•••

4 pm.

Feeling tired after a long day with the worst subjects, I rest my head on the back of the car seat and close my eyes. I could fall asleep at any moment, but y/n is right next to me, and I fear I might have a wet dream and make some noise.

"Did you not sleep last night or something?" she asks, parking near Minjun's school. "I didn't. I won't do that again, though."

"I thought you'd study and try your best to get good marks," she reminds me of what I lowkey promised. "Well...I needed a day off."

She breathes out and gets out of the car, leaving me to ponder my behavior. She heads closer to the gate to be there for my little brother, and I keep my eyes on her. What if she starts disliking me or getting tired of me?

What if that other guy manages to win her affections instead? I have to make sure she knows how much she means to me. I believe that she already does, but I need to stop being a coward.

30 minutes later...

As Minjun sits down next to y/n and starts getting his stuff out to do his homework, I drop my chin on my hand. Without processing what I see, I stare at my science book.

My mind has felt so foggy since last Friday, I just can't seem to focus.

"Look at me," I hear y/n speak right next to me. I dart my eyes up to her, wondering what she is doing. "Your lip is chapped," she leans towards me, holding a tube of ointment cream. "I don't care."

"But I do," she says, grabbing my face to force me to look at her. She gets some cream over her finger as I turn towards her. She applies it to my bottom lip as I gaze into her eyes. "How can you even hurt yourself like that? Are you not using the lip balm anymore?"

"I can't find it anymore," I reply, her eyes meeting mine. She puts one hand on the table, staying close to me. "You can't find it anymore? How could you even lose it?"

"I don't know. Just like I lose most of my stuff and find it again after a few days," I try to remain as indifferent as possible, her eyes still affecting me. "You annoy me. You know that?" she moves back and walk away. "I literally give you the best lip balm you could get, but you'd rather have chapped and painful lips," she takes another one out of her bag, coming back to me. This one is half empty, which means this must be the one she uses.

"I know I'm annoying," I spread my legs to let her step closer to me, and she holds my face. She opens her lip balm and applies it over my upper lip. Silently, she closes it and drops it on the table, then grabs my phone. "Study or take a nap if you're too tired to focus," she pushes my phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Give it back to me," I stand up and follow her as she tries to walk away with it. "No. You don't do your homework, you don't get enough sleep, and all you do is play. So, no. You'll get it back after studying," she backs against a wall, believing I will not try to retrieve what belongs to me.

"Don't make me get it myself," I warn her, trapping her against the wall. I stretch my hand out to her to give her a chance to return my belongings. She stares into my eyes and crosses her arms. "Study or take a nap."

"You know what happened last time you did that. Do you really wanna play that game again?" I remind her, holding back from touching her. I can see the mischievous glint in her eyes as she smirks and says, "I won't let it happen again. Go back to the table now."

I peek down at her black crop top, which hugs her curves perfectly, and look back into her eyes. "No. Come on," I catch her wrists and hold them both with one hand. "Jungkook," she presses her body against the wall, refusing to do as asked.

"Y/n," I pull her towards me, but she steps away, attempting to free herself from my grasp. "You don't need that phone if you study."

"Yes, I fu- I do," I wrench her towards me and abruptly bend her over the back of the sofa to take my phone back. "I told you I'd get it," I head back to the table, leaving her feeling dumb for the second time after defying me.

"I hate you," she mumbles, fixing the bottom of her top. "Cause you never win against me," I state what the truth is. "Keep quiet. I don't want to hear you," she sits down next to my little brother, in front of me.

"Sure," I close my science book, knowing I will not be able to work on anything. I put it back in my bag and slide my my phone in my pocket. "What are you doing?" she questions me.

"I'm too tired. My head's aching, so I'm gonna take a nap," I respond, heading to the kitchen to grab a drink. "Alright, I'll wake you up when dinner's ready. Is it okay?"

"Yeah," I reply, closing the fridge. As I pass right behind her and Minjun, he tells me an adorable "Have a good nap" with a smile. "Thank you, buddy," I ruffle his hair and continue my way to the stairs.

•••

6 pm.

"Jungkook," a sweet and soft voice wakes me up from a good rest. I open my eyes and see y/n leaning over. "Dinner's ready."

I hum in response but do not move, feeling good in bed here.

"Is your head still hurting?" she asks, sitting down behind me to massage my neck. "Yeah," I lie to feel her keep going, sliding my arms under my pillow to lie down on my flat.

"That means you should eat something," she does not stop, her touches feeling warm and comforting. "My back is hurting too, though. You're gonna tell me the same?"

"Yes," she brushes her hand away from my bare back, so I hurry to stop her. "Keep going, please," I turn my head towards her.

"You need to eat dinner now," she insists. "I will if you massage me for a little more. I promise," I say, hoping to convince her. "Please, mommy," I look into her eyes, pleading for her to agree.

A smile forms on her face, and she finally gives in. She puts her warm and soft hand back on my skin and kneads my sensitive neck. "What spot do you even want me to massage?"

"A little lower," I whisper, moving my eyes down to her thighs. She slides her hand down to my shoulder blade, applying just the right amount of pressure. "Here?"

"Yeah," I reply, feeling a shiver run down my spine. I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation of her touch.

"You could have put a shirt back on," she complains as if this mattered, so I shrug and continue to bask in the moment. She does not add anything more, and we both remain in silence. Her fingers nearly covering my skin with goosebumps, she brings her body closer to mine and goes a little harder.

"For how long do I have to keep going?" she asks, her hand driving me insane. "I'll tell you when you can stop," I smile and continue to enjoy the feeling of her touch. "You're very demanding."

"You should be used to it by now," I reply. "I didn't get no kiss, no hug today. It's the least you can do."

"You were sulking again. Not my fault," she pushes her thumb down the side of my spine, a moan running out of my mouth. "Don't do that. That spot's so painful."

"Painful? I'll stop then," she pulls away, but I grab her wrist, roll over, and wrench her down on me. I hurry to turn to the side with her in my arms and set my eyes on her pretty ones. "I need a kiss or hug."

"I shouldn't be in your bed, so let me go," she struggles to not let her smile show as she grips my forearm. I grab her waist and pull her closer, doing the exact opposite of what she told me. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you."

She grins and drops her eyes to my bare chest. She licks her lips and looks up into my eyes, her gaze filled with nervousness. "I'll give you whatever you want if you move away."

"I'll move if you tell me you're uncomfortable and mean it," I say, waiting for her to be honest. She touches my torso, smiling nonstop as she barely uses any force to escape. "You don't deserve anything after the way you behaved."

I do not break eye contact, her breathing deepening as I can feel the tension and physical contact turning me on. I breathe in deeply and stare. "I was just in a bad mood this weekend because you weren't here. I'm sorry."

"Just because I wasn't here?" she appears to have changed her mind, not fighting to leave my grasp. "Well. Remember when I helped that gorgeous woman to put her dress on?" I smile faintly, leading this somewhere I know she does not want to go. "She kept lying to me and denying what her body language was clearly showing."

"Her body language did not show anything," she says defensively, biting her lips. "Hm. I don't know, 'cause she tends to be more honest with her body language than her words," I reply, subtly sliding my fingers under the side of her tight crop top to knead her waist.

I can feel her tense up under my touch, but she does not move or show me she is not liking this. She simply often breaks eye contact. "What makes you think that? She didn't do anything that could prove you right."

"She's doing it again right now, though," I point out, as I watch her struggle to maintain eye contact with me. "She calls me a distraction, but I know what she means by that," I lose control of myself and heavily slide my fingers over her ribs, running them up and down her stomach and side.

"What do you think she means?" she asks, her voice weakening as she touches my bicep. "That distraction is actually a temptation that she has a hard time not giving in to. Am I wrong?"

"You are," she does not sound convincing at all. "So she doesn't like when I touch her? She doesn't like when I look into her eyes?"

She presses her lips together slightly, attempting to control her emotions, "Unfortunately, she's too dumb to answer that question," she moves her body up the sheets and presses her lips on my cheek delicately. "Here, you got your kiss."

"It felt like you didn't mean it," I force my hand deeper inside her clothing, grazing her bra. I can feel her breasts press against my chest, and this makes me even harder. "I did. How much more meaningful do you want it to be?"

I squeeze her tightly against me, wanting to feel every inch of her body.

"Y/n?" Minjun interrupts us by knocking on the door. "I set the table."

His voice probably taking her from this moment, she clears her throat and sits up. "We're coming."

"Okay," he seems to be walking away. I heave a sigh and drop my head on her stomach.

"Come on, let's no leave your brother alone," she runs her fingers through my hair. "I don't wanna. I feel good here," I hold her tight and press a kiss on her waist. She wriggles and attempts to push me away. "Stop. Don't do that," she sets herself free and jumps out of my bed. I roll on my back and watch her walk around the bed to reach the door, fixing the bottom of her top.

The zipper in the front suddenly opens and reveals more of her skin than intended.

She looks at me while zipping it back up as I cannot help smiling. "I'm never getting in your room again. Go downstairs to eat dinner now," she opens the door and walks out.

Knowing I cannot leave my room in the state I am in, I quickly make my way to the bathroom to take care of it.

30 minutes later...

Minjun playing his favorite game on y/n's lap in front of me, I fix my hair under my hood and toy with my pencil. Instead of concentrating on my books, I find myself staring at her while she smiles at him, with Minjun explaining her game to her.

She raises her eyes up to grab her glass but notices my gaze. She swallows some water and maintains eye contact, a small smile forming on her lips.

I run my fingers over my bottom lip without showing any emotion, bouncing one leg as I recall what happened earlier in my bed. I cannot stop thinking about it.

I just want to touch her again, have her close to me, and feel her warmth against my skin.

Her smile widening, she glances down at Minjun. I try to go back to my math book, spinning my pencil nervously. As I lean back in my chair and focus on her again, I notice her gaze shifting to my hand.

I keep toying with my pencil to see if she will continue paying attention to it. After a few seconds, her pretty eyes meet mine. I move forth and make it obvious I saw her.

"Focus on your book," she glances down at my lips. "I can't. You're distracting me," I use her own words against her. She smiles and looks away, getting her eyes back on Minjun's console.

She cannot tell me she does not feel anything at all for me. She would not look at me that way, not smile that way, if she did not. There is no way.

As her presence makes it impossible to focus, I leave my chair and grab my book.

"What are you doing?" she watches me walk to the stairs. "I'm gonna study," I respond while leaving them alone. "Text me if you need my help."

"I thought you wouldn't get in my bedroom again?" I stop myself and look down at her. "You're right. I forgot. I'll stay at the door then."

"Sure," I reply, before heading back up the stairs.

– Next day –

Tuesday, February 6th, 2024.

8 am.

While waiting in y/n's car for the bell to ring, I adjust the balaclava covering my face and recline my seat slightly. I look out of the window and feel her tug on my hood. "Since when do you have that," she asks.

"A friend lent it to me," I reply, looking into her eyes. "Why? Does it look ugly on me?"

"You know it doesn't," she says, smiling. I raise my eyebrows, my tiredness making it difficult to show fresh reactions. "No, I don't. I'm just a dumb little boy."

"Oh, too bad then. I thought you were a man," she teases, playfully. "Apparently not," I retort without breaking eye contact. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. Would a twenty-six-year-old woman see me as a man or boy?" I test her. "A young man. Sometimes you act like a boy, sometimes like a man."

"It doesn't hurt to be a little immature sometimes. Makes life better," I reply, tempted to ask another risky question. "I guess you're right. I'm still immature sometimes too, so I'm not one to talk."

"Hm. By the way, I saw that new guy you're taking care of. Do you appreciate him?" I ask, trying to subtly steer the conversation towards my intended point. "I don't know him much, but he's been very nice and sweet."

"Alright, is he more mature than me?" I lower my eyes to her lips as she constantly avoids eye contact. "I've only seen a mature side of him so far, so I can't tell, but I doubt he'd be more mature."

"And he's eighteen, right?" I ask for confirmation. "He actually turned nineteen last weekend."

I clench my jaw and keep my jealousy inside. "Hm. And let's imagine you're back in high school, you're nineteen. Who would you be dating if both of us liked you?"

She smiles and looks into my eyes with suspicion. "Why do you ask that?"

"It's just a question, making conversation. I'm curious," I reply, trying to keep my voice casual. She remains silent, still looking at me with suspicion. Finally, she responds, "I'd pick you."

I hide the smile she just put on my face and nod. "Why would you? Because I'm prettier or better in general?"

"Your personality. You're tall. But given the experience I had in school, I'd have believed you were too handsome for me. So I wouldn't have taken you seriously but thought you were just playing with me," she speaks much more than I would have expected her to.

"You're capping," I do not believe her.

"I'm not. I'm actually serious," she crosses her arms and keeps her eyes everywhere but on me. "There's no way a beautiful woman like you would think that. 'Cause I'd have literally chosen you over any other girl. Like, let's imagine our friendship was exactly as it is now. Would you not have trusted me?"

"I didn't have the confidence and experience with men I have now, so no. I don't think I would have trusted you," she admits, revealing insights I had been curious about. "Hm. You do now, though. You got the confidence and experience needed."

My sentence gets her to stare silently.

"Has your taste in guys changed?" I drop my elbow between us. Her lips curve up as she finally gazes at me. "I know where you're trying to go with that, so I won't answer."

'Why?" I nibble on my inner cheek, frustrated to not get what I wanted. 'Because. My taste in men shouldn't matter to you. Focus on school instead."

"I can focus on both," I mutter under my breath, feeling a mix of defiance and disappointment. "No, you can't. And you prove it every time you study or work next to me. You always have your attention on me instead."

"I guess you distract me as much as I distract you," I tongue my inner cheek. "Here we go. You're gonna use it against me now."

"Yeah. Why would I not? It's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard," I fix the position of my mask, slowly feeling hot in the car. "That's not an excuse."

"Then what is? That you're too old to like my attention?" I put the back of my seat properly and open the zipper of my jacket. She brushes her fingers over her throat and looks in front of her. "The bell rang."

"Then hurry to answer," I say as I lean over, grab my bag, and stare at her expectantly. "It's not an excuse," she repeats.

I scoff and shake my head. "You literally admitted to liking my personality and finding me attractive. You keep avoiding eye contact since earlier, you did the same yesterday and many other times, and you always smile when we both make eye contact. So what am I supposed to understand by that?"

My leg bouncing, she does not answer me but stays silent as if she is contemplating her response. "Focus on school, not me," she says, looking at me with a hint of anxiousness in her eyes.

Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach, I nod and look away. I take my bag and get out of her car. "By the way, no need to pick me up later. I don't have school tomorrow, so I'll go out with my friends," I close the door without listening to her answer and head to school.

•••

4:20 pm.

As Leo just entered his car while complaining, Noah hands me a black helmet and tells Leo to shut up.

"I deserve that spot behind you more, bitch," he hurries to close the door before Noah can respond.

"I hate this guy," Noah closes his helmet at the same time as I do and climbs on his bike. "Hop on," he tells me, turning the engine on. I sit right behind him and put my arms around his waist.

Knowing how envious Leo must be right now, I take my phone out and snap a quick picture of Noah from behind. I make sure to send it to Leo right away and add a caption saying, 'Look at this point of view'.

"I'd hold onto something if I were you," he warns me, so I put my phone back in my pocket and wrap my arms around him. It is the first time he gives me a ride on his new bike, so I am excited.