╔. ■ .═════════════════════════════════════╗

╚══════════════════════════════════════. ■ .╝

THE NIGHT HAD BEEN A CHAOTIC MIX of laughter, mischief, and reckless abandon. Jokes flew faster than they could finish their drinks, leaving the girl doubled over laughing as Lee, the self-proclaimed comedian of the group, reenacted Yoon's failed attempt at karaoke. "You weren't singing; you were summoning spirits!" y/n teased, her voice breaking with laughter. Park almost fell off his chair in agreement, clutching his stomach as the singer groaned and threw a paper napkin in y/n's direction.

Things escalated when Lee suggested drunk texting his girlfriend, just for laughs. "She'll find it cute," he argued, his cheeks flushed from alcohol. "Trust me. She loves when I'm honest." But instead of heartfelt confessions, his messages devolved into unintelligible strings of emojis and inside jokes only the boy could decipher.

Park wasn't spared either. Amid the hilarity, Kwon thought it would be funny to nudge Park into texting his crush, a sophomore at the same school. The result? A disastrous mix of typos and one overly enthusiastic "YOLO" that had the group in stitches.

By the time the night wound down, y/n's cheeks hurt from laughing, and her throat was raw. The usual tension in her shoulders had melted away, replaced by the rare, comforting warmth of camaraderie. It wasn't often she felt this light.

As the others dispersed, y/n checked her phone, preparing to walk home. But Kwon intercepted her. "What are you doing?" he asked, his tone bordering on incredulous.

"Uh, walking? My legs work, see?" She waved a hand toward the pavement.

Kwon rolled his eyes. "Not at this hour. It's late, and your house is on my way to the hospital, so..."

"You're really committed to this 'knight in shining armor' thing, huh?" she quipped, but there was no real fight in her voice. She had grown used to the raven's occasional overprotectiveness, though she'd never admit it aloud.

The two began the walk in comfortable silence, the cool night air nipping at their skin. Seoul's streets had quieted, the bustle of the day giving way to the occasional hum of a car in the distance.

"Man, Park's gonna hate us tomorrow," y/n said, breaking the silence.

"Worth it," Kwon replied, smirking. "The look on his face when Lee hit send? Priceless."

Y/n snorted. "Lee's girlfriend might hate us, too. Those texts were... creative."

"Creative? You mean borderline cryptic. She'll probably think he's been possessed."

They both burst into laughter, the sound echoing faintly in the stillness. For a moment, it felt like the world shrank, leaving just the two of them walking side by side, their steps in sync.

But as they neared her neighborhood, the air between them began to shift. y/n's laughter tapered off, her pace slowing. Her arms wrapped around herself, not because of the cold, but as if shielding herself from something unseen. 

Kwon's words from earlier lingered in her mind, but instead of clarity, they left her feeling even more adrift.

Where did she stand with him, really? One minute he was teasing and flirty, the next he was distant and dismissive, as if he was holding something back. It was maddening. And it wasn't just his words—it was the way he looked at her sometimes, like he wanted to say something but always stopped short.

Kwon noticed immediately. "Hey," he said softly, his usual teasing tone replaced with something gentler. "You okay?"

She shrugged, her eyes fixed on the ground.

Kwon wasn't the type to push, but something about her demeanor tonight nagged at him. He hesitated before asking, "Is this about... the new recruit?"

Y/n froze for a split second, her gaze snapping to his. "No," she said quickly, too quickly. She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to steady. "Well, not entirely."

He didn't interrupt, waiting for her to continue.

She sighed, her breath visible in the chilly air. "Tory and I... we have a past. Let's just leave it at that for now, okay?" Her voice was quieter, more vulnerable than he'd ever heard it.

"Okay," he said, nodding. But the look in his eyes told her he was still curious, still concerned.

The forced a small smile. "Honestly, I was thinking more about what you said earlier."

Kwon's steps slowed, and he glanced at her with a raised brow, his expression carefully neutral. "I say a lot of things. You need to be a bit more specific there, princess."

She sighed, hesitating for a moment before speaking. "I just... you're confusing, you know that?"

Kwon blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Me? Confusing? Please, you're the queen of mixed signals."

"Me?!" she shot back, stopping in her tracks to face him. "You're the one who's all friendly and flirty one second, then acting like none of it matters the next!"

Kwon raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her outburst. "Friendly and flirty? So you do notice when I flirt with you."

Y/n's cheeks flushed. "That's not the point!"

"Sure sounds like the point," he said, his smirk growing.

She groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "See? This! This is exactly what I mean. You can't just joke your way out of this, Kwon."

His smirk faltered slightly, and for a moment, she thought he might actually brush her off again. y/n hesitated before finally speaking. "I just- I don't get you sometimes."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "What's not to get? I'm an open book. Handsome, charming--"

"Annoying," she interrupted, giving him a pointed look.

"Fine, fine," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, what do you want to talk?"

"Chiri-san!" y/n was hesitant, her voice soft but steady. "You said it was a heat-of-the-moment thing. That we both didn't have any regrets, and that's it. What did you mean by that? That it was..." She paused, trying to steady the nerves bubbling in her chest. "That it was a mistake?"

For a moment, Kwon said nothing. His silence stretched, the weight of it pressing down on y/m's chest. She was about to backpedal, to dismiss the question as nothing when he finally spoke.

"Is that what you think?" he asked, his tone quieter than usual but laced with his characteristic directness.

She blinked, caught off guard by the question. "I-I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, you didn't really explain. It kind of sounded like you were brushing it off, so..."

Kwon stopped walking, turning to face her fully. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes held an intensity that made her throat tighten. "y/n, listen to me," he said firmly, his voice unwavering but gentler than usual. "What happened that night wasn't a mistake. Not to me."

Her breath hitched slightly at his words, but she quickly masked it, folding her arms. "Then why say it like that? Like it didn't matter?"

Kwon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because I didn't want to make things weird, okay? You and I, we've got... whatever this is," he said, motioning vaguely between them. "And I figured if I made a big deal out of it, you'd shut down, or worse, think I was trying to pressure you into something."

Y/n's brow furrowed. "You think I'm that problematic?"

He snorted. "Problematic? No. Stubborn as hell and more likely to bolt if you feel cornered? Definitely."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped short, realizing he wasn't entirely wrong.

Kwon continued, his tone growing softer. "Look, that night, it happened because we both wanted it to. No regrets, no second-guessing. I meant that. But if you're asking me if it was just some random thing, like it didn't matter..." He paused, locking eyes with her. "No. It wasn't just some 'heat of the moment' thing for me. It happened in the heat of the moment because of the circumstances, but... it meant a lot."

Y/n felt her cheeks grow warm under his gaze. She hated how easily he could unsettle her, how his words cut through her defenses like they were nothing. "Then why didn't you just say that?" she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Kwon chuckled, shaking his head. "Because you're like a puzzle no one's allowed to solve. One wrong move, and you pull the whole thing off the table. I was trying to play it safe."

She frowned, her lips twitching as if fighting back a smile. "That's... surprisingly self-aware of you."

"Hey, I'm full of surprises," he said, his signature smirk returning.

Y/n watched him carefully, waiting for him to either laugh it off or throw out another snarky remark. But when he finally looked at her again, there was something different in his eyes—a vulnerability she wasn't used to seeing.

"I guess I've been... cautious," he said carefully, his tone unusually serious. "But it's not because you don't matter. In fact, it's kind of the opposite."

Her brows furrowed, caught off guard by the admission. "What do you mean?"

Kwon hesitated again, the words tangling in his throat. He wanted to tell her everything—about his last relationship, the lingering self-doubt, and the fear of screwing up something that felt too important. But instead, he settled on a safer approach.

"I mean, I didn't want to come on too strong and freak you out," he said, a playful smirk tugging at his lips to ease the tension. "Who knew you weren't exactly the 'slow and steady' type?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and you are?"

"Of course," he said, puffing out his chest dramatically. "I'm a paragon of patience."

She snorted, the earlier tension easing slightly. "Yeah, right. You're about as patient as Park is graceful."

"Low blow," he said, clutching his chest in mock offense. "But fair."

Y/n rolled her eyes, a small smile creeping onto her lips despite herself. "So... cautious, huh?"

"Yeah," he said, his tone softening again. "But maybe it's time to change that."

She tilted her head, amused. "Change how?"

"Well," he started, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "there's this place I've been meaning to check out. Thought it might be cool to go this Sunday. You know, just to hang out before we fly out to Spain. No big deal."

Y/n raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching with amusement. "Just to hang out?"

"Yep," he said, his voice casual, though there was a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. "Don't worry, not a date... Unless you want it to be."

Her jaw dropped slightly, and she smacked his arm. "Aren't you a smooth little fucker-"

He laughed, rubbing his arm dramatically. "Ow! See? I'm putting myself out there, and you're already abusing me. This is why I hesitate, y/n/n."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the grin tugging at her lips. "Fine. Sunday. But if this turns into something stupid, like you dragging me to another one of those weird fight-club wannabe places, I'm leaving."

"Noted," he said, his smirk widening. "I'll even wear my good jacket. You'll be impressed."

"Don't push it," she warned, though her tone was more playful than threatening.

As they approached her house, the banter quieted. Kwon stopped at the gate, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So... Sunday?"

"Sunday," she confirmed with a nod.

"Cool," he said, his voice unusually soft. He lingered for a moment when they arrived to her apartment complex. He appeared to be debating something, before he leaned in slightly, brushing a quick, featherlight kiss against her cheek.

Y/n froze, her breath catching in her throat. Before she could process what had happened, Kwon stepped back, his usual cocky grin firmly in place. "Good night, princess."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing at the gate, her heart racing and her cheeks burning.

"Impossible," she muttered under her breath, though she couldn't stop the small smile spreading across her face.

"Good night, Kwon..."

1.9k words