notice me | jung wooyoung

✎chapter³⁵

out of what felt like an infinite number of possibilities that she thought of, she never predicted this happening.

never thought that this was how she was going to ask him out. but it wasn't so bad.

no nervousness, no anxiety. it came out so naturally. she felt at ease.

"did you not understand what i said?" (y/n) chuckled at the dumbstruck look on his face.

"yeah, i mean, yeah i heard. i understood. but why?" he asked.

"no reason. so, are you coming?"

"yeah, ofcourse. but let me go change i don't want to show up wearing a hoodie"

||

"i wonder where (y/n) is.. texted her a while back and she still hasn't responded" the worry in mingi's voice was obvious.

"she didn't pick up my calls, should we- hold up, what the fuck?" yunho cursed, surprising mingi. following the older's line of vision, mingi immediately understood why yunho looked tensed.

there stood jaehyun, with adeline. his hand around her waist.

"oh, for the love of everything, how could this get any worse?" mingi pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to surpress his anger.

yunho walked towards the pair with a glass full of fruit punch. he "accidentally" spilled it on adeline's dress. she screamed in horror, fortunately the loud music dimmed out her high pitched screech.

"oops, didn't see you there. sorry, my bad." yunho chuckled.

"dude what the fuck?" jaehyun scowled at yunho, hand raising to punch him.

"nope, no violence here." a stern voice said, holding jaehyun's fist back.

jaehyun widened his eyes at the voice, he knew who it was. he took a step back, and made a beeline to the exit with adeline following him behind.

"thanks, jongho." mingi said, and yunho patted jongho's back. jongho shrugged, saying that it wasn't a problem.

"hey, look. (y/n) just texted." mingi said.

(y/n) : hey mingi, don't be too surprised (or worried) but i'm coming with wooyoung.

mingi : what- how? when? why?

(y/n) : 🤦‍♀️

||

they were walking towards the venue, till (y/n) suddenly stopped.

"you okay?" he asked.

"yes" she replied quickly, avoiding eye contact.

"(y/n), what's wrong? can i help?" wooyoung asked gently. something was obviously bothering her.

"i guess, i'm just a bit nervous.." she chuckled awkwardly.

"if this is because of that son of a b- i mean, cow, then you don't have to. you definitely dodged a bullet." wooyoung said affirmatively.

"thank you, wooyoung." she smiled softly at his attempt to comfort her.

but that wasn't the issue. she remembered the days where she used to be bullied for liking wooyoung. so many people told her that she wasn't worthy enough. and now she's about to be seen by a lot of eyes, with him.
unlike her usual self, she felt a little self conscious.

"is it okay.. for us to go in?" (y/n) asked, a hint of worry laced in her voice.

"do you not want to? that's alright, we can just leave-"

"it's not that.. everyone will know.. that we're here together. are you okay with that?" she asked impulsively. she didn't understand why she was having these thoughts. this wasn't like her.

in the past, opinions only mattered when they were from wooyoung.

"what is there to not be okay about?" he genuinely asked.

"i don't know.. in the past, you never even wanted to be next to me" (y/n) blurted out impulsively, again.

guilt consumed his heart and he looked visibly upset, not because of her, but because of himself.

"hey, nevermind that. i'm just being a little out of character right now.. sorry about that" (y/n) forced a small laugh.

suddenly wooyoung stood infront (y/n), surprising her. he hung his head in shame.

"you're allowed to be upset, (y/n). you're not out of character, i don't believe in the existence of something like that. please don't invalidate your own feelings by such words. and i'm really sorry to have treated you so badly in the past. it would be selfish to ask for a chance now, and it's okay if you don't want to forgive. but i want you to know that i feel so lucky and happy to be here with you."

(y/n) gasped at his words. her heart was beating fast. it's the anxiety, she thought. or the surprise. or maybe both.

then wooyoung looked at her eyes, making her heartbeat go faster.

"i wouldn't want to be here with anyone else, (y/n)." he confessed. the world stilled for a moment. suddenly, everything seemed to stop. the loud music from the hall wasn't audible anymore.

all (y/n) could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat, and the echo of his words in her head.

she snapped out of it when she noticed him extending his hand towards her. he looked visibly nervous, afraid of her rejecting his offer to hold hands.

(y/n) took a deep breath. she believed in second chances, only for the people who deserved them.

not thinking anymore, and only guided by her instincts and perhaps, her heart, she held his hand.

and they walked in together.

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