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Seungcheol’s hand rests on your thigh, drawing random shapes on your exposed skin. Dim street lights pass by, and you get lost in the repetition.
You had never thought you were a person to celebrate the smaller couple anniversaries, but here you are.
It’s been one month since you and Seungcheol decided to be a couple. A month of affection and care you’re not used to, but it’s a nice change. You insisted you were fine doing something less extravagant for your one-month anniversary, however, Seungcheol refused. He made a dinner reservation at one of the fancier restaurants in town and didn’t give you a chance to decline.
Despite not wanting a formal celebration, you’re glad Seungcheol cares about what you two have so wholeheartedly.
When Seungcheol pulls into a parking spot, you finally turn to him.
He’s already looking at you with a handsome smile. His hair is styled to show the middle of his forehead while strands of his hair frame his face. You can’t believe you ever thought his looks were mediocre.
“You ready to go, Cherry?” he asks.
You nod, reaching for the door, but Seungcheol squeezes your thigh to stop you. You peer at him in confusion.
“You know better,” he says with a small frown.
“Babe,” you sigh, recalling how he likes to open the door for you. Sometimes he’ll let you do it without a fight, but tonight is not one of those times.
“This is a proper date. I want to get the door for you,” he explains.
Relenting, you drop your hand into your lap. “Okay.”
He smiles, then makes his way to your side of the vehicle. He opens the door and holds out a hand. You take it, carefully stepping out and double-checking you have your purse.
“You look incredible, baby,” he murmurs as he stares at you.
You tuck your head down with a smile wide in appreciation. “Thanks.”
He chuckles at your bashfulness. After shutting and locking the door, he leads you to the entrance.
As you near, you say, “You look really nice, too, Cheol. Is this a new suit?”
You pause in your trek to raise a hand to his chest, fingers grazing the material in wonder.
Seungcheol glances at his attire. It’s an all-black suit paired with a checkered-pattern tie. On the left lapel is a Chanel broach.
“No, but I rarely wear this,” he explains. “I had to wear the best for you.”
“Well, I’m honored,” you smile.
Seungcheol covers your hand that’s on his chest with his, giving it a squeeze while he leans in to kiss your head.
As expected, he holds the front doors open for you and takes care of checking you both in. He keeps one hand on you as you follow the waiter to your table. When you arrive, he pulls the chair out and helps you get situated.
You’re a little shy about being treated in such a way, but you know it makes Seungcheol happy.
“You know what I’ve noticed?” he asks while taking his own seat.
You pick up the menu and hum in response.
Seungcheol lowers your menu, so you’re looking at him.
“You get nice when you’re nervous,” he chuckles softly.
You roll your eyes and wiggle the menu from his hold.
“I’m not nervous,” you protest.
Seungcheol smiles. “It’s okay that you are. I’m a little nervous too.”
Your eyes meet his. He leans back in his chair and opens his own menu. His gaze is wandering over the courses with no sign of jitters in sight.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
Seungcheol looks at you. “You don’t believe me, Cherry?”
A shake of your head.
“I’ve taken the prettiest girl I know on a date; she’s dressed so beautifully that it’s hard not to stare. And she’s looking at me with these eyes that make my heart do weird things,” he speaks slowly and earnestly, sitting straighter.
“I want this night to go well, so yes, I’m nervous.”
“C-Cheol,” you say in a whisper.
He just smiles, showing off his dimples and making your heart rate spike.
Seungcheol doesn’t normally say these things unless he’s teasing you.
You want to tell him he makes you feel as though you’re his number one. As if he’ll run a thousand miles just to get to you. You want to say he’s treating you so well that you’re falling harder for him. He’s put so much thought and effort, not only in the planning but his appearance, that you don’t want to mess it up somehow.
The way he’s gone all out for this date is making you feel both cherished and guilty. Cherished because none of your other boyfriends ever took the relationship so seriously, and guilty because you don’t feel you deserve it.
“Order whatever you want, babe,” he finally breaks the silence. There’s a small smile on his lips as if he’s proud to have rendered you speechless. He’s not upset you haven’t said anything, nor did he expect you to. The look on your face tells him enough. He understands your affection comes in the form of actions. Granted, so does his most of the time, but tonight, he wants you to know how he really feels.
When the waiter comes back, you order your drinks and meals. You’re surprised to see Seungcheol ordering a lot of food, some you figure is for you since you didn’t order much—not because you didn’t like any of the options but because a lot of it is expensive.
“I have a gift for you,” Seungcheol announces once the waiter leaves.
You’re sipping your drink and nearly choke on it from shock. The guilt grows in your chest when you realize you didn’t buy him anything. You didn’t even think to get a gift.
“You didn’t need to get me anything,” you say.
“I know,” he replies and retrieves something from his suit pocket.
It’s a black rectangular box. He places it on your end of the table, staring at you expectedly.
You grab the box and open it carefully. Inside is a rhinestone necklace with several cherries dangling from it. For some, all the bling might be gaudy. To you, it’s stunning.
“Wow,” you say and graze your fingers over the accessory.
“Is it too much?” Seungcheol asks, worry in his voice.
You shake your head.
“It’s so pretty. Thank you, Cheol,” you smile and look at him.
“I know you already have one on, but do you wanna,” he trails off.
You touch the necklace you’re already wearing as if to confirm he’s right. “Oh,” you murmur.
When you dress, you ensure every part of your fit matches perfectly. From the shoes to the layers to the accessories, you’re particular with how you style. So, when Seungcheol asks if you want to exchange jewelry, your first reaction is to be hesitant.
The necklace is beautiful, but you’re nervous about switching it when you haven’t tried everything together.
Seungcheol’s shoulders sag ever so slightly at your silence.
“No worries,” he forces a smile. “Forget I asked.”
He averts his gaze to glance around the restaurant.
You frown upon seeing his sad expression. He’s doing a good job hiding his disappointment, but you’re watching him so attentively that you can see it.
“Baby,” you call out softly.
“Hm?” he hums, glancing at you briefly.
You reach a hand across the table to cover his. “Will you help me put it on?”
Seungcheol gives a small smile, lips pressed together. “You don’t—”
“I can’t put it on because of my nails,” you explain. “So, will you help me?”
Seungcheol eyes you for a moment. He gets a feeling you don’t really want to wear it.
With a silent sigh, you remove your hand from his and reach behind your neck to unlatch your necklace. You struggle to unclasp the hook, fingers slipping from the clasp too quickly for you to slide the connecting end away.
Seungcheol stands, makes his way behind you, then replaces your hands with his.
He’s silent as he takes off the jewelry and sets it on the table gently. He grabs the cherry necklace, wrapping it around your neck carefully and securing the ends. The cold metal makes you shiver for a second. You didn’t realize it would fit more like a choker, but it’s nice to have variety in your wardrobe.
Seungcheol’s fingers linger on your skin before he sits back down.
“How does it look?” you wonder with a smile.
“Beautiful. You look beautiful,” he says without a doubt.
You glance in your lap and then look at him again. “I’m sorry.”
Seungcheol tilts his head. “What for?”
“For hesitating.”
He smiles, the same closed-mouth one, but it looks more genuine now.
“I shouldn’t have put you on the spot. Do you want me to take it off?”
“No,” you answer quickly. “I want to keep it on.”
He nods. “I think it suits you well, Cherry.”
“I think so too,” you reply.
Although you haven’t seen yourself fully with it on, it should be fine paired with your simple yet elegant dress.
Soon the tension dissipates, and you both fall into a casual conversation.
The waiter comes back and informs you that it’s taking longer than usual for your meals. Seungcheol doesn’t look pleased momentarily, but he puts on a friendly appearance soon after.
As an apology, the waiter comes back with a complimentary bottle of champagne.
“This just means I get to spend more time with you dressed up,” you say as Seungcheol pours you both a glass.
He peeks at you and sighs. “That’s a good way of putting it.”
“This doesn’t ruin anything,” you reassure, knowing he’s upset that there’s a hiccup in what he hoped would be a perfect date.
Seungcheol nods and hands you your filled glass.
“To being happy,” he says, raising his glass.
You grin at his small toast. It’s nice to know you make him as happy as he makes you.
“To being happy,” you repeat, then clink glasses.
You watch Seungcheol over the rim of your glass as you take a sip, smiling as you make eye contact.
“Good?” he asks.
You nod and place the drink down.
“I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom,” you inform and slide your chair back.
“Okay,” he says.
Seungcheol watches as you leave, eyes a little more focused than necessary to make sure you get to the restrooms safely. It’s only when you round the corner that he tears his gaze away.
He pulls his phone out and starts scrolling through social media to bypass the time.
“Seungcheol?” a hesitant voice calls in front of him a minute later.
He snaps his gaze up, something about the voice ringing familiarity.
A woman dressed in a long dress stands across the table. Her hair is neatly pulled from her face and a small handbag is in one of her hands. She looks different from the last time he’s seen her.
“Hajun?” Seungcheol asks, shocked.
She grins widely.
“It is you,” she breathes out a sigh of relief. “Not that you look much different, but I thought I was seeing things.”
He hums, an uneasy feeling in his chest.
The last time he spoke to her was at your senior fashion show. Numerous calls and texts from her went ignored; especially, when he found out what she had said to you outside that bathroom on campus. Even now, he can’t stop thinking about her words. The very untrue, and vile words.
“Can I sit real quick? I feel bad with how things ended between us.”
Seungcheol glances behind her. He doesn’t see you and hopes you take your time. He’s sure she’s the last person you want to see.
“Yeah,” he replies.
She nods and takes a seat.
“Look, I’m sorry for how I acted in college. I know it hasn’t been long, but a lot can change in a month.”
“Like?” he ponders.
“For starters, remember that company I really wanted to work for? I got hired there!” she beams. “There are some really nice people helping me improve my skills.”
“That sounds great, Hajun,” Seungcheol congratulates.
“It is,” she smiles. “So, are you doing a business deal or something? I saw you work for Attacca now.”
“I do, but that’s not why I’m here tonight,” he replies.
“Oh,” she says, a little surprised. “Then, why are you dressed up so nicely? You used to only dress like this when we had presentations or something of the sort.”
Her gaze flickers across his body, taking in his nice suit.
“I’m on a date,” he answers plainly, not having any desire to disclose with whom.
Her eyes widen. “Really? Me too!”
This time, it’s Seungcheol’s turn to look shocked.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she laughs. “I’m not totally undesirable.”
Seungcheol shakes his head. “It’s not that, I just…”
Hajun smiles. “I’m just messing with you. Like old times, remember?”
Seungcheol hums. Although Hajun was never nice to you, she always treated him kindly. Sure, she was a gossiper, but nothing came out of it. Not until you came along. Perhaps he just never saw her with the people the gossip was about.
“So, if you’re on a date, does this mean you got over Yn?” she wonders. He gets the impression that she always assumed his liking toward you was temporary. As if Hajun was just waiting for his “phrase” to pass.
Seungcheol’s hands close in fists beneath the table. The conversation was bearable until now. Now, he dreads to hear what Hajun has to say. He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened months ago.
“You’re still thinking of her?” he asks, trying to divert the question.
She shrugs. “Not really, but seeing you reminded me how infatuated you were. I mean, you did ditch me for her.”
She laughs, but it feels forced as if she’s trying to hide how upset she is.
Seungcheol purses his lips. “You know why I ditched you, Hajun.”
“I told you I was just looking out for you, Cheollie,” she exasperates. “All I ever wanted was for you not to get hurt. And can you blame me for worrying? She was known to sleep around and be noncommittal. All her exes said—”
“They were exes for a reason. It seems they were all insecure and needed to start rumors to heal their egos.”
Seungcheol can feel his body heat as the anger begins to rise. It always did when she spoke about you, but now it’s intensified.
“Maybe the reason was because she wasn’t all she made herself out to be,” Hajun argues.
It suddenly feels like he’s in college again, surrounded by the study room walls with his so-called friends. At least he always had Vernon to lean on for reason.
“I think people put labels on her and just went with it,” Seungcheol says.
Hajun scoffs. “Oh, come on, Cheollie. She always acted like she was above everyone else. Perfect grades, perfect family… Yeah, right. I heard her father is a dead-beat and her sister is a—”
“You don’t know shit, Hajun,” he snaps finally. “You never did.”
She frowns, seemingly offended at his words. “You can’t seriously still like her,” she says, flabbergasted.
“Why not?” he challenges.
“You’re better than her!” she huffs. “You’re caring, you’re loyal, you’re smart. She’s none of that. You can reach levels of success she never can. She’s not that talented, and she’s probably not even good in bed.”
“She’s amazing, actually.” He smirks.
Hajun chokes, eyes wide in horror. “W-What?”
Seungcheol leans on the table. He narrows his eyes at her, more serious than ever.
“You haven’t changed, Hajun. You’re still jealous of her and all your shit-talking shows it. Had I never tolerated all your badmouthing, I would’ve been much happier the last few months.”
Hajun blinks; her mouth is slightly ajar as she processes what he said.
“So, you are on a date with her,” Hajun says in realization. There’s disgust evident in her voice that fuels Seungcheol’s irritation. He’s been so engrossed by her that he hasn’t seen you standing behind Hajun. He jumps as if his hand is caught in the cookie jar.
“Why, of course,” you laugh mockingly sweetly. “You still think he’ll give you the time of day?”
Seungcheol’s heart races at seeing you. You don’t look as pissed as he thought you would be, but that doesn’t mean you’re not hiding it.
He’s prepared to tell you Hajun’s just leaving, but he’s interrupted before he can get a syllable out.
“You’re still the bitch you were in college,” Hajun growls, a glare in her eyes.
You smile. “Takes one to know one.”
Hajun’s eyes narrow.
“I see your fashion has improved,” you observe. “Did you learn something from me?”
Hajun reaches for the glass of champagne on the table, fully prepared to drench you with it, but Seungcheol grabs her arm swiftly. Some of it swishes over the lip and spills on the table.
“It’s time for you to go, Hajun. I’m sure your date is wondering where you are,” Seungcheol speaks firmly.
Hajun turns to face him and slowly relaxes in his grip. “You don’t see what she’s doing to you?”
Her voice is softer now; she sounds sad.
“She’s making me happier,” he replies, hand still wrapped around her wrist in case she changes her mind.
“She’s making you a dick,” Hajun corrects. “You’re not the Seungcheol I knew a few months ago.”
“No, Hajun. I’ve just gotten better at standing up for people I care about,” Seungcheol replies. He almost sounds a little defeated by her lack of sense.
Hajun’s stare lingers on his. He watches her search his eyes for what he’s guessing is his past self, but she doesn’t understand he never left. It’s just clearer to him to see who’s worth fighting for.
“Enjoy your night, Hajun,” Seungcheol dismisses.
Hajun inhales deeply before releasing a breath. She eases her grip on the glass and stands from the seat. She gives you one last snarl with her back turned to Seungcheol, then walks to the other end of the restaurant.
As she’s walking away, you shuffle to Seungcheol’s side and call her name.
She turns, already annoyed with whatever you’re about to say.
You give her a small smile before you tilt Seungcheol’s face toward yours and kiss him. Seungcheol nips at your lip at your childish behavior but doesn’t resist.
When you pull away, you see she’s rolling her eyes and giving you the finger.
You’re tempted to reciprocate the gesture, but she turns around before you can lift a hand.
“That was immature,” Seungcheol murmurs, although he doesn’t sound upset.
“So is she,” you argue.
Seungcheol rubs his lips together, not disagreeing with your comment.
“So, what did you hear?” he asks as you sit down.
“That you think I’m amazing in bed,” you grin, crossing your legs and leaning back in your seat.
Seungcheol seems embarrassed for a few seconds, but then he’s smirking and grazing one of your legs with his under the table.
“I’m sure you’ll be amazing in my car too,” he replies.
Your mouth drops slightly. “Seungcheol!”
He cocks an eyebrow up briefly—a habit of his that you’ve started to find more attractive than annoying.
“We can get a to-go,” he offers.
You shake your head and nudge at his leg with yours. “You wanted to eat here, so we’re eating here. Behave yourself.”
Seungcheol’s eyes flicker down at your body, sighing.
“But you make it so hard,” he groans lowly.
You know he’s talking about not being able to behave, but you get the hint he’s also referring to something else.
You resist the urge to glance down, knowing you won’t be able to see what you’re looking for anyway.
“I’m sure I do,” you smile mischievously.
The corner of his lips dips down.
Thankfully, your food arrives before he can reply, and the conversation transitions into something more appropriate.
With the night winding down and a belly filled with delicious food, you begin to get sleepy. Seungcheol pays for the meal and then helps you get into the car. His hand holds yours, and he can’t stop the grin on his face when he feels your grip ease as you fall asleep.
You look so sweet that he doesn’t wake you when he arrives at his apartment. He’s careful to pick you up and carry you to his front door, then to his bedroom.
“Babe,” he finally speaks.
“Hm?” you mumble in his arms.
“We’re at my place, you wanna change for bed?” he asks softly.
Your eyes peel open, glancing around to confirm your whereabouts.
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” you mumble.
“It’s no problem, baby,” he says and eases you onto the bed.
“Your clothes or mine?” he asks, opening his closet to get you something more comfortable.
“Yours,” you answer tiredly.
Seungcheol’s not surprised by your answer, yet his heart still skips a beat. He likes that you enjoy his clothes even if they’re not the most stylish. Granted, some are well-known brands, but they’re still just plain.
He hands you a spare shirt and shorts and then changes into his own nightwear. When he looks at you, you’re already tucked under his covers, shorts forgotten at the foot of the bed.
“That sleepy huh?” he chuckles and puts away the unwanted shorts.
“Very,” you sigh.
Seungcheol climbs into bed after turning off the light, immediately getting hugged by you. He wiggles a bit to get comfortable.
“You have a good night, Cherry?” he asks.
You nod, eyes peering up to his. “The best.”
“I’m glad,” he murmurs. “Thank you for letting me take you out to dinner.”
You smile. Despite wanting to keep things small, you’re glad he took you out in the end. It was nice going on a proper date since it’s been a while. Not by choice, but aligning schedules hasn’t been as easy nowadays. You’ve both been busy with your new jobs.
“I didn’t have a choice,” you answer teasingly.
Seungcheol chuckles. “Not really.”
It’s quiet for a moment until Seungcheol begins to speak.
“I lo—”
“Happy one-month anniversary, Cheol,” you say nearly at the same time; however, you don’t inquire on what he was going to say afterward.
Seungcheol pauses as he contemplates continuing his sentence. He decides against it.
“Happy one month, baby,” he echos instead, leaning down to kiss you sweetly—a faint smile on his lips.