“That'll be all,” Sehun nods to the waitress, handing her the worn menus from your table.

Your waitress disinterestedly takes the menus and heads off, leaving you and Sehun in silence in the busy restaurant. There's the small clamor of cooks in the distance and couples and families chatting beneath the dim lights, but Sehun simply leans back with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Why did you agree to meet me today?” he asks. “Didn't you want me to stay away from you?”

Your eyes simply hover over your utensils, finger picking at the napkin on your lap as you refuse to meet Sehun’s eyes. You can almost feel how eager he is to tease you.

“Fight with the boyfriend?” he muses, and an angry red flares your cheeks.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” you squeak, an attempt to be bold flushed when the words slip timidly from trembling lips. “And he’s not ever going to be,” you huff.

“Oh,” Sehun hums. You’re not sure, but you seem to hear delight in his voice.

“I don't know why you’re doing this,” you sigh, “but you-”

“What do you mean?” he interrupts. “I think I’ve made it very clear that I have taken interest in you.”

“I understand that,” you mumble, voice hesitating to be heard. Your eyes wander for a few moments, before you blurt, “Why do you even like me?”

By now, you’re tired of simply anybody saying they like you or they've taken interest in you. You’re so desperate to know just what they see in you in hopes of finding out why things don't ever seem to last.

Even Sehun is surprised by the abrupt question, so surprised that he forgets to thank the waiter for the drinks that arrive at your table.

“There's nothing about you that I don't like,” he admits.

“I’ve heard the rumors,” you tell him. “I know I'm not the only one.”

“The rumors?” Sehun questions. “The ones saying that I’m really just a sly fox who uses his reputation and position to pick up girls?”

Your response is less of an a sigh and more of a slight bob of your head.

“Listen,” Sehun sighs, not forgetting to briefly thank the waiter this time as your food arrives. “I'm the leader of one of the biggest clubs on the campus. Being clever is a must. How else could I compete for this position if I wasn’t scheming?”

You simply listen, letting his words slowly sink into your mind.

“And about the other part- yes, I have offered privileges to a girl I liked before,” he coolly admits, but you notice his eyebrows furrow. “But I don’t have the best luck with girls. I had a girlfriend when I entered college. I wanted to do everything I could to impress her, and guess what, it turns out she was cheating on me with an older guy.”

Others may have told him to move on, but you know better than anyone else how it’s like to feel used, like an empty plastic bag thrown on the streets.

“And then there was another girl last year, sophomore year,” he continues, and you see something between anger and despair in his sharp eyes. “I finally got into this position as club leader, and I wanted to offer her a position in the club as well. Others saw that as a sly move. But really, is it wrong to do everything I can for the girl I like?”

Your fingers flitter around the fork, your eyes never leaving the food that sits idly on your plate.

“The second one decided she would like a position in the club,” Sehun bitterly chuckles. “But she decided she didn’t like me. She found herself a boyfriend, and when I tried to get her back, others saw me as some guy who seduces girls with his authority.”

You decide not to say anything in response.

“And you,” Sehun sighs. “I thought finally, there was someone I could meet and connect with. But when you told me there was someone else, I thought dating just isn't my thing. Now, seeing how you’re here with me, I presumed something happened between you and that guy.”

Your eyes fall to your lap, and you simply run your palms over your thighs.

“Do you mind if I know what happened?”

“It’s just that I trusted him completely, but I don't think he trusted me enough,” you murmur.

Sehun simply nods, the tense atmosphere slowly dwindling as he says, “Eat. I’m paying.”

It's only after you begin eating you see him glancing between you and your food, while leaving his own plate untouched. You feel his hesitant stare, and you slowly lift your head up.

“So,” Sehun begins, “I really wanted to talk to you about the offer I gave you. I really do want you to go to Japan for a year with me. I can figure out all the arrangements, but I need to know as soon as possible if you’re actually going.”

You exhale slowly, and you don't know if you're making the right choice when you say, “I’ll go. I’m going.”

You see the smile that plays on his lips. He takes a sudden interest in his food, before he says, “I hope you're not busy after this.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“I’m taking you out for dessert,” he says. “We still have a lot to talk about.”

You know you have to return to your apartment sometime, but the dread you’ve been expecting is so much more than you could ever imagine. As much as you want to tuck yourself into the comforts of Kyungsoo’s couch, you know you're going to have to go back.

You’ve already spent the past couple of days wearing the same clothes and even wearing some of Kyungsoo’s old sweaters.

It feels unfamiliar as you try to fit your bent key in your lock and swing open the door. Your breath catches in your throat, the only reassurance you have is the thought that Jongin might not be at the apartment- but where else would the guy be on a Sunday evening?

You step inside, feet planting on the ground when you see Jongin’s head whip from the papers on the counter to you. Your eyes fall to the ground, and you’re not sure whether it's because you’re overwhelmed by how much you like him or because you just can't stand seeing him. You hear the hushed murmur of your name before he nears you, hands gripping tightly to your shoulders.

“Where the hell did you go?” he asks, though his voice is more concerned than angry. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

“Please let me go,” you grasp, weakly attempting to wriggle free from his grasp.

“I'm not letting go of you until we have everything settled between us,” he says. “I’m sorry, I ed up, but please don't shut me out.”

“You don't need me, Jongin,” you say with a wince as you recall how immediately he enveloped Jinhee and took her side. “You have Jinhee and tons of other friends to keep you company.”

“I’m never talking to Jinhee again,” Jongin insists, shaking his head. “I didn't know she had been telling you all those things without me knowing.”

It's with every word that leaves his lips you feel yourself being bound by him once more. You have to escape before he lets you fall again.

You wrench yourself free from his grasp as you tell him, “Jongin, how do you expect me trust you again so easily? How do I know you didn’t do all this just because you pity me?”

You see the hurt in his wavering eyes, and he asks, “Have you really not noticed?”

He finally says it.

“I like you,” he says, “I like you so much and I wanted to tell you but I just ed up so badly.”

Your voice lodges in the lump that forms in your throat, and only breathless sighs escape from your mouth.

“I thought you liked me too,” Jongin says, his hands slowly reach for your face, thumbs brushing against your cheeks. “Do you like me?”

You hate him.

You hate how he can dispel your anger toward him with a simple touch. Your cheek leans into his warm hand.

You hate him.

But at the same time, you don't.

Jongin is pulling you closer, your foreheads pressed against one another and noses slightly brushing. You have the chance to push him away, but you don't. Instead, you let his lips ghost over yours and capture them in a chaste kiss.

“I’m sorry,” he repeatedly murmurs against your lips.

You let his lips move against yours, a sincere apology drawn out in long kisses and tight embraces. You eventually give in, your fingers running through his hair and holding tightly to his shoulder,

You find yourself resting on his bed a while later, his arm wrapped tightly around you as he hums a quiet song. You’re sure Jongin has fallen asleep when his arm hangs loosely on your side and his lips are parted, breathing heavily.

You slip from his grasp without waking him up, quietly stepping into your room. You swiftly place clothes, toiletries, and books into your bag.

You gaze wistfully at Jongin’s sleeping figure before leaving your apartment.

You don't know why you're avoiding your own apartment.

You could always kick Jongin out- knowing his personality, he would probably leave if you desperately pleaded him to.

Or maybe not.

Even so, you wouldn't want to return to your apartment, where you spent countless moments with him. You would rather stay in the comforts of Kyungsoo’s abode.

You’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding the male, though you never shared any classes with him in the first place. Though you try, it’s inevitable that the male finds you after class, nearly a week later, anger marring his handsome features.

“Why did you leave that night?” he asks, lanky figure blocking your path. “Why do you keep avoiding me?”

“Jongin, I have someone to meet now,” you tell him indifferently, slinging your bag over your shoulder and attempting to brush past him.

His arm grabs yours and pulls you back in front of him. He croaks, “I thought you liked me back.”

“Jongin, I like you, or maybe I did,” you mumble, “but I still can't trust you so easily anymore. I don't know for sure how you feel about me, and I'm not sure if my feelings for you have changed after the incident.”

“Where are you staying then?” he asks.

“I'm staying with Kyungsoo.”

“Please don't go anywhere,” Jongin insists. “That was a stupid mistake and I’m never going to do something like that ever again.”

“Jongin, I made a decision about what I’m going to do from now on, and you can't change my mind,” you tell the hurt male. “I just need time to think about how I really feel about us being together.”

You pull away once more, and Jongin is about to grab you, until you feel a warm presence slide behind you and a hand rest on the small of your back. Your eyes flicker up to meet Sehun, who you’ve promised to meet.

Jongin is startled by the hand that so comfortable tests against you, and even you’re surprised, since Sehun has never attempted to make any moves this intimate. You see how Jongin’s shoulders tense, quite the contrary to Sehun’s calm disposition.

“Ready to go?” Sehun asks, and you see the confusion softening into heartbreak from the way Jongin’s eyes dim.

Before you leave, you tell Jongin, “I’m going to be leaving for a year sometime soon. I may stop by the apartment to pack some things, but other than that, I think it's better if you don't look for me.”

You quickly turn away, Sehun’s hand moving up to rest upon your shoulder.

“You alright?” he asks.

No.

“Yeah, I guess,” you sigh.

~~

Note: I'm not sure if this chapter lived entirely up to my expectations, but I guess it's alright. There are only two chapters left of Masked, so I'll be working on my new fic once I finish Masked!