Hyunjae The Tease Ahhh - Tumblr Posts
𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙧 — ℎ𝑦𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑎𝑒
genre: neighbor!hyunjae, senior!hyunjae, college au, crack, fluff, fem!reader
word count: 5.4k
synopsis: What started as a one-time thing ended up being something more than you'd expected from an unexpected neighbor.
a/n: I've been SO busy the past month and still am, but I'll try to serve food on the table :')) and I know I put many rhetorical questions in this story, just bear with my mind.
𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁
It hasn't even been a month since you moved in to your new apartment near the university where you're currently studying. Wanting to pursue Liberal Arts at a prestigious university in the city meant that you had to move away from your family for a few years and visit them during vacations, but it wasn't that bad. At first, it wasn't.
As each day passed by, you missed your dog more and more, until even your friends noticed it. When you visit Changmin's house for school projects, you'll play with Gana, his dog, but it's not the same without Mochi, your dog. She was like a younger sister to you, and the pictures weren't enough to make you feel better as they couldn't compare to being physically with her, but there's nothing you can do about it. It's obviously not a good thing to be sad at the start of the semester, not to mention having to adjust to your new apartment.
One weekend, you decided to go for a walk and get some food on the way back. As soon as you closed the door behind you, you heard fast footsteps running along the hallway of the apartment. Could you believe it? It's a dog! A small white dog. The dog stopped beside your leg and suddenly wagged its tail at you. It seems that the dog wanted to be carried as it started to jump on you, so you did exactly that.
"Hello~ You're so cute, where's your owner?" You softly asked the dog as you carried it in your arms.
Just in time, a man came running into the hallway. "Darong!" The dog wags its tail more after hearing the name, which you assumed was hers.
The man saw you and stopped in his tracks, watching how Darong seemed to be comfortable in your arms and, at the same time, questioning why she allowed you to carry her.
"Oh, is she your dog?" You asked, and when he responded with a nod, you immediately returned Darong to her owner. "Sorry about that. She suddenly came to me and asked to be carried, so I did."
"It's fine, I do apologize if she ever bothered you. She ran away from me, but I'm glad she ran up to you because it would've been a problem if it was someone else." He scratched his nape awkwardly, "Anyways, thank you for this. I guess I'll see you around."
The man gave a slight nod before proceeding to enter the apartment room beside yours. He didn't ask for your name nor introduce himself; you didn't even know he was your neighbor. Honestly, he didn't have to, and neither do you.
You know him. Of course you do. That man was the Lee Jaehyun who everyone swoons over, and you too fell victim to his charms before. He was that one senior who was good at sports, and him being one year older than you made it even more interesting. Not until an awkward incident happened two years ago when he accidentally bumped into you in the school's hallways and put the blame on you, even though you were the one struggling to pick up your fallen books from the ground. Then you started to see him differently after you noticed how he treated some of his juniors, but that was years ago.
Everyone moved on, what could go wrong this time?
Now that the hallway was empty, you remembered why you were out in the first place. But then, you thought about Darong and how much she reminded you of Mochi. Staring at the door where he had entered, you contemplated whether to knock or move along to your initial plans for today. You know what, they can wait a little longer.
You took a deep breath before knocking on the door in front of you and immediately heard barking from inside. In not more than 30 seconds, the door was opened by Hyunjae with Darong in his arms to prevent her from escaping again.
"Can I help you?"
"Can I pet your dog?" You asked too quickly.
"Excuse me?" He quirked an eyebrow at your sudden question.
You realized the straightforwardness of your question by how he looked taken aback, so you tried to explain to him your intentions. "Ah, sorry. I just miss my dog back in my hometown, and I'm kind of dog-deprived right now."
Dog-deprived? He thinks it's ridiculous. First of all, you two weren't close; definitely far from close, so why should he let you? Sure, you can pet her, but not when both of you are standing by the doorway, and no way would he allow you to take Darong to your own apartment. He didn't want to choose the last option either, yet the way you stared at his dog with such desperation made him reconsider. It would be unfair of him to turn a blind eye to your feelings, so for this one time thing, he sighed disappointedly at himself.
"You're lucky my friends aren't coming over today." No response from you. "Come in, you have about an hour to pet Darong while I do some things and keep an eye on you."
A rude tone came from him, like the Hyunjae you met a few years ago. Still, an hour is better than nothing, and within that hour, you and Darong got along pretty easily. What he thought was a one-time thing became a thrice-a-week visit for a whole month. The question is, why does he keep allowing you to visit then? He's not a monster, he's still human with a heart.
Except, he liked you less.
It's no lie that Hyunjae grew used to your visits to his apartment, especially when Darong seemed to enjoy your presence a lot. Hopefully, not more than him.
"Don't you think you're coming here too often?" He asked as he walked into the living room where you and Darong were playing.
You hummed in response, adjusting your position on the couch to make yourself comfortable. "Dog-deprived."
He tsked ridiculously at your short answer, "Unbelievable." How can you act so comfortable around him as if you two haven't only started seeing each other here at the apartment building for a month? Not even a casual conversation.
And for some reason, he sees you more often at school now... or maybe he has started to notice your existence instead of considering you a random passerby. Technically, you are, but you stand out more to him recently. He still hates you though, because Darong likes you more than him, which she verified when she followed you to the restroom and didn't move when he did. He shouldn't have let you into his apartment in the first place if his own dog would eventually replace him.
He hoped you'd stop visiting him after this.
Classes ended early today. Your friends decided to watch the basketball team practice at the school's basketball court, and, of course, that includes Hyunjae. He's one of the best players on the team alongside Juyeon, your classmate from Literature, and Jacob, Hyunjae's classmate and the official team captain.
Throughout the practice, you barely paid attention to the actual game. Your phone seemed more interesting than some guys running around tossing a ball in their sweat. Your lovely friends, Jihan and Somin, think otherwise. You hear them squealing excitedly whenever anyone from Jacob's team scores a point, mostly just Jacob and Juyeon, not that you were paying attention anyway. The practice ended well in favor of Jacob's team, which wasn't a surprise for anyone at this point. As you exited the court, you were reminded of something when Juyeon followed behind and waved at your group minutes ago.
You casually explained to them how you had asked Juyeon to be your fake date during the school's annual party next week for the sole reason of proving to your annoying frenemy, Hongjoong, that you have dating skills and not just some socially awkward person who's stuck to either their phone or a book like the Liberal Arts nerd you are—his words, not yours. Juyeon refused to be involved because both of you act like siblings and playing as your date would make things very weird, which your friends agreed on.
Unbeknownst to you, a nosy Hyunjae unintentionally overheard your conversation on his way out. He had no plans on interacting with you on university grounds, especially not with your friends around, but where's the fun in that when he now has knowledge about your frenemy?
"I'm personally offended that you didn't get me to be your fake date."
His voice from behind startled you, and it made you feel extremely embarrassed that he, a senior, was aware of your childish 'fake dating' scheme to show a regular college student, who appears to be your frenemy of some sort, that you can date real people rather than just material things. Hyunjae thought that Hongjoong could mind his own business, but that's just his opinion. Somin was reminded of the famous incident you shared with Hyunjae, making her instantly glare towards the man in question.
Jihan, on the other hand, gave him a questioning look. "I thought you hated y/n, Hyunjae."
He only shrugged, "I mean, your friend here has been coming over to my apartment for what? Over three months, I might as well joke along with her."
Your friends turned their heads quickly to you, both with a look of confusion and in need of an explanation. Let's just say that you may not have told them about your visits to your neighbor's apartment, as you thought it wasn't much of a big deal. It was now, all thanks to Hyunjae.
"The offer's still up if you really do need a fake date." He sent a teasing wink your way before finally leaving your group alone.
"You got some explaining to do, miss l/n."
-
"You sure you came here to just visit Darong and not talk about the offer?" With a smirk, Hyunjae leaned against the door frame.
You looked down at your feet momentarily in embarrassment because, once again, you came up to him in desperation. Raising your head to face him, he gestured for you to speak up.
"This is embarrassing, but fine," you said, shaking your head. "Yes, I came here to visit Darong and talk about the offer."
He only mentioned the offer to tease you, so you taking it up for real was unexpected. Sitting across from each other on his couch with Darong on your lap, you explained clearly to him your relationship with Hongjoong. It started during the first year, when Hongjoong shared a course with you and you immediately felt mutual rivalry with him; a prideful competition. Around second year, you had stopped bothering the guy and minded your own business, whereas he continued to provoke you in any way possible. You had pride, yes, but you didn't have the courage to tell him off and put him in his place. Now that you think about it, Hyunjae's offer could give you the chance to do just that.
If someone tells him that a junior of his, let alone of the opposite sex, would be sitting in his living room and sharing their personal stories, he'd laugh so hard as if it's the funniest thing he's heard. However, his suppressed laughter was dissolved by the serious look on your face. Furrowed eyebrows at the mention of the person you wanted to prove wrong, but gentle strokes on Darong's belly.
The Hyunjae from the past would definitely laugh and wave you off, but he's changed. He wasn't the guy who blamed you and didn't think of helping you up. Even when he was the one who bumped into you first, that wasn't him anymore. So, with the small portion of kindness in his heart for you, he decided to help you out. Partially out of fun, partially out of genuine concern. Just how much did Hongjoong bother you that you had to go all the way to this?
"Okay, so what's the plan?" He asked, leaning back on the couch more comfortably.
He may have started this 'offer' as a harmful joke, but he didn't have the heart to confess that to you.
Meeting up at the school gates was the first part of the plan, but Hyunjae assumed that you must've forgotten about it as you passed by with your friends towards the university building. He had arrived earlier for that sole reason, because if it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have arrived for another 10 minutes. His eyes followed your figure until you were out of sight, and as soon as he turned around, he was met by his friend's face right in front of him.
"Gosh, Younghoon. You almost scared the hell out of me." Hyunjae put a hand on his chest out of surprise, while Younghoon continued to give him a smirk.
"You and y/n? Since when?" Hands inside his pocket, Younghoon questioned with interest.
"Since never," Hyunjae replied in an obvious tone, "Why bring her up? I was looking for your dumb ass."
Younghoon found it amusing to see this side of his friend; it's been a while since he was interested in someone. With a snicker, he decided to let it go. He wrapped an arm around Hyunjae, pulling him forward in the process.
"Sure, definitely wasn't watching you from the side and catching you in the act." Hyunjae rolled his eyes at Younghoon's sarcasm, "You're early today too, that's a first for you, Lee Jaehyun. I wonder what's new to this annual party that made you rush."
"Shut up, will you?"
Friends aren't friends for today, it seemed.
-
Together with Jihan and Somin, you sat at your usual table at the cafeteria with nothing but your lunch and a ready heart for whatever comes your way today. That 'whatever' being the man himself, Hongjoong. Four tables away from yours was Hyunjae and Younghoon's. Same table, different thoughts. Younghoon was talking about one thing, while Hyunjae's eyes were searching for another.
"It was so embarrassing, Chanhee even left the room and...seriously, Hyunjae. What is going on with you? A little context would help, yeah?"
Hyunjae shook his head in denial, "I was just looking around, it's nothing to ask about."
"No, you've been eyeing y/n's table too much for it to be nothing. Come on, man. I'm your friend, you can tell me anything. Just don't leave me hanging like this, I hate being curious."
At that moment, Hyunjae watched as a fashionably dressed man approached your table, which he assumed was Hongjoong after seeing your displeased expression. Younghoon followed his trail of view and grew even more curious about what was happening.
"Context?"
"I'll explain later." Without looking back at his friend, Hyunjae gestured for him to stop.
You were peacefully eating your food when Somin let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes. Right then, you felt a figure sitting beside you and instantly knew who it was by the familiar strong scent of perfume.
"Hongjoong," Somin called in a serious tone, "Don't do anything stupid."
Although Hongjoong was your frenemy, Somin disliked his guts because of one unforgettable but unfortunate event that happened between them. Jihan was the only one in the group that hadn't interacted much with him, and you wouldn't want anything to happen, so she should take it as a warning not to.
"Don't worry, I won't. I'm just here to see y/n." Hongjoong's words were friendly but sarcastic, and you wanted to wipe off the smirk on his sharp face.
You tsked as you tilted your head in disappointment, "Why are you so obsessed with me?"
Hongjoong responded with a laugh as he looked around for a sign of a certain someone and failed, "So funny, y/n. But unfortunately, I can't do that because you have a date today, right? You said that last time, so where is he? Don't see your prince charming around."
So bothersome, you thought. He doesn't understand why he's doing it, but Hyunjae observed the scene with worried eyes. He became alarmed when Hongjoong moved closer to your body, but the moment his hand landed on your shoulder with a bit of force, he went for it. Hyunjae's legs led him towards where you were sat with your friends, leaving behind a now worried Younghoon because he knows how scary his friend can get when he's serious.
"Just admit it, y/n. You're only a-"
"Finish that sentence." A new voice was heard from right behind you, challenging Hongjoong verbally.
The latter's hand on your shoulder was quickly removed and replaced by two arms trapping you between their chest and the table, which made you surprised at their sudden presence. Hongjoong looked up at the person behind you with a bored look, but the truth was that he was very amused at their unexpected appearance. He definitely didn't expect you to actually have a date, let alone someone as well-known as him.
"Lee Hyunjae? Her date, no?"
"And if I am, would that matter?" Hyunjae quirked an eyebrow, "You still haven't done what I told you to do, don't try to change the topic."
With a frown and eyebrows raised, Hongjoong was impressed. Hyunjae was known to be scary when serious, but it was nothing to Hongjoong. He could be equally as intimidating as the man in front of him, it was like fighting with himself. At this point, Hongjoong could choose to end this conversation and move along now that you indeed weren't lying when you said you had a 'date'. But, like how Hyunjae would think, where's the fun in that?
"Sorry, man. I was just messing with her, though I have to admit that I never expected you to date y/n."
"Why's that?"
Hongjoong shrugged, "She seems way out of your league, I don't know."
"Watch it, Kim Hongjoong." You stiffened when Hyunjae's body pressed more against your back as he brought his face closer to the other's, "Your opinion about me is not my concern, but whether she's dating someone or not, that doesn't give you any place to talk to her that way. Got it?"
"Crystal clear and I think that's my cue to leave." Hongjoong stood up from his seat, "See you around, you guys...you too, Lee."
"Finally." Somin let out a sigh of relief, while Jihan remained frozen from the previous occurrence.
While everyone was still processing whatever the hell had happened just seconds ago, you were brought back to reality when the two arms removed themselves from their position. You couldn't even face him, too surprised and speechless at the new but fluttering treatment from the person you least expected it from. It felt too good to be true.
Hyunjae noticed the lack of reaction from you and your friends, so with nothing else to do, he decided to go back to his waiting friend. "Call me if he bothers you again." He tapped on your shoulder to give you notice of his presence before leaving.
This will definitely be talked about for a month.
"Darong?" Hyunjae opened his door with one hand while rubbing his puffy face with the other.
"No, you."
It's been two days since he saved you from your frenemy, and yes, saved because he hasn't pestered you after it and only comes to you for necessary purposes. With that, you visited your neighbor again, not with the intention of playing with his dog—you still do it anyway—but to thank him for standing up for you despite it being childish and risking being the talk of the town for a month, especially since he's popular among the seniors.
"That's a first, I guess I finally won against Darong this time." He cracked a joke to lighten the mood, but you were solemn. He cleared his throat, "Okay, what's up?"
He caught the way you played with your fingers nervously and grew confused as to what could be the reason behind it; it's only him you're talking to after all. "You look nervous." He giggled.
"Well..." You exhaled deeply, "Is there any way I can repay you?"
A confused look was given. Panic started to rise.
"Oh, I mean for the whole Hongjoong thing." You cleared out with a nervous smile.
Silence. His silence was making you regret ever knocking on his door at 11 am in the morning, feet ready to turn around and go back inside your apartment. You averted your eyes towards the floor to distract yourself as you wait for any response from him.
"It's almost 12, we can go eat somewhere if that's okay with you."
Not even 5 seconds later, you quickly agreed to his suggestion to get it over with and because you were starving. You shouldn't have skipped breakfast, Hyunjae's going to see you eat a lot. That's embarrassing. You had no idea that he would eat just as much as you do and appreciate it because you enjoy the same foods he does.
"Great! There's this restaurant I always go to..."
-
Okay, what's in the air today? Eating together with him and being oblivious of his eyes filled with interest was one thing, but bringing you to his favorite shops, insisting on buying you ice cream during your walk, and even waiting for you to enter your apartment first before he does, was another. You simply wanted to repay him, but a spontaneous friendly 'date' happened instead.
Something felt off, though. Hyunjae was oddly acting very sweet throughout your hangout, it wasn't very 'Hyunjae' of him. You could be wrong, it could be your hunger, but you can't deny the small changes you felt when you were with him.
You were right, there's definitely something going on. You found yourself frequently hanging out with Hyunjae, alone, as in just the two of you. Once is understandable, twice is not any different, but every weekend? That's not normal for people who aren't close to each other—you believe you two aren't.
Not only that, he visits you this time at your apartment with Darong. Quite a new move from your supposed 'cold' senior. His visits became so frequent that you sometimes have to cancel plans or calls with your friends or else a whiny Hyunjae will knock on your door until you give him attention. No one wants that, especially when it's already late at night.
"Hyunjae again?" Somin asked on the other end of the call.
"You know it." You sighed, "I'll join you guys next time, gotta entertain this annoying neighbor of mine."
Jihan hummed teasingly, "Sure, y/n. Soon enough you'll admit to liking his company."
"Shut up!"
After they exchanged their goodbyes with you, you finally let Hyunjae inside your apartment, who had been waiting outside with Darong for about 5 minutes. He thought you would greet him with an excited smile like usual—for Darong, to be exact—not until he noticed the unimpressed look on your face.
"Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?"
"Just a phone call, nothing much." Sarcasm laced in your words.
He pursed his lips in guilt, but not guilty enough to miss the chance of teasing you like he always does. "What were you guys talking about? Did you talk about me?"
"What's there to talk about even?"
"About how I'm such a sweetheart, taking you out, keeping you company..."
"Yeah, against my own will." You rolled your eyes, while he chuckled at the thought.
"Did you tell them about how I've been treating you differently the past few weeks, then? Perhaps confessing to them your feelings for me the same way I feel for you?"
Your eyes widened at his question and you felt your heart race at his choice of words, "What do you mean? Do you like me?"
You refuse to admit it, but you wanted to know his answer. No, you needed to know his answer to give you clarification on where you stand in his life. You already felt awful from his constant teasing, snarky remarks, and interruptions. You wouldn't want to be played and led on this easily. Hyunjae is so charming that you hate him, and the thought of liking him again the same way you did years ago makes things worse.
"I guess it wasn't that obvious." He answered with a shrug of his shoulders.
You had no idea if he was messing with you or not, but you were still disappointed in him for whatever reason there was to feel so.
"Don't play with me, Hyunjae. It's not funny, I'm not laughing."
"Teasing you is what I'm good at, sorry babe."
Oh...why am I not surprised? Of course, it was joke. Even the pet name was a joke. It's Lee Hyunjae you're talking to, the same Hyunjae who you admired as a senior, who blamed you for an accident he caused, who hurt you and is hurting you again, hurting your heart. You weren't the same y/n as before, yet he's still the same as you remembered him. Maybe you should do the same and hate him the way you did after what he did in the past. However, you couldn't.
"Sorry." Hyunjae spoke up when he caught the frown that started to form on your lips, the lack of response making him guilty once more, guilty enough to take the blame like a changed man. He has apologized to you plenty of times before, but he means it this time. Darong slightly moved in his arms to adjust her position, giving him an idea. "Can Darong make up for it?"
"You really have to stop using her to get away with things."
No, Hyunjae has to stop joking around and dragging the conversation away. He needs to get himself together and be serious for once to gain your trust.
You, as well, need to stop running away from the truth.
Rendezvous. Time seemed to go by quicker but more enjoyable when you were with Hyunjae. It's at times like this that you realize the value of time, how you wish to stop it or have more of it in this world. You didn't know how it happened nor when it worsened; nonetheless, it's getting clearer and clearer: your feelings.
Sitting beside you in his car late at night—without Darong for the first time—Hyunjae couldn't control his eyes from admiring your face and the way it glows under the street lights. His hand carefully slid towards your own, and as much as it surprised you, it made you feel at ease. You two had coincidentally met in the lobby with the same intention of buying late-night snacks at the nearby convenience store, so going out together was not a bad idea at all. In fact, it was safer for you, as he insisted.
The more you two see each other, the clearer your feelings become. In contrast, his feelings became dangerous for him; dangerous in a sense that he's losing his pride and he can't resist the urge to explain to Younghoon how he's starting to fall for you...hard. His friend can laugh at him, but he can't complain. Not when you take away his breath with just a single look. It's affecting him big time and he doesn't understand how you have such power over him.
People change, and Hyunjae is one of them. He may have only seen you as a mere junior of his, but he sees you now as something more than just that, more than just his neighbor. He sees you in his future, holding his hand tightly when you're scared, hugging him from behind when he's cooking food for the two of you, or kissing him before you go to sleep.
At the end of the day, the feeling was mutual.
Christmas was right around the corner, which meant everything was decorated with Christmas decorations.
Your mom had sent you a picture of Mochi dressed in a Santa outfit, with socks and a hat to complete the look. It was the cutest picture you've seen in a while, and you couldn't stop your grin from growing. Wanting to share the simple happiness, you immediately sent Hyunjae the same picture. You didn't even send it to Somin or Jihan, yet your first instinct was to send it to the person who's on top of your recent messages.
you: *sent an attachment*
you: look what my mom sent me today
milkjae: ??
you: It's going to be Christmas soon, hyunjae
milkjae: so what, y/n
You gasped in disbelief; he had no business being rude at this hour of the night. Way to go ruin my day, Lee Hyunjae. His old self was showing and you doubted he really changed or if it was just an act to play with you, but you were not having it. Aggressively typing away a reply, you huffed.
you: first of all, you just ignored my dog dressed up as santa, so fck you. secondly...
[ y/nᵔᴗᵔ is typing... ]
While the three tiny dots continued to dance on his screen, he didn't waste any more seconds as he led himself to your apartment. The doorbell rang before you could even press send, and you opened the door without thinking about who it could possibly be because your mind was somewhere else. He stood there hiding a grin when he saw your worked-up expression and how your eyebrows furrowed. As soon as you pressed 'send', a ding was heard from his phone, and that signaled you to finally look up at the person standing in front of you at the doorway.
y/nᵔᴗᵔ: you're confusing me because one day, you're so sweet and so mean the next. what is it really??
Cute, he thought. He tried his hardest to maintain a straight face, and it had never been more difficult than today. He knows you're pissed at him right now, but the playful side of him wanted to tease you a little more. His silence was too much for you already, and you were more than ready to close the door on his face.
"Lee Jaehyun!"
"Are you mad at me, y/n?"
Seriously, can you believe him? "Not that you care, but I'm not gonna visit you anymore."
"No no, please keep doing it." He pleaded as he moved closer to you, "Darong will fight me if you're not around."
You only glared at his attempt to appeal to you with no response like what he did earlier. Normally, you'd play the 'Darong' card whenever he irritates you, but you weren't even sure if his words were true. Speaking of Darong, you glanced down on her, who was quietly resting in his arms. Okay, maybe the 'Darong' card works on you today as well. How can it not be when she's dressed in matching hoodies with her annoyingly handsome owner? Hyunjae passed her towards you and you immediately smiled at her, she's so comfy.
"Are you happy now?"
"I don't know if you heard me the last time, but if you're using her again as a reason for me not to be mad, then consider yourself lucky because she looks so cute in my arms."
"You'd look cuter holding my hand, but whatever." He muttered to himself, but you caught on to it, and your cheeks heated up.
"Hyunjae??"
"What? It's not like we haven't done it before."
"But-"
"Anyways, give me back Darong, so we can go to sleep. If I knew sooner that you only loved me for her, then I wouldn't have bought matching hoodies for three, because apparently, two is enough."
You stood there with pursed lips as you took in his words. Three matching hoodies for himself, Darong, and...me? The thought of matching together gave you butterflies in your stomach, and there's no way you can turn down such an idea when the one who started it is pouting childishly at you. He was genuine about it, and you wanted to be part of that genuineness.
Moving closer to him, you pulled him by the collar, catching him off guard, and you sneered at his reaction. " Well, sir. I want to match hoodies with the two of you and sleep in your stupid shirts and hold your stupid hand."
