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wheeboo · 10 days

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pulse points | wen junhui

SYNOPSIS. Being the TA for your anatomy class has always been really rewarding, especially stemming in your passion for the medical field. But as it’s approaching the peak of the school semester and labs have gotten more intense, you aren’t surprised to be dedicating your time to tutoring your strangely handsome, dorky, yet enigmatic classmate during after school hours — and reassuring him how to not be afraid of dissections. PAIRING. wen junhui x TA!reader (ft. performance unit as jun's roommates + mentions of wonwoo and jihoon) GENRE. fluff, classmates to lovers, humour WARNINGS/TAGS. unrealistic TA x student dynamics lmao, lots of medical sciency-anatomy talk, talks about dissections n cutting into things (they dissect a sheep brain), mentions of tools used for dissections, yn is wayyy too studious its a bit unhealthy perhaps, their love language is napping together n sharing food :(, alcohol and drinking (yn gets drunk 😣), they flirt in the middle of a damn dissection AHHAHA WORD COUNT. 15.9k

notes: this is my fic for the "back to school" collab hosted by @camandemstudios! i hope u all enjoy <3 was lowkey hating this fic as i wrote it but... i think it turned out fine?!?! thank you to all my moots, specifically @bananabubble @slytherinshua @etherealyoungk and the collab discord server for either helping me w ideas n brainrot or reading over the fic!! love u all to the stars and back <3

Three dollars is not enough for Jun to buy himself lunch.

He could probably snag himself a stale, English muffin from the dining hall, but then he’d be walking around campus with a dry tongue until after his classes end. And unsurprisingly, he forgot his water bottle back in his apartment. Briefly, he considers texting Soonyoung or Minghao to perhaps drop by the apartment and grab his water bottle or even a quick snack that’ll last him, but the two of them were already knee deep enough of responsibilities of their own.

Fucking capitalism.

He’s already out of breath speed walking all the way from across campus and through four different hallways. The large windows of the science building bring in the natural sunlight at the peak of the afternoon, allowing it to cascade across the polished floors and right to the ends of his feet with every step that he takes.

Jun purses his lips together tightly as he rounds one last corner before arriving in front of his current class: Anatomy. The quick glance at the time displayed on his phone shows that he’s around eight minutes late, which is way better than the fifteen minutes from last week. His shoulders slouch slightly with a bit of dread as he reaches for the doorknob and pulls it open.

Compared to the beginning of the year, there’s more empty seats in the lecture hall now. Honestly, Jun is surprised he hasn’t dropped out of the class yet, because his grade in all honesty isn’t… the best, to put it simply𑁋he’s passing, somehow, but just barely.

But he simply can’t afford to drop it and take on a new class like a snap of a finger, and he knows that if he bails now, he’ll only be prolonging his graduation date, a situation neither his parents nor his bank account would be happy about. He wasn’t even supposed to be in this class in the first place, but his horrible procrastination habits and the fact that the other classes he wanted filled up so quickly left him with no other choice.

Jun sits down in a seat near the back of the class, trying to blend in and hoping the professor won’t notice his tardiness. He swiftly pulls out his notebook and laptop and redirects his focus to the front of the classroom, where he sees Professor Lee already lecturing something about vascular anatomy and blood circulation, motioning towards the slideshow displayed on the screen.

“…the brachiocephalic trunk branches off the aortic arch, which divides into the right subclavian artery and the right common carotid artery. These arteries supply blood to the arm and the brain, respectively…”

The words seem to flow through his brain like water. Even when he jots them down in his notes for him to study later, he reads the words like hieroglyphics. Perhaps it’s the hunger getting to him or just the mounting stress, but the lecture feels like it’s slipping through his fingers.

By the time Professor Lee finishes with the lecture, he has five pages of notes that feel like a jumble of terms and diagrams.

However, just as he thought he might finally catch a break, the slideshow switches to the next slide.

“Now, let’s discuss the final major lab that will be crucial for your grades,” Professor Lee explains, a determined look on his face. “Your dissections that you will be finishing the year off with. I’m letting you all know about these in advance so you would have plenty of time to prepare.”

Jun’s stomach drops. Dissections. Of course, he knew it was coming, as it was quite literally listed in eye-catching bold letters in the syllabus at the beginning of the term. Yet the thought of cutting into anything and seeing its insides makes him almost squeamish.

“This will account for a significant portion of your final grade. I can’t stress enough how important it is to take this seriously. Remember that dissections aren’t just about retaining names and locations in the body. They’re about seeing the relationships between different structures and understanding how they function together in real life.”

Every fibre of his being is aching for him to raise his hand and stupidly refute. He imagines what he’d say𑁋“I’m not good with blood,” or “Is there another activity I could do because I’m absolutely scared shitless?”𑁋but the words stick in his throat. Instead, he slouches further in his seat, hoping to disappear. He weighs all of his options, but they’re all equally unappealing: he can’t drop the class, he can’t afford to fail, and he certainly can’t magically become proficient at dissections overnight.

“Since the class has an uneven amount of students and the limited amount of specimens we have, I’ve decided to pair you all up. Y/N, may you hand out the partner lists?”

Jun feels himself tense in his seat as his eyes scan the room and land on you. Not only are you the TA of the class, but your seemingly calm demeanour as you drift throughout the room handing each student paperwork makes you appear almost intimidating to his eyes.

When you finally reach him, he swears he catches a glimpse of a slight curl to your lips as you silently hand him the slip of paper that contains his partner assignment, before walking down to the next person.

At first, the paper essentially states the same information that was discussed earlier: the dissection assignment, guidelines, and a list of required materials. But then his gaze falls to the part that matters most: his partner's name.

Y/N L/N, it reads. You’re his partner. Shit.

Your calm, composed attitude and role as the TA have already set a high bar for expectations in his mind. You’re probably going to be hyperanalysing and dissecting every aspect of his class performance, knowing his poor little heart wouldn’t be able to handle all that. You probably already have this tarnished reputation of him in your mind, with his frequent tardiness and the amount of times he’s dozed off in class.

Jun glances around the lecture hall, noticing other students exchanging whispers and glances at their own partner assignments. Some seem relieved, while others look as apprehensive as he feels. His stomach churns with the thought of having to work closely with you.

Professor Lee clears his throat and speaks, “Now that you all know your partners, I request that you all sit next to each other. These will be your seats starting from today and until the lab finishes. I also strongly encourage you all to exchange contact information with each other. Your collaboration together will be vital to your success in this lab.”

As the students shuffle around, Jun finds himself stuck in an uncomfortable limbo, watching as everyone pairs up and settles into their new seats, naturally exchanging contact information with one another. Then he shuffles for his backpack that was leaning against his chair in order to go find where you sit, but as he’s about to stand up, he’s met with you taking a seat right next to him.

Your eyes meet. A faint smile crosses your features. His backpack slips off his shoulders and falls to the floor with a dramatic thump.

“Hi,” You greet him softly, before offering a hand to him. “Granola bar? Had an extra one.”

Jun just blinks, eyes flickering between your face and the hand you have extended out to him. Then he awkwardly clears his throat, tentatively reaching out to grab the granola bar from your grasp, and the warmth emitting from your hand seems to crawl up his neck.

“Thanks,” he mutters sheepishly, shifting his gaze away to hide a small upturn to the corners of his lips.

The rest of class passes by in a blur, mainly with Professor Lee going over proper attire to wear and safety protocols for the dissection labs. And when the clock strikes dismissal time, students begin to filter out of the lecture hall, chatting amongst themselves as Jun struggles to stuff his laptop inside his backpack.

You’re already gone to the front to talk to Professor Lee when Jun looks over. He watches as you hand in what looks like a stack of paper, only to be given another one right back, probably of assignments that the class has done lately. The air of professionalism that surrounds you is quite admirable, he would say.

You seem to exchange a few more words with Professor Lee before turning on your heel to leave the lecture hall, the stack of papers neatly held under your arm.

By the time Jun is already on his way to his next class, he pulls the granola bar that you had given him out from the pocket of his jeans, unwrapping it and taking a bite out of it, savouring the moment as it relieves his nerves and gnawing hunger.

Then by the time finishes his last class for the day, reality hits him the second he steps out of the building. Figuratively, and maybe even literally, at this point.

He forgot to get your number for this lab.

The click of your pen echoes throughout the vast lecture hall. Unintelligible mutters leave your lips as your eyes quickly scan over the papers in front of you with ease. Among the many tasks you have assigned as TA, grading assignments is one of them, and you find yourself marking and correcting each paper just as you’ve done many times before.

There used to be rumours floating around that your grading style was particularly strict, even more so than Professor Lee. Though it was probably spread around with the intention to intimidate other students and establish your reputation as someone annoyingly meticulous, you hardly let it get to you.

The truth is, you were fair in your grading, but thorough. You didn’t see the point in letting half-baked work slide, especially when you knew these assignments could determine someone’s future. Medicine has been your passion for as long as you could remember, and that dedication extended into almost everything you did. Being the TA for the class was just one factor of it.

It’s much, much quieter after school hours when most classes have finished for the day, and it’s natural to bask in the peacefulness that drifts throughout the barren room. You sort out the papers in front of you in a neat stack before taking a moment to stretch your arms up above your head, a soft sigh leaving you at the tension dissipating away from your limbs.

As you begin to shuffle through all the papers in front of you𑁋separating them into piles of graded assignments and unfinished ones that you’ll save for later on𑁋there’s a quiet knock at the door that makes you pause in place. You turn your head towards the door, anticipating for someone to come in.

Then another knock.

You swear you see some sort of shadow in the door window. It appears then disappears, and you roll your eyes, thinking it was just someone who was lost or purposely going around knocking on each door (which has happened way more than one could expect).

The shadow appears again, and this time, you decide on heading to the door yourself. And as you twist the doorknob and pull the door open simultaneously, you find yourself coming face-to-face with Jun, who looks a bit sheepish as he’s caught mid-knock. His eyes widen upon seeing you right in front of him, and he brings his hand down to his side.

You blink up at him, not expecting for him to be here at this moment of the day.

“Junhui?”

It’s at this point of his life that Jun realises he really isn’t used to people calling him by his proper first name. But the way you say it is different𑁋soft and warm, like an unexpected compliment.

“Uh, hi,” he greets a tad bit awkwardly, mentally slapping himself in the face. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

“Oh, no, you’re not. Don’t worry,” You tell him reassuringly, catching the way his eyes seem to flicker everywhere but on you. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Jun fidgets slightly, his gaze bouncing between the floor and your face. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “Actually, I... um, forgot to get your number earlier today. For… for the lab, I mean. Professor Lee said we should exchange information so I thought I would ask. Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

You raise an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing at your lips. “Ah, I see. No problem. I’m glad you came by to get it. Here, let me just𑁋”

You shove into your back pocket to retrieve your phone, only to feel that it wasn’t there. Then you glance over to your desk, seeing it sitting next to your abundance of papers, before returning back to Jun.

You shove a hand into your back pocket to retrieve your phone, only to feel that it wasn’t there. Then you glance over to your desk, seeing it sitting next to your abundance of papers, before returning back to Jun.

“Here, you can come in. Let me just get my phone real quick.” You step to the side and open the door wider for him.

Jun visibly hesitates in the doorway, before muttering a quiet thank you and stepping inside the lecture hall. It’s certainly a sight to see the room so stripped of other students besides you and him, the sounds of his footsteps bouncing off the walls. He takes in the stacks of papers that you have spread across your desk, and he feels some nerves snake their way up his spine at the thought of you grading his work.

“Wow, that looks like a lot,” he comments gingerly.

“Yeah, it’s quite the pile, right?” You agree with a light chuckle as you grab your phone and unlock it. “Always happens near the end of the sem.”

Jun’s eyes wash over you with a look of concern. “That seems… stressful.”

You just shrug nonchalantly. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, it keeps me busy.”

“Well, you should get some good rest after this then,” he remarks coolly.

“Wish I could, but I have some tutoring scheduled in about half an hour,” You say, tone warm but tinged with a hint of weariness as you glance at the time on your phone. “One of the students in the intro biology class needs help with some of the basics before their midterm. So… rest will have to wait.”

From that, Jun shifts awkwardly, his fingers playing with the strap of his backpack. His brain races as he considers his options. You’re clearly knowledgeable and dedicated, not to mention you seem approachable, but the thought of admitting how much he’s struggling makes his throat dry, plus the guilt of adding more to your busy plate.

“Tutoring, huh?” Jun finally says, trying to sound casual. “Is that… something you do a lot?”

You nod, tapping away on your phone as you pull up your contact information. “Yeah, actually. It’s nice to help people out. Keeps me up with the material too. Usually I’m free most days at any time after classes.”

Jun continues to gaze at you wonderingly until after you pick up your head to look at him, to which he faces away immediately. He scratches the back of his neck bashfully, before fixing his posture and clearing his throat.

“Do you… have room for one more student?” Then he feels the immediate regret afterwards. “It’s okay if not. I know that you’re busy and all that𑁋”

“Junhui,” You interrupt gently, a calm smile on your face. “I have room. Don’t worry about it.

He lets out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, the reassuring warmth on your face easing the knots in his stomach. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“I’d be more than happy to find a time that works for us both. Just let me know what you need, and we’ll figure a time out. We’re lab partners, after all,” You say gleefully. “Speaking of which, you can put your number in here.”

You extend an arm with your phone in-hand. Jun takes the phone from your hand, his fingers brushing against yours for a brief moment, and types in his phone number and information. When he hands the phone back, he looks up to meet your eyes, trying to muster a more confident expression.

“Thank you so much, really, I…” His voice trails off for a moment, trying to regain his words. “I’ll owe you one for this, truly.”

“There’s no need.”

Jun shakes his head. “Seriously, I’ll feel bad.”

You bite at your bottom lip in thought, an endearing look washing over your features as you consider his insistence. The pleading in his eyes is hard to ignore, and it makes your heart soften in your chest. You take a moment to think before offering a small, playful grin.

“Alright.” You cross your arms together. “We’ll see.”

Perhaps… you aren’t as intimidating as he thinks.

Jun is staring at a sheep brain.

Not a real one𑁋a picture of one, specifically. It’s apparently very similar to the human brain, and the specimen he’s expected to dissect for the upcoming lab.

He stares at the image displayed on the large screen right before his eyes, feeling a strange mix of fascination and dread. The detailed structures and labels are overwhelming, each word swimming in and out of focus as he tries to absorb the information. It's not that he isn't interested𑁋on the contrary, there's a part of him that's genuinely curious about how it all works, and the other part of him is utterly disturbed.

You’re sitting next to him again, just like everyone else is sitting next to their partners, taking notes and even drawing a very rushed outline of the brain on your paper.

“We have to dissect that…?” Jun whispers under his breath, as if speaking any louder might bring the brain to life.

“Yep,” You reply, glancing over at Jun. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”

Jun attempts to stifle a groan, eyes going between the image on the screen and down to his near-empty notes. He can’t help but wonder how on earth he’s going to get through this without completely embarrassing himself.

Letting your eyes roam over Jun for a moment, the visible discomfort in the way he crosses his arms together and the furrow in his brow doesn’t escape your notice. Casually, you scoot your chair towards him a little bit, along with your notebook so that it’s settled in the space between the two of you with the outline of the brain clearly visible on the page. Your shoulder almost brushes against his.

“Here,” You say softly, tapping your pen on the page. “I’ve got the main structures labeled already. You can add them to your notes if you want. I can explain it to you in more detail when you come to tutoring tomorrow?”

Oh, that’s right. Tomorrow is the day you both were free and decided it was the day where Jun could stop by after classes end to have his first tutoring session with you.

“Yeah, uh, that would be great,” Jun responds quietly, peeking over at how neat and organised your notes appeared to be. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” You nod, before soundlessly shuffling inside your bag and extending it out to Jun. “Granola bar?”

Jun glances at the granola bar being offered by you, its wrapper crinkling slightly as you hold it out to him. He smiles, a little lopsided but genuine, and takes the bar from you. The hesitation in his shoulders has deflated slightly than from the first time you proposed one to him.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

“Bro, are you going out on a date or what? You’re stinking up a storm here.” Soonyoung lets out a few dramatic coughs at the sudden sharp scent of Minghao’s perfume hitting his nose, followed by Chan behind him nearly gagging at the smell. Though obviously one would expect for the owner himself to be the one using it, he certainly didn’t expect for the culprit to be none other than Jun.

Okay, yes, he may have accidentally sprayed a shit ton of Minghao’s perfume on himself, which was a bit of an overkill. But he clearly wasn’t thinking straight after waking up from a nap between deciding to take a really quick shower or stealing his roommate’s expensive perfume.

“You think this is too much?” Jun asks unsurely.

Beside him, Chan rolls his eyes while clutching a bowl of ramen. “You smell like you’re trying to cover up a crime scene. It might suffocate someone. Where are you even going anyway?”

Jun clears his throat. “Tutoring𑁋”

“Tutoring?!” Soonyoung exclaims in surprise. “For which class?”

“Anatomy𑁋”

“Hell no,” Soonyoung crinkles his nose at the mention of anatomy. “You're telling me you’re getting all dolled up for a tutoring session on dissecting brains and guts? Are you trying to seduce the organs or something?”

Jun groans at his roommate’s words, shaking his head. But before he can say anything in response, Chan seems to beat him to it.

“Don’t you have this really strict TA in your class too? I’ve heard that they don’t even offer partial credit or crack a smile during lectures. Like, they’re just a machine, dude,” the youngest adds in.

It’s quite literally insane to hear that kind of description about you leave Chan’s mouth when all of his interactions with you have been nothing but short and sweet, to put it simply. Though he won’t deny he’s heard all those rumours spread around about you𑁋that you’re strict, and perhaps a bit intimidating. He’s had his fair share of moments where he felt overwhelmed by your grading and meticulous nature. Yet from what he’s seen of you so far, you’re passionate, friendly if anything, and your smile is… cute.

Jun only shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, they’re in my class, but I’m just trying to get my grade up before the year ends. I think I can handle them.”

Soonyoung huffs a breath, stepping up to Jun and giving him some sort of comforting pat on the back, almost like he feels bad for him.

“Well, good luck, dude,” he reassures him, though it hardly eases Jun’s nerves at all. “Don’t get crucified in there.”

As Jun wanders down the familiar hallway to the classroom, he finds his thoughts beginning to second-guess everything. What if he ultimately fails meeting your expectation at the end of the session? What if he struggles to fully grasp the material and ends up looking like an absolute fool in front of you by the time the real dissections roll around?

However, those thoughts are pushed away when the door to the classroom swings open before he has the opportunity to knock, with you standing on the other side. Your face seems to light up at the sight of him, and it makes Jun briefly think about what Soonyoung said earlier about you. Like… was he talking about the same person?

“Hey, you made it,” You greet him, stepping aside so he could walk in. “Let me just finish organising some things and we can start.”

Jun’s eyelashes bat together in curiosity as he watches you rummage through some papers, before deciding it's worth sitting down to wait for you. He places himself down an empty desk, fishing out his notebook and laptop and whatever he may need, though he doesn’t really know. By the time you’re making your way over to him, you set your stuff right next to his.

“Okay.” You let out a relieved breath, peering at him. “Where do you want to start?”

Oh, he hadn’t really thought that far ahead yet.

“Uh,” Jun stammers, fumbling for a moment, his mind suddenly drawing blanks. He quickly opens his notebook to the page where he had jotted down some half-baked notes during class and is staring back at him like a puzzle missing half its pieces. “Maybe… maybe we can start with what we’re going over in class right now? And just go down from there?”

“We can do that,” You agree without hesitation, leaning in more so that you were able to see his notes. Jun draws himself slightly back. “So, as you know, we’re going to have to be familiar with the parts and functions of the brain since it’s also part of the dissections. What I like to do is break it down into smaller sections and tackle each one individually. It might make the whole thing less overwhelming.”

Jun just nods, appreciating the way you’re making things more approachable.

You grab a blank sheet of paper and draw a quick, simple outline of the brain, labeling the major parts with clear, concise notes. “Let’s go over the basics𑁋the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. These are the main regions we need to understand before diving into all the nitty-gritty details. Is that okay?”

He nods again, moving back slightly closer so he can see what you’re drawing.

“The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is responsible for higher brain functions like thinking, reasoning, and sensory processing,” You continue, pointing to the relevant part of your drawing. “It’s divided into the left and right hemispheres, and each one controls the opposite side of the body.”

Jun watches as you explain, occasionally nodding to show he’s following along. There’s something calming about the way you speak𑁋gentle, but confident, filled with poise. He tries to shake off the thought, reminding himself that he’s here to study, not to admire the way your eyes light up when you speak so passionately about a topic as ridiculous and complex as the damn brain.

You’re so different from what people say. There’s no sign of the strict, no-nonsense TA everyone talks about.

“...and that’s why the frontal lobe is so important for decision-making and problem-solving. I like comparing it to, let’s say, a CEO,” You explain. “It’s where a lot of our executive functions happen. Think of it as the brain’s ‘boss’ making the big decisions and planning.”

Jun blinks for a moment, snapping back to attention, quickly jotting down a note to make it seem like he was paying attention. He actually was, sort of. Somehow he’s lucky enough for you to not notice him being distracted (or you do, and he’s the one who didn’t notice).

“Frontal lobe, right,” he mutters lowly, under his breath.

“The cerebellum is our little assistant to the CEO. It’s responsible for our movement, coordination, and balance,” You say, pointing to a spot on the sketch at the very back of the brain and above the brainstem. “Think of it as the brain’s quality control. It just makes sure that whatever movements we do are smooth and precise, so…”

Nope. He still can’t detect those rumours that paint you as some sort of cold, calculated, and harsh TA. He spots not a single one of those in your demeanour. Briefly, he wonders whether or not those rumours bother you, if they’ve ever bothered you or made you feel misunderstood. Swiftly, though, he brushes those thoughts away𑁋he’s more focused on you than the material at hand.

It’s hard not to look at you, in all honesty.

“Junhui?” Your voice pulls him back to reality.

“Huh?” he responds, a little too quickly.

You tilt your head slightly, a small, knowing smile on your lips. “I asked if you’re ready to move on to the brainstem, or do you want to go over the cerebellum again?”

“Oh, um… no, I’m good,” he says, feeling his face heat up slightly. He hopes you don’t notice how flustered he is. “Let’s move on.”

You nod, satisfied with his answer, and continue your explanation, turning your attention to the next section of the brain.

“The brainstem,” You begin, pointing to an area at the bottom of the brain with the pencil. “is like the brain's relay station. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls many of the body’s automatic functions, like breathing, heart rate, and digestion. Without it, our bodies wouldn't be able to function properly…”

Jun observes as you draw a line down the sketch, clearly marking the brainstem. He’s listening, or at least trying to, but his mind keeps drifting back to how comfortable this whole situation feels. He expected to be a nervous wreck, fumbling through explanations and possibly embarrassing himself in front of you. But instead, he finds himself oddly at ease, more focused on how you’re able to break down the complex information into something so much more digestible.

“Still with me?” You ask suddenly, looking up from your notes to meet his gaze.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” Jun answers unsurely, sitting up a little straighter in his seat. He offers a small smile, hoping it masks his earlier distraction.

A flicker of amusement flashes in your eyes, and there’s a warmth in your expression that puts Jun further at ease. “Okay, great. We can continue then.”

The rest of the session goes by surprisingly rather quickly. You guide Jun through the material, your explanations helping Jun absorb the information more effectively than the regular in-class lectures. It makes him think about how great you would be as a professor, or anything in the medical field. Everything just seems to flow out of you seamlessly as you discuss various brain functions and their relevance to anatomy and dissections.

As Jun is finishing up the last of some notes, you ask, “Would you mind if I write you a little sticky note? To tell you what to look over when you’re reviewing on your own?”

Jun looks up, a bit surprised but grateful. “That would be good, thank you.”

You stand up to retrieve a sticky note from Professor’s Lee desk, before returning back to Jun and writing down:

Review over neuroanatomy and its functions! •ᴗ•

Finally, you plaster the sticky note at the corner of the page in his notebook.

There’s a comfortable silence that follows as you both gather your belongings. It feels like a small victory for Jun𑁋he not only survived the session but actually, in a way, enjoyed it.

As you both stand up, ready to leave, you glance over at him.

“By the way, I don’t think you need all that perfume on,” You say, a hint of laughter in your voice.

Jun’s eyes widen, caught off-guard. Shit. “Oh, uh𑁋yeah, that…”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just… a little overwhelming. Maybe tone it down next time?”

Jun’s face flushes as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, I uh… was rushing and just grabbed what I could find. I didn’t mean to overdo it.”

“You’re all good,” You reassure him, still smiling as you sling your bag over your shoulder. “Just a little heads-up. So, anyway, for the next session…”

Next session? His jaw nearly drops to the floor at your casual mention of a next session.

“...I think I’ll try and set up a little lesson plan we can reference off of… probably review over the cardiovascular system…”

“You… You don’t have to do all that,” Jun interjects. “It sounds like a lot of work.”

You dismiss him off with a reassuring wave. “It’s no trouble. I think it’ll help to have a structured plan for us to follow. It’ll make sure we cover everything orderly.”

Jun zips his mouth shut and just nods in agreement, unable to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, biting it back when he hangs his head down to the ground. When he perks back up, he finds you over at Professor Lee’s desk, sorting through some papers before organising the stack and preparing to finally leave. He opens his mouth, but the words he wanted to say stick to his tongue.

“I’ll see you later?” Jun calls out to you instead, his voice bouncing off the walls of the lecture hall.

You glance up at him in acknowledgment. “I’ll see you later, Junhui.”

He takes a visible gulp.

“Jun,” he suddenly says, saying it as if he were correcting you, which in a way, he is, but it comes out a bit awkwardly. “You can call me just Jun, if you’d like.”

A wave of surprise washes over your features, before ultimately fading into a pleasant smile.

“Alright, Just Jun,” You reply, tilting your head slightly. “I’ll see you later.”

One could probably say you’re a party pooper. Not necessarily intentionally, but instead of filling up your college experience with going to parties and social events, you find yourself buried within pages of textbooks. Your weekends aren’t filled with the chaoticness of drinking and loosening up; rather, they consist of quiet study sessions in your room and creating new lecture material.

You’re not avoiding fun𑁋at least, that’s what you always tell yourself𑁋you’re just focused on achieving your academic goals.

It’s a routine carved ever since you were younger, your parents constantly instilling that education is the key to success, and you’ve taken that message to heart. From an early age, you learned to prioritise your studies over everything else. As you grew older, you carried that mindset with you, where you’ve become known among your peers as the diligent, dependable student and TA who always has their priorities straight.

Your schedule is precise, your assignments are always turned in on time, always prepared for every quiz and exam, and your grades reflect the countless hours you’ve spent studying. It’s a reputation you’re proud of, but it also comes with a certain level of pressure𑁋pressure to maintain those high standards, to never let yourself slip.

You sit back in the seat, satisfied after crafting a proper lesson plan and organising your materials for your next tutoring session. When you glance over at your planner to see who was coming in today, the name that you spot is𑁋

Knock.

You glance up from your planner and over to the door. “Come in!”

It takes a few moments for the door to swing in, and the tall figure that steps through is unmistakable𑁋light brown hair slightly fluffed out, a half-opened black backpack hanging on his shoulders, and an oversized hoodie that appeared way more comfortable than it needed to be.

“Jun?” You look at the time on your phone. “You’re here early.”

“Oh, yeah…” Jun runs a hand through his tousled hair. “I thought showing up early could give us some extra time, maybe. Unless… unless you’re still busy?”

You shake your head. “Don’t worry, you’re fine. Just give me a few minutes and then we can start?”

“Yeah. Take all the time that you need.”

Once again, it’s only the two of you in the lecture hall. He ponders if you’ve tutored any students before him today, hovering near you as he watches you sort through some papers and adjust your notes. The room is quiet except for the faint rustle of papers and the soft hum of the air conditioning. Jun can sense his curiosity growing within him, making him fidget with the strap of his backpack.

“So, uh… how long have you been a TA for Professor Lee?”

You pick your head up from your papers, fingers resting at the edge of the desk.

“Since the beginning of the year,” You reply. “I got recommended to him by some previous professors, and I guess I couldn’t say no to the opportunity.”

Jun nods slowly, thoughtfully. “Do you like it? Being a TA, I mean.”

You consider his question for a moment, feeling a bit reflective as you answer, “I do, actually. It’s hard but rewarding, you know? I get to help students understand the material better, and I learn a lot in the process too. It’s a good balance between teaching and learning, I would say.”

Jun takes in your words attentively, peeking his eyes toward you with an almost shy smile. There’s a quiet admiration in the way he looks at you that you don’t notice, as if he’s trying to understand how you manage to keep everything together so well. Then a moment of silence fills the space between you two, not uncomfortable, maybe a bit awkward on his end, but more contemplative.

Jun shifts this abominable weight pressing down on him from one foot to the other. He’s not used to being in situations like this𑁋alone with someone who seems so put together, so sure of themselves. It’s both inspiring and a little intimidating. The silence seems to stretch, and you can see the gears turning in his head, like he’s on the verge of saying something but can’t quite find the right words.

“I guess I wonder how you manage it all so well,” he remarks timidly. “You’re always so organised and… on top of things. I’m curious how you do it.”

You purse your lips together into a thin line and simply shrug your shoulders. “I’ve always had high expectations for myself growing up and I guess it’s carried into everything I do now. It’s become second nature, really.”

As Jun takes in your words, that sense of admiration seems to soften into a bit of worry. It’s amazing that you could handle so many responsibilities at once, but the more he thinks about it, the more it seems like a lot of stress and pressure to manage. He wonders if you ever feel overwhelmed or if it ever gets too much to handle at times.

You probably do𑁋you’re human, after all𑁋and a twinge of concern snakes up his spine as he thinks about.

“Anyway, hm… I was thinking about going over the cardiovascular system for this session. What do you say?” You ask him.

Jun snaps out of his thoughts, walking briskly over towards the desk to take a seat. “Oh, yeah. That sounds good.”

The session is just similar to last time: you begin by outlining the cardiovascular system, breaking it down into different sections just as you did with the brain, and using relatable analogies with associating each part with their functions.

“...so the heart has four chambers: the left and right atria plus the left and right ventricles,” You explain, pointing down to the drawing you made with the tip of your pencil. “The right side deals with deoxygenated blood, while the left side handles oxygenated blood. The heart’s valves make sure that blood flows in the correct direction. Think of it like… traffic signals.”

“Traffic signals…” Jun mutters to himself as he writes down notes. Knowing that this is all going on within his own body wraps around his mind uncomfortably.

As you continue explaining, there’s that light again that Jun detects in your eyes, as well as the subtle lift to your lips that makes your voice just a step higher. His gaze also follows your hands that you unknowingly maneuver when you talk, the movements graceful and expressive, like you’re bringing the material to life.

“Are you familiar with where all your pulse points are?”

Jun lifts a brow, thinking for a second, before taking a finger down to his wrist. “I think so. There’s one here… on the wrist…”

“The radial artery.”

“Radial artery. Yeah.” Then he drags the tip of his finger up to his inner elbow. “There’s also one here. The brachial artery, right?”

“You got it.”

He grins bashfully at that, though it’s quick to fade when he focuses again, pointing down to his leg. “There’s also two here. Femoral and… pop… Popliteal?”

“You’re right,” You confirm wholeheartedly, and Jun’s heart flutters in small victory.

Jun then brings his hand back up, using two fingers to point to a spot on his neck.

“And, uh… The one here on the neck. It’s…” He continues pressing down into his skin to find where he can feel his pulse, but your eyes on him is causing him to feel a bit self-conscious. “Uh…”

“The carotid artery. Right here.”

Before Jun has a chance to correct himself, you’re suddenly scooting closer to him in your chair, leaning in and extending an arm out towards him. The sudden contact of your fingers on the side of his neck makes his eyes widen and his breath to hitch.

Your fingers rest gently on the side of his neck, just below his jawline, and for a brief moment, the world outside of the lecture hall seems to disappear. The visible swallow of his Adam’s apple isn’t hard to miss as he tries to focus on anything but the sensation of your hand on his neck.

Heat washes over his face, and he swears to himself that you could most definitely feel the way his pulse is running marathons under your touch. All of a sudden his tongue goes dry, his limbs go numb, and the way you’re so close to him makes it hard for him to properly think straight, let alone form any sort of coherent response.

Your eyes meet for a singular millisecond, too quick that Jun could have possibly been imagining it.

Pulling your hand away, you clear your throat soundly. “Try it.”

It takes Jun a moment to register you were talking to him, and he tentatively replaces the spot where your fingers were at with his own.

“Right here?” he asks.

“Mhm.” Your gaze roams over his concentrated face. “Apply a bit of pressure. That’s the carotid artery doing its work.”

His pulse is certainly fast. The thought has him sinking into a pit of embarrassment.

But he only nods, keeping his voice steady as he says, “Yeah, I feel it.”

“So whenever you want to count your heart rate, this is one of the places you can check,” You instruct. “You can just press down on that spot and count the number of beats you feel in 15 seconds. Then, multiply that number by four, and you’ll have your heart rate in beats per minute.”

Jun attempts to listen to his heart rate, but the attentive look you have on your face as you watch him makes it really hard to properly count. So he chooses to let his hand fall back down. He wouldn’t be able to calculate it with you here with him anyway.

When the two of you meet eyes for the nth time, there’s a fleeting, almost electric moment of mutual awareness. None of you acknowledge it, yet it awkwardly lingers in the air. Warmth spreads across Jun’s chest, coupled with a nervous energy that makes his heart beat soar just a little faster.

You break the tension with an airy chuckle. “Are you ready to move on?”

Jun blinks a few times, shaking off whatever awkwardness swirling around him, and nods quickly. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

By the time he gets back to his apartment later that evening and begins to unpack his things from his backpack, a small piece of pink paper flutters down to the floor like a feather, landing by his foot. It’s a sticky note, reading:

Good sesh today •ᴗ• Don’t forget to review!

“There’s no way I’m touching a brain.”

“Jun, you have to! You’ll be wearing gloves anyway𑁋”

“I cannot cut into a brain. That is gross,” Jun rebukes defensively, face scrunching up with stubborn refusal.

“Jun, dissections are really important for anatomy,” You clarify calmly. “It’s part of the learning process.”

“Yeah, I… I know,” he mumbles defeatedly, almost shameful to admit. “I’m not that good with, uh… dead things. Like, couldn’t we look at diagrams or pictures instead? They’re less… squishy.”

You smile amusedly at that, finding his squeamishness a bit endearing. But you straighten your posture and plaster on a reassuring look to your face.

“I understand that it’s not for everyone,” You respond, a comforting tone to your voice. “But getting hands-on experience is really valuable. It’s one thing to see it in a book, but actually being able to identify the structures in real life makes a big difference in how you understand the material.”

Jun still looks apprehensive, but your words bring a sparkle of determination to his eyes. The idea of cutting into something that used to be alive still makes his stomach turn and the hairs on the back of his neck stick up, but he knows that you’re right. When are you not right?

“It just feels illegal,” Jun admits uneasily, a shudder running through him at the thought. “I don’t know if I can handle it.”

“That’s what I’m here for, remember?” You lightly nudge him in the arm with your elbow, attempting to lighten the mood. “We’re partners, after all.”

“Yeah, but…” There’s some hesitation, his gaze dropping down to his shoes. He lowers his voice as he speaks, “I want to show you that I’m capable of doing something…”

“Then we’ll start off slow, make you become familiar with everything,” You reason gently. “I know you’re not the only one who feels queasy by it, but you’ll have to face it. Facing your fears can help in conquering them, you know.”

The corners of Jun’s lips tug up at that, mainly from the fact that you’re able to reassure him this effortlessly. He can’t tell if it’s exactly your words that eases up his nerves or if it’s simply your presence here with him right now thawing away the ice of his fears. Whatever it is, all he can really say is he likes knowing that you genuinely care.

And he likes knowing that you’re right next to him too.

“If I freak out,” he starts. “You’ll promise to help me out?”

Your lips draw into a thin line, a certain playfulness softening the features of your face.

“No promises, but𑁋”

“Hey!”

“Study what we discussed today and then I’ll consider it.” There’s still a twinge of tease to your words, but the edges are roughened with a touch of sincerity.

Jun just grins. How could anyone ever make up ridiculous rumours about you?

“Good game, man. Same time again next Saturday?”

Jun huffs out a winded breath, dabbing at the sweat that clings to his forehead with the edge of his shirt before taking a long chug out of the water bottle that Wonwoo tosses over to him.

“Yeah. I’ll see you then,” he replies exhaustedly, taking another tip of water, feeling his muscles aching from the game.

As his friends leave the basketball court, he starts to retrieve his own belongings, slinging his backpack and hoodie over his shoulder and starting his walk towards the bus stop so he could go back home. The sun has completely set at this point, the night sky now blanketing the city in a cool, comfortable darkness. The breeze that floats through the air relieves some of the tension in his body, cooling his skin after the intense game. Jun walks slowly, taking his time on the way to the bus stop, simply savouring the peacefulness of the evening.

He considers getting food for himself𑁋there’s a small convenience store that he spots at the corner of his eye, and his stomach rumbles at the thought.

He changes direction and heads toward the store, the faint jingling of the door chime greeting him as he steps inside. The store is a cozy, cluttered space with a mix of snacks, drinks, and other essentials. He decides on grabbing a cold drink and some instant ramen that he can heat up when he gets home. And after purchasing, he heads back outside and continues his way to the bus stop.

Tapping his bus card on the scanner, Jun makes his way toward the back of the bus and settles into a seat closest to the window, the seat right next to him vacant. The bus was mostly empty, but everyone else was spread out in their own seats either dozing off, listening to music, or staring out the window. It’s quite nice, he must say.

The sounds of him crumpling his bag fills the still air of the bus as he waits for the bus to move, but the hissing of the doors opening perks his attention up.

Out of all things, he certainly never expected to see the sight of you breathlessly climbing onto the bus, muttering apologies towards the bus driver as you scramble for your bus card in your wallet. Your backpack is about to slip off your shoulder, cheeks flushed from assuming all the running you did to get here, and a mask of tiredness that you wear on your face that isn’t hard to notice. Were you at campus? It’s almost ten at night.

And out of all things, he didn’t expect for you to come over to him among the many empty seats in the bus.

“Hey,” You greet him breathlessly, glancing down at the empty seat next to him. “Are you fine with me sitting here?”

Jun blinks, before speedily adjusting himself, forcing his body more into the seat so you would have all the room that you wanted. He gives you a nod.

Smiling faintly, you sit down right next to him, shoulder brushing against his. You settle your backpack on your lap and lean back a bit, finally allowing yourself to relax. The bus lurches, beginning to move forward. Jun lets his eyes wash over you.

“Did… you just come from campus?” he asks.

You laugh awkwardly at that. “Yeah, I… I was studying.”

“You study this late at night on campus?”

“I do.” It’s a bit funny admitting that, you don’t know why. “Sorta lost track of time, I guess.”

Jun keeps a fixed look on you, as if there was some anomaly within your words, but he knows you’re telling the truth. He just can’t believe that anyone would stay on campus so late, plus you look way too tired, like you could pass out any second. Some worry flows down his body.

“That sounds… exhausting,” he says, concern edging his voice. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You glance at him, eyes softening slightly. There’s something about him asking that tugs at your heart. “I’m fine. It’s not unusual for me to be up late studying. I’m used to it.”

Jun feels his fingers twitch around the bag in his grasp. “I see.”

You let your head fall slightly. “Thank you though.”

He faces you curiously. “For what?”

“Just…” For being here? For asking if I’m okay? “I don’t know. Thank you.”

He doesn’t know why you’re thanking him; if anything he should be the one thanking you.

“Oh.” A small smile appears on his lips. “You’re welcome.”

He feels weird. Not in a bad sense𑁋far from that, actually. It’s basically his first time ever interacting with you that isn’t on school grounds, and in a way right now, he isn’t the student and you’re not the TA. He’s simply Jun, and you are… well, you. You’re just two people sharing a late bus ride, and Jun is oddly grateful for the chance to see this side of you𑁋tired, a little vulnerable, but still yourself nonetheless.

The bus rumbles lightly. Silence swirling the air around the two of you. Jun glances at your profile, noticing how your eyes flutter shut for a brief second before snapping open again. His fingers twitch again, wanting to do something more𑁋maybe offer you his jacket, or ask if you need anything𑁋but he holds himself back.

The thought of pushing himself to exhaustion like that feels foreign. But he knows you well enough𑁋or at least, he’s seen you enough𑁋to know you’re driven, always working hard, sometimes too hard. He doesn’t know how to tell you that it’s okay to slow down.

“Y/N?” he calls out quietly.

You face him with a cute, sleepy look. “Hm?”

“You’re falling asleep.”

You giggle lazily at that, the sound unguarded and relaxed. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he says softly. “You can close your eyes. When’s your stop?”

Gazing at the window for a few moments, you take note of the familiar surroundings that the bus passes by. “It should be the next one.”

Before you can settle back into the seat, Jun quickly adds, suddenly feeling brave, “You can… lean on my shoulder if you want.”

You hesitate for a moment, then give him a drowsy, grateful smile. “I think I’d like that.”

With a sigh, you allow your head to rest against his shoulder, and Jun could only imagine how uncomfortable his own shoulder might be compared to a pillow, but he doesn’t mind, and neither do you as well𑁋at least he thinks you don’t.

Your eyes are closed when Jun leans down to sneak a glance at your face, your features softened with exhaustion. There’s the faintest sight of a smile to your lips, and it makes his own curve up slightly too. His heart stirs in his chest, all while attempting to fully compose himself so you wouldn’t be disturbed.

As his eyes drift back outside, he leans his own head on the window, watching the cityscape pass by. There’s fatigue crawling up his body too, but he forces himself to stay awake so that he knows when your stop is approaching. He casts glimpses down to you to make sure you’re still comfortable, but every time he looks at you, his heart seems to do a little jump, a little flutter in his chest.

Jun knows he shouldn’t hope for anything more than this moment, knows he shouldn’t let himself fall into dreams of what-ifs, but he can’t help it. Admitting to himself that he likes you is bizarre, almost too bold for him to fully accept. Yet here you are, leaning against him, breathing softly in your dazed state as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And maybe, just maybe, he thinks, it could be.

You could tell there was something off about Jun today, and it seems to bother you a little more than you expect.

He just didn’t seem to be… paying attention. You would explain something to him, and he’d reply with a small hum of acknowledgment before drifting off into a bit of a daydreaming state. Perhaps his mind was clouded and it wasn’t your place to ask, or maybe he was just tired. Regardless, you knew that it wouldn’t get either of you progress through this tutoring session, especially when you’re trying to instruct him about what to expect for the dissections.

“Jun?” You snap your finger in front of his face, and he immediately perks up. “You got all that down?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, the probe…” He trails off, looking a bit lost. “Uh, can you repeat it?”

“The probe is used to explore and identify different anatomical structures,” You explain slowly. “But remember to be careful with it. Tissues are very delicate, so one wrong move could cause damage.”

You watch quietly as he writes down the notes, his head resting on his as if he’s struggling to keep his eyes open.

“I saw you fall asleep today in class.”

Jun looks back up at you, eyes widening as if what he had done was some sort of crime. He suddenly appears more awake than ever.

“Crap, I… I’m sorry,” he mutters in apology, face flushing with embarrassment. “I knew you were lecturing since Professor Lee wasn’t here today, but I just… I don’t know. I couldn’t keep my eyes open that well. I’m really sorry.”

He could only assume the worst𑁋that you’re mad at him for falling asleep, when in reality he had stayed up late the night before to review over the material the two of you have covered so far during your sessions. But when your face softens into a look of understanding, he seems to relax. Just slightly.

“Jun, it’s fine, really. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” You reassure him gently. “Trust me, you’re not in trouble and I’m not mad.”

He swallows down the lump in your throat. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Like really sure?”

“One thousand percent.”

“I’m not convinced.” A sly grin spreads across Jun’s face. What a dork.

“Unfunny,” You huff, before taking a seat right next to him and flipping through the pages in your lesson plan.

Once again, Jun props an elbow on the table and leans his head on his hand, a playful smirk lingering on his face as he watches you. You feel his eyes on you.

“It sort of gave me a little glimpse into your life, you know.”

You glance up, intrigued. “Yeah? And what did you take from that?”

“That… I really cannot and will never be on your level of studying,” Jun admits sheepishly. He seems to crawl into himself a bit more as he continues hesitantly, “and, uh, made me admire you a little bit more too.”

You freeze at that, pausing mid-flipping through a page in your planner as his words float through the air. Admire… you? It wasn’t something you ever anticipated hearing from him𑁋ever anticipated to see him this forward𑁋especially not today when he seemed so out of it.

You clear your throat softly, trying to act nonchalant. “You admire me?”

Jun chuckles softly, the sound a little awkward as he tries to ease the tension. “Well, who wouldn’t?”

He’s probably digging himself into a bit of a hole right now, perhaps overstepping a small boundary of what was supposed to be just a casual tutoring session. But really, despite these sessions honestly really helping with understanding the material, he’s mainly here because… well… he gets to spend time with you.

“Sorry, I-I mean… I made this weird, didn’t I?” Jun swiftly corrects himself, face flushing deeper with each word that leaves him. “I guess I just want to thank you for pushing me to do better. I’ve always… kind of admired that about you for a while now.”

Even you momentarily forget what you wanted to discuss with him for the session, a surge of warmth shooting through your body. The only sounds you could hear right now are the branches outside hitting the window from the wind and the ticking of the clock on the wall. The room was quiet, filled with an awkward, yet comfortable tension that neither of you seemed to know how to break.

“I’m glad to hear that,” You tell him. “It means a lot that you feel that way.”

Relief and apprehension hugs around Jun, as if unsure whether he should say anything more or go back to tutoring. But he thinks he’s already said enough𑁋at this point his tired brain nearly made him confess his feelings, and that would be utterly stupid of him.

“But you should really learn how to rest,” he suddenly says firmly.

You laugh that off way too easily. “You know that I can’t𑁋”

“I know, but… come on, just rest for a little bit,” Jun insists. “At least for a few minutes.”

“You’re seriously telling me to rest while I’m here to tutor you?” You lift a brow, almost teasingly.

The way he only nods and gazes at you with pleading eyes almost resembling a cat stretching out for attention makes it almost impossible to resist. And you would hate to admit that yeah, maybe you do push yourself way too much, that all the strenuous effort you put into studying is now starting to take a noticeable toll on you. At the moment, rest does sound really nice.

“My friends and I are planning a hangout this weekend at my place, if you’d like to join us. You… You don’t have to if you don’t want to, or if you’re not into that kind of stuff,” Jun informs you sheepishly. “It’s not a lot of us too, but if you ever want to just… unwind, you know, you could stop by. We aren’t doing anything too wild, just a chill get-together. They’re all cool, I swear.”

You consider his offer. Again, you were never much of a party person nor ever gave a crap about that sort of stuff, but the thought of taking a break from your routine is a bit... enticing, to say the least.

“I’ll think about it. Thank you,” You say with a grateful smile, finally giving in. “Give me a few minutes to tidy up?”

Jun watches for a few moments as you quickly organise through your notes and gather up the loose papers that have accumulated on the table, standing up and heading to the front of the lecture hall to put away the rest of the materials that you won’t need for the session.

As he waits for you to finish, Jun sets aside his own stuff, folds his arms and places them on the table, slowly guiding his head to rest on top. He closes his eyes, taking advantage of the opportunity to rest as much as his body craves.

By the time you get back, you catch a glimpse of Jun’s relaxed form in his seat, and your heart does a little flip in your chest. The corners of your lips tug up unknowingly into a soft smile as you settle into the seat cautiously next to him, feeling a wave of exhaustion hitting you all at once.

It’s rare that you let yourself go these days, but with Jun here, it seems easier to let your guard down, even for just a few minutes.

Without much thought you let your head rest gently on your own arms, finding yourself staring at the front lecture hall, before ultimately, moving your head so that you were facing Jun. You’ve never seen him this close before, drawn into his features for a moment or two𑁋over his closed eyes and the small moles that pepper his cheek and one particular spot above his lips, which were curled up slightly. Contentment warms you like a blanket as you let your eyes drift to a close.

Unbeknownst to you, Jun slowly peeks his eyes open, being met with the sight of you resting so peacefully and comfortably beside him. A sense of calm takes over the vast lecture hall as he simply watches you, even feeling brave enough to lightly brush a strand of hair away from your face with his finger, before quickly pulling back when he catches your nose scrunching a little in your sleep. His heart swells even more.

He decides on settling back into his own arms, taking one last glance at you before drifting back into light sleep.

“You’re way too smiley to be going to a tutoring session,” Chan points out as he catches Jun about to leave. “Isn’t it like your third time alone this week? Last week you went twice…”

Jun snorts annoyedly at that. “Yeah, and?”

“We’re just saying you’re way too happy to be going to tutoring, man,” Soonyoung continues on, an edge of suspicion to his words. “Did you find out the meaning of life? Figure out why our bodies cause us to shit and piss or why the earth goes around the sun?”

“I’d be happy to answer that question if you’re curious,” Jun states wryly.

Soonyoung scrunches his face and shakes his head. “Please don’t.”

His roommate only observes as Jun stuffs his feet into his Converse, which looked to be at the end of its life. Minghao comes out moments later, toothbrush in his mouth with bits of foam to the corners of his lips. Along with Soonyoung and Chan, the three of them watch as Jun finishes lacing up his shoes, his good mood unwavering.

“I think I have an answer to that question,” Minghao says, voice somewhat muffled.

Soonyoung faces the younger boy. “The piss or the earth one?”

“He has a crush,” Minghao states flatly, a subtle smirk creeping onto his face despite the toothbrush still dangling from his lips.

“A crush?” Soonyoung’s eyes widen as he exchanges a glance with Chan, the two of them looking like they were about to combust any second. “A crush on that scary TA?”

“They’re not scary!” Jun protests, face reddening hearing his own loud voice, secretly hoping to make some sort of quick escape before his friends could pry any further into his dry love life, but he knows he won’t be able to get them off his ass. “So what if I have a crush on them?”

Soonyoung’s jaw drops to the floor at that, before bursting into laughter. “‘So what’? You’re totally into them!” He starts bouncing on his toes, a grin stretching across his face. “You’re in loooove with the scary TA! This is gold.”

Jun could seriously strangle all of his roommates right now. He runs a hand through his hair and glances at the door, regretting opening his mouth. Was he seriously that obvious? “You guys are blowing this way out of proportion.”

“Bro, you’re blushing so hard right now,” Chan chimes in with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Don’t even try to deny it.”

Minghao chuckles, finally pulling the toothbrush out of his mouth. “It’s obvious. You don’t study like that for just anyone.”

Jun’s face turns an even deeper shade of red. “I𑁋okay, fine! Maybe I like them a little bit, but it’s not a big deal! I’m just trying to do well in class. Now, can I leave?”

It takes one last torturous minute of teasing before Jun shoots his roommates with annoyed looks and heads out of the apartment.

Normally at nine o’clock, you would most likely be in the campus library studying until your eyes go dry, or in your own place with textbooks sprawled over your bed. But this time, you find yourself right in front of the address Jun sent you𑁋his address, specifically.

You’d spent the past few days thinking about his invitation, and despite some initial hesitation, you may be looking forward to this little break from your routine. Because according to Jun from a text he sent you the night before along with the address: it’s what you deserve.

Your heart still does a little jump when you think about it still.

[09:08 | y/n] Hey Jun! I’m here by the way

Your phone vibrates right away.

[09:09 | just jun] WHAT omg

[09:09 | just jun] sorry i’m coming out right now!!!

There’s a figure that emerges from a door, waving to you from above. You give out a small wave as you start to make yourself comfortable on the front steps of the building. Jun hurries down the stairs, looking both relieved and a bit flustered as he reaches you.

“Hey, I…” His eyes roam over you from head-to-toe. “I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

You offer a tentative smile. “Well, I figured, you know? Thought it would be nice to stop by for a little bit. Plus you live closer than I thought.”

Jun’s face brightens, the relief in his own grin oozing its way into your heart, and he gestures for you to follow him back to his place.

Just as he promised, the gathering was quite small. Jun introduces you to his roommates𑁋Minghao, Soonyoung, and Chan are their names (Soonyoung and Chan look oddly more excited to see you, for some reason)𑁋and two others in his year. You recognise Wonwoo, who is a TA from the English department, and the other is Jihoon, whose name had been tossed around quite frequently during your time in university.

Overall, the vibes have been quite laid-back, and the apartment has been warm and inviting so far.

“Do you want something to drink?” Jun asks as he leads you towards the kitchen, where some food and snacks were sprawled across the counter. “There’s water, soda, and um… some alcohol too.”

Your eyes roam over the assortment on the counter, gaze lingering on the bottles of alcohol. For some reason the idea of relaxing and letting loose feels particularly appealing tonight, and you can hardly remember the last time you had a proper drink of… anything.

“I’ll take some alcohol,” You answer, suddenly feeling a bit adventurous; it even surprises Jun.

Jun pulls one of the bottles and pours you a generous amount before handing it to you, the tips of his fingers brushing against yours as you find yourself settling down in a seat near Wonwoo and Jihoon.

Soonyoung and Chan come into view a few minutes later, and they’re still looking at you as if you’ve come in with a second head.

“You’re not scary,” Chan claims randomly, scanning you up and down with his eyes closely.

You lift a brow and look behind you, thinking he was talking to someone, before turning back to him.

“Me?” You point to yourself. “Scary?”

Soonyoung takes a sip of his own drink before saying, “Yeah, dude, I mean… There used to be a lot of rumours spread about you being like, mean and stuff, you know? I’m talking about people saying you were super strict, always serious, and that if anyone messed up in class, you’d roast them alive.”

You almost want to laugh at that. Sure, you’ve heard plenty of those rumours before and never really let it get to you, or had the time to straight up dismiss them, but you didn’t think people were still clinging onto those thoughts nowadays.

“Did you expect me to show up with devil horns and a pitchfork?" You joke, finally allowing yourself to laugh, shaking your cup in amusement. “Wow, I didn’t realise I was so terrifying. Maybe I should start living up to it now.”

Soonyoung lets out a hearty laugh, almost choking on his drink. “Please, no! We’re all just barely surviving as it is.”

“Nah, you’re good as you are. If anything I’m glad to see that the stuff people have said aren’t true,” Chan adds in.

An exaggerated gasp leaves Soonyoung. “Oh my, God, wait! Does this mean we’re friends now?” His excitement is so over-the-top that you can’t help but laugh too.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” You tease with a faint smirk, shrugging. “If you behave.”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Soonyoung declares, grinning ear to ear as Chan gives him an enthusiastic high five. His face is already turning the slightest bit of red from the alcohol. “Jun, you’re in good hands!”

In the kitchen, you catch Jun gazing over his shoulder and towards his friends. And when his eyes land on you, he shoots you a brief smile before quickly taking his eyes away, but the tips of his ears being red doesn’t go unnoticed when he turns away.

As the night continues, you find yourself letting loose, more than you’ve ever done recently. You find yourself easily getting along with the lively atmosphere of Jun and all of his friends. You don’t really know how many drinks you’ve taken at this point in time, how many refills you’ve been offered, but the buzz you feel is pleasant and warm, your inhibitions slowly but surely melting away. Laughter tumbles out of you as if it was the most natural thing in the world, almost to the point you feel your chest physically ache.

Occasionally, from the side, Jun quietly watches you. He can feel his own mood lifting with every smile that finds its way on your face. It’s almost as if he’s looking at a completely different person𑁋someone entirely the opposite from the studious TA he’s been used to this entire time.

But the second he sees you stumble slightly when you come out from a bathroom break, a pang of worry hits him.

“You okay?” he asks you when you nearly run into him, making him circle his arms around you out of habit in case you might fall. However, you’re somehow so close to him that he can feel the warmth of you through his clothes. Your cheeks are flushed, and you’re grinning lazily up at him, the effects of the alcohol clearly taking their toll.

“Oh, doing lovely, um…” You assure him, voice wobbly as you clear your throat. “The alcohol was awesome. I haven’t… I haven’t drank like this in such a long time. It feels sooooo nice.”

You nearly stumble into him again as you attempt to move past him, and he’s quick as the Flash to grab you by the shoulders, his hands squeezing tightly around your forearm.

“I think you should sit down, Y/N.”

“Bu-But I don’t want to!”

A playful pout spreads across your face as he carefully leads you back to the quiet kitchen, away from whatever version of charades the others have put on in the middle of the living room.

“You’ve drank too much,” Jun points out worriedly. “Do you want me to take you home? I can walk𑁋”

“What are you? My… my boss or something? I’m supposed to be the one in control here! I’m… I’m the one making the decisions, not you!” You protest, a weak, half-hearted attempt at establishing your authority as you knead the fabric of his shirt into your fists.

Did you have to be so cute when you’re drunk? Though Jun is fast to shake those thoughts away and focus more on making sure you’re okay, having to bite the bottom of his lip to conceal an incoming, endearing grin at your silly antics.

“Come on, let me get you some water and then I’ll take you home, okay?” Jun offers, and you give him a tight-lipped smile.

“But I am home,” You slur lowly, circling a finger in front of his face, close enough you may jab him in the eye. “I’m home here… with you…”

Jun seriously doesn’t know how he would be able to dismiss those words that left your mouth, even in your inebriated state. It doesn’t help that you’re also looking up at him with half-lidded eyes and a dreamy smile, like the world is spinning and yet he’s the only one keeping you steady.

“Let’s go. I’m taking you home,” Jun says as he snatches up a bottle of water and slowly coaxes you towards the door, not before announcing to his friends as well, who all seem too drunk to even care anyway.

The second the cool air meets your skin and the cold water flows down your throat, you seem a little more lucid, but not entirely. You still clung an arm around Jun’s own arm, which was hanging loosely and awkwardly to the side, your steps a bit uneven as you walk down the street together.

Jun holds his breath every time your body knocks into his side, afraid you might lose balance, but you somehow manage to stay upright𑁋barely. The warmth of your arm wrapped around his doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey, Y/N𑁋”

“Shhhhh,” You suddenly hiss, making Jun shut his mouth. “You’re too loud.”

Jun hangs his head down in slight guilt. “Sorry.”

“Hmm, isokay,” You mutter, tightening a grip on his and nearly causing Jun himself to stumble. “You know, you’re always so… nice. It’s kinda weird.”

Jun tilts his head, somewhat confused by your drunken logic. He glances at you, catching the way your cheeks are shaded with a rosy hue and the warmness to your hazy eyes.

“Weird?” he repeats curiously.

“Yeah…” You draw out the word clumsily, shifting your eyes towards him, gaze lingering on him a little longer than usual. “It’s like you’re not real sometimes.”

“You’re holding onto me.” Jun shakes his arm, and you still carry a tight grip on his arm, fingers digging lightly into the material of his sleeve. “I think I’m very real.”

“I know,” You mumble, scrunching your nose endearingly, as if you still don't believe him. “But you barely know me.”

There’s a few moments of contemplation that passes by between the two of you. Your steps have somehow managed to sync with each other, the streetlights above casting down a soft glow on the pavement below, and the quiet night feels oddly… intimate.

“Maybe.” Jun shrugs, voice low and soft. “But I like what I know so far.”

Now it’s your turn to grow silent, a wave of realisation cutting through your inebriated thoughts. Your grip goes from loose to tight on Jun’s arm, your chest and heart feeling heavier than it did moments ago, and it certainly was not because of the alcohol.

Your mind is practically aching with all these thoughts, aching with the urge to do something about it, and the way Jun’s side profile is illuminated under the streetlight doesn’t help the situation at all.

“It’s funny, because I… I would see you come into class. And…” You let out a giggle. “I don’t know. My first thought was always that you were cute. Hmm, maybe dreamy too? Yeah, dreamy… That’s a silly word.”

Before Jun can say anything to that, the words seem to tumble out of you.

“...I’d see you fall asleep in the back of the class, or come late to lecture, and I’d think you were cute seeing you so panicked… And when you asked me to tutor you, I was so happy. It’s just𑁋I-I don’t know.” A brief pause, before you continue, “Is this what liking someone is?”

Jun doesn’t notice how much his steps have faltered, his voice and own words getting caught somewhere between his throat and his heart. There’s a mix of panic, disbelief, and excitement flowing through him, almost too much he can’t quite process going from emotion to the other. However, how the hell does he respond when the person he’s been developing feelings for says something like that so openly?

“Shit, I’ve… I’ve made this weird, haven’t I?” You give yourself a light facepalm, before carding a hand through your hair. A yawn starts to leave you. “I’m just all over the place right now, I’m sorry…”

Jun wants to say something, needs to say something, but he stumbles over his words. “I… Y/N, I𑁋”

Before he can finish his sentence, you trip slightly, and he instinctively pulls you closer, catching you with both hands. A wholehearted round of laughter tumbles out of you, resting your head on his shoulder for a brief moment, and for a split second, everything feels still. His heart races faster than ever.

He lets you take the lead on the way back to your apartment complex, feeling as if he had been walking on eggshells the entire time. The buzz of the alcohol running its laps through you has seemed to soften, and if anything, you’re more than ready to sink into your bed for the night. Although there’s comfortable quietness in the air now, Jun can’t stop replaying all the words you’ve said to him tonight alone.

Before he can fully process everything, you come to an abrupt stop just outside your building, turning to look at him.

You stare at him for a moment, eyes roaming over his face as if you’re trying to commit everything to memory. Then, without thinking, you step up to him and press a kiss to his cheek. It’s quick, fleeting, the gesture so unexpected it sends a rush of heat flooding up his neck and straight to the tips of his ears. He’s practically on fire, at this point.

When you pull back, there’s a bashful smile playing at your lips. “Goodnight, Jun.”

You don’t think you can ever look at Jun in the eyes without wanting to sink into the ground, because each time he comes into view, it reminds you of the absolute idiot you put on show for him last weekend. It’s harder to pay attention when your hands seem to touch every given opportunity. You just have to make it through one last tutoring session before the big dissections later that week.

“So, um, we’ll use the forceps to clamp and separate through the tissues,” Jun explains, pointing towards the dissection guide displayed on the table, still feeling a tad bit queasy at the thought of it, even if the dissection pan was empty. “Then the scalpel will be used to cut on the incision lines we marked.”

“That’s right. You got it,” You say with a small smile, briefly casting a glance towards him, watching the way he adjusts the goggles on his face.

The two of you decided on running through the dissection for practice, focusing instead on the procedural steps and techniques. It’s been smooth-sailing so far𑁋Jun looks more confident and comfortable as he walks through each step𑁋and you’re positive that the actual lab will go well.

On the other hand, you both can’t deny the awkwardness thickening through the room, drifting within the crevices of even the most subtle interactions.

“Alright, so once we’ve done that, we’ll… uh, we’ll…” Jun’s voice trails off as he fumbles slightly with the scalpel, trying to decide between placing it on the tray or handing it to you, his gloved fingers brushing against yours again as you grab it from him.

“Sorry,” You both blurt out at the same time, voices mixing into one.

As you both share an embarrassed laugh, a few moments of silence follows. It seems to dissipate the tension in the air. Some of it, at least.

Jun clears his throat. “Y/N, I𑁋”

“It’s fine,” You assure calmly. “Let’s just keep going.”

“I… Okay.” His shoulders slump in a pit of defeat as he fixes his attention back down towards the task at hand. “Can you, uh… pass me the probe?”

You nod and hand it over to him, trying to attentively listen as he explains the function of the tool and how it would be used for the lab, adding any feedback along the way. You’re surprised at how easily you fall back into a comfortable rhythm, as if the moments from earlier had ceased to exist, as if that night and your stupidity didn’t happen, but only you both know about the unacknowledged elephant in the room.

The rest of the practice goes by without any more mishaps. The next thing you know, you’re pulling off your gloves and taking off your safety goggles as Jun sets the dissection tray away. By the time he returns, he’s surprised to see you already grabbing your belongings like you’re ready to leave.

Jun swallows down the nervous lump lodged in his throat. “Y/N, wait.”

You pause in the middle of stuffing some notebooks inside your backpack, already feeling the apprehension snaking up your spine as you face him.

“Can… Can we talk?” Jun asks hesitantly.

A sigh leaves you. “Look, that was really dumb of me, I get it. I shouldn’t have… kissed you on the cheek like that and said all those weird things. It was impulsive and I was drunk. I’m sorry, I should’ve known my limits, or maybe just have not come at all𑁋”

“I was really happy that you came,” Jun interrupts, a voice almost too loud in the quiet, empty lab room. He rubs his gloved hands together nervously. “And, um, the kiss... I liked it. It was, well… kind of nice.”

You really can’t tell if his words are making you feel any better or worse, if the hesitation on his side makes you want to sink more into the ground or feel a bit of hope. Regardless, it’s hard to ignore the warmth growing in your face as your fingers tighten around the strap of your backpack.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like you too, and I wanted to finally tell you that before you left my place. But then things got a little messy and it was a bit overwhelming, so I wanted to take you home because you looked like you were about to𑁋”

“Jun, just…” You chime in ruefully, clearly not wanting to relive your stupidity. “Go back a little. You like me too?”

Jun takes in a deep, slow breath.

“Yes,” he says firmly. “Holy shit. I can’t believe I said that.”

The laughs that leave you two sound more freeing in a way, more effortless, like the thick, heavy fog that settled around the room has been lifted, and for the first time in days, everything is more clearer.

The carefree grin that Jun catches to your features nearly forces him to step up towards you, but he holds back. Instead, he thinks the sight of you looking so naturally happy is something he could cherish for a very, very long time.

“So, uh…” he starts, shooting a sheepish glance down at his shoes before meeting your gaze once more. “We’re okay?”

You only nod.

“We’re okay,” You confirm softly. “Maybe more than that.”

As you finish getting ready to leave, you turn back to Jun, who nearly drops the dissection pan in his hands.

“I have a meeting to go to right now,” You tell him. “But afterwards, I could… text you?”

His face brightens expectantly, attempting to keep the excitement coursing through him at bay. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Um… have a good meeting.”

He’s cute. And silly. And weird. But you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Before you finally leave the lab room, you take a leap of faith and turn back around, heading straight towards Jun. He’s in the middle of taking off his goggles when you find yourself standing back in front of him, and a mischievous grin etches across your face. Jun takes a few steps back, his ass nearly stumbling into the table behind him.

“One more thing.” You reach up and to gently tug the goggles off his face, and the contact of your fingers to his hair has Jun bracing himself for doomsday. Your breath fans against his skin for a moment, and when you pull away, you’re holding up the goggles towards him. “You were wearing these upside down the entire time.”

Jun chokes on air, and you let out a giggle.

Shit.

Jun cannot focus right now.

The goggles feel uncomfortable on his face, the gloves make his skin feel clammy, the uncomfortable, pungent smell of formaldehyde fills the lab room and his nostrils. Not to mention that there’s a goddamn sheep brain sitting on the metal pan in front of him.

Perhaps he can call it quits now𑁋take the zero for the lab and run for the hills, drop out of university, become a nomad in the countryside and never have to touch any sort of assignment again. In his mind right before the dissection starts, it really doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all…

“Jun?”

He snaps his eyes back at you. You’re wearing your own pair of gloves and goggles, positioning the dissection tools on the table, eyebrows raised in worry.

“Are you good? We’re about to start,” You tell him. “You look a little pale.”

He blinks a few times, trying to compose and mentally ready himself, acting like he hasn’t just spent the last few minutes imagining an escape plan abandoning all forms of education. “Yeah, I… I’m good.”

“You good to start?” You ask, and the concern he senses in your voice makes his heart soften. “Or do you want me to take over first?’

There’s that offer again, the one he knows he should probably accept for the sake of his sanity, but there’s also a part of him that doesn’t want to back out now. Not when he’s finally managed to clear the air between the two of you, when things are more comfortable than they’ve been in weeks.

Jun exhales, shaking the tenseness out of his body. This is it. Glancing around the room, he notices that other students have already started their dissections with ease. He looks down at the sheep brain again, feeling that queasiness rising, but just your presence right next to him seems to settle down his nerves way more than it should.

He steels himself, trying to cling to that feeling instead of the growing discomfort in his stomach. He can do this. It’s just a brain. A sheep brain, he reminds himself, as if that makes it any better.

Letting out one last breath for good measure, he reaches for the scalpel.

“I’m good,” he says, more to himself than to you. “Let’s do this.”

His hand quivers as he leans in towards the sheep brain, its colour slightly pinkish and grey. His nose crinkles the closer he gets to it, and the second he lightly grazes the scalpel along the surface of the brain, he can’t help but wince. At his side, he feels your shoulder make contact with his, and helps ground him a little more.

Narrowing his eyes, he focuses on making a precise incision straight down the middle of the brain𑁋the medial longitudinal fissure, he recalls𑁋his hand trembling slightly as he draws the scalpel down. The smell of formaldehyde grows stronger as he slices through the tissue, and the somewhat gelatinous texture that the brain has is incredibly off-putting.

When he finally finishes, you help part the brain in half, and Jun’s eyes widen in awe at how visible the structures are.

“You did pretty well.” You send an encouraging smile Jun’s way, taking the probe in your hand and motioning towards the exposed structures. “See? Look at that. You can see all the parts clearly.”

Jun takes a leap of faith and points to a particular part. “That’s… the thalamus there, right? And the hypothalamus is right below it.”

You nod proudly. “You got it. And this section right here?”

“The… pons? And then, uh… Oh! The medulla oblongata. Then the spinal cord starts beneath it.”

“Yep. Here?”

“The cerebellum!”

Your own heart seems to swell with every step up his confidence goes, whatever discomfort he was initially feeling begins to be melted away under the warmth of your praise. You bring your eyes up from the brain, letting it roam over his side profile, taking in the way the goggles make his hair stick out in odd angles, the curve of his jaw as he tilts his head slightly, brows furrowed in concentration.

As Jun pinpoints another structure on the brain, he faces toward you for confirmation, only to be met with your eyes already on him. He opens his mouth to say something, before slowly shutting it, and for a split second, he forgets about the question he was about to ask, the lab, everything else.

“Did I get it right?” Jun questions, feeling the confidence flowing through him falter under your thoughtful expression. “This is the sulcus? And the gyrus…”

You lower your attention back down to the sheep brain, realising he was pointing to a spot with the probe.

“Hm, just…” You start, leaning in a bit closer to examine where he’s pointing to. With a sly smirk, you reach over to grasp his wrist lightly, slowly guiding his hand more accurately with the probe. Your warmth slips teasingly under his skin. “The sulcus is the little groove right here, and the gyrus is the ridge surrounding it. See it?”

Jun swears you’re doing this on purpose, and whatever it is, it’s working.

“Got it,” he mumbles, hoping you won’t be able to see the flush to his cheeks under the goggles. His eyes flicker between the brain and your face, noting the playful glint in your pupils that certainly isn’t from the fluorescent lighting of the lab room. “I see it now. Thanks.”

You let go of his wrist, still wearing that mischievous look at your lips, though it fades into something more genuine now. “You’re doing good, you know.”

Relief hits him from your words. He does feel way more comfortable, the entire lab becoming less daunting all because you were simply right here next to him. His mind momentarily flashes back to all what you’ve done for him𑁋from the tutoring, to the way you’ve been nothing but supportive and patient with him, before it all circles back to the mutual fondness blooming its way within the crevices of your hearts together.

He likes you, and you like him back. Jun still has no idea how this came to be, because he used to think he had no such chance with you. Yet now, he has the freedom to think about where he wants to take you on your first date.

The rest of the dissection goes by with ease. Slowly but surely, other students begin to clean up their workspace and submit their lab reports to Professor Lee, their tasks winding down as the lab session comes to a close. The lab starts to empty out as the minutes tick by, and it isn’t long until there’s just a few more students left𑁋you and Jun included.

“Here, I’ll finish up here,” You tell him, taking the brain into your hands without hesitation and placing it into a sealed bag for disposal later on. Then you take the dissection tools into your hands and walk off towards the sink to wash them, leaving Jun hanging in a bit of a daze.

“I… What can I do then?” he asks, wanting to contribute still.

You turn back to him, humming in contemplation.

“Let’s see… Disinfect the table, take off your gloves and goggles, and then…” Your lips quirk up again. “Just stand there and look cute. I’ll handle the rest.”

The tips of his ears flush with heat as you casually sidle away from him and towards the sink. Jun shakes away the flutters in his stomach, though the corners of his lips tugs upwards as he works on cleaning up the table.

Jun is already waiting by the door with his backpack on his shoulders as you finish up some tasks with Professor Lee. Once you get the signal that you’re free to leave, Jun feels the excitement pool down to his feet, a sense of accomplishment knowing that he was able to get through the one lab he dreaded most, and finished the class with a passing grade.

As you both exit the building, Jun pauses in his place, watching you continue to walk a bit without him.

“I owe you a date, you know,” he calls out to you with determination, though a pinch of nervousness still lingers.

You turn back to him curiously, and the way the sun catches on your face makes you appear more radiant above anything else. “A date, you say?”

“Yeah, I…” He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. “Before all of this, I told you I would owe you something for helping me, and well…” He lets his shoulder relax. “I want to take you on a date.”

Jun watches the way a bunch of emotions seem to morph among your face. Even with knowing how you feel for him, he still braces himself for a different kind of response.

Biting at the bottom of your lip, you step back up to him, and before he could fully process what’s happening, you answer him with a quick, affectionate kiss to his cheek. Right at the corner of his lips, to be specific. Then you reach down and grip his wrist, tugging him gently towards you.

“You’re on,” You challenge, a playful sparkle to your eyes. “Let’s get going.”

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cry4mina · 5 months

Text

Take Me Back to Eden - Part 6 - Vore

(Mina x fem!reader) (Nayeon x Fem!reader)

Take Me Back to Eden - Choke Hold - Part 1

Take Me Back to Eden - Granite - Part 2

Take Me Back to Eden - Aqua Regia - Part 3

Take Me Back to Eden - Ascensionism - Part 4

Take Me Back to Eden - The Apparition - Part 5

Take Me Back to Eden - The Apparition - Part 5.5

Word Count: 11.4k

Fluff/Smut/Angst

Summary: Reader and Mina seem to be getting closer with each other and Nayeon doesn't seem to like that too much.

TW: Cute fluffy shit, Sex, abusive themes, violence, weapons. (Kinda want this one to be a little bit of a surprise, so if you would like a list of detailed trigger warnings, please DM me! <3)

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has requested more of this story, it really makes me so happy to know you all enjoy it! I also hit 300 followers! OMG THANK YOU ALL<3 Thank you for following and keeping up with my silly little stories and yapping with me! I appreciate every single one of you!<3 Thanks to the moots for keeping me sane will I wrote this cuz I was having a TIME. Anyways, love you mean it<3 Feedback always welcome and I hope you have a great day! ~*virtual forehead kiss*~

Sirens ring out as they approach your building, flashing lights almost blinding as they whip into the parking lot. Mina has you wrapped in a blanket, holding you closely and using her body as a shield from the outside world. Attempting to keep you calm as the officers walk to the door, checking the situation out and getting a feel for what was happening.

Mina takes your face lightly into her hands, one placed on each cheek trying to get your attention, seeing the lack of presence in your eyes, she takes control of the situation. Unsure of what Nayeon was capable of. You were honestly scared of her and whatever was coming next.

“Hey…” softly stated, bringing you back to her soft brown eyes as she let out a small smile.

“I’m going to go and let them know what happened here, okay?” Tilting her head as she looks into you, trying to gauge how present you were for her. The state of shock is blatantly on your face as you look over to the broken window and see the police officers pointing something out on the ground to each other.

“Hey…hey, look at me.” Delicately bringing your attention back to her, hands still present on your face as she continues. “I will be right back, okay?”

Hands reaching up to grab Mina’s forearms rigidly before she takes her first step towards the door, fear rings through your heart knowing that Nayeon knew exactly where you lived.

“I know…don’t worry, we will figure this out, okay?” calmly reassuring you before she speaks with the officers about what took place. They’re definitely going to want to talk to you before they leave but you find yourself slightly rocking back and forth on the couch, attempting to self regulate as all of this chaos is happening around you.

Time stood still as you thought about how Nayeon would have known where you and Mina were. She knows where Mina lives, of course, but how did she know where your new apartment was? Could she have followed you?

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks when your brain connected the dots; you never shut your location for her off. Getting up with a sense of urgency to grab your phone, you immediately sit back down. Quickly scrolling through the contacts to find Nayeon and turning the location off. Noticing that hers was still on and that she was pulling into the apartment complex you used to share.

“That fucking bitch” said loudly enough for Mina to hear, side eyeing you while continuing to speak to the officer. The uniform, noticing that you were in distress on the couch, points over to you saying something to Mina as she nods her head and starts to walk over to you.

Squatting down in front of you, maneuvering herself so she could meet your gaze as she rests one hand on your knee, lightly grips your hand with the other. Slowly focusing your eyes as she comes into view, a petite grin forms on her face again.

“Hey honey, they want to ask you some questions now…are you up for that?” searching for hints of discomfort as she inquires on what you’re comfortable with, lightly running her hand up to your thigh.

“I-…” peering up at her as she continues to rub your thigh, causing you to turn a special shade of red, you settle for just nodding your head yes instead of stumbling over your words.

A gummy smile returned to you, sitting next to you before nodding her head to the officer across the room. He walks over to you, looks you up and down before asking the normal questions you would expect.

“Did you see who did this?” Husked in a southern accent, pen and notepad in his hands as he looks over the rim of his glasses down at you.

“No, I didn’t” shakiness present in your voice.

Mina notices this and skims her hand on your upper back, body facing you with her legs crossed. Studying your body language as you continue speaking to the officer, giving you a sense of safety.

“This ex-girlfriend of yours, has she had anger issues in the past?” Voice scratching against your memory as you plummet into dread trying to remember any tense moments you might’ve had with Nayeon before she betrayed you in the foulest of ways.

“Sir, we spent 3 years together and she was cheating on me the entire time, I just found out about it a month ago so to be fully transparent, I don’t know who she is…and I sure as hell don’t know what she’s capable of.” Leg bouncing as your voice emits dismay and fragility, arms enclosing your own body in an act of protection and defense.

“Does she know where you live?” Concern coating his voice throwing hot coals into your ears as you try to keep from grieving in front of this stranger in your new home, and Mina.

“Yes.” Faintly leaves your mouth as you look down at your lap,scratching the sides of your fingers, avoiding eye contact with anyone around you as you start to shut down.

“Did you tell her where you live?” now obviously frustrated by the answer given.

Mina's eyes snapped up to him as she stood defensively in front of you, “don’t take that tone with her, she obviously wouldn’t tell her where she lived.”

“She had my location on her phone. We did that years ago…I forgot until this. It’s off now.” Emotions absent from your voice as your eyes start to unfocus under the stress and implications of intentionality from the officer.

“Do you have her address? We'd like to speak to her.” Officer now taking things a little more seriously. Mina, realizing you aren’t present, takes over the conversation and gives him the address of your old apartment.

The sound of her saying your old address rings in your ears. The happiness that used to live there, no longer present. Thinking about what happened in that place makes your stomach churn, boiling through the lining as it rips from her mouth. Eyes brimming with the falsity of the emotions you felt so deeply in those walls. They are now stained in the blood from the knife Nayeon slid across your throat.

Mina is too sacred to know the location of that cold hell you lived in, unknowingly sitting in the iced flames as life burned down around you, freezing your warmth and removing it from your body. A soul crushing, earth shattering ache exists where the frost bite gnawed the hole through your chest.

The officer walks out of your apartment and informs the other two cops of the details he just received. They shake their heads and nod as the officer you just spoke to points and waves with his hands, seemingly creating a plan when he gets in his car with his partner and speeding off, leaving one of them there to speak with you of what the evidence found.

“There are footprints under the window to the living room, unfortunately they’re not clear enough to take an impression. There doesn't seem to be any handprints or fingerprints on anything, so we will update you with any new information we find. We are going to have an officer in their squad car outside for the night, should anything suspicious happen, we will handle it.”

“Thank you.” Mina politely says while the officer walks away, still handling things for you while you’re in emotional paralysis and completely checked out.

This was a brand new feeling for you, something very strange seeped into your pores, distorting your sense of reality. Appendages made of stone as you stilled, descending into the void of your psyche.

Hazy thoughts coated in fear rise into your mind’s eye. A tornado of grief, guilt, and fear rotate around in absolute madness causing the earth to quake within your skin. Arm hair raising at the action of your home being violated by an unwelcome energy, another betrayal from someone once so close to you, now simply a stranger in your heart.

Mina watched as your eyes unfocused, the way your shoulders rose, arms crossing your chest as your body withdrew inward. She promptly started attempting to remove the stressors one by one.

“Do you have any boxes? And some tape? Packing tape or duct tape preferred” walking to the kitchen, avoiding the glass, to sift through the recycling. You cling to her every movement as she pulls out a flat piece of cardboard, cuts it to size, and lays it over the window to cover the shattered hole.

“Y/n?…do you have any tape?” patiently waiting for you to hear her, knowing how overwhelming this situation must be, especially after what happened at the restaurant. She was learning how to show up for you, but somehow she already knew the best ways to do so.

“Oh! Uhm, sorry…” running to the junk drawer, almost robotic in your movements and absentmindedly forgetting about the glass on the floor. You step right into it without even noticing. So dissociated that it doesn’t even phase you, continuing what you set out to do and trialing a small bloody pattern along the way.

Pull the drawer open.

Grab the tape.

Hand tape to Mina.

Wait for further instruction.

Listing the steps as your brain gave you orders, autopiloting its way through the tasks given, completely separating logic and emotion.

A troubled look on her face as she quickly fastened the cardboard. Disbelief washes over her for a split second. Standing in front of you who just stepped on a very visible pile of broken glass with no wince, sense of pain, or idea of what you just did.

“Do you have a first aid kit?” a dash of panic present in her tone, eye searching for clues to where it could be.

Another instruction.

First aid kit.

Cabinet under the sink.

Almost like setting coordinates, your muscular system takes the data and converts the math into movements. Taking a step towards the sink when a cold hand grabs your upper arm tightly.

Malfunction.

Short circuit.

Cannot complete assigned task.

“Wait, wait, wait” firm grip keeps you still, hardware unable to comprehend the sudden stop.

“You stay here, I’ll go get it. Where is it?” sternly stated as she steps in front of you, now waiting for your directions.

Pointing to the cabinet under the sink, she rushes to grab the plastic container full of supplies out, setting them on the island in the kitchen.

“Up here,” patting the counter. Hoisting yourself up to sit, she pulls your sock off gently and assesses the injury you inadvertently caused yourself.

“This doesn’t look too bad,” grabbing the tweezers and pulling the glass out of the sole onto a piece of gauze, double checking to make sure she got it all. Mina disinfects the wound while you giggle at the coldness and texture of the alcohol soaked towelette.

“Are you ticklish?” mischievous look in her eyes after learning the new information not knowing that this level of care was bringing you back to a state of cognisense.

“I might be.” A smile returned as she refocuses herself on placing the gauze on your foot and wrapping it gently and meticulously.

“There…should be good, but stay put for a moment” ordered back to you as she finds your broom in the pantry and sweeps up the sharp slabs of glass. The sound of the glass scraping against the tile echoes through the kitchen, the clatter of the dust pan on the floor wakes you up a little more from your numbing haze.

Mina throws the shatter reminisce of the window away and quickly reaches for the cleaner under the sink and a paper towel, carefully wiping the blood off the floor, making sure she doesn’t miss a single splotch before bringing her attention back to you.

“Thank you, Dr. Myoui…for the house visit, are all your patients lucky enough to receive this kind of care from you?” Bashfully smirking in her direction, acknowledging that this was more than a bandage and some cleaning.

“Dr. Myoui is my father, Y/n.” Playfully biting back, fighting a grin before leering at the floor to make sure the hazard was taken care of, then being sure to put everything back where it belonged as she tidied up the kitchen.

She looks up at you with honeyed eyes, fixing her waist between your knees, placing her hands around your waist. Your bodies pressed together, resting your heads on each other's shoulders, relaxing into her and just enjoying the calmness after the storm.

“Hey, Mina…” almost silent in volume, hesitating to make your request.

“Would you…stay with me tonight?” muttered into her hair, your back unclenching in her touch.

Mina pulls away, reaching up, lifting your chin with her pointer finger to encourage eye contact again. She’s made of literal magic when she does this. Your stomach cages every butterfly you’ve ever witnessed at her touch.

Mina’s finger is still under your chin as she kisses you gently. Admiring your features before giving you the answer that you already knew you had.

“Of course I’ll stay with you”

—

The bedroom is dark and cold, rain lightly tapping on the window adding to the relaxing state you find yourself in. Absorbing the safety Mina seems to bring with her everywhere she goes.

Even in one of your old oversized shirts that was so long on her- it was mid thigh, and barefaced, she’s effervescent and elegant as ever.

Laying in bed next to her was a surreal feeling. It felt so natural for her to hold you, both arms wrapped around you, running her fingers down your arm as you rested your head on her chest.

“Y/n?…are you awake?” Lightly spoken into the shadows of the room.

“Yeah…I’m so comfortable but I can’t seem to keep my eyes closed for longer than a minute” mumbled back.

“Can I ask you what that dream you had was about?” curiously flows as her hand runs up your back.

“It was a nightmare. I couldn’t talk or scream or anything. My teeth fell out. Nayeon’s face melted off and she threw me off a cliff into the ocean by my neck…you were there too but you were…glowing? I don’t really know what it means” vulnerability dripping off your jowls as you continue on.

“It was definitely overwhelming…especially with the police and stuff after.” Twisting her shirt in between your fingers, listening to her even heartbeat pace quicken against your ear while you fidget with the cloth..

“I did like what happened in between the dream and the window though…that was nice, but a little unexpected.” Chuckling to yourself.

“Can I be honest?” Mina says hesitantly with a smile, the contradiction of her actions and words confusing, her heartbeat raising again. It’s almost pounding out of her chest as she tells you the whole truth.

“I…have actually had a crush on you since I met you. I always thought you were so kind and loving, and I mean look at you, you’re stunning. I feel lucky to even have spent any amount of time with you.”

Astonished at what Mina has just said, you lift your head up to look her in the eyes.

“Really?”

“I mean yeah…you’re great.” meaningfully spoken with a hint of nervousness, her heart pounding against her skin as she confesses the yearning she’s experienced surrounding you.

“I feel like this is all happening so fast but…I don’t want it to stop…I don’t think I’ve ever felt this safe before.” you comfortably say without any fear or doubt.

“It doesn’t have to, as long as you’re comfortable…I know there’s a lot happening right now so if you’d rather take it slow, we can do that. I’m patient…and I don’t want to rush into anything that you aren’t ready for.” a small sense of panic rushes over Mina, you can taste it in her words.

“Or if you don’t want to…be anything but friends, we can do that too. I just…really like being around you and the time we spent together today, even with all the craz-'' cutting her off with a passionate kiss, running your fingers up her sculpted abs, other hand firmly placed on her neck, leaning into the moment. Your body finds comfort in her touch.

One passionate kiss, turns into two and slowly dances into where you left off on the couch earlier in the night. Shirts flying across the room, this time with no bras to unclasp, tongues dancing effortlessly and in sync like Mina was always the one this was supposed to happen with.

Both of you in only underwear, heavily making out. Hands create maps on each other's bodies, exploring the new territory. Mina breaks the kiss, trailing her lips down your neck to your breasts.

“You can leave marks,” you huff between stimuli as she lightly digs her teeth into your chest. A small whine leaves your lips triggering her to look up at you, eyes half lidded with a lazy smirk.

“Not this time, baby.” between the small feathery bites as she takes one of your nipples in her mouth, softly pinch the other one, eliciting more airy gasps. Your hips start to grind against nothing under Mina’s touch, completely losing yourself in it.

Her right hand chases the rocking of your hips, playing with the elastic band hugging your skin. Hooking a long delicate finger into it and stretching it up, mouth still swirling on your chest in tandem.

“Can I…?” playfully snapping the band against your skin, sighing into the sting it brought with it.

“Please” sheerly leaves your lips. She wastes no time, swiftly removing the blockade of fabric from your body, taking in the sight of you lifting your hips for her desperately to feel some form of contact.

“Are you really this excited for me?” whispered into your skin, side eyeing the glistening of your upper thighs and the damp spot already forming on the sheets underneath you. You are too ready and willing to even reply.

“Look at how wet you are…did she make you wet like this too or is this all for me?” swiping her fingers upwards from your entrance to your clit. Her eyes are blown out with lust, basking in the sounds you’re making and how you’re twitching at the minimal touch she gave you.

A string of your slick connects the two of you as she pulls her hand away, giving her fingers one lick and humming at the taste of you before taking her place between your legs, caressing up your thighs with her lips, placing open mouthed kisses that leave you attempting to rut into her.

Feeling her hot breath against you makes you drip. Scooting closer to her, hips first, aching for her in a way that was unfamiliar. The sense of neediness you had for her was unmatched.

No one has ever made you want it more than Myoui Mina.

Wrapping her arms behind your thighs, holding you in place, and sweetly kisses from your hip bones down to your core.

Slowly sweeping her tongue from your entrance to your clit in the same pattern her finger did. Eyes darkening as she starts to tease with different rhythms and patterns, not allowing you to build your arousal too quickly underneath her.

“Tell me, baby, how badly do you want this?” cooed into you. She starts to form a regular beat of dragging her tongue across your clit.

“I need you so b-bad, -ungh, right there- ” unaware of what you were even saying. A devious smirk creeps over your naked body, Mina’s lips not leaving your clit as she builds on the pleasure you were feeling, teasing your entrance with the tip of her finger.

Carefully sliding a finger into you and curling up, continuing the pattern that causes you to twitch underneath her touch, moaning into the shadows of the room loudly for her to hear. You’re sure the neighbors would know her name by the end of this.

Her dainty frame covering your legs, looking effortlessly elegant in the mess created. She slowly picks up the speed of her fingers and tongue. Complete ecstasy rising within you while your mind focuses on the pure pleasure Mina is giving to you.

“Mina…I’m gonna -right there right there, fuck-“ ripping from your chest as she sweetly pulls the orgasm from your body. Letting you ride it out in her hands, watching as you buck your hips down on her fingers while making sure not to waste a single drop of you.

“Wow, so desperate for me…couldn’t keep still, huh?” Teasingly with a devilish smirk as she reaches up to lay her lips on yours. Your own taste floods your mouth, tongues re-familiarizing themselves. The way she melts into you is unmatched.

Mina breaks the kiss and brings her hand to place it around your neck, squeezing softly just to see your reaction. Moaning for her and halfway chasing her lips again, she chuckles and sighs.

“Don’t worry, we will have time to explore that together too…you’ve had a hard day, honey, maybe it’s time to get some rest?” laying next to you and draping her arms around you so she can hold you close. Tracing patterns on your back and weaving your legs between hers, drifting in and out of sleep. Mina draws little hearts on your back as if they’re little notes of encouragement to drift off.

—

Stirring in your sleep, the sound of a phone vibrating on the nightstand wakes you. Flipping over to readjust, trying to fall back asleep when you hear Mina breath in sharply and stretch.

A slap on the nightstand, she grabs her phone, half grumbling as she stands and saunters out of the room to answer it.

“Hello?” Sleepily spoken, you smile at how cute she is.

“What?!” The shock laced word spills into the empty living room while you fade in and out of sleep, trying to fight your eyes so you can hear the rest of the conversation or maybe get a hint as to what was going on, but you failed miserably, slipping off into the dreamscape once more.

—

“Y/n…wake up, my love” whispered to you from mere inches away. Your eyes flutter open, looking next to you seeing the morning sun casting its beautiful rays onto Mina’s face. She brings her finger up your cheekbone and moves a piece of your hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear.

Radiant as ever laying next to you, sheets covering up to her hips, exposing the rest of her body, your breath hitching at the sight. She studies your face diligently, taking in every inch of detail of you.

Grumpiness is apparent in your face, frowning at how far away she is from you. You scoot into her chest, closing your eyes again, and nuzzling into her. The skin on skin contact causes a flurry of giggles to erupt out of that same chest you found comfort in.

“You’re too cute like this,” softly running her fingers through your hair. You slowly wake in her arms smiling at the pure hearted person. She peppers your face with kisses to wake you up a little faster even though it just makes you want to stay in bed with her all day.

“I heard your phone ring earlier and part of the conversation you had…is everything okay?” concerned tone in your sleep drenched voice.You open your eyes to see her affectionate gaze outlining your naked body.

Unable to help yourself, the world fades around her. Laying in your bed, holding you, the safe and calm you feel is unmatched to anything you’ve ever experienced. Even with all the stressors that were gnawing at you, none of it mattered when you were here. With her. With Mina.

“Well….it was the police.” calmness in her voice not matching the anger brewing in her eyes as she continues to take in your curvature.

“They arrested someone in correlation to what happened last night…and I wasn’t ready for who…” conflict in her eyes, something was bothering her and you wanted to make sure you were fully present for what she was about to say.

Sitting up in anticipation of the news, her eye contact is absent. She toys with the sheet anxiously, your hand reaching out to still hers. She peers up at you through her bangs, trying her best to focus on your face and not your chest.

“They arrested Jihyo.” gulping in worry of how you’d take the news.

“…Jihyo?! There’s no way…” confusion blinds you for a moment, unwilling to accept this as true.

“She confessed, apparently.” rolling her eyes, knowing she’d never do that willingly. Jihyo was wrapped around Nayeon’s finger, ready to do whatever she needed, no matter the cost.

“Did they even questi-” interrupted by the sound of your own phone vibrating. Both glancing down at the sound before you pick up off the bed to see it’s an unknown number.

Flipping the phone around to show Mina, both of you confused. You answer it on speaker phone.

“…hello?”

“Hey baby, mind if I stop by?”

Immediately tense at the voice crackling through the speaker. Mina is visibly irritated at Nayeon’s word choice, glaring at the phone while crossing her arms.

“Uhm…Don’t call me that and I’d actually prefer for you to leave me the fuck alone.”

“Oh come on babe, don’t be like that. It’s not like you weren’t violently fucking my face two days ago.” Nayeon coyly says in the tone she always used to try and seduce you.

“If you show up here, I’ll call the police again.” anger threads your voice. Nayeon almost moans over it.

“Babeeee, you know I love it when you’re mad. Maybe you should come take it out on m-” hanging up and tossing your phone back on the bed, repulsed at what just happened.

You turn bright red and avoid Mina’s eyes, not wanting to see her reaction to what was just spoken in front of her.

“I think I’m going to go take a shower…” softly said, embarrassed at the information Nayeon just threw into the mix.

“You do know that I already know that happened, right?” Mina asserts in an attempt to reassure you.

“Don’t you remember back at the cafe? Nayeon dropped that information in front of Jihyo…the poor girl. Also, the scratch marks on your back aren’t exactly healed. I, of course, didn’t know about the “violent” face fucking” giggling and bringing her hand over her mouth. She’s really teasing you about this right now.

“We also were pretty drunk…” Blushing and fighting a smile back, poking fun at you.

“…I’m thinking maybe I could make some new scratch marks once those heal.” winking at you before grabbing your hand.

“ Anyways, you’re gonna shower? Is it cool if I join or are you not a shared shower kind of person?”

A huge grin plastered across your face. Mina sees how you’re absolutely beaming, returning the same volume of light back to you. Swinging her arms around your waist and kissing you passionately before making your way to the bathroom together.

–

Laying in each other's arms on the couch again, a movie playing in the background, cozy clothes on- the perfect homebody day. Both of you are exhausted and happy to be relaxing with each other.

Mina laying her head in your lap, quietly napping while you play with her hair, tangling it between your fingers as you doze off to the sounds of her deep steady breaths and the comfort movie you put on to drown out the silence.

Her phone suddenly clatters against the table it rested on, waking you both immediately. Mina sighs, stretches, and slides her finger across the screen to answer without moving her head from your legs, poking the speaker button before a soft and sleepy “hello?” escapes her lips.

“Mina! Are you okay? You were supposed to be at the house already! The banquet starts in a few hours!” Momo roars through the phone, concerned as to why the always punctual Mina was suddenly late.

“...is that today?” looking at you with her brows furrowed in confusion, sleep still present in her eyes.

“Uh, yeah! Hello?? You helped plan it!” stunned that Mina had forgotten something so important.

“Shit!” exclaimed in a small panic before she got up immediately and headed to the kitchen, leaving the phone with Momo still connected on the table.

Watching Mina closely, studying her movements, not as fluid and graceful as usual. Mina was pacing trying to organize herself in an almost chaotic way, fumbling to get the things she needed together.

It’s cute to see her like this.

“Momoring!” shouted at the phone to your best friend, knowing it would startle her. The sounds of a scream and her phone falling ring out followed by your hearty belly laughing.

“...Y/n?! I thought you and Mina were supposed to hang out yesterd-...wait…Y/n…did you and Mi-”

“Momo, shut up!” rolls off your tongue, silencing her instantly.

“What is she late to?”

“The banquet auction we set up for Jeongyeon’s birthday…you were invited you know…if you wanted to come…with someone you might be with currently…you total-” hanging up the phone on her and laugh to yourself.

The private charity banquet was put together by the entirety of Twice for Jeongyeon’s birthday. Hosting it for a local animal shelter, they were going to auction off Twice memorabilia and the money would then be donated to help the shelter build a new facility they desperately needed.

The perfect gift for someone who has it all.

It would be nice to get dressed up and go support a good cause for a good friend with a pretty girl. Plus the girls worked hard to make this happen…just because 2 out of 9 were in your shit list, doesn’t mean the rest should be shown up for.

“Hey, Mina!” volume of your voice a smidge louder than normal.

“Yeah?” poking her head around the wall to look at you while you spoke to her.

“I wasn’t going to go to that banquet because I thought it might be a little awkward after everything that happened, but how do you feel about…us going together?” a slight pang of awkward hovers over you, realizing that you were actually asking Mina on a date.

Stepping around the wall and coming closer to you, Mina places her hands lightly on your hips, eyes softening into yours. You fight the urge to look away from her when she pulls you closer to her.

“Are you…asking me on a date?” tilting her head to her right and blinking a few times, a gummy smile warms your stomach.

Nodding your head yes, she’s still silently beaming at you.

“Yes, I’m asking you on a date.” nervously fleeing from your throat. You bite the inside of your cheek and look down to the floor.

Mina rests her body against yours, the closeness forcing you to tilt your head up. The feeling of her on you is so mesmerizing, like a ray of warm sunshine after the chilled rain storm.

The walls you built around yourself after Nayeon shake and crumble underneath the feather light touch and coziness she presented to you. A feeling so pure and ethereal encompassed you so tightly that it was almost horrifying how close you let her get so quickly.

“I would love to have you as my date tonight.” noses brushing against each other, her arms resting on your shoulders before lazily falling around your neck.

Lips meeting gently, a few rapid pecks leaves your mind completely swirling in what reality was to you now. Devastation no longer bleeds through the cracks left by your past. A tenderness blankets the once dark shadows in a brightness that envelopes your entire being.

“Meet me at Momo’s when you’re done getting ready?” spoken faintly into your mouth before giving one last kiss that was more passionate than the few before. Both of you having trouble pulling away from each other, tension so taut that even a piano wire wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure.

“I’ll see you soon.”

—

Settling on black slacks that taper down the legs, a black button down, and a black blazer to wear to the banquet. You were invited before by Jeongyeon herself, you accepted the invitation assuming you’d be going with Nayeon. That was obviously no longer the case.

Momo had tried to convince you to go anyway, despite Nayeon and Jihyo being there and you were very undecided about going. Not wanting to interact with someone you found to be so cruel, you pushed off making the decision until Momo put the idea in your head that you could, in fact, go with someone else.

Standing in front of the mirror, making sure you looked acceptable for the black tie event, you can’t help but dive into your thoughts about how much had actually changed within the last month.

You hadn’t really thought about what life would look like without Nayeon but maybe it wasn’t so bad. The past month had been a whirlwind of many emotions and even through the weight of them, it felt good to see the little parts of you that she had consumed and tried to destroy.

Even in the anxious mindset of being around her again, you were going to show up to this event and have a good time.There would be barriers between the two of you and it was a larger event, so it’s not like you had to be near her. This thought brings you peace.

Walking through the kitchen, throwing your dress shoes on, and grabbing your keys before swinging the door open to see a dolled up Nayeon standing in front of you. It’s almost like she knew exactly what you were going to wear, showing up in a very similar outfit, unintentionally matching with the person you wish to never see again.

Blood runs warm immediately, you roll your eyes before stepping outside and shutting the door behind you. Eye meeting before you brush past her, aiming to get away from her. You start walking to your car when you hear an agitated huff at you.

“Can you just talk to me, please?” perturbation refracts off the early evening sky as it emanates from her mouth at the chill of the air.

“No. Go Away.” matching the temperature of the brisk weather surrounding the confrontation.

Nayeon’s heels clicking on the concrete behind you, trying to match your pace to try and get your attention.

“Y/n, please just listen to what I have to say!” voice cracking as she cries out to you.

Whipping around to face her promptly, causing her to almost crash into you. The closeness makes you cringe in disgust. You can feel her breath on her skin. Struggling to take a very large step back, Nayeon’s hands trying to hold onto your waist trying to keep you near. You’re at your breaking point.

“Nayeon, I am so fucking tired of this! I want you to leave me alone! I don’t want to be with you, I don’t want to talk to you, and I sure as hell do not want you showing up at my apartment!” pointing your key directly at her face in a sign of disrespect, tearing into the pitiful stranger that stood before you.

“ Nothing is there anymore, do you understand?!” irreversible truths spat in the direction of someone who was just a memory in your mind.

Giving your words a second to sink seer into her, Nayeon’s eyes well up. Finally understanding that this was the fatal blow. The end.

You soften at the sight of her tears, knowing that it was probably hard to hear even if it was her actions that caused this division between the two of you.

“After this moment, I never want you to show up unannounced or try to convi-”

“I called you earlier, it wasn’t unannounced!” sneered back at you in a tone you weren’t familiar with. Venomous in nature and sour in flavor.

“And I told you not to come! So why the fuck are you here?!” matching that same irritation she threw at you.

She’s in your face now, screaming at you.

“Because I knew you were lying! AND know who was here…” sharply slices the air, creating an even deeper wound.

“Who even are you?...Where I am and who I am with are not your concern anymore. I’m finally feeling some sense of self for the first time in a long time and you can’t even let me have aunty fucking peace!” clamoring through the sounds of the busy street near the lot where your car was located.

“Just leave me alone, Nayeon…I really just want you to let me live my life without you.” bittersweetly spoken in a sense of calm.

A failed attempt to keep your voice steady haunts you while getting in your car, starting it and driving off to Momo’s house. Leaving Nayeon in the parking lot of your apartment, absolutely speechless and seething.

Pulling into the driveway, you just sit for a second. Needing a minute to gather yourself after that confrontation.

All of the emotions of the last month flood back to you immediately and tears are running down your face without care, stinging in the grief that exhausted you to the point of mental break. Nayeon really wouldn’t leave you alone, she knew where you lived, she knew who you were with, and she threw it all back in your face because she didn’t get what she wanted.

Another layer of betrayal peels off the once rose colored love you had for this person. Seeing her for who she actually was really shook you to your core. Nausea builds in your stomach, an all too familiar feeling as the reminisce of the ache returns full force.

Unable to help yourself, you sob into your shaky hands. All that time, wasted and all the heartbreak suffered just to end up right back at Momo and Dahyun’s house crying, again.

The front door is faintly tugged open and rapidly closed, a shadow on the porch shivering with a cellphone in hand. Your eyes are too hazy and tear filled to even register who it was. Simply hoping they didn’t look in the driveway and find you trying to regulate your breathing in the safety of your car.

Buzzing in your pocket momentarily pulls you out of the fog, reaching for it immediately and glancing down at the lit up screen. A single penguin emoji graced your screen, you answered without even thinking about your state of being.

“Hello?” sniffling into the microphone and blinking rapidly to clear your tears from your field of vision, letting them fall down your cheeks and landing in your lap.

“Y/n?? What’s wrong? Where are you?” panicked immediately.

You can see the shadow by the door growing restless as it paces, head tilted down, arms crossed.

“I’m in Momo’s driveway, I just need a second.” a deep breath through your lips and a shaky exhale makes the shadow by the door stop in their tracks.

“I want to give you the space you need but I do hate that you’re upset. Is there anything I can do for you while you are calming down?” very composed in the face of your stress, your heart flutters at the thought of Mina hugging you through this.

Turning the keys to shut the car off, pulling the handle and swinging the door open, stepping out smoothly. The shadow turns around, you hang up the phone and hastily walk over to it.

Mina sees the look on your face and takes a single step forward, trying not to rush you and overwhelm you, knowing you just asked for space. The closer you get, the more you see the delicate sadness framed in her eyes.

Taking large strides to reach her sooner, she lifts her arms up in anticipation of you falling into them and you did just that. Resting your head on her shoulder, fighting more tears now that you feel safe, you hold her around the waist and as close to you as possible.

Mina just holds you, tracing small soft patterns on the back of your neck, letting you just relax into her. Nuzzling your nose into her neck and inhaling puts your body at ease. Slowly your muscles start to unclench, a sigh of relief leaves you slowly.

Pulling away from her just enough to kiss her, smiling into the lock of your lips. She happily kisses you back before resting her forehead on yours. Wiping the tears from your cheeks with a feather light swipe of her thumb that morphs into her cupping your face.

“What happened, love?” concerned at the state you showed up in, looking into your swollen reddened eyes, searching for the answer to her question.

“Uhm…well, Nayeon showed up to my apartment and wanted to talk to me.”

“And what did she say?” trying to fight the fire that filled her eyes, even if it wasn’t present on her face.

“We honestly argued…She said she knew you were there…and that she wanted me to listen to her…I told her to leave me alone. Then I drove here…She’s never spoken to me like that before.” another sharp sniffle cuts the silence as she processes the information just given to her.

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry you were put in that position.” rubbing small circles on your back.

“I hate that she knows where I live. I wish I would’ve turned my location off. I don’t like that she can just…show up like that.” voice quivering with a hint of rage before Mina proposes an idea.

“Stay with me tonight then.”

“I don’t want to impo-”

“Y/n…” leaning into you once more to connect your lips, passionately tugging on your blazer while your hands roam up to the back of her neck.

Quickly turning into something more than a kiss, her tongue swipes the bottom of your lip and moves in sync with yours for a moment. Mina starts to pull your tucked in shirt out of your slacks, sliding her finger along your stomach to tease you a little when the front door flies open.

“Hey, Mina did you talk wi- OH?” Momo shouts out when she sees the steamy scene happening in front of her. Both you and Mina turn beat red and separate, ears hot in embarrassment about being caught and knowing that Momo is going to make fun of you for it later.

“Sorry to interrupt! Should I go back inside or?” playfully teasing the two of you when Dahyun emerges from the house.

“Are you guys ready? Our car should be here any second…is everything okay?” asked through the awkwardness of the situation, taking note of your untucked shirt and how close you and Mina are to each other, beat red complexion gracing both of you.

“Yes, we are.” Mina reached for your hand to let them know that the two of you were more than what was previously thought. Dahyun and Momo smile at the sight of what’s blooming right in front of them.

“Alright let’s go eat some good ass food and get a new building for that shelter.” Momo raises her hands to cheer as she walks down the driveway towards the SUV that just pulled up.

Dahyun takes a step forward, looking back at you and Mina.

“You know…This,” pointing between the two of you.

“This is cute.” grinning briefly before walking down the driveway.

“Do you want another minute?” Mina asks, squeezing your hand gently.

“No, I’m feeling much calmer now…and yes.”

“Yes?” quizzically repeated back to you.

“Yes, I’ll stay with you tonight.” leaning in to place one last kiss on her perfect lips.

“LET’S GO!” Momo yells from the end of the driveway causing you both to giggle into each other before you walk hand in hand towards the car, now way more excited for what the evening held.

—

Tremendously elegant crystal chandeliers hang from the hand painted ceiling of the venue, a calm murmur of the crowd buzzing in your ears as you step into the mix, still hand in hand with Mina.

Jeongyeon is greeting people as they walk in and thanking them for coming before they walk through the gallery of what was to be auctioned off. Patiently waiting to get signed in, you finally have the opportunity to admire your date.

Makeup naturally laid onto her face, her hair is down and wavy to the middle of her back. Fixating on her lips for a moment, the shape of them now burnt into your brain as it clouds with flashes of that which took place at Momo and Dahyun’s house.

Your eyes slowly make their way down her body to find black satin fabric cascading down her, stopping mid thigh. Eyes tracing back up to her sleeves that cover the middle of her arms with her perfect shoulders bare. The concave of her collarbones almost sends you into a spiral when her head pivots and catches you red handed, gawking over her.

A small step taken towards her, threading your fingers together loosely before taking a purposefully big step forward in line, turning around and facing her as she follows. Fingers rotating to a more comfortable position but never leaving each other's grip.

Mina leans into you, arm placed around your waist and chin resting on your shoulder. A big sigh is expelled from her when you place your cheek on the side of her head.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you how stunning you look tonight.” whispered to her through the low bustling surrounding you as it slowly fades out. She removes her head from your shoulder, keeping a close distance, bringing a hand up to hold your face before laying a small kiss on your lips, smiling immediately at you.

“It’ll be hard for me to keep my hands off of you in this little suit you’re wearing, you look too good. Maybe later I can show you what I mean.” sultry and suggestive in tone.

Mina skims her lips along the underside of your jaw, kissing right below the ear when someone approaches you both, breaking the moment before it could go any farther.

“Uhm…Hi, guys?” Tzuyu is visibly confused at what she’s seeing, looking at the intimate way you are interacting with each other. She visibly shakes the curiosity out of her head as the three of you step forward again, place being next in line.

“Have you guys seen Jihyo? I haven’t seen her or Nayeon tonight. I’m a little worried because she hasn’t texted me back since the day before yesterday.

Oh, shit…Tzuyu doesn’t know…Mina looks up at you to find you flushed pale, brows furrowed and eyes unable to keep still.

“We haven’t seen her yet but if we do, we will definitely let her know you’re looking for her.” gummy smile followed. Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth.

“Tzu! Mina! Y/n!...Y/n?! I didn’t think you were coming!” exclaimed with her arms up.

Letting go of Mina and throwing your arms around Jeongyeon for a big bear hug. She notices your anxiety immediately but doesn’t draw attention to it.

“Well, I couldn’t miss your birthday! Or this amazing event! Seriously, this is so amazing. I’m so proud of the hard work you all put in.” sweetly said with an elbow to Jeongyeon’s rib.

“Thanks, god why are you so sappy today?” poking back at you, playful as always, confusion in her eyes about your attempt to hide the discomfort you were feeling.

“That means everyone is here except Jihyo. Have you seen her?” Directing her attention to Mina and Tzu for a moment before worry spreads across Jeongyeon’s face when she sees Tzuyu shake her head no.

“I tried to call her earlier but I think her phone is off…I hope she’s alright. This is very unlike her.” Jeongyeon pulls her phone out to look for a sign that Jihyo is okay and you feel completely guilty.

You can’t bring yourself to tell her what you know, not willing to ruin the happiness of tonight with the uncomfortable knowledge that Jihyo is probably still in jail, or at least in severe trouble with the company.

A moment of silence lingers as you all sign in for the auction before stepping into the gallery of what was being auctioned off.

You walk the halls and follow the glass cases set up for viewing. Various outfits from music videos, solo stages, and performances including TV appearances, autographed pictures and other various items scattered throughout.

Having a hard time focusing on these moments in Twice’s history, hating the idea that you knew uncomfortable information that was being sought after. The pit of your stomach deepens, waving in anxiety even though you know who should be where Jihyo was. Where ever she was.

Walking through the big double doors of the grandiose ballroom, many vendors and members of the staff line the floor with tables, animals that are up for adoption, donations booths, and an information center where you can find out how to help other local shelters with their needs.

Heartwarming that they’d go through so much effort to help the community they lived in, it truly was an honor to be a part of this, even with the guilt. It was a sight to see.

Finding your seats at the table you were assigned to, 10 seats around a table that was lavishly set with perfectly shining silverware, white plates contrasting the black napkins adorning them. Your seat is between Momo and Mina, thankfully.

Jeongyeon takes her place on the stage as everyone else falls slowly into their seats. Nayeon walks up to the table with minimal eye contact and waves to everyone. Mina is gripping your leg under the table, knowing how uncomfortable you must feel with her sitting right across from you, especially after the confrontation that took place earlier in the day.

Everyone is silent as Jeongyeon makes her opening speech, thanking everyone for coming to support a good cause and briefly reliving memories about volunteering at the shelter. Mentioning how kind the staff was and how much care was put into loving these animals that didn’t have homes yet. The light dim as she steps to the side for a video to play.

The presentation about the shelter starts by following the early years of the shelter being open, and some of the pets they had saved. Stories about the staff and the volunteers who made the hard days bearable. By the time it was finished, everyone was sniffling and giving a standing ovation.

“Please enjoy the dinner the chefs have prepared for you! The auction will start at 7pm so please have a great time until then!” Jeongyeon exclaims and then claps with the crowd before finding her seat at the table with the awkward silence.

Poking at your food, you have a hard time eating even though it is delicious. Anxiety keeps you from devouring the meal in front of you as the girls talk around you. Mina leans over to you and checks in every now and then, just to make sure you’re okay.

The second time she leans over to you, she is interrupted by a loud, harsh voice.

“I get that we aren’t together but can you stop doing whatever this is, in front of me? Kind of rude, don't you think?” sneered to you and Mina across the table.

“Nayeon, not now.” Momo tries to hush her but she persists.

“You think she can do for you what I did? You think she can be who you need her to be for you?! WE are supposed to be here together, not you and Mina! Mina, of all people!” aggressively throwing her hands as she berates Mina in front of everyone.

The entire table looks at her in disbelief, unable to understand why she is reacting this way and more importantly why she was doing it in public. Tzuyu looks at you and Mina, and then back at Nayeon who is visibly enraged at the sight of you together.

Jeongyeon just stares at her in silence, Dahyun can’t seem to find a comfortable seat in her chair, Chaeyoung and Sana are trying to talk among themselves to avoid the conversation but Sana is staring daggers at Nayeon.

“I bet she doesn’t fuck like I do or do you need another reminder of how I fuck you?” Nayeon is now standing, palms down on the table, and leaning forward suggestively. Everyone around the table looks at her with absolute disgust.

“I can’t believe you wouldn’t want to work on thi-”

“ENOUGH!” abruptly leaves your chest. Loud enough to silence the tables around you, jaw clenching in fury. Everyone turns their attention towards you, surprised at the tone you took.

Mina is continuing to eat but places her hand in yours, resting it on your thigh in an act of comfort. She’s politely chewing her food when she looks directly at you, giving you a look that could only be described as “If you don’t, I will.” They need to know.

“Nayeon, why don’t you tell everyone where Jihyo is?” spat at her venomously through a tense demeanor.

“Y/n…I- I don’t know what you mean. H- How should I know? ” stammering now that she has lost control of the conversation.

“Oh, sure you do!... Weren’t you with her last night?” aggressively questioning her, dropping little bombs of knowledge on everyone around you.

“Wait, I thought you were here setting up last night…you said you couldn’t come over because of that…” Tzuyu with a saddened tone speaks up through the words being ping ponged across the table..

Mina is just smiling next to you, watching as everyone is realizing that they had been lied to.

“Y/n, shut the fuck up!” growled at you.

Momo, Dahyun, and Mina start chuckling at the sliver of panic Nayeon was showing, while everyone else just gawks at her for speaking to you the way she was.

“You haven’t told them yet? Actually, here’s a better question…Why does everyone think we split up?” almost taunting her, dangling the question in front of everyone, hoping they would take the bait.

“You never did tell us exactly why you broke up…” Chaeyoung is now fully present for the conversation. Sana looks cross, probably from the way Nayeon spoke about Mina. Her arms covering her chest, waiting for Nayeon to explain herself.

Silence fills the void once more, everyone is staring at Nayeon, waiting for her explanation of what was going on. Panicked in her movements, unable to make eye contact with anyone, she curls into herself. A defense mechanism that you were all too familiar with.

Standing up from your seat, placing your napkin on the table, tucking your chair back underneath and resting your arms on the back of your chair before dropping the truth on all of the members who didn’t know.

“Since you aren’t interested in telling the truth…”

“Y/n, please…we can talk about this later” through clenched teeth, Nayeon tries to get you to stop your sentence in it’s tracks.

“I don’t want to speak to you at all. There is no later.” a bite back against her attempt in control.

“Jihyo isn’t here because of you, you should tell them! After all, don’t you want to claim her since you’ve been sleeping with her behind my back this entire time?”

An audible gasp from everyone who was unaware of the situation, shock covering their faces as Nayeon’s ears heat up and beam red.

“Nayeon, are you fucking serious?” Sana being the first to speak up, completely surprised that her elder would do such a thing.

Your chest tightens as you watch the consequences of her actions come out to smite her down. Feeling overwhelmed that you had to hold her accountable to her closest friends and ruin the perception they had of her.

“Sorry you had to find out this way. “

Swiftly walking away from the situation and fighting your way through the waves of people, shoulder clashing as you make haste away from the strain you put on their relationship.

Having a hard time breathing, the panic creeping in. Ducking off to a side room that wasn’t in use, closing the door behind you and taking a set of massive breaths. Trying to regulate yourself from the excessive cortisol in your body, guilt and dread combine to create the feeling of someone sitting on your ribcage.

In attempts to bring yourself back down to a reasonable level, you take in your surroundings.

The room is average size with bookshelves built into the walls, filled to the brim with colorful leather laced in gold and silver accents. A dark wood desk sits facing the door, paired with a big leather office chair behind it. Two large glass doors on the far wall that part in the middle to a balcony that oversees a beautiful garden.

Deep breath in, exhale.

Repeating yourself over and over again when you hear a soft knock on the door and a silvery voice speaking your name through your own huffing. You’d recognize that tone anywhere.

Leaning over to the side, hand missing the knob once before landing on it, twisting it to let Mina in. She immediately hugs you before you hear the latch click shut. She pulls back to look into your eyes, gripping your upper arms with an empathetic look as she studies your current state.

Realizing that you are having a hard time keeping yourself calm, she goes back to holding you. Her head on your shoulder and hand tracing up your spine to the base of your neck, twirling your hair to give you something else to focus on besides Nayeon’s outburst.

“It’s okay…It’s alright. You’ve done nothing wrong, okay? You are safe here.” cooed to you from your own arms as Mina tries to get you to come back to her from your panic attack. It’s working better than anything else ever did.

Breath slowly going back to normal, you lean into her touch, calming down in Mina’s arms was easy. She made hard things seem so trivial and unimportant. You put your entire face into her neck, she giggles in your ear. The ethereal woman fitting perfectly into you.

“Better?” not willing to let go until the answer was given.

Another deep breath and a nod of your head, she releases you from the hug and starts fixing your blazer and hair, tucking a strand behind your ear before smirking at you. She kisses you quickly.

“I’m proud of you, Y/n. I know that was probably very hard for you to sa-“

The door flies open, knob hitting the wall with a loud crash causing the both of you to jump and swing your heads towards the sound.

Nayeon steps in calmly, using her bag to push the door closed behind her as it bounces back at her, slamming shut. A dent in the wall from where the knob smacked it harshly, chipped paint on the floor at the sheer force used to open it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Can you just leave me alone, Nayeon!? Isn’t this enough for you?!” breaking apart from Mina for a second, scooting in front of her. This wasn’t her argument to have and you weren’t going to let her put herself in the middle anymore than she already had.

“I think it’s funny” Nayeon starts as she paces, “that you two end up here. Together. Was this always your plan, Mina? To steal my girlfriend from me?” lowly spoken towards both of you, malice very present in her demeanor, stepping deeper into the office space.

Your eyes follow her every move, not familiar with this flavor she was expressing. You’ve seen her act many ways but this tone and body language were unfamiliar, setting off alarms in your head that you needed to get you and Mina as far away from her as possible.

“Nayeon, you don’t have a sa-”

“Shut the fuck up, Y/n!” snarled loud enough to feel the vibrations of her voice in your chest.

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Mina shouts, stepping out from behind you to confront Nayeon with you, not allowing you to do this on your own.

“You can’t just manipulate your way out of this, Nayeon.” slithers through Mina’s lips and wraps around Nayeon’s throat.

Nayeon is just smiling calmly. It’s eerie the way she’s silent, almost threatening. She reaches into her bag without taking her eyes off Mina, swiftly pulling something small out of it and pointing it right between your eyes.

Your blood immediately runs cold. Chest tightening, heartbeat felt in every inch of your skin as you stare down the barrel of a 9mm handgun held by someone who seemed very ready to pull the trigger.

Hands fly above your head instinctively, gulping loudly in the face of the muzzle. Sweat beads up on your forehead, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation.

“Nayeon! What the fuck are you doing?!” Mina screamed while taking a step towards her. Nayeon pulls the hammer down, the sound of the bullet loading into the chamber makes every muscle in your back stiffen, cracking your vertebrae under the tension.

“One more step and I’ll shoot, I’m sure you wouldn’t want that. Would you, Mina?” an evil cackle erupts her throat as she continues slowly pacing around the two of you.

You watch her circle like a shark, following her movements as she keeps the gun pointed at your head. Stomach churning, just trying to keep from making sudden movements.

Nayeon sees the terror in your face and winces. Observing her face to look for signs she was actually going to pull the trigger when you see it. Her eyes soften for a moment, hands lightly starting to shake as she breaks.

“Why wouldn’t you come back to me?!” tears are falling down her cheeks now, sniffling through her sentence; the distraught predator circling her fearful prey.

“Why would you choose her?!” Shouted while carelessly pointing the gun at Mina, finger on the trigger with her face contorting into a version of her you did not know.

Mina flinches through Nayeon’s display, jumping every time the firearm is pointed at her. Her hands are visibly shaking as Mina takes a small step back, holding her breath and shutting her eyes.

“Nayeon…maybe you should put the gun down and we can talk about this. There’s no need for something so extreme.” calmly making small movements towards her. She aggressively points the gun back at you.

Her eyes drowning her face in tears, sucking air sharply between her teeth and holding her breath. Rage, despair, and insanity creep out onto her face, slowly dripping in unison her tears.

“If I can’t have you…no one can.” Rapidly swinging the gun and pointing it right at Mina. .

You immediately dive towards Nayeon, the gun goes off before you hit the ground. The window across from you shatters, small shards of glass scatter across the floor underneath you.

A crunch inside her torso causes her to shriek out in agony. You try to wrestle the gun out of her hand, she tugs down roughly on the back of your neck with her free hand, bringing your faces closer together. Manically laughing at you and smiling.

Kubrick stare prominently on her brow as something blunt hits the back of your head, vision blurring her into two. You collapse on top of her and use as much of your weight as you can to keep her pinned to the floor and away from Mina. This falters quickly with your eyes crossing, dizzying you to the point of being unable to focus.

The sting on your scalp is almost unbearable. Liquid warmth oozes out of the wound, pooling quickly and saturating your hair before cascading down and dripping onto Nayeon’s face and the floor around it.

Nayeon pushes you off of her onto your back. The floor temperature cools you, still unable to stand when Nayeon stands up, wincing at every movement, and places one of her heels on your chest, pinning you down as you gasp for air.

Your own blood is seeping through your shirt as the puddle underneath you grows. You’re suddenly tired, so sleepy. Fighting your eyes to stay open through this.

“Don’t worry, baby! I’ll get you all fixed up once I take care of this little problem.” grimly ridiculing her intentions.

“Nayeon, you can’t do this!” Choked out through sobs. Mina looks down at you bleeding on the floor, trying to keep a sense of poise in the face of pure terror.

Nayeon opens her mouth to reply to Mina, you slam your fist into the back of her knee on the leg holding her above you before she can get her words out. She yelps out as her back slams against the floor, wind knocking out of her and the gun sliding out of your sight.

Nayeon screams in agony and rage as she crawls over to you, smearing the blood leaking out from underneath you as she reaches you. Your life force coating her hands,

She straddles your hips, you struggle underneath her too weak to push her off. She cocks her fist back and swings full force at your face, connecting to your jaw. Blood mists out of your mouth as your head is forced to the side. The droplets are audibly hitting the ground as the audible gasp is ripped from you.

Nayeon throws another punch, wrath seeping from her pores as she swings again and again, slamming her hand down on your chest in an act of pure outrage.

She gets up from your lap, knuckles bruised, crazy eyes, and in search of the weapon that was out of sight.

Unable to focus your eyes, lids fluttering, choking on the blood in your mouth. You try to roll over and stand. A swift kick to the gut knocks the wind out of you. The cry stolen from you. The air depleting from your lungs is overshadowed by a combination of crying and laughing.

A gunshot rings out, ringing in your ears blocks out all other sounds. Eyes still trying to gain some form of stability as Nayeon falls to her knees in front of you, clutching her abdomen. Mouth wide open and tears falling, seemingly screaming out in pain when you feel warmth touching your face.

Head lifting to be placed in Mina’s lap, one hand putting pressure on the wound on the back of your head. Her lips are moving as she looks down at you, seemingly mouthing your name as she tries to get you to focus on her. Eyes fighting to stay fixated on her as you fade in and out of consciousness.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, the sounds muffled as your hearing slowly starts to regenerate, still ringing when you hear your name frantically called over the high pitched ring and muted screams.

“Y/n! Y/n! Look at me, it’s going to be okay! We are going to get you ou-”

A loud bang echoes against every fiber of your being, reducing your hearing back to nothing. You strain your eyes as hard as you can to focus on Mina, who is completely frozen. Looking over in a daze to see Nayeon, hand over her wound, slouched in the corner with the smoking gun in her hand pointed at Myoui Mina.

The vibration in your throat tears your vocal chords as you scream out, unable to hear the sheer terror emitting from you as you see the red leaking out of her chest. Mina goes pale, tears spilling rapidly as her breathing picks up.

You try to reach out with the last stitch of energy you have but fail, fading into total and complete darkness.

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