#kihyun interaction

[pillowxtalk]

"Are we really doing this? Are we really slow-dancing?" (from Jesse to Kihyun)

"I can feel your arms wrapped around me clearly and I can feel your heartbeat against mine too... so yes we really are slow dancing." Kihyun said followed by a soft chuckle, which was a sign that the closeness made him a bit nervous. But it was the good kind of nervous and the kind of nervous he was fine with it. The two of them were alone in the living room of the dorm the young male shared with his members. And the music wasn't too loud so the other's sleep wouldn't get interrupted. And that was why he would keep enjoying the moment he shared with Jesse. "And now you have to twirl me around." Kihyun teased and a more mischievous grin curled up his lips.

[babieken]

This might be controversial, but i dont think kihyun HAD to do that. but He CHOSE to do it (apologize) and i think he was wrong.

[sandiegokpop]

The way I'm crying over Kiho today.

[cryforlovc]

"¿puedo pasar?" pregunta despacio, en otras circunstancias podría estar seguro que su presencia es bienvenida en hogar ajeno pero hoy no lo está... por su propia culpa, por supuesto. "quiero disculparme por lo de anoche," suspira, "¿podemos hablar?" le tomo unos minutos incluso reunir el suficiente coraje para tocar a puerta ajena y afrontar las consecuencias de sus actos; el lastimar a su novie y formar una grieta en su relación. / * @zombics

[sorryimananti-romantic]

The Leaders | Chapter IV

"this is the underworld that no one escapes from."

masterlist

ot8!ateez x f!reader, mafia au

chapter warnings: drinking, illegal businesses, mentions of violence, war/military and weapons, almost car accident, maknaes are finally introduced! wholesome interactions with the maknaes, hongjoong is the unintentional tease, yunho is the intentional tease, yeosang is the oblivious tease.

chapter wc: 12k

chapter synopsis: you accompany hongjoong to the station and meet inspector gong in regards to a drug case. you plant baits and grab lunch at the bar with hongjoong. hongjoong convinces you to become his secretary with words of affirmation. you finally go to meet the rest of the crescents at the warehouse but a sudden attack makes you wonder if you’re worth all the trouble you’ll bring the crescents, though yunho is there to make you feel better.

prev chapter recap: yunho verifies with kihyun that secretary park is not the man for their new deal. hongjoong notices how secretary park is not surprised to hear that they are aware of his dealings with foreigners– with strictland. he makes the connection and realises that you are the illegitimate daughter of secretary park. no longer having to hide your identity, you candidly discuss with yunho about the strictland nuclear base and who might be involved if it’s presumably inactive status is a lie. you start to handle the illegal side of the business as well and one night, save yunho from an attack which ends up shifting your relationship with him. he overwhelms and confuses you with his casual manner and you go find solace in yeosang’s office (and arms).

With Jihoon away on business at the Sector 1 port, accompanying Seonghwa to oversee the illegal departure of Black Shadow to Mist Island, the midday slot was packed with just you and Eunha to take care of the reports and to deal with the aftermath of the police’s initial investigation after receiving a false tip about drug dealing. You confirmed that the Crescents were not involved but the damage has been done. Apparently, some inspectors had always been on the Crescent’s tail, ready to catch them in the act, waiting for a chance to see the Crescent’s slip. While it was frustrating to hear that the police weren’t doing their job properly, your annoyance only magnified when you learned that they were demanding that one of the Crescents visit the station to clear things up. 

Since Yunho was occupied at the port with Seonghwa, making sure the illegal shipment left Eden waters safe and unnoticed, that left Hongjoong in the office and San and Yeosang at the bar. Hongjoong decided that he needed to set the record straight with the police and decided to use this opportunity to shift their attention elsewhere. With a clear plan in his head, he exited his room and spotted you working alongside Eunha. 

And when your gaze connected with his, you found him already pointing his finger in your direction.

“You. You’re coming with me.”

You frowned in confusion, pointing at yourself and he nodded in confirmation, ordering ‘downstairs in 2 minutes!’, before disappearing down the stairs, leaving you to process the command on your own.

“Just go– I’ll take care of this,” Eunha assured you and you took a deep breath, grabbed your net gloves and coat, and made your way downstairs. The boss was already at the door waiting with his umbrella– it was raining quite heavily outside. You picked your own from the stand by the doorway, hurriedly getting inside his car that was already at the front of the office– the latest Bentley model befitting the boss of the Crescent Company. Taeyong, Hongjoong’s bodyguard, was driving and he greeted the two of you. 

“We’re going to the station, by the way,” Hongjoong told you when you got comfortable and you appreciated that he gave you a heads-up. “There’s still someone on our case and I have to talk to a certain inspector anyway. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.”

“Right. Are you sure you have to go personally?” You asked. “I mean… if it’s not necessary someone else could go in your stead?”

“Inspector Gong only seems to listen to me,” Hongjoong scoffed, looking outside at the pattering rain. There seemed to be an old connection with the inspector, but then again, the Crescents probably knew every single person who lived at least in Sector 1. Your brows quirked at the familiar name. Where had you heard it? 

“I’m thinking I might point him towards General Wi,” Hongjoong continued, this time locking eyes with you. “If he starts investigating in that direction, it should eventually lead him to Secretary Park.”

“It’s quite easy to silence someone though– especially a cop. Their loyalty lies with money,” you reminded him. “I’ve seen officers give in to as little as 60 krodus.”

You had personally witnessed your brother Sunghoon bribe an officer who caught him smoking some drugs in a deserted alley. That was when you started to keep tabs on your brother, hoping to find his weakness. Instead, you found him handing that little amount with a  pat to the officer. You tried to justify it– perhaps, the officer needed to buy a good meal for his children, but your respect for officers significantly declined afterwards.

“Not all of them,” Hongjoong smirked. “Inspector Gong’s morals seem to be his downfall.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” you shifted your focus to Hongjoong. “For the leader of a criminal organisation, you’re quite a man of morals yourself.”

Hongjoong considered that, his brow arching as he hummed in response. “What exactly did an Edenary citizen think Ateez was?”

“Not so organised, for starters,” you admitted and he shook his head in amusement. “More like a street gang?”

“We were once a street gang,” Hongjoong confirmed. “Just like Kihyun’s gang. You’re very familiar with them– was it a surprise that we operate like them?”

“Well, I never got to hear much about their street gang period before they became a respectable organisation,” you replied. “I’ve always just known them to be owners of MX Pharmaceuticals. Crescent, however…”

“Let’s hear what’s on your mind,” Hongjoong urged you to continue when he noticed that you were restraining yourself from saying more. “Come on, I’ve been called worse than ‘a man with morals’.”

“Just never expected you to have some really strict ones, that’s all I’m saying,” you raised your hands in surrender. “It’s kind of admirable. And you’re also really misunderstood.”

“Or maybe you’ve only seen the good parts yet. Ever wonder about that?” 

Well, you thought. That was one way to put it. You dared a look at the boss who was fiddling with his pocket watch– a golden little thing with an hourglass etched on its cover. He caught you staring at it and smiled. 

“Do you want to know who gave me this watch?” Hongjoong asked and you blinked in surprise at the question– you both had rarely ever talked outside of work so this was new. You nodded in answer, genuinely wanting to hear the story behind this watch because it seemed to be a part of his personality.

“I was a part of Major General Wi’s squad during the war,” he said and a surprised ‘oh’ erupted from your mouth as your brain tried to connect the dots. “During the war, I had to let go of a lot of things to think like a true strategist. I had to consider every option and not let sentiments waver me. A lot of decisions that I made during that time cost us lives. I may have been honoured in the end because every decision I made was for the ‘greater good’, but if I was a man of morals, Luna, I would have done things a bit differently.”

For a few moments, you let the familiar pitter-patter of the rain fill the silence of the car following Hongjoong’s admission. You recalled what Kihyun had said about Ateez. Children of war. They had to let their innocence go when they got drafted due to the ‘over-17’ law that ensured all capable individuals over the age of 17 served in the war. They were only teenagers when they went to the war, to fight for their land, but when they returned…

“Is that why you keep your watch with you?” You finally asked. “To remind yourself that you’re not all that moral?”

“Kind of,” Hongjoong shrugged nonchalantly.

“I think it could also be a reminder that you are aware of the fact that you made those decisions. Do they keep you up at night?”

“Often,” he admitted with a slow but sure nod. There was no shame in admitting that the horrors of war kept you up at night when everyone had experienced the same. 

“That’s a good sign,” you told him. “Because some of the elites who controlled the tides of war at the backend, who are the real reason Eden lost so many lives… they sleep like babies at night. They carry no remorse or guilt. And my moral compass says that those kinds of humans are no different than animals.”

The boss nodded slowly. He knew that it was true but hearing those words from you somehow left a warm, tingling sensation through his chest. 

You noticed how he zoned out and let him be until you spotted the station. “We’re here,” you gently said, bringing him out of his trance. He nodded, dropping the watch back inside his pocket and Taeyong stopped the car, opening the door for Hongjoong. It wasn’t raining as hard now, just a light shower so you both didn’t bother to open the umbrella, though Hongjoong took his inside, hand covering the gold eagle hilt.

You stayed right by his side as you navigated through the musky smelling corridors of the station. It looked like everyone recognised Hongjoong. They either stepped aside and merged with the shadows, essentially clearing the path for him, or scrambled forward to greet him over-enthusiastically. You pursed your lips in amusement– it was clear what sort of relationship he had with each officer. 

One of the officers saluted military-style and Hongjoong saluted back. He led you to what you assumed was Inspector Gong’s office and you seated yourselves on the chairs in the small, haphazard room.

“The Inspector will be here shortly. Would you like a drink in the meanwhile, Colonel? Coffee or tea?”

“I’m good, thank you,” Hongjoong said and you shook your head in answer as well. He waited until the officer left before saying, “Their coffee has to be the most stale beverage I’ve ever had the misfortune of trying.”

You half-smiled. “Can’t expect much from a station that looks like this,” you pointed at the peeling paint on the walls and the rough furniture in the room, if you could look past the initial shock of all the disorganization of the reports, boxes and documents. “Was that someone you knew from the military?”

“No,” Hongjoong said. “But he probably recognises me.”

“And the people who recognised you but scurried away like rats?”

“They recognise me better,” Hongjoong smirked and you smiled in resignation. 

A few moments later, a middle-aged man with a pile of folders managed to get inside the room without help and set the pile on the desk with a thud, grunting in exhaustion. He ran a hand through his wavy dark hair and muttered something about how it had been awfully busy lately before brushing his simple, creased clothes and straightening.

“I see you made it here.” He cast a wary glance at Hongjoong.  

“Better than you coming at mine and poking at everything, trying to find a snark,” Hongjoong mocked and you would have found it amusing had you not been staring at the inspector, finding him oddly familiar. He scanned you slowly and his brows wrinkled.

“I’m sorry, have we met before?”

“I don’t think so?” You weren’t sure.

“She’s my new secretary,” Hongjoong said, glancing at you for a second before turning his attention to the inspector. “Now… what’s this new mess your cops have involved us in?”

“Oh, the drug dealing,” Inspector Gong finally took a seat. “You don’t have to worry about it too much. I found another lead just now so you’re off the hook.”

Hongjoong grunted in annoyance. “Should’ve sent a message then.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you were so eager to clear your name for once,” Inspector Gong said curtly. “We don’t want it to affect your new deal, after all.”

“Whatever might you be talking about?” Hongjoong feigned ignorance but the way the two were smiling at each other, you were sure the communication didn’t need words.

“Who knows? Anyways, I heard you have something interesting for me, which is new. Let’s hear it.”

“Maybe I just came here so I could see you,” the boss teased and Inspector Gong’s smile fell– he was beginning to get tired now. You stifled a smile at your boss’ antics. “Alright, I’ll tell you. You might want to send your leads regarding the drug case to the Edenary Station. And while you’re at it, you might want to take a look at what Park Pharmaceuticals have been up to lately.”

“Park Pharmaceuticals? Park Byung Eun, isn’t that the President's secretary?”

“That’s right,” Hongjoong confirmed. “I heard the drug that you found recently is something new. It’s not uncommon to look into every pharmaceutical company, isn’t that so? Our company, MX, we’re only distributors for now, so you should be looking into companies that actually manufacture.”

“I’m sure someone acquainted with the president won’t have his people using drugs illegally,” Inspector Gong said. “Or he might not be aware that it’s happening. It’s a big company and he can’t have everything under control.”

“Maybe you just need to focus on the source of the drug rather than look for consumers or distributors,” you quipped. Inspector Gong looked at you with curiosity.

“And what’s your name, Miss?”

“Jeon y/n,” you said. “Also, while you investigate… maybe check if some of Assemblyman General Wi’s men have been consuming those drugs. I’m not saying he’s at fault, but like you said earlier, they are a big gang in Edenary and it’s not uncommon for gang members to deal drugs. Right?” You looked at Hongjoong who was stifling a smile. He nodded subtly in your direction.

Inspector Gong watched you two with interest. “Okay. If you insist. Though you might be trying to throw me off the scent.”

“I never said you didn’t have to keep looking into us,” Hongjoong raised his hands in surrender. “But maybe… broaden your horizons a bit.”

With that, Hongjoong got up and you followed. As soon as you both settled in the car, Hongjoong snickered at you. You raised a brow in question.

“Good job there. I can see why the boys have taken a liking to you.”

You couldn’t keep your cheeks from flushing at the remark. You shrugged in answer. “Has he always been stationed here?”

“He was demoted from the Edenary Station a few years ago, actually,” Hongjoong said. “Do you recognise him?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t recall,” you admitted and he nodded. “Do you think he will find something out of this wild goose chase?”

“Definitely. All he needs is a whiff– he’s a hound,” Hongjoong shook his head. “Once he gets a scent of something, he won’t let go until he’s satisfied.”

“Sounds like a person you should keep close,” you commented and Hongjoong agreed. 

“Your shift is over, right? Did you have lunch yet?” Hongjoong asked and you shook your head no. “I’m going to the bar– I have a few things to discuss with Yeosang and San. You can stay and have lunch with us, if you would like.”

Have lunch with the boss? 

“If you’re going to be our new secretary,” Hongjoong teased– a little joke Seonghwa had a habit of making that you should be Hongjoong’s personal secretary, “You should get used to travelling around with me.”

“You can’t seriously be considering that,” you gave him a wan smile. Hongjoong only grinned in answer, taking that as a yes.

The ride to the bar had you sorting out everything you had learned today. Hongjoong’s connection with Assemblyman General Wi was interesting, especially considering that Hongjoong served under him during the war. Inspector Gong’s familiar face and the fact that he was an Edenary citizen was also something you couldn’t simply dismiss.

Before you knew it, the short trip was over and you were outside the bar. Now that the sky was clearing, Hongjoong clicked a button on his umbrella to extract a cane from it before getting out of the car. You had seen the cane on him sometimes, a beautiful black thing with a golden eagle hilt. You were half sure it was also some sort of a weapon.

Upon entering, the employees greeted their boss and lit up at the sight of you, their old coworker. You greeted them back with equal enthusiasm, taking their jokes and teasing jabs because you with the boss!? Hongjoong went straight to Yeosang’s office and you followed behind him, shutting the door while the men shared a brief hug.

Yeosang was surprised to see you two together. “How come?” 

“Thought I’d take our little bookkeeper around and show her how things work around here,” Hongjoong said, taking off his coat and hanging it on the stand. You did the same, feeling a bit awkward due to Hongjoong’s presence– it had always been you and Yeosang, or San. 

And well… after your little moment with Yeosang that drunken night, it was your first time seeing him. Now in a deep brown sweater with the sleeves rolled to bare his muscular forearms, his expectant gaze as he looked at you, tendrils of brown hair falling over his face– it wasn’t helping you at all.

Yes. You definitely needed a break.

Yeosang nodded at you in acknowledgement, failing to contain his smile– he was bad at hiding his emotions and Hongjoong just knew that he was pleased to see you here. You took a seat next to Hongjoong in front of the desk.

“So, Luna,” Yeosang started. “How has it been so far? Want to come back to your previous post?”

“Sounds tempting because your boss thinks I can handle more workload,” you pointed at Hongjoong with your thumb and he shook his head.

“Ay, don’t be like that now. I’m keeping her, Yeosang. She knows what she’s doing and I like that.”

You accepted your fate with a dejected sigh and the two shared a laugh. The boys recollected the events since the last time they met while they waited for San to arrive. You noticed how they shared even the trivial things–

“I ate lunch at BB Trippin’ yesterday. You have to try their ramen– I swear I haven’t had such a ramen in ages.”

“Seonghwa and I lost a bet to Yunho and we now owe him 5 krodus. That lucky bastard always wins.”

With the waiter’s call indicating San’s arrival, you shifted to Room no. 1 where San was making sure there was enough food and drinks and at the sight of his boss, he lit up, coming forward to hug him briefly. 

And then he saw you and lit up even more, making you laugh a bit. You settled down on the very chair you had sat when Seonghwa had passed his judgement on you– only a few weeks had passed since then but a lot had changed. San’s presence, however, still comforted you just as much as it did before.

As did Yeosang’s, but… it held a weird note today.

While you ate lunch and caught up with each other, Yeosang, who was sitting next to you, nudged you with his elbow and you glared at him, the warning in it melting when you saw the apples of his cheek become more prominent as he tried to stifle a smile. “So… how have you been?”

“I’m right in front of you, Yeosang,” you said as casually as you could. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Missed me?”

“Hmm… not really, no,” you responded, putting a spoonful of rice in your mouth as he smirked. “I’ve been far too busy to think of you.”

“So you do think about me,” he teased.

“It would be unnatural to not think of you,” you feigned normalcy again but Yeosang wasn’t having any of it.

“Say, when do I get the tipsy Luna back? I don’t think I’m a fan of the sober Luna…”

“Tipsy Luna is on leave,” you said. “You can forget her.”

“You don’t mean that, do you?” Yeosang’s voice was low this time and you looked at him, finding caution and hurt– was it hurt? In his eyes.

“Of course not,” you frowned. “Did you miss me that much?”

He relaxed. “I thought I made a mistake.”

“Oh,” you paused, making sure Hongjoong and San weren’t listening. Oh. 

He thought he did something wrong and you were avoiding him.

“Yeosang, I–”

“Isn’t that right, Luna?” Hongjoong called your name, grabbing your attention and you passed Yeosang a look that you hoped conveyed ‘we’ll talk later’ before you turned your attention to the boss.

“I was just saying how it was a good idea to take you along at the station,” Hongjoong repeated, glancing between you and Yeosang. “Inspector Gong seems to have taken the bait.”

“Ah, yes,” you nodded, straightening. “I think we might have to make sure he catches some of General Wi’s men with the drugs that are under investigation. And we might have to somehow create a link between those drugs and the drugs registered under Park Pharmaceuticals. After that, the boat will float itself.”

“I’ll have Wooyoung take care of that,” San said. “He knows a lot of street druggies. They’re on his beck and call.”

The man in charge of the manufacturing side of the business along with the youngest of the Crescents– Mingi and Jongho. Yeosang and San often talked about Wooyoung. He was Yeosang’s friend from before they went to the war. While you hadn’t had a chance for personal interactions with the younger ones, they often came at the bar as a group. They knew who you were, called you Luna just like everyone else and would strike up some work-related conversation with you if they weren’t teasing or flirting with you, which seemed to be second-nature to them.

“Does Wooyoung’s street druggies network extend to Edenary?” You asked, an idea nagging at you– an old memory you couldn’t let go of. 

San hummed in thought. “Probably?”

“What are you thinking?” Yeosang narrowed his eyes and you looked at Hongjoong who was anticipating your answer.

“Park Sunghoon, my brother, was an addict. My father went through hell and back to get him to stop, but chances are he’s still addicted but just learned to look, well, normal.”

Hongjoong looked at Yeosang triumphantly. “There’s a reason I’m keeping her close.”

Yeosang looked a little proud to hear that and he asked you, “Do you know which drugs exactly was he consuming? Or some details?”

“It was a street dealer, that’s all I caught,” you told him. “Bad company, apparently. Last time I saw him, he appeared more polished than before, but I recognise the look in his eyes when he’s high.”

They didn’t miss your sombre tone, neither did they miss the sudden fiddling of your fingers. However, they decided not to comment on it– for now. It was Hongjoong who cleared his throat. “It’s ironic that the heir to Park Pharmaceuticals is a drug addict himself. I’ll get someone to look into it. Inspector Gong would have a field day once he learns about this.”

You passed a weak smile, willing yourself to not recall your brother’s bad behaviour whenever he was high. Sure, he was your half-brother, but he wanted nothing to do with you. Sometimes you wondered if he was the one who pegged your father to change your surname and wipe you off the family registers. It wouldn’t be a surprise if that was the case.

You all finished your lunch, planning a bit more on how to lead Inspector Gong to Sunghoon before you decided to leave first. You told Yeosang you would grab your coat from his office and leave but he decided to see you off– for obvious reasons.

Once inside his office, you found him watching you with folded arms. You wore your black coat over your clothes, huffing at him.

“Did I do or say something wrong that night?” Yeosang asked.

“No. Why would you think that?” 

“You look like you’re avoiding me.”

“I’m not,” your gaze softened. “I’m just… I don’t know, Yeosang. I’m confused, if you can’t tell. I don’t know what I’m looking for, and the fact that you’re worried about what I think about you isn’t helping.”

Yeosang licked his lips, trying to come up with a response to that. He was perhaps as confused as you. Had you both inevitably blurred the lines of who you were? While you worked together, you would dismiss such interactions, but now that you stopped working here, who exactly were you to Yeosang? What was your relationship? You had been boss and employee all this time. Friends, perhaps, but never called it so. And now…

You stepped forward, placing your hand on his bare folded arms for assurance. You wished you had placed it on his heart instead. “You’re still who you are to me and more.”

“Who am I to you?” Yeosang asked, a faint smile on his lips.

“Hmm… favourite boss?” You grinned. “Friend?”

Yeosang nodded. “That’s it?”

“More?” You raised a brow. “I mean… what exactly did you do that would warrant more?”

“Is that a challenge, Luna?” He was smirking now and your heart did a little flip-flop at the way the timbre of his voice shifted.

“Maybe… pretty boy,” you flicked his chest, unable to resist and with a giggle, sneaked past him outside, saying a goodbye before you disappeared, because you were positive that you were worse when sober.

You did look back once, finding Yeosang laughing wholeheartedly at your passing figure and you ingrained the sight in the deepest crevice of your heart.

Kim Hongjoong may be a man of few words, but god, was he a man capable of making decisions on the spot and taking swift action. It was no wonder that he was the man who had built his empire of this scale in such a short period of time. All it took was one meeting about the discrepancies in the import cost of the metal in the Utopian trade, and Hongjoong immediately decided to cut down on the amount of metal, using his connections to cover the shortage of metal with local suppliers and saving a couple thousand krodus in the process. 

Apparently, there were other gangs that dealt with weapons production and supplied arms illegally around Eden. The Crescents were better off striking a deal with another gang who possessed the metal alloy they required, or something similar in nature to that metal. Hongjoong acknowledged your efforts for dealing with the matter smoothly.

That led to Seonghwa starting to include you in their meetings now, ‘preparing you’ for personal secretary work. You considered asking him if it was just an excuse to get information out of you (and who knows? maybe dispose of you later) but you figured it was a joke. They couldn’t be serious (right?) and you were doing a fine job as a bookkeeper anyway, providing your input since you were from Edenary and you knew a lot of people– and their weaknesses. They thought it was impressive that Secretary Park had rarely ever involved you in his business yet you had built your own connections and learnt so much about the way Eden operated.

Since there were rumours going around that Secretary Park had been ‘rejected by a mafia gang’, it caught the attention of some investors who were willing to collaborate on a drug launch. Though you still had little to no idea about the drug specifically, the Crescents heard your opinion on the willing parties and you expressed your lack of trust in most of the politicians. That left a few businessmen and you supposed they could do with one of them– someone who was willing to fund properly. The Crescents would just have to make a promising offer.

That left finding out more about Secretary Park’s foreign dealings. You had suggested sending an anonymous tip to General Wi about Secretary Park’s possible connection to Strictland and Yunho got the job done a few days ago. As intended, General Wi traced the tip back to the Crescents and sent a message that he would like to have a meeting with the boss.

“He’s going to be curious about the source,” Hongjoong had a faint smirk on his lips as if calculating all the possibilities of how the world could shift from here. You shifted uncomfortably on the chair in front of him. Hongjoong was watching you with interest. “Do you think we should bring you along to the meeting?”

“General Wi likes to play a diplomat. He would tell my father that I was here once he finds out my connection with him, and then–”

“And then what?” Hongjoong challenged, resting his chin on his hand, elbow propped on his desk. With his other hand, he turned the hourglass, watching the sand trickle down slowly. “It’s only a matter of time that your father finds out that you’ve been talking. Chances are, he is already aware of your new post and will be trying to silence you soon. You should be making your stance clear too, Luna.”

“That would be a declaration of war to him,” you said.

“Have you not been told that you are under the protection of the Crescents from now on?” Hongjoong raised a brow in question. You nodded. “Then I don’t see the problem. Being under our protection entails that we will make sure you remain safe and unharmed.”

“You may have been a gang in the past, Mr. Kim,” you said in a low voice. “But my father also has various gangs at his disposal. Mr. Jeong almost got killed that night.”

“Oh, you’re underestimating him if you think it’s that easy to kill him,” Hongjoong scoffed. “He’s avoided death far too many times to be simply called lucky now.”

You shrugged– that might be true but that did not help you feel any better.

“We are part of the underworld and always will be, y/n, no matter how posh we try to appear,” Hongjoong began. “We are the leaders of the underworld– the underworld that no one escapes from. Secretary Park has always operated from above and he does not know how we play. He may try to get to us with his little gangs or whatever, but he is a man of light.”

“And you are a man of the shadows,” you completed for him. He nodded. “If I join you at the meeting, Major General Wi will think that I am someone of importance– he might even recognise me.”

“Well, aren’t you?” He asked almost nonchalantly. You sighed– they sure had been taking you around everywhere and getting you more acquainted with the business, but was your role in the Crescents this important now? 

“I meant to remain in the shadows, Mr. Kim. It was never my intention to step in the light for the world to see.”

“You said you wanted a better life,” Hongjoong locked eyes with you. “A way to avenge the life that was stolen from you because you were too helpless and could do nothing except be pushed wherever your father wanted.”

“Not only that,” you admitted. “My conscience does not allow me to know that my father may be doing something immoral and detrimental to this nation and do nothing about it. I have wasted far too many opportunities because I feared the consequences.”

“And now?” 

“Now you’re telling me not to be afraid,” you rested your back on the chair in resignation. “Now you’re telling me to involve myself with you.”

“And what’s so bad about that?” Hongjoong’s smile revealed that he might be hiding something. You knew that– they were dangerous. It was better for you to be with them than to stand against them, but could you follow their journey without looking back? Could you swear loyalty to them?

“It was never your intention to step out in the light and fight for yourself, or for Eden, or for your conscience, but y/n… maybe you were meant to rule from the light and the shadows both.”

You looked at Hongjoong in surprise. He watched you with a certain fondness– his little bookkeeper, he still called you. You could understand why Jaemin and even some others referred to him as ‘the Captain’– he cared and accounted for each one of them. These men… they heard you. They did everything they had to to protect themselves and their family. And now…

Now Kim Hongjoong said that you were a part of their group, and he would have you rule from the light and back you from the shadows if you wished to. 

“I’m just a bookkeeper though, aren’t I?” you said but couldn’t stop your lips from curling into a smile.

“Maybe I’ll start calling you my little secretary from now on. How does that sound?” 

“Oh, no,” you shook your head. “The workload.”

Hongjoong burst out laughing and you looked down to hide your smile– he had such a carefree, almost childish laugh. You thought about his remark and figured that it must have been Seonghwa’s doing. You knew that Seonghwa was planning something and he had hinted this quite often but to actually be Mr. Kim’s secretary? Was he pulling your leg or was he serious?

“I’m serious,” he confirmed as if he saw right through you. “I need one especially now that I’m going to be stepping into the light too. I’ve operated from the shadows for long enough. Who better to have by my side than someone who knows how the underworld of the elites operate?”

“I’m not sure if I’m the right person,” you said. “I’m from Edenary, yes, and I do know how things work there, but I’ve never been much involved.”

“But so far… you’ve not betrayed our trust once, and that is something I value a lot, Luna. You prevented a disaster when you ran away with the content of Yeosang’s locker that night. You stopped a deal that would have ended very badly for us. And you put yourself in danger to save Yunho– I don’t know who else I would want by my side if not you.”

“That is a high compliment,” you took a deep breath, overwhelmed by his proposition. 

“You’re still willing to do so much more,” Hongjoong said, outstretching his hand on the table and you were confused for a moment before you realised that he was waiting for you. You frowned– while Seonghwa had always been casual with his affection, much like a boss with a pat to the shoulder that he often gave to everyone else too, and Yunho had been, well, purposely making you jumpy you were sure, the boss had never done much. Every action of his was motivated by something.

And this might be his attempt at persuasion.

Hongjoong raised a brow as if to ask if you were going to keep making him wait and you rolled your eyes before hesitantly placing your hand in his palm. Hongjoong noticed the pause and almost smirked. His hand was cold but comforting when it held yours. 

“You’re still willing to do so much more for Eden,” Hongjoong repeated. “I’m doing all I can for Eden too. We share the same goal, Luna. Don’t ever think that it is a shame that you couldn’t do anything about it earlier– you did everything in your power. You can leave it to me now. All you have to do is stay by our side.”

You must have looked half-convinced because he continued.

“I’m not saying you have to be the secretary yet– I would like you to fully know what it is that we do, and I would like the rest of the boys to meet you and hear their opinion too. I may be the boss but their word is equally as important as mine.”

“A captain, then?” You offered and he grinned. 

“Yeosang did well choosing you,” Hongjoong said and your heart fluttered at the mention of him– the actions of that drunken night were keeping you awake in your sober ones. “San speaks highly of you. Yunho, well… I think his intentions are clear. And Seonghwa is the one who convinced me to look at you.”

You raised your brow at his wording– sometimes, the way they spoke with so much implication behind their words made you wonder just what was going on inside their heads. Especially Hongjoong– he knew what he was talking about but he always concealed his intentions carefully. 

And you were going to make him more direct with his words. With a caress to his fingers, you locked eyes with him. 

“Well… you’re looking at me now, Captain. Do you like what you see?”

For once, he was caught in surprise, his brow raising involuntarily and you grinned inwardly.  There was nothing more satisfying than having the leader of this establishment speechless. The person you thought was a scary, stuck-up individual with his even scarier military rankings, turned out to be just a man with big dreams for his people and his land.

Hongjoong raised your joined hands in answer. You bowed your head mockingly. 

What a turn of events.

When Seonghwa said that he would like you to accompany him to the warehouse so you could meet the rest of the Crescents officially as a potential secretary to Kim Hongjoong and, well, a ‘crucial unit’ of the Crescents, you didn’t think he would actually let you take a peek at the illegal– or the underworld side of the business.

It was just another dusky day in Sector 1, a bit livelier inside the office than usual during the midday slot. Johnny dropped by and while he waited for Yunho, he struck up a conversation with the three of you– more like recount the events of the night you were attacked at the bar and tell Eunha and Jihoon all about how you had looked like a lost mouse while running away with the content of Yeosang’s locker. He went as far to tell them how you looked even worse when you came out of the meeting room. If it weren’t for Yunho interrupting him, Johnny might have done a reenactment.

You were about to sign off for the day after lunch with Eunha and Jihoon when Seonghwa called you in his office and told you about his plans for the day. You agreed to accompany him to the warehouse, having no other prior engagements until your night shift. With Seonghwa’s bodyguard and assistant Yuta, the three of you took his Ford to the outskirts of Sector 1 near the Sector 8 border. It was only a few miles from the Sector 1 Port so the ride took about forty minutes.

It was surprising how comfortable Seonghwa made that ride for you. He talked about his family and told you that he had two siblings and that his family had moved to Utopia before the war began. His father was already a war veteran and an influential person so he had little to no trouble leaving to protect his family– however, since Seonghwa was of age, he had no choice but to get drafted. You asked him if he missed his family and visited them often but he told you it had been quite a while since he saw them and would like to pay a visit soon, once things settle down here a bit.

Somehow, you found yourself telling him about the time you spent in Wonderland, something you hadn’t really talked about ever since you came back. While the woman you looked after– Madame Cha, wasn’t your aunt by blood, she was someone really wise and with a lot of knowledge to share. You often wondered if your father was aware that Madame Cha would make sure that you learnt everything needed to survive in this sick world as an independent woman. She taught you various practical skills, kept you busy and kept your mind away from home. Perhaps, that was the purpose all along, but even if it was, you were still grateful to her.

Seonghwa asked you more about Wonderland, mentioning that he always wanted to visit the country. Wonder City, the capital, was known for its ruins. It was a place rich with history and the people had done a lot to preserve it. The lavender fields which were symbolic of Wonder City only added to its beauty. It had truly been a healing sight for eyes and you told him that you missed the evening walks through those fields the most. 

The scenery shifted from cityscape to factories while you chatted, Yuta joining occasionally– apparently, he was one of the oldest employees and had served in Seonghwa’s unit so the two had almost always been together. You liked that most of the employees were more like ‘friends’ than acquaintances. Johnny was quite the example of just how casual they were with each other. While Yuta was a bit more reserved than Johnny, he was still a very charming man.

One of the factories towards the end of the expressway to Sector 8 was what the Crescents addressed as ‘the warehouse’. It belonged to Pledis Manufacturers where the Crescents were major shareholders and business partners. As the car came to a stop near the building, you heard the sounds of laughter reverberating from the inside accompanied by the harsh sound of machines and metal clanging. There were tables and chairs lining the margins and a few men could be seen eating what you presumed was their lunch. At the sight of your car, they got up and gathered around, making way to you and Seonghwa laughed to himself, shaking his head.

“Easy, boys. We’ve got a guest.”

“Oh, what a sight for sore eyes,” a man of medium stature wearing a casual denim outfit placed his hand over his chest as he bowed dramatically, making you a bit shocked though laughter erupted from your mouth. “I’m Boo Seungkwan, Manager of Pledis Manufacturers, at your service.”

“Pleasure,” you bowed back mockingly, noticing the others dressed just as casually. 

“That’s Seokmin,” he introduced the tall guy with a contagious smile, and then pointed to another handsome man. “That’s Jun. We’re all managers here.”

The three exchanged looks filled with caution but Seonghwa nodded to let them know it was alright. “They play a vital role in the production part of the business.”

“Lovely,” you said, following Seonghwa inside and waving back at the three men who were almost jumping up and down while they waved at you. You laughed again, falling in step with Seonghwa. “Do they not get to go home often?”

“Oh, them?” Seonghwa scoffed. “They go home every weekend, but that’s normal behaviour from them.”

You smiled but it changed into a wince when you got hit with a wave of heat and the smell of metal and sweat filled your nostrils upon entering the warehouse, the dim lights making it a bit hard to focus. When your eyes finally adjusted, you gasped at the setup– it was truly something. The centre was an open, double-heighted space with the heaviest machines and Seonghwa told you that the main factory was situated at the very back which was connected to this section by a gate. The upper story seemed to be rooms and offices that were lined along the perimeter. 

The workers greeted Seonghwa casually– there was no rushing, no scrambling and no awkwardness. Just comfortable acknowledgement of each other’s presence. You did get stares which wasn’t unexpected and you thought that it was because there weren’t any women here, but you spotted one in a causal fit working on operating one of the machines. Seonghwa told you that she was one of the best engineers they had– Umji. 

You greeted a few more people including the CEO of Pledis– Choi Seungcheol. He was in the office just about to leave, dropping by for a visit and was glad to have caught Seonghwa. While the two talked, you settled down and a familiar face entered the office room.

“Oh– Luna!” 

You smiled at the enthusiasm with which Jung Wooyoung greeted you.

“Mr. Jung,” you shook hands with him. “How have you been?”

“Ay, just call me Wooyoung,” he waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m not used to people calling me Mr. Jung.”

“That’s what I’ve always called you though…”

“And I always tell you to just call me Wooyoung,” he winked, adjusting his black tank top and slumping down on a chair. “So. How are you finding our workplace?”

“Pretty impressive,” you nodded. “What exactly do you do here?”

“Supervise and make sure we have enough stock,” he said. “Mingi is basically the guard dog and Jongho… he likes to play boss.”

“Oh,” you stifled a smile. “Interesting.”

Wooyoung smiled knowingly and Seungcheol said his farewell, leaving the three of you in the office. Seonghwa smiled at you. “We’ll wait for Mingi and Jongho and then you can get to know more about the business in detail.”

“You’ll have to do a lot,” you shrugged. “I’m not very well-versed in machines and the like.”

Wooyoung and Seonghwa shared a look and you caught that, the dots starting to connect. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be showing me something else entirely.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you might be well-versed in that,” Wooyoung grinned. “At least more than these boring old machine parts.”

You looked at Seonghwa who nodded in confirmation. “Are you sure?”

“I am, which is why I brought you here,” he straightened the navy blue coat of his suit. “After all… you should know these things as Hongjoong’s personal secretary.”

“Ooh, so it is happening,” Wooyoung was grinning shamelessly now. “I just knew they would like you when you made that deal that saved you your life. Not that Seonghwa was going to kill you anyway, right?”

“I don’t quite believe that,” you said. It was true, and Seonghwa only smiled in answer, giving away nothing. “But I think you might have liked me way back, Wooyoung. When you shouted at the bar for the whole world to know–”

“Oh, I’m still sorry for that,” Wooyoung laughed, making you share the sentiment. 

It was a funny story– Wooyoung had been drunk and yapping, if you were to put it simply, about losing to the boys in a game of cards two times in a row. While passing a message to Yeosang, you secretly gave Wooyoung a tip, having observed the game and finding their weak spots. Wooyoung won the next game and while pompously boasting about how he had turned the tide of the game, he craned his neck out of the window to shout ‘Luna, I could kiss you right now!’ making half the bar groan at the confession while the other laughed and moved on. You were surprised for a few moments but when Eunbi told you that this was typical Wooyoung, you shrugged the nervousness off. 

“But my offer still stands,” Wooyoung winked at you. If it had been anyone else, you would have become a mess. But since Wooyoung was… well, Wooyoung, you rolled your eyes in response and the conversation shifted to recent updates.

It wasn’t long after when the line rang and Wooyoung led you to the backside of the factory, playing the role of a tour guide, to everyone’s amusement. He explained how everything was a perfect cover for their weapons business– the material they used for both the machines and the weapons was more or less the same and in case of an inspection, they simply switched the display and transported the half-made weapons to trucks. The vehicles would sneak the weapons away into the thick forest that was not far from here. It was a perfect cover and since Pledis was an old, renowned manufacturing company, there were little to no inspections. 

Sure, the police suspected that the Crescents may be dealing weapons but they would never suspect that they actually made their own weapons now.

Song Mingi and Choi Jongho lit up at the sight of the underboss, sharing fistbumps and hugs. You greeted them and they asked how you were doing, offering you a drink and scolding Wooyoung when they found out he hadn’t offered you anything yet. You assured them that you were okay but the conversation took an amusing turn as they pointed fingers at each other. 

Mingi was surprised to learn that you knew your guns– Madame Cha, who was a collector of guns and the like, had shared her knowledge of guns with you a lot in passing and you had been able to retain some. The gun that you carried in your purse, a ruger revolver, had also been a gift from her. It was interesting to learn just what role the Crescents played in the making of these guns and an hour passed by with you simply talking about the mechanism with the boys.

Jongho noticed just how much fun you were having chatting with Yerin, one of the lead designers of the guns, and when you caught them waiting for you, you got flustered. You promised Yerin that you would visit again and have a more in-depth conversation with her and joined the Crescents afterwards. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Oh, no, it’s all good,” Jongho said. “I’m happy to see that you’re having a good time.”

You smiled and checked the time– there was still about two hours until your shift would begin. Jongho cleared his throat, catching your attention and asked, “Would you like to test some weapons before you go back?”

Your eyes widened with excitement at the offer and soon, you were in a car with Jongho driving and Seonghwa in the front seat. Wooyoung, who was sitting next to you in the backseat, explained that they often went to test the guns in a specific part of the forest and since it was hunting grounds anyway, the sounds went unnoticed– and it wasn’t like there were a lot of residents here. 

If the police or someone else did notice, they could buy their silence. You shot him a dirty look but you both knew that it was far too easy to buy silence in Eden, especially after the war.

There was also something bothering you ever since you learned about the weapons project, and that was… who exactly were they delivering the weapons to? Were they really the right people to mingle with? What exactly was right and wrong anymore?

You reckoned you could simply ask at this point. Since they intended to involve you in the business, you could ask such things, right? You turned to Wooyoung, about to ask but you caught an incoming speedy truck through the window and a scream got stuck in your throat. You flailed your arm, trying to catch their attention but it looked like Jongho noticed at the same time that you finally managed to yell ‘watch out!’.

Jongho swerved the car to the side just enough to avoid getting yourselves into a horrible car crash but still couldn’t prevent a light bump and you braced yourself as your body rocked to the side violently. Before you could react, you heard the shatter of glass and you screamed this time, Wooyoung grabbing you by the back of your neck and making you crouch down as the fragments of the glass window rained over you.

You looked at Wooyoung in panic who also let his defence down just for a moment as he made sure that you were okay. You nodded and just like that, his gaze turned steel as he raised his head to inspect just who was trying to kill you guys.

“I’m driving– provide cover!” Jongho pressed the pedal with all his might, steering away from the minitruck that was hell bent on crushing you. Wooyoung loaded his gun and started shooting, Seonghwa doing the same from the front but mostly to protect Jongho. You put your hands over your ears for a moment as you tried to make sense of what was happening–

You were under attack. You had almost died.

You scrambled in your purse for the gun, taking it out and loading it. Wooyoung spared you a glance, tsk-ing in disapproval. “We’ve got it, Luna. Just stay down.”

“I’d rather take my chances,” you muttered, but also obeyed him. You stayed crouching down, focusing more on having Wooyoung’s back. Your shot wasn’t bad but Wooyoung was moving a lot so you couldn’t risk shooting in case you hurt him instead. However, when Wooyoung ran out of bullets, you passed him your gun which he gladly took. Meanwhile, you reloaded his gun with the bullets in the inside pocket of his jacket. You noticed the shards of glass buried in his skin but it was too chaotic to comment on that at the moment.

“Recognise them?” Jongho asked before he took a sharp turn to the right, the road getting bumpier now that you were further on the track in the forest.

“Nah,” Wooyoung sniffed, a sharp frown on his face as he took a breather having shot down the tyres of the minitruck and halting it. “Need help, hyung?”

“I’m good,” Seonghwa said, groaning when the car started to leave. He ordered Jongho to turn the car around so they could catch them and you silently prayed that no one gets hurt. Now that you were gathering your wits, you realised how much the air had changed.

They had become the men you used to watch from afar and were a bit afraid of. Ruthless, calculating and powerful.

Jongho stopped the car near the abandoned truck and you all watched the other car disappear into the forest– they had been at a disadvantage or perhaps, they had underestimated you. Whatever the case was, all that mattered to the Crescents was the reason they attacked you.

Jongho and Seonghwa looked back to make sure you were okay. While you were very surprised, you were okay for the most part if you could ignore the erratic heartbeat. While the younger two checked the perimeter, Seonghwa got out of the car and opened the door for you to help you out. 

“You must have been shocked,” he said, caressing your gloved hand and frowning at the cut on your cheek, unable to stop himself and tracing it gently.

“I– I’m fine,” you gulped at his actions. “Uh, we should check the car. Does this happen often?”

“Not really,” he ran his hand through his messy long hair in frustration. “Someone’s really got a grudge against us lately.”

You raised a brow as if to say that that wasn’t new and he chuckled a bit, letting go of your hand and going towards the truck. You followed him, making note of the number plate– it was a registered Sector 1 vehicle. The two of you got inside the front seats of the truck, rummaging through the stuff when a certain something caught your eye.

An emblem of a cube within a cube. It might have gone unnoticed by the rest but you could recognise the unofficial emblem of Park Pharmaceuticals anywhere– it was only used personally by your father and you had seen it on some of his old employees’ uniforms and stationery as well. 

Seonghwa noticed you staring at the emblem printed on a card and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Your father must have learned that you had joined hands with the Crescents– or at least that you were now someone important to them. He must be suspecting that you were sharing information that you shouldn’t have told a soul. Was this supposed to be a warning, or did he really intend to kill you this time?

And he almost hurt the Crescents too. Wooyoung could have been shot. Seonghwa or Jongho could have gotten seriously injured. Just how low was this man going to stoop?

“Luna,” Seonghwa’s voice sounded again. “Do you recognise this emblem? You need to tell us if you do so we do not point at the wrong people.”

“This was my father’s doing,” you sighed in defeat. “This emblem is something he uses privately within his inner circle and gangs. I’m so sorry, Mr. Park. I should have known.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said, taking the emblem from you and examining it. 

“But it is,” you got out of the truck, going towards the car, your chest tightening with every step because your father almost killed them just because you were acquainted with them. They almost died because of you. And he must have also been the one behind Yunho’s attack– Yunho almost got shot because of you too–

“Luna,” Seonghwa grabbed you by the wrist and shook his head. “Do not blame yourself for something your father did. He intended to kill you.”

“But he almost killed you guys because of me!” You said through gritted teeth, shutting your eyes and willing yourself to calm down. You looked at your side to see Wooyoung and Jongho watching. “I should not have involved myself like this.”

Wooyoung tsk-ed, searching inside his car and taking out a bottle of water. He motioned for you to sit by the tree and you did, thanking him and drinking a few gulps. Jongho sat down beside you, trying to pick a tiny shard of glass that was buried in his wrist.

“I’ve heard about your father,” Jongho said. “Secretary Park Byung Eun. He’s after you, isn’t he? Just because he’s afraid that you’ll spill all his dirty little secrets?”

“Well… yeah, that’s the gist of it,” you took a deep breath. “He must be mad that his own daughter is after him. What parent would kill their child just to silence them?”

You watched Seonghwa and Wooyoung clean the mess of a car, Wooyoung stealing glances at you occasionally. Seonghwa was mostly noting down the details of the truck, saying something about how he needed to find out just which gang your father had employed for this job. 

“Some parents don’t need a reason to want to get rid of their child,” Jongho said, looking at you. “They just do it because they’re selfish like that.”

You frowned. Was he talking from personal experience?

“I’m actually an illegitimate child too,” Jongho shared with a smile and your mouth curved like an o in surprise. “My mother is from Eden and my father from Halaland. She gave birth here, which is why I’m considered an Eden citizen, but I spent my early childhood in Halaland. Quite a combination, right?”

He was right. People from Halaland had always been treated with wariness and after the war, it just got worse. They faced discrimination. To be an illegitimate child who was half Hala…

“I guess we do have something in common then,” you shrugged, Jongho laughing at your joke.

“The reason I’m telling you this, Luna, is because the fact that I am both of these has never hindered my path,” he said and you turned your attention to him. “Hongjoong and the others, they never discriminated. We were all children of war and we bonded with each other because we have more in common-like values and morals. Not family background or useless things like that. And you… just because you’re unwanted does not mean you have to bend under your father’s will.”

“I have not,” you shook your head. “I am resisting. I’m just trying to be careful, because this is what happens when I slip.”

“This did not happen because you were careless,” he assured you. “This happened because he is scared of you, Luna. Don’t you realise? He’s scared he will be exposed because you know that he has joined hands with Strictland. He’s scared that you will uncover the truth and expose him. If he gets exposed, he will lose everything and so will the people he has associated with. Are you gonna let him stomp over you, or are you going to try to be one step ahead?”

You clasped your hands in thought– he wasn’t wrong. You had just been too cowardly to see it. 

“Jongho’s right,” Wooyoung joined you, Seonghwa watching with a smile. “Show them what you’re made of, Luna. Accept the secretary position with your whole heart and use us to take your revenge on him– after all, we share the same goals.”

“Where did that come from,” you laughed, finally feeling calmer when Wooyoung grinned back. “What is it to you if I become his secretary?”

“My precious Luna,” he teased, grinning cheekily. “You really think we’re asking you to be the secretary here? You’re already one right now.”

“Wooyoung,” Seonghwa warned but Wooyoung waved a hand.

“I mean,” he said, “Being Hongjoong’s personal secretary, or assistant, or whatever you call it… it will just be a term. What we’re really asking you is to become a part of our inner circle. We’re asking you to walk with us, plan with us, help us so we can help you. It’s more like being a partner, isn’t it?”

“That’s… a lot,” you laughed nervously, overwhelmed by his proposition. 

“But we need you,” he said matter-of-factly. “And so do you. Neither of us can do this without each other.”

He was right. They could get more information on whatever Secretary Park was doing, but you still had so much more that you were keeping from them. To be a part of their inner circle, be a part of Ateez was what they were asking from you. Being Hongjoong’s personal secretary would just be the job you would officially do but really–

You walked with them. Dined with them. Planned with them, even now. No one else did it like you were doing. You were already a part of them, whether you liked it or not.

Not that you were complaining. They had treated you with more respect and given you more authority than you’d ever gotten in your life. You were seen and you were heard here. It was overwhelming but if you looked past that…

It was kind of heartwarming. 

“We’re here to protect each other,” Seonghwa said, having noticed your features shift from nervousness to acceptance. “And that means that we will protect you, and you will protect us. It doesn't matter who you are or what your background is. Our goals are the same.”

“For Eden,” you said, looking at them. “Are we really doing this for Eden? Will it really benefit our homeland?”

“You must have some doubts about what we do. Rightfully so,” Seonghwa nodded, offering you his hand and you grabbed it, getting up. “You can ask me anything, Luna. On our way back– it’s getting dark, and we really must get going now.”

You went back to the warehouse first to switch cars. You were worried Mingi would be angry but he was surprisingly only glad that you all made it back in one piece. They offered to patch you up but you told them you really did not want to be late for your shift which made them laugh. It was only a scratch so you could take care of it in the office. The trio let you go with a can of beer for the way back ‘to calm your nerves’. You gladly accepted.

Seonghwa told you that it was okay to ask– apparently, Yuta was one of the insiders too. So candidly, you asked him why exactly did they need to manufacture their own weapons. 

You learned that Eden had actually suffered in the war more than you imagined with a lot of soldiers having gone missing, suspected of defecting or worse. A lot of the existing weapons channels had also either shut down or stopped business for unknown reasons. The underworld dealing came to a halt for some time after the war and while the treaty between Halaland and Eden ensured that there wouldn’t be a war in the foreseeable future, if Halaland learned that Eden was basically defenceless, they might start something again.

Seonghwa also told you that Eden’s military could not be trusted because their sole purpose seemed to be power and politics, referring to the clashes ex-President Son had with the military when they enforced the ‘over-17’ law. Hence, a few old gangs like MX and others resumed the weapons dealing and even collaborated with gangs from Wonderland and Utopia.

You told Seonghwa that you had qualms about their drug project too but he promised that they would tell you the details soon. You understood and a few minutes later, you reached the Crescent office. You still had some time to spare so you freshened up before going upstairs.

You were arranging your things at the desk and just taking a breather when the door to Yunho’s office opened. Seonghwa appeared to be leaving. Yunho followed behind and they exchanged a few words before Seonghwa disappeared downstairs and Yunho turned his attention to you.

You had to admit it, you missed him a little. He hadn’t been in the office a lot recently, probably busy with other things, but he appeared as sophisticated as ever in his black button down shirt and cream slacks. He smiled at you faintly, slowly walking towards you and shaking his head.

“You need to do something about that,” he pointed at your cheek. You had taken a look at it in the mirror earlier in the bathroom– the blood had crusted so you let it be. You didn’t have any band-aids in your purse and decided to start keeping some.

“Good evening to you too. It’s only a scratch,” you said and Yunho shook his head.

“Come to my room,” he said, not waiting to hear a response and you huffed, surrendering and following him. He was rummaging through his drawers and found the little first-aid box, bringing it towards the couch and beckoning you to sit.

“A simple bandage would do,” you started but he raised a finger in warning and that shut you up pretty quick. He settled down next to you and took out a bottle of disinfectant and a cotton pad, soaking it in and then turning towards you. You extended your hand so he could pass you the pad but he ignored that, leaning in to do the job himself. You reflexively shut your eyes as his hand neared your face and he didn’t miss that.

Your heart rate picked up and you willed your eyes to open, finding him watching you with curiosity. He cleaned the scratch, his brows furrowing in concentration and then he discarded the pad, taking out a box of salve. This time, he picked some on his index finger and you pursed your lips to keep a comment from popping out of your mouth. 

With the pad of his thumb, he turned your face sideways so he could properly see the scratch and then he started applying the salve. You took a deep breath, the air thick with tension. He decided to break the silence.

“Are you okay? You must have been shocked,” he said.

“Yeah, I was,” you admitted. “But I recovered pretty quick this time.”

“Ah, did you?” A smirk made its way on his lips as he finished applying the ointment, now opening the bandaid. You just knew he was thinking about that night when you freaked out when he was going to be attacked and kept him close so he wouldn’t risk his life trying to find answers.

“Yes. I owe that to Wooyoung and Jongho,” you huffed. “They are good with words.”

“Was I not?” He asked, referring to that night.  

“They also let me use my gun,” you half-lied but when he gave you the look, you rolled your eyes. “Okay, technically, I only loaded it for Wooyoung. He’s the one who used it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they wouldn’t let you get your hands dirty,” he chuckled, carefully applying the band-aid over the scar. 

“Maybe I’ll need to,” you shrugged and he looked at you. “I should learn how to use the gun properly if I’m keeping it. I mean, I do know how to use it but I lack practice.”

“But you shouldn’t actually use it,” he reprimanded but you shook your head.

“I need to learn to protect myself… and protect you.”

He looked at you in surprise and you continued. “All of you. If you claim to have my back, I should return the favour. I should be able to protect myself, not be a burden to you guys, and protect you all in return.”

“Luna… you really don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Yunho assured you calmly. “And you’re not a burden to us. Don’t ever think that.”

“I can’t just sit back and watch you guys risk your life trying to protect me from someone who’s after me!” You started. “You can try to convince me that it’s not my fault that you almost got shot that night or the boys almost got hurt today, but I know it’s my fault.”

“Luna–”

“Yes, it’s not exactly my fault,” you rambled on. “It’s my father’s. But the fact is that he is after me and if to get to me he needs to wipe out all of you, he will, just so he can continue with his awful dealings that I’m sure will cost Eden something–”

“Y/n,” Yunho scooted forward, taking both your hands in his and intertwining them, making you stop mid-sentence. He took a deep breath, watching how your small hands fit in his and when you looked at your joined hands, your heart melted at the way his fingers gently caressed yours. “Are you done now?”

You didn’t respond and he tried not to comment on how you always shut up when you were in close proximity with him or, well, whenever he was touching you. He took a deep breath. 

“You’re ours now,” he locked eyes with you, his tone almost containing a hint of warning in them that made your heart sink a little. “You’re a Crescent now, a part of our team, and that means that you will protect us in any way that you can, and we will return the favour. The information that you provide us with… that is our protection, and that is enough. If you wish to learn defence or offence, sure. I won’t stop you. But it should only be to protect yourself, okay?”

You pursed your lips but he was being adamant, squeezing your hands a little. “We would have gotten in trouble with Secretary Park one day anyway. Eventually, our secret drug project was going to lead us to him and it could have taken an even more dangerous turn. But what happened today… that is enough. He’s crossing a line. I will send him a message, and I will make it clear that you are under our protection and we will not tolerate any more misbehaviour from him. Is that okay?”

“He will consider it a call for war,” you warned him. “He will not stop.”

“So be it,” Yunho smiled almost sadistically. “We are children of war, all of us, aren’t we? The personal battles too. We are survivors, you and I. He won’t know what’s coming for him.”

You nodded in answer, looking down. You weren’t sure you were ever going to get used to someone treating you not just as an equal but offering you their power and so much more. But Yunho… he always knew just what was going on in your head. He drew back one of his hands from your hold only to draw it towards your face, lifting your chin up so you would look at him.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

It must have been an order because his gaze compelled you to spill. 

“It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that you’re all doing this… willingly. For me.”

Yunho smiled, shaking his head. “For you, and for us. Get used to this treatment, princess.”

With an affectionate tap to your cheek, he drew back and started packing the kit. You sat there, baffled at what he just said and also, taking the loss of his touch to your heart. When he looked at you, your hand seemed to be outstretched as if you aimed to rest it on his back. You drew it away but he caught that, raising a brow.

“Princess? Really?” you asked, making him laugh.

“I can do worse too,” he offered and you shook your head, about to leave but he grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards him, a surprised yelp escaping your mouth when you found his face way too close to yours, his eyes searching yours for answers that you didn’t possess yet. You felt the urge to draw his ruffled hair away from his forehead. His gaze flickered to your lips and god, he was going to be the death of you.

“No thanks,” you scoffed in answer but then he purposely raised your hand slowly, shifting his hold so he could kiss your knuckles softly, all the while maintaining eye contact with you. Your own lips parted in surprise at his actions– he was crossing the line, but–

What line? The question hung in the air as he waited for you to challenge him, to respond to him.

What line, really.

“Is this a challenge?” You dared to ask.

“If you make it to be,” he responded, eagerly waiting for you to make the next move.

And oh, he did not realise that you would never back down from a challenge. You licked your lips, leaning forward and smiling in satisfaction when he started tilting his face, expecting the obvious. You drew closer until you were inches away and when his eyes fluttered shut, you made your move.

You blew lightly at the tip of his nose, earning a shocked sound from him and with an almost childish giggle erupting from your mouth, you backed away and started to go towards the door, looking back to find him flustered but amused. You saluted mockingly, making him laugh before you shut the door.

Oh. You were done for.

next chapter

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[therandompagesblog]

SKZ Pack Chapter 25

Trigger Warnings: angst, manipulation, aggression, domestic abuse.

Five days they spent in the Alps with Monsta X. Their Head Alpha, Hyunwoo was very hospitable. He made sure everyone was involved. He even showed Chan his security, to make sure no one would get in their compound as Hyunwoo was worried about his mate, Elsie who was scared of other wolves. Y/N learned from speaking to her, that she grew up in a small pack and her pack didn't interact with others. It was only Hyunwoo making a deal with her pack that he found his soul mate there. It was nice for Y/N to hear someone else talking about being a mate and how intense it was as a soulmated omega. "I once lied to Alpha Hyunwoo about a note I received from a crush. It was harmless the boy was seventeen and I ended up spanked relentlessly. Never played up again." Elsie said as they watched the wolves prepare the car to head into the city. "I mean I've risked it twice or thrice," Y/N said as she drank her Bailey's hot chocolate. "You never?!" Elsie gasped. "Oh, she did." Hyunjin teased, as he gave her a quick heated kiss. "Can I ask?" Elsie whispered as they walked around the side of the house so no one could hear them. "Do they get jealous of each other?" "No. I thought perhaps Hyunjin did, but a lot of it is bedroom talk. None of them make jealous comments in general. Why?" Y/N questioned. "Joo sometimes gets jealous of Ki and vice versa. It causes arguments." Elsie said sadly. "Maybe when we leave, call a pack meeting. That might help relieve any tensions in the pack. It will give everyone the freedom to speak. That's what we did. For a different reason of course." Y/N stated.

Before Elsie could respond Chan called them into the car so they could drive off to the city. Changbin and Jeongin were the two most excited whereas Y/N was going to opt out. She was feeling a bit under the weather as she felt Joshua following them again. The last time they went into the city with Elsie she felt him and now she was feeling it again, but she didn't want to say anything. Yes, Y/N knew a bruised ass was coming for her but she wanted to be sure. "Can me and Y/N watch over there? You'll see us. Please, Alpha Woo." Y/N cringed at the name it reminded her of her younger self. "Only if Chan is happy to," Hyunwoo asked Chan. "Hyunjin and Seungmin are over there getting geared up so yes, but no further," Chan said as he pulled her into a kiss. He could smell her nerves. "Luna. We're all around. Nothing will happen to you." "He's right Luna Y/N. Changkyun and Kihyun are over there too." Hyunwoo reassured so Elsie looped her arm around Y/N's and dragged her off to watch the boys come down the slopes in their dinghies. Y/N and Elsie set up some rules that the first pair down would get to do whatever they wanted. The second pair would get a kiss and so on. It was a race from the highest point which they were so excited about, until the air changed.

The wolves hadn't come down and they had been at the top too long that it was worrying Y/N and Elsie. Y/N was going to phone them when Joshua appeared. "Woah. I meant no harm, omega Y/N." Joshua said, holding out his arms. "Elsie phone Chan," Y/N growled as she pushed the younger omega behind her protectively. "You've changed. There is something different about you. I do mean no harm." Y/N was getting dizzy as she looked into his eyes. She was being sucked into him. "I understand Joshua, but you abused him," Y/N said softly. "That wasn't nice." "I'm here to make amends. Can you accept that?" Joshua asked, placing a hand on her arm. "Sure. But not here. The other wolves won't like it." Y/N said with a smile. "Y/N?!" Jeongin shouted, running down the hill. "What are you doing here?" "Y/N said I can speak to Chan!" Joshua said calmly. "You did?" Jeongin asked. "Yes, I did!" Y/N growled, but she didn't.

Jeongin wasn't buying it and dragged Y/N off, leaving Elsie with Hyunjin. Jeongin was confused and knew there was something wrong with his mate, which was true. As soon as Y/N broke away from Joshua she came back to her senses. She was angry at herself as she kicked the snow. Jeongin crossed his arms waiting for her for her to explain. Y/N did explain what had happened even though it was brief. She explained how one minute she was growling at him and then everything changed. She wanted to tell him to fuck off but it was like she couldn't. Her words were re-written forcing her to speak other words that weren't to exist when it came to Joshua. Jeongin didn't like that knowing Joshua influenced her and the fact Joshua touched their Luna. It made Jeongin feral. It made him lose control. If Y/N wasn't there to hug him, he would have phased in front of everyone. Jeongin was beyond angry and took it upon himself to shout at Chan who wasn't impressed. Chan had even gone as far as to defend Joshua, but Y/N could see it was Joshua's weird essence that made whoever was near him believe in him. Why it wasn't really working on Y/N no one knew but Minho had an idea, but Chan wouldn't hear it. Chan was angry at them all for yelling at him and bringing up old memories on holiday.

It was true this was all a bad time, but Y/N wasn't prepared to lose her alpha to Joshua. She didn't trust him. Not with the power she faced from Joshua. "Chan listen to Minho. You are not you right now just-" "I am not me. What are you going on about Y/N. You are nothing but an omega." Chan shouted pointing at her. Chan never called her an omega. "He's in your head-" "Chan." Minho gasped and pulled Y/N back after Chan slapped her across the face. Y/N grabbed her face and stormed out she was not preparing to lose her alpha. Y/N called Seungmin to come with her but he was too struck to understand what was going on. Y/N wanted to confront him. Y/N took a knife storming out of the house alone to go and find this fucker. Minho ran after with Jisung who tried to call her back but the snow was starting to become heavier that it made them slip. Minho phased into his wolf form to run faster to stop her. His wolf got in front of her moving in her way causing her blue eyes to glare. "Do not stop me, Min," Y/N growled but the tanned wolf whined. "Please. Fuck. Please wait. We need a plan first." Jisung called out as he slid on the snow. "You can't just kill him in front of humans. Think baby. Think Luna please." "Then what do I do? He has my alpha's thoughts in his hands." Y/N cried out as she watched Chan in the distance getting into his car. "I swear to God, you better not Christopher." "This isn't your business, omega," Chan shouted. "If you go. You don't come back." Y/N spat, laughing. Chan stormed up to her his hand going for her throat while Minho growled trying to get in between them. Chan let go and entered his car. "You leave. You'll never be a father."

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[cryforlovc]

"woo" algo dentro de kihyun se calma cuando le escucha y su mirada se posa sobre su novie, cuando supo que se encontraba en urgencias no pudo evitar que las preocupaciones se salieran de control en su cabeza, cada escenario peor que el anterior. "cuidado, no te levantes." su paso se apresura para acercarse a la cama y evitar intente levantarse otra vez. "lo siento mucho, amor, se lo importante que es la competencia para ti." sus labios se tuercen en una mueca, mientras sus dedos reparten pequeñas caricias entre cabellos impropios para reconfortarle. "pero antes de que te des cuenta estarás devueltas en las pistas como siempre." agrega con optimismo. "voy a ser el mejor enfermero que hayas conocido." anuncia con ligeros aires de gracia. "¿qué te dijeron los doctores?"

su mirada se eleva cuando se da cuenta quien es la persona que está entrando a la sala. ' kihyun, hola. ' sonrisa se forma en sus labios hace un intento de elevarse de su cama pero el dolor en su tobillo se lo impide. ' no podré patinar por todo lo queda de la temporada. ' le comenta apenado, era lo que mas le gustaba hacer y una competencia demasiado importante como para justo haberse lesionado. ' tendrás que ser mi enfermero por unos días. ' le comenta con cierta diversión aún cuando sus facciones solo demostraban tristeza y dolor. @cryforlovc

[h3nderyss]

hello!!! could i request a one shot with kihyun or changkyun (whoever suits you more) where he meets the reader in some sort of show/yt program/thing like that and takes a liking to reader immediately?

caught on camera - im changkyun

pairing: idol!i.m x idol!fem!reader . . . masterlist genre: fluff word count: 736 a/n: i'm loving all these monsta x reqs! to expand a lil, reader is a 4th gen idol, debuting later than i.m and is a few years younger :)

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

filming days were always a mix of nerves and excitement, but today felt... different.

because you were meeting monsta x's i.m for a one on one.

other than, y'know.. having an impending crush on him even during your non-idol days, it's always nerve wracking to meet an idol who you've barely interacted with before.

but that was the charm of the youtube series you've taken part of, "idol unfiltered." it was a show putting two random idols together to simply, naturally connect. they'd ask each other icebreaker questions, play games, or just chat.

you've always wanted to do this—you watched many videos and couldn't wait till it was your turn.

but when your manager told you who you'd be meeting, you froze. how could you do this? how could you be in such an intimate space with him, only you two, minus the producers and camera crew?

but the day came. as the crew finished setting up, you glanced at the clock. he was due any minute now.

"ah, i'm sorry, am i late?"

the second you saw him, it was just a wow. he definitely was more beautiful in person. the blush rose to your cheeks and if anyone were to look at you, they'd notice the sparkle in your eyes. thank god the cameras weren't rolling.

his voice was calm, deep, with that slight rasp that made every sentence sound ten times cooler than it should.

"almost," you managed to muster out, smiling. "but i'll accept the apology anyway."

he let out a chuckle. "nice to meet you. i'm i.m." he lightly bowed in greeting.

"i know," your smile was still plastered on your face. "i'm y/n." you bowed back.

"i know." he repeated your words and smiled.

///

the cameras rolled, and the usual introduction went smoothly, the production team telling you guys what was planned behind the scenes, and they gave you each queue cards. looks like for this episode, you guys were prompted with icebreaker questions.

"so, i.m, are you ready for this?" you glance at him, while preparing to ask the first question.

"changkyun. you can call me changkyun." he gave a light smile and it seemed like his eyes rested on you unintentionally.

you looked back up at him and tried to hold back your smile (which you failed), as you lightly nod. "changkyun." you repeated.

the minutes had been fun. some funny questions, some deep, some a little tmi. what was very evident on camera though, was like viewers could see the chemistry pouring out the screen. the way your eyes met, the jokes and the teasing, nobody's ever seen changkyun act like this.

the most unexpected thing had been that changkyun was yapping. with you it felt like his guard was down. both of you were comfortable, and it most definitely didn't feel like this was the first time meeting. the talking had been a silly mix of english and korean between you two. it was just pure natural.

his—and your—smiles were not the controlled, camera-ready expressions idols were trained to perfect. these were unguarded, effortless. his were radiant, the ones that you could probably melt to.

and the cameras caught every single one.

///

the episode aired a week later, and within hours, social media exploded.

"wait why is changkyun smiling so much?" "i swear kyun doesn't usually smile this much in interviews... what's going on???" "the power y/n holds.. i've never seen changkyun like this.."

fans dissected every moment—every small smirk, every full grin. believe it or not, there was already a compilation on tiktok: "i.m smiling for 10 minutes straight because of y/n." put in two different videos.

and the funniest part? none of you even knew.

it wasn't until your group member showed you a video, "y/n, have you seen this?!" that you finally realized.

you watched the clip in disbelief, a little embarrassed. "he really smiled that much..?"

your groupmate spoke, "i mean... yeah. and not just polite smiles. like, full-on 'i'm into her' kinda smiles."

though, after the shoot, what nobody knew was he managed to score your number where no one was around.

and just like that, something unspoken settled between you.

it wasn't scripted. it wasn't forced. it was just two idols, unexpectedly clicking a little too well.

but for now, you both had to keep it private for a little while longer.

[astroyongie]

Hi! Oooo, I really liked that last post you did for Enhypen. May I ask the same question about how Monsta X members pursue their crushes?

Note: based on astrology

ㅤ♡ྀི ₊ How Would Monsta X Pursue Their Crush ㅤ♡ྀི ₊

Shownu

➤ He would be a little clumsy with his way of expressing how much he wants them. Shownu isn't the type to be vocal about who he likes, so he would try to compensate to show his services to his crush which he own't do with others. He would offer help with practical stuff as an excuse to be around more. And you can see he is pursuing the person because he would do stuff for them he doesn't do to others

Minhyuk

➤ Minhyuk is another member that would have a lot of difficulties in approaching his crush and be straightforward with his feelings or his courting. He would barely speak at first but you feel his presence. Meaning that he would always make sure to be around. you going out? he tagging alone. you and your friends are having a party? he is somehow invited. he would make sure you notice his presence

Kihyun

➤ This man goes slowly with this and he would follow a precise tempo. the moment he has a crush on someone he would turn the person into a buddy first. he would want to have a friendship so he can judge if you are both compatible first. As the crush develops, his pursuing gets more predominant. Kihyun would joke a lot with you, would call you out on adventures or go out on dates with you, and of course he would banter a lot.

Hyungwon

➤ Boy, Hyungwon is someone complicated to approach and when he as a crush he will act weirdly with them so at first you might not even notice. He would build things slowly. But his way to pursue his crush and show them his interest would be by being bringing consistent rapport and prove his value as a man and as a partner to the person in question

Jooheon

➤ This man would make sure you know he has a crush on you before he starts to pursue you. Jooheon is the type of person that would turn every interaction he has with you into a performance so you can always notice him. he would give you bold smiles and big gestures. Whatever you ask of him, he would provide to show you he is a capable man

Changkyun

➤ When it comes to Changkyun it's a little complicated and the person he is pursuing might think at first that he hates them because of the weird behavior he would have. Basically. changkyun treats his crush like an alien life form he is fascinated by. He asks a lot of questions, he wants to be active in your life, he always gives you the looks and you can feel confused by it

[pillowxtalk]

Merry Christmas, Kihyun!

To: Kihyun From: Ethan

Thank you, Ethan. I didn't expect to get a cute gift from you. This bunny will make sure I will never lose my keys.

[l0v3rrrrr]

DEDICATED

Pairing - yan!fanboy!yoo kihyun x male!idol!reader Warnings - yandere, obsessive love, abusive relationship dynamics, stalking, etc. Word Count - 4.4k

A life like yours never really slowed down. As a solo artist you had to do just as much as any idol group did but with all the weight and pressure to be perfect on your shoulders alone. The best way to describe it was stressful, and even that didn't fully cover it. Needless to say, as thrilled as you were to give back to your fans, you were exhausted.

But that doesn't mean you wouldn't continue to be stretched as thin as possible.

There you were, sat down at the backside of a long white table, sharpies lined up next to you and ready for use. Another fan-signing event to be added under your belt of hundreds.

It didn't take long for things to get started. Your manager giving you the signal to start the speech that you made each time you did something like this. It was basic formalities, a greeting and brief explanation of how things would be working before exclaiming how excited you were to meet them all. Que the cheers and things were officially underway.

The first few fans approached the table, eyes wide with awe, clutching posters and albums like sacred relics. You gave them each a few seconds longer than the staff might’ve liked. You’d always hated the rushed feeling, the conveyor belt of gratitude. These were the people who kept you going, who memorized your lyrics, who saw you through a screen and still believed they knew you.

You smiled, just like always. Bright, genuine, at least, that’s how it had to look. Years of practice had taught you how to tuck the fatigue behind your eyes, how to keep the tremble out of your voice no matter how little sleep you got the night before. You waved at the crowd, your fingers aching slightly as you lifted your hand. Another fan, another signature, another carefully curated conversation under the watchful eyes of your management team.

A young girl stepped up, probably no older than sixteen, hands shaking as she passed you a handwritten letter. Her eyes brimmed with tears before she even spoke. "You helped me through so much," she whispered. "Your music… it saved me"

You blinked, the smile still on your face, but something behind your ribs twisted. It always hit a little too close, hearing that. Because they didn’t know how often you needed saving too.

You thanked her softly, fingers brushing hers as you took the letter and set it gently beside you. You made eye contact, just for a moment longer than usual. Just enough to make her feel seen. And then the staff gently ushered her along.

Another fan. Another moment.

And still, the line stretched on.

The monotony of it all was starting to get to you. It always did. The same thing over and over again made it hard to be genuine, not that you had started off the night that sincere to begin with, but it made you feel guilty. They spent all this money, took time out of their day, and waited in this huge line just for what felt like a half-assed interaction on your part.

Slowly but surely the line started winding down. A bit of a boost of energy sparked through your veins as you could finally spot the end of the crowd. End was in sight, as bad as that sounds.

But then you saw him.

He stood out. Not in any obvious way. He wasn’t waving or crying or clutching your latest album to his chest. In fact, he barely moved at all. Just stood there, calm and stiff in the middle of a group of excited fans, like he was waiting in a grocery line instead of one to meet his favorite artist.

He had on a plain black hoodie, the hood pulled low over his forehead, and his hands were tucked in his pockets. His expression was unreadable, but his dark eyes didn’t blink nearly enough. You weren’t even sure he had blinked since you first noticed him.

For some reason, he made your skin prickle.

It was subtle, easy to write off, maybe you were just tired. Maybe the fluorescent lighting was finally starting to mess with your head. But still, your fingers tightened slightly around the sharpie in your hand as the line inched forward, fan by fan, bringing him closer.

When he finally stepped up, it was quiet. No squeal of excitement, no wide eyes. Just a simple nod as he slid a photo across the table toward you. Not the usual glossy promotional one, though.

It was a candid.

A picture of you, off-stage. No makeup. Phone in hand. Walking out of a side door to one of your recent hotels.

Your heart skipped a beat. You kept your face neutral. You tried to think back, questioning if you had seen any paparazzi around in that moment. Everything came back blank in the face of this stranger.

“Where… did you get this?” you asked, trying to keep your tone light as you looked back up at him. He had a soft face framed by wispy brown locks. He could have been an idol himself with his visuals. But for some reason something about his appearance felt off. Maybe it was how his dark brown eyes were so well trained on yours, or how his hair was just slightly disheveled. Something was wrong.

He smiled then. Just a small one. Just enough.

“Found it online. You looked nice.” He was lying. He had to be. Sure, there was no way to know every single photo of you that was out there with the thousands in circulation. But something was screaming at you that what he said wasn't true.

You stared at the image for a second longer before your manager subtly cleared his throat from a few steps away. You were taking too long again. You gave a mechanical laugh, pretending it was some kind of inside joke you didn’t get. Signed the photo quickly, even though your hands were suddenly clammy.

He didn’t move to take it back. Staring through you.

Your manager began to approach, tired of waiting for you to end things yourself. Before you could be reprimanded you lifted the photo up to him. It was his turn to graze his fingertips against yours. The touch sent shivers up your spine and left goosebumps in it's wake.

“I’ll see you again,” he said quietly, like it was a promise. And then he walked off, disappearing into the thinning crowd like smoke.

Your manager leaned in behind you, his voice low. “Everything okay?”

You nodded, too fast.

“Yeah,” you said. “Just tired.”

But your eyes flicked back to the crowd.

And this time, you weren’t sure the exhaustion was the only thing gnawing at your nerves.

-

You were on tour now. City to city, stage to stage, hotel to hotel. Everything blurred together into one endless stream of flashing lights, screaming crowds, and late-night rehearsals. You hadn’t really been home in weeks, not that "home" ever felt real anymore. Just a place where your things lived while you chased everything else.

You didn’t think about him often.

At least, that’s what you told yourself.

But sometimes, when the hallway lights in a hotel flickered, or when your driver took just a little too long to show up, his face would creep into the back of your mind. The soft smile. The calm stare. The way he said he’d see you again.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything. Just another weird fan interaction. You’d had plenty before.

But this one lingered.

It was after your third show in Osaka when things started to feel wrong.

You were alone backstage, sipping from a water bottle and trying to work the ache out of your legs. The staff had filtered out, busy packing up or getting ahead of tomorrow’s logistics. For once, you had a rare sliver of quiet.

Then your phone buzzed.

A message.

Unknown number:

You looked beautiful in the blue today. That color suits you more than the stylists realize.

Your stomach dropped. You were wearing blue. A flowy, cropped stage top they’d picked just hours ago. You hadn’t posted yet. No one had.

You didn’t reply. Just locked the screen and tossed the phone facedown on the table.

Breathe.

It was probably someone on staff. A stylist maybe. A dancer playing a weird joke. You told yourself a dozen lies in under five seconds. None of them stuck.

The next day, another message.

You sing like you’re sad. Are you sad? I’d know if you were.

This time, it came with a photo.

A blurry one. Taken from the side of the building. A view only someone standing outside would’ve had. It showed your dressing room window with the lights still on.

You were in it.

Barely. A silhouette. But undeniably you.

Your manager saw your face after the receiving the message. You didn’t even have to say anything. He took your phone gently from your hands and told you he’d handle it. Tight-lipped. Serious.

But even as he left the room, muttering something about “security” and “private investigators,” you weren’t sure it would matter.

Because somehow, in the back of your mind, you knew it wasn’t over.

You knew he meant it now, when he said he’d see you again.

And this time, he might not bother waiting in line.

-

You hadn’t blocked the number.

Not yet, anyway.

He watched the read receipt light up on his burner screen. A soft thrill curled through him, not excitement. No, this was something deeper. Satisfaction, maybe. The kind that bloomed when everything was going exactly the way he wanted it to.

You were rattled. He could tell.

He’d seen it on your face after the show. The way you’d scanned the crowd just a little more urgently. Your smile faltered for half a second too long when a fan in the front row held up a handmade sign. You were beginning to understand.

You had to.

He hadn’t meant to scare you, not really. It was just that you didn’t see him. Not at first. Not the way he saw you.

He’d been watching you long before that fan-signing event. Long before the music videos and the world tours. Back when you were still posting blurry phone videos of your songs in your childhood bedroom. When you were real. Before they polished you into something glossy and untouchable.

He liked you better back then. But it was okay. He could fix it. He could bring you back.

The security around you was better now. Your manager barely left your side. The hotel staff were tighter-lipped, the entrances locked, your schedule more obscured. But it didn’t matter.

He always found a way.

-

You told yourself to breathe.

The messages had stopped, at least for now, but the feeling they left hadn’t gone anywhere. You couldn’t shake the sensation that you were constantly being watched, like a pair of eyes had latched onto your skin and refused to look away.

You started checking the locks. Triple-checking, really. You no longer opened the curtains in your hotel rooms. You stopped taking the side exits your staff once used to sneak you out quietly, the photo being a stark reminder it wasn't as private as you thought. It felt like being hunted.

But what scared you most was the silence.

It had been two weeks since the last message.

And it was somehow worse than when they were coming regularly.

Your manager had reported it all. The label beefed up your security, switched hotels last minute, started escorting you out of soundchecks like you were the president of a country. But it didn’t feel like enough.

Not when you started finding flowers.

The first one had been in your dressing room. A single white tulip in a plain glass bottle, no note. No one saw anyone bring it in, not even the interns.

The second was left outside your hotel door.

Now, it was becoming a pattern.

You didn’t know whether to scream or stay quiet. Maybe if you said nothing, it would go away. Or maybe that’s what he wanted.

You were starting to feel sick.

-

You’d been warned not to go out alone.

But you were tired. Tired of handlers, of drivers, of being followed by security like a child with scissors in his hands. And besides, it was late. The streets were quiet. You’d only stepped out to get air, to remind yourself you were still a real person in a real world and not just a product wrapped in glitter and vinyl.

You pulled your hoodie low over your brow, mask up, earbuds in but with no music playing. just a buffer. Enough to make people think you weren’t paying attention.

You were.

You always were now.

The alley behind the cafe was dim, washed in the kind of orange glow that made everything look sleepy and surreal. It was the kind of hidden spot you used to sneak off to before the debut, back when anonymity came easy and no one looked at you like you were more than a name.

You didn’t hear him approach.

But when you turned, he was already there. Leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting for hours. Same hoodie. Same eyes. Same quiet, terrifying calm.

Your heart didn’t race. It dropped. Just sank into your stomach like a stone.

“You...” you said. Useless, but it was the only thing your mouth could form.

He didn’t smile at first. Just stared at you for a second too long. Then, slowly, there it was. That same unnerving softness tugging at his mouth like he knew something you didn’t.

“I told you I’d see you again,” he murmured, like it was a reunion and not a confrontation.

-

There you were.

Up close again. Real again.

You looked even better without the lights on you, tired, yes, a little gaunt around the edges, but real. Not airbrushed. Not scripted. The way you were meant to be.

You hadn’t run. You could’ve. Could’ve screamed, could’ve called for help. But you didn’t.

“You’re not safe,” he started softly. “They don’t keep you safe like they say they do.”

You flinched. Barely. But he saw it.

Good.

“Every time I see you,” he continued, stepping closer, “you look less like you. They’ve hollowed you out. You know it too.” He didn't miss they way you twitched at the movement.

You tensed like you were ready to swing, but didn’t. Didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

And maybe you hated this. Maybe you hated him.

But you were still listening.

That was all he needed.

He pulled something from his pocket, not a knife, not a weapon like you probably thought. But a photo.

You, smiling. Off-stage. A candid. From years ago.

He held it out gently.

“I just want you back,” he whispered. “The real you. The one they’re trying to erase.”

-

You stared at the photo, barely able to process it.

It was you. Long before the fame. It was a shot from your university campus, one you didn’t even remember being taken. You looked young. Stupidly happy.

You took a step back. Your throat was dry.

“You’ve been watching me since then?”

He didn’t answer. Didn’t have to. The silence confirmed everything.

And in that moment, you realized it wasn’t just obsession. It wasn’t even about your music. He had made you his.

Years ago.

Before you ever even knew to be afraid.

The photo shook slightly in his hands.

You hadn’t even noticed you were trembling until then, until the streetlamp flickered above and cast his face in a warped, golden hue. He was still holding the picture like it was fragile. Like you were fragile.

Your voice came out low, raw, still utterly lost despite it all becoming more clear. “You’ve been following me… since before I debuted?”

He nodded. Not ashamed. Not proud. Just honest.

“I’ve always loved you.”

Your chest tightened, like the words hit some pressure point you didn’t even know existed.

“That’s not love,” you said. “You don’t know me.”

“I do.” His voice was soft. Too soft. “More than anyone else ever will.”

You took a step back, but he mirrored it, forward, slow, careful, like he was approaching a scared animal. Not to trap it. Not to hurt it.

To hold it.

“I watched you grow. Not just the stages. The in-betweens. The lonely parts. I know when your smile is real and when it’s the one they taught you to wear. I know how your voice cracks just a little when you're close to tears but you sing through it anyway.”

“Stop—” Your voice broke. “You think that’s love? That’s not love, you're obsessed”

He didn’t flinch at your words. “Maybe. But what I feel when I see you… it’s more real than anything I’ve had in my life.”

-

You hated him.

He could see it in your eyes, how they darted to the alley entrance, how your shoulders tensed like you were waiting to bolt. But you were still here. Still listening.

That meant something.

It had to.

“Do you know how hard it is to watch someone you love burn themselves out for people who will never really care?” he whispered. “They only love the pieces of you they can touch. The image. The voice. But I see all of you.”

You didn’t respond.

The silence between you stretched, thick and fragile like a thread about to snap.

So he stepped closer, almost within reach now, the photo still trembling between his fingers.

“I’m not trying to hurt you. I just… I wanted to remind you of who you were before they turned you into someone you don’t even recognize.”

He lifted the photo, holding it between you like an offering. “You were happy then. I want that for you. I want to protect you from all of this.”

His hand hovered, fingers itching to touch your sleeve.

“I know it’s wrong the way I’ve done this. But please… let me in. Even just a little. I’m not your enemy.”

-

His words hit like a knife made of velvet. They were soft. They sounded beautiful. Almost convincing.

And that’s what made it so terrifying.

Because for half a second, just one, something inside you wanted to believe him. To believe someone loved the version of you that no one else remembered. The one that came before the stages and the cameras. The one even you were starting to forget.

But then the image of your dressing room window came to mind, the messages, the flowers, the silence. You couldn’t ignore what it all really was.

You took a careful breath.

“I want you to leave me alone.”

His eyes changed.

Not rage. Not even sadness. Just heartbreak. Cracked and quiet and suddenly very, very human.

He stepped back, just once. Just enough that the space between you felt like something more than air. The photo was still in his hand, but now it trembled for a different reason. “You don’t mean that,” he said, but it came out small. Shaken. “Not really” You held his gaze. Forced yourself to stay steady even as your pulse pounded like a drumline in your ears.

“I do,” you said. “Whatever you think this is… it’s not real. You don’t know me. You know about me. There’s a difference.”

He blinked. Once. Twice.

The streetlamps buzzed faintly overhead, the only sound between you besides the shallow hitch of his breath. “I know you’re scared,” he said finally, voice brittle around the edges. “But if you could just see it from my side, if you just let me—”

“I don’t want to see it,” you cut in, sharper now. “I don’t want you watching me. Following me. Sending messages. Leaving things. Stop”

His expression fractured. A twitch at the corner of his mouth, the flicker of something too fast to catch behind his eyes. The soft exterior didn’t vanish completely, but it cracked like porcelain, letting something colder seep through.

Then he took a step forward. You instinctively shifted back. But he didn’t stop.

“You don’t mean that,” he said again, firmer this time. “You’re just tired. You’ve been under too much pressure for too long. I understand. I really do.”

Your pulse thundered. “Stop. Don’t come closer.”

He froze, hands half-raised like he was trying to show he wasn’t a threat. But his eyes didn’t match the gesture. They were locked on yours with laser focus. Unshakable. Unhinged.

“I know you’re scared,” he said, voice low, coaxing. “But that fear? It’s because you’ve been lied to. Conditioned to think that love looks like distance. Cold contracts and PR smiles and fake security. I’m not like them.”

“You don’t know me,” you snapped, the fear leaking into your voice now, a sharp edge of desperation.

“I do,” he insisted, his voice rising, losing its composure. “I know the way your eyes linger on the crowd after a show because you’re afraid no one really sees you. I know the exact moment your voice almost cracked during that acoustic set in Seoul because you hadn’t slept the night before. I watched the interview where you smiled too hard because your manager was just off camera glaring at you.”

Each example made your skin crawl. How much had he seen? How long had he been watching?

“You shouldn’t know that,” you whispered.

He stepped closer.

“I had to. No one else was paying attention. Not really. Not the way I do. You think they love you? Those fans? They just want pieces of you. The songs. The selfies. The illusion.” His voice dropped, low and intimate. “But I want you whole.”

You swallowed hard, your throat dry. You could feel your back nearly brushing the brick behind you now. No more steps to take.

“You need help,” you said quietly. “Real help.”

He smiled at that. Not amused. Not kind.

Pitying.

“No. You do.” Another step. The air between you charged, electric with something you couldn’t name. “I’ve been patient,” he murmured. “I gave you time. I let you go back to your little tours, your schedule, your fake world. But I see it in your eyes, you’re breaking. Every day, a little more.”

You flinched when his hand lifted, slow, like he was reaching for your face, but you turned your head, pressing your back to the wall of the alleyway you were now trapped in. Still, his fingers hovered just inches away. Close enough to feel the warmth of his skin.

“I could fix it,” he whispered. “I could fix you. If you’d just let me.”

“Don’t touch me.”

Something twisted further in his expression. His hand dropped, but he didn’t back away.

“You say that now,” he said, more to himself than to you. “But someday soon, when everything crashes down, when you realize they never really loved you, you’ll remember this. Me. And you’ll know I was the only one who ever saw the real you.” You tried to push past him, but he stepped in front again, blocking you. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said quickly. “But I can’t let you keep living like this. You're drowning. And no one else is reaching in to pull you out.”

“You are not saving me!” you snapped, louder now, panic blooming in your chest.

His jaw clenched.

And for the first time, the softness shattered completely.

“That’s the problem,” he hissed, eyes darkening. “You don’t know what’s good for you.” The alley around you felt smaller now. The walls taller. The shadows thicker. You were trapped between a man who thought he loved you and the version of yourself he’d invented in his head. And somehow, that felt more dangerous than any stranger with a weapon.

Because he didn’t want to destroy you. He wanted to keep you.

You had to do something. Anything to keep him calm. To buy time. To make him think you weren’t going to bolt the second you had a chance.

So you forced your voice to steady and said the first thing that came to mind. “What’s your name?”

That made him pause.

His brows twitched, confusion flickering through his features like you’d just handed him a puzzle with the final piece missing. Then, slowly, it melted into something like awe. And for a moment, he almost looked bashful. You didn’t respond to his expression. Just stared, heart pounding in your throat.

“…Kihyun,” he said finally. “My name is Kihyun.”

You nodded, trying to keep your breathing even. “Okay. Kihyun. You’re not just some nameless person in the crowd now. I see you.”

His eyes widened slightly, like that meant more to him than it should’ve. Like you’d just said I love you instead of please don’t hurt me.

And that’s when he reached out.

Slowly. Like he didn’t want to startle you. Like he wanted this to feel mutual.

He brushed your wrist.

You tried not to flinch, but his fingers wrapped around you gently, holding your arm with just enough pressure to let you know he could grip harder if he wanted to.

His thumb traced the inside of your wrist. Slowly. Reverently.

“You’re shaking,” he said softly. You were. You hadn’t even realized how bad it had gotten. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me,” Kihyun whispered, taking another step in. “I know it’s scary. Change always is. But this? Us? This is inevitable.” He leaned in, just a little closer. His voice dropped to something tender.

“The way you say my name...” His voice sounded like he was breathless. His hand slid from your wrist to your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. “I’ve imagined what your skin would feel like a thousand times,” he said quietly. “But this, it’s even better.”

You could feel the heat of his body now, far too close. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was anchoring. Like he was holding something precious. Like letting go would be a mistake he couldn’t afford.

Your breath hitched as he tilted his head.

“And now you know mine,” he whispered. “Now it’s real.” His free hand lifted toward your cheek.

And you had a choice to make, push him away and risk escalation or let him think you were still listening. Still reachable. Still his. You had never experienced what fight or flight felt like before, but now, the aching feeling of escape allowed you to know which you would choose instinctively.

You had to get away from this lunatic

[chunghasweetie]

𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 | P.JM 1

— pairing | femceo!oc x ceo!pjm

— summary | two rival ceos competing for years. famous for their rivalry and hatred for one another. always arguing. she hated him. he couldn’t stand her.

but why was he hard after every interaction?

— warnings | bad writing (i’m doing my best) slow burn (i’m annoying), secret relationships (oc’s bsf has the hots for jk), cruel humor (oc acts hard to get), fluff, cheating (jimin won’t give up on this girl), relationship abuse, abuse, light stalking (oc’s bsf is NOSY), alcohol, angst, lying, toxic relationships, toxic love concepts, aggression, irrational behavior, misogyny, derogatory comments (oc’s bf is a DICK),

— word count | 7.4k words

— song suggestions | confident — justin bieber

Park Jimin.

One of the greatest names in South Korea. One of the greatest names in the world actually. His face was on everything. Street signs, billboards, cars, even school lunch pails.

He was a prodigy. A genius. Although his parents were successful, he needed no help from them. He owned car dealerships, clothing brands, shoe stores, etc. Anything you could name, he owned 3 of it.

All at age 28.

No children, no spouse. All of his achievements done single-handedly.

How did he become so successful? We'll never know. He's a very a secretive man.

Although there is not much known about him, he is the definition of "the female gaze."

He is an incredibly handsome man. He trends daily for his sharp jawline, his beautifully carved lips, and his beautiful siren like eyes.

He could charm any man or woman with his looks alone. His voice was like a pied piper, seducing anyone who listened.

Park Jimin was a mystery.

༊—

Yoo Jangmi.

CEO of YooMi Beauty. The title coming from her surname and her first name.

YooMi Beauty was an incredibly  popular beauty brand ranging from makeup all the way to high toothbrushes.

YooMi Beauty had makeup, jewelry, women's clothes, men's clothes, heels, maternity wear, children's clothes, even kitchen wear.

Everyone was wearing YooMi. Custom designs from Ms. Jangmi herself. She was a self made entrepreneur who turned her small business into an empire.

She was an inspiration to many women. Being an independent woman and making a name for herself all on her own, many people looked up to her.

Unlike Park Jimin, Jangmi was very interactive with interviews and customers who supported her. She admired every bit of feedback she received and was very transparent.

It was no secret that Park Jimin was her rival, and with her coming out with a new car accessory line, she knew there would be talk.

He owned a lot of different branches similar to her, so the two were constantly competing against one another.

Tonight they were both invited to a gathering at a casino in Las Vegas hosted by one of his competitors, Yoo Kihyun.

Jangmi's brother.

Jimin wore a more business casual outfit. Since it was being hosted by Kihyun, he could care less how he really looked. No one there would peak his interest enough to really make him want to stand out.

"Nice to see you, Park. Champagne?" Kihyun offered.

"Don't mind if I do." He answered, watching the bartender pour them a drink. "Surprised you invited me. Especially after I made your sales plummet last spring." He smirked.

"Surprised you remembered." Kihyun chuckled lowly, taking a sip of his drink.

"How could I not? I'm making it a marker of my many successes." Jimin thanked the bartender, turning back to Kihyun.

"You enjoy your night, Park. Do contact me if you need anything else." Kihyun and Jimin waved their goodbyes as Kihyun went to greet other guests.

Jimin held his chin high as he drank alone. At gatherings like these, he didn't talk to many other business owners.

Not to his surprise, he was viewed as a very arrogant man. Which he was, in moderation.

He wasn't a total dick, at least he'd say so. But he definitely was a sassy man. He was a bittersweet person.

"Sitting alone like always." A low female voice was heard behind him. "Get me something with vodka and strawberries." She ordered to the bartender, taking a seat beside Jimin.

"Ms. Yoo." He turned to her. "How lovely is it to see you tonight. Alone." He mimicked her. "You order your drinks like a toddler."

Tonight she was wearing a lilac maxi dress, sparkles reflecting off the many games and neon lights around them. Her hair was long, jet black and parted to the side.

"At least I'm not drinking boring champagne. Don't you like to try new things?"

He shook his head. "Nope. You can never go wrong with champagne. You already know what to expect."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I can expect to be face deep hurling over the casino toilet."

"How ladylike." He fake smiled. "No wonder you're alone too."

"I actually chose to come alone, Mr. Park. You have no choice." She thanked the bartender as he slid her drink over to her. "Be a doll and pay for my drink?"

"As if." He scoffed. "Why should I do that?"

"Because I'll be the only woman you've bought a drink for since you've been able to purchase alcohol." She fake smiled back to him, taking a sip.

Friendly fire is what their relationship would be described as.

They could be civil with one another yes, but they had every reason to not be.

They were in constant competition. Who could sell more in a certain amount of time. Who could please their consumers more than the other.

She couldn't stand him. He couldn't stand her. Every little thing the other did, set them off.

What made it worse was they were neighbors.

Jangmi and her brother looked so alike. The evil smirk they shared ticked Jimin off.

One thing Jimin and Jangmi both agreed on, was their rivalry against Kihyun.

Kihyun and Jangmi were siblings, but he was also her competitor.

He was shady, a cheat. He used his looks to his advantage when it came to business. He lied to a lot of his consumers and he often made false promises to them.

Although there were a few instances where he was exposed for his doings, he easily paid off reporters for their silence.

He overshadowed brands that had actual good value. Honest brands. Such as YooMi and Park Enterprises.

No one with a high power dared to ever challenge Kihyun, knowing damn well he could crush them instantly. So many remain silent.

"Aren't you just peachy to be around." He fake swooned. "Go hang out with your brother. I miss the silence before you got here."

"You know damn well that's not going to happen. I'd rather sit and drink with you than talk to that idiot." She took another sip.

"Don't tell me you like me Ms. Yoo— Awe! I'm flattered." He put his hand on his heart. "You have a boyfriend, but I'd understand why you'd want me more."

"You fucking wish. You'd have to pay me to like someone like you." She shook her head. "Especially more than him."

"I don't know. That's how they all start out. Pretty soon you'll want to sleep with me when you become a married woman. That's how captivating I am." He winked at her.

Jangmi almost gagged. "Captivating or cocky? Either way I'm going to be sick."

"I think you mean lovesick." He corrected her.

"Alright enough of that." She downed her drink, placing the empty glass on the table. "Thanks for the drink. Goodnight Park." She waved before exiting the bar.

"Goodnight Ms. Yoo." He bid his goodbyes, watching her as she walked off. He looked down at his aching lower region once she was completely out of his sight. “Shit— Am I hard?”

༊—

"Finally." Jangmi threw herself on her couch.

"How was it? How was he?" Jangmi's best friend Yeri came out of the kitchen, a bowl of oatmeal in her hands.

Yeri and Jangmi had been best friends since the age of 8 years old. The two were almost like sisters. They did absolutely everything together and they knew everything about each other.

Yeri knew the code to Jangmi's penthouse, so she'd go in and out as she pleased if she didn't see her boyfriends car in the driveway. She only lived a few buildings down but according to her Jangmi's home felt "comforting"

"You ask me that every time. Just apply at his office or something." Jangmi replied, face down into the pillow.

"You know it's not that simple!" Yeri whined. "My dads money can only do so much for me." She pouted.

"Work for it." Jangmi suggested.

"I'd rather die. Hey! Do you think Kihyun might want to—"

"I'm going to stop you right there! My brother is off limits!" Jangmi shot up from her couch.

"Are you jet lagged or something?! I meant offer me a modeling gig! You didn't let me finish." Yeri rolled her eyes.

"Thank goodness. I almost died." Jangmi laid back on the couch. "I don't get why you even think he's cute. He's a cocky bastard."

"You don't see the vision Jangmi. Jimin may not have the best personality, but you've got to admit he's very handsome."

"You call him Jimin like you guys are close." Jangmi brought out her phone. "Look, I have to run to his office anyways for a pick up tomorrow. You can say you're one of my assistants and take my place."

"Are you serious?!" Yeri gasped.

She nodded.

Yeri set down the oatmeal and ran to her best friend. She gave her a huge hug, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She squeezed her.

"Don't make me regret this." Jangmi grumbled.

༊—

Lee Minhyuk, Jangmi's boyfriend of over a year.

The man was about 179cm and just a year younger than Jangmi herself. She didn't usually go for the younger ones but this one specifically caught her eye.

Their relationship was very public. Everyone knew about him.

He wouldn't shut up about her. Although he hasn't nearly as famous as she was, whenever he'd be interviewed or featured on television he'd always manage to bring her up.

Jangmi this. Jangmi that.

He was a romantic too. Surprise roses here and there, dates outside the office.

His world revolved around her, as she was what he gloated about the most.

The media adored him, waiting daily for the man to pop the question, "Will you marry me?"

He originally was one of her Kihyun's business partners, so they met through him.

She'd say it was love at first sight the way they instantly connected after some simple phrases back and fourth.

Their relationship seemed so perfect. Barely any fighting or bickering between the couple. They were on the same page about their futures and they could communicate well.

Their relationship was perfect. As in it used to be. Out of nowhere, Minhyuk turned away from her. Pretty early on too.

Fights between the two would break out often. He'd leave and disappear for days on end. Weeks even.

She couldn't pinpoint where exactly they went wrong. She was nothing but devoted to him and treated him with nothing but respect.

He was controlling. Didn't like her daily habits. Didn't like how she ate and how she dressed.

His boasting about her was usually about her physical appearance. It was appreciated but she just wished he'd bring up something that wasn't about her face or her body.

They could be just a bit more intimate, thought Jangmi. At least towards her. They had sex often but, it didn't go down in the way she'd like to.

Often when it would come to them 'getting it on' it would only end up benefiting Min-hyuk.

"I don't want to try anything new." Minhyuk would argue, leaving a frustrated Jangmi to finish herself off later when she was left alone.

Eventually she stopped fighting it, seeing that she wasn't going to win anyway after time and time again of her trying to explain.

Maybe it's just an obstacle they'd have to overcome in the future, all couples have something they need to work on.

For Min-hyuk, the main obstacle in their relationship was her not wanting to settle down.

She didn't want to be married just yet. The girl loved to party, loved to travel. She was a drinker and she loved to explore and feel free.

She loved looking pretty. Dressing up. One of the main reasons she started her business.

Daily she'd wear makeup and "girly" outfits. She was a very feminine woman who couldn't stand looking overly simple.

Here and there she'd like to expose skin. Nothing drastic but she loved to feel comfortable in her body. She went to the gym daily. She didn't work hard just to not show it off.

Her looks weren't for anyone's gaze. Just for her and her only.

Minhyuk wanted to domesticate her already. Make her the perfect housewife and give birth to their many children. Combine their companies.

He didn't like that she loved to party. He hated that all she wanted to do was try new things and travel.

Do not get him started on her outfits. How could such a woman show off so much?

He didn't understand any of it. He loved her but at some point shouldn't she stop?

"Don't you think you're getting a bit old to be wearing outfits like that?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe

Jangmi wore a simple floral pattern dress. It was long sleeved and flowy at the bottom.

She never wore flats but today she decided to. She dressed so plain today. For once she didn't dress for herself but she dressed for him today. Her outfit was the exact opposite of what she usually wore.

It was one of of the most modest outfits she owned.

"Considering I'm still in my twenties I don't think so at all." She laughed.

"Late twenties might I add." He folded his arms. "Shouldn't you be thinking about your future just a bit more?"

"Uh I think about my future every damn day. You forget I run an entire empire." She scoffed.

"I'm just trying to help you out Jangmi. Nows the age to start thinking just a bit more about the future of us. I want kids. A marriage." He held onto her waist.

"I don't understand why my outfit is stopping us from achieving that." Jangmi tilted her head.

"Just forget it." Minhyuk sighed, a sad expression settling on his face.

"Wait— I'll change." Jangmi exhaled.

She just wanted the best for the two. Minhyuk was all she knew, so she couldn't just give up on him.

Minhyuk's pout turned into a smile instantly. "Thanks Jangmi! I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled, heading back up the stairs.

༊—

"Breathe Yeri. Breathe." Yeri calmed herself down before entering the elevator of Park Enterprises.

She was really there in the building. After using Jangmi as an excuse to see Park Jimin up close and in person, she was finally able to do it.

The smoking hot man she had seen on so many billboards and TV screens she was finally going to see in person.

She was filthy rich and her dad could get her to meet anyone she wanted but for some reason, Jimin wasn't within reach.

He was a busy man who was always traveling. And unlike an idol, he couldn't just do meet and greets.

I guess you could say she was a bit of a fan girl.

The elevators made a "ding" noise as soon as she reached the top floor.

"Okay. You just put them on the desk and leave. Easy." She reminded herself as the elevator doors opened.

Before her plans could be fulfilled, she slammed right into someone.

"Ow!" She winced as she immediately dropped to the floor.

"Oh my goodness— Are you okay?!" The man immediately stooped down and helped her up from the ground.

"Y-Yeah." She struggled to get back on her feet.

"I'm so sorry!" He bowed to her before the two made eye contact.

Damn.

'Who is he?' Yeri thought.

Little did she know he was thinking that same thing.

The two simply stared at each other for a few seconds.

She felt as if she was in some kind of drama. When she looked at him it was like cherry blossoms and lovey dovey music played in the background.

Forget Jimin. She needed this one.

"Are you here to see Mr. Park?" He asked her as he pressed on the elevator button.

She nodded.

"He's not in his office at the moment but I can take those. You're from YooMi. Correct?" He asked her as he took the files from her hand.

She nodded once more.

Damnit, why can't you speak? Yeri thought to herself. No way she was this pathetic in front of him.

"I'm sorry if I've frightened you. I'm Mr. Park's secretary." He bowed to her, her bowing back. "And you are?"

"Ah— I'm Ms. Yoo's assistant."

"You must be new. I know all of Ms. Yoo's assistants." He adjusted his glasses.

"I'm still in training unfortunately. She's just having me run some errands." She explained before the elevator came to a stop.

"I wish you luck. I know she's a pretty tough woman. But this is my stop. Sorry again." He waved goodby before getting off the elevator.

"I need him." She mumbled to herself after waving goodbye to Mr. Park's assistant.

༊—

"Jangmi, please."

"For the last time. Hell no! What are you even on about?! You didn't want a job period now all of a sudden you want to work for me? You're out of your mind." Jangmi walked past the pleading girl.

"I'm so desperate here Jangmi. Can't you find it in your heart to—"

"No." She shook her head. "Not until you explain to me what the hell you're doing this for."

Yeri had spent the last few hours researching Jimin's secretary.

There were images and videos but there were no names. Nothing to work with at all.

She needed to see him again. He introduced himself as Jimin's secretary but didn't even give her his work name. Did he not want to tell her? Was he secretive? What kind of person wouldn't even say their own name?

She figured since Jangmi and Jimin hated each other, she had to know.

"What's his name? Jimin's secretary." Yeri asked.

"Ohhh. That's what this is for." Jangmi smirked. "Finally seen Secretary Sexy up close."

"Don't ever call him that again." Yeri gagged. "That was hard to even hear."

"Whatever. It could be worse, I could like Mr. Park's secretary."

"You don't get it! Jangmi you just had to be there. He was so tall. His shoulders— Oh don't get me started. And he's polite! When we locked eyes it's like..." She trailed off. "Love at first sight!"

Jangmi simply stared at the girl for a moment. Then burst out laughing. "Whew Yeri!" She threw herself on the couch. "You can not be serious!"

"It's not funny!" Yeri began to throw a fit, stomping her feet. "It's like the whole world literally stopped for us! Music started playing and the colors in the elevator became so vibrant like in the movies!"

"The elevator is literally silver and brown!" Jangmi laughed. "Girl he's cute but not that cute!"

"You're childish." She mumbled. "You're just jealous because you're in a generic relationship. You're not in a drama like me okay!"

"And what am I supposed to be in if you're a drama?"

"Those really boring slow silent historical films that only old people watch!" Yeri immaturely pointed at her.

"Well that was just rude. But I guess that's what love at first sight does to you." Jangmi giggled, causing Yeri to huff. "Okay okay that was the last one!"

"Just tell me his name. Oh my gosh- Do you have his number?!" She jumped on the couch.

"How close do you think I am to Mr. Park?!" She exclaimed.

"I have an idea!" Yeri shot up onto her feet.

"Let's hear it." She sighed.

"Buy him."

Jangmi rose an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Yeri smirked. "There must be a reason Park Enterprises runs so well. The secretary. We buy the secretary we buy all of his secrets. Poor guy was overworked. I don't even think he has his own office. Let's march down there and let's buy his secretary!"

"That's..." Jangmi exhaled. "The stupidest idea I've ever heard of. And you just talked about love at first sight. You're an actual idiot."

Yeri whined. "Come on! It's a good idea. Don't you want to know his secrets?"

"As much as I do not like Mr. Park, you're not thinking about this logically. His secretary is bound by his contact. Equally meaning he can not say a damn thing about the Park name. We have no idea what kind of contract he even signed." She took her hair out of her ponytail.

"And to be honest. I don't care about that secretary enough to hire him. I'm not wasting my precious time on some crush that may be loyal to his company." Jangmi shook her head.

"So that's it? Me and him are through?" Yeri dramatically stuffed her face in the pillow. "I thought money could fix everything!"

"You should know very well by now it does not. At all." Jangmi rolled her eyes. Hearing how distraught her best friend was, she caved in.

"His name is Jeon Jungkook. Do you want to go drink and get BBQ?" She asked her.

༊—

"She's perfect isn't she? Beautiful face and a beautiful body. What more could a man want?" Minhyuk boasted in front of the press, arm wrapped around Jangmi's waist.

Tonight they were attending a fashion show in Seoul. The main models were wearing various designs by YooMi and Jangmi couldn't be more proud.

She hand picked the models herself years ago and now with their experience, they'll be walking their first runway.

YooMi wasn't the only brand making an appearance that night.

Park Jimin was only a few feet beside them, waving to the press.

Surprisingly he wasn't alone, but not in the way you'd think.

Secretary Jeon was beside him, answering some questions for Jimin.

It was a bit surprising considering he never really spoke up, so they got a bit more attention than usual.

She paid no attention to them, focusing on the interview in front of her.

"I'm sure he loves my persona too." Jangmi added on, laughing.

Once the interview was wrapped up, Jangmi and Minhyuk made their way to their seats after going through security.

Jangmi happily checked out the area, the room being set up perfectly as she envisioned it.

"This is going to be so good!" The girl rubbed her hands together in excitement.

"Yeah." Minhyuk mumbled, feeling unsteady.

Truth be told the guy didn't want to be here at all. If it was up to him he'd be at home with a cold beer and a porn website.

The show started once everyone took their seats, and Jangmi didn't take her eyes off the runway.

༊—

"Oh my gosh!" Jangmi clapped loudly. "Beautiful! That was so amazing! My girls and boys did so amazing! I'm so proud."

"Yup." Minhyuk looked around. "Do you think the open bar is still available?"

"What's your problem?" She questioned him.

He'd been aching to go since the interview. What could've possibly made him this uneasy?

"You can tell me Minhyuk."

"Earlier. Why did you have to say that?" Minhyuk turned to her.

She looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sure he loves my persona too" He mimicked her. "Don't you think that kind of makes me sound like a dick? You should've been more considerate."

"Well I mean all you've done is talk about my looks all night. It was just a harmless joke so relax." She fanned herself.

"I don't need your shit right before a show." He crossed his arms, anger slightly rising.

"You act like it's your brand who's modeling. We came here for me." She scoffed.

"Whatever. It was a shit show anyway. The clothing you submitted wasn't good for shit." He muttered out, clearly ticked off.

"Are you fucking serious? You're acting like a fucking child. If you want to be a dick right now then just fucking go. I have a ride home anyway." She rose her voice.

"Fine. Didn't want to be here anyway." He stood up from his seat and stomped off childishly.

Jangmi breathed out, fanning herself some more.

She needed to calm her nerves before anxiety rose or this wasn't going to end well.

"What's wrong with Captain Hothead?"

"Not now Park. I can not deal with you right now." Jimin eyed her. Analyzing her body language and emotional state.

He didn't see the entire situation go down, but he seen enough to where he could make a good assumption.

She looked stressed from their previous outburst at her boyfriend. Uneasy.

But damn did she look good.

Jangmi had on a steel blue suit with a corset top underneath, revealing some of her cleavage and her stomach piercing which matched the rest of the jewelry she had.

She paired the outfit with diamond jewelry and 4 inch platform heels.

Jimin couldn't help himself but to take a good look at her. Sure she was his rival. But it couldn't hurt to just take a peek.

"You clean up nice." He eyed her once more. "And so did your models. Not bad Ms. Yoo."

"Thank you Mr. Park." She stood up from her chair. "Did you come here to make fun of me because I caused a scene?"

"It's not a scene if no one cares." He smiled. "The world doesn't revolve around you Yoo."

"Whatever." Jangmi was about to push past him but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Let me take you home." He said suddenly, making her look up at him.

Oddly, Jimin couldn't help himself but sympathize for her. He knew well she didn't like to look vulnerable in front of him, but he wanted to stand before her with open arms.

"What?"

"You said you had a ride. I know for a fact he took the car you both came in. Let me drive you home, neighbor." He reached his hand out to her.

Honestly, she didn't have any other choice. She didn't like the guy but she knew for sure Yeri would be knocked out sleep and there's no one she could depend on to take her home.

Jimin lived right next door, so he's all she got. But why was he being so friendly to her?

"Alright."

༊—

Silent.

It was silent in the car. Who knew they'd be so awkward around each other.

There was small talk between the two in the beginning but it ended up dying down a lot sooner than they both anticipated.

She already thanked him many times for his offer, so not much could be said about that. Jimin didn't mind hearing the praise but she definitely could've said much more.

"You don't seem to shut up any other time. Why the silence now?"

She looked up from playing with her fingers. "I'd figure I'd be nice to you considering I would be stuck at the show without you."

"Always knew you'd need me one day." He chuckled.

"Arrogant."

"What was that?"

"You're arrogant." She repeated.

"You don't like that? All the ladies do."

She scoffed. "I'm not apart of of all the ladies then. And I have a boyfriend so you don't phase me."

"Some boyfriend you have. He's a bit of a boy don't you think? Kind of toddler-like." He raised his eyebrows as he pulled into the gated community they lived in.

"You don't know him. He just had a bad night that's all. It was my fault." She shifted in her seat. "It doesn't matter anyway it's none of your concern."

He chuckled as he pulled into his driveway, turning off the car. "Yeah you're right."

She unbuckled herself and picked up her purse from the floor of the car. "Anyway, thank you Mr. Park for taking me home."

"Anytime." He unbuckled himself.

The two waved their goodbyes and Jimin watched her enter her home safely.

He locked his car and entered in the code to his home before entering.

"It is my concern Ms. Yoo."

༊—

"I'm coming!" Jangmi raced down the staircase, making her way to the front door.

The girl had her pajamas on paired with her froggy slippers. She finished her hair and makeup already for the day 'just because' since she'd be staying home.

Yeri was asleep upstairs, and Jangmi knew damn well Minhyuk wouldn't talk to her first.

So who'd be ringing her doorbell so early in the morning?

Jangmi opened her front door, seeing the very last person she thought would be ringing her doorbell.

"Hey neighbor." The charming man leaned against the doorframe, one ankle crossed over the other.

"Uh hey." Jangmi stared at him, taken back. "Didn't think I'd see you this morning."

One thing about Jangmi, she always avoided eye contact with Jimin.

For him being dressed so casually, he didn't look bad at all.

Why am I checking him out? Shit. Jangmi wondered to herself.

Something about those siren eyes always threw her off. They made her feel distracted.

Was she seriously checking out the guy she couldn't stand in the least? When she had a boyfriend at that?

"I just wanted to check up on you after yesterday." He parted his lips, licking them.

"Like I said, it's none of your concern." She snapped out of his trance. "Why does it matter?"

Why was he still on about it?

"You're right. Can't help but stay curious I guess." He chuckled before his face turned serious. "Eat at my place for breakfast, Ms. Yoo."

Jangmi practically choked on air. "What? Don't you think that's kind of inappropriate?"

"I don't think it is at all. Two CEOs just grabbing a bite to eat." Jimin stuck his hands in his pockets. "Boyfriend won't let you out or what?"

Jangmi huffed. She'd be damned to have anyone think Minhyuk had some sort of power that determined what she'd be doing with her free time.

She was starving, and she knew well Yeri would not be awake in time for the local breakfast diner to be open by the time she woke up.

"Fine, let's go eat. Give me time to get ready."

"You look fine now. We're both in our pajamas and it's not like we're going out somewhere nice. Just my dining room." He smiled.

"Okay." She stepped out of her doorway, walking beside Jimin as they walked over to his home.

[lubbuub]

2:12AM

a late night instagram with fans sounded like a good idea to kihyun, especially after the recent concert they finished. somehow, someway you made it into his hotel room, hiding away from staff and managers. sitting behind the camera you watch him interact and answer all type of questions with monbebe, but you felt a little bored…

nothing wrong with a little fun right?

your foot made its way underneath the table, placing it right on his member, his eyes slightly widen, forgetting he was still on live. the comments asking if he was okay, or if he seen a ghost. “i’m fine guys, just a fly in the room” he moved his seat back giving you the warning to wait “get off live” you mouthed. he gave you the finger to wait a moment, but you couldn’t with the limited amount of time you have in his room.

you quietly slipped underneath the table, your hands sliding up his legs, startling him. his eyes shifted down, locking eyes with yours as your fingertips made their way to his waistband. you reached into his pants and pulled out his solid rock dick, licking the precum from his tip. the gasp he let out was immaculate but he quickly pulled himself together forgetting once again he was on live. “everyone im okay, no need to wor-r-ry” you took him into your mouth bobbing your head up and down.

“fuck..” he whispered, still reading the comments. he tried his best to interact, occasionally bucking his hips up to hit the back of your throat.

your slurping noises became more and more noticeable, at this point you didn’t care if he or even you got into any controversy. he grabbed a handful of hair, pushing you straight down on his cock making you choke and gag around him. “guys i think i’m gonna call it a night, it’s getting late and you all need rest” he ended his live abruptly, knowing he was going to have to address it at another time.

“now you” yanking your hair to get you off, you gasped for air, almost dying from his cock deep down your esophagus. “table now. bend that ass over and i don’t wanna hear a peep either got it.” he demanded pulling you from underneath the table.

[cryforlovc]

✨ continuación de aquí / @zombics

no responde a su pregunta pues tiene razón, todo su semblante ha caído en un instante y fue incapaz de ocultarlo. sus labios se separan con intención de decir que ya no tiene ánimos de seguir en ese lugar. eso hasta que escucha las siguientes palabras y puede percibir la molestia que ha causado. esta celoso, ni siquiera puede negarlo, esta seguro que incluso un tercero podría darse cuenta de eso. "¿diferente en qué, woohyun?" cuestiona inclinando su cabeza, ahora es él quién comienza a molestarse más. "¿no creíste que encontraría un problema con que continúes hablando con personas con las que estuviste involucrade?" continua cuestionamiento, su entrecejo se frunce antes de tomar una bocanada de aire. "eso no es lo que estoy diciendo ni insinuando." aclara, no tiene problemas con que tenga amiges, ni pretende decirle quién puede serlo pero tampoco puede decir que le agrada la idea de que siga viendo a esa persona en particular. "ya" presiona sus labios en una fina linea; "¿eres amige de todos tus exes?" pregunta, eso es algo que no puede entender, para kihyun es algo demasiado complicado de cambiar una dinámica tan intima a una estricta amistad. hay demasiadas cosas que a sus ojos no se cortan con claridad, puede ser demasiado desastroso.

[animentality]

This is in response to an ancient ask from around 2018 so feel free to ignore it. I found that post about fandom discourse on your account and found out the sh/eith asks on your blog. So here's some clarification about it.

The majority of the bullying and harassment in the fandom was done by kl shippers, specifically the antis and the normal kl fans got caught in the crossfire. I dont know what hunty did but a major reason why they were on the kl hit list was because they were actively compiling all the harassment and vile behaviour of the fandom (regardless of the ship of choice). This doesn't absolve any harm done by sk shippers definitely but there is a big gap between the severity of bad behaviour on both sides.

The kl fans told a gay man (David Gaider) that he was a pedophile for liking sk and tried to get him fired. Harassed a non binary lesbian who worked on the show and painting her as predator and threatening to hurt her till she stopped wanting to appear at panels, threatening a voice actor's children to the point that he had to start reporting people, and the continued and absolutely vile treatment of Lauren Montgomery for 2 whole years at every perceived slight to their golden by.

The reason kl fans were called delusional by some was because they made several really bad reaches like writing entire manifestos about why kl would be canon and calling it a bible and a testament despite the show runners repeatedly saying it was never on the table and it boiling down to head canons. Insisting that every a/llurance interaction was secretly about kl and insisting every sk interaction was platonic but then redrawing those exact same scenes as kl. Insisting that Kihyun's Keith groping Shiro's tiddy art is brotherly. Telling gay men that that using words like brother or family for your crush when you don't fully understand your feelings means they have psychosexual problems and have an incest fetish then turning around and insisting that C/atradora, another ship popular with kls was actually just the lesbian experience since they were actually raised as sisters. Outside of that there was sending sk shippers gore and cp and telling one they should have died from their cancer.

As for the ages and the sk age discourse, the backstory was revealed in season 7, in season 1 the characters were introduced as 5 teenagers in space meeting aliens, which included Shiro. Now considering Shiro has always looked like an older guy even when he was a teen in the original series people went with it, even those who didnt usually read him as an older teen. Later Keith came back about 2 years older while Lance was still 17 so they started insisting that Keith was mentally stunted and therefore still a "baby adult" at about 20. This was because back when people said Shiro could be 18-19-20 that Keith being 17 is still weird. But kl fans started insisting that all ptsd sufferers were inherently abusive in relationships and that he had "scrambled eggs for brains". They also insisted that he could only be shipped with Allura who was an adult according to them. in season 2 a non canon book was released that said Keith was 18 at the start of the series and Shiro was 25. Unless people were obsessively looking at this stuff you wouldn't know that. Later Allura's va made a reference to Allura dealing with trauma like an average teen which instantly had kls throwing shiro/allura fans under the bus. Also note that they were very against lotor/lance and harassed the shippers within a week of the ship becoming a thing. Basically every ship outside of kl involving these two became problematic in one way or another, sk and a/llurance taking the worst hits. By the end of season 6 kls had their chats leaked discussing their fears of sk becoming canon and needing to cope by rereading the kl manifestos and doubling down on harassing the sk and a/llurance shippers. By this point Lauren Montomery had already liked fanart of shiro and keith making out (s2), Barlee had liked art of them snuggled up (s3), the famous "Shiro loves you baby, he's looking at keith" art had already been posted by Chirs palmer (s1), Josh Keaten had already coined the ship name (s1), Kihyun Ryu was drawing Keith groping Shiro (s6) and Bex had already made several jokes about Shiro and Keith being a couple (s1-7). At this point kl fans started harassing the staff directly and calling them predatory, after their infamous attempt at blackmailing them to make kl canon didn't work. They would change their approved non ship questions during panels to put the staff on the spot, they recorded Jeremy Shada without his consent for a scrap of kl evidence, they posted videos of children forcing them to watch vld, they posted uncensored pics of two classmates (minors) for wearing blue and red, as well as of their very very small students because they were kl coded, they spammed Jeremy Shada's posts with his gf insisting its uncomfortable cuz they look like siblings and how he should date Keith's va instead (a married man btw), they then proceeded to harass Shada when he lost his cool and ranted about the behavior of kl fans in a panel calling him awful things. They told csa survivors that they should be ashamed of liking a ship.

In a later panel for season 6 Josh Hamilton flat out said that sk were in no way related and JDS said that people would come out of the show either thinking they were together or thinking they are just bros hinting at some degree of ambiguity. It was only in season 7 after much of the thing was over that we saw their backstory, the pics that are used to harass shippers. By this point most sk shippers had a completely different backstory for them and those who shipped them from before didn't ship them in this variation of canon. He was also dating someone else during this period anyway.

As for why people ever started shipping sk in the first place, its because Bex made two snapchat posts about the very first episode refering to Shiro being Keith's true love and Shiro bringing the kids (the other three paladins) to his and Keith's date night. Mind you, both Josh Keaten and Bex were actively harassed for saying that sheith was a perfectly normal and healthy ship.

TLDR: The vld show had no show bible and the ages were never elaborated on, people didn't know shit about how sk met and a lot of the narrative is made up head canons being pushed as facts. Majority of the claims against sk shippers is revisionism that was done by antis and these things can be proven with all the records and screenshots maintained by hunty and several other blogs. That being said there were assholes in all ships, even the ones that insist they were unproblematic and innocent.

Jesus Christ.

maybe I take it back, maybe shippers are worse than power scalers.

Lord Almighty.

the Voltron fandom was fucking insane.

was it the beginning of this "two years of age difference is pedophilia" discourse too???

like.

for fucks sake.

it's just a cartoon.

they're not real.

omg they're very not real.

chill out.

thanks for sending this anon, I actually found it fascinating to read.

ships really aren't this serious. you just like whatever you like, man.

I wonder how angry the klance shippers were when allurance became a thing.

[26thwinter]

the beauty of monsta x - kihyun

scorpio rising - kihyun's ascendant is the only confirmed one in mx. even though he may not seem like it because he's extraverted, if you look at how dense his muscles tend to be, how his brows furrow and lips frown when he's concentrating, and how terrifyingly sharp his intuition is, he's definitely a scorpio rising.

ascendant conjunct sun - kihyun's personality is at the forefront of his mask when interacting with the world. it's obvious in how he shines on stage, as well as in everyday life in how he can never sit still. the intensity of scorpio combined with the brightness of the sun results in a restless energy that manifests in kihyun's physicality. he's constantly moving and pushing.