"Let. Me. Go!" Rei yelled, twisting in Jae-min's grip.
"Stop hugging me!" he shouted again, voice sharp.
"Sure," Jae-min said with a lazy smirk, his calm, husky voice dripping with amusement, "right after you fall for me."
"Ew. No." Rei shot him a glare — falling for Jae-min was the last thing on his list.
"C'mon, I know you want it. I know you want me," Jae-min teased, squeezing him a little tighter. "You like my hugs, little beta."
Jung Jae-min, eighteen, a year older that Rei, and his personal nightmare since the start of the year. Ever since 12th grade began, Jae-min had been chasing him like it was a sport.
Jae-min loosened his hold just enough for Rei to breathe, but didn't let go.
"It's been months," Jae-min said with a grin, his tired eyes flicking to Rei's tempting pink lips. "Months of me trying, and you still won't give me a chance?"
"I don't give chances to unworthy predators like you," Rei snapped.
Jae-min only chuckled. He had a reputation — and not the good kind. A revolving door of relationships, girls and guys alike. And since turning eighteen, he'd been hooking up with other seniors too. As far as Rei was concerned, Jung Jae-min was the definition of a player.
"That's harsh," Jae-min said, feigning a wounded look. "You make me sound like some villain from a cheap romance novel."
"If the shoe fits—" Rei started, but gasped when Jae-min suddenly leaned closer, his breath brushing against Rei's ear.
"Then I'll wear it… as long as it gets me closer to you."
Rei's face heated instantly. "Get away from me!" He shoved at Jae-min's chest, but the older boy barely budged, grinning like this was his favorite game.
"Admit it," Jae-min murmured, "I'm growing on you."
"In the same way mold does," Rei shot back, wriggling free for a second — only for Jae-min to snag his wrist again.
"Persistent little thing, aren't you?" Jae-min's eyes glinted, half amused, half challenging. "I like that."
Rei glared harder. "You're wasting your time."
"Five months and counting," Jae-min said with a cocky grin. "I've got all year, sweetheart."
Rei's stomach churned. He hated that part of him wondered if Jae-min really meant it.
Jae-min flashed that wicked smirk again.
Grab—
"You've got a pretty small ass for someone your age," he teased.
"Erk—!" The sudden hold sent an involuntary shiver down Rei's spine. "You… jerk!"
Annual exams had just ended, and with graduation only a week away, Rei was counting down the last few days he'd have to endure Jae-min's torture.
Right now, they were hidden behind the school building, half-wrestling under the shade of a giant tree.
"I'LL PUT YOU IN JAIL! YOU JUST GRABBED A MINOR'S BUTT!" Rei shouted, slamming his fist into Jae-min's chest.
Jae-min only smirked wider. "Isn't your birthday coming up? Chill—you'll be eighteen soon." His grin widened as he pressed Rei against the rough bark of the tree.
Rei's anger faltered. "Y-you… know my birthday?" he asked quietly, the sharp edge in his voice softening.
Jae-min leaned in, wrapping his arms around him again, his face nestling into the curve of Rei's neck. "Mmm… yeah. Why wouldn't I know?"
Jae-min rubbed his face against Rei's skin, his breath warm as he leaned closer to his ear."And when you do turn eighteen…" he murmured with a low chuckle.
Rei's eyes widened. His heart skipped, and without thinking, he shoved Jae-min back.
Jae-min staggered a step, surprise flickering across his face before that familiar smug grin slid back into place.
Rei crossed his arms tightly, turning to walk away in a hurry—Only for Jae-min's hand to catch his wrist.
Rei stopped, glancing over his shoulder. His arm was still in Jae's grip, and Jae-min was staring—not at his eyes, but at his soft lavender lips.
Silence. Heavy, unbroken. Their gazes locked, neither daring to move.
Rei's pulse roared in his ears. Then reality hit, and he glanced down at Jae's hand. "Uh—I…" he mumbled, slowly tugging his arm free.
Jae blinked, as if waking from a trance. "I—uh—s-sorry." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I… can't wait to see you on graduation day."
Rei bit his lip, a faint heat rising to his cheeks. "R-right… b-bye." He turned quickly, disappearing back into the building before his own heartbeat gave him away.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[Graduation Day]
Rei had just stepped off the stage, his friends already waiting to greet him.
"We all got our diplomas—this calls for a celebration," Mingyu said with a grin. He was Rei's roommate and a fellow beta.
"I'll get the drinks," came an uninterested murmur from Nayoon, one of Rei's classmates. She was the silent, emo type—never caring about much unless it involved drama.
"And I'll grab the snacks," said Seojun in his usual tired tone. He was Mingyu's boyfriend—and an S-Class dominant alpha.
In Seoul, S- and C-Class alphas were the most common, outnumbering betas. Omegas were common too, though still fewer than alphas.
Seojun leaned in to kiss Mingyu's cheek, drawing a faint pink blush from him.
Rei looked away quickly. If there was one thing he hated, it was Seojun and Mingyu's relationship—not because they weren't a good match, but because he'd once had a crush on Seojun. He had been too late; Seojun's eyes had already been on Mingyu back then.
As Rei's gaze drifted to the floor, imagining the things he'd never have, a familiar voice cut through his thoughts.
"Rei!"
That same annoyingly smug, lazy tone.
Rei rolled his eyes before even looking up. "Tsk—should've guessed."
Jae-min stood there with a bouquet of light blue flowers in hand. He jogged up to Rei, catching his breath before speaking.
"Blue tulips and blue roses," he said, holding the bouquet out with one hand. "Picked them up on my way here."
Rei hesitated. This wasn't new—Jae-min often brought him flowers—but it was the first time they'd been arranged into a bouquet.
He reached out, taking it carefully, breathing in the faint scent of the roses. The bouquet was wrapped in sleek black paper, tied with a gold ribbon. "Thanks," Rei murmured, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"So… what are we missing?" Nayoon's voice cut through, pulling the moment apart. She shoved her phone into her pocket and glanced between them.
Her gaze landed on the bouquet. "Because it looks like we're missing a lot of plot," she said, resting an arm casually on Rei's shoulder.
"Let's just say love birds are flying over someone's head," Rei replied with a chuckle.
"Right," Nayoon said flatly, raising an eyebrow at Jae-min, who was still standing there.
"Come on, guys, don't make it awkward for him," Seojun said, giving Jae-min's shoulder a light squeeze as if to boost his confidence.
Jae-min's attention returned to Rei. "I'll get going then. Good luck," he said, giving a small wave before walking back to his own group of friends.
As soon as Jae-min was out of sight, Mingyu let out a low whistle. "Blue tulips and roses? That's not casual, Rei. That's I'm-in-this-for-the-long-run energy."
Rei rolled his eyes, clutching the bouquet closer to his chest. "It's just flowers."
"Just flowers?" Nayoon smirked, tilting her head. "The guy practically sprinted through a crowd just to give them to you. My last boyfriend wouldn't even run for the bus with me."
"That's because your last boyfriend was a walking red flag," Mingyu snorted.
"True," Nayoon admitted with a shrug.
Seojun eyed Rei knowingly. "You didn't say no."
Rei froze for a moment before looking away. "Why would I? That'd be… rude."
"Right, because manners are the only reason," Mingyu said, drawing out the words with obvious sarcasm.
Rei's ears heated. "Can we not do this in public?"
But his friends had already moved ahead, chatting and laughing. Rei lingered for a second, glancing over his shoulder.
Jae-min was still there, at the far end of the courtyard, laughing with his own friends. For just a second, his gaze flicked to Rei—and their eyes met.
Rei quickly looked away, pretending to adjust the ribbon on the bouquet.
Rei lingered for a few seconds, absentmindedly brushing his fingers over the soft petals. "Tsk… what a lovesick puppy," he muttered under his breath, though his eyes stayed on the bouquet a moment longer.
"You coming?" Nayoon's voice rang out from ahead. She, Mingyu, and Seojun were already near the gates, waiting.
Rei glanced back one last time, scanning the crowd for Jaemin—but he was already gone.
Biting his lip, Rei let out a quiet scoff before turning on his heel and heading toward his friends.
To Be Continued... ...