Chapter Text
D-8
“It’s not fair, Jae, you’re good at everything,” one of his classmates complained, her voice a mix of cute and sexy, as he effortlessly hit the bullseye with his dart. Chaerin—he remembered her name. She was new, and just transferred to their faculty. And she was hot too—tall, with a pretty face, and by the way she was giving him the eyes, he knew she wanted him.
He smirked at her, not bothering to reply or flirt. He hardly needed to do anything; he knew he’d have her in bed tonight.
Jun’s bar was packed as usual. The bar near their university was always bustling, even on a Sunday night. Jaekyung was in the thick of it, yet he felt oddly detached, like he was thriving on the energy around him while watching everything from a distance.
To anyone observing, Jaekyung seemed more social lately, he was partying more than usual and sleeping around even more if that was possible. If people noticed the shift in his behavior, they didn’t question it—he was more engaging, his laughter was louder, his presence more magnetic, making him almost more accessible. It nearly felt too good to be true, as if he was a different person, but it was a welcome change from his typically cold demeanor, so no one was complaining.
As he lined up his next dart, he felt the familiar rush of confidence wash over him. He aimed and threw, hitting the bullseye with ease again. The crowd erupted in cheers, and Jaekyung basked in their admiration. This was exactly what he was looking for—to be in his element, the center of attention.
Chaerin sidled up to him, her eyes shining with awe and something more. “You make it look so easy,” she said, her voice a sultry purr.
Since that day in the library with Heesung, Jaekyung had thrown himself into anything that could offer a momentary escape. It was better this way. He felt better. The ridiculous emptiness of the first days had changed to a manageable ache. He wasn’t at his best, that was for sure, but at least he could enjoy the presence of others without wanting to punch them in the face.
Jaekyung glanced at her, his smirk widening. He could see the desire in her eyes, the way she leaned closer to him, her body language screaming for his attention.
“It’s all in the wrist,” he replied casually, giving her a wink. She giggled, her cheeks flushing slightly.
It was far too easy.
Then, as he turned back to the dartboard, Jaekyung’s heart nearly stopped. He was dreaming, hallucinating, maybe both. His subconscious must be playing tricks on him. Because there was no way that Kim Dan—his Dan—would be entering a pub on a Sunday night at 10 p.m.
When he wasn’t there with him.
When he wasn’t there with him.
But here he was, sitting in the corner of the bar with his own classmates. He was smiling and laughing, looking effortlessly radiant. For a moment, everything around him faded into the background, and all he could see was Dan.
He blinked, once, twice, until he confirmed that it was reality and he wasn’t seeing things.
All of his body screamed to go to him.
f*ck that, to run to him.
Almost as if he could feel his presence, Dan's eyes suddenly met his, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped.
Like the world had stopped.
Jaekyung started to walk towards him, his body moving instinctively, wanting nothing more than to touch him. But then, as fast as it came, Dan looked away, acting as if he hadn’t seen him.
Jaekyung stopped.
The bet.
His blood started to boil, and he didn’t know if it was because of this ridiculous situation or the fact that Dan—his Dan—ignored him. They could have at least tried to communicate with their eyes like they used to when they didn’t want others to understand. The fact that Dan didn’t even try felt like a slap in the face. Didn’t he care? It’s Dan and him; it was never supposed to be awkward between them.
What was he even doing here, with his med classmates, on a Sunday night during exam period? Jaekyung wanted to look, wanted to examine everything to understand what was going on, but if Dan couldn’t be bothered to check if he was alright, he wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of looking either.
Still, if there was one thing Jaekyung hated, it was not having things go his way.
He would make him look.
He turned back to his friends, his demeanor more animated and exuberant. He made sure everyone’s eyes were on him. He joined in a beer pong game, sinking every shot with ease, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Chaerin was practically hanging off him now, her admiration plain as day.
“You’re amazing, Jae,” she gushed, her hand resting on his arm.
He barely registered her words. Jaekyung could feel Dan's gaze from across the room, and it made his heart pound.
Yes, he was doing better, he was, he really was.
But f*ck, he still missed him.
A lot.
It had been a week, and he didn’t know if he was supposed to be happy to reach this milestone or depressed that this week had been the longest of his life.
But he was fine, he knew it. He just needed time to adjust to this new situation. It was normal—something you could explain scientifically. He’d even looked it up. Homeostasis, or maybe it was allostasis. Whatever. The point was, that it made sense. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him.
He needed to show Dan that he was fine, that he was having a great time without him. He needed Dan to feel something—anything.
“Want to get out of here?” Chaerin asked, her voice low and inviting.
Jaekyung didn’t look at her, his eyes briefly flicking to where Dan stood, laughing with his classmates. With one classmate in particular. Who the f*ck was he? He knew them all, all Dan’s med crew, but he had never seen that face before.
“Jaekyung?” Chaerin said, her voice tinged with curiosity.
He didn’t reply, keeping his eyes on Dan, making sure Dan could feel his burning gaze. The second Dan finally looked his way, Jaekyung turned back to Chaerin.
“Sure,” he replied, masking his desperation with a charming smile. He slipped an arm around Chaerin’s waist, leading her out of the bar.
As they walked, Jaekyung felt a fleeting sense of victory mixed with a hollow shame. What the f*ck was he even doing? He glanced back one last time, hoping to catch Dan's eye. But Dan was engrossed in conversation, seemingly unaffected.
He pushed every thought aside. He had a distraction, and that was enough for tonight.
Jaekyung was nothing if not stubborn.
He would not break first.
D-9
“Why are we in this library again?” Jiyeon asked, glancing around the study room as she set down her books. “We usually go to the one by the business building.”
Jaekyung gave a nonchalant shrug, his tone cool and steady. "I just thought it’d be quieter here. Less crowded."
Jiyeon raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further. “Okay, if you say so. I guess a change of scenery can be good.”
The group settled into their work, laptops humming and papers spread out across the table. Jaekyung sat by the window, making sure he had a clear view of the garden below.
“Jaekyung, can you take a look at this section?” one of his classmates asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, sure,” he replied, his eyes flicking briefly to the document before drifting back to the window.
The study room was quiet, just like he’d said, but that wasn’t the real reason he’d chosen it. As much as he tried to deny it, it wasn’t a coincidence that they ended up in the library right next to the med faculty building, seated in the exact corner that offered a perfect view of the garden where Dan often spent sunny days like today.
To put it bluntly, he was desperate to catch a glimpse of Dan.
He’d been in a foul mood since morning. His alarm hadn’t gone off, making him late for his first class. His coffee machine broke down, leaving him caffeine-deprived and irritable. And to top it off, he’d misplaced his notes for an important lecture. It seemed like the universe was conspiring against him.
But what really got under his skin was the memory of seeing Dan at the bar last night. He couldn’t shake it, even as he found himself in that girl’s apartment afterward, barely remembering how he’d ended up there. His body had been on autopilot, going through the motions, but his mind? His mind had been elsewhere—stuck on Dan.
He tried to block it out, to focus on his partner, but Dan's image refused to leave his mind, always lurking in the background.
Who was he kidding though, Dan had always been there, no matter what he did or who he was with. But now, it was different. Dan wasn’t physically there, and that absence made everything a thousand times worse.
He needed to calm down, to stop his mind from spiraling out of control. The only way he knew how was to see him. Fight fire with fire, right?
He glanced out the window again, his heart skipping a beat when he finally saw a familiar figure sitting on a bench. There he was. Jaekyung couldn’t help but smirk. He knew Dan so well, could predict his actions like clockwork.
“Earth to Jaekyung,” Jiyeon teased, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “You’re spacing out again. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just… thinking,” he said, forcing a smile.
Jiyeon gave him a skeptical look but let it go. “If you say so.”
Jaekyung nodded, trying to seem nonchalant as he kept sneaking glances at the window. Dan was still there, completely absorbed in his notebook.
It had been over a week since he had talked to Dan. He’d even changed his phone wallpaper to stop himself from thinking about him every minute of the day, but here he was, arranging his entire day around the slim chance of seeing him.
“Jaekyung, are you even listening?” Jiyeon asked, exasperated.
“Yeah, yeah, I am,” he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from the window.
“If you need to talk, I’m here,” she whispered, her voice tinged with concern. She was one of the few who could show annoyance toward him without fear—probably because they were close. As his only female friend, her lack of interest in him (or any man, for that matter) had made it easier to build a genuine friendship.
“Thanks,” he replied, knowing that talking wouldn’t help. What he needed was to get up, walk outside to Dan, and f*cking -
Jaekyung breathed, calmed his mind, and tried to keep his expression neutral, but his pulse quickened.
His eyes were fixed on him again.
Dan was leaning over his notebook, his face set in a serious expression of concentration. Jaekyung could see the slight furrow of his brows, the way his eyes flicked back and forth over the page. When Dan didn’t understand something, his eyebrows would twitch just so, and his lips would press together in frustration. Jaekyung found himself anticipating Dan’s reactions, noting the exact moment irritation set in. Then, just as Jaekyung had predicted, Dan’s mouth moved slightly, forming silent words. He was getting thirsty. Sure enough, Dan reached for his water bottle a moment later, taking a long drink, his eyes never leaving his notes.
The sky could fall, and he wouldn’t notice.
Jaekyung chuckled softly. Dan had always been so focused, so determined. Even as kids, Dan would get lost in his thoughts, concentrating so hard on every task that he’d forget everything around him. Jaekyung used to watch him then too, fascinated by the intensity in Dan’s eyes. Dan had always been mesmerizing to him. He had always been the center of his world too, even from the beginning. Jaekyung remembered the first time he saw him, a shy kid hiding behind his granny. They were opposites from the start—Jaekyung, co*cky and confident; Dan, reserved and quiet. Yet something about Dan had drawn him in, made him want to protect him, to be near him. For the first time in his life, he was thriving on the attention of another kid his age, of another person for that matter.
Lost in his memories, Jaekyung didn’t notice the guy approaching Dan at first until he sat down too close for comfort and put his hand on Dan’s arm to get his attention. He recognized the guy right away—it was the same one from the bar. Who the f*ck was he? Jaekyung’s fists clenched involuntarily.
“Jaekyung?” his classmates called. Why is he getting so close to Dan?
“Jaekyung?” a bit louder. Why is Dan letting him?
“Jaekyung!” The same classmate called his name, louder this time.
“What?” Jaekyung snapped, his foot hitting the wall next to him violently. Minho, one of his classmates, looked at him, dumbfounded.
“What’s so interesting outside that you don’t even see us?” He followed Jaekyung’s gaze, then paused for a second as if everything clicked. He chuckled.
“Oh, isn’t that your best friend out there?” Minho nodded toward the window. “And who’s that guy with him? He’s pretty hot. Never seen him before.” Jaekyung’s jaw tightened.
“Looks like they’re getting along pretty well,” Jiyeon added, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Jaekyung forced another strained smile, trying to mask the storm brewing inside him. “Must be a new friend,” he said, his voice tight.
“New friend, huh?” Minho smirked. “The new guy looks pretty interested.” The comment was a punch to Jaekyung’s gut. The thought of someone else getting close to Dan submerged him in emotions he couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
He turned back to his laptop, pretending to focus on the project, but his mind was a tempest of frustration. He kept telling himself he didn’t care, but his knuckles were white from gripping the table. He could feel his composure slipping, bit by bit.
He didn’t care, he told himself. He didn’t care.
One hour later, Jaekyung walked into the cozy coffee shop near their university, greeted by the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. He knew Dan's schedule by heart—he wasn’t working today. Not that it mattered; Jaekyung wasn't there to see Dan.
As he entered, Donggyun and Chanwoo, Dan's close friends who part-timed at the same coffee shop, were behind the counter. Jaekyung approached them, making Donggyun look up, surprise flickering across his face.
“Jae?” he asked, a question in his voice. "What brings you here? You know Dan isn't working today. Right?"
Jaekyung wanted to say that he didn’t need Dan to be working to come here, but he knew it would be a lie—and that they would know it was a lie—So, he just kept his mouth shut.
Chanwoo leaned on the counter, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Yeah, Jae, what a surprise. Happy to see you're still alive and kicking. Did you miss us or something?"
Jaekyung's jaw tightened. "Nice to see you too," he said, his tone flat. "There's a guy I've been seeing with Dan. Who is he? Tall, blond bleached hair, tattoos." It was useless to pretend he was here for anything else, so he decided to be straightforward.
Donggyun and Chanwoo exchanged a quick glance, clearly enjoying this more than they should.
"Oh, we're doing great, thanks for asking," Donggyun said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"Yeah, everything's just peachy," Chanwoo added with a smirk. "But about your question, since you’re not interested in anything else anyway, my guess is Junmin? He's a new med student, just transferred from Yonsei. Very interesting guy. It’s funny how he and Dan hit it off right away."
Jaekyung tried to maintain his composure, but Chanwoo was making it hard. "So why the sudden interest, Jae? Jealous much?"
Jaekyung shot him a cold look. "Just curious. Dan's usually more private," he said, keeping his voice steady.
"Curious, huh? Or maybe the bet is getting to you?" Chanwoo teased, leaning in closer. "Not gonna lie, didn’t think you'd last this long. Must be torture."
Jaekyung's façade cracked slightly, but he quickly recovered, maintaining his detached demeanor. "I don't care about the bet. Just seemed unusual, that's all."
Donggyun, sensing Jaekyung's discomfort, couldn’t resist adding his own remark. "You know, it’s funny seeing you so worked up, Jae. Dan's got good judgment. You shouldn’t worry."
Jaekyung's patience was wearing thin. "I'm not worried. Just wanted to know who the new guy is."
Chanwoo's eyes gleamed with mischief. "It’s okay to be protective of your friends. But you might want to figure out why it's bugging you so much. Just saying."
Jaekyung’s eyes were fixed on Chanwoo, trying really hard not to snap.
“Anyway, don’t think about it too much, they get along really well. It’s almost like… I don’t know… they’re close.” he continued with an innocent voice.
Jaekyung’s hand tightened as he took a breath. Those two were messing with him, he knew it, but he couldn’t help but feel completely helpless.
"Thanks for the information," he said curtly, turning to leave.
"Oh, anytime, Jae," Chanwoo called after him, a hint of amusem*nt in his voice.
As Jaekyung walked away, Donggyun’s voice called out again. "Hey, Jae, wait up!"
Jaekyung paused, turning back to face Donggyun with a raised eyebrow.
“We're having a small get-together on Friday night with the gang. Remember?"
Jaekyung racked his brain, trying to recall what Donggyun was referring to. Then it clicked. Jiwon had mentioned something about a party a few days ago—a casual gathering among their closest friends.
"Oh, right," Jaekyung said, the memory surfacing. "At your place, right?"
Donggyun nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! You’re coming right? Everyone’s going to be there."
Jaekyung’s gaze flickered to Donggyun’s, and he didn’t need to voice his question. Dong Gyun's eyes answered for him: "Yes, Dan will be there."
He nodded, then turned to leave.
"See you on Friday, Jae!" Dong Gyun called after him, a knowing smile on his lips.
D-13
Jaekyung buttoned his shirt, the fabric cool against his skin, as he glanced at the person still tangled in the bedsheets. "So it’s true, you never stay," the voice murmured from the bed, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
Jaekyung didn’t respond. His movements were deliberate, detached. It had been an embrace like all the others—passionate, fleeting, and ultimately empty. Tonight, though, he wasn’t supposed to end up here.
He wasn’t supposed to be here.
It wasn’t fair to be mad at Dan, but damn, it hurt.
All week, Jaekyung had been on edge, eagerly awaiting his chance to see Dan. The days seemed to speed up, fueled by the excitement of their upcoming meeting. He’d gone all out today—dressing carefully and fixing his hair perfectly. Just the idea of being near him, hearing his voice, and seeing his smile stirred something deep inside him that he couldn’t quite control.
As he zipped up his jeans, Jaekyung’s eyes scanned the room for his belongings. The lingering scent of perfume from his latest encounter still filled the air. In the mirror, his reflection stared back, emotionless. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, its screen lighting up with unread messages.
He’d gone to Jiwon and Donggyun’s place with his heart racing, only to learn that Dan wasn’t there and wouldn’t be coming. It felt like a blow to the gut. A cold, empty feeling settled in his chest, spreading like poison. What was this feeling? Disillusionment? It hurt more than a punch to the face.
He wasn’t stupid; he knew Dan was avoiding him.
He shrugged on his jacket and left the apartment, not looking back. The door clicked shut behind him. In the elevator, Jaekyung’s fingers tapped against his phone, and the quiet hum of the elevator seemed to highlight the silence around him — inside him.
As his friends teased him earlier, Jaekyung had felt an unfamiliar sense of loneliness creeping in—something was missing, and he couldn’t shake the emptiness nagging at him. He couldn’t bear their knowing looks, the way they seemed to understand something he didn’t, their teasing jabs that cut too close to the bone.
He felt alone in a way he never had before.
And then, he noticed it—the affectionate gestures between his friends, gestures that had never bothered him before. Jiwon protectively following Donggyun’s every move, Heesung looking at Yoongu like he was the center of the universe, Myungdae whispering in Chanwoo’s ear, making him blush.
Jiwon and Myungdae had been their friends since he and Heesung entered university. Back then, they were all single—their group was infamous across Seoul’s universities. The four rich, handsome, and good-at-everything business majors from SNU. Then, one by one, they started dating. First Heesung, then Jiwon and Myungdae, who started seeing Dan’s friends.
He hadn’t noticed the difference before. They had all been single together, then they weren’t, but it never felt like he was the odd one out. He never felt the difference. And then, looking at them, Jaekyung realized why. He felt so stupid. He had always seen himself as part of a pair too—with Dan. Whenever he was with his friends and their boyfriends, Dan was there, with him. Of course, he never noticed anything when all his focus had always been on Dan. f*ck, they were acting worse than their friends.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing the parking lot. Jaekyung stepped out and walked toward his car. He slid into the sleek leather seat, buckled his seatbelt, and for a moment, just stared into space, lost in thought.
Where the hell was Dan anyway? A hopeful part of him wondered if Dan had stayed away because it was too hard to be near him without speaking, without breaking. But a darker part of him knew better. The image of Dan ignoring him in the bar flashed in his mind, making his chest tighten with insecurity. Was Dan even affected? Surely, he wasn’t the only one losing his mind over this?
Then, a thought hit him with such force that it made him grip the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
Was Dan with that jerk?
He knew that everyone had been trying to rile him up, playing on his possessiveness, but he didn’t know anymore. Was Dan really getting close to that guy? In a different way? The thought made his blood boil.
When they were fifteen, Dan came out to Jaekyung after Jaekyung’s father jokingly said he wished Dan were a girl so he could marry him to Jaekyung. Dan had laughed off the comment, but later, in the privacy of Jaekyung’s room, he had tearfully confessed that he wasn’t interested in girls. Jaekyung wasn’t surprised; the only crush he’d ever seen Dan have was on a male anime character, which had even made young Jaekyung inexplicably angry. That night, he had hugged Dan, trying to manage the confusing mix of curiosity, excitement, and fear he felt.
But Dan had never been with anyone—never shown interest. Did that change? Was that guy truly different?
He tried to stay with his friends, forcing a smile and participating in their conversations, but the pressure became too much to bear. Anger flared up again, intense and consuming. After taking a moment to regain his composure, Jaekyung found himself standing up and leaving his friends’ apartment without a word. Their calls faded behind him as he walked away. He needed to escape and regain control, which led him to the apartment of a girl who had given him her number the day before.
A notification pinged on his phone, snapping him out of his thoughts. "In Arena. Join us. It's a wild night!" The digital clock read one a.m. Yeah, clubbing sounded good.
If you asked Park Leehi where she saw herself in five years, she would likely have answered, at the helm of the cosmetic branch of her family's conglomerate, managing the art gallery she planned to open after graduation, and married to Joo Jaekyung. Not that there was anything desperately romantic about it. Jaekyung simply seemed to be the perfect match. His family was powerful, one of the richest, like hers. He was handsome, intelligent, and ambitious. Unlike his cousins he was not merely content to inherit his great grandfather’s empire but determined to expand it with his own plans and projects. Their parents knew each other and got along well—Jaekyung’s parent’s mansion was actually next door to hers in Hannam-dong. In every logical and pragmatic sense, he was ideal for her.
He was the golden boy.
She once had a crush on him, but that was before she realized he was too much of an asshole to develop genuine feelings for. Leehi loved herself too much to fall for a man who only knew how to f*ck her right. But the sex? The sex with Jaekyung was incredible, out of this world, beyond anything she had ever experienced.
And that’s exactly what she had in mind when one of her friends texted her that Jaekyung was at the Arena. She had been having drinks with her high school friends at a wine bar in Apgujeong - at least they were, she was drinking sparkling water, it was her non-alcoholic week, something that she did every once in a while after a night of blacking out - when she received the message. Arena wasn’t far, she was in the mood, and her friends were eager for a good time.
But nothing prepared her for what she saw when she arrived.
Jaekyung was at the center of their VIP section, moving with a rhythm that drew everyone's eyes. His black shirt was slightly unbuttoned, revealing the taut lines of his chest, and his head was thrown back, eyes closed, as he lost himself in the music. He was effortlessly, devastatingly attractive, his movements smooth and natural, every gesture exuding raw magnetism. She had rarely seen him dance like this—usually, he had someone pressed against him, guiding their movements. Jaekyung always had total control over his body, excelling in everything physical, but tonight, he was magnificent.
And yet, something was off.
As her initial awe began to fade, Leehi noticed it. Jaekyung didn’t look like his usual self. He looked... sad. His usual composure was gone, replaced by an emptiness that she had never seen in him before. He was drinking more than usual too—another red flag. Jaekyung wasn’t one to drink, at least not like this. He drank socially, sure, but never to the point of stumbling through a night.
His face, usually cold and arrogant unless he was with that best friend of his, was blank, distant. And speaking of that best friend, she realized with a jolt that she hadn’t seen him around lately. Had they fought? Was that why Jaekyung was acting this way? The thought tightened her chest.
“I think you’ve had enough,” she said, placing a hand on his arm as he reached for another drink. She didn’t know where she found the courage to assert herself like that, but something about this situation made her feel like she had to step in.
“Leehi,” he purred, pulling her close, her body pressing against the hard lines of his. “Maybe we should pick up where we left off at your place last time,” he whispered into her ear, his lips trailing down her neck. Her body responded instantly, a shiver running down her spine as his hands roamed over her. She wanted him—she always wanted him—but something about this felt wrong. Why did she feel like she was taking advantage of a man who wasn’t truly present?
“Wait,” she tried to say, but the word came out as a breathless whisper, her resolve weakening under his touch. “Jaekyung,” she moaned instead, as his name slipped from her lips.
“I want to f*ck you, Leehi,” he murmured, his teeth grazing her ear as his hands slid over her body.
God, she wanted it too. But more than that, she wanted Jaekyung to want her as much as she wanted him. And she knew he didn’t. It could be anyone in his arms.
She had to try to be a friend.
“Stop it, Jaekyung,” she said, her voice finally firm. “Are you okay?” she asked, searching his eyes for some sign of the man she knew. But he ignored her, turning his face away.
She put her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. “Jaekyung, you don’t seem okay,” she whispered, feeling the flirtation in him dissolve into something colder. He pulled her hand away and tried to walk off, stumbling slightly as he did.
“Jaekyung,” she called after him, grabbing his arm. “Let’s go,” she said, trying to pull him away from the scene. He misunderstood, his grin returning as he thought she was taking him somewhere private. She waved goodbye to her friends, who gave her knowing smiles, completely unaware of what was going on. She smiled back, pretending everything was fine.
“Jae,” she said, once they were outside, “Did you drive here?” he didn’t answer, lost in whatever haze had taken over his mind. “Jaekyung,” she repeated, louder this time, he nodded.
“Give me your car keys.” she asked.
“Back pocket,” he muttered. “But let’s take a taxi to yours,” he added slowly, his speech slurring slightly. “I can’t drive.”
At least he still had some sense left in him, she thought. She retrieved the keys from his pocket and handed them to the valet. “I will drive, come on, let’s wait outside,” she said, pulling him with her.
The cool night air hit them, and she fumbled in her bag for her cigarettes. She was more of a social smoker, indulging when she was with friends or on holiday, but right now, she just needed something to steady her nerves.
“Give me a drag,” she heard him say.
“You don’t smoke,” she replied, handing him the cigarette anyway.
“I do sometimes,” he argued, taking a drag.
“And that’s never, Jae,” she said, growing more concerned. “What the f*ck is wrong with you?” she asked, the fear creeping into her voice.
“Nothing,” he snapped, handing the cigarette back to her. She took one last drag before stubbing it out. “Come on, the car’s here,” she said, leading him to the passenger side of his Porsche. She made sure he was buckled in before getting behind the wheel and heading towards his penthouse. She’d been there a few times, always for parties he hosted, but never like this.
“Why are you turning at Cheongdam? Hannam is the other way,” he asked, his voice tired.
“We’re not going to mine, I’m taking you home, Jae,” she replied quietly, bracing herself for his anger, but it never came.
“I don’t want to go home,” he finally said, and now she couldn’t ignore it. He was sad, deeply so.
“Jae—”
“Take me to Dan,” he interrupted, his voice small and broken. She glanced over at him, shocked.
“What?” she asked, not sure she had heard him right.
“I want to go to Dan,” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need to talk to him.” He sounded lost, like he didn’t even realize he was speaking out loud.
Leehi didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to respond to the raw need in his voice, the desperation. So she said nothing.
The drive was quick, the roads empty at this hour. She pulled into the underground parking of his building and parked the car.
“Come on, Jae, let’s go,” she said, getting out and going around to his side. When he didn’t move, she undid his seatbelt and helped him out of the car.
“I want to see him,” he said again, his voice cracking.
“Jaekyung, please, you need to sleep,” she begged, guiding him towards the elevator.
The ride up was silent. When they reached his floor, he led her to his bedroom. She had never been inside before; Jaekyung never took anyone to his bedroom.
They walked in, and she helped him to the bed. He stripped off his jeans and shirt, leaving only his boxers. Normally, Leehi would have taken a moment to appreciate the sight of his powerful body, but tonight her mind was elsewhere.
“Jaekyung, did something happen between Dan and you?” she asked softly.
He didn’t answer, just laid back on the bed, draping an arm over his face.
She sighed, ready to leave when he spoke.
“I’m f*cked,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I think I’m addicted to him.”
“What?” she almost shouted, her heart racing. “So it’s true? There’s something between you two?” She was desperate for him to confirm her suspicions, but somehow, she already knew.
He didn’t need to say it.
He didn’t anyway.
She called a cab and let herself out of his penthouse.
She needed to find a new husband.
