slow down ➳ 이희승

𖥻 chapter five

"you'd call me a fucked up male & I'd still be fine with it." he coos and she laughs, taking a seat at the chair he pulls for her. "such a gentleman~"

"good evening ma'am, sir." a waitress kindly greets and bows at the two as she places two menu booklets on their empty plates. "welcome to champagne and sunshine! what would you like to drink before ordering?"

"any recommendations, dear?"

꒰🏁꒱

"you piece of shit!" heeseung grunts & steps hard on the accelerator, running down the empty highway with fiery eyes. he clenches his jaw and grits his teeth, taking a deep breath through his nose before puffing his cheeks to release it.

"slow down!"

sunghoon's voice is demanding as it breaks the static silence that's taken over the car, reminding him that he has been on call with his close friend for a few minutes now.

he abruptly steps on the brake and jolts on his seat, staring at his hands that grip hard on the wheel. "fuck it! fuck him! fuck everything!" he yells midst punches thrown on the object, halting his actions when sunghoon's laugh becomes louder than his voice.

"why are you laughing you─" "you're fucking mad! raging mad!" "hoho~ no shit sherlock!" he shouts and slams his hand on the wheel one last time, falling back with his bangs sticking to his forehead.

"why?"

"why what?" "why do you bother? she is your enemy... unless..." the brunette man on the other line trails, laughing evily as heeseung feels his insides boiling. "you're supposed to be a good friend & listen, not remind me of the reason I'm mad in the first place."

"cause it's fucking nonsense. if she's your enemy and you dislike her, just ignore her and you're good! unless..." he repeats and laughs once again, and heeseung is in the verge of tears from how he's been trying not to smash the phone with his fist.

"unless what, bitch?"

"unless you fancy her."

heeseung freezes, so does sunghoon ─ more like stops talking & listens to his friend's labored breathing. "fuck you hoon." he whispers through gritted teeth & ends the call, finally letting his tears of frustration & anger roll down his flushed cheeks.

there's silence, a very heavy one that suffocates him. he's raged. unfairness chokes him, as if someone's taken his favorite candy right out of his hands.

no, not because he fancies ava.

no, no. not only does he dislike her. he hates her. this... countryside girl came into his life oh so abruptly and turned his world upside down. it was all too interesting at first, he admits, but now it's like she's taking everything away from him.

the constant spotlight. his fame. his many fans. his friend ─ who knows, maybe she'll take over his spot and finish first next week.

ava yoon is a fucking menace.

bad news. this woman is bad news.

heeseung starts the car and steps on the accelerator the hardest he's ever done. he has to take this menace out of the way ─ and quickly, before she spreads in his house like some disease.

꒰🏁꒱

"this is scrumptious!" "who even uses that word?" "me, obviously."

jake laughs & watches as the woman before him enjoys herself, munching on the food with a big smile. he takes a sip of red wine from his glass, eyes stinging a little ─ from this being the second glass he's having ─ but he is sober enough to keep up with her & their surroundings.

"you're pretty." he blurts & covers his mouth at an instant. her mouth is left hanging open, hand freezing midway as she's about to take another bite of her steak. "oh?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." he waves and takes another sip, licking his bottom lip in utter nervousness.

"hey, simmie."

he meets her eyes, glossy & filled with a few teardrops ─ or is it just the dim lighting of the place? her hand softly grabs his & squeezes just the slightest. "you didn't make me uncomfortable, silly."

"in fact, I liked it. not many men have called me pretty before, you know?" "w-what?" he stammers and her smile grows wider, nodding with a hum.

"but... how?" "well, they were all too busy wanting to get in my pants to be polite." she shrugs and rubs his hand with her thumb. he lifts his eyes and meets her gaze once again, this time keeping eye contact.

mesmerizing is an understatement.

"what the hell?"

people drop their utensils, some even stand up and run to the wall-lengthed windows. loud, roaring sounds & tire screeches come from outside, and the commotion is quick to catch their attention as well.

"what's happening?" jake questions & follows ava in standing up & running to the window, pushing through the crowd to reach the front row.

"what the f─"

a red racing car drives circles at the very middle of the road, smoke now engulfing it while yellow & red lights flicker in the darkness of the night. ava sticks her nose to the window, her breath fogging it as jake stands beside her, hands cupping around his eyes as he tries to block the light from inside.

the car stops, and a figure exits it as the smoke & the darkness hide their features. ava slides the window open ─ a waiter at the back screeches that it's not allowed, yet people could care less, as they run to the balcony and hang off the marble railing.

"yoon ava!"

she freezes, staring down at the man who's made himself visible under the street light. "heeseung?" jake breathes in disbelief from beside her, looking at the man as if he's some unearthly entity.

"you're a fucking bitch!"

heeseung points up at her, and people stare at the woman with curiosity and surprise, with some even noticing her presence just now. her brows crease, and she can feel jake's short breaths hitting her cheeks, as her lips draw in a thin line.

"you hear me? you are a bitch! I'm gonna beat the living shit out of you next week & send you back to your beloved sheep and cows and horse shit, you hear me? you menace..."

the rest become a voice somewhere in the distance. everyone around her is a blurry figure with eyes that intensely look at her. and ava is too shocked to utter a single thing.

lee heeseung, you fucking dipshit.