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renaishun · 3 months

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This cured my depression (way to good to be fanfic tbh 🥺💞💞💞)

THE WEDDING DUTIES — P.JS

SYNOPSIS: Reuniting with your sworn enemy after years of no contact was an interesting experience to say the least. Despite having not seen each other for ages, the undeniable tension between you and him was the same, palpable. It didn’t help that you and him were now forced to spend time together thanks to a wedding and completing wedding duties with each other. As people would say, forced proximity and a single bed was the solution to it, and boy it was. Two weeks in Greece and a whole lot of pre wedding activities was about to turn an old rivalry into something else, love.

PAIRINGS: best man!jay x maid of honour!afab!reader

GENRE: frenemies to lovers, he fell first but she fell harder, forced proximity, romance, fluff, angst, secret pining, slow burn

WARNING(S): drinking, parties, profanities, slight violence, mentions/hints of cheating, miscommunication, a pinch of suggestiveness

WC: 21k

AUTHOR'S NOTE: hope you all enjoy this one! i personally loved writing it and it might've taken a while but i'm glad it's here! please leave a feedback and reblogs are greatly appreciated! muah xx

‘Hate’ might be a strong word, one that was cruel and brutal that your mother taught you to not use. But, how could you not when you had a constant reminder plastered in front of your face. There were no other feelings for him except hatred that measured the exact way you felt for the man who constantly haunted you. Worst of all, you’re letting a man with a typical frat name do that to you.

Growing up, you always had a man devoted to you. Cute, wasn’t it? It was particularly fun when he was specifically committed to praying for your downfall at any given chance.

Park Jong Seong.

That name and the person who carried it was the literal devil reincarnate. Well, at least to you. To most, Jay was a sweetheart, the golden boy of the area who charmed the hearts of women of all ages. Thanks to his pretty face and sweet smile, he easily swooned people and that included your family. Not you though, it could never be you. That facade would never, ever fool you.

He has been your neighbour ever since you were a kid. The boy who moved in next door that was forced to play with you from time to time. Play dates with him weren't your favourite, and neither was it for him. To say you two got off on the wrong foot was an understatement.

What could possibly make you hate him for all these years? Where to start?

He was mildly tolerable as a kid, but once he grew into a teen, God, you swore you hated teen boys and you stood by it. When Jay knew that he was a hot, smart and attractive boy, he managed to utilise it, and what better way to do so than torturing you with it.

Out of the many things he could pull, he decided to date your then best friend, believe it or not. The worst part of all, he ruined the friendship between you and your ex best friend because of it. What happened to bros before hoes? Anyway, you were determined to not be stepped over by the idiotic Park Jong Seong, so you went and dated his best friend too. Sweet, sweet revenge. Best of yet, there was nothing he could do but silently curse you behind your back.

Or that other time he crashed your beach date and he cockblocked your chance with his handsome best friend, Sunghoon. Asshole. Oh yeah! Let's not forget the fact that he would tease and laugh at you for coming in second every semester. Golden boy Jay and his first place was the death of you.

All in all, you didn’t have a great time with him and you surely weren’t anywhere close to being friends with him. Absolutely not.

The only good part was that once you finished high school and moved out of your town, you didn’t see him anymore, only hearing brief mentions from your mutual friends who you still kept in contact with. There was one time where you saw a picture of him posted on Instagram and you’ve never gone back since, because no matter how you hate to admit it, he was a guilty pleasure.

You thought your supposedly everlasting peace wouldn’t be affected, yet, you were wrong.

The news of your cousin, Chaewon, getting engaged had taken you by complete surprise. It was no secret that she was in a long term relationship with one of your good friends, Heeseung, but the whole engagement came out of the blue and it had taken everyone aback, including her. It might’ve been unexpected but you knew it would come soon.

Of course Chaewon was overjoyed. She was already pulling you with her to plan the wedding and even picking out little things.

“You’re going to be my maid of honour,” she said so nonchalantly that she didn’t even notice you freezing in shock next to her.

“Really?”

She turned to face you, a smile wide enough to split her jaw open. Was this an effect of getting married? “Yes, Y/N, I’m sure. You’re like a sister to me all my life, there’s no one else I’d like to be my maid of honour other than you,”

The conversation definitely ended with tears streaming down each of your face, sobbing sappily as you spoke about your childhood memories together. But before any wedding plans ensued, it absolutely wouldn’t be them to not throw an engagement party first, so of course, they did exactly that.

The evening at their place started off well. They had a catering service and the house was decorated for the occasion. There was already a small crowd of friends and family, some of which you recognized. It didn’t take you long to realise that you had to buckle in for the night after you saw Heeseung’s friends walk through the door, ones that you knew and particularly the guy you’ve dreaded.

“You good?” Yujin, your long time best friend who was practically family, walked up to you, snapping her fingers to get you out of your trance.

“Oh—I’m alright, I think?”

“You think?” she sighed, following your sight that was trained on a group of guys. “Is it because of Jay?”

You snapped your head to look at her, baffled at the mention of his name. “No,”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes’,” she hummed, joining you in leaning her back against the wall in the corner of the room. “You haven’t seen him in years,”

“And neither has he,” you noted thoughtfully, unaware how he looked like currently. The pictures online weren't enough, you needed to see him physically. Well, he was there, but you weren’t exactly thrilled to see him either.

“You reckon there’s still something going between you guys after all these years?”

You tilted your head to the side, puzzled. “What ‘something’ is there even between us?”

“The whole ‘I hate you, you hate me’ thing! Like, come on, just admit you want to fuck each other—”

“Shut up, oh my God!” You exclaimed, though laughing out of disbelief. You? Fucking Jay? You just bursted out laughing. “There's no way that's happening,”

She eyed you doubtfully, shrugging. “Who knows?”

“What I know is that's so not happening,”

“I'm not saying anything,”

“Hey!”

“Ladies,”

That voice.

You slowly turned your gaze away from Yujin, clearly panicked and dreadful. The one person you wished to meet last for the night happened to be there in flesh, in front of you. The epitome of your nightmare, the devil in disguise, he was actually there. Plus, since when was he ever so initiative in finding you?

“Jay,” Yujin acknowledged the moment you stood face to face with him. All you could think of in your head of how shamelessly you're checking him out.

Over the years of not seeing him, he has really changed. Toned and buffed, the button up he was wearing hugged him at the right places. His long legs complimented his tall frame, face seemingly more matured and handsome. Did law school do this to him?

“Yujin,” he replied before his gaze flickered over to yours, suddenly plastered on a cheshire grin. “Y/N,”

Rather begrudgingly and stoically, you replied. “Jay,”

Yujin glanced between you and him, taking the cue to escape the tension before it heightened. “I'll go catch up with the rest of the guys. Talk to you later!”

Great. Now you're stuck with him. Yuck.

“So, how’s life?”

You raised a questioning brow, face scrunched up in disdain. Him, on the other hand, was nonchalant and carried himself coolly. “It’s a little out of your character to be this friendly to me,”

“I’m trying to be civil here,” he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, dark hair falling over his face casually.

“Well, the last time I checked, I don’t think we’re exactly friends, aren’t we?”

“Touche,” he considered, keeping a strong eye contact with you, his smirk never faltering once. “But now that they’re both getting married, I think we have no choice but to tolerate one another to have this go successfully, eh?”

“Whatever you say,” you mumbled half-heartedly, thinking about Chaewon and for her sake, you’d have to put up with this bastard.

“I mean, you’re the maid of honour and I’m the best man, crazy isn’t it?”

“You’re Heeseung’s best man?”

“The one and only,” he smiled triumphantly, and you mentally knocked yourself on the head. How did you not expect this earlier?

“Guess I really am stuck with you,” you mumbled under your breath, seeing the smirk still not wiped off Jay’s face.

“Can’t wait, angel,”

Before the conversation could go any further, the shouts of his friends from across the room snatched the attention of you two. They were calling Jay over to join them in on some drinks, signalling obviously with the bottles and cups in their hands. “I think they’re calling me over—” he turned his head away from them and back to you, eyebrows raised. “It was nice catching up. I’ll see you around,” He winked right after he finished his sentence and left, reminding you of his regular behaviour. Flirty and always an asshole.

The exchange you had with him definitely gave you a whiplash. No way was that the same Jay who you called insufferable and annoying. Was he actually being normal for once? You believed everyone has their own character development, but to think Jay had one too was a little shocking.

Maybe it was for the better, which meant you could finally admit he’s hot now—wait what. Forget whatever you’ve just said. What you really meant was you could talk to him like a decent being now … right?

“That was a short talk,” Yujin sidled up next to you almost on cue.

“I don’t think there’s much to really talk about anyway,” you accepted the cup of drink from her.

“Oh, don’t be too harsh! He’s trying, so maybe you should too,”

You gave it a thought, sipping wordlessly. “Hm, maybe I should,”

“Definitely,” she nodded in heavy agreement, eyes straying to the door and her face contorted in horror. You noticed it at once, wanting to see what she had seen too but before you could do so, she spun you around and away from facing the door.

“What?” you demanded, unnerved by the sudden twist in the air. “Hey, you’re scaring me—”

“Just don’t turn around…please,”

“Why?” you pressed on, impatience and curiosity creeping up on you. “Is there something wrong?”

She made a face. “Well—kinda—wait—”

You spun around and ignored Yujin’s flailing arms. At first, you didn’t understand what the problem was and why Yujin was making such a big deal, but once you saw what she was trying so hard to stop you from seeing, you finally understood.

Choi Yeonjun.

He was standing there in all his glory, having the guts to even show up. You couldn’t even blame Heeseung for making him a part of the guest list though, they’ve been friends before you and Yeonjun dated. Key word, ‘dated’, past tense.

Horrible breakup that ended in tears and hatred was the only thing that reminded you of him. Five years down the drain, you wished you were kidding. Everyone had thought he would be your forever, but you suppose that jinxed it and made him leave you with no explanation.

Overnight, he had packed his bags without leaving a trace behind and next thing you knew, he was off boarding a plane to somewhere far away from you. The most ridiculous part of everything was the fact that you only found his whereabouts days after through a friend. That definitely has you crying out of pity for yourself.

Did he cheat? Did he hate you? Was he hiding something? Questions and questions piled upon another but no answer was given.

It took years after for you to fully move on, though having zero closure, but what could you do anyway? That didn’t excuse your spite and grudge that was still present.

“Oh,”

The air had still, everyone that knew the history behind you two was shifting around awkwardly, eyeing between you and your ex. Kill you now.

“Want more whiskey?”

“No, if I get any more drunk, I’ll start a fight,” you shook your head, pursing your lips, turning away from the sight of Yeonjun. “I need some fresh air,”

You didn’t give any more time for Yujin to respond, mainly because you genuinely felt yourself almost doubling over and crying, but you didn’t, obviously.

Storming out into the backyard, you hoped nobody saw you on the edge of panic. You weren’t as prepared as you thought you would be to see your ex again. Yes, you figured he was coming, but to see him in front of your eyes, that was a whole different baggage of emotions and thoughts.

You heard the glass door sliding, quiet footsteps approaching, it got you out of your trance and turning to see who it was.

“Y/N?”

By now, you had a feeling you’ve turned as pale as a blank sheet of paper. The horror you were experiencing at the moment was indescribable. What and why was your ex doing there?

Seeing him up close, looking very real and not a ghost, completely frightened you. He was glowing, in a way that one has after being gone for a long while, like a glow up that many had away from home. Right, he was different, someone you’ve deemed unfamiliar. All of that only made you want to throw up in anxiety.

You were silent, mostly in shock and not knowing what to say, which only made Yeonjun widen his eyes in alarm.

“C–can you say something?”

No, you couldn’t. In fact, if you were to speak right now, curses and horrible things and probably overdue screaming with some crying would pour out. So, nope, you’re going to be silent.

“I’m sorry,”

He’s sorry? Wow.

You could only shake your head, opening your mouth to breathe deep so that you wouldn’t combust at any second. Holding up your hand, you wished he took this as a sign to stop and leave, but you guessed that he couldn’t take social cues in the end.

“Just say something, please—”

“Hey dude! Heeseung’s searching for you,”

Here comes another one of your nightmares, but surprisingly, you were actually glad to see him now.

Jay had stepped out from the inside, hand still holding the sliding glass door, a nonchalant expression on his face as he scanned the scene before him. You, looking sick as ever; Yeonjun equally looking not good.

“Really? Alright then,” Yeonjun croaked out, wiping his hands on the sides of his pants. Sparing you one last look, he walked towards Jay, nodding at him before disappearing past the threshold of the sliding glass doors.

You let out a breath of relief once your ex was out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind.

“You good?”

You looked at Jay, forgetting his existence for a minute. “Not really,”

“He’s a douche, isn’t he?”

“You’ve probably heard what happened already, didn’t you?”

“I did—”

“Well, I’m embarrassed,” you rubbed the sides of your forehead, chewing at the insides of your mouth. Can you be swallowed up now?

“As much as I want to say something stupid right now, I can’t bring myself to, because it’s true that you didn’t deserve it,” he sighed, taking a seat on one of the lounging couches.

Okay … maybe he was an actual changed man. Shocking.

You approached him slowly, taking a seat opposite him. From that angle, you could clearly see him and how he has changed. He got taller, leaner and definitely bulkier, it was a subtle but noticeable change. Other than that, his fashion sense improved, face maturing into a more sharper look, but he still carried a certain gentleness.

“Thanks,” you muttered, kicking your feet to distract yourself from his burning gaze. “I thought you’ll laugh at me or something,”

“Okay, I’m not that cruel,”

“Really? Coming from the same guy that dated my best friend, who became my ex best friend,”

“You dated my best friend too! And you tried getting with Sunghoon,” he grumbled, murmuring the last part, knowing damn well Sunghoon was inside laughing over a fresh glass of wine.

“I would still get with him,”

“No you won’t,”

What was his problem?

“Why not? He’s hot,”

“I’m hot,” he blurted out, puffing his chest out in confidence. This was the same Jay that you’ve remembered. “And I don’t see you lusting over me,”

“First, not ‘lusting’,” you scrunch your face in distaste of the word, “second, you’re … you? Third, what’s so wrong with Sunghoon?”

“Well—he—he’s Sunghoon, and he’s a known player,” Jay pursed his lips, crossing his arms. “I don’t think you two will get along,”

“We’re friends,”

“As a couple,”

“How about as fuck buddies?”

“Nope,”

“You’re weird,”

“Whatever,”

You broke out into a smile, shaking your head at his antics. If you told the younger you that you were conversing with Jay without ripping each others’ throats, you would’ve laughed. You didn’t expect yourself to laugh because of him, most of the time you were laughing at him.

“Should we head in? They’re announcing it soon and doing their speech,” you suggested, looking over his shoulders.

“You’re right,”

“You’re agreeing with me? Aw,”

“Shut up,” he stood up, but he didn’t leave, instead he waited for you to stand up as well before walking in together. “I guess the next time we’ll see each other is during the fitting,”

“I guess it is,” you nodded slowly, trying to remember the date of the fitting that your cousin had once mentioned. “Unless you’re intending that we’ll meet elsewhere?”

“You wish,” he said snarkily. “You’ll miss me, won’t you?”

“You wish,” you repeated his exact words in mockery, smiling sarcastically at him.

He shrugged, a lazy smirk forming on his lips. “Maybe I do.”

The words didn’t fully process in your mind, but he was already off to join his friends before you realised. Did he just—what? You were going insane.

Maybe the hatred from over the years was slowly but surely dissipating because how and why in hell was Park Jong Seong tolerable? How did you find yourself not exploding in his presence? Character growth was what you two needed after all.

Probably also a secret hook up.

Just as you’ve thought, the next time you saw Jay was exactly as he had said: the fitting.

Except, you were screaming internally. Why? You were literally stuck with Jay and the two lovebirds. You didn’t expect receiving the news of doing the fitting with them and Jay alone, thinking it was a group thing with the other bridesmaids. No, in fact, they wanted it to be a maid of honour and best man special. Just great.

The boutique was fancy, like very. Serving champagne and having two floors with marble tiles, the inside already smelt more expensive than it let alone looked. Heeseung must’ve been doing well after taking over his father’s place in the company.

“Alright, first, I’ve already narrowed down some looks, but I have a specific dress that I chose which I think it’ll look really good on you,” Chaewon practically squealed, grabbing your shoulders with pure excitement in her eyes. You were about to be her barbie doll for hours. “I think it’ll match Jay’s suit too,”

She’s making you and Jay match?

“Nice, haha …” you gulped, masking your negative approach, not wanting to irk Chaewon when this meant a lot to her. But matching with Jay? Him? You knew you were being overdramatic but how could you not when it was him. However, you understood Chaewon’s need for matching aesthetics.

“I’m sure it’s going to look amazing on you!” she said excitedly. “The changing rooms are upstairs, you can go with Jay first since Heeseung and I need to settle something, so wait for us, okay?”

“Sure,” you nodded rather stiffly, leaving Chaewon to join the staff and Jay’s side.

“It’s you again,” he greeted you, eyeing you with an odd look on his face. How friendly.

“Yes, it’s me again, and I should be the one saying the same to you. Unfortunately, you’ll also be seeing me for months,” you hissed, following the staff up the fancy marble steps, letting Jay walk closely next to you. “Even in Greece,” you grumbled under your breath.

Mykonos, Greece. The destination you’ll be in half a year’s time, enjoying the wedding and basking in the prettiness of the island. It wasn’t entirely surprising for Chaewon to choose Greece as her wedding destination, it has been in her mood board for almost years. Although it might’ve been expensive, you were just glad it wasn’t in some shady area downtown.

“Isn’t it amazing to be in the same space as I am?”

“Please, you’re hugely insufferable,” you put your hand out, pulling a disgusted expression as a reaction.

“I just have personality! You won’t get it,” he slyly took a dig at you, letting you digest it and realised what he meant but by the time you wanted to reply, the staff stopped and turned around.

“The changing rooms there—” she pointed over to a large area with cushioned chairs and mirrors, two separate curtains for each changing place, a cover bag hung on the walls of each changing area, “already have your outfits which the couple hand picked. So please, help yourself out. There’ll be staffs waiting outside if you need any help,”

You and Jay casted a brief glance at each other before nodding, awkwardly shuffling towards the changing area. The last sight before drawing your curtains closed was Jay’s back, broad and exposed since he momentarily forgot to close his. Shutting out the image of that was hard as you got the dress on, not even able to pay attention until you saw your reflection in the mirror. It was a simple silky pink dress, one that was in Chaewon’s favourite shade and the specific cut that hugged your body tightly.

The voices of Heeseung and Chaewon were heard from the other side of the curtains, which meant they were finally here to make their judgements. You revealed yourself, stepping out with an awkward laugh. “What do you think?”

“It’s so pretty,” Chaewon gushed, spinning you around, scanning your body. “You’re so pretty, Y/ N.”

“I’ll blush,”

Chaewon rolled her eyes at your sarcasm. “Hey, where’s Jay? We need to see the matching outfit!”

“Here,” he pulled the curtains open a little too dramatically at the mention of his name, smoothing the fronts of his suit. He was dressed in a dark coloured suit, a silk pink tie paired to match you.

“You guys are just too cute together,” Chaewon pushed you gently closer to Jay, staring between you and him in awe. Unbeknownst to her, you and Jay were groaning internally, glaring daggers at each other.

Your cousin who didn’t go to the same high school as you did with Jay was absolutely oblivious to the history you two have, and you were sure Heeseung didn’t tell her either. That sick bastard probably enjoyed you and Jay suffering together, didn’t he?

“It’s so perfect,” Chaewon sighed dreamily, suddenly emotional as she leaned on her fiance. “I love you guys,”

“Babe, it’s too early to be this emotional,” Heeseung gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

“You’re right, oh my God,” she laughed, followed by you and the others’ chuckles. “Now that I know you two look absolutely perfect, Heeseung and I are going to confirm it with the staffs and settle some little things, so just take your time and change, then we’ll go for lunch,”

“Sounds good,” you took a step away from Jay, rubbing your cousin’s back in assurance.

“Don’t do anything weird,” Chaewon whispered into your ear, eyeing Jay as she spoke, hoping you got the hint she was trying to convey.

No way.

“We’re not fucking, okay?”

“Are you sure? I’m sensing something there,”

“There’s nothing to sense because we’re not into each other. At all,”

“Sure, whatever you say,” she winked at you, patting your butt with a sneaky smirk, then left with Heeseung, which meant you’re with Jay again.

“This tie is pretty cute, isn’t it?” he suddenly spoke out of nowhere, toying his tie with a slight pout.

“That’s really random, but yes,”

He glanced up from his tie, meeting your gaze with an unreadable expression. His eyes were narrowed, travelling up and down your body, jaws clenched. It seemed that thoughts were conquering his mind, and you, on the other hand, read him like a book. He’s a man after all. They’re all alike.

A small conniving smirk on your face as you approached him, never breaking eye contact once. Hands behind your back, chest pushed out, revealing your cleavage a little more, all while you bat your eyelashes innocently at him, only a few inches in between.

“How do I look?”

There was an audible gulp from him. It was a blessing that there weren't any staff around, or else you would have suffered from embarrassment that nothing could get you back from.

“Nice,” Jay practically gritted out, heaving a big breath in.

“Just … nice?”

His eyes flitted between you and your chest, gaze flickering and composure weakening. “Fantastic, pretty, gorgeous,”

He was so easy to read and play with.

You stepped away from him, laughing under your breath, a gleeful grin that irked Jay, who knew it was just one of your schemes. But it was too late to come back from, how could he when you looked like that? As much as he hated it, you were stunning, and he was aware of every part of it.

“Thank you,” you smiled evilly, only getting a look of annoyance and an irritated eye roll from Jay.

Turning around, you walked towards the changing area, hearing footsteps behind you, which also meant Jay was following you. Before you disappeared behind the curtains, you wanted to set his buttons off just one more time.

“Are my nipples showing?”

Jay did not expect that. However, this time he was smarter and sharper, so no, he wasn’t about to fall for one of your tricks. Keeping his stare straight ahead at you, he shrugged.

“Are you somehow forgetting that I happen to be—I don’t know—a man?”

“What’s wrong with nipples?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged, an irritated look on his face. “I'm just not falling into the grave you've dug. Nice try, L/N,” he said with a finality before drawing his own curtains shut.

The sassy men apocalypse was never ending.

The rest of the day was practically spent with the couple, from lunch to dinner, your legs were dying from walking too much. Adding on the fact that you and Jay were stuck as fourth wheelers too. At the end, Heeseung and Chaewon entrusted Jay to drop you off at your apartment, which he surprisingly didn't complain about and you also got the chance to sit in his Mercedes for the first time.

“You didn't talk about what you're doing now, so what are you doing?” It was most likely the awkward tension that forced you to speak up, but you didn't regret it either, wanting to know more about him. Now, that was development.

Jay glanced at you for a brief second, as if in disbelief that you were the one initiating a peaceful conversation. “I opened a law firm quite recently, that's why I'm back in town. I partnered with Sunghoon,”

“Sunghoon?”

“Yeah, Sunghoon,” he repeated his best friend's name again, a hint of annoyance laced in his voice. “You'll get to see me more often now,”

“And you'll equally see me just as often too,” you bit back. “Maybe I'll even turn up at your office and give Sunghoon a visit,”

“You wound me,” Jay pouted, feigning cries that sounded like choked laughter instead. “I'm here in front of you and you're talking about another man? Wow,”

“You're not just another man like him,” you said, unaware of the meaning behind your words and confusedly seeing the small smirk forming on Jay's lips.

“Then what about you? What have you been up to?” He strayed back to the subject, waiting for your response.

“Nothing much, I guess? Still the same ol' office work. My boss recently proposed sending me off on a trip to Paris as a way to reward me for being his PA for years,”

“Did you accept it?”

“Does it look like I did?”

“Touche,” he hummed, turning a corner and the familiar roads leading to your apartment came into view. “What made you reject it?”

“Well, everything that's happening right now, I guess? I want to be present. Plus, he told me the offer is still up anytime,”

“Your boss is amazing,” he said in awe. “Maybe I'll go work for him instead,”

“And cause me to deal with you? No thanks,”

“Oh, you love me, admit it,”

“Yeah, sure, I want you and love you—gross—no way,” you laughed, pushing away Jay's body that was leaning towards your side, his eyebrows raised and gaze flickering between you and the road.

Soon, the car ride came to an end once Jay stopped at the front of your apartment complex. It was already dark outside and Jay somehow felt your uneasiness as you unbuckle your seatbelt.

“Do you need me to walk you up?”

“Oh—it's fine, I don't want to bother you further,” you genuinely didn't, internally surprised at his straightforwardness. “Or, do you want to come up?”

“No, no, it's okay,” Jay's eyes widened for a fraction, just as surprised as you were. “You should rest, it's been a long day,”

“Right,” you said slowly, not knowing what else to say or do. “Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it,”

“It's nothing, don't worry,” Suddenly, it felt like high school all over again. The awkwardness and stiffness, you didn't miss those. However, this time around, tolerance was present and you found yourself gradually enjoying his presence. Shocking.

“Night, Jay,”

He smiled, gentleness that you only see from time to time was in his gaze. “Night, Y/N. I'll see you again soon.”

“Look, you need this time off! It's a Saturday night, Y/N,”

“I should be in bed,”

“You should be getting laid,”

Taking up your friends' invite to the club was probably not the smartest move you've made. Having not been out with them in a long time, you forgot the fact that they were crazy party people. The last time you were out with them was after your break up, and it only ended with you drunk out of your mind, almost turning up at Yeonjun’s house in spite. Now, you were in for a long night.

“Last thing I need is getting laid,”

Your girlfriends, Yujin, Wonyoung and Karina stared at you with doubt in their faces.

“You need to get that pent up stress fucked out of your system,” Karina teased, nudging your side.

The other two nodded in shared agreement, obviously entertained.

“Maybe, maybe not,” you said half-heartedly, swirling your drink with a distracted mind.

Your time in the club wasn't the most eventful. Men trying to flirt with you that you ended up shutting down, some of which took it like a champ while there were ones that acted as if you’ve ended their entire bloodline. Then there were your friends. Karina was busy cosying up to the bartender, the other two wandered off into the crowded dance floor already, so you were alone at the side watching Karina use her usual flirting tricks.

“Didn’t expect seeing you here,”

Turning around on your barstool, you were met with a face that changed a lot since high school.

“Sunghoon?”

The times you’ve spent joking about him to tease Jay somehow manifested him to show up in front of you. You didn’t get the chance to speak to him at the engagement party, unaware that he had changed in some ways physically. He was just as pretty as he was, except more mature and hair dyed in a different shade. Not to mention the way he carried himself with confidence and grace, it definitely had you feeling things you shouldn’t be having, especially when he was standing ever so close to you.

“You’re here alone?”

“Oh, no, I’m here with my friends,” you nodded over at Karina, who was still obviously making a move on the bartender from her touches on his shoulder. “You?”

“I’m here with mine too, you know, the usual bunch,”

“So, Jay, Heeseung and Jake are all here?”

“Heeseung’s staying at home, I suppose getting engaged changed that man in some ways,” Sunghoon snickered, but you only smiled, understanding Chaewon’s reasons for being protective of Heeseung at times. “Do you want to join us?”

“It’s fine, thank you. I don’t want to trouble you guys, I still am on duty to look out for my girls,” you sighed a little, hoping the other two weren't off with some men they just met. “I can buy you a drink though,”

“Nah, it’s no need,” he politely declined, hands slipped into his pants pocket. “I feel like I should be the one offering that,”

You just chuckled, eyes flickering over his shoulder, not expecting them to land on him. Park Jong Seong. He was looking back at you, gaze sharp and eyes narrowed, a frown etched on that pretty face.

What you hadn’t failed to notice was the girl next to him. She was talking feverishly, trying to grab his slipping attention as he trained his stare on you. Just like Sunghoon, both him and the girl’s voices only faded into the background for you and Jay individually, unable to turn your attention away from each other.

“You okay?” Sunghoon leaned in closer, waving a hand in front of your face, snapping you back to reality.

“Huh—I’m fine,” you chuckled nervously, occasionally flickering to Jay’s direction, realising he was no longer staring unabashedly at you, which also made you realise: you were actually craving for his attention? What?

“Probably a little woozy, is all,” you added, smiling slightly.

Sunghoon reciprocated your smile, nodding a little. “Take care, then, Y/N. Don’t drink too much and call a cab. Gotta go first, I’ll see you around,”

“See you,”

Once Sunghoon was gone from your side, you finally had the chance to have some space to breathe and take in whatever that was earlier on. You couldn’t ignore it, how could you? Not when he was staring daggers at the back of his best friend’s head and sending you signals through his eyes, all with a girl next to him, unbelievable.

His constant appearance was unhealthy for you, and after what he pulled, he was the only thing you could think of, slick bastard. You made sure Chaewon was safe and well before making a bee-line towards the restrooms, having to squeeze through crowds and pass by couples making out, you were about to turn a corner when you felt a hand tugging your wrist.

One pull was enough for you to stumble over your feet and stumble into someone’s chest, specifically the person who had their hand on you. It was predictable, way too predictable that it was cliche at this point.

“Jay?”

“Oh—Y/N,”

Why was he acting dumb?

Your eyebrows were raised in question, face pulled into an expression that was screaming ‘what the fuck’, but internally, being this close to him, wasn’t too bad of an idea. You were a hypocrite, and maybe a whore too.

“I saw you just now and I thought I wanted to say hi, you know?”

“Really?” you stepped back a little, because the closer you were to him, the more insane you were becoming.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, alcohol evident in his breath. “Also saw you with Sunghoon,”

You rolled your eyes, a smirk itching on the way to the corner of your lips. “He was nice,”

“‘Nice’,” he echoed thoughtfully, tongue sweeping over his lips, grabbing your attention almost at once.

“Are you drunk?”

He shrugged. “Maybe,”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes’,” you sighed, glancing down at his relentless hold, but not complaining either. If he was drunk, surely he was truthful too, right? “Were you jealous?”

He was silent for a second, as if trying to digest your question thoroughly. Without any ounce of hesitation, he answered with his full chest. “Yeah,”

Jay was jealous? Was he just playing with you?

“Don’t like seeing you with Hoon,” he mumbled, leaning more of his weight onto you and you had to press your back against the wall for more support. This position had you dying on the inside. He was close, breath fanning onto your face, his expensive cologne entering your senses. “Want you all to myself,”

“Thought you hated me,” you swallowed down a gasp, whispering out quietly.

“‘Hate’? Maybe mildly intolerable but you’re … you. How could I hate you?”

That was something new.

You could only blink. He didn’t hate you as much as you had expected? Was there something more to this? Was Jay hiding untold truths that he kept secret? Before you could uncover more, Jake came tumbling around and ripped Jay off you, seemingly much sober than Jay was, a little pissed off as well.

“Motherfucker, you’re here—” he turned, expecting to see some random chick he was huddling up onto, but realisation dawned on his face when it turned out to be you, “—Y/N? Wait—Jay—you—I—” he was lost for words, catching a pair of sworn enemies together almost too scandalously. Oh, for sure he was going to blabber this out.

“You’re taking him away, right?” you ignored his shock, hoisting Jay into Jake’s arms, prying his hold away, losing the overall warmth emitted from him.

“Yeah,” he said, uneasy and still mildly surprised.

“He’s all yours, buddy. He’s a little out of it but still functioning. So, I’ll get going first!”

“How did this—oh—bye!” he couldn’t even finish asking his question when you dashed away into the crowd, leaving a dazed Jay hanging on the side of Jake, where Jake wished Sunghoon hadn’t gone off with some girl now that he needed help.

Now, you need to be drunk and crash into the abyss before you wake up in the morning to overthink about what Jay said.

Overthinking was definitely what you did the next day.

Hangover headache and being haunted by Jay's words was not a great combination for your head and you. Maybe you were semi-drunk when you heard it, but what he said did affect you, and in that moment, you wanted to bring him home.

As much as you wanted to avoid him, his presence was simply inevitable.

Chaewon had sent out an invite to lunch with the bridesmaids, groomsmen and some selected close friends, you and him were involved obviously. You were grateful that Chaewon was making an effort to plan activities together for the months leading up to her wedding, but God, being with Jay was intoxicating.

You were supposed to dislike him. What happened to all the years of hatred and rivalry? Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to feel that way anymore. He had invoked something else in you that you were afraid to admit. A feeling that you were scared to have after your last relationship.

"Hey," you heard someone calling out to you while you were already seated at the long table. You glanced up from your phone to see Jay sliding in from your right onto the seat next to you.

"Hi," you greeted back, noticing how much more sober and awake he was this time. "Doing okay? Surprised that you didn't fall into a ditch or something,"

"Haha," He let out sarcastically, straightening out his jacket, eyebrows scrunched. "A little tired, that's all,"

The way Jay didn't bring up whatever happened between you and him was weird. Did he remember what he said? Was he pretending to not know?

"You got home late yesterday? Do you remember seeing me at the club?"

He was taking some time to process and rethink back to his night out, then he shrugged. "I think I did? It was kinda hazy. I remembered Jake slapping me awake in my apartment though," he laughed, and you did too, more forcefully, trying to hide the miniscule disappointment that was bubbling internally. "You got home safe, right?"

"I did," you could still somehow remember Yujin's body falling on top of yours in the taxi, being the only one who's not fully drunk, you cursed your high tolerance.

You were about to reach for your glass when you felt your phone buzz, the screen lighting up just in time to see Yujin's message.

yujin: head's up, asshole's coming

Of course he was. You were glad Heeseung didn't include him in his groomsmen roster considering they were close, but to have his presence around was simply suffocating.

"I'm so fucked,"

"Why?"

You looked around, noticing familiar faces joining the table. Your friends had arrived too, but they placed their belongings on the seat beside you and left once they saw you with Jay. Whether it was on purpose or not, you didn't know.

"Yeonjun,"

Jay's mouth formed an 'O', nodding slowly. "Why did Heeseung invite him anyway? Me and the guys don't really know him,"

"But Heeseung does. That's how Chaewon and him met. It was through me and Yeonjun," you sighed, shrugging. "What can I do? There's nothing much for me to say or do,"

"You can show him,"

"Show him what?"

"That you're happier,"

"Well, I am," you threw your hands up. "I think?"

"You think?" He chuckled, shaking his head a little. "Just ignore him. You're over him now anyway, don't give him the attention that he wants,"

"You're right, thank you,"

"It's nothing," he smiled, one that was gentle and understanding, a new kind that you've just discovered.

Soon, everyone had arrived, Yeonjun included, who made sure to sit further away from you, and before the lunch started, there was the obligatory speech from the bride and groom to be.

In the meantime, the table was much smaller than anticipated, everyone was shuffling around, trying to get closer, moving their chair to be closer. So, there you were, sitting closer to Jay with barely some space in between.

You were ignoring him at all cost, especially when he accidentally brushed against you, leaned in too close trying to grab a plate, or when he even poured your drink for you. Nope, you were not falling for him or his tricks.

"Can you get me that bowl over there?" Suddenly, he was whispering by your ear, shooting you his best attempt of pleading eyes as you rolled yours.

"What if I said no?" You teased, hand already reaching for the bowl unknowingly.

"You won't,"

"I hate you," you hated the effect he had on you, or the fact that he was so smug and confident. Gosh, you hate him to the point where it somehow made him tolerable.

"That's kinda hot—thanks," he winked at you as he took the bowl from your hold, unaware of your flushed cheeks. Why were you letting him cause such a reaction from you?

You coughed a little, shaking off his words and pressing your lips into a thin line. "I heard Yunjin's coming to the wedding too," you brought up a mutual friend in order to change the subject away from the current situation, though it was just you that suffered whereas Jay was oblivious.

"Yunjin? That girl from high school?" Jay's eyebrows were furrowed thoughtfully at the mention of the girl.

"I hope you have the right one in mind, but yes. She's a good friend of Chaewon and I. I thought you knew her?"

"I do, I think? I do remember having a teeny crush on her though," Jay shrugged, stabbing his fork into the salad and bringing it to his mouth.

You pursed your lips, not knowing what to do with that information. "I kinda get it, she's an all american beauty. Are you going to hit her up at the wedding?"

"I don't know. Haven't seen her in years either. Why? You're trying to set me up? Get me out of your hair?" Jay leaned his body close, his lips curled into a sly smirk that you wished to wipe off his face.

"Just asking! I mean, she's a total catch,"

Jay shook his head softly, returning his attention back to his food with a small smile. "Why would I care about her when I already have a total catch by my side?"

Your head snapped to look at him, but was only met with a completely nonchalant Jay who continued with his meal. Did he seriously say that? And you did hear him correctly enough to know that you weren't mistaken. Wow, the man that you swore was your rival somehow became a mildly tolerable man that flirts with you? Someone wake you up, now!

"I wouldn't mind if you do set me up though," he whispered, earning a loud eye roll from you in return.

The lunch eventually ended with a heartful dessert and a tearful speech from the soon bride and groom. Throughout the meal, you were actively dodging Yeonjun's wishful gazes, moreover praying he would actually disappear instead. You could tell he wanted to approach you after, but for the first time, you were thankful for Jay's annoying presence popping up.

"Your ex keeps glaring at me like I did something wrong," Jay raised his eyebrows, cocking his head at Yeonjun's direction.

"Don't blame me. I don't know what's his problem either considering he's the one who disappeared," you clicked your tongue, heaving a sigh of exasperation. "I can't believe I not only have to deal with him but also you at the wedding,"

Jay shot you a look, seemingly offended. "Okay, but at least I'm the nicer one between him and I,"

"Define 'nicer'," you started walking and he joined your side, hands shoved into his pants pockets.

"At least I didn't ghost you physically,"

"Alright, low blow. Plus, you're too much of an annoying entity to disappear anyway,"

"Ouch," he placed a hand on his face, feigning a hurt look despite cracking a laugh. "You won't be getting rid of me anytime soon,"

"How fun," you deadpanned, eliciting a small smirk from the latter.

"Just like old times, eh?" He leaned in close to you, the scent of his cologne wafted into your senses. For a moment there, you thought you were hypnotised, until you came back to reality and gently shoved his face away.

"Hope not, don't want you cock blocking my chances with your friend again,"

It was Jay's turn to groan. "Seriously? Hoon again? Let him go,"

"I'm kidding, partially," you made a face, shrugging playfully. "You're acting like you hate the guy,"

"Whatever," he waved it off, a grumpy frown on his face that made you giggle quietly. "Your friends are waiting—" he nodded at where your friends stood, all of which were waving at you to join them, "—so I guess I'll see you around then, L/N,"

"Until then, Park."

It was unexplainable, but your goodbyes with him were always sincere despite the amount of banter and unseriousness. A part of you wished there was something more that brought you two together other than the wedding itself, but what if the wedding was your chance to create something beyond this push and pull?

You ignored your friends' watchful stares when you approached. They all knew, you knew too, that maybe there was something changing in the dynamics that you built in the past. Maybe it wasn't hate that you feel anymore.

Who told Chaewon to let Heeseung take charge of the next activity?

Honestly, you were aware of the fact that you were simply unfit. But to combine that and having to be under the hot sun was a killer combo for you and your friends. Were you going to complain to your cousin, however? No. A happy bride-to-be was all you needed to make sure everything went well.

A very classic Heeseung thing to do was to arrange a football match that only he and his friends probably enjoyed. You tried being optimistic by treating it as a new experience only to be humbled by the scorching sun. Well, that totally burnt your expectations away. The only reassurance you had for the day was knowing your ex wasn't there.

It was automatically split into two teams. Bridesmaids against groomsmen. You didn't know how that was fair but you didn't question it either for the sake of the spirits of a pre wedding game.

You have never once touched a football in your life, neither did most of your friends, but the moment you met Jay's challenging gaze, you knew you had to turn into prime Messi to attempt at a win. This match was about to be a renaissance of the Ronaldo and Messi rivalry, except a more complicated and dumbed down version.

"Okay girls," you and the rest of the bridesmaids huddled together before the match started, a plan in mind that you knew could be put to play. "Here's what we can do. We might not know how to play football, but we know how to play with men's minds, right?" A hum of agreement passed through the group.

"Pretend you're injured, do whatever you can, get to their minds and distract them, then we can get past their defence easily. Look, I know what you guys can pull, so I trust you. Let's get this win!"

Manipulation was the key to your success.

Chaewon casted a small smirk at you, and you smiled innocently back at her before she went to where the referee stood, preparing for kick off. It was between her and Heeseung that would be the first to get possession of the ball.

It was barely noticeable, but you caught it. Chaewon was slyly flirting with Heeseung, and by the time the whistle blew, Heeseung was a second too late and Chaewon got possession of the ball.

You started running, not knowing where your feet were bringing you, but all you did was train your focus on the ball. It was hard not to panic when the ball landed beneath your feet, and you suddenly grew respect for footballers.

It didn't last long when the ball was kicked out of your possession by the one and only, Park Jong Seong. Since when was he a pro at defending?

You huffed in indignation as you watched him sprint away with the ball. Oh you were so going to get it back.

You dashed towards him until you reached his side. What was football without playing a little dirty? So, you used your shoulder to bump into him, causing him to lose his footing and giving you an opportunity to win it back and passing it to Yujin.

"Wow, L/N," Jay exclaimed, giving you a look of either admiration or annoyance. "Who knew you could be this … rough?"

"Shut it, Park,"

He let out a humorous laugh before running off to join the rest of the action. You were clearly dumbfounded but you regained your composure not long after.

The bridesmaids were getting closer to the groomsmen's goalpost and in a blink of an eye, Yujin made a swift kick to the ball and it hit the back of the net, scoring the bridesmaid team their first goal. Maybe you do get footballers a little more now that you were screaming and joining the girls for a huddle, jumping around like you've already won the entirety of the match.

"Alright, we just need to last another 50 minutes," Yujin quickly chimed in once every one of you calmed down from the high.

Her reminder did eventually bring you back to reality.

The fifteen minute half time break wasn't much of a help either. By the time you were done catching your breath, the whistle blew and the second half commenced. There wasn't much action at the start considering everyone was getting tired, but when you noticed the groomsmen were picking up and attacking your side of the defence, you knew you had to step up your game.

You realised Jay was the one with the ball, making his way towards the goalpost, and crazily, your first instinct was to attempt a tackle on him. Right, a man who stood at five foot ten was going to be easily tackled by you. Seeing as he didn't budge, you did the second most crazy thing you thought of. You yanked onto him.

Boy, did that work, maybe a little too well.

He lost his footing, football rolling to God knows where, falling back in slow motion as he grabbed your arm like it was an opportunity for you to go down with him too. Everything happened at almost the slowest speed possible, your eyes widened, never leaving his panicked gaze as you fell face first onto him.

Thankfully, you landed on his chest, not anywhere else. The accident itself went unnoticed by everyone else as the groomsmen scored their first goal, too busy basking in the glory to figure out one of them was on the ground, the maid of honour on top of him.

You didn't think it was humanly possible at all. To be on top of him, your chest pressing against his firm, hard—shut up—you meant his much firmer chest, hands grabbing onto his wide shoulders. There was only a minimal distance between your face and his. You could almost count the freckles on his cheeks or feel his breath on your face. Neither of you moved.

"I see you really like it rough, don't you?" Jay was the first to speak up, a smirk creeping up on his sweat stained face.

You blinked, and soon registered everything happening around you. The momentary brain fog wore off and you pushed yourself off of him, breathing deeply and heart beating quickly. Why was your heart beating this fast for him? Was it his eyes that caused your heart to skip a beat? Or was it his smile lines that render you speechless?

You didn't dare to look at him, sitting there rather quietly as you heard him grunt, hoisting himself up into a sitting position. You felt him glancing at you, but you remained passive.

"Is this your first time being on top of a man?"

That was enough to get you to look at him. "What?"

"Nevermind," he mumbled, dusting grass off his front. "Are you okay?"

"Shouldn't I ask you that instead?"

"Oh yeah, considering how you pulled onto me then proceeded to use me as a landing cushion," Jay grumbled, mostly lightheartedly, but you couldn't help feeling guilty.

"Sorry," you winced.

"It's fine. I'm not seriously injured either. You're lucky you're cute,"

"What—"

"Woah, you guys didn't get into a brawl, did you?" Heeseung rushed over just in time to cut your reaction off. You were in a state of mild shock, questioning if your ears had heard that right.

The rest of the game progressed with nothing much and ended in a draw. You ignored the quiet teasings from the other bridesmaids, trying your best to seem casual but it failed the moment Jay approached you.

"Good game," he handed you a bottle of cold water, to which you accepted gladly, secretly surprised at his assertiveness.

"Even after I throttled you?"

He let out a laugh, clearly amused and shaking his head. "Seems like old habits between us never died, huh? Always so competitive,"

"Same goes to you, Park, almost lost an ankle out there,"

"But at least you got to fall onto me, right?"

You scoffed, feeling heat creeping up the back of your neck. "Don't flatter yourself, it was an accident,"

"Mhm," he hummed, the playful smile still present and irking you, but a part of you was thinking how cute he looked. It didn't help that his shirt was stuck against his skin because of the sweat and you could see a faint outline of his abs and muscles. You were just a girl after all. "Didn't hear you complaining when it happened,"

"Okay—"

"Are we the lovebirds here or is it actually you two?" Chaewon swooped in with a big knowing grin, purposely wiggling her eyebrows at you.

"We're not lovebirds," you and Jay answered in unison, then heads snapping to look at each other incredulously.

"You need to stop copying me, it's getting old," you said, causing him to drop his jaw.

"I'm so not copying—"

"Right, right," Chaewon interjected, sparing you from another banter with Jay. "Let's go wash up and grab some food after, shall we?"

"Sounds good," you wrapped your arm around your cousin, staring pointedly at Jay.

"Yeah, it'd be great,"

"Good!" Chaewon exclaimed before either of you could utter another word. "Let's go then."

The food was good, but most importantly, you were fresh and clean. The only problem was the fact you were struggling to eat from the constant eye contact with Jay. He might've been sitting a couple seats away from you, but his eyes would stray to you.

It was already hard to swallow the day's interaction with him, but to top it off with this was simply overwhelming. What was he doing to you?

Whatever he was doing, you didn't want him to stop.

Time was passing by too fast. Way too fast.

Chaewon surely knew how to keep you busy. From planning to activities, you were roped into all of them till the point where you've lost your concept of time. Pottery, painting and baking classes were the most memorable activities you had with the bridesmaids, and there were regular brunches or dinners with the groomsmen. Either way, all of those were soon memories as you currently prepared for your flight to Greece. Two weeks in Greece. Who gave Chaewon the idea of having her bachelorette party there too?

You know what, at least you got the chance to sit in business class. Chaewon, being the person she was, insisted on upgrading every groomsmen and bridesmaids to business class. There were countless arguments and conflict due to the fact that she was shouldering it, but she shut it down immediately. So, what else could you and the others do but listen and accept it gracefully.

It really was a different atmosphere being in business class. You were praying you got the single seat by the window, but with a glance at your ticket, you realised your seat was in the middle where a two seats sat side by side, seperated by a divider. May you get a rich business man that would take you around Greece for free.

"You again?"

Maybe you have to scratch that idea out.

You looked up from your seat, already all settled in, just to meet Jay's unamused gaze. Him again. Chaewon and Heeseung definitely had a thing to do with this whole setup.

"You?" You eyed him from head to toe, taking in his hoodie clad body and grey sweatpants covered lower half. "What are you doing in my presence?"

"Why, I'm sorry, my majesty. It seems like I am sitting beside you," he hoisted his backpack up to the overhead compartment, flashing a little of his tummy and that happy trail of his. What the fuck. Before he could catch you staring, you averted your attention just as he plopped down onto the seat next to you, a contented sigh leaving his lips. "Man, business class truly is different,"

"I don't know how Chaewon is affording all these," you took a look around, spotting a few familiar faces.

"Heeseung's loaded, remember? His family, his job," Jay let out a low whistle.

"Good for Chaewon, then,"

"Good for us too."

Take off was fairly peaceful knowing Jay was too engrossed into whatever movie he had on. You, on the other hand, was trying to get some sleep before any crying babies started wrecking havoc, or worse, Jay speaking. It didn't last long when food was served and Jay decided it was time to take a break from his movie.

"What are you eating?" Jay took a peek over the divider to see which menu you selected.

"Shrimp fried rice. Since when did you become so nosy?" Ironically, you secretly took a look at his food too, some wonton noodles with side dishes.

"Trying to be nice to my neighbour that I'm stuck with for over ten hours. I'm being the bigger person here,"

"Bigger person, yeah," you mumbled under your breath, stabbing into your shrimp fried rice.

"You know, I would really like to recreate Mamma Mia in Greece," it seemed that sometimes a filter didn't exist for Jay.

"Which part? The musical? The baby daddy disaster? Wedding off your own daughter? Having a love life crisis at your daughter's wedding?" At least you were mildly entertained.

Jay snorted, pointing at his paused screen, and that was when you realised he was actually watching Mamma Mia. "Probably the musical part. You know, 'Dancing Queen', classic,"

"Didn't know you roll with ABBA like that," why was his attractiveness level increasing? You were seeing him in a different light day by day and you didn't know if that was a good or bad thing for you.

"What can I say? I'm an attractive man with good music taste,"

"Then why are you still single?"

"We don't talk about that."

Fair to say the rest of the journey has been peaceful. Jay might've chimed in from time to time but he actually mostly made you laugh, unaware that he was staring at your smile and the way your eyes crinkled in happiness. Sleep was definitely the star of the show. It was what you did for most of the flight until it was time for landing, groggily waking up to an already freshly awake Jay. How did he do it? You didn't know.

"I shook you awake for 20 times and you couldn't wake up," Jay leaned over and whispered, receiving a tired eye roll from you.

"I can't believe travelling is this tiring," you sighed, straightening your back against the seat.

"The wedding week is about to be more tiring,"

"Don't remind me about it,"

You were holding onto your last piece of peace before the wedding, truly.

From exiting the plane to going through the usual airport measures, Jay has never strayed far from you. Surprisingly, you didn't mind it either. The two of you navigated through the airport, not sparing the occasional bicker as Jay was insisting on turning right while you insisted on turning left. Turns out, it was to head straight for the exit.

You shared a cab together to the hotel Chaewon specifically booked so that you could meet with the others. It was awkward having to explain to the driver that you and Jay were not a couple after he called you two a beautiful pair, the language barrier didn't help anything at all, leaving the rest of the journey to your destination a little silent.

The hotel was genuinely a sight for sore eyes. Upon arriving, you had to check if it was the right place, and it really was. The hotel overlooked the sea, there even was an infinity pool by the edge of the cliff. You wondered how you managed to get here, to this beautiful getaway.

It didn't take long before the others arrived, including Chaewon and Heeseung themselves. You and Jay were busy chatting with Chaewon while the others already checked into the hotel rooms, unaware about the existing problems until Heeseung came sounding them. Supposedly everyone was meant to get their own rooms, but there seemed to be a mix up in the amount of single rooms and there were one room short. Everyone basically already had their own rooms … except for you and Jay.

Of course it's going to be you and Jay.

"So, it's fully booked out? That's the only room left?" You, Jay, and the actual couple surrounded the counter, mildly distressed—well, mostly you and Jay were—the other two had other thoughts in mind.

"Yes, Miss. We're so sorry about the mistake. We can offer complimentary services as a way to repay you,"

Screw those complimentary services, you were on the edge of a meltdown.

"What about an extra single bed for the room? For free?" Chaewon chimed in, flashing her sparkly eyes in addition to the very reasonable repayment.

"We can do that," the receptionist was quick to answer, putting on a pretty forced friendly smile.

"Wait, so we're sharing rooms?" Jay interrupted, sounding a little confused.

"Glad to see you're only catching on now," you seethed through your teeth, glaring rather unhappily at him.

None of you complained despite the constant bombardment of questions from Chaewon asking if you were okay with the arrangements. You came to terms with it, and you expected more sound from Jay, but to your surprise, he silently accepted it.

"You're not mad or anything?" It was now just the both of you, alone in a corridor trying to find your room.

"Why would I be?" From the tone of his voice, he genuinely seemed fine with it.

"I thought you'd rather die than be with me,"

"That's what you think," his eyes were on the doors and the numbers, but his focus on your every word never faltered. "I've learnt to tolerate you. I think you should do the same,"

"I do! I'm not exploding anymore whenever I see you,"

"Oh wow, is that the effect I have on you—here's our room," you stopped right behind him, standing in front of a door, waiting for him to unlock it.

The room was exactly what you imagined but also not. It was a small room, mostly decorated and painted with the overall theme of Mykonos in mind. There was a single bed there and it certainly haunted you. Please deliver that extra bed quickly, you thought.

"Home sweet home for two weeks, I guess," Jay muttered as he came out of the bathroom after walking around the room, though there was nothing much to see anyway.

"At least you get to live your Mamma Mia dream,"

"Touche."

Being heavily jet lagged and tired out of your mind, you wondered how Chaewon still had ample amount of energy left in her to be so enthusiastic and cheerful. She had invited the bridesmaids, groomsmen and close friends out for dinner at an outdoor restaurant, where the pretty view made up for the hefty price.

The chilly evening weather was perfect for you to pull out one of your dinner dresses, a black long sleeved midi dress that complimented you. Maybe pulling the dress out was a good idea hidden in disguise, because it definitely did a number on Jay.

From the moment you stepped out of the bathroom in the dress to the point where you're waiting for your dinner, Jay has been enamoured by you. Even if he said nothing, his eyes couldn't lie, they couldn't escape.

"I don't like the way he's always staring at you," Jay whispered quietly so that only you could hear. You knew who he was talking about, unfortunately, and you detested the fact that you were getting the unwanted attention too.

"I don't like the way he's staring at me either," you mumbled, avoiding your ex's watchful gaze. "He's going to be such a pain in the ass for me,"

"Out of sight, out of mind,"

"You don't say," you sighed into your glass of wine, hoping to down another in an attempt to cloud Yeonjun's existence away.

Dinner was taking its own sweet time to get prepared, so everyone was scattered around, either by the bar or at the table. Jay had wandered off with Sunghoon and Jake, leaving you with Yujin and Wonyoung.

"Okay, guess who's here," Chaewon had snuck up on you and the girls, flinging her arm carelessly around your's and Yujin's shoulders.

"It's me," you heard a familiar voice announcing her presence in a sing-song tone, causing you and your friends to turn around, seeing one of your best friends, Yunjin, approaching with open arms.

"Yunjin?" You gasped, rushing over to throw yourself on her. "Oh my God, it's been ages since we met,"

"I know! I've been busy, it's insane," after all the hugs from you and the girls, you sat down to catch up, listening to every drama Yunjin had to offer.

Time wasn't enough for the amount of things Yunjin needed to say as dinner was starting to be served and everyone was gradually returning. To your utmost surprise, Sunghoon took the seat next to you that Jay had originally sat in. It seemed Jay was a step too late as his face had obvious question marks on it.

You met his eyes and shrugged, but proceeded to mouth 'Yunjin' and pointed at the empty seat next to her. Well, you were trying to be a good sport and set him up. But his furrowed eyebrows told you otherwise. However, he didn't have much choice either but to oblige.

"I'm so glad you're here. I really need my support since he is literally right here," you shook your head, taking a big bite out of your pasta.

"Who?"

"Yeonjun," you muttered, basically coughed to cover the mention of his name.

Yunjin tensed for a second when you said his name. It didn't go unnoticed by you either, weird. But you decided to shrug it off at the moment, not thinking much of it.

"He better stay out of your way for the entire wedding," Yunjin said after a beat.

"I'm making it known, but he's kinda … difficult,"

"Just stick with Chaewon, I don't think he'd mess with you when she's around. Remember that time she pulled his hair just because you two got into an argument?"

"Right. Typical Chaewon," you laughed at the memory, mostly at Chaewon's actions than the entirety of it. Thinking about Yeonjun and your past was simply heart wrenching. To be reminded that you wasted years on a man that left without any explanations was a different kind of hurt.

"Anyway," you started, shaking away the random surge of trauma inducing thoughts, averting your attention back on Yunjin. "Do you remember Jay?" You nodded over at said man whose attention you caught.

"Oh yeah, I do! Same high school as us, right?"

"That's me," he said, looking a mix of awkwardness and confusion. "I'm Jay,"

"Hi, Yunjin,"

"Well, cheers America, I suppose. You guys can bond a little over that then," you wiggled your eyebrows at Jay, who only stared back at you with an odd look. Whatever that was.

The rest of the dinner consisted of small talks with Sunghoon and laughing about shared experiences with Heeseung. You didn't notice the burning stare from Jay until dinner was over and everyone was just lazing around under the clear night sky. The bar was still open and everyone was slowly hovering over there bit by bit, swaying along with the music playing in the background.

"You're not going to get some drinks?" Sunghoon was already up from his seat, ready to join the others by the bar.

You shook your head. "I'm fine, I think I'll survive on the wine,"

"Alright, then I guess I'll be off with Yunjin,"

You looked over to see Yunjin already standing, smiling happily at the mention of some drinks and was gladly whisked away by Sunghoon, which meant you and Jay were there together alone.

"I see what you're trying to do," Jay scooted onto Yunjin's seat, now sitting beside you with a slight frown. "You're trying to set me up with her,"

"You said you were down,"

"Maybe I lied,"

"Well, don't lie then," you hissed, grabbing onto your wine glass and taking a large sip from it.

Jay choked out a laugh at your reaction, a familiar teasing grin sitting on his lips. "I'm joking. I don't care about her, I barely know her,"

"She's really nice,"

"I don't care,"

"Then who do you even care about?"

"You,"

Given the fact that he was sitting close to you and he never once broke eye contact, his words had a bigger effect on you more than you could imagine. What did he mean by what he said? Adding on that he didn't care about Yunjin had unknowingly given you a sense of relief, though you didn't realise it.

Jay cracked a smile, laughing under his breath at your confusion stricken face and took it as an opportunity to leave you hanging. "I'm going to get some drinks, want some?"

"I—uh—no thanks, I–I'll stick to my wine," you were a stuttering mess, and you were letting him do that to you.

You couldn't believe it, you couldn't believe yourself. Park Jong Seong, really? You were not fully admitting it but you had to be honest, you were feeling the slight sparks when it came to Jay. Shoot you, right now please!

As if he knew he had a lasting effect on you, that man had the audacity to look over his shoulder as he left and meet your eyes, laughing a little before turning away. Motherfucker.

A few sips of your wine eventually turned into downing the whole glass. Talk about liquid luck, you need the confidence to uphold your composure no matter what. And it was definitely fitting when Yeonjun appeared next to you out of the blue. Maybe downing the wine was a smart choice after all.

"You're with Jay now?"

"Why would it be your business whether or not I'm with him?" You snapped, not needing his presence at the moment.

"I just—nevermind,"

"What do you want, Yeonjun? Last time I checked, we're not on speaking terms,"

"I just wanted to talk,"

"Talk? You left me with no explanation and you want to talk now? I rather we stay no contact forever,"

"Look, I–I did something … unforgivable and I couldn't face you, so I left and—"

"What was it? What did you even do till the point where you had to leave and disappear from my life?"

"I don't know if this is the right place to say or even the right time, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry,"

"Save it, if you're not even going to tell me. I don't forgive you, Yeonjun, and I don't think I ever will," you forced out even though you were crumbling internally, wishing the ground would just swallow you up and never see his face ever again.

"Y/N—"

"Y/N," It was Jay. He was back from the bar, standing with a glass in hand paired with a very confused look on his face as he stared at a distressed you then at your guilty looking ex. "And … Yeonjun,"

"Jay," Yeonjun greeted, or more so, acknowledged.

There was a recognisable tension that hung in the air. Not only did you feel uncomfortable, but also awkward and angry, and it somehow prompted you to get up from your seat. You didn't know what you were going to do, all you wished for was to be far away from Yeonjun.

"I—you know what, let's go get some drinks," you caught onto Jay's wrist, pulling him with you to the bar without looking back or acknowledging Yeonjun's existence.

"What was all that? I felt like dying there," Jay said in a hushed tone once your ex was out of earshot.

"I don't know either, it almost felt like a fever dream. He basically said everything but also nothing," it was evident from your voice that Yeonjun had affected you more than it seemed. How dare he seek you out after all those times of being away? For a minute you thought you were in one of those scripted dramas. "Tell me, Jay, how am I supposed to avoid him when he's literally here with us for the entire wedding?"

"Forget about the rest of the wedding, let's just focus on tonight first. You know what we're going to do tonight? Drink and dance," Jay laced his hand into yours, and it took you by complete surprise. The warmth of his skin calmed you, the reassurance in the glow of his eyes made you think maybe everything was alright.

You eventually ditched the wine and went for something stronger, reaching the point where you were playing drinking games with some of your friends while Jay watched. It was until Jay had to pull you away from the drinks and try leading you back to the table, but you stopped in your tracks and it made things difficult for him.

"Why are you stopping?" He held onto your arms tighter, though you weren't fully drunk, you were still stumbling over your own two feet.

"Do you hear that?"

Jay squinted his eyes at you, almost like he's saying 'are you crazy' without verbally doing so. "Hear what?"

"ABBA,"

"ABBA?" Jay questioned, but when you shushed him and he actually listened, he could hear the start of 'Dancing Queen' playing from the bar speakers.

"Your Mamma Mia dream!" You threw your head back laughing and grabbed onto his shoulder.

Jay had always been a man who knew how to keep his composure, constantly pretending that you were nothing more to him, but now that it came to you, he seemed to be losing every bit of it. The moment he watched you throw your head back laughing, he was a gone man. His knees were weak and his heart was racing quicker than usual. He didn't even realise you had pulled him into the middle of a mini dancefloor by the bar. Why did they even have a dance floor? He thought. Whatever, Chaewon and Heeseung were dancing, some of the others were too, so Jay, for once, decided to let go.

"It's your song! Dancing Queen!" You patted his shoulder with the widest smile on your face as if things hadn't gone sour in the first place. Alcohol worked wonders for you. But it didn't cloud your mind when Jay wrapped his hand around your wrist and proceeded to pull you in, knocking your liquid confidence out of you.

"Dance with me then,"

Oh.

"I'd love to,"

Fuck it.

Jay bit his lips, smiling wide and pulling you with him. You stumbled a little, but you didn't care, letting out a carefree laugh and moving your body to the music, not even realising that Jay was standing there watching you, completely starstruck by you.

"What are you doing? Dance with me," you pulled onto his arm and he laughed in response, letting you boss him around in your half drunken stage.

Jay was a great dancing partner, better than you expected. He twisted and turned you around, and at one point, he spun you around. It was fun living this way, not caring about a single thing in the world and getting to dance till your heart's content. It was written all over your's and Jay's face, how much you were enjoying each other's company despite not saying it.

It took Dancing Queen and a few other ABBA songs to wear you and Jay out, eventually having to retire back to the table a little sweaty and very sluggish. Being a little tipsy and tired, you were ignorant to the obvious stares from your friends and Yeonjun himself. Were you going to explain yourself in the morning? Absolutely not.

Heading back to the hotel was easy when everyone of you walked back together, filling the quiet night air with loud laughs and juicy chatters. Jay's jacket was wrapped around your shoulders, and he himself was straying not far behind with Jake.

You said your goodbyes for the night to Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the others before following Jay to the room. He made sure to have you by his side, occasionally sneaking glances at you as you both silently walked back.

You've never been more glad to take your heels off and be back in your own room. As you stumbled around trying to get your shoes off, you caught sight of a change in the room. There were two beds. That's good. But they're side by side. Not good. The hotel was making a fool of you at this point.

"What are you staring at—oh," Jay had entered the room, looking taken aback at the two single beds joined together.

"They're together, they shouldn't be together," your words came out in a rush, almost in a panic.

"Well, no shit," Jay mumbled, walking forward to the bed. "Do you want to move this? Oh, it's going to be a lot of work, the bedside tables—"

"You know what, leave it," you were too tired to complain, it was already past midnight and Jay was probably equally tired, it just wasn't a good time to be the one complaining here. "Let's just share the bed,"

"You're fine with that?"

"I am,"

"Really?"

"Yes, Jay, now stop asking before I downgrade you to the floor," that was enough to get the man to zip his mouth.

The process of getting in bed with Jay was bewildering to you. You were sleeping in the same bed as him. That was something you had to wrap your mind around.

"You okay?" In the dark came Jay's voice. The lights were off and you were already tucked under the covers. There was a small space in between you and Jay, something the two of you made sure remained. However, you could hear Jay's faint breathing and feel the warmth emitting from his body. You were that close to him.

"I'm fine, just … tired,"

"I didn't think you'd want to share the bed with me,"

"Why?"

"Thought you hated to be in my presence or something,"

"That's what you think," you said, quoting him from earlier on. Jay immediately caught onto that, letting out a snort in response.

"Are you finally charmed by me, L/N?"

It was your turn to let out a snort, but the smile creeping onto your face was telling you otherwise. "Go to sleep, Park,"

Jay laughed a little, and it was hard not to admit that it caused a swarm of butterflies to stir in your abdomen. "Night, sweetheart,"

Those swarms of butterflies were about to be a whole damn zoo.

"Night, Jay."

That night, despite the space in between, you felt much closer to Jay than you've ever been before, both personally and physically.

Waking up to a feeling of heaviness over your stomach was alarming. Finding out it was Jay's arm was ten times more alarming.

Your eyes basically widened in light speed, snapping your head over to see Jay still dozed off beside you, but the space you both created was practically nonexistent. He was cuddling you. Cuddling you. No matter how many times you repeated it, you continued to be in disbelief.

The Park Jong Seong was cuddling you and you were in bed with him. If only fifteen years old you could hear that and not have a complete heart attack.

You glanced over at him again, this time pausing at the sight of his face. The freckles littered under his eyes resembled constellations in the sky. It was impossible to deny that he had a face that was to die for, paired with features that were too delicate and detailed, he was a dream.

Let's not start on his arm and the biceps, shall we? You carefully pushed his arm away, feeling the warmth from his touch slowly leaving your skin. Then, you made the run for it and headed to the bathroom without looking back. What a start to your morning.

It took approximately another thirty minutes before Jay woke up. By then, you were already done with your morning routine and were in the midst of choosing your outfit of the day.

"Morning. You're up early,"

"No, Jay, you're up late. We need to meet them for brunch by twelve," you pointed at the clock that was conveniently hanging on the wall. It was half past eleven.

"Oh," he breathed out, hair sticking out in different directions, t-shirt all crumpled. "Give me ten minutes."

He truly stuck to his words. Ten minutes and he was out of the shower, fresh and fully awake. "Impressive," you noted.

"Thank you," he delivered a wink at you, bowing slightly. It was never too early in the morning for him to do that, was it?

Brunch came and went, eventually it was time for bridesmaid duties. You, Yujin, Chaewon, Yunjin and the rest of the bridesmaids were at the venue doing some final preparations and going through what's needed. But the tap on your shoulder didn't prepare you for the thing she was about to say.

"Is Jay single?"

You were in the middle of checking the flowers and decorations, but was left too stunned to really continue on. "Huh?"

"That American guy, the one you introduced," she repeated, as though he wasn't the guy you're literally sharing a bed with.

"Him, yeah, why?" Playing oblivious to digest the question was such a strategy to pull.

"Is he—I don't know—single?"

"Uh—yeah … kind of? Why?" Now, why did you add 'kind of'?

"He's cute, I wanted to talk to him more but he's a little quiet,"

Oh.

"Oh," you were chewing on your bottom lip, a habit that you found yourself doing when you're nervous. Why were you nervous? "He's a little weird, I don't think you'd like him,"

"But I like weird!" Yunjin laughed, and you forced out one too, which eventually faltered into a frown that rested on your lips.

"I'll … let him know,"

"Thanks!"

It was indescribable, specifically that feeling you had when Yunjin showed interest in Jay. The boiling, distasteful, stomach dropping feeling you had throughout that conversation. What was it? Plus, why would she even like Jay? He's not special, he's just … Jay. Well, the Jay you knew for ages and grew close to, that Jay.

He was the same person that you swore you hated, the first boy you got to know. He just so happened to be standing in front of you, after all that push and pull you did in your head, you were faced with the man himself, alone in the room together.

"You look distracted," his voice broke the silence in the room, startling you slightly.

"What?"

"You look distracted," he repeated, joining you to sit on the bed as well. "Doesn't seem like it's a you thing to be distracted. What's going on in that head of yours?"

You, Jay. It's you.

"I—uh—wedding things. They got the flowers wrong," it was a plain lie, but you managed to dodge his question, just like how you were dodging his burning eyes.

"Chaewon's not overworking you, right?"

You chuckled at his question, shaking your head. "If anything, she's overworking herself out,"

"You should stop her, don't want the bride to be burnt out by the time of the wedding," Jay said, and you nodded as a response. It was silent for a little while, the sound of Jay's foot tapping the ground was all you heard, mixed with the steady breathing of his.

"Y/N,"

One utterance of your name from him was enough for you to turn and meet his eyes. He was already staring at you. There was the softest glow in his gaze that he reserved just for you. It was quiet, but whatever it was that lingered in the air between you and him, it was loud and sparkling.

You hummed, unable to verbally reply under his stare. He was close, you weren't even conscious of the nonexistent space you two had, only becoming gradually aware that his shoulder was pressed against yours.

"I—" he started, but nothing really came out, and it somehow disappointed you a lot. "Nevermind," he laughed it off, but you could only manage a small smile, a part of you which was expecting something more had eventually shattered.

"What?" You nudged his shoulder in a lighthearted manner.

"It's nothing,"

You arched your eyebrow at him. "Nothing?"

He shook his head. You let out a hum in response even though you didn't believe him, but you moved on from it for the moment, switching to another topic that crowded your mind.

"Yunjin asked me about you,"

It was his turn to be curious. "She did?"

You nodded in affirmation. "Asked if you're single. I think she's interested,"

"What do you think of it?"

"What? Why would I matter in this?"

"I care about what you think about this. Aren't you the one pushing the whole agenda?"

"Well—"

"You can always just tell me to fuck off and I will, you know?"

"I can't just do that. You're a person with free will, why would I want to get in the way of your love life?"

"I could sense the disapproval in you, Y/N," he leaned in slightly, not knowing how much of an effect it has on you.

You gulped, trying to regain your composure a little bit more. "Do whatever you want, Jay, really,"

"Really?"

"Really,"

"Alright, I'll trust you and your judgement. Now go shower, stinky,"

You punched his shoulder and stood up. "What a gentleman you are, Jay,"

"I'm joking! But you do need to shower after a long day,"

"Maybe I do,"

"So you think you smell too?"

"Now you're putting words in my mouth," you picked up your towel and pajamas, casting him one last look. "You better think back on what you were about to say! I don't like being left hanging."

You heard a humoured laugh coming from Jay, but you continued your way to the bathroom. In the end, you knew you were lying about being fine and secondly, you could tell he was hiding the actual things he wanted to say earlier on. It was clear that he was lying, you had a sure feeling about it. But you weren't exactly innocent either.

Jay was easy to read sometimes. It was hard to hide from you especially when his eyes were speaking to you first. They were already telling you things that couldn't be described with words, something much more intimate, yet, he couldn't say it to you for some reason.

Just like how you couldn't voice out the truth about you despising the idea of Jay and Yunjin together. It was confusing you, whatever this feeling you had harboured in your guts, or the fact that Jay was overtaking your mind, and you were willingly letting it happen.

You hate him. You hate the way he laughed. You hate his charming eyes that turn into crescent moons whenever his lips stretch into one of his sweet smiles. You hate his flirtatious remarks, or that look he had in his eyes whenever he's with you. In the end, you hate how he wasn't yours.

Oh god. You're supposed to hate him, but why were you feeling this way for him?

Oh.

You like him. You like Park Jong Seong.

From that night onwards, you've never been the same.

Being aware of your ongoing feelings for Jay was both a blessing and a curse. It's great that you got to be in tune with your feelings, but also having troubles acting like yourself around him was totally uncalled for, which explained why you've been actively dodging him for quite some time now.

"Are you okay? You're acting differently," Yujin, being your closest friend, seemed to see through your behaviour like glass.

You shrugged, trying to play it off as nothing. If you find yourself admitting that secret, you'd be fleeing Greece the next day.

"We're going out to the club and you're so … toned down. It's so unlike you,"

"I'm just a little tired, the packed schedules are killing me, but trust me, I'm more than glad to be able to let loose tonight," it was part truth, part lie.

"So no getting drunk for you?"

"Nope. I'll get the worst hangover the next day so I think I'll pass,"

"I can't tell if you'll stick to your words," Yujin narrowed her eyes at you in doubt, and truth be told, you couldn't fully trust yourself either.

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow."

Almost everyone was there by the time you and Yujin arrived. Most of them were sitting in the booth but some had already wandered off on their own. Your eyes strayed to a certain someone sitting in the booth, realising he had his gaze on you first.

Jay was dressed in a simple long sleeve denim button up, but there was a certain twist to it. First two buttons were unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up to showcase his forearms, a single chain hung around his neck and an expensive watch wrapped around his wrist. Now … you couldn't believe his simplicity and minimalism has managed to swoon you over.

He smiled upon meeting your eyes. This action alone had you melting and it wasn't even something big. You couldn't help yourself from smiling either, letting that man charm you over.

That was until your gaze flickered over to his side. Yunjin.

That same feeling in the pits of your stomach seemed to have made its presence known. You shouldn't be feeling this way. Yunjin's your friend. But why were you feeling absolutely sour the moment you saw her by his side?

"Wanna grab some drinks or you're still sticking to your words?" Yujin nudged your side and nodded her head at the bar. She always knew how to tempt you, but at the same time, you were looking for a moment's worth of getaway from Jay and Yunjin.

"Fine. I'll get something light," you grumbled, finally giving in. Yujin cheered and she absolutely didn't waste another second before pulling you away towards the bar. You felt it, however, a lingering gaze as you left that you knew who it belonged to. It took every piece of you to not look back and that was what you did.

As you waited for the bartender to be done with your drinks, you pulled your best friend closer. "I need to ask you something,"

"Ask away, old friend,"

"No questions until I'm done, okay?" You didn't know what had gotten into you, maybe it was the night time adrenaline or the fact that it's been eating you up since forever, but all you knew was you needed to confide in your best friend. Yujin nodded, clear confusion written in her expressions.

"Hear me out. Let's just say, hypothetically, I have a crush on someone and I see him with another girl. I feel some sort of confusing feelings, is that normal?"

Yujin's confusion morphed into realisation, then a wide knowing smirk took over her lips. "So, you've got a crush, eh?"

"Hypothetically! Now, answer my question,"

"Alright, whatever you say," Yujin's smirk never faltered, but she gave it a thought. "I know what it is,"

"What?"

"You're jealous," she might've put it plainly, but it surely did come crashing down on you like a big wave. You? Jealous? That's new. "Well, hypothetically speaking," she added, unconvinced.

"Why would I be jealous? Hypothetically,"

"It's natural, Y/N. Seeing someone you like with a girl who happens to not be you can be gut wrenching. It's also a part of girlhood," Yujin said thoughtfully.

"Then what do I do? Drown myself?"

"Not exactly, no, it depends. Either you admit your feelings or continue living your life in denial," Yujin hummed, resting her head on her hand as she stared at you. "Do you like him?"

"Yes—well—hypothetical situation wise. I think I'm no longer in denial, but I just don't know what to do,"

"Tell him. What if he already likes you from the beginning?"

"Bullshit,"

Yujin raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure this is all hypothetical?"

"Y–Yeah, I suppose,"

Another satisfied smile spread across her face, looking as if she'd cracked the code to the safe. "I don't think you'd have to worry,"

"What do you mean?"

"You already have him wrapped around your fingers since day one,"

Did she actually crack the code? Was it that obvious?

You let out a cough and straightened your spine. "It's all hypothetical, though. Don't worry,"

"Hypothetical, huh? We'll see."

How ominous that sounded. The ring of her words definitely burned in your mind even as the night progressed. Great to know you were burning with jealousy, but dreaded to realise you actually needed to voice out your feelings to be known. Why was romance this hard?

What you know wasn't hard was drinking and dancing. You tried getting Jay out of your mind by dancing with your friends, even accepting drinks from a random guy whose name you learned was Intak. Apparently he was on a trip with his friends too.

"Can I take you home tonight?"

"What?" You screamed over the music, but in reality, you were just trying to plot your escape.

"Wanna get out of here?"

"I—uh—came with my friends so I think I'll stay," you were not liking how this was going.

"Come on, I know a good place nearby," he was reaching out to grab your hand but you quickly retracted it, slowly getting up from the tall bar stool.

"I think I'll stay," you backed away gradually, eyes frantically blinking in anxiety as you watched him get up from his seat too.

"Hey, come on—"

"What's going on?" Jay's voice travelled to your ears just as your back bumped into his chest, but you managed to recognise his voice before turning to meet his slightly agitated face.

"Jay," you breathed out in relief, not even acknowledging the fact that he had caught hold of your wrist.

He casted a glance at Intak, who thankfully backed down after seeing Jay approaching you. You thought your main concern was finally settled, but one peek at Jay's face, you knew he was mad without needing to ask. "Let's go,"

It was all fun and games until you realised he was genuinely pissed. His hold on you didn't loosen and you didn't know where you were being dragged to either. "Where are we going?" Silence from him. "Jay! Let go of me,"

The continued radio silence from him as he pulled you through the crowd and towards the exit only further your annoyance. You were angry and very much confused, an explanation was what you deserved too.

Once you had exited the club, Jay finally stopped his tracks. The quiet night air that was accompanied by the sounds of waves crashing against the shore filled the momentary silence, just before you eventually cracked.

"What are we doing here?"

"We're going back,"

"Back where?"

"The hotel,"

"What?" You took a step back, face contorting into confusion then anger. "I'm not going back yet,"

"You are. You're not staying especially when that creep is still there,"

"You're being unreasonable,"

Jay shook his head, jaw clenched. "What were you even doing back there? Can't you see you're getting yourself in danger?"

"I was just trying to enjoy my night, Jay,"

"And by that you meant getting yourself involved with a man you don't know?"

"God, Jay. Since when do you care?"

"Since always!" He burst out yelling, surprising you the most. He was breathing hard, eyes flickering around and his hands clenched tightly onto his jeans. "Since fucking always, Y/N, and it hurts me to see another man trying to get his way with you knowing how he doesn't deserve any part of you at all,"

Was this actually happening? Were you dreaming every word that was coming out of his mouth?

"W–what? But I thought … I thought you and Yunjin—"

"For fuck's sake, Y/N, can't you see? I give a fuck about you, not your best friend, but you," he ran a hand through his hair, heaving a sigh of distress. "I want you. Ever since the day I met you, no matter how much you said you hated me, I just knew I couldn't feel the same, because … you're you, you're special like no other,"

The anger in his eyes melted into adoration, and most importantly, love. Desperation, longing and pining hung in his words, no matter how you tried absorbing them, your state of shock continued to render you speechless. You wanted to tell him how much you liked him, or the way he has been clouding your mind for far too long, but you just couldn't bring yourself to.

"Jay …" your voice was light and gentle, the alcohol in your system was buzzing and you swore you were about to lose your footing anytime soon. The additional silence from Jay only made the tension in the air thicker.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, forming a thin line. Eyebrows furrowed, thoughts clearly running through that mind of his. "I—forget it,"

That was the last thing you had expected. "What?"

"You're tired, a–and you probably don't know what to say, I can see it in your face. Let's just talk about this another day, okay?"

You hate to admit it, but he was partially true. All those times you prepared yourself by admitting that you did, in fact, like him surely hadn't gotten you ready for this moment. Maybe a heads up would've been great, but you couldn't help feeling sad that you had unintentionally left him hanging.

"Let's go back," Jay started to walk, but your feet were still stuck to the ground. He soon noticed and turned around, head tilted to one side in confusion.

"I'm not rejecting you, Jay, I–I just need a clear head and a better time to gather my emotions. Trust me, I'm not pushing you away," your words might've come out slightly slurred, but it was all genuine. You held your breath until you saw a small smile forming on his face, waiting as he walked closer and finally stood before you.

"Alright, I trust you. Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

His arms were wrapped around you as you both walked under the night sky. You feared for the awkwardness, but it just seemed to be nonexistent. Your head was in a mess, but one thing's for sure, which was telling him how you felt once his heavy emotions diluted away. For now, you rested your head on his shoulder, basking in his presence before facing what was yet to come.

You didn't talk to Jay for the next few days.

Look, it's not that you didn't want to, you just couldn't. The bachelorette was the day after that night at the bar and it practically took up to two days since Chaewon insisted on a sleepover too, which also meant you haven't seen Jay for those days and given the situation you had with him, you're not sure if going no contact was the best idea.

Then came the pre wedding dinner and its preparations. The whole morning leading up to the evening was just you and your fellow bridesmaids running around getting everything finalised. The dinner dress you had on definitely added to the dramatics.

There was still an hour left until the open aired dinner. By then, you and your friends were able to catch your breath and enjoy some evening tea around the long table. The groomsmen were at one end while you and the bridesmaids were at the other, only furthering your distance from him.

"Hey, Y/N, can you grab me some sugar please?" Chaewon pointed at her cup of coffee, then batted her eyelashes sweetly at you.

The others laughed as you rolled your eyes. Maid of honour duties were truly on another level. "Alright, alright, anything else? You guys?"

"A cup of water for me please," Yunjin piped up, and a string of requests followed. It was almost as if you'd become their personal waiter.

You made your way towards the inside of the restaurant, passing by the groomsmen's end and getting some greetings from them. Your eyes, however, were on a particular one. The best man. He didn't meet your eyes, but you could tell he was resisting the urge to do so. He could have spared you a message or two, yet he chose not to, and that disappointed you more than imagined.

You're not pushing him away, but why did it seem like he was the one pushing you away?

Just to make matters worse, the first person you saw upon entering the inside of the restaurant was your ex, Yeonjun. Of course he was here. Before you could escape from him, he had already caught sight of you and was calling for you. Just your luck.

"Y/N!" He took big strides towards you, and you cursed under your breath.

"Yes?" You said slowly, taking a cautious step back.

"I wanted to talk to you,"

Not again. You sighed. "Look, I'm not starting this conversation again. I'm tired, it's almost the wedding day and I just want some peace,"

"I–I just wanted to tell you the truth,"

"The truth?"

"The truth behind what happened. I owe you the closure that I deprived you of,"

Get you out of here ASAP. You stared at him blankly, your fight or flight instinct blaring loudly in your ears. Your foot took one step back, the other was waiting to do the same.

"I slept with your best friend. I slept with Yunjin,"

Oh wow.

Nothing could've possibly prepared you for that. The reason why he broke off your five years long relationship was because he fucked your friend? That was almost a joke, except that joke was your reality.

"I … I realised I was in love with her and I broke things off with you. Then I left and moved in with her overseas, before we eventually broke up too," his continuous confession only hit you like bullets. Maybe the closure and truth you were hoping for years was something you didn't need after all. "Say something, please, Y/N,"

You couldn't. Tongue tied and overwhelmed, your feet started backing up before you even knew it. Your state of shock had failed to notice a body brushing past you and advancing towards Yeonjun. Almost in a blink of an eye, Yeonjun was punched in the jaw and had fallen to the ground. The person turned around, and it was the one you were wishing on a star for. Jay.

Your eyes flickered between him and your ex, heart practically threatening to jump out of your chest at any moment. You didn't say anything and grabbed Jay's hands, pulling him out of the restaurant and most definitely away from the dinner tables. The beachside restaurant served its purpose as you dragged him to the beach, a storm of emotions clouding your senses.

You reached the middle of the beach, and that's when you let go of his hand, facing him with a frown. "What are you doing? You ignored me for days and now you're out here punching my ex?"

"What? He deserved it!" Jay matched the level of your voice. "Y/N, he cheated on you with your friend,"

"I know, Jay, thanks for reminding me!" You snapped, but the anger and rage soon dissolved into a vulnerable hurt that you hid until now. Tears of grief betrayed your stone cold demeanour, gradually cracking under Jay's eyes. "Fuck," you hissed out before his arms pulled you into his embrace, sending you a mix of shock but also comfort.

He held you close, arms wrapped around you tightly. If anything, he has felt like home more than you had expected. He was silent, letting you pour your tears out even if it meant wetting his freshly ironed button up. To him, all it matters was you.

"I don't know what to do now," you slowly pulled away, wiping the tears away and disregarding the fact that your makeup was most likely ruined.

"We don't have to do anything first, we can just stay here and you can cool down for a bit," Jay said calmly, smoothing his hand on your back.

You nodded a little, holding onto his forearm and pulling him down to sit with you on the beach. The sand was rough against your skin, but that was the last thing on your mind. The two of you sat there, watching the waves and the clear blue sky, waiting for either one of you to speak first.

"I deserve an explanation too, you know?" Instead of mulling over your heartbreak, you decided to address the elephant in the room. If you couldn't fix one thing, at least you could fix this.

"I thought of giving you space,"

"Look how that turned out, we're both hurting in our own ways. You said you wanted to talk about it, so let's do that," you turned your body to face him.

"Are you sure—"

"Very. I'm very sure, Jay. Just because I got fucked over doesn't mean I want to fuck us over," the wound might've been fresh, but it was to be addressed later on, you're putting the one before that first. "I have a clear head this time, timing is quite odd and my emotions might be a little over the place, but I've never been so sure about one thing. Jay, I like you,"

Jay blinked once, then twice. You didn't let him have the opportunity to respond, choosing to continue on a rant or else you'd combust. "I like you. Like, a lot. You have no idea how stupid I felt that night for not telling you straightforwardly, and I was so scared of losing you,"

"You could never lose me, Y/N, never," he reached over and rested his palm against your cheek, thumb swiping ever so gently over the mascara streak. You were a mess, eyes puffy from crying and makeup semi smudged, but in his eyes, you were beautiful.

"I want you, Jay, you're everything to me, and I—"

It was a whiplash. How Jay had finally closed the gap between you and him, addressing the heavy tension once and for all. Before you could utter another word, his lips crashed onto yours. It took you a second to fully realise, but when you did so, everything felt like heaven.

The years of tension melted into the kiss, heavy and desperate, but also a hint of tender love was present. His hand on your cheek wandered off to the back of your neck, guiding you deeper into the kiss. His touch, his lips, they were an addiction.

You felt him smiling into the kiss right before he pulled away, the smile still present. It was quiet except for your heavy breathing, but you couldn't stop yourself from giggling. The overwhelming joy of getting the man you deserve was something you couldn't contain, and it seemed he felt the same too.

Jay pressed his forehead against yours, palms resting on the side of your face. "Actually, that night in the hotel, you know, where I left you hanging?"

You scoffed, resisting a smile. "I know,"

"That night, what I really wanted to say was … I'm in love with you," he was cheesy, so cheesy, but it was genuine, and lucky for you, his cheesiness worked. "So super in love, since forever,"

You couldn't hold back your amused laugh this time, and your burning cheeks were betraying you. "I can't believe you're so cheesy! Who knew Park Jong Seong was such a hopeless romantic?"

"I'm professing my love for you and you're laughing at me?" He pinched your cheek, eliciting a louder bark of a laugh from you.

"I'm kidding. I'm just as much of a hopeless romantic as you are," you pressed a kiss on his lips, rendering him speechless for a second, until you saw a grin spreading across his face.

"As much as I want to bask in this amazing moment right now, I think we should also face reality, because what are we going to do now?"

You let out a groan. "I hate that you're right. I think we should head back,"

"You're not afraid of seeing him again?"

"Afraid? I might be heartbroken and still in shock but I'm healing thanks to all this—" you gestured between you and Jay, earning an expressive eye roll from him, "---plus, you can throw another punch for me,"

"You amuse me," he helped you get up and dusted the sand off your dress. "Are you okay, though? Genuinely?"

"Even if I'm not, I got to suck it up, don't I? I hate that I'm letting it get to me," your voice wavered, remembering the feelings you had when your ex dropped the news on you. "Years down the drain just because he fell in love with someone I considered a friend, it almost sounds like a movie night special,"

"Hey, hey," both of his hands were on your shoulders, warm irises gazing into yours, providing a pinch of comfort. "Fuck them, okay? You deserve much more than that. Yeonjun didn't cherish the amazing person you are and that's his fucking lost. You're doing better than him right now, you're shining, you're bejewelled,"

Gosh, you just wanted to grab his face and plant a big fat kiss on his lips. But instead, you opted for a smile. "Didn't know you were such a good hype man,"

"I'll be your hype man for as long as you want," he reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear so naturally that you didn't even notice at first. "Come on, let's head back, the dinner has probably already started. Let me treat you to a nice spa session at the hotel when we get back,"

"Okay, but can we stop by the restroom first? I have urgent matters to attend to: my makeup."

The dinner had indeed started by the time you arrived, but with your presence announced, chaos ensued. At least your makeup was fixed.

"Y/N!" Chaewon practically stumbled out of her chair, dashing towards you with Heeseung behind her. The moment she reached you, you swore your breath was knocked out of you when she tackled you into a hug. "I know what happened,"

"You do?" You were surprised, curious as to what had happened while you were gone.

"Fuck—yeah, I do. Some of them saw Jay punching Yeonjun from the outside. The glass panels, you know? Then you guys disappeared and it was only Yeonjun so we kinda pressured him into spilling and that's when we knew …" Chaewon's voice faltered, her eyes wandering around your face for signs. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I should've never let him attend in the first place, and God! Yunjin too. I feel so bad and incredibly stupid—"

"Chaewon," you stopped her from rambling, trying to put on a reassuring smile. "You're fine, it's okay, you didn't know—hell—I didn't know either,"

"Are you okay? We can ditch this dinner if you want,"

"Are you okay? Chaewon, our family's here, Heeseung's family too. Don't let me be the reason for a terrible night. Trust me, I'm much better than you think. Maybe even better after a couple of drinks,"

"You're unbelievable," she wrapped an arm around your waist and led you towards the table. "But seriously, just because it's my wedding doesn't mean you have to force yourself to be happy and think you can't rant to me. I care about you, and I don't want you to be hurting alone,"

"I won't be alone," you unknowingly casted a glance at Jay who was standing by the groomsmen's end of the table, a drink already in hand. "I'll be fine, really. I guess anticipating the truth for years helped me to hurt less in some ways, but also not really when it's unexpected. What happened to them anyway?"

"They left, or actually, got kicked out. Yunjin really surprised me though. I didn't think she'd be someone like that. I guess this part hurts the both of us," Chaewon heaved a deep sigh. Losing a friend because of betrayal was a form of mental torture that you couldn't bear to imagine.

She removed her arm around your waist and threw it over your shoulder, pulling you closer to her side. "Yes, it hurts, but life goes on, right? For now, let's celebrate and forget it all," she patted your shoulders, then added in a whisper. "Then we can have a good cry session after,"

You choked out a laugh, nodding in agreement. "Writing that down in my plans for tonight."

For the rest of the dinner, you sat with the bridesmaids. They were quick to offer you comfort, but were also relentless when it came to talking shit. Yujin had you by her side, pouring you drinks and checking up on you from time to time. You were glad you felt less shitty now that you're around these people. It might've been a hard pill to swallow, but considering how you managed to get by the years without the two of them, you're sure you would eventually be fine.

The dinner soon ended after a speech from you and Jay, the bride and groom to be, and also their respective parents. The atmosphere of the open air venue along with the emotional speeches definitely contributed to the tears lingering in your eyes. You eventually said your goodbyes to the others and gravitated to Jay, wrapping an arm around him.

"Hey,"

"Hey, you good?"

"After a couple glasses of expensive wine, I'm doing more than just good,"

"You up for some cake then?"

"Do you expect me to say no?"

Along the way back to the hotel, you and Jay made a detour to a local bakery. You were sitting in a corner as Jay took his time ordering. It was crazy how fast the night changed.

"Took you long enough," you said once Jay finally arrived with the cake slices. He set the plate down, casting you a suspicious grin.

"Read the words on the plate," he pointed at the plate, and it was then you realised there were writings in red icing gel on the plate.

'BF & GF?'

You snorted at the simplicity of the wording, eyes flickering up to see a big grin already resting on his lips. "Seriously? BF and GF?"

"Okay, there wasn't enough space and I had to bribe them to write it for me," he threw his hands up in defence, then leaned his body forward. "So, what do you say? Can I be yours and you'll be mine?"

The sparks in his irises and the boyish grin he had made you smile, a rush of dopamine coursing through your veins. "I'd be an idiot if I said no,"

Without any say, you leaned over and pressed a haste kiss on his lips, but that wasn't enough for him. Just as you pulled away, his hand reached for your face and pulled you into a deeper kiss, as if he couldn't get enough of you and the taste of your lips.

"You are the best thing that's ever been mine," he whispered, his hand on your face still present as he gently stroked your cheek that was gradually turning pink from his words.

"You're going to be the death of me. Quick, let's finish this before it gets late." Hiding the fact that you were actually dying internally because of him, you took a big bite out of the cake, ignoring his watchful gaze.

Walking back to the hotel was a much different feeling compared to previous nights. Under the Greek night skies where the stars shined brighter than ever, it felt like this time around, all of them had aligned.

You and Jay were a burning star in the sky that never ceased to stay alight. You and him were eternal.

Wedding day chaos was real.

Waking up at the ass crack of dawn and running around had fueled your adrenaline for the day. By the time you were dressed in your dress that you remembered vividly of that specific day when you tried it out, Chaewon was also done with her wedding gown.

You and the bridesmaids huddled around at the sight of the bride, most of which were moved to tears, including you. It didn't take long before your feet moved on their own towards Chaewon and engulfed her into a hug, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions knowing your cousin was getting married.

The ceremony itself was a huge success, a beautifully done success. You got to walk down the aisle with Jay, the best man, then you watched Chaewon and Heeseung both exchange vows, proceeded to shed tears and emotions wavered to happiness once it was over. What a rollercoaster.

You managed to catch your breath a little more when the wedding reception started. It wasn't long until the round of speeches began, starting from you, the maid of honour. You couldn't lie, there were lots of tears and laughter shared during then, just as much as there was during Jay's speech. Alas, everyone shared a toast to the newly wed couple.

Dinner was interrupted by the dance session where the bride and her father shared their dance together, soon after it was the bride and groom's turn for their first dance. Seeing them dance only widened the smile on your lips, and it didn't go unnoticed by Jay as he reached for your hand, holding it tightly and squeezing it. You exchanged a knowing look with him.

The moment the dance floor was opened for everyone else to join, you wasted no time in dragging Jay out of his seat and towards the dance floor. The music was slow, a mirrorball that hung above casted a soft glowing shine across Jay's face as he stood before you, hands on your waist and your arm around his neck, both swaying slowly to the song.

"You look absolutely breathtaking," he leaned down to whisper into your ear, eyes shamelessing sweeping your figure from head to toe. It wasn't his first compliment of the day, he made it clear from the first moment he saw you that you were beautiful, pretty, out of this world et cetera. This man truly knew had a way of pulling lots of adjectives out of his ass.

"Thank you. You're very stunningly handsome," you smoothed a hand on his chest, secretly taking in the look of him in an expensive black suit.

He smiled at your words, the hand on your waist travelling lower. "I can't believe we're here,"

"I can't believe it too. The months leading up to this moment was insane," your hand that rested behind his neck was playing with some of his hair, neither of you could bear to get your hands off of one another.

"I'm glad it happened though, or else we wouldn't have this," his eyes gleamed, a glimmer of unwavering adoration and admiration filled his brown irises. "I believe it was meant to happen. We'd always find our way back to each other,"

It was hard not to melt at his words. Your gaze softened, an overwhelming urge to kiss him there was impossible to ignore. "You're not going to make me cry again, okay? My emotions are really unstable right now,"

Jay laughed, shaking his head. You kept your gaze on him, scrutinizing the way his eyes shined whenever he laughed or that slight dimple on his face, everything about him just made you want to be the reason for him to smile. "I'm glad everything worked out. I truly am,"

"Me too—"

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Your head snapped at the loud outburst coming from a semi drunk bride that was standing before you and Jay. Her shocked yet puzzled face told you everything you needed to know behind her reaction.

"You … and … Jay?" She gasped, pointing at you and Jay, her eyes only bulging bigger. You had to block out the teasing smiles and looks from your friends who most likely placed a bet on you two.

"Surprise!" You tried laughing it off, waving your hands awkwardly.

Her shocked expression turned into a euphoric one almost in a blink of an eye. Another blink of an eye and she was pulling both of you into her arms. "Guys, you couldn't believe how happy I am. I was rooting for you two, and it happened!"

It was no help trying to have Heeseung save you and Jay. He stood there, shaking his head, as if trying to say 'just let her be'. Well, you two really did just stay there with an overly drunk and emotional bride hugging you.

Towards the end of the wedding, it was time for one the most anticipated parts of the wedding reception, moreover, it was a round for all the unmarried women to gather. The bouquet toss plus a drunk Chaewon was going to equal chaos. From her mild stumbles to overly giddiness, you and the others were waiting rather anxiously.

The wait was finally over when she sobered up by a fraction and straightened up, her back facing you and the crowd. You doubted you would even catch it, but what's the harm in participating anyway?

On the count of one, two, and three, the bouquet was tossed into the air and screeches were heard as everyone scrambled around trying to catch the poor bouquet. You took a step forward, watching the bouquet fall almost in slow motion before you. With a stretch of your arm, you felt your fingers wrap around the bouquet, feet stumbling a little out of imbalance.

Then, it clicked. You caught the bouquet. Time to eat your words from earlier on.

A loud holler sounded from the tables, specifically where Jay stood. You glanced over, watching the groomsmen and Heeseung clapping him on his back, egging him tirelessly. His gaze caught yours immediately amongst the crowd, a wide cheesy grin plastered on his devilishly handsome face. You couldn't hold back an amused laugh either, unable to resist the smile crawling onto your lips.

It was crazy how a wedding was the reason everything even started. It has brought you and Jay together, again, but this time around, more than hate was in the air, there was love. A new found love that you didn't know existed until him, the man you couldn't imagine being friends with in high school and was now the person you're starting a new journey with. This everlasting love was something you would never, ever trade for.

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renaishun · 10 months

Text

TUTORING

// nishimura riki //

pairing: rebellious!ni-ki x class president!femreader

word count- 4.2k

genre/cw- fluff, slight angst, slice of life, tutoring sessions, arguing, reader and ni-ki are enemies(?), realization, confessions, school setting, falling in love, ni-ki hates everyone but reader

summary- Ni-ki’s notorious reputation soon changed it’s course because of simple tutoring

________________________________________________________

You and Ni-ki could be considered as the cliche bad boy and good girl trope. He was the student that created nonstop ruckus which you always had to shut down. You were class president, so that meant having to keep everything in check during school hours.

It was no surprise hearing Ni-ki had despised you. You expected it but didn’t care enough to dwell on it. Simply, you and Ni-ki were never meant to get along.

So imagine the despair you had hearing that you would have to tutor Ni-ki in order for him to pass. You wanted to crawl into a hole and never show your face again, but you only gave a tight smile before being dismissed.

You wondered how you would even approach Ni-ki about his tutoring session, he was rarely ever in school and whenever he was he avoided you like you’re a plague.

You somehow wished for a miracle that Ni-ki would just be accepting of the tutoring session in order for him to pass.

When you walked into class, you saw minimum students still lingering in there. It was the end of the day so it was expected everyone would be out the door by the mere sound of the dismissal bell.

The few students greeted you before grabbing their own bags and leaving the classroom. You were going to grab your own belongings and leave but you gasped when you saw Ni-ki asleep on his desk with his headphones on.

No one had woken him up when school ended? You knew Ni-ki and the other students didn’t necessarily get along with each other but you thought they would have some decency and wake him up.

You gulped nervously before softly tapping his arms that he used as a pillow. When your attempt failed, you shook his arm hoping that would be enough to wake him up.

When you realized he was still fast asleep, you shook him a little harder while calling out his name. Even with those attempts, his sleeping figure never faltered.

You sighed before giving a shove to his body while yelling out ‘riki’ instead of the name he preferred. This was the successful trial as he groggily opened his eyes and raising his head to take in his surrounding.

He looked around the empty classroom but when his gaze landed on you he scowled. What a thoughtful response, after being the one who woke him up.

He didn’t even say a word, he grabbed his backpack and stood up from his desk to walk out of the classroom. You grumbled under your breath before calling out his name, you still needed to tell him about the tutoring sessions,

You knew he was ignoring you as he continued to walk away, you grew frustrated and you knew you shouldn’t do what you were going to do but it was the only way.

You followed Ni-ki out the classroom and pulled the side of his headphone off and he whipped his head at you as if you were crazy.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Come tomorrow and stay after school. We have our first tutoring session tomorrow”

“Our first what?” He squinted his eyes at you to see if you were joking and when he realized you weren’t, he grew irritable

“I don’t need tutoring” He grumbled and was going to pull his headphone back onto his ear until you started to talk

“Your grades say other wise, you better come tomorrow Nishimura if you don’t I’ll hunt you down and bring you myself” After you were done, you gave a fake smile turning your back to head into the classroom to grab your belongings

Ni-ki scoffed at your actions, you had some nerve. You actually thought he would show up for a tutoring session, to hell he would.

Now Ni-ki didn’t actually anticipate for you to hunt him down. Before he could step a foot off of school grounds, he felt himself being dragged back into the school by his empty backpack.

When he turned around, you didn’t even pay any mind to him as you pulled his backpack to drag him back into the school.

You weren’t going to risk having your school record tainted because of someone like Ni-ki.

“I told you Nishimura I would hunt you down” You only ever called him by his last name whenever you were angry or annoyed with him which was almost always

“Alright I get it, just let go of my backpack” He yanked his backpack away from your grasp, you stopped walking as you could seem him readjusting it on his back

You could hear his grumbled but paid no attention to it. But what you did pay attention to was Ni-ki booking it down the hallway to get away from you.

You stared at him dumbfounded. He actually was going to make you chase him just to have one tutoring session, you felt yourself go crazy.

You scoffed before running after him, to hell were you going to allow him ruin your clean record.

And after much banter, Ni-ki grumbled in the chair in front of you. He had his arms folded already done with tutor session that’s yet to begin. You were humming softly as you organized the papers, you were too happy for his liking.

“Why are you so happy?”

“Oh I’m not happy, just trying to keep an optimistic attitude” You could see him rolling his eyes at you in the corner of your eye, you sighed before placing the organized papers in front of him, He looked at you confused with the stack of papers and you presented them to him

“This is all the work you missed” His eyes widen in surprise, there was no way he would be able to cram all this work into one tutor session

“This more than months worth of work, don’t tell me you thought it would be a one time thing” He sneered at you before grabbing the first paper and tried looking for a pencil, when you realized he didn’t even have one you sighed

You took out a pencil from your pencil case and placed it in front of him.

“Keep it, you need it more than me” Ni-ki looked at your pencil and felt anger, he didn’t know why but he did, he angrily grabbed your pencil and looked at the paper trying to figure out what was on it

You saw him struggling and sighed, this was why you’re here. You scooted your seat closer to his and he squinted his eyes at you before scooting away. You scooted again and he scooted away, now you were growing frustrated.

You glared at him and he glared back, he had no problem going up against you.

“I’m trying to help you” You seethed through your teeth, you were already having to take time out of your day to help him

“I’m not asking for your help” He bantered back, why was it hard for you to understand he didn’t need you help

“You’ve been staring at the paper for over 10 minutes, I think you do”

“I don’t, I was just analyzing it” You scoffed and nodded your head, you knew this would be harder than it seemed but you don’t know if you could hold on

“Fine, l only wanted to help you but I guess you don’t need it. So don’t make a ruckus when you finally realize you’re failing” You looked hurt before grabbing your all belongings and left Ni-ki, you had no energy to go against him when he clearly didn’t want you around, you would meet his wishes

Ni-ki didn’t look at you as you walked away from him, he kept his eyes on the paper, he felt relieved but for some reason he felt a gnawing at his stomach, he only discarded it as an uncomfortable feeling left by you that stuck to him.

He didn’t want you around, so he was glad you were finally respecting his wishes.

Now you would expect for Ni-ki to be pleased without your presence but it only made him angrier. You weren’t even acknowledging him anymore. When he did something, you didn’t even bat an eye and continue working or talking with your classmates.

You haven’t bothered him about the tutoring sessions after what happened during the first one. You were clueless by the way he was irritated by this, why was he always so angry because of you?

You two were the last people in the classroom, you stayed behind to make sure everything was where it was meant to be. Ni-ki on the other hand had no idea why he stayed behind, maybe it was the fact he stayed up until late at night trying to figure out one of the missing works or an unknown reason he didn’t want to pry open.

It’s been a week and you haven’t said a word to him. He was tired of it, and tired of not knowing what the stack of missing work was.

“We need to talk” No response, you began to pack up your belongings getting ready to leave him alone once again

He can’t believe he was about to do this, never in his life did he ever think he had to stoop so low especially for you. Just what had gotten into him?

“I messed up okay?” You still didn’t responded, you continued to hum for yourself and you were already on your way out the classroom door, Ni-ki followed after you, why was he doing this?

“I said I messed up, aren’t you happy that I’m admitting my defeat?” You continued to hum, you weren’t going to give him the time of day just like how he did to you

Suddenly you felt a tug at you book bag, you were pulled back onto a wall, he had you cornered and you shockingly looked at Ni-ki, who was beyond frustrated. Why were you ignoring him?

“How many times do I have to repeat myself? I messed up, I messed up and oh guess what I messed up” You looked at him unamused, it was the same treatment he gave you and now he didn’t like the taste of his own reputation

“Okay, what do you want me to do? Congratulate you?” You raised an eyebrow, Ni-ki was beyond shocked with your words, you always refrained from talking like that to him

“Help me” Those two words left Ni-ki’s mouth before he could even register what he said, his and yours eyes widen at the sudden plead of help

He didn’t have anything to say after that, he kept opening and closing his mouth to form some coherent sentence but couldn’t. You waited for any words to follow his previous statement before you spoke.

You gulped and nodded your head before pushing past him slightly.

“Alright, we’ll start tomorrow. I’ll meet you at the same place and this time I won’t hunt you down”

Ni-ki didn’t need to be hunted down by you. He was already waiting for you, the stack of papers in front and the pencil you gave laid ontop of them. You were shocked to see him already there, you really expected him to bail on you.

You were surprised when he gave you a head nod as a greeting. To others it may not have meant much but to you it meant almost as big as the world, he never greeted you without a comment.

“Let’s get started?” You sat down next to him and before you knew it, the first official tutoring session had already flown by like a breeze, Ni-ki was hesitant at first but soon warmed up and started asking for help on questions he didn’t know

You didn’t know that he had a side to him that he never showed. The quiet and concentrated side made you wonder what more was there to Ni-ki than what he presented himself as.

When you finished the tutoring session it was already late in the afternoon, the sun had already set as the sky was now filled with stars and the bright moon. You’d already bid goodbye to Ni-ki as you walked off, but you stopped when you heard him call you.

“Uh let me walk you home” His voice was soft, something you never experienced before, you almost let out a laugh thinking he was joking but when you realized he wasn’t you were quick to look at him surprised

“Why?”

“It’s late and it’s dark already”

“I’ve walked this plenty of times, I’ll be fine Nishimura”

“Stop being so stubborn and let me walk you home”

“I’m not stubborn, you’re being stubborn”

Ni-ki walked you home that night, you don’t know how long you two stood there bantering over nonsense until you were too exhausted to continue arguing. Ni-ki smiled with pride when you gave in and peacefully walked you home.

Ni-ki realized you didn’t talk much when you were alone, you seemed to have been in your own world admiring all kinds of different scenery during the walk. Ni-ki gave some space between you and him, he let you walk ahead as he walked behind you.

The walk wasn’t uncomfortable it was rather one of the most calming walks either of you have ever had. It’s just strange that it so happened to be together.

Over the course of the tutoring sessions, the two of you may had not noticed it but the people around you have. They way your banters have subsided and were now civil conversation and greetings, sometimes with smiles or chuckles.

People were surprised to see Ni-ki act different from how he usually is. He no longer created as much ruckus as he used to, he no longer missed school, Nishimura Riki actually started attending everyday of school after the tutoring sessions started.

People were shocked to say in the least, you had changed Ni-ki and you didn’t even realize it. Even Ni-ki himself didn’t realize the change he was going through.

The two of you were having a normal conversation when Ni-ki suddenly placed his hands onto your shoulder to move you out of the way before you could get hit with a flying ball. He still had his hands on your shoulder as he glared off at the student who almost hit you with the ball.

“Sorry, I should’ve seen where the ball would head to”

“Next time watch it” The person looked at Ni-ki, curious about his sudden care towards you but still just picked up the ball and walking away from the two of you

You didn’t realize Ni-ki’s hold on you until he asked if you were okay, when you turned to face him he held a worried expression. Now this was something you never ever experienced in the time you’ve been classmates with him.

You couldn’t trust yourself to make a coherent sentence so you only nodded your head, he sighed and let go of you. He bid you goodbye saying he needed to head somewhere and that he would meet you at the same place, same time for your tutoring session.

You felt a hard thump against your heart as he walked away, now that wasn’t normal for you.

Ni-ki and you were at your usual study session but you kept a little more distance than usual. When you sat down, you discreetly scooted your chair further from him but he still noticed either way.

He thought that it was because your seat moved by accident and that you would adjust it closer to him so he didn’t worry about it. But when you didn’t and only sat farther from him, that’s when he took notice of it.

He called out to you and you hummed, slightly turning your head to see what he needed help with. You let out a gasp when the bottom of your chair was dragged towards Ni-ki, when you were face to face with him you saw the stoic face he let on.

When you were close to him, he looked away and continued doing his work as if nothing happened. The same hard thump against your heart appeared again, and you only looked away but stayed where you were at.

After the tutoring sessions, Ni-ki always walked you no matter what the times was. It was habit of his that he couldn’t (didn’t) want to let go of, you didn’t mind but today it was different. You were walking further from him, almost as if you were trying to escape from him, he frowned at the sudden change in attitude towards him.

He wondered what he did wrong, he made sure he was in class, he did his work, he went to all the tutoring session, didn’t cause anymore ruckus, he even walked you home. So why were you running away him?

You know you were acting foolish but you couldn’t help it. You didn’t like the uncomfortable beating in your chest, and it only happened when you were with Ni-ki. So you thought it would be best if you decided to distance yourself, to get away from the uncomfortable feeling. You knew it wasn’t his fault, it was your own problem and you needed to resolve it fast.

“Are you okay?” His voice was soft, it was a voice that he only used with you (after thorough observation) You felt the same heart beat in your chest, you felt like you couldn’t breath and were on a cloud

“I’m fine” It was obvious you weren’t but you didn’t want to admit that, you didn’t want Ni-ki to know that there is a vulnerable side to you that you never show

You were the class president, you had to ‘set’ an example.

“Then why are you ignoring me?” Silence, it was almost unbearable, you didn’t know how you could respond without make it seem like you were losing your mind

“I’m not, I’m just tired” Ni-ki who only started to warm up to you recently could tell you were lying through your teeth

“Stop lying, it’s annoying” His choice of words weren’t the best but for some reason you were able to interpret it the way he meant it

You and Ni-ki were getting along and it seemed like you both molded to fit the other into your lives with ease. You gulped, this was dangerous and you were getting nervous.

“I’m not lying, I’m just really tired okay?” You gave a warm smile trying to ease the tension and you thought it did when Ni-ki didn’t speak and only stared at you

Ni-ki couldn’t speak, he doesn’t realize when your smile started to have effect on him but this was a moment of weakness. He admired your smile, even if it was forced, he still felt the effects from it.

He cleared his throat, ignoring the annoying thump against his chest. He nodded his head and took your word for it, if you didn’t want to talk about it who was he to pry it out of you.

You continued walking but you walked beside him, Ni-ki noticed this but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to ruin it. So as the two of you walked side by side, your hands would softly graze each others.

You would glance at each other when you felt the soft grazes but decided not to do anything. The two of you afraid to instigate something and possibly ruin the progress you’ve made with each other.

But neither of you could deny the fluttering of your hearts as no words were exchanged between each other.

People noticed yet another change between the two of you. They saw the way you were more friendly with Ni-ki, you started to joke around with him. Ni-ki would genuinely smile more when he was with you, he even found himself trying out for extra curriculums.

When he would tell you any sort of achievement he accomplished, you would be proud of him and celebrate with him after school. The time you two spent together was becoming every hour of every day, you two became attached to each other and didn’t even realize it.

Now people assumed Ni-ki would be like this with everyone, they were wrong. He still kept his guard up and stoic gaze on whenever other people tried to act the same way you acted with him. He would glare at them and scoff, not giving them the time of day before setting off to find wherever you were.

Now Ni-ki found himself waiting outside the classroom door until you were done. After what felt like hours, when in reality it was 20 minutes, you finally walked out the door with a smile.

He smiled back at you before tilting his head to head out the school. You nodded your head and you walked next to him like you always did now, you both talked about random topics. It felt like the two of you were in your own world and that you didn’t have to worry about anything as long as you both were by each other’s side.

Now it took some time for Ni-ki to realize (actually just one google search) that he likes you. When did he start to like you was beyond him, but he couldn’t stay by you without feeling like he was about to explode.

So what did he do with this new found information? He did the only reasonable thing, he shoved it in the back of his mind and acted like the feelings didn’t exist. He tried his best to act as normal as he was before he found it, but he found it almost impossible. His mind only functioned if you were the center of his thoughts, his bright smile only showed itself when you walked into his view.

He was worse than he thought.

You waited for Ni-ki for the last tutoring session, he’s almost done completing his missing work and that meant these tutoring sessions would no longer be needed. It made you sad, you enjoyed spending time with Ni-ki but you hoped after today you both are still able to be friends.

You waited for Ni-ki but he was taking longer to arrive, you played with your fingers until you heard soft footsteps. You looked up to see a nervous Ni-ki, he had his hands behind his back as he walked towards you.

When you gave him a confused smile, he felt like he was on top of cloud nine. Yeah, he definitely liked you.

When he was infront of you, he didn’t sit down. He looked at you and his eyes were filled with temptation, he took a deep sigh before taking the single flower that he held behind his back. You looked at him confused but that soon melted away when you saw his soft smile.

He ushered for you to grab it and when you did, he sat down next to you. You watched his every move, anticipating what he was going to do next.

“I like you”

Now you didn’t expect that, you stared at him frozen at his words, what did he just say?

Ni-ki decided why beat around the bush when he can be straight forward with his feelings. He knew he liked you, so why would he want to drag it for longer?

“What?”

“I like you” You thought you were hearing things, you blinked rapidly trying to have the three simple words progress through your mind

“You, Nishimura, like me?” Ni-ki nodded his head, he couldn’t lie that he felt nervous, he was starting to assume that you didn’t feel the same way

He was growing fidgety and you took notice of that. You realized this must have taken a lot out of him to do, you suddenly smiled before giggling.

You were just as swooned for him as he was for you.

“I was going to tell you about my feelings soon, guess you beat me to it” Your words were like fireworks in his ear, you couldn’t even register anything as you were suddenly tackled into a hug

Ni-ki held you tightly, he wasn’t one that enjoyed physical touch but in that moment he felt the need to have you in his arms. You were shocked by the sudden hug, but soon you hugged him back. He rested his head onto your shoulder as you softly rubbed his back.

“Does this mean you like me too?” His words made you laugh

“No, I just wanted to be tackle into a hug” Your tone was sarcastic but Ni-ki pulled away from you and looked at you dumbfounded, you laugh again before placing your hands onto his shoulder.

You decided to do something risky, you planted a soft kiss onto his cheek and when you pulled away, his eyes were in a daze of you.

“Yes Ni-ki, this means I like you too” He was quick to tackle you into another hug again, you giggled against the hug

Ni-ki wasn’t going to let you go after this. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as you hugged him back. You liked him too and that was the best news that he had ever heard. Even though, he only ever shows it to you, you changed him for the better.

It’s weird to admit but he was glad he was failing because without that, you would’ve never been assigned to give him the tutoring sessions that change his life.

“One last tutoring session?”

#next read

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