✓ BETS & BROKEN HEARTS | JAY

8 - Firsts & Confessions

For the next week, Y/N and Jay their days immersed in each other's company. They would eat lunch together with Areum and his friends, and do assignments at his house since his father was so busy with work that he couldn't spend much time at home. 

Their interactions became more genuine and less scripted and Y/N actually had fun with him. He wasn't the bad boy he was portrayed as; instead, Y/N discovered a thoughtful, kind-hearted individual with a passion for music.

"You know, for someone who claimed to hate me, you sure spend a lot of time with me." He muttered, resting his head on the table while watching her solve math problems, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah, well, maybe I realized you're not so bad after all." She said, her gaze focused on the papers before her. Jay chuckled softly, his fingers tapping idly on the table.

"Or maybe you just fell for me." A grin tugged at the corners of his lips when she nodded, shrugging. 

"Oh yeah, I'm so in love with you I can't even focus on my homework." Jay just watched her bite her pencil, trying to understand a problem that seemed to be giving her trouble. "I can't solve this one. How the hell do you find the value of x in this equation?"

Jay took the pencil from her hand and leaned over the paper, explaining the steps of the problem with surprising clarity. She found herself genuinely impressed, watching him with sparkling eyes. He was dressed in a casual yet stylish manner, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead. "Focus, Y/N."

Her gaze remained fixed on him as he turned to her, cocking his eyebrow. "Focus on you?" She smiled, rolling her eyes playfully. "I'm already doing that. It's your fault I can't focus on anything else."

Jay chuckled, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. Then he leaned closer to her until she rested her hands against his chest, stopping him inches apart from her lips. "Is that so?" he whispered, his warm breath brushing against her lips.

She felt her cheeks flush, her breath catching in her throat. Their faces were so close, and the way his eyes darted from her eyes to her lips made her heart race even faster. "Yeah," she managed to whisper, her voice slightly unsteady. 

Before either of them could say another word, he closed the remaining distance between them, his lips meeting hers in a soft, tentative kiss. Her eyes fluttered closed as she smiled through the kiss, her fingers still lightly resting against his chest. It was her first kiss, and never in her life had she imagined it would be Jay who would be sharing this unforgettable moment with her. The world around them seemed to fade into the background, leaving only the sensation of his lips against hers, the gentle warmth of his embrace, and the fluttering of her heart that matched the rhythm of their shared breaths.

When he pulled away, he smiled softly, his fingers brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." 

"This was my first kiss." She whispered, making him freeze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. His thumb brushed gently against her cheek as she shrugged. "I guess I just one of those moments you always remember."

Park Jay, the school's bad boy, felt his heart skip a beat at Y/N's words and the look on her face after their first kiss. He's known for his devil-may-care attitude, but his heart skipping a beat at a kiss? He chuckled softly at the irony of it all.

"Look at him," The boys decided to hang out at Jay's place after the school day had ended. They had all known Jay as the reckless one, the guy who never seemed to let anything faze him. So, the sight of him lost in his thoughts, a faint smile playing on his lips, was enough to raise eyebrows.

Jay leaned back on the couch, not able to hide his smile. "I'm Y/N's first kiss."

Jake let out a whistle, while Heeseung raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No way," Jake exclaimed, disbelief coloring his voice. "And that suddenly made you turn into a lovesick puppy?"

"It made me decide to stop the bet." He looked at Sunghoon who was raising his eyebrow in an I-told-you-so expression. "I'll take you guys to that Italian restaurant along with Y/N and Areum."

"Do you like her?" Heeseung asked and the others looked at Jay, impatiently waiting for his reply. The question made him pause for a moment. 

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and ran his fingers through his hair, a habit he had when deep in thought. "Yeah, I do," Jay finally admitted, his voice softer than usual. He glanced around at his friends, his gaze meeting each of them in turn. "I never thought I would, but being around her... it's different. She's different." 

"Who would've thought? You falling head over heels for anyone wasn't exactly in the playbook." Sunghoon interjected with a playful grin, clearly enjoying the situation. "Must be nice to be in love."

"I said I like her, not that I'm writing love poems." Jay shot him a glare, but his lips twitched with amusement. It was only a matter of time before the 'like' turns into 'love.'

Meanwhile, in another place, two friends were watching TV together as one rested her head on the other's shoulder. The girls had teary eyes while they watched the tragic love story displayed in front of them. "Why did he have to die?" Y/N muttered, wiping the tears off her cheeks before she looked at Areum with sad eyes. "They should have lived together, happily ever after."

"Not every story has a happy ending, Y/N. But you know what? Some sad endings aren't sad after all, because every ending is the beginning of another story." Areum said as she patted her head. "Besides, this is just a movie. Stop being such a hopeless romantic."

"Jay and I kissed." Y/N blurted out, making Areum push her away before turning to look at her with wide eyes. "What? Exactly what you heard. When? When I went to his house earlier. How? Well, we were talking, and then he just leaned in and... kissed me."

Areum squealed, unable to contain her excitement. "Do you realize how big of a deal this is, Y/N? It's your first kiss! Spill the details!"

Y/N rolled her eyes, though a sheepish smile played on her lips. "It was... surprisingly nice. I mean, it was my first kiss, so I didn't really know what to expect. But it felt... right, you know? Like a moment I'll always remember."

"Y/N, you're falling for him, aren't you?" Areum nudged her again, making her blush deepen. 

"I genuinely like him. He's not just the bad boy everyone thinks he is. He's... different, in a good way. And being around him makes me happy." Her smile softened as she thought about Jay and their kiss. She was thankful Areum left it at that and the two of them carried on their movie marathon. 

The day after, Y/N walked through the school's gates only to see a familiar person standing with their hands in their pockets, looking at the bright sky. She looked at the sky too before she slowly walked to him, a shy smile plastered on her face. "Hey."

"Hi." He said, gently holding her chin and making her face him. Both of them looked each other straight in the eyes, trying to read the emotions behind the gaze. "You're cute." His words made her swat his hand playfully as she leaned against the nearby wall. His fingers brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, something she noticed he did whenever he was about to say something genuine.

Both of them didn't realize the guy walking their way with slow steps and a piercing gaze. Once Y/N tilted her head up, he was standing behind Jay with a cocky smirk playing on his lips. "Is this your girl?" He asked as he bit his lips, looking up and down at Y/N's body. "She's hot-"

Jay turned around and grabbed him by the collar, his eyes narrowing with both anger and protectiveness. "What the fuck are you doing here?" 

"Who is he?" Y/N held Jay's arm, glancing at the guy with a calm but cautious expression.

"Park Yejoon." The guy said as he winked at Y/N, shifting his gaze to Jay. "We meet again, cousin." He smirked. Looking at Y/N once again, Yejoon said the one and only thing Jay was afraid of the most.

"Watch me steal the girl you seem to care so much about.