Page 63 of Paradox

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“And that’s a problem?”

“Yes it is.” I steal his glass away and walk towards the filter. “Because you are too smart for my own good.”

Jin kneels up, leans both hands on the coffee table, and smiles. “So you admit it, then?”

He looks so cute when I put the half full glass back in front of him. “It’s never been a secret. Why do you think you piss me off so much?”

With a big, toothy grin, he squeezes his eyes shut, and gloats.

I want to touch his cheeks so badly.

I want to poke his dimples.

“That’s enough.”

Now he’s sulking, and it’s my turn to smile. But I can’t look at him anymore so I fill up the rest of our glasses with soju.

“Woah, Nelly.” I bat his hand away as he reaches for the glass. “Get more of that in you first.”

With a bratty look, he takes his water, gulps some down, then shows me his mouth is empty by sticking out his tongue, and… I’m a filthy, filthy man.

“Happy, mister responsible adult?”

“Very. Now go slow with that one.”

“Make me.”

“Fine,” I say, all smug and happy with myself as I sit back against the couch. “Never have I ever fucked my girlfriend in the lunchroom at work.”

Jin’s jaw goes slack. “Screw you.”

“I don’t wanna break you, remember?”

“I could just lie.”

I take the owed sip of my drink. “But you won’t.”

“Never have I ever been accepted into five different colleges,” he says with sass dripping off every word.

“You put that drink to your lips and you’ll wear the rest of it.”

His face is the epitome of forced innocence. “Is that not how the game works?”

“Not for you, it doesn’t.”

“I don’t like your games.”

“Give me the drink then, and we’ll sit here in silence… That’s what I thought. So you get one for every five of mine.”

“That’s messed up, and you know it.”

“You really are the smart one… Now. Never have I ever been walked in on by Jeon Wootek while I was with a girl.”

I watch as Jin’s eyes move subtly from side to side before raising his glass.

“See, I’m not a monster,” I tell him after swallowing my own. “Never have I ever… had a threesome.”

He glares at me. “Are all yours gonna be true?”

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