walk the line | jongseong
summary: park jongseong has one regret and he's spent his entire life atoning for the pain he caused you. when you walk into office under the premise of working together, he's only got one shot to make things right before it's too late.
notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARK JONGSEONG <3 33.7k words worth of things i want to say to him. also i'm mad that tumblr caps off at 1000 blocks and i had to change the ending...forgive me.
genre: lawyer au
warnings: nsfw and typos, probably. also the surname "kim" has importance. :)
p.s. this banner was made by the lovely and talented @alvojake, love u!!
masterlist
When Jay was eleven years old, his father brought him a souvenir back from New York City when he traveled abroad for a week-long business trip. Jay has always been a big dreamer, too lost in his own reality to acknowledge the everyday life of grade school and all that came with it. Itโs a tendency that his parents fostered and nurtured, instilling the belief that Jay could achieve anything he wanted in life if he dreamt hard enough.ย
The โI Heart NYโ pin sits in the first drawer to the right of his desk. Besides his quick wit and intelligence, Jay would love to believe that pin is the reason why his desk on the fiftieth floor overlooks the city of Seoul.ย
Jay doesnโt make mistakes. Heโs calculated and smart with his decisions based on cold, hard facts. He trusts his gut and prides himself in taking the high road when things get tough, letting losses go and holding his wins close to his heart. Practicing law isnโt for the weak, and Jay is not weak.ย
Yet walking into his office feels bleak on some days. The castle he serves doesnโt seem as golden as it once did in the early stages of his career. The gifts given to him by clients and admirers that sit around his office feel undeserved, no matter how many hours he put into making them happy. His only sense of comfort is the large vinyl collection he has that sits between shelf upon shelf for no one to touch but him.ย
Jay is meticulous in his work, rarely letting anyone into his inner circle without proving themselves first. Itโs what makes him a great lawyer and what gave him a respectable name to his firm and others alikeโJay takes calculated risks and trusts no one, other than himself, completely.
Still, his days wane between fulfilling and empty.ย
Heโs one of the first people to arrive at the office with a briefcase in hand and hair slicked back with expensive gel, wearing suits tailored at a few grand apiece. Jay doesnโt leave early either. He watches associates under him file out of the office one by one as the hour goes by until thereโs no one left but him. Itโs only then will Jay cap his pen or queue an email to send in the morning to make it appear as if he hadnโt spent all night in his office.ย
Jay loves his job. It gives him a sense of self fulfillment and it brings him joy to win cases for his clients, who range from high-paid celebrities to private equity firms. While the high salary and other liquid assets are perks of his profession, Jay puts his entire faith into his work and lets his winning streak do the talking for him.ย
He has to, or else law school wouldnโt have been worth it.ย
For three years, Jay studied from dusk until dawn for the chance to work in the career heโs been dreaming about since he received that โI Heart NYโ pin from his father all those years ago. Opening a particularly long chapter that was difficult to analyze never felt like a burden to Jay, not when his life would eventually amount to working at one of the big three law firms in Korea as Senior Partner.ย
Jay holds more ownership than he once did and manages his own associate now. Heโs no longer at the entrance phase of his career. Jayโs responsible for more finances and harder cases the firm encounters, and he knows his boss and the Managing Partner, Lee Heeseung, expects the best from him.ย
Perhaps itโs why he feels compelled to put on his best smile and work until he feels exhausted because he knows heโll be proud of it down the line. Itโs what Jay assumes; all of the early mornings and late nights will prove to be worth it once heโs able to sit back and look down his long, successful career. People donโt admire him for nothing.ย
Nothing beats watching the sunset over the horizon as he ends his workday. The golden hues on the sun cascading down the city skyline fills the atmosphere of the office, signaling the end of the day. Itโs when Jay feels his happiness. Heโll let the associates go home to catch up on rest and see their friends and families before it approaches a late hour.ย
Jay, however, stays behind to finish up on projects before his eyes grow weak and when he canโt keep his yawns at bay anymore. Heโs already had his moments to leave at an appropriate time when he was a mere associate. Now, Jay has more responsibilities that he needs to maintain in order to feel like he really earned the title of Senior Partner. So he stays an hour after everybody goes home.ย
Jay is pulled out of his thoughts when he hears the sound of knuckles on his glass door.
โKnock knock.โ Jake Simโs voice echoes through the large office, bringing Jay back to reality. He clears his throat and turns around to see the younger man standing before him with a blue manila folder in his hands. โI come bearing gifts.โย
โYouโre a bit too late. Christmas was four months ago.โย
โHa-ha,โ Jake laughs dryly. โConsider this an early birthday present, then.โย
Jake presents the folder to his colleague, who opens the file and sifts through the papers at his fingertips. Jayโs eyebrow quirks with interest as he looks between the documents and the man standing before him. Itโs something heโs been waiting on for weeks. Something thatโll make or break a case heโs been anxiously thinking about and whatโs been making him stay behind until the clock ticks is the only audible sound on the entire floor.ย
โIโm only going to say this once,โ Jay begins. He points at Jake with the folder. โYouโre the man.โย
โIโm always the man, you just donโt want to admit it.โย
The pair smile at each other after a beat. Jay puts the file on his desk and invites Jake to take a seat on the couch by his vinyl collection, one that the man knows not to touch.ย
โI heard youโre almost done with the Yeon-Choi merger,โ Jake says. โHeeseung mentioned it this morning.โย
โIโm waiting on a fax from them, actually.โ Jay takes his specks off of his face and places it nearly on his desk. โSunooโs on the lookout for the document. Speaking of which.โย
Jake looks behind him to see Sunoo enter the office space as Jay waves him in. He hands over the stack of documents, freshly printed with the paper still warm to the touch.ย
โMs. Kang just faxed it over,โ says Kim Sunoo, a first year associate.ย โThank you,โ Jay says as he receives the document. He looks at Jake. โNow Iโm done with the Yeon-Choi merger.โ
โYouโd think two global giants in the world of financeย would be at odds with merging given their competitive streak in the past few years, but theyโve just signed a document that lists a communal agreement to share assets.โ Jake watches Sunoo leave and waves goodbye before he walks out the door. โManaging this client was an insane move, even for you.โย
โChoi Analytics is nothing if not determined,โ Jay informs. โSo am I, Sim. You should know that by now.โย
โI think you bit off more than you could chew. You only secured that win with two days to spare.โย
โI have you, donโt I?โ Jay teases with the tilt of his head. โWho was it that told you to talk to Yang Nari and convinced her to take that settlement before we could agree to the terms of the merger?โย
Jake laughs. โYou, Park Jongseong.โย
โItโs all about working smarter, not harder. Remember that.โย
โAye, aye, captain,โ Jake says with a mock salute.
โPlease donโt ever call me that again.โ
โWhatever you say, captain.โย
Jayโs mouth quirks. โGo back to the bullpen and finish up the reports. Wouldnโt want you to pull another all nighter.โ Jake leaves with a laugh and disappears around the corner.ย
The large office with glass doors and windows feels like a familiar set up. His workspace, with his name and title underneath it, feels more like a trophy case than a managerial place of work. His walk to his office from the elevator takes him past the associate bullpen, situated right next to Heeseungโs. This space is his sanctuary and heโd like to believe he performs best under pressure. Itโs why he doesnโt mind people peering into his office whenever heโs sitting at his desk.ย
The days are long and the work is hard, but itโs the kind of job that makes Jay feel like heโs accomplished something in his life. Coming in as the sun rises and leaving just after it sets doesnโt feel like a sacrifice, nor does it feel like heโs losing out on opportunities when heโs got a bank account filled with zeroes and a penthouse apartment with the same view as his office. If anyone were to ask Jay about his life, heโd tell them heโs pretty damn happy.ย
Thatโs what he tells himself, anyway. Every morning is spent repeating mantras in his head about how far heโs come with the hard work and diligence that came with law school. The late nights and busy weeks spent memorizing cases and writing essays led to his employment as Lee & Associates, where he managed to acquire promotion after promotion through diligent work.ย ย
His newest title itself makes people look at Jay with respect, the kind of attitude he used to strive for when he was a humble law student. His early childhood was spent hearing his father talk about winning in court and the importance of believing in yourself when it comes time to face tough decisions. Jayโs father always advised him to do what he thinks is right, or else heโll live with a regretful consequence for the rest of his life without the chance of rectifying it.ย
Jayโs loyalty and integrity is what makes people revere him. He stands tall and proud, walking into every room like he built the place with his bare hands. Thereโs never a hair out of place and his wardrobe reflects his luxurious tastes, always a suit from abroad and accessories to match.ย
Heโs built a good life for himself. His father is still a practicing lawyer while his mother is considering retiring from her wildly successful jewelry business. Jay comes home for the holidays and visits them a few times a month for dinner when he has the time, and he does his best to keep the people around him happy.ย
After all, thatโs what Jay does best.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Itโs Thursday morning and Jayโs week has gone by without a hitch. His clients arenโt giving him a hard time and he hasnโt had a reason to step into the courthouse at all. In addition, he hasnโt heard any of the associates complain about the workload given to them nor has Jake needed help with a problem for Jay to amend.ย
It feels odd to be as calm as he is. Jay wants to welcome it with open arms and sink into his seat until he feels like heโs vulnerable enough to sleep, but he knows thatโs not in his job description. Instead, Jay needs to sleep with one eye open.ย
โPark,โ Heeseung says as he pokes his head into Jayโs offices. โCan you spare a few minutes and meet me in my office? I need to call an impromptu meeting.โ
โSure,โ Jay says as he puts a file in his cabinet. โWhatโs it for?โ
โItโs better if we talk behind closed doors. Jake and Sunghoon are already waiting for us.โย
Jay anxiously walks behind Heeseung and fixes his tie, patting it to his chest and smoothing it over in an attempt to distract himself from Heeseungโs cryptic words. He sees Sunghoon and Jake in the office and takes a seat on the armrest of Heeseungโs couch.ย
โWhatโs so important that you need to discuss this in your office with the door closed?โ Park Sunghoon, a fellow senior partner, asks. โWe didnโt lose a billion dollars overnight, did we?โ
โNo, but I know you wouldโve caught that before that wouldโve happened,โ Heeseung quips back. โYou arenโt our financial expert for nothing.โย
โDamn straight.โย
โWhat did you bring us in for, Heeseung?โ Jake asks. Heeseung takes a moment to gather himself, eyes darting around the office before speaking.ย
โItโs about the Hybe Records case.โ
โTheyโre holding a tight leash on people they sign on their main label or subsidiaries,โ Jay nods. โWon't settle for a penny less than the recoupment.โ
โWhich is why a portion of people signed with Hybe came to us to help them rewrite the contracts from here on out,โ Sunghoon adds. โHybe came to us with a bullshit settlement offer and we declined. Weโre still working on finding a chink in the armor.โ
โRight,โ Heeseung says. โWhat else do we know about the case?โย
โHybe acts as the bank and their musicians take out a loan to make an album,โ Jake says, pacing in Heeseungโs office with his arms outstretched for emphasis. โThe artist can use that money however they like and the sales made go right back to the label before they can make a profit.โ
โExactly,โ Jay nods, โwhich is why the label has been terminating their contractual agreement before they can produce the agreed amount of records.โ
โHybe has more than enough money for a buyout.โ Sunghoon shakes his head. โItโs fucked up.โ
โThe label keeps the catalog and the money while the musician gets nothing.โ Jay frowns.ย
โWe all know itโs why musicians and idols pick up endorsements or pick up acting,โ Heeseung mentions. โI mean, the money they get from other ventures supplements their income that they donโt get from music. But because thatโs normal practice and it doesnโt help our sob story angle, I donโt know where else to turn to.โ
โWeโve been fighting this day and night for weeks. Youโre not telling me youโre dropping this, are you?โ Sunghoon asks.ย
โBetween Jayโs regular clients, Jakeโs assisting, my workload, and your cases, we donโt have the bandwidth to fight this. Quite frankly, I donโt trust anyone to work on this but you three.โย
โIs there something we should know about?โ Jay inquires. โDid Hybe threaten us?โ
โNo, nothing like that.โ Heeseung sighs. โLook, I donโt know about you guys, but Iโm burnt out. Hybe isnโt making this easy on us and weโre running out of time. What Iโm trying to say is Iโve consulted with another firm and have hired outside help. We need fresh eyes on this case.โย
Jay nervously runs his hand through his hair.ย
Heeseungโs right, this lawsuit is eating up most of his hours and consumes his thoughts when heโs off the clock. The people being affected are anywhere between starving artists and people who can afford to pay him his billables without question. But the greater good is what Jay thinks about and realistically, he knows it would hurt him to see so many people lose their avenue to pursue their passions.ย
Hearing stories from clients makes his heart lurch. Each deposition to discuss what happened behind closed doors with label executives makes Jayโs pursuit that much stronger. To know he has the privilege of obtaining a law degree and being able to work in his dream career without much of a hitch makes him feel guilty when he knows the very people sitting in front of him are putting their passions on the line. It makes him work harder.
Heโs no longer the law student that slaved away writing essays and pulling all-nighters to accomplish a task that wouldnโt matter in the long run. Now, all of Jayโs efforts matter. His work will be impacted for years to come and he canโt afford to misstep when handling clients. Itโs why he feels so strongly about this case and why itโs hard for him to stop thinking about it when he gets home. A penthouse overlooking the city means nothing if he canโt help the people who got him there.ย
Jay knows Sunghoon and Jake feel the same way, too. Sunghoon, who came from a similar background to Jay, has always struggled with finding his voice in the business of law. Now as a senior partner with more at stake, he knows his friend will stand his ground if that means his clients walk away with everything they asked for. Jake, a first year associate having graduated law school after taking a few years off from college, is arguably the most sensitive of the three. He loves his work and finds passion in the people he helps represent. Itโs why Jay trusts him and why he chose Jake to be his associate in the first place.ย
To take action on behalf of his clients means to succeed. Jay knows he comes from wealth and privilege, and heโd likely be just fine if he chose a career that wasnโt law. But his foot is in the door because his father was able to give him a legacy standard at law school, and it would be a shame to let that go to waste as if he didnโt have anything to prove. Jay knows he does.ย
โAs we already know,โ Heeseung begins to say, โwe need all the help we can get on the Hybe Records case. Theyโre the most powerful label in all of Asia and theyโve got their teeth sunk in every Asian market.โ
โTheyโve got a dozen smaller labels beneath them and theyโre always looking to convince independent labels to give up their ownership,โ Jay says. โItโll be hard to reach a settlement for all of them.โ
โI know,โ Heeseung sighs. He leans on the front of his desk. โI know you guys can handle it. Between the four of us, we can try to win this thing but itโll take more time than theyโre giving us.โย
โKid genius could probably read up on their files by tomorrow morning,โ Sunghoon snorts as Jake elbows his rib cage.ย
โDonโt be silly, Sunghoon. I couldnโt possibly do that in a single night.โ Jake smirks. โGive me two days.โ
โShow off,โ Sunghoon mutters with a hidden grin.ย
โEven so, it wonโt be enough to fight them. Hybe has hired a plethora of lawyers to back them up and block us out.โ Heeseung crosses his arm and is sure to maintain eye contact with the three boys in front of him. โItโs important to keep our clientele, but imagine how much business this would bring if we won.โย
โYou think that many musicians would hire us?โ Jake asks.ย
โI think that many musicians care about owning their own music and not having to pay back a recoupment.โย
โThe amount an artist has to pay back before they keep their earnings,โ Jake says with pursed lips. โRight. Thatโs really unfair.โ
โThatโs the music industry for you.โย
โLabels are greedy as shit,โ Sunghoon says with bitterness in his tone. โThey make a promise to up and coming musicians and swear theyโll be successful by the end of the year, but they donโt really care about that. Theyโll give money to make albums but wonโt care if these people live or die if they donโt see a late profit.โย
โItโs sickening,โ Jake adds. โIt should be illegal for musicians having to take endorsements and sponsorships just to pay the bills. They look like sellouts.โ
โI donโt like it any less than you guys do,โ Heeseung responds. โBut thatโs the way it works. We just need to find a good enough reason for them to settle with us. We arenโt budging on the recoupment.โ
โWell, Iโm glad we all agree that musicians shouldnโt have to pay back their loan.โย
โIโm confident in you all,โ Heeseung tells them. โJay, youโre one of my best guys. You close deals and negotiate settlements like no one Iโve ever seen before. Sunghoon, youโve been an incredible lawyer since the moment we hired you and youโre the only person I donโt have to keep my eye on.โ Heeseung turns to take. โAnd Jake, youโre a gifted associate with a knack for getting people to tell you the truth. Iโve never met anyone quite like you either.โย
โHe makes depositions seem like fun,โ Sunghoon laughs.ย
Jake smiles dramatically. โNobody can lie to this beautiful face.โย
โWhat Iโm trying to say is,โ Heeseung interjects, โis that youโre all incredible lawyers and Iโve never regretted hiring you.โ
โThereโs always a but,โ Jay comments. Heeseung nods.
โBut, our best isnโt enough. Our best doesnโt account for the numerous legal and financial attacks Hybe Records will bestow on us. Weโve been thinking big but we need to think bigger. We need to think outside the box.โ
โWhat do you propose?โ Jay asks. โWeโve already gotten a first meeting with Hybe and God knows theyโll pressure us to give them an answer soon. I know that they know we wonโt budge and are probably working with a counter move as we speak.โย
โWeโre bringing in someone from an outside firm.โ
โWhat?โ Sunghoon says. โWhich one?โย
โTang-Young,โ replies Heeseung. โTheyโre a powerful firm, as we know, and were one of the few who declined to represent Hybe.โ
โWe trust them, right?โ Jake asks.ย
โWe do, yes,โ Heeseung confirms with a single nod. โTang-Young have been kind to us and Iโd like to believe weโve been the same to them. Weโve been invited to consult on cases before and theyโve helped us out in the past, albeit itโs been a while. But we need all the help we can get and they were enthusiastic about assisting us.โย
โI donโt know,โ Jay says. โCatching someone else up to speed while weโre this far down the line? That seems like busy work. Unless we have another Jake who can read and memorize documents as quickly as he can, I donโt know how much help theyโll be.โย
โOh, I think youโll be pleased with our colleague,โ Heeseung says cryptically. Jay looks at him with confusion. โYou guys trust me, donโt you?โ
โOf course,โ says Sunghoon. โI wouldnโt be working here if I didnโt.โย
โThen Iโll need you to trust me when I say the partner working with us is the best in the business. Sheโs an old friend and someone I confide in, which if you know me, is hard to do unless you work at this firm.โย
โWhy are you telling us this?โ Jake asks.ย
Heeseung sighs. โIโm saying this now because I didnโt have time to discuss the partnership prior to today because of deadlines and we need all the help we can get. A friend from law school, Kazuha, was willing to help us out since we assisted on that auto lawsuit a few months back.โย
โWe donโt need to worry,โ Sunghoon says. โThis is the best law firm in Korea and we have a history of having the highest rate in cases closed successfully. Youโre our leader, Heeseung. We know you wouldnโt go behind our backs unless it was important.โย
โWe need a miracle for this one,โ says Heeseung. โJayโs already running point on this case but he alone canโt handle the burden.โย
A sinking feeling festers in Jayโs chest. He knows that nameโKazuhaโfrom when he was in law school and knew her family to have built Asiaโs largest corporate law firm from the ground up. Theyโre respectable, highly profitable, and a company Jay would rather not think about because hearing that name reminds him of his deepest regrets.ย
His week is offset by Heeseungโs sudden news. Jay has never doubted his elder, especially since Heeseung was a mentor to Jay in his early years of his career, but the hairs on the back of his neck perk up at the sight of Heeseung periodically looking at Jay. He doesnโt think Sunghoon or Jake notices the awkward tension in the room either, too engrossed with talking strategy plans on how to make sure the new, mysterious partner is up-to-date.ย
Jay fiddles with the rings adorned on his fingers. The expensive jewelry, some of which are presents to himself and others gifts from his parents, provide a temporary distraction for him. Theyโre warm to the touch with how often he twists them for every word Heeseung speaks. Jayโs throat suddenly feels too dry.ย
โWeโll be fine,โ Sunghoon tells Jake, forcing Jay to tune back into the conversation. โI think weโre all on edge because this is by far the biggest case weโve handled in the past few years.โย
โThere are dozens of clients who are filing a lawsuit against Hybe but it isnโt considered class action yet,โ Heeseung replies. โWe could very well set a precedent if we manage to win this thing.โ
โThat would put the firm on the map!โ Jake exclaims. โJust think about it. If we manage to settle in our favor so that these musicians donโt have to pay the label back, we could set an example so other major labels follow through with no recoupment.โย
โThis is why everythingโs been kept under wraps and why Iโve had to act before consulting you three.โ Heeseung finds a pen from his desk and twirls it in between his fingers. โI love this company. I became managing partner not too long ago and my predecessor took his name off of the door and added mine because he thought I could do something with the firm. You three are people I trust more than anyone else and I wouldnโt have agreed to let you work on it if I didnโt believe we could succeed.โย
Jay can sense the nervousness and anxiety in Heeseungโs tone. In all of his years working with him, he doesnโt think heโs ever seen the man as on edge as he is now. Heeseung cannot manage to sit still and the pen his fingers are distracting him almost like Jayโs rings are. Itโs no wonder they work so well together.ย
โWe can do it, Heeseung,โ Sunghoon says in an attempt to quell the atmosphere. โItโs hard and tedious, but what case isnโt?โ
โBesides, we have Jay. He is the best closer in Seoul,โ Jake vouches, a coy smirk sitting on the edge of his lips as Heeseung merely smiles and shrugs in casual agreement.
The sounds of knuckles rapping on Heeseungโs glass door interrupts their conversation. The image of you standing before him knocks the air out of his lungs.
Heโs brought back to when he was a second year law student, struggling in his criminal law class before meeting you for the first time. Your timid and quiet demeanor is nothing compared to the confidence you exude in the present day. Right now, you look put together with your all-black attire and red bottom heels to match. The way youโve styled your hair allows your face to be seen instead of using it as a tool to hide yourself. Even with all of your perceived shortcomings, Jay remembers you as timid but headstrong. Now, it looks like heโs staring at someone he doesnโt recognize.ย
Jay feels innocent again, traveling back to a time before work became the sole focus of his life and before the guilt of what he did to you ate him alive. It feels almost unnatural for him to see you in a professional setting. Sitting in the campus library with opened books or looking at you from across the table of a cheap ramen restaurant is where Jayโs used to seeing you.ย
Heeseungโs office is the last place heโd ever expect to run into you.ย
The last Jay heard, you were off practicing law in Busan before heading to New York for a few years to consult on Korean-American affairs until your visa expired. He never had the opportunity to see you in court before, not since law school.
There was a time when Jay couldnโt step into a courthouse without wondering if you were inside with him. With every corner turned and every door opened, Jay would anticipate seeing that same beautiful and innocent face locking eyes with him as he stepped into the room. Jay would picture you in those long floral dresses you loved so much staring at him with anger in your eyes, wearing an expression caused by actions heโd never be able to atone for.
Guilt used to eat him from the inside out. The moment his alarm clock woke him up was when the guilt would settle deep within his chest. For a while, this feeling towards the way things ended with you was the reason why he pushed himself to stay in the office after everybody else left, back when he was a first year associate. Guilt led Jay to work three times as hard as everyone else and why he will never leave a stone unturned.ย
While that culpability subdued with the time that has passed, none of that matters now. Seeing you in Heeseungโs office with a friendly smile on your face makes that sense of wrongdoing resurface all at once.ย
The woman he sees before him is not the woman he remembers. Jay still has the same overly confident, hardworking attitude he exhibited when he knew you back in law school. Heโs still the same person who gets tongue-tied when he looks at you and heโs still the same person who regrets never calling you after you both graduated.ย
Unlike the disheveled mess Jay remembers from when he last saw you, youโve become polished. He sees that youโve grown into yourself with your shoulders held back and head looking straight in front of you instead of casting your gaze to the floor. Your eyes meet everyone in the room, his included. You wear a big smile on your face and take a step forward before bowing towards him and his colleagues.ย
Jay doesnโt think he deserves that respect from you.
โJayโs the second best,โ you comment. Even your speech has matured. โI happen to be the first.โ
โEveryone, meet Kim Y/N.โ Heeseung takes a step forward to return your bow and shake your hand, welcoming you into his office.ย
โY-Y/N?โ Jay stutters, eyes widened in shock when he spots you next to Heeseung.ย
The reaction is unwarranted and even he canโt believe his words came out like that. Jay pays no attention to Sunghoon and Jake, who look at him with quizzical expressions. Jay can only focus on you, with the way your pantsuit hugs your body and the way your high heels make you stand taller than he remembers you. Youโre very confident. Jay wonders what must have changed in the time he last saw you until now.
โIn the flesh, Park. Itโs nice to see you again.โ
โY/Nโs the best chance we got to win this against the biggest record label in Korea,โ Heeseung interrupts, forcing Jay to push his thoughts aside. โI donโt need to remind you that our clients are high profile names trying to make a case for musicians who canโt afford to pay back the recoupment. If we lose this, we lose their business. It wonโt look good for the company if we donโt secure a public win.โ
โA public win means a public loss,โ you chime in. โHybeโs settlement deal is bullshit and we all know it.โย
โExactly.โ Heeseung points at everyone in the room before landing on you. โI know we donโt ask for outside help but we need Y/N. I trust everyone to make her feel welcomed and to give her anything she needs.โย
โIt would be an honor,โ Jake says before stepping in front of you to bow with his body perpendicular to the floor below him. โSim Jayeun, but feel free to call me Jake. Itโs a pleasure to meet you.โ He outstretches his hand to you for good measure and is pleased when you reciprocate. His kindness brings a smile to your face.
โItโs lovely to meet you, Jake. I look forward to working together.โ The aforementioned nearly falters in his movements as he takes a step back, hearing Sunghoon snickering behind him before you turn your attention to him. โYou must be Park Sunghoon. Iโve kept up with your work for a while now. Your work with Kim Mingyu against General Motors was impressive.โย
โAll in a dayโs work,โ Sunghoon says as he brushes his shoulders for dramatic effect. โIโm honored that you know about it.โย
โYou saved Mingyuโs reputation for being a whistleblower and forced the companyโs hand to not only change their flawed design, but to pay out the victims. You bled that company dry in the process to compensate for the casualties. Thatโs something worth talking about,โ you tell him. โItโs impressive to me.โย
Jay swears he sees Sunghoon blush.ย
โThank you,โ says the latter, clearing his throat. โIt means a lot that you said that.โย
โI canโt imagine how hard that must have been either.โ
Your eyes move towards Jay and he expects to see nothing short of a scowl painted on your lips because the last time he saw you, he remembers Jung Iseul asked him if he loved you in front of thirty of your classmates.ย
Jay said no.ย
He regrets how he handled it. He wishes he could turn back time and tell Iseul and her friends to leave you alone, and tell her the way she acted was nothing short of childish. Jay would like to believe heโd pull you away from wandering eyes and hold you until your eyes were dry if he was able to turn back time and relive that awful moment, but he canโt. The memory of you looking at him with betrayal in your eyes is what keeps him up at night.ย
Jay thought of his own needs before yours, selfishly acting to protect himself from the embarrassment of a public confession instead of thinking about how humiliating it mustโve been for you. Your classmates were never the nicest and often commented on your quiet and shy demeanor. Jay always tried to do his best to encourage you to be the best version of yourself, growing silently frustrated that youโd allow people to say harsh things about your skill sets instead of proving them wrong. What he failed to realize is that youโd grow into yourself at your own time.ย
You're not the timid girl you used to be. Jay sees the fruits of your labor standing in front of him.ย
When you look at him, Jayโs breath catches in his throat. Itโs been years since he last saw you in person and he can only imagine what you must be thinking. Are you seething? Are you angry? Are you here for revenge? Do you still think about that night as frequently as he does?ย
Any thoughts of you being spiteful are thrown out the window when he hears you speak in that same, soft tone you always reserved for him.ย
โHi, Jay.โย
Heโs quiet for a second too long because he sees Heeseung glaring at him from the corner of his eye.
โHey.โ Jay says pathetically, shifting from one foot to another. โLong time no see.โ
โWoah, wait. Do you two know each other?โ Jake asks, pointing between the two of you.ย
โWe shared a few classes in law school,โ you explain. โWe even graduated in the same year.โย
โOh, wow.โย
You tilt your head as you look at him. โYou seem surprised.โย โIโm just shocked that you two know each other,โ Jake says. โYou have the highest closing rate in all of Seoul and youโre telling me you went to law school with my boss?โ
โIโm trying not to take offense to that,โ says Jay, who furrows his eyebrows. The atmosphere is too much for his liking and suddenly he feels as if his tie is too tight around his neck.ย
โWe knew each other a long time ago, but itโs always nice to see a familiar face.โ You smile at Jay before turning to Heeseung. โWhen do I start?โ
โWhenever youโd like, but knowing you, youโve already begun drafting strategies.โย
You grin. โYou know me very well, Heeseung.โ
โY/N will be working from our office a few times a week for the next few months to make things easier. Sheโll still be handling cases from her firm with an emphasis on the Hybe lawsuit.โย
โThank you for welcoming me,โ you tell everyone before looking at Heeseung. โCare to show me to my temporary office?โย
He smiles. โRight this way.โย
โIt was lovely meeting you all,โ you say before turning to leave. You pause and turn to face Jay. โIt really is nice to see you again.โย
He stands in his spot at a loss for words. It feels as if his feet are planted on the ground with no way to make him move. His mouth might as well be hung open with the way he stares at you and merely nods. Speaking makes him feel like heโs going to choke and say the wrong thing, so he opts to say nothing.ย
You exit behind Heeseung without sparing him a second glance and he watches as your figure disappears around the corner, listening until he canโt hear the sound of your voice speaking with Heeseung. His hands are planted firmly in his pocket, the fabric of his suit providing a distraction from the sudden notion of seeing you after all these years.ย
He feels Jake and Sunghoon looking at him from the side. Sunghoon merely walks past Jay and offers a pat on the shoulder while Jake enthusiastically stands from his seat and bounces with excitement.ย
โYou know Kim Y/N? The Kim Y/N?โ
โIt was a long time ago,โ Jay says with a small voice. โWe used to be study partners.โ
โNo fucking way,โ Jake swears with his hands on his hips. โHow come you never told me? Sheโs like, one of the most respected lawyers in all of Asia. Did you hear about her work on that Cheong-Smith case back in New York? God knows how tedious working between America and Korea mustโve been. Sheโs so fucking cool, Jongseong. A badass is what she is. I want to be her one day.โ
Jayโs mouth quirks in a half smile. He knows youโve built a reputation but refuses to read about you in the newspaper or listen to conversation where your name has been brought up. It brings painful memories and no matter how much he chastises himself for being in the wrong, part of him canโt help but hurt and yearn for you.ย
If Jake notices Jayโs quiet demeanor, he doesnโt acknowledge it. The former is pacing in Heeeungโs office with his hands rubbing his face as if heโs won the lottery. Jayโs envious of Jakeโs ignorance, in a way. He wishes he could forget that night and re-do his friendship with you. Jay wishes he could meet the person you are now if that means rejecting you in front of your classmates never happened.ย
โY/Nโs a great lawyer,โ Jay finally says. โIโm glad sheโll be working with us.โ
โSo fucking cool,โ Jake whispers in disbelief. He turns to Jay. โI can show her around the office and, you know, show her the ropes.โ
โDonโt try anything.โย
Jake puts his arms up in mock surrender. โHey man, I wonโt. Y/Nโs someone I view as a mentor. I donโt have weird, unresolved romantic feelings like you do.โย
Jay opens his mouth in disbelief as Jake winks at him before walking out of Heeseungโs office. He sits with his thoughts and wonders if this meeting was a figment of his imagination and if heโd wake up with you halfway across the world and his life being as normal as it can be.ย
But he sees you enter your own private space when he walks to the break room and tries not to stare at you too long. It wouldn't be good for his health.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
โThis office is pretty nice.โย
Your jaw nearly drops at the sight before you. The tall windows overlooking the city boasts a beautiful skyline with pedestrians barely visible from where you stand. The carpeted floor is plush against the click of your heels and the temperature in the room is just warm enough for you to set your suit jacket atop the armrest of the brown leather couch.ย
โIt used to be mine before I became the managing partner,โ Heeseung tells you.ย
โI see. That must be why I like the interior design.โย
Coming back to Seoul six months ago wasnโt your idea. But your visa in America had expired and there was no legitimate reason for you to extend your time abroad. With a heavy heart, you packed your bags and returned to the city with unfavorable memories you hoped to put behind you.ย
However, it seems that life finds a way to throw you a curveball and make you face your fears. Returning to Seoul wasnโt for the faint of heart. The familiar sounds of people walking and talking in the street and the scent of street food vendors warmed your heart as best as it could. The memories of your childhood summers spent frolicking in the city because your parents were too busy pursuing their dreams to entertain yours will forever remain a tasteless memory. The sound of squeaky wheels on vendor carts is bittersweet.ย
Upon returning, youโd taken a couple of weeks to settle into a new apartment just a few towns outside of the city. The modest apartment is nothing like the penthouse you rented in New York. The amenities were appealing at first, with the tall ceilings and marble statues adorning each room. The affluent neighborhood you lived in felt familiar from your childhood days, although feeling at home wasnโt something you think you could ever do if you lived in a house made of glass.ย
The mental images of running inside your parentsโ gargantuan household with them nowhere to be seen is imprinted in your mind when you close your eyes. Your motherโs office door that always remained closed and uninviting to anyone but your father and older brother felt demoralizing, as did your fatherโs study, which was never to be entered. The large house felt more like a fortress than a home. The empty hallways with no one to converse with felt like a prison with your bedroom being your only sanctuary.ย
The two bedroom apartment in a modest neighborhood outside of Seoul feels like home to you. The neighbors who garden when itโs warm out and retreat on rainy days feel like friends rather than people you live next to. The children on their way to school wave at you before work and make you promise not to work too late, which is likely why you leave your office at a reasonable hour. If you bring your work home with you and hide behind your curtains as you pretend to watch TV, thatโs nobodyโs business but your own.
You jumped at the idea of leaving Seoul as you approached your second year in your law career. The idea of exploring a new country in a language you half-spoke felt more exciting than horrifying. Knowing your mentor had recommended you for the apprenticeship served as the encouragement you needed to pack your belongings and say goodbye to your friends, family, and life as you knew it.ย
If youโre being honest with yourself, you were running away from your childhood and the wound Jay had opened when he left you alone in front of your classmates.ย
That hurtful memory reopened itself when Kazuha pitched the idea of working with Lee & Associates on this case. The both of you know youโre her top choice to fight this battle given your brotherโs notable status and area of expertise. Your relation to your sibling is a secret you keep close to yourself with only a select few people in your life knowing, preferring to keep yourself out of the limelight as best as you can.ย
Yet the idea of working with Jay made these unresolved feelings bloom at the surface when you thought you had locked them in a box and threw the key away. The sleepless nights were just shy of affecting your work. Day after day, youโd stare at the Hybe Records file to see what information had been gathered, glossing over Jayโs name on each document and each email that was forwarded to your inbox. It hurt over and over again, just like it did when he left you standing alone, never to return.ย
But life never works out the way you want it to. Coming back to Seoul was for the best and facing old enemies and seeing old friends is part of your path. Having the grace to prepare yourself makes you reflect on how much youโve grown in the years you spent away from Korea and that youโre ready to move past the hurdle thatโs been keeping you tied down for so long. Or so you tell yourself.ย
Heeseung knocks his shoulders with yours. โYou donโt seem as shocked to see Jay as I thought youโd be.โย
โI had a few weeks to prepare,โ you tell him as the two of you face the scenery in front. โWhen Kazuha told me I was her first choice to work this lawsuit, I saw Jayโs name sitting at the top of the file.โ
โItโs his case, technically. But we all know youโll outshine him in one way or another.โย
You shake your head. โIโm not here to step on anyoneโs toes, Heeseung. Iโm just here to do my job.โย
โAnd see an old friend, Iโd assume.โ This time, you knock your shoulders against his.ย
โOh, you know itโs always good to see you when Iโm on this side of town.โ
Heeseung smiles, pleased. โI know itโs been a while since the two of you have seen each other and I hope you know that you werenโt picked for any dubious reasons.โ
โI know, Hee.โ The man looks at you, tilting his head to assess the true intentions behind your words. โSeriously, Iโm fine.โย
โThis company would have benefitted from your work,โ he replies. โStill, Iโm sorry for how things worked out.โย
โThat was ages ago,โ you wave off. โYou really donโt need to apologize for it. I appreciate you fighting to hire me, but Jay has done a wonderful job and you canโt deny that.โ
Heeseung shakes his head. โNo, I really canโt. Heโs one of my best. One of the best lawyers in Korea, Iโd argue.โย
โWhat does that make me?โ you joke.
โIt makes you the best in the universe.โย
You throw a fond smile Heeseungโs way. โIt really is nice to see you again.โ
โI meant it when I said you could reach out for anything.ย
โMost days, I just need a friend.โ
Heeseung quirks an eyebrow. โIs that why you text me photos of you baking at three in the morning?โย
โPrecisely. What else would I text you about?โย
The man laughs. โI love the ones where your cat sits on the counter to watch. I love Gerry.โ
โFor the love of God, Heeseung. Her name is Miso.โ
โYeah, but your cat is orange like a tangerine and in my head, Gerry, is a cute nickname for tangerine.โ
โYou need to re-evaluate your definition of cute.โย
Heeseung smiles at you fondly and tilts his head. He knows heโs looking at a version of you no one in Seoul has seen before. The new person standing before him is confident in herself and her capabilities, no longer shying away from the spotlight. The person you are now could look him in the eye and call him an equal, unlike when you were an emerging teenager dealing with peer pressure and hormonal acne.ย
โYour mom calls mine from time to time, you know,โ Heeseung says after a short pause.ย
You snort. โOh God. Please donโt tell me Lee Jiwoo cares about what my mother, of all people, has to say.โย
He shrugs. โShe doesnโt, but they were neighbors for forty years before my parents moved. I think your mom has some weird attachment to the past.โย
โYouโre telling me,โ you say as you roll your eyes. โI remember as kids, sheโd force me to go over to your house with the hopes that weโd fall in love and get married someday.โย
Heeseung laughs. โGod, you were so hung up on Lee Seokmin that you barely paid attention to me.โย
โIf I recall correctly, you were head over heels with Kang Ara and that made you a lovesick fool. Who knew you were into older women?โ
โShe was nice enough to help me with my homework, okay?โ Heeseung defends himself as he laughs.ย
Recounting childhood memories with you feels warm. When youโd left Seoul in pursuit of a career in America, Heeseung knew you were running away from your problems rather than facing them. He grew up seeing the harsh reality that was strict parents who placed too high of a standard on you whereas your older brother remained unharmed by their lashings and expectations.ย
Heeseung always chided the way his friends would tease him when he walked you home from school or offered to make room for you in his house when your parents were home. Heโd witnessed the volatile relationship between the three of you and offered his household as a sanctuary for as long as he could. Heeseungโs parents offered the kind of hospitality he wished you could receive from your own parents.ย
Still, it feels warm to know you chose to return. Seeing you in your element makes Heeseung think he mustโve done something right all those years ago, even if you briefly lost touch when you moved overseas.ย
โIโm really grateful for you, Hee.โ You lean your head on his shoulder and cross your arms in front of your chest. โI donโt think Iโve ever thanked you for being so nice to me when we were kids. You were always so popular with the girls and every guy wanted to be you. I know people made fun of me when weโd walk home from school together. Knowing you defended me and made me feel like a normal person despite my relationship with my parents makes me feel happy.โย
โIโd do anything for you. You know that, right?โ Heeseung asks. He feels you nod against him. โIt killed me to see you fight with your parents and I didnโt care that Han Bora got jealous of you or that Choi Youngchul made fun of me for having a girl around. You were more than that to me.โย
โI love my brother, I really do.โ You bite your lip to keep a sigh at bay. โBut heโll never understand how my parents treated me. I know he loves me and I know he did everything he could to protect me when we were younger, but he still reaped the benefits from our parents.โย
โNo apology from them can outdo everything you went through,โ Heeseung says. He leans his head on top of yours. โYou were my best friend, even if I didnโt say that to you. Everyone at school wanted to be my friend because I went puberty faster than everyone else but you always treated me as the same kid who got a bloody nose after falling face first on the pavement.โ
Heeseung smiles when he hears you laugh. โI told you to tie your shoe laces.โ
โSInce when do I listen to what you say?โย
You pull yourself from him. โThanks for always being there for me, Hee. I hope you know Iโll work my hardest to win this case.โย
A knock at the door brings both of your attention behind you. Jake stands politely and bows his head as he enters when Heeseung beckons him inside.ย
โI hope Iโm not interrupting,โ Jake says carefully.ย
โNot at all,โ Heeseung assures. โIs there something you need?โ
โActually, I was wondering if I could give Y/N a tour of the office. Iโd love to show her around so she feels more comfortable and familiar.โย
โThatโs a great idea, Jake.โ Heeseung turns to you. โWhy donโt you settle in and make yourself at home for an hour, yeah? Let Jake take you to the cafe thatโs across the street and use my company card to pay for it.โย
โIโll never say no to you paying.โ Heeseung rolls his eyes at your playful banter but hands you his credit card regardless. Seeing you this open with him warms his heart.ย
โWe wonโt be long,โ Jake assures.ย
Jay approaches where the three of you are standing and busies himself in the bullpen when he notices you and Jake walking out of the office. Pretending to be intensely reading a document about finance, Jay prays you donโt see him and waits until the two of you are out of sight to walk towards Heeseung.ย
His footsteps feel heavy as he enters what is to be assumed, your office.ย
โI already know what youโre thinking,โ says Heeseung with his hands in his pockets.ย
โThen you know Iโm going to ask you what the hell is going on.โย
Jay has seen his fair share of hard moments from the man standing in front of him, whether in court or behind closed doors. He knows Heeseung to be someone that mentors by giving tough love and credit where itโs due, playing the role of a fair judge in the name of building a strong career. Jay is no stranger to people being upset with him, least of all Heeseung.ย
โDo I need to remind you that I'm the managing partner and that I donโt need to consult you on my decisions?โย
โYou donโt,โ Jay begins, โbut you know the history I have with Y/N. A little heads up wouldโve been nice.โย
โWe donโt always get a heads up when the stakes are high, Jay. You know that. I tried to be as forthcoming as best as I could but we only heard confirmation a few days ago and you were out of the office preparing for your briefing.โย
Jay breathes deeply. โYou of all people know we left on bad terms.โย
โSo you should know that Y/N is like my sister,โ Heeseung retorts. Jay can hear the slight venom in his elderโs tone. โIโm able to set aside my differences because itโs my job to do so and because I like you.โย
โHeeseungโโ
โHave you ever stopped to consider that youโre the only person making this awkward?โ Heeseung asks, looking at Jay directly into his eyes. โNobody else seems to be having any problems with Y/N joining this lawsuit.
โYou are one of the best lawyers Korea has ever had the privilege of seeing, Jay. Hell, this company owes you a lot. But you canโt tell me that Y/N being here has affected you this much to the point of coming to talk to me about it in my office.โ
Jay remains silent knowing Heeseungโs right, even if his pride refuses to quell.ย
โYou made your choice all those years ago and from the looks of it, Y/N seems to have moved on.โ Jay nearly chokes at Heeseungโs words. โYou need to move on as well, Jay. Do whatever it is you have to do to get your head straight.โ
Jay shuts his eyes for a brief second. โItโs really hard, Heeseung. Itโs hard to forget.โย
Heeseungโs expression softens. โSheโs not seeing anyone.โ
Jay abruptly opens his eyes.ย
โThat is not what I meant.โ
Heeseung smirks. โSure it wasnโt.โ
โIโm serious, Lee. I just regret how it all went down and I regret not reaching out after graduation. My parents took me abroad for the summer to celebrate. I was so caught up that I didnโt make time for Y/N.โ
โYou can still make time for her now.โย
Jay shakes his head. โItโs too late. Iโd bet anything to know she hates me.โ
โWell, I know for a fact that she doesnโt. If weโre talking about the same Y/N you and I both knew all of those years ago, then you know she doesnโt hold grudges.โย
โBut we know she can.โ Jay sighs. โYou know about her parents.โ
โTwo people bringing her into this world just to treat her like nothing is far different than a boy not calling her back.โ Jay tries to not take his comment to heart no matter how much it stings. โThe difference between you and them is that you have the chance to make this right and correct your wrongs.
โBut let me make myself clear. You are to work with Y/N and make her feel welcomed during her time on this case. I donโt care how you do it as long as your head is clear and you can work beside her without letting your feelings get in the way.โย
โUnderstood.โย
Heeseungโs expression softens. โYou know I care about you, man. I wouldnโt have agreed to be your mentor if I didnโt think you were worth it.โย
Jay nods. โI know. I just forgot that you two knew each other as well.โย
โYou shouldโve seen Y/N back when she was in middle school. Still as timid as she was in law school but still the kindhearted person we know.โย
Jay tries to picture what you were like as a child. Heโs seen photos of you from preschool until the day you graduated college and wonders if you were the same shy, timid girl he knew you to be before the two of you parted ways. Would you two have been friends in elementary school? What kind of foods did you like to eat? Did you have a happy childhood?ย
He knows the answer is complicated. Jayโs assumption is that your parents, who happen to manage the biggest law firm in Korea through defending oil companies, did not value you as much as they valued your older brother. He, who was their prized possession, often tried to pull you into the spotlight with him. Jay remembers you talking about him fondly like he hung the moon in your night sky. It brought him a sense of peace to know there was someone always looking out for you when you were younger.ย
After all, your brother was the only form of family who came to your graduation during law school.ย
Jay remembers him standing tall, clad in a mask and clothing that made him unrecognizable. He blended in with the crowd and made himself seem smaller than he actually was in order to remain undetectable by people who werenโt you. Jay always wondered why you were hellbent on keeping your brotherโs identity a secret and why you refused to share photos of him despite having shown him other pictures of you in your youth, but it made sense once Jay saw him pull the mask down and smile for a picture.ย
He knows he doesnโt deserve to ask you how your brother has been or what youโve been up to since he last saw you all those years ago. Jay feels a lump grow in his throat when he thinks about working with you and having to talk to you about the case against Hybe. He wants to, and he wants to build a relationship with you that doesnโt result in him panicking when you look into his eyes, but he doesnโt know where to start.
โDonโt think too hard about it,โ Heeseung advises when he notices Jay growing quiet. โYouโll know what to do when the time comes.โ
โEasy for you to say,โ Jay says with a sigh. โYou werenโt the one who broke her heart.โย
โY/Nโs resilient. You and I both know the lengths she went through as a kid and how successful she is now. She wouldnโt have taken this case if she wasnโt willing to work with you. That should be a sign in itself.โย
Jay takes Heeseungโs words into consideration, but it goes through one ear and then out the other. His heart wonโt stop beating at a rapid pace and he canโt help but feel like thereโs no hope for him at all.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Heeseung seems to know you too well.ย
The cafe across the street speaks to your soul with their delicious drinks and delectable pastry menu. You buy something for Jake on Heeseungโs card too. He merely looks at you with wide eyes and stutters over his words when he asks if youโre allowed to do that, to which you wave him off and say youโve known Heeseung far too long for him to care about another fifteen dollars missing from the company funds.ย
โHow long have you known Heeseung?โ Jake asks as he takes a sip of his drink. The two of you sit cross from one another, basking in the atmosphere of the lunch rush hour.ย
โOur whole lives, practically. I think his parents moved next to mine way before either of us were born. They always joked that weโd get married and have that fairytale ending.โย
Jake raises his eyebrows. โIs that still happening?โ
โGod no,โ you say, shaking your head. โHeeseung is like a brother to me. Heโd walk me to and from school when we were younger and hung out with me, back when I was a timid mess.โย
โI donโt think I could ever imagine you as shy.โ Jake blushes when he realizes heโs speaking candidly. โIโm sorry, I didnโt mean to say that.โย
โPray tell.โย
โW-Well,โ Jake stutters, โitโs just that, people talk and I know you know that. Iโve heard people brag about what an amazing attorney you are and how you dominate the courtroom. Or, you know, even the opposite, when people would tell me sob stories about losing to you.โย
You stifle a laugh. โIโd like to think Iโve come a long way since law school. I donโt know if Jayโs ever told you, but I used to be very quiet. I kept to myself a lot. I didnโt have enough confidence to talk in class and panicked every time I was picked for a cold answer.โย
Jake shudders. โI hated that. I was somebody who always came prepared to class but being put on the spot made me feel like I didnโt read the material at all.โย
โConfidence comes with practice,โ you tell him. โThis job has built my self esteem, especially when I moved to New York for a few years. I didnโt speak English very well, just bits and pieces from music I grew up listening to and because my brother is fluent as well.โย
โDo your parents speak English?โ
You shake your head. โBroken English. My brotherโs a special case. He listened to a lot of rap music behind our parentsโ backs and dedicated so much time into learning how to rap in English that he became fluent. He was obsessed with the show Friends, too. I picked up after him.โ
โYour brother seems like a cool guy.โ
You smile into your cup. โYeah, he is. Heโs part of the reason why I took this case against Hybe Records. It feels right to fight for the underdog, you know?โ
โJay says the same thing,โ Jake tells you. It makes your heart twinge. โHeโs been my mentor for the past year and I donโt think I could ever thank him for taking me under his wing. Iโm sure you knowโheโs the type of guy to be fair and just. I never feel like heโs looking down on me, even when I royally screw up and he has to fix my messes.โย
โHe used to be really good at talking me down a ledge in law school,โ you laugh. โI used to get so hot headed and frustrated every time I couldn't understand a brief or when Iโd read for too long. Jay was always the calmer one between the two of us. Heโd tell me to take a breathโโ
โโand take it easy,โ Jake finishes with you. You smile.ย
โYeah, that. I still think about him saying that to me when times get tough. Jay was a big reason why I even graduated law school in the first place.โย
โI thought you graduated at the top of your class?โ
โHe and I held equal rank,โ you explain. โBut mostly, he helped me see the bigger picture, you know? Jay always put my goals into perspective and reminded me why I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place.โย
โWhy did you?โย
You set your cup down. โIt feels right to help other people in ways that canโt be seen. No one talks about financial burden or responsibility. I had more than enough privilege growing up and itโs unfair that the rest of the world will never experience that kind of safety. If I can provide some kind of comfort for people going through tough times, who am I to deny them that?โย
Jake nods. โI understand. I didnโt grow up in a legacy family myself and it makes me feel better knowing there are good people like you who pursued law. I guess thatโs also why I wanted to become an attorney. I want to help people and this is the best way I know how.โ
โDoes Heeseung still make you guys take on two pro bono cases every year?โย
โThree now,โ Jake corrects. โBut I donโt mind it that much. I love meeting new people and it makes me happy when we secure a win for them.โย
โThis job has brought me out of my comfort zone and has made me feel more confident while doing it. I owe a lot of that to Jay and Heeseung.โ
โIโd love to learn from you,โ Jake says honestly. โEven if itโs watching you in depositions or preparing case files. I feel like I could learn a thing or two.โย
โIโd love that, Jake.โย
He smiles. โI still canโt believe you knew Jay in law school. What was he like? Iโll bet he still had the same, brooding glare when heโs focused.โย
โI think that was part of his charm,โ you say with a fond smile. โGirls loved him. I mean sure, he came from a powerful family, but I think people were digging the whole โI-Donโt-Want-To-Talk-To-Youโ vibe.โ
โSo how did you two end up becoming friends?โย
โWe sat next to each other in our criminal law class and he was struggling with a few cases,โ you explain. โI excelled in criminal law while he excelled in intellectual property, which was a subject I needed help in, and we formed a study partnership in our second year.
โI couldnโt really tell you how we got as close as we did, though. We met in the library a few times a week before realizing being in a quiet environment made us too tired to read. Weโd find coffee shops all over town and would end our study sessions with a late night dinner before parting ways.โย
โThat does sound like the Jay I know,โ Jake laughs. โI donโt think Iโve seen him go home before the sun goes down.โ
โEveryone knew how diligent he was with his work. He was always so confident in class when answering questions from our professor. Iโm pretty sure everyone was intrigued by him. Jay mostly kept to himself until he and I became friends.โย
โI can totally imagine Jay being a lone wolf.โ
You laugh. โHe was, kind of. We started hanging out without the premise of studying shortly after. He was probably my closest friend at the time.โย
Jake can see a lingering thought behind your eyes but chooses not to comment, instead checking his watch for the time.ย
โOh, we should probably be getting back soon. Iโll show you around the floor so you can get situated before you work.โย
โThat would be great, Jake. Thank you for volunteering to do so.โย
On the walk back to the office, your steps become heavier as the reality of your present sets in. Jay, a former crush and confidant, sits just out of armโs reach.ย
You replay the night in your head when Iseul had cornered the two of you at the local dive bar with the rest of your classmates upon celebrating the last final days of law school before graduation. At that time, everyone had received final offers from recruiters and were placed in law firms across Korea, yourself included.ย
It hurt to know that there was competition with Jay to join Lee & Associates, and that he was the chosen candidate. It hurt more to know that Jay couldnโt bring himself to reject you in private.ย
Iseulโs smile burns in your memory when you recall the way Jay walked away from you. Her wicked grin has etched itself into your mind, especially when you close your eyes. Time and distance has been kind to you, especially knowing she had moved from firm to firm because of negligence on her part, but you reckon there will always be a part of you that will remain standing in that dive bar feeling like no one would be willing to catch you as you fell.ย
That sadness planted deep seeds of distrust within you. That melancholy feeling followed you throughout the summertime, especially when Jay didnโt make the effort to call you during the summer that followed graduation.ย
It felt beautiful to be wanted by someone as kind and generous as Jay. It felt just as wonderful to be wanted by someone who you considered to be sought after. The brooding, quiet boy everyone thought to be mysterious had an energetic, talkative personality if you got to know him well enough. It was no wonder that you developed a crush on him towards the end of your second year in law school together.ย
When you think about it now, it mustโve been sickening to watch you follow Jay around like a lost puppy. You certainly felt like it from time to time. The two of you only shared one class in your final year together but stuck by each other for study sessions nonetheless. Jay was always more popular out of the two of you, always knowing people who passed him by and waving at other law students. It made you feel like you had to live up to a certain expectation and to branch out in order to be seen with Jay, but he always made it a point to tell you that it didnโt matter how many friends you had. You were always going to be his favorite.
Youโd always considered yourself as an awkward, stuttering mess when it came to making friends. Something about Jay quelled your fears about socializing and playing the part of an extrovert with his calm tone and soothing demeanor. On most days, Jay was the person who encouraged you to relax and let your thoughts run wild before making brash decisions. He was the first person to listen to you talk about the burdens your parents placed on your shoulders without insinuating you had to be grateful for the life that you were born into.ย
You were. You are. But you arenโt grateful for being neglected and being made to feel like being born was a mistake and a burden.ย
Jay has seen you at your worst, whether it be tearing up over a low test score or coming back from winter break after a couple of weeks with your family. Youโd argue that youโve been with him at his worst too, having seen Jay cry a few times throughout your friendship from frustration and stress. There was something about your bond that made you believe he trusted you with his heart and soul, and something that made you believe you could trust him too.ย
The weight of your parentsโ actions, coupled in with Jayโs selfishness, made you numb for a while.ย
His silence and the lack of an apology felt like the ultimate betrayal. You deleted his phone number out of anger when you began your position as a first year associate. You kept your head down and used work to distract yourself from the hollow feeling inside of you, often wondering how Jay was doing at Lee & Associates. It hurt to know you didnโt have a relationship with him where you could tell him about your day and discuss the stress of cases within legal limits. It stung to know he likely didnโt care about you enough to repair the bond after not having called you all summer. Deleting his number, as well as all of the pictures and videos you had of him from your phone, felt like the last straw. Jay was no longer going to be in your life.ย
It was why choosing to relocate to New York was so easy for you. Physically leaving Jay behind meant running away from everyone who had ever hurt you to start anew in a city where no one knew your name; this was a fresh opportunity to become the confident, carefree person you always yearned to be, the type of person you knew you could be. Having to navigate a new environment in a language you barely spoke strengthened your self confidence and demonstrated your resilience. If you could overcome this, you could overcome anything.ย
Seeing Jayโs name in the original Hybe Records case file startled you, but it wasnโt as jarring as you thought it would be. You imagined what you would say to him if you ever got the chance to see him in person again. Would there be screaming? Would you cry? Would your throat close and feel like you were choking on your words if Jay were to have acknowledged you in any way?ย
Would Jay apologize for the night he left you?ย
The answer, you later found out, was none of the above. Instead, seeing the name โPark Jongseongโ caused a flurry of evocative memories to replay in your mind. After years of dealing with the torment of not feeling good enough to keep your loved ones around, the struggle to find who you were in an industry unkind to timid people like you dissipated with every hour spent working. The more you worked, the more you strategized about winning cases. The more cases you won, the more confident you got.ย
Taking on the case against Hybe records was already a no-brainer for you. Your brother is far too passionate about music to ever forgive you for passing up a case you know so much about. Not even Jay could have deterred you from working on it. Even so, youโre eternally grateful that seeing his name doesnโt bring up unpleasant feelings like it did once before.ย
Jake brings you out of your thoughts when he opens the front door for you. With a bright smile and your guest badge in your hand, you walk past security without a hitch and take a deep breath before following Jake into the elevator and back to the main floor.ย
โI think youโll really like the associates and paralegals,โ Jake says to make conversation on the long trip to the fiftieth floor. โSunoo, Jungwon, and Riki are my favorites, though.โ
โWhyโs that?โ
โSunooโs a first year associate and heโs brilliant,โ Jake explains. โHeโs quick on his feet and heโs quite bubbly. I donโt think Iโve ever seen someone so excited to be awake at eight in the morning like he is. Jungwonโs our best parasocial as well. Heโs incredibly smart and quick-thinking, and heโs thinking of studying to take the entrance exam to enter law school, actually.โ
โOh wow,โ you say with a nod. โThatโs incredible. His experience as a paralegal will definitely prepare him for that.โย
โI think so too,โ Jake agrees. โRikiโs our legal intern for the summer. Heโs passionate about his work and really funny. Heโs got a natural charm to him, even if his resting face makes him look unapproachable. Youโll like him.โย
โIf Heeseung trusts you, then I trust you,โ you tell Jake, stepping out of the elevator.ย
โSpeaking of Sunoo,โ Jake mumbles as he expedites his pace to catch up with the brunette. โSunoo, thereโs someone I want you to meet.โ
โKim Y/N,โ Sunoo says with a perpendicular bow. โAn honor to meet you, truly. Iโm Kim Sunooโย
You reciprocate. โI appreciate your kindness, Sunoo.โย
โHeโll probably scream about you bowing to him in the break room,โ Jake laughs. Sunoo swats his arm.ย
โYah. Maybe if you were half as cool as Y/N, Iโd scream about you in the break room.โ
Jake pouts before smiling. โI was just telling Y/N how youโre one of my favorite first year associates.โ
โHe spoke quite highly of you. I heard that youโll be assisting on the Hybe case with us?โ
โIf at all possible!โ Sunoo exclaims. โI wouldnโt want to overstep.โย
โNonsense,โ you say as you wave him off. โIโm sure Heeseung will talk to you about this sooner or later. I saw your name on the file when he and I spoke earlier. I have a feeling weโll be working together quite often, Kim Sunoo.โ
The aforementioned blushes. โThat would be amazing.โย
โWeโll see you later,โ Jake says as the two of you wave goodbye. โSee what I mean? Heโs a ball of sunshine but his bite is definitely worse than his bark. Sunooโs incredible when it comes to reading clients to absolute filth.โ
โHe seems sweet,โ you say with a pout. โWho else am I meeting again?โย
โJungwon!โ Jake shouts as he knocks on the glass door with the title โYANG JUNGWON | PARALEGAL.โย
The boy looks up and rolls his eyes before registering you standing behind Jake. You hear him clear his throat and fix his posture before standing, beckoning the two of you into his office.ย
โSorry,โ Jungwon apologizes with a bow. โIโm sure that, by now, you know how loud Jake can be.โย
Jake merely laughs. โItโs because I like you, Wonie.โย
Jungwon faces you. โItโs nice to meet you. Iโm Jungwon, your resident paralegal. Let me know if you ever need anything and Iโd be happy to help!โย
โJungwonโs the best paralegal Lee & Associates,โ Jake tells you. โItโs why heโs the only paralegal that has his own office.โย
โAnyway,โ Jungwon says, hiding a blush from Jakeโs compliments, โthis is my second year with the company and I know it like the back of my hand. Please donโt hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything.โ
โThatโs really sweet of you to say, Jungwon, thank you.โย
โAnything for a friend of Jay and Heeseung!โย
โWeโll probably come back to you before the day ends,โ Jake says to the younger boy. โIs Riki still on his lunch break or is he in the bullpen?โ
โHe got back a few minutes ago.โ
โSweet,โ Jake says. โLetโs go meet the rascal.โย
Riki and Jake have a closer bond than you expected, with the younger boy greeting his elder with a bright smile and a handshake they seem to have perfected. He turns to you and listens as Jake introduces the two of you before he bows politely.ย
โRikiโs from Japan but chose to study here in Korea. He and Jungwon want to take the LSAT together,โ says Jake.
โใใชใใฏๆฅๆฌ่ชใ่ฉฑใใฆใใใจๆใใพใ๏ผโ you ask him. I assume you speak Japanese?ย
Rikiโs face beams.
โใฏใใใใใงใ,โ he says. Yes, thatโs right. ?ใฉใใงใใใ่ฉฑใใใใใซใชใฃใใฎใงใใโ Where did you learn to speak it?ย
โ็งใฏ้ซๆ กใงๅญฆใณใพใใใ ใใใใใใฃใจ็ทด็ฟใๅฟ
่ฆใงใ.โ I learned back in high school. I need a more practice, though.
Riki smiles and shakes his head. โYour Japanese is perfect.โ
โAh, you flatter me too much.โย โThat was so fucking cool,โ Jake says. โYou speak Korean, English, and Japanese?โ
โAdd in a little bit of Spanish and weโre golden.โย
โYouโre officially the coolest person in this goddamn office.โย
โI hope our paths cross before your work here is done,โ Riki says with another bow. โI need to get back to work, unfortunately.โย
โPlease, donโt let me keep you!โ Riki smiles at you once again before disappearing into another office. โYou're right, I really do like him.โ
Jake smiles and points across the room. โThe break room is just around the corner and is always filled with coffee, tea, and other snacks. The secretaries at the front of the floor make sure itโs stocked to the brim but if anything is missing, just ask. Theyโre usually happy to replenish.โย
โGood to know.โย
โDo you need anything else from me or are you ready to win this goddamn case?โย
You smile.ย
โLetโs win this goddamn case.โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
In the two weeks that have passed by, Jay still hasn't mustered up the courage to speak to you.ย
Beyond a polite greeting when the two of you cross paths in the morning, Jay can barely smile at you without his heartbeat betraying him. His chest starts to tighten and his tie feels too tight around his neck when you look into his eyes. If you look deep enough, Jay is sure you see all of the regret heโs harbored for so many years.ย
Heeseung has had to tell him to get a grip twice already. Jay isnโt slacking at his job as much as he thought he would. But if his mentor and dear friend could notice how awkward he was acting around you, Jay was sure you could sense it too.ย
In truth, Jay doesnโt know how to talk to you. Heโs never felt pain like this before. He yearns to hear your voice speaking to him and to converse like once before, but he doesnโt know how to. This obstacle causes pain within Jay, and he wonders if heโll ever get the chance to say more than a sentence to you before your time with him is over.ย
Watching you talk freely with his colleagues is foreign to him. Jay canโt wrap his head around the fact that youโre much more confident than you were back when he knew you. The same girl who couldnโt go a few sentences without looking at her shoes is holding eye contact and smiling after she speaks. You donโt cower over your body in an attempt to make yourself look like youโre hiding in your shell. Now, you speak with assertion and hold your chin level with the floor as you hold conversation.ย
Itโs jarring, but a large part of Jay canโt help but feel proud of you. If thereโs one thing he knew you wished for back in law school, it was to grow your self esteem. Having parents who belittle your dreams and spoke pathetically about your life choices didnโt leave room for you to understand what liking yourself looked like. The accolades and achievements your parents were bestowed with felt unnatural when you knew it was only a matter of time before they had something negative to say. As attorneys themselves, defending oil companies who donโt care about oil spills in the ocean or bribing employees to keep a quiet mouth about misfortunes never felt like confidence to you. It was cowardice.ย ย
Seeing your parents in magazines with a perfect picture smile never made you want to emulate them in any capacity. They look like dolls, playing the role of hardworking attorneys and devoted parents until they cross the threshold of your home, letting the mask fall to the floor. Their confidence felt brazen. They didnโt deserve to be your role models.ย
Yet, here you are.ย
Jay doesnโt notice that heโs been staring at you from his office door until Sunghoon knocks his shoulder with his own.ย
โQuit staring unless you want to look like a creep.โย
Jay clears his throat. โI wasnโt staring.โย
โSure,โ Sunghoon smirks. โAnd I donโt handle the majority of our finances.โ Jay rolls his eyes.ย
โI know what youโre gonna say and you donโt need to say it. I know I need to talk to Y/N.โย
โYouโll regret it if you donโt.โย
โI know, Hoon,โ Jay says. He spares one more glance at you before looking away. โBut itโs hard to try when I donโt think I deserve any respect or forgiveness.โย
โLook, I donโt know what happened between you two, but itโs obvious that something did happen by how tense you are when sheโs around.โ
โAm I really that bad?โ
Sunghoon nods. โY/N can tell. She keeps looking at you when you walk away.โ
โShit,โ Jay curses.ย
โWhatever happened back then was a long time ago. I obviously donโt know her as well as you do, but sheโs been a great asset to the team since she joined. She blends well with everybody and leaves her office door open most of the time. Y/N talks to the associates and interns when sheโs taking breaks. She wouldnโt do all of that if she wasnโt willing to talk to you.โย
Deep down, Jay knows his friend is right. But itโs hard to convince himself to talk to you when he pictured the agony on your face before he turned around and left you by yourself with the wolves. It makes his heart lurch from left to right. This feeling only quells when youโre out of sight and when heโs distracted with his work.ย
โTry,โ Sunghoon says. โI know itโs scary, but the universe put her right back in your life for a season.โย
โI know,โ Jay says quietly. โThanks, Sunghoon.โย
โAnytime.โย
Sunghoon leaves and Jay fixes his posture, pushing his shoulders back twice in a row. Jay still thinks you are the most beautiful and selfless person heโs ever seen. Looking at you makes him feel like a small volcano has ruptured within his heart and the cage that once kept his adoration for you hostage no longer keeps him in the dark. Jay isnโt the insecure young adult he was when he knew you. Even he is more sure of himself.ย
Jay thinks you look gorgeous now that youโre smiling more. He remembers all the times he used to take candid photos of you during impromptu moments and the squeals of discomfort you echoed when he would try to take a picture. You used to cover your mouth or shy away from the camera as if you were too embarrassed to be caught. But the way youโre smiling to his colleagues and how animated your conversations are seem to make his heart swell to see how far youโve come.ย
Working alongside you in the time that he has makes Jay observant. Heโs been in a room with you plenty of times, whether it be for an internal meeting or sessions where each attorney looks through files of documents. Youโre still the diligent and hardworking person you were all those years ago. You still tap your pen quietly over the stack of papers and you still like to eat sweets when youโre in the thick of it. When he sees you like this, Jay begins to recall all of the nights spent in the library studying for an exam or rushing to finish an essay before the submit date. Seeing you harbor the same habits you did in law school makes his heart warm.ย
For as awkward as it is, Jay is glad that he gets to see you as successful as you are. He always pictured the two of you as lifelong friends back when he knew you for six months. You were reliable and honest, loyal to your core, and passionate about your work and hobbies. He loved to hear you talk because it demonstrated your confidence when the two of you were together. Jay would reckong that heโd fly a great distance if you asked him to have a conversation with him.ย
He loved seeing you switch on for him. One look at you and you were smiling with your eyes closed. Jay adored the way youโd laugh every time he said something mildly embarrassing or the way you would subtly blush whenever he got up early enough to buy you something from the cafe near his apartment. Jay knew he made you flustered from time to time and it brought him great joy to see you look at him like you didnโt know what to do with yourself.ย
When he made the executive decision not to call you three months after graduating, Jay wondered if it was cruel of him to revel in the way you reacted to him. His heart felt lighter when you smiled at him while making eye contact. He didn't mind carrying your purse when the two of you hung out or remaining the more sober of the two whenever he drank with you. It felt so natural to look after you like that despite not having many people in his life to do that for. It gave Jay a sense of purpose to do so, going as far as to seek for you when you werenโt with him.ย
He always felt selfish for teasing you with the purpose of seeing that shy smile and seeing you look away from him in an attempt to stop laughing. You looked so beautiful when you were bashful, so humble too. Jay prayed for borrowed time because seeing you between classes wasnโt enough. He always thought you were too cool to hang out with him no matter what other people said because you had a million passions and could talk his ear off about everything and nothing at the same time.ย
Realistically, Jay knows he can talk to you whenever he wants to. Youโve been mad at him before and have done days without talking to him, but when he took the time to reflect and apologize to you the way you deserved, you always let him back into your hold. Jay knows he has the opportunity to strike up a conversation since you both have been working together for a couple of weeks. He knows you wonโt dismiss him.ย
But when he sees you laughing with Sunoo and Jungwon in the bullpen from his office, he canโt help but think about just how little he knows about you and how much you donโt know about him. Jay knows itโs his fault since he put the distance between the two of you. Yet here you are, talking to people heโs known for years like youโve known them all your life.ย
Jay can talk to you, but it wonโt be today.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Luck is (or isnโt) on his side when the two of you jump into each other while trying to open the door to the cafe across the street from the law office.ย
Regretfully, Jay wasnโt paying attention to where he was walking, as his nose was buried deep in an email he was reading as he motioned to pull the door open. It was then he realized heโd bumped into someone. It took him a few seconds to register he had humped into you.ย
โOh,โ you say, startled.ย
โShit,โ Jay curses. โIโm sorry. I, uh, wasnโt watching where I was going.โย He pockets his phone. โI should really start doing that.โ
โYouโre lucky I donโt have coffee in my hands,โ you say with a laugh. โItโs fine, Jay.โย
You let him pull the door open for you after he corrects himself. With his head, he gestures for you to enter first and you give a polite smile as a silent thank you. Jay forces himself not to audibly sigh behind you, instead choosing to glance at the ceiling and pray he doesnโt say anything stupid.ย
He meets you at the cashier line and notices what youโre wearing. Your forest green dress hugs you in a respectable way, contouring to the ridges of your body. The color looks gorgeous against your skin tone, as does the color of your jewelry. Your coat is dangling from your arms and your hair is styled in a way that makes you look almost glamorous.ย
โYou look stunning.โ
To his horror, you look back and catch him looking at you.ย
โThank you,โ he hears you say after a long pause. Jay feels his cheeks reddening.ย
โSorry,โ he apologizes. โThat was weird, wasnโt it?โย
Heโs surprised when you shake your head.
โNot weird at all. I bought this dress and took the tag off prematurely. I wore it today so I could get use out of it since Iโd spent so much money on it, so Iโm glad someone likes it.โย
That same, shy smile adorns your face. But this time, you arenโt looking away from him. That makes Jayโs heart flutter and for once, he feels like heโs got a shot at making things right with you.ย
โYou really do look stunning,โ Jay tells you as he looks you directly in the eye. He doesnโt dare let his gaze wander.ย
Before either of you can say anything, the cashier is waving you towards the counter. He doesnโt think twice about pulling his wallet out and hanging it to the employee behind the counter when you finish ordering, quickly saying his own order before smiling at you.ย
โYou donโt have to pay for me,โ you tell him.ย
โI know,โ he says with a meek smile. โBut let me, yeah?โย
You donโt fight him on it, namely because the employee has already used his card by the time you could even think about pulling your own out. Jay ushers you to the side where the waiting area is and puts his hands deep in his pockets.ย
The two of you are quiet for a while. Itโs semi busy and the sound of chatter and steaming milk reverberates around the room. Jay looks at you through the corner of his eyes and sees you looking at your watch for the time. If he's to say anything, he needs to say it now.ย
โItโs good to see you again,โ is what Jay settles with. You turn to look at him. โI didnโt realize you were the borrowed partner. Itโs good to see that you achieved your dreams.โย
You donโt know how to respond. You choose to respond honestly.ย
โIt makes me happy knowing that we both made it,โ you tell him. โHeeseung told me he promoted you to senior partner a few months ago. Thatโs incredible.โ
โNot as incredible as being the youngest person to be named senior partner at Tang-Young.โ Jay smiles at you. โThatโs incredible.โย
โIt feels that way,โ you tell him earnestly. โI used to think days like these were far-fetched, like Iโd never be named senior partner or have my foot in the door. It feels crazy to feel put together for once.โย
โI know the feeling,โ Jay agrees. โI have my own place and havenโt had any help from my parents since I graduated law school. Iโve been on my own for a while now.โย
The barista calls out your orders. Jay lets you pick up your beverage before he takes his.ย
โDo you ever think about when you were a first year associate? I think about sitting in the bullpen all the time. Sometimes it feels wrong to have my own office.โ Jay opens the door for you and lets you walk outside first before he follows.ย
โI picture myself out there when I first joined the firm,โ Jay confesses. โI was so young and naiveโฆI didnโt have a clear picture of what I wanted to do with my career yet.โย
โItโs insane how much time has passed,โ you comment, looking both ways before crossing the street. Jay doesnโt think you say it as you do on purpose, but emotions tug on his heart strings. โI feel like I was just a first year associate only a few days ago.โ
Jay swallows harshly. โA lot has changed. Some for the betterโฆsome for the worst.โย
You finally look at him when the two of you reach the other side of the road. He doesnโt like talking in tongues or minding your language when he speaks to you because he wants to apologize. Jay has spent the last few weeks dreaming about what heโd say to you or what heโd do to make up for his shortcoming years prior but he doesnโt know how to start. He doesnโt know what he should do first or if youโd consider hearing him out.ย
Today is an indication that you might be, is the conclusion Jay comes to.ย
The cliches of time slowing down is what he feels when you stop to look at him. He feels like youโre staring through his soul, almost as if youโre inspecting him from head to toe. Jay doesnโt know what youโre thinking and heโs too afraid to ask. He canโt tell whatโs going on in your head with your emotionless expression, rocking back and forth to keep his balance.ย
Did he say the wrong thing? Jay bites his tongue and wishes he could wake up from whatever dream heโs having. This doesnโt even feel real. He can barely hear the sound of taxis and people around him through the thumping of his own heart. Jay canโt see anyone else but you, so he reckons he could open his eyes and still be in his bed.ย
But he blinks and youโre still standing in front of him.ย
โThings mightโve changed and so do people. Donโt be too hard on yourself.โย
He watches you walk towards the entrance of the building and forces himself to jog until heโs walking next to you. Jay catches himself and tries not to bump into the people walking in the opposite direction as him. When the two of you are back on the fiftieth floor, you bow to the secretaries and greet Heeseung and Jake, who are standing next to one another.ย
โOh good,โ Heesueng says, โY/N, youโre here. I know you have to appear in court in a few hours and I was wondering if youโd be willing to stop by Attorney Ahnโs office.โ
โAhn?โ you ask him quizzically. โWhat for?โย
โWe secured an agreement for them to hand over the Hybeโs contracts. They didnโt want to disclose and Ahn tried hard to block this from being filed, but I think Judge Han allowed it to pass. Do you think you could grab the box from his office?โย
โSure thing,โ you tell him with a nod. โI should be leaving in about an hour. No idea when Iโll be back, but I planned to put in some extra hours. Might as well get a head start by looking at those files.โย
โYouโre a lifesaver,โ Heeseung praises before walking back into his office.ย
โIโm kind of offended neither of you invited me to get coffee,โ Jake says as he hands Jay a manila folder.ย
โMaybe if this file was on my desk yesterday, I would have,โ Jay says with the quirk of his mouth.ย
Jake shakes his head dramatically. โDo you see what I have to deal with, Y/N? Itโs like he wants to punish me.โย
โPunishing you would be making you go to housing court three times a week, but I donโt,โ Jay retorts. โInstead, you get to work with the big kids.โ
โAtta boy,โ Jake says as he elbows Jayโs side. โBut seriously, I want an invite next time.โ
โWe ran into each other this morning but how about you and I go together tomorrow morning, say around eight?โย
โI think youโre my favorite attorney!โ Jake exclaims.ย
You turn to Jay. โYouโre welcome to join us.โย
โYes,โ Jay accepts immediately. โYeah, uh, Iโd love to join.โย
โGreat.โ You look between them with a pleasant smile. โWell if youโll excuse me, Iโve got to prepare for trial. See you this afternoon?โย
โCount on it,โ Jake says with a mock salute.ย
You leave the two of them and Jake watches as his mentor forces himself to pry his eyes off of you. In the duration that heโs gotten to see you and Jay work alongside one another, Jake has never seen his mentor at a loss for words before you started to work in the same office. The younger boy looks between the two of you before slipping back into Jayโs, waiting for him to follow suit.ย
Jake joined Lee & Associates as a first year associate. His designated spot in the bullpen felt scared to him, like it was the one place in the entire office that didnโt make him feel like a belittled mess. Law school was over and Jake couldnโt help but feel nervous about practicing law in the real world where the consequences would be more fatal than a bad test score.ย
Jay was in need of an associate at the time and there didnโt seem to be anybody who could step up to the plate and deal with Jayโs on-and-off personality, along with the fast pace he kept when working. Before getting to know him, Jay was someone unreadable to Jake. He felt untouchable even though his desk was right in front of the bullpen with the glass doors separating the two of them, mimicking something as dramatic as The Great Wall.ย
Yet he finds himself seeing Jay like a brother after the time spent together. Jake knows his mentor is anything but a stone cold, hardened attorney people make him out to be. Jay prefers to keep his emotions closer to himself rather than on his sleeve for people to notice at first glance. He loves loyalty and honesty, and will go to great lengths to award people who stand beside him through tough times.ย
Itโs why Jake can see the conflict in Jayโs eyes when he sees him looking at you. Jayโs stare is far away, almost as if heโs looking at the spot you stood in to yearn for what he once had. It takes him a moment or two to collect himself and continue with his day.ย
Jay clears his throat when he realizes heโs been quiet.ย
โDo you have the briefing for the damage collection case?โย
Jake stares at his friend. โIโll give it to you if you tell me whatโs going on between you and Y/N.โ
โI donโt think thatโs any of your business,โ Jay sputters in an attempt to seem calm. His heart is beating twice as fast. Jake merely shakes his head.ย
โNah, man. You look at Y/N like youโre seconds away from telling her youโre in love with her.โ
โI am not in love with her,โ Jay defends immediately. He sees Jake raise his eyebrow and disconnects eye contact. โWe used to know each other in law school and now we arenโt as close anymore.โ
โSee, thatโs the thing. I know that. Everyone else knows that too. But thereโs something neither you nor Y/N are acknowledging and thereโs tension in the air whenever you two are in the same room.โ
โThereโs no tension.โย
Jake deadpans. โThereโs so much tension. Even Riki can sense it.โย
โDonโt bring interns into this.โย
โIโm not bringing anyone into anything,โ Jake replies. โItโs you and your weird mojo that needs to be fixed.โ
โMy mojo?โ
โYouโve been off kilter for the past month,โ says Jake. โIโm your right hand, you know? Iโm with you for ninety percent of the week. I can tell when somethingโs bothering you.โย
Jay sighs. โItโs complicated, Jake. Iโฆdid some things in the past that I wasnโt proud of and I canโt bring myself to talk to Y/N, especially knowing how it all went down.โ
โYou donโt have to be so cryptic about it,โ Jake says sarcastically.ย
Take a seat,โ Jay instructs. โYouโll want to sit down.โย
Recounting the story to Jake makes Jay feel like heโs telling a juvenile story about two lovestruck teenagers who were too immature to know any better. He feels the guilt rising to the surface all over again, as if he were shaming his younger self for acting so selfishly.ย
Truthfully, Jay knew you didnโt deserve to be treated the way he treated you. He viewed you as the epitome of sunshine even if you didnโt believe him on most days. Your quiet demeanor hid a blooming flower. You deserved more than a coward who couldnโt own up to his feelings.ย
They stay in Jayโs office, foregoing the workday to discuss what happened the night he left you and what transpired in the summer that followed. Jay tells Jake that he and his parents hopped on a flight abroad a few days after graduation. He tells him how you were always at the forefront of his mind and how that sad look in your eye imprinted in his mind every time he closed his eyes.ย
โShit,โ Jake says, leaning back to clutch against Jayโs chair.ย
โIndeed.โ Jay averts his attention to the city below his office from his window. โI donโt know how to act around her. She walks around like nothing happened between us but when I look at her, all I can picture is that look on her face when I walked away.โ
โHave you ever considered that Y/N has moved on?โ
Jay shakes his head. โHeeseung said the same thing but this isnโt something you get over, Jake.โ
โYou said it yourself, though. Y/N is a resilient person. You just told me what you admired about her most was that she could see the bigger picture and react accordingly.โ
โI used to think she never had the guts to stand up for herself when people were meant to her,โ Jay confesses. โIโd get so frustrated and weโd get into arguments because Iโd tell her she doesnโt deserve to be treated like that. But Y/N would always tell me that some battles arenโt worth fighting. I never understood it then.โย
โAnd now?โย
Jay sighs. โSeeing her here, making friends with all of the associates and walking into Heeseungโs office like she owns the place, makes me realize she always knew what she was talking about. I mentioned she didn't have a great relationship with her parents, right? Well, I think part of me always forgot that since I had a great relationship with mine. I was more vocal than she was. I didnโt have a problem telling people off if they deserved it.ย
โBut she was quieter. Maybe it was by nature or maybe it was because she didnโt like talking unless she had a reason to. I donโt know. But when I look at her now, I donโt see that angry, frustrated person anymore. I canโt begin to describe it. Itโs like she broke out of her shell and became a completely different person. More confident, Iโd say.โ
Jake nods. โYou know, she told me and Sunoo that she has a tattoo of a butterfly on her hip.โย
โA butterfly?โย
โA butterfly. A monarch, I think. Anyway, the type doesnโt matter. Itโs just funny that you think sheโs come out of her shell when butterflies start out as caterpillars and have to go through their metamorphosis period before becoming a butterfly.โย
Jay bites his lip in contemplation. Jake continues.ย
โMonarch butterflies migrate to warm weather once a year because they canโt survive the cold. They fly in groups, hundreds of thousands at a time and build communities. Y/N did the same thing, if you think about it. She left Korea to find herself in New York and returned when she was ready.โย
โI never thought about it like that,โ Jay says. โI knew she was working from New York but I always thought it was to get away from me.โย
โMaybe in the beginning,โ Jake adds. โMaybe Y/N needed to get away from you, her parents, and her life as she knew it to find the person she was always supposed to be.โ
โI will never forgive myself for not calling her after we graduated.โย
โYou donโt have to, but I think Y/N has.โ Jake leans his elbows on Jayโs desk and looks the man in the eye. โLook, I know I havenโt known her for as long as you have, but in the month weโve worked together, Iโve learned a lot from her. Iโve seen her talk to the opposing counsel in depositions and learned that she can get to the point without saying much. Sheโs really confident in herself and is almost always willing to help associates when they approach her.
โWhat Iโm trying to say is, you need to let go of the person you once knew and the person you were back then. You and I both know how far youโve come in your career and Iโm sure Heeseung knows how much youโve changed as a person since you graduated. But you canโt keep living in the past if you want to move forward.โ
Jakeโs right and Jay knows it. Every day, he wakes up and his first thought is the memory of you averting your eyes from him at the graduation ceremony. He thinks about his wrongdoings more often than heโd like to admit and canโt seem to move past this feeling of inadequacy when it comes to you. Jay contemplates on whether or not he deserves your respect or forgiveness, the unknown being the obstacle that prevented him from apologizing to you in the first place.ย
But he needs to let that go. Heโs not the person who decides whether or not he deserves forgiveness. You are.ย
You are the person who dictates how you feel. Not Jay, not anyone else. For the past month, Jay has been overthinking about how to talk to you if itโs not related to the litigation. He can talk to you when itโs in conjunction about the Hyb case, but he canโt talk to you about anything else.
Jay needs to start trusting you and your judgment in a way he couldnโt before. But unlike now, Jay wasnโt in your crossfires all those years ago. The version of him during law school never gave you a reason to overcome the loss of a friendship. In order to understand you better, he needs to stop thinking about you the way you were back then. For right now, youโre a stranger he knows everything about.ย
โYouโre right,โ Jay nods. โIโve been so caught up in dealing with this shock that I forgot Y/Nโs had to deal with it longer. It makes sense that she isnโt as shaken up as I am.โ
โSheโs smart and way more perceptive than you give her credit for. I think Rikiโs about to ask Y/N to adopt him because she keeps talking to him in Japanese.โ Jake smiles. โSpeaking of which.โย
Jay quirks his eyebrow. โSpeaking of what?โย
โYou so clearly still have feelings for Y/N.โ Jay opens his mouth and immediately closes it.ย
โLying to you would be useless, wouldnโt it?โย
โIโm also more perceptive than you think. That, and you talk about her like she saved your cat from a tree, or something.โ
โI canโt help it,โ Jay sighs as he rubs his face. โBeing around Y/N makes me feel the way I did all those years ago. I donโt think I ever got over her. She had this ability to keep people in her grasp, you know? Once you peeled back her layers and looked past her shy personality, there she was. Now, itโs like watching everyone else meet the Y/N i knew she always was, just more openly. Itโs weird to see her talking to everyone but in a good way, you know? Sheโs not apologizing for who she is anymore.โ
โLike I said,โ Jake says, โY/Nโs a butterfly.โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Later in the afternoon, Jay stops responding to emails when he feels his eyes getting tired from looking at his laptop. The conversation he had with Jake weighs on his mind with every passing hour and his leg bounces with anticipation for your arrival back to the office.ย
Throughout the entire day, heโs been reminding himself that he has also grown and matured since the last time you saw him. Heโs no longer somebody who hates conflict and speaking his mind. His job has taught him the value of saying what you mean and sticking to an argument until the very end. Jayโs tendency to falter in himself has diminished over the years, especially since working at a legacy company such as Lee & Associates.ย
His success as an attorney plays a factor in his confidence, too. Seeing his father in the courtroom inspired him as a child to pursue a career in law so that he may one day fight on behalf of people who donโt have a voice themselves. Never in his wildest dreams did Jay ever think he alone could make a big difference in the lives of others but he sits behind his desk with a promotion just shy of having his own surname on the door in the main office.ย
Jayโs job means everything to him. It means working hard after spending countless days and nights stressing over cases and essays in law school. It means working with his colleagues to bring out the best in people and take down companies who value profit over people. It means making a difference in the lives of those who arenโt as fortunate as him. If Lee & Associates wasnโt as philanthropic and as morally-good as Jay wouldโve hoped, he doesnโt know if he wouldโve said yes to their offer when it was offered to him.ย
He decides to take a break and head over to the break room when he bumps into Sunghoon, who has a scowlย etched on his face.ย
โHoon,โ Jay says, tugging on Sunghoonโs arm to force him to stop walking. โAre you alright?โย
โNo,โ he mumbles.ย
Jayโs eyebrows contort in confusion. โWhatโs happening? Is there anything I can do? Talk to me.โย
Sunghoon sighs. โItโs nothing you can fix, unfortunately. Remember when Heeseung asked Y/N to get the Hybe contract files from Ahn?โ
โWhat about it?โย
โY/N met with him in his office and he sent her home with one box.โย
โI donโt understand why thatโs a bad thing.โย
Sunghoon points behind Jay, who sees a room filled to the brim with boxes.ย
โHe sent the rest here.โย
The two men walk over to the office and see you standing next to Heeseung with both hands on your hips. You look just short of enraged. Jay swears he can see steam coming out of your ears.ย
โYouโve got to be fucking kidding me,โ Jay says as his eyes scan the boxes piled on top of one another. โHow could we possibly get through all of this?โย
โHybeโs burying us in paperwork so we look unprepared in our next meeting,โ you say in disbelief. โI wish I couldโve slapped that smug look off of his face when he gave me only one of the damn boxes.โย
โWe might have to fight about who gets to do that.โ Heeseung curses under his breath. โWeโve got two weeks before our next hearing to determine the next step in the settlement.โย
โIt looks like theyโre gonna win,โ Sunghoon grains from beside Jay. โTheyโre not giving up the recoupment clause.โย
โThe answer is in here somewhere,โ Jay adds. โWe just have to find it.โย
โWeโll be up all night.โ You look somewhere between defeated and determined, although Jay isnโt sure which is which.ย
โNot if we work together,โ says Jungwon, who has Sunoo and Riki standing behind him. The five of you look behind you to see them standing in the doorway. โWe want to help.โย
โWe canโt possibly ask you to do that,โ Heeseung says. โI know the expectation is that you stay later than six in the evening, but this is too much to ask of you guys.โ
โYou arenโt asking,โ Sunoo insists as he sits down in front of Heeseung. โJay and Jake already have me working on a few of the case files. It makes sense to have another set of eyes that knows this case well.โย
โI want the practice as well,โ Riki agrees, taking a seat next to Sunoo. โJungwon and Sunoo have been teaching me how to read these types of documents and pull relevant information out of them. Iโd really appreciate the experience.โย
โYouโre sure about this?โ Jay asks.ย
โWeโre positive,โ Sunoo confirms.ย
โWell, you guys can go home at any point,โ Heeseung says. โThis goes for everyone in the room. God only knows how much bullshit weโll have to dig through.โ
The sun starts to wane over the blue sky when Jay decides he needs a change of scenery. Heโs been sitting in the same chair for a few hours at this point and desperately craves the sweet melodies of soft jazz from his vinyl collection. He excuses himself and lets everyone know heโll be in his office if anybody needs anything.ย
You watch him stand up from where youโre seated and as he walks out of the room. You must admit, Jay still looks criminally handsome. That tendency to cower into yourself whenever he looks at you is still present today, especially when he makes room for you to speak during depositions and internal meetings.ย
For a while, you were hellbent on making an enemy out of Jay for what he did to you. The person you were before leaving Seoul was somebody who would likely paint Jay as a target and a villain for life. The friends you made in New York would entertain you in conversations about boys who have a tendency to break hearts and you always had a story to share.ย
Even so, time has been kind to you. The years spent focusing on your career and your loved ones has molded you into the kind of person who can see people for who they are, not what they๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝve done and have atoned for. Jay has worked all his life to prove himself worthy of being somebody who can take care of himself and stand on his own two feet. In a way, youโve done the same thing.ย
Half an hour goes by before you decide you need to stretch your legs. You make the bold decision to take your work with you and pay no mind to Heeseung, who winks at you on the way out.ย
Approaching Jay feels like a mix between normal and anxiety inducing. Seeing him hunched over his desk with a scowl on his face as he concentrates is nostalgic to you, and it makes you remember all the times youโd search for him after your classes ended just to find him in the library with a gargantuan book beneath his focus. His hair still falls as perfectly as you remember it and he still twirls his pen in his fingers like he used to.ย
It brings a set of uneasiness to your stomach. Youโve spent years trying to forget Jay before coming to the conclusion that you could never forget someone who once meant so much to you. All of the hatred you harbored for the man you held deep feelings for dissipated when you remembered that he too was growing and trying to find out who he was aside from all he once knew.ย
Gathering the courage to knock on his door, you force yourself to do it before you convince yourself to back out.ย
Jay looks up at you like youโre the last person he expected to see. It makes your stomach drop.ย
โSorry,โ you mutter when he doesnโt motion for you to enter. โIโll go.โย
โNo!โ Jay says immediately. He clears his throat and puts his pen down, waving you into his office. โCome in, please.โ You walk inside and close the door behind you, the sound of soft jazz is reminiscent of the times you used to study with him in his apartment.ย
โI needed a break from sitting in the same spot,โ you tell him, standing before his desk and looking at the decor around the room. โI see you still love collecting vinyls.โ
โMy collection has definitely grown,โ he laughs. You feel his eyes watching you explore his office before you find your way to sit in the chair in front of him.ย
When the air settles around you, a sense of nervousness washes over your body. Suddenly, you can feel your entire weight on the chair youโre on top of. You can hear the clock that resides from just outside of his office and your mouth becomes too dry to handle.ย
Youโre not sure why youโve come to see Jay. You donโt know what youโd say to him. All of those nights you imagined a great big showdown where Jay would fall to his knees and apologize to you, just for you to refute his attempts, donโt matter anymore. You look back at yourself and think of it as silly even though thatโs what you needed at a time. But part of growing up and learning about who you are is realizing your capabilities and strengths. Being able to reconcile with the past that hurt you without feeling pure anger towards the cause was arguably the hardest thing youโve done.ย
You two are grown versions of your unsure, unconfident selves. The wall you spent your teenage years building has fallen down with time, knowledge, and grace. Two beings achieving a high clarity of peace is whatโs left in this room.ย
It isnโt that you forgive and forget. Rather, taking the time to heal and forgive Jay for embarrassing you has made you realize there are worse things than a memory filled with people you arenโt in contact with anymore. Nobody in your life knew about what had happened because you hadnโt bothered to keep in touch with anyone, and no one did the same with you. The shame and burden you carried and blamed on everyone else was misdirected. It was your own insecure nature and unconfident persona that prevented you from healing.ย
Separating oneself from the pair of people who stripped away your confidence was the lowest you ever felt. The violent words echoing through your ears after a particularly bad test in high school broke your heart for the last time. You would no longer hold any room in your heart for another chance. The pieces of you that shattered onto the floor were swept away, never to be seen again.ย
You kept your head down for the years of the time you lived with them. There was no use to talk back and fight to be seen by them, even if it was to glare at you for misbehaving. It came to a point where even unloving attention from your parents was enough, settling with the notion that you wouldnโt get what you asked for as you wanted it.ย
But having realized sweet ignorance was bliss made you sick to your stomach. It made you ashamed to know you had spent so long wishing the people who brought you unto this Earth would look at you. The realization that changing everything about yourself would do nothing but damage in the end, taught you more than you could ever sum into words. It didn't matter if you were loud or quiet. They would never look at you the way they looked at your older brother.ย
It was hard to come to terms with it. Everyday was a battle against immense frustration and turmoil as you tried to navigate your way as a young adult without the opinions of your parents shoved down your throat. Theyโd already expected the best out of you, so perhaps being interested in law was the only thing youโve ever done that made your parents feel as though you were worth celebrating.ย
Separating yourself post-high school and college was easier than ever before, especially when they hadnโt shown up to your law school graduation.ย
That final nail in the coffin is what solidifies what remained of the relationship. You wouldnโt see them save for holiday parties to save face, especially when your colleagues and mentors were good friends of theirs. The posed smiles and awkward conversations were part of your way to make connections and play the game before you ended up crying on your bathroom floor. Playing the part of an obedient daughter only to turn into a stranger to your parents was a role you were likely born to play.
โI was wondering if I could look through the paperwork with you.โย
Jayโs eyes widen. โWith me?โย
โOnly if you want to! I mean, it was always nice to work with you in the library all those years ago. I thought it might be a nice change of pace.โย
Jay looks at you through his lashes and canโt believe the grace heโs been given to have you approach him before he got the chance to. The unexpected load of files put a dent in his plans. It seems, however, that somebody is looking out for him,ย
โIโฆIโve been wanting to talk to you,โ Jay says. Itโs as if the filter on his mouth has disappeared because he canโt stop talking about what heโs thinking about. โI didnโt know you were the person who was going to help us out on this case and seeing you for the first time in years made me think about when we were kids. I probably donโt have the right to say this, so forgive me, but I really missed you.โย
That shy smile he always knew you to have adorned your lips.ย
โI missed you too,โ you tell him. โThere are a lot of things Iโve done that I wish I could have shared with you. Although I admit I had a few weeks to prepare seeing you before I officially said yes to helping with this case.โย
โI used to think about what would happen if I ever saw you in court,โ Jay confesses. โIโd like to believe Iโd say hi, or something.โย
โI probably wouldโve done the same thing. Do you still play guitar?โย
โEvery chance I get,โ Jay smiles. โIโve added a few electric and acoustics editions to my collection. I have an entire music room back at home.โย
โI always remembered you being so musically gifted. If you didnโt become a lawyer, you probably wouldโve been a successful musician.โย
โYou always flattered me too much.โย
โWhy stop now?
Jay smiles at you. โDo you still want cats?โย
โI have a cat called Miso. Iโve had her for a few months. Sheโs still such a small baby. Is it bad that Iโm considering getting another one?โย
โNot at all,โ Jay agrees. โBut three might make you a cat lady.โย
You pretend to weigh your options. โIโll think about it.โย
โI canโt believe you lived in New York for a few years. I remember you loving the big city.โย
โI think Iโve changed a bit,โ you tell him. โI love the hustle and bustle, but living in Manhattan made me realize I miss living away from the noise. I like traveling into town and having the option to leave it, you know?โ
โDefinitely,โ Jay nods. โMy place is in a high rise so I donโt hear construction noises or birds chirping when I want it to be quiet. I got the chance to move in a few years after I started my job here.โย
โI live just on the outskirts of Seoul. Itโs a good sized neighborhood in a family town. I like that itโs so quiet. I usually hear children who live in the houses play on the streets on weekend mornings.โย
โThat sounds like quite a peaceful life.โย
You smile at him like you know something he doesnโt.
โYeah, it really is.โย
โDo you ever think about how long ago law school was?โ you ask. โSometimes I pinch myself when Iโm given big responsibilities. I pinched myself over and over again when I was named senior partner and nearly gave myself a bruise.โย
โI see the associates in the bullpen everyday and think about how that was me ages ago,โ Jay responds. By now, heโs turned his attention from the document to you. โI used to be an insecure prick who pretended to have everything under control. I was so desperate to prove myself. Iโm sure you know how that feels. I donโt think I got a wink of sleep in the first four years of my career.โย
โYou and I both. I think my life got more stressful when I started my career. Law school did not prepare me mentally for what it was gonna be like.ย
โBut itโs rewarding, right? I feel like Iโm doing something good with my life. And you know Heeseung, you know he wouldn't sign off on clients who are morally corrupt.โย
โIt feels incredible, honestly. Being able to help people makes me feel like Iโve served a good purpose. I used to think about texting you all the dumb mistakes people made when I was a first year. Itโs hilarious to know how many professionals canโt remain professional.โย
Jayโs smile weakens as his guilt creeps back into his mind.ย
โIโm sorry,โ he says quietly yet firmly.
You look at him. โI know. Letโs focus on the case, yeah?โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Arriving at the office as the sun is peeking from the horizon is not a new phenomenon for you. Despite the crust that formed around your eye last night, indicating a good rest, you feel somewhat sluggish as you wait for Jake to finish ordering his coffee.ย
โJay woke up late again,โ he snickers as he pockets his phone. โHe probably wonโt be at the office until eight.โย
โItโs fine,โ you tell him. โWe all need beauty sleep after yesterday.โย
โAhn can kiss my ass. I felt like I was knee deep in paperwork. My eyes were gonna fall out of their sockets.โย
โYou and me both,โ you sigh, retrieving your beverage and pastry. The warmth lifts your mood. โIโve seen my fair share of paperwork and dirty moves, but they never cease to surprise me.โย
โThe audacity of him to give you one box to leave with, too,โ Jake says with venom in his tone. โIโll punch him for you.โ
โHow about you hold him down while I do the punching?โ
โI like your style.โย
The office itself is still relatively quiet, save for the few first year associates milling around the bullpen and the break room. The coffee and espresso machine have seen better days, and you make a mental note to tell Heeseung to invest in new ones.ย
Jake raises his hand in a mock salute as you walk towards your office. The pretty skyline will always remain a marvel to you. To live a life of privilege and to neglect the beauty around you would be a disservice to all that has raised you and all what will be awarded to you. The streets below you begin to fill with people commuting to work. It feels much like New York, where the city never sleeps and the people never lose their dreams.ย
Working with Jay in his office felt normal. Sitting in front of him and getting to know his life as he built it wasnโt as hurtful as you once thought it would be. With each quip, it felt as if the two of you fell into old habits like there was never a time where the two of you spent any time apart.ย
You could tell Jay had more to say than he led on. But hearing a full confession or an apology in the office didnโt feel right. Itโs why you shut him down. Hearing the sincerity in his voice when he came to apologize, but having a short conversation between looking through piles upon piles of documents, felt too colloquial. Youโre owed the decency of no distractions, at least, even if youโve done the work to grow and heal.ย
There was once a time you swore youโd never give Jay a second chance and that actions, at face value, mean more than any rectification. Back when you were blindsided by hurt and emotion, the realization that the person you cared about the most leaving you felt like a punch to the gut. If Jay had the audacity to leave you as you were, what good were you to anyone else?ย
The answer isnโt simple. It wasnโt until you realized running away from Korea and relocation to New York didnโt make you as happy as you thought it did.ย
You were lying to yourself when youโd smile and tell your friends that it was the best decision you ever made. You had fooled yourself into believing it as you said it, sipping on whatever alcoholic beverage was at hand at the time. But coming home to an empty loft made those unsavory thoughts ruminate in your mind until you fell asleep. Even so, you dreamt about what your life would be like if Jay had chosen to stay.ย
Years of running resulted in a sudden crash. It was like your life wasnโt as perfect as you made it out to be. You loved the part of you that made a life in New York and you loved the people and the work that was established, but a larger part of you missed your life in Seoul. You missed your friends, your old haunts, and the places you swore youโd never go but found yourself visiting when you came back home. You missed your family too, or whatever was left of it. In the years you spent overseas, you learned to come to terms with the notion that who you are is not a product of people who do not know you. Rather, who you are is an accumulation of your experiences and passions, and nothing else.ย
That realization made it easier to forgive Jay. Truthfully, you didnโt know if youโd ever see him again and the thought of what you would say if you came face-to-face with him, or what apologies you wouldโve wanted to hear from him, didnโt matter. It became something you tossed at the bottom of your priority list because relying on the actions of other people became a dangerous habit of yours. Youโd look at yourself in the mirror and slowly begin to like what you saw looking back at you.ย ย
To let go of the past feels like freedom. You could dwell on everyone who wronged you and remain spiteful at all of the times you were left to feel like an embarrassment and a burden, but none of that could have ever helped you arrive in the present day as tranquil as you are. Every happenstance, good and bad, happened for a reason, and it isnโt up to you to figure out why.ย
Youโre brought out of your thoughts when Jungwon knocks on your door.ย
โY/N?โ he asks timidly.ย
โWhatโs up?โย
โDo you have the time to go over these case files with me?โ Jungwon asks. โI know you have a lunch meeting you need to prepare for, but none of the other attorneys are in the office right now and Heeseung needs these as soon as possible.โย
You smile at him. โIโll make time.โย
The two of you sit in relative silence for the next twenty minutes, hearing the sounds of paper turning and pens scribbling in the margins. The cityโs waking up and people are filing into the office one by one as the two of you remain in the vacated copy room just around the main office. Jungwon suggested relocating to the small corner for concentration purposes and you start to understand why heโs everybodyโs favorite paralegal.ย
โThis stuff is insane,โ Jungwon comments. You look up at him to see a scowl etched on his face. โHow can people willingly take advantage of people trying to pursue their dreams?โย
โI donโt know,โ you tell him honestly. โIt kills me to see greedy corporations treat people like they donโt matter.โย
โItโs unfair,โ Jungwon says. โIf I had my way, Iโd stick it to these music executives. Screw Ahn for burying us in paperwork.โ
โMaking the musician pay back a certain fee feels almost impossible, doesnโt it?โ you ask Jungwon rhetorically. โIt almost feels like the label is stealing talent and profiting off of it wherever and whenever they can.โย
โThese poor people are trying to make a living doing what they love. None of this is fair. Itโs stupid for labels to require a certain number of albums to be made under contract.โย
โEven more stupid when labels cut them loose because they canโt pay back the recoupment quickly.โย
โIf I had time in the courtroom with Attorney Ahn, I think Iโd rip him a new one.โย
You laugh. โHow long have you been a paralegal, Jungwon?โ
โA couple of years,โ he tells you. โIโm thinking about other career options in the meantime, but I love my job and I love helping the associates when they ask me.โ
โWhy would you think of different career paths if this is what you love to do?โ
He sighs. โIโm not good at testing. I mean, I took the bar and failed. It feels like itโs too late for me, you know?โ
โWell, you could always take it again.โ
He shakes his head. โItโs no use. Iโm not good at practice tests but I could tell you about any case. Iโve been at this job long enough to discuss concepts and have them make sense, but itโs testing that gets me. I just get so anxious, you know? I second guess myself all the time and I hate that I do that.โย
โTesting used to be my greatest enemy.โ
โWhat changed?โย
โJay, honestly. He was always the better student when it came to that kind of stuff. I had really bad testing anxiety but he managed to help me study enough to the point where I knew I would ace them.โ
โWow, I didnโt realize you guys used to be so close.โย
โIโd say he was my closest friend in law school. Itโs nice to see him again after all these years.โย
Jungwon doesnโt press further, instead returning his attention to the documents below him.
โEnding the recoupment expectation means the artist can keep the profit from the moment itโs been released, right?โย
โTheyโll have to split their earnings with people who worked on the project based on copyright laws, but yes, essentially.โย
Jungwon sits with his thoughts and stares at the documents before him. His hands sift through the folders as his eyes dart from page to page.ย
โThis is what I love about my job,โ he begins. โI love helping people because itโs what I feel like I was meant to do. I love solving problems and I love fixing them.โย
โYou owe it to yourself to try, you know,โ you encourage. โGoing to law school isnโt easy, but not many people can say they have your experience. Youโve got a few years of working with associates and partners under your belt. Thereโs no reason to be afraid of taking the LSAT.โ
โI guess Iโm just nervous that I wonโt be good enough,โ Jungwon confesses. โEvery day, Iโm surrounded by the smartest people I know who all graduated from the best law school in Korea. How could I ever compete with that?โ
His doubt speaks to your younger self, the one who cowered in fear when your parents neglected to praise you for a job well done or turned a blind eye when you asked for advice. Jungwonโs worries speak to the part of you that wished for external validation when it came to your capabilities and strengths, because doing it yourself could only go so far.ย
His words remind you of moments when you felt small, like the world was too big and youโd never have enough time to discover all the wonders it could bring. You were meek back then, thriving off of whatever little validation they gave you just to have them knock it down. You donโt know why you spent so many years yearning for their approval, but never getting it felt too familiar.ย
Your acceptance at the most prestigious law school in Korea was met with apprehension. You recall the sinking feeling in your stomach the moment the idea about your worth was proposed; having your parents question your capabilities or how youโd fit in with your peers had you second guessing your career path, leaving you wondering if following your passion was worth the struggle and pain of convincing them to let you pursue it.ย
They agreed to let you go under the condition that they pay for the first year before youโd need to pay for the remaining two. It felt unfair and it still feels unfair. But whatโs done is done and you managed to gain the courage to chase after that dream of yours that always seemed just too far out of reach, and it has paid off.
Now, you look at Jungwon as if he were a ghost of your former self.ย
โYou say youโre worried about committing to a career path, but it seems like youโve got your heart set on becoming a lawyer,โ you tell him. โDonโt you think you should explore that?โย
Jungwon smiles at you.
โI think I will.โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Jay finds you in the break room laughing with Jungwon when heโs able to pull himself away from meetings. You look gorgeous when you laugh as freely as you are, like you arenโt shy about showing people what you look like when you smile. It warms his heart to hear that fluttering laugh of yours.ย
โYouโre serious about helping me study for the LSAT?โ he hears Jungwon ask you.ย
โDead serious. Itโll take some time but the test comes around a few times a year. Take it easy, okay? Thereโs no need to rush.โย
The younger boy sees Jay approach and nods his head. โI should get going. See you later, Y/N!โย
โJungwonโs taking the LSAT?โ Jay asks when the former disappears.ย
โIโm trying to convince him. He told me earlier about why heโs hesitant to go to law school but I think Jungwon can do it if he really tries.โย
โI think so too,โ Jay agrees. โHeโs the only person in this office who knows whatโs going on. Might as well promote him to first year associate. Weโll definitely miss him around the office, though.โย
โAll the more reason to hire him when he graduates.โย
Jay smiles. This kind of generosity is something he always thought of you.ย
โAnyway, I have a meeting in thirty minutes and Iโm considering canceling if not for the free lunch.โ
โHot young finance wannabe taking you out to an expensive steakhouse?โ he jokes.ย
โTry a sixty-year old former housewife afraid that her assets are in shambles when they havenโt been touched in years,โ you laugh. โThe restaurant is a dim sum place by my apartment and I will never say no to dim sum.โย
โBummer,โ Jay says, biting back a smile. โI was wondering if you wanted to get coffee before the afternoon rush.โย
โCan we rain check?โ you ask eagerly. โIโd love to get coffee with you again.โย
โI would love that. Are you going to be back in the office this afternoon, though? Iโll keep my door open for you.โย
โIโll be back around three,โ you tell him with a shy smile. โIโll be sure to knock.โย
Jay shakes his head. โYou can walk in. Iโll make an exception for you.โย
The atmosphere around the office has changed when you come back and sit with him to work. Itโs like the distance and wrongdoings have been erased when itโs just the two of you sitting in front of one another, almost as if time has transported the both of you back to law school.ย
You find that youโre able to get work done much faster without the impending doom of awkwardness lingering around the two of you. Jayโs tendency to skirt around you created a strange atmosphere during the first few weeks of you working in his domain, but sitting with him now makes you feel like things are going to be okay.ย
For Jay, it feels the same. His guilt has subsided, not because he feels absolved, but because he feels like heโs working towards a better version of himself with you back in his life. Jay has always sworn to rectify his mistakes if he was given the chance to and the universe granting him one last chance by allowing you back in his life feels like a second chance. He doesn't want to mess it up and make you feel the way you did once upon a time.ย
It isnโt until the sun goes down and you yawn that he registers just how late the two of you have been working. Conversations flow easily and it feels like time has moved too fast.ย
โLetโs get noodles before going home? For old timeโs sake,โ Jay asks you.ย
โItโs like you read my mind.โย
He knows of a place not too far from away, a small hole-in-the-wall joint that boasts an array of soups that immediately smell like comfort in a bowl. The waitress leaves the two of you alone after putting your meal in front of you, and you waste no time before digging in.
โWoah, slow down before you choke on the soup,โ Jay teases.ย
โCut me some slack,โ you whine. โThis is definitely not the first time youโve watched me inhale my food.โ
Jay laughs. โI remember when you couldnโt stop eating the shumai from across my apartment. You mustโve thrown up twice? I think?โย
โThat night single handedly made me watch how much I ate in one sitting.โ You recoil at the memory. โBut I still love shumai. Just not as much.โย
โOr that time you went through a phase where you couldnโt stop drinking fruit-flavored punch and got so nauseous that you almost skipped the last exam before winter break.โ
โI made it, though! I think I got a ninety-one on that test? But who cares. Law school was forever ago.โย
Jayโs eyes soften.ย
โI really am sorry,โ he begins. โIโve been thinking about when the best time to talk to you is, but everyday thereโs something new between the Hybe case and other things that need our attention. So, Iโm sorry if right now it seems like itโs coming out of the blue.
โItโs selfish of me to say it when youโre eating, I know. I just want you to know how sorry I am for being a coward and for leaving you standing.โ Jayโs eyes falter and he looks back at his bowl of soup before forcing himself to look you in the eye. โI couldnโt tell you what my younger self was thinking back then. Every single day I think about how awful and selfish I was to put my emotions above yours.โย
โJayโโ
โI donโt know if this counts for much, Iโd like to think Iโve grown since then. Iโve learned to be empathetic and that I canโt run away from things just because it was too much or because I was scared about how I felt about you.โ He swallows harshly. โI really, really liked you back then.โย
You bite your lip. โI really liked you too.โย
โWorking with you for the past few months has made me realize how much of a fucking idiot I was to walk away like that. I shouldโve told Iseul to shove it down her throat and walk out with you instead of leaving you alone. Iโm sorry, Y/N. Iโm so fucking sorry.โ
In your years imagining what this moment would look like, it wasnโt like this. It wasnโt in a small noodle stop sitting in an expensive dress. It wasnโt at the end of a long workday where your thoughts are all over the place. It certainly wasnโt with Jay sounding as honest and as sincere as he is now.ย
You prepared to leave in astonishment or throw a drink at him for his audacity. You envisioned yourself laughing in his face and walking away with your hair brushed behind your shoulders, only to peek over and see him fall to his knees in despair. You imagined Jay looking disheveled and helpless, catching his insincerity with a smug grin before telling him to leave you alone forever.ย
But the man in front of you looks like heโs waited a long time to apologize. He drops his eye contact with you in favor of moving his chopsticks around the bowl, moving the noodles as a way to fill the awkward silence from your lack of response. In truth, your heart is beating three times as fast as it normally does. It doesnโt help that your feelings for Jay never went away. It certainly doesnโt help that his apology feels like one crafted by a mature adult as opposed to throwaway words someone strings together to absolve themselves of guilt.ย
Jayโs guilty and he knows it. Heโs willing to live with the consequences, but your silence is killing him.ย
Instead of speaking, you push your hand to reach for his and pry his fingers off of his chopsticks. Jayโs eyes snap to your hands touching his, afraid that if he moves, youโll be gone quicker than he can register.ย
โYou were never one for words,โ you begin to say. Jayโs heart sinks to the bottom of his chest. โI remember you having the hardest time carrying a conversation because you were thinking too hard about what to say. I always thought I was the shy one, but getting to know you was a little hard when you said so little.ย
โI donโt know what changed, honestly. It was like you had a million and one different things you wanted to talk about. I learned that you trusted few people and I knew I was one of them the second you talked my ear off about how you probably would have pursued a career in music instead of law.โย
Jayโs mouth quirks. โI remember that.โย
โWhat Iโm trying to say is, I know youโre being honest with me now. The fact that you said all of that in a noodle shop tells me more than you know.โย
He chuckles. โItโs a little poetic, isnโt it?โย
โConsidering we spent maybe half of our time together eating ramen, Iโd say so.โย
He squeezes your hand. โThe last thing I want you is for you to feel like Iโm forcing you to say something you donโt want to, or even forgive me. I donโt want to make you feel like you have to do something you arenโt ready to do.โ
โOne thing you should know about me is that I always do as I please.โ You squeeze his hand back. โYouโll know how I feel, Jay. Right now, I feel very strongly about you.โย
The two of you look at each other before the doorbell chimes. You two pull your hands apart as if youโre two teenagers caught holding hands. Jay laughs once he sees your mouth forming that same bashful smile he fell for all those years ago before clearing his throat and enjoying the rest of his dinner.ย
As for you, the warmth of the broth is almost as warm as your cheeks.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
Nothing is going according to plan.ย
The Hybe case has taken all of your effort and resources, as well as your mental sanity. As the date for the next settlement hearing, and likely the final one, draws nearer, you feel the walls closing within you with no way to stop it.ย
Itโs taken a toll on you. Youโre sure everyone in the office can see it. Sunoo creeps quietly into your office with a polite bow every time he delivers what you ask for, ceasing to make small conversation when he can see how little sleep youโve gotten. Riki and Jungwon are the same, waving to you from outside of your office because youโve spent a majority of your time there.ย
Jayโs noticed it as well. He remembers the moments when youโd hole yourself in your apartment due to exam stress and when things with your family affected you. Back then he would try everything in his power to get you to come out of the cave you created, whether it be staying in his car until you were ready to see him or dropping off meals for you.ย
Itโs not so different now, except this is occurring in the workplace. He sees the dark circles under your eyes and the way your shoulders slump when youโre working at your desk. Jay sees the way you shake your head to fight to stay awake and how unfocused youโve become during meetings.ย
Everyone in the office is losing their hope about winning this case. Hybe has drained all of the resources every attorney has put into fighting it. Heeseung feels the pressure from the clients, which in turn has everyone else worrying about if this was a case they were going to lose. The hope everybody exhibited from the beginning of the case until now has dimmed. Nobody knows what went wrong or why team morale has changed for the worse.ย ย
Itโs late on a Friday night when Jay catches you still in your office. Your coat is still hanging behind your chair and he can see the tissues around your garbage can. His heart lurches when he puts two and two together, and races all over the office until he finds you walking out of the bathroom.ย
You look at him with bloodshot eyes and tears at the brim. Jayโs tie feels tight against his collar and his suit jacket suddenly feels too warm on his body. Your nimble fingers tremble beside you as you catch your breath, halfway between embarrassed for being caught crying and fighting the urge to jump into Jayโs arms. He hates seeing you cry and he hates knowing that thereโs nothing he can do to make you feel better.ย ย
Jay makes the decision for you. He wastes no time and tugs you closer to his chest.
He doesnโt pay any mind to your tears soaking his dress shirt, opting to put one hand behind your head. He strokes your hair and wraps his other arm around you to hold you securely within him, using what little momentum he has to rock your bodies from side to side. It feels right to have you in his arms like this. Jay has fantasized about the day youโd let him touch you like this, so intimately woven together as if the two of you were always meant to be together.ย
Your face feels hot against his chest. Jay feels you rest your cheek on his shoulder and he fights the urge to press a kiss to your head. The office is eerily quiet, with everyone else having left hours earlier. Jay was stuck in a late night meeting before heading back to the office to pick up his belongings for the night. Heโs glad he came back.ย
โSorry,โ you croak, voice sore from holding your tears at bay. Jay lifts his hand to wipe the tears off of your cheek with this thumb.ย
โDonโt be,โ he tells you. โGod knows how many times Iโve cried in this bathroom.โย
You smile. โYouโve cried in the womenโs restroom?โย
Jay pinches your arm. โYou know what I mean.โย
The two of you stay like that for another minute and bask in the silence. Half of the lights have turned off due to lack of movement and it feels liminal to be holding one another without the judgment or prying eyes of others. Jay coaxes you to your office and gently holds your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours as he pulls you down on the couch. You donโt fight him, letting him pull your body down next to his until your feet are tucked underneath you with your head resting on his shoulder.ย
Jay doesnโt want to push his luck. Heโs sure you can feel his heart beating from where you sit. But your head is within reach and experimentally places his cheek on top of you. When you wonโt move away, he closes his eyes for a brief moment and thanks whoever is watching him for the opportunity to be this close to you again.ย
โLife is so hard,โ you say, grabbing his hand and toying with the rings on his fingers. โI feel like nothing Iโm doing is amounting to anything.โ
โThatโs not true,โ Jay says to you. He fights the urge to smile when he sees you pick a ring off of his finger and place it on your own hand. โYouโve done a lot of good, you know that? You wouldnโt be here today if you didnโt.โ
You return the ring back to Jayโs hand. โI know. This case is keeping me up at night. I get nightmares about Ahnโs stupid, smug grin after telling us we wasted our time trying to fight Hybe.โย
โYou and I both. Sometimes, our efforts feel futile when all we do is stare at paperwork and hold empty promises to our clients.โย
You nod in agreement. โI just want to be at a place where I donโt feel like Iโm fucking things up all the time. I spent so long trying to run away from everything but I got tired of doing that before I moved back to Korea. I want to rest.โย
The two of you remain silent for a few peaceful moments. It doesnโt feel awkward and neither of you feel pressed to say anything. The comfort that you feel with Jay is something heโs been praying for. Heโd reckon that the person he was when you first joined the office would almost doubt the fact that you're comfortable resting in his arms. To him, this is a sign that youโre starting to trust him again.
โWhy donโt you go home and get some sleep?โ He tries not to smile when you shake your head.ย
โCan you stay here with me?โย
Eventually, he convinces you to go home after a tiring day. Jay calls a taxi for you and waits with you until it arrives. The smile you give him makes him feel like thereโs nothing he canโt achieve, and it isnโt until you kiss his cheek that Jay feels as though he might melt into a puddle.ย
โGet home safe, okay?โ you ask of him.ย
โAnything for you.โย
He closes the door behind you and watches the taxi drive away until itโs out of sight. Jay pulls his phone out and begins to hover this thumb over a certain phone number he hasnโt called in a while, arguingย back and forth with himself until he hastily presses the โcallโ button and puts the phone to his ear.ย
One, two. Click.
โHello?โ comes the voice from the other line.ย
โHey,โ Jay says. He clears his throat. โIโm sorry to call you out of the blue. I know Iโm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but Iโm calling about Y/N.โ
โIs she okay?โย
โRelatively speaking.โ Jay takes a deep breath before continuing. โWeโre working on this case together. Iโm sure sheโs told you about it and I think itโs taking a toll on her. You know how she gets. She closes herself off because she doesn't want other people to worry about her or feel like a burden.โ
โSounds like classic Y/N if you ask me.โ
Jay laughs. โI found her crying in the office tonight and we talked a little. I just sent her home in a cab. I know I donโt have the right to ask anything of you, but this is Y/N. Can you give her a call and make sure sheโs alright?โย
The voice on the other end is silent for a brief moment. Jay holds his breath and he swears he can feel his lungs constrict within him. If anything, heโs prepared to have his heart broken in two and for everything he knows to fall apart around him.ย
It doesnโt.ย
โIโm in Seoul, actually. Donโt tell anyone, though. Iโll visit Y/N.โ
โThank you,โ Jay breathes.ย
โOf course. We both know she would have kept to herself until itโs too late.โย
โThat we do.โ Jay swallows harshly.ย โI also just wanted to sayโฆIโm sorry. For everything. I wasnโt the greatest friend, havenโt been the greatest friend, but I want to do everything I can to make things right. Iโve already apologized to Y/N but apologizing to you feels right.โ
He hears a small chuckle from the other side. โYouโre a good person, Jay, even if you make bad decisions every once in a while. The fact that youโre calling me after everything youโve done tells me how much youโve changed.โย
โIโฆthank you. I donโt know what Iโm looking for. But apologizing feels right.โย
โItโs a good start. Thanks for calling, man.โย
โTake care.โย
The line ends and Jay walks back into the office with a happy heart.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
A knock comes at your apartment door and your heart starts to spike. Itโs nine in the evening and youโre sitting on your couch in pajamas with an empty bag of chips on the coffee table. Your ears perk up at the sound and you clutch your phone in your hands until you see a notification come though.ย
Dearest Brother (Korean cell): Open up!
You lift the blanket off of you with record speed with Miso tailing behind you and open the front door without a second thought.ย
โNamjoon,โ you breathe.ย
โIn the flesh,โ he says with that same boyish smile he gives you when he sees you after coming home from overseas. โAre you gonna let me in or are you gonna let me freeze to death?โย
โWith that attitude, you can starve too,โ you say, angling your body away from the door for him to walk in. Namjoon takes his shoes off and slips his feet into the slippers you always keep for him. Miso nips at his ankles until he bends down to pick her up, cradling your beloved in his arms. โWhat the hell are you doing in Seoul?โย
โThe boys and I got back earlier this morning,โ Namjoon tells you. โPromotions are over and we get two weeks to rest before we start preparing for the next tour.โย
โGod, I canโt believe you guys are going on tour again,โ you say, patting the spot next to you on the couch for Namjoon to sit on. โIt feels like you guys just started working on the album.โย
โSeokjin said the same thing,โ says Namjoon, who puts his feet on the coffee table before you chide him with a playful slap to the bicep. โThe guys and I decided we werenโt gonna see each other until tour rehearsals. God knows weโve spent too much time together in the past few months.โย
โHow are they?โ you ask him. โIโve only seen updates on those fan accounts that update your every move, which is somewhat creepy but every wholesome at the same time.โย
Namjoon laughs. โThe guys are fine. Taehyung and Hobi spent most of the promotions shopping and came home with two duffel bags each. Yoongiโs probably gonna sleep for the next two weeks. Jungkook got ripped, and I mean ripped.โ
โI saw that, Jesus. He sent me a progress photo and all I could think about was how small he used to be before you guys debuted.โ
โJiminโs justโฆJimin. He says he misses you and that the two of you should get together before it gets busy.โ
โI would love that.โ You lean your head on his shoulder. โI missed you guys a lot. More than I care to admit, probably.โย
โSee, I told you all our sibling rivalry would disappear when we got older.โ
โYah. Whatever you say. Weโre still enemies at heart.โ Miso purrs against Namjoonโs lap. โI think she likes you more than me.โ
Namjoon smiles down at Miso. โJay called me earlier tonight. He says you havenโt been feeling very well.โ
โJay is a tattletale.โย
โDid he lie?โย
You sigh. โNo, he didnโt.โย
โWhatโs on your mind?โย
โSo many things that I donโt even know where to begin. Thereโs the Hybe case, which has made me want to blow my brains out.โย
Namjoon nods. โAh, the Hybe case. Itโs funny what a small label could do in ten years.โย
โSeems as though your underground rapper dreams came true. Now youโre touring the world and forgetting to bring me back expensive gifts from abroad.โ Namjoon chooses not to comment. โYou know attorney Ahn, right? Well, he sent us dozens upon dozens of legal files for us to sort through before our next hearing. Weโve gone through eighty percent of them but it feels like weโre going nowhere. It feels uselessโ
โYouโre doing more good than you know,โ he tells you. โI know it doesnโt feel like it, but youโre giving a lot of hope to a lot of young musicians.โย
You sigh. โI hope so. And then thereโs the whole thing with JayโฆI canโt remember what I last told you. I know I said that my feelings towards him have changed and that Iโve forgiven him, but spending as much time as I have has made me rethink a lot of things.โย
โLike what?โ
โLike whether or not itโs stupid of me to give him a second chance or if I should feel ashamed for liking him in the first place.โ Namjoon watches you frown. โAll those years and my feelings for him never went away.โย
โWell, we canโt control how we feel.โย
โHe hurt me, Joon.โย
โI know,โ says Namjoon, โbut that was years ago. In the months youโve worked with him, has Jay given you any reason to doubt his sincerity?โย
You think about it. โNo, he hasnโt.โย
โHas he apologized for what he did and is he being respectful of you?โ
โYes,โ you say without hesitating.ย
โThereโs your answer. You canโt let the past dictate people. Iโm sure there are parts of you that have outgrown your younger self.โย
โYou know, I can hear the voices of people I met back in New York telling me not to give Jay the time of day and that I should block his number when we finish working this case.โ
โYour New York friends knew the person that was angry at him, though. You stopped talking about Jay two years before you moved.โย
โI know. I donโt know whatโs stopping me from going for it.โย
โHave you ever considered that youโre afraid things will turn out the same way it did all those years ago?โ
You roll your eyes. โAll the time, Joon.โ
โOkay, fair point. Have you considered that youโre the one in control of how you react to things?โ You purse your lips and Namjoon takes it as a sign to keep talking. โYou can think of a million different ways this plays out. Maybe you guys break up after a week. Maybe you get old and live together until youโre ninety. But all of those scenarios are just what-ifs. Youโll never know until you make a decision and stick with it, otherwise your fears hold you back from reaching your true potential.โย
โBut what if it fails? Iโm scared of becoming the person I was back then.โย
โWell I, for one, know youโre much stronger than that. Working in corporate law makes you tougher, not weaker. But to speak on your concern, youโre the only person who can control how you react to things. If the timing isnโt right and you feel it coming, then you let go.โย
His words sit with you as the soft sounds of the television plays in the back of your mind. For a few months, youโd been worried that you jumped the gun and forgiven Jay in ways the you of the past would never understand. The deep seeded fears of being rejected and left behind creep into the forefront of your mind every so often, leaving you a paralyzed mess.ย
But Namjoonโs right. You can only control your reaction to what cards youโre dealt with. Any wrongdoing by the hands of others isnโt your fault nor are they your responsibilities.ย
โAs for the Hybe case,โ Namjoon says as he brings you out of your thoughts, โI think I have a solution.โ
โOh yeah?โย
He nods once. โThe guys and I have been talking about this for a while. Weโve known about other musicians suing Hybe longer than youโve known about this case and we didnโt know how we could help. On one hand, Hybe gave us everything we have now, you know? They gave us the opportunity to become musicians. I donโt know what got lost in translation, but it seems that fewer and fewer artists are able to experience what we did.โ
โWhere are you going with this?โย ย
โWeโre going to make a statement. With your approval, of course.โ Namjoon tells you. โI was going to call Heeseung on Monday to set up a meeting with you and surprise you at the office, but tonight seemed like a better time to drop by.โย
โWait.โ You use the remote to pause the TV. โYou guys are going to speak at the hearing?โย
โAll seven of us,โ he confirms. โItโs not fair that everyone else has to work twice as hard because of Hybeโs standards. Weโve been given this platform and itโs only fair that we use it to help other people.โย
โGod, I could cry right now.โ Namjoon chuckles at the tears that have formed at the corner of your eyes and picks up a tissue before handing it to you. โYou donโt know what this means to me, Joon.โย
โI always told you Iโd be here for you, didnโt I?โ
โYeah, but I thought that meant buying me gifts paying for my takeout,โ you joke, swatting his arm, โnot saving the biggest case of my career.โย
โIโm really proud of you, Y/N. Not a lot of people are as resilient as you.โ He smiles down at you. โOh, and you should also know about Jay.โ
โWhat about him?โย
โHe apologized to me too,โ Namjoon says. โI know what people sound like when they want something from me or say things because they know itโs what I want to hear. But Jay didnโt sound like that. He didnโt have to say anything since he was calling about you, but that in itself lets me know how sorry he is.โย
โI donโt know what to say.โย
โYou donโt have to know. Besides, itโs a Friday night and you have the entire weekend before you see him. Letโs watch cartoons like old times, yeah?โย
โYeah, but you better not sleep in the middle of the second episode.โย
Namjoon laughs. โYou wound me.โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
For the first time in a while, you donโt feel imminent doom as Monday approaches.ย
The sky is as sunny as you feel when you walk into the office. Sunoo and Jungwon seem rather pleased that youโre spending more time outside of your office and Heeseung makes several comments about how your mood has shifted from how it was last week.ย
โYouโre telling me Namjoon stopped by and you didnโt tell me?โ Heeseung chides. โI feel like chopped liver.โย
โThatโs because you are,โ you tease. โThe guys are resting for the next two weeks before tour preparations. Namjoon, Jimin, and I are going to get dinner one of these days if youโd like to join.โ
โIโm taking you up on this invite, thank you very much. Did you know Joon was gonna be back in town?โย
โI didnโt, actually.โ A knock comes from behind you and the man of the hour appears. โJay called him.โย
โAm I in trouble?โ Jay asks. You smile and shake your head.ย
โJust the opposite. Thanks for calling my brother. It meant a lot to me.โ
โYou looked like you needed him and Iโm glad youโre feeling better,โ he tells you sincerely.ย
โItโs great that youโre both here, actually.โ You close the door behind your office. โNamjoon and I talked about a lot of things, one of them being the case. He told me how he and the guys have felt helpless in the past few months to see their labelmates suffer through corporate greed. He told me that theyโre willing to testify and speak on our behalf against Hybe.โย
โWhat?โย
You nod. โI think theyโre starting to understand how unfair the new recording contracts are and want to make a difference. I know Judge Hanโs granddaughters are fans of Bangtan, so I think their presence could sway the decision.โ
โYou fight dirty,โ Heeseung says, bumping his hip with yours. โI love it. Are they ready to go up against Ahn?โย
You shake your head. โTheyโre gonna schedule a meeting with us sometime in the next week to prepare. Itโs going to be a tight fit with their tour preparations and our hearing, but if all goes according to plan, Ahn should be willing to move the hearing date earlier.โ
โThis is fucking incredible,โ Jay swears. โWe owe you one.โย
โYou owe me nothing,โ you tell him. โI love working with you two, honestly. Namjoon howeverโฆyou might owe him a few.โย
โIโll pay for dinner under the company card and say it was a client business,โ Heeseung says. โItโs a done deal. Iโm gonna let the others know, if thatโs okay?โย
Heeseung leaves when you give in the greenlight, leaving you and Jay standing alone in your office.ย
โI meant what I said earlier,โ Jay says. โI owe you one.โย
โSeriously, Jay. You owe me nothing. It comes with the job.โ He laughs and shakes his head.ย
โIโm bad at this.โย
Jay bites his lip and reaches his hand out for yours, holding a loose grip in case you want to pull back. When you donโt, he takes the opportunity to push his fingers through yours.ย
โIโd love to take you out on a date,โ he says. โAs a thank you. But more so because I really like you and want to take you out like you deserve.โย
You squeeze his hand. โIf I said I wanted to stay indoors because this week will likely kick my ass, what would you do?โ
Jay pretends to think. โIn that case, I think Iโll cook us dinner while you watch with a glass of wine. If I recall correctly, thatโs how most of our Friday nights looked like.โย
You bite your lip. โYou make a mean steak.โย
โWhatever you want is what you'll get. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that this was your way of asking me to cook for you.โย
You look at him in faux surprise. โWhatever do you mean, Park Jongseong?โ Jay chuckles and takes a step closer towards you.
โSilly girl. I'll cook for us once this case is over, yeah? How does that sound?โย
โSounds like youโre after my own heart.โย
Jay learns until you feel his lips land on your cheek.
โThat I am.โย
He leaves your office without another word and you fight the heat creeping up your neck as you bite your lip. When you turn around, youโre met with Jake and Jungwonโs prying eyes from the bullpen, and watch as they high-five each other whilst giving you an array of thumbs ups and silent applause.ย
You struggle to get back to work.
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
In an unsurprising turn of events, Ahn folds when Namjoon takes the stands. When all is said and done, you find yourself at an all too familiar position with Jay in the kitchen and you sitting behind the counter with a glass of wine in your hands.ย
Heโs grown up, for one. Jayโs back muscles are more defined in his t-shirt as opposed to the dress shirts he wears everyday, giving you something else to look at as he cooks dinner for the both of you. The week wasnโt as bad as you anticipated it to be, but youโre sitting in his penthouse and patting yourself on the back for making the suggestion to stay indoors.ย
Itโs oddly comforting to feel as relaxed as you are in his space, sans wine. The buzz hit you after he gave you a tour of his place and the Jay of the present is definitely not the Jay you used to know. His tastes are elevated and his collection of instruments has nearly tripled. The artwork adorning his walls speaks for his maturity, as does the furniture in his living room. It reminds you just how much the two of you have grown up since law school and how eager you are to explore sides of him you have yet to discover.ย
The steak is almost done cooking and Jay has spoon-fed you mashed potatoes until theyโre to your liking, and you laugh when he celebrates your approval. The seasoned asparagus sits underneath warming lights while the rest of the meal is done cooking, and it wouldnโt feel right to have dinner with Jay without commenting about how much of a professional he looks from where youโre sitting.ย
You know itโs the wine in your system intensifying your emotions, but you canโt help but stare at Jayโs muscles as he moves throughout the kitchen. He works effortlessly and seamlessly, never neglecting any part of the meal heโs prepared for you. The level of care and precision heโs exemplifying through his cooking, while simultaneously entertaining you, has rendered you a blushing, giggling mess. Youโre sure Jay can tell that youโre already buzzed after two glasses, but he promised to drive you home so you donโt have anything to worry about.ย
Jay looks criminally good in dark clothes. His laid back attire makes him look more attractive to you compared to the suit and tie he wears everyday. Something about seeing Jay like he used to be all those years ago stirs something within you. It makes you cross your legs in your seat and perch forward with your elbows on the counter below you as he puts the finishing touches to the meal.ย
You requested nothing fancy for tonight upon knowing Jay would drop everything for you to secure a date at the most expensive restaurant and pay the bill to back it up. That could be saved for another today. Tonight is less about wanting Jay to prove himself than wanting to feel comfortable around him, as this would be your first time hanging out with him in his space since law school.ย
When heโs finished cooking, Jay pulls the smaller dining table towards the tall window overlooking the city below and seats you in your chair opposite his. He tops you off with another glass of wine when you nod, pouring himself a glass as well.ย
Conversation flows like the two of you are out on a first date. You are, in a sense, but youโre also two long lost best friends who happen to have deep feelings for each other, finding yourselves once again. Perhaps itโs the alcohol thatโs settled in your system with the headstart you had compared to Jay, or maybe itโs the soft look of adoration in Jayโs eyes when you laugh at his jokes, but tonight you feel as though youโre the only woman in his life who matters to him.ย
โI really missed you,โ you tell him. Jay looks back at you from the kitchen as he clears the finished dinner plates. Too full to entertain dessert, he leaves it in the fridge until youโre ready to eat again. โI missed this too, you know? Coming over and doing nothing but talking to you, I mean.โย
โIโm here if youโll have me,โ Jay says. Youโve followed him to the kitchen, albeit wobbling because of the wine. Jay reaches out and steadies you with his arms until youโre pushing yourself to hug his body with your arms around his middle.ย
โYouโre so warm.โ You turn your head to peck at his chest before letting your cheek rest against him. Jay closes his eyes and wraps his arms around your body too, his own lips finding the crown of your head.ย
โYouโre even warmer, but Iโll bet itโs because you had half a bottle of wine.โย
You playfully smack his arm. โHey. You said youโd drive me home so I took that as a sign to get tipsy.โย
Jay laughs. โI thought you might say something like that. Good thing I have a higher tolerance, isnโt it?โย
You nod against him. โItโs the best.โย
โDo you want to go home now?โ Jay asks carefully when the two of you have stood in silence for a good minute or two. When you shake your head, he bites back a smile. โDo you want to watch a movie? You can pick something off of Netflix and we can watch it until youโre ready to go home.โ
โSounds like a perfect idea,โ you say, sighing out of content.ย
Jay lets you change into one of his oversized shirts that covers you just enough and you walk out of the bathroom looking like sin. It takes everything in him not to comment because he doesnโt want to scare you away. Jay comes to the realization that you likely arenโt wearing shirts underneath because of how the fabric rode up your thigh as you sat on the couch beside him. He desperately tries not to pay any mind to it for the sake of your comfortability.ย
Truthfully, Jay wants to wrap you up in his arms and put the blanket he got from his closet over the both of you. But heโs letting you take the lead when it comes to physical contact, unsure of just how comfortable you are with him yet. Heโs only just gotten you back in his life. He doesnโt want to scare you away any time soon.ย
The movie you picked is somewhat interesting, although Jay canโt say heโs too keen on paying attention. In the first ten minutes, youโve shifted to rest your head on his shoulder and his arm is now resting behind you to accommodate your body. He feels you dip yourself lower as the movie progresses until youโre fully leaning on his chest, and Jay has a sneaking suspicion youโve been slowly edging your way into this spot to not make him feel uncomfortable either.ย
He puts his free hand on your hip and squeezes your body to let you know heโs right with you. Jay watches you smile and try to hide it. He thinks it makes you look even more attractive than you already are.ย
Jay doesnโt know what happens next. Another thirty minutes pass by with easy conversation between the two of you. One thing leads to another and he feels you shifting in front of him, and his mind thinks youโre getting up to tell him you want to leave.ย
But you donโt. You shift to face him and push your body up until your face is right in front of his.ย
He can feel your breath on his lips. The scent of wine is long gone but your eyes look like theyโre searching for something. Jay sees the way your throat constricts and he tries not to look down past where it isnโt appropriate.ย
โIs it bad that I want to kiss you?โ you ask him just above a whisper.ย
Jay doesnโt say anything. He doesn't need to. Instead, he leans forward to push his lips against yours.ย
His lips touch your plush ones as his hands encircle your waist to hold you steady, like heโs afraid youโll topple over on the couch. Your own hands immediately touch his chest and scrape the fabric like an experimental touch. Your lips feel so soft against his and the sounds of your lips smacking against one another become more audible than the soft volume of the television in the background.ย
Jay pulls back to see you suppress a grin, but he pinches your side to get you to smile for him.ย
โYouโre a really good kisser,โ you say. โHad any practice?โย
โJust my pillow and a few posters,โ he jokes. โI needed to practice so I could kiss you like you deserve.โย
He watches you blush. โDonโt say that. I feel like Iโm sixteen again.โย
Jay pecks your lips and lingers for a few seconds. โGood. You make me feel like a teenager too.โย
โOh yeah?โ you ask, shifting yourself until youโre perched on his lap. Jay watches from beneath you as you steady your body by placing both hands on his shoulders and swinging your leg across his lap.ย
โYeah,โ he whispers just before you lean down to kiss him again.ย
Jay feels your hands wrap around his neck to hold him in front of you like youโre afraid heโs going to push you away again. To quell your fears, his own hands take hold of your wrists before he holds your fingers in his own and gives you a gentle squeeze. You seem to loosen up as you smile into the kiss, prompting Jay to do the same.ย
Holding you feels familiar. It feels like coming home after a long, tiring day at the office to the person he loves the most. Having you in his arms after all this time has Jay rethinking his future and where you fit in it. If heโs being honest with himself, heโs ready to risk all that he has if that means seeing you as happy as you are in this very moment.ย
You whine when Jayโs lips detach from yours but he smirks into your skin when he hears a soft moan coming from your own upon placing his just below your ear. He thinks how his younger self wouldโve killed to hear the sounds youโre making right now and how lucky he is that this opportunity is being granted towards him. You sound like youโre enjoying yourself and thatโs all Jay could ever ask of you.ย
Your hand creeps below his shirt until your nails are raking his abdomen and you moan when you feel the ridges on his body. He sighs against your neck and youโre left speechless at how his physique has changed since the last time you saw Jay shirtless. The ache in your belly leaves you wanting more and you arch your body until it feels as though youโre completely giving into him before pressing your palms against his body.ย
You two kiss with fervor as the minutes go by. Suddenly, Jay feels your body beginning to rock yourself on his lap as your lips find his own. He feels you tug on his shirt until you push it up his neck, breaking contact with him so that he can pull his shirt off completely.ย
Your lips feel like heaven against his own skin as you begin to explore every inch of him. He feels you peppering kisses along his jawline and closes his eyes to bask in the feeling of your body so close to his. Jay lets his hands roam around your waist and when you donโt move to push his hands off as his fingers dip beneath the shirt youโre wearing, he smiles to himself and lets his fingertips push the fabric upwards just slightly. The feeling of his hands on your body has you rocking forward until your chest is in front of Jayโs face. You gasp when you realize how hard heโs become underneath you.
โIโm sorry,โ Jay begins to apologize. โYouโre very attractive.โย
You look down and tilt your head, experimentally pressing your lower half on his crotch. Jay emits a low moan, making your mouth quirk in excitement.ย
โYouโre very attractive,โ you tell him, slowly rocking your body backwards and forwards.
You move to push Jayโs hands closer to your body and he gets the hint. He uses the momentum to push and pull you into him at the pace you set, watching as your mouth opens in euphoria. Jay finds it incredibly attractive the way your eyebrows pinch in arousal every time the tip of his clothed cock bumps your covered core, and if what youโre wearing is anything to go by, he was correct in assuming you werenโt wearing shorts underneath his shirt.ย
Your pace quickens with every pass of his cock beneath you. He gets harder and harder, and you get wetter and wetter. Your own slick is rubbing against you from the fabric of your panties and it becomes almost too much to bear. Jayโs hands have found their way to your back as your own body pushes against his. He feels your tits pressing against his chest and the desperation in your hips as you gain momentum while he begins to take control from beneath you.ย
Jay bucks into you until you let out a particularly loud gasp. His strength surprises you, as does the force with which he thrusts into you. His clothed cock hits you at the most delicious angle while youโre fighting to stand upright against his lap, fighting to grip the couch and his body at the same time. Jay doesnโt let you breathe, however, until youโre pushing him away so that you can access his lips once again.
The kiss is wet and messy. Itโs hot in the room and youโre pushing Jayโs hands until they cup your breasts. He pinches your nipples and watches in pleasure as you throw your head back.ย
โMy baby likes that, doesn't she?โ He pinches them again when you nod and it sends a shock straight down your spine and where you need him the most.ย
Jay lifts the shirt just enough to uncover your chest and brings your right bud into his mouth. He licks it with his tongue in an effort to tease you until youโre squirming in his lap. He does the same with the other nipple until youโre pushing yourself against his cock that he grunts and nips at the bud before sucking it with his mouth.ย
The pleasure is almost too good to form words. Your mouth stays at a permanent โOโ with every swipe of Jayโs tongue and he pushes your shirt until you take it off for him. He places his hands on your breasts and squeezes them in his palms as if getting to know your body better, almost like he wants to commit you to his memory.ย
But youโre impatient. After the long years of daydreaming about Jay, you want nothing more than to have him inside of you.
โPlease let me have it,โ you whisper against his lips, pushing your body down onto his. โI need it so bad, Jay.โย
โWe canโt,โ he chokes. He doesnโt want to push his luck. โI-I need to drive you home.โย
Not even he believes this pathetic excuse.ย ย
โI donโt care. Drive me home tomorrow.โย
Jay doesnโt know what to do with his hands. He flexes his fingers to distract himself before giving in, placing his grip on your waist and pushing you down onto him. He hears you gasp at the sudden movement and chides himself for being so turned on by you when mere moments ago he was thinking logically.ย
โJust the tip,โ you mutter against his mouth to convince him. โPlease.โย
โJust the tip,โ Jay agrees, pushing his trousers just enough to free his cock. To the best of your ability, you take your panties off without moving from his lap and throw it behind him. He finally feels your pussy glide over him and throws his head back, feeling pure euphoria.ย
Jayโs cock is thick and long, and you feel it throbbing between your legs. The friction is too delicious to ignore, as is the wet sounds consisting of your arousal covering him. He lifts his head up to watch you bite your lip and look at him with desperation in your eyes. Itโs the kind of expression heโs wanted to see from you for so long. Jay can only hope you know that this is how he looks at you.ย
Itโs quiet in the room, save for wanton breaths and the sound of your own arousal mixing with his precum. Itโs so erotic to see you as desperate for him as he is for you because heโs yearned for this moment for so long. Jay bites his lip with every pass as you hover above his tip and he tries his hardest not to buck his hips, instead allowing you to move at your own pace.ย
When you catch the tip of his cock inside of your pussy, the two of you let out an audible gasp at the sudden intrusion. His thick head breaches your fluttering hole as he grabs your waist to prevent you from moving when his tip is fully sheathed inside of you.ย
โHoly fuck,โ you moan, balancing yourself on his hot tip. โFeels so fucking good.โ
โYeah?โ Jay asks. โIt does, doesnโt it?โ You nod rapidly and Jay kisses the side of your mouth before moving to your neck.ย
You keep yourself steady by gripping his shoulders that are hot to the touch. He flexes when your nails dig into him, causing you to moan at the sight. Jay feels the movement of your throat as he kisses your neck and grunts when he feels your pussy clench around him.ย
The two of you stay like that for a few minutes until your legs give out and youโre holding onto Jayโs neck as a silent plea for him to take over. He gets the hint, wrapping his arms around your body until youโve fallen limp against his chest. Jay uses his leverage to slowly pull himself out of you before pushing the head of his cock back in.ย
The moan you emit against his ear makes him feel like the two of you are starring in your very own sextape. It causes Jay to jerk his hips unexpectedly and push another inch of himself into your pussy by accident. Heโs about to apologize until he feels your pussy clenching around him at the sudden intrusion.ย
โYouโre so big,โ you whisper to him. โS-So big. So good.โ
โYou feel fucking amazing,โ Jay praises. โSuch a wet pussy and Iโve barely done anything to you.โย
You whimper at his words while closing your eyes shut and move your head until your cheek rests comfortably on his shoulder. The angle allows you to press kisses to Jayโs jawline and you do so until you feel him begging to thrust into you once again.ย
The tempo he sets is slow and delicious. He feels every drag as your mixed arousal coats the rest of his cock and Jay feels as though heโs found pure euphoria on earth, the kind that men search for but never seem to find. The shallow thrusts cause his mouth to hang open and his fingers itching to touch your clit, but he doesnโt want to move unless you tell him to.ย
It isnโt until youโre pushing yourself down onto his length that he speaks again.
โBaby,โ he warns. โI thoughtโโ
โChanged my mind,โ you tell him desperately. โUnless you donโt want to.โ
Jay nods. โI want to. Fuck, I want to.โย
You kiss him hard before pushing down on him. โI just want you.โย
Jayโs body falls limp when he feels your body glide up and down his cock like youโve trained your entire life for this very moment. He sees the sweat building between your brows and licks his lips at the way your tits bounce against your chest. Itโs sensual the way you look on top of him. Jay brings one of your nipples in his mouth and makes a home there as your hips begin to work his own.ย ย
His body feels like it was made for you to use. The desperation at which his own hips chase yours should make him feel embarrassed, but he feels like a lovesick fool. In this moment, everything heโs ever wanted to say to you lies in the power of his thrusts and the way his lips move with yours. It makes him feel like thereโs nothing in this world that could take you away from him.ย
He pushes himself up until youโre clinging onto his body for dear life. The sounds you make push him even harder against your body, drilling his hard cock within you until youโre moaning like somebodyโs filming you. Itโs all too much for Jay to handle, and heโs glad he feels you come undone before him.
โIโm cumming, Iโm cumming!โ you moan out, clenching against his cock as it works your body until completion.ย
Jay pulls out and finishes on your ass just after youโve come down from your own high. You jolt when you feel his come on your skin but move to kiss him as the two of you come down from your respective highs and he feels your heartbeat against his chest, smiling into the kiss.ย
โYouโre amazing,โ he tells you between kisses. He tries to speak but you silence him with more pecks. โLet me clean you up, yeah?โย
Your heart feels warm. You nod and let him pry your body off of his, carefully laying on your stomach so that the couch doesnโt see the mess Jay created. He comes back a moment later with a warm washcloth and his trousers zipped up before wiping you clean. The rag is tossed onto the floor as he pulls your body towards him, wrapping your legs around his torso, and pulling your lips to his once more.ย
โStay the night?โ he asks you.ย
โThat was my plan, but Iโm glad you brought it up before I did.โย
Jay pinches your thigh and hears you laugh. He could die like this.ย
โSince itโs a weekend, I think you and I have a lot of catching up to do.โ Jay kisses down your neck and between the valley of your breasts, gliding his lips along your stomach until theyโve reached just below your belly button.ย
โOh? And what is it youโre promising, Park Jongseong?โย
Jay smirks up at you from where heโs positioned.ย
โI have an idea in mind,โ he says coyly, moving his mouth to press a chast kiss on your slit. โIt has a lot to do with my mouth and my fingers.โ Your body arches when Jayโs tongue licks a bold stripe up your slit.ย
โI like the sound of that. Would you let me return the favor?โย
โOnly if you cum on my tongue twice.โย
You push his face into your core.
โBetter get a head start.โ
*โง๏ฝฅ๏พโโโโโโโโโโโ *โง๏ฝฅ๏พ
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๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ฉ (๐)
โฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ : ๐๐๐ซ๐ค ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฑ ๐
๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ
โฌ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ซ๐: ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ!๐๐, ๐๐๐!๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ!๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ซ
โฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ: ๐.๐๐ค (๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ)
โฌ ๐๐ฐ: ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐, ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ "๐๐๐๐๐ฒ", ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฆ!๐ฃ๐๐ฒ, ๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ!๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ซ, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐
โฌ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ: ๐๐ฐ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐, ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ'๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐.
It takes Jay a whole hour to get up and tug you into bed.
No matter how badly he wants to hold you in his arms a little longer, because this will be the first and last time, he knows you need your rest. Your body, your mind and your heart are too exhausted to handle any more of his stupid bullshit, the least he could do is to actually let you get some proper sleep and not be selfish for once.
Just like last time, Jay takes off your shoes and gives you one last kiss on the head and after contemplating for quite a while, he allows himself the luxury of staying in your room instead of leaving. He allows himself to grief the possible moments and memories he could have made with you just a little longer. Just a few more minutes of you belonging to him.
As his eyes roam your pretty features, Jongseong feels this certain type of relief filling his aching chest because he might have hurt you by telling you the truth right after confessing, but at the end of the day he's just glad he pulled through and stayed true to himself.
All his life he had to watch his failure of a father build everything he owns, everything he is on nothing but a bunch of lies and once he's realised just how bad it is, Jay has always promised himself to be nothing but truthful no matter what it is about.
As harsh as this may sound, he'd rather break your heart and lose you by telling you the truth than lie and keep you by his side. You deserve nothing but the best โ his best and Jong's determined to be just that, even if you rightfully decided to cut him out of your life.
The longer he looks at you, the more he realises how there's never, ever been anyone like you to him before. He's definitely had girlfriends he genuinely liked and appreciated, yet none of them made him feel the way you do.
Every time he thinks about you, he tries to understand why he feels the way he does, only to realise that maybe it's because you're his person. As simple as that.
He still remembers all the conversations with his mother about how everyone in this world has their very own person and up until now, Jay never thought he'd find his own in this lifetime, yet here you are.
Maybe he's not yours and that's okay. He'll still wait for you for the rest of his life because maybe one day you'll forgive him and change your mind.
And until the day he has to accept his defeat, he'll cling onto the few bits of hope left in his heart.
After almost twenty hours of being awake, the exhaustion and tiredness finally gets the best of him as well, yet his will to stay with you just a little bit longer is stronger than that.
And as his lids slowly start feeling heavier, he feels himself slipping into a rather light sleep, only for your little noises of desperation and fear to pull him right out of it again.
At first Jay doesn't underatand what's happening. With worried eyes he starts scanning your face, your pretty features contorted in pain and fear as tears stream down your temples and the only thing to fall past your lips being incoherent cries for help. It takes him a whole minute to realise you're dreaming; his brain barely registering the fact that your eyes are still firmly pressed shut and before he can overthink it for another second, Jong reaches for your face and gently starts chanting your name.
As your words finally start becoming more understandable, his heart breaks into tousands of pieces when the realisation hits him.
You're currently stuck in a nightmare of your childhood abuse, the cries for your mother's help and pleads for your brothers to just please stop and how much it hurts echoing in the empty space of your bedroom.
Jong feels his whole body freeze with pain at the realisation. He knew things weren't good, yet he could have never phantom just how bad they were. The way you're squirming and flinching away as your sobs and cries grow heavier break his heart and hurt his soul in ways he's never experienced it before. You seem so helpless, so desperate, so hurt and in pain. Jongseong can't help but wonder how you manage to hide all this agony from the world with those sweet smiles and gentle eyes, treating everyone around you with the kindest heart when you've had to go through so much to the point it's hunting you in your dresms up until now.
But before he can actually lose himself in his anger, Jong now takes your face into both of his hands and picks up the volume of his voice, basically trying to speak over you in an attempt to make you hear him.
To his luck, it doesn't take more then two calls of your name for you to finally open your eyes and look at him with nothing but fear in your usually so calm gaze.
And as your brain slowly manages to distinguish the horrors of your nightmare from actual reality, you feel the gentleness of protection and safety take over your nerves as soon as you recognize the face in front of you.
"J-Jay?"
Within just a second, all those traumatic memories and mental images disappear from your brain, leaving you with an aching gap knnyour chest yet a sweet feeling of relief overwhelming you right after once you make your way back to reality.
"What is โ What happened? Where am I? What are you doing here?"
You seem genuinely confused, your eyes roaming his face first before they start scanning and inspecting the room. Jay knows you won't recognize where you are and in fear of the lack of familiarity making your emotional state worse, he quickly tried to regain your attention.
"We're in my apartment in Busan. This isn't your home. You fell asleep in my arms so I put you to bed and stayed here to make sure you're okay.You had a nightmare but everything is okay now, you're safe."
Jay maintains the eye contact and makes sure you hear every single one of his words loud and clearly. He tries his very best to stay calm snd collected knowing you need him like that now, yet the more tears starts streaming down your cheeks, the more his heart hurts.
He fucked up and the thought of having to leave you alone and deal with all of this on your own feels suffocating. All he wants is for his pretty girl to feel good and be safe.
Jay waits for your response, only for jolts of panic to rush through his body as he notices how you're zoning out with your eyes firmly set on his chest.
"Hey", this time he's not as hesitant with the volume of his voice, "eyes on me, Baby. Come on, come back to me, please."
He can only imagine how desperate he sounds but he simply has no choice and it's not like he actually cares.
With a breath he's been holding on for the past who knows how long, Jay gets on the bed to be on eye level with you, he lets out a loud sigh of relief when you finally meet his gaze.
"There you go, good girl", he whispers, not sure if you're actually comfortable with his choice of words, "hi, there."
The gentleness in Jay's usually so stern voice as well as the slightly fearful smile on his lips makes your heart hammer even faster against your rib cage. Sitting in front of him, so close to his strong body with his big hands holding your face so carefully feels nothing but surreal. You've been daydreaming and fantasizing about being taken care of by him like this for weeks, yet it doesn't take long for your brain to bring back the reason for the aching in your chest in the first place.
Of course Jongseong is too attentive, too careful to miss the subtle yet sudden change in your facial expressions, quickly making him pull his hands away from you right before he puts a bit of physical distance between you both no matter how much it hurts his heart.
"I'm sorry", he whispers and looks away, too ashamed to look at you, "I'll leave now. If you want to fly back to Seoul I'll tell my pilot to get the jet ready and please, just keep everything you've received from the company. I'll make sure to write you a commendation and send you a list of partners who trust my words and will basically fight for you."
It definitely takes you a good minute to reallse what he's actually saying and with your brows furrowed in confusion, you allow yourself to analyse his body language.
And as soon as you try to look into his eyes, only for Jay to avoid it shamefully, you realise that he seems scared.
"What are you saying, Jongseong?", your voice is raspy and hoarse, having yet to recover from your nightmare.
"I'm holding myself accountable for my behavior and assumed you wanted to leave and never hear anything from me or TPC ever again", he replies nervously, his hand finding its through his dark hair as he still avoids looking at you, "or were my assumptions about your departure from the company wrong?"
"Yes."
Different than he could have ever expected, you don't seem hesitant or unsure. To his genuine surprise, you're actually quite quick with and confident in your response and yet for some reason, his brain doesn't allow himself to actually feel relief yet.
Maybe you'll stay at the company but not by his side. There are many other chiefs you could work for after all, starting with his best friends all the way down that long list.
"Do you want me to hold a meeting with the other chiefs to see who'd like to hire you?"
You don't know why but there's this little voice in the back of your head which simply refuses to be mad at him. You do feel betrayed and hurt, yet not an ounce of anger or madness have filled your chest the way one would have expected it to happen.
"Jongseong, no", you sigh and run both of your hands over your face before looking back up at him.
"What you did isn't fucking okay", it takes you a lot more courage to form the actual sentences in your brain, yet the urge to finally speak your mind and have some of it leave your head is stronger than your fear of rejection, "and it's going to take me some time to get over this but I โ I want to stay."
As his brain processes your word, Jongseong tries his very best to maintain his composure but he physically can't stop his lips from stretching into a soft smile of relief.
"Thank you, Y/N", Jay whispers softly, "I promise something like this won't ever happen again."
"Yeah, I hope so", you mumble and start fumbling with your rings, "because if it does you won't ever see me again. No matter who you send after me, I'll get rid of them all and become your biggest nightmare."
Your threat is rather lighthearted but still serious enough for Jay to hold his breath until he feels the warmth of your touch on his cheek. Without an ounce of hesitation, he moves further into it, his heart calming down at the sweet relief of this burden finally being lifted from his shoulders.
"What else have you โ uhm โ found out?", you ask shyly yet still caressing his cheek with your thumb and you can already hesr the scoldings of your friends for your decisions and behavior but unfortunately you can't get yourself to care enough.
There's nobody who's ever gone out of his way to do what he's done and some people won't understand your reaction and that's okay. To you it just makes sense. Jongseong might not have said it verbally but you're aware just how well he knows you, which explains โ not excuses โ his decisions. You would have never told him about the decade long abuse, too ashamed snd embarrassed of how much it's effected you.
You know it's never been your fault but telling someone about you literally become your brothers' favorite punchbag over the years just never felt appropriate.
And the fact he did it to take your revenge warms the weirdest parts in your heart, something you can't really explain. You don't know what it feels to be cared about like this by a man and to some it may be accepting toxicity and a so called "red flag" but to you its a human mistake and you actually trust Jong enough for this to be a one time thing.
You'd also be the biggest liar and hypocrite if you denied how badly you wanted them to suffer just a little bit. Too much pent up frustration, anger and hatred hiding in the depths of your usually so soft and kind heart. Yes, hurting them won't heal your scars or your inner child, but it'll finally give you the power and control back they took from you all those years ago.
Jongseong attentively watches the way you seem to contemplate your following words, but never once halting the movement of your thumb. The urge to lay his head on your lap and have you play with his hair becomes more and more unbearable.
"I don't talk to any of them anymore besides the youngest", you sigh and lean your back against the bed frame, "and he usually just slutshames and then demands money from me so I have no idea what they've been up to these past three years."
"You won't like what they've been up to", Jongseong replies calmly and starts scratching his neck as the next wave of nervousness hits his system, "because it not only includes them but your father as well."
At the mention of the man who oh so happens to be the main reason for all those years of horror and terror, you can't help but let the anger take over you.
With your brows furrowed in irritation you're quick to let Jongseong know exactly what you think.
"That fucking loser is not my father", you spit and don't even realise how loud you've gotten as the rushing of blood in your ears easily overshadows everything else.
"I'm sorry, Baโ Y/N", Jongseong says softly, tryibg his best to find a few of his answers in your reaction only to let it go and wait for the right moment, "do you want to know about it anyway?"
You have yet to calm down from your anger ridden high, so all you can do is nod in response to his question.
"They're all still unemployed, deep in their debts and one of them seems to be on the police radar for dealing with drugs", Jay begins and never once looks away from you, "I sent three of my men to watch over them because I'm afraid one of them is going to try and come here to find you. Even if not, I'd just rather have them babysat to make sure you're safe."
Jay's just as careful about this one as he is with the other information because he simply has no idea what you're currently thinking.
He just doesn't want you to change your mind but also keep things as real as possible. There's no point in lying to you when he's told you most of the truth already.
"W-What?"
For some weird reason, you feel your heart healing at his words. Your brain is trying to process the actual information, meanwhile your chest's started filling with warmth and comfort only Jongseong has ever been able to provide you with.
Ever since you've decided to move to the big capital city, you've subconsciously worried and feared your brothers would somehow make the effort to come here and look for you; something you couldn't have prevented no matter how hard you'd try. Knowing this was the very first thing Jay had decided to so feels relieving, to say the least. For the first tkme in your life you feel a genuine wave of relief hit you.
Sleeping in your own home, walking around in the streets, gping to work and just living your life finally won't consists of constantly having to look over your shoulder or scan the room to make sure they're not around you.
"That'sโ", "I'll have my men back in Seoul within a few hours if you don't agree with this. Please, Y/N, I just โ I really just want to protect you. Tell me what to do and I'll turn the world upside down for you."
Now, neither one of you expected a confession like that and despite the way jolts of arousal start rushing through your body and stright in between your legs, you can't help but chuckle softly in response to his words.
"How the tables have turned", you say cheekily and feel the last bits of tension leaving your system as you reach for his hand and start playing with his pretty fingers, "I appreciate this, Jongie. It might not be the most ethical thing to do but I don't trust them, so keep your men where they are."
"Your wish is my command, angel girl", Jongseong smiles but quickly bites his tongue when he realises yet another pet name has slipped past his lips.
"Don't", as if you managed to read his mind, you stop him before he can even take his next breath, "I like it."
Without saying amything, Jay simply nods and clears his throat, your slight change in demeanor driving him absolutely crazy because it's taking every bit of willpower in his chest to stop himself from getting on his knees and begging you to use him for your own pleasure for as long as you see fit.
"What about that loser? What's he been up to?"
To this, Jong just sighs and takes a row of deep breaths. He's been thinking about ways to tell you about this for the past few days yet none of them seem good enough to ease you into it. Maybe there's just no way to talk about a person like him without possible damage.
"He somehow found money and booked a flight to Seoul", he begins and never once aberts his gaze from your face, "one of my best has been following him and making sure there's absolutely no way he could find or run into you. We haven't physically intervened yet but he's persistent. He's in deep debts with a few random guys who are looking for him so he probably thought fleeing here and finding you is going to solve his problem."
"That fucking bastard", you hiss and start rubbing your temples, a nasty headache announcing itself slowly and all you want to do is take a long shower snd then sleep for at least two days.
These past few hours feel like months and if it wasn't for all the emptions mixing in your body in this particular moment, you would have been convinced that everything's just a big dream.
"Let him find me, I'm finally tall enough to fight back", you press through gritted teeth and swallow your tears of anger and frustration, "and tell your man not to hesitate or go easy on him if he ever puts his hand on him. That man is just...he's not a good person, Jongie."
You don't even notice the thick veil of tears blurring your vision until they leave burning trails on your cheeks and with a soft sob you bury your face in your hands as the all those painful memories find their way back into your head.
Jongseong's quick to pull you into his arms, loving the way you don't even hesitate to press your face into his ches and yourself further into his embrace. The fact he seems to give you some sort of comfort leaves him speechless.
Nothing could have prepared him for this night. The confessions, your reactions, your raw emotions, the constang skinship, everything about tonight feels surreal to the business man and yet he knows holding you in his arms like this could never, ever be a dream.
"I know, Baby", he whispers softly, guiding you onto his lap right before he leans back against the headboard with a soft sigh, "I'll make them regret everything they've ever done to you. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, I'm going to make them pay for every ounce of pain they've caused you."
Jay subconsciously toghtens his grip on your soft waist, pulling you even tighter against his chest and as he provides you with the sweetest feeling of comfort and safety you've ever felt, your brain suddenly shifts things into the complete opposite direction.
"Jongie?" Your voice is a mere whisper when you lift your head to meet his gaze, his eyes oozing of exhaustion and tiredness and yet you've never seen someone as beautiful as him.
"Yes, angel girl?", he quickly responds, to eager to hear your every wish, "tell me whatever you desire, let me lay the world to your feet the way you deserve."
With your bottom lip firmly pulled between your teeth, you place your hands flat against his strong chest? caressing his skin through the rather thin fabric of his dress shirt right before letting one of them find its way underneath it.
A soft, yet inaudible grunt rumbles through Jay's chest at the feeling of your warmth against his skin, something he's been daydreaming about for way too long.
"Y/N", it's more of a whimper yet at this point Jongseong can't get himself to actually give a fuck.
"Please", he begs softly, "I don't want to hurt or take advantage of you, of your pain", Jay can't even get himself to look at you as the plea leaves his lips, the feeling of your warm cunt seeping through the fabric of your panties and for the nth time in the past few months he finds himself cursing your love for shirts as tiny as the one you're currently wearing.
"I want you to make me forget, Jongie", you reply softly, your as you feel yourself slipping into a headspace you haven't experienced before and if it wasn't for Jay's hot breath fanning against the sensitive skin of your neck, you would have mistaken this for just another one of your dirty dreams.
But this is real.
This is actually happening.
You're sitting in your boss's lap, his hard cock firmly pressed against your clothed pussy, his face buried in the crook of your neck and his lips placing the softest open mouthed kisses on the heated skin.
"What if you regret this?" Jongseong doesn't hold back his worries and doubts because his brain simply won't let him.
So much happened in the past three hours and the fesr of actually losing you if he gives in to these urges is overwhelming him.
"Never", you whimper and slowly start grinding against the bulge in his slacks, his zipper hitting your sensitive clit with each movement and by the time your fingers find home in his thick hair, you can barely hold back your whimpers.
"Are you suโ", but you don't let him finish another row of worried words as you pull his head back by his hair and almost instinctively press your lips against his.
It takes Jongseong way too long what the fuck is actually happening but as soon as he gets the tiniest of taste, every single rule he had set for himself all those weeks ago is thrown out the window and the only thing to consume his senses is you.
With a soft grunt he gently takes your dace into both of his hands to deepen the kiss, pulling your jaw down just the tiniest bit to push his tongue into your mouth and finally lose himself in what he's been dreaming for way too long.
The kiss is messy, sloppy even. It's uncoordinated and rushed, there's nothing soft or gentle about it. Every single raw emotion and the deepest hunger are being conveyed in the way your lips move against his, leaving the both of you completely breathless within seconds.
You physically can't get yourself to pull away despite slowly feeling lightheaded, too needy, too hungry for more. Too afraid that maybe you'll wake up the next moment for it to turn into ntohing but an illusion.
But as Jay grunts and moans into your mouth, you feel alive. Every single time he pulls your bottom lip between his teeth, you can't help but whimper loudly, the wet spot in the center of your panties growing with each kiss.
"Now", Jong suddenly grunts, "I need you now, Baby."
All you can do is nod desperately in agreement.
"I promise next time I'm gonna eat your pretty cunt for hours before I fuck you but I really need to be inside of you now." His promise has your cunt clenching around nothing and set your whole body on fire as he quickly pulls your shirt over your head and gets rid of your pretty little bra within the next second.
Jongseong doesn't even bother taking off your skirt, just pushing it up until your cute pussy is revealed to his hungry eyes and all of a sudden a wave of embarrassment washes over you.
"Now now", he suddenly chuckles and wraps his big hand around your throat to lift your head and look into your eyes, "no need to get all shy on me now, Baby. I've been fantasising about this for way too long. You're perfect."
"J-Jongie", is all you can make out as you bury your face in his neck and start grinding against the bulge in his pants yet again.
But you don't get to lose yourself in the seeet feeling of his clothed cock as Jong suddenly pushes you onto the mattress right just to get comfortable between your thighs.
"This is the most beautiful sight I've ever had the privilege to lay my eyes on", he whispers and kneads the soft felsh of your inner thighs before he starts drawing little lines on your cunt through the fabric of your underwear.
You're way too gone at this point; too far gone, too impatient, too needy.
And Jongseong loves it.
"Let's take these off, hm?" Of course he doesn't wait for your answer as he starts pulling your panties doen your thighs, yet stopping mid-motion as his eyes take in the pretty sight of your perfect cunt.
"There she is", he whispers and gently caresses your tummy right before he wraps his hand around one of your sensitive tits, softly teasing the perked nipple between his thumb and pointer finger, "and she's all mine, right, Baby?"
"Yes, Jongie", you moan and arch your back to move further into his touch, your grip on the bed sheets tigtening with each flick of his dingers to the point you can't even notice the feeling of your juices leaking out of your clenching hole.
"Use those big girl words for me, angel", Jay sighs softly and starts unbuttoning your skirt as soon as he tosses your ruined panties to the side, knowing he'll probably keep those as his very own, personal treasure later on.
Your brain barely processes his words, everything seems too cloudy, the haze of arousal too thick for your consciousness to find its way through it all.
Yet, a deep instinct in the depth of your brain makes responding to him so much easier.
"It's all yours, Jay", your voice breaks into a moan as soon as you feel his thumb pressing against your hardened clit, "my pussy is yours."
"That's my good girl", of course he doesn't hesitate with his praise. How could he ever hold back or be reluctant about letting you know just how good you're being for him when you've made a mess of yourself for him and him only.
"More", you suddenly beg and look up at him with glossy eyes, your hands needily reaching for his as you start moving your hips against the movements of his thumb and with a soft chuckle, Jay decides to leave the teasing for the next time.
He knows how much you need this and he's waited for too long already.
"Anything for my perfect girl", he sighs and unbuttons his own shirt, quickly pushing it down his broad ahoulders before unbuckling his belt and moving away from in between your legs to take his pants, as well as his boxer briefs off.
And despite the thick cloud of pleasure blocking your rational thinking, your eyes widen in shock the moment Jay reveals his hard cock to you.
It feels weird, since he's never been one to feel shy or insecure about himself in any way possible but for some reason he can't help but wonder what you think about him. Maybe he does crave your validation more than he had expected himself to.
"It's so pretty", you whisper and almost instinctively wrap your fingers around his thick cock, "and so big."
Jongseong throws his head back at the aarmth of your hand and the skilled flicks of your wrist as you gently pump his length, using every drop of precum leaking from his sensitive skin as lubricant and if it wasn't for his initial goal, he would have probably made a mess of your chest by now.
"B-Baby", he grunts and harshly grabs your wrist to halt your movements, "I โ won't last long if you keep that up. Need to be inside of that cute cunt right now or I'll cum all over those perfect tits and it'd be such a waste, don't you think?"
You nod softly, your lips stretching into a playful grin as you let go of his cock and look at him with expecting eyes.
"I wanna ask something", you say shyly, your eyes shamelessly roaming the dark lines of ink on Jong's toned torso, subconsciously wondering what they might stand for and wishing to draw over them with your fingers for hours.
"Go ahead, Baby, your wish remains my command till the very end."
His words give you just enough reassurance to let go of worries and doubts as well as possible overthinking and with a deep sigh, you try your best to find the right words.
"Is it too much to ask for you to fuck me raw? I want you to cum inside of me."
"F-Fuck, Baby, you're going to be the death of me", Jongseong throws his head back with a loud groan as his grip on your thighs tightens.
"I'm on the pill and I haven't had sex in months but if you don't want to because you don't like it or don't trustโ", "Don't finish that sentence, angel girl. I've never trusted anyone as much as you. Please believe me when I say I never fuck without condoms and get myself tested regularly. Do you still want me to?"
He might not say it out loud but you know who he is referring to and you can't even hide how happy it makes you to know that mone of those other women have ever felt the actual him.
"Yes, please", you whine and reach in between your bodies for his thick cock, lining the tip up with your entrance after making sure he's coated in your juices, not realising how much patience and will control it's taking the young business man to maintain his composure.
"F-Fuck, you're so wet for me, Baby", Jongie grunts and reaches for your hands to intertwine his fingers with yours, placing them right next to your head before he pulls you into a needy kiss and easily knocking the last bits of oxygen out of your lungs.
"Only for you, J-Jongie", you whisper against his lips and patiently wait for him to just please move, yet your patience running a little thinner than expected.
"Tell me if it hurts, yeah, Baby? You gotta use those words for me", you're quick to nod, your eyes rolling into the back of your head the moment he pushes the thick tip of his cock into your tight cunt.
"Eyes on me", Jay grunts and tries to regulate his breathing, yet failing miserably as his body goes into overdrive from the intensity of his arousal.
That's probably why he's a lot less hesitant than expected as he pushes his cock deeper into the tightness of your cute pussy as soon as your gaze meets his.
And Jay would be the biggest fucking liar if he ever tried to deny how good you feel. You're basically sucking him into you, adjusting to his impressive size way easier and faster than he had worried about and by the time he's halfway inside of you, neither one of you seems to hold back any noises anymore.
A mixture of your own, high pitched moans and his deep, guttural groans filling the thick air of the bedroom and for a moment you're convinced he's already reached your stomach.
Maybe it was your arousal clouded brain yet nothing could have prepared you for the feeling of being filled to the brim as soon as Jay finally bottoms out.
His tip gently grazes the entrance of your womb, your spongy walls gripping his thick cock like a god damn vice and it's then that Jay finally loses the last bit of composure he had left.
"Are you โ Are you okay? Does it hurt? Talk to Daโ me, talk to me, Baby", Jongseong feels his cock throbbing inside of you as his brain processes how he almost slipped up into forbidden territory, but fortunately you're both too fucked out already to pay much attention to it.
He'll definitely bring this up as soon as possible but not tonight. It's all about you right now, he'd be a selfish fucker for pushing you into his deepest fantasies in your lost vulnerable state.
"So full", you whimper and let your eyes roll into the back of your head, arching your back in hopes of receiving the timiest bit of pressure on your overly sensitive nub of nerves.
"Too much?"
"N-No", you hiss and dig your nails into his strong back, "please, Jongie. Need you to fuck me."
And just as he's been saying it all night, he's not one to deny his pretty girl any wishes.
Jay slowly starts pulling himself out of your, hissing ag the feeling of his cock dragging along the warm walls of your sweet cunt.
It actually doesn't take him longer than a minute to find a rhythm which turns you both into moaning messes, your sweet little whimpees and whines meeting his deep grunts and growls in the midst of your heavy breaths.
Jay's strokes are slow and sensual, yet his thrusts are deep and hard, hitting the right spots over and over with every single one of his movements and easily pushing you into the deepest parts of your sweet pleasure.
"Rub that cute clit for me, Baby", Jong grunts and slowly picks up the pace of his thrusts, "make yourself cum all over my cock like the good girl you are. Come on, make me proud."
"Mhm, yes", you whine and do as you're told, only for your whole body to heat up even further the second your fingers touch the hardened nub.
You've never felt pleasure this good before and maybe it's because Jay's been showering you in sweet words of praise and affirmation or maybe it's the way he keeps looking at you like you're the most beautiful, most perfect girl he's ever seen, but regardless of the reason you've already grown addicted to the way he makes you feel.
"J-Jay", you cry softly when the first soft wave of your orgasm hits your body, "want you to cum with me, please."
Your words reach his fuzzy brain in just the right moment and as soon as your cunt starts tightening around his cock, Jongseong feels his sweet relief climbing down his spine and before he can actually utter another word, he gently wraps his hand around your throat and pulls you into another sloppy kiss.
The second his sweet taste coats the muscle of your tongue, the coil in your lower tummy finally snaps and you basically stumble head first into your much needed high.
The following waves of your orgasm are too intense, too heavy for your body to carry, you don't even realise Jay has obediently done as he was told, cumming inside of you and coating the warm wall of your perfect cunt in his cum and your name being the only thing to fall past his lips.
You have absolutely no idea how long it takes you to calm down, the only thing on your mind being Park Jongseong and the feeling of his hands on your skin.
"My good girl", Jay says breathlessly and lifts his head from the crook of your neck to meet your gaze, the sight of his flushed cheeks, glossy eyes, swollen lips and messy hair making the butterflies in your tummy go even crazier.
"Thank you, Jongie", you say gratefully, your voice hoarse from all the moaning and you're actually glad neither one of you seems energetic enough to move a single inch.
"I'm so proud of you, Baby. You took my cock so well, made me feel so fucking good. I've never cum like this before."
His words are โ as usual โ genuine and honest, sending jolts of warmth and comfort through your body in a way only Jongseong has ever managed to.
"Do you want me to run you a bath, Baby? Let me pamper and baby you just how you deserve after a day like this, hm?"
Despite those being questions, Jay doesn't wait for you to respond as he slowly pulls himself out of you, greedily watching his cum leak out of your tiny hole, only to force himself away from you to acoid a physical reaction neither one of you has the energy to take care of just yet.
Just as he's promised, Jongseong runs you a hot bath, washes and massages your whole body, even finds time to make you cum all over his fingers to reward you for doing so well for him.
By the time he's gently pulling his own shirt over your head, tiny rays of sunshine start shining through the blind, letting you know exactly what time it is but as you push your face into the crook of Jongseong's neck for nth time this night, you can't get yourself to care about anything but him and the way he holds you in his arms.
Maybe this is what home is supposed to feel like and maybe this is what your home feels like.
โ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ โ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ โ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ โ
(A/N: and here she is! honestly im super sleepy so pls pls oks excuse the typos i promise i'll proofread and edit tomo! i dont even know what to say besides thank you so much for all the love and support, you guys are the absolute best and i love you sm. sending kisses! and pls, verbal feedback in form of asks, comments or messages are always super appreciated!!!๐๐งธ)
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