Love Candidate - Free Trial - Chapter 9

Seokjin and I sat in silence after listening to his childhood story in his car. He's such a selfless person. If he was so protective of his step brothers... Why are they treating him like this? Why is Namjoon seizing Seokjin's position, and why is Taehyung messing around with Seokjin's love affair? What went wrong?

"That's why he thinks he's entitled to have you," Seokjin whispered, turning to look at me apologetically. I sighed at his words and turned to meet his eyes.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be cautious around Taehyung," I smiled weakly. I'm glad Seokjin told me a glimpse of his past. It's enough to help me understand Taehyung's problematic behavior. I know what I'm dealing with now. Seokjin exhaled, got out of the car, and pulled the door open for me.

"Thank you for being honest with me," Seokjin smiled after shutting the door as he stood before me.

"I told you I don't like to be misunderstood," I chuckled while shaking my head. I'm relieved to know he's aware of his brother's intention because hopefully... there won't be any issues related to Taehyung between us. I have to be honest with him and he'll do the same for me.

"I've told you my side of the story... so one day... I hope you'll tell me yours too," Seokjin smiled, gently holding on to my hands as he stared at me with a yearning gaze.

"My story? I told you already-"

"No. I know there's something you're struggling with in your past. I can tell with the way you respond to certain situations or people. Until you're ready, I'll be patient with you because I really want you to trust me. I won't force or rush you. Take your time," Seokjin chuckled, gently shaking his head at me. My heart burned intensely at his words as I stood staring at him. He left me speechless.

"The more you know about me, the less you'll like me," I sighed. Seokjin didn't react to my discouraging words and stared at me in silence as he rubbed my knuckle. Slowly, he leaned forward, so I closed my eyes to expect a peck on my face, but he didn't kiss my cheek or forehead. Instead, he pressed his soft against mine. I froze in my position when Seokjin placed his warm hand against my cheek as he steadily grazed his lips over mine. I gripped his other hand tightly when I realized he had finally kissed me.

"Try me," Seokjin whispered against my face, gently rubbing my cheek with his thumb until my face flushed red. And before I could respond to him, he pulled me back into a deep kiss. I gripped his waist as he firmly held onto my jawline. I shakily exhaled as he drew me by my waist to hold me against his body.

"I'm out of breath," I whispered as I struggled to catch my breath against his lips, so he slowly pulled away from my face with a weak smile. He's a good kisser.

"The free trial is over, so I'll start charging you with my love from now on," Seokjin smiled as I stared at him with my rosy cheeks. I'm vulnerable to affection because I'm deprived of it. How long can I walk on the edge of this game without falling for him? I don't know.

"Why do you keep saying it's a free trial-"

"Not you. But me. I'm your free trial. Let me inside your heart if you like me, and I promise to fill you up with my affection," Seokjin bit down on his lips as he smiled at me. I chuckled and lightly smacked his chest when I realized he was teasing me as he gently combed his fingers through my hair with a wide smile.

"You should head home," I shook my head in disbelief.

"I'll leave when you're safe inside your house," Seokjin nodded at my gate. Smiling, I tiptoed to give him a gentle peck on his cheek before walking toward my house. Seokjin waved at me, so I smiled at him and closed the gate. I walked into my house with my hand on my burning cheeks.

"You're back," Jimin nodded as he walked toward me.

"You're home," I replied after lowering my hand, then turned to look at him with a bright smile.

"Did you have fun with your date?" Jimin asked as he sat on the couch to dry his hair with a towel. He kept his observing eyes on me as I put my shoes away on the rack. 

"Oh. We had a good day," I smiled at the thoughts of Seokjin's words and walked up the stairs.

Present

"Are you alright?" Seokjin suddenly waved his hand before my face, so I blinked and looked at him in confusion.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," I gulped, awkwardly straightening my back when I realized Seokjin was scanning my face from across the table.

"I don't think your mind is with me though. All of your ice creams melted," Seokjin nodded at my ice cream cup, and sure enough, the chocolate ice cream was now a cold chocolate paste. Ah... I keep spacing out whenever I think about the fight with Jimin.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," I shook my head and pushed the ice cream cup away with a reassuring smile. Seokjin eyed me unsurely but nodded and got onto his feet. He's not the type to pressure people into telling him their thoughts or feelings. It makes him a very respectful man.

"It's time for our movie. Let's go," Seokjin nodded, so I got up after him, and we headed towards the cinema together. Seokjin wanted to see a movie with me, but we were earlier than the showtime, so we agreed to get ice cream together at a nearby cafe.

"It's pretty empty," I mumbled as he led me into the dim VIP lounge. Seokjin didn't want to book the ordinary seats, so he reserved a couple's cubicle for us at the premier lounge instead. My jaw dropped when I realized the cinema only had a few other sections, and our seats weren't exactly chair-like seats. It was an extended couch, almost like a bed with a headrest. The private cubicle even had a personal fridge nearby with beverages, snacks, and even champagne.

"I never knew they offered this kind of service," I whispered as I crawled onto the leather mattress and leaned back against the headrest with my legs straightened. It felt as if I was sitting on my own bed at home. Seokjin chuckled and slid in next to me after slipping off his shoes. I curiously turned to find couples cuddling in the nearby cubicles. Seokjin scooted towards me after spreading the fresh blanket over our lower body to cover my legs since I was wearing a knee-length dress.

"Do you want to drink?" Seokjin questioned as he leaned toward the fridge to check the provided beverages.

"Just water. The ice cream was a little too sweet," I muttered. Seokjin grabbed the mineral water and handed it to me after uncapping it.

"The champagne isn't good," Seokjin muttered after examining the champagne bottle on the mini-fridge. He grabbed a bag of snacks instead and leaned back against the headrest beside mine.

"Can we have popcorn instead?" I whispered.

"Oh. I'll get it for you. Be right back," Seokjin quickly got off the bed. He left our cubicle to visit the private lounge, eventually returning with a box of sweet-flavored popcorn. I thanked him as he climbed back onto the bed with me.

"The movie is starting now," Seokjin whispered in my ear, casually stretching his arm over my shoulder before turning toward the screen. The light in the room dimmed when the movie started playing, so I averted my attention to the film as I enjoyed the popcorn. It was a science fiction movie, so it was pretty exciting to watch. Seokjin was chuckling under his breath when he tugged my shoulder with his eyes trained on the screen to draw me close to him. I smiled and rested my head against his broad shoulder, loosely hugging the popcorn container on my lap. We were both very concentrated on the movie until I heard strange smooching sounds from my right side, so... I curiously turned to find a couple making out in their section. I blinked and averted my eyes back to the movie when Seokjin lowered his face to kiss my forehead with his eyes fixed on the widescreen.

"Ah~ Ha~ Ah~" I pursed my lips when I thought I heard breathy moans from the other cubicle. The sound didn't bother me at first, so I dismissed it... not until the sound grew louder. I couldn't help it and curiously turned to the side again. I froze in shock when I found the woman in my section tilting her head back with her mouth wide open in the dark. The man's hand was under her skirt. I gulped and turned to look at the screen with flustered cheeks.

"Uh- Ah~ Jagiya~" The man grunted under his breath, making me turn my head to their cubicle again. I almost choked on my popcorn when I found the woman's head under the blanket as she leaned over his crotch. The man groaned under his breath and tilted his head back against the headrest as she bounced her head under the blanket. Gulping, I slowly searched for my water bottle when I accidentally grabbed Seokjin's belt instead. He turned to look at me in confusion, so I quickly grabbed the water bottle and drank it to calm my nerves.

I tried to stay cool and averted my eyes back to the screen until I felt Seokjin squeezing my shoulder lightly. I briefly looked up at him because I thought he had something to say, but he was staring past me without blinking. So, I turned in the direction to find the couple- My eyes grew wide open in disbelief as I gawked at the inappropriate scene before me. The woman was sitting between the man's legs as she leaned her back against his body. Even with the blanket over their lower bodies... we could tell her legs were spread wide open as he fingered her private part while hugging her from behind. The woman bit her lips and moaned in distress as the guy held her thighs apart to please her. I gulped and shifted my position under the blanket uncomfortably, so Seokjin snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at me with his flustered cheeks. He weakly smiled at me and averted his eyes back to the screen, so I leaned against his shoulder and tried to focus on the screen when- fwop- fwop- fwop. The sound of sticky flesh slapping one another thumped beside us. I resisted the urge to turn, but the breathy moans and movements were so tempting I sneaked another peek at the couple. The woman was sitting on the man's crotch, facing the screen with her head hung low, and he was carefully thrusting into her from underneath. My face flushed red in horror when I realized they were full-on having sex in the cinema. The man huffed in difficulty as he made the woman bounce over him while massaging her breasts with his hands under her shirt. The woman moaned in pleasure as she rode him... then turned to make out with the man.

"They're very distracting," Seokjin suddenly whispered against my ear, sending a bolt of chills across my body. I quickly snapped my head to find Seokjin eyeing the cubicle with his narrowed eyes fixed on the couple as they made love in the cinema.

"Oh- They are-" I tried to calm down when Seokjin slowly averted his sensual gaze to mine, making me purse my lips as he stared at my feverish face. I felt my body heat rising when he slowly glanced down at my lips without blinking. The heat between our bodies... was so extreme... it numbed my face.

"Ah~ Hah~ Ah~" My cheeks grew even redder as I listened to the couple's troubling muffles from the other cubicle. Seokjin slowly slipped his hand off my shoulder to hold my waist instead, making me twist my body at his touch. Hah. My hormones... are going crazy. Jiyoung! At this point... neither of us was focused on the movie, so we sat staring at each other in the darkroom to suppress our flaming desire. I can't submit to my hormones. Seokjin gently squeezed my waist and leaned forward to kiss me gently on my lips, so I gripped his shirt nervously as he panted against my face. He shouldn't do this- My body feels weird- I might lose control.

"Let's focus on the movie," Seokjin chuckled, pulling away to rub his face in disbelief after regaining control of himself. I exhaled in relief when he pulled his arm from my waist and held onto my hand instead. I smiled weakly and turned back to the screen. However, no matter how hard we tried to ignore the couple, we couldn't. They made it too obvious. Seokjin interlaced our hands to hold me tight and leaned his head against mine with his eyes fixed on the movie. The steamy atmosphere got so intense- Seokjin started clearing his throat awkwardly as he tugged his shirt's collar to cool his body.

"Ah. I'm sweating so much," I mumbled as soon as the movie ended. The light flickered back on as I rubbed my sore back to ease my sniff muscles. The couple quickly got up from the cubicle and left the cinema, so I turned to find Seokjin fanning his flustered face as he slipped on his shoes.

"The room is quite hot," Seokjin chuckled as I put on my shoes. He got up to tug his collar again while fanning his face. I chuckled at his awkward red face and walked out of the cinema with him.

"Well. That was a fun experience," I shook my head after we stepped out of the venue.

"A fun experience? The movie or the distraction?" Seokjin laughed, nudging my shoulder to tease me.

"Both," I chuckled at him. Seokjin and I finally halted at his car as he stood before me with his hand in his pocket.

"Do you want to go home now?" Seokjin asked, briefly checking the time on his watch. 11:00 PM.

"It's late, but why? Do you have other plans?" I questioned as he stood by his car with an eager smile. Seokjin pursed his lips as he stared at me with an unsettled expression as if he was trying to make up his mind.

"Do you want to go to my place?" Seokjin suddenly questioned, staring at me with his keen eyes. My cheeks flushed red when I felt my chest stirring intensely at his sudden invitation.

"At this time? I don't want to burden you because you'd have to bring me back home-"

"Ah. I'm sorry. I'll take you home now. It's okay if you don't want to," Seokjin immediately assured me when he noticed my hesitant expression. He quickly pulled the car door open, so I got in and buckled my seatbelt. Seokjin started his engine and drove forward as I leaned back in exhaustion.

"I had a lot of fun," I smiled at him.

"Me too. But I'm really curious about something," Seokjin questioned as he steered the wheel at the intersection of a road.

"Hmm?" I turned to look at him unsurely. Seokjin halted the traffic light and turned to look at me.

"Your roommate... does he work for my brother? Taehyung," Seokjin questioned. My body turned cold after hearing his words, so I gripped my fist and gulped at him.

"Why- Why would you-"

"Ah. Taehyung told me this morning. He claimed... you were fighting with your roommate in front of your house, " Seokjin shrugged. I pursed my lips in shock. AH! That stupid freak! He told Seokjin again!

"Oh- Yeah. We had an argument, and your brother happened to be there. He came to return the side dish box," I muttered, nervously glancing out the window.

"Side dish? You gave my brother side dishes?" Seokjin questioned, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

Flashback

I dragged my feet lazily towards my house because I dreaded seeing Jimin after arguing with him a few nights ago. He's been avoiding me for a while now. He tried to speak with me this morning, but we ended up arguing... again. I ran to work in tears. I know he's home today. And I know we will fight again, and I'm tired. I'm really drained. The push and pull- it's driving me crazy.

"Oh?" I whispered when I noticed a sports car parked by my gate.

"What is he doing here?" I whispered, jogging toward the car in disbelief to find Taehyung leaning in his seat with the window down.

"Oh. Clumsy woman-?" Taehyumg smirked when he found me glaring at him.

"What are you doing here!? Get lost!" I snapped. Taehyung suddenly slid his car door open and stepped out to tower over me in his thick furry coat.

"Do you think I'm here to see you? I'm not here to see you. Oh. Here's your side dish container," Taehyung rolled his eyes and crossed his arms with a smug smile after shoving the empty container into my hands.

"Enough with your excuses-" I was cut short when Jimin suddenly pushed the gate open and stepped out in his usual jacket. He halted when he found me staring at him with a questioning look.

"Your roommate boyfriend invited me to your house because I needed to discuss business matters with him," Taehyung nodded at Jimin. I snapped my head to Jimin for explanations. He did what!?

"What? Wah- This is my house! And you dared to invite a criminal like him into my house?!" I glared at Jimin in anger.

"Criminal!? Yah! Watch your words!" Taehyung suddenly grabbed my hand in anger.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, jerking my hand free from his grip as Taehyung flared his nose at me in irritation. Jimin stood quietly... watching us with a weary expression.

"I'm sorry. I'll just leave with him... if you don't want him in your house," Jimin nodded and tried to walk forward, but I grabbed his arm and tugged him back with all my might.

"You're not leaving with him!" I seethed at Jimin. He can't be involved with Taehyung! He's a crazy bastard! Jimin sighed and glanced down at my hand.

"Ohoh? My brother will be disappointed to know you're defending your roommate boyfriend," Taehyung pouted at me, making my blood boil in anger.

"Shut up! I don't know what you intend to do- but keep your fucking family affairs to yourself! And stop dragging us into your fucking stupid game to nurse your pathetic sorrow of being neglected by your parents!" I bellowed at Taehyung without thinking. My words must have triggered his nerves because he suddenly shoved me back to pin me against the wall, and before I could even process the situation... I was standing at gunpoint.

"Don't you fucking test my patience just because I'm being generous with you. What? I dragged you into this? No, I didn't. You chose to see my brother for your own gain while fucking around with another man. Don't play innocent with me when you're the one taking advantage of my family! Oh? How dare you speak of my mother?! Bring it up one more time- and I won't hesitate to put the fucking bullet in your brain," Taehyung sneered. I stared at his dangerous eyes in fear as he firmly pressed the gun barrel against the side of my head. I swallowed in fear as he glared at me- Fuck- I didn't mean to provoke him!

"Don't hurt her!" Jimin snapped, roughly shoving Taehyung off me. Taehyung scoffed and averted his gun at Jimin instead as I stared at his murderous expression in fright.

"I don't fucking care about you bloodthirsty leeches. Did you think I'd stoop this low for an unfaithful woman like you? No. I don't care about you. Now. Don't you fucking waste my time. Are you coming or not? And don't test me, or I'll fucking blow your brain with a single blast!" Taehyung snarled at me with his gun raised at Jimin.

"Jimin, you can't leave! You can't be involved with him!" I cried, desperately grabbing Jimin's arm in tears.

"If he's not coming with me- then I'm taking you with me. I let you have it your way last time- so you thought you won? No, baby girl. If I want something. I will get it... and I will not go easy on you again. You won't be the one running away with my trousers- because you'll be begging me on your knees to have mercy on your wretched soul," Taehyung firmly averted his gun back at me. I gulped in horror as he held the gun to my face.

"You can't take her. I'll leave with you-"

"Jimin!" I snapped when Jimin protectively pulled me behind his back with a calm expression. Taehyung lowered his gun and stormed to his car, so Jimin turned to look at me in tears as soon as Taehyung slammed his door shut.

"Head inside," Jimin nodded at the open gate.

"Jimin- You have to listen to me-"

"I'm doing this to protect you!" Jimin snapped at me in anger. I stared at him in disbelief as he glared at me.

"Don't use me as an excuse! You're doing this on purpose! If you leave with him- we're over. Don't ever return to me if you're going to leave again!" I threatened in anger. Jimin gritted his jaw at me with his burning red eyes.

"If I don't leave, he will put a bullet in my head. And he will drag you with him to his bedroom. Jiyoung. I won't let him take you. I have no choice, and I'm sorry," Jimin shakily glared at me. My heart sank when Jimin stomped toward Taehyung's car and left even before I could speak. I stood staring at the empty road in tears when I felt my heart shattering all over again. The pain... it's never-ending. Gulping, I slowly walked into my house after shutting the gate and collapsed onto the couch in tears. I sobbed in distress while hugging my knees and clenched my aching chest in frustration. What have I gotten myself into?! I sucked in my breath when my phone started ringing on the couch, so I picked it up to find Seokjin's name on the screen. Exhaling, I cleared my throat and answered the call.

"Yeoboseyo?" I answered, forcefully biting my finger to stop myself from crying.

"Did I bother you? I wasn't sure if I should call you at this time because I thought you might be asleep-"

"I'm awake. What's the matter?" I replied and wiped away my tears.

"Are you sick? Your voice sounds a bit hoarse. Should I bring you medication? Or should I take you to the hospital? I'll come over to your place right away if you're sick," Seokjin spoke in a concerned tone. I unconsciously smiled at his words as the warm teardrops slipped down my cheeks.

"I'm really fine," I whispered. Seokjin fell hushed at my words. There was a long pause between us.

"Okay. I called to tell you I want to see you soon. Let's go to the movie together, so let me know when you're free," Seokjin finally spoke up. I weakly smiled as I hugged my knees when I felt the aching pain in my chest subsiding.

"I'll see you soon," I replied. Seokjin chuckled on the other side of the phone. His soothing voice made me giggle as well, so I dried my tears and leaned back against the couch with a weak smile.

"I'm excited to see you. Good night," Seokjin responded. My cheeks grew warm again at his sweet remarks.

"Good night," I nodded and closed my eyes to process my thoughts. Seokjin hung up on me, so I let out a heavy sigh while rubbing my face on the couch. I didn't feel like crying anymore after the pain in my chest grew numb, so I walked to my room and went to bed.

End of flashback

"Side dish? You gave my brother side dishes?" Seokjin questioned, raising his eyebrow in surprise.

"No, I didn't! Your brother stole it from me when I was on my way home. Ajumma gave me pickled radish, but he robbed it from me," I firmly denied when I noticed Seokjin's pouty expression. As if he's envious of his brother.

"Oh. Okay, so do you want to go to my place?" Seokjin asked shortly. I sucked in my breath and slowly averted my eyes to find Seokjin staring at me with his eager eyes again. What's with him? Did the couple really drive his hormones crazy?

"You said you'd bring me home-"

"Of course, I will. I just thought you didn't want to be around your roommate since you guys fought," Seokjin shrugged, turning to look at the red traffic light as he tapped his finger on the steering wheel.

"You keep on asking me if I want to go to your place-"

"Fine. I want to spend more time with you. I won't do anything without your consent. I promise, but if you still want to go home, then I'll take you home," Seokjin turned to look at me with flustered cheeks. I stared at him in silence, taken aback by his confession. I thought about Jimin... and gulped at Seokjin. If I go home... I'll see Jimin again. Can I handle seeing him? Do I really want to see him? We'll definitely fight again.

"Okay. Let's go to your place," I exhaled. I don't want to see Jimin yet. What happened between us? It's complicated. I broke up with him because of Kim Taehyung. Seokjin smiled at me and immediately switched the direction of his route. He stopped at a mart because he said he had to grab some beer for us and eventually returned with a bag full of snacks and beverages. Seokjin held the door open for me, so I strolled into his living room after putting my shoes away.

"Did you send my address to your friend again?" Seokjin joked as he settled the bag on the kitchen counter.

"Huh? Oh," I turned to look at him in confusion.

"It's alright. You did the right thing. You should always let your friend know your whereabouts for your own safety," Seokjin smiled at me as he placed the beer into his fridge to cool it. I felt really guilty as I stared at him. I sent Jungkook his address when Seokjin brought me to his place for the first time, even if Seokjin offered to take me home afterward- I didn't trust him. I must have hurt his feelings.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I was unsure-"

"No. I get it. I really do. It takes time to trust people. It's hard to trust men, I know. I really respect your decision to prioritize your safety," Seokjin nodded and walked toward me with a weak smile. I stared at him with my guilty eyes in silence. Why is he... so... understanding? He's so perfect- I can't believe it.

"I know I'm a bit slow. I'm sorry," I whispered. I know Seokjin wants to evolve our relationship at a quick pace, but I can't- I can't race with him because of my past trauma.

"Hey. I'm not pressuring you, okay? I won't do anything without your consent. I've already told you this many times. Just tell me to stop, and I'll stop. I promise," Seokjin gently held onto my hands as I stood before him. I felt an uncomfortable ache in my chest as I studied his anxious expression. I'm guilty. I'm very guilty. Taehyung's right. Seokjin is a perfect man. I feel terrible for taking our relationship for granted when he's sincere about us. I shouldn't have seen Jimin behind his back. Jiyoung, you can't ruin a good man like him. This is all you've ever wanted. A new beginning with a good person. I chose to be a terrible person because I was too overwhelmed with my miseries but not anymore. I am a better person now, and Seokjin is a good man. So why am I holding back? For Jimin? But Jimin is running in the reverse direction now. Jiyoung, you want to be a better person, but Jimin is drowning himself. Will you chase him back to your past life and retrace your past mistakes, or will you walk forward and choose a good man? Jiyoung. What will you do?

"I didn't send Jungkook my address today. It means I'm beginning to trust you, right?" I finally smiled at Seokjin. His eyes lit up at my words.

"It's really late. If you want to go home, then tell me. If not, then you can stay with me tonight," Seokjin smiled, gently pushing my hair strands behind my ear. I gulped at his affectionate eyes and glanced down at our hands. What will you do, Jiyoung? Go back to Jimin to hold him? Or will you let Seokjin hold you? What's your decision? Even if Jimin is walking in a different direction, you know you can always rely on him. But Seokjin? I still... don't know anything about him, and I'm still uncertain because I'm afraid he has other intentions. Is he really genuine with me, or is it all an act? I can't tell unless I take the risk. So what will I do?

"It's late, so you don't have to bring me back home," I exhaled, tightly gripping Seokjin's hand.

"So you're staying? Are you sure?" Seokjin questioned, gently rubbing my knuckles as we stood staring at one another in the quiet kitchen. Let's give it a try.

"Yeah. I'll stay," I smiled. Seokjin glanced down at my lips and lowered his face to press his lips against mine. I held onto his waist as he drew me forward to pin his torso against mine. I exhaled and encircled my arms around his neck as he deepened our kiss. Seokjin slowly pulled his moist lips away to stare at me with his tempted eyes.

"Do you want to go further?" Seokjin whispered as he gently massaged my hips. I bit my lips to ponder my thoughts while playing with his soft hair, then glanced at his flustered cheeks to study his hungry expression. I know he wants me. I can see it on his face.

"Give me a free trial," I smiled. Seokjin chuckled at my words and pressed his lips against mine again. I tugged his head closer until I felt his hot breath on my face, so he lifted me off the floor and carried me through his villa as we made out. I chuckled when he playfully tickled me as he pushed his bedroom door open.

"I'm your free sample," Seokjin chuckled as he crawled onto his bed with me in his arms. I gulped and laid on the soft mattress as Seokjin hovered above me. He stopped to stare at me with his tender gaze, so I tugged his head down to kiss him without hesitation because I knew he was worried about me. I didn't want him to worry about me. Seokjin firmly gripped my jawline and tilted his face to the side to kiss my neck, so I leaned my head back to let him run his lips over my skin.

"Can I?" Seokjin whispered as he reached under my back to find my dress's zipper. I nodded, so he zipped it over the curve of my spine, making me arch my back when I felt the thrilling sensation arousing my heated body. Seokjin unzipped my dress and gently tugged the sleeves of my dress down to my waist to expose my bare body. Gulping, he leaned to kiss me as I secured my arms around his neck to hold his face close to mine. I shakily panted against his face when I felt him slipping his hand under my dress to caress my thighs, so I slid my hands under his shirt to feel his firm torso and gently rubbed it.

"Hah~ Ah~" I moaned in pleasure when I felt his touch over my panties. Seokjin slammed his lips against mine to muffle my whimpers and aggressively kissed me as he rubbed the sensitive area between my legs at an intense speed. I curled my toes at his pleasing stroke until I tensed my body muscles with every stroke I felt. Seokjin slipped his fingers into my underwear to touch me, making me shiver as he held me down on the bed. I pulled him into a deeper kiss when I felt the blazing warmth expanding over the sensitive areas of my body.

"Are you alright?" Seokjin questioned, pulling away to stare at me anxiously when he realized I was quivering at his touch.

"I'm fine-" I stuttered but moaned in distress when I felt the presence of his hand inside me. I gripped his broad shoulder and bit down on my lips, so he leaned down to kiss my neck and lowered his face to bury it against my bra. I grabbed the pillow in distress when I felt Seokjin's wet tongue slipping down to my belly button- when suddenly- my body turned cold. I sucked in my breath when the frightening flashes of traumatizing memories unexpectedly flooded my head. I huffed and tried to force the thoughts away when Seokjin started kissing my stomach, so I lifted my head in panic. Jiyoung, calm down- I gripped Seokjin hair and leaned back against the pillow to soothe my mind, but no matter how hard I tried to dismiss the awful feelings, it wouldn't go away.

"Seok- Seokjin- wa- wait- Seokjin-'' I whispered when I felt my body trembling out of control. Seokjin didn't hear me, so he crawled down my body until his head was between my legs. I sucked in my breath in shock when I felt his lips on the thin fabric of my underwear. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find myself inside a dark room. The horrific darkroom. I was sobbing in distress, so I lifted my head to look at Seokjin, but it wasn't Seokjin at the foot of the bed.

"I'll make you feel good," My stepfather smiled from between my spread opened legs, paralyzing my helpless body with his poisonous tongue. My heart thumped so hard I felt like it shattered against my ribs. My body shook in fear as I stared at the man's lustful eyes. He chuckled evilly and proceeded to push his face against my underwear. I screamed at the top of my lungs and thrashed in fear, kicking the man hard in the face.

"AH! DON'T TOUCH ME! STOP TOUCHING ME! ARGH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, frantically sitting up in tears to pull my dress over my body. The man grunted as he rubbed his bleeding nose, furiously snapping his head towards me with his glowering eyes.

"I will punish you- ungrateful little bitch!" He sneered, launching at me as I leaned against the bedhead. I screamed in fear and tried to scramble off the bed when he grabbed my shoulders and pinned me back onto the mattress.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! AH! I'M SORRY- PLEASE DON'T TOUCH ME! I DON'T LIKE IT- I'LL BEHAVE- I'M SORRY- APPA-!"

"JIYOUNG! ARK-" Someone screamed at my face- SNAP! I blinked away the blurriness in my tearful eyes to find Seokjin staring at me in shock as I trembled violently against the bedhead. I gripped my loose dress around my chest to cover my naked body, frantically scanning the room for my stepfather's presence. Then bawled in distress when I realized it was just my buried memories. My heart was racing so fast I couldn't breathe properly, so I whimpered in tears and lowered my face to press it against my knees.

"Jiyoung- What's the matter? Did I hurt you-" Seokjin gripped my shoulders anxiously.

Third Person POV

"Please don't touch me- I'm sorry- I'm really sorry-" Jiyoung shuddered in tears as she huddled against the bedhead. Seokjin sat before her with his terrified eyes trained on her condition, slowly withdrawing his hands from her body. Jiyoung's eyes were burning in tears, but Seokjin could see it... she was scared. The soul was shivering like a lost puppy as she desperately held her loose dress over her bare body, so Kim Seokjin glanced at her shaky hands before averting his worried gaze back to her torn eyes. She was staring at the mattress in fright. The poor soul wasn't even in her right mind anymore as she trembled from head to toe.

"Jiyoung... I'm not hurting you," Seokjin whispered as he stared at her in horror.

Jiyoung's POV

"I'm not touching you. Jiyoung. I'm not touching you. I won't touch you anymore if you don't want me to but look at me. Look at me, Jiyoung," Seokjin stuttered as he kneeled before me on the bed. Gulping, I glanced at him as the agonizing tears flowed down my cheeks. He was tempted to reach out for me but held back because of my harsh reaction.

"Did I- hurt you?" I whimpered when I noticed Seokjin's bleeding nose. Did I kick him?

"It doesn't matter, but I need you to calm down. I'm sorry if I hurt you-" Seokjin shook his head as he blinked at me with his frightened eyes. His nose was bleeding heavily, and his cheekbone was bruised. I sobbed in distress and lowered my face to bawl my eyes out. Why was I suddenly reminded of the past when I'm with him? Why? Why? Why?

"Jiyoung- I'm sorry-'' Seokjin apologetically tried to reach out for me, but I shoved him back and scrambled off the bed in a hurry when I felt the urge to puke. I gripped my mouth in panic as I stumbled into his bathroom, violently barfing up my intestine into the toilet bowl. I cried in distress as I emptied my stomach into the bowl. Floods of warm tears streamed down my cheeks as I hovered over the puddle of foul vomit. I collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion and shakily clenched my fist with my eyes trained on the mixture of gooey substance. I gasped in difficulty as I slumped against the toilet to recollect my thoughts, but I couldn't stop my tears from flowing, so I  whimpered and lowered my head to pull my hair in distress.

"Jiyoung..." Seokjin called my name again. Slowly, I turned to find Seokjin standing at the door with his terrified eyes trained on mine. I gulped at his anxious expression and turned to barf again until I felt my eyes bulging out of their sockets. The panic attack was so severe I felt my stomach and chest throbbing in pain as I emptied everything from my system. I screwed my eyes shut to soothe my aching head beside the dirty toilet bowl filled with my vomit until I felt my heart rate dropping... to its usual pace.

The reason I'm stuck with Jimin... it's because he's the only person... who didn't remind me of my father.

Only Park Jimin can touch my body without triggering my past traumas.

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Hi~! Another update for y'all! Man... this story is killing my soul and mind! Idk if you're enjoying it at this point because I know it's quite... heavy. I'm sorry :< I'll focus on the other characters from now on, so you'll meet them soon! I'm going a bit fast with this story because I really don't want to drag it on. It might be my shortest piece haha! It's a challenge! How's everyone doing? I love you guys and thank you so much for your support! <3 Stay safe! <3