#Wen Junhui au | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yerimacoustic · 6 months ago

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𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 ♡ jun x reader

❝ 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙞'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 ❞

summary : you find a sense of familiarity in your sworn rival, jun, while exchanging anonymous letters with a stranger .

content warnings : jun x female reader, regency era au, merchant!jun x bookstore owner!reader, mostly inspired by you’ve got mail, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, banter, misunderstanding, featuring jeonghan, wonwoo, karina and joy, yearning, kissing, sfw. 10.7k wc.

more notes : i finally got this out after weeks and weeks.. honestly i’m not sure if i love this, we’ll see how long it lasts 😭 not proofread. may make edits now & then. mostly historically inaccurate probably but we’re going with the vibes

the walk to the post office was not tedious by any means. not when the promise of a new response in the form of a handwritten letter prompted you to move quickly and lightly on your feet. it had become a weekly routine, early morning strolls to the post house, as well as an awfully great way to start the week.

the postmaster, otherwise known as your childhood friend, jeonghan, stood completely still behind the main counter with his arms folded across his chest. there was a knowing, mischievous glint in his eyes as he watched you quietly shut the door; he had been expecting you. just like he expected you every monday morning.

it wasn’t long before the brunette pulled a small envelope from the series of shelves behind him, gently dropping it onto the counter between the two of you. “here you go. your gentleman’s love letter awaits.”

“good day to you too, mr. yoon,” you teased him and grabbed the envelope, taking note of the familiar wax seal in the front. a neat scarlet red circle with a lion in the center- the familiar sight always managed to bring a smile to your face.

“hopefully he gives you some more clues as to his identity this week?” he called out to you as he strode across the tiny shop in favor of sweeping the floor. a look of feigned disappointment washed over his features as the sound of the bristles scratching across the floor and the envelope ripping open filled in the silence. “...perhaps not.”

just as your lips parted, the door swung open to reveal jeonghan’s assistant, karina. from the moment her eyes were fixed on yours, a mischievous glint akin to jeonghan’s filled her irises. “i thought i might find you here today. what news from the mysterious suitor?”

you shook your head before gesturing towards jeonghan, “i haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet. someone’s made sure of that.”

the man laughed from across the room, “it was never my attempt to keep you from reading it. i only wish that the two of you would at least give each other some hints as to who you really are.”

karina nodded in understanding before turning her back in favor of hanging her overcoat upon the rack near the entrance. “i hate to level with jeonghan in this case, but i’m curious about this mystery man, as well. have the two of you ever discussed meeting in person?”

“no, not at all. we’ve agreed to stay anonymous,” you explained as your fingers curled around the envelope in an almost protective grip. force of habit. “we know the risks but.. it’s quite refreshing, having someone to talk to without any of the societal pressures.”

before too long, jeonghan had finished tidying up and joined the two of you near the entrance. “i don’t understand. you both are clearly fond of each other..”

“who said anything about-”

“and you have a lot in common,” jeonghan mused, eyebrows raised. “in your next response, you should ask him something personal. ask him about his occupation.”

without skipping a beat, you shook your head in protest. “thank you for your unsolicited advice, jeonghan, but i know everything i need to know about this man. good day, my friends.”

you waved goodbye to the inseparable pair, stepping towards the small door. of course jeonghan, who always had to have the last word, called out to you before you could shut it completely, “except for his true identity!”

his words prompted your lips to twist into a smirk as you finally found the right opportunity to open the letter. as you unfolded the piece of parchment, your smirk slowly dissolved into a genuine smile, finding beautiful familiarity in the cursive penmanship. as you took cautious steps on the beaten path, you read the letter carefully:

‘this weekend i had the pleasure of accompanying my cousins as they vacationed in the countryside. they rent a small cottage near the ocean during the summertime and haven’t bothered to invite me until this year. i wish you could have seen it; it was perfectly quaint and tranquil. we spent all but the entirety of the seventy two hours walking along the beach and hunting for seashells. a bit of a juvenile hobby, i know.

i’m not sure where this inkling comes from, but something tells me you enjoy the oceanside. i bet you keep a collection of shells and pearls hidden somewhere in your home. or perhaps you proudly display them for your visitors to see. next time they permit me to join them near the beach again, remind me to fill this envelope with shells to add to your collection.

i know summer is your favorite holiday, and with that being said, i hope you find enjoyment in the final days of the season. take a stroll along the gardens or picnic with some of your friends.

take some time for yourself, my friend.’

–

jun waited three days for a reply, just as he did every week. he and his anonymous friend had fallen into a pattern of consistency, each of them sending a letter out to the other person once a week. even if he knew he could count on whoever this person was to send a timely response, his nerves got the best of him every time. the potential tone of the response occupied his thoughts at all times, keeping him up at night, keeping him from focusing intently on his work.

this week it reached the point where he had to turn his chair around to face the window, hoping that the sight of the rolling hills and graying sky outside would clear his mind. summer seemed to come to an end as quickly as it had begun, the entire season passing by in the blink of an eye. he counted his blessings, realizing that he was indeed lucky to have at least one holiday during the season. even if it was at the very end..

a knock on the door pulled him out of his trance and he turned his chair back to rest in the proper position, tucked tightly under his desk. “come in,” he called out.

barely a minute had passed before jun’s personal assistant and lifelong friend, wonwoo, closed the door quietly behind him and strode towards his desk with an envelope in hand. “your mystery woman sends her compliments,” he mused, handing the letter to jun.

jun’s eyes went wide. “you mean- you saw her??”

wonwoo shook his head, holding back an amused smirk as he watched the disappointment wash over jun’s features in real time. “no. my apologies.”

jun sighed, “just as well, i suppose. god only knows what chaos would unravel if anyone else in the household saw her.”

wonwoo nodded stiffly, folding his hands behind his back. “right you are. maybe there is practicality in anonymity, after all.”

“still, i can’t help but wonder what she’s really like in person,” jun mused, leaning back in his large leather chair with his chin cupped between his thumb and index finger. “there are so many habits and manners of hers i don’t even know about. she could be.. much lovelier in person.”

the bespectacled man tilted his head, taking a completely different approach, “or she could be ill-favored and poorly mannered.” the quiet statement was enough to pull jun out of his daze, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in annoyance. “my apologies.”

“there is no possible way someone who writes so beautifully is as ill favored as you say.” jun disregarded the man in front of him as he began to tear the seal off of the envelope, a silent command for wonwoo to leave him alone. conveniently enough, the door gently slammed shut once jun finally unfolded the small sheet of parchment.

‘i am delighted to hear that you were able to enjoy the last remaining hours of the season with your family. the ocean sounds delightful. your suspicion of my enjoyment of seashells and pearls is a fair assumption, although, i gave up collecting a long time ago. hopefully you invest more stock in your collections than i did.

i’m afraid that i have no plans to take my leave before autumn begins as i’ve been much too busy. i don’t mind keeping an occupied schedule; it takes my mind off things and prevents me from overthinking. especially when i get the pleasure of meeting several people from different walks of life on a daily basis.

i know i say this every week, but it is always a pleasure receiving your letters. sometimes i can’t believe that we met through an anonymous literary discussion group. i’ve received a handful of letters from other attendees, but allow me to say that the discussions are utterly mundane compared to our conversations. it feels like i write to a friend i’ve known for years.

i eagerly await your reply, dear friend.

jun folded the letter and tilted his head back in contemplation, just as he did every time he read one of your letters. the term of endearment the two of you shared always stuck out to him- ‘dear friend.’ as much as he enjoyed reading it at the end of every letter, a small part of him wished that there was a better word to describe how he felt towards you.

how he truly felt towards you was a mystery in and of itself. he valued your time and your relationship, he thought very highly of you.. but there were several complications that interfered.

as if on demand, one of the complications walked through the door without bothering to knock. joy, the daughter of the second wealthiest merchant in town and jun’s fiance strode towards his desk with confidence and charm. meanwhile, wonwoo stood by the door, stoic as ever as he occupied the room in favor of serving as a chaperone. he sent an apologetic glance in his friend’s direction, which jun quickly disregarded.

“still cooped away in this gloomy room, are you?” joy asked rhetorically. “oh dear, what ever is the matter?”

jun had completely forgotten to mask his confusion-fueled anxiety when she walked through the door. he shook his head in quick denial, his gaze softening as he allowed himself a better look at his fiance. “nothing,” he replied shortly and offered her a smile. “what brings you here?”

“i’ve come to ensure you’re still planning on attending the charity auction,” joy replied with an infectious grin. she gently picked up one of his paperweights, a sculpture of hand blown glass decorated with stained petals of lavender.

“oh dear- was that tonight?” jun grimaced, moving both hands to rub at his temples. the thought of socializing with anyone else that night in particular sounded like a nightmare, even if there was the possibility of making important new connections. maybe he had returned from his holiday much too soon.

disappointment washed over joy’s features, prompting her eyebrows to furrow and her lips to curl with a frown. “don’t tell me you forgot.”

“my apologies, darling- i’ve been so caught up with the upcoming shipments that it must have slipped my mind,” jun explained to her with a delicate tone of voice as he rose to his feet. the last thing he wanted was to convey his reluctance to attend the modest party with her.

she smiled faintly, allowing jun to take both of her hands in his. “i understand that you must have a lot to catch up on after returning from your vacation. perhaps we shouldn’t go.”

“no-” jun gently protested and squeezed her hands. “i want to go.”

jun witnessed his intended’s smile brighten in real time, the rest of her features noticeably lighting up once he agreed to make good on his promise. she mused, “splendid. i look forward to it.”

joy began to lean in with the intention to press a gentle kiss against jun’s cheek- however, he was quick to tilt his head back. just as an inquisitive gaze filled joy’s irises, jun tilted his head subtly towards their chaperone, who was standing against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. right.

just then, joy let out a sheepish chuckle and settled for allowing jun to press a chaste kiss against her knuckles. “i will ask for the carriage around seven,” he told her, letting go of her hands and letting his own fall to his sides. “until then.”

“good day.” joy curtsied to him and bowed her head politely towards wonwoo as she left the room in a hurried pace, excitement getting the best of her. she loved parties, no matter the occasion; one of the many subjects where she and jun didn’t see eye to eye.

he clearly did a terrible job at disguising his disdain, for wonwoo was quick to approach the merchant’s side and pat his shoulder in feigned reassurance. “think of it this way,” he mused. “tonight, you may find someone you will actually enjoy talking to.”

“i appreciate your optimism, wonwoo, but i highly doubt that.”

—----

you must have reorganized the tiny bags of tea arrangements twenty times by now, ensuring that they were neatly stacked up against each other. as for the stacks of books on the other side of your booth, that was an entirely different story. you couldn’t come to terms with an arrangement you completely approved of and suddenly wished you hadn’t previously neglected the bookends.

karina noticed your frantic effort to neatly organize the rest of the books and shook her head with affection as she placed a hand over yours. “everything looks perfect, i promise,” she reassured you. “besides, no one will come to your booth if it appears as though you’re still cleaning things up.”

“perhaps you’re right,” you sighed just before the two of you sat down on the stools you’d been provided. silence filled the air between you and your good friend as the two of you watched the patrons circle around the rest of the booths, pausing to get a better look at the products provided by other vendors. you felt somewhat insecure while taking note of your neighbors’ products and wondered if you should have thought outside of the box.

but this was an important, extremely personal matter at hand for you: the library you had grown up visiting every weekend was on the brink of closing down. you presented the idea of a fundraiser to the esteemed owner, strings were pulled, and the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place. you only wished you had more time to come up with a better product to sell.

at least your fellow vendors seemed to be pulling their weight.

among the sea of clientele was a tall, smartly dressed man with dark, wavy hair. the man walked along the rows of tables with his hands folded behind his back, studying each individual booth a bit too theatrically for your liking. he took slow, somewhat deliberate strides that left onlookers on the edge of their seat. but something about the way he carried himself, his dress, told you that he could invest a great deal of money into a great cause if he cared to.

karina left you alone, promising to purchase some cookies from a nearby vendor for the two of you. being alone with your thoughts at a time like this was less than ideal, considering customers were scarce. of course. you should have known no one would want to buy homemade tea sachets..

before too long the mysterious, smartly dressed man was nearing your booth. you straightened out your shoulders, rising to your feet and plastering the brightest smile you could muster as he approached you. “good evening,” you greeted him, a tad louder than you intended to, “could i interest you in some tea sachets? or perhaps- limited editions of some of my favorite collective works?”

the man stopped, picking up one of the tiny bags in his hand and raising an eyebrow inquisitively. “perhaps. what flavor are these?”

“ah yes, its black tea leaves mixed with brown sugar and vanilla bean,” you replied proudly. “i assembled them myself.”

he placed the sachet back on the table, ensuring that it was neatly lined up with the rest before looking past your shoulder. you could have sworn you detected a hint of distaste in your eyes as his eyes scanned through the stacks of books, but he stepped closer to your collection. “do you enjoy reading george eliot’s works?” he asked.

“well- no, not particularly.”

the man nodded his head once, his eyes lighting up in understanding. “ah. trying to get rid of some extra books, are you?”

you furrowed your eyebrows, stunned. “no.. i assure you, sir, that’s not the case.” perhaps the words left your lips in a much more defensive tone than you intended, but the realization came too late. “i’m simply making much needed sacrifices for a worthy cause.”

the stranger let out an amused chuckle, “trust me, i did not mean to insult you. i was merely curious.”

“right... forgive me for overreacting,” you sighed, feeling unconvinced despite his reassurance. “everyone around me seems to have valuable things to offer for this event but.. here i am, selling dusty old books and tea leaves. i suppose i felt-”

“threatened?” he finished, cocking a brow.

you lifted your chin up, maintaining a friendly but somewhat hesitant grin. “yes, i suppose i felt threatened.”

the man in front of you bowed his head to take a closer look at your merchandise. in any other circumstance, he wouldn’t be caught dead purchasing tea or even drinking it, and he already had most of the books she was trying to sell. however, he lifted his chin to meet your gaze, “i’ll take the lot.”

you paused, utterly stunned. “please, sir, don’t feel the need to humor me or my grievances-”

he cut you off with a gentle laugh, one that you found far too sweet and angelic, “i’m not. i’m simply contributing to a worthy cause, as you stated earlier.”

the stiffness in your shoulders and spine that appeared upon receiving his offer would not disappear. you chuckled, hoping to ease the tension, “well.. if you insist. how generous of you.”

a smirk crept upon his lips just as he bowed his head again, looking through his jacket pockets for his leather bound wallet. “don’t mention it,” he mused, totaling the sum and pulling the bills out of his collection accordingly. “although- i feel like i should, at the very least, know the name of the person i’ve given a large sum of my savings to.”

you chuckled and took the money from him, your fingers brushing over his palm fleetingly. “y/n,” you replied. “although, now is probably a good time to tell you that all of my earnings are going towards funding the library.”

his eyes widened, and it was probably the most he’d done to showcase his emotions in the entirety of your exchange. “how noble of you.”

“it's for an important cause. important to me, at least.” you shrugged. “do i get to know the name of my generous donor?”

he chuckled, finally allowing his timid smile to reach his eyes in the meantime, “jun. pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“the pleasure is all mine,” you mused with another faint chuckle.

just as you had finished preparing his bags with all of the books and tea sachets he had taken off your hands, a woman with long, gently waved hair and a bright smile joined his side. her eyes went wide as she linked her arm around his own and took in all of his new belongings. “darling! i hope you weren’t planning on spending your entire fortune tonight.”

jun let out a sheepish chuckle, which was accompanied by another grin that barely reached the corners of his eyes. he replied somewhat flatly, “no dear, i assure you, that’s not the case. i’m simply helping a friend.”

the woman’s small, unconvinced laugh briefly broke the awkward silence before she spoke up again, “my father’s here. he wishes to discuss some urgent matters with you.”

jun nodded in understanding, almost as if to disguise his annoyance. before he could allow the young woman to pull him away, however, he nodded in your direction, “it was a pleasure to meet you. have a splendid evening.”

you bowed your head in gratitude, although it served as a perfect method of hiding your growing smile. “i won’t forget your kindness. good evening.”

somehow, you were able to steal a glance at the singular ring adorning the woman’s left hand. judging by the rather impressive diamond and the glow that she wore so proudly, you were willing to bet that the two of them were engaged. you were also willing to wager that the tall man the two of them were now face to face with was her father.

you recognized him immediately; he was one of the wealthiest men in the city. if not the entire state. your mysterious benefactor must be a man of circumstance if he was betrothed to someone like the daughter of one of the most notorious merchants. as you took note of the blank expression adorned by jun and joy’s growing smile, you suddenly wished you were gifted with the ability to read lips…

when karina returned with small bags of the desserts in both hands, her eyes went wide upon taking in the sigh of your now empty booth. “oh my! i take my leave for two seconds and you manage to clear the entire booth out,” she chuckled, handing you the small bag of goodies.

you chuckled, “i suppose father was wrong; airing out grievances to anyone who may listen does have its benefits.”

“perhaps,” karina chuckled along with you. “tell me, how many customers managed to buy the entirety of your possessions in the short amount of time i was gone?”

“just one,” you replied with a smirk, gesturing towards the man in question. jun stood awkwardly in front of his future father-in-law with the two large bags still in both hands.

karina’s eyes went wide, “ah, the notorious mr. wen junhui. i must say, i am pleasantly surprised he even purchased anything tonight, let alone the entirety of your collection.”

you furrowed your eyebrows. “you know of him?”

karina chuckled, eyebrows raised to display her disbelief. “you don’t?” she countered. “he’s only the son of the wealthiest merchant in town. he plans to take full ownership of his father’s company by the end of the year.”

“then what is he doing here?” you wondered out loud, puzzled by karina’s revelation. you suddenly grew conflicted, reflecting upon his generous donation. was there a genuine desire to assist you in bringing about a change that was important to you or did he simply see your business as an opportunity to potentially ensure his own financial gain later on?

she shrugged, “i would assume he and his fiance are here to invest in some new partnerships.”

you furrowed your eyebrows as karina voiced your suspicions. “now who would make such…calculated moves at a time like this? my stars, this is a charity auction.”

“someone who only looks out for themselves, i suppose,” karina sighed. she placed a hand on your back and offered you a reassuring smile. “well.. i believe our work here is done. i propose we take our desserts and go on our way after a job well done.”

you laughed lightly, “i would be delighted.”

the two of you passed by the couple as you made your way to the exit, jun’s eyes wandering to inevitably meet yours. he offered you a gentle smile, one that his fiance had just barely missed, prompting you to bow your head politely in return. for whatever complicated reason, you held onto the hope that you would never see that man again.

—---------------------------

do you ever wonder what would become of your future if you had chosen a different path? or if, perhaps, the fates had a different idea for your livelihood?

i don’t attempt to deny how lucky and blessed i’ve been- i have indeed lived a happy, comfortable life since i was a child. without going into too many details (as per our agreement), i would say that my life is very fortunate. but the more i take part in strenuous business meetings with my father and his partners, the more i wonder if there’s something wonderful i’ve been missing out on.

i blame my newfound existential dread on the holiday i took part in with my cousins. not one of us had a care in the world for an entire weekend, and i daresay it was the longest period of time in which i felt no stress at all. this exchange of letters also provides me with much needed reprieve.

i don’t want the entirety of this letter to fill you with melancholy so allow me to say this- there is a pastry shop near my estate that has the most delicious custard pies. if you ever find your way in that corner of town, let’s both hope i’ll be there at the same time. just out of coincidence, of course.

i hope to hear from you soon, dear friend.

you folded the piece of parchment in half and pushed it aside, feeling butterflies begin to take flight in your stomach. the two of you had never spoken about meeting in person, agreeing to keep your relationship confined to exchanging letters. of course, you would be lying if you said that the thought hadn’t crossed your mind on several occasions..

you haphazardly stuffed the letter in your pocket as the door to your quaint bookstore opened and jun shuffled in. he went wide eyed as he saw you stand behind the front counter, appearing to be on edge.

even so, he greeted you with a smile of pleasant surprise, “oh..! i didn’t realize you worked here.”

you chuckled, still trying to ignore your racing heartbeat. “my father owns this store,” you explained somewhat flatly. “is there something i can help you with?”

“no, not at all. just taking a look.” a brief smile was sent your way before jun started wandering through the shop floor with his hands folded behind his back. you were reminded of the way he strode towards the booths in the library when the two of you first met, merely twenty hours beforehand. and just like before, it brought upon a sense of uneasiness.

he stopped near a table in the corner of the room, where a stack of books was accompanied by candles set on top of intricate sticks, a woven tablecloth, and a small circle of.. seashells?

he kept trying to tell himself that it was most likely just a coincidence, but he felt compelled to ask, “these shells add a nice touch. do you enjoy collecting?”

you perked up, gently shaking your head. “no, not particularly. i’m not sure why i even put them there; it’s not like the shop has a nautical theme..”

“they’re rather nice,” he remarked, gently cutting you off. he grinned knowingly as he continued to look through the shelves, studying the contents. “i must say, you have quite the impressive collection.”

“do you speak of my collection of books? or seashells?” you teased him.

he chuckled, “both, i suppose.. beaded periwinkles were always my favorite. i couldn’t help but notice it seems we both hold them in high regard.”

as he tilted his head back towards the small desk in the corner of the room, you’d only then noticed how many of that particular brand of shells you actually possessed. “i suppose great minds really do think alike,” you remarked. “but i’m sure you aren’t here to talk about seashells.”

it appeared to jun as though you were eager to help him with another purchase, however, it couldn’t be further from the truth. mentally, you were crafting another response to your mysterious friend- actually, would it be appropriate to start calling him your suitor?

either way, he noticed the hastiness in your tone and chuckled, “right. to tell the truth, i’ve been meaning to take a look at this shop for some time now. i think i could propose a business venture that would benefit you and your father greatly.”

you raised an eyebrow and asked him in a gentle tone, “and what, pray tell, makes you think either one of us would be interested in a partnership with you?”

he stopped his pacing so he was standing directly in front of you, the front counter creating a fair amount of space. “i seek partial ownership of the shop. if you allow me to make a few adjustments to the building, i guarantee you it will bring in more customers and, eventually, more revenue for the two of us.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, taken aback by his words. “i don’t know if it escaped your notice, but my father is not here. he won’t be for another fortnight, at the very least.” you paused. “but if he was, i can guarantee you he would be mortified by your offer.”

jun mirrored your expression, cocking his head to the side in confusion. “i beg your pardon?”

“my father built this shop by himself and has been working his entire life to pay off his debts. every inch of this place holds sentimental value, i won’t have anyone making alterations for their own benefit.”

he nodded once, “that’s.. understandable. but you lead me to believe you’ve completely forgotten the definition of the word ‘partnership.’ it benefits the two of us equally.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, snapping, “please, sir- do not condescend to me.”

“my apologies,” he mused, taking a step to meet you around the counter. “but allow me to understand your line of thinking- you won’t accept an equal partnership from me, but you will accept a generous donation.”

“need i remind you, the entirety of that donation went into funding the public library,” you protested while doing your best not to raise your voice. “and i now know fully well your true intentions behind that ‘generous donation’ of yours.

“allow me to reiterate- while i most certainly do not speak for my father, i cannot guarantee his interest in your offer.”

he bowed his head with a knowing grin, “allow me to say i’m certain that your father recognizes a great offer when he sees one. i will speak with him in a fortnight.”

“i-” you stuttered, watching him step towards the door.

“i bid you good day, madam.”

—

my dearest, please do not feel any sense of guilt for simply conveying your true feelings. i will not lie to you, i think about all sorts of different paths i may walk in some sort of alternate universe. for example, maybe in another life, we do more than simply write letters to each other. maybe we take walks together or converse over custard pies.

even so, i hope you find a way to make peace with your business partners and yourself. and i really do hope you find what you’re looking for. please allow yourself to take more holidays with friends and family members whenever you can. personally, i find that even something as simple as a walk through the park on a chilled afternoon soothes the spirits.

i hope you reach this letter in time, but i have been craving a good custard pie. i thank you for your recommendation and hope to see you there on saturday around midday. purely out of coincidence, of course.

best wishes and goodbye for now, my dearest.

“my dearest?” jun read out loud incredulously. he was so used to the mysterious writing partner holding him in a more platonic regard. he found himself helplessly staring at the term of endearment, the way she wrote it…

“i see the two of you are now using more personal terms of endearment,” wonwoo observed, a smirk tugging at his lips as he watched jun from across the room.

jun placed the letter in a drawer filled nearly to the brim with the rest of his letters, carefully slamming it shut. “wonwoo… cease your teasing remarks for once and instead tell me what to do.”

wonwoo stepped closer, sitting comfortably near jun’s desk with his hands folded on his lap. “regarding this mystery woman of yours?”

jun nodded with a heavy sigh, which of course, puzzled wonwoo greatly. usually, he was in a brief state of merriment after reading one of your letters- but the way he clenched his jaw and stared at the patterns on his desk in contemplation said otherwise. “i find myself… conflicted. you see, in my last letter, i left something of an.. invitation for her.”

“an invitation?” wonwoo cocked an eyebrow.

jun shifted slightly in his seat, crossing his legs as he expected the worse reaction from wonwoo imaginable. “indeed. and she has taken it upon herself to arrange a meeting place and a time.”

instead of scolding him, however, wonwoo nodded, his confusion still evident. “then.. why are you feeling conflicted, as you say?”

“for a number of reasons, i suppose,” jun sighed. “the first reason being that i’m.. confused, to say the least, about my feelings for her. they are strong, whatever they are- i hold her in the highest regard.. and yet i wonder if we made a mistake staying anonymous.”

wonwoo leaned forward, letting his chin rest in his palm. “you mean to say.. you’re worried there’s something you don’t know about her? something you might not like once you meet her in person?”

“well..yes, i suppose. not to mention there is the matter of my engagement-”

“your arranged engagement-” wonwoo chimed in.

jun paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “precisely.” he rose to his feet, pacing the floor behind his desk and cupping his chin between his thumb and index finger. “my arranged engagement.. that i’ve been second guessing since the day the two of us were made aware of it.”

wonwoo nodded, signaling his understanding. “well.. i suppose the only way to find out if there’s something about her that you don’t exactly ‘like’ is to follow through with this meeting. maybe you won’t come face to face with previously unknown attributes of her personality right away, but the first step is always the most important.

“it seems to me that you have a lot of feelings to work through.. with her. maybe you should write them all down.”

jun furrowed his eyebrows. “you mean- write them down and.. read them to her?”

“why not?” wonwoo countered in a gentle tone, rising to his feet and crossing to the door with his hands folded behind his back. “you have no issue writing seemingly heartfelt letters to her once a week. how would this be any different?”

before jun could answer his friend’s question, he was left alone to stew in the complicated question. as per usual, wonwoo brought upon an excellent idea- one that he hated to consider taking seriously. and with a heavy sigh of disdain and shaky hands, he sat back at his desk and began to write.

—--

“are you sure about this?” karina asked you for what felt like the millionth time, tying the ribbons of your hat together. she stepped back to take a better look at the modest lavender dress you had purchased for this specific occasion, immediately grinning. it was his favorite color; you’d known that since the two of you met through the literary discussing group.

“honestly, karina… i’ve never been more sure about anything in my entire life,” you replied, taking a deep breath as you held one of your suitor’s letters in hand. it wasn’t just any letter, however- it was one of your favorite ones he’d gifted you. “i just wish i’d prepared something beautiful to say to him..”

“just.. speak from the heart,” your friend advised. “it works every time.”

you laughed, “are you quite sure about that?”

“we’re wasting time!” she laughed and gently swatted at your upper arm. “go on, meet your wonderful suitor.”

before too long, karina carefully shoved you out the door with no intention of allowing you back into the shop. you didn’t look back, not even once, striding confidently towards the bakery. you could practically hear your heartbeat echoing in your ears as you finally walked through the door, a loud bell startling you on the way in.

you didn’t know whether or not to call it irony, but you felt your appetite leave you abruptly while sitting comfortably in the corner of the room. you stared down at the envelope, which was still in your shaking hands, unable to continue watching the entry door in suspense.

a timid tap on your shoulder snapped you out of your daze. you whipped your head back to see jun standing behind you with a growing smirk, the sight causing you to let out a huff in disappointment. he responded by snickering, “lovely to see you too, madam.”

you stuffed the letter in your jacket pocket, sighing, “what are you doing here?”

he pondered your question with that all too familiar smirk of amusement, mirroring your actions and folding a small, leather bound book in his inner jacket pocket. “am i not allowed to take time off work to purchase some desserts?”

“that’s not what i said,” you sighed just before he pulled out the chair across from you, prompting you to raise your hand in protest. “please, don’t- i’m waiting for someone.”

you tried not to think anything of the way jun paused, his dark eyes widening. “may i inquire as to who? a friend? an acquaintance? perhaps a suitor- i am more than happy to serve as a chaperone, if need be.”

“that will not be necessary, thank you kindly,” you chuckled without any sense of amusement in your tone. “we are not courting. not that i have to explain the circumstances of our relationship to you, of all people.”

despite your protests, jun sat across from you as his smirk grew into a beam. “what kind of suitor is he, i wonder? a lord? or a baron?”

“sir, i would thank you not to patronize me. and so loudly, at that,” you whispered.

he laughed a little too loudly for your liking, his bright smile on full display, “forgive me, i do not mean to patronize you. i simply wish to know more about who my new friend has taken a liking to.”

you paused, signaling your disdain with a frown before leaning in and speaking in a hushed tone, “well, if you must know, the man i’m supposed to be meeting with is kind, funny, and has an aptitude for reflection and study. he’s completely unlike you in every sense of the word.”

“is he really?” jun asked, taking genuine offense from your words. he drew back in his seat, eyebrows knitting together.

you nodded with such blatant certainty that prompted jun to frown, delicate as the expression was. “indeed. he walks through life with radiant optimism and recognizes the value of literary classics. you, however, view such precious works of art as yet another method of personal financial gain. and i feel sorry for you.”

tension filled the air as jun grew silent, visibly stunned by your words. “forgive me for not telling you everything about my line of work upfront, but i’m not just in the business for the money. you see- i’ve already read the entire collection i’ve purchased from you. a long, long time ago, actually.”

you could have sworn your heart stopped beating completely in your chest- maybe you had been a little too harsh with this man. you timidly asked, “and you’ve.. enjoyed all of them?”

“i don’t think there’s a word strong enough to describe my.. idolization towards the authors. especially dickens.” he paused, rising to his feet. “i feel as though he explores themes of human relationships better than any author i know of. the idea that someone can find redemption and mend even the worst wounds within said relationships..”

he paused once again, leaving you to ponder his annoyingly profound statement with furrowed eyebrows. just as you parted your lips to offer an apology, or even to ask him to elaborate, he spoke up again, “i do hope that one day, you will hold me to a higher regard. that one day, you will see me in the same positive light you see this stranger who clearly did not even bother to meet with you in a timely manner. i bid you good day.”

you felt your cheeks go cold as you watched him turn towards the door, your voice slightly raising, “jun, wait-”

much to your surprise, he faced you completely and offered you a sad smile, “that’s a lovely color on you, by the way.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, clearly caught off guard by his abrupt compliment. “sorry?”

“lavender. it’s a lovely color on you.” and as he let the beautiful, heartbreaking compliment fill in the tension between you, he nodded his head in farwell and turned his back on you for the last time. that afternoon, at least.

you leaned back in your seat as the bell signaled his disappearance. you felt as though there was a lot to unpack from your exchange- clearly you had misjudged jun. clearly, he was well read and you had rudely assumed that he wasn’t. you thought you had better character than that- but clearly, jun wasn’t the only one you had misjudged.

then there was the matter of his unexpected compliment- try as you might, you couldn’t stop repeating his line, his delivery over and over again in your mind. the way the word lavender rolled off of his tongue with ease- was there a possibility he knew that you had chosen to wear that color on purpose?

no- that couldn’t be possible. at least, that was what you kept repeating to yourself non verbally as jun took his leave.

meanwhile, the man in question kicked at loose rocks on the pavement while trying to avoid wonwoo’s gaze. the younger man had accompanied jun to offer him moral support and was stunned to see the meeting ending so soon. he pushed off of the bench where he’d been quietly reading, rushing to the other man’s side.

“jun, what’s happened? why are you leaving so soon?” he demanded.

jun shook his head, refusing to meet wonwoo’s gaze. he told him pointedly, “this was a mistake. i never should have made that offer to her.. wonwoo, what was i thinking?”

wonwoo grabbed his friend’s upper arm, stopping him from taking another step forward. “what do you mean, ‘it was a mistake?’ you were in there for less than five minutes, what could possibly go wrong in that short amount of time?”

he finally held his chin high, his eyes meeting wonwoo’s albeit reluctantly. he folded his arms across his chest as he took another look at the bakery he vowed never to set foot in again. “i saw her,” he muttered.

wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows, his impatience getting the best of him. “...and what became of it?”

“let’s just say if she knew who i truly was, she would regret joining that literary discussion group in the first place,” jun bowed his head, watching the dust settle around two pairs of shiny black shoes as he kicked another set of loose rocks.

the confusion visibly melted away from wonwoo’s features within a matter of seconds. “i see…” he mused. when jun refused to speak again, the stunning reality of the situation circling around him like a dark cloud, he lightly scoffed. “and there’s not even a small part of you that’s willing to talk with her, explain yourself?”

jun shook his head, “trust me, there is no getting through to her.”

“how can you be so sure?” he snapped. wonwoo rarely ever raised his voice; whenever he did, however, jun was always taken aback.

“because i know her!” jun exclaimed. he paused, hoping to steady his racing heartbeat. “and i have known her for almost a year now. i know about things she hasn’t told anyone else, her innermost thoughts, philosophies, desires.. which is why i know for certain that she would never stoop so low to even entertain the idea of courting someone like me.”

“‘someone like you?’” wonwoo repeated incredulously. “you’re being ridiculous. get back in there and set the record straight, i insist- no i demand it.”

jun yanked his arm out of wonwoo’s grip. “you cannot order me to do anything.”

wonwoo smirked, clearly finding amusement in the situation. who could blame him, as he was pushing jun’s relentlessly stiff, almost lifeless figure towards the bakery. “oh, but i am. i’ll be waiting right here for you when you’ve finished explaining yourself to her.”

“absolutely not. now let go of me,” he swerved to the right in order to avoid wonwoo pushing him again.

“you’ve nothing to lose, now get back in there-”

“no!”

before too long, the men were all but wrestling on the dirt path. wonwoo was trying to push him towards the bakery while jun was practically leaping back and forth to avoid even a mere graze of his friend’s hand. any onlooker might have been frightened by their actions and guessed that they were engaged in a genuine scuffle. but neither of them retaliate with violence, of course.

neither of them were sure how much time had passed before the front door swung open, seungcheol emerging with a scowl, “hey! the two of you better get a move on and take your argument somewhere else.”

the simple warning was more than enough to pull the two men away from each other. as the two of them hunched their shoulders in embarrassment, jun turned his back on the store. as if it wasn’t enough to discover the woman of his dreams was actually the one who hated him, he made a fair assumption that he had been banned from the shop.

wonwoo, seemingly unbothered by the shopowner’s warning, walked alongside his friend. his shoulder barely brushed along his with every step he took and much to his surprise, jun didn’t make any effort to stop the fleeting contact. “so.. what happens now?” the bespectacled man asked.

“what do you mean?” jun asked, his eyes fixed on the weeds growing along the path.

“are you planning to stop writing to her? or are you formulating an excuse for ditching her?”

jun paused, taking another look at the shop behind him. he could just barely make out your figure in the small front window, waiting noticeably impatiently at the same table. “i have no idea.”

—--

dearest, i wish that i could provide you with a good excuse as to why i did not meet with you. i am positive there is nothing i could say that could excuse my ill mannered behavior, anyways. i hope you can find it within yourself to forgive me, although i am not so sure if i can ever forgive myself. if you no longer wish to write to me, i understand. i simply want you to know that nothing could ever change how highly i think of you.

it was the shortest letter he had written. you read it once, committing it to memory over the next few weeks without generating a proper response.

you couldn’t remember a time in your life when the sting of betrayal had so effectively wounded you. mundane tasks such as eating, drinking, even concentrating on the simplest tasks at the book shop became too much for you to handle. all that occupied your mind was the embarrassment you felt waiting hours for the ‘friend’ to show up, the way your heart sank when you realized he wouldn’t be coming at all, the way tears blurred your vision as you walked home..

or perhaps the realization that it was all a mistake, that you never should have engaged in writing letters with a stranger in the first place. you never should have allowed yourself to find such comfort in a stranger, someone who could have easily been saying just what you wanted to hear.

usually, you weren’t one to shy away from your responsibilities at the shop, especially considering your father was still gone. but you allowed yourself to make one exception, given the nature of your heartbreak. besides, it was always your father who told you that a walk in the park could be soothing to both the mind and body.

in this case, it was a short walk around in the park before you came to a stop near the large pond. the sunbeams shining on the water pulled you deeper and deeper into a daze of content, providing temporary relief from your heartbreak. the leaves rustled in the wind, a crisp breeze in the air.. it was peaceful.

obviously, a little too peaceful for fate’s liking.

you averted jun’s gaze to the best of your ability as you watched him stroll up the hill, walking the same path you had just minutes ago. as much as you kept telling yourself that this meeting was nothing but a coincidence, a small voice in the back of your mind kept asking if it really was.

inevitably, his eyes found yours and before you could rise to your feet to dash in the opposite direction, he was taking long strides to meet you in your newfound hiding place. you bowed your head, avoiding his gaze as he spoke, “what a coincidence. i didn’t think i’d see you around here.”

“is it really a coincidence?” you asked him, haughtiness in your tone.

jun shrugged, taking a seat next to you on the cold grass. “usually i don’t find myself in this part of town but.. my line of work really takes a toll and someone told me recently that a walk through the park on a chilled afternoon soothes the spirits.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, your eyes still fixated on the patterns of your dress.. that phrase.. it was all too familiar. “wise words,” were the only two words you could muster.

he nodded, allowing uncomfortable silence to pass between the two of you and gazing at the pond. he waited for a moment before speaking again, his tone low, almost timid. “how was the meeting? with that friend of yours?”

you paused, drawing in a sharp breath and fixing your posture in the same movement. “he never came.”

jun turned to look at you, taking a mental note of the pure, unapologetic expression of heartbreak you wore. your pouty lips, the darkness in your eyes.. “i am.. truly sorry to hear that.”

you screwed your eyes shut, fighting back any tears that dared to surface. it took a moment for you to collect yourself enough to speak without showcasing the warble in your voice, “i suppose it’s my own fault for putting my complete trust in someone.”

jun paused, her words echoing in his mind to the point he couldn’t focus on anything else. of course, he felt guilty for not immediately declaring who he truly was and staying at the shop with her. he regretted it from the moment he made the decision to leave her. once again, he found himself overwhelmed from the complications he was forced to face on a daily basis.

“i don’t think it was a mistake on your part,” he finally whispered to you, offering a gentle smile once your eyes met his. “clearly, there is only one person at fault here.”

you nodded, feeling unable to break away from his gaze at that moment. much to your surprise, you were glad that you didn’t immediately push him away upon seeing him stroll confidently through the park. because as much as you told yourself how much you disliked him and what he stood for, there was no denying he possessed a level of.. comfort.

you chuckled, the sadness unmistakeable in your tone. “i don’t think i can find it within myself to..blame him,” you mused. “i know it sounds silly, but.. i would rather blame myself. i keep trying to make excuses for him.”

jun gently furrowed his eyebrows as he processed your words. of course, his irises were still flooded with sympathy as he gazed at you, trying to come to terms with your line of thinking. “can i ask you a question?”

you were slightly caught off guard by his question but you nodded all the same. “go on.”

he allowed himself to look forward again, shifting a little bit to sit more comfortably on the lawn. his knee barely grazed against yours as you did so, the fleeting contact still sending a shockwave along your skin. your cheeks even heated up as his gaze found yours again and he spoke gently-

“you jump through hoops to forgive this man for betraying your trust and yet.. you don’t seem to find it within yourself to forgive me for a simple misunderstanding. i just.. don’t understand why.”

once again, that familiar jab at your heart stunned you into silence. he brought up an excellent point; the moment you watched him leave the bakery, unforgettable guilt rushed over you like a tidal wave. seeing him sit next to you, remaining vulnerable with his emotions- it reminded you just of how much you had misjudged him.

“i’ve been horrible to you,” you finally spoke. “and i want to apologize. i think.. this trip that my father’s been on has been something of a practice round for me. there will come a day when i’m running his store all by myself and..it might come sooner than later. and that terrifies me.”

“that’s completely understandable,” jun replied. “trust me, i’m convinced that if i make one wrong move, i will burn my father’s business, his entire legacy, to the ground. I’m terrified.”

the two of you shared a laugh, sorrowful as it was. as he kept the bashful smile plastered upon his lips, you couldn’t help but take a mental note of the way his eyes lit up as he did so. “i guess we’re more alike than i thought,” you confessed.

jun’s heart sank upon hearing your words. he longed to tell you the truth, to apologize for hurting you so deeply by ignoring you- but something held him back. a sneaking suspicion that this was neither the time nor the place. so he drew in a deep breath before his smile grew wider, “i guess we are.”

you chuckled, suddenly hyper aware of how close the two of you were sitting. however, it felt like the wrong time to bring up the impropriety of your situation, given the context. “but if it really means that much to you, i can arrange a meeting with you and my father once he returns.”

jun pondered your words, his arm grazing yours as he drew in another sharp breath. once again, the brief contact was enough to quicken your heart rate. “i would love nothing more than to work more closely with the two of you.. but please, don’t feel pressured to schedule the interview on my account.”

you chuckled, leaning back on the grass slightly and propping yourself up by your elbows. “on your account? it was your idea, was it not?”

jun laughed in return before smiling down at you, “well.. yes, but you know what i mean. i don’t want you to humor me simply because you feel guilty. i want to meet with your father because the two of you genuinely want to work with me.”

“jun-” you started, taking a hold of his left hand. you anticipated feeling the cold sting of a wedding band on his finger, but there was none. you almost gasped in surprise, promising yourself you would ask him about it later. “i want to work with you. well- forgive me if i sound forward, but i want to do more than work with you. i want to spend more time with you.”

“you..do?”

“yes!” you laughed. “that is.. only if you want to, of course.”

“no, no, of course i do-” jun stuttered gently with a chuckle. “i’m just- i’m confused. you seemed to be pretty confident in your opinions of my character. and, well now..”

“i keep thinking about what you said..about mending relationships. and.. i want to mend ours. as i said before, it seems we have more in common than we might think. i want to get to the bottom of that.”

“and i.” jun’s smile grew wider, the corners of his eyes gently wrinkling at the movement. he even mirrored your position, laying comfortably on the grass after ensuring no one was approaching. “i assume you’ve read austen’s works as well?”

you let out a dreamy sigh, earning a gentle laugh from jun in the process. “of course i have. pride and prejudice will always be one of my favorite works.”

“i should have expected as much from you,” jun teased, toying with a blade of grass he had plucked from the earth. he tied it in a few knots, shyly avoiding your gaze.

you laughed somewhat sheepishly as you watched his fingers toy with the blade of grass, feeling dazed. “and what is that supposed to mean?”

“there’s no shame in enjoying a good romance novel,” jun retorted, looking over to you. only then did you once again realize just how close you were now laying together, less than an inch of space between your shoulders and knees.

for a brief moment, it felt as if you forgot how to breathe. you didn’t dare allow your gaze to fall to his lips as you whispered, “is mr. wen junhui a secret avid fan of romance, then?”

“you could say that,” he replied, his tone growing lower than you’ve ever heard. it was all becoming too much for you to handle, the way the gentle breeze pulled his hair over his eyes, locked with yours, his lips gently parting.

“can i ask you a personal question?” you finally spoke up, your voice lower than his.

“yes.”

“you used to wear a ring..” you started, unsure of how to go about your line of questioning.

he seemed to catch on, however, nodding his head once and drawing back a tiny bit from your figure. “i.. don’t want to think of everything as a business transaction. especially not marriage.” he let his hand rest near his side, inevitably brushing against your own. “my father wasn’t happy. or hers, for that matter. but i stand by my decision.”

you nodded in understanding. “i admire your courage. and i understand where you’re coming from, completely.” you found it within yourself to finally look away from him, drawing away from his godly features to instead look up at the graying sky. “if i ever marry, i want to be endlessly, hopelessly in love with him. without any hesitation or reservation.”

you caught him nodding in your peripheral vision, the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “i want to know the depths of someone’s soul. i want to savor every small moment with her..someone who fulfills me.”

just then, it felt like a light bulb had finally flashed in jun’s mind; his feelings towards his anonymous writing partner lying next to him didn’t seem so complicated anymore. although he was nervous, wishing he could have waited for another moment to confess his truth to her, the small voice in his head was much too persistent. there truly was no time like the present.

with that being said, he pulled the small notebook out of his pocket. you recognized it instantly; it was the same one he carried with him in the bakery. he sat upright as he opened it, silently prompting you to do the same. before you could ask him what this was all about, he spoke in a low tone, “there’s.. something i’ve been meaning to tell you. well.. i didn’t know it was you specifically i would be addressing this to, but..”

“what is all of this about?” you chipped in.

a shaky hand brushed over the parchment before he began to quietly read, “my dearest friend, i’ve waited a long time for this moment. i cannot tell you how many times i’ve wrestled with the dilemma of asking to meet you in person-”

“wait-”

he took another deep breath before releasing it with a shaky sigh, “but now that we’re finally here, face to face, i have finally mustered enough courage to tell you how i truly feel about you.” but of course, in that moment, his actions betrayed his beautiful words. his heart rate increased, which in turn, affected his breathing.

so you gently took the notebook from his shaking hands, offering him a gentle smile. you began to read his words aloud, prompting his cheeks to darken with a blush, “and the truth is, my dearest, that i have never felt so connected to someone in my entire life. i have told you things no one else knows.

“in turn, although i feel like i know everything there is to know about you, i want to know more.” tears once again began to blur your vision, but you pressed on to the best of your ability. “writing this to you, i can’t believe i ever doubted, even for a second, how i truly felt about you. i can’t believe i had any reservations in telling you the truth in the first place.

“and if you don’t feel the same, that is per-”

jun was momentarily stunned when you fell abruptly silent. however, you had only stopped reading for two reasons: tears blurring your vision and falling down the worn parchment being one, while you also saw no need to read any further.

you scooted closer until your knees brushed against his and reached your hand up to cup his cheek. “it..it really was you..” you whispered.

he rose his hand to cover your own, nodding bashfully. “it was,” he mused. “i know.. i know you must be so angry with me and- and.. confused, but i had to tell you. i couldn’t keep it hidden, i-”

just as a short chuckle escaped your lips, you quickly leaned in to silent him by pressing your lips against his. you felt him smile into your lips before returning the kiss, slowly molding his lips with yours. it was gentle, passionate, and it spoke much louder than words in that moment.

when he broke away, his hand found yours and he laced his fingers with your own. as he gave your palm a tight squeeze, his eyes never left yours. “i’m sorry.. i should have told you sooner. much sooner..”

“i understand,” you gently cut him off, connecting your forehead with his. “i knew.. i knew that i was right not to blame you. i blame myself, i should have-”

jun immediately shook his head in protest, his other hand cupping your cheek. “no. i should have been forthright from the start. from the second i met you in person. it could have spared us both a lot of heartache.”

you laughed in agreement, “you are not wrong… what if we made an agreement, that from this moment forward, we are to be completely transparent with each other?”

“i love the sound of that,” jun whispered before placing his lips against yours once more. this kiss was just a bit more heated than the last, as if the two of you were making up for any lost time. the two of you felt as if you were seeing stars the entire time your lips moved against his. and when the kiss finally broke, the two of you were grinning from ear to ear.

jun, of course, was the first to speak up. “is it.. too soon to tell you.. there is a chance i may be.. possibly, a little bit in love with you?”

you laughed, your thumb brushing along his jawline as your free hand squeezed his palm. “maybe..but i am in love with you too. completely. without any hesitation.”

he chuckled helplessly as he listened to you upstage him with your declaration, pressing a kiss against your knuckles. “well.. i love your transparency.”

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clownprincehoeshi · 1 month ago

Text

Twisted Deception - Chapter 1

Synopsis: Betrayal and manipulation were always a constant in your life. Leading your family’s legacy as a mafia boss is not an easy task and most of the times can lead to losing the ones you love most. You’ve always kept away from love, but even is this dark and unforgiving world it finds you. But it also breaks you.

Pairing: mafia boss Mingyu x mafia boss reader

doctor Seungcheol x mafia boss reader

Genre: strangers to lovers, enemies to lovers, mafia au, angst, fluff, smut

Warnings: mafia scenarios, death, gun mentions, blood, car crash, cheating, sex scenes, nudity… will post others along the way if needed

Status: ongoing

Word count: 18k

Masterlist

You had no idea where you were or what day it was. To be honest, a little panic took over you, even though you’re not that type of person. You slowly start to see clearly how the room looks like. A neat, big, industrial style, with big windows and brick walls.

Seems to be in an isolated part of the city, low rise building, quiet. A voice was faint on the other side of the door. Getting up to walk and try to eavesdrop isn’t a good idea, feeling pain on your left leg, reminding you of the blood bath that took place the other night. Or was it two nights ago?

Your brain starts to work fast, making a list of chronological things that you need to do. Firstly, get the attention to the person that’s in the other room. If you’re not dead or locked in a dungeon, then you’re probably not in danger.

“Hello?” your voice low and tired

The second time you say it louder and you hear the voice stop, then steps. The door opens slowly and a man walks in.

“Oh, hi, you’re awake, good.”

“What happened? I don’t remember how I got here and I definitely don’t remember you.”

“I’m Seungcheol, I work at the hospital you were staying at. Two nights ago, you were in danger, there were some armed men that were looking for you, and you were close to collapsing so you asked me to get you out of there. So I brought you to my place, it’s the safest spot I could think of, sorry.”

“Does anyone know I am here?”

“No, because I don’t know your name and couldn’t get any information about you, since you were under maximum security, only your personal doctor knowing your info.” He says as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Well maybe that was for the best. But could I please make a phone call?”

He takes his phone out of his pocket and walks over to the bed to hand it to you. You fingers brush his as you take it. At that moment, you really look at his face and realize that he’s a good-looking guy. Very attractive indeed.

You dial Jun’s number, but immediately hang up, because he won’t answer strange numbers, so you send a text first and in 10 seconds he calls.

Jun: Oh my fucking god, are you ok? Where are you? Are you in danger? I’ll trace this phone and I’ll be there in 15 minutes.

Rua: Calm down, I am ok. Can you come get me?

Jun: Don’t even need to ask me that. I got in the car already.

Rua: Ok, well before you get here and make a scene, I am at someone’s house, a doctor from the hospital. He saved me last night and brought me to his place. Everything it’s fine, there is no danger, ok?!

Jun: Sure.

Rua: Jun? Promise you’ll behave.

Jun: Oookkk I promise. But I’ll still need to ask him some questions. Ok, got you location, see you soon.

Turning to Seungcheol, you offer his phone back, with a small “thank you”, as he holds your gaze.

Rua: My friend will come pick me up soon. Thanks for saving me. I should have said this sooner, sorry. My mind is all over the place.

Seungcheol: It’s fine, you’ve been shot and probably were on a lot of medication. I get it.

Rua: Do you know Seokjin?

Seungcheol: Yes, of course. We work together most days.

Rua: He’s my brother.

Seungcheol: Oh! Should we let him know?

Rua: No, it’s fine. I’ll call him when I get home.

You see him pacing carefully, his mind going 300 miles/hour, knowing there are questions coming. He slowly sits on the other corner of his bed, lifting his face to looks at you.

Seuncheol: If you don’t mind me asking. What happened to you, who shot you?

Rua: Umm, it’s a long story and I wouldn’t involve you into this mess. It was a shooting and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Seungcheol: Got it, I won’t push on it. But lucky you, I’m an orthopedist and I am specialized in recovery. So we’ll probably see each other often, if you plan to do your recovery at our hospital, that is.

Rua: I’ll speak to my bother about that, but if he’ll recommend you, then sure.

Seungcheol: Oh, I am such an awful host. Are you hungry, thirsty? You must be after you were out of it for so many hours.

Rua: Honestly, I am starving and I might drink like a bucket of water.

You give him a big smile and you notice the corners of his mouth going up a little, showing off a shadow of a smile. He doesn’t look so scary now.

In 5 minutes he’s back with a sandwich and a glass of water placed on a tray.

He’s watching you the whole time you’re devouring that sandwich and his tongue is itching on asking you questions. But he’s deciding to let you be. For now.

After some time, his intercom is going off. Must be Jun. You feel relieved. He goes to check and in less than one minute you hear noise, hurried steps towards you.

Jun walks inside the room and as he lays his eyes on you, he runs to the bed, hugging you. His eyes looking teary.

Jun: Omg, don’t ever do this again! We were fucking worried, I thought they got to you. I really thought I lost you.

Rua: I’m sorry, it was just how it happened. I wouldn’t be alive now if I stayed there. I made the mistake to think the hospital was safe and I guess the drugs were strong and made me dizzy. I was so lucky with Seungcheol. Btw, what are we going to tell him?

Jun: Seokmin is talking to him right now, leave it to him. But are you feeling ok? Are you in pain? We should get to Jin.

Rua: That’s probably a good idea, I feel like my leg is going to explode, hurts like a motherfucker.

He helps you get dressed, he brought some clothes for you. Then he carries you is his arms and this reminds him of two nights ago when he carried your limp bloodied body and his heart breaks. He thought he lost you not once, but twice, in only 3 days.

As he’s carrying you, you wave to Seungcheol, thanking him for everything. You nod at Seokming and he offers you a big smile.

Finally, you’re feeling safe. You’re with Jun now, and Minghao is waiting in the car. They brought another 2 cars filled with men, just in case.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

At the hospital, you told Jin that you will be staying at your place, no more sleeping at the hospital, and you’ll want a nurse. You just wanted to sleep until the pain went away and be away from everyone for a while.

For the next two weeks, as soon as Jin gave you the green light concerning your leg, you left the city. You only brought Jun and two guards with you on your huge home under the mountain. It was an isolated place, where you grandfather built an impressive house inside a literal mountain.

Nobody else knew about this, it was like your bunker, your safe place. You often came here when things were too much. Your life was never easy, always on the run, always planning, lying, manipulating, scheming, giving orders, trying to stay alive and keep your people alive.

You also never had a romantic relationship, thought there were some crushes here and there, but that was never something you could afford. Your legacy was more important than some men that would end up disappointing you anyway.

And being a mafia boss…how could you just tell that to a stranger? “Hey, btw, I am involved in the mafia and we kill people.” Never trust outsiders, unless they prove themselves.

3 days of almost solitude in your mountain-house and it feels like your mind is lighter. Of course, Jun kept you company when you had to eat or just talk about work or…nothing at all. He always enjoyed just sitting in silence with you, your personalities similar.

Rua: I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Jun: All of the sudden?

He burst out laughing at your sudden remark, after almost one hour of silence while you were both reading.

Rua: You’re my rock.

Jun: And you’re mine. Now shut up and let me read!

A couple of years ago Jun confessed his feelings to you. It was unexpected, you always thought what you had was more of a brother-sister relationship, nothing more. It wasn’t easy to get over that hurdle and it still isn’t, but you’re to close and care about each other to let that stop you.

You’ve told him that you don’t feel the same and you don’t think you’ll ever feel the same, because it’s impossible for you to see him in a romantic way, after everything.

It’s hard, you can tell he still feels the same, you can see and feel his stares, the way he looks at you and how he treats you.

Maybe this was a reason for you to never get into a relationship. You wouldn’t want to hurt the most important person in your life. Thoughts about the future, about getting married, having a family, always were somewhere back on your mind.

These thoughts came when you felt lonely, but thankfully you were too busy to be feeling lonely. Yet, here you are, having a vacation after you almost got killed, looking at Jun and ow he’s peacefully reading his little book. You’re wondering if you should just marry him and be over with.

Thinking about it, you tell to yourself. He’s not a stranger. He’s been in your life forever, you can trust him. He loves you. You’re sure he will treat you like a princess and will always respect you. And you know he would be the best dad.

But. What about love? You always dreamed about a marriage out of love. Yeah, even you, the big mafia boss who’s known to be so scary and dangerous. You are all that, but you have layers. You’re not a carton box, you’re a human with feelings. And you want to feel love.

Jun: Stop staring at me! You have nothing better to do?

Rua: Maybe I don’t.

Jun: Aren’t we cranky today

Rua: It’s just I have a lot on my mind

Jun: Share

But you don’t tell him what you were thinking about, instead you take another road.

Rua: You really think Kim clan would do this? We have issues, yes, but they never tried to hurt me like that.

Jun: I mean, we can’t know for sure. Doesn’t matter your families were close or that you and Mingyu were friends, people change. Also, people are gullible and words travel fast, they love gossip. Who knows what he heard and made him go off the rail.

Rua: I still find it insane how everything changed. It doesn’t feel real sometimes, like an out of body experience.

Jun: I am sure the Min’s got their tail everywhere, every time.

Rua: Oh, I don’t doubt that. But still.

He closes his book and grabs your hand to hold in his, knowing it will help you relax. Talking about what happened to your father always brings you rage and ruins your day, rush decisions might be made, so it’s better to calm you down.

4 years since your dad was killed and you still can’t point a finger towards one person. There were always rumors about it. The Min’s, the Kim’s, an outsider, politicians. Mingyu’s parents were killed one year after your father, with the same outcome. Nobody knows who did it.

After their death, Mingyu started to push you away. Ties were cut between families. He thought your family was involved in the “accident”, started to hate you.

Jun: Jin asked how’s the leg and if you think you’ll be able to start recovery when you get back.

Rua: Yeah, I plan to get back in shape as soon as possible. I can’t be weak, a lot of people are waiting to attack like hyenas.

Jun: That reminds me. You have a meeting with the mayor. It’s important for The Towers.

Rua: Ugh, fucking Wonwoo. What is it this time? Windows too shiny for his glasses? We already got him the papers with authorizations for them.

Jun: I think he just wants to see you and he’s coming up with any stupid little reason. We have all the papers in order, our people have been cleared. We haven’t signed the contract for the energy provider. I’ll have Seokmin hurry the process.

Rua: That’s what I like to hear. Thanks

The Towers was your biggest project so far. It was like your cover for the whole underground business. Plus, constructions were always something that fascinated you, so you became an architect.

The mayor, Jeon Wonwoo, was your pain in the ass. The guy had the hots for you and would bring up any little irregularity in your projects, just to see you. One time you were rehabilitating an old museum and his reason for stopping your project? “I just don’t think the roof on this particular room should be out of glass”

Mind you, the guy has nothing to do with architecture and construction. Like usual, you had to offer him an amount of money in exchange for him to go fuck himself. That’s what you told him exactly. He laughed.

He’s just so infuriating, especially when he’s out at events with his buddy Kim Mingyu. Aren’t they a match made for each other. They just looove the spotlight, they love to brag about what they did for this city and their future plans. You can’t stand them.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Your return home was long overdue. You knew you’ll be swamped in work for the next weeks and on top of that, hours will be lost each week with the leg recovery.

The Towers were almost finished, and your headquarters will move there. Also, your home. So the meeting with Wonwoo would take place there, since the new office is almost done decorating.

Looking out the tall windows over the city, a warm glow from the upcoming sunset covers you. It would feel like a perfect end of your day, but unfortunately it’s not the case. Your secretary lets you know the mayor is here and you tell her to let him in.

Wonwoo: Oh, no need to get up, princess.

Rua: I can’t walk, genius.

Wonwoo: They did some work on you. Glad you didn’t die.

Rua: Sooo funny, as usual. Why are you here?

Wonwoo: Wanted to see how you were feeling. Also, you’ll need to downsize some of the trees. I’ve had complaints from the office buildings next to you that the trees are too tall.

Rua: I will pretend you didn’t just say something so stupid.

Wonwoo: Hey, it’s not me, it’s your little neighbors.

Rua: I really don’t care. Anything else?

Wonwoo: What do you think about dinner? I know a place.

Rua: No, thanks. Now if that’s all, I’ll be going, need to have a check up on my leg.

Wonwoo: On, come on, princess. When are you going to give in?

Rua: Give in? What do you take me for?

Wonwoo: What’s the problem? I am handsome, young, rich. We’d be perfect together.

Rua: You forgot insufferable, pain in the ass, manipulative, insistent. If there’s one thing that triggers me is someone who won’t take no for an answer the first time I say it. And you’re not my type, mister mayor. I’m not into corrupt assholes.

Wonwoo: So mean. You know this will cost you.

Rua: Awesome, love a guy who buys his friendships and relationships and leads his way with blackmail.

He walks next to you and leans to whisper into your ear “I am sure you know all about that, honey”

Rua: Ok, that’s it, I’m off.

He yells after you “Hey, no one else will have you with that attitude! You better start treating me nicer”

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

You arrive at the hospital, and while you wait on your brother in his office, a knock on the door wakes you from your thoughts.

Rua: Oh, it’s you. Hi

Seungcheol: Hey, glad to see you again and in better shape I see.

Rua: Yeah, feeling much better.

Seungcheol: Jin sent me to keep you company as he finishes his surgery that’s taking longer than planned.

He takes a seat in Jin’s chair, his gaze on you.

Seunghceol: Did he tell you I’ll be helping you with your recovery? It will take a few months, which means you’ll be seeing me a lot.

Rua: Oh, he didn’t say anything. Do you…. think my leg will be like before?

Seungcheol: Awww. That should not worry your pretty head, let me do it.

Oh. Is this guy flirting?

You feel a rush taking over you and you think your cheeks are red, but can’t be sure.

Without saying anything else, he gets up and comes in front of you, as you lay on the consultation bed.

Seungcheol: May I take a look at the leg?

You try to let out words, but nothing comes out, so you just nod.

He’s lifting your dress up to your thighs, revealing most of the left one. Hands grabbing on it gently, lifting it so the knee is bent. It hurts, but you’re lost in his touch, eyes following the movement of his hands.

He’s got pretty and manly hands, you decide. And the way his brows furrow and his mouth pouts it’s cute. He seems to be very concentrated on what he does, and so are you. That’s why you miss his question.

Seungcheol: Rua??

Rua: Oh. What?

Seungcheol: Does it hurt when I do this?

Rua: Yes, but I can take it.

Seungcheol: I think we can start with the recovery already. You can stop by starting tomorrow, I can meet you and take you to the rehabilitation room, we have all the necessary equipment there.

Rua: This is really the last thing I needed for myself. I was so stupid and got reckless, should of known better.

Seungcheol puts a hand on your shoulder and looks you in the eyes, and you can see his gaze becoming warmer.

Seungcheol: Don’t beat yourself about it, it can happen. Now I need to get back to my other patients, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Here, let me put my number into your phone and you can call or text whenever you want.

As he taps his number on your phone, you look at his hands again and admire them. Almost wanting to feel the warmth of them on your skin again.

Fuck! Stop! This is not happening, no! You tell yourself, as you shake your head gently.

It’s been a while since you liked someone and it didn’t end well. You don’t want to repeat whatever that was. You never had a relationship, but it doesn’t mean there were no men in your life. There were a few, you are human and have needs. You were also in love once and it sucked.

Yet, even if you had feelings for someone, you never ended together. It was complicated and you don’t even think he shared your feelings. You had a fight with him about it and you even confessed, but he didn’t want to hear it or talk about it.

That’s how you were left with a broken heart and with a strong desire to not let a man into your life again.

Seungcheol seems to leave you speechless and it never happened with anyone. You need to have Minghao do a deep check on him later.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The next day you start your recovery exercises with Seungcheol and you think he’s flirting nonstop. Little jokes here and there, his eyes lingering more than a few seconds on you, compliments, his hands on you. Of course he had to have his hands on you, to help you stand up or do the routine exercises, but still.

It didn’t feel professional all the way. Some touches felt personal, with a purpose. And the way he calls you pretty…

Normally, you would call out such behavior, but with him, you don’t know why, you allow it.

That same night, you call Minghao for a chat in your apartment. You still haven’t moved to the new one at The Towers. Minghao is silent, like a shadow. His figure slim, his eyes sharp and moves even sharper. He could kill a person with a toothpick if he wanted.

He takes his mask off and sits on the couch, waiting for you to say something.

Rua: What do you have for me?

Minghao: He’s pretty clean. He went to school here in Seoul, born here, has an older brother who’s a math teacher in college. His parents are alive and still together. He was married for 2 years with his high-school girlfriend, found out she cheated and left him for her boss. He started working at this hospital. Just some parking tickets here and there and some fights when he was young and dumb. Want me to put someone on his trace for a while?

Rua: Yeah, why not. Can’t let anything slip, right?

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

One month later

Your leg is getting much better and you’re walking on your own with the help of a cane. Not very sexy, but that’s where you’re at right now. Your friendship with Seungcheol also developed, you’re much closer now and you are starting to trust him.

It helps that Jin has such high opinions about him too.

What got more complicated is your life, because there’s no moment of the day when you don’t think about him, and frankly it’s driving you crazy. you think about him while falling asleep at night, when you wake up in the morning, when you have files to read, contracts to sign.

You feel like you see his handsome face everywhere you go, even closing your eyes doesn’t help, because he’s there too.

You find yourself staring at Seungcheol today at your appointment. He’s got both hands over your injured leg, massaging it slowly, to help the blood flow. He’s been doing that every single day and it has messed with your head.

Seungcheol: Maybe I should not ask you this, but..

He sighs and takes a long pause before continuing, so your eyes are locked on him.

Rua: What is it?

Seungcheol: Well, I’ve been wondering if you’d maybe want to have dinner with me today. If you don’t want to, it’s fine. I just thought that you need to take your mind off from everything. I even asked your brother if he’s ok with it and if you have a favorite place or food…

Rua: Cheol, stop talking. I’d love to have dinner with you. Pick me up at 7, I’ll have my assistant call you and give you the address.

Seungcheol: R-really?

Rua: Why are you surprised?

Seungcheol: I mean… you’re so out of my league.

Rua: Oh, please stop that. You’re a handsome doctor, all the singles women in town would say yes to you.

The air became lighter around you, he really helps you relax and you want to explore these feelings that have been growing since you two met.

But this was the first mistake toward disaster. You’ve become too relaxed since that night when you got shot. Things were to quiet and normally, you would be suspicious and double the security for a while.

After all your appointments of the day you reach The Towers where you’re fully moved now. Your driver dropped you off in the underground parking lot and drove off to leave the car inside your private garage.

You didn’t take a bodyguard today, didn’t think it was necessary. That was the problem. You didn’t think.

And now, walking slowly with your cane, excited about your dinner with Seungcheol. Having your head in the clouds, your mind was louder than the steps that were closing in on you from behind.

What woke you up from your thoughts was a sharp and very fast sound that went close to your year. It was like a little lighting. One step forward and the wall in front of you was hit by something that got stuck in it.

Now you were fucking awake and aware. In less than a second you dropped to the ground, turned around and lifted your cane, ready to shoot.

A dark figure was running toward you, clearly taken by surprise by your sudden shift of position so he had to think fast. You tried a first shot but he was quick and you missed.

Everything was so quick and you knew that a fight would probably be a better way to escape this alive. A low kick to his legs, to have him lose his balance.

That made him stumble over but got on his feet fast. You stood up too and saw his hand going at his back pockets. Thinking he was going for a gun, you lift your cane again and shoot, this time with success. His stomach started to bleed and he dropped on his knees.

Another shot to his hand and you saw his gun flying.

Rua: Don’t move and I let you live!

You continue your steps, slowly, limping, your eyes locked on his hands, while your hand was firm and unwavering holding the cane, ready to blow his head off if he tried anything. Having Jun design this gun-cane for you was the best idea.

You manage to push the panic button attached to your bracelet and in less than 3 minutes the elevator doors behind the intruder open, with two of your men coming out, guns in hands.

They grab the guy and you give them instructions on what to do with him.

Finally in your apartment, you drop on the couch and the front door opens as Jun enters, with an anxious look on his face.

Rua: You look like someone died.

Jun: Not funny. Are you ok? Are you hurt?

Rua: Not even a scratch. And I would really appreciate if we leave this conversation for tomorrow. Today it’s not the day.

Jun: Ok, but we’re doubling the security and I don’t want you alone like this when you’re out of your apartment. You’ll have two guys outside your door at all hours of the day.

Rua: Thanks. I need the car ready for 7pm.

Jun: You don’t have anything in your schedule.

Rua: I have now.

Jun: Can I know what it is?

Rua: Meeting with my doctor.

Jun: Are you- are you having a date with the Choi guy?

Rua: Yes.

He didn’t say anything else, he just lowered his gaze to the floor and turned on his heel and left your apartment. There was no good way for him to find out, he would be upset about it anyway.

Jun felt his feet becoming heavier with each step he took toward his office. He knew this would happen someday, but now that it was here, he thought he was not ready for it.

His heart was hurting, his head felt heavy, his ears ringing. Reaching the office, he called Minghao over.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

When his friend arrived, he found Jun standing in front of the tall windows, with a glass in his hand, the other in his pants pocket.

Minghao: What’s up, buddy? You look like shit.

Jun: Just needed company.

Minghao: Is boss ok?

Jun: She’s great. She has a date with Choi today.

Minghao: No fucking way! Shit, I’m sorry

He comes close to Jun and puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to console him. Minghao knows about Jun’s feeling for you and he always made sure to be real with him and make him see that you two could never happen.

Jun: It’s just fucking hurts and there is nothing I can do. I will just feel like this and nothing can make me feel better.

Minghao: Do we trust the guy? I am still worried that he’s hiding something.

Jun: You’re just trying to make me feel better, stop! He’s the perfect guy

Minghao: Come on, dude! Like you’re less than him. You ae the best guy I know

Jun: But I’m not enough, and he is

Minghao: You really need to get over her. She knows you’re great, but it doesn’t mean that you’d be good together. Maybe for you, she’s the ideal woman, but she doesn’t see you like that. And it’s ok, we can’t have everything we want in life. But you really need to move on with your life and give yourself a chance to a new love. You deserve to be happy and she deserves to love whoever she wants freely, without worrying that it’s hurting you.

Listening to his friend’s words, Jun knows he’s right, but words are easy. Feelings are hard to control. He drowns the whole whisky and makes a call to prepare the car and a team to escort you out on your date. The night will probably be a long one for him and he’ll be hangover tomorrow, because he plans to drink the whole bottle.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

It’s almost 7 pm and you’re standing in front of your mirror, trying to make all the bad thoughts go away. You opted for a simple black bodycon dress that ends a little over your knees. It has long sleeves and it’s off shoulder. An elegant black blazer will keep you warm for the night and even if you’re still limping, you’re wearing a pair of high heels. Lots of gold bracelets that give off a pleasant asmr to your ears when you move your arms and your hair is high up in a ponytail.

Minghao calls you to let you know that Seungcheol is downstairs.

Rua: Bring him up and let yourself inside.

Minghao: Sure, boss.

Rua: Is…. Jun ok? I thought you were free for the day.

Minghao: He was just very tired and went to bed.

Of course you didn’t believe that, but you didn’t say anything more. In a few minutes you hear the knock on the door and Minghao opens the door to let your date walk inside the apartment.

You call from your living room and he starts to walk toward your voice. He finds you sitting on your couch, sipping from a glass. His gaze goes straight to your legs and how your dress was going up, revealing your thighs.

The champagne made you relax, your head resting back on the couch, eyes closed. It was such a full and stressful day and you can’t wait to end. It started from 8 am, when Jun came rushing into your office to give you some bad news about one of your ships that was supposed to get there today, but a mysterious fire engulfed a whole room and destroyed 4 expensive cars.

Then, while you were doing your recovery exercises with Seungcheol, you were so close to crying from frustration. It became really hard for you to stay back when important stuff came up at work. You were always hands on, and now you felt useless because of this fucking leg injury.

Doctors are saying you will recover completely, since the bullet didn’t do much damage. But even so, just one day of not being able to walk, run, fight, and you feel like a loser.

Then, as you were eating your lunch, you decided that the food tasted bad and you threw it away. And let’s not forget the guy that tried to kill you in the parking lot. It was just too much for a single day.

Seungcheol watches you as he takes his final steps before stopping a few meters away. Your free hand moves graciously and pats the place next to you on the couch.

And he moves again, sitting close to you. His eyes are still on you, admiring your beauty.

Rua: Want a drink before we go?

Seungcheol: No, thanks, I’m driving.

Rua: My driver will drive us today.

Seungcheol: There’s no need, really.

Rua: Stuff happened and it’s for our safety.

Seungcheol: What happened? Are you ok?

Rua: I’d rather not talk about it for now. Just let me finish this glass and we’re leaving.

A moment of silence came over the both of you. You could only hear your breaths and you swallowing the champagne. It felt good to just sit there and not talk.

Seungcheol: Can I ask you something?

Rua: Sure.

Seungcheol: Are you like… some sort of a big shot? I mean. This apartment, the people working for you are so intimidating, your have a driver and bodyguards. And don’t get me started on those jewelry you always wear, they must cost a fortune.

That made you smile and you opened your eyes and lifted your head to look at him.

Rua: I might be. Does that scare you?

Seungcheol: N-no, but I feel like you’re surrounded by tough guys and danger. Maybe I am a little intimidated, that’s all.

Rua: I will tell you this. My life indeed is not easy and there are people that would want me dead, yes. Sometimes things get so difficult that I need to make impossible decisions. Sometimes I just disappear for days or even weeks because it gets too hard. There are things that I will never tell you about and situations that I would want to keep away. I’ve never had a relationship, because of my work and my people. I just wanted to commit to them only. But I feel like I’d like to experience that now. I am not looking for fuckboys, one night stands, games or sex without feelings, you name it.

He's just looking at you with big eyes. Then you lean over a little and whisper into his ear.

Rua: This is the part where I’m giving you a choice. You can walk away right now and I won’t even be mad about it.

He just turns his face to look into your eyes again, your noses barely touching.

Seungcheol: Looks like we’re looking for the same thing.

You feel the tension between you two, eyes starring into each other, breaths heavy and lips slightly opened. But a kiss is not on your list for now, it’s too early, he’s still a stranger.

So you move away and put your empty glass on your coffee table.

Rua: Then let’s go, I’m starving. Help me get up?

As you’re heading to the door he showers you in compliments and offers his arm for you to hold and you do so. Outside, two men are guarding your door and one joins you into the elevator, all the way to your car, where your driver and Seokmin awaits.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The car ride to the restaurant is pretty quiet and comfortable. You ask about his choice for medical school and he asks about your family. It seems that he’s avoiding to question you more about your job and lifestyle and you’re glad.

As you arrive at the venue, you realize that it’s one of your favorite restaurants. He picked it, probably asked Seokjin for some inspiration. You walk slowly, cane in your right hand and Seungcheol right next to your left, your arm in his.

You feel good, confident and sexy, and your fancy metallic cane gives you a dangerous aura.

Restaurant hostess: Oh, miss Lee, wasn’t expecting you tonight, so happy to see you. Let me take you to your favorite table.

Seungcheol: Oh, I didn’t know you’re such a popular figure.

Rua: Wouldn’t say I am, but I do enjoy the good restaurants and museums. You’d barely see me anywhere else where it’s crowded.

Seungcheol: Noted.

He gives you a big smile and helps you sit on your chair.

Restaurant hostess: I’ll leave you 5 minutes to decide on what you want to eat and drink. Enjoy your evening!

Both of you take a look at the menu, but you already know what you’re having. You give a few suggestions to Seungcheol and he seems eager to try everything you’ve recommended.

Seungcheol: You can take the lead on here, I will trust whatever you chose.

Rua: Ok, then. Leave it on me

You hear a voice calling your name and you turn around.

“Oh my dear Rua, I’m so ecstatic seeing you here”

Rua: Chef Collin, it’s been a while. Sorry I won’t get up, I had a tiny accident

Chef: Oh no, what happened? Are you ok now?

Rua: An injury to my leg but I am recovering quickly.

Chef: Good, good. When I heard you’re here I just needed to come greet you. I am glad you’re ok. And who is this gentleman?

Rua: He’s my date, Choi Seungcheol, who’s also my doctor.

Seungcheol: Nice meeting you, heard so many good things about you and your restaurant!

He gets up to bow to the chef and keeps standing.

Chef: What will you two have tonight?

You start saying words that Seungcheol didn’t really understand. It felt like you were saying a poem and he looked at you with admiration.

Rua: And of course, the specialty for the night and my favorite champagne and water. Would you like something else to drink, Cheol?

Sengcheol: N-no, champagne s-sounds perfect. Thank you!

Cheff: Ok then, I’ll leave you two love birds and hope you’ll enjoy your evening and meal. Talk soon, Rua!

A slight blush creeps up your cheeks and you blame it on the alcohol. Seungcheol smiles and sits back in his chair.

Seungcheol: I like the nickname.

Rua: It just slipped out.

Seungcheol: I’ll need to find one for you too, little miss popular.

Rua: Oh, come on, people barely know me.

Seungcheol: So what do you do? I have no idea what you do as work, all I know is that you’re crazy rich and busy.

Rua: I have more businesses, but the main one is construction. The building where I live is mine, it was finished recently and I also moves my offices there and all my companies.

Seungcheol: That’s impressive. I knew about the building, it’s the most expensive in the whole country but I had no idea who owns it. How did you get into construction?

Rua: It was a family business. Since I was a teenager, my dad would bring me with him everywhere when it came to the company, and he teached me how things work. I got to love it, and being an artistic soul, it came easy to me. After he died, I became the owner of everything.

Seungcheol: And I guess you have many enemies, being this rich and on top of that a woman. Especially old men.

Rua: True. I mean, the world is corrupt and the wealthier you are, the more dangerous your life becomes. People so be trying to unalive you.

Seungcheol: Is that what happened that night you got shot?

Rua: True. So that’s why I need dangerous men working for me, because I need protection.

Seungcheol: I don’t know much about this world, my life has been pretty normal and boring and I don’t have rich friends. I think you might be the richest person I’ve ever talked to. How come your brother is a doctor? I’m confused.

Rua: He never liked the life my family wanted to offer him. His passion was being a doctor, helping people, not sitting at a desk at a big company. But the public doesn’t know we are siblings. He left when he was very young, changed his name and papers and moved back recently. He didn’t want to leave me here alone, although I have some very close friends that are like family.

Seungcheol: I don’t know what to say, your life sounds fascinating and seems that you’ve been trough some hard times.

He puts his hands over yours that were sitting on the table together. His touch very gentle, and looks at you with warm eyes.

Seungcheol: I’d like to think that you at least consider me a friend. Know that I am here for you with whatever you need.

Rua: Thank you, it means a lot. But you have to know that you’ll need to be very patient. I don’t open easily to people.

As you were talking and having an intimate emotional moment, a loud laugh is heard somewhere in the restaurant. It sounds so familiar that it sends a shiver down your spine and you feel a hole in your chest.

You haven’t heard that laugh in years and now would be the worst moment to hear it.

Your eyes scan the room and a few tables behind Seungcheol, right in your line of vision, you notice the stupid face of Jeon Wonwoo. He’s facing you. And in front of him it’s him. You could recognize him from 1 million. Big frame, wide shoulders, loud.

Seungcheol is saying something but you don’t understand anything. Your eyes move from him to Wonwoo’s table and back. Barely waking up from your thoughts, thanks to his hands squeezing yours, you apologize.

Rua: Sorry, I just… I think I saw someone I haven’t seen in years and can’t say I am happy about it.

Seungcheol: Oh! Are you ok? What can I do?

Rua: I’m ok, don’t worry. Just need a glass and I’ll relax.

And as you said that, your champagne was making it’s way to your table, the hostess bringing it with a smile on her face.

Unfortunately, Wonwoo’s eyes were doing what men eyes do. Looking at the hostess’s ass as she walked towards you. And his eyes followed her until she stopped and placed the bottle on your table to get it ready to open it.

That’s when he saw you. He smirked and his face light up.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Mingyu

Mingyu: Hmm, I don’t know what I’m in the mood for tonight, but I know I am fucking hungry. What are you getting?

But Wonwoo didn’t respond, he was busy with something and he had a stupid grin on his face, his eyes squinted.

Mingyu: What the fuck are you doing?

Wonwoo: Magnificent! Just perfect!

Mingyu: What? What?

Wonwoo: My future wife is on a little date. Aww, how cute. They are holding hands.

Mingyu turns around to see what his friend is starring at and when he saw you, his smile dropped. He turned back immediately.

Mingyu: Why the hell didn’t you say it was her? I wouldn’t have turned like a desperate teenager to look at her. You ruined my night, thanks, dummy.

Wonwoo: Oh, please. Wait here, I need to say hi to her.

Mingyu: Come on, drop it. Don’t make a scene, you already ruined my mood.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

But Wonwoo doesn’t listen. He gets up and slowly walks over to your table. As you were taking your first sip of champagne, many things happened at the same time. Wonwoo’s “Good evening”, you spitting your drinking and choking, your leg flying up into Seungcheol’s knee, hitting him with your pointed shoe and Mingyu getting up and bumping into a waiter that was carrying a big tray with plates and food. The tray dropped, a loud noise of plates shattering on the floor was heard trough the whole restaurant, Mingyu not stopping or looking back.

Wonwoo: Oh, sorry, didn’t want to scare you.

Rua: Mister Mayor, a pleasure to see you, as always.

Wonwoo: I was just having dinner with Mingyu and thought to be a good citizen and say hello to my favorite business woman. Aren’t you going to introduce me?

Rua: No, you can leave now.

Wonwoo: Oh, always rude…

He didn’t get to finish what he had to say, because Seokmin and other two of your men came behind him, asking him not to cause a scene and step back from you.

Seokmin: Mister Mayor, please drop it and give miss Lee some privacy. People are looking and you know the owner is our friend.

Wonwoo dropped the smirk and the act and he gave a “have a good evening” and left, trying to straighten his suit.

Seokmin: Do you need anything, boss?

Rua: Just keep that idiot away from me.

Seungcheol looked at you in shock, because you treated the actual mayor like that. The rich powerful mayor.

Seungcheol: That was unexpected.

Rua: Sorry about that, he’s just insufferable and can’t be bothered tonight.

Seungcheol: I think we’ll need more than one bottle.

The evening went smooth after that. Food was delicious, you felt so full and satisfied. Your cheeks were burning and probably pink by now, but you felt good and free. Maybe your partner for the night had a little big to do about it too.

You were the last two client there and it was almost 10 pm.

Rua: I have no idea when the hours passed.

Seungcheol: It happens when you’re in the right company.

Rua: Cheol, you’re such a flirt. Why do you flirt so much?

Seungcheol: I guess I just like you, so it comes naturally.

You covered your face with your hands and giggled.

Rua: Stoooop!

Seungcheol: I think we should probably go, it’s getting late and I need to bring you back home at a decent hour, or else your guy will kick my ass.

Rua: Who’s my guy?

Seungcheol: I don’t remember his name. The blonde guy. I met him downstairs when I got to your building. I felt like a little kid being scolded.

Oh.

Jun probably made sure to let Seungcheol know that you have people holding your back and to just… scare him.

You signal him to move his face closer to yours so you can whisper something.

Rua: I have to tell you something.

Seungcheol: What is it?

Rua: I’m drunk. How am I going to walk? I can’t even stand up.

He then gets up, takes your purse and puts it around his shoulder, then leans down in front of you and lifts you up bridal style.

Rua: Whoaaa!! Cheoool!

Seungcheol: Someone as pretty as you should never need to walk. You should get carried all the time, like a princess.

Rua: But we didn’t pay.

Seungcheol: Yes we did.

Rua: When?

Seungcheol: It’s my secret.

The staff bows and wishes you a good night. You wave and then hide your face into Seungcheol’s shoulder, feeling shy that they’ve seen you in this state.

Once you’ve reached your car, the driver opens the door, leaving space for your date to place you slowly on the back seat, followed by him sitting right next to you.

Rua: Sorry for being drunk, but I needed it.

Seungcheol: Nothing to be sorry about.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

As the car was on the move, your eyelids felt heavier and heavier. In what felt like seconds, you’re woken up by Seungcheol, gently patting your hand. As your eyes open, the hand he’s been touching rests right on his thigh and you pull it back right away, feeling embarrassed.

Seunghceol: Come on, we’re here. I’ll carry you to your apartment.

He gets out of the car and as he’s leaning over to lift you, you hear someone say something from behind him.

Jun: I got her from here, the driver will drop you off to your address and I’ll have someone drive your car there too.

Seungcheol: There’s no need, I want to help her.

Jun: I won’t repeat myself

Jun looks mad, really mad. His eyes burn into Seungcheol’s face, looking almost threatening, so the older man think for a second and decided that it’s not the time or place to be stubborn and he gives up.

As Jun lifts you in his arms, you say bye to Seungcheol, telling him you’ll talk tomorrow.

On the way to his place, he feels conflicted. You seem pretty close to this guy that works for you. Is he only working for you, or is there more? He needs to know, either way.

Minghao is watching the scene before him. It looks out of a fairytale. A tall handsome prince, carrying his beautiful princess that’s in distress and needs him. And he shakes his head to Jun, wondering if any of his words earlier today were registered. Because this right now looks far from “you need to distance yourself from her and move on”.

But then again what does he know, he’s never been in love. So he just offers a soft smile to his friend and follows them to the elevator.

Jun: I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that. Just doing my job.

Minghao: I didn’t say anything, and you know better what is best for you, so..

Rua: You guys are being loud and I am trying to sleep here

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Mingyu

After leaving the restaurant, Mingyu went straight home. He needed to blow off some steam after seeing you. He gets inside his house, heading right into his personal gym and starts hitting the punching bag. He hits it so hard that his fists start to bleed, but that doesn’t make him stop. The image of your face that’s so fresh in his mind drives him nuts, punching the bag harder, until he screams loudly and stops.

Wonwoo: What the fuck is wrong with your ass?

Mingyu: Shut up, told you not to go and stir shit up.

Wonwoo: Oh, come on, you know me. Her gorillas kicked me out though.

Mingyu: Are you into humiliation or something? You always either get pushed away from her vicinity and she’s slapping you.

Wonwoo: Nah, that’s you. I just enjoy annoying her.

Mingyu: Why? What are you getting out of this? You sound like a child.

Wonwoo: What’s the matter, buddy? You jealous?

Mingyu scuffs at his friend’s words and he goes to treat his bleeding fists.

Wonwoo: You crazy bastard. What did you do to yourself!

Mingyu: Nothing. Can you leave? I want to be alone.

Wonwoo: I’ll go. Don’t forget about the meeting tomorrow with Yoongi.

Mingyu doesn’t have a great night, he can barely sleep, thought of you going trough his head. How you’ve used to be so close, how your voice sounded, how you both used to sneak out your houses to meet at midnight and go out partying together.

He’s still attending parties, and since you lost contact, he’s never seen you out. Not even at important event, not to mentions clubs. Maybe he keeps on going out hoping you might be there too.

“Fuuuck! What’s wrong with me? She’s a lying bitch and she ruined my life. Why do I still think about her?”

Next day, the three men have a private meeting in the Min territory. Dozens of armed men are guarding the surroundings.

Yoongi: Did you take care of the ship?

Mingyu: Yeah, but the damages were not as big as we expected and hoped for. Seems that there were too many guards and our guy couldn’t set fire to more than one room.

Yoongi: Too bad, she would have lost a lot more money.

Wonwoo: Now, if we’re going to calculate how much would she have lost if all the cars were damaged, it’s not a lot, considering she got them for so little.

Yoongi: You’re probably right, but still. It’s pissing her off.

Mingyu: And also, making her strike back.

Yoongi: How, if she doesn’t know who did it? She thinks I’m on her side. By the way, I sent a guy for her last night. I am waiting for word from him.

Wonwoo: You sent the guy to do what and at what time? Because she was alive and well last night, having a date.

Yoongi: Really? The guy confirmed her arrival at The Towers around 5pm, so about that time.

Wonwoo: Nah, we saw her after 7-8. Your guy is probably dead.

Yoongi: Out of the question, he’s one of the best. And she’s fucking limping.

Mingyu: You forget she’s trained and could probably kick your ass any day.

Yoongi: Who’s side are you on?

Mingyu: Just letting you know what she’s capable of.

Yoongi: I think you forget you came to me for help, to bring her down and take everything from her.

Mingyu: Yeah, but not kill her.

Yoongi: And she is not dead. I don’t plan on doing that, relax. Remember how she butchered your men at the warehouse that night? How she blew up the place? She’s not going to fail to pull the trigger if you’re in her sight. Keep that in mind.

Wonwoo: Ok, ok. Thing is that we need to work from more sides. Kick her where it hurts more. Her business and her people.

Yoongi: You said she was on a date? Cand you find out who the guy is?

Wonwoo: Can I find out who the guy is..haha. I’ll have his name on my desk in minutes.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

2 weeks later

Wonwoo did not have in fact his name on his desk in hours. Not even days. It made him think the guy was a ghost or something. He tried everything to find something about your date. So he asks Mingyu’s help.

Getting off the call with Wonwoo, Mingyu calls for Jeonghan and Joshua into his office. The two men appear after 40 minutes, both wearing black elegant suits.

Mingyu: Oh, Josh, you cut your hair.

Joshua: Yeah, girls like it like this.

Jeonghan: Pfff, you’re saying it like you’re getting girls. Everywhere you go, there’s Jenny all over you, cockblocking you.

Mingyu: You still seeing Jenny?

Joshua: It’s nothing serious, we’re just fooling around. Can we talk about why you wanted to see us?

Mingyu: I need to find a guy.

Jeonghan: Ok, you have a photo?

Mingyu: That’s the thing, I don’t.

Jeonghan: What do you have on him that we can use?

Mingyu: Basically, nothing. You think you could get the security cam footage from last night from The Wine Story? Even any other cam footage from the area.

Joshua: We’ll see what we can do and let you know.

Mingyu: Great, I really need this info.

Joshua: You going to the hotel’s inauguration tonight, right?

Mingyu: Yeah, of course.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Earlier today

Seungcheol: So don’t go if you don’t want to.

Rua: Yeah, but I am the main architect of the project and the owner was friends with my parents. I have to go.

Seungcheol: Awww, I’m sorry I can’t do anything to make it better. I have to be at the hospital the whole night.

Rua: I know. Don’t work yourself too hard.

Seungcheol: I’ll try, but it doesn’t depend on me.

Rua: I need to go now, but keep in touch.

Seungcheol: Have fun!

Later that day you were laying in your bed after a nap, your blanket over your head. Hearing Jun enter your apartment, you know he’s coming to wake you up and have you get ready for the event you’re going to attend tonight.

Jun: Come on, let’s get you up!

Rua: 10 more minutes, mom.

Jun: Don’t be a jerk, the people from hair and makeup are waiting for you.

Rua: But I want to shower first.

Jun: Come on, make it quick!

You whine and he gets his hands under your blanket, searching for your feet. Grabbing them, he starts to pull, making you sit up, giggling.

Rua: I could be naked, you pervert!

Jun: That would make it even funnier.

Rua: My naked body is funny to you?

Jun: I haven’t seen you naked, so I wouldn’t know.

Rua: Because it’s so much difference between me in a swimsuit and me naked.

Jun: Well you could have like… boobs that go in different directions, one up, one down. I don’t know.

Rua: Yeah, and I keep them in check with bras. You’re right. I have wild boobs.

Jun: Yeah, that’s why you don’t have a boyfriend.

Rua: Yet.

Jun: Oh?

Rua: Now get out if you don’t wanna get blinded by my wild boobs, I need to go take that shower.

This type of bickering was always the norm between you two since you were kids. If you were not having these little arguments, then something was wrong. Really. If you and your best friend are not teasing each other like this, then are you even best friends?

As you were sitting in front of the mirror, having your makeup and hair artists working on you, your assistant walks in the room lifting up two dresses.

Assistant: You need to pick one.

Rua: I like both, but I’ll have to try them on so I can decide.

You’ve tried both and you preferred the white short one that has a slight sparkle to it and a cute bow in the front of your chest, off shoulder. The hair will probably be styled pretty natural, straightened. Maybe a diamond hair piece on the side to keep the hair off your face.

These last few days have been less gloomy than the last months, because you’re finally walking by yourself, almost no limping. Even the exercises at the gym became close to what you normally did.

It’s been 2 weeks since that first date with Seungcheol and things have been great. You had a couple more dates that went well, a movie date, a ride around the city with a stop at a fast-food place and an unplanned dinner at your office.

Not sure you’d have brought him to this event tonight with you if he was not busy at the hospital, though. Maybe it was too soon for this. Bringing him into your circles was not something easy.

After a few texts exchanges with Seungcheol, it’s time to leave. Jun will accompany you, like usual, and he’s looking very elegant, like a prince.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Arriving at the hotel, you feel proud when you look up and admire its beauty, knowing that this came out of your mind and hands. Your parents would be proud too to see how far you’ve come as an architect. You wish they were here.

There’s a lot of people outside too. The entrance is huge, with tall and wide glass doors and a few steps to reach it. Several staff people are waiting to greet the guests and to help them with any information they might need.

They were trained to recognize the important people that are coming tonight and they sure know who you are, as one of them comes to offer his services and lead you inside.

Jun takes the lead and tells the young man you don’t need any help and you both excuse yourselves and head to the entrance.

Jun: Love the futuristic approach of the building combined with little antique details. It’s very you.

Rua: The owners gave me total freedom with the project so I gave them exactly that.

The interior gives the same futuristic vibe, but the party adds more complexity to it. Everyone is wearing extravagant outfits and you feel a little underdressed. The entry room is large, tall, with white and green accents coming down from the ceiling that fill out the place.

The main attraction is the fountain in the middle for which you hired sculptures to make a spectacular scene that reminds you of the greek gods and goddesses. Gold and rare stones were used for the statues and guests seem to love it, everyone taking pictures and selfies in front of it.

Jun: Drinks or meeting the owners first?

Rua: Drinks, wtf.

He grabs your hand and leads you to the nearest bar where you order some fancy cocktails. Memories come flashing back from when you used to go out with your former friend Mingyu. It’s like nothing changed but at the same time nothing is the same anymore.

Different people, different context, different feelings. It’s like he’s still there, just in a haunting type of way. While sipping from that delicious pineapple-something drink, someone bumps into your shoulder.

Jungkook: Oh, excuse me, miss Lee.

Rua: Jungkook, it’s fine.

Jungkook: It must be the end of the world if you’re out at a party.

Rua: I used to party when you were still having pimples and braces. It’s boring now

Jungkook: Are you saying you’re old?

Rua: Maybe I am

Jungkook: You look great, anyway. Catch you later, maybe show you some moves.

Rua: Yeah yeah

You barely noticed the girl that was holding his hand, behind him. And he completely ignored her, he just flirted with her right there, with no shame. But that’s how he is. He might be one of the hottest and wanted single men in the country, but he’s also a huge red flag.

His date gives you a nasty look and starts to scold him from the way her arms are moving, but it’s not your problem. You laugh and drag Jun away from the crowd, looking for a more private spot.

Rua: Should we do a tour of the party?

Jun: Don’t mind if I do. Are you not afraid of who we might run into?

Rua: No, and don’t care. I am one of the guests of honor.

Jun: Oh, miss important who’s not afraid of anything.

So you started walking slowly, hand in hand, sipping from your expensive glasses and exchanging knowing looks when you saw something crazy. Some outfits were just plain ridiculous and it made both of you burst into laughter, almost to tears.

Jun: Oh, I think I spotted the owner that’s your dad’s friend and he’s coming over.

Mr. Kang: Dear Rua, welcome! When did you get here and why nobody told me?

Rua: Good evening, Mr. Kang. About half hour or so. I have to say, this is a great party and I love what you’ve done with the place.

Mr. Kang: Thank you, but it’s also your merit. So long since I last seen you two. How is your family, Jun?

Jun: They are fine, still living in China.

Mr. Kang: We should meet some day and catch up, now I need to entertain all my guests. You two have fun and if you need anything, just ask the staff or me.

The music was nice, went well with the mood of the place. But the glass was empty and you were not in the search of a refill. As you were walking and enjoying a nice conversation with your friend, your eyes fly over to a corner where a big round sofa was sitting under a glass ceiling.

Among the groups of people sitting there you spot Joshua, one of Mingyu’s men. He’s talking to some guys that you don’t recognize. Well if he’s here, then his boss must be too.

And while looking into Joshua’s direction, Jun says you’ve reached the bar so he’ll order some drinks so you stay put and wait for him. Trying to not look suspicious, starring too much into the same direction, you turn toward the bar and try to take a step.

But it felt like you hit a wall. A softer wall, indeed, but still. Looking up, you see two familiar brown eyes starring into yours. Horror came over you and you couldn’t move or say anything.

The moment maybe lasted 3 seconds but it felt like minutes. And while seconds were passing, his face kept contorting more, changing from surprise, to shock, to horror, to disgust, to anger.

Mingyu thought if he should say something. Anything that could bother you, but suddenly he sees your lips move. That’s a view he hasn’t seen in years and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. Your full, luscious, glossy lips that used to kiss his cheeks so often.

Rua: Well surely this is not my lucky month.

And you pushed past him to get to Jun. that was supposed to get him angry, but not. He smirked and continued his way to Joshua.

Rua: I just bumped into Mingyu.

Jun: Shut uuupp! Did he say anything?

Rua: No, he was just starring like a psycho. Not even a word.

Jun: So he’s not a yapper anymore?

Rua: Maybe he changed, what do I know. Not like I ever really known him.

Jun: Come on, you were besties, you did everything together.

Rua: He’s just a good actor and he fooled me back then. And now he’s my enemy. That reminds me- is everything set for tonight?

Jun: Yeah, I have word from Hao and Seokmin. They’ll manage without us.

Rua: Revenge will taste sweet. Can’t just stand back and let them step on me. And being here will be a good alibi. Mingyu knows I never just stay at home and give orders so others do the work.

Jun: Then it’s a good thing that he saw you. Now let’s go to the dj room and dance a little.

Heading to the main party room, the vibe is completely different. The hallways leading there has windows left and right, with massive basalt sculptures and red lights.

Techno music gets louder and louder as you step closer to the crowd. Now, since you came here, might as well take advantage and actually have fun like old times. Your mind goes to Mingyu for a second, but you shake your head quickly.

Jun: I see Jungkook.

Run: Let’s go there.

Weaving your way trough the dancing crowd, you reach Jungkook and he comes to give you a hug. You see the same girl from earlier, who’s left behind him, then you notice Taehyung too and give him a little wave.

Jungkook: I’m soo happy you came.

Run: Well don’t you seem like you’re having the best time.

Jungkook: I’m probably ahead of you with many shots. Come, drink with me.

As he takes your hand to take you to the bar, Jun grabs his arm.

Jungkook: We’re just going to get shots for everyone, relax. I’m not stealing her from you.

Rua: It’s fine, Jun. Stay here, we’ll be back in 5.

Reaching the bar, it seems like everyone there knows Jungkook, everyone waving, saying hi or smirking at him. He first orders a few shots only for the two of you.

Rua: Mmmm sweet, I like.

Jungkook: Sweet like you.

As he’s saying that, his pinching your cheek and scrunches his nose at you.

Rua: Are you flirting again?

Jungkook: Yes. Is it working?

Rua: No. and besides, I am seeing someone.

He chokes on his drink and he looks at you with his big eyes.

Jungkook: Who dared to take my girl away?

Rua: I was never your girl.

Jungkook: Yeah, what’s up with that? Why did we never hook up? We’re both young, hot, successful.

Rua: Probably because years our families were rivals aaand, probably because you fuck anything that breathes.

He whines and pouts and it looks funny coming from him, a big dangerous looking manly man.

Jungkook: I think that we would look so hot together in bed.

Rua: I know we would, but I am not into what you’re offering.

Jungkook: Maybe I’d be a good boy for you and settle down.

Rua: Riiight.

You both start to laugh and he gives you another hug.

Jungkook: I really missed having fun with you at parties. Maybe we’ll do this again.

Rua: Doubt it.

Jungkook: Let’s take these shots to the rest.

Rua: Your girlfriend hates me already.

Jungkook: Oh please, she’s not my anything. She’s just some girl from our circle of friends that thinks she can trick me into a relationship. I haven’t even fucked her, can you believe that?

Rua: Nooo.

And as suspected, the girl kept her eyes on you, giving you nasty looks. She kept on trying to be close to Jungkook but he kept on moving around to escape her.

Having already few shots and 2 drinks on board, your feet started moving and in no time you were dancing. You were thankful Jun was a good dancer, and alcohol seems to make him friendly and sociable too. He’s made friends into Jungkook’s group so fast.

You thought you should check on Seungcheol, you promised to keep in touch throughout the night, so you grab your phone from the bag and open the chat with him.

Jungkook: Aw, is that your little bf?

Rua: Hey, mind your business.

Jungkook had his arm around your shoulder, keeping you close to his body and trying to make him look away from your phone, you started to tickle him. Giggles and laughter could be heard around your group from the two of you. Jun was glad to see you have fun for a change.

Jungkook: Ya, don’t tickle me over my abs, it’s a sensitive spot.

Rua: Omg, stop being such a horndog.

This was a normal interaction between you and him, he was always flirty and you always rejected him. That was the routine. Would he really go all the way if you let him? You didn’t know. It was not like he was messing with a regular girl. He wouldn’t risk pissing you off. Doesn’t matter he comes from a family of gangsters, you were dangerous too.

As the little scene between you two was unfolding, Jungkook’s female friend that was all over him the whole night decided in her drunken mind that she had enough. Her blood was boiling, crazy eyes on display, hand armed with a full glass of some colored alcohol to match perfectly with your white dress.

Everything seems to happen in slow motion. People moving to the rhythm of the music, or just moving around. You and Jungkook being silly with each other as his arm was still around your shoulder. The girl pacing carefully on drunken feet, trying to steady herself and not drop the glass before she gets to you.

A group of men walking into the room, heading toward you unknowingly, just following the music. Taehyung’s eyes noticing the anger on the girl’s face, that was now getting closer to you. Jun’s eyes that are starting to move between you and the girl, his brain going into work.

You were completely unaware of what was coming, but it’s not like you were not used to it by now. Cold liquid went flying, going on both yours and Jungkook’s clothes. Jun’s foot going in front of the girl to make her lose her balance, while Taehyung was laughing, holding Jun back, because he wanted to see the show.

Your eyes went from Jungkook to the new familiar faces that were walking into your direction. Just for a split moment. Just for that quarter of a second, your eyes caught Mingyu’s and Joshua’s faces, both starring at you.

Then your gaze continued to move onto the culprit. Jun’s foot made her lose her composure an helped with the drink not reaching your face and she stumbled a little. But that was her bad luck. If she was not this close she would have been safe.

Someone would keep you from smashing her face. And now, everyone’s focus was on your fist starting to travel toward her stupid face. “What a face to be punched” you thought, seeing her this close.

Right into her jaw. Her ass falling right onto the table behind her, where there were some food left from earlier when you all got hungry.

Yup, this was something that you used to do often, going out, years ago. Your punches always had stability, even when drunk. They always went straight to the target. And hard. Jungkook and Taehyung were laughing their asses off, while Jun was shaking his head, wondering what was in that girl’s head for trying something like this.

You? You were mad. Who does she think she is? Seeing the state your expensive dress is, you grab the girl and drag her outside of the room, to the hallway. She’s screaming at you, calling you a bitch and that she’ll show you.

Reaching the hallway, you throw her like a ragdoll and tell Jun to call security to get her out.

Rua: I am not moving until I see someone take her stupid ass in the street.

“You fucking bitch, do you know who my dad is? You’re fucked!” She screams from the floor.

Jungkook: Rua, calm, relax. I’ll take care of her.

Then he lifts her up by her arm and drags her out, with her still yelling.

You’re still angry and you need to calm down, but being also tipsy makes it hard.

Rua: I need to get some air.

Jun: No, we need to stay inside where Mingyu can see us. The plan is in action as of 30 minutes ago. Just wait a little bit longer.

Rua: Ugh, I need to get out of this dress and take a long shower. I’m over this party. I should of beaten that little shit up more.

Jun: No, that would have brought too much attention to us. It’s your first time going out in years and this happens. It might be all over the media tomorrow. I will talk to Mr. Kang later also.

Rua: And find out who she is and fix that too.

Jun: What do you want me to do?

Rua: I want apologies. Face to face. Or publicly if this goes out.

As you’re leaning to the wall, talking to Jun, your eyes are pulled like magnets to Mingyu that walks by, followed by his pose. His phone close to his ear, tells you that he’s been notified about something important. Maybe that something that was your doing.

You both lock eyes for a few seconds. He looks angry, but there is something else there. You’d love to slap that expression off his face anytime. That stupid handsome face.

Rua: Ok, now we can go get some air and sit somewhere. Mingyu just left in a hurry and not happy.

Jun: Our guys must be done by now then.

Finding a terrace somewhere on the upper floors, you lay on a chair and wait for Jun to get the news from tonight’s operation.

Jun: Hao says it’s safer for us to meet at The Towers.

Rua: Ok, gather everyone there in one hour.

15 minutes later you two left, saying goodbye to Mr. Kang and the rest of your acquaintances. An extra car joined to escort you and Jun to the building.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Sitting in your office chair, you look at Minghao, then at Jun. Seokmin needs to come and give the final word. In minutes, he enters your office with a serious look on his face and sits down next to Hao.

Jun: Well?

Seokmin: A success. All went as planned.

Minghao: Fuck yeah!

Rua: Casualties?

Minghao: Some hits on the truck I was in, it will need some fixing. The paintings are safe though. One of the men was injured on his shoulder, will check on him later.

Rua: Good enough. How many did you get to steal?

Seokmin: The whole special exhibition. 25 I think?

Minghao: Yes, 25. I was handling them with so much care and almost cried when I touched them.

Jun: Aww, my little art lover.

Rua: I might let you have one as a thank you gift for doing such a good job.

Jun: So what’s the plan now? What do we do with them? Sell them?

Rua: What would piss off Mingyu the most?

Seokmin: To see them destroyed?

Rua: To never find out what happened to them.

Minghao: He got this coming. Let’s see how his good friend Jeon Wonwoo will get him out of it. Those paintings are worth over 100 million together.

Jun: We will be prepared for anything they have to throw at us.

Rua: I want a meeting with Yoongi tomorrow, need to know we can count on him in case of war with the Kim’s and the mayor. Minghao, did you manage to get some information from the guy that attacked me?

Minghao: Not yet, then again, I only had one session with him and it was light torture. Next time I’ll get what I need from him, even if I need to kill him. And speaking of that, I might of shot Jeonghan tonight.

Jun: You what?

Minghao: I had to, he was in my way and didn’t want to run him over with the truck.

Rua: Awww, what a good former friend you are.

Minghao: Like you would actually kill Mingyu.

Rua: I might, I don’t know.

Well nobody believed you, because they knew you still cared about him in some way or another. And they thought that he felt the same. If you both wanted the other dead, it would be easy to do it.

It was a long night. Laying in bed, your mind went to Seungcheol and a naughty thought came into your head. “I’ll just send him a little photo as good night, give him a little sneak peak of what he could have. But. I’ll act innocent about it.”

credits for the girl photo: Infaithes

Next morning, your door flies open with a loud bang, waking you up.

Rua: What the fuck!

Jun: Wake up, there is a shitshow out there.

Rua: What?

Jun: The whole media, the netizens, the police, the city hall, everyone went crazy about last night’s heist.

Rua: Ok, slowly please. And I need something for my head. Anyone called?

Jun: Yeahh, including Yoongi. You need to convince him it was not us.

Rua: I’m not worried. We worked with just a handful of people and we planted little decoys to point toward other groups.

Jun: I’ve heard Mingyu is pissed about Jeonghan getting shot. Now he knows how it feels.

Rua: That’s enough for today, I am going to lay low and take the day off after I meet with Yoongi.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Later in your office, your assistant announces the Min’s arrival and she invites them in. He came with Jungkook and Taehyung. Jungkook hugs you eagerly, asking if you’re ok after the altercation last night.

Rua: How is everyone? Had lunch, you’re hungry?

Yoongi is pacing inside the room and gets a low laugh out.

Yoongi: You really did the Kim’s dirty, didn’t you?

Rua: If you’re talking about the heist, no. I wish it was me, putting such a big hole into his pockets. But no, sorry to disappoint.

Taehyung: It wasn’t you? No way it was not you.

You look at them with a smile on your face while leaning back in your chair.

Rua: I want to know who did it thought, and make them my friends.

Yoongi leans over your desk and looks into your eyes for a good moment, and you keep his gaze.

Jungkook: Then who did it?

Rua: I thought it was you guys, that’s why I asked to meet today. I really thought you did it and I am expecting a retaliation from him. Wanted to talk about our alliance and plan in case of war.

Yoongi: I mean, since none of us did it, there is no reason for him to hit us.

Rua: But how will he know this?

Jungkook: I guess we’ll need to reinforce our security everywhere, be careful and just wait to see his next move.

Rua: I wonder who he pissed off so bad that they went and did this.

Yoongi: We will probably find out one way or another. Anyway, if you need anything I’m a call away, call any of us and we’ll do the same.

Rua: Thanks, good to know.

Jungkook: Let’s get coffee and catch up, just the two of us.

Rua: Why not, I am taking the day off anyway.

You’re walking out of the building with the three men and as Yoongi and Tae get in their car and leave, you and Jungkook cross the street and enter the coffee shop.

After ordering a slice of cake and a hot cocoa, you find a table close to the window and sit there. The atmosphere here is really nice and you like how it smells like baked sweets. Sometimes you come here alone, have your cake and just watch the people.

Jungkook: So this is how a date feels like.

Rua: Only that this is not a date.

Jungkook: You and your bf do this?

Rua: Going on dates? Of course.

Jungkook: What’s his name? What does he do? Does he treat you good?

Rua: What’s with the questions? I’d rather keep my relationship private for now. But he has a respectable job and he’s amazing.

The server comes with your order, placing the cakes and drinks on the table. She keeps looking at Jungkook and feels like she wants to say something.

Server: I’m sorry, but are you Jeon Jungkook?

Jungkook: Maybe?

Rua: Maybe? What answer is that? Yes, he is.

Server: Omg, I am such a big fan of yours. Can I maybe have an autograph?

Jungkook: Sure, anything for my fans. I’ll even take a selfie with you.

You scoffed at him and started to eat your strawberry cake. He gets so ridiculous when people recognize him. So full of himself. As you were deep in your thoughts, watching the interaction before you, your phone started ringing.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?” your answer the phone with a wide smile.

“Omg hi and why are you trying to kill me first thing when I wake up?” he says in a pouty voice.

“What did I do?” you’re keeping that innocent role.

“You don’t know what you did?”

“No, so please tell me” you say in a playful tone.

“That photo, what else? Don’t pretend like that wasn’t on purpose. I did not know you were mean like this” he pouts more

“I was just a tired girl going to sleep, that’s it.”

“What are you doing today?”

“Nothing, I took the rest of the day off. Already had a meeting.”

“Spend the day with me. Let’s go to the park, get some ice cream, then do some grocery shopping, come to my place and I’ll cook something delicious for you. Maybe we even have time for a movie.”

“I would like that.”

“I’ll come get you.”

“Ok, let me know when you get here. Drive safe.”

Jungkook: Well wasn’t that cute. Your bf?

Rua: Yeah.

Jungkook: Did you talk to Mingyu last night?

Rua: Can’t call it talking, we just bumped into each other and I complained then ran away.

Jungkook: yeah, sounds like something you would do.

Rua: Shut uuup!

Jungkook: I love it when you’re feisty. That punch you gave that girl was priceless.

Rua: Did you make her shut up in the end?

Jungkook: I mean, I told her who you were, but she said she’ll talk to her dad to sue you. Aaaanyway, back to Mingyu.

Rua: Why? No, not back to Mingyu, we don’t like Mingyu.

Jungkook: I always thought you two will end up together.

Rua: Why? We were never a thing.

Jungkook: It was so obvious you were in love.

Rua: Listen. I was in love, I admit. But he never felt the same.

Jungkook: He could’ve fooled me, I really thought he was.

Rua: Nah, we even had a conversation about it. Well, more like a fight. That was the last time we talked.

Jungkook: You really think he was involved in your dad’s death?

Rua: He could be. I never got enough proof, so it’s up in the air. Could be anyone, frankly.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

After a while, your phone pings with a text from Seungcheol that he’s in front of The Towers and you let Jungkook know. You both get up, gather your things and walk out toward the front entrance of your building.

Seungcheol got out of his car, pacing a little nervously while waiting. At some point he notices you crossing the street, with some guy next to you. As you’re getting closer he recognizes him.

When you reach him you hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek.

Seungcheol: Hi.

Rua: Hi.

Jungkook pushes you a little for you to introduce him, but you don’t.

Jungkook: Ya, you’re so rude. Hello, I’m Jungkook.

Seungcheol: Nice to meet you. Seungcheol.

Rua: We’re leaving. Bye, JK!

You drag Seungcheol to his car, wanting to get away from Jungkook. They don’t need to be talking.

Leaning back in the passenger seat, you watch him leaning over and for a moment you think he’s trying to kiss you.

Seungcheol: Safety first. Always wear your seatbelt.

Oh. Right.

You still blush.

Seungcheol: Didn’t know you have such dangerous friends.

Rua: Who? Jungkook?

Seungcheol: Isn’t he Min Yoongi’s brother? The Ming Yoongi who’s a gangster?

Rua: Oh, come one, there’s no such thing as gangsters.

Seungcheol: Call him gangster, mob guy, corrupt businessman, whatever you want. He’s trouble either way.

Rua: Well me and Jungkook know each other for a long time, we used to hang out and party together, we had the same circle of friends. My dad was a businessman and he often had to deal with all types of people.

Seungcheol: I guess that’s valid, but you should be careful with these people. They have really bad reputation.

Rua: Don’t worry, I can take care of myself.

Seungcheol: And how was the event last night? Anything interesting happened?

Rua: I don’t know if I should tell you. I thought it will be all over the internet today, but I guess I got lucky.

Seungcheol: Noo, what? Someone did something to you?

Rua: Well there was this girl drooling over Jungkook the whole night and she got jealous and threw her drink at me. I punched her and dragged her out of the room.

Seungcheol: Excuse me? Now I regret not being there.

Rua: Why? I didn’t need help.

Seungcheol: Clearly. So Jungkook was there too.

Rua: Yeah, he was with some friends and I went with Jun.

Seungcheol: Surrounded my handsome dangerous men. Is that your type?

Rua: Is any of them my bf?

Seungcheol: I hope not.

You slap his thigh and whine at his words. You know he’s teasing you.

Seungcheol: Then what’s your type?

Your eyes are locked on his face, trying to see what type of reaction you get out of him with your answer, that comes pretty fast.

Rua: You.

All he can say is a silent “oh” and you see him blushing. He’s cute when he gets like this.

The ride to the park continues with you telling him about your night and how majestic the building you designed looked. He told you about his night at work and how he’s still feeling tired, but he really wanted to spend the day with you. That’s sweet, you think.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

It’s the perfect weather for a walk in the park. The sky is clear, the wind not to strong and place not crowded. He gets ice cream both, your favorite, walnut and salty caramel and you chose to sit on the grass, close to the lake.

You watch him as you’re eating your ice cream and you like the way the sunlight hits his perfectly sculpted face. He has such an attractive side profile, those lips to die for and those arms. You find yourself drooling over a man.

Seungcheol: What are you looking at?

Rua: Just you.

Seungcheol: You’re being very obvious about it.

Rua: Does it bother you?

Seungcheol: No, it’s.. nice. It’s been a while since someone looked at me like that.

Rua: Really? Women don’t admire you?

Seungcheol: I-uh-don’t really go out. I am always at work. And you know, people don’t think about stuff like that in a hospital. They come there with problems.

Rua: What about colleagues?

Seungcheol: I was married to one and since the divorce, I always kept my distance from female colleagues, just keeping it professional.

Rua: Oh. Why did you end the marriage?

Seungcheol: She… cheated with our boss. We were both working at the same clinic. So I left everything back, marriage and that job. Later on I found out that she was involved with him since way before we got married.

Rua: I’m sorry to hear that. Can’t imagine how you felt.

Seungcheol: Thanks. But shit like that happens and we need to move on. It’s been almost 2 years since the breakup and my friends started to worry about me for being single for so long.

Rua: You didn’t try to date for 2 years?

Seungcheol: No, I was too hurt to trust again. But I know people are different and I didn’t want to shut myself from the world completely.

You were taking all that in, thinking it must have been really hard for him to get over that. You try to put yourself in his shoes and you don’t know how you would react. Probably kill the guy, or at least cut his dick off and set it on fire.

He turns to you with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. You can tell he’s not fully recovered after what he’s been through. You’d probably never recover from that, hating on the guy for the rest of your life, and that would be valid.

Seungcheol: What about you? I know you said you never had a relationship. What about dating? A crush?

You look at him and contemplate if you should be honest or lie. Lying would make it easier, he would not question anything. But it’s what you always did whenever you were seeing someone, you lied. Stopping them to knowing the real you.

But now, with Seungcheol, you feel like you want to open up. Maybe it will make you feel better.

Rua: I was in love once, but id didn’t work out.

Seungcheol: Why not? Can’t imagine a guy not wanting you.

Rua: The feelings were not reciprocated. We… we grew up together.

Seungcheol: Oh damn, is it Jungkook?

Rua: Ha, nooo! You don’t know him. Our parents were close and we grew up being best friends. But when we were in high school I started feeling more for him and everything changed. After his parents died in an accident we got into an argument and then I told him how I felt. But he rejected me. He just left and I never saw him again.

Seungcheol: Well let me tell you this. First, he was a shitty friend leaving you like that just because you had feelings for him. Second, any man who says no to you is insane.

In that moment, your heart started beating faster, you could feel warmth enveloping your whole body. He started leaning toward you slowly, almost giving you time to pull away or say something. But you didn’t do any of those.

Eyes locked on each other, his face so close now that you could feel his hot breath on your face, ready to close your eyes and let the kiss consume you. Your palms felt tingly for a second.

But just as his lips barely touched yours, your privacy was invaded by a little doggy who saw an opportunity to get attention as two humans sat on the ground.

This could never get you upset, even if it ruined the first kiss with the guy you were crushing hard at the moment. You loved all dogs and you had to give this little one all the kisses.

Seungcheol: Awwn, I’ve been trying for weeks and this tiny furry did it in one second.

Rua: Have you seen his face? Look at it!

You were holding the puppy up to his face for him to look at how cute he was and he had to agree.

After spending like 2-3 hours at the park, you started to get hungry, so next on the list was grocery shopping.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Walking down the aisles of the supermarket with Seungcheol beside you felt really domestic and strangely… right. It felt right, yes.

Rua: What are you cooking?

Seungcheol: Not telling you. I want to be a surprise.

Rua: So what am I supposed to do while you’re cooking? Can’t I help?

Seungcheol: Hmm. Maybe I’ll let you assist me a bit.

Moving his gaze to look behind you, he noticed two familiar figures. He also saw them earlier in the park. They seemed suspicious then too, but he chose to think that it’s maybe just a coincidence and they are just two friends that are walking, like you were. But now they were here and it looked like they were keeping an eye on you.

Suddenly, you felt his arm around your waist, pulling you close to his body, hiding you both behind some boxes.

Rua: Cheol, what are you doing?

Seungcheol: I think we’re being followed.

Rua: Are you sure?

Seungcheol: Yes, two guys that I saw in the park today. They are here and they keep on looking at us.

You sigh and tap his shoulders, almost smiling.

Rua: Is one of them wearing a ridiculous beige hat with a feather?

Seungcheol: Y-yes?

Rua: Ugh, it’s fine. They work for me and they follow me for protection.

Seungcheol: Are you serious?

Rua: Yeah.

Seungcheol: Who are you?

Rua: I didn’t tell you this, but few weeks ago someone tried to kill me.

Seungcheol: When? Who?

Rua: The day of our first date.

Seungcheol: Jesus, babe. Don’t keep things like that from me. This is serious.

Rua: Babe?

You bat your lashes at him and push your fingers trough his hair, acting cute and flirty just to tease him.

He swallows hard, his throat going dry and he doesn’t know how to act. So all he can do is pout.

Rua: Oh, nooo. Don’t be upset. I told you I can take care of myself.

Seungcheol: I am very worried, don’t joke about it.

Rua: Well I can’t take a guy who is hired to kill and gets beaten up by a girl, seriously.

Seungcheol: Did you beat him up?

Rua: Mhm.

Seungcheol: Again, who are you? How are you so cool?

Rua: Let’s hurry, I am starving already.

Seungcheol: Ok, but I have so many questions.

Rua: We’ll have time to talk while you cook.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Coming back to his place brings back memories from that night you’ve been shot. There have been so many attempts at your life in the last months that it’s becoming a concern.

His apartment is cozy and it’s so him. Smells nice and it’s bright.

Rua: I’ll just be a little nosy, ok? I like to see how people design their homes and where they put their stuff and why.

Seungcheol: Go ahead, I’ll get everything ready by the time you’re done snooping.

Starting from the living room, there’s a big U shape couch that feels very soft. Naps here are great, for sure. The big industrial windows let a lot of natural light come in. The light must look pretty during sunset.

Rua: Did you move here recently?

Seungcheol: How did you know?

Rua: Well the floor barely has any scratch, same with your counters and tables. They look new. And there is a smell of new.

Seungcheol: That’s very impressive.

Rua: I’m good at this stuff.

Seungcheol: You should work as a detective.

Rua: I’d be so good at it.

Then you go into his bedroom, observe the bed, his closet. He doesn’t have that many clothes and most of them are formal. Probably suits he wears at work. Has lots of shirts, ties and white hospital robes.

The whole place is neat and organized, just a bit empty. Maybe he likes it more minimalistic.

You walk back to the kitchen and look through his cabinets.

Rua: Hmm. You barely have stuff in here.

Seungcheol: Yeah, I never cook. Always eat at work or I order takeout.

Rua: Do we have what we need to cook today?

Seungcheol: I think so, don’t worry.

Rua: Your place is very… manly?

Seungcheol: Oh? How?

Rua: Well. It’s simple, nothing complicated or fancy. But somehow it works. It looks cozy but at the same time it’s missing something.

Seungcheol: What is it missing?

Rua: I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out and let you know.

You lean your back on the kitchen island and watch and he’s moving around, looking for pans and utensils, washing the vegetables.

Seungcheol: So who might want to see you dead? Pff, it sounds so weird saying it out loud.

Rua: Umm, lots of people.

Seungcheol: Like?

Rua: The competition, politicians, jealous girls, I don’t know.

Seungcheol: Want to talk about that night when you got shot? Was it another attempt at your life?

Rua: I am not sure if it was, maybe they wanted to scare me off, to injure me, not make me keep my mouth shut, to kill my men. I don’t know.

Seungcheol: Where did it happen?

Rua: I was meeting one of my associates at his warehouse and when we got there, shootings started, stuff blowing up. The whole building got burned to the ground.

Seungcheol: Oh, I think I saw about that on the news.

Rua: Yeah. I could of died there.

Seungcheol: But do you have one person that you suspect?

Rua: Yes, I have one in mind.

Seungcheol: Who?

You’re not sure you should say the name. But then again, if something happens to you, people should know who to point fingers at.

Rua: Kim Mingyu.

Seungcheol: The Kim Mingyu? The super wealthy guy? The most desired bachelor in the country? The shady businessman that has connections with dirty politicians? That Kim Mingyu?

Rua: That’s him.

Seungcheol: Now, why? Why does he hate you?

Rua: Ugh, it’s a long story.

Seungcheol: I have time. Like one hour until food is ready.

Rua: I’ll give the very short version.

As he’s getting the meat ready, you move to the other side of the island and lean over it, sighing.

Rua: So basically. You know my dad was killed. It was by a hired assassin. We caught the killer but didn’t get to find out who hired him. Rumors started spreading that the Kim’s had something to do with it, but I never wanted to believe it. You see, my parents and Mingyu’s parents were friends, so me and him were friends too. Then his parents had an accident and they died. Minyu thought that I did it, since I suspected his family of killing my father. We had a big fight, and since we’ve been enemies.

Seungcheol: Wait. So.

He turns to look at you and you can see the wheels on his brain moving.

Seungcheol: Is Kim Mingyu your first love?

Rua: Unfortunately.

Seungcheol: I’m sorry I am laughing, but this sounds so crazy. it’s like some friends to enemies book, or whatever they call it.

Rua: Listen, Cheol. I am not an innocent person. I have done things in my life, and I’ll keep doing it if I need to. But I don’t want to involve you into any of this. That’s why, some thing it’s better that you don’t know.

Seungcheol: You’re scaring me now. You make it sounds like you’re always in danger. Does it mean I am too?

Rua: I hope you’re not, but if we will be seen out together by the wrong people, you will be. So I am asking you... let’s keep this as private as we can. For your safety.

Seungcheol: As much as I would like to show you off to the world, I am a homebody and I am fine with having a private relationship.

Rua: Is that what this is? Are we in a relationship?

Seungcheol: Well, you’re my girlfriend.

He’s walking toward you and you’re straightening yourself, turning to him.

Rua: I don’t know, you never asked me to be.

When he’s right in front of you, his hands go on your waist, pulling you to his body. Chests touching, eyes locked. His voice becomes deeper, more seductive.

Seungcheol: You were my girlfriend since our first date.

Now his face was right here, leaning down to yours. Lips brushing, he’s not in a hurry at all. His fingers squeezing your hips, pushing you impossibly close to him. His body heat radiating all over.

Then it happens. His lips are fully on yours, gentle, exploring the possibilities. Your eyes don’t close, almost in disbelief that you’re finally kissing someone after so long.

You like to be able to see his kissing face, it’s hot. Your hands fly to his face, touching it slowly, caressing it, moving over the nape of his neck.

You melt under his touch and the kiss feels so soft. He’s so gentle and attentive.

You feel his tongue licking your lower lip as a sign that he wants to deepen the kiss, so you open your lips and let him. Tongues licking one another, the kiss getting more passionate, but still soft.

Gets you so turned on that a breathy moan escapes you and at the sound of that his arms go around your waist, holding you flush to his body.

After a while, you both feel like you need air and you pull back, looking at each other with want. But now’s not the time for more. You’re not ready. You need to be sure.

Rua: Are you trying to deduce me?

Seungcheol: Is it working?

You nod and give him another kiss, this time shorter.

Seungcheol: Ok, back to cooking. You can help me from now on.

And that’s what you do, you both work on dinner while you ask questions about each other. You find out more about his childhood, his family and his relationships. He’s also giving good answers and good reactions at your inquiries, trying to see if he’s a kind, respectful and empathetic person.

Food is ready and you’re taking small bites, careful not to burn your tongue. He seems amused by it.

Rua: What’s funny? It’s hot and I really need to eat.

Seungcheol: You’re cute.

He leans to give you a little kiss and in that moment you realize that you’re in a relationship. Might be very new, but it feels like home. You never felt like this and you think he might be the one.

After dinner, you both clean and wash the dishes, then lay comfortably on the couch, surrounded by fluffy pillows. He turns on a movie, you chose a comedy so you pick “What we do in the shadows”.

You can’t really concentrate on the movie, since he’s holding you like that. You can feel his every muscle, the way his chest is moving with each breath he takes and it makes your head float. You take short breaks to kiss, but you try to keep it PG and he’s not pushing it.

Sleep takes over your tired bodies and you slowly start to wake up after a while. It’s already dark outside, so that means it’s after 9 pm. He can feel you move in his arms and he wakes up too.

Rua: I should head back home.

Seungcheol: I’ll take you.

Rua: Stay and rest, I’ll call Jun.

Seungcheol: No no, your bf is taking you home.

You smile and hide your face into his chest, hugging him tighter. He kisses the top of your head then lifts himself up.

Rua: Would love to spend the night with you, but I don’t feel ready yet for that. Hope you understand.

Seungcheol: You don’t need to explain, I like taking it slow.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

On your way home, you feel happy. It’s like a rush that goes through you, similar to what you used to feel when you were very young and in love. He takes your hand, gives it a kiss, then puts it on his thigh so he can drive.

You’re texting Jun that you’re coming home and ask what’s he doing and if something new came up.

No response for the next few minutes. It’s unlike him, but maybe he’s in the middle of something important.

A strange feeling starts to creep up in your head, your senses become sharper and you tell yourself you should be aware of your surroundings. It almost feels too quiet, like the quiet before the storm.

Rua: Something’s wrong.

Seungcheol: Are you feeling sick?

Rua: No. I have a bad feeling.

And there it is, a car speeding from the right, ready to crash into you. Cheol is quick and turns the wheel as hard as he can, his car getting hit in the back now, and not at full speed. Your car spins twice in the middle of the road, the other one stops.

You try to clear your head, looking at Seungcheol to see if he’s ok. The airbags went off and your ears are ringing. You reach into your bag and take your gun out. Before pointing to the car, you look around to see if there are people, but it’s pretty deserted at this hour, especially in this part of town.

From behind, you see another car getting closer and stopping next to the car that hit you, you recognize it’s your guys that have been following you all day. They get off their car with guns in their hands, walking to the perpetrators.

But the car’s engine starts and you tell Cheol to go. Your men get back into their car, planning to follow you and finish whoever is attacking you.

You start shooting at the car that’s getting closer and closer.

Seungcheol: What the fuck is going on???

You’re in full fight mode, you don’t register what he’s saying, trying to hit the driver. They manage to reach your car and hit it just a bit, making you yell.

Rua: Push that pedal!

Seungcheol: This is fucking insane! Be careful!

One of their tires explodes, probably your guys shot it from behind, so you take advantage of the situation since there’s enough space between you and them. You push yourself more out the window, telling Seungcheol to hold you by your leg to make sure you don’t fall.

You concentrate, aim and pull the trigger. Right into the driver’s chest or head, you believe. It definitely hit him, the car crashing into some parked cars.

You slowly pull yourself back in the car, tell Cheol he can slow down, in a very calm voice and you just sit back, gun in your hand, that sits on your lap.

Seungcheol: What the actual fuck?

Rua: I got them.

Seungcheol: What do you mean?

Rua: I mean I hope I killed that son of a bitch.

Seungcheol: I can’t believe this is happening.

Rua: Are you ok? Want to stop the car?

Seungcheol: I am not ok, no. But I don’t want to stop, what if others come.

Then your men slowly catch up to your car, driving next to yours, lowering their window to check on you. You give them a thumbs up, signaling them to follow you. And they remain driving closely behind.

You can see Seungcheol’s hands shaking on the steering wheel and you put your hand on his thigh, trying to calm him.

Rua: It’s ok, we’re safe now. We are going to reach my building in a few minutes, pull up through the back entrance. We need to get rid of this car and erase any information about its number registration.

Seungcheol: What? Why?

Rua: They will search for the plate numbers and reach your name.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────••───────•°•❀•°•───────•

In less than 10 minutes you reach The Towers, a few men already waiting at the entrance. You get off the car, Seungcheol going around it to see the damages.

Seungcheol: Fuck! It’s fucked.

Rua: Don’t worry about it, it matters that we’re ok. I’ll give you a new car tomorrow.

Seungcheol: What do you mean you’ll give me a new car tomorrow? What am I, some princess in a romcom?

Rua: If you want to be.

You smile at him and take his hand to pull him toward the elevator.

Seungcheol: You think it’s funny? We could be dead now. What have I got myself into?

You see Jun and Hao running to you, their faces relieved seeing that you’re ok.

Jun: Are you injured?

Rua: No. Get rid of the car and erase anything that links it to Seungcheol.

Minghao: I’ll get right to it.

Rua: And have a car ready in the morning for him to use.

Seungcheol: We haven’t talked about this.

Rua: That’s the best solution, trust me.

He looks at Jun, almost waiting for him to say that this is all going to far, but Jun just shrugs his shoulders.

Jun: She’s the boss and it’s not our first rodeo.

Seungcheol: Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on.

Rua: Let’s go to my apartment, relax and talk.

Minghao: Boss!

You stop yourself and turn to him.

Minghao: I have important news.

Rua: Can it wait?

Minghao: Not really.

Rua: What’s it about?

Minghao: I found out who sent that guy to attack you.

Your face became serious, heart starting to beat faster, waiting to hear Mingyu’s name. It terrified you really. You still didn’t want to believe he would do something like that. You weren’t ready.

Rua: Who?

He sights and gives you the name. You look in shock at Seungcheol, thinking you were so foolish.

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