The eight of them sat in Jay's living room, staring at each other awkwardly. Y/N didn't know what to say, and being the only girl there didn't help. They looked good, and it seemed they all knew each other for a long time.
"I can't believe you kissed Jay." The one who's supposed to be named Heeseung said, making her gulp and look down. "I mean, I thought his first kiss would be his first love, not a random girl."
She could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she fidgeted with her fingers, feeling like she was under a spotlight of judgment. "I'm sorry." Slowly bowing at Jay, she raised her head only to find him clenching his jaw.
"Hyung," He muttered, staring at Heeseung who was crossing his legs across from him. "Why are you making her apologize? It's not like she kissed you, and it's not like I'm complaining about it. It's not the end of the world."
"You're acting like a kid with a crush. But sure, if you liked it that much then congratulations."
"Heeseung Hyung," Jake said, placing his hand on the oldest's thigh. "It's okay."
"I'm just worried about him. You know how girls are head over heels for him and how they'd do anything to sleep with him? Jay is not-"
"Excuse me but I had no intention to sleep with him, and I still don't. I just went to his bar and got drunk and he was kind enough to help me because I'm not from here." Y/N spoke, her eyebrows raised. "I'm one of his workers now so please don't judge me." Her words made Heeseung pause, realizing that he had jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story.
"I'm sorry." He sighed and Y/N could tell that it wasn't a genuine apology, that he still thought of her like someone who was using their friend. Her gaze turned to Jay and he was already staring at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. It's as if he was angry, disappointed, hurt, or just confused. She couldn't tell.
"They come here every Saturday." His expression softened and he looked down at his hands. "These are the only friends I have."
They're many. She wanted to say but she just nodded and slightly bowed at them out of respect.
"Heeseung Hyung is the oldest, that's why he's always acting like a mother. Then there's Jake, the rational one. Then Sunghoon-"
"She knows me. I'm taking a nap." Sunghoon stood up and made his way back to Jay's room as Y/N nodded, taking in their expressions, actions, and words. They were familiar to each other and it seemed that Jay was fond of them.
"Yeah, he likes sleeping." Jay nodded. "Sunoo, the's the brightest person I've ever met." Y/N turned to look at the Sunoo guy and he had a soft smile on his face that made her almost fall in love with him. He seemed pretty and warm like a ray of sunshine.
"Then there's Jungwon and Niki, the young idiots."
"Hi." Jungwon nodded, making her smile a little. They were clearly a close-knit group, and Y/N found herself abused by their playful banter. She was happy for Jay to have such a supportive and caring group of friends. She felt at ease if she didn't think about the way Heeseung eyed her suspiciously from across the room.
"You're very pretty, Y/N. You look like you could be a model." Sunoo blurted out, his cheeks turning slightly pink as he complimented her. Jungwon nudged his shoulder when Sunghoon walked out of Jay's room, making his way next to Sunoo who gulped and tensed. That didn't go unnoticed by Y/N, who couldn't help but wonder what was going between the two of them for Sunoo's mood to shift that way.
"Thank you. That's nice of you." Nevertheless, she thanked him with a shy smile, trying not to let Heeseung's gaze bother her so much.
"Where are you from?" The guy named Jake asked before she looked back at him, the smile on his face making her heart swell with warmth. He had a soft look on his face and it made her comfortable somehow.
"Seoul." Her response made them slightly gasp and Heeseung rolled his eyes.
"So you're jobless?" He muttered and Y/N had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.
"I'm working with Jay." It was ridiculous how he managed to get under her skin. "I help around the bar-"
"So you're jobless." He interrupted her, making her throw her hands in the air with frustration. She was barely surviving and there he was, making unnecessary remarks and belittling her efforts. "I know you're planning on-"
"Hyung, lay off. She's not a threat." Jay spoke, making Heeseung shut his mouth abruptly. Y/N folded her arms over her chest, feeling uncomfortable with how the tension was palpable among them. "And she's nice. Sunghoon was there when she came here for the first time. She got drunk and started pole dancing-"
"My drinking habits are bad, okay? Stop making fun of me." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she looked away, wanting to disappear.
"Don't worry, Heeseung Hyung got drunk and walked into a parked car before he told it to watch where it's going-" Sunoo said before he started laughing and clapping and Y/N couldn't help but break into a smile. He was indeed such a bright and cheerful presence. Heeseung just rolled his eyes, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Soon later, they all headed downstairs to see Jay's grandma before he held her hand, stopping her from walking out the door. "I'm sorry if Heeseung Hyung made you uncomfortable, he's much nicer than you think. It's just that he worries a lot."
"It's okay." She smiled a little, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. "I'm sorry for... you know."
"The kiss?" He raised his eyebrow and she nodded, still avoiding his eyes. "It's nothing. I mean, I don't mind. Don't worry about it too much."
"It was your first kiss-" He held her chin and made her look at him, her heart skipping a beat. Jay was looking into her eyes for a moment before his thumb lightly brushed against her cheek. His touch was gentle, sending shivers down her spine.
"Yeah, it was," He said softly, his eyes filled with warmth and something Y/N couldn't quite put her finger on. "And honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better first kiss." She stood there as he took his hand off her, her heart racing inside her chest. He asked her to follow after him since his grandmother must be waiting for them, but her mind was drifting to his words and how they made her feel.
Now, as they headed downstairs to see Jay's grandma, Y/N's mind was still filled with thoughts of their brief kiss. She followed Jay, her footsteps a bit unsteady as she tried to compose herself. He seemed to feel her nervousness when he placed a hand against her back, pushing her slightly inside.
"Ah, there you are," Jay's grandma said with a warm smile, her eyes lighting up when she saw Y/N. "Good morning, dear. How was your first night here? Is Jay treating you right?"
The two of them sat with the others as she looked back at Jay who seemed almost curious about her response. "Oh, uhm," She stammered, letting out an awkward chuckle. "Yes, he's been very nice."
"That's good. It's nice to see a girl among all these boys." She said and Y/N smiled a little. "There's Harin but I don't like her. She's a troublemaker."
"She's not. She's actually a good friend." Jay said and his grandmother hit his arm before he fake-winced. "Damn, grandma is going to kill me." This side of Jay only showed when he was around his grandmother, and Y/N thought it was cute.
"So she's living with you." Heeseung's voice made her put her chopsticks down before glaring his way. "I'm honestly wondering how you can't tell she's trying to better herself. I mean, a girl from Seoul comes all the way to Busan and meets the owner of a bar. What a coincidence, right?"
Y/N hated how his tone dripped with sarcasm but she just looked away and continued eating, trying not to show him how much she hated his presence. "Everyone needs a fresh start, am I wrong?" Jay put down his chopsticks and stared at Heeseung who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The words hit him hard because he once felt like the world was crumbling around him and he needed a fresh start too. You know that better than anyone."
Heeseung glanced down at his plate, seemingly lost in thought. "I guess you're right." He spoke softly, his rude behavior beginning to fade away. It seemed that he had gone through something that left him wounded and bitter, making Y/N curious to understand what had shaped him into the person he was.
Jay glanced at her for a moment before he reached to hold her hand, letting her know that whatever happened, he was there to support her. And that no matter how the boys were, they'd always be the seven friends who had each other's backs.
