Love Dive

“Are you sure that it’s okay for me to join?”

Her eyes twinkled as she took my hand. “Who’s going to say no?”

“Your manager? The girls? I don’t know, just about anyone.”

“Oh I really doubt that.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I’m—”

“Race you there then,” I said, and took off.

“Hey! No fair!” she yelled, her voice trailing behind me.

And just like that, our bodies moved on their own, as if connected by the strings of time, the very same strings that pulled us through our childhood.

We smiled and giggled like it was only yesterday that we were racing down the street towards the fishcake stand right outside our middle school.

It wasn’t the first time she’d given me butterflies that day, but something about the quietness of the Osaka night and the crispness of the chilly air made the moment feel so much more magical.

“H-hi, I’m Park Wonbin.” I bowed awkwardly to her manager while frantically catching my breath.

It was then that I realized I should have let her win just so she could be the one to introduce me.

“Hey Park Wonbin, nice to meet you, we’ve heard a lot about you,” he said. “I’m IVE’s manager Kim Byungho.”

“Thanks for letting me hang out with Wonyoung and crashing your party,” I said, bowing again.

He chuckled. “Funny that you think I have any say in it.”

“Manager Kim is very accommodating to her demands,” the driver added, causing Wonyoung to shoot him an adorable sneer.

“Yeah, well, maybe a little too accommodating sometimes. Alright, well, come on, let’s get going. I’m sure we’re all tired and hungry.”

We filled onto the bus, and I awkwardly trailed behind Wonyoung like a lost puppy.

“So is this your boyfriend, unnie?” Leeseo asked from a couple rows ahead, her question sending a wave of giggles through the other girls.

“No no, we’re childhood best friends,” I said, feeling my face warm up. “We’ve known each other since we were 11.”

“Funny,” Rei teased, twisting in her seat to look at us. “Wonyoung’s never brought a guy around before…”

“Spill the beans, are you guys secretly dating?” Liz joined in.

“Yeah, you don’t have to hide it just because Manager Kim’s here,” Gaeul said.

“Why can’t we just be friends?” Wonyoung whined, flopping onto her seat with an exaggerated sigh. “You guys see your friends all the time.”

“Yeah, but you don’t, so that’s suspicious,” they said, laughing.

“Do you guys think she would make it this obvious if he was her boyfriend?” Yujin said. “If Wonyoung wanted to keep a secret, nobody would ever know.”

I could see Yujin smirking from her seat, but I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking; it almost felt like she was staring at me more intently than the others, just a moment too long.

“That’s true, but still, she’s never brought any friends around us before.”

Wonyoung rolled her eyes dramatically and crossed her legs, pulling her phone from her bag. “You guys are going to make him think I’m some kind of weirdo who has no friends.”

Rei poked her head out into the aisle. “Wait, you mean you’re not?”

“Alright alright, leave them alone, girls,” Manager Kim said from the front of the bus. “Poor kid must be uncomfortable enough as it is without you all interrogating him.”

“Okay, fine, let’s talk about something more important. Manager Kim, what are you ordering for us to eat tonight? We’re so hungry!”

“What do you want to eat?”

“It tastes so good—”

“Stop.”

She pressed her index finger against my forehead.

“I said you could only have one more lick.”

I nodded, my eyes still completely locked on the breathtaking sight before me.

But my tongue was restless. It begged me for more, even though I could do nothing to satisfy its desperate desire for another taste of her nectar.

She snickered. “My god, are you drooling?”

I bit my lips and shook my head, even though it was a blatant, shameful lie.

“Control yourself, you’re not an animal, are you?”

I shook my head again, while she smiled in amusement.

Her delicate fingers trailed slowly along the soft, glistening edges of her folds. She rubbed her clit in slow, torturous circles, just inches from my face.

“Do you like what you see?”

“Yes,” I said, feeling myself salivate even more.

She kept teasing me, spreading her wet lips apart, showing off the prize without allowing me any way to obtain it.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said, my breaths growing heavier as my body started gravitating towards her. “You smell so good.”

Her mouth opened seductively, and she continued playing with herself before me. “Do you want another taste?” she asked softly.

I nodded desperately.

“Beg,” she demanded, with a serious look on her gorgeous face.

“Please.”

She smiled mischievously and shook her head. “Nope.”

I swallowed hard, trying my best to stay sane while she continued spreading her juices around her pretty little fingers.

“Please, can I have another lick?” I asked, barely able to speak. Her arousing scent was driving me mad.

“So pathetic.” She chuckled. “You want to lick my pussy that badly?”

“Yes, please.”

“Do I taste that good?”

“Yes, you taste better than anything else in the world.”

She smiled. “Tongue.”

I obliged immediately, and she gently brushed her fingers against my tongue, lightly smearing her essence across the surface.

“There. Are you satisfied?”

I shook my head.

“That wasn’t enough for you?”

“No, please,” I begged. “I want more.”

She watched me squirm for a long, torturous second. “Fine. I’m feeling generous today,” she said, repositioning herself on the bed, spreading her legs open wider. “You can keep licking me.”

“Thank yo—”

Before I could finish, she pulled my head toward her, and clenched onto my hair. “But you better make me feel good. Got it?”

“I will—I promise,” I mumbled, my face already buried in between her soft, smooth thighs.

“Mm…are you happy now?”

I nodded, tracing circles around her clit, carefully increasing the pressure with every rotation. “God, I’m so lucky to be your slave.”

“That’s right—oh, good boy…just like that…you love being in between my legs, don’t you?”

“I love being between your legs right where I belong, Wonyoung. I only have a mouth so that I can make you feel good. My only purpose is to serve you.”

I continued kissing her clit with my tongue, slowly at first, and then picking up speed.

Her breaths grew louder.

“That feels good…” she moaned. “You’re such a good little slave…”

“Anything for you,” I said.

“Sorry?”

“He said, ‘anything for you?’” she translated.

“Oh—um—I’ll also take a lemon sour…?” I added awkwardly, still extremely confused by the bar’s menu.

“Two lemon sours please,” she said to the bartender.

He nodded and took our menus.

“Your Japanese is so good,” I whispered, for no reason.

“It’s okay.”

“Okay? You’ve been speaking full on sentences since we got here. How’d you get so good?”

“They had a lot of languages classes when I was training,” she said, sitting up straight—even straighter than before.

“Right,” I said, suddenly reminded how drastically our lives had diverged over the last five years.

“Plus, Rei teaches us sometimes.”

“She really wanted to join us, didn’t she?”

She sighed. “They’re all just being really nosy, don’t mind it.”

“Manager Kim seems to really like you,” I said, fiddling with the napkins on the table. “If he didn’t bribe them with sashimi, they might’ve actually stalked us here.”

“He’s really great. Much better than our last manager. That guy was a bit of a weirdo.”

“How come?”

“It’s such a long story.”

“I think you owe me 5 years worth of catchup.”

She looked around, as if cautiously surveying the area to make sure that there weren’t any fans.

“I wouldn’t know where to start,” she said, putting her chin on her hand. “You go first.”

“Ladies first.”

“Oh, you see me as a lady now, huh?”

I paused. It did feel strange. It was like just yesterday that we were kids. But the person in front of me was completely different and yet at the same time, completely the same.

“Well, you did grow up to be quite the lady,” I said, looking at her carefully for the first time all night. “A long way from the brace-face who drools on me in class.”

Her hands flew up to cover her face. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember everything.”

“Then you must remember the time when we went to Ji-eun’s pool party and you almost drowned until I saved you.”

“Okay, I didn’t almost drown, I just didn’t know the pool was that deep.”

Her eyes widened. “It was so deep.”

“It was like 3 meters deep or something, right?”

“Right!? Without any signs or anything. I almost drowned trying to save you.”

“Okay, now you’re just being dramatic.”

“You were drowning! You even said so after I got you out.”

“I didn’t say I was drowning, I said I thought I was going to drown.”

I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I was drowning. My back was pressed against the bed, and her thighs were wrapped around my head. Her wetness smothered my mouth and nose, and all I could feel was the smoothness of her skin, slipping and sliding back and forth above me.

“Tell me the truth,” she said, grinding herself on my face. “You love it when I use you like this, don’t you?”

I tried to nod, but I couldn’t move at all. I could only answer with my eyes, which were met back with hers from above me, filled with satisfaction and content.

“Oh? Can you breathe?” she asked, mockery dripping from her voice.

I shook my head—or at least, attempted to.

“Good. You don’t get to breathe until I say so.”

I closed my eyes, surrendering to her will. Her words were law, always.

A sharp sting struck my cheek. “Look at me,” she ordered, staring at me with dangerous, devilish eyes. “I want you to look at me while I use your face to make my pussy feel good.”

I forced my eyes open, looking at the remnants of the girl of my dreams above me, her face flushed with excitement and pleasure.

“Mm…” she hummed, gripping onto my hair. “My pussy feels so good like this. Keep looking at me, don’t even blink.”

She continued riding me roughly, soiling my lips with her juices, branding her essence onto my skin.

“My pussy can’t stop rubbing itself against your cute little face, Wonbin-ah. It’s defiling you…are you okay with that?”

I nodded, my lips pressed against hers in a kiss she didn’t return, all while her hips were grinding mercilessly into my face.

“I’m using you like a worthless toy Wonbin,” she moaned loudly. “And you love it so much, right? You love being my little dirty fuckslave, don’t you? Say it. Say you love it.”

But I could not longer speak.

Her hips continued moving back and forth relentlessly, each thrust a declaration of ownership. Circular, then linear, her movements claimed my lips, nose, and chin, fully marking me as her possession. I was no longer a person. I was her toy, her tool, her object.

And I didn’t mind it one bit. In fact, I craved her like a drug. Maybe I was so brainwashed by her womanly scent that was both sweet and sinful, but none of it mattered. I was willing and happy to be hers.

I was completely drunk off of her psychotic lust.

“I think I might be drunk,” I said, eyeing the six empty glasses in front of us.

“Might be?” she said, smirking. “You started stumbling on your words like 30 minutes ago.”

“And you didn’t?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t drunk.”

“Is this the first time we’ve ever been drunk together?”

“Obviously, we weren’t old enough to drink the last time we saw each other.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Dummy.”

“You’re the dummy.”

“No, you are.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Yeah! Wait—what are we betting?” She shook her head, her eyes a little unfocused.

“I have no idea.”

She grabbed the drink menu again. “Loser has to take a shot.”

“A shot of what?”

“I don’t know, a fireball?”

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“You don’t know anything, Wonbin.”

“Well, I know one thing.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Give me your hand.”

Without hesitation, she laid her hand on the table between us.

“I know that you got this scar from the tree in my backyard.”

She smiled faintly. “I should’ve listened to you that day.”

I ran my finger gently over it. “Does it still hurt?”

“Of course not. It’s been 6 years.”

“See? I do know some things.”

“What else do you know? That was one thing.”

We looked at each other for a moment without saying anything. Her face was slightly flushed, but her plump, red lips still appeared like they were shining in the dim light.

“I know that I missed you,” I said, softly. “A lot.”

“That’s what you know?”

“Yeah, apparently you didn’t.”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“You’re supposed to just know. We’re best friends—”

“I really missed you too,” she said, simply.

Sometimes, we tip-toe into love. We test the waters, and decide whether or not it’s worth the swim. Other times, we dive straight into it—right into what could easily drown us—or make us wish we were dead. This was one of those times. I felt like I was drowning again, but she couldn’t save me this time.

I didn’t know when our fingers were interlocked, but they stayed like that for a while.

It felt like an eternity, but I cherished every intoxicating moment of it. She cradled my face, occasionally teasing me with the most perfect sight to have ever blessed my eyes. Her beautiful backside swayed before me, a slow hypnotic rhythm that served as a reminder of the privilege I’d been granted.

“Do you like looking at my ass?” she asked, glancing back over her shoulder. “No one else gets to see this view, you know that, right?”

She slid back over my face, smothering me with the soft, jiggling weight of her cheeks.

Without hesitation, I pressed my lips against the velvet softness brushing my skin, planting kisses on every inch I could reach.

“Wow, you love it so much that you’re dripping pre-cum all over the bed.”

“I can’t help it,” I murmured, my lips moving between kisses as I desperately worshipped both of her beautiful holes. “I love how it looks, how it tastes…I love everything about you.”

“You’re making a mess down here,” she said, slapping my throbbing cock with the tip of her fingers.

The pleasure shot through my body as I felt her touch me for the first time all night. It was like every cell in my body fired up in excitement.

“You’re not going to come, are you?” she asked, her fingers teasing more deliberately now, squeezing my pre-cum out.

I grunted. “No, I won’t come.”

“Good. Don’t come until I leave. I don’t want to see your dirty cum.”

“Yes, Wony—”

She pushed her ass against my face again, forcing me to continue serving her. The softness of her skin enveloped me like a velvet blanket.

“You’re leaking so much,” she said, smearing my desire along the sides of my length. “Are you sure you’re not going to come?”

“I won’t come,” I insisted through clenched teeth, my voice strained as I fought against the building pleasure.

She released her grip on me briefly, her hands reaching back to part her cheeks, offering me an even more intimate view of her. The sight alone was enough to push me to the edge.

“No,” I groaned. “If you do that, I’ll—”

“Don’t you dare,” she scolded, pressing her herself even harder against me. “Worship me obediently or else I won’t ever let you see this again.”

“Yes—“

“Lick me properly.”

My tongue traced her creases fervently, as if my life depended on it. It spiraled, pressed, and flickered with a mind of its own. I kissed her every possible inch of her, long and deep, my lips sealing against her skin as if they were glued to her body.

She continued squeezing my cock, spreading my love for her all over me, while pressing her hips harder onto me.

“I can’t hold it anymore,” I cried, my voice muffled against her skin, and my hands clawing uselessly into the sheets.

“You’re mine,” she moaned. “All mine.”

I lost myself in her completely, licking and sucking with such desperate intensity I felt lightheaded, drowning in her with no desire to come up for air. I was drowning in her, and I didn’t want to be saved.

“Hold it, don’t you dare fucking come…”

“I can’t…”

“I said no!”

“I can’t, I really can’t!”

“You can’t what?”

“I just…can’t,” she said, suddenly turning away.

The elevator doors slide open and she stepped inside ahead of me.

“Wonyoung, what’s wrong? What are you talking about?”

She looked at me with sorrowful eyes, but I just couldn’t understand why.

“I’m sorry, Wonbin, I really can’t. I wish I could, but I ca—”

Without even thinking, I pulled her into my arms. Maybe it was the alcohol, but I felt braver than I’d ever been. Her body settled perfectly against mine, and in that moment, nothing she’d said mattered. Whatever she meant—I didn’t care.

“Wonbin-ah,” she said, her face tucked against my neck. “I wish you knew how much I missed you. I thought about you everyday. I kept telling myself that I didn’t care, but I did.”

“Me too,” I said, holding her even tighter.

“And now you’re here. You’re really here.”

“Yeah, I came back to find you. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

“But I really can’t—”

“Just stop talking. I get it.”

“No, you don’t. I wish you did, but I know you don’t.”

“I don’t care.”

The ride up the elevator felt longer than it should have. We were holding onto each other for what felt like forever, partially for support, since neither of us were able to even stand up straight.

“Are you going to leave again?” she asked.

“Not unless you want me to.”

“I don’t, but you have your life in America now. You can’t just stay here.”

“I’ll figure it out. We can keep in touch this time, and then I’ll come visit—”

The elevator suddenly stopped on floor 11, and we quickly let go of each other in panic. But after a few seconds, it appeared as if no one was there.

It was like time had frozen still. The doors didn’t close, and we looked deeply into each other’s eyes, confused, but also intoxicated by something more than just alcohol.

Her lips curved into a cute pout. “Why’d you let go of me?”

“Didn’t you also let go of me?”

“I’m an idol, it’s a reflex.”

“You’re an idol, so it’s a reflex for me too.”

“So I’m just an idol to you? Not your best—”

“Please hold it!” a voice suddenly called out.

“I can’t!”

“You have to hold it until I say you can come. Or else I’m going to be very angry. Do you want me to be angry?”

“No, I don’t—”

“Then don’t fucking let me see your disgusting cum,” she growled, squeezing my shaft tightly.

She moved her hips in such an erotic way that I felt like my body was begging me to release everything at once. The shape of her arching back, with the perfectly plump, yet petite butt, sliding back and forth in front of my face, sent me into a sexual frenzy.

I’d never seen anything so beautiful in my life, a view so intoxicating I thought I might lose my mind. Both of her entrances were glistening from a mixture of my saliva and her juices, which she shamelessly spread all over my mouth while spreading my endless pre-cum all over my cock.

“Hold it, Wonbin.”

I quickly pressed the button, trying my best to stand up straight, and slightly away from her.

“Thank you,” the man said in Korean, and bowed.

The three of us stood awkwardly in heavy silence. The elevator lights seemed to pulse overhead, though I knew it was just the drinks distorting my vision. Soft dings marked each passing floor, each one dragging on longer than the last, and I occasionally looked over at Wonyoung, who was standing as straight as a soldier. Somehow her posture was absolutely perfect, despite just falling over mere minutes before.

I thought I was standing next to a goddess carved in marble, or even an angel, with all the lights beaming upon her tall, slender frame. Her hair was still flawless, and even though her face was a bit flushed, the reflection of the light on her lips made my heart race.

“You’re so beautiful,” I mouthed to her.

She bit her upper lip, but said nothing.

“You’re so beautiful,” I said again.

“I know I am,” she said, reaching back to rub herself just inches from my lips. “Be thankful that you can see me like this, the whole world wishes they could.”

“God, you’re so beautiful,” I said, unable to say anything else. My mind was beginning to blank out, and all I could do was force myself to not come.

But it was impossible.

“You’re so beautiful, Wonyoung,” I whimpered, my voice cracking under the strain.

“Tell me more,” she commanded, sitting up straight on top of me, holding onto my hair with her right hand, while circling her clit with her left.

“You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.”

“Do you love me?”

“I love you, I love you so much. I’m crazy about you.”

“Keep licking me,” she demanded. “I’m going to come soon.”

“Come for me, Wonyoung, please…” I pleaded. “Come all over my face like how you always do.”

She moaned louder, her hand moving faster across her clit, while her hips rolled against my mouth, rubbing her majestic holes all over my tongue.

”I’m coming,” she said, her voice shaking. “Don’t stop, keep using your tongue like that…oh god…I’m coming!”

“Hold on, I’m coming!” a voice called from inside the room.

“What’d she say?” I asked, looking at Wonyoung.

“I think…someone said they’re coming?” she replied, just as confused.

We continued knocking, but nobody opened the door.

She rested her head on my shoulder, no longer able to stand up on her own. I held onto her tiny body, and even through my dazed mind, I noticed how soft the fabric of her dress felt against my skin—so soft it sent a shiver through me.

Then, as if she felt it too, she lifted her head and looked at me.

“You can go first,” she said quietly. “I’ll wait for them alone.”

“No.” I pulled her closer. “I don’t want to lose even a minute with you.”

“Wonbin…” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck for the first time ever. “We…can’t be together…”

“I know,” I said. “I get it. You’re an idol and I’m—”

“It’s not because I’m an idol. I just can’t. I wish I could tell you, but I just can’t. But trust me, it’s not because I don’t like you. I like you so much. You’re the only boy I’ve ever looked at all my life. I learned what love was after you left, and when I saw you again today, everything made sense. You’re my best friend and my first love. I wish I could’ve told you sooner.”

I couldn’t breathe. My mind couldn’t process the words coming from her lips—drunkenly at 2 a.m. in front of her hotel room. All I knew was that her feelings for me were exactly what I wanted them to be. What I hoped they would be.

“I’m in love with you,” I said, staring deeply into her gorgeous eyes. “I don’t need to be with you, I just wanted you to know that. I don’t know when it happened, but my heart only knows you.”

“Me too,” she said, leaning closer to me. Our foreheads were pressed against each other’s, and I could feel my lips being pulled into hers by a force out of my control.

Then, without any warning, the door swung open, and Rei’s head popped out.

“Oh, I knew you guys were dating,” she said, slurring her words.

We jumped apart so fast that we nearly fell over.

“Rei!” Wonyoung yelped, grabbing onto the door. “It’s not what you think, we’re not dat—”

“Don’t lie,” she mumbled, drunkenly waving her hand in Wonyoung’s face. “I saw it, you guys were kissing just now. I’m wasted, but I’m not blind.”

“We really didn’t kiss,” I said, unsure if I was helping the situation at all.

“It’s fine, it’s okay,” she said, swaying back and forth rather dangerously. “Come in, boyfriend. We have lots to talk about.”

Before I could react, she grabbed my hand with surprising strength and dragged me inside the room.

“I’m so sorry,” Wonyoung said, clutching onto my arm. “You don’t have to stay—”

“Quiet!” Rei scolded, pointing a dramatic finger at both of us. “We need a guy here. Yujin and I are frustrated.”

“W-what does that even mean?” I asked, looking helplessly between them.

“We were at a bar,” Rei started, collapsing onto the couch, “and there was this really cute guy. But he wouldn’t even talk to me! So annoying!”

“And so she did something stupid,” Yujin called from the bathroom.

“Yujin, don’t talk from inside the bathroom! That’s so gross!” Wonyoung cried, covering her face.

“I’m just taking off my makeup, you self-conscious weirdo!”

I turned back to Rei. “Wait… what did you do?”

“I told him to be a man, of course,” she groaned, face-planting into the couch. “And to just ask for my number. Even if I’m an idol.”

Wonyoung gasped loudly. “Are you serious?”

“And guess how he responded,” Yujin said.

“He got scared and ran away?”

Yujin turned off the faucet and walked out in her bare face, which shockingly did not look any different from what I was used to seeing.

“He looked her dead in the eye and said, ‘You’re an idol?’” she said, laughing.

Rei let out a wail and punched the couch. “He didn’t even know who I was! I want to crawl into a hole and die! He was so cute! But he didn’t even know me?!”

“Did you tell him that you’re from IVE?” I asked, trying not to laugh.

“Yeah, and he said…” Rei groaned into a pillow, then suddenly threw it toward Wonyoung. I caught it before it hit her, and Yujin gave me a small, impressed nod.

“He said what?” Wonyoung asked.

“He said, ‘IVE? Is that the group with Jang Wonyoung?’” Yujin said, laughing.

I didn’t notice when it happened, but Wonyoung was somehow holding my hand, and we looked at each other, smirking.

“Unnie! Stop telling them everything!” Rei screamed into another pillow. “Why does everyone only care about Wonyoung? I’m pretty too! We’re all pretty, aren’t we?”

Wonyoung let go of me and crossed the room to sit beside her. “Rei, it’s not like that. It’s not about who’s prettier—”

“It is!” she cried. “You’re the prettiest, so everyone knows you! It’s always about you!”

“She’s very very drunk,” Yujin whispered, stepping closer to me.

“I see that…”

“It was just one guy, Rei. Who cares what he thinks?”

“One cute guy!”

“Just forget him,” Yujin said. “So what if he was cute?”

“God, I’m so lonely!” Rei wailed. “I want to hang out with a cute guy! Wonyoung is hanging out with a cute guy, why can’t I?”

“I’m cute?” I blinked, looking around the room.

“You’re pretty cute,” Yujin said with a teasing grin that made my skin crawl.

“Rei, drink some water,” Wonyoung said gently, helping her sit up.

“No!” she whined. “I don’t want water, I want—”

“Stop this, you’re embarrassing yourself in front of—”

“That’s all you care about!” she snapped. “How perfect we look in front of everyone! Always perfect, always classy, always ladylike! I’m tired of it!”

“My pussy,” she moaned, her voice trembling. “Your tongue is so deep in my pussy, oh god…”

I could feel all her juices dripping out of her hole as I flicked my tongue further into her cave. She started shaking above me, jerking back and forth, and I slurped loudly on both of her perfect little holes.

“I’m coming,” she cried, her body collapsing over me. “I’m going to come all over your face…”

She moaned loudly, her thighs clenching around me as wave after wave of release rolled through her. Her soft cheeks pressed against my mouth, muffling my groans as I held her close, letting her ride it out against my lips.

When her trembling finally eased, she fell against me, breathless. I kept my hands on her ass, gently spreading her apart as I cleaned her with my tongue, slowly and carefully, not missing a single drop.

“You’re such a good slave,” she said, panting. “You made me come so hard...”

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered against her skin, planting kisses everywhere my lips could reach.

“This is your reward. Lick me clean before I leave. You want that, right?”

“Yes, of course. I’m honored to clean your pussy with my useless tongue.”

“I’m tired of being perfect! I want a cute boy to tell me I’m pretty and go on dates and hold my hand and kiss in front of the hotel room like you!”

“You guys kissed?” Yujin gasped.

“We didn’t kiss!” Wonyoung blurted, her face flushing red.

“Yeah…we really didn’t kiss…” I added, nervously.

“You would’ve kissed if I didn’t open the door! Probably would’ve had sex too!”

“Oh my god, you’re so drunk!” Wonyoung shrieked, hiding her face. “Let’s get you some hangover drinks and back to your room so you can sleep.”

“You just want me to leave so you can have sex with him!” she accused.

“No! You’re just super drunk and need to sleep before you hate your life tomorrow!”

“I want to have sex too! It’s not fair, damn it!”

“Come on, let’s go,” Wonyoung said, trying to lift her body up.

“Can I have sex with him too?” Rei mumbled. “He’s so cute, Wonnie…”

My face went hot, and Yujin shot me a playful wink that made it worse.

“She’s not always like this, promise.” she teased.

“Let’s go, Rei…” Wonyoung pleaded.

But Rei just slumped down onto the couch. “No… I’m so tired. Let me sleep here. You guys can have sex. I won’t watch…”

“Yujin, help me!” Wonyoung cried in frustration.

“There’s not much we can do.” Yujin said, watching the scene unfold like it was a comedy show.

“She’s going to hurt her back sleeping like that…”

“Can you carry her to my bed?” Yujin looked at me, completely serious.

“C-carry?” I looked across the room at the bed that felt miles away. And anyone who’s ever carried a drunk person knows it’s like wrestling a sleep-deprived toddler with bricks in their pockets.

But I nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ll grab her hangover drinks downstairs,” Wonyoung said, already heading for the door.

Something about the way she still cared so much for her friend—even in the middle of this drunken chaos—gave me butterflies. Drunken ones.

“Do I have your permission to carry her?” I asked quietly.

Wonyoung stopped and smiled, her eyes soft. “Yes, of course. Gosh, you’re adorable.”

From the couch, Rei groaned, her voice muffled by a pillow. “I’m gonna throw up just listening to you two. Get a room.”

“This is our room!” Wonyoung sneered. “You’re the one who invaded.”

“Well—ours—technically,” Yujin added.

“Alright,” I sighed. “Let’s get you to bed.”

As I lifted Rei into my arms, she sighed contentedly. “At least one boy’s holding me tonight…”

“I’ll be right back,” Wonyoung said, softly. “Thank you for helping.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“It’ll be really quick, it’s right downstairs.”

“Take my jacket, it’s cold.”

“I’ll be okay.” She smiled and left.

The door closed shut, and just like that, I was alone again.

The silence hit me harder than it should have; a cold, suffocating stillness that seemed to swallow up the air. I sat in the pitch black hotel room with the faint scent of her body and perfume still lingering like a cruel reminder. My body ached—not just from the unbearable tension she left me with—but from something deeper. An emptiness I couldn’t name, but felt in every part of me.

Sinful images raced through my mind—her flushed cheeks, the way her lips parted when she moaned, the warmth of her body against my mouth.

You were a good boy today.

Her last words echoed through my head. And now, all that remained was the raw, pulsing frustration in my body and the hollow ache of being used, and then forgotten.

I leaned back against the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to breathe through it—the emptiness, the desire she’d left burning inside me with nowhere to go.

But there was no relief. No release. Just the usual empty room, my trembling hands, and the humiliation of knowing that there was only one shameful way to even attempt to calm the raging storm she left inside of my body.

And just like every other time, I told myself it didn’t matter.

And just like every other time, I knew it was a lie.

“Don’t lie. Did you guys kiss or not?” Yujin asked, her eyes locked on me like a predator toying with a cornered prey.

I shifted uneasily, glancing over at Rei, who was completely passed out on the bed.

“N-no. We really didn’t.”

“But you wanted to, didn’t you?” she pressed, stepping closer. “Come on, tell me the truth. How far were you going to take it if Rei hadn’t opened that door?”

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. I couldn’t understand why she was pushing so hard—but the way she looked at me made it impossible to think straight. The playful smirk, the glint in her eyes—it wasn’t curiosity, it was a game.

“We’re just friends, really.”

“Friends?” She laughed under her breath. “You two disappeared for four hours, got drunk, held hands in front of us like it was nothing… Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Tell me the truth—are you guys fucking?”

“N-no—I swear, we’re not!”

But why did I feel so guilty and flustered? I’d never thought of Wonyoung in that way, and yet the moment she said those words, my head filled with images I didn’t ask for.

Me and Wonyoung? No way. That wasn’t how our relationship was. Ever. Besides, we literally just saw each other again, how would we have any time to—no, it didn’t matter. We weren’t like that at all.

Yujin took another step forward, her lips curling into a dangerous smile. “Oh, but you want to fuck her though, don’t you? You can tell the truth, I mean, practically every guy wants to fuck her, you can’t be any different.”

She closed the distance between us, her face so close I could feel her breath on my skin. “Huh, I wonder…would she actually let you fuck her?”

“Yujin, stop. You’re making me—”

“Horny?” she chuckled, looking down. “Yeah, I can see that.”

I crossed my hands over my lower body, stepping back until my shoulders hit the wall behind us.

“Uncomfortable.” I corrected.

“You’re actually really cute when you’re like this,” she said, bluntly. “Honestly? I’m kind of jealous of her, having such an adorable boy-toy like you. Childhood best friends, you said?”

“Y-yeah…” I said, my voice rather shaky.

“Tell me, don’t you want to fuck her? She’s so pretty, after all.”

“No—”

“You don’t think she’s pretty? I wonder how she’d feel if she heard you say that.”

My chest tightened. “No, she’s really pretty!”

I could feel my body warming up against my will.

“Have you ever told her that?”

I nodded, without understanding why she even deserved to know.

She smiled. “Bet she loved that. See, that’s the thing about Wonyoung. She loves being wanted. She doesn’t need to do anything. Just stands there, looks pretty, and watches people drown themselves over her. And you’ve been drowning for years, haven’t you?”

“Don’t say that about her.”

“Oh? You think I’m wrong? I think I know her better than you, Mr. Best Friend.”

“She’s not like that.”

“Really? Did she reciprocate your feelings tonight then?”

“No, she—”

“Let me guess. She said she can’t be with you.”

I froze. “How did you know?”

She stepped even closer, her lips almost brushing my cheek. “Like I said, I know her better than you do.”

“Why did she say that then?”

She slipped her hand under my shirt and ran her cold fingers across my skin sending an involuntary shiver through me.

“That’s the thing with her—she just lets you orbit around her like a little moon. Always close, but never quite enough. If she gives you what you want, then the game is over.” She leaned back just enough for me to see the devilish smile curving her lips. “And trust me, Wonyoung loves the game.”

My mind went blank, my body was betraying me completely. Her touch. Her words. That wicked look in her eyes. I didn’t know if I was angry or desperate or just tired of wanting something I couldn’t even describe.

“Why keep playing her game?” Yujin murmured, taking my hand and guiding it behind her.

“Spare yourself the humiliation,” she breathed, her lips brushing mine but never quite touching. “Play with me instead.”

“Yujin, stop…”

“Close your eyes,” she said, softly, and for some reason, I listened. “You don’t have to be her pet. We can be equals.”

My heart stuttered as she pressed my palm directly against her bare skin underneath her shorts, her curves warm and unimaginably soft against my trembling hand.

“I—”

Her hips shifted, pressing into my hand as she moved my fingers against her butt, guiding the pressure like she already knew exactly how far she could push me.

“She would never let you do this,” she whispered. “Because Wonyoung thinks she’s the prize. Some perfect little fantasy no one’s ever good enough to win. But in my game, the rules are different. We can both be winners.”

“Why are you doing this?”

She ignored me. “Go on, you can squeeze. I know you want to. Stop pretending.” Her fingers pressed over mine again, squeezing herself through my unresisting hand.

“Stop, Yujin…” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

“Why? You said you guys are just friends, so what’s the problem?”

I couldn’t answer her, and shut my eyes tightly, fighting off the temptation of going any further.

“Wonyoung will always tell you that she can’t.” Her fingers slid up the back of my neck, threading into my hair as she pulled me down to her. “But I can. And I will.”

Without another word, and before I could even stop it, her lips had already claimed mine. Her tongue slid past my willingly parted lips, tasting every last bit of hesitation I had left.

And yet for some reason, the harder she kissed me, the less I fought back.

The world spun, but all I could think about was Wonyoung.

What if it were her lips?

Her soft body filling my palms?

Her tongue tangled with mine in this firestorm of a kiss?

What if—

“W-Wonbin? Yujin?”

My eyes snapped open.

Her voice—soft, fragile, and completely out of place in the warring chaos.

Wonyoung.

I turned, my heart slamming against my ribs so hard it hurt.

She stood frozen in the doorway, a plastic bag dangling from her fingers. Her wide, shocked eyes locked onto me—onto Yujin’s body that was pressed against mine, and my hands that were still shamefully resting where she had put them.

For a moment, none of us moved.

And then she was gone. The door swung shut behind her.

I tore away from Yujin and lunged toward the door, but her hand caught the back of my belt, yanking me in place.

“Don’t play her game,” she said, unbuckling me. “You’ll lose.”

Sometimes, we tiptoe into love. Other times, we dive headfirst. Hold your breath all you want, but nothing can save you when you love dive into shallow waters.