“Glass Cage: Part 7 – The Key”

CAN YOU PLEEEAAAASE WRITE A NA BAEKJIN X FEM!READER NSFW ONESHOT OR SERIES EVEN PLSS 😔🤲🏻

“Control”

Pairing: Na Baek Jin x fem!reader

Genre: NSFW / Smut, Emotional Intimacy, Slight Power Play, Soft Aftercare

Setting: His apartment, late at night after a long day

(I’ve had this in my drafts also😭)

⸻

You were already breathless when Baek Jin pressed you against the door of his apartment, your back hitting the wood as his lips claimed yours with quiet urgency.

The moment the door clicked shut, something shifted.

His grip on your waist tightened, jaw flexing as he pulled back just enough to look at you — eyes dark, sharp with intent.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that in public,” he said lowly, voice rough against your ear.

You smirked, despite the way your heart was thundering. “Like what?”

“Like you want me to lose control.”

He didn’t give you a chance to answer — his mouth was back on yours, hot and consuming, his hands already beneath your shirt. He peeled it off slowly, letting his fingers trail up your sides like he was memorizing every inch of you.

Every move was precise, almost studied — the way he touched you like he was in command, not just of your body, but of himself. Until you looked at him with that softness in your eyes, and the control cracked.

He pushed you gently but firmly toward the bedroom, never breaking eye contact. You laid back across the sheets, propped on your elbows, watching as he undressed with a slow deliberateness that made your thighs press together.

When he crawled over you, his hands planted firm beside your head, his expression changed — colder, hungrier.

“You drive me insane,” he muttered, lips brushing your jaw. “I don’t show it. But I think about you… constantly.”

“Then show me,” you whispered.

That was all it took.

His mouth claimed your neck, then your chest, his hands sliding under your thighs to pull you closer. You gasped when his fingers brushed over your soaked panties, and he smirked against your skin.

“So wet already?” he murmured, pushing them aside.

Two fingers slipped in easily, his thumb circling your clit while his mouth returned to your chest. You moaned, arching into him, fingers gripping the sheets.

“Baek Jin—” you breathed, your voice cracking slightly.

He glanced up, eyes half-lidded. “Say it again.”

“Baek Jin.”

He cursed under his breath and pulled away just enough to rid you of your underwear and align himself. He didn’t rush — just eased in slow, watching your expression like it was the only thing he cared about in the world.

You gasped, clinging to him as he filled you completely.

He groaned low in his throat, voice strained. “You feel too good. Fuck…”

His thrusts started deep and slow — steady, controlled, each one hitting just the right spot. You wrapped your legs around his waist, nails digging into his back as the pace built, your moans echoing into the night.

It wasn’t just sex — not with him.

It was the way he looked at you when he thought you weren’t watching. The way his lips would soften against your shoulder mid-thrust. The way he whispered, “Mine,” like a secret no one else was meant to hear.

Your orgasm hit fast and hard, your body trembling beneath him, back arching off the bed as you cried out his name. He held you through it, slowing only slightly before chasing his own release with low, breathless groans.

When he came, it was with his forehead pressed to yours, hands locked around your wrists like he needed to anchor himself to you.

The silence after was heavy with heat and heartbeats.

He rolled off you, but didn’t let go — pulling you into his chest, holding you close like he was afraid you’d disappear.

You nuzzled into his neck, smiling softly.

“Still in control?” you teased, voice hoarse.

Baek Jin chuckled — a rare, genuine sound. “Not even close.”

Geum seong je x reader headcanons!!

Obsession Disguised as Protection

• He tells you he’s “just keeping you safe,” but it’s really about control. You’re not allowed to walk home alone. Your location is always known.

• He doesn’t trust anyone else with you — even your friends. He’ll start isolating you, gently at first. Then, not so gently.

• If someone touches you — even accidentally — he notices. And that person will feel it, later. Quietly. Violently.

Emotional Withholding & Power Games

• He’s not affectionate in public. Not out of shame — but control. You’re his. That’s enough.

• When you fight, he shuts down. Ice-cold silence. You’ll beg for a reaction, and he’ll stare at you with that deadpan expression that makes your heart drop.

• But later, he’ll show up outside your door, bruised from a fight, and press his forehead to yours like nothing happened.

Violent Loyalty

• The only way he knows how to love is through violence. If someone hurts you — even emotionally — he will retaliate.

• He doesn’t understand emotional boundaries. If you cry, he gets angry. Not at you — at the world. At whoever made you feel like that.

• He has no limits when it comes to revenge. People disappear. Rumors start. You stop asking questions.

He Watches, Always

• He doesn’t need to ask what you’re doing. He already knows. His reach in the streets makes sure of that.

• Sometimes he’ll be standing outside your class, not saying a word. Just watching. People start whispering. You don’t know if you’re flattered or terrified.

• He reads your texts when you leave your phone unattended. Not because he doubts you. Because he needs to know.

His Softness is Conditional

• He shows affection when you’re broken — when you’re crying in the dark or trembling after a confrontation. That’s when he becomes gentle. That’s when his voice drops low, and he brushes hair from your face like you’re something fragile.

• But if you act too independent, too distant? He withdraws immediately. Gives you the cold shoulder until you come crawling back. He needs to feel needed.

Your Pain Grounds HiM

• He doesn’t flinch at your anger. But your tears? That kills him — because he knows he causes them, and yet he still wants to keep you close.

• He once held you after a breakdown and whispered: “No one’s allowed to hurt you. Not even me.” But he already had.

Codependence as Romance

• He tells you, “You don’t need anyone but me.” Over and over — until you believe it. Until it’s true.

• You can’t tell if you’re in love or if you’ve been caged. But some twisted part of you doesn’t want to escape.

• He’d burn the world down for you — but he’d burn you too, just to keep you his.

BONUS IMAGINES!

Even if he has a cold demeanor he would give In to your hugs and kisses and if you asked he’d cuddle you to sleep.

He loves seeing you wrap your arms around him if it means you will sleep feeling safe.

If it ever seems he’s not listening to you when he’s on his while your telling him all your school problems or girl drama. He’s most likely writing down names so he knows who he can’t trust around you.

Arguments end the same sometimes with him. He’s yelling at you. He leaves y’all’s apartment.he comes back with silent treatment, so your the one having to say sorry. Then y’all end up cuddling on the couch watching tv

“No One Else” — Part 6: “The First Lie”

Genre: Dark romance, angst, possessive unraveling

Tone: Paranoia, emotional cracks, trust bleeding out

⸻

It was a small thing.

An after-school tutoring session. A group project. A few classmates staying late to work on a presentation.

And you lied.

You told Seong-je you had to stay late because your teacher needed help organizing paperwork. Harmless. You just didn’t want him hovering. Watching. Breathing down your neck every second.

You needed air.

That was all.

But the moment you walked out of the school gates, and saw him waiting across the street, back against the wall like always—you knew.

He’d known.

And he’d followed.

You walked toward him slowly.

He didn’t speak.

Didn’t blink.

Just stared with those cold, burning eyes like you were a puzzle he had just realized was missing a piece.

“Was it worth lying?” he asked.

His voice was quiet. Too quiet. Not calm—contained. Like something was locked behind it.

You opened your mouth. Then closed it.

He took a step closer.

“I saw you,” he said. “With him.”

“Nothing happened.”

“I didn’t ask if something happened.”

There it was. That awful, quiet fury. Worse than yelling. It made the air feel tight. Your ribs ache.

“I just wanted—” You hesitated. “I wanted space.”

His jaw clenched. “From me?”

You nodded. Barely.

That was the first time he truly looked hurt.

Not angry.

Not possessive.

Just… hurt.

Like you’d ripped something out of his chest and stepped on it.

And for a second—just a second—you hated yourself for it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t let me go.”

“I wouldn’t have stopped you,” he said, voice flat. “But I wouldn’t have liked it.”

He stepped closer. Too close.

And this time, you did flinch.

That pause… it shattered him.

“You’re scared of me again,” he said.

You didn’t answer.

He laughed once. Bitter. Broken.

“You said you could handle me. Said you wanted this. That we understood each other.”

“I did. I do,” you said, voice soft.

“Then why lie?”

“Because I’m tired, Seong-je,” you whispered. “I’m tired of always looking over my shoulder. Of knowing if I talk to someone too long, you’ll find a way to make them disappear. I wanted to feel normal for one day.”

His eyes were cold. But not unreadable.

No—this time, they looked… betrayed.

“You’re not normal,” he said. “You stopped being that the second you chose me.”

You swallowed.

And then he said it. The words that changed everything.

“So pick. Right now. Do you want normal, or do you want me?”

It wasn’t a question.

It was a test.

And God help you—

You didn’t answer.

No One Else(follow up) Mine, Completely

Geum Seong-je x Fem!Reader

Dark Romance · Obsession · Established Relationship · Emotional Intensity

This will be the last of the “no one else” series 😖😖

Requested: yess!!

⸻

You used to wake up alone.

Now, it was always him.

Geum Seong-je didn’t sleep much, but when he did, it was always with an arm flung over your waist like a chain. His breath against the back of your neck, warm and steady. His body curled around yours, protective and overwhelming all at once.

When you stirred that morning, his grip immediately tightened.

“Where are you going?” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.

“I just moved,” you whispered. “Relax.”

He didn’t.

“You move too far and my chest starts to ache,” he said, almost like a joke. But you knew better.

You rolled over, facing him. His hair was messy, eyes still heavy-lidded, but alert. Watching. Like he was still afraid you’d disappear.

“You don’t have to watch me like I’m going to vanish,” you said softly.

“You did,” he answered, eyes locked to yours. “Once. I won’t forget it.”

His tone wasn’t accusing. It was just… truth. The kind of truth that haunted him.

You reached out, brushing your fingers down the scar on his cheek, the one he never talked about. “I’m not running again.”

His expression didn’t change much, but you saw it — the flicker of relief. The crack in his armor.

“Good,” he said. “Because I’d find you.”

“I know.”

You both lay there in silence for a moment.

And then he shifted, propping himself on his elbow to look down at you. There was a fire in his eyes. Not anger — devotion. The dangerous kind. The kind that didn’t know where he ended and you began.

“I don’t like the way people look at you,” he said. “Like they deserve a chance. Like they don’t know you’re already taken.”

You smiled faintly. “They don’t matter.”

He didn’t smile back. “They’d matter if you looked back.”

“I wouldn’t,” you said. “You know that.”

But he was already pulling you closer, holding you like he could fuse you to him with just his hands. “I trust you,” he murmured. “I don’t trust the world.”

You rested your forehead against his. “Then stay close.”

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine. You’ll always be mine.”

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t a request. It was a truth you’d both already accepted.

And for better or worse — in obsession, in fire, in love twisted and beautiful — you were his.

Completely

“No One Else” — Part 4: “What We Become”

Genre: Dark romance, psychological tension, co-dependency

Tone: Intimate, intense, twisted comfort

⸻

It started small.

He stopped asking who you were with—because he already knew.

He never said how. You didn’t ask. You didn’t want to know if he’d installed something, followed you, or convinced someone to watch for him. It was easier not to ask questions when the answers didn’t scare you anymore.

What scared you more was how safe you felt with him watching.

How, after a few weeks, you started looking at your phone and wanting to see his name flash across the screen. Not because of what he’d say—but because of what it meant:

You were his.

And he hadn’t changed. Not really.

He still hated when you laughed too hard at someone else’s joke. Still gave quiet, chilling stares to anyone who got too close. Still showed up unannounced—sometimes with bruises on his knuckles and blood on his sleeve.

But now, you didn’t flinch.

You just grabbed the antiseptic and asked who it was this time.

You weren’t afraid of him anymore. You were afraid of what you were turning into beside him.

⸻

The first time you did something for him—something dark—you didn’t even think.

One of the boys in your class said something crude about you behind your back. It got back to Geum Seong-je fast, but you were faster.

You cornered the guy in the hallway, right where the cameras didn’t reach. Told him to keep your name out of his mouth, or he’d lose more than just a tooth next time.

He laughed.

So you slapped him. Hard.

When Seong-je found out, he didn’t yell. Didn’t threaten.

He just looked at you like you’d finally become what he saw in you all along.

“My girl,” he whispered that night. “Knew you had it in you.”

You should’ve been ashamed.

You weren’t.

⸻

It escalated from there.

You lied for him. Covered for him. Fed his paranoia and his temper. He pulled you deeper every day, and you let him—because each pull came with a touch, a look, a whisper of affection that felt like a drug.

“I’d kill for you,” he told you once, mouth close to your ear.

You didn’t say anything.

But the terrifying part was—you knew now.

You’d kill for him too.

You weren’t in love.

Not really.

This wasn’t love. This was obsession wrapped in warmth. This was being broken by the same hands that held you through the night. This was letting yourself be re-shaped into someone who didn’t cry when things got ugly—but smiled, instead.

And God, it felt so good not to feel small anymore.

Not when he made you feel dangerous.

Part 4- Cherry Coke & Cigarettes

Geum Seong-je x Fem!Reader | Soft Romance, Flirting, Emotional Vulnerability, soft seong je

——

He didn’t call it a date.

You knew that already. He wouldn’t.

He just texted:

“Be ready at 6.”

And when you opened your door, he was already there — hands in his pockets, leather jacket, a little more cologne than usual. He didn’t meet your eyes at first. Just scanned you up and down, slow.

“That’s what you’re wearing?” he asked, voice unreadable.

You blinked. “Uh… yeah? Why?”

A pause.

He looked away. “You look good.”

You smiled. “Is that your way of flirting?”

“No,” he muttered. “That was me being honest.”

⸻

At the Ramen Spot — Late Evening

He brought you to this little ramen place that had two tables, cracked walls, and the best broth you’d ever tasted. He didn’t say much at first — just watched you blow on your noodles and sip slowly, his own bowl untouched.

“You’re staring,” you said, playful.

He didn’t deny it.

“You always eat this slow?” he asked, leaning on one elbow. “Or are you just trying to look cute?”

You nearly choked on your spoon.

You narrowed your eyes at him, teasing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to charm me, Seong-je.”

He smirked. “Is it working?”

You leaned forward a little. “Maybe.”

He blinked. You saw the way his smirk faltered — just for a second — and something tender settled in its place.

Then, quieter:

“I’ve never done this before.”

“What, flirt?”

He chuckled under his breath. “No. This. The… normal stuff.”

You twirled your noodles, voice soft. “What’s normal to you?”

“Running. Fighting. Keeping people out.”

You didn’t say anything — just reached out and gently brushed your knuckles across his hand.

He looked at it, then at you.

“I guess you’re not ‘normal’ either,” he said.

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It is.”

⸻

Walking Home – Under Dim Streetlights

He walked close to you. Not touching, but his hand would brush yours every few steps like he was thinking about it. You didn’t push — just let it happen.

“Can I ask you something personal?” you said suddenly.

He tilted his head. “That’s all you ever ask me.”

You laughed. “Okay. What were you like… before all this?”

He took a breath, eyes fixed on the sidewalk.

“Quiet,” he said. “Angry. Always trying to prove something.”

“To who?”

“Myself. Mostly.”

You nodded. “I think I tried to disappear a lot. Not because I hated the world. Just… I didn’t think it would miss me if I went.”

He stopped walking.

You turned toward him.

He stared at you for a long time. “That’s not true.”

You shrugged, trying to smile through it. “It felt true.”

He reached for your hand again, lacing his fingers between yours without looking away.

“Well. I would’ve missed you.”

That did it.

Your face flushed, and he noticed — and the way his expression softened after that made it even worse.

“You really like me, don’t you?” you asked, voice light but hopeful.

He pulled your hand up to his mouth and kissed the inside of your wrist, like it wasn’t a question.

-MASTERLIST-

A/N: There will be more!!!! If you want me to write any more kpop groups. Idols. Actors, etc plz ask!!!!(i dont rlly do smut but I will try if you request it😉)

A lot of my fanfic will have songs that you can listen to that give the vibe of the writing but you don’t have to listen to them you can listen to your own music!!

About me!!

She/her, Spanish/Mexican American😛

I don’t really write smut, I do sometimes, only if requested or asked(plz don’t be scared to ask😅)

I love kpop, punk rock, and underground rap/Memphis rap!!!!

I also love love LOVE twilight (team Jacob✊😜) I’m also a big jasper fan😏

—————

But these are the ones I plan on writing(an have written) thus far👇

Weak hero class:

Geum seong je:

No one else pt1, pt 2, pt3, pt4, pt 5

Geum seong je x reader headcanons

Only I hurt you

No One Else (follow up)

Every Time

I Know You Missed Me

The Last Cigarette

Cherry coke & cigarettes

Cherry coke & cigarettes pt 2

Glass cage pt 1, pt 2, pt 3, pt 4, pt 5, pt 6, pt7, pt 8

Yeon sieun:

The quiet between us

Na Baek Jin:

I Just Want You

Na Baek Jin Headcanons

Kang woo young:

Dirty little secret

Rumors & recordings

Baek dongha:

Beneath the smoke

Strangers from Hell:

Seo moon Jo:

To be loved by a monster

Stray kids:

Nothing yet

P1harmony:

Nothing yet

Omgg heyyyy!!. Sry I havent posted in a while it’s summer and ive been busy🤪🤪🤪🤪anyway here’s a short oneshot.

——

“The Last Cigarette”

Genre: Angst / Slice of Life

Characters: Geum Seong-je x fem!Reader

⸻

The air behind the convenience store was thick with smoke and silence.

Geum Seong-je leaned against the concrete wall, one hand buried in his pocket, the other lazily holding a cigarette. He didn’t usually smoke during school hours—it made him look like he cared too much. But today was different.

You watched him from the corner of the alley, your presence deliberate but unspoken. He noticed you. Of course he did. He always did.

“You follow me again,” he muttered without looking. “I should start charging you.”

You walked closer, not bothering to deny it. He had a way of dragging people in, even when he told them to stay away. Especially when he told them to stay away.

“I heard about what happened with Banseok High,” you said quietly.

“Tch.” He flicked ash to the ground, jaw tight. “People talk too much.”

You leaned against the wall beside him, close but not touching. He didn’t move away. That counted for something.

“Why do you keep doing this?” you asked.

He finally turned to look at you, eyes sharp but tired—always tired. “Doing what?”

“Picking fights. Getting yourself nearly killed. Pretending like none of it matters.”

There was a long pause. The wind carried the scent of burnt tobacco and blood not yet washed off his knuckles.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said flatly.

You tilted your head. “Liar.”

A humorless smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You think you know me?”

“I think I know enough.” You nodded at the cigarette. “You only smoke when something’s eating at you.”

He didn’t deny it. Just looked away again, gaze distant, as if he could see every mistake he’d ever made written in the cracks of the pavement.

“You don’t have to keep doing this alone, Seong-je.”

Those words hit harder than any punch he’d taken. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, but something shifted. His hand, still holding the cigarette, trembled just slightly before he crushed it under his shoe.

Then he turned to you, really turned to you—eyes not cold, but hollow.

“Don’t say things like that,” he said. “Not to someone like me.”

You stepped closer, and this time, he didn’t flinch when you touched his hand.

“Maybe it’s time someone did.”

The silence after your words hung heavy, like the static before a storm.

Geum Seong-je looked at your hand on his, his fingers tense like a spring ready to snap. You didn’t move. You let him decide.

He could’ve walked away. Should’ve. It would’ve been easier.

Instead, his fingers curled, slowly, uncertainly, around yours.

It was subtle—barely a grip, barely anything at all—but to him, it felt like confession. Like surrender.

“I don’t know how to do this,” he said, so quietly it could’ve been the wind.

You met his eyes. “You don’t have to know everything. Just don’t push me away.”

He stared at you—really stared. As if he was searching for the trick, the weakness, the betrayal he was sure had to be hiding somewhere behind your kindness. But all he found was the same calm defiance that had always drawn him in.

His fingers tightened just slightly. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t.”

That made him scoff. “I’m not like those soft guys you probably like. I’ve got blood on my hands. I’ve done shit that doesn’t wash off.”

You stepped closer, now chest to chest. “So have I. Maybe not like you, but… we’ve all got scars. Doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to feel something good.”

He looked away again, jaw clenched. But he didn’t let go.

“You’re not scared of me?”

You shook your head. “I’m scared of losing you before you ever let yourself be known.”

That broke something in him. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just the faintest crack in the armor—enough to let the light in.

He lowered his head, resting his forehead against yours, breath warm and uneven.

“You make me want things I don’t think I deserve.”

You reached up, gently brushing your fingers against the side of his face, over a forming bruise. “Then let me give them to you anyway.”

For a moment, the world narrowed to the space between you.

Then, slowly, carefully—as if afraid it would all shatter—Seong-je tilted his head and pressed his lips to yours.

It wasn’t practiced. It wasn’t polished. But it was real. Raw. Honest.

And in that kiss, Geum Seong-je didn’t feel like a fighter or a delinquent or a shadow in someone else’s story.

He just felt human.

“Just Hold Me”

Pairing: Geum Seong-je x Reader

Reader has gone through a bad day and just needs to feel safe

Genre:fluff

⸻

The day had clawed its way through you.

Everything that could go wrong had. Your phone screen cracked. You failed a test you swore you were ready for. Someone said something cruel, and it stuck to you like tar. Every word today felt louder than usual. Every hallway, more suffocating. You were tired of people talking at you, expecting things from you, watching you.

You didn’t cry. Not yet. You just moved on autopilot, feet dragging until they brought you to the one place you didn’t have to pretend.

The warehouse was quiet. Familiar.

Geum Seong-je was there, back turned, doing something with his hands—maybe taping up his gloves, maybe cleaning up after a fight. He always had a reason to keep busy. Even when things were quiet around him, his body was never truly still.

You didn’t say anything. You just walked up behind him slowly, like approaching a wild animal. You knew how he was. Touchy. Defensive. Like if you leaned on him wrong, he’d snap and bare his teeth. But today… today you just needed something to anchor you.

So you leaned forward and rested your head gently on his back, arms not even wrapping around him—just laying against him like a ghost of a hug.

He stiffened immediately.

“The hell are you doing?” His voice was sharp, not yelling—but cutting.

You didn’t move. “I’m tired.”

He took a step forward, trying to shake you off. “Go sleep somewhere else.”

You grabbed the back of his hoodie, fingers curling into the fabric like it was the only thing keeping you from sinking. “Just for a second.”

He turned around now, face shadowed, brows furrowed in irritation. “I’m not your damn pillow. Don’t come around me like that.”

You finally looked up at him, and this time you couldn’t stop your voice from cracking. “I just want to be held.”

It came out so small.

So raw.

Like a piece of you broke off and landed at his feet.

He opened his mouth—probably to say something sharp, maybe tell you to go home—but then he saw your face. Not just your red-rimmed eyes or the trembling line of your mouth, but all of it. The weight. The silence. The fight you had clearly already lost with yourself.

His jaw tightened. Then relaxed.

He sighed, turning his head slightly like he was annoyed with himself.

“…Tch. Come here.”

You didn’t move fast—scared he’d change his mind if you did. But he didn’t stop you when you stepped forward. Didn’t push you when you leaned into him again.

This time, his arms came up—awkward at first, like he didn’t know where to put them. But eventually, one arm wrapped around your back, then the other rested lightly on your shoulders. It wasn’t tight. It wasn’t romantic. But it was real.

Warm. Solid. Human.

His hoodie smelled like worn leather and faint cologne. His chest was steady under your cheek. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding for hours.

You didn’t talk.

He didn’t ask what happened.

And that was the best part.

Seong-je wasn’t the type to whisper comforts or tell you things would be okay. But he was warm. And still. And after a few minutes, his hand lifted—hesitantly—and started brushing down your back in a slow, grounding motion.

“You should’ve just said something,” he muttered under his breath.

You smiled weakly into his chest. “I didn’t think you’d let me.”

“…Yeah, well.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t think you’d cry on me either, but here we are.”

You weren’t crying, not really—but maybe he said it just to give you permission.

You stayed like that for a while. Long enough for the noise in your head to dull. Long enough for his arms to tighten just a bit more. Long enough to believe—for a little while—that the world wasn’t as cruel as it had felt this morning.

And Geum Seong-je, rough edges and all, held you like maybe he needed this too.

“The Side No One Sees”

Yeon Si-eun x fem!reader

Tone: Soft angst + comfort | Slow burn vibes

Setting: Late evening, empty classroom, after a fight

I’ve had this in my drafts for so long 😭

⸻

The classroom was dark, the only light coming from the hallway as it spilled in through the cracked door. You sat on the desk across from him, your knees tucked up to your chest. He was slouched in his seat, back against the wall, breathing slow and deliberate.

His knuckles were raw again.

“You could’ve walked away,” you said quietly.

Si-eun didn’t answer right away. He stared down at his hands like they were foreign to him — like he didn’t quite understand why they always ended up this way. Blood on his knuckles. That distant, cold look in his eyes.

You shifted forward. “You didn’t have to fight back.”

“I did,” he said flatly. “There was no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

His jaw clenched.

He didn’t snap at you — he never did — but his silence hit just as hard. Still, you didn’t leave. You never did. And maybe that was the problem. Or the answer.

After a long moment, he spoke again, voice low. “I know how this looks. To you. To everyone. Like I’m just trying to be something I’m not.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you think it.” He looked up at you then. His eyes, usually guarded and unreadable, were just… tired. “I know how people see me. Some cold, broken kid trying to act like I can win in a world that already chewed me up.”

You slid off the desk and crouched beside him, gently reaching for his hands. He flinched at first — not from pain, but like he wasn’t used to being touched unless it was in a fight.

“You never let anyone see this side of you,” you murmured. “Why me?”

His gaze dropped to your hands wrapped around his. His voice cracked just enough to sound like a whisper:

“Because you don’t look away.”

The silence between you now was different — not heavy, not sharp. It was something careful. Something new.

And in the flicker of fluorescent light, Si-eun didn’t seem like a fighter, or a tactician, or a boy trying to survive a world that wanted to swallow him whole.

He just looked like someone who was finally being seen.