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WHEN KWON JAE-SUNG STEPPED OUTSIDE THE BAR, the cool night air hit his face as he scanned the area. His eyes darted left and right until he caught sight of a figure in the distance near the beach, illuminated faintly by the streetlights. The slight slump of her shoulders and the determined pace of her walk told him everything he needed to know—it was y/n.
Without a second thought, he jogged toward her, his footsteps crunching against the sand before transitioning to the concrete path as he caught up.
"Y/n!" he called, his voice cutting through the sound of the waves in the distance.
She didn't stop. If anything, her steps quickened.
"Y/N!" he repeated, louder this time, as he finally closed the gap. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm gently but firmly enough to stop her.
"Don't touch me," she snapped, yanking her arm free and spinning around to face him, her expression a mixture of anger and exhaustion.
Kwon raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, no touching. But will you at least stop running away and talk to me?"
"I have nothing to say to you, Jae-sung," she shot back, her voice laced with venom as she used his first name. She turned to leave again, but he stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
"Well, that's too bad because I have plenty to say to you."
The girl rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Of course you do. That's your thing, right? Always having something to say, always pushing, always provoking."
"Provoking? Is that what you think I'm doing?" He tilted his head, his voice rising slightly. "You storm out of the bar like someone lit a fire under you, and I'm the one provoking?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, don't act innocent. You knew exactly what you were doing in there."
Kwon let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair. "What? Sitting at a table? Talking to my co-captain? That's my crime now?"
"You don't just 'talk,' Kwon! You play these stupid games," she shot back, her voice shaking with frustration. "You smirk, you whisper, you act like nothing matters, like people are just pieces on a board for you to move around."
"Oh, and you're so much better, huh?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "You're the queen of mixed signals, y/n. One minute, you're looking at me like you—" He stopped himself, exhaling sharply. "And the next, you're sitting with Keene, all cozy and laughing like nothing else exists."
