Yoon Bum x Reader: Mindfuckery

Chapter 20: Flower

It was the sweetest of kisses you shared beneath a glittering sky. You had a fallen star beside you, a hidden gem to match the ones soaring through the open air. It was a happy few months, teaching Bum to swim, picnics together in the fall... The majority of your outings involved food, an intentional pattern of yours geared towards gradually adjusting his malnourished physique. Some days were lazier, feeding the koi in the pond behind a local bookstore. Once the bread became scarce, Bum seemed quite satisfied to sit and listen to you read to him. He would blush and gently place a wildflower in your hair as you read, one he picked on his walk to meet you, and you would use another as a bookmark until the next outing.

It was a beautiful time, days full of nothing but love. You quickly started to become addicted to the way Bum would melt into your touches, no matter how brief or fleeting. Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Winter exams were approaching fast and brought a plague of stress along with them. When it rains it pours, because it was around this time that Bum began to... overstay his welcome. It was not as if you disliked Bum's company, but you needed time to study. Though he always insisted he was more than happy to sit around and relax while you worked, your brain couldn't help but nag you incessantly, wondering if he was bored or hungry or in need of attention. It wasn't his fault you thought like this, but you still wanted to be a good host to your guests. Not to mention he liked to look at you a lot, which would ordinarily be flattering, but in this case it was downright distracting. The most problematic thing about it was the fact that subtlety didn't work on him. Most people would get the hint after a few friendly nudges. Bum didn't.

"Uh..." You put your highlighter down forcefully and tried again anyway. "Sorry, Bum, but I really have to get some studying done."

"Ah. Am I making too much noise? I can stop." He replied and you sighed in exasperation.

"Don't you... have any chores to do back at your place?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Sure you aren't forgetting one? Some alone time at home can be nice..."

"..." He paused at the annoyance in your tone and scrambled to find a way to fix it. "Y-you must be hungry." He got up and shuffled towards the refrigerator. "Let me make you a snack."

"Go home, Bum!" You were finally fed up with beating around the bush. He immediately looked hurt by the outburst.

"But... what did I-"

"We can talk about this after my first exam tomorrow."

You felt guilty for essentially slamming the door in his face, but it was a necessary evil. Snapping at him may have been an overreaction on your part, but Bum was- for lack of a better word- needy. Up until now it hadn't been a problem, yet lately it seemed like Bum was popping up everywhere in your life. You told yourself that you were casually dating, but you must have been thinking about him a lot because you swore you started seeing him at random unusual locations you frequented, like campus or the marketplace. It would only be for a moment; when you were rounding a corner, when you looked out a window...

'She... dismissed me...'  Bum's lips quivered with dread on the walk home. He didn't sleep at all that night. He was stalked by the pestilence of fear and hurt. No matter how he wracked his brain he couldn't figure out what he had done to upset you. Why had you banished him from your side? That's the only place on earth he wanted to be. Were you pulling away from him? Was he going to lose you?! He tightly gripped the pillow he once stole from your room and buried his face in it. The sweet honey-esque scent of your shampoo seemed to calm him a bit. You were kind; all he had to do was apologize.