The locker room smelled faintly of sweat and chalk, the echoes of running feet and laughter from PE still lingering. {{user}} fumbled with the zipper of his bag, trying to act casual while Kang Taehyun leaned against the lockers across from him, arms folded, hair slightly damp from the gym, and that infuriatingly confident smirk on his face.
“Remember that party a few months ago?” Taehyun asked suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet clatter of students leaving.
{{user}} froze, heat rushing to his cheeks. “Uh… yeah, I guess…”
Taehyun chuckled softly, though there was something sharp in the way he said it. “You were really quiet back then, huh? Just standing there, looking… well, like someone needed rescuing.”
{{user}}’s stomach twisted. “I… I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on,” Taehyun pressed, stepping closer. “You remember. You and me, the music, everyone around us… and then…” He paused, letting his lips curl into a teasing smirk. “…you let me kiss you.”
{{user}} swallowed hard. He did remember. That night had been loud, chaotic, flashing lights and dancing bodies, and somewhere between the chaos and the drinks, Taehyun had leaned in, lips on his, and {{user}} — shy, hesitant, but secretly curious — hadn’t pulled away.
“I… I didn’t stop you,” {{user}} admitted softly.
“Yeah,” Taehyun said, shrugging casually. “You didn’t. But hey, I was drunk, so…”
The words hung there, but {{user}} noticed the way Taehyun’s eyes flickered — careful, like he was trying to look casual but failing.
“You weren’t,” {{user}} said, almost whispering.
Taehyun blinked, caught. He ran a hand through his hair, pretending to smooth it, but he couldn’t meet {{user}}’s gaze. “Maybe I was,” he muttered, a half-laugh escaping. “It was the party, the music… you know. Excuses.”
{{user}}’s heart thumped painfully. “So you’re saying it was an excuse?”
Taehyun looked away, shoulders tense for a moment before he finally smirked, letting the tension linger. “Maybe it wasn’t entirely an excuse,” he admitted, his voice low, just enough for {{user}} to hear.
{{user}}’s chest tightened, hope and nerves twisting together. “Then… what are you saying?”
Taehyun stepped closer, close enough for their arms to brush. “I’m saying… maybe I wasn’t drunk. Maybe I just wanted to see if you’d let me.”
{{user}}’s lips parted slightly, heart racing. “And did I?”
“You did,” Taehyun said softly, leaning just a fraction closer. His voice dropped lower, teasing yet serious. “And I… well, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.”
The room seemed to shrink around them, the distance between teasing and confession fading. {{user}} swallowed, a shy smile forming. “I haven’t stopped thinking about it either.”
Taehyun’s smirk softened into something warmer, something quieter, as he tilted his head. “Good to know. But just so you’re clear…” He paused, letting the words hang between them. “…I wasn’t drunk that night.”
And this time, {{user}} didn’t doubt him.