Shared Spaces & Hidden Desires ? Seungcheol

YN

It had been a few days since that night.

Since I sat across from Seungcheol and told him something I didn't even know how to process myself.

Since he just... nodded. Said nothing.

Went back to his drink like I hadn't just crushed the one hope I'd been holding onto without even realizing it.

And now, every single day since then, he's never alone.

New girl. Same pattern. Different laughs echoing through the walls every night.

Some nights, I press a pillow over my ears and pretend it helps.

I tell myself it doesn't bother me.

I tell myself I made a choice—said yes to someone who actually wanted me, who didn't make me beg for scraps of attention, who didn't look at me like I was both everything and nothing at once.

Other nights, I ride Seungjae slowly, letting Seungcheol's muffled groans bleed through the wall and fuel me.

And when I'm the one fucking, I make sure I'm loud enough for him to hear every sound I make.

Every moan. Every gasp. Every fake little cry to let him know it's real.

Then, when I see him in the pantry the next morning, his shirtless tattooed back turned to me as he makes coffee like nothing happened, like nothing ever happened, we don't speak.

We haven't spoken a word since.

Not one.

"You've been ghosting us," Sujin huffs as she tugs me into the booth, practically dragging me by the wrist like I've committed a felony.

I manage a laugh. "I've been busy."

"Obviously," Jiwon grins, sipping on her cocktail. "We get it. Just don't forget you had friends before him. Plus I should be getting credit for setting you guys up."

"I didn't forget," I mumble, cheeks heating as I slide into the seat across from them. "I'm here now, aren't I? And yes, thank you."

"Barely," Sujin says, eyes narrowing playfully. "Seriously, yn. You used to be glued to our asses, now we have to send smoke signals to get a text back."

"I didn't realize I was that dramatic," I say with a teasing roll of my eyes.

"You're not. You're worse," Jiwon deadpans, making us all laugh.

It feels good. Light. The kind of comfort I didn't know I was desperate for until this very moment.

I've missed this.

Missed them.

And maybe part of me missed the version of myself that only exists when I'm with them—the one not wrapped up in guilt, in silence, in memories of a boy who was never mine to begin with.

"So?" Sujin nudges my arm. "You gonna tell us or are we supposed to guess?"

"Tell you what?"

"Oh my god," Jiwon groans. "Seungjae, duh. You've been giving vague 'we're just getting to know each other' answers for weeks now. What's the update?"

I hesitate for a second too long, but then I nod, taking a sip of my drink.

"I'm taken."

There's a beat of silence before both of them erupt at once.

"What?!"

"No way! Finally!"

Sujin throws her arms up. "About damn time. I was about to set up a bet for when you'd stop denying it."