Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Okay, what did you do this time?” Wonwoo asks without even looking at you, fresh out of his bathroom already fit in a white dress shirt while busy trying to tie a proper necktie for once.

You snicker at him, pretending to be offended as you stand up from his bed and make your way to where he’s at in front of the mirror before you slap his hand away so you can do it for him. “What, I can’t see my best friend first thing in the morning?”

“You, princess?” he quirks an eyebrow, though the teasing smile on his face always reminds you that he never means offense. “You only come to my place in the morning after an episode with your parents.”

“Wrong,” you cheerfully remark, your hand pats the perfectly tied necktie on his chest. “I also come if it’s not morning because my parents scold me everytime they have the chance.”

Wonwoo whispers a quick thanks as he ruffles your hair, making his way to the kitchen with you trailing behind him.

You’ve always loved Wonwoo’s penthouse, not only because it has a beautiful view of the city, but because Wonwoo lives only by himself. He has a helper that would come when he’s at work, helping him clean and tidy his place, already gone before he’s returned. This means Wonwoo’s place is… quiet, and it’s out of anyone’s prying eyes.

It’s serene and you consider it more home than your own condo. You probably sleep here more than there too.

“That’s because you always make problems for them,” he laughs, taking out two bowls and placing them in front of you on the kitchen island. “What did they make you do this time?”

“Another marriage prospect,” you pout as you take the spoon for him. He turns away to take two boxes of cereal, and then puts the other back to the cabinet when you point at the Oreo Oz. “Why are they obsessed with getting me married?”

“Because you refuse to learn your family’s business ropes and take over?” he says like a broken record. Wonwoo doesn’t agree with the way your parents think; he doesn’t get why they still feel the need to marry you off because you don’t want to take over their business. You’ve even told them Jeonghan would be the better choice, because your cousin actually likes the business and he’s already the Chief of Finance now–why would they hand the company over to you who has no idea how to run a business just because your father is the first son?

“Won, I only know how to handle the GM post at most,” you whine pitifully, watching him pour the milk to your bowl. “I don’t want the responsibility over a company. It’d only fall under my hand.”

Wonwoo sighs, already used to this particular complaint because it happens at least twice a month. If he’s being completely honest, he knows you’re capable to even take the director seat if you want; but you’ve never wanted to devote yourself to the company and Wonwoo knows the most you’d accept is the head department position if it comes to it.

He takes the seat next to you and then spins the stool you’re sitting at so you’d look at him. “You know I don’t agree with them. But we’re all aware they think getting you married to another wealthy family would be the better option if you’re not going to take over yourself.”

“They are just really into their wealth, huh?” you mumble to yourself, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. “I’m just there to make sure their business expands somehow.”

He bites back another sigh at your words, well aware that your family, and a lot of other families in this high class society, only care about their status and whatnots instead of the happiness of their children. He’s lucky that his family still lets him do what he wishes; they didn’t even blink an eye when he said he wanted to learn photography, even supported him when he got into an exhibition. He knows a lot of parents in their circle would see it as a waste of time when he could’ve studied stocks and traded them instead, or perhaps played golf to find connections.

But Wonwoo also knows it’s because, ultimately, he has promised he wouldn’t abandon their family business and he’d still be a part of it no matter where his interest lies. Plus, his older brother is pretty reliable and he’s set to take over just about anytime. Wonwoo isn’t that ambitious, and he gladly accepts the offer to be one of the directors because it’s actually less hassle than the president director position Jinyoung is going to claim.

“Because they don’t know any better,” Wonwoo softly says. “You matter more than that, princess.”

You cringe at the nickname, making Wonwoo laugh at your scrunched nose. It’s a stupid nickname Jinyoung made for you when you were kids, because you’re the only girl in their circle and you always insisted on wearing a dress everytime you played with them.

Wonwoo knows it annoys you and, being the best friend that he is, he keeps the nickname even though everyone else has stopped calling you that once you turned six. You don’t mind if he uses it when he’s being annoying, but not when he’s using that comforting tone of his.

It’s weird and you have yet to discover the reason for the strange feeling in your stomach everytime he does that.

“Why can’t I marry you?” you absentmindedly say as you stir the cereal in your bowl, not noticing the way Wonwoo holds his breath at your words. The question seems to trigger something within you though, because you immediately sit straight and look at him in the eyes. “Wait. Why don’t I marry you?”

“Because you don’t see me that way?” he answers calmly, pretending like your question didn’t just send him into a spiral of emotions.

“What, as if I’d see anyone they set me up with that way,” you brush off. “Better you than any of them. Why can’t I marry you? Am I not pretty enough, Won?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m most definitely not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not!” you huff in annoyance. “You fit in every category they want for a son-in-law. Plus, they already know you and your family so they’d have no choice but to agree. Not to forget that Father likes your dad so much.”

Wonwoo rubs his temple–it’s barely 8 in the morning and you’re proposing marriage to him, unaware of how long he’s been in love with you all this time. He doesn’t know if he should be glad that you’re this dense, but right now, it’s just plain annoying because you don’t know what your words do to him.

“You don’t want to marry me,” he says at last, and you know it’s the end of the conversation because Wonwoo rarely calls you by your name unless he’s making a point. “You know me and I’m not going to be a good husband.”

“You always take care of me though,” you frown, confused. “More than anyone ever does, if we’re counting. Whoever they pair me with, I’m sure they won’t be able to understand me as much as you do.”

He shakes his head again, telling you to stop thinking about it because it’s just not possible and you’re spewing nonsense.

“Is it because you already have a girlfriend?” you shoot out of nowhere, making Wonwoo choke on his cereal. You quickly pat his back and hand him a glass of water after you make sure he’s fine.

“That you don’t know about?” he dryly asks, fixing his glasses. “I’m not crazy enough to have a girlfriend and not tell you. You’d murder me in my sleep.”

“Good boy,” you grin at his words, patting him on the cheek as you do so, missing the way Wonwoo softly exhales the moment you return to your cereal.

If only you knew.

*

“My favorite cousin!” you announce your arrival at Jeonghan’s place, immediately going to Jeonghan himself and hug him tightly. Shua looks betrayed, but you just giggle as you hug him after that.

“I thought I’m your favorite cousin?” Shua scoffs dramatically.

“Maybe if you’re a candidate that can replace me taking over Yoon Holdings,” you shrug nonchalantly, earning a laugh from both of them.

Jeonghan and Shua are your cousins, two of the very few people that you hold dear in your life. Funnily enough, they’re actually not related by blood; because Jeonghan’s a cousin from your father’s side while Shua’s from your mother.

One day, you’re bored and you randomly called the both of them to go wakeboarding with you because the weather called for water sports and you didn’t see why not. You had figured one of them would be busy, which was why you thought you should just text them both at once and see which one would be free. Surprisingly, the two of them were and that’s how their friendship began.

Now, they’re close enough to the point where they’re living together in Jeonghan’s place because Shua’s studio is nearby and he couldn’t be bothered to buy another place in the area.

“Nope,” Shua pops the ‘p’. “I’m too in love with my studio to be able to do that. Plus, your grandfather literally built the company and Jeonghan’s a good choice.”

“Lucky you,” you pout. “My mom would go batshit crazy if I told her I wanted to build an art studio and run it myself instead of continuing the family business.”

“Your mom did try to convince me it was a bad idea. And you do know I still had to take Masters in Business and I did work in the main branch for a few years,” Shua reminds you. “But I really am lucky because dad’s company is in the fashion industry and Somi is more than willing to get into it. That’s why they eventually let me open my studio–maybe they think it’ll be good too for the company’s image.”

“Oh, it’s been sometime since I saw your sister,” you remark absentmindedly. “And I am working in Yoon Holdings, I just don’t want to take over the company.”

Jeonghan plops down next to you and hands you an iced chocolate that you happily take, muttering something about having it delivered once you say you’re dropping by. “See? Favorite cousin.”

Shua rolls his eyes, though there’s an amused smile on his face. You’ve always been his favorite cousin, maybe it’s also because he only has a total of five cousins in total including you; the other four are from his father’s side and he barely even knows them because they’re too high up on their horses.

But beyond that, Shua is used to taking care of you since you were kids, treating you like an older brother that he is. You’ve always been fiery as a kid, making troubles here and there that he has to either fish you out of them or take care of the aftermath. That part of you hasn’t changed, but he’s kind of glad that you don’t lose it either because it means that chaebol life hasn’t sucked you in.

“Anyway, why are you here? Wonwoo’s too busy?” Jeonghan asks, busy scrolling through his email from his iPad.

“I have a meeting later this afternoon and I’m bored,” you say as you lean on his shoulder. “Plus, I know you’re working from home today.”

Jeonghan and Shua look at you pointedly, and you pout as you admit Wonwoo has an important meeting at the moment and you can’t possibly bother him. Your cousin hums at that before leaning his head back on you. “Meeting for the annual party?”

“Yup,” you slurp on your drink. “I’ve been made project manager, but it’s still the first meeting so I figure I don’t really have anything to prepare. Could just refer to last year’s party because I managed that one too.”

Shua looks at you curiously, only speaking out what’s on his mind when you shoot him a ‘what?’ with your eyes. “You’re pretty good at that, aren’t you? You’re always in charge when the company is holding big events.”

“It’s better than sitting behind the desk all the time,” you shrug as you cling closer to Jeonghan. Your cousin nudges you just for the sake of it, and then chuckles when you hit his arm in annoyance. “Plus, it’s the only way my parents will lay it off even a little. They’re still annoyed that I don’t want to take the Heads positions, but at least I’m still working under the company and being the project manager for big events means they get to say I take care of everything and all that. Imagery and publicity, you know.”

“Well, but you are good,” Jeonghan reminds you softly. “They wouldn’t let you manage all of those events if you prove to be bad at it. You even take care of the charity dinner, don’t you?”

“Yes and I made sure there won’t be vegetables except for the appetizers and garnish,” you grin happily, the kind of grin that makes Shua remember how much alike you and Jeonghan are. “Well, unless the guests are vegan or have certain diets, we obviously have to accommodate them.”

“When’s the charity dinner again?” Shua asks.

“Was supposed to be this month. But Wonwoo’s busy so I made up reasons about why it should be next month instead because I don’t want to be surrounded by these people without him.”

Jeonghan and Shua share a look at that, wondering how you could be so blind over how dependent you are with your best friend. Or maybe you are aware of it but you simply think it’s normal to be that way because he is your best friend. Either way, the cousin duo can only feel so bad for Wonwoo who clearly considers you more than that.

“Wait, next month?” Jeonghan pulls away from you.

“I’ll be fine,” you shake his worry away, already knowing what he’s going to bring up. “I promised your mom I’d take care of your parents’ thirty fifth wedding anniversary and I’m still doing it.”

He frowns disapprovingly at you, and you look at him in confusion as it’s unclear what gets him this upset. “So you’re going to take care of the charity dinner, my parents’ anniversary, and the preparation for the company’s annual party in the same month? You’ll wear out!”

“The charity dinner’s prep is practically done, Han,” you reassure him. “I just need to make sure everything’s going as planned. Maybe one last meeting before D-day. And for the other two, I can handle two events at once. It’s hardly the first time.”

Your cousin’s about to rebut, but his work phone rings and he groans at his secretary’s name blinking on the screen. He narrows his eyes at you before walking away to take the phone, telling you he’s not done with this.

“He’s right, you know?” Shua speaks up, eyeing you in concern. Despite exclaiming to not wanting to have anything to do with the company, you’re weirdly excited when it comes to arranging events for Yoon Holdings. “You’ve been so busy these days and I don’t think you should be handling all three events at once.”

“Two,” you repeat with a huff. “The charity dinner preparation is done.”

“You know it’s never done until it’s D-day with these events.”

You glare at him, though you know his concern is valid and it’s true that you’ve been busier than you usually are. The charity dinner is always the biggest event for you personally, and as much as it is pretentious, you still find fun in arranging the event; there’s just something bigger than pride within you when you see the event going smoothly without a hitch. Plus, at least all of the money from the event will be donated to charity so you’re less reluctant about going all out.

“I’ll be fine, Josh,” you reassure him, and Shua knows your mind is made there because you only call him Josh when you’re being stern and you’re not going to listen anymore. There’s just no way to convince you otherwise. “And you know uncle and auntie always treat me well–they’re basically my parents when it comes to it. It’s the least I can do to help them prepare for their anniversary.”

“As long as you don’t forget to eat and rest properly,” he reminds you.

You don’t get the chance to answer because Jeonghan’s already back from his phone call, eyebrows furrowed as he busily types on his phone.

“You guys free this afternoon?” he asks after he’s done with his phone. “There’s this new Thai restaurant I’ve been wanting to try.”

“I’m free after 1 if you don’t mind waiting.”

You purse your lips, shaking your head at him. “Wonwoo can’t eat Thai food. Tell me if it’s good though, maybe I’ll visit with Chaeyoung one of these days.”

Your cousins once again share a knowing look with each other, wondering yet again how can you be this dense. You don’t even answer his question, but Jeonghan assumes it means you’re going to have lunch with Wonwoo today–not that it’s surprising.

“I need to go,” you stand up after checking your message, kissing them both on their cheeks as goodbye. “Gotta drop by the office before the meeting. See you!”

“When do you think she’ll notice?” Jeonghan asks after you’ve slammed the door behind you.

“About Wonwoo being in love with her?”

He rolls his eyes, calling Shua an amateur before shaking his head. “About herself being in love with him.”

Shua hums, thinking about you and Wonwoo. Between him and Jeonghan, Shua actually knows you better even though they love you just the same; you have simply spent more time with Shua since you were kids compared to Jeonghan, who you’ve only gotten close with once you’re in high school. For as long as you’ve known Wonwoo, so has Shua, because that’s just how intertwined your life and Wonwoo’s is. But while he can tell for sure that Jeon Wonwoo is in love with his cousin, he thinks it’s a little too early to say you’re in love with him too.

You’ve always been protective towards Wonwoo–more than anyone else, and you probably care about him more than you do anything in your life. But, at this moment, Shua genuinely thinks you just treasure Wonwoo so much as a person, not because you’re romantically invested in him. Still, it’s there and Shua believes your romantic interest towards the guy is just waiting to bloom.

“Are we betting?”

Jeonghan grins that cheshire grin of his, one that Shua often sees on you every time you’re planning troubles. “There’s this new Porsche coming out in a few months, but it’s not going to be distributed here yet until next year. If I win, I want that car immediately after you lose the bet.”

“Oooh, we’re going big?” Shua returns his grin, intrigued. “Then I want you to pay for my studio’s expansion if I win. I’m thinking of buying the building behind my studio and expanding.”

“Deal. How long do you think it’ll take her to notice her own feelings?”

“Are we pushing her into it or are we leaving her be?”

“The latter.”

“Six months at most,” Shua throws, surprising his friend. It’s been at least fifteen years since you’ve known Wonwoo and you presumably have no idea about his feelings til this very second… but Shua, the second person who knows you best after Wonwoo himself, is saying six months?

Jeonghan narrows his eyes at him, yet to say his own guess. “You know something that I don’t, don’t you?”

“I do talk to the older Jeon from time to time,” he answers vaguely with an annoying shrug.

Jeonghan seems to consider this for a moment before he gives him a determined nod, holding out his hand. “Three months.”

“Deal.”

Chapter Text

“Have you eaten dinner?” Wonwoo asks as he opens the door to the room you’ve claimed as yours in his penthouse. He’s just gotten back from work, and when he sees your shoes by the door, he immediately goes to your room before even washing up.

You shake your head, not even bothering to turn to him. “Too sleepy. Night, Won.”

Wonwoo smiles to himself, shaking his head in amusement before he steps inside and forces you out of the blanket. “You’re not staying over if you’re not going to eat. Shua told me you have three events to handle this month?”

You groan at the mention of your cousin, mumbling about how his mouth is too loose but immediately stops once Wonwoo gives you that pointed look. “It’s two. And I’ll just go home then.”

Your best friend sighs tiredly at your words, though he knows you don’t mean it—plus, he’s told Seungcheol, your personal guard, to go home already because Wonwoo will drive you to work tomorrow himself.

He’s seen the guy standing sturdily in front of his door earlier, and if Seungcheol’s there at this hour, it means it hasn’t been long since you’ve arrived because the guard usually left an hour or two after you told him he’s free to go.

Your driver has probably left first, already used to your arrangement with Wonwoo. But Seungcheol has only worked with you for a year at most and still feels the need to stand on guard at all time even though Wonwoo’s place has been considered safe since the beginning.

“Come on, accompany me eat at least,” Wonwoo tries again. “You’re probably here because you had too many meetings today and the last one is nearby, aren’t you?”

“Why ask if you already know?” you mumble as you reluctantly sit up on the bed before clinging yourself to his side. “Do you even know what to eat?”

Wonwoo shifts so you can lean more comfortably on him, your hair brushing his neck after you settle yourself there. “I’m just in the mood for some ramyeon, to be honest. Ordering would take too long and I’m not really in the mood to cook.”

“‘Kay,” you slowly nod, offering to make it for him despite your claim of being too tired just minute ago. “You go wash up. The ramyeon should be ready when you’re finished.”

“Thank you,” he squeezes your shoulder before letting go. “You can cook two just in case you feel like eating some. I’ll eat the rest if you can’t finish it.”

“I know, I know,” you scrunch your nose; ramyeon doesn’t sound so bad after all, and maybe you are a little hungry because you might or might not have skipped proper meals today and chose to fuel your body with nothing but bread and caffeine.

Fifteen minutes later, Wonwoo finds you playing with your phone on the dining table, two bowls of ramyeon already sit on the table.

“Can’t resist ramyeon, huh?” he jokes as he sits down across from you. His portion is a lot more than yours and he can only guess you only want to eat half the portion and place the rest in his bowl.

“I’ve only had bread and coffees since morning,” you honestly confess to him, grinning sheepishly at his disapproving eyes. “Didn’t have time to eat, Won. And you know I can’t sleep if I’m too full, else I’d be eating one full portion.”

“Why didn’t you eat earlier then?”

“I told you I’m too sleepy,” you huff. “Don’t feel like eating alone too, so I figured I might as well sleep it away.”

Wonwoo frowns once more in disapproval, and you’re already reassuring him you’re fine and you’re freer tomorrow than today so all should be okay. But Wonwoo doesn’t buy your excuse, well aware about your tendency to skip meals when you’re too busy because eating seems like a waste of time and you’d rather finish your work faster than take a break to eat when you’re in a trance.

“When did you even meet Shua?” you try to distract him.

“I didn’t. Needed to discuss something with him over the phone earlier,” he says as he stirs his noodle. “He said you dropped by their place a few days ago?”

“Yeah, I was bored and you had that shareholder meeting I think,” you shrug. “Didn’t we eat lunch together that day? Didn’t I tell you?”

Wonwoo shakes his head, taking off his glasses so it wouldn’t fog up. “You just told me you had a meeting for Yoon Holdings annual party.”

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” you easily brush away. “I wasn’t there for long anyway. Which is good because else they’d talk my ears off.”

“But they are true, princess,” he starts, already knowing what you’re referring to. “I don’t think it’s healthy to take on three projects at once like this.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you stubbornly say. “It’s only 8PM and I’m already sleepy, Won. My brain isn’t functional enough right now. You’re lucky I didn’t burn the house down making the ramyeon.”

Wonwoo holds back the urge to say that’s exactly why he doesn’t think you should be handling all these projects; that you’re already too tired and you’re going to be even more tired for days to come. But he settles for a worried sigh, making a mental note to make sure you’re at least eating proper meals everyday.

“Speaking of, is your schedule full tomorrow? I only have one meeting in the morning and then I’m free for the rest of the day,” you ask, too tired to notice the way Wonwoo gets immediately silent at your question.

“I… My mom told me to do something for her in the afternoon,” he answers after a beat. “I don’t know how long it’ll take but I’ll tell you once it’s done.”

You’d usually prod more, not because you demand Wonwoo to tell you everything he does, but because you like hearing about Wonwoo and his day. But right now, you’re barely even conscious and Wonwoo isn’t sure if he should be glad that, for once, you don’t notice the awkward hesitation in his tone when he answers you, nor the vague reason he just tells you.

“I’ll just go call Chaeyoung then,” you shrug, taking the last bite of your meal already. “Do you want to watch something after this?”

“Sure, just let me finish this real quick,” he says as he slurps his noodle. “You know, I still don’t understand why you can’t sleep after eating. Most people feel like sleeping after a meal.”

“Dunno. I just feel sick and bloated if I lie down immediately after I eat,” you explain as you lean your face on your palm, watching Wonwoo drinking up the soup.

After he’s done, he tells you to pick the movie while he cleans up after the both of you. And when he steps into the living room, you’re already buried in the blanket you’ve reserved for watching movies. You turn to him, telling him to quickly take a seat so you can start the movie already.

So Wonwoo does exactly that, slipping under the blanket next to you and prompts you to automatically latch yourself to him, your arms hugging his as your head rests on his forearm.

It’s kind of crazy that his heart would still flutter at the gesture when you’ve been doing this to him since you were all kids; but he knows there’s no one to blame when he’s been in love with you for as long as he can remember, and he’s probably used to the butterflies in his stomach by now.

Not long after the movie starts, Wonwoo hears your breath evening as seconds tick by and your head getting heavier on his arm. So he tries his best to subtly shift himself to make you more comfortable; if you’re going to fall asleep on the sofa, then he’d make sure you’re not sleeping even more uncomfortable than it’s already bound to be even though he knows he’s also gonna be unnecessarily sore in the morning.

As you press yourself closer to him in your sleep to seek his familiar warmth, Wonwoo can only wonder if you’ll ever know the effect you have on him.

*

It’s Friday night when you get to see Wonwoo again, three days after that time you slept over in his place, because you’ve both been busy that you can only bother him through the phone. Even now, the only reason you finally catch him in person again is because The Kwons is holding a 75th birthday party for their elder, who, according to your parents, is the founder and owner of Kwon Tech, the giant technology company that’s probably bigger than Yoon Holdings.

That said, this is just another rich people party that you go to because your parents force you to come in their place; for publicity, you assume. Because if you’re not going to be the head of Yoon Holdings, then at least you should be the face of the company.

You used to be reluctant to come to this party, mainly only there to accompany (bother) Wonwoo as you whine about how much you want to go home. But ever since you’ve started taking care of your company’s events three years ago, you end up coming to these parties to look for references.

Plus, the food is usually good and you’ll be with Wonwoo, so you figure it’s not so bad to be there as long as you have him by your side.

Your eyes wander around the venue, taking in the classic white and gold decoration everywhere. The buffet is pretty diverse; probably because they couldn’t be bothered to ask about each guests’ diet. At least they do have a ‘vegan’ and ‘peanut-free’ sections. The desserts are pretty good too, and you could’ve sworn the chocolate mousse they’re serving is the best one you’ve ever tasted. Maybe you should dig around and find out the catering service for this particular party.

“The strawberry mousse is better, you know,” a low but cheery voice says from beside you.

“Huh, really,” you say in a bored tone, not even bothering to turn to the person. Wonwoo goes to the toilet for one second and someone’s already trying to talk to you. Don’t people here usually think you’re dating Wonwoo? What’s with this guy? That rumour has always been successful in warding weirdos off that you never bother to correct them when they think you’re dating the youngest Jeon.

“Yeah, unless you don’t like strawberries I guess,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

Well that’s unexpected. You thought he would either: 1. drop a pick up line. Or 2. introduce himself and ask for your name. But this stranger seems to just want to share his thoughts on the dessert table.

“Do you not like strawberries?”

“Eh, I prefer chocolate,” you hum happily at your spoon, finally turning to take a look at the guy. You don’t know him–at least not personally, but it bothers you that he looks familiar for some reason. So you shoot straight to it. “Why do you look familiar?

He blinks in confusion, pointing to himself as if there’s anyone else you might be talking to. “Is that your way of asking who I am? I’m Kwon Soonyoung?”

“Huh. So are you one of the Kwons or are you from another Kwon family?”

“You’re funny,” he grins in amusement. “Yeah, that’s my grandfather right there. Thank you for coming to his party, I guess?”

You nod as you take the information in. Soonyoung looks about your age, and even though he’s not as tall as Wonwoo is, he’s still considerably tall compared to you. You expect him to ask for your name now that he’s told you his, but Kwon Soonyoung seems to be making a habit of doing things other than what you expect him to do.

“You’re Yoon Holdings’ heiress, aren’t you?” he with a friendly smile, his tone sounds like he’s making sure he doesn’t get the wrong person. “Jeonghan’s cousin?”

“You know Jeonghan?” you ask instead, not really answering him though that’s your way of basically saying yes.

“We might’ve met from time to time,” he shrugs.

Before you can say anything more, a familiar arm lays around your waist and you automatically lean into the touch. “Hey, sorry I got too long. Met Jinyoung’s friend and talked for a bit. And… this is?”

You know Wonwoo is pretending, because Wonwoo probably knows all the heirs of the companies that matter and is a possible partner for his father’s company. He’s more attuned to his company’s needs than you are, and you know Wonwoo knows who Soonyoung is–at least by name. He’s probably doing this because he thinks the guy is hitting on you.

“Kwon Soonyoung,” he introduces himself without hesitation. “Jeon Wonwoo, right? I’ve seen you both around at parties.”

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow at this. So he’s seen you both together but still talks to you? He spares a glance at you, at which you just subtly shake your head to tell him all’s fine and Soonyoung isn’t doing anything weird. Wonwoo nods, but the protective arm around your waist doesn’t move.

“Right. Happy birthday to your grandfather,” he says politely.

“Thanks, the food’s pretty good, right?” Soonyoung grins, and you wonder if Soonyoung is really that proud about the overall food they’re serving or if he’s just making small talk. Nonetheless, you see this as your chance to ask about the catering service they’re using for this event.

“Oh, it’s actually my sister’s company,” he gleams with pride. “Are you interested in using her service?”

You chuckle amusedly at this; you’ve never seen someone from this society promoting their siblings’ business this way. Usually, people would just be pretentious and snottily offer a business card or something, being annoying about it in any way possible. Still, it’s a breath of fresh air and you honestly tell him that the chocolate mousse in your hand is the best you’ve ever tasted.

“It really is!” you laugh at Wonwoo’s questioning stare–because you don’t normally talk this much to a guy, or anyone you just meet, even though it’s essentially linked to your wish to probably use this catering place for future events. You take a spoonful from your precious dessert before holding the little spoon in front of his mouth. “I know you don’t like sweets, but this is dark chocolate, Won.”

Wonwoo looks at you hesitantly, but eventually gives in and opens his mouth so you can feed him the chocolate treat. Wonwoo’s ready to cringe, but instead hums in appreciation as the chocolate melts in his mouth. When he’s about to tell you it doesn’t taste as bad as he thought it would, you’re already looking at him with your ‘what did I tell you?’ face and a smug smile. So Wonwoo rolls his eyes and turns to Soonyoung instead, telling him his sister did a great job.

Soonyoung laughs, and happily nods his head in agreement. “I don’t have my sister’s business card with me. But here’s mine if you want to contact her through me.”

You half expect him to give his card to you, but he’s actually only giving it to Wonwoo. You wonder if this is his way of telling Wonwoo he means no harm towards you, that he isn’t here to flirt and all that.

“I… only have one card, it turns out,” he smiles sheepishly. “You both can share my card, I guess. But you can also just look up Lilac&Co on Google for my sister’s website.”

You decide you like Soonyoung. So you give him your phone and tell him to just put his number there, surprising not only Soonyoung himself but also Wonwoo beside you. If you haven’t been so taken on finding a new friend in Soonyoung after so long, you would’ve noticed the way Wonwoo’s grip tightens on your waist. But you just happily call Soonyoung with your phone so he has your number too, telling him you should hang out sometimes.

Just then, someone calls Soonyoung over, so he has to excuse himself from you and Wonwoo and says he’d love it if you guys can really find the time to hang out properly someday.

“He’s funny, isn’t he?” you grin to yourself.

“Huh,” he grumbles, not liking the way your eyes don’t leave his figure until Soonyoung’s out of sight. “Is he?”

You just look at Wonwoo pointedly. Maybe the fact that you two aren’t too keen on meeting new people is the reason why you’ve been friends for more than a decade–probably nearing two now, but Soonyoung seems like a fun person to be with and, if he manages not to make you roll your eyes in the span of five minutes, then he must be a decent enough person unless he’s just that good in hiding his pretentiousness.

Before either of you could say anything, Chaeyoung happily chirps in and joins you two by the dessert buffet. “Hey! Haven’t seen you guys since I’ve arrived.”

“Have you tried the mousse? They’re so good,” you tell her, and Chaeyoung is nothing but quick to snatch one from the table, already frowning in delight the moment the dessert goes into her mouth.

You both stay there to talk some more, with Wonwoo joining in from time to time though mostly he’s just there to listen. But, after some time, Wonwoo notices the way you’re fidgeting on your feet and suggests you move to the table so you can sit down and continue the talk there.

Wonwoo automatically scoots his chair closer to yours, just like the way your body immediately inclines to lean against his despite the chair between the two of you.

“Speaking of,” Chaeyoung suddenly stops talking and addresses Wonwoo, remembering something at the back of her mind. “Did you go to Golden Boat a few days ago for lunch? I think I saw you there with someone.”

Behind you, Wonwoo tenses a little; it’s so subtle–and you wouldn’t have noticed if you haven’t been sitting so close to the guy, but he stiffly shakes his head when you ask if he’s okay.

“Yeah. Needed to meet someone there because of my mom,” he answered after reassuring you he’s fine.

“Is it when you said your mom asked you to do something?” you question, remembering that day Wonwoo said he couldn’t have lunch with you. “Another date, huh?”

He nods, but doesn’t explain further. You don’t ask either, because there are times when Wonwoo just doesn’t feel like talking and he’s always reluctant to talk about the dates his Mom makes him go. You figure either his social battery is already out for the night, or he just doesn’t think it’s important to talk about.

You never really know how those dates go except that Wonwoo finds them bothersome and he only goes under certain circumstances. So, as you continue to converse with Chaeyoung about your next trip to Switzerland with her, you link your fingers with Wonwoo’s because that’s always something that calms him down since you were kids.

“Should we go back in a while?” you whisper when Chaeyoung’s busy stuffing her face with pasta.

“Your parents will say something again if you go back early,” he nudges you as he smiles a little. “Am fine. We can stay until the party ends.”

You hold his gaze, not buying it even a little. Furthermore, you’re pretty much used to your parents’ scolding so you don’t really mind getting the end of it once more if Wonwoo’s not feeling well. “We’ll go back in an hour at most, okay?”

Wonwoo simply scoffs in amusement, already knowing your mind is pretty much made. So he just nods as he squeezes your hand tighter, whispering a thank you as he gently bumps his head against yours.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever let go of you even if he could.

Chapter Text

“What’s wrong this time, son?” His mom asks yet again. She’s not sure how many times Wonwoo has refused to actually pursue the girls she has set him up with. But, then again, she’s his mom and she knows Wonwoo only has his eyes–and heart–on the Yoons’ only daughter.

She can think of a few scenarios on why he hasn’t tried to pursue the heiress either.

“Just not my type,” he shrugs nonchalantly over dinner. He knows this talk was coming the moment his mom calls him over to have dinner on the family house; she has even extended the invitation to you, who was with Wonwoo when she called, but you already promised Jeonghan you’ll eat with him so you make sure instead to invite his mom to lunch one of these days.

“Do you even have a type?” His dad asks, serious and oblivious of his son’s affection towards his childhood friend.

Jinyoung shares a look with his mom, not even bothering to comment on it when Wonwoo simply shrugs and says he’s not looking to be in a relationship now.

“Why do you even keep on setting me up?” he asks, trying his best to bite back the tired and annoyed tone. This is his parents and he has to be polite.

“We’re not getting any younger, son.”

“Then ask Jinyoung to get married? He’s literally the oldest son here,” he offers innocently, earning a glare from his brother. “You’ve been dating Jisoo for what–5 years? Why haven’t you proposed yet?”

“Not your business,” Jinyoung simply answers, stopping the discussion there. “But Wonwoo’s right, Mom. You don’t need to worry about his lovelife. He’s simply not interested for now and you shouldn’t push it.”

Their mom sighs, once again muttering about how she just wants the best for him. Their dad doesn’t fuss too much about it, either because Wonwoo’s the youngest or because Jinyoung’s set with a serious girlfriend anyway.

But Wonwoo figures his mom is probably bored because she doesn’t get to play cupid like her friends. He rarely even agrees when she says she wants to set him up with someone, and the few times he does, it’s because he’s either interested in the family’s company or he already knows the other person isn’t looking for a relationship either.

“Who did you meet anyway?” his brother asks, suddenly curious.

“Han Yerin,” his mom answers instead, eyes twinkling at the thought of playing cupid.

Jinyoung snorts, and at least he still has enough manners to reach for a napkin and close his mouth as he does so. “You couldn’t have chosen a better date for him? What made you agree this time?”

“Mom promised not to set me up on blind dates again until the year ends,” he shrugs, not minding his mother’s pout. “Plus, I heard one of their subholdings is branching to Singapore so I wanted to see if I can prod.”

“You made me promise that,” she sighs dramatically. “Honestly, if it’s not because of that partnership with their company and I already promised her mom, I wouldn’t have agreed with your condition.”

“I’ve always thought you’re bound to get tired already, Mom,” Jinyoung chirps again as he nudges his younger brother for some tissue. “None of the date has seen a second time but you’re still so adamant on setting him up on one.”

Their mother sighs and says something about not stopping until Wonwoo finds himself a girlfriend, because it’s fun and she has never forced Wonwoo to actually date any of them anyway.

Ultimately, it’s his decision if he wants to take things further, and as much as it’s annoying to go on these occasional dates, Wonwoo’s still glad his mom has never pushed him into an actual relationship with any of them.

Deep down, he figures that’s the reason why he goes (albeit reluctantly) to these dates as well; he knows it makes his mom happy and there’s no real commitment behind it. He would never understand how it makes her happy, but that’s really the last of his problems. If anything, at least he gets to dig about their family companies most of the time.

“Speaking of,” their mom speaks up once again. “Have you heard Jennie is returning to Korea some time next week?”

Wonwoo chokes on his food at the mention of her name, with Jinyoung quickly patting him in the back as he tries to calm himself down. The older brother looks at him in concern, his mind floating to you.

He’s heard from Jennie herself that she’s going to be in Seoul after so long, and between his meetings and reports, he’s forgotten to tell his brother about it. It’s been quite sometime since the girl is going to stay in her birth country for so long, and the first thing that popped up in his mind when he heard the news was you.

Jinyoung isn’t sure why, but even though you’ve always had a high self-esteem and self-assurance, Jennie Kim is the one exception that makes you feel queasy inside. And if Jinyoung is already worried about this, God knows how Wonwoo is feeling inside.

Jennie is a family friend, one that lives mostly abroad than within the country–even right now she mostly stays in France with her parents. She spent half of her childhood in South Korea, and because her mom is somewhat close with their mom, she often made Jennie play with the Jeon siblings and, by extension, you.

You’ve never explicitly said or even shown that you have any distaste towards the girl, but, even in their young ages, Jinyoung, Wonwoo, and Shua had it in them to notice that you got quiet everytime Jennie was present.

Jinyoung knew Shua had asked about it before, somewhere during your high school holiday when Jennie had suddenly joined the short vacation in Toulouse all of you had been planning for a while. You were so excited when you got off the plane, and Jinyoung still remembers the way you stilled the moment Jennie came to pick you up at the airport as a surprise. Of course she was going to be there, she was living in the country, after all, and she probably heard from Wonwoo’s mom that you’re visiting for the holiday.

“Did she tell you anything?” he had asked Shua, his brotherly instinct kicking in after seeing you quiet most of the time when you were the most excited about this trip before.

The younger guy had just shook his head, telling Jinyoung you had refused to tell him if anything’s bothering you. “I… don’t think it’s something she wants to talk about, at least not now. You know she rarely keeps things from me.”

“For what reason?” Jinyoung asks even if he knows already, well aware that Wonwoo’s curious but wouldn’t sound it himself.

“I’m not entirely sure,” their mom answers honestly. “But I think she’s shooting a… photobook? For her portfolio, I suppose.”

It’s to no one’s surprise that Jennie Kim, in line to take over Ruby Corp., is quick to climb up the business ladder and is already a world famous high fashion designer at her young age. She does have the talent for it, and is also very meticulous at everything she does, but everyone knows her parents’ connections get her everywhere quicker than anyone else would.

People (the elders, to be particular) were skeptical at first, not getting why she’d become a designer when her family owns a giant fashion company for her to manage. But Jennie has always loved drawing clothes, has always loved dressing people up too, so when she declared she’d learn their family business while she takes on the challenge to be a high fashion designer, her parents couldn’t really say no to that.

Wonwoo’s mind wanders to you, perhaps Jennie wouldn’t be here for long and you wouldn’t have to meet her.

You’ve never explicitly said anything to him, but Wonwoo knows Jennie makes you uncomfortable. In what way or why, he’s still not sure, but what he’s certain of is he doesn’t like you being uncomfortable and he doesn’t like your eerie silence–they worry him, and Wonwoo has never been good at dealing with his worries when it comes to you.

But your parents have never really cared about this, or maybe they don’t notice their daughter’s obvious discomfort in the Kims’ heiress’ presence, which is why they always make you hang out–if what they consider hanging out is politely meet up–with her everytime you’re in the same city.

It is good publicity, after all.

Jennie doesn’t seem to mind your quietness either. He wonders if she knows you’re not… you in her presence, if Jennie’s simply unbothered, or if she’s making a statement. But at least she doesn’t treat you differently and simply acts like she doesn’t notice that you rarely initiate anything with her.

“–and so you’ll have to take care of her okay?” his mom’s voice brings him back to reality.

“Who?” he blinks in confusion. “Sorry, I missed what you were saying.”

“Jennie will be here for at least two months, Wonwoo,” she repeats patiently, used to her son’s tendency to zone out in the middle of meals. “Take care of her, okay? I know you’re busy but I’ve promised her mom we’ll take care of her while she’s here.”

Wonwoo sighs, having an internal battle in his mind. He doesn’t… dislike Jennie, she is still an old friend and she’s actually one of the few people in this society that isn’t hypocritical. She’s pretty nice, actually, and she’s a very good friend to have which is why the whole thing is all the more complicated.

If she had been another spoiled rich kid, it’d be easier to just brush her off and tell his parents he couldn’t spare time to babysit the girl. But Jennie is a good friend, perhaps not a close one, but she’s still a good friend nevertheless and it would just be plain rude if he were to ignore her.

It wouldn’t be polite.

Ironically, everything you do around Jennie is just polite. You’ve always been fiery for as long as Wonwoo has known you, but whatever fire you have within you has never appeared in front of her. You don’t get quiet around people unless you dislike them that much, and Wonwoo knows you don’t harbor any ill feelings towards the other girl–it’s not apathy either, and it’s the one and only thing that Wonwoo has never managed to figure out about you.

“Invite her to lunch or dinner once she arrives, okay?”

The finality in his mom’s voice tells him he’s got no choice either way.

*

“Hey Won.” You close the door of his office.

It’s past lunch, somewhere around 3PM, and you’re here after your last meeting of the day; you’ve still got a lot of documents to review, but Chan, Wonwoo’s secretary, has called you earlier because Wonwoo’s in one of his mood and hasn’t left his office at all, which is concerning. You’ve given him the go to call you everytime it happens, and you’re certain it is bad because Chan has never taken that option unless he really has to.

“Did Chan call you?” he grumbles from his desk, a frown evident in his face.

“No, I was just in the area after a meeting,” you lie easily, searching for his face. “Have you eaten lunch?”

Wonwoo makes a sound from the back of his throat that you don’t really know how to translate, but it doesn’t matter because you’re set on making him stop working anyway. Even from where you’re sitting, it’s clear that his whole body is tense; he’s trying his best to keep it together even though he’s burnt and stressed out.

“Are they urgent?” you softly ask as you make your way to him. “Think you can accompany me out for a bit?”

He’s really not in the mood to go out, though spending time with you does sound much more appealing than staying here with this hell of a workload. To top it off, people have been pissing him off since morning so his mood is completely sour to the point where even Chan is staying away from him.

He’s about to reject your offer though, because he still has a lot of work to do and he really doesn’t want to lash out on you by accident. But how can he when you’re looking at him like that? When you’re standing right beside him and your thumb is softly caressing his shoulder?

“Come on, they’re not urgent, are they?” you smile at him, planting your palm against the side of his face. Wonwoo immediately leans into the touch, he closes his eyes and exhales a deep breath as if it helps him let go of the stress he’s been carrying all day. You see his shoulders relaxing and you can only huff in satisfaction as he does so.

It sounds somewhat conceited to say it yourself, but it’s clear even to you why people always look for you when Wonwoo’s not in a good place. It works the other way around too, only Wonwoo can get to you when you refuse practically everyone else.

“Let’s go?” you ask after a while, relishing the feeling of his lips on your palm before he pulls away.

“Yeah,” his low voice greets you at last, the sight of his smile making you sigh in relief. “Let’s go.”

*

“Chan called you, didn’t he?” Wonwoo tries once again, and then reaches out to tuck your hair behind your ear before it falls into the bowl of patbingsoo in front of you.

“Hmm, this is very good,” you deflect as you shove another spoonful into your mouth. “You should start eating too, Won. They’re going to melt.”

He shakes his head in amusement before doing exactly what you tell him to. Gosh, even he knows he’s so whipped for you it’s not even funny. There would be times when he’d try to trace back when the whole thing started, try to remember if there were times when he did not love you.

But he always draws a blank. He couldn’t think of a time when his heart doesn’t belong to you; not when you cried to him because Jinyoung pulled your hair a little too hard when you were five, not when you whispered to him the big secret of you finding your first boyfriend in junior high school, not when you told him some guy called Jihoon stole your first kiss during high school.

Not even when you went through a phase of sleeping around just to piss your parents off.

And certainly not now, when you readily set aside your hell of a workload just to make sure Wonwoo’s not too stressed.

Wonwoo knows you’ve been too busy these days to a concerning point, something that he’s been meaning to talk to you about but hasn’t found the time to. The few times he’s found you in his place, you’re already fast asleep and, at times, you didn’t even get to charge your phone and turn off your laptop because you’re way too tired.

And if that’s not telling enough, the fact that you rarely talk to him these days is. You rarely let Wonwoo to himself, always making sure to talk to him at least twice a day to make sure he doesn’t forget to take a bite. So when a few days passed and Wonwoo sees the last time you’ve contacted him is three days ago, he knows you’re much too busy than he would’ve liked.

“How’s the preparation going?”

“For which one?” you ask sheepishly, well aware that Wonwoo’s still not happy you’re doing three projects at once.

Your friend clicks his tongue in disapproval. “The charity dinner.”

“I told you that one’s practically finished Won,” you pout. “You know the dinner’s next week.”

“It’s not finished if you still have to meet the florist today, princess,” he huffs tiredly, completely worried. He truly wishes he’s imagining the growing dark circles under your eyes and the way you’re more quiet than you usually are, but he knows the telltale of you being worn out and he’s sure you’re going to get sick in a few days if you don’t take an actual rest.

“How did you know I have a meeting with the florist…” you mumble to yourself, which Wonwoo provides the answer to by telling you he’s heard from Seungcheol. “I really should stop letting you befriend every single one of my staff. Anyway, they just told me last minute that there’s a problem with one of the flowers so I had to change the bouquets concept a little, okay?”

Wonwoo gives you an unimpressed look, brows furrowed. “You need to rest, you know? Won’t be any good if you’re going to be too tired and can’t attend when the event is due.”

“I am resting now, aren’t I?” you say cheekily, trying your best not to worry him. You know he’s true, that Shua and Jeonghan’s concern since that day is valid, and it’s also true that you’ve been lightheaded for the past few days, often having to hold on to something when you try to stand up from your seat.

Wonwoo doesn’t need to know that though, and you’ll make sure to eat a proper meal and take your supplements before it gets worse.

That should do it.

“You wouldn’t be if Chan didn’t call you,” he retorts back.

“Won, he’s worried and probably afraid you’ll fire someone out of anger again if I don’t take you out of the office,” you try to make light of the situation. “And it’s my best friend duty to bother you, remember?”

“It happened once,” he cringes everytime he remembers that episode. “And the guy totally deserved it regardless of my mood. Anyway, it’s also my best friend duty to make sure you’re not becoming a walking zombie.”

“It’s not that bad,” you pout. “Tomorrow is my last packed schedule before the charity dinner takes place and I don’t have any meeting the day after tomorrow. I already plan on catching up on sleep then, okay?”

Wonwoo sighs once again and puts down his spoon before he stares at you pointedly. The worry in his eyes is clear as days, and you really hate knowing you’re the reason behind it. “Just… don’t overdo yourself, alright?”

“I know my limit Won, I promise. I’ll probably just review some documents because I’m finally out of meetings,” you grin tiredly, hoping that it doesn’t look like you’re forcing it. “Speaking of, should we go to lunch on that day? It’s been some time since we went out for lunch.”

He winces slightly at the question, a gesture so subtle that you would’ve missed it if you hadn’t been staring at him. “I… Jennie’s in the country and Mom asked me to take her to lunch.”

“Oh.” There it is, the resigning tone you often use when her name is brought up. Wonwoo frowns at the way your gaze drops from him, suddenly eyeing your empty bowl like it’s the most interesting thing you can find. “Oh well, I can just eat with Chaeyoung or something.”

“I can just reschedule if you really want to go out,” he tries, cursing himself for not thinking about it sooner. You shake your head though, and then tell him to have fun with her.

“You did say I should rest,” you shrug.

“Princess…”

“It’s fine,” you softly tell him, a small smile that churns his heart on your face. “And I just remembered I promised Shua I’d drop by his studio too to help prepare his open class.”

He bites back a sigh at your faux nonchalance, not having it in him to ask what is it about Jennie that always gets you like this. He’s not dense enough to ask about it, not when he knows how you react everytime Jennie is the topic of a conversation. The least he could do was not ask, he’d spare himself the ‘nothing’s wrong’ answer and would rather figure it out on his own one day.

“Alright, call me if you’re up for dinner that day?” he offers.

You simply nod at him, your eyes refusing to meet his. Wonwoo can only hope Jennie’s schedules for the next two months are packed and he wouldn’t have to ‘take care’ of her as often as his mom would like him to.

Chapter Text

It’s undermining to say it hasn’t been a good day.

From the moment you open your eyes from your barely enough sleep, you can already feel deep inside your gut that it’s gonna be a long one.

One, you woke up with your head pounding, almost like you’re hungover sans the urge to throw up. Perhaps it’s because you literally slept at three in the morning, losing track of time as you read another report for your monthly meeting with your father. Because even though he’s letting you stray away from the heads position, he makes sure to let you know that you’re obliged to be updated with the company’s overall wellbeing.

Two, you couldn’t get back to sleep for whatever reason even though you’ve only slept for 4 hours at most, and you had absolutely no reason to be lacking sleep when you have no appointment whatsoever for the day. You just end up resting your eyes angrily for two hours straight before you eventually give up and make your way to freshen up in the bathroom.

Three, everyone’s busy. Chaeyoung’s halfway across the world for a business meeting, Jeonghan’s busy with a potential client, Shua’s not picking up your calls and it’s pissing you off. You even tried calling Jinyoung, but he has something to do with his girlfriend, and you’re really not in the mood to be a third-wheel even though he has kindly said you’re welcome to join them if you want.

Even Seungcheol isn’t with you today because he has the day off; the one time you don’t wish for him to be away from you, he just has to have to be unavailable.

And Wonwoo… well, you know he’s got plans with Jennie. You don’t even bother texting him just in case their plan is magically cancelled. You don’t… want to bother them anyway.

As if he knows you’re talking about him, your phone pings with notifications.

Wonwooo: Hey.

Wonwooo: Have you woken up?

Wonwooo: Heard from Seungcheol your day ended late yesterday.

Wonwooo: Rest up a lot today, ok? We can go grab dinner later if you feel like it.

Wonwooo: Or maybe I can come to your place and we can just order something in.

sheesh i gotta tell seungcheol to stop encouraging ur stalkerish behaviour

i’ll text u abt it later ok

u can just go home if youre too tired tho

Wonwooo: Ouch.

Wonwooo: Is that rejection, princess? I am hurt.

yeah yeah

have a good day won ^^

Wonwooo: You too. I’ll talk to you later?

yupp later

You sigh as you put down your phone, hating the way you feel disheartened for no reason at all. Perhaps it’s just one of those days where all you want to do is wallow in self pity and be sad for the whole day, no catch whatsoever.

You’re weirdly emotional too, and you wonder if it has to do with… well, Wonwoo, or if your period is simply nearing. But ever since Wonwoo says he can’t go with you because of Jennie, your mood hasn’t been in its best state.

There’s just something so close to disappointment clouding your heart even though you have no idea why you’d feel that way. It’s… normal for them to hang out. They are friends, after all, and you know Wonwoo’s mom is close with Jennie’s, so it’s only logical to have Wonwoo take care of her while she’s here.

Still, you can’t help the frown on your face and the way your stomach twists everytime you think about them together.

You swear on everything dear in your life that you don’t harbor any ill feelings towards Jennie Kim, but she just–

Kwon Soonyoung: hi!! Remember me?

Kwon Soonyoung: it’s Soonyoung from the party :D

Kwon Soonyoung: strawberry mousse, rmb??

You blink at the new messages, not expecting this guy to text you out of nowhere. It’s been quite some time since the party, and while it wasn’t your intention to desert him after asking for his number, you simply haven’t had the time to text him just yet.

hi!

yes ofc i rmb u haha

and pls we believe in chocolate mousse supremacy in this house

Kwon Soonyoung: glad to know you remember me haha

Kwon Soonyoung: have you been good?

eh just been ok

work and all that you know

you?

Kwon Soonyoung: that’s not a good answer D:

Kwon Soonyoung: are you busy?

Kwon Soonyoung: i know a place that sells good mousse

You raise your eyebrows at the sudden invitation, trying to see if this is him shooting his shot. But, whatever it is, you’ll figure it out sooner or later and spending time with someone seems more appealing than caging yourself in your condo for the whole day; your mind would wander to a dangerous place and Soonyoung seems like a very cool distraction right now.

chocolate mousse?

Kwon Soonyoung: how do you feel about mint chocolate mousse

[sent a location]

Pick me up. Right now.

*

“Oh my God,” you moan after taking another bite of the mousse in front of you. “Kwon Soonyoung I can literally kiss you for this.”

“Wow, wow,” he backs away jokingly. “I might not look like it but I’m pretty conservative. Take me out on a few dates first and we’ll see, okay?”

You giggle at his words, glad that you decided to come with him. Soonyoung has been nothing but fun, and if the short time you spent with him during the party wasn’t convincing enough, you’re pretty sure that he’s a friend you’d like to keep now.

It’s been an hour or two since he picked you up, and you gotta say you’re pleasantly surprised that the heir of Kwon Tech doesn’t drive a luxury sports car but a convenient Mini Cooper–though you really should’ve known from the get go that Soonyoung is nothing like the typical rich heirs in this scene.

“So how come you’re free at this hour?” you finally decide to ask, humming into your spoon.

“I was supposed to go help my sister but she suddenly cancelled,” he scrunches his nose cutely. “Already took the day off and I was scrolling through my phone when I remembered you.”

“What, I look like someone who’d have nothing to do?”

“Eh, just trying to see if you remember me,” he smiles cheekily. “Didn’t expect you to be free or to say yes, to be honest.”

You laugh a little at this, and then you tell him you’ve just been too swamped with work to invite him for a hang out. “I’m off too today, but all my friends are busy. So who am I to reject your invitation, really?”

“Ouch, was I the second choice?”

“More like sixth… or was it seventh?”

Soonyoung makes a pained look, his lips twisting into a pout as he plants his palm on his chest. “Perhaps rejection would hurt less than this.”

It wouldn’t be a lie to say Soonyoung has been successful in making your day better, making you laugh without trying to. Really, you can’t remember the last time you got comfortable with someone this quick, let alone from this society.

You’re trying your best not to laugh when Soonyoung tells you about his fascination towards tigers, the gleam in his eyes making you feel bad for even wanting to laugh. He’s genuinely into this, you can tell already, and you’re not sure if you want to laugh because this grown ass man is talking about tigers like it’s his whole life, or it’s because he’s simply adorable.

“It’s my dream to make a shelter for them.”

“Soonyoung, they aren’t pets, how are you going to make a shelter for tigers?” you giggle, though you can tell that Soonyoung is serious about this.

“Dunno. Maybe I should set up an organization for their rescue and restore rainforests instead. Gotta protect them, you know? And–oh, isn’t that Wonwoo?”

You turn to see where he’s pointing at, and you can feel something bitter in your tongue when you see Wonwoo and Jennie at the counter, the girl looking through the pastry display while Wonwoo patiently waits for her to choose. You try your best to mask the frown on your face; so much for finally having a better mood.

“Oh, right. He did mention he’s going out today,” you shrug in mock nonchalance, pretending like it doesn’t affect you in any way. “Let him be, yeah?”

Soonyoung knows when someone doesn’t wish to talk about something and that’s exactly what your tone tells him. So he simply nods and tries to turn the topic into something else. But he doesn’t even get to talk for that long before a soft voice calls you in welcome surprise, and he notices the way you tense for a split second before a polite smile graces your face.

“Hi Jennie.” He hears you say, not even addressing Wonwoo who joins your table a few seconds after, his face colored surprised that you’re here–with him. He can easily tell that Wonwoo’s trying to catch your eyes, but your gaze is locked on the drink in front of you. The guy turns to him and then nods in greeting which Soonyoung hesitantly returns.

“Hi, it’s been so long since I saw you,” the girl–Jennie?–says, and, as far as he can tell, she doesn’t sound like she’s just saying it. She sounds sincere, like she’s genuinely happy that she sees you, and Soonyoung can’t help but wonder why you don’t seem like you return the sentiment even though the girl herself doesn’t seem to mind.

“Yeah, been sometime.” Your tone isn’t curt though, he notes, it’s small and it sounds like you’re not sure how to talk to her.

“I’m Soonyoung,” he says when Jennie turns to him with a friendly smile, not even waiting for her to ask. “Kwon Soonyoung.”

“Sorry that was impolite of me,” Jennie turns to him and takes his hand before she introduces herself. “Are you guys on a date or…?”

Wonwoo’s jaw clenches at the question, and Soonyoung is starting to wonder if he’s really observative or these people are just too obvious.

“No,” he waves his hand with a coy smile. “She’s not my type.”

“Hey!” you laugh at his words, hitting his arm as you do so. Soonyoung seems like he’s about to say something, but Wonwoo decides he’s had enough of this scene in front of him and halts the topic there.

“Didn’t you say you’re going to Shua’s?”

“He’s not answering my calls,” you shrug, taking another bite of your dessert. “Maybe I’ll visit later.”

Just then, Jennie’s phone rings and she steps away to take the call, smiling apologetically at all of you.

“I’m sorry, do you mind telling me why she looks familiar?” Soonyoung asks the moment she’s out of earshot.

“You know Ruby Corp.? She’s the heiress,” you answer shortly, not explaining further about how she knows you personally. But then you continue, trying your best to sound like you’re disinterested. “And she’s Wonwoo’s friend since they were kids.”

Wonwoo’s, you say. Something that sounds awfully like a line you’re drawing about your relation to her. Soonyoung doesn’t comment further though, simply nods as he ponders to himself.

If he’s to be completely honest, he still doesn’t know the nature of your relationship with Wonwoo. You’re not dating, but the way Wonwoo has been eyeing him warily and the way you react when you see Jennie and Wonwoo together say a lot to Soonyoung. Are you in denial? Or do you simply not wish to be in a relationship?

“You still up for dinner tonight?” Wonwoo asks softly, which makes Soonyoung feel terribly out of place. To others, this may not sound like anything, but to Soonyoung, this sounds a lot like making a statement. Almost like he’s telling him you’re coming home to him tonight.

“Maybe if I’m not too tired?”

“I’ll just drop by with takeouts then,” he concludes, not giving you space to say no.

“Um, sorry, but I need to get back,” Jennie interrupts before any of you can say anything more, just in time for the device in Wonwoo’s hand to vibrate, signaling them that their orders are ready. “The costume team came in earlier than we thought so…”

“Alright,” Wonwoo nods and tells her to reminds her of her orders by the cashier. She apologizes once again to you and Soonyoung, and then tells him it’s nice to meet him before she turns to you and says she wishes you can hang out together sometime.

“I’ll call you?” Wonwoo says, unsure. But you just nod and tell him to drive safe, lips pressed together when he pats your head and bids goodbye to Soonyoung.

It’s quiet for a few seconds before you look up at him again, trying your best to look like you didn’t go through a hoard of emotions in the span of ten minutes.

“So… you up to go to my cousin’s studio?”

*
That night, you arrive at your condo only to see Wonwoo’s shoes by the door and what sounds like rustling somewhere in the house. Quietly, you make your way to the kitchen only to be greeted by Wonwoo’s back; you wait to see if he’ll speak first, but when a few seconds pass and he still doesn’t say anything, you take it to yourself to break the silence.

“Hey,” you greet him as you sit down on your kitchen island, eyes busy following Wonwoo moving the food out of the plastic bags. “Did you just get here?”

“Hey,” you hear him between the sound of plastics rustling against each other. “Yeah, probably been 5 minutes at most.”

Silence settles between the two of you again after that, and it’s uncomfortable in ways that you can’t really explain. You’re never uncomfortable in Wonwoo’s presence and you can only guess the reason why you’re feeling this way.

“Did you come back from Shua’s studio?” he says after a while, placing everything on the island in front of you. At your nod, he asks again. “Did he take you home?”

“Soonyoung did,” you say as you open the wrapping, already distracted by its scent. Maybe acting like you’re oblivious of the tense situation at hands would make it more bearable. “Oooh, snowy chicken!”

“Right, Soonyoung,” he whispers under his breath, almost like he’s suppressing his annoyance. “How did you end up hanging out with him again?”

So you told him about how Soonyoung texted you earlier, asking if you’re down to go somewhere with him if you’re not busy. That you were bored and everyone else doesn’t have time for you and you’d rather go with him rather than stay at home doing nothing. Wonwoo doesn’t miss your jab at him, but he doesn’t comment on it and simply hums as he ponders to himself.

“You… seem to like him a lot.” You wonder if you’re simply imagining the edge in his voice, but, nevertheless, you brush it off and simply nod your head yes.

“He’s fun. You should hang out with him too sometimes.”

“Is he flirting with you?” he shoots straight to it, no longer able to mask his annoyance.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” you exclaim, relaxing a little now that you know why he seems tense, the uncomfortable atmosphere gone within seconds—he’s always been like that everytime a guy seems to be getting close to you.

You’ve always wondered if it’s normal that he’s that protective of you, but, at the end of the day, you brush off the thought because that’s how you are too when you hear Wonwoo’s getting close with someone.

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, simply sits down next to you and opens the pickled radish from its container and slides it to you. “You don’t have to worry, Won. I promise he’s not doing anything funny, I know better than that.”

He sighs at your gentle tone, the way your hand is gently grasping his arm softening the frown on his face. How can he tell you it’s not the only thing he’s worried about? That the fact that you seem to like Soonyoung already doesn’t sit well with him?

He can’t even remember the last time you befriended anyone–let alone a guy–from this society. You make it clear that you’re not interested in being friends with any of them, always sticking to Wonwoo and making a point to turn the other way around everytime someone tries to talk you up. It doesn’t always work, and most of the time people either think you’re feisty or you’re too arrogant for your own good; but you don’t really care–you have no business talking to them anyway.

But here’s Soonyoung, CEO in the training to replace his father in the future, somehow managing to talk to you, getting your number, and succeeding in inviting you to hang out with him in less than a month. He’s never going to admit it, but Kwon Soonyoung seems too much like a threat and he’s not sure how to handle the twisted feeling within him just yet.

Wonwoo has never really had to deal with jealousy–perhaps once during university when you got into your first serious relationship only to declare you’re never having another one after it ended messily–because you always come back to him at the end of the day and you never let people in easily to begin with.

But this… whatever is going on between you and Kwon Soonyoung isn’t something that Wonwoo has ever faced and, quite frankly, it sends his feelings all over this place despite his expertise in masking them.

“Don’t you trust me?” you pout a little when he doesn’t say anything still, shaking his arm. “You know I’m not dense enough not to realize when someone’s flirting with me, right? You, of all people, know how many times I’ve ghosted people the moment I realize they’re expecting romance out of me.”

The words hit a little too close to home and Wonwoo can only bite down a sigh before you realize your words are just making him feel worse if anything.

If only you knew.

“Won, come on,” you move forward to cup his cheeks, squishing them together while Wonwoo stares blankly at you. “He’s just a friend, okay? We’re not interested in each other that way. No one’s coming for your best friend spot, too.”

“Alright,” he says at last, pulling away from your touch before you notice the way his eyes won’t stop dropping down your lips. “If you’re so sure about him.”

“You’ll be the first to know if he ever does anything funny,” you shrug before digging in, convinced that it’ll ease Wonwoo with his worry even though it really only does the opposite. “Anyway, are you staying over tonight?”

Wonwoo hums and checks his phone to see if he has any morning meetings tomorrow, nodding at you once he makes sure he’s able to sleep in your place. “Sure, I’m too lazy to drive back anyway.”

“Can we have movie night?”

You should know by now Wonwoo has never been able to say no to you.

Chapter Text

The days after that pass by in a blink and, before you know it, the charity dinner is three days away. You don’t really see Wonwoo after that night he stays over at your place, though you make sure to reply to his texts and answer his calls when you’re looking at your phone.

You always get like this when an event is nearby, you barely take notice of anything if it’s not about the event. Plus, it doesn’t help that Wonwoo’s also busy and the few times that you’re a bit free, he’s either in a meeting or he’s with Jennie.

He’s extended the invitation to you, told you that you should just join them even though he knows you’d refuse.

It’s pissing you off a little, to be honest, an ugly feeling of jealousy burning in your chest because he’s your best friend, but there he is, entertaining someone that’s not even that close to him because his mom asks him to.

The better part of you knows the feeling is unfounded, that there’s nothing wrong with Wonwoo spending time with Jennie and following his mom’s request to take care of her because she’s not often in Korea for this long. It’s basic courtesy and you literally do that everytime your foreign friend is in the country or the other way around.

But still, the week has been stressful and everything annoys you for reasons that you don’t care enough to find out.

At least there’s Soonyoung.

He’s quick to climb the good friend ladder even though it’s only barely been a week since you hang out with him. Maybe the fact that you rarely make friends also help, but you’re just excited to find a friend in him so you’ve just been bothering the guy instead of Wonwoo because the latter is always busy (also, you may or may not be acting petty but he doesn’t need to know that).

You also haven’t had the chance to meet him again after that day, but you’re meeting him for dinner tonight because, for once, you can’t be bothered to ask Wonwoo just in case his answer would piss you off even further.

The day is shitty enough as it is.

You contemplate on asking Soonyoung to take a raincheck, but you also think it’s about time you talk to someone that is not a part of the organization team. Glancing at the clock on the wall, you reckon you have half an hour before you’ve got to leave, which should be enough time to relax by yourself.

It’s been a long day, and you honestly can’t remember the last time you’re still in the office when it’s already dark outside. You’d usually prefer to leave and continue working somewhere else the moment you’re done with your meetings and whatnots, setting up appointments with vendors outside or in their own offices instead of inviting them to yours.

There’s just something so confining about being in the Yoon Holdings building. Yet, here you are.

You stand up to move to the sofa, wincing a little at the sudden pain in your head when you do so. You have been sitting there for too long, after all. You stretch your arms before eventually settling on the sofa, eyes closed as you try to relax your body and take a rest.

It honestly feels like minutes, but when the door to your office opens and Seungcheol informs you that Soonyoung is here to pick you up, you open your eyes and glance at the clock only to find it’s been almost 45 minutes since you sat down earlier.

“Oh hi! Sorry, I… uh… fell asleep? I guess?” you say, still a little out of it when Soonyoung comes in, eyes blinking continuesly as they’re trying to adjust to the light.

“It’s fine. You weren’t answering my calls so I asked Jeonghan and he gave me Seungcheol’s number,” he explains, worried eyes searching you. “Are you… okay? We can just cancel if you’re tired. You must be beat if you fell asleep.”

“I was just sleepy,” you smile through blurry eyes, wincing at your headache that doesn’t seem like it’d going away anytime soon. At least the the pounding is faint, you think to yourself. “I’m kind of hungry, anyway. Should we go?”

“You sure?”

“Are you trying to bail, Mr. Kwon?” you say playfully, glad that you managed to make him laugh in hope it dispers his worry along with it.

“Alright, alright,” he gives up and waits for you to pick up your stuff from your desk. He looks around to find nothing catching his eyes–there’s no personality whatsoever in this office, and he doesn’t even see anything that might be personally yours except for two framed pictures on your desk; one of them is you and Wonwoo together, and another of you and the whole gang—Jeonghan, Shua, and Chaeyoung also present in the picture. “Your office is pretty empty, huh?”

“I’m not here often, actually,” you shrug as you put the last of your belongings, shoving your phone into your bag without even checking it. “I don’t… like being here.”

Soonyoung doesn’t comment on that, thankfully, and he simply turns the topic into something else as he walks with you to the elevator with Seungcheol following behind. Once you’re on the ground floor, you tell Seungcheol you’ll be going with Soonyoung and he should go with Mr. Lee; that he’s free to go home too if he wants though you know he’d never do that.

“Why… do you exactly have a private guard?” he asks once you’re in the car, waiting for you to put on your seatbelt.

“I don’t know. Father thinks it’s necessary so I just roll with it,” you shrug, already past the stage where you question what your father thinks is best for you. “Plus, Seungcheol is quite helpful and he’s pretty to look at.”

Soonyoung chuckles at your answer and then glances at his rear mirror to find your car ready to follow. “Does he follow you everywhere?”

“Pretty much so even if I tell him not to,” you answer as you gently massage your temple in hope the headache would finally go away. “He doesn’t really leave me alone unless I’m in my family house or I’m with Wonwoo. Even when I’m at Wonwoo’s place, he’d usually stand guard for an hour or so just to make sure I won’t be leaving anytime soon though Mr. Lee probably already drives away the moment he drops me off.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I really envy you and Wonwoo,” he confesses honestly, eyes locked on the road. His words surprise you that you turn to him so fast your vision starts to spin. “It’s just… you’re both lucky to have each other since you were kids, you know? I’ve heard a lot about you two, obviously, and even though I only know the bare minimum, it’s clear to me how protective you are of each other. Not everyone has the luxury to find such friendships and maintain it for that long.”

“What makes you say that?” you prod, somewhat intrigued. You’ve never had people talk to you about your relationship with Wonwoo; those who don’t know simply assume you’re dating, and those who know never really say anything about it–at least not to you.

“I mean… did you see him that day we met during the party?” he chuckles as he remembers the event. Like he said, he’s heard about you and Wonwoo a lot; rumours always go around and, even if he’s never interested in them, a rumour about a Jeon and a Yoon is bound to reach just about everyone.

Soonyoung isn’t lying when he said he simply talked to you because you seemed to be appreciating his sister’s signature menu more than anyone near the table did, there was no intention to flirt with you. He was just bored and he figured there should be no harm in talking to someone who seemed to be there for the food and not to… network.

He didn’t even recognize who you were at first until you turned to him, and, even then, he wasn’t entirely sure if you were the infamous Yoon heiress. Wonwoo’s protective stance later on confirms his suspicion though, as if his presence alone wasn’t enough confirmation already.

It’s basically a fact to anyone in this circle that you come as a package when it comes to a party like this. It’s the reason why anyone trying to hit either of you up always returns with dissatisfied huff until they eventually stop, getting the message that you’re with Wonwoo and Wonwoo’s with you.

That you’re both off limits.

You never bothered to deny the rumors because it does you more good than bad: 1) You’re free from stubborn guys trying to flirt with you. 2) A lot of girls would rather glare at you out of jealousy than try to chat you up just in case you’d want to befriend them and perhaps even introduce them to Wonwoo. And, the winner of them all, 3) The marriage prospect coming your way definitely decreases–because a lot of them don’t actually have the guts to go against the Jeons’ youngest son despite the fact that none of you ever confirmed the rumours.

“He’s always been protective of me, so there’s that,” you shrug, thinking about the amount of time Wonwoo has come to your rescue no matter what the situation is. Be it bad days, bad companies, or your parents, he’s always… there. You wouldn’t have him any other way. “I’m like that with him too.”

“I’ve seen you both, like, twice but anyone with eyes can tell how much you care about each other,” Soonyoung chuckles, his words resonating within you more than you thought it would. “Seriously, I don’t think I have it in me to care about someone that much.”

Your head spins a little, but it might be because you’re trying to recall if there’s ever a time when Wonwoo’s not there when you need someone to be. He’s there everytime you’re crying about practically anything–be it your hormones playing with your emotions or your parents disregarding you like you worth nothing to them–whether he’s on the phone until it’s 4 in the morning because he’s literally on the other side of the world, or in your bedroom as soon after you’ve called him sniffling.

It makes you think.

You’re so used to having him by your side, so used to having Wonwoo with you to the point where you didn’t really get what Soonyoung’s saying at first. Isn’t it a given that best friends care for each other?

And as much as you know you and Wonwoo are exceptionally close, you never thought it’s to the point where someone would be saying this about your bond with him. Never to the point where someone’s jealous of what you have with him.

Have you… been taking him for granted?

“We’re here,” his voice halts your thoughts altogether, and you’re very glad he doesn’t try to help you out of the car like a pretentious gentleman from a drama would. You entertain him by taking his arm when he offers it to you though, and despite the constant thudding in your head, you find yourself laughing when he calls you ‘m’ lady’.

“Where’s Wonwoo, anyway? I thought he’s joining us,” he asks at last.

You’ve been waiting for him to ask about this since earlier, because Soonyoung has actually extended the invitation to your best friend but you weren’t exactly in the mood to invite him after he told you he couldn’t join your movie night with Jeonghan, Shua, and Chaeyoung last night. Something about his mom insisting he had dinner at home because Jennie’s joining them in the Jeons’ family house.

It’s really not his fault, and he sounded genuinely sorry. At some point, Jinyoung even took over the phone and said everyone was called home out of nowhere. He whined that he already had a plan with his girlfriend, so even Jisoo was dragged into the impromptu family dinner.

But still, you felt like being petty and you honestly looked forward to the movie night with him and the others, so it actually dampened your mood to find out Wonwoo couldn’t make it.

“I… might’ve forgotten to tell him,” you laugh awkwardly to cover your lies. “It’s been a busy week so it slipped my mind.”

“Will it be too late to call him now?” he suggests as he steers you to the entrance of the restaurant. You see someone walk out with a cocktail dress and you wonder if you’re underdressed for the place, but Soonyoung’s wearing nothing but a white dress shirt and you figure the mid dress you’re wearing should suffice.

“He’s busy too these days,” you try to sound nonchalant as if it doesn’t irk you, gripping his arm a little. If Soonyoung notices the slight annoyance in your tone, he doesn’t say anything about it. “Do you want to hang out with him that much? Should’ve known you’re using me to get the Jeon’s heir.”

Soonyoung whispers something about getting busted, which you can’t help but giggle at. You pretend to move away from him, but Soonyoung immediately pulls you back and mutters that he’s never letting you go until he has his hands on Jeon Wonwoo.

Your eyes get a little blurry when he helps you open the door, but you blame it on the sudden lights that blind your eyes–a contrast from the dimly lit walk from the parking lot. Soonyoung tells you to go first to his booked table because he wants to go to the restroom, but you tell him you’d rather wait here by the receptionist than sit by yourself on the table.

You’re still blinking to get used to the light when someone calls your name, and you look up to find Jennie, the last person you wish to encounter today, making her way to you.

As if she doesn’t give you enough headache already.

Not that it’s her fault, your conscience reminds you.

“Hi Jen,” you force out a smile as you try not to cringe at the way your eyes are refusing to adjust to the lights and the sudden wave of headache when you stand up to greet her.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” she smiles warmly, like she’s meeting an old friend she’s been missing for years. “Are you… by yourself?”

“Umm, no. I’m actually with–”

“Ready to go?” a familiar voice greets you, though he seems just as surprised when he sees you there with his companion. Another wave of headache hits and you don’t even have it in you to be annoyed at the sight of Wonwoo with her; the only thing your mind can register is the thumping in your head. Wonwoo calls your name, confused as much as he is surprised. “Oh, are you meeting someone?”

You don’t answer immediately, but only because you’re trying to figure out why your eyes are taking so long to focus and it’s Soonyoung’s presence who answers for you. You hear what sounds like pleasantries, though your mind can’t really grasp their words because your head gradually aches more than it did by the seconds and, at this point, your hand is just grabbing anything it makes contact with for support.

Wonwoo’s voice faintly calls to you, and then you feel his hand softly grasping your arm before you hear Soonyoung calling you too, his voice even fainter than Wonwoo’s.

Wonwoo’s worried face is blurry and it’s the last thing you remember seeing before you hear someone calling your name in pure shock.

And then it’s all black.

Chapter Text

Wonwoo frowns at his phone as he sees his messages unread since this afternoon, and while it’s not that weird for you not to answer his texts when you’re literally days away from an event, there’s just something about today that doesn’t sit well with him. It doesn’t help at all that he’s also busy the whole day, barely having any time to properly check up on you until right now.

He even tries calling you, but you don’t answer either so he texts Seungcheol only for the guy to say you’re napping in your office. His frown deepens at that. It’s six and you’re still at the office?

“Wonwoo?” Jennie calls him softly, and he snaps up from his phone at her voice. He smiles sheepishly before texting you to call him once you’ve woken up and placing his phone on the table.

“Sorry. What were you saying?”

It’s Jennie who’s invited him for this particular dinner, and though he doesn’t get why she wants to eat with him again when she’s literally at his family house the night before, he accepts because this is actually the first time she goes out of her way to ask if he would eat with her—usually, it’s his mom who asks him to accompany her because she’s heard Jennie is somewhere by herself.

She did ask him once or twice if he could go somewhere with her, but only because she’s unfamiliar with the place and Jennie has never been good at being in a new place. But she had never asked if he has the time to eat with her and talk.

Plus, you’re not answering his texts.

So he figures he should be able to talk with her because it must be somewhat important, and he could go check on you after he’s finished with the girl. But Seungcheol’s text came when he’s already arrived at the restaurant Jennie’s chosen and now he’s sitting there worried because he just wants to go to you.

“I just… I want to apologize for taking so much of your time,” she says softly, her voice unsure and Wonwoo honestly can’t tell where this is coming from. “I know your mom asks you to take care of me, and I know at times you’re just… here because of that, but I hope you know you really don’t have to do this if you already have things to do.”

“Oh, Jen,” he exhales, not realizing that he’s been making her feel like a burden. “You know me better than that. You’re still my friend, you know? No need to feel that way.”

She chuckles a little, and Wonwoo can’t help but think she sounds sad. There’s always something a little lonely about Jennie that he can’t quite wrap his head around, and even though he’s not exactly close with her, she’s still an old friend that Wonwoo’s glad to keep around.

“I know. And I hope you’re not taking this the wrong way, but…” she hesitates for a bit, pressing her lips together as she contemplates her words. “I also know Y/N isn’t… fond of me and she must’ve felt like I’m stealing you because you’re always with me these days.”

His mouth dries at her words, unsure how to reply to that. It would be a complete lie to say you haven’t been explicitly annoyed because he’s been unable to be with you as much as he would’ve liked, but Wonwoo has always just figured Jennie doesn’t notice or she simply doesn’t care. But the way she says it… Wonwoo might not be the most sensitive person in the world, but it is clear even to him that she’s hurt–hopefully not at you but at the situation.

Thankfully, Jennie speaks again because Wonwoo has no idea what he’s supposed to do at the revelation.

“Can I be honest with you?”

He doesn’t see where this is going, but he nods and she continues.

“I’ve… always admired her, you know? She’s so… fierce and she wouldn’t let anyone get in her way ever since we were kids. I can still remember that time she stood up for you in the playground because some bigger kids considered you an easy target,” she smiles, looking down on her plate to avoid his gaze. But even from her peripheral vision, she can clearly see Wonwoo being shocked at her words. “She’s even smaller than you were, but she didn’t hesitate to go there and told them off.”

He softens at the memory, and his head takes him back to that time when you were all six; Wonwoo had always looked like an easy target because he tended to be quiet and he was pretty lanky, it didn’t help that he never told his parents about it either. In the playground, it didn’t matter that he was the Jeons’ youngest son, six-year-olds did not understand the concept of conglomerates.

His mom wouldn’t usually let him go to the playground without bringing his nannies, but Shua was actually there with you both, just that he went to the restroom nearby for a bit which gave the those kids an opening to do whatever they wanted now that the older kid was gone.

“I also remember being scared that they would hurt her, but Jinyoung came about and they immediately scurried off at the sight of someone older than them,” she continues, and it’s fascinating to him that she remembers this event vividly. “That was the first time I saw her, and I immediately thought that it’d be amazing to have a friend like her. But, well…”

His heart falters at her tone, knowing full well you’re not exactly friends with her now. He doesn’t know whether it’d be better if you downright act like you dislike the girl or to be like right now, holding her at a distance but never letting her in.

“I thought maybe I could befriend her if we spent enough time together, but years passed by and it became clear to me that she…didn’t want to befriend me…I guess? But, even then, it’s obvious to me how much she takes care of those around her and it’s something that I can’t help but still admire. I’m aware that she keeps her circle small, but she… even to an outsider like me, it’s obvious that she makes sure everyone of you is well taken care of and she does more for you guys than for herself.”

There’s something close to pride burning in him at the way she’s describing you, but the longing in her eyes hits him harder than he thought it would.

“Jen, you know she doesn’t dislike you, right?” he decides to say after a moment. While he’s still in the dark about how you actually feel about her, he knows you don’t dislike Jennie. The best that he can guess is there’s something about Jennie that doesn’t sit well with you in one way or another, but how did you, as a six year old, manage to attain this kind of idea and maintain it until now, basically two decades later?

It doesn’t make sense.

“Yeah, but she isn’t fond at the thought of me either.” Her defeated smile breaks him a little, but then again, he can only imagine how she’s feeling. He’s never known Jennie holds this much sentiment towards you and it feels awkward to be talking about this after knowing how she feels–suddenly very conscious of how you treat him and the others in front of her. “It’s something that I’ve come to accept, so you don’t need to say anything about it. But, anyway, I just kind of feel bad because I know you’re… forced to attend to me these days and I really don’t want to give her more reasons to distance herself from me.”

“Hey, are you not my friend?” he frowns at her words, wrapping his head around how bad she’s holding this over herself. “I’m not forced to spend time with you. We’ve literally known each other for at least two decades now and, even though my mom did ask me to take care of you, I’m here because I want to, Jen.”

“There’s still instances where you’d rather not, though.”

He winces at that, a little guilty that she’s caught him. While it’s true that he’s not always willing to accompany her, it’s also true that he’s often with her by choice. Perhaps it’s the fact that he knows Jennie doesn’t really have any friends in Korea, that most of the people around her are acquaintances and none of them actually knows her. No matter what, Wonwoo doesn’t wish for Jennie to feel alone while she’s in the country.

“It doesn’t really matter. At the end of the day, you’re my friend and I care about you. You’re not here often and it’s my job as a friend to make sure you’re not alone while you’re here,” he tries to explain, hoping to get through her. It’s painful to know your friend is feeling bad about her own self. “Do you… do you want me to talk to her?”

“No, it’s okay,” she says after a while. “I told you I’ve come to accept it. Maybe she just doesn’t want to be close with me and I respect that.”

“I’ll… I’ll try, okay?” he blurts out in the end, deciding that it’s the least he could do. “I’ve never actually asked her about it because I thought it didn’t bother you and you don’t see each other often anyway. Clearly, I was wrong.”

“But what if–”

“I know when to stop, don’t worry,” he smiles comfortingly. He knows you won’t give in so easily just because he’s your best friend, because if it was that easy then you would’ve told him about whatever it is bothering you about her a long time ago. But you have never even touched the topic, simply close yourself up and keep it to yourself when it comes to her. It wouldn’t be easy, but perhaps it’s time to ask you about it, after all. “I’m not promising anything though.”

She thanks him regardless, and tells him she appreciates him wanting to try anyway. Jennie wasn’t actually sure what she was expecting when she decided to open up to him about the whole thing, but after accidentally hearing Wonwoo call you last night to say he couldn’t join you and the others in your place, she felt bad and there’s this need to come clean with one of her truest friends.

Jennie never considers Wonwoo a close friend–she’s not that naive. But he’s a dear friend and a piece of her childhood that she’d like to keep around. She appreciates that the Jeons never treat her as the heiress of her parents’ company, even the head of the Jeon family never really talks about the company the few times she meets him, and she’s exceptionally thankful for Wonwoo and Jinyoung for treating her genuinely as friends despite not being that close to her.

That’s already more than a lot of people around her would do because they only see her as a trophy.

If there’s anything more she envies about you, it’s the fact that you don’t let people treat you that way. Jennie’s too afraid to brush people off and walk away from their meaningless chit chat, but you’d turn away before they even reach you without caring about the rumours it’d leave about your attitude problems.

“Are you finished?” he asks after noticing her plate is empty. “Should we go back?”

“Yeah, sure,” she nods and stands up from her seat. She eyes the unfinished dessert and drink in front of him, then tells him to quickly finish them while she goes to the front to pay.

At first, Jennie thinks she saw wrong when she sees you sitting by yourself in the waiting area near the receptionist. But when she calls your name and you turn to her at once, she can’t help but feel like something’s off about you. Your smile is forced, almost as if you’re in pain.

Wonwoo’s equally confused when he sees Jennie with you, and there’s something nasty at the pit of his stomach when he sees Soonyoung approaching. But the feeling’s gone in the blink of an eye when you grab Jennie for support and he sees your body swaying a little.

He doesn’t even know he can move that fast, but how can he not when your body falls forward even when he’s holding on to both of your arms? His palm moves to your forehead, feeling cold sweat forming there as he quickly asks any of them to take his car so he could bring you home.

Soonyoung says something about Seungcheol and Mr. Lee, and Wonwoo really doesn’t care about who’s driving as long as he can get you to bed fast while Jennie’s already calling for the Jeons’ family doctor upon his request.

He seems to be out of it, but no one can really blame him when you’re laying limp in his arms and he tries his best to calm his beating heart as he cradles you to his embrace. You’re barely conscious, but you can still hum when he asks if you’re awake, and he can feel you weakly grasping his shirt when he pulls you close.

When Soonyoung comes back with Seungcheol on his trail, you still have it in you to wobbly walk on your legs even though you need Wonwoo and Seungcheol to hold your weight from the side. Wonwoo quickly hands Soonyoung his car key when the guy asks for it, thanking him despite the panic in his chest.

“Y/N? Can you hear me?” he softly asks as he caresses your hair. It’s crazy how cold your forehead is against his palm and Wonwoo can feel the dread filling his body even more before he tells Mr. Lee to drive faster before you actually pass out right there and then.

“Hmm…” you murmur softly, though you don’t open your eyes–can’t open them because you feel like you don’t have any energy within you to even blink at the moment.

“Drink this, okay?” you hear him say before you feel something prodding against your lips “It’s warm tea, the restaurant staff gave it to us earlier. It should help.”

You hum again, lips a little ajar just enough to catch the plastic between your lips. Wonwoo insists you drink all of them if you could, so you do exactly that because it seems to help even slightly. The tea is sweet, and you wonder if it’s the sugar that helps clear your consciousness if only by a thread; anyhow, you can still feel the pounding in your head and you bury yourself deeper into him for comfort.

“Won…” your voice is barely even a whisper and Wonwoo wouldn’t even have heard you if it’s not for the fact that you’re literally pressed against him. “‘m so tired…”

“Sleep, okay? I’ll carry you to bed,” his voice is gentle despite the frantic sound of his heartbeat, still worried out of his mind to witness you like this. After a few minutes pass and he feel your breath evening, he finally asks Seungcheol if you’ve eaten anything today.

“I’m not sure, sir. She did drink her usual juice in the morning on the way to the office, but I’m not aware if she’s eaten anything while she’s in there. Miss Yoon specifically asked to be left alone today because she had a lot of documents to review so I stood guard in front of her office, sir.”

“You’re in the office since morning? Did she leave for lunch?”

“No, sir. She asked for a sandwich but I can’t tell you for sure if she did eat them in the end.”

He huffs in concern, only now regretting not calling Seungcheol earlier. Had he known you’re in the office since morning by choice without even leaving for lunch, he would’ve come over and dragged you out to eat. No wonder you’re not answering your phone, you probably didn’t even have time to check the device nor remember to eat because you have too many things to do.

He looks down at you, finally realizing how pale you look despite the makeup. He leans down to kiss the crown of your head, his lips lingering there to calm himself down before he lets go and rests the side of his head on top of yours.

When Mr. Lee stops in front of his building, Seungcheol is quick to help open the door and assist him inside. As the elevator goes up, he asks the older guy to inform Jeonghan about this immediately.

“Tell him she’s in my place and I’ve already called for Dr. Jung. She’ll obviously be taking the day off tomorrow and the day after,” he calmly speaks with you in his arms. It’s not easy to carry an adult in her 20s for this long, but Wonwoo’s pretty sure his worry runs over and the weight just doesn’t really register to him at the moment. “Please help me call Chan too and tell him I’d be working from home for the next two days.”

Dr. Jung is already there when they arrive in his penthouse, and Seungcheol helps Wonwoo put you down to the bed before he excuses himself to make the requested calls. There’s an oxygen tank near his bed and Wonwoo watches exasperatedly when the doctor puts the tube into your nose.

You’ve never been one to get sick easily, but it comes at the price of you suffering more than most people would everytime you are. That said, Wonwoo has never been able to take it well during those time. There’s something inherently scary about seeing you pale and still.

“She didn’t eat anything?” Dr. Jung makes sure after checking you up, frowning when he hears Wonwoo’s explanation earlier.

“We’re not sure, but that’s the assumption. She had juice for breakfast and, if she did eat anything after that, it’s just a sandwich.”

“Then that’s probably the reason why. Her blood sugar presumably dropped too,” he concludes. “Also, you did say she’s been busy the past few months but even more so these days, so it’s not outrageous to assume she hasn’t been taking care of herself.”

Wonwoo sighs at his words, well aware that Dr. Jung is most likely correct. While you do have the tendency to forget to eat when you’re focused on something, Wonwoo has never thought it’d be to the point where you forgot to eat anything for the whole day. You probably meant to eat your meal with Soonyoung to make up for the lack of supper throughout the day–only that it’s a little too late and your body has been running on nothing for too long at that point.

“I can prescribe her some supplements. But what she needs most is proper rest and proper meals. She’s no longer having cold sweat so you can worry a little less, just make sure she eats something when she wakes up.”

“Thank you, doc,” he nods, his heartbeat finally settling into its usual rhythm. His eyes can’t seem to move from you though, the color in your face returning a little even though it’s still not enough to clear his worry. “I’ll make sure she rests well for a few days before she’s back to work.”

“Do you want me to stay until she wakes up?” he offers good-naturedly, though Wonwoo shakes his head and tells him he’d just call him again tomorrow. It’s already late now anyway and who knows if you’ll wake up soon or not? “Okay then. I’ll come again to check her up tomorrow morning. Take care of your girlfriend, Wonwoo.”

Wonwoo simply nods, sitting down on the space near your head as he caresses your hair then gently massages your temple. You don’t look like you’re going to wake up anytime soon, but it’s okay as long as he knows you’re resting. He can still feel the way his heart dropped to his stomach when your body swayed forward the moment you lost consciousness, the horror creeping in his body isn’t something he wishes to feel ever again.

It’s not long after Dr. Jung leaves when he hears soft knocks on his bedroom door and he looks up to find Jennie, Soonyoung, Jeonghan, and Shua coming in to check on you. He’s just gotten off the phone with Chaeyoung when they come in, the girl frantic and panicked when she heard you’ve fainted.

“I’ve bought soup earlier,” Jennie speaks first, telling him she’s put it in his refrigerator and that he could just heat it up when you wake up later. “Is she… okay?”

“Yeah, she… probably didn’t eat anything the whole day so her body is running on nothing,” he explains tiredly, his fingers still moving against your head.

“This girl…” Jeonghan shakes his head, his tone laced with worry. His whole body is tense, and Wonwoo relays what Dr. Jung has told him earlier to assure everyone that you’ll be fine as long as you take a proper rest for a few days.

He looks at your cousin, somehow already aware about what’s going through his mind. “She wouldn’t want to let go of your parents’ wedding anniversary. You know she loves them more than her own parents.”

“Still…” he sighs, upset that you actually fainted from overworking. “I should’ve told mom she has too much on her plate already.”

“The charity dinner is three days away, Han,” Shua reminds him, seemingly calmer than anyone in the room even though he, too, is worried out of his mind. It’s true that he was also against you handling these projects at once, but Shua also knows how much Jeonghan’s parents mean to you and with the dinner around the corner, your schedule should be emptier than it was before. “If you ask her to let go of the anniversary nowshe’ll just be mad at you. I’ll clear some of my classes and help, don’t worry.”

Wonwoo turns to Soonyoung, the guy awkwardly standing in place as if unsure if he’s allowed to be there. He smiles weakly at him, thanking Soonyoung for taking care of his car and whatnot when he couldn’t possibly think about them earlier.

“No problem, man. I’m just glad she’s taken care of,” he nods firmly before he tells him he’s placed his car key on the dinner table earlier. “She… she was asleep when I came to pick her up. We were supposed to meet for dinner but she wasn’t answering so I called Jeonghan just in case.”

“You had to pick her up at the office?” Jeonghan exclaims in surprise. “Didn’t you call me at, like, six?”

“Yeah. Seungcheol said he’s still in the building so I made my way there.”

“She really has been overworking herself.” Shua rubs his face in concern. It’s suddenly clear why you looked tired the night before, almost like you could pass out anytime soon when the movie had barely even started. The only reason why you forced yourself awake was probably because it’d been sometime since everyone (minus Wonwoo) came together to hang out.

He glances at Jennie, the girl also looking at you in concern even from afar. He was surprised when he saw her with Soonyoung earlier, and when she briefly explained about what happened, he could tell that she’s just as worried as they were despite not being close with you.

Silence settles in the room after that, everyone seemingly too worried to say anything. Shua can’t even remember the last time he saw you in a hospital bed–probably that time in sixth grade when you broke your leg–and it wouldn’t be exaggerating when he says his eyes almost watered after Jeonghan told him you’ve fainted.

You’re practically his sister, and Shua has always been your big brother before Jinyoung, Jeonghan, or even Wonwoo came and helped take care of you. He knows that, on top of these projects, your father also makes you review reports and proposals even though your official position within the company really shouldn’t be concerned with proposals.

Perhaps it’s about time he and Jeonghan speak to your parents about your workloads. What’s the use of letting you not be the head if you’re working just a little less than Jeonghan is?

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” Shua speaks up again after a while. “It’s getting late, guys. Unless you’re going to sleep over, I think it’s time to return home.”

“Right,” Jeonghan sighs once again, moving over to drop a kiss on your forehead before telling Wonwoo he’ll come again tomorrow after his morning meeting. “Take care of her, okay? She’s not allowed to go out until the charity dinner.”

Wonwoo nods, and then tells Shua he’s welcome to sleep over if he wants. The guy shakes his head though, telling him he needs to talk about something to Jeonghan but he’ll come first thing in the morning. Jennie and Soonyoung bid their goodbye too, and Wonwoo thanks them one more time for helping him earlier.

Once everyone’s gone home, his gaze falls to you again. It’s unfair how peaceful you look after making all of them freak out beyond comprehension. He sighs at the thought and then moves to take off the oxygen tube from you and switches off the tank like Dr. Jung has instructed earlier.

After changing his clothes into a more comfortable one, Wonwoo slowly takes the other side of the bed, careful not to nudge you awake though you seem to be in such a deep sleep anyway. He shifts to his side so he can look at you, his hand reaching out to caress your cheek as if to convince himself that you’re really there with him.

And when you scoot closer to him in your sleep, the breath of his name falling off your lips, only then Wonwoo can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Chapter Text

You wake up to find yourself tangled in someone’s hold, and you’re not even surprised when Wonwoo’s sleeping face greets you when you slightly pull away from his embrace. He frowns in his sleep, like he’s in a bad dream that he wishes to get out of, and it’s not even a minute later that he opens his eyes and blinks slowly at the sight of you.

“Hi.” You wince at how dry you sound, and Wonwoo immediately reaches out to the glass of water on his bedside before he helps you sit up and hands it to you. You’re in Wonwoo’s room, your brain registers, not your usual room in Wonwoo’s place, but you’re on his bed and you can’t help but realize how long it’s been since the last time you slept there.

The window in his room tells you it’s probably still dawn outside, and you’re awfully aware about how empty your stomach is and how sore your whole body feels. Wonwoo asks if you’re okay, and when you tell him you’re just hungry, he readily gets up and tells you he’s going to heat up some soup from last night.

Wonwoo insists you wait on his bed, but you tell him you’re tense and you need to move around even if it’s just to his kitchen. He sighs in defeat, not wanting to fight you when you’ve just woken up, then takes your hand in his to help you stand up from the bed and pulls you with him to the kitchen.

It doesn’t take long to heat up soup, and you thank him for the food after he settles down beside you and slides the bowl of rice in front of you. Wonwoo’s silent for a while, and you let him be because you’re a little more hungry than you thought you were so you figure it’d be better to eat first and ask later.

“Good?” he breaks the silence when he notices you’re about done, glancing at the digital clock on his fridge that glares a bright 3:07 AM at him. He’s pretty sure you wouldn’t have eaten at this hour if not for the fact that you literally fainted for that very reason, but he’s just glad he doesn’t have to force you to eat because he’s actually prepared for it, knowing full well that you’re often too bothered to eat when you’ve just woken up.

“Hmm,” you hum after taking one last bite, putting down your utensils and you let him put the dishes away before he sits back down beside you. It’s so easy–to let your head fall into his shoulder and for Wonwoo to pull you closer against his, his arm wrapping around your shoulder as he does so. “Did you have it delivered?”

“Jennie bought it for you,” he whispers against the silent room.

You don’t really answer, simply say ‘oh really?’ like you’re making comments about stuff you hear in passing, though Wonwoo’s glad that you don’t tense in his hold at the mention of her name. “What happened, Won?”

“You fainted,” he blurts right to the point, and you can’t help but chuckle at his deadpan tone. He frowns at your reaction, not getting at all how you can find it funny when he could barely fall asleep worrying for you until his eyes eventually gave up two hours ago. “Why didn’t you eat anything the whole day? Do you know how worried everyone was?”

“Everyone?” you perk up at his words, wasn’t there only Jennie and Soonyoung?

“Jeonghan and Shua were here,” he informs you, telling you that Chaeyoung also called and your cousins dropped by after they found out you fainted; that Jeonghan said you’re not allowed to go to the office until the charity dinner is finished.

“So I’m working from home?”

“You’re not working at all. You have to rest until d-day,” he says with finality and, as always, you know there’s no fighting him if he’s already called your full name like a five years old caught stealing cookies.

You’re about to whine, but you know Wonwoo’s right and you do need to be on your prime condition during the charity dinner; it’s always your prioritized event, after all, because even though it’s not as big as the annual party, you try to give even more than you usually do due to the fact that it’s charity.

“And you?”

“You literally fainted and you think I’ll leave you alone?”

You let out an amused scoff, burying yourself further into his hold and then circling your arms around his figure. “My best friend, ladies and gentlemen.”

The words hurt more than he thought it would, but Wonwoo shrugs off the bitter taste on his tongue and tightens his embrace instead. Perhaps if he hold on to you strong enough, it wouldn’t hurt as much.

Perhaps if he hold on to you tight enough, it would feel like you feel the same, after all.

“Let’s go back to sleep?” he whispers instead, not knowing how to respond to your words even though he knows you aren’t expecting him to at all.

“Just… a little more,” you mumble against his neck, your lips slightly grazing his skin and setting off warmth through his body. Suddenly, he’s painfully aware about how there’s practically no space between the two of you, with you pressing yourself to him and his arm wrapping you into his embrace. It’s uncomfortable to be holding you in this position, but there’s nowhere he’d rather be than here. “Just a few more minutes.”

Wonwoo would’ve stayed forever if that’s what you ask him to.

*
“So you’re feeling better?”Soonyoung asks from the other side of the phone. He’s sent you a whole catering consisting all sort of food from his sister’s catering he thinks should help you recover (though he confesses later on he’s just really not sure what you like so he asks his sister’s team to send just about anything), and you’re genuinely convinced you and Wonwoo can share this for three days and there would still be leftovers.

“Yeah, I’m forced to rest,” you joke, though deep down you’re kind of relieved you finally have the time to slow down and rest. “Sorry I ruined our dinner, we should reschedule after the event.”

“It’s fine. Gotta give it to you though, it’s such a refreshing way to be stood up. Don’t think I want to experience that again. Should’ve just said you don’t want to have dinner with me, you know?”

Your laughter rings throughout the room, and it’s then that Wonwoo appears on your door, his eyebrows raised in question as if asking who you’re on the phone with. You mouth Soonyoung’s name, and then you laugh some more at something that he said on the other line. Wonwoo simply watches from your doorframe, leaning on it with his arms crossed, then shakes his head when you pat the space next to you and instead signals you to come and eat lunch because it’s time.

“I’ve got to go. My babysitter is calling me to lunch,” he hears you say to Soonyoung, giggles and everything. It’s been so long since he sees you being so bubbly around someone other than your small-kept circle and Wonwoo’s still not sure how he feels about the whole thing.

He prides himself as a good judge of people, often being able to figure out people’s intent the moment they start speaking to him. But Soonyoung? He still can’t tell whether or not his advances towards you are romantic or not.

He blames his own feelings for that. He’s probably too subjective to be able to tell.

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks again for the food, send my greetings to your sister too, okay?” you say as you get up from the bed. “Maybe I’ll use her service for Jeonghan’s parents’ anniversary.”

You push your phone into your pocket then link your arm through Wonwoo’s the moment you reach him, and he doesn’t hesitate to follow you to the dining room only to see the abundant amount of packed foods lining up on his table.

“Soonyoung sent you this?”

“Over the top, I know,” you laugh at his shocked face and then pull him with you to sit on the other side of the table. “He mentioned he doesn’t know what I like so he just told them to send me everything.”

Wonwoo has got to admit, you’re pretty energetic for someone who literally fainted the day before. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve told you to take it easy and to stay on your bed for the whole day, but he knows you and you would just feel antsy if he told you to be on bed rest.

Dr. Jung already checked up on you earlier this morning and said you’re fine, anyway, just that it’d be preferable if you don’t work too hard for the next few days. So he really has no reason to put you on bed rest when Dr. Jung himself already said you just need enough rest and eat proper meals.

“How are we going to finish these?” he looks almost troubled, and you giggle before reminding him Jeonghan and Shua are probably dropping by again so you have nothing to worry about. You can always send some to his family house too if it’s really too much.

“Speaking of, didn’t you say Shua was going to drop by in the morning?”

“Yeah, there was a sudden meeting with a foundation though, so he promised to come later instead,” Wonwoo explains as he places the plates on the table while you get utensils from his kitchen drawer. “Jinyoung called earlier, by the way. Asked if you’re okay and if you want anything.”

You shake your head though, telling him you can’t possibly want more food when the meals Soonyoung sent is blatantly laid out on the dining table.”Maybe tell him I just want him to propose to his girlfriend already. I can tell Jisoo is too kind to say anything about it.”

Wonwoo laughs at your words, and then nods in agreement as he opens some of the containers and puts away the rest for dinner.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better,” you shrug. “I honestly never thought I’d experience fainting in my life.”

“I never thought I’d experience witnessing you fainting in my life,” he rolls his eyes, though glad that you do seem much better. “Seriously, princess, how could you not eat anything for the whole day?”

“I did drink my juice,” your voice is small, and Wonwoo knows you’re guilty inside despite trying to defend yourself. “And I ate my sandwich… half of it.”

Even though you’re avoiding his eyes, you can feel his gaze on the side of your face. It makes you feel queasy inside–his gaze always does–and you whine a little when he refuses to look away. In the end, you sigh and put down your spoon to entertain him and meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry, okay? I just didn’t feel hungry and when I did, it’s already evening, so I thought I was just gonna eat with Soonyoung,” you tell him truthfully.

It’s true though, you’re not actually as packed as you were a few days ago that day, but maybe the exhaustion piled up and you’ve always been the type to forget your meals when the day’s too busy, which is probably how you ended up passing out. You were being truthful too when you said you simply didn’t eat because you didn’t feel hungry, there was no purposeful intent to hunger yourself to the point of fainting.

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to take three projects at once,” he says once again, even though he knows he’s just repeating himself at this point. You’re about to retort, probably something about the charity dinner being literal days away and you’re not backing off from the other two events now when you’re already half-way done with the preparation. But Wonwoo cuts you off before you even start talking, finally taking his eyes off you and then starts digging in again. “Just… don’t do that again, okay? I don’t want to see you like that ever again.”

It’s your turn to stare at him, and when you realize Wonwoo’s not going to return your gaze, you scoot your seat closer to him and lean your head on the side of his arm. “I’m sorry, okay? I promise I won’t forget to take care of myself again, Won. It was just… one of those days.”

He stills at your touch, and you hear the sound of his spoon against his plate before he shifts a little and tells you to look at him. When you pull away and give him a questioning look, Wonwoo simply flicks your forehead and scoffs when you whine at the slight throbbing pain.

“The last time you did that was when we were still in high school,” you chuckle a little as you think back on the memories before you smile weakly at him and repeat your apology. “Seriously though, I’m sorry I worried you that much. It wouldn’t happen again, Won. It was pretty scary too for me; I still remember the sudden loss of my hold. It wasn’t progressive except for the headaches, either. I honestly thought I was just having headaches, but one moment my vision gets extremely blurry and, next thing I know, you’re holding my weight because I couldn’t.”

“But you were… conscious?”

“I could still hear you guys talking, if that’s what you’re asking. I didn’t completely black out until we’re in the car.” It’s clear in your mind, even, how worried Wonwoo and everyone else sounded. You could hear Jennie frantically calling someone while Soonyoung thanked someone for giving him something, and you even detected Wonwoo’s frantic breath and heartbeat as he asked you if you’re okay. But you couldn’t really do anything, your body just felt heavy and even opening your eyes felt like pushing it.

It’s silent for a while until you hear what sounds like the pin code on the front door beeping and soft steps making their way to the kitchen. You’re not surprised to find Shua making his way to the kitchen, because he’s the only person who knows the code to Wonwoo’s place other than you. For emergencies, Wonwoo has said once, though you don’t really get what he means by that.

“That’s… a lot of food,” he says first thing after seeing the dining table, suddenly feeling glad that he’s not bringing any with him. He picks up the big paper bag on the floor and reads the name printed on it. “Lilac&Co?”

“Soonyoung’s sister’s catering service,” you supply helpfully.

Shua lets out a soft ‘oh’ and joins you both on the table, telling you Jeonghan would drop by later after his meeting finishes though he doesn’t exactly know when. “You feeling okay?”

You nod and don’t wait a second to start telling him what you’ve just told Wonwoo. Shua has always been fussy, to the point where it might seem annoying to other people, but you’re used to it, and the fact that you grew up with no siblings and parents that are barely there makes you appreciate his nagging, if anything.

It never bothers you–never annoys you even on the worst day and your mood is down the drain.

You were five when you were told your aunt was pregnant with a girl. Shua’s going to have a sister, they said, and to your small world where Shua was the closest thing you had to a sibling, it felt like a threat. Even your five years old self was already aware that Shua was the only person who took care of you like a family.

Wonwoo was just your friend, another five years old you’d cry to when you scraped your knees on the playground. Wonwoo would panic, maybe hold your hand and hope you’d magically stop crying overtime though he would never let go until then. But Shua would kneel down and treat your small wound, then made sure to put on a band-aid with a picture of your favorite Disney princess before saying you did a great job holding back the pain regardless of how much you cried.

“I’ll help you with the next two events, okay?” he gives you that angelic smile of his, basically telling you his mind is made. “I’ve told Lisa to take most of my classes until the annual party is over so I should be able to take some of the prep work.”

“That assistant of yours really deserves a raise, you know?” you say instead, already accepting that Shua would be helping you with the events. There’s no use in rejecting his offer too when even you yourself realize how overworked you are with the monthly meeting around the corner and events preparations. It’s also scary to think you’d faint again out of nowhere even though you know better to take care of yourself now.

You can’t afford hearing Wonwoo’s distressed call of your name ever again.

The conversation goes about anywhere from there and it’s when you mention that you’re really considering to use Lilac&Co for the anniversary party that Shua opens another topic altogether. “How did you end up befriending Soonyoung, anyway?”

“Oh! Remember the Kwons’ party? Soonyoung talked to me when Wonwoo went to the toilet. I thought he was trying to flirt with me but he just wanted to talk about his sister’s mousse.”

Shua subtly glances at Wonwoo after hearing you, trying to gauge a reaction only to see there’s none; Wonwoo simply continues eating as he absentmindedly nods at your words. He listens to your story, and then tells you he’s glad you’ve found a new friend after so long, and he, too, agrees that Soonyoung seems like a good person.

“–so I was going to hang out again with him at last but, well, you know,” you smile sheepishly.

“Why were you there, again?” The question is directed to Wonwoo, and he honestly answers that Jennie wanted to eat dinner with him and he was going to come see you after that because you weren’t picking up his calls. “Weren’t you with her too the night before?”

You frown a little at the reminder, having completely forgotten about the petty reason behind you ignoring his calls that day.

“Yeah, my mom made everyone eat dinner at home with her. But Jennie said she had something to…” Wonwoo stops for a while, trying to choose his words carefully to get rid of misunderstandings. “…consult about, so yeah.”

“Is she having a hard time here?” Shua asks in concern, not wanting to sound like he’s prodding. Wonwoo knows better than to think that, though. He knows Shua’s stand about Jennie is more or else the same with him, but it’s only natural for someone as caring as him to ask about his friend when he suspects they’re not in their best condition.

“Something like that, but it’s more… personal, I suppose,” he frowns now that the topic is brought up. He was so all over the place last night, his mind filled with nothing but your wellbeing that he forgot about his talk with Jennie until now. “She wasn’t sure who to talk to so she came to me.”

“Is it… bad?” is what Shua says, but Wonwoo knows him well enough to know that what he means to ask is if there’s anything he could help Jennie with–if he could do something that would lift the weight off his friend even a little.

“I honestly can’t tell, but it’s obvious that it’s bothering her to the point where she called me of all people,” Wonwoo decides to say, figuring that he should be able to say that much.

You stay silent at their conversation, not sure how to join in because you’re not close enough with the girl to comment. You don’t… hate Jennie, nor do you dislike her the slightest bit, but she’s always been someone you keep your distance from and it’s to your luck that she’s mostly out of the country than she’s not, which means you don’t really have to try to get rid of that weird feeling inside you everytime she’s with your circle.

You’ll be fine as long as you keep your distance still–no awkwardness, no weird feelings. When you hear she’s going to be in Seoul for two months, your first thought was just to hope that she’s busy enough that you wouldn’t have to meet her often. And you’ve been right–Jennie has been mostly too busy to be able to match schedules with Shua and the others. But you have never thought it would come at the cost of your Wonwoo accompanying her by himself.

The longest you’ve ever had to spend with her was about two weeks, then you’re already in a different continent again, and now she’s going to be here for two months? You can only make so much alibis to avoid her even between your already busy schedules.

Well, if you want to go back in time, you actually did spend a few years with her around you when you were kids. But you were six and your minds weren’t developed enough to complicate things and try to avoid her, though, even then, you already felt weird every time she’s around–almost like there’s something unpleasant that you can’t quite explain though you swear it’s not hostile.

“–she asked about you, by the way.” Wonwoo’s voice brings you back to reality, and when you look up to them, it’s only then that you realize you’ve been spacing out. “Wanted to make sure you’re okay and said that she wanted to drop by if you’re okay with it.”

Wonwoo catches the way you slightly bite your lower lip and your eyes falling into your lap, the obvious signs of your discomfort. “Maybe later? I don’t want to see a lot of people today.”

He knows you’re just making up reasons, but he also knows he can’t push you about it, more so now when you’re just getting better from yesterday’s episode. So Wonwoo simply nods, changes the topic, and tells you to eat more so you can fully recover for the charity dinner.

He can only hope he’d be able to talk to you about it one of these days.

Chapter Text

You bite down a satisfied grin when you see how pleased everyone is during the charity dinner, trying your best to keep still despite the pride buzzing throughout your body.

Even you’re pleased at how smooth everything is going. You’ve gone a little bit more extravagant than last year, and despite your own doubt about the concept you’ve chosen, it’s getting clearer that it’s the right choice as the night drags on.

“Tired?” a familiar voice whispers, which makes you squeal a little at the sudden warmth at the back of your neck.

“Soonyoung!” you laugh as you hit his arm and then hug him in greeting. “Thank you for coming. Did you use to come to these dinners before?”

“It’s my pleasure, really. I’ve been wanting to greet you since I stepped in but you seem busy so I let you be,” he flashes you a small grin. “My parents usually attend because I’m not really into these events either, but I have to come now, don’t I? Gotta make sure you weren’t acting when you fainted preparing for said event.”

You laugh again at his words, once again thanking him for the food he’s sent before you tell him you still have some leftovers though you’ve eaten most of the food with Wonwoo and the others.

“Where’s Wonwoo, anyway?” he asks as he looks around the place to catch a glimpse of your best friend. “Doesn’t he usually stick with you throughout the event?”

“He has to go around greeting important people,” you grin, telling him this is usually the only time when he leaves your side. “He usually drags me with him, but I said I’m not in the mood to pretend to laugh at their lame jokes so he went alone.”

You’re not sure how long you’ve been standing there speaking with Soonyoung, but it must’ve been longer than you thought because Wonwoo’s back before you know it and, like before, he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around your waist the moment he stands beside you while he nods to Soonyoung.

“Done meeting VIPs?” you nudge him with a teasing grin, your body automatically leaning into his. “Did they offer Young Master Jeon any proposal?”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes playfully and pinches your waist, making you welp though you laugh just the same. Soonyoung looks at the sight in front of him with an amused smile, wondering why the two of you aren’t together yet; are you the type of couple who doesn’t want to put a ring on it? Are you still in denial about each other? Or is there any other reason that he’s not aware of?

Whatever it is, it doesn’t make sense.

He thinks it’s obvious that you two belong to each other and he would’ve just made it official if he was Wonwoo. But there’s always something people don’t see behind closed doors and Soonyoung can only guess something’s stopping you both from doing so.

“Hello,” a delicate voice joins your little group, and your eyes find Jennie falling in step right beside Soonyoung, wrapped in a beautiful cocktail dress that stops right before her knees. You can only imagine she probably sews it herself. “I’ve been meaning to catch you guys but I got caught up. It’s a very beautiful party, Y/N, I’m glad I can finally attend Yoon Holdings’ famous charity dinner.”

You smile politely at her, telling the girl you’re also glad she’s able to attend. It might sound like pleasantries, but Jennie is also some kind of public figure on top of her bloodline and you’re actually more than glad that she attends because you’re getting more coverage than the previous year–everyone wants to see Kim Jennie, fashion icon, famous high fashion designer, and Ruby Corp.’s only heiress.

“I love what you did with the decoration; it’s not easy to blend baby blue linings on those tablecloths and the curtains near the entrance,” Jennie says carefully, unsure how you’d take her compliment, But, to her surprise, you thank her for noticing the details because no one says anything about it. “I hope you’re feeling better? Sorry I didn’t get to drop by.”

Something akin to guilt creeps up on you, because it was you who told Wonwoo you don’t really want to meet anyone even though he probably knows you’re just refusing to outright say you don’t want to meet Jennie in particular.

“It’s okay, you’re probably busy too,” you smile awkwardly, very glad that you see Jeonghan and Shua making their way to where you’re at so you’re able to steer the conversation elsewhere. Jeonghan takes you away from Wonwoo to his embrace, his arms caging you by the shoulders as he drops a kiss to your forehead.

“You’re lucky the party is wonderful,” he pulls away and narrows his eyes at you. “I wasn’t going to forgive you for fainting if this party was just meh.”

“You think I’d prepare a meh party?” You laugh and reach up to kiss his cheek before moving to Shua and do the same. “Been so long since I saw you in a suit, Mr. Hong.”

“I look good, don’t I?” he grins, not minding the way Jeonghan snickers at him. The night goes on like that, Chaeyoung joins in later on and then steps away because her parents call her to meet someone, Jinyoung and Jisoo make their way to your group too, and some of Wonwoo’s friends stop by to make pleasantries until eventually everyone goes to do their own stuff until it’s just you and Wonwoo again.

“That’s… a lot of talking,” you say after everyone has left.

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, but he opens his arm and you readily step back into his embrace and buries your forehead into his shoulder. You don’t know how to explain it exactly; but Wonwoo smells like home–feels like home. Like a mug of hot chocolate when it’s raining outside, like the soft breeze of wind that hits your face when you’re out on the beach, like your favorite blanket that you curl yourself into when it’s been a long day.

“Wanna leave?”

“Are you insane?”

The stern tone you’re using makes him chuckle, and you feel the plump of his lips on your head before he nudges you and whispers that your parents are coming this way. His arm doesn’t falter from your waist, and your parents greet him before they address you.

“Good job as always, princess.” Something akin to pride blooms in your chest at his words, though the nickname makes you cringe inside, and not in the way that you cringe because it’s embarrassing, it just feels alien and shouldn’t be. You think it’s because it’s him saying it instead of the man next to you and the straight tone he’s using. Your father calls you that from time to time, but only when his mood is particularly good because you did something for the company. “Perhaps we should build an EO company for you; you’re clearly talented and invested in this field.”

Everything’s a business to your father, which is something that you thought you’ve learnt to accept since long ago. But, evidently, the very sentence he’s just said only proves otherwise.

Why couldn’t he praise you for the event and leave it there? Was it really necessary to point out that there’s a possibility to monetize this and put you in yet another company? You don’t even bother denying something very bitter in your mouth the moment the words are out of his mouth.

Your mother talks about how some of her friends are pleased by the food choice and flowery gate you’ve put on the entrance, and you just know that she’s going to talk about their single sons sooner or later.

But Wonwoo swipes in and turns the topic into something else to entertain them before eventually saying his parents were looking for them earlier, something that your father just can’t resist because he’s always liked talking to Wonwoo’s dad, one of the very few people that he considers equal to him. He pats Wonwoo on the back before telling you once again that you did a good job before walking away to find Mr. & Mrs. Jeon.

“Thank you,” you huff at Wonwoo after they’re out of earshot.

“Should we go?”

You hum, a look that Wonwoo can only describe as sad flashing across your face. It’s gone just as fast as it appears though, and the weak smile you give him afterwards before you square your shoulder and pull him to the desert table breaks him a little.

You’re quiet for a while, like you always are after an episode with your parents, and then you start talking about the sweet treats on your hands as if to distract yourself from the short interaction earlier.

It’s never easy with your parents, and if there’s anyone who understands the entirety of how shitty they make you feel, it’s Wonwoo. Not even Shua or Jeonghan who are literally related to them by blood.

Jeonghan is a family person, and as much as he understands that your relationship with your parents isn’t ideal, he’s the type of person who also thinks that family is family. He’d never truly understand.

Shua would understand. But you’re not letting him because he takes care too much of you already so you never confide him in even though he knows.

You know Shua is aware of your feelings, but Shua has never been the type to push so he never asks even though it’s clear that it bothers him not knowing. He waits. He patiently waits until you open up because he wants you comfortable speaking about it.

Hence you choose to never say anything about it altogether.

“I… kind of want to be alone for a while,” you whisper eventually, and despite the fact that it’s normal for you to be like this, it worries him still. “Cover for me?”

He nods nevertheless, because he knows you need it and then takes off his suit and puts it around your shoulders. You’re probably going to the balcony for a breather like you usually would. Wonwoo reaches for your fingers and squeezes them firmly before letting go.

“Don’t catch a cold.”

And then you’re gone.

Wonwoo tries his best to make pleasantries and entertain the guests, telling everyone that’s looking for you that you’re touching up your makeup or that you’re taking an important call somewhere. No one finds it odd–at least no one that’s not close to you because when Shua asks, Wonwoo simply gives him the look and he immediately understands–no one except for Jennie.

“Is she in trouble?” she asks, genuinely concerned. She has just returned from the restroom when she spots Wonwoo by himself, his suit missing and he’s looking at his phone. Naturally, she makes her way to him. “I know you’re lying, Jeon. She couldn’t have gone this long if she’s simply touching up her makeup.”

“Just… personal stuff,” he gives in, figuring out that he could tell her at least that much. “She needs to be alone at times.”

It’s such a simple sentence, one that wouldn’t mean much to other people in passing. But it gets Jennie pondering to herself and then contemplating whether or not to say what’s on her mind.

“Do you realize how attached you are to her?”

Wonwoo looks at her, confused, and Jennie helpfully explains further.

“It’s just… I know you’re worried and you don’t want to leave her alone. But you know she needs it so you’re here, covering for her, even though you can’t stop glancing at the entrance every few seconds. You’re so… emotionally attached to her, you know? And I don’t mean it in a bad way. It just really amazes me. And even though it was obvious since we were kids that you’re both dependent on each other, I never thought it would go on until now.”

Is it really that obvious? Wonwoo thinks to himself. To the point where Jennie, who barely sees you both, can point it out?

If he’s being completely honest, Wonwoo knows his feelings aren’t subtle enough—at least not to the people close to him. No one has ever really pointed it out though, perhaps aware that Wonwoo isn’t really one to talk about what he feels. So to have Jennie saying it to his face isn’t something that Wonwoo expects to face tonight.

“I don’t mean to prod, I promise,” she says, afraid that Wonwoo might think she’s being nosy. He doesn’t though, just mainly dumbfounded to hear how people outside his circle but close enough perceive the both of you. “I’m really just amazed and, like I said the other day, I’m envious of your friendship. And… umm…”

She hesitates for a bit, the look on her face close to discomfort. Wonwoo simply stares at her though, a curious eyebrow raised as if allowing her to continue if she wants.

“Umm… I hope you’re not going to take this the wrong way, but it’s also pretty obvious that you love her more than that.”

His eyes widen in surprise, coughing to mask his uneasiness, truly not expecting anyone, let alone Jennie, to ever say those words out loud. Perhaps because it’s Jennie who says it, someone he’s just close enough with, but it hits him more than it would had it been Shua or Jeonghan who said it to him.

Jennie looks at him timidly, a little unsure about his reaction. Nevertheless, she continues to speak in a hushed tone, trying to convince him that it’s a good thing and that you’re lucky to have him love you that way.

Wonwoo stays silent though, his mouth a little ajar and his eyes still widen in shock. Is he shocked because she’s being too honest? Or is he in denial about his feelings? “You’re not… unaware of your feelings, right?”

For a few seconds, Wonwoo is too stunned to speak. But then he steps closer and Jennie actually holds her breath because she’s flustered, not in the way that she has butterflies in her stomach but in the way that she’s afraid that she’s offended him somehow.

“Is… is it that obvious?” he says instead, his voice a little shaky. Jennie hates to be the one to break it to him, but she nods and whispers that anyone with eyes and just enough sense would know he’s into you.

“I–”

“Wonwoo?” your voice cuts him off and Wonwoo immediately turns away to see still you wrapped in his suit.

You eye the both of them, and then subtly frown at the proximity when you realize just how close the two are standing to each other. It doesn’t help that Jennie looks a little flustered too, like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing, and you think you hear her say something along the lines of ‘we’ll talk about it some other time’ before she excuses herself to find someone.

The whole thing just seems off to you and you can’t help but feel uneasy at the interaction. Has Wonwoo always been that close to Jennie?

“Feeling better?” he softly asks as he reaches for your fingers. His own fingers feel warm against yours, almost enough to make you forget about the uneasiness you felt just now.

Almost.

You shrug, not really up to talk about it, you step closer to him though, because even though there’s a queasy feeling in your stomach because of what you’ve just seen seconds ago, this is still your Wonwoo who brings you comfort when you need it most.

“What were you talking about with Jennie?”

He’s a little surprised to say the least, not expecting you to ask.. You never talk about her, after all. But he shakes his head and squeezes your fingers, his voice a little too strained than he would’ve liked. “Just… something.”

It’s really nothing, but you frown at the way he sounds a little defensive–like he has a secret he’s willing to share with Jennie but not you.

He never does that.

“Really?” you try one more time, looking at him expectantly.

“Mhm,” he hums and reaches out to fix the strands of hair that escapes your ear. His palm pats your cheek once before he closes the topic by saying it’s not important and changes it into something else.

It’s normal, something that Wonwoo often does when he doesn’t wish to talk about something. Wonwoo isn’t exactly a man of many words, after all. You’re used to it and you’re not exactly someone who prods either, especially when it’s Wonwoo. You understand him more than you understand yourself.

So why are you upset that Wonwoo’s doing something he always does?

What’s this uncomfortable feeling inside your chest, settling itself deep within yourself the more you replay the way Wonwoo brushes off the topic like he doesn’t want you to know about it?

Chapter Text

It’s almost a week later when you find yourself frowning at your phone once again and you’re this close to throwing it across the room because of one certain Jeon Wonwoo.

lunch today?

Wonwooo: I’ve got an appointment today, sorry.

Wonwooo: What about dinner?

you always have appointments these days >:(

Wonwooo: Promise I’ll come to your place for dinner, okay?

Wonwooo: Anything you’re craving for?

It’s still bothering you, to be honest, the way you found Wonwoo and Jennie hunched together at the event a few days ago. You had just returned from the balcony, feelings finally sorted out if only a little, and it didn’t take you long to find Wonwoo even though it’s a pretty big ballroom.

You had initially thought he was by himself, but then you saw Jennie over his towering figure, the two standing too close than you’re comfortable with. You cringe at the thought. The sentence itself is weird, because why would you feel something–anything, really, just because they’re standing a little too close to each other?

But it keeps on replaying in your mind, the intense stare Wonwoo was giving her, the way Jennie looked at you like you’re interrupting something, and the forced smile Wonwoo gave you when you asked about him and Jennie.

You can’t really explain it, but there’s something immensely unpleasant the more you think about that night. It bothers you that Wonwoo, someone who originally doesn’t talk a lot, is reluctant to tell you about whatever it was between him and Jennie.

It’s really none of your business, and you’ve never been this affected with Wonwoo’s reluctance to talk about something–he’s reluctant to talk about a lot of things, to be honest, and the reason why you match together well is because you never prod unless it’s really necessary and you understand his silence more than anyone does–but this? This is just really bothering you to the point where you keep on thinking about it.

You shake your head before you get too deep in your thoughts and instead reach for your phone to call your cousin for lunch. Shua doesn’t take long to answer, and he tells you he’ll be coming with food instead because he doesn’t really feel like eating out.

You’re starting to regret calling him though.

“Okay, stop it,” you pout at your cousin, in which Shua just cocks an amused eyebrow at in return. It’s been about half an hour since he’s arrived, lunch already set on the table though you can barely eat because Shua’s been giving you that knowing look when he knows you’re bothered.

It’s really just his way to show you he notices and he’d listen if you want to talk about it.

“You can ask,” you roll your eyes when he still doesn’t say anything.

“What’s bothering our Yoon princess, hm?”

You glare at the nickname, at the way his eyes are twinkling with playfulness, though your heart warms at the concerned tone.

Shua has always been your pillar, and even though you mostly rely on your bestfriend now, Shua has always been the constant it in your life. He tries to understand you even when he doesn’t, tries to listen even though it doesn’t make sense, comforts you even when it’s your fault because he knows you can’t be left alone during those times.

He’s like the sibling you never had. And perhaps it also helps that you’re still blood related to him because it means your parents don’t blink an eye over your close relationship with the guy. Quite the contrary, they ask him to take care of you, to stop you from doing anything too reckless.

He wishes they’re telling him that purely out of the goodness in their heart, but it pains him to know that, mostly, they ask him to take that caring role because they simply don’t have the time to do it themselves.

At least they care enough to have the decency to ask him that.

“It’s just…” you sigh tiredly, playing with your chopsticks. You’re not actually sure if you want to talk about it just yet, but it infuriates you so much that you feel like you’d burst if you don’t talk about it now that Shua has finally asked. “It’s… weird, Josh.”

He tenses a little at the name–you rarely call him that unless you’re really troubled. He reaches out to take your hand in his, and then asks if you’re sure you want to talk about it now, that he’ll be okay if you’re not ready to open up yet. But you squeeze his hand and shake your head, telling him you’d rather talk about it now than have more time to overthink later.

“I… umm…” you always struggle talking about your feelings and you think it doesn’t help that you have people like Wonwoo who’s attuned to them even when you don’t talk about it. You’re truly grateful, but it makes things harder when you have to face Shua, Jeonghan, or Chaeyoung who need you to spell things out–hence why you usually just choose not to talk altogether.

Shua moves to sit beside you instead, and holds your hand a little tighter in encouragement.

“You know how Wonwoo has been hanging out with Jennie?”

Shua blinks at your words, not expecting them at all. But he hums and tells you to continue, wondering if Jeonghan’s right when he says you might be harboring romantic feelings towards your best friend without knowing.

“Well, umm… It… bothers me.” You try your best to put your feelings into words, to convey whatever it is that’s been bothering you since that night or perhaps even before that. “I’m… sure you’re aware that I’ve always been… protective when it comes to Wonwoo.”

“You can say possessive, it’s fine,” he jokes to lighten up the mood, glad when he feels you relaxing before throwing a glare his way and admitting that you are possessive of him at times.

“But it’s just weird. I feel like he’s spending a lot of time with her these days and it bothers me in ways that I don’t understand.” You frown, unaware of Shua’s knowing glance.

“Are you afraid she’ll take him away from you?” His tone is calm and soothing, and you know Shua will drop the question if you tell him you’re not looking for answers.

But you are, and you honestly don’t know who else to run to if not Shua when it comes to this. Jeonghan isn’t exactly fluent when it comes to feeling either, and Chaeyoung doesn’t actually know much about Wonwoo and there’d be too much layer for you to explain if you come to her instead.

You ponder his words for a while, trying to see if that’s really the problem. “I… don’t know? It’s, like, I know she can’t take him away from me. He’s my best friend and I’m his, Wonwoo doesn’t replace people close to him that way. But there’s just… I’m so unsettled, Josh. It doesn’t sit well with me to see them that close.”

“Okay, so what do you think triggers all of this?”

“At the… charity dinner, I left for a bit to the balcony after meeting my parents.” You take a deep breath, the frown never leaving your face. “And… I saw Wonwoo so I approached him. I thought he was alone, but when I got closer I saw Jennie and they’re just… they’re so close? Ugh, this sounds stupid out loud. Like he’s pretty much hovering over her. And I know they’ve been friends since they were kids and everything, but… I don’t know. He’s been spending an awfully lot of time with her and it… bothers me.”

You go silent for a few seconds, putting your words together before you continue.

“And also… Wonwoo has been trying to get me to talk to her? He’s been inviting me to hang out with her a lot? Wonwoo never does that before, and I don’t know where it’s coming from, but it annoys me so much that I told him outright that I have no plans in getting closer to her in any near future.”

“Does the situation bother you or does it bother you because it’s her?”

You open your mouth to answer, but nothing comes out and you bite your lip as his question rings in your mind. Shua lets you be, but when a few minutes pass and you still don’t say anything, he decides it’s time he asks about it again after so long.

“Do you… not like Jennie?”

“What? No!” you answer quickly, though it’s obvious even to you why people would think that. “I don’t… dislike her, I promise.”

When you ask Shua for lunch today, you didn’t expect you’d be talking about this. You’ve never talked about Jennie to anyone, because you never think it’s a big enough problem to discuss and you don’t even see her that much anyway. But you know people have been wondering even though no one has ever explicitly asked except for Shua a few years ago.

Maybe it’s time to finally let someone know about it too.

“It’s just… it’s nothing, really. And I’m not saying it because I’m downplaying the whole thing. But… Remember when we were first introduced to her? I was six and we were at the playground.” You smiled at the memory, remembering small Wonwoo being cornered by some older kids on the playground. “Jinyoung actually came because Jennie had just arrived from somewhere, so Auntie had him take her to the playground so she could join us. But, well, like you said, I’ve always been possessive when it comes to Wonwoo. So when I was introduced to her and was told that she’s his friend, I could only register her as a threat. Wonwoo was… my only friend and… I don’t know, I guess I was afraid she’d take my only friend away.”

You’re looking down as you say the whole thing, because you don’t actually want to see Shua’s reaction, afraid that he’d find it stupid even though you know Shua isn’t that kind of person.

Shua doesn’t find it ridiculous though. He’s the one who saw firsthand how lonely you were as a kid, and as much as he tried coddling you like an older brother, you also needed a friend that you could be kids together with. He’d like to think the reason why you initially got attached to Wonwoo was because of that.

Wonwoo was your first friend, one that approached you and asked if you wanted to hold his hand because you looked afraid during a small garden party your parents had brought you to. You don’t even remember what party it was, but you’d never forget Wonwoo’s words and the way he reached out his hand to you.

Knowing this, Shua is fully aware about how much you treasure Wonwoo–as a friend or whatever it is you hold him in your life–and it wasn’t surprising to find out that your six years old self went as far as registering another six years old as a threat.

“But Jennie went away after a couple of years,” you continue, fidgeting in your seat. He places a comforting hand on your knee and reminds you that it’s fine, that he’s listening and you can take your time. “And… Naturally, my thoughts get more complicated as we get older and, before I knew it, it’s just awkward to be near her and I never know what to talk about when she’s… there. But… also… umm…”

You hesitate more than earlier, Shua notices, but he patiently waits for you to arrange your thoughts and reminds you that it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. But you shake your head and nervously admit that you dowant to talk about it, that it’s actually something you’ve always wanted to talk about but haven’t found the time to nor any reason to.

“I… envy her a lot, you know?” you say at last, and it hurts him that you sound sad when the words are out of your mouth. “We’re the same, basically. The only child next in line to take over the family business though I’m not going to do it. But I know her family doesn’t pressure her to immediately work at the company, doesn’t push her to get married, even lets her pursue her own passion even though it’s because she promises she’ll still take care of the company.”

Your words end in a hanging note, and as much as Shua wants to cut you off and comfort you immediately, he knows you’re not done. And when you finally tell him what you’ve been feeling deep down about the girl, he can bite down on his lip to stop his tears and squeezes your fingers tighter.

“Her parents value her as a person.” Your voice is small and you don’t dare to look at Shua because you know he’s sensitive to this kind of thing. You can only imagine his eyes tearing up and if you see him crying, then you’re sure you’d be crying too, so you fix your gaze on the ground as you, too, tighten your hand in his. “They value her as a daughter. And it’s quite something to see someone around me being treated that way when I…”

Shua’s quick to pull you into his embrace, and even though you’re not crying, the way you’re gripping his shirt to calm yourself down pains him more than he thought it would. He thinks it might even be better if you’re crying, but you’re not and it just feels like you’re trying to hold yourself together for his sake.

He keeps you in his embrace for quite some time, and you feel his lips on your forehead before he eventually pulls away and squeezes your arms. It’s a gesture that he always does since you’re a kid, one that tells you everything will be okay and he will be there until they’re okay.

As much as he’s expected a part of what you said about Wonwoo, he has never imagined the reason why you act distant towards Jennie boils down to this. To the fact that her parents treat her as a daughter while yours simply see you as a way to keep their wealth and glory—or at least that’s how it feels to you.

It hasn’t always been that bad between you and your parents. But it’s true that it gets worse as the years pass by because you know to act up now even if just to annoy them, because you know they don’t care anyway, because there are times when you’d rather anger them than do exactly what they ask you to do when you’re just mentally exhausted.

While you admit sometimes you might be making things bigger than they actually are, that’s just how you honestly feel about your parents. Perhaps you’re also making them more villainous than necessary, but it’s most likely the product of being treated as an object for practically your whole life by your own parents.

You’ve always thought you owe Wonwoo and Shua for the humanity and affections they managed to instill within you when you were kids. You truly believe you’d just be another rich brat had it not been for them dutifully standing on your sides growing up.

“You know I love you, right?” His gentle voice takes you out of your mind, and you give him a small smile as you nod, shyly whispering the words back to him because you’ve never been one to be vocal about this kind of stuff. “I can’t speak about how you feel about your parents, but how they treat you doesn’t define who you are, okay? You’re more than whatever they made you think you are, and you’re probably tired of hearing this, but they know no better. And I’m not taking their side, but you know that’s probably how they’re treated too as children–and I can’t do much about them, but I’m here to remind you that we can not be like them. You’re not going to turn out like they are and I want you to know that I’m glad you’re the way you are; that I–we– wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

“How can you say that without cringing?” you chuckle to hide your sniffle.

He pats your cheek once and tells you to drink and, for a moment, you think that’s it about the talk. You still don’t get why you’re bothered about Wonwoo and Jennie, but another weight you’ve been harboring within you feels lighter even if a little and that’s enough.

But Shua isn’t seemingly done, because he clears his throat and you turn to him in question, asking if there’s anything wrong.

“About Wonwoo…” he starts hesitantly, as if unsure he can say it. “Do you think you might be… interested in him… romantically?”

Shua panics when you violently choke at his words, and when you’re finally settled back, you look at him like he’s grown a second head that he actually feels like he did something wrong that offended you.

“Joshua Hong, it’s Wonwoo.” is the only thing you say before you turn to your food and refuse to listen to any sort of explanations he’s trying to spew. He says something about how you’ve never been bothered with their relationship before because you never really had to see them together for this long but now that you do–

“Shut up,” you tell him before he can say more, and you hate that he actually hits home with his words. “I didn’t open up for you to say nonsense.”

He opens his mouth once more, but you glare at him before he can say anything, which shuts him up effectively. Shua seems to understand that you’re done talking about this, so he sighs and returns to his meal, entertaining you anyway when you ask about Jeonghan.

Shua doesn’t need to know how you’re barely able to sleep that night because of his words.

Chapter Text

“You’ve been eating, right?” Wonwoo asks from the other side of the line. Your phone pings with notification just then, and you see Soonyoung’s name so you put Wonwoo on speaker to see his message.

“Yeah, yeah,” you say absentmindedly, texting Soonyoung that he could pick you up in the Yoon Holdings’ building just about anytime. “Everyone’s been making sure of that Won, don’t worry. I’m going out to lunch with Soonyoung actually.”

Wonwoo frowns at the name. How close are you becoming with Soonyoung exactly?

It’s been about a week since he last saw you because he needs to fly to L.A for a business conference. There’s still a few days left before he can go home and it’s taking him everything to not return right there and then after finding out Kwon Soonyoung has been constantly instilling his presence in your life.

“Yeah? Has he been taking care of you?”

You wonder if you’re imagining the edge in his voice, but you shrug to yourself and answer honestly. “His schedules match a lot with mine these days. So he’s been taking me to eat with him when no one else is available. Do you remember that katsu place in Hongdae? I went there with him and Chaeyoung yesterday.”

“Really?” He sounds a bit too defensive even to himself and he’s not sure if he should be glad that you’re not saying anything about it. “It’s been some time since we went there, huh?”

“Well you have been busy these days,” you try to sound nonchalant, though it’s clear to Wonwoo that the tone you’re using means you’re somewhat annoyed. “You’re the one who didn’t want to eat lunch with me last week.”

“I told you I already had an appointment that day,” he says patiently, his tone making you feel bad for being petty. “And weren’t you the one who told me not to come because you’re too tired after hanging out with Shua?”

You bite your lip at the reminder. If you’re being truthful, you’re kind of glad that Wonwoo’s away in another country for quite some time. After that talk with Shua, you’ve been considering his words, trying to see if what he says is possible. You don’t think you have it in you to face Wonwoo before you’re able to sort out your mind and his business conference couldn’t have any better timing.

Wonwoo dropped by your place before he left for L.A, just two days after you had that talk with Shua, nagging you to eat and take care of yourself because he’s not going to be able to always remind you due to the time difference and whatnot.

You don’t know if he notices the way you hug him a little tighter when he said he’s going, but it annoys you so much that you notice your heart beating faster when he pulls away to drop a kiss on top of your head, something he always does that didn’t affect you in any way until then.

You blame all this on Joshua Hong.

“–princess? Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry, I zoned out for a bit,” you reason.

It doesn’t matter that a week or so has passed since that day you talked to Shua, because the longer time passes, the more confused you’re becoming.

It doesn’t make sense, you can’t be feeling that way towards your best friend. It’s probably just your childhood insecurity creeping its way back after so long.

All should be fine once Jennie returns to her country. Shua did have a point: you have never really had to see Jennie and Wonwoo for long. But that doesn’t mean you’re jealous of her… right?

“Oh!” you exclaim when you see the door to your office opening, cutting Wonwoo off from whatever he’s going on about. Soonyoung looks at you in confusion, and you hold up a hand to signal him to wait. “Sorry Won, Soonyoung’s here. Talk to you later?”

You hear him mumbling something you can’t quite register, but Wonwoo once again reminds you to take care before eventually hanging up and tells you to say hi to Soonyoung.

“Wonwoo?” Soonyoung asks as you take your purse and phone with you. At your nod, he asks again. “Isn’t it night there?”

“Like 8PM or something. He says hi, by the way,” you shrug. “You haven’t been able to hang out with him, have you? We really should grab a date and hang out together after he returns.”

You look at him in question when the guy chuckles. But Soonyoung shakes his head and ushers you out of the office and starts talking about his day like usual.

It’s almost unbelievable how oblivious you are about the whole thing.

*

“Before I say anything, are you expecting me to answer or do you simply wish to unload?”

“I don’t know.” You frown, not seeing the way Chaeyoung shakes her head at you. You’re slumped on her sofa at the moment, finally tired of thinking about… that by yourself so you turn to the only close female friend you have: Park Chaeyoung. “Whatever you think is best for me?”

Chaeyoung makes a show of standing up from her single sofa to kneel in front of you, taking your hands in hers and then sends you the best pitiful glance she can muster.

“Yoon, I love you with all my heart, but you are dumb as fuck.”

“Hey!”

“You know you’re just in denial at this point?”

“No, I’m not,” you say, a little too quick to be subtle. Chaeyoung looks at you knowingly and you glare at the girl before you shake her hands off. “No, Chaeng. I am not in love with him. He’s literally my best friend and I’ve known him since we were, like, four.”

“And that matters because?” she looks at you pointedly. “I don’t see why it’s bad. If anything, it’s good because you both already know about each other so well and you’re practically aware of each others’ needs, no?”

“That’d be the case if we’re both in love with each other, okay?” you roll your eyes and cross your arms in defense, looking the other way that you miss Chaeyoung looking at you in shock. Have you really been unaware that Wonwoo has always looked at you like you personally craft all the stars in the sky? “I don’t love him that way and he doesn’t love me that way. You’re just delusional.”

You half expect Chaeyoung to fight more, but she doesn’t say anything and she’s looking at you like you’re delusional, and you honestly can’t grasp what she’s thinking of right now. She can’t possibly think you’re both in love with each other, right?

When Chaeyoung speaks once again, you almost throw the cushion on your lap at her.

“You really are stupid.”

“I did not come here to be verbally abused by you,” you whine, and it’s then that Chaeyoung realizes how utterly helpless you are right now. You’re fidgeting and you’ve been avoiding her eyes, signs that you’re lost and you don’t know what to do, that you’re hoping for help but you know no one can really help you but yourself.

She sighs and sits next to you, feeling bad now that she really looks at how lost you seem to be. Sadly, it’s not really surprising that you’re being this way. You’ve never really exposed yourself to romance, and the few boyfriends that you had were just for fun until the last one ruined it and you swear you don’t want to get into relationships again, casual or not, until you decide otherwise.

But even that particular relationship hadn’t been that deep–Kim Mingyu was simply just too charming for his own good and you thought you’re finally feeling what it’s like to be in love like those fictional characters in movies.

Turns out you were just into the idea of it and Mingyu was in the right place at the right time.

He asked you out when you were so into the concept of romance, having watched one too many romcoms with Chaeyoung for the whole semester during university. He was a senior and he was more than pretty to the eyes. Plus, Chaeyoung had also said he’s got a pretty good record.

So when he asked you out, the only thing that went through your mind was you: why not?

The first three months were great and you had genuinely liked him even though you weren’t together long enough to start loving the guy. But then you found out he didn’t really get along with Wonwoo and who knew he’d become an obsessive jerk that said shit about your best friend behind your back?

So, really, Chaeyoung can only guess why you’re in denial and why you believe your feelings towards Wonwoo can’t be romantic. She can’t absolutely speak on your behalf either, because who knows if your feelings really are not romantic and you’re just threatened that Jennie’s taking your best friend away?

There’s always a chance that everyone’s just collectively delusional.

“How about we go to Exodus tonight?” you suddenly propose, an idea forming in your head. “It’s been some time since I had the time to go clubbing and I can prove to you that I’m not in love with Wonwoo.”

“Excuse me?” she snaps, not getting where the whole thing is coming from. “You do not need to prove anything to me.”

“No. It’s been some time since I got laid anyway,” you shrug nonchalantly, not minding the scandalized look she’s giving you. “You’ll know I’m not into him that way, right?”

Chaeyoung shakes her head, telling you once again that you don’t need to prove anything to her and it’s really not the best idea at the moment.

“Why are you being so weird about this?” you frown. “It’s not like I’ve never had one night stands. It’s just been quite some time.”

She doesn’t know how to tell you that it’s not about that. That she’s simply worried you’re being impulsive and you always end up getting in trouble with your parents—and other parties—when it happens.

Chaeyoung loves you with all her heart, but she’s never been good at being your impulse control and she doesn’t know how to convince you that sleeping with some random person isn’t going to help your problem in any way she can think of.

“I just–”

“I’m going to the club and you can do whatever you want,” you say with finality in your tone.

Chaeyoung looks at you helplessly as she bites her lip; guess she has no choice but to come with you tonight.

*

Chaeyoung tells you to wait as she parks in the VIP section, determined to not let you go home with anyone as she won’t drink even a sip of alcohol so she can follow you around the whole night. She’s not using the valet service nor even a driver to make a point that you wholefully ignore.

“Where’s your guard, anyway?” Chaeyoung frowns, sitting down next to you when you settle yourself on the stool bar. “I thought Seungcheol’s supposed to be with you at all time?”

“He has the week off. His sister needs to get a surgery and he wants to be there with her.”

“Ah,” she nods understandingly. “I guess Uncle asks you to take one of his guards and you refuse?”

“I told him I’ll take care of his Christmas party in return,” you grin, knowing full well that he’s been desperate for you to organize that personal party of his.

You don’t hate having a guard, even more when it’s Seungcheol because, out of the guards that have been assigned to you, he’s the one that actually respects you as a person when the others usually just consider you a job. But as much as you like Seungcheol and trust him with your life, he’s still there because he’s your father’s man.

It could feel confining even when you’re out in the open at times.

You call for the bartender to prepare your drink, and whilst Chaeyoung doesn’t exactly agree with your order, she lets you be because she knows you kind of need it and hopes the alcohol would help you relax at least for the night.

So far, Chaeyoung has been able to stop you from drinking too much, but her phone won’t stop vibrating and she has no choice but to step out for a moment because it’s her mom calling.

She tries her best to convince you to come with her, but you stubbornly stay in place and she eventually gives up and tells you to not go anywhere while she takes the call because her mom has called her twice more while she was trying to convince you.

It’s been quite some time since you got drunk, and perhaps that’s why you get drunk faster than usual. Tonight, you feel more agitated if anything, which only makes you fill your order faster because the night hasn’t been going according to your plan. You literally come here to get laid, but it’s not as easy as it sounds because no one has caught your attention.

It’s not like the people here are not decent. On the contrary, Exodus is a pretty high-profile club owned by Oh Sehun, yet another conglomerate you see in parties from time to time. You even recognize a few people earlier from some business parties Wonwoo has brought you to.

To make it short, this is the club only people like you can enter.

But you guess you’re not drunk enough to just sleep with anyone that catches your eyes because no one seems to be doing that.

That said, perhaps what you need is more drink.

“Well, well, look who we have here,” an awfully familiar voice greets you as you feel someone hovering near your seat.

You turn to find Kim Mingyu in the flesh, rolling your eyes to that flirty tone he’s always used even though it’s been literal years since you last saw him. You hate to admit it, but he looks better than he ever was and it irks you even more that, out of all people, he’s probably the only person who’s piqued your interest in this place.

Did he catch your attention because he’s the only one who spoke to you first or is it because he looks just about a hundred times more attractive than during his university days when he was that lanky guy with faded mint hair?

Whichever it is, Mingyu does not need to know you’re finding him very much pleasing to the eyes right now.

“Do we know each other?” you pretend to play coy, acting like you weren’t just checking him out.

“Ouch, you hurt me, angel,” he chuckles as he places his hand on his heart, mocking heartbreak. “Been some times, huh?”

You’re surprised at the tone. Mingyu doesn’t sound like he’s making small talk and you’re even more surprised when he asks if he can sit beside you. Nevertheless, you entertain him because he feels like a very good distraction at the moment.

“Didn’t know you’re back in Korea. Last I heard you’re in NYC or something.”

“I was only in NYC after graduation, which was… at least six years ago,” he says in amusement.

“Well, that’s the last I’ve heard of you,” you shrug, being truthful about the whole thing. From where else would you hear about him, anyway?

“Forgot how feisty you were,” he smirks as he calls the bartender for a drink. “How many shots have you had? Gotta keep up with you now, don’t I?”

There’s a sudden surge of boldness that runs through you that you’d blame the alcohol for, but you scoot closer to him and prop your elbow on the table, your face resting on your palm as you shoot him a wink and tell him to take a guess.

Something flickers through his eyes at the gesture, and you down another shot just so you won’t back out even though the alarm within you is already screeching–telling you to not get involved with an ex even if it’s just for one night.

“Why are you here tonight, angel?” his voice gets noticeably deeper and you have to hold back a victorious smirk at how easy Mingyu is being right now.

“Why do you think?” you challenge him once again, not moving away when his cold palm finds your knee.

Mingyu experimentally moves further until his hand meets your thigh, looking up at your face to see if you’re against the whole thing or if you’re just playing with him. When you simply arches an eyebrow as if to dare him to do more, Mingyu quickly takes your wrist and pulls you with him to a dimmer part of the club.

It’s not exactly pleasant, but the feelings of his lips against yours as he pushes you to the wall is better than thinking about your feelings towards Wonwoo at the moment. It feels easy, and easy is the only thing that your mind needs right now.

Something within you twists at his name, but you quickly push it away and try to focus on Mingyu’s lips instead.

Mingyu growls when he hears you whimper the moment he trails kisses down your neck, his grip on your waist tight as he presses his body against yours.

Honestly, he didn’t expect to end up in this situation when he came up to you earlier. He was just feeling spontaneous when he saw you; so he approached you, hoping to get a good laugh or something–but there was no intention to end up right here, in a dim part of the club making out with you like this isn’t the first time you’ve seen each other since that break up during university.

He knows it’s probably a one time thing, and he couldn’t care less because it’s exactly what he needs anyway. You’ve always been great at teasing, but Mingyu has never thought he was that easy to tease that you didn’t even need five minutes to have him like this.

At least you look like you’re looking for a short lived fun like he is because he knows someone who needs a distraction when he sees one.

“Should we bring this to the hotel?” he whispers between kisses, head already a pile of mush because of the feeling of your lips against his jaw.

Mingyu doesn’t need to be told twice the moment you nod and tell him to take you.

Chapter Text

Wonwoo’s fuming.

It’s literally been one day since he’s back in the country and he’s already seeing bullshit like you and your fucking ex from university almost making the headlines.

What were you doing with Kim Mingyu, anyway?

He tries his best to focus on the meeting going on in front of him, but he just keeps on glancing at his watch, praying that it would end already. When Chan finally asks if there’s anything more he’d like to add, Wonwoo quickly says no and ends the meeting on that note. He doesn’t waste a second to tell Chan he’ll be off for the rest of the day and to reschedule any meeting after.

Wonwoo checks his phone, annoyed that you’re not texting him at all. What were you thinking, really, getting involved with your ex?

Nevertheless, he finds himself worrying because he knows your parents won’t go easy on you when it comes to things like this. He closes his eyes in resignation as he recalls the headlines; something about a scandal between the Yoon heiress and the CEO of whatever Mingyu’s company is called.

Someone’s seen you both making out in the dim part of the club and has decided it’d make a good story for the media. It doesn’t help that they’ve also somehow gotten pictures of you leaving with Mingyu and going into a nearby hotel. Anyhow, your parents have somehow been able to sweep the stories under the rug–the posts taken down within minutes and it’s like it was never there to begin with.

But of course it would get to Wonwoo still and he had to hold himself back from throwing his phone over the window when he was informed of it.

He knows there could be nothing between the two of you, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt him to see the news. First Soonyoung and now Mingyu? It almost feels like you’re doing all this on purpose just to see him burst.

You didn’t even look at him when Wonwoo opens the door to your bedroom, simply frowns at your phone and continues scrolling as if he’s not there.

Wonwoo bites back a sigh, already used to this side of you when you don’t wish to address something. He’s trying his best not to be annoyed, but you’re making it difficult for him to stay calm when you won’t even acknowledge his presence even though he’s been calling you since earlier.

“Why were you with him?” he asks straight to the point at last, crossing his arms as he leans on your doorframe.

For a moment, Wonwoo thinks you’re going to ignore him again, but you shrug and mutter something about how you accidentally met him in the club.

“And you slept with him?”

The glare you throw his way is something that Wonwoo hasn’t seen in so long, because you don’t look offended–no, you look angry and obviously upset. He can’t even remember the last time he’s seen you this way.

“This concerns you because?”

“Because you’re my best friend and I care about you?” he frowns, not getting why you’re being defensive with him. Don’t you usually go to him after this kind of stuff? He knows your parents were here not long ago, having asked Seungcheol about it before he comes, and now you’re… mad at him?

“If you’re here to nag then I don’t need you to care about me,” you say before you turn your back to him.

If you’re being completely honest, you don’t understand either why you’re being this way. Perhaps it’s the amount of time you’re left by yourself to think about the possibility of you liking Wonwoo that way, and perhaps it’s the frustration within you because you still don’t have any answer to that, so seeing Wonwoo now only stacks things up and makes more mess within you.

“Why are you being like this?” He chooses the wrong words, he admits, but at least he doesn’t sound accusing because Wonwoo sounds downright pitiful that you feel bad for turning your back to him.

Still, the worst part of you wins and you brush him off by repeating your words earlier.

“So I can’t worry about you now?” he asks, affronted. What has gotten into you, really? “I haven’t seen you in more than a week and I got home to… this and you ask me not to worry?”

“Well, did I ask you to worry about me?” you snap at him, sitting up from your bed and throwing a glare his way.

The little voice within you tells you to stop, that you’re picking a fight with the wrong person, but the talk you had with your parents not even an hour ago wasn’t exactly the best way to start the day and the pounding in your head wasn’t exactly a recipe for a good mood either.

Wonwoo’s about to speak again, but is too stunned to say anything when he notices your eyes glistening and the way your body is slightly shaking.

“I woke up to my parents telling me I’m a disappointment, that I should be ashamed of myself, and you expect me to welcome you with open arms right now?”

He looks at you speechless, having been so long since he’s on the receiving end of your anger. You’ve never been one to be vocal about your feelings, even to Wonwoo, so to see you like this isn’t something that sits well with him.

You look helpless–so upset and Wonwoo doesn’t know what to do. He knows your parents always make you feel worthless that he has to remind you over and over again that you’re more than what they make you to be.

You’ve never said it out loud though. It’s just something that Wonwoo’s aware of and he always makes sure to let you know that you owe your parents nothing.

But this… It’s the first time you’ve ever worn your feelings on your sleeves after so long and it’s breaking him more than he thinks possible. Your eyes are void of anything when you look at him, and your body is shaking from trying hard to keep things together despite failing to do so.

He wants so badly to just hold you in his arms and tell you that you don’t need to go through this alone. That he’ll stay with you like he always does. But you’re quicker than he is and, next thing he knows, you’re already calling Seungcheol to let him out of the door.

Wonwoo doesn’t know if the way he feels his stomach drop is because you have just literally kicked him out when you desperately need someone to be with you most or because he’s seen you bursting with pain.

Whatever it is, he knows he’s never quite experienced heartbreak like this very moment and he hates that you’re hurting and he can’t be with you right now.

*

It’s almost a week after that day of a disaster and you’re bracing yourself up for the annual party. You haven’t left your condo at all, having asked Seungcheol to turn away any guests even if it’s your cousins in front of the door. You’ve been preparing everything online, thankful that the preparation is practically done so you really just need to confirm that everything’s going accordingly.

Wonwoo’s been messaging you nonstop, only because he knows you won’t be answering his call if he tries to call you. You don’t answer any of his messages though, unsure how to face him after that day.

You don’t know why he’s still trying this hard when you’re literally the one that got mad at him for no reason at all. You don’t know why he bothered, and even though a part of you is beyond relieved that you have someone like him in your life, another part of you is convinced that you don’t deserve Wonwoo after all.

How can you deserve him? He’s been there with you through literally everything, and now that you’re confused about your own feelings you blame it all on him?

Whether or not you’re in love with him, Wonwoo deserves someone who knows how to treat him right–someone that won’t push him away when they’re too overwhelmed by their own feelings.

Someone that’s not you.

You take a deep breath as you step down from the car, glad that you’re the event organizer so you have to arrive before the media. You ask Seungcheol to stand by you at all times, make it clear to him that you don’t wish to be left alone at any given time.

You’re not going to let Wonwoo or anyone speak to you privately. At least not tonight.

Something within you reasons that you simply don’t want to have a confrontation during the event because it might mess up your focus, but, truthfully, you know you’re just being a coward and you’re not ready to face any of them and their questions–especially Wonwoo.

It’s weird to be overlooking an event without him by your side, but you just keep on moving here and there under the pretense of making sure everything’s fine when you’re really just making reasons not to stand in one place for too long that people would start talking to you.

Soonyoung catches you once, but he thankfully has enough sense to leave you be once he realizes you’re not in the mood to talk with just about anyone. Shua and the others try to approach you too, but your forced smile and the hasty way you’re stepping away from them is enough to let them know that you don’t want to speak to them just yet.

You meet Wonwoo’s parents by chance, and you politely bow to them and excuse yourself to check on the catering before they start asking why you’re not with Wonwoo. You don’t even know if the news have reached them before it got taken down, but you don’t dare to meet their gaze in case you’ll find faux politeness and scrutinizing eyes.

You’ve been seeing him too since earlier, and you can tell that he’s lingering, waiting for the perfect timing to stand beside you and talk. But you’re smarter than that, and you’ve been making him follow you around only to be stopped by his business partners because you purposefully pass by them, knowing they’d talk to Wonwoo once they see him nearby.

You haven’t made up with your parents, but they talk like you’re their pride because they see how much everyone’s enjoying the annual party, because everyone’s been saying it’s the most successful one so far and they can’t wait for the next one already.

What a way to make you feel shittier than you already do.

Thankfully, the party is coming to an end and you tell Seungcheol you’re going to the restroom. He escorts you to the private area, standing just enough distance from the door without being too far away while you’re in there.

He looks around to see some people nearby, as there are only a group of people who get access to this particular area, and he easily recognizes Mrs. Jeon talking with Jeonghan’s mom near the paintings. He sees Wonwoo too, but he’s fidgeting and he doesn’t look like he wants to be there.

Not long after, Seungcheol sees Jeonghan’s mom stepping out of the room, which leaves Mrs. Jeon and Wonwoo alone. He averts his gaze to the fireplace, a little far off the two is another group of people hunched together, their hushed voice meshing together as they talk about something he can’t quite register.

You step out just then, and Seungcheol dutifully follows behind when you suddenly stop in your track. He’s about to ask if something’s wrong when he hears it–Mrs. Jeon’s voice a soft whisper even though it’s still clear to him what she’s talking about.

And if Seungcheol, who’s standing behind you, can hear her clearly, then it’s obvious that you can, too.

“Wonwoo, dear, don’t you think it’s about time that you find a girlfriend?”

He hears Wonwoo sighs, but his words are inaudible.

“Are you really waiting for Y/N?” The frown in her voice is crystal even though Seungcheol can’t actually see it. In front of him, you tense at the mention of your name. “Do you think it’s worth it? She’s been nothing but trouble to you…”

Seungcheol hears the sharp breath you take, and you don’t waste more seconds to try to listen to what they’re talking about because you’re already turning away from where their voices come from.

You’re startled when you immediately bump into Seungcheol, as if forgetting that it’s you who asked him to follow you at all time. Seungcheol doesn’t say anything though, and he quietly escorts you out of the room without being seen by anyone.

He doesn’t need you to tell him you want to go home, and you appreciate him so much for calling your parents’ security head that you might’ve eaten something wrong so Seungcheol’s bringing you home early. He even tells Mr. Lee that he’d be driving himself, something that the old driver finds odd but understands rather quickly once he sees the look on your face.

You can never say how grateful you are that Seungcheol doesn’t say anything as you cry throughout your way back home.

*

Three days after the party, Wonwoo finds himself worried out of his mind.

You’re still ignoring him, his phone calls straight to the voice mail and his texts left unanswered. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say he hasn’t been able to function as usual. He can’t even properly sleep and it doesn’t help that there’s a BOC meeting around the corner.

He’s promised himself he’ll come by to your place tomorrow if you still haven’t answered by tonight, figuring that should be enough time and space for you already. He doesn’t even know how many texts he’s sent you and it’s frustrating to know that you don’t even read them.

You’ve never ignored him for this long nor have you fought this big. He can’t even remember the last time you actually fought with each other, and he’s not the least bit embarrassed to admit how much this one’s affecting him.

Chan has even started to lessen his schedules somehow, easily recognizing the stressed line in his boss’s face and the way Wonwoo has been keeping to himself these days. The boss rarely even acknowledges him the past few days, and this would usually be the time when Chan would call for you–if not for the fact that he’s aware of the whole… predicament.

Wonwoo’s currently in a private meeting now with the owner of Shin Enterprises while Chan goes through his email and see if there’s anything urgent he needs to follow up. There are a lot of things, obviously, but he knows Wonwoo’s mind is a little too preoccupied to actually review some of those proposals and it’d be better to hold them up for a bit until his boss is in a more normal state.

He quirks an eyebrow when his phone rings, and then frowns in confusion when he sees “YOON HOLDINGS – Boo Seungkwan” on his phone. What would Jeonghan’s secretary need from him? He’s pretty sure Wonwoo doesn’t have any project with that cousin of yours right now. Either way, he clears his throat and accepts the phone because he doesn’t have any reason not to, anyway.

The more Seungkwan talks, the more Chan finds himself tensing. He wouldn’t even be surprised if he misses 80% of what the older guy is saying, heart beating fast beyond normal that his fingers are gripping the phone held to his ear. His voice is a little strained too when he hangs up, and he needs to calm himself down and take a deep breath before he knocks the door of the meeting room and apologizes for the interruption.

Wonwoo looks at him in pure confusion, Chan never interrupts his private meeting, knowing full well that meetings with these people are hard to reschedule. But he sees the pure distress in the younger guy’s eyes and Wonwoo excuses himself to follow his secretary out of the room. Some scenarios go through his mind, the worst one being Chan receiving a grief news from his family. What could possibly result in Chan reacting like this?

“What’s wrong?” he looks at the younger guy in worry, the most expressive Chan has seen of him this week.

He takes a deep breath before exhaling softly, unsure how to break the news to his boss except to rip off the band aid in one go.

“Seungkwan called, Sir.”

“Jeonghan’s secretary?” his frowns deeper, a sudden knot in his stomach twisting in the worst way possible.

“It’s been three days since they last saw Miss Yoon.” His voice is shaky, and he gulps before he continues. Wonwoo looks like he’s about to break down in front of him the more he relays what he’s heard from Seungkwan. “They’ve officially declared her missing this morning.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Cheol,” you softly call for your bodyguard, telling him to sit down next to you by the stool in your kitchen. “What do you think would happen if… I go missing for a few days?”

An alarm goes off through his entire body, but the sentimental look in your eyes tells him this is more than you simply wishing to run away. This is more than whatever he has accidentally witnessed tonight.

This is you, finally having had enough that you think it’s the only way to breathe even a little.

“I… don’t think it’s wise, Miss Yoon.”

You weakly chuckle at his answer, let alone at the formal way he’s addressing you, eyes zoned in the empty glass in front of you. He sees a single tear falling across your face, one that you don’t bother to wipe and another follows right afer.

“I think it wouldn’t really matter.”

Seungcheol stays silent at this even though he wants to convince you otherwise, well aware that you still have more to say.

“All I do is make problems. You, of all people, know this. And I do them purposely too most of the time,” you start, gripping the glass in your fingers as a weak laugh escapes your lips. The sound of your chuckle saddens him, if anything, and it’s taking him everything to not just cross the professional boundary and wipe the tears falling down your face. “Maybe if… if I go somewhere for a while it’d be better for everyone.”

“Miss Yoon…” he calls you in worry.

He’s always known you’re a little lonely inside, and despite your outgoing personality and your tendency to be reckless, they’re never ill-meaning. He’s suspected you just want attention and your parents never really look at you unless you’re out making troubles.

As far as he knows, there are only a handful of people who genuinely care for you, most of them he can name himself: Chaeyoung, Jeonghan, Shua, and perhaps that Soonyoung kid, too.

Seungcheol had been wary of you at first, because being the security detail for the daughter of a wealthy family mostly means he simply has to follow them shopping and partying, making sure they’re safe from any possible threat which includes the media.

But you’ve been more than that; though you do go shopping and partying from time to time, you’re never arrogant and he wouldn’t have thought you’re from a wealthy family if not for the way you dress and the facilities your parents throw your way. You’d force him and Mr. Lee to eat with you when you can, and sometimes he’d have to trail you through the night market looking for snacks while you pretend to buy too much so he’d eat something too.

You’ve always treated him like an older brother, something that none of his former clients ever do. On top of this, you remind him of his sister back home–which means he takes his job in making sure you’re safe even more seriously than he usually does.

And then there’s Jeon Wonwoo.

Seungcheol has only worked with you for one short year, but it’s crystal clear in his eyes how head over heels Wonwoo is for you. If there’s anyone that he’s sure would be devastated because of you missing, it’s him.

He doesn’t know if you actually don’t know about his feelings or if you’re just pretending not to notice, but Wonwoo probably cares about you more than he does himself, and even Choi Seungcheol, an outsider, knows that.

“If I tell you I want to go away,” you start again, your voice small but determined. Seungcheol knows that your mind is made no matter what he says. “Will you… come with me? I know I can’t possibly go by myself, and you’d get in trouble for letting me go away.”

Seungcheol has never seen you so small, and even though he technically works for your father and not for you, he knows his consciousness wouldn’t let him be if he doesn’t come with you. With everything that’s been going on, he figures you need time by yourself and at least you still consider bringing him with you instead of making a show of going missing out of nowhere.

“I won’t tell anyone,” he says instead, accepting that if he somehow gets fired for this, at least he knows he’s helping you when you need it most.

***

Wonwoo’s losing his mind, and it’s only after he sits down on the car that he finally sees a missed call from your father. He closes his eyes in contempt as he calls him back, breath heavy and fingers balled into fist as he listens to his words.

We don’t want to attract the media. He has said. Our private investigation team is looking for her and we’d appreciate it if you can help us find my daughter without letting it known to the public that she’s missing.

Your father has sounded distraught at least, but Wonwoo really can’t be bothered to be glad about that when you’re literally missing and he didn’t have any idea since a few minutes ago.

And they say you’ve presumably been missing since that party?

Fuck. If only he didn’t think of letting you be that night, who knows if you’ll still be in your place now?

He goes straight to your place after your father asks him to do so, having the decency of not breaking into your place and simply requests Wonwoo to do it on his behalf because he knows if there’s anyone who you’d trust with the pass to your condo, it’s Jeon Wonwoo.

It’s such a weird time to respect your privacy, but it’s only possible because he has asked for the CCTV record of the last you were seen and it’s clear that you went out of your condo by yourself, about thirty minutes after Seungcheol left, somewhere around dusk.

There was no reason to break into your condo just to see if you’re simply locking yourself in or if you’re really missing.

See if… if there’s anything there that might give us a lead of where she is.

And it’s when he’s arrived at your place that he loses the entirety of his sanity because it’s empty and he can tell that you haven’t been here for days. It’s then that the situation finally hits him.

You’re missing.

You’re really missing because there are dishes on your dishwasher that you haven’t put away, and you always nag Wonwoo about it everytime he doesn’t put back cleaned dishes to its shelf because it drives you crazy to see them sitting on the drying rack.

He sees an empty lowball glass on your kitchen island, another sign that you can’t possibly be here for the last few days because you don’t like things laying around.

He tries his best to calm down, and he spends a good fifteen minutes breathing in and out before he rakes his brain to see if there’s any place that you might leave to. You could be anywhere, though he knows some of the locations he’s thinking of wouldn’t be your choice for sanctuary.

You’re still in Korea though, that much is a fact, because your father has made sure that you haven’t left the country and he’s currently tracing domestic airlines and KTX for information just in case you book a ticket to get out of the city.

They can’t trace you by signal, because you left your phone at home and Wonwoo almost cries in frustration when it rings from your bedroom. He knows you have another one, one that only he and Shua knows of, but he’s afraid you’ll turn that one off too if he tries to call. He did try to send you a message, but it won’t deliver and he can only guess you turned it off even if you have it with you.

Seungcheol is unreachable too for some reason, but Wonwoo has been leaving messages just in case he’d reply.

He’s busy making calls to his staff, telling them to contact places that you frequently visit just in case any of their people have seen you there at some point in the last three days.

It’s about two hours later, his head is pounding and he’s still in your place just in case you’ll return home, when his phone pings with notification and Wonwoo’s immediately runs out of the house.

1 New Message from Choi Seungcheol

*

Seungcheol is worried.

You haven’t spoken since the both of you have arrived in this place, which was about three days ago.

The only time you talk to him is when he asks if you want to eat, which, most of the time, you say no to. He still makes sure that you’re eating a proper meal at least once a day though, and he’s glad that you still have it in you to know that you do need at least that much.

He’s unsure too if he’s here as your guard or as a friend. Either way, there’s very little he can do about your situation.

At first, he thinks you simply need the time and place to be by yourself, away from that life and anyone that might remind you of it. But he has never expected you’d close up and just… not do anything. You’re either in your room doing God knows what or you’re on the porch staring into nothing.

He has never seen you with your phone either, and he’s sure of this because you leave it on the coffee table since the day you arrived there and you’ve never touched it again. He doesn’t think it’s even turned on.

You’re so… empty.

Seungcheol has never been one to poke into people’s business, but the situation is getting gradually concerning that he can’t help but feel like he needs to interfere. He’s promised you that he won’t tell anyone, but if this keeps going on…

He keeps on seeing his sister in you, and he knows he wouldn’t want her to go through this alone if he can help. He takes this job as a bodyguard because it’s in his nature to want to be able to protect people. Right now, doing nothing would only mean the opposite of that.

It hurts to see you this way, so after a few days pass and you don’t seem like you’re going to get any better, Seungcheol decides it’s time to do something and he knows there’s only one person he can trust and will be able to help.

*

You sigh as the sun sets once again. The day seems to be moving both too fast and too slow at this place and you’re not sure yet if it’s a good thing or not. You don’t even realize you’ve been there for days.

You’re currently in the lake house you personally own, one that your parents don’t know you have because you purchased it for that very reason: to escape from them when the time calls for it. It’s only a little far off Seoul, near enough that you’re not exactly out of the city, but not too far away that you need to drive for hours.

The last time you came here to do exactly that was just a few months ago, and, frankly, you didn’t expect to be returning here this quickly. You didn’t even stay for that long that time, you just slept over for the night and pretended like nothing happened the next day.

You can’t do that now.

Not when your parents’ words and Wonwoo’s mom’s won’t stop ringing in your head.

Are you that bad of a person?

You know you’re not exactly an angel, but did you do something so wrong to deserve being called nothing but trouble? To be told that you should be ashamed?

It hurts even more because Wonwoo’s mom is a gentle soul, one that only complains once in a while and rarely has anything bad to say about other people. So to hear those words from her…

You exhale as you reach for the tissue to wipe your tears, already used to this after having gone through it for the past few days. It’s a little exaggerating, but it feels like crying is the only thing you’ve been doing the past few days.

You hate this side of you, you really do. Because you’re the type of person who’s rarely bothered about practically anything, but you fall way too deep into a pit of negativity once you are.

You either care too much or not at all–there’s no in between.

Seungcheol knocks on the door, and you hear the sound of the door opening a little before you glance at the clock to see it’s time for dinner. You don’t particularly feel like eating, even more after a crying episode. So you tell him you’ll just eat later and he can eat first before he can even utter the question.

He doesn’t say anything, but you hear the door softly closing behind you so you assume Seungcheol has, for once, easily accepted your unwillingness to eat dinner without asking one more time to see if you’ll change your mind.

“How many meals have you skipped, exactly?”

The familiar voice startles you that you actually sit up and turn at once. You look at Wonwoo in shock, mouth a little ajar and failing to form actual words.

Wonwoo doesn’t seem to care though, because, the next thing you know, he’s made his way to you and you’re pulled into his embrace.

He’s shaking for some reason, and you haven’t really registered what’s happening but it’s clear how worried Wonwoo is from the way he’s holding you. You can feel the desperation from his grip, and it’s Wonwoo’s muffled voice that snaps you back to reality.

“Do you know how worried I was–” he breathes heavily, his arms tightening around you as if afraid you’ll disappear into thin air. “How can you leave just like that?”

“I–”

“Why would you leave just like that?” he says once again, his voice shaky.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” you finally manage to say, fingers gripping the material of his shirt. He’s still in his work attire, you realize at last, and you feel bad for most likely making him leave his work for you. “How–how did you know I’m here?”

He pulls away at your question, his hands cupping your face and his eyes go through so much emotions in the span of seconds that you’re not sure what he’s thinking about. “Is that really important now? Why… why did you even leave?”

You flinch at your name, always feeling like you mess up big time everytime he calls you by your name instead of the usual nicknames he uses to call you.

“Sorry, I just… I… need time to think by myself.”

“And you couldn’t have told me?” He doesn’t sound angry, which only makes you feel worse. He sounds confused and helpless–as if not getting why you’d do such thing.

And he really doesn’t; because you always tell him everytime you want to be alone, tell him that you’re not going to be reachable and that he shouldn’t worry.

“Is it because of the fight the other day?”

But this? Apparently you’ve been gone for the last three days and he only finds out literally this morning, which makes his brain go haywire that he’s practically dysfunctional after that even though he tries his best to keep it together.

Why would you go MIA for days? And you didn’t inform anyone–not him, not your cousins, not Chaeyoung. At least you’re sensible enough to bring Seungcheol with you, but all sorts of scenarios went through his mind for the whole day and none of them was able to comfort him in the slightest way.

“No…” you say with a small voice, a pitiful attempt to defend yourself. You were so upset that day, so angry and overrun with emotion that Wonwoo fell victim to it. You know it’s also because you’ve been conflicted about your feelings for him and it’s on you that you choose to avoid him instead of facing him head on and figure it out from there.

You regret yelling at him immediately after the words are out your mouth, the crestfallen look on his face as you call for Seungcheol to escort him out is still fresh in your mind. How dare you do that to him?

“I… um… I… Sorry, I know you’re busy and… yeah.”

“Stop lying to me,” he pleads, and you know he’s overwhelmed with his own emotion, that he’s upset and he’s worried. But you’re not sure how to tell him what’s bothering you when most of them roots back to him. His grip on you is desperate, and you can easily detect the frustration in his eyes. “Please don’t… don’t lie to me. When has it ever mattered that I’m busy?”

His tone hurts, and perhaps it’s also the fact that you’ve been holding it by yourself, that you know you need Wonwoo with you but you’re too wrapped up with your own feelings that you’d rather suffer by yourself; that you’ve been imagining yourself in the comfort of his arm that you’re denying yourself of, but the dam that you’ve been holding together finally breaks free the moment you hear those words from him.

Wonwoo panics when you suddenly sob into his shoulder, his arms circling your figure once again in comfort. He doesn’t quite get what you’re saying, but you’re shaking your head and your fingers are gripping clothes and the whole thing hurts.

He has never seen you this vulnerable, has never witnessed you break down so hard that you can’t even string words together and you can only cry and cry.

He doesn’t hesitate to remind you that he’s there, to firmly hold on to you, to tell you that he’s there and it’s okay even if you’re unable to say everything at once. Wonwoo feels your grip tightening and he’s sure you’ll leave a mark on his shirt, but he doesn’t really care and he just wishes that there’s any way to make you feel better.

It’s quite some time until your sob turns into hiccups, and you’re looking down on your lap when you finally pull away from him. He hates seeing you this way, so small and so unsure like you feel bad for crying in front of him.

Wonwoo gently cups your face so you’ll meet his eyes, and he kind of regrets it because your eyes are red and there are traces of tears on your face. You look so vulnerable, so exhausted that it breaks his heart more than it already is.

He tries to say something–anything that might be able to comfort you, but now that he’s looking at you like this, he doesn’t know if there’d be words that would be able to comfort you at this point.

You’re looking at him uneasily; like you have something in your mind that you want to talk about but, at the same time, you’re holding yourself back from saying whatever it is that you want to say out loud.

“You don’t have to explain right now if you’re not ready,” he gently reminds you, his thumb caressing the side of your face. He sees you close your eyes and lean into his touch and, for a moment, it almost feels like you didn’t spend more than a week not talking to each other, like the fight didn’t happen–like it’s just one of your bad days and he’s just here to be there for you.

But then you open your eyes and there’s a glint that he’s never seen before. Wonwoo doesn’t know how long do you two spend just looking at each other; it might be seconds, it might be minutes–or it might be hours for all he knows, but he can’t quite tell what it is about the silence enveloping you both this time that feels different.

Is it because you haven’t spoken to each other during those times? Or is it because you literally broke down in front of him just a few minutes ago? Whatever it is, it’s unfamiliar and Wonwoo is having a hard time reading you at this very moment.

You won’t move your eyes from his, and what he can easily tell is that you’re thinking real hard right now. You’re hesitating to do something and it takes everything in him not to just ask because he’s still unsure how to approach you like this.

After what feels like forever has passed, Wonwoo’s about to open his mouth and ask what’s bothering you when you move forward and press your lips against his. It’s barely even a kiss, because you pull away after one second and you look just as surprised as he is. But before either of you can think too much, Wonwoo refuses to waste a second to lean forward and kisses you properly this time.

His lips feel warm against yours, and even though you don’t feel fireworks or butterflies in your stomach, you feel your body buzzing with warmth that feels like home. Like you’ve found something that you didn’t know you were looking for.

One of his hands moves to your waist, the other firmly on the back of your neck as he deepens the kiss when he feels your hands on his shoulders, bodies pressed against each other like you can’t afford to physically be apart.

Your head is spinning, but, for once, you like it and you don’t wish it to end. Wonwoo pulls away to breathe, and it’s not one second later that his lips start wandering to your jaw and then the side of your neck. It’s the sound of your whine that gets him pulling away the second time, his heavy breath hitting your neck as he plants his forehead against your shoulder.

He tenses when he feels your fingers combing his hair and gently pushing his head closer to your neck, as if urging him to continue. “Don’t–I… I won’t be able to stop.”

Wonwoo pulls away when you don’t say anything, only to find you looking like you’re lost in a daze and he can only guess that he’s sprouting the same look; your breath is uneven, your lips are a little swollen, and it blows his mind that you’re looking like this because of him. You don’t say anything when he stares into your eyes, simply returns his gaze even though your face is already flushing from the intensity of it.

“I don’t remember asking you to stop,” you whisper at last, drunk in emotion.

So Wonwoo doesn’t.

*

Wonwoo wakes up later than usual, and it’s when he realizes he’s holding someone by his side that his consciousness jolts awake.

His eyes immediately soften at the sight of you, your fingers weakly gripping the side of his shirt and another tucked under your head as you’re still deep in sleep. It feels surreal, and he’s still convinced that it’s all a dream until you stir and scoot closer to him.

You hum in your sleep, and Wonwoo finds himself pulling you even closer until he can feel your breath against his neck.

It’s probably 8 in the morning, but his phone isn’t blasting yet with notifications so he can only imagine that Chan is already doing damage control before any damage could even occur. He holds back a proud huff at the thought of the younger guy, his fingers absentmindedly combing through your hair as he thinks about giving him the raise he deserves for putting up with all the canceled schedules and whatnot for the past few weeks.

Wonwoo doesn’t know how long he stays like that, with you plastered against him and his fingers waving through your hair, basking in the soft sound of your breath. After some time, he feels your fingers tighten and he looks down to find you waking up, blinking continuously like you’re trying to grasp the situation you’re in.

“Won?” Your sleepy voice greets him not long after, and he simply hums as he smiles down at you when you look up at him.

“Slept well?”

“Mhm,” you nod, your hand that was gripping his shirt moves to hug him instead. “You?”

He chuckles and drops a kiss on top of your head, still convinced that this is a long dream that’s too good to be true. “Never better. How are you feeling?”

You groan at the question, and Wonwoo laughs when you turn away from him but quickly pulls you back to his chest and kisses your exposed shoulder in the process. You shudder at the sudden warmth of his lips, a contrast to how cold the room is, and Wonwoo grins when he sees goosebumps across your arm.

“I told you to put on a long sleeved pajama, didn’t I?”

“Are you gonna nag me first thing in the morning?” you snicker, though you can’t help but smile so widely that your cheeks hurt.

“Really though,” he asks, his lips grazing your shoulder still. “How are you feeling?”

You huff before you turn around, and you feel so stupid for never realizing how beautiful Wonwoo is, especially with the sunlight hitting him just right like now. Perhaps it’s just your eyes filtered with infatuation, but you’re pretty sure you’ve never seen Wonwoo quite as beautiful as he looks like right now; with his hair all over the place and eyes so full of love that you could burst.

“We’ll talk about it later?” you ask quietly, not really wanting to talk about it as soon as you wake up. Wonwoo nods in understanding, hugs you tighter for a moment before pulling away then tells you to wash up and get ready for breakfast. “Are we going out?”

“Do you feel like going out?”

“Not really, no,” you bite your lip, mind still heavy with thoughts that have been weighing you down for days now.

At least you don’t have to think about your feelings towards the man in front of you anymore even though you’ll still have to talk about it–there’s no use in denying it after the event yesterday.

You half expected him to want to talk about it last night, but you don’t think you’d ever forget the way he simply told you to stay put as he went to the bathroom and ran the bath for you, how he helped you to the bathtub, told you to relax, and placed a chaste kiss on your lips before he left, telling you to call for him if you need help after you’re done.

And when you had stepped out of the bathroom, Wonwoo’s all washed up too, probably took a shower in the other bathroom, sitting on your bed with a comfy sweater and pajama pants that you suspect to be Seungcheol’s.

He looked up with a soft smile and patted the seat next to him. You naturally curled into his embrace, and Wonwoo didn’t even bring up the whole thing as he talked about everything that wasn’t related to whatever problem that had been bothering you; about your last holiday together to Athens, about the puppy that basically lives in Shua’s studio even though no one knows whose it is, about the possible locations you should go to for your next trip, and so on.

You didn’t even remember falling asleep even though it’s the best sleep you’ve had in months.

“Are you listening to me?” His voice snaps you back to reality, an amused smile greets you when your eyes focus back to him. Wonwoo chuckles at your dazed look, and he bites his lips hard to stop himself from kissing you right there and then.

“Go shower, okay? I’ll prepare breakfast,” he says instead and pulls you to get up with him. Wonwoo pushes you to the bathroom before he gets ready himself using the empty bedroom next to yours.

He finishes before you do, so Wonwoo goes through the fridge to see if there’s any ingredients he can use to make breakfast for you. He finds nothing but bread though, which should be okay because you can’t eat a heavy meal for breakfast anyway.

He’s minding his own business, stirring his warm tea as he waits for the toaster to ping when he feels you hugging him from behind.

If he’s being honest, Wonwoo isn’t sure what to make of this side of you. You’ve always been touchy with people around you, leaning your head on someone’s shoulder, linking your arms with the other person’s, a kiss on the cheek as a greeting, and the list goes on. He guesses it might have to do with the fact that your parents have never been physically affectionate towards you, not even when you were a kid, so you take care of the lack of physical affection elsewhere.

But this… he can’t explain it, but it’s different. Perhaps he’s just blinded by his own affection too, at the thought that, most likely, you really do return his feelings, so he’s making things up in his head. But your hold feels different since last night, and, if he’s going to take it a notch higher, even the way you look at him now makes his heart flutter inside.

“Hungry yet?” He decides to break the silence. You tighten your arms at the question and Wonwoo feels you shaking your head against his back, whispering a little ‘not really’ though you’ll gladly eat anyway. It’s been quite some time since you actually feel like eating even though you’re not exactly hungry.

The both of you settle on the living room instead of the dinner table, one of his arms around your waist, your legs thrown over his lap and your head resting against his shoulder. You’re nibbling on your toast as Wonwoo looks around, wondering where Seungcheol might be.

“He probably went out for a run,” you say even before he asks, eyes staring into spaces like you’re in a trance. “Or for whatever it is he does for exercise.”

“Yeah?” he muses, kissing your head. He can’t stop doing that, he feels like, there’s just this sudden urge to keep on placing his lips upon you everytime you’re close to him and, fortunately for him, you’re always nearby. “Is that what he’s been doing?”

“He doesn’t… really need to protect me here,” you wince a little, feeling bad for the guy. You move away from him a little to put your half eaten meal back to its plate on the coffee table, and then settles back down on his lap as you play with the material of his hoodie. “Or, well, I guess he has to make sure I wouldn’t run away for real. But he already knows I just… umm… need space for myself and I promised I have no plans to step out of the house at all.”

You feel his arm twitch around you, and the slight change in the air tells you that the talk is coming. You take a deep breath and brace yourself to start talking about it, heart beating a little louder because, truthfully, you’re afraid. What if Wonwoo finally realizes how heavy of a luggage you are? What if he decides that he doesn’t want to stick around anymore after this? What if–

“Stop thinking so much,” he mumbles against your hair, and despite the fact that you know Wonwoo has always been able to read you like an open book, it still surprises you from time to time. “You don’t have to tell me now if you’re not ready.”

“No, I…” you hesitate, head full of all sorts of things that you can already feel a headache coming. You’re nervous to talk about it, but you know that Wonwoo deserves to know and you owe him that much after ignoring and avoiding him for so long. He’s your best friend before anything, for God’s sake, most likely one of the best people in your life and you’re treating him like that just because you’re confused? “I want to… tell you about it. Just…”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he reminds you, and you can feel his gaze even though you’re not even looking at him, your eyes casted down to his side, catching a glimpse of his hand awkwardly sitting near his thigh. You reach for his hand and play with his fingers, something that you only do when you’re extremely nervous–a habit that he’s always found endearing though he never says it out loud. “You can take your time.”

So you do.

You spend about fifteen minutes gathering your thoughts, absentmindedly meddling with his fingers and finding comfort in the pattern of his breath. And then you need another fifteen to gather your courage and start to talk about what’s happened.

You’re not sure where to begin, but one of the best things about Jeon Wonwoo is that he listens. Even when you’re messy and all over the place, your words barely make sense and you’re jumping through timelines, he listens.

He stays silent as you tell him about everything; about how your feelings have been all over the place, how they’re overwhelming you and you don’t know how to deal with them, about your parents and the things they told you that day. You feel his other hand holds you tighter, your heart softens at the automatic way he turns protective.

“Like I said, they told me I should be ashamed of myself for… yeah.” Your voice gets gradually smaller as you continue on, and before Wonwoo can ask, you continue because you’re guilty and there’s this need to come clean with him. “I didn’t… I didn’t sleep with him, Won.”

You wince at your own words, feeling extremely stupid now that you’re here, on his lap, talking about the night you tried to prove yourself that you don’t see Wonwoo that way only to find the universe making a joke out of you.

Wonwoo doesn’t say anything, but it’s true what people say about guilty conscience–you just wish to clarify that it’s not what it seemed like.

“I promise I didn’t. We…” you close your eyes and take a deep breath, and despite the jealousy burning in his chest as he recalls the situation, Wonwoo caresses the skin underneath your shirt comfortingly, telling you in his silent way that you don’t need to feel bad about it. “I… We… We were already at the hotel but… But you’re just… on my mind and I…”

You’re tearing up, and Wonwoo gently shushes you to calm you down, the familiar touch of his hand pushes you to his neck and you close your eyes for a good five seconds, his scent relaxing you, before you release a deep breath and continue.

You tell him honestly about how it came to be, your talk with Shua and the denial that followed, how you left Chaeyoung in the club because you’re way too busy fighting with yourself–how you’re in denial and you felt the need to prove that Chaeyoung’s wrong only to prove yourself wrong.

(You’re pretty sure she’d be screaming at you if not for the fact that she also knew your parents paid you a visit the morning after. You made sure to make Seungcheol send her a bouquet of white roses as an apology, something that Chaeyoung instantly knew to be your way of telling her you’re truly sorry but you’re not in a good mental space to meet anyone just yet.)

His heart beats a little faster at the implication of your words, but he knows you’re not done and it’s not the time to talk about it just yet. He encourages you to continue, you’re still playing with his fingers and his other hand is rubbing your back in comfort.

Now that you’re buried in his neck and you don’t have to see his eyes, you figure it’s time to tell him about Jennie too. At first, Wonwoo keeps his silence when you tell him that your six years old self was afraid that she’d take you away from him. That, at first, it was just that until awkwardness seeped in and it stacks up throughout the years so you just don’t know how to talk to her at all now.

You take another deep breath when you eventually tell him about what it is about her that has always made you feel like you need to keep a distance from the girl; how seeing her hurts because she feels like a reflection that you can only see from afar. Like a bad dream that’s scary because it’s a little too real.

That your heart longs to be treated like her parents treat her. That, to you, it means that you’re the reason why your parents treat you like an object. Because if it’s possible for Jennie, someone whose stand in this society is practically the same as you, to be treated like a precious child, then there’s probably something wrong with you for your parents to not treat you that way.

Wonwoo goes still under you, even his fingers that you’re holding tense a bit, and when you look up to meet his eyes, his eyes are full of pain and his mouth are a little ajar, as if unsure what to say at the revelation.

He’s not sure why, but the fact that you’re not crying hurts him even more. You sound resigned, like you’re sure that you’re the problem and not your parents, like you’ve accepted that it’s all on you. He’s about to say something, but he sees the telltale of you hesitating so he stops himself and waits yet again.

And, as if it doesn’t hurt him enough already, you tell him that you heard what his mom said the other day at the party. This time, Wonwoo doesn’t wait to cut you off and reassure you that he doesn’t think you’re any problem at all, that his mom has got it wrong and she was just being nosy because one of his distant cousins have just announced their engagement though it still doesn’t excuse her words.

He even apologizes, but you tell him that he doesn’t need to and that she’s probably right.

“No, no.” He shifts to look you in the eyes, and the small smile in your face feels like a slap in the face because he’s never seen you this refrained, so resigned and even a little empty. You’re his best friend, the dearest person in his life, the only person who stubbornly breaks through his wall when no one else bothers to even try, the one who nags him to do his dishes manually even though he literally has a helper and a dishwasher in the case that Mrs. Shin is unable to come, the one who drags him out of his shell when needs it most even though, often times, he doesn’t even know he needs it.

You don’t only brighten his bad days; you light up his life and Wonwoo has never seen your light so dull–so soulless that it breaks his heart. Have you been carrying these thoughts by yourself?

“I love you.” is the only thing that he manages to say. You snap your gaze to him in shock, not expecting it at all–sure, with last night happening and the nature of your relationship, it’s pretty clear that he returns your feelings, but to hear Wonwoo say those words out loud— “And… I know it wouldn’t help your situation, but I feel like you need to hear that… I love you, and even though I might not be able to change how your parents make you feel, I want you to know that there’s always someone who thinks you’re the most important person in the world, someone who can’t be without you. Do you know how dysfunctional I was when I heard you’re missing?”

You blush under his intense gaze, cheeks warming up despite the way you’re disoriented just a few seconds ago, because, frankly, you’ve never expected to hear Wonwoo verbally tell you about how he feels. Wonwoo has never been one to explicitly express his feelings, and even though he’s better at sharing them with you than with any other person, it’s still not something that he often does. Just every once in a while when he feels like he’s almost at his limit and he knows he’s going to burst else.

His finger gently lifts your chin so you’ll look at him, and it’s just so easy to drown in his eyes and lose yourself in them that you find yourself staring back at him without saying anything, heartbeats loud in your ears and blood rushes to your face.

Has Wonwoo always had this effect on you?

You have no idea, but you’re not exactly complaining even though the feelings are annoying because you’re pretty sure your heart is about to burst just about any moment if Wonwoo stares at you just a few seconds too long.

“You matter, okay?” This is the most Wonwoo has ever said when he’s comforting you. It’s foreign, but it eases your heart in ways that you can’t understand. He’d usually just pull you into his embrace and hold you tight there until you move to pull away, his fingers rub comforting circles on your back and he never gets tired of reminding you that he’s going to be there until whenever it gets better.

You’re not complaining though, whatever way he thinks is the best way to comfort you, you’re just glad you have Wonwoo back by your side.

“I can’t–don’t–want to imagine a life where I don’t have you with me and I hope that means something to you. I know you’ve heard this a lot, but you’re a lot more than what your parents made you think you are. And when you feel like you’re not worth it, please remember that I’m literally proof that you’re wrong.”

You’re openly sobbing now, arms tight around his neck as your tears trailing down his skin. The position is uncomfortable, but Wonwoo readily pulls you tighter against him and your body is fully pressed against him as you cry at his words.

“I don’t–I don’t deserve you, you know that?” you hiccup through your sentence, and then you cry harder when Wonwoo shakes his head and gives you a small smile like you’re a child who doesn’t know what you’re talking about. He leans forward to kiss your forehead, whispering that it’s not your call to make and that he wants you with him.

He’s exceptionally eloquent in expressing his feelings today, even he’s surprised that he’s able to tell you all these things out loud; things that he’s always kept deep in his heart and thought would forever be locked there without seeing the lights of day.

But perhaps seeing you so lost and empty helps.

Wonwoo tends to be quiet. It’s something that everyone has come to accept, and no one bothers him to speak more just for the sake of it. But Wonwoo has never thought it to be a problem because you understand him even if he doesn’t say anything. You know what to do and what to say when no one else does because Wonwoo himself finds it bothersome to say anything.

But here you are at this moment, feeling worthless like you could just disappear off the earth at that second and so sure that no one would care.

How could he stay silent when you’re like that?

“You’re literally the reason why I’m still standing on my feet,” he chuckles a little at his own words, his cheek pressed against the top of your head. “I’d probably be a hermit if not for you.”

You laugh despite your tears, and you thank him when he hands you a tissue then wipe your face with it. Your vision is still blurry, as you’re still crying even though the sob has died down now. You don’t mind though, because even though your feelings are all over the place and you’re not even sure why you’re crying, you know it’s not because you’re upset.

It’s quite the opposite, actually. And it’s funny how Wonwoo rarely says anything but the moment the dam breaks and he’s letting out all these words he’s been keeping to himself, your feelings are thrown all over the place and suddenly you’re feeling everything at once.

You have never understood when people say Wonwoo is cold. Wonwoo has always been warm to you, his arms always feel like home and you can’t possibly find a place more comfortable than with Wonwoo by your side.

It’s really a mystery to you how Wonwoo manages to hold you even tighter, but you really don’t care because the only thing that you care about right now is you’re with him.

You’re home–and that’s the only thing you could ask for.

Chapter Text

You’re staring into space when Wonwoo comes home, comfortably wrapped in a big comforter in the middle of his living room as the TV watches you.

“Why are you frowning?” He greets you with a kiss on top of your head. “You look like a giant burrito.”

“Shut up.” You glare at him, burying yourself further into his comforter. “Something weird happened.”

“What?”

“Go wash up and I’ll tell you.”

He chuckles and messes your hair as he comply, making his way to the bathroom to take a quick shower. You’re still in the same exact position when he comes back to the living room, barely even moving.

So Wonwoo plops down beside you, and you automatically scoot closer and lean your head on his shoulder despite the blanket between you two. You frown at the feeling though, so you open the material just enough for you to press yourself against him and Wonwoo swiftly wraps his arm around your shoulders.

“So?”

“My parents stopped by earlier.”

Wonwoo tightens his arm in alarm, but you quickly tell him it’s fine and you’re not, quite obviously, on the edge of breaking down like the last time they paid you a visit.

“They stopped by here?”

“Yeah,” you smile awkwardly. “They found out I’m here so… yeah.”

It’s been three days since that day on the lake house. You both returned home to his house after two more days there, which means it’s only been one day but they’ve somehow already found out and they came by just a few hours ago.

“They apologized.” You’re biting your lips and your eyes are a little unfocused as you say this, like you’re not sure if you’re imagining the whole thing or not. “Said something about how they shouldn’t have jumped into conclusion and all that? Father even told me to take another week off.”

Wonwoo bites back an amused smile at your confused tone, only because he knows it’s not the time to laugh when you’re probably perplexed inside. He squeezes your shoulder encouragingly and prompts you to continue.

“I don’t know… it’s just so weird.”

“You know they sent a private investigator team to look for you because you’re missing?” You look at him in shock, having never heard of the news. “They didn’t want the media to blow up, so they had to do that and they’ve just gotten the access to trace CCTVs in Seoul when I told them you’re safe with me.”

“You texted them?”

“In the evening when you were showering, yeah.” He nods as he takes a sip of water from your glass. “Didn’t I tell you your father called me? I thought you were just still ignoring me, but your father called me during a meeting and you can imagine how I felt when I saw his missed call.”

You shake your head, because Wonwoo didn’t tell you though you can’t blame him when you’re the one who was hogging him practically the whole time with your crying and all that. It’s probably the last thing on his mind at that point.

This puts you even more in a daze than before, and Wonwoo lets you have your moment to gather your thoughts because he knows you think your parents don’t care about you at all.

He can hardly blame you on that; your parents are far from getting the best parents of the year award, but they still care about you even though they’ve never been good in affection and, yes, it’s true that they put more effort into their wealth and position more than they do their own child.

It’s not something that’s going to change anytime soon, but Wonwoo’s glad that at least they finally felt firsthand the streaking fear from your sudden disappearance, and he could only guess that’s one of the reasons why they apologized to you.

“I reassured them that you’re fine and you just needed some time by yourself.” His fingers brush against your cheek. “And that they can pull out all their searching team because I promised to bring you home safe and sound.”

You don’t comment on it, but Wonwoo figures it’s enough that you know. What you have with your parents isn’t going to be easy to fix, and he doesn’t think your parents were aware that they need to fix it in the first place. If he’s being honest, they wouldn’t even think they did anything they had to be sorry for if not for the shock from your disappearance.

Still, it’s something and Wonwoo would rather take that small comfort if it means you’ll feel better than nothing at all.

“Didn’t know they’d even notice I was gone,” you furrow your eyebrows at the thought. Wonwoo looks like he’s about to say something, but you shake your head and change the topic, a signal that you don’t want to dwell on it for too long. So Wonwoo indulges you and tells you about his day, how he’s personally deposited a hefty amount to Chan as a bonus for the amount of schedules he had to cancel last minute and the earful he’d probably gotten from a lot of parties.

“I still feel bad for making you take a few days off for me,” you trail off with a pout. With his position, you can only imagine the amount of things he’s neglected just to make sure you’re well. You tried to send him away to work the next day, but Wonwoo insisted that he also needed the break and he wanted to make sure that you’re feeling better before he’s back to work.

Perhaps his mom was right when she said you were nothing but–

“No,” he cuts like he’s seen your train of thoughts. “Stop thinking about Mom’s words. I promise she loves you, she was just… she heard the rumour about the taken down headlines and she kind of jumped into conclusion.”

He winces as he explains this, but he’d rather be honest if it means you’ll get to hear the truth. “I’m not saying she has valid reasons for saying that, and I did scold her for believing those things when she’s known you since you were a baby. She apologized, princess, told me she got carried away and she just really wished I’d have a girlfriend already.”

“Still…” you sigh, but Wonwoo’s words ring in your head not long after, reminding you that he’s here with you no matter what. You make Wonwoo repeat himself too much already and you’d be stupid to hold on to your thought when you have him by your side.

You shift to move into his lap, head falling into his shoulder as his hand naturally grips your waist and the other caressing your thigh. “Anyway, I’m going to meet Chaeyoung tomorrow.”

“Come home alive, okay?” he jokingly whispers against your hair, and you pinch his side at the remark which Wonwoo simply laughs at in return.

You’re actually nervous to see her, and you promise yourself to tell her everything because she deserves at least that much after all that. Shua and Jeonghan have been texting you to meet too, but it’s hard to match schedules with them so you promise to eat lunch with Shua in a few days instead and Jeonghan’s actually just messing around because he said he’s currently in Bangkok for a meeting.

“She also called me crying, you know? She was so afraid something happened to you.”

You grip the front of his shirt, feeling both guilty and a little touched that you have someone who would cry for you because you’re missing for a bit.

“She’ll probably scream a little and move on with it,” he chuckles, knowing Chaeyoung well enough to know she’d never be able to get mad at you. “She loves you too much to give you a cold shoulder or anything.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if she disowned me, to be honest,” you say with a sigh, though he can tell that your tone is light if only a little tense.

“She won’t,” he reassures you anyway, just enough to let you know that he doesn’t think your fear is invalid even though Chaeyoung would never disown you. “Now, have you eaten dinner?”

“Oh!” you exclaim and jump a little. “I haven’t, but Soonyoung did send a whole catering again and they’re in your fridge.”

You stand up to pull him with you to the kitchen before he can say anything, and you talk about how you were waiting for him to come home so you can eat together. He smiles at the word, though you don’t see it because you’re already busy taking out some of the containers to his dining table.

“You should’ve eaten something if you’re hungry though,” he scolds you lightly, in which you just grin in return and tell him that you’ve eaten the chocolate mousse he also sends with the rest of the food earlier. “He… really likes sending you food, huh?”

You blink at the tone he’s using, and when a few seconds pass in silence, Wonwoo turns to see you grinning teasingly at him, fingers that are gripping his get tighter as you step closer to him. “Is that jealousy I hear, Mr. Jeon?”

He scoffs and shakes your hold from his hand, and you laugh before you throw yourself at him instead, arms wrapping tightly around his middle and your laughter muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

It’s a sight that Wonwoo’s going to keep replaying in his mind, like a good song he’d hum to everytime he’s in a particularly good mood, and Wonwoo’s sure he would never get tired at the sound of your laughter either.

“How many times did I tell you he’s not interested in me that way?” you huff, planting your chin on his chest as you look up at him with amusement glinting in your eyes. “You know I’m not interested in him that way.”

He raises his eyebrow in question, hands reaching up to squish your cheeks. “And how do I know that, exactly? I don’t remember you saying anything about it.”

“Well, do I kiss Soon–” you squeal when he dives down to meet your lips, effectively shutting you up and making you laugh through the kiss. You feel him grin through your lips too, and you’re about to burst with giddiness as he pulls you deeper into him, your fingers gripping his shoulders and his palms delicately holding your face.

“What were you saying?” he asks after pulling away, heart full at the sight of your flushed cheeks and happy grin the moment he opens his eyes.

“I said,” you say cheekily, which Wonwoo narrows his eyes at. “Do I kiss Soo–Wonwoo!”

You laugh again when he cuts you off with his lips, pleasantly surprised when he deepens the kiss and pushes you to the nearest surface he can find. It’s his kitchen counter, your short-circuited brain manages to register, and you shriek when he lifts you up to the empty counter and your exposed thigh meets the cold marble.

You’re not complaining though, because it’s actually quite something to feel Wonwoo reaching up to you and being able to wrap your arms around his neck as he stands between your legs, kissing you like he’s been craving for it.

And perhaps he has, because how many years did he spend looking at your lips, wondering how they’d feel pressed to his only to shake his head and force himself to remember that you see him as nothing but your best friend?

It’s crazy how drunk you’re feeling right now, adrenaline rushing throughout your body and your hands gripping just about anything you could reach of Wonwoo like you can’t get enough of him; his hair, his shoulders, his neck–anything. You can’t hear anything but the loud sound of your heartbeat drumming in your ear and Wonwoo’s ragged breath.

Weren’t it just a few days ago that you were in denial? Trying to convince yourself that you didn’t see him that way?

You whine when Wonwoo pulls away to take a breath, and you only let him a second before your mouth needily finds his again for another kiss. You don’t even remember when your legs end up wrapped around his figure, but Wonwoo is just about to pepper kisses down your neck when your eyes open in alarm at the sound of someone entering the kitchen.

Wonwoo doesn’t seem to notice though, but he grunts in dissatisfaction when you pull away and it’s only then that he realizes you’re weirdly still in his arms. He looks at you in question when he sees you’re frozen and your mouth a little ajar–only to turn around and find Shua and Jeonghan by the door, eyes wide open and mouth dropping open at sight in front of them.

“Umm… hi?” you squeak, unsure where to look at after realizing what they’ve just witnessed.

You don’t know what to make of Jeonghan’s wide grin paired with the dangerous glint in his eyes.

*

“Uhh… I thought you’re in Bangkok?” You decide to speak up. The silence is deafening and the sentence itself is weird because it’s notsupposed to be silent when you have both Shua and Jeonghan with you in one room.

“Got back earlier today and thought we’re gonna surprise you,” he says coyly, his leg crossed over the other as he inspects his perfect nails. “Who knows you’re preparing a surprise for us too? What a good cousin, right, Josh?”

Shua is weirdly quiet, but eventually nods and leans back on the sofa as he observes the nonexistent space between the two of you; your shoulder is touching Wonwoo’s arm and your thighs pressed against each other.

Suddenly, he wonders if you notice that you’ve always been this way when it comes to Wonwoo.

“Do you mind explaining what I’ve just seen or…?” Jeonghan trails off, daring you not to explain.

You’re both silent at the question, unsure how to reply. You and Wonwoo have never talked about what the change means to the both of you, not because you’re avoiding the topic but because it just feels natural to continue without putting a frame on it. Is he your boyfriend now? Are you in a relationship?

It doesn’t sound bad. Quite the opposite, if you’re being honest, but it’s just so… funny. You’ve spent at least two decades with Wonwoo, have gone through a lot of things together, and probably understand each other more than you do yourselves. Calling Wonwoo your boyfriend seems like an offense to your relationship.

He’s more than that.

But… what are you two, really?

“We’re together, if that’s what you’re asking.”

It’s Wonwoo who answers, and you try your best not to look at him in shock because you’ve never thought how heartwarming the words could feel coming out of him. Now that you think about it, haven’t you always been… together?

“Like, officially?” Jeonghan prods, and you wonder why he sounds excited more than he is accusing. You’ve initially thought he would nag you for not saying anything, but you don’t expect the twinkle in his eyes and the unashamed grin on his face.

“Does it matter?” Wonwoo asks back, and you’re surprised to find yourself biting back a smile at how true his word is. Does it really matter? It sounds like it’s just so obvious. So natural, almost like a fact, for you to be with Wonwoo that you don’t need–don’t have–any word that could describe what you have with him. That what matters is that you’re together; you’re with him and he’s with you.

Unexpectedly, Jeonghan nods and says ‘yes, it matters a lot’. You see Shua looking at your other cousin in annoyance, and you share a confused look with Wonwoo as you wonder what on earth Jeonghan is on about this time.

“I guess?” Wonwoo frowns, visibly more relaxed now that he’s said the words out loud. “It’s just funny to put a label on it because we’ve known each other for… so long.”

“So are you official or not?” he snaps, almost giddy.

“Uh?” Wonwoo looks at you in question. Funny how you’ve dealt with Jeonghan for so long and you still have no idea how to decipher his mind.

You shrug, head falling into his shoulder as you look at your cousins curiously.

“Do I have to introduce you as my boyfriend now if people ask?”

Wonwoo has never thought he’d have his heart skip a beat over the word ‘boyfriend’ and he’d never admit the fluttering butterflies in his stomach to anyone. He tries to look at you nonchalantly, telling you he doesn’t mind if that’s how you want to call it.

“I’d finally be able to get my mom to back off too if she knows you’re my… well, girlfriend.”

It’s painful how obliviously in love you are with each other.

As much as Shua is glad you’re finally admitting your feelings and giving Wonwoo the chance he deserves to stand beside you as your lover, it’s still clear to him that you still don’t know how much you’re in love with the guy.

He sees the way your eyes light up at him, something that has always been there though it’s ignited now after whatever happened the last few days. He’s happy, because it’s clear to him how much happiness you radiate now, obviously in contrast with the lost look on your face the last time you talked to him.

He softens at the sound of your laughter as Jeonghan teases you both, something along the lines of ‘it’s about time’ and that ‘he’s seen it coming’. You and Wonwoo don’t say anything, simply laugh and accept his teasing because you’re not sure what to say either.

Shua eyes him warily as his friend turns to him with a victorious grin, palm out as if asking for something. Shua slaps his hand away and mocks innocence, pretending like he doesn’t know what he’s on about.

“I’ll be expecting it by next week,” Jeonghan declares anyway, not minding Shua’s defeated sigh.

“Expecting what?” you ask as you get comfortable next to Wonwoo, hugging his arm.

“The new Porsche,” he shrugs in nonchalance, like he’s asking for a coffee. “He promised to buy me the latest edition.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware they’re releasing their latest edition in Korea?” Wonwoo quips, not really interested as to why Shua promised to buy Jeonghan a car.

“They aren’t,” Jeonghan grins and waves his hand leisurely. “Shua will import them exclusively for me though, right, Hong Jisoo?”

“Whatever,” he huffs, though he fishes out his phone and Jeonghan sees him open the contact of his dad’s secretary and text him something about an international car dealer. “It wouldn’t come to this if it wasn’t for me so I only have myself to blame.”

You frown at them both, not getting it at all. “What is it, really? Why are you buying him a car? He’s literally Yoon Holdings’ CFO.”

Shua stays quiet, not wanting to say anything about it. Jeonghan’s grin widens though, and he happily tells you that Shua lost a bet, so he owes him a car.

“How stupid are you?” you quirk an eyebrow at Shua, ignoring his pout. “Why would you bet against him with a Porsche on the line? What did you bet on, anyway?”

“I told him you’ll get together in the span of three months,” your cousin shrugs, happy with himself like he’s not literally betting on your relationship with Wonwoo. “Which means… three days more and I would’ve lost.”

“You bet on me for a Porsche?” you look up at him, fauxing offense.

“It’s your relationship, not you, princess. Wonwoo’s in it too, isn’t he?” He argues, though, really, he’s just mainly happy that you’re happy.

He’s always known you’ll end up with Wonwoo one way or another, and to actually see it with his eyes; how you both are content with each other, even more comfortable than you used to be, it’s the only thing he could ask for.

His mind takes him back to a few weeks ago, when he and Shua visited your father and straightforwardly told him that you’re overworked and you’ve fainted.

Shua would’ve filtered it; he would’ve told his uncle that he didn’t think it’s good that you’re handling all those things and asked him to reconsider your workload. He might not even say you fainted, just that he’s worried and you’re not exactly in your best condition.

But that’s not Jeonghan.

Jeonghan spoke honestly, demanded that your father has to lessen your work, that you fainted from preparing for the events and for the monthly evaluation your father asks of you. That you’re never going to consider a position in the company if he’s giving you works almost as much as him, a CFO, when you’re currently at a manager position right now.

He looked genuinely concerned, Jeonghan still remembers, said that he wasn’t aware that he’s giving you too many works. That he thought you could handle it because you didn’t say anything about it and you got everything just about done.

Jeonghan almost snickered, almost asked if he’d listen if you asked to lessen your load, if he wouldn’t brush it off even if you said it’s too much. But Jeonghan kept them to himself and it’s Shua’s turn to soften the blow and tell your father that he’s been worried and that you might not even be able to work properly at this pace.

And then there’s the event a few days ago, when Jeonghan immediately took off to your parents and finally said a piece of his mind when he heard you went missing. He would probably curse at them if not for Shua, who was already there to give a piece of his mind too, holding him back even though he’s annoyed himself.

Jeonghan’s pretty sure they wouldn’t even consider his words if they’re not too affected by your disappearance, but they’re a little disoriented too, something that he’d never thought would see of them, and it was a good timing to finally tell them that they’re just pushing you away at this point and he wouldn’t be surprised if you end up leaving the company altogether.

He looks at you, a soft smile in his face as you pout at him for the bet. And then his gaze averts to Wonwoo, his eyes fixated on you as if you’re the only thing that matters.

And perhaps you are, Jeonghan–or anyone, really–would believe it in a heartbeat if Wonwoo says you’re his whole world.

Chapter Text

You relish in Mrs. Yoon’s embrace as she thanks you once again for arranging her anniversary party. It’s a fairly small one, because she just wants to invite families and close friends, and you’ve managed to turn her backyard into a beautiful place right out of a fairytale movie set.

“You’ve been well, right?” she says in that motherly tone of hers, patting the strands of your hair that was a little all over the place. “Jeonghan said you fainted a while ago? I would’ve come visit if I knew.”

“It’s okay, Auntie.” You shake your head, making a mental note to yell at Jeonghan for telling on you. At least she doesn’t seem like she has any idea about the missing episode. “It’s not recently too, you don’t have to worry. I’m eating my meals properly now.”

She cups your cheeks gently, her eyes still worried as she searches your face to see if you’re just saying it. “Tell me next time you get sick, okay? I’ll come and take care of you.”

You nod just to ease her worry, doubtful that you’d actually do it. As much as you love her and you know she’ll really take care of you, you feel like that’d be asking for too much. After talking some more, she squeezes your shoulder before excusing herself to find her friend. You hug her one more time and congratulate her on the anniversary, leaving a kiss on her cheek before you let go.

“You really outdid yourself, hm, princess?” Wonwoo’s voice tickles the back of your neck almost immediately after Jeonghan’s mom leaves, and he laughs when you jump a little, almost stumbling on your feet. “When did you get so clumsy?”

“You surprised me!” you whine, though you step forward to hug him anyway. “Did you just arrive?”

He circles his arms around you too, dropping a kiss on top of your head before pulling away then tells you that traffic was hell and he actually left an hour ago. Wonwoo looks around to find familiar faces, seeing Shua chatting with his sister on one of the tables and Jeonghan talking to your father by the chocolate fountain.

“Is everyone here already?”

Before you can answer, the door opens again and you see Jennie stepping in with Jisoo—how did they get acquainted again?—Jinyoung trailing behind them, busy with his phone. The three spot you both right away, making their way to you first instead of to the host of the party.

“Did you work on this party too?” Jisoo asks after greeting you with a hug, eyes wandering around the location as she takes in the decoration you’ve put on around the backyard. “Calling this beautiful would be offensive, trust me. This is ethereal.”

You scrunch your nose at the compliment, still not used to it even though you do know this is your best work yet. You thank her shyly, and Wonwoo laughs at the interaction when Jinyoung jokingly tells you to knock off the shy act.

“It really is beyond beautiful though,” Jennie says quietly, wondering how much effort you must’ve put into this. “You really have talent in this, Y/N.”

You grip Wonwoo’s arm as you listen to her, Wonwoo’s words just a few days ago ringing through your mind. He finally told you about Jennie and the talk they had on the day you fainted, about how she felt about you and how she’s been holding it over herself.

It’s quite funny, if you really think about it, you’re both envious of each other but you approach the feeling differently, albeit the different reason behind them. While Jennie wishes to get closer to you, you try your best to keep your distance from her because, just like you did with Wonwoo, you don’t how to deal with those feelings.

You had been shocked when Wonwoo told you about it. You would’ve never imagined her to be envious of you. After all, what was there to be envious of when she literally has what you have and more? But the more you listen to Wonwoo, the more guilt gnawed within you.

It’s not a lie to say you have never disliked Jennie. It’s just awkwardness stacking up as years go by, your tendency to overthink and to run away from dealing with things you’re not sure how approach that leads to you keeping yourself from her.

And with the light of recent events when you finally accept that you are, in fact, in love with your best friend, the only reason behind the bitter taste on your mouth everytime you see her was only fueled by jealousy.

Wonwoo nudges you in encouragement, knowing that you’re no longer reluctant to talk to her though you still don’t know how you’re supposed to do it when you’ve chosen to be awkward for years.

You remember what he said after that, about how no one is asking you to be close to Jennie—that you should just treat her as you would any other person, and that you should try to tamper down those feelings that make you small everytime you see her.

It’s awfully obvious to you now, her calculated words and conscious gestures. Just as much you are unsure how to talk to her, she doesn’t know how to talk to you either (and whose fault is that?). But she’s trying, she always is, you think as you recall the amount of time Jennie has tried to talk to you.

Guilt isn’t the only thing that runs through you now, you’re embarrassed; you’re a woman in the middle of 20s and you’ve been running away from someone who doesn’t have any ill intention towards you just because you’re awkward and you don’t know how to talk to her?

“Thank you,” you smile at her, fingers gripping Wonwoo a little tighter. Jennie seems to be surprised at your soft tone, already used to the polite way you always use to address her. “I… uh, you know, Daisy Collections, Shua’s family’s company, actually asked me to organize their event and… well, I’m not actually used to the fashion industry so, um, would you mind helping me with it if… if you’re still in the country?”

Jinyoung blinks continuously at this, eyeing Wonwoo in confused surprise while the guy simply looks at you like he’s proud of what you’ve done. Jennie’s looking just as surprised, if not more, but she’s quick to bloom into a wide smile and tells you she’ll be happy to help you come up with the concept, if that’s what you’re asking for.

It’s bizarre how relieved you feel after that, and after Jennie leaves with the couple to find the host of the party, Wonwoo squishes your cheeks and teases you for being shy like you’re on a blind date.

“How would you know how I’d be on a blind date?” you stick your tongue at, though you do feel a little giddy inside now that you know you can finally let go of whatever awkwardness you have with Jennie. You don’t necessarily have any plan to be close with her, though you wouldn’t be against it if it comes to that. Whatever will come out of it, you’re just glad you finally have it in you to let go of that weight now.

“Miss Yoon,” Seungcheol calls for you, making you both turn to him. Wonwoo pulls away and nods at the older guy, looking at the small box in his hands as he hands it to you. “The package you ask for is here.”

“Thank you,” you take the box from him, telling Wonwoo it’s a gift for Jeonghan’s parents that you have Seungcheol get because it’s customed and the artist finished it just this morning. “And I told you to stop calling me that.”

Seungcheol simply smiles, dimpled cheek appearing as he does so. You tell him to stay and enjoy the party if he wants, but he says he’d rather not though he’ll be on standby if you need him.

You share an amused smile with Wonwoo after Seungcheol steps back in to the house with the rest of the staff, bowing to you both and bidding his goodbye. He’s enjoying his last month as your guard after the whole fiasco, not because he’s fired but because you ask your parents to turn him into your personal assistant instead.

Seungcheol is more than competent, you’ve learned after a year of being with him, he’s meticulous and he knows to be stern with you when it’s necessary. And even though he was hesitant at first, unsure if he’s qualified to be a personal assistant, he eventually gives in after you reassure him that you’re not expecting him to magically understand your workloads, that you’ll give him space to learn and you’ll be happy to guide him along the way—that you’ll pay him more than when he was just your guard because now he would have to guard you and help you with your work. But you know what eventually drives him to say yes is because you say you’ll give him more day offs to see his family than his agency did.

He still has his contract with his agency though, which is why he’s in the process of ending the contract before he can officially sign with Yoon Holdings as an employee.

“He’s going to start next month, right?” he asks as he pulls you to a more secluded area, finally moving away from the entrance–and from the party, actually.

The sound of people chatting get fainter the more you follow him, and you find yourself near the greenhouse, the other half of the backyard that you steer away from because it wouldn’t go well with the decoration and overall concept you’ve chosen. You’ve even put on partitions, just to let people know that this side of the backyard isn’t a part of the party.

You’ve always liked this kind of event more, it’s less hassle because it’s casual, and you don’t need to be on guard at all times because it’s easy to look through the whole area from wherever you’re standing.

“Are you thinking of officially signing a contract with Lilac&Co?” he asks when he notices the labels on the buffet table. You’ve been talking about it before, because after a food taste and some meetings for this event, you’re pleased to find out you work well with them. Their protocol is strict and the fact that their food tastes like heaven basically seals the deal.

“Yeah, it’s about time that we find a fixed vendor too,” you say absentmindedly as you scan through the area, glad that everyone seems to be having a good time. “Gosh, I’m glad I said yes to Auntie. This is my best event as of now.”

Wonwoo chuckles at your tone, arm wrapping around your shoulder as he agrees with you. “Please just don’t faint again, okay?”

“It was one time.”

“And one time is enough,” he closes the argument. “I won’t let you take three projects at once ever again.”

You raise an eyebrow at his statement, turning to face him as you cross your arms. “And who are you to say that?”

“Your boyfriend?” he grins, daring you to say otherwise. He steps to pull you into his embrace though, having been wanting to do that since earlier but there were too many people near the entrance. “I just don’t want you sick again, princess. And you know you won’t be focused that way.”

“I know, I know,” you say as you hug him back, reassuring him that you won’t be that careless again and admitting that he’s true. “That’s partly why I ask Seungcheol to be my PA too. It’s about time I need someone to help me with my works.”

He pulls away just enough to look at you, and between the way you’re looking back at him and the burgundy lipstick you’ve chosen to apply today, he finds it hard to hold back from kissing you. He doesn’t see why he should though, because you don’t plan to hide your relationships even though you haven’t really told anyone either. So he does exactly that, smiling into the kiss when he feels you smile too.

“Oh?” A familiar voice makes you two pull away from each other, though his protective arm still wraps around your waist. He bites his lip as he watches his mom and your mom in front of him, they don’t even bother to hide back their happy grins though they still have it in them to bite the squeal from coming out of their mouths.

“Anything I can help with, Auntie, Mom?” Your voice is small, and he suddenly feels like teenagers being caught by their parents doing things they shouldn’t. He coughs to hide the amused smile, knowing full well that you’d scold him for it.

“Um, no,” Wonwoo’s mom honestly sounds too giddy for her own good and you can feel your cheeks getting warm at her knowing look. Your mom is more or less the same, though the soft look in her eyes make you feel warm inside. When was the last time she looked at you that way? “We were just walking around, to be honest. But I think they’re calling everyone for an announcement.”

You follow them back to the party, fingers intertwined with Wonwoo’s even though you’re glaring at his teasing grin. He looks so much like his mom earlier, and despite your mock annoyance, you’re actually also giddy inside. You’re just so content, and there’s something wholesome about knowing that your parents know now.

You see Jeonghan’s mom making her way to the center with a mic, thanking everyone for coming and thanking you for putting up the party. You automatically hide behind Wonwoo when everyone suddenly focuses on you, shaking your head when she showers you with compliment and how it’s everything she could’ve asked for.

She talks some more about how glad she is that everyone’ having fun, that it’s been a while since she’s been able to gather them together and she’s happy that the day has been going rather well. After that, she ushers Jeonghan to take her place, saying that he has an announcement to make while everyone’s here.

You look at him in confusion, not aware that Jeonghan has anything that might need announcement for.

“Hi everyone. I’m Yoon Jeonghan, if you don’t know. The son of the couple?” he starts lightly, making everyone chuckle with his introduction. “I’m not going to talk for long, so don’t worry, you can go back to having fun after this.

I’ve always believed that art is a necessity; it’s something that we turn to when we don’t know where else to go. We turn to art when we’re happy, when we’re sad, when we’re worried, and even when we’re out of our mind. It’s truly amazing, that sometimes we don’t even understand what is it about but we find happiness in them still. It’s abstract, but that’s why it’s beautiful, why it’s personal, and why there’s always a part of it that resonates with a part of us.

I’m sure everyone here knows of Daisy Collections?”

Jeonghan points at Shua’s table when he says this, and Somi happily waves to the crowd while the rest of her family simply smile at them, wondering where the whole thing is heading to. Shua looks at him in question, but Jeonghan is already turning away to continue his little monologue.

“Just last year, the eldest son of the Hong family decides to step down from his position in the company to open up his own studio, Daisy Studio. It’s an art studio that Joshua manages himself, he built it from zero from all the money he got working in the main branch, refused when we all offered to help him fund the development, and, fast forward to the present, he’s booked almost everyday now.

It’s not just an art studio though.

Daisy Studio not only offers classes to those who can afford it, but also have an open class every week for those who don’t have the money for art classes, hold charity events for those in needs, comes to orphanages for the kids, and even does volunteers for painting days in hospitals.

What they’re doing is truly incredible, they aren’t only helping those who want to pursue their dreams; they’re helping those who are lost and unsure—who only has art as their only escapes.

That being said, I’m happy to announce that Yoon Holdings is going to start a foundation and help them expand so they can help more people find home in their arts—so we can help more people in need of comfort they don’t know where to find. We’re going to fully fund everything, and we’ll be happy to receive your donations once the foundation is officially established. I truly hope we’ll be able to help more people this way; whether what they need is comfort, encouragement, or they just need an outlet, I want everyone to know that we’re there for them.”

Jeonghan shyly thanks everyone at the loud sound of their claps, and you see Shua frozen in shock at the announcement. You’re fidgeting on your feet, and it’s when Wonwoo pushes you slightly towards where your cousins are at that you squeal and hug them both once you’re close enough.

“What was that!” You can’t help but grin despite the way you’re hitting Jeonghan’s shoulder with your hand. “We’re setting up a foundation to help Shua’s studio?”

He shrugs nonchalantly, telling you it’s something that he’s been thinking of and Shua’s studio just happen to be the perfect media to do that. “I owe him anyway.”

“I only told you to pay for my expansion, you ass!” Shua exclaims, though the happiness in his eyes is the brightest you’ve ever seen. It’s not hard to figure out why, his studio is his everything, and to have Yoon Holdings backing him up for the good cause… “Seriously though, I… I don’t even know what to think, man. Thank you doesn’t even suffice.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Jeonghan hesitates for a bit, his eyes fleeting to you. “It’s… actually Uncle’s idea.”

“My father?” you ask to make sure. Why would your father be interested in setting a foundation?

“Remember that bet? I promised Shua I’d pay for his studio’s expansion if I lost the bet; well, I won, but I felt like I owe him and it’s for a good cause so I thought, why not?” he explains, trying to see if your father is nearby only to find him with Wonwoo’s dad yet again. “Well, I was asking for a personal favour from our company’s team to help me purchase the building when Uncle accidentally heard of it. And… yeah. I told him they often hold events for charities and volunteers for just about any cause. He thought we might as well go all out and build a foundation to help and…”

You raise your eyebrow at his gaze, but Jeonghan shakes his gaze, saying it’s not his place to tell and that you should ask your father yourself for it. You look at Wonwoo for support, and he offers to come with you if you want to talk about it right now.

Contemplating for a bit, you eventually nod and tell him you’d rather ask now than later. You drop a kiss on Shua’s cheek before you leave, congratulating him on the sudden tremendous expansion he’s going to get judging by the enthusiastic respond from the guests.

“Father?” you greet him with Wonwoo in tow, and then turn to Wonwoo’s dad to greet him too. “May I talk to you for a bit?”

He seems like he has an idea what you’re going to talk about and, surprisingly, lets you ask out in the open without excusing you both from the other two gentlemen.

“Umm… Jeonghan said the foundation was your idea?”

“Ah, he gave me too much credit,” he gives you a small smile, taking a sip of wine before he continues. “He said he wanted to help for a good cause so I thought it was obvious that we should just build a foundation. Plus, it’s Joshua’s studio, right? We’ll know our fund is in good hands.”

“But… why?”

He sighs, not one that might indicate that he’s irritated, but something that sounds a lot like he’s contemplating his next words.

“I heard Joshua often hosts charities and does volunteers. Jeonghan said he usually has three or four events per month, including the weekly open class. I asked if Joshua has a team to do this or if he outsources event organizer everytime, but Jeonghan said, as much as he’s aware, Joshua does everything himself with his small team.”

You don’t see where this is going, but you continue to listen to him as you try to make sense why he’s talking about it instead of answering you.

“So I thought… why not have the best organizer I know help him regularly and we fund them for their social service?”

You still don’t get this, and your father chuckles at your confused expression, his hand reaching out to pat your head. You take a sharp breath at this, the last time he did that was… so long ago that you don’t even remember; perhaps you were five, crying as hard as you could because you broke one of his vases in his home office, afraid that he’d yell at you for it. But he had just taken you in his arms, away from the shards, and when he sat you down in his office chair and called for the helper to clean the mess, he had simply patted your head and said it’s okay and that he could just buy another one.

“—step down from the company and help them.” You hear him say after you zone back in, lost in memories. You smile sheepishly at him, asking for a repeat that your father readily gives.

“You have a gift in it, princess.” You’re surprised that, for once, you don’t cringe at the sound of your father addressing you with the nickname. Perhaps it’s the soft tone he’s using, or the way he’s looking at you with something akin to genuine pride. “And I know you don’t want to work in the company. So I thought perhaps it would be better for you to step down and take care of the foundation instead? You’d be working with Joshua too.”

The grip you have on Wonwoo’s arms immediately tighten once the words hit you, and you try your best not to look like a fish out of water when you realize that your father is asking you to step down and take care of the new foundation. Because you’re the best organizer he could think of and that you’d be more content working for this instead of in the company because he’s been forcing you to do that.

It’s a foundation. Not a company. You can’t monetize a foundation—you’re just going to be there working with Shua, helping him run the foundation and organize his events so they’d go without a hitch. You already help him from time to time, and you know Shua actually lacks people to help him prepare an actual event, so you know to have back up from Yoon Holdings in an official way like this would mean the world to him.

You’re not there to make money. You’re there to help people and make sure the fund is used accordingly.

“We’ll talk about it later,” he nods and tells you to continue enjoying the party. “Come by the family house for dinner tomorrow. You come too, Wonwoo, it’s been some time since I share a meal with you both.”

Your lips are pressed together when Wonwoo looks at you, your father and his dad already gone to return to their seats as you hear him extend the invitation to the whole Jeon family. Your eyes are glossy too, and he smiles before he envelopes you in his arms and hides your face there. He hears you breath in and out, trying to calm yourself down and only pulling away once you’re sure you no longer have tears in your eyes.

“You’re okay?” he asks just in case, voice soft and barely a whisper.

“Never better,” you grin despite the redness in your eyes, blinking them away and gripping Wonwoo’s hands as if to convince yourself that he’s really there; that this isn’t a dream and the whole thing is real.

You feel Wonwoo squeeze your hands too in return, eyes locked together as you share a giddy smile with him.

It’s been a long way to get here, and you promise to yourself you’ll never let go of him even if he does.