s.jaeyun || falling for the starboy.

15 | the very first kiss

the sky above boseong-gun was awash in shades of pink and gold, the setting sun casting a warm, peaceful glow as jake and harin walked side by side. their conversation had flowed naturally, light and easy, but now it took a more intimate turn, their voices soft in the quiet street.

"i've been thinking about that mountain we saw earlier," jake said, his voice filled with quiet excitement. "the view looked amazing from the bottom. can you imagine what it would be like from the top?"

harin smiled, the idea filling her with a sense of calm. "yeah... i've always wanted to go up there. it's the perfect place to just... escape everything for a while."

jake glanced at her, his hand brushing against hers as they walked. "what do you think about going tomorrow? just the two of us. we can pack some food, spend the whole day there."

the thought of it warmed her. "that sounds perfect. just you, me, and the mountain."

she paused, her voice dropping a little. "it's nice to think about something quiet for once. something that doesn't involve... well, everything else."

they shared a knowing look, the weight of jake's public life lingering in the background, but neither of them wanted to focus on it right now. this moment was for them, and only them.

their hands brushed again, this time lingering longer than before. harin felt the heat rise to her cheeks and instinctively moved to pull her hand away, but jake was quicker.

in one smooth motion, he intertwined his fingers with hers, locking them together with a gentle squeeze.

"don't be shy around me," jake murmured, his smile soft, reassuring. "there's no reason for you to be shy anymore."

harin looked up at him, her heart racing but soothed by his warmth. she gave his hand a small squeeze back, feeling the tension between them dissolve.

"i'm not shy," she said, though her tone betrayed her with a hint of playfulness.

"good," jake said with a grin. "because i like holding your hand."

they walked like that for a while, their hands comfortably locked together, the quiet of the evening settling over them.

as they turned the corner to harin's house, she spotted her brother standing by the gate, arms crossed, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

he wasn't saying anything, but she could read his expression as if he had spoken aloud. she knew hyunwoo knew enhypen-so she panicked.

"don't say anything," she blurted out, rushing forward before her brother could open his mouth. "i'll explain everything later, but please... don't tell anyone."

hyunwoo's eyes flicked from her to jake, then back to her, before finally sighing and shaking his head. "you better have a good explanation, because this is insane."

jake, sensing the tension, gave hyunwoo a polite nod, but didn't say anything. hyunwoo bowed even lower, as he was starstruck that a korean idol is dating his sister-now in front of him. harin's heart raced, knowing she'd have to deal with her brother later, but for now, all she wanted was to get inside.

as they stepped through the gate, harin's parents were there waiting at the front door. jake was just going to accompany her back to her home, but now it looks like she has to explain to her parents as well.

her mom's eyes widened slightly when she saw jake, and her father exchanged a glance with her. both of them seemed momentarily stunned-jake wasn't just any boy, after all. he was tall, strikingly handsome, and dressed in a way that made him look put-together. even more, he was carrying harin's bag instead of letting her do it.