nichojoo

you and euijoo have been together for almost three years now, and honestly? you couldn’t be happier. ej is the kindest soul you’ve ever known—always smiling, always ready to drop everything if you need him, always making you feel like the center of his world. you moved into this cozy two-bedroom apartment together a year and a half in, and every morning waking up next to him felt like some kind of miracle. soft sunlight on his face, his arm slung over your waist, sleepy mumbled “good mornings” pressed into your hair. you loved him. he loved you. life was perfect. was. then nicholas came back. he’d been living in japan the whole time you’d been with ej, so you’d only ever heard the stories. ej talked about him constantly—old adventures, late-night laughs, how everything just felt easier when nicholas was around. you knew ej didn’t regret choosing you. you really believed that. but the second nicholas walked through the door for the first time, something shifted. ej’s whole face lit up in a way you’d never quite seen before. brighter. wider. like a missing piece had finally clicked back into place. you laughed it off, awkward and tight, stepping closer to wrap your arms around ej’s arm. you leaned into him, grounding him. i’m still here. i’m your girlfriend.

nicholas noticed. his eyes dropped to where your hands linked with ej’s, then flicked back up. the two of them shared this look—something quiet and heavy you couldn’t read. it made your stomach twist. later that night the three of you were sprawled around the coffee table, boxes of korean fried chicken between you. nicholas sighed, poking at his food. “man, i still gotta figure out where i’m crashing long-term. hotels are killing me.”

ej practically lit up. “dude, we’ve got an open room. it’s yours if you want it.” they started talking over each other immediately, laughing about old times, already planning how they’d set it up. only after a solid minute did ej glance over at you, hopeful. “that’s... okay, right babe?”

you forced a smile and nodded, even though your chest felt tight. the way ej’s face broke into that huge grin made it worth it. at least in the moment.

three weeks later and nicholas is fully moved in. at first it was fine. loud laughs echoing through the apartment again, the two of them cooking late at night, you joining in sometimes. but then things got... weird. they stopped talking as much when you were around. awkward silences. stolen glances when they thought no one was looking. you asked ej about it one night while you were brushing your teeth.

“it’s nothing,” he said, not meeting your eyes in the mirror. “just adjusting, y’know?” you didn’t push. you wanted to trust him.

then tonight happened.

you’d left around 7:45 to grab groceries—ej’s favorite drinks, snacks, even that one side dish you overheard nicholas mention he liked. you came back humming, bags rustling, the apartment strangely quiet. too quiet. you put everything away, then headed toward your bedroom with a yawn, already thinking about crawling into bed with ej.

you pushed the door open. and froze.

nicholas was on top of ej on your bed. his ringed fingers slipped under the hem of ej’s ridden-up shirt, tracing skin like he’d done it a hundred times. ej’s hands were tangled deep in nicholas’s hair, pulling him closer. their mouths moved together slow and hungry, like they’d been starving for this. the door creaked.

nicholas broke the kiss gradually, almost lazily, like he wanted you to see every second of it. his lips were shiny, eyes half-lidded as he looked straight at you. a slow, victorious little smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. ej’s head snapped toward the door, eyes wide with panic. “babe— wait, it’s not—” but nicholas didn’t move. he stayed right there, fingers still under ej’s shirt, watching you like he’d just won something. you stood there, groceries forgotten, heart hammering so loud you could barely hear ej’s rushed, shaky voice trying to explain. “please... say something,” ej whispered, voice cracking.

the silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. nicholas just tilted his head slightly, still wearing that smirk, like he was daring you to react.