JAEHEE

The sudden shout jolted him, the hammer in his hand pausing mid air as he turned to search for the source. For a brief moment their eyes locked. It was like the sight of him repelled her, and before he even had a moment to process what was happening she was already darting away like a pink blur. He cursed under his breath, dropping the tools haphazardly on the floor before running after her.

"Hey! Where are you going, aren't you gonna finish hanging my paintings?"

Jaehee ignored the girl's complaints as he rounded the corner of the hall, willing his feet to move as fast as possible. He eyed the door to the staircase shutting closed and bolted through, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the metal and cement as he chased after Minji. He really didn't understand why she ran from him, by this point he thought she would have learned that her legs simply couldn't keep up with his pace. Jaehee gripped her wrist, pulling her to a stop on the landing of the steps "Minji, please,"

She wriggled against him like a fish on a hook, her red face turned away from him. "Let go of me." A cold, lonely emptiness washed over him. It was a feeling he had grown all too familiar with over the last few weeks. Every time he saw her his heart ached, pulled between the intense desire to be with her and the knowledge that if he tried to get close again she would only push him away. He knew that the tighter he clung to her the more it drove her away, but it was difficult to hold himself back in this moment. Her presence caused an uncharacteristic sense of despair in him, his longing for her too all-consuming for him for logic or reason. Even now, as she struggled against his grasp, some part inside of him was pleased to be touching her at all.

Jaehee pushed her against the cold brick wall, his body imposing over her like a cage. They had done this before, against her dorm room door, except back then his stomach flipped with excitement, whereas now it twisted with the bitterness of rejection. She cast her face down, too proud to even acknowledge his presence with a glance.

"Minji please, look at me" His tone was pleading now, almost desperate. It's not like he hadn't been slighted by a woman before, it was just different with Minji. It was always different with Minji. Like a thousand splinters, her constant rejections had burrowed within him, almost imperceptible at first but now a throbbing pain too overwhelming to ignore.

She's acting like I'm not even here. "Can we at least talk about what happened back there?"

Green eyes glared at him from below long lashes, her tone frosty "There's nothing to talk about." Jaehee was beside himself, her detached attitude stoking a fury inside him. You're so careful aren't you? He thought bitterly. He hated the way she managed her feelings, expertly doling out curated crumbs of the real emotions that lay turbulent under her calm exterior.

Jaehee scoffed, "Look at yourself," lowering his face towards her so their eyes were level. He could feel her heavy, quivering breath against his lips, her chest still heaving from her attempted getaway. Jaehee paused for a moment, eyes scanning her face for a trace of emotion and was disappointed to find none. "You can't even admit to yourself that you feel something for me."

Minji pushed against his chest, her small hands doing little to move his body "Fuck you"

Jaehee was unmoved, the stillness of his body seemingly driving her further to anger. She beat her fists repeatedly against his chest now in desperation, tears building in her eyes. For weeks she had been indifferent, evasive, and unemotional towards him. He knew it was twisted, but her hatred felt good. After all this time it felt like he had finally commanded her attention and he was greedy for more. He stood calmly, taking her weak hits without a word as he watched the tightly bottled emotions of the last few weeks release from her body through spilled tears and the curses she threw at him between punches. It wasn't exactly the way he had pictured this moment, her finally lowering her guard, but he was happy. If this is how she needed him now, he was happy to oblige.

After some time he grabbed her wrists, kissing at her hands before effortlessly crossing her arms up above her head to prevent her from further striking him. "You need to stop before you hurt yourself" a soft smile teased his lips, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Let go of me" her voice was weak and trembling, her face flushed and streaked with tears.

Jaehee tilted her chin up to face him, dabbing the teary droplets from her cheeks with gentle kisses. "I told you, I'm going to be here for you no matter what" He hovered his lips over hers, pausing indecisively before she leaned up to meet him, the action taking him by surprise. He kissed her back and she parted her mouth for him, eagerly receiving his tongue before he pulled away to bite at the rosy flesh of her lips.

The feeling was electric, her touch shot lightning bolts through him and ignited a passion that had been lying dormant inside him. He trailed hungry kisses down her neck, sucking at her delicate skin while his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt. "Ah…. fuck" Minji moaned as he peppered the tops of her breasts with fervent kisses, his fingers already deftly toying with the flesh beneath her bra. Her back arched, and she pressed herself against his hand, encouraging him to grip against her tighter. Their kisses grew more impatient, each pause for air feeling like a lifetime before they collided back together, the heat of their breath mingling as one. Minji gasped between kisses "Fuck… fuck me." He paused, pulling his head back to look at her through blinking eyes, the words not fully registering. "What did you say?" This time she held his stare, her voice breathy and heavy with lust "Jaehee, fuck me."