Hold me as tight as possible {JoongDunk & PondPhuwin}

26. Why Would I Hate You?

Dunk's pov:

The sun hung low in the sky as I walked home, the warm hues of dusk painting the streets. My outing with friends had been exactly what I needed—a distraction from the suffocating weight of Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t that I hated the holiday; I just didn’t know how to feel about it. Seeing couples everywhere, holding hands, and exchanging gifts always left me wondering if I was missing out.
Valentine’s Day always came with a weird mix of emotions, but seeing Malee and Prija squabble, hearing Niran’s bad jokes, and getting dragged into a chaotic photo booth session had worked wonders for my mood.

As I turned the corner to my street, a soft meowing sound caught my attention. There, sitting on the curb under the dim glow of a streetlamp, was a small orange-and-white cat. Its fur was slightly matted, but its bright amber eyes shone with curiosity.
“Hey there,” I said softly, crouching down to get a better look.
The cat tilted its head, then padded closer, brushing against my knee. Its fur was warm under my hand as I scratched behind its ears, and a loud purr rumbled from its small frame.
“You don’t have a home, do you?”
I murmured, noticing the absence of a collar. Its skinny body made me wonder how long it had been out here alone.
For a moment, I considered taking it home, but my apartment wasn’t exactly cat-friendly.
“You’d probably get bored in my tiny space,” I said, standing up.
The cat let out a soft meow, as if protesting my decision.
“Stay out of trouble,” I said with a small smile, giving it one last pat before heading home.

---

The first thing I did when I got home was head straight for the shower. The hot water felt incredible, washing away the day’s fatigue. After drying off, I pulled on a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, running a towel through my damp hair as I considered collapsing on the couch for the night.
Just as I was about to relax, the doorbell rang. Frowning, I glanced at the clock—it was past seven. Who could be visiting this late?
When I opened the door, Joong stood there, a six-pack of beer in hand and his signature confident smirk firmly in place.

“Hey,” he said casually, like this was the most natural thing in the world.
“Joong? What are you doing here?”
“Thought you could use some company,” he replied, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He held up the beer.
“I figured this would be a good peace offering.”
“Peace offering for what?” I asked, closing the door behind him.
“For being a pain in your ass,” he said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips.
“Make yourself at home, I guess.”

---

We ended up on the balcony, sitting in the worn patio chairs that came with the apartment. The city lights glittered in the distance, and the cool night breeze carried the faint hum of traffic.
Joong handed me a beer, and we clinked bottles.
“So, how was the movie?” he asked.
“Surprisingly good. Malee cried like three times,” I said, taking a sip.
He laughed. “Sounds about right.”

The conversation flowed easily as we talked about everything and nothing. Eventually, though, it drifted into deeper territory—school stress, family expectations, and the quiet struggles we both carried but rarely spoke about.
“I don’t know,” Joong said, staring out at the city lights.
“Sometimes it feels like I’m just... going through the motions, you know?”
I nodded, understanding the feeling all too well.
“Yeah. Like you’re stuck in a loop, and no matter what you do, nothing really changes.”
“Exactly.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“But then there are moments that make it worth it. Like this.”

I glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. His dark eyes met mine, and for a second, I felt like he could see right through me.
We’d gone through a few beers by then—not enough to be drunk, but just enough to loosen the tension that always seemed to hover between us.

It was now or never.

“Joong,” I began, my voice quieter than I intended.
“Yeah?”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
He turned to face me fully, his expression unreadable.
“It’s about... Halloween. After Prija’s party.”
His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.
“You remember... you told me you hooked up with someone that night,” I said carefully.
“But you didn’t know who it was.”
His eyes widened, realization dawning slowly.

“It was me,” I admitted, the words tumbling out in a rush.
“I was the one who slept with you. And then I ran off before you woke up.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. Joong just stared at me, his bottle hanging limply from his hand.
I took a shaky breath and forced myself to continue.
“I didn’t know how to tell you. And then so much time passed, and I... I thought maybe it was better if you didn’t know. But I couldn’t keep pretending. If you hate me now, if you don’t want to be friends anymore, I understand. Just say the word, and I’ll—”

Before I could finish, Joong leaned forward and kissed me.

It wasn’t hesitant or uncertain—it was firm and deliberate, like he’d made up his mind the moment I confessed.
My mind went blank, and for a second, all I could do was freeze. Then instinct took over, and I kissed him back.

When we finally pulled apart, I could barely catch my breath. Joong’s hand lingered on my cheek, his dark eyes searching mine.
“Why would I hate you?” he said softly. “I’ve been trying to figure out who it was for months. And now...”
He trailed off, a small, almost shy smile tugging at his lips.
I couldn’t find the words to respond, so I just leaned my forehead against his, letting the moment speak for itself.
His thumb brushed against my jaw, and for once, I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

We stayed there on the balcony, the city buzzing quietly around us, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt complete.

Look at that both of the couples are almost together!! Wohoooo!! 😻😻
Joong and Dunk should get married and adopt the cat at the end of the book.
I've been hella bored and have nothing to watch (i might start rewatching teenwolf 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️)