#park jongseong x oc
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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. It’s 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.
The “I Heart NY” 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.
Jay doesn’t make mistakes. He’s 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 isn’t for the weak, and Jay is not weak.
Yet walking into his office feels bleak on some days. The castle he serves doesn’t 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.
Jay is meticulous in his work, rarely letting anyone into his inner circle without proving themselves first. It’s what makes him a great lawyer and what gave him a respectable name to his firm and others alike—Jay takes calculated risks and trusts no one, other than himself, completely.
Still, his days wane between fulfilling and empty.
He’s 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 doesn’t leave early either. He watches associates under him file out of the office one by one as the hour goes by until there’s no one left but him. It’s only then will Jay cap his pen or queue an email to send in the morning to make it appear as if he hadn’t spent all night in his office.
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.
He has to, or else law school wouldn’t have been worth it.
For three years, Jay studied from dusk until dawn for the chance to work in the career he’s been dreaming about since he received that ‘I Heart NY’ 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.
Jay holds more ownership than he once did and manages his own associate now. He’s no longer at the entrance phase of his career. Jay’s 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.
Perhaps it’s why he feels compelled to put on his best smile and work until he feels exhausted because he knows he’ll be proud of it down the line. It’s what Jay assumes; all of the early mornings and late nights will prove to be worth it once he’s able to sit back and look down his long, successful career. People don’t admire him for nothing.
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. It’s when Jay feels his happiness. He’ll let the associates go home to catch up on rest and see their friends and families before it approaches a late hour.
Jay, however, stays behind to finish up on projects before his eyes grow weak and when he can’t keep his yawns at bay anymore. He’s 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.
Jay is pulled out of his thoughts when he hears the sound of knuckles on his glass door.
“Knock knock.” Jake Sim’s 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. “I come bearing gifts.”
“You’re a bit too late. Christmas was four months ago.”
“Ha-ha,” Jake laughs dryly. “Consider this an early birthday present, then.”
Jake presents the folder to his colleague, who opens the file and sifts through the papers at his fingertips. Jay’s eyebrow quirks with interest as he looks between the documents and the man standing before him. It’s something he’s been waiting on for weeks. Something that’ll make or break a case he’s been anxiously thinking about and what’s been making him stay behind until the clock ticks is the only audible sound on the entire floor.
“I’m only going to say this once,” Jay begins. He points at Jake with the folder. “You’re the man.”
“I’m always the man, you just don’t want to admit it.”
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.
“I heard you’re almost done with the Yeon-Choi merger,” Jake says. “Heeseung mentioned it this morning.”
“I’m waiting on a fax from them, actually.” Jay takes his specks off of his face and places it nearly on his desk. “Sunoo’s on the lookout for the document. Speaking of which.”
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.
“Ms. Kang just faxed it over,” says Kim Sunoo, a first year associate. “Thank you,” Jay says as he receives the document. He looks at Jake. “Now I’m done with the Yeon-Choi merger.”
“You’d think two global giants in the world of finance would be at odds with merging given their competitive streak in the past few years, but they’ve just signed a document that lists a communal agreement to share assets.” Jake watches Sunoo leave and waves goodbye before he walks out the door. “Managing this client was an insane move, even for you.”
“Choi Analytics is nothing if not determined,” Jay informs. “So am I, Sim. You should know that by now.”
“I think you bit off more than you could chew. You only secured that win with two days to spare.”
“I have you, don’t I?” Jay teases with the tilt of his head. “Who 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?”
Jake laughs. “You, Park Jongseong.”
“It’s all about working smarter, not harder. Remember that.”
“Aye, aye, captain,” Jake says with a mock salute.
“Please don’t ever call me that again.”
“Whatever you say, captain.”
Jay’s mouth quirks. “Go back to the bullpen and finish up the reports. Wouldn’t want you to pull another all nighter.” Jake leaves with a laugh and disappears around the corner.
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 Heeseung’s. This space is his sanctuary and he’d like to believe he performs best under pressure. It’s why he doesn’t mind people peering into his office whenever he’s sitting at his desk.
The days are long and the work is hard, but it’s the kind of job that makes Jay feel like he’s accomplished something in his life. Coming in as the sun rises and leaving just after it sets doesn’t feel like a sacrifice, nor does it feel like he’s losing out on opportunities when he’s 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, he’d tell them he’s pretty damn happy.
That’s what he tells himself, anyway. Every morning is spent repeating mantras in his head about how far he’s 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.
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. Jay’s father always advised him to do what he thinks is right, or else he’ll live with a regretful consequence for the rest of his life without the chance of rectifying it.
Jay’s 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. There’s never a hair out of place and his wardrobe reflects his luxurious tastes, always a suit from abroad and accessories to match.
He’s 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.
After all, that’s what Jay does best.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
It’s Thursday morning and Jay’s week has gone by without a hitch. His clients aren’t giving him a hard time and he hasn’t had a reason to step into the courthouse at all. In addition, he hasn’t heard any of the associates complain about the workload given to them nor has Jake needed help with a problem for Jay to amend.
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 he’s vulnerable enough to sleep, but he knows that’s not in his job description. Instead, Jay needs to sleep with one eye open.
“Park,” Heeseung says as he pokes his head into Jay’s offices. “Can you spare a few minutes and meet me in my office? I need to call an impromptu meeting.”
“Sure,” Jay says as he puts a file in his cabinet. “What’s it for?”
“It’s better if we talk behind closed doors. Jake and Sunghoon are already waiting for us.”
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 Heeseung’s cryptic words. He sees Sunghoon and Jake in the office and takes a seat on the armrest of Heeseung’s couch.
“What’s so important that you need to discuss this in your office with the door closed?” Park Sunghoon, a fellow senior partner, asks. “We didn’t lose a billion dollars overnight, did we?”
“No, but I know you would’ve caught that before that would’ve happened,” Heeseung quips back. “You aren’t our financial expert for nothing.”
“Damn straight.”
“What did you bring us in for, Heeseung?” Jake asks. Heeseung takes a moment to gather himself, eyes darting around the office before speaking.
“It’s about the Hybe Records case.”
“They’re holding a tight leash on people they sign on their main label or subsidiaries,” Jay nods. “Won't settle for a penny less than the recoupment.”
“Which is why a portion of people signed with Hybe came to us to help them rewrite the contracts from here on out,” Sunghoon adds. “Hybe came to us with a bullshit settlement offer and we declined. We’re still working on finding a chink in the armor.”
“Right,” Heeseung says. “What else do we know about the case?”
“Hybe acts as the bank and their musicians take out a loan to make an album,” Jake says, pacing in Heeseung’s office with his arms outstretched for emphasis. “The artist can use that money however they like and the sales made go right back to the label before they can make a profit.”
“Exactly,” Jay nods, “which is why the label has been terminating their contractual agreement before they can produce the agreed amount of records.”
“Hybe has more than enough money for a buyout.” Sunghoon shakes his head. “It’s fucked up.”
“The label keeps the catalog and the money while the musician gets nothing.” Jay frowns.
“We all know it’s why musicians and idols pick up endorsements or pick up acting,” Heeseung mentions. “I mean, the money they get from other ventures supplements their income that they don’t get from music. But because that’s normal practice and it doesn’t help our sob story angle, I don’t know where else to turn to.”
“We’ve been fighting this day and night for weeks. You’re not telling me you’re dropping this, are you?” Sunghoon asks.
“Between Jay’s regular clients, Jake’s assisting, my workload, and your cases, we don’t have the bandwidth to fight this. Quite frankly, I don’t trust anyone to work on this but you three.”
“Is there something we should know about?” Jay inquires. “Did Hybe threaten us?”
“No, nothing like that.” Heeseung sighs. “Look, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m burnt out. Hybe isn’t making this easy on us and we’re running out of time. What I’m trying to say is I’ve consulted with another firm and have hired outside help. We need fresh eyes on this case.”
Jay nervously runs his hand through his hair.
Heeseung’s right, this lawsuit is eating up most of his hours and consumes his thoughts when he’s 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.
Hearing stories from clients makes his heart lurch. Each deposition to discuss what happened behind closed doors with label executives makes Jay’s 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.
He’s no longer the law student that slaved away writing essays and pulling all-nighters to accomplish a task that wouldn’t matter in the long run. Now, all of Jay’s efforts matter. His work will be impacted for years to come and he can’t afford to misstep when handling clients. It’s why he feels so strongly about this case and why it’s hard for him to stop thinking about it when he gets home. A penthouse overlooking the city means nothing if he can’t help the people who got him there.
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. It’s why Jay trusts him and why he chose Jake to be his associate in the first place.
To take action on behalf of his clients means to succeed. Jay knows he comes from wealth and privilege, and he’d likely be just fine if he chose a career that wasn’t 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 didn’t have anything to prove. Jay knows he does.
“As we already know,” Heeseung begins to say, “we need all the help we can get on the Hybe Records case. They’re the most powerful label in all of Asia and they’ve got their teeth sunk in every Asian market.”
“They’ve got a dozen smaller labels beneath them and they’re always looking to convince independent labels to give up their ownership,” Jay says. “It’ll be hard to reach a settlement for all of them.”
“I know,” Heeseung sighs. He leans on the front of his desk. “I know you guys can handle it. Between the four of us, we can try to win this thing but it’ll take more time than they’re giving us.”
“Kid genius could probably read up on their files by tomorrow morning,” Sunghoon snorts as Jake elbows his rib cage.
“Don’t be silly, Sunghoon. I couldn’t possibly do that in a single night.” Jake smirks. “Give me two days.”
“Show off,” Sunghoon mutters with a hidden grin.
“Even so, it won’t be enough to fight them. Hybe has hired a plethora of lawyers to back them up and block us out.” Heeseung crosses his arm and is sure to maintain eye contact with the three boys in front of him. “It’s important to keep our clientele, but imagine how much business this would bring if we won.”
“You think that many musicians would hire us?” Jake asks.
“I think that many musicians care about owning their own music and not having to pay back a recoupment.”
“The amount an artist has to pay back before they keep their earnings,” Jake says with pursed lips. “Right. That’s really unfair.”
“That’s the music industry for you.”
“Labels are greedy as shit,” Sunghoon says with bitterness in his tone. “They make a promise to up and coming musicians and swear they’ll be successful by the end of the year, but they don’t really care about that. They’ll give money to make albums but won’t care if these people live or die if they don’t see a late profit.”
“It’s sickening,” Jake adds. “It should be illegal for musicians having to take endorsements and sponsorships just to pay the bills. They look like sellouts.”
“I don’t like it any less than you guys do,” Heeseung responds. “But that’s the way it works. We just need to find a good enough reason for them to settle with us. We aren’t budging on the recoupment.”
“Well, I’m glad we all agree that musicians shouldn’t have to pay back their loan.”
“I’m confident in you all,” Heeseung tells them. “Jay, you’re one of my best guys. You close deals and negotiate settlements like no one I’ve ever seen before. Sunghoon, you’ve been an incredible lawyer since the moment we hired you and you’re the only person I don’t have to keep my eye on.” Heeseung turns to take. “And Jake, you’re a gifted associate with a knack for getting people to tell you the truth. I’ve never met anyone quite like you either.”
“He makes depositions seem like fun,” Sunghoon laughs.
Jake smiles dramatically. “Nobody can lie to this beautiful face.”
“What I’m trying to say is,” Heeseung interjects, “is that you’re all incredible lawyers and I’ve never regretted hiring you.”
“There’s always a but,” Jay comments. Heeseung nods.
“But, our best isn’t enough. Our best doesn’t account for the numerous legal and financial attacks Hybe Records will bestow on us. We’ve been thinking big but we need to think bigger. We need to think outside the box.”
“What do you propose?” Jay asks. “We’ve already gotten a first meeting with Hybe and God knows they’ll pressure us to give them an answer soon. I know that they know we won’t budge and are probably working with a counter move as we speak.”
“We’re bringing in someone from an outside firm.”
“What?” Sunghoon says. “Which one?”
“Tang-Young,” replies Heeseung. “They’re a powerful firm, as we know, and were one of the few who declined to represent Hybe.”
“We trust them, right?” Jake asks.
“We do, yes,” Heeseung confirms with a single nod. “Tang-Young have been kind to us and I’d like to believe we’ve been the same to them. We’ve been invited to consult on cases before and they’ve helped us out in the past, albeit it’s been a while. But we need all the help we can get and they were enthusiastic about assisting us.”
“I don’t know,” Jay says. “Catching someone else up to speed while we’re 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 don’t know how much help they’ll be.”
“Oh, I think you’ll be pleased with our colleague,” Heeseung says cryptically. Jay looks at him with confusion. “You guys trust me, don’t you?”
“Of course,” says Sunghoon. “I wouldn’t be working here if I didn’t.”
“Then I’ll need you to trust me when I say the partner working with us is the best in the business. She’s an old friend and someone I confide in, which if you know me, is hard to do unless you work at this firm.”
“Why are you telling us this?” Jake asks.
Heeseung sighs. “I’m saying this now because I didn’t 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.”
“We don’t need to worry,” Sunghoon says. “This is the best law firm in Korea and we have a history of having the highest rate in cases closed successfully. You’re our leader, Heeseung. We know you wouldn’t go behind our backs unless it was important.”
“We need a miracle for this one,” says Heeseung. “Jay’s already running point on this case but he alone can’t handle the burden.”
A sinking feeling festers in Jay’s chest. He knows that name–Kazuha–from when he was in law school and knew her family to have built Asia’s largest corporate law firm from the ground up. They’re respectable, highly profitable, and a company Jay would rather not think about because hearing that name reminds him of his deepest regrets.
His week is offset by Heeseung’s 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 doesn’t 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.
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. They’re warm to the touch with how often he twists them for every word Heeseung speaks. Jay’s throat suddenly feels too dry.
“We’ll be fine,” Sunghoon tells Jake, forcing Jay to tune back into the conversation. “I think we’re all on edge because this is by far the biggest case we’ve handled in the past few years.”
“There are dozens of clients who are filing a lawsuit against Hybe but it isn’t considered class action yet,” Heeseung replies. “We could very well set a precedent if we manage to win this thing.”
“That would put the firm on the map!” Jake exclaims. “Just think about it. If we manage to settle in our favor so that these musicians don’t have to pay the label back, we could set an example so other major labels follow through with no recoupment.”
“This is why everything’s been kept under wraps and why I’ve had to act before consulting you three.” Heeseung finds a pen from his desk and twirls it in between his fingers. “I 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 wouldn’t have agreed to let you work on it if I didn’t believe we could succeed.”
Jay can sense the nervousness and anxiety in Heeseung’s tone. In all of his years working with him, he doesn’t think he’s 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 Jay’s rings are. It’s no wonder they work so well together.
“We can do it, Heeseung,” Sunghoon says in an attempt to quell the atmosphere. “It’s hard and tedious, but what case isn’t?”
“Besides, we have Jay. He is the best closer in Seoul,” 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 Heeseung’s glass door interrupts their conversation. The image of you standing before him knocks the air out of his lungs.
He’s 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 you’ve 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 he’s staring at someone he doesn’t recognize.
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 Jay’s used to seeing you.
Heeseung’s office is the last place he’d ever expect to run into you.
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 couldn’t 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 he’d 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.
While that culpability subdued with the time that has passed, none of that matters now. Seeing you in Heeseung’s office with a friendly smile on your face makes that sense of wrongdoing resurface all at once.
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. He’s still the same person who gets tongue-tied when he looks at you and he’s still the same person who regrets never calling you after you both graduated.
Unlike the disheveled mess Jay remembers from when he last saw you, you’ve become polished. He sees that you’ve 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.
Jay doesn’t think he deserves that respect from you.
“Jay’s the second best,” you comment. Even your speech has matured. “I happen to be the first.”
“Everyone, meet Kim Y/N.” Heeseung takes a step forward to return your bow and shake your hand, welcoming you into his office.
“Y-Y/N?” Jay stutters, eyes widened in shock when he spots you next to Heeseung.
The reaction is unwarranted and even he can’t 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. You’re very confident. Jay wonders what must have changed in the time he last saw you until now.
“In the flesh, Park. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Y/N’s the best chance we got to win this against the biggest record label in Korea,” Heeseung interrupts, forcing Jay to push his thoughts aside. “I don’t need to remind you that our clients are high profile names trying to make a case for musicians who can’t afford to pay back the recoupment. If we lose this, we lose their business. It won’t look good for the company if we don’t secure a public win.”
“A public win means a public loss,” you chime in. “Hybe’s settlement deal is bullshit and we all know it.”
“Exactly.” Heeseung points at everyone in the room before landing on you. “I know we don’t ask for outside help but we need Y/N. I trust everyone to make her feel welcomed and to give her anything she needs.”
“It would be an honor,” Jake says before stepping in front of you to bow with his body perpendicular to the floor below him. “Sim Jayeun, but feel free to call me Jake. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He outstretches his hand to you for good measure and is pleased when you reciprocate. His kindness brings a smile to your face.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Jake. I look forward to working together.” 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. “You must be Park Sunghoon. I’ve kept up with your work for a while now. Your work with Kim Mingyu against General Motors was impressive.”
“All in a day’s work,” Sunghoon says as he brushes his shoulders for dramatic effect. “I’m honored that you know about it.”
“You saved Mingyu’s reputation for being a whistleblower and forced the company’s 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. That’s something worth talking about,” you tell him. “It’s impressive to me.”
Jay swears he sees Sunghoon blush.
“Thank you,” says the latter, clearing his throat. “It means a lot that you said that.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that must have been either.”
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.
Jay said no.
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 he’d 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 can’t. The memory of you looking at him with betrayal in your eyes is what keeps him up at night.
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 must’ve 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 you’d allow people to say harsh things about your skill sets instead of proving them wrong. What he failed to realize is that you’d grow into yourself at your own time.
You're not the timid girl you used to be. Jay sees the fruits of your labor standing in front of him.
When you look at him, Jay’s breath catches in his throat. It’s 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?
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.
“Hi, Jay.”
He’s quiet for a second too long because he sees Heeseung glaring at him from the corner of his eye.
“Hey.” Jay says pathetically, shifting from one foot to another. “Long time no see.”
“Woah, wait. Do you two know each other?” Jake asks, pointing between the two of you.
“We shared a few classes in law school,” you explain. “We even graduated in the same year.”
“Oh, wow.”
You tilt your head as you look at him. “You seem surprised.” “I’m just shocked that you two know each other,” Jake says. “You have the highest closing rate in all of Seoul and you’re telling me you went to law school with my boss?”
“I’m trying not to take offense to that,” 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.
“We knew each other a long time ago, but it’s always nice to see a familiar face.” You smile at Jay before turning to Heeseung. “When do I start?”
“Whenever you’d like, but knowing you, you’ve already begun drafting strategies.”
You grin. “You know me very well, Heeseung.”
“Y/N will be working from our office a few times a week for the next few months to make things easier. She’ll still be handling cases from her firm with an emphasis on the Hybe lawsuit.”
“Thank you for welcoming me,” you tell everyone before looking at Heeseung. “Care to show me to my temporary office?”
He smiles. “Right this way.”
“It was lovely meeting you all,” you say before turning to leave. You pause and turn to face Jay. “It really is nice to see you again.”
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 he’s going to choke and say the wrong thing, so he opts to say nothing.
You exit behind Heeseung without sparing him a second glance and he watches as your figure disappears around the corner, listening until he can’t 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.
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.
“You know Kim Y/N? The Kim Y/N?”
“It was a long time ago,” Jay says with a small voice. “We used to be study partners.”
“No fucking way,” Jake swears with his hands on his hips. “How come you never told me? She’s 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 must’ve been. She’s so fucking cool, Jongseong. A badass is what she is. I want to be her one day.”
Jay’s mouth quirks in a half smile. He knows you’ve 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 can’t help but hurt and yearn for you.
If Jake notices Jay’s quiet demeanor, he doesn’t acknowledge it. The former is pacing in Heeeung’s office with his hands rubbing his face as if he’s won the lottery. Jay’s envious of Jake’s 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.
“Y/N’s a great lawyer,” Jay finally says. “I’m glad she’ll be working with us.”
“So fucking cool,” Jake whispers in disbelief. He turns to Jay. “I can show her around the office and, you know, show her the ropes.”
“Don’t try anything.”
Jake puts his arms up in mock surrender. “Hey man, I won’t. Y/N’s someone I view as a mentor. I don’t have weird, unresolved romantic feelings like you do.”
Jay opens his mouth in disbelief as Jake winks at him before walking out of Heeseung’s office. He sits with his thoughts and wonders if this meeting was a figment of his imagination and if he’d wake up with you halfway across the world and his life being as normal as it can be.
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.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
“This office is pretty nice.”
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.
“It used to be mine before I became the managing partner,” Heeseung tells you.
“I see. That must be why I like the interior design.”
Coming back to Seoul six months ago wasn’t 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.
However, it seems that life finds a way to throw you a curveball and make you face your fears. Returning to Seoul wasn’t 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.
Upon returning, you’d 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 wasn’t something you think you could ever do if you lived in a house made of glass.
The mental images of running inside your parents’ gargantuan household with them nowhere to be seen is imprinted in your mind when you close your eyes. Your mother’s office door that always remained closed and uninviting to anyone but your father and older brother felt demoralizing, as did your father’s 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.
The two bedroom apartment in a modest neighborhood outside of Seoul feels like home to you. The neighbors who garden when it’s 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, that’s nobody’s 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.
If you’re 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.
That hurtful memory reopened itself when Kazuha pitched the idea of working with Lee & Associates on this case. The both of you know you’re her top choice to fight this battle given your brother’s 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.
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, you’d stare at the Hybe Records file to see what information had been gathered, glossing over Jay’s 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.
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 you’ve grown in the years you spent away from Korea and that you’re ready to move past the hurdle that’s been keeping you tied down for so long. Or so you tell yourself.
Heeseung knocks his shoulders with yours. “You don’t seem as shocked to see Jay as I thought you’d be.”
“I had a few weeks to prepare,” you tell him as the two of you face the scenery in front. “When Kazuha told me I was her first choice to work this lawsuit, I saw Jay’s name sitting at the top of the file.”
“It’s his case, technically. But we all know you’ll outshine him in one way or another.”
You shake your head. “I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes, Heeseung. I’m just here to do my job.”
“And see an old friend, I’d assume.” This time, you knock your shoulders against his.
“Oh, you know it’s always good to see you when I’m on this side of town.”
Heeseung smiles, pleased. “I know it’s been a while since the two of you have seen each other and I hope you know that you weren’t picked for any dubious reasons.”
“I know, Hee.” The man looks at you, tilting his head to assess the true intentions behind your words. “Seriously, I’m fine.”
“This company would have benefitted from your work,” he replies. “Still, I’m sorry for how things worked out.”
“That was ages ago,” you wave off. “You really don’t need to apologize for it. I appreciate you fighting to hire me, but Jay has done a wonderful job and you can’t deny that.”
Heeseung shakes his head. “No, I really can’t. He’s one of my best. One of the best lawyers in Korea, I’d argue.”
“What does that make me?” you joke.
“It makes you the best in the universe.”
You throw a fond smile Heeseung’s way. “It really is nice to see you again.”
“I meant it when I said you could reach out for anything.
“Most days, I just need a friend.”
Heeseung quirks an eyebrow. “Is that why you text me photos of you baking at three in the morning?”
“Precisely. What else would I text you about?”
The man laughs. “I love the ones where your cat sits on the counter to watch. I love Gerry.”
“For the love of God, Heeseung. Her name is Miso.”
“Yeah, but your cat is orange like a tangerine and in my head, Gerry, is a cute nickname for tangerine.”
“You need to re-evaluate your definition of cute.”
Heeseung smiles at you fondly and tilts his head. He knows he’s 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.
“Your mom calls mine from time to time, you know,” Heeseung says after a short pause.
You snort. “Oh God. Please don’t tell me Lee Jiwoo cares about what my mother, of all people, has to say.”
He shrugs. “She doesn’t, but they were neighbors for forty years before my parents moved. I think your mom has some weird attachment to the past.”
“You’re telling me,” you say as you roll your eyes. “I remember as kids, she’d force me to go over to your house with the hopes that we’d fall in love and get married someday.”
Heeseung laughs. “God, you were so hung up on Lee Seokmin that you barely paid attention to me.”
“If 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?”
“She was nice enough to help me with my homework, okay?” Heeseung defends himself as he laughs.
Recounting childhood memories with you feels warm. When you’d 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.
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. He’d witnessed the volatile relationship between the three of you and offered his household as a sanctuary for as long as he could. Heeseung’s parents offered the kind of hospitality he wished you could receive from your own parents.
Still, it feels warm to know you chose to return. Seeing you in your element makes Heeseung think he must’ve done something right all those years ago, even if you briefly lost touch when you moved overseas.
“I’m really grateful for you, Hee.” You lean your head on his shoulder and cross your arms in front of your chest. “I don’t think I’ve 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 we’d 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.”
“I’d do anything for you. You know that, right?” Heeseung asks. He feels you nod against him. “It killed me to see you fight with your parents and I didn’t 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.”
“I love my brother, I really do.” You bite your lip to keep a sigh at bay. “But he’ll 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.”
“No apology from them can outdo everything you went through,” Heeseung says. He leans his head on top of yours. “You were my best friend, even if I didn’t 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.”
Heeseung smiles when he hears you laugh. “I told you to tie your shoe laces.”
“SInce when do I listen to what you say?”
You pull yourself from him. “Thanks for always being there for me, Hee. I hope you know I’ll work my hardest to win this case.”
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.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” Jake says carefully.
“Not at all,” Heeseung assures. “Is there something you need?”
“Actually, I was wondering if I could give Y/N a tour of the office. I’d love to show her around so she feels more comfortable and familiar.”
“That’s a great idea, Jake.” Heeseung turns to you. “Why don’t you settle in and make yourself at home for an hour, yeah? Let Jake take you to the cafe that’s across the street and use my company card to pay for it.”
“I’ll never say no to you paying.” Heeseung rolls his eyes at your playful banter but hands you his credit card regardless. Seeing you this open with him warms his heart.
“We won’t be long,” Jake assures.
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 don’t see him and waits until the two of you are out of sight to walk towards Heeseung.
His footsteps feel heavy as he enters what is to be assumed, your office.
“I already know what you’re thinking,” says Heeseung with his hands in his pockets.
“Then you know I’m going to ask you what the hell is going on.”
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 it’s 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.
“Do I need to remind you that I'm the managing partner and that I don’t need to consult you on my decisions?”
“You don’t,” Jay begins, “but you know the history I have with Y/N. A little heads up would’ve been nice.”
“We don’t 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.”
Jay breathes deeply. “You of all people know we left on bad terms.”
“So you should know that Y/N is like my sister,” Heeseung retorts. Jay can hear the slight venom in his elder’s tone. “I’m able to set aside my differences because it’s my job to do so and because I like you.”
“Heeseung–”
“Have you ever stopped to consider that you’re the only person making this awkward?” Heeseung asks, looking at Jay directly into his eyes. “Nobody else seems to be having any problems with Y/N joining this lawsuit.
“You are one of the best lawyers Korea has ever had the privilege of seeing, Jay. Hell, this company owes you a lot. But you can’t 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.”
Jay remains silent knowing Heeseung’s right, even if his pride refuses to quell.
“You made your choice all those years ago and from the looks of it, Y/N seems to have moved on.” Jay nearly chokes at Heeseung’s words. “You need to move on as well, Jay. Do whatever it is you have to do to get your head straight.”
Jay shuts his eyes for a brief second. “It’s really hard, Heeseung. It’s hard to forget.”
Heeseung’s expression softens. “She’s not seeing anyone.”
Jay abruptly opens his eyes.
“That is not what I meant.”
Heeseung smirks. “Sure it wasn’t.”
“I’m 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 didn’t make time for Y/N.”
“You can still make time for her now.”
Jay shakes his head. “It’s too late. I’d bet anything to know she hates me.”
“Well, I know for a fact that she doesn’t. If we’re talking about the same Y/N you and I both knew all of those years ago, then you know she doesn’t hold grudges.”
“But we know she can.” Jay sighs. “You know about her parents.”
“Two people bringing her into this world just to treat her like nothing is far different than a boy not calling her back.” Jay tries to not take his comment to heart no matter how much it stings. “The difference between you and them is that you have the chance to make this right and correct your wrongs.
“But let me make myself clear. You are to work with Y/N and make her feel welcomed during her time on this case. I don’t 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.”
“Understood.”
Heeseung’s expression softens. “You know I care about you, man. I wouldn’t have agreed to be your mentor if I didn’t think you were worth it.”
Jay nods. “I know. I just forgot that you two knew each other as well.”
“You should’ve 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.”
Jay tries to picture what you were like as a child. He’s 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?
He knows the answer is complicated. Jay’s 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.
After all, your brother was the only form of family who came to your graduation during law school.
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 weren’t you. Jay always wondered why you were hellbent on keeping your brother’s 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.
He knows he doesn’t deserve to ask you how your brother has been or what you’ve 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 doesn’t result in him panicking when you look into his eyes, but he doesn’t know where to start.
“Don’t think too hard about it,” Heeseung advises when he notices Jay growing quiet. “You’ll know what to do when the time comes.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jay says with a sigh. “You weren’t the one who broke her heart.”
“Y/N’s resilient. You and I both know the lengths she went through as a kid and how successful she is now. She wouldn’t have taken this case if she wasn’t willing to work with you. That should be a sign in itself.”
Jay takes Heeseung’s words into consideration, but it goes through one ear and then out the other. His heart won’t stop beating at a rapid pace and he can’t help but feel like there’s no hope for him at all.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
Heeseung seems to know you too well.
The cafe across the street speaks to your soul with their delicious drinks and delectable pastry menu. You buy something for Jake on Heeseung’s card too. He merely looks at you with wide eyes and stutters over his words when he asks if you’re allowed to do that, to which you wave him off and say you’ve known Heeseung far too long for him to care about another fifteen dollars missing from the company funds.
“How long have you known Heeseung?” 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.
“Our whole lives, practically. I think his parents moved next to mine way before either of us were born. They always joked that we’d get married and have that fairytale ending.”
Jake raises his eyebrows. “Is that still happening?”
“God no,” you say, shaking your head. “Heeseung is like a brother to me. He’d walk me to and from school when we were younger and hung out with me, back when I was a timid mess.”
“I don’t think I could ever imagine you as shy.” Jake blushes when he realizes he’s speaking candidly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Pray tell.”
“W-Well,” Jake stutters, “it’s just that, people talk and I know you know that. I’ve 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.”
You stifle a laugh. “I’d like to think I’ve come a long way since law school. I don’t know if Jay’s ever told you, but I used to be very quiet. I kept to myself a lot. I didn’t have enough confidence to talk in class and panicked every time I was picked for a cold answer.”
Jake shudders. “I hated that. I was somebody who always came prepared to class but being put on the spot made me feel like I didn’t read the material at all.”
“Confidence comes with practice,” you tell him. “This job has built my self esteem, especially when I moved to New York for a few years. I didn’t speak English very well, just bits and pieces from music I grew up listening to and because my brother is fluent as well.”
“Do your parents speak English?”
You shake your head. “Broken English. My brother’s a special case. He listened to a lot of rap music behind our parents’ 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.”
“Your brother seems like a cool guy.”
You smile into your cup. “Yeah, he is. He’s part of the reason why I took this case against Hybe Records. It feels right to fight for the underdog, you know?”
“Jay says the same thing,” Jake tells you. It makes your heart twinge. “He’s been my mentor for the past year and I don’t think I could ever thank him for taking me under his wing. I’m sure you know–he’s the type of guy to be fair and just. I never feel like he’s looking down on me, even when I royally screw up and he has to fix my messes.”
“He used to be really good at talking me down a ledge in law school,” you laugh. “I used to get so hot headed and frustrated every time I couldn't understand a brief or when I’d read for too long. Jay was always the calmer one between the two of us. He’d tell me to take a breath–”
“–and take it easy,” Jake finishes with you. You smile.
“Yeah, 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.”
“I thought you graduated at the top of your class?”
“He and I held equal rank,” you explain. “But 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.”
“Why did you?”
You set your cup down. “It feels right to help other people in ways that can’t be seen. No one talks about financial burden or responsibility. I had more than enough privilege growing up and it’s 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?”
Jake nods. “I understand. I didn’t 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 that’s also why I wanted to become an attorney. I want to help people and this is the best way I know how.”
“Does Heeseung still make you guys take on two pro bono cases every year?”
“Three now,” Jake corrects. “But I don’t mind it that much. I love meeting new people and it makes me happy when we secure a win for them.”
“This 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.”
“I’d love to learn from you,” Jake says honestly. “Even if it’s watching you in depositions or preparing case files. I feel like I could learn a thing or two.”
“I’d love that, Jake.”
He smiles. “I still can’t believe you knew Jay in law school. What was he like? I’ll bet he still had the same, brooding glare when he’s focused.”
“I think that was part of his charm,” you say with a fond smile. “Girls loved him. I mean sure, he came from a powerful family, but I think people were digging the whole ‘I-Don’t-Want-To-Talk-To-You’ vibe.”
“So how did you two end up becoming friends?”
“We sat next to each other in our criminal law class and he was struggling with a few cases,” you explain. “I 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.
“I couldn’t 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. We’d find coffee shops all over town and would end our study sessions with a late night dinner before parting ways.”
“That does sound like the Jay I know,” Jake laughs. “I don’t think I’ve seen him go home before the sun goes down.”
“Everyone knew how diligent he was with his work. He was always so confident in class when answering questions from our professor. I’m pretty sure everyone was intrigued by him. Jay mostly kept to himself until he and I became friends.”
“I can totally imagine Jay being a lone wolf.”
You laugh. “He was, kind of. We started hanging out without the premise of studying shortly after. He was probably my closest friend at the time.”
Jake can see a lingering thought behind your eyes but chooses not to comment, instead checking his watch for the time.
“Oh, we should probably be getting back soon. I’ll show you around the floor so you can get situated before you work.”
“That would be great, Jake. Thank you for volunteering to do so.”
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 arm’s reach.
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.
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 couldn’t bring himself to reject you in private.
Iseul’s 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.
That sadness planted deep seeds of distrust within you. That melancholy feeling followed you throughout the summertime, especially when Jay didn’t make the effort to call you during the summer that followed graduation.
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.
When you think about it now, it must’ve 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 didn’t matter how many friends you had. You were always going to be his favorite.
You’d 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.
You were. You are. But you aren’t grateful for being neglected and being made to feel like being born was a mistake and a burden.
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. You’d argue that you’ve 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.
The weight of your parents’ actions, coupled in with Jay’s selfishness, made you numb for a while.
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 didn’t 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 didn’t 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.
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.
Seeing Jay’s name in the original Hybe Records case file startled you, but it wasn’t 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?
Would Jay apologize for the night he left you?
The answer, you later found out, was none of the above. Instead, seeing the name ‘Park Jongseong’ 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.
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, you’re eternally grateful that seeing his name doesn’t bring up unpleasant feelings like it did once before.
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.
“I think you’ll really like the associates and paralegals,” Jake says to make conversation on the long trip to the fiftieth floor. “Sunoo, Jungwon, and Riki are my favorites, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Sunoo’s a first year associate and he’s brilliant,” Jake explains. “He’s quick on his feet and he’s quite bubbly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so excited to be awake at eight in the morning like he is. Jungwon’s our best parasocial as well. He’s incredibly smart and quick-thinking, and he’s thinking of studying to take the entrance exam to enter law school, actually.”
“Oh wow,” you say with a nod. “That’s incredible. His experience as a paralegal will definitely prepare him for that.”
“I think so too,” Jake agrees. “Riki’s our legal intern for the summer. He’s passionate about his work and really funny. He’s got a natural charm to him, even if his resting face makes him look unapproachable. You’ll like him.”
“If Heeseung trusts you, then I trust you,” you tell Jake, stepping out of the elevator.
“Speaking of Sunoo,” Jake mumbles as he expedites his pace to catch up with the brunette. “Sunoo, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Kim Y/N,” Sunoo says with a perpendicular bow. “An honor to meet you, truly. I’m Kim Sunoo”
You reciprocate. “I appreciate your kindness, Sunoo.”
“He’ll probably scream about you bowing to him in the break room,” Jake laughs. Sunoo swats his arm.
“Yah. Maybe if you were half as cool as Y/N, I’d scream about you in the break room.”
Jake pouts before smiling. “I was just telling Y/N how you’re one of my favorite first year associates.”
“He spoke quite highly of you. I heard that you’ll be assisting on the Hybe case with us?”
“If at all possible!” Sunoo exclaims. “I wouldn’t want to overstep.”
“Nonsense,” you say as you wave him off. “I’m 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 we’ll be working together quite often, Kim Sunoo.”
The aforementioned blushes. “That would be amazing.”
“We’ll see you later,” Jake says as the two of you wave goodbye. “See what I mean? He’s a ball of sunshine but his bite is definitely worse than his bark. Sunoo’s incredible when it comes to reading clients to absolute filth.”
“He seems sweet,” you say with a pout. “Who else am I meeting again?”
“Jungwon!” Jake shouts as he knocks on the glass door with the title ‘YANG JUNGWON | PARALEGAL.’
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.
“Sorry,” Jungwon apologizes with a bow. “I’m sure that, by now, you know how loud Jake can be.”
Jake merely laughs. “It’s because I like you, Wonie.”
Jungwon faces you. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jungwon, your resident paralegal. Let me know if you ever need anything and I’d be happy to help!”
“Jungwon’s the best paralegal Lee & Associates,” Jake tells you. “It’s why he’s the only paralegal that has his own office.”
“Anyway,” Jungwon says, hiding a blush from Jake’s compliments, “this is my second year with the company and I know it like the back of my hand. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything.”
“That’s really sweet of you to say, Jungwon, thank you.”
“Anything for a friend of Jay and Heeseung!”
“We’ll probably come back to you before the day ends,” Jake says to the younger boy. “Is Riki still on his lunch break or is he in the bullpen?”
“He got back a few minutes ago.”
“Sweet,” Jake says. “Let’s go meet the rascal.”
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.
“Riki’s from Japan but chose to study here in Korea. He and Jungwon want to take the LSAT together,” says Jake.
“あなたは日本語を話していると思います？” you ask him. I assume you speak Japanese?
Riki’s face beams.
“はい、そうです,” he says. Yes, that’s right. ?どこでそれを話せるようになったのですか” Where did you learn to speak it?
“私は高校で学びました。 しかし、もっと練習が必要です.” I learned back in high school. I need a more practice, though.
Riki smiles and shakes his head. “Your Japanese is perfect.”
“Ah, you flatter me too much.” “That was so fucking cool,” Jake says. “You speak Korean, English, and Japanese?”
“Add in a little bit of Spanish and we’re golden.”
“You’re officially the coolest person in this goddamn office.”
“I hope our paths cross before your work here is done,” Riki says with another bow. “I need to get back to work, unfortunately.”
“Please, don’t let me keep you!” Riki smiles at you once again before disappearing into another office. “You're right, I really do like him.”
Jake smiles and points across the room. “The 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 it’s stocked to the brim but if anything is missing, just ask. They’re usually happy to replenish.”
“Good to know.”
“Do you need anything else from me or are you ready to win this goddamn case?”
You smile.
“Let’s win this goddamn case.”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
In the two weeks that have passed by, Jay still hasn't mustered up the courage to speak to you.
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 he’s harbored for so many years.
Heeseung has had to tell him to get a grip twice already. Jay isn’t 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.
In truth, Jay doesn’t know how to talk to you. He’s never felt pain like this before. He yearns to hear your voice speaking to him and to converse like once before, but he doesn’t know how to. This obstacle causes pain within Jay, and he wonders if he’ll ever get the chance to say more than a sentence to you before your time with him is over.
Watching you talk freely with his colleagues is foreign to him. Jay can’t wrap his head around the fact that you’re much more confident than you were back when he knew you. The same girl who couldn’t go a few sentences without looking at her shoes is holding eye contact and smiling after she speaks. You don’t cower over your body in an attempt to make yourself look like you’re hiding in your shell. Now, you speak with assertion and hold your chin level with the floor as you hold conversation.
It’s jarring, but a large part of Jay can’t help but feel proud of you. If there’s 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 didn’t 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 don’t 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.
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 didn’t deserve to be your role models.
Yet, here you are.
Jay doesn’t notice that he’s been staring at you from his office door until Sunghoon knocks his shoulder with his own.
“Quit staring unless you want to look like a creep.”
Jay clears his throat. “I wasn’t staring.”
“Sure,” Sunghoon smirks. “And I don’t handle the majority of our finances.” Jay rolls his eyes.
“I know what you’re gonna say and you don’t need to say it. I know I need to talk to Y/N.”
“You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“I know, Hoon,” Jay says. He spares one more glance at you before looking away. “But it’s hard to try when I don’t think I deserve any respect or forgiveness.”
“Look, I don’t know what happened between you two, but it’s obvious that something did happen by how tense you are when she’s around.”
“Am I really that bad?”
Sunghoon nods. “Y/N can tell. She keeps looking at you when you walk away.”
“Shit,” Jay curses.
“Whatever happened back then was a long time ago. I obviously don’t know her as well as you do, but she’s 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 she’s taking breaks. She wouldn’t do all of that if she wasn’t willing to talk to you.”
Deep down, Jay knows his friend is right. But it’s 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 you’re out of sight and when he’s distracted with his work.
“Try,” Sunghoon says. “I know it’s scary, but the universe put her right back in your life for a season.”
“I know,” Jay says quietly. “Thanks, Sunghoon.”
“Anytime.”
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 he’s 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 isn’t the insecure young adult he was when he knew you. Even he is more sure of himself.
Jay thinks you look gorgeous now that you’re 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 you’re smiling to his colleagues and how animated your conversations are seem to make his heart swell to see how far you’ve come.
Working alongside you in the time that he has makes Jay observant. He’s 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. You’re 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 you’re 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.
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 he’d fly a great distance if you asked him to have a conversation with him.
He loved seeing you switch on for him. One look at you and you were smiling with your eyes closed. Jay adored the way you’d 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 didn’t know what to do with yourself.
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 weren’t with him.
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 wasn’t 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.
Realistically, Jay knows he can talk to you whenever he wants to. You’ve 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 won’t dismiss him.
But when he sees you laughing with Sunoo and Jungwon in the bullpen from his office, he can’t help but think about just how little he knows about you and how much you don’t know about him. Jay knows it’s his fault since he put the distance between the two of you. Yet here you are, talking to people he’s known for years like you’ve known them all your life.
Jay can talk to you, but it won’t be today.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
Luck is (or isn’t) 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.
Regretfully, Jay wasn’t 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 he’d bumped into someone. It took him a few seconds to register he had humped into you.
“Oh,” you say, startled.
“Shit,” Jay curses. “I’m sorry. I, uh, wasn’t watching where I was going.” He pockets his phone. “I should really start doing that.”
“You’re lucky I don’t have coffee in my hands,” you say with a laugh. “It’s fine, Jay.”
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 doesn’t say anything stupid.
He meets you at the cashier line and notices what you’re 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.
“You look stunning.”
To his horror, you look back and catch him looking at you.
“Thank you,” he hears you say after a long pause. Jay feels his cheeks reddening.
“Sorry,” he apologizes. “That was weird, wasn’t it?”
He’s surprised when you shake your head.
“Not 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 I’d spent so much money on it, so I’m glad someone likes it.”
That same, shy smile adorns your face. But this time, you aren’t looking away from him. That makes Jay’s heart flutter and for once, he feels like he’s got a shot at making things right with you.
“You really do look stunning,” Jay tells you as he looks you directly in the eye. He doesn’t dare let his gaze wander.
Before either of you can say anything, the cashier is waving you towards the counter. He doesn’t 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.
“You don’t have to pay for me,” you tell him.
“I know,” he says with a meek smile. “But let me, yeah?”
You don’t 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.
The two of you are quiet for a while. It’s 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.
“It’s good to see you again,” is what Jay settles with. You turn to look at him. “I didn’t realize you were the borrowed partner. It’s good to see that you achieved your dreams.”
You don’t know how to respond. You choose to respond honestly.
“It makes me happy knowing that we both made it,” you tell him. “Heeseung told me he promoted you to senior partner a few months ago. That’s incredible.”
“Not as incredible as being the youngest person to be named senior partner at Tang-Young.” Jay smiles at you. “That’s incredible.”
“It feels that way,” you tell him earnestly. “I used to think days like these were far-fetched, like I’d never be named senior partner or have my foot in the door. It feels crazy to feel put together for once.”
“I know the feeling,” Jay agrees. “I have my own place and haven’t had any help from my parents since I graduated law school. I’ve been on my own for a while now.”
The barista calls out your orders. Jay lets you pick up your beverage before he takes his.
“Do 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.” Jay opens the door for you and lets you walk outside first before he follows.
“I picture myself out there when I first joined the firm,” Jay confesses. “I was so young and naive…I didn’t have a clear picture of what I wanted to do with my career yet.”
“It’s insane how much time has passed,” you comment, looking both ways before crossing the street. Jay doesn’t think you say it as you do on purpose, but emotions tug on his heart strings. “I feel like I was just a first year associate only a few days ago.”
Jay swallows harshly. “A lot has changed. Some for the better…some for the worst.”
You finally look at him when the two of you reach the other side of the road. He doesn’t 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 he’d say to you or what he’d do to make up for his shortcoming years prior but he doesn’t know how to start. He doesn’t know what he should do first or if you’d consider hearing him out.
Today is an indication that you might be, is the conclusion Jay comes to.
The cliches of time slowing down is what he feels when you stop to look at him. He feels like you’re staring through his soul, almost as if you’re inspecting him from head to toe. Jay doesn’t know what you’re thinking and he’s too afraid to ask. He can’t tell what’s going on in your head with your emotionless expression, rocking back and forth to keep his balance.
Did he say the wrong thing? Jay bites his tongue and wishes he could wake up from whatever dream he’s having. This doesn’t even feel real. He can barely hear the sound of taxis and people around him through the thumping of his own heart. Jay can’t see anyone else but you, so he reckons he could open his eyes and still be in his bed.
But he blinks and you’re still standing in front of him.
“Things might’ve changed and so do people. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
He watches you walk towards the entrance of the building and forces himself to jog until he’s 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.
“Oh good,” Heesueng says, “Y/N, you’re here. I know you have to appear in court in a few hours and I was wondering if you’d be willing to stop by Attorney Ahn’s office.”
“Ahn?” you ask him quizzically. “What for?”
“We secured an agreement for them to hand over the Hybe’s contracts. They didn’t 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?”
“Sure thing,” you tell him with a nod. “I should be leaving in about an hour. No idea when I’ll be back, but I planned to put in some extra hours. Might as well get a head start by looking at those files.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” Heeseung praises before walking back into his office.
“I’m kind of offended neither of you invited me to get coffee,” Jake says as he hands Jay a manila folder.
“Maybe if this file was on my desk yesterday, I would have,” Jay says with the quirk of his mouth.
Jake shakes his head dramatically. “Do you see what I have to deal with, Y/N? It’s like he wants to punish me.”
“Punishing you would be making you go to housing court three times a week, but I don’t,” Jay retorts. “Instead, you get to work with the big kids.”
“Atta boy,” Jake says as he elbows Jay’s side. “But seriously, I want an invite next time.”
“We ran into each other this morning but how about you and I go together tomorrow morning, say around eight?”
“I think you’re my favorite attorney!” Jake exclaims.
You turn to Jay. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Yes,” Jay accepts immediately. “Yeah, uh, I’d love to join.”
“Great.” You look between them with a pleasant smile. “Well if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to prepare for trial. See you this afternoon?”
“Count on it,” Jake says with a mock salute.
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 he’s 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 Jay’s, waiting for him to follow suit.
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 didn’t make him feel like a belittled mess. Law school was over and Jake couldn’t help but feel nervous about practicing law in the real world where the consequences would be more fatal than a bad test score.
Jay was in need of an associate at the time and there didn’t seem to be anybody who could step up to the plate and deal with Jay’s 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.
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.
It’s why Jake can see the conflict in Jay’s eyes when he sees him looking at you. Jay’s stare is far away, almost as if he’s 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.
Jay clears his throat when he realizes he’s been quiet.
“Do you have the briefing for the damage collection case?”
Jake stares at his friend. “I’ll give it to you if you tell me what’s going on between you and Y/N.”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Jay sputters in an attempt to seem calm. His heart is beating twice as fast. Jake merely shakes his head.
“Nah, man. You look at Y/N like you’re seconds away from telling her you’re in love with her.”
“I am not in love with her,” Jay defends immediately. He sees Jake raise his eyebrow and disconnects eye contact. “We used to know each other in law school and now we aren’t as close anymore.”
“See, that’s the thing. I know that. Everyone else knows that too. But there’s something neither you nor Y/N are acknowledging and there’s tension in the air whenever you two are in the same room.”
“There’s no tension.”
Jake deadpans. “There’s so much tension. Even Riki can sense it.”
“Don’t bring interns into this.”
“I’m not bringing anyone into anything,” Jake replies. “It’s you and your weird mojo that needs to be fixed.”
“My mojo?”
“You’ve been off kilter for the past month,” says Jake. “I’m your right hand, you know? I’m with you for ninety percent of the week. I can tell when something’s bothering you.”
Jay sighs. “It’s complicated, Jake. I…did some things in the past that I wasn’t proud of and I can’t bring myself to talk to Y/N, especially knowing how it all went down.”
“You don’t have to be so cryptic about it,” Jake says sarcastically.
Take a seat,” Jay instructs. “You’ll want to sit down.”
Recounting the story to Jake makes Jay feel like he’s 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.
Truthfully, Jay knew you didn’t deserve to be treated the way he treated you. He viewed you as the epitome of sunshine even if you didn’t believe him on most days. Your quiet demeanor hid a blooming flower. You deserved more than a coward who couldn’t own up to his feelings.
They stay in Jay’s 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.
“Shit,” Jake says, leaning back to clutch against Jay’s chair.
“Indeed.” Jay averts his attention to the city below his office from his window. “I don’t 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.”
“Have you ever considered that Y/N has moved on?”
Jay shakes his head. “Heeseung said the same thing but this isn’t something you get over, Jake.”
“You 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.”
“I used to think she never had the guts to stand up for herself when people were meant to her,” Jay confesses. “I’d get so frustrated and we’d get into arguments because I’d tell her she doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. But Y/N would always tell me that some battles aren’t worth fighting. I never understood it then.”
“And now?”
Jay sighs. “Seeing her here, making friends with all of the associates and walking into Heeseung’s 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 didn’t have a problem telling people off if they deserved it.
“But she was quieter. Maybe it was by nature or maybe it was because she didn’t like talking unless she had a reason to. I don’t know. But when I look at her now, I don’t see that angry, frustrated person anymore. I can’t begin to describe it. It’s like she broke out of her shell and became a completely different person. More confident, I’d say.”
Jake nods. “You know, she told me and Sunoo that she has a tattoo of a butterfly on her hip.”
“A butterfly?”
“A butterfly. A monarch, I think. Anyway, the type doesn’t matter. It’s just funny that you think she’s come out of her shell when butterflies start out as caterpillars and have to go through their metamorphosis period before becoming a butterfly.”
Jay bites his lip in contemplation. Jake continues.
“Monarch butterflies migrate to warm weather once a year because they can’t 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.”
“I never thought about it like that,” Jay says. “I knew she was working from New York but I always thought it was to get away from me.”
“Maybe in the beginning,” Jake adds. “Maybe 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.”
“I will never forgive myself for not calling her after we graduated.”
“You don’t have to, but I think Y/N has.” Jake leans his elbows on Jay’s desk and looks the man in the eye. “Look, I know I haven’t known her for as long as you have, but in the month we’ve worked together, I’ve learned a lot from her. I’ve seen her talk to the opposing counsel in depositions and learned that she can get to the point without saying much. She’s really confident in herself and is almost always willing to help associates when they approach her.
“What I’m 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 you’ve come in your career and I’m sure Heeseung knows how much you’ve changed as a person since you graduated. But you can’t keep living in the past if you want to move forward.”
Jake’s 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 he’d like to admit and can’t 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.
But he needs to let that go. He’s not the person who decides whether or not he deserves forgiveness. You are.
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 it’s not related to the litigation. He can talk to you when it’s in conjunction about the Hyb case, but he can’t talk to you about anything else.
Jay needs to start trusting you and your judgment in a way he couldn’t before. But unlike now, Jay wasn’t 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, you’re a stranger he knows everything about.
“You’re right,” Jay nods. “I’ve been so caught up in dealing with this shock that I forgot Y/N’s had to deal with it longer. It makes sense that she isn’t as shaken up as I am.”
“She’s smart and way more perceptive than you give her credit for. I think Riki’s about to ask Y/N to adopt him because she keeps talking to him in Japanese.” Jake smiles. “Speaking of which.”
Jay quirks his eyebrow. “Speaking of what?”
“You so clearly still have feelings for Y/N.” Jay opens his mouth and immediately closes it.
“Lying to you would be useless, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m also more perceptive than you think. That, and you talk about her like she saved your cat from a tree, or something.”
“I can’t help it,” Jay sighs as he rubs his face. “Being around Y/N makes me feel the way I did all those years ago. I don’t 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, it’s like watching everyone else meet the Y/N i knew she always was, just more openly. It’s weird to see her talking to everyone but in a good way, you know? She’s not apologizing for who she is anymore.”
“Like I said,” Jake says, “Y/N’s a butterfly.”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
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.
Throughout the entire day, he’s been reminding himself that he has also grown and matured since the last time you saw him. He’s 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. Jay’s tendency to falter in himself has diminished over the years, especially since working at a legacy company such as Lee & Associates.
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 don’t 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.
Jay’s 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 aren’t as fortunate as him. If Lee & Associates wasn’t as philanthropic and as morally-good as Jay would’ve hoped, he doesn’t know if he would’ve said yes to their offer when it was offered to him.
He decides to take a break and head over to the break room when he bumps into Sunghoon, who has a scowl etched on his face.
“Hoon,” Jay says, tugging on Sunghoon’s arm to force him to stop walking. “Are you alright?”
“No,” he mumbles.
Jay’s eyebrows contort in confusion. “What’s happening? Is there anything I can do? Talk to me.”
Sunghoon sighs. “It’s nothing you can fix, unfortunately. Remember when Heeseung asked Y/N to get the Hybe contract files from Ahn?”
“What about it?”
“Y/N met with him in his office and he sent her home with one box.”
“I don’t understand why that’s a bad thing.”
Sunghoon points behind Jay, who sees a room filled to the brim with boxes.
“He sent the rest here.”
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.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Jay says as his eyes scan the boxes piled on top of one another. “How could we possibly get through all of this?”
“Hybe’s burying us in paperwork so we look unprepared in our next meeting,” you say in disbelief. “I wish I could’ve slapped that smug look off of his face when he gave me only one of the damn boxes.”
“We might have to fight about who gets to do that.” Heeseung curses under his breath. “We’ve got two weeks before our next hearing to determine the next step in the settlement.”
“It looks like they’re gonna win,” Sunghoon grains from beside Jay. “They’re not giving up the recoupment clause.”
“The answer is in here somewhere,” Jay adds. “We just have to find it.”
“We’ll be up all night.” You look somewhere between defeated and determined, although Jay isn’t sure which is which.
“Not if we work together,” says Jungwon, who has Sunoo and Riki standing behind him. The five of you look behind you to see them standing in the doorway. “We want to help.”
“We can’t possibly ask you to do that,” Heeseung says. “I know the expectation is that you stay later than six in the evening, but this is too much to ask of you guys.”
“You aren’t asking,” Sunoo insists as he sits down in front of Heeseung. “Jay 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.”
“I want the practice as well,” Riki agrees, taking a seat next to Sunoo. “Jungwon and Sunoo have been teaching me how to read these types of documents and pull relevant information out of them. I’d really appreciate the experience.”
“You’re sure about this?” Jay asks.
“We’re positive,” Sunoo confirms.
“Well, you guys can go home at any point,” Heeseung says. “This goes for everyone in the room. God only knows how much bullshit we’ll have to dig through.”
The sun starts to wane over the blue sky when Jay decides he needs a change of scenery. He’s 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 he’ll be in his office if anybody needs anything.
You watch him stand up from where you’re 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.
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.
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’ve 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, you’ve done the same thing.
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.
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 you’d 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.
It brings a set of uneasiness to your stomach. You’ve 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.
Gathering the courage to knock on his door, you force yourself to do it before you convince yourself to back out.
Jay looks up at you like you’re the last person he expected to see. It makes your stomach drop.
“Sorry,” you mutter when he doesn’t motion for you to enter. “I’ll go.”
“No!” Jay says immediately. He clears his throat and puts his pen down, waving you into his office. “Come in, please.” 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.
“I needed a break from sitting in the same spot,” you tell him, standing before his desk and looking at the decor around the room. “I see you still love collecting vinyls.”
“My collection has definitely grown,” 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.
When the air settles around you, a sense of nervousness washes over your body. Suddenly, you can feel your entire weight on the chair you’re on top of. You can hear the clock that resides from just outside of his office and your mouth becomes too dry to handle.
You’re not sure why you’ve come to see Jay. You don’t know what you’d 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, don’t matter anymore. You look back at yourself and think of it as silly even though that’s 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 you’ve done.
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 what’s left in this room.
It isn’t 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 aren’t in contact with anymore. Nobody in your life knew about what had happened because you hadn’t 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.
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.
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 wouldn’t get what you asked for as you wanted it.
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.
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. They’d already expected the best out of you, so perhaps being interested in law was the only thing you’ve ever done that made your parents feel as though you were worth celebrating.
Separating yourself post-high school and college was easier than ever before, especially when they hadn’t shown up to your law school graduation.
That final nail in the coffin is what solidifies what remained of the relationship. You wouldn’t 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.
“I was wondering if I could look through the paperwork with you.”
Jay’s eyes widen. “With me?”
“Only 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.”
Jay looks at you through his lashes and can’t believe the grace he’s 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,
“I…I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” Jay says. It’s as if the filter on his mouth has disappeared because he can’t stop talking about what he’s thinking about. “I didn’t 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 don’t have the right to say this, so forgive me, but I really missed you.”
That shy smile he always knew you to have adorned your lips.
“I missed you too,” you tell him. “There are a lot of things I’ve 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.”
“I used to think about what would happen if I ever saw you in court,” Jay confesses. “I’d like to believe I’d say hi, or something.”
“I probably would’ve done the same thing. Do you still play guitar?”
“Every chance I get,” Jay smiles. “I’ve added a few electric and acoustics editions to my collection. I have an entire music room back at home.”
“I always remembered you being so musically gifted. If you didn’t become a lawyer, you probably would’ve been a successful musician.”
“You always flattered me too much.”
“Why stop now?
Jay smiles at you. “Do you still want cats?”
“I have a cat called Miso. I’ve had her for a few months. She’s still such a small baby. Is it bad that I’m considering getting another one?”
“Not at all,” Jay agrees. “But three might make you a cat lady.”
You pretend to weigh your options. “I’ll think about it.”
“I can’t believe you lived in New York for a few years. I remember you loving the big city.”
“I think I’ve changed a bit,” you tell him. “I 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?”
“Definitely,” Jay nods. “My place is in a high rise so I don’t 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.”
“I live just on the outskirts of Seoul. It’s a good sized neighborhood in a family town. I like that it’s so quiet. I usually hear children who live in the houses play on the streets on weekend mornings.”
“That sounds like quite a peaceful life.”
You smile at him like you know something he doesn’t.
“Yeah, it really is.”
“Do you ever think about how long ago law school was?” you ask. “Sometimes I pinch myself when I’m given big responsibilities. I pinched myself over and over again when I was named senior partner and nearly gave myself a bruise.”
“I see the associates in the bullpen everyday and think about how that was me ages ago,” Jay responds. By now, he’s turned his attention from the document to you. “I used to be an insecure prick who pretended to have everything under control. I was so desperate to prove myself. I’m sure you know how that feels. I don’t think I got a wink of sleep in the first four years of my career.”
“You 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.
“But it’s rewarding, right? I feel like I’m doing something good with my life. And you know Heeseung, you know he wouldn't sign off on clients who are morally corrupt.”
“It feels incredible, honestly. Being able to help people makes me feel like I’ve served a good purpose. I used to think about texting you all the dumb mistakes people made when I was a first year. It’s hilarious to know how many professionals can’t remain professional.”
Jay’s smile weakens as his guilt creeps back into his mind.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly yet firmly.
You look at him. “I know. Let’s focus on the case, yeah?”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
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.
“Jay woke up late again,” he snickers as he pockets his phone. “He probably won’t be at the office until eight.”
“It’s fine,” you tell him. “We all need beauty sleep after yesterday.”
“Ahn can kiss my ass. I felt like I was knee deep in paperwork. My eyes were gonna fall out of their sockets.”
“You and me both,” you sigh, retrieving your beverage and pastry. The warmth lifts your mood. “I’ve seen my fair share of paperwork and dirty moves, but they never cease to surprise me.”
“The audacity of him to give you one box to leave with, too,” Jake says with venom in his tone. “I’ll punch him for you.”
“How about you hold him down while I do the punching?”
“I like your style.”
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.
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.
Working with Jay in his office felt normal. Sitting in front of him and getting to know his life as he built it wasn’t 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.
You could tell Jay had more to say than he led on. But hearing a full confession or an apology in the office didn’t feel right. It’s 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. You’re owed the decency of no distractions, at least, even if you’ve done the work to grow and heal.
There was once a time you swore you’d 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?
The answer isn’t simple. It wasn’t until you realized running away from Korea and relocation to New York didn’t make you as happy as you thought it did.
You were lying to yourself when you’d 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.
Years of running resulted in a sudden crash. It was like your life wasn’t 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 you’d 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.
That realization made it easier to forgive Jay. Truthfully, you didn’t know if you’d ever see him again and the thought of what you would say if you came face-to-face with him, or what apologies you would’ve wanted to hear from him, didn’t 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. You’d look at yourself in the mirror and slowly begin to like what you saw looking back at you.
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 isn’t up to you to figure out why.
You’re brought out of your thoughts when Jungwon knocks on your door.
“Y/N?” he asks timidly.
“What’s up?”
“Do you have the time to go over these case files with me?” Jungwon asks. “I 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.”
You smile at him. “I’ll make time.”
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 city’s 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 he’s everybody’s favorite paralegal.
“This stuff is insane,” Jungwon comments. You look up at him to see a scowl etched on his face. “How can people willingly take advantage of people trying to pursue their dreams?”
“I don’t know,” you tell him honestly. “It kills me to see greedy corporations treat people like they don’t matter.”
“It’s unfair,” Jungwon says. “If I had my way, I’d stick it to these music executives. Screw Ahn for burying us in paperwork.”
“Making the musician pay back a certain fee feels almost impossible, doesn’t it?” you ask Jungwon rhetorically. “It almost feels like the label is stealing talent and profiting off of it wherever and whenever they can.”
“These poor people are trying to make a living doing what they love. None of this is fair. It’s stupid for labels to require a certain number of albums to be made under contract.”
“Even more stupid when labels cut them loose because they can’t pay back the recoupment quickly.”
“If I had time in the courtroom with Attorney Ahn, I think I’d rip him a new one.”
You laugh. “How long have you been a paralegal, Jungwon?”
“A couple of years,” he tells you. “I’m thinking about other career options in the meantime, but I love my job and I love helping the associates when they ask me.”
“Why would you think of different career paths if this is what you love to do?”
He sighs. “I’m not good at testing. I mean, I took the bar and failed. It feels like it’s too late for me, you know?”
“Well, you could always take it again.”
He shakes his head. “It’s no use. I’m not good at practice tests but I could tell you about any case. I’ve been at this job long enough to discuss concepts and have them make sense, but it’s 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.”
“Testing used to be my greatest enemy.”
“What changed?”
“Jay, 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.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize you guys used to be so close.”
“I’d say he was my closest friend in law school. It’s nice to see him again after all these years.”
Jungwon doesn’t press further, instead returning his attention to the documents below him.
“Ending the recoupment expectation means the artist can keep the profit from the moment it’s been released, right?”
“They’ll have to split their earnings with people who worked on the project based on copyright laws, but yes, essentially.”
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.
“This is what I love about my job,” he begins. “I love helping people because it’s what I feel like I was meant to do. I love solving problems and I love fixing them.”
“You owe it to yourself to try, you know,” you encourage. “Going to law school isn’t easy, but not many people can say they have your experience. You’ve got a few years of working with associates and partners under your belt. There’s no reason to be afraid of taking the LSAT.”
“I guess I’m just nervous that I won’t be good enough,” Jungwon confesses. “Every day, I’m surrounded by the smartest people I know who all graduated from the best law school in Korea. How could I ever compete with that?”
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. Jungwon’s 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.
His words remind you of moments when you felt small, like the world was too big and you’d 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 don’t know why you spent so many years yearning for their approval, but never getting it felt too familiar.
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 you’d 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.
They agreed to let you go under the condition that they pay for the first year before you’d need to pay for the remaining two. It felt unfair and it still feels unfair. But what’s 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.
“You say you’re worried about committing to a career path, but it seems like you’ve got your heart set on becoming a lawyer,” you tell him. “Don’t you think you should explore that?”
Jungwon smiles at you.
“I think I will.”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
Jay finds you in the break room laughing with Jungwon when he’s able to pull himself away from meetings. You look gorgeous when you laugh as freely as you are, like you aren’t shy about showing people what you look like when you smile. It warms his heart to hear that fluttering laugh of yours.
“You’re serious about helping me study for the LSAT?” he hears Jungwon ask you.
“Dead serious. It’ll take some time but the test comes around a few times a year. Take it easy, okay? There’s no need to rush.”
The younger boy sees Jay approach and nods his head. “I should get going. See you later, Y/N!”
“Jungwon’s taking the LSAT?” Jay asks when the former disappears.
“I’m trying to convince him. He told me earlier about why he’s hesitant to go to law school but I think Jungwon can do it if he really tries.”
“I think so too,” Jay agrees. “He’s the only person in this office who knows what’s going on. Might as well promote him to first year associate. We’ll definitely miss him around the office, though.”
“All the more reason to hire him when he graduates.”
Jay smiles. This kind of generosity is something he always thought of you.
“Anyway, I have a meeting in thirty minutes and I’m considering canceling if not for the free lunch.”
“Hot young finance wannabe taking you out to an expensive steakhouse?” he jokes.
“Try a sixty-year old former housewife afraid that her assets are in shambles when they haven’t been touched in years,” you laugh. “The restaurant is a dim sum place by my apartment and I will never say no to dim sum.”
“Bummer,” Jay says, biting back a smile. “I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee before the afternoon rush.”
“Can we rain check?” you ask eagerly. “I’d love to get coffee with you again.”
“I would love that. Are you going to be back in the office this afternoon, though? I’ll keep my door open for you.”
“I’ll be back around three,” you tell him with a shy smile. “I’ll be sure to knock.”
Jay shakes his head. “You can walk in. I’ll make an exception for you.”
The atmosphere around the office has changed when you come back and sit with him to work. It’s like the distance and wrongdoings have been erased when it’s 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.
You find that you’re able to get work done much faster without the impending doom of awkwardness lingering around the two of you. Jay’s 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.
For Jay, it feels the same. His guilt has subsided, not because he feels absolved, but because he feels like he’s 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.
It isn’t 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.
“Let’s get noodles before going home? For old time’s sake,” Jay asks you.
“It’s like you read my mind.”
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.
“Woah, slow down before you choke on the soup,” Jay teases.
“Cut me some slack,” you whine. “This is definitely not the first time you’ve watched me inhale my food.”
Jay laughs. “I remember when you couldn’t stop eating the shumai from across my apartment. You must’ve thrown up twice? I think?”
“That night single handedly made me watch how much I ate in one sitting.” You recoil at the memory. “But I still love shumai. Just not as much.”
“Or that time you went through a phase where you couldn’t stop drinking fruit-flavored punch and got so nauseous that you almost skipped the last exam before winter break.”
“I made it, though! I think I got a ninety-one on that test? But who cares. Law school was forever ago.”
Jay’s eyes soften.
“I really am sorry,” he begins. “I’ve been thinking about when the best time to talk to you is, but everyday there’s something new between the Hybe case and other things that need our attention. So, I’m sorry if right now it seems like it’s coming out of the blue.
“It’s selfish of me to say it when you’re eating, I know. I just want you to know how sorry I am for being a coward and for leaving you standing.” Jay’s eyes falter and he looks back at his bowl of soup before forcing himself to look you in the eye. “I couldn’t 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.”
“Jay–”
“I don’t know if this counts for much, I’d like to think I’ve grown since then. I’ve learned to be empathetic and that I can’t run away from things just because it was too much or because I was scared about how I felt about you.” He swallows harshly. “I really, really liked you back then.”
You bite your lip. “I really liked you too.”
“Working 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 should’ve told Iseul to shove it down her throat and walk out with you instead of leaving you alone. I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m so fucking sorry.”
In your years imagining what this moment would look like, it wasn’t like this. It wasn’t in a small noodle stop sitting in an expensive dress. It wasn’t at the end of a long workday where your thoughts are all over the place. It certainly wasn’t with Jay sounding as honest and as sincere as he is now.
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.
But the man in front of you looks like he’s 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 doesn’t help that your feelings for Jay never went away. It certainly doesn’t 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.
Jay’s guilty and he knows it. He’s willing to live with the consequences, but your silence is killing him.
Instead of speaking, you push your hand to reach for his and pry his fingers off of his chopsticks. Jay’s eyes snap to your hands touching his, afraid that if he moves, you’ll be gone quicker than he can register.
“You were never one for words,” you begin to say. Jay’s heart sinks to the bottom of his chest. “I 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.
“I don’t 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.”
Jay’s mouth quirks. “I remember that.”
“What I’m trying to say is, I know you’re being honest with me now. The fact that you said all of that in a noodle shop tells me more than you know.”
He chuckles. “It’s a little poetic, isn’t it?”
“Considering we spent maybe half of our time together eating ramen, I’d say so.”
He squeezes your hand. “The last thing I want you is for you to feel like I’m forcing you to say something you don’t want to, or even forgive me. I don’t want to make you feel like you have to do something you aren’t ready to do.”
“One thing you should know about me is that I always do as I please.” You squeeze his hand back. “You’ll know how I feel, Jay. Right now, I feel very strongly about you.”
The two of you look at each other before the doorbell chimes. You two pull your hands apart as if you’re 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.
As for you, the warmth of the broth is almost as warm as your cheeks.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
Nothing is going according to plan.
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.
It’s taken a toll on you. You’re 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 you’ve gotten. Riki and Jungwon are the same, waving to you from outside of your office because you’ve spent a majority of your time there.
Jay’s noticed it as well. He remembers the moments when you’d 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.
It’s 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 you’re working at your desk. Jay sees the way you shake your head to fight to stay awake and how unfocused you’ve become during meetings.
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.
It’s 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.
You look at him with bloodshot eyes and tears at the brim. Jay’s 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 Jay’s arms. He hates seeing you cry and he hates knowing that there’s nothing he can do to make you feel better.
Jay makes the decision for you. He wastes no time and tugs you closer to his chest.
He doesn’t 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 you’d let him touch you like this, so intimately woven together as if the two of you were always meant to be together.
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. He’s glad he came back.
“Sorry,” 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.
“Don’t be,” he tells you. “God knows how many times I’ve cried in this bathroom.”
You smile. “You’ve cried in the women’s restroom?”
Jay pinches your arm. “You know what I mean.”
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 don’t 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.
Jay doesn’t want to push his luck. He’s 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 won’t 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.
“Life is so hard,” you say, grabbing his hand and toying with the rings on his fingers. “I feel like nothing I’m doing is amounting to anything.”
“That’s not true,” 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. “You’ve done a lot of good, you know that? You wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t.”
You return the ring back to Jay’s hand. “I know. This case is keeping me up at night. I get nightmares about Ahn’s stupid, smug grin after telling us we wasted our time trying to fight Hybe.”
“You and I both. Sometimes, our efforts feel futile when all we do is stare at paperwork and hold empty promises to our clients.”
You nod in agreement. “I just want to be at a place where I don’t feel like I’m 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.”
The two of you remain silent for a few peaceful moments. It doesn’t feel awkward and neither of you feel pressed to say anything. The comfort that you feel with Jay is something he’s been praying for. He’d 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 you’re starting to trust him again.
“Why don’t you go home and get some sleep?” He tries not to smile when you shake your head.
“Can you stay here with me?”
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 there’s nothing he can’t achieve, and it isn’t until you kiss his cheek that Jay feels as though he might melt into a puddle.
“Get home safe, okay?” you ask of him.
“Anything for you.”
He closes the door behind you and watches the taxi drive away until it’s out of sight. Jay pulls his phone out and begins to hover this thumb over a certain phone number he hasn’t called in a while, arguing back and forth with himself until he hastily presses the ‘call’ button and puts the phone to his ear.
One, two. Click.
“Hello?” comes the voice from the other line.
“Hey,” Jay says. He clears his throat. “I’m sorry to call you out of the blue. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but I’m calling about Y/N.”
“Is she okay?”
“Relatively speaking.” Jay takes a deep breath before continuing. “We’re working on this case together. I’m sure she’s told you about it and I think it’s 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.”
“Sounds like classic Y/N if you ask me.”
Jay laughs. “I found her crying in the office tonight and we talked a little. I just sent her home in a cab. I know I don’t have the right to ask anything of you, but this is Y/N. Can you give her a call and make sure she’s alright?”
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, he’s prepared to have his heart broken in two and for everything he knows to fall apart around him.
It doesn’t.
“I’m in Seoul, actually. Don’t tell anyone, though. I’ll visit Y/N.”
“Thank you,” Jay breathes.
“Of course. We both know she would have kept to herself until it’s too late.”
“That we do.” Jay swallows harshly. “I also just wanted to say…I’m sorry. For everything. I wasn’t the greatest friend, haven’t been the greatest friend, but I want to do everything I can to make things right. I’ve already apologized to Y/N but apologizing to you feels right.”
He hears a small chuckle from the other side. “You’re a good person, Jay, even if you make bad decisions every once in a while. The fact that you’re calling me after everything you’ve done tells me how much you’ve changed.”
“I…thank you. I don’t know what I’m looking for. But apologizing feels right.”
“It’s a good start. Thanks for calling, man.”
“Take care.”
The line ends and Jay walks back into the office with a happy heart.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
A knock comes at your apartment door and your heart starts to spike. It’s nine in the evening and you’re 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.
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.
“Namjoon,” you breathe.
“In the flesh,” he says with that same boyish smile he gives you when he sees you after coming home from overseas. “Are you gonna let me in or are you gonna let me freeze to death?”
“With that attitude, you can starve too,” 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. “What the hell are you doing in Seoul?”
“The boys and I got back earlier this morning,” Namjoon tells you. “Promotions are over and we get two weeks to rest before we start preparing for the next tour.”
“God, I can’t believe you guys are going on tour again,” you say, patting the spot next to you on the couch for Namjoon to sit on. “It feels like you guys just started working on the album.”
“Seokjin said the same thing,” says Namjoon, who puts his feet on the coffee table before you chide him with a playful slap to the bicep. “The guys and I decided we weren’t gonna see each other until tour rehearsals. God knows we’ve spent too much time together in the past few months.”
“How are they?” you ask him. “I’ve only seen updates on those fan accounts that update your every move, which is somewhat creepy but every wholesome at the same time.”
Namjoon laughs. “The guys are fine. Taehyung and Hobi spent most of the promotions shopping and came home with two duffel bags each. Yoongi’s probably gonna sleep for the next two weeks. Jungkook got ripped, and I mean ripped.”
“I 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.”
“Jimin’s just…Jimin. He says he misses you and that the two of you should get together before it gets busy.”
“I would love that.” You lean your head on his shoulder. “I missed you guys a lot. More than I care to admit, probably.”
“See, I told you all our sibling rivalry would disappear when we got older.”
“Yah. Whatever you say. We’re still enemies at heart.” Miso purrs against Namjoon’s lap. “I think she likes you more than me.”
Namjoon smiles down at Miso. “Jay called me earlier tonight. He says you haven’t been feeling very well.”
“Jay is a tattletale.”
“Did he lie?”
You sigh. “No, he didn’t.”
“What’s on your mind?”
“So many things that I don’t even know where to begin. There’s the Hybe case, which has made me want to blow my brains out.”
Namjoon nods. “Ah, the Hybe case. It’s funny what a small label could do in ten years.”
“Seems as though your underground rapper dreams came true. Now you’re touring the world and forgetting to bring me back expensive gifts from abroad.” Namjoon chooses not to comment. “You know attorney Ahn, right? Well, he sent us dozens upon dozens of legal files for us to sort through before our next hearing. We’ve gone through eighty percent of them but it feels like we’re going nowhere. It feels useless”
“You’re doing more good than you know,” he tells you. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you’re giving a lot of hope to a lot of young musicians.”
You sigh. “I hope so. And then there’s the whole thing with Jay…I can’t remember what I last told you. I know I said that my feelings towards him have changed and that I’ve forgiven him, but spending as much time as I have has made me rethink a lot of things.”
“Like what?”
“Like whether or not it’s stupid of me to give him a second chance or if I should feel ashamed for liking him in the first place.” Namjoon watches you frown. “All those years and my feelings for him never went away.”
“Well, we can’t control how we feel.”
“He hurt me, Joon.”
“I know,” says Namjoon, “but that was years ago. In the months you’ve worked with him, has Jay given you any reason to doubt his sincerity?”
You think about it. “No, he hasn’t.”
“Has he apologized for what he did and is he being respectful of you?”
“Yes,” you say without hesitating.
“There’s your answer. You can’t let the past dictate people. I’m sure there are parts of you that have outgrown your younger self.”
“You 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.”
“Your New York friends knew the person that was angry at him, though. You stopped talking about Jay two years before you moved.”
“I know. I don’t know what’s stopping me from going for it.”
“Have you ever considered that you’re afraid things will turn out the same way it did all those years ago?”
You roll your eyes. “All the time, Joon.”
“Okay, fair point. Have you considered that you’re the one in control of how you react to things?” You purse your lips and Namjoon takes it as a sign to keep talking. “You 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 you’re ninety. But all of those scenarios are just what-ifs. You’ll never know until you make a decision and stick with it, otherwise your fears hold you back from reaching your true potential.”
“But what if it fails? I’m scared of becoming the person I was back then.”
“Well I, for one, know you’re much stronger than that. Working in corporate law makes you tougher, not weaker. But to speak on your concern, you’re the only person who can control how you react to things. If the timing isn’t right and you feel it coming, then you let go.”
His words sit with you as the soft sounds of the television plays in the back of your mind. For a few months, you’d 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.
But Namjoon’s right. You can only control your reaction to what cards you’re dealt with. Any wrongdoing by the hands of others isn’t your fault nor are they your responsibilities.
“As for the Hybe case,” Namjoon says as he brings you out of your thoughts, “I think I have a solution.”
“Oh yeah?”
He nods once. “The guys and I have been talking about this for a while. We’ve known about other musicians suing Hybe longer than you’ve known about this case and we didn’t 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 don’t know what got lost in translation, but it seems that fewer and fewer artists are able to experience what we did.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“We’re going to make a statement. With your approval, of course.” Namjoon tells you. “I 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.”
“Wait.” You use the remote to pause the TV. “You guys are going to speak at the hearing?”
“All seven of us,” he confirms. “It’s not fair that everyone else has to work twice as hard because of Hybe’s standards. We’ve been given this platform and it’s only fair that we use it to help other people.”
“God, I could cry right now.” Namjoon chuckles at the tears that have formed at the corner of your eyes and picks up a tissue before handing it to you. “You don’t know what this means to me, Joon.”
“I always told you I’d be here for you, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but I thought that meant buying me gifts paying for my takeout,” you joke, swatting his arm, “not saving the biggest case of my career.”
“I’m really proud of you, Y/N. Not a lot of people are as resilient as you.” He smiles down at you. “Oh, and you should also know about Jay.”
“What about him?”
“He apologized to me too,” Namjoon says. “I know what people sound like when they want something from me or say things because they know it’s what I want to hear. But Jay didn’t sound like that. He didn’t have to say anything since he was calling about you, but that in itself lets me know how sorry he is.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to know. Besides, it’s a Friday night and you have the entire weekend before you see him. Let’s watch cartoons like old times, yeah?”
“Yeah, but you better not sleep in the middle of the second episode.”
Namjoon laughs. “You wound me.”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
For the first time in a while, you don’t feel imminent doom as Monday approaches.
The sky is as sunny as you feel when you walk into the office. Sunoo and Jungwon seem rather pleased that you’re spending more time outside of your office and Heeseung makes several comments about how your mood has shifted from how it was last week.
“You’re telling me Namjoon stopped by and you didn’t tell me?” Heeseung chides. “I feel like chopped liver.”
“That’s because you are,” you tease. “The 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 you’d like to join.”
“I’m taking you up on this invite, thank you very much. Did you know Joon was gonna be back in town?”
“I didn’t, actually.” A knock comes from behind you and the man of the hour appears. “Jay called him.”
“Am I in trouble?” Jay asks. You smile and shake your head.
“Just the opposite. Thanks for calling my brother. It meant a lot to me.”
“You looked like you needed him and I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he tells you sincerely.
“It’s great that you’re both here, actually.” You close the door behind your office. “Namjoon 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 they’re willing to testify and speak on our behalf against Hybe.”
“What?”
You nod. “I think they’re starting to understand how unfair the new recording contracts are and want to make a difference. I know Judge Han’s granddaughters are fans of Bangtan, so I think their presence could sway the decision.”
“You fight dirty,” Heeseung says, bumping his hip with yours. “I love it. Are they ready to go up against Ahn?”
You shake your head. “They’re gonna schedule a meeting with us sometime in the next week to prepare. It’s 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.”
“This is fucking incredible,” Jay swears. “We owe you one.”
“You owe me nothing,” you tell him. “I love working with you two, honestly. Namjoon however…you might owe him a few.”
“I’ll pay for dinner under the company card and say it was a client business,” Heeseung says. “It’s a done deal. I’m gonna let the others know, if that’s okay?”
Heeseung leaves when you give in the greenlight, leaving you and Jay standing alone in your office.
“I meant what I said earlier,” Jay says. “I owe you one.”
“Seriously, Jay. You owe me nothing. It comes with the job.” He laughs and shakes his head.
“I’m bad at this.”
Jay bites his lip and reaches his hand out for yours, holding a loose grip in case you want to pull back. When you don’t, he takes the opportunity to push his fingers through yours.
“I’d love to take you out on a date,” he says. “As a thank you. But more so because I really like you and want to take you out like you deserve.”
You squeeze his hand. “If I said I wanted to stay indoors because this week will likely kick my ass, what would you do?”
Jay pretends to think. “In that case, I think I’ll cook us dinner while you watch with a glass of wine. If I recall correctly, that’s how most of our Friday nights looked like.”
You bite your lip. “You make a mean steak.”
“Whatever 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.”
You look at him in faux surprise. “Whatever do you mean, Park Jongseong?” Jay chuckles and takes a step closer towards you.
“Silly girl. I'll cook for us once this case is over, yeah? How does that sound?”
“Sounds like you’re after my own heart.”
Jay learns until you feel his lips land on your cheek.
“That I am.”
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, you’re met with Jake and Jungwon’s prying eyes from the bullpen, and watch as they high-five each other whilst giving you an array of thumbs ups and silent applause.
You struggle to get back to work.
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
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.
He’s grown up, for one. Jay’s 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 wasn’t as bad as you anticipated it to be, but you’re sitting in his penthouse and patting yourself on the back for making the suggestion to stay indoors.
It’s 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.
The steak is almost done cooking and Jay has spoon-fed you mashed potatoes until they’re 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 wouldn’t feel right to have dinner with Jay without commenting about how much of a professional he looks from where you’re sitting.
You know it’s the wine in your system intensifying your emotions, but you can’t help but stare at Jay’s muscles as he moves throughout the kitchen. He works effortlessly and seamlessly, never neglecting any part of the meal he’s prepared for you. The level of care and precision he’s exemplifying through his cooking, while simultaneously entertaining you, has rendered you a blushing, giggling mess. You’re sure Jay can tell that you’re already buzzed after two glasses, but he promised to drive you home so you don’t have anything to worry about.
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.
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.
When he’s 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.
Conversation flows like the two of you are out on a first date. You are, in a sense, but you’re also two long lost best friends who happen to have deep feelings for each other, finding yourselves once again. Perhaps it’s the alcohol that’s settled in your system with the headstart you had compared to Jay, or maybe it’s the soft look of adoration in Jay’s eyes when you laugh at his jokes, but tonight you feel as though you’re the only woman in his life who matters to him.
“I really missed you,” 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 you’re ready to eat again. “I missed this too, you know? Coming over and doing nothing but talking to you, I mean.”
“I’m here if you’ll have me,” Jay says. You’ve followed him to the kitchen, albeit wobbling because of the wine. Jay reaches out and steadies you with his arms until you’re pushing yourself to hug his body with your arms around his middle.
“You’re so warm.” 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.
“You’re even warmer, but I’ll bet it’s because you had half a bottle of wine.”
You playfully smack his arm. “Hey. You said you’d drive me home so I took that as a sign to get tipsy.”
Jay laughs. “I thought you might say something like that. Good thing I have a higher tolerance, isn’t it?”
You nod against him. “It’s the best.”
“Do you want to go home now?” 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. “Do you want to watch a movie? You can pick something off of Netflix and we can watch it until you’re ready to go home.”
“Sounds like a perfect idea,” you say, sighing out of content.
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 doesn’t want to scare you away. Jay comes to the realization that you likely aren’t 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.
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 he’s letting you take the lead when it comes to physical contact, unsure of just how comfortable you are with him yet. He’s only just gotten you back in his life. He doesn’t want to scare you away any time soon.
The movie you picked is somewhat interesting, although Jay can’t say he’s too keen on paying attention. In the first ten minutes, you’ve 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 you’re fully leaning on his chest, and Jay has a sneaking suspicion you’ve been slowly edging your way into this spot to not make him feel uncomfortable either.
He puts his free hand on your hip and squeezes your body to let you know he’s 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.
Jay doesn’t 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 you’re getting up to tell him you want to leave.
But you don’t. You shift to face him and push your body up until your face is right in front of his.
He can feel your breath on his lips. The scent of wine is long gone but your eyes look like they’re searching for something. Jay sees the way your throat constricts and he tries not to look down past where it isn’t appropriate.
“Is it bad that I want to kiss you?” you ask him just above a whisper.
Jay doesn’t say anything. He doesn't need to. Instead, he leans forward to push his lips against yours.
His lips touch your plush ones as his hands encircle your waist to hold you steady, like he’s afraid you’ll 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.
Jay pulls back to see you suppress a grin, but he pinches your side to get you to smile for him.
“You’re a really good kisser,” you say. “Had any practice?”
“Just my pillow and a few posters,” he jokes. “I needed to practice so I could kiss you like you deserve.”
He watches you blush. “Don’t say that. I feel like I’m sixteen again.”
Jay pecks your lips and lingers for a few seconds. “Good. You make me feel like a teenager too.”
“Oh yeah?” you ask, shifting yourself until you’re 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.
“Yeah,” he whispers just before you lean down to kiss him again.
Jay feels your hands wrap around his neck to hold him in front of you like you’re afraid he’s 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.
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 he’s being honest with himself, he’s ready to risk all that he has if that means seeing you as happy as you are in this very moment.
You whine when Jay’s 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 would’ve killed to hear the sounds you’re making right now and how lucky he is that this opportunity is being granted towards him. You sound like you’re enjoying yourself and that’s all Jay could ever ask of you.
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 you’re 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 you’re completely giving into him before pressing your palms against his body.
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.
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 don’t move to push his hands off as his fingers dip beneath the shirt you’re 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 Jay’s face. You gasp when you realize how hard he’s become underneath you.
“I’m sorry,” Jay begins to apologize. “You’re very attractive.”
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.
“You’re very attractive,” you tell him, slowly rocking your body backwards and forwards.
You move to push Jay’s 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 you’re wearing is anything to go by, he was correct in assuming you weren’t wearing shorts underneath his shirt.
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. Jay’s 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.
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 you’re fighting to stand upright against his lap, fighting to grip the couch and his body at the same time. Jay doesn’t let you breathe, however, until you’re pushing him away so that you can access his lips once again.
The kiss is wet and messy. It’s hot in the room and you’re pushing Jay’s hands until they cup your breasts. He pinches your nipples and watches in pleasure as you throw your head back.
“My baby likes that, doesn't she?” He pinches them again when you nod and it sends a shock straight down your spine and where you need him the most.
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 you’re squirming in his lap. He does the same with the other nipple until you’re pushing yourself against his cock that he grunts and nips at the bud before sucking it with his mouth.
The pleasure is almost too good to form words. Your mouth stays at a permanent ‘O’ with every swipe of Jay’s 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.
But you’re impatient. After the long years of daydreaming about Jay, you want nothing more than to have him inside of you.
“Please let me have it,” you whisper against his lips, pushing your body down onto his. “I need it so bad, Jay.”
“We can’t,” he chokes. He doesn’t want to push his luck. “I-I need to drive you home.”
Not even he believes this pathetic excuse.
“I don’t care. Drive me home tomorrow.”
Jay doesn’t 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.
“Just the tip,” you mutter against his mouth to convince him. “Please.”
“Just the tip,” 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.
Jay’s 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. It’s the kind of expression he’s wanted to see from you for so long. Jay can only hope you know that this is how he looks at you.
It’s quiet in the room, save for wanton breaths and the sound of your own arousal mixing with his precum. It’s so erotic to see you as desperate for him as he is for you because he’s 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.
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.
“Holy fuck,” you moan, balancing yourself on his hot tip. “Feels so fucking good.”
“Yeah?” Jay asks. “It does, doesn’t it?” You nod rapidly and Jay kisses the side of your mouth before moving to your neck.
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.
The two of you stay like that for a few minutes until your legs give out and you’re holding onto Jay’s neck as a silent plea for him to take over. He gets the hint, wrapping his arms around your body until you’ve 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.
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. He’s about to apologize until he feels your pussy clenching around him at the sudden intrusion.
“You’re so big,” you whisper to him. “S-So big. So good.”
“You feel fucking amazing,” Jay praises. “Such a wet pussy and I’ve barely done anything to you.”
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 Jay’s jawline and you do so until you feel him begging to thrust into you once again.
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 he’s 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 doesn’t want to move unless you tell him to.
It isn’t until you’re pushing yourself down onto his length that he speaks again.
“Baby,” he warns. “I thought–”
“Changed my mind,” you tell him desperately. “Unless you don’t want to.”
Jay nods. “I want to. Fuck, I want to.”
You kiss him hard before pushing down on him. “I just want you.”
Jay’s body falls limp when he feels your body glide up and down his cock like you’ve 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. It’s 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.
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 he’s 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 there’s nothing in this world that could take you away from him.
He pushes himself up until you’re 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 you’re moaning like somebody’s filming you. It’s all too much for Jay to handle, and he’s glad he feels you come undone before him.
“I’m cumming, I’m cumming!” you moan out, clenching against his cock as it works your body until completion.
Jay pulls out and finishes on your ass just after you’ve 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.
“You’re amazing,” he tells you between kisses. He tries to speak but you silence him with more pecks. “Let me clean you up, yeah?”
Your heart feels warm. You nod and let him pry your body off of his, carefully laying on your stomach so that the couch doesn’t 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.
“Stay the night?” he asks you.
“That was my plan, but I’m glad you brought it up before I did.”
Jay pinches your thigh and hears you laugh. He could die like this.
“Since it’s a weekend, I think you and I have a lot of catching up to do.” Jay kisses down your neck and between the valley of your breasts, gliding his lips along your stomach until they’ve reached just below your belly button.
“Oh? And what is it you’re promising, Park Jongseong?”
Jay smirks up at you from where he’s positioned.
“I have an idea in mind,” he says coyly, moving his mouth to press a chast kiss on your slit. “It has a lot to do with my mouth and my fingers.” Your body arches when Jay’s tongue licks a bold stripe up your slit.
“I like the sound of that. Would you let me return the favor?”
“Only if you cum on my tongue twice.”
You push his face into your core.
“Better get a head start.”
*✧･ﾟ─────────── *✧･ﾟ
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𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 ▸ park jay
PROFILES!
park jongseong in his simp era: year 5
a/n: i made their twt profiles when there was a rumour in twt/tiktok that hs and jy’s personal tiktok accs were leaked, hence the bio of hs’s profile.
please. i advise everyone to know our limit as a fan. leaking personal sns profiles are stupid and it’s literally illegal to invade someone’s privacy. that’s all. have a nice day!
TAGLIST — @iloveoceaneyesss @judeduartewannabe
#IT IS JUNGWON’S BIRTHDAY!!!#enhypen x reader#enhypen scenarios#enhypen imagines#enhypen fanfiction#enhypen social media au#enhypen social au#enhypen smau#park jongseong x reader#park jay x reader#jay park x reader#jongseong x reader#jay x reader#park jongseong x oc#park jay x oc#jay park x oc#jongseong x oc#jay x oc#park jay smau#park jongseong smau#jay smau#jongseong smau#park jay social media au#park jongseong social au#jay social media au#jongseong social media au#enhypen jay x reader#enhypen jay x oc#lee heeseung x reader#sim jaehyun x reader
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୨୧ 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐉𝐀𝐘𝐊𝐄 as your 𝐊𝐈𝐃'𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑 ( and something more.. )
w: not proofread, one cursing word, nicknames (baby, darling) idk what else.. pairings : kindergarten teacher!heejayke x mom!fem reader genre : fluff, crack letters count : 7.0k
[ dollie's note ] : i made this for my moot bay!! @ikeuverse <3 i hope you enjoy this~
𑇛᧙ 𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆 :
you two would meet at the one of the parents meeting. i don't think he would be confident enough to strike a conversation with you so he spends most of the time looking at your way when he is talking and making eye contact with you.
he would muster up the courage to talk to you one afternoon when you went to pick up your son, he was the last one in there since you left your work a little bit late but heeseung stayed with him.
the first thing he would say it's his name like if you didn't know it already LMAO you'll find it cute though.
you and your son have this dynamic to talk about your days on your way home so he tells you about his teacher lee heeseung and how cool he is and your heart melts when your kid tells you that you two should be friends
days pass with heeseung greeting you when you drop off s/n (son name) at the kindergarten but you don't pay too much mind to it until one day he asks you about your son's dad and you tell him that you both broke up when s/n was 1 year old and decided to coparenting but he didn't really care about the child and he was not present in yours and your son's life anymore.
heeseung thinks that your ex partner was a coward for leaving you and your son, he knows being a single mom is difficult and even more when you have to work and take care of your child at the same time so he offers to drop off s/n at your house so you wouldn't be picking him up late or hurrying up at work to pick him up at time. you're a bit hesitant at first but when you see how much you son enjoys being with heeseung and how much fun he has, you let him help you.
it became a routine in little not time. you and heeseung get to know each other better and grow more comfortable with each other.
heeseung was so sweet and caring that it didn't surprise you when one day he decided to ask you on a date. after THAT one date you went on more dates and finally he asked you out and you accepted.
seeing heeseung and your kid spend time together made your heart swell with happiness, they just looked so cute. heeseung was definitely the missing piece of your loving family.
“do you think he really likes me?” “he does loves you, heeseung”
𑇛᧙ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆 :
you and jongseong met at the park on your weekly “mom-daughter” day with d/n (daughter's name).
you were just sitting on a bench looking at your daughter play with some kids but you just happened to get a call from your mom to ask you about something and boom! when you looked up again, your kid wasn't there.
you panicked and started to look for her everywhere until you saw her in front of a ice cream cart AND HOLDING HANDS WITH A GUY. that's when you really panicked and called her name
them both turned around and she ran to you with an ice cream in her hand and a big smile on her face “mommy, i made a new friend” she told you and then waved at the man that was standing a few meters away so you waved at him, too and he waved back with a smile
that's how that day concluded.
AND NOW a month later you're dropping off your baby at the kindergarten and and the first thing you see is the same man your daughter met at the park and you got a little bit nervous (i mean who wouldn't. it's park jongseong y'all duh) but you as a polite lady you are, greeted him and from outside he was like "oh i know you" but in the inside he was even more nervous than you bc you looked so so sooo pretty and he thought that maybe he saved so many lives in his past life and that's why the deities have gifted him with you.
jongseong made it his personal goal for this new kindergarten year to win your heart so he took extra care of you daughter. atp she was his favorite student and her other classmates were kinda jealous bc she got (almost) all the attention but in reality he loved all his students the same it's just that he wanted to make you look at his way.
buddy was DESPERATE so one day he asked your daughter to sweet talk about him to her mom (you) and she was sooo confused like "why would i do that" but at the end they made a deal in which she would get well done stickers if he got close to you.
you found it lovely how your daughter seemed to really like her teacher since she wasn't the kind to bond that easily with someone to the point that everything she talked about when you dropped her and picked her from school and so you decided to befriend with jongseong so to show her that you appreciate him, too
well, time went by and as it did, you and jay got really close and one day he decided to take you on a date and then more dates and then you both started dating and let's say your daughter gets her well done stickers more often now
“what's 8 plus 8?" " it's sixteen!" "you're right, d/n!"
𑇛᧙ 𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐔𝐍 :
well.. lets just say that your son is not really that good at maths and jake, as his dear maths teacher, was worried about your child not getting good grades
you, as the mom, were worried about the same thing as well, so one day you (AS ANY OTHER MOM WOULD!!!) asked jake if he could be s/n's tutor and you would pay him (obviously)
jake accepted not only because he was genuinely worried of your kid's grade but because he thought you looked pretty too (you're gorgeous!!)
okay so your kid has been taking tutoring sessions with jake and you could see his grades eventually get better!! to the point that you started thinking that jake maybe is a wizard because how the heck you're so smart, patient, kind AND good looking?? all that in one???
and just like that.. you started to see your son's teacher as something more than your son's teacher :(( like, who wouldn't??
you felt AND acted so awkward around him. your face reddening everytime he smiled sweetly at you, your stomach fluttering when you heard his voice or feeling extra giggly and childish when your son mentioned jake and something random he had told him earlier that day
FYI you were NOT the only one feeling that way. there was this certain man called jake who just couldn't get you out of his mind and almost always (discreetly) asked about you to your very oblivious son
until one day in which jake woke up a little too confident and when the classes ended and you went to pick up your son he asked you to go out and eat something. my baby was super nervous and afraid that you'll reject his offer but when he heard you accepting bro ALMOST flew
what was an only date became a weekly thing between you, jake and (sometimes) your kid and you couldn't help but feel more and more helpless because its been MONTHS and jake hasnt asked you out yet
but one thing you need to know is that my bro jake really wants to ask you out but he doesn't clearly gets how he's supposed to approach you with the topic (he's shy)
so!! you got tired of it and asked him to date you instead :)) and that afternoon you both had free and you were making bcc in his backyard with your son playing with his dog on the grass was one of the best days you could every have had in your life
"jake is your stepdad now, darling" "but he was my teacher yesterday!" "he's still your teacher, too darling"
2024 seoniwoo.
do not plagiarize this work or any of my works.
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#enhypen imagines#enhypen#enhypen fluff#enhypen angst#enhypen x reader#lee heeseung#enhypen soft hours#enhypen heeseung#enhypen jay#enhypen jake#park jongseong#sim jaeyun#enhypen headcanons#enhypen scenarios#enhypen hyung line#enhablr#enhypen smau#enha imagines#enhypen moodboard#heeseung imagines#jongseong imagines#enhypen jaeyun#jaeyun moodboard#jaeyun x reader#sim jaeyun imagines#sim jaeyun x reader#enhypen x oc#enhypen x y/n#enhypen x you#❜୧ dollie's works
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I can’t be your love
you’re in love with jay
but does he feel the same?
you can’t quite figure that out
warnings/heads up: female character, beginning is a bit slow?? little angsty🎀, fluff, minimal curse words, small kisses here and there…I lowkey suck at building up chemistry/romance so please give tips thank you😞😞😞🙏🙏🙏
wc: idek but hella long that’s for sure
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
There he was.
You always lingered in the halls in hopes of getting even just a glimpse of him. His soft dark brown hair. Eyebrows that somehow looked better than yours. His cheesy little smile that seemed to never falter.
Park Jongseong. Or Jay for short. He was a junior, just like you. But he had this level of maturity that many boys around his age couldn’t reach even if they tried.
He was a gentleman. That’s what you liked about him. He was kind to everyone.
No wonder he had so many admirers.
“You’re going to get caught one day you know?”
You quickly turn around and meet the eyes of your best friend, Liz.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
You’re pretty sure your face has turned completely red judging from the way Liz is giggling at you.
“You’re so obvious. I don’t know why you haven’t tried to strike up a conversation with him, you clearly like him.”
Liz has stopped giggling now and peaks behind your shoulder to get a glimpse of your little crush.
“Judging by the way things are looking right now I’d say you need to act fast.”
You quickly turn around to see what she was talking about.
The once lonely Jay now had a girl by his side. They were laughing about something. He was wearing that cheesy smile you loved. There was a burning feeling at the pit of your stomach.
“Oh.”
“Oh? Yeah I think you need a break, let’s go.”
Liz took you by the hand and walked you to your next class.
———————————Time Skip———————————
It was cooking class now. Usually you would be beaming knowing you shared this class with Jay, but the moment you witnessed earlier had given you a twisted feeling.
“Okay class today is the start of a new semester. Which means new cooking partners. I would like you guys to partner up with someone you don’t usually talk to, trust me I know who you guys talk to.”
Maybe I should try to partner up with Jay. It wouldn’t hurt to try right? They might be just friends too, I’m looking much too into it.
You quickly scan the room in hopes of spotting him. You do. But someone had beat you to it. It was that girl again. As you were about to turn and look for another partner the teacher speaks.
“Emma please find another partner. I know the two of you are friends”
The girl, or Emma as you’ve just found out, turns around to face the teacher with a pout.
“But Ms. Smith”
“No buts ma’am”
“Jay tell her something!”
You turn to Jay who now has an…embarrassed expression?
“Emma you’ll be fine. It’s not like the world will end if we’re not partners. We can still talk to each other outside of class.”
Emma huffs and turns to find another partner.
“If you say so. See you after class then.”
You see Jay begin to look around to see if anyone witnessed the humiliating incident. Before you can turn to look away he catches you staring at him.
You immediately turn away and pretend to read the cooking book placed on the table in front of you.
Hopefully he didn’t notice me staring.
You hear footsteps behind you and unconsciously squeeze the book tightly.
“Woah there, are you trying to rip the book into shreds?”
You look up. There he was. You’ve never been this close to him. His eyes are enchanting. You’re speechless.
“Are you okay?”
That snapped you out of your day dream real quick.
“Hi yes sorry.”
He chuckled at you while reaching for the book. Your hands gently brushed his as he took it away from you.
“The names Jay by the way and I’ll be taking this from you now, wouldn’t want you to have to pay anything for damaging school property.”
You laughed awkwardly and turned your entire body to face his.
“So y/n would you like to be partners?”
He knew my name? I don’t recall having any sort of conversation with him ever.
You studied his face a little closer. Were his eyes a little wider now and were his ears a little red? It must be your imagination.
“Oh uh, sure!”
“That’s great. I’ll go get our aprons.”
He walked away to the back of the classroom. You were a nervous wreck to the way the least. You had dreamed of a moment just like this, but you never thought it would happen.
I should take advantage of an opportunity like this.
Jay returned quickly and handed you your apron.
“Do you mind helping me tie it from the back and I’ll help you tie yours?”
Lifting your head up you saw Jay looking at you.
“Yeah, no problem.”
He turned and you caught sight of the freckles along his neck.
Cute.
You finished tying up his apron and turned to face the opposite direction.
“Okay I’m tying it now.”
His hands traced gently along your waist as he reached for both strings. You shivered unwillingly.
“I’m sorry did I do something wrong?”
“No you did nothing wrong it’s just…”
How could you explain to him that everything he did gave you butterflies?
“Never mind you keep on going it’s fine.”
“Okay just please let me know if I’m making you uncomfortable.”
He was such a sweetheart.
Jay quickly finished tying the apron up and you both sat.
“I hope this isn’t too awkward for you.” Jay says while his head rests on his hand that’s propped up against the table.
“Why would it be awkward?”
Your words came out a little harsher than you meant.
“Well I saw that you witnessed that little incident earlier. I don’t want you thinking that you were a second option or anything.”
“But I was, wasn’t I? You only paired up with me because Emma couldn’t.”
“Wow you’re very straightforward aren’t you? And about Emma, she wanted to be partners with me not the other way around.”
Jay has this concerned look on his face. As if he wants you to understand him. To understand what he was saying.
“Well that doesn’t really matter to me so you’re good.”
“Uh that’s great then.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah…”
You have no idea why you acted the way you did just now but you regretted it. It was easy to tell that Jay was a bit hurt by your words. You were about to say something, but Jay beats you to it.
“Let’s make some apple pie then? The teacher said we could choose whatever pie we wanted to make.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
It was towards the end of class now and there was flour, sugar, apples, and so much more everywhere on the table. Not only the table, but your face too.
Jay and you had gotten past the tension from earlier and were now laughing and playing around.
“Oh you got something right…”
Jay reaches just under your lip and wipes some of the flour off.
“here.”
You blush and start cleaning up your area hoping that he didn’t notice. How was it so easy for him to do something like that?
As you both finished up cleaning the space around you a voice comes up behind you.
“Jay are you ready to go?”
It was Emma. You had to admit she was gorgeous. It was likely her and Jay were together, hopefully not.
“Oh uh…I’ll meet you guys later I need to talk to my cooking partner about something first.”
Emma took a quick glance at you and then back at Jay.
“Yeah sure…see you.”
She walked away and you looked at Jay with a questioning face wondering what he could possibly want to talk about. But first you had to ask the question that was nagging you.
“Girlfriend?”
“What?”
“I mean Emma.”
You internally slapped yourself. It was such a stupid question, of course they were dating.
“Emma? No never! I mean she’s pretty cool and all but we’re just close friends that’s all .”
“But she’s really pretty, you guys suit each other.”
“You’re right she is pretty.”
You should’ve kept your mouth shut.
“But-”
You cut him off before he can continue, not wanting to hear anything more about Emma and what he thinks of her.
“So what is that you wanted to talk about?”
“Oh yeah that. I heard you’re pretty good at English and I could really use your help. I was wondering if you could tutor me?”
So that’s how he knew your name. Was his plan to befriend you so that you wouldn’t say no to tutoring him? You won’t lie it hurt a little bit. But how could you say no to the man you were so hopelessly and devastatingly in love with?
“Um…sure no worries. What time works for you? I’m free every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school.”
“You’re an angel sent from heaven thank you so much!”
Your heart just skipped a beat.
“Those times work for me. See you next week then?”
“Yeah see you next week.”
Jay winks at you and walks out.
Oh gosh this was a mistake.
———————————Time Skip———————————
“HELLO? Oh my gosh this is so crazy y/n what!”
Of course you had told Liz everything.
“I know but I’m still super worried Liz.”
Instead of what should have been a smile plastered on your face, was a frown.
“I just can’t help but feel that he wanted to get close to me just so he could easily get me as a tutor. And what’s worse? It worked.”
“Based on what you told me I’m pretty sure he really wants to be friends. You got to watch out for that Emma girl though.”
“I know but I don’t think we would grow into anything beyond that. Plus he said she was pretty.”
“And you’re breathtaking so what does that matter. Impress him! Captivate him. Lock him up if you have to.”
You start laughing at your friend. Liz always knew how to make you feel better.
“We’ll see.”
———————————Time Skip———————————
Knowing that today was the first day of tutoring with Jay, you decided to dress up nicely. A cute pink bow, jean skirt, and a white cashmere sweater. Simple.
Jay was already sitting in the study room you had reserved when you walked in.
His eyes flickered up and he took your appearance in.
“Never saw you as the type to wear skirts.”
How would he know what I wear? I thought he only knew of me just a couple days ago.
“I never knew you were the type to know what I wear on a daily basis.”
You were joking of course, trying to act casually around Jay in order to get closer to him.
But he seemed flustered.
“Well um…glad you could make it. Thanks again for doing this for me I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah no problem it’s not too much of a hassle for me, this is perfect for my extracurriculars list anyways.”
Jay quickly sits up right.
“Oh yeah I heard you have big plans for college. I’m really smart too you know? It’s just English is my only weakness. And also-”
You laugh at him as he tries to quickly string his words together. You already knew how smart he was, of course you did.
“Jay you don’t need to tell me any of this you know that right? I’m not judging you or anything. Unless you see me as some sort of competition or something?”
Jay smiles.
“No yeah I guess I just had the urge to I don’t know…impress you?”
“Why would you need to impress me?”
“I don’t know.”
You both stare at each other.
“Well you’ve left a pretty good impression on me so far, so don’t worry too much okay?”
Wow you’ve gotten bold out of no where.
He chuckles.
“I’m happy to hear that.”
“Okay then let’s get started.”
You turn to the books you placed on the table and open one up.
“So let’s start with the basics. What have you been struggling on?”
Jay leans his body closer to you making you once again, shiver. His effect on you drove you crazy.
“Sorry am I too close?”
There was no way you’d give him even a hint of your liking towards him.
“No you’re fine. I guess it was a bad day to wear a skirt, it’s a bit chilly in here.”
You tried to laugh the situation off.
“Here take this.”
Your heart skipped a couple beats as he draped his jacket over your legs. You could feel your cheeks flushing red.
“Oh uh thank you!”
“No problem.”
His smile oh lorddddddd.
“Well let’s continue.”
End of tutoring session
“Thanks so much y/n I feel like I’m improving already.”
“Don’t flatter me too much.”
The both of you laugh.
You reach for his jacket but he stops you and instead grabs the jacket to place it over your shoulders.
“You should take it, it’s pretty windy out there and I heard it’s supposed to rain soon.”
This man. He was going to be the death of you.
“But then you won’t have anything to wear! I’ll be fine don’t worry it’s not that far of a walk to the bus stop anyway.”
He starts to collect his things.
“I live nearby so I’ll be okay. But you should hurry to the bus stop before it starts pouring. Wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
He’s so caring it hurts. Was he like this towards others? Other girls? Emma?
“Okay see you tomorrow for cooking class then?”
“See you.”
———————————Time Skip———————————
You walk into school, earlier than usual. In your hand was Jay’s jacket, you were eager to find him and give it to him. Or maybe eager just to talk to him. This new formed friendship was now something you cherished deeply.
As you walked through the hallways and turned on a sharp corner you accidentally bump into someone. Their phone goes flying in the air.
Emma.
Just your luck.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there!”
You’re first to apologize, it was the polite thing to do since it was your fault.
“No worries, I should’ve watched where I was going too but I was busy looking at my phone.”
The phone was still laying on the floor, screen side up, so you reached down for it.
It wasn’t your intention to snoop but the name on the screen caught your attention.
She was texting Jay.
You only got to read the name before quickly handing it back to her.
There was a moment of awkward silence as you both just stood there.
Emma took notice of the jacket you had in your arms.
“Is that Jay’s jacket?”
Trying to maintain eye contact with her, you speak.
“Yeah, he let me borrow it yesterday and I was hoping to return it.”
“How sweet! He’s always lending out his sweaters, it’s a habit of his. Whenever I leave my sweaters at home he always gives his up.”
Oh.
It was pretty stupid to think you were any more special than Emma, he knew her longer and she knew him longer too. They had a stronger bond than the two day old one you both had.
Emma took your silence as a sign to speak again.
“I can give it back to him if you’d like? I have first period with him.”
You look up at her and she has this beautiful smile. She’s similar to Jay in many ways. They’d look lovely together.
“Would you do that for me? Thanks.”
Your voice trembled a bit as you handed the jacket over to her.
Don’t cry. This isn’t something to cry over. You’re not even close with him.
“Well see you around…what was your name?”
“Y/n.”
“My names Emma! See you around y/n!”
At the moment it didn’t irk you that Jay could possibly have feelings for Emma. What irked you is that you couldn’t hate nor dislike her. She was kind and genuine towards you. There were no ill intentions behind her words.
Sighing, you turned around to head towards your locker.
“Good morning darling how was tutoring yesterday?”
At least there was Liz. She was always there for you.
“It was okay.”
“Oh wow. Okay. What’s got you in a twist? I thought you would be bursting with happiness after having some alone time with your crush.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Hmm I know you’re lying but I won’t pry anything out of you now. Tell me when you’re ready.”
“This is why I love you.”
“I know it is. Now come one let’s go, I heard they’re serving waffles in the cafeteria today!”
———————————Time Skip———————————
It was now cooking class. For this first time ever, you were dreading having to face Jay. There was this small ball of anger in you, jealousy. You didn’t know how to handle it.
Maybe I should tell the teacher I don’t feel well.
Before you could act on your thoughts, a familiar voice reaches your ears.
“Hey y/n! How you been?”
Jay starts to settle his things down next to you.
Why is it so difficult to try and have a conversation with him right now?
Probably because you know he just walked in with Emma.
This jealousy thing was really frustrating you.
“We saw each other not even less than 24 hours ago. You’re making it seem like it’s been over a year.”
He shifts his head to look at you.
“Yeah uh just trying to make conversation. You know?”
“Mhm.”
You hoped your attitude didn’t hurt him too much. But you felt hurt too.
“I saw that you gave Emma my jacket.”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t want to see me huh? Is that why you gave it to her?”
He chuckled. He was joking, but you weren’t in the mood for it.
“No.”
Silence.
“Sorry I’m not feeling well today. I think I might go to the nurses office.”
Before he could get a word out you walk up to the front of the class and explain to the teacher about your “illness”. After being given your teachers approval you make your way to the nurses office.
Mindlessly forgetting your things, just needing an escape.
End of class.
Class is now over and you’re still laying down on one of the beds with the curtains closed.
You slept for the first thirty minutes of your stay but now you can’t stop thinking about Jay.
How there was a hint of sadness in his eyes as you walked away from him. Or was it worry? Hard to tell. You clearly don’t know him at all.
But no matter how hard you tried to stop thinking of him, he always wandered back into your mind.
“Jay…”
A sudden noise erupts from behind the curtains.
“Awe man!”
You stand up quickly.
“Hello?”
You slide the curtain open and to your surprise Jay is on the floor with…strawberry milk?
“Thought I could surprise you but I guess you knew I was here already. How did you know? I thought I was being sneaky…”
That’s good. He doesn’t know you were being a complete lunatic who can’t seem to stop thinking of him.
“Oh trust me, you surprised me alright.”
You can’t help but laugh at the sight in front of you.
Jay looks like an absolute clutz.
“That’s nice.”
You stop laughing and raise an eyebrow.
“What is?”
“Seeing you happy.”
You blush.
“Sorry about earlier. I was being a bitch.”
“No you weren’t. Don’t call yourself that.”
He always knew what words would give you butterflies.
“Well I was being a bit rude.”
Your hand reaches out for his, he takes it.
“We all have our bad days.”
He’s up now. But neither of you let go. You don’t want to let go. Does he? He might think you’re weird if you don’t let go of his hand soon.
Swiftly, you retract your hand from his bringing it to your side.
His face now has a tint of pink realizing what just happened.
“I bought you this.”
He sticks out his hand which has the strawberry milk you saw earlier.
“Thanks I love strawberry milk!”
“Yeah Emma told me all girls love anything strawberry.”
Oh.
You try to conceal the jealousy you had forgotten you felt to begin with.
“Emma’s a genius.”
“She is.”
You look down to open up the milk in order to hide the hurt on your face.
“But you are too.”
Huh?
“Thank you?”
Jay stares at you as you struggle to open the carton of milk. He grabs it from you and continues to open it as he speaks.
“I have something important to tell you and I understand if you get weirded out and don’t want to be friends anymore. But it’s just something I need to get off my chest.”
What could it be?
“Go ahead.”
He takes a deep breath and hands the milk back to you. His hand now starts to scratch the back of his neck.
“So I know we’ve only know each other for a couple days but I was hoping to get to know you better.”
“Know me better?”
Was this a dream?
“Yeah, in a romantic way I guess? I don’t know. I don’t really know how to explain it. But I understand if your answer is no. It’s just that I kind of like you and-”
His words are cut short when you hug him.
“I hope this is okay.”
You say, hoping for some reassurance.
“I’m just so happy right now.”
“This is more than okay. It’s great. It’s amazing.”
Jay’s hugging you back now.
The both of you stay like that for a while. Until the nurse finds the two of you and sends you guys to the principle’s office for skipping class in order to date.
Being sent to the principle’s office should have made you upset. But as you walked side by side with Jay, nothing could make you happier.
4 months later
You guessed it. Jay and you had ended up together. Turns out your suspicions of him and Emma were wrong, and they were really just close friends. Also, let’s just say she seemed to take interest into Liz a lot more than she did Jay.
Throughout your so far two month relationship you discovered two important things.
1. Jay absolutely loved smothering you in kisses and hugging you from behind while slithering his hands across your waist. He loved pinching your stomach and hearing your voice telling him to stop.
2. You were a clingy girlfriend. Not in a bad way. You didn’t have to be with him every minute of the day. But you took advantage of any moment you had with him, immediately hugging him the moment your eyes set on him. Goodbyes were always hard, even if you were seeing him the next morning.
Jay didn’t mind though. This was one of the many things he loved about you.
“Graduation is coming up soon.”
Jay and you are at the park right now eating ice cream. Summer is coming up soon so the weather is starting to warm up.
“I know, time flies.”
You respond to him. Happily licking away at your ice cream and enjoying the view of the pond in front of you as the sun sets.
“I can’t believe we’re going to be seniors soon.”
Jay still can’t grasp the idea of this being his last high school year.
“College is soon.”
“I never did ask what you wanted to do after high school.”
“I never asked you either.”
“So?”
“So?”
“Y/n…”
You laugh at him and reach for his hand.
“I hope to be a doctor.”
“That’s awesome. You can do it.”
“You really think so?”
“I know so.”
He squeezes your hand in order to offer some sort of comfort. It works.
“How about you? What do you want to do Jay?”
“I’m boring and simple. I’d like to be a mechanical engineer just like my dad.”
“You’re anything but boring and simple Jay.”
He smiles and leans in to kiss you.
His lips are soft and gentle. You guys have kissed hundreds of times but he always makes it seem like it’s your first.
As he pulls away he brushes some of your hair away from your face. His next words leave you in absolute shock.
“I think I love you.”
Your eyes are wide and your mouth is left agape.
“No, I know that I love you. I understand if it’s too soon and there is no need to give me a response anywhere near the future, but I thought I should let you know.”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why do you love me?”
Your questions were cliche. You knew that. But you needed to know why. This all felt so surreal. Too good to be true.
“Because you’re you. Because of the way you laugh at my unfunny jokes no matter what. Because of the way you smile even at the smallest things. Because of the way you don’t let anyone disrespect you no matter what. And most of all, because of the way you’re the only one that can make my heart skip a beat, make my ears red, and give me butterflies. My heart beats for you and only for you.”
Woah.
You never knew someone could ever feel like this towards you. You were absolutely star struck. But you had an answer already. You always had it deep within you.
“I love you too Jay.”
He smiled.
“Thank God. I was hoping you would say that.”
With that, you both shared another kiss. This one was longer, deeper, and more passionate. It was as if time had stopped. As if the world had stopped. It was just the two of you.
You wished this moment would last forever.
———————————Time Skip———————————
It’s the beginning of senior year now. Jay and you had a plan. Apply to the same colleges which had both of your majors. Go to school together. Graduate, get married, all of that. Two dumb love birds hopelessly devoted to each other.
You both had similar grades and qualifications so you weren’t too worried about getting in or not getting into the same colleges.
It didn’t matter to you though, you would follow Jay wherever he went. You would strive in any pre med program anyways. It wasn’t a bother, as long as you were with Jay. The love of your life.
“I can’t believe it’s our senior year Jay! This is so exciting!”
“I know love, but let’s start getting ready for those applications okay? You know how quickly time passes by.”
“Ofcourse I do. Want to come over after school? We can come with ideas together for or piqs.”
“That sounds great. See you after class?”
“See you!”
7 months later
It was now time. Colleges were sending out their letters.
You had to admit. This was nerve wrecking. It would be absolutely devastating if you didn’t get in to any of your dream schools. Of course John Hopkins and Stanford being at the top.
But the fear of not going to school with Jay had also crossed your mind a couple of times. It’s not like you would die if you didn’t go to the same school, but you loved growing as a person with him and watching him grow too.
The both of you received acceptance letters from various schools but all of them weren’t any of you two’s top choices. Jay’s top choices were MIT and Stanford. Stanford seemed to be the target at the moment. You had applied to Amherst too, just in case Jay had to go to MIT instead of Stanford. It wasn’t your top choice but it wasn’t a bad one either. Luckily you had gotten in!
“Y/n sweetie your father says the mail man delivered some letters! It two of them seem to be from Stanford and John Hopkins!”
Your mom yells from downstairs.
This is really happening.
You quickly rush down stairs and see the letters there in the middle of the table.
“Deep breaths sweet girl. Just know we’re here supporting you no matter what those letters say. You’re still an amazing and intelligent lady.”
Your dad says as he rubs your shoulders.
You smile nervously and reach for the John Hopkins letter first.
Waitlisted.
“It’s okay honey, that’s still such a great accomplishment.”
Tears are threatening to spill out of your eyes. But you have to look strong. You still have one more letter to look at. The one that matters most to you right now.
You reach out to open it and once you start to read what’s inside of it you can’t help the tears from coming out.
Congratulations y/n we are happy to admit you to the Class of 2028!
“Mom! Dad! I’m in! I’m actually in!”
Your parents hug you and take you out to eat in order to celebrate.
Hours later.
As you head to your room after dinner you text Jay.
You: Jay can we call really quick?
Jay: Well hello to you too princess.
You: Haha very funny. Now please can we call?
Jay: Anything for my girl😋
“Hello?”
“Hi princess.”
“How much longer until you stop calling me that?”
“Never.”
“Okay whatever.”
“You got in didn’t you?”
“What? How did you know? Did my parents tell you? I wanted to surprise you!”
“I know you too well, that’s how I knew. Congratulations y/n. You have absolutely no idea how incredibly proud of you I am.”
“Thanks Jay! How about you? Did you get your letter yet? You got in didn’t you?”
Jay clears his throat and for a moment you start to get worried.
“Jay…?”
“Of course I got in princess.”
“Oh my gosh this is amazing. I can’t believe I’m going to college with my boyfriend!”
“Okay y/n it’s been a long day so you should probably head to sleep now sleeping beauty.”
“You can be an annoying shithead sometimes you know that right?”
“I’m your annoying shithead.”
You laugh.
“You’re right. Love you lots Jay. Goodnight.”
“Love you more princess. Goodnight.”
———————————Time Skip———————————
“Hi Liz how’s Boston?”
Yup! Liz got into Boston University! It’s towards the end of summer now and she’s meeting some of her dormates before she officially moves in at the start of the semester.
“It’s great over here! I’m living for this weather. I wish you were here with me right now, I need my best friend during times like these.”
“You’ll be fine, you can make friends anywhere you go.”
“But it won’t be the same without you.”
“I could say the same thing.”
“So…how are things with you and Jay?”
“Everything is going great. But I have noticed something different about him.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Well he’s been acting a lot more clingy lately. Way more than I usually am. And I thought I was supposed to be the clingy girl friend!”
“Hm yeah, I wouldn’t look too much into it he’s probably thinking guys will try to snatch you up in college.”
“Never!”
You both start to laugh and quickly say your goodbyes as Liz had to go out for lunch with her new found friends.
Coincidentally it’s student orientation day for you so you call up Jay.
It rings.
And rings.
And rings.
Strange.
Jay’s house is only a ten minute bus ride so you decide to go check up on him.
You arrive at his house and knock on his door.
His mom steps out. She usually has a gleeful smile just like Jay’s, but this time her smile is no where to be seen.
“Hi ma’am how have you been? Is Jay around? I tried to call him but he wouldn’t answer so I just came to check up on him!”
Mrs. Park stares at you with saddened eyes and then hugs you.
“I’m so sorry my sweet girl. I’m so so sorry. Just know he did it for a reason okay? He did it for your own good.”
You’re shocked by this. What does she mean? For your own good?
“Excuse Mrs. Park but I’m a little confused. What do you mean? Where’s Jay?”
Mrs. Park rushes inside and quickly comes back out. This time with a letter.
“Take this and read it at home okay? It’s best if you do it in your room alone.”
And with that she gives you one last hug before shutting the door.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Was that.
You’re going through so many emotions right now. As you take the bus home you have the letter in one hand and your phone in the other. You continue to attempt to call Jay in order to get some sort of answer from him.
You make it home and enter your room. Sitting down on your bed you wast no time in opening the letter. Your eyes settle on the first line.
Dear y/n,
Hi princess I know you must be worried right now. Just know that I am physically okay. At first, I wanted to do this in person but I just couldn’t find the strength to do it. I know I’m a coward. I know this will hurt you just as much as it hurts me. But I’m doing this for you. Because I love you. In no way am I blaming you for anything. I want apologize for what I’m about to say next.
I won’t be going to college with you. We can’t spend the next four years together. I’m so incredibly proud of all your accomplishments. I know it’s been one of your biggest dreams to attend Stanford. Which is why I couldn’t let you come to Massachusetts with me. I know the plan was to be together, but your dreams should always come before me. I don’t want to stop you from reaching your full potential. Long distance relationships are a thing yes. But I feel that with our relationship we will only hold each other back. We will never want to reach out for more, in fear of leaving the other behind. I hope that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I hope that we can find our way back to each other. I will always love you. Every season with you has been a blessing. For now I’ll pray for you all the time.
For now I can’t be your love.
I love you,
Jay
You start to uncontrollably sob.
“Jay you asshole. How would you know anything about my dreams?”
Your throat was itching.
“You were my dream. My dream was to spend my life with you.”
You cried yourself to sleep that night.
Heartbroken.
•••••••••••••••••••JAY’S POV••••••••••••••••••••
I loved her since the day I saw her at the library.
It was sophomore year.
Finals week.
I was looking for some books to prepare for the English final and there she was.
Studying? No.
She was tutoring someone else.
I was amazed. She had to be the smartest at this school. Finals week and here she was helping someone else out.
She was beautiful too. Her dimples and cheeky smile captured me in an instant.
I made it my mission to look for her every time I was at the library.
Luckily she was always there.
I never got too close. Afraid that I would scare her away.
Emma always said I was paranoid and that I should go for it before someone else did.
I never had the courage to, until my junior year.
She was looking at me. Actually looking at me.
She turned away immediately after I caught her but I knew this was my chance to get to know her.
As I walked up to her desk in cooking class I took notice of her hands clutching onto the book in front of her.
Cute.
From there we got closer.
I could never get tired of her.
My hands always found their way to her waist or her face. I loved caressing her and covering her with kisses. It was just my way of showing my love for her.
I loved this girl.
I loved her so much that I was willing to let her go even if it hurt me so very much.
When I got that rejection letter from Stanford I was heartbroken. Not only because it was my dream school but because it was our dream school.
I knew if I told her that I was rejected she would want to go to Amherst. But I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t stop her from chasing the thing she had wanted for so long.
So I wrote her a letter. It was the only way I could clearly express myself.
Even though I made the heartbreaking decision of leaving without saying a proper goodbye I don’t regret it.
I don’t think I could ever leave her if I had to face her one last time.
I thought leaving without a goodbye would be the hardest part but the messages and calls she would leave me for the next few weeks absolutely broke me. I had to fight so hard to not respond.
I’m sorry princess.
I can’t be your love because I’m afraid I’ll ruin your life.
5 years later.
I’m home again. I haven’t told anyone. Not even my parents. I want to take everything in.
Not much has changed. Hasn’t been that long since I left anyways.
But I guess I have.
I’ve grown a bit taller, new hair, and looked a lot cleaner than I did back then.
I walk down the streets of San Francisco and pass by a coffee shop.
It’s a coffee shop she and I regularly had dates at.
I walk in. The bell chimes as it opens up and a couple heads turn to see who the newcomer is, and then they all quickly turn back to what ever they were doing before.
I walk up to the cashier ready to order when I hear a familiar name.
“Order for y/n!”
I turn to the voice.
There she is.
It feels like I’m at the library again.
She’s become even more breathtaking.
Is that even possible?
There’s so much going through my head but it’s as if my legs have a mind of their own because before I know it I’m in front of her.
Admiring her face.
I’m the first to speak.
“Hi.”
Her breath hitches before she starts to talk to me.
“Jay…hi.”
I can’t believe this. I mean, I should’ve expected it. She never did leave the area.
“How have you been, time has-”
Before I can finish a voice calls out to her.
“Y/n there you are!”
A man runs up to her and slides his hand into hers while giving her a soft peck on the forehead.
Oh.
#Spotify#park jongseong#jay#enhypen fanfiction#jay enhypen#fanfic#enhypen#jay park#enha fluff#enha angst#enha#enha x reader#enha imagines#enha scenarios#enhypen angst#enhypen fluff#enhypen imagines#enhypen fic#enhypen ff#enhypen female oc#engene
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ENHYPEN Series
sinag — psh.
chapter five
pairings: park sunghoon x reader
synopsis: waiting for a great plot twist in your life, the ruthless and powerful mafia boss park sunghoon forced his way in to it.
word count: 3.5k
warnings: a contains harrassment, violence, guns, killings, abuse, obsessive love & other stuff. if you can't take this stuff, feel free to scroll away. let me know if i missed some.
note: hello, i hope you will enjoy this chapter and give me feedbacks. ily and thank you for reading my works. stay safe.
eeunoia 2024 © all rights reserved.
The man crawled slowly over the dirty street, trying to make a run for his life. He grunts as the injury and wounds to his whole body was inscrutable. He can hear multiple footsteps making sounds as they step into the puddles of rainwaters all over the place caused by the pouring rain. It made it colder and harder to breath.
He yelped in pain when someone stepped hardly over his back, pushing him further to the ground. Making him one with the dirty and wet street.
“Where the fuck do you think are you going?” his tone empty and devoid of emotions. It makes him scared and cries of plea follows right after.
He felt his head harshly pulled back by his hair as the man leaned down. To look at this brutal man’s eyes almost sent him down to hell. Despite being under the rain, blood splattered on his face painting his fair skin red.
“P-Please,” he begged.
The man showed no remorse and without a word, he slammed his head on the ground making him lose his consciousness completely.
“Aren’t you going to stop him?” Jake asks Jay as they watch their friend beat the shit out of this poor man.
Jay craned his neck to look at the scene and his reaction seems like he was pretty much used to it already. He shrugs his shoulder off while holding an umbrella to keep him from being drenched from the heavy rain. “Do you want to?”
Jake sighs and just silently watch their friend kicking the man on the ground. It was obvious that he was incapable to fight back or even shield himself from all the hit. He was unconscious, probably almost near his death.
Tonight, the three of them gathered to do some 'business' and since Sunghoon just came from his trip from another country, trying to find his girl, he's slightly on the bad mood. Slightly.
Jay and Jake were already covered in blood, but Sunghoon's showering over it. They couldn't just stop him because they know he somehow relieves stress this way. The look of murder on his eyes aren't fading just yet and they both knew it will last for a bit longer tonight.
“I thought you and Ni-ki are searching for her too?” Jay whispered lighting up another cigarette.
The other man sighs, “Yes. But its odd, we managed to find some informations about her but all of it was three years ago.”
It made Jay halt from taking a huff from his cigs before he tilts his head, “You mean its like she vanished?”
Jake nods his head. Even him find it uncanny how there's no more updates or informations about her whereabouts. Like she's purposely maintaining a low profile or someone is doing it for her? It made him confused and even made Ni-ki digs more deeply like as if that wasn't what the younger one was already doing.
“What if she's dead already?” Jay blurted while watching their friend let all his frustrations out.
“Hell will break lose,” Jake took a deep sigh, trying to relax his tensed shoulder. “Can you see him? He's a ticking time bomb and only her can defuse him.”
Jay smirks, “We really need to hope she's alive somewhere.”
“There's no records saying that she is dead so I think we're still good.”
They both nods their head and once again watch how their friend kill those unfortunate people who stands on his way. He was unstoppable, unable to be tamed. Right now, they knew they had to find you faster or else he will really lose his mind.
“Still nothing?” your head snaps to your side, shoulder slumped so low that shows so much of your disappointment.
You've been on a hunt for your new job for a month already and yet none of them calls back. Pretty sure its not the degree or experiences that sets as an issue to this matter. Your previous boss surely used his power to make your life miserable.
“Yes.”
Lucie stares at you with a look of pity before she sets down her glass of water. She trudges closer to where you are to try and console you. She can see how hard working you are and even if you haven't told her the full story yet, she knew it wasn't you who caused all the troubles.
“Why don't you just try applying on my previous work place? I mean, its not as big as your salary before, but its not a bad pay.”
Your eyes looks at her, “Yeah, maybe I should do that. Thank you so much Lucie.”
She smiles and caress your back. “No problem. I’ll send you the details for the HR department so you can send your resume.”
You nod your head and watch her walk back to the room adjacent to yours. Things may had been rough with you, but you are lucky enough to have her beside you. It's still amusing for you how she’s very nice. Guess its really true that whenever someone leaves and go, somebody will arrive on your life.
It wasn’t hard to get an interview appointment for the said company. It was a lot smaller than your old work, but that's fine. This isn't the time to be picky specially if you're starting to deplete your savings.
They replied with your said schedule of interview and the things you need to prepare for the application. It made you hopeful despite knowing the possibility of not being accepted again. These are the usual routine. You send your resume, they reply with your schedule for interview, interview you and then ask you to wait for nothing. Eitherway you let yourself hope and dressed up for it.
The company was discarding lots of employees for the past week now since they had a new boss. The information raised your expectation to be accepted since they're in need of people.
Your heart thumped inside your chest as you wait patiently for your turn. The ac was on, you're sure of it, but you're sweating cold. It was not a foreign feeling. Just like whenever a teacher asks you to recite something in front of everybody in your class or taking one of your biggest exams. It made your palms sweaty and your feet tapping lightly to the floor. It was a dreadful feeling.
On the other hand, Jake's eyes lazily watch the view from inside his vehicle. He felt his phone ringing so he fished it from his coat and answered.
“Dude, where are you?”
He sighs, “I’m going to work. What do you want, Jay?”
His friend's whine can be heard from the other line that tugs the corner of his lips upwards. “It's a saturday? Come on.”
“I can’t. I’m in the middle of rebuilding this new company I bought.”
“The one near your mall? Why did you even bought that when it doesn't even match your own companies?”
“It does have income and regenerating well for years now. I can check on what I can do to improve it and if not, I can just demolish and use the land to extend my mall.”
Jay lets out a sigh, he just couldn't believe how Jake is a monster in this field of work. He is pretty smart, he'll give him that, but when it comes to business he's on a different level. Mainly why most of their friends comes to him for advice.
“Fine, call me later after you finish playing with your toys.”
Jake chuckles, “All right.”
He ended the call just in time of their arrival at the said company. His men opens the door for him and the handsome bachelor steps outside proudly. He walks inside and workers started to greet him, paying full respect for him. His serious demeanor didn't falter and just head straight for the lift, going to his office.
As he arrives, line of people caught his attention. He was about to ask what's it all about when he remembered how he command for them to hire new employees after he dismissed most of them. He wanted this company working as to the way he wanted it to be. So those who are not in line with his vision, he gets rid of them.
“Mr. Sim.” his secretary for this company greets him with a flushing cheeks. He kept his placid expression and wait for what she's about to say.
“We already started to interview applicants for the job vacancies.” she said trying hard to check any positive reaction from him.
Jake's eyes roams around carefully as she continues to fill him through the updates from the things he asked them to do. Slowly, her voice became muffled as his eyes get caught at something that made him utterly surprised.
He pursed his lips, brows furrowing hardly at the sight of a girl a few feet away from where he's standing. Her nervous face was obvious as she continuous to fidget with her fingers. Jake doesn't know what to think. He was so close to asking his men if he's starting to see things, but then he snapped himself back to his senses.
“Who is she?” her secretary snaps her head in a hurry to follow his line of sight.
She hesitates and look back from you and Jake, just to check if she's getting it right.
“She's probably one of the applicants for the job.” her eyes dropping over the folder she was holding.
Jake didn't talk and kept his stance. He resets his mind to come up with his new plan and for his next move. He was always careful and never reckless.
“Ohh...” his assistant talks with a tone sounding a little bit astound. He looks at her as she checks her file.
“Why?”
“She's being blacklisted.”
Jake's forehead furrowed at the information he heard. This thing was already common in the world of business. People that have power uses this method to make sure someone they don't really like cannot be accepted in any company they are associated on.
“Blacklisted? By who?”
“Mr. Kang.” she answered quickly.
There's a lot of Kang in the industry of business, but since he knew whose the main investors of this company he already have an idea which Kang she's referring to. It slowly lights up curiosity over him on what did you possibly do to make him so upset to the point he was making your life this miserable.
Was he your ex boyfriend? Jake couldn't help but to scoff inside his mind at the thought of what Sunghoon will do to him once he found out. He may lose his mind and make Mr. Kang regret he even walked this earth.
Jake sighs, trying to hold his excitement.
“I want her in my office in five minutes. I will interview her myself.” he announced that surprised her assistant.
He starts heading towards his office and she follows him, “But Mr. Kang's instruction is to not accept her even in interviews.”
Jake didn't say anything and just lightly cranes his head to stare at her. Chills run through her spine at the strictness that lingers through his eyes. She instantly regrets insisting about what Mr. Kang instructed.
“R-Right away, sir.” she bows her head in a submissive manner before politely excusing herself to do as he say.
He trudges towards his office while fishing his phone from his coat. His men follows silently, waiting for anything he will order them to do.
“Riki.” Jake sighs, despite the calm demeanor he couldn't help but to flash a small smile over his lips.
“What hyung?” the younger one sounds in a rush.
“I found her.”
“Who?” his response made him roll his eyes in disbelief. Is he that distracted that he forgot their main agenda?
“Sunghoon's obsession.”
The other line went silent. Jake even furrowed in confusion and checked if Ni-ki turned off the call, but no. It's still going. He put his phone back to his ears.
“Hey,”
“No way, hyung? Are you for real?” now he sounded so interested. He smirks, remembering how he reacted moments ago after seeing you.
Who would not react that way? Sunghoon's been searching for you for years already and to see you now is just amusing. So he really did saw you and not losing his mind. Jake felt relieved, but also a little worried of how things will work out after this.
“Yes. I’ll send you her details later so you can go dig for her informations again.”
“All right. I’ll be waiting.”
They bid good-byes and Jake started preparing himself for your arrival. He's sure that his assistant will escort you inside any minute now.
Jake's was an inch close to call Sunghoon and deliver him the good news, but he's smarter than that. He knew better than to spoil the moment and mess things up. Of course he wants his friend to see you and finally put an end to his miserable search operations. He needs to think things through and come up with the best plans in order to help his friend.
“Miss Aelia?” your head lifts up after hearing your name. The lady who asked you to wait in line from a while ago was in front of you. She's holding this folder and she have this warry expression on her face.
Your eyes glanced around to check what's up and its still not yet your turn for the interview. Chest started beating fast and you worry that things are starting to be messed up once again. Shoulders already falling, you looked up at her with a pitiful eyes.
“Y-Yes?” you are so ready to pack up and leave when she flashes you a small smile.
“Kindly follow me.”
A bit bewildered that she didn't sent you home, you managed to stand up on your feet and follow behind her. People sitting beside you were also confused but has nothing much that they can do.
She guides you towards this hallway leading to a more secluded part of the floor. And your heart sank when you read that its the president's office.
Your hand unconsciously reached over your skirt, flattening it a bit. Next is your hair that you fixed and just in time, she asked you to wait for a bit.
She enters the room and not a minute long, she peaked through the door then asked you to come inside. You nodded and gulped, feeling your throat getting dry. To say that you are nervous was an understatement. Your breathing are fast and heavy, like your heart will jump out from your chest. Your palms both so sweaty and your throat running dry despite the continuous attempt of washing it off with your saliva.
The officed looked a little messy, like things are being moved from here and there. Maybe because they have a new president, the office are being renovated. But any of that should be the least of your concern because at the center of that said room, was Jake Sim.
The moment you laid eyes on him, you are slightly shook. He was handsome, very handsome to be exact. He has this mullet length black hair that seemed so soft. Plump lips and big doe eyes that reminds you of puppy eyes. Funny, because for someone who have delicate features, he sure is intimidating.
You feel very nervous as you took more steps closer to his visitor's chair that was placed in front of his desk.
“Good day, S-Sir.” you stuttered a little as he kept his eyes fixed at your direction.
You can't really tell what's in his mind at the moment. His stares remained and you couldn’t help but to feel odd about it. He didn't say anything even after his secretary has left the room. It's already been a minute.
Something about his stares makes you feel more nervous and somehow anxious. The urge to stand up and leave slowly intoxicated your mind, but you know this isn't the right time to let your trauma from your previous boss take over you.
“S-Sir?” you tried catching his attention.
That visibly snapped Jake back to his senses. He cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed for staring too much. He cursed inside his mind, knocking his senses back to his system. He needs to collect himself and not mess this up. Surely it was fascinating seeing you here inside his office, but frightening you would be the last thing he wanted.
“So,” he draws in a sigh before grabbing a piece of paper to write on. “Miss Aelia, huh?”
Your head bops lightly and a short “Yes, Sir.” follows.
Jake scanned the folder he was holding. All the basic informations that Ni-ki had given him are mostly here. He clicked his tongue and tilts his head over to the side.
“Where are you currently staying?”
His question made you purse your lips tightly, contemplating whether to tell him or not. Various things clouded your mind, some of them even appropriate. You couldn’t help it, what happened to you in the past caused all of these.
“W-Why...”
Seems like the man in front of you noticed your expression so he was quick to pull off a small smile. He still looked intimidating, but it somehow ease your worry.
“If you’re living far from the premises we are to offer you a place to your convenience. Also a car for you to use to travel back and fort all expense will taken care of the company.” he offered.
You were caught off-guard by what he said. Is this how it usually is? Company aren’t this generous when it comes to new employees so you’re a little confused, but at the same time tempted. A place to stay sounds great and a vehicle? Sure sounds very convenient too.
“I live a bit far from here, Sir.” you answered that made him nod his head slowly, eyes trailing back towards the folder he was holding.
“Are you single or already married?” his eyes are fixed at your resume. It took you a while to answer that made him glance back up to you.
“Your benefits will be based on your civil status.” you felt embarrassed for thinking differently of his question.
“O-Oh! I’m single, Sir.”
Jake smiles and nods his head before resuming to reading your informations.
Its not that it even matter whether you’re single or not. In the end, Sunghoon will still do everything in his will to get you. But it’s good to know you are single, at least a soul was saved from his friend’s wrath.
“T-That’s actually great, Sir.” you managed to utter. His eyes lits up and lips lifts up in eagerness.
“So you’re accepting the job?” he sounds hopeful making you furrow your brows, addled with all of the things that’s happening.
“Y-Yes, but aren’t you going to interview me?” your tone sounded too soft for Jake. He knew Sunghoon will go crazy for it and he couldn’t wait for you two to meet. But there’s still a lot of things to take care of.
He lifts his head up to glance at you, tearing his gaze off from your resume that contains all the details he wanted from you. He shows a confident smile, making blushed a bit, getting caught off-guard by his visuals.
“I just did.” he shrugs his shoulders off in a relax manner.
Despite being a little confused as to how things just ended so well, you couldn’t help but to feel giddy to actually get the job.
“S-So I’m hired?”
Jake nods, “Yes. You can start on monday. Sounds good?”
Your lips stretched into a wide smile as you accept Jake’s hands. “Yes, Sir! Thank you so much! I will do my best and I will not disappoint you.”
He smirks and nods then watch how his secretary escorts you outside his office. It’s been two minutes since you left, but he was still staring straight at the door right in front of him. He couldn’t believe it.
He stood up and fishes his phone from his pocket, a big playful smirk plays over his lips while waiting for someone to pick up his call.
'“What?” Sunghoon hissed at him.
Jake scoffs, clearly not surprised to his friend’s arrogance.
“10 Million.” he started.
“The fuck you saying?”
“I’m selling you this new company I acquired and currently revisioning.”
This time, it was his friend’s turn to scoff at him.
“Ten Million? What? Is there some gold hidden in that company or something?” Sunghoon asks, very sarcastic.
Jake’s grin grew wider, wanting so bad to spill the great news to his friend.
“You can say that.”
Sunghoon didn’t respond right away and just thought of what his friend was offering. He may not be the best one when it comes to business, but he sure not a dumb person. Jake rarely sells him property unless it was worth it or he can benefit from it in the near future. He trust his friend.
He sighs, “I’ll send you the check tomorrow.” and ended the call right away.
Jake laughs and put back his phone inside his pocket. “God damn, this is fun.”
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꒰ jay enhypen ꒱ ─ ❝ nail salon ❞
✯⇢or in which; your boyfriend jay hypes you up for your new nails ◌༉‧
pairing : jay enhypen x fem! reader
genre : fluff
warning : slight insecurity (don't worry it's only a tiny bit if you squint), lots of fluff, jay being an amazing boyfriend he is!! , established relationship, lmk more if you notice
💌 — it's my 1st post after i deleted my previous blog (@pjsluv7) accidentally also my first ever text imagine so I'm sorry if it doesn't reach your expectations but I tried tysm for reading <3 ; luvspjs7
#jay#jay enhypen#jay enha#jay x reader#jay x you#jay x female reader#enhypen#enhypen jay#enhypen jay scenarios#jay smau#park jongseong#enhypen jongseong#jongseong fluff#jongseong x reader#park jongseong x reader#enhypen x reader#enhypen x you#enhypen x y/n#enhypen x oc#enhypen fluff#enhypen fake texts#jay fake texts#enhypen fanfiction#enhypen fic#luvpjs7#luvspjs7 text
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OFF THE RECORD - P.JS (COMING SOON?)
“You know sometimes, I have ridiculous thoughts others won’t be able to guess…”
SYNOPSIS… Seoul was just the restart you needed, being an university student and a job at the local coffee shop was your new life. It all seemed perfect until your roommate’s estranged relative came knocking down your door. Crashing into you in the blink of an eye, you couldn’t believe it… The boy turning into a small black cat in your arms. Little did you know, your roommate’s family was cursed with the spirits of the zodiac animals - something you weren’t supposed to ever find out.
⋆·˚ ༘ * inspired by natsuki takaya’s fruits basket
GENRE.. SMAU, College AU FT. ENIVE as the zodiac spirits
STATUS.. prerelease START.. 04/20/2024 —POSTPONED
TAGLIST.. open! - please send an ask or comment to be added ♡
MASTERLIST BELOW CUT
PROFILES ONE PROFILES TWO
TRACK ONE
TRACK TWO
TRACK THREE
TRACK FOUR
TRACK FIVE
#enivez#enivez masterlist#enhypen smau#enhypen#enhypen fanfiction#enhypen x reader#jay enhypen#jay smau#park jongseong#jay x reader#park jongseong smau#jay fluff#jay angst#kpop#kpop smau#enhypen x you#enhypen x oc#sunghoon#niki#jake#heeseung#jungwon#sunoo#smau#jay#jay enha#enha x reader#enha#enha smau#enha fluff
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𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
✦ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 : a demon is tasked to live in the mortal realm for a whole year amongst humans under the order of hades. when meddling demons mess with her documents before ascension to the human realm, she is forced to attend university, where she meets a semi-popular group of boys who take an odd liking to her.
✦ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : ot7!enhypen x fem!oc
✦ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : non-idol!au, university!au, demon!au
✦ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 : major death, mentions of torture, blood, mentions of bad parents, inaccurate depictions of god, (lmk if there's anything i missed)
✦ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 2.9k words
✦ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 : appearance of nct members (mark & yuta)
zero | one
She wished she was never born. At least to her current parents, the ones who inflicted this pain on her. While they weren’t physically causing her this pain, their actions were the reason why there was an agonising burn in her back and her chest.
The rope was rough against her skin, the weight of her body and gravity against the rope dug into her neck and cut off the air going to her lungs and brain. She could not even make noises as they had cut off her tongue.
Blood pooled in her mouth, dripping down her chin and to the floor. If she gasped, the blood would rush down her throat and drown her. It was cruel of the men who put her through this. She had been hanging for a few minutes already, yet she was still not dead yet.
Why must they put her through this torture? She was just heading home from the market after buying something her mother needed when a group of men abducted her from the streets. They had whipped her, poked her with hot metal, beaten her within an inch of her life, and carved her tongue out, while they jeered and mocked her cries of pain. All because of her parents’ actions.
She was exhausted. She didn’t know how long she had been abducted for she was in and out of consciousness from the pain. If she had to guess however, it had been two days at least if not more. She wondered what atrocities she had committed to go through this torment.
Finally, black spots were covering her vision and she could feel the asphyxiation do its harm. She smiled at the relief she would finally gain. Hopefully, the Heavens would have mercy on her in the next life.
“Wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered open at the voice. Why wasn’t she dead? She couldn’t feel the agony anymore. Her back was not burning and she could feel her tongue in her mouth, intact and whole. She whipped her head around, glancing at her surroundings of perfect blue skies and white fluffy clouds beneath her body.
“You’ve finally awakened.”
The voice spoke once more, its voice booming yet whispering simultaneously. The voice was neither man nor woman, high nor low. It was ambiguous, and yet it left a warmth in her. However, she was still left questioning her current existence. Was she saved? Had someone found her body before she succumbed to her injuries?
Her mind spiralled and her breathing picked up and the unanswered questions invading her mind, until the voice spoke again.
“Do not panic. I’ll answer your questions one-by-one.”
She listened to the voice, taking a few deep breaths before calming her mind. Letting out a cough, she brushed her hand through her hair before taking another deep breath.
“Calm now?”
She nodded her head and a chair materialised out of nowhere next to her. She jumped back at the chair, whipping her head around as she tried to wrap her mind around at its sudden existence.
“Take a seat, and I’ll answer any questions you have.”
She gulped, sitting herself down on the chair while glancing around. She tucked her hands under her legs and asked her first few questions.
“Where am I? And who are you?”
“You’re in the heavens, and I’m the ruler of it.”
She blanched at the voice’s answer. Anxiety and disbelief soaring into the heavens— fitting in her current predicament. Despite her ill-timed joke, she did not laugh, but instead felt as if someone threw a stone at her head.
“I…died?”
“Yes, you unfortunately passed away due to the injuries and asphyxiation. Now, your soul is in heaven and ready to work for me.”
“Work for you?”
What did they mean by work for them? Was she to turn into an angel and work for God?
“Yes.”
Her head whipped up at their reply. Could God read her mind? Had she asked her question aloud?
“Yes, I can read your mind and you didn’t say your questions out loud.”
Her mind deteriorated instantly. For God to constantly be in her mind made her uncomfortable. Her only sanctuary was now accessible to others, and without her consent as well. Nonetheless, she gave up on the subject, God being able to access her mind shouldn't have shocked her that much.
“Are my…parents saddened by my death?”
God stayed silent at her question and she lowered her head in bitter understandment. Of course her parents would not be saddened by her death, they were the reasons she had passed away after all.
“What did you mean by ‘work for you’?”
God didn’t seem to mind the sudden topic switch, instead they seemed relieved by it.
“You’re going to become an angel, and help the mortals with their issues. Like, granting their prayers and whatnot, with my permission obviously.”
Being an angel didn’t seem that bad, maybe she’d like it.
“That’s great! You’ll start right now!”
Suddenly, her chair disappeared while a pair of wings and a halo materialised rapidly. She let out a sound of utter confusion and astonishment.
God let out a chuckle, before the clouds parted to reveal a glowing light.
“Apologies, but your mind is still too mortal to comprehend my physical form, so I had to transform myself into a light to protect your mind from imploding on itself.”
The knowledge God imparted only caused her to nod her head dumbly.
“Now, let’s start your first mission. There’s a child who wishes to grow taller; you are to sprinkle this dust on their body when they’re asleep.”
God placed a pouch of what she guessed was mystical dust before the clouds beneath her feet parted. She let out a shriek, falling from the heavens and down to earth rapidly.
“Use your wings.”
God reminded, and she quickly urged her newly-acquired wings to flutter, just so she wouldn’t become a grotesque puddle on the dirt. Thankfully, they listened, and now she was slowly fluttering down to a house where she assumed the child was sleeping in.
She phased through the roof of the house and ended up in the child’s bedroom. Ignoring the odd feeling of being in a child’s bedroom secretly while everyone was asleep, she took a handful of the mystical dust and sprinkled it on top of the child, granting their wish.
Finished with her ‘mission’, she flew back to the heavens where God awaited her, still in their incorporeal form.
“Great! You’ve finished your first mission with no difficulties! Now, you just have to meet a quota of one prayer per day!”
She thought that God was weirdly ecstatic about the prospect of her granting prayers, maybe they were tired of answering many prayers everyday since the dawn of civilisation. Well, it shouldn’t be that hard.
“Anyway, you’re free to roam around and intermingle with the other angels until your next mission tomorrow.”
A golden gate that she hadn’t noticed before opened at God’s words. Past the gates were other angels flying about, chatting and laughing with each other. It truly looked like what every depiction of the Heavens were.
She made her way to the gate, only to pause at the opening and gaze at the seemingly organised chaos inside. Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps pass the gate before relaxing when she didn’t light on fire.
Maybe she could get used to this life.
“By the way, your daily quota increases every few months until it reaches 100 prayers per day! Have a nice time!”
She whipped her head back to stare at the gate in horror as it slammed shut, God’s words running through her mind. 100 prayers per day? That was impossible! God, kill her now.
‘No can do, dear Peony.’
God’s voice echoed teasingly in her mind, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. Instead, her attention was directed to what they had called her.
‘Peony?’
‘You were wearing a beizi with a peony embroidered onto it. So, I thought it would be fitting for it to be your angel name.’
God’s explanation was sound, yet it left a bitter feeling in her mouth. She hadn’t liked the beizi her mother forced her to wear, and to be tortured in it didn’t help, but she wouldn’t dare mention it to God, not when they seemed proud of it. Just like a maidservant in the royal palace, she wouldn’t dare go against the words of those in power.
She sighed but joined the other angels, easily mingling with the friendlier angels of the bunch, although they were all nice.
That was over 600 years ago. Now it was the 17th century and she was still a prayer-granting-angel. She had gained another six pairs of wings a few centuries ago, indicating her rank of being a high-ranged angel. Everyday she grants wishes of mortals who worry over small issues like love and everyday endeavours. She couldn’t help but be jealous of the mortals at times; she wanted to worry about whether the boy she likes would reciprocate her feelings as well.
Regardless, she sucked it up and tried her best to ignore the prickling sensation in her heart every time she granted their prayers, until one fateful day.
“Dear God, please let Kim Seokhwa return my feelings.”
It was a standard prayer, the girl had prayed for the reciprocation of her feelings so she made her way to the house of the boy.
When she phased through the roof of his house however, it was dead silent. She couldn’t hear anything except for the sounds of hushed crying. Phasing through the walls of his roof, she found Seokhwa in his bathroom, curled up in the tub while tears streamed down his face.
He was nearly stark naked save for his underwear, however she didn’t pay much regard to it. Her attention was instead focused on the cuts and bruises that littered his skin. Some were old and fading while others looked to be fresh from a few hours ago.
She was horrified. Why was he beaten and bruised? Was he getting abused?
“Dear God, why does she keep treating me like this? What did I do to gain her anger? I wish she would stop. I wish Jung Taeha would just get what she deserves!”
His cries to God rang in her mind. The pouch of mystical dust in her hand felt heavy as she realised what she could do. Her eyes flitted from the pouch to the curled up boy and she threw away any and every inhibition in her mind.
While she felt bad for not granting the girl’s prayer, this was more important. She muttered a tiny ‘sorry’ that went unheard by the boy and entered his mind. She felt bad for invading his privacy but she needed to know who this Jung Taeha was. However the mental image of the girl in question made her blood boil.
She immediately zipped her way to the culprit’s house, the pouch of dust clenched tightly in her fist. She phased through the wall, where the figure of Jung Taeha,the girl whose prayer she had nearly granted, was sleeping in her bed.
There was no hesitation when she poured the mystical dust over the cruel girl’s body. In fact, there was a sadistic satisfaction when the mystical dust started burning Taeha’s skin. Taeha launched herself upright, screaming at the indescribable pain that she was undergoing.
Taeha ran to the bathroom and blasted the shower, trying her best to relieve the burning sensation but to no avail. She continued to scream while her parents banged on her door, demanding why she was screaming like bloody murder.
All the while, she watched as Taeha’s flesh melted off her bone and the girl crumpled into a ball of melted flesh and exposed bone, basking in the righteous fate the girl had faced and returned to the boy’s room.
Seokhwa was sleeping soundly in his bed, unaware of the atrocity she had committed. She snapped her fingers, and another pouch of mystical dust materialised in her hands. She grabbed a pinch of the dust and sprinkled it over his body, chanting a healing prayer in her mind as she did so.
Once she was satisfied with her work, she phased through his roof one last time and flew back to the Heavens. Yet, when she reached the fluffy white clouds, they would not part for her, even when she forced them to.
“Peony, do you understand what you have done?!”
God’s voice bellowed out, anger lacing each word with venom. She didn’t understand what was wrong, she had brought justice to an innocent.
“That boy’s prayer was not supposed to be granted! The girl had not deserved the harm you inflicted on her!”
“How did she not deserve the fate I bestowed upon her? She is fortunate that the boy’s wish was only for comeuppance and not her life!”
Thunderstruck all around her, some nearly hitting her as she stared defiantly at the Heavens. God merely growled at her words, attempting to soothe the anger boiling inside of them.
“It is not your task to decide the girl’s fate.”
“Yet you are incapable of delivering justice!”
Her insult cut off God’s words, destroying all restraint in the being.
“How dare you insult me! I created you! I gave you life! I turned you into an angel!”
“You only turned me into an angel to do your bidding! Granting prayer after prayer for several centuries! I only became an angel because you handed me an ill-fated life!”
Her words only spurred more anger in God, who was unable to deny her statement. Lightning struck closer to her and she knew that it was only a matter of time before God lost their temper and struck her directly.
“Fine, if your mortal life is what you believed to be ill-fated, I will show you something worse!”
Lightning finally struck. She let out an anguished scream at the ineffable pain as she felt a scorching burn in her wings before they halted completely, causing her to fall from the skies. From the corner of her teary eyes, she could spot four of her wings incinerated into ashes, dirtying her remaining wings.
An excruciating pain exploded in her head as her halo broke in two, before stabbing itself into her forehead and mended with her skull. Blood leaked from her halo-turned-horns, dripping into her eyes and leaving a stinging sensation.
She plummeted from the Heavens, past the mortal realm, and into the scorching depths of the Underworld. Her body collided with the dirt of the damned and her bleary eyes peered at the Heavens.
“For committing a deadly sin, Huang Yangyao will now serve as a demon for the rest of her existence, unable to repent and return as an angel in the Heavens.”
God’s words were declared for all the angels and demons to hear, ultimately sealing her fate as a demon in the Underworld.
Whimpers fell from her throat as the aftershocks of the transition ached her tender limbs. She could barely register the words of the demons surrounding as they crowded her being.
“Move! Don’t—deals—back—work!”
The muffled words quietened and she could feel a pair of hands on her delicate body, lightly shaking her.
“Are you alright?”
She could barely nod her head in response and she heard the demon tsk before calling out to someone.
“Hyung! Can you give her something? She’s still reeling!”
Feet shuffling and clothes ruffling could be heard as the demon that held her continued to lightly shake her, as if to make sure she stayed conscious. There was a pause before she felt something cold pressed to her lips, and liquid dribbled into her mouth.
“Drink that, it should help with the pain.”
A different voice sounded out this time. It was calmer than the other demon—more authoritative, making her less panicked. She obeyed the voice, swallowing the drink that flowed into her mouth until she felt her aches disappear and bones mend back together.
The drink was pulled away from her and she felt something damp wipe across her face, ridding her from most of the blood that caked her face. She cracked open her eyes, registering the reds and browns of the Underworld before focusing on the demons that surrounded her.
“You alright now?”
She nodded her head and the demon closest to her pulled her up into a sitting position.
“Welcome to the Underworld. I’m Mark and he’s Yuta.”
She bowed her head towards them before standing up from the ground, stumbling slightly at the shift of weight on her back. She muttered out a ‘sorry’ to the both of them before stretching out her wings, feeling ache in her back.
She craned her head back to see two pairs of black wings instead of four pairs of white wings, and a pang of sadness and despair in her heart. She reached up to her forehead to feel the two halves of her halo embedded in her skull.
She sighed, but disregarded her sadness. She folded back her wings and combed her fingers through her hair.
“Hello, my name is Huang Yangyao. I will be in your care.”
#enhypen#heeseung#jungwon#park sunghoon#nishimura riki#sunghoon#yang jungwon#lee heesung#jake#jake sim#sim jaeyun#jay#jay park#park jongseong#sunoo#kim sunoo#ni ki#niki#sunghoon x oc#heesung x oc#heesung x reader#sunghoon x reader#enhypen x reader#enhypen x oc#jungwon x reader#jungwon x oc#sunoo x reader#sunoo x oc#jay x reader#jay x oc
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“ GOODNIGHT LOVE ”
Pairing : jungwonxreader! Genre : yandere Warning : yandere behaviour , murder , bullying , sadist won , not proofread
Disclaimer : I don't support any yandere behaviours . This is all a work of fiction and my imagination . Credits of the GIFs to the owners . None of the members have the same personality or resonate the traits mentioned below .
You couldn't think of anything . Absolutely nothing . You just witnessed the murder of your boyfriend, the love of your fucking life which is now ruined by the only and only , Yang jungwon. That psycho bully of yours who made your life hell but still claimed you as his . He knew you had a boyfriend and you dearly loved him bcoz sunoo was so perfect that you couldn't ask for anything else . You and sunoo had been together for 2 years starting from your freshman year in high school . You were now a junior while jungwon and sunoo were in senior year. Jungwon swore he would destroy sunoo for stealing you away so they had a fight pretty much every month , you were sick of it but you couldn't do anything. All sunoo did was confront jungwon to stop bullying you and leave you alone . Both and you sunoo thought he was going for you bcoz he wanted revenge from sunoo for taking away the singing team captain position from him . But the reason was far from it , he wanted to break you and make you close to him . You were often crying from the bruises you got from jungwon . When he would pull you by your hair and the strong grip on your head brought tears from your eyes while he would only laugh . The times he would pull you into a classroom , grip your jaw so hard only to tell you to break up with sunoo as you continued to get away bcoz you would never break up with him without any reason . Or when he would drag you with that tight grip . The red marks are still there . It wasn't like he wanted to hurt you but you just wouldn't cooperate . You always turned a blind eye to him and run away from him all scared , it hurt him but at the same time the fear in your eyes caused an unexplainable excitement in him . But his patience was ending , seeing you with sunoo all drowned in love made him mad . So he made a plan to kill sunoo . He didn't care about the consequences but comon , he isn't that naive. He knows what to do to get away with the murder he oh so waited for . To torture that bastard who took you away and changed your opinion about him when all this time you could've been with him , in his arms , HIS . So he called sunoo as a trap , offered him a truce . He even promised to stop bullying you once everything is settled but oh well he obviously will not hurt you once sunoo is out of the way and you would have no one else but him . But he fucked up , he didn't realize sunoo would bring you aswell and you would be sitting in the car waiting for him . You came out just when jungwon stabbed sunoo and you heard his blood curdling scream that broke your heart in million peices . "SUNOOO" you screamed as you ran to his falling body while jungwon was frozen . "Sunoo don-don't leave me please , i love you so goddamn much " he coughed out blood and smiled at you , the smile was so painful taht you practically feel the hurt in him ."i love you too baby , hope you get this bitch i-in jail" you cried uncontrollably while sunoo closed his eyes , forever. You kissed his forehead and turned around in rage when you felt the pole hit your head . Your vision blurred as you felt jungwon pick you up "pretend this all never happened princess , you're finally mine. It's all gone be fine , you won't remember any of this when you wake up anyway hmmm , goodnight love" .
Taglist : @axartia @nikipedia07 @lovesickxmina
#kpop#kpop imagines#enhypen#enhypen ff#enhypen story#heeseung#jake sim#park jongseong#park sunghoon#kim sunoo#yang jungwon#niki nishimura#kpop yandere#enhypen yandere#yandere enhypen#jungwon yandere#yandere jungwon#enha yandere#yandere imagines#enhypen x oc#enhypen x you#enhypen x y/n#enhypen x reader#yandere sunoo#pocketz#enhypen imagines#enhypen horror#enhypen x female reader#enhypen fanfiction#enhypen drabbles
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Kira's Relationship w/ Enhypen
full masterlist | kira's masterlist
Jungwon (wonra)
Kira doesn't have any younger sibling. But if she did she wished they were like Jungwon. She adores him so much and really admires his character. Being one of the eldest, she makes it her responsibility to make sure Jungwon doesn't get too stressed as a leader. Engenes also thinks she acts a lot like his mom.
➛memorable moment:
It wasn’t captured on camera but they casually talked about it one time during one of their voice lives, that Kira was actually considered the leader position as well but there was already enough pressure being the only female member, that when it was finally decided that he will fill in the role, Kira declared herself co-captain and promised to stand by Jungwon whenever it gets hard, that he even shed a small tear when she gave him a hug of comfort.
Heeseung (Heera)
All too possibly one of the biggest ships in Enhypen. Their chemistry has been going on since I-land and fans can't get enough of it. Since they're the same age, they're more casual with each other and tend to stick together most of the time. He loves taking care of her as much she loves being taken care of by him.
➛ memorable moment:
It was during their Blessed-Cursed promotion that Kira had to take a quick 2-day rest because of her condition that Engenes saw how clingy Heeseung actually was when it comes to her. During the behind, Heeseung was seen on a video call with Kira while he was eating because he wanted to keep her company. “Have you had your lunch?” He quietly asked her who was lying down in bed. “Yeah, what are you guys doing right now?” She asked back. Not to mention the Kira photocard Heeseung brought with him when they were talking their group photos.
jay (jayra/parentz)
They aren’t called parentz for nothing. Both Jay and Kira are known to be very caring in nature so it’s only natural for them to be looking out for everyone. Being the only two people in the group who knows how to cook, they spent a lot of time bonding in the kitchen. They act so domestic that the the members love calling them “mom” and “dad”.
➛ memorable moment:
The whole So So Fun content perfectly captured JayRa’s dynamic when everyone was either fishing, sleeping, or reading, Jay and Kira stayed behind to prepare the food. Engenes got a glimpse of how domestic they actually are because they maneuver the kitchen so naturally. One particular scene was when Kira was chopping vegetables and Jay got surprised to hear her squeal thinking that she accidentally cut herself, that he quickly dropped whatever he was doing to check on her, only to find out that she just dropped the while chopping it. “Please be careful, I almost spilled the curry because of you” “I’m fine, you worry too much”
jake (kirayun)
Jake lives off of getting Kira flustered. It was totally unintentional at first but it ended up becoming their thing. Whenever Jake speaks english in his Australian accent, Kira just couldn’t help but swoon, but she definitely won’t show it. He’s most probably the one that goes “ooh you want to kiss my so bad” and she’d be the angry and flustered type that punches him on the shoulder. The second biggest Kira ship, because it’s always funny seeing Kira try to act how shy she is.
➛ memorable moment:
An EN-ter key showed Jake and Kira skateboarding while on the set of Future Perfect (Pass the Mic) and she was obviously not having it because she would be standing casually and Jake would skate only to stop right in front of her face to make her flustered (count how many time I say flustered). It also doesn’t help that when Jake teaches Kira how to skate, he’d keep saying “Wow, you’re really good at this, we should go on a skateboarding date sometime” just for the laughs.
sunghoon (hoonra)
Partners-in-crime. If Kira is the stoic and quiet type, Sunghoon brings out the expressive and loud side out of her. Don’t be fooled by their introverted nature, these two are such a fun duo that engenes couldn’t get enough of their antics when they’re together.
➛ memorable moment:
It was one time during a magazine photshoot where Sunghoon was watching Kira’s turn that he keeps talking about how she was made to be a celebrity. When Kira stepped off of the set, Sunghoon began following her everywhere acting like her bodyguard, that he even but on shades and an airpod to play the role. And the fact that she played along, acting like she’s trying to hide from flashing cameras, made it funnier.
sunoo (kim2/siblingz/sunra)
No, they aren’t siblings or even closely related. Yes, they like to pretend that they do. If you don’t know them, you’d probably think they’re twins by how similar they look, and they love that about them. She loves complimenting him and vice versa. The kind of siblings (or not) that everyone is jealous of because of how close they are.
➛ memorable moment:
Their contact names for each other are “baby brother” and “big sister”. They once talked about in a vlog that they got so tired of explaining people that they aren’t really related that when ever someone asks they just yes to avoid any further questions. They also talked about how they genuinely believe that they must be twins in their previous life because how compatible they are.
ni-ki (nira/bugeopangz/ki2)
HER CHILD. Literally will do anything to protect him. He is hungry? Cooks him a quick meal or orders bugeopang for him. He feels cold? grabs a blanket from her backpack. He misses home? Talks to him in Japanese and takes him to Japanese restaurants. Ni-ki is just thankful to have Kira because adjusting to a different culture felt easier with her around.
➛ memorable moment:
During Enhypen&Hi, there were a lot of clips where Kira would help Ni-ki with his Korean when he was still having trouble with it and where they would casually speak to each other in Japanese when they’re alone. One memorable moment was when Kira had the task to wake Riki up and he called him out in the softest “Riki-kun get up” and Ni-ki would whine while asking for 5 more minutes
#jalwoorideul: kira#kira.relationships#i honestly have no idea why I took hours to write this#enhypen 8th member#enhypen female addition#enhypen female oc#enhypen female member#kpop female addition#kpop oc#kpop additional member#kpop female oc#enhypen x reader#heeseung x reader#enhypen scenario#jay x reader#park jongseong x reader#jake x reader#sim jaeyun x reader#sunghoon x reader#jungwon x reader#sunoo x reader#ni-ki x reader#niki x reader
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To Love A Beast
Word Count: 2.3k
Pairing: Jay X Beast
Warnings: Angsty, mentions of horrid parenting, swearing. Gender bent beauty and the beast theme
Summary: In which she needs to learn to love herself, in order to open her heart for him. Genderbent fairy tale
“Adamina!” The voice called, a beautiful woman approaching the beastly woman quickly.
“Jada!” The beast smiled the best she could with her pointed teeth, her nose wrinkling with the motion.
“Can we sit in the garden today?” Jada wondered, feeling very claustrophobic despite the castle being huge.
“Sure!” The beastly woman grinned, holding her clawed hand out for the human to grab before gently leading her into the garden, it had been two weeks since Jada had shown up at the castle, she had fallen off of her horse on her way home from a trip and hurt herself badly, thankfully, Adamina heard the pounding hooves and went to help, Jada was of course terrified when she woke up in an unfamiliar room, and with a beast no less. But quickly she fell into a sisterlike bond with the beastly woman after being told of the curse that took place on the forest surrounding them.
The beastly woman stared longingly at the wilting rose, enchanted to hold her fate. Three petals remained, hanging on by a thread, as soon as the last petal fell, her human side disappeared leaving nothing but the beast in its wake.
“Are you scared?” Jada asked, following the beast's eye line to the rose that was held in a glass case above the fountain, where nobody would reach it.
“Sometimes.”
“Why don’t you go out and try to find love, that could surely help!” Jada exclaimed, before ramblin on about how they would dress her us and such.
“Jada.” The beast tried only for the young girl to keep rambling, “Jada!” again the same effect, “Jada!” this time it was louder, but not a scream, just enough to finally catch the girl’s attention.
“What?”
“That’s not happening.”
“Why?”
“Because nobody could ever love a beast.” The beast mumbled sadly, but Jada perked up ready to argue when the pounding of hooves approaching sounded, the beast stood quickly to block Jada from any danger, only to see a very handsome male there with a sword pointed at her.
“Back away from my sister beast!” The male spat, nudging the sword closer, so Adamina stepped aside, because Jada had told her how much her brother adored her, she was in safe hands with him.
“Jay!” Jada exclaimed quickly, rushing to hug her brother who still pointed his sword threateningly at the beast. “Put that stupid thing down, she’d never hurt me.”
“She?” Jay asked astounded, looking at the beastly figure in front of him who was shying away from the interaction. “That thing is a she?” Jay asked, looking down at his sister. Adamina uses this as an opportunity to flee back into the castle.
“Awe she’s scared!” The candle, Ni-Ki teased, flickering his flame in her direction.
“Where’s Jada, Mina?” The clock, Heeseung asked, tilting the hands of the clock in confusion.
“Jada is going home, we kept her safe until help came. We knew she wouldn’t stay forever.” Adamina said monotonously, watching as the enchanted utensils bow in mourning.
She sat at the dining table quietly, staring at the table emotionlessly.
“She was so happy with Jada.” Sunghoon the tea cup pouted, missing the room being filled with giggles and stories.
“Hello? Uh Beast?” A male voice called, making all of the utensils crowd around the door curiously, “Ow! Okay I’m sorry, Adamina?” the man called again, before hearing the scraping of a chair against the floor and heavy footsteps coming his way.
As the beast came into view he pushed his sister behind him again, watching the disheartened expression cross the beast’s features. “Mina! I talked him into letting me say goodbye!”
“Farwell Jada, have safe travels.” The beast spoke, though the voice was hoarse it definitely did not sound beastly, causing Jay look at the beast strangely.
“Oh don’t be like that! Give me a hug! I’ll come visit!” the excitable girl cheered, rushing to hug the beast who took a step back looking at her friend sadly.
“I don’t think you should, I don’t want you seeing what’s coming these next few weeks.” Adamina said, turning her back on the humans.
“But you helped me when I needed it, I want to help you.” Jada argued, earning a slight growl from the beast.
“No Jada, I didn’t help you to get anything out of it. I helped because you were going to freeze to death if I left you like that. Now please leave me to die in peace. And leave the village before the beast gets free.”
That was the last thing the beast said before storming out of the room, her red cape flowing behind her with the wind.
“I’m sorry what?” Jay roared as he helped hoist his sister up onto his horse.
“Please, she’s really nice I promise.”
“Nice doesn’t always mean everything, she’s a beast, I can’t help a beast!”
“Please, this could help you too! You’ve been wanting to get away from Giselle as long as I can remember. Here’s your chance.”Jada reasoned, making Jay huff.
“No, I'm not staying here to help your so-called friend.”
“Why? Give me one good reason.”
The silence following the question made Jada smile triumphantly as she took the reins and left her brother in shock.
“What just happened?”
“Why’re you still here?” the tea cup asked, causing Jay to jump slightly in shock.
“Oh you have got to be kidding me.” He groaned, looking around at all of the appliances and utensils that were staring at him.
“I don’t remember the princess inviting you to stay.” a teapot said bouncing its way to stand on the table in front of him.
“Yea well I didn’t exactly invite myself either.”
“You took Jada away. She was our only hope.” The teacup broke in to the conversation before a candle holder hopped into the room.
“I informed the princess that you would be staying, stay out of the west wing and you won’t have to see her at all.” The candle holder said looking sad.
“Look I don’t get what’s going on. My sister told me to stay to help the beast feel better for whatever reason, so why am I supposed to not interact with her?”
“Well for one stop calling her a beast. She’s a princess. For two obviously we’re all cursed. You can't enchant entire personalities into furniture. The magic is running out, meaning when the last petal on that rose falls, the beast will take over and go rampant and we’ll simply be furniture, appliances, and utensils forever.” the broom explained, nudging it’s handle in the direction of the rose through the window.
“Why were you cursed?”
“Her mother didn’t want to pass down the throne, but her father was ready. Usually they wait til the princess is married, which was meant to happen but her betrothed died in a horrid accident and her fatehr couldn’t postpone the crowning ceremony since he had fallen ill as well. Her mother cursed her and everyone who supported the movement as soon as the king passed.”
“Well that’s some shitty parenting.” Jay said quietly, gaining a new perspective of the beast.
–
It took a few days before the sickness started setting in. She couldn’t even go up to her room after coming down for food, stuck sleeping on the large dusty couch waiting for her body to succumb to the curse. She had hardly recognized Jay staying in the room with her everynight, he slept like a log so it wasn’t like it was any issue for him, falling asleep anywhere he could anytime was one of his most notable habits.
So as she woke up to the curtains opening, her roar spooked the man sleeping on the floor beside her “Close them!” She wailed, bringing her clawed hands to cover her eyes.
“So how do you break the curse?” He asked as he watched the beast from a distance, her body hunched around the fountain as she wished for the last petal to stay for good.
“She needs to experience true love, Jada was close to getting the beast to love her, but we weren’t sure if platonic love would work.” The wardrobe said, moving towards the beast to place a blanket over her.
“So someone just has to love her?” He asked like that was the easiest solution in the world.
“Yea, but she has to reciprocate, and sadly in her mind nobody could ever love a beast.” The candle holder sighed.
Jay looked around thoughtfully, the over grown plants and dreary sky made the castle look even more frightening, nobody could be happy here, even a beast. And there was no way he’d risk his sister’s life by letting the beast take over. So he observed.
Everything she enjoyed he noted and lent her a hand in doing it, all of her favorite foods cooked by him, they ate together every night in front of the fire as he read her favorite stories to her. He would hum a tune til she fell asleep and then make his way onto the floor to sleep next to her.
It wasn’t until a particularly cold night that there was a switch, he didn’t see it before as he cared for the beast but the gleam in her eye was returning, and as the fire was blown out by the winds, she offered the heat of her fur and body to the man who had been helping her so kindly.
Laying cuddled up on the couch feeling the sensations of arms wrapped around him, lulled him easily to sleep. Almost making him wish for it to never end, especially as she began humming the tune he had hummed to her every night, getting further than he ever noticed he had heard.
“You listened?”
“Every night, it’s been a long time since someone has cared enough to help me sleep. I tried to soak in every last second.”
–
Jay didn’t even know when he had fallen for the beast, it could have been that very night she hummed his tune to help him sleep, or maybe when she had inquired on his favorite book, reading it so they could discuss it, Or maybe it wwas watching her nurturing nature with the enchanted objects.
She listened to them, she cried with them, she comforted them, it was beautiful cause even if she was slowly dying she still had respect for the beings that stood by her side through it all.
But he knew she still kept arms length between him and her, afraid to get her hopes up, her illness was getting worse. The more she pulled away from Jay the worse the symptoms got.
What started with sore muscles now became lethargia, and slight coughing was now a bloody mess.
“You’re getting worse.” He commented as he took in her form, she was coughing into a cloth trying to disguise the situation to her best ability.
“You need to go, it’s only a matter of days til the beast takes over. You need to get to the village and evacuate them.” She weakly tried to demand, but Jay shook his head defiantly.
“No. We’re breaking this curse.” He demanded, moving his hand to brush the fur away from her eyes. His features softening as he took in the tears lining her waterline fighting to fall, “Listen, there are lives depending on this curse breaking, your life and the others trapped here included. I’m not risking that. So get off of your ass and fall in love.”
“What’s the point? Look at me, I’m a monster.”
“No, You are Princess Adamina, who frankly got the short end of the stick wth a bitchy mother. You have spent years protecting the people who stood by you, you are willing to die alone and save a village full of people, who, no offense, hate your guts and would rather kill the beast then live in fear of you deciding to kill them all one day.”
The fondness growing in her eyes as Jay rambled about the good attributes about her could not be missed, her heart warming at someone paying so much attention.
“I love you, purely because of the personality I’ve seen these past weeks. You are a beautiful person, despite your curse. And all you have to do is learn to love yourself as well, and maybe me so we can avoid the whole rampage on the village thing.” He grinned as he heard weak giggles erupt from his companion.
“I’d Like that.” She smiled, tiredly closing her eyes as she felt another wave of fatigue hit her.
“Rest now princess, and when you awake we can try to have that picnic you mentioned a few days ago.” He cooed, rubbing her head gently as she fell into her slumber, her heart opening up for the first time in years.
He hummed the usual tune with a slight grin as he read the latest story to some of the younger enchanted when a gasp cut through the air abruptly. Frantic, he looked in the direction, seeing the furniture one by one shift back into human beings, wide grins and joyous squeals filling the air. He looked down at the figure in his lap and saw her beginning to shift as well, her shaggy fur turning into long black hair, her scrunched nose streching and bending to a long upturned nose that actually was very cute, Her huge eyes shrinking in her still closed sockets to a normal human and her large canines shrinking back behind her lips, her body following the motions and forming into her normal body, clad in tattered clothes.
“What just happened?” He wondered looking around at the now humans who were watching in awe.
“She opened her heart to you!”The youngest of the group cheered, bouncing excitedly in front of his parents.
A hand brushing against his cheek turned his attention back down to the beauty in his lap, he took in her green eyes as her plump lips parted to speak with a grin, “How about that picnic?”
With the sky now beaming, people bustling and the once overgrown greenery fading, a picnic sounded like a beautiful idea.
#enhypen#enha imagines#enhypen au#enhypen fluff#enhypen imagines#enhypen x oc#park jongseong#enhypen jongseong#jongseong x reader#jongseong fic#jongseong scenarios#jongseong imagines#enha jongseong#jay imagines#kpop imagines#kpop idol x reader#idol x reader#kpop#fanfic#kpop scenarioes#idol imagines
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heartbreak girl.
inspired by reality check @yunverse
banner inspo: @faelyncore
synopsis; where haerin wakes up in a novel she read years ago as a character who has the same name as her. now, she enter the mc's best friend role, your resident 'mean' girl, jang haerin.
pairing; enhypen x oc; enhypen x named reader.
genre; smau, occasional written chapters, angst, fluff, mentions of jealousy and image issues.
status; soon to start
- chapters names may change with the time
profiles.
girls just wanna have fun!
blessed-cursed by the plot
taglist. (send an ask or comment)
@yuhjoeyuh @dainedelions @nyfwyeonjun
chapters.
prequel; before reading the chapters
00. starting point (what the hell happened?)
01. killing as a form of affection
02. friends are made for this
03. long haired pretty girl
04. bye bye macarons
#heartbreak girl#enhypen#enhypen x oc#enhypen x reader#jungwon x reader#heeseung x reader#jay x reader#jake x reader#sunghoon x reader#sunoo x reader#niki x reader#yang jungwon#lee heeseung#park jongseong#sim jaeyun#park sunghoon#kim sunoo#nishimura riki
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𝐅𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ▸ park jongseong
024 ... are you fr done with it though?
TAGLIST:
@iloveoceaneyesss @urfaveuserlana @8252000
#enhypen social media au#enhypen social au#enhypen smau#enhypen x reader#enhypen x oc#enhypen fluff#enhypen scenarios#enhypen jungwon x reader#enhypen heeseung x reader#enhypen jay x reader#enhypen jake x reader#jay x oc#enhypen sunghoon x reader#enhypen sunoo x reader#enhypen niki x reader#enhypen jay x oc#park jay x reader#park jay x oc#park jongseong x reader#park jongseong x oc#jay x reader#jongseong x reader#jongseong x oc#college smau#smau#au#le sserafim#le sserafim x reader
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devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes (preview)
Jay needs someone to pretend to be his girlfriend, and you're just the person for the job— seriously, you're almost a professional at this point, regularly charming the families of your idiot twin's friends who need your help getting their parents off their back. You have strict rules, though: (1) you'll only pretend to be someone's girlfriend on three occasions, maximum, (2) nobody is allowed to catch feelings, and (3) you get three favors in return. Too bad Jay is hellbent on breaking every last one of them.
PAIRING: park jongseong x female reader
GENRE: fake dating, college au, vaguely greek life au, vaguely rich kid au, acquaintances to partners in crime to fake relationship to lovers i guess? lol, jake is your twin bc i thought it would be funny
WARNINGS: swearing, (eventual) kissing and suggestive content
WORD COUNT: ~2.3k (preview), final word count TBD but likely long knowing myself
PUBLISH DATE: probably in the next two weeks!
“WHY DO YOU LOOK SO NICE?”
“Why do you sound so surprised?” You scoff, tossing the apple you were just about to eat at Jake’s head. Annoyingly, he catches it in mid-air, then makes a show out of polishing it with his shirt and taking a big bite out of it. “Hey, I was going to eat that, asshole.”
“Shouldn’t have thrown it at me, then.”
You roll your eyes at your twin, then go to retrieve another apple from the fruit bowl. It’s surprisingly well-stocked, given that you’re in a frat’s kitchen. Honestly, it’s surprising that there even is a fruit bowl in a frat’s kitchen, but the president of this frat runs a tight ship.
Said president appears in the doorway just then, snatching the apple from your hands as well as the one from Jake’s hands. “Guys, seriously, you have to wash these before you eat them.”
You and Jake both whine simultaneously. “Chan!”
“I already took a bite out of that, bro,” Jake complains.
“I’m starving, please have mercy,” you beg.
Chan whips his head around from where he’d begun washing the apples in the sink to fuss at you. “What? Why haven’t you eaten yet? It’s almost 9pm!”
“Which reminds me— why do you look so nice?” Jake repeats.
“I had a thing with Mark,” you sigh.
“You can just say you were pretending to be his girlfriend; we all know what you mean,” Jake snorts.
“I had a thing with Mark,” you repeat, resisting the urge to throw another apple at Jake’s head. “It was at this ballroom downtown, and of course he had nothing to wear, so I had to take him shopping first, which made us late, and then his parents wouldn’t stop talking my ear off about how I need to convince him to give up the music major, so I couldn’t touch any of the food there. Not even the foie gras torchon,” you recall mournfully. “We just got back, like, five minutes ago.”
Chan hums sympathetically— he knows how much you love foie gras torchon. “You can probably ask for an endless supply in return for your appearance at today’s thing,” he suggests, only half-joking. It absolutely sounds like the kind of thing Mark Lee would agree to, what with his ridiculously large inheritance and hapless generosity (last month, Mark lost thousands of dollars in some animal shelter-related pyramid scheme, marketed to him by none other than Haechan Lee).
You wave a hand dismissively. “Nah, I’m keeping Mark’s favor for something else.”
Jake raises an eyebrow. “What else?”
“Whatever it turns out I need in the future, dumbass. What’s it to you, anyways?”
“Just wanna make sure the poor guy doesn’t end up trapped in your snares forever, little sis. Yo, can I have that apple back?” Jake turns to Chan with characteristic puppy eyes.
“You’re only older than me by eight minutes,” you grumble, the age-old retort slipping out of you before you can help it.
“No, Jaeyun, you cannot. And don’t talk to your sister like that— oh my god, why do I sound like Taeyong,” Chan mutters, thinking about his predecessor frat-president-slash-mother-hen.
“Jeez, government name and everything.” Jake holds his hands up, relinquishing his claim to the apple.
“In fact, your sister gets to have both of these apples, after I clean and cut them up, because she is a saint for continuing to save our asses from our parents like this,” Chan lectures, unceremoniously carving out the chunk of the apple with Jake’s bite marks and tossing it into the trash bin.
“Real ones get it!” You reach out and high-five Chan.
“That is so unfair, c’mon, man!” Jake splutters. “She gets just as much out of these fake relationships— seriously, didn’t you drive her around everywhere for, like, a month after she went to that wedding with you?”
Both you and Chan shudder at the memory. “Ugh, my worst cousin and the worst guy he was ever with. They’re still married, by the way.” Chan shakes his head. “God knows why.”
“Love conquers all…?” Jake offers.
“What the hell are you talking about love for,” a new voice grumbles. Jay strolls in through the doorway, hands full with plastic bags promising wonderful things based on how your stomach reacts to the smell.
“Oh, hell yeah, chicken!” Jake cheers. “Took you long enough, bro.”
“Traffic was hell, something about a ball downtown, and— oh. Hey.” Jay stops abruptly at the sight of you, now munching on the apple slices Chan hands you, one by one.
You wave vaguely in his direction, too busy eating to respond. Jay is one of your brother’s friends who you don’t know that well, since you’ve never pretended to be his girlfriend. It’s strange that you two don’t know each other better, actually— as the social chairs of your sorority and his fraternity, respectively, you would usually have a lot to work on together. But this year has been particularly busy for you, what with your senior thesis and your various things with Jake’s frat brothers, and you had delegated most of your social chair responsibilities to your co-chair, Yunjin, who was far better suited to the social part of the job, anyways. You suspected Jay had done the same thing, since the two of you only ever texted to confirm budgets for any joint events.
“You need to have more than one-and-three-quarters of an apple for dinner,” Chan scolds you, parental instincts back in full force.
You shrug, about to turn around and rifle through the cabinets to see if you can find some peanut butter to add to your apple slices when a takeout container appears in front of you. Tired and still starving, you react rather slowly, your eyes tracing up the hand on the container to the veins of an arm belonging to none other than Jay.
“You look hungry,” is all he says, before popping the container open for you and rearranging the rest of the plastic bags on the counter. “Jake, tell the others to come down for food.”
The others means that soon, there will be an influx of hungry frat brothers in the kitchen, and you have no desire to be anywhere near that, so you mumble a quick thank you to Jay, plop the rest of the apple slices into the takeout container (against Chan’s complaints about the contamination), and move to leave the kitchen, eager to be on your way to your sorority house.
The last thing you overhear before you leave is Jay asking, “Why did your sister look so nice?”, and Jake and Chan responding in unison, “She had a thing.”
A few days later, when they’re doing work in the library, Jay asks Jake, “So how long have Mark and your sister been seeing each other?”
Jake’s pencil jerks across his graph paper, a jagged line appearing on the page at the same time that he swears. “Dude, what the fuck?”
“Dude, what the fuck,” Jay echoes flatly. “Didn’t you say she had a thing with Mark?”
Jake blinks. “Well, sure, in the same way that she’s had a thing with Chan, and Yeonjun, and Vernon, and all the others.”
Jay gapes at him. “Your sister dated all of them? And all the others?”
“What, no, she didn’t date them, she fake-dated them! Just a couple of times, mainly showing up to things with their families so their parents would leave them alone about finding a partner and all that. You know how the parents are.” Jake gestures vaguely, referring to the oddities of the world of wealth they were born into.
Jay nods slowly, understanding dawning upon him. Does he know how the parents are? Oh, does he ever. He has always had a good relationship with his own, but they had been more pushy on the whole love thing as of late, with the not-at-all subtle questions his mother asks about any special someones in his life and the unfunny jokes his dad cracks about how he’s still spry enough to help raise grandchildren. Especially unfunny, given the health scare his dad had given them all in the last year.
Jake’s voice brings him out of his veering-towards-morbid thoughts. “But seriously, bro, how is this news to you? My sister’s been doing this… Cinderella-genie thing for over two years now.”
Jay’s eyebrows furrow. “Cinderella-genie thing?”
“Yeah, I mean, she transforms our frat brothers into respectable young men with a respectable relationship, but only for three occasions, and she gets the same number of favors back.” Jake wrinkles his nose. “It sounds weird when I say it like that, and don’t get me wrong, I love to give her shit for it, but it’s all above-board stuff. Sunghoon bought her bubble tea for like, three months.”
“She fake-dated Sunghoon?”
At the mention of his name, Sunghoon pops one side of his headphones off. “What’s up?”
“You fake-dated Jake’s sister!?”
Sunghoon shushes him before responding. “Yeah, don’t you remember? It was a couple of months ago.”
Jay’s ears flush, both at how loud he had unconsciously gotten, and at the reminder that he really has been out of it for a while now. It’s not like he’s been living under a rock, but he has definitely been spending a lot more time with his parents and away from his friends ever since his dad’s health scare.
“She was great, though,” Sunghoon continues. “My mom still thinks I made the biggest mistake of my life ‘letting her go.’ But she’s also been leaving me alone about ‘finding love’ because she thinks I’m heartbroken, so yeah, Jake’s sister works wonders.”
Jake smirks. “Sim genes, man. Elite stuff.”
Sunghoon scoffs. “You wish. Didn’t I hear your mom yelling at you on the phone the other day for not having settled down yet?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. Does she not realize what decade this is, I mean, we’re still in college—”
Jay interrupts what looks to be the beginning of a long rant from Jake, cutting him off with, “So where can I sign up?”
Jake stares blankly at him. “Sign up for what?”
“The Cinderella-genie thing.”
Sunghoon scrunches his face awkwardly. “Uh, she kind of has a waitlist, buddy.”
Jay waits for him to laugh and say he’s just kidding, but he doesn’t. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t do the fake-dating thing for multiple people at the same time, and she’s pretty busy with all her shit, so I’m not sure how long of a queue you have ahead of you…”
“Okay, but Jake could get me ahead, right? Cut the line, or something? C’mon dude, I’m your best friend.” Jay is suddenly desperate, remembering the conversation he’d had with his mom on the phone last night, where she had dreamily recalled meeting his dad in college and delicately reminded Jay that he could have a plus-one to the Parks’ upcoming 50th wedding anniversary celebration.
Jake eyes his friend warily. “I dunno, she really doesn’t like stuff like that. Unfair advantages, I mean.”
“My parents aren’t getting any younger, Jake, and you know, with my dad last year and everything…” Jay does his best approximation of batting his eyelashes at Jake.
“Are you guilt-tripping me?”
“A little?” Jay’s smile turns a little maniacal. “For real, my parents have their 50th wedding anniversary coming up, and it would be the perfect event to bring her to so I can reassure them that things are going well in my love life.”
“Are things going anywhere in your love life?” Sunghoon’s tone is skeptical, and reasonably so.
Jay has been distant lately because of his family, but even before that he had always been known as somewhat aloof and unattainable. Devastatingly handsome, yes, with killer grades and fierce ambition, and a business empire to inherit to boot, but he is also his parents’ one and only miracle child, born after years of trying and almost giving up. Jay’s parents are older than all of his friends’ parents, and their family business has always been that— a family business. Jay has two years after graduation to learn the ropes in the business, and then he’ll be due for an MBA, and then a return to helm the business, but this timeline has recently felt more urgent than ever with his parents’ flagging health. They would never say it, but he knows the only reason they haven’t retired yet is because they don’t want to hand over control of the business to anyone but him. Jay has worked his ass off in college, trying to get there as fast as he can, as well as he can. But his parents also want him to enjoy college and find true love, and while he’s been doing pretty well with the former, the latter has been on the backburner for, well, forever. Who has time for true love, in between classes, fraternity duties, the various shenanigans his friends get up to, internships, networking, TA-ing, volunteering, being on the executive board of two clubs, and eating, sleeping, dreaming, and thinking?
So. No. Things are not going anywhere in his love life, and he confirms just as much to Sunghoon with a grunt, to which Sunghoon wheezes out his amusement.
Jake eyes Jay with pity, now. “Alright, that guilt trip was successful, but more so because you just admitted to being bitchless for so long. I’ll put in a good word to my sister for you.”
Jay perks up instantly. There is light and beauty in this world after all! “Awesome, thank you bro, you won’t regret this, I promise!”
“I wasn’t planning on it, but those are famous last words, Park.” Jake raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure you can handle my sister?”
“Why not? She seems… nice.” Jay is slightly evasive in his answer, and truthfully, it’s because he isn’t really sure what you’re like. All your interactions to date have been cordial, almost business-like, and you and Jake are fraternal twins, so it’s not even like he’s really familiar with what you look like. He is, however, sure that you look beautiful in a ballgown, even if he only saw you in one in his frat’s kitchen.
Jake chortles outright. “No, my sister is not nice. Yeah, I’m definitely going to convince her to help you, just because I think it’ll be hysterical watching her turn you inside out. Good luck, my brother in Christ, because you’ll need it!”
#enhypen#jay#park jay#park jongseong#jay x reader#enhypen x reader#enhypen fic#jay fic#uhhhh idk what else to tag here it's been so long since i wrote anything on tumblr dot com#title has absolutely nothing to do w/ the song and it barely has anything to do w/ the plot tbh i just like the way it sounds#who would've thought i'd be back on tumblr... writing fics.......... in the year 2023#and for READER INSERTS TOO this is a new uhmmmm situation for me#tbh i'd much rather write ocs but that seems to be Not The Vibe on kpopblr so here we are#okay i know the ages of the people in this fic don't line up but shhhh just ignore it okay#i know next to nothing about skz but when i was thinking about who would make sense as a mothering frat president chan just made sense#based on my limited knowledge yknow#okay anyways! cool lmk what u think of this preview#ss.preview
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These Drunk Confessions
These drunk confessions - Part 1
Park Jongseong (Jay) x OC (Im Haeyoon) | College AU | Situationship
For Haeyoon, it was better to end things than to admit how she truly felt. It's not like she didn't like their set up, she was just too scared of rejection, leaving Park Jongseong lost, confused and full of misconceptions that ended in these drunk confessions. Now, everyone in their circle knows about what has transpired in the past, plus Jongseong's feelings--everyone knew, except of course, for the oblivious Im Haeyoon..
⊱ ━━━━━━━━━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊰
Part 1: OC’s (Haeyoon) POV
“So… there’s this party…” my best friend of almost two decades started as we were having lunch at the university cafeteria.
“No, Rin. I’ll be busy.” I deadpanned as I finished my chocolate pudding, not wanting to listen to what she had to say.
“I haven’t even said anything yet! Sunghoon will be there though.” She added hopefully. Ah, the ex-love of my life as everyone knows, who happened to reject me but is still nice about it. That was laughable really, and I’m over it.
“I’m over him, love. You know that,” I gave her a disapproving look. It didn’t hurt my pride as much though, because it was a cover-up, and probably because he didn’t gloat about it, we’re still good friends. After that drunk confession which was supposedly for another person (his best friend?), Sunghoon rejected me and said he never saw me that way, which I’m thankful for as it would get pretty complicated if he didn’t. “And besides, if Sunghoon is there, so is his best friend, Park Jongseong.”
“God! I wasn't implying anything!” she added defensively. “Why are you so irked with his presence anyway? It’s not like you have a past with Jay…” Oh God, we DID have a past, it’s just that nobody knew!
“Don’t act like I’m not aware of things, I know the party will be this Friday to celebrate Jake’s birthday, Jake and I are not even close. I don’t just crash anyone’s party, you know.”
“Whose party are we crashing?” Heeseung interrupted the discussion, sitting beside Aerin, as she became flustered while attempting to hide a smile.
“You’re close by association, he’s close with Sunghoon and Heeseung!” she interjected, like it was the brightest idea ever.
“Close with whom, babe?” Heeseung shot Aerin a confused glance.
“You’re going too, right Hee? Jake’s party this weekend.”
“Oh stop it with your flirting. You two are so pathetic!” I rolled my eye at them, trying so hard to change the topic but ended up failing. They should just address their feelings for each other and start dating, it gets everyone frustrated when they say that they’re just close friends. Yeah, right. Close friends who can’t get their hands off each other.
“Come on Yoon, we won’t even let you drive, you can drink all you want.” She insisted, with Heeseung backing her up.
“And Jake wants you there, he likes you, you know,” Heeseung said, which made my best friend giggle like crazy. “You were always at the parties we hosted, what happened?”
Nah, Jake doesn’t like me like that, I don't think so. He is nice, and can even be considered as hot, but he’s a fuck boy. He has girls left and right, and I don’t want to be one of those girls who are at his beck and call, nope that isn’t me.
“I’ll think about it.” I finally said after a minute of silence God, just drop the subject, please! It’s not like I don’t want to, but I don’t feel like seeing Park Jongseong in a setting other than our campus.
I stood up and excused myself from the two, and made my way to a nearby study space so I can finish my work in peace, but who am I kidding? My mind wandered off to Jongseong, again. The almighty Park Jongseong—Jay for most people. Our friend group is well known within our uni and other campuses as well, because of these guys; Heeseung, Sunghoon, Jake, Sunoo, Jungwon, Niki and of course, Jay—who’s also a fuckboy just like Jake. I don’t want to associate myself with him again, not in this lifetime!
Jongseong and I were friends with benefits, and nobody knew about this, not even Aerin. He was the one I lost my virginity to, and vice versa—well, at least that’s what he told me.
All that started the summer after high school, when he was introduced by a classmate. It only ended at the start of our junior year in college, just a few months back.
We had a deal that if one of us started to like someone else, we’d tell the other. The relationship was supposedly exclusive, we can date but we can’t fuck other people, if we did, we had to stop this situationship.
Ironic enough, we also became a part of the same friend group, freshman year. We were aloof in front of our friends but it’s a totally different story when we’re alone or with our parents, it is also unbelievable how we kept the act for more than two years.
At the parties the guys hosted, it was the same story. Our younger friends would be there, but they were not allowed to drink, it was either me or Jongseong that picked them up, then Sunghoon being the slightly responsible one will drive them home before their curfew, then will only start drinking once the kids are home. Jongseong and I will then disappear when everyone’s drunk or busy and will spend the night either at his or my place. And there were also weekdays, when he spent most nights at my place, without our friends knowing.
Until the dreadful thing happened, I fell in love with him—sophomore year, second semester.
It was also one of the unwritten rules, to not fall for the other. Of course, I didn’t have the guts to tell him or end it, I was just there for him, nothing changed. Besides, he did not show me any kind of affection when we were outside of our confines, I just knew it was one-sided.
Then came Jake, who was a transfer student in the first semester of junior year and he hit it off with our clique, so naturally the guys found another reason to host a party, to welcome him that is. It was the same old routine, except Jungwon, Niki and Sunoo did not need to go home that night, they would be crashing at Heeseung’s, who hosted the party.
Jongseong on the other hand told me that he wouldn’t be able to go home with me that night, which was a first, he said he needed to babysit his cousin. I didn’t mind, and who was I to demand to know what he was up to, we were not in a relationship.
That’s when I saw him with another girl on the balcony, while I was seated on one of the pool chaises, a little tipsy but had a good view of them while I was hidden from their sight. He allowed her to lunge forward and kiss him, he did not even resist. Realization hit me that time that I was nothing to Jongseong, so I made an excuse to my friends that I will be going home early as I’m not feeling well, I did not even bother saying goodbye to him.
In the succeeding days, I talked to him less. I didn’t make myself as available as before so I made up shitty excuses to not see him, I was scared that he’d tell me that he would end things, I thought that it'd feel better if it was the other way around, so I planned to end it with him. I also avoided our friends that same week and was absent on the classes I shared with each one of them. They kept messaging me too, especially Aerin and Jongseong, asking about my whereabouts, and made up this lame excuse that I was spending time with my mom, good thing Jongseong did not ask mom about me.
The following week, that's when I dropped the bomb--I messaged him and said that we should stop whatever was between us as there was already someone I liked. He did not stop calling until I had to switch off my phone, I then went home to my parents and made myself MIA. Mom thought it was pressure from school, so she let me off the hook.
After two weeks of hiding, I finally went back. I talked to my professors, and they gave me extra work for credits. Another excuse to not see them, I did tell Aerin that something was up but did not tell her in detail, I was thankful that she did not pry, and she understood me. Jongseong stopped bothering me altogether, I was somewhat relieved, but I did miss him, so much if I may add.
That weekend, I made an appearance at the party hosted by Sunghoon when I realized how selfish I was and apologized to them for being MIA. It wasn’t a surprise that Jay had his arm around someone, I didn’t even look at him, I could feel his ireful stares which I tried so hard to ignore.
I did not leave Sunghoon’s side that night, thankfully he did not mind, not one bit, and when everyone mellowed down, that’s when Jongseong started to argue with me that progressed into a full-blown fight loud enough for our friends and bystanders to hear. He accused me of liking Sunghoon, and that did it for me. I deliberately told him that I indeed liked Sunghoon because he doesn’t sleep around. It was too late when I fully understood what I’ve just said, the others broke the fight and Sunghoon drove me home, and was nice enough to comfort me and stay with me until the morning—this was when he rejected me. I didn't bother explaining to him what really happened, it was left at that.
That was the last time I’ve ever spoken to Park Jongseong, or at least the last civilized one. He did, however, drunk text me a few times, saying that Sunghoon doesn’t like me and things with similar context, he was fucking petty, and I ignored him, until I ended up blocking his number.
“Hey, you’re too deep in thought.” Sunoo nudged me, I did not realize that he’s here with Jungwon, Sunghoon and the manwhore himself, Park Jongseong.
“I’m just tired. Exams are coming up.”
The guys joined me at the then empty table, Jongseong was hesitant but still sat with the others.
“So I hear you’re coming this Friday.” Sunghoon asked, after the incident, it took about three months before I started hanging out with the guys.
“If Aerin and Heeseung told you, then they’re lying. I told them I’d think about it. That's different.”
“Come one, you don’t have to worry about driving, I’ll pick you up and even drive you home.” Sunghoon insisted.
“Yess! Please, please!” Sunoo begged, “you haven’t joined us in a long time.”
“Eight months is not a long time, love. Plus, I have been busy.” I told them, Jungwon frowned, and I know he doesn’t believe me.
“Yeah, busy with what? Dating after Sunghoon rejected you?” Jongseong smirked and I am so tempted to wipe that fucking smirk off his face.
“Am I even talking to you, Jay?” I said with a straight face. “Mind your own business, why not continue fucking everyone else in this school instead of putting your nose into someone else’s life? It got too boring for you?”
“At least they’re all lined up for me, unlike for some people I know.” He continued to pester me, “It’s not my fault that no one wants to fuck you.”
“Are you sure about that?” I was fuming but I didn’t want to lose my composure, “maybe you can ask Jake.” Sunghoon held me by my elbow, trying to prevent me from saying anything more.
“Yeah, Jake would fuck you alright, but that’s it. As if he’d come looking for you again after one night, don’t think so highly of yourself.”
“Jay, stop-“ Jungwon tried to control him, too late though, my anger got the best of me and I slapped Jongseong, hard.
“Okay, we gotta go!” Sunoo forced me out of the building, Sunghoon followed carrying my stuff which he shoved in my backpack.
“That fucking asshole!”
“Im Haeyoon! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sunoo hit the back of my head lightly as soon as we were out of the building.
“Didn’t you hear what he just said? He insulted me, Sun!!!” I almost yelled, “that fucking manwhore insulted me!”
“Why do guys walk so fast?” Sunghoon suddenly appeared while catching his breath, “what was that about Im Haeyoon?”
“Stop calling me by my legal name assholes!” they took me to the nearby park, and I sat on one of the benches, “he’s getting on my nerves, I don’t even know what his problem is.”
“Bad break up, perhaps?” Sunoo joked, Sunghoon guffawed, my eyes widen, “You’re too guilty!”
“We know, Yoon. Jay told us some bits, when he was drunk, we’ve been meaning to ask you as well.”
“What do you know? Who else knows about this?”
“Well, since Jay is a bad drunk,” Sunghoon admitted, “he may or may have not told everyone, including Aerin, you know because of Heeseung.”
“Right.” When the information sinks, I buried my face in my hands, “OH.MY.GOD! Park fucking Jongseong!”
“Chill, I somewhat knew.” Sunoo rubbed my back, “the way he looks at you says it all, he’s so in love with you Yoon.”
“Wait, what?” Did I just hear it correctly?
“You know he didn’t talk to me for a month, right?” Sunghoon said exasperatedly, “he thought that you and I dated.”
“It’s true, I was the first one he drunk confessed to,” Sunoo snickered at the thought, “he said you broke up with him for another guy, that you liked one of his best friends and he can’t do anything about it. It was the week you were at your parents.’"
“Wait, I’m confused. He was never my boyfriend guys. We never dated. Yes, we fucked but that was that.” I tried to explain even if it doesn’t make sense to me, “We were friends with benefits, I didn’t want to tell you guys since things would be awkward.”
Sunghoon sat on the ground, facing me and Sunoo “I only noticed it when he changed. He was always drunk at parties and flirted with different girls on a daily basis, but he never took anyone home as far as I know.”
“Hard to believe, Hoon. I mean, he plays tonsil hockey with one of the girls in one of our classes, then he flirts with a different one on another. I’m not surprised if he’s contracted STD or something.”
"He never had sex with anyone, Haeyoon. Believe me."
“Didn’t you like him at least? I know you did.” Sunoo urged, waiting for me to answer.
“I did.” I paused, it felt good to have everything off my chest for once, “I really did, but when I saw him kissing that girl at Heeseung’s party, I knew it had to stop, he didn’t see me that way, I totally made a fool out of myself.”
“What? What girl? Did you know about this Hoon? Was this the party for Jake?”
“Ah! The girl he was with, I remember. Jay dumped her that same night, and then he came looking for you, but you already went home. He wanted to go to you, but we warned him not to drive, he already had too much to drink. I think he also tried to call, but you were not picking up.”
“That’s when I started avoiding him, I knew I had to break it off with him. I told him I liked someone else, that’s why I said I liked you, sorry Hoon, if you got caught in the middle. I was desperate to break it off with him… I never formally apologized to all of you, I was being selfish that time."
“It’s okay, we all had fun irking Jay anyway. He was so reactive, Jake did have a crush on you, but when he found out about your past with Jay, he riled him up for fun, pretending he doesn’t know anything. He’s so jealous of Jake, I think that’s why he reacted that way earlier.” Sunghoon also confessed, while Sunoo's nodding excitedly.
“Hoon is telling the truth, I’ve witnessed it! He walks out if he gets too pissed but will say sorry the next day, saying he doesn’t know what’s gotten into him or that he’s stressed.” Sunoo laughed so hard while saying this, “We were doing this with the hopes that he’d finally confess to you, but he’s too much of a coward, that’s for sure.”
“It’s okay, loves. I’m sure we’ve both moved on, it has been almost a year.”
Or perhaps I thought I did, but with this newfound information sparked some unwanted emotions. This could not be happening! Why is it always one step forward, two steps back?
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ENHYPEN Series
sinag — psh.
chapter four
pairings: park sunghoon x reader
synopsis: waiting for a great plot twist in your life, the ruthless and powerful mafia boss park sunghoon forced his way in to it.
word count: 2.9k
warnings: a contains harrassment, violence, guns, killings, abuse, obsessive love & other stuff. if you can't take this stuff, feel free to scroll away. let me know if i missed some.
note: hello, sinag’s back in the game. i hope you will enjoy this chapter and give me feedbacks. ily and thank you for reading my works. stay safe.
eeunoia 2024 © all rights reserved.
You heaved a sigh right after you went inside your hotel room. Plopping down at your bed, your eyes settled at the beautiful ceiling above you. Despite the strained you feel on your back and feet from running errands today, you couldn’t help but to smile a little. This trip sure is giving you so much to learn. It is kind of tough, yes but the experiences and knowledge is surely worth it.
“This is a dream.” you mumbled before squealing afterwards. Thankfully the room is soundproof so you don’t have to worry about your neighbor thinking you’ve lost your mind or something.
A knock from your door made your head raised from resting at the soft mattress. Brows furrowing in confusion as to who could it be. As far as you remember, you didn’t ask for room service and didn’t even ordered food yet.
It took you a while to force yourself up from your very comfortable bed before you trudges towards the door, looking at the peephole. Your brows creased even more at the sight of a perfectly brushed up hair that firstly greets you the moment you took a peak. Even if the man is looking down, you can tell who it was.
“Mr. Kang?” a little bit of confusion lingers through your tone after you opened the door for your boss.
His face brightens at the sight of you. He smiles and raised his hand. A bouquet of flowers rests over his other hand and even before you can ask him what’s it for, he already shoved it towards you.
“W-What are you doing here, Sir?” you flash him a small smile, trying hard not to sound so rude.
He pursed his lips, “Well, I had a meeting just across town so I figured I should give you a visit to check on you.”
You nodded your head, “Thank you so much, Sir. I appreciate it.” you sincerely says. At some point, you felt kind of bad for almost thinking badly of him.
He seemed happy at what he heard. “Uhm,” he chuckles. “Aren’t you letting me in?”
Your eyes grew a bit big before opening the door wider for him. Blood came rushing to your cheeks in embarrassment because it was so rude of you for not letting him inside earlier.
His eyes roamed around the beautiful suite that you’re staying at for a whole week now. Feeling a little conscious, your eyes looked around as well. As if trying to find what he’s searching for.
“Uh..”
Mr. Kang looks at your way and smiles. “How are you liking your accomodation so far?”
You flashed him a smile. “It’s amazing! I’m loving it so much. Thank you Sir.”
A satisfied smile occupies his lips and he seems genuinely happy to see you enjoying your trip, tho, he must admit that you do look a little exhausted.
“Look, Aelia.” he starts and cleared his throat. You pursed your lips and fidgets with your fingers, waiting for his next words.
“I’m really sorry for how I reacted the last time we saw each other. I know, I was unfair to you. I should’ve asked first if you have a boyfriend or not.”
Now, he looked so sincere about his apology. You don’t have a rock hard heart and so instantly, you forgave him.
“Its fine, Mr. Kang. I think I’m at fault too for being too ignorant of your feelings.”
The two of you fell into an awkward silence. Maybe it was the fact that you mentioned his feelings or was it really meant to be this way. For a moment there his eyes looked cold, but then he pull up a smile.
“So! How was the seminars? Are you learning a lot?” he diverted the topic, probably realizing that it was awkward already.
Hearing about the seminars made you leap out of excitement. You’ve learned a lot already and couldn’t wait to talk about it with somebody. Your boyfriend is not up for it since he doesn’t really pick up his phone. He’s probably still upset about you leaving so you just let him be.
“Oh yes! The seminars are great and you can learn a lot from the speakers. A lot of people are very friendly too! They are all nice.” his eyes never left you while he listens attentively.
“Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.” your words are so sincere that it snapped Mr. Kang back from his thoughts.
You admit that aside from the seminars, he also gave you tasks and errands to do. There are days that it was tough to do all of them, but at least you’d get to attend seminars and be in another country. It’s like a vacation trip, but with a lot of stressful errands. It was all expense paid tho.
He slowly walks closer and his arm extends towards you, hand gently caress your arm. “You’re welcome. I know you have potential so I really want to send you here.”
Your eyes drops at his hand that kept on caressing your arm. It sends shivers on your spine and you quickly felt uncomfortable about his sudden physical contact. With a fake smile, you tried to move away from his touch that made his smile fell.
“I t-think you should go, Sir. I really had a long day and I want to rest.”
Even with the nicest way of declining, you noticed how his mood turned foul and his stares remained. You walk slowly towards the door to help him find his way out when he grabbed you at the wrist and yank you back towards him.
“I am trying to be nice to you.” his tone was completely different from how it was moments ago. His jaw clenched and eyes dark.
You winced in pain and tried to free yourself from his hold. Mr. Kang has no plans of letting you go as he tighten his grip even more. The wrist he was holding starts to hurt and squint your eyes lightly before grabbing his hand, trying to detached it.
“Let m-me go, Sir!” you screamed and even pull your arm, but it just hurts even more as he kept on yanking you back to him.
“I don’t even know why you have to embarrass me that way!” his jaw clenches, “You should’ve just broken up with that loser boyfriend of yours and be with me! I am better than him for sure and you,” he grabbed you by the chin and forcely make you face him.
“You belong to me! You should be with me! I like you very much, Aelia. I will spoil you with material things, secure a good future with you. Anything!” he exclaims like a total psycho and even leans in to kiss you on your lips.
You screamed and tried to push his face off of you. Tears pooled and stream down your face right away. Heart thumped crazily at the situation you’re currently in. All you can think of is to get away from him and not see him anymore again. You silently prayed and your plea for help were all muffled down due to the harrassment.
When his disgusting lips moves towards your chin then trails down to your neck, you cries and screamed for help. It was useless because the room at soundproof, but that didn’t stop you from yelling and calling out for help. You kicked and tried to free yourself from him, but you are physically unable to even unclasp his hold to you.
“P-Please,” you mumble, slowly losing all the strength you have.
“Don’t worry baby, you will enjoy this.” the smile on his face makes you want to throw up.
He lets go of your wrist and pulled your blouse open, causing some of the buttons to fly off. You finally found the chance to break free so you kicked him on the balls and he was down on the floor because of pain. You quickly went back on your feet and kicked him continuously.
“Ack! Bitch!” he screamed.
With tear strained face, you grabbed your personal bag and didn’t even bother to go get your luggage. All the files you need to go back to the country are here so this is all you need.
“I-If you walk out on that door, you won’t be able to have a-any opportunities like this!” he warned you while still on the floor, holding his aching balls.
You raised your chin and harshly wiped off the tears on your cheeks, “I’m quitting my job.�� you said and turned your heels, walking away from that place.
“Here let me help you with that.” a hand reaches over some of your bags and you saw Lucie. She has her hair tied in a messy bun as she tries to carry it.
Due to the unexpected events that are happening to your life, you just lost all your will to live. After the incident with you parent’s house, you went to go see your boyfriend. He was surprised to see you back early and when you try to tell him about what your boss did to you, he snapped just by hearing his name.
“You were with your boss?! I knew it! You told me you are going alone?” he didn’t even let you finish your sentence.
The two of you ended up breaking up because he claimed you ‘cheated’ on him. Totally baffled and broken from all of these, you just didn’t care. You completely lost it and felt so exhausted about everything.
The apartment you used to stay at was too expensive and if you continued living there, you knew it will cost a big portion of your savings. You decided to leave and try to go search for a smaller place. That’s why it brought you in this situation.
“T-Thank you.” your voice crack that caught Lucie’s attention.
Her eyes softens and flashes with worry as she caress your back. You could not believe that the emotion you’ve been searching from the people you thought that cares for you, was being given by a mere stranger. You met her just a day ago when you’re trying to search up for a new place to stay.
She says that her former roommate left and she needed a bed spacer. She seems very nice and the place that was posted on the platform looked pretty decent for its cheap price. Yes, its much smaller from the previous apartment you have but this is better. For now, you have to just endure this until you found another job.
“You must be so tired. You need to rest.” and she opens the room just across from you.
With slow and weak steps, you entered the dark room. She opens the light and she roamed her eyes.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” she shugs her shoulder feeling kind of awkward as this is just the second time you two met.
You nodded your head and smiles, “Thanks, L-Lucie. I’ll give you the payment tomorrow.”
She nods with a small smile. “Yeah, sure. Don’t worry about it. Have some rest, okay?”
She did left you alone right after. The silence just felt so suffocating for you. The new surroundings and the fact that you are jobless and alone in life suddenly sinks in. It felt so terrible. Like as if a bus just hits you and ran over you over and over again. Your heart felt heavy and swollen from too much painful emotions. Your eyes couldn’t produce more tears due to crying too much.
You curled over your new bed and stares at nothing. A lot of questions forms inside your mind, trying to recall any very bad things you did for you to deserve this.
“Why is this happening to me?” you mumbles to yourself and shut your eyes tightly.
The cold night seems even colder because of the recent misfortunes that occured your life. It was honestly heartbreaking for you that it makes you wonder what did you do wrong? Have you hurt somebody that bad from your past life? Why are they making you suffer in this lifetime.
Your night ended with you trying to get a hold of your life. Silently praying for things to start going your way.
here ‹ chapter three | chapter five › here
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