❝And I can see the sirens on his eyes, the poison on his lips, the burns of his touches, and yet I embraced him like a saint, ignoring how his fire is engulfing me❞
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❗️ reader discretion is advised
includes strong language and mature context
REVISI...
The alarm blared mercilessly close to his ears, a shrill intrusion that made Donghyuck flinch. The vibrating buzz of his phone on the cluttered bedside table only amplified the chaos.
A hoarse groan escaped his lips as he furrowed his brows, burying his face deeper into the pillow in a futile attempt to ignore the unwelcome call of the day.
Blindly reaching out, he silenced the alarm with a lazy swipe, his fingers fumbling for the phone. Without bothering to open his eyes, he slid to answer, bringing the device to his ear.
"Fuck you," he grumbled, his voice gravelly with sleep.
A loud, familiar voice boomed on the other end.
"Mhm, understandable, but I′d be glad if you′re completely ready when we pick you up."
Donghyuck groaned, rolling onto his back. "You're coming here?"
"Granpop′s orders. Do you want your ass to get kicked on the first day, Lee Donghyuck?"
"Oh, right," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "First day."
"Good lord, cousin. Anyway, see you in thirty."
"Thirty? Hey! Hey!" But the call ended, leaving Donghyuck glaring at the ceiling.
For a brief moment, he lay motionless, his mind blissfully blank. Then, reality crashed down on him like a bad joke. It was the first day of the school year. His first day at a new university. And he already hated it.
Dragging himself upright, Donghyuck surveyed the war zone that was his room. Clothes were strewn across the floor, papers piled in chaotic heaps, and—was that a ramen cup tipped over by his desk? Jeno would have a coronary if he saw this.
But cleaning could wait. Showering, at least, felt like a priority. He took his time under the warm water, letting it wake him up properly. Damp footprints trailed behind him as he made his way to the wardrobe, pulling out a black shirt, leather jacket, fitted jeans, and his trusty brown ankle boots.
As he adjusted his watch, his eyes caught sight of the tattoo on his wrist. A faint green four-leaf clover etched into his skin—a mark he hadn't chosen but had been born with.
The clover, symbolizing a soulmate he had yet to meet, wasn't something Donghyuck liked thinking about. To him, the whole concept of soulmates was some cosmic prank, a cruel experiment devised by bored deities with nothing better to do.
"Falling in love at first sight," he muttered, scoffing. "What a joke."
Still, he covered the mark with his watch before heading to the door just as the bell rang.
"Welcome," he said sarcastically as he opened the door.
"GOOD MOR-HELL!" Mark's horrified voice echoed as his eyes landed on the disaster that was Donghyuck's room.
"Yeah, yeah, make yourself at home," Donghyuck said, heading to the kitchen.
"Dude, if Jeno saw this—oh my god!" Mark's voice pitched higher. "Is that a CONDOM? What the hell, Lee Donghyuck?"
"Keep your voice down! Do you want the entire building to hear you?" Donghyuck shot back, rummaging for bread.
Mark pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Explain. Now."
Donghyuck shrugged nonchalantly. "Midnight guest, I guess."
"You're a disaster."
"And you're Captain Obvious. Can we go now?" Donghyuck bit into his toast and grabbed his bag.
Mark muttered something about "tossing you at the church for redemption" as they made their way to the car. Jeno, predictably punctual, was already waiting behind the wheel.
The drive to Tantiana University was mercifully uneventful. But as they approached the gates, Donghyuck couldn't shake the nagging feeling in his chest—a strange, rapid thrum of his heartbeat.
Weird. Maybe I'm just nervous, he thought.
"Welcome!"
The cheerful voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Two girls stood by the entrance, their bright smiles almost blinding.
"Good morning," one of them said. "I'm Shin Ryujin, and this is Shin Yuna. We're here to welcome you—Lee Minhyung, Lee Jeno, and Lee Donghyuck—to Tantiana University."
Mark raised a hesitant hand. "Uh, are you guys the Shin cousins?"
Yuna nodded with a warm smile. "That's us. We're also here to help guide you to your classes. Tantiana's pretty strict about punctuality."
"Engineering for Lee Minhyung," Ryujin said, consulting a clipboard. "And law for Lee Jeno and Donghyuck."
"I'll take Minhyung," Ryujin offered.
"I heard there's three of you here, or did I just miss something?" Jeno quipped.
"Ah yes, Gayoon, she's just somewhere," Yuna said brightly, gesturing for them to follow. "Welcome, future lawyers and engineers!"
Donghyuck trailed behind Jeno and Yuna, his mind elsewhere. The thudding in his chest hadn't eased.
Soulmate?His mind whispered, unbidden. No. It couldn't be.
He shoved the thought aside, gritting his teeth. Why would she be here?
But as they walked deeper into the campus, the strange sensation only grew stronger.
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well hello pretty pretty welcome to another chaotic ride of pearl's crazy hub
warning: this is made amidst the author's thirst of top haechan
warning (2): if you're following the author way before, you would know that she's a sucker for red flags. if you're new here, now you know.
