But I like you
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞
Getting ready together was a must for every party Doyun and Danielle attended. Back in Seoul, Danielle spent almost every day at the older girl's house. Whether that was for school projects, homework, or just a cozy night-in, for some reason Danielle spent more time there than her own house.
Not that Doyun minded though, she loved having Danielle around, it was like a constant in her life. Knowing the girl for so long made her realize how emptier and duller her life would be without that ray of sunshine shining on her gloomy days.
That night, despite not being in Seoul, the girls were in Doyun's room, Hyein joining them this time. She was still underage and Doyun had insisted on her not coming to the party Heeseung had invited them to, because surely there was going to be alcohol and God knows what else, but after Danielle promised to look after the youngest for the whole night, Doyun had gave in, allowing her to participate in the party.
"When does the party start?" Hyein asked excitedly, applying a soft pink lip tint to her lips. In the meantime, Danielle was in the small bathroom, styling her hair, and Doyun was sitting at her vanity next to Hyein, applying the final touches to her makeup.
"10 p.m." Danielle shouted from the bathroom, coming out a few minutes after with her curly hair bouncing on her shoulders, "Are you girls ready? I swear, you take forever."
"It's not even 9," Doyun stood up from the vanity, wearing her black low heels matching her navy dress, "Why so impatient?"
"I was thinking of getting something before the party." Danielle pouted, "Or maybe just take a walk, I haven't worn heels in so long, I need to get used to them."
"That's a great idea!" Hyein chirped, her eyes glowing under the vanity's lights.
"Do you know if Dohyuck is coming?" Doyun asked the youngest girl, tilting her head as if she already knew the answer.
"He's not." She replied, letting out a disappointed sigh, "He went with your father somewhere, I'm not sure."
Doyun smiled to herself, knowing well where the two Moon boys went. It was a tradition for them, whenever Dohyuck was back in Jeju, to go every weekend to a nearby town, way bigger than their little sea village, to spend some quality father-son time fishing and exploring new places. Unfortunately, that year, Dohyuck was stuck in Seoul because of summer school, so the only time they could organize their yearly getaway was during that small holiday Dohyuck could spend in Jeju.
Doyun was proud of her family's bond, even though their father was so far away most of the year. Her parents' love never trembled and both she and her brother had an amazing bond with their parents, despite all of them having strong and contrasting personalities.
The three girls left the building, walking hand in hand towards the main square, where they sat down on the fountain waiting for the right time to go to the beach party. By then, the sky was turning from the nice light blue of the day to the deep navy firmament. The bright stars started to appear as the shades of blue danced together melting into one another.
The girls' laughter filled the square along with the chatter of the people walking by. They laughed so hard at their own jokes that their cheekbones hurt and their bellies ached as they held them. Spending time together after more than a month without seeing each other was like a breath of fresh air for Doyun.
It wasn't like she wasn't enjoying her time in Jeju, but the feeling of missing the girls was undeniably getting stronger and stronger every day, and by then calls and video calls weren't enough.
"Oh, my!" Dani exclaimed, checking her phone, "It's past 10! We should go."
They stood up, taking the small path that took them to the beach area. On their way, they met Jungwon casually talking to Jay, heading to the party as well. The two boys stopped as Jungwon hugged his friends, while Jay politely smiled at the girls greeting them.
"Weird that you girls are on time." Jungwon joked, gaining a punch on the arm from Danielle. She clearly was still upset from the incident at the cave, but a playful smile was still displayed on her lips, "Shut it, Jungwon. We're not that slow."
"Whatever you say." The boy snorted with a sheepish grin on his face.
Before even entering the beach, the five could already hear loud music coming from down the path. A joyful song was playing, making the people on the fresh sand jump and dance. Some people were drinking, but it was clear that everyone was having fun with their friends.
The five crossed the round floral archway, stepping foot on the sand. The girls started cursing themselves for choosing to wear heels since they were going on the sand. After trying to walk on the soft ground, in vain, they just removed their shoes, abandoning them next to a lounge chair.
"What should we do first?" Hyein asked, excited about being there. It was her first party – her parents never allowed her to go to high school parties, too scared of what could have happened to their sweet, innocent daughter – and she had no idea of what she was supposed to do. She wanted to try everything new with her friends. Should they dance? Should they just chill on a lounge chair? Should they find the boys and play games? A million questions roamed her head, but she couldn't decide what to do first.
"Don't get weird ideas." Doyun warned her, "You're not doing anything illegal today."
"That wasn't my plan anyway." Hyein clarified, not particularly attracted to the alcohol served at the bar.
A sudden hand laying on Doyun's shoulder made the girl swiftly spin her hand to her back, finding none other than Hanbin's usual toothy smile, "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages!" The boy hugged her, and a weird scent filled the air around them, making the girl forget about the naive girl behind her. As she turned around to look for the girls, they were gone: Hyein probably ran away from Doyun once she was distracted as Danielle chased after her through the crowded dance floor.
"It's true, I haven't seen you around for a while." She smiled back, completely focusing on Hanbin. If they were both gone, that meant that Dani was keeping an eye on the youngest, or at least she hoped so.
"I've been away for a few weeks, family stuff, y'know." Hanbin shrugged it off, a weird nonchalant expression on his face, which was very unusual of him. Doyun squinted her eyes, analyzing his expression and attitude. Now that she could see his face better under the fairy lights, his cheeks were flushed red and his eyes were half-open as he blinked rapidly. Did he drink? Now that she thought about it, the weird smell she had felt earlier was definitely the smell of alcohol. He wasn't the type to get wasted like that.
"Did you drink, Hanbin?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him onto the lounge chair behind them. If it wasn't for her, he would have probably fallen down the chair because of his dizzy head.
"Only a few shots." He admitted, looking down as he tried to focus his eyes on the girl, "I'm fine, really. I can handle this."
"It doesn't seem like it." Her tone was bothered, she didn't like that new aspect of her friend, "Maybe you should go back to your room, you don't look–"
"Doyun, I'm fine, believe me." This time, he looked straight into her eyes, his voice way more stable than before, making Doyun wonder if he was faking it, "Do you wanna dance?"
"I don't think that's a good–"
"Pleeease..." He stood up as his head lightly spun because of the alcohol in his body, "Just one dance, I love this song!"
He straightened his arm towards her, waiting for the girl to hold his hand. What could a dance do? She thought to herself, grabbing his hand, "Only if you'll sit down and drink some water later."
"Will do!" He shot his hand to his forehead, stiffing up as he pretended to be a soldier. They laughed as they reached the center of the dance floor. A subtle guitar riff played from the speakers and Doyun could recognize one of the tunes she had been listening to for the whole summer.
♫ 야, 내가 미친 건지 함 들어봐 [hey, hear me out am I crazy or what]
손이 슬쩍 닿은듯한데 [I think my hand touched hers]
날 보고 씩 웃네, 뭐 이리 예뻐? [she grins at me, how is she so pretty?]
미쳤나 봐 I'm sorry [this is insane I'm sorry]
Hanbin held her hands firmly in his sweaty ones. Their arms swung back and forth as they were getting used to the rhythm of the melodious tune, their heads bobbing at the beat. Their smiles never disappeared from their faces as Hanbin got closer to her, fastening his movements as the speed of the song increased.
♫ 자, 이제 여기부터 문제야 [this is where it gets tricky]
(Mm mm mm mm)
너 걔랑 팔짱 끼더라 [I saw you linking arms with him ]
그냥 확 한번만 질러나 볼까? [should I just go for it]
걘 누군데? [who is he?]
Doyun started singing along with the lyrics, forgetting about her unpleasant conversation with the boy in front of her from a few minutes before. Hanbin chuckled as he saw the girl was starting to enjoy that night.
He leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "You look beautiful."
A confused look grew on her face as she raised an eyebrow, not because she didn't appreciate the comment, but because it was weird hearing that from him.
An awkward smile took the place of the serene one she had before, "Uhm, thanks."
Doyun looked away from Hanbin's flushed face, looking for her friends in the crowd, but the two girls were nowhere in sight.
♫ 돌아버리겠다, but I like you [you're driving me crazy, but I like you]
돌아버리겠다, but I like you oh [you're driving me crazy, but I like you]
못마땅해 네 눈, 코, 입, 또 말장난까지 [I don't like your eyes, nose, lips even your jokes
좋아, 나만 [I like it, only me]
(Mm mm mm)
As Doyun looked back at the boy, a pair of chapped lips landed on her glossy ones, catching her by surprise. She froze in her place, avoiding any type of contact with the boy in front of her.
She tried to back away, but the grip he had on her nape was too strong. She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her, a salty feeling forming in the corners of her eyes. She was able to push him away enough to turn away from him, "Hanbin, please."
"Doyun, I–" His lips left hers, backing away as his head spun faster than ever, making him lose his balance.
♫ I'm going crazy but...
Doyun pushed him away, running away from the dance floor, the song still drumming in her ears, but now her sight was fogged and unclear. She bumped into some people as she slalomed through the crowd, quickly excusing herself as she continued her escapade.
Hanbin was left alone, in the middle of the dance floor, feeling guilty as his mind was elsewhere. He knew what he did, but he still hadn't realized it.
Doyun, on the other hand, was lost. The person she considered her second brother, the backbone of her life, her first friend ever, had just kissed her, and it felt like a part of her died when their lips touched.
Her glass heart which Hanbin had taken care of ever since her birth, ever since she had memory, was now shattered and the million shreds of glass were now falling on her aching soul cutting and stinging her.
She didn't know where to go what to do, who to talk to. She had lost the girls in the night, and she couldn't run to her father's loving arms or her brother's calming ones. She couldn't run away to her room, she couldn't do that to Hyein and Danielle, leaving them alone without an explanation, what if they were worried for her?
The only place that felt like home at the moment was the sea. She ran away from the blinding lights of the party, her favorite song about to finish, and hid under the dark late night sky. No matter how dark the vault above her was, or how freezing and deep the sea washing the shore was, they comforted her.
She plopped down on the last lounge chair of the line, the party was far enough for her to let out the sobs and tears she had been suppressing until then. Her cheeks were stained in a mixture of mascara and salty tears, her lipstick was smudged because her lips suddenly got watery.
When she looked up, the Moon shone on her features, hugging her as it accompanied her through her sorrow. She let out a loud sigh before small sobs died in her throat.
She fidgeted with her fingers, wishing to not be there. She wished she had never met Heeseung that afternoon, she wished he hadn't invited her, and she wished to have left with her family for their escapade. She felt stupid for being there, she suddenly hated the dress she wore that Hyein picked for her, and she hated the ruined makeup she had spent so much time on that evening. She hated every part of her, and like never before, she wished she hadn't met Hanbin that night.
It probably wasn't that big of a deal, right? He was drunk, he didn't mean it. Or did he? What was the meaning of that chaste kiss? Was it just a kiss? Or was there something hidden behind it? Too many questions and Doyun had not a single answer to Hanbin's gesture.
"Doyun?" A soft voice called her name from behind. It wasn't Hanbin's, it was a more delicate one. Her name was pronounced with a slight foreign accent, making her recognize the owner of the voice immediately.
She didn't turn around, she didn't want him to see her like that. She didn't want him to see the mess she was. As she heard his steps getting closer, she quickly tried to adjust her humid hair, wiping the tears off of her rosy cheeks, leaving behind a trail of mascara she was unaware of. The strap of her dress fell off her shoulder while rushing there, making her put it back up as she tried to straighten up her posture.
"What?" Her shaky voice asked, finally turning around as she expected to look less of a mess than before. Despite her still looking the same as before, her red puffy eyes gave it away, warning the boy that she was indeed crying.
"You..." He looked for the right words to use, not wanting to break her down even more than she already was, "You bumped into me earlier, and you seemed upset so I wanted to check up on you."
She looked back down, "I'm fine."
"You don't look like it though," He awkwardly smiled, sitting down next to her as he made sure to give her space, "Do you need someone to talk to?"
She turned her head towards him. She met his deep brown eyes watching her, sending her all the comfort she could have asked for. With no one to take her of her at that moment, when she needed someone the most, Jake had found his way to her. Maybe talking to him wasn't going to be that bad, maybe he could have been her comfort, the light at the end of the hollow tunnel she had fallen into.
And there, in front of him, she broke down once again, falling into his embrace as her tears damped his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her figure, scooting closer to her.
She didn't know, though, that he had seen everything. He knew why she was that desperate, he was a spectator in that scene. He felt something, as Hanbin pressed his lips on the girl's: a new feeling for him, as if his heart missed a beat. Something burnt inside of him, but he wasn't really sure what that was.
"Do you want to tell me?" He asked calmly, not breaking the embrace where Doyun found comfort.
She decided to open up to him. She had already welcomed him in her past, showing him her soul's deepest lanes by allowing him into her memories. She told him about what happened with Hanbin, the things he told her, and the gestures he made.
Jake didn't reply. He silently listened to her every word, nodding as he stroked her back gently. After minutes and minutes of the girl rambling, he welcomed her once again in his embrace, patting her soft hair delicately, "It must be hard for you."
"It is." She sniffed, wiping a tear that fell on her cheek, "It's just that I don't know what to do. How am I supposed to look him in the eyes after this? How am I supposed to talk to him after what he said?"
"Hey, hey, don't worry," His right hand never left her lower back, where he caressed her covered skin gently, "I'm sure everything will go back as it was before. You said he was drunk, I'm sure he'll explain himself, he owes it to you after all the years you've been friends."
She nodded, looking down at her feet, hidden in the sand, "Maybe you're right." She removed the hair tie from her wrist, wanting to tie up her hair to avoid it sticking to her wet face, but before she could do it, Jake snatched the tie from her hands, making her turn to tie her hair. She let out a small laugh, "Thank you."
Jake smiled, standing up, "Now," He held her hands, swinging them back and forth, "I don't want to see you cry anymore. Wait for me here, I'll be right back."
Without giving her the chance to reply, the boy disappeared in the darkness, leaving her alone on the lounge chair. She took that opportunity to check her phone, maybe she had received some messages from her friends, but only her brother's name could be seen on the notifications menu.
She opened his message, seeing a picture of her father and her brother sitting around a small table, the older with a beer in front of him and the youngest with a soda glass. They were smiling, capturing the serenity of that moment.
She involuntarily smiled, opening the second picture. This time it was a candid picture of her father alone, rummaging in a pile of vinyls in a music shop.
After what seemed to be ten minutes, Jake was back, holding a guitar in his hands. He sat back down next to her, catching her attention as she admired the instrument he was holding, "What are you doing?"
"When I'm sad nothing works better than music," He admitted, "I'm gonna play for you the song I've been working on. It's still under development and still pretty rough, but why not play it for you."
She smiled, turning her attention completely towards him as his skilled fingers strummed the strings, a soft melody melting into the lapping of the sea. It wasn't the first time she heard him playing, but that melody sounded different. The few out-of-tune notes he'd play from time, made the song feel authentic.
It didn't last long, as Jake said, the song was still in its development phase. He placed his open palm on the strings, stopping the vibration, "How was it?"
"It was beautiful." She looked up at him with a subtle smile on her lips, "I'd love to see you write music, you're so talented."
"I'm glad you liked it." Jake removed the strap from his body, placing the guitar on the lounge chair next to them, "And I will definitely show you."
Her gaze admired his features, shining under the silver light of the Moon. He looked ahead of him, admiring somewhere far away in the distance, lost in the horizon. She suddenly grabbed his chin, turning his face around and placing her lips on his. His wide eyes were fixated on her before he relaxed his features as he kissed her back.
It was different from when she kissed Hanbin. There were no guilty feelings involved, just a whole swarm of butterflies flying in her stomach. His lips were soft against hers, he could feel the salty taste of her tears brushing his lips, but he didn't mind the odd feeling.
She broke the kiss first, slowly realizing what she had done. Before she could explode in embarrassment, regretting her sudden action, his palms cupped her cheeks, welcoming her in another kiss, a more passionate one, where she felt safe.
☆ AUTHOR 's SPACE ☽˚｡⋆.
Here you are 3.5k words I guess????
I'm SHOCKED by how much I wrote
but I really didn't wanna split up the
chapter saurrr here's a long one 😭
Hope you guys enjoyed it 👀 I don't
think I'll do chapters this long anymore
but who knows ... Also I'm so happy
with how it turned out like I'm so proud
of my writing in this one 😪
A lot of things happened hehe 👀
I couldn't wait to write this chapter
ever since I plotted the book 💀
Thank you for reading till here ♡ ,
JYR .