Preset time.
(Jihwa pov)
I was sitting at the table, textbooks open, pretending I was doing work, when I heard the soft click of the apartment door. I looked up, and there he was—Dohyun—standing in the doorway, a box tucked under his arm, looking like he belonged there even though I knew he didn't.
"Hey," he said lightly, almost casually, but I could feel the warmth in his voice even from across the room. "Hope it's okay if I stay here for a while. Kinda bored."
I lifted my head, deliberately brightening my smile, letting it stretch wider than usual. Let him see this. Let him know I see him noticing it. "Of course," I said, my voice smooth, teasing even. "The more, the merrier."
"Are you busy?"
I leaned back in my chair, giving Dohyun a little playful tilt of my head. My smile widened just slightly, just enough to catch the light in his eyes. "Busy? I can handle a little… excitement," I said, letting my tone linger, teasing. "Besides, maybe you'll make work… more interesting."
Dohyun froze for a fraction of a second, caught completely off guard by the brightness of my grin. I could see it in his eyes—the way he softened, just a little, like he was drawn in.
"You… really mean that?" he asked softly, stepping inside and setting the box down.
I nodded, leaning forward a little, smiling brighter. This one… he likes it. Let him. "Absolutely. I always mean what I say," I teased lightly, letting my lips curve just enough to make him stumble over his words.
Seojoon looked at me with concern. "Jihwa…"
I waved him off with a casual flick of my hand, still smiling. "It's fine. Trust me. I've got this."
Dohyun settled into the apartment that night, and I made sure every glance he gave me found my smile, brighter than usual, playful, teasing.
"You smile too much," he said after a while, leaning casually against the doorway with a bowl of noodles in hand, his voice soft, almost breathless.
I grinned, letting it stretch wider. "Too much?" I said, tilting my head. "Then maybe I'll smile even more."
His eyes widened slightly, caught completely off guard. I could feel it—every little flicker of surprise, every pause in his breathing—as he watched me. I let the moment linger, letting my smile do what words never could.
Even as he moved around the apartment, helping here and there, I kept my mask in place. Every laugh, every tilt of my head, every teasing glance—carefully crafted, deliberately brighter than usual—was for him. And I could see it. I could see the way his gaze lingered, the way he softened at the edges when he looked at me.
Good, I thought to myself, letting the thought sink in. Let him like it. Let him notice. But don't let him see anything else.
Even as my chest tightened with the fear of letting someone in, even as the small, nagging memories of teasing and the scar whispered at the edges of my mind, I smiled. Brighter. Wider. For him.
Because if he liked the smile, then I could control everything else. At least for now.
Lately, Dohyun has been acting more alive.
I noticed the way he hummed while unpacking, the casual way he leaned against the counter, and the slight, involuntary glances he kept giving me. I kept my smile just a little brighter every time he looked. If he's going to notice anything, let it be this.
Seojoon fussed over the small routines, making sure we didn't let him feel too much intrusion. I caught the way Dohyun's eyes softened when Seojoon gently corrected him, and a small, private thrill ran through me. That soft warmth was meant for me too, I thought, letting my lips curve even more.
"Jihwa, you're smiling again," he said one evening, leaning lazily against the doorway. His bowl of noodles steamed faintly in his hands.
I turned my head, tilting it slightly, letting my teeth show in a playful grin. "Am I?" I said, teasing. "Maybe I like smiling. Maybe it makes life… lighter."
Dohyun froze for a moment, and I could see it—the way his gaze lingered on my lips, the subtle tension in his shoulders. Good. Let him notice.
"You always smile like that… it's distracting," he admitted softly, voice low, almost a whisper.
I leaned back in my chair, tilting my head with a mock innocence, letting my smile stretch just a little wider. "Distracting, huh? Then maybe I should smile more," I said, letting the words hang in the air like a challenge.
He blinked, caught completely off guard. I let the moment linger, savoring it. Every twitch of his lips, every subtle hesitation, was fuel for me to keep the mask perfect.
Days bled into weeks, and I learned to watch him—the way he moved around the apartment, how he poured himself tea with a concentration that made his brow crease, how he laughed softly at something only I had said. I smiled, brighter than ever, teasing him with the little quirks he noticed.
"You know," he said one evening, leaning against the counter again, "I could watch you smile forever. It… it makes everything feel lighter. Safer."
My chest tightened, but my smile didn't falter. Let him like it. Let him see this version of me. "Forever, huh?" I said lightly, tilting my head, playful. "That's a long time. Are you sure you can handle it?"
He froze again, and I could see the faint blush rising in his cheeks. Every time he looked at me like that, it was a small victory—proof that I could control this, that I could make him see what I wanted him to see.
Even as I laughed and played, the mask stayed firmly in place. No one could see the tightness in my chest when he lingered near, no one could feel the small flicker of panic whenever his hand brushed against mine. I smiled, brighter and wider, and in that smile was power. Control. A barrier no one could breach—except maybe him, if I wasn't careful.
Weeks passed. I noticed everything about him—the way his eyes softened when he caught me smiling, the little sighs he made when I teased him, the way he lingered near me in the kitchen, his presence both comforting and suffocating.
"Jihwa," he said one evening, voice quiet, almost shy, "I… I like it when you smile. Your smile… it makes everything feel… better. Lighter."
I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth. The warmth in his eyes was familiar now, something I could no longer ignore. He likes it… he likes my smile. I lifted my lips into a deliberately brighter grin, tilting my head playfully.
"You do, huh?" I said lightly, teasing, though my chest tightened. "Well… maybe I'll smile even more then."
Dohyun's gaze softened further, and for a moment, I saw something unspoken in his eyes—something I wanted to reach for, something I couldn't let him see completely.
I swallowed, forcing my voice steady. "You shouldn't… expect too much. Smiles… aren't always genuine."
He blinked, a little hurt flickering across his face. "Even when they are?" he asked softly. "Even when it's you smiling at me?"
I laughed lightly, the sound teasing, effortless, though my chest was tight then he said. " I'll smile brighter than you. You just wait."
I laughed. "Of course, I'd actually like to see that."
" I like you in a romantic way." He confessed. "I want us to be together."
Inside, panic and warmth collided. The small, lingering memories from middle school—the insults, the betrayals, the sense of being less because I was a beta—slid quietly at the edges of my mind. I couldn't tell him. Not yet. Not ever, maybe.
"I… I'm a beta," I said quietly, almost to myself, letting the words slip under the guise of casual conversation. "Betas… don't usually…" I trailed off, letting the thought fade. My lips curved again into that practiced grin, masking everything else.
Dohyun's expression faltered slightly, concern flashing in his eyes. "That… doesn't matter to me," he said softly, stepping a little closer. "Not at all."
I let the smile grow brighter, teasing, playful. "Doesn't matter, huh? You sure? Betas… are boring. We don't—"
"I don't care," he interrupted gently, voice low, eyes locked on mine. "I like you. I like this… I like you. That's enough."
I laughed softly, a sound light and effortless, letting my teeth show. My heart was racing, tight in my chest, but my smile didn't falter. Let him like it. Let him see the surface. He doesn't need to see the cracks.
And for a long moment, we just stood there, him lingering near, me smiling brighter than ever, both of us caught in a silent understanding. My chest tightened, warmth and fear mixed, but I held the mask in place.
Because even though my heart wanted to shatter under the weight of longing, under the memory of past pain, I couldn't let him see that. Not yet. Not when a smile could speak everything I didn't dare say.
And so I smiled.
Dohyun, quietly captivated, watched. And I let him.
Let him see the smile. That's all he gets—for now.