He groans into my mouth, and I use that moment to push back, trying to take control again. But Han is stronger than he looks, and for once, he's not letting me win.
"Frustrated?" he murmurs between kisses, smirking against my lips.
I bite at his jaw...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It's been three days since the fight with Hwang.
Three days of pretending I don't give a shit. Three days of keeping my jaw locked, my expression blank, my heart stitched together with nothing but sheer force of will.
And three days of absolute, fucking misery.
The number of breakdowns I've had just to keep my mask from slipping is... embarrassing. But I refuse to let anyone see it. If I have to claw my way through this mess, smile through gritted teeth, and make it look effortless, then so be it.
Right now, I'm on a private plane with Bahng, Felix, Yang, and Kim, on our way to Japan. A last-minute trip, sprung on me yesterday because, apparently, our families have decided to cooperate on some massive charity event.
A great cause, I'm sure.
Not that I give a fuck.
I barely even speak to my father, so it wasn't exactly surprising that I was the last to know. Would've been nice to have some warning, though.
Not even five minutes into the flight, Yang is already making a scene.
"Yang, you can't just drink all the fucking champagne," Kim says flatly, not even looking up from the book he's reading.
Bahng smirks, glancing over. "Lee ignoring you or something?"
Kim scoffs, his situation with Yang and Lee is obviously still a fresh wound.
Yang, ever the instigator, notices immediately and rolls his eyes. "I'll drink all the champagne I want, thanks. Where's your new boyfriend, Kim? Thought you two were glued to each other."
Kim's eyes snap up, practically bursting into flames. "Seo is not my boyfriend."
And just like that, the air turns ice-cold.
The moment his existence is implied, even in the vaguest sense, a heavy silence crashes down over the cabin. Felix stiffens in his seat. Bahng's hand brushes against my knee—barely there, but deliberate—while his other hand stays laced with Felix's.
It's that kind of moment. The kind where everyone realizes, simultaneously, that they've fucked up.
Suddenly, all eyes are on me.
As if saying Seo's name out loud would cause me to crumble into a pile of broken glass. As if I'll start shaking, or crying, or some brand of pathetic that they're waiting to clean up after.
And the worst part? They're not entirely wrong.
I do miss him. It does affect me. But I'll set myself on fire before I let them see it.
I let the silence hang for just a second longer, dragging it out until their unease is palpable. Then, with perfect indifference, I blink and deadpan, "If you think I'm going to burst into tears, you're all incredibly delusional."
