⍣9⍣

Heeseung

My plan is working too well.

Either Jaeyun is completely oblivious, falling into my trap without even realizing it, or he genuinely likes me.

But I don't think he's playing.

No, his reactions, the way he kissed me back without hesitation, the way his fingers tightened in my hair, I could tell it was real.

I smirked to myself as I grabbed the pizza from the delivery guy, quickly paying before heading back inside.

Jaeyun was still sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone, but he looked up as soon as I walked in. His eyes flickered to the pizza, but there was something else there.

Curiosity. Maybe even something deeper.

I set the box down on the coffee table and sat beside him, acting as if my heart wasn't still racing from what just happened.

"Here," I said, opening the box and grabbing a slice.

Jaeyun took one too, but he didn't eat right away. He just looked at me, his expression unreadable.

"What?" I asked, taking a bite.

He tilted his head. "What are we doing?"

I pretended not to understand. "Eating pizza?"

Jaeyun rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

I licked some sauce off my thumb, thinking.

He wants to talk about this already?

"What do you think we're doing?" I countered.

Jaeyun sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I don't know. But this doesn't feel like just messing around."

I stayed silent, letting his words sink in.

This was the tricky part. If I said too much too soon, I'd ruin everything. But if I held back too much, he might start questioning things.

So I did what I do best. I played along.

I put my pizza down and turned to him. "It's not, Jaeyun."

His breath hitched slightly, but he didn't look away.

I reached out, fingers ghosting over his hand. "I like you."

His eyes widened just a little, and for a second, I saw it, the walls he'd carefully built around himself start to crumble.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

Jaeyun blinked, his lips parting slightly as if he wasn't expecting me to say it so directly.

"You..." He hesitated, searching my face for any sign of insincerity. "You like me?"

I nodded, keeping my expression open, genuine. "Yeah. I do."

He stayed quiet for a moment, his fingers unconsciously playing with the edge of his hoodie. I could see the way his mind was racing, trying to process it.

This was it, the moment where he'd decide whether to fully let me in.

"Say something," I said softly, leaning in just a little.

He let out a breathy chuckle. "You're serious?"

I tilted my head. "Do I seem like I'm joking?"

Jaeyun looked down at where my hand was still resting near his. Then, slowly, carefully, he turned his palm up, letting our fingers brush against each other.

For a guy who always acted confident and cocky, he was surprisingly hesitant now.

"I think..." he started, licking his lips, "I might like you too."

Might.

I wanted to laugh. Might meant he was already falling, I just had to push him over the edge.

Instead, I smiled, squeezing his fingers lightly. "Good."

Jaeyun shook his head, still looking dazed. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Neither was I," I lied smoothly. "But here we are."

A small smirk finally returned to his lips, though his eyes were still laced with uncertainty. "Guess we are."

I decided to push a little further. I leaned in again, closer this time, so close our noses almost brushed. "Can I kiss you again?"

Jaeyun inhaled sharply, then exhaled with a quiet laugh. "You're dangerous, Heeseung."

"You have no idea," I murmured.

And then I kissed him.

When we finally pulled away, he was breathless, his eyes still half-lidded as he looked at me.

"You're really something else," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

I smirked. "Is that a good thing?"

He let out a soft laugh. "I haven't decided yet."

I leaned back against the couch, watching him carefully. He was still processing everything, I could tell. The way his eyes flickered between my face and his lap, the way his fingers tapped against his thigh like he was trying to work through his thoughts.

Good. Let him think about me. Let him obsess over this.

"You should stay over," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you want it again?"

Jaeyun quickly backtracked, waving his hands. "Not like that.. I mean, unless you want to, but I just-" He sighed, shaking his head. "Forget it. Stupid idea."

I chuckled, reaching out to grab his wrist before he could shrink away. "I'll stay," I said simply.

He looked up at me, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. "You sure?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

It was too soon for me to leave. I needed to stay in his head, make sure he kept thinking about me long after tonight.

Jaeyun let out a breath, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Okay."

And just like that, I had exactly what I wanted.

-pt.9

If Heeseung knew 😏

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