joy ride ♛ jjk

falling for you.

"what the fuck? you've came to see me?"

eunwoo stood at the doorway to his hospital ward. he glared disapprovingly at the vulgar boy who lay in the bed with his arms folded and tucked behind his head. "hyerim told me to see you."

jeongguk waved his hand lazily in his direction, grinning in a taunting manner. eunwoo detested that irksome smile with a passion.

"i thought you hated me," said jeongguk, raising his eyebrows.

eunwoo rolled his eyes, clenching the strap of his backpack. his disgruntled expression and pursed lips clearly indicated annoyance, which utterly delighted jeongguk.

"why would i hate you?" eunwoo asked, even though he had an obvious and strong dislike for the boy.

"hm... because... i stole your girl?" jeongguk joked nonchalantly, but stopped laughing when he noticed eunwoo's jaw tighten rigidly. "did you actually—"

"hyerim's not an object to be stolen, you idiot. you don't know anything about her."

jeongguk felt a storm brewing. he stared fixedly and apprehensively at eunwoo who crossed his arms. an unspoken blinking contest took place between them.

"...what's there to know about her?" jeongguk couldn't help but ask. it was true that eunwoo was closer to hyerim that he was. that unnerving thought twisted his insides, making him feel uncomfortable.

eunwoo, too, was feeling the tension of the situation. two boys, losing their heads over a precious girl.

"hyerim is an airhead. happy-go-lucky. like a puppy."

"i know that already," jeongguk uttered, shrugging back his shoulders. he hated the air of arrogance that surrounded eunwoo. arrogance in the sense that he knew hyerim much longer than he had.

"yeah, but you don't know what she's gone through to be that way."

you don't know anything about her.

jeongguk's breath hitched as he glanced at eunwoo's eyes. eyes that have witnessed far more heartbreaking things than he had. hyerim's past... she never mentioned it to him. did she not want him to know?

eunwoo's eyelids fell as he exhaled a loud sigh, turning around and walking out of jeongguk's room. "where are you going? come back-"

the door slammed, but its noise was drowned by the buzz of the hospital corridors. eunwoo leaned his back on the door, rubbing his temples in frustration.

he knew he had said too much. but part of him, a selfish part of him, wanted jeongguk to know that he was hyerim's protector. he had been there for her. he was the one who loved her.

despite jeongguk bellowing for him to return, eunwoo hurried, faster and faster away from his room, before he could spill secrets out of spite.

the hospital ward was silent after eunwoo left, the only sound being the heavy and strained beating of jeongguk's heart.

jeongguk hated the fact that he felt hurt. he ached to know more of park hyerim. he ached to be part of her life.

that was when jeongguk realised how strongly he felt for this girl— it was a puzzling feeling that sent wild tremors across his nerves, because he loved her and he so badly wanted her to love him back.

——————————

jeongguk had to use underarm crutches because his left knee was still weaker than his right. it was difficult, the harsh plastic handles dug into his armpits every time he walked. he hated it. he especially hated the fact that hyerim stared at him with such worry in her eyes.

that morning after eunwoo visited... he had discovered that he loved her. and after that sweeping discovery, he could not last a second under her intense gaze.

"are you okay?" she asked, looping her arm under his, worried he would fall. they were walking to her apartment door. jeongguk tensed under her touch, the closeness of her body to his. her fluffy black hair bounced as she moved, stray pieces of her hair swaying in the wind.

hyerim, on the other hand, wondered why jeongguk had been rather distant ever since that morning. when she had picked him up at the hospital, he avoided meeting her eyes and stared at his feet as if they were the most interesting feet in the world.

she couldn't help but giggle to herself at his absurd duality; one moment he was a brooding hooligan and next, a shy school girl.

they entered her dim apartment. jeongguk groaned as he shrugged away from her touch.

but before she could react, she tripped on her own feet and stumbled onto the ground, dragging him along with her. they landed onto the wooden floor, a tangled heap of limbs.

jeongguk had managed to place both his hands beside her head, cornering her between his arms. their noses were centimetres apart. he stared at her, his breath hitched, unsure of how to react. his heart thumped like a drum, wild thoughts racing through his mind.

in the shadows, her face was so close to his that he could smell her sweet, flowery fragrance mixed with the tangy scent of her asthma medication.

then, within a second, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. she squeaked in surprise, but was shut up quickly by his unyielding kiss.

softly at first, which then gradually shifted to an intensity that left hyerim startled and shaking. but with jeongguk's insistent lips, she found herself kissing him back.