trapped // hwang hyunjin ✔️

chapter twenty-one

face the music

choi luna

"you need to get out of that apartment." jules says with a frown on her face after i explained everything that had happened. "i know he's your best friend and all, but clearly he's got some issues he needs to work on."

"you think me moving out would help?" i ask.

"it might not help him, but it'll help you stay away from his possessive ass."

"is it really fair to just up and leave him? when he's technically going through something like this?" i ask, fiddling with my thumbs.

"you're not leaving him. you're just removing yourself from his toxic aura. at least until he gets a grip." she explains. "clearly he's not respecting your boundaries, that whole thing with the safe word makes me want to vomit." she shivers. "so you need to distance yourself from him. before it's too late."

"too late?"

"he's a narcissist. he's gonna get into your head and suddenly you're gonna believe every nasty lie that falls from his lips. i was worried you had already been trapped by it when you snapped at me at work." i frown at her words.

"i really am sorry for that... you were right."

"hey it's okay, he was in your head." she coaxes me.

"how am i gonna move out with him there? he would never allow it, we never leave each other during fights." i lazily play with my food.

"this isn't just some fight. and i can come with you, he won't try anything crazy when someone else is around."

"okay... just give me a few days, yeah? i need to figure out where to go."

"you can come to my place." she suggests. "but i'll need a day or two to set up the guest room. will you be alright with him until then?" she asks, placing her hand over mine to stop me from messing with the food.

"yeah... i'll just keep my distance. but i have to talk with him before i go. he has to understand why i'm leaving, so that he'll get help or something." she nods understandingly.

"i'm glad you're doing this. it's a good thing, i'm sure in no time he will come to his senses." she reassures me. i nod. even though i was quite scared of him, i was really worried. this wasn't like him, he clearly has some issues that need to be worked on, and i wanted him to get help. him and i had been inseparable since high school, it's going to be hard to be without him, but i know it's for our own good. our friendship can't continue like this, the air around us has been so tense for so long. if we keep going at this rate, we will lose each other completely. that was the last thing i wanted.

-

i stood in front of the door to our apartment for multiple minutes. afraid to face him as i heard him moving around behind the door. i was able to avoid him this morning, but i know i couldn't avoid him for much longer. with much hesitation i pull open the door, eyes instantly widening at the sight.

hyunjin was in the kitchen, wearing an adorable chef hat and apron. a large cake sat on the island as he seemed to be writing words in frosting on said cake. he smiles brightly when he sees me, his familiar, bright smile that my best friend hyunjin always wore. i smile, this was my best friend. not the guy yesterday, or the guy from the past few weeks. this was him.

"luna! you're here!" he happily calls me over. no longer feeling any signs of hesitation, i head over to the island. as i got closer, i was able to see that he had frosted the words 'i'm sorry' on the cake with a bunch of little hearts. i melted at the sight of it. "i know i've been an absolute asshole to you recently." he starts.

"that's an understatement." i reply, he tenses up for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"i know, i've just been the worst human possible. it's just... ara had me fucked up... trying to commit to me, and i felt like my life was crumbling. unfortunately you and our mindless hook-ups was the only thing that made me feel like i was still me. i guess i got worried seeing you with jeongin, knowing that if you got into anything serious, that we would stop. it's stupid i know, but with ara pestering me about commitment, i was scared..." he lets out everything that had been bothering him. i was still mad, but i felt bad for him. he felt like he was losing control, he was hanging onto me. i understand why. the relationship we had was a reminder of the fact that the both of us were still free.

i never had a problem with commitment, but hyunjin had never had a girlfriend. we never delve too deep into the reasoning of why he never wanted commitment, but i had always assumed it was about his parents. his parents had split the moment hyunjin turned eighteen. telling him that they stayed together only for him, meaning the relationship he assumed his parents had his whole life was a lie. when he was sixteen i understood why he didn't care to have a girlfiend, being so young, and as we got older, that feeling only got stronger.

"i wish you would have tried talking to me." i tell him after a bit of silence.

"i know, i should have. i guess i was just freaked out. i know i can't take back what i've done to you, and i feel horrible. you deserve to be happy, just because i don't want commitment doesn't mean i have a right to keep it from you. and if it means you'll be my happy best friend, i will gladly find another fuck buddy." he adds a joke at the end, earning a laugh from me.

"jeongin and i aren't serious. i don't have feelings for him. but i'll definitely let you know if that changes." i smile at him.

"well when the time comes, just know it was an honor to be your fuck buddy." he jokes again.

"the honor is all mine, prince hyunjin." i joke back, calling him his notorious nickname from high school.

"does this mean you accept my apology?" he asks, motioning his hand to the cake with his sloppy hand writing. i giggle.

"yes hyunjin, apology accepted." he squeals pulling me into a tight hug. and in that moment, everything he had done in the last few weeks had vanished. my best friend was back, everything was okay. now i only needed to cancel my arrangements with jules. i know she won't understand, but she has to trust me. i know hyunjin, and the one who is happily cutting his messy cake, ready to give me a piece, that is my hyunjin. the one i met, the sixteen year old boy, lazily leaning against a locker desperately trying to flirt with a senior who was nearly a whole foot taller than him. the boy with the innocent fluffy brown hair.