#bc she's just a girl. she's a kid. she's a human. she wants to be loved and let someone take care of her for the first time in forever | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bombiikki · 4 months ago

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𝖇utterflies 𝖎n 𝖙he 𝖗ain ⸝⸝ 𓂃₊ ⊹

⋆˙⟡ — loser!haerin x popular!reader

♯ 𝖘ynopsis : as the popular kid at school, you were constantly put in the spotlight. but, you never liked it. you never felt truly seen by people and it was exhausting. walking in the rain was never a problem for you—you always carried your umbrella on you. so, why did you give it away to some girl you didn’t know the name of? and why did she make you feel human?

𝖈ontains : fluff, slowburn except i dont rlly know how to slow the burn, pianist x artist, theyre both each other’s muses, umbrellas and rain mentioned a lot, and butterflies, and a lil unwanted angst but idk how to write angst bc i js decided i didnt want them to be happy without a lil miscommunication first, miscommunication!

𝖜ord 𝖈ount : 20.9k

𝖆uthor's 𝖓ote : pretend everyine is aorund the same age please i forgot abt all the age gaps so 😿 does the synopsis even make sense?? also this was written over like 2 months while i was constantly in and out of falling asleep so i apologise if everything is lwk inconsistent or js badly paced 😓i was literallt one bad mood away from scrapping this entire thing

you walk through the damp streets of your neighbourhood, trying to find your way home through the heavy rain. with an umbrella over your head, you made a turn onto another street. why did you have to walk home today out of all days? you’re not so sure yourself.

you look out into the heavy rain, noticing a figure completely soaked in the rain. she has a school blazer over her head—you recognise it as your school blazer. you watched as the soaked girl continued to walk in the pouring rain, socks probably damp and cold. did you do anything about it? well, you couldn’t. the rain had begun to clear up as soon as you took another step forward. talk about bipolar weather.

the sun shone brightly against the girl, but she didn’t turn around enough for you to see her face. you watched as she lowered the school blazer. a butterfly had come out of hiding and was now fluttering around you. you watched it with curious eyes as it fluttered towards the girl. though you didn’t have the clearest view, you watched as the butterfly seemed to have perched on the girl’s finger.

“the rain yesterday was insane!” yunjin exclaimed, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. you smirked as you ducked your head, the familiar weight of attention already crawling up your neck.

“i’m guessing you ran home as soon as you felt a single water droplet,” you snickered. yunjin scoffed, nudging your side playfully.

“i don’t know about her, but i did,” hyein grinned, rushing over to your side. you watched danielle approach from behind, her expression warm and gentle.

“did you make it home safe? didn’t trip in the rain?” danielle asked, genuine concern lacing her voice.

hyein looked at her with big eyes and a beaming smile. “yep! not a single scratch!”

yunjin shifted to your other side, diving into a conversation with hyein and danielle. you found yourself smiling automatically, even as your mind drifted elsewhere—tuning out the laughter and chatter that surrounded you.

the four of you wove through the crowded hallways, passing students who glanced your way like clockwork. some offered quick smiles; others whispered just out of earshot. you returned the polite gestures out of habit, but it all felt distant—like watching someone else’s life from the outside.

being popular wasn’t something you asked for. it was a label that stuck to you like static, a side effect of being that person—good looks, successful parents, and just enough charm to draw people in. you never resented it, but the constant attention was exhausting. every smile felt like a mask, every conversation weighed with expectation.

in those moments, you longed for quiet. the kind of silence where no one expected anything from you.

that’s when you noticed her—the outlier in the sea of eyes trained on you.

she had long, dark hair falling over her shoulders, feline-like eyes hidden behind thick glasses. unlike everyone else, her focus wasn’t on you. there was no curiosity, no recognition. just quiet exhaustion, reflected in the red tint around her nose and the pout of her lips. she didn’t look like she belonged to the noise of the hallway, and somehow, that made you notice her even more.

the bell rang, snapping you from your thoughts. you waved goodbye to your friends, slipping into your classroom with the practiced ease of someone used to being watched.

and yet, the girl followed—figuratively, at least. she sat in clear view from your seat, unknowingly pulling your attention back toward her. for once, your sketchbook wasn’t filled with vague ideas or forced inspiration. this time, your pencil found its own direction, tracing the sharp curve of her jaw, the subtle tension in her eyes, the softness of her lips.

she didn’t know your name. she wasn’t impressed by your reputation. you weren’t popular to her. you were just another student in a classroom. and for the first time, that thought made you feel human.

the girl got up to blow her nose, your eyes now avoiding her at all costs. you didn’t even know this girl’s name, but you were already enamoured.

the bell rang for lunch, and as you packed up your things, you could already feel the weight of expectation gathering around you like a cloud.

smiling faces, casual greetings, students brushing past just to be seen near you—it was always the same routine. polite nods, quick conversations, all shallow interactions that left you feeling more like a concept than a person.

you slipped through the hallways like a shadow, ducking away from the growing crowd. no explanations to your friends, no excuses—just a quiet retreat to the one place you hoped would offer silence. the library.

the moment you stepped inside, the pressure in your chest eased. here, surrounded by the soft shuffle of pages turning and the faint scratch of pens against paper, you weren’t anyone special. you were just you.

that’s when you saw her again.

seated by the window, framed by the steady patter of rain against the glass, she was completely absorbed in her book. the same girl with sharp eyes and thick glasses, her focus unwavering even as you quietly took a seat nearby.

she didn’t notice you. no sideways glances, no stolen looks—just silence. for once, you weren’t the center of attention. and it was peaceful.

your hands moved almost without thought, sketchbook opening to a fresh page as your pencil danced across it. the lines came easier this time—her focused expression, the furrow of her brow, the way her lips pressed together as she read.

your pencil tapped absently against the table as you got lost in thought, and finally, she noticed. she glanced at you, not with recognition but curiosity.

“sorry if i’m bothering you with the pencil tapping,” you mumbled, offering a small, sheepish smile.

“it’s okay,” she replied, voice quiet but steady. “you weren’t bothering me.”

that was it. no forced small talk, no polite admiration. just a moment of shared quiet. for the first time in a long while, you didn’t feel like you had to perform. you didn’t need to be charming or likable. you could just exist. and that, somehow, was the greatest relief of all.

you were walking home, and it was raining once more, your feet splashing in the forming puddles of the streets. the rain was heavy, making everything foggy and dark. you turned a familiar corner to see a girl up ahead, completely soaked and maybe even shivering.

you took a big sigh before running up slowly to the girl down the street. you slowed down as you tilted your umbrella over her head, tilting it away from your head. you felt small drops of rain hit your head, soaking you completely within a matter of seconds. the rain that hit your shoulders made them feel heavy and cold.

the girl under your umbrella turned around to look at you, moving a little closer and holding your hand to position the umbrella over the both of you. you watched her lower her soaked blazer from her head over her shoulders.

the girl with soaked dark hair looked at you with her completely rain-covered glasses. she took off her glasses and wiped them with her shirt before looking back at you—a glimmer of confusion in her eyes. you recognised those sharp eyes.

“how did you see with the rain all up on your glasses?” you chuckled. the girl in front of you shrugged slightly.

she stood in front of you with a blank stare on her face, watching as you seemed to warm up quickly. you could feel her body warmth radiating against yours due to the close proximity.

“you shouldn’t be out in the rain like that, especially without an umbrella,” you said, your small smile turning into a small frown.

“i walk home in the rain every day, it’s okay,” the girl said with furrowed brows.

you shook your head with a frown, noticing the slight red tint of her nose. “but you’re sick from the rain, aren’t you?”

as if on cue, the girl turned her head to the side to sneeze—sniffling before looking back into your eyes with tired eyes.

you felt the corners of your lips twitch into a soft smile. “so, are you going to take the umbrella or not?”

the girl looked at you with a confused look. “why would i take your umbrella?”

“because you need it to shelter you from the rain,” you said flatly.

you took her hand and brought it up to the handle of the umbrella, passing it over to her. you took her other hand and secured it over the other. you had wished to hold onto her hands for longer, they were warm despite the coldness of the rain.

“see? wasn’t that hard was it,” you smirked. the girl continued to look at you with a confused look, her eyebrows furrowing once more.

“what about you?” the girl asked.

“what about me?” you replied with a small laugh.

“how will you get home in the rain?”

you looked out into the rain, then back to the girl in front of you.

“i guess i’m gonna have to run,” you smiled softly, sighing at the situation you put yourself into. you just knew you had to take the warmest shower when you got home.

“i thought you said i shouldn’t be out in the rain without an umbrella. shouldn’t that apply to you too?” the girl said with a frown.

you nodded and opened your mouth, then you closed it again at your hypocrisy. you really didn’t want to run in the rain, but you had already given your umbrella to the girl in front of you—you couldn’t just take it back.

“well,” you began, “better me than you.”

you took your blazer off quickly and put it up over your head. you looked back at the girl with a small smile.

“i’ll be fine,” you said with a shrug.

the girl watched you as you stepped away from the shelter of the umbrella and into the rain, the rain immediately soaking up every inch of your body. she watched as you gave a small wave before running down the street.

turns out, raining in heavy rain with just a blazer for shelter did not stop you from catching a cold—even after taking a warm shower too. you took two days off of school before returning.

“catching a cold in the big ol’ 2025 is crazy,” yunjin snickered, messing up your hair from next to you.

it was lunch and you had decided to walk around campus with your friends, not feeling particularly hungry. other students had noticed your absence, bombarding you with questions in the morning. you greeted person after person with a tired but still wide smile, shrugging off your absence as nothing major. you didn’t want to continue dealing with people so maybe that was also a partial reason why you decided to walk around with your friends.

“whatever man. i didn’t have my umbrella,” you mumbled back, sniffling a little from what was left of your cold.

“you didn’t have your umbrella?” danielle sighed. she shook her head slowly with concern in her eyes.

“ooo y/n’s in trouble with dani,” hyein teased with a grin.

you smiled softly, rolling your eyes and pushing hyein from the side. danielle looked back at you with her concerned eyes.

“why didn’t you have your umbrella?” she asked sternly.

“i gave it to some girl in my class. she was way more soaked than i was,” you shrugged.

your friends began whispering between themselves. all you could take out of it were the words “haerin” and “asked”. you looked up from the page to look at your friends with a confused expression.

“what are you guys whispering about,” you snickered.

you watched as yunjin wore a shit-eating grin before she began to talk. “the first day you were gone, this girl came up to us—her name was haerin. she’s friends with one of dani’s friends or something. but, she came up to us and asked about you. she had an umbrella in hand too.”

“oh, so her name’s haerin,” you nodded slowly, humming softly.

“is that all you got from that?” hyein giggled. you looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “that’s all i needed to know, no?”

“did you not know her name before?” yunjin laughed.

you lowered your head, mumbling a little “maybe” as yunjin continued to laugh at you.

“c’mon yunjin, stop laughing at y/n, ” danielle smiled. “we all gotta get to class soon too by the way—bell’s gonna go soon.”

the four of you began to walk to your respected classrooms right before the bell. you waved goodbye to your friends as you slid open the door to the classroom, finding a few students already sat at their desks—one of them being haerin.

you walked over to your own desk, noticing your umbrella sitting on top of it with a note.

“You’re terrible at following your own advice. Don’t get sick next time.”

you felt a small smile tug at your lips, your eyes finding the back of haerin’s head. she had her eyes locked towards the front of the class, her fingers tapping her desk rhythmically.

the warmth of late afternoon sunlight streamed lazily through haerin’s bedroom window, casting soft, golden patterns across the walls. the peaceful quiet was quickly shattered as hanni burst into the room, all energy and sunshine, her smile as wide as ever.

“hae! i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever,” hanni exclaimed dramatically, tackling haerin into the mattress.

“you see me every day, hanni. you’re literally impossible to miss,” haerin scoffed.

“yeah, well, you disappear into the library every now and then so,” hanni mumbled, a small pout plastered on her face.

minji followed in—dropping onto the mattress with a small bounce. her playful pout didn’t quite mask the mischief in her eyes. “can’t we miss our best friend in peace without getting judged for it?”

haerin rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “nope. in fact, i should probably kick you both out now while i still have the energy.” she sat up, making a half-hearted attempt to shoo them toward the door.

hanni, swift as ever, caught the back of haerin’s shirt and yanked her back down with a disapproving look on her face. “absolutely not. you promised we could hang out today. breaking promises is illegal in this friendship.”

minji let out a laugh, watching as haerin surrendered and flopped back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh. the familiar comfort of their friendship settled over the room like a soft blanket—easy, effortless, safe.

they lay there, limbs tangled together in the lazy sprawl that only close friends could manage—the quiet hum of the world outside distant and unimportant. hanni broke the comfortable silence first, her voice softer this time.

“so, haerin. what’s going on with you lately?”

haerin stared at the ceiling, watching the light shift across the plaster. “nothing much,” she mumbled with a shrug. “why?”

hanni shot her a questioning glance, raising her eyebrow. “just checking in. you’ve seemed… distracted these past few days.”

there was a pause—a beat of hesitation—before haerin spoke again, her voice low but thoughtful.

“it’s probably nothing, but there’s this girl.”

minji immediately sat up, her curiosity sparked. “a girl? you’re telling me you’ve been holding out on us?”

“it’s not like that,” haerin muttered, cheeks warming despite herself. “it’s y/n. the—uh—you know, the one everyone’s always talking about.”

hanni blinked, recognition dawning quickly. “like, y/n y/n? the popular girl who’s always with dani and stuff?”

“yeah,” haerin admitted. “she gave me her umbrella the other day when it was raining. completely soaked herself in the process and then just… left.”

the room went quiet for a moment, the weight of her words settling between them.

“that’s… weirdly sweet of her,” minji said, her voice cautious but intrigued. “what happened after that?”

haerin shrugged again, trying to seem indifferent. “nothing much. she’s missed the last two days of school—probably caught a cold from the rain.” her fingers stilled, the memory of their brief encounters flashing uninvited in her mind. “she doesn’t seem like everyone says she is. she seems real.”

hanni and minji exchanged a knowing glance that didn’t go unnoticed.

“what?” haerin asked, narrowing her eyes.

“nothing,” hanni said, a teasing smile creeping across her lips. “just—maybe—‘nothing much’ is actually something after all.”

haerin rolled her eyes, but the warmth blooming in her chest told her they weren’t entirely wrong.

“hey, just saying. if you wanna hit her up, i can set you up through dani,” hanni’s teasing smile only increasingly growing wider.

“having a popular friend must be fun,” minji rolled her eyes.

“do not classify danielle as just a popular friend,” hanni frowned.

another school day flew by quickly—the bell signifying the end of the day, students crowding the hallways and walking off campus. haerin was not one of these people. she found herself in the music room instead, drawn by the piano that was sitting untouched.

“let’s see if i remember how to play this one,” haerin whispered to herself. she placed her hands onto the keys and her fingers began to move slowly.

haerin began to play the first few notes quietly, slowly building up the volume but still keeping it soft. haerin melted with the music, feeling at peace. she continued to play, softly and soothingly until she made a mistake—her hands pausing into place when she did. haerin mumbled out a curse before pushing her hair back.

“don’t stop there. keep playing, it sounded nice.” you said from behind her. haerin jumped a little before slowly turning towards the sound of your voice. as haerin turned her head, you stood against the closed door of the room. haerin grew a confused expression on her face.

you smiled a little before slowly walking towards haerin.

“can i sit with you?” you asked softly. haerin didn’t say anything but made space for you on the stool.

you sat yourself onto the stool gently, haerin feeling the warmth of your body radiating despite the gap between the two of you.

“do you come here often?” you asked softly, placing your bag down by the side of the stool.

“no, not really. do you?” haerin asked you back. you nodded in response.

“i didn’t know you played piano,” haerin added. you saw a small smile on her face as you scratched the back of your head.

“hate to break it to you, but i don’t. i’m actually really ass at it,” you chuckled nervously.

“you can’t be that bad,” haerin replied.

you brought your fingers up to the keys and tried playing as much as you remembered of ‘twinkle twinkle little star’. you watched as haerin winced everytime you pressed the wrong key. she adjusted her glasses up her nose bridge as you finished your little performance.

“so, you’re that bad,” haerin hummed. you chuckled softly at her comment, taking your fingers off the key. “why are you here then?”

a smile began to grow on your face. “well, i like to draw,” you said softly. “and no one really uses the music room. it’s peaceful to sit in this room and just—draw.” you reached down for your bag and took out your sketchbook as proof.

haerin nodded slowly at your response. “i should leave then—i don’t want to bother your drawing time,” she said with thin lips, getting up from the stool.

you went to grab her wrist, her head turning back to look at you in the eye. she tilted her head to the side in confusion. you quickly let go of her wrist, not wanting to seem overly pushy.

“sorry for grabbing you all of a sudden. i don’t mind if you stay—your playing gives a better atmosphere rather than me drawing in silence,” you said sheepishly.

luckily for you, haerin slowly descended onto the stool and placed her fingers on the keys. you moved yourself onto a spare chair off to the side, leaving haerin in front of the piano by herself. haerin felt her side grow colder without your warmth next to her. to say she liked having you in her personal space was not something she wanted to admit just yet. you told her it was so she could have free reign over her space but you also wanted to give yourself some space to draw freely.

you brought a foot up onto your chair, your knee serving as the surface to hold up your sketchbook. you listened as haerin began to work her magic, a soft melody playing in your ears. the room was now filled with the sounds of your pencil scratching over the paper of your sketchbook and the sweet melody haerin was playing.

“what are you playing?” you hummed softly, still sketching away against the paper. haerin continued to play, not missing a beat, as she responded “gymnopédie no.1”.

“sounds fancy,” you chuckled softly.

“it’s french,” haerin hummed back softly.

a smile tugged onto your lips. you began to flip through the pages of your sketchbook. it was filled with little doodles, but there seemed to be a recurring theme of cats. there were multiple pages filled with sketches of haerin too, but you didn’t want to show anyone those sketches just yet.

you smiled softly as you found yourself sketching haerin at the piano. you doodled a few butterflies around the finished sketch, feeling butterflies in your own stomach as you looked up at haerin. she wore a soft smile as she played, the sound rich in your ears.

the sun hung lazily in the sky as lunchtime rolled around—its warmth spilling through the windows of an empty classroom tucked away from the usual chaos of the schoolyard. you always loved camping out in empty classrooms—they felt like your quiet place where the noise of expectations couldn’t reach you.

the room buzzed softly with the hum of a distant lawn mower outside and the occasional creak of old wooden chairs shifting under familiar weight.

you sat cross-legged at a spot by the window, sketchbook balanced on your knee, pencil tapping thoughtfully against the paper. you were mindlessly sketching out the same face that blessed your thoughts. whenever you were lost in your own mind, you thought about that day in the music room a lot—the way you and haerin sat in the room in comfortable silence, and the way her lips curled up into a soft smile as she played. it had been a few days since that day but the memory still lingered in your thoughts—butterflies thrashing around in your stomach and cheeks growing warmer when you did.

across from you, yunjin, hyein, and danielle lounged in their own chairs, half-eaten lunches abandoned as their attention slowly shifted toward you. you didn’t notice the way their eyes narrowed in amusement as you absently smiled at whatever filled your page—until yunjin’s voice cut through the comfortable silence.

“okay, spill,” she said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “who is she, and why do you look like you just walked out of a rom-com montage?”

you didn’t even bother looking up, pretending to focus on a stray line in your sketch. “you’re imagining things. i’m literally just sketching.”

but hyein was quicker than you, snatching the book from your lap before you could react. she flipped through the pages with a sharp eye until a knowing smirk spread across her lips. “just sketching, huh? then why are half these pages full of the same person? wait�� is this haerin?”

your stomach twisted as danielle leaned over to peek, her gasp filling the room with exaggerated drama. “no way. you? making a new friend? since when do you let anyone past the ‘i’m too cool for this’ wall?”

you snatched the sketchbook back, cheeks burning despite the indifference you tried to force into your voice. “she’s not just—ugh, it’s not like that. we just hang out sometimes. she plays piano, i draw. that’s all.”

yunjin raised her eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “yeah, just hang out. that’s why you’re blushing like we just caught you confessing to your high school crush.” her smirk softened into something gentler.

“you never let anyone sit that close to you without acting like they’re invading your personal bubble.”

you let out a small sigh, leaning back in your chair and letting your gaze fall to the dust motes floating lazily through the sunlight.

“it’s not a big deal,” you muttered. “she doesn’t care about—y'know—all this. she talks to me like i’m just another person, not someone to be put on a pedestal.”

hyein’s teasing expression faded into something more thoughtful. “not like the untouchable, super-talented, way-too-popular-for-her-own-good artist everyone else sees, huh?” her voice softened at the end, and it struck a chord somewhere deep in your chest. “must feel nice.”

you stared at the table for a second, the silence growing heavier around your next words. “yeah. it’s… weird. being around someone who doesn’t expect anything from me. she’s just there. no pressure, no expectations. just comfortable and quiet.”

danielle reached out and nudged your shoulder gently. “you know we’re not expecting anything from you either, right?”

you glanced up at her, and a small, genuine smile tugged at the corner of your lips. “i know. you guys are different. you’ve always been around. you’re home.” your voice dropped lower. “but everyone else? they just see what they want to see. haerin doesn’t do that.”

yunjin let out a low whistle, though her expression had softened into something almost proud. “so, she’s special then? the ‘cool, detached’ y/n finally found someone who doesn’t treat her like she’s made of glass?”

groaning, you buried your face in your hands, the heat in your cheeks impossible to hide now. “can we not do this right now?”

hyein let out a soft laugh, resting her chin in her palm. “too late. we’re invested. this is the most human you’ve looked in weeks.”

danielle’s voice, warm and reassuring, cut through the teasing. “just don’t push us away, okay? we’re happy you’re letting someone new in but we’re still your people.”

your heart softened, the teasing and warmth of your friends wrapping around you like a familiar blanket. “i know,” you said quietly, voice full of gratitude. “you always will be.”

the teasing faded, replaced by a comfortable silence, the kind that only exists between people who know you—really know you. you flipped your sketchbook back open, pencil poised over a fresh page, and let yourself sink into the ease of the moment. lines began to take shape on your page—but this time, it didn’t shape into a sketch of haerin. this time, you found yourself drawing yourself with your friends—flashing smiles drawn on all your faces.

the hallway buzzed with the usual end-of-day chaos as everyone rushed to their last class. you barely had time to react before your friends—yunjin, hyein, and danielle—were ushering you forward, practically steering you like a ship toward the classroom door. the room was nearly full, heads turning as they whispered something to you, their smirks just as loud as their voices were soft.

you could feel it—your cheeks growing warm, eyes wide as you tried to resist their playful shoves. but they didn’t let up, and soon enough, you were standing awkwardly just past the doorway, all too aware of the eyes on you.

“you better do it, y/n. i have eyes everywhere,” yunjin whispered like a villain in a cheesy movie, her grin sharp with mischief.

and then the real walk of shame began. instead of your usual seat in the back—safe, unseen—you were walking toward the front, stopping right next to haerin. you could feel every stare burning into the back of your head. why were they all watching you? what were they thinking?

as you sat down, your shoulders nearly touched hers. the whispers behind you grew louder, each one tightening the knot of discomfort in your chest. your body slumped, shrinking under the weight of it all.

and then you heard a soft voice. “oh, hi y/n,” haerin’s voice cut through the noise, gentle and a little confused.

“hi, haerin,” you mumbled, trying to keep your voice steady.

she tilted her head slightly, brows furrowed in quiet concern. “you okay?”

you nodded, pretending to focus on the teacher walking in, though your heart was nowhere near the lesson. your friends’ idea of strengthening your friendship with haerin suddenly felt more like social torture.

still, you figured if you were stuck here, you might as well do something. you ripped a piece of paper from your notebook and sketched a quick cat, its round eyes softening your own mood. under it, you scrawled the words:

“hai :3”

you slid the paper toward her and waited. haerin blinked, then unfolded it carefully. a small snort escaped her, her shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. she scribbled back:

“did all your penmanship go to your art? your handwriting is ballz”

“is that a compliment on my art? :D”

“maybe maybe not who knows it’s cool, i guess”

“COOL U GUESS? i see that you can’t escape my amazing eyes”

“u better write bigger before i steal ur eyeballs. i’m blind enough with these stupid glasses”

“well i think your glasses are cute”

you watched from the corner of your eye as haerin opened the paper. her blush was obvious, dusting her cheeks like soft pink watercolor. she scribbled fast:

“write bigger.”

“sorry!”

“so why were u being so somber like 5 min ago?”

you hesitated, then wrote back:

“i just lowkey hate attention and everyone staring at me was too much”

“that’s so real. being stared at never gets easier.”

“OMG U GET ME i thought u would’ve figured since i’m ‘miss popular’ i’d be used to it or whatever”

“you think too lowly of me. i see how uncomfortable you get around people. that’s not the face of someone who likes attention”

you stared at her note for a second longer than necessary—a small, genuine smile tugging at your lips. for once, you didn’t care if anyone else noticed.

“u’re cool haerin”

“thank you. i think u’re really cool too”

it was a gloomy day, the sky darkened with grey clouds, threatening to rain. you sat on a bench facing out into the field, losing yourself in your thoughts. your thoughts seemed to be on overdrive, yet they also seemed to be so cool and collected—you were thinking of everything, yet nothing at all.

it's too much. you should be used to this by now. smile, nod, laugh—don’t let them see it gets to you. there’s always noise. people calling your name, expectations hanging heavy in the air. you know the routine. the effortless charm, the carefully measured responses, the way you have to be on all the time. popularity is supposed to be a good thing, isn’t it? people want to be around you, want your attention, want to claim a piece of you.

but sometimes, it feels like you don’t belong to yourself anymore. do they even like you? or just the idea of you? you feel like you’re being watched, even when no one is looking. your every move—picked apart, analysed, turned into a story by people who don’t actually know you. admiration turns into expectation. you can’t slip up. you can’t afford to be anything less than what everyone wants you to be. what if you disappoint them? what if you’re not as interesting as they think?

and then there’s haerin.

haerin, who doesn’t look at you like you’re something to be impressed by. who doesn’t try to pull you into the spotlight or demand anything from you. around her, the pressure loosens just a little. you don’t have to perform. you can just be. but at the same time, that scares you. because if haerin is the only one who makes you feel real, then what happens if she leaves too?

you felt a drop of rain slide down from the corner of your eye and down your cheek. more raindrops continued to drop down on your cheeks—the sound of the rain falling against the ground soothing your emotions. you just hoped you could sit out in the rain for the rest of the day, to never be found and to have some time to yourself.

you leaned back on the bench, embracing the raindrops that fell straight onto your face. you closed your eyes to soak up the rainy atmosphere. that was until you no longer felt the rain hit your skin. you opened your eyes with furrowed brows to see haerin standing over you, umbrella over her head.

“for someone who told me i shouldn’t be out in the rain, you’re pretty bad at avoiding the rain yourself,” haerin chuckled. her small smile soon faltered as she saw your unchanging expression. you looked empty, like there wasn’t a soul behind your eyes.

“are you okay?” haerin asked, sitting next to you on the damp bench as she kept the umbrella above both of your heads.

she didn’t press you for an answer. she just sat there, silent, as if she knew you didn’t have the words to explain it.

“finally got yourself an umbrella, huh?” you smirked softly. you heard a small chuckle from haerin as she continued to sit with you in silence.

you were quiet for a moment, staring at the ground before glancing at her. “how did you find me?”

haerin shifted slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “saw you from the classroom.”

your brows knot together. “classes have already started?”

she gave a small shrug. “yeah.”

“then why are you here with me? shouldn’t you be in class?”

haerin looked at you, her gaze steady, as if the answer was obvious. “well, you looked like you needed company. i’d rather be here with you than in class anyway.”

your breath hitched slightly at her words. a warmth spread through your chest at her words, but you didn’t know what to say, so you just nodded. you turned your gaze back to the field, letting the soft patter of rain fill the silence between you.

the two of you sat in comfortable silence, the sound of raindrops filling the air. after a moment, haerin shifted closer, pressing her shoulder gently against yours. you let out a quiet sigh and leaned into her, letting yourself relax against her presence.

your hands brushed, fingers barely touching. without a word, haerin reached for your hand, her fingers lacing gently with yours. her grip was warm, steady—not demanding, just present. you almost flinched at the unexpected touch, but you didn’t pull away. something about it made your chest tighten in a way you didn’t quite understand. you squeezed back, grounding yourself in her quiet presence. neither of you spoke. you didn’t need to.

the silence wasn’t heavy, wasn’t filled with expectation or pressure. it was just the two of you, sitting there with shoulders brushing, hands intertwined, leaning into each other as the world carried on around you.

the rain continued to fall, steady and rhythmic, a quiet shield against the rest of the world. haerin never let go of your hand. she never asked you to say something. she was just there.

the two of you sat and watched as the rain slowed down. it was still present, but much softer. in an agreed silence, you both decided to run away to the music room instead of your normal classes.

the music room was quiet except for the soft hum of the rain against the windows. the air smelled faintly of old wood and sheet music, the piano keys reflecting the dim light from outside. you sat on the floor, your back against the piano, knees drawn up slightly. haerin sat beside you, legs crossed, close enough that your shoulders brushed.

“do you ever feel like… people see what they want to see?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

haerin turned to you, waiting. you hesitated before continuing. “like, no matter what you do, you’ll always be some version of yourself that they’ve already decided on?”

she nodded slowly, her gaze unreadable. “yeah.”

“it’s just… sometimes it’s exhausting,” you admitted. “everyone has expectations. everyone thinks they know me. and i feel like… if i stop being what they want, i’ll disappear.”

haerin was quiet for a moment, then she said, “you don’t have to be anything for me.”

you swallowed, your throat suddenly tight. “what if i don’t even know who i am when i’m not being something for everyone else?”

she thought about that, then said, “then you take your time figuring it out. and i’ll be here.”

you turned to look at her. her face was calm, but her eyes—her eyes held something deeper, something steady. she wasn’t saying it just to make you feel better. she meant it.

“has it ever been like that for you?” you asked. “like you’re expected to be someone you’re not?”

haerin hesitated, then nodded. “when i play piano. sometimes it feels like people only see me for that. they think i’m only the quiet girl who plays well. but there’s more to me than that. just like there’s more to you than what everyone else thinks.”

her words settled into your chest, grounding you. you looked down at your intertwined hands, at the way she held onto you like she wasn’t planning on letting go.

“thank you,” you murmured.

haerin squeezed your hand gently. “i see you. you don’t have to wear a mask around me.”

a quiet exhale left your lips. for the first time in a long time, the weight on your shoulders felt a little lighter.

haerin watched you, and something shifted in her expression—something almost imperceptible, but real. this was the moment she realized. that the way she felt around you, the way she wanted to stay, to understand you, to be the one you trusted—this was something deeper. this was something she couldn’t ignore anymore.

haerin seemed to feel more open towards you, like it was the most natural thing to just melt around you. your presence was a little intimidating—constantly surrounded by people and big names. but haerin knew better, she knew the language of your soul. she admired you and the melody that would ring in her ears every time you were near her.

haerin found herself in the music room, alone this time. she had no sheets to reference off of, just her heart and emotions. the thought of you carried her fingers around the keys. haerin played and she played, not stopping as she felt her soul overflowing at the thought of you.

then, a knock at the door. haerin turned around to see minji peeping through a crack in the door, her knuckles rested against the door.

“hey, can we come in?” minji smiled softly. haerin nodded, taking her fingers off the keys.

she watched minji step into the room, hanni following in from behind her. haerin watched as minji and hanni strolled into the music room, their expressions immediately turning mischievous as they took in the sight of her sitting at the piano.

“you’ve been playing without us?” hanni gasped dramatically, clutching her chest like she’d been personally betrayed. “the audacity.”

“not even a ‘hey guys, come listen to my soulful masterpiece’ text?” minji added, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “haerin, we thought we meant something to you.”

haerin sighed, already regretting letting them in. “i was just playing,” she said simply, fingers hovering over the keys before pulling away.

“you say that like you weren’t in here pouring your heart out or something.” minji teased, nudging hanni who nodded in agreement. “anyway, we wanted to ask you something.”

haerin raised a brow, waiting.

“you know the arts festival is coming up in a few months, right?” hanni started, plopping onto the chair beside her.

“they’re making it a big deal this year. they’re expanding it to include all kinds of performances—visual art, drama, music, stuff like that. are you gonna do something for it?”

haerin hesitated, fingers brushing lightly over the piano keys. “i might not.”

minji gasped, seeming actually offended. “what? why not? whatever you were playing before was, like, stupidly good.”

haerin shrugged, eyes flickering down to the keys. “it’s… personal. it’s not meant for an audience.”

minji and hanni exchanged a look before minji smirked. “ohhh, so it’s meant for a specific pair of ears?”

haerin shot her a glare, but the slight redness creeping up her ears gave her away. “shut up.”

hanni grinned, leaning in. “so it’s y/n, isn’t it?”

minji turned to haerin, wiggling her eyebrows. “you’re playing just for y/n now?.”

haerin rolled her eyes, but her ears tinged pink. “it’s nothing special.”

“awww,” minji cooed, clasping her hands together. “our little haerin is a romantic.”

“gross,” haerin muttered, shoving hanni’s shoulder lightly when she giggled.

“no, that lowkey is really romantic of you haerin,” hanni said, grinning. “but fine, whatever. just know that you’re wasting a perfect opportunity. imagine the school watching you perform, totally captivated by your artistry, utterly—”

“no,” haerin cut in flatly, shaking her head.

hanni huffed. “fine, be mysterious. but speaking of performances, i heard something interesting.”

haerin glanced at her, waiting.

“dani told me that y/n has something big planned for the festival. like, really big. and you know how word spreads—people are already talking about it.” hanni leaned in dramatically. “apparently, it’s supposed to be some artsy masterpiece or something.”

haerin’s fingers unconsciously tapped against the piano, her mind flickering to you. you hadn’t mentioned anything about showcasing art. she wondered what you had in store.

“sooo,” minji drawled, nudging haerin with her foot. “if y/n’s doing something, shouldn’t you? just saying, it’d be cute.”

“oh, so cute,” hanni agreed. “a romantic piano piece to match y/n’s grand artistic display? imagine the tension, the longing gazes, the—”

“you two are unbearable,” haerin muttered, shaking her head, but a small smile tugged at her lips. she wasn’t going to perform—but now, she was even more curious about what you were planning.

hanni and minji exchanged another glance before hanni grinned. “wow. you really are down bad.”

haerin groaned, shoving hanni off the bench. hanni yelped as she tumbled onto the floor, but her laughter filled the room as minji doubled over beside her.

“okay, okay,” minji gasped between laughs, “but actually, what if y/n’s showcasing something for you?”

haerin went silent at that. the idea had never crossed her mind before. hanni, still on the floor, smirked at her. “now that’s something to think about.”

the art room smelled like paint, faint traces of glue, and frustration—your frustration, specifically. you stared at the half-finished canvas in front of you, the colors all wrong, the lines stiff, the whole thing a disaster. you weren’t even sure why you cared this much—except, no, you did. because this was for haerin.

you sat at one of the tables, surrounded by scattered sketches, crumpled concept papers, and half-finished ideas that felt more like failures than progress. your head rested in your hands as you stared at your notes like they would magically form a coherent plan on their own.

"you know," yunjin started, chewing on the end of her pen, "you have, like, two months. why are you acting like this is tomorrow?"

"because it has to be perfect," you groaned. "i need it to be grand. i need it to be something unforgettable."

"who are you trying to impress?" danielle asked, smirking as she leaned forward. "or should i say, who are you dedicating this to?"

hyein gasped dramatically, putting a hand over her heart. "oh my god. y/n, is this a love confession?" she grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"no, i don’t want to woo haerin," you muttered, slumping over your sketchbook. "i just want to show my appreciation for her kindness."

"uh huh. i didn’t even mention a name," hyein drawled, exchanging a look with danielle. “just appreciation. totally not a secret grand romantic gesture or anything."

before you could argue, the sound of voices outside the art room made hyein perk up. she quickly got up and moved towards the door, peeking out before shutting it slightly.

"you’ve got an audience," she whispered. "why do people even hover around this room like it's a celebrity meet and greet?"

"because it is," danielle snorted, nudging you. "this is what you get for being you."

"can we focus, please?" you sighed. "ideas. i need ideas."

"what if you make a huge banner that says ‘thank you haerin’ and just drop it from the rooftop?" hyein suggested, grinning.

"or perform a full musical number dedicated to her with backup dancers and fireworks," yunjin added, clearly entertained.

"not helping! i’m a painter, not a serenader," you groaned, dragging a hand down your face. "i need something meaningful, something personal—"

before the conversation could go any further, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. everyone groaned in unison before scrambling to gather their things. you grabbed your sketchbook and notes, shoving them into your bag with less care than usual.

"we'll brainstorm more later!" danielle called as everyone rushed toward the door.

but you were already gone.

weaving through the hallways, you dodged the greetings and voices calling your name, keeping your head down and focusing only on moving forward. you weren’t in the mood to be stopped, not when your thoughts were racing faster than your feet. but then—

"hey."

you skidded to a stop, nearly colliding with haerin in the middle of the hallway. her eyes met yours, calm as ever, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind them.

"hi," you breathed, trying to gather yourself. "uh—are you going to the art festival?"

"haven’t decided yet," she replied, tilting her head. "why?"

"because you should come," you said quickly. "i’ll have something ready for you. and i want you to be there to witness it."

haerin blinked. her expression remained unreadable, but you swore her eyes softened just a little.

"for me? what happened to miss l/n who didn’t like attention?"

"yeah—well—i wanted this to be different." you hesitated for a second before gathering the courage to continue. "and, um… would you want to accompany me personally on the day of the festival?"

she studied you for a moment, and for once, you couldn't tell what she was thinking. then, slowly, she nodded.

"okay," she said simply.

and just like that, your heart was racing for an entirely different reason. you felt butterflies begin to flutter in your stomach.

the powerpuff girls

hanni HAEEEE R U STILL IN RHE MUSIC ROOM? haerin yeah i am are u going to come bother me? cuz if u are then im not here hanni ok thats so rude i cant hang out with my bestie anymroe? haerin im ur best friend?? 😿😿 thats honestly really sad for minji minji yeah cuz why is hae ur bsf what abt me dude 😡😡 hanni hey haerin did u hear smth? minji OK WOW RUDE ASL hanni what r u gonna do abt it jump me? music room in 5 come if u dare 😒😒 haerin leave the jumping out of the music room please i dont need u jumping each other in front of my piano minji MAKE THAT 2 MINUTES

haerin exhaled slowly, setting her phone down beside her on the piano’s polished surface. the screen dimmed, swallowing the unread message she had been staring at for the past few minutes. instead of dwelling on it, she let her fingers drift over the keys, pressing down softly as she eased into a quiet, familiar melody.

the room was silent except for the soft, melancholic tune that filled the space the gentle notes barely had time to settle in the air before the door to the music room swung open with a loud bang.

“there's no way she likes you more than me! i’m—like—120% cooler than you,” minji’s voice rang out, cutting through the silence like a blade.

haerin sighed through her nose, her fingers freezing on the keys. she turned just in time to see minji stride inside, looking thoroughly indignant, while hanni trailed behind her with a triumphant grin, sticking out her tongue in response.

haerin didn’t flinch. she simply let her hands fall from the keys, turning her head just in time to see hanni stick her tongue out at minji before sprinting forward, practically throwing herself onto the piano bench beside her.

"haerin, who's your favorite?" hanni demanded, eyes wide with faux innocence as she leaned in uncomfortably close.

haerin blinked, tilting her head slightly as if actually contemplating the question. she let the silence hang for a moment before finally nodding to herself, as if reaching a conclusion.

"you both suck," she said simply.

hanni and minji turned to each other at the same time, expressions mirroring each other's perfectly—eyes widened, mouths slightly agape, pure betrayal written across their faces. hanni gasped, clutching at her chest like she had just been fatally wounded, while minji scoffed, shaking her head in betrayal.

“wow. uncalled for,” minji muttered, crossing her arms.

before either of them could launch into more dramatic rebuttals, the door burst open again, this time accompanied by the sound of rushed footsteps and a breathless voice.

“hey, haerin, i think i forgot my sketchbook here—”

your breath was uneven as you bent slightly at the waist, one hand braced against the doorframe. it was clear you had rushed over in a hurry, strands of your hair slightly out of place from your run. as you straightened up, your gaze landed on the two unfamiliar faces in the room. your eyes flickered between them for a second before a polite smile crossed your lips.

"oh, hey guys! minji and hanni, right?" you greeted with a smile.

hanni brightened immediately. "yeah! i’m hanni and she's minji! nice to meet you too, y/n. we've heard… a lot about you from hae."

haerin, who had been sitting quietly at the piano, tensed slightly. her expression barely changed, but you caught the way her fingers curled against her palm in warning.

you chuckled softly at the sight. “your friends call you ‘hae’?”

haerin finally met your gaze, her expression as blank as ever. “yeah. it’s stupid.”

"i think it’s cute." you mused. "when can i call you hae?" you tilted your head slightly, letting your smile linger.

haerin let out a small scoff, rolling her eyes, but you didn’t miss the way her lips twitched ever so slightly—like she was fighting the urge to smile. minji and hanni exchanged looks again, subtle but not subtle enough to go unnoticed.

you cleared your throat, remembering the reason you had rushed over in the first place. "um… so, do you know where my sketchbook is?" you asked softly, scratching the back of your neck.

haerin didn’t respond right away. instead, she just stared at you, her eyes slightly narrowed in thought. then, without a word, she reached over to the side table, plucked up the familiar worn-out sketchbook, and held it out to you.

"you left it here last time. i figured you'd come back for it."

you took the sketchbook from her hands, flipping through the pages quickly before stopping at one in particular. you frowned slightly, tracing the lines of a half-finished sketch with your finger.

"i need this for the arts festival," you muttered more to yourself than to anyone else. "i was trying to come up with ideas earlier, but nothing feels right yet."

haerin watched you for a moment, taking in the way your brows furrowed in concentration.

"you have time," she finally said. "don’t force it. it’ll come to you."

you glanced up at her, something warm settling in your chest at the quiet reassurance. "yeah. maybe you're right."

“are you working on something for the art festival?” hanni asked, leaning in slightly as if trying to catch a glimpse of the sketches.

you hesitated for a second before snapping the sketchbook shut. “maybe.”

minji raised an eyebrow. “that sounds suspicious.”

you only smiled, tilting your head playfully. “it’s a secret.”

you could feel haerin’s eyes on you again, a quiet, unwavering presence. when you finally looked back at her, her expression was unreadable, but there was something about the way she was watching you that made heat creep up the back of your neck. the way haerin's eyes lingered on you made your heart skip a beat. there was something unreadable in her gaze—something soft, something knowing. before the silence could stretch on too long, you clapped your hands together.

you cleared your throat, suddenly feeling like you had overstayed your welcome. “i should probably head home.”

turning toward the door, you hesitated for a second before looking over your shoulder at haerin, ignoring the two lingering stares of her friends. you lifted a hand, fingers curling slightly in a casual wave.

"thanks for keeping this safe for me, hae. see you soon" you said, deliberately testing the nickname. then, with a slight smirk, you winked before stepping out the door. the soft click of the door closing left a lingering silence in the room.

hanni and minji slowly turned to each other, processing what had just happened. then, in perfect sync, they turned to haerin, their jaws slightly ajar.

“did haerin just bag a baddie?” hanni muttered, still staring at the door.

minji folded her arms. “wild.”

haerin let out a breath she didn’t realise she was holding. her fingers hovered over the keys, barely touching them, before pressing down on one—sharp, off-key, wrong. she didn’t correct it. instead, she sat there, unmoving, staring at the door long after you were gone.

it had been a week since the last time the both of you were in the music room. but today, as haerin walked down the familiar path home, she found herself thinking of you more often than usual. it was a quiet afternoon, the kind where everything felt almost suspended in time. the light drizzle from earlier had left a soft sheen on the pavement, and the air had that fresh, earthy scent that only rain could bring. haerin walked slowly, allowing the quiet to settle around her, her thoughts swirling like the leaves that occasionally brushed against her feet.

a butterfly suddenly caught her eye, its wings delicate and soft as it fluttered in front of her, moving almost lazily through the damp air. haerin stopped in her tracks, drawn to the butterfly’s graceful movements. it hovered for a moment, and she instinctively raised her finger, a silent invitation. after a few more moments, the butterfly fluttered toward her and gently landed on her finger. she held her breath, watching the small creature with a sense of wonder.

for a moment, the world felt incredibly still, the soft rain almost becoming a distant hum. haerin’s heartbeat picked up, not because of the butterfly, but because she could feel something—something familiar, and yet new—stirring in her chest. as she stood there, lost in the moment, a sound broke the silence. footsteps. steady and approaching.

“hey,” came a voice, warm and familiar, drawing haerin’s attention. she turned to find you standing a few paces away, a gentle smile already spreading across her face. the butterfly still rested on haerin’s finger, and your eyes softened as you looked at it.

“seems like you’ve made a friend,” you said, her voice light and teasing, but there was something more in your gaze. something quiet, almost tender.

haerin’s smile softened, and for a brief moment, she forgot about the rest of the world around her. her attention was fixed on the warmth in your eyes, the way you stood just a little closer than usual, how your presence made the atmosphere feel heavier, yet lighter at the same time. the butterfly, seemingly sensing the change in the air, fluttered its wings and took off into the cool breeze just as the first few raindrops began to fall.

“aww,” you sighed, your shoulders drooping slightly, “that’s a shame.”

you shook your head, but your smile remained. “i guess the rain really likes to see us together.”

haerin looked up at the sky, and the soft patter of the rain grew louder as it started to fall more steadily. you pulled out her umbrella from your bag, unfolding it with a flick of your wrist. you moved closer to haerin, holding the umbrella over both of you. haerin stepped in without a word, her shoulder brushing against yours as they began walking, side by side.

the rain was light, but there was a heaviness in the air, like everything was just on the edge of something. haerin was acutely aware of the proximity between you, of how the umbrella kept you just close enough, but not too close. you both walked in comfortable silence, the rhythm of your footsteps blending with the soft tapping of raindrops on the umbrella.

after a few moments, haerin broke the silence, her voice low and almost pensive. “did you know when it rains, butterflies seem to disappear?” she glanced at you—your gaze was focused straight ahead, a slight grin tugging at the corner of your lips.

“they hide and seek shelter, because the rain affects their ability to fly,” haerin continued.

you chuckled softly, your breath misting in the cool air.

“that’s like… common sense, though,” you teased, her voice light. but then, without thinking, your words drifted out, almost absent-mindedly.

“well, my butterflies don’t disappear when i’m around you, even in the rain.”

haerin froze for a split second, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest. she looked at you—flushed a deep shade of red, clearly realising what you had just said. haerin blinked, trying to collect herself.

“what did you just say?”

your face turned an even brighter shade of red, and you stammered. “huh? um, nothing! i… see you later, hae! i gotta—i have to… go home!”

you thrust the umbrella into haerin’s hands and, before haerin could respond, you turned and dashed off into the rain, disappearing into the mist of water and air.

haerin stood there, rooted to the spot, the umbrella still in her hands as the rain began to fall heavier. she stared at the space where you had been, her heart still racing. did she really just hear that? did you really just say that? the words echoed in her head, and she couldn’t help but giggle softly to herself.

“huh… so she’s really stuck with calling me hae.”

the umbrella, still in her hands, seemed to grow heavier by the second. haerin stood there for a moment longer, her mind spinning as the sound of raindrops drowned out everything else. maybe you were more like her than she realised. and maybe, just maybe, haerin was starting to understand why she felt so different around you.

as the rain continued to fall, she couldn’t help but smile to herself, a quiet, soft smile that she kept hidden under the umbrella.

you bolted inside, slamming the door behind you as you strip off your wet clothes, already cursing your decision to run home in the rain. great. now you’re soaked, and the chill is creeping under your skin. you hurried to the bathroom, throwing your damp clothes in a pile by the door and stepping into the shower. the hot water hit your back like a relief, a sharp contrast to the cold rain you just ran through. you let out a sigh, closing your eyes and letting the water relax your muscles, but your mind kept replaying the same moment over and over.

that moment with haerin, the way she was so close to you under the umbrella, how her fingers brushed against yours, and that stupid butterfly. but mostly that comment. "well, my butterflies don��t disappear when i’m around you, even in the rain."

you groaned inwardly, slapping your forehead, even though you knew no one can see you. ugh, why did you say that? you can't even begin to explain why it slipped out, but the warmth on your cheeks is making it pretty obvious: you’re so not over it.

when you finished your shower, you wrapped yourself in a towel and made your way to your room, settling down at your desk with a determined look. you needed to focus. you grabbed your sketchbook and opened it to the page you’d been working on. the art festival was coming up, and you’d decided that you were going to dedicate your project to haerin. she deserved it, right? after all, she’s the one person who’s treated you like you’re just you. not some celebrity, not some spoiled rich kid—just a person.

you started sketching out more ideas, but before you can really settle into the work, your phone buzzed on the desk. the groupchat.

“hey, what’s up?” you answered, trying to sound casual, but you could already hear the teasing tone in yunjin’s voice.

“so,” she drawled, “why are you making a painting for haerin again? honestly, i still don't get it."

you paused, flipping through your sketchbook to find the page you were working on. "well. i just wanna say thank you for treating me like a normal person, you know? not like some… god or whatever."

hyein snorted on the other end of the line. "so basic human decency, huh? is that all she did for you?"

"yeah, pretty much," you said, a little embarrassed but not backing down. "i mean, not everyone does that."

“wait, wait,” yunjin interrupted, her voice shifting to something a little more serious. “are you sure there’s nothing more to this? like, you’re not making this whole painting for her because you’ve got a little crush, do you?”

your face burned again. a crush? you knew exactly what she’s talking about, and the thought made your stomach do that little flip again, the one you definitely don’t want to think about.

"ugh, no. it’s not like that at all. i’ve told you before—she doesn’t care about all the popularity, and that's—that's really refreshing, you know? i just want to repay her for making me feel like just another person. nothing weird about it."

“okay, so your grand gesture is painting a whole canvas for her and leaving it on display for everyone to see? cool, cool,” yunjin teased. "what’s next, are you going to hang it in the school hallway or put it on the main stage?"

you laughed awkwardly, trying to hide the fact that she’s kinda right. “yeah, well, it’s not like i need attention, you know? i just want people to recognise me for my art, not for my family’s money or popularity or whatever.”

“okay, but why is it your way of ‘repaying her’?" you heard from danielle, her voice cutting in.

you started doodling absentmindedly in the corner of your sketchbook, rolling your eyes.

"well, i mean, just because my parents own a large company doesn’t mean i should be treated like some kind of charity case, you know? people are always like, ‘oh, y/n’s so lucky,’ and i want to show them who i really am. i want them to see that i have my own talents. something that’s mine. i want people to see my art, not my family’s reputation."

you felt the weight of your words. maybe you had never actually said them out loud like this before. it felt good to get it off your chest. danielle didn’t let you stew for long.

“and it’s not just for the fame, huh? it’s because there’s something about haerin that makes you feel like she gets it, right?"

"yeah," you said, quieter now, your focus shifting back to the sketchbook. “she does. and i want to be seen for who i am. not what people think of me. it’s like—art can do that. it’s my way of showing who i really am. it’s not about the attention, it’s about the expression.”

“and the ‘expression’ is for haerin, huh?” yunjin chimed in with a teasing tone. “sure, sure, we believe you.”

you sighed, leaning back in your chair, feeling the weight of your friends’ words but also feeling more grounded in your reasons. "can’t you just let me do something nice for once? this is important to me."

“oh, we’re letting you,” hyein said, speaking up. “but if this ends with you making heart eyes at her every time you see her, we’ll be here for that too.”

“as if she doesn’t already do that,” yunjin added.

you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, but the smile that tugged at your lips was a mix of embarrassment and warmth.

“whatever, i’m gonna hang up on you guys if you keep talking about this.”

you heard all your friends express their protests before changing up the topic. they talked about nothing in particular and everything all at once. you didn’t need to focus too hard on the words—they were just there, comfortable in the background as you worked. the conversation flowed easily, like it always has, and the sound of their voices kept you grounded.

you realised that hours had passed before any of you say goodbye. it wasn’t a deep or life-changing conversation. there were no major revelations. but it didn’t matter. what mattered was the feeling of belonging that washed over you as you stayed on the call with them. their voices, full of familiarity and warmth, wrapped around you like a blanket. no pretences. no expectations. just a bunch of friends, talking until the early morning, as you lost track of time.

the time between planning for the festival to the actual day passed by in a flash. the festival was in full swing, and the atmosphere in the gym was a perfect mixture of excitement and the mild chaos of last-minute preparations. the walls were lined with bright banners, and tables were covered with an eclectic mix of artwork, ranging from paintings to sculptures, each representing the unique creativity of the students. the hall buzzed with voices, the sound of laughter, and occasional clinking of display stands being adjusted. amidst it all, you and haerin worked together, preparing for the final touches of the day.

"so," haerin glanced over at you as she adjusted a banner, "what exactly do you have prepared?” she glanced at you sideways, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"it's a secret!" you grinned, nudging her playfully with your elbow. "but i promise it'll blow your socks away."

haerin raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but she didn’t press further. you could tell she respected your desire for mystery. and despite the teasing, a warmth bloomed in her chest knowing that you had something so special in store. something just for her, even though you hadn’t outright said it. the two of you moved around the room, hanging up more banners, adjusting stands, and occasionally laughing at some of the more outlandish pieces. you were so caught up in the movement of it all, in the chaotic beauty of it, that the time seemed to slip away unnoticed.

"i’m sorry you had to get caught up setting up with me, hae," you murmured as you fixed a row of chairs, trying to sound casual.

she shook her head, not a hint of annoyance in her voice. "no, don’t worry about it," haerin replied easily, shooting you a soft smile. "this just gives me more time to spend with you."

the words hung in the air for a moment, a subtle tension building between you. it wasn’t the first time she’d said something like that, but it still made your heart race. there was something in the way she said it, as though it was so easy to be with you.

the atmosphere around you seemed to shift as you both found yourselves in a rhythm, preparing for the festival together. it was simple, but it felt like an intimate dance—the kind of unspoken understanding that only existed between the two of you.

periodically, your friends would pop by to help, tease, and joke, and then just as quickly disappear again, leaving the two of you alone. there was an unspoken comfort in the silences that settled between you, the rhythm of the day and your company blending seamlessly into one long, warm moment.

the two of you stood on opposite sides of a large display, hanging up a last-minute banner with vibrant colours and abstract designs. as you worked, haerin's hand brushed against yours, and it sent a shiver down your spine. you tried to keep your focus, but her presence was magnetic—there was something about her that made everything feel a little more significant.

"are we done here?" you asked, tying off the final end of the banner.

"think so," she replied, eyes glancing over the space. "when’s your painting going to be displayed?" haerin asked, her gaze flitting over the pieces.

you grinned at her, watching the way her face softened when her gaze landed on yours. "it’ll be uncovered later," you replied with a wink, crossing your arms, "just be a little patient." your words were playful, but there was something deeper in them, a promise that this moment, the reveal of your art, would mean more than just a piece on display.

"so it’s like the main course, huh?" haerin laughed, but you could tell she was intrigued. "alright, i’ll wait." then, without missing a beat, she suddenly grabbed your hand, tugging you gently. “come on, let’s go kill time somewhere else.”

you blinked at her in confusion. "where are we going?"

"music room," she said, her voice a little too nonchalant. "i want to play something for you."

"why?" you raised an eyebrow, still unsure. "i mean, i did the painting because i wanted to. you don’t have to play something for me."

"oh, but i do," her smile deepened, something soft lighting up in her eyes "besides, it’ll be something just between us."

you let her pull you towards the music room, your thoughts swirling in your head. what did she mean by that? but you didn’t have time to dwell on it before you were both in front of the music room.

the room was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt almost sacred. soft sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow across the grand piano at the far side of the room. haerin walked over to it, her fingers brushing the edge of the keys as if she were weighing her options. she glanced back at you, a soft smile on her face.

you watched her, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on you. she was so composed, so confident, and yet, something in her posture, in the way she touched the piano, felt fragile. it made you ache. you wanted to reach out, to tell her everything you were feeling, but the words stuck in your throat.

"you don’t have to play if you don’t want to," you said, but it came out too soft, too unsure.

she met your eyes, and for the first time, you saw something unfamiliar there—vulnerability. "no. i want to." her voice was quiet, almost shy, and it made your heart skip a beat. "i just—i need to."

she sat at the piano bench, turning slightly so she could face you more fully, but her fingers hovered above the keys, almost hesitant. you moved to sit beside her, watching her delicate hands press against the keys. then, the first note filled the space—a slow, haunting melody that seemed to reverberate through your chest.

haerin played like she was lost in the music. her fingers danced across the keys with ease, the soft, delicate notes flowing together in a beautiful, rising crescendo. the melody was slow at first, almost mournful, like a whisper of a secret. but as the piece continued, it built up, each note gaining strength, as if the music itself was reaching for something more. you watched her, entranced, as the sound seemed to echo the very feelings that had been growing between the two of you, feelings neither of you had dared to say out loud. as she played, you felt as though the music itself was speaking to you, telling you stories you didn’t have the words to express.

you could feel the tension between you, the air thick with unspoken words, but all you could do was listen to the music. haerin was completely immersed in it, her eyes shut as her body swayed slightly with the rhythm, the emotion of the piece pouring through her in every note. but then, as if she could feel your gaze burning into her, her fingers faltered. the smooth flow of music stumbled, and a frustrated curse slipped from her lips. she froze, her hand hovering over the keys for a moment.

"sorry," she murmured under her breath, her voice laced with frustration.

she noticed you sitting so close to her, your eyes never leaving her. you hadn’t realised how intensely you were looking at her until she looked back at you.

her breath hitched, and for a moment, the world around you seemed to slow down. haerin’s gaze flicked from your eyes to your lips, then back to your eyes again, and she leaned in just the tiniest bit, as if drawn by some magnetic force. you felt your pulse quicken, and before you could stop yourself, you were leaning in too.

"that was beautiful," you said softly.

"but i made a mistake," she replied, still looking at the piano keys, clearly embarrassed.

"so what? everyone makes mistakes," you said, your voice reassuring but shaky. "it doesn’t take away from how incredible it was."

haerin looked up at you, her eyes locking with yours, and in that moment, the air between you two seemed to crackle with tension. her eyes dropped briefly to your lips, and you felt your own gaze drift to hers. without thinking, you leaned in, and before you could pull back, haerin was leaning in as well.

you kissed her—soft, tentative at first, as if testing the waters. her lips were warm, familiar, but there was an underlying uncertainty to it, a tension that neither of you could resolve.

but before it could deepen, the door creaked open. as soon as haerin pulled away, she avoided your gaze. her expression was unreadable—eyes darting to the piano, to the floor, anywhere but at you.

"hanni," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "minji—"

"they need you out there," hanni interrupted, her voice too loud, too insistent. "they’re about to unveil your painting, y/n."

your mind was still spinning from the kiss, your lips tingling, but reality crashed down like a wave. you stole a glance at haerin, searching for any kind of reaction, any sign that she felt the same rush, the same breathless urgency you did. but she just sat there, hands clenched into fists against her lap, shoulders tense.

"right," you said, your voice coming out hoarse. "i—i should go."

you hesitated, lingering for a fraction of a second longer, hoping—waiting—for her to say something. to stop you, to look at you. but she didn’t. you caught the way her fingers gripped the edge of the piano, the way her lips pressed together as if she were holding something back. you couldn’t tell if she was angry, confused, or just as scared as you were. she just nodded, barely, like she was bracing herself for something she couldn’t face.

“are you—um—are you coming out too?” you stammered. you watched haerin finally look into your eyes with her own sharp ones—her eyes filled with uncertainty.

“yeah, i’ll be there. you can go ahead, i’ll catch up,” she nodded.

you stepped forward, taking one last look at her, but the moment was slipping away, just like the fleeting feeling of connection you’d had before the interruption. the entire walk back to the gym felt off. your heart was still racing, but not from excitement—something heavier sat in your chest. haerin’s voice echoed in your mind, the hesitation in her words, the way she looked at you like she wasn’t sure of what just happened. you wanted to turn back, to see if she was still sitting at the piano, still lost in thought. but you didn’t. instead, you kept walking, each step feeling like you were leaving something unfinished behind.

haerin sat in the music room, still frozen, her fingers lightly touching her lips. the softness and warmth of your kiss lingered there, and she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. it felt like a dream, a beautiful one she wasn't ready to wake up from. the fact that it had actually happened hadn’t quite sunk in yet. you had left maybe a minute ago, disappearing out the door with hanni and minji, and haerin remained, staring off into space, lost in the memory of the kiss.

after a moment, she snapped out of it and realised she was supposed to be at the gym. a slight panic rushed through her, and she jumped to her feet, deciding to run there rather than take her time. she didn’t want to miss anything—your painting was going to be uncovered soon, and haerin wasn’t about to let that moment slip by.

as she entered the gym, the scene of the kiss flashed in her mind again, and a goofy smile spread across her face. she couldn’t help it. her chest was full of that warm, fluttery feeling, and she had no idea what to do with it, except smile. she took a moment to calm herself before walking further into the gym, where the crowd had already gathered.

haerin spotted hanni and minji, who were talking near the side. they waved her over, and she joined them. just as she was about to speak, hanni grinned, raising an eyebrow.

“so,” hanni began, her voice teasing, “what was that about?”

haerin’s smile widened, her cheeks flushing slightly. “we kissed,” she said, almost shyly, but there was a gleam in her eye. she couldn’t quite hide how happy it made her to say it aloud.

minji scoffed, but her smile was playful. “what happened to you not being a romantic?”

haerin shrugged, looking at both of them with a smug grin. “have you seen y/n? who wouldn’t be a romantic for her?”

she said it with so much sincerity that hanni and minji fell silent for a second, exchanging a knowing look.

“fair enough,” minji muttered, but there was no denying the softness in her voice.

the crowd grew quiet as you stepped onto the stage, and haerin felt her breath catch in her throat. her eyes were fixed on you, watching as you made your way to the podium. she couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat. her friends' teasing faded into the background as she watched you, her gaze soft and full of something unspoken. she heard hanni and minji snickering at her reaction, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from you. she was in awe, a heart-shaped smile spreading across her face.

you began to speak, your voice unsure but steady. “i don’t really think my painting should be the main focus of the art festival,” you said, a nervous laugh escaping you.

“there are so many other amazing pieces already up for display, and i—i guess it feels a bit strange to have mine displayed last.” you paused, glancing down at the floor for a moment before looking up again.

“but i couldn’t imagine not showing it. it’s—it’s something i had to do.” you exhaled, as if gathering your courage. “this painting is an expression of myself, and i really hope people can see its meaning.”

you hesitated, muttering under her breath, “that probably sounded cheesy, but—well—here it is.” with a quick movement, you pulled the cover off the painting, and the crowd collectively gasped.

the room fell silent as everyone took in the masterpiece before them. the painting was grand—bold, intricate, and full of life. at the centre, the piano was fragmented, yet fluid, its keys fading into the background as though the music itself was still vibrating through the air. and beside it, almost floating, was a butterfly—its pastel green wings delicate and soft, blending into the canvas, as though part of the melody itself. it was beautiful, fragile, and full of meaning. haerin’s breath hitched in her throat. she knew instantly—this was your heart laid bare.

it was everything you had ever felt but hadn’t been able to put into words. the butterfly, fragile yet growing, spoke volumes about what they shared, what you had been too afraid to say, but haerin could feel it in the art. it was her. it was both of you. it was everything.

haerin stared at the painting, eyes wide with awe. she felt an overwhelming sense of pride—and something more—that she couldn’t quite put into words. she glanced at you, standing awkwardly at the front of the stage as the crowd admired the painting. your face was uncertain, but the warmth in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. haerin watched as your gaze flickered over the crowd, but your eyes never seemed to land on her. haerin’s heart sank slightly, but she tried to hide it, focusing instead on your words.

you bowed, stepping off the stage, your eyes scanning the crowd once more. they lingered for a moment, but haerin remained unseen. haerin watched you walk back toward your group of friends, the small pang of disappointment in her chest growing. still, she smiled to herself, proud of you and the painting. it spoke volumes, even if it hadn’t been fully understood yet.

hanni and minji noticed the way haerin looked at you, her gaze full of something—pride, affection, maybe more. haerin wasn’t sure. but she felt it.

it had been a few days since the festival, and you felt like you were floating in some kind of limbo. the day after the unveiling, you tried to shake off the sense of disappointment that settled in your chest, but it clung to you like a heavy coat. haerin hadn't been there, and you couldn’t help but think it was a sign. sure, your friends—yunjin, hyein, danielle—were by your side, trying to distract you, but it wasn’t the same. none of them seemed to get it, and it was hard to explain when they never truly saw you.

they all knew about your art, sure, but they didn’t know what it felt like to paint a piece of your heart and then expose it to the world. they didn’t know how it felt to try to show something raw and vulnerable to someone who was supposed to understand, only for them to disappear when it mattered. your friends tried, but you could tell they just couldn’t get it. yunjin kept cracking jokes about your painting like it was no big deal, and hyein was always pointing out how everyone else at school was talking about it. but none of it mattered.

you were starting to feel the weight of being popular again. people recognised you in the halls, always smiling, always asking for a piece of your attention. it wasn’t real. not the way haerin had been real. she hadn’t cared about the attention you got—hell, she hadn’t even cared about you being popular at all. she just... saw you. and now that she was gone, you felt like you were slipping back into the noise, back into the role you hated, the one where everyone just saw the image of you, not the person underneath.

but haerin—haerin was different. she’d looked at you with those quiet eyes that saw you, really saw you, in a way no one else had. she hadn’t been impressed by your popularity or your art; she’d simply been there, quietly present. and now, after that moment between you two, that kiss you still couldn’t quite process, you couldn’t help but wonder if you had misread everything.

you hadn’t talked to her. not once. and she hadn’t talked to you either. and it wasn’t like you could’ve just gone up to her and asked, could you? not with everything that was left unsaid. her absence during the painting unveiling had felt like a silent rejection, and you had done what you always did in those situations—shut down.

maybe it was easier this way. if she didn’t care, if she didn’t want to talk to you, then you could just go back to being what you always were: the popular girl who didn’t want to be popular. but it wasn’t working. not anymore.

the silence between you two was suffocating. every time you walked down the hall, you would catch sight of her, only for her to look away too quickly. she never tried to start a conversation, and neither did you. and every time you found yourself thinking about her, your friends would nudge you, pull you back into whatever they were talking about, but it never really reached you. your mind always drifted back to haerin.

you tried to focus on your friends, but every time you saw yunjin laughing or danielle trying to get your attention, it didn’t feel the same. they didn’t get it. none of them got it. you knew they cared, but it wasn’t the same as having someone who really understood you.

as you sat in class, you couldn’t stop replaying that moment—the way her lips had felt against yours, soft and warm. it made your chest tighten, but also gave you this kind of ache that you couldn’t shake. you wondered if it had meant anything to her at all.

you felt the tension build, especially whenever your eyes found her in the halls, only for her to look away, like she was hiding something. did she even like you? or had it all been a mistake? all you wanted was a sign. anything. just to know that you hadn’t misread it all, that she still wanted you in some way, even if it wasn’t the same as before.

your friends—yunjin and hyein—noticed the way your attention would drift whenever you were near haerin, but they didn’t push. they knew you were processing something, but they didn’t understand what. danielle, though, she seemed to catch on. she’d asked you more than once if you were okay, but you always brushed her off, not wanting to admit that the reason you couldn’t stop thinking about haerin was because you were scared of what it all meant.

the worst part was that you didn’t even have her number. if you could just text her, you might feel a little less lost. but you didn’t. you were just stuck, suspended in this endless loop of overthinking.

and that silence between you two? it was deafening.

your friends noticed it, of course. they noticed how you’d look over at haerin when she passed by, your eyes flicking away too quickly when she caught you staring. yunjin would nudge you, a teasing smirk on her face. "you’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?" she'd say, but there was no real teasing behind it. more like concern, something you couldn’t quite shake off.

haerin’s friends, hanni and minji, were just as observant. they’d make little comments about how haerin would act when she looked at you, how she’d blush or smile a little too softly.

hanni liked to joke, casually dropping your name in conversations just to see haerin’s reaction. "have you seen y/n’s new painting? it’s gorgeous. you should go talk to her about it," she’d say, her voice light, but there was an underlying edge, like she was pushing haerin without saying it outright. minji wasn’t as bold, but even she would raise an eyebrow whenever haerin would go quiet after hearing your name.

it was clear to everyone around you that something had changed. the playful teasing, the nudges, it had all turned into something more intense, something that wasn’t so easy to ignore anymore. but neither you nor haerin had made a move. you were both stuck in this limbo, waiting for the other to take the first step.

one afternoon, when the school day had just about ended, you found yourself in the art room, absentmindedly cleaning up your supplies. you didn’t expect to see haerin there. she had a few friends in the room, but it was mostly quiet, everyone packing up to leave. and then, just like that, it happened. the two of you were left alone in the room.

the silence was thick, but not in the comfortable way it used to be. it was different now, loaded with the weight of everything you hadn’t said, all the things that hung between you, invisible but undeniable. haerin stood at the other end of the room, fiddling with her bag, but her gaze would drift over to you every few seconds. you could feel it, even though she didn’t say anything. her eyes would meet yours for the briefest of moments before she quickly looked away, like she wasn’t ready to face what was right in front of her.

you wanted to say something, anything. but nothing felt right. your throat felt tight. haerin shifted, as if she was about to speak, but then she just didn’t. the words stayed stuck, unsaid.

finally, after what felt like forever, your phone buzzed in your pocket. you pulled it out, half-relieved to have an excuse to break the tension. it was from yunjin.

"you need to talk to her, y/n. you’re being ridiculous. just text her."

it wasn’t until later that evening, when you were sitting with your friends, trying to brush off the awkwardness of the day, that your friends began to really push.

“you’re being stupid,” yunjin said, not bothering to hide the frustration in her voice. “you’re making all these assumptions about haerin, but have you even tried talking to her?”

you stared at her, your heart racing in your chest. “what if—what if she doesn’t want to talk to me?” you muttered, more to yourself than anyone else. “i don’t want to make it weird.”

hyein rolled her eyes. “she’s keeping her distance,” she said. “but you’ve been avoiding her too, right? at this point, it’s already weird.”

the tension in your chest tightened even more. it wasn’t just in your head, then. the distance between you and haerin was real, and it was making everything feel more complicated. and as much as you hated it, you couldn’t ignore it.

you glanced over at haerin, who was sitting with hanni and minji, looking almost lost. the thought made you ache, but there was nothing you could do about it. not yet, anyway.

you hadn’t meant to shut them out, but somewhere along the way, you had. your friends were always there, always asking how you were, but you felt distant. not from them, exactly, but from yourself. it was like your mind was always somewhere else—somewhere that wasn’t here, somewhere where haerin might be. and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake that feeling. that yearning. but today, your friends weren’t letting you hide.

it started with yunjin. she had been quiet all day, but as soon as you were all sitting together in the corner of the cafeteria, she spoke up.

“y/n,” she said, her voice softer than usual, “you’ve been distant. we’ve been noticing it for a while now.”

you looked down at your lunch, trying to ignore the weight of her words, but you knew she was right. the silence stretched out, and the others—hyein and danielle—exchanged glances before hyein spoke next.

“it’s like we’re right here, and yet you’re somewhere else,” hyein said, her tone more frustrated now. “you’re not seeing us, y/n. you’re not seeing what we’re trying to do for you.”

you shifted uncomfortably, your heart sinking in your chest. "i don’t mean to—"

“we know you don’t,” yunjin interrupted. “but you’re letting all this focus on haerin take over. it’s like you’ve forgotten about us.”

danielle’s voice was calm, but it carried an underlying sadness. “we’ve always been here for you. from the beginning. even before everything with haerin. we’ve always seen the real you. the y/n who hates the attention, the one who feels lost in all the noise.”

your eyes were starting to sting, and you swallowed the lump in your throat. “i don’t know what you want me to say...”

“we just want you to see us too,” hyein said quietly. “we’ve been here for you, just like haerin was. and we’re still here. we’re still your friends, y/n.”

danielle reached across the table and placed a hand on yours. “you don’t have to carry all of this alone. we’re not going anywhere. and you don’t have to be this popular person all the time. you can just be you. the real you. the one we’ve always seen.”

the words hit harder than you expected. you’d been so wrapped up in what you had with haerin, in the way she made you feel seen, that you had forgotten the people who already did that. who had always done that, no matter how much you hated being in the spotlight. they didn’t see you as the image everyone else had built for you—they saw you for who you were. the real you.

for the first time in a long while, you took a slow breath and allowed yourself to really listen to them. they were here for you, through all of it. they had been the ones to see you for who you were before all this, the ones who didn’t care about the attention or popularity. they cared about you. the real you.

“i’ve been focused on the wrong things,” you murmured, your voice quiet but steady. “i think i got lost in everything with haerin—but i shouldn’t have.”

“you don’t have to apologise,” yunjin said gently. “we get it. but don’t forget about us. don’t forget about what we’ve always done for you.”

you nodded, a heavy weight lifting off your chest. they were right. you hadn’t been thinking of them, of their support, of everything they had always been for you. but now, in this moment, you realised how much you had taken them for granted.

danielle’s voice brought you back to the present. “you don’t need to have it all figured out. just take a step back, breathe, and start with us. everything will be okay. you’ll see.”

you felt the corners of your mouth twitch into a small, genuine smile. it felt like the first time in a while that something didn’t feel so heavy. maybe it wasn’t about fixing everything all at once, but taking things one step at a time.

“thanks,” you said quietly. “i’m sorry for shutting you all out.”

“it’s okay,” hyein said with a soft smile. “we’re still here. always.”

danielle gave your hand one last squeeze. “and when you’re ready, haerin will be there too. i’m sure she still cares, y/n. but before you try to fix whatever miscommunication you have with her, you need to pick yourself up first. you need to focus on you, because that’s what matters right now. take care of yourself, and everything will fall into place.”

the mention of haerin made your heart twinge, but danielle’s words were clear. you couldn’t keep waiting for her to make a move. maybe you had to make your own first step, not just with haerin, but with yourself.

you met their eyes, and for once, you didn’t feel so lost. your friends saw you. really saw you. and for the first time in a long while, that was enough. maybe it was time to start seeing yourself again too.

and maybe, just maybe, when you were ready, things with haerin would work out too.

after a few weeks of observing the tension between you and haerin, danielle and hanni decided to grab a coffee together, hoping to talk things through and figure out what to do next. they sat at a small table, the hum of the café providing a comfortable background to their conversation.

“so, how’s y/n doing?” hanni asked, stirring her drink casually. she’d been noticing the shift in you too—the way you seemed more present lately, but still distant when it came to haerin.

danielle leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment before answering. “she’s better, i guess. a little more... herself, you know? not as withdrawn, but there’s still this underlying tension. y/n hasn’t forgotten about haerin. not by a long shot.”

“but she’s not actively thinking about her, either,” hanni observed. “it’s like... she’s in a better place, but still kinda stuck.”

“exactly.” danielle gave a small smile. “i told her to focus on herself first. she needed to get back to a place where she’s not defined by how everyone sees her. she’s doing better, but... i think there’s still some stuff she needs to work through.”

hanni frowned slightly, clearly deep in thought. “yeah... but haerin’s been pulling back too. she’s barely said anything about y/n lately. do you think y/n even notices that?”

“i’m sure she does,” danielle said, taking a sip of her coffee. “but y/n’s been avoiding haerin as much as haerin’s avoiding her. it’s like neither of them knows how to make the first move, but they both probably want to. they just don’t know how to get past the silence.”

hanni tapped her fingers on the table, her expression thoughtful. “i don’t know, dani. i think they’re both a little scared. it’s like they’ve convinced themselves it’s easier to just keep their distance than face whatever it is that’s standing between them.”

danielle nodded in agreement, looking out the window for a moment. “i get that. i told y/n that she needs to focus on herself first—on being okay without haerin. only then can she figure out if she wants to fix things with haerin or if it’s just too much now.”

“that’s smart,” hanni said, leaning forward with a grin. “you always know the right thing to say. so... do you think she’s ready for that? for talking to haerin again?”

“i think she’s getting there,” danielle replied, her voice soft but firm. “but it’s gonna take some time. she’s making progress, but it’s slow. it’s up to her to find the courage to fix things, not just with haerin, but with herself first. and i hope she gets there soon.”

hanni leaned back in her chair, looking over at danielle with a mischievous glint in her eye. “so... when do we make it happen?”

danielle laughed softly, shaking her head. “you’re not going to rush this, are you?”

“i mean,” hanni said, with a playful shrug, “they’re both just sitting there, waiting for the other to make a move. we can’t exactly push them, but... we could make it a little easier for them to see what they want.”

danielle chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “like... subtly, you mean?”

hanni grinned. “exactly. no one’s pushing anyone into anything. just a little... encouragement.”

danielle smiled, her tone warming. “i think that’s a good idea. they both need to realise that it’s okay to want this. and maybe... just maybe, it’ll give them the push they need.”

haerin had started noticing something she wasn’t sure she wanted to see: you slowly coming back to life. at first, it was just small things—laughing more easily with your friends, joining in on conversations, showing up more at events. the glow of your usual vibrancy, the thing that haerin had admired from the start, was beginning to return.

it was hard not to smile at the sight of it, knowing that you was still able to find joy, even after everything that had happened. but there was a sting in haerin’s chest every time she saw it. she didn’t want to admit it, but it hurt to see you so happy—happy without her. it made her wonder if, somehow, the kiss and everything that followed had faded into the past for you, a fleeting moment that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

haerin couldn’t help but feel like maybe she was being forgotten. you were surrounded by your friends, who adored you, who were always there to support you. but haerin? she seemed to be slowly disappearing from your world. the silence between the two of you was growing louder, and every time haerin tried to reach out—through a glance, a word, anything—it felt like you weren’t looking back anymore.

she had considered reaching out, countless times. but each time, something held her back. what could she say? how could she break the silence that had stretched on for so long? was it even right to reach out when you had been so distant? haerin told herself that she needed to respect your space, that she had no right to force herself into your life when things were so complicated. she didn’t want to make things worse, didn’t want to push you away further.

but the longer this silence dragged on, the more the uncertainty gnawed at haerin. she didn’t know what you were feeling, but she could feel the distance between you growing wider. and the worst part? haerin wasn’t sure if you even cared enough to fix things anymore.

hanni and minji, as usual, couldn’t ignore the tension in the air. they had always been the kind to tease, but their comments now had a sharper edge. haerin tried to laugh them off, but it was getting harder to pretend that everything was okay. the teasing started to feel less like fun and more like pressure. every time she looked over at you from across the room, she could practically hear their teasing echoes in the back of her mind.

one afternoon, while the three of them sat together, hanni casually dropped a bombshell that made haerin freeze in her tracks.

“you do realise she probably thinks you don’t like her, right?”

the words were so simple, yet they hit haerin like a tidal wave. she hadn’t even considered that, not once. all this time, she had been giving you space, afraid to overstep, afraid of making you feel suffocated. she hadn’t thought that her silence might be sending the exact wrong message. that you could be sitting there, wondering if haerin had forgotten about you, wondering if maybe the kiss hadn’t meant anything to her at all.

“wait... i never thought of it that way,” haerin murmured, her voice small, barely audible. she stared at the table, her hands suddenly feeling cold. “but... i don’t want to hurt her. i just—i didn’t know what to do.”

hanni and minji exchanged a look, their usual teasing smiles fading into something a little more serious. they could tell haerin was genuinely struggling, and it wasn’t hard to see that both haerin and you were caught in the same cycle of hesitation, unsure how to bridge the gap between them.

“you’ve got to talk to her,” minji said softly, her tone gentler than before. “you both need to figure this out, before it gets worse.”

but haerin just nodded absently, feeling her heart race. talking to you—was she ready for that? could she really break the silence without making things more awkward? all she knew was that, whatever she decided, she couldn’t keep pretending that nothing was wrong.

the café hummed with the quiet chatter of other patrons, the soft clink of cups and the low murmur of background music creating a cozy, familiar atmosphere. you sat at your usual corner table with your friends, a little less talkative than usual, your gaze flickering to the window every now and then. you felt like you were caught between two worlds—one that was more comfortable with your friends, and the other... still lingering with haerin, somewhere in the past.

the silence between sips of coffee felt heavier today, and finally, you broke it.

“i’ve been thinking,” you began, your voice tentative, “about talking to haerin. i mean... maybe i should just reach out, see if we can figure things out.”

the table went still. yunjin was the first to react, setting down her cup with a soft clink. her eyes studied you carefully, concern lining her features. “are you sure you’re ready for that?” she asked gently. “i know things have been a little... tense, and i don’t want you to feel like you have to do this just because it’s been a while.”

you fiddled with the sleeve of your sweater, looking down at the table for a moment before meeting yunjin’s eyes. “i don’t know. i guess it just feels like i can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine. things are... still kind of weird between us. i don’t want to keep carrying it around.”

hyein, who had been quietly watching you, leaned in slightly, her voice laced with a touch of hesitation. “so you’re thinking you’ll talk to her? like... now?”

“not right now,” you said quickly, shaking your head. “i don’t know... but soon, maybe. i just feel like i need to say something. it’s been so weird, and i don’t know how long i can just let it go.”

there was a long pause as yunjin and hyein exchanged looks. yunjin opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but hyein beat her to it, her tone thoughtful.

“i get it, i do. but... are you sure that’s what you want, y/n? to fix things with her? or are you just trying to get closure so you can move on?”

you paused, your gaze flickering to the window again, unsure of how to answer. “i think... it’s both. i just want to know where we stand. i don’t want to keep carrying this weight if it’s something i can fix.”

danielle, who had been quiet until then, leaned forward, her voice warm but steady. “y/n, if you think talking to her is what you need to do, then i say go for it. i think it’s been a long time coming. you’ve been through a lot, and you’ve been really strong about this. but sometimes, it’s okay to reach out. if you think it’ll help you feel better, then do it.”

you glanced up at danielle, her words ringing in your mind. for a moment, you felt a little lighter, but also a bit unsure. “do you really think it’s okay? like... i don’t want to make things worse, you know?”

“it’s not about making things worse,” danielle said with a gentle smile, her voice soft and understanding. “it’s about giving yourself the chance to find peace. if you’ve been holding onto this for so long, maybe it’s time to finally say what’s been left unsaid. don’t keep letting it weigh you down.”

yunjin nodded slowly, though still cautious. “i get that. just... are you sure that now is the right time?”

“whenever you’re ready, it’ll be the right time,” danielle replied firmly. “there’s no rush, but don’t let fear stop you. if you’re feeling like you need to make the move, then do it. you’ve spent enough time focusing on everything else. maybe now is the time to focus on you—and whatever happens with haerin, it’ll work out as it’s supposed to.”

you sat back in your chair, feeling a little overwhelmed, but in a good way. the weight of the decision felt lighter, but still present. the silence stretched for a beat before you spoke again, this time with a little more certainty in your voice.

“i think... i think i’ll do it. i’ll talk to her. soon.”

there was a quiet moment as yunjin and hyein looked at each other, and then both of them gave small nods, though there was still a hint of hesitation in their eyes. “just make sure you’re really ready,” yunjin said softly. “you’ve been through a lot. don’t do anything unless it’s what you really want.”

you nodded, feeling the weight of your friends' concern but also their support. “i will. i’ll make sure it’s what i need.”

danielle leaned back in her chair, her eyes soft and understanding. “good. you don’t need to rush it. just... take your time, but don’t let this sit in your heart forever. it’s okay to go after what you need, y/n. even if it’s a little scary.”

you smiled, more to yourself than anyone else, the idea of talking to haerin suddenly feeling less daunting. “thanks, dani. i think i needed to hear that.”

“anytime,” danielle replied with a wink. “just... do what feels right for you. and when you’re ready, talk to her. but remember, you’ve got us. you’re not alone in this.”

there was a small pause, and then you sighed, feeling a sense of relief, even though the uncertainty still lingered. “i think... i think i’ll be okay. thanks, guys.”

yunjin smiled softly, squeezing your hand. “of course. we’ve got your back.”

as the conversation turned to lighter topics, you couldn’t help but feel a small sense of peace settle over you. you didn’t know what would come of talking to haerin, but you knew you had the support of your friends, and for now, that was enough. maybe it was time to take that first step, not just toward haerin, but toward something that felt like moving forward.

the school bell rang, the last one of the day. the hallways were crowded with the rush of everyone scrambling to pack up their bags and head home. the air was thick with the sound of shoes clicking against the floor and the bustle of excited chatter as people walked out of the building, eager to escape the day.

haerin stepped outside. the moment she stepped into the open air, she felt it—the rain. not just a drizzle, but a downpour, cold and heavy. she didn’t have an umbrella, and for a split second, she cursed herself for not checking the forecast. as she stood there, watching the rain blur the world around her, the people around her quickly unfurled their umbrellas, shielding themselves from the rain.

she stayed under the cover of the school’s entrance, waiting, hoping the rain would let up soon. but it didn’t. not even slightly. it was one of those rains that made you rethink your choices, and haerin stood there, feeling the frustration build inside her. she was waiting for something, anything, to change the stillness of the moment.

as she watched people bustle by with their umbrellas, her eyes caught a familiar figure. you were walking across the courtyard, your umbrella above you, and as soon as haerin saw you, it felt like a wave of relief washed over her, even though she wasn’t sure why.

you noticed her too, your gaze catching hers as you approached. she didn’t have to wait long before you were standing in front of her, the rain pouring down heavily around you both. you didn’t hesitate, your umbrella now wide open as you moved closer to her.

"do you not check the weather forecast or something?" you joked, your tone playful, but there was something underneath it. something unspoken.

haerin looked at you for a moment, feeling the weight of your words hang between you. haerin’s expression was soft, the smallest of smiles tugging at her lips. there was a tension, a kind of silent understanding, but neither of you was ready to address it yet. she felt herself pull away slightly, but your offer, your gesture, felt like a chance—a chance to finally talk, to finally clear the air.

“you should’ve brought an umbrella, you know,” you said quietly, the smile on your face slipping into something more serious. “it’s best if we walk and talk, right?”

there it was. the invitation. not just for the walk, but for the conversation that both of you knew was overdue. the sound of the rain was loud around you, but somehow, the silence between you and haerin was louder. you could feel the weight of it, like an invisible wall that neither of you knew how to break.

haerin didn’t reply right away, but after a second, she stepped forward, gliding beside you as you both walked into the rain. your umbrella hovered between the two of you, keeping you both dry, though you were leaning into each other just a little more than usual, like it was something that needed to happen.

the tension between you two was palpable at first, but it softened as you walked in silence for a while. the raindrops splashed against the pavement beneath your feet, and it felt like the world had quieted down just for the two of you.

as you walked together, the distance between you started to feel less about physical space and more about everything that had been left unsaid. “i guess we really do need to talk,” you said softly, the words finally breaking through the tension.

haerin glanced at you, her gaze unsure but warm. “yeah. we do.” her voice was barely above the sound of the rain, but there was something in the way she said it that made you feel like she meant it. like she was ready.

"i’ve missed this," you said softly, voice just above a whisper. "us. talking. being... together."

haerin glanced at you, her eyes warm but guarded. "me too. but... we’ve been avoiding each other, haven’t we?"

you sighed, your fingers tightening around the handle of the umbrella. “yeah. i’ve been so... confused. i didn’t know what to say. or how to fix things.”

"it’s not about fixing anything, y/n," haerin murmured, her voice just a little strained. “it’s about understanding, about... figuring out why we both acted like this.”

you nodded, feeling a knot in your stomach. "i just... i didn’t want to lose you. but i think i’ve been holding on to all the wrong things. and you probably feel the same."

haerin looked at you then, her gaze soft but steady. she didn’t say anything for a while, and you both walked side by side, each step bringing you closer to something you hadn’t been sure you were ready to face.

as you walked through the rain, the two of you close together under the same umbrella, the weight of everything that had been left unsaid slowly began to lift. there was a soft kind of tension in the air, but also an undeniable sense that things were finally on the verge of changing.

"i don't know what happened between us," haerin murmured after a few minutes, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. "but i felt like i had to give you space, y/n. i didn’t want to crowd you, especially after everything that happened. after the festival… i didn’t know how to act."

you nodded, your own thoughts swirling in a mix of confusion and guilt. "i thought… i thought you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. i didn’t see you at the painting unveiling, and i guess i took it as a sign you were done with me."

haerin’s gaze flickered to you, and you could see the realization hit her. she stopped walking for a moment, looking down at the pavement before glancing back at you, her expression filled with something soft, vulnerable.

"i wasn't avoiding you, y/n. i just thought… maybe i was overwhelming you. maybe you needed time. but i should’ve known better. i should’ve reached out. i’m sorry."

the words hung in the air between you two, and it felt like an unspoken weight had been lifted. you both stood there, drenched from the rain but finally able to breathe a little easier.

"i should’ve reached out too," you replied, your voice thick with sincerity. "i didn’t mean to push you away. it’s just… with everything happening around me, i didn’t know how to deal with my own feelings. and the kiss… i couldn’t even explain it."

haerin looked at you, her expression softening even more. "you kissed me. and it wasn’t just a kiss. it felt like something… real. and i didn’t know how to handle that. i guess i was scared too." she sighed, her fingers brushing through her wet hair before she continued. "but i think i understand now. that kiss wasn’t just some impulsive thing. it was you telling me something. telling me you cared. and i guess i needed that more than i realised."

you stopped walking, turning to face her fully, your heart pounding. "is it really so unbelievable that i just... wanted to kiss you?" you asked, suddenly feeling incredibly shy. your face flushed as you looked at her, hoping she didn’t see the nervousness in your eyes.

haerin blinked in surprise before her lips curled into a soft, affectionate smile. her eyes were gentle, as if she understood everything you were trying to convey without you needing to say another word. "no. it’s not unbelievable. i just… i guess i was too caught up in my own fears to see it."

you looked at her, your blush deepening as her gaze softened. "i didn’t know if you felt the same, haerin. i didn’t know if you wanted me to kiss you."

haerin’s eyes softened, a tender smile forming on her lips. "you’ve always been my inspiration," she said quietly. "every time i play, it’s like the piano brings me closer to you. whenever i touch those keys, it’s like your presence is in every note. you inspire me to play more passionately. you’ve been with me in every song, even when you weren’t around. you’re like a fine melody—everyone hears it, but only i get to play it. only i know it."

you stood there, taking in her words. it was the most poetic thing anyone had ever said to you, and it made your heart swell with warmth. "i think it’s a little obvious, but you’re my inspiration too," you admitted shyly, your voice barely a whisper. "everything i do, every painting i make… you’re always in it. and i never wanted to admit it, but the butterflies still don’t go away when i’m around you"

her eyes widened slightly, but the soft, shy smile never left her face.

"not even in the rain?" she whispered back, her voice filled with something so pure it made your chest ache with affection.

“not even in the rain,” you repeated. you looked at her, completely immersed in her words and presence. the moment felt like a soft, steady rhythm, and everything around you seemed to fade into the background.

"your performance for me," you said quietly, the memory of the intimate moment you shared in the music room coming back to you. "it was… amazing. so personal. it was like you were telling me everything without saying a word. it made me feel seen, haerin."

her cheeks flushed slightly at your words, but she just shook her head, her eyes sparkling with sincerity. "it was only for you. because you’re the only one who truly listens. the piano… it’s my way of showing how i feel, of expressing everything i can’t put into words."

you both stood there for a while, in the rain, just taking it all in. there were no more walls between you two, no more distance. everything felt open, and though the rain soaked you both to the bone, neither of you cared. you had finally reached a place where the silence was no longer uncomfortable. it was peaceful, knowing that you both felt the same way.

"i’m glad we talked," you said softly, smiling shyly at haerin. "i don’t think i could have gone on without knowing where we stood."

haerin smiled back, a tender warmth in her eyes. "me neither. and i’m glad it’s us, y/n. we’ll figure everything out together."

you nodded, feeling more at peace than you had in a long time. "together," you repeated, your voice a little more sure than it had been before.

the rain continued to pour, but you both knew that this moment was the beginning of something beautiful, something real. you walked for what felt like hours, the rain showing no signs of stopping, but you didn’t care. neither of you did. you were too wrapped up in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence, the absence of words speaking more than anything either of you could say.

after a while, you realised that you’d somehow walked all the way back to your place, your house looming in front of you. haerin didn’t seem to realise it either, her attention focused entirely on the conversation and, you imagined, on you.

"i... i guess this is where i live," you said softly, feeling a little silly for stating the obvious.

haerin looked around, surprised. "oh. i didn’t realise we walked this far."

you both reached the front door, seeking shelter from the rain. the downpour was relentless, the sound of it hitting the ground surrounding you both. you hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say next, the atmosphere thick with unspoken feelings.

you couldn’t help but smile back, the tension easing just a little. “you can come in, if you want. i mean, i’m not going anywhere, and... it’s still raining pretty heavily.”

haerin shook her head, offering a small smile in return. "i can’t. i should go home."

"are you sure?" you asked, your heart thudding in your chest. "it’s raining pretty heavily, haerin."

she glanced at the umbrella in your hand, then at you, a small, almost apologetic smile on her lips. "i’ll be fine. but... can i take the umbrella?"

"of course," you said, your voice quiet. "but... stay safe, alright?" you continued, the words coming out before you could stop them. but there was something in your voice, something deeper, that made haerin pause.

she nodded, giving you a soft smile. "thanks, y/n. i’ll be okay."

you stood there, watching as she turned to walk away, your heart suddenly heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. she was walking away, and you were standing there, feeling like something wasn’t quite right.

as she walked away, you stayed rooted in place, watching her disappear into the rain. there was something about this moment, about everything, that made you feel like the distance between you both couldn’t be bridged. your heart suddenly heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. she was walking away, and you were standing there, feeling like something wasn’t quite right. the weight of it all, the way she walked away, the fact that you were still standing there, unsure of what to do next, made you feel lost.

"wait! haerin!" you called out, your voice almost lost to the sound of the rain.

you quickly stepped out from under the cover, the rain soaking you immediately. your heart was pounding in your chest, a mix of fear and something more intense—something that made you want to chase her down, to stop her before she could disappear completely.

when you reached her, you were breathless, drenched through, but you didn’t care.

"you’re amazing, haerin," you blurted out, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. "you’re so... real. you don’t let anything get in your way, and i’ve just been... i don’t know, scared,” you said, your voice trembling with a sincerity you couldn’t hide. “i’ve been scared to tell you everything, to tell you how much you mean to me. but i can’t stand this distance anymore. i want to be with you. i don’t want to lose you. i just—i need you to know how much you mean to me."

haerin was still, her expression softening as she watched you, a flicker of something in her eyes. for a long moment, you both stood there, letting the rain fall around you, feeling the intensity of the moment but not knowing what to do with it.

finally, you spoke again, the words slipping out before you could stop them. "can i kiss you?"

there was no hesitation in haerin’s gaze. she simply nodded, her eyes closing for a brief second, as if to gather herself.

you didn’t wait any longer. in one quick motion, you leaned in, and the kiss was everything. soft and gentle, but there was so much wrapped up in it. everything you hadn’t said. everything you had been too afraid to admit. and in that moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. all that mattered was you and her, and the way your heart was finally in sync with hers.

when you pulled away, the silence between you wasn’t awkward. it was calm, full of understanding, of something new beginning. you were both soaked, the cold water soaking through your clothes, but none of it mattered.

“i think i’m going to be okay,” you whispered, your voice barely audible above the rain.

haerin smiled softly, her eyes shining brighter than ever, a warmth that cut through the storm. "me too," she whispered back.

#bombikki 彡☆#newjeans #newjeans x reader #newjeans haerin #haerin x reader #kang haerin x reader

473 notes · View notes

meganegatari · 11 months ago

Note

heh.. okay, so you asked for different.. rubs hands together villaniously as i materialize from the bottomless shadows..

sub!vampire!ellie biting/bloodsucking denial.. reminding her how much of a good girl she needs to be even when your wrist is practically just brushing past her lips to cradle her face.. or when the weakest bead of blood is pricked from your finger.. flaunting it.. teasing.. goddess bless throw in whatever else you see fit freakmaster

TEMPTATION WAITS

before you read! ▪︎ my masterlist ☆: co-president...this is absolutely divine...shoulda seen the way i dropped everything for this im literally #TWEAKING. new fav thing i've ever written methinks. title song. (vibes aren't there but the title was too good.) ps: if you spot any typos i wrote this with one hand. KIDDING...or am i? divider creds—cafekitsune. ◇: not outright smut, but still suggestive!! and nsfw is described. fluffy end bc i think she earned it, lore sprinkled in because why nawt it's interesting, finger sucking (e! receiving), this is maybe a lil ooc idrc, she's described as looking quite ill in her vampiric form + begs like her century long life depends on it fr, (but also has a bit of an attitude, it issss ellie after all), mean!r, talk of blood/previous bite wounds. ++ 3.3k wc. doesn't need to be that long but atp? take it or leave it LOLL. filing under "oneshots" bc it's way more than usual reqs hehe.

“Please, baby. Just one taste. I'll do anything.” Desperate, shaky pleas spilled from Ellie, her voice noticeably tired from the effort. She's been at this for what felt like forever now, and you were getting tired of ignoring her. Or rather, a little bored.

She was kneeling on the wooden floor by your bed, fisting the creased sheets, trying to capture your attention. The shimmering moonlight was dancing on her features as if it was a sparkle of fireflies, making her oddly colored eyes appear to glow, and highlighting her sickly appearance.

In her vampiric form, her skin was tinted a ghostly—even chalky—white, barely a smidgen of blush dancing on the apples of her cheeks. Her eyes shifted from their original grassy green to a peculiar duochrome blend of emerald and ruby. She really looked unwell, but you knew it was merely a product of circumstance, her gloomy fate.

Ellie donned somber dark circles around her eyes, her lips withered, pale, and thin as a piece of tissue paper. Just behind them though, rested two deadly weapons of her very own—sizeable, razor-sharp, gleaming ivory canines reflecting the scarce lighting as if they were made of mirrored glass.

For the first time tonight, you met her gaze, assuming an unbreakable poker face. Her keen sight could pick out the most subtle of twitches, so you learned to defeat that. The moment you met her line of sight she perked up, her eyes widening in glee, you had finally acknowledged her existence after so long.

Scooting forward you placed yourself right in front of her still kneeling form, sitting so she was in between your legs, but she wasn't allowed to touch you until you said so. What torture.

She began again, “Can I do something to make you change your mind? I'll do anything. Anything in the world. I'll make you feel re-really good, and then I won't ask again…ever even, if that's what you want. Just please let me…I'm so thirsty.” She was rambling a million miles a minute, slurring her words and cutting herself off with hiccups, stuttering like was having a nervous breakdown.

Her chest heaving up and down was visible to you despite the dim surroundings, and you could just make out her facial expression—a pained grimace, as if she was experiencing all of humanity's greatest suffering. When you didn't reply but stayed observing her blankly, she sighed and hung her head in shame, you almost felt bad. Almost.

You extend a hand, twirling a strand of her hair—previously silky and vibrant, now as lifeless and dull as charred hay—and you feel her relax under your touch. You continue raking your fingers through her locks, scratching her scalp with your nails, and you hear her exhale forcefully. She's likely overwhelmed by your scent—it's invigorating, fresh, and full of life.

“Have you been good?” You pipe up with a voice colder than ice, softly caressing the flesh of her tense cheek, and letting your fingertips travel to the underside of her chin. You gently tilt her head up, noticing the way her eyelids flutter to a close. She's soaking up the heat radiating off of you, making sure to feel the sensations of your skin brush against hers as much as she can, commit them to memory for when she's apart from you.

Her lips part, allowing for hushed, woeful whimpers to pour out, and she instinctively bites her bottom lip to quiet herself. Only she forgets about the powerful daggers in her mouth, and almost pierces right through her own skin.

Taking notice, you tut at her, warning clicks of your tongue bouncing off the room’s walls, contrasting the dead of night’s eerie silence. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You push the pad of your thumb down on the plush of her lip, angling her jaw side to side, examining those killer gnashers she's got.

“You could hurt yourself with these y'know, be careful.” Her eyelids flicker open, she's staring up at you with the biggest doe eyes she could muster, somehow all while maintaining such a strong glare you feel as if she's trying to challenge you.

“I'll decide if you can have some, as long as you're good, and you let me have some fun first. Alright?” You explain in a neutral tone, earning a cute “mhm” of confirmation from the undead being before you. “Good girl.”

You slowly slip your thumb into her mouth, avoiding her fangs at all costs, and you let her wrap her slippery tongue around your digit, watching how her cheeks hollow and her eyes roll ever so slightly while she sucks, moaning as she takes in your taste—nothing more than just skin.

You chuckle at her desperation, revel in the power dynamic you have created. “Mmm, you taste so good, so sweet.” She mumbles, swirling her tongue around your thumb, coating the entirety of it in her spit. You allow it for now, but soon enough, to no surprise, she slyly tries to shift to the side in preparation to slice you and get her treat.

You sharply retract your hands from her, removing your finger from her mouth with a pop, disappointed by her greed, her audacity. She turns to the side and pouts, huffing and rolling her eyes with more attitude than a moody teen. “What did I say?” You calmly hiss at her. She whispers, almost inaudibly, “Sorry…taste so good, can't help m’self.” Her voice wavered, and the moonlight illuminated the faintest tinge of red across her features, it was nearly invisible.

But you could tell exactly what was up. She shifts uncomfortably in her spot, grunting with laughable, pitiful attempts to rub her thighs together, fingers toying with the cloth of her pants, putting her frustration on full display. You looked at her struggle, unable to contain your grin.

It was a different kind of high, seeing such a feared and fabled beast kneel before you in such a pathetic manner, but it turned you on like nothing else. It was also evident she enjoyed it as well, no matter how much she didn't want you to be aware of the fact. The extent to which she worships you and handles your body, the way she was willing to beg and let you order her around showed just how much you meant to her—it was beautiful in its own way, how devoted she was to you. You were her person.

The fact she couldn't stifle her desire anymore after all this time suggested a shift in the atmosphere of your wicked games, the tension in the air was getting impossibly thicker, and you were loving every second of it.

Ellie, you've got a short memory.” You tease, then gesture to the gauze wrapped around your forearm, protecting two puncture wounds left by none other than her just the previous night. She looks at it and cocks an eyebrow, grouching, “Yeah, I see that, what about it?” The husky edge to her voice had returned, the defiant attitude you loved to crack was back in full force.

“Hundreds of years old, you even have memories of wars, and you can't remember what happened, like, 24 hours ago? Wow…” Your voice is so patronizing, it's unpleasant and abrasive on the ears, even your own. She shrugs her shoulders, still kneeling on the cold, hard ground at your mercy. “Well let's have a refresher then, shall we?” Tearing the tan-colored bandage apart with a single rip, you reveal the puncture marks—they were still wet and irritated, the wounds reopening immediately at the slightest movement.

Ellie whines like an animal, a crude “ahh”, and she starts pleading harder than ever. “Please, baby, my pretty, my angel, please, please, pleasepleaseplease, just lemme have a drop, just one. That's all, I swear.” Her gaze darkens exponentially, if you didn't know her it would instill fear in your heart, but luckily you were well aware of all her tricks. She snarls, “Fuck you. I'm literally on my fucking knees right now. Why are you doing this?” Her voice breaks angrily, wobbling with great lust and need—the need to have you, the need to drink you and fondle you and taste you in all senses of the word, and at this point she didn't seem to care about preserving a morsel of her dignity, she was simply so drunk on you, you couldn't believe.

You reiterate the previously established explanation, “We have an agreement that says you're allowed to take my blood once a month, so you can have some more each time. Rather than taking a little bit but more often, you requested this yourself. And you already drank lots yesterday. Does that not ring a bell?”

She groans, a gravelly, guttural sound that had you coming back to your senses and realizing, this was technically, a monster who you loved so dearly.

It led you to wonder—to her kind, what was so special about the liquid coursing through your veins?

When you split your lip open as a kid, clumsily tumbling face-first onto the asphalt, or bit your tongue while eating something stubborn, the strange, metallic taste was purely disgusting. It had a certain heaviness to it, both physically with the way it sat in your mouth, but also mentally. Like a subconscious awareness you were not meant to consume it like she does, but to spit it out the millisecond it made contact with your taste buds. There were times where the thought made you queasy, the measly knowledge of just how much of this fluid was inside you, keeping you alive.

But to her, it was a completely different story. She lapped it up with such fervor, such thirst you've never seen before. A sloppy frenzy like there wasn't a single thing more delightfully flavorful.

Her teeth penetrating all the way through your epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, and straight through the vein wall was a feeling you're likely never going to get used to. It stung, it really did, and you were quick to get all woozy from the blood volume loss, but Ellie knew your limits—even though hers were not even close. Her thirst was insatiable.

The intimacy of the act was a whole separate topic to think about too. It was such an erotic experience, and when probed about it she argues it's better than sex, somehow. When she drinks from you, Ellie is really messy with it, you noticed. Blood dribbles down her chin and stains her lips as if it's a designer lip oil, the distinct deep maroon color sometimes appearing clownish and too intense against her fair complexion.

She was really handsy as well, and you weren't sure if it was purposeful, but you didn't care to ask because you didn't really mind in the first place. It felt nice. Her muscular hands tend to trace your waist as she's suckling, hovering by your ass, and traveling north to knead the supple tissue of your breasts.

And how could you forget about the sheer proximity of it all, even when having sex normally, it didn't feel nearly as intimate or vulnerable as this. Her body would be tightly curled around yours, she couldn't bear to have one meager square inch of her not touching you.

When she drank from your neck, it was bordering on heavenly, you had to be honest with yourself. There was something about the combination of the light headed, dizzying feeling it brought you, her closeness, the licking sensations, and the hungry sounds she produced that all together mixed to form nothing short of a mind blowing, intoxicating concoction.

When you both were feeling it, she'd be able to draw breathy moans to fall from your lips, and would giggle into your skin before sucking harder, leaving bruised marks surrounding the punctures. You read in some folklore that vampires carried a sort of aphrodisiac in their fangs, or was it their saliva? Again, you didn't really know all the details, but the sessions made you both yearn for each other in a way that felt taboo to discuss—midnight feedings often turning into animalistic fucking, sometimes even simultaneously.

Like having Ellie latched onto the side of your neck while she grinds her dripping pussy onto yours, her pleasureful mewls filling your ears, or having her hold your wrist to her mouth while her other hand is pleasuring you into oblivion, prodding against your spongy walls, making your head spin.

The time you spent lost in thought, she had broken the rule of not touching you unless you said so, but all she had done was rest her head on your knee, zoning out, sulking like an injured puppy. Unfortunately for her, you weren't done torturing her just yet. You didn't move her off of you, she was just laying there, grumbling curses under her breath, saying how mean you were, how much she despised you and everything you stood for, although both of you knew the truth—she had said herself, “I've never tasted blood like yours,” and you felt intrinsically bound to her on a subconscious level, these were mere amusements you indulged in, that ended up beneficial for both.

She got her delicious elixir of life, at the cost of you having your way with her for a bit. You hear her sniffle, the little defenseless sound of defeat was able to break your act.

You resume stroking her hair, and she wraps trembling arms around your thigh. “Hmm?” You coo, putting on a sweet facade. “Don't talk to me like that, c'mon man.” She wails, the attempts to regain control over her voice proving unsuccessful.

You took your nails to the newly formed raspberry scabs on top of your bite wounds and picked them off, and she lunges to grab your arm with inhuman reflexes, but once again you emerge on top, having spent so much time memorizing every last one of her behavioral patterns, so much so you knew exactly how she was going to attempt catching you and moved out the way without thinking about it.

“Too slow, you've gotten predictable.” You ridicule her, embellishing your voice with the most fake, sickly sweet tone you could just to irritate her as much as you possibly could. Ellie lays her head on your thigh, sighing. It's like she's given everything up. Her own patience was running out, potentially entering unpredictable territory now.

You squeeze the sides of the hole in your skin to coax a bubble of bright red blood to ooze out, marveling, “It's such a nice color, I see why you like it so much.” You talk to her coolly, ignoring her tearful, yet terrifyingly rage-filled glares, her massive fangs bared as if you were a prey animal she caught herself and was preparing to rip apart.

“Want a taste, Ellie? Have you earned it?” You think out loud, comically tapping your chin to exaggerate the brainstorming act. “Whatever, it's not like I have anything left to say to you.” She sounded heartbroken, you've never seen someone have such sorrow, the sheer misery behind her eyes actually caught you off guard.

"Okay I think you have earned it, just need you to say one more thing.” She nods, a little too quickly, rushing to catch any tears that were planning an escape route down the sides of her pretty face. You cradle her cheek, brushing your thumb against her skin, “Aw, baby, don't cry.” This time however, your tone is sincere.

She doesn't wait for your request, and starts all over again, this is getting old. “I promise everything. I'll make you feel so good, I'll give you whatever you want, please …you're too sweet.” She huffs, “Well, except when you're not.”

She continues mumbling, burying her face in the meat of your thigh, occasionally stopping to lovingly peck where she was laying, quiet smooching sounds. That really melted your heart, you were ready to give her what she needs after so much cruelty. This went on much longer than you had planned, but you were having fun with it. So you decided to abandon whatever you would ask of her. But could anyone blame you?

She slowly reaches for your wounded arm, gauging your reactions, like in the situation you were planning to do something to prevent her, but you come up with a better idea. “I'll do you one even better, Els.” The grin that envelops her face could light up a thousand suns, and melt the coldest of souls. Make vampire hunters quit their careers even, that's how adorable she could be, on the occasion.

You lean back to take your shirt off in one swift motion, and lay back on the edge of the bed, tilting your neck to give her access to the sweet pulsating spot, finding the droplet of drool that falls from her agape mouth utterly hilarious. “Go ahead, I've had my fun.” She hesitates. “But our agreement, I don't wanna hurt you.” “Ellie it's fine, unless you don't want t-” “No I do I do, oh thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you so muchhhh.”

Her gratitude is silly, she's straddling you and kissing all over your neck, face, and collarbones with such care, and you inhale sharply once you feel the familiar sensation of her teeth piercing your sensitive skin.

She has one hand on the nape of your neck, holding you close to her so you couldn't move away, and the other one finds your fingers to intertwine with hers, loud gulping noises filling the room as she messily laps up all that flows from you.

Her bony hips are sat atop your pelvis, and soon enough you feel her start absentmindedly rocking back and forth on you, your breath hitching. You hold her waist to ground yourself, and aid her. She's whispering, mostly to herself, “Fuck that's so fucking good, needed this so bad, need you, fuck- shit. Ah, yes.”

The vertiginous feeling swirls in your head and you feel yourself fading, your grip on her sides loosening, but you don't feel one single ounce of panic, because you know she's got you. No matter what, until the end of time. Or at the very least, until the final bells tolled and you were lowered to your eternal resting place six feet underground.

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