his secret | woosan

twelve

"i gotta use the bathroom. can you put on the playstation downstairs?" san said, releasing his hold on my waist and heading towards the bathroom behind us. i nodded quietly, feeling my heart race as i watched him walk away. i missed his presence already, the warmth of his touch lingering on my skin. with my heartbeat still echoing in my ears and my cheeks flushed, i went downstairs to the living room where the playstation sat. it was a gift from my mom for one of my birthdays, but i hadn't played it much, so there were only a few games installed. i scrolled through the limited options and settled on a car racing game.

sitting down on the carpet under the sofa, i crossed my legs beneath me and turned on the console, the sound of the startup filling the room. the upbeat music from the game's menu played softly in the background as i waited for san to return. minutes later, i heard the bathroom door open and the sound of footsteps thudding down the stairs. i glanced over my shoulder just as san reappeared, a grin spreading across his face.

"ready to lose?" he teased. the sight of him made my stomach do a flip.

"we'll see about that," i replied, smiling back, knowing i was bad at video games but unwilling to give up. san picked up the second controller from the t.v. stand and settled in beside me, our shoulders brushing lightly. we started playing, and he was way better than me. sometimes, he would slow down to let my car catch up, only to zoom ahead again. every now and then, i'd catch him laughing—a real, carefree laugh that i hadn't heard before, and i found myself laughing along with him.

"ah, i'm gonna win this next round," i said, pouting, already tired from losing six games in a row.

"stop acting so cute. i'm gonna have to go easy on you," san chuckled.

"no! don't you dare," i protested, determined.

san smirked beside me. he pushed the coffee table in front of us towards the tv, stretched out his legs, and patted the floor between his knees. "come here," he said softly, his voice warm and inviting.

my cheeks flushed at his suggestion, but i stood up and walked around his legs. san gently placed a hand on my lower back, guiding me to sit between his legs. as i settled in, my back pressed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me to hold the controller in front of us. his touch sent a wave of warmth through me, comforting and exhilarating at the same time.

"now we're set," he murmured softly, his breath brushing against my cheek, causing a shiver to run down my spine. we resumed playing, but i found it hard to concentrate with san's proximity. his fresh scent and the gentle movements of his body behind me were distracting, but in the best possible way. despite losing the round once again, i couldn't complain. being this close to san, feeling his presence and his warmth, was enough to make me forget about the game altogether.

____

after several games, my energy was flagging, and i glanced at my phone. it was 10:35 pm. san noticed the time and patted my side. "time to leave," he said.

i groaned. "honestly, i'm pretty tired from school and all the gaming..," i admitted as i stood up, checking my back pocket for the house keys.

san, rising beside me, added, "c'mon, wooyoung, we've gotta go. if i had a choice, i wouldn't leave either."

his comment caught me off guard. "what do you mean if you had a choice?" i asked.

san paused, his eyes searching mine. it looked like he was trying to decide how much to say. he sighed. "it means i don't have a choice. i'm expected to be there."

as he started walking down the hallway, away from the front door, i followed, my curiosity piqued. "by jongho?"

san flinched at the question, his eyebrows knitting together. "no... i mean... sure." he shook his head as if to clear it. "alright, i'm gonna grab the car keys from upstairs. wait for me outside." with that, he bounded up the stairs, leaving me with more questions than answers.