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THE FIRE CRACKLED SOFTLY, the flickering orange glow casting dancing shadows on the damp walls of the cave. y/n l/n leaned back against Kwon's chest, their shared body heat and the fire in front of them the only reprieve from the icy storm outside. The tension between them had thawed slightly, though it still lingered in the air, unspoken and unresolved.

"Here," Kwon said, breaking the quiet. He fished into his pocket, producing a handful of slightly squished berries. "Not much, but it'll keep you from whining about starving to death."

She glanced at him, eyebrows raised, but didn't object as he handed her some. As she plopped one into her mouth, she chewed slowly, savoring the faint sweetness despite its bitterness, and let out a sarcastic hum of approval.

"Wow," she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "You're a real lifesaver. Bet you feel like a hero now."

"Always," he replied with a smirk, popping one into his own mouth. "I aim to please."

As the fireglow twirled all over his face, she caught the flicker of humor in his eyes and couldn't help but smile faintly. Still, the moment was fleeting as exhaustion and unease took hold of her again.

"So," Kwon started casually, leaning back against the cave wall, "sorry this isn't the evening you had planned. Sightseeing with Yoon sounded way more fun."

Y/n blinked, turning her head slightly to look at him. "What?"

"Don't act surprised," he said with a shrug. "I was there when you two were making plans, remember? Ssanggyesa Temple, right? Classic tourist stuff. I figured you'd enjoy it, being new to Chiri-san and all. You get bored so easily."

The girl's eyes narrowed, her lips tugging into a slight smirk as she moved away from him, leaning against the cave wall, facing him as her grip on his semi-dry jacket tightened. "Eavesdropping, are we? And here I thought you were too busy texting your girlfriend to care about my plans."

The word "girlfriend" hit him like a slap, his expression darkening instantly. He knew exactly what she meant. Yoo-mi. His ex. The girl who had cheated on him and caused more grief than he cared to admit. But y/n didn't know that; all she saw were the fragments she'd witnessed—a kiss here, a glance there. She had no idea what really happened.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he said tightly, his jaw clenching, unaware of the fact that she had seen a few moments of faux-passion flicker between the two, always initiated by Yoo-mi, but rejected by Kwon a second too late.

"Oh, come on," y/n retorted, clearly enjoying the reaction she'd provoked. "You're practically glued to your phone. What, afraid she'll dump you if you don't respond within five minutes?"

Kwon's teeth ground together as he struggled to keep his temper in check. His voice dropped, low and cold. "Don't talk about things you don't understand."

The shift in his tone caught her off guard, her teasing smirk faltering. For a moment, she felt a pang of guilt, but her pride wouldn't let her back down completely. "Fine," she muttered, looking away. "Didn't realize it was such a sore spot."

He let out a slow, measured breath, his fists unclenching. "Yoo-mi and I..." He stopped himself, shaking his head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

Y/n glanced back at him, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. She wanted to ask, to press further, but something in his expression stopped her. Instead, she shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms. "Well, for the record, I'm not planning to ask Yoon out or whatever you think is going on there."

Kwon gave a humorless chuckle, though his jealousy simmered just below the surface. "Sure. Because it's totally normal to plan secret outings with someone you're 'just friends' with."

"Are you seriously jealous?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

He scoffed, though his expression betrayed him. "Of Yoon? Please. I just think it's funny how you play favorites. Thought you were all about being independent."

"Favorites?" she echoed, her tone sharp. "You're delusional. I treat Yoon like I treat everyone. You're just pissed because he doesn't hate me on sight like you do."

"I don't hate you," Kwon said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

The girl froze, her heart skipping a beat. She turned to him slowly, her eyes searching his face. The tension in the air shifted again, heavier, more charged. The storm outside seemed to fade into the background as their gazes locked.

"Could've fooled me," she said softly, her voice lacking its usual bite.

Kwon didn't reply immediately, his jaw tightening as he looked away. His thoughts were a whirlwind of frustration, confusion, and something deeper he couldn't name. He didn't know why her teasing affected him so much, why the idea of her and Do-jin made his chest stiffen, or why he found himself drawn to her despite every argument and insult.

Perhaps it was the way her y/s/c skin absorbed the orange hues of the fire, the flickering light dancing over her features, or how her y/e/c eyes glistened in the dark, reflecting something he couldn't quite catch. Her y/h/c hair, damp and disheveled from the rain, stuck to her face and neck in a tangled mess, and yet it somehow suited her—real and unapologetic. She wasn't perfect, not in the airbrushed, unattainable way he was used to seeing, but there was something about her raw, unfiltered self that made her stand out. She was... one of the most genuine and fucked up people he'd ever met.

Her fiery personality clashed with his icy one more often than not, creating chaos every time they were together. They bickered like it was a full-time job, often with collateral damage in the form of broken objects or bruised egos. Yet, for every argument, there was an unspoken understanding—they always made up. No matter how infuriating she could be, there was never a moment when he truly wanted her gone. 

She didn't judge him for the pieces of his life she didn't know, for the rumors swirling around him, or for the fact that he had more baggage than an airport terminal. And though he'd never admit it, he didn't judge her either—even when she drove him insane with her stubbornness and her maddening need to always have the last word.

It was like they balanced each other out in the weirdest, most chaotic way. Ever since she barged into his life last summer, loud and reckless, he'd felt... different. Better, even. His grades improved (not that he'd ever admit to studying harder just because she once teased him about being dumb). He got into less trouble at school (probably because he was too busy trying to keep her out of it). His grandmother, sharp as ever, had even commented that he seemed "less like a block of ice," whatever that meant. And when they fought side by side, it was like their movements synced without effort, a perfect match of fire and frost. 

Fighting her, though? That was a disaster.

Sensei Kim wasn't wrong—she was his weakness. But then again, she was also his greatest strength. y/n was... just y/n. Complicated, infuriating, stubborn as hell, and somehow the person he trusted most in this messed-up world. And honestly? That was more than enough for him.

Not that he'd ever say it out loud. She'd probably gloat for weeks if she knew how much space she took up in his head.

As she caught him staring at her blankly, almost innocently, y/n felt a faint flutter in her tummy. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she shook her head quickly, as if the action could physically dispel whatever strange feeling had crept in. It's just hunger, she told herself firmly.

Kwon, on the other hand, was feeling the same unsettling stir in his chest. He blamed it on exhaustion, his mind scrambling for a logical explanation. You're just tired, he muttered internally. Probably need more sleep or water or... something. He forced himself to look away, reminding himself that he shouldn't even be thinking about someone like that. Especially y/n l/n.

What was it about her, anyway? Was it the way she looked at him sometimes, like she saw past all the layers he kept so carefully guarded? Or maybe it was the way she could both annoy and intrigue him in the span of five seconds? Either way, it was ridiculous—and infuriating. And yet, for the briefest moment, he wondered if she felt it too.

Y/n broke the silence first, clearing her throat and shifting back slightly. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Kwon smirked faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Takes one to know one."

The fire crackled between them, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. Neither of them moved, both caught in the strange, unfamiliar pull that seemed to keep them tethered to one another. The storm continued its relentless assault outside, but inside the cave, the tension between them burned brighter than the flames.

As the warmth between them seemed to dim as the conversation turned sharper, each word a fresh strike in their battle of wills. y/n was the first to reignite the tension, using it as a way to distract herself from her own raging hormones.

"You know," she said, leaning her head back against the cave wall, her tone curt but controlled, "you talk a lot about Yoon for someone who pretends not to care. Obsessed much?"

Kwon's jaw tightened as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm not the one sneaking off to train with him every chance I get. Didn't realize you were his personal cheerleader."

She scoffed, turning to him with an incredulous look. "Sneaking off? God, you sound like a jealous boyfriend."

He barked out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Jealous? Please. I'm just pointing out the obvious. You ditch people the second something more interesting comes along."

Y/n sat up straighter, her irritation bubbling to the surface. "Excuse me? You're the one who ghosted my texts for days after I helped you study for those chemistry tests. You always do that. Do you seriously think I'll always keep waiting for you like some bitch you own?"

"You mean after you smacked me in the face with a cane during sparring?" Kwon shot back, his voice rising slightly. "Yeah, maybe I wasn't in a hurry to spend more time with you."

"Oh, grow up," Scoffed the girl, throwing her hands in the air. "It was an accident, and you deserved it, by the way. You were being a jerk."

Kwon leaned closer, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Right, because you're such a saint. Tell me, did you think about texting me back before or after you were busy giggling with Yoon over how to throw a punch?"

She bristled at that, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I didn't even know you still wanted tutoring! You ghosted me. And for the record, I wouldn't have ditched if you had shown up. You're the one who bailed."

His eyes narrowed, the frustration simmering in his tone. "I waited at the library for two hours, two days in a row. Where were you? Oh, that's right—probably off with Yoon, teaching him how to smile at himself in the mirror."

Her jaw dropped, stunned by the audacity. "You're unbelievable. I don't even know why I bother with you. If I wanted to waste my time, I'd—"

"—What?" Kwon interrupted, his voice lowering, but his intensity rising. "Waste your time with someone who's actually worth it, like Yoon? Because it sure looks like you've got that covered."

Y/n stared at him, her breath catching. "You're projecting, you know that? Maybe spend less time stalking my life and more time figuring out why you keep texting your little girlfriend every five seconds."

His face hardened, his jaw tightening visibly. "Don't even start with Yoo-mi."

"Why not?" she challenged, her voice trembling with fury. "Everyone sees it, Kwon. You're glued to your phone half the time, probably planning your next little make-out session with her while the rest of us are busting our asses in training."

"That's rich," Kwon shot back, his voice low and venomous. "Coming from someone who spent half her time whispering sweet nothings to Yoon during training. You think I didn't notice?"

The fire crackled loudly as the tension between them reached its peak. They were inches apart now, the space between them charged with unresolved emotions, anger, and something neither wanted to name. y/n's chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, her fists clenched at her sides.

"God, you're insufferable," she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't know anything about me or Yoon."

"And you don't know anything about me or Yoo-mi," he snapped, his voice carrying a bitterness that startled her. He leaned back slightly, running a hand through his damp hair. "You want to know why I keep checking my phone? It's not her." 

 Y/n frowned, her anger faltering under the intensity of his tone. "Then who?" she asked roughly, almost regretting it as soon as the words left her lips. 

 He let out a bitter laugh, his voice low and cutting. "Halmoni," he said, each word heavy. "She stopped eating weeks ago. The hospital's monitoring her while I'm stuck out here, playing Kim's perfect little soldier. Every time my phone buzzes, I think it's the message telling me she's gone." 

Y/n's breath hitched. The firelight flickered across Kwon's face, illuminating the cracks in his usual stoic mask. His fists clenched, his knuckles white as he looked away, his voice breaking slightly. "But yeah, sure. Let's go ahead and pretend I'm glued to my phone because of fucking Yoo-mi."

Y/n froze, the anger in her chest extinguished in an instant, replaced by an aching weight of guilt. "I..." she started, her voice faltering. "I didn't--"

"No, you didn't," he bit out, his tone sharp and unforgiving. "You just assumed, didn't you? You saw me on my phone, and of course, it had to be about her." He spat the last word like it was poison. Another step forward, and now he was towering over her, his eyes blazing with frustration and something else she couldn't name. "Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to deal with you?"

Her back hit the rough, cold wall of the cave as he closed the distance, his face now only inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him, his breath brushing against her cheek. Her chest tightened as his words cut deep, her guilt twisting like a knife. "Uh..." She tried to respond, but her voice died in her throat.

"Go on," he growled, his tone daring, his gaze burning into hers. "Say something. You always have something to say."

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, her pulse thundering in her ears. His eyes, dark and intense, flicked to her mouth for a brief second before locking back onto hers, the tension between them crackling like a live wire.

 Her heart sank like a stone, the anger in her chest dissolving into something colder, heavier—guilt. The realization hit her like a wave, washing over her in an overwhelming rush. She stared at him, her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but no words came. 

The usual fire in her was gone, replaced by an aching lump that she couldn't swallow. Her expression softened, her brow furrowing as her lips trembled ever so slightly.Kwon's bitter smirk faltered when he saw her face. 

The vulnerability in her eyes—the guilt etched into her features—made something inside him shift. He shook his head, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "Forget it," he muttered, his frustration giving way to exhaustion. "Doesn't matter."But it did. 

The girl's hand twitched at her side as if she wanted to reach out to him but didn't know how. Her gaze dropped to the fire, her thoughts racing. She opened her mouth, but all she managed was a quiet, "I... I didn't know." 

 "Yeah, well, now you do," Kwon said gruffly, turning his face away, his shoulders rigid.The silence that followed was deafening, and the tension between them was suffocating. y/n's mind spun with a thousand things she wanted to say, but none of them felt right. 

Kwon exhaled harshly, raking a hand through his hair again as he stepped back just slightly, giving her enough room to breathe but not enough to escape the tension. His eyes, still stormy, settled on her with a new edge—curiosity laced with something more dangerous. "Tell me something," he said, his voice lower now, quieter, but no less intense. "Were you jealous?"

Y/n blinked, startled by the sudden shift in his tone. Her lips parted, but she quickly pressed them shut again, unsure of how to respond. "Jealous?" she echoed, feigning confusion, but her voice betrayed her, trembling slightly.

His gaze narrowed, sharp yet probing. "Don't do that," he murmured, taking another small step closer, the space between them shrinking once more. "Don't play dumb. You heard me."

She swallowed hard, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. Her eyes darted away, desperate to look anywhere but at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, her voice weak even to her own ears.

Kwon tilted his head, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're lying." He let the words hang between them for a moment before leaning in slightly, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. "Y/n... were you jealous of Yoo Mi?"

Her breath hitched at the way he said her name, so quietly, so deliberately, like he was peeling away her defenses one syllable at a time. She opened her mouth to deny it again but hesitated, her throat tightening as his dark, piercing eyes held hers captive.

"I'll admit that I was... of Do-jin," he said again, even softer this time, his tone strangely gentle. "But what about you?" He leaned in closer, his eyes searching hers with an almost unbearable intensity. "Were you jealous?"

She exhaled shakily, her walls crumbling under the weight of his unwavering gaze. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she finally admitted, "Maybe... a little."

His brow arched, amusement flickering across his features despite the tension lingering in the air. "A little?" he repeated, his voice low, teasing but not unkind. "You sure about that?"

Her cheeks burned, but she couldn't bring herself to look away this time. "Fine," she said, her voice sharper now, though it trembled at the edges. "Maybe more than a little."

Something shifted in his expression then—like a lock clicking into place. The anger that had gripped him earlier seemed to dissolve, replaced by something far more dangerous. His hand twitched at his side, but he didn't move to touch her. Not yet. Instead, he leaned in even closer, the space between them now practically nonexistent. "You should've just said so," he murmured, his voice barely audible, a flicker of something dark and unspoken in his eyes.

Her pulse quickened, her breath catching as the air between them seemed to thicken, heavy with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings. She could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, the tension crackling like static electricity. Her gaze flicked to his lips before darting back to his eyes, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Say something," he urged softly, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

She didn't.

Instead, her fingers curled into fists at her sides as she struggled to find her voice, but it was useless. The air felt too thick, her thoughts too jumbled. She parted her lips, but no sound came out, and in that moment, it didn't matter. The world around them seemed to fade, the firelight casting flickering shadows on the walls as the space between them disappeared entirely.

Kwon's eyes searched hers one last time, as if giving her one final chance to pull away. When she didn't, he closed the remaining distance, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that started slow, tentative, yet quickly deepened into something that stole the breath from her lungs.

The tension that had been building for what felt like an eternity snapped like a rubber band, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Her hands moved almost instinctively, one tangling in the fabric of his shirt, the other gripping his arm as if afraid he'd pull away. But he didn't.

His kiss was firm, deliberate, and laced with every unspoken emotion he'd tried to bury—the frustration, the longing, the ache of wanting something he couldn't put into words. And for once, she didn't resist. She let herself fall into it, the fire in her chest roaring back to life as the heat of the moment consumed them both.

When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, their foreheads rested against each other as they stood there, caught in the aftermath of a moment that had changed everything. Neither of them spoke, the silence between them now filled with something entirely new. Something they couldn't take back.

"Still think I don't care...?"

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