Rock, paper, kisses | Jeongin | Stray Kids Imagines

Chapter 4

Jeongin wants to take a break. It's been a week since that night. Jeongin is so tired he's ready to disappear from this planet.

No, he gets his hours of sleep. He eats well, drinks his water and takes breaks between study sessions. And still, he is tired. Tired, sad, surprisingly missing something. Or someone. To the point, his heart starts aching out of blue.

He's exhausted, squeezed like a lemon, small and sour.

That's why he chooses to party. On a Sunday night, before 10 am classes on a Monday morning, Jeongin chooses a messy dorm party. To unwind, to breathe that "fresh" young air, to taste this "breathtaking student life". And, surprisingly, it does work in the beginning.

The flat is small, but the music is nice. It's the first thing Jeongin notices when he sets foot in the room, already stuffy and loud. He doesn't want to drink, maybe just a little, and something sweet, please.

Jeongin finds drinks somewhere in the kitchen. Different bottles scattered on the small table, not appealing at all, he tries to dig a clear paper cup out of a pile on one of the table's sides. Pours himself some warm cola, sips it without enthusiasm, thinking where to sit and what to do.

The bubbles explode on his tongue when he notices you. And he hates how the picture of you in that corner is so vivid, and the taste of cola in his mouth is so sugary, he is sure he will associate it with you from now on. For forever.

But.

You.

For you, it means nothing, he thinks.

He's sure, you don't have those small memories about him, he's sure about it. Why? Because you're kissing someone. Right now.

You're kissing someone, Jeongin can see it so clearly.

You're kissing someone. Passionately, cornered there in that small hallway. Jeongin stares at it without blinking, every turn of your both heads, pieces of your red lips and glistering tongues, and—

Jeongin runs away quickly. Squeezing a poor paper cup in his shaking hands, he runs away to the living room. Heart beating in his throat, lost and wild, he tries to calm down, tries to grab something in the reality just to get rid of that picture of you in his head. But then panic comes in, a curious creature. And Jeongin gives in.

One step back. Quickly, carefully, trying not to trip over the doorstep.

Two more steps. The broken paper cup flies to the bin, the remaining soda splashing all over it. Jeongin doesn't notice.

Back to the dark hallway. Back to two bodies, pressed together so closely. Back to the fear and anger and confusion; back to the complete mess in his head.

"Y/n," firmly, loudly, hoping he wouldn't have to repeat.

"Jeongin?" Surprised and loud, but also a little confused, scared.

"Can we talk?"

A small nod from you in return. An apologetic smile to the person in front of you and a pat on their shoulder. A sign that you won't ever return.

And then everything becomes too much.

"Why are you allowing someone so— so ugly to kiss your precious lips?!" The first thing that leaves Jeongin's lips when you both enter the kitchen.

The thing that takes you aback, making you swallow all the explanations that you surprisingly was so eager to tell him.

"What— what do you mean?"

"I? I mean what I mean!" Jeongin snaps back, rolling his eyes. "Why are you a—"

"If you wanted to kiss me so badly, you could've just told me..." You realise what you said only when the last word leaves your mouth, and you freeze on the spot, speechless.

Did he really want it?

Did he?..

A question, that swirls in both of your minds, making the hearts beat faster.

"Stop—" you try to hold it in, other scary words that want to break out. They can draw a line between you two, you know that very well. And you swear, you try to hold it in, but— "Stop staring at my lips all the time, pervert. It drives me insane."

You pronounce them anyway. And instantly, you hate yourself for this.

"Drives you insane? Me or the fact that I'm staring?" Jeongin doesn't know where he finds the courage to ask THAT question.

But you don't want to cooperate, "I'm not going to answer this question."

And that's the end of the conversation. Jeongin returns home annoyed and sober.