red string | jay

twenty four

ten minutes later, ina walked out of her house to see jay leaning casually against his car, sunglasses perched on his nose and the sunlight catching the messy strands of his hair. he wore a simple graphic black t-shirt tucked into slightly distressed blue jeans, and the look was annoyingly effortless.

he looked up as she approached, squinting slightly under the harsh sun, and immediately opened the passenger door for her.

"get in, loser," he said with a lazy smirk.

ina scoffed as she stepped in. "did you just quote mean girls at me? wow. cultured."

he slid into the driver's seat with a chuckle. "i'm full of surprises."

"god, it's so hot out," she muttered dramatically, immediately turning up the AC.

jay scoffed. "you were in the sun for like, a minute max. drama queen."

"heat doesn't wait for a full minute to attack, park," she said, eyes rolling. "where are we going anyway? i'm hoping you don't plan on kidnapping me."

"sorry to break it to you," he said, pulling out of the driveway, "but you're way too scary to kidnap. i fear for my life just sitting next to you."

"fuck you," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking out the window.

jay didn't miss a beat. "sure, when?"

she turned back just to smack him across the arm, hard enough to make him wince.

"ow! physical abuse!" he laughed, rubbing his arm.

"verbal assault!" she countered.

"touché."

after a short drive filled with ina humming along to the radio and jay mock-complaining about her song choices, he finally pulled up in front of a chic brunch place with a rooftop view.

"here we are, angry bird. please go easy on my wallet."

ina raised an eyebrow as she stepped out and straightened her dress. "good choice, park. didn't think you had it in you to have taste."

jay walked up beside her, squinting at her in disbelief. "you're lucky i owe you."

"no, you're lucky. i wouldn't be caught dead here with you if you didn't." she flashed him a sweet, fake grin as he rolled his eyes.

inside, they snagged a corner table with a view of the skyline. ina wasted no time — she ordered a strawberry lemonade, chicken katsu with salad, and a side of tater tots. jay stuck to steak with mashed potatoes and water.

"this looks so good," ina sighed when the food arrived, popping a tater tot into her mouth and making a sound of pure bliss. "god, i could marry this."

jay took a bite of his steak and visibly perked up. "oh my god. try this," he said, slicing off a piece and placing it on her plate without thinking.

she took the bite and blinked. "oh my gosh," she whispered, eyes wide as the flavor hit.

"i know, right?" he grinned, clearly proud of his choice.

they ate in comfortable silence, the occasional hum of approval breaking through between bites. the tension was gone, just two people enjoying good food, good weather, and surprisingly tolerable company.

jay picked up the bill without complaint, and the two wandered out with hands resting over full stomachs.

"we should walk this off," ina said, stretching her arms above her head.

jay nodded. "agreed. that steak was heavenly but criminally heavy."

they strolled down a narrow street tucked in a quieter corner of seoul, lined with small, artsy cafes and quaint street vendors.

"i gotta say, park jay," ina started, stealing a glance at him. "you seem... almost bearable today."

jay gave her a sideways look. "you're just saying that because i'm paying for everything."

"you're not wrong," she replied without shame. "if you weren't, i'd be cursing you under my breath."

"like you don't already do that daily."

ina took out her lip gloss and started reapplying it as jay watched her.

"that's not gonna help, you know," he said, voice casual.

she paused. "huh?"

"lip gloss can't fix that face."

ina's jaw dropped. "you absolute asshole."

he laughed. "you walked right into that one."

"fuck you."

"sure. when?"

"again with that line? are you on a loop or just desperate?" she shoved him with her shoulder as he cackled.

just then, she stopped in her tracks. "oh! look at that place!" she gasped, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward a cozy-looking boutique.

jay groaned but followed. "why are you like this?"

"because god gave me taste and a strong grip," she said matter-of-factly.

inside, the store had a rustic, warm aesthetic — wooden shelves, plants hanging from the ceiling, the scent of cinnamon lingering in the air.

jay looked around in confusion. "do i look like i want to be here?"

"look like you want to be here," she said, nudging him.

"but i don't."

she ignored him and skimmed through the racks until she spotted a neon yellow shirt. she held it up to him with a bright smile. "this would look amazing on you."

he stared at it like it was poison. "i would rather die."

"same," she replied sweetly, putting it back on the rack. "that's the goal."

wandering to the accessories corner, ina's eyes landed on a silver ring with a tiny star charm. she slipped it onto her finger and admired the way it sparkled.

"yah, jongseong! buy me this!" she called out, wiggling her fingers dramatically.

jay walked over, unimpressed. "it's 7000 won. that's 7000 more than i want to spend."

ina gasped. "after everything i've done for you? all the emotional labor of being around you?"

he gave her a long look, sighing before extending his palm.

she grinned and handed over the ring. "god, you're such a sugar daddy."

jay shot her a glare but brought it to the counter. once he paid, ina slipped it back onto her ring finger, admiring it like it was real jewelry.

"thank you," she said, softer this time. the kind of sincere tone that caught jay off guard.

he cleared his throat and looked away. "should we, uh... head back?"

"yeah," she nodded, still smiling as they stepped out into the sun again — ring glinting, hearts slightly lighter than before.