astrae4 - Tumblr blog

astrae4 · 2 months

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star — p. gunwook

pairing: gunwook x gn!reader

synopsis: gunwook unfortunately loses his wallet. luckily for him, a good samaritan is kind enough to trace the address on his i.d. and brings it straight to his doorstep! too bad it’s his newly ex-best friend (post-dramatic confession of love).

word count: 3.6k

warnings: highschool!au, friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, BARELY proofread, jealous gunwookie, talks of falling out, misunderstandings, miscommunication, feat. seniors hanbin and seunghan (and eunseok), not to be taken serious this is just fiction!!

a/n: needed a break from writing that tattoo artist jiwoong au so i wrote this 🥸

Gunwook’ s lost his wallet.

It’s no big deal! It’s not like his whole life is in there or anything: his money, I.D., credit and debit card, along with his ultra rare Twicecoaster Lane 1 devil Nayeon photocard— yeah, he’d be fine without them.

He only realizes when he get’s on the train home from school, reaching for the photocard for emotional support after the shit week he’s had until he realizes it’s in his wallet which definitely isn’t in any of his pockets right now.

He finally lets out what he thinks is a quiet ‘fuck!’ after patting his pockets down and emptying out his backpack for the third time, which ends up not being as quiet as he originally thought, if the looks from the elderly couple sat across from him are anything to go by.

A few hours go by, and he’s still mourning the loss of devil Nayeon— oh, and all that other stuff too, he guesses. To get his mind off of things, Gunwook thinks a game of Fortnite with his loving friends would do the trick. It’s twenty minutes after when their entire squad gets wiped out (and proceed to get emoted on) is when he retracts that whole idea.

“I’m positive those guys were like, ten year olds. Do you know how embarrassing that is?!” Hanbin’s voice comes from Gunwook’s headset, meshing with the groans of Eunseok and the laughter of Seunghan on the other ends of the call.

“Obviously, it just happened to us! And the audacity. of Gyuvin to leave when he’s the reason we lost. His aim is so fucking ass,” Eunseok speaks loud and fast into his mic, making Gunwook wince at the volume. He seriously needs to start putting his volume down as soon as Eunseok joins. “Why do we still play with him? No, seriously someone answer me, why do we still play with him? Can we replace him with Y/n? Matter fact, I’m calling them right now I can’t do this.”

Seunghan’s laughter comes to a halt the minute their name is mentioned, just like Gunwook’s breathing for a split second.

“Eunseok.” Seunghan says his name and it sounds like Eunseok’s movements come to a stop, the only sound being that of the classic lobby music and the occasional Ps4 notification.

“... Does Gyuvin not have shit aim? I mean, we all saw that.” he says, and Hanbin then decides it’s his turn to speak up. “Maybe don’t talk about Y/n right now.”

It’s only now that Gunwook realizes he hadn’t told Eunseok about the whole ordeal this entire time, and it’s evident in the way he gasps from the other end of the call. “Y/n?! The fuck happened with Y/n? Oh my God please don’t tell me I have to cut them off they’re so fun. Speaking of, we have plans next week on Thursday to this new—”

“Eunseok seriously shut the fuck up.”

“ ‘Kay I’m gonna go heat up my hot pockets.”

Gunwook feels bad since he’s kind of the reason why Eunseok got cursed out by Seunghan. He’ll make it up to him after the upcoming, full on expected pep talk from Hanbin.

“You two still aren’t talking?” he asks the same time Eunseok logs off, and Gunwook thinks that maybe he too can escape this if he leaves without a second thought. He then realizes that Hanbin can literally just call him after he leaves, so he decides to dish it out and get it over with, mumbling his next words. “Well they’re not talking to me.”

It sounds childish, but he wasn’t lying! “The phone works both ways, Gunwook.” he sighs, the sounds of him readjusting in his seat being heard before he’s continuing, “Was it that embarrassing?”

Gunwook forgets that he didn’t explain the extent of the situation to his senior, so it isn’t entirely Hanbin’s fault that he thinks that Gunwook is simply embarrassed, but he can’t help the groan that follows anyway. “It’s not just that. It’s- I can’t even say.”

It’s nothing personal, really— everyone knows that Sunghoon and Y/n used to go out (for a mere 5 months, so Gunwook doesn’t even care for real!). What people didn’t know was how they swore to Gunwook that they’d never get back with him, not even for a second, so when Gunwook finally realizes the feelings he has for his best friend and decides to do something about them (queue chocolates and flowers at the end of the school day), the last thing he expects to see is Y/n and fucking Sunghoon, holding each other in a warm hug, like they’d shrivel up and die if they were to part.

Gunwook wished that had happened to him when he walks into the empty classroom, the wrapping from the flower arrangement in his hands startling the two out of their tight embrace. They looked like a pair of deer caught in headlights, frozen in place as they watch Gunwook’s word die on his tongue, mouth agape as he tries to restore them.

“Sorry. Bad time.” it’s the only coherent thing he can manage to say before he’s making a beeline for the door, too embarrassed and upset to verbalize the rest of his thoughts. Never getting back together, huh? Gunwook’s feeling a lot of things in this current moment, but the one that sticks out the most is how utterly stupid he feels. It’s so intense it almost drives him to anger, but he’s on the train home before it can get to that point, free from the fear of them running after him.

He isn’t particularly proud of what he does when they text him almost immediately after the whole ordeal, only responding after he gets home.

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: omg i’m so sorry i totally forgot you asked to meet up

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: we were just talking

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: did you still wanna talk? where’d you go??

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: gunwook??

You:

sorry i had to rush home

You:

its fine tho lol

You:

i was just gonna ask your opinion on

the flowers i got

You:

they’re for eunchae

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: oh

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: i didn’t know you liked eunchae?

You:

yup

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: okay well then yeah they’re really pretty

Y/NN🔥🔥💕😘😇: she’ll really like them

You:

thanks 🙌

Okay don’t look at him like that. He had to save face! He feels bad as soon as he spews the lie out, but then he remembers the way his heart dropped to his ass at the sight of Y/n and Sunghoon hugging, and convinces himself that maybe this was for the best.

What Gunwook doesn’t expect are the two weeks that follow. To describe them in two words: extremely awkward. The following morning, instead of the two taking the train together like they normally do, Gunwook makes up some lame excuse about being late and ends up taking the longer way. They talk during the classes they have together, but it’s all stiff and feels uncomfortable, despite anyone saying anything about it. Going home is the same as the morning was, yet this time it was Y/n who couldn’t make it, saying they had to visit a relative after school.

It was always easy for the two to tell whenever the other was lying, but Gunwook wants to give them the benefit of the doubt, seeing as he wasn’t so truthful himself just recently. When the two do arrive home, there are no texts exchanged or calls that go on for hours on end like usual, and it makes Gunwook uneasy, but the feeling of being rejected without actually being rejected was more prominent in that moment, so he left it alone.

He didn’t know that the lack of communication on both ends would lead to them not talking at all, though! It didn’t help that he’d see them talking with Sunghoon again in the hallway only two days later, rubbing a reassuring hand along their arm, which then prompts him to talk with Eunchae during the period he knows he shares with Y/n. That day is what really set the tone for the rest of the week, he thinks; no calls or texts, passing each other through the hallways, and going home together came to a dead end. All the little things that made Gunwook not absolutely hate school were taken away from him, and he feels it’s partially his fault which made it suck even more.

It took his friends, including his seniors, only two days to realize that something was wrong, which is what’s prompted Hanbin to lecture him every chance he gets for the past two weeks.

“Well maybe you should text them anyway. I bet they miss you just as much as you miss them, right Seunghan?”

There’s absolutely no way Seunghan was listening in, seeing as he doesn’t answer til five seconds later when Hanbin clears his throat. “Oh! Yes, definitely.”

“What are you even here for.”

“Emotional support? I don’t know man, I just wanted to play Fortnite.”

“Seunghan.”

Seunghan whines at the disapproving tone of Hanbin’s voice, not sure how he got roped into being scolded alongside Gunwook. Hanbin’s just that good, he guesses.

“Ugh okay fine. Not gonna lie Gunwook, seeing you two not talking is really depressing, for all of us, and honestly super unsettling. Just tell them how you feel and maybe don’t lie to your crush about having a crush who isn’t actually your crush. How’d I do Hanbin?”

“Absolutely terrible. Please log off.”

Before Seunghan can defend himself against what Hanbin identifies as Useless Senior Syndrome™, there’s a steady knock coming from the front door, successfully getting Gunwook out of the lecturing. “Thanks guys, but I have to go.”

The two can barely bid their goodbyes before Gunwook is logging off, scurrying down the steps as the knocking increases in speed.

“I’m coming!” he half-screams. He knows it isn’t his mom because she always has her keys, so it’s okay that he raised his voice a bit. He honestly thinks it’s Yujin from next door, most likely wanting to borrow Gunwook’s switch again after he miraculously submerged his own into water. He swears to God if he doesn’t return it back on time again—

Oh. This isn’t Yujin.

What stood in front of him held waves of familiarity: one being the navy blue leather-skinned wallet he’d gotten gifted by a relative a while back, the one that’s been home to his ultra rare Twicecoaster Lane 1 devil Nayeon photocard for years now— and the other being the person he’s gotten to know over the past seven years, who’s favorite foods he’s mastered and whose voice he can point out in a room full of thousands. The one who sits through the same old episodes of ‘Haikyuu!!’ with him, despite already seeing them multiple times. His best friend, who he hasn’t talked to in over two weeks, over his own fears and insecurities, is now at his front doorstep with his wallet in their hand, face unreadable to Gunwook for the first time since they’ve met.

“You forgot your wallet in Ms. Chwe’s class.”

Ms.Chwe’s class; the last period that they share with each other, where he was too busy trying to avoid Y/n’s gaze so in turn chatted up anyone who’d listen, not paying enough attention to the wallet that was falling out of his front pocket. Gunwook can’t even feel relieved that his most prized possession is safe, nor can he think of a way to make it anyone else’s fault at the moment given that his (ex?) best friend, who he hasn’t even glanced at in 14 days, is standing at his door with it in hand.

‘What am I supposed to even say?’ The silence that follows after still isn’t as embarrassing as that cursed Wednesday two weeks ago, so he tried to avoid saying anything that may exceed that level. “Thanks… okay bye.”

Okay what the fuck was that. He almost slams his head against the door, but he thankfully doesn’t have to dwell on it for too long, as they’re speaking before he knows it.

“You seriously don’t wanna talk about this?” They say, and Gunwook doesn’t know why it shocks him— they’d always been the confrontational type when needed.

“What do you wanna talk about?” He thinks it’s a pretty valid question, given that they could be referring to multiple things, but Y/n apparently doesn’t think so, if the roll of their eyes were anything to go by.

“You can’t be serious. About how you’ve been ignoring me for the longest!”

“Wha- only because you’ve been ignoring me!”

“That’s what most people do when someone’s been ignoring them first, dumbass.”

Gunwook huffs, he almost forgot how stubborn the both of them could be. “This is going nowhere. Just- come inside.” He gives up, decides to be the bigger person and let them in, not wanting their first interaction in so long to be an argument outside his door. Also because Yujin can be quite the creep and likes to instigate arguments from his bedroom window (he knows this because they’ve done it together).

They make themselves comfortable on the couch best associated with movie nights and hot cocoa during winter break, sitting on opposite ends. The air feels stale, and Gunwook feels like he has to say something before he can let the silence linger any longer. “D’you want some wate-”

“What did I do to you?” he’s cut off, the voice quieter prior to it outside. They turn to face Gunwook with hands gripping both knees reassuringly and— are they crying? “I mean, I’ve been trying to figure it out for so long, but I can't think of anything. Was it the flowers? Did she not like them?”

Gunwook wants to wipe off the face of the Earth. Not only were they crying, but they were kind enough to consider the feelings of others while nursing their own, successfully breaking his heart, while also making him feel unfathomably shitty.

He’s by their side in less than a second, not quite sure what to do with his hands as he lets out a stream of ‘no no no’ and ‘please don’t cry’. They won’t even look at him this time either, opting out to facing the wall in front of them instead. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Y/n.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

Gunwook sighs, finally deciding to rest his hands on his thighs. “I’m going to tell you, but you have to tell me why you were too, okay?” He asks and they nod almost immediately. “And you can’t laugh either. Seriously, I will kick you out.”

“I’ll walk out myself if you don’t spit it out already.” They attempt to say it threateningly, but they’re pouting and Gunwook hates how cute he finds it, considering their current circumstances.

“Okay I was getting there,” He can’t help the snark remark, and he half blames it on the fact that he’s about to do the thing that he never got to two weeks ago: confess his undying love for his best friend of over seven years to said best friend. Folding his hands atop his legs, Gunwook takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a split second before opening them as he exhales.

“Those flowers weren’t for anyone but you.” He’s not facing them, he absolutely cannot right now, instead focusing his gaze on his now sweaty hands, but he still hears the hitch in their breathing— it’s as clear as day. “I was going to give them to you, tell you about my feelings, but then I saw you with fucking Sunghoon, and I- I don’t know. I just felt so embarrassed and stupid and angry, so I came up with that stupid lie,” He finally finds the courage to face them, looking up to find their eyes already on him. “I’m sorry.”

Silence follows, and Gunwook fully expects it, but fuck was it agonizing. His face is practically on fire and he doesn’t want to break eye contact because he wants to ‘assert male dominance’ or whatever the hell Eunseok was going on about that one time he gave advice absolutely no one asked for, but it’s getting harder as the seconds go by and he just might explode right where he sits.

“Gunwook. You’re not gonna believe this but I was talking to Sunghoon about you,” Oh thank God they broke the silence— but what did they say? “I wanted to know if it’d make things weird between you and him if I asked you out or something, since you two are on the same dance team. I was also asking for advice on how to do it, since I’ve never asked anyone out before. I was going to the day after, but then you said you wanted to confess to Eunchae and I got really upset, I didn’t want to see your face at all.”

It’s now Gunwook’s turn to stare in silence, his previous anxious feeling replaced with one that screamed ‘what the fuck is happening I can’t believe this is happening right now’.

“What.” It’s all he can manage to say at the moment— if he felt stupid before, it’s definitely hitting harder this time around. He was avoiding his crush (who also has a crush on him, apparently?!), his best friend, all over nothing. His cheeks are becoming hot again and he feels like crying.

In classic Gunwook fashion, he does the most rational thing he can think of at the moment and bows his head beside their lap, clasping his hands in front of it as he lets out streams of ‘I’m sorry’, catching them completely off guard.

“Get up! It’s fine Gunwook, seriously." They reassure him, but he doesn’t dare get up from his position, only raising his head ever so slightly. “You still like me? Even though I lied to you and made you cry?”

They seem to find humor in his current predicament, giggling as they move a hand to pat his head. “I shed one tear. And dude, I lied too. I’m sorry as well, I was just scared.” It’s said with earnest, and Gunwook can feel it through their gaze once he finally gains the courage to lift himself up, his confidence fully restored. “Okay if we’re gonna date, you cannot call me dude anymore.”

“Is this you asking me out for real this time?” A hint of amusement makes its way onto their face, lolling their head to the side as they ask.”

“Yes. Wait no.” The switch up visibly confuses them, even more so when Gunwook gets up from his seat, instructing them to ‘wait here’ as he runs to the kitchen, coming back with a single flower. “My mom wouldn’t let them go to waste. They’re in a vase and she’ll kill me if I take all of them.”

They laugh, both because Gunwook was so so sweet and because his mom really would kill him. “Will you go out with me?” He knows it’s short, but he could tell them all the things he likes about them over takeout, and he really wants to kiss them right now.

“That was lackluster,” They say as they snatch the flower from their hands, but their actions are words are laced with playfulness, and they contradict themselves when they move to embrace him in a warm hug. “But yes, since you asked so nicely.”

Gunwook almost shoves them away if it weren’t for how intimate the current moment was. He’s glad they can still play around after spending so much time apart from each other. “Shut up! I just wanted to kiss you already. Wait, would that be weird?”

They look up, contemplating it for a second before they look back at him with a shrug. “I don’t know, but you can give me a kiss on the cheek. The one that isn’t wet.”

He takes takes that as a win, holding their damp cheek in favor of landing a peck on the opposite. Then another on their forehead. And another on the same cheek, but in a different place. It soon turns to him showering them with kisses all over, causing them to fall back on the cushions as they begin to laugh, taking Gunwook down with them as he refuses to stop. “Gunwook! I said one!”

He doesn’t even have the mind to grace them with an answer as he joins them in laughter, too overjoyed and buoyant with that fact that he’s now free from many things; free from hiding his feelings, from his insecurities now that their feelings were laid bare and are mutual, and free from pretending that he was okay letting his best friend falls into the hands of another. He no longer has to worry about any of that though, as they’re right where he wants them, where he deems perfect.

The cafeteria is booming as always, Gunwook and his friends (seniors and same-age mates alike) already seated at their table as they await the arrival of a few others. None of them say anything about the way Gunwook and Y/n are holding hands under the table, but there are definitely shared glances exchanged between Hanbin and Seunghan.

It’s only been two days since Gunwook’s actual successful confession, and they still have yet to say it outright, so they’ve just decided to let everyone come to their own conclusions. He thinks they’re on the right track though, with the way they shot him a thumbs up from across the table.

“Y/n!” It’s yelled from behind them, making the entire table, if not the whole cafeteria turn their heads to the source of the noise. Gunwook wishes he could say he was surprised as to who it was.

Eunseok practically tackles Y/n with the force in which he runs to their side, engulfing them in a hug from behind. “I thought I was gonna lose you! Don’t tell Gunwook, but you’ve always been my favorite junior.”

“I’m right here.”

“Shut up dont ruin this for me.”

a/n: we all know gunwook would be a communication king but i wanted to write this anyway. and guys i promise i can write things other than love confessions gimme like two weeks!!! also recs are open likes + reblogs are always appreciated ty baii

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astrae4 · 2 months

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Guys for the past month i’ve been working like a slave for this ricky oneshot….it better be good cause my hand is shriveling atp 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️

#💌 : astrae4 #zb1 ricky

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astrae4 · 2 months

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Linkedin Love | ZB1 Kim Taerae

PAIRING: stranger + engineer!Kim Taerae x gn!reader (au)

SYNOPSIS: Sick and tired of blind dates, you accidentally lie to your mom about having a boyfriend named Kim Taerae, an engineer and a Seoul University graduate. Luckily, you’re able to find a man who perfectly fits the description on Linkedin. You reach out to him, proposing a coffee chat under the guise of a professional career change to automotive engineering.

The initial meeting does not go as plan, but in a surprising turn, he agrees to be in a fake relationship with you you; afterall, nobody likes blind dates! Unfortunately, as you spend more time together, the “fake” in fake relationship becomes real instead.

GENRE: fluff, attempt at comedy (might be considered crack)

TAGS: strangers to lovers, fake dating, taerae and y/n are implied to be in their mid to late 20's

WARNINGS: around five swear words, brief hag shaming (as a joke), mentions of food throughout and gets descriptive in part six, slight miscommunication/misunderstanding but gets resolved in <1k words cuz i cant stand drama

WORD COUNT: ~18.1k

part one

You’re not sure why your mom keeps sending you on blind dates after over a 100 unsuccessful attempts. After the 24th one, you’ve officially decided that you will adopt a puppy, or a duck if you’re feeling ambitious, as your lifelong companion. You’ve said some ridiculous things before, but this one probably takes the cake.

"I have a boyfriend."

Your mom attempts to clear her throat discreetly, but the sound is audible through the phone despite her efforts. “It’s okay, dear,” she reassures. “You don’t have to lie to us, or at least me, and just so you know Jihyo’s son is a —”

“I’m not lying,” you interrupt, your voice louder this time.

“Okaaaay,” she drawls, her tone laced with disbelief. “So what’s his name?”

Fuck. Out of all times, why did you have to forget all names that a man might have? Then, inspiration strikes as you glance at a poster of Tempest’s Kim Taerae in your room.

“His name is Kim Taerae,” you assert, trying to sound confident.

“The guy from Tempest?” she questions. Even if you can't see her, you know her eyebrows are furrowing.

“No,” you clarify. “He’s an engineer and he went to Seoul University.”

“Oh, wow!” she exclaims. “He’s quite the catch.”

“Yeah, I know,” you utter proudly, as if the man you made up in your head was actually your boyfriend.

“That’s so wonderful, dear,” your mom remarks, genuinely pleased. “I’m so happy to know you’ve found someone special. When can your dad and I meet him?”

You hesitate for a moment, caught off guard by her question. "Actually, he's quite busy with work. I’m not sure when he’ll be free for a visit.”

"Ah, I see," she replies understandingly. "Well, let me know soon!”

“Of course,” you reply, trying to mask the unease in your voice. “It’s getting late now, so I’m going to get ready for bed.”

“Alright, dear. Take care and get some rest.”

“Will do,” you acknowledge, feeling a mix of relief and guilt before you were about to hang up the phone. “Good night. Love you.”

The call immediately ends and you find yourself lying on your bed, staring at the ceiling. Wow, if you knew that would get you off the hook for blind dates with mediocre men, you would have told your mom you had a boyfriend a long time ago.

Now the only issue was finding one named Kim Taerae who happens to be an engineer and an alumni of Seoul University.

Grabbing your phone, your fingers nervously type “Kim Taerae Engineer Seoul University” on the search bar. With each keystroke, your anticipation grew, mixed with a tinge of apprehension. While the probability that this imaginary man exists is almost impossible, at least it isn’t zero.

Faster than a bullet train, you tap on the link, hoping that he graduated from Seoul University. Though it took forever, the page eventually loads and a piercing scream bursts forth from you the words “Seoul National University” appear in the introduction section.

And to put the cherry on top, just like you, he lives in Seoul.

And he’s not a hag (not that you have anything against them).

And he’s kind of cute too.

Luck was really on your side tonight. Either that, or you secretly have the power to create the ideal man in your head and have him come to life. You’re super happy regardless.

Swiftly, you log into your LinkedIn account, brainstorming ideas on how to reach out to him. You definitely don’t want to tell him that you’re looking for a fake boyfriend because you lied to your mom about having an actual one. One of your colleagues, Park Hanbin, happens to be a mutual connection, but you quickly reject the idea because he’s almost as “curious” as your mom when it comes to your love life (minus the constant blind date set-up’s).

Eventually, you settle on a more viable approach. You craft a message inviting him to meet for coffee chat under the guise of professional interest:

Hi Taerae, I hope this message finds you well. My name is [y/n] and I recently came across your profile while exploring professionals in the field of automotive engineering. I am currently contemplating a career transition and have developed a keen interest in designing cars. Your impressive background and experience in this field have caught my eye. I saw that you have two patents under MotorOne and are part of a team that’s working on the development of self-driving cars. It would be a wonderful opportunity to be able to connect and learn with someone as knowledgeable and talented as yourself. If possible, would you like to meet for a 30-minute coffee chat this week? I completely understand if this timing doesn't align with your schedule, and I'm more than willing to find a time that suits you better. Whether it's an in-person meeting or a virtual discussion, I'm flexible and open to accommodating your availability and preferred mode of communication. I’m aware that you’re busy but any assistance or guidance you could provide would be tremendously appreciated. I am looking forward to getting to know you better. Best regards, [l/n] [y/n]

You feel a mixture of hope and worry just before sending the message, and then regret once you sent it. After a quick review, it seems too scripted or automated. Unfortunately, there isn’t an “undo” button and you aren’t sure if you have the power to go back in time.

Well, you suppose it’s time to start executing Plan B: find a fake boyfriend service and hope someone is willing to play the role of Kim Taerae, an engineer from Seoul, that you are heads over heels for.

part two

The blaring sound of your morning alarm coming from your phone jolted you awake the next morning. With a quick tap, you silence the persistent noise and as usual, begin looking through your missed notifications. Amidst the mix, there were two that caught your eye.

Kim Taerae sent you a connection invite.

Kim Taerae replied to your message.

With a mix of excitement and nervousness, you eagerly tap on the notification to see his response.

It’s the best possible one you could have gotten.

Well, almost.

Hi [y/n], Thank you for reaching out to me and for your kind words. I’d be more than happy to assist you and answer any questions. I’m a bit busy this week, but I’m available this Friday evening. Could we meet at a restaurant instead? I can’t have caffeinated drinks at night. I’m really sorry about that. Otherwise, I can check my morning and afternoon availability in the following weeks. All the best, Kim Taerae

A restaurant is a bit out of your budget for an initial meeting, but you quickly decide it was worth it as he was pretty much your only option outside of the boyfriend service you found last night – and according to the email you received this morning, they weren't sure if they had someone who could accommodate your request, at least not without selling your family heirloom and your kidney. Buying dinner (or dinners) for this man was a much cheaper option. Hopefully.

Hi Taerae, Thank you so much for your quick response. I am more than happy to accommodate your schedule and preference. Please let me know the time of the meeting as well as the name and address of the restaurant. I’m looking forward to meeting you this Friday evening. Thank you again! Best regards, [l/n] [y/n]

To your surprise, you get a reply as soon as you put your phone back on your nightstand.

I’m thinking of Umani Heights at 6PM on 123 Teheran Road, but let me know if you prefer another time.

A quick search on the Internet reveals that the restaurant is a whooping four won sign and is conveniently located a 10-minute walk from your workplace. You can usually get off no later than 5:30PM on Fridays, so it’ll give you a bit of time to freshen up before work.

6PM is perfect! Let me know if anything changes. Thank you again and I'm really looking forward to meeting you!

----

In exactly 10 minutes and 18 seconds, you are about to meet your potential fake boyfriend. As soon as the meeting was set, you brainstormed a list of good questions to ask and tried to learn more about MotorOne and automotive engineering as well as practiced potential topics to transition the conversation from professional to casual.

You got a much-needed haircut, made sure your nails were trimmed and cleaned, and even got a facial. Hours were spent curating the perfect outfit: you needed something that was professional but looked still good for a “date.” After work, you made sure to freshen yourself, fixing your hair and doing a quick touch-up, before the meeting, and just to be on the safe side, you even had a mint.

Standing in front of the restaurant, you are about to open the camera app on your phone to double-check your appearance, but before you have the opportunity to, a voice calls for your name. You turn to the direction of the sound and you see the man you invented standing in front of you.

And somehow he’s even more gorgeous in person.

His honey brown hair is impeccably styled, almost as if he's meeting someone for a date, not a chat about transiting a career to automotive engineering. He’s wearing a bright blue sweater layered over a pristine white collar shirt, paired elegantly with black trousers and clean white sneakers. A sleek black leather backpack and smart watch completes his ensemble.

When he makes eye contact with you, his shoulders relax slightly, and a dimpled smile forms on his lips, causing you to almost fall in love with him instantly.

“I’m Taerae,” he greets you warmly, extending his hand for a handshake.

You don’t respond immediately, causing a flicker of concern to cross his face.

“Sorry, maybe I got –”

“No, you have the right person,” you quickly interject, accepting his handshake. “You’re looking for [y/n], right?”

A small smile returns to his face. “Yes, that’s right. Thank you so much for coming and I hope I didn’t keep you waiting. I was about to message you that I just arrived.”

“Oh, no, I just arrived too,” you assure.

He gives you a nod and the two of you head to the host stand.

“Hi there, I have a reservation for two under Kim Taerae at around 6PM,” he says.

The hostess swiftly checks for the reservation list on her tablet. “Ah, yes, Mr. Kim. Follow me right this way, please.”

As you step into the restaurant, a serene ambiance instantly envelops you. The decor is a seamless fusion of modern elegance and traditional Japanese aesthetics: dark wooden accents, carefully crafted screens, and bamboo motifs. Delicate art pieces, thoughtfully placed, enhance the overall elegance.

You pass by a mesmerizing sushi bar with fresh seafood on display and chefs crafting delectable dishes with elegance, their nimble hands expertly creating masterpieces. The sounds of conversation and occasional clink of porcelain diminishes as soon as you arrive at a small private room.

The two of you take your seats and the hostess hands you your menus before returning with two cups of hot Gyokuro green tea. She lets you know to press the button on the side of the table when you are ready to order or if you need anything else.

“Oh, wow, I didn’t know that restaurants have private rooms for two – and this one has buttons to request service,” you remark with a hint of amazement after the hostess leaves the room. “I thought you’d need a party of six at least.”

“Unami Heights doesn't usually offer private rooms for two,” he explains, “but the company I work for frequently hosts client meetings here and because of the money spent, the restaurant graciously allows us to use the private rooms, even for just two people.”

“Ah, right, you work at MotorOne,” you acknowledge. “Makes sense since they’re number one in the automotive industry in Asia. Why’d you choose them? Is it fun working for such a prestigious company?”

He chuckles softly, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Already asking me questions and I haven’t even taken a sip of my tea?”

His comment causes a brief panic, thinking you might have been too eager, but he quickly flashes a reassuring smile.

“I was just teasing. Ask away. That’s why you came to meet me, right?”

“Um, yeah,” you stammer nervously, “but, I'd like to know to get you more personally. Building genuine relationships is important to me.” Thank goodness he can't see your legs shaking.

"You're right," he replies, a subtle smile on now his lips. He takes a sip of his tea before answering your questions.

“Well, I got a few job offers abroad, but wanted to stay in the country to be close to my family. Of all local options, I thought MotorOne would be the best one since they’re pretty much known everywhere in the automotive industry. The management kind of sucks and they have a tendency to overwork you, but the compensation, bonuses, and benefits are good. Does that answer your questions personally and professionally?”

“Yeah, it does,” you respond, stifling a soft snicker, “and I appreciate your honesty.”

He grins. “What about you?” he then asks. “Why’d you move to Seoul?”

“It was the furthest city I could be away from my parents,” you reply, half-joking. “I mean I love them for sure, but sometimes they’re – uh – a little much.”

“Yeah?”

“I guess it could be worse, but my mom loves arranging blind dates for me,” you admit. There’s a bit of weariness in your voice.

“Blind dates set up by parents are the worst,” he comments.

“Well, she stopped doing that approximately 4 days, 19 hours, and 50 minutes ago,” you smile, your tone is now more lively.

He does his best to suppress a laugh, but fails miserably. “It’s so bad that you kept track of the minute?”

“I've been going on one blind date every week ever since I settled into my full-time job,” you sigh loudly. “If I miss a week and wasn’t seen anybody, I have to make it up later.” Your shoulders slump. “And I paid at least a quarter of them to lie to my mom that we went for the full hour.”

“Oh, wow,” he sympathizes, “and I thought I had it bad. I have to go to one every month. How’d you get her to stop?”

“Easy, I told her I have a boyfriend.”

“You have a boyfriend?” His tone is filled with surprise.

“Yeah, his name is Taerae.”

“Taerae?”

“Yes, Tae –”

You abruptly stop as the realization of what you just said sinks in. It’s quiet for a few moments before you make a horrible effort to salvage the conversation.

“Okay, so I might have lie to her,” you reveal, “but it’s not a lie if it becomes the truth.” Your fist gently slams the table. “I will have a boyfriend! Or at least a fake one!”

The last bit slips out by accident. His eyebrows furrow, growing confused. He opens his mouth for a second, but no words come out.

With all the courage you had left in your lifetime, you get up from your seat and walk towards him. You let out a loud exhale before lowering your knees to the ground and clasping your hands.

“Kim Taerae. A brilliant engineer from Seoul University, you are my only hope in escaping thy hell my mother calls blind dates. Can you please please play along and pretend to be my boyfriend for a bit?” you beg. Your voice is laced with desperation and you put on your best puppy eyes.

Unfortunately, you only hear lingering silence. He blinks a few times, making sure he isn’t hallucinating or misunderstanding the situation. Just when you’re about to speak, he quickly interjects.

“Was this meeting a guise to ask me to be your...fake..boyfriend? You’re not really interested in becoming an automotive engineer?”

You shake your head, feeling a pang of guilt for misleading him.

“Well, I didn’t plan to be this direct and bring this up so early on in our conversation,” you confess as you scratch your head, gaze on the ground. “But you’re right. It was awful of me to do and I’m sorry for deceiving you. Really.”

The despair in your voice becomes increasingly evident. “Honestly, I wasn’t thinking at all. Actually, my brain doesn’t even really work half the time so if you could just forget everything I did and give me five minutes to crawl out of this room –”

“How long do you need a boyfriend for?” he interrupts. “...fake boyfriend.”

“Wait? You’re going to do it?”

He nods, accepting your request as if you just offered him a cup of coffee or tea. “I’m not a fan of blind dates either.”

“Oh, um, okay,” you say, feeling surprised, as you get up. “That..that was easier than I thought.”

“So, how’d you want to go on about this?”

“Um, I think the typical protocol of fake dating is setting some ground rules,” you state. “At least that’s what I’ve seen in movies.”

“Do you have a paper and a pen on hand?” he then asks.

"Right, let me grab my notebook and pen first." You walk back to your seat and reach into your bag to retrieve the said items, ready to jot down the rules you were about to discuss as Taerae brings his chair next to you. “Uh, I think in the movies, there’s always a rule to not fall in love with each other.”

“But don’t they always end up dating for real?”

“Should I not write that down then?”

“Let’s just put it in for fun. I think it’s just a fiction thing.”

“Okay, noted,” you say as you write the goal and the first rule with an asterisk at the end. “Anything else?”

“We probably should set some time and go on dates to get to know each other so it’s more believable,” he suggests.

“What days work best for you?”

“I prefer Fridays or weekends, but I’m flexible.”

“I think that works for me too,” you nod. “Should we exchange numbers to coordinate?”

Taerae’s eyes widen, not speaking for at least full 20 seconds.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to cross the line, we can just use Linkedin to communicate,” you apologize, panic seizing your words.

His gaze averts away, a faint blush dusting his cheeks, as he hands you his phone. “It’d kind of weird if we’re supposedly dating and not have each other’s number.”

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

You nod as your fingers gently brush against his to take his phone. His hands are quite warm and soft. Quickly, you enter your number before returning his device. A notification pops up on your phone no more than a minute later.

+02-XXX-XXXX: It’s Taerae :)

“Got it,” you announce with a hint of a smile. “And sorry again for earlier. If I ever overstep your boundaries, please let me know.”

He mirrors your expression. “Likewise. And speaking of boundaries, is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, some people don’t like some petnames or might be uncomfortable with certain types of PDA," he answers.

Half a minute passes before you respond. “Nothing comes to mind for petnames, but as for PDA…”

You trail off, fingers fidgeting nervously as you hesitate to continue. Your voice lowers as you feel your palms begin to swear. “I’m not sure what I’m uncomfortable with for PDA because, um..”

“It’s okay,” he assures. “Take you time.”

“...I’ve only held hands and hugged someone at the end of a date,” you manage to utter, “but..but I’ve never kissed someone like..romantically?”

The room suddenly feels hot. You brace yourself for at least a slight judgment response, or at least look, from him, but he appears nonchalant.

“Let’s just stick to hand-holding for now.”

Your fist meets the table once more. “No! No’s one going to take us dating seriously if we don’t kiss!” you protest.

He gives you the same look he did a couple minutes ago. At this rate, he’s going to ask to break up with you before you even start fake dating.

“..but, uh, if you don’t want to kiss me…” you begin to mutter, eyes looking away.

“I don't mind,” he interrupts. How is he saying that so casually? “But if you’re ever uncomfortable, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” you express quietly. “When do you want this to end? My mom said she wants to meet you whenever you’re free, so I don’t have a specific date yet.”

“I don’t have a particular date on my end either."

“Do you want me to meet your family too?” you then ask.

“Oh, uh, sure, if you’re comfortable?” He shifts slightly, his eyes briefly dart away.

“Well, it’s only fair. Plus, I’m more than happy to get you out of blind dates," you casually say as you write the last “rule” in your notebook. You then hand it to him to make sure you’re on the same page.

[y/n] and Taerae’s Fake Dating Contract Goal: No more blind dates for [y/n] and Taerae!!! WE WANT FREEDOM!!!! End Date: TBD Rules: - Don’t fall in love.* - Spend time together when possible. - Go on dates. - Hold hands. - Call each other cute petnames. - Practice PDA. - Meet each other’s family at some point.

Almost immediately, he covers his mouth, attempting to muffle a laugh, when he reads the goal. As he reads through the rules, he tries to maintain a calm facade, but the brightness of his eyes fail him and he struggles to stifle his growing smile.

“Did you have a particular petname in mind?” he inquires, his eyes now softly meeting yours.

“Um, I actually don’t know,” you answer, scratching your head. “Maybe not ‘dear’ or 'kiddo' because that’s what my parents call me.”

“What about ‘darling’ or ‘love’?” he suggests. The way he says those words alone sparks a gentle tug in your heart.

“I like both.”

“I’ll call you both then. What do you want to call me?”

Your mind draws a blank at his question,. “Um, I’m not sure...," you stammer. "Sorry."

“It’s okay, we only started dating,” he responds in a lighthearted manner, a playful glint in his eye. “We’ll figure something out as we spend more time together.”

He goes back to reading the rest of the page.

“Thanks again for writing the last rule.”

“No worries,” you reply. “When we ‘break’ up, we’d be off the hook for blind dates..at least for a bit.”

He bites his cheek, a subtle wince crossing his face, before quickly forcing a smile. Worried that you said something wrong again, you hastily interject, "Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

“Just a couple more things,” he states as he scribbles down two more rules. “Are these okay?” he queries as he shows it to you.

- Matching outfits on planned dates. - If both parties agree, rules can be added, removed, or changed :)

“Yeah, I’m okay with that,” you agree as you sign below the rules before handing the notebook and pen, allowing him to finalize the contract.

The moment he hands your notebook back, you hear a light knock on the door before the server enters the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to check if you were ready to order or had any questions.”

“Ah, sorry about that,” he apologizes. “We were just finalizing the details of our contract. We’ll be taking a look at the menu now.”

----

The two of you easily engage in conversation while relishing on some delectable dishes. He feels more like an old friend, rather than a stranger you deceived on Linkedin.

“What are your favorite foods?” you ask.

“Mm, probably meat. I like steak the best personally,” he answers as he picks up a piece of bluefin tuna sashimi from his plate. The way he holds his chopsticks catches your attention momentarily – it’s as endearing as a puppy struggling to hold a new toy. It should be illegal for a man his age to be this cute.

Eventually, the conversation transits to your backgrounds and upbringings. He grew up in Cheonan and developed an interest in cars when he was young, which is why he decided to become an automotive engineer. Though at some point, he was contemplating on becoming an idol since he really enjoyed being part of the band and won a lot of singing competitions when he was in high school. He stills sings, mostly when he goes karoking with his friends, and plays the guitar from time to time.

“Oh, that’s why your voice is so nice,” you comment.

A genuine smile forms on his face before he lets out a soft snicker. “Thank you.”

He then gives you a warm look.

“I could see you picking the last name ‘Kim’ for your, um, “boyfriend” since it’s so common, but why Taerae?” he asks. “It’s such a rare name.”

“My mind blanked out when my mom asked for my boyfriend’s name,” you answer with a sheepish smile, “and for some reason the poster of TEMPEST’s Kim Taerae in my room was the first thing I saw when I was trying to think of names.”

He covers his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter, but the heartwarming sound still reaches your ear.

Minus the initial mishap and having to give him a more in-depth explanation of how you got into this situation, a fantastic first date so far. Correction: a fantastic fake first date so far.

----

“Thank you for tonight..and for paying for both of us,” you express as the two of you make your way to the subway station. “Though I think I should have paid for dinner tonight. I’m the one who initiated the meeting and coerced you into being my fake boyfriend.”

“I was the one who picked the restaurant, so I thought it made more sense that I paid,” he replies, “and I wouldn’t say that you coerced me to be your fake boyfriend. I’m pretty sure I was a willing participant.”

“…And you don’t have to walk me to the station. It’s late and isn’t the MotorOne headquarters parking lot the other direction?”

“It’s part of my boyfriend's duties to make sure you get home safely. Plus, it makes it more convincing, no?”

He does have a point.

“Okay, well, at least let me pay for our next date,” you declare loudly as you feel your cheeks getting warm, betraying your attempt at nonchalance.

“Whatever you want,” he readily agrees. “Does next Friday at 6PM work for you as well?”

You turn to face him, about to confirm verbally, but as you do, the sight of a Lego man wearing a shark suit dangling from his backpack distracts you.

“You alright?” he inquires, a bit concern by your sudden silence.

“Oh, yeah,” you respond. “I was just staring at your keychain a little too intently. It's cute. Might have seen someone else have on their backpack a few years ago.”

A slight smirk forms on his face. “Well, looks like we’ve arrived at the station. Text me when you get home safely.”

You nod. “I will. Thank you again. I had a really good time tonight.”

“Me too," he says, looking at you softly for a few seconds. There's a certain depth in his look, an affectionate warmth that leaves you wondering if there might be something more behind it. “Have a good night, darling.”

Despite the endearment term being discussed earlier, you found yourself momentarily speechless.

“Good night.” you manage to stammer back, waving at him before you enter the station.

When you’re inside, you can’t help but let out the largest grin on your face. A few confused and concerned looks pass by your way. Though your dignity has taken a huge hit (not that you had much), at least you got a fake boyfriend so you’ll be off the hook for blind dates for a while.

Overall, mission failed successfully.

part three

A bouquet of pink roses and baby’s breath, elegantly wrapped in light pink wrapping and a white silk ribbon, sits at your desk this Friday morning. There’s a small note that catches your eye:

Can’t wait for our date tonight at six. A vase should be delivered this afternoon :)

Reading those words, a flutter of excitement bubbles within you. You wonder what kind of a date you’ll have tonight, but a sudden familiar voice interrupts you before you even had a chance to think.

“Are they cute?”

You turn to see Hanbin, who happens to be your desk mate, cheekily grinning at you as he reads the note over your shoulder. He’s a little nosy, but still somehow lovable.

“Who?” you ask, pretending to be clueless.

“The one who gave you flowers.”

“I think he’s pretty cute.”

His grin grows larger. “Oh? You got a boyfriend? How long have you been dating?”

“Just recently.”

“Cool. How is he?”

You take a moment to think as you login to your desktop. “He’s nice.”

“Just nice?” he presses further. “What can he work on?”

“Are you my boyfriend’s wingman or something?”

“I can be. What’s his name?”

You dodge his question. “It’s 9:04 – shouldn’t you be at a meeting now?”

“Ah shit, you’re right,” he says a little too loud as he hastily grabs his laptop.

Before pulling out your phone to message Taerae, your eyes quickly scan your surroundings to ensure your noisy colleague was out of sight.

you: [image attachment of bouquet] you: thank u for the flowers. they’re so pretty 🥰 you: baby’s breath’s are my favourite 😊 you: really excited for our date btw i wish he was real 💔: no problem i wish he was real 💔: u said ur grandpa used to give u baby’s breath on ur birthday every year since u were 5 i wish he was real 💔: it started when the two of u walked by a shop selling flowers in a subway station and u mention it caught ur eye because it looked like clouds. you: aww, u remembered 🥹 i wish he was real 💔: ofc i do 😚 i wish he was real 💔: i need to head to a meeting now 😢 i wish he was real 💔: ill see u soon 💕

“Aww, you guys are adorable,” an unexpected voice coos in from behind.

Instinctively, you shut off your phone and turn your right to see Hanbin reaching for his laptop charger.

“My laptop’s battery was low,” he smirks. “Talk to you soon.”

Luckily, your colleague wasn’t able to get more information about your love life. There was barely a minute or two where the two of you would be at your desks at the same time (and you’d ignored his questions unless they were work-related) and you ran off during lunch. When it was close to the end of the work day, your manager was at his desk, asking him some questions which granted an opportunity for you to escape.

You gear up to head to your designated meeting spot: the front of Serendipity Sips, a quaint cafe conveniently nestled between your workplace and his. Occasionally, during your coffee break, you'd go there with your work best friend, Dayeon, who often accompanied you to get a drink or a treat, sometimes both.

As you step out of the Jelly Insurances building, also known as your personal hell where you exchange your services for currency, a wave of surprise washes over at the sight of your fake boyfriend standing there. Just as planned from before, the two of you are wearing an argyle brown cardigan, a white t-shirt (though Taerae’s had some red graphic design on his), black bottoms, and black shoes.

He flashes the exact same charming smile he gave you the first time you met and waves with both hands in your direction, calling for your name a little more sweetly this time. You quickly make your way towards him, waving back at him.

“Hey,” you smile. “You’re quite early – it’s still around an hour before we’re supposed to meet up.”

“I could do the same thing for you,” he grins, checking his watch briefly. “Work wrapped up a lot earlier than expected so I figured I might as well pick you up.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” you chuckle. “Shall we head out now?”

He nods as the two of you begin walking to your destination.

“So, where are we going today, Mr. Kim?” you ask in a teasing manner. “Another restaurant that might make my wallet cry?”

He softly snickers. “It’s a pojangmacha I frequently ate when I was in university and first started working. Though I still come there at least once a week.”

“It must be really good then,” you comment. “And thank you for being considerate to my wallet.”

He lets out a nervous laugh. “Sorry about that.”

“I’m just kidding,” you tease. “What’s your favorite thing to get there?”

“Everything there is good,” he answers, “but you definitely need to get the holy trinity: tteokbokki, gimbap, and fishcakes!”

His enthusiasm is infectious, and your smile transforms into a grin. The two of you continue to converse, and before you knew it, the two of you arrived at your destination. Immediately, you're greeted by a friendly old lady.

“Oh, hi Taerae! It’s so nice to see you again!” she exclaims with an enthusiastic tone.

He nods and smiles. “It’s lovely to see you too, Mrs. Sung.”

Turning to you, she then asks, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. What’s your name, dear?”

“My name’s [y/n],” you reply, offering a polite smile. “Nice to meet –”

“Ah [y/n]!” she interjects abruptly. “Is it that same [y/n] that our Taerae –?”

He clears his throat, which draws both your attention. There’s a faint reddish tint on his cheeks, but you’re not sure if it’s because of the warm, amber-hued lighting coming from the tent. The elderly lady seems to grasp an unspoken thought. “Sorry, I'm getting old. Getting mixed up with too many things.”

“Don’t be sorry – everyone forgets from time to time,” you reassure.

She smiles. “Anyways, what can I get for both of you?”

----

As soon as you finish placing your orders, you find a vacant spot to sit. Though it doesn’t take long before your plates of steaming tteokbokki, neatly rolled kimbap, and skewered fish cakes as well as your drinks arrive. The fragment aroma easily fills the air around, making your stomach growl.

“This looks amazing!” you exclaim, your eyes lighting up at the sight of the delicious spread.

He grins as he hands you a pair of disposable chopsticks and napkins. “It’s better than it looks. Help yourself.”

You happily grab some tteokbokki onto your plate and just when you were about to do the same for Taerae’s plate, you saw him effortlessly flicking the tab of his soda can in a swift, clean motion with one hand. Your jaw drops in astonishment at his skilled maneuver, which makes him chuckle.

“Want me to do yours?” he offers, noticing your amazed expression.

You nod, still somewhat impressed by his dexterity. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”

He leans over slightly and takes your unopened soda can. With the same deftness as before, he smoothly flips the tab open and gives it back to you with a smile. “Opened by yours truly.”

“Thank you,” you stifle a laugh. “You should show me how to do that sometime.”

“Maybe next date?”

----

After a satisfying meal, the two of you venture to a nearby coin karaoke place. Taerae’s eyes light up when he comes across a familiar song as you look through the song selection on the screen.

“Oh, this is one of my favorite songs!” he exclaims, pointing to the words ‘10 Reasons to Love You’ by Lee Seok Hoon. “May I sing it to you?” he then asks, his smile carrying an irresistible charm.

You smile and nod, unable to decline. A couple moments after he selects the song on the screen, instrumental music begins to play and he quickly settles into the moment. He starts to sing and his voice easily fills the booth, perhaps the entire establishment.

Each note carries a warmth that lingers in the air, his tone soft yet resonant. Each word seems to be sung from his heart, filled with sincerity. Each time he looks at you, his eyes are filled with adoration as if you were the only one in his eyes.

The song finishes too soon for your liking but you still cheer loudly and burst into applause, clapping and shouting a little too loudly and enthusiastically that anyone within a 100-meter distance can hear you. Taerae’s expression morphs into a bashful yet pleased one. A soft pink tinge paints his cheeks, visible by the light coming from the screen. His gaze lowers to the ground and his hand instinctively moves to the back of his head.

“Taerae..that was seriously amazing!” you compliment, hands covering your mouth from shock. “I can listen to you all day! If you were a singer, I’d buy all your albums and collect all all your photocards, seriously!”

The blush on his cheeks turns a deeper hue of pink when he hears your words. “Would you like me to sing more for you?” His words come out shyly.

“It’d be an honor,” you reply just before looking at the list of songs once more.

–--

It was quite fun singing with your fake boyfriend. Correction: it was fun admiring and listening to your fake boyfriend sing. You did join him for duets and tried to sing a solo, which you almost didn’t finish, but the sheer happiness on Taerae’s face was worth having your dignity reached the negatives. The evening breeze fails to cool your hot cheeks as the two make your way out.

“I really like your voice and smile,” he compliments.

“Haha, you're so fun–” you begin to snicker, embarrassment going away, but an object from a nearby crane machine captures your attention. Inside, there was a yellow duck stuffed toy with a small beak and large pink cheeks adorned with a white ribbon around its neck that reminds you of the person standing next to you. Just like him, you’re unable to resist its adorable charm.

“Did something from the machine catch your eye?” he inquires with a casual grin. “Is it the duck?”

“Yeah, but maybe another time.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it in one try,” he states with confidence. Maybe a little too much.

One try becomes two and two tries easily becomes four. You try not to laugh as he repeatedly tries and fails, occasionally swearing between each attempt. He sighs exasperatedly.

Seeing him mope, you can’t help but reach out and gently take his hand in yours. You begin to rub his hand to try to comfort him. The touch easily brightens his mood, causing him to flash a dimpled smile and to squeeze your hand.

“Can I try one more time?” he softly asks.

“Of course,” you reply.

Taerae reluctantly lets go of your hand and he turns his attention back to the crane machine. Once again, he inserts three 1,000 won bills into the machine. His back straightens up a bit and his gaze fixates on the toy. Using his fingers, he carefully moves the joystick to hover over the toy and scans the side and front of the glass enclosure, adjusting the position of the claw. When he feels satisfied with the alignment, he presses the red button.

Watching the claw descend, you feel a pang of nervousness, knowing that your fake boyfriend always managed to grab the toy but it always fell within a few seconds. The claw manages to keep its grip and you let out a loud cheer when the duck drops to the chute.

Your eyes light up as you turn to look at him, and caught up in the exhilaration, your arms envelope around him in celebration of success. Though you quickly realize your action and let go of him.

“Sorry about that!” you immediately apologize, taking a few steps back. Your eyes fall to the ground. “Just got a little too excited for you,” you admit, nervously laughing.

“It’s okay,” he reassures with a warm smile. “I would have done the same.”

He retrieves the prize from the machine and hands it to you with a gentle expression. “From yours truly.”

A grin forms on your lips as you gratefully accept the toy. You take a few moments to look at it and then him before raising the stuffie so they’re both in the same sight vision. Anyone can see they’re identical.

“Duckie,” you let out, finding the perfect nickname for your fake boyfriend. “Can I call you duckie?”

He nods, letting out a billion-dollar smile.

part four

The midweek fatigue settles in, and with a giant pile of work to be done before the end of the week, you need a quick pick-me up. As usual, Dayeon accompanies you during your coffee breaks and the two of you find yourselves waiting in line at Serendipity Sips. You take a quick peek at the display case, but a familiar figure catches your eye.

It’s your fake boyfriend.

Unlike the two previous times you’ve met up, he’s wearing glasses. Today, his attire consists of a white collar shirt adorned and a sleek black tie with gray trousers. He has a cream-color cable-knit vest with a distinctive black and blue striped neckline over the shirt and sneakers that matched the same shade of blue as the detailing on his vest, pulling the outfit together nicely.

At the moment, he’s engrossed in his phone, vigorously replying to some messages. His brows are furrowed and his lips are slightly pursed. You should call the police: a man his age cannot be this adorable and endearing, at least not while being productive.

“Excuse me, sir,” your friend says as she pokes him on the shoulder. He turns and looks at your friend briefly before his gaze effortlessly finds you. A warm smile forms on his lips as soon as your eyes meet. “Oh, I guess you like my friend too. I was about to set the two of you up on a date.”

He softly snickers. “That’s good to hear,” he remarks as he looks at Dayeon. “We’re dating.” He then puts his hand out for a handshake. “My name’s Taerae by the way.”

Her jaw drops slightly, and her eyes widen in surprise. For a minute, she stands there speechless before returning the handshake. She then turns to you with a confused look. “He’s your boyfriend? Why didn’t you say ‘hi’ to him? Did you not recognize him?”

It takes a few moments before you to think of a mediocre response. “I, uh, it’s work hours and I need to remain professional,” you stammer, “a..and he looked busy!”

“Never too busy for you, love,” he quips.

“Yeah, [y/n], he’s never too busy for you,” she says in a mock tone as the three of you move to the front of the line.

“Hi there, what can I get for you today?” the employee asks.

“Just a large iced latte to go and whatever the two of them want,” he states, motioning towards you and your friend.

You’re about to politely decline, but before you can, Dayeon eagerly responds, “I’ll have a regular iced americano to go.”

A disapproving glance is directed at your friend, but she ignores you. Taerae then looks to you, awaiting for your order. “Just regular green tea to go,” you hesitantly reply.

“Did you want a pastry as well?” he asks you. “I saw you were eyeing some as well.”

“No, it’s –”

“Could we get a slice of strawberry shortcake as well in a box?” he requests.

The cafe worker nods. “So, one large iced latte, one regular iced americano, one regular green tea, and a slice of strawberry shortcake to go,” they repeat the order. “Is that everything?”

He nods to confirm as he pulls his card to pay for the items. The orders were made quickly, and soon, you found yourself outside the cafe with Taerae while waiting for Dayeon who went to the washroom.

“Thanks again for treating us, Taerae,” you express with gratitude. “I’ll make sure to treat you next time.”

He shrugs casually. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

“And thanks for picking out the strawberry shortcake,” you add. “It’s usually what I get when I come here.”

“I know.”

“You know?” you reply, slightly puzzled.

“I know that…” he begins, pausing for a moment before continuing. “I know that strawberries are your favorite – you mentioned it on the first date,” he explains, a touch of nervousness lacing his words. “So I thought you’d like it.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll even enjoy it even more since it’s from you.” Your eyes soften and a smile graces your lips. A subtle warmth tingles on your skin.

Taerae mirrors your expression, matching the sincerity of your smile, but it then transforms to more of a bashful grin when he momentarily looks away.

Unfortunately, your intimate moment does not last long. Dayeon’s voice cuts through the atmosphere. “Sorry to interrupt, but [y/n] and I need to head back to work!”

You groan quietly at the interruption, exchanging a quick apologetic look with your fake boyfriend.

“I’ll take my leave then,” he says, still smiling warmly. “I’ll see you on Friday night then, darling.”

“Bye, duckie!” you playfully call out as you wave at him.

He can’t help but let out a wide, pleased grin once more. His eyes crinkle at the corner as he raises his free hand, waving in response to your call before you and Dayeon make your way back to your office.

“So much for remaining ‘professional,’” she remarks, a mischievous glint in her eye. “And duckie?” A soft snicker escapes her lips.

Feeling heat rush to your cheeks, your eyes instinctively drop to the ground. “Sorry, I, uh –” you stammer.

“It’s okay,” she immediately reassures. “You two are so cute together. I’ll give it a pass.”

Happiness wells up in your chest, prompting you to meet your friend’s eyes with a hopeful expression. “You really think so?”

part five

As your relationship continues to evolve in the following weeks, the amount of time you spent with Taerae surged. You went on at least one planned date per week and would often meet up after work or on the weekends. Visiting cafes or restaurants and strolls in different neighborhoods are your go-to’s especially on the weekdays though sometimes you like to go to the movies in the cinema. From time to time, you’d even bring the duckie stuffie your “boyfriend” won for you on your cafe dates.

On the weekends, you often explore areas a bit outside of the city to places like Suwon, Nami Island, and Everland, spending most of the day together. Admittedly, your favorite part of your weekend dates are car rides with Taerae. He always makes sure that your journey is enjoyable. There’s always a stash of snacks and drinks in his car and he always lets you play your music, often singing along to the lyrics.

At the end of each date, the two of you would share a hug and as soon as you felt comfortable, he started giving you kisses on the forehead or the cheek (sometimes both) before saying goodbye for the night. It was crazy to think you dreaded going on weekly dates before. Now, they were the highlight of your week.

While you cherish the dates, it was the small things that brought you the most joy. Your little duckie always sends you good morning and good night texts, accompanied by sweet voice recordings that never fail to make your heart flutter. In addition, he regularly shares glimpses of his day through pictures. Your favorite one so far was a selfie of him shoving Pringles in his mouth in the middle of the work day.

Occasionally, when you couldn’t meet up outside of your weekly date, you’d video-call each other for an hour or two at some point in the day, often multi-tasking. Though there was a time a call lasted almost five hours and another where you found yourselves unintentionally staying up till two thirty in the morning.

It was in these moments you’d forget that you were in a fake relationship.

Saturday, which became your dedicated weekend date day with Taerae, took a different turn this week. Instead of your usual outing, you were having a movie night with Dayeon at your place. Though unfortunately, while shopping at Lotte Mart for some snacks and drinks., you get a text from your friend that a last-minute family emergency came up and she wouldn’t be able to go.

the best person in jelly insurances: IM SOOO SORRY but my parents just called and said my grandma had to be rushed to the hospital and im literally running there the best person in jelly insurances: ok not running. just booked a train back home last minute and am trying to pack you: hey dont apologize :( family always comes 1st you: hope ur grandma will be ok. take as much time as u need you: we just can reschedule another time if u want 😀 the best person in jelly insurances: ask ur boyfie to join u instead!!!

You start typing your reply with one hand, about to text her not to worry about you, but accidentally bump into someone while in the midst of doing so.

“Oh my god, I’m so sor–” you begin to apologize, but stop when you realize who it was.

“Oh, hello darling,” Taerae greets. He looks away from you, scratching his head with a touch of embarrassment. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Otherwise, I would.. — never mind.”

“You look cute,” you blurt out as your eyes scan his outfit. He’s wearing his glasses today along with a pink cap, a cozy gray hoodie, white and black two-toned sweats, and the most vibrant red sneakers your eyes ever laid on. For a moment, you ponder how you did not see him considering how eye catching his outfit is.

“And we’re kind of matching today too,” you then add, pointing to the almost identical shade of gray hoodie you're wearing. “I should get matching sweatpants with you soon.”

Your "boyfriend," no longer feeling embarrassed, looks at you warmly. “When’s your movie night with Dayeon supposed to start?” he gently asks.

“Oh, uh,” you falter. “Dayeon had to attend a last family minute emergency, so I think I’ll be alone tonight.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he responds, genuine concern in his eyes and voice. “I hope everything will be okay.”

“I’m sure it will be,” you nod. “Anyways, do you have any plans tonight?”

“Going to play video games by myself at home after I stock up on ramen — it’s on sale,” he states. Besides a large bottle of diet coke, the red shopping basket he’s holding is filled with packets of Shin Ramyun. “D-did you want some? I think I just got the last packs.”

You laugh. “It’s okay, they’re yours – but thank you for the offer.”

A brief silence hangs in the air, and then, sensing Taerae's hesitation, you wait for him to speak. His expression now shifts to a shy smile. “Um, would it be okay if I keep you company while you shop?”

“Of course, duckie,” you reply affectionately, “and if you want, you can join me for movie night too.” The invitation slips out without much thought.

“I’d love to!” he beams, his eyes reflecting a spark of excitement at the unexpected offer. “Let me get a shopping cart first, then. I won't be long.”

Before you get a chance to say anything, he’s already making his way, his eagerness evident in his swift and purposeful movements. Witnessing the sight of his enthusiasm and thought of doing domestic tasks with him stirs a unique sensation within you.

----

“Thanks so much for helping with the groceries,” you express as you both enter your place, “and for paying as well. You know, you didn’t have to.”

“I know, I wanted to,” he replies with a gentle smile.

You mirror his expression. How does he always know the right thing to say? But then your smile disappears when you unlock your door. Your apartment doesn’t look like a tornado ran over it twice, but it’s not exactly guest-ready either.

“I’m so sorry for the mess – I was going to clean it after I went shopping,” you immediately apologize.

“It’s alright,” he reassures as he removes his cap and slips on the extra pair of slippers you reserve for guests. “Do you want me to help you?”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to.”

“I know. I want to.”

“But –”

“Please?” he pleads, pouting in a way that’s cuter than any puppy in the world. This is even more powerful than the time he asked if he could sing to you.

“Okay,” you concede, unable to resist, “but you can change your mind anytime.”

He nods before the two of you begin to work together to put away groceries. Following that, Taerae takes charge in the kitchen, boiling the water for ramen and frying some dumplings and marinated bulgogi. On the other hand, you focus on tidying up the living room, rearranging a few things to create a cozy space for your impromptu dinner and movie night at home before joining him in the kitchen.

While washing your hands, you realize how perfectly Taerae fits in your space. It’s as if he belongs here and you get the same sensation you felt while shopping. Except this time, it’s a little stronger.

At this point, there isn’t much left to do since the dumplings and meat are almost cooked and the water is boiling. Deciding to at least contribute, you wash and cut the spring onions.

“Spring onions are ready,” you say.

“Thank you,” he expresses. “You’re just in time to see something cool.”

“Oh?”

“Watch this,” he says with a mischievous glint. He proceeds to grab two eggs from the carton and somehow cracks both eggs simultaneously with one hand, and to add to your amazement, not a single shell found its way into the pot.

“Woah, where’d you learn that?” you inquire, surprise your voice.

“I learned it on TikTok,” he replies, playfully winking at you. “I can show you later if you want.”

“Sure,” you nod, trying to ignore the heat in your cheeks and the increased pace of your heart. “Let me get the side dishes then,” you add trying to steady your nerves.

After finishing cooking and plating, the two of you work together to set up the food on the coffee table.

“It’s not half as good as the theaters we've been to, but it’ll make do,” you comment when both of you are sitting on the floor.

“What do you mean?” he counters just before you press play on your laptop. “It’s with you, so it’s perfect.”

----

Around halfway through the first movie, after the two of you finished eating, you notice that Taerae keeps glancing at your shoulder. Knowing what he wanted, you lightly pat your shoulder twice, silently inviting him. He’s hesitant at first, but then slowly leans in and gently rests his head on your shoulder before a content sigh escapes his lips. The warmth of the moment envelops you into a delightful sensation that you don’t want to end.

Time seems to pass by in the blur as the two of you find yourselves seamlessly transitioning to a cozy cuddling session on the couch during the second movie. Your back comfortably rests against his chest, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall as he breathes, while your head finds a soft spot on one of his arms. His free arm gently wraps your waist and one of his legs carefully drapes over yours. The delight you've been feeling throughout the night in your chest continues to grow.

Soon, the ending credits roll, and you turn your head to face him, about to ask him if he’d like to watch another movie. Perhaps another romantic one, maybe a fake dating story where the two leads end up together. They always do, no?

However, your words catch in your throat when you realize just how close your face is to his. It's a moment of revelation as you notice the fullness of his lips, a detail you hadn't properly appreciated before. Now, you can't help but wonder what they feel like pressed against yours.

The two of you exchange a lingering gaze, a silent yearning reflecting in your eyes. You decide to take initiative.

“D..did you…want to ki-” you begin, but before you could finish your sentence, the sound of the doorbell interrupts you. Startled, you push yourself away from Taerae, causing you to fall off the couch.

His eyes are filled with panic and worry and he immediately asks if you’re okay, to which you nod. Begrudgingly, you answer the door, only to find out that the delivery driver confused your place with one of your neighbors as your “boyfriend” gets a gel ice pack from your freezer.

You slam the door and make your way to the kitchen. A caring boyfriend stands there, holding a gel ice pack wrapped in a clean towel for you. Taking the ice pack from him, you make an effort not to let your frustration show and instead quietly appreciate his actions as you place the ice pack on your head.

“Thanks,” you manage to mutter after a few minutes of silence.

“Does it hurt anywhere?” he asks, concern in his face.

“My head just hurts a bit,” you reply. “Nothing too serious.”

He takes a moment, his expression wavering between hesitation and a gentle smile. After a brief pause, he walks towards you. “May I kiss it better?” There’s a hint of playfulness in his voice.

“Can you?” you quip, placing the ice pack on the counter.

He nods before leaning in to press a tender kiss on your forehead. You swear a bit of happiness surges in your body each time he kisses you.

“Anywhere else?” he asks.

“My lips,” you slip out without thinking.

He looks at you for a few seconds. “I can do that. Only if you want me to.”

“Please?” There’s a hint of desperation in your voice. You lock your eyes into his, silently begging for the touch of his lips on yours. It was impossible for Taerae to refuse, not that he didn’t want to kiss you. He does. He does very much want to kiss you. For a while now.

He stops moving closer when his lips just hover yours, silently asks for your consent again. You decide to grant permission by closing your eyes and lightly pressing your lips against him. Just like his smiles, his lips are warm and soft. A tingling sensation runs through you, making you fuzzy inside.

The kiss feels nice, amazing in fact, but it’s obvious that both of you are holding back, as if you’re afraid to cross an invisible line.

But it’s too late for you: you’ve fallen in love with Kim Taerae.

part six

Four days, 15 hours, and 41 minutes have passed since the unexpected kiss with your “fake” boyfriend. And that's all you've been thinking ever since.

Most of your time was spent analyzing the gigabytes of messages from him on your phone as well as every word he’s spoken and every action he’s done. Some of it had to be real, no?

Unfortunately, the consequences of your fixation included accidentally leaving him on read multiple times and rejecting his video calls three times.

At this point, there's an entire PhD thesis dedicated to your interactions with Kim Taerae. You’ve concluded that the man, at the very least, must find you attractive; otherwise, there wasn’t a reason he’d kiss you privately. But then again, your contract technically states that you should be practicing PDA.

No, he definitely likes you -- nobody under the age of 21 kisses someone they think they're ugly, probably. Now, the only issue for you was finding the right time, place, and most importantly, the confidence to do so.

You’re giving your five brain cells a break today, hoping that an idea might come to you out of the blue. However, as you enter a Korean barbeque restaurant near your work with Dayeon and Hanbin, it seems like the world is saying Taerae must stay in your mind at all times. Your eyes immediately spot a man with million-dollar dimples. You open your mouth, about to ask your colleagues if you could eat somewhere else, but you’re too slow.

“Ah, Taeraevision!” Hanbin exclaims, his voice cutting through the conversations of other patrons, somehow reducing them to mere whispers. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” He is already on his way to the table where your fake boyfriend is sitting, with Dayeon closely behind. You hesitantly follow suit.

Taerae casually waves to the three of you, looking too adorable in his pink collar shirt. Seeing him makes you feel guilty for avoiding him and regretful for declining previous opportunities to see pixels of his beautiful face.

“Hi Hanbin!” a blonde-haired man who looks like a walking vitamin greets as the two of them proceed to fist bump each other. “Haven’t seen you in a while, man.”

“Hey Matthew, long no see,” Hanbin enthusiastically greets back.

“These are my colleagues Dayeon and [y/n],” he introduces, gesturing to Dayeon and you as he says your respective names.

“Oh, yeah, we know Taerae,” Dayeon casually remarks. “Well, I just met him once. [y/n] knows him pretty well.”

A mischievous glint lights up Hanbin's eyes. "Oh, you two are acquainted?" he asks, referring to you and Taerae.

“We’re dating, actually,” you clarify. The words just slip out.

“Ah, I see,” he smirks before looking at the other two men sitting on the table. “Did you guys order yet? We’d like to join if that’s okay.”

“Of course!” Matthew answers with enthusiasm. “This is great. I really wanted to get Combination C, but it’s meant for four to six people.”

“Wonderful!” Hanbin cheers as he takes a seat next to the human vitamin. “It’s like it was meant to be.”

Dayeon slides in next to your other colleague, leaving your only option to sit next to your fake boyfriend. You feel a mix of conflicting emotions. Part of you is genuinely happy to see him; in fact, you feel a bit of relief being in his presence already. On the other hand, the guilt felt earlier heightens and it’s even worse that he’s not showing a hint of anger towads you.

Sensing your unease, he subtly reaches under the table to hold your hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. You immediately feel much better, but there’s a lingering feeling of shame that comes with it.

After the server takes your order, your heart begins to beat faster every minute and the only reason you’re not shaking is because your “boyfriend” is still holding your hand. The two of you have spent a lot of time together and even practiced some potential questions you might be asked about your relationship, but you’re scared you’re going to mess up so bad that the time you begged him to pretend to date you would pale in comparison.

“What are you planning to do for Taerae’s birthday next week?” Hanbin casually asks.

It’s Taerae’s birthday next week? You remember that he mentioned that his birthday was in July, but he never specified the exact day.

“You don’t know Taerae’s birthday?” your deskmate gasps, surprise evident in his voice.

Oh shit. Did you accidently say that thought aloud?

You’re curious about the other two’s reactions, but before you could take a look, your “fake” boyfriend steps in.

“I didn’t mention it before,” he responds, “...and there must have been a lot in my darling’s mind recently.” His voice falters slightly, a hint of worry in his tone.

“Aww, you two are cute,” Hanbin coos, a wide grin on his face. “If you need help with anything, [y/n], just let me know.” He gives a friendly wink to you before steering the conversation to another topic.

Luckily, everything after the initial hiccup goes smoothly. The five of you just finish settling the bill and the other three excuse themselves to the washrooms, leaving you and Taerae alone for a bit.

“Thank you for earlier,” you say quietly, your voice laced with genuine gratitude, “and I’m sorry for avoiding you the past few days. I know it’s not an excuse, but there’s just been a lot of things on my mind.”

“It’s okay,” he immediately reassures. “People in relationships do forget important dates sometimes.” There’s a brief pause. “Would you like to skip our date this week? I’ll give you some space too.”

You nod. “That would be nice. Thank you.” The conversation pauses for a bit. “Let me make it up to you on your birthday then. What’s a good day for you next week to celebrate?”

“Well, I’m leaving on Thursday afternoon to see my parents, but I'm probably coming back to Seoul around Sunday afternoon.”

“Does Sunday evening work or do you prefer something earlier in the week?” you begin to ask. “Did you want to invite everyone today and a few of your other friends as well to celebrate?”

“Sunday evening works for me,” he replies. His gaze momentarily drops before he nervously clears his throat. There’s a faint blush that tinges his cheeks before he leans to your ear. “I don’t mind celebrating with others as long as you’re there, but I’d much prefer it if it was just the two of us.”

A brilliant idea suddenly pops in your head. Perhaps, you could not only celebrate his birthday, but make him your real boyfriend as well. You try to contain your excitement.

“Just the two of us sounds perfect.”

----

Later that evening, you find yourself laying on your couch, wishing your potential real boyfriend was cuddling you. You’re scrolling through Pinterest, trying to gather ideas for a cute date that would make him want to be with you for real. It takes a while, but eventually you come up with an idea using inspiration you found online and from the conversations of future dates the two of you talked about before.

It was perfect. Except, it would probably require a car and two people. Looking through your contacts, you try to find someone that was (1) not your fake boyfriend, (2) owns a car, and (3) would likely be willing to help you.

Unfortunately, there was only one person in Seoul you knew that met these requirements.

Friday, 9:00PM

you: hey hanbin, r you free next Sunday evening? barely tolerable ig: OFC! ANyTHING FOR OUR TAERAEVISION!!! barely tolerable ig: wat r u planning? who’s coming? you: oh…ummm… you: it’s just going to two of us, but maybe we can all do something together later :) you: im planning to confess to taerae and i kinda need ur help barely tolerable ig: okiee ;( u guys have fun w/o me barely tolerable ig: confess? u aren’t together?? you: like confess that I LOVE HIM! you: THAT I WANT TO BE SERIOUSLY BE WITH HIM

Shit. That was a close call.

barely tolerable ig: OHHH I SEE NOW barely tolerable ig: i can help then :) barely tolerable ig: wats ur plan and wat do u need? you: ok, so i was thinking [a bunch of redacted statements to prevent spoilers]....so i’ll need ur car and ur strength. you: do u think taerae would like it? barely tolerable ig: R U KIDDING??!!! barely tolerable ig: THAT’S SO FREAKING ADORABLE !!! 🥰 barely tolerable ig: can i be ur ring boy when u get married ??? PLZZ???

Saturday, 2:00AM

barely tolerable ig: actually, i think i wanna be the flower girl.

----

Taerae’s birthday comes too quickly. After finalizing your plans with Hanbin’s help, you sent your “boyfriend” a text a few days before the surprise, inviting him to Eurwangni Beach at 7:00PM, just around an hour and a half before the sunset.

This particular beach, typically serene and secluded, is transformed into the perfect place for your confession. The weather, cooperating beautifully, set the stage for a hopefully enchanting evening.

Now, with only around 25 minutes before the agreed-upon time, you and Hanbin took a couple minutes to admire the picturesque setup you had crafted for the special occasion.

A few large rugs in various shades of brown and white are arranged to create a canvas for the perfect set-up. On the side, there’s a sheer teepee tent adorned with fairy lights and pictures of you and Taerae or just him. Inside the tent, there’s various pillows in different light neutral colors and textures, along with a snug throw – an ideal space for comfort and relaxation.

However, the highlight is the cozy dining space you’ve created. Near the tent is a small, low birch picnic table with two pillows for seating. The table has a charming little setup that would hold two types of fondue: cheese and chocolate. Accompanying the cheese fondue are cubes of artisan breads, pretzels, apples, pears, and blanched cauliflower and broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and a few different types of sliced meat. As for the chocolate fondue, there are fresh strawberries, bananas, pineapple chunks, mini heart-shaped waffles, soft marshmallows, and cubes of moist vanilla pound cake. For drinks, you opted for apple juice and herbal tea.

Amidst the delight spread, plates, napkins, fondue forks, and other utensils are carefully arranged for easy indulgence. And to add a touch of romance, pink dried roses are scattered throughout.

“Taerae’s going to love this – though I think he’d like anything you plan,” Hanbin comments, his tone carrying a surprising level of seriousness.

Your eyes betray a subtle gleam. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” he affirms. “I’ve never seen his eyes so bright even when he won a year supply of ramen when he was in university.”

“Don’t they always sparkle?”

“Maybe just when he’s with you.”

“How do you know?”

“Just trust me,” he declares, a smirk on his face. “And depending on your rizz level tonight, he might even get on one knee when he sees this..and you, of course.”

You laugh, trying not to imagine the idea of Taerae proposing to you. “Well, thank you for your kind words and enthusiasm...and also for helping me out.”

“Of course, anything for our Taeraevision.”

You laugh. “I’ll go get ready now and then let you go.”

“Aww, I can’t watch you two tonight?” he pouts slightly.

“I’d rather not,” you tease, “but I’ll let you know how it goes.”

----

Your heart’s pounding like crazy as you wait for who you hope to be your boyfriend before the end of the night. Nervously, your fingers trace around the edges of your present. Would he like your surprise? Is it too much? Will he think you’re madly in love with him (you’re pretty sure you are) and run away?

However, these doubts disappear when you hear his voice calling for your name. You turn to the direction of the sound and see Taerae wearing all white, just like the two of you agreed upon earlier, walking towards you. For a color of pop, he has an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt in various shades of blue. His hair is styled nicely, almost like when the two of you first met, adding an extra touch of charm to this moment.

The wind gently tousles his hair and the soft light from the sun casts a warm, flattering glow on him, enhancing his already captivating presence. Even though there’s a bit of distance between the two of you, his smile alone outshines the sun itself.

“Who’s this for?” he teasingly asks upon arrival, grinning so widely that both his dimples are prominently on display.

“It’s for you, silly,” you laugh. “Is it alright?”

“More than alright,” he murmurs. “It’s perfect.”

He takes a step closer and gently envelops you. The only space between you is the gift in your hand. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispers softly.

The unexpected gesture and words catches you off guard, causing your heart to beat faster and for you to involuntary step back. A hint of worry flashes on Taerae’s face, but it swiftly fades as soon as you wrap your arms, his present on one hand, around him.

“Sorry, I was just surprised,” you utter quietly. “You usually ask me if you could hug me beforehand.”

“Sorry, I was just too excited to see you,” he apologizes. “I’ll be more mindful next time.”

“It’s okay,” you reassure. “I don’t mind.” You can’t see his face, but you’re pretty sure he’s grinning widely.

After a few moments that felt too short, you slowly let go and take a few steps back. Now, switching to a playful tone and expression, you suggest, “Speaking of surprises, would you like to open this first?”

He nods before he happily takes your present and opens the box. “You know, you didn’t have to – just being with you is more than enough.”

“I hope it doesn’t look like a squashed chicken nugget,” you softly snicker.

“It doesn’t. Even if it did, it’s the cutest nugget I’ve seen,” he beams as he takes a closer look at it. “Where’d you get this?”

“Oh, I, uh, made it,” you reply, scratching your neck. “I know it’s not –”

“Thank you,” he gently interjects. “I love it.”

Taerae looks at you with a soft gaze, a bright sparkle that puts even the brightest stars to shame. His smile, accompanied by the crinkle of his eyes is even more radiant and infectious than the one he gave you earlier, or ever. This snapshot of him, set against the backdrop of the stunning scene, looks like one of the final scenes of a billion-dollar romance movie, sending an intense flutter to your heart.

Trying to keep your mind focused, you suggest moving on to the next activity. “Let's eat. You must be hungry from your trip.”

"Sure, sounds good."

“So, how was your trip back home?” you ask as you warm up the fondue.

"It was good. I got to see a few relatives I haven’t seen in a while and met up with some old friends and high school classmates," he replies warmly. "I wish you were there.”

“I’ll come next time then," you smile warmly.

There’s a hint of longing in his eyes. "I’m really looking forward to it."

There's a pause, as if he wants to say something more, but he stops for now. Sensing his hesitation, you redirect the conversation.

“I think everything's ready now,” you announce. “Did you want to watch a movie while we eat?”

He nods before you grab your phone. A particular movie called “Instant Love” catches both your eyes. According to the synopsis on Netflix, the plot revolves around a person who lies about a fake boyfriend to deceive their mother. Luckily, despite the statistical odds, they find someone who fits the exact description on Instagram. The man surprisingly agrees, a little too easy, and now the two must navigate the journey of fake dating and not catching feelings.

Well, that sounds a little too familiar. You just hope it ends well.

Hesitantly, you press play.

As the movie plays on screen, you and Taerae find yourself engrossed even though the movie wasn’t great, sharing bites of the food you prepared before. You pick up a strawberry and dip in chocolate before extending it playfully towards him. He meets your gaze with a sly smile, slowly leaning in to take the offer. Wanting to reciprocate your action, he grabs a piece of pineapple and extends it towards you to which you happily accept. The sweet exchange continues for a bit.

Between the shared bites, he notices a bit of chocolate lingering on the corner of your lips. A mischievous glint forms in his eye as he leans towards you and wipes away the smidge of chocolate. Your heart skips a beat or two.

“T..thanks,” you mutter shyly.

His eyes transform into a more affectionate gaze, taking a few seconds to savor the moment. A subtle smile graces his lips before he returns his focus to the movie, his fingers eventually intertwining with yours.

As the night grows colder, you decide to settle under the blanket underneath the tent, pausing the movie just before the two leads likely get together. The gentle glow from the stars above combined with the soft radiance of fairy lights, creates an intimate atmosphere. Carefully, you place your head on his arm while he puts his other arm around your waist.

Except for your to-be-boyfriend rizzing you a little too much tonight, your plan is going a little too well so far.

“Thank you for tonight, darling,” he whispers. “This is probably the best date anyone’s ever planned.”

You turn around to face him. “Of course, it’s your birthday after all.” A brief pause lingers in the air. “There’s been something on my mind, something I’ve been wanting to share with you for a bit…after the movie though.”

He nods eagerly, a spark of excitement lighting up his eyes and a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face.

The two of you once again find yourselves absorbed in the movie and it's now likely the final scene based on how much time was left. The leads were having the most luscious picnic at a beautiful garden by themselves. Maybe you can plan something half as grand as that for Taerae if he agrees to be your boyfriend for real.

When both characters finish their meal, the main lead approaches the male lead with a bouquet of his favorite flowers. Their gaze looks at him with a mixture of sincerity and affection.

“I know our relationship was supposed to be pretend, but somewhere along, I’ve developed actual feelings for you. All the moments we’ve shared, the up’s and down’s, the laughter and even the quiet moments – it just feels undeniably real.”

For a moment, they look down and take a deep breath, clearly about to express something profound. When their gaze meets the male lead’s, even a blind person could see the intensity of unspoken thoughts and emotions.

They take a pause, words slightly quivering with vulnerability. “Would…would you like to be together…for real?”

Oh wow, you were going to say the exact same line at the end of your confession.

As expected, his eyes widen and his jaw drops slightly. There’s a variety of emotions in his eyes and it looks like he’s about to confess, admitting that he feels the same and wants to be with them for real; however, to your surprise, he utters something else.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot return your feelings,” he answers, a hint of guilt in his eyes. “You’re a nice person, but fake dating you made me realize I’m actually in love with my best friend.”

Shock paints over the main lead’s face, followed by a whirlwind of emotions: disappointment, hurt, and embarrassment. Somber music plays as the male leads walk away.

Is..is this some type of cruel joke? He and his best friend were only seen on screen together for seven minutes and 32 seconds, eating lunch and playing Go. There’s still eleven minutes left! Maybe, it’s just a prank or a stunt to shock viewers.

Unfortunately, the ending credits begin rolling.

…

Someone, please call the international police because whoever directed the movie should go to jail. Confusion is a mild way of describing how you’re feeling now. Your eyes stare blankly at the screen and your jaws drop in synchronized disbelief. The final scene delivered a horrible plot twist to the story that makes any one star movie look good.

“Well, that was…quite..something,” Taerae comments, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

“Yeah,” you mumble, barely audible.

Internally, you’re frantically replaying as many interactions between the leads. The male lead typically paid for their dates, followed the sidewalk rule, remembered every detail about the other main lead, and kissed them – multiple times. He even performed the typical Kdrama male lead duties: saving the person from a burning building, paying their mother’s hospital bills, and donating one of his kidneys to the father.

Plus, it was supposed to be a romantic movie: they should always get together at the end. The unexpected ending in the movie shatters your confidence in confessing your feelings tonight and makes you rethink your interactions with Taerae. Was there a chance you might have misunderstood his intention?

“Darling, are you okay?” he calls out, a note of worry in his voice.

It takes you a few moments to respond as your mind is distracted by the million thoughts running through your head. “Sorry? Did you say something?”

“Are you okay?” he repeats.

“..Yeah, I’m okay,” you try to force a smile.

Taerae, sensing your unease, frowns slightly, but doesn’t want to pressure you if you aren't comfortable sharing. Instead, he gently pulls you closer, his chest pressed against your back, and places a soft kiss on the top of your head.

part seven

“That sucks,” Hanbin says, picking up a piece of salmon sushi, after you shared the unsuccessful outcome the night before.

“I know,” you groan, frustration evident in your voice. “Now, I don’t know if I can say it again.”

“Why not?”

You release a heavy sigh. “Well, now I have to think of another cute romantic date, no?”

He takes a thoughtful pause. “As Taerae’s self-appointed best friend, even if you told him that you love him wearing the rattiest red sweatpants you own in front of the dumpster of MotorOne building while it’s burning, I’m sure he’d think it was the most romantic thing ever,” he states confidently. “Though I wouldn’t personally recommend the dumpster as a place to confess unless you have the strong urge to, but I’m sure our Taeraevision will be happy with whatever you plan – so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

A comforting silence settles between the two of you before you express your gratitude for his encouragement and assistance.

“Thank you, Hanbin,” you state. “I’ll give it a shot again this week.”

----

Due to the lack of time, you weren’t able to plan something as grand as before; however, you hope it’s still sentimental enough. For tonight’s date, which happens to fall on a Friday, you decide to go to Unami Heights, where the two of you first met.

You’re not sure how tonight will exactly go, but at some point, you’ll try to naturally bring up your dating contract and say you want to make some changes. Before you hand him the contract, you’ll scratch the word “Fake” off at the top and ask him to sign it if he agrees. Hopefully, he does.

Just like the first time, Taerae calls for you. It’s a little different this time though: his voice is a lot warmer, more honey-like. You’re not strangers anymore, you’re his “darling” and he’s your “duckie.”

Immediately, you turn, ready to greet him back, but words catch your throat. He stands before you, looking more handsome than you’ve seen him before. His hair is somehow styled even better than the unsuccessful beach confession date last week. Unlike his usual self, he’s dressed entirely in black – a neat collar shirt with the first two buttons unbuttoned, sleek black trousers, and polished dress shoes. This is beyond a hot date look: he should be on the front cover of Daze Magazine.

“You, uh, look really handsome today, Tae – duckie,” you stammer. The words don’t come out smooth and you’re barely able to hold eye contact with him. A chuckle escapes your not-yet boyfriend’s lips. Let’s hope he thinks you’re at least cute (he does!).

“Just today?” he teases.

“Mmm..okay, you look handsome everyday,” you say affectionately, looking at him with adoration in your eyes, “but today, you’re extra handsome.”

Your eyes might be deceiving you, but the tips of his ears turn slightly red. Taerae looks away, biting his cheek in an attempt to suppress a broad grin, and takes a moment to compose himself.

“Shall we head in?” he then suggests.

“Oh, yes,” you nod. “I made a reservation under my name. No private room though, but it’s one of the seats where there’s a divider so there’s a bit of privacy between each table.”

He laughs, understanding your intention of recreating the first date. “Thank you, darling. I appreciate it.”

After checking in at the host stand, the two of you are guided inside. Sadly, after waiting for a bit, you are informed that the restaurant accidentally overbooked the tables with private screens between.

“I am so sorry about this,” the host profusely apologizes. “If it’s alright with you, we still have other seats available.

You feel a bit disappointed, but reluctantly agree. Maybe the two of you can go for a walk somewhere nice after dinner, like the Han River, and find a private place to talk. That’s not a bad last-minute idea – he did walk with you to the subway station so it’s still like your first date.

Hopefully, this would only be the hiccup of your night. The two of you are seated next to an older couple who seem to be on a date as well. That’s kind of cute.

Until you recognize it was your parents.

You pray that they wouldn’t notice you, but it seems it was too late as your dad makes brief eye contact with you.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, kiddo,” he chuckles. You’re pretty sure you hear a gulp coming from Taerae.

“That’s my line,” you reply, trying to sound casual. “What are you and mom doing here?”

“We’re visiting some friends in the city for the weekend, dear,” your mom explains. She then turns to look at your “boyfriend” with a smile. The top two buttons on his shirt are now secured. “Is your name Taerae by chance?”

He nods. “Yes, I’m [y/n]’s boyfriend. Pleasure to meet both of you.”

“Oh, wow, he’s even more handsome in-person!” your mom exclaims, putting a hand on her mouth. “Your Linkedin picture doesn’t do justice.”

“Thank you,” he responds, trying not to laugh. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring a gift. I didn’t know I was going to meet the two of you today.”

She chuckles. “Oh, don’t worry about that! Your presence is already a gift. Just come over when you’re free. I found a really good kimbap recipe.”

“I’d love that,” he agrees with a smile worth more than the restaurant itself.

“So, Taerae, what do you do for a living and where’d you go to school?” your dad chimes in.

“I’m working as an automobile engineer at MotorOnes and I graduated from Seoul University – top 10% of my class,” he states. It sounds rehearsed, yet it still comes across naturally.

“An automobile engineer, huh?” your dad comments. “One of my friends is a professor at Seoul university, and he once told me that he really wanted a student name Taerae as one of his master students, but that said student turned down the offer, much to the his disappointment.”

“Oh, is it Dr. Park?” Taerae clarifies. “I was in his ‘Automotive Design and Manufacturing’ class in my third year.”

“Ah, yes,” your dad nods happily for a moment before your mom scolds him.

“Tch, you knew about him and you didn’t tell me?” she scowls at her husband. “Do you know the amount of work I need to do to get these blind dates?”

Sensing the playful tension in the room, your boyfriend smiles. “Well, we’re together now, so everything worked out in the end.”

“You’re right,” your mom nods happily. “So, what made you what to ask our [y/n] out?” she inquires, looking genuinely interested.

A subtle nervousness creeps in. The two of you only discussed vaguely about your back story: you bumped into Taerae multiple times at Serendipity Sips before deciding to talk to him and eventually asking for his number. While the detailed narrative of how you both met and got together would be barely believable if told by you, it’s better than having him feel pressured.

“[y/n] actually asked me out,” he answers, and as the words leave his lips, his eyes sparkle a bit.

Your mom’s eyes widen. “Oh, really?”

“Yes, and I’m quite lucky,” he continues. “I’m not sure if [y/n] remembers, but we actually stumbled upon each other briefly before meeting again at Serendipity Sips — it’s a cafe between our workplaces.”

Oh, you suppose he’s going off-script a bit.

“I was really happy when we met again, but I felt too nervous to start a conversation. In fact, I’ve tried a few times, but always fumbled. At some point, I figured someone amazing like my darling was definitely with someone else so I was pleasantly surprised when I got asked out. I’m just happy that we’re together now.”

Almost instinctively, you look around the restaurant, expecting a camera crew to suddenly appear in front of you. Taerae’s “impromptu” story of how you met seems too authentic that you find yourself believing it momentarily. You’re not sure how the Oscars nominations work, but you’d definitely nominate his performance for one.

“Aw, that’s so cute,” your mom coos. “It reminds me of those cute-meet’s that young people talk about these days.” She softly snickers, “Maybe they’re actually real and not just on Tumblr.”

“Mom, you have a Tumblr?!”

----

The rest of the time with your parents goes smoothly. Conversation flows seamlessly and the table is filled with genuine smiles and laughter. The four of you engage in various topics, delving into discussions about work, hobbies, and even sharing a few personal stories. Anyone would be convinced your relationship was real.

Well, everything except the embellished story of how you met and that you were technically in a “fake dating contact” is true and genuine. But hopefully, things can change tonight.

“Would you like a ride home?” Taerae asks after the two of you exchanged goodbyes to your parents. “I drove to work today.”

Oh, does he not want to spend more time with you tonight? Usually, he’d ask if you wanted to do anything else before the night ended. He’s probably just feeling tired after meeting your parents – that must be it. Considering the situation, you’ll have to save your confession for another day…

“That’d be nice,” you comment before the two of you begin to walk to the MotorOne Parking Lot. “Thank you..for today and everything. I promise I didn't set up a meeting with my parents without telling you beforehand. It must have been a lot of pressure, but you were…incredible and my parents love you for sure.”

Taerae’s cheeks begin to warm up as his gaze falls on the ground. “It’s no problem,” he mutters quietly, scratching the back of his neck. “Though I think I could have made a better impression.”

“Oh, duckie, you don’t have to worry about it,” you assure with a warm smile. “Like I said before, they love you and I honestly couldn’t ask for a better boyfriend.” The last little bit accidentally slips out of your mind: it's the first time you refer to him to his supposed title in private.

He abruptly stops walking with you following suit and uneasiness creeps up. This was kind of an indirect confession: a horrible one might you add. Well, at least it didn't take place in front of a dumpster -- just the front of the MotorOne Building (and it’s not on fire). You turn to face him, about to say that you forgot to add the “fake” part, though you find yourself surprised by his reaction.

You’re pleasantly surprised, actually.

His eyes crinkle at the corner, his gaze filled with warmth that melts your heart. A wide, bright smile adorns his face. Though admittedly his smiles were always pretty, this was probably the most radiant. Knowing that you're the reason fills your body with a warmth that you can’t quite explain.

He gently reaches to pull you a bit closer, just enough space to allow him to place a reassuring kiss on your forehead.

“Thank you.”

part eight

For your third attempt at confessing your feelings, you decide to do a romantic dinner at home with all Taerae’s favorite foods and just like what you planned before, you’d try to naturally bring up the fake dating contract, saying you want some changes and scratch off the word “fake” before handing it to him to sign if he agrees.

The only hard thing was trying to get him to come over, much to your surprise. It might have been a coincidence, but the day after meeting your parents, he has been taking a lot longer to reply and you haven’t videocalled all week. You hate to admit it, but it hurt a lot more than expected. He mentioned that he’s been busy with a big project, that must be it.

Luckily, your worries disappear when you get the text at lunch today from Taerae asking if you could come over.

boyfie 💕: im finishing the big project i've been working on today. boyfie 💕: i should be home at 7PM by the latest. i was thinking we can have a little dinner and movie night at my place. wanna come over?

An idea suddenly pops up in your mind: you can cook dinner at his place instead. You’ve never been to Taerae’s place before and you already struggle to cook in your kitchen. Maybe you can ask him for his passcode? No, that’s pushing boundaries. Maybe you can make it beforehand? It won’t be as good, but it’ll have to make do.

you: i can bring over dinner 🙂 boyfie 💕: thank u, darling ☺️ boyfie 💕: here’s my address: 1400-70 Nohyeondong boyfie 💕: passcode is 0317 if you do happen to come a little earlier

If you could, you would kiss your “boyfriend” on the lips right now, but you probably will tonight. This was perfect: you could come an hour earlier to familiarize yourself with the kitchen. With this newfound excitement, you decide to leave work earlier so you can head home to grab your fake dating contract, make yourself look hot, and stop by the grocery store.

Hands filled with bags of groceries, you make your way to your future boyfriend’s place. It’s around 6PM when you punch in the passcode, and with a soft beep, the door unlocks. Silently entering, you remove your shoes and place your bag on a nearby hook; however, before you’re about to step further into the apartment, two familiar figures catch your eye.

Taerae and Hanbin are sitting on a white blanket surrounded by pink throw pillows, rose petals, little candle lights, and heart balloons, talking to each other. For a moment, you debate on turning back, feeling like you’re interrupting a romantic moment between them.

You wish you did.

Your “boyfriend” lets out a loud sigh. “I can’t wait to get out of this fake relationship. It’s been really hard lately.”

“Isn’t it pretty much your fault for agreeing to it?” Hanbin chuckles. “You should have known better.”

Taerae shrugs. “Let’s just hope it ends today.”

“I hope so too — for you and for me.”

As the words reach your ear, a heavy weight settles in your chest. The air in the room suddenly feels suffocating and it takes you a few seconds to realize you’ve dropped your bags. You think you hear footsteps, but your body already decides to make its way out.

----

Sitting on a swing at an unfamiliar park, you take some time to collect your thoughts. Part of you wants to be angry at your fake (ex?-)boyfriend at the words he said; however, after some time, you realize that there must have been a reason. From the time you spent with him and all the things he's done for you, you knew he was a patient and kind person and even the most compassionate people have their breaking points.

Perhaps, the unexpected meeting with your parents pushed him to the edge and he was trying to figure out a way to gently let you down and needed Hanbin’s help in doing so. He’s a good actor on top of it too.

And, though you’ve never experienced it personally, it’s probably challenging to pretend to have romantic feelings for someone when your heart is somewhere else. Specifically, your best friend.

Was the movie trying to tell you something?

An audible groan escapes your lips. Thankfully, it was Saturday tomorrow, so you can take some time on how to tackle the situation. Your hand instinctively reaches for your phone, only to realize you likely left it your bag, which was still at his place. In fact, besides yourself, you have nothing on you.

No phone. No wallet. No keys. It’s dark out and you’re not 100% sure where you are. You might be hallucinating, but you think you feel a raindrop fall on your skin.

Wonderful.

You decide to seek shelter as it begins to drizzle. When you get up from the swing, you spot a familiar dimpled man walking towards you, an umbrella in one hand and your bag in the other. His hair is slightly disheveled and his white collar shirt isn’t as neatly tucked when you briefly looked at him earlier. How long was he looking for you? And why?

“Hey,” Taerae greets, a hint of awkwardness in his voice. “You forgot this,” he adds, extending his bag towards you, “and thank you for remembering that steak is my favorite.”

You politely take the bag from him. “Thanks,” you quietly mutter, your gaze looking down. A heavy silence settles between the two of you.

“Do you have a minute to spare?” he asks after hesitating for a bit.

“I owe you at least five considering you bought back my stuff," you respond.

“Thanks,” he says with a small smile before clearing his throat. “I made a mistake.”

“Yeah, I wish you told me you had feelings for Hanbin.”

“I should have confessed to you when we kissed,” he reveals at the same time.

You look at him with shock written all over your face. “What? I overheard you saying you wanted to get out of this fake relationship and that it’s been hard for you.”

"You're right," he nods. "...because I want to be a real one with you, and it's been hard to hide my feelings for you even though I miserably fail every time.”

There’s only sincerity in his eyes and voice.

“B-but what did Hanbin mean when he said it was your fault for getting into this relationship in the first place?” you clarify, confusion still clouding your mind.

“Well, uh, he knew about my crush on you before you even messaged me on Linkedin, and urm, I accidently revealed we were pretending to date when I asked him to help me with my ‘big’ project last week,” Taerae admits as he looks down for a moment and scratches his head. “I’m eight months late, but congratulations on your promotion by the way.”

He then lets out a nervous smile as he looks at you again. “..And, umm, I knew by agreeing to the fake relationship despite having feelings for you would put me in a difficult position, but I wanted to help you.”

You blink several times, not sure what to say. “Why?”

“It’s a long story,” he confesses with a sheepish smile. The drizzle quickly intensifies into a downpour. He opens the umbrella in his hand, ensuring that you are protected. You pull him slightly closer so that you are both covered.

“Thanks,” he utters, just loud enough that you could hear.

The two of you exchange lingering looks, the audible sound is the pattering of the rain.

“I’m sorry,” you apologize, breaking the silence. “I should have not assumed…and I should have at least texted you that I was coming to your place.”

“It’s okay,” he replies, his voice calm and warm. “I should have thought about that possibility while planning when I gave you my passcode. I would have kicked Hanbin out earlier.”

He shifts slightly, cheeks tinted with a pink hue. “The big project I was working on…was figuring how to confess to you,” he admits. “I was hoping to surprise you when you walked in and it was supposed to be a cute indoor picnic with all your favorite foods and drinks. At the end, I was going to sing to you while playing the guitar and ask if we could end the contract..and date for real.”

You laugh softly at the coincidence. “I was planning to try to confess to you again tonight too,” you reveal. “I came an hour earlier to familiarize myself with your kitchen so I can make you dinner and I was planning to ask the same thing: if we could remove the “fake” part of our dating contract.”

A soft sigh escapes his lips.

“But now that I think about it,” you whisper. “No contract is better, duckie.”

“That sounds perfect, darling,” he replies, a subtle smile on his face. “Fake dating contract ends today.”

You feel a wave of relief and happiness wash over you. Taerae’s eyes are sparkling with joy as his smile grows wider. He feels like the happiest person in this world, at least at this very moment.

“How long did you like me for?” you murmur.

“Um, probably at least six months at this point?” he admits, his blush becoming more prominent.

Your jaw drops slightly.

“The story I told your parents…it’s true. We actually bumped into each other before meeting again at the cafe again,” he continues, his gaze softens slightly. “Do you remember returning a bag with the lego shark keychain to a nerdy loser at a subway station three years ago?”

“Oh, that’s why it was familiar,” you express, a sudden realization hitting you. A slight frown tugs at the corners of your mouth. “And you’re not a nerdy loser.”

Taerae softly snickers before speaking again. “I was running late for work because I was up all night trying to finish a presentation for an important project. I nearly missed my stop and left my bag behind. Luckily, you were my miracle of the year.” His eyes light up. “I can still remember the soft smile on your face and the warmth I felt that day when you gave me back my bag. I’m not sure if I remember correctly, but I think I did manage to say a thank you before walking away.”

“You did say thank you,” you confirm.

“I’m glad that you at least remember that,” he grins. “Anyways, besides forgetting my bag and having to chug two and a half redbulls to survive that day, everything else went well. The project was a huge success and actually earned my first patent. I really owe you one and was hoping to bump into you one day again so I can thank you properly.”

He then frowns slightly for moment. “I lost a bit of hope after not finding you for nearly two years, but then I saw you at Serendipity Sips with Dayeon. Unfortunately, I blanked out though I managed to catch your name when the barista called it out. So that same night I searched your name on Linkedin, hoping it was your real one, and to my pleasant surprise, you shared a mutual connection with me.”

“Our lovely Hanbin,” you comment in a teasing manner.

He nods, trying not to giggle.

“I thought about asking him to set up a meeting with you, not a date, just to return the favor and maybe become friends,” he continues, “but then I remembered you were complaining about your sucky blind dates to Dayeon that day and didn't want to risk a misunderstanding. So, instead, I brainstormed scenarios on how we might naturally talk and practiced what to say when you were alone without coming off the wrong way.”

He then lets out a heavy sigh. “Though six months ago, I saw you happily holding hands with someone else, and for whatever reason, my heart sank. That’s when I realized maybe I did have a mild crush on you and thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to approach you.”

A smile begins to form and a sparkle lights up his eyes once more. “Then, four months ago, you messaged me on Linkedin and I saw it as an opportunity to pay you back, but treating you just to coffee and a few words of advice didn’t feel like enough for me. That’s why I suggested sushi..and if I felt brave enough, I was going to ask you at the end if you wanted to get to know each other..as friends, of course.”

“We’re more than friends now,” you cheekily respond. “We’re officially dating, right?”

“We are,” he smirks, mirroring your tone. There's a brief pause. “That means I can kiss you, right?”

Your gaze falls to the ground for a moment before you nod, granting him permission.

Already, you feel your heart fluttering as he slowly leans in and lightly presses his lips on yours, placing his free hand just above your hips. Your bag hits the ground with a soft thud as one of your arms instinctively wraps around his waist while the other rests on the back of his neck before gently pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. A warm, tight knot forms on your stomach as you close your eyes. This kiss, unlike the first one, feels more satisfying. You’re not sure why.

Maybe it’s the magic of the Pikachu chapstick he recently bought – his lips now noticeably smoother and softer. Or maybe, the absence of his glasses makes it easier to kiss you. Or maybe, it’s clear where both of you stand.

You are heads over heels in love with Kim Taerae, and Kim Taerae is heads over heels in love with you.

special credits:

@partiallyderived for the idea of putting an asterisk for the fake dating contract (lol)

@happypanda01 for betareading

permanent taglist: @starrzhao @dimplewonie @keiwook @partiallyderived @leejeongz @happypanda01, @enhadazed

fic taglist: @haesunflower

want to read more? main masterlist | zb1 masterlist

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astrae4 · 2 months

Text

₊˚ෆ Sun Star Moon - s.hb

♡ sypnosis: two lines. all it takes is two lines to change the trajectory of your life; you’re pregnant. what are you to do? for starters, you have your amazing boyfriend hanbin by your side—and he’d go to the ends of the earth to make you happy and to make things work. there’s something deep down that tells you he’d make an amazing dad; and maybe, just maybe, that you could make this work.

♡ genre: angst, fluff, boyfriend!hanbin x fem!reader, established relationship, pregnancy fic

♡ 2.7k word count

♡ warnings: reader is pregnant, very angsty, abortion is referenced, hard conversations surrounding pregnancy, insecure reader, pet names, slightly suggestive, please lmk if i need to add any!

♡ nano note: hello! i’m back! here is the hanbin one-shot that won my last poll! apologies for taking a few days to upload this, i had personal matters to attend to. hope you enjoy this as much as i did writing it! she’s delusional for father hanbin 😔 lmao! xoxo

.♡.

You stirred out of a deep sleep as you feel a disturbance of light touches to your face. It doesn’t take very long to realize where you are and who you’re with though, because as soon as your eyes had the strength to peep open to see who warranted your attention so early in the morning, a warm sensation blooms in your chest.

You’re more than enamored to meet eyes with your boyfriend, Hanbin, who places soft kisses all over your face.

“Hm?” You mumble out, letting him know he has your consciouse attention.

“Good Morning, my love.” He says in almost a whisper, staring at you with the most love you think you’ve ever seen on him.

The way his eyes trace your features softly tells you how present and emotionally available he was for you this morning. In all honesty, it felt like a blessing and a curse all at once.

Just a few days ago you two had both took it upon yourselves to take a pregnancy test together; symptoms of maternity clouding you for a few weeks now. You and Hanbin went into it completely unsuspecting with nothing but a want for some reassurance for your own piece of mind.

He stood and waited with you whilst you waited for the results, rubbing your worried frame with his hands as he made small talk in an effort to distract you.

“No matter the result, we’ll be okay.” He’d say.

Your stomach was in your throat.

When you had finally gained the courage after a few spare minutes of waiting to see the results, you had almost convinced yourself altogether that you weren’t with child and that the symptoms were a product of your imagination.

So when you picked up the test stick, and when two very prominent lines were present on the result window, it felt like your world was crashing down right before you. Your eyes watered as your body started to shake without your permission—this couldn’t be real, right?

Then you met eyes with Hanbin as his hands went to your shoulders, and he wore the most happiest smile you’d ever seen. You felt that smile put the pieces of your thoughts back together again, but only one prominent thing went off like an emergency alarm; I can’t do this.

Hanbin was ecstatic to say the least, even the hidden worry you picked up in his eyes was due to your shocked and visibly scared reaction.

Were you okay?

If you weren’t okay with this as much as he was, he was very much willing to hear you out and support your decision, no matter how much it hurt.

So that whole day was spent with you two talking; a collaboration of thoughts and emotions being shared as well as what the best thing was going forward for the both of you. He was so supportive of your opinions and your decisions through it all. He listened tentatively and wiped your stray tears too. Even when your throat felt like closing mid sentence, he’d nod reassuringly and rub your back until you were able to speak again.

In no way was he forcing you to continue the pregnancy, and when you finally broke it to him that you didn’t think you could, he kissed your tears away and lulled you to sleep with his whispered hums.

He never showed you his tears. Never let a grimace grace his face. Hanbin was as strong as they come; even when he didn’t have to be.

So when you wake up to him, a soft smile adorning his face in nothing but support for you, you’re suddenly at ends meet with yourself. When you stare at him, your bodies laying in soft linen and cotton, you face each other in the silence for a while.

You don’t know what to say.

Maybe it was your worries and insecurities of being a good parent, or the financial worries of the world. Maybe it was the fear of childbirth and the health complications that come with carrying a new life. Maybe it was because it was all so scary. It was a big responsibility after all; one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

But when he’s tracing your features with his fingertips, a small smile on his face; you finally see him.

You see Hanbin as the father of your children despite not being your husband yet. You see a future with him, a pretty house; the white picket fence. You see a human you never want to part with. All his goofy cheek dimpled-smiles. All his serious-furrowed-browed looks. All six-feet-something of the lovely human you called yours—and your heart just knew.

The countless words of assurance from the past few days rang through you like you were listening to a favorite song for the first time again.

“Whatever your decision love, we’d make it work, because we’re a team.” He’d say.

And you knew.

“I’ll make an appointment today.” You finally mumble through the silence, searching his eyes for a reaction. He searches your’s back for a minute, a little confusion evident on his face.

Just a few days ago you needed time to think. Just yesterday you told him that you wouldn’t tell him when you’d go to see a doctor about your situation. Hanbin’s heart rate speeds up because what exactly are you implying?

You sent him a small smile, hands going to cup his face. “I think I’d be crazy not to see how a little Hanbinnie would turn out.” You whisper, eyes filling with tears.

Hanbin’s features just rest for a moment, and his eyes are almost like a gateway into what his mind must have been trying to figure out. When he connects the dots, his hands snap to either side of your face, wide eyes demanding to be closer to yours. Before he speaks, you see the emotions in his eyes, glossy pupils shifting back and forth between yours.

Grief. Love. Happiness. Relief. You see it all.

“Does this mean what I think it means?”

—

“Okay!” You laughed out, completely done with your boyfriends antics as you clutched onto your stomach.

“We get it! You like Nora—Despite it sounding like the name of a Who, it is a relatively pretty name.” You admit, allowing yourself to sink into the couch completely. If you weren’t having so much fun right now, you’d be passed out somewhere because of how tired you were.

“Aye~ don’t just brush it off. And stop calling it a name of a Who!” Hanbin laughs back, wide smile on his face despite raising his voice playfully with furrowed brows.

“No. The grinch would steal the hell out of Nora’s presents, tell me i’m wrong!” You laughed out.

You and Hanbin were currently sat in your living room with white boards and dry erase markers clad in hand as you brainstormed ideas for a name.

Yes, a name.

It had been a while since that fateful decision to continue the pregnancy, but for what seems like a few nights or so, has now ended up here; eight months in and still no name.

You didn’t know why it took so long to get to picking out a name, you swear you’ve tried for days and nights to come up with something, but nothing ever stuck.

For the names you would come up with, Hanbin would listen earnestly to your reasoning, then pat your belly with this happy smile and shake his head when you were done; the most constructive look on his face before he uttered his criticism. Nothing ever stuck.

Then when Hanbin would come up with a few names, he’d go as far as making a whole PowerPoint presentation to present it to you with a pointer stick and everything; even his reading glasses were perched low on his nose bridge for the vibes. Alas, despite his excitement, none of them felt…right.

Lately, the pressure really started to creep up on you too, many of the conversations you’d have with random strangers on a daily basis going exactly like this;

“Oh dear me! How much longer do you have?”

“Only one month left!”

“Oh, bless your hearts, what’s their name?”

To which you’d go blank at. Completely blank.

You didn’t have a name.

It was eating you up inside because one look at Hanbin and you were envisioning this sweet little girl, running around looking just like him, with the same manners as him and smiling just like him.

But no name; and it felt terrible. So close to something very tangible; a new life within your own, but nothing to call her at all. This was the cause of your recent sleepless nights—besides your prevalent back pain of course.

Hanbin sighs as he watches the gears turn in your head again as you start to detach from the conversation and a look of worry spreads on your face. You don’t notice the way he moves, because he does it very quietly, a soft smile on his pretty masculine face.

“My love, why are you worrying?” He asks softly, and that’s when you’re pulled back to reality to him sitting down on the couch next to you, a hand on your stomach. You gaze over at him, a hint of worry in his own eyes, and you realize you’re doing it again. You’re more than worried about a name.

How bad will it hurt? Will you make it? Will the baby make it? Will Hanbin be disappointed in you if something goes wrong? Did you do everything in your power to make sure this baby is healthy?

Are you happy?

What’s the name going to be? It’s coming up so quick.

Were you even cut out for this?

Countless questions nagged in the back of your mind every time you’d come to be alone to your thoughts. Ultimately, it just overwhelmed you.

When your eyes search Hanbin’s, still unable to answer his question, he lets a soft smile break out onto his face as he’s searching back and forth between each of your eyes.

It feels raw; the way he stares maturely, eyeing you with comfort and nothing but love. He reads you like a book, and with one swift movement, he’s leaning in and kissing your forehead softly. You melt into his touch, and in this moment you admit that there’s nobody else you’d rather do this with.

“Mama, you’re in your head again, hmm? This isn’t just about names.” He says in a whisper against your forehead. You open your glossed over eyes and can only look down into his chest in shame. It’s there where you spot his tattoos.

A sun.

A star.

A moon.

He was perfect.

And here he was, yet again, comforting you without you ever having to ask.

As his lips linger on your forehead, you breathe in his scent. He smelled like baby powder. Funnily enough, he was messing around in the nursery and dropped a whole canister of the fine white substance. He pouted and grumbled about on the nursery floor as it took him half an hour to clean it up whilst you took pictures of the crime scene.

It made you laugh then.

It made you laugh now.

As chuckles leave your lips and your eyebrows knit together softly, Hanbin pulls away, a smile on his face and worry in his eyes as they meet yours that start to seep tears here and there.

“What?” He asks, hand coming up to wipe your tears. You smile as you eye him up greatfully.

“You smell like baby powder, Bin.”

He chuckles; and there are his whiskers.

“Aye~ Stop teasing me, you better delete those videos too! I’m not over that-“

You cut him off with a kiss to his lips, albeit you’re laughing through it because hes quick to reciprocate it despite being cut off. When you finally pull away, he’s giggling too, and the whiskers get impossibly deeper.

Everything felt right and you suddenly feel a sense of peace wash over you. It was a feeling of comfort; one that said that only time could tell the answers to your numerous questions but that you had to live in this moment right now.

So you do.

You take in Hanbin and his cute laugh.

You take in the way he rubs your belly as his head is thrown back in amusement.

He was just so…perfect. Like a star meticulously placed in the sky. Just like ike the timing of the sun and moon.

After a few moments of eyeing you as he gathers himself from laughing, he suddenly dips his head close to your stomach and gives it a soft kiss.

“Mommy is being mean again, come help me Pretty.” He whispers against your clothes as he stares up at you through his eyebrows with a playful glint in his eyes. You crack a smile as you eye him back.

He looked so handsome; it had you wanting to recreate the act that had gotten you here to begin with. Still, you gather your composure and shake your head at him, shooing away these intrusive thoughts.

“She won’t save you, Bin. She’ll be just like me—watch.” You say playfully.

He places another kiss to your stomach and chuckles through it. When he raises his head, he’s leaning back and eyeing you, his hand going to rest at your thigh.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t wish for anything else. If she’s just like you, she’d give that much more meaning to life. You’re amazing…” He trails off, and the way he looks into your eyes tells you he means every word.

Every single word.

You smile as you stare at him with love in your own eyes. His cheeks go pink.

Maybe you will be a good mom.

If Hanbin said so, it had to be.

With or without a name, one thing was for sure; soon a new life would be brought into your world and if she held an ounce of Hanbin in her little body—a twinge of his smile, an ounce of his politeness, a speck of his generosity, or an inkling of his sweet tone—it would all have been worth it.

—

Your next ultrasound was three days later. The 3D scan brought you to tears as you sat atop a hospital-grade resting table, your shirt pushed up to your ribs as a very nice middle-aged woman pressed a cold wand to your stomach.

Present on the screen in front of you was a digitally rendered face. It wasn’t that you hadn’t had the opportunity to do this before, you had plenty of times you could have gotten this service done actually. This week you had finally mustered up enough willpower to schedule it through your exhaustion and nerves.

On the other hand, Hanbin was so excited; he bragged about the upcoming appointment to every single one of his friends; telling them that the next time he’d see them he would be showing them photos of his baby girl who was going to look just like the love of his life.

Well, the joke was entirely on him; she looked nothing like you.

Present in the crevices of her chubby cheeks were dips; whiskers of her very own when she grimaced hard enough. It was as if an angel pressed them into her cheeks with soft kisses—marshmallow dips placed perfectly in such a familiar way.

When you look over to a shocked and teary-eyed Hanbin, you realize everything was worth it.

Every doubt, ounce of stress, tiring moment.

You were bringing a baby girl into the world with Hanbin by your side. This was destined; you were destined to meet him and have this baby.

A Sun.

A Star.

A Moon.

You didn’t know which you had wished on to have the pleasure.

Your worth is what you questioned and your anxieties backed by insecurity had almost consumed you—but my, how worthy you truly were.

Everything was leading up to this; you and Hanbin were going to be parents; and you’d do anything in your power to make sure her dimpled whiskers would show every minute of every day.

“She looks like me…” Hanbin whispers, his eyes glossing over as his nose starts showing hues of pink.

“She looks like me, Y/n.”

.♡.

♡ please do not plagarize, repost, copy or translate any of my works. thank you.

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astrae4 · 2 months

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— PLEASE DON'T HIT (ON) ME! ౨ৎ PGW

✸ SYNOPSIS ! : in which you have your fair share of embarrassing moments. one of it being punching a guy's nose for a plushie (which you did not get at the end). but what will you do when he ended up going to the same class as you? wait, oh no! he recognised you. now you're in for one hell of a ride.

PAIRING 𐙚 park gunwook x fem!reader

GENRE ⊹ socmed + written chapters, uni! au, strangers to enemies to lovers, fluff, humour, maybe angst, reader is unhinged sometimes

FEATURING ⋆ zb1! ricky + gyuvin, ive! rei + wonyoung, evvne! phanbin + jeonghyeon + seungeon, riize! wonbin.

STATUS 𖦹 on-going !

📓 3 barbies and 2 kens . underground dawgs . privs

OO1 decked by a Woman

OO2 1am morning news

OO3 got him turning into shakespeare

OO4 500k words slowburn fic

OO5 gunwook vs yn (smau + written 393 wc)

OO6 tunnel visions

OO7 whos hyunjin

OO8 get in the trunk

OO9 $0.10 shortage

O1O bitchless and no balls competition

O11 when are u not insane

O12 sassy men apocalypse

O13 hater for lyfe

O14 nom nom est yn

O15 we lost him

more tba...

TAGLIST : @nanadreamies @run2min @dwcljh @leehanascent @pwrcelanii @320flora @chaeryvips @rikimylove @chillychuu @marshwatz @shotaroswifeyily @jayujus @replayenthusiast @yyfka @girlokarina @sionshiii @sparklingsjy @annoyingbitch83 @sillybabycat @junnysbae @07yujin @istphanie @2ynjns @kaynunu @egoistars @bloobworld @xiaoquanquans @heartswonn @infinitehaos @ffixtionista @hrtattcker (send an ask or reply to this post to be added!)

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astrae4 · 2 months

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hiii can i please be added to ur permanent taglist? tysm <33

Hi omg! Yes of course, thank you sm for joining 💗💗

#💌 : astrae4

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astrae4 · 2 months

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KINDRED — yang jungwon

It’s your final year of highschool, and your only goal is to graduate top of your cohort, as usual. Except as student council president, your advisor can’t seem to leave you alone. What happens when you take Decelis Academy’s top student, their star taekwondo athlete and put them in front of a camera?

“Kindred” a student documentary. Pilot episode airing tonight on TVN 7PM KST.

PAIRING: athlete!jungwon x stucopres!fem!reader

FEATURING: enhypen, yunjin from lesserafim, ryujin and chaeryeong from itzy, chanelle from runext, beomgyu and taehyun from txt, wonyoung from ive, gunwook and gyuvin from zb1 etc.

GENRE: high school au, enemies to lovers, nerd x athlete, forced proximity, slice of life, coming of age, he fell first but she fell harder, fluff, ANGST, teen drama, slow burn ish?

WARNINGS: contains profanities, horrible attempt at humour, urban lingo, probably cringy, kys/kms jokes, depression jokes, sexual innuendos (nothing too inappropriate), depiction of violence, reader can be a little bit annoying at first, family drama, incorrect timestamps, no fixed faceclaims, not proofread etc.

STATUS: ongoing! (01/09/2023 – ???)

UPDATE SCHEDULE: every other day 🤡

TAGLIST: open! comment, send ask or submit form to be added/removed!

AUTHOR’S NOTE: please read! story concept is heavily inspired by the kdrama ‘our beloved summer’ other than that the storyline is completely original (or so i assume since i manifested this out from the crevices of my pea brain). i’ll try to keep this one to ard 30 chapters (who am i kidding). chapters with ‘(hw)’ next to them indicates that they are half-written, in case y’all skip over it! as always, the content and depiction of the characters in this smau do not in anyway represent them in real life. also i know how twitter has been rebranded to x, but we’re just gonna continue calling it twitter. lastly, if you do end up enjoying, please do like, comment (love reading your comments btw), and reblog so this can reach!! without further ado, enjoy!

TAGS: #tfwy kindred #tfwy smau

TEASER

profile. one | two | three

episode 1 - ratatouille and the underdogs

episode 2 - one way ticket to university

episode 3 - do you take constructive criticism?

episode 4 - unsolicited but appreciated

episode 5 - the art of benevolence

episode 6 - taekwondo-anti

episode 7 - beating the mentally ill allegations

episode 8 - can’t help it, i’m a libra

episode 9 - operation we-don’t-really-hate-each-other (hw)

episode 10 - she’s an oscar award winning actress

episode 11 - someone like me (hw)

episode 12 - ‘female-lead-realising-the-bad-boy-isnt-actually-that-bad’ arc

episode 13 - 5 foot 9 garfield meets avatar

episode 14 - yn the heterosexual

episode 15 - the ynwon getting closer montage :p

episode 16 - to the moon and back

episode 17 - eat 2 left toes

episode 18 - you are approved! (hw)

episode 19 - asking for a friend

episode 20 - rediscovering won’s ability to love

episode 21 - beomgyu’s 99999 eq

episode 22 - ynwon get together or else >:(

episode 23 - “hate”

episode 24 - not all problems can be solved with a formula

episode 25 - H.O.M.E.W.R.E.C.K.E.R

episode 26 - collecting facebook milfs like pokémons

episode 27 - you were brighter than the moon (hw)

episode 28 - no matter shrimp or whale, you deserve to flap your tail

episode 29 - the garden is full of surprises (hw)

episode 30 - weapon of mass destruction

episode 31 - the name above me (hw)

episode 32 - no offense but she’s a cockblocker

episode 33 - the bane of my existence (hw)

episode 34 - risky risky wiggy wigi this is an emergency

episode 35 - live my life on my terms (hw)

episode 36 - separation anxiety goes crazy

episode 37 - paparizzki

episode 38 - is it too late now to say Sorry?

episode 39 - everything will work out just the way you want it to (hw)

episode 40 (finale) - her entire being is loveable (hw)

epilogue - kindred, signing off

bonus chapters!

yunjin x heeseung

i can fight

1K notes · View notes

astrae4 · 2 months

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GRRRRR RAHHHHHHH

also fyi chanhee has such a unique voice. even a week in as a deobi i could already notice his voice in a song consisting of 11 people!

that's him, that's just who he is | tbz choi chanhee | new

"At least between us both,” the camera shutters and you take a shaky inhale, “one of us took the right path.”

PAIRING » tbz choi chanhee (new) x gn!reader (proofread twice—lmk if i made a mistake!) TROPE/AU » friends 2 strangers, highschool au!, non-idol au!, idol au! (chanhee towards the end) GENRE » angsty angst angst, unread messages, comforting friendship, supporting friendship, you both attend the same music academy, you both are preparing to become celebrities/idols! WORD COUNT » 4168 (no seriously, 2k word limit who?) ESTIMATED READING TIME » 15 mins WARNINGS (lmk if i missed anything!) » financial difficulties, stress relating to: money, music, balancing friendships-work-school, upwards comparisons, failure at achieving dream job (reader's side), unsupportive teachers

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 series introduction 🤍 series masterlist 🤍 part of 'especially to you...'

my third story! i take it back when i said that the second is my favourite story because this is my new (no pun intended) favourite story. i had to stop multiple times because it hit me too many times 🥹👍

well...the self insert is really real here 🫂 and this got seriously personal (let's see how many times i say this with this series 👀)

big respect to chanhee for balancing his education, preparing to be an idol and having a part time job 🫂 i respect him so much

thank you for reading honey bee ☘️🐝 @sanaxo-o and happiest birthday to you!! this story isn't much of a gift since you've read it before but there is the other one hehe 💕

Unlike most of your other lessons, this one passed by as quickly as a blink of an eye. It might be because the air conditioner in the room was set to the perfect temperature or the way the tie around your collar didn’t suffocate you too much or maybe, it was the way that you were practically showered with a bunch of compliments as soon as you took a deep breath from your diaphragm, lifted your cheekbones and sung your heart out.

Swiftly, you smile at the affirming nods that your teacher gave you, writing down her notes to the three-minute performance that you were assigned to for the last month. Across the whole month, you recall the way the tip of the pen scratches the plastic board vigorously, tapping rapidly and furiously throughout the longest three minutes of your life. Usually, you would be assigned a new song every three weeks or have two songs to practice for five weeks. On the times that you didn’t succeed, it would be a hell lot of criticism, tears and punches on the wall as soon as you exited the small studio. Heck, even with the times when the tears made it out in the room, you could tell that even though she toned down her volume, those eyes looked at you no further than disinterest—sometimes she would unmistakably roll her eyes too.

It has always been in short, sickening.

Those were the times that you wanted to just rip out your vocal cords, swear that you would never sing again, not that you even could at that point, and run away from the one thing that gave you life in your tiring days.

“Pick a song.”

The statement made your head slightly crane forward towards your suddenly easygoing teacher. You let out a confusing hum and question to which she responds with an amused smile.

“I can…choose?”

“You can’t truly be a singer if you don’t know what songs fit you best or if you need someone to pick what songs you should sing. You don’t have to choose a challenging song yet. You’ve been singing for the past half year and you’re good at it, but you really only found your style recently and I would rather you focus on further developing it.” She shrugs leisurely after, “It’s up to you though.”

Either way, I’m still going to get paid.

Numerous song titles juggle in your mind, the different lyrics and tunes playing in your head as the memories of your lives flash through their respective melodies. However, it wasn’t easy for your mouth to announce any of the songs, your mind thinking of all the technicalities within each song that would definitely challenge the fragile, insecure side of you.

But art is a special type of hobby.

It’s one of those hobbies that no one would ever be able to ‘perfect’. Somebody would always criticise and pick it apart ruthlessly—and you would always have to pick up their words and carry them deep within your heart.

“Are you sure?” The way that she tilts her head to the side after writing down your choice says everything.

But you stood your ground.

You’ve been in love with this song for so long and all you wanted to do was to learn it properly. Who knows when you’ll be given the chance to pick again? So, with the bravest smile and the most convincing nod that your shaking body could give, she does her final notes on that worn-out notebook of hers. She also recites your homework and expectations for the next lesson before excusing your presence from the room.

You couldn't wait to scream the excitement out of your body, tell your parents and your best friend about what just happened, analyse the song and its technical aspec—

"I just don't think you'll make it."

You halt your steps and your journey. For such a good music academy, these rooms seriously needed thicker walls. You were genuinely surprised that you were still able to focus on your lessons (most of the time) through all the electric guitar, drum kits and unfortunately, other singers who were unable to hit those certain high notes.

It's times like these that you wish the academy could invest in their building more. You were lucky that your lesson room is located at the end of the hallway meaning that your criticism could only be heard by you, the teacher and maybe the two rooms in front and beside yours.

Chanhee wasn't so fortunate, being at the very front, the first door on the left. It left him vulnerable. The voice cracks, the times when he would go off tune or the rare times when he missed his count. It would all mercilessly be heard by anyone who would pass by just to go to the toilet or refill their empty, cold coffee mug.

You stood next to the wall where the glass doors of the lesson door, biting your bottom lip and you noticed how Chanhee wouldn’t even say anything to his teacher’s words. You could imagine how he had his head hung low, nodding occasionally at the words and was forced to repeat the same line over and over and over again until he got it right. You prayed silently in your heart and mind that time would go quicker for him so that he could walk out, breathe in some fresh air and take a break from the suffocating practice room.

When the door clicks open, Chanhee has that tired, sad smile to you that he gives most of the time. Your eyebrows fell a little but you were still able to give him an encouraging one back.

“No?” You asked even though you very much knew the answer.

“No.” He quietly affirms after a short pause.

“I’m still proud of you though.” Just like any other day at school, after lessons or any other time, you lightly punch his shoulder, him chuckling and shoving you back. “I guess…that’s why they’re called ‘lessons’ after all.”

The realisation of your words made Chanhee groan. Lessons that are made throughout a lifetime—one that he has been attending for a year and a half unlike you who only started at the start of the year. He gave up his time with his friends, time to study which most of society thinks is the best way to secure a well-financed job, and gave up his money to buy clothes for himself that he just walked past whenever he knew he would get tempted. All those part-time jobs, ones that would go late into the still busy nights of Seoul or the ones early in the morning before school when most people would still be snoring, were all done with his dream that someday his voice would be heard by the world.

“How did yours go?”

You know that you should just be truthful. You both have been stuck to the hip for the last few years and Chanhee is not an easy person to deceive. Plus, you need to take into consideration as well of lying at this current moment. You didn’t want Chanhee to think that you were trying to make him feel better by potentially pitying him. What good would that bring to anyone right now in this situation? That’s not what friends do.

“I was given a chance to choose a song.” The small genuine, congratulatory smile that Chanhee gives makes you relax your back into the wall further, the tension easing away from your body. “I also managed to get through that vocal run that I’ve been agonising and crying to you about for the past week.” You slump your body against the wall as you recall your homework, “But she gave me more scales to use as runs for practice.”

“Scales really do suck.” Chanhee whispers to you teasingly, once again getting pushed by you.

“Yeah.” You acknowledge shortly after. “But it does help me with my breathing and flexibility which I highly suck at.”

“Hey,” he scolds your words lightly, “at least you have a distinctive sound and know how to put emotions according to the sound. My teacher just said I sound generic.”

Yes. That description for Chanhee—no, just any singer—is weird and you would dare to say, highly misleading.

If we’re talking about musical terms, every single singer has a unique timbre. Even if the note stays the same, every person will have a different tone colour because well, every person is different. Saying that a singer has a generic voice, highly contradicts the definite concept of instrument timbre.

You know how much this troubled Chanhee even though he tries his best to hide it. The comments about his timbre have been repeated so many times that it’s got to him a lot. In the beginning, he would just smile bitterly and indicate that he wouldn’t want to talk about the lesson, kicking the group of stones on the pathway to release his anger. However, as you both grew closer after an assigned duet performance, he was able to open up to you little by little, slowly but surely, keeping the friendship that grew even after you did your ending bow to the audience. He would still hide a little bit of his feelings to himself, embarrassed that he would talk about himself even though you reassured him that it was completely fine.

To him, how others see him is the most important thing for him. From the compliments that would grow the contagious smile on his face, to the heartbreaking crying scenes that he would hide from the rest of the world, all those words he took to heart so that he could improve himself as a person—and in this case, as an artist. In this harsh world, the words that would be spat out by teachers would be so deeply etched in a person’s heart that all of a sudden, giving up everything that they have worked so hard for would be easier done.

It’s during those times that you and Chanhee would lean on each other, reassuring each other not to run away from the weekly lessons and giving comfort after each one. Chanhee is internally grateful for the times that you would hold his shoulders, lightly shaking his frail, tired body before giving him words of encouragement. He would do a similar thing for you when you feel like you didn’t progress, stopping your self-criticism and pushing you to keep going. To you, he would just let you cry on his shoulder as you hug him tight, patting your back calmingly.

The light snowing season greets the both of you as soon as you exit the building. For you, your next destination is home but for Chanhee, ninety-eight percent of the time it would be his job at the barbeque restaurant, the seafood restaurant or even that new Chinese restaurant that he recently just started.

Given the good results of your lesson, you selfishly wanted to have some fun but the words died down in your throat when you slightly turned your head towards your friend. His black hair still peaked out from the beanie that kept both of his ears warm, the scarf that you gifted him hid the slight downturn of his lips and the physical expression of his heavy heart. His eyelashes fluttered away the snowflakes in the cold but still bright night and his rosy cheeks only grew brighter and more evident the slower the journey to your next destination would take.

“Just a little penguin in his somewhat natural habitat?” Your attempt to get a response out from him is successful when you see his cheekbones rise—the same way that they would rise whenever he sings his heart out.

“What a way to start a conversation.”

Your heart lightens at your successful attempt, linking your right arm with his as you continue to walk down the still-shared path that makes the distance between all your worries and yourself further away. However, like all journeys, you finally arrive at that one spot.

The one that split into two different roads, unlike the one you have been walking a few minutes ago.

The right road would take you both to safety, warmth and relaxation.

The left road would force you to unlink Chanhee’s arm, sending him to the busy, loud civilisation where he would put on his apron and raise the pitch of his voice fit for customer service.

“Are you…off to work?” He senses the sadness lingering in your voice and the way your right hand tightens around his forearm even through the thick, winter clothes.

“…yeah.”

“I see.” You managed to muster a stable response tone. “Come on, I’ll drop you there.” You turn your body towards the crowd but can’t go too far due to the other set of feet that stays grounded on the worn-down, cold stone floor, “Chanhee?”

“Maybe…” Suddenly, the sky starts to sprinkle down its pretty shapes of ice. “I’m just not meant to be a singer.”

You gasp quietly, the faint white exhale slowly disappearing behind the dark background. Seeing the tears finally slide down his cheeks made you realise one thing: he’s opening up. He’s doing the thing that he has tried to hide from everyone. In tune with his emotions, your eyes started to build their layer of moisture, the wind making it harder for you to keep your tears in. You couldn’t think straight, your free arm wiping your eyes to rid the hardships from your face while trying to give Chanhee words of encouragement.

“You’re going to get ther—”

“What if you had to give up so much,” He cut you off, gasping and inhaling more air to accommodate his crying, “earn so much money, gave it away and it didn’t give you good results? Whatever it may be…An event, a trip, an investment.” His voice gradually trails off as he lists life occurrences.

You’ve thought about the same thing thousands of times, back and forth, no matter where, when and who you were with. In a world where pursuing art can be a hard, long path, what would happen if nothing good were to come out of it? All your hard work, all your money, all your time…you’ll never be able to get those back.

Is it worth it? Is it worth the gamble?

“I would probably beat myself over it.” You tried to keep your whimpers at bay as you confessed the same answer that would come back every time you went on your downward spiral, “I would most probably always question why I did what I did. If I did the event with someone, and for some reason, they were the ones that made the situation bad, then I would’ve gone back and forth, asking myself if it was worth it. Why didn’t I go alone? Why was I so scared? What was I so scared of?”

Should you move to a different academy? But your teacher is well known. Should you still do it anyway? Knowing that you had to go through many processes and hardships to even get lessons with this teacher. Even if most of the time, you felt like giving up music, surely her experience would lead you to someplace good…right?

“But then…would answering those questions lead to happiness?” Chanhee scoffs at his absurd thoughts. Tilting his head to the sky, he relishes the way the snowflakes land on his pale skin, disappearing when they touch his skin, the side branches melting into his warmth. “Even after answering the question, would you be able to know what to do next? What would it lead to?”

Even though Chanhee was the first one to cry and break down, your wails were louder the more his words resonated within you, touching the parts of your heart that you never wanted to say out loud, scared of where and how your unconscious mind would take you. With everything in him, he untangles his arms to wrap them around your neck, patting the back of your head as you cry on his shoulder. He also lets his tears soak your scarf, resting his cheek on his arm and his chapped wavering lips rubbing against the delicate wool of your scarf, trying his best to soften his cries.

“I just…” One of his hands pats your back, giving you his comfort—even though he probably needed it more than you, “Music and singing used to be happiness that could fit in my pocket. It felt secure and safe. I could just put on my earphones and I’ll feel happy.” You notice the tighter hold after, “But music grew too fast and too big for me that I couldn’t catch up with it anymore.”

You only nod to his words, knowing how much Chanhee sacrificed to pay for his lessons. Some judged him, calling him stuck up and selfish even though they knew that he was independent in his journey to become a singer. It pains you to hear those words come out as scoffs and laughter and soon enough, you hold his hand and cut ties with them all, leaving their flabbergasted faces behind.

The sky starts to cry with you both beautifully in the form of its unique icy shapes. You both watch the snowflakes disappear on the ground, on each other clothing, on your noses. Finding the strength and breath to continue, you slowly push your body away, wiping the last bit of your tears to face your best friend straight into his eyes.

“You’re going to find happiness that you can rely on, Chanhee.” You couldn’t see his lips but you were sure that it was pouting and shivering, “It may be music or it may be something that music brings you. It may be the stage or maybe people who you will come to work with or maybe the people who will cheer you on but I’m sure you’ll find it soon.”

Even with the bustling environment around you both, there was no way that you could have missed his muttering, especially with the white puff of air, “At this rate…”

He feels the weight and pressure of your palms on both his shoulders but he still looks down to the ground where the snow slowly buries the sides of his shoes, “I promise you that if you keep going, I don’t have a single doubt that you’ll find your style. Regardless of what your crappy teacher says, you’re unique and I love your voice.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” Wiping the lone tear on his cheek, “The world is going to be amazed when they hear your voice and I'm sure you'll be a good influence to them.”

For the first time in the day, Chanhee finally smiled. You observe the way his eyes disappear into pretty little upside-down moons. His head tilts back slightly, revealing the upturned corner of his lips behind the scarf that kept him warm and his teeth shine brighter with the help of the light from the marketplace behind you. Your hands were able to finally relax and mirrored the same expression back to your now radiant friend.

“Promise me that we’ll stand on the same stage someday.”

But life plays a twisted fate on you both and loves to put more pressure than you can ever carry. Having to move to a different school and a different region is not on your list of expectations. You argued endlessly about the decision to move, feeling unfair that none of your opinions mattered to them as they relentlessly started to look for moving trucks to hire. With the good offer that your dad received and realising that the youngest in the family had no final say, you tried your best to hold back the tears when telling Chanhee the news.

He cries for you and himself, already imagining the loneliness of walking to the music academy after a long day of school and the drags of his feet across the gravel in the night after each lesson. You assured him that you would call often and unlike you, he promised you the same thing. Time told you both that your friendship was still strong despite the physical distance between you both and with time, so did both your musical skills.

The trade-off for talent in your friendship is the less frequent phone calls and text messages. It was decreasing steadily and slowly until eventually, there was no more red dot beside his name on your phone even though you're sure there would be one beside your name on his. When sadness turned into confusion, then morphed into anger, hate and bitterness whenever someone asked you about him, you still found yourself swiping through your many photos with him. Just like how he cries on your last day, you cry from the silence of him.

Thankfully, time did heal your heart even though you couldn’t find a friend like him ever again. Things have changed for you and you were sure that it was the same for Chanhee. You grew taller, changed your hairstyle, hobbies, dreams and aspirations. What time didn’t seem to change however was the delivered sign that never changed with your messages. You let it go and went on with your life.

When you did come back to Seoul, you realised that the city had changed drastically. You wondered if it’s really that or if you were just struggling to remember the city that you once walked around in every day. But unlike your thoughts, maybe Seoul did change drastically. Amid the new but still bustling environment, there was this one cafe that was incredibly packed. Needing to get away from the cold, you entered to be greeted with a well-decorated interior and the gold ‘Happy Birthday New’ balloon shines brightly, especially with the light that is right above it. Many were posing in front of the gold foil fringe backdrop.

You almost didn’t recognise the boy in the picture. You don’t remember when you took your scarf off and picked up a random framed picture in the frame before picking up another one next to it, and another one, and another one. Each showed his growth. You could tell not only from his appearance but also from the bigger stage that he performed along with ten other boys. Suddenly, it clicks and it all makes sense. Hearing everyone else around you talk about him fondly took away the heavy weight that his name brought and a new feeling overtook your heart.

For the first time in a very long time, seeing his face made you smile and it didn’t hurt.

Your phone slides into your shaking hands, swipe open the camera app from the lock screen and point it at the framed picture in your hand, “At least between us both,” the camera shutters and you take a shaky inhale, “one of us took the right path.”

You know from the laughter in the space, the feeling of the radiant energy of those around you and the happiness on people’s faces as they point their cameras to their fanmade goods and the interior of the place, that Choi Chanhee has done it. The stage looked extremely good on him, even if the light was too bright and he looked so pale sometimes.

“I’m glad it was you.”

You whisper somewhat solemnly and with a bit of jealousy. Your clenched fist is a puny attempt in trying to keep your tears from expressing the hurt that suddenly hit you as you recall that moment in your life. The multiple rejections to the companies that you auditioned for, the way people on the streets pass by more frequently as their ears and eyes are focused on other’s performances—the night where you listed all your musical instruments for sale and promised that you would never sing ever again.

“You shy, talented, loveable penguin.” And it would seem that his fans agree with the chosen animal with the pouting blue penguin on top of his head. “That’s just who you are, Chanhee.”

Maybe the fame wasn’t for you. Shortly after moving, you found out that the stage was more of a hobby, especially with how you just wanted to stand on stage but never wanted to practise and study music theory properly. You just wanted to shout out the lyrics and sentimentally sing the lyrics of existing songs instead of having your name in an album or next to the credits and royalty rights to the song. But knowing that it fit Chanhee well, it was more than enough for you. He may not have known it before but you wish with all your being that he knows his capability to make others smile, including you.

Even if your broken smile is within millions that he probably would never see from the podium that rightfully held him high.

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