The Clockmaker's Son #1: Renounced (Lee Jooheon of Monsta X x Reader fanfic)

Part Six: This Sweet Illusion

It had been weeks since your first visit to the idol clubroom. Following that day, you'd stopped by maybe once or twice more. The men and women that made up the Idol Club, thirteen in total, had been kind to you whenever you'd visited. After that first time, it seemed to be common knowledge among the lot of them that you were Jooheon's close friend. Jeez... You wished they'd regard you as his childhood friend. The way they'd said 'close friend' was very suspect.

You glanced up at the analog clock hanging over your bedroom door. Eight o'clock. Half an hour left until the scheduled meeting time. As you entered your bathroom to prepare yourself for the night-time outing, you wondered why you were even invited.

Jooheon was going to be at the arcade and then karaoke with six others. They were part of the tightknit friend group that you'd every so often hear about while chatting with him. You'd recently learned that they were also Spaceship trainees and Idol Club members. You'd also already met them all. For some reason your knowing them prompted Jooheon to whimsically invite you along.

In all honesty, it sounded like fun, but you weren't sure if you'd fit in all that well. You'd spoken to Jooheon's friends only a handful of times all up. But of course, Jooheon had convinced you. You just couldn't say 'no' to his cute face and pouty lips.

As the longhand of the clock drew closer and closer to the bolded six, you stepped out of your dorm, locking the front door behind you. Checking back on the recent text Jooheon had sent you, he and Changkyun would be at the building's carpark in a matter of seconds.

You loitered by the glow of the entrance lights, looking down at yourself and wondering if you looked alright. It was only when you heard a car pulling up that you looked up. Through the glass you spotted Changkyun at the wheel, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. In contrast, Jooheon enthusiastically waved at you from the passenger seat.

'Y/N! Hey! You look great!' Jooheon gushed as you passed by his window.

With a hand on the door to the backseat, you thanked him, smiling.

'You look good too,' was your shy response.

'Fuck guys can't it wait until we're at the arcade? Don't really wanna feel like a third-wheel right now,' Changkyun grumbled, rapping his fingertips against the wheel. 'Y/N get in already.'

'Ah right, thank you!' You blurted out immediately, making haste.

You listened to Jooheon mildly chide Changkyun for rushing you as you slid the car door shut. The younger man grunted something incoherent back as Jooheon light-heartedly gave him a punch in the arm. Seconds later, you were all driving to the opposite side of town where your destination laid.

Changkyun had some ambient music playing in the background. Wait, perhaps ambient wasn't the right word. The artist was #GUN and you were sure he was rapping... but it was done in such a laidback, depressed sort of way. In all honesty, you didn't really like it. It wasn't the type of rap you were used to. It wasn't Jooheon's rap-style. You wondered if you were judging it because of that fact?

'Fuck I love this track,' Changkyun suddenly said, shamelessly vibing to "Park."

'Me too holy shit,' Jooheon added, also vibing. 'Y/N! This your style?'

'H-Huh? Me? It's okay... I guess...'

'Damn have an opinion will ya?' Changkyun unexpectedly said, rolling his eyes.

'Oi!' Jooheon laughed, lightly punching the younger man's chest now. 'Quit picking on Y/N. If I didn't know any better I'd think you liked them.'

You blushed furiously, and again, Changkyun rolled his eyes.

'I don't need you projecting your fantasies on me old man,' he responded, unblinking. 'Stop hiding behind the fact you've known each other since you were babies and just say that you like Y/N.'

An awkward silence filled the moving vehicle. Changkyun appeared surprised.

'Oi what the fuck?' He quickly glanced back at you and then Jooheon, taking note of your red faces. 'I was just kidding but damn.'

He began to chuckle, more in disbelief than anything when Jooheon gave his arm a hard punch. I winced at the impact, hearing Changkyun squeal in pain. Enthusiastic swear words were traded between both parties and then... silence. Again. In the background, #GUN continued mumbling about drinking in the park.

'Welcome! You guys are just in time!' Kihyun trilled brightly as you, Changkyun and Jooheon walked in.

Near the end of the car ride there, Jooheon and Changkyun seemed to reconcile, eating bags of beef jerky and passing some back to you in an act of sharing. The atmosphere had lightened up and you were in content spirits entering the arcade now. Kihyun's welcome had simply pleased you even more.

The others had already begun tapping away at some of the old arcade machines. Hoseok, in fact, was locked in quite a battle with Hyungwon at his side. The member who you hadn't seen around too often, Shownu, approached you with a soda.

'Here, thirsty?' His smile was relaxed as he offered you the drink, and as you received it with a word of thanks, he simply moved on to offer to get drinks for the others.

You opened up the can with a noisy fshh! The sound apparently brought Jooheon over, because in the next moment he had both arms slung around you from behind, begging for the first sip.

'H-Huh?' You were already flustered by the fact he had his arms around you, but upon noticing that his friends were looking over curiously, your face simply burned brighter.

'Please Y/N! You know that's my favourite brand,' Jooheon kept on saying with dewy eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation.

Your heart was racing. You didn't know whether to push him away or pull him closer. There were so many eyes on you. You could feel yourself melting. Oh no you weren't sweating on him were you?!

You passed the drink back to him, thinking that he would simply take the soda can and leave. Instead, he wrapped one arm tighter around you, receiving the can with his free hand and taking a long swig of it.

'J-Jooheon!' You cried, blushing madly.

'Hm? What?' You felt him bring his face closer to yours from behind. You could feel those curious eyes of him truly wondering what you were behaving so weirdly about.

'I ca-!'

As you turned sharply to face him, you realised that you'd misjudged how close he was. As you turned, your lips brushed against his in a fleeting kiss, and then... silence. You watched as Jooheon's face gradually flushed with heat as understanding dawned on him.

'Y/N...?'

'A-Ah s-sorry th-that was an accident!'

You could most certainly hear the sniggers of delight from the onlookers off to the side.

'An accident?' Jooheon echoed, unexpectedly appearing dubious. He leaned closer, almost teasingly so. 'Y/N... May I have another?'

Wait was this really happening?! Flustered and feeling somewhat ashamed you blabbered out a "no" that Jooheon took on the chin. He broke into a darling smile and rubbed the top of your head, drawing away and saying:

'Okay then! Come on, let's play one of the games Y/N. You still remember how to play them right?'

His warmth still remained on your body. Burning low beneath the surface. Inhaling softly, you answered:

'Yes, I do.'