Saerom

Collecting the ticks without getting bitten was easy enough. We found some anti-tick spray in a supply closet that we lathered all over our clothes and bodies, then we made sure to cover most of our skin. We put our socks over our pants, put on gloves, and wore blankets to cover our heads and necks. Then we dragged a white pillowcase through the shrubs, collected the ticks that stuck on to it, and put them in an empty jar Mingyu charmed from the cafeteria staff.

And then we just let those little critters loose close to where that old geezer was standing. They were quick to find him and sink into his skin.

He didn’t notice at first, but we weren’t going to hang around when he did. I didn’t want to get into any trouble. Get sued. Get arrested. I don’t know what would happen if anyone found out, but hey, a few ticks won’t kill him.

I did read the safety guide before unleashing the ticks onto him. One to four tick bites will make you a bit sick. Five to eight might make you really sick. It’s only when there’s more than eight that it could become fatal. And I only let him have four, so he’s not going to die.

Mingyu and I make our way into the one of the unguarded back exits of the media buildings, laughing, celebrating our triumph. There’s a rush of excitement doing something you’re not supposed to do, and not getting caught doing it. I feel powerful, in control. Like I could poison every single person on this island until I’m the only one left and Mr. Joshua will have to share his fortune with me.

I have to say, I like playing Bonnie and Clyde with Mingyu. I like that he goes along with my unethical antics. I like that he happily participates without judgment or an ethics lecture.

“We should change,” I tell him. “In case there are ticks on our clothes.”

He nods and we head into one of the empty offices, our spare uniforms in hand.

We’re not supposed to be in the media building, but every other building is crawling with cameras and other contestants, and the last thing I want is to draw attention to ourselves. Changing our clothes so early into the game might lead people to ask questions, might raise some alarm bells in their head.

In the empty office, I begin stripping immediately, trying to be quick in case one of the employees finds us and penalizes us for breaking the rules.

Mingyu watches me, and I quickly pull my shirt back on.

“Excuse you,” I say. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“You,” he answers. “You’re hot.”

“Look away, ,” I say, an unwelcome blush creeping into my cheeks.

“I’ll look away, but you don’t have to.” He’s got an obnoxious, cheeky smirk on his face when he says this. He turns around and begins stripping himself.

And I watch him.

God, he’s hot. Toned arms and wide shoulders, and a firm I never paid attention to until now. When he’s almost done I turn around and pretend I was doing something else all along; I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I watched him.

He doesn’t turn around to face me though. He just says. “Tell me when you’re done.”

When I’m done changing, I feel this heat in my belly tingling through my whole body. It’s the heat that can only be silenced with physical touch. His touch.

I tap his shoulder, and when he turns around to face me, I pull him toward me and kiss him.

I feel him smile beneath my lips, then he pulls me closer and kisses me back.

We’ve done this before. We’ve made out in the chicken shop more times than I can count, but somehow, right now, right here it feels different. After committing a crime together, in this random office where we’re not supposed to be, where anyone could walk in and see us, in ugly green sweatsuits…

He pulls me closer and closer and I revel in the moment of our intermingling breaths, in sync, working together to fill all the gaps between us. His arms somehow sneaks underneath my shirt, touching me more with more boldness than I usually allow. And I let him touch the skin of my waist, and I could feel them itching to move higher, to move lower, to move to places they have yet to explore.

Mingyu stops kissing me, parting only to ask: “can we do this?”

My body wants me to say yes. I want to say yes. I’ve never wanted to say yes as much as I do now.

And it’s not just because he’s attractive; Mingyu has always been attractive, but right now, what I feel is deeper than attraction.

As corny as it sounds, I like Mingyu. I want to be with him. I like spending time with him. Doing things with. I like our curt conversations and banter. I like the way he looks at me, and I like his taunting personality.

This is what’s missing with Seungkwan. I’m not attracted to him, and as nice as he is, I would never feel about him the way I feel for Mingyu.

“Be my boyfriend,” I tell him. I am fully prepared to give myself to him. Fully prepared to go all cheesy and ‘take our relationship to the next level” or whatever that means.

But then he steps back, releases his hands from my waist, leaving my skin cold and hungry.

“Boyfriend? You’re joking right?”

“Is that so bad?”

“Sae, I thought we said this was casual…”

Heat rises to my cheeks. Well, . I feel embarrassed and ashamed, and also a little angry.

“So I am just someone for you to make out with and !?” I yell in a burst of emotion that I wish I held back. But it’s too late now. He knows his rejection hurt me.

“Saerom, we’re both in a marriage game for crying out loud! I’m not going to be committed to you now, when all I want is to marry rich and get rich. You’re a great friend, and I like spending time with you, but girlfriend? No. I’m sorry, but I don’t want this to get serious. I thought we were just having fun…”

I have that little tingle in my nose, the one that you get when you’re about to cry. I feel this pain in my chest, this pain that weighs me down and makes me just want to disappear into the walls. This must be what getting your heart broken feels like.

“I’m sorry,” he says. He probably sees the hurt in my eyes.

I walk past him, embarrassed, upset, and angry. I leave the office where he is and run out the same exit I came. When I’m outside, the dumb tears start coming out of my eyes. I quickly wipe them away and take a deep breath. The last thing I want is for a camera to catch me crying over a boy.

A/N: Hello friends. I signed a very exciting contract yesterday, and this contract is going to make me write a lot of things that are NOT Wed Game, so please be patient if updates here are a little slower. I will commit to bi-weekly though! BUT YES I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE THIS OTHER PROJECT WITH YOU!!