Bad Boy Undercover | ✓

04 | the bad boy sleeps

04

the bad boy sleeps

JULIAN GLARED AT the shirt like it would just light on fire under his gaze. Akari was hanging it out towards him. It was the same shirt he had worn the day he was on Akari's doorstep. The bloodstains were faint but the shirt contained memories now and that was the problem.

"I recommend not wearing the shirt." Akari said softly. "It can disturb your wounds."

"That's even better," Julian responded. "I don't want to wear that shirt."

Akari nodded, "I will place the shirt—"

"Just throw it away," Julian added, scratching the back of his neck, eyes looking elsewhere. "Just burn it."

A few seconds of silence passed and Julian spoke again, "Besides, aren't you enjoying the sight of me shirtless?" It was obvious that he was making a joke out of the tense atmosphere.

Akari groaned, rolling her eyes before walking away to her closet.

"I'm throwing it away." Akari lied, folding the shirt neatly as she placed it in the corner of her closet, knowing well that Julian was watching her do so, but he remained silent— no protests hanging on his tongue.

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Akari couldn't help but watch. Julian Jones was as handsome as a Greek God. He was currently tucked in, asleep and in dreamland while Akari's thoughts drifted away from her studies and slowly landed on the figure on her bed.

It was hard to not look away.

He was just so lookable.

You really can't blame her.

There were many handsome dudes in the University. With her tight schedule, she never really cared to flirt or even talk with any. Since Ha-eun was batting for the other team, boy talk was prohibited.

One of the 'Fine Specimens' in their University was Matthew Callahan. He was one of the only guys on the campus that managed to make Akari blush but now, he seemed like a different species after she has been seeing the infamous Julian Jones.

If Julian did not have a bucket hat covering half of his face and was a little bit social, he would have made the top of the 'Fine Specimens' list. It would have been a fight among girls to claim him and Akari would have enjoyed watching that, knowing she can never probably enter his radar.

Matthew Callahan exuded a handsome charm akin to a character from a film – an innocent, perfect rich boy with a prince-like aura that made him the ideal Prom King candidate.

On the other hand, Julian Jones possessed a distinct kind of allure that left Akari thoroughly shaken. The sensations were worlds apart from what Matthew's presence evoked. From the depths of Julian's eyes to the subtle shifts in his expressions, the way his campus persona melted away in her presence – these were the facets of handsomeness that gently touched her heart. It sent an undeniable shiver down her spine, creating a magnetic connection that seemed to transcend the superficial. As if peeling away layers, Julian's charm reached her on a more profound level, leaving Akari captivated in a way that was both exhilarating and perplexing.

Akari needs to stop watching the sleeping man.

It was low-key creepy. Yeah, she knew.

Sighing, she turned around to put her books away and call it a night.

"No." A murmur from behind her made her turn around to look at the bed once again. "No, please." The murmur grew louder and Akari frowned.

"You have to stop." Julian whispered into the air, eyes shut tight yet head moving frantically as if he was searching for something, his hands grabbed onto the sheets, grip so tight that you could see his veins popping. It frightened Akari as she slowly stood up.

"You are hurting me." It came out as a painful whimper and Akari felt her heartbreak at the sound. She couldn't tolerate it anymore so she slowly walked towards the bed, sitting down beside him as she started gently tapping on his shoulders as his breaths quickened. His face seemed like he was under immense stress and pressure—like he had to choose between life and death, between happiness and pain. It was too intense. Akari couldn't help but feel her anxiety spike up at the single tear that seemed to flow down from his left eye.

A slap on her wrist made her jolt as Julian started thrashing around, whimpering in his sleep.

"Julian!" Akari slapped his chest, right on his wound, which immediately woke him up as he sat up, eyes wide and frantic. He was way too alert, and she could tell this wasn't the first time he has woken up this way.

"Akari." He said it like it was his last grasp at hope. Julian's eyes met hers and he brushed a hand through his hair. The emotion in his eyes made Akari's breath hitch. She couldn't look away. Their faces were inches apart. His eyes told a story, a heartbreaking story of loss, pain and despair. His eyes were like clocks that stopped spinning the moment she stared into them, the universe halted. It was stillness, but in a second, it was over as his dark eyes shut.

"I'm ok." He breathed it out like he was reassuring both her and himself before he plopped back down on the bed, eyes closing and Akari leaned over his face to see him drifting back to sleep just like that. It was the pills doing its work— it made him drowsy a lot, she really needed to decrease the dosage.

Akari sat there for a few minutes, her mind repeating whatever had just happened. When she looked down at Julian again, he was asleep, peaceful like a baby.

And, she saw a fragile boy too.

A person that needed help and hadn't ever received any.

Akari didn't know what to make of the words he had said. She didn't know if she could ask him about it once he was awake. She didn't know what happened that night but deep down, she knew Julian Jones was a good person and she was helping a good person recover.

That's all she knew.

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Poor Julian. What do you guys think?