AS SEOJUN PRESSED an ice pack against her aching cheek, Yeonwoo winced. He chuckled, "Why am I getting a sense of déjà vu?"
After they left the karaoke room, it was obvious they were in no shape to attend the academy class. Suho, Sujin and Sua took Jugyeong home, and Seojun offered to take care of Yeonwoo, explaining that he knew how to take care of her best.
(Much to her embarrassment and secret delight).
They winded up at his house because she didn't want to alarm her mother. And indeed, her lip was bleeding and cheek swollen crimson, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a plaster and ice.
After swapping her bloody school shirt for one of Gowoon's, she sat demurely on the sofa in a sweater depicting a hungry Squirtle. It was two sizes too big for Gowoon, but fit perfectly on Yeonwoo.
"Why do you always end up getting in situations like this? You're a magnet for trouble, I swear." Seojun wiped away the water droplets with the side of his bare hand, leaving a burning imprint on Yeonwoo's cheek.
She protested weakly, "It's not my fault he decided to slap me."
"You talked back to him. You pulled his hair. You slapped him multiple times. That's not something Lee Sungyong gets every day. He'll have it out for you after this."
He fought back a smile. "But then again, I'll not be surprised if he never tries to bother you ever again. You were terrifying in there."
He lifted Yeonwoo's hand so that she could hold the ice pack while he tended to the wound on her lip. Again, his touch incited lightning to shoot through the girl's bones.
She sighed. "I couldn't help it! Bullies make me so mad. Especially after what they did to Seyeon."
Seojun dabbed cream onto the side of her lip with his finger, then applied a yellow plaster to the wound. "You should have waited for me."
"And what? I should've waited outside the room like a coward?"
"Yah, Jeong Yeonwoo." His voice was dangerously low, his body near enough to hers so she could feel the irritation rising off him.
He crushed the plaster wrapper and ran a frustrated hand through his mullet. "I just hate seeing you hurt, that's all."
"I'm sorry but I don't owe anything to you. I'm sick and tired of sitting still and doing nothing, being useless. You can just, I don't know, take care of my wounds whenever I do get hurt?"
Yeonwoo had always admired his eyes. Now, she seemed to drown in them. He gazed at her, with her disheveled hair and messy clothes, through half-lidded eyes, his look seeming far too seductive for such a moment.
He whispered huskily, "Despite the damage, I'm really proud of you. How will I ever deal with a girl like you, Jeong Yeonwoo?"
That did the trick of relieving the tension in the room. "You just said you're proud of me." Her eyes glowed in excitement.
He tried to look mad, but failed at the sight of Yeonwoo's childlike glee. He sighed. "Yes. I am. You did well, it was like nothing I've ever seen."
"I wrestled with Seyeon when we were younger, so I guess I picked up a few tricks."
"And you always won?"
She smiled wistfully. "Mainly because he always let me." She perked up. "Shall I sign up for karate classes? I think it would be quite useful."
"It would be good to learn how to defend yourself if you ever find yourself in such a situation again."
"I think I'll ask Suho if I can go to his dojo." She reached for her phone. Without thinking, he snatched it away. "What do you think you're doing?"
"N-Nothing." His arm automatically stretched out over his head.
"You keep forgetting I'm almost as tall as you." She easily swiped it back.
"You're not!"
"Am too. Let's check."
That was how Gowoon found the two—standing against the wall, marking their heights with a pencil. She dropped her bag on the floor and looked on, amused as Yeonwoo laughed in delight at discovering she was only five centimetres shorter than him. Seojun, pretending to be annoyed, flicked her on the forehead.
Gowoon tiptoed behind their backs and into her room, not wanting to disturb their precious moment.
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a/n: small break, my exams start tomorrow LOL but just felt like posting this cos here we go, two weeks of exams 🤧 they're quite spaced out, but still.
hope y'all are doing fine xx