Just Hold Me - HyunjinxYejixYeonjun

CH - 1 From Now On - Kim Min Seung

Ji-Han stopped at the door, taking a deep breath. Hyunjin and Felix stared at him with wide eyes.

"Look," Ji-Han began, his voice low but intense, "I'm barely welcome here, and you two? You're definitely not. I'm about to beg—literally, hands and knees—for someone to release my mixtape. The only reason you're here is because Felix threatened to tell Mom about my smoking. So, if either of you messes this up, at all—I will punch you in the goddamn throat. Got it?"

Hyunjin nodded, absentmindedly his attention past Ji-Han to the grandeur inside. The chandelier hanging casually overhead probably cost more than his whole house, and the dark wood floors shined like no one had ever stepped on them. It was disorienting. Just hours ago, he and Felix had been fishing for change to buy fried chicken. Now, they were at the top of Gangnam.

"Aish, don't worry. We'll behave," Felix promised, clapping Hyunjin on the back. "Consider it my going-away present before Hyunjin leaves for LA."

"Oh, you got in? Congrats, man." Ji-Han gave Hyunjin a distracted pat on the arm. "Now, I'm gonna go grovel. Wish me luck." He forced the largest smile his face could accommodate and marched in.

"Man, rich people really know how to ball out, huh?" Felix muttered as they walked in, gawking at the pure opulence on display. Hyunjin followed, feeling more and more with every moment that he didn't fit in—either at this party or in the "branded" clothes borrowed from his classmate.

"Wait... is that Bae Suzy?" Felix suddenly gasped. "I'm gonna try to get a selfie!"

"Wait—" Hyunjin started, but Felix was already off, disappearing into the crowd.

Hyunjin liked parties, usually. They were a fun change of pace, but this... this was something else entirely. The people here were intimidating, their conversations sharp and exclusive. He wandered aimlessly, unable to find a way in, until he spotted a large glass door leading to a quiet balcony. An escape. Without thinking, he bolted for it.

Outside, the city sprawled out below him, thousands of lights twinkling like stars. He leaned against the railing, letting the cool night air calm his nerves. Looking up at the full moon, he sighed. "O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon..."

A slow clap broke his reverie. "Very impressive. Didn't know we were in for some live Shakespeare tonight—should've brought popcorn."

Hyunjin spun around, breath caught in his chest, cheeks flushed crimson. He scanned the balcony until he spotted the source of the voice—a figure lounging in an ornate chair, half-hidden by decorative plants. That face... He'd seen it hundreds of times—on TVs, billboards, posters. And now, here she was, in the flesh.

His heart pounded. 'Those cat-like eyes... No way, she's, she's—'

"Mind leaving? You're blocking the view and invading my space," she said, setting down her empty glass.

'—an asshole,' Hyunjin thought.

All the exhilaration came crashing down for Hyunjin. "What?!" he asked, his voice sharp with surprise.

Yeji gestured to her ear, enunciating each word slowly, "I. Would. Like. It. If. You. Left. This. Balcony. And. Therefore. Me. Alone."

"Yeah, I heard," Hyunjin said, recovering his composure. "It's just that I didn't see a sign anywhere about this balcony being for your personal use only, so, yeah, I think I'll stay." He leaned casually against the railing, a hint of defiance in his stance.

Yeji raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Will you now? Well, then I guess you'd prefer I call Hyun-Sik and have him designate the balcony for personal use?"