drunk to drive yourself, and as a TBZ member I just canโt let that happen,โ he extended a hand to you. โIโd be more than willing to let you stay here until the morning, if youโd like. You can have my room and Iโll just crash in one of the others.โ
Your lower lip quivered, as if you were on the verge of even more tears. You sniffle when you respond, eyes doe-like and glassy. โR-Really? You would do that f-for me?โ
โItโs a better alternative than taking a rideshare home alone while drunk,โ he nods. โAnd Iโm definitely not letting you drive anywhere yourself.โ
Hyunjae doesnโt know why he felt so protective over you. The thought of some potentially creepy man taking advantage of you because you were under the influence didnโt sit right with him. He poked his cheek with his tongue, hand still outstretched to you. You took it gently, allowing him to guide you to his bedroom. He grabbed some of his clothes so you could be comfier and gave you a washcloth so you wouldnโt go to be with your makeup on. He felt better knowing you were in the safety of his fraternity house rather than anywhere else. It kind of pissed him off that your friends would leave you to fend for yourself like that.
The next morning, you came down the stairs drowning in Hyunjaeโs clothes, rubbing at your eyes sleepily. You held the heel of your palm to your temple, wincing from the headache no doubtedly caused by your hangover. It was around 11 AM when you woke up and most, if not all, of his frat brothers had already left to head home for the holidays.
You found your knight in shining armor sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, a mug with the default male Roblox face in his grasp. He was scrolling through his phone mindlessly, taking sips of his coffee every now and then until he heard you. He spins around in his chair, offering you a warm smile.
โGood morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you rest okay?โ He asks, getting up to grab you your own mug.
Your cheeks burn up at the nickname. The whole situation is still a bit odd to you. You knew of Lee Hyunjae through the grapevine (every other girl at your school), yes, but youโve never held an actual conversation with him before. And now here you are, taking shelter in his home and sleeping in his bed. It was sweet of him to be so hospitable, though. He couldโve kicked you out and pretended you didnโt exist.
โThatโs probably the best Iโve ever slept in my life,โ you laugh to cut through the tension. โThank you for keeping me alive last night. I feel indebted to you forever.โ
โIt was no problem, at all. My pleasure, actually,โ he grins, passing you a mug filled with fresh coffee. โBy the way, I never got your name.โ
โItโs Y/N,โ you tell him, mouth pulling into a smile at the cup he just gave you, which happened to be the female adjacent to his. โHyunjae, right?โ
He doesnโt know if he should be embarrassed by the fact that you already knew his name or not, but given his previous reputation, he thinks it shouldnโt be that big of a deal. He clears his throat and nods as he drinks more of his coffee. He tries to distract himself from the weird feeling bubbling in his chest with how cute you looked in his clothes.
โDo you not have any plans for the break?โ You switch the subject, noticing that the house was empty for the most part.
โNah,โ he shakes his head. โIโm from here, so it isnโt really much of a drive to visit home. Iโll go over on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years but thatโs about it. Other than that, I like to enjoy having the whole house to myself.โ
โWoah, me too! My friends are all from out of town though, so Iโm usually really lonely. Itโs always so odd thinking about how this is just a stepping stone for peopleโs lives and Iโve been here all of mine.โ You stir some cream and sugar into your coffee, pursing your lips. โSo, I take it youโre not doing anything today?โ
โNothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada,โ Hyunjae leans back in his chair. โIโll probably just watch some movies and call it a day. What about you? Any plans for the break since all of your friends are gone?โ
โI have just as many as you.โ You sip on your beverage.
โWell, the couch space next to me will be unoccupied if youโd like to join me.โ
โI think I might take you up on that offer.โ
You feel like maybe this was some sort of elaborate scheme to trap you. Your eyes kept flickering from the TV to his profile, entranced by the blue light illuminating his features. You wanted nothing more than to claim your seat on his lap and ride him into the sunset like a gallant steed, which was ironic considering the way the two of you met.
Itโs in the middle of the third movie that you finally feel yourself grow restless. No way could you sit beside Lee Hyunjae, spend the whole day with him, and not jump his bones. It was, like, the most obvious thing to do. It was Lee Hyunjae. Did he expect you not to?
He feels you squirming next to him, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. In all honesty, heโs surprised heโs abstained from touching you this long. From the moment he saw you in his clothes this morning, he wanted you underneath him. He doesnโt know how to initiate anything without seeming too forward though.
Luckily, he doesnโt have to make much effort on his part.
You place one of your hands on his thigh, dragging your nail along the seam of his sweatpants. He turns to you with a raised eyebrow. All you can do is bat your eyelashes at him innocently.
โYou know, Hyunjae, I never got to properly thank you for your act of nobility last night,โ you start, fingers creeping up higher. โAnd I just thought of something that I think weโll both like.โ
He doesnโt have the strength in him to restrain himself after that, pulling you into a heated kiss. He nips at your lower lip and tangles his tongue with your own, getting easily lost in the spellbinding of your touch. Your lips trail along his jaw and down his neck, hooking your fingers into the waistband of his pants. You suck deep marks into the skin of his pulse point while simultaneously palming him through his underwear.
Youโre moving fast, but youโre on a mission. Youโve been waiting for this all day, you canโt imagine slowing down now. It doesnโt appear that he plans on stopping you either.
Hyunjae throws his head back, hissing when you discard his boxers. The cool air of the house hits his cock at the same time you bite down on the divot where his neck meets his shoulder. Your hand gently wraps around his length, thumb running over the slit to collect the precum thatโs formed there. He watches in a trance as you go on your knees between his legs.
You press a sweet kiss to his tip before taking him into your mouth. He groans, twisting your hair around his wrist so he can control your movements. Hyunjae doesnโt think heโs ever wanted head this badly in his life. Heโs always been a giving person, always providing the pleasure for the girl he was with. There were only a handful of times that heโs ever been on the receiving end and none of them were memorable. But this time is different.
For some reason, youโre the only one whoโs ever been able to get him this riled up this quickly. Youโre still relatively a stranger to him, and even though heโs had plenty of one night stands, itโs unlike any of the others.
Your throat relaxes so you can swallow more of him, tongue swirling around the tip. Heโs the biggest guy youโve ever been with, making things a little harder for you, but you were never one to back down from a challenge. And getting Lee Hyunjae to cum from the work of your mouth alone was the ultimate reward.
Hyunjae moans when your attention focuses on his sensitive slit. The sound is music to your ears, goading you into continuing your task. You gag around his dick and tears prick at your eyes when he pushes your face down further, your nose brushing the lower part of his abdomen. One of your hands wanders, tracing and scratching his abs as the other jerks him off.
He swipes away some stray tears with his thumb, bucking into your mouth and hand. โFucking look at you, taking me like a good girl. Youโre so filthy.โ
You whine, squeezing your thighs together for your own friction. You can wait, though, entirely too focused on getting him to finish. Youโre thankful it isnโt that much longer until he does, painting your lips and cheeks with his release when you pull off of him to press a cute kiss on the same spot. He knows he finished too fast for someone of his caliber, but he doesnโt have it in him to care.
โYouโre so hot,โ he brings you up to connect your lips once again.
It was very easy to fall into a habit after that.
Throughout the entirety of the break, Hyunjae would call you over or vice versa and youโd rock each otherโs worldโs. It was practically an entire month of fucking nonstop. Youโd done it in the TBZ house living room, in his bed, in the kitchen, in the shower and every other surface you could think of. Your own apartment had been christened plenty with your sexcapades also. Both of your cars had seen you naked too. But the most memorable place had to be his childhood bedroom the night of Christmas. He went to his parentsโ for a couple days and hit you with that 3 AM โYou up?โ text when his libido couldnโt quell. That was probably the quietest youโd ever have to be.
Hyunjae had to explain to his mom that no, he hadnโt gotten mauled by a wild animal in his sleep. It was harder coming up with another plausible lie to cover the source of the hickeys on his neck, but heโd rather tell his mother something stupid than the fact that he was an insatiable freak.
When it came time for everyone to return to school for the spring semester, youโd deluded yourself into thinking there could be something real between you and Hyunjae. I mean, what else were you supposed to do? This gorgeous man had spent almost every single day of winter break with you, even if it was mostly for the sex. That wasnโt all you did though. You shared meals together and talked about your life goals. You truly got to know him better than just the hot frat guy whoโs made his rounds with girls on campus.
However, Hyunjae did not think he was ready for that level of commitment.
After spending a month with you and learning all of your little quirks, he thought he was going insane. Heโd been in situationships in the past and none of them ever ended well, especially because they always caught feelings. He didnโt want the two of you to fall down the same path. But he noticed the linger of your touches and kisses and the way your eyes sparkled when he spoke. He didnโt want to be the one to break your heart.
He just couldnโt see himself getting into a serious relationship. He was preparing to apply for law schools and get his shit together. He didnโt think he couldnโt handle throwing a girlfriend into the mix. Even if it was you. Bold, pretty little you, who had Lee Hyunjae wrapped around her finger without trying.
Things come to a speeding halt for both of you halfway into the second week back.
Hyunjae was walking out of his Crime Mapping II lecture when he saw you chatting up Cha Eunwoo outside of the building, giggling and being all touchy with him. He doesnโt know why he feels soโฆ stuffyโฆ when he sees that. He doesnโt know why it makes him mad. He doesnโt know why it feels like his heart has just been stomped on a handful of times.
He walks over to you and clears his throat, hands shoving into his jacket pockets. He tries to ignore how cute you look in your puffer coat, nose rosy from the cold. You pause in your conversation to say hi to him before resuming whatever you were saying before. It was like he was invisible.
โI gotta go, but Iโll see you in class tomorrow?โ You tuck some hair behind your ear, smiling at the male.
โFor sure. Talk to you later, Y/N.โ He says, waving as he takes off.
Hyunjae starts in the opposite direction wordlessly, leaving you to stumble behind him like a newborn deer. He looks upset about something, but youโre not sure if you should ask. When you finally match his pace, you frown, tapping his shoulder.
โHey, whatโs up?โ
โSince when were you friends with Cha Eunwoo?โ Hyunjae blurts, tone catching you off guard. You blink at his outburst.
โFor a while, I guess? Weโre in the same department and weโve had a few classes together. Why? Is that a problem?โ You stop your steps, forcing him to do the same.
โNo, why would it be? Iโm not your boyfriend. You can talk to whoever you want.โ He backtracks, realizing the connotation behind his question. Shit, why does he not think before he speaks?
โYou could be,โ you shrug, gaze casted downward to avoid his stare. โYou could be my boyfriend.โ
Again, because heโs a stupid boy, he chooses not to use his brain in such a critical situation. โI donโt want to be. You can date him for all I care.โ
Hyunjae didnโt want to be the one to break your heart, but he knows he did when he sees the flame in your eyes die out. He thinks he broke his own too, chest constricting when tears well up in the corners. You wipe your runny nose with your gloved hand, sniffling with a scoff.
โFuck you, Hyunjae,โ your voice is surprisingly calm, and that scares him more. โFuck you and your stupid fucking commitment issues and your lack of empathy. Stay away from me.โ
He canโt even think of something quick enough to stop you. Of course, his mind runs at a million miles a minute when itโs the worst time. But when he needs it to work most, it fails on him. Thatโs exactly his luck.
He just stares as your figure gets smaller and smaller, getting further and further away from his reach. His stomach feels ugly, twisted in a way it shouldnโt be. Maybe itโs because heโd considered you a close friend at this point, and now thereโs no way you didnโt hate him. He told you things that he hadnโt even told his brothers, things that he hoped would never see the light of day. Heโd spoken his insecurities out into the world and you were the one he let see that vulnerable side of him. He had something good going for him finally, and he went and ruined it.
Who could he be mad at but himself?
When Hyunjae sees you again, itโs been at least a week since your argument in the middle of campus.
Heโd been beating himself up over the fight the entire time. Numerous what-if scenarios ran through his mind when he shouldโve been sleeping. He wonders what he couldโve said to make everything turn out differently. Had he just told you what was bothering him, told you about that icky sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, perhaps you wouldnโt have walked away.
Heโs pretty sure youโre doing it on purpose. You avoided him until you knew youโd definitely see him, and then youโd flaunt yourself to purposefully piss him off. Despite only knowing each other for a little over a month, you had Hyunjae read like the back of your hand. You knew he was stubborn and had to be pushed into admitting he was wrong. Heโd never outright confess to his mistakes unless you backed him into a corner and forced him to.
So you can imagine his reaction when he saw you walk into that weekโs TBZ party with Cha Eunwoo around your shoulders.
If Lee Hyunjae had any faults, it was that he was too prideful. He realizes this when you stroll right past him, ignoring his presence. You giggle at something Eunwoo said as you grab some drinks. Thereโs no way you arenโt doing this to get on his nerves. Especially not in that outfit.
His grip on his cup is not normal, he knows that. But itโs not subtle if anyone notices and when Juyeon of all people points it out, he knows it even more.
โYo, dude. Are you good? You look like you might kill somebody if weโd let you.โ The younger male pats his back.
โHonestly, no, not really. But there isnโt really anything I can do about it.โ Hyunjae huffs, welcoming his defeat with open arms.
โYou can talk to me about things. Itโs kinda weird but I always feel like getting out your thoughts is better than internalizing and blowing up randomly.โ He says after a moment.
โI guess Iโm just confused why Iโm so jealous of something that isnโt mine.โ The heart to heart with his frat brother follows the entire five stages of grief, starting with step one; Denial. Heโll keep denying the real reason he feels the way he does.
โAre you talking about that girl you were messing around with during break?โ Juyeon asks, bringing his cup to his mouth. โAnd the fact that sheโs here with Cha Eunwoo?โ
Step two; Anger. His cup snaps and the sharp edge of the plastic scratches the inside of his palm. โWhy would I be jealous of her being here with him? I could give less of a fuck about that. Sheโs not my girlfriend, she can do whatever she wants.โ
He raises an eyebrow at how defensive his senior gets, lips quirking up. โSure, Hyunjae. Youโre not jealous. But youโre acting like it and you know you are.โ
โWell,โ step three; bargaining. โIโm not not jealous, I justโ I donโt know. Iโve never been on this side of the situation before. Am I even allowed to be mad about it?โ
โI mean, itโs a little unconventional, but yeah, I think you are. You spent the better part of a month getting to know this girl. Youโve seen her in ways other people havenโt. Even if you werenโt going into it with the intention to start something, I think itโs hard not to want anything after. Unless youโre completely heartless. But youโre not exactly The Grinch, so.โ Juyeon sounds too wise for standing in the middle of a frat party.
โNothingโs gonna happen now, though. She hates me and wants nothing to do with me because I screwed up.โ Step four; Depression.
โYou donโt know that unless you make an attempt to fix it,โ his junior sighs. โLook, sheโs gonna keep projecting how upset you made her if you arenโt gonna do something about it. But thereโs a high chance that sheโll forgive you if youโre just real with her.โ
And last, but not least, step five. Acceptance. Lee Hyunjae has finally accepted that heโs not an emotionless robot incapable of producing feelings for someone. He takes Juyeonโs advice right then and there, deciding that this is something he has to do immediately. (He also knows how much you can drink at these things and he preferred that you were sober when he spoke to you.)
He thanks his friend and sets off to search for you in the sea of already drunk university students. Heโs anxious. Heโs never been the type to have serious discussions about anything, really. He assumes that it stems from never seeing that in his own parents. They loved each other, yeah, but they never really talked about difficult topics with each other. Or, in front of him they didnโt.
Hyunjae thinks he might throw up when he finds you in the other room. Cha Eunwoo is still glued to your side, but heโs hardly paying attention to you, talking to his friends. You look bored, like you were waiting for somethingโ or someoneโ to save you. This was his opportunity.
Your eyes widen when you see him heading straight for you, swallowing thickly. There wasnโt any route of escape so you were stuck having to deal with him. In all honesty, the hurt was still very fresh for you, and you werenโt sure you could handle talking to him yet.
โCan we please talk? I need to tell you something,โ he yells over the loud music.
โWhy should I listen to what you have to say?โ Your tone is shaky, wavering slightly, but youโre grateful that he canโt hear it with how voluminous this party is.
โY/N,โ he pleads almost, eyes communicating what you needed to hear. โThis is important.โ
You concede, sneaking from Eunwoo and following Hyunjae blindly. You could be getting whisked away to your demise, but the former hardly even notices, too engrossed in whatever he was saying to his friends. Youโre a bit apprehensive when Hyunjae takes you into his bedroom, biting your cheek when the memories of what youโve done in here come flooding back to you.
โOkay, I donโt know how to put this into a coherent thought,โ he turns his back to you.
โCan we just get this over with? You donโt want me, remember? I donโt even know why Iโm giving you the time of dayโโ
โOf course I want you,โ he exclaims, spinning around and pinching the bridge of his nose. โGod, are you blind? Itโs so obvious that Iโve wanted you for so long, Y/N. Iโm just stupid and I fucked everything up, because I was scared that things would change and Iโm afraid of change. Thatโs the reason why I have commitment problems. I donโt want to commit myself to something just for everything to change in the blink of an eye.โ
You shut up after that, your heart skipping in your chest. This was what you wanted. You wanted a messy confession. Something that told you it wasnโt all in your head. That you werenโt making things up. That he felt the same way you did.
Your lips collide in a rough, desperate manner. Hyunjaeโs never had a way with words, so kissing you with every ounce of longing in his being and holding you like youโd disappear any second was his outlet. This was how he could show you his true feelings. Your heart rate transitions from your pulse point to your ears, amplifying with each suck of your bottom lip between his teeth
Youโve done this so many times before, but it will never be the same as this one. No one could ever make you feel the way Lee Hyunjae does. It might be crazy, but it only took a month for you to realize that there will never be another for you. The conversations that trickled into early hours of the morning following going at it like jackrabbits were perfect to you. They werenโt ideal, but they were enough.
The two of you walk backwards until heโs sitting on the edge of his bed, your knees on either side of his lap. You cup his jaw in your hands, grinding down on him every time your lips move together. Hyunjaeโs fingers dig into your sides and push up the material of your dress. Heโs moving fast, rushed like you might decide you donโt want this and walk out of his room.
You canโt really blame him, your pace disorganized with only one goal in mind. Neither of you could be bothered with the foreplay, too needy and craving the touch of one another as quickly as possible. You part from him to pull off your dress, eyes fluttering shut when he starts leaving a trail of kisses down your stomach. He doesnโt want to waste time commenting on the fact that you were braless underneath so he busies himself with pecking the tops of your tits. Your fingers card through his hair with an extended sigh, noticing how long itโs gotten since you first met.
Hyunjae pushes his pants down his legs as you yank his shirt over his head, reconnecting your lips. He uses his ring and middle fingers to shove aside your underwear, discarding his own shortly after. Your mouth nips and bites your favorite places on his neck, ensuring you mark the surface so everyone knows who he belongs to. You were the one who acquired the key to Lee Hyunjaeโs heart.
Your teeth sink into his skin the moment he slips inside of you, both of you moaning when he slides right into your cunt like he was meant to be there. You whine when he bottoms out, your sensitive clit bumping into his pelvic bone. Youโre so warm and inviting, Hyunjae feels like heโs falling under a spell. Just being inside of you feels like a form of hypnosis. If it was up to him, heโd stay here forever, content to sit with his cock stuffed in you without interruption. But you both yearn for more than that.
He tightens his grip on your hips, bucking upwards into you and watching with heavy eyes as a whine spills from your lips. You look so fucked out despite him doing absolutely nothing to you yet. He thrusts up again experimentally, grinning when your upper half knocks into his.
โFeel good, baby?โ He coos into your ear, nipping at the lobe and the area surrounding.
You nod with a whimper when his cock brushes that sweet spot deep inside your pussy. โMhm, feels soโ fuck, Jae, want it harder.โ
โAnything for my pretty girl,โ he smiles into your skin.
He increases the speed that he fucks into you, pinning down your hips so you canโt move and all you can do is take it. Itโs like you can feel him in your abdomen, his cock plunging in you so far. Youโd think after a month of fucking practically every day, youโd be used to his size by now. However, that was just not attainable. You donโt think you could ever get used to how big he was, how thick he was.
The force that he drives into you with is unmatched, miles apart from what heโs given you before. Itโs like he wants to burn the shape of himself inside you, so you never forget that heโs the one making you feel like this. Nobody but Hyunjae can fuck you this well.
He moves you further up the bed, flattening his feet on the mattress and laying down so he can press deeper, a new angle that has your vision going blank. You donโt think twice about the volume of your cries, letting him know how good heโs giving it to you. Youโre encouraging him, wanting him to get cockier so he can keep fucking you into oblivion. Your fingers grasp at the sheets beside his head for support.
Hyunjaeโs nails impress crescent shapes into your waist, his mouth returning to your tits so he can leave his own marks all over your chest. Itโs when your clit rubs against his lower stomach again that you let go, your orgasm crashing into like a train. It winds you, ripping your breath from your throat and stealing your oxygen. Heโs close behind, the feeling of your walls clenching around him in rapid intervals triggering his own.
He fills you up nicely, both of you releasing guttural groans at the sight of his cum dripping out of you. Youโre too exhausted to get up, collapsing on top of him. He doesnโt mind, more than happy to stay buried inside of you even if you didnโt do anything.
โSoโฆโ You start after a bit of silence, drawing unrecognizable shapes on his chest. โYouโve wanted me for so long, huh?โ
โShut up,โ he laughs, eyes closed while he recuperates from using all of his energy on you. โThis is still new for me.โ
โI know, Mr. Emotionally Constipated And I Donโt Date โCause Iโm Going To Be A Big Fancy Hotshot Lawyer,โ you tease, pecking his lips and then his nose. โI must be extremely special to be the one who changed your mind.โ
โYouโll be the death of me, you know that right?โ He shakes his head, brushing some of your hair from your face. You smile down at him with an unfamiliar fondness in your eyes.
โWhy else do you think weโve gotten this far?โ
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