dewsdoit - Tumblr blog

[dewsdoit]

we're not really strangers pt. 3

wonwoo x oc

no professional proofreading. may contain grammatical errors.

I can feel Wonwoo's gentle nudge on my back while guiding me toward the cafe's entrance. Thank God for door handles 'cause I can't feel my whole body right now.

Reflection

As we walk up to his table, he goes ahead of me to place my things on the extra chair and prep my seat. I can't help but think about how lucky his girlfriend would be, everything about him is so gentle and sweet. "Your class ended pretty late," he says while clearing out a few of his things on the table. "Yeah..," I responded. I don't have much to say because my heart and mind are battling each other as I try to maintain my composure. He looked up at me and a smile formed slowly across his face as if he was about to tease me. "What?" I asked, my brows meet in the middle. "Nothing. You look a bit tense," he comments while he types on his laptop. "I am not tense. I'm just a bit cold," I lied. I'm literally wearing a sweater. This made him look up at me again and he reached for my hand, held onto it, and gently rubbed his thumb against it. "Well, your hands are definitely cold..." I was avoiding his eyes and focused on our hands. OUR HANDS. I shifted out of nervousness and my eyes fell on his face. He was looking at me as if he was anticipating approval from me. He slowly placed the back of his hand on my cheek, and I could feel the rush of heat slowly made its way to my face. I'm sure my eyes were probably as big as button doll's. "...your cheeks feel very warm though. You might catch a fever," he says as he removes his hand from my cheek to take a sip of his coffee. What felt like hours were just mere seconds, I can't believe I let this man stop my time just like that. I couldn't bring myself to look at him so I started fidgeting on my phone. He didn't ask me any questions after what he did, he just started typing away on his laptop. He occasionally let out a small cough, I glanced at him once and he let out a small laugh. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

After a few long minutes had passed, I gathered up the courage to ask him about his research. He was confused and asked why I knew he was doing research, and I told him that he gets hyper-focused whenever he's doing research since essays are somehow a piece of cake for him. I also mentioned how he's almost identical to The Thinker whenever he's doing his research. He laughed at my remark and imitated The Thinker's pose again. After a few conversations, he decided to bring out the cards again. We exchanged questions and listened to each other's responses delicately. Wonwoo's laptop is now halfway closed, I thought about telling him off and letting him continue his research but he discreetly closed it while I continued talking. "Uhm, why are you still here?!", an unfamiliar voice uttered. I turned around, but she was already standing beside me. It was Jen, she was only looking at Wonwoo. I turned to look at Wonwoo and he was looking at Jen but he was facing me. "Uhm, why aren't you home yet?" he replied to Jen, "Piss off. I'm still working. And if you haven't noticed, I'm with someone right now," he gestured in my direction. Jen turns to look at me, "Oh, god, sorry. I think this is the second time I've done that. I'm Jen!" she greets me. "Yeah, we've met before," I told her as I shook her hand with a smile. "Well, since I'm already here," she says while she gets an extra chair and props herself beside me. "...might as well drive us both home, right?" She's so full of energy. No wonder she's the captain of the cheer squad. Their banter is quite funny, to be honest. "Your class ended at 5:30 today and you chose to stick around, even if you didn't have practice today, so I could drive you home??" he responded. "Duh, and you weren't responding to messages too. I figured you'd be here since you like this place so much," she wasn't even looking at him, she was on her phone. "Hey, you know, you look so familiar to me. Did you happen to go to that elementary school near that convenience store where this idiot had his car towed?" she asked. "Yeah, I graduated middle school there too. I don't remember seeing you there though?" I said. "I--well, we were pretty quiet back then and didn't have many friends. But I swear I've seen you before. I feel like I did..." she pondered for a while. She then started to share a few stories of her memories at our elementary school, she said that she had a really quiet playmate who declined her every time she asked them to join her wall climbing. They wouldn't climb with her but would wait for her to go down and stay with her until her mom picked her up. She also mentioned that her friend would only respond in short sentences and that she felt bad 'cause they were probably just absorbing everything she was saying. "If you kept your mouth shut once in a while, maybe your childhood friend could've responded better," Wonwoo butted in. I couldn't help but laugh at his snide remark. "Excuse me? Unlike you, my childhood friend is actually nice enough to be my constant playmate until we had to transfer schools," she said boastfully. She continued to tell me how transferring schools made it better for her and Wonwoo since they were finally acknowledged as siblings, and not as a couple. I took it as an opportunity to finally ask, "Oh, so you guys aren't--" and before I could finish my sentence, both of them aggressively denied the common question they always get.

"Just to be clear, we aren't siblings as well," he says. "Yeah, our mothers are like twins from different mothers. Inseparable. Unlike me and this idiot," she says. "When Jen's dad left her at an early age, my mom offered her and her mom to stay with us for as long as they needed. And they never left," he says.

"I honestly don't mind living with them. I love his mom. She always tells me that I'm like the daughter she never had. And she's happy that her son doesn't feel lonely," she adds. She was smiling from ear to ear as she proudly said that. "I don't mind being lonely if I can finally get some peace in my life," he teasingly says. "Oh please, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be able to get yourself your little girlfriend," she says as she rolls her eyes and turns to look in my direction. I didn't expect her to continue what she was saying, but she looks back at Wonwoo who's been death-glaring her for quite some time. "...ex-girlfriend, I mean," she says while looking at me. I nodded in response. His past relationships could never bother me since it's honestly none of my business. Even if he did have a girlfriend at this present time, I wouldn't mind it at all. I would've set my boundaries if I had learned about it now. When was fate ever on my side anyway? It wasn't too long when Jen asked me if I was getting tired, because she was. I laughed at that and told her that it was getting pretty late. I glanced at my phone to check the time. 9:30PM. I didn't notice my mom sent me a message asking if I was having dinner at home. I immediately responded and told her that she didn't have to worry about me and that I could eat by myself when I get home.

"I can wait. I just got home anyway. Take care, sweetie!"

"I'll go ahead, guys. You guys take care going home, my mom's waiting for me to get home," I tell them. I stood up and gave them a small wave of goodbye. I was about to get my things but Wonwoo stood up and got a hold of it. I looked at him and gave him a confused look, he was looking at Jen who was also getting ready to leave. "Wait, you guys can stay here as long as you want. I just really need to get home so..." I tell them, but they were already putting their things away. Jen told Wonwoo to go ahead of us and pay for the parking. Wonwoo responded that we should wait for him downstairs in the lobby. I was so baffled that I didn't even notice Jen was already holding my bag. "Here, I'll take that," I say as I motion towards my bag, "No, no. If I give you your bag, you might run away and not come with us. We'll take you home, okay?" she says. She locked her free arm on my arm and we went to the lobby to wait for Wonwoo. "Thank you," I tell her. She looks at me and smiles. I just can't help but notice how pretty her smile is. "Don't thank me yet, you might find me annoying once we start hanging out," she says. "Hang out?" I ask, "Yeah. I have a feeling that this isn't the last time we'll see each other. In fact, I think I'll see you more often than I should," she giggles as she says this. She might be assuming that Wonwoo and I are getting too close. Technically, she's not wrong but she's not entirely right too. Wonwoo arrives shortly after that. Jen insists on sitting in the back. I protest, but she immediately blocks the rear door and opens the front door. We push each other playfully until Jen hurriedly opens the back door, jumps inside, and locks it. Left with no choice, I take the passenger seat up front. I stole a quick glance at Wonwoo as I was getting in the car, he was looking straight ahead.

The ride home was pretty quiet. Jen fell asleep in the back seat, while Wonwoo seemed stern but relaxed. It felt like he was taking his time driving, he gently took turns and his pace was slower than usual. There's music playing on the radio but the volume is lowered. I tried my best to not look tense, but I couldn't rest my head properly without checking on him from time to time. We got to their place first, he woke Jen up and told her to tell his mom that he'll be dropping me off. Jen nodded and said goodbye to the both of us. I didn't realize that I was staring at him the whole time until we made eye contact before driving off. "Hmm?" he widened his eyes, waiting for me to speak. His hand was placed on the headrest of my seat. "Nothing. You okay?" I ask, genuinely concerned since I haven't seen him be this quiet. "Yeah," he gives a small reassuring smile. I gave him the same response and we drove off. We arrived at my house in no time, I could see my mom outside by the patio waiting for me. She didn't see the car parked outside though, she was busy reading her paperwork. I took my seatbelt off and looked at Wonwoo. He was looking at the flowering trees in front of our gate and the semi-empty street, he still had his hands on the steering wheel. Our street is not fairly dark but the moon had perfectly touched his face. He leaned back in his seat, all of the light touching his face had faded but I could still see him clearly. My eyes adjusted quickly 'cause it was him. I let out a quiet sigh as I looked away from him. I had my face down, contemplating if I should ask him again if he was really okay. "You know..." he breaks the silence, "...I like how peaceful it is here on your street." "Hmm?" I ask, he caught me off guard. "It's pretty peaceful here. It must feel warm in the morning, hmm?" he says as he faces me.

"Yeah, I guess so. Our neighbors are welcoming, we greet each other whenever we see each other. Actually, my favorite thing about this street is the bakery at the end of this street. Our neighbors will let us know if they're heading down to the bakery in the morning and include us in their orders," I smile at the thought of my neighbors' warm smiles. I can already smell the freshly baked bread they always get for us. "Pretty..." he whispers softly I was spacing out when he whispered something in response. I made eye contact with him and gave him a confused look. "That's pretty nice. That's nice," I guess he noticed that he mumbled something out loud. I chuckled, there's an awkward atmosphere as we tried to keep the conversation going. "I should probably go down now," I can never say a firm goodbye every time we part ways. "Yeah, of course, sorry I'll just..." he unlocks the door and gets out of the car. He goes around to where I was standing.

I had my arms crossed, I don't know why he got out of the car and stood in front of me. "I'll wait for you to get inside," he smiles at me, awkwardly gesturing that I should get inside already. I smiled at him and nodded, I was about to open our front gate but decided to glance back at him. He was leaning on his car, still waiting for me to take a step inside our house. The gate suddenly opened, my mom had her hand on her hip. I was staggered, I didn't expect her to still be outside waiting for me. She only looked at me for a second and started looking around, as if she was looking for someone other than her daughter. Of course, she finds Wonwoo standing outside. He jumps up and fixes his stance. He bowed a little to politely acknowledge my mom's sudden presence.

"Good evening, Ma'am," he stood still with his hands clasped together, a soft smile plastered across his face. I found all of it hilarious so I turned away from my mom and Wonwoo. "Well, aren't you going to introduce your friend over there?" she lightly slaps my arm. "I was going to!" and I was really going to but she caught all of us off guard. "Mom, this is Wonwoo. He's the director of our film project in one of my classes," I signaled him to come closer, which he did abruptly. "Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," Wonwoo shakes her hand with a small, polite bow again. "It's nice to meet you too," she looks at him but quickly shifts her gaze toward me. She had a doubtful yet mischievous expression, which I can't stand 'cause I know this will be our topic of discussion for this week...or maybe even months long. "We're just about to have our late dinner, I was hoping maybe you could join us?" she wasn't gonna take a 'no' for an answer. I could feel my hands start to get cold, I had no idea what she had in store for him if he accepted her invitation. "I-uhm...I'd be happy to join you if it's alright?" he asks facing me. He was waiting for me to acknowledge the invitation too. "Sure," I tell the both of them. I feel like I swallowed a huge lump in my throat, I can feel myself breathless from the situation I'm in right now. Nonetheless, I forced a smile while cold sweat ran down my back. We went inside right after. As I was about to enter our home, Wonwoo got a hold of my arm as he stood by our door frame waiting for my mom and I to enter first. I turned to him and he stared straight into my eyes, I thought he was nervous about having dinner with us. "Are you sure about this?" he asks. "Why? Are you not comfortable with this?" I ask in return "No, I just want to make sure you're prepared to see me visit here more often after this," he smiles at the idea of what he just said. I couldn't help but snort and cross my arms from his response. I'm honestly in disbelief. He moves his hand from my arm to my back, "Ladies first."

part 1 part 1.1 part 2 part 2.2

[dewsdoit]

we're not really strangers pt. 2.2

wonwoo x oc

no professional proofreading. may contain grammatical errors.

This has got to be the longest I’ve ever spent time with him.

Midterms are done, I’m half way through my last semester, and I’m still working on this project with him. The past few months have been crazy. Or at least for me it is.

Wonwoo and I have been messaging each other almost everyday. We ask each other about how our day went, if we’ve already eaten, and we send videos or photos of things that we might enjoy. In fact, we haven’t stopped talking ever since that night his car broke down.

I was still lying on the floor, thinking about how much I’d fallen for this guy whom I only have vague memories of from my childhood. I was going down in a spiral of thoughts, wondering if I only like him because of his beautiful face, approachable personality, perfect height, and his seemingly awkward demeanor that I find charming. I could list all the reasons why I like him, but I can’t even think of one reason why he would like me back. Or why would anything other than friendship start between the two of us?

All of these thoughts were interrupted by my phone’s buzzing. It buzzed twice.

“I had fun today. Hope we can do that more often :)”

“Hangout, I mean. Anyway, let me know if you got home safely.”

My heart sank, I think I swallowed it. I’m in all sorts of pain and my heart is racing so fast. He enjoys my company?… no, no, no. Let’s not go there.

“I had fun today too. Thanks for checking up on me, I’m home now. Let me know if you’re already ho|“

— Should I ask?? Would it sound like I’m being clingy or am I being too nice? Do I text back immediately or should I wait?

“I had fun today too. Thanks for checking up on me, I’m home now. Let me know if you’re already home too.”

✓ Sent

I got up so fast that all the blood came rushing down to body. I got so lightheaded from overthinking what I just said. Maybe I need to get a grip of myself and just play it cool.

My phone buzzed again.

“I just got home actually, thanks for checking up on me too. You should get some rest. I’ll see you again on Monday!”

I tried stopping myself from smiling by putting my hands on my face aggressively. I managed to get up, take a shower, and eat dinner with my mom. As I finally let my body meet my bed, I thought to myself, “Maybe there are good things to look forward to on Mondays.” I allow myself to feel such glee at the idea of seeing him again, I let the thought of his company take over my thoughts for tonight.

My phone buzzed again.

“Hey, I remember you have a cat like this one. He must be this adorable too. :)”

He sent a cute clip of a ginger cat having zoomies and stopping occasionally to look at its owner. He remembered my ginger boy… This familiar feeling comes so naturally now. My heart fluttered so much that it felt like it sank deep, deep down to my stomach. Seems like there is no use in denying it now.

I responded and told him that he is a lot like that. We continued to talk about my cat, and one question led to another, so the conversation continued.

Next thing I knew, it was already 4 in the morning. He wanted to call me in the middle of our conversation but I got so scared. Why was I afraid of that?? It'd be stupid to deny that I wanted to hear his voice on the other line but I backed out like a coward.

"I'm in my mom's room so I can't take a call right now. I shouldn't even be awake right now..."

I lied, I'm literally alone in my small room.

"Oh, okay. I understand. Aren't you tired yet? Your mom might scold you if she wakes up and finds you still awake."

I've been typing with one eye open but I don't even care, I just wanted to keep talking to him.

"I mean if you're tired, we can sleep now. I don't feel tired at all, honestly."

Another lie he doesn't need to know. I'm really letting myself go right now.

"Well... it is pretty late. Let's get some rest, shall we? I'll make sure to message you when I wake up. :)"

Weirdly enough his words put a halt to my desire to keep talking to him. Truth be told, I'm afraid that this is the only time he'll find me interesting enough to talk to. A bigger fear creeps in as my confidence depletes whenever I think about him. Why am I afraid of losing someone who's not even mine in the first place? So, our simple midnight conversation should stay as it is. There's no harm in talking to him, regardless of what I feel towards him. But I should really keep in mind that he might never reciprocate those feelings back and I should keep things the way they are right now.

"Goodnight, Wonwoo. I'll talk to you then. :)"

And we did talk after that. We started having lunch together after our film class. We would discuss what we just learned and try to apply that in our shots, we'd talk about anything and everything. There were days when we'd meet up at our cafe spot just to edit together. We would go there often, but we don't mind hanging out anywhere. Sometimes his friends would sit with us and some of them became close to me too. "Okay okay, but I haven't even opened these cards yet and you're telling me that the two of you are already on the second level? You've only had this for a few months, dude", his friend nags. "Well, we hang out a lot more than you think. Besides, it's a fun game. You get to know each other really well.", Wonwoo responds.

He was looking down at his food while saying that, but he looked up at me and gave me a soft smile. I let out a little laugh and kept playing with my food. I wish I choked on my food but I couldn't even take a single bite for a moment there. I hope I'm doing a good job of keeping myself composed cause I can feel my breath being taken away. His friend flips a level 2 card and faces toward me, "Okay, let me ask you what this card says, "What trait of yours is a dead giveaway that you're interested in someone?" In perfect timing, a piece of pasta gets stuck in my throat. I tried to stop coughing so I could talk but I just couldn't get the words out of my mouth. "You can take your time, seems like I caught you off guard there.", his friend Seungkwan teases. "It'd be nice if you actually help her out you know.", Wonwoo says while handing out his bottled water to me. He already took the cap off so I just chugged it down. "I-um...I don't really know what trait...I mean, I don't think I have any trait that would make it seem obvious that I like someone. Or maybe I'm just really good at hiding it.", I say proudly as if I don't experience at least 5 symptoms of chronic nausea just thinking about Wonwoo. "So, does that mean that you're pretty straightforward then? You can say 'I like you' without hesitation?", Seungkwan asks. I stare at him blankly and it seems like Wonwoo is also waiting for a response. If I'm being honest, I could admit my feelings right then and there if he kept staring at me with his soft and charming eyes. "Maybe, maybe not? I guess you'll never know.", I say teasingly. Seungkwan went on about how people with the same mindset as mine tend to give guys like him the wrong idea. Wonwoo and Seungkwan exchanged banters and opinions about it. Wonwoo was firm that it takes two people to make their relationship work, and Seungkwan was firm that people shouldn't start something they can't commit to. They're both right honestly, it's just entertaining to hear both sides. It was already dark outside when my last class ended. I started walking towards the footbridge, and the cold breeze was fighting to seep through my sweater. I decided to wait inside the building where our cafe spot was. I peeked through the glass window beside me where I got a good, subtle view of the cafe. As I was scanning for available seats, I saw Wonwoo sitting inside. He was so focused on the screen of his laptop, it was so bright that it almost made his glasses appear white. I chuckled a little and looked away for a moment. "That's so adorable", I thought to myself. He's probably re-reading his research given the amount of brightness he had on his screen. I decided to give a second glance at him after a while but he wasn't there anymore. Confused, I stood up and moved closer to the big glass window. Where the hell did he go? I took a step back, and just as I was about to turn around, Wonwoo held onto my shoulders to stop me from losing my balance. We were only a few inches away from each other, and I could see my startled expression on the reflection of his glasses. "You okay?", he asked. A soft smile formed across his face and he looked like he was about to laugh. I forgot how to breathe at this point. "How did- I mean where-", I stuttered. "Were you looking for me?", he asked while his hands stayed on my shoulders with a lighter grip. "No I-I was looking for a seat. I think it's gonna rain soon so I was thinking of staying inside the cafe instead.", I responded.

"If you don't mind staying with me, I already have a table inside. Do you wanna come?", he asked. I was still processing how close our proximity was so I couldn't bring myself to respond immediately. And before I could even speak, he reached down to where I was seated to grab my things. He stood tall in front of me and gestured with his eyes, it looked like he was waiting for my approval. I gave him a small smile and nodded. He offered his hand, which confused me at first 'cause I'm not sure what he meant by that. He then lightly grabs the end of the sleeve of my sweater, gesturing me to go ahead of him. And as we're walking out of the building, he places his hand on my shoulder as if he's guiding me to the cafe. I'm not sure if I should thank him for placing his hand on my shoulder 'cause I can't feel my lower body, I was just floating at that point.

part 2 | part 1.1 (wonwoo's pov) | part 1

[dewsdoit]

DINO Wait MV Behind

[dewsdoit]

seungkwan and woozi rapping dino's part in aju nice 🤍

[dewsdoit]

we're not really strangers pt. 1.1 - extras: Wonwoo's POV

wonu x y/n | soft romance with a bit of angst ❗️no professional proofreading. may contain grammatical errors.

it’s been a long time but i’m back. I honestly don’t know if I should continue this but I have some free time right now and I’m still kinda having fun. again, don’t take this seriously! it’s just purely fictional <33

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It's been extremely mundane these days. It feels like a routine going to school and getting up is the worst part. I thought I would be excited to finally take my last semester as a student in this school, but I feel numb.

As I was brushing my hair in front of the mirror, I started thinking about how my college life has been pretty eventful…yet it feels so empty. I've been active in school my whole life. I joined contests, I participated in different clubs and organizations, and I even tried joining our futsal team. Don't get me wrong, I've made a lot of friends and companions throughout these events. I'm grateful for the opportunities and I don't regret doing all those things, but I've been wanting some peace and quiet lately. My course isn’t helping as well since it started to feel more of a requirement than a hobby that I feel strongly passionate about. It just doesn’t feel the same anymore.

I stared at my reflection for awhile. The guy in front of me looks so familiar, but I don’t see the same guy who was so excited to take up film as their major and finally fulfill his dream as a director or producer.

My thoughts were disrupted when I heard a knock on my door. “Are you gonna take any longer? We’re gonna be late!” Jen says irritatedly. “Just a few more minutes! Be patient!”, I scold back at her.

Living with my mom’s bestfriend’s daughter has been quite eventful, honestly. Considering the fact that people would commonly mistake us as a couple, I actually treat her like the sister I (wish I) never had.

“What the heck took you so long??” That’s one cute way of saying good morning to someone who just experienced a little identity crisis this early in the morning.

“The shower wasn’t hot enough,” I responded. “Can we please go now?”

“You told me to wait patiently and now you’re bossing me around to head out? My god, aren’t you the sweetest?” She messes up my hair that took me three tries to make it look less fluffy. Oh I wanna push her so bad.

As I parted ways with Jen and entered our building, every thought I had this morning suddenly vanished. It's as if nothing happened. I guess I can still call this school as my second home, but only because I know my friends make it suck less. I took the easiest elective under my major, Film-101. Going back to the basics was a good idea since I feel the need to remember why I chose this course in the first place. Plus, some of my friends are taking up this course for fun too. "Hi, sorry, is this the room for Film-101?" a soft voice asked my friend, "Yeah. We were just heading inside too," my friend responded. "Thanks!" she replied, and my friend was following her with his eyes as she entered the room. I playfully elbowed him and he laughed it off. The truth is I also did the same thing, but not just because I find her pretty. It's because I know her, and I know her too well that my hands are suddenly sweating and my cheeks feel warm. I thought taking this class was gonna be a breeze, but now I find myself shifting my eyes in her direction from time to time. I might just be in awe because I haven't seen her since middle school, but why am I so nervous? It's just her. I shouldn't feel this way anymore. "Dude, are you even listening?" my friend snapped at me. "Yeah dude, just keep talking," I wasn't even looking at him when she suddenly looked back in my direction. Now my friend has truly got my full attention and I'm faking a reaction just to make a fool out of myself. TWICE. That was my sign to stop whatever the hell I was doing and just do what I was supposed to do. The last thing I want is to embarrass myself by failing this class. I have to get it together.

——————————————————————————

I can’t seem to start my car. I’m watching you walk away from the cafe and you look so cute with your hoodie almost making your face look so round. I waited for you to get on your ride back home.

I sit and ponder for a while. My mind keeps replaying how you gently removed my glasses. God, you were so close that it didn’t feel real. It took me back to middle school, when I couldn’t find my glasses after playing at the Mcdonald’s ball pit and you helped me find them. You asked me the same question with such gentleness. Your kind gesture easily made my heart pound so fast that I thought I was going to pass out.

But of course, I expected that you wouldn’t remember me anymore. I don’t think I’ve changed a lot physically, but I’m more active in school now compared to when we were kids. But you… I’ve always known how pretty you are but your eyes are sharper now. You parted your hair differently and you don’t put your hair up anymore. You put on a little bit of makeup to make your cheeks and lips look flushed but you still don’t smile too often. You’re still awfully quiet in class and you keep yourself well-reserved. You choose your crowd and I’m glad you get along with a lot of girls now. Kids used to make fun of you for having a gap between your teeth, but I personally think it’s what makes you stand out in the cutest way possible.

I think about you a little more often than I should. And how you’ve stayed pretty much the same, but also how much you’ve changed. I start to think about how I try not to miss the chances I have in everything I do, and I wanna take this chance I have to try and take my chance on you.

I glanced at my bag and I’m thanking my genius friend for suggesting this card game. Hopefully when we draw the last card, I’ll be able to get to know you better. And if things go the right way, I hope I’ll be brave enough to ask you to see me more than just a project partner. And again, hopefully, more than just a friend.

[dewsdoit]

MY BESTIES

peak bestie behaviour

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WONWOO Loro Piana Pop-up via Newsen

[dewsdoit]

we're not really strangers pt. 2

wonu x y/n | soft romance with a bit of angst ❗️no professional proofreading. may contain grammatical errors.

this is purely fictional so please take it with a grain of salt! this fic is mostly soft and maybe a bit cheesy... I will be updating this post from time to time regarding the chapters as well. hope you'll enjoy it! treat people with kindness, everyone!

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Second: Connection "We should try drawing 5 cards," you suggest as I take a last bite of my favorite part of the ice cream, the end of the cone.

"Sure. It's not like we can do anything about this right now." Your car broke down when we were on our way home from our shoot. It's not pretty far from where I live but I just feel bad for you, you don't even know how to commute going home. We stopped by the nearest 7/11 and bought ice creams just to make ourselves feel a little bit better. After your car got towed, you called Jen if she could pick you up. "I'll go first," you draw the first card. "What is the worst pain you have ever been in?" you pondered for a while, I'm not sure if you have a bad memory or if there's too much pain in your life that you've experienced... "I think the worst pain I've ever been in was when I almost choked to death. I was at school when it happened. When I was 10 years old, I had this habit where I tried to do everything as fast as I could. When lunchtime came, I ate my lunch quickly because my friends wanted to play. Heck, I was still eating when I ran towards them so we could start the game. Halfway through the first round of our game, I was chasing my friend when I suddenly felt like my breathing was cut abruptly. Something was blocking my airway and I didn't even feel anything go down my throat. But anyway, I was rushed to the clinic and they had to perform the Heimlich maneuver. A piece of bread came out of my mouth but I felt so weak after everything that had happened, so I was sent home." Now, I wasn't sure if I should let out a laugh or two because I remember this happening too. I JUST got my first period that day and I was also sent to the clinic to rest and receive assistance. I remember hearing everything from one of the private rooms and I could hear your mom chuckle a little, but she was obviously worried about you. She had warned you about eating and moving too fast, and that you should take your time in everything that you do so you can enjoy it while it lasts. I think you learned your lesson from that day on. She's so gentle when she talks to you. I kind of wish she'd talk me through the confusion I was going through inside the room I was in. "Is that why you move similarly to a sloth now?" I ask. "Am I that slow?!" every time you widen your eyes whenever you feel extreme emotions makes me want to tease you more. I looked the opposite way and laughed a little, I wanted to tease you but I almost lost myself when you held the top of my head and made me face your direction. "A sloth? Really?!" God, this kind of proximity should be illegal between us. It makes me sick, the same way I want to vomit when acid comes up from my stomach. You shook my head a little just to tease. That goofy smile on your face isn't working when you're just really beautiful. Fuck. This is so fucking bad for me.

"Really. It takes you about 30 mins to finish your meal, you even play games sometimes while you eat so that takes a longer time." I didn't want to look into your eyes for another second so I looked towards the street. I noticed a stray cat wanted to cross the street so I shifted my attention to it. I tried calling it and it rubbed its head on my leg, "You're such a good girl!" I just kept playing with the cat when I looked at you for a second. You were looking in my direction but you looked away immediately. You also tried to call the cat's attention and it worked. "Do you have a pet cat at home?" you ask. "Yeah, mine's a ginger boy. He's very playful but he's well-behaved too. I didn't have to train him that much, and he sleeps most of the time," I respond. "That's adorable..." You have a fond smile on your face while still petting the stray cat. "Can I draw a card?" I ask, I was already holding the box. You nodded, you're occupied with the cat and it makes my heart warm up.

"When was the last time you cried?" That made you look up in my direction. I paused for a good moment. I can't call myself a crybaby but my dad used to tell me that it hurts him a lot when he does see me cry. Maybe that's why I didn't cry at his funeral, I didn't want to make him upset or worry about me. "I uh-uhm..." I couldn't speak. I wasn't on the verge of tears but I felt choked up. All of a sudden I feel guilty for laughing at your near-death experience. "Let's draw another card. Hmm?" you suggest. "Yeah, sure." I have this habit where I play with my hands or fingers when I'm bored or anxious. I normally let my nails sink through my palms or finger until I get better. "Here, let me read it for you," you suggest. "What's your favorite lyric that you can’t stop thinking about in your head?" you look at me with a comforting smile. "Hmm..." That made me think for a while. "I don't have to sing right?" I ask genuinely. "Well I wasn't thinking of making you do it but-" "Okay, well, you weren't gonna ask, so I don't have to do it." I had to cut you off before you start saying some stupid shit. I wasn't gonna let you convince me at all. "I mean if you want to-"

"I seriously don't," you keep insisting and laughing at me, but I laugh defensively with you. "Can I please just read the lyrics and get this over with?" I look at you with pleading eyes because you look like you're one word away from teasing me again. "Okay, okay, I won't tease anymore," We're trying so hard to not laugh at what's about to happen when Jen arrives. "Hey! Are you good? What happened?" Jen asks, she seems a little worried. She was happy to see you, she cupped your face to make sure you were okay, but you removed her hands from your face. "Yeah, I'm all good. Don't worry too much," you might've sensed how awkward the atmosphere is. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I haven't introduced myself, I'm Jen! I'm Wonwoo's--" "Why is my mom calling you?" you ask, cutting her introduction short. I want to hear the rest of it though. "Well, she did ask me to use her car to pick you up. I'm sure she's just as worried as I am," she says nonchalantly. This sucks, for me at least. I get to hear every bit of this while I sit here with my feelings, which are starting to feel as if I stepped on dog shit. Rough way to end the night I guess. "Come on. We'll take you home." Your words snapped me out of my running thoughts, but I rejected your polite offer. "It's fine, I'm just a few blocks away from my house so..." You suddenly look at me like I've offended you or something. It wasn't a long stare, but it did make me feel like I'd done something wrong. Jen offered that you both walk me home, but I insisted that it was all good. I said goodbye to both of you, but you seemed a bit off. You expressed an awkward smile to me as a goodbye before taking the driver's seat and driving off. I brushed it off because I needed to start walking home. Walking has always been so therapeutic for me. I get to see different scenarios as I move past every house, every small establishment, and every stray cat or dog that I wanna take home. It helps me think clearly too, and I could really use some enlightenment right now. I'm not hurt right now but every time you share a laugh or smile with me, I can't help but think about it for days. I didn't realize I'd arrived in front of my house, I immediately lay down on the floor to rest before taking a bath. I can feel a wave of heat rushing up to my face, it rests on my cheeks but it hurts my eyes. I take a deep breath as I question this moment, my thoughts, and my feelings towards you. I promised myself I wouldn't even try to love as hard as my mom did. I can't imagine losing my brightest days because the one that gives us light and life is gone. She smiles and laughs but it echoes the room. This is what love looks like for me. Although I'm not there yet, I assume that falling harder or deeper would be the worst decision I'll ever make. Now, I find myself not wanting this project to end. Finding a reason to be with you other than working on something together would send me to a mental breakdown. And I think I just really like you. I like hanging out with you. I like taking photo walks with you. I like how you describe why you chose a certain angle and why you think it's perfect. I like how open you are to changes and you always encourage me or yourself that we can do better, and we do. I like how giddy you get when we take breaks from filming, the thought of resting and eating excites you so much that you do a little dance to celebrate. I like how you pat my head when you feel like teasing me or whenever we part ways. I like the way you make sure I get home, you'd message me more than once just to make sure I don't forget to tell you that I got home safely. I like your gentleness, with the way you speak and act. I like the small, shy smile you get when you're trying not to laugh. I like the way your eyes get bigger when you feel attacked or the way it gets smaller when you find something really funny. I like talking to you, I always wish we have more time to just sit down and talk about anything and everything. I like you. I really do.

part 1

[dewsdoit]

MINGYU 2023 Seventeen's Home

[dewsdoit]

we're not really strangers

wonu x y/n | soft romance with a bit of angst ❗️no professional proofreading. may contain grammatical errors.

this is purely fictional so please take it with a grain of salt! this fic is mostly soft and maybe a bit cheesy... I will be updating this post from time to time regarding the chapters as well. hope you'll enjoy it! treat people with kindness, everyone!

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We started this about three months ago but we make sure we get to walk on this familiar street and keep going in circles until we sit on the swings at the playground. 

“Last card?” you ask as if you weren’t sure if this is the 150th card inside the box. Nonetheless, I nodded in agreement but not once did I look up to even glance at you. 

We talk about how we both see the world ending and we get too factual about it. I wanted to come up with silly stories and let you build up the plot so we could keep this going, but we ended up backing each other up with scientific facts about global warming and possible alien invasions that may wipe out our existence. “Can you lighten up?” I couldn’t help but make that request, it’s too deafening to deal with the silence after every hum of agreement. 

“You lighten up,” you respond as you playfully kick my ankle, making it hit the other one. I look at you with tired and annoyed eyes, in hopes that you’ll send me home rather than deal with whatever this is. We sit in silence for a while, I think and talk to myself if you’re real at this point. 

“Can I still see you?” you ask. “Hmm?” I couldn’t quite understand, I was somewhere else. “I don’t want this to end,” you press on that sentence with your sober eyes as you look at me. “Come see me again. Let me see you again.” 

First: Perception

I thoughtlessly chose this class because I ran out of electives. You’re not hard to miss because you’re the only one with thick glasses and fluffy hair, making you stereotypically attractive for losers who need someone who will partially change their life forever. But if everyone was going for the last slice of decadent cake, I think I’d rather reserve myself for a flavor no one even bothered to touch. I always thought it was easy to divert myself from the girls who whisper and giggle in your presence. 

The rest of the school year passed by too quickly as I easily came and went to every class, but the day I got partnered up with you slowed everything down. I had to deal with telling people to not sit in my seat that was next to yours, which wasn’t a bother if they decided to leave. I just wanted to discuss our film and get things done but the inconveniences your friends and admirers bring slightly get on my nerves. 

I’ve never met a man who speaks concisely as much as you do. Maybe it’s because we’re at a coffee shop near our school and we don’t want to disturb anyone but you spoke low and soft. I’m just glad we’re getting somewhere and we see eye to eye, mostly because I’m easy to please. 

“By the way, we can make this our meeting place. I’ll give you my schedule so we can align our free time. I also wrote my number so you can contact me to meet up.” 

“Oh, thanks. Looks like you got everything planned out.” You took me by surprise. I mean, I was planning but you were a step ahead of me already. 

“I like to plan things out so we don’t miss our deadline. Besides, I think we have similar breaks. Which is why I insisted we partner up in the first place.” 

“Huh?” I ask. I’m so sure that this coffee shop wasn’t loud enough for me to mishear what you just said but I have to make sure. 

“I got the highest grade from our last exam. The prof gave me the advantage of choosing a partner I want to work with and obviously, I went for the person who has a similar schedule with mine so we don’t have to sweat about this project so much.” You say as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” I respond, cutting the conversation short. It was freezing in the shop and I just wanted to start walking to get home. “Anyway, I think we discussed the plot well so maybe I can work on the script tonight. I’ll share the document with you and let you know. I’ll get go—“

“Do you want some coffee?” you ask. 

I was packing my things when you asked, “Oh, no thanks. I already had one today so…” 

“You sure? It’s my treat.” you insist. I kinda wanna bite your offer but I just want to get home and rest. I had math before meeting you, so having coffee wouldn’t be the best solution. 

“Seriously, I’m good. Thanks though. I’m just gonna head home. I’ll message you whenever.” 

I was rushing on my way to our class. I woke up late, haven’t brushed my hair, and I need caffeine to beat my throbbing headache. The door was still locked, so it seemed like I was one of the first few students to arrive even though I was 30 mins late. 

I sit down next to the door to catch my breath. Running four flights of stairs is definitely not a joke. I see someone coming up the stairs and you seem relaxed for someone who’s about 5 mins later than me. 

“Is it just you and me?” you ask. “I guess so? I thought I was gonna get reprimanded already,” I respond.  “Well, maybe we can take this time to work on our revisions,” you suggest, and I couldn’t even respond because my head started throbbing more so I had to close my eyes and wait for the pain to settle down. 

“Are you okay?” you ask as I embarrassingly try to open one eye to reassure you that I am. “I’ll be fine, just let me catch my breath.”  You hand me your water flask filled with cold water. I didn’t even hesitate to take it because I needed it. I still had to process the cold water trying to help fight the headache, but I could still feel you looking at me. You patiently waited for me to open my eyes before asking again if I was okay, and I nodded in response to assure you. “Shut up and don’t do this to me,”  I thought to myself.  I think I’m already pathetic enough to think that this whole group work was a test between me and my easily-impressed heart. My intentions are set: We film what we need to film, meet the deadline and pass this class, graduate, and I’ll only remember you whenever I feel like opening our future yearbook. I moved back a little to physically assert the distance I wanted, which was perfect timing since one of our blockmates came to our room to tell us that the prof wasn’t coming. I thought I could use this free cut to get more sleep, but who am I to reject your offer to go to our meeting place? Our…lol 

“You should sit down, I’ll order for the both of us. Just tell me what you want.” “Alright, I’ll just have a latte. How much is it?” “It’s on me, just take a seat,” you say firmly. I know damn well I’m not letting you pay but I did find us a seat and I try to settle down. This cafe is kind of growing on me, it’s so cozy even though it’s freezing in here. It wasn’t too long ‘till you settled down while we wait for our orders to come. It’d be nice if you stopped staring at me from time to time just because there’s nothing to talk about (except maybe, start discussing our film). “Let’s play a game,’ you say out of the blue. “Hmm?” “I bought this online, apparently it’s really popular these days.” You pulled out a box full of cards. We’re Not Really Strangers. Huh, that’s interesting. “This seems...fun. Okay, I’m down,” I say as I fidget the box. Who knows, we might get something out of this game. “You should go first,” you say. I pick out a card from the first level. I suddenly feel tense, why am I so tense?? “What about me is most strange or unfamiliar?” I read the card out loud. “Probably the way you keep shifting your eyes when you’re talking to someone,” you say without hesitation. That took me aback, to be honest. You could’ve let that thought marinate for a while. And it sounds like someone’s been really observant when talking to people. “I beg to differ, I don’t think I do that.” “You do that with me. You’re not even looking at me right now.” And why on earth would I want to do that? “Why do you sound like you’d kill someone for eye contact?” I hope that wasn’t too cold of a response. “I’m just not used to someone who doesn’t make eye contact with me when I’m having a conversation with them. That can come off as rude to other people, you know,” you say with such a soft voice. I kind of stare at your face for a while. You have soft and sharp features. Everything about you is so soft and sharp. Your deep and low voice, but you speak so gently as if we’re sharing secrets all the time. Your bread-shaped cheeks with your sharp nose that might send me into an eternal rest if I touch it. I hope I wasn’t staring for too long because now I find myself unable to find the right words to say something…or anything. Before I could even respond, the server came and gave us our drinks. You ordered pastries too. “You should eat something. I don’t think your body will take the caffeine lightly if you don’t eat something.” You gave me my share of the pastry and I could feel my cheeks starting to warm up. I need to get a hold of myself. 

“Can I see the bill? I’ll pay you right now.” I start rummaging through my bag, looking for my wallet. “You don’t have to pay for anything right now, it’s better that I treat you now than treat your hospital bill if you pass out on me.” I laughed at your remark and you smiled back at me. This is better than I thought, maybe everything will just be nice and lax between us. And this project, of course, is the only reason why we get to see each other this often.

“No but seriously though, I don’t remember taking any class other than this one with you in it,” I express my confusion because you kept pressing that I should remember your face well. 3 level one cards down and we already spent hours talking about our first impressions of each other. I can’t believe this game actually works. “We went to the same elementary school and we were classmates in 1st grade. I was the kid who always cried when my mom dropped me off.” I really couldn’t remember your face. I’m sure I would’ve remembered you because believe it or not, I liked talking to everyone when I was kid. “Did you have glasses back then?” I ask. “No, I didn’t,” you seemed nervous when you responded to me, I guess you do know me well… I reached for your glasses and asked, “Sorry, can I? I just need to see something.” You nodded with a hint of hesitation, but I proceeded to take your glasses off. Who would’ve thought that an accessory would make you unrecognizable? Maybe Clark Kent had a point after all. I remember how innocent you looked when you were a kid but seeing you now, with your grown face without these glasses? My god. I immediately put it back on your face. “You look better with your glasses on,” I teasingly say. You chuckled a bit, but you glared a little bit at my teasing. We stayed until the cafe closed and discussed what we needed to do thoroughly. You gently placed your hand on my head before you said goodbye and take care. It was swift and gentle, I tried to fight every single heartstring from beating so fast but that’s exactly how I knew I was fucked. There’s no use in fighting it. I really need a moment with God or the universe because I feel like the misfortunes in my life are getting out of hand. I heard from our mutual friend that they’ve seen you go to school and home with Jen from your block. I wasn’t even surprised to hear that. I mean of course you’d go on dates with someone else, I guess I’m more disappointed in myself for falling for kind gestures. Nevertheless, my feelings found comfort in staying stagnant. As long as I don’t revisit it, I don’t think it’ll budge. Not even an inch. 

“…Anyway, this shot looks fine to me. How about you? Is this okay?” I was spacing out when you asked me for my input. “Yeah, that looks fine.” “Okay, we can do more test shots tonight if you’re free.” “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there.” “Good. If we get home late, I can give you a ride home.” “Hmm? There’s no need to do that. I’ll just book a cab to go home.” If I wanted to die inside, I would’ve just eaten a poisoned apple or something. “Are you sure? It might be hard to book later since it’s Friday. I can just drop you off at the nearest station if you can’t stand my presence.” I close my eyes so you don’t see me roll them in annoyance. “Okay, I’ll think about it.” The rest of the day went by pretty fast. I met up with you at the lobby of the mall near the cafe and we drove to a city close by. There are tall buildings and views where you can see the skyline. I’d love to go back here alone, it looks peaceful. We shot more clips for b-rolls, some test shots here and there while we were each other’s test subjects. We’d laugh about how stupid we both look when we’re the ones being filmed. Most of our shots will be indoors, the outdoor shots are for the last few scenes of the film. “You have a good eye for filming. These shots look really good!” It feels nice to have that compliment come from you. Well, you ARE the film major between the two of us. “Thanks, I just do photography on the side but I’ve never tried film. So that compliment means a lot.” “You should do this more often,” you say. “Really? I don’t know, I mean it’s still a growing hobby for me. I can be good now but I might disappoint myself later and lose interest.” “Just do it without thinking about what happens afterward. Take the opportunity and just...do it. Besides, I can help you whenever you want to film something. I’m just one message away,” you say with a soft smile on your face. I gave myself a second to think about it. “You're right, I should just give it a try." I didn't notice that I was smiling a lot today. I'd be lying if I told myself that I was happy to be here and I'm just enjoying the views, taking photos, and filming.

Somehow your bright energy seeps through me and I allow it. Now I raise the question, how can someone be so familiar yet so distant all this time? I'm sure I'll know the answer when a few months pass by. But for now, I'll have to brave through these moments I have with you and see where the wind takes me.

Hopefully, it's not too far from you, again. part 2

[dewsdoit]

i can’t believe a single photo from wonwoo changed something in me cause here we are writing fictional stories about HIM.

anyway, this is SERIOUSLY just for funsies and i kinda see this story becoming short and sweet, maybe a little angst if i’m feeling it. if i have any typographical errors, pls ignore them and let your brain fix them for you (just like how mine does LMAO). enjoy! feel free to share your thoughts too.