Even If I Wanted To | c.bg × s.rj

01: Bad Reputation

Shin Ryujin is the resident's baddie.

She's known to be a wild party girl. She's invited to every party to ever exist in the neighborhood. Sometimes, people would find her in random bars, drinking away her sanity. Most of the time, she's dancing at someone's house in her signature attire; short shorts over fishnets are always her go-to.

She's gotten into some pretty serious troubles at school as well. Last year, she was suspended for two weeks after she gave the principal's kid a black eye and broke his arm. Rumors said that she was expelled from her previous school because she spilled acid on her science teacher.

Whenever she got into trouble, there was no one to call. Ryujin lives alone. Her parents had practically disowned her when she'd turned sixteen. They were probably too tired or embarrassed to claim her as their child. When asked, Ryujin says she's an orphan but her files says otherwise.

All that, yet Beomgyu still finds himself attracted to her.

The first time he saw her was at the popular kid, Yeonjun's birthday party. He was chatting with his friends in the kitchen; drinking shots, smoking, you name it. He was on his fifth shot when Ryujin walked into the kitchen with her normal partying attire.

He recalls having heard her mutter something like, "This party sucks ass." Now, it was his first time at a party and he had no idea what real parties were supposed to be like. He liked whatever he was going through back then, it was more exhilarating than going on another one of his father's road trips.

"Careful.. This place is full of creeps." Those were his first words to her. It was when she was being harassed by some upperclassmen who were catcalling her from the halls. His friends had walked ahead of him and he stayed behind for a little bit.

Ryujin had on an unimpressed look. "I've been through worse."

He was reluctant to do anything. She looked way out of his league and way too good for him, after all. He didn't know how to react when she took his cup from his hand and sipped on the alcoholic drink. "So, you're, uh.. friends with Yeonjun?"

"I don't even know the dude." Ryujin was already getting ready to leave.

Beomgyu felt the urge to stop her and keep her here. "So soon? Come on, stay here for a bit." He stammered. Before Ryujin could take even one step forward, he casted a grip on her wrist in hopes of making her stay for a little longer. He wanted to get to know her, she looked interesting and.. well, attractive.

Thinking about it now, Beomgyu feels like he knows what the other people at the party were thinking when they saw them. Shin Ryujin with another guy? Definitely her next hookup! He's fallen into her trap for good.

Okay, so, he didn't know about her and her shenanigans; big deal, but he wasn't dense nor stupid to not be able to figure everything out in one night. He found out that she likes partying and drinking. He found out that she also has a lot of exes and was in many toxic relationships. Putting two and two together wasn't that hard.

At the time, he just didn't know which one was better; walking away or falling deeper. So, being a hormonal seventeen year-old, he chose to fall deeper. Everything seemed to be pure bliss from then on, until he realizes that there truly is no escape from this girl.