“Lee Chaerin and I are going to start dating.” Soohyuk’s voice is deep and steady, his long slender fingers casually flipping through a magazine. He doesn’t look up to see his friend’s reaction, his expression never changes.

“No!” Jiyong shouts out just as suddenly as the other man in the room had made his announcement. “Absolutely not, no way. I do not approve of that at all.” He stumbles over his words, his eyes widened in awe.

“I like her quite a lot. She’s very intelligent and pretty.” Soohyuk says simply, finally setting his magazine down to look at the kpop idol in the middle of a tantrum.

“You can’t. You can’t date her.” Jiyong glares at Soohyuk sitting across from him in a chair with his outrageously long legs crossed. He’s waiting for his longtime friend to tell him it’s all a joke and that he never meant a word he said. He’s waiting for the punchline but Soohyuk’s face is as serious and stern as ever.

“Jiyong, I’m not asking for your permission.” He sighs, setting the magazine he was reading on the coffee table. “The only reason I’m even telling you is because we’re friends and I felt that you would like to hear it from me rather than hearing it from some gossip site.”

“I wish I could say I appreciate the sentiment.” Taking a sip of his tea, Jiyong refuses to acknowledge his good friend of many years, instead choosing to stare intently at a painting on the wall ahead. He doesn’t know why the thought of Chaerin dating one of his friends bothers him but it does. Just the idea of Soohyuk having any kind of feelings for Chaerin at all drives him crazy. He didn’t let Chaerin hang out with him and his friends so that she could pick a boyfriend from the group. It’s not like he’s a ing dating service.

“I think I should just go,” Soohyuk speaks after some silence, getting up from his seat and putting on his jacket.

“Please, Hyuksoo. Don’t date Chae, I’m begging you man.” Jiyong pleads, raking his hands through his hair.

“I can’t do that, I’m seeing her tonight.” There isn’t even a hint of apology in his tone as Soohyuk pats Jiyong lightly on the shoulder and leaves. Jiyong looks back at the closing door in shock, not able to believe how casual he could be about this.

Did Soohyuk not realize how serious this was? Was it all a joke, was it just some strange payback for something Jiyong couldn’t remember doing?

Jiyong reaches for his phone, quickly dialling Chaerin’s number. She picks up after a couple of rings and he’s strangely relieved to hear her voice. “Hunchae, let’s go hiking tomorrow morning!” He says cheerfully, knowing that she couldn’t possibly turn him down.

“I’m sorry, oppa, I can’t tomorrow.” A frown quickly replaces his smile as he hears her answer.

“But you promised that you would take me hiking. We could even go buy some new hiking gear tonight.” He nervously wrings his hands as he hears her deep sigh over the phone.

“I know, oppa. We can go hiking another time but I don’t really feel well tonight so I don’t think that going tomorrow would be a good idea. I have to take care of my body for all of the promotions.” Angrily, Jiyong hangs up the phone and throws it onto the coffee table. He stands up and punches the wall in a rage. She lied to him. His fingers once again rake through his hair, his nails almost painful as they scrape against his scalp. Jiyong curses as he paces around his apartment, the anger and hurt bubbling up inside of him. After all they had been through together he couldn’t believe that she was able to lie to him so easily.

“Oppa, promise we’ll still be friends even when you’re famous.” Chaerin holds up a pinky in a childish gesture but he can see the sadness in her eyes from being hurt too many times.

“I promise, Chae.” He links his pinky with hers and then they stamp with their thumbs. Jiyong can’t keep the smile from erupting on his face when he sees the joy in her eyes from something so small.

He looks down at his hand, swollen and red from where his flesh had connected with the wall. His hand clenches into a fist and then relaxes, feeling only a throbbing pain. Was her hand soft? Jiyong wishes he could remember the way her skin felt, wishes he could remember the way she smells. With all of the time the two had spent together he should remember the little details but he doesn’t. He wishes he had paid more attention to Chaerin and appreciated her more. There was a time he was her only friend and had sworn that he would always protect her and keep her from being lonely. All of the promises he once made her were pointless now, he had failed Chaerin and no longer had any right to be angry if she wanted to date his friend. But that didn’t stop his hands from shaking. It didn’t stop the loneliness creeping over him as he looks at his phone.

It doesn’t change the fact that he’s the one alone tonight, wishing she was there.

“It was a good idea to eat somewhere more private,” Soohyuk remarks as he sips his glass of wine, looking like an aristocrat in his black satin suit jacket. Chaerin gets back from taking the dishes to the kitchen and sits down across from him, taking a drink of her own wine. His reaches across the table and puts his hand over hers, rubbing at the delicate skin of her wrist with his thumb.

“I agree,” Her voice is low and husky as she looks up at him from under her long lashes, the candle light casting shadows on her face. She’s quiet for a long time as they drink, glancing at one another every so often. Soohyuk stares at her intently like he wants to eat her alive and she’s more than willing to let him but she can’t get Jiyong’s odd phone call out of her mind. She battles with herself whether or not she should say anything, knowing that the dim light and heated gazes sent across the table aren’t where Jiyong’s name belongs in conversation. It’s been bothering her but she isn’t sure she wants to ruin the mood, especially when her alone time with Soohyuk is usually so rare. “I’m sorry for bringing this up right now but Jiyong called me earlier and he sounded really strange. Stranger than usual, at least. Do you know what’s up with him?” Chaerin her lips nervously, Soohyuk’s grip on her hand tightening slightly as he watches her. He doesn’t look shocked.

“It’s no big deal, you don’t need to worry about it.” He says soothingly as he gracefully rises from his chair to walk toward her. Standing behind her, he lightly massages her bare shoulders, her skin tingling wherever his skilled hands make contact. He leans down to whisper in her ear, his hot breath against her cheek smelling like wine and fragrant spices. “You don’t need to worry about anything tonight.

Chaerin’s lips curve into a mischievous smirk as she slowly stands, pressing her back into his body as his hands move from her shoulders down to her hips. Gripping her hips tightly he pulls her even closer to his body, leaving hot kisses at her jawline and then at her neck. She leans her head back and drapes an arm gently around his nape, bringing his face down to hers and capturing his lips. The kiss is slow but urgent as they each take the time to taste one another. He had sneakily kissed her once before in the van on the way to the 20’s Choice Awards but this was so much more than that simply peck. Turning her around to face him, Soohyuk pulls her flush against his body as he dips his head down to kiss her again. His kisses are hungry and faster than when he had let her lead, his hands wandering her curves as if to memorize them for later. She lets out a deep moan and he grabs onto her firm , bringing her closer to him as if trying to become one body.

“My room,” She says in between heavy breaths, a small hand on Soohyuk’s chest to steady herself. A smile forms on her swollen lips as she takes his hand, pulling him along to the bedroom with a laugh. Pushing him onto the bed, Chaerin crawls on top of him and straddles his hips.

“This was a really good idea,” Soohyuk whispers as she slides her hands down his chest and his torso until reaching his belt. She smirks as she looks at him laying under her, watching her movements in anticipation. Her fingers move from his belt to the hem of her short black dress, pulling it off over her head leaving her in only her lacy lingerie.

This was a really, really good idea.

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Authors Note: Sorry for the long wait! Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed and commented, it means a lot to me and keeps me motivated to write. Please look forward to chapters two and three soon!