Seo-yeon coughed harshly, half-swallowing, half-spitting into the commode. Her breath came in ragged gasps, throat raw and burning, but she didn't complain. Quietly, she reached for tissue, turned her back to him, and wiped herself clean with trembling hands—chin, cheeks, chest—trying to erase the evidence of what just happened.
Rohit's chest tightened with a sharp pang of guilt.
He hadn't meant to lose control like that. He'd held back too long, edged himself too hard, and then flooded her throat without warning. She had chosen not to stop him—yes—but watching her now, shoulders hunched, hands shaking as she cleaned up, he felt the full weight of it.
"I'm sorry, Seo-Yeo," he murmured, voice low and rough.
She paused for a fraction of a second, shoulders stiffening, but said nothing. Only the soft crumple of tissue and her faint sniffles filled the cramped stall.
Rohit stepped closer, unsettled by the sudden invisible wall she was building. Her silence and averted eyes gnawed at him. A flicker of dread twisted in his gut. Is she really going to ghost me now?
"Seo-yeon… are you alright?" he asked gently, reaching for her.
She shifted quickly, keeping her face hidden, fumbling for her bra on the hanger. The avoidance cut deeper than any words.
"Hey… look at me," Rohit said, unable to hold back. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently but firmly turned her around.
His breath caught.
Her cheeks were flushed, streaked with fresh tears. She tried to look away, but the dam had already broken—she pressed her hands to her face, muffling a quiet sob. Her whole body shivered. She was wounded—heart and pride both bruised.
Rohit gripped her hands gently but firmly, pulling them down so she had to face him. "Look at me. Why are you avoiding me?"
She bit her lip hard, trying to hold it in, but the tears kept falling. Between broken sobs, she stammered, "Now… you'll th-think of me as a slut."
Rohit understood instantly. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tight against his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other steady on her lower back.
"Hey… calm down. No one is judging you," he whispered against her hair.
She buried her face deeper into his chest, her voice trembling as it slipped out in whispers. "I crossed the line myself, Rohit… what does that make me?" Her breath hitched, shivers running through her. "My character is tarnished and…"
Before she could finish, Rohit cupped her cheeks, tilted her face up, and pressed his lips to hers—soft at first, then deeper, pouring every bit of passion and reassurance he felt into the kiss. When he finally pulled back, his eyes stayed locked on hers, steady and serious.
"I kissed you because I respect you," he said firmly. "Not just for helping me when I needed it most, but because you sacrificed something precious without hesitation. I know what character means to a woman—and I swear, I've never seen anyone with stronger character than you.
You stood tall against people who belittled you. You went beyond your limits to help a friend, risking your own dignity to see it through. That's not weakness. That's determination. That's strength.
So don't complicate it. You're my best friend—the one who gave me relief when I needed it most. And I promise, I'll return that favor when the time comes. It's that simple."
She calmed slowly, sniffles softening, but doubt still lingered. "You're lying. You won't come back… you'll forget me."
Rohit pulled her closer again, this time in a full, loving embrace—his hand stroking her hair gently, feeling her heartbeat race against his chest, her warmth seeping into him despite the sticky remnants of sweat on their skin. "Silly girl," he murmured against her temple. "Even if no one else ever helps you again, I will be the one who certainly will."
Her heart softened. This promise meant a great deal to her.
She melted into him, as her arms wrapping hesitantly around his waist. It felt terribly embarrassing—being this close to someone she'd only just met, half-naked in a bathroom stall, skin still marked by what they'd done. Taboo. Wrong. And yet… strangely comforting. Somehow, her heart convinced her to trust his words. She was impressed—moved—by how easily he eased her fears.
It took her a while to compose herself. Then reality crashed back: she was standing there in nothing but her underwear, pressed against his bare chest.
Flustered, she pushed him away gently and covered herself with her arms, pouting to reclaim some composure. "Pervert! You stole my first kiss… and now you're pushing your luck."
Rohit clutched his chest in mock pain, eyes twinkling. "Ah! My heart… torn to shreds by such cruel accusations. At least grant me a pardon, my lady."
She couldn't hold back a giggle, though she tried to sound stern. "An apology alone won't suffice. You owe me. Now grab your clothes and turn around while I change. We need to leave."
Rohit nodded with exaggerated seriousness and bowed low. "As you wish, my lady."
Seo-yeon pursed her lips to stifle another laugh. "Enough drama. Quick! My driver's waiting—he's also my bodyguard and my father's close aide."
Rohit raised a brow as he picked up his shirt and the rest of his clothes, pulling them on one by one. The air still felt thick, his skin sticky with sweat and the lingering scent of their earlier mess.
"Once you're done, go out first," Seo-yeon instructed. "I'll follow later so he doesn't see us together by chance."
Rohit chuckled as he zipped up his pants. "Aye aye, captain."
After a short while, once he was dressed, she called out softly. He turned around.
A pair of her panties landed right on his face.
"I also need…" Seo-yeon started, but before she could finish, Rohit shamelessly took a deep sniff.
"Oh, what a present," he said, grinning wide as he looked at her.
She pulled her hoodie tighter, trying to hide her laughter, then composed herself with a smug little expression. "I was going to ask you to wash it… but since you like it so much, you can consider it yours."
Rohit inhaled again, deliberately dramatic. "Oh, so good. Best present of my life. I'll make sure to use it wisely… every single day."
Seo-yeon's face instantly turned scarlet as the implication hit. With playful outrage, she began raining light punches on his chest, lips curled into an adorable pout.
"You nasty pervert! Get out of my sight. I'll call you later."
Rohit chuckled softly, already turning toward the door.
He cracked it open just enough to peer out. "Path clear?" Seo-yeon whispered behind him.
"Seems to be," he replied without looking back.
"Good. Keep watch and slip out when it's safe. I'll join you soon."
No one passed in or out. The hallway stayed quiet. Rohit steeled himself, stepped through, and hurried toward the exit.
To his surprise—and relief—the corridor was empty except for a lone "Cleaning in Progress" sign propped against the wall near the door. Some worker must have set it up and taken a break. Perfect accidental cover. Their entire encounter had gone completely unnoticed.
The crowd outside had thinned considerably. Most of the noise now came from the central hall where a band was performing. People were busy taking selfies and recording videos on their phones.
In the corridor where he stood, the only other person was a girl in a sleek one-piece blue dress leaning against the railing, holding her phone out to capture the view below.
Rohit pulled out his old phone—dead. With a sigh, he slipped the SIM into his new one and checked the time: 7:15 p.m.
Holy shit… we were in there almost 45 minutes.
He was honestly surprised at his own stamina—and at the strange note about the oil suddenly making a lot more sense. But before he could dwell on it, notifications flooded in the second the network connected.
Mostly missed calls from his mother.
Then a string from Akhil popped out. Rohit scrolled quickly, with his smirk fading on each read.
[Bro, they're calling me to meet again.]
[They're asking about the promised money.]
[Bro, they leaked my video with blurred images and are threatening to send it to my parents. Please help, where are you?]
[Holy shit, bro! You actually beat the crap out of them! The video's gone viral. Call me quick, we need to talk.]
Rohit let out a low chuckle. 'Finally… my work is paying off.Akhil would learn not to panic over small things. The video leak was annoying, but manageable.' He typed back quickly:
[I'm a little busy right now. No matter what, don't meet them, ghost them as much as possible. As for the video, don't worry, I have a plan. Stay home for now. We'll discuss later.]
Another notification buzzed—a new number. It was from the registered cafe, he left his purchases before. It was a timely notification they get after an hour, a new regulations followed by all malls of Delhi.
[Please collect your belongings. It's way past an hour.]
Rohit muttered, "Ah, stupid me," under his breath. He'd bought the laptop and smart phone earlier and completely forgotten in the chaos.
Just then, faint lyrics drifted to his ears: "Vaste… jaan bhi du…"
The same song he'd overheard in the washroom from the second newcomer.
His head snapped up. That meant she'd been here—standing around for at least thirty minutes.
He scanned the corridor. No one obvious.
Then he spotted her.
The girl in the blue dress—still leaning on the railing, phone in hand. She glanced back over her shoulder, eyes locking with his for a split second. A small, knowing smirk curved her lips before a passerby crossed between them, blocking the view.
check the image in comments.
Something felt… off.
Rohit moved to follow, but collided hard with the passerby.
He muttered a quick "Sorry," already stepping around.
The man shoved him back roughly and spat in Korean, voice dripping with contempt: "Cheon-min Indo nom." (Low-class Indian.)
The words hit like a slap.
Rohit froze. With a Japanese soul in an Indian body—the pride from two worlds flared at once.
A crossroads opened before him: chase after the smirking mystery girl to find out how much she knew… or put this arrogant loudmouth in his place first?
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//A/n: One week almost over, another week remaining, event still on, hoping to get powerstones. So far the results are quite neck to neck. Dont miss. Thanks for reading...