My Tease

Special Chapter

(1 year later)

Jin POV

Somehow, I've gotten lucky in life after so much hardship. I don't know what I've done to deserve it, but I'm not questioning it anymore. Shortly after I moved back to Seoul, Namjoon moved in with me to finish his senior year. We share the same bed, eat our meals together, and enjoy each other's company.

I landed my dream job at X Corp, working as a UX designer, and Namjoon went into an entirely different field unrelated to his major: public advocacy at an LGBT+ nonprofit. I couldn't be prouder of him. He's really found his calling. While it doesn't pay the best, he finds joy in his work. It's okay, I can be the breadwinner for us.

I feel my cheeks warm at the thought. We've become an us. I've become slightly obsessed with the thought, and I don't want to hold myself back. I'm sure Namjoon can tell I love everything about us being together. I can't believe I fought so hard against this not too long ago.

I'm lying next to Namjoon in bed, the morning light coming through the blinds. It's Monday morning and I should be getting ready for work, but I can't help but want to spend time memorizing his face. Namjoon's hair is disheveled, and his cheek is pressed into his pillow. When he's asleep, it's hard to tell that he's got such a fiery personality. I chuckle, and he shifts in his sleep.

"I know I'm hot, but you don't need to stare so hard," he mumbles. That's another thing. My self-absorbed compliments rubbed off on him, and he's become just as cocky. I've tried to tone myself down after realizing how obnoxious it sounds when someone else does it, but Namjoon won't let me. So, it's created a competition of how much we can tease each other.

"I thought you were still sleeping." I lean down and press my lips to his cheek. "Good morning." He rubs my side without opening his eyes.

"How does taking the day off sound?" He asks, "I can call in and say I have a cold and we can spend the day worshipping our sexy bodies." He rubs a soft circle around my hip, strengthening the offer.

"As much as I'd love to, I can't," I say.  "Ever since X Corp was bought by Signal Design, my workload has increased. If I miss a day, I'll be a month behind." I place my hand over Namjoon's. "But tonight is another story."

Namjoon opens his eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise."

***

X Corp is only 30 minutes away by subway. The morning rush is never fun, but it's easier on the subway than on the road. Even Namjoon prefers to ride it instead of taking his car. We save his car for weekend activities, which works best for us. Unfortunately, his office is in the opposite direction, so I ride the subway alone.

I make it just on time, and straighten my sweater vest. It's the start of autumn and the leaves are changing colors, which also means the air is getting colder. I walk into the front lobby and pull out my ID to swipe past the gate. The elevator opens before I press the button and out walks my supervisor, Kian.

"Hey, I was just about to head to the café. Want to join?" Kian is very friendly and has always tried to bridge the gap between junior and senior. It's what eased my nerves when I joined the team. But, I already ate with Namjoon before I left for work, so I shake my head. "Alright, I'll see you for the all staff meeting. We have a rep from Signal Corp coming today. They're doing some restructuring and it's going to be a big shift for X Corp. Might even get some major projects we couldn't acquire before."

I gulp, and he laughs. "Don't be too intimidated. This is what you signed up for. Time to work for your paycheck. It'll be great for your development."

We part ways, and I go up to the office. I say hi to my other coworkers and sit at my desk and load my desktop. I've only just gotten comfortable with the team and my workload, but this might start to ruin my work-life balance if things are a drastic change after today. I try not to overthink how this representative could shake things up and go over my agenda for the day. I still need to finalize my presentation for project C.

The time goes by fast, and we're summoned to the general conference room. I take a seat while the room fills up and face the projector. The audio team is connecting cords, and the representative hasn't come in yet. I imagine their probably waiting on the other side of the curtain to be introduced.

A microphone echoes, and the room quiets. The director walks across the slightly raised  stage with a smile across her face. "Good morning, everyone! We have a jammed pack presentation today, but don't let that intimidate you. We have some sweet updates to our system coming this month and new projects that are going to take X Corp to the next level. And you know what that means?" She points the microphone to the crowd, awaiting the call-response I was taught when I first joined.

"10x opportunities for advancement!" The room calls. I've gotten used to saying it, but it doesn't stop me from cringing. Apparently, it's supposed to inspire company-wide excitement for their localized software and revenue goals, but all it does is remind me that I might have joined a corporate cult. Nonetheless, I say it and refrain from letting my face show how embarrassed I am.

I catch sight of Sandeul several rows down. He works in the IT department and helped me set up my ID credentials. I can tell from the crinkle around his eye that he's holding in a laugh.

The director clears her throat. "Now, to kick things off, let me introduce you to the representative of Signal Corp. He will be joining us for the launch of our new initiative. Please welcome Cho Suyeol."

My head snaps up, and my eyes track the man across the stage. He takes the microphone from the director with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Only I would be able to tell . . . It's the same smile I grew to know all those years ago. The one that told me I was in danger. My stomach twists in knots as the dead eyes set on me.

My tormentor . . . The one I thought was lost in time is here in the flesh. My mind goes back to the morning, and I wish I had taken Namjoon up on his offer to stay home.

Suyeol is back.

There goes my happy life.

Author's note: It's been YEARS my burritos squad. I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading my stories, but I recently read My Tease and realized that there was so much that was left unsaid and unresolved. I'm going to be continuing the plot in a new book titled My Eternal Valentine.  Look forward to its release!

Your favorite ships will be making a return, and new ones will form. See you in the new book! I hope you all are as excited as I am! I'll also make this book smuttier than the original~