"Who is that?"
Hyunjin eagerly asked his trio of friends, scanning the figure of a newcomer girl. Her beauty wasn't extraordinary, given the occasion where everyone dressed up, but he couldn't recall her face, and her aura filled the room once she stepped in. Hyunjin was at his alumni meetup, five years since they all graduated. He wasn't familiar with every person on campus, but being quite popular back then, especially among women, he had a great memory for faces but a bad one for names.
"Hmm, I don't remember her either," Seungmin shrugged.
"Interesting," Hyunjin replied, sipping his champagne, now more eager to uncover the girl's mystery.
Confident as ever, Hyunjin didn't hesitate to approach the girl immediately, leaving his friends behind. All they did was roll their eyes, accustomed to their best friend's behavior by now. He never refused the attention of women in college, and that hadn't changed.
"One negroni, please," the mystery girl asked the bartender.
"Make it two, and take my card, please," Hyunjin intervened, making the girl turn her head to him. She widened her eyes for a second, unnoticed by Hyunjin, who continued, unfazed. Normally, such a gesture would prompt a response, but the girl remained composed, not questioning Hyunjin's intentions. It was odd for him; usually, such a move sparked conversation. Did she already know him? Had he offended her in the past? These thoughts raced through Hyunjin's mind.
"You must've changed a lot since college, since I can't remember your name. But I'm Hyunjin, nice to meet you," he said, deciding to introduce himself directly, though he was sure she already knew who he was.
"I would be surprised if you remembered the names of all the girls who swarmed around you, Hyunjin."
Ouch. They had met. Of course, they had. He was popular for a reason.
"I would remember them better if they acted upon it, not just fangirled over me," he replied confidently, after regaining his composure. He was indeed quick-witted.
"Tsk," the girl chuckled, raising her glass of negroni to her lips. Ah, those lips. Hyunjin couldn't help but imagine how he would devour them after the party. He now seemed committed to having this girl in his bed tonight, despite her lukewarm response.
"So, what's your name?" he finally asked.
"It's 'leave me alone.'"
Another ouch. They had definitely met. Maybe he had hurt her feelings? Or not returned them? Whatever. He'd received too many confession letters to avoid hurting anyone, not that it bothered him.
"Okay, 'leave me alone,' nice to meet you. You have a unique name, but it's too long, so I'll just call you babe."
"If you call me that one more time, the remains of my drink will be splashed on your shirt."
Well, he should get the hint now. Not interested. Guess the prospect of ending up in his bed tonight didn't seem so likely anymore.
"Okay, I get it. I'll stop now. Just tell me how I wronged you, and I'll piss off."
"My name is Y/N, you little fuckboy. Now piss off," the girl said, putting her empty glass on the counter and disappearing into the crowd.
Hyunjin remained frozen, his drink untouched, as memories from college began to resurface. The fog around the face of a girl named Y/N lifted.
She wasn't an alumna; that's why he couldn't remember her from that context. She was an exchange student. And he was her first time.
Now that he remembered her, he still couldn't understand why she would hate him now. They had casual sex without the intention of a relationship, knowing long distance wouldn't work. So why would she despise him now? Only one way to find out.
That decision made Hyunjin leave his drink and run into the crowd, seeking the girl. It didn't take him long, and now he stood in front of her, curious.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I remember you now. You've definitely had a glow-up. But that's not my intention. As far as I remember, we ended on a good note, so what possibly could I have done to make you react this way now?"
The girl finally paid attention to him. His words seemed genuine, and it wouldn't hurt to refresh his memory. Maybe she could find some closure after that.
"So ghosting me after taking my virginity and then sleeping with my friend you call that 'ending on a good note'?"
"Wait, what now?" Hyunjin was speechless. He knew he wasn't the nicest person, but doing this? That was even too low for him.
"I mean, I might have lost contact with you, I admit. But sleeping with your friend? That doesn't sound like me. Who do you mean?"
"The girl from Norway, blondie with blue eyes. Everyone crushed on her, but only the most popular and handsome ones managed to get her into bed. And you were one of them."
"That's not true. I understand now who you mean, but we never slept together. I flirted with her sometimes before you, but nothing more. I knew you were often together, so I never interacted with her after our night together."
"And why did she tell me otherwise?"
"Jealous, maybe? After all, one of the most handsome and popular guys on campus rejected her and chose her bestie. I would definitely be pissed."
"As much as I want to trust you, I can't really deny or confirm your version of the story now. However, I still have lingering do-not-trust-him feelings towards you, so I must disappoint you but it's better if you find another hookup for tonight."
"I get it. And as much as I would love to get under that beautiful tight dress tonight, I can survive without it. But what I can't survive is not having a chance with you. I'm beyond my hookup era and would love to take you on a date."
Hearing such a tone from Hyunjin was unusual. The old Hyunjin would have chuckled and moved on, but seeing him with those pleading eyes, definitely from a mature man now, not a young wild guy taking advantage of his beauty, took Y/N by surprise. She hesitated, whether she should keep to that old grudge or give this man a chance. One date wouldn't hurt.
One date with Hwang Hyunjin, the most handsome, popular guy on campus.
Shit.
This damn Hwang Hyunjin.
"Here's my number."
And here is to another oneshot! It took me too much time. Writing is hard, reading is fun. But I'm comminted, since next in line is my bias <3