The All-Rounder || Karina X Male Reader

10. Keep Me Close

3rd Person POV

The party went on as everyone was having the time of their lives. On the other hand, Jaeyoung looks like he just wants to leave. He excused himself as he grabbed a glass of whiskey and went to find a peaceful place.

---

Jaeyoung leaned on the balcony railing, the glass of whiskey in his hand catching the moonlight. He took a slow sip, letting the cool air wash over him, the distant hum of the party fading into the background. For the first time that evening, he allowed himself to exhale.

The soft sound of footsteps made him glance over his shoulder. Ningning stepped out, her silhouette illuminated by the light spilling from the ballroom.

“Found you,” she said, her voice light but carrying a hint of concern. She walked up beside him, resting her arms on the railing. “Needed some air?”

Jaeyoung smirked, turning his gaze back to the garden below. “Something like that. Parties aren’t really my thing, you know?”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Ningning smiled, glancing sideways at him. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself earlier. Then suddenly, poof. Vanished.”

Jaeyoung chuckled softly. “Guess I needed a break. Too many people, too many... thoughts.”

Ningning tilted her head, studying his profile. “Is one of those thoughts about Jimin?”

Her words hit like a sharp breeze, but Jaeyoung didn’t flinch. He sighed instead, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

“I don’t see the point,” she said simply, shrugging. “You looked like someone trying to get away from something. Or someone.”

Jaeyoung was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “It’s not like that,” he started, but his voice lacked conviction. “Okay, maybe it is. But it’s... complicated.”

Ningning nodded, not pressing him. Instead, she waited, giving him the space to continue.

“One second, everything feels easy with her. Like we’re finally... connected,” he admitted, his voice low. “But the next second, it’s like she builds this wall, and I don’t even know what I did wrong.”

Ningning hummed softly, her tone thoughtful. “Maybe it’s not about what you did. Sometimes people push others away because they’re scared of what they’re feeling. It doesn’t mean they don’t care.”

Jaeyoung scoffed lightly, a bitter edge to his smile. “Maybe. But how long am I supposed to wait? I can’t keep chasing someone who won’t let me in.”

Ningning looked at him for a long moment, her eyes softening. “You deserve someone who sees you, Jaeyoung. Someone who doesn’t make you question where you stand.”

Her words lingered in the air, heavier than the silence that followed. Jaeyoung finally turned to face her, his expression caught between gratitude and disbelief.

“Are you always this wise, or is it the champagne talking?” he teased, though his voice carried a hint of sincerity.

Ningning smiled, the corners of her lips quirking up mischievously. “A little bit of both. But seriously, don’t let her or anyone else dim that light of yours.”