THANK YOU // DEX ✔️

18.

Siyoung had work until late at night. She had a photoshoot in the afternoon and then the recording of a YouTube video in the evening. It was already eleven in the evening, but despite that, she decided to take her gym bag from Namgil and go work out. Namgil wasn't thrilled, but he couldn't do anything with the singer, so he just let her go with the understanding that she should call him if she needed a ride.

However, when she reached the gym, she immediately wanted to turn back. She regretted not prioritizing her bed and decided to go work out. Because when she saw the person standing in front of the gym, she was horrified.

Cold sweat flooded her body, she felt her hands trembling, and suddenly she had trouble even standing. She wanted to move. She wanted to move so badly. But her body didn't respond. It was as if she had turned to stone.

Choi Seojun.

"Siyoung, hello," he greeted her with a smile on his face. Suddenly, he was acting like a friend, or at least pretending to be. As if he hadn't ruined her life. She felt like she wanted to wipe that smile off his face, but her body wouldn't allow it, and it probably wouldn't for a long time.

Seojun grinned when Siyoung didn't respond for a while. He was probably enjoying himself, seeing her reaction to him. He was still the same tall and muscular idiot who cared only about muscles. As Siyoung looked at him now, she wondered what on earth she had seen in him.

"I can see you're doing well," he said. "I also watch videos with you, and I have to say, I really miss your laughter."

Seojun took a few steps and stood right in front of Siyoung, who preferred to look at her shoes rather than at the guy in front of her. She held on, trying not to break down. She didn't want to cry in front of Seojun. She didn't want to show him how much he had broken her.

"I'm quite jealous when I see you making other guys laugh," he whispered in her ear. Siyoung could hardly breathe. She didn't want to show any emotions. When she felt his breath, everything came back to her. Suddenly, something clicked in her head, and she saw everything she had gone through with Seojun. A tear actually fell from her eye, and that idiot just laughed at it. He was having fun. He was amused by how much he could manipulate Siyoung.

"Siyoung?" She recognized that voice immediately. She turned around. In the gym's entrance stood Jinyoung with a helmet in his hand and a sports bag over his shoulder. His hair was wet, and he was wearing black sweatpants and a green hoodie. He probably just finished exercising and decided to go home. But he didn't expect to meet Siyoung outside and some muscular guy standing dangerously close to her, whispering something in her ear. He recognized that he wasn't a boyfriend, because Siyoung looked way too scared for that.

"Who's this?" Seojun laughed when he also looked at Jinyoung and examined him from head to toe. "Is this supposed to replace me? You know as well as I do that no one can replace me. So pull yourself together and come back to me. You know I can find you wherever you are."

"Is this bothering you?" Jinyoung stood beside Siyoung and looked at Seojun, who was almost a head taller. He didn't hear what Seojun was saying to her, and maybe that was a good thing because otherwise, they might have started fighting. "This," he tried to come up with a word, but he couldn't because anything vulgar seemed childish, and he didn't want to be childish.

"She's mine," Seojun hissed at him.

"Obviously, she's uncomfortable when you're around," Jinyoung replied, "and now excuse us, we need to go." Jinyoung pointed to the motorcycle, which was parked a little way off. Siyoung understood immediately. They walked together to the motorcycle, where Jinyoung helped her put on the helmet, and then they rode off together. Seojun just watched them with a smirk.

Jinyoung took her to his place. It was closer than Siyoung's, and he mainly wanted to have her with him after what had happened outside the gym.

Siyoung didn't wait for anything once Jinyoung closed the door behind them. She immediately enveloped him in a hug. It surprised the former soldier a little, but he reciprocated the embrace and maybe even smiled a little.

The singer was grateful that he didn't ask anything and was just there for her. This was what she needed the most right now. She didn't need to explain what happened. She didn't need words of comfort or that famous sentence, "everything will be okay." She just needed a hug. She needed someone beside her. She needed to know that she wasn't alone.

~•~

After a long argument, Jinyoung let Siyoung sleep on the couch, although he didn't want to. He even planned to lie down on the floor by the couch just to be able to watch Siyoung. However, she reassured him that she was okay now—who wouldn't be after crying for hours and shedding at least two liters of tears.

She found the couch comfortable to sleep on. Jinyoung had a knack for good furniture, and it felt almost like a bed. But after meeting Seojun, it was clear that her dreams would mix him in. The nightmare was back. This time it was a nightmare from the gym—once they were there together, and Seojun punch her in front of his friends, who just laughed. Not to mention how he touched her in a weird way there in public, even when she said no.

She woke up with a sweaty forehead and a fast heartbeat. She sat there in the darkness for a while, and when she realized she wouldn't fall asleep again, she decided on a drastic act.

She took a pillow and a blanket and slowly headed towards Jinyoung's room. She didn't have to worry about waking the former soldier up by opening the door, as it was already open. Jinyoung wanted to have a view of Siyoung, so they compromised and left the door open. She carefully placed the pillow next to Jinyoung's and lay down, covering herself.

It didn't even take two minutes, and she felt Jinyoung's arm on her. He lightly draped it over her, not trying to cross any boundaries right away. He had to wait for her reaction first.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, just say so, and I'll go to the couch," he mumbled.

"Definitely not the couch. I don't want to be alone," Siyoung answered. She was a bit annoyed at herself for waking him up.

"Do you want a hug?" he asked. His sleepy voice was something Siyoung could listen to forever—it sounded so sexy.

"Yes, please," she whispered. In that moment, both of Jinyoung's arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer. She felt a little calmer when she felt Jinyoung's warmth against her back. When she sensed someone else's presence.

"Don't worry, you're safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you," what surprised Siyoung was that when Jinyoung finished saying this, he kissed her hair. But at the same time, she felt completely soothed, and she even smiled.

She didn't want to, but she was slowly falling for Kim Jinyoung.

But was it right?