the music pulsed loudly as you walked through the party beside heeseung. his hand held yours firmly, but his gaze wandered between conversations and drinks. you felt that burning weight on your neck, an intense stare that wasn’t heeseung’s. he was there, standing in the corner — jaeyun. his bleached blond hair and a lip piercing that he lightly bit down on. his thick australian accent seemed to linger in his daring smile, even though he hadn’t spoken a word.

when you whispered to heeseung that you needed to go to the bathroom, he simply nodded, distracted by a friend. you stepped away, feeling jaeyun’s eyes burn into you with every step. as you turned the corner, there he was, closer than you expected.

“alone?” he asked, his tone low and dripping with intention.

you raised your chin, a defiant gesture, but your heart pounded against your chest. “my boyfriend’s right there,” you said, more to yourself than to him.

“i don’t care,” he replied, leaning against the wall, his gaze slowly trailing down your body, as if he were undressing you. “and by the looks of it, you shouldn’t either.”

“you’re shameless.” your voice sounded firm, but the words lost their strength when he stepped closer, invading your space.

“shameless, maybe.” jaeyun tilted his head, his lips mere inches from yours. “or maybe i just know what i want.” he smirked, wickedly. “and i think you do too.”

the world seemed to stop at that moment. the hallway was empty, the muffled sound of the party merely a backdrop. you knew this was wrong, that his woody scent and the challenge in his eyes were an invitation to chaos. but for one second, just one, you wondered what would happen if you said yes.